Nox adjusted his new shirt, glancing at Chet, who was still awkwardly holding Adobe. "Alright, let's move. First stop: Millio, to get our little guy patched up."
Nebular flickered. "You mean last stop as well."
The group walked through the streets, the occasional glance from passersby lingering a little longer than comfortable. A tall, broad-shouldered dog vendor paused mid-stirring his soup to give them a suspicious look.
Nox smiled, tilting his head slightly and waving at the grumpy-looking dog who was giving him an eye full, slightly growling. "That's Max. Won a poker match against him last week. But don't worry, he's a good boy."
Chet gave Nox a nudge that nearly sent him flying. "That's not quite stealth mode, fox boy."
Adobe whirred softly in Chet's arms. "Acknowledged: Stealth mode… activated."
Nebular flickered in Nox's bag. "Stealth mode?"
Adobe shrank into a small cube-shaped ball, halving his size by tightly folding together.
Chet gasped. "Whoa, this is way more handy!"
Nox raised an eyebrow, watching the now-compact Adobe. "Okay, see? He's full of surprises."
Nebular flickered in mild surprise. "Unexpected. I calculated he'd just make a loud noise and fall apart."
Chet grinned, shifting the now-smaller bot in his hands. "Alright, little guy, you just earned yourself a few extra points."
Adobe muffled happily from inside his shell. "Status: Compact. Efficiency increased. Trust level… rising?"
Nox smirked, adjusting his jeans belt . "Alright, let's keep moving before someone here wants a poker rematch with me."
With that, the group slipped further into the city. As they made their way toward the lower districts, the stares dragged on longer and the eyes became heavier. The vibrant noise of Coreline dimmed into a background hum. The further down they went, the more the world seemed to tighten, less neon, more rust.
The murmur of the city faded, replaced by the distant hum of ventilation units and the occasional drip of water from rusted pipes. With every corner they turned, the smog grew thicker, and the city darkened.
Nox glanced around, his ears twitching beneath his shirt collar. "We're getting close. Feels quieter than usual, though."
Nebular's voice came through only to him, calm and direct. "Nox, this is a private channel. Aware of your current relationship issues with the Hounds. The deeper we go, the higher the odds of encountering them. Be especially careful."
Nox kept his expression neutral, but his fingers instinctively curled tighter in his jeans pocket. "Noted, Neb. But we're just going to Millio. In and out. No problems. We've done that a dozen times."
Nebular paused, then responded softly. "Let's keep it that way."
Chet, oblivious to the private exchange, glanced over. "You two having a moment, or should I be worried?"
Nox chuckled, shaking off the tension. "Just Neb being her usual paranoid self."
Nebular flickered once, speaking aloud this time. "Paranoia implies doubt. I deal in probabilities."
Chet stretched his back and rolled his shoulders. "There we are. Just gotta... argh, warm up a little."
They stopped in front of the familiar boulder blocking their hidden path.
Nebular's blue interface flickered. "It seems our way forward is blocked."
Nox smirked. "Don't worry, Neb. Chet's gonna do a little muscle magic."
Chet raised an eyebrow, cracking his knuckles. "Every time I show up, I suddenly become the heavy lifter. Guess that's just the way."
Nebular flickered knowingly. "Statistically speaking, you are the most qualified for this task."
Nox grinned, stepping back. "See? It's not exploitation, it's logic. I'd do it myself, but my back still hurts from that dumpster dive."
Chet sighed. "Okay. Here, take Adobe."
Nox received the compact Adobe, tucking him casually under one arm. Just like that, Chet lifted the boulder with a grunt.
"Argh... as usual. Hurry up."
Nox slipped through the gap. "Damn, Chet, you make it look easy. You sure you don't want a career as a heavy lifter?"
Chet gritted his teeth. "Nox, I swear, move it or else."
Nebular chimed in. "Four seconds remaining before structural failure becomes a risk."
Nox laughed. "Alright, alright, no need to get dramatic."
Through Chet's earpiece, Nebular added, "Rolling the boulder might reduce strain on your joints."
Chet grumbled under the weight. "That... might be a good... idea..."
Once Nox was through, the boulder dropped back into place with a resounding thud, the sound echoing through the tunnels.
"Ready for some repairs, Adobe?"
Adobe whirred softly. "Status: Slightly shaken. Structural integrity... holding. Awaiting repairs."
Chet let out a loud grunt, finally letting go. "Next time, we find a door. Just saying."
Nox grinned. "Good, let's get to Millio before Adobe starts listing all his errors out loud."
Adobe processed for a moment. Then:
"Assessment understood. Adobe will now list all his errors out loud. Error 221: Left stabilizer misalignment. Error 503: Oil distribution... inefficient. Error 782: Mild existential crisis detected. Error 917: Unknown substance detected in internal processor. Error 963: Adobe listed as 'kinda cute' but mhm mmhh..."
Nox quickly clamped a paw over Adobe's speaker. "Alright, buddy. That's enough diagnostics for one day."
Nebular flickered. "I'd love to hear more about that unknown substance, but unfortunately, I value my sanity."
Adobe, still tucked awkwardly under Nox's arm, blinked as his sensors whirred to life.
"I detect increased dust levels," he muttered. "Initiating... cleaning protocol?"
Nox chuckled, glancing at the rocky, soot-covered tunnel floor.
"Not here, buddy. Let's not sweep the entire Undercity."
They turned left, then right, weaving through a narrowing passage until the familiar shape of Millio's hideout came into view, the half rotten cottage, surrounded by scrap piles, with hanging down like vines in a jungle of scrap.
Nox whispered, "Okay, heads up. No word to Millio about you Neb. He's a friend, but his mouth runs faster than his thoughts. Last thing we need is him shouting about our fancy tech."
Nebular buzzed dryly out of the bag. "First of all, you don't need to whisper. Second, I'm not gonna blurt anything out. And third—"
"NOOOOOOOOOOX!"
Millio leapt from a ledge above them, landing beside them with a cloud of dust. His goggles were still placed on his forehead, and wires hung from his coat like decorations on a Christmas tree.
"Hey hey hey! Look who it is!" Millio shouted, instantly circling observing his new style. "New outfit? New bag? What's in the bag? And is that rust or part of the look?"
Nox grinned, relaxed. "Nice to see you too, Mill. Slow down or I'll need subtitles."
Millio ignored that and was already halfway to inspecting Adobe. "Whoa. Where'd you dig this guy up? Looks like one of my half-built prototypes... or something that fell off a moving train."
Nebular whispered, "I did not calculate this."
"You're doing great," Nox muttered back.
He turned to Millio. "This little guy's called Adobe. He's... well, kind of part of the team now. But he's not doing too well."
Millio didn't wait. He grabbed Adobe and flipped him over.
"Hey hey, careful," Nox said, stepping up with a smile. "He's got personality. And a name."
Adobe's voice shook. "Initiating nervous protocol. Please return me upright."
Millio hummed. "Pretty beat up... but there's something interesting in here. Looks like old tech patched with some new stuff. You try fixing him yourself?"
Nox scratched his cheek. "Sort of. Mostly guessing."
"Well," Millio said, setting Adobe on the table. "If you want me to fix him, I'll need to take him apart. Just a little."
"Take apart?" Nox asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like with care, right?"
Millio waved it off. "Don't worry. No memory wipe unless he bites me."
Adobe beeped. "No Bite – No wipe Accepted. Memory loss... not appreciated."
"He's got feelings, see?" Nox said, gently patting Adobe. "Treat him nice."
Millio rolled his eyes. "Alright, no wiping. But if he explodes, I'm blaming you."
"His name's Adobe," Nox added. "You know why?"
Millio groaned. "Oh no."
"Because he's Adorable."
Adobe beeped proudly. "Adorable status: confirmed."
Millio shook his head. "You haven't changed."
The workshop lights flickered as Millio cleared a space. Nox helped set Adobe down.
"Alright, buddy," Nox said. "Stay here. Let the doc work his magic."
Adobe blinked. "Will I return... as a vacuum cleaner?"
Nox laughed. "Nah. Same you—just with fewer sparks and less oil leaks."
Nox stepped back toward the exit. "You got this. I'll be back soon."
Millio rummaged through his pockets—first, second, third... nope. It wasn't until the fifth one that he finally pulled out a slightly crumpled sheet.
"Nox! Hope you're free tomorrow. I got an invite to this absolute banger of a party. All the big money makers, the flashiest folks, and yeah, a couple of fine ladies too. I'm counting on you, like the old days!"
Scratching the back of his head, Nox frowned slightly.
"I dunno, Mill. I've been trying to stay out of that kind of mess lately… Not jump straight back into it. Besides, lately I've—"
Millio cut him off, waving a wrench in front of his nose like it was proof of a grand conspiracy.
"Oh come on! Don't tell me you're going soft again. Don't say it's because of some random girl. When's the last time we even hung out? This one's gonna be fun—trust me, bro."
Without much thought, Nox flicked the invitation from Millio's hand and tucked it into his pocket.
"I'll think about it. No promises."
Millio grinned.
"No promises is still better than a no!"
Millio nodded. "No promises, that better than a no!"
Nox waved. "Aight , Later, coffee maker , bye crazy guy."
Adobe beeped. "Coffee… not found."
Millio waved Nox off with a grin. " Bye, fashion Fox." He grinned smugly.
As Nox stepped out, Nebular buzzed. "I estimate a 42% chance he comes back with something ridiculous added."
"Fingers crossed for espresso," Nox muttered, hands in his pockets.
He paused. "Y'know, Neb. Earlier, you said we didn't need to whisper."
"Yes?"
"Then Millio jumped out of nowhere like a caffeinated squirrel."
Nebular paused. "Coincidence."
"So I was right?"
"You were... slightly less wrong than normal."
Nox grinned. "I'll take it."
Nebular sighed. "Don't get used to it."
He shook his shirt in a fashinable flare. "Too late."