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Description
The room was cold. Damp. As it should be.
He looked at the gurney before him. The body upon it covered by a long sheet. He dare not touch it, the sheet or the body. He just stared in pain. Agony. Sorrow. Defeat. He stared for what seemed like forever. The mechanics in his body made the only noise as they lightly whirred and hissed.

"Diff." A voice in his ear began.

The day was bright, sunny. The breeze felt great, a crisp airflow to the afternoon warmth. All of the children playing in the field behind the orphanage.

"That her?" he asked, pointing his large metal finger towards the one child sitting upon a bench by herself. She was twiddling her thumbs, as if just waiting out the recess time.

"Yes sir. That's her." The orphanage caretaker responded to him. "I'll go get the paperwork ready. Meet me up front when you are able." The caretaker took his leave and disappeared within the building.

The children strayed away from him. They were frightened by his appearance. He had never raised a child before. "My very own. From my blood, my DNA." he mumbled to himself as he kept his gaze on the lonely girl. His footsteps made loud DOOFs as he approached her. She didn't seem frightened like the other children, especially as he sat down next to her, his tail flopping to one side of the bench.

"Hello." he said awkwardly, his eyes darting around the playground. His heart pounded relentlessly. He could feel it slam against his ribcage with each beat, making a small *tinktinktink* noise. "What... um... what is your name?"

"Tabitha." She responded with confidence. A girl no more than 6 or 7 years old. She had the flowing red hair of her mother's, but the furrowed brow and pursed lips of her father. "What's yours?"

"I.. I'm.. I'm ... J... er.. Diff... Differus. That's my name. I'm um.. I'm your daddy." he responded to her. He felt ridiculous, more nervous than she was.

"I know. Mr. Vell told me that. You're more hairy than I thought you would be." her intelligence clearly exceeded her age. She patted his furry arm. It made an uncomfortable scratching noise. "Rough. You aren't very soft."

"Um, no, Tabitha.. I suppose I'm not." he replied.

"Well come on, big hairy daddy. Might as well get this over with." Tabitha stood up from the bench and began to walk into the building.

"Over with? Aren't you excited? N..nervous? Or anythin'?"

"You'd be surprised how many times I've done this, 'Differus'. Everyone who claims to be my parent sends me back after a few days. Longest I've stayed with a 'daddy' is a month. How long do you think I'll last? Two days? A week before you send me back? I'll give it a week." she turned her back on him, entering the building.

"...a week?"

"Diff."

"A whole month and you haven't sent me back or screwed up! I'm honestly very surprised 'Differus'." she said one morning.

"I'm tryin to change m' life around, alright? I ain't gonna give up so easy on ya, kid." he replied.

"Yeah that's what they all say. Still, I've never had an animal dad before. An animal robot dad. You're pretty cool lookin. What DO you have under that sack anyway?" she pointed to the canvas cloth that fully concealed his shoulder mounted weapon, and has been concealing it for a whole month on end.

"I told you already. Important equipment to keep me runnin'. S'all ya need to know." he ate some of his breakfast cereal with a tablespoon. "And I ain't an animal, I'm an experiment. Ain't been one all m' life though. But that's kinda a long story, just get ready for school, alright? Yer bus is here."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her backpack. "Fine, DAD, I'll see you later." she stomped her way out to the bus.

"Diff. Jack. Come on."

"How about that, eh?" he said as he flipped the calendar up to December. "Gettin the hang of these Earth months n stuff. Six now, right?" His minigun was fully exposed by this point, the canvas sack having been abandoned long ago.

"You're still counting? I gave up after two. Hey, check this out!" she showed her father an IED she built on her very own.

"WHOA, HOLY SH....ISH..!" on instinct he gave the device a powerful electronic zap from his finger, disabling it through EMP. "Oh.. sorry, habit."

Tabitha rolled her eyes at her father and pressed a few buttons on her explosive device, reactivating it.

"Just like I taught ya, eh? That's my girl!"

They hugged.

"I'm gonna try it out on the neighbor's fence!"

"Don't hurt yourself, kiddo!" Diff waved as his daughter ran into the backyard.

"Go, Diff."

The calendar showed June.

"Are you... are you sure about this, Tabby?" he asked, his face showing a genuine worried expression.

"I'm sure dad. It'll only be for a few weeks, I promise!" she replied.

"You're only 9, Tabby! I.. ju.. do you know what to--"

"Dad, I'm okay. You gave me plenty of money to spend in Europe, and our class will be back in a couple of weeks."

"Alright.. alright... just give me one more hug before you go, okay?"

"Jeez dad, you wouldn't think a war-hardened mercenary lived here or anything." she joked as she approached her father. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

"I love you, Tabby."

"I love you too, dad." she responded, her arms tightly wound around him.

He closed his eyes. A final moment with her that he wanted to cherish before she left.

"AUCK...!" He felt a familiar, sudden sharp pain in his neck. One he hadn't felt since his days in combat. He knew exactly what it was. He tried to tell his daughter to run, to get out of there as fast as she could, but all that could escape his maw were gurgles as a mixture of blood and hydraulic fluid quickly escaped through the new wound. A massive chunk of flesh torn right from the side of his neck, destroying his jugular.

He panicked as he still felt his daughter's arms around him, though they had fallen limp. She made no attempt to run. She didn't even scream. She couldn't.

In horror, he saw she no longer bore a face. In its place, a gaping bloody hole that traveled through her skull. It collapsed, as did her body onto the floor.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSHH'BOOOOOOOOKM

The explosion destroyed the house. A penetrating explosive grenade shot from a unique sniper-esque rocket launcher from miles away.

"NILSSON!"

He didn't respond. He lifted the sheet just enough to hold her hand one last time.

The voice sighed. "Diff.. I know you're hurting, in more ways than one."

A majority of his body was covered in medical bandage. His minigun had been ripped to shreds, no longer useable. His bionic eye cracked in several places, several burn scars where the bandages couldn't cover. He was also one finger less on his organig hand.

"...but you can't do this. You have no idea what you're up against, and you're only half as efficient without your chaingun thing. Rest up, get repaired. Make..." the voice sighed again. "...funeral.. preparations... if you must. When the time is right, I will assist you the best I can."

"The time..." his voice was hoarse. Gruff. Gritty. It had no tone, just words spewing from a mouth. "...is right fuckin' now."

Description
The room was cold. Damp. As it should be.
He looked at the gurney before him. The body upon it covered by a long sheet. He dare not touch it, the sheet or the body. He just stared in pain. Agony. Sorrow. Defeat. He stared for what seemed like forever. The mechanics in his body made the only noise as they lightly whirred and hissed.

"Diff." A voice in his ear began.

The day was bright, sunny. The breeze felt great, a crisp airflow to the afternoon warmth. All of the children playing in the field behind the orphanage.

"That her?" he asked, pointing his large metal finger towards the one child sitting upon a bench by herself. She was twiddling her thumbs, as if just waiting out the recess time.

"Yes sir. That's her." The orphanage caretaker responded to him. "I'll go get the paperwork ready. Meet me up front when you are able." The caretaker took his leave and disappeared within the building.

The children strayed away from him. They were frightened by his appearance. He had never raised a child before. "My very own. From my blood, my DNA." he mumbled to himself as he kept his gaze on the lonely girl. His footsteps made loud DOOFs as he approached her. She didn't seem frightened like the other children, especially as he sat down next to her, his tail flopping to one side of the bench.

"Hello." he said awkwardly, his eyes darting around the playground. His heart pounded relentlessly. He could feel it slam against his ribcage with each beat, making a small *tinktinktink* noise. "What... um... what is your name?"

"Tabitha." She responded with confidence. A girl no more than 6 or 7 years old. She had the flowing red hair of her mother's, but the furrowed brow and pursed lips of her father. "What's yours?"

"I.. I'm.. I'm ... J... er.. Diff... Differus. That's my name. I'm um.. I'm your daddy." he responded to her. He felt ridiculous, more nervous than she was.

"I know. Mr. Vell told me that. You're more hairy than I thought you would be." her intelligence clearly exceeded her age. She patted his furry arm. It made an uncomfortable scratching noise. "Rough. You aren't very soft."

"Um, no, Tabitha.. I suppose I'm not." he replied.

"Well come on, big hairy daddy. Might as well get this over with." Tabitha stood up from the bench and began to walk into the building.

"Over with? Aren't you excited? N..nervous? Or anythin'?"

"You'd be surprised how many times I've done this, 'Differus'. Everyone who claims to be my parent sends me back after a few days. Longest I've stayed with a 'daddy' is a month. How long do you think I'll last? Two days? A week before you send me back? I'll give it a week." she turned her back on him, entering the building.

"...a week?"

"Diff."

"A whole month and you haven't sent me back or screwed up! I'm honestly very surprised 'Differus'." she said one morning.

"I'm tryin to change m' life around, alright? I ain't gonna give up so easy on ya, kid." he replied.

"Yeah that's what they all say. Still, I've never had an animal dad before. An animal robot dad. You're pretty cool lookin. What DO you have under that sack anyway?" she pointed to the canvas cloth that fully concealed his shoulder mounted weapon, and has been concealing it for a whole month on end.

"I told you already. Important equipment to keep me runnin'. S'all ya need to know." he ate some of his breakfast cereal with a tablespoon. "And I ain't an animal, I'm an experiment. Ain't been one all m' life though. But that's kinda a long story, just get ready for school, alright? Yer bus is here."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her backpack. "Fine, DAD, I'll see you later." she stomped her way out to the bus.

"Diff. Jack. Come on."

"How about that, eh?" he said as he flipped the calendar up to December. "Gettin the hang of these Earth months n stuff. Six now, right?" His minigun was fully exposed by this point, the canvas sack having been abandoned long ago.

"You're still counting? I gave up after two. Hey, check this out!" she showed her father an IED she built on her very own.

"WHOA, HOLY SH....ISH..!" on instinct he gave the device a powerful electronic zap from his finger, disabling it through EMP. "Oh.. sorry, habit."

Tabitha rolled her eyes at her father and pressed a few buttons on her explosive device, reactivating it.

"Just like I taught ya, eh? That's my girl!"

They hugged.

"I'm gonna try it out on the neighbor's fence!"

"Don't hurt yourself, kiddo!" Diff waved as his daughter ran into the backyard.

"Go, Diff."

The calendar showed June.

"Are you... are you sure about this, Tabby?" he asked, his face showing a genuine worried expression.

"I'm sure dad. It'll only be for a few weeks, I promise!" she replied.

"You're only 9, Tabby! I.. ju.. do you know what to--"

"Dad, I'm okay. You gave me plenty of money to spend in Europe, and our class will be back in a couple of weeks."

"Alright.. alright... just give me one more hug before you go, okay?"

"Jeez dad, you wouldn't think a war-hardened mercenary lived here or anything." she joked as she approached her father. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

"I love you, Tabby."

"I love you too, dad." she responded, her arms tightly wound around him.

He closed his eyes. A final moment with her that he wanted to cherish before she left.

"AUCK...!" He felt a familiar, sudden sharp pain in his neck. One he hadn't felt since his days in combat. He knew exactly what it was. He tried to tell his daughter to run, to get out of there as fast as she could, but all that could escape his maw were gurgles as a mixture of blood and hydraulic fluid quickly escaped through the new wound. A massive chunk of flesh torn right from the side of his neck, destroying his jugular.

He panicked as he still felt his daughter's arms around him, though they had fallen limp. She made no attempt to run. She didn't even scream. She couldn't.

In horror, he saw she no longer bore a face. In its place, a gaping bloody hole that traveled through her skull. It collapsed, as did her body onto the floor.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSHH'BOOOOOOOOKM

The explosion destroyed the house. A penetrating explosive grenade shot from a unique sniper-esque rocket launcher from miles away.

"NILSSON!"

He didn't respond. He lifted the sheet just enough to hold her hand one last time.

The voice sighed. "Diff.. I know you're hurting, in more ways than one."

A majority of his body was covered in medical bandage. His minigun had been ripped to shreds, no longer useable. His bionic eye cracked in several places, several burn scars where the bandages couldn't cover. He was also one finger less on his organig hand.

"...but you can't do this. You have no idea what you're up against, and you're only half as efficient without your chaingun thing. Rest up, get repaired. Make..." the voice sighed again. "...funeral.. preparations... if you must. When the time is right, I will assist you the best I can."

"The time..." his voice was hoarse. Gruff. Gritty. It had no tone, just words spewing from a mouth. "...is right fuckin' now."