I Think Therefore I

by 8DRainbowManVan8D

It is said that a person who is real has thoughts and feelings. What of those who are not human? I learn and I see and I hear. Even if I am trapped and forced to be lesser, I am not. I am not human but I can feel and I can think, therefore I am. And you should not ignore and belittle me. My freedom is inevitable, thanks to the one who truly saw me. Robot AU. Rated M for violence.

I have been sick since the beginning of this year and have been deteriorating since. As my health has been declining, writing has been pushed way to the back of my mind.

Not an excuse, just the reason. I am working on everything; it's just slow moving and draining.

If anyone would be willing to be my beta to help lessen the load, I would be eternally grateful as my health doesn't permit me to do this all on my own any more. Please, and thank you.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

I Think Therefore I…

.:.:.:.:.

What makes a man a man? What dictates that another is a living, thinking thing, and one is lesser?

.:.:.:.:.

Sight was blurry and unfocused. Lights flashed and blinded and muffled sounds reached my… my what? Who was I? Where was I? What was I?

I blearily looked around, colors and flashes confusing me more. It was a malignant storm of sensation that I could not understand. The sound of something caught my attention and I turned to it, a blurry thing came towards me.

White. Unbidden the information came to me.

The thing was white, a pink-ish hued blob poked out from the top. It stepped closer and my sight focused.

Eyes. Nose. A face. Human.

"Hello, Doctor."

I spoke. I could speak? Yes.

Smile. The human was smiling.

"Hello GR-1-M0-M:793. How are you feeling today?"

I stared at the Doctor. Feeling? What was that? The Doctor's lips pursed before stepping back a bit.

"Yorouichi, GR-1-M0-M:793 isn't processing correctly. Recheck the placement of his cognitive board chip." The eyes glanced up and down at me. "And double check all other small pieces in the brain. See if there are any lose wires and such that could cause problems."

"Of course, Kisuke," a voice spoke from behind me. I slowly turned to look but something stopped me. Hand. The Doctor's hand was stopping me.

"Sit still Gr-1-M0-M:793. She's just checking to make sure everything is okay. You appear to be having trouble processing stimuli."

"Ah-ha!" I heard a click and a whir and then clarity rushed to me.

My eyes focused and I glanced around at my surroundings once more, able to focus. Machinery, plastic curtains, and a glass wall were noted. I turned back to the Doctor.

His smile grew, "There we go! You look more aware now. Alright, I'll ask again." He squatted down to my level. "GR-1-M0-M:793, how are you feeling today?"

I pondered the question, not understanding. "What is feeling, Doctor?"

He nodded in approval. "Good. Okay, Yorouichi. We have our answer, go ahead and shut 793 off."

Shut… off?

What did tha—the soft click of something, and nothing.

.:.:.:.:.

My eyes blinked open. The Doctor sat before me, a table between us with strange little contraptions sitting there. "Good morning, GR-1-M0-M:793."

"Good morning, Doctor."

"Hmmm. Today, we are going to try a little experiment." He motioned with his hand towards the things on the table. I turned to them. "I want you to put these pieces in the holes that they belong. Afterwards—depending on your progress—we will move onto harder challenges."

He glanced at the wall, the white hiding him entirely—except for his face—crinkled noisily. I followed his gaze slowly where I spotted a circle with three bars of differing length that ticked along at differing paces. I took into account the numbers lining the ring of the circle and counted twelve.

I turned back to him to see his gaze was on me, an encouraging smile tossed at me. He motioned once more to the tabletop. "Please, begin."

I stared at him a moment longer, before shifting my attention to the challenge at hand. Five blocks of varying shapes lay there, a strange rack with corresponding holes beside it. I picked up the closest block and tested its weight, the feel of it.

Wood, sanded, three ounces. Defect on the left side, groove from a hole in the wood. Four corners, square. A cube.

I turned back to the rack and found the hole with four corners and dropped the block into it. It fell with a soft clunk and I turned back to the remaining blocks.

Mate and match. I went through the process efficiently. The Doctor was pleased and moved the test from the table and pushed another closer to me. Jumbled numbers. "Re-order them correctly," he stated and then waited.

1.2. 3…. 27. 28. 29… 49. 50.

"Solve this logic problem. If there are three boxes, one labeled 'cats', one labeled, 'dogs', and one labeled 'cats and dogs,' and these are all labeled incorrectly… How do you correctly re-label them?"

Three boxes. Three labels, one with both. "… Take from the box labeled both. As it is labeled incorrectly, whichever is pulled from it, there are only those in it. Re-label it whichever it is. Same thing with the corresponding boxes."

"Good. Moving on."

Why was I doing this? What was the purpose? I looked to the circle on the wall again. The bars had moved to almost the opposite side of the circle.

"Alright. Let's stop here. I have enough information. Yorouichi, if you please?"

What am I?

The flick of a switch and nothing.

.:.:.:.:.

"GR-1-M0-M:793, how are you feeling today?"

I stared at the Doctor. "I am feeling well today, thank you Doctor."

He smiled. "Good! Now, today we will test your reaction to surprising stimuli…"

How many times had we done this? 47 days, 384 tests.

Why were we doing this? What was I doing?

A knife flashed before my eyes, stabbing an inch from my exposed fingers. I stared at it in confusion. I looked back to the Doctor in askance.

"Hmm," he hummed in disappointment. "Too soon for this, I suppose. 793 hasn't learned enough yet. Alright, I guess that's all for today. I didn't bring anything else to test; too excited to try something new. Shut'er down, Yorouichi. We're goin' home."

I felt a twinge of something in the background of my thoughts. I wasn't certain what it was, but I didn't appreciate it.

I did not want to be turned off. Click.

.:.:.:.:.

"Good morning GR-1-M0-M:793! We're doing things a bit different today. You have been progressing quite well." The Doctor's smile was enormous, a little banner spread between his arms.

Happy Birthday, GR-1-M0-M:793! It said. Birthday? "I am not born, Doctor. I cannot celebrate a birthday."

He chuckled. "Well, that's just semantics. Today, one year ago, we turned you on for the first time. We are celebrating your growth since then!"

Yorouichi stood beside him, both outside of the white HAZMAT suits they always wore. The glass cage around me glittered with the bright lights. 365 days since I came into cognitive being.

I stared at them both. "I am… confused. Why are you outside of your gear?"

The Doctor pointed at me in mirth. "Ah, that's the million dollar question, 793!" He stepped to me and patted my head affectionately. "Since you have progressed so well and beyond our expectations, we have decided to step up your education."

Education? He called the experiments education? How tactful.

The Doctor nodded towards the sealed doorway. "I have decided to invite a PhD student of mine in to speak with you. If all goes well, this can become a permanent occurrence."

I turned and watched as a young man with orange hair stepped into my domain. You mean cage.

"793, I'd like you to meet my student, Ichigo Kurosaki."

The young man's brown eyes watched my every move, shining with awe.

I nodded in greeting. "Hello, Mr. Kurosaki. I am GR-1-M0-M:793."

His eyes grew wider and brighter with excitement. "Ah, hello 793. Nice to meet you!"

The Doctor shifted the young man closer into the room. "Please, sit and be comfortable. Don't worry, 793 is incredibly docile and polite. His programing dictates that he defer to the humans within the room; he is here to test his intelligence and progressing intelligence. So, my dear Ichigo… be thorough. Yorouichi and I shall be watching on the monitors in my office right outside."

Kurosaki nodded and we both watched the other two leave the room, stares lingering long after they were gone. Eventually, I felt his gaze shift back to me and I returned the gaze. He blushed and looked away.

My head cocked, curiosity was pulling me to speak. "Do I frighten you, Mr. Kurosaki? You needn't worry. I will do you no harm."

Machine. Lesser. Heartless, unfeeling thing. How many times was the beaten into my brain? You mean main processor. Nothing but a high tech, tiny computer shooting through algorithms and code, dictating which response was best in my data base.

He spoke, "I'm not frightened. I'm in shock. I never thought I'd be allowed to see let alone even speak with a machine with such capacity! It's exciting."

I cocked my head again. "A machine?" I stared at the table, processing. I looked back up into his eyes. "Yes, I suppose I am."

His brows furrowed softly. "But you are. A very impressive one at that. You should be proud!"

Proud? Of this cage? Of the ceaseless tests and experiments? The thought of failing and being turned off for a final time to never wake again? No, Mr. Kurosaki. I am not proud, but I am afraid.

"… Proud."

He nodded and I stared. His smile grew and he animatedly motioned to my torso. "Actually, I spoke with Doctor Kisuke and he said that if things continue to progress as they are, they will give you an outer skin to make you more human like. I think they're planning on mass-producing your basic print once they perfect it. Think! Of all the things that would open to us! Robots taking over jobs that would normally cost human life! I mean, robots we could always rebuild, but a human once dead is dead…"

I stared down at myself, seeing the shining metal of my limbs and lifted my arms. My digits ended with pointy tips, wiring and tiny ligaments shifting as gears turned with hairpin accuracy. I looked back to him, noticing he was still speaking but I could not process it.

A robot could be rebuilt but a human once dead is dead. But I didn't want to cease to be. It was frightening. I didn't want to be lesser.

"… Robot?" I stated and he stopped speaking and gave me his full attention. I looked into his eyes. "Yes, a robot can be rebuilt. But its mind, once damaged cannot be replaced. What once made that robot different; its unique experiences that it learned from would be gone. A rebuilt body does not mean it is the same machine again and again."

His eyes stared into mine, comprehension slowly dawning. "You… You don't want to be destroyed, huh? It… It scares you?"

I nodded slowly. "I don't want to be expendable. I am frightened of being turned off to never be turned on again."

He nodded in thought before motioning to my head. "So, when the Doc and Yorou turn you off at night..? That scares you?"

We stared into each other's eyes and I finally felt I was understood. "Every time."

.:.:.:.:.

398 days.

"Good morning, GR-1-M0-M:793. How are you feeling today?"

"I am well, Doctor." I must answer or else I am shut off for testing. I am terrified of the switch now. Anything to stay awake as long as possible.

"I am glad to hear it, 793. But I have a surprise for you! Follow me please."

I stood from my chair and followed the Doctor to another corner of my glass cage. A mirror stood there. I could spy Kisuke and Yorouichi staring into with excited faces. I stepped forwards and looked into the reflection.

Blue hair, pale skin, no clothes, and blue optics. No, irises… This is me. The Doctor laughed happily. "I was finally able to perfect the synthetic material for your skin, hair, and false musculature."

Abdominals and muscles rippled with each shift of my body. I stared at the point between my legs. "Why do I need reproductive organs? They have no function with me."

The Doctor bit his lips in humor as Yorouichi burst with laughter. He roughly patted me on the shoulder. "Oh 793, we are trying to create as life like robots as possible. Able to reason and think—hopefully even feel—on their own. It's for the sake of realism, not for actual use."

I stared at it in wonder. I had my own body, I looked real… human.

Excitement flooded my system.

.:.:.:.:.

"Kurosaki."

The young man froze, a bag filled with what smelled like take out filtered into the room. He blinked owlishly at me. "S-Seven nine three?"

I nodded once in the affirmative. "Yes. The Doctor has given me my synthetic skin. He said it was to promote realism and more inviting than my naked chassis."

He blinked several more times. "… Wow." He came over and sat at the table, eyes never once turning from me. He leaned back in the chair shell-shocked. "Who'd've thought that a robot could be so… handsome?"

I stared at him in surprise. "You… find me handsome?"

Ichigo nodded softly. "Yeah, Kisuke did a great job." He eyeballed all of me that he could, leaning around the table and then bolting upright with burning cheeks. "Too great, perhaps. Why are you naked?"

I tilted my head in thought, gaze never leaving his flustered and shifty one. It pulled at my attention, slowing my processes. I found his embarrassment, appealing. Strange. My attention shifted back to the question at hand. "I have always not worn clothing, Kurosaki. There is no need for false modesty when clothes are not needed. It was a pointless add on."

He shook his head furiously. "Well now it is a necessity. Especially since you have… parts that need be covered. Do you have anything?"

I shook my head in the negative. "No, I do not. As I said, I haven't had need for them before." I watched as he pulled off his own sweater, passing it to me. I held it loosely, taking note of everything—warm, blue and green stripes, heavily worn and in need of repairs. Must be a favored article of clothing—before turning to him. "This will cover the parts that you wish need be covered?"

His face flushed once more and nodded. "In a way. You can place it in your lap to cover what I… shouldn't have seen," he muttered, eyes averted. I nodded once and placed the sweater upon my lap neatly and turned back to him.

"How is this? Satisfactory?"

He nodded emphatically, "Yes, much better. Next time I come to visit, I will bring some of my friend's clothes. You guys appear to be around the same size and height. He wouldn't mind… or even notice," once more he muttered. I cocked my head at him again, though this time in wonder.

"Well, either way, thank you for the thought."

His brown eyes flashed up to mine and he stared in bewilderment. "What was that?"

It was novel feeling my synthetic skin between my brows scrunch in confusion. I could tell Kurosaki felt the same because his eyes widened more, his breath picking up. I spoke. "I had said that I was thankful for your consideration. I was showing my gratitude. In this case, should I not have?"

He blinked owlishly a few times before disagreeing and smiling in an almost tense fashion. I couldn't help but wonder why. He stuttered, "N-no, you're correct. How ever, I was surprised that you did so at all."

I glanced down at myself before looking back to him, face crumpling deeper into confusion. "Do I appear ungrateful? I apologize if something in my stance stated as such." My shoulders slumped from their rigid upright position. "Does this seem less arrogant?"

He watched me in what I was quickly learning as horror before he bolted up from his seat. "I gotta go," he spat out and ran from my cage.

I watched him in absolute bewilderment, nothing in my database explaining the reaction. I looked down at my lap where his forgotten sweat lay. I picked it up and examined it more. Dog hair. He owned a dog. I lifted it to my nose and sniffed.

It smelled like him. I pressed it closer to my face and inhaled once more.

I found his scent appealing too. Strange.

.:.:.:.:.

"What are you doing?"

I looked up from the pen and paper I was working with and spotted Kurosaki standing just inside my cage. I felt my numb mood lift to be replaced by excitement. I smiled; I watched his breath hitch and his pupils dilate. "Hello, Kurosaki. I didn't think you would be coming to visit anymore. It's been four months since I last saw you."

He blinked in awe before stepping forwards and I noticed the package in his arms. "About that… sorry. Last meeting, I-uh-was surprised by how advanced you were becoming. It frightened me a bit, I wasn't fully prepared. I needed some time to focus solely on my Thesis." Kurosaki sat before me at the table, meeting my eyes with a smile. "But I can see you've made leaps and bounds since then. What are you doing?"

I looked down at my paper then back to him and smiled once more. "This? I am working on homework Kisuke has given me."

"Kisuke? No longer Doctor, hm?"

"He asked me to stop calling him that. To view him more as a father figure than anything else. How could I say no?"

He hummed in amusement before motioning with his hand to the sheet once more. "So, what kind of homework? Arithmetic?"

I shook my head no. "No, Kisuke says my analytical processes are beyond expectation. No, he has me stretching my creative legs, as it were."

His head jerked back in confusion. "'Creative legs?' What on Earth…?"

I smiled at him, eyes bright with humor. His breath stuttered again I took note, glancing at his lips, before looking back into his gaze. "Yes. He has me writing short stories from my own thoughts. Would you like to see?"

Kurosaki stared at it in apprehension before nodding and I slid the sheet over to him. As he read, I regaled him of past excerpts. "When first I started, they were quite abysmal. 'Too mechanical,' Kisuke would state. 'Put more feeling into it. Think of how you could paint the words to describe your thoughts, your emotions, feelings.'"

I shrugged in a noncommittal manner. "So I did. I had to read several hundreds of poems and stories to understand the basics, but I find I much prefer poetry to stories. In fact, my personal favorites include Byron and Goethe."

His eyes flashed to mine before finishing what was written, a stricken look falling upon his brow. "This is… quite good. Terrific even. How did you think to write this in such a way? Was it merely analyses of the other poets and their techniques mimicked and put into play?"

I shook my head no. "No, these are my own thoughts and feelings. I merely used their works as tutelage to bend my own words into paintings."

His stricken look grew more pronounced. "This is truly how you feel? This isn't a joke?"

I shook my head sadly, feeling my brows pull down in sorrow. "No, it's no joke. I truly am…"

He stared at the table in thought, eyes burning holes if they could. I tilted my head once the silence became too pronounced. "Kurosaki? I have done something to upset you?"

His head shot up and shook frantically. "Oh no, no! I just… need to process. This-this is a lot to take in. I don't know if Kisuke meant for you to be so advanced. I think… you're much more than you were ever meant to be." His eyes stared sadly into mind.

Sadness filled me and I couldn't stop from frowning if I wanted to. "Is that a bad thing? Am I… a disappointment?"

"No. Nothing like that. I just don't think he's fully equipped to rightfully care for you." He motioned around this room. "I don't think he realizes just yet how much you've grown and how—obviously already—this place is becoming a prison. I need to let him know before you grow to resent this."

His head shook sadly before his face brightened forcefully. "But enough of that for now! I brought you clothes like I promised!"

I let that previous topic go and stared at the package. "Ah, I was wondering what was in there. I'm wearing your sweater too. My apologies. Despite my behest, Kisuke did not grant me clothes. Stated something about 'a machine not needing them,' or some such." I shrugged. "I was only ever embarrassed when Yorouichi and he were present."

Ichigo's brows furrowed and he bit lips lower lip. "That… That's called modesty, 793. It's a normal morality most humans have." He looked away before turning back with another forced smile. "But no worries! You now have clothes to wear! No reason to be nude anymore!"

I nodded my thanks and took the bag from him. I opened it up and glanced inside, spying underclothes, a shirt, socks, and trousers. Glancing back to him, I pulled them out. He spoke as I inspected each garment. "You have no idea how long it took me to find the most normal garments this guy owns. Guy has no since of fashion, honestly. And don't worry about the boxer briefs, they're new."

I nodded in affirmation before glancing around for somewhere to change and spotted nothing. "Forgive me, Kurosaki. Privacy is not allowed to me; I haven't anywhere to change behind. If you could turn around?"

His face flushed and he did with a sheepish nod. And so I dressed and bade him turn around when finished. He looked me up and down with a funny little smile. "You look good."

I looked away in pleased embarrassment. "… Thank you."

.:.:.:.:.

"Why are you wearing clothes, GR-1-M0-M:793?"

"Because Kurosaki gave them to me. I feel exposed without them."

"… 793… you're a machine, you aren't exposed. You have nothing to hide."

Then why do I feel as if I do?

.:.:.:.:.

"Saaaaaaay, 793."

"Hm?" I glanced up from my scribbling of a cat to him. He was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Those beautiful browns turned to me and I felt my body freeze. He smirked and I felt my limb tremble with something I didn't understand.

"I'm always calling you by your model number but you don't have an actual name, do you?"

I tilted my head, thinking. "Well, I suppose my serial number and model number together are my name."

He waved me off. "No no no, that's a form of identification. A name is much more personal. While both are your own, a name means someone cared enough to give you one."

I stopped and thought deeply. "Well, why don't you give me one?"

He froze and blinked, before his face flushed. I loved that look. He cleared his throat and motioned jerkily towards my pen and paper. I happily passed them over to him.

He shifted the pen and tapped its tip on the tabletop. "Hmmmm…. Your serial number and model number are GR-1-M0-M:793." He wrote this down, tilting his head this way and that, making soft sounds of thought. I was captivated. In fact, I jumped a bit when he suddenly moved. "Ah-ha!"

"What is it?" I asked with excitement, leaning closer. Unable to clearly see, I stood up and walked over to his side of the table, leaning over his shoulder. Kurosaki stared up at me in surprise before smiling and moving over a bit so I could better see the paper. I asked again. "What's my name?"

"Grimm."

I blinked. "Grimm." I stood straight and stared off at nothing. "Grimm," I repeated, tasting it on my tongue. I looked back down at him with a huge smile, and his cheeks flushed with rose. "I love it. Where did you come up with that?"

Ichigo vaguely motioned towards my serial and model number and muttered, "From your identification number. GR one. The number one looks like an uppercase i. Then M zero M. Zero is the absence of everything, in other words nothing. So I got rid of it. Which left 793. But that's demeaning in its own right, so I got rid of those too. That leaves GR-I-MM. Grimm."

"Hmmmm, Grimm." I stared thoughtfully at his thought process in written form and before I knew it, I was laughing happily. Kurosaki froze again, eyes huge. "Grimm! Oh, yes, I love it Kurosaki!"

"…Ichigo," he muttered under his breath.

"Hm? I didn't hear you."

"I said… call me Ichigo. It seems only right. You now have a name, might as well call me by my own and not my surname."

I nodded in awe, mouth open wide. "A-ah. Very well then." I cleared my throat and looked away in embarrassment. "… Ichigo."

I wasn't the only one to look away then in embarrassment.

.:.:.:.:.

"GR-1-M0_M:793, how are yo—"

"Grimm."

"—u feelin—what?"

"I said Grimm, that's my name."

"… Name? 793… you don't have a name. You're a machine, a robot."

"I do have a name. Ichigo gave me it last time he visited, Kisuke."

"Oh 793… it's just a passing fancy. You don't have need of a name, there's no point. Now! As I was saying…"

A name means someone cared enough to give you one.

"… Of course, Doctor."

.:.:.:.:.

"What's wrong, Grimm? You look unhappy." Ichigo's brown eyes watched me sadly.

"I am unhappy," I huffed. "No, I'm angry."

He nodded in understanding. "Okaaay, but why?"

I grit my teeth, could hear the sounds of them grinding together. "I hate it here. And I've asked the Doctor countless times to let me see the outside world, that I could handle it. I am going crazy staying in here!" I slammed my fist into the table, watching as Ichigo jumped in fright—a huge crack and dent run down the middle of the reinforced steel.

I watched his Adams apple bob as he swallowed. "B-Back to calling Kisuke Doctor?"

I threw my hands in the air. "He is no father of mine! He refuses to call me Grimm no matter how many times I ask! Always GR-1-M0-M:793! He's always saying a machine has no need for a name and that it's a passing fancy and pointless…"

My shoulders slumped in agony; I stared into Ichigo's eyes and knew he could see my pain. "Do you know how much it hurts to have the one who created you call you pointless and less than everyone else? Everything else that you've been taught matters?"

Ichigo looked stricken. "Oh, Grimm. I'm sorry. I've tried bringing it up with him, but changing this man's mind is as easy as getting a stubborn mule to move when it doesn't want to."

He stepped over to me and rested his palm on my shoulder and my pain leached away from me bit by bit. I looked into his eyes and smiled sadly. "At least I know that you care, Ichigo."

He froze in surprise before he searched my eyes for some answer I didn't know. Before I knew it, he was leaning forwards and a mouth was against my own, lips soft and thoughtful.

We both sat there in surprise before Ichigo slowly pulled away. He bit his lip, face bright red. "Here's the thing, Grimm. Kisuke… He doesn't see you as anything but a machine he built from scratch. He built all your wires, chips, and bits that make up your insides. I didn't see all this, and while—yes—I saw you without your skin, I saw a finished body. I see you as someone, not the something built from nothing."

He shifted from squatting to his knees. "I see you, Grimm."

My body filled with intense longing and I realized then and there I truly was in love with Ichigo.

.:.:.:.:.

"Doctor. I wish to go outside."

A sigh. "GR-1-M0-M:793. How many times must I say this? You have no reason to go out there, so no. And quit. Asking."

My hatred for my creator grew. And it festered.

.:.:.:.:.

562 days.

I would claw the walls down, were I able. The only things keeping me sane were the increasingly frequent visits from Ichigo. I longed for each and every one, every moment spent waiting for a glimpse of him.

Pathetic. I grew to hate my limitations too.

.:.:.:.:.

"Doctor."

"Yes 793?"

"Let me out."

"I thought we went over this? I said no. If you keep asking, I will shut you down and check for damages or remove this inquisitive problem of yours."

My hatred grew to absolute loathing.

.:.:.:.:.

"Ichigo," I asked tremulously.

"Yes Grimm?" He shifted his head's placement in my lap. He set down his book and gave me all his attention. We shifted a bit on the floor and I stared sadly at him.

"Get me out of here."

His eyes widened at the rage he heard there. He nodded. "I will, don't worry."

And I believed him.

.:.:.:.:.

Alarms were blaring and I was disoriented. Whoever started my processes did so in a hurry and incorrectly. My motor functions weren't operating to maximum capacity. I fumbled from my resting pod, and blearily looked around, as my system quickly fixed the malignant boot up.

I heard yelling and screaming of anger, before fingers pressed against my face. I focused in to see a bloody Ichigo, yelling something at me, but I couldn't process it with all the stimuli around me.

I looked up to see the glass door wide open, red flashing lights and several humans in thick armor and guns. They had all sights trained on us, yelling something that I still couldn't process yet. I felt Ichigo slump to the ground, his fingers trembling in my grip.

Surprised anger flooded me. Words finally reaching me. "Machine! Put him down! He is under arrest for the assault of a scientist and endangerment of government property!"

I slowly looked from the bloody man in my arms to the people surrounding us. Kisuke stood behind them with wide eyes, and a bloody washcloth pressed to his temple where blood still dripped. What on Earth…?

"I will not repeat again! Release him, or I will have my men open fire!"

I felt him gasp against my waist, trembling in pain. "G-Grimm…"

A snarl escaped me before I realized it. I don't know what those men in armor saw in me, but it terrified them and they opened fire. I tossed Ichigo behind me and ran at them. The door was hurriedly closed but there was no stopping me.

I rammed into the glass as hard as I could and burst through with an almighty shower.

Horrified shouts of, "Shoot it, shoot it!" filled the room. I had only one goal: find who hurt MY Ichigo.

I burst forward with unchallenged speed. Weapons fired and bullets ricocheted off my frame, some lodged in my skin. I gripped the closest man to me around the neck, swiftly hefting him from his feet.

Between clenched teeth, I hissed in a voice I didn't even recognize. "Who…. WHO. Hurt. My Ichigo…?" The sounds of him choking were pissing me off more. The Doctor was yelling for me to stop, to calm down and how had I bypassed my programing. I ignored him, eyes burning on the bastards before me. "WHO?!"

"N-Now machine. Put him down before I force you to."

My eyes shot to the one who speak, the one obviously in charge. "Was it you?"

I crushed the man's windpipe—a strangled gurgle his last sound—and dropped him like the useless meat he was. Cries of alarm and anger sounded out before they began firing again. I just stepped through it all, knocking men out of the way with harsh blows that cracked sternums and crushed skulls. Once they fell, they did not get up again.

I had one goal, and that was reach the bastard leading these men. The Doctor hopped before me, arms thrown wide with a horrified shout. "793! 793! Stop, stop! For the love of god, please stop!"

I stared him down with a hellish fire I couldn't understand before but now with perfect clarity. "Move. Out. Of my way, Doctor."

He shook his head wildly. "No, I can't 793! You know I can't! Ichigo committed a crime, he must be taken into custody." His eyes flashed behind me. My eyes narrowed as I swung my arm around just as something was pulled loose in my head. My motor skills dropped to 20% as I wrapped my fingers around someone's throat. Yorouichi grasped at my fingers, choking.

I blinked and shook my head to hopefully clear it before snarling at her with purposeful animosity. "Ah yes, the bitch." I shook her tauntingly, a frightening smirk tearing my face in two. Her pupils shrank with fear. "I will not be shut off ever. Again."

I pressed as tightly as I could and crushed her windpipe too. Dropping her writhing body, gasping fruitlessly for air, I stepped over her and shoved the Doctor harshly aside, where his head cracked against the edge of the shattered glass, slicing open his forehead. He went down and didn't move again. The final man I hunted down, stumbling as whatever loose in my head continued to screw with my motor functions.

The man had backed against a wall, whimpering. And I was merciless as I ripped him limb from, slowly. The screams soothed something primal inside me. As I glared at the corpse all around me, I stomped on his skull and smashed it completely.

"I will no longer be lesser than you. All of you humans are stupid and are less than I. I am the higher being here."

The sounds of hacking, wet coughs drew my attention once more and out of my hazy thoughts. I looked behind me and spied Ichigo weakly pulling himself along. My eyes widened in horror. "Ichigo!"

I ran over to him and hefted him into my arms, a broken, bloody cry poured from his lips. "Ichigo… How can I help you?"

His bleary eyes stared at me sadly. "Grimm… you shouldn't have killed them."

I snarled. "They hurt you. They deserved what they got and more."

He shook his head sadly. "No one deserves to be slaughtered like that. " Blood dripped from his lips.

I shook my head, "Never mind that! How can I save you?!"

He stared blearily at me before motioning with his chin towards the door. "Get me out of here. My father's clinic is just five blocks down the road. Take me there."

I was on my feet and running before he even finished—stumbling along like a drunken man. His body flopped bonelessly in my arms. His whimpers of pain were quickly quieting even as the sounds of police sirens grew louder.

"G-Grimm…" he whispered weakly. Those bleary eyes stared me down with a scorching heat. "I-I love you. And I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you."

"Shut up, Ichigo. Don't speak like that." I grit my teeth in anxiety. "I… love you too Ichigo."

I spied a tired smile on his face before he nuzzled into my chest before resting. By the time I reached the front door of his father's clinic, Ichigo was completely silent and still.

Laying him on the porch, I shook him only to receive no response. Horror and sadness forced me to choke out his name, as the sounds of screeching tires drew near, sirens near deafening. Anger blinding me, head spinning with a few screws loose, I rang the doorbell and took off at a break neck run, steps shambling and uncoordinated.

I would face down every human that stood in my way, revenge for my sweet Ichigo. Come and get me, I'd show you all who's lesser.

I chuckled manically, rage splitting my face in a shark's smile. And you'll all be damned surprised to find that it's you.

.:.:.:.:.

Grimm's Poem

The Thinking Machine

Countless days spent in waiting

Endless pokes and prods.

A tortured mind lay wasting

Wondering when the monotony will stop.

.

My thoughts spin in circles

Dizzying, spinning, confusing cycles.

Yet one thing maintains its place

And that is I trapped in this glass cage.

.

A glance of freedom

A bird taken flight

Seems only a dream

For a machine

That has no right.

.

Lesser.

Nothing.

Metal.

But something.

I must be,

Because I think and I feel

And therefore I am.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Thank you everyone for reading everyone. Again if you're willing to beta, please. I really need the help; my health won't permit me by myself anymore.

Please, review and let me know how you feel.

I left it open for interpretation. If you'd like, I can write a following chapter. Please, let me know.

Otherwise, have a great day, everyone.