(Wattpad's dark mode be banging. Sucks that it's only available on the app and not the website. Just a practice oneshot we got here. Lost motivation towards the end. Trust me, you'll see the decline.)

Androids are humanoid machines, created for the sole purpose of serving the humans and monsters.

Because of this, more and more companies have been using androids to replace real workers. For the big companies that had more money than they knew what to do with, they could buy the androids in bulk and easily repair or replace them. Smaller companies and businesses were still reliant on real people to work for them, as the androids were rather expensive. With the replacement of real people with androids, many people fell into debt and poverty, unable to earn a sustainable income to support them or their families. Thus began the riots and hatred directed towards the machines.

"404, don't you think an android would help him?"

Error came to a sudden halt in the hallway, catching wind of the conversation that was in the other room. His eyes shifted over to the door that he heard it coming from, which was cracked open ever so slightly. That was Error404's office. His adoptive older brother didn't like it when people went in unannounced, and he hated it even more when someone eavesdropped on his conversations. He couldn't help but inch closer to the door though, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I dOn'T kNoW, BiLl...." 404 began, sighing heavily. "Of CoUrSe I'm CoNcErNeD aBoUt ErRoR's SeLf-IsOlAtIoN. BuT I dOn'T kNoW iF tHaT's ThE bEsT wAy To ApPrOaCh It."

"You're talking about the cases of deviancy, aren't you?" Bill asked. "404, you own CyberLife, the company that makes the androids. You can make sure that this one doesn't go haywire, can't you?"

Error bit his tongue, holding in an aggravated groan. He supposed those two had forgotten that he did still come out of his bedroom sometimes. Though it was true that he had been going into some serious withdrawal and isolation. There was nothing left for him to do and no one he wanted to talk to. Not after.... after that. 404 hardly ever let him leave as it was, and when the whole deviancy outbreak began, he became especially paranoid about Error's safety. He could defend himself!

"NoNe Of ThE eXiStInG mOdElS aRe GoOd EnOuGh FoR hIm," 404 argued. "ThEy'D bE bEtTeR oFf As PuNcHiNg BaGs FoR hIs AnGeR, nOt CoMpAnIoNs."

"Then make a new one," Bill suggested, his voice conveying his annoyance. "Make a new kind of android specifically for him."

"I-- tHaT iSn'T a BaD iDeA...." He trailed off, and with the silence that followed, Error assumed he was thinking. "WhAt... WoUlD hE wAnT, tHoUgH?"

"Oh I don't know... why don't you ask him?" He questioned, and he could just hear the eyeroll. "Like seriously. Why don't you ever talk to him?"

"It'S... nOt ThAt EaSy...." He replied, his voice dying down.

404 and Bill continued to exchange murmurs in the office. Error felt his anger rise up again, glaring at the door. He knew he wasn't the easiest person to talk to, but that didn't mean he was completely impossible to talk to. He wondered why 404 thought it was difficult to talk to him when he was the one who terrified Error when they were younger. Rolling his eyes, he made his way back to his bedroom.

"I dOn'T nEeD a StUpId AnDrOiD...."

~~~~

404 had let him customize everything about his android.

He'd designed the android to look like a skeleton monster, like himself. The android was shorter than him with a white outer shell. Some pieces of the casing were marked with what looked like scribbles, but Error called them tattoos. The way the android was dressed was rather different from Error's own clothing choices, too. On the back of the android's short brown jacket was their name, but it was mostly covered up by the oversized scarf that Error had put on him. Whenever the android blinked, the colors and shapes of his eyes would change.

"So.... HoW dO yOu LiKe It?" 404 asked him, glancing at Error. "Is EvErYtHiNg RiGhT?"

"I lIkE hIm...." Error murmured, walking in a circle around the android. "Is He On?"

"YoU hAvE tO sAy HiS nAmE," he responded. "Do YoU rEmEmBeR wHaT yOu PuT hIs NaMe As?"

"Y-YeAh...." He nodded, gulping a bit. He'd never really interacted with an android before. "InK?"

At the mention of his assigned name, the android in front of them flared to life. First he heard the starting up sound from the internal engine of the robot, followed by the LED ring on the side of his head turning on. The android went from a loos and slouched posture to standing upright, like an actual person and not a machine in sleep mode. His eyes opened up, one eye blue and the other yellow. His eyes immediately were directed towards Error.

"Hello, Error," Ink greeted him. "As you've assigned, my name is Ink. I look forward to serving you."

Error's eyes flickered over to the LED light on the side of his head. The LED was one of the key components of the androids. It helped distinguish them from real people and gave feedback on the condition of the robot. Error had learned that you always wanted your android to have a blue light, maybe yellow depending on the situation. A red light was never a good sign. The best cases of red lights were critical condition, and the worst.... deviancy.

"InK, wHy DoN't YoU oFfEr HiM a HaNdShAkE?" 404 suggested. "YoU wAnT yOuR MaStEr To Be CoMfoRtAbLe ArOuNd YoU, dOn'T yOu?"

"Of course I do. If he was not comfortable around me, I would not be doing my job."

Ink extended one of his arms, offering a hand to Error. Error gave 404 a sharp glare, mentally swearing him out. He knew how much Error hated touching other people. Even if this was an android, and therefore not a person, he still got creeped out by how realistic they were. Error, with a shaky hand, reached out to grab onto Ink's. He flinched when they made contact, shuddering at how Ink's hand felt. It was so warm... like a living person's. His eyes were so realistic too.

"He'S lIkE a DoLl..." Error said aloud, which he hadn't meant to. "404?"

"DoN't LoOk At Me. He'S yOuR pRoPeRtY nOw." 404 shook his head. But he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "DoN't WoRrY-- InK wIlL tAkE cArE oF eVeRyThInG fOr YoU."

"That is true. I have been programmed to serve your every need," Ink confirmed with a nod. "Whatever you need, I'll be able to assist you."

"CoOl."

~~~~

"Error, can you tell me a bit about yourself?"

Error glanced over at Ink, who was next to him on the bed. They were watching Undernovela together, which was his favorite show of all time. He'd only agreed to have Ink be built because 404 kept pushing the conversation onto him. Though he did have to admit... it was nice to have someone with him, even it was an android who had artificial sentience and emotions. He honestly didn't even care that all of his responses were designed to suit Error's preferences.

"ThErE's NoT mUcH tO tElL." Error looked back at the TV screen. "WhAt Do YoU eVeN wAnT tO kNoW?"

"Input on preferred foods and drinks, hobbies, and generalized interests would be helpful," Ink replied. "Anything that will improve my performance to you."

"WeLl..... I lIkE cHoCoLaTe...." He sighed. "Um.... UnDeRnOvElA iS mY fAvOrItE sHoW.... I hAtE pEoPlE....."

"Noted." Ink nodded, his LED turning yellow as he added the information to his databank. "According to the information that 404 programmed me with, you have some friends... Nightmare, Cross, Killer, Dust, Horror, Blue, Dream, Reaper, Geno--"

"YeAh YeAh YeAh, WhAtEvEr," he cut him off. His words were rushed and he grimaced a bit at the mention of his 'friends'. "TuRn ThE tV oFf. I'm TaKiNg A nAp."

"Of course." He grabbed the remote and shut the TV off. "Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"

"NoT rEaLlY." He shrugged. "So StAy HeRe WiTh Me. ThAt'S aN oRdEr."

"Yes, Error."