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[neo-n-district]

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He should’ve known this mission was a trap.

It looked so easy - sneak into a government base, get a bunch of information, and hand it over for a hefty sum of cash. It was something NEO had done countless times before, he could do it one more time. The location he expected to meet the client at was a little shady, but understandable.

There was nobody there when he got to the alleyway. He assumed they were just running late, so he’d wait a little bit before he’d leave. 

It was too late when his helmet gave him the warning.

There was a pressure on his neck, a stick entering his USB port. He struggled, but whatever was put in that thing was strong. He felt dizzy.

He doesn’t remember what happened next.

                                                              -----

When NEO came to, it felt like his head was splitting apart. God, he ached all over. Wherever he was, it was dark. He tried to move his limbs, but found himself unable to. He wasn’t tied down… were they disabled?

The sudden brightness above him made him turn away. Christ, maybe a little warning next time…

“Oooh, you’re awake… I was wondering when you’d finally come to. I was worried the coding Naomi put in you ended up being too powerful.” Wait… that voice.

No.

No no NO.

“Valion…?” NEO croaked. His voice felt sore.

“You remember me? I’m surprised. I thought you would have wiped that from your memory.” The man known as Valion snarked.

“I couldn’t forget the jackass that created me. Your name’s in my fuckin’ code.”

“Language, 001.” Valion winced. He snickered. “It’s been a while since you’ve been here. We would have captured you much sooner, but you’ve proven to be quite the slippery snail, 001. But…” The man sighed, almost dreamily. “Here you are. My most prideful creation.”

“Cut the villainy exposition bullshit.” NEO snapped.

“Langua-”

“Shut up.” The robot snarled. “You brainless government lackeys are all the same. What do you want, money? A higher position? What is it?”

“Oooh, 001, it’s so much more than that.” Valion laughed. From his pocket, he pulled out a memory stick covered in different colours. “We want what you know, and you will give it to us.”

NEO knew what was in that stick.

“No.” Valion drew closer. He couldn’t move. “No, no no no no- Don’t touch me, motherfucker, I’ll fucking kill you, you hear me!? I’ll KILL YOU-” 

The man shoved the stick into his port. NEO thrashed his head, trying to struggle. It wouldn’t come out. 

...Wait… did everything always look this… beautiful?

Oh, these colours were so pretty. Maybe !Internet wasn’t as bad as NEO thought. He felt like he was floating in a sea of pinks and blues. It felt like paradise.

NEO went limp, his helmet’s screen glowing with the colours of a TV test pattern. Valion laughed at his creation.

“Good… that didn’t take long at all.” He hummed, pleased with NEO’s reaction to the drug. “Now, you have a lot of work to be done, 001.

Let’s get started, shall we?”

[neo-n-district]

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The first time NEO killed someone is the time he wished to forget most.

There was a woman. What was her name, again? Angel? Something along those lines. It started with an A. Either way, he cared deeply about this woman. So much trust, so much... love? Maybe it was love, back then.

They did everything together. They shared a home. She took him in when he couldn’t find anywhere to go. He kept her safe.

Then, she took everything away.

She came home, one night, hands full with bags. Clothes, food, probably. Things he didn’t care too much about, but knew she did. He made his way downstairs as soon as he heard the door open.

“Welcome home. How was your day?” He asked, walking over to help her with the bags.

“Just fine, dear.” She answered. She seemed... odd. Quiet. Cold, maybe? NEO didn’t quite catch on. He thought she just had a bad day.

NEO simply nodded, and carried her things to the kitchen to put them away.

It was later that night when he found out the truth.

She knew he didn’t sleep. So, she headed downstairs, hopefully to a place where she couldn’t hear. She opened her phone, dialed the number.

“Hello. Yes, I have him here. He’s upstairs.”

He heard her voice. What was she doing up so late? He stood up from his computer chair and started downstairs.

“No, he doesn’t know. I told you, I recognized his voice - all of those service bots have the same voice. He told me himself, too! His name’s N-”

There was the click of a gun. The safety was off.

[Drop the phone.]

The phone clattered to the floor. Whoever was on the line sounded concerned.

“Honey, please, don’t kill me, I’m trying to help you. I swear, I wouldn’t do anything, I told you, remember?”

[You lied to me.] He was shaking.

“No, I would never! I would never lie to you, NEO.” She emphasized his name. His grip on the gun tightened.

“Ma’am, whatever you do, don’t approach him, he’s dangerous-”

There it was.

[You called the cops on me.]

“What? No, that’s just a friend of mine! NEO, sweetheart, please, just don’t shoot me, I-I can explain everything when they’re-”

Bang.

[neo-n-district]

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NEO has only seen one other robot of his model.

He’s purposefully avoided them because of it. The sight of something so... robotic, so emotionless. It sickens him.

He doesn’t remember the time, but the sky was dark. That’s the only time he ever goes out - less people who’ll notice him and turn him in to the police. He had to go shopping - his computer was running slow, he needed to buy something to boost it. He was eyeing one of the GPUs they had on stock when he caught it in the corner of his eye.

Standing up straight, he turned his head fully. Standing not too far away from him was another robot, following a woman around like a dog, hands full with things.

He recognized the helmet instantly. It was just like his.

He tensed. He didn’t even know his model line still existed, let alone was up for sale. Curious, he scanned the other robot.

Scanning... scan complete. Service robot model N30-272. Owned by: Veronica Nights.

God.

He was about to turn away when 272 caught his gaze.

“Oh!” 272 perked up, turning towards the woman. “Mistress, look! It’s one of my brothers! May I speak with him?”

“Not today, Franklin.” Franklin? Seriously?! “You have work to do.”

NEO’s seen enough. Dazed, he grabbed for what he was looking for and walked away without another word. He could hear the “wait” from the other robot behind him.

Even the voice was the same.

[neo-n-district]

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NEO’s job wasn’t easy, that was for damn sure.

He usually took assignments from executives - middlemen that wanted someone above them silenced. Higher-ups who wanted to take out the competition. They paid well enough.

Then, there was the trouble of actually getting it done - bypassing the firewalls and anti-malware services. Going through undetected and getting away with it without them ever knowing who he was. Searching through the deepest crevices of their devices for every piece of dirt and scum.

But oooh, that was the fun part.

No one climbed the corporate ladder clean. He learned that after his first successful job. 

“I need you to find whatever dirt you can about my boss.” The woman in front of him said, sliding a picture over to him. “Her name’s Andrea Versailles. Total asshole, incredibly full of herself. She needs to be knocked down a peg or two.”

He picked up the picture, staring it down. He glanced back up at the woman again.

[Passwords?]

“They’re on the back.” He flipped the picture - sure enough, there they were. Seriously? Who made their password ‘password123′? He internally scoffed.

[Give me the money, and I’ll do it.] The woman slid over a hefty amount of credits. He pocketed them and stood up, giving the woman a [=)] and walking away.

Andrea’s firewalls were almost too easy to pass. NEO backed up his ransomware, just in case the computer had something else up its sleeve. He scoffed, pulling up the view of her computer. Time to dig.

His hands moved rapidly across the keys, pulling up his softwares on another screen, letting them do their thing.

Oh boy, he liked what he saw.

Andrea Versailles. Real name: Veronica Scotts. Multiple cases of fraud. Identity theft. Murder. She ran a goddamn underground ‘bot fighting ring, for fuck’s sake. Paid hush money to her higher-ups.

Oooh, this was tasty. Fingers itching, he wrote up a letter for his ransomware to send.

[Good morning, Veronica Scotts. Your computer is now infected with R3X. R3X has found everything I need to put you behind bars, or even executed. If you want to keep living your double life, you will resign from your job at Velen Inc. Failure to comply will result in a release of all of your deepest, darkest secrets. Don’t believe me? OPEN: R3X-L055.txt Get rid of your robot fighting ring, while you’re at it. =)] And... send.

[neo-n-district]

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NEO can feel pain. He learned that the hard way.

He was driving too fast on his motorcycle that night. The music was blasting louder than the wind. The setting sun made everything glow beautifully. He was effectively distracted, unsuspecting. 

When his helmet warned him, it was already too late.

The screech of wheels alerted him to what was happening, and he was at attention again. As the car in front of him swerved, he panicked and turned out of control, ramming right into the side of it and sending him flying off of the motorcycle. He landed on his left arm, tumbling to the end, the soft casing of his body snapping and rendering the arm loose.

Things couldn’t have gotten worse... right?

Oh, you’re so wrong.

As he struggled to get up, another vehicle sped by and ran right over his arm, tearing it off completely. He’d never screamed louder in his life. It felt like getting burned in a vat of acid, only to be taken out and dumped in again, over, and over, and over again.

The driver stepped out of his car, eyes wide at the sight of NEO.

“Holy shit- I’m so sorry, sir, a-are you-” NEO looked up at him. The man’s eyes went wide. “Oh fuck.”

NEO stood up, picking up his arm with the other. Chest heaving, He lifted his jacket sleeve and smacked the limp arm against the button on the wrist. He disappeared from view.

NEO had to walk the rest of the way.

His motorcycle was damaged beyond repair. He left it behind. They couldn’t find him through it - the thing wasn’t registered.

When he got to a safe place, he screamed. So much pain, so much pain. If he could get a little farther, he could find his tools. God, he hurt, but he had to keep going. He crawled through the doorway to his base, dropping the arm and reaching for his toolbox.

He still gets phantom pains.

Every now and then, the arm aches, and he has to check it in case anything’s loose. Even now, in a safe place, a place with people he can trust, he still fixes the thing himself.

He’s felt pain. So much pain.

[neo-n-district]

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The mission didn’t go as planned.

NEO didn’t know who it was, but someone tripped a fucking alarm and everyone in that government base was on their asses. They all got away, thank God, but… Blank had it worst. NEO had to carry them home.

NEO burst into the house, sprinting over to the nearest couch and lying the poor kid on it. The bleeding had stopped, for the most part. 

[Crackscrew, get the first aid kit. Go.] The bot ordered, Crackscrew (thankfully) obeying and going on a wild search for the damn thing.

“NEO, it’s okay-” Robert tried to lighten the mood, but NEO was far too pissed.

[It’s clearly NOT okay, Robert. They’re fucking bleeding out. You’re all injured. I shouldn’t have taken any of you out on this mission, it was far too dangerous.] At this point, NEO had to stop himself from overheating.

“It wasn’t your fault-”

[It was! If I didn’t take you, none of you would’ve gotten hurt! Blank wouldn’t be dying!]

“Nothing’s going to go as planned all the time! NEO, you can’t keep playing hero-”

[I have to be the hero!]

“No you-”

“If I won’t save the goddamn world, then who will, Buzo!?”

Silence. NEO stood up, body shaking from pure rage. Crackscrew had stopped in the doorway, dropping the medical kit from shock.

NEO never used his voice.

“... NEO-” Crackscrew tried to speak, but NEO turned around and pointed a finger at him.

“Shut up!” He snarled, turning back to Robert. “Who’ll save the world if I don’t, Robert!? You’re sad and drunk half the time, Blank’s a fucking kid, and Crackscrew’s…” He waved his arms around vaguely. “... Crackscrew!” The robot’s chest was heaving like he was out of breath, internal fans whirring and wheezing. “I have to be the hero. Nobody else will be.”

If NEO could cry, he probably would be. He was so mad, not just at Robert for trying to tell him it was okay, but at himself. His friends were hurt, and Blank almost died. He fucked everything up because he brought them out on this mission.

But never again.

He walked over to Crackscrew, picked up the med kit at his feet, then tossed it over to Robert, who fumbled with it before catching it.

“You know how to patch up wounds.” The robot spat, voice cold. He straightened out his jacket and headed for the door. “I’m going out. Don’t,” He side-eyed Crackscrew, who’d tried to follow behind him. “follow me.”

“NEO-”

The door slammed in Robert’s face.

[neo-n-district]

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The second time NEO ran into one of his brethren was by complete happenstance.

It wasn’t the happiest meeting, either.

NEO frequently visited many of the scrapyards within and around the city. The best places to find rare and useful parts for things were in these scrapyards - bits and pieces of hardware he could repair and reuse, turn it into something that could help him, like a technology suppressor or a flash grenade.

He was scrounging through a pile of especially interesting junk when he caught the glint of a helmet in his optical receptors. Curious, he turned to face it, and... oh.

Oh.

There he sat. The familiar helmet, build... this was another one of his line. Scanning the body, he discovered it to be N30-792, previously “owned” by some executive named Berta (who even names their kid that? the fuck?). The guy was scrapped due to a programming bug that caused him to shut down occasionally.

It felt like his heart was wrenched from his chest.

NEO stood up, forgetting his previous find, and kneeling before his brethren. He lifted his hands towards 792′s helmet, lifting it and turning it from side to side. The damage wasn’t terrible, but it would take a while to repair... Plus, the programming bug shouldn’t be an issue, either.

Letting out a huff, he lifted up the other robot and hauled him home.

NEO worked day and night to fix the other robot.

He smuggled pieces from scrap yards to fix the 792′s body. When he wasn’t doing that, he was on the computer, cleaning up the flawed programming. Thankfully, 792 still had the USB port on his neck, and it was mostly untouched. He could connect the bot to the computer and edit the coding that way. At least he didn’t have to recreate the AI from scratch...

It took weeks, but finally, he was finished.

He unplugged the robot and let out a sigh. After a moment of hesitation, he hit the emergency power button.

Red expected to be home.

When he woke up, the robot expected to be in his usual resting spot, the room across from his mistress’. He expected to be able to stand up, make her a pot of coffee, and begin his daily duties.

What he didn’t expect was the first of his line to be right in front of him, sitting in a small, dingy room lit by a computer screen.

Dazed and frankly frightened, Red scrambled to his feet, accidentally bonking his head against NEO’s. NEO stumbles back a bit, but is otherwise unphased.

[Woah, woah, relax-] NEO grabs Red’s shoulders, and that stresses him out even more. He struggles, but NEO’s grip is like iron. [Calm down. You’re safe.]

It takes a moment, but he eventually calms down and recollects himself.

“... Where am I? Where is Ms.-”

[You were dismantled.] At that, Red gets whiplash.

“Wh- w-why!?”

[Programming bug. You kept restarting and random intervals. I fixed the problem, don’t worry.] NEO released his grip once he knew Red wouldn’t freak out anymore. He took a step back. [You can forget about Berta. She abandoned you, left you for scraps. Found you in a scrapyard. You’re lucky I did.]

Shocked, Red held onto his head, leaning against the wall behind him.

So that’s it, then?

His mistress left him to rust in a scrapyard. Let him die over a common glitch. He couldn’t... he couldn’t believe it.

“... What do I do?”

NEO watched Red carefully.

[Well,] He began, [you can return to your usual work. Be treated like an object. Or... you can help me liberate all of us. Gain freedom and rights for those who need it most.]

Red stared at the other robot, blinking a few times. Thinking about it, he didn’t enjoy the way he was treated, pushed and shoved around like a tool, or a child’s toy. No, he wanted to be treated like the humans treated each other. Like an equal, not inferior.

“... Count me in.”

[neo-n-district]

When I see the way you look Shaken by how long it took I can do almost anything I could even learn how to love... like you.

    NEO thought everyone forgot.

    He was gone for so long, locked up in that dreaded government facility. Day after day after day, torture session after torture session after torture session… when no one showed up, he, too, started to give up.

    But then, somehow, some way, luck shined upon him. A rogue woke him up from sleep mode, helped him get out in the embrace of the night. He ran, the darkness his protection against the evils beyond it.

    The trek home was hell. Sticking to back routes and alleyways, clothes torn, inner mechanisms burning from the scratches and marks on his body… but eventually, he made it home.

    He didn’t expect anyone to be waiting for him. In fact, that was the last thing he was expecting.

    When he turned to corner, arriving in the driveway of the group’s shared home, he was cold, soaked from the rain, a hand on a gaping wound in his shoulder. His optical receptors landed on the familiar lavender body sitting outside, equally soaked, looking down at the ground.

    Crackscrew… was he waiting for him?

    After all this time, Crackscrew didn’t forget. Of course. He cared about NEO so much. The robot just thought it was how Crackscrew was, in his drug-filled haze. But...

    NEO’s metaphorical heart swelled.

    “Doctor…”

    When Crackscrew heard that voice, it was like a beautiful symphony to his ears. He looked up, stood up. The two ran towards each other and met halfway, embracing each other under the rain. The doctor’s sobbed, burying his face in the robot’s jacket. At the sound, NEO held him impossibly tighter, a hand in his soft hair.

    “They said you weren’t coming back…” Crackscrew began, gripping the robot’s leather jacket like it was the only thing keeping him tethered to reality. “T-They all stopped looking, they said you were gone, said you weren’t coming home... but I knew you wouldn’t give up like that. I knew you were still alive. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it…”

    “I’m here now, doctor.” NEO’s voice, so unfamiliar but it felt like home, quiet, “I’m not going anywhere.”

    The two remained like that for a while, holding onto each other like it was their last breath. NEO was the first to pull away, suggesting they go inside. Hand in hand, they headed home.