Chapter One: Robot Hunting

Echo, She-Beast, and Merchant hurriedly followed Runaway and asked questions as they did.

Echo: What do you mean Eraser’s missing?!

Merchant: What the feck is going on?

She-Beast: Runaway! Answer us!

Runaway turned towards for a brief moment, his mask radiating an aura that quickly told them to quiet themselves. But, Runaway sighed before gripping Eraser’s letter. The others looked at him weirdly as he started to talk to himself.

Runaway: No, Run, we need to make friends. Not scare them.

He turned his attention to them.

Runaway: Oni’s kidnapped, E.

Merchant: Heh?!

She-Beast: How do you know?

Runaway handed She-Beast the letter and she read it aloud.

She-Beast: I’ve taken your little toy, so come and get him on Winquix. You know where to find me.

She was too stunned to speak for a moment, and looked at Echo.

Echo: What does he mean by that?

She-Beast: The orphanage, Inex. He wants us to go to the orphanage.

Merchant: Why the feck are we going to an orphanage?

Runaway: Because the Inex twins are weird. We need to hurry. If Oni’s really there, and he has Eraser, we can-

Runaway looked Echo and his whole demeanor changed, from terrifying determination to unwilling compromise.

Runaway: Nevermind.

Runaway walked out of Merchant’s shop, and towards the ship they parked in the street.

Merchant grabbed his war club stationed on the side of his cash register and swung it around. He stopped and spun it around in his hand a bit.

Merchant: I can’t wait to meet this bastard. He’s gonna get a feckin’ face load of my shillelagh.

She-Beast: A simple club won’t be of use against Oni. We’ll need my spiritual powers along with Runway’s portals to even stand a chance. He’s a slippery snake.

Echo: He’s also my brother. Maybe…I can talk to him or get us all out of there without having to fight.

Merchant: Inex- er- Jonathan, pal, the eejit just robot-napped one of our friends. He’s not walking out without a little black eye.

Inex looked away from Merchant with a little bit of guilt in his eyes. She-Beast saw him and looked at Merchant.

She-Beast: We’ll hold off on violence until he attacks us.

Merchant rolled his eyes before hooking his war club on his belt and walking to the ship.

She-Beast looked at Echo and grabbed his hand. The gesture sent a tingle through his spine and a slight blush onto She-Beast’s face.

She-Beast: Inex, you have to realize that Oni isn’t going to just change. He’s dangerous.

Echo: I know, but he’s my brother. And, I, at least, have to try.

She-Beast nodded her head and gripped his hand harder. Echo was surprised by the touch but didn’t pull away.

She-Beast: I admire your persistence, Jonathan Inex. On Veltekk, you would’ve been laughed at for such a bold statement. But, we’re not on Veltekk, and I’m not like my siblings. You’re not like yours, either. We’re so different, yet so similar to our families.

Echo: Yea. I guess that’s something we have in common. You live with four armed aliens, and I have a creepy brother that can summon tendrils out of his back.

She-Beast: Yes, but-

She brought both of her hands to cover Echo’s and another tingle went down his spine.

She-Beast: We have each other. And, I’ll have your back all through tonight. Whatever fate you decide for Oni, I will allow.

As Echo looked at her with wide eyes, She-Beast heard the voices of her ancestors whispering in her ears telling her to go back and run. To stay away from him and to never speak with him again, but she wasn’t going to follow them blindly anymore.

She let go of his hand and smiled at him.

She-Beast: Let’s go. We have a robot to find.

Echo: Yea, and I have a brother to talk to.

__________________

Eraser slowly powered back on could detect every joint of his that was dislocated or not properly aligned. He looked around and saw that he was in a bedroom, a child’s bedroom. He knew it was a child’s based on the drawings that decorated the walls and the bunk bed on the other side of the room.

Oni: Good. You’re awake.

Eraser looked around to find where Oni was, but couldn’t see anything. That is, until he saw the pool of smoke aimlessly drifting on the room’s floor.

Eraser: Where am I?

Oni: You’re at my childhood home.

Eraser struggled against the chains that bound him, but found he couldn’t do anything. Then, he realized they weren’t chains. They were tendrils emerging from the smoke pool beneath him. The tendril hung him high, near the ceiling.

Oni: No use in fighting, This whole place is under my control now. You, or anybody in this building, won’t go anywhere until my brother and your annoying best friend get here.

Eraser struggled harder until he glanced over at the bunk bed again and saw the figure of a young child sleeping.

Eraser: What did you do?!

Oni: Don’t worry. They’re not dead, just sleeping. But, if you struggle again, that might change.

Eraser: Why are you doing this? Why not just leave us alone and go after the commission.

Oni: The commission doesn’t matter until Jonny’s on my side, or dead. I’m doing this for him. I’m going after revenge for him. If he betrays me, what's the point?

Eraser: If he doesn’t do what you want, then, what?

Oni: I- I don’t know, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

Eraser wanted to say something else when Oni’s form started to solidify in front of him.

Oni: One thing that I’m addressing tonight, though, is his allegiance. Is it to family or is it to some nobodies that know nothing about him.

Eraser: You could help him. You could help him find out about his past. Why don’t you just make life easier for him?!

Oni: He’s made life for me so hard. Now, he needs to prove himself. If he wasn’t an idiot and took Magneta’s offer-

Eraser: Magneta?

Oni: Only I’m allowed to say her name.

Eraser stared into space and then deactivated.

Oni: Okay. That’s weird.

Oni tapped Eraser’s head and it lolled sideways. He scoffed before looking at the window that was behind the deactivated robot’s body.

Oni: Come on home, Jonathan.