Detective Elecman and the Case of the Boss Ch. 7

The electric type nodded, “Thank you.” He sat down with his brothers and partners, “So, about our talk…” He started, directing his gaze at Cutman.

The scissor-headed robot sighed, leaning back in his seat, “I can’t say too much, otherwise the boss’ll have my head, but what I can tell you is that it started with our brother Rock. Most people know him as Megaman.” He paused a moment before continuing, “Rock…found out some things he shouldn’t have about my boss and--”

“Just so we’re clear; we’re not talking about Wily, right?” Crash interrupted, “The girl one, right?”

Cutman nodded, “Anyway, he found out some stuff he shouldn’t have and went to confront her. Later that week Rock was accused of all those murders and after a trial was sent to prison.”

“Yeah, I meant to ask about that.” Flareon interrupted, “I thought robots just got shut down when they did something that bad.”

“They used to.” Gutsman answered, “But around the time Wily used us in his first attack, there was this whole robot rights movement that started thanks to this guy.” The large robot pointed at his youngest brother.

The detective was surprised to hear this, “Me? What’d I do?”

The oldest DLNs both laughed quietly, recalling the memories, “You were running around yelling some bullshit about a ‘robot revolution’ and an ‘evolution of circuitry’ or something like that. The rest of us had no idea what you were talking about, but we didn’t really care.”

Cutman grinned, “Yeah; ‘s long as we got to kill people, we didn’t care what was happening.” This got him glares from the law-abiding beings in the room.

Gutsman continued his story, “So after that, some crazy extremists got a hold of the idea and apparently needed something to be angry about so latched on and fought the government for it. Then Rock and a few other notables took up the cause and equal rights for robots became a thing by the time Wily’s last attack got all sorted out. Which was lucky for Rock because not long after he got sent to one of the newly made prisons instead of just being shut down for good.”

“Which brings us back to Cutman’s story.” Elecman said.

“Uh, right…” Cutman answered, his tone suggested he had hoped the original conversation would be forgotten, “So Rock went to prison then I found out what Rock had and went to confront her. I told her I had plenty of proof of what she’d been doing and if anything were to happen to me, it’d still get out. Little while later, I got sent to prison without getting a chance to pass on what I’d found.” The oldest robot master sighed, glancing down at his feet as he spoke, “I shouldn’t have even said anything to you, but I was furious that she’d beaten me. So I told you everything when you came to visit me. Little while after, you came to see me again and told me you were gonna go confront her yourself. I begged you not to, but you were always too hard-headed; you never listened to anyone. I managed to contact Gutsman and tell him everything, but...he couldn’t reach you in time…”

The detectives nodded solemnly. The human spoke up again, “So…if she did that to you, why do you work for her now?”

“When I got out, she had someone waiting for me with an offer; either I work for her or I might as well stay in prison.” He shivered a bit, “I don’t even wanna know what she had in mind for me…”

Flareon looked at Gutsman, “What about you? Did she threaten you when you tried to save Detective Elecman and force you into working for her?”

“Nah; once Cutman got his position in both gangs, he asked me to be his bodyguard in case things every got out of hand. Seriously, lookit how scrawny this guy this; do you seriously think he’d last long in a fight?”

As the others laughed, Cutman glared at his massive little brother, “Hey, I’m learning to fight, okay?!”

The construction ‘bot chuckled, “Yeah, but everyone knows why you’re really there.” The eldest snarled something under his breath. “Speaking of learning to fight, didn’t you have a class today?”

The orange robot’s anger turned into realization, “Shit…! I completely forgot!” He practically jumped out of his seat and headed toward the door.

Gutsman stood to follow, “Hey Elec, wanna come meet your future sister-in-law?” He asked with a grin.

“Gutsman, shut up!” Cutman called.

“She hot?” Crashman asked before the other detective could answer. The bigger ‘bot responded by rocking his open palm in a so-so manner. The drill-handed ‘bot stood, “I’m game.” He glanced at his friends.

Elecman and Flareon exchanged glances before nodding and joining the group gone to catch up with the other DLN.

OoOoO

“Why’re we back here?” Flareon asked as Cutman turned toward his apartment building and was quickly followed inside.

“I can’t go looking like this.” Cutman answered, gesturing to his bare exterior.

“Why?”

A massive grin overtook the orange ‘bots face as he answered, “’Cause every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.” He chuckled at his pun.

The others groaned quietly, “Cutman, I swear to God I’m gonna kill you.” Gutsman said, which only made the other robot’s grin widen.

“It’ll only take a second.” He promised, dashing into their room once the elevator dinged at their floor.

“Guess I might as well change too…” Gutsman shrugged, heading toward his room as the group caught up, leaving the three detectives alone together.

“So…today’s been crazy.” Flareon said, breaking the silence between them. The robots nodded.

“But we’re making progress, so that’s good.” Crash said, “Maybe we can get Cutman or Gutsman to spill more about their boss if we keep hanging around them.” There was more nodding.

As the trio sat waiting, they glanced around the room, taking in the details they had missed during their first visit. Once of these details sat in a draining tray the kitchen; the electric ‘bot went closer to inspect it and saw that it was a small bowl that looked as though it were made of stone and a device that looked akin to a long stalked mushroom, made of the same stone as the bowl. The detective touched the bowl, feeling that it was still wet. “What’s this?” he asked to no one in particular, but got an answer from Flareon who had come up beside him.

“I think it’s called a pestle and mortar.” She said, “It’s used to crush things up…I think it’s used a lot in pharmaceuticals or something.”

The detective nodded, “Interesting…” They heard a door open and hurried back to the couch, nearly crashing into Crashman as they did so.

No sooner had they settled did Cutman reappear in the room, wearing the grey suit and light blue tie that Elecman had first met him in. “Sorry ‘bout the wait.” He said, straightening his tie, “Where’s Gutsy?”

“Changing too.” Crash answered, “He said he wouldn’t be long.”

“Speak of the devil.” Gutsman said from the doorway. Upon seeing Gutsman, the detectives realized they had not yet seen the behemoth in more formal wear. Considering his girth, he wore it surprisingly well; the black suit must have been tailored specifically for his form, as it fit him perfectly and even made him seem slimmer. With the matching suit and tie he could almost be mistaken for a bouncer at a casino or high-end club, but also made his position as bodyguard for his much smaller charge obvious.

“Well, if we’re all ready, then we outta get going.” Crash said, standing with the others. The crooked DLNs nodded, once again leaving their abode and heading toward a more dangerous section of the town.

OoOoO

Despite the growing dark and neighborhoods they passed being well-known for attacks and muggings of passers-by, the trip had been a fairly safe one; no one daring to come near the group with a robot the size of Gutsman keeping an eye out.

The five came to a reasonably-sized brick building, judging from the amount of junk, graffiti and boarded up windows, it was safe to say the building had long since been abandoned. But that did not stop the older robot masters from walking right in through the oddly intact but rusty metal door at the building’s front.

The inside of the building told a very different story; the black tile floors had been cleaned to a shine and the walls a near-blinding white dotted with fliers and a corkboard that the visit trio noticed was absolutely covered in help wanted ads, some of which asking exclusively for a robot applicant. They noted a couple rows of comfy-looking chairs lined against the walls and even a couple couches, all of which were empty, but were well-worn.

“I’m surprised this place has lighting…” Crashman mumbled as they looked around the room.

His comment went unnoticed, however. The group continued through a white door at the other end of the room and into an equally clean hallway lined with two metal doors on either side. They went through the second one on their right which led into a large room with wooden floors clean enough to see one’s reflection. Along the walls was a variety of punching bags and various practice weapons.

On the far side of the room they noticed a woman on her knees scrubbing the floors. She looked up as the group approached. The detectives and their shadow saw that she looked like a white-skinned human with platinum blonde hair pulled back into a loose bun. She stood, wiping a few stray hairs away from her green eyes and smiled, “I didn’t see you in class today, Cutman.” She said as they stopped in front of her.

The orange robot smiles shyly, “Yeah, sorry about that…I, uh…something came up.”

“And he forgot.” Gutsman added, getting elbowed by the smaller robot.

The woman chuckled, “I suppose you need another private lesson, then?”

“Yeah…if that’s alright, I mean.” The oldest robot master glanced away from the green eyes.

The blonde chuckled again, “I’m sure we could arrange something.” The other robot smiled back. “Who’re your friends?”

“Oh, right! Shea, this is my little brother, Elecman. And his partners, Crashman and Flareon. Guys, this is DSN-001, Shea.”

Shea put out a hand, “Pleased to meet you.” They shook hands, save for Crashman, who nodded a greeting.

“What kind of name is Shea?” Flareon asked.

“What kind of name is Flareon? Isn’t that a Pokemon?” Shea countered, getting a glare in answer.

“So, you run a fighting school?” Crashman, quick to defuse the situation.

The blonde girl nodded, “And a shelter for robots without masters.” She answered, “Having lost my creator, I know how hard it is.”

Elecman frowned, “But robots without masters have to be deactivated.”

“After four months.” Shea answered, “And that’s only if they’re unsuccessful in finding a new master.”

“And how long have you been without a master?”

She chuckled mischievously, “Much longer than four months. As are most robots here; humans don’t keep track unless they know where to find an unmastered robot. Other than that, it’s fairly easy to stay off their radar.”

“So you’re hiding them from the law?” Elecman’s tone sounded almost accusing.

“I’m giving them a second chance.” Shea answered coolly, “Giving them the time they need to find a new master, learn a skill, or whatever they need.”

“And the fighting?” Flareon asked.

“Not all robots are weaponized, but that doesn’t prevent them from being targets of an attack.”

“How’re you paying for electricity and water to this place?” Crashman asked, noting the bucket of water Shea had been using on the floors, “Doesn’t anyone think it’s odd an abandoned building is still paying utility bills?” He noted that the female robot’s eyes momentarily flashed to the older DLNs before returning to the orange bomb ‘bot. She offered no answer. Her eyes went to the timber-felling robot.

“So about your lesson, Cutman; I’m free tomorrow night.”

He nodded, “Tomorrow’s good.”

She smiled, “By the way, that suit looks good on you.”

The shy smile returned, “Thanks…guess it does kinda suit me, huh?” He smiled more as the blonde burst into giggles.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night then.” She said with a nod. She directed her attention at the others, “It was a pleasure meeting you, detectives. And Gutsman; a pleasure as always.”

Gutsman nodded in response.

OoOoO

Saying goodbye to the new robot, the five left the building, noting with some dismay that the area they were in was almost in complete darkness, save for a few streetlamps that had not been busted.

“Well…guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow…” Flareon said hesitantly, starting to walk away from the group. She was promptly stopped by the two detectives.

“There’s no way you’re walking home alone.” Crash said almost sternly.

Elecman nodded, “Crash is right, it’s dangerous for any of us to be walking around here this late at night.”

“Lucky for you, we got a ride.” Gutsman interrupted, getting surprised looks from the detectives. He grinned just a bit at the looks, “And you get to meet another of our brothers, Elec.”

“Who?”

“Iceman. Do you remember him?” The electric ‘bot could not recall the robot himself, but did remember seeing photos of him earlier that day during their visit to his creator’s house. The bigger robot waved a hand dismissively when there was no response, “Don’t worry about it. He said he’s about twenty minutes away so you’ll meet him then.”

The group sat in silence only for a minute or so before Crashman looked to Cutman with a smirk, “So. That was your girlfriend, huh? She’s kinda cute, I guess.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Cutman scowled.

“Dude. Ask her out. She likes you.”

The scissor ‘bot fidgeted a bit, “What, really? You think so?”

“Trust me, I’m pretty good with these things.” Crashman smirked, “Like with Flareon and her barista boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend, Crash!” Flareon interrupted, her face turning a deep shade of red.

The orange one grinned, “Have you called him?”

“…M…maybe.”

The grin widened, “And?”

“We’re…gonna go on a date tomorrow night.”

He lightly hit Cutman’s arm, “There, see? I’m good at this stuff. Plus, she laughed at your God-awful pun. You gotta get this girl before she finds someone better.”

The other orange one glared. “Alright, I’ll ask her out.”

“It’s gonna be great, just you watch!” He took a proud stance, thrusting both drilled hands into the air, “I’m a genius at this! Just call me Crashman the Lovemaker!” he announced loudly. Howling laughter followed and Crashman’s arms snapped back to his sides as he realized his words, “No wait, don’t call me that!” he said, almost scowling at his companions.

Gradually, the laughter faded away and not long after a sleek black car pulled up by the five. The tinted window rolled down to reveal a blue parka-wearing robot at the wheel. He nodded slightly to the group, “’Sup?”

“Hey Icey.” Gutsman greeted as they approached, he gestured to the youngest of the DLNs, “You remember Elec.”

The little eskimo grinned, “Damn…I thought you were messing with me when you said Elec was with you.” He looked to his little brother, “Good to see you again, little bro.” He nodded slightly to the handless detective, “Crash.”

Crashman nodded in response.

The heard the doors unlock, “Come on, I’ll take you guys home.” Iceman offered.

“Shotgun!” Cutman called, sliding across the hood in a very Dukes of Hazard fashion.

Iceman was already halfway out the window, a look of death directed at his oldest sibling, “Cutman, I swear to God if you scratch this car, I’ll kill you!”

Cutman laughed mockingly, sliding into the passenger seat.

The remaining four crammed themselves into the back seat with Gutsman taking a window seat, Elecman in the middle with Flareon on his lap and Crashman at the other window.

“Buckle up.” The smallest DLN recommended before the car shot off as speeds far exceeding the speed limit.

As the car sped along, Gutsman noticed the three law-abiding citizens seemed tense as his younger brother sped through the streets. “Relax, Ice’s a pro at this…besides, this is the Boss’ favorite car, he wouldn’t risk crashing it. She’d kill him herself.”

“The Boss?” Elecman repeated, glancing at his older brother, “Why’s he got her car, then?”

“I’m her driver, genius.” Iceman answered from the front, “For a detective you really don’t catch on too fast.”

The electric ‘bot glared, just then noticing more about his big brother; he was undoubtedly the shortest robot he’d ever met that was not a child; he stood maybe no taller than three feet. Before he could wonder how such a small robot was driving, he answered with further observation of the robot; each white boot rested on a pole-like device that reach down and connected to the pedals, making it easy for the small blue ‘bot to control the speed of the car as well as see thanks to a booster seat buckled into place on the driver’s seat.

The car came to an abrupt stop in front of a house, shocking the detective out of his thoughts. “Here’s your stop, Flareon.” Iceman said from the front seat, “Hope that didn’t scare you too much.”

Despite her shaking, the human smiled, “Just a little…I think I’ll live, though.” She slid off Elecman’s lap as Gutsman opened the door and got out to allow the human to exit. “Thanks for the ride, I’ll see you tomorrow detectives.”

Elecman said goodbye to their shadow, noting that his partner’s look had changed to something more nervous.

The car stayed in park until the human closed the front door behind her. They took off, the three older robot masters talking. The detectives hardly listened; Crashman was now staring out the window, looking back at Flareon’s house until it was out of sight. Elecman watched his partner with concern; he looked as though something had spooked him.

Some minutes later, the car came to another stop in front of the law abiding ‘bot’s apartment building. Crashman wordlessly got out of the car, mumbling a thanks as Elecman rounded the car to join him on the sidewalk. “Thanks for the ride, Iceman…maybe we’ll see each other again soon.”

Iceman smiled and nodded, “Yeah…maybe. Well, you two have a good night.” The car took off as soon as the two entered their building.

As soon as they reached their apartment, the orange robot finally spoke, “Elec, did you tell Iceman where we lived?”

The DLN froze in place; the other’s sudden change in attitude making sense. “No…” he said. His mind went back to their first stop; he knew Iceman should not have known Flareon’s address. He hurried to the phone and dialed their shadow’s number, she picked up after the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Flareon, are you okay?” he asked urgently.

“Yeah, I’m fine…why?”

“Did you ever tell Iceman yours or our address?” He asked.

This time he got a long bout of silence before a deep inhale could be heard, “I…I didn’t…” she said, seeming to understand the problem, “How’d…how’d your brother know where I live…?”