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“They said we'd never be human. No matter what we try. No matter what we experience. We'll always be metal and plastic and wiring, simply because we don't have flesh and bone and blood.”
Guy-Man turns from his project, his optics settling on his silvered friend, and he lets out a low trill of displeasure. “Thom...you worry too much about what they think. That alone makes you more human than most. Can't you find some measure of happiness being as we are now? Why do you keep going back to them when they say the same thing over and over again?”
Thomas turns and sits on the floor beside his friend, drawing his knees to his chest. “ I want something more. There are things we'll never feel or experience being as we are. I want to experience the joy of being caught out on the rain, or the taste of a ripe peach on a hot summer day. I want…” He pauses and turns his head away, shutting off his optics as he processes what he wants to convey to Guy-Man. “Nevermind. It’s not important.”
A weary buzz emits from the voicebox of the golden robot as he pushes his chair away from the desk and slips to the ground beside his friend. “I know this is bothering you. I can tell just by your processes. Your CPU is close to being overworked, your battery is nearly depleted and you're no longer taking in visual data. If I didn't know better I'd say you were depressed. Very human of you.”
“What does it matter? I’m just a machine to them. A sick joke to someone who thought it was a good idea to place a human brain in a prison of metal and wire. Just...leave me be. Let my battery run out and don’t re-charge me. I can't stand this anymore.” He slumps wearily into Guy-Man, trusting in his friend to hold him.
Guy-Man doesn't disappoint, gently pulling Thomas to his chest, cradling him as though he were a human child. “I know this is wearing you down, but...I’m here and we can try to experience all the things you want to and more. We'll be here for far longer than our creators and we'll keep trying. We'll keep working towards being human. For now, rest. I'll be here when you come back online.”
Nodding, Thomas rests his head against Guy-Man’s chest as his friend connects his charger to the wall. He slowly powers down, listening to the comforting sound of a human heart pulsing beneath a golden frame for as long as possible before he turns off.
For now, it’s as close as he'll get to the love he craves from his friend, and perhaps for now, it’s enough.