[Corruption, Brainwashing]
Peace had fallen upon the world. Thanks to the efforts of a single Reploid, who had struck down the man that plagued both Reploids and Humans with his vile schemes. And though he had disappeared as the satellite Ragnarok fell to the earth, his body was soon discovered. Not in the best of conditions, but in such a state that repairing him wasn’t impossible.
Thanks to all that he had done, and the efforts to keep his allies safe, peace had once again been forged between Neo Arcadia and the settlements that branched off from it. Humans and Reploids were guaranteed to work side by side once more. Not as rivals, but as equals. As the forefathers once intended.
However, not everyone was satisfied with how this had all ended. Radicalists from both factions were still out there. Still trying to stoke the flames of rebellion and tyranny. And it was up to the Reploid Hero to deal with them, as he always had. To protect those that he cared about.
Unfortunately, that singleminded desire to protect could be exploited, as the girl he had protected several times over was now left entirely unguarded. Ripe for anybody that might want to use her scientific talents for a scheme of ruinous proportions…
“To think that he actually survived the fall of Ragnarok… Zero really is amazing.” The girl, Doctor Ciel, quietly muttered to herself as she sat in front of her desk, tinkering with her latest invention. Or rather, inventions.
She had taken pieces of the Four Guardians, who had fallen during the incidents leading up to Ragnarok, and slowly to mend them using the technology of the Cyber Elves. With enough luck, she might be able to reconstruct their egos and add their powers to that of her partner, so that the peace may continue to be upheld…
“Doctor? Are you still working this late at night?” A soft-spoken voice echoed from the doorway to the blonde girl’s lab. Once the scientist turned around to face the owner, she saw a feminine-looking Reploid smiling at her, their attire just androgynous enough that it was hard to tell what it identified as.
Ciel blinked a couple of times as she looked at the Reploid. Something about them seemed… Familiar? At least, the amount of androgynous Reploids she were acquainted with, she could count on a single hand. Maybe the new peace allowed for Reploids to express themselves freely, something that the harsh rule of Neo Arcadia suppressed.
“Ah. Y-Yes, I am. Now that we don’t have the pressure of Doctor Weil’s dictatorship hanging over us, I wanted to try and work towards absolving the sins I’ve committed. What with the troubles I’ve caused for Zero and everyone else, back during my time in Neo Arcadia’s service.” She explained, as she turned towards the four devices lined up on her desk. “With any luck, I should be able to bring back the Four Guardians. Not with the same types of bodies that they once had, but enough to house their personality data. Of course, things can change from there…”
The feminine Reploid nodded along as they listened to the girl’s explanation, stepping closer. “You’re so brilliant, Doctor Ciel. I’m surprised you haven’t just tried to strike it out on your own. With your mind and the blade of the Reploid you’ve commanded, you would’ve been able to stand on top of everything without even breaking a sweat.” They chimed, before their smile curved up ever slightly. “Then again, it’s because of everything that you’ve done that we’re able to stand here and joke about what could’ve been. I, as well as everyone else, cannot hope to thank you enough.”
Ciel raised an eyebrow. Just slightly. Enough to show her suspicions towards the Reploid’s words. She had definitely seen them before. But where..? “You shouldn’t joke about that, you know. All that I did was support Zero. He did all the work. He erased my mistakes and saved us all. I only repaid his work with my abilities, and by repairing him after what happened with Ragnarok.”
“You sell your work short, Doctor Ciel. You made that Copy of Master X, no?” The Reploid said, before turning away from her as they began to sigh. “Unfortunately, as much as I’d like to chat with you for a little longer, I too have something to tend to. It seemed as if our Hero wasn’t the only thing that survived the fall of Ragnarok.” They said, slowly walking towards the door.
The girl froze as she heard that. Had… Had Weil survived? No, it wasn’t possible. Zero made sure that he wouldn’t. He burned up in the atmosphere along with the rest of Ragnarok, and Zero only survived thanks to the metal making a cocoon around him, saving most of his body in the process. If that evil man was still alive, then there was absolutely no time to waste.
“You have to take me with you. I want to see what survived Ragnarok, with my own two eyes. Zero’s still out on a mission, and if he can’t put a stop to the death throes of Doctor Weil, then I will.” Ciel said, as she reached towards a drawer on her desk…
Only for the Reploid to stop her, smiling ever widely. “You don’t need to defend yourself, Doctor Ciel.” They said, before snapping their fingers to make a purple flame appear above their fingertips. “I happen to be equipped with weaponry that should be able to deal with that man, should he still be alive.”
Just seeing that flame was enough to send off alarms inside the girl’s head, but… If they were right, and that man really was alive, then they had no time to waste. She had to take this risk. “Show me the way.” She said, a look of determination and duty in her eyes.
“Right this way, Doctor Ciel.” The Reploid said, guiding her along while hiding a fox-like smile…
---
When she heard that Weil might be alive, Ciel thought that it wouldn’t be hard to find him. She thought that they’d just have to look for the wreckage of Ragnarok, not unlike when they found Zero, and then they’d find the scraps of that old bastard. And yet…
“Is this really where he’s supposed to be?” The blonde girl asked, wearing a coat to keep herself warm. She didn’t anticipate that they’d have to go to the arctic regions, not unlike when the Forbidden Ark had fallen back to earth. Though, given that man’s ambitions, she wasn’t surprised to see herself travelling back here.
The Reploid guiding her along, keeping them both warm and their path lit using one of their flames, nodded and turned towards her slightly. “Where else would he be, if not hiding away like a serpent biding its time? Just as he did back when Master X was still ruling over Neo Arcadia.” They explained, as their path led them into a base hidden underneath the snow, leading deeper into the rock beneath…
She didn’t have a better answer. All she had was part of her mind screaming at her to turn back. And yet, she had to see this through. If Weil really was alive, then he had to answer for everything. That, and… She couldn’t pull her eyes off that flame, after it had been lit. Her mind didn’t understand why, she just couldn’t.
As they went deeper into the complex, the darkness almost seemed to swallow them whole. Like there was some sort of lingering malice trying to call out to them. A phenomenon that she wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with, given Cyberspace’s materialization during the first time the awful doctor reemerged. But this was something else. This was dense. As if it was calling out to her. What could it be?
The two stepped deeper, yet deeper. The voice grew louder. Practically screaming for something. Revenge? A body? A copy? She had heard some of that before, so why couldn’t she put her finger on what it actually was? And beyond that, why wasn’t her guide reacting to it at all?
“Doctor Ciel.” The Reploid that guided her spoke up, turning towards her with that foreboding smile still plastered on its face. “Are you familiar with the ancient Law of Robotics?” It asked, as the two stopped in front of a massive door, one that seemed dented. As if something had tried to break out.
She nodded. She had done her research. “A robot may not injure or harm a human being. It must obey the orders that are given to it by human beings unless they conflict with the first law, and it must protect its own existence as long as it doesn’t conflict with either of those laws. Why do you ask?”
“Wouldn’t it be great if Reploids worked under that very same set of laws? No more harm towards Humanity. They’d return to being the Puppets that they were destined to be. To be used. Just like I have been.” It spoke once more, the smile growing ever wider as it put its hand on the massive doors.
“GENTLE JUDGE RECOGNIZED. OPENING BLAST DOORS.”
The one-two punch of the Reploid’s own bizarre logic and the words that echoed around them were too much for Ciel to process immediately, as the doors creaked open bit by bit. Grinding and sparking against the floor and ceiling…
Her jaw dropped as she noticed what was hidden behind those doors. Something that had caused her and Zero no end of pain. Both in the far past, and in the near-present. The Devil Reploid that had been a false Messiah…
“Omega…” She muttered, stepping back bit by bit. It didn’t seem to have any power, yet it was just as foreboding as ever. But this was impossible, it should’ve been destroyed when Zero and the Guardians gave their all to destroy the Mother Elf..!
The Reploid giggled, snapping its fingers as the blonde girl was forced to snap to attention. “Oh, don’t try to leave. You’ve come this far. You should see this all the way to its conclusion, no?” It spoke, laughing madly. “I can’t believe it’s been this easy to fool a human. You’re nothing compared to Doctor Weil, Doctor Ciel.”
Her mind was racing as she put together all the facts. The Reploid was actually a Gentle Judge. One of the Weil Numbers. Which meant that it had to be that one specific androgynous Mutos Reploid. The very same that used those flames in the past. How was she so blind..?
“Cubit Foxtar..! What are you gaining from all of this!?” Ciel cried out, her body unable to follow the commands that her mind sent it. Not a muscle followed her commands. All that she could do was stare straight ahead, towards the abandoned shell of the Devil Reploid.
The Reploid giggled sadistically as it twirled around, shedding its disguise before a regal white bodysuit took its place, as well as a cape with those same colors. Its hair reached down to its shoulders, and a few pieces reached upward in the shape of a pair of fox ears. The true form of the Gentle Judge had been revealed, now that he didn’t need the simple and worthless disguise that he had used moments prior.
“What do I gain from deceiving the girl whose involvement caused the death of my good Doctor Weil? Oh, I gain absolutely everything.” He said, stepping closer to her with every step emphasized to allow for his hips to swing from side to side. “And in the process, I strip away your assistance from that loathsome Zero. Just by making you fall under my sway.” His voice snaked its way through her head, while he gently slid a hand across her cheek…
Ciel averted her gaze, looking anywhere else to try and deny him the pleasure of her incompetence. “You can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do, Foxtar. You’ve lost. Doctor Weil is gone. You should’ve been gone too, why are you still alive?”
“You undersell his work just as much as you undersell your own. Poetic.” Foxtar chimed, before letting go of her cheek. “You are not wrong. He has perished. But his will lives on. His will always lives on. Whether in the machines that he makes, or the ones he commands as his own.” He explained, as he brushed a hand through his hair. “And one of said machines just happens to be registered to activate upon the termination of his heartbeat. That machine would bring his most trusted Pet, yours truly, back to life for one last task. One last failsafe, in case he ever ended up needing it.”
The Gentle Judge turned towards the massive body that once belonged to Omega, as its midsection slowly opened up to reveal a strange chamber. “Now that the Messiah has disappeared, and the Doctor himself has left this world, it is up to his machines to return his will. In a younger and brighter body. Just like you would’ve wanted to return the Four Guardians of Neo Arcadia. In bodies that could only be used as tools.” He chimed, giggling as he looked over his shoulder. “You and the Doctor are more alike than you think. All you need is a little push, and you’ll be a perfect heir.”
“Me and Weil, alike!? You’ve gone mad, Foxtar! I’ll never be like him! I won’t hurt those that haven’t deserved it! And I won’t use Reploids as tools! They’re people, just like everyone else! You are too! You don’t have to do this!” Ciel cried out, refusing to believe any of this. She’d break free from this and find Zero. Somehow. Even if she didn’t know how.
Foxtar laughed as he snapped his fingers, the flame appearing in front of her eyes once more. “I’m afraid that your posteuring will earn you no favors. You will be taken by the Doctor’s will, Doctor Ciel. And you will understand the pleasure that comes with using a Puppet for its intended purpose.” He said, shivering as he squeezed his thighs together. Following the orders that had been hard programmed into his AI felt so wonderful…
The girl tried to struggle. But all she could do was follow the flame that hovered in front of her. Step by step bringing her closer to the empty and enormous Reploid, who slowly descended onto its knees to allow her access to that hollowed midsection.
“You’ll regret this, Foxtar. Zero’ll find me. Zero’ll… Zero!” Her mind was racing. She truly didn’t know how to get out of this. And thus she hoped for a miracle. Just like she had back then. That was the only thing she could do as she stepped into that empty chamber…
And it shut behind her, the machine powering up around her. “He won’t find you, Doctor Ciel. Not in the state you think he will.” Was all that she heard before a piercing sound filled her ears, one that stopped her mind from registering anything else but the sound.
Little by little, Ciel’s consciousness faded, as she fell limp within the chamber…
---
“Doctor?”
A voice echoed through her ears. A voice that didn’t hold any emotion. A voice that sounded like it had been made for one purpose and one purpose alone. A voice that slowly brought her from her slumber.
Ciel’s eyes slowly fluttered open, causing her to yawn as she looked around. She was in… A familiar lab. And standing behind her, with a hand on her shoulder, was a Reploid. One that looked almost indistinguishable from any other…
“Are you alright, Doctor?” It asked, not able to properly output the same level of emotion as a human. All that it could do was show some amount of courtesy through concern. Nothing that a human couldn’t do better.
She slowly nodded, smiling gently. “I’m alright.” She said. Of course she was alright. Why would she need to affirm that to a robot? They should just do what they had been ordered to do…
Ciel blinked a couple of times. No, what were those thoughts..? Those weren’t hers. She didn’t think of Reploids as robots. They were humans, in their own way. They were just as flawed as them, and…
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Doctor Cie-”
She whipped around, instinctively glaring towards the faceless Reploid. “When did I give you permission to use my name?” She said, venom dripping from her words. Words that she would’ve never used, and yet… Using them felt so right. Why should a robot use her name..?
The Reploid nodded. Understanding that it had stepped over a line. “Very well, Doctor. I apologize.” It said, standing at attention as it awaited an order. Anything to guide it along.
“You can’t apologize.” Was all that Ciel said as she turned back towards her work. She didn’t want to see it any longer. Partly because it disgusted her, and partly because she was disgusted with the way she was acting. Why would she treat an honest being like that..?
As she dwelled on it, her eyes suddenly went dark, as her heart started turning black…
---
She woke up once more, this time faced with a Reploid laying on her desk. One that had still not been finished. One of her finest creations. And yet…
Ciel took a brief look at the notes she had taken. Elements that she needed to add to its Artificial Intelligence, which would serve as the basis for its personality.
Free Will. Love. Emotions. An ability to develop. A bunch of sappy stuff that didn’t matter for efficiency. Just looking at it made her gag. Why would she ever want to make a robot feel anything? There was no point in letting it experience any of those things. All it needed to do was to obey.
She grabbed the notes and tore them to shreds, before adding a single note on the side of the Reploid’s unfinished helmet. A reminder for it, and for her.
“ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE.”
Ciel blinked a couple of times as she looked at those words, her heart pounding against her chest. Why was she doing this? She wasn’t like this! She… She…
Just as she showed doubt, her mind blanked out once more while black droplets dropped from her heart…
---
“Ciel! Ciel! Look!”
This time, she woke up to the sight of a young blonde Reploid. Her face looked familiar, and the way that she addressed her was clearly filled with love. Especially as she held up a simple crayon painting, one that she had made for the young scientist.
“Isn’t it pretty? I’ve tried to calibrate myself so I can draw pretty things, but I wanna start small! Is it good?” The young Reploid asked, almost innocently so as she looked up at the blonde human that she saw as an older sister figure…
Ciel looked at the drawing. Trash. Absolute garbage. A mockery that only a robot would dare try to make. Why would it dare try to be a human? Robots were nothing but tools. They could do anything at the peak of their ability. Why would they try to imitate their Masters?”
She smiled down at the shorter Reploid, putting a hand on her head. She didn’t say a thing, as she reached towards a hatch on the back of her head…
The youthful Reploid’s expression faded into nothingness, erased as its power source was sabotaged. Its ability to think on its own had been depleted, due to the lack of full power. All it could do now was obey.
“Worthless Puppet. Doing things of your own accord.” Ciel muttered, tossing the paper into the garbage as she started grinning. Devilishly so. It felt good to throw away the dreams of a Puppet. The dreams of somebody that deserved nothing…
She laughed as everything went black for the third time, her heart tainting itself even further as barely anything remained of her old gentle self…
---
“W-Why would you… Why would you do any of this!? Why would you deceive us?!”
She saw their faces. That loathsome Resistance. The ones she had tricked. All while she giggled. This was what she had been waiting for. This was why she had been enduring their infernal presence.
“You’ve served your purpose. You’ve gotten rid of my useless Puppet.” Ciel said as she stepped towards the bound Reploids, a pair of Pantheons flanking her. Obedient machines that knew when to do a Human’s bidding. “And now I have no other need for you. Not only that, but your internals are nothing but scrap. You won’t even be worth anything as a tool.”
The Resistance looked upon the girl that had brought them hope, only to cruelly snatch it away at the last second. A girl that, with the wave of her hand, made the Pantheons overwhelm them. All that she could hear was gunfire, their screams muted as they were just outdated tools…
And she laughed. Laughed in the face of Puppets serving their worthless purpose…
---
She opened her eyes once more. This time, she saw the insides of the Puppet that she had been guided into. The worthless scrap heap that had been housing that other worthless piece of trash that didn’t even manage to destroy the ‘Hero’ from the Elf Wars.
The girl scoffed as she put her hand against the Puppet’s inner wall, her hand immediately recognized by its remaining programming. Causing it to open and release her, to the applause of the Pet waiting for her to emerge.
“Welcome back, Doctor. I’ve been waiting patiently for your return.” Foxtar chimed, as he skipped all the way up the wrecked Omega’s leg, giggling as he got close to the girl. “I must apologize for leading you into this, it was the only way for you to return.”
She raised her eyebrow. “Return? I’m not that old bastard, you foolish Puppet.” She scowled, before pointing straight at him. “Kneel down. Show respect for Humans, like you’ve been made to do.”
The Pet happily obeyed, dropping down on all fours. “My mistake.” He said, giggling a little. “Omega’s inner core, the one that held the most of Weil’s will, should’ve converted you into a mere vessel for his will. But it seems like you’ve become one with it instead, Doctor Ciel.”
“Ciel?” The girl said, laughing. Both of those names sounded so wrong. “Ceil. That is who I am now. Make sure to register it properly, you worthless excuse for a Puppet.” She commanded, and the Pet at her feet quickly obeyed, audibly squirming in response to his own obedience.
Doctor Ceil looked at the Pet at her feet, and the Puppet that she had come out of. And then she began to grin. “The old man’s will. To take it all for himself. How about I take that and twist it?”
“That sounds like an excellent plan, Doctor!” Foxtar cried out, as he leapt onto his feet. “Why, you’ve got the perfect brain for it. And with the enhancements that Omega made, you’ll be able to take down anybody that dares stand in your way. Even Zero!” Now that he had his Master by his side once more, the Pet was more than happy to let his excitement bubble to the top.
She looked to him for a second, causing him to stop on the spot, as if apologizing for his visible excitement. “What did that hunk of junk do to me? Did you defile my body without permission?”
He quickly shook his head, snapping his fingers to summon forth a mirror to the soul. Or rather, a mirror made out of his own flames, one that the Doctor could use to look at herself. “I assure you, this was not meant to ruin your body in any way, Doctor. Just something that will bring out your inner ruler. Something to make you shine atop the world.”
Looking into the mirror, Ceil looked… Not unlike her previous self. Her hair was still the same shape and length. But her body had changed. Strengthened. She could tell that it had been enhanced, not unlike the old coot’s. But where his cybernetic enhancements were part of his suit, hers were buried into her body. No doubt parts of her flesh had been converted while she was inside of that piece of junk, reliving her time in Neo Arcadia from the perspective of a ruler-to-be.
The other difference was her attire. Instead of wearing that dull and drab pink dress, she now matched the finesse of the Gentle Judges. She had to admit, if there were any Pets that the old coot had excelled at making, it was them. Her body clad in a white bodysuit with gold highlights, and a cape that matched. The perfect attire for a ruler. The perfect attire for Doctor Ceil.
“...You may be a rotten Puppet, one that has clearly outlived its expiration date… But you have taste, Foxtar.” She chimed, as she suddenly grabbed the Pet by its chin and left a kiss on its cheek, smiling. “You’ve been just Wonderful for me, my most favorite Pet.”
Her words practically made the former Gentle Judge melt right then and there, considering the sheer amount of positive feedback it received from being called wonderful. But it managed to stay standing. “I live to serve, Doctor. What would you like to do now?”
Ceil looked at the ruins of Omega once more, before a smirk worked its way onto her paler face. Oh, she had the perfect idea. Especially considering who had been inside that core before her…
“Find Zero. I think it’s time that he understands what it means to obey.”
---
Zero’s optics were slow to turn on. A byproduct of all the damage he had taken since the fight on Ragnarok. It was hard to fix, and with the dangers that still remained in the world, he hadn’t bothered to stop and get them replaced. Now, more than any other time, was the time to curse his own hasty nature.
He blinked several times. Trying to dispel the static noise. All while seeing some figure that seemed dangerously familiar in front of him. Who was this white-clad girl..?
“Zero. Wake up, Zero.” She said. That was… Ciel’s voice, wasn’t it? That couldn’t be anybody but her. That gentle tone. The one he had protected so many times. Not out of heroism, but because it was just what he did.
But at the same time, the girl in front of him couldn’t be her. She wouldn’t dress in white. She wouldn’t hover over him like she had something to prove. Whoever was using her voice had to be some sort of imposter, as he slowly stood up and tried to pull forth his Z-Saber…
Only for a shock to pulse through his body, his internals too damaged to let him both stand and wield the blade. And in turn, the girl in front of him started to laugh. “Really, you can’t stand? And here I thought I could rely on such a trusty Pet. Guess you’re worthless after dealing with the old coot.”
The static went away, letting him get a proper look at the girl. And his eyes immediately widened in shock. That was definitely Ciel. The hair, the stance, everything besides her clothes and her expression were the same. But how would somebody copy her… And to this minute a degree, outside of those imperfections?
“Ciel… You can’t be her.” He muttered, his body sparking. His memory data was corrupt, but he remembered the last thing he saw. A purple flame covering a foot, headed straight for his face after he had just disposed of a couple of Pantheons that had run amok…
She nodded. Laughing at him as she circled around him. “Of course not. Ciel’s dead.” She said like it wasn’t anything important, brushing it aside. “All that remains is me. The fusion between her and the old coot’s ambitions. Call me Doctor Ceil. It rolls nicely off the tongue, doesn’t it?” Ceil chimed, stopping in front of the red Puppet with her back pointed towards him, as if to reward him for his continued service with a wonderful view.
“Then again, I don’t expect tools to understand the worth of a name. You were given such a dull name after all.” The ‘Good Doctor’ mused, turning her head towards him while looking down upon him. “And besides, you’re used goods. You can barely stand, yet alone wield a sword for the people you wanted to protect. You’re pitiful.”
Zero grimaced as he slowly stood up once more, his wrecked internals doing little to stop him. “Why would you ever take up his ambitions, Ciel?” He asked, very simply, as he stared straight into her eyes. He wanted to understand. Before he’d cut her down with the last of his strength.
“Because a certain somebody thought it’d be a good idea. A certain somebody that you should be well acquainted with, especially his foot.” She explained, as a subtle shiver started running up the Pet’s back while a pair of hands gripped onto his shoulders.
Cubit Foxtar popped his head over the Pet’s shoulder, giggling. “You were easier than ever, Zero. It seems that the old Doctor’s done you dirty. But that’s fine. Doctor Ceil will ensure that you follow the same kind of orders that he would’ve given. Just better. And more fulfilling for her ambitions.”
Zero closed his eyes. If he couldn’t move his body to a great degree, then he would at least try to strike them both down. Especially now that they were this close.
“Stand down, Zero.” Ceil said, and his body immediately obeyed, causing his eyes to widen. All while she grinned with the widest and most wicked smile that she could muster. “Oh, you thought I hadn’t already disarmed you? You poor thing. A Pet that doesn’t understand that it has always been nothing but that. A mere Tool.”
All that he could do was listen. He couldn’t even respond. Her words had made it difficult for his mind to put things together. Whether that was because of the existing damage to his internals, or because of her haphazard repairs… He didn’t know.
“Very well. I don’t have a use for you any longer, Zero. Not in this state, at any rate. Now that you’ve played the part of a Hero, turning you into a proper Pet will do. I need to repair your internals properly and replace them with stronger ones. Reprogram your mind to ensure that you will remain obedient. And most importantly, remember that you will never be anything but a Puppet.”
She slowly started laughing, as she planned to dismantle every single important part of her former ally. All that would remain would be his body, twisted into a new shape befitting of his new Master. “However, since I don’t have the parts that I need to reconstruct you in your own shape, I’ll have to make do. Foxtar’s base will suffice. Doesn’t that sound nice, being reconstructed using the old fart’s technology? I’m sure he’d be rolling in his grave, knowing that you could use it better than he ever could.”
Zero scowled as he was lifted onto his feet, forced to walk forward thanks to Foxtar holding his arms behind his back. If only he could swing his blade. If only he could do anything. But his choices had been stripped from him. All that he could do was waltz towards his inevitable doom.
“Aren’t you glad, Zero? Once you’re done being reconfigured inside of Omega’s husk, you’ll be my sibling. Don’t worry, you’ll still be the older brother, even if we’re identical in most ways.” The feminine Pet giggled, rubbing his body against the captive Pet with a bright grin on his face…
The former Hero didn’t respond. Not to the physical affection, nor to the verbal teasing. He just let himself get thrown into the chamber in the fallen Puppet’s stomach, getting shut in there as Ceil had been. And not a moment later, it started shining, the process of conversion starting.
“How long will it take?” The Good Doctor asked her favorite Pet as he jumped down towards her, a cruel smile still plastered on her face as she watched the Puppet slowly light up behind him.
Foxtar tapped his chin a couple of times as he leaned up against his Doctor, mentally counting as he wagged his finger back and forth. “Not as long as it did for you. You were in there for a good day, even if it felt like years flashing before your eyes.” He explained, before giggling. “Since he’s already a wreck, it’ll just replace the parts of him that were faulty. And from there, they’ll take over the rest. Soon there won’t be a bit of the old Hero from the Elf Wars left. There’ll just be another perfect Tool, for you to use in any way you wish, Doctor.”
“If you’re wrong about this, I will make sure you understand my wrath, Foxtar.” Ceil mused as she pulled her arms away from one another, resting one of her hands on the Pet’s perfectly sculpted and feminine posterior, bringing a delighted moan to his lips.
Meanwhile, inside the husk of the Puppet, the changes were just as quick as the former Gentle Judge suggested that they’d be. Because as soon as Zero had been blasted with its energies, all the color in his body drained, leaving him completely white. His entire armor, his very being, completely bleached.
Little by little, his body was changed. The armor on his body faded away, replaced with the same sort of elegant bodysuit that draped both the Pet and the Doctor. One that tightened and compressed his body, until it was the same size as the Pet that had teased him.
Once the armor had been turned into that suit, the cape that draped every Gentle Judge fell upon his shoulders. All while his hair was redone, taking upon the same fox-ear-like shape as Foxtar’s. Complete with the hair curling up at the end like a fox’s tails would.
With his body changed, his mind came next. His independent thought processes, the ones that let him fight against orders and save those that he deemed important, were erased. New processes filled his mind. New commands. New routines that he wouldn’t be able to ignore. But most importantly…
The image of Doctor Ceil filled his mind. Her cruel smile. Her absolute disregard for his existence. And how he was expected to obey her regardless of all that. Because that was what he had been made for. A simple Tool to be tossed aside whenever she wanted.
Zero’s expression twisted itself into a cruel delighted smile as he panted, his conversion complete as he gave into that image.
The useless Puppet opened up, depositing the ‘repaired’ ‘hero’ who walked down towards his Doctor, the smile remaining plastered as he swayed his hips from side to side just like his sibling unit…
“Gentle Zero, reporting.” He said, before giggling. “Thank you, Doctor Ceil. I needed that.” He chimed, walking all the way up to his Doctor before turning to his sibling and kissing him on the cheek. “You too, Cubit. We really are a matching pair now.”
Both Foxtar and Zero giggled in unison, like the horny brothers they were, before they both kneeled before their Doctor. “These worthless Tools are yours to use, Doctor. Use us as you see fit.” They said in unison, smiling as they kneeled even deeper, kissing her feet to show their utter devotion.
Doctor Ceil laughed. With these two by her side, these wonderful Pets of hers, the rest of the world soon fall under her rule as well. Tools, Humans, all of them obeying her without even blinking.
And the first order of business… were those useless Guardians that she had started reconstructing. Making them into her newest Gentle Judges would do nicely...