The Bond

Ch 87

"Bold."/"Bold italic" : animatronic is talking/animatronic is talking in mind

"Normal."/"Normal italic." : human is talking/human is talking in mind

=o^o=

"Lucyyy!"

"Yes, Mike?"

Lucy exhaled tiredly hearing Michael whining for who knows how many times today. She put the magazines down on the table and glanced boredly at the eldest Afton, who was now striding toward her with his mouth curved downwards and eyebrows knit together. Michael plopped down on the sofa, slightly startled for a while but allowed Michael to use her thigh as a pillow.

"Ennard won't let me into his room," muttered Michael then puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "He kicked me out! I wonder what he's up to ...."

The girl pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment, then picked up her magazine again as she said. "Give him a soda, maybe he'll let you in. Now go, I want to read this in peace. Shoo."

Michael gave Lucy an exasperation look, but he just thought of using soda as an excuse—there were two cans left in the fridge. Michael smiled broadly and got up from his sleep, walking towards the kitchen while humming happily. He took one soda and immediately went to the room at the far end near the door leading to the backyard. He didn't really know how Ennard had gotten into one of the rooms, which were almost all locked, only the two guest bedrooms were unlocked when they came here.

But hey, this is Ennard talking about, the animatronic must have got his way.

The brown-haired man tilted his head to see the door slightly ajar—he was sure it had been tightly closed after Ennard told him to leave. Michael looked left and right, finding Ennard nowhere outside the room, and Ennard certainly couldn't have left the door open if he was inside. An intention arose to enter, but he seemed to hesitate.

Maybe ... a little peek wouldn't be that big of a deal, would it?

Once again Michael made sure Ennard wasn't around, then he pushed the door slightly so he could see more freely inside. The room was just an ordinary room apparently, Michael raised both eyebrows and decided to enter. There was a bed, a cupboard full of books, another cupboard that looked like it was filled with clothes, shelves filled with trophies and medals lined up, and a study table. A normal room, he thought. Even though all the photo frames are facing in the opposite direction, other than that there's nothing strange.

His gaze shifted to the study table. Michael's forehead wrinkled looking at the papers lying there, one of the papers looked familiar to him. As he walked closer to the table it became clear what paper was on it; his eyes widen in surprise, it was the paper he used to sketch the endoskeleton. Examining other papers, there are pictures that are similar, but neater, and contain more brief notes on the manufacturing process.

Ennard replicated it.

"What are you doing here?!"

He didn't say anything as his collar was pulled back so violently that he almost fell over. Ennard gritted his teeth and looked angry, but he felt the same way too.

"Are you ... fixing the endoskeleton?" Michael asked quietly, but his tone was heavy.

Ennard folded his arms over his chest. "That's none of your business, didn't I tell you not to come in here?" Ennard squinted sharply at Michael who pursed his lips, remaining motionless for a few moments. "Get out."

"You try to fix it."

"I said get out."

"You're trying to fix it!"

He couldn't deny that he was shocked by Michael's exclamation who then pulled his shirt, he didn't expect the man's strength to be this strong. Michael looked furious. "Then what do you care about that?" He gripped Michael's wrist tightly.

Michael didn't react in the slightest to Ennard's grip on his hand, he growled. "I've told you many times, don't meddle with this endoskeleton!" Michael pushed Ennard so that Ennard's back hit the cupboard beside the table hard, two books fell out. "Why do you always insist on finishing when I clearly told you not to?!" So many times Michael pushed Ennard into the cupboard until the cupboard swayed, more books were falling.

Ennard winced a little, his back aching. He deliberately hit their foreheads hard, making Michael scream in surprise and step back while holding his forehead. Ennard didn't wait long to grab Michael by the collar again and pull him up, until Michael's feet weren't even touching the floor. "To get away from you," he said quietly, Michael was astonished. "So you don't have to depend on me anymore, and I know how it works."

Ennard gasped as Michael used his hand for support and swung himself backwards before his feet kicked his chest causing him to fall. His head felt dizzy after hitting the chair, Michael's vision that approached the table seemed to blur. He held Michael's leg in place with wires until Michael tripped and fell, he pulled Michael away from the table.

He blocked Michael's attack and squeezed his arms back tightly, causing Michael to groan in pain and struggle harder, but he was able to hold Michael off. "Listen, Afton—"

"What are you doing?"

Lucy's exclamation distracted him, Michael took the opportunity to hit him on the cheek. Ennard looked in disbelief, holding his aching cheek lightly, then a small smile appeared on his face. "You really want to test my patience," he said in an amused tone, approaching Michael who was now receding backwards in horror.

However, Lucy immediately pulled him back away from Michael. "Stop it!" Lucy positioned herself between the two of them. "I heard a commotion here only to find you guys bickering like kids?"

"You don't understand anything!" Ennard's teeth chattered, Michael remained silent. "You better stay out of the way, Dawson."

"Or what?" Lucy stepped forward with a challenging tone of voice.

"You—"

"Shut your mouth, Ennard. You're the one who's been acting weird lately," Lucy said crossing her arms over her chest. "If you act like that and Michael finds something to piss him off, who's to blame here?" Lucy's black eyes narrowed at him, Ennard pursed his lips together.

"Take that ..."

Both Lucy and Michael wore an incomprehensible expression. "What—"

"Take that trash now and get out!" Ennard's scream at least made them both flinch in surprise. "Get out, get out of here. Get out."

It didn't take long for Michael to understand the meaning, he took the papers on the table and pulled Lucy slowly out of the room, leaving Ennard alone. The door he closed tightly, Lucy stared at him with an indecipherable look, and they heard again Ennard's scream vaguely from inside the room as objects fell.