MAD-1-612 (character)

MAD-1-612 was a Mechanical Autonomous Drone constructed by the Midnight during the Dimensional War. Built as an MK1 drone, "Six-Twelve" had a connection to the Mainframe before it was finished and designated as CALVIN.

Six-Twelve was deployed to Trottingham before Exodus attacked the city, fighting alongside many other MADs and countless organic Midnight units to evacuate the civilians and wounded while trying to hold the city to prevent Exodus from getting a foothold in Equestria, which would be devastating to Midnight efforts.

Six-Twelve was part of the Iron Wave moving on an Exodus fortification late into the battle, firing carelessly as it followed its brethren into enemy positions. The MAD was crushed when a Victoria Tank accompanying the wave alongside it was flipped by an Exodus rocket, causing it to fall onto the drone and pin it. This left Six-Twelve inoperable just before Exodus detonated a nuclear device in the heart of the city for unknown reasons, though Six-Twelve was actually protected by the tank that had pinned it prior. Shortly after the detonation the drone noticed the major blast had subsided and emerged to see all of it's brethren either destroyed or heavily malfunctioning due to the damage. The EMP caused by the nuke had left the MADs, including MAD-1-612, severed from the Mainframe.

Six-Twelve was less damaged than the other MADs nearby and thus could still move and follow programming, quickly detecting the sounds of a struggling organic. Identifying it to be an injured Midnight Grunt pinned under a jeep, Six-Twelve ran to his aid by lifting the wrecked vehicle though could not move the immobile soldier while doing so, forcing it to hold the vehicle until either the soldier crawled out on his own or was rescued by others. Thankfully for the pair a trio of other Midnight soldiers, though injured, came across them and helped the soldier out of the wreck. Six-Twelve was unable to communicate properly as its Vocal Processors were destroyed when it was pinned by the tank. However it followed programming to protect the Midnight soldiers until they got to safety, following them through the destroyed city as they spoke of the utter devastation.

As hours went by Six-Twelve began to act strangely. Where as before it could move perfectly (albeit with a limp) it began to shuffle without trying to commune why. The soldiers assumed it was damage from the blast or possible damage from Radiation due to Equestria's atmosphere. When the soldiers came across Exodus survivors (who fired upon the Midnight) Six-Twelve appeared to stand ready for the fight by trying to deploy it's Heavy Repeating Ballistic Cannon in it's right arm, but looked confused as to why the weapon was not deploying. As such Six-Twelve shambled quickly towards the Exodus forces and began to assault them with its fists and feet, and combined with the shooting from the Midnight the Exodus forces were quickly killed. After the fight Six-Twelve (nicknamed by the team as they saw the serial number on the side of its head) began to shake which could be heard through loose plating and scraps of metal clashing.

As a full day passed and the team had still not made it out of the ruins they were forced to settle and rest for the night, with Six-Twelve on watch for potential threats. However the next morning the team found Six-Twelve standing over one of the team, the only female in the team, as she was completely still. The drone appeared sad as the other soldiers' fears were confirmed that she had perished in her sleep from either internal bleeding or Radiation, though the team were unsure which as none of them were Medics. Forced to press on without her the team continued onwards.

As the team reached the outskirts and thus the edge of the nuclear blast Six-Twelve suddenly stopped walking and fell sideways, hitting a wrecked Blackhawk as it fell. The others rushed to Six-Twelve's aid but were unable to determine what caused it to suddenly fall and malfunction since MADs do not bleed or require food, water or rest. They were also immune to Radiation, leaving the soldiers confused as they tried desperately to help the drone. They even went as far as to salvage other technologies amateurishly and fruitlessly, as the MAD simply shook its head at all the damaged and destroyed tech. Through visual communication the drone convinced the team to leave it, albeit with a heavy heart, as Six-Twelve would remain inside the city. One of the team, a Private, even began to cry as he hugged the drone while Six-Twelve shockingly hugged back. After a brief goodbye, the remaining three soldiers left to get out of the blast zone as Six-Twelve remained propped against the Blackhawk.

Nearly half a decade later, after the Dimensional War and during the Wartime Wrap-Up, the same Private (now a Captain) volunteered to go back to Trottingham as part of a cleanup crew. There he and his team came across handfuls of MADs wandering like Zombies though they did not harm the Midnight. Many of them had decayed Human flesh and worn Exodus armour coating them, having scavenged it from fallen Exodus soldiers in a fruitless attempt to repair themselves. One of these drones was MAD-1-612, who seemed to recognise the Captain as it slowly walked towards him. The others prepared to fire upon the drone (thinking it was hostile) but the Captain ordered them to hold fire. As Six-Twelve approached it hugged the Captain as it had done nearly half a decade prior. The Captain once again began to tear up as he drew his pistol and shot the drone in it's exposed core, killing it quickly. He could not wipe the tears from his face under his visor as Six-Twelve's offline husk hit the ground, and the squad proceeded to destroy the other MADs afflicted in the same way identified as "Rampancy." Six-Twelve's internal recordings and eyewitness accounts were vital in identifying the causes of Rampancy.