The Frigid Heart (ONC-2021)

Morals and manners

"Blinkie! Blinkie wake up." Reno shook the rusty metallic pyramid in his hands, his voice was as if he was whispering to a sleeping baby.

"Rogue thinks she is dead." Rogue muttered, his pixelated lips slanting downwards. "It's all my fault. I didn't want Mira to lose in the bot-fight. I am programmed like that, I cannot see her sad."

"Stop your emotional drama, you bitch!" A femme fatale voice sounded before the pyramid unfolded like a reverse origami and leaped out of Reno's hands.

Blink was an arachno-bot, with eight killer legs, a slender body with 360 degrees rotatable red eyes. Her right eye blinked like it was a night lamp about to die. She catapulted from the wall, her legs drawn inward like a torpedo and flung toward Rogue and clung onto him in the mid air.

Although Rogue felt physical pain from her lady long legs, he managed a surprised smile. "I haven't been this happy to see someone alive. Now, get off of me, will ya? Unless you want to die again."

"Are you challenging me?" Blink questioned, her arachno-limb drawn up in a position to shatter him once and for all.

"Pfft!" Rogue imitated a chuckle from the cyber-net.

"Guys. Guys." Reno chimed in, "we don't want to kill each other now, do we?"

"Morals before manners Rogue," Mira lifted her hands. "Leave the nice lady alone."

"I'm sparing your life this time, Spidey. But remember, next time I'll pluck that ugly eye out of your head." Rogue shook himself flopping her on the floor and flew towards Mira.

"Hmmph!" Blink huffed, jumping to settle on Reno's shoulder. "I'm waiting. I guess I've found a worthy opponent, finally."

Mira raised her brows, this arachno-bot was not ready to cut some slacks, even when she was dying without power.

"Do not mind her," Reno smiled nervously, gently scratching the nape of his neck like an involuntary tic. "All these years of bot fight, stealth and betting has made her vengeful. I should prolly change her codes."

"That's alright." Mira shrugged, "bots are like that, aren't they? Proud, possessive..."

"Umm. Sorry to interrupt, a quick search on the net reveals that bots are compassionate, obedient beings. You have been fed wrong information." Rogue cut them off in the middle of the conversation.

"I have to agree with that moron. Hmmfh." Blink rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Blinkie. That's enough for a day, we should get you fixed ASAP, c'mon."

Reno led her down his arm as she skittered with minute robotic noises and landed on the work surface. He spinned a screw-driver from the hanger and got to work. "Mira, battery please."

"Ouch!" Blinkie scowled, "could you be gentle at the least? It's already embarrassing to get your rear opened in front of another bot."

Rogue cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Rogue didn't intend to see your thang opened. But I am helpless as I have to access the imperial codes in order to kick start your ass...sorry kick start your battery."

"Rogue!" Mira angered, while Reno's corners of lips lifted up in a subtle smile.

"Mira, you said it yourself. Morals before manners." A pixelated 'I-don't-give-a-damn' kind of emoticon came alive on Rogue's screen. Mira could feel him shrugging carelessly.

"I like this good Oold CR-0ny." Mused a familiar crooked voice, "as sassy as the day we created it."

Mira heard the rhythmic thumping of metallic cane and feet. A shadow of ruffled hair growing on the wall beside her.