Chapter 10
"Vex works for the Mils?!"
"Shhh!"
Glitch hastily reminded Shooter to keep his voice down. He awkwardly shifted in his seat. "My bad," he whispered.
"That's…insane!" Tank was almost at a loss for words.
"I know." Glitch despondently looked down at the ground. They'd found an area secluded from the camp to talk. Glitch warily looked up to make sure no one would come through.
"Glitch, that's really serious. We have to tell Colonel Alloy," Tank urged.
"Yeah!" Shooter nodded in agreement. "Vex is a spy, we can't let that slide! The Rebellion needs to know."
Glitch didn't answer right away. Tank and Shooter exchanged a puzzled glance at the sight of his troubled face.
"Don't you wanna tell him?" Shooter asked.
"I don't mind him knowing about Vex." Glitch still didn't meet their eyes. "There's…somebody else. There was somebody else there with him and Vlax that night."
"Who?" Shooter and Tank asked simultaneously.
Glitch finally mustered the courage to meet their gazes. "Epsilon," he muttered.
Shooter and Tank both cocked their heads to one side. Glitch saw their confusion. Right, he realized. They don't know about him. He forgot he never mentioned Epsilon to either of them. He remembered Alloy not wanting him to tell anyone else after that mushy story he gave in his office. But Epsilon didn't deserve such confidentiality. Not anymore.
"He was Alloy's colonel a long time ago," Glitch explained. "He was awarded the Medal of Honor after saving him."
He stopped and let out a sigh. Tank and Shooter stayed silent, allowing him to go on when he was ready.
Glitch dolefully looked up at them. "What would Alloy think?" he quietly went on. "What would it do to him if he knew? It would probably kill him." He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. He eventually reached a decision. "Alloy doesn't deserve that," he said.
He fully expected Shooter and Tank to disagree. But to his surprise, they appeared much more compassionate than he thought they would. Glitch figured they both saw where he was coming from. He warmly looked at them. He couldn't fathom how he'd managed to find these kinds of friends.
"We understand." Tank dipped his head.
Glitch thanked them. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to tell Colonel Alloy about Epsilon. He tried picturing it: Alloy finding out. Learning that Epsilon was not only alive but a traitor. That Epsilon, the Droid he held dear for so many years, whom he respected and honored, was nothing like he seemed. Glitch remembered the glint in the Colonel's optics as he spoke highly of Epsilon in his office that night. It was a different kind of pride and joy, a different level of respect. Epsilon was more than a superior to Alloy. More than a mentor, than a friend. Epsilon was like a father to him. And that was something Glitch couldn't bring himself to tarnish. The Colonel had already been wounded enough. Glitch didn't like the decision, but he felt it was right.
For Alloy's sake.
"Don't worry about Vex, Glitch."
Shooter placed a hand on his shoulder. It brought him back from his thoughts.
"We'll make sure the Colonel knows about him," Tank promised. "And the thing with Epsilon is safe with us."
Glitch hugged them both without thinking. He didn't know what came over him. He was just so glad he had Tank and Shooter in his corner. He felt them return his embrace, and it was like every emotion he had pinned up since the beginning spilled out of him. It was cathartic. Freeing. Rev turned out to be right. This was healthy after all.
...
It was nightfall by the time the Rebellion got ready to leave. They planned to head out in the morning. Glitch stood with the Colonel in the heart of the temporary outpost. They watched the soldiers load equipment onto the trucks in preparation for the departure. Glitch felt the Colonel's stare resting on him at some point.
"So you're half-Morbot."
Glitch had just finished telling him. He nodded without looking away from the campsite. "Yeah," he said. "I'm…a demigod."
The idea still messed with him a little. He wasn't even sure if "demigod" was the correct term. It must have been, if the Morbots themselves were deities. He wondered what exactly they called the guardian Droids when they were still a thing. Demi-Droid? Morbot Droid?
"And the girl, too." Alloy spoke up again.
"You've met Rev?" Glitch turned to him.
"Well, I saw the medics with her," he specified. "She's the first Droid I've seen to resemble you in any way."
"She's got tires like you," Glitch wisecracked.
Colonel Alloy chuckled. They quietly stood together for a few more moments. Glitch idly kicked a pebble as he searched for more to say.
The Colonel smiled suddenly. "She's cute."
Glitch paused. "Uh..."
"Has she given ya a chance?" Alloy teased.
"Argh, Colonel..." Glitch turned away, slightly embarrassed.
"You sure you'll be all right?" Alloy checked. "Out here on your own?"
Glitch nodded. "I'll be fine," he reassured him.
He couldn't ignore the subtle disappointment in Colonel Alloy's demeanor. The most difficult part for Glitch was seeing how hard he tried to suppress it. He wanted to respect his choice, even if it hurt. Glitch averted his blue optics to avoid the Colonel's sad face. He didn't mean for it to break his heart.
"Well, since ya plan on stayin'…"
Colonel Alloy sounded a lot more chipper suddenly. Glitch tilted his head, wondering why. Alloy motioned behind him. Just as he followed his hand, Glitch noticed a familiar rumbling noise. He thought he was imagining things. It was none other than the powerful purr of his RAT's engine. He watched, completely stunned, as a soldier pulled it around. Glitch looked at the Colonel, then at the RAT, then back at the Colonel again.
"Whoa…" It was the only thing he could bring himself to say.
"And that's not all!" Colonel Alloy added.
Two more soldiers came along hauling a hefty crate. They set it down in front of Glitch. The minute it hit the ground at his feet, he knelt down and flipped it open. His guns glistened up at him from inside. Every last one of them.
"Aw, hell yeah!" Glitch felt like a little kid. He immediately grabbed the weapon that happened to be at the very top and held it in his arms. It was his Rivet Gun. The last time he saw it—any of them—was before they were confiscated at the jailhouse. He smiled up at the Colonel. "You shouldn't have!" he beamed.
"It's the least we can do after that whole mixup." Alloy smiled down at him.
Glitch rose to his feet. "There's ammo in there, too, right?"
"Plenty," Alloy assured him. "We've got other boxes filled to the brim with all the ammunition you could hope for!"
"This means a lot." Glitch was almost too astonished to form a proper thanks. Colonel Alloy continued grinning at him. This was his final attempt at convincing Glitch to rejoin him. But it, too, would be unsuccessful, sadly. Glitch could only give him another apologetic smile before letting the soldiers help him with his equipment. He felt Colonel Alloy's optics watching him as he turned his back. He fought down the hint of guilt tugging at his metal as he walked away. Tomorrow morning would be the last time they saw each other, once again.
...
No one came to the front door of Mister Fixit's house when Glitch knocked. Even after he rang the doorbell, there was no answer. He overheard faint sounds coming from the garage attachment. Of course Mister Fixit was in there, Glitch figured. The loud whirs of his tools must have drowned out anything else.
Glitch withdrew after ringing the doorbell one last time. He at least thought Rev would answer, or maybe even Drill-Bit. He leaned back on his heels, waiting for either of them to open the door. He amusedly looked forward to seeing Drill-Bit's turquoise optics lighting up with excitement after seeing him there. When no one came, however, Glitch decided to cut his losses. He began turning to leave.
The sound of wheels softly rolling over the dirt stopped him after a few steps. He glanced behind him to see Rev emerging from around the house. "Hey, Glitch!" she piped up.
"Oh, Rev!" Glitch tossed her a wave. "What's up?" he said. "I came by to see how you were doin'!"
"I'm okay." Rev responded with the warmth she often had in her eyes. Glitch returned the pleasant gaze. He was glad she seemed to be her usual self.
He joined her in the backyard a minute later. He watched her quietly stroke a sleeping Drill-Bit's head as she lay curled up on an old flatbed beneath a blanket.
"I just finished telling her a bedtime story." Rev kept her voice barely above a whisper. "I was getting ready to take her back inside when you walked up."
"Actually, I didn't walk," Glitch said, making sure to keep his voice low, as well.
"You didn't?" Rev glanced up at him.
"Nah," Glitch answered, grinning a little. "I drove."
Rev paused in the middle of rubbing Drill-Bit's head. "Really? How?"
"My car." Glitch was still smirking. He was hoping he would be able to show Rev the RAT. He'd parked it a small ways from the house. He didn't say anything, but he could tell Rev was down. It would definitely make her feel better. He motioned his head toward the front of the house. "I thought maybe you'd wanna check it out," he offered. "After you were done with Drill-Bit."
Luckily, Rev seemed to perk up a bit. "Sure!" she exclaimed, though she had to remember to keep her voice down.
Drill-Bit didn't wake up, fortunately, only stirred in her sleep. Rev gently took her into her arms, pulling the blanket with her. She was about to make her way to the back door when Drill-Bit's eyes opened slightly.
Rev stopped when she noticed her waking up and slumped her shoulders. "Oh, no," she whispered.
"Glitch?"
Drill-Bit softly uttered his name with her tiny voice. She looked directly at him through her sleepy little optics. Glitch and Rev gave a light laugh.
At that moment, Drill-Bit blinked up at Rev from her arms. "Can Glitch tuck me in this time?" she requested mid-yawn.
Rev stared at an equally surprised Glitch. He laughed. "Ok!" he decided. "Come 'ere, kiddo."
He gently took her from Rev and adjusted her in his arms. Drill-Bit gave a giggle before conking out again. Glitch felt her little metal head land on his right shoulder. He wrapped the blanket around her before moving her toward the house. Rev followed, smiling. They made it to Drill-Bit's room, where Glitch placed her on her charging bed and tucked her in like she wanted. Drill-Bit didn't budge an inch. She would be out for the rest of the night, that was for sure.
"She really likes you." Rev continued watching her sleep as she softly spoke.
Glitch threw her a sideways glance with a lifted eyebrow. "Does she?" he asked.
"Yeah." Rev nodded. "She always looks forward to seeing you."
Glitch smiled—again, for what felt like the millionth time that day. He wanted to get used to it. It was probably the most smiling he'd ever done.
He followed Rev back outside. They got comfortable together inside the old car shell. They could still hear cicadas. Their constant chirping sounds complimented the night air. Clouds sparsely obscured the moon overhead. Glitch sat quietly with Rev for a while. He didn't mind their silence, and she didn't seem to, either. Glitch figured they were just mutually relieved to see each other again after the train crash.
"I'm glad you're okay."
It was like Rev heard his thoughts. Glitch looked at her. Rev's optics retained their signature warmth. She had a winsome expression, one that Glitch had grown to appreciate. It was distinct coming from her. Perhaps it wouldn't have been if emoted by any other pair of eyes. "I'm glad you're okay, too," he told her.
She propped herself into a more casual position. "So what kind of car is it?" she asked.
"It's a RAT," Glitch revealed.
A hint of confusion flashed across Rev's face. Glitch remembered she had no clue what that was.
"Rapid Armored Transport." He elaborated for her. "It's a military-grade vehicle. V6 engine."
"For reals?!" Rev gasped.
Glitch's eyebrows raised slightly. Did that surprise her?
Rev realized how sudden her outburst was and gathered herself. "Sorry!" she laughed. "I'm a V6 girl, that's all."
"And I'm a V6 guy!" Glitch related.
The common interest Rev shared with him left her visibly ecstatic. It didn't just surprise her, Glitch thought. It impressed her.
Rev became giddy. "You really gonna take me for a ride?" she asked.
"Yeah!" Glitch nodded. "If Mister Fixit's cool with it, I mean."
Rev shrugged. "He may or may not be," she mumbled, more so to herself than Glitch.
He analyzed her sympathetically. The thought of Mister Fixit not allowing him to drive her in the RAT had apparently discouraged her. But it didn't for long as she perked up again.
"What about a race?" she challenged.
Glitch chuckled. "You think you can take on that bad boy?" he teased. "I dunno…"
"Son, I've raced supercars!" Rev fired back. "I've beaten whips that can go from zero to sixty in under five seconds."
Glitch whistled. "Dang!" he commented.
"Yep! First place every time!" Rev boasted.
Glitch retained a daring mug. "I'm supposed to be scared, huh?" he playfully sneered.
"You will be!" Rev declared.
The sound of Mister Fixit's tools drew on inside the garage several feet away. Rev stopped and listened to it. Glitch knew those noises were all too familiar to her. They were something she had grown accustomed to. They were more than sounds to her, he was certain. They represented Mister Fixit's absence in her life. Rev's sad lowering of her head only proved Glitch's observations. It was as though she read his mind as she sorely looked up at him.
"Why won't he spend more time with me?"
The break in her voice stabbed at Glitch's core. He wished he had answers for her, but he didn't. Even after giving it thought, nothing came. Finally, he shrugged. "I don't know, Rev," he admitted.
"I know why," Rev muttered. "His crap. That's why."
She concentrated on the random piece of tire rubber she held in her hands. It was likely to keep Glitch from seeing her tears.
"This is all he cares about." Rev held up the rubber to show Glitch. "This!" she sobbed.
She threw herself into Glitch's embrace. He'd found himself holding his arms out for her not long after she began to cry. He hated the pain he heard in her weeping.
Some moments passed before her sobs stopped. They reduced to tiny sniffs that lightly rattled Glitch's chest. She pulled herself off of him after a minute or so and wiped her eyes. "Why'd he fix me?" she quietly asked. "Why'd he even bother putting me back together if he didn't want me? Am I…" She stifled another sob. "…am I trash like all this stuff?"
"Aw, Rev, that's not true," Glitch protested, shaking his head. "He cares about you. And he cares about Drill-Bit and Serval, too."
Rev turned away, fighting more tears. Glitch couldn't bear seeing her that way. He didn't know what led him to, but he gently guided her chin forward. Rev didn't meet his optics right away, but she did eventually.
"You're so much more, Rev," Glitch encouraged. "You're a demigoddess! How many Droids can say that?"
Rev relinquished a giggle. Glitch was glad that made her feel a bit better. When she turned to him again, her face had lightened up a little more.
"We're gonna find out who we are," Glitch assured her. "Together."
Rev wiped her tears away again. "Ok," she sniffled.
Mister Fixit's tools stopping made them both fall silent. Glitch saw Rev anxiously look in the direction of the garage. Her worry puzzled him slightly. Why did she seem nervous?
"You okay?" he asked.
Rev began rapidly shaking her head. "You can't be here right now, you should go," she told him.
"Why?" Glitch only grew more confused.
They heard the garage door fly open. It was quickly followed by Mister Fixit's voice. "What in tarnation…?"
He sounded stunned. Glitch realized he must have spotted his RAT parked out front. He'd marched around to the backyard before long. Glitch felt Rev tense beside him.
Mister Fixit lifted his welding helmet to see Glitch better. His stare hardened at the sight of him. "Is that the newcomer?" he snapped. "Motorbug, what I done told you 'bout him?"
Glitch and Rev both stood. Mister Fixit continued advancing toward them. Glitch had enough of being left in the dark and walked up to meet him midway. They came to a stop in the heart of the backyard. Glitch held his ground, despite how increasingly upset Mister Fixit became.
"Mister Fixit, what's your deal?" What are you saying?"
"I don't want ya back here no more," Mister Fixit shot at him. "You done brought trouble. All them doggone soldiers with their guns…we don't need none of that here."
"They're leaving in the morning!" Glitch argued.
"And you goin' out with 'em!"
Mister Fixit pointed a vindictive metal finger in his face as he spat those last words. Glitch didn't flinch from it.
"Dad, stop!"
Rev's voice rang out from close behind. Glitch glanced over his shoulder to see her. She was practically shaking with anger. A fresh set of tears streamed down her cheeks.
Mister Fixit moved his finger in the direction of the house. "Get inside," he ordered at her.
"No!" Rev protested.
"I ain't tellin' ya again!" Mister Fixit barked.
Rev reluctantly disappeared through the back door. Mister Fixit resettled his sights on Glitch once she'd gone.
"You ain't nothin' but a troublemaker," he growled. "I don't wanna see you 'round here no more. If ya ain't gon' leave Ridgebolt, just stay from 'round my house. You ain't puttin' my lil' Motorbug in no more danger, ya understand?"
"Mister Fixit…," Glitch started.
"GO! NOW!" Mister Fixit yelled.
Glitch held his tongue. Instead of sticking around to argue, he annoyedly brushed past him. He got inside his RAT and drove away.
...
Rev tearfully watched him leave the property through the back door's window. She only broke away from it after she saw Mister Fixit walking up. She made it to the living room before he came in. He found her there, stewing. She refused to look his way, even after he settled in the seat across from her. She could feel his stare searing into her carbon fiber, but she ignored it.
"I'm sorry, pun'kin bot."
He might have been sincere, but Rev didn't care. She went on pretending he was invisible.
Mister Fixit awkwardly twiddled his thumbs in front of her. Rev refused to crack under the air between them. Some time passed before she found it in herself to face him. Mister Fixit appeared regretful, guilty. Rev rolled her eyes. It was a little late for that, in her opinion.
"Can ya forgive me?"
She froze from the question. She wasn't sure how, but it managed to put a lump in her throat. Rev didn't want to cry again, but she couldn't help it. Nothing could help her hold it back.
She found herself in Mister Fixit's arms just a few seconds later. It'd been so long since she felt him hug her. She didn't know whether to welcome it or resent it.
Mister Fixit was crying, too. He almost couldn't speak through it. "I'm sorry," he wept. "I love you."
Rev sobbed uncontrollably.
"And I love your sister." Mister Fixit went on. "And Serval."
There was a meow near the living room entrance. Rev peered past Mister Fixit's arm to see the feline slinking up. He rubbed himself against them.
Mister Fixit noticed him. "Hey there, kitty," he chuckled.
They sat that way for a long time. Rev stayed quiet in his arms. More time went by before she felt Mister Fixit lift her off the floor. He carried her to her room, and she let him. He placed her on her bed and tucked her in. She felt him kiss her head goodnight before turning out her light and leaving.
...
Alloy expectantly stood waiting for Glitch the following morning. He checked the time with waning hopes. He thought Glitch would come and say a final goodbye before his troops packed up and left for Droid Town. He was standing outside of his truck when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to the soldier who came up to speak with him.
The soldier gently tapped his watch. "We leave at 900, sir," he informed him.
"Uh, very good, Sergeant." Alloy provided a somewhat hasty response. "I suppose I'll get ready, then."
He scoured the site one last time. The sergeant noticed and followed his gaze. "No sign of him, huh?" he said.
Alloy shook his head. "Guess not," he quietly sighed.
He forced himself to board the truck to be escorted back to base. He stayed silent for most of the journey, only until the soldier driving noticed his crestfallen state.
"Everything all right, Colonel?" he asked.
Alloy snapped out of his stupor and glanced at him from the passenger side. "Oh, yes, of course!" he answered. "It'll just…be good to get back home."
The reply sufficed; his soldier gave a cordial smile before redirecting his attention to the path ahead. Colonel Alloy kept his sights forward, as well. He solemnly stared out at the desert they rode over. It was empty—just like his chest.
Glitch never left his mind for the extent of the trip home. Even after he arrived at the Rebellion and settled into his office chair, the young soldier resided in his thoughts. He wished with all his might that Glitch came back with the team. Without him, Alloy simply felt like he'd returned empty-handed.
He fought away the feeling of regret. There was no point in it. Glitch had made up his mind. Even if he tried harder to convince him, he would've stood by his choice. Alloy sighed. He told himself he would honor Glitch's wish, so that was what he needed to do.
He tiredly rubbed his optics. All he wanted was a cigar and a chance to rest. It would take his mind off his wounds, at least. He was acutely aware of the bandages under his military jacket while he opened his drawer and reached for a fresh pack. Alloy froze at the sight of something else: the Medal of Honor. He quietly cursed himself. Glitch still had it on him the day he got turned in. It was returned to Alloy after the guards at the jail commandeered it with the rest of Glitch's items. Alloy meant to bring the medal with him to Ridgebolt to give it back to him. But he'd forgotten.
Alloy reached past the medal to grab the pack of cigars. He took it and closed the drawer back. His fingers had the seal broken halfway when he heard aggressive knocking on his door. Alloy irritably tossed the pack of cigars to the side. "Yes?" he called. It was a struggle to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "Come in, it's unlocked."
Shooter stepped into the office. Colonel Alloy noticed his urgency and sat up.
"What is it, Shooter?" he asked.
"You might wanna come to the hangar, Colonel," Shooter said. "Krunk's going ballistic right now!"
"Why's that?"
"He thinks his Morbot power chip might be missing!"
Shooter waited for Alloy to gather himself and follow him. He led the Colonel straight to the hangar, where they found Krunk tearing through equipment. He unleashed every swear word in the book as he threw everything around in search of what he'd lost.
"Krunk, wait a minute, easy! " Alloy exclaimed. "What's the matter with you?"
"Oh, for f*'s sake, didn't the kid tell ya?" Krunk popped off. "The f*in' power chip is gone! Vamoose!"
"Are you sure?" Shooter asked. "Maybe you misplaced it."
"Oh, sure I did," Krunk sarcastically scoffed. "Are you sh*in' me? What the hell do I look like misplacin' somethin' like that?"
"Try retracing your steps," Shooter helped. "Where'd you last have it?"
"In my garage, with me." Krunk didn't slow down his rampage. He continued throwing things around. "Last time I saw it," he went on, "was the night Alloy went into a coma. I had a drink too many and…"
He trailed off. One of his four hands collided with his forehead as a realization of some kind crossed his mind.
"Aww, f* me!" he shouted.
"What, Krunk?" Alloy demanded.
"Someone came in and stole it." Krunk slowly looked at him and Shooter. "While I was out of it. That's the only way they could've gotten away with it without me knowing. I had the damn thing on fry. That was days ago, it's probably long gone by now."
"But who could've done it?" Alloy questioned.
"I've got some clue."
He looked at Shooter. The young, yellow Droid solemnly gazed up at him.
"Vex," he said.
"That friend of yours?" Alloy tilted his head at him, puzzled. "Why would he—"
"He's a spy," Shooter told him. "A Mil spy. Glitch let me know."
Alloy could do nothing but gawk at the revelation at first. Once he gathered his composure, he quickly took the appropriate measures. He had a team sent out. They raided Vex's dwelling. The soldiers hustled inside, flipping everything until they found what they were sent to recover. The chip wasn't there, nor was Vex.
Alloy followed his men in. He scanned the dwelling with a meticulous pair of optics. From what he could tell, it was vacant. The leading soldier came up to him to confirm his observations. "Nothing, sir," he said.
"Alright." Alloy nodded. "We'll keep an eye out for 'em. He'll have to show his face at some point."
"Guys? You might wanna come look at this!"
Another soldier called to them from an opposite area. It was Vex's bedroom. They hurried in and joined the soldier at the nightstand next to the charging bed. He'd been sifting through it when he came across something of value. The soldier held up what appeared to be a small stack of files. Alloy took it and looked through it. What he read appalled him:
NAME: Vex
DATE OF PRODUCTION: July 10, 20XX
SERIAL NUMBER: 250A4S1008993
MODEL: 2nd Gen. Aerial Bomber
AFFILIATION: Mil Regime
EMPLOYER/MANUFACTURER: Exavolt
OCCUPATION: Informant
LOCATION OF DEPLOYMENT: Mil R & D Headquarters, Polar Regions of Iron Star
"He was a fool to leave all this behind," Alloy muttered. He contacted intelligence. "This is Alloy. We've got info. We can confirm that Krunk's chip getting stolen was an inside job. The bot in question is absent, but we know where he's headed. And with luck, it just might lead us to Dr. Exavolt. Have units on standby for deployment. We're goin' after 'em."
...
Glitch rolled over in bed to tune out the persistent knocking on the guest attachment door. He wasn't in the mood for company. When the knocking didn't stop, he irritably yanked his pillow over his head.
"Mr. Glitch, are you still in there?"
Melvin's concerned voice rang out from the other side. Glitch uttered an exhausted huff from underneath the pillow. Dr. Axon had come to the door first. He likely asked Melvin to try getting him out of his room next. Glitch gave up on ignoring them. He pulled the pillow away and sat up. "Yeah, what is it?" he called.
"May I come in?"
"Yeah, sure…"
Melvin slid open the door. He went up to meet Glitch at his bedside. His polite eyes put him at ease a little.
"Is everything okay?" he gently asked. "You've been in here all morning. Are you feeling ill?"
Glitch gave a small laugh. "Ah, no, I'm good," he replied. "I'm not sick."
"We thought you were going to see off the Rebellion before they left," said Melvin. "Did something change your mind?"
Glitch briefly turned away. He didn't feel like talking about what happened. He planned to see the Colonel one last time, first thing. But he didn't feel up to it after everything with Mister Fixit the night before. Something about being banned from his property affected him deeply.
"Mister Fixit hates me now," he sighed finally.
Melvin sympathetically listened.
"Guess I don't blame 'em," Glitch continued, shrugging. "I'm part of a militia."
He felt Melvin place a hand on his shoulder. Glitch kept his optics planted on his bed. There was once a time when he wouldn't have cared if someone liked him or not. He still wouldn't, normally. But this felt different.
"He doesn't think I'm good enough for her, Melvin." Glitch brought himself to say it. "He thinks I'll just suck Rev into trouble, or that she might get hurt because of me. I mean, who am I kidding? She almost did! It could've been worse than that, I could've…gotten her killed."
"Do you think you're good enough for her?"
Melvin's question made Glitch raise his head. He never considered it.
"I don't think Mister Fixit hates you!" Melvin spoke on. "He just loves Rev very much."
Glitch stayed silent in thought.
"Let's assume for a minute that he did hate you," Melvin hypothesized. "Would that make Rev hate you?"
Glitch shook his head. "Guess not," he decided.
"Right!" Melvin said. "It's Rev's acceptance that counts the most! And if you know you'd be willing to do anything to keep her safe, then that's what matters, too."
"Thanks, Melvin." Glitch smiled at him.
Melvin rose from his bedside. Glitch noticed he was grinning about something.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Someone has come by to see you!" Melvin told him.
Glitch followed him into the lab. He found Rev with Dr. Axon. Her attention was eagerly trained on Vlax's Rocket Launcher. Dr. Axon turned his back for one second, only to find Rev with it when he turned around again. The weapon clearly impressed her. "This thing is so badass!" she exclaimed while weighing it in her arms.
"Er, Mil technology is very dangerous, Rev, darling!" Axon cautioned. "Be careful with that, ok?"
"I will!" Rev promised.
Just as she put the Rocket Launcher down, she caught sight of Glitch. Her optics happily widened as they locked with his.
"Glitch!"
She rushed up to him. Glitch laughed as she threw her arms around him. She would've successfully swallowed him in her hug if she were bigger than him. He hugged her back. "Hey there, you," he chuckled.
...
Rev joined him in the guest attachment. They awkwardly sat next to each other before anyone spoke. Glitch saw Rev warily fiddling with the bedsheets.
"How'd things go with your dad?" He decided to ask. "After I left."
Rev shrugged. "It went better," she said. "He apologized for going off on you."
"But he still doesn't want me back there, does he?"
Rev shook her head. "He didn't say."
"Oh." Glitch looked down.
Rev's gaze hardened suddenly. When he managed to look up at her, something had returned in her demeanor. It was her determination. She shook her head again, this time more resolutely. "I don't care, though," she said. "That doesn't mean I can't come and see you and the others. I'm an adult, I can make my own choices."
Glitch let her go on.
"I'm making that choice." Rev didn't waver. "I'm gonna start living my life the way I want. I want my dad to get better. But I can't do it for him. Whether he accepts you or not, I don't care. You're important to me, Glitch, and that's all that matters."
"Rev, I…" Glitch didn't know what to say. This was such a turnaround from her attitude the night before. It was like he was talking to a completely new Rev. He thought about what Melvin told him. It was her acceptance that counted the most.
"Let's go!" Rev jumped up.
"Go where?" Glitch stared at her, confused.
"You said you wanted to take me for a ride in the RAT, remember?" she reminded him. "So let's do that! Let's have fun! I know we still have all the other gateways to find and Dr. Exavolt's still a threat, but I know we can do it. It'll just take time."
Glitch realized how much he agreed with her. He stood up with her. He didn't give it another thought; he and Rev left together to seize the day.
That was what they did, for the next few weeks. They spent time together, free of worry or distractions. The first time Glitch took Rev driving in the RAT wasn't the last. He had as much fun as she did riding around and doing donuts in the desert. He raced her on a few occasions—and she beat him every time. Rev wasn't lying when she said she was capable of beating supercars. Glitch believed her after she left the RAT in the dust. He let her rub her victories in his face.
They spent plenty of time together in Ridgebolt. Rev introduced Glitch to so many different things he had never tried before. Square dancing was one of them. It was Rev mostly. Glitch didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he preferably stood back with the crowd and watched her. The audience of middle-aged and elderly Droids cheered Rev and the other dancers on with the homemade music. Rev wasn't a perfect square dancer herself, but Glitch had a feeling she was a lot better at it than he'd ever be. Even if something wasn't her strong suit, she tackled it by the reins and gave it her best shot. She never refused a challenge. Glitch found that he liked that about her.
She challenged him to a drinking contest one day. They had gotten into a debate about who could down the most glasses. Glitch sat across from her at the bar in the middle of the village. Droids were gathered around their table before long. They cheered on the two young contestants. Glitch thought he was on the verge of winning until Rev came behind him with another shot. Every time he thought he was about to beat her, she proved him wrong. No one could decide a winner when they were done. The equal amount of shot glasses on both sides revealed it was a tie.
Rev took him botfly-riding next, just like she'd previously promised. Glitch was hesitant at first, until he saw the botflies for himself. They weren't remotely similar to what he pictured. They were at least ten times more bearable to look at than the predatory mech flies that claimed the skies over the wastelands back home. The botflies were cute. They were round and pudgy, with wings that almost looked too small to support their fat bodies. But they were a lot stronger than they looked. They carried their riders without a problem and didn't seem to mind at all. The first few minutes in the air scared Glitch, until he saw how easy it was to stay balanced on the botfly's back. He glanced at Rev as she came up next to him on her fly. They exchanged pleased smiles on their journey through the desert sky together.
Glitch took Rev riding in a robo-mule. He found that when they were empty, they had enough room to carry two bots. He made sure the robo-mule they chose was okay with carrying them before climbing inside. Glitch helped Rev in and let her sit in front. The mule was traveling across the terrain with its group before long. A Droid randomly rode past on a moped with cargo and it startled the herd. Glitch's concerns rose slightly as the robo-mules broke into a run. To his surprise, however, he and Rev remained perfectly fine inside theirs. He soon found himself enjoying the ride just as much as Rev did. It was a little bumpy as the robo-mule scurried along on its wobbly legs. Glitch heard Rev's laughs over the loud beating of the mules' tiny feet. "Hang on!" he yelled. He was laughing himself. It was dusk by then. Glitch caught a glimpse of Rev's eyes in the approaching twilight. The joyous, green pools sparkled at him in the setting sun when she looked back at him. She faced forward again eventually. Glitch held on to her while they rode together.
...
Rev found Mister Fixit tinkering with a motor of some kind in his garage that night. His back was turned while he hunched obsessively over his work. He had a wrench in one hand while using the special welding gun he had attached in place of the other. The occasional explosion of bright sparks radiated from his tool, illuminating the room. The only source of light besides Mister Fixit's sparks was the moonlight cascading through the window. He was as frugal as he was mechanically inclined. He used as little electricity as possible wherever he could. It was highly ironic for someone of his profession. Rev sighed. She couldn't fathom why he was so cheap. She understood they weren't royalty, but going without proper light? She shook her head. She reminded herself that his cheapskate habits weren't at all the reason she came to see him.
"Whatcha need, Motorbug?"
She froze mid-step, surprised. He knew she came in after all. Rev waited for Mister Fixit to turn and face her. He noticed the concern brimming in her eyes and lifted his welding helmet to see her properly. She slowly moved a few steps closer. A few moments passed before she found it in herself to bring forth just a few words. "Can he come back to the house?"
The question seemed to catch Mister Fixit off-guard. He briefly looked down at his feet, clearly needing time to register it. Rev took the opportunity to fully approach him. She settled on the edge of an old table next to where he was standing. He eventually looked at her again. She locked eyes with him, holding her breath to hear his response.
"No, Motorbug." Mister Fixit gravely shook his head. "I'm sorry."
"Drill-Bit misses him." Rev searched for ways to convince him. "I think even Serval misses him, too."
Mister Fixit didn't say anything.
Rev clenched the edge of the table tighter between her delicate metal fingers. She could already feel a seed of frustration taking root in her chest. She didn't want it to mount again after earlier. "Why not?" she asked.
"I done told ya already now, Rev, I ain't…"
"But he can protect us!" Rev protested. "I've seen what he can do." Her mind traveled back to the train shootout. She recalled how easily Glitched cleared out the Mil soldiers.
Mister Fixit tiredly put up his wrench. "Rev, I ain't gonna ask you no more," he told her. "Let it go, now."
Rev narrowed her eyes inquisitively. Mister Fixit returned to his workspace in an attempt to drop the conversation. She studied him for a few seconds. Within that short span, she gathered everything she needed to know.
"It's his mark."
Mister Fixit glanced over his shoulder uncertainly, but said nothing.
Rev nodded gently. "Yeah," she said, confirming her own theory. "That's the reason, isn't it?"
Mister Fixit retained his silence.
"It is!" Rev quickly became more outraged. "It's not the soldiers or the guns. It's him. Just him."
Mister Fixit sighed.
"Why are you scared of him, Dad?" Rev wasn't angry, only in disbelief. "Because of whatever he has to do with the Morbots? He can't help that. I can't, either!"
"But you're mine, Motorbug," Mister Fixit whispered.
Rev stopped and looked at him. He was fully turned around again. There was a combination of pain, sadness, and love in his quivering voice.
Look what you did. Rev chastised herself. Way to go, dummy. She didn't want to argue. It was probably better if she just dropped it after their last fight. He apologized. Maybe Rev should've just accepted that instead of going on and on. But Mister Fixit never said if he'd changed his mind about Glitch. She saw now that he hadn't.
Mister Fixit slumped down into a chair next to his workspace with a small, tired huff. Rev struggled now to look his way. She couldn't stand making things harder for him. She kept her head turned slightly, searching for a way to repair the conversation.
"Rev, listen…" Mister Fixit spoke up again. He delivered his words gently. "I just can't do it. I can't jeopardize other Droids' lives. I just got a feelin' that keepin' him here will do that." He saw Rev softly shake her head in denial. "It will, Rev," he insisted.
"He didn't let anything happen to the others." Rev felt her voice breaking.
Mister Fixit quietly listened to her.
"He didn't let anything happen to me," she added.
It took Mister Fixit a while to answer. Rev studied his focused eyes. She waited for him to say something, anything. She didn't care what he decided anymore. He was stuck in his ways, and there was no changing that. Rev knew that now. Despite this, however, she gave a final attempt.
"Let him stay around." She barely formed a whisper. "Please?"
Mister Fixit lowered his head and closed his eyes. Whatever decision he arrived upon hadn't been an easy one, regardless of what it was. Rev prepared herself for his final verdict. He lifted his face to look at her once again. "He can come back 'round," he said.
Rev's green optics grew wide. Did he really mean it? She wasn't sure what to say, whether to thank him, to apologize for burdening him, or to just remain silent.
"I understand how you feel. About him." Mister Fixit was warm now, forgiving. "He's a real cute young fellow."
"I…" Rev struggled to object.
"You can let 'em know he's free to spend as much time here as he needs to," said Mister Fixit. "Plus, I need to keep watch on his repairs."
All Rev could do was give a small "Ok," and a nod before leaving. She stopped midway, however, to turn back and give Mister Fixit a hug. Rev didn't realize she had oil streaming from her eyes until she was halfway out. She wiped the tears away. She was more of a crybaby than she wanted people to believe.
...
Glitch and Rev settled in front of a fire one evening. They ended the adventures of the day at a quaint party a few villagers were throwing just beyond the settlement. Glitch had only heard of this particular place until now.
"Mac Mines." Rev told him the name.
"I knew about it already," Glitch said. "From the Colonel."
"Colonel Alloy?" Rev glanced at him past her drink.
Glitch nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "They were part of the mining system for a while. They stopped usin' 'em when he was still a private. That's how long it's been."
"Yeah, that's pretty long," Rev commented with a chuckle.
Her optics shifted to the mines' entrance. Glitch immediately saw the excitement in them. He sighed and shook his head slightly with amusement. Did Rev see an adventure in everything?
"I heard there were diamonds down there!" She was eager from the idea. "Not just any, either. Like, some of the rarest ones on Iron Star!"
"Nope!" Glitch set his drink down. "Not takin' ya down there. Pretty sure it's off-limits."
Rev sighed. "I know," she admitted with a laugh. "I was just saying."
"I thought so," Glitch teased.
"Can you show me how to shoot the turret on the back of the RAT, then?" Rev hopefully requested.
"Maybe." Glitch wasn't going to make any promises. Rev immediately knew the "maybe" leaned closer to a no. Glitch didn't allow her pretend-pouting to change his mind.
Before he knew it, she reached forward and placed her hands over his. He looked down at them as she squeezed them gently. It made him pause. No one else did that with his hands except…
"I'm loving all the time we're spending together, Glitch." Rev's words complimented her pleased tone. "It's been a real blast."
"It has." Glitch answered her more softly than he was used to. The time they shared really had been fun. It was a good distraction, too, with how busy Dr. Axon had been. Lately, he devoted most of his time to researching the Morbots with Melvin and Feeble's help. He was also determined to successfully reverse-engineer the software in Vlax's Rocket Launcher. He wanted to find a way to repurpose the enhanced Mil technology for their use. He had a feeling he was getting closer every day. With luck, it would be their best chance at fighting back against Dr. Exavolt's forces if need be.
They were almost ready to resume their search for the gateways in the meantime. Glitch was excited about this most of all. He was almost fully healed. Another week or so, and he would be good as new.
He looked back at Rev, only to see that she hadn't taken her eyes off of him. Glitch gazed back at her. As soon as he did, he couldn't pull his eyes away from her, either. The only thing that managed to grab their attention was the sound of music picking up.
Rev's attention shifted to the party. "Ooh!" she gasped. "The band's playing again!" She eagerly turned to Glitch. "Wanna come dance with me?"
"Oh, nah!" Glitch motioned for her to go on without him. "I'm good, thanks!"
Rev rolled her eyes. "You've so gotta loosen up," she playfully huffed.
She jumped up to join the dancers. Glitch watched her go on her tires. It wasn't his first time seeing Rev skate away. But this time was different. There was something in her movements that he admired. It brought a feeling he wasn't familiar with—unknown, but pleasant just the same.
It stayed with him for some time after that night. Even after he was fully healed, and even as they were preparing to set off to find the next Morbot gateway, Glitch couldn't shake that new feeling. He didn't necessarily want to, either.