About 10 minutes later, dozens of robots were surrounding the couch.
The girls were hovering above the couch since they were pressed for space. Melanie and Sadie were sitting on Melanie's scythe, astounded by the size of the crowd.
The hat-botlers were all laughing wildly while Melanie kept looking down at them nervously.
"What's the matter, Melanie?" asked Sadie.
"I feel like we should offer more for them to do," explained Melanie. "You know, like get them drinks and food or something like that."
"Can robots even consume food or drinks?" Sadie wondered aloud.
"I don't know," Melanie replied. "But we should do something else for them. I mean. Yeah, we're already giving these guys more of a break than they probably ever get, but it feels like there's something else we could do."
"Hmmmmmm…How about a party?" suggested Sadie.
"A party?" asked Melanie. "How? We don't exactly have supplies."
"We have each other," said Sadie. "We have a space. We have a TV and access to music. We don't have food, but I doubt these robots need to eat. So, I think we're covered there. We have all we need."
"You're right," Melanie said with a smile. "This could actually work. Let's do this!"
"Want to make the announcement?" Sadie nudged her.
Melanie fidgeted nervously, held her arm, looked askance, and said, "Maybe, I could just telepathically ask Roberto and get him to tell the others."
"Do you even know which one he is?" Sadie asked. "They all look the same. Oh, crap. Was that a racist thing to say?"
"I don't think so," Melanie replied. "I mean, in this context, Flug actually meant for them to all look the same, but if you look closely at them, you can see little differences. Like Roberto, he has a scratch above his right eye."
"Gotcha, well, try to get his attention then," said Sadie. "Let's get this party going."
"Okay," Melanie said, concentrating her technopathic powers. "Roberto? Roberto?"
Roberto quit watching the TV and started looking around, "Melanie? Melanie, is that you? Hey, guys! Shut up for a minute!"
Melanie froze in panic as the entire crowd of hat-botlers went silent and looked up at her.
"What's up, mija?" Roberto asked.
Melanie opened her mouth and found words struggling to come out, "Uhhh…I was wondering if you guys would like to…um…you know. if you don't mind, of course…"
"What are you trying to ask, Melanie?" asked Roberto.
"Would you like to have a party?" Melanie asked in almost a whisper.
"What did you say, mija?" asked Roberto.
Melanie took a deep breath and tried speaking up even louder, "I said that…"
Sadie chimed in to help, "She is asking if you gobshites would like to have a party?!"
The question was met with thunderous applause from all the hat-botlers present.
Melanie looked at Sadie in frustration at her own mess-up.
"You just gotta be confident, my friend," Sadie said to her before turning back to the hat-botlers. "Melanie and I will figure out the music while you guys find drinks and food. What do you think about that?!"
The hat-botlers gave their shouts of approval and dispersed to gather supplies.
Melanie looked away in frustration.
Sadie looked back at Melanie and said, "See, sis? You just gotta be confident…Wait, are you okay?"
"I really wanted to make the announcement, but I got too nervous," Melanie said annoyedly.
"And then I stole your thunder," Sadie said, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to help."
"I know," Melanie said. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. I lost my nerve again. I hate it when it happens. It makes no sense. I can stand up to Black Hat, Demencia, Flug, and any bad guy I fought as a Nunja, but I can't talk to a group of people I want to be my friends. Who does that? How does that make sense?"
"Makes plenty of sense to me," a familiar voice said from below.
"What?" Melanie asked, looking down to see Roberto sitting alone on the couch. "Roberto? Why aren't you getting supplies with everyone else?"
"One, I'm on a break for once," said Roberto. "I'm not going to do anything I don't feel like doing."
"Fair," Sadie noted.
"Second, I can see what your problem is," said Roberto.
"What?" Melanie asked.
"You don't care about what your enemies think of you because you don't care what they think," said Roberto. "But you're nervous around potential friends because you're trying to get people to like you. It makes sense when you think about it."
Melanie paused and reflected on what he said.
"That makes a lot of sense actually," said Melanie after a moment of pondering.
"Yeah, you should've seen her when she first joined our club," added Sadie. "Melanie was so shy. She was so nervous. She also panicked every time she said a single sentence."
"Sadie!" Melanie chided.
"What? It's true," Sadie said, putting an arm around her friend. "But soon, she learned how to cut loose. Well, I came along and helped her cut loose."
"That's wonderful," Roberto said. "But yes, it's not uncommon. Many people are nervous when they want people to like them, especially when they're neurodivergent."
"Is it that obvious?" Melanie asked, clutching her arm awkwardly.
"I don't mean it as a bad thing, mija," Roberto explained. "Minds like yours aren't inferior. They're different and they see the world in a way not many else can understand. That comes with its benefits and challenges, like anything else. My own daughter was the same way."
"Your daughter was neurodivergent?" asked Melanie.
"You have a daughter?" asked Sadie.
"Yeah, I had a life before I was a robot," Roberto replied. "My daughter had high-functioning autism, ADHD, sensory processing issues, and some other issues. She excelled in school. She loved music, reading, and online gaming, but in real life, she struggled to make friends or find anyone who gave her a chance. It was heartbreaking to watch. She struggled to find anywhere where she fit in. It took her a long time to make real friends or even find a job."
"That sucks," Melanie said sadly. "What happened to her?"
"What was her name?" asked Sadie.
"Her name was and still is Juanita," explained Roberto. "We lived together in Mexico City. She went to university at Ciudad Universitaria and graduated with a journalism and communications degree, but she had a hard time finding any job anywhere that would accept her with her differences. Whenever she got a job, she struggled to keep it. Her co-workers were often mean, and her bosses were not understanding. It was so heartbreaking to watch Juanita grow so sad while most of her friends found jobs. Her friends were supportive and loved her. My family and I did, too. But I could tell her struggle was hurting her. Juanita didn't have a steady job for the entirety of her twenties…"
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Sadie interrupted. "That's so sad."
"I used to be afraid of that happening to me," Melanie added. "I have ADHD and autism. I couldn't make friends and didn't really want to. None of the villains or their kids liked me anyway. I thought that I'd be rejected everywhere I went too. But that was before I met my friends. Now because of the Nunjas, I know I'll always have a job and a place to go."
"Awwwwww!" Sadie exclaimed.
"Can I finish my story?" asked Roberto with a smile in his voice.
"Of course, you can," Melanie replied. "Sorry."
"Juanita didn't have a steady job and we didn't know how to help her until one day," said Roberto. "But then, one day when she was 30, Juanita and I came up with an idea. She was gaming online and talking to her friends. I couldn't help but admire how natural she was at talking to them and with strangers she had never met before. Usually, in person, Juanita was only at ease with her friends and family. At dinner, I complimented Juanita on how natural she was at talking to everyone in her game. Juanita told me that she had an easier time talking to people when she couldn't see them. That was when I came up with an idea. I suggested she could work for a call center or volunteer at a suicide hotline and help people that way, but Juanita came up with a better idea. She decided she could work at a radio station as a DJ or a commercial reader. Juanita wasn't afraid of people she couldn't see, so she wouldn't be nervous. So, when she found an opening at a local radio station, Juanita went for it."
"Did she get it?" asked Melanie.
Roberto nodded, "Juanita started out as a commercial reader. They said she was a natural and took her on. She loved it. Thankfully, her boss and co-workers were kind, patient, and accepting people. Some of them were neurodivergent themselves, so Juanita fit right in. She made more friends and even found her girlfriend, Liliana. Eventually, an opening came up for a radio show talking about music. Juanita auditioned and got the role. As far as I know, that's where she's been for the past two years. When I left her, Juanita was contributing to groceries and was engaged to Liliana. I'm so proud of how far she's come. It took my little girl a while, but she finally found a place where she was happy and fulfilled. I couldn't be prouder as her father."
"That's wonderful," said Melanie. "I'm glad she finally succeeded, but I'm sorry it took so long."
"You don't need to be," Roberto said. "Sometimes, life is soul-crushingly disappointing. Sometimes, God makes your dreams die. Sometimes, you do all you can, but certain paths won't work out for you and it's not necessarily all your fault. But in those moments, there are also other doors opening. For most people at least. I think God likes to dunk on other people for no reason. Case in point, look at our lives. Eh, kid?"
"You're wrong about that!" Melanie cried. "God doesn't do that!"
"Doesn't do what?" asked Roberto.
"Dunk on people for no reason," Melanie replied. "He doesn't do things out of nowhere just to be cruel or mean. Those things happen because our world sucks. But God brings good things out of it. I don't think he denies you your dreams either. If you follow him and want things for the right reasons, he always grants you all the desires of your hearts if you're one of his."
"So, why did he allow me to be made into a robot?" asked Roberto, his tone still calm and friendly.
Both Melanie and Sadie's eyes grew wide in shock.
Realizing how he was coming across, Roberto said, "Oh, hijas, don't worry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything bad by it."
"Oh, don't worry, it's fine," Sadie said, trying to smooth things over.
"It happened because of evil," Melanie finally answered.
"What's that?" Roberto asked.
"You were turned into a robot because of evil people, specifically Flug and Black Hat," explained Melanie, while Sadie hung back and listened. "They turned you into a robot. God gave them free will and they used it badly to hurt other people. God didn't want that to happen to you."
"I see," Roberto said, looking askance. "I suppose that makes sense."
"So, why did Black Hat do this to you?" Melanie asked.
Roberto looked up in surprise.
Sadie shook her head, "Let me guess. He offered you a deal that went horribly wrong."
"No, he didn't," said Roberto, looking away.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Melanie.
"No!" said Roberto firmly.
Just then, robots started coming in with party supplies. Hat-botlers came in with cans of beer and large bags and trays of different hors d-oeuvres.
"Alright, now, it's a fiesta!" cried Roberto happily as he rolled over to the group of hat-botlers setting everything up in the kitchenette area. "Let's see what we got."
"What was that about?" Sadie whispered to Melanie.
"Roberto doesn't want to talk about his past," said Melanie.
"What? Why?" asked Sadie.
"Think about it," Melanie explained. "If Roberto wasn't a client who couldn't pay, then he had to be a henchman who turned on his boss and refused to give into brainwashing. Right? That's got to be hard for anyone to talk about."
"But I still don't get it," Sadie responded. "Roberto seems like a nice guy and good dad, nothing like the gobshites running this place. Why would he get involved with evil people."
"The same reason Monsieur Ochocinco and so many others like him do," answered Melanie sadly. "They're poor and they're desperate for money."
"Oh," Sadie replied, finally understanding. "I wonder how many of them were in the same boat."
"More than you think," said Melanie.
"Well, I desperately wanna get out of here, but I ain't turning evil to do it," said Sadie.
"Yeah, I won't either," Melanie said with a smile.
505, who had just been observing this whole time, whined sadly. He had never thought about where the hat-botlers came from or what their lives were like. He felt bad for them too.
Without a word, the bear walked over to the hat-botlers and picked up the trays they were serving to help them out.
Meanwhile, the girls tuned into the conversation Roberto was having with another hat-botler.
"So, Jose, did you find any good drinks?" asked Roberto.
Jose held up bottles of Mexican beers and spirits with a large grin.
Roberto looked back at the girls and then looked back at Jose.
"Hay bebidas para las niñas?" asked Roberto.
"¿Qué quieres decir?" replied Jose.
Roberto facepalmed and said, "Idiota! Ellas son jóvenes adolescentes. Ellas no pueden beber cerveza."
"Oh, si," Jose agreed, quickly realizing his error. "Perdon, bebía cerveza cuando era adolescente asi que pense que no era gran cosa."
"Que explica demasiado," Roberto replied with an eyeroll. "Solo ve a buscar algunas bebidas no alcohólicas para las niñas, por favor."
"Si, si, me voy," Jose responded with a playful eyeroll of his own, waving his hands dismissively as he dropped the beers and spirits into Roberto's arms and rolled away. "¡Mira qué cabrón!"
"No mames!" Roberto cried after him as he placed the bottles of alcohol on the kitchen counter.
As soon as Jose rolled away, Sadie asked, "Oy! What were you two blokes talkin' about?"
"They don't want us to have alcohol," Melanie explained briefly. "So, they're trying to find us something else to drink."
With a scoff of disbelief, Sadie sarcastically asked, "So villainy is allowed here, but underage drinking is where we draw the line? That makes so much sense."
Roberto flashed a smirk, looked at Melanie, and said, "Oh, so you can speak Spanish? I'm impressed."
"I think I understand it better than I speak it, but yeah, I can speak it," Melanie explained. "I speak French and English too. I understood everything you were saying, even down to the bad words you were using. I can translate all of it if you want, even the bad words."
"That's alright," said Roberto with a chuckle.
"I can speak Irish Gaelic, English, and German," added Sadie. "I learned the last one mostly because of '80s German rock."
"Excellente," replied Roberto. "And to answer your other question, we've worked for bad people. That doesn't mean we're irresponsible."
"That doesn't mean you were all completely bad people then either, does it?" Melanie pushed.
Roberto looked at Melanie blankly and said, "You can believe whatever you want to believe."
"Are you being vague because you feel guilty?" asked Sadie.
Before Melanie could chide her friend, Roberto looked back at her sternly.
After a moment, the robot relaxed his expression.
"We've all endured things that we'd rather not talk about, mija," Roberto said. "Or think about for that matter. For tonight, let us all enjoy this party. I'm going to go finish setting up."
Before either girl could say anything, Roberto slid away to help another hat-botler with food and drinks.
"What was that all about?" Sadie asked.
"I think we both need to leave Roberto alone about his past for a while," explained Melanie. "I think he's probably done stuff he regrets, and he's ashamed whenever he thinks about it."
"Oh," Sadie said. "Oh, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I feel kinda bad now. What should we do?"
Melanie looked out at the robots excitedly getting the party set up, smiled, and said, "We show him a good time in this house of bad things."
"Alright, I guess you know these kinds of people better than I do," Sadie reluctantly agreed. "I'll back off for now. But if any of these gobshites try anything funny, I'm going to bate the bag outta them."
"Noted," Melanie replied, immediately coming up with an idea. "In that case, do you want to sit on top of your cage? We'll have a better view from there and you might feel safer."
Sadie looked over at the top of the cage and said, "Okay, but we'll need pillows."
"Fine by me," replied Melanie.
The pair carried pillows up and bean bag chairs on top of the cage and set up their nest while the other robots got the room ready for the party.