Chapter Text
Ruin’s steps were slow as he walked through the empty hallways of the Nao’s lab, echoing loudly in the walls, his thoughts too busy wandering back the conversation he had with Marionette.
Such an odd being were they, for an animatronic, if they were even one. They were so lanky, lankier than a daycare attendant model, their casing made of felt, and their face… covered by a mask that truly belonged to a puppet.
The last time he saw a model like that it didn't even have an AI, it was trapped in a box, probably made in the 80’s, all dirty and left behind for years. For some reason the Nao ordered for him to burn it, he didn’t know, but he complied anyway.
Not only that, but they were sure there was something wrong with them, simply by the fact that their cell was different.
First of all, it was an isolated cell, opposite of the many others the Nao kept his enemies or lab rats, which meant there was something ordinary about them.
Second of all, the cell was surrounded by anti-magic devices, much more than it was usually needed. Which meant that Nao found out about the being’s magic, probably using that body example he got during his “exams”.
Ruin had already gathered the possibility of the puppet having magic, considering the portal he saw them walk through.
But something still felt wrong. Why were there so many anti-magic barriers put around their cell? From what Ruin was able to count, there were around twelve of those things, if not, more. Which could only mean that the animatronic was very powerful, according to the Creator's results.
It was all so confusing for them and didn’t make any sense. Why did a being like them end up here of all places? When they were asked about how they ended up here, they almost cried, which could only mean something very bad happened in their dimension. What could have happened? And how did they end up so powerful? Was the creator now interested in them?
Questions filled their head, but no answers came.
When they finally noticed, they could already see they were already close to his, so ‘dearest father’s’ doorstep, it was fast, it must have been muscle memory, having been walking through these halls for so long…
The thought annoyed them. But they let it slide, for the sake of not annoying the brain.
He walked by the guards standing still close to the walls, not even trying to put up his mask, not like it would matter for the eyes who stared unblinkingly at them.
Instead, they reserved his little show for… someone else's.
The metal door opened for Ruin without much flare and the mangled bot entered with a cheery attitude, interrupting whatever reunion the Nao was currently having.
“Sir! My good sir! I have finally arrived for your acquaintance! Is there something you need? To have called little old me?” His movements were fast as he talked, switching quickly between positions.
His creator didn’t even bother to look at him and the man who was once talking to the guests and the creator himself, shut his mouth. All eyes fell at it, staring with a slightly frightened look, but still keeping their composure.
“You're late Ruin, i've called you about 10 minutes ago” The Nao said nonchalantly, not moving his eye from the little screen of his computer, typing something on it with his tentacles.
“Oh yes, yes, yes…. Well, you see, sir.” Ruin approached to sit on the table in the middle of the room, some of the guests leaning back in surprise. “You won't believe, when I say it! But traffic today was horrible! Cars catching on fire! People beating each other to death! I think there was an explosion here and there… An absolute work of art, made of blood and fire! Must I say.”
It moved its hands around while describing the fake scenario, “You should have seen it! The picture of a perfect world!” They finished the sentence, settling their hand on their chest, with a sweet, yet bitter expression. Some of the guests looked terrified at him, not daring to say a word.
“Good to hear Ruin.” The brain's eye finally left the screen and looked at his guests. “ You all may leave now, the reunion is over.” The Nao commanded.
Everyone was quick to get their things, leaving the place in a hurry never seen before.
Eventually there were no souls left, leaving Ruin and Nao alone in the room, silence finally settling. “Have you finally talked to it?” The brain asked, turning his piercing gaze to Ruin, whose ‘smile’ faltered.
“Their name is Marionette.” The fusion fixated his eyes to the floor, not wishing to look at Nao, as the following words left his mouth. “I've tried to ask them more questions, but they…. Refused to answer me, no matter how much I insisted.” They finally looked up, locking its eyes with Nao's. “Hummm…. Is that so?” The brain's sounded threatening. “Yes.” The mangled bot was quick to answer.
“Is it really all that you have discovered? Or are you hiding something?” The Nao approached to be in front of them, or more specifically, loom over them. *Damn it, he knows…* Ruin thought, getting agitated. Trying to lie to the Nao was always a bad idea, but if that being’s really that powerful he cannot let the brain gain more interest in whatever abilities they may have or use them, or whatever he was planning.
“No sir, I'm not lying to you.” Ruin finally answered, his voice daring to break. Their creator however didn’t back off, which led to both start staring confidently at each other, the tension in the room only growing by the seconds that passed.
At one point Ruin could almost hear the ticks and tocks of his own body, the whole atmosphere making them extremely uncomfortable. Yet they kept themselves locked in place, he couldn’t back away now.
“Hummm… Very well.” The Nao backed away, turning to look at a window, at the other side of the room. *Did it work? No it can’t be that simple…* Ruin questioned himself, his grip on the table getting harder.
He stared at the brain, who kept looking down at the window, not making a single move. “Ruin. Come here” The creator ordered.
Ruin released his grip from the table, getting out of it and walking at the Nou's side, with the feeling of his own anxiety growing in his chest.
“Look at that Ruin. Isn’t it beautiful?” Nao stared down at the city outside the window, Ruin following his gaze. They saw fallen buildings, things on fire, blood on the streets…. A true apocalypse. “That’s the world I am creating Ruin and… if you don’t wish to collaborate on my project…” The tone of Nao’s voice dropped, as he whispered. “If you don’t cooperate, I may end up destroying the leftovers of your own world.”
Ruin freezed as the brain left out those words, eyes wide open. They knew exactly what it meant, they shouldn’t have lied. “Now, I mean if you no longer care about them, I may as well, just get rid of useless scra-” “They cried.” It interrupted. “... They cried?” The brain repeated. “Yes. They started crying when they were about to tell me more, that’s why I couldn't get more information.” Their eyes remained fixated on the window, not daring to look at the floating brain.
“Awww~ See? It wasn’t that hard to tell me what I wanted to know.” Nao mocked, Ruin could even see the grin from his voice. “You really have to grow a spine, my boy, I can’t be the one who has to do everything around here. You are way too emotional, that's your greatest weakness.” The creator said in such a sweet voice it made the mangled animatronic sick.
Eventually the brain turned to leave. “It looks like I have an interrogation, marked for tomorrow, so please write that down for me Ruin… Oh! And before I forget. Don't you dare lie to me again, I'll know if you do it and well…” He paused. “You know what will happen to your little friends.” He let out before finally getting out of the room, leaving Ruin all alone.
The animatronic let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, leaning his head against the glass in front of him. *This isn’t good…* They thought. *Now they will have to deal with him… And knowing Nou, he’ll be much less than kind.*
Worry filled Ruin’s chest, they knew how cruel his ‘father’ could be, when he wanted something, the worst tortures came for those who dared to go against him or simply didn’t dare to speak, and now, the poor puppet would have a first hand experience of his cruelty.
Was he really that stupid? Trying to make Nao lose interest in them, by lying? By saying they were an annoyance to deal with? If anything they just made everything worse! And then back away almost immediately, when finally caught? What the hell was wrong with him?
But what else could it have done? They couldn't let the Creator just kill their friends… They just couldn’t… “You tried…” He told himself “Now you just gotta see what happens next.” The words got out of his mouth like ice, burning their tongue, the taste left behind being more than sour.
They moved away from the glass, away from the chaos outside, choosing to not look back at it. “But maybe I can make sure they’ll stay okay…” He whispered in a hopeful tone. “ Maybe just maybe.” He whispered, turning around to leave.
His slow steps were much quicker to get out of there, than they were to enter. The door closing heavily behind them, no one left in the room.