#MN9 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kessielrg · 2 months

Text

EmoteCore v.C411 (Mighty No. 9)

Summary: After observing the Mighty Numbers for so long, Call comes to Doctor Sanda for a request; she wants to have a broader range of emotion too. There’s just one caveat- the Mighties make their emotion control look far too easy.

Rating: K

Word Count: 2,118 words

Part: >1<, ???

AO3 Link: here

If you liked this story, please reblog!

. . .

Call knew her purpose, and it was to serve Doctor Sanda. This was the case for most, if not all, xel-bots designated Navigator class. They were the faceless secretaries of humans with positions of power and prestige. Not all of them were as human-like in shape like Call was. Even less still were the ones resembling children.

But that was a question for Doctor Sanda- one that Call knew all too well that he’d fumble over in ways that would not help his case.

“And our next match brings us to an old classic, folks!” the announcer for the battle colosseum declared. The audience roared with anticipation. “That’s right! Welcome back Sanda Tech’s own Mighty Number One- Pyrogen!”

From the green room’s monitors, Call observed as Pyrogen stepped into the ring. The crowd, for lack of a better term, had gone ballistic. Already there were flowers being thrown into the ring, numerous voices calling Pyrogen’s name in a booming chant, and every so often a scream so loud that you knew that the shouter must have immediately lost their voice.

“In the other corner we have another old favorite, Magnus! Sponsored by Cole & Sons Conservation Effort, this is a classic match between flame and magma folks!”

The crowd greeting Magnus in wasn’t nearly as loud as it was Pyrogen, but it was still a hearty welcome regardless.

Call prepared her notes for the fight. This was what she usually did when Doctor White requested that she come supervise the Mighty Numbers’ fights. He always wanted the second hand battle data in its rawest format. Doctor White was particular about it too. The official feedback footage always unnerved him- never enough of the Mighties despite their prowess. Call didn’t understand it, but as a Navigator class, she didn’t need to.

The match was over after an impressive six minute showdown. The uproarious cheers lasted just about as long.

Call had to wait an additional three minutes for Pyrogen to return to the green rooms. When he did, she managed to meet him halfway.

“Doctor White was very pleased with the match today,” Call told the first Mighty Number. “However, he disagreed with your hesitance during the second round.”

“I’ll talk to him about it later.” Pyrogen told her with a hand wave and a smile.

“Hey Pyro!” a voice whooped from behind them. Call and Pyrogen turned around to see Magnus coming up. The magma bot’s main lava ports had been shut down since the fight, much like how Pyrogen could control his burners.

“Good match up there today Pyrogen.” Magnus congratulated. “I keep forgetting that you can melt into my pool attack without a scratch.”

Pyrogen laughed.

“I’m always afraid it’ll be too much.” he admitted.

“Nonsense! You were created to get even hotter than I do on a good day. You held back on me.”

If Pyrogen was able to blush, he would have. Call noted the sign of bashfulness as he went to rub the back of his neck. He even avoided eye contact for a moment. Call tilted her head at the notion.

“You are embarrassed.” Call pointed out, rather without thought. “How come?”

Both Pyrogen and Magnus looked to her, as if they were only now realizing that she was there.

“Oh… uh…” Pyrogen began, not sure on how to even start, “It’s just that Magnus caught me at my bluff. Doctor White’s going to have my head for it.”

“Then you should feel ashamed, not embarrassed.”

Pyrogen and Magnus stared at her. Call gave a blink in return.

“What? Is there something wrong with my line of questioning?”

Neither answered. Instead, Magnus returned the conversation to him and Pyro. Call watched, almost unblinking, as she tried to figure out what she had done wrong.

Another day had passed at Sanda Tech. Another day about to be spent supervising the Mighties. Today Dynatron and Beck had been booked for a guest appearance at the Mall of America. The event was to take place all day, with an hour’s break period for Dyna and Beck to get to explore the mall on their own terms.

“Beck, ssstop fidgeting.” Dynatron said as they arrived at the mall. “Thisss’ll be a cinch compared to fighting. The day will be over before you know it.”

The youngest Mighty Number did not stop knitting his fingers inside each other.

“What if no one likes me?”

Dynatron let out an unflattering snort.

“Call, tell him what the poll rankings are.” she told the assistant.

Call, who had not expected to be part of the conversation, stood a bit taller at the command.

“Current popularity poll standings are as follows: Pyrogen, Beck, Dynatron, Aviator, Brandish, Cryosphere, Countershade, Seismic, and Battalion.”

“Sssee?” Dynatron said.

Beck shook his head. This wasn’t helping.

As the event started to start and settle into a routine, Beck was able to relax over it a bit. Some time in, Call noticed a small girl, no more than 7 years or so, carefully make her way over to Beck. Curious, Call tilted her head as the girl fidgeted for her turn to meet the youngest Mighty Number. When it was finally her turn, the girl presented a small box that she had been holding behind her back in time with Beck holding out his hand for the handshakes he had gotten used to.

“This is for you!” the girl squeaked. “I made them myself.”

Beck blinked. He still had his hand out, and in realizing it, bashfully used it to rub the back of his head instead. He gave the girl a sheepish smile- which in turn caused her to blush.

A rather awkward exchange happened next. The girl’s hands shook as she handed the small box to Beck. Beck, likewise, didn’t want to break whatever was inside. Once it was safely passed between them, Beck couldn’t help but open the box.

“Chocolates!” he realized with a jolt. Beck looked up to thank the girl, but found that she had already left.

“I think ssshe had a crush on you, Beck.” Dynatron teased.

Beck’s face lit up a bright pink. He replaced the box’s top and handed it to Call. This was a standard practice- as their acting assistant, any and all gifts the Mighties got during their personal appearances had to be vetted. At the moment, it was close to lunch break, so Call took the gift to a backroom where there were lockers for just such an occasion. They would be safe back there until it was time to go home.

Not many other gifts came through after that. It felt like no time before the organizer came up to the three.

“Alright, lunch break.” they told them. “Have fun exploring the mall for a bit, but don’t forget to be back in an hour!”

“We won’t.” Call promised. The two Mighty Numbers, on the other hand, had already left.

It didn’t take much to catch up with them. Brother and sister had been window shopping.

“Oh, Beck!” Dynatron trilled in seeing a knit poncho on display. “Come look at thisss!”

“It’s… just a poncho, Dyna.”

“No, no, no! You don’t sssee it, Beck. Look at those knots! That’s a handmade article of clothing! We’re going in.”

“Wait, wha-” was all Beck could say before Dynatron took his hand and forced him into the store.

If Call had felt the need to smile, she probably would have. Instead she dutifully followed the Mighties in.

None of the female Mighty Numbers ever had stereotypical ‘girly’ traits to them. But there were moments where a genuine interest was shared. Dynatron with ponchos, scarves, and vintage capes was one of them. Beck (and similarly Call, by proxy) was just a hapless onlooker.

“Lunch time is about to end.” Call informed the Mighties when time came. “We should start to head back to the event now.”

“Oh, relax.” Dynatron shrugged off, picking up a dress from the clearance racks.

“But-”

“Stop being so uptight and let usss ssshop a bit more. It’s not going to hurt anyone.”

Beck looked between Dyna and Call.

“We should still try to go back soon,” he carefully told his sister, “If Dr White hears that we shirked our responsibility to the event…”

Dynatron grimaced.

“We’d never hear the end of it.” she finished. “Uck. You’re right.”

With dismay, Dyna put the dress back on the rack.

“Let’sss go then.”

Slowly but surely the three made their way back to the event. As Call helped Dynatron into position, the third Mighty Number had something to say.

“Your lack of biasss isss very… annoying.” she said.

“I can not help it.” the assistant replied.

“I know.” came the dismayed sigh. “I know…”

Not for the first time, Call considered that she had completely missed something important.

Distracted.

Call was oddly distracted this afternoon. And that was something she almost never was.

Not for the first time, it was about the Mighties. They were pure oddities compared to their peers. The core of it all: their emotions. They were far more robust than what could be found in others. Dr White was the cause of that- and not just because he kept the pure code of it all to himself. He continued to, in his words, perfect the emotional core code. Each upgrade made the Mighties that much more human. It was curious.

It was tempting.

With one thought, Call knew what she had to do.

Many times a day, Call would stand by Dr Sanda as he performed his CEO duties. Today would be a little different. Knowing that Dr Sanda was working on paperwork that could easily be ignored, she moved herself to the front of his desk. Sanda didn’t notice at first. That would change soon.

“Dr Sanda, I wish to seek an audience with you.” Call announced- clear and precise.

Dr Sanda looked up. Realizing that she was standing in front of him and not next to him put a furrow in his brow.

“What for?” came the immediate, and appropriately worried, question. “Is it something that we can just… discuss right now?”

Call shook her head.

“I have a suggestion to make for my own wellbeing. But I would like to keep it a formal affair such as if you were to overlook the care for another xel bot. Therefore, I would like your proper attention in the proper setting.”

“I… okay.” Sanda agreed. “W-what does my schedule look like 15 minutes from now?”

“You are free.”

“Then let’s discuss it then, alright?”

Call nodded. “Affirmative.”

Dr Sanda watched in worry as Call resumed her usual spot. He said nothing, however. He could just give himself anxiety for the next 15 minutes instead.

“N-now, what is it that you’d like to discuss, Call?” Sanda asked right at the 15 minute mark. “Is everything alright?”

Call went back to the front of his desk before addressing him. Her patience almost drove Dr Sanda up the wall. This was clearly important- why did he have to engineer such a precise and practical xel bot? Her desire to keep things professional was maddening.

“Dr Sanda, do not judge me for what I am about to request.” Call started.

“Never!” came the rather rash affirmation. The sentiment was still rather sweet. It gave Call the resolve to say with confidence;

“I want to feel the same length of expression that the Mighty Numbers experience. I want to have emotions.”

For a moment, Dr Sanda didn’t know how to react.

“I… Are you sure?” he tried to confirm, being more than a little lost for words.

Call nodded.

“I have not been more sure of anything in awhile, Dr Sanda.”

“O-okay.” her creator nodded. “We’ll set aside a date for the… the upgrade, as it were. Heh, heh.”

Call gave another nod. There was no turning back now.

There was nothing to fear in the maintenance room. While Dr Sanda didn’t seem very sure about the upgrade, Call herself took her place on the maintenance table as if this were a routine check up. She thought nothing as she was put to sleep. Waking seemed to have been moments instead of the many hours she knew it had taken in real time.

“H-how do you feel?” Dr Sanda cautiously asked.

Call tried to evaluate how she felt. Joy filled her first, knowing that the operation had been a success. Then surprised that she could feel so joyous. It suddenly gave way to a fear so profound that it unlocked a round of thoughts that were filled with more joy, fear, and even anxiety.

When she finally opened her mouth, all that came out was an overwhelmed scream.

#mighty no. 9 #mighty number 9 #fanfiction #writers on tumblr #ao3 fanfic #mn9 #ao3 #archive of our own #ao3 writer #fan fiction #fan fic #fanfic

2 notes · View notes