âIâll remember it. And before you say anything about Animal, itâs part of a set. I know humans are picky about names, but mine is a model designation. â02âł would work just as well as a name for me.â
Animal, honestly, was a bit touchy about how inhuman she was. She wasnât very good at being the perfect, emotionless robot for her creators, but she really wasnât that good at being a person, either. Her name was what really gave her away as beneath them, a designation that didnât even sound like the kind of name a real person would have
Nearly jumping out of her skin when the creature wriggled out, Animal had to force herself to take a second look. Whatever the little thing was, it certainly wasnât normal, and from its cruel, hissing tone, it didnât sound very nice, either. She decided right away that she didnât like whatever it was.
As a second creature crawled out of the manâs jacket, Animal had to resist twitching back. Ormad didnât seem to bothered by them, but they might still be dangerous to her, unknown as they were.
Her handlers would be upset if any harm came to her while she was away.
Speaking of her handlers, Animal was starting to wonder where the man tasked with watching over her had gone.
Her phone buzzed with a text right on cue, her handler saying heâd had something come up and she should find her own way home. Well, that was certainly convenient. It would be entirely his fault if she was gone too long, and that meant she no longer had to worry about talking to Ormad.
âWhat are they?â Animal said in response, eyeing the snake like creature with distrust. âAre they safe? I mean, as safe as anything with such a nasty mouth can be.â Animal knew all too well the power of words.
Eyeing them the same way Animal was, he said, âTheyâre calledâŠ.Negatives. Creatures comp-p-p-pletely under my control. Th-Th-Th-Th-Theyâre d-d-dead and hollow inside.â Just like me, he almost added.
âTh-Th-Th-They sp-speak my th-th-thoughts,â he explained quietly. When he had always thought about it to himself, it seemed casual and harmless. But when it was spoken out loud, it just made him extremely uncomfortable.
âTh-Th-Th-The Negative only come wh-wh-when Iâm not in a v-v-v-v-v-veryâŠwell mood, letâs just say.â
Ormad wasnât able to make eye contact, even with his shapeshited disguise. Things like thisâŠ.they werenât very nice to talk about.
Especially when one of his arms were torn off.
âEspe-spe-spe-spe-specially wh-wh-when Iâm extremely nervous, o-o-o-o-or upset, o-o-o-or justâŠ.feeling bad. Th-Th-Th-They make everyth-th-thing worse. And I hate it.
âBut, th-th-theyâre also useful, I suppose. I can make th-th-th-them do anyth-thing. Anything. Th-Th-Their minds are d-d-d-d-d-dead, s-s-s-so th-they canât ever disobey me. I use them toâŠ..bring attacks upon my enemies.â
There was a large amount of insecurity within his voice.