×

menu
Penana
US
search
search
Popular Tags
What Others Are Reading
Loginarrow_drop_down
Registerarrow_drop_down
Please use Chrome or Firefox for better user experience!
close
Comments close
Show more...


favorite
0
comment
0
arrow_back_ios_new
Prev
arrow_back_ios_new
Next
format_color_text
Style
open_in_full
Expand
list
Menu
coins
Sponsor
campaign
Request update
share
Share
report
Report
×
Login first to show your name as a sponsor, or donate with Pena Coins.

× Pena Coins Credit Card

Close
People Who Like This
#75

SCENE 72 – "Welcome Home, Idiot"

Author Author
Apr 29, 2025 54 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!fKNHAiHmDQxlRvGRZVyPposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. JASON'S CUBE – EARLY MORNING

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZO6UD2HrYk

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAT5qRA0UB

The cube is dim. Quiet.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhoj2XnrTT

Too quiet.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ivSLUtzYt

Jason grimaces, muttering to himself.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9xdtedcBe

JASON (whispering)

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

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugZ5hi5K7X

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEJNpTUFYj

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHrbZ1MQGT

Jason freezes.

Optics wide.

Motor functions temporarily non-existent.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWlok7Rohl

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMKOCS3YuY

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0Ax9yQZ0A

A (grumbling, low)

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

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWFchemDJn

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

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QJH3VS1ZZ

JASON (muffled)

"I—I'm fine?! Let me—breathe—"

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJ1q1bjj53

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiZ2zg3b2y

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

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZ4stQdg7J

JASON (clearing throat, awkwardly)

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

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlJ3V1z3rP

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

Jason awkwardly pats A’s shoulder.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nZr2oZ0Qb

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."

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFx52UQ0JX

K snorts in the corner, muttering.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfrNs2Xrpf

K (dryly)

"Sounds about right for this household."

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImWuIW212O

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPW3oR4Jcc

JASON (grinning, shaky)

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

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1jsKtW7w5

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVDyEIq1q4

Jason’s grin softens just a fraction.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP77HHajDSw

JASON (quiet, genuine)

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

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJTAdPAwsf

K raises a hand lazily.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡat3sOS8AnM

K (mocking)

"I didn’t care."

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocKHEatG7j

Jason side-eyes him.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQfz1goCOr

JASON

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

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtUoZap453

K smirks, unfazed.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGOHOAJNhi

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQMvxL4huy

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.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZfpHQ5MjQ

He could live with that.

58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5afjILQLry

FADE OUT.

216.73.216.51

ns216.73.216.51da2
favorite
comment 0
coins
0 likes Suggest Edits
Be the first to like this issue!
Next Issue >
close
Robotic Essences
home
Bookmark!
campaign Request update 0
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?"
#85 SCENE 82 – "The Babysitting Begins"
#86 SCENE 83 – "Chaos, Baby-Sized"
#87 SCENE 84 – "Midnight Meltdown"
#88 SCENE 85 – "The Dreams They Dreamed"
#89 SCENE 86 – "The Morning After"
#90 SCENE 87 – "Return of the Parents"
#91 SCENE 88 – "The Reveal"
#92 SCENE 89 – "System Error: Josh.exe Has Stopped Responding"
#93 SCENE 90 – "A Totally Normal Lunch"
#94 SCENE 91 – “Business As Usual”
#95 SCENE 92 – “After the Storm”
#96 SCENE 93 – “The Rim of Opinions”
#97 SCENE 94 – “Tales, Tails, and Talking at 2AM”
#98 SCENE 95 – “Surgery, Solo”
#99 SCENE 96 – “Sleepless Core”
#100 SCENE 97 – “Unknown Systems”
#101 SCENE 98 – “Orders and Oil”
#102 SCENE 99 – “Key Moments”
#103 SCENE 100 – “Three Days of Sky”
× Share Email
Click to Share!
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
 content_copy
Copy link to clipboard
 share
Other options
Share this Publication by Email
Add a personal message
×

Proceed

×
format_size
remove_circle_outline 20 add_circle_outline
format_line_spacing remove_circle_outline 20 add_circle_outline
REGISTER
LOGIN

Forget Password?
OR
Login with Facebook
×
Subscribe
Go to the magazine
/
+ Add tip
The tip will be charged every payment period
+ Add promotion code
Apply close
Recipient Name

Shipping address



Phone Number


JOIN
Pay with
xxxx xxxx xxxx
Update payment method
Confirm Cancel
This is a one-time purchase.
If you don't cancel before the trial ends, you will automatically be charged the subscription fee every until you cancel. Renews automatically every , unless you decide to cancel. You can cancel your subscription at any time.
You can pay with non-card methods if you subscribe for 12 months.
Please leave your contact phone number here..
We will reach you soon by Whatsapp at the tel number you provide.
Please enter phone number.

Credit card payment

You have subscribed to this plan already!

Never miss what's happening on Penana!
Turn on notifications
Later
Close
×
Interface Language:
Story Language: