Robotics (Android!Hoodie x Reader): Chapter 3

(Reader’s Pov)

    “WHAT?!?” I practically scream, “Did I not mention possibly murderous?!?!”

    Thomas winces, “I know, but how often do you find a creature like this just lying around!?” He sounded somewhat excited now, and I was beginning to regret telling him at all.

    “Tom…” I am begging him now.

    “No come on, [Name], please! Just let me look at it! Just once!” He’s begging me now as well, and he knows I’ve always found it hard to resist his big brown puppy dog eyes.

    I groan, “No, Thomas.”

    “... I won’t make you fix it, okay? But at least let me see it..? Please, [Name]. You know how big this is to me.” I had shown the bone to the dog, but now I was refusing to give it to him.

    I sigh and rub a hand over my face, the mental debate going on inside my head being too much. Pushing my fears aside, I give in to my friend’s pleas. “I’m not taking it up here, and I don’t want to take my laptop down there.” I mutter stubbornly.

    Thomas’ face lights up, and he knows I’m considering it. “You don’t have too, you can just take a picture or something and show me!”

    I scowl, “No way I’m going back down there alone…”

    “Well maybe I can come over there…?” He mumbles, and I can hear him moving things off of his desk, searching for no doubtedly the keys to his house or something.

    I can’t help but laugh, “Thomas! Thomas, no it’s okay. I’ll take my computer down there…” I say reluctantly, deciding pick my battles. It was a fairly lightweight laptop anyway, so it should be okay to carry. Besides, I would have to go back down there eventually and I did feel better going down there with Thomas, even if he was only here through Skype. All that considered, it doesn’t mean I’m still not nervous though.

    “YES!!” Thomas cheers, jumping up and down in his seat like a little child. “You’re the best, [Name]!!” I manage a small smile, his joyful reaction does help to make this seem less scary in a way. Maybe when I go down there we’ll find that it’s nice, I think to myself. Or that I was hallucinating and it doesn’t exist at all.

    “Yeah, yeah,” I mutter good naturedly, picking up my laptop and carrying it facing out so he could see where I was walking. “You know I am.”

    I hear him laugh, “Don’t act so glum, you are the best! I mean, who lets their robot fanatic best friend see the actual robot in their basement?” His tone of voice is joshing, but I can suddenly tell what his opinion would have been if I’d decided not to let him see.

    “Was that sarcasm, little man?” I inquire teasingly, quirking an eyebrow even though I know he can’t see.

    I am now standing at basement door, and hope it isn’t obvious that I’m stalling, because I really need to come up a reason why I don’t need to go down there now.

    “Noooo,” He replies, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. “And you’re stalling.”

    I groan, turning the laptop so he can see my face. “Am not.”

    “Are to.” He sticks out his tongue, “Just go down there already!”

    “Well excuse me for being afraid of the monster in my cellar, Thomas!” I retort, hissing. To be completely honest with myself, now that I’m actually standing at the door and seeing the monster again is something I’m actually going to do, I’m scared out of my mind. I don’t know what to expect, will it be gone? Will it have come back to life, is it waiting to kill me as soon as I step down there?

    Thomas’ expression softens, “[Name], I understand you’re scared, but nothing’s going to happen, I’m sure of it. And if something does, I can alway call the police to come over there and save your ass!” I know he’s joking, but I don’t really find it funny. Shaking my head, I decide to just get it over with and go down there.

    I close the laptop, hoping that it won’t end the Skype call, before hesitantly reaching for the door knob and turning it. It turns easily, and I push the door open with a loud creak, wincing as I hear the sound echo through out the empty cellar. We don’t keep much in here, just some of my dad’s old tools and a bunch of junk we’re too lazy to take to town to get rid of. That just adds to the creepiness factor all the more, though.

    Stepping down on the first step, I feel around the wall for the light switch, the room being too dark from me to see it from where I was standing. I have to step down another step before I find the small switch. The seconds between flicking the switch and waiting for the lone light bulb to flicker to life were a few of the the longest seconds of my life.

    And then the light was on and the room was illuminated, revealing nothing out of the ordinary.

    Letting out a loud sigh of relief, I continue down the steps, only to pause at the last step to stare at the mangled corpse at the base of the outside cellar doors. It was still there. I tentatively slink closer, only to realise it’s positioned wrong. I freeze.

    I remember shoving it through the doors, watching it land on it’s back. Now it was on it’s stomach, it’s arms sprawled out, reaching towards the steps leading up to the house.

    My blood turns to ice and my heart beats erratically. It moved. The dead creature, it moved. Frozen in place, I stare at it, horrified that at any moment it would get up again and attack me. But it doesn’t move again. The only signs that it was still operating were the small sparks that were beginning to pop out around the frayed wires of it’s neck.

    After one heart stopping moment of realization, I scramble to snap my laptop open, too panic stricken to be relieved that the Skype call had remained active while the laptop was asleep.

    Thomas as still in view of the camera, though he wasn’t looking at the screen. “Thomas!!” I cry, without even pausing to see what he was doing. “Thomas, it’s still alive!!”

    This gets his attention quickly, and his head snaps toward the screen, “WHAT?” He asks, and I can’t tell if it’s through fear or excitement. Unfortunately, something in my mind tells me it’s the latter. “Let me see!” He urges, leaning closer to the screen. “Please!”

    Quickly, with shaky hands, I turn my computer around so it was angled to the floor. I know the moment he spots the creature in the dim lighting due to the strangled gasp he makes.

    “MOTHER OF-” He starts but I interrupt his startled exclamation.

    “THOMAS!” I practically yell, turning the laptop so he could see me, “What do I do with it?! It moved!! Oh my god, Thomas, it moved!!” I exclaim, my voice hitting a note of hysteria on the last syllable.

    “CALM DOWN! It’s okay, [Name]! Is it moving now?” He actually sounds worried now, and I’m glad he’s finally realized the true seriousness of this situation.

    I swallow nervously and take a quivering breath, shaking my head. “N-no, not right now. But Thomas, what if it comes back? What if it-”

    “[Name]! Shhh, [Name], calm down.” He waves his hands to try and get my attention away from the mechanical monster on ground at my feet. “It hasn’t moved since you g-”

    What ever he was about to say was cut off as a loud automated ticking noise, like that sound board. An all too familiar ticking noise. My attention snaps back to the robot and I almost drop my computer.

It was staring right at me.