(Re)built to serve.

A tool in the shape of a man.

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"I'm alone again, nyanturally~"

“…man it’s too early for this shit…” Rock groans over the comm line. “…don’t tell me that’s your way of sayin’ you want me t’ stop by for a visit again.”

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“These,” Brody chokes out, trying desperately to hold back another laugh, “These two are the - pffff f- the best thing t’ - pfffahaha - t’ happen t’ us in - pfff - ages!” The tiny dinosaur in his lap makes another bleating sound, expressing her - yes, she was a her, why did no-one ask her yet - upset with mommy’s behavior.

Wiggling off of his lap,, she plunks to the floor on unsteady feet and waddles to the tiny T-rex, tilting her head to peer at the other dinosaur from a nearly upside-down angle. 

Chirping curiously, she reaches out and bumps her noggin against the other baby. Hello! Hello baby, hello little baby~ She’s going to mother you now okay? You look like you need fussing!

Rock crouches by the small dinosaurs with a grin so wide one could be forgiven for thinking he’d just gotten the best present in the world. Which, in a way, he just did. 

“Brody you need t’ pinch me or somethin’, this can’t be real.” 

The tiny T-rex lets out a rar, but it comes out as more of a squeaky hic-up. She hasn’t quite found her voice yet, and that idea makes her even MORE upset. Her tail continues to thud loudly on the floor, but she reluctantly bumps her head back against the other dinosaur. At least SHE is nicer than the tall things that keep laughing at them.

“Sorry little one.” Rock reaches out to pet the one that hatched from his egg, only for her to clamp her jaws on his hand. “AWWWWW THAT’S PRECIOUS.”

“Oh my god Rock they’re - they’re so fucking cute,” Brody chokes out, halfway between reverent whisper and hysterical laughter. He coos over the two little things apparently bonding via headbutting, then claps a hand over his mouth to stifle a snicker when the tiny t-rex clamps down on his brother’s hand.

“Awwww, look how tough she is already,” he croons warmly, and scoops his baby up again to start lightly scritching behind her headfrills. The baby accepts this form of a peace offering and settles down in Brody’s arms, content to blink big blue eyes at her fellow baby (the YOUNGER baby!) and wonder whether hands taste good.

Experimentally she stretches her neck and daintily licks at Brody’s hand, only to make a displeased chirp and turn a betrayed gaze on the tiny T-rex. She’d made that look good but hands were icky! Why was she still doing that?

“Pfff, you got one that’s just like you ‘n I got a little priss,” Brody snorts, more amused than anything else. “Don’t worry, pretty fussy thing, we’ll get you all something that’s actually edible soon.”

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"Hey um. C'n I - c'n I ask you somethin'?" ((Reverse!AU up in here~))

Rockwell blinks at his little brother, before giving him a slight nod. Of course Brody can ask, it’s no promise he’ll get an answer, but he can ask all the same.

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Brody squeaks as he’s lifted, and clings that much tighter to his brother just in case the taller robot decides to drop him. “If… if you really mean it,” he stumbles over his words, but manages a teary-eyed smile for Rockwell. “’cause. Cause I’ll know if you don’t and I’ll - I’ll stuff your coat pockets full of kittens while y’ sleep!”

“Now that’s just not fair to the kittens. Do you really want to stick them with a grump like me?” Rockwell flashes Broderick a smile, and gives the top of his head a brotherly kiss. “I mean it kiddo. There’s no one I’d rather call family than you. I’m just… not used to having people around me all the time. It’s nothing you did.” And no, he’s not putting you down yet Brody.

“They’ll wake you up and make you more grumpy,” Brody points out with a laugh. “And then you’ll know you’re good ‘n disciplined!” The fluffy-ponytailed newbuild grins at his brother and nuzzles in. “That’s alright. ‘s long as you know you’re gonna have t’ get used to havin’ me around!”

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"Broooooodyyyy," there's uncomfortable Rock whining happening now.

“Roooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooock. What’s up, kid?” Why is his little brother whining? What’s wrong? Whose face does he have to bash in?

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“…Well, if it comes up again ‘r something, feel free to get me involved,” Brody says with a shrug, and reaches out to noogie his little brother fondly. “And pffft. Kid, I wasn’t made t’ be the old man’s kid; not like you. I was made for fightin’, to free the City - and once that first week of testin’ was done off I went.”

“I will.” That was a promise. Rock looks more like a pouty little brother as his hair is fluffed, peering up at Brody with a huff that is trying to remain unamused. “…seriously? Wait– fuck a week?” The shorter of the brothers wiggles free, expression falling once more. “Goddamn. The bastard really didn’t do you any favors at all did he? Fuckin’ hell… a week old…”

“Not his kid at heart, Rock,” Brody says simply, and tugs Rock in to hug him. “Not until it was too late for any family bondin’ or someshit. ‘sides. Just means I learned all my sagely older-brother wisdom on my own, so you know it’s genuine.”

[revivethedead]

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Exploring. The one thing Wily hated outsiders doing, but oh, the most efficient way of discovering real information for herself. Emily tilted her head, optics grazing over the slums before her as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. 

Escaping the pursuit of one blue Light-bot had been easy, but then again, it was obvious that he didn’t like her very much. She was just a charge, after all. Of course, that was why the woman was here, and not with him. He wouldn’t give her the info she wanted to know.

Like the Revolutionaries. Like the other Light-bots. Like Light, himself.

Brody wasn’t often caught picking through the slums of the City - he shouldn’t even be here if he wanted to stay legally dead, and there wasn’t much the area had to offer him anyway. But occasionally he went anyway; to check up on things and try to rebuild his original network (if just to keep Cale - and now Roll, too - alive, because someone had to keep an eye on the idiots that made up all of his younger siblings), and also to scour the streets for any kittens in need of rescue. 

Running into strangers here was not usually a good thing. A redheaded stranger barely got an eyebrow raise out of him, but the fact that said stranger appeared to be as robotic as he and his siblings were did catch his attention. 

If nothing else, because it could mean trouble.

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“I’m not going to stop poking you until you give me some attention.”

“Brody. Brody. Stop. Stooooooooop.” He’s going to sit there and let you though because he’s tired and this is still somehow better than being alone.

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“…Big or not, if the Doc’s been meddlin’ in your head again, we need to pin down what and how.” If only for the sake of records, so they could know what was a natural development in their personalities and what was a forced alteration. It… helped, sometimes, to know exactly what strings Wily had pulled. 

Brody may have escaped that, but the habit was still learned, and he was ready to help his brother work it out without further questioning.

There’s a nod from Rock, who eventually sighs. Brody was the one person who understood. The one person who he felt comfortable discussing the extent of their alterations with. The things that were forced and…. the things that weren’t.

It was a double edged sword, trying to keep track of who they really were. Knowing what they used to be, and what they became anyway. “I guess the best we can do is… start goin’ down the list?”

“Prob’ly,” Brody says slowly, and reaches up to card a hand in Rock’s hair and ruffle it gently. “Y’ know the drill, kiddo. One step at a time, an’ if we can’t find it we start poking at the weird corners.” He didn’t offer reassurances or platitudes. Neither ever did any good in this situation - the quiet comfort that he was there would have to be enough. Free or not, he’s never leaving Rock to face this alone. If he can’t get the kid out, the least he can do is stick around for him when and how he’s able.

[mel-cat]

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“Probably shouldn’t be visitin’ the old haunt, but...” Eh. He knows the patrol routes. He knows when Rock’s on duty, more or less. And call him insane, but he needs to check up on the dystopia every now and then.

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"Broooooodyyyy," there's uncomfortable Rock whining happening now.

“Roooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooock. What’s up, kid?” Why is his little brother whining? What’s wrong? Whose face does he have to bash in?

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“Except… what?” Brody asks, raising an eyebrow at Rock. “You’re confusin’ me here, kid.” He pauses, then frowns. “’n… why’d you think I’d know anything abotu th’ lady anyway?”

“…never mind just don’t… even worry about it.” Rock shakes his head. The other question makes him roll his shoulders in a shrug. “Well, when I was with Light I mostly only heard stories about you. Kinda hoped since ya didn’t have a ‘heroic older brother’ maybe he talked t’ ya more…”

“...Well, if it comes up again ‘r something, feel free to get me involved,” Brody says with a shrug, and reaches out to noogie his little brother fondly. “And pffft. Kid, I wasn’t made t’ be the old man’s kid; not like you. I was made for fightin’, to free the City - and once that first week of testin’ was done off I went.”

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“I’m not going to stop poking you until you give me some attention.”

“Brody. Brody. Stop. Stooooooooop.” He’s going to sit there and let you though because he’s tired and this is still somehow better than being alone.

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“Uh-huh….” Brody frowns and pulls Rock into a one-armed hug, tightening his grip just enough to let his little brother know that he has absolutely no intention of letting him get out of the cuddle. “Weird like someone’s been switchin’ your underwear out for one size too small or weird like th’ doc’s been pokin’ around in your head again an’ not tellin’ you?”

“Er… the latter of the two.” Rock says, for the moment choosing not to try and fight his way free. “It’s just… normally if I look hard enough I can tell. There’s some fragmented data or a missing file or somethin’…” but lately he could find no evidence of the changes being made. It was more like a gut feeling at best. “…I just know somethin’s not where it should be, y’know? I don’t know if it’s anythin’ big considerin’ I’m here right now but…”

“...Big or not, if the Doc’s been meddlin’ in your head again, we need to pin down what and how.” If onyl for the sake of records, so they could know what was a natural development in their personalities and what was a forced alteration. It... helped, sometimes, to know exactly what strings Wily had pulled. 

Brody may have escaped that, but the habit was still learned, and he was ready to help his brother work it out without further questioning.

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"Hey um. C'n I - c'n I ask you somethin'?" ((Reverse!AU up in here~))

Rockwell blinks at his little brother, before giving him a slight nod. Of course Brody can ask, it’s no promise he’ll get an answer, but he can ask all the same.

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Brody is only too happy to return that hug, burrowing into his brothers’s arms as he starts to shake with his sobs. “Promise?” He asks, turning watery green eyes up on his big brother. “I’m - y’ want me around? Y’ do? You…. you promise?”

He hadn’t dared to hope. He had been so certain that his brother’s distant attitude had been like their dad’s before he sent him off to bring his real older son home. “…You want me?”

“Course I do.” There’s a tight reassuring squeeze for the younger Light-bot. “Trust me kid, I don’t keep people around that I don’t care for. ‘s too much effort, and it’s annoying as hell.”

He proceeds to lift Brody off the ground, just to prevent him from escaping the bear hug. “If I didn’t want you around, you’d know. I’m sure there would have been a lot of yelling or something.”

Brody squeaks as he’s lifted, and clings that much tighter to his brother just in case the taller robot decides to drop him. “If... if you really mean it,” he stumbles over his words, but manages a teary-eyed smile for Rockwell. “’cause. Cause I’ll know if you don’t and I’ll - I’ll stuff your coat pockets full of kittens while y’ sleep!”

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"Broooooodyyyy," there's uncomfortable Rock whining happening now.

“Roooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooock. What’s up, kid?” Why is his little brother whining? What’s wrong? Whose face does he have to bash in?

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“Kid, somethin’ weird can mean anything from ‘oh hey I got a cupcake outta nowhere’ to ‘oh my god i’m an fairy princess for a day’. Y’ gotta explain a little more, alright?” He watches his brother, unsure what to think about the way Rock’s acting.

“Well, see I was… I was visitin’ the buns, y’know? I was hopin’ t’ talk t’ Ali about somethin’,” a subject which he could trouble Brody with another time, once he was sure exactly what the trouble was. “An’ I know magic can do weird things but Caldre, y’know the younger kid, brought her up for some reason. Which could have been a coincidence except…”

“Except... what?” Brody asks, raising an eyebrow at Rock. “You’re confusin’ me here, kid.” He pauses, then frowns. “’n... why’d you think I’d know anything abotu th’ lady anyway?”

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“I’m not going to stop poking you until you give me some attention.”

“Brody. Brody. Stop. Stooooooooop.” He’s going to sit there and let you though because he’s tired and this is still somehow better than being alone.

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Brody wiggles his finger while it’s in Rock’s teeth, then leans back and shrugs. “You’re here, but y’ ain’t here. Your mind’s elsewhere today kid. What’s going on? It usually ain’t working this hard.”

A roll of the eyes as Brody’s fingers are released. “Just tired,” Rock says, but it’s a knee-jerk reaction and he knows it. “Er…” Really, like Brody is going to accept the excuse he gives everyone. “I don’t know I just feel… weird lately.”

“Uh-huh....” Brody frowns and pulls Rock into a one-armed hug, tightening his grip just enough to let his little brother know that he has absolutely no intention of letting him get out of the cuddle. “Weird like someone’s been switchin’ your underwear out for one size too small or weird like th’ doc’s been pokin’ around in your head again an’ not tellin’ you?”

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"Hey um. C'n I - c'n I ask you somethin'?" ((Reverse!AU up in here~))

Rockwell blinks at his little brother, before giving him a slight nod. Of course Brody can ask, it’s no promise he’ll get an answer, but he can ask all the same.

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“Well, I … I thought I was… I thought I annoyed you ‘n awful lot ‘n,” he trailed off and bit his lip, big green eyes starting to well up. “…I want you happy ‘n if you’re not happy with me here I thought you’d be happier if I went away but I don’t know where I’d go because you c’n go back to dad but I’m not sure if he actually wants me since I was built t’ rescue you ‘n - but if it’ll make you happier I can ‘n… ‘n…” He hiccuped, scrubbing a fist across his face to try and keep the tears from falling. “I’m sorry I don’t know what t’ say or do or - or anything!”

“…!” God, god he can’t stand it. Looking at that face is physically painful, and he doesn’t so much as hesitate to pull the kid into a tight smothering hug. “Just shut up for two seconds kid and let me talk! You’re going to kill us both with all these tears I swear…” He lightly ruffles the top of his brother’s fluffy head, despite the words.

“First of all kid, I’m pretty much always annoyed with everyone and everything. That is not new, and it sure as hell didn’t get worse with you. Second of all I don’t know how you got it in that fluffy little brain of yours that I don’t want you around, but you’d better kick that idea to the curb or you’re going to be real damn disappointed.”

Brody is only too happy to return that hug, burrowing into his brothers’s arms as he starts to shake with his sobs. “Promise?” He asks, turning watery green eyes up on his big brother. “I’m - y’ want me around? Y’ do? You.... you promise?”

He hadn’t dared to hope. He had been so certain that his brother’s distant attitude had been like their dad’s before he sent him off to bring his real older son home. “...You want me?”

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"Hey um. C'n I - c'n I ask you somethin'?" ((Reverse!AU up in here~))

Rockwell blinks at his little brother, before giving him a slight nod. Of course Brody can ask, it’s no promise he’ll get an answer, but he can ask all the same.

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“Well, um,” Brody says slowly, and fidgets as he looks up at his brother from underneath the fluffy bangs escaping the ponytail miss Aoiko had helped him with some time ago. “I was just. Wonderin’ if, um….” He trailed off for a moment and swallowed before trying again. “If y’… want me t’ go away, or… or somethin’? I - know I bother you a lot, and…. I want you t’ be happy so. So I can go, ‘n you can go back to Dad or… or do whatever?”

Ow. Why did that feel like a swift punch to the gut? The older boy’s brows raise, before he shakes his head. “…kid I don’t know how you got it in your head that you bother me,” it was just the opposite, really. Brody had somehow managed to make himself one of the few people Rock didn’t hate prolonged time with. And that list was incredibly short, considering it now consisted of a grand total of two people.

“I may not talk a lot, but that doesn’t mean I hate your company.” 

“Well, I ... I thought I was... I thought I annoyed you ‘n awful lot ‘n,” he trailed off and bit his lip, big green eyes starting to well up. “...I want you happy ‘n if you’re not happy with me here I thought you’d be happier if I went away but I don’t know where I’d go because you c’n go back to dad but I’m not sure if he actually wants me since I was built t’ rescue you ‘n - but if it’ll make you happier I can ‘n... ‘n...” He hiccuped, scrubbing a fist across his face to try and keep the tears from falling. “I’m sorry I don’t know what t’ say or do or - or anything!”

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"Hey um. C'n I - c'n I ask you somethin'?" ((Reverse!AU up in here~))

Rockwell blinks at his little brother, before giving him a slight nod. Of course Brody can ask, it’s no promise he’ll get an answer, but he can ask all the same.

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“Well, um,” Brody says slowly, and fidgets as he looks up at his brother from underneath the fluffy bangs escaping the ponytail miss Aoiko had helped him with some time ago. “I was just. Wonderin’ if, um....” He trailed off for a moment and swallowed before trying again. “If y’... want me t’ go away, or... or somethin’? I - know I bother you a lot, and.... I want you t’ be happy so. So I can go, ‘n you can go back to Dad or... or do whatever?”

[mostlycatsmostly]

[derpycats]

My cat is ready to destroy all animals at all times xD