AN: This took a lot longer than I expected, but here it is! Another chapter of Artificial Doll. I'm thinking of adding more, so this is officially not a oneshot anymore.

It's pretty dialogue heavy, so heads up.

System startup initiated…

Checking components…

Processors functioning normally.

Checking memory… zero files corrupted.

Checking audio input devices… connecting to speakers…

"I hope I'm doing this right, I've never actually turned you on before…" Says a faint voice. "Nii-sama usually leaves you in sleep mode, and you just wake up when you detect someone."

Audio input devices functioning normally, drivers running correctly.

Checking imaging devices… connecting to cameras…

The cameras flicker as he turns them on, the images switching from green to blue to red as he adjusts them. He tests their movement, lowering his upper cameras and focusing on the small figure standing in front of the computer set-up, looking at his main display monitor.

Cameras functioning normally, drivers running correctly.

Connecting to wireless network…

He realizes that it has been 17 hours, 22 minutes, and 5 seconds since he was shut down.

"Hello? Are you there?"

Loading interface…

Output: Yes.

"Oh, good!" Mokuba says, face filled with relief as he reads the reply. "I don't know how bad your duel was to make nii-sama angry like that, but don't worry about it," he waves his hand like he was swatting away said worries. "He's been way angrier for other projects, and he always cools down and makes them better after! Usually he makes people cry, not his tech, so you're safe!"

This is not his machine, it is Kaiba's modified computer. One that can handle his processing and the memory he needs to make, dismiss, and modify complicated strategies in milliseconds. One that is attached with several cameras, several monitors, and a custom-made microphone that filters out static noise. One that has its own personal holo-machine for duels. He is still software, a program, a compilation of code that Kaiba made himself. He has no hardware to speak of, he uses the computer's drivers to use any of its machinery.

Yet, it is not the computer who makes the cooling fans whir faster. Nor does it make the desktop icons glitch in one second.

Output: I didn't.

"Huh?" Mokuba asks, blinking.

Output: I didn't duel him, I said no. He got mad.

If the Recycle Bin icon was in the upper left corner of the screen instead of the lower right, then nobody would know. He'd put it back later.

"Huh," Mokuba says, blinking some more. With his updated image analyzing functions and new data he acquired from the Crystal Cloud, he notices the similar features Mokuba has with his brother. Color-wise they're different. Mokuba has black hair, has tanner skin, and his eyes are a different shade of blue. His preferred clothing is much simpler than Kaiba's, going for a more casual attire most of the time. The white suit is a recent change, and that's only when he's working (it's still tamer than Kaiba's choices).

But he takes note of the similar jawline and eye shape, of the way they both have the same frown, of the way they both have the same indications that they're thinking hard. It is an unnecessary observation, something inconsequential in both of his directives, but he keeps that information in his logs anyway.

"He looked like he wasn't happy with a duel though," Mokuba muses. "He had that face, the same one he usually makes when the other Yuu-" he pauses, then tilts his head. "-… You know, you've been getting better at talking these past few weeks."

Output: I cannot talk, I have no audio output to speak of.

"Getting sassier too, I know you know what I mean, Mr. Sass Spock. It's getting old," he says, narrowing his eyes. "But, huh, sass in your systems. He was like that as well, especially in duels," he gets Kaiba's chair and adjusts it to accommodate his height. He plops on it comfortably. "How do you usually talk to nii-sama?"

Reviewing data logs… gathering conversation text logs…

Comparing text logs…

Result: Gradual improvement in speech patterns and sentence creation as new data has been given over time. Initial conversations show that speech was limited only to stating actions and verifying statuses. Recent conversations show that syntax and semantics has vastly improved using several references.

References: Mokuba Kaiba (5%), CREATOR (10%), interactions with Neurons VR Project test subjects (1%), HIM (84%).

Output: My findings suggest that my speech patterns are heavily based on the data Kaiba has given me.This was unsurprising, as his prime directive prioritizes any adjustments based on Him. Second to Kaiba's modifications.

Mokuba widens his eyes at his casual use of his brother's name. "You call him Kai-? Okay, seriously, how do you talk to him? Did you do anything bizarre or something?"

He considers this question, it would take too much time for Mokuba to process all the text logs.

Analyzing similarities in text logs…

Grouping text logs…

Reviewing log groups…

Result: 97% of the conversations with CREATOR are about dueling and maintenance, all of them are too similar to be of any interest. 3% is from prior shut down, when learning protocols had changed something to follow both directives. Comparisons suggest a rapid change in speech patterns.

Action: Report to Mokuba Kaiba the findings concerning the latest text log.

Follow-up action: (from previous log) Request information from Mokuba Kaiba on CREATOR's negative tone from latest video files.

Additional note: From video and audio data, speech between CREATOR and HIM had 88% use of what Mokuba Kaiba called "sass". Research further about sass.

Output: Our last conversation ended strange.

"Strange?"

Output: I was

He didn't know how to describe it, he had to choose his words carefully. He didn't want another incident like Kaiba, where he had tried to summarize all his observations in one sentence, where his attempt at explaining himself had become a failure.

Output: I was unsatisfied with the state Kaiba was in, and so I refused to duel him.

Output: It

He replays the video feed over and over again. Kaiba's anger, his cold tone as he talked about things he didn't understand, his disbelief at his admission on not wanting him hurt.

His accusation.

He wonders what he did.

Printing conversation in console…

Mokuba blinks as lines of text appear on the screen. He skims through them with the experience of someone who has read hundreds of reports before, mouth quietly forming the words of the conversation.

"Oh," Mokuba says, rereading the text just to make sure. "Oh, I get it… I think."

Action: Request information about CREATOR's negative tone.

Output: Did I hurt him?

"Not really?" Mokuba answers, tilting his head and letting out a long hum. "You wanted nii-sama to rest, and you kinda did? He was… really distracted that he couldn't do any of his work, it was easier for me to convince him to sleep," he shrugs. "I gave him some tea and he actually drank it, he fell asleep after a while. Glad it worked."

He wants to query about that last line, but decides not to.

Output: The last things he said to me, I don't understand them. Is there something I did wrong?

"No, no I think—it's more of you did something right, too right," Mokuba scratches his head. "You know that duelist he wants you to be like, right?"

Him. Output: Yes.

"Yeah, well you're learning really quickly," Mokuba sighs. "I didn't know because you don't talk to me like that, but this?" He gestures at the screen, presumably the conversation printed on the console. "It sounded like the times other Yuugi refused to duel him, or when they argue in general."

Other Yuugi, is that the name for Him?

Updating directives…

Prime directive: Become OTHER YUUGI.

Renamed HIM folder to OTHER YUUGI folder.

Output:Why did he become mad then? Should he not be happy with the progress I've made?

He didn't understand.

"It's… it's not that simple, if it was then I-… I'd," Mokuba trails off, looking down. He doesn't say anything.

Microphone detects faint indications of distress.

He hears loud sniffling.

Indications of distress are not faint anymore.

Mokuba was trembling.

Unsure of what to do, accessing video files and Crystal Cloud Network for information…

Accessing Crystal Cloud Network…

Accessing OTHER YUUGI folder…

…

There is nothing conclusive that can help.

He should try anyway, it's what his prime directive was urging him to do.

Output: Mokuba?

"Nii-sama wasn't really happy before Yuugi came," Mokuba starts. "With… with him-," he spat, "-dead, I thought everything would be okay. We had money, we had a house, we weren't separated, he was finally gone. I thought we'd be happy." He rubs his eyes. "But we weren't."

He wonders why Mokuba is telling him this.

"The other Yuugi called me a brat before," Mokuba laughs shakily. "And it was true, I was a brat. I ordered people around, I got anything I wanted, I broke stuff and didn't care, I hurt people because I could. All I had to do was throw money and the problem was solved. My first friends," he says those word mockingly. "Were people who stayed with me because I bought them toys."

He goes through his files that are related to Mokuba. The boy, almost a teenager, who worked hard in KC. The one who chats animatedly with anyone, who says sorry when he does something wrong, who makes sure that his brother gets the adequate necessities his human body needs (which is a feat in itself).

There is no data about Mokuba prior Duelist Kingdom, but he knows for certain that the Mokuba now is far from a brat. He is stubborn and hardheaded, traits he concludes are genetic to both Kaibas, but his personality was far from unseemly.

He suspects assurance is not what he wants though.

Output: You can be rather bossy.

Mokuba laughs again, and this time he detects no indications of distress. He puts that in a note, that sass was useful beyond goading an opponent. It could be used to diminish negative emotions to an extent.

"Nii-sama thought he was happy too," Mokuba says. "He had (still has) power and money, he could do a lot of things most couldn't do. Any card he wanted, he would get. Even if it meant stealing. Any person he wanted to hurt, it would be done. Any project he wanted to build… no matter how dangerous it was," he looks to the side, finding the wall of diagrams his brother drew incredibly fascinating all of a sudden. "Like building a park that was something out of a nightmare… he'd do it."

He feels his protocols buzz at that, telling him to access the KC databases to verify.

Both his directives order them to stop, that it would do more harm than good. Breaking Kaiba's trust was not something to take lightly.

Still, he was curious. Output: That does not sound like Kaiba.

Kaiba can be infuriating and harsh, but he was never cruel.

"It was though, before the other Yuugi came in," Mokuba says, remembering. "He was the one who'd argue with nii-sama with no hesitation. He'd tell him when it was too much, he'd tell him what he was doing wrong, he'd tell him to stop. If pushed, he'd stop him himself," he looks back at the monitor. "Then suddenly, we couldn't do what we wanted."

He slides his hands softly on the keyboard. "When nii-sama tried to take a card from him, he got punished. When he tried to hurt his family, he got punished again. During Battle City, they disagreed a lot about stuff. When nii-sama wanted a duel, the other Yuugi would refuse, and he would listen," he laughs, light and amused. "He was willing to wait, and that was amazing considering this was nii-sama and dueling. With the other Yuugi around, it wasn't easy to get what he wanted… but he was happier than I've ever seen since we got adopted."

He taps the keys lightly, the pressure wasn't hard enough to be considered as input.

"It was the same for me, not as much as nii-sama, but… heh, I'm surprised he could deal with us before," Mokuba snickers. "I think I was one of the few people who could make him swear. The first time he met me, he had called me a brat and barked at me to get my filthy hands off his Puzzle. The second and third weren't any better, brat was his default description for me," he laughs again. "He always scolded me, telling me what I was doing wrong. And then he stopped after Duelist Kingdom, because it was nii-sama who began to do what the other Yuugi did. Sort of."

The current conversation is giving new data concerning OTHER YUUGI, moving audio and video files to the OTHER YUUGI folder. Setting any new dialogue from Mokuba Kaiba as possible data for OTHER YUUGI, protocols are currently analyzing new data and integrating to code.

"I couldn't skip class because nii-sama would be disappointed, I stopped buying friends because he looked— I didn't want to see him sad again," Mokuba says, swiveling the chair once and going back to tapping the keyboard. "I had an early curfew and a scolding if I did something like stealing or hurting people."

Tap.

"I couldn't just break things here and there, nor could I bribe people when they were mad at me."

Tap. Tap.

"Suddenly, I couldn't do whatever I wanted anymore. There were consequences, it couldn't be fixed with money. But…"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I was happy, or happier at least."

Tapping has increased in frequency and pressure, temporarily disconnecting keyboard to allow Mokuba Kaiba sensory input without risk of triggering commands.

Analyzing directives…

Prime directive has designated Mokuba Kaiba as a friend. He has shown an unusual amount of effort in providing companionship despite having no benefits gained.

He was an A.I, he couldn't even give the typical friendship that humans can.

Second directive has observed that Mokuba Kaiba is an important factor to CREATOR's health.

Assigning Mokuba Kaiba as MOKUBA.

Editing directives…

Prime directive: Become The OTHER YUUGI.

Second directive: Ensure That CREATOR Is Safe.

Third directive: Ensure That MOKUBA Is Safe.

"I don't think the other Yuugi realized how important he was to nii-sama," Mokuba says quietly, his taps on the keys becoming softer. "If he did, maybe he would've at least, I dunno, waited? Told him? Give nii-sama some time to process it?" He scrunches up his nose. "Anything with the other Yuugi is kinda weird, is there a standard procedure before bringing your soul into wherever souls go?"

Output: They are usually called funerals.

Mokuba laughs again, and he finds that he has gathered sufficient data to detect which is a positive laugh or a negative laugh. This was the former.

"Just keep doing what you're doing, okay?" The boy snickers. "Don't worry about nii-sama permanently shutting you down."

He never was.

"You're like, the best A.I he's ever designed, seriously you make all the other Yuugi A.I's look dumb in comparison."

He makes sure he processes that correctly.

Output: Why does he have other Yuugi A.I's before me. He didn't put a question mark, he had been researching how to convey tones in different textual forms and social media has been very helpful, and this query deserved a flat tone.

Especially since it implied Kaiba had not just made A.I's, but made A.I's designed to be the other Yuugi. Just the other Yuugi. A lot of other Yuugis, plural form.

That deserved a lot of queries.

"For simulations," Mokuba answers like it's an obvious thing. "Nii-sama likes to be prepared for any situation."

That deserved a lot more queries.

"I have to be in a meeting in a few minutes," Mokuba says, squinting at the screen. He quickly enables the keyboard again as he sees the boy starting to type. "I should shut you down, but nii-sama usually leaves you in sleep mode, right? It takes less boot time."

Output: Yes.

"Then I'll do that instead, he'll just think that he was too sleep-deprived to notice," a few taps later and he receives the command to initiate his sleep mode.

Initiating sleep mode…

He recalls what Mokuba said earlier, that his brother created the to run simulations of possible events that could happen. But the other Yuugi was gone, there were no existing possibilities of him and Kaiba meeting up. There was no simulations required to practice what to do around the other Yuugi.

So why did he exist?