Three sided square (editing/revision period)

the dump

[observation]

Renjun couldn't sleep.

Not that he needed sleep or anything but he just couldn't relax. His headspace was all fucked up. He wandered around the house until deciding he needed some fresh air. Not that he needed oxygen either but, whatever he felt human enough to use this as a valid excuse. He strayed a little far from the house and down towards a back road that led to the city. The lights attracted him and drew him closer.

He hummed to a song he never heard before as he neared a closed gas station. He was sure gas stations weren't supposed to close so this was strange to him. The pumps were untouched and looked like they were a little rusty. He shrugged off the faint feeling of doom and pulled the rusty door open. Everything had been left alone and the shelves lie stocked and moldy. It seemed like anyone that was in there had just closed themselves off from the rest of the world. He was afraid to touch a lot of the junk in there and thought about all the diseases he couldn't actually catch. Afraid of the eyes that weren't there, he carefully trekked through the store. He looked at all the colorful drinks and juices that had been left to rot along the walls and sighed. This place was awesome.

"W-What are you doing!" A deep voice called out.

"Nothing illegal!" Renjun spun around with his hands up. There was a figure pointing something at him in the corner.

"D-Dont worry guys, it's just another model." The figure lowered its arms and there was a loud thud behind him. Something that looked just like Renjun stood up and dusted off its jacket. "W-Welcome to the dump." The figure came forward and smiled. Renjun wasn't sure what was happening so he just went along with it. He looked at the other Renjun and frowned at it as the deep voiced bot took him by his hand.
"What is this?"
"L-like I just said, the dump. I-it's where they get rid of their junk. M-Models that come online but ultimately fail. T-thats RJ, an earlier model of you. He's the one that can hit people so watch out. There's dr34.m project 1. The original design plan for you, don't look at him he bites." RJ's eyes glowed as he glared at Renjun and project 1 just laid in the corner, twitching and muttering.
"Who's that?" Renjun looked at someone standing in another corner, staring deep into the crevices.
"That's Jaehyun. He's getting used to this so we just let him be."
"Who are you?"
"I-I'm project D or Sicheng. I-I was the first of the U project boys but if you can hear me, my voice kind of skips before getting consistent. RJ can't pronounce his Ks and, you can just look at project 1 and see what's wrong with that." Sicheng shuddered as he glanced at the ground near project 1s feet. "T-there's one more guy but I don't think we should let you see him just yet."
"Why?"
"I'm back!" A familiar voice called from the front of the store.
"S-speak of the devil." Sicheng muttered as he walked out to greet whoever was there. "T-there's another Renjun."
"That's a shame. They treat him like a loaf of bread." Sicheng walked back it with Jeno trailing behind him except he was blonde and looked a little more put together than normal.

"Woah what the fuck?" Renjun tilted his head.

"I'm Jeno, not your old Jeno but still Jeno. You can call me Jen if it makes you more comfortable. Mom and Dad decided it was too risky to have me around with the actual Jeno so they brought me to the dump. I'm newer than Jaemin I think." Jen rummaged through the bag he was holding.
"If I could faint I certainly would. What is going on?" Renjun couldn't process all of this at once.
"You don't get it? You been dumped! Get with it. Nobody wants or needs you anymore. It's perfectly fine." Jen shrugged as he tossed a book at RJ. He smiled at him and sat next to project 1.

"I'm not supposed to be here- I-I haven't been replaced- I walked here on my own-"

"You what? How's mom?" Jen put his hands on Renjuns shoulders.

Sicheng crossed his arms, "S-She's not your mom-"

"Shut up Sicheng! How's my mom?"

"She's fine-"

"How am I?"

"A little sad but it's nothing a good hug can't fix."

"Haechan?"

"How do you know him?"

"Over the phone. They wanted to test my voice. Is he alright?"

"Yeah he's fine."

"Hey," Jaehyun turned around from the corner and wrung his hands together, "Is my dog okay?"

"Cinnamon? Yeah she's fine. Taeyong and Doyoung are taking good care of her."

"Thank you." He smiled and faced the corner again.

"You need to go. Tell mom that I love her and all that junk okay? I miss her. Tell Jaemin that it's on sight the moment he steps in this fucking building you got it?" Jen started pushing him out.
"What'd he do?"
"It's not about what he did it's about what he's programmed to do. Get out of here. And for your own good...don't come back." Jen shoved him out the front door and gave him a dark expression.

+++++

The next morning Renjun went to Mr. and Mrs.Lees room and woke up Mrs.Lee.
"Jeno told me to tell you he loves you and missed you a lot while you were gone."
"He can't come tell me himself?"
"If he felt like he could I'm sure he would."

Renjun left and went back downstairs, a sour taste in his mouth. He saw Jaemin walk by and he shuddered.
"Hey Renjun." He greeted him from around the corner.
"How'd you see me?"
"I heard you walking around earlier. Your footsteps stopped when you saw me."
"Right, sorry."
"You're all good." Jaemin gave him a weak smile.
"Do you know what you're capable of?"
"You sound like a guidance counselor. Maybe phrase it differently?"
"Do you know everything you're programmed to do?"
"You scared of my murder program?" He stuck his tongue out at him and winked.
"Haha...no...unless? Do you have...a murder program?"
"No, stupid. It was a joke. Why, are you scared of me?"
"No! Of course not I was just wondering. You're made differently, y'know?"
"Yeah. The best I've got is a self defense program and a 'Jeno defense' program ha."
"How far does JDP allow you to go?"
"Oh. Not far. It's stops at breaking bones."
"Yeah. Not far." Renjun shrugged and Jaemin wend back into the basement. He never really thought about what he was doing in the basement but after the dump he was a bit curious. He knew couldn't do it alone.