Work Text:
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Day 9 - Cleaning Crew
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The tell-tale beep lets you know you're being followed.
You smile but keep going, pushing your cart loaded down with snacks and drinks destined for the Avengers break room. The click-clack of metallic feet and soft beep-beep tells you your little buddy is right behind you.
Up one hall and down the next, you arrive at your destination. The large room feels more like a club house, with a massive TV, pool table, several arcade games and a full kitchen ready for any and all Avengers to enjoy. It's one of your many duties to make sure the kitchen is fully stocked with food and drinks.
You park your towering cart next to the kitchen island and only then acknowledge your follower, "Hey, Bob!"
*Beep-Beep*
The terrier sized cleaning robot wiggles with excitement. With his six segmented legs, boxy body and head loaded down with sensors including two antenna, Bob looked like a big silver beetle scurrying around the Avengers Compound. He has an extendable, prehensile tube on the underside of his head used for vacuuming up larger trash that might clog the regular vacuum robots.
You can't help but laugh at the way Bob wiggles on his metal legs, "Are you done your rounds tonight?"
*BeeP-beeP*
"Okay." You say, reaching into your pocket for Bob's treats. "Here.... you.... GO!"
Bob lets out an electronic squeal of glee as you toss a handful of packing peanuts into the air. His little metal legs scramble for traction as he takes off across the room. Nothing in the world was more fun for Bob then chasing after pieces of Styrofoam.
Letting your robot friend have his fun, you turn to getting your work done. You start emptying case after case of snacks and drinks.
Ginger Ale and pretzel sticks for Dr Banner.
Potato chips for Ms Romanoff. All kinds of flavors, though she seemed to favor the rippled ones.
Root beer for Captain Rogers. You managed to find a company in New York that still made its root beer from a recipe from the 40's. Steve really appreciated something that tasted like home.
Mr Stark was on a health kick... or rather Ms Potts was and Tony was being dragged along kicking and screaming. For them, you filled the fridge with fruits and vegetables but you also stashed a couple boxes of Fudgsicles in the freezer for when Mr Stark could sneak away and grab one.
Mr Barton was a bit of a mystery. Some weeks he wanted nothing but jars of peanut butter. Other times he craved Butter Pecan ice cream. One month he wanted nothing but iced oatmeal cookies. He had taken to leaving you notes about what he wanted ordered this time.
Ms Maximoff liked these little crisps from Sokovia and you have several cases flown in every few weeks.
Vision, despite not being able to taste does enjoy cooking so you make sure his spice rack is fully stocked.
Colonel Rhodes has a thing for hard candies and spearmint gum, so you keep the candy drawer always topped off.
And of course Thor wanted PopTarts. So many PopTarts. At this point you swore Thor's bottomless stomach was keeping Kelloggs in business.
As you break the empty boxes down, your hear a soft whirl sound behind you before several metallic thunks. You don't have to look to know Bob has engaged his magnets and is climbing the side of the kitchen island. By the time the last box is folded down, you hear a series of tap-tap sounds right behind you. Turning around, you find Bob standing on the corner of the island closest to you. His twin antenna twitch as he taps out a rhythm with his front legs on the countertop while his boxy frame wiggles back in forth in his version of a happy dance.
You can't help the smile on your face as you coo, "Ah, there's my good boy!"
Bob's antenna stand up straight. Yes, Bob's a good boy!
*Bee-bee-beep! Bee-bee-BEEP!*
You laugh at how excited the little robot gets as you cup his sensor laden 'head' in your hands and rub it with your fingers, "Yes, you're such a good boy, aren't you? Bob's the best bug bot ever! Yes, he is! He's the best buggy wuggy ever!"
Bob nearly vibrates off the counter his frame is shaking so much, all of his six legs tapping out a robotic happy dance. You gently push him away from the edge and give him a few more minutes of head scritches before pulling away.
*beeeeep*
"I'm sorry, Bob but that's enough for now." You say as you pick up the hefty little robot and set him on the floor, "It's time for you to go recharge and time for me to go home. I'll see you tomorrow. Okay?"
Bob tilts his head up and wiggles his antenna.
*beep-eep*
You watch as the little cleaning robot scuttles off, headed for his recharge dock downstairs with the other cleaning units. You turn towards the garbage room to drop off your empty boxes, sure in the fact that you'll see Bob tomorrow.
But tomorrow doesn't happen for you.
The Snap does.
And five years later.... The Blip.....
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You bite your lip to keep from whimpering as the EMT wraps gauze around your mangled arm. Sitting under a blue tarp turned into a makeshift tent, you look out at what once was your workplace. The Avengers Compound is in ruins and you're still trying to process how it happened.
One minute you were walking into work when you collapsed on the sidewalk. Around you people were screaming as they and others turned to dust. You remember watching your hand disappear and then...
... you were back. Laying on the ground outside the Avengers main building, you looked up at the sky.... at the massive alien craft hovering above!?!?
Nothing was making any sense. You staggered to your feet, looking around to see others like yourself, confused and scared and then the ship opened fire.
Your memory goes a bit fuzzy after that. You remember running, dodging blasts and then blackness before hitting the ground hard. There was a lot of noise, screams and shouts, gun shots and energy blasts. Your next clear memory was of some kind of monster standing over you. It had four arms and lots of claws and fangs. It reached for you and you threw up your arm. The creature's claws tore through your skin like it was wet tissue. You screamed, the alien roared....
.... before a spear head burst through its throat.
A tall, bald woman with tattoos, dressed in red, black and gold armor uses the spear to fling the creature away. She glances down at the beast with disgust before giving you a stern look and snaps, "Get out of here."
She doesn't have to tell you twice.
"Ahhh!" You wince as the EMT finds a particularly painful spot on your arm. They apologize and you nod your head, still lost in a daze.
You look up at what remains of your workplace. It's a smoking ruin. Your office is probably rubble along with most other offices. It's a giant mess.
"I pity whoever has to clean this up." You mumble to yourself before tears well up in your eyes.
Bob.
What happened to Bob?
He must have been in the building..... the building that blew up.... oh God!
Your chest tightens and you can't breath. No.... he can't be gone. Please God!
"HEY! Can someone find Stark? This damn robot keeps getting under foot! Damn thing's trying to clean up this mess!"
*Beep-BEEEEP*
Your head snaps to the side hard enough to hurt. Across the wasteland that the compound has become, you see a battered and bruised Sam Wilson shaking his foot at a terrier sized, bug shaped cleaning robot. It's beeping angrily at him and keeps using it's head to push him along. Even at a distance, covered in dirt and with one of his back legs damaged and dragging behind him, there was no denying who that was.
"Bob!"
You knock the EMT over as you jump to your feet. Stumbling and half blind with tears, you scramble across the debris, screaming, "BOB!"
The little robot turns towards you.
*BEEEEEEEEEP*
Dragging his broken leg, Bob scurries around chunks of concrete and rebar, beeping madly. Sobbing, you drop to your knees and ignoring your injured arm, scoop the little robot up.
"Bob! You're okay!" You bawl, ignorant of the stares and strange looks the two of you are getting from the other survivors. In your arms, Bob beeps loudly. His five good legs dig into your chest and ribs as if he's desperate to hang onto you. His antenna pat and rub your cheeks as his head nuzzles under your chin.
"Do I wanna know why someone is hugging one of my cleaning robots?"
You look up to find your boss, Tony Stark, covered in dirt and blood, looking at you like you're crazy. Behind him is Colonel Rhodes, still in his War Machine armor. He claps a hand on Stark's shoulder and chuckles, "Probably the same reason you hug Dum-E when you think no one is looking."
Tony gasps and rounds on his friend, "You swore never to speak of that!" Rhodes just laughs at him. Tony turns back to you and Bob. He huffs, "Fine! He's yours...... just take good care of him. I'll make ownership official after," Tony waves his hand at the destroyed building beside him, "This is taken care of...... and I'll do something about that leg."
Before you can thank him, Stark walks off barking into his phone about emergency shelters and construction equipment.
*beeeeeeep*
Bob squeezes you with his working legs and nuzzles your chest.
"I missed you too, buddy." You laugh through your tears and hug him tighter, "I missed you too!"
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END