-by Nijuukyuu (Saturday, August 27th, 2005)
Before Notes: This is an alteruniverse story starring Android Number 17 (Jinzouningen Juunanagou)... I know he is a cyborg really, but I thought I'd try out the English (dubbed) terms for once...
Summary: No. 17 is a loner, whom has befriended a lonely child. When an unknown army attacks, 17 ends up sacrificing himself in vain and 10 years later, wakes up from a coma to find everything changed... including his young friend.
.x:X:x.
The soft, chill breeze swept the snowy fields, blowing the ravenhair across the cyborg's face, as he brushed back the few loose strands that had stayed; he bent down, picking up the dead deer that he had shot down with one bullet.
It was easy for him, because of his incredible strength; which he kept a sercet from his neighbors, whom he was elusive to; so they would go on praising the 'young man' for his talented hunting skills; and how they envied his young strength... most of the hunters in the forest were middle-aged, and probably lived elsewhere when it wasn't hunting season.
"Hey!" Android 17 turned to the sound of the young voice; but had to shift the buck on his shoulders, so he could peer down at the five year old child, who got it into her little dark brownhaired head that he was her best friend; just because he was the only one up here that would pay attention to her and play games with her; because the other men, including her adopted father; were too busy with hunting and hanging out with each another.
"Ahh!" She let out a small cry at the sight of the limp deer he was carrying, small tears beaded the corner of her eyelashes, as she stared up at him with her mouth covered with her small hands.
"Well kid, how did you suspect me to make a living up here?" 17 chuckled, grinning at the innocent child's shocked look.
As he began to walk forward, she backed away from him, still watching him, but now with curiousity, instead of fear; and began to follow him.
"Look, what there something you wanted? I'm a little busy, y'know." The cyborg told her after he realized he was being tailed up the hill by his little friend.
"Can't we play a game, or something? Please?" He smiled in spite of himself, as he heard her pleading; and was grateful she couldn't see his face, and vice versa; because he had a slight soft spot for small children, ever since he had found out he was an uncle... and especially, for the 'puppy face' which both this child and his niece used as an advantage over him.
"I really need to finish my work..." He stopped short when he heard a tiny whimper and disappointed sigh from the small figure behind him, then he growled slightly to himself. "Okay... Look, once I'm through, I'll come up to your cabin; and play with you, okay?"
"Yay!" She cried, then nearly knocked him over as she hugged his legs; and he let out an 'oof!', then sighed again.
"Kids..." He mumbled to himself, once she had freed his legs; and was now tagging at his side, looking up at him with her adoring dark chocolate eyes.
17 continued to grumble quietly to himself, for giving in again... but he couldn't help it, after all, the poor child was dropped up here by her father, and left to be bored by herself, as there were no other children around - and he understood what that felt like, to be bored and have your only family member leave you to take care of yourself... not that he couldn't take care of himself - he was wonderfully independent.
After another long silence endured; 17 tilted his head just the slightest to glance down at his side - and she was still following him, and he sighed again.
"Hey, why don't you just go to your cabin already, huh, Sha-Sha?" He asked coaxingly, using the cuter form of her nickname which everyone usually used but her father; whom referred to her as 'Daughter', and usually her full name, Shariyu, but very occasionly just 'Sha'.
"Okay, Sevie." The little brunette smiled up at him, and he melted again; but forced himself to look annoyed from her using his recent new nickname she had given him; as he huffed, rolled his eyes, and looked away from her; listening to the soft footsteps running off in the snow towards where she was staying for the rest of two months, upon which he fondly watched her go off into the woods... luckily, this wasn't a dangerous terrain, and the child had been taught to learn directions properly; so he wasn't too worried.
.x:X:x.
After a few hours, it was nightfall; and he had finally finished up with the day's work... as he stood up from his armchair, he remembered his promise to little Sha; and started out his door, taking a wrapped stuffed toy... because of his busy schedule, he hadn't had time to properly put it in some box, but he did manage to at least wrap the small rabbit toy; and was going to give it to her, to remind her of the nickname he had given her which was 'Little Bunny', while she called him 'Big Rabbit'... of course, if anyone found out about that; he was ready to try and shoot himself, even if he was bulletproof.
Once on his porch, 17 lifted in the air, and flew off as quickly as possible without being seen; it was only a matter of minutes, and he arrived on the porch of the young child and her father's cabin.
He wondered if they could hear his footsteps; as he walked across the large porch, and rapped at the door, receiving no answer for a few minutes, so he knocked again but louder and longer... still nothing.
"What?" 17 was puzzled... he was sure she'd still be in the cabin as her father wouldn't take her out unless it was for some unknown reason that 17 wouldn't understand.
After searching around the cabin, he was now fully worried; but was remaining as calm as could be.
Standing on the porch again, he scanned the area; but all he spotted was a buck, a doe and a tiny one following them into the forest.
"Where could they be?" He murmured to himself, then decided to wait for someone to show up - hopefully the girl, if not her father - as he sat on the swinging loveseat which was hooked up at the top of the roof overlooking the porch.
Finally, after three long hours; he heard running footsteps coming his way; as he stood up to see two men dashing past him as if they were running for their lives...
"Great... another grizzly this soon?" 17 spoke in a mocking tone to himself, turning to see the bear come after them... but there wasn't anything in sight... after a few moments, he was surprised to feel a rumble vibrating the forest like an earthquake.
"Huh?" He began to hover a foot above the porch's surface, but was amazed that he could still feel it... just then, the loud sound of trees being toppled over was heard; and he turned sharply to see two army tanks.
"This is crazy!" 17 was getting ready to blast them, when he gasped in shock at the logo on each side of them - it was the one he had been forced to wear...
...the too familar "R R"...
"My God, what the heck is the Red Ribbon Army doing here? I could've sworn they were destroyed!" 17 then regained himself, and blasted the two army tanks; forcing him to flee quickly as the whole area exploded behind him.
"No..." He swore, as he realized he had helped blow up his friend's only home here... and was praying that the child wasn't asleep in there - now it dawned on him, her father must've been alerted of the attack; and took his daughter away to safety.
As 17 fled past the smoking fires, he didn't even stop to glance at the half burning rabbit toy which laid helplessly on the snow, feet away from the broken, flaming cabin...
.x:X:x.
17 realized in horror that the entire forest was burning down, as the army tanks kept coming and the few people who had remained; were being shot down mercilessly by the Red Ribbon soldiers.
After watching this go on for a few more minutes; the rage inside of him grew to be too much, and he finally just began to blow up all the tanks and soldiers; only causing more explosions and far greater damage then any of those soldiers and tanks could do combined...
He didn't stop, he just kept on blasting everything away; resulting in more smoke and fire as the land began to look more like a destroyed wasteland then the peaceful, snowy valley it had been that morning...
How many hours passed?
17 didn't know or care, but when he had finally stopped; it slowly dawned on him that he was still just a monster... who did he help by doing this?
No one... it was more like his own selfish revenge...
17 didn't go looking for someone who didn't make it, nor had he helped the ones who were trying desperately to escape...
He just... helped make this a bigger mess...
"No..." 17 groaned, falling to his knees with his hands clenching the crushed snow and dirt beneath his angered face, as he was struggling with himself and his guilt; and he didn't hear the footsteps coming up behind him, but then he noticed a looming shadow over himself; and he turned to see the person he hated the most.
"Ah, Number 17... it's been too long, hasn't it? I see you're still of use to us - we thank you for helping us destroy this pathetic human hole." Doctor Gero chuckled, with mock scribbled on his face, as he was clearly amused by the struggling cyborg's frustration.
"Y-You!" Android 17 stood up, glaring at Gero; who just smirked at him, and 17 cringed with disgust at the every sight of the doctor.
"Is that all? I was suspecting a more 'warm welcome' from my own creation, Number 17." Gero laughed when 17 growled, but dodged the blow thrown at him by the young cyborg; who let out a small gasp at his miss.
"You are too predictable... don't you know we've been watching you?" Gero asked, then narrowed his eyes, continuing in a dark whisper. "You are going to come back to us - whether you like it or not!"
"NEVER!" 17 blasted Gero several times, but when the air cleared again; he was shocked to see no one standing there, and was knocked over by a blow to the back of his head.
"Heh."
17 looked up to see his evil twin from Hell smirking down at him, looking superior and smugly down at him.
"But you're all supposed to be dead, darnit!" 17 yelled, standing back up and was about to attack Hellfighter 17 when he noticed that beside Gero was Myu... and Myu was holding a small child, with his hand covering her mouth, muffling her cries.
"No!" 17 shouted in fear for his friend's life; just as Hellfighter 17 punched him easily aside, and 17 went crashing through burning rubble; only to come flying back out with most of his outfit trashed, as he landed down in front of all of them - each of them had a mock look on their face, as they smirked at him.
"Leave her alone." 17 growled through gritted teeth, and Myu laughed loudly at him.
"Oh, Android 17, you are too much! How can you even call yourself a killer, when you have weak feelings, like for this little girl?" Myu started laughing again, and it hurt 17 to see the child begin to cry, as her frightened eyes watched him.
"I said - LEAVE HER ALONE! NOW PUT HER DOWN!" 17 yelled angrily, then the two doctors looked at one another, and nodded; while Hellfighter 17 continued to stare at his twin with the coldest, superior look.
"Of course... why not?" Gero smiled slyly, as Myu let the child down; and pushed her, until she began to run forward; just as 17 was walking forward to get her, Hellfighter 17 grabbed the girl quick before 17 realized it, then as the angered cyborg was charging forward; Hellfighter 17 lifted high into the air, to let Gero and Myu - whom had this strange machine between them - blast it into 17, who was rendered unconsious before he ever knew what had happened...
.x:X:x.
.x:Ten Years Later:x.
"Ooph..." As 17 slowly opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling to be that of a dark, damp cave... and realized it was just that, as he sat up abruptly; looking around...
Outside the entrance, it was raining heavily so he couldn't see anything that was out there... a small lantern was hanging from a hook on the other side of the cave wall.
It was very cramped, and only a bit smaller then his cabin room had been; 17 stood up as a ratty old blanket fell off of him... and he was puzzled when looking down, he realized he was wearing the outfit he had been upon his release from the pod chambers long before.
As everything carefully set back into his mind; 17 gasped, remembering the last he had been doing was charging at the other 17 to get Sha back... but apparently, he failed...
But... how... how did he get here?
17 continued to wonder what happened, as he walked out into the rain to became completely soaked; but he didn't care, as he began to run off; just vaguely able to see everything around him... he was on the outskirts of a forest, running along the side of a mountain...
Wait... why was this familar?
No...
...it couldn't be... could it?
Could he be nearby the laboratory where he was 'created'?
17 flew up, through with some difficulty from the heavy rain and winds; to try to look at the mountain properly... and as his heart sank deep into his stomach, realized it WAS...
He went over to the entrance, just as someone came out of the laboratory doors... 17 peered around the corner of the cave to see that it wasn't one of the doctors, nor his evil twin... but a young female with long dark hair that went down pass her back; whom he had never seen before.
"Uh...?" 17 was puzzled, but curious, so he landed under the covering of the entrance, surprising the young woman; whom sighed with relief.
"It's just you, Fighter." She chuckled, walking to the edge of the entrance, right next to him, looking out into the storm. "You're finally back... I thought it was going to take longer this time for you to return... I was just coming out here for some air."
17 stared at her, realizing she was mistaking him for Hellfighter 17... lucky for him, at least.
"You're a cyborg, right?" 17 also realized this was an idiotic question to ask, as the one he was pretending as would already know it.
She looked at him curiously, and frowned. "You were there when I was transformed three years ago..."
"Three years...? Has it been that long?" 17 forced a fake laugh, smiling dumbly at her; and she sighed, closing her eyes.
"Yes, you moron... and ten years since I was kidnapped after they killed my foster father, and God only knows what they did to 17 after they zapped him..." As she spoke, 17's eyes widened in surprise, and he just completely froze up; as this registered to him...
"Ten years..." He murmured softly, as a sudden sadness came into his eyes which the now fifteen year old Sha did not notice... 17 realized he HAD failed, but he was suspecting his once innocent child friend to be dead...
Not...
...not like him...
'I can trust her... can't I?' 17 asked himself, then took a deep breath just as she turned away.
"I'm going inside..." She told him, but he stammered: "Wait!"
Sha turned, staring at him. "What?" She snapped, and he swallowed hard.
"It's me..." A confused look came over her face, and she was about to speak when he continued. "It's me - 17... Don't you remember... Little Bunny?"
"Little... Oh my God..." She gasped, as her expression and whole figure seemed to change from the icy female she was a minute ago.
"17..." As she walked forward towards him, she stopped and stared at him; and he smiled at her, but his smile faded once she began to talk coldly again. "I am no longer your Little Bunny, nor or you my Big Rabbit - I am Android Number 29 now... Sha died long ago... because of you..."
"No... No!" 17 went forward, taking her into his arms. "Please don't say that! It wasn't my fault! I was trying to save you!"
As 29 tried to break from 17's embrace, she was shocked to realize she couldn't as he held her tight; and so, she growled angrily at him. "Were you trying to save me when you destroyed the forest? And helped killed everyone?.! You're no different from THEM!"
"I was angry, because I hated the Red Ribbon Army for doing this to me and my sister!.! And now... you..." 17 gently pulled her back, looking at her sadly - her face showed that her emotions wavered for a moment before she began to glare at him.
"You said you were going to visit me... maybe if you got there sooner, instead of being obsessed with your work like my father was - maybe you could've prevented me from watching him be murdered along with the others, before I was snatched up by that monster! Do you have any idea what they've been doing to me?"
All these words blurted out of her mouth with anger, as she began to tremble in his arms; and her expression was struggling between anger, hurt and confusion...
'She must hate me for showing up again... I thought... I thought she... would be happy...' 17 bit his lower lip as he gazed at 29, whom finally regained her full furious look again; and as he felt his spirits falling rapidly, he released her from his arms, backing away from the cold person, glaring at him with hatred...
.x:To Be Continued:x.