Tim stumbled through the tunnels, only the glow of his eyes illuminating the filthy cavern. Sewage sloshed against chrome and the android immediately regretted wearing long pants.

The figure he chased was far more nimble, though still hindered by the sewer's cramped, waterlogged space. Every time they rounded a bend, Tim swore he had lost him only, to catch a glimpse of the smooth, rusted face of Jay's stalker. Half of it was covered by a sort of cloth mask, pulled over the bottom of their face, and a hoodie had been pulled over their stick thin frame. From it's bag trailed a flock of scribbled notes, fluttering through the putrid air.

Another bend in the pipes. Again Tim feared he had lost the other robot, only to see the figure ahead, dashing away. But this time the hooded robot halted, pressed against a dead end. Tim smiled at his luck. He advanced slowly towards the automaton, arms outstretched in case the robot tried to dart back the way they came.

The figure did the opposite of that though, slumping against the wall on the small dry platform at the dead end. Now he was closer, Tim could see that below the faded yellow hoodie, his stalker wore a pair of ragged britches. Through the holes he could see they had attempted to fix their spindly legs with electrical tape but hadn't done a very good job; an exposed wire sparked in the semidarkness. Their feet were bare except for a few bits of linen wrapped around their heels and toes and covered in rust. As they pulled their legs into a fetal position, they made a hideous creaking noise like nails on a chalkboard. Despite the trouble they had caused, part of Tim still felt sorry for the other robot, if only for their disrepair.

The hooded android looked up at their pursuer dolefully, circular eyes shining like crimson headlights.

Tim felt a boost of courage. For once he was in control.

"Who are you," The bronze automaton asked, his voice echoing through the tunnels.

The hooded robot reached for it's bag, and Tim drew back, ready to run if they drew a weapon. What the figure took out was completely different. They held a piece of damp chalk in their rusty hand. Creaking, they turned to the wall and scribbled a name on it.

Brian.

Tim shifted awkwardly on his feet, feeling a trail of anxious steam rush out of the corner of his mouth. He was finally getting some answers.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, a bit quieter this time.

Time keeps-

The hooded robot (no, Brian, Tim reminded himself) sparked, his head and limbs twitching erratically. Tim grabbed the android's arm and pulled him to his feet before he slipped into the sewage. Brian must have been antique as his exoskeleton didn't give under Tim's grip- plain metal instead of Marblite.

Tim held him up for a moment, before the other robot regained his footing. Brian brushed Tim's hand off his arm and picked up the dropped chalk once more, continuing the sentence from where he left off.

Time keeps repeating. Needed to get your attention.

The russet robot bit his lip. Well you certainly got our attention, as well as scaring Jay half to death. But time repeating? What the hell...

Tim was jolted out of his thoughts by the prickling feeling of static in the air. The electricity interrupted his sensors and wiring, pushing him to his knees and making the cameras in his eyes flit in and out of focus. Out of the corner his eyes he saw the other bot fall, a nasty crack echoing through the sewer. Something was here. Something twisted and evil and not of this world. It felt like something was running ice down his circuitry, causing everything to short circuit. Tim himself was a delicate balance of steam and electricity, of machinery and thought. It felt like something was testing just how far you tip the scales before everything fell.

you are

a

mistake

He wasn't sure when exactly his systems rebooted. For moment after he regained "consciousness" he lay on the platform, cheek pressed to the grotty cement. Tim pulled himself up, grumbling about the filth covering him and pain coursing through his body. I gotta get Jay to take a look at me... and him.

His eyes fell on the crumpled form of Brian, his formerly bright eyes dim and limbs strewn at unnatural angles. Carefully he bent down and hoisted the other robot over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, then stooped once more to get the fallen robot's bag. Slowly he went back the way they had came, the sloshing of his feet in the murky water and the rumbling of the stage coaches above the only sounds.

Jay would know what to do. He had to.