The Robotic Hero of Canterlot High

by TriforceAndroid

Chapter 12: Firm Soul's First day of School

Author's Note:

Guys, I need to be real here. This whole story is a writing exercise between me and ABagofPlums. I had to adapt to certain unexpected elements that he put in the story.

Looking at this now, I feel like I just cooked up an "Injustice" ripoff! Just... *sigh* If you like this chapter, great. As for me, this doesn't feel like my story anymore.

Dew Drop and Firm Soul stood before the school, grinning widely. Firm Soul lost his grin however when he noticed the crater in front of the school. “Whoa,” he whispered. “Did I do that?”

“No,” said Dew Drop quietly. “That was me. You just broke the fall.”

Firm Soul rolled his eyes and lightly punched his shoulder with a grin. “Smart aleck,” he said.

“Yup,” said Dew Drop. “I can be like that when I wanna be. You know, liven things up a little.”

The front of the school began to slowly fill up with students, some of them waving hello to Dew Drop and wishing him a good day. Before long, there was a familiar skipping sound as Pinkie Pie popped up near Dew Drop and Firm Soul.

“Hi, Dew Drop! Good morning! Who’s your friend?”

"Good morning, Pinkie," said Dew Drop. He took a glance at Firm Soul before smiling. "Firm Soul, this is Pinkie Pie, the most cheerful girl you'll ever meet! Pinkie, this is an old friend of mine! This is Firm Soul"

Firm Soul gave Pinkie a grin. "Sup?"

“The sky, silly!” Pinkie held out her fist for a fist bump. “Are you new here at CHS? I’d be happy to show you around!”

She reached behind her back and pulled out a cupcake. “Here you are, Firm Soul! Your welcome present to Canterlot High. Enjoy!”

Firm Soul grinned as he gave her a fist bump. Then he took the cupcake with a chuckle. "Well, thank you, Pinkie!" He said. Then he turned to Dew Drop and whispered, "Dude, I like this girl! She's a funny one!"

"Yup," said Dew Drop. "She has ways to get people to laugh!"

Pinkie giggled. “Ah, that’s nice of you to say, Dew Drop. I just want everyone to be as happy as can be! After all, isn’t that what being a hero is about?”

"Yeah… Wait, where did that come from?!" Asked Dew Drop curiously.

“After that amazing display of heroism the other day, I thought we could all try to be a little more heroic,” Pinkie shrugged. “And welcoming someone new is a good deed in my book, right?”

Dew Drop nodded with a smile. "Yeah, that really is a good deed," he replied. Whew! She doesn't suspect a thing! I'm not ready to tell them yet.

Firm Soul was grinning. "Well, looks like Android has become an inspiration, huh?" He said. "Well, this is the first time I've heard of Android inspiring people."

"Yeah, no kidding," said Dew Drop.

"Android has gained quite a fan club online," Pinkie added. "So has that other guy, but anyone who saw the video can see that Android did most of the heavy lifting. Don't tell Applejack I said that."

"No worries, Pinkie," said Dew Drop. "Applejack won't hear it from me or Firm Soul."

"Hell, yeah," said Firm Soul with a smirk. "Android has a fanclub? Where do I sign up?"

Dew Drop had a noticeable sweatdrop appearing on the back of his head. I always forget that passion he had for me before he became Cyber Fury.

"Just like and subscribe to the Android Fan Club page on Mystable," Pinkie took out her phone and showed them the page. "You can talk to everyone there, and see fan art, and all kinds of cool stuff!"

Dew Drop took a look at the page and felt his eyes widen at all the fanart of him. Some pictures showed him posing heroically with his sword raised up. Some showed him using a special sword technique. There were even some that showed his battle with Cyber Dragon and Cyber Fury.

My word! I never thought that I would get this many fans!

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" Pinkie continued. "Seems like maybe there are heroes out there besides me and the girls. It's a nice feeling, isn't it? For Android, I mean."

“I’m sure it is a nice feeling for the guy,” said Dew Drop. “The poor dude has been always fighting on his own with no one to help him.”

Pinkie shrugged. “Sounds like he could use the help. Maybe Android and the White Wolf can work together?”

"White Wolf?" Asked Dew Drop. "Is that what we're calling that masked guy now?"

"He didn't give us a name like Android did, so people have been calling him that. The White Wolf, on account of his coat and mask. Catchy, isn’t it?" Pinkie said blithely.

“Actually, yeah,” said Firm Soul. “That does sound very catchy! Way better than Wolfhead!”

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” said Dew Drop. “Well, I better help Firm Soul find his classes. I’ll introduce him to the rest of you girls later.”

“Okie dokie,” Pinkie nodded. “Catch ya later then!”

The pink girl waved and skipped back to her friend by the front doors of the school, where they usually waited before class began.

"So, you have some other lady friends?" Asked Firm Soul with a smirk. "Which one do you have a crush on?"

Dew Drop blushed heavily. "Let's just get to class," he said, grabbing his arm and dragging him to their class.

-------------------
Lunch had arrived and the two cyborgs were looking for Dew Drop's friends. Soon they saw them and went to sit with them.

"Are you sure that they'll be okay meeting me?" Asked Firm Soul.

"Of course," said Dew Drop. "Trust me, they're very sweet girls!" Soon they arrived as Dew Drop greeted the Rainbooms. "Hey, girls," he said.

“Hello!” Sunset turned to greet Dew Drop and Firm Soul. “How are you finding CHS so far, Firm Soul? Pinkie told us you’re new here, so I hope everything hasn’t been too overwhelming.”

Firm Soul saw Sunset and blushed. "O-oh," he said. "Y-yeah. I'm doing quite well here so far."

Dew Drop grinned at how Firm Soul sounded when he spoke to Sunset. "Anyway, I am happy to say that I'm not the only survivor of Metal City. Firm Soul here is from MC as well," he smiled at his friend. "It's nice knowing I'm not the only one."

“That’s great!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Does that mean there might be others who survived as well?”

"I… I don't know," said Dew Drop. "I hope so."

Firm Soul patted his shoulder. "If there are others out there, we'll find them."

“It’s truly wonderful that you’ve found someone who you can relate to so much,” Fluttershy said happily. “I hope you both settle here in Canterlot well. You deserve that much.”

"Thanks, Flutters," said Dew Drop.

Twilight raised her hand. “Since you’re from Metal City, maybe you can tell us more about these other cyborgs that have been attacking people,” she said. “We need to know as much as we can in case we have to deal with them again. Derpy almost died, and if it wasn’t for Android and the White Wolf, someone could have gotten seriously hurt.”

As much as Dew Drop wanted to argue about the White Wolf being a hero, he decided to give Twilight some info. "Okay, so I should point out that these cyborgs are not the only threat that Android has had to deal with," he explained. "There was also a group of human beings who believed that all cyborgs are abominations that need to be destroyed. That group came to be known as the Anti-Cyborg Group."

Firm Soul growled a little. "Ugh, the Cyber Force and the Anti-Cyborg Group were always at each other's throats," he said. "They each believed one to be better than the other. I don't know who is more evil here! The Cyber Force's leader, Cyber Lord, for brainwashing cyborgs to join his group and serve him and forcibly turning humans into cyborgs? Or the Anti-Cyborg Group destroying houses that contained cyborgs, regardless of whether there were humans in there or not?" He clenched his fist in anger. "Monsters, all of them!"

“I see,” Twilight mused. “But we haven’t been attacked by this Anti-Cyborg Group. Just the… Cyber Force, was it? I would like to know more about them.”

“You may get your chance,” Rainbow said, holding up her phone. “News says that the police are rushing to some kind of disturbance. There was some kinda fight?”

Looking at Rainbow’s phone, the group saw a cyborg that had been smashed into the wall of a building hard enough to embed the body inside the concrete. A pair of broken sunglasses hung from one side of the cyborg’s face and a damaged star-shaped weapon lay nearby. The chest area of the cyborg had been savagely cleaved up and there was a gaping hole where the power source would have been.

“A daring raid on the Canterlot Police Station was thwarted today by the efforts of the Canterlot Police Department and a person that the internet seems to be calling the White Wolf. A dangerous cyborg attempted to break into the police department, assumedly for the remains of another cyborg that was being held there, but thanks to the brave efforts of Captain Armor and his officers, they were able to hold the cyborg to a standstill.”

A police officer was being interviewed. “At first I thought we might not be able to handle it,” he said, taking off his hat to wipe his brow of sweat. “But Captain Armor, he never lost his cool and directed us to use our guns and tasers to keep the cyborg from getting into the building. It was then that the White Wolf came in and finished the job. I’m just happy that nobody was hurt and that the station wasn’t compromised. We at the Canterlot Police Department take all our security very seriously. To any and all Canterlot citizens watching this, we’re here for you.”

Rainbow put her phone down. “Maybe your brother will let you examine the cyborg’s remains,” she said to Twilight.

“It could be an interesting learning experience,” Sunset agreed. “If a bit morbid.”

Dew Drop recognized the dead cyborg. Cyber Star, the cyborg of pride, he thought before sighing a little. I better get to Captain Armor before he disposes of the body. If I can revive both Cyber Star and Cyber Dragon, I can form a new group to fight the Cyber Force and the ACG. Like a… Robo Squad!

“I wonder where Android was this time?” Rarity frowned a little.

“Chill, Rarity,” Applejack told her. “Maybe he had something else to deal with. Even a hero can’t be in more than one place at a time. Good thing someone else stepped up to deal with the threat.”

Dew Drop muttered under his breath: "How is killing a bad guy heroic? Is that saying that all bad guys need to die? When is killing even a good thing?" Unfortunately, his muttering was heard by the Rainbooms as he continued. "That anti-hero never considered that maybe those cyborgs needed to be saved. Last time I saw a cyborg, he was looking at me with a look that said, 'Please help me!' How is killing someone who is clearly asking for help even heroic?"

“Well, you see, working on a farm, you quickly learn that if ya don’t stomp out the pests, they’ll just keep coming back to cause trouble,” Applejack explained. “A good society can’t grow if you got villains chewing up the roots and leaves, see? Besides, I’m pretty sure trying to hurt kids and break into a police station ain’t a cry for help.”

Dew Drop looked up with a very serious expression. "Yes, I understand that. But what if the person has been brainwashed?" He asked. "What about that? A person being brainwashed to kill. Who needs to die then: The brainwashed, or the brainwasher?"

“I’m no expert on morality, but in my opinion, whoever is doing the most harm at the moment should be stopped with all necessary force,” Twilight said. “If the one who is brainwashed is intent on causing immediate harm to people, they need to be neutralized. A person who brainwashes people isn’t an immediate threat, so they can be dealt with once the immediate danger has passed. My brother deals with organized crime and his people are most often sent to stop relatively minor crimes like hold ups and robberies. The actual crime bosses have to wait until that’s done, otherwise there would be an uproar.”

Dew Drop couldn't believe such an answer. He hung his head as shadows covered his eyes. So… this whole time, I've been fighting for a lost cause? He thought bitterly. I know I saved Richard from continuing to be Cyber Fury, but still. If… I can bring back other members from the Cyber Force before I go for the Cyber Masters, will I still be a hero?

"I personally think that if possible, you should try and go for both," Rarity commented. "Not that I'm belittling the police force in any way, but don’t they have departments that focus on stopping the crime lords while other divisions deal with the immediate threat?"

"Well, yes," Twilight admitted. "But a lot of people don't see that and therefore give the police trouble for not putting enough effort in stopping the more obvious crimes."

“Quick question,” said Firm Soul. “What if Android had a cyborg friend who was willing to work with the police to stop immediate threats while Android dealt with the crime lords? Would that work?”

“That would be ideal,” Twilight nodded. “All the more reason why maybe Android and the White Wolf should team up! If they aren’t already.”

“I’m not sure that’s what Firm Soul is asking,” Fluttershy spoke up.

"No reason," said Firm Soul "Just curious."

Dew Drop gave Firm Soul a curious stare. The only thing Firm Soul did was give him a stare that said, "We need to talk."

The Rainbooms watched as Dew Drop and Firm Soul excused themselves and went off to a quiet corner of the cafeteria.

"So, what's up?" Asked Dew Drop.

Firm Soul put on a very serious look. "I don't trust this Wolf Head at all," he said. "In all honesty, I think I should work with the police on the smaller crimes while you deal with the bigger threats."

"Wait, why have me work on the bigger threats?" He asked. "I thought you would want to deal with the four Cyber Masters."

"As much as I want to do that, I think I need to start small," answered Firm Soul. "Besides, you still have a promise to keep, right?"

"How do you know about my promise to my dad?" Asked Dew Drop.

"I heard you make it to him before you became Android," Firm Soul replied. "Plus, it was before I… became Cyber Fury," he added regretfully.

Dew Drop smiled gently before patting him on the head. "Firm Soul, you are not Cyber Fury anymore," he said reassuringly. "You've changed now. You are back to being the friend I once had." He sighed sadly. "Though, I don't think the Rainbooms would understand what I went through. I bet they don't know what it's like to lose a friend at all."

Unknown to them, a figure was watching from the shadows. The figure, who was female, had a look of sympathy on her face.

Comments

[Jaxxon Markus Citadel]

I personally like the moral dilemmas that are being brought up in your story. It makes the conflict seem a lot more real to read about. "Injustice" isn't the only series that deals with morality, and I do like the direction that this story is going. I hope you continue it, because this story is definitely something that I want to see the conclusion of. Keep up the good work!

i.pinimg.com/originals/a6/37/38/a6373870819f3f07b8a1e07fa6ac9f45.jpg

[TriforceAndroid]

11323534
Okay.

But keep in mind, when I first started writing my Android stories, I just wanted them to be simple superhero stories. Not some kind of complicated story on morality.

[Jaxxon Markus Citadel]

11323554
But even basic superhero stories have statements about morality. In fact, it's the driving force behind a lot of popular superheroes. Batman is constantly treading the line between what is acceptable punishment for villains, for example, and how his villains are always tempting him with the easy solution of killing them. Without discussions of morality, there wouldn't be any superhero stories at all, because every superhero is constantly presenting with moral choices that lead to character development, whether for good or for bad. That's one of the reasons why I like this story, because Android is being presented with the same problems that many popular mainstream superheroes are also confronted with. He has to decide how best to follow his own moral code and uphold his ideals in the face of an easier, but (to him) less moral solution, and I find that to be fascinating to read about. I want to see how it all turns out, and I absolutely think you have a good thing going here. Keep it up, and don't be so critical of yourself! You're doing great!
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[TriforceAndroid]

11323561
I see. Well, thanks for that. Still wish I could've kept it simple. I guess Android's moral code is inspired by Deku's desire to save people. He wants to save Shigaraki from All For One. I tried to make Android just as noble.

[Jaxxon Markus Citadel]

Coming back again to re-read this story so far. I personally really am intrigued by the questions and conflict that Dew Drop is faced with. I hope the next chapter comes out soon. I look forward to seeing what we can learn next!