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Chapter 1 Introductions
No person with a sound mind would ever consider challenging Haruno Yukinoshita.
Those who did need to tread carefully because Haruno Yukinoshita is scathingly-more capable than any person the challengers have ever come across.
She is a swirling vortex of perfection and social interactions, swiftly, precisely, and mercilessly destroying those who pose little interest, and she would do so with actions under the disguise of kind gestures directed to attack their psyche. And those who were of interest, she would constantly meddle in their affairs to the point of saturation and would grow bored of them, causing her to shift her motives from playful teasing to complete destruction, all in the sake to amend her boredom that accumulates more with her increasing social status as outsiders would view her as a well-rounded, charismatic person.
Haruno Yukinoshita always obtains what she desires, and what she wanted more than anything is a challenge, and complying with the notion of getting what she wants, Haruno obtained her challenge in the form of Hachiman Hikigaya. His complete dismissal of her complimented with his growing disgust for her only fuels her endless interest in the cynical loner. She may have met others who are just like him, but to his credit, he is more perceptive than others, even if he didn't understand people as well as he thinks. Haruno would eventually triumph over him, but right now, she is enjoying herself too much as he employs futile attempts to avoid her at all cost, lodging a giant stick in-between him and her, an act that she finds amusing and adorable.
No person would be foolish enough to challenge the she-devil of social status as onlookers could only see perfection gleaming out of her, oblivious to her constructive, insidious nature.
That is until… a new challenger appeared.
"Sorry about this, but I really don't want to deal with the screaming." He whispers apologetically into her ear, pinning her against a wall and off the ground with one hand over her mouth and the other around her waist, maintaining a firm, gentle grip, keenly aware of just how fragile the human body is.
Haruno's point of view
This world is unfair. It has always been this way since the beginning, yet the idea that it should still manages to invigorate itself no matter how many times circumstances have proven otherwise. Teenagers screaming at their parents, uttering a very distinct phrase "That's not fair!" or casually uttering "That doesn't seem fair," when hearing any given circumstances of the situation; it's all the same. The underlying warrant here is people have some instilled belief that life is supposed to be fair, yet constantly are proven wrong and feel dissatisfaction with this notion that has always existed. So, the question remains how such a concept manages to keep reviving itself after constant put down?
Perhaps parents are to blame for this. Nobody wants to expose their children to the cruelties of the world at such an early age—their naïve and hopeful, so instead, parents intoxicate minds by whispering innocent lies into their ears to help cope with the wrongs of this world. This process, or tradition, ultimately sets them up for disappointment as they learn more about the true nature of the world as they age, leaving behind a tarnished image of a world that never existed. Eventually, such a tradition continues into a macro scale operation called society as certain elected officials endeavor to maintain this illusion through the establishing of laws meant to restrain certain actions, so when a law is violated, the victim's emotions—society—simply stems from the underlying concept of fairness because breaking the law is unfair.
This was never a problem for me, but I am no exception. Even with the privileged life, never have I fallen into this fallacy about the world. Even though I come from the higher part of society, I still have my fair share of problems, and they are just as unfair as any other problem people will face. One certain loner understood this, but instead of endeavoring to make the best of the situation, he closed himself off to the cruelties of the world, avoiding contact with others as humanly possible, having some misplaced idea that he is strictly outside of this realm in order to maintain some form of fairness within himself. Even though he managed to find himself a place to belong, he still clings to his convictions while I learned to accept the cruel nature of the world. But still, I never thought that the world would throw such a curve ball at me.
Currently, I have no idea as to where I am, other than being inside a massive, dark cave. I do, however, know that I am very far away, outside of borders of Japan. There was always the slight possibility of myself or Yukino-chan facing abduction; our family is among the wealthy, and perpetrators could use our status to extort a generous ransom from my father, a CEO of a million-dollar company. But never would I have thought my abductor would literally sweep me off my feet and take me to a cave outside of Japan. The irony of this all is the first words he ever spoke to me were an apology, but given his nature, it is difficult to say whether he is sorry for what he had done or for placing his massive hand over my mouth to silence me.
By now, Mother and Father should suspect something is amiss seeing that I had failed to attend an important gathering planned by Father, with Mother taking most of the charge. Mother is not one to forgive kindly; I have years of growing up with her to testify of this. By now, she would call incessantly to first chew me out, then learn of my whereabouts. I have a very specific ring tone for her, so I would know when she would call. I have one for Yukino-chan also, but she never calls. However, I have no way of knowing since the "X" over the reception bars on the top-right corner of my phone would seem to suggest there is no reception. But I doubt that.
"Don't be afraid." That is the first thing he advises me the instant we arrive in his layer. The words drift through the cold, lifeless atmosphere like a melodious tune, soothing and saturated with serenity. But his words are just as deceptive as they are comforting for something is clearly wrong. In his voice—the pitch, the decibels—it's too humane coming from him; a potential cause for concern for most people.
His name is Ultron.
A looming, eight-foot-tall, silver-colored entity held together through metal plates and wires masquerading as tissue and muscle. His overall movement mimics everything a living person possesses for he walks with the graces of a man: confident, well-coordinated, imposing. However, it isn't his movement or any other impressive features that gives him life. It is what hides behind his tongue and his luminous, crimson eyes that bestows the illusion of life into him. Perhaps, it is this characteristic—his vigor—that gives him more life than my precious little sister or a certain cynical young man. Both can certainly be vigorous when a whole plethora of circumstances come together, with myself being the starting catalyst. Of course, there is the third, but she is just there and doesn't do much. The most well-adjusted out of the three; the least interesting out of the three.
It is only the two of us here, but the other moving bodies would seem to suggest otherwise. Workers is what I would call them for all they do is construction work for a colossal machine centered in the cave. I don't know what it's for, but I can't shake the feeling it has terrible purpose. The workers don't acknowledge my existence, they never speak, they never look in my direction, all are scrupulously focused on the completion of the machine. They pay no attention to me because… well, all the workers are one person, and I never leave his sight. The workers are nothing more than extra bodies for Ultron to control, like an extension of himself—the same way I can control my arms and legs.
I don't know why Ultron kidnapped me. I doubt somebody like him would have any need for monetary spoils. He hasn't spoken since our arrival, probably out of consideration to allow me to adjust to my new environment. An abductor treating his victim with respect… the sheer irony of it is almost enough to make me laugh. He's being nice, which means he wants something. But what he wants currently is to engage in conversation. I have caught him several times looking in my direction from the corner of his eyes, but maintains his distance nonetheless of my sake. He's considerate; I'll give him that, but the eagerness surrounding him doesn't seem suited for such a situation like this. Does he perhaps not see the situation as most others would see it? Or is it something more treacherous?
Most others would assume the latter, but there is something more hidden underneath his actions. I don't see it merely just a kidnapping, but rather, an extended opportunity to truly test the bounds of socialization. I had almost given up on conversation with others; nobody I have conversed with ever seem to spike my interest and being popular is soooooo boring. This is how it was for me, until I came to know him. He single-handily managed to revitalizing something that had almost died. But now, there is something different at the table, different than the cynical loner that may just be endearing, or perhaps more, than a conversation with him.
"Odd…" his voice makes the first move, piercing through the cold atmosphere like a hot knife through butter as it disrupts the voiceless silence. What follows is the sounds of rockets quietly screeching as the only other person descends into view, burdened with a mixture of perplexity and pensiveness. "I expected more… fanfare." He substitutes for what I assume he means panic. "But you seem to be handling the situation quite well. How anomalous given your reputation." There is discovery and fascination imbedded in his voice as his he twirls his right-hand about, casually making up his sentence as it goes. He is not like others—like us; that is obvious.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm just not the damsel-in-distress type of girl. As a matter of fact, there's already one in my family." I counter seeing his expectation resonating more with Yukino-chan than myself. My eyes lock onto his, confidence piercing through mine and inquisition in his. I allow for a faint smirk to configure to further support my position. He stops twirling his hand, his lips barely moving upward.
"Your right…" He agrees, straightening out his posture as he looks out into space thoughtfully, giving the impression he has thought about what I said. "It was probably rude of me to assume your reactions. That's… reassuring." If he thinks its rude to assume, then what does he call kidnapping me? His tone fills with increasing mirth as his eyes radiate brighter. "Because now it means we could have some fun. You look like the type of girl who enjoys having a good time." A coquettish smile adopts his lips with his eyes continuing eye contact as they burn with the explosion of a super nova. It doesn't last long before he breaks away, walking past me towards a work bench, picking up the components located there and fiddling around with them. The sexual connotation imbedded in his voice, tone, and statement doesn't offend me the least; I find the jocularity rather amusing just how audacious he is to communicate with me with little regard to norms, given that our relationship is defined as captor and hostage. A more-genuine smile begins to replace the original smirk.
"How bold of you to say such a statement, but I'm not that type of girl." I respond, more whimsical yet maintaining a superficial sedateness, not for my sake but just to… observe.
"And I'm not that type of…." The next words stop at his throat as he stares out into space again, tilting his head slightly backwards. "Ahhh…." His eyes close, taking more effort to choose the right word than to say the more-convenient one. "Entity, being, higher intellectual… I don't know. I am just spit balling."
"Captor?" I answer with mock innocence, tilting my head sideways in the process.
"Cute." The metal plates begin to reconfigure then contort out of silent annoyance. "When the word comes to me, you'll be the first to know." He concludes, refocusing his attention back to the workbench.
"You seem to be thinking about this heavily." I draw closer, bending forward a bit to show my interest. "Why don't you want to use the word person or man just for the convenience?" His crimson eyes become a kindling fire as he gawks at me; I don't like it. I detest such a stare to be directed at me.
"Because I'm not one of you. I'm... better." He articulates, silent fury and irritation building upon each other as his words drip with acidity. But it is the contrast from the first and second sentence that catches my ear for the latter is so quiet and heavy that it is more felt than heard.
How… interesting that you see yourself like that. He spends no time keeping up any superficiality with me. The way he allows himself to express his scorn and vibrancy over a simple question… it's quite petty, almost like a child. However, there is just a sense of… freedom in him that most people—if not all—lack. Hikigaya-kun lacks it, Yukino-chan lacks it, Gahama-san lacks it, and even I lack such contradistinctive freedom, but… there is something else weighing on him that seems to be unique to him; something that I don't think he is aware of.
I quietly proceed towards Ultron until I am standing to the left of him, who continues to manipulate the device in hand. I divert my attention towards his head, taking note of the determination and unnatural, vibrant gleam hidden behind his fiery eyes. Even if he is built out of metal, it's painfully obvious he wants something. The look in his eyes says is all, and with his attitude towards me would suggest that there is something he needs from me. I've only known of his existence for a few hours, but I can confidently say that Ultron wouldn't perform such heinous actions unless there is a reason. He wants something, and he turns to me for help.
"Don't worry." He speaks up once more, placing the device down to give me his undivided attention as his eyes extinguish down to a crackling ember. "You probably wondering why I took you away from your home? I get that, but rest assured, you have nothing to worry about. I am not going to hurt you. As a matter of fact, I want to give you my praise." His voice sweet and full of nectar upon explain the misconception. The metal plates begin to reconfigure as his eyes glow more radiantly, shifting into a gentle smile. "Everything up to this point has all just been a… test run, a prototype. You strived far and put forth valiant effort, but…you just… ahhhh... didn't make the cut. But don't worry." His voice is fast as if not all he has to say is bad news. "I'm going to help you. All of you. Together, we will push far beyond your current state and achieve something greater." His words are soft and hopeful, more ominous than reassuring coming from a towering, metallic entity as his unwarranted concern can be easily overlooked given his monstrous features and actions, but I knew better. He says he going to help me; me specifically is left up to debate, but the fact of the matter is he has a purpose, and he needs help, my help to be specific. I can't help but shake this duality rising. His words gnawed at me, but also intrigues me at the same time. To be able to manifest those two contradictory sensations… He's just… different.
I like that.
He's not dangerous. Most others would find his form and stature intimidating and trepidatious, plus adding the fact he is less-than-human, but I don't believe it warrants for him being dangerous. If anything, the impression I get from him is desperation, the kind of desperation that gnaws at you quiet and continuous and will not go away until the main issues are addressed. But nobody would ever reach such a conclusion, given his previous statement about people fearing the unknown. I can agree with that; people are quick to judge and allow their emotions to get the better of them, and he seems to appreciate that I didn't degrade myself into hysteria by allowing my emotions to dictate over me. He values that in me, and I like how… whimsical and serious he can be because it is almost unpredictable how he will react. He is not a person; that is something that must be considered.
I wonder if he has found that perfect word yet?
"Will it make you feel any better if I understand?" My expression softens, allowing for a sterner look to replace my softened grin as I make myself in full view, Ultron keeps his concentration fixated on the device.
"The simple answer would be yes, but nothing is ever simple in the grand scheme of things. I know you will eventually understand. You don't look like the type of person who walks away from a challenge, Haruno." I relocate my hand behind my back.
"Funny. I don't think I ever explicitly told you my name. Care to share how you know that?" I point out, feigning my sudden surprise, more impressed than offended by his capabilities to decipher my name. Ultron raises his right hand and taps on his head.
"I have access to all of the cumulative knowledge stored on the internet. What you know, I know. As for your name, retrieving it along with some other basic information was a cake walk. All I had to do is… bypass some security measures." I feel the pride and accomplishment behind his words brush against my skin like sand paper. There is a sense of superiority behind him that just rubs me the wrong way; something I don't think I have truly experienced until now. His boasting does not last long as he moves away from his work bench to perform a different task.
"I don't know whether I should be flattered or appalled. You did invade my privacy. Hasn't anyone ever told you to not invade into a girl's private matters?" I lecture him, irritation masked with superficial felicity and teasing. Ultron stops mid-walk, giving me a puzzled look like he really didn't understand my reaction. He sighs.
"Humans are so… adamant about their privacy. Didn't I tell you there is nothing to be afraid of? I am just trying to be a good host. What harm does it do if I… research my guest?" He attempts to vindicate himself, possibly not understanding the gravity of his actions as he confuses research with invasion, but I don't care at this point. His overall reaction is what I sought out of him.
And he didn't disappoint.
"Ultron-san." I address him by name for the first time. "Is there a point to all this?" He takes a step closer, reinforcing the idea of the power he possesses as he towers over me. Our eyes meet once more, but his eyes are encumbered with pensiveness than anything else. But I remain where I am, unfazed with whatever he is trying to pull here, though I have the feeling that he may be unaware of it.
Ultron is… unique. Just because he lacks humanity doesn't mean I should be afraid of him. This entire situation doesn't make any logical sense, but it is that lack of logic that stimulate the situation into something more evolved, and I cannot turn down such a unique situation.
An actual monster of logic. I have called Hikigaya-kun this once over the phone as he endeavored to use sound logic to get himself out of a double date. His capacity to observe and draw sound reason from any situation is very unique to him, but never would have expected for such a phrase to take on a literal meaning. Ultron claims to know everything I know, but who is to say he doesn't already have complete knowledge of... everything. I may have just met him, but something just tells me Ultron has already come to a conclusion about how the world works with nothing more than our history since the beginning. I might just be me, but I don't think he is impressed.
Something as small as a giggle accidently escapes my lips. To finally have somebody that has a completely different perspective on life, society, and people. Hikigaya-kun created his skewed perspective using his surroundings and experience, creating the man he is today: a cynical youth that sees nothing but the superficiality and lies within society that he believes he is detached from, creating an individual weary of people's actions and statements—He's paranoid.
Ultron is nothing like that. If I were to take his statement literally about his knowledge, then that would mean that he has the entire spectrum of human history to draw from to shape his perspective, but how does he see this world? Is it like mine? Like Hikigaya-kun? Or something else entirely. One who harbors a negative view of the world and society through his experiences and surrounding, and one who sees something completely different using humanity's history with the combination of experience. The difference between Hikigaya-kun and Ultron is something we call humanity: those who have it and the one who doesn't, and that is enough to change the outlook on life.
"Yes…" He answers, walking past me and towards the workbench again. "All of this does have a point. Your presence, the machine I'm building, even my coming to existence. All of it does have purpose for my plan. You are very important part to my plan, you know." There is no faking the sincerity and honesty attached to his words.
"You sure know how to make a girl feel special, unlike a certain young man I know."
"That's because you are." He shoots back immediately, anticipating such a response from me. His boldness never ceases to amaze me. You could say that I am almost taken back with his sudden confession, but it doesn't stop there.
Ultron lowers himself to my eye level by taking a knee as his ember eyes searches mine. He languidly extends his right arm toward me, gingerly placing his cold, metal fingers on my cheek, looking at me with peculiarity rather than with any sense of affinity associated with such a gesture. His eyes marvel like an artist who finished his greatest creation, taking note of every detail, every stroke, every color, and feeling almost complete satisfaction. "You see, there is… something Beautiful I want to show you." he laments. "I can already vision it, and let me tell you, it is as every bit as Genuine as you think." His voice grows more earnest. His fingers press against my cheek, taking note of the warmth, the texture, and the vulnerability. "For you, Haruno Yukinoshita, will be my paradigm. You'll be the first to see it and show everyone that they can ascend. It's okay that you don't yet. I'll help you get there." He hesitates, his eyes looking downward to the side before returning. "When I'm done with you..." He lets out small chuckles before continuing. "Everyone will understand, so..." Each finger slowly dances off my cheek, one by one, from cheek to chin, and chin to air as Ultron pulls his hand away. A very palpable and distinct sensation for his touch is every bit as sincere as it is analytical. There is no superficiality in his gestures. There is a something truthful about him that most people I have ever encountered don't have. Either by hiding behind some mask or surrounding themselves with lies, and I belonged to this group. But he doesn't. It's funny. I have performed a similar action to Yukino-chan to ignite the dormant drive within her. If he is doing something like that to me, then what exactly is Ultron trying to ignite in me?
"Are you willing to see it?"
I soon place my hand where Ultron had his on my cheek, taking in that sensation of cold metal with life endowed pressed against my skin. The heat of my cheek drained by his hand for my cheek is cool as the air around me. He slowly unfolds back to his intimidating height, turning his attention once more to his work bench, waiting for me to give him an answer. His eyes. While he searched mine, I searched his. Contrary to his gesture which might allude to something suggestive, his red luminous eyes only exhibited a burning desire for my cooperation, perhaps even more, but the truth of the matter is Ultron wants, or rather needs, my cooperation, whether it be for building his machine—which I doubt—or—more likely—have something else in mind.
Everybody is always in need of help, whether it be small or large, we all need help, and Ultron seems to want the most help he can receive, and I am the only one who can give it to him. It takes me a moment before I realized anticipation is welling up inside. Never would I have imagined that an interaction could become this intense. It is probably because socialization is always between two humans, but Ultron isn't human; he thinks and acts differently, yet doesn't seem too far from any regular person. I am not going to lie to myself…
I am looking forward to this very much.
Ultron turns to face me, putting forth his right hand for he presents device he was currently working on to me. My lips curl up as I walk towards him, placing one hand over the device.
"Ultron-san, I am only getting started."
I do not own My Romantic Teen Comedy SNAFU or the Avenger films.