Chobits: Origins

Author's Note: I've been meaning to do this for years. I noticed that the persocoms in the Chobits series seemed a lot like Reploids from the MMZ era and vice-versa. So here it is, I hope you enjoy my crossover!

Instance One: The Red Persocom

It was the worst possible time to have to run an errand. For an entire week it has been raining relentlessly, and Yumi was caught in the middle of it. She clutched the small bundle close to her chest, trying to block it from the wind and rain as best she could. She had an umbrella, but a well placed gust took it away from her. Cold, damp and miserable, Yumi could only trudge on through the storm.

"Gah, this is the last time I let Dad forget to shop." Yumi thought to herself. Her teeth were too busy chattering.

Opening her eyes, she noticed that the ground before her was splashed with white light. Her mind raced as she realized what it meant. On pure instinct alone she threw herself to the side. A car screamed by, sending vegetables and fruits flying into the air.

Yumi lay there on the grass. She gave herself a moment to calm down before pushing herself back up. She turned over and looked down the street, watching the two red lights slowly fade beyond the haze. Wrinkling her nose, she picked herself up and dusted off her coat.

"Jerk. Good thing I didn't catch his license plate." She grumbled.

Looking up, her eye caught a glint of reflected metal. Upon examining the base of a nearby tree, she saw that something was laying there. Curious, Yumi went over and knelt beside the object. It was wrapped in a tattered, brown cloak; completely soaked with water.

"Why, it's..." She reached out and pulled away some of the material, revealing a face. "...It's a persocom!" The persocom seemed to be sleeping, for it didn't react to her touch. Pulling and tugging at the cloak, she soon found the seam and pulled it off. A gasp escaped her lips as she gazed upon the persocom. This one was unlike any other she had ever seen in her life.

The persocom's body was built lean and strong. It was dressed in red armor, along with a helmet adorned with a strange jewel on the front. However, the most imposing sight was the persocom's face. It was calm and commanding; even when unconscious, he seemed unafraid of his compromising position.

Yumi reached into her coat and searched feverishly through her pockets. Pulling out a phone she opened it and dialed a number. She brought the phone to her cheek and waited. "C'mon..." She repeated as she looked to the sky. "Hello, Dad? Something's happened and I need you to get here, quick! Ask if you can borrow Isamu-chan's car. Just hurry!"

Z

Yumi's father came and brought her, along with the mysterious persocom, home. While he was out returning the car to its owner, she was able to examine the persocom closer.

As he lay in her bed, she ran a finger on his arm; timidly as though he would suddenly wake and grab her. She was surprised to find that the armor on his arm was thick indeed. It was not fleshy like the bodies of other persocoms.

After touching his shoulder and his chest, she finally gained the courage to touch his face: a mere poke on the cheek. His face was pliable, like real tissue. She almost felt, which she would start to question later on, as though he really was human.

"Yumi?"

Yumi jumped and turned hearing a voice downstairs. She clutched at her heart and sighed in relief, realizing it was her father. "I'm up here!" Yumi answered. She heard her father's footsteps approach and heard the door open. Her father came up behind her and she knew he was examining the persocom.

"Odd sort, isn't he?" Her father said. Yumi nodded, staring down at the persocom's face. "You said you found him outside? In this weather?" He asked. Yumi nodded again and looked up and back at him. "Leaning on a tree."

Her father mused as he went to the other side of the bed. "He seems to have run out of power." He said. Yumi's eyes widened and she looked down at the persocom. "You mean he's...dead?" Her father shook his head. "I'm not sure." He leaned down and placed a hand on the persocom's helmet, slowly tilting it to the side. "He has ports. Why don't we have our persocom check him. He could still be active, but just so."

Yumi nodded and ran out, returning with their own persocom. She led it to the bedside and her father opened the sides of their heads and connected them together with wires. Their persocom started to scan the other's system when suddenly the most astonishing thing happened.

Their persocom started twitching and sparking. Neither Yumi or her father knew what to do. Soon the spasms became violet. Just as soon as it had began, it ended, and their persocom was sprawled out on the floor. Seeing the emptiness in its blank stare, she knew their persocom was dead.

"Holy Hell." Yumi's father exclaimed. "I've never seen anything like this!" Yumi could only stare down at the red persocom, who still lay peacefully, unaffected by the event that just took place. Yumi's father scratched his head, a habit he had developed when perplexed.

"Well." He said, coming to a conclusion. "I think we charge him up in hopes he becomes lively again. If he does, we can sure use him. It would cost us a fortune to buy another persocom."

Yumi nodded absentmindedly, not hearing a word her father said. As he went about disconnecting the two persocoms, plugging in the red one to the outlet and carrying out their old one, Yumi only saw the red persocom and his stoic features.

"What is he?"

Z

That night, in her father's bed, Yumi barely slept. She was kept awake and restless by the image of the red persocom. There was something about the mysterious persocom that she was trying to solve. In that head, deep inside the circuitry and pulsing with each 1 or 0 was some dark secret. She knew that his appearance was not just by chance; it couldn't be.

In the morning, Yumi shuffled down the hall and stopped before her bedroom door. She chewed at her lip, staring at the knots and paths in the wood of the door, wondering if the persocom would be active or not. She took a deep breath as she reached for the door handle. The click sounded loud and the door squeaked, which she had never noticed before in the many years of entering and leaving her bedrooom. With one last push of courage, she opened the door.

Yumi stood stricken in the lavender lenses.

The persocom was sitting on the edge of the bed, framed by the grey sunlight. Its shadow stretched across the floor and settled at her feet. He was like some red monolith, bearing over her when he was really only a few inches taller. Yumi stared into those eyes, which stared back. They were intelligent and clear; sharp like a blade of moistened steel. The smile that once curled his lips was replaced by a solemn slit.

"Hi." Yumi blurted awkwardly, uncomfortable with the way it broke the silence. The persocom continued to stare at her, unmoving. Yumi raised a trembling hand and brought it to her chest. "My name is Yumi. What's your name?" The persocom's eyes moved off of hers and scanned the rest of her. Coming back up, they rested once more on her eyes. His head inclined slightly as he spoke. "I'm Zero." He said in a soft voice. Though it was no more than a whisper, and his lips barely parted, it commanded her attention. She knew well looking at him that he would not repeat himself.

"Zero?" She asked, finding it an odd name even for a persocom. Zero's eyes squinted accusingly. "It doesn't appeal to you?" Yumi jumped visibly and waved her hands. "No, no! It's not that! I've just never heard a name like that before." The red persocom closed his eyes indignantly and pushed himself off the bed. "It is an unusual name, I admit. But it's a name - the only one I have."

Yumi almost sensed a twinge of sadness in his voice. She felt pity now more than intimidation in the persocom's presence. As she opened her mouth to inquire further another question filled the air: "Are you the one who helped me?" Yumi smiled and nodded. "Yes. I found you out in the rain storm. My father brought you here and charged you." Zero stared at her, but inside he was thinking over what she disclosed to him.

He walked toward her, and the polarity of emotions in Yumi's mind - wether to step back in fear or step closer in pity - caused her to remain frozen in place. He stopped before her and bowed his head slightly. "I appreciate the favor you have done for me. If there's any way I can repay you and your father, please let me know." Yumi let out a small breath of relief. She gave a eye-crinkling smile. "You're very welcome, Zero."

Yumi led Zero downstairs to the café below. On the way, Yumi took the moment to satisfy her curiosity, asking him how he came about passing out at the foot of the tree. "It was raining." Zero explained brusquely. "I wasn't able to charge in the sun."

Entering the café "My Pleasure", Yumi's father looked up from scrubbing the counter and smiled. "Good, you're up." He came around from behind the counter and put his hands on his hips. "How are you feeling?" Zero shrugged, giving him a blank stare. "Fine." Yumi's father nodded, pursing his lips. "Good. Because I want to discuss a matter of business." "Dad." Yumi interjected. After all, the persocom only just regained consciousness.

"That would be?" Zero asked, fixing his eyes on his. With a swallow and strained neck, Yumi's father continued. "You see, charging a persocom runs up a large bill, and now we've just lost our own persocom, that will also be costly." "Lost a persocom?" Zero inquired. Following the father's finger, Zero saw a tarp in the corner of the room. It was lumpy; obviously a body was beneath it. "We lost it when we tried to hook it up to your system."

Zero wheeled about on Yumi, his eyes wide and intense. Yumi, shrinking under the lavender terror, spoke softly as to appease him. "Just to make sure you were alright." She explained. Zero remained as he was, his eyes never leaving hers and standing deathly still. His hands were clenched tight, and he looked ready to suddenly burst. He closed his eyes and forced his hands open. To Yumi's surprise, he smiled. It was a cold smile that filtered a deep chuckle. "Well, I guess that's what happens when you invade privacy." He said. Eyeing Yumi's father out of the corner of his eye, he continued. "But is seems it was done in good faith."

Crossing his arms and closing his eyes, Zero continued to smirk. "I'll be more that willing to work in payment of my debt to you, as well as the deactivation of your persocom, which I believe you're holding against me, too." "Well, it's just..." Yumi's father began. Zero raised a hand casually and shook his head. "No need, I understand it's circumstantial. I'll work it off along with the electric bill." His hand then fell before Yumi's father, who suddenly found himself reflected in a pair of lavender lenses. He reached out and shook hands with Zero.

That moment was branded into Yumi's memory forever, for she knew seeing her father and Zero locked hand in hand, eye to eye, that life as it was would be no more.