"Ten Hut!", Loris commanded.
Deep in the bowels of Home, Loris was preparing his troops for battle. He had eight, six foot tall, soldiers standing in front of him. The Bunker they were in was quite large with a low ceiling. Multiple halogen bulbs giving off a harsh blue/white light lined the ceiling. The walls were a gunmetal grey and gave off the effect of some sort of infinity room. One wall was lined with various weapons. Everything from basic pistols to long range sniper rifles to a bazooka or two. Four large tubes with people sized openings were at the opposite end. It looked like some sort of silly sci-fyi set design but in reality they were fully functioning teleporters. Or at least they were in theory. Loris had never tried them out.
Loris had been working on these for months. He had found that he could create creatures out of just about anything and animate them. So he had spent most of his time in Home experimenting. These eight were his crowing achievement. He has spent months working on them. And when he heard about the Help3r army, the first thing he decided to do was to test them out. He had used any number of things from the room. Including the armory and weaponry that was available. This was however the most important part of the process. Imprinting the creations with their purpose. He found that when he did this with more emotion and fever that they came out stronger. So he had a whole speech lined up. This was going to be a war after all.
"I am Lutenent Loris, and I'm putting together a special team and I need me eight soldiers. Eight butterfly, Pro-Roivas soldiers. Now you all might have heard what Zander said about the attack on Home happening soon.
Weeeeeell, we'll be getting a head start on that fight. We're going to charge Help3r's fortress. And once we are in that cave, as a bushwacking man made army, we're going to be doing one thing and one thing only. Killin dolls.
Now I don't know about you all. But I sure as hell didn't come to Home all the way from California to fight my way through a cave and teach a mute, hypochondriac a lesson in humanity. Help3r ain't got no humanity. He's a butterfly hating guy who has built an army of robotic doll things. And that's why every doll we see, is gonna die.
Sound good!"
The eight soldiers raised their hands in salute.
"What in the hell are you doing in my room Loris?", Envoy demanded. He walked the length of the room with a scowl on his face.
"Envoy!", Loris said excited. "Aren't they great! This is what happens with months of work and practice. Aren't they are just the coolest?"
"Their dolls. You're playing with dolls again.", Envoy chided.
"These are not dolls! Their soldiers. Just look at them!", Loris insisted.
Envoy took a good look at the mashed together soldiers. The he noticed exactly what they were made of. "Loris, are you using my things for your dolls? Is....is that ones head a cooking pot?", Envoy pointed to the third one's "head".
Loris looked at the soldier then back to Envoy. "Well I ran out of buckets.", He shrugged.
"This is Home!", Envoy yelled. "All you have to do is think up another one and it's there!" Behind Envoy came a large clunk. When they both looked, a large metal bucket was laying in the ground sideways. "See!"
"Come on Envoy this is going to be great! Look at them. They are soldiers now. They can protect us all.", Loris insisted.
"How could you even know that?", Envoy questioned. He grabbed the bucket and walked right up to one. "I bet these hunks of junk wouldn't even be able to stand up to me. And I'm almost half their size!", He took the bucket and hit the soldier in the leg. The soldier kicked Enovy back with such sudden force that he flew across the room and landed in a tower of metal buckets. Loris ran to him. Envoy started crying out in pain.
"Oh god Envoy are you okay? I'm sorry! They still need a few tweaks and...where did all these buckets come from?"
"AHHHHHHH! MY LEGS!", Envoy hollared.
Loris moved the buckets to the side revealing Envoy in agonizing pain. One leg was turned a direction it shouldn't have. The other seemed okay. Until you saw the exposed bone sticking out of the knee socket.
"Holy crap!", Loris yelled.
"Damn it you mother fucker! Shit this hurts!", Envoy cursed and sputtered. Loris was looking on in disbelief and horror at the scene. Trying desperately not to call out in the hivemind. He'd be in trouble for sure.
As Loris and Envoy found themselves lost in the moment another figure walked into the room. Rio stood by and watched the two butterflies interact. Her robot eyes glowing with a purple hue. Focusing and adjusting. Her sensors and mechanical mind started processing the senario.
<COMMAND> Identify Butterflies.
Her sensors moved and located the two in her database.
<Butterfly: Juverncia aka Loris.>
<Ability: Create lifeforms from inanimate objects.>
<Butterfly: Inachis aka Envoy>
<Ability: Unknown>
<COMMAND> Study Butterfly Inachis to determine Ability.
Rio walked closer to the scene. Envoy was still crying out. Loris apologizing intensely.
"God why is this taking so bloody long!", Envoy yelled!
Soon afterward his body froze as if he had become paralyzed all at once. The sound of muscles tearing and reforming made Loris cringe. And a very loud crack, announced Evnoy's bones being forced back into their proper shape. His leg jerked as the bone seemed to move itself back into his body. And with that he let out one more scream. Then his whole body went limp as his endorphins flew through his veins ceasing any pain getting to the receptors in his brain. Loris watched as the hole in his knee quietly formed the muscles around the bone then the skin covering the wound and repairing itself within moments. The entire process took five minutes. When it was finally done Envoy took a huge breath and exhaled a loud frustrated moan. Loris had covered his hands to his mouth. He did not imagine seeing this today.
<INPUT> Inachis ability: Regeneration.
Rio's eyes glowed a bright purple at the discovery.
Loris tried to help Envoy up. Envoy flailed his arms at him in protest as he helped himself up awkwardly out of the giant bucket pile. Loris stood back, then quickly turned as he caught Rio out of the corner of his eye. He jumped and got closer to Envoy again.
"What is that doing here?", Loris questioned.
Envoy looked up and saw Rio. "What in the fuck! Now the fuck up robot is here. This is MY room people! Not your's Loris. Not robot the creep's. Mine!"
Rio just looked at the two and tilted her head. Both Envoy and Loris just stood their looking back not sure what to do with it. Envoy didn't trust Rio at all. And this had been the first time Loris had even seen her.
"Loris.", Envoy whispered. "Make yourself useful and get your dolls to capture that.....doll."
"Do you think it's dangerous?", Loris whispered back.
"It's a Help3r doll isn't it? Just do it for christ's sake.", Envoy insisted.
"Uh....", Loris hesitated.
"Get that thing!", Envoy shouted.
"Uh...yeah....capture the prisoner!", Loris ordered.
The soldiers all moved in unison quickly turning to Rio and surrounding the small framed doll.
***
Rio was now tied up to a chair. The eight soldiers standing guard around the captured Rio. Each facing outward, making sure no one tried to free her. Loris and Envoy had been arguing for the better part of an hour as to what to do with the bot. They got so invested in the argument that they had forgotten to keep their Hivemind to themselves. As such, all of Home was hearing the tedious yelling in their heads. Chewie and Ion were the first to arrive at the scene.
"What in the love of Thor is going on here?", Chewie yelled as him and Ion walked over to them.
Envoy and Loris quickly abandoned their argument and saw they had been found out.
"Chewie! Come over here and tell Loris he's being a twat!", Envoy called.
Ion looked at the giant soldiers. "Well that's something I haven't seen yet.", he commented.
Chewie looked past and saw Rio. "Rio what are you doing?" Chewie began to walk past the soldiers but was stopped by two giant weapons now blocking his way.
"I have been captured. I am a prisoner.", Rio responded.
"What?", Chewie asked.
"Chewie it's a doll. A Help3r doll. We needed to capture it.", Loris defended.
"She's not a doll anymore Loris. She's a butterfly now.", Chewie explained.
"Hardly.", Envoy scoffed. "She's just been running around here like Anna's new pet. We can't trust that she won't go all crazy at any moment. For all we know Help3r is watching us now through her eyes."
Chewie gave a deep sigh. He has been putting this off for too long.
"Hey Ion? You up for a little robot surgery?", Chewie asked.
"Uh yeah. I suppose. That is if these giant things don't try to slice and dice me first.", Ion responded.
"Loris, you made these things right?", Chewie asked.
"Yeah.", Loris already knew what he was going to ask him to do.
"Call them off so we can get to Rio. We can make sure she dosen't have a connection to Help3r and is an official butterfly.", Chewie promised.
Loris hesitated at first. Part of him fought against it. This was a Help3r doll. The things that were out to kill everyone at the first chance. But this one hadn't tried that. And honestly, it seemed more curious then blood thirsty. Besides, Chewie wouldn't ask him that if it wasn't for a good reason.
"Alright. But they should keep watch just in case.", Loris insisted.
"Of course.", Chewie smiled.
"Soldiers! At Ease!", Loris commanded.
All eight soldiers relaxed their defensive postures and put their arms behind their backs in a simultaneous motion. Chewie and Ion walked past them and approached Rio.
"Rio? Remember how we talked about removing your remote to Help3r?", Chewie asked.
"Yes, I remember." , Rio responded.
"We need to do that now. Otherwise the others may keep feeling nervous.", Chewie explained.
"Why?", Rio asked.
"Well Rio. Others like you have tried to hurt us before."
"Like my family?", Rio interrupted.
"Yes, like your family."
"Will I receive a new goal?", Rio asked.
"I suppose that will be up to you. After we make sure you aren't controlled by Help3r then you can make your own goals."
"My own goals."
Rio had stopped her questioning. She just sat there for a while not able to show her thoughts. Chewie looked at Ion for a second. This was an odd conversation to have. Trying to explain free will to a being that was meant to have none.
"I wan't to set my own goals. Initiate removal of remote." Rio moved her arms to her sides, easily tearing the ropes that had held her down. Clearly she had no trouble getting out of the situation. Chewie and Ion moved back, unsure as to what Rio was about to do. She moved one hand to her neck and opened a small hatch. She slowly reached inside with two of her long robotic fingers and seemed to clasp down on something. Her arm jerked a few times trying to pull something out.
"I will set my own goal.", Rio reiterated.
She then pulled out a small chip. Immediately she froze as everything seemed to shut off. As if someone had pulled her power cord. Her eyes were black. She was motionless and seemed dead.
Chewie walked up to her and took the chip out of her hand. It glowed and seemed to work independent of the robot's mainframe. He put it in his hands and focused his ability. Short circuiting the chip and rendering it useless. Chewie dropped it on the ground. And for good measure, Ion crunched it into pieces with his shoe. Chewie looked at Rio close up. He wasn't really sure what had just happened. Just as he was about to try his ability on Rio when her eyes lit up again. The purple seemed more radiant and bright.
"Rio? Are you okay?", Chewie asked.
Rio began to move her joints again. Every extremity was moving in succession. As if she was going through an all systems check. A moment later the robot looked up at Chewie.
"Yes Chewie. I seem to be functioning at maximum capacity. I have achieved my first goal.", Rio reported.
Everyone stood around shocked. Even Envoy and Loris were now looking around Ion at the event.
"What goal was that?", Chewie asked.
"To attain free will. I no longer hear the words of my family.", Rio answered plainly. "I wish to set another goal."
"What now?", Envoy asked bluntly.
Rio glanced over at Envoy. "I wan't to help my new family."
