Work Text:
knock knock
A soft knock on the door echoed through the lobby of the hotel. Tree, who was sitting on a couch, reading, was the one to answer the door. Standing outside, was a… robot? No, two robots. Both having damaged screens, ones’ screen blue, the others’ gray.
“Hey, uh, is Two here?” The blue robot asked, seeming almost embarrassed.
Tree stiffened upon hearing the robot ask about the green algebralien. “Yeah, they’re here, but uh, why do you ask exactly?”
“It’s a really long story. Could I… see them by any chance?”
“Oh, uh, of course. Just don’t expect to like what you’ll see.” Tree said, guiding the two up the stairs.
On the third floor, Tree carefully clicked open a door with the number 2 engraved on it. Inside, a green number laid in bed, blankly staring up at the ceiling, arms and legs dangling off the edge of the bed.
“Two…?” The robot asked, a hint of fear in his voice.
The green algebralien barely moved to look over, but upon seeing the blue robot in the doorway, they sat up. “MePhone?”
Almost in sync, they both asked each other, “What happened to you?”
MePhone4 took Two’s hand and asked, “Are you okay?”
Two replied, “Am I okay? What about you? Are you okay?”
“To be completely honest, no.” The robot slumped a little, letting go of the green algebralien’s hand.
Two swung their legs off the bed, letting them dangle. They then placed their hand on MePhone’s face, feeling the cracks. “Oh, MePhone… what happened?”
“I tried to finish Season 2, but,” MePhone said, “he showed up.”
The algebralien’s eyes widened in horror, as they knew exactly who MePhone was talking about. Cobs.
The robot continued, “He wanted to massacre this alien species for their power, but I told them to run, and he…” His voice slowly trailed off.
Suddenly, MePhone felt himself in a warm embrace.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you!” Two exclaimed, arms wrapped around the robot.
MePhone reluctantly returned the hug, saying, “It’s not your fault, Two. You couldn’t have- none of us could’ve known he would do that.”
Eventually, the two let go of each other, and Two noticed the gray robot standing in the doorway. “Who’s this?” They asked, motioning to them.
“Oh, right, uh, Two, this is MePhone3GS. He’s my… brother? I think? Considering we were both made by you know who, but we’re robots, it’s just… yeah.” MePhone4 explained.
Two blinked. “So, you two are both named MePhone… that’s gonna get weird. What if I call you 3GS-” they pointed at the gray robot, then at the blue one “and you 4?”
“Isn’t there already a Four here?” MePhone4 asked.
Somehow, the Four in question heard that, and answered with, “Yes there is!”
“Sorry, Four! Forgot about you, buddy!” Two exclaimed, to which the blue algebralien replied with a grumble. “So, 4’s out the picture, huh.”
MePhone4 stood for a moment before replying, “You can call me 4S if that works.”
“Oh! 4S it is then!” Two said excitedly.
3GS then walked over and whispered to 4, “Isn’t that the name of…”
He simply nodded in response.
”So anyways, 4S, why’d you come here? Don’t you have a show to host?” Two asked MePhone4, who stiffened up.
4 replied with, “Oh, heh, so funny story…”
After taking a moment to explain everything to the green algebralien, they were left speechless.
”Woah, woah, woah! Wait a moment! You created them all?” Two exclaimed.
”I… guess? I made them without even realizing it, and looking back on it, it was really messed up.” The blue robot replied.
The duo continued to catch up, with Two explaining what had happened on their side since they last met.
“And then, I went to check the kitchen and… she was gone. Like she was never there. It was like she had been erased from existence.” The green algebralien explained, their voice choked with tears.
MePhone4 sat on the bed next to them, hand on their shoulder. He found it hard to comfort people, but they seemed to appreciate it when he sat and listened. Maybe his inability to comfort properly came from his programming, or some mental block, he wasn’t sure.
Now wasn’t the time to think about that. Two needed support, and that was something 4 was willing to provide.
Two sighed. “Sorry about that, 4S. I just… it’s been so hard on me since she disappeared. Everyone keeps demanding these things from me, and it’s just been too much for me to bear.”
“All good, Two.” The blue robot responded.
Two moved their hand along MePhone4’s screen once again, staring intensely at the cracks. “Would… you be willing to let Tennis Ball and Golf Ball take a look at this sometime? I hear they’re good at this sort of thing. Or, was that Basketball?” They pondered.
“I’m alright, Two, really.” 4 answered.
“There’s parts missing from your casing.”
“What?”
“Parts of the casing are just gone. You can see the wires underneath. You sure you’re alright, buddy?”
MePhone put his hand on his face, and was surprised to see that the green algebralien was right. There were sizable holes, deep enough to feel the wires snaking around underneath.
“Oh.”
…
“Yeah I should probably get that checked out.”
Two replied with, “Probably not right now though, since I hear Golf Ball has this strict sleeping schedule set for her and Tennis Ball, so they’re probably asleep.”
MePhone let out a little chuckle. “Practically the opposite of Test Tube. I swear, some nights she wouldn’t sleep at all because she was working on something.”
Speaking of Test Tube, I wonder how her and all of the other contestants are doing. The robot thought. Probably better than when I was there…
“Although Golf Ball and Tennis Ball are asleep, I might have a temporary solution. Stay right there!” Two said, slowly getting up, and leaving the room.
Moving his hand along his face, MePhone4 felt the holes left behind. Was what he had done during the finale worth all this? His creator was dead, he was pretty sure most of the contestants hated him now, he had been reunited with 3GS, he basically had nowhere to go after this, the list could go on and on and on and on-
The green algebralien interrupted MePhone’s thoughts with, “Sorry I took a bit, buddy.” They looked like they had grabbed some sort of first aid kit?
“Uh, Two, you do realize I’m an inorganic object, right? So I don’t think that’ll work…” The blue robot replied, staring intensely at the kit in Two’s hands.
Two answered, “Oh, this? It’s just so you don’t accidentally damage those parts anymore before we can get you checked out by Golf Ball and Tennis Ball.” They clicked open the kit, revealing multiple types of medical supplies.
“Well, I guess that makes more sense.” MePhone said, as the algebralien took out a roll of bandage wrap.
“Alright, just hold still, okay?” Two replied as they carefully began unrolling the wrap and covering the right side of the robot’s face with it, hiding most of the damage done by Cobs.
They then wrapped MePhone’s neck with the same bandage wrap, covering one of the holes left behind.
Finally, Two placed a regular bandage on the remaining hole yet to be covered.
“And there! How does that feel?” The green algebralien said, stepping away from the robot.
MePhone felt the wrapping now covering the damage, and let out a soft smile. “It’s a bit strange, but it’ll work. Thanks, Two.”
“No problem!” Two said with a smile, giving a thumbs up. “Now then, I just gotta ask. Why come here of all places? Not that I don’t mind your presence, I like having you here, it’s just- don’t you have somewhere you could go? The contestants are building their own society, you said?”
The robot gave a nod to that.
“Why not go there?” The algebralien asked.
“Well, I’m pretty sure they all hate my guts now. Which is completely understandable, given the things they now know about how they were made, and the things they were put through during the show. But I also think they just don’t… want to see me. Like ever.” MePhone answered.
Two sat down on the bed next to MePhone4, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, hey don’t think like that. I’m sure they don’t all hate you! Like, um, what was their name from Season 3…” They then snapped their fingers and exclaimed, “Right! Bot! What about them?”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind me being there, but their creators… I don’t think I can say the same for them.” The robot explained.
The green algebralien replied, “Jeez, no matter what I try to say, you somehow spin it to make yourself seem like the bad guy here.”
“Because I am!” MePhone blurted out, much to Two’s shock. “I created an entire group of people, for what? A game show? I could’ve done anything with that power, and I created a stupid game instead! Cobs was right. I’m just a worthless, outdated phone.”
Two suddenly pulled the robot into a tight hug, small tears forming. “Don’t ever say that about yourself, MePhone!”
“But it’s true! In their eyes, I’m just some monster that created life for a simple game show!” MePhone4 said, pulling away from Two slightly.
Hearing that, the algebralien responded with, “No, it’s not! You said ‘in their eyes’, meaning only they would see you like that, and they don’t! In my eyes, you’re a perfect robot that does his best to make his contestants happy. So please, don’t ever, ever say those things about yourself again.”
Two then pulled MePhone back into the hug, holding him even tighter this time.
Slowly, MePhone leaned in and returned the favor. Then, under his breath, he whispered, “I’m sorry, Two.” Then the green algebralien released the robot from the hug.
“Well, um, since you don’t have anywhere to go, wanna stay here tonight? Besides, we gotta have you checked out, and maybe 3GS too while we’re at it.” Two said softly.
MePhone sat in silence for a moment before shrugging and replying with, “Sure, why not? Not like there’s anything else I can do, really.”
“Well then, why don’t you create something to sleep in? Because I don’t think you would want to go to sleep wearing that.” Two pointed at the extremely disheveled game show outfit MePhone still had on.
MePhone just stood there.
“Two, the whole light orb thing…”
“Oh! Right, right, right, sorry.” The green algebralien snapped their fingers, and a pair of pajamas appeared on the bed. “There! That work for you?”
The robot held up both parts of the pajamas and said, “I think this’ll work. Be right back, alright?”
“I’ll be here!” Two replied as MePhone left the room.
Soon enough, MePhone found a room to change in, but before he did, he just stared at himself in the mirror. Bandages covered half of his face, and wrapped around his neck too. Despite that, you could still somewhat see the damages underneath.
Once the blue robot changed into the pajamas Two had created for them, he noticed a small patch on the outfit he used to wear for Inanimate Insanity: a blue version of the roman numeral for 2. The logo for Inanimate Insanity Season 2.
After a moment of hesitation, MePhone took the patch and ripped it off, throwing it away. He then took the rest of the ruined outfit and headed back to Two’s room.
“Two, I’m back.” The robot said, entering the room.
Upon seeing MePhone, Two replied with, “So I’m assuming that’ll work for you?”
MePhone nodded.
“Oh, by the way, while I was getting that kit earlier, I checked in on GB and TB and, yep, they were out like lights. So I just slipped a note under the door and let’s hope they see it.” The green algebralien added as they got up from the bed.
The robot let out a small yawn. “Cool, cool. So, me and 3GS are gonna be checked out tomorrow?”
“Hopefully!”
MePhone tossed himself onto the bed, face first. “Today was a lot.”
“Sure seems like it.” Two replied.
Within seconds, Two had found MePhone had gone into sleep mode. Letting out a small laugh, they carefully moved the robot next to them, and went to sleep as well, arms wrapped around him.
Both of them were scarred, physically and emotionally, and those scars might never heal.
But they were together.
And that’s all that mattered.