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People Who Like This
#75

SCENE 72 – "Welcome Home, Idiot"

Author Author
Apr 29, 2025 6 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!Lao5kRrZ6te2NnXjM1dBposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. JASON'S CUBE – EARLY MORNING

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The door creaks open—just a sliver at first.

Jason slides in like a guilty cat caught stealing, every servo moving at a snail’s pace, optics flicking nervously around the room.

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The cube is dim. Quiet.

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Too quiet.

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Jason grimaces, muttering to himself.

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JASON (whispering)

"Death... by hug? Death... by frying pan? What's it gonna be?"

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Before he can even think about escape, a figure moves.

A stands up from the bed, trench coat sloppily hanging off one shoulder, and strides towards him with a serious, unreadable expression.

10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFBDjEIYP7

Jason instinctively steps back, hands half-raised like he’s expecting a punch—

—but instead, A wraps him into a full-on bear hug. Tight.

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Jason freezes.

Optics wide.

Motor functions temporarily non-existent.

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A’s taller than him—just enough that Jason’s face ends up muffled awkwardly against A’s chest, buried in the rough fabric of the coat and the smooth surface underneath.

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Behind them, K leans against the wall in the corner, arms crossed, leather jacket catching the dim light. He rolls his eyes but says nothing.

10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcwxEkGe3e

A (grumbling, low)

"You idiot. You absolute idiot. Do you even know how worried we were?"

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Jason muffles a protest into A’s chestplate, arms pinned to his sides like a trapped kitten.

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JASON (muffled)

"I—I'm fine?! Let me—breathe—"

10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8T5j9KY7Ve

A holds tighter for another second before finally pulling back just a little—still keeping a hand gripping Jason's jacket like he’s afraid he'll vanish again.

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Jason, utterly flustered, tries to regain something resembling dignity.

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JASON (clearing throat, awkwardly)

"Uh. Yeah. Sorry. About that. HQ situation was... y'know, kinda exploded. Literally."

10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUU3HOrbaW

A glares at him, optics narrowed in clear, unamused fury.

Jason awkwardly pats A’s shoulder.

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JASON (rambling, desperately)

"But I’m good! See? Mostly not exploded! Just... overheated, got scraped, washed down like a busted hover-cycle, almost melted—normal Tuesday stuff. Totally fine."

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K snorts in the corner, muttering.

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K (dryly)

"Sounds about right for this household."

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A finally lets Jason go, stepping back with a huff.

Jason immediately puts both hands on his hips and breathes like he just escaped a black hole.

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JASON (grinning, shaky)

"Next time, I'll send you a postcard from hell. 'Wish you were here, bring coolant.'"

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A crosses his arms but the tension's gone from his frame.

Jason can tell—underneath the grumbling and the frown—A was seriously, genuinely worried.

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Jason’s grin softens just a fraction.

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JASON (quiet, genuine)

"...Thanks, though. For caring."

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K raises a hand lazily.

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K (mocking)

"I didn’t care."

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Jason side-eyes him.

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JASON

"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that, leather boy."

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K smirks, unfazed.

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Jason finally kicks off his boots and collapses onto the bed, exhausted.

A hovers nearby like a stubborn guardian, refusing to sit down until Jason does something completely normal—like eat or sleep properly.

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For the first time in hours, Jason lets himself relax.

Even if he's absolutely gonna get micro-managed to death for the next three days.

10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVdCIvmqmd

He could live with that.

10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXyQaCTvjS

FADE OUT.

3.133.142.101

ns3.133.142.101da2
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Table of Contents
#0 Intro
#1 Welcome to Central City
#2 SCENE 1 – “Security Life” pt1
#3 SCENE 1 – “Security Life” pt2
#4 SCENE 2 – “Quiet Doesn’t Last”
#5 SCENE 3 – “Unwelcome Footprints”
#6 SCENE 4 – “Break the Silence”
#7 SCENE 5 – “The Parts We Don’t Talk About”
#8 SCENE 6 – “Still Breathing”
#9 SCENE 7 – “The Smiling Knife”
#10 SCENE 8 – “Ghost in the Pipes”
#11 SCENE 9 – “Right-Hand Problems”
#12 SCENE 10 – “Drag Marks and Doubt”
#13 SCENE 11 – “Below the Skin of the City”
#14 SCENE 12 – “What Shouldn’t Be There”
#15 SCENE 13 – “Echoes of Vision”
#16 SCENE 14 – “Fragments of a Dying Empire”
#17 SCENE 15 – “Shadows Don’t Bargain”
#18 SCENE 16 – “Rust Between Circuits”
#19 SCENE 17 – “The Breach”
#20 SCENE 18 – “Three Bots & a Parasite”
#21 SCENE 19 – “Paperwork and Parasites”
#22 SCENE 20 – “Smuggle Me Softly”
#23 SCENE 21 – “Oil, Info, and Idiots”
#24 SCENE 21 – EXTENDED: “Sleepover Protocols & Other Malfunctions”
#25 SCENE 22 – “Robot Makeover: Low Budget Edition”
#26 SCENE 23 – “Caffeine, Cloaks, and Casual Paranoia”
#27 SCENE 24 – “Rustfields”
#28 SCENE 25 – “Buzz and Circuits”
#29 SCENE 26 – “Tune-Ups and Tightropes”
#30 SCENE 27 – “Errands and Egos”
#31 SCENE 28 – “Groceries and Good Lies”
#32 SCENE 29 – “Dinner and Disclosures”
#33 SCENE 30 – “Steam, Suffering, and Swords”
#34 SCENE 31 – “Dicey Decisions”
#35 SCENE 32 – “Good Night, You Weirdos”
#36 SCENE 33 – “Dreamscapes”
#37 SCENE 34 – “Office and Off-Duty”
#38 SCENE 35 – “A Pleasant Stroll… with Minor Homicidal Undertones”
#39 SCENE 36 – “Wings and Wires”
#40 SCENE 37 – “After-Hours”
#41 SCENE 38 – “Alcohol & Stuff”
#42 SCENE 39 – “Shutdown.exe”
#43 SCENE 40 – “The Weight of Peace”
#44 SCENE 41 – “Midnight, Glitches, and Blankets”
#45 SCENE 42 – “Dawn of the Mildly Functional”
#46 SCENE 43 – “Commute to Doom”
#47 SCENE 44 – “An Office Full of Violence and Vending Machines”
#48 SCENE 45 – “Lunch Break and Clickbait Nightmares”
#49 SCENE 46 – “Rise and Resist (Routine)”
#50 SCENE 47 – “Unauthorized Research”
#51 SCENE 48 – “Wardrobe Upgrades”
#52 SCENE 49 – “Field‑Trip From Hell”
#53 SCENE 50 – “Afternoon Idleness”
#54 SCENE 51 – “Uno and Other Emergencies”
#55 SCENE 52 – “Tech on a Budget”
#56 SCENE 53 – “Delivery, Disobedience & Discoveries”
#57 SCENE 54 – “Questions & Quirks”
#58 SCENE 55 – “Privacy Settings”
#59 SCENE 56 – “Entertainment Planning”
#60 SCENE 57 – "Loyalty Reinforcement Seminar"
#61 SCENE 58 – “Friday‑Night Free Play”
#62 SCENE 59 – “Spire of Panic”
#63 SCENE 60 – “Lines, Orders, and Vines”
#64 SCENE 61 – “Infiltration”
#65 SCENE 62 – “Regroup & Re‑Arm”
#66 SCENE 63 – “Through Flesh and Steel”
#67 SCENE 64 – “Descent Protocol”
#68 SCENE 65 – “The Lungs Below”
#69 SCENE 66 – “Dead Air”
#70 SCENE 67 – “The Heart of the Hollow”
#71 SCENE 68 – “Overheat Protocol”
#72 SCENE 69 – “Sanitized and Sampled”
#73 SCENE 70 – “Totally Normal Roommates”
#74 SCENE 71 – "The Long Walk to Judgment"
#75 SCENE 72 – "Welcome Home, Idiot"
#76 SCENE 73 – "A Promise, A Vacation"
#77 SCENE 74 – "Field Trip to Food"
#78 SCENE 75 – "Cabin Fever"
#79 SCENE 76 – "Manners, Please"
#80 SCENE 77 – "Errands with Extra Steps"
#81 SCENE 78 – "Books, Pills, and Poor Decisions"
#82 SCENE 79 – "Pharmacy Phantoms"
#83 SCENE 80 – "Digital Birds and Binary Bees"
#84 SCENE 81 – "Babysitting? Seriously?"
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