His Synthetic Pulse

Chapter Seven

Sorry sorry sorry! I keep forgetting about this story and then keep coming back to it! Sorry for like, a month of waiting! Please excuse any errors, this is only a draft xx

"Blood?" I gasped. I've never seen blood in such abundance before. Sure, Dirk had scratched himself on the giant metal contraptions in his office, but like this. Never like this. Blood pooled on the floor like water, seeping into the growing cracks in the linoleum. The hallway began to reek of it's mettalic stench.

I watched the color drain from Dave's already pale face.

Vriska and Equius came next, gathering around the sea of blood with us. "Woah." Vriska's cerulean eyes glistened with interest.

"We have to cross it. Are you okay Dave?" Dirk touched his brother's shoulder. Dave just shook his head, shrugging off his caring hand.

"I'm fine."

I stuttered, gathering everyone's attention. "I'll go first! T-to make sure it's safe." Explaining, I took the first step and hearing the blood squelch beneath my metal sensors. It felt slick and slippery, earning myself to cringe. I walked past the blood, which had reared off in a corner, as if whatever was bleeding this much had turned in a direction I did not want to head.

"What do you think it was?" Vriska asked, pulling Equius quickly across the sea of red.

"The robots weren't really attracted into killing the scientists. It might have been a rebel." Equius stated, quietly.

Dave's face turned a shade paler, if that was possible.

"I don't think even humans have this much blood." Dirk contributed, almost dragging his brother across the blood. The younger stumbled, pushing Dirk away finally when they were both across and back onto linoleum. I watched as their shoes left brown tracks.

"We should follow the trail and see!" Vriska grabbed my arm and yanked me down the corner. I felt myself almost yelp as the smell of blood became clearer.

"What? No! Vriska are you crazy?" I pulled myself back, gasping lightly as the smell entered my mouth. "You could get hurt!"

Vriska didn't hear me though, her eyebrows had knit together and she turned away from me, as if she heard something. "413, listen."

There was something. A click, and a grumble. Vriska looked at me, raising her eyebrows.

"There's something down there." I spoke for her, turning back to Equius and Dirk. "Maybe someone's in trouble, we have to help."

"You are not going down there, John. I didn't manufacture you to be strong enough to fight." Dirk hissed. I think I saw Dave roll his eyes beneath the black of his glasses. "Equius, help me. Vriska is built the same way, isn't she?"

"Yes, Vriska, the polycarbonate plastic of your rib cage could easily be damaged, and the metals and wiring of your endoskeleton are dangerously close to the beginning of your exoskeleton." Equius paused to think, wiping his long, raven hair out of his face. "Though your accuracy, success and prosperity are much larger in strongess than experiment four hundred and fourteen, meaning you would fare well on the offensive. And your-"

"Okay, Equius." Dirk gasped, defeated. "Vriska, 409, whatever, you can go, but John, your staying here." I opened my mouth to protest, anger spiking in my chest. I wanted to do something to help. Someone might need help!

"Dirk! Please, I want to help!" I almost whined.

"Yeah bro, maybe he won't be so useless then." Dave added. I strained to read his emotions but found them indecipherable. He was good at keeping them hidden.