Prototype: MN 10

Why?

As promised here is the picture I wanted to show you. I'll also be putting a picture of Eli in the next chapter so... Yeah. Enjoy!

Eventually Beck finished feeding Eli, and then proceeded to teach him how to use a spoon. It was a tedious task as Eli couldn't seem to understand how to maneuver his hand to get the spoon into his mouth. He got some porridge onto a spoon and just about managed to not spill any as he put the spoon in his mouth. With a triumphant grin he jumped off the chair and looked to Beck for approval. Beck smiled slightly and gave the small robot a pat on the back. "Good job kiddo. Now then, since you're all filled up what say we head down to the training pods and get some combat practice in huh?" Eli nodded reluctantly. He didn't WANT to do it but he figured he didn't have a lot of choice. It was either go with Beck and learn how to fight or sit around all day and do nothing. Doctor White had nothing interesting in his lab/house save for something Pyrogen called an X-box. Eli then thought of something and began to tremble a bit, "W-will General Battalion be there?" He asked fearfully. Beck frowned at his younger brothers change in demeanor. "I don't think so, why? And you know you don't have to call him General right?"

"NOW WHAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT, THAT IS ACCEPTABLE PRIVATE BECK!" Battalion shouted as he trundled into the room. Eli instantly ran and hid behind Beck as he watched Battalion with a fearful gaze. If Battalion noticed this he didn't show it and proceeded to make some kind of meal in a bowl. "Perhaps the fact that you never pick up on it when we're not in public. And please stop shouting." Battalion poured milk into the bowl. "WHY? YOU'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT BEFORE. YOU GOING SOFT PRIVATE BECK?" Beck shook his head and pushed Eli under the counter, noticing the boys fear. "No Battalion I'm not going soft. I just think that Eli is still asleep." Battalion glanced over at Beck. "SO YOU HAVE GONE SOFT. EVERYONE IS COOING OVER THAT KID AT THE MOMENT. NO IDEA WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT HIM. HE'S NO DIFFERENT TO THE REST OF US." Beck glared. "Look I-" "SHUT YOUR YAP PRIVATE BECK. IF THAT KID'S SO IMPORTANT THAN GO WAKE HIM UP AND TRAIN HIM. PUT HIM TO DOING SOMETHING USEFUL." "Battalion I-" "DID I STUTTER, PRIVATE BECK?" Beck gritted his teeth in annoyance. "No General." Eli watched with growing terror as Beck left the room.

"I KNOW YOU'RE DOWN THERE RUNT. COME OUT NOW!" Battalion shouted into the room. Eli tried to shrink back into the space even more whilst not making a sound in the hopes of Battalion not noticing him. "I HAVE INFRARED VISION BOY. I CAN SEE YOU UNDERNEATH THE COUNTER." Eli held his breath and curled into a ball. "IF YOU WON'T GET OUT PRIVATE, I'LL DRAG YOU OUT!" Battalion then crept up silently to the counter and peeked under it, gaining sight of Eli. Bat then snaked one of his four arms forward and gripped the small robot's ankle. Eli yelped in fear as Battalion made good on his words and dragged him out from under the counter. Eli found himself dangling ten feet in the air as Battalion held him at eye level. "NOW THIS IS PATHETIC. A PRIVATE SCARED TO DEATH OF HIS OWN GENERAL? I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. HAVE YOU PRIVATE ELI?" Eli shook and stuttered, "N-n-no General." Battalion shook him in the air. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU RUNT!" Eli blinked tears of fear out of his eyes, "No general battalion!" He yelped as Battalion dropped him onto the floor. "YOU PRIVATE ARE A PATHETIC, WORTHLESS AND BRAIN DEAD MAGGOT WHO SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN CONCEIVED LET ALONE CREATED! I HAVE ARIGHT MIND TO TOSS YOU OUT ONTO THE STREETS BUT I CAN'T. YOU'RE SAVING GRACE IS THAT YOU'RE A MIGHTY NUMBER. IF YOU WEREN'T I WOULD HAVE OBLITERATED YOU BY NOW! AM I UNDERSTOOD!" Tears were flowing freely from Eli's eyes as he nodded sadly, feeling completely and utterly worthless. "I SAID A- ARGH!" Battalion cried out in pain as thousands of volts of electricity ran through his body. Eventually he passed out onto the kitchen floor.

Eli looked up through tear blurred eyes to see Dynatron burst into the room with a look that somehow portrayed complete and utter rage and immense concern. Dynatron scowled at Battalions unconscious form and then rushed over to Eli and swept him up in a protective embrace. Eli buried his face into her jacket as he began to cry openly. He felt terrible. Empty, dejected, sad... Broken. He had never known what hate was. He could recognize Happiness, Sorrow, Confusion and Fear but never Hate. He simply couldn't find it in himself to hate someone or something but that didn't mean other people couldn't. It was obvious that Battalion disliked Eli for whatever reason. Hate may be a bit too far, even in Eli's mind but that didn't change the fact that Battalion didn't like Eli. Eli slowly stopped crying. What Battalion said had hurt him, a lot. He didn't let go of Dyna because he wanted to feel secure, safe even because even when Battalion was out for the count he still terrified Eli. Dynatron looked down at Eli, her face displaying an incredible amount of concern for the young child. Eli looked back up at her with an expression that made her clutch him tighter to her chest. "Come on buddy. Letszzz go szzzomewhere else okay?" She felt him nod against her, so she swept him up and carried him away. But not before kicking Battalion's unconscious form.

Brandish felt something was wrong. He didn't know how he could tell but he knew his senses never lied. So he got up from meditating and dashed off around the lab to find the disturbance. He found Shade putting up cameras and miniature microphones, Seismic digging a flowerbed in the garden, Aviator flying around in a circle aimlessly, Cryo looking up puns on the internet and Pyrogen setting things on fire. While the last was a little concerning none of them were enough to trigger his senses. So he ended up in the research lab with Doctor White. The doctor looked up from his laptop. "Oh Brandish would you mind getting Cryosphere for me later? And tell everyone that Sanda is coming round tomorrow please." Brandish bowed. "Of course doctor. But do you know if anything is going wrong in the household? My sixth sense is acting up." White shrugged, "No idea. I've been in here all day. Why not ask Eli? I don't think he's been doing anything at the moment. Maybe he saw something?" Brandish thought on this. "Perhaps. I need to visit the young one anyway. I promised to talk with him. Thank you Doctor." With that Brandish ran off.

Dynatron set Eli down on the couch in the living room. He had stopped crying but remained deathly silent. Dyna was worried for him. She had heard the last few bits of Battalion's rant and she had also heard Eli being scared. She knew he was fearful of Battalion. She had watched the interactions between the two yesterday. What she couldn't understand was why Battalion was being like this. "Miss Dyna?" Dynatron snapped round when she heard Eli's voice. "Yeszzz dear? What's wrong?" Eli looked at her with sad eyes. "Would it be better if I didn't exist?" Dyna's heart stopped. "What make you think that dear?" Dynatron asked slowly. "Battalion said the only reason I exist to him is because I'm a mighty number otherwise he would of killed me." Eli looked conflicted, "I want to make him change his mind about me. But at the same time I want to be as far away from him as possible. I don't know what to do or how to make him listen." With that he drooped over sadly and sighed. Dynatron didn't know what to say. Luckily someone else did the talking for her. "Well young one it appears you may be at a crossroads." Eli looked up to see Brandish stood in the doorway, "How long ha-" "Long enough young one. Now I can understand your turmoil. Bat is not easy to impress nor is it easy to change his mind about something. The only thing Battalion listens to is brute strength." Brandish walked over and sat on the couch next to Eli. "So if you want Bat to listen you have to make him listen. Do you understand what I'm saying child?" Eli nodded slowly. "I understand. Thank you Brandish. But how am I going to make him listen to me? I'm worthless." Brand shook his head. "You are not worthless young one. And as for how you're to make him listen to you, well..." Brandish gained a dangerous glint in his eyes, "Who said you're doing it alone? As soon as everyone else hears about this I'm sure they'll want to take a piece or two out of Bat." Eli grinned already feeling slightly better. "It'szzz  good that you're smiling again little brother." Dynatron said. Brandish nodded, "Now to make you smile a bit wider. Have you ever heard of Halo?"

Beck had spent a while looking for Eli now. He had found Battalion waking and swearing about "The electric bitch" and assumed that Dynatron had stepped in to take care of Eli. Beck had wandered about trying to find his younger brother for nearly an hour before he came across anyone. He found Countershade setting up cameras. "Hey Shade, you seen Eli?" Shade grunted, "Think I saw Dyna takin' im into the livin' room. Then the ninja went in there too." Beck nodded. "Thanks Shade." Shade nodded back and sent one last comment before Beck disappeared, "Where'd ya go after you finished spoon feedin' im?"

Beck ignored Shade's last comment and headed to the living room, to find Eli sat on Dynatron's lap playing Halo against her and Brandish. And winning. "Damn it! I only just taught you the controls! How are you this good already?" Brandish shouted as his character was mowed down by Eli's. Beck laughed and strolled into the room, "Can I join in too?" He asked. Eli turned and looked at him blankly. Beck froze under the gaze panicking slightly until Eli's face broke out into a grin. "Sure! I'd love to get a higher score than Brand! Join in so I can have some easy kills." Beck's face turned to a smirk. "We'll see about that kid. Scooch over Brand, I'm gonna win this."