Chapter Text
Faint rays of pale white moonlight illuminated the deciduous forests around the Rustkammer base, filtering through the broad leaves of hardwood trees to cast an almost ethereal glow on the woodland floor. The tinkling calls of courting saw-whet owls could be heard in the distance, along with crickets chirping and various species of frogs and toads croaking. The pleasant sounds of these nocturnal creatures were almost enough to muffle the noises from a certain beings footsteps.
Almost.
“Pii… Pii… Pii…”
Fido beeped quietly to himself, doing his best to avoid stepping on all the fallen leaves and twigs that were scattered along the ground. His high-tech red optical sensors had no issue detecting obstacles in his path, even in low-light environments, but whether or not his clumsy, oversized legs could dodge them was another issue entirely… Scavenger units were not manufactured for maneuverability or the preciseness needed for recon. More often than not, Fido’s cumbersome feet would effortlessly crunch twigs under him, kick stones, and cause him to be far less stealthy than he imagined himself to be.
He tried his best regardless.
The willful Scavenger crept forwards, making his way along the shadowy exterior of a small concrete and brick building— the barracks of the 86th Strike Package.
If his blundering steps woke up the sleeping residents inside, he didn’t know if he would be able to live with the shame. At times like this, Fido lamented that he was incapable of walking in complete silence, like his young Master.
“…Pii?”
In the darkness, a single room was illuminated. Artificial lighting spilled from the glass window, despite it being a time humans at the base referred to as “lights out”. It caught his attention, setting his system on alert. Fido tilted his blocky head to the side, adjusting the focus of his vision to get a better view.
Nnn… If he remembered correctly, this was the bedroom of the silver-haired, silver-eyed girl his beloved Master was so fond of.
“Pii…!” Fido’s processors whirred as he deliberated his next course of action. Was something perhaps wrong with the girl? Was she in need of his assistance? He crept closer, shivering in distress. It wasn’t unheard of for some of his human friends to be awake at this hour, but never before had he logged this habit for his mistress.
A strangled, high pitched noise came from the room beyond the closed window, causing Fido to jolt. To humans, it would certainly be impossible to detect. But Fido’s senses were enhanced beyond those of his human friends, and the scavenger detected it immediately. Shifting his weight, he nervously looked around in a panic.
Uuu… But with his current body, Fido wouldn’t be able to help her. He was heavy, crude; his body made of cold steel and cables. The thought filled him with sadness. But nevertheless, he would do his best; if the girl was injured or ill, his crane arm could lift and carry her. At the very least, he could bring other humans here to aid her if need be
Fido would not allow any harm to come to his family.
His mind made up on the matter, Fido took off as fast as his four robotic legs could carry him, no longer paying any mind to the twigs and pebbles in his path. They skittered around him, undoubtedly making enough noise to arouse the suspicion of any humans still awake.
The odd noises were easier to detect as he approached the window, skidding to a halt and nearly colliding with it. Adjusting himself, Fido crept closer, carefully now…
“Pii…?”
Fido beeped in surprise.
The girl his young master was most ardently fond of was safe. Verifying that made him gush with excitement, and if not for his current situation, he would have beeped once more… But Fido could not understand exactly what he was observing.
His master and the girl were lacking clothing and engaged in some form of what Fido could only describe as combat, akin to what he had seen the other human children do. Wrestling, he thought, nodding to himself. That was the term for it.
And yet, it seemed to hold great affection as well, for Fido could not detect the slightest hint of anger or ill-intent. On the contrary, both humans seemed incredibly happy, the silver-haired girl occasionally opening her mouth to let out those strange noises… If Fido’s optical sensors were capable of blinking in confusion, he would have done so as he watched the bizarre display.
Fido crept away from the window on wobbly legs, casting a shadow on the ground as he left the pool of light. He knew that it he stayed too long, his master would spot him. And while Fido was glad his human friends were unharmed, he had a growing feeling of dread that he was not supposed to have witnessed what he had just now.
Uuuu… Fido thought, hanging his head low in complete silence. Truly, he must be a failure of a servant to have made such a blunder. Surely master Nouzen would forgive him if he knew.
As he lamented, a droplet of rain fell from the night sky. It landed on his metal head with a hollow splash, quickly followed by another. And then another! Before Fido knew it, an infinitesimal number of raindrops were showering from the sky, pattering on the roof of the Rustkammer base in an almost soothing manner and breaking Fido out of his worries. Water rolled and splashed down his body, washing away the coating of dirt and grime that had accumulated recently from their deployment to the Republic of San Magnolia.
The rain did not bother him in the least, thanks to his water resistant construction. The sturdy form given to him by humans so that he could protect his family was truly a marvel, a gift that he could never hope to repay.
“Pii pii!”
And looking up at the starry night sky, with all those droplets falling towards his glassy optical screen… Fido thought the world was truly beautiful.