A/N: I've always thought about what went on during Gou's stay in America and what happened during his training as Mach. I know we have the Mach Novel, but I'm not sure if it will ever get translated into English. The main reason why I was wanting to write this was because I was especially interested in how Gou 'mastered' his Signal Bikes, which will be explained in later chapters and I can't wait until then. But this story would just be my version of what happened.

Now, you have no idea how hard it was to try and pick a starting point for this fanfic. I had multiple options to choose from in the beginning. Harley's entrance also took me awhile to figure out and it still stinks in my opinion. This is also my first time trying to get into Gou's mind, pre-Roidmude hating that is. I think I have episodes 12-14 stuck in my head now because I've watched them so much just for this chapter. Had to make sure that several things were correct and would sync up with what I have planned for later chapters.

This chapter has been done for a long time now, probably a few months at best. However, I was hesitant on posting it up until now. Blame my pickiness as well, especially with the ending, which I'm still not 100% in love with. Seems crappy even when I rewrote it several times after just giving up and leaving it the way it was. Bleh.

This has already been posted up on AO3 a little over a week ago, so I decided to post it here as well.

The setting sun painted the lightly clouded sky a beautiful orange and red as it slowly crept its way beneath the horizon near the peaks of Superstition Mountains. It was the perfect setting for an even perfect photo. That was what a lone figure, having been perched on top of a large nearby boulder near the dirt road, had been waiting for. He had been waiting for nearly two and a half hours for this exact moment to come.

SNAP!

A grin settled on the teen's lips as he lowered his camera, pressing the gallery button on it to bring up the recently taken picture. It was perfect. The way the fading sunlight hit the mountains at the right angle, the brilliant colors illuminating the few clouds above them – this was the reason why Gou had chosen this exact spot. It had taken him a few weeks to figure out the best place for this photo. All the others places that he had been around these mountains didn't give him the right results he had been looking for. For that exact reason he had been dubbed the perfectionist in his advanced photography class last semester.

Why go so far for a photo, especially in a hot place like Arizona? This specific photo was going to be sent to his older sister, Kiriko, back in Japan as soon as he got back to his apartment in Phoenix. The teen felt a tug pulling his lips into a frown before he clutched the camera to his chest and front flipped off the boulder. He landed neatly on the ground before making his way back to his motorcycle that was parked just off the dirt road a few meters away, though paused after a few steps.

Japan… It seemed like it had just been yesterday that he had left Japan to come to America for college. It was funny when he thought about it; was Kiriko still upset at him for making that decision a little over a year ago? Gou could still clearly recall what had happened that day.

It had been raining all afternoon as they stood underneath the tree, shielding themselves with two different umbrellas. Neither of them spoke much on their weekly trip to see visit their mother's grave marker. There had been an uneasy feeling hanging around them for the past few days.

Kiriko rose her eyes from their mother's grave after a few moments and glanced over at her little brother, who stood rooted to the spot. The recent high school graduate had been silent for most of the day and it was starting to worry her now.

"Gou, is something wrong?" Kiriko asked, placing a hand on Gou's shoulder, whose eyes were fixated on Shijima Sumiko's grave marker. Upon hearing her voice, the teen blinked before looking up at her, chewing on his bottom lip. There was a struggle of emotions on his face, as if he was having an internal debate about something.

"Gou?" Kiriko repeated as a concerned look appeared on her face. Just what was bothering him so much that he couldn't tell her? Ever since he graduated, he had been acting strange.

Gou turned his head away from his sister, a sigh escaping his lips. He mentally and physically steeled himself for what was about to happen. His sister was unpredictable when it came to these types of situations. This wasn't the best time to tell her, but because she was asking, and was going to keep asking until she got an answer, he had to tell her.

"Neechan. I'm going to study abroad in America." Gou responded after a moment's hesitation, eyes focusing on a tree in the distance. His body had tensed as he waited to hear her reaction. Silence met his ears and that made his breath catch in his throat. There was no protesting, no raised voices coming from Kiriko, which was extremely odd. Taking a chance, the teen slowly turned his head, eyes zeroing in on the cop's face. The look that she was giving him made his heart drop and caused his stomach to twist into several knots. Immediately, he had regretted saying what he did.

"W-what? Why America? Gou! You don't -" Kiriko started protesting once the news finally sank in, eyes wide with shock as her voice cracked a bit. Gou placed his hands on her shoulder, causing his sister to stare at him, the protests having died in her throat at the sudden movement. Her eyes searched his, trying to figure out the reason why he didn't tell her sooner or why he wanted to move to America.

"Neechan! I need a change of scenery. Besides, I plan to come back after the year-long program is up. It's not like I am going to be gone forever. Just… trust me on this." He said in a level tone, though there was a hint of regret in his voice as he spoke. He could tell how she was upset just by the way she pulled him into a hug.

"Just… stay safe. You're the only one I have left." Her voice was muffled, but he could get the gist of what she was saying as he held her. Even though she couldn't see it, Gou nodded at that, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips. This was going to be one long year.

Gou shook his head to clear his mind and ran his free hand through his hair. It would have been a lie to say that he didn't feel homesick for Japan. Even though there were a few dozen foreign students at the university he attended, there were only five Japanese students, excluding himself, who he had found during the past two semesters. Though he could speak English pretty well at this point, according to his professors and fellow classmates, he still preferred to speak in his native language. That would always confuse the people around him, as it was very rare that any language other than English and Spanish were spoken around the college campus. Things just weren't the same as they were back in his home country.

The teen stopped walking and lifted his camera up to his face, focusing the lens and snapping a photo of the sky above. Hmmm, maybe he could stay out here for just a bit longer. Just long enough to take a few more pictures of the landscape before the fading light gave way to the creeping darkness and forced him to head back.

Maybe instead of sending her one photo, the teen could send her several once again like before. In a previous phone call a few weeks ago, Kiriko mentioned that she loved his photos of the Grand Canyon that he and a few friends went to visit on a weekend trip. However, she did give him an earful since one of the photos had him standing on the edge of the canyon in a very dramatic pose. She had, once again, told him that going to America fed his danger-loving side a little too much and that she was getting worried about him.

"Neechan needs to lighten up." Gou said with a chuckle before jogging a few meters away and glanced around with a catlike grin, eyes searching for something unique to photograph. Peering through the lens as he crouched down, he focused on trying to find the perfect angle to capture a towering rock formation a hundred feet from where he parked his bike.

He never seemed to notice that a motorcycle with a sidecar attached to it, had driven up while he was in his own little world. Nor did he see the owner who was driving the said motorcycle get off and stand beside it, watching him carefully a few meters away from his own bike.

The older male chuckled to himself as he watched Gou wander further away from his bike, so focused on capturing more pictures of various desert plant life and rock formations. Sudden beeping coming from his hand drew Harley's attention down onto the small white bike in his palm, a surprised look settling on his face. Well, that was a first! The signal bike darted off his hand and circled around him before zooming off towards the teenager. So, his assumptions were correct! Shijima Gou was the best candidate to test the Mach System out of all the kids that studied at the university.

Right as Gou snapped another picture of the mountains in the fading light, he blinked as he lowered his camera, having caught a small white streak passing in front of the camera lens, blocking out half the mountain. Just what was that? As the teen went to press the gallery button to see what the object was, he jumped a bit as a beeping sound which reminded him of a small jingle that one would use as a text message ringtone, came from beside him. Quickly turning towards the sound, camera poised as he did so, the teen took another photo. He was able to briefly see what was making the noise before it darted out of his field of vision. It was a white miniature bike… that was flying? Wait, what? How could that be?

Though as he continued to stare through the lens, the teen was quick to snag another picture of the strange bike as it appeared again before he paused. Something – or someone in this case – was standing in the background with a thumbs up and a large grin on their face. An older man with a grey beard and a motorcycle with a side car beside him… Side car? Gou blinked as he took in what he saw.

Professor Harley?

Wait, Professor Harley was here? Gou immediately lowered the camera and confirmed that yes, it was him. His eyebrows drew together in confusion when his attention fell onto the small bike as it briefly landed on his camera before taking off again. He would be lying if he wasn't a bit wary of the bike as he tracked it.

"Hah, hah, hah! Gou, my boy! It seems you're making a new friend." Harley chuckled, a large smile plastered across the professor's face as he observed Signal Mach as it continued to circle around the watchful teen. The sounds coming from the small bike seemed almost happy in a strange sort of way.

"P-professor, this isn't one of your crazy inventions, is it?" Gou asked, the confusion evident in his voice as he tilted his head to the side when the signal bike dove past him, still chattering away. Just what was thing, why did Harley have it and what was the substitute professor from the University doing out here anyways? That right there made him rather suspicious.

"Of course not! That is a signal bike and a special one at that, Gou. It's chosen you." Harley chuckled, clapping his hands in front of him. Signal… bike? Just what was a signal bike? Gou knew from experience that the professor had invented several objects and devices in the past, but this was by far his strangest and somehow the most intriguing one to date.

"Wait, chosen me for what? Just what is going on here?" Gou almost demanded, staring at the professor with an inquisitive look. Chosen for what? There was something that was going on and he wanted to find out what. What was so important that it had to be kept a secret from everyone? Was it something that dangerous that it would cause a mass panic? It looked like he was about to get his wish when Harley's face grew serious.

"You may not know it, Gou, but the world is in danger from mechanical androids called Roidmudes. Very dangerous. That bike and a system called the Mach Driver is the only thing able to stand up against them in America. All it needs is a compatible human to operate it. That is why I'm here." Harley explained, shifting his weight, resting a hand on the handlebar of his motorcycle, staring directly at the college student.

"Danger? Danger is my middle name, professor." He answered, cracking a small smile. Harley should know that by now that he loved look what he did in his spare time. Almost everything he did had a hint of danger attached to it. These robots he mentioned were called Roidmudes? Strange as it sounded, they didn't sound too dangerous to him, but then again, the professor didn't give him any more information regarding the subject. But he was indeed interested, and that showed his facial features. Just when the college student opened his mouth to ask the professor for more information regarding this Mach Driver and the Roidmudes, Harley's phone in his pocket started to ring. Closing his mouth, Gou watched him pulled it out, his sharp eyes noticing how the professor glanced what the name and number was on the screen before chuckling to himself and answering it.

Just what –

"Ah, Harley. Has there been any progress in finding possible candidates for the Next System? I fear we may be running out of time. If something were to happen to Shinnosuke, we would be left defenseless against the Roidmudes." The voice of a stranger came through the phone, loud enough that Gou could hear what they were talking about even from his distance from a few meters away. Either this stranger was naturally loud, or Professor Harley always answered his calls on speaker. Speaking of the stranger, his voice sounded… mechanical for some reason, as the college student listened in. That was odd, but it also rose his curiosity even more, surprisingly enough.

Just what was he getting himself into though? What was this next system all about, other than what was mentioned to him? Who was this Shinnosuke person and just what exactly were these Roidmudes that Professor Harley briefly explained capable of? All these questions and more plagued his mind, but he didn't have time to question Harley as he felt a light pressure on his shoulder. Gou blinked, eyes darting over to the small white bike that had landed on his right shoulder, producing small beeps at him. Was this thing trying to communicate with him? From how the small bike wiggled on his shoulder and the tone of the beeps that were coming from it, he had a gut feeling that it was trying to ask him something important.

But whatever it was was lost in translation. He didn't speak the machine's language at all. His eyebrows drew together at the thought of a small machine having the capability to try and communicate with him. Just how did Harley -

"I believe I have found the one. This kid has a lot of energy, determination and focus, perfect for testing the Mach System. Besides, Signal Mach chose him itself, meaning that there is high compatibility between the two. It's the first time since it was created that the bike activated on its own. You can't argue with the Signal Bike, Krim." Harley laughed, causing Gou to snap his gaze back over to the older man again, breaking him out of his train of thought. The said professor had glanced back at the college student and caught the now suspicious look that the teen was now giving.

"Hmm… This is promising. Who is this candidate?" Silence fell over the phone before the voice spoke again, as if mulling over what Harley had said. There was curiosity in his tone that the teen had picked up on, but there were hints of concern and worry mixed in as well. Just what was with his tone? Gou didn't have time to think over what the mechanical voice was worried about when he noticed that Harley flashed him a thumbs up, grinning. The teen tilted his head at that. What was that suppose to –

"Shijima Gou. I've been watching him closely over the past few months. He'll be able to handle the stress that the Mach System puts on its user with precise training. I'll be tuning it as necessary as we go." The grin on Harley's face blossomed into a large smile as he spoke. A puzzled look immediately surfaced on his face at the situation unfolding in front of him. Stress? Exactly what kind of stress what the professor talking about?

"S-Sensei! Are you sure!? He's –" The mechanical sounding voice sputtered at the very mention of the teen's name, unable to mask his shock and anger. That stumped him even more. Just why was Krim acting like this? Was there something that he was missing, some major detail that was being left out to which he really needed to know about?

"Shut up Krim!" Harley's voice was firm as he spoke, the smile fading from his lips. Almost immediately the phone went silent. Gou had unconsciously flinched at his tone, having heard it several times before during the classes that he had subbed in. It was never a good thing when the professor used that tone of voice.

"Harley! You do understand that he is Kiriko's brother! Why would she say if –" The phone crackled to life once again, the voice having an urgent, almost pleading tone to it.

Gou's eyes went wide at the mention of his sister and he felt his body tense up, heart thumping loudly in his chest. Time seemed to have slowed down for him as he tried to process the information. Wait, so this Krim person knew his sister, as did Harley? What was the reason why Krim and Harley wanted to keep this a secret from his sister? Was this Next System device really that dangerous? His eyes darted back to the professor as if to silently question him for those answers. However, the said man was no longer looking in his direction. Instead, Harley had a focused look on his face as he shifted the phone to his other hand.

"He's the best candidate, Krim. I've seen him walk to class on his hands many times and not hit anyone on his way there and he has displayed great agility on various occasions. That takes strength, endurance and skill. He'll be fine. This is my final decision." Harley replied, hand waving through the air as he did so. Gou could hear the mechanical voice sigh in defeat at Harley's decision.

"I-if you say so, Sensei. I await his – " Anything else Krim was going to say was cut off as a sound of a door closing echoed out of the phone, as well as a fainter male and feminine in the background. That caught the teen's interest almost immediately. Just who was it that was –

" – Krim, who are you speaking to?"

Gou's fingers twitched, almost losing his grip on his camera as there was an audible click and the call ended without Krim answering the new voice that came through. Kiriko… Gou's eyes darted from side to side as his mind started to race to figure out what he should do. If Neechan was indeed involved in this Roidmude business, he had to do something, anything to protect her, even if he was in America! He didn't want anything to happen to his only family member left in this world. He would never be able to forgive himself if she got hurt!

Movement from Harley caused the teen to glance up as the professor approached him. It was at that moment something clicked in his head and he knew exactly what he wanted, no, what he had to do! Protect his Neechan! Protect the smile that he always remembered her wearing when they were younger. Protect that smile that he missed seeing so much over the past year. Whatever the stress that the Next System would put on him in the coming days, it would be well worth it to keep her safe, even at a distance.

"Are you willing to take up the mantle of Mach to save the world, Mr. Gou?" Harley locked eyes with his as the professor asked the question. Would he be willing? Of course he would be willing! A soft beeping drew his gaze to the small bike as it whirled around him, as if the bike was asking him as well.

"Professor, you should know by now that I love danger. I'll test the Mach System. I'll do anything to protect Neechan." An almost cocky smile slid across his lips as he shifted his gaze back to the older man, giving him a nod. Harley chuckled, and clapped the teenager on the back, almost throwing him off balance in the process.

"That's the attitude I like!" He commented, poking him the chest before laughing again, "Hahaha, I had a feeling you would say yes. Then it's settled! Everything will be explained back at my lab. Follow me." Wait, follow him? A slight frown replaced the smile that he was wearing as his gaze followed Harley, who walked back over to his motorcycle. Harley gave him a grin after he got onto his bike.

"Well, I can't show you the Mach System nor explain everything without visuals standing around here, now can I?" Harley asked with a chuckle. The small white bike gave a several 'happy' beeps and weaved its way over to the professor before disappearing into a small bag that rested inside the sidecar.

Gou was silent, mind going over what he had said before nodding a bit. Taking off and sliding his camera into his bag, the teen swung up onto his motorcycle as well, starting it up in one smooth motion.

Just what was he getting himself into?