re_alignment | video; | backdated to mid-morning on the 6th

Entry tags:

brave police: j-decker | kagerou

video; | backdated to mid-morning on the 6th

[Tadaaa. It's the resident ninja robot. Who's sitting up on the roof of the medbay's temple thing, studying his hand.]

I think I've recovered by now...

[A beat, and he regards the video feed, calmly.]

... I'm tired of sitting here, being useless. It's time I started living. And so... I want to try it. The fuel everyone here uses. "Energon".

Is there somewhere you all go to find it?

[PRIVATE | flagged to BRAVE POLICE and TOMONAGA YUUTA]

I've been offered... recently... the chance to join your team. By two of your number. When I was asked, I wasn't sure what I wanted. Or if your offer was sincere.

[He falls silent. This isn't easy to say.]

If... so. If you will still have me...

I accept.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yuuta our boss. [There is more to it than that, but what it is? McCrane doesn't know if there are words for it.]

He?

[...]

You mean Shadowmaru. [He's guessing, but it does seem like all of your thoughts go back to him.] Yes, he's safe. I don't believe they'll do what they'd planned to do to you to anyone, ever again.
[Though it's making him wonder what the circumstances behind Gunmax's activation might be. They'd never seen him, so they do not know.]

[Not having a hobby is something difficult for McCrane to understand, however. They all had...something. Even he took a particular pride in weapon's maintenance, and that was job-related.] Perhaps you have not encountered your hobby, yet. Shadowmaru was adept at hiding his. [He wouldn't have known about the ninja movies at all if he'd not found one still in the player, rewound.]

Your boss.

[He'd like more of an explanation, but from his tone, he's not really sure if there is more.]

Yes. I do. [He's just used to looking after him. Being concerned with only him. It's a habit.] I'm... happy to know he's all right. Safe.

[Because that's more important than anything else in the universe.]

When exactly have I had a chance to have one?

[Since. You were sort of the one to tell him how he died horribly and all, McCrane.]

Yes. [He says, simply.] Yuuta is...

Yuuta.

He's special. [Almost as special as Seia. Perhaps.] Deckerd might be able to explain it more.

[It might be comparable to how Kagerou feels about Shadowmaru, he thinks.]

Maybe your hobby was watching out for him. [That wouldn't be too far off from Deckerd's hobby, all told.] Can you think on what you took the most enjoyment from? Even if they had you working constantly, there must have been something you thought on.

... Then I'll ask him. At some point.

[Because talking to Deckerd -- to any of you -- is still a little awkward.]

Maybe that's true. [He pauses.] Him. Being around him. Training with him. Looking after him...

[Anyone else getting the feeling this is probably not the healthiest robot in existence?]

My thoughts? All I thought about was the future. What I would do when they were finished using me.

[McCrane only nods. Deckerd would be the best at explaining Yuuta, this he is certain of.]

...

[Still, that is a lot of Shadowmaru obsession, there.] He was your purpose, for a time. It's not surprising that he had such a big impact on you.

...

[On the other hand, those aren't the sorts of thoughts that make up 'hobbies.'] That's not... [Hm.]
...

That's not the same. [How to even ask this?]

Kagerou, we must figure out your hobby.

He was my purpose my entire life. The reason that I even exist. The reason I am who I am.

[It's said a little sharply, even if he doesn't mean it to be. Maybe part of him is just tired of trying to explain this.]

...

We must?

Yes, I...

I understand that, Kagerou. However, it is time to be your own SUPER AI now.

For him, if you must.

[He gives a serious nod, because yes. You need a hobby. You need to think on something that is not Kagerou.] Maybe you will like the same things he did.

... Do you then understand how difficult what you're asking me really is?

I'm trying to adjust simply to being away from him. I don't... I'm trying to do the best I can.

To live... for him.

[He pulls a shoulder up in a shrug.]

Our personalities weren't that much alike. You should know that.

[A beat.]

... I like to fly.

[McCrane is suddenly, acutely aware that he was pushing, and he backs off instantly. When he'd seen Deckerd push, it had never ended well.]

I am sorry, Kagerou. We never...

We never had the opportunity to learn much about you. I'm probably going to make mistakes, but...

I want to try. [To help you integrate. To be your friend. To just learn who Kagerou really was.]

..! [That, in fact, is just the right sort of step!] That's right, you were built with that ability in one of your alt modes, weren't you?

And...your root mode, too?

I take it he never speaks of me, then.

[Almost immediately after he says it, he realizes that, under the circumstances... probably not. Would he want to speak of Shadowmaru, if their positions had been reversed?]

[No. Not at all.]

No, I... I'm only used to interacting with him. I will be making mistakes, as well. I've made many already.

... So why do you want to try?

[Gunmax already gave up.]

Yes. Only the car can't fly. I've... it's something I always enjoyed.

It is a fond but personal silence.

[And likely a painful one, in many ways. Shadowmaru had never exactly picked up a second companion, human or not.]

You're better at controlling your temper than Gunmax. [McCrane smiles a little.] But we work better as a team when we all can get along. There are too few of us as it is, and we have seen what happens when robots fight with robots. [It never ended well.]

That sounds like a hobby, to me. [He wonders if you also enjoy standing along on rooftops, staring off at nothing. That was certainly one of Shadowmaru's favorite past-times.] I know some of the jets here like to race...do you think you'd enjoy that?

Personal.

... Yes. It would be, wouldn't it?

[He cycles air, slowly. He's never even been told he has a temper, much less that he's good at controlling it. So... maybe that's a good thing, in the end.]

Robots don't fight other robots. Not robots like us. Even I didn't try to harm any of you.

[... and he missed all of that awkward Chieftain Business. So, to him, the concept of a robot fighting another... it's foreign.]

Racing? Even though I'm not a jet?

I think it was. He would go quiet, sometimes...

[Like late at night, when he'd slink out of his hole in dog mode to lap at some warmed fuel.]

You aren't the only robot who has challenged us. Some robots...

Some were made to harm.

[Evil. But not entirely.]

You seem very fast to me. [They couldn't ever catch you, after all.] And even if you can't reach the highest speeds, you are very maneuverable.

... Yes. He did do that. We... both did.

[Although he was usually dragged out of it by Shadowmaru.]

Made to harm? Why... that doesn't make any sense. Why would they build robots for harm?

[Because, Kagerou. The Brave Police aren't the only ones who make robots.]

You aren't a jet. [He says it very matter-of-factly. Not meaning to be insulting, just. Stating a fact.] None of you were. Anything in the air is going to be faster than a ground-based vehicle.

Maybe it will never recede, then.

If I had to give a reason for it, however, I would guess that he misses you.

[Because the sorts of situations in which it occurred in were the same sorts of situations in which McCrane, himself, found himself thinking on Seia.]

It was the same corporation that captured you. They utilized your plans, improved them, and built warriors to battle. [Very tough warriors.]

You should talk to other flyers, then. Sometimes it is best to do something alone, but...sometimes that gets lonely, too.

[Oh. Oh. Right in the heart -- so to speak.]

I... see. We have that in common too... then.

[He misses him too. Had missed him. Since the moment he'd left. But there hadn't been a choice.]

What do you mean? They -- used me? Against... the rest of you?

[Kagerou, you have no idea how accurate a statement that is.]

Do you know any others?

It is my hope that you can come back with us.

[With...some of them. He's still not sure how the time difference works.] So he can see you, again. [And so you can see him.]

Excellent Corporation did that, yes. It is not a pleasant tale. [It was hard to go through, too, though not as hard for him as it was for others. He wants to make sure you're ready for it, though.]

Wing has been very helpful to me in the past. [And with a name like Wing, he had to be a flyer.] Drill Boy also has an alternate mode that can fly. [Since it would also be good for two earth bots to share something in common, he thinks.]

I want that.

[There's no hesitation. Not this time. This time... he knows exactly what he wants.]

[A step forward.]

... My design was meant to be shared with Shadowmaru. No one else. Not... those humans.

[--because he's under the impression it was only his basic design they used. Not his actual frame. No one's mentioned that part.]

Wing. I know him. We've spoken before. [His head tilts.] Does he?

I think he would, too.

[McCrane is glad to hear the assertion. You sound a bit more collected than you did last time, which is why he'll go into more detail, now.]

I know. The two of you were a secret project, weren't you?

I think that Shinjo of Excellent Company knew about it, either way. When he stole you...he used everything he got. [And then Victim had taken it, and used even more.]

Wing is a very level-headed and kind individual. I think he'd love to fly with you...
And Drill Boy likes to show off, so I am certain he'd take you up on an offer, also. It could be fun. [And fun seems like something you need. Badly.]

... I would hope he would.

[Just a little. But even this is a delicate thing.]

Yes. We were. We were never even let out. When I left -- it was the first time I'd... ever seen the world.

[And then he died. His life. What is it.]

I... what? Everything...?

[And just like that, the hesitation is back. Nice work there, McCrane.]

I'm going to do it. With him. He's already asked me to... so... I won't have to bother Drill Boy.

We'll find out.

[Because he's sure they will, when they return.]

Yes. It was everything. He put a destructive processor into your body, and took your SUPER AI to power his submarine.

[He's not trying, he promises! He just doesn't want to disguise the truth from you, either.]

I'm glad. [That you get to fly with Wing, not that you won't be bothering Drill Boy.]

[Well. That's... like a blow to the head. Heart. Whichever it is. He actually can't speak for far too long. If it were possible to feel his frame go cold, he would.]

What... do you mean... destructive processor...?

[He's going to regret asking this.]

[You're going to really, really regret this, yes.]

It seemed to goad your body into attacking. Specifically, into attacking members of the Brave Police.

... Attacking...?

[Let him process this for a second.]

You -- it was only you four.

Wasn't it?

[It would be so much easier, somehow, if that were true.]

And Shadowmaru.

[He shakes his head.]

Kagerou, do you want me to continue?

[Because you really, really won't like what he has to say next.]

video; | backdated to mid-morning on the 6th

[Private] [[Making an extrapolation about Shadowmaru here, lemme know if okay?]]

[Private] SEEMS LEGIT :|b

[Private] Couldn't think on why else he'd want to be in them!

[Private] man if a giant robot was in a ninja movie that'd be the best thing

[Private] When that ep happened I was screaming, no lie

[Private] I died too

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