The next morning, near a different suburban area of the city…
“...Alright, Wallflower--you need to get in there and tell him how you feel,” Wallflower spoke to herself as she walked down the street. “Just ask him out for a simple dat…time out together at the new dinosaur exhibit at the museum.”
Wallflower took a deep breath as she walked up to Micro Chips’ house, and knocked on the door. She idly tugged on the sleeve of her sweater as she stood outside and waited for him to answer.
And she wouldn’t have to wait for very long.
“Hm? Oh, hey WF,” Micro said as he opened the door, “What brings you by today?”
“I just wanted to talk to you. Are you busy?”
“Well I’m preparing myself for our attack on the Yakuza’s new trading post later this evening,” Micro explained, “But I have just enough time for a quick chat.”
“Okay. Stay calm!” Wallflower mentally prepared herself as she stepped inside of his home. “Wow…your place has changed quite a bit since the last time I was here.”
What she was referring to was the escalator that had replaced what was previously a staircase in the boy’s home as well as a small robot that was walking around and picking up pieces of scrap metal with its little magnetic fingers.
“Aw…who’s this cutie-patootie?” Wallflower squatted down to the robot and patted it on the head.
“That is XJ12,” he explained, “An assistant robot I programmed to pick up whatever little pieces of metal I may leave behind. Also, I had the escalator installed for whenever my father or myself come home with a load of supplies that we need to take to the upper level. Makes things far more convenient since we don’t have to worry about tripping.”
Wallflower stood up and observed the moving metal staircase. “Pretty smart…I’d love it if I didn’t have to worry about tripping over my own two feet in my own home. You’re so lucky…”
Micro shrugged. “That’s what happens when your father is head of domestic technologies at C-Corporation. It’s what brought me into the field of science when I was younger.”
“C-Corp? Oh! Is that the CPU company that makes all our devices?”
Micro tilted his hand back and forth to indicate that her answer was half-correct. “Erm…in a nutshell? Yes. They make everything we use and ship technologies out to other countries as well. Though, we’re also working on more environmentally sound technologies like plant-based fuels and generators.”
At the subject of plants, Wallflower perked up with starry eyes. “Ooh! I love that. Maybe we could use the carnivorous ones to generate even more clean energy. They’re so cute with their little teeth.”
“Hmm…” Micro stroked his chin at the idea, “Not a bad plan at all. Though I’m getting ahead of myself. There’s no telling which way the wind will blow on that. But enough about me. What brought you by today, Wallflower?”
“Oh uh…I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me to the museum…” she pulled out a flier that mentioned the exhibit she was referencing. “I-I know you’ll be busy later, so maybe we could go this weekend?”
“Fascinating…” Micro looked it over, and agreed, “I didn’t think anyone else would be interested in this sort of thing. I’d love to go with you. It’ll be the perfect place to get my life’s dream in order.”
Wallflower gazed at him with intrigue as her heart skipped a beat. “...dream, huh? You wanna change the world in some way?”
“Yes,” Micro sat down on his living room couch and pressed a button on a remote that lowered a diagram of the human body down on a projector. “Long story short, our bodies won’t be able to resist the effects of magic on this world forever. So I want to make a world where we can all be at an even keel. No matter if you’re already disabled, have bone density issues, or weakened organs, you’ll still be able to function if you enhance parts of your body with the nanomachines I’ve been developing.”
“...Are those safe?” Wallflower asked as she walked over to the diagram.
“Of course. They’re still experimental. But if I can make them work to where they can accelerate cell growth and repair organs and bones…we won’t have to worry about health problems ever again.”
Wallflower paused for a moment as she weighed what Micro explained in her mind. “Woah…he’s so thoughtful and selfless. And he actually takes what I say seriously instead of ignoring me…”
“...What do you think, Wall?”
“Huh? Oh it’s…a great idea! At the very least, you’ll be able to rid the world of disability and the stigma that comes along with it.” She tugged at the collar of her sweater again. “...I uh…or something like that.”
Micro looked at her for a moment, then smiled. “Don’t worry. You won’t be an outsider in this future that I have planned. These machines will be able to work on developmental disabilities as well…once I get everything in motion of course.”
“...” Wallflower squealed internally, and hid it behind an awkward giggle. “Oh…you. You’re such a philanthropist. It’s adorable.”
Micro adjusted his glasses and exchanged an awkward chuckle. “...Well I don’t know about that, but--”
Z-Z-Z-Z-ZZZ!
Just then, his watch went off…
“Huh? Go ahead,” Micro answered.
Sunset Shimmer was on the other end, and she gave him a command. “Micro Chips. Get ready. We’re on, and we’ll need both you and Flash Sentry to help the girls and I.”
“I’m prepared to see this through,” he replied before hanging up, “Sorry, Wallflower. I need to get going. This is my first step towards that future I have planned.”
“I get it, no problem,” she replied amicably as Micro walked her to the door, “Go get ‘em, tiger. Come back in one piece now, alright?” she teased him with a playful nudge of her elbow.
“Of course…see you later,” Micro smiled and closed the door.
Once she was gone, he grabbed his box of nanomachines which conformed around his body into its usual shape of a white labcoat.
“I’m not leaving a single part of myself behind. I won’t run away anymore.”
Meanwhile, outside...
"She's the one."