Chapter Text
“Wow! This is so cool!” the newest resident had spoken. It was after dinner, and Tuddrussel was showing Otto more of his souvenirs that he had taken while traveling through History, and the kid was taking a real shine to them. Larry in vain tried to ignore their talk as he cleaned up the kitchen. The robot harbored the idea to just take Otto back from whist he came, but he begrudgingly knew that it was not possible right now without Tuddrussel finding out. The man would have an absolute fit if he dared try to take their little “encyclopedia” away. But Larry also knew, with self-satisfaction, that Tuddrussel didn’t even know where or how to get him back if Larry actually did it. Only Larry knew the correct time coordinates to Otto’s orphanage, and he was keeping the record safe in his storage bank for when he would need it. As Larry put the dishes away into the washer, he thought how much worse things could get now that he helped kidnap someone. Why, the thought of having to clean up for more than one person seemed hellish enough, without putting into account that children we just so helpless and needy. Already today the boy had asked if there was any food! “What do think this is, the soup kitchen?! “ Larry had memorably told Otto off that afternoon. And never had he seen someone eat faster, or greedier than Tuddrussel. It was as if he never had a proper meal in his life, and with nobody to tell him to not put his elbows on the table, Larry cringed at the vulgarity of it all. “Well, as long as he is here, he’s not going to have his way any longer like he did today.” Larry said to himself primly. He went through his storage bank to replay the events that lead to finding Otto; Finding the memory he watched Tuddrussel order him to let him decide where the correct coordinates to their mission was- after Larry had accidently sent them to 1893 era Paris, when they were supposed to locate Eli Whitney in Savannah, Georgia in 1793. Tuddrussel tried to get them there, but instead they had to wind up dropping into Otto Osworth’s bedroom in Detroit, Michigan in 2001! “How embarrassing . . .” Larry noted. “Tuddrussel should have kept his big mouth shut, the idiot! Telling him about history, and what we do. And that child manages to talk Tuddrussel into stealing him, and he has the audacity to expect to stay put right here! So what were the odds that the boy is some sort of “history wiz”, too? Ha, the boy is only good for two or three millenniums, that’s not nearly enough for him to be useful!” Larry said cattily. Larry looked at the two people sitting at the table, where Otto was marveling over Tuddrussel’s rare, first issue copy of Superman. “Still, he’s more useful than me at history…” Larry had to admit. He shook his head, determined to stay angry at the situation. “But he’s still a liability! What if he got killed while on a mission? That’s not going to be easy to explain in the report.” Larry froze; he forgot to write in the last mission reports to HQ for today. With his hands twitching, he wondered how on Earth is he going to cover up Otto? Just lie? Sure, It’s easy to; he covers for Tuddrussel’s blunders all the time! But Otto, no, Otto was different. He could lie and lie and lie all day to Headquarters, with no actual harm done . . .until something happened. An accident, an emergency action- something could make them slip up and expose all of the lies that Larry had written about their unit. And he knew how forbidden this was, he wished that Tuddrussel wasn’t so thickheaded and stubborn to realize what problems he had just caused by letting this happen! “I don’t care if he’s an orphan, what makes him think that he’s wanted around here?” Larry said harshly. He slammed the door to the dishwasher shut and turned the dial onto “Scalding Hot Rinse” and left it to do its job.
“So, how old are you, kid?” Tuddrussel asked.
“I just turned seven.” Otto replied.
Larry harrumphed out of the kitchen and into the adjacent dining area.
“And just where does a boy your age acquire such a vast knowledge in history, anyway?” Larry asked haughtily.
Otto looked up at Larry wearily, not sure if he was trying to give him another sarcastic remark or not. “It’s just something that I’ve always liked to read about.” Otto said, watching Larry’s disapproving glare with caution. “But, you see, History isn’t just facts and dates to me, History is just a bunch of stories filled with far away places, it’s share of heroes and villains, conflicts and tragedy- ” Larry raised an eyebrow at Otto’s talk, questioning if he even really took his new job “seriously”.
“Like fairy tales?” Larry interrupted. Otto made a peculiar face at the thought, never had he given that much analysis on his reading habits.
“Yeah, but better. Because the stories I read are real.” Otto replied keenly.
Larry sullenly dropped his awareness of Otto to give his attention to Tuddrussel.
“If you’re quite finished playing, I suggest you show him where he can sleep for the night.” Larry said.
Tuddrussel sighed, rubbing his temple in embarrassment he began to say- “Yeah, I was meanin’ to ask you If . . .”
“What? That’d I would?” Larry interrupted.
“Well, yeah.”
Larry laughed, “Tuddrussel, you can forget that notion right now!” And before he let Tuddrussel have another word about the matter Larry proceeded to walk away from the table.
“Now, if you’ll please excuse me, I have to file our mission report to Headquarters. Have a wonderful night, you two.” Larry added.
The two guys watched the prissy robot head to the computer room nearby and relaxed once he was out of earshot.
“Man, is he ALWAYS that grouchy?” Otto asked.
Tuddrussel cracked a smile at that statement, “Kid, you have no idea.” He chuckled at the memory of how peeved Larry had been when he finally realized that Otto was in fact not going back home after finishing up on the mission to Eli Whitney. “But don’t ya worry, now. Larry’s a grouch, but ehh-he’s a harmless bucket of bolts. I wouldn’t put too much though into his moods.” Tuddrussel reassured.