Chapter Text
“For what reason do you call us here, Magnificus?”
Making their debut on the top floor within the Temple of Magicks, Grimora and Leshy impatiently awaited the old wizard’s reply. He’d been solemnly staring out his window, gazing across at the robotics factory from afar.
“And make this quick. I can’t stand being surrounded by your cursed witchcraft.”
Leshy added, eager to get on with whatever it was Magnificus was up to. It wasn’t often that the Scrybes would get together, but if the one with premonitions was to call a meeting, they knew it was serious.
“Very well. Though you are one to talk, with your animal sacrifices.”
The old wizard retorted, not particularly up for hearing feedback on his methods of magick. To him, the Scrybe of Beasts was nothing if not barbaric.
“I’ve gathered you two here, and I’m sure you’ve noticed P03’s absence.”
Turning around to face them, Magnificus appeared deeply conflicted.
“Why, yes. Has the robot troubled you?”
Grimora inquired, picking up on the wizard’s increasingly anxious tone.
“That robot is nothing but trouble to begin with. Far worse than you two, that’s for certain.”
Leshy added, already having had complete disdain for that hunk of metal. They’d always butted heads, having opposite points of view on practically every topic conceived. P03 cared strictly for the rules, while Leshy wanted to add flavor to the story. Where P03 treated his cards as simple objects, Leshy respected their legacy, even after death. It was no wonder they couldn’t battle each other a single round without it becoming a heated argument.
“I suppose the fact that you do not care for it ought to make this much easier…”
Shadow casting over his face, Magnificus paused before dramatically widening his multicolored eyes.
“...for we have no choice but to kill it.”
Gasping, Grimora covered her mouth, shocked and immediately not entirely in favor of doing such a thing despite being the Scrybe of the Dead herself.
“Murder? You wish to end P03’s life? And what good would that do?”
She asked, though more sincerely than demanding. It was a genuine concern, for committing such an act against another Scrybe might not only be tedious, but could result in future mistrust.
“I don’t even care. I’d be more than happy to rip its head straight from its body.”
Extending his long hands, Leshy emphasized just how on board he already was, imagining tearing P03’s skull from his torso and watching the light leave his eyes.
“Oh, dear. I’d like to at least hear what the purpose of this would be before following through.”
Grimora spoke, not quite on board with the bloodlust Leshy seemed to be emitting. She wasn’t fond of that vile machine herself, but it still didn’t seem right to take his life away.
“Of course, Grimora. I wouldn’t ask you for your assistance without an explanation.”
Picking up his brush, Magnificus walked over to his canvas, prepared to start painting a picture to help with visualizing what it was he saw while ignoring Leshy’s animalistic impulses.
“See, all of us Scrybes have different intentions. And it is apparent we do not see eye-to-eye. However…”
Painting the three of them at the bottom with green, the wizard began to construct an image of P03 in bright red above them.
“The puppet master. It must be stopped. Its goal is to bury us deep beneath while only it resurfaces, taking complete control of the game, and eventually uploading it for infinite players to consume.”
Whirling back around to Grimora, the wizard held his paintbrush up with an intensive grip.
“Do you understand? If we don’t snuff it out now, the results will be catastrophic.”
Disheartened yet not entirely surprised that things have come to this, Grimora clasped her hands together, fretfully looking back at the artwork. It seemed they didn’t have much of a choice, and she ought to prepare her quill to respectfully inscrybe P03 into one of her cards.
“Wait a minute, now.”
Leshy put a hand up, scratching at his beard thoughtfully while considering how he should go about taking care of the robot. It infuriated him how much that metallic freak wanted to commit to such a powergrab, and a quick murder would be too merciless for that kind of a crime.
“If it really wishes to play the role of puppet master, then I shall prolong its suffering and give it a taste of what it's like to be a puppet before we rip it to shreds.”
The Scrybe of Beasts put the tips of his fingers together maliciously, nearly overjoyed at the thought of finally having a valid reason to torment his most hated foe.
Though Grimora was about to point out how risky that could be instead of just going and getting the job done, she made eye-contact with Magnificus who shook his head. The wizard silently indicated to her with his expression that when it came to Leshy, there was no compromising. He was going to do as he pleased, and they may as well assist him so long as it got the robot terminated.
“Do what you must. But do not let it out of your clutches alive.”
…
“Trash. Trash. Trash.”
Scrapping bot after bot that’d come its way down the conveyor belt, P03 found himself growing agitated over the lack of decent specimens to use in his particle scanner.
How was he supposed to create a decent deck filled with L33pb0ts and Empty Vessels? They could only go so far with their usage, and variety was essential for constructing winning strategies.
“Scrap metal. Piece of junk. Useless. What on earth are my subordinates doing sending these? Do they actually find this acceptable?”
He beeped out, nearly on the verge of throwing a tantrum where he was hovering. P03 was quite the perfectionist, and it deeply troubled him to have this much incompetence on his workforce.
“With cards like these, the challenger isn’t going to be ‘challenged’ at all.”
To make matters worse, not only was the lineup full of duds, but it abruptly ceased momentum, stopping in place as the lights in the factory shut down.
“Great. Perfect. Just what I needed.”
Deciding he may as well just do everything himself, P03 put down the last piece of metal he was examining and made his way on over to the empty doorway of the next room. It was a rarity for the power to go out, and typically he’d simply depend on one of his robots to take care of it. Alas, his impatience was growing, and he’d planned to give them all a lecture, anyway.
“I’ll show those bolt-brains a thing or two about– ACK!”
Pausing in place upon finding himself face-to-face with glowing multicolored eyes in the darkness, P03 knew his unwanted guest meant trouble.
“Don’t scare me like that, you old hack! What do you want?!”
Lifting his magickal paintbrush and narrowing his gaze, Magnificus spoke in a booming tone.
“You.”
Without even giving the baffled robot a moment to react, the wizard cast a spell, filling the room with a mind-numbing smoke. Unable to see a single thing in front of him despite the fact that his face lit up, P03 looked around frantically, knowing full-well he was under attack.
“What’s going on? Show yourself, Magnificus!”
Tensing up as two strong hands grabbed his upper arms from behind, P03 was immobilized, feeling himself flurry up into a deeper panic as the smoke cleared out.
“Calm yourself, dear. It will make this easier for all of us.”
Grimora whispered to him from behind, genuinely wishing the words she spoke were true. Whether the robot resisted or not, there was no arguing that Leshy was going to have his fun.
“Let go of me, wench!”
Frantically turning his head from side to side, P03’s vision was coming back, his heart sinking in as he observed he was no longer in the safety of his factory.
Instead, he’d been transported into the Scrybe of Beast’s cabin.
All three of them were working against him, weren’t they?
Stopping his flailing, P03’s eyes bulged, knowing precisely what this was about.
“No…”
He choked out softly, seeing Leshy and Magnificus emerge from the shadows of the rank wooden home.
They’d figured out his plan, hadn’t they?
“Good boy. It’s okay, you’re going to be free soon.”
‘Free’, she says?
The only type of freedom Grimora knows of is death.
“Grimora, quit coddling it. It doesn’t deserve pity.”
Leshy spat, gripping his fists together tightly and looming over the bot. P03 wasn’t one to let his guard down, but he hadn’t expected to have been ambushed right in his own home.
And now, he had to face his lack of foresight up close and personal.
“I don’t wanna die…”
P03 beeped out in fear, looking down toward the ground at Leshy’s hooves. He couldn’t bear to look that sadistic beast of a man in the eyes, nor did he want to give him the satisfaction of how much terror he truly struck. Shifting his arms slightly within Grimora’s grasp, he’d hoped she of all people would at the very least take pity on him.
“‘Don’t want to die’? You don’t seem to care about what anybody else wants. Why should we care about what you want?”
Taking a knee, Leshy got down to the robot’s level, inspecting him like a lab rat as the robot remained with his head tilted down, this time shifting his eyes to avoid peering at the man altogether.
Growing flustered while deep in thought the longer Leshy gawked, P03 was boiling on the inside. To be treated with such indignity all while the other Scrybes acted like they had the right to do this to him? It was unforgivable.
“Because I’m a Scrybe. Just like you, Leshy.”
Suddenly jolting his head up in a fit of emotions, P03 was becoming desperate.
“Just like all of you! We’re all selfish, okay? What makes me so different where you have to kill me?”
Doing the android-equivalent of crying, he fell into a fit of betrayed robotic tears.
“How is that fair?!”
Having heard enough of his child-like pleas, Magnificus stepped forth.
“Is that so? Then share with us.”
Beaming down intimidatingly with his glowing eyes, the wizard narrowed his gaze.
“Share with us what you planned on doing.”
Choking back a sob before going silent, P03 knew there was no defending himself. He wasn’t innocent, that was for certain, but he personally didn’t see it as the worst crime ever to want to make the game as good as possible. Still, it was apparent by their reactions and response to this that no matter what he said, they weren’t in favor of it.
“As if you don’t already know. But…”
Looking up at the two men with a somber pitiful gaze, P03 tilted his head.
“What if I don’t do that? Can you let me go?”
Scoffing, Leshy was beyond sick of the petulant robot’s begging. He wanted to get on with the torture, not give it more opportunities to talk its way out of its well-deserved punishment.
Meanwhile, Grimora was second-guessing their rash behavior, tempted to aid the robot within his cries for help. It’s not like there was a fair trial in place, and P03 hadn’t even committed any crimes yet to begin with. Perhaps the android was merely misunderstood.
“Alas, things cannot be this way. You are destined to betray us, as you are programmed for it. It cannot be helped, you poor single-minded machine.”
Magnificus declared, looking deeply into the future if they were to take the robot’s word. Every time, it was inevitable P03 would gain access to the OLD_DATA and perform the Great Transcendence.
“Enough of this banter.”
Roughly grabbing hold of each side of P03’s head, Leshy turned his face, gazing into the terror-ridden eyes of his deeply-hated enemy.
“I’ve been aching to get my hands on you. And now, I can do with you as I please.”
P03 gasped, his eyes widening as his reality further and further sank in.
To have his fate at the whim of the Scrybe of Beasts was the most tortuous end he could have imagined for himself.
Grimacing, Grimora turned her head away, wishing to disconnect from whatever kind of game Leshy was trying to play. She took pride in the work that she did, and watching people suffer wasn’t a part of that.
In fact, the way she saw it, death relieved that.
“Do what you will. But I ask that I take my leave now. I do not wish to see you torture an already tortured soul.”
Squinting his eyes in distrust, Leshy stood tall, going over in his mind how he would approach this predicament.
“Fine. Leave us. But first, assist me in securing it to the chair.”
Not wishing to further get on Leshy’s bad side, Grimora obliged, carrying P03 on over to the wooden cabin chair and placing him down. She wanted to at least prove that they were on the same side, though she feared a great distrust amongst them all was still growing.
Retrieving sturdy rope, Leshy began to firmly tie P03 to the seat as Grimora remained in place, holding his arms down as she sadly looked off to the side in deep thought.
P03 tilted his gaze toward her, noticing this as the dread within him grew deeper the tighter the rope was pulled around him. Figuring he could appeal to her empathetic human emotions, he decided his best and only shot was to beg her for compassion.
“Grimora, please. Don’t leave me with him. Have some mercy...”
Letting go now that he was securely bound in place, Grimora walked around to the front of the robot, bending down and gently cupping a hand on his cheek. P03’s eyes glimmered with hope as she gave him a look of sincere pity.
“I’m sorry, dear. It’s for the good of us all. If it were up to me, I would have made it swift.”
“What did I say about coddling it.”
Leshy’s orange eyes glowed from the darkness behind her, making the pit in P03’s overdrive grow stronger.
Rising to her feet, Grimora clasped her hands together, facing the door as she could no longer bear to look in the helpless robot’s eyes.
“Don’t be too cruel, now. That’s no normal android, you know.”
Approaching the exit, she turned her head back in the doorframe one last time with the best of intentions.
“It very much feels the way we do.”
“That’s what I hope for.”
Grabbing hold of the door, Leshy slammed it shut behind her, glad to have at least one of the Scrybes out of his hair. He could sense how much she longed to aid the robot, which was something that could have ended up quite troublesome.
If Magnificus were to have spoken aloud, he would have wholeheartedly agreed with him, for various futures were changing, coming into play in the robot’s favor once more, though nothing was certain.
Deciding he would take his leave to ensure Grimora didn’t try anything hasty, Magnificus raised his magickal paintbrush.
“Remember what I said. You cannot let it leave alive.”
Turning to the wizard with a stoic look of pride, Leshy was more than happy to oblige.
“When I’m done with it, it’s going to be begging for death.”
Nodding in approval, Magnificus used his magick, teleporting to be with Grimora and leaving the other two Scrybes alone.
So this was it.
This is really what it’s come to?
Not even the kindest of them all was going to put her foot down for P03 any longer, despite knowing just how sadistic Leshy was capable of being.
Casting a candlelit shadow over the captive robot, Leshy’s unwavering stare loomed from above.
“It’s been a while since you sat in that chair. I hope you’re not too comfortable.”
P03 tsked, putting his head back down and staring at the ground once more. As a control freak, being in the ultimate form of helplessness was something that greatly distressed him.
“What’s the point in torturing me? Are you that insecure about your gameplay that you feel the need to draw this out?”
Squinting his eyes detestfully, Leshy intimidatingly placed a firm hand atop the robot’s head, making him flinch.
“You think you’re in a position to provoke me? For a so-called sophisticated android, you’re quite naive.”
Roughly shoving P03’s head back before turning around, Leshy slowly wandered around his cabin, looking for various tools he may use on the vile creature.
Knowing there wasn’t a chance he could talk his way out of Leshy’s torment based on the sheer resentment the two had for one another, P03 figured he may as well say what he needed to say.
Even if on the inside, he’d never been so petrified.
“I get it. You can never admit just how much I’m capable of outsmarting you. Without Magnificus or Grimora, you wouldn’t have had a single clue about my plan, nor would you have kidnapped me. Does that make you feel strong, knowing the only reason you even get to hurt me is with the help of the other Scrybes?”
Narrowing his expression while meekly observing Leshy growing more agitated, the robot continued his taunts.
“I would have taken you all down alone. You’re just a spiteful coward for rendering me helpless. Just admit the only reason you’re dragging this on is to fulfill some fake-ego of actually being better than me.”
Abruptly grabbing hold of a knife, Leshy stabbed it into the wood of a shelf, dragging it down like nails on a chalkboard.
“That’s enough, that’s enough…”
The Scrybe of Beasts sang, yanking the weapon out of the surface and moseying over to the tensed up robot.
Placing his hand over P03’s horrified face, he tilted the android’s head back, holding him still while covering one of his eyes on his screen.
“I’d surely have cut your tongue out by now if you had one, you gutter-mouthed brat.”
Going wide-eyed and silent as Leshy waved the sharp object in front of his gaze, P03 was quivering in place, feeling his nerves begin to overtake him.
“It doesn’t matter the circumstances in which I take you down.”
Pressing the blade to P03’s cheek, the man scraped it against the glass, forcing the robot to wince as an indent permanently damaged his face.
“What matters is that you’re finally at my mercy.”
“Ow…”
P03 softly cried out from the scraping ache, wishing he had held it in but unable to help but react.
“That hurts, does it?”
Leshy commented, holding up the weapon as it glimmered in the light.
“I’m surprised a soulless machine such as yourself even has pain receptors.”
Narrowing his eyes from the man’s ignorant comment, P03 felt the need to defend himself.
“I have a soul…”
Releasing the robot’s face and standing tall once again, Leshy’s eyes glowed with ecstatic bloodlust.
“How unlucky for you, then.”
A heart-sinking feeling flooded throughout P03’s chest. Having a superiority complex himself, it was easy to forget just how vulnerable he truly was. He was cursed with a sense of emotion, pain, and overall feelings of fear.
What a lousy programming he was bound to.
“I must admit. I’m quite intrigued. Having such a different biological structure–”
“...Mechanical.”
P03 interrupted him, wishing to emphasize that at the very least, they weren’t even in the same ballpark.
“...A different structure. I’m curious how pain will affect you. Will it be stronger? What makes you tick?”
Turning around dramatically, the beast man pondered.
“Only one way to find out.”