“And The New World Leader will be announced…right after this,” the announcer said while giving his annoying side grin. Rhoda rolled her eyes and reached down to loosen the bolts in her foot. Rhoda was a robot but could feel pain just as much as any human. She was angry at her creator for adding that quality. A few minutes later, she heard the announcer's voice again repeating himself, "and The New World Leader is...," he paused an awkwardly long time, Rhoda thought that he was skipping over to commercial again, "Flare!" Rhoda shot up cheering loudly in her empty apartment. She was so glad that Flame didn't get chosen. He seemed very suspicious to Rhoda and Rhoda had a knack for those kind of things...most of the time.
The next morning, Rhoda woke up to the sound of footsteps traveling down the hall outside of her small apartment door. The slightest things awoke the robot. Rhoda, curious, hopped out of bed and fell to the floor. Realizing that she forgot to tighten the bolts at the ankles before she stood up, Rhoda grabbed her wrench and tightened the bolts. She slid out of the door and walked as quietly as possible down the hall. Peeking her head around the corner, Rhoda recognized that red hair. Always in that high up bun. Rhoda couldn't think of who it might be though. She searched the history in her memory. Her jaw fell.
"No way!" Apparently it was just loud enough for the redhead to hear. She whipped her head around.
Unsure if the redhead saw her or not, Rhoda's feet moved faster and faster. Out of her right ear, Rhoda could hear the footsteps getting faster. She turned her head noticing the tall shoes and pointy ears that seemed like they could hear her every move. Knowing that there was no point, Rhoda slowed down and stopped in her tracks. Rhoda turned around to face the red haired woman still running to catch up. The fierce look on her face frightened Rhoda.
"I-I'm s-sorry, I-I was just...I didn't mean..." Rhoda began.
"It's fine. I didn't mean to startle you," the redhead said, " Rhoda right? Wow you really don’t look like you’re a robot! Man! You could pass for a human any day! Well isn’t this just perfect?" she asked.
Rhoda looked around as if someone was holding a sign with her name on it. How does The World Leader know my name and that I’m a robot?!
Once Flare realized how strange it would be for someone so important to know a robots name she smiled, "Sorry," she laughed, " I am required to know every robot’s name...because of government rules... of course," Flare quickly added. "Why are you up so early anyway?" Flare questioned as if having a conversation with a friend.
Still recovering from hearing The Flare calling her by her own name, " I heard...light footsteps..." Rhoda looked at her metal, skin covered feet realizing how weird that answer must have sounded.
"Ah, yes. I forgot you're the one with the sensitive ears, like me!" Flare smiled and pointed to her big, awkward ears.
Rhoda smiled and nodded, as she became more comfortable with the conversation.
"So why were you up so early?" Rhoda asked.
"I have a meeting to attend. Speaking of which, I'm going to be late! Not that they mind waiting on the Leader of their world." Flare said turning to walk back down the hall. "It was nice talking to you!"
"You too!" Rhoda shouted while Flare rushed down the hall to the elevator. She turned around and made her way back to her apartment and fell asleep again easily.
She awoke to knocking on her door. This time she remembered to tighten the bolts before she stood up. She opened the door and to her surprise, saw Flare.
" Oh, hi!" Rhoda said.
" If  I'm not mistaken, you’re the robot with the ability to switch bodies? Or more precise, personalities? With anyone?" Flare questioned.
"I am?”
“Yes! How do you not know?”
“Well, how would I know?”
“Look I needed help… if you don’t mind...it’s kind of important,” Flare said, avoiding Rhoda’s question.
Why would the Leader of the World need help? thought Rhoda. What couldn’t she do by herself?
“But when one gets elected World Leader, they are injected with powers beyond anything you could think of!” Rhoda blurted. “But of course, anything.” To the government it was for protection, to Rhoda it was too much power and a bit intimidating.
“Thank you!” Flare exclaimed. “And yes, you are correct. But when my injections were being taken, something horrible happened.” Flare paused for a long time.
Rhoda looked around unsure if she should change the subject.
“You see, the proffesional doctor who usually gives the most important injection was sick. So, another doctor took his place. The doctor didn’t have much experience is what I had originally thought. Anyway, the “doctor” gave me the wrong injections and now because of the injection there is no possible way for me to get those powers. The scientists are working non-stop to find a new injection. Well, you see what I need help with is...getting revenge on Flame. He is the ‘doctor’ that did this to me.”
Rhoda’s eyes widened. “WHAT!?” she shouted. “Am I even supposed to know about any of this?” Rhoda asked.
“Well...no...but in my defense your the only one that can help me. You’re the first robot to be able to change bodies and that is just what I need.” Flare had a plan in her head and Rhoda could tell.
“Come in.” Rhoda said pointing Flare toward her small living room. “I have a place we can talk”
Rhoda unlocked three locks and grabbed a key from under the rug. Flare watched curiously. Opening the door and walking down a long, dark hall, and a steep flight of stairs to get to just another locked door, Rhoda slipped the old key into the rusty keyhole. Flare had been expecting an underground mansion or science lab not a room that looked like a cell, cemented on all sides. Flare shivered, a bit creeped out.
“Sometimes I get mad at the scientists that make robots and throw them under the bus because their experiment had failed. What also confuses me is why I was a failed experiment.
Flare smiled. “Yes, the scientists made a mistake. They know that some scientist left you out near the trash cans, you were taken to the dump.” Rhoda nodded remembering this. “They’ve tried and tried, failing each time at remodeling you. I can’t believe I found you! What are the odds?!”
“Wow, you’d think that I’d have the government watching my every move! How could I have been so clueless?” Rhoda pondered out loud but mostly to herself.
“I know!” Flare said.
Turning toward yet another door that was almost impossible to see in the darkness, Rhoda simply opened it. No keys. No locks.
“So, why did you need my help with Flame and why are you taking revenge. It’s over with, and you know that the government will protect you from him.” Rhoda explained.
“I know, I know.” Flare said, sounding like she wanted revenge just for fun. “Well, here’s the deal, the government has been monitoring Flame and they know that he is trying to take over the world. He is very angry at losing the election. He’s injecting people to make them robots as well to make him obey his orders. You see how dangerous technology can be? Anyway, do you want to know the worst part?”
“No. But I guess I must,” Rhoda said in a shaky voice.
“He’s starting in New York,” Flare’s face changed to an even more frightened expression once she heard a loud alarm go off. BEEP BEEP ALERT DANGER BEEP BEEP!  A television screen suddenly came out of the wall and Rhoda reached up to turn the sound off. The screen showed a map of New York with red dots spreading throughout the state. The map was titled “Humans to Robots, updated every thirty seconds.” As the dots spread, Flare and Rhoda’s jaws fell in unison. They turned to each other.
“We have to do something.”
“Well. I guessed it’s exposed to the community now,” Flare stated.
“Or the whole country...or world,” Rhoda said, frightened, “we have to do something.”
“Quick! Tell me how you switch bodies!” Flare exclaimed.
“You’d know better than I would!” Rhoda shouted back.
“Ok, from the reading, I remember that, if you stare into...the pupil I think. Just five seconds.” Flare tried to remember, “here let’s try.” They stared into eachothers pupils counting to five out loud. Nothing seemed to happen. They were expecting lightning or something but nothing happened. They started counting to five again.
“One, oh my gosh!” they said at the same time. Their voices were opposite. Flare had Rhoda’s small, shy voice and Rhoda had Flare’s proud, confident voice. They looked down.
“Cool” they both said. Rhoda stood tall, fascinated by the full human body and no pain in her ankles.
“Ouch!” Flare rubbed her metal ankle. “Why does it hurt so bad?” Flare asked.
“Because of the bolts. They’re too small.” Rhoda said.
“Why don’t you just buy new ones?” Flare asked.
“I’ve never been farther than the doors of this apartment building.” Rhoda said.
“Oh,” Flare said, “so that explains why the scientists have never found you. This building has never been searched. It’s one of the small handful of building that the government hasn’t checked.”
“No way! So I picked the right apartment building then didn’t I?” Rhoda said surprised.
“You sure did!” Flare said, “ ready to switch back?”
“Yep!” Rhoda started them off, counting to five. Again, no lightning or any magic effects of any kind. They just simply became themselves again in a flash. Flare and Rhoda ran down the halls and up the stairs with many confusing contortions until they got to the top.
“I’m going to have to run back to the city capitol,” Flare said, a bit out of breath, “I need my bow and arrows.”
“Isn’t the capitol like four hours from here?” Rhoda asked.
“Yeah. Something like that. But if I call, trust me a hovercraft is here in under a minute, a really fast one,” Flare said, pulling out a phone that hasn’t even been released to society yet.
“Cool!”Rhoda commented.
Just a moment later, a hovercraft appeared outside the window of Rhoda’s apartment. Flare opened the window and climbed onto the hovercraft. “Aren’t you coming?” Flare asked.
Rhoda looked out of the window and then down. She shook her head. “I’ll just wait until you get back.”
“Don’t be silly! It’s fun! You act like you’ve never been on one before!” Flare said.
“I haven’t,” Rhoda said.
“What? That’s like saying you’ve never tied a shoe!” Flare said surprised.
Rhoda laughed.
“Come on!” Flare shouted, pulling Rhoda onto the hover.
Reaching the capitol building, Rhoda admitted how great it was.
“I’ll only be one minute,” Flare said.
When Rhoda heard Flare coming back, she turned her head quickly.
“Look!” Rhoda pointed down and Flare followed her gaze.
“I know! I heard alarms going off on every level! We have to move!” Flare hopped on, steered the hovercraft straight down. Rhoda screamed, afraid they would crash straight into the cement. Jumping off the hovercraft into the middle of the street, Rhoda had a clear view of Flare. Her red hair was high up in a twisted bun and her ears made her look fierce and aware. Now, Rhoda noticed the mask covering her cold eyes and the arrows on her back. Rhoda knew that she was only a sidekick and that Flare was the real superhero in the team of two.
“Watch out!” Flare yelled at the top of her lungs. Not knowing what was going on Rhoda, along with many other strangers in the street, ducked their head and fell to the ground. A big crash filled the air while people were screamed and ran away. Rhoda had wanted to do the same but she knew that Flare would need her to switch bodies with. Other than that Rhoda wasn’t much help. Rhoda stood back up carefully.
“I’m going to wait over here...out of your way,” Rhoda said.
“No! I don’t know when I’ll need you!” Flare shouted back. Rhoda stayed with her alarmed by her harsh tone.
Flare whipped her head around right before Rhoda had. Both of their ears rang and they stood unsure of what to do.
“I knew we’d be seeing him soon,” Flare said in a shaky voice. Rhoda swallowed hard.
“That’s Flame?” she stuttered.
“It sure is,” Flare said.
“He has an army!” Rhoda cried, pointing with her shaking hands. A huge army of robots followed Flame who was holding his spear that gave the injection for him to be able to control the minds of the hopeless robots. Rhoda saw a mechanical version of her neighbor who lived in the apartment next door. Rhoda gasped. Flare stepped toward Flame and his army as if she had a huge army as well. Flame chucked his spear hard and it landed right between Flare and Rhoda. Flare laughed and reached for the spear. She had a firm grip on it but then, Flame held his hand out and his spear came and slapped right back into his hand as if his hand was a giant magnet. Flare grabbed her arrows as Flame and his army got closer. Rhoda stood trembling, unprotected. She didn’t have enough time to think of how this fight might end. Flare shooting her arrows one by one, had almost perfect aim, but Flame was perfect at avoiding them. Once all of Flare’s arrows were gone, Flare lead Rhoda to a hovercraft descending from the top of the capitol building.
“Finally!” Flare gasped.
When the hovercraft reached the top, Rhoda kept silent and Flare started explaining the plan for the later fight. Flare walked in from the balcony to three people trying to explain to her that they found a way to see what Flame is doing and planning.
“No way!” Flare exclaimed. They pointed her and Rhoda over to a big screen hanging from the ceiling. It was a live video of Flame talking with or more like screaming at his robots about their plan as well.
Flare smiled and focused her attention to the screen, “I know where he is! I do believe we could use this to our advantage.”
Well, duh! Rhoda thought to herself.
“Okay, Rhoda, we’re going to have to switch bodies.”
“Alright,” Rhoda said a little frightened of what her task might be.
“You’re going to have to go in there,” Flare pointed to the screen, specifically where Flame was standing.
Knowing that she couldn’t say no, Rhoda agreed. “When are we planning on doing this?”
“As soon as we can. Which means now,” Flare stated. They looked hard into eachothers eyes. When Rhoda became Flare she asked, “What about my voice?”
“Oh you won’t need to talk,” Flare answered.
“So I sneak in there and then what?” Rhoda asked.
“You kill him,” Flare said.
Not wanting to have anything to do Flare anymore, Rhoda knew she had to do it. “He’s going to kill me before I can kill him!”
“Oh don’t worry! The government has it’s ways to keep you protected,” Flare said.
     ***
On the way to the the office where Flame was with his army, Rhoda felt safer knowing the government was going to protect her some way.
Rhoda entered  the building soundlessly. Rhoda climbed through the vent and when she reached the end, she saw through the vent that Flame looked even scarier. Unscrewing the grate of the vent and trying to make no noise, Rhoda’s heart pounded hard in her chest. Rhoda thought about how Flare was watching her every move back at the capitol. Rhoda moved her leg out from under her, still cramped in the vent. The grate clattered to the ground. Flame turned in Rhoda’s direction. Trying to turn around and climb back through the vent, she fell backwards into the room. The Flame grabbed his injection spear and threw it at “Flare” successfully “killing” her. Rhoda laid unconscious on the floor of the room. Slowly turning into an obeying robot, in about an hour, Rhoda’s brain would be rotted. Rhoda’s last thought before she went unconscious were of Flare’s lie that the government had a way to protect her.
     ***
Back at the capitol, Flare stared at the screen with her cold eyes, grinning! “Perfect. Now he thinks I’m dead,” said Flare, who still looked identical to Rhoda.
Later that day, Flare set out to act like a normal pedestrian in Rhoda’s body, and suddenly attack Flame. She had confidence that her plan would work because Flame was only trying to inject Flare in order to inject the rest of the robots.
“The sooner, the better,” said Flare. Seeing Flame outside the capitol building, Flare grabbed her bow and aimed, she had the perfect shot. She released the arrow and it came less than an inch away from piercing his heart but a robot had saved Flame’s life. Flame grunted loud, and threw his fist and punched “Rhoda” right in the face. He grabbed his spear and just before it touched Flare’s skin, with all her might she turned it away from herself and pointed it toward Flame. She shoved it right back at him and stabbed him hard with his own spear in his stomach. Standing up and congratulating herself, Flare spoke loud and clear, even loud enough for Rhoda to hear where she lay in the empty room, “I will finish what Flame has started! You will all be my obedient robots in no time.”
It had been about an hour since Rhoda had been killed by Flame and she stood up after what she had just heard Flare say. Rhoda turned to the wall next to her and found a case full of spears marked Flame’s Injection Spears. Rhoda shattered the glass that had covered it and grabbed one, knowing it was her only choice. Rhoda had realized that she hadn’t become one of Flame/Flare’s robots and wondered why. Maybe it had been because she was already a robot. With Rhoda’s growing anger at Flare for lying and planning the death of her own sidekick, it became easier and easier for her to kill Flare.
A week later, Flare had taken over the whole world, not a single human left other than Flare, only obedient robots. Flare still thought that Rhoda was dead. By now, Flare and Rhoda had naturally become themselves again, neither knowing how. Rhoda had waited until now to kill Flare because with Flare thinking that all was left were her servant robots, it would be much easier to kill Flare.
Rhoda who had been laying low for a whole week, had snuck into  the capitol and climbed to the top, unnoticed by any of the robots. The robots were injected so the only thing they could see was their master and their task. Flare had been sitting in her specially made throne and ordering every robot around. Rhoda held the spear up high and a tear slid down her cheek. She was devastated it had to end like this, but she knew it was the only way she could save the robots and turn them into humans once again. Rhoda brought the spear down. It only lightly scratched Flare’s shoulder, all that was needed. Flare slipped to the ground and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
“I am your master,” said Rhoda softly. It was all she had to say for the robots to obey her she had found out.
     ***
Rhoda worked day and night, in the science lab. She searched through papers left over from the capitol scientists for a month before she found an experiment that had been started titled Robot to Human. Rhoda was able to finish easily knowing a lot about robots. She also found a half-finished experiment on how to erase someone’s mind. She finished the experiment and had Flare start a new life, no memories from her evil self. The same went for Flame.
Rhoda had saved the world. She had always thought that Flare would be the one. But Rhoda went on to be the permanent World Leader.