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After everything was over and mostly back to normal after weeks of the happening of the moon invasion and cleaning up Lunaris' mess.
Gyro was back to his usual routine as was Fenton, back to Gizmoduck patrolling, and Gyro back to inventing. Though Gyro had to admit he was saddened to see that some of his Lil Bulb clones had been crushed during the invasion, though he supposed it was no different than seeing "himself" die in battle as well. However he ends his train of thought when he hears the crashing sound in the room, he assumes it was either Manny or Fenton or even Lil Bulb dropping something.
Though he's surprised when it is Fenton. The cause? Fenton tripping over Gyro's mess of papers on the floor.
"Sorry thought I'd surprise you with lunch!"
"Though I suppose it isn't much of a surprise now, but what's with all the junk on the floor, Dr. Gearloose?"
"Oh huh? That, well, I thought of refining some older work, get the creative flow back, but none of them really inspired anything in particular at this time, I'm more... organizing them than anything." More so Gyro was classifying which were less dangerous and which had tried to kill people and which were more harmless than others, as after the chaos of everything in the following month he'd prefer something simple right now.
Fenton approached, handing Gyro the take out he'd brought him, knowing this was Gyro's usual preference. That and he wanted him to eat something other than vending machine food. He'd often see him tiredly kicking that thing when it wouldn't fork over his chips or pop.
"Well thank you, and it's my usual too, you notice what I eat Cabrera?"
"On occasion! Sometimes its you only sustaining yourself on vending machine snacks and coffee and a power nap," Fenton tells him and then laughs.
"Well that is very dead on," Gyro says.
Gyro tries to make conversation.
"So how is everything since the whole moon invasion for you?"
Well that was certainly a conversation starter.
"The usual, Gizmoduck calls, late night movie marathons with m'ma."
"So mundane?"
"I suppose so! And you?"
"Likewise."
"I still can't believe m'ma was ready to hurt you for your suggestion of throwing me at the moonlanders," Fenton laughed.
"Yes very funny, she was so ready to beat me up! I mean you would've been fine, you're Gizmoduck."
"I like that you think I'm strong enough to fight an entire army by myself, it's sort of flattering," Fenton humors.
"I was thinking more at the time of you being more a decoy or a punching bag," Gyro says bluntly.
"Yeah m'ma was right to want to beat you up for that."
"Hey, hey, I'm sure you would've been an excellent decoy!"
The two liked that they could joke with each other, Fenton albeit use to Gyro's brand of humor nowadays. Or that Gyro wasn't trying to ever necessarily hurt or offend him, but rather that he was at times blunt or not certain when not to say something. Though since working more closely together, they'd gotten more accustomed to each other nowadays.
"I feel as if you were more the punching bag role, or more like a target I should say. Your clones, they got shot. A few of them did. What even happened to the rest of them?"
"Oh that, yes, we ended up figuring out which one of us was the real one, I mean, the real one would just get injured and not poof out of existence. Though, at the time, I wasn't really ready to test that theory, but long story short, I was bleeding," Gyro says dryly.
"Did it hurt?" Fenton asks.
"Bleeding? Oh very much so."
"Not that! I mean, watching yourself die? Theoretically, I mean, they are you."
Gyro shrugged. "I don't think they feel pain, they were made with a spray, therefore they are in theory just bags of air."
Fenton was silent for a moment.
The fact that it didn't really faze Gyro kind of concerned him.
When Fenton thought he saw Gyro die and not a clone
Fenton had screamed his name thinking the worst. But Gyro simply brushed it off not even really knowing who was who anymore among them at the time.
"You're the real Dr. Gearloose for sure?"
"Possibly, I mean, even if I'm not the original, and may in fact be a clone, we all have the same memories up until the cloning creation, or rather use of the spray, so it doesn't exactly matter."
Fenton just nodded. "I suppose that's true, but it doesn't bother you at all?"
"Not really, no."
"Well I think if it were me, I'd be concerned if I was really me and what if I was evil? And—" Fenton drawls on about the what ifs. Gyro clamps Fenton's beak shut with two fingers.
"Fenton, I'm me."
"Do you really want me to get out the spray and test this theory of poofing? You do know I was joking, we did in the end figure out which was the real one, I wasn't joking about the bleeding though."
Fenton laughs, awkwardly, "it's hard to tell when you're joking sometimes."
Nonetheless Gyro stops and walks over to a cabinet and gets out the clone spray. Readily to test the theory to prove to Fenton. "Are you sure this is wise? I mean, what if this one tricks you and takes your place and I have to figure our which one of you is the real one and I have to shoot—"
"You're overthinking this, just watch."
Gyro sprays himself just enough and two more Gyro's form. Though he only needed one. "See? Fine." The two other Gyro's walked up to Fenton and taking him arm in arm. A bit odd from the original Gyro.
The original Gyro more annoyed about it than he'd liked to be. "Alright, see they're just as real as me, but they're not."
These clones seemed off to Fenton as one now got a bit too comfortable with him and got him off guard with a kiss on the cheek.
"Alright that's enough," the original Gyro spoke as he tossed Fenton a small laser pistol.
"Why do you—"
"What? It was left over from the moon invasion, I was intrigued by their technology and wanted to study it further, but that's not important! Just shoot the clones. They seem...mmm...defective."
Fenton nodded.
"I suppose you're right, but do I have to shoot them or hurt them? They're you."
"Yes! I have to test and prove my theory to you, so it is necessary. They don't feel anything, don't worry," Gyro says.
Fenton sighed, and clutched the gun aiming it at the clones, very hesitant to do so. He hesitantly clicks and shoots one of them as the one he shot makes a horrible scream. "I thought you said they didn't feel pain, Dr. Gearloose!"
"They don't."
"Then...then why would it scream?!" He felt bad enough since he felt like he was shooting Gyro even if it wasn't him.
"Look see, it poofed, theory proven."
Fenton nodded.
"What about the other one? I don't want to do that again! It's like seeing you die! And I don't want to hurt you."
"But they're not me, I mean well they are, but... oh fine, give me the pistol, I'll do it myself." Fenton handed Gyro the gun.
The clone of course went renegade and lunged for it as well, not wanting to 'die' and insisting he was the original and in the process of the two's squabble they ended up getting mixed up.
A classic clone situation.
The gun drops to the floor and slides to Fenton's feet. He so hesitantly picks it up.
Of course there is a lot of "I'm the real Gyro"
Fenton really regrets asking how the spray worked.
"C'mon you know me! I love you!"
Bang.
"The real Dr. Gearloose would never admit to his feelings out loud in such a manner."
The clone poofs out of existence.
Gyro blinked.
Certainly these clones were defective. They acted so oddly toward Fenton.
"Well, theory proven," Gyro says. Though Fenton walks over and pinches this Gyro just for good measure. "Hey!"
"I had to make sure!"
Fenton handed the pistol back to Gyro.
"Never ever make me have to be in a situation like this again. At least any time soon."
"Noted," Gyro says.
"Y'know Dr. Gearloose, though, I was thinking you said the clones were defective... but...they're you down to a t from memories you said? Doesn't that include feelings, so necessarily they weren't... defective, but maybe these had a bit....more of underlying feelings you harbor or hide?"
Gyro scoffed, "well that's certainly a theory you have... how did you come to that conclusion?"
"It's more of a guess really!"
"Well it can't be proven," Gyro says.
"It actually can be though!"
Gyro eyes him. "How so?"
"A theory has to be tested, of course."
"And how exactly do you plan to do—" But before Gyro even finished proposing the question Fenton gave him a small peck on the cheek.
Gyro was rather stunned by it, rightfully so, at the bold action.
"Well, I'll leave you to your lunch then?" Fenton was a bit nervous at the response, Gyro hadn't said anything for a few good minutes.
He began to walk off but stopped when he heard Gyro speak up. "Theory may or may not be correct, but never do that again."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought maybe the clones weren't defective and—" Gyro sees the saddened expression on Fenton's face. "At least, not without my permission in the future."
"In the future?" Fenton says.
"Yes...your theory, may or may not be true, but you'll have to solve that yourself, when you get to know me more," Gyro tells him.
Fenton perks up. "Over dinner sometime? Though I'm certain I know you pretty well already, Dr. Gearloose."
"Gyro," he tells him.
"Gyro," Fenton repeats back.
"Well get to know me more and we'll see if the clones were indeed not defective as you so proclaim," and he continues on, "and that I do indeed harbor some sort of feeling toward you as you say."
Fenton smiles, "you can just say you like someone back you know?"
There is a smirk on Gyro's beak "that isn't as fun."
End.