f o r e v e r | lab rats | *EDITING*

c h a p t e r 4 ; crush, chop, and burn

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Later I find Leo on his way to the lab, probably to explore the place a bit more. Unfortunately for us, it's also where Davenport placed our new robot friends. Robot Adam is the one that notices us as we walk in, and he greets us with, "Hello, insert your name here. Would you like to engage in silly, happy, fun time?"

"Get lost!" Leo angrily yells. "You can't replace my real friends! I really loved those guys."

I pick up the comic book he left on the cyber desk, muttering to myself while flipping it open and beginning to...read? Do you read comic books, or just look at the pictures? Whatever it is, that's what I do, and Leo stands at my side faithfully, peering over my shoulder at the explosion of color and combat.

"Don't be sad, Mr. Leo," Robot Chase says as he follows us across the lab. "Friends come and go. But robots are forever. Dibbly. Dibbly. That is my version of a laugh. Dibbly. Dibbly."

"Will you tin heads get out of here?!" I exclaim.

Actually, now I regret doing that. For Robot Chase then says, "Sensing human hostility."

What?

"Must exterminate," says Bree's robot.

"Robots attack."

"What? No! I'm too young to die!" I scream as the three of them close in on us. Faintly I can hear Eddy in the background cheering them on. Robot Adam traps me in his arms, whereas Leo slips free of him and Chase, only to run right into Robot Bree. He screams in terror.

Then, out of nowhere, the three of them burst into hysterical laughter. Adam releases me and claps in amusement, as does Chase, and Bree reassures Leo. "We're not robots. It's really us."

"Huh?"

"We told the driver we forgot something, and then we swapped the robots in our place," Chase explains.

Okay, that's actually kind of smart.

"You said you loved us. You said you loved us," Adam teases, making loud kissy noises at the two of us before Leo slaps him across the face. "Ow!"

"It is you guys!" he says happily before throwing his arms around the older boy happily. Chase pulls Bree and I into the hug, and the five of us only hold each other in relief. Then Leo pulls away and asks, "Wait, what about Davenport?"

"We'll just have to act like dumb robots every single time he's around," replies Adam.

"It'll be easier for some of us than others," Bree mutters to Chase and I.

As if he had been summoned, Davenport enters the lab after she speaks. I smack Chase's stomach and the three of them jump back into position, pretending to be much more metal than they're supposed to be.

"Hey, Leo, Val," Davenport greets.

"Big D, Donny, man of the house!"

I mentally face palm. That idiot couldn't be more obvious.

"What're you doing, buddy?"

"What am I doing? I am hanging with my robo-fake people friends. Ain't no party like a robot party 'cause a robot party don't stop."

"See, I told you you would like them."

"Like 'em? I love 'em!"

At the word 'love', Adam once again begins to make kissy faces at his friend. Chase smacks his shoulder to get him back in place as Davenport turns around to face us again.