Flesh and Bolts AU

Chapter 5: Bigweld Industries

Rodney fast approached the gates leading to the Industries. It looked exactly the way it did on TV.

"Wow," he gasped in amazement as he glanced up at a familiar sign. The words "You Can Shine, No Matter What You're Made Of" were emboldened and signed by Bigweld himself.

"Yoo-hoo! Excuse me!" A familiar voice prompted Rodney to face away from the sign towards the owner. "Can I help you?" Tim, the same guard who had appeared on The Bigweld Show.

"Sorry, I...I..." Rodney started. Excitement grew in him when he recognized him standing at the front desk near the gate. "Hey...you're Tim from the TV show!"

"That's me!" Tim proudly replied.

"Well, hey, Tim. Who closed the gate? It's never supposed to be..." Rodney began reciting the words he had heard Bigweld say so many times.

"Yeah, okay, what do you want?" Tim interrupted. He sounded like he had heard of that line so many times.

"Hmm? Oh! I'd like to see Mr. Bigweld," Rodney then attempted to sound professional as he took Wonderbot out from his suitcase. "I'm an inventor!" As if on cue, Wonderbot popped out from underneath its cover in a fanfare-like appearance.

"Ohh! Why didn't you say so?! Stand back!" Tim said as Wonderbot then itself back underneath. He picked up a large key and turned it in the lock.

At its command, the gates opened up to reveal the grand inside of the Industries. Rodney's eyes widened with excitement and amazement. A fountain stood in the middle as bots with savvy parts walked around.

"Thanks!" He told Tim and started to walk through the gate.

However, before he could even set foot within the gated area, the giant doors suddenly slammed shut right in front of him.

"What?!" Rodney exclaimed in confusion.

Tim laughed as hard as his lungs could muster. "I gotcha! You see, 'cause you all excited, and then boom!"

Rodney glared at him.

"All right, I had my laugh. Go in," Tim said and opened the gates again.

When the gates finally opened up, Rodney started to walk in once more, only for them to slam back down in front of him. "Whoa, hey!" He shouted startled.

Tim laughed even harder than before. He was really having a good time tormenting Rodney like this. "Now that's funny!"

The bluenet man glared at the obnoxious guard one more.

"The second time! You really think I'm gonna let you in..." Tim guffawed. "...but I'm not. Sorry, kid. Nobody gets in. Company rules."

"Company ru—? Well, then, how do they hire new inventors?" Rodney asked.

"They don't! Those days are over! My advice? Mm, come back two years ago, then the job is yours!" Tim laughed into a new round of hysterics.

Rodney glared at the guard with clenched teeth. He then faced the highest top of the tower over the Industries.

That's when an idea came up in his mind.

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At the moment, Rodney wasn't up at all. He was way down—down in the streets and down on his luck. In fact, he was the exact opposite of the successful, enterprising bot he had hoped to be.

"So, remember, whether a bot is made of new parts, old parts, or spare parts, you can shine no matter what you're made of," the image of Bigweld said.

When the image was paused, it was revealed to be an old episode from The Bigweld Show playing on the TV.