Phobia

The Emotion Bank

One last click caused shock amongst the entire class. They all knew everyone was due for their punishment at some point within the next few hours, but they all wanted to take on the burden of their friend's punishments. The robot was well loved by everyone in the room minus Monokuma, even the mastermind liked K1-B0 even if it was only slightly. 

The Ultimate Robot knew that something bad was about to happen to him, but he didn't know how to feel about the situation, more specifically, he didn't understand what he was supposed to feel so he was just... there. Many emotions were unknown to K1-B0, and he wasn't yet exposed to fear and anxiety. He recalled Kaede's previous explanation about caring about people makes you fear for their safety more often, or at least that's how the robot understood the pianist's words.

Anxious students watched the humanoid boy casually walk onto the stage, in awe at how fearless and brave he was, although some were wondering if the robot even knew fear. Others assumed he knew emotions as well as a regular human does. However they weren't aware that for K1-B0 to understand an emotion he had to experience it, there was a reason he was carefree.

Monokuma shone a half-toothed grin at his fellow robot before gesturing to the door of wonders. "Everyone welcome, the greatest inventor," the bear shot a menacing and condescending smile towards Miu before continuing. "Professor Iidabashi!" 

Professor Iidabashi appeared from the doorway, revealing his small yet tall figure. The middle-aged man hesitantly made his way to an excited K1-B0, whom he used to see as his own child, his son, but now all he saw before him was just another robot he created, and the robot could sense that.

"Professor? Aren't you excited to see me?" K1-B0 looked dejected, unfortunately an emotion he had become used to lately.

"Kiibo... you're a great bo- robot." The professor corrected himself, not without the robot picking up on the fact he was being objectified. "But I just can't keep updating you."

"What do you mean Professor? Aren't I good enough for you? I can be better." 

"Just stop. I don't want to talk to you anymore." Professor Iidabashi spat at the hunk of moving metal, suddenly acting very aggressive. "The strength of a senior citizen, what was I thinking? I should've made you way more stronger and useful." The professor poked and prodded all over the metal plates covering the boy who was now standing very still, unsure if he was about to get an upgrade to make him stronger or something similar.

But K1-B0 must've forgotten the situation he was in.

"Don't let him touch you."

K1-B0's mind spoke to him, it was the voice that usually guided his decisions ever since he had awoken in the damned academy. An unknown emotion had started flowing through the circuits in his body, making his limbs feel shaky as the man he saw as a father over creator prodded at his joints roughly.

"Father what are you-" 

"I am not your father. Don't call me as such." The professor spat before walking away back to the door, leaving K1-B0 on the stage feeling sad and something that according to his emotion bank and records, identified as fear. 

The robot boy stared at his fellow classmates in front of him. They all stared at him with a pitiful look, K1-B0 could see people wanted to help him. A spark of hope flickered in the back of his mind before it quickly extinguished itself due to the overwhelming despair in the atmosphere.

"You should tell them you're scared."

"I'm scared..." K1-B0 followed the voice in his head, assuming he was doing the right thing since it had never lead him wrong before.

"It'll be okay Kiibo, nothing will happen to you." Miu smiled, dropping her usual vulgar attitude to help the robot boy she deeply cared for. "Just try and stay calm."

"None of us have actually been hurt yet, so you won't be hurt either okay?" Kaede comforted the boy, shooting him another one of her optimistic smiles. Many would probably wonder how her cheeks didn't hurt so badly at this point.

"Oh my Lord shut up all of you and watch! Do you want me to silence you all?!" Monokuma growled, annoyed at how long Professor Iidabashi was taking in the storage closet. Just as that thought appeared in the bear's head the professor struggled out of the closet with a large toolbox in hand.

"K1-B0, I can't keep doing this. I'm only doing you a disservice." 

"What are you talking about Professor?"

"Just, stay still. It'll be over soon... I need your parts to make J1-B0." He mumbled to himself.

"Professor..." K1-B0 slowly started to back away as the inventor pulled a screwdriver from his toolbox. The professor grabbed a hold of K1-B0's arm, easily pulling him closer due to K1-B0's weak strength.

"You broke the first law of robotics remember? I've let you run loose for too long now. I need to create a new robot, one that follows the law and one that is useful." Professor Iidabashi seemed troubled, hurried to destroy one of his greatest creations.

"Y-you're going to dismantle me?! I didn't have control of that mistake... I've been sorry ever since that happened I never meant to hurt yo-" 

"This isn't my choice. You attacked me Kiibo, you aren't allowed to be active anymore."

K1-B0 struggled against the professor, trying to escape from his destruction as the screwdriver got closer and closer to the robot's elbow. Only the two on stage knew that if a specific wire was completely cut in the robot's elbow, he would completely shut down. Most of the wires in his body had backups in case of injury but this single one would completely shut the boy down until repair.

The robot's eyes shut tight as he anticipated the feeling of standby, but nothing came. His eyes peeked open to see... nothing. Professor Iidabashi had disappeared along with his toolbox.

K1-B0 was safe.

He ran off the stage to Miu, clunking on his way to the inventor. As soon as he reached her, they embraced each other lovingly. Miu patted his surprisingly soft hair as he cried into her chest, the tears may have not been real but his sobs and despair were.

"It's okay Kiibo, you're safe now." Miu continued to soothe the robot in her arms. No one knew how he felt, they could only sympathise for the boy, not even Kokichi wanted to make a robot joke in this moment. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"He needs to talk about it~!" Monokuma cheered.

K1-B0 removed his arms from around Miu and stepped back, allowing himself to see all of the other students around him. "Isn't it obvious to you guys why that was scary?" He didn't mean to come across as rude at all, instead just curious.

"Not exactly, we don't know what your life has been like out of what you've told us." Kirumi stated.

"I don't know, it's very obvious to us smart people." Kokichi sighed, staring at his nails.

"Oh really, then how about you tell us about how Kiibo thinks." Kaito glared coldly at the supreme leader.

"Fine I guess I will.~" Kokichi walked up and put an arm around the robot. "He clearly broke the law because of some malfunction and attacked that professor guy. Since then he's felt bad about it and was scared that he was going to be dismantled because of that error."

A silence enveloped the students as the supreme leader and robot stared at each other, the robot in shock at how accurately the other had diagnosed him.

"Is that true Kiibo?" Himiko drawled, tired as per usual.

All the robot could do in response is rod as Kokichi marched back to the back of the group with his hands behind his head.

"Yeah yeah you figured it out. Next punishment~!" Monokuma cackled, secretly impressed with the supreme leader. Both he and the mastermind wanted to get their hands on Kokichi more than ever now.