Chapter 5
"Look, I know I screwed up, Colonel, but there's something—"
"Quiet." This was the angriest Colonel Alloy had been in over a month. He loomed over Glitch with both hands behind his back, his posture rigid with authority and his face piercingly cold. "First you go AWOL, and now you come crawling back with intel?" he raved.
Glitch scratched his head. "Yeah," he admitted. "Yeah, pretty much. But you've gotta hear me out this time!"
Colonel Alloy stood angrily in silence. After a few moments, he reluctantly decided to hear what Glitch had to say.
"I met another Droid at the race." He tried explaining as quickly and concisely as he could. "It wasn't just any Droid. They had a symbol like mine! We ended up in that dreamworld together. And…" Glitch slowly lifted his head to meet the Colonel's gaze. "It was a girl. A young woman, I mean. Around my age, I think," he finished.
The Colonel's brows unfurled. The last bit of information seemed to intrigue him; it reignited Glitch's hope. He held his breath, anticipating the Colonel's response. When he didn't say anything, however, Glitch could only slump his shoulders in disappointment.
"Colonel, come on." He hated to beg, but he felt himself becoming desperate. "You gotta buy at least one thing I'm tellin' you! I'm pretty sure she and I are connected through the whole Morbot thing. Which means she might be able to help us with Exavolt and everything else."
"Bring her in."
Glitch paused. Alloy had finally given an answer, but it wasn't one he'd been expecting. "Wait, what?"
"You heard me." The Colonel's voice was now curt. "Bring her in for questioning and maybe I'll take everything else you've told me into consideration."
"Bring her in how?" Glitch demanded. "What, by force? Colonel, I'm not doing that. She was terrified, she didn't have a clue what was going on. She left the race before I did. I have the slightest idea where she went."
"You're the one who said she could be useful, not me," Alloy pointed out.
Glitch realized he was right. He'd suggested it first. Rev's connection to the Morbot realm made her a very likely ally. If Dr. Exavolt had access to the Morbots, there was a chance she and Glitch were the only ones capable of stopping him. Fighting fire with fire, as the saying goes. But she's new to everything, he weighed. She probably won't even be on board with it, let alone have any fighting experience if it came down to that. He continued pondering all of the factors. Then again, he concluded, I'm pretty new to all this, too.
"Well, keep resting on it," Colonel Alloy told him. "Here's something you can be doing in the meantime!"
Glitch blinked at the Colonel, confused. It was at that moment he saw Krunk hobbling up to him with a tool of some sort. He shoved it into Glitch's hands, almost seeming pleased. Glitch stared at them both. "What's this for?" he asked.
"Your punishment." Alloy sported a borderline-devious smile. "You're a damn good shooter, but let's see if you also make a good crud-scraper!"
"WHAT?!" Glitch cried.
"Yep, ya heard right!" the Colonel exclaimed. "But since you're my top soldier, I'll give you a freebie. You'll have company!"
Glitch peered over in time to see Krunk marching up to Vex and shoving a scraper into his hands, as well. When Vex tossed him a stunned glance, Glitch shrugged, unsure of what to say. Krunk noticed Vex's expression and gave him one of his signature mean mugs. "Don't think you're gettin' outta this, Flyboy!" he said. "You should've used those wings of yours to get outta dodge. Maybe fly south for a little while. I hear it's warmer there!"
Vex started to make a comeback, but Glitch gave his shoulder a light touch to stop him. Vex listened and backed down, begrudgingly clutching the scraper.
The two of them quickly found themselves hanging together from harnesses, chipping away at rust, dirt, and debris on the command center's roof. Glitch—and Vex alike—were almost just as busy brainstorming every swear word they could think of as they were carrying out the chore. The late afternoon sun ruthlessly beamed down on the pair from straight overhead. The skies over Droid Town were perfectly clear, giving the rays free reign to do their worst. Glitch tried to ignore the sensation that he miserably registered as his yellow paint baking in the heat. He kept his focus on the task, a meaningless one aside from the goal of punishing him. He refused to even look Vex's way after the trouble he landed in from listening to his rebellious companion. Nearly an hour dragged by before the heavy silence between them was broken.
"Listen, I'm sorry, alright?" Vex let out partial grunts between his words as he struggled to chip away the stubborn grime. "I didn't think he'd come down on ya this hard. Or me," he added.
Glitch didn't speak at first. He kept his eyes glued to his scraper. He wasn't sure if he should continue ignoring Vex or start back talking to him. He decided that the latter option would at least help the punishment go by. Not quicker, but perhaps easier. He gave the roof a few more scrapes. "Don't get me wrong, Vex," he began. "I'm pissed. Like, you have no idea. But he could've done a whole lot worse."
His voice was low—not angry, but far from pleased. Vex quietly let him finish.
Glitch gave a brief sigh. "Besides," he went on, "I didn't have to listen to you. All I had to do was stay on-base. It's not all your fault. If it were, I wouldn't be up here."
Vex nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "Yeah, you're right! It really coulda been worse. For instance…" He suddenly gave Glitch a nudge. "…you would've never got to meet ya new lady Droid friend!" he proposed.
Glitch froze mid-scrape. He slowly turned to look at Vex. "The hell'd you just say?" he snapped.
Vex went still for a moment, surprised by his aggression. "Whoa, whoa, man, hey!" he exclaimed. "Chill out, will ya? I was jokin'!"
"That's your whole problem, dude!" Glitch fumed. "Everything's a joke to you! Do you seriously think that's the worst that could've happened out of all this? Is that all you took from this?"
"I was joking," Vex impatiently repeated.
"You don't get it," Glitch retorted. "All you ever wanna do is screw around. And for some reason I've been dumb enough to follow right behind you and do the same thing. I've got real priorities to think about, Vex. I can't afford to do half the stupid stuff you do."
Glitch saw his words seemingly get to Vex, even if only a little. His silver face faltered under the criticisms, but only for a few seconds. His shocked stare was replaced by a cold grimace when he met Glitch's gaze again. "You think you're the only one with priorities around here?" he argued. "Look around you! Every Droid here's got somethin' to prove. It's been easy for you. You're Glitch, Iron Star's gunslinger. Everybody ain't some big action hero, unlike you."
"Unlike you, I got a job," Glitch fired back. "I have somebody I need to answer to every day. It's called a boss."
"Well maybe that's your whole stinkin' problem!" Vex pointed a finger toward him. "You'd rather spend the rest of ya life bein' a bootlicker. Answerin' to the man. Wakin' up every day, walkin' into a place, and breakin' your chassis for some bigwig that don't even give a damn about ya."
Glitch briefly looked down, unable to search for a comeback. In that instant, he felt as if his body had been divided in two. One half was burning with denial—the part that wanted to leave Vex's head with a few dents. The other was on the verge of believing his every word. Vex had momentarily fallen silent, as though to let his words sink in, but Glitch wasn't sure if that were true or if it were just in his head.
"C'mon, pal, ask yourself," Vex insisted. "Do you really think Alloy cares about you? Or the old geezer? I mean, listen to the way he talks to ya, for cryin' out loud. The only one who treats ya normal is the dog, and he don't even talk."
Glitch continued listening to Vex. He thought about Colonel Alloy's reluctance to believe him, and his promptness to punish him. He thought about Krunk's constant nagging, to him in particular. It seemed as though Glitch could only look at him a certain way and the old mechanic would be ready to slam him with insults. He never had those sorts of problems out of Zobby, at least. For the past few weeks, the big canine had often been his one true escape from the weight of his duties. He pictured Zobby's carefree, panting face. His happiness for Glitch remained consistent, even when he caught him doing something wrong. Do they care, though? he asked himself. Was Vex right after all? What if the Colonel really did only view him as an asset to his own work, as nothing more than a foot soldier? What if Krunk always meant every word of his insults, even after doing something as kind as fixing the RAT for Glitch? What if he only repaired Glitch when they found him because Alloy assigned him to?
He came to a decision and eventually spoke. "You're wrong, Vex."
"What?" Vex blinked at him.
"You heard me," Glitch said, becoming firm. "I said you're wrong. About Alloy, and Krunk. They ain't perfect, but that don't mean they don't care. Alloy told me in his office last night that he was indebted to me for saving the planet. Just like his colonel was when he saved him. And Krunk'll cuss out anybody, he is who he is. He went out of his way to fix the RAT for me as a gift."
Vex didn't immediately answer. He took in Glitch's response, then scoffed. "Suit yourself!" he laughed. "They probably do the things they do to butter ya up and keep ya around. That's typical thinkin' for a bootlicker, Glitch, ya know that?"
"Go to hell, Vex," Glitch muttered.
His menacing tone caught Vex off-guard. A grim silence formed between them as they hung from their harnesses against the roof, a subsequent black cloud of spite and loathing. Glitch scowled at Vex unflinchingly, and Vex did the same to him. The atmosphere had become fragile enough to be poked through with a nail. "You go to hell," Vex growled back.
"Hey, guys! Guys, down here!"
A familiar voice stopped them both. It was Shooter's. Glitch and Vex peered down below. Shooter and Tank were excitedly waving to them from the ground. "How's it going up there, you two?" Tank asked. "Shooter and I just got back from the stuff we've been doing today!"
"Oh, that's great, fellas!" Vex called down to them in a chipper tone. Glitch eyed him more angrily than ever. He was acting like nothing ever happened. "Tank, how's the tire doin', ol' pal, huh?"
"It had to go, sadly," Tank said. "So I just went ahead and had all four of 'em replaced. I'm gonna miss those old things, they got me to a lot of places in my heyday. These new wheels make me feel like a brand-new bot, though, and I can't complain about that!"
"Awesome!" Vex beamed. "And Shooter, how goes it with you, buddy?"
"The convention was great!" Shooter replied. "I did some networking there, believe it or not. Your boy just might've landed a job as a weapons historian." He declared the news proudly, with his arms folded and his chin raised. "Oh, and Glitch, guess what?" he added. "Slosh was there! I finally got to meet him. Er, after he set a booth on fire."
"That's nice, Shooter," Glitch managed to say.
"So how's that chore coming along?" Tank questioned. "The Colonel told us about it. It's a hot one today, you guys doin' alright?"
"Oh, pssh, yeah, totally!" Vex nonchalantly claimed. "We almost got this side done! Ain't that right, Glitch?"
Glitch kept his back turned, facing the roof, instead. He could feel himself boiling inside from Vex's lackadaisical attitude. He forced himself to stay quiet, to prevent certain words from being said. He went on with his scraping, engaging only with his punishment. Tank and Shooter exchanged a puzzled glance with each other when they noticed Glitch's behavior.
"Uh, is everything okay?" Shooter asked.
"We can leave you guys to it if you want! We'll bring you back some stuff later!" Tank gestured. "Need anything specific?"
Vex was eager to take up the offer. "Oh, for sure!" he said. "Bring me back a cold one, yeah?"
"You got it, buddy!" Tank nodded dutifully.
"What about you, Glitch?" Shooter asked.
Glitch shook his head, without looking up. "Naw," he answered. "I'm good."
Shooter shrugged. "Alright, then," he declared. "We're off, see ya!"
Once Shooter and Tank left, Vex's optic fell on Glitch again, realizing how despondent he'd become. Glitch flashed him another glare; he gave him another scoff in return. "What, ya too good for them, too, now?" he jeered. "It ain't their fault you don't know how to think for yourself. You want me to get ya dad out here so he can hold ya hand?"
Glitch had enough. He pulled his pickaxe off his backpack and furiously brought it forward, driving it into the roof like a knife. It stuck there. It was enough to shut Vex up finally. He backed off, fully aware that he'd just been threatened. Glitch yanked the axe out and put it away. The two of them returned to their task without another word.
That night wasn't easy for Glitch. After the punishment, he and Vex went their separate ways. Neither of them said a proper goodbye. Vex mentioned something about going to hang out with some of his other friends on the other side of town, but Glitch didn't care. He had chosen to tune out most of Vex's words. He let Vex say what he had to say and walked off. He decided to spend some time at the shooting range. Although he'd kept up his training for the past month, a night like tonight called for some extra target practice.
He always started with his Scatter Blaster. He wasn't sure why, but it grew to be one of his favorites in his arsenal. Something about its double-barreled, close-range accuracy and firepower drew Glitch to it. Overall, it was just a dope gun. He was reminded of his love for it as he got off a couple of headshots on the targets. The cardboard cutouts looked like Mil grunts and Zombiebots. It was perfect for letting off steam. He landed a direct hit each time, blowing off each head one by one. Two thin wisps of smoke spiraled gently from the Scatter Blaster's heated barrels when he was done.
His Mining Laser proved just as satisfying for some reason. It wasn't usually his first pick anymore with all of the better choices, especially since it had to be given time to replenish, but its charge ability made up for it. It was also the first weapon he learned how to use in the field, which added a hint of nostalgia. It was the highest upgrade, making it red with double-barrels. The laser's beams left melting holes in each of the targets.
Next he used the SPEW: Small Projectile Emitting Weapon. The gun's automatic, rapid fire gave Glitch a rush. Again, it was the highest model, sporting 100 rounds per mag. It effortlessly shredded through the cardboard cutout targets. But Glitch still wasn't fully satisfied. He switched to his Ripper for an even better effect. Afterwards, he took a step back to gather himself. No. Still not enough. He needed to go bigger. Louder.
For the final set of targets, he used the Barrage Cannon. It was befitting for the cardboard cutouts of Titans. These targets were slightly more challenging since they moved. Even then, it was nothing Glitch couldn't handle. He'd taken out tons of these mean, ugly assault units during his time in the trenches, and even Mil City. They were real. They fired back. Cardboard didn't. The targets were easily obliterated under the Barrage Cannon's power. Seeing them get blown to bits was exhilarating for Glitch. Afterwards, he unloaded his weapon and put it away, as he'd done with the others. He took time to catch his breath while examining his work. The cardboard targets were nothing more than crumpled fragments. The Droid running the shooting range came to clear the remains. He saw Glitch sitting down on the bench nearby. "Need another set?" he called to him.
"No," Glitch responded. "I'm good, thanks. I think I'm done."
The Droid kindly smiled at him and continued clearing the debris. Glitch got up and headed out to turn in for the night. On his way back to base, he dismally realized how conflicted he still felt, despite all of the rage he'd taken out on the targets. His argument with Vex was finally taking effect. He found himself replaying his words, wondering where it all went wrong—where he went wrong.
I should apologize to him.
Glitch wrestled with the idea while pulling his RAT around behind the building. He couldn't believe how he had reacted. It surprised even himself. The more he thought about some of the things Vex said, the more he wondered how much of it was true. Was he going to spend his entire life following another bot's orders? Was that really a bad thing? Did Colonel Alloy really not value Glitch the way he believed he did? Was he expendable to the Colonel? And what about Krunk? Did he truly despise Glitch? He was mean-spirited to everyone. But it stung knowing he likely reserved his deepest hatreds specially for him.
Glitch forced himself to rebuke his doubts. There was no way the Colonel thought he was expendable, not after the things he told him in his office. And Krunk surely must have cared for him more than he let on. But as a wave of exhaustion washed over him, Glitch was suddenly too tired to care, at least not enough to stress over it further.
He entered his room and shut the door behind him. He went up to the window and sat next to it, quietly looking out. Glitch stayed this way for some time, taking in the sights beyond the glass. He had a decent view of Droid Town's busiest sector, near the square where the convention had been held that day. Night life was taking over on the streets below, as it did the previous night and the night before. The heart of town was usually the most populated, fittingly. The markets were just opening up, and civilians were congregating, trying to be the first in line. Glitch thought he could see Mozer in the distance, or a similar model of Droid, rather. Not far off, Shady and Mr. Pockets were running a legit business they finally managed to organize. Or, it appeared legit, at least. Glitch wasn't sure if they were still selling weapons or if they'd moved on to a different market. He considered swinging by there when he had the chance.
He could finally feel the urge to sleep overtaking him. The serene moonlight pouring through the window was the last thing he took note of before drifting off. His Morbot symbol began to faintly glow shortly after.
In an opposite wing of the building, Alloy sat alone in his office. He was in the process of filing paperwork when a barrage of thoughts crossed his mind regarding Glitch. Surprisingly, he was no longer upset with him for going AWOL. Earlier, he told himself the punishment he chose for him wasn't enough. He was planning to demote Glitch, until Krunk convinced him to give him another chance. He's rough around the edges, but he's a good kid, he told him, in classic Krunk fashion, anyway. It made Alloy reconsider. He expected better of his best soldier, of course. But aside from what he did that day, there wasn't much Glitch had done wrong. Ever. He was punctual to briefings, he did what he was asked, and he even took Zobby on walks. He was good at keeping the canine occupied while Krunk worked.
Alloy gave special attention to one of the documents in front of him. It was Glitch's file. He'd been considering whether or not to put the transgression down on his permanent record. A final moment of hesitation led him to decide against it. With a sigh, Alloy shut the file and put it away with the rest. He's a young man, he said to himself. And young men make silly choices every once in a while.
He was going to light a cigar when his eyes fell on the picture of his younger self standing with Epsilon, his former colonel. The photo briefly took him back to that period, when he himself had someone to answer to. He found himself chuckling at the time the Colonel chastised him for forgetting to salute. He made Alloy do fifty pushups right there on the hot gravel. On the same day, he let him meet his wife when she visited. It was a side of him other Droids rarely got to see. Alloy felt honored—a little special, even—to have such a privilege.
He returned to the present, smiling fondly at the memories. He still wondered at times what became of Epsilon. As he told Glitch the night before, the last time he'd seen him was years ago. A pit formed in his core at the possibility of Epsilon no longer being around. He would've wanted Glitch to meet him. Alloy walked over to the picture and looked at the Medal of Honor displayed beside it. His chest grew tight from yet another stark revelation: aside from the picture, the medal was the last thing he had left of Epsilon. It was the only tangible evidence of their relationship, of what they thought of one another. He solemnly took the Medal of Honor and weighed it in his grasp. The day that earned Alloy the medal came flooding back to him. He saved his colonel's life. He saved what was left of the base. Colonel Epsilon expressed his gratitude to him for the rest of the time they knew each other.
Alloy took one more glance at his picture with his former superior. He remembered seeing Epsilon as so much more, however. It made Alloy think of Glitch. He wondered if the miner Droid viewed him in the same light, as more than just his superior. He recalled the eagerness in Glitch's blue optics when he told him the story of how he received the medal the night before. Just like a boy wanting to hear a story from his father. It was the only way Alloy could describe it, the excitement he saw in his young soldier. He clutched the Medal of Honor tighter. Something stirred within him; it was a feeling he'd never experienced until now. Only one word came close to encapsulating every emotion the feeling brought with it.
Fatherhood.
Alloy didn't give it another thought. He took the Medal of Honor and headed for the west wing of the building, to the living quarters. Once he arrived, he slowed down on his single tire, making his way through the fairly lit corridor to Glitch's room. His door was closed. Alloy carefully went up to it and stood there for a while, Medal of Honor in hand. He pressed himself up slightly to the door to speak into it, keeping his eyes on the medal. "Uh, Glitch?" he called. He tried keeping his voice down a little in case other soldiers in the wing were already asleep. "Glitch, you in there?" No answer. Alloy waited patiently for one before continuing. "Er, well, you may or may not've turned in for the night." He said this part to himself mostly. "In case you're awake," he went on, "I wanted to…let you know I'm sorry about how I've been coming off. I should've tried listening to you when you came to me about Exavolt. I did some thinking and, you just might be right." Alloy paused and waited for Glitch to respond. He decided to finish up. "I was planning to give something to ya," he said. "If you're interested, that is. You can always stop by my office tomorrow and pick it up there." With that, he started back down the corridor the way he came.
Void's troubled eyes worried Glitch. He carefully went up to her. There was something strange about her. She was no longer the calm, serene entity that usually stood before him. "What's wrong?" This made his third time asking. "Why are you acting so weird? Why are you spazzin' out like this?"
In addition to her distressed demeanor, Void had been physically compromised, as well. Whenever she tried moving or talking, she would glitch uncontrollably. Fighting it only seemed to bring her more pain.
"Trouble!" She managed to articulate herself after struggling. "Trouble! There is trouble!"
"What kind of trouble?" Glitch demanded.
"Exavolt!" Void cried. "He is here! He is overriding the Morbot realm!"
A powerful surge rattled the room. It writhed and warped under the viral disturbance. Static gradually filled the space. The Morbite walls trembled and cracked. It was like a virus overtaking a simulation. The entire space was imploding. Glitch nervously looked around at the ensuing chaos. He took Void's hands and brought her closer to him, pulling her down to his level. "Try to stay calm, okay?" he urged. "You need to be able to tell me what I have to do. How can I stop all this?"
Another surge battered the room. The disturbance overpowered Void; she writhed and screamed helplessly. She dropped to the floor as it continued shattering beneath them. "I cannot hold this state for much longer," she wailed. "You must go, Glitch! I can feel the link I share with the others breaking. He has successfully claimed this world. He's moving on to yours now! Go, hurry! GO!"
Void's body vanished as she was ousted from the Morbot realm. Her last remnant was a chilling scream. Glitch was quickly thrown out of the realm in suit.
His eyes snapped open and he immediately jumped to his feet. He rushed to leave his room. When he swung open the door, he saw Colonel Alloy near the end of the corridor. What was he doing down here? Glitch wondered. But whatever was, it didn't matter, not given the situation. He urgently started toward him. "Colonel!" he called to him.
Colonel Alloy turned to Glitch the minute he heard him. A flicker of hope lit up his face. "Glitch?" he said. "I'm glad you're up! I wanted you to have—"
"Colonel, there's no time to talk," Glitch told him. "There's something happening, we need to—"
He was cut short by what must have been an explosion. The blast was strong enough to shake the entire west wing. Glitch and the Colonel stumbled, only managing to stay upright by grabbing hold of the metal grates along the walls. They nervously locked eyes. The other soldiers living in the wing quickly poured outside from their rooms. Frantic chatter erupted among them as they struggled to figure out what was happening. Colonel Alloy spoke into his radio. "This is Alloy to control. Sound the alarm!" he ordered. "Have all soldiers report for duty." He turned to his men. "Listen up, there's an emergency. Make your way to the command center and prepare to gear up. Pronto!"
The corridors were illuminated by pulsing red lights as distress sirens rang out from overhead. The Droid troops followed Alloy's orders and hurried down the corridor. A voice came over the com, calling all soldiers to the front line. Another nearby explosion rocked the building soon after. Glitch met Colonel Alloy's gaze. His face was clouded with worry and guilt. He was realizing a grave mistake he made.
"Colonel…," Glitch began.
"I'm sorry, son." Colonel Alloy's voice wavered. "I should've listened to you. I should've."
"I don't blame you," Glitch insisted. "Anyone would've thought I was crazy."
"But you're my best soldier," Alloy replied. "You're…"
"We don't have time for this, we gotta go!" Glitch didn't care about an apology. He only wanted to make sense of everything that was happening. He was preparing to follow the Colonel out of the west wing when something electrifying and powerful sliced the floor between them. They jumped apart, just as the corridor was sliced in two. An unknown force was ripping the area apart at its foundation. The building's entire west wing was torn in half like nothing, separating them both. The halves were uplifted and drawn farther and farther apart. Glitch fell backwards, unable to keep his footing. He sat up quickly enough to catch one final glimpse of Colonel Alloy before his half of the wing began to buckle. It was like metal origami. The walls surrounding the Colonel were folded in by the unforeseen force, trapping him inside.
"Alloy!" Glitch yelled his name in anguish.
His half of the corridor was violently thrashed around. He slammed against one of the walls; it was enough to daze him momentarily. When Glitch regathered himself, he thought he could see a cloud-like entity manifesting up ahead. It depleted the decimated corridor of what little light it possessed, plunging Glitch into darkness. For the first time in his life, his oil ran cold. Fear and dread claimed every inch of his metal. He silently watched the binary being take form.
"Hello, Glitch." Dr. Exavolt gave a sinister chuckle. "We meet again."