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Nos-4-a2 would have given almost anything to get XL away from his house... or maybe get rid of him in general.

“Let me in!” his brother-in-law tried to elbow his way through the front door but nothing. He stares down Nos as he tried to look menacing. “Why can't I go in!?”

Nos rubbed his temples and stayed firmly in his path. “XL, please understand, now is not a good time for ‒ ”

“Hey I destroyed the portal like you asked, so a ‘thank you’ is in order!” XL pointed emphatically but pulled away when Nos’s face darkened. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be hopeless!”

“As if you are of any help here,” ALD snapped as he came to Nos’s side with XR.

XL stepped up to the black and white Energy Vampire, but ALD continued before he could say a thing, “Oh, but thank you for helping Nebula steal the blueprints so he could cause all this damage! You almost caused the destruction of our universe!”

XL glared. “Clone wannabe!”

“Pretty good coming from a screwball like you! I’m surprised you could even find your way here without blowing yourself up.”

Nos hovered to XR’s side, too tired to intervene.

“At least I can take a hit!”

“One too many in the head!”

“Like you’re any better, Mr. Glass! You fall to pieces every time a stiff breeze comes through!”

ALD stiffened as if he’d been slapped across the face.

XR crossed his arms, “Enough, XL! Did you get all of the blueprints?”

“Yes,” XL puffed his chest out.

“Even the prints for NJX-9R? That one is extremely, extremely, important. After all, I worked really hard on that one, I’d hate to lose all that hard work.”

XL froze, breaking out in a nervous smile. “Oh gosh, you know what? I think I left the oven on, I gotta go, see ya!”

Nos watched, relieved, as XL took off. He leaned down toward XR to mumble, “I don’t recall any NJX-9R. Have I ever expressed how much I love your quick thinking?”

“Hundreds of times,” XR laughed for a moment before he noticed ALD. His expression turned somber. “I’m going to get the blankets ready for the kids, alright?”

Nos nodded in understanding, looking toward his brother. Stress radiated from ALD where he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed tight over his chest. Damn that XL...

As soon as XR was out of hearing range, Nos went to ALD’s side. “We both know XL is an idiot. He doesn’t have any idea what he’s talking about. If... if going to Planet Z is too much for you, we can always send DRAC.”

“It is not about going there, and I do not care what XL thinks.” ALD looked up, sensing an outpouring of everything the boys had been holding back. “I do not want to fail them again.”

“You are not at fault for what happened today,” Nos said firmly.

ALD slid down to the ground. “How do you do it, brother? How can you keep doing what you do to support them? How can you still face that monster without falling back?”

“I do what you do, keep fighting until I cannot.” Nos shifted his lower half into legs and sat next to ALD. “You are capable of so much, ALD. If not for you, I would never have seen my son again... will you tell me what is really bothering you?”

ALD tilted his head back to look at the night sky as the trees swayed in the wind. “I feel like... by now, I should be capable of standing against AL_2_CAR-D! After all these years, I still cannot fight him off. I failed Fletcher ‒ if anything, I have put him in more danger!”

“You did not fail him ‒ ”

“What if Stevie had not been there?!” ALD stood up, his screen turning bright red and seeping tears. “AL could have hurt them, it could have been what happened to Nox all over again! I was not even close to attacking him before he took me down!” ALD shook, “I am unworthy of this family. I am not ‒ ”

“You are worth more than you can possibly know!” Nos snapped, standing to face his brother. “You protected them even as you were being torn apart! Anyone else would have run away from that monster, but you stayed and fought. You did not fail anyone,” Nos pulled his brother into a hug. “They know you are strong, ALD, especially in the face of AL. You have saved my children multiple times, and even if you had not, what you did today has more than proven your worth. You are not weak.”

ALD fell silent, relenting to his brother’s hug. When he pulled away, he stood straighter. “Enough of this emotional mush, I’m not XL.” ALD shook his head, brushed himself off, and put a hand on his hip. “Thanks, I... I needed that.”

Nos smiled, watching his brother step back inside and through to the living room He’d find a way to make XL apologize later. Nos floated after him, but as soon as he entered the living room, he had to scramble to catch a bundle of sleeping bags and blankets.

XR pulled out a few more to put out for the kids and was about to greet Nos when a knock at the front door cut him off. He huffed, “Can you get that, Nos?”

Nos dropped what he was holding and went right back to the entryway, opening the door to reveal DRAC_2_LA.

Before Nos could say a word in greeting, DRAC’s line of sight turned down the hall to the comm. room, intrigued by the feeling of an unfamiliar young Energy Vampire with striking similarities to Nos-4-a2’s signature. DRAC smirked flirtatiously. “I never pegged you as a ‒ ”

“Finish that thought and I’ll personally dissolve you, one component at a time,” Nos glared.

DRAC rolled his eyes. “Charmed as always by the ever doting father. I will behave.”

Nos allowed him in and lead him to the living room. They entered to see Nox and Mor coming in with armfuls of teddy bears.

“We don’t know if they like to sleep with stuffed animals so we brought them all!” Mor grinned.

“Will Fletcher and Darwin be joining us, angel bats?” their father asked.

Mor nodded, rushing to hug him, “They just need a moment. Thank you Papa for letting us camp in here.”

Nos smiled and hugged her back. “Of course, but you are still forbidden from going out at night.”

“I know Papa, I just want to help like you do,” Mor looked up with owlish optics, shining like a set of topaz.

Nos chuckled and cupped her face. “I understand my angel bat, but you are too young for that kind of responsibility. When you are old enough, I will let you join me.”

Mor pouted but knew it wouldn’t help to force the issue. “So Papa, can we do this more often when Fletcher and Darwin come back to visit?”

Nos hesitated, sharing a look with XR. “...It all depends on their parents, Mor. They are under… strict rules, rules even I cannot change.”

Mor nodded. “Maybe… we could go to their place…?”

“We’ll see Mor, it all depends on them,” XR ruffled her hair.

ALD stepped closer to DRAC, smoothing a blanket over the back of the nearest sofa. “You’ve missed out on quite a lot.”

DRAC rolls his servos and laid back on a wall effortless to stay hidden. “Care to explain this then? I get a call from XR to come here because of some emergency, but all I see is a slumber party,” DRAC gestured around the room.

ALD stretched his neck. “Look, two kids have been sucked into our world and your brother is after them. We’re trying to send them home before he traumatizes them any more than he already has.”

DRAC fell silent, reaching out with his sensors to do a sweeping scan. After a beat, he frowned. “AL is trying to prove his theory.”

“Excuse me?” ALD asked.

The words seemed to weigh on DRAC as he elaborated, “About 700 years ago, before we turned, AL was very intrigued by the unknown. He had a particular fascination with dimension hopping and dreamed to see the worlds, particularly to live there. He always theorized that one could cross between universes, but his main hypothesis involved merging two universes into one. He must be trying to prove it... or worse.”

“I’m curious, what’s worse than that?” ALD lowered his voice.

“I don’t know. Knowing him, he will do it silently. How are these children?” he changed the subject. It was uncomfortable, talking about his brother.

“They aren’t in great shape, but who would be? It took awhile for the initial shock to wear off, and as soon as things were looking up, AL appeared,” ALD shook his head.

“We need to get them home before he can do any more damage,” DRAC murmured, his gaze once again fixed in the direction of the comm. room.

Neither could tell how much time passed before crying turned them numb. Suddenly, they were both just a heap on the floor, silently holding each other together. Fletcher hated crying for no other reason than the lubricant oil making such a mess. It ruined his clothes, and this time, Darwin hadn’t fared any better.

“...Sorry your shirt’s all gross,” Fletcher’s voice came out hoarse.

“I don’t really care,” Darwin responded in a similar undertone.

They couldn’t think of anything to say. The only words they’d managed up until then were garbled “I want to go homes.” Nothing else compared. What could they do? Eventually, they had to face the only course of action available to them, as impossible as it seemed. They stood up. Fletcher hovered upright first and helped Darwin onto his feet. It took them another few minutes to decide on their next move, but before long, they found the motivation to step away from the screen and towards the sound of talking.

The duo came into the living room just as Nos placed his hand against the wall, opening the ceiling to the stars.

Fletcher flinched, shrinking back and clutching Darwin’s arm, frantically searching the sky. “What are you doing?!”

Nos masked his concern to speak in a calming voice. “Do not worry, it is not an open roof. There is a glass dome over us. AL is gone, far away from here.”

Darwin put his arm around Fletcher’s shoulders and squeezed as tight as he could, but the hybrid could still feel him shaking. “Hey, r-remember, you’re supposed to look at how everyone else feels, right? Are they scared?”

Fletcher took a deep breath into his ventilation system and did what he could to clear his mind, focusing on his sensors. He felt no external panic aside from the exhausted, repressed buzzing from Darwin’s processors. He took it all in for a while, trying to assimilate everyone else’s calm before letting out a long breath of exhaust. “I’m okay.”

“H... how do they feel?” Darwin’s voice wavered. Fletcher looked at him then. He wanted to return some of his comfort, but Darwin was holding him so tight that his arms were pinned. Fletcher tilted his head so the top of it bumped against Darwin’s cheek.

“Nobody’s worried... about that, anyway.”

Darwin laughed a little and scratched the back of his neck, loosening his hold on Fletcher.

DRAC eyed the little Energy Vampire, but before he could make a move, ALD hit him on the back of the head. He spoke in an undertone so the boys wouldn’t hear. “Not tonight, alright? They’ve had enough.”

DRAC growled, but he yielded. “Not sure how necessary that was to hit me.”

“Please,” ALD shook his head, “I can’t believe I was based on you.”

Nos hovered away from the wall and put his hand carefully on Darwin’s back. “There is a reason I opened the roof, you know. We are going to have a meteor shower tonight. That sounds like fun, does it not? It will be a sight to see, as well as Ana’s first show.”

“She was trying to get out of her crib,” XR chuckled.

Fletcher found the nearest open spot on the sofa and flopped down, keeping his eyeforms down. He tried to pretend the roof was still there. Darwin joined him, eyeing the unfamiliar robot standing by ALD. Part of him wanted to say something or introduce himself, but even his strongest instincts were thwarted by his tiredness.

Fletcher’s focus had drifted to Ana. She was staring at him, and for some reason, he couldn’t break the visual contact. “...How old is she?” he asked softly.

XR smiled, making his way to them. “She’ll be two in two months.”

Ana kept up her bewildered expression. There wasn’t a lot to her electrical emissions, but Fletcher couldn’t help feeling like she was evaluating him. “She’s sweet.”

XR nodded, “Yeah, she’s a real sweetheart. Ana’s probably the most level headed one out of all of us, she doesn’t react much, even when there’s a commotion ‒ ”

Ana interrupted him with a whimper, reaching for Fletcher.

After a moment of surprise, XR smiled. “Wanna hold her?”

“U-um,” Fletcher looked down again, “I don’t...”

“She’s basically your half-sister, what are you nervous about?” Darwin found enough emotion to smile.

Fletcher frowned at him, but he nodded all the same. “Okay.” He held his arms out, not quite sure what to do with them. “I’ve, uh, never held a baby before.”

“It never gets old, I can tell you that much. Okay, so angle one of your arms for her back, like a c... well, 45° down. Use your other hand to cup her head and keep her close as support. It’s okay if she starts moving, she’ll try to adjust to you.”

Fletcher did as he was told, back held stiff.

“It’s okay to be nervous.” XR helped by moving his hand over Ana’s head. “Nos was like you when he first held Nox and Mor. They were so tiny, he was terrified of dropping them.”

Fletcher smiled waveringly, his eyeforms seeming to glow a brighter shade of purple. “Um, hi, Ana.”

The young hybrid only responded by lying her head against his shoulder and falling asleep.

Fletcher flushed with static. “Wait, what are you doing? You’re going to miss the meteor shower!”

XR patted his back, “It’s okay, she’ll probably wake up again in a few minutes.” It was refreshing to see Ana so comfortable. “You know she really trusts you, she never acts like this, not even with Mor. Then again... Mor is really hyper.”

Ana yawned and nuzzled her head against Fletcher, who nodded slowly.

“...She doesn’t talk much, huh?” Darwin murmured.

“We try coaxing her to talk, but we think it might be too hard for her right now. Maybe in a few months?” XR checked over some of the supplies. “Can you hold her for a bit? I gotta prep the campfire.”

“I think I can do that,” Fletcher murmured.

XR smiled and rushed to sort glowing orbs as the hornets placed a set of rocks.

“Fletcher, do you think that’s just another thing that’s different from home?” Darwin asked softly, “How she can’t talk yet?”

“Maybe, but... it would be rude to ask. Wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah...” Darwin settled farther into the cushions, blinking heavily at the stars. “Do you remember being two?"

“Mom was just teaching me how to write,” Fletcher recalled.

“I was a little slower than that... but I still can’t imagine what it’s like to be online, but not understand language. I was speaking fluently within a few months.”

The pair fell into their own bubble for a moment, awed by this strange little life form.

DRAC watched them carefully, still trying to work out how XR came to accept and trust a child that wasn’t his own.

“Are you okay Mr. DRAC?"

DRAC looked down to see Nox.

“I am just surprised at how everyone has adjusted to… them.”

Nox frowned. “They are really great Mr. DRAC, they won’t hurt Ana.”

DRAC nodded. “I can see some similarities between you two but to sense a different signature that is mixed with your father's is a bit alarming.” Nox tilted his head and sat on the couch. That would need a bit of explaining... “You have seen when animals are keen to familiarity within their kind, yes?”

Nox nodded thoughtfully. “We’re the same then, right?”

“Not quite. You have different signatures, and you were brought into the world by different carriers. To sense another Energy Vampire from such a foreign carrier is… alarming, to say the least. It makes me cautious. I know he is as kind hearted as you, but I can’t shake my instincts. I cannot help sensing a threat.”

Nox frowned. “But you shouldn't be feeling like that around Fletcher when you haven’t met him. He is literally my big brother, all I want is for him to be happy and safe.”

“Hey, Nox!” Mor called from the other side of the room.

Nox turned toward her, hesitating. DRAC nodded and Nox smiled, going to meet her. The old Energy Vampire shook his head, taking a seat by the window once again. “I worry they will hurt you,” he said in an undertone as he watched the twins help their uncle place pillows on different seats.

Darwin grabbed a pillow as Mor put it on the seat next to him, stuffing it under his head. “Ana falls asleep like it’s nothin’, but I bet she still doesn't sleep as much as you do.”

ALD chuckled, “She has a real talent for falling to sleep. She spends half the day offline sometimes.”

“She didn’t even wake up when we were all on a ship leaving the atmosphere!” Mor giggled.

“They must be related,” Darwin yawned.

ALD laughed softly before taking a knee by Fletcher so he could pet Ana’s hair. “Well, she was born prematurely, so her core is fragile. It’s been getting stronger with time, growing whole ‒ the sleep helps.”

“Everything here is so different... robots can’t come prematurely back home. A lot of robots aren’t ‘born’ at all.”

“Like me,” Darwin hummed, “My parents had me built in a lab."

“I was built inside my mom,” Fletcher mumbled, “then they had to take me out and finish me at a lab. Ana’s a lot like a human baby, huh?”

ALD nodded. “The cores are almost organic in some ways. Ana is no different than the twins, they incubated inside XR and took on a form after being born. It’s pretty complicated.”

“That’s not so different, I think. I was inside my mom... but I don’t know about that ‘taking form after being born’ stuff. I was pretty much complete when the program stopped running and let my mom know I was ready."

“Seeing it happen in person is something else, like watching the process of construction sped up really fast. Ana here was forced early out due to some stress at work that Nebula put XR through.”

Fletcher held her a little closer. “I’m glad she’s okay.”

ALD patted his head. “Me too, kid.”

Mor peaked over the divan, watching the whole exchange with a smile. “Aww, Ana likes you a lot.”

Fletcher couldn’t smother his smile at this point, absolutely prickling with static. Ana blinked awake at the fizzing sensation, reaching up to pat his face and making him laugh. She giggled and nuzzled his head.

ALD stood then, throwing a pointed look to DRAC. “Hey, why don’t you say hello instead of sulking over there. You’re being creepy.”

DRAC scowled but came forward to them. Fletcher and Darwin’s attention was stolen away from the baby for a moment, taken by this 6 foot tall robot with black and blue optics. DRAC knelt beside them. “It is nice to meet you, children. I am DRAC_2_LA. I am an Energy Vampire.”

“Hi, I’m Fletcher.”

“I’m Darwin. We’re, um... not from here.”

DRAC nodded, “I can tell. You smell and feel different than anyone I’ve ever met. Not to mention, I have already been informed of your situation.”

Fletcher’s face scrunched up. “Smell?”

“I was made as a close replica of a real vampire. I function as I was intended to when I turned 670 years ago.”

“You mean you weren’t made as an Energy Vampire?”

DRAC shook his head. “I was like ALD, made as a soldier, only to be turned if I proved myself worthy. It was not a pretty process.”

“Then... who gave you that power?” Darwin asked “Were there Energy Vampires before you?”

DRAC sat back on his heels, trying to find the right words to answer while avoiding reliving the memory. “My creator found a curse to turn me. My brother was given antimatter as the source to his power. I am the first Energy Vampire.”

“A curse?” Fletcher quirked his eyeform, “Like... magic? It’s not technological?”

DRAC mulled it over. “It was both, to be honest. It was a very painful process.”

“A world with magic...” Darwin muttered, still staring out of the glass ceiling. He wanted to be more surprised or filled with wonder, but he’d believe anything at this point.

Fletcher sat back a little, looking at the top of Ana’s head. “Mom said turning was painful, too. At home, my Dad is the first Energy Vampire, and he wasn’t supposed to be able to turn anybody for good. He says the Energy Vampire ‘venom’ virus that he can download into other robots isn’t stable enough, but... I can do it, too, and I’ve read through the virus. It looks like it’s supposed to hurt. It looks like it’s supposed to kill whoever it’s downloaded into. Dad and the doctors had to work very hard to help Mom get better, and she still can’t really do all the things Dad and I can. I think it even hurts her still sometimes."

DRAC held onto his arm briefly, exposing brass marks that glowed beneath his armor plating. “...I sympathize with her struggle.”

Darwin tried not to stare, but Fletcher couldn’t help himself. “What is that?”

DRAC hesitated before taking off the armor piece, showing an ancient inscription. “This is the curse and the virus. It is where he injected it inside of me.”

ALD tensed a bit and looked away, holding his own arm. Perhaps they weren’t that different after all.

DRAC frowned. “My creator wanted to create the ultimate weapon, and he made two. I am one of them. I am a retired conqueror now, and the other went mad.”

Fletcher and Darwin went quiet. Conqueror? Thank goodness he seemed to be on their side...

DRAC continued, “I was able to make an elixir of sorts to help cure the pain.”

“It still hurts after centuries?” Fletcher asked.

“It did during the first century, but thanks to the elixir, I’ve been permanently healed. The mental and emotional scarring... well, that’s a different story.”

“That still sounds like a long time to be in pain,” Darwin murmured.

DRAC rubbed the back of his head. “Now it’s just longing for a mate mostly.”

All the kids tilted their heads in unison.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Fletcher asked.

DRAC went grey, wishing he hadn’t said that. “Excuse me, I am needed elsewhere.”

They watched him go in silence. As soon as he was gone, Darwin looked around for confirmation. “Did he just turn gray?”

“I think so...?” Fletcher mumbled.

XR chuckled. “Wow, seeing DRAC embarrassed, that’s a new one.”

Nos rolled his servos. “Pay no attention to him. DRAC has always been that way.”

“And what way is that?” Darwin cocked an eyeform.

Nos stretched. “From what I’ve learned, he’s constantly on the lookout for a mate and takes lovers from time to time to fill that void.”

Fletcher scowled, sticking his tongue out.

XR shrugged. “He eventually gave up on lovers when he tried to win Nos over. Oh man, Nos didn’t like him when they first met.”

The Earthlings shifted awkwardly.

“Uh, can someone take Ana?”

Nox tried to grab her, but she wouldn’t budge. He tried again. Nothing. He tried with help from Mor but she still didn’t let up, at which point the twins fell backwards into a pile of pillows. “Guess she’s glued to you.” Nox said dizzily.

Fletcher compromised by carefully reclining onto his back and clamping his hands over his auditory receptors. “Why does everything have to revolve around that?”

“Maybe when you’re older, you’ll find that special someone who loves you for you,” XR smiled.

Nox stuck his tongue out. “Maybe never.”

Mor sighed and hugged her lizard doll. “No one will catch my eye.”

“But that’s the thing... plenty of people love me a whole lot right now. I don’t know why people want that so bad. Darwin, you love me, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” the android hummed.

“That’s more than enough for me.”

Mor nodded, lying on her back. “I’d rather be single!”

XR chuckled. “Well, that’s better than how I started.”

“But you’re not single,” Fletcher said to Mor, “You’re surrounded by people who care about you.”

Mor giggled. “I know that. I meant with a life mate. I have a whole lifetime to find someone but I’m happy with my family.”

Fletcher stuck his tongue out again. “‘Mate.’ Blech. It’s like a word for animals... we were created by an evolved species, I don’t know why everyone says we need to pick just one person.”

XR laughed. “I did and I’m perfectly happy,” he grinned at Nos. “He was my friend and then he became my mate and husband. He’s the greatest.”

Fletcher gingerly scooted Ana off his chest before rolling onto his face, burying it under the cushions. Ana wasted no time crawling onto his back and falling to sleep.

Nox giggled before a glimmer caught his attention. He looked up, beaming, “Hey, it’s starting!”

Darwin let out a soft noise of wonder while Fletcher kept his head down, half in protest and half because he didn’t know how to get Ana off.

“Here, I’ve got her,” Nox grabbed Ana who immediately began to whimper. He pointed up to catch her attention. “Look, Ana.”

It only took a moment before she began to squeal and clap away at the sight of the meteors.

Darwin’s eyeforms lulled as he watched. He reached down to prod Fletcher’s shoulder without looking away, and the hybrid conceded to look up, momentarily stunned by the view. He flipped over to his back, landing his head in Darwin’s lap.

Ana looked down and crawled out of Nox’s hold to sit on Fletcher’s chest.

“Hey, what’s the big idea? Do I smell good or something? Is that something you can sense or what?”

Ana began to babble, but the syllables came out with purpose. Fletcher’s eyeforms widened as he realized she was trying to speak.

“Bleh ‒ ” she sounded out.

All heads turned towards her.

“Bleu... blue,” Ana squealed, “Blue blue blue! Bwether!”

Fletcher’s voice came out strained. “I’m... am I blue?”

“Blue bwether!”

“Wait, th-that’s me, isn’t it? I’m blue brother! Did anyone else hear that?”

XR beamed, giddy. “Her first words!”

Nos reached out to her and she put her hands up toward him. “Ana, I am so proud of you!” he cooed, “Your very first words!”

Ana kept tripping over her new vocabulary in excitement.

Mor and Nox tackled Fletcher, creating a dogpile on top of Darwin. “See, she loves you!” they shouted together.

Fletcher rubbed at his visor, laughing, “I’m sorry, this is a lot.”

Darwin put his hand on top of Fletcher’s head, remembering all the times he’d teased him about idolizing his older brother. “Having siblings isn’t so bad now, is it?”

DRAC smiled at the scene.

ALD stood next to him. “Well I’ll be darned, Fletcher got her out of her shell. Glad it wasn’t explosive.”

DRAC nodded, his countenance fading to a frown. “They will be sad when those boys have to leave.”

ALD rubbed the back of his head, all the cheer leaving him. “I know, but maybe if their parents are okay with it, they can come here freely.”

“That’s a big if,” the retired conqueror mumbled.

They watched the scene play out, enjoying the calm and joy as the storm slowly cast a dark shadow, looming in the form of the bogeyman.

Fear has an appropriate response.

Description
Nos-4-a2 would have given almost anything to get XL away from his house... or maybe get rid of him in general.

“Let me in!” his brother-in-law tried to elbow his way through the front door but nothing. He stares down Nos as he tried to look menacing. “Why can't I go in!?”

Nos rubbed his temples and stayed firmly in his path. “XL, please understand, now is not a good time for ‒ ”

“Hey I destroyed the portal like you asked, so a ‘thank you’ is in order!” XL pointed emphatically but pulled away when Nos’s face darkened. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be hopeless!”

“As if you are of any help here,” ALD snapped as he came to Nos’s side with XR.

XL stepped up to the black and white Energy Vampire, but ALD continued before he could say a thing, “Oh, but thank you for helping Nebula steal the blueprints so he could cause all this damage! You almost caused the destruction of our universe!”

XL glared. “Clone wannabe!”

“Pretty good coming from a screwball like you! I’m surprised you could even find your way here without blowing yourself up.”

Nos hovered to XR’s side, too tired to intervene.

“At least I can take a hit!”

“One too many in the head!”

“Like you’re any better, Mr. Glass! You fall to pieces every time a stiff breeze comes through!”

ALD stiffened as if he’d been slapped across the face.

XR crossed his arms, “Enough, XL! Did you get all of the blueprints?”

“Yes,” XL puffed his chest out.

“Even the prints for NJX-9R? That one is extremely, extremely, important. After all, I worked really hard on that one, I’d hate to lose all that hard work.”

XL froze, breaking out in a nervous smile. “Oh gosh, you know what? I think I left the oven on, I gotta go, see ya!”

Nos watched, relieved, as XL took off. He leaned down toward XR to mumble, “I don’t recall any NJX-9R. Have I ever expressed how much I love your quick thinking?”

“Hundreds of times,” XR laughed for a moment before he noticed ALD. His expression turned somber. “I’m going to get the blankets ready for the kids, alright?”

Nos nodded in understanding, looking toward his brother. Stress radiated from ALD where he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed tight over his chest. Damn that XL...

As soon as XR was out of hearing range, Nos went to ALD’s side. “We both know XL is an idiot. He doesn’t have any idea what he’s talking about. If... if going to Planet Z is too much for you, we can always send DRAC.”

“It is not about going there, and I do not care what XL thinks.” ALD looked up, sensing an outpouring of everything the boys had been holding back. “I do not want to fail them again.”

“You are not at fault for what happened today,” Nos said firmly.

ALD slid down to the ground. “How do you do it, brother? How can you keep doing what you do to support them? How can you still face that monster without falling back?”

“I do what you do, keep fighting until I cannot.” Nos shifted his lower half into legs and sat next to ALD. “You are capable of so much, ALD. If not for you, I would never have seen my son again... will you tell me what is really bothering you?”

ALD tilted his head back to look at the night sky as the trees swayed in the wind. “I feel like... by now, I should be capable of standing against AL_2_CAR-D! After all these years, I still cannot fight him off. I failed Fletcher ‒ if anything, I have put him in more danger!”

“You did not fail him ‒ ”

“What if Stevie had not been there?!” ALD stood up, his screen turning bright red and seeping tears. “AL could have hurt them, it could have been what happened to Nox all over again! I was not even close to attacking him before he took me down!” ALD shook, “I am unworthy of this family. I am not ‒ ”

“You are worth more than you can possibly know!” Nos snapped, standing to face his brother. “You protected them even as you were being torn apart! Anyone else would have run away from that monster, but you stayed and fought. You did not fail anyone,” Nos pulled his brother into a hug. “They know you are strong, ALD, especially in the face of AL. You have saved my children multiple times, and even if you had not, what you did today has more than proven your worth. You are not weak.”

ALD fell silent, relenting to his brother’s hug. When he pulled away, he stood straighter. “Enough of this emotional mush, I’m not XL.” ALD shook his head, brushed himself off, and put a hand on his hip. “Thanks, I... I needed that.”

Nos smiled, watching his brother step back inside and through to the living room He’d find a way to make XL apologize later. Nos floated after him, but as soon as he entered the living room, he had to scramble to catch a bundle of sleeping bags and blankets.

XR pulled out a few more to put out for the kids and was about to greet Nos when a knock at the front door cut him off. He huffed, “Can you get that, Nos?”

Nos dropped what he was holding and went right back to the entryway, opening the door to reveal DRAC_2_LA.

Before Nos could say a word in greeting, DRAC’s line of sight turned down the hall to the comm. room, intrigued by the feeling of an unfamiliar young Energy Vampire with striking similarities to Nos-4-a2’s signature. DRAC smirked flirtatiously. “I never pegged you as a ‒ ”

“Finish that thought and I’ll personally dissolve you, one component at a time,” Nos glared.

DRAC rolled his eyes. “Charmed as always by the ever doting father. I will behave.”

Nos allowed him in and lead him to the living room. They entered to see Nox and Mor coming in with armfuls of teddy bears.

“We don’t know if they like to sleep with stuffed animals so we brought them all!” Mor grinned.

“Will Fletcher and Darwin be joining us, angel bats?” their father asked.

Mor nodded, rushing to hug him, “They just need a moment. Thank you Papa for letting us camp in here.”

Nos smiled and hugged her back. “Of course, but you are still forbidden from going out at night.”

“I know Papa, I just want to help like you do,” Mor looked up with owlish optics, shining like a set of topaz.

Nos chuckled and cupped her face. “I understand my angel bat, but you are too young for that kind of responsibility. When you are old enough, I will let you join me.”

Mor pouted but knew it wouldn’t help to force the issue. “So Papa, can we do this more often when Fletcher and Darwin come back to visit?”

Nos hesitated, sharing a look with XR. “...It all depends on their parents, Mor. They are under… strict rules, rules even I cannot change.”

Mor nodded. “Maybe… we could go to their place…?”

“We’ll see Mor, it all depends on them,” XR ruffled her hair.

ALD stepped closer to DRAC, smoothing a blanket over the back of the nearest sofa. “You’ve missed out on quite a lot.”

DRAC rolls his servos and laid back on a wall effortless to stay hidden. “Care to explain this then? I get a call from XR to come here because of some emergency, but all I see is a slumber party,” DRAC gestured around the room.

ALD stretched his neck. “Look, two kids have been sucked into our world and your brother is after them. We’re trying to send them home before he traumatizes them any more than he already has.”

DRAC fell silent, reaching out with his sensors to do a sweeping scan. After a beat, he frowned. “AL is trying to prove his theory.”

“Excuse me?” ALD asked.

The words seemed to weigh on DRAC as he elaborated, “About 700 years ago, before we turned, AL was very intrigued by the unknown. He had a particular fascination with dimension hopping and dreamed to see the worlds, particularly to live there. He always theorized that one could cross between universes, but his main hypothesis involved merging two universes into one. He must be trying to prove it... or worse.”

“I’m curious, what’s worse than that?” ALD lowered his voice.

“I don’t know. Knowing him, he will do it silently. How are these children?” he changed the subject. It was uncomfortable, talking about his brother.

“They aren’t in great shape, but who would be? It took awhile for the initial shock to wear off, and as soon as things were looking up, AL appeared,” ALD shook his head.

“We need to get them home before he can do any more damage,” DRAC murmured, his gaze once again fixed in the direction of the comm. room.

Neither could tell how much time passed before crying turned them numb. Suddenly, they were both just a heap on the floor, silently holding each other together. Fletcher hated crying for no other reason than the lubricant oil making such a mess. It ruined his clothes, and this time, Darwin hadn’t fared any better.

“...Sorry your shirt’s all gross,” Fletcher’s voice came out hoarse.

“I don’t really care,” Darwin responded in a similar undertone.

They couldn’t think of anything to say. The only words they’d managed up until then were garbled “I want to go homes.” Nothing else compared. What could they do? Eventually, they had to face the only course of action available to them, as impossible as it seemed. They stood up. Fletcher hovered upright first and helped Darwin onto his feet. It took them another few minutes to decide on their next move, but before long, they found the motivation to step away from the screen and towards the sound of talking.

The duo came into the living room just as Nos placed his hand against the wall, opening the ceiling to the stars.

Fletcher flinched, shrinking back and clutching Darwin’s arm, frantically searching the sky. “What are you doing?!”

Nos masked his concern to speak in a calming voice. “Do not worry, it is not an open roof. There is a glass dome over us. AL is gone, far away from here.”

Darwin put his arm around Fletcher’s shoulders and squeezed as tight as he could, but the hybrid could still feel him shaking. “Hey, r-remember, you’re supposed to look at how everyone else feels, right? Are they scared?”

Fletcher took a deep breath into his ventilation system and did what he could to clear his mind, focusing on his sensors. He felt no external panic aside from the exhausted, repressed buzzing from Darwin’s processors. He took it all in for a while, trying to assimilate everyone else’s calm before letting out a long breath of exhaust. “I’m okay.”

“H... how do they feel?” Darwin’s voice wavered. Fletcher looked at him then. He wanted to return some of his comfort, but Darwin was holding him so tight that his arms were pinned. Fletcher tilted his head so the top of it bumped against Darwin’s cheek.

“Nobody’s worried... about that, anyway.”

Darwin laughed a little and scratched the back of his neck, loosening his hold on Fletcher.

DRAC eyed the little Energy Vampire, but before he could make a move, ALD hit him on the back of the head. He spoke in an undertone so the boys wouldn’t hear. “Not tonight, alright? They’ve had enough.”

DRAC growled, but he yielded. “Not sure how necessary that was to hit me.”

“Please,” ALD shook his head, “I can’t believe I was based on you.”

Nos hovered away from the wall and put his hand carefully on Darwin’s back. “There is a reason I opened the roof, you know. We are going to have a meteor shower tonight. That sounds like fun, does it not? It will be a sight to see, as well as Ana’s first show.”

“She was trying to get out of her crib,” XR chuckled.

Fletcher found the nearest open spot on the sofa and flopped down, keeping his eyeforms down. He tried to pretend the roof was still there. Darwin joined him, eyeing the unfamiliar robot standing by ALD. Part of him wanted to say something or introduce himself, but even his strongest instincts were thwarted by his tiredness.

Fletcher’s focus had drifted to Ana. She was staring at him, and for some reason, he couldn’t break the visual contact. “...How old is she?” he asked softly.

XR smiled, making his way to them. “She’ll be two in two months.”

Ana kept up her bewildered expression. There wasn’t a lot to her electrical emissions, but Fletcher couldn’t help feeling like she was evaluating him. “She’s sweet.”

XR nodded, “Yeah, she’s a real sweetheart. Ana’s probably the most level headed one out of all of us, she doesn’t react much, even when there’s a commotion ‒ ”

Ana interrupted him with a whimper, reaching for Fletcher.

After a moment of surprise, XR smiled. “Wanna hold her?”

“U-um,” Fletcher looked down again, “I don’t...”

“She’s basically your half-sister, what are you nervous about?” Darwin found enough emotion to smile.

Fletcher frowned at him, but he nodded all the same. “Okay.” He held his arms out, not quite sure what to do with them. “I’ve, uh, never held a baby before.”

“It never gets old, I can tell you that much. Okay, so angle one of your arms for her back, like a c... well, 45° down. Use your other hand to cup her head and keep her close as support. It’s okay if she starts moving, she’ll try to adjust to you.”

Fletcher did as he was told, back held stiff.

“It’s okay to be nervous.” XR helped by moving his hand over Ana’s head. “Nos was like you when he first held Nox and Mor. They were so tiny, he was terrified of dropping them.”

Fletcher smiled waveringly, his eyeforms seeming to glow a brighter shade of purple. “Um, hi, Ana.”

The young hybrid only responded by lying her head against his shoulder and falling asleep.

Fletcher flushed with static. “Wait, what are you doing? You’re going to miss the meteor shower!”

XR patted his back, “It’s okay, she’ll probably wake up again in a few minutes.” It was refreshing to see Ana so comfortable. “You know she really trusts you, she never acts like this, not even with Mor. Then again... Mor is really hyper.”

Ana yawned and nuzzled her head against Fletcher, who nodded slowly.

“...She doesn’t talk much, huh?” Darwin murmured.

“We try coaxing her to talk, but we think it might be too hard for her right now. Maybe in a few months?” XR checked over some of the supplies. “Can you hold her for a bit? I gotta prep the campfire.”

“I think I can do that,” Fletcher murmured.

XR smiled and rushed to sort glowing orbs as the hornets placed a set of rocks.

“Fletcher, do you think that’s just another thing that’s different from home?” Darwin asked softly, “How she can’t talk yet?”

“Maybe, but... it would be rude to ask. Wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah...” Darwin settled farther into the cushions, blinking heavily at the stars. “Do you remember being two?"

“Mom was just teaching me how to write,” Fletcher recalled.

“I was a little slower than that... but I still can’t imagine what it’s like to be online, but not understand language. I was speaking fluently within a few months.”

The pair fell into their own bubble for a moment, awed by this strange little life form.

DRAC watched them carefully, still trying to work out how XR came to accept and trust a child that wasn’t his own.

“Are you okay Mr. DRAC?"

DRAC looked down to see Nox.

“I am just surprised at how everyone has adjusted to… them.”

Nox frowned. “They are really great Mr. DRAC, they won’t hurt Ana.”

DRAC nodded. “I can see some similarities between you two but to sense a different signature that is mixed with your father's is a bit alarming.” Nox tilted his head and sat on the couch. That would need a bit of explaining... “You have seen when animals are keen to familiarity within their kind, yes?”

Nox nodded thoughtfully. “We’re the same then, right?”

“Not quite. You have different signatures, and you were brought into the world by different carriers. To sense another Energy Vampire from such a foreign carrier is… alarming, to say the least. It makes me cautious. I know he is as kind hearted as you, but I can’t shake my instincts. I cannot help sensing a threat.”

Nox frowned. “But you shouldn't be feeling like that around Fletcher when you haven’t met him. He is literally my big brother, all I want is for him to be happy and safe.”

“Hey, Nox!” Mor called from the other side of the room.

Nox turned toward her, hesitating. DRAC nodded and Nox smiled, going to meet her. The old Energy Vampire shook his head, taking a seat by the window once again. “I worry they will hurt you,” he said in an undertone as he watched the twins help their uncle place pillows on different seats.

Darwin grabbed a pillow as Mor put it on the seat next to him, stuffing it under his head. “Ana falls asleep like it’s nothin’, but I bet she still doesn't sleep as much as you do.”

ALD chuckled, “She has a real talent for falling to sleep. She spends half the day offline sometimes.”

“She didn’t even wake up when we were all on a ship leaving the atmosphere!” Mor giggled.

“They must be related,” Darwin yawned.

ALD laughed softly before taking a knee by Fletcher so he could pet Ana’s hair. “Well, she was born prematurely, so her core is fragile. It’s been getting stronger with time, growing whole ‒ the sleep helps.”

“Everything here is so different... robots can’t come prematurely back home. A lot of robots aren’t ‘born’ at all.”

“Like me,” Darwin hummed, “My parents had me built in a lab."

“I was built inside my mom,” Fletcher mumbled, “then they had to take me out and finish me at a lab. Ana’s a lot like a human baby, huh?”

ALD nodded. “The cores are almost organic in some ways. Ana is no different than the twins, they incubated inside XR and took on a form after being born. It’s pretty complicated.”

“That’s not so different, I think. I was inside my mom... but I don’t know about that ‘taking form after being born’ stuff. I was pretty much complete when the program stopped running and let my mom know I was ready."

“Seeing it happen in person is something else, like watching the process of construction sped up really fast. Ana here was forced early out due to some stress at work that Nebula put XR through.”

Fletcher held her a little closer. “I’m glad she’s okay.”

ALD patted his head. “Me too, kid.”

Mor peaked over the divan, watching the whole exchange with a smile. “Aww, Ana likes you a lot.”

Fletcher couldn’t smother his smile at this point, absolutely prickling with static. Ana blinked awake at the fizzing sensation, reaching up to pat his face and making him laugh. She giggled and nuzzled his head.

ALD stood then, throwing a pointed look to DRAC. “Hey, why don’t you say hello instead of sulking over there. You’re being creepy.”

DRAC scowled but came forward to them. Fletcher and Darwin’s attention was stolen away from the baby for a moment, taken by this 6 foot tall robot with black and blue optics. DRAC knelt beside them. “It is nice to meet you, children. I am DRAC_2_LA. I am an Energy Vampire.”

“Hi, I’m Fletcher.”

“I’m Darwin. We’re, um... not from here.”

DRAC nodded, “I can tell. You smell and feel different than anyone I’ve ever met. Not to mention, I have already been informed of your situation.”

Fletcher’s face scrunched up. “Smell?”

“I was made as a close replica of a real vampire. I function as I was intended to when I turned 670 years ago.”

“You mean you weren’t made as an Energy Vampire?”

DRAC shook his head. “I was like ALD, made as a soldier, only to be turned if I proved myself worthy. It was not a pretty process.”

“Then... who gave you that power?” Darwin asked “Were there Energy Vampires before you?”

DRAC sat back on his heels, trying to find the right words to answer while avoiding reliving the memory. “My creator found a curse to turn me. My brother was given antimatter as the source to his power. I am the first Energy Vampire.”

“A curse?” Fletcher quirked his eyeform, “Like... magic? It’s not technological?”

DRAC mulled it over. “It was both, to be honest. It was a very painful process.”

“A world with magic...” Darwin muttered, still staring out of the glass ceiling. He wanted to be more surprised or filled with wonder, but he’d believe anything at this point.

Fletcher sat back a little, looking at the top of Ana’s head. “Mom said turning was painful, too. At home, my Dad is the first Energy Vampire, and he wasn’t supposed to be able to turn anybody for good. He says the Energy Vampire ‘venom’ virus that he can download into other robots isn’t stable enough, but... I can do it, too, and I’ve read through the virus. It looks like it’s supposed to hurt. It looks like it’s supposed to kill whoever it’s downloaded into. Dad and the doctors had to work very hard to help Mom get better, and she still can’t really do all the things Dad and I can. I think it even hurts her still sometimes."

DRAC held onto his arm briefly, exposing brass marks that glowed beneath his armor plating. “...I sympathize with her struggle.”

Darwin tried not to stare, but Fletcher couldn’t help himself. “What is that?”

DRAC hesitated before taking off the armor piece, showing an ancient inscription. “This is the curse and the virus. It is where he injected it inside of me.”

ALD tensed a bit and looked away, holding his own arm. Perhaps they weren’t that different after all.

DRAC frowned. “My creator wanted to create the ultimate weapon, and he made two. I am one of them. I am a retired conqueror now, and the other went mad.”

Fletcher and Darwin went quiet. Conqueror? Thank goodness he seemed to be on their side...

DRAC continued, “I was able to make an elixir of sorts to help cure the pain.”

“It still hurts after centuries?” Fletcher asked.

“It did during the first century, but thanks to the elixir, I’ve been permanently healed. The mental and emotional scarring... well, that’s a different story.”

“That still sounds like a long time to be in pain,” Darwin murmured.

DRAC rubbed the back of his head. “Now it’s just longing for a mate mostly.”

All the kids tilted their heads in unison.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Fletcher asked.

DRAC went grey, wishing he hadn’t said that. “Excuse me, I am needed elsewhere.”

They watched him go in silence. As soon as he was gone, Darwin looked around for confirmation. “Did he just turn gray?”

“I think so...?” Fletcher mumbled.

XR chuckled. “Wow, seeing DRAC embarrassed, that’s a new one.”

Nos rolled his servos. “Pay no attention to him. DRAC has always been that way.”

“And what way is that?” Darwin cocked an eyeform.

Nos stretched. “From what I’ve learned, he’s constantly on the lookout for a mate and takes lovers from time to time to fill that void.”

Fletcher scowled, sticking his tongue out.

XR shrugged. “He eventually gave up on lovers when he tried to win Nos over. Oh man, Nos didn’t like him when they first met.”

The Earthlings shifted awkwardly.

“Uh, can someone take Ana?”

Nox tried to grab her, but she wouldn’t budge. He tried again. Nothing. He tried with help from Mor but she still didn’t let up, at which point the twins fell backwards into a pile of pillows. “Guess she’s glued to you.” Nox said dizzily.

Fletcher compromised by carefully reclining onto his back and clamping his hands over his auditory receptors. “Why does everything have to revolve around that?”

“Maybe when you’re older, you’ll find that special someone who loves you for you,” XR smiled.

Nox stuck his tongue out. “Maybe never.”

Mor sighed and hugged her lizard doll. “No one will catch my eye.”

“But that’s the thing... plenty of people love me a whole lot right now. I don’t know why people want that so bad. Darwin, you love me, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” the android hummed.

“That’s more than enough for me.”

Mor nodded, lying on her back. “I’d rather be single!”

XR chuckled. “Well, that’s better than how I started.”

“But you’re not single,” Fletcher said to Mor, “You’re surrounded by people who care about you.”

Mor giggled. “I know that. I meant with a life mate. I have a whole lifetime to find someone but I’m happy with my family.”

Fletcher stuck his tongue out again. “‘Mate.’ Blech. It’s like a word for animals... we were created by an evolved species, I don’t know why everyone says we need to pick just one person.”

XR laughed. “I did and I’m perfectly happy,” he grinned at Nos. “He was my friend and then he became my mate and husband. He’s the greatest.”

Fletcher gingerly scooted Ana off his chest before rolling onto his face, burying it under the cushions. Ana wasted no time crawling onto his back and falling to sleep.

Nox giggled before a glimmer caught his attention. He looked up, beaming, “Hey, it’s starting!”

Darwin let out a soft noise of wonder while Fletcher kept his head down, half in protest and half because he didn’t know how to get Ana off.

“Here, I’ve got her,” Nox grabbed Ana who immediately began to whimper. He pointed up to catch her attention. “Look, Ana.”

It only took a moment before she began to squeal and clap away at the sight of the meteors.

Darwin’s eyeforms lulled as he watched. He reached down to prod Fletcher’s shoulder without looking away, and the hybrid conceded to look up, momentarily stunned by the view. He flipped over to his back, landing his head in Darwin’s lap.

Ana looked down and crawled out of Nox’s hold to sit on Fletcher’s chest.

“Hey, what’s the big idea? Do I smell good or something? Is that something you can sense or what?”

Ana began to babble, but the syllables came out with purpose. Fletcher’s eyeforms widened as he realized she was trying to speak.

“Bleh ‒ ” she sounded out.

All heads turned towards her.

“Bleu... blue,” Ana squealed, “Blue blue blue! Bwether!”

Fletcher’s voice came out strained. “I’m... am I blue?”

“Blue bwether!”

“Wait, th-that’s me, isn’t it? I’m blue brother! Did anyone else hear that?”

XR beamed, giddy. “Her first words!”

Nos reached out to her and she put her hands up toward him. “Ana, I am so proud of you!” he cooed, “Your very first words!”

Ana kept tripping over her new vocabulary in excitement.

Mor and Nox tackled Fletcher, creating a dogpile on top of Darwin. “See, she loves you!” they shouted together.

Fletcher rubbed at his visor, laughing, “I’m sorry, this is a lot.”

Darwin put his hand on top of Fletcher’s head, remembering all the times he’d teased him about idolizing his older brother. “Having siblings isn’t so bad now, is it?”

DRAC smiled at the scene.

ALD stood next to him. “Well I’ll be darned, Fletcher got her out of her shell. Glad it wasn’t explosive.”

DRAC nodded, his countenance fading to a frown. “They will be sad when those boys have to leave.”

ALD rubbed the back of his head, all the cheer leaving him. “I know, but maybe if their parents are okay with it, they can come here freely.”

“That’s a big if,” the retired conqueror mumbled.

They watched the scene play out, enjoying the calm and joy as the storm slowly cast a dark shadow, looming in the form of the bogeyman.

Fear has an appropriate response.