Android

31

As expected, Henrie had been hesitant to come with me but quickly gave in. It wasn't that he didn't trust me, he didn't trust what would happen to him beyond the cage. After reassuring him though that we'd be fine, even though I didn't quite believe it myself he agreed to come along. Because he was to weak to walk though, I put him on my back and let him guide me to the prison with whispers in my ear.

Even though they all knew I was here, I put my hood back on and recovered the bottom half of my face as I kept my sledgehammer ready to go. The easy part, finding Pluto, was almost over. The hard part was going to be getting him out. If he's even here that is. Henrie reassured me though that if he was alive he'd be in the prison.

So, with the sheer will to survive, we made our way into the deep dark underground of the hideout and surprisingly didn't have any confrontation. Soon, we found ourselves in another overwhelming collection of caged up droids. All of them much bigger and more human like then the Tinkers. Just as lifeless though.

"Where are all the guards?" I asked as I made my way down the stairs, deeper into the prison as instructed.

"Probably out looking for you, as I've said though, we don't have much time so have to make good use of it." He whispered, stilling gripping onto me. "I apologize that you have to carry me, I haven't been out of that cage in months, I'm a little rusty," He said, and I shook my head.

"Don't worry about it, we'll fix you up." I reassured. Around me I could feel the eyes of the other droids on me but none of them said a word. They didn't have to; I knew exactly what they were thinking. If they even could think. Whether you were human or not, this place was terrible. It was dark, cold, and smelled horrible. To think some of them may have been in here for extended periods of time, made me sad. "Why are so many of them locked up here?" I inquired, moving down another flight of stairs.

"Various reasons. Some for experimentation, flaws in programming, rebellion, nothing that's actually a crime." He listed off bitterly. Nodding thoughtfully, I slowed down my walk a little because it was beginning to become darker than before.

"This...this Titan...he's pretty bad huh?" I asked cautiously and I felt Henrie shiver.

"All the bad ones are angels compared to him. A look upon his face makes your heart still and when he enters a room your never sure if you will exit." He whispered softer then before, as if Titan was listening in, and I couldn't help but feel chills. When I had escaped out of the weapon room, the lights had flickered. I wonder if that meant Titan had been there.

"He doesn't sound like someone I'd want to meet," I said lightly, as I turned down yet another flight of stairs.

"I have a bad feeling you will soon, he's insistent on finding-" He began to say but was cut off when a long pained moan echoed around the halls.

"Pluto, that sounded like Pluto!" I announced, much louder than I had intended as I took off running towards the sound. Not saying anything, Henrie clung to me as I ran towards the general direction of the sound. Fortunately, the pained groans and moans kept coming and each time they got louder I knew I was close. "Pluto! Pluto where are you?" I found myself shouting, hoping to gain some sort of response.

"Are you bloody crazy?! Stop shouting, they'll find us!" Henrie scolded, but I ignored him.

"Pluto!" I yelled, halting in the hallway I had turned into. I couldn't hear anything anymore; the place had gone silent. "Where is he Henrie? Where would he be?" I asked frantically. There were so many cells, and far too many halls. It'd take me forever to find him.

"I don't know but alerting the entire prison that you're here isn't going to help us." Henrie whispered and I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. The moans had completely stopped now. Other than my heavy breathing, the prison had gone silent again. "Maybe we should leave?" Henrie suggested, his voice a little shaky.

"No, not yet." I insisted, gnawing worriedly on my bottom lip as I listened. I was positive that had been Pluto, I had no doubt in my mind, but the sudden silence alarmed me.

What if...what if something had happened?

"I really insist that we leave," Henrie said once again and I swallowed thickly.

If only-

An audible tapping, like someone hitting a metal bar with a stick then echoed around the prison halls.

"That's Pluto, that has got to be Pluto," I said, rushing towards the sound again but this time I refrained from shouting.

"It could be a trap Abigail! Please do be careful." Henrie pleaded, obviously having no other choice but to come along with me. Nodding, I followed the sound, pausing every so often to make sure I could still hear it. At first the sound of it seemed to have the same consistency but finally after a couple of turns it grew louder. "We're close, he's here, I know he is!" I insisted, the sound so loud now I could tell it was metal striking metal. Finally, then, my strenuous efforts to find him had been rewarded when I rounded the final bend and saw Pluto shackled against the wall and using his feet to hold the metal rod, he was hitting the bars with.

When he saw me, he let it fall on the ground.

"A-Abigail?" He weakly choked out and I let out a relieved breath as I rushed to the cell door.

"Pluto! Pluto it's going to be okay, I'm here to rescue you, and I'm going to get you out of here." I promised as I pulled the sledgehammer from under my arm.

"A-Abigail....you shouldn't...h-have come h-here..." Pluto heaved, coughing up what appeared to be oil. He looked like a mess. His clothes were torn to shreds, he had no shoes, his hair was sticking up all over the place, he was caked in oil, and his body kept twitching from what I presumed to be pain.

"I wasn't going to leave you," I said as I then took a step back and with all my might I swung the tool against the lock. Unlike the lock on Henrie's cage though, this one was much stronger, and it took way more effort on my part before it finally came off. When it did, I threw open the door and rushed to Pluto's side. "Are you okay? Can you walk? Did they hurt you?" I asked worriedly, even though I knew all the answers to those questions.

"Abigail...A-Abigail you have to l-leave..." he croaked desperately as I began tugging on his chains. "Abigail...Abigail p-please...leave..." He begged but I ignored his pleas.

"How do I get these off Henrie?" I asked and he leaned over my shoulder to examine the damage.

"I might be able to pick them, but it will take a moment," He said, pulling himself off my back and up onto the bar that held the chains.

"Please make it a quick moment then." I urged as Pluto shook his head.

"Abigail! A-Abigail their c-coming! Y-You need to leave!" He shouted weakly at me, making my stomach turn inside out a little as I grabbed his chin.

"Hey, hey it's okay. We are leaving, we just need to get you out of here first," I said, and he closed his eyes.

"It's too late Gail...it's too late..." He whispered, just as I heard the marching of feet coming down the down the stairs from above.

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DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!

And that my friends concludes my massive update for the day. 

I am super excited for the next one to follow and hopefully once you all have caught up you will be to!

Get some good sleep :)

-Mari.