animus_network

[All Rabbit did was walk by a terminal.

That's all he had to do to get mad today]

Whadderya doin' we-we-wearin' that outfit, bu-buddy?

[Richtofen stops reading and looks down at himself. He examines his outfit for anything out of place, but, when he sees everything's in order - if you ignore the stitched-up holes and bloodstains here and there - he blinks in confusion.]

Um. [He shrugs.] I was reading A Tale of Two Cities. Why?

Yanno what I mean!

[Ooooh someone was angry]

G-g-g-go back where ya belong! We d-don't need ya here!

[Nope, not even sorry.]

[Richtofen still has no idea that "Nazi" has become a synonym for "reprehensible scum with no redeeming qualities," and he simply thinks of his swastika as another part of his uniform, so he actually doesn't know what the stranger means at first. But those last two sentences clue him in, and he rolls his eyes and frowns like he's being hugely inconvenienced by this whole conversation.]

Oh, what, do not tell me you are from an Allied nation or something. [He heaves a great sigh.] Is that what this is all about?

[World War II was hell. One of his most personally hated wars. Just seeing the swastika being bandied about was enough to stoke his ire]

I'm American! Yanno wha-wha-what I had to g-go through in that damn war?! What i had to see? We d-d-don't need no more damn monsters rampagin' around this place!

[Those two simple words, "I'm American," fill Richtofen with such a deep feeling of loathing that it shows on his face for a second. His eyes narrow and he runs his tongue over the back of his teeth, tense with hatred, before forcing a smile back onto his face. He has a deep, personal problem with Americans, particularly the ones that try to take the moral high ground.]

Oh. Very sorry. [The darkened look in his eyes, when combined with his smile, makes him look more amused than anything.] But you know, calling me a monster is a bit much. You don't even know me! Ahaha!

[That laughter is, perhaps, more strained than his smile, and that's saying something.]

Edited 2013-07-10 03:53 (UTC)

I don't g-g-g-gotta know ya! I've seen them ca-camps ya got! I don't g-g-gotta know nuthin' about ya!

[The robot was angry enough to spit tacks.]

I-If I see ya in the hallway I'm me-messin' ya up, ya hear me?

[It's Richtofen's first instinct to leap to his country's defense. He doesn't see anything wrong with what the Nazi party did, so why should anyone else? As a matter of fact, his biggest problem with them was that they weren't cruel enough, that they were too selective with their victimization of people. But far too many people are apparently of the opinion that imprisonment and torture and slaughter are awful things, and after making such a show of apologizing on the network, it would be damaging to his new persona to start arguing about this now.

How would it look, after all, if it came out that he lead the information extraction movement for quite a while, and then moved on to human experimentation? This guy's head might literally explode. Besides, Richtofen doesn't want to end up as a red splatter on the dorm walls a second time.]

Those, well, ah- [He tugs at his collar and looks away from the screen. It takes all of his self-control to force the smile off of his face, to try and look remorseful.] All right. No need to do any of that. [He looks back at the feed. Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh.] Why don't we just change the subject, hmm?

[Unfortunately, an angry Rabbit was like a locomotive. One track, one destination. Today's destination was Pain Town. If only he could punch through computer screens]

No! You come out here an' fight me li-li-like a man! Get yer cowardly little p-p-p-punk behind out here, ya kraut! I'll make ya wi-wish ya were ne-ne-never born!

[Such was his upset that smoke was starting to curl out of the robots mouth, steam shooting from his vents like a geyser]

Ya heard me, Fritz! Get out here!

[If only Richtofen could say that a person - robot? - leaking steam was the strangest thing he's seen in the Tower. If only.

Intriguing as it might have been under other circumstances, right now, everything about the man is just pissing him off. How long has it been since he's been called a kraut? About a year and a half, if he remembers correctly, and he can't say he ever missed it.

Under the table, out of view of the camera, he pinches his knee as hard as he can. The pain gives him something to focus on so that he doesn't entertain any ideas of taking Rabbit up on his offer.]

You're being so hostile, American. [He says it like it's an insult. The corners of his lips quirk upward, but his eyes are cold.] There's no need for that.

[Unfortunately, Rabbit was damn proud of being American made, and didn't take it as an insult. He just got angrier that his challenge was being ignored, and he ground his mismatched, sharp teeth together. Really it was an impressive display from the robot, he looked like quite the frightening sight, with smoke leaking out from his maw and steam clouding up the screen]

There's p-p-pppppplenty need fer it! Get out here! I've m-m-m-mowed down a hundred of ya before, what's one more?! Yer g-g-g-gonna wish this place left ya dead fer permanent like when I'm through with you, buddy!

[If Richtofen is at all impressed, it doesn't show on his face. He wants to retort properly, to tell him that he's made more impressive creations in his sleep, that he's killed people for less, taken down battalions of soldiers and hordes of the undead without a second's thought. He wants to tell him about all of the awful things he's done to people just because he could, and laugh while he describes the horrors that took place in the facility where he worked, most of it underground so that nobody could hear the test subjects' screams.

He wants to do a lot of things to that American-made hunk of scrap metal, but he bites his tongue. He bites it literally, and he bites it hard. He can't slip up. Not here, not yet.]

Will you stop? I have done nothing to you. [He tastes the tang of blood in his mouth and gulps it down before it can stain his teeth.] I've done nothing- [Whoops. That came out as more of a shout.] -und I- [Deep breaths.] I do not... appreciate... your- Agh!

[He can't even finish that sentence. He's seconds away from an outburst, but he doesn't want to walk away. That would be surrendering, and he will not lose to an American.]

[Well guess who wasn't walking away from a fight? This American piece of scrap metal right here. He was leaning over the terminal, eyes flickering from blue and green to brilliant red, the automaton clearly livid]

Ya've done enough a-a-a-already! I betcha already ki-ki-killed ki-kids an' women! That's what ya d-d-do! Babies even! Baby m-m-murderin' two timin' heilin' squarehead!

Get out here! Get yer ta-ta-tail out from be-be-between yer legs an' fight me!

Enough! [Richtofen leaps out of his seat and slams his hands onto the terminal.] That is enough from you, American swine! Do you have any idea how hard I am trying to keep myself from killing anybody else?!

[But he doesn't deny anything that Rabbit accused him of.]

[The break in demeanor just means the robot wins. Well, to Rabbit anyway. He doesn't back away from the screen, holding the terminal in a death grip]

I bet it's the ha-ha-hardest thing ya ever did, since you g-g-g-guys ca-can't go two weeks without murderin' some poor kid!

Ya mad? Come find me! I'll beat ya t-t-t-tttttttill ya ca-can't walk no more!

[Two weeks. Ha. What a generous amount.]

The doctor has no interest in being beaten!

[He's shouting at the terminal, baring his teeth like he wants to leap through the screen and rip Rabbit's throat out.]

You Americans are such brutes, can you not survive without starting pointless fights?

Then ya be-be-better steer clear o'me, buddy! I'll whup ya right up an' d-d-d-down the hall!

[Oh Rabbit was already shouting, this time sending out a few flaming sparks to accentuate the mood]

I'm ju-ju-just finishin' the j-job they sent me over to d-d-d-do! I ain't the one m-murderin' helpless women an' ch-ch-childen' an' ma-makin' their skin into lamp shades!

Lamp sha-?

[Richtofen covers his mouth and makes a choking sound. It's actually an attempt not to laugh, but, luckily for him, it could easily be passed off as a gag.]

I would never! Now, calm down before you burst like one of your silly fireworks!

[Rabbit didn't care if it was a laugh or a gag, he just knew he was still mad]

Y-y-yeah lamp shades!

[Fire works? Rabbit took a few steps away from the machine, still shaking and sputtering and steaming... and let off a sudden jet of bright blue fire. It exploded outwards, filling up the hall with light, before he shut his jaws again and stormed back up to the terminal]

I'll t-t-t-turn ya into the hu-human torch! I'll burn ya to a c-c-c-crisp!

[Richtofen's eyes widen, and he leans away from the terminal. That's certainly not promising. Though his blood is boiling as hotly as that fire must be, he forces a stuttering giggle out of his throat and holds up his hands.]

Come now! Can- Can we not call a truce? I promise you, I have no ill will. [In a higher voice, he goes on:] None at all...!

[Ugh. He's resorted to practically begging. To an American. This is humiliation of the highest degree; the only thing worse than this would be actually letting the robot thing kill him.]

I d-d-d-don't trust ya as f-far as I can throw ya! [Which was actually pretty far, the automaton could lift a ton, literally]

You set o-o-one foot outta line an' I s-s-swear I'll b-b-break ya right in half! I'm wa-wa-watchin' you, Fritz!

[At least the robot hadn't promised to hunt the Nazi down. There was that at least, right?]

[Richtofen nods enthusiastically.]

Yes, yes, yes, of course! I will be good. I promise.

[He turns his head away and lifts an arm to scratch his ear, but only so that Rabbit won't be able to see the look of disgust that crosses his face. When he looks back at the camera, he's smiling again.]

You have nothing to worry about.

[There's the sound of heavy footsteps approaching Rabbit's terminal, and then--]

All right, that's enough. Come on, Rabbit.

[... Why yes, that is a possibly familiar silver automaton looking particularly stony-faced as he sweeps Rabbit up and hoists him over one shoulder. Yep. That just happened.]

[I'm sorry, did you want a massive temper tantrum? Because that's what's happening]

P-P-P-PUT ME DOWN! I'LL MU-MURDER HIM! I'LL T-T-T-TURN HIM INTO PA-PATE! I'LL CHUCK HIM OFF THE STAIRS! PUT ME D-D-DOWN SPINE!

IT AIN'T FA-FA-FAIR!

[Blinking.

Staring.

ALL RIGHTY THEN.]

Um... Didn't we-?

[You know what, he's not even going to press the matter. It figures they would know each other. It figures.]

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