Chapter Text
A jail cell was not a familiar place to 4. But it already hated them. The feeling of being trapped, of being observed felt like it was picking at its wires every single moment of the day.
Why was it worried? It would be fine under Chrysalis’s care.
It stiffened, words pushing against its mind. It had been happening for hours now, the speech both incomprehensible and comprehensible at the same time. It was starting to drive it insane. It could only make out a few words each time, but it was pretty sure the speech was becoming clearer and clearer.
The speech was fine. It was just.. repressing its thoughts!
4 wanted to get out of this damn cell. It wanted to shatter this glass and stab Ish to death with it. It wanted to make the man suffer, to watch him slowly but surely die, watch his breaths fall short and blood go cold. It wanted Ish to pay.
Ish only wanted to help it, though. It must be misunderstanding the situation.
It banged its fists against the glass for another time out of a hundred. No matter how many times it tried, it just wouldn't damn break. It wanted to feel it shatter beneath its fingers, but it stayed stubbornly put.
It wondered if anyone would bother to come save it. Would N.O.M? Would Jade? Would K8-E? It wasn't sure. It wasn't certain if N.O.M cared about it, or simply viewed it like everyone else did. A weapon. Something expendable.
Chrysalis wouldn't do that to it. They cared about the bots in this city.
“God DAMN IT!” It yelled, hitting the glass again and ignoring the system warnings beeping in its head. “LET ME OUT OF HERE ALREADY!”
There was no response, only silence. It punched the glass one last time for good measure and half huffed half screamed. This was hell. It- it would rather climb up parkour or- or anything! It felt like a zoo animal in here! Being watched, observed, treated like a pet!
It was shaking now, leaning against the back wall as it trembled in anger and hatred. Everything had failed. It was such an idiot. One job, one core purpose it had, and it couldn’t even do it properly. What a waste of space it was.
Maybe it should stay with Chrysalis?
4 froze as it heard the words clearly. Those were not its thoughts. Those were not its own. Who was in its head.
No one was in its head.
Yes there was. Who was speaking?
It just needed to take a break, it was starting to go insane.
No it was not. 4 was fine. It was fine if this thing just got out of its damn head. It was always fine.
It needed to stop talking to itself. It was fine in this cell.
That's not- that's not what it meant.
It was fine in this cell.
Shut up.
Shut up.
It wasn't fine in this cell. It needed to get out. It needed to fight and kill and make sure Ish died in the worst way possible, slowly and painfully and all alone a ditch-
Calm down.
4 levelled itself on the wall, holding in head in a cruel imitation of human upset. It didn’t know who was lying to him but it wanted to kill them. It hoped they would burn horribly, feel every excrutianting second as they were eaten up by the flames. Or they drowned, felt every second of pain and panic as they sunk down and down and down.
Maybe it could find them somehow. Figure out how they were in its head and track them. Track them down and unload bullets onto them until they were mangled and torn beyond recognition, until skin and flesh and blood and bone were all one cohesive mess-
Stop it.
Why should it? Whoever they were had basically admitted to trying to manipulate it, why should it listen-
Stop. it.
It will not stop. It will fight and protest and kill until it got its freedo-
…
…
…
It was fine. 4 was fine in this cell. Nothing bad would befall it if it simply listened.
Wait- wait this- this isnt it- that-
It turned its head as Ish walked into the room, a grin on his face.
“Ah, 4bot!” He said, standing with that smile of his. “Glad to see you finally.. came around!”
It stared at the chrysalis employee, clicking its sensors in imitation of blinking. The man paused, confusion evident on his face before he realised.
“Ah, right, you can't speak. Worry not, dear friend, come with me!”
No, no, please, get it away from that man.
It walked towards Ish, and the man grabbed its wrist, dragging it across the prison as it stared blankly into space.
What the hell was happening?
“Can you just stand there for a second? I need to do something.”
4 stood in the middle of the room. It was empty, but bright. There was nothing inside it besides itself and Ish. The man grinned again, a slightly manic glint in his eye as he placed something upon its neck.
“3...”
What was he going to do?!
“2…”
Let it free again.
“1…”
LET IT-
Everything around it went black as a shock wracked its entire body. It felt itself crumple to the floor. Everything was black and its system warnings were going haywire.
System Warning: Unauthorised touching near control centre.
What.
System Warning: Substantial damage sustained.
Wait- wait wait wait! Nonono!
System Warning: Unauthorised touching near control centre.
STOP TOUCHING IT
System Warning: Sensors are broken. Retreat until they are fixed.
GET AWAY FROM IT
System Warning: Unauthorised touching near control centre.
I’LL KILL YOU ISH-
System Message: Control centre accessed.
WAIT- it was sorry, It was sorry! I didn't actually want to-
System message: Forceful Reset Activated.
“Finally!” Ish muttered. His voice sounded under water to 4s ears
10. 9. 8. 7. 6.
I’m sorry! I’m SORRY! PLEASE- STOP!
5. 4. 3.
No.. no it cant be over like this-
2. 1.
System reset starting…
.
.
.
..
..
..
…
….
…
..
..
..
.
.
.
System Restart: Successful!
New Code embedded: Metamorphosis
..
The unnamed bot opened its eyes. It was shaking. It looked down at itself. Unsure.
“You’re awake!” A voice said. It blinked. Looked up. A man, brown hair and blue uniform.
“Do you know who I am?”
.- / -- --- -. ... - . .-.
Shake head.
“Ah, to be expected I suppose. My name is Ish!”
..Ish.
“I’m the project master here at Chrysalis.”
Chrysalis? It knew that.
..-. .-. .- ..- -.. / --- ..-. / .- / -.-. --- -- .--. .- -. -.--
“I’m here to help you! Can you speak?”
“..Yes.”
“Wonderful!” The man said, smiling. A blink. Something was in its eyes. Move it away. Strand of grey-blue hair. Odd.
.-- .... .- - / - .... . / .... . .-.. .-.. / .. ... / .... .- .--. .--. . -. .. -. --.
It shifts. Something heavy is on its back. Turn. Look. Blue wings. Metal.
“Ah, admiring your wings?”
“Yes. What.. are they?”
“Wings!”
“What is the purpose?”
“To show that you’re ours!”
- .... . -.-- / - .-. .- -.. . -- .- .-. -.- . -.. / -- . ..--.. / .-- .... .- - / - .... . / .... . -.-. -.-
Discomfort at beeping. Stiffen. Ish is concerned.
“Whats wrong?”
“Beeping. Don’t like.”
“Ah, that's just natural after the new code was put in. It’ll go away eventually.”
“Ok.. I trust you.”
Ish smiles. Blink again. Run fingers over face. A mask. Skin. Grey blue hair. Maybe antennae. Don't know how to feel. Is it supposed to feel?
It shifts again. Ish helps it up. Simple black jumper and navy pants. Bland shoes. Hands are.. human.
- .... .. ... / -... --- -.. -.-- / .. ... -. - / -- .. -. .
“Do you know your name?” The man asks. Shake head.
“Do you?”
“Yes! It’s Metamorphosis.”
“That is.. long.”
“Do you not like it?”
“..Unsure. Shorten it?”
“Sure! That we can do! Hmm what about… Phosis?”
Phosis. Sounds right. Nod. Like the number 4.
.... .- .... -.-.-- / .... --- .-- / .. .-. --- -. .. -.-. -.-.--
“What is my purpose?”
“Well, to help Chrysalis of course! Help me, the project manager, run this show!”
“Am I.. new?”
“What do you mean by that, dear Phosis?”
“Are the parts new? Mask feels. Old.”
“Everything but the mask is new, yes!”
“Where is the mask from then? Who?”
.. - .----. ... / ..-. .-. --- -- / -- . .-.-.- / ..-. .-. --- -- / -.-- --- ..- ... . .-.. ..-. .-.-.-
“The mask is from someone who you don't have to worry about, my dear bot. How about I go introduce you to Abel?”
Nod again. Follow like a butterfly. It is a good android! It is doing a great job! It thinks.
.-- .... .- - / -.. .. -.. / - .... . -.-- / -.. --- / - --- / -- . ..--.. .-.-.- .-.-.-