Robot Girlfriend: Ros Part Two (complete)

Hephaestus Academy has been an extremely busy place lately. For one, new students are coming in daily. It’s gotten to the point where Hephaestus is working so hard to find teachers and investors that he was injured last week during a demonstration. Because of that, Mina has forced him to rest, and he’s been teaching classes with Mina, Hug, and a few others helping him so he doesn’t hurt himself further.

Oona and I, as senior students, have started taking some of the newer students under our wings. Oona has been working with a guy named Max. He’s around our age but extremely new to the campus. He has some sort of bug called Spite, not too sure what it is, but it’s weird and I’m trying to get used to it. My student is someone I know, but she has suffered severe injuries and been rebooted. Poke - she was once a very close friend and my upperclassman. Now she’s like a little girl. Either way, I’m happy to help her as she used to help me.

“My neck is killing me,” Max grunts as we leave the gym.

Spite slithers up, shaping himself into the hood of Max’s jacket. “Want me to take care of that for you, babe?”

“Can you not be that way for five seconds?” Oona scolds him, tapping the top of Spite’s head warningly.

“You can ignore him. It won’t hurt my feelings,” Max sighs as he laces his shoes.

Poke runs up beside me. “How did everything go, Ros? Am I showing improvement?” she asks eagerly.

I nod at her. “You’re showing remarkable growth, Poke. Pretty soon, you’ll be back to your old stats if you keep up this hard work.”

Poke pumps her fist in the air. “Yes!”

Spite suddenly sits erect, lifting his head and oozing way up off of Max’s shoulders. He hovers above his head, sniffing the air deeply. Then he hunches back down and coils tight around Max.

“What is it?” Max asks.

“A hunter,” Spite whispers. 

I tilt my head to the side. “A what?”

“A hunter! Do you not know anything?” Spite scoffs. “A lifeform built specifically to hunt down, kill, and harvest my kind!”

“Harvest?” Oona asks. “What do they do? Make purses out of you?”

“Worse!” Spite hisses. “They use us to make more of them. Create new lifeforms using our corpses.”

Max puts his hand on Spite’s head. “Hey, calm down. It’s okay.”

Hug comes out to the field and Poke lights up, happily racing forward. “Hi Dad!” she giggles.

“Hi sweetie,” he whispers, but his tone is dark. “Oona, Max, Ros, can I ask you to come with me please?”

“It’s about me isn’t it?” Spite snarls as he lifts back up. “Don’t go, Max. It’s a trap.”

“I assure you it isn’t a trap,” Hug scoffs. “But I do need you, Spite. I also have Jack and Dr. Harlan coming as well.”

“To harvest us!” Spite spits.

Max pushes Spite down as he stands up. “Just behave, alright? No one is getting harvested.”

The four of us follow Hug towards the repair wing. Mina’s garage is open, and inside there is a robot I have never seen before.

“Hunter!” Spite screams, rising up around Max like a bird trying to scare off a predator.

“Spite, calm down,” Mina snaps. “This is Luke, and yes, like you say, he is a hunter. But he’s not after you.”

Luke turns and looks down at us. Poke ducks behind me and takes hold of my hand. “He’s big, Ros,” she whispers.

“Why is he here?” I ask softly. “If it doesn’t have anything to do with Spite or the other symbiotes-”

“It has to do with one,” Luke corrects, his voice staticy and clipped. “But not the one you are familiar with.”

Spite lowers down and snarls under his breath. “Oh? Then who?”

“There was a symbiote ship that landed on my homeworld six cycles ago,” Luke replies. “On it was a symbiote who took down our power plant and severely disabled our entire planet. Thousands of us are dying.”

Spite giggles gleefully.

“I’m hunting down this Symbiote. It escaped and came directly towards earth.” Luke steps towards us. “Any help you are willing to give in finding them would be greatly appreciated.”

“As if I’d work with-” Max quickly covers Spite’s mouth.

“The Symbiote, was it Rabid?” I quickly ask, seeing Max’s discomfort.

Luke shakes his head. “This Symbiote went by the title of Beast.”

Spite rises up again, hissing. “Beast?” he snarls. “I know that one.”

“Then you know what a danger they are,” Luke growls, his voice hissing with static. “I need help finding them. Hug recommended the four of you to assist.”

“Are you sure about that?” I quickly turn to Hug. “Poke is still-”

“I trust you to take care of her, as well as her own ability at this point,” Hug says with a nod. “The four of you have my permission to assist Luke in his hunt.”

“Then where are we going?” Oona asks.

We are outfitted for the mission, given one of the jets so we can travel to the projected area where Beast may have landed in the Appalachian mountains. I am nervous, as this is the first big mission I have been sent on with Poke. I know Poke can handle herself, but it still feels too early should something happen.

“No doubt if word gets out to Rabid, he’ll want to find Beast for his own uses,” Dr. Harlan says over the radio. “Jack and I will be with all of your shortly, but for the time being we’re keeping watch on Rabid and his movements.”

“Take your time,” I say. “Who knows how long this hunt will take us.”

“Be safe out there. Take care of Max for me,” Harlan chuckles.

Spite leans over my shoulder. “I will. Over and out.”

“Hey,” I snap at him, shooing him off. “Peppermints don’t have authority over that,” I scold him.

Spite’s tongue slithers out and he hisses at me. At the moment, he’s completely covering Max’s body.

“Spites are diplomats,” Luke says suddenly. “Not exactly fighters.”

“I’ll fight you,” Spite jabs a finger at him.

“Wait, he’s a diplomat?” I scoff.

Luke sighs. “Once was. Each symbiote has a title relating to their function. Beast is a class that is best kept chained up, only used for the most dire of situations.”

“What? Like an attack dog?” Oona asks.

“Worse,” Spite growls. “I met a Beast once, horrible creature. Way too smart. Way too strong. It’s like that scene with Hannibal Lecter, and he’s eating the guy’s brain?” He shudders. “That sort of raw evil.”

“Do we have a chance against one then?” I ask quietly.

“As long as they don’t bond to anyone,” Spite huffs. “Then, we may have a chance. But Beasts are special. They can attach to anything and take its form. Rocks, trees... even your robots may not stand a chance.”

Poke gasps softly and I reach over, placing my hand over hers.

“Don’t worry though,” Spite laughs. “Beasts will only attach themselves to something they feel is as wicked as they are. You goodie-two-shoes should be fine.”

We land the jet and disembark. As Luke comes out with us, he turns on a locator on his arm. He looks around, eyes opening and narrowing as he gazes through the trees and rock.

Spite has his mouth open, breathing deeply. His chest puffs up and then falls. His arms are stretched out, and his claw-like fingers are tensed.

“What are you doing?” I whisper as I approach him.

“He’s trying to smell,” Max groans. “It’s gross. Tastes awful.”

Spite turns his head suddenly, and his shoulders hunch towards his neck.

I try to follow his line of vision. “What is it?” 

Spite lurches away, slinging himself into a tree and taking off. Luke quickly gives chase after him, so I move Poke over to Oona. “You two stay here!” I follow into the woods, bounding over trees and flying up above them. I see Spite skittering across the treetops until suddenly, something hits him.

“Max!” I shout into the communicator. “Are you alright?”

I hear nothing but static and hissing. Then I hear a grunt and scream. “Spite! Get it off! Spite!” It returns to static.

I catch up with Luke, descending through the trees to find him pulling a weapon from his back.

“I think Spite is fighting it,”  I gasp to Luke. “We have to go help them.”

Luke turns and looks at me. “In order to do that, you need to get Beast off him. If I shoot this weapon, it’ll take down Spite and Max with it. Can you do it?”

I look ahead, hearing a screaming match up ahead. “Yeah,” I whisper. “Just wait for my signal.” I charge ahead, going towards the sound of the screaming.

I come upon Spite, who is slithering along the ground, trying to avoid attacks from a birdlike creature covered in neon yellow and blue. The bird screams, striking at Spite with its talons, trying to grab him like a worm. It suddenly turns, sees me and dives down towards me.

“Watch out!” Spite lunges, knocking me aside as the bird crashes into the rocky earth, burrowing down deep.

“What the fuck was that?” I scream as the dust clears.

“Beast,” Spite pants. “The fucking bitch. Better move.” He grabs me and rockets us up through the trees, slingshotting me into the air just as the bird zooms into the light. 

“Got it!” Luke bellows into the communicator. A sudden beam strikes the bird and the coating of blue and yellow slips away from it. It strikes out, lashing towards me before Luke hits it with another beam. Spite catches me, holding me as we sit in a tree and watch as Luke seals Beast in a canister. 

“Did we get it?” I whisper, almost afraid to speak.

Beast remains still in the canister. But then, just as Luke goes to seal it, they lash out, wrapping themselves around Luke’s face. 

“Nope.” Spite takes me, running away from the scene. “This is bad. Very bad.”

“What about Luke?” I gasp.

“My kind can’t take over hunters.” Spite huffs. “It’s best you take yourself and the other two out of here. Luke and I will wait on Jac and Harlan to arrive.”

“No! We came to do this together!” I snap at him as he sets me down just before the landing sight.

“Look, robo-barbie,” Spite points at me. “You have a responsibility here. While Luke is down, you’re leader! That furby and the waterbug need you. If Beast got ahold of one of them, what would you do?”

I gasp and go silent.

“Exactly,” Spite snaps at me. “I am a fucking diplomat!” He swings back off, heading back into the woods to face Beast.

I run back to the jet, where Oona and Poke are onboard.

“Ros, what’re you doing back?” Oona gasps as she approaches me.

I sit down in the pilot seat and go over the controls. “We need to get out of here. Both of you, get buckled in. We’re going to take off.”

“What happened?” Poke runs to her seat.

“Beast is more dangerous than we thought. Spite said it would be best if we get out of here before Beast finds us.” I start turning on the jet as Oona takes the co-pilot seat.

We get the jet into the air, but as we start to take off Beast charges the window. We all scream and the jet shakes. The massive blue-and-yellow bird pecks at the window, and it starts to crack.

Spite tries to push Beast away, forcing their beak away from the window. His hand slips and Beast’s beak strikes down on his shoulder.

“Max!” Oona cries. She suddenly jumps up from her seat and rushes towards the door.

“Oona! What are you doing?” I scream at her.

“Max is my student,” Oona opens up the door and a strong gust of wind surges in. “I have to protect him.” Oona grabs onto the side of the plane. “Keep this thing steady!” she commands me before crawling out.

“Get back in here!” I scream at her. 

“Ros!” Poke comes up to the controls with me. “I’ll help you! It’ll be okay!”

I try to watch the controls, but I can’t help but watch as Oona slips onto the windshield with Spite. Her sticky fingers cling to the surface as she positions herself over Spite. Beast stops attacking, and the two lock eyes.

“No, no,” I shake my head. “Oh please, no.”

Oona raises her hand up and the blue and yellow swirls onto her skin.

“No! No! Oona!” I scream.

Beast takes Oona over, and she grabs onto Spite. Carrying him back into the jet, Oona shuts the door. “Get us out! Now!” Her voice sounds distorted and warped. 

She quickly rushes towards the back, locking herself up in the cell. She screams, falling to her knees as her back arches and spikes rise out of it. Her tail coils and grows extremely long and thin.

“Oona!” I cry. “Oona I’m here! Oona! Stay with me!”

Poke taps my hand. “I’ve got this. Go.”

I rush off, leaving Poke to fly the jet, and collapse in front of the cell, watching Oona and Beast surge and snarl. Oona turns great big yellows eyes towards me. She grins, showing off a horrible, jagged mouth much worse that Spite’s. 

“Take care of the kid,” Oona says in a choppy, animalistic voice. “Make sure he’s okay.”

“Oona,” I whimper, placing my hand against the glass.

Her hand presses back, six fingers growing from her palm. “I’ve got this. Check on Max.”

I rush over to Max, who is braced against the wall and holding his shoulder. Spite is bunched on top of the wound, all his focus on healing Max.

“Are you alright?” I ask.

Max whimpers. Tears streak down his face. “No!” he screams in agony. “A fucking bird stabbed me!”

I take out the first-aid kit and administer a painkiller. Max slouches and his eyes turn foggy. “Spite,” I whisper to him. “Is there any way to separate Oona from Beast?”

“Cold,” Spite whispers, continuing to focus on the stab wound. “Must be cold.”

I send word back to the academy that we have Beast on board, and they have taken over Oona. Once there, Oona is transported to the cells below the academy. 

“Ros, I’m so sorry,” Max says to me as he’s taken off the jet by medics. “If we had just been a little stronger-”

“No,” I whisper. “She did it to save you because that’s what she would always do.”

I take Poke back home. Over the next few days I am either hidden away or sitting with Max and Spite in the medical ward while he recovers.

“It’ll be okay,” Max tries to assure me. “Once Beast gets fed up, they’ll just leave Oona alone.”

“Oona’s too goody-goody anyway. Beast will get real bored of her. Beast isn’t one for affection. Go make out with her and that might make her leave too,” he chuckles.

“No jokes,” Max scolds with a whisper. 

“I’m so worried,” I sigh. “Will Beast hurt her? Will she do whatever she can to take control?”

“If they keep her cold enough, Beast will slowly lose willpower.” Spite assures me. “And Oona is tougher than most, even with her sugar-cookie personality.”

I smile softly. “Is cold what gets you?”

“I ain’t telling you what gets me,” Spite hisses. 

Max then looks up, and I turn to see Hug come into the room. I stand up to meet him. “Is everything okay?” I ask.

Hug puts his hand on my shoulder. “Ros, come with me. Oona wants to see you.” He leads me away, taking me down into the basement where they are holding Oona and Beast.

It’s so cold. Once I’m shown to Oona’s cell, I see Beast inside trying to strike at the walls or destroy the vents. Her breath comes out in thick white puffs. Then she sees me. Her yellow eyes widen and she comes to the window.

“Oona?” I whisper. 

“Get us out of here, Ros,” Beast snarls.

I clench my fists tight. “Let go of her,” I growl.

“She gave herself freely,” Beast chuckles. “Gave herself to me.” Beast lays her palm on her chest. “So now, it’s us.” She snarls and looks around. “This cold is annoying!”

“Oona,” I whisper again urgently. “Please say you’re in there.”

Beast turns back and slams against the glass. “You want her? Come get her!”

I place my hand up on the glass. “Oona, I know you’re in there. You’re stronger than this Beast.”

“Fat chance!” Beast laughs. But her hand touches the glass over mine. “What?” she roars.

“Ros,” Oona whispers. “I’m here. Stay with me, okay?”

Beast starts to peel away, revealing Oona’s face. I press closer to the glass and Oona moves forward. Beast starts to recede, falling onto the ground like a lump of neon-colored ice cream. She hisses, trying to crawl away.

“You’re okay!” I laugh happily.

Oona presses her forehead to the glass. “I just kept waiting for your voice,” she chuckles.

The door opens behind Oona, and a woman stands there. She walks into the room and Oona lunges to stop her, but she takes up Beast on one hand and strikes Oona with a stun gun. She glances up at me with a guilty look on her face.

“I didn’t want to have to do that. But I need to get out of here with this one now!” She snaps at me. She looks young, around college age, like Max. “Its best I take her away from here. Please, don’t tell anyone you saw me.” Her big brown eyes plead with me.

“Are you working for Rabid?” I ask, trying to keep calm while Oona remains on the ground.

She shakes her head. “Not even close. I just need you to be quiet and let me get out of here!”

“Who are you?” I snap.

The woman shakes her head again. “Just know this young lady is in good hands. I promise, I won’t bother you again.”

She leaves the room, stepping over Oona. I rush to stop her, but she’s vanished. I go back into the cell and pick Oona off the floor. “Hey, look at me,” I whisper urgently. “Oona.”

Oona groans. “God, that fucking hurts.” She brushes her hair from her face. “I feel sick now.” She gazes up at me. “What happened? Where did Beast go?”

I look towards the open door. “I’m not sure.”

After a medical evaluation and a good meal, I take Oona back to our place, where we curl up in bed. She rests against me, laying her head on my chest.

“I missed you,” she whispers.

“Then why did you do that?” I stroke her hair. “Why did you take on Beast?”

Oona sits up and smiles at me. “Because I wanted to protect you.” She kisses my face screen and snuggles up closer. “You were taking the lead, trying to save all of us. But I looked at you and I loved you so much, I would do anything to make sure you were ok.”

I press close to her, stealing another kiss. “You idiot!” I chuckle softly. “I was trying to keep you safe. You scared me so bad! I thought-”

Oona quiets me. “It’s okay.” She takes my hand and holds it tight. “We made it out alive. We’re safe.”

“But Beast is still out there,” I whimper.

“And we’ll find her and deal with her, together.” Oona kisses my cheek. “Perhaps, when we form a team, she’ll be our archenemy.”

I wrap her up in a tight hug. “I’m just glad to have you back!”

Oona sighs, relaxing on top of me again. “Me too.” She smiles at me. “I love you, Ros.”

I run my fingers through her hair as I gaze up at her. “I love you too.”