A sequel to "Lost". I was kind of amazed with the response I got to writing that one. I didn't think I'd get so much positive feedback! It's been a bit since I've gotten such new kind reviews really, so thank you all for reading~
I do hope this one turns out ok. I'm working hard on it~ Course I never seem to top the first story, soooo... be ready for it to be shorter than the first one~ ^_^;
The professor eyed the circuits in the product as closely and carefully as he could, mildly cursing as he made another slip of the fingers, cutting a wire again. Which of course meant he would have to start all over again. Again for goodness sake. This should've been a simple process, and yet it's taken him an almost full week to make this much process. Which wasn't much. Who would've thought that a simple red robotic eye would've been this hard to make?
Ever since he had let Lord Boxman stay with him and Fink, he had been trying to make him a replacement eye, since he'd lost his other one. Or it broke, he wasn't sure what happened. Boxman wasn't talking much since he came here, and it wasn't just because of that cold he'd caught due to the rain. Regardless, Venomous wasn't sure what really happened to his original red robotic eye. But currently he was trying to make him a replacement. This orb he was currently working on was far from his first attempt. The other ones he'd tried either didn't work for Boxman, or caused a horrible buzzing sound in his brain, or even blew up once it was properly connected. And the mini explosions were the most terrifying, next to the buzzing. He just didn't understand how they could possibly not work right. It was just a robotic eye! He should've already finished it by now.
Maybe this was so difficult due to how old Boxmans robotic parts were. They were rather dated, and he really shouldn't be surprised by it to be honest. Clearly half of his head was robotic for a reason. It was surely an accident of sorts. So maybe it happened years ago, possibly as a child. He was unsure why he was a cyborg, yet he wouldn't dare question it out of concern for the already damaged Villains fragile state.
Taking a breath, hands running through his hair for a moment, he calmed himself. Deciding to take a break to check on Boxman, and to calm himself before trying again. Besides, he wasn't sure if Fink was behaving herself around the smaller villain. She had been very open about her dislike of the short man staying here, demanding him go back to Boxmore even. Venomous regrettably had to get after her for that remark too, having to pull her aside and explain the situation to her. She calmed down a great deal after that, but she was still being a bit hard on Boxman. He would clearly have to watch after him more than her just for this reason. She clearly couldn't be left alone with him for long.
Standing himself up, he began to head upstairs. A bit amazed to find Boxman and Fink sitting together in the living room, watching some tv. Cartoons it seemed. Boxman, only half watching as he had a blanket tightly wrapped around himself. Even with the fire going he was still cold then. He was a bit concerned about it really. Even if sick, Boxman couldn't seem to get warm and stay warm. Venomous had actually thought about getting him to a hospital, but had also decided against it because not only could he just as easily treat him here, but he doubted the hospitals around here would even let the small villain in the door, let alone help him. So the only thing he could do for now was look after Boxman and make sure he actually rested. Once in a while throughout the nights he stayed here, Venomous would catch him wandering the halls rather restlessly. Surely the villain was just used to being constantly busy, and he was having a hard time adjusting to things around him now.
Regardless, Venomous found himself smiling at how calm the pair both were right now. Sure the sniffling from Boxman didn't seem to be getting better, and Fink looked like she was beginning to get bored, but they were behaving and that was all that mattered. The professor decided to move over, and sit himself down beside the smaller villain, a bit amazed by just how much he was still shivering. He shouldn't be this amazed considering how long he'd walked in the rain those days ago, but it was still troubling regardless. "Boxman. How are you feeling today?" Venomous asked him gently, turning to face him now.
Boxman sniffled a bit as the question was asked, nose very clearly in the stuffed yet runny limbo, giving a thumbs up to signal he was good before he softly managing out. "Thank you..." His voice sounding off too due to his nose. It was akin to how a voice would sound when one had allergies. Croaked and hoarse. It would be a bit before that cleared up by the sound of it.
Fink, ears perking up to the sound of the small engineer sniffing so loudly, sighed in exaggeration before getting up. Going over to the table and grabbing a box of tissues, before coming over and holding it out for Boxman. "Here. Blow your nose already. That sound is disgusting."
Venomous shot her a calm, yet clearly annoyed look, warning her to be more gentle than that. Despite the comment, however, Boxman did as she had instructed, blowing his nose with a rather loud honking sound. This managing to get Fink to smile, and, as much as he'd deny it... so did Venomous. At least this action seemed to help the others congestion a bit. Venomous was really hoping he would kick this cold soon... it was clearly kicking him quite a bit. Maybe something warm would help him. Some tea even, with a touch of honey to help soothe his threat. He could hear him coughing from his room at night... standing himself up, he said calmly. "I'm going to make you some tea, Box. It'll help."
Boxman just nodded to this, and Venomous found himself rather missing Boxmans voice. He wasn't talking much anymore, and it felt weird that he was quiet. Granted he understood why he was so. But it was still so weird to him to see the other so quiet. Trying to shake it off, he went to the kitchen. Grabbing the kettle and putting it on the stove top. Allowing his mind to wander a bit really. He couldn't help but think about the situation he and Lord Boxman were in. Boxman, having lost everything. And him, taking him in and letting him stay here.
No one should get the wrong idea; he did not regret bringing Boxman in one bit. He would never let him stay out in the streets after everything that had happened to him. He was just wondering what was going to happen next. What he could do to not only help him recover from his cold and injuries, but how to get him back on his feet. He had lost quite literally everything when his own robot henchman Darrell had him fired into the sun. And now, there wasn't really much left for him. He lost his job, his home, his robots... heck he lost his robotic eye. He was certain the other had nothing else to lose, but he was also unsure how to get him his fiery confidence back, or how to get him going again. He had never seen Boxman like this before and, not only was it very unnerving, but it was confusing too. He didn't know how to talk to him anymore, let alone help him...
As the kettle began to whistle he pulled it off the stove and poured the water into the nearby mug. Putting the remains of the heated water on a cool burner and making a grab for the honey and green tea bag. He didn't know what tea Boxman would prefer, or if he even drank tea on a normal basis. But it was the only thing out there Venomous knew of that would soothe his threat right now. The only natural thing that is. Surely this would help him for now.
After giving it a small stir with the spoon, he took hold of it and went back to the living room. And while the small villain hurriedly lowered his hand as Venomous approached, he still say it: Boxman had been rubbing his eye quite a bit. Vigorously even. So he had been right; Boxman's still working right eye was irritated without the left robotic one with him. No doubt because he had to focus a lot more with just the one now. 'All the more reason to make him a replacement eye.' Venomous mentally confirmed to himself, eyes narrowed in a firm determination. Coming over to the small villain and handing him his tea. "Drink this Boxman. It will help."
Boxman smiled gently up to Venomous, holding the drink gently in his hands. "Thank you..."
Voice still so small and almost unheard... Venomous found himself hating it more and more really. He didn't like the fact that Boxman was being so quiet. Barely saying anything at all apart from "thank you's". Even then those were so soft and unconfident sounding. The way he talked didn't sound like him... and the more he thought about it or heard him, the more he found himself hating it. He knew he should be more understanding to it's considering all Boxman had been through, but he just wasn't used to it, and it bothered him to no end. He wanted to tell the smaller villain to just speak already, but he couldn't risk snapping at him when he was in such a state...
He found he couldn't sit here beside Boxman right now. Not when he was this down and quiet. So instead, he dubbed his break over and soon made his way back downstairs for his laboratory. Sitting back down at his work table, he brought the red eye he'd been working on back under the magnifying glass. Looking at it closely as he brought his tools in to work on it once more. Maybe this time he would finally get it right. After all, Boxman clearly needed his eye back and fast. Besides... it was all he could do for him right now, besides making him tea.
As he worked on the small wires, he began to wonder about the situation even further. He felt he needed to do more for Boxman. Like possibly even finding a way to get Boxmore back from Darrell for him. Though that would be rather hard since Darrell had literally thousands of other robots at his disposal now, including other versions of himself, Shannon and Raymond. So many different robots and so many different skills for each... taking back Boxmore... he might have to leave that for Boxman whenever he felt ready for it. Though given how the puffy villain was right now, that might take a while...
Maybe for now all he had to do was focus on the now Boxman needed stability before rushing into anything major like taking back Boxmore. He was far from in a good enough condition to try and take things back. Heck... he probably wasn't even in a good enough condition to even leave Venomous' house. He was currently weak and shaky... and if Venomous was being honest, he felt it was something more than just the small one being sick. No, he seemed too weak for it to be the cold. Maybe there was something going on that Boxman wasn't telling him. Maybe Venomous could figure it out...
Maybe... it was his robotic half. The metal, machine part of his head. Maybe it suffered water damage from that night. Maybe something was wrong with the robotic half of the small villain. What if that was the propblem? His robotic half... what if something was wrong with that? It could potentially explain why he was so cold. The robotic half of Boxman was on his head, which could mean just his face and eye, or even further than that and include his brain as well. If that was the case, then he might be more machine than Venomous thought. More like a robot than he thought. Maybe he needed a form of alternative energy. Like a glorb perhaps.
Venomous stopped his work briefly to that thought; if Boxman really was more robotic than he was thinking... what if he was currently in need of a glorb to keep functioning properly? It was faint but... he could remember... when Boxman showed him his glorb processing plant, there was a diagram on the screen in that room. He hadn't thought much of it, but he remembered seeing it to be a small diagram of Boxman himself. Maybe, Boxman needed a glorb now, due to all the damage he had been receiving as of late...?
Shaking his head, he soon found himself fixing the red orb to working condition once more, scolding himself a bit. He needed to focus on other thins for now. Like, the eye he was repairing. He held it up to get a better look at it really. It looked better than he'd managed as of late. It almost looked like an exact replica of Boxman's old eye even. Now here was to hoping it would work this time. He didn't want it to harm Boxman again, as buzzing or an explosion. This one had to work... once more he got up, heading back for the living room. Walking right up in front of Boxman and holding the red eye out for him. "Here. Try this one. It should work this time."
Amazingly, Boxman sighed to this. Looking rather worried this time around as he gently took it from Venomous and gently began to hook it up to his wires. Popping it into the empty socket. The red eye soon began to glow a bit, as it would normally for Boxman. And soon they both waited... waiting for either good or bad. And yet... nothing bad seemed to be happening yet. That was a good sign. The buzzing and explosions had happened immediately after hooking his red eye up with the small villain. So far, a gentle glow was the best sign they could ask for.
At last, the small villain made a gasp, hand flying up right below the red eye. Venomous a bit worried that something about the new eye was hurting him. But so far there was still no small shrieks, or sounds of discomfort. Only shock it seemed. The puffy villain kept tracing his chicken claws along the bottom of the eye, even poking it a bit here and there. If it weren't artificial it would be cringey. Until at last... "... I... I can see..." Boxman whispered out, almost going unheard by the professor or Fink. The small villain now poking around the red eye more frantically out of what seemed to be sheer delight. A wide smile, finally spreading across his face even. "P-Professor, I can see! I can see!"
The more he said it the more ecstatic he seemed to become. The sheer joy of finally being able to see with the left eye was filling him clearly. And Venomous couldn't help but crack a small smile to it really. Relieved, to finally see some form of expression on him that wasn't sadness, exhaustion or bitterness. Joy... it had felt like an eternity since he'd seem Lord Boxman so happy like this. It was like he was looking at the old Boxman again... and it was amazing. He couldn't believe he was thinking this... but he had really missed that smile on the others face. He forgot how warm and sunny it was...
A sudden force against him snapped him back to reality, Professor Venomous looking down and finding Boxman hugging him rather tightly, with his arms wrapped around his middle due to his small stature. Teary eyed he was, sniffling still. Venomous, mildly worried about any possible snot that might run out of his nose and get on his sweater. "B-Box... you should blow your nose, you-"
"Professor thank you..." Boxman whispered softly, sniffing a bit roughly to keep his nose from running too much. Smiling, grinning even as he continued. "Y-you have no idea how much this means to me, I-I- I can't thank you enough!"
Venomous found his cheeks growing hotter to this, taken back by how much the other was talking now. These few sentences was the most he had heard from the man all week. More than just "thank you's", full sentences. His voice never seemed warmer, or friendlier than it did in this very moment. It... kind of gab the professor a warm, fluttery feeling all over. A feeling of pure, utter relief really. A relief of hearing him finally talking more regularly. More like, himself again... it was more of a relief than he could've imagined.
And Venomous couldn't help but find himself smiling to it as well. Arms wrapping around the smaller man, no longer caring about the possible nose drip, patting his hair a bit. Softly speaking to him. "It was no trouble... Boxy."
I do hope you all liked this one too. I personally think I could have done a bit better, and the first one was definitely better. But this one was still a lot of fun to make~ X3
P.S. yes, there is a diagram of Boxman in the episode "Villains Night out". I just thought i would throw that in, because I thought it would be interesting/mildly logical if Boxman needed glorbs for himself, like a robot. Sorry if it's stupid, I'm just trying to have fun~ ^_^;