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It was the natural order of things was it not?
That is what Arlecchino told herself to make her feel better about the death of her late lover. Truth be told though it was far from fair for her beloved to die in a foreign land and she did not even get the chance to say goodbye to her.
Fate could be tempted, though. Her coworkers had ways to make sure of that.
“I’m sorry, you want me to do what ?” Sandrone had disgust laced in every word as she lifted her goggles and put down her blowtorch–wiping the sweat from her brow.
“You heard me.” Arlecchino picked up a screw reveling in the annoyed expression it got out of the Marionette. “You can make Rosalyne live again as a robot right?”
“Knave I kill people. That is the complete opposite of what I do.” Sandrone leaned against her current work in progress with a cold stare.
“Oh you don’t understand though. Columbina already agreed to help me with the power of electro.” Arlecchino tossed the screw somewhere with an unfeeling voice and Sandrone shot her a glare as she rushed to pick it up.
“Why should I care what she does? Seems you have enough going for you with Columbina.” Sandrone retorted–Arlecchino’s expression remained unchanging meaning she did have one last card up her sleeve.
“I’d dismantle hundreds of robots of your choosing if you do this.” Arlecchino was getting slightly desperate as the Marionette remained completely unempathetic to her grief. “The little dove said she would love to compensate you with well…” Arlecchino sent a wink Sandrone’s way and Sandrone rolled her eyes.
“I would do it if you would stop bothering me for the rest of your life.” Sandrone had a dead stare in her eyes as all the life seemed to go to be in Arlecchino’s red crossed eyes.
“Deal.” Arlecchino held out her hand to shake on it and Sandrone could only offer her cold stare in response as she got up and started to walk outside the lab. “Where are you even going?” Arlecchino asked, following behind her fast.
“Retrieving the body. You can carry a coffin right?” Sandrone’s dress flowed behind her as air got trapped into the back of it.
“Do you really think that little of me?” Arlecchino asked as a little chuckle escaped Sandrone’s lips.
“Yes.”
They had to melt through layers of ice that encased her coffin, to be honest it was quite an arduous task and not to mention morbid, Sandrone was completely unfeeling to it though.
“Is there even anything left of her?” Sandrone asked with a yawn as this was quite boring to wait through.
“Shut up before I cut your throat.” Arlecchino had a growl to her voice as that question was completely insensitive. Arlecchino would leave Sandrone alone with the coffin after they retrieved it–she could not bear to see her lover like that.
“I’d like to see you try.” Numbers meant nothing to Sandrone–she would test the limits of every single harbinger at her own disposal no matter how high they ranked. She would even talk back to Pierro and the Tsaritsa herself and see zero issue with her behavior.
“You make it so easy to hate you.” Arlecchino was melting the buildup of ice around the coffin now as Sandrone sat on it with her legs crossed just watching.
“Thanks I try.” Sandrone said as she adjusted her gloves and watched as Arlecchino melted snow and ice alike to loosen the coffin from its supposed final resting place. “You know the ice works in our favor at least. Should have preserved her pretty well.”
“Stop talking.” Arlecchino loosened it completely and raised an eyebrow at Sandrone. Who was laying on the coffin with her dress cascading down it. “Fine then.” Arlecchino managed to get the full coffin on her back and Sandrone rested on her stomach as she held onto the top of it to keep from sliding down.
“You really are strong.” Sandrone kicked her legs as she simply enjoyed the bleak piggyback ride as Arlecchino was taking in deep breaths clearly completely annoyed with Sandrone’s lack of empathy–perhaps even that was asking too much of her.
Arlecchino carried the coffin, and Sandrone, back to her lab and Sandrone peaked inside. Arlecchino tried to look for anything behind her eyes but she could not see an emotion behind them as she surveyed what was left of the fair lady. Arlecchino felt anxiety as Sandrone closed the coffin and sighed.
“I can work with it.” Sandrone stood up and brushed off her dress as she took an apron off a hook and tied it around her neck–she rarely used it but since organic matter would be in the picture, it was bound to get messy. “Lace up the back before you go.” Arlecchino complied as this would all be worth it in the end. Dealing with Sandrone, making a lucrative deal with Columbina, all of it would be worth it to see Rosalyne’s smile again.
“How long?” Arlecchino asked as Sandrone started to decorate her apron with tools that Arlecchino cringed about when she thought of how they would be used on her lover.
“I should be finished by tomorrow morning. Should not be too much different from the Katheryne’s.” Sandrone was looking through her extra parts as she put a hand on her chin.
“See you then.” Arlecchino left the lab as she did not wish to be even within the premises during this procedure. She did not even want to be near it, lest she hear a chainsaw or the sound of bones breaking. It hurt her just to think about it.
But it would be worth it in the end.
Arlecchino did not sleep a wink that night. She thought of what was happening to Rosalyne and she felt nightmares softly creeping even as she was wide awake.
She hesitated to knock on the door of Sandrone’s lab but she did anyway. The back of her hand hit the door three times before it swung open to reveal the seventh in horrible shape.
“Ugh…When I said morning I didn’t mean sunrise.” Arlecchino’s eyes widened at the sight of Sandrone. There was blood not only on her apron but her face, on the tips of her hair and all over her hands. Those gloves were white beforehand, and now they were stained red. “Doesn’t matter though. I finished it since I am a genius and all.” Sandrone led her to the coffin–all the blood wiped clean from it. “Electro should kick start her new system.” Sandrone took off the apron and discarded it somewhere as she collapsed on the floor from being on her feet all night.
“You’re coming with me. Just in case something goes wrong.” Sandrone had a pained expression as she groaned and stood up. She supposed she did have to see it to the end just in case there was some malfunction. “You’re prone to failure after all.”
“Haha whatever, I’ll be excited to never see you again.” Sandrone’s fake laugh was from a place of hurt as she got her giant ruin guard to carry the coffin this time–the contents were more precious to her since it was a machine of hers.
“The feeling is mutual I assure you.” Arlecchino followed the two of them to the main chapel where Columbina was waiting for them in her coat, singing a haunting song in the chapel. Like a siren at sea, it only served to lure the other two women into the chapel.
“Oh my goodness my little lamb what happened!” Columbina ran up to Sandrone and looked over her as blood nearly coated her everywhere–except the places the apron covered.
“It's not mine.” Sandrone reassured her as Columbina embraced her then turned her attention to the coffin.
“So you just need me to strike this?” Columbina asked as she manifested her sword. Sandrone had to suppress a giggle as a lightning sword took her out of this world and now it would bring her back. Oh, the cruel irony.
“Yes Damselette, just strike it and I’ll give the Knave a rundown on upkeep.” Sandrone ascended to her robot’s hand after he dropped the coffin in front of Columbina.
“Oh lamb! Don’t feel embarrassed since we are in front of the Knave. Call me your angel please?” Sandrone’s face turned red when Arlecchino stared at her for hearing she could exhibit any sort of emotion or affection.
“Just strike it angel.” Sandrone hid her face in her hands as it was mortifying for her to be perceived in any way other than elegant and unfeeling to her coworkers, well besides the obvious exception of Columbina.
“You got it, my little doll!” Columbina held her sword, the ribbon grazing her fingers as electro energy filled the room. Sandrone took cover in her robot's hands and Arlecchino rushed behind him as purple pink and white swirled in the room.
A flash of light followed by a loud boom made Arlecchino’s ears ring horribly and her eyes had to adjust to the light, by god if this did not work she would kill Sandrone.
Sandrone emerged from her automation’s hands and ran to the coffin to see if it worked.
Columbina sat back with Arlecchino smiling as if she did not just cause a huge thunderstorm in the cathedral.
Sandrone did not say anything as she peeled the lid off and Arlecchino could tell her breath had quickened.
“Shh, let me help you.” Sandrone lifted her out of the coffin–checking the nape of her neck to make sure the keyhole was still in one piece.
Arlecchino thought she would run to her arms, but now seeing her face again, the burn scars, everything about her. She was frozen in place.
“Don’t be so callous, Knave come come!” Columbina took Arlecchino’s arm and dragged her to the pair of blonde women as Sandrone made sure everything was functioning,
“I did try and save everything I could, she might be quite emotionless now though since I had to remove a lot of charred organic matter.” Sandrone made sure her hands could articulate and her eyes could blink. “Go on, say hello to the Knave.”
“Rosalyne…” Arlecchino had tears in her eyes as Columbina stepped back from her to let her have some space. “Do you remember me? Are you in there?”
“How could I forget?” Her voice was more stiff–a result of her vocal cords being burnt and Sandrone having to make due as she could. Arlecchino immediately pulled her into an embrace as she sobbed into her shoulder.
“Nice job angel.” Sandrone stood next to Columbina with a smile and Columbina knocked her side.
“Oh please! Your expertise is what brought her back little lamb. I just electrocuted her!” Columbina leaned against Sandrone’s side as she loved to witness this again–the absolute love that those two had.
“Rosalyne I missed you.” Arlecchino was thankful to an extent; her body still radiated warmth and her eyes still held glitter in them. Nothing else mattered to her, her lover was back in her arms and she could not be more happy about it.
“Everything feels horrible.” Signora could not cry–even as pain radiated through her entire being like it was being pumped by her heart. The side effects were very unfavorable, but she was back in her lover’s arms.
“I’ll just leave the care manual here for you Knave. Enjoy!” Sandrone got into her robot’s hands and Columbina jumped in literally after her like a predator and Sandrone screamed as she was practically attacked into a hug and the sound of Columbina peppering kisses all over her echoed in the room as Seymour walked the two out.
“I see they have not changed.” Signora let out a chuckle as she traced Arlecchino’s jawline–Arlecchino taking her hand in hers as he kissed the back of it.
“Hardly. Columbina is still crazy and Sandrone is well…Sandrone.” Arlecchino played with the wefts of her hair, some being charred off and new wefts sewn in by Sandrone. She quite honestly did her best to restore her–and Arlecchino appreciated the magnitude of work she did.
“How about you? Are you still the same woman I loved?” Signora asked with a smile as she finally looked into those eyes again. Those passionate eyes that stared bullet holes into her, oh how she missed this feeling that nothing else could replicate.
“I hope so, I hope I am a woman you can love even more.” Arlecchino held her chin as she led her into a kiss. Their lips brushing softly against each other as it slowly deepened. Arlecchino’s hand on her chin went to the back of her head as she cradled her neck and head. Both of Signora’s hands rested on Arlecchino’s chest as she relaxed into the kiss.
Pain was radiating in Rosalyne’s body but this felt like a ringing in her ear that was drowning out all other sensations–all she could feel was Arlecchino; her hands, her lips, her tongue and breath. Arlecchino pulled away and just stared at Signora with tears in her eyes.
“I love you so much Rosalyne. Please, never go on a mission again.” Arlecchino had desperation practically dripping from her lips as she pleaded with Signora to stay out of danger for the rest of her life as a living doll.
“Was not planning on it.” Signora chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Arlecchino’s waist. “I love you too.”
Arlecchino was effectively given a second chance to love her–and it was a rope she would never let go of no matter how much it burned or hurt her hands.
Signora was hers, and no grave could hold her body down anymore, could hold her love down anymore.
“You dirty little lamb!” Sandrone was listening into their conversation through a piece she put in Signora’s ear. “You installed a mic in her without their knowledge?”
“What? I saved the Knave’s lover. I can collect blackmail.” Sandrone abruptly cleared her throat after that slip. “Intel. Intel through my new creation.”