Been having a bit of an inspiration block as of late, and the best cure for that is just to write something. This was the result.
N
Thirteen. Chiro was only thirteen years old when he joined us, much too young to even be considered as a leader. Each day, I watched him struggle, and each day I watched him grow.
E
In the beginning, it was a duty, a chore, to have to watch over him. We had to protect him; he was too weak to do it on his own.
Soon though, all too soon, if you ask me, he was strong enough. We no longer had to hover like protective mother hens, no. He became the strong one, our protector.
Then, that day…
I had to protect him. He went out on his own… he was going to be defeated.
I sacrificed myself to the Dark One Egg, to seal it. My teammates told me I saved them all, everyone on Suggazoom, but as I fell, I thought of only one person.
His face, thrown into shock and pain… I felt terrible for doing that to Chiro, but it was all for him. His was the face I last saw, that I last remembered, before it all became dark.
I did it for him… for my son.
V
He brought me back. He pulled my soul from the void, and I lived again.
It was false, of course, this body I was given, but I did not complain. I was given a second chance to be with my boy again, and I was not going to waste it.
Every day, I watched as he grew smarter, stronger, bolder, and wiser. True, he was only an adolescent, his mind still full of longing for normalcy; for picnics, or catch in the park, or high school. Human friends, perhaps… But that day when I confronted him about it…
"Do you wish you were like them?" I asked as we watched a family of three walk past on their way home from a day out.
"What?"
"That you had a more… mundane lifestyle."
"Why would I want that?"
"Well… you must admit, you have not had the most normal of upbringings these past few years."
"And I wouldn't trade those memories for anything in the universe."
"Really?" I was unsure… was he telling the truth, or lying to make me feel better?
"Of course! Antauri, you guys are my family. Sure, sometimes I wanted a break, but not forever! I guess… I just got used to it all, and now… I could never live without it."
We were his family… I felt relief like I had never known. He would never leave us. And for that I was glad.
E
My son…
He made mistakes, that is true, but they were greatly overshadowed by his triumphs.
I am not speaking of the defeat of Skeleton King, no. Although that could be classified as the greatest victory a person could ever hope to gain, I talk of more… "everyday" things. Small miracles, yes, but amazing nonetheless.
For example, the when he proposed to Jinmay… All day, he was a bundle of nerves; pacing, wringing his hands, muttering to himself, "What if she says no?"
I said only one thing to him.
"She loves you."
He smiled.
Six hours later, she said yes.
R
I remember standing next to him at the alter, waiting for his bride. He was twenty-six. As we waited, I studied him.
He had changed much since we took him in. Gone was the spiky haircut in favor of a more mature, relaxed style, void of hair gel. His face was longer and more angular, his body no longer thin and twig-like, but lean and muscular. He had grown much as well; he was six-foot-two.
He sensed me staring and looked down, giving me a nervous smile. I gave a reassuring one in return.
Music began to play, the doors at the end of the aisle opened, and first Nova, than Jinmay came into view.
I never saw my son so happy.
I stood, silent and filled with pride, as he took the hand of the woman he loved and said;
"I do."
Much later, from my seat at the main table, I looked on as they started their first dance as a married couple.
I saw her mouth move as she whispered something to him. He beamed and held her closer, as if he was afraid she would float away if he let go.
I remembered the night her came home from his first "real" date; (as in, not interrupted by the team and as official boyfriend and girlfriend.) He was silent, with a rather, dare I say, dopey look, upon his face. Without saying anything, he practically floated to his room and fell backwards onto his bed, giving a contented sigh.
Stars were in his eyes that night, just as they were when he saw Jinmay in her wedding gown, when he said "I do," and as they were during their first dance.
F
I will never forget the day Gibson told them that they could never have children of their own. Jinmay looked ashamed. (As if she had ever had any control over that from the start, none of us were angry or upset with her.) Chiro, on the other hand, instead of looking stricken or hurt, as I suspected he would, only looked thoughtful.
Of course, he held her and comforted her as best he could, but the light of revelation never left his eyes.
Finally, when Jinmay' sobs subsided, he cast us an apologetic glance and pulled her into the next room. All we could hear through the wall was a few muffled whispers, not that we were trying to pry, of course.
A few minutes later, the two burst out of the room and rushed to the elevators, shouting something over their shoulders about being back by dinner.
That was the night when they announced to us that they were going to adopt.
O
The day they brought those children into the Super Robot was a day I will never forget.
Chiro and Jinmay… they did a wonderful thing, adopting those three.
Gabrielle, age eleven, Nathan, age nine, and Tina, age eight, were all siblings, and had been separated by the cruelties of the foster system. Not only had Chiro and Jinmay taken in children who had not had a stable home for seven years, but they reunited them after being apart for three.
There was crying, laughing, hugging, and many introductions made that day, and by the end of it, three new members had been added to our family.
R
I watched him, and helped him, as he struggled through parenthood.
Every fever, every night spent awake because of a nightmare, every report card, every sports game, theater rehearsal, school function… all of it. He did not ask for help often, but the team and I were always only too happy to oblige.
Those three children… they were special.
Gabrielle, with her wide, doe eyes, was a treasure. She was never too loud, yet still playful and hyper at times, and she liked to read poetry. As she grew older, she began to write her own, and became interested in theater. Time and time again, I would sit with her as she recited her lines for her upcoming role. As the hours passed, the topic fell from theater and moved onto more everyday subjects; school, friends, bullies, advice. She, like most young adolescents, did not feel completely comfortable in confiding with her parents on some subjects, so instead she chose me. I did not mind; those times made me reminiscent of the days I would help talk Chiro through his own troubles, even though they were mostly subjects about his destiny or Skeleton King.
Nathan was rather rowdy, but he learned quickly when enough was enough, and was forever respectful of it afterwards. He had quite the imagination; everyday was an adventure for him. One day, he was a cowboy, the next, a space ranger, and the next, a three eyed alien with a fondness for claws and potatoes. Playing superhero was always his favorite though, and living with a team of real-life heroes was a dream come true. Soon enough though, his imaginary games fell prey to a love for sports, and we were surrounded with trophies and ribbons of athletic achievement.
Tina was the baby; she carried her favorite teddy bear with her everywhere she went. Mr. Bear was her best friend; she would talk to him, pause, pretend to listen, and then respond as if they were having a real conversation. (Perhaps they were… One never knows.) Even as she outgrew her other stuffed animals and dolls, Mr. Bear had a special place in her heart, and on her bed. She was the musical one of the three; she would practice her violin late into the night. We never complained though; the notes were soft and beautiful, the music she produced would appear like magic, almost as if it was always there, waiting, and only she, with her bow, could reveal it and allow us to listen. She was truly gifted, both with talent and passion, and the times she played for us were sweet, magnificent times that I will always cherish. Even now, I can recall the melodies she toiled over and spent days on end perfecting and memorizing, though she needn't have tried half has hard as she did.
They were wonderful children who grew into wonderful adults. One by one though, they left us. True, they returned to visit frequently, but it was never the same as it had been, all those years ago.
G
Chiro, as all humans, grew older. Our talks were no longer of some new difficulty or distress, but of old times, reminiscing on the days when Skeleton King was in power and we were the cities only defenders.
Of course, Skeleton King had been defeated long ago. It tore at our hearts a bit, to have to rid the world of a once great, kind, intelligent man, but we all knew that the Alchemist was no more. Regaining our memories of our former life had been a bittersweet experience, (they had rushed into our conscious minds the moment Skeleton King's body was buried) but Chiro had been there to help us; he kept us anchored in the present. It was because of him that we were able to cope with our past.
Our conversations were often full of laughter, remembering the good times, but were also tainted with the sour knowledge that those times could never be repeated.
"That's what makes them all the more precious."
He once said.
I agreed with him completely.
E
I was with him they day he died.
It was a warm summer day; a few clouds flitting across the sky, the sun shining upon the city, and the smell of flowers and freshly cut grass wafting up from the park.
He had disappeared that morning and none of us could find him. Finally, I did, sitting once more on the shoulder of the Super Robot. I was surprised; he had not come up here for a long while.
"City sure has changed, hasn't it, Antauri?" He said over his shoulder.
"All things change over time," I said, joining him "That is the way it has been since the beginning, and will be until the end of time."
He was silent for a while after that.
Just as I had on his wedding day, and many times after that, I studied him.
His hair, no longer the inky black it had been, was now as silver as myself, and a bit thin on top, but not gone. His skin was pale and soft, full of kind wrinkles and laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. His eyes, though older and lacking that youthful sparkle, were still as bright and alert as they had been the day he stumbled into our lives. He was not as tall and was much thinner than he had been, but he still held himself with an air of subtle confidence that was comforting to me.
"You haven't."
"Excuse me?" I questioned "I have not what?"
"Changed. You're still the same Antauri I knew back when I was thirteen." He smiled.
I returned it and told him; "Oh, but I have."
He raised an eyebrow, urging me to go on.
"When you first joined the team, I was unsure of what to expect of you. I kept myself guarded, careful not to show much emotion, just in case you – "
"Didn't work out?" He finished.
I nodded solemnly. "But then, you improved and I let down my guard, and let you in. Having you here changed me. I felt as though I had a new purpose for living; to protect you and make sure you were happy. Being in the position you were in made that difficult, but I was proud of the way you grew up. You became a great man, with a large heart and many abilities, who I am glad to think of as my son."
He was quiet again, just for a heartbeat, before he reached over and drew me into a tight hug. Surprised, as I had not hugged him in many years, I hesitated for a moment myself before returning the gesture.
We stayed up there in silence for many hours, watching the city and absorbing the sun, content with each other's company.
That night, he went peacefully in his sleep.
I believe we all knew he was leaving, given the lingering stares at dinner, the sad smiles he flashed us before bed, and simply the way he said "I love you, good-night," thatlast time, but I would be lying if we weren't all hoping that he was wrong, and would give us all just one more day.
He was cremated soon afterwards, and a memorial for him was constructed in the park.
In the years that followed, each of my cybernetic family followed him, until it was just Jinmay and I.
T
It is here, in front of their graves, that I am recalling all these memories.
Strangely though, I no longer feel hollow as I once did when I thought of my family. Jinmay and I lasted many years after their deaths, and after her children's, and her grandchildren's. It had been over one hundred and fifty years now that Chiro joined the Hyperforce, and over one hundred and fifty years since Suggazoom was last attacked by Skeleton King.
Every day, every moment, every wonderful memory with each member of my family has been saved into my mind; unforgettable, even if I wanted to. I do not wish to forget though… it is a wonderful gift, to be able to close my eyes and see their smiling faces as clearly as if it was happening right before me.
Opening my eyes, I glance upward at Jinmay, (who now looks fourteen again, as per her programming) and she smiles, taking my hand.
We are leaving for the city hall in a few minutes. There, we will be making a final farewell speech before our last, and permanent, deactivation.
We stayed as long as we could on this planet, but it has become apparent that if any great new enemy was going to appear, the city would be able to take care of itself. Suggazoom no longer needs the Hyperforce to protect it; our remaining here serves as a reminder of days long past, remembered now only in books and museums.
It is an odd feeling, knowing that we are walking towards our own ends, but it is not a terrible feeling, for I know that when we open our eyes in the next life, our family, my family, my son, will be waiting for us with smiles and open arms.
Oi, I have no idea where that all came from. That turned out pretty depressing, didn't it? I'm sorry.
Don't get mad about the fact that Jinmay can't have kids, because if you would recall, she is a ROBOT, and cannot pop out kids anymore than a cow can squirt marmalade out of its udders.
And the ending… it sounds nicer to me, you know, falling asleep, as opposed to slowly rusting away until they can't move and erode away into dust. It seems like the equivalent of watching your body rot away over years and years. Not pleasant.