Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

      DJ Subatomic Supernova had truly just wanted to go for a stroll. A single calm evening not interrupted by paperwork or guitar swinging plutonians. But apparently that was too much to ask of the stars above.

      Just because he was charter did not mean that Nova was law enforcement. There was no need for him to interfere with minute street level disturbances in his district. So when he heard a crash and the start of a commotion he was already turning to walk the other way and let the proper authorities arrive. But then he heard a familiar voice.

      "What are you looking at?! You got a problem??"

      Neon J? It was hard to imagine the cyborg speaking so informally. And if he was involved in a fight it might be a fresh batch of "revolutionaries" not satisfied with the changes. So with a sigh Supernova started walking towards the ruckus. 

      A man was cowering from an attacker twice his size. And while the attacker had Neon J's voice, it actually possessed a head that resembled a human. It was the red member of his group of drones. Despite the bands music being EDM and closer to pop, this one had been styled with a mohawk. Nova had never seen one on its own. That alone was strange, but attacking CIVILIANS? It must be malfunctioning. 

      DJ Subatomic Supernovas arm quickly grew in size and plucked the android off the streets. The man saw this as his opportunity and bolted before Nova could ask him what happened.

      "Let go of me!" his metallic captive shrieked. Nova ignored it.

      "I said let GO!" Nova felt something slice through the topmost layer of his hand. He dropped the robot with a loud thunk. It quickly recovered, arms now sprouting chainsaws. "You wanna go astro-nut?!"

      "Oh please" DJ rolled his helmet to express his exacerbation. "Malfunctioning or not Neons work is overdramtic."

      "MALFUNCTIONING?" The red robot charged. It came at the DJ with a series of punches and slashes that a lesser man wouldn't have been able to parry or block. 

      This continued for a minute, until his assailant tripped over seemingly nothing. As it hit the ground Nova observed the bright red of its face started to dim.

      "Shit" the red robot cursed. Now shaking, struggling to get up. "Shit. No!"

      Huh, that was weird. But Nova figured Neon J would explain what happened once he came to collect his droid. He took out his phone to call his fellow charter. But from the ground an arm shot up and grabbed his phone. In one motion it crushed it until the screen went black.

      The robots face portrayed the same shock that Nova was feeling.

      "Crap. I-I didn't mean, I just wanted to grab it."

      While it tried to say something else Nova took several deep breaths. It was too late for this. Neon J seemed able to mas-produce these things, Nova could just smash it and let Neon make a new one. Uggh, too much effort. Plus Neon would get cranky about it. 

      What would he do it he found his coworkers laptop outside of work but didn't have his phone to call him? He would bring it home and get neon to pick it up in the morning. 

      Neon J was going to owe him for this.

      "Look...Red?" Nova said.

      "Zimelu" it corrected sharply.

      "Whatever." Nova said "What are you doing out here? Why were you attacking that man?"

      "I wasn't gonna hurt the guy." Zimelu grumbled, folding its arms. "He was staring at me, and I just didn't want him to post it or anything. Dad still needs to sleep, brothers are recharging. No one knows I'm out yet. I just....I don't know..." 

      That was not the response Nova had been expecting. Despite his better judgment he was reminded of his time as a professor. Students in the throws of angst for one reason or another lashing out without a plan. What possible reason would Neon J have to program his bots to be able to emote like this?

      "Zimelu." Nova said, "Why don't we discus this further at my home?"

X X X

      Nova's home wasn't as prestigious as some of his colleagues. He had his star charts and blueprints overlapping with his music sheets on the kitchen island. No two pieces of furniture looked like they came from the same catalog. Nova didn't understand the societal expectation to have a "sleek" and "modern" home. Just like he actively refused to understand the societal expectation that shorts didn't go with every outfit. 

      Novas unexpected guest circled the living room, taking it all in.

      "Imma be real," Zimelu said, "We all thought you lived at the planetarium."

      Nova didn't dignify that with a response. He opened his laptop and opened the messenger app. He had never sent Neon J a message outside of work hours before. With a yawn he quickly typed out.

      You owe me a new phone. As soon as you can come to my house and get your android.

      After that was done he went to the freezer. It was a bit late for dodo pop but he didn't care. It was in his house. Now what? When was the last time Nova even had guests over? Not that Zimelu was a guest. But at the same time, how else was he supposed to treat it?

      "Popsicle?" Nova offered.

      "Sure, thanks"

      DJ handed Zimelu the dodo pop. He bit into it. There was an awkward silence.

      "So," Nova tried, “is this your first time running away?”

      "I wasn’t running away!” Zimelu snapped, “I was gonna head back before sunrise.”

      “From two districts away?” Nova asked. Sure it was doable, but it would be cutting it close.

      “I got lost!” Zimelu took another bite of the icicle. “I can't just go out and be normal during the day because we "have an image to uphold", and the busses stop running at night!” 

      “Did you have a destination in mind?” Nova asked. Although, he suspected the answer.

      “No.” Zimelu admitted. “I just needed to be OUT. Some time to myself. I don’t feel unsafe at home, just trapped! But then when we’re preforming we’re always together and have to keep up the "ideal boyfriends" sthick. But that's not our default! He made us to be our own bots! And its so FRUSTRATING having to be "iDeAl" all the time! but and its just AAAGHHH"

      This conversation was going in a different direction then nova had expected. He wasn’t good with emotions. There was no practical reason for Neon J to program his boyband to be able to portray, well, ANY negative emotions. Nova could dismiss it as the cyborg flexing his programing skills, but then there left the question of what Zimelu was saying. It didn’t sound like a robot having a glitch, Nova had programed enough drones of his own for the satellite and in the planetarium, no this was again reminding Subatomic Supernova of his time as a professor. He was hardly popular among students, apparently making sure everyone was respecting the material was “rude” and “antagonistic.”

      But some students didn’t care. They didn’t even care if HE cared. They had so many thoughts that needed to be expressed and apparently telling it all to someone they didn’t care about was easier then keeping them all locked up for a moment longer. Subatomic Supernova hadn't the faintest idea on how to help them, he wasn't the schools counselor, but most of them weren’t asking for help. They just wanted to be SEEN. So Nova nodded, "Your stage persona's are quite obnoxious." 

      "Oh yeah.” Zimelu groaned, “Dad made the whole idea of 1010 to be marketable. He has a bunch of old research files on his private computer on boy bands from around the planet. It’s the kinda music he likes making, but he also totally wanted an edge for getting into NSR. Did you worry about being marketable when you joined?” The red member of 1010 carefully sat on the couch, flinching as it creaked under however many pounds of metal it was.

      “HA!” Nova puffed up his chest, “Whats there to worry about? My superior intelligence is only rivaled by my remarkable music! It was a logical win. And an easy one. I only acquired a marketing team after the fact. And I tell THEM what to do. Hardly the other way around. They are all so frustrating."

      "I mean, you are kinda a dick.” Zimelu snickered, “Dad's told us how you can be at meetings."

      "How I can be?” Nova sputtered, taken off guard. “Has Neon J considered how insufferable HE can be? Going off on long tangents about the good of the city."

      "That's what he says about you." Zimelu seemed to be more relaxed. Nova certainly wasn’t anymore.

      "I do not go on TANGENTS!” The DJ cried, “I give valuable input on how to ensure that my music will reach the stars and beyond!"

      "Its the same thing!" Zimelu said, gesturing to to the blueprints that were very carefully organized all over the table. “Your district focuses heavily on education and stuff, right? All these free programs centered around space, public health, and that one with Team Sayu about the ocean.”

      “Those are but byproducts of my greater goal.” Nova huffed, “What would be the point of me being brilliant if the people of this city were to simple minded to appreciate it? In expanding their minds I reveal to them how privileged they truly are to have me as their charter.”

      “Riiiiight.” Zimelu sounded unimpressed. “Never-mind. Maybe you and dad just really like to monologue.”

      This conversation was ridiculous! Nova was about to protest once again for being compared to Neon J, but before he could the red lights on Zimelu began to dim again. It’s eyes lowered and body sagged before snapping back up.

      “Is that normal?” Nova asked.

      “Yeah, yeah.” Zimelu muttered. “It just means I’m low on battery. I’m supposed to be charging now. Don’t suppose you have an Otem  cable and a fuse box that can handle several dozen volts?”

      Nova went to rummage in the hallway “I might actually.”

      “What sound equipment requires an Otem?” Zimelu asked.

      “It should be obvious that I only use the best.” Nova said, returning to the living room and handing the boy on the couch the requested cable. 

      Zimelu opened some port on the back of his neck as Nova plugged the other end into the appropriate adapter. The Dj’s guest then lied down on the couch, his unnaturally long form making it awkward.

      “Sorry again about your phone.” He said, looking more at the ground then at the DJ. “…thanks for letting me stay.”

      Supernova was having trouble reconciling with the laptop analogy he had made earlier. Laptops to not sound no small and tired. He was tempted to grab a blanket, but that would be ridiculous, robots don't need blankets. Robots don’t need to go for walks to clear their heads either. They certainly don’t vent about feelings that it would make no practical sense for them to have. 

      Nova sighed. 

      “I expect the replacement to be paid back in full. But, we can discuss that in the morning. Do you have a way of contacting …your father?”

      Zimelu tapped his chest. “GPS. I’ll send him a ping. I’m already gonna be in enough trouble, I don’t wanna wake him up.”

      “Very well.” Nova said, “Good night I suppose.”

      “Goodnight.” Zimelu closed his eyes, all the neon red lights shut off, and he went limp.

      DJ Subatomic Supernova went about his normal nightly routine. He didn’t know if he could “wake up” his unexpected guest with noise, but he still tried to be quiet. As he took his laptop to his bedroom so that it too could charge, he found himself reopening the messaging app.

      EDITED: As soon as you can come to my house and pick up your son.

Chapter Text

     The DJ woke up to the what sounded like someone trying to tear down his front door! 

     "SUBATOMIC SUPERNOVA!" Neon J's voice yelled from the other side. "I RECEIVED YOUR MESSAGE!"

     Nova looked at his bedside clock, it was 6am

     Zimelu was getting up from his position charging on the couch. He let out a sigh. "Might as well get this over with."

     Nova opened the door. Neon J pushed right past him. "ZIMELU!" He cried, the radar display that constituted a face was pinging franticly. "Status report! Are you hurt? Any anonymous readings? Let me get a look at you! Oh dear, those scratches look fresh."

     “I’m fine. I’m fine, sir.” Zimelu said, giving a half hearted salute.

     “You are clearly NOT fine!” the cyborg was flailing his arms for emphasis. “What are you doing here?!”

     Zimelu continued to deflect his fretting fathers concerns. Supernova had decided to start making coffee. But was interrupted by a shrill. “YOU!” he turned and was suddenly faced with a blaring red display. “Why is my boy in your house with clear signs of a fight? I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye but it is UNPROFESSIONAL for you to take it out on Zimelu!!”

     Nova yawned. Jesus it was too early for this. “First off. Neither of us have eyes. Secondly, I didn’t start it. And thirdly I’m not hurt either, thanks for asking.”

     “You won’t remain unhurt for long if I find out-”

     “DAD!” Zimelu cut in, “DJ helped me out. I took a walk, we tussled, and he let me crash here.”

     “CRASH?” Neon J squawked.

     “It’s just an expression.” Zimelu sighed.

     “Not when we use it.” His father chided.

     Nova expected Zimelu to continue and say something similar to what he had told him last night, that he felt trapped and needed space. But instead the boy sighed and started silently heading towards the doorway.

     Strange.

     Before he left with Neon J, Zimelu gave Nova a quick nod. “Thanks Subatomic Supernova.”

     Unsure what was appropriate to say, Nova responded with the generic “Take care of yourself.”

X X X

     After all of…THAT happened, Novas life resumed as normal for a few days, but he still had some lingering questions. He had the means to contact Neon J, but it wasn’t as if the two of them were friends. No, they were coworkers, so the next time they saw one another was at the weekly NSR meeting. 

     Despite showing up at the agreed upon time, Supernova still walked in to see Neon J already at the conference table. As the rest of the district heads filed in Tatiana began going over the usual scheduling, budgeting, and now the all new Indie Artist Initiative (Team Sayu were attempting to make a “cute” acronym for it.) Post Rock Revolution DJ Subatomic Supernova was reluctant to work with more indie artists. His planetarium was a testament to the power of music, HIS music. How only he could truly comprehend the magnitude and scope of melodies that will ascend the STARS!! But it was also a perfectly equipped venue for several types of hardware. Unlike acoustic instruments you cant just set up in the street, or just press play on a mp3.file. Noooo, he had to "share" because all the other district charters had started opening up their personal venues. 

     It was about halfway through the meeting when Nova noticed something was off. Neon J was being quiet. He still gave a report on how the Metro Division was doing, the decrease of blackouts, and was quick to answer any follow up questions. But his answers lacked a certain, heaven help Nova for saying this, gravitas. While the DJ would usually celebrate the change in attitude, he could also swear that Neon spent the entire meeting staring at him. With the lack of a proper head it was hard to tell, but no matter who was speaking the cyborgs display screen always seemed slightly tilted towards Nova.

     Finally the meeting was over. Before Nova could start collecting his bearings Neon J abruptly got up from his chair and approached him.

     “DJ Subatomic Supernova!” Even with the synthetic distortion in his voice Nova could tell the cheerfulness was forced. “It is a wonderful day outside! Would you care to join me for some tea? Coffee?”

     “What do you want?” Nova replied, filing is papers away in his briefcase. 

     “Right to the chase.” Neon grumbled, as if Nova was the one being rude. “Look, Subatomic. I need to speak with you in a…personal capacity.”

     Nova shrugged as the two of them got on the elevator together. “I suppose I have some time before I’m needed at Club Planetarium.”

     “Excellent!” Neon J clapped Nova on the back causing him to almost fall over. Maybe this was a mistake. 

X X X

     The cafe that Neon let them too was nearby in the Dream Fever District. Both men brought their drinks to a table in the corner and sat down. Neon J spoke first.

     “So, Subatomic Supernova…is that your stage name or your legal name?”

     “Is that what you wanted to ask me?” Nova sighed.

     “No. No. It’s about, its about the other day. When you were with Zimelu did he say anything to you?” Neon J grasped his drink anxiously, “Anything that could explain why he was out at night? I’ve asked him about what was wrong but he wont tell me! If I didn’t see it coming with him, what about the others?! ”

     Yes. Zimelu had outlined pretty clearly what was wrong to Nova. But simply giving Neon the answer wouldn’t be helpful to Nova and his own questions. So instead of answering Nova countered with: "Is it in their programing to ask for help?"

     "Now look here!" Neon snapped, "My boys may not be flesh and blood but they're-"

     "That's not what I mean." Nova cut in. "I'm not saying they aren't real, but you can't pretend that they're normal! When you first built them, was being emotionally functioning humans the original idea?”

     “1010’s background is hardly confidential.” Neon J responded, an edge still in his voice. “The original design was based on Navy units.”

     “I remember when you first joined NSR.” Nova continued, “You didn’t call them your “boys” you called them your “Troops.” How l-”

     “I don’t see how there's much of a difference.” Neon J interrupted.

     Nova elected to ignore him. “How long has 1010 been online? a handful of years?"

     "Counting before the audition, six." answered Neon J.

     "And were they able to think for themselves for all of that?" This was what Nova had actually wanted to know. Neon J had always boasted of his robotic and musical skills. Nova usually sneered and countered with his own technological breakthroughs, but from a pure programing standpoint the idea of a fully sentient AI was fascinating. That was the only reason he was interested. 

     "Well, no." Neon admitted, “I originally made them as a stand in for myself. Back then, I felt…insecure about my cybernetics. Dancing has always been my first love, but I could no longer do it on my own two feet. I originally only intended to make one. But after the war, after everything. I needed a project. Anything to keep my mind and hands occupied. Soon one became five!”

     Nova nodded. He didn’t see how this was answering his question, but he understood the feeling of being swept up in your work.

     “So thats why they all have your voice?” asked Supernova.

     “Oh they don’t just have my voice,” Neon J’s voice took on a softness. “they have my face.”

     Supernova wasn’t sure how to respond to that. But before he could try to rerail the conversation back towards programing Neon J continued. Nova had never heard the other man so, wistful? Calm? He decided he could indulge this tangent for a while longer. 

     “I always wanted to have my own family.” Neon J continued. “During the worst of the Border Wars I would fantasize about the classic ideal picket fence, a partner, and children. But then, well… The doctors were able to save me in the end but…I thought for sure that dream of family was gone. Heh, who would ever love me like this? And I was hardly in the right mind to look after myself, let alone a child. So when I started building Rin, the white one, the leader, I projected some of that dream onto the design.”

     Despite his usual distaste for Neons story telling, Nova found himself captivated. Maybe it was because the subject matter wasn’t some battle. Maybe Neon J wasn’t too bad a story teller after all.

     “I was having some trouble with the programing, so I decided to scan my own brain waves!” Neon J went on, “The old grey matters got so many wires and processors hooked up to it that it was easy, if a tad painful. The first two years were largely uneventful. There were bugs, trial and error, break downs. But one day, I was fixing Purl-hew, the blue one, in my lab. I went out to get something and Eloni was on the other side of the door! He wanted to know when Purl-hew would be fixed! That was the first time any of them showed agency!”

     “So,” Nova ventured.”in essence…they are all about four years old?” 

     “Four yea- THATS YOUR TAKE AWAY?” Neon snapped, all softness in his gone.

     “All I asked was how long they have been able to think for themselves!” Nova crossed his arms, “You were the one who decided to share the rest! More to MY point, if their personalties are a result of their programing evolving over time then it only makes sense that if they weren’t PROGRAMED to ask for help they wouldn't think of doing so.”

     “This is not a matter of programing!” Neon slammed his hands on the table, rattling both their untouched drinks.

     “Yes it is!” Nova stood up from his seat. “You’re just too close to the situation to see that!”

     “How DARE you!” Neon J yelled, “Have you listened to a word I said you egomaniac? I put my heart and soul into those boys! They’re more then just lines of code!”

     “No, YOU arn’t listening to ME!” Nova’s hands shook by his sides, “I found Zimelu that night angry and lashing out. He was a child throwing a tantrum! Children throw tantrums when they are young and still learning to process strong NEW emotions. You have deluded yourself into thinking all of your boys are normal! You’ve ignored the fact that they were all born in their twenties! Thrust into adulthood and celebrity status without prier experience or lives! Hell, I’d bet Yinu has more emotional intelligence then they do! She’s technically older then all of them!”

     “You never did say if Zimelu told you anything.” Neon J bolted up from his chair with enough force to knock over the table. “Did he? Or have you just solved all my problems and want me to see how much smarter you are then me! How much more you understand MY SONS then me!”

     “This is not about how much better I am then you!” Nova snarled, “You wanna know what Zimelu told me? He told me that he felt trapped! He ran away that night because he needed space and he cant seem to find it at home or on the stage! He said you don’t let them behave outside of their stage persona's, and thats when you let them outside at all!”

     “That…that's what he said?” Neon J said quietly.

     “Excuse me!” a new voice interrupted both of them, startling Nova more then he would care to admit. It appeared to be the manager of the establishment. “I’m going to have to ask both of you to leave.”

X X X

     The two of them began to make their way back to their respective homes. At least that was what DJ Subatomic Supernova was doing. Neon J walked with him right passed the Metro district. Needing to go on walks to think must run in the family. 

     “He really feels trapped?” Neon J said after a while, breaking the silence. “Why did he tell you? Why not me??”

     “I don’t know.” Nova confessed. “In the past its been because I was separated from the situation. Or the students assumed I didn’t care. Is it possible Zimelu HAS tried to tell you and you just didn’t listen.” Nova could see the other man start to get agitated, “There! Right there! I question you and you get defensive!”

     “Oh and you don’t!” The agitation from before returned.

     “I don’t have five children!” Nova threw his hands up in the air, “I had quite enough of that at my last job!”

     “You worked at a college,” Neon J said, “Students are hardly children. They’re adults.”  

     “Yes. But also no.” Nova said, “They aren’t teenagers but they’re still young! And against my will the constant bombardment of of melodrama and idiocy eventually turns into patterns. When was the last time you actually talked to someone in their twenties?”

     “Well,” Neon J paused for a moment, “my unit was deployed when I was in my mid twenties and we never behaved in such a manner.”

     “Neon.” Nova tried not to let the exasperation come though in his voice, “Please tell me you have not been using the military as a baseline for how people mature in a normal environment.”

     “Oh as if college is a natural environment.” The cyborg dismissed.

     “Look,” Nova groaned, “You wanted to know what Zimelu said, and I told you! Draw your own conclusions! I’m done.”

     There was silence. As they finally reached the Cast Tech District Neon J spoke again.

     “Supernova…you know what you say? About your music surpassing the starts themselves?” Neon gestured to the statue outside the planetarium, “ how you built that. All in the name of a legacy?”

     “You’ve already used “ego maniac”, should I fetch you a thesaurus?” Nova sighed, he really thought the conversation was over. “Besides, You literally have 1010 plastered on every billboard imaginable, and you just told me that that's YOUR face.”

     “I’m not talking about Ego!” Neon J quickly composed himself. Nova could hear fans whirling as the other man took a deep breath. “Allow me to rephrase, I don’t care if my music reaches the stars. Rin, Haym, Eloni, Purl-hew, and Zimelu. They are my legacy. But at the same time, you’re right.”

     Those were two words that Supernova never thought he would hear the former captain say. Especially not directed at him.

     “I've made a grave miscalculation.” Neon J continued, his screen dipping slightly, “No complaining, keeping everything inside. That's proper for a soldier...but not...a son. I need to rectify this immediately.”