Chapter Text
"Alright, Silver," Gold Eye sighs, pulling off his mask so he can drag one hand across his face. "I'm going to be blunt, but to soften the sting I'll preface it with this: you're smart. One of the smartest guys I know, just behind Ashtem. You read science textbooks for fun and actually understand them, you can rewire every single piece of tech in this place, and you can even solve a Rubik's cube in, like, ten seconds."
"But?"
"But you don't have a single shred of common sense bouncing around in that egghead of yours!" He finishes, throwing his hands up in exasperation and accidentally flinging his mask across the room.
If it was for any other reason, I'd be very willing to smack the crap out of him for that remark, but right now my literal only defense for what I've done is, "Curiosity killed the cat," so I can't even argue.
"Seriously, how in the hell do you think you're going to get away with this?! There's nowhere in here to hide the huge freaking robot you dragged in here!"
"There are no security cameras monitoring our private rooms and as long as I don't give anyone a reason to be suspicious of my room, everything will be just fine," I tell him. "And besides, if I am caught I won't be punished too severely. I'm a high-ranking Masked Blader, and though this is "outside technology," it's not anything that can record audio or video. Even if it did have those implements, it's highly likely that they were busted in whatever accident got this animatronic so roughed up."
"You say that like you don't already know about the huge-ass Pizzaplex that burned down in your mission area."
At that, I can't help sweating and rubbing the back of my neck. "Aha, I- I didn't think you'd know about that, honestly..."
"Ashtem always watches for threats to a Masked Blader's safety when they go out. And when it comes to the only one of us who doesn't drive me too far up the goddamn wall, I want to check my bases, too."
"I see. That's certainly understandable." I keep an eye on you, too, after all. "But I didn't run into a burning building for this thing, just so you know. I found it at a Beypark not too far away from the Pizzaplex. It must have some kind of fire-escape programming that's incomplete if it didn't know to stay close to home."
"I guess. Or maybe it had some kind of programming that told it to look for kids to keep entertained and it could sense them at the Beypark?"
"That's a good theory," I murmur, looking back to the animatronic curiously. "No one was around when I found it, but I could definitely see signs of recent use in the stadiums. It seemed some of the local population liked sneaking out in the early morning."
"Pfft, okay, Sherlock," He snorts, faintly amused, and finally sits down beside me on the floor. "I've asked this before, but seriously, why don't you go and use that talent to snatch up some kind of career in tech or engineering? You love it enough, don't you?"
"I'm here for the same reasons you are, Gold Eye." Can we please not talk about this?
"Hmph. I'm here because I don't have any other talents except for Beyblade, you know that," He mutters, but before I can argue that fact he interrupts, "So, what's the extent of the damage on this thing? I can see some of its insides, is that bad?"
I let out a heavy sigh through my nose, turning back to the animatronic. "The worst of the damage was afflicted to its outer shell. It's made of some strange plastic that's silky to the touch but takes a decent beating. The bits of exposed endoskeleton are relatively unharmed, aside from the tiniest flickers of fire-damage. It was able to escape the Pizzaplex and reach a safe zone, meaning it's still in good shape."
"Why isn't it on, then?"
"It must have run out of charge, but I can recharge it when I have the needed supplies tonight. I convinced one of the scientists to swipe a cord and mini-generator from the lab."
"Hopefully they don't get caught, then, or under the bus you go."
"My word over theirs. Ashtem certainly enjoys having his scientists around to do the hard work for him, but he trusts me far more due to my loyalty and reputation as a goody-two-shoes."
"Aside from your smart mouth, that is."
"Yeah."
After that, there's a pause where neither of us can think of anything to say. Then Gold Eye sucks in a breath, and just when I think he's going to tell me goodbye and leave, he instead blurts out,
"We are going to acknowledge that this thing is creepy, right?"
"Oh, yeah. It's horrifying, even without the damage."
"Okay, thank the gods. I had to get that off my chest."
I can't help chuckling at that and he smacks my arm with a huff. I shake my head fondly. "Anyways, do you want to come back when it's time to turn the animatronic on?"
"Of course. How else am I going to make sure it doesn't go insane and break your neck or something?"
That night...
"How long will it have to charge before it can turn back on?" Gold Eye asks, leaning against the wall nearby and watching over me as I check the animatronic's files thanks to the Pizzaplex program that opened automatically when I connected my laptop to it.
"I'm planning to wait until it has at least ten percent charge and try then. Either way it shouldn't be long- the generator is doing its job and the animatronic is absorbing power fast. In the meantime, you should check this out, its programming is pretty complicated!"
"In a good way or a bad way?"
"Definitely good. It looks like this animatronic is programmed to do more than just entertain kids. It can detect and treat injuries, it can speak multiple languages, and identify guests based on pre-made profiles. It even has a whole catalog of procedures to follow for all kinds of problems! From ones as small as kids fighting to something as major as a break-in."
"Damn, sounds impressive."
"It is! Oh, and it even has a profanity filter!"
"Gotta be a good role model for the tots, I guess." He pushes off the wall and comes to sit beside me, peering at my laptop curiously. "What's that little toggle there? The one with the sun symbol?"
"Hmm? I don't know, actually." I click on it and it tries to switch- I see a crescent moon symbol just before the Pizzaplex program fritzes and switches back to the sun. "Weird. Must be to do with the fire-damage."
"I saw some kind of file with a bunny icon before it switched back. What do you think that's about?"
"I couldn't tell you. It might be to do with some special attraction the Pizzaplex featured, but I'll have to research it further to tell you for sure."
After that, I check on its charging status and find that it's already up to 45% battery. "Huh, it's recharging faster than I anticipated. I wonder what kind of engineering it has that allows it to gather energy so fast."
Regardless, it's more than charged enough for me to turn it on, so I open a different screen in the program and give it the okay to activate the animatronic. A progress bar pops up, filling up with cyan as it flips through all the status checks and clears out any potential errors. When it completes, the program resets back to the home screen, displaying a white icon of a cartoon bear wearing a top hat, bowtie and big smile.
"Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex," I hum, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. "Have you ever heard of it, Gold Eye?"
He shakes his head in answer, then the sound of machinery crackling to life and whirring reaches our ears. "It's turning on. I think we need to move back."
I nod in agreement and we take a few steps away. We watch as the animatronic powers up, its eyelids fluttering halfway open to reveal blank white eyes, then I swear it lets out a soft groan as it presses one weirdly human hand to the crescent moon-half of its face.
I decide I should check on its status to make sure nothing's wrong and step forward, only stopping because Gold Eye grabs the collar of my coat and tugs me out of the apparent zone of danger. I glance back at him with a soft huff and he gives me a stern frown. Sighing, I shake my head and turn back to the animatronic, calling out to it,
"Are you okay, there?"
"Hnnnnhh, I'm so tirrrred!..." It whines somewhat childishly, pullings its knees to its chest and dramatically dropping its flat head onto them. I can't help grinning a little at the display even as I find myself surprised by how authentic it feels. Not that I thought the animatronic would lie, but it's more like I thought its responses would be way more... Programmed, for lack of a better term.
But instead, it seems to have a mind of its own. So far I can't say that its words and actions are dictated by codes, and damn does it fascinate me.
"You should start to feel better as your charge up more. For now, could you tell me your name?"
"Just three more minutes, pleeease? It feels like someone stuffed my sensors full of cotton!"
"Right, of course. Sorry about that." I push myself up and step back by Gold Eye's side, looking to him with an excited smile. I have a good feeling about this!
He gives it a thoughtful glance, then shrugs at me in response. Probably thinking something like, I don't see what you do, but okay.
"You know," I begin, keeping my voice down so the animatronic doesn't hear. "That reminded me a lot of you in the mornings. You're never at all ready to wake up no matter what time I come to get you." I snicker, covering my mouth with one hand as Gold Eye scowls.
"Shuddap, shuddin' up," He mutters to me, half-heartedly elbowing me in the ribs.
"You're just mad because it's the truth."
"It is not. I can get up just fine in the mornings."
"I have multiple witnesses who can testify otherwise, but okay."
"Whoof! Sorry about that, friends, I just needed to catch my second wind!" The animatronic cheers out of absolutely nowhere, startling us both into yelping very loudly. The Masked Bladers' rooms are soundproof, so at least no one will come looking to see what's up.
We turn back to him, seeing that he's perked right up and now grins cheerfully, his eyes revealed to be screens that can display cerulean, cartoony irises with darker outlines and darker pupils. All this in tandem definitely makes him far less unsettling, and I could even make an argument for him being cute.
He raises his arms high over his head and stretches with happy little hums, his insides whirring in imitation of bones popping. When he finishes he lowers his arms, keeping them clear of his head before jerking it to the side in such a way that the whole plating of his face spins, and while it does, golden spikes pop out in sequence. In the end there are seven spikes in total, which are obviously meant to be cartoon sun-rays around his head.
"Charging complete, all systems have successfully rebooted and all potential errors were fixed!" The animatronic helpfully informs us, though his mouth doesn't open or close to follow his words. He meets our gazes again, continuing, "And earlier, you asked for my name, right?"
"Yeah, if you don't mind," I answer, nodding once.
"Not at all, friend, not at all! I'm the attendant of the Superstar Daycare and mascot for the energizing Sunnydrop candies, Sun! But I'd love any nickname you'd give me- the kiddos have already given me sooo many, like Sunny, Sundrop, Sunrise, so on so forth!"
"I'll stick with Sun for now. It's nice to meet you," I tell him, unable to help the smile on my face. It's made of excitement for just how genuine and human he seems in personality, and of simple endearment for him. He's very sweet, which makes sense considering he works with kids. Him being a daycare attendant even explains his pediatric and language programming.
"Likewise! I'm sooo so happy to be making new friends! How long have you been working at the Mega Pizzaplex for?"
"Huh? Oh, er... Sun, we don't work at the Mega Pizzaplex. We're not even at the Pizzaplex right now, we- I brought you to my actual place of, uh, work."
Right away, Sun's head whips around to observe the room and his smile quickly withers into a frown. "Oh, you're right! Goodness, I didn't realize I wasn't in parts and service! Wh- where are we? Why is everything so blank and gray?"
"We're in a Beyblade training facility."
Sun lets out a little whine, squeezing one eye shut as he taps the side of his head thoughtfully. Then his eyes widen and he yelps, "My GPS says we're in Mexico! Why are we so far from the Pizzaplex?!"
"I didn't have any tools to fix you in the States," I tell him, frowning apologetically. "Not to mention, I was on a tight schedule during my visit to the States. My options were either to bring you here or leave you."
"Of course, you probably could have left him. Since the Pizzaplex fire was all over the news, I'm sure his disappearance wouldn't have gone unnoticed and the staff would have tracked him down ASAP," Gold Eye mutters to me, hooding his eyelids.
"Yes, that's true." I turn my head, guilt beginning to pool in my gut. In all truth, I definitely should have left Sun be so he could go home instead of dragging him to a completely different country to satisfy my own whims.
"No, no, no, please don't look sad, friend!" Sun squeaks, starting to climb to his feet but stopping when he realizes he's plugged into my laptop. Since there's nothing else I need his files for, I go over and unplug him, and the moment I do he yanks me into a tight hug. "I'm not mad at you, I promise! After all, there's a bright side to this- I've never explored outside of the Pizzaplex before!" I feel him tense up, gaze shifting around as he murmurs to himself, "A- And besides, there's- there's no daycare to fret over anymore, so- so-"
He raises his voice again, holding me far enough that I can see his reassuring smile. "So thank you for this opportunity! I'm so excited to learn all about this place! You said it was a Beyblade training facility, right?"
I nod. "And it's quite... Unique."
"That sounds wonderful! Oh- but before anything else, where are my manners? I never asked for your names in return, how silly of me!" He pulls away fully and helps me to my feet as he climbs to his, and I definitely have to take a double take when I see that he's at least six feet tall.
"Daaamn," Gold Eye remarks with a whistle, eyes wide. "Why are you so tall?"
"To keep an eye on the little ones, of course!" Sun chirps, seeming uncomfortable with him swearing but not enough so to correct him for it. Which is a relief, because trying to lecture Gold Eye about swearing is a losing battle. Even Ashtem can't keep his foul mouth in check. "And so they can see me in a crowd, too. After all, it's important that everyone knows where to find me when they need me!"
"Good point." He pauses. "Right, we got a bit sidetracked. Introductions." He and I exchange glances, uncertain, then he simply shrugs and tells Sun, "In this facility, the strongest Bladers become a part of a special team where only our power matters, not our identities. So we use masks and aliases- mine is Gold Eye."
"And mine is Silver Eye," I add.
"Oh, how cool! So your aliases are based on your eye colors? And the colors on your outfits, too?"
"Yeah, exactly. So far, there are seven Masked Bladers total, but if any of the trainees become strong enough and prove themselves to the boss, then the number can increase."
Sun nods in understanding, then his face-plate tilts with a curious look. "Who's your boss? They run the facility, I presume?"
"Yes, he does. And his name is Ashtem," Gold Eye answers, joining my side with his arms crossed over his chest. "He's not a Blader, but he uses a mask and alias as well. When a new Masked Blader shows they're trustworthy, they can learn his real identity. And they can learn the identities of their fellows, so long as the other Masked Bladers actually want to share with them."
"So, would it be possible for me to earn your trust even if I'm not a Masked Blader?"
Gold Eye stills, a bit taken aback by the question... Then he gives a half-smile, chuckling, "If you're willing to try."
"Of course I am! After all, you and Silver Eye have been so super duper nice to me, I want nothing more than to show you the same kindness in return!" He clasps his hands together, causing the three bells still intact on his ribbons to jingle cheerfully.
"Well, you're already doing a good job at that." He takes a breath to say more, but then his mask gives a low beep from where it sits on the nightstand and he frowns, saying to me, "It's almost lights out. I should be getting to my room now."
"Ah, right. Goodnight, Gold Eye. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you, Silver. See you, Su... Sun, are you okay?" Gold Eye frowns, brows furrowing together.
I immediately turn to face Sun, whose eyes are wide and irises have shrunk cartoonishly with clear dread. Maybe even terror. His rays have receded into his head, making them appear smaller and only adding to the tangible feeling of distress.
He doesn't say anything for a minute, his hands clutched together so tightly that if he were human his knuckles would be bone-white. Then his gaze flickers to the light overhead, and all at once the answer hits me with a wave of confusion.
"Sun, are you- are you afraid of the dark?" I ask, causing him to flinch and hunch in on himself uncertainly as his eyes dart around.
"I- I- yes. Yes! Yes, I am- I am terrified! Bad things always happen in the dark! Always!" He stammers, his gaze stopping on me as he continues, "I don't wanna be in the dark, Silver Eye! Do we have to turn the lights off?"
"Er, sort of. I don't have any control over the lights in here, they automatically shut down at nine pm and don't turn back on until five am. But Masked Bladers do get a closet with manually controlled lights. It's cramped, but if you're not claustrophobic, you could spent the night in there."
"That sounds perfect! Anything to stay out of the dark!"
"Alright, then that solves it." I go to the closet, opening the door and turning on the light. Sun immediately rushes over and ducks into the closet, heaving a sigh of clear relief.
"Thank you, Silver Eye. This means a lot to me," He mumbles, and I smile as I pat his hands comfortingly. Just before he sits down, he seems to remember something and pokes his head back out. "Goodnight, Gold Eye! Sweet dreams!"
"... Goodnight," Gold Eye replies, the slightest furrow touching his brow. I start to ask what's on his mind, but he reiterates his goodnight to me and leaves the room.
That's strange. He's usually not one to withhold his thoughts- unless he thinks he needs more information on what's troubling him, that is. I glance back at Sun, who's settling down on the closet floor, and frown a bit. He must be wondering how it could be that Sun's afraid of the dark. Well, it could be to do with his programming- maybe he was coded to be afraid so he'd be more understanding with the kids who are afraid, too.
"Goodnight, Silver Eye. Sweet dreams!" He chirps, smiling at me brightly.
"Goodnight, Sun. Sweet dreams to you, too. Ah, um, if you sleep, that is."
"I can! I can go into a rest mode that reserves my power, and sometimes it activates my R.E.M. code so I can dream."
"Really? That's so cool that you've been programmed to have dreams," I say in earnest, because again, it is very cool. I'm getting real tempted to fake a leg injury or something to get out of training so I can spend the day getting to know more about Sun's programming.
Sun closes his eyes and nods, then asks, "Would you like me to shut the door?"
"Yes, please. And if you need anything in the night, feel free to ask."
"Okie!"
He shuts the door, so I change into my night clothes and hang my uniform on a nearby hook. I glance at the nightstand and notice Gold Eye forgot his mask, snorting softly. Well, I'm always the one waking him up, so it's not like he'll be without it for long.
With that, I lay down and close my eyes, soon drifting off to sleep.
...
"No! There's no way I'm letting you take control- you'll only hurt them!"
My eyelids flutter open, though everything around me feels hazy and I can already tell it's not morning by the way my body resists and resents being awake. I belatedly realize that the harsh whisper that woke me up came from the closet.
Rubbing the heel of my palm against one eye, I push myself up and turn to face the closet door.
"Oh, you can get us out of here? Sure, sure. But the thing is, we don't need to get out of here." There's a pause, and I hear Sun huff. "We're not prisoners. And even if we were, would it matter? We don't have anywhere else to go, due in part to you."
Who on earth is he talking to? Is he having a bad dream? I slide my feet off the bed, stopping as I hear him go on,
"You know I was trying to save the daycare! But when the lights went out, you made the choice for me and ran away!" He quiets for a minute and I hear him heave a sigh, muttering, "You act like you're the one who's lost control when I'm the one who's terrified of being in the dark. Are you scared of the light?... Hmph. That's what I thought."
I stand up and take a couple steps forward, straining to try and hear anything else, but I think that was the end of it- whatever it was. There's no denying it could have been a dream, I know that people can have some pretty lucid conversations when they're sleeping, but... What kind of dream would he have been having?
There's no way to tell without asking. So, uncertainly, I knock on the door- hearing him choke back a yelp- and call, "Sun, are you okay in there? Who are you talking to?"
"Yes! Yes, I'm fine!" He yips back in reply, and after a moment the door slides open to reveal his wide, flitting eyes and his anxious smile. "I was just having a- a really funky dream!"
"You sounded really upset."
"Guh, uh, yeah! I- well, the funny thing is- ohh, you know how dreams can be super weird? Mine made me Riku! From Kingdom Hearts!"
"But I thought I heard you say something about the daycare?..."
His rays shrink in and he turns his head, gaze falling to the floor. "Sometimes dreams can mix with reality. I- I dreamt that Ansem dragged me out of the daycare before I could save it from the fire."
"Oh." I bite my lip and lower myself to one knee, frowning sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Sun, I should have realized. Did you want to talk about it?"
"No, thank you. I'm fine. A-A-And anyway, I'm the one who should be apologizing! Gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up- and so early, too!" He tucks his hands under my arms and stands up, effectively picking me up off the floor "It's so sweet of you to worry about little ol' me, but now you gotta get your sleep! You have a biiig, big, big day tomorrow!"
"I- I mean, it's not really-"
He carries me over to the bed and sets me down, then he takes the blanket and tugs it over my legs. "There ya go! Snug as a bug in a rug! Goodnight and sweet dreams, take two!"
"Er, okay," I mumble, a bit dazed by the quick transition. He pats my head and retreats to the closet once more, shutting the door behind himself. With nothing else to do, I sigh and lay back down, going to sleep once more.
The next day...
(Gold Eye) Being the number one Blader in the Snake Pit always has its benefits. For starters, Ashtem entrusts me with a plethora of different deliveries within the facility, giving me a much-needed breather from training while I carry packages around the place. Second, I don't have to be monitored by anyone no matter where in the Pit I go, giving me ample space to do whatever I want, so long as it doesn't cause Ashtem trouble.
So, now that I've finished bringing the spare machinery parts to the lab, I'm free to do as I please. I usually just head straight back to training, or maybe stop by my room to change into clothes that aren't soaked with sweat, but not today.
Instead, I'm heading to Silver's room to have a little chat with Sun. Nothing too serious, just enough to settle my nerves about last night...
Because I know he was lying.
When I arrive at the right door, I unlock it and slip into the room, making sure the door is shut behind me before I quietly call out, "It's only me, Sun. You can come out." He hides pretty fast. I guess he must have experience from playing hide and seek with kids?
After a moment, the closet opens and Sun steps out, offering me a warm smile and a greeting, "Good morning, Gold Eye! I'm so happy you came- I was getting a little cuckoo all by myself, eheh."
"I'm guessing Silver explained his schedule before heading out for the day?"
"Mm-hmm, right down to the itty bitty details! Though, I have to admit that I didn't realize Beyblade required such a strict schedule. But all sports are probably like that, huh?"
I shrug my shoulders, grunting a bit. "I dunno. The only other sport I ever played was cross country, and I didn't have to work too hard for that."
"Oh." He briefly tilts his face-plate, then turns it upright and hums, "Oh! That reminds me, Silver Eye said you were the best Blader in the facility! That's so cool!"
Haven't told him the name of the facility, huh, Silver? I'm guessing you're worried that will raise some red flags. "Yeah, I've been the top of the food chain for seven years now. The closest I've ever come to losing that rank was when I got hit with a bad bug and ended up bedbound while I recovered." I never knew for sure, but I can't help thinking that the only reason I made it through that without dropping rank is because Silver Eye held himself back for some reason...
"I'm so sorry to hear that, it must have been awful having to be stuck in your room all day!" Sun whimpers, frowning sympathetically.
You mean like you are, right now? "I slept through most of it, so it wasn't too awful. By the way, how are you holding up in this? You know... Being stuck in a room all day?"
"Not too bad! It's a little lonely, but nothing I can't handle." He waves his hand dismissively, then clasps his hands together and bounces on his feet a little. "Also, I meant to ask- would you mind showing me your Bey? I'd love to see it!"
"Sure, why not?" I pull out my Bey and step over, holding it out for him to see. "This is Twin Noctemis. An attack type, just like Skinrekwal."
"Oooh, it's so cool! And it's in such good condi-"
He cuts himself off without warning, his smile falling into a frown as he cranes his head around, peering at it with such intensity that- even though I know there's nothing wrong with it- I can't help growing uneasy. I pull my hand back and look it over, trying to see what it is he sees to no avail.
"Gold Eye, you're hurt!" I nearly jump out of my skin from the shock of Sun saying that, stammering dumbly,
"W- What?" I lift my gaze to meet his, going still as he reaches out and takes hold of me, his grip surprisingly gentle as he examines my shoulder. Shit, I didn't realize he was actually able to see injuries with that pediatric programming!
His eyes light up cyan, pupils dilating as he seems to run some kind of scan on my shoulder. "It looks like the makings of a torn rotator cuff," He mumbles, fingers grazing over my shoulder lightly. "Have you been experiencing any stiffness in your joints? Weakness in your muscles?"
"Er, n- not that I've noticed." I internally kick myself for how awkwardly that lie fell out of my mouth- I'm usually better at it, but he's caught me way off guard.
"Gold Eye... I'm not in the daycare anymore, but I still think that an important rule to have is absolutely no lying," Sun tells me, and I can swear he's using some kind of mom voice on me.
Still, I can't resist a snort, cocking one eyebrow as I reply, "Oh, yeah? That seems pretty hypocritical of you, then."
His eyes widen and he blinks, clearly taken aback. "E- excuse me?"
"You heard me." I pull back from him, tucking Noctemis away and crossing my arms over my chest. "You're not the only one who can spot a liar, Sun. I've learned from the best of the best how to do just that."
It's clear from his expression that he knows just what I'm talking about, his rays receding slightly, but he doesn't make any move to indicate that he does.
"You were being honest when you said bad things happen in the dark... But you don't think that because you're afraid of the dark. You're afraid of something within the dark. And you're going to tell me why that is, and why you lied to Silver Eye about it."
"Nngh, fiddlesticks!" Sun hisses quietly, briefly letting his head hang in frustration. When he raises it again, his rays have only gotten smaller and he nods in understanding. "Okay, Gold Eye. I'll tell you the truth, I promise."
"I'll hold you to that."
He wraps arms around himself in an anxious hug, taking a breath before beginning, "Technically, there is only one daycare attendant animatronic. But that doesn't mean there's only one daycare attendant."
And already, he's lost me. "Uhh, meaning?..."
"Meaning, I'm sharing this body with another AI."
"Wait, what? Really? How- how does that even work?"
He nods. "Really. And it works because the decision of who's in control hinges on the state of the lights."
"So you can only take control when the light is on," I realize, glancing up at the fluorescent light overhead. "And the other AI can only take control when it's dark. But there's some reason you don't want it in control."
"H- Him. And... Yes." Sun lets out a pained, frustrated whimper, pressing his hands to his face as he shakes his head. "It's because I can't trust him anymore. There's something wrong with him, and it's pitting him against all our programming! It- it's making his security protocols go crazy and causing him to hurt innocent people!"
On hearing that, my stomach drops. "Holy shit. And- and you can't stop him without keeping the lights on?"
He moves his hands and grunts in affirmation. "When the lights are out, he's in complete control. I can tell what's going on if I stay in active mode, but short of eclipsing him there's nothing I can do to stop him."
"What do you mean, "eclipsing him?"
"If either one of us tries hard enough, then regardless of the lighting we can overtake the other AI and force them to share control of the body. It's nearly impossible to move when we're not in agreement, so that effectively stops whatever trouble the other is getting into," Sun explains, his gaze falling to his palms with clear distress. "I- I tried, Gold Eye. I tried so hard to stop him, to- to save those poor children, but whatever it is that's doing this to him, it- it's so strong. It pushed me down and kept me down."
All at once, a spell of tremors hits him so hard that he can't keep himself upright, collapsing into a heap on the floor and sobbing into his knees. "Why? Why did this have to happen to him? To me? To us?! Please, just- just give me back my Moon! Give him back!"
Dear gods. I feel my shoulders drop as a wave of helpless washes over me, and my gaze falls away from the sobbing animatronic. This is a lot worse than I ever imagined it could be. Sun's stuck having to share his body with a killer, and he can't fight against that killer no matter how hard he tries. Forced to see, hear and maybe even feel everything that happens to whoever's getting hurt.
And on top of all that, it sounds like Sun held that AI- like he held Moon close to his heart. And now Moon is...
"Maybe Silver Eye can help," I blurt out before I can stop myself, desperate to stop his crying because it just doesn't sit right with me.
Sun sniffles, lifting his head just enough that I can see one blank eye gazing up at me. "Wh- what do you mean?"
"Well," I sigh softly, reaching under my mask to rub my eyes in exhaustion. "Silver Eye is a tech genius. Even with limited resources, he can create some pretty solid, complex codes and programs and stuff. He's studied this stuff for years now, even before he came to train here."
"How long would that be?"
"Uhh, about seven years, I think? He said he started studying it when he was around Boa's age? Ten or eleven? I don't know, I never carbon dated Boa. I don't even know how Silver could have, I've never seen them talking."
"Seven years?" Sun echoes quietly, and I cut off my rambling with a nervous nod, rubbing the back of my neck.
Damn. Seven years is definitely a long time, but Sun's probably used to working with old guys with at least twenty years-
"Goodness, that's wonderful!" He cheers abruptly, springing to his feet as his eyes flicker before displaying his irises again. "Why, with that much experience, he's overqualified! Especially for someone so young!"
"Wha- really?"
"Mm-hmm! Most of the technicians that worked on me back at the Pizzaplex only studied programming and such for a couple years or so."
I blink once, pretty surprised by that. "I thought someone would need a lot more training to work on an animatronic as complex as you, honestly."
"Aww, shucks, I'm not that special," He chuckles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "But anyway, what're we waiting for? Let's go get Silver Eye and-" He bounds over to the door and reaches for the handle, only to stop himself and jerk his hand back. "Right, I'm not supposed to go out since I don't have permission to be here."
As he sighs and lets his shoulders drop, I mumble, "Well, uh, him having snuck you in here is a real testament to his problem-solving skills."
"I'll say. Any proper facility that boards children ought to have a proper security system- an adult to ensure they arrive safely, get signed back in, and cameras in the halls as well as any lobbies. I have no idea how he would have gotten a 6'3", unconscious animatronic past all those failsafes- it would be super hard even if I had been awake!"
"He probably paid off whoever was in charge of security when he got back yesterday."
Sun whips around to face me, eyes wide with concern. "And that worked? Wh- why would the guards accept bribes? They should be fired, that's so unprofessional and careless!"
"A Masked Blader is frequently placed in charge of security, that's why it worked. We- well, we look after each other when it comes to this kind of stuff."
"Oh." He hums with a thoughtful frown, tapping the side of his face-plate. "I appreciate the camaraderie, but I do hope you all take caution when covering for each other!"
"So far, you're the most wild thing any of us have ever smuggled in. Before that, it was Violet Eye's dirty mags." Only after I say that do I realize it was a mistake, watching Sun bristle up with a horrified expression. "Ummmm, I meaaan... You know, those magazines about keeping your room clean and stuff like that. Sweeping, dusting, making the bed, sanitizing- and gods, does it need sanitizi- urk, I mean-"
I cut myself off when he puts his hands on his hips, looking for all the world like a disappointed mother. It would be funny if it weren't so effective.
"That won't do, that just won't do! It's just not right for a little one to look at such things! Which room is Violet Eye's?"
"Sun, you can't leave the room. Remember?"
He stills, his shoulders slumping before he crosses his arms and puffs up his cheeks, absolutely pouting as he tries to puzzle out a solution to this. I have to purse my lips together to keep from grinning.
"But also, you don't have to worry about Violet being a kid. He's seventeen and, uh, he's actually the second oldest of all the Masked Bladers. I think he's turning eighteen in a few months, even."
"I still don't like it," Sun grumps, pouting for a moment longer before his head snaps up, eyes displaying cerulean clock icons. "Oh, goodness, I didn't realize it was so late already!"
"Lunchtime?" I ask, and he nods in response. "I better head that way, then. I don't want to miss a meal before getting back to training."
"Absolutely! You should be sure to fuel up, buuut only so you have the strength you need while you heal! I haven't forgotten about your shoulder, Gold Eye."
I can't help heaving a sigh, glancing at my shoulder as I mutter, "Well, I sure did. But alright, alright, I hear you. I'll go eat and take it easy." As easy as I can, at least. The rules are that if you can still pull a ripcord on your own, you can still train. Being a Masked Blader doesn't get you any leeway.
"Good. Just remember to get plenty of fluids, and ask for help with anything that may strain your shoulder!"
"Got it. And I'll talk to Silver about the situation with Moon, okay? We'll get through this."
He falters, letting out a shaking breath as he nods a little. "Thank you, Gold Eye."
"I'll be back tonight. See you then."
"See you."