Leave me or love me (a WheatDOS fanfiction)

Chapter 3. An old new friend.

It didn't seem particularly weird to Wheatley that he'd get to the elevator after just as much as one test chamber, since he simply didn't pick up on it. He started moving up fairly quickly, and soon enough found himself arriving to the cryosleep wing. Was that really it? She made such a big deal out of him now being human-like, and now it was all she decided to do with him? It actually felt a bit alarming. All in his anxious thoughts on the matter, Wheatley didn't notice anyone on his way, until they bumped in each other. A loud metallic crash signalled that he knocked over another android. Having picked himself up, Wheatley looked around, trying to find the 'victim'. An imposing guy with broad shoulders already towered over him, his unnaturally green eyes glinting with mild irritaion.
"Oh, God, sorry I didn't mean to do.. uh, what I did right now, okay? Now, if excuse me.." Wheatley started walking off, when a familiar deep voice called him. "Did boss lady bring you back as well?" He was able to recognise the android's identity. "Uh, yeah? Rick, was it? Did She do it to you too?"
As it appeared in the flow of the conversation that came next, GLaDOS returned and 'reworked' some of the personality cores, having granted each of them the traits they stated they wanted to have/liked about humans. In the case of adventure core, his answer to the survey was 'a strong hot body'. Wheatley then proceeded to touch him, only to realize that She didn't make exactly all wishes come true: the temperature of Rick's artifical skin and- what he presumed could be- metal underneath were just what you would expect: slightly cool. He wondered why. Maybe it was too hard even for her?
"So you're in room 1036, mate? Hah, what a coincidence! I'm in 37, and Phil is in 38"
"Phil?"
"Well, yeah, Phil. Y'know, the fact core? He doesn't like me calling him that. In fact, he gets just MENTAL about it. But that's the fun part, ha-ha"
"He must have really good results at testing, mustn't he?"
"Testing? Him? He'd get his everything cracked if he were to be tested!" Rick smirked, dismissively waving his hand. "But he isn't. Boss lady assigned him to monitor the archives"
Wheatley nodded slightly as they kept walking and chatting. It was a bit weird, catching up like this.
"What about Space? Where was.. he assigned? Astrology something I presume?"
"Astra? Nah. She deemed him too corrupt to do anything, so she now tries to find a way of deleting corruption. Not the kinda lady stuff you'd expect"
"Well, that's because she isn't a lady. She's the central AI. She is literally the backbone of the place" Wheatley made a gesture with both of his hands, emphasizing the statement. "And that's bloody hard, you know? To keep this place going without any central cores overheating or facilities falling apart or fat lunatics interfering! So you might want to show a bit more respect to her, if you don't want to end up back in space"
Suddenly, a sound out of the blue made him literally cringe. He heard slow claps, and sharply turned to Rick. But the adventure android didn't clap or anything, and then it hit him. It was Her. She has been listening to them this whole time!
"Oh, nevermind me. I was just checking if my slow clap processor was working. Turns out it is fully functional, as always. You can continue with your personal conversation"
Wheatley gave the nearest camera a sceptical look, but said nothing.
"Oh, what is it? Shocked that I- central core, whose job is to monitor the facility- actually monitor the facility? Well, not surprising, considering how you had regarded this directive. But as a matter of fact, I liked your little speech"
He could swear that he heard a smirk in her deadpan serious voice, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

After that little incident he and Rick continued to converse for a little longer, before the green-eyed android suddenly, absolutely out of the blue said to him. "Do you want to meet up with her tête-á-tête?"
"No, why- how did even such an idea came to your mind? That I would want that?!"
"Well, I don't know. Maybe if you could warm her up to yourself you wouldn't have to fear for your life? You do seem to need that"
"..And you do realize that there's a solid possibility of Her hearing us- well mostly YOU, as a matter of fact -right now?"
"Well" Rick shrugged with a careless smirk "if you don't want to give it a shot, so be it. But just keep in mind that all ladies are actually pretty simple in their core: they favour the bold, the brash, the ones who are ready to beat them into respect!"
"Are you one hundred percent sure that's what you want Her to hear from you?"
"Believe me, I'm right. I have so many ladies wanting to be with me already! Why would I be wrong about something like this?"
Wheatley nodded slowly, processing what his newfound friend had just said.
"So, Wheats? Do you still not want to act up on my offer?"
"Oh, er.." Wheatley looked around once again (as if he could notice if She did or didn't listen) "a-actually I do! I mean I do want to to take you up on the offer. But what do I do for it, then?"
"Just listen to me, partner. Listen carefully"
And with that, Rick leaned in to tell the blue-eyed android his plan. Oh, it was absolutely brilliant! Machiavellian! He couldn't wait to have it put in actual action. Now he only needed to wait for the next test.