Chapter 263 - Stronk

Dala's new revelation brought a flood of new opportunities to everyone's minds. Zero only being the first to voice it, "Wait. If what you're theorizing is this lobotomite understands us... Can reason with us...

Klein loudly cuts in, not missing the chance to 'show his superiority', "THEN THIS MAY BE THE ANSWER WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR. AT LAST, A CHANCE TO-"​​

8 interjects with a cacophony of strange noises, causing the rest to go silent., "*BZZZZZZZZZTCH!*"

Just before Afton was about to ask what's going on, Borous begins to speak, "Doctor Klein! A TRANSMISSION from the FORBIDDEN zone! Coming right at us!" he says causing the group to start nervously looking at Klein.

"IT CAN ONLY BE..." Klein mutters before trailing off, everyone in the dome aside from Afton already knowing the one who he is referring to.

A flash of light occurs behind Afton, and once he turns around he's greeted with a huge monitor, larger than any movie screen he'd seen in this life or his last one. On it was another robot that looked eerily similar to Dr. Klein and the rest, only with a few differences. They looked old, decayed. Some of its monitors were broken and its brain dome looked fractured. That certainly couldn't be healthy for its intelligence and or sanity.

"If it isn't my old colleagues, the might 'Think Tank'of big MT. Big FOOLS! All of you. It is I, Dr. Mobius, transmitting from my dome-shaped... Dome, in the forbidden zone. A zone that is, yes. Forbidden to you." Their voice echoes through the room, Afton raising a brow at the almost stereotypical mad-scientist act that was occurring... He'd already dealt with Klaus, he doubted he was so unlucky as to encounter two in such a short time period.

Dr. Mobis continues, "Even now, my deadly Robo-Scorpions swarm across Big Mt with their pincers and pointy laser tails. Soon, all science will be mine! Even the technologies sealed in the Big Mt research centers cannot save you. So cower in your 'Think Tank.' Wait, for the end... That's all, err, goodbye!" Mobius's voice changing from the villainous one to a slightly senile old man with his farewell...

"MOBIUS" Dr. Klein growls, "ALWAYS THE SAME BROADCAST. HE'S CLEARLY MAD, DRIVEN INSANE BY HIS FLAWED AND IMPRECISE KINDERGARTEN-LEVEL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY."

"What are we going to do? There's no way we can breach the Forbidden Zone. There's those robot scorpions everywhere!" Zero exclaims, clearly fearful despite this seemingly not being the first time this has happened.

"Sooo... Ignoring 'Dr. Mobius, I was wondering where you'd stored my brain... And how I can leave this place... I have other things to do you know." Afton says, causing all the robots to turn towards him.

"HOW TO LEAVE? YOU CANNOT LEAVE LOBOTOMITE! ONLY BRAINS ARE CAPABLE OF LEAVING BIG MT AND ITS RADAR FENCE, YOU, ARE LACKING ONE!" Klein states.

"As soon as the lobomite tries to leave the crater, they will be transporting back inside! With some minor health defects from the forced teleportation..." Borous adds.

"*BZZZZZTCH!* 8 buzzes.

"ITS BRAIN? DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE WE LEFT IT? DR. O, DID YOU KEEP TRACK OF IT?" Klein asks, the robot somehow misplacing his BRAIN!

"I err, did we?.. No... No, I got nothing." Zero says after a moment of contemplation.

"Where ever it is, it must still be within Big MT, otherwise they would not be able to receive thoughts!"

"Then it is fortunate your brain is not anywhere in the dome, why, you would be able to access your aggression centers." Dala adds, causing the robots to tremble slightly at the thought.

"CIRCUMVENTING THE PACIVICATION FIELD?! THIS IS A NO-NO. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A FIGHT. WE DO NOT WANT THAT!"

"-Reminds me of my days in American High... And Richie Marcus." Borous adds somewhat solemnly.

Afton was, or would be pretty peeved at the fact they'd extracted his brain, and then almost immediately afterwards lost it. The only thing preventing a long rant against them was the Pacification Field that was working overtime in his case.

He sighs and chooses to broach another subject, "You removed my brain, but where other surgery did you apply to me? Was accessing my heart and spine necessary to remove the fungus? Or were you just curious at what mine looked like?" he says, his tone as passive-aggressive as the Pacification Field would allow.

All the robots turn towards Dala, "DALA? WAS IT NECESSARY THIS TIME?" Klein asks, his tone one of exasperation as if she'd done this many, many times before.

"I assume full responsibility Dr. Klein. I take my responsibilities in the prodding and excising of breathing, living tissue quite seriously." Dala states, and Afton couldn't detect even a hint of remorse at it.

She continues, "All though in truth, the Auto-Doc had done most of the work already. Quite industrious, almost cut into all my investigations. Once it had removed your brain, I-... Misplaced it. Other organs began to cry out for direction using your nerves as telegraph wires. Rather than let them send their signals, I removed them as well. Shhh, little organs. Go to sleep in your tanks. Dala loves you." she whispers, and a shiver goes up Afton spine... If that was still in his body?...

"FIRST WAS THE HEART!-" Klein states, but Dala interrupts him.

"No... The teddy bear's little heart was too difficult to remove. The intruding organism had already taken it over, I applied some of our custom pesticides to it, but it mutated instead of dying like it should have... The strain must be different... Somehow." Dala says.

...

"I..." Klein shakes his monitors as if shaking his head, "FIRST WAS THE BRAIN! SECOND, SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE HEART! THIRD. WAS THE SPINE!" he reluctantly corrects himself.

[Perk Granted : Spineless] : Due to 'complications' with the procedure, your spine has been replaced as well.

[Spineless] : Your torso can no longer be crippled, grants +1 to Str and DT.

[Strength has been maxed out! Perk Granted : Tremble before me!]

[Tremble before me!] : Allows melee attacks now completely bypass DT, whether this means causing a shockwave to attack through metal armour, or simply slicing through leather. All will apply.