Chapter 7

Earth.

It was the first of the planet's five elements they would be exploring. The group began their journey at the crack of dawn as planned. Glitch found himself quietly watching the desert sunrise from Dr. Axon's terrain cruiser. It reminded him of the one he saw the morning after his escape two months before. He was too worn down to pay it any mind. The desert wasn't kind to him then, for more reasons than he'd care to admit. He recalled letting the robo-mule carry him. Now, he was traveling faster than they were; the cruiser whizzed by their flock. The wandering creatures were just wobbly, little square silhouettes against the lifting sun. Glitch was still watching them go by when he felt something brush against him. Rev shifted to get comfortable behind him in the back seat. She was interested in the robo-mules herself.

"You ever just wanna ride in one?" she asked out of nowhere. "We use 'em back in Ridgebolt, for cargo and stuff. But I've always wondered if they'll let you sit in them."

Glitch smiled a bit. This was going to be good. "They will."

Rev tilted her head, more curious than ever now. "For real? How do you know?"

"'Cause I already have!" Glitch bragged. He knew Rev was competitive. The thought of one-upping her amused him. He couldn't pass up such a good opportunity.

Rev got really jealous, just as he expected. "No way!" she gasped. "Get outta town, dude! When?"

Glitch turned his head to continue looking out the window. "When I first ended up in the desert," he explained. "I was in pretty rough shape. Didn't have a whole lotta strength left. The one I rode in was chill about it, anyway."

"It was after you escaped jail, right?" Rev checked.

Glitch nodded. "Yep."

He felt something land gently on his left shoulder. Rev had placed her hand on it to comfort him. "I'm sorry you had to go through everything you went through," she whispered. "You don't deserve to be a fugitive."

Glitch glanced up at her to see her green optics glowing at him through the tiny bit of light they had inside the cruiser. It was weird hearing someone have sympathy for him. In battle, no one had time for that sort of behavior. Soldiers were supposed to put their feelings aside. It wasn't about them; it was about the cause. This, at least, was what Glitch gathered. But he wasn't fighting now. It felt refreshing, being able to let someone give their condolences and show their understanding. "Thanks," he said.

Rev pulled her hand away while continuing to give him a kind gaze. Glitch had a hard time finding another reaction to give. He simply wasn't used to being vulnerable. He did it twice already—once during the attack on the Rebellion and again in jail. He didn't want to reach that point a third time. He decided to stay fairly neutral, in an effort to spare his own feelings. However, Rev was still looking at Glitch when he raised his head a minute later. He could already tell she could see right through his exterior. Her stare, though, wasn't one of judgement. Only warmth.

"There's nothing wrong with opening up," she softly encouraged. "It's healthy!"

"I…" Glitch paused.

"How hard is it being a soldier?" Rev's curiosity returned. "Do you guys, like, get yelled at if you show emotions? Do they program you a certain way so you don't, like, freeze in battle?"

Glitch chuckled. "Nah," he replied. "It's a bit simpler than that. We don't get 'rewired.'"

He stopped. Rev noticed him hesitating and tilted her head. "What?"

Glitch corrected himself. "Actually, we do," he said.

"What do you mean?" Rev asked.

Glitch thought to himself before answering her. He considered the time he'd spent in battle—how it impacted him. The things around him. "You see a lot when you're on the frontline," he told her. "You see war."

"War." Rev quietly repeated the word. "So it's…war that rewires you," she gathered.

Glitch stared out his window. He watched the desert terrain blur past him. He pictured it differently; the cracks in the sandy ground were replaced by dug trenches. His mind briefly remolded the passing barren land into a desolate battlefield. Such fields kept Droids with them. A Droid would be lucky to get off them in one piece, or at all. Glitch knew of some Droids who made it back with their minds barely intact. He was grateful not to have been one of them. The thoughts of war took him over for a moment. He only managed to blink them away just as the sound of gunfire faintly rattled in his head.

Glitch withdrew his face from the window, from the desert. He could see his reflection in the glass. He'd studied himself over quite a bit since Feeble revealed what he really was. Only part of him was Droid. The other was Morbot. He was part-deity. He was a guardian designed for battle. It would explain why he excelled in combat, why he was more naturally skilled, faster, smarter, stronger, braver. Glitch didn't want to believe it. He wondered how much more he would learn on this journey. What more would he learn about himself?

What about Rev? He saw her out the corner of his optic. She changed her position in her seat. She took her news well, more than well. Being half-Morbot didn't seem to worry her all too much. This journey was important for her, too.

Rev slumped down a bit more in her seat. She began peering out of her own window. She'd been treated to a few sights of her own. Glitch could see there was another herd of robo-mules running on her side. They each hurried alongside the terrain cruiser on their four small legs. Glitch and Rev chuckled together. The foreign vehicle was interesting to them. They chased the cruiser until it outrode them. Glitch and Rev looked at each other, sharing amusement. Their trip to the first gateway was going to be pretty long, so silly things like that would make it a touch easier, they both knew.

"I think this trip is gonna be fun." Rev glimmered with excitement.

Glitch hesitated a bit. He didn't exactly feel the same way. It was hard to view their journey to the gateways as an average family roadtrip when the fate of the universe depended on them.

Rev saw the uncertainty on Glitch's face. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothin', it's…" Glitch idly fumbled with the map. He almost forgot he had it. It was rolled up in his lap. "It's gonna be dangerous, Rev," he said finally.

Rev rolled her eyes with a soft laugh. "Glitch, I know!" she sighed. "Of course it's gonna be dangerous. That's why we have to stay optimistic!"

"Yeah, no, right, it's just…" Glitch trailed off and averted his optics for what felt like the umpteenth time. Even after he took his eyes off her, he knew she became irate.

Rev folded her arms. "You still don't think I should be here, do you?" she queried.

"Does Mister Fixit really know?" Glitch turned back in her direction. She held his gaze but didn't answer. "I know he doesn't," he went on. "I just wanna hear you be honest."

Rev quietly stared off into space for a few moments. Several seconds passed before she drew up her knees and defeatedly plopped her head onto her bag she'd been holding in her lap. She released a long, soft huff, and the wind from her lip gently moved the bag's strap. "I'm sorry, Glitch," she sadly mumbled.

She couldn't even look his way anymore. It was her turn to shy away from vulnerability now. Glitch saw her reaction and eased off. He could see how his skepticism affected her. He got why Rev did what she did. Mister Fixit obviously wouldn't have understood. Although Glitch wasn't trying to make Rev feel bad for her decision, he still had, and he felt like a jerk for it.

"I went in the shed." Rev spoke up. Her head was still turned from Glitch while she rested it on her bag. "He was hiding the chip in there," she said.

"Rev, no, you don't need to explain yourself," Glitch protested. "I'm the one who's sorry—"

They were interrupted by erratic shouting from the row behind them. They both sat up and peered over theirs. The terrain cruiser had three rows of seats: a front, a middle, and a back. Dr. Axon and Melvin were in the driver and passenger up front, Glitch and Rev were in the middle, and Feeble had the last one all to himself. This was a unanimous decision. It was only fitting to let him have all the room he wanted for one of his random outbursts. It was definitely a good choice now; Feeble was tearing it up back there. He bolted upright when he saw Glitch and Rev peeking down at him from their row. Out of the blue, he drew his dagger and lurched forward at them. They both jumped back.

"Get off me ship, ye interlopers!" Feeble hollered. "Captain Iron-Eye don't tolerate no villainy!"

He suddenly moved toward Rev—and grabbed her. He aggressively placed his dagger up to her.

"Glitch?!" Rev fretted.

"Feeble, whoa, easy!" Glitch exclaimed.

Feeble glared at him. "Is this yer Sally, lad?" he sneered. "How's 'bout I cut 'er wires out in front of ye?"

Dr. Axon heard the commotion from the driver's seat and glanced in the rearview mirror to see back there. "Uh, is everything all right?" he called. "Is Feeble awake?"

Feeble heard his name and snapped out of it. Just like that, his episode was over.

Glitch looked toward the front. "Yeah, it's all clear now!" he called to Axon.

Feeble climbed over the back of their seat and plopped down between the pair. "Aye!" he greeted. "What'd I miss?"

Rev suddenly stiffened up next to him. Glitch thought he could see her optics oiling up from where he was sitting. She had a strained look, almost like she was struggling to resist something. Glitch realized she was holding her breath to avoid Feeble's odor. She inched away as far as she could in her seat, not stopping until she was pressed against her window. Glitch held in his laughter. He suffered through it already. Now it was her turn!

The first day of the trip went smoothly. They traveled for several more hours. By nightfall, they stopped to refuel. Afterwards, Dr. Axon pulled the terrain cruiser off to park and turn in for the night. They only had another full day left ahead of them before they made it where they needed to be.

The next day, there was good enough signal for the cruiser's radio to pick up some stations. It was a nice way to stay occupied. Rev became the DJ. It turned out she was a music fanatic and had a ton of favorite songs from different genres and artists. She almost went crazy whenever one came on. She knew the lyrics to every last one of them. Some of the others were able to sing along occasionally, too. Glitch resorted to silently listening. He practically never listened to music on his own time. He was always too busy. But after seeing how much it excited Rev and brought everyone in the car together, he wanted to try harder to give it a chance.

The day went on and night came again. Feeble had been the first to fall asleep, followed by Melvin and Dr. Axon up front. Glitch and Rev entertained themselves with their funny snoring.

"These guys snore louder than the guys at the Rebellion," Glitch quietly laughed.

"And Dad!" Rev softly giggled back.

She yawned suddenly. Glitch watched her get comfortable in her seat. She lay down with her head toward her window and her tucked legs toward Glitch. She used her bag for a pillow and pulled a quilt over herself. She snuggled tidily underneath it and yawned again.

"I'm beat," she breathed. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I'm 'bout there, too," Glitch agreed. He honestly could feel the tiredness washing over him. He grabbed another packed quilt and drew it over himself while propping his body into a comfortable sleeping position. He peered at Rev again. She was secretly eyeing him from the other end of her cover. Glitch compared their quilts. His was made up of loud, funky, retro patterns, while hers had random paisleys and stripes coupled with polka dots. Glitch stifled another laugh. "Man, dude, these quilts are the ugliest things I've ever seen," he snickered.

Rev almost laughed too loudly and had to stop herself before agreeing. "I know!" she hissed. "Dr. Axon makes them!"

"He needs to stick to research." Glitch was on the verge of wheezing.

"He should do more research on quilting!" Rev chortled.

Their jokes had each other reeling. They eventually calmed down and rested their heads again.

"Good night, Glitch," Rev whispered.

"Good night, Rev." Glitch closed his eyes. He drifted off after a while.

...

The astral Morbot realm was no different from how it'd been left from his last visit. That felt like ages ago. When Glitch opened his eyes, he was crouched in the heart of a liminal space he'd never seen before. It was constructed like the city where he last saw Void, but smaller. It was actually closer to an atrium, a central hall belonging to a grand amenity. There were rooms spanning from it, and Glitch couldn't begin to imagine where they all went. Unlike other parts of the realm, it looked virtually untouched.

The Morbite space was ornate with columns, platforms, and even waterfalls. Glitch had rarely been around water. It wasn't something he was particularly fond of, knowing what it could do to a robot if they weren't careful around it. A submergence, or even a long enough touch, could lead to a short-circuit. Still, it was at least pleasant to look at and hear. The waterfalls on either side of Glitch promised a feeling of serenity as they gave soft washing sounds and ran off down streams. The water was transparent, so it took on the changing colors of the Morbite. He got on his feet and paused to listen to the surrounding sounds more closely. He thought he heard quiet music playing. The melody seemed to play from nowhere.

Glitch noticed a staircase not far up ahead of him. Unlike the other structures, it was carved out of the Morbite. It was wide and luxurious, slightly dramatic with its winding curve. It went up high before fading into light. Like the rooms, Glitch wondered where it led.

There were footsteps coming down them suddenly. Glitch held still in the middle of the atrium, lost as to who he could be getting ready to meet. Was it…

They emerged from around the staircase's curve. Glitch released his breath. It was.

Void descended the stairs ever so gradually. She nearly floated down them. Her ethereal eyes never left Glitch's on her journey down. She finally made it to the very bottom stair and stopped there. She looked calm, welcoming. Peaceful.

"Hello, Glitch." Her pleasant, soft voice echoed toward him from the staircase.

"Void?" Glitch lightly shook his head in confusion. "I don't get it," he said. "What are we doing here?"

"It is wonderful, yes?" Void happily gestured to the atrium. "I happened upon it not long after escaping those beasts," she told him. "It is a central zone. There are many of them located throughout the realm. It is a place where an astral traveler can find solace. Think of it as a resting spot! We should be safe here."

"Oh, uh, ok," Glitch replied.

Void's celestial face softened even more. "I am glad we are together again, Glitch," she murmured.

"Well, I'm kinda not!" Glitch snapped.

Void withdrew a little; his anger shocked her. He started approaching her. He came closer to the staircase and she moved back up a few steps.

Glitch went up them after her. "I learned a lot since we last talked," he revealed. "Right now, I'm with Dr. Axon and a nomad named Feeble. He told me what could happen if I'm not careful with the gateways' power. It could destroy the universe? Seriously? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Glitch…" Void lowered her eyes.

"You knew!" Glitch scrutinized. "Didn't you?"

She didn't answer him.

"Why did you keep that from me, Void?" Glitch lowered his tone. He didn't want to be angry at her. But given what was at stake, it was hard not to be. When Void looked at him again, though, her eyes were glossy. Glitch saw she was on the verge of tears, and right away, it made him feel guilty for going off. "I'm sorry." He immediately tried to make it right. "I didn't mean to make you upset, really."

"It is okay." Void wiped her eyes. "You are right," she said. "I should have been more honest. I should not have kept that a secret. I did it because, well…" She took Glitch's hands and he let her. "I want you to succeed, Glitch," she told him. "I thought the information would have unnerved you. You were already deeply discouraged at the time. I did not want to tell you something that would deter you further."

"Void…" Glitch felt even worse after she said that. She didn't do it for malicious reasons after all. She was only trying to spare his feelings. The female Morbot bent down to his level. He took the opportunity to hug her close. She gave a sad laugh and hugged him back. "I'm sorry," he repeated to her. "I might've overreacted. And, no, I am glad we get to see each other again."

"As am I," Void whispered.

They pulled apart. Glitch folded his arms with a chuckle. Void saw his body language and tilted her head.

"So! When were you gonna tell me I was a demigod?" Glitch joked.

"Believe me, I planned to," Void replied. "I was waiting for the right time. But the nomad, Feeble. He has beaten me to it!" She giggled.

"You've seen him?" Glitch asked.

"Of course!" said Void. "I see what you see, Glitch."

"Right." Glitch remembered. He considered asking if that meant he could see what she saw, too. But before he could, Void's gaze seemed to falter slightly. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Your journey, Glitch." Void looked down at him with a hint of worry. "Much lies ahead. Do not underestimate it. Do not underestimate the power of the gateways."

"You got it, Void." Glitch nodded. "I won't."

There was something off about her, yet again. Glitch wanted to probe, but he also didn't want to seem too pushy again after accusing her a minute before. Still, there had to be something making her distant. Glitch couldn't gloss over it anymore.

"What else are you hiding?"

Although Void didn't look at him, her eyes narrowed. She kept them firmly planted on the stair steps. "You met her," she said suddenly. "You have met…her."

She's talking about Rev, Glitch realized. Why did she sound so guarded? "Rev's cool!" He tried testing her. "She was stoked when she found out she was half-Morbot herself," he said. "She took it better than I did. She's trying to find out about her past, too."

"There is still so much you need to know." Void slowly looked over at him. She had an expression now that Glitch never expected to see her with. She'd become angry.

"What's your deal, Void?" Glitch didn't raise his voice. He kept it neutral despite how suspicious he grew.

"I was not fully transparent with you about this haven." Void's tone was curt. "It is a central zone, yes," she continued. "But not just any. It is the main central zone. It is the place where consciences are at their most powerful. Where thoughts and memories collect."

"I don't understand." Glitch genuinely didn't.

"The astral realm is a byproduct of our physical, Glitch," Void elaborated. "An extension. An outer circle."

Dr. Axon was right, Glitch thought.

"I know what you are thinking." Void was still solemn. "You are wondering if you can see my thoughts directly, as I can with yours. Yes. You can. But you and Rev are fallen guardians. You are in a weakened state. You have not unlocked your true potential, so you cannot yet use that ability. That is why I brought you to this particular place. It is here where you will be able to access the past. You will be able to see it for yourself, free of interference. That is what lies beyond these stairs."

Glitch wasn't sure what to believe.

"I was up there myself, of course," Void said to him. "As I told you earlier before, there were things even I did not know about my people. That the elders kept secrets. I was up there, learning of those secrets for myself. You can learn everything, too, Glitch. You can discover the Morbots' past, as well as your own. All you have to do is follow me up these stairs."

She started climbing them again. She kept herself partially facing Glitch to extend a hand to him as she went up. Her eyes danced with hope. She was strongly betting on him to follow her. Glitch felt like he was being torn in different directions. He didn't feel comfortable with Void anymore. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe she was being truthful, that every answer he ever needed was at the top of that stairway like she said.

He couldn't. He began backing down it. "I'm not doing it, Void."

Void froze. "Why not?"

"I don't trust you anymore." Glitch made his feelings clear. "I want to leave."

Void dropped her arm and stared at him in surprise. "But…Glitch!"

"I don't wanna hear anything else you gotta say," Glitch retorted. "I wanna go back to the real world. My world."

Void hesitated, but only for a second. She quietly sighed. "Ok," she decided. "I deeply respect your wish. I will not withhold you. You may go."

Glitch turned his back on her and continued down the steps. Void didn't fight him. She let him go without a word. He made it to the bottom of the stairway and kept walking. He exited the astral realm on his own accord this time.

...

"Glitch? Glitch, hey!"

"Huh…?"

"Oh, sweet, you're finally up!"

Rev hovered over Glitch in the backseat of the terrain cruiser. He sat up and rubbed his optics. The cruiser was stopped somewhere. They were the only two left inside after Dr. Axon, Melvin, and Feeble got out. Glitch let out a big yawn. "Where are we?"

"We're here!" Rev's voice was almost a squeal. She gave Glitch jazz hands and even bounced up and down a little.

"Whoa, we are?" Glitch was still rubbing his eyes. They needed time to adjust to the late-morning light.

Rev giggled. "Um, like, yeah!" she replied. "I can't believe how long you were out, dude. You slept like a rock!"

"Yeah…" Glitch gave the utterance under his breath. He wasn't sure if he should tell Rev the reason why. He had no idea why Void was so apprehensive about her. Whenever Rev came into the equation, Void skipped right over her. She never even showed up when they dropped into the realm together that one time. It wasn't hard to see that something about Rev bothered Void. This had been Glitch's strangest, most pivotal visit to the astral Morbot realm yet. There were answers, and he wanted to know what they were. But after his interaction with Void, he wasn't sure if he would ever want to return. She acted in a way that made Glitch question her motives. He partly wanted to know what she planned to show him. But the other part of him simply didn't trust it. Or, maybe, he thought, I just don't think I'm ready. He sat quietly, feeling conflicted. Even if he wanted to go back, there was a chance Void wouldn't even allow him—not after he turned his back on her.

"Ya comin', Rockhead?"

Rev's playful inquiry beckoned him to reality. Glitch jerked his head up to see her halfway out of the vehicle. She eagerly glanced at him over her shoulder while getting out. He gave a swift nod. "Er, yeah, for sure!" he answered.

"Then c'mon, slowpoke!" Rev exclaimed. "Let's do this!"

They stepped out of the cruiser together. Rev slipped her bag on. It was a compact, dark-brown crossbody that matched her hip pouch. Glitch made sure the map of Iron Star was rolled up tight before placing it inside his backpack. He still wasn't used to carrying equipment inside it other than his weapons. How he missed them.

Dr. Axon and Melvin were at the foot of the canyon they'd parked near waiting for the pair. Axon watched Glitch and Rev approach with a smile from beneath his safari-style hat. "Good morning, Glitch!" he greeted. "I see Rev was able to get you up!"

Glitch laughed. "Yep!" he agreed. "That she did."

"Had to deal with his morning breath, though." Rev waved a hand in front of herself with her head turned. "P to the U!" she jived.

Glitch jokingly nudged her in response to the tease. She giggled. Afterwards, they both looked around. They realized Dr. Axon and Melvin were the only two bots in front of them.

"Where's Feeble?" Rev asked.

"Up there…"

Melvin pointed up the canyon. Glitch and Rev warily followed his finger. Glitch felt his exterior grow heavy from what he saw. Feeble had begun a long, challenging, dangerous climb up the steep rock face. He was already a good ways up. Glitch looked at Dr. Axon. "Why the heck'd he start without us?!" he frantically asked.

"We tried convincing him to wait," Axon said, shrugging. "But he is Feeble, and he does what he likes."

Glitch stepped closer to the face of the canyon and craned his neck to call for him. "Feeble!" he yelled. "Feeble, stop, what are you doing? I get you know your way around, but can't ya wait a sec? Maybe find an easier way for the rest of us to follow ya?"

"Arrgh!" Feeble shouted down at him without stopping. "Grow some nuts and bolts, lad, will ye? Captain Iron-Eye waits for no bot! If ye can't keep up, ye don't belong on me crew!"

Glitch exasperatedly hung his head. "Oh, dude…," he groaned.

"Perhaps we should begin searching for that easier route ourselves," Dr. Axon suggested. "There might be a slope or path going up the canyon somewhere."

They got busy searching. They divided themselves in pairs: Dr. Axon stuck with Glitch while Melvin and Rev stayed together. Glitch happened upon a sloping area that seemed promising. He tested it out by starting up it a few steps. To his dismay, it wasn't something you could walk up. Dr. Axon came to his side. "Not a good one, Doc," he reported to him.

"Alright, let's keep looking," Axon replied.

Meanwhile, Melvin was helping Rev—or, trying to, rather. Rev grabbed the assignment by the reins. Melvin, on the other hand, was a bit more hesitant. He nervously watched Rev test a hopeful-looking slope they found among the rocks. Not long after she'd started up it, however, the slope sharply cut to a nearly 90-degree angle, forcing a climb for the rest of the way. Rev sucked her lip. "Shoot," she whispered. "It might not be so bad, though. Maybe it levels out again higher up…" She tried climbing. She carefully placed her right hand and left tire on two footholds. She continued up from there. Melvin's worry spiked.

"Uh, careful, Miss Rev!" he cautioned.

Rev saw how fearful he was and chuckled. "Aww, don't worry, Mr. Melvin," she said to him. "I'm fine! See? It's not a good choice, anyway, since we still gotta climb it—"

Her right tire slipped. She belted out a frightened scream as she lost her footing and nearly fell.

"Miss Rev!" Melvin cried.

Rev managed to grab hold of a bulge in the rocks. She dangled back and forth, breathing heavily, hoping it wouldn't give. But it did. She fell again and plummeted with another scream, one more piercing than the last.

Glitch caught her. He'd heard her first shriek and rushed over. Rev looked up at him from his arms with wild green optics. Glitch held her gaze with a mildly irritated expression. "A slope." He kept his tone neutral. "Something we can walk up, remember?"

Rev scrambled down from his grip. "I knew that!" she fussed.

Glitch sighed. He should've known Rev would be on the reckless side. "Look, just try to be more careful, ok? The last thing we need is—"

"What, for me to get hurt?" Rev folded her arms. "And for my dad to find out and throw a fit?"

Glitch didn't answer. He expected her to be defensive. He tried cutting her slack knowing what she was going through. Mister Fixit definitely knew she was gone by now. He winced at Rev's situation. She was half-Morbot like him, so the trip was her journey, too. He just wished her involvement could've been simpler.

Dr. Axon came around to check on them. Rev was still dusting herself off from her brief mishap. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, Dr. Axon, we're fine." Rev gave a brusque response while glaring at Glitch. He said nothing, only gave another small sigh.

This is gonna be a long trip, he thought.

Fortunately, they found what they were looking for a couple of minutes later. To everyone's luck, the slope seemed to almost extend up the full height of the canyon.

"Finally!" Glitch commented. He hoped it would lead them straight to Feeble.

"Righto!" Dr. Axon firmly tugged at his equipment to make sure it was safe on his back before proceeding. "Up we go, then!" he declared.

The four of them started the hike up the long incline. It was precarious and slightly unpredictable at times, wider in some spots and narrower in others. But the trail was reliable overall. Glitch found himself caught up with Rev; they were going at a fairly even pace. Neither of them spoke at first, not for a few minutes, even. Admittedly, though, Glitch didn't like the air between them. Rev didn't seem to, either. It was apparent as she occasionally shifted her focus. At some point, she sadly lowered her optics. "I'm sorry," she said.

Glitch forgave her. He'd never not forgiven her, but her stubbornness earlier did irk him a bit. He calmed down and found it in himself to let it go. "It's fine," he told her. "I'm not mad or anything."

"You're not?" Rev asked.

Glitch shook his head. "You've got a lot on your mind, I get that." He really did.

"It's not an excuse, though." Rev slumped her shoulders. "I shouldn't have snapped on you. That was, like, totally uncalled for. I should've thought that out better. I can be so dumb sometimes."

"It's okay, Rev," Glitch placated. "Honestly! We all mess up. I've had my fair share of not thinking things through." He thought back to sneaking off-base.

"I wonder how much I'm gonna find out." Rev concentrated on the hike while she spoke. "About myself, y'know? Both of us, really! Being half-Morbots and all."

Rev's thoughts made Glitch think about his conversation with Void. There is still so much more you need to know, she told him. He glanced at Rev as he thought. Was it about her? Would they find out what it really was during the journey?

"Ahoy, mateys!"

Feeble greeted them not much farther up. He'd beaten them there by a landslide. Glitch and the others made it where he was and stopped for air. Even after climbing at his old age, Feeble hadn't broken a sweat. Glitch shot him a mild glance. "Long time, no see, bud," he said sarcastically.

"There you are, Feeble." Dr. Axon caught his breath. "Do wait for us next time, my friend, yes?" he requested.

"Axon's right, Feeble," Glitch added. "You really gotta slow down so we can all keep up. You're the Sherpa, remember? You're supposed to be guiding us."

"Aye. Fine, fine." Feeble reluctantly agreed. "Ye should've told me ye was slowpokes!"

Glitch pushed through the old explorer's offhanded remarks. Great. Feeble was wacky, cranky, and inconsiderate.

"Alright, Glitch!" Dr. Axon turned to him. "You still have the map, yes?" he asked.

"Yeah, totally." Glitch whipped out the old parchment. He gave it to Axon, who showed it to Feeble. He had a radar-like device in his opposite hand.

"My navigation system tells me we are on the right track," he told Feeble. "Is that correct?"

Feeble suddenly lifted his chin to the air. When the wind picked up, he sniffed and tasted it. Glitch would've been more dumbfounded by that if he wasn't distracted by Feeble's smell blowing in his direction. He reminded himself to stay downwind of him next time. Rev, and even Axon and Melvin, thought so, too, based on their looks. The elder Droid finally finished his "observations" and grinned at Dr. Axon. "Aye!" he replied. "We be on the right track, indeed, matey. Not much longer." He studied the dirt with his one cloudy eye. With a finger, he traced a mental trail along it leading to a wide rock crevice. "It lie beyond there," he announced. "There be a network of caves windin' through these canyons. Caverns, to be exact. That be where our first gateway is, lads."

Glitch felt hopeful. He and Rev exchanged an anticipating glance.

They were sliding through the crevice to reach the inside of the caves before long. Glitch scanned the dry caverns once they made it. Feeble was right: this system was huge. The cavern entrance forked off in various directions. Glitch hoped Feeble remembered which path led the right way.

Feeble pointed to the one dead in the center. "This be the one," he muttered.

"You sure?" Rev asked.

Feeble nodded. "Of course I be sure, lass," he answered. "Arrgh, away we go!"

They followed him into the tunnel.

...

Not long after Glitch and company disappeared into the caverns, another group came along. They stopped at the entrance, just outside of the crevice, and looked in. The ringleader chuckled. He and his team were armed…and after pinpointing their target's location by satellite, they were hot on his trail.

They slipped inside, one by one. The multiple forks discouraged the bot's men, but he stayed cool. They looked to him for direction.

"What now, Colonel Vlax?"

Vlax smirked. "We find him," he stated. "That is what."