Aurick Wily was seen as an odd child in the neighborhood.
He never cried past infancy, and instead of playing with toy blocks or babbling at thin air; he observed the adults when they held conversations a child normally wouldn't understand. Aurick rarely spoke unless he was addressed directly by his guardians. All Aurick did was sit back and watch everything. It was almost as if the child was detached from the world through his gray-blue eyes. Bert, his older brother, was much more normal to the point any comparison of them was uncanny.
Bert would excitedly talk about the newest episode of a kid's show, and his little brother would barely listen with an impassive expression. Bert would draw child drawings while Aurick would edit those silly doodles with notes too detailed to be normal. Bert pulled his sibling along every outside adventure, Aurick would judge the world with an internal voice. Those eyes looked too old and too wise.
It was simple to see Aurick was not a normal child.
Other children his age avoided him. Bert is the only accomplice Aurick had. It's a sad sight but the adults wouldn't do anything about it. That child was just too weird. They didn't want their children around Aurick either. Who knows what type of behavior he'd influence off them?
Of all the times Wily had joked about reincarnation and how bullshit it was; he was thoroughly thrashed in the face by life itself. There's no point in taking back all those jokes but that doesn't mean he can't be horribly bitter about his new appearance. He looked somewhat similar to his old self, minus his new hair, no cleft chin and lack of wrinkles. Wily definitely wasn't a fan of his new red-orange hair. He had half a mind to dye it blond when his new 'family' stopped breathing down his back for everything he did.
Independence is important, kids.
Wily also had to deal with another unexpected but not entirely unwelcome surprise. He was a single child before; the scientist didn't see the chances of gaining a sibling but it happened. Not even as the older sibling, but a couple years younger.
Bert Wily...He's guessing the other's actual name was 'Albert Wily' but just shortened for the idiots of the world who couldn't produce a few syllables. Why baby the world from saying mere titles and labels? As if that would have the younger generation tolerant toward foreigners.
So he's living as an infant born to a German semi-functional family with a non-tarnished reputation using his surname.
Wily doesn't know what to feel. He's conflicted about his new name but the reborn-scientist had decided there were more pressing manners. Much more important than his 'supposed copy' of sorts.
Where exactly was he?
Not Mega City. He knew that city inside out. He knew escape tunnels and shortcuts through the alleyways. This unfamiliar maze consisting of buildings and technology was new. Robots resided in the outside world. They were seen walking around and accompanying humans more than Wily would have liked. This screamed a whole new different time.
Location aside; the whole act of 'Family' was nice while bleeding neon rainbows but he couldn't stick around. His robots might still be out there. Wily knew he had to escape, but his limbs were too small and undeveloped to only take him so far. He was stuck with them for the time being.
A small part of himself solemnly whispered being reborn doesn't mean he had the luck to end up in the same world as before.
Wily absolutely refused to acknowledge that thought.
And so, he wanted to do research, and who else would help him but Bert?
"Mom! I'm going to show Aurick some computer games!" Bert called as he practically dragged his younger brother to the computer room. Aurick mumbled something as the door was finally closed. "Okay, so…" Bert gave his brother an excited look in those twinkling eyes of emerald green. "I got a ton of games for us to try together. I think you'll like it!" He turned on the machine and got to surfing the web.
"Maybe let's start with the classics…" Uncertainty surrounded his features as he struggled to find what he wanted.
Aurick carefully watched. He abruptly grumbled a harsh statement. "Parental controls?" The question was bitter, almost disgusted.
Bert looked sheepish. "Your knowledge of big words still impresses me, Aurick. Even Mom and Dad don't understand it." He laughed lightly, glancing back to the computer. "The Internet can be dangerous. I don't doubt them if its to protect us." He admitted genuinely.
Aurick slid in next to his bright yet still immature sibling. The single chair became cramped. "Pass." He grunted, taking the mouse under his small fingers.
"Wha? Aurick!" Bert shifted to stop him but paused when after a moment of silence, the strict controls have been lifted. "How did you do that?" He was amazed. How had his little brother bypassed the parental-control at the age of four? Bert had no idea but now he was curious about the oddity surrounding his sibling!
Aurick only huffed, leaving Bert no answers and more questions "I don't want to play any games." He purposely didn't react when Bert deflated. "Can't we see what's on the news instead?" The puzzled expression from the actual child made Aurick sigh. "Fine. Let's play a couple. Nothing too complicated." Bert took over the mouse again and the two relapsed in their weekly brother bonding time.
Aurick won by several landslide wins. If he noticed the other red-head occasionally staring at him; there was no reaction.
"I gotta use the bathroom, hold on!" Bert hastily announced, darting out the room with reckless abandon.
When he got back, Bert held a positive smile of a challenge. "Okay, Aurick, lets," He paused, blinking slowly when he noticed his little brother curled on the chair with little arms hiding everything from the world.
"Aurick?" Bert worriedly questioned, an uncomfortable pit in his stomach as he approached slowly. "Aurick? You okay?" A hand reached out to touch the other.
"Don't touch me." His younger brother's muffled hiss caused Bert to quickly retract his hand. The sudden hostility was alarming but not unheard of when it came to Aurick.
"Oh. Okay. Sorry…" Bert awkwardly murmured, mood lessened.
The boy with emerald-hues quietly waited. Minutes went by with a heavy sigh from both occupants of the room. The computer resounded a comforting soft humming of a fantastic machine. He continued to stare at Aurick a moment longer before sliding into the chair without the other's permission, listening to the indigent squawk of his younger sibling. In fact, the smaller child almost fell, but Bert was quick enough to shift both of their positions.
"I don't really know what's going on," Bert started before his brother could say anything. "But," He averted his eyes when Aurick glared with as much intensity an adult could muster; which should be impossible. "I'm sorry you're sad. Do you...Do you wanna talk about it?" Bert tried, eyes flicking back over to his suddenly impassive family member.
"No." Aurick grumbled in his usual, 'I'm being difficult because I want to' tone. He's heard that tone before; as it been used against multiple adults who have been a bit mean to them both.
"Oh," Bert mumbled again, because usually when he asks this; most open up and he would listen. "Sorry." Emerald eyes shimmered in sorrow as he apologized once again.
"Don't give me that look." Aurick grit out, face turning red. "Bert, I'm just annoyed. You look like I killed a puppy; could you stop?" He grumbled with no small amount of irritation, and the supposed older of the two smiled with an aura of pretend.
"I just don't want you to be sad. You never smile, Aurick." Bert explained with the same smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I thought playing games with you would help." Yet all his younger sibling did was stare blankly at the screen and take an occasional loss with a shrug and click of the teeth.
Bert moved, scooping up his little sibling with a swift movement. Aurick began to protest with a hiss of the lips. "They want to take you to the doctor." His little sibling went silent, glaring at the polished wood floor. "You're not sick." Bert murmured, a statement meant to assure himself and his brother overall.
The computer room continued to hum. Both boys remained in the semi-comforting silence.
"Yeah. I'm not." Aurick agreed bluntly. His gray-blue eyes lacked a heated luster but held a promise of truth and sincerity. There was no reason to lie. Their guardians were simply overreacting to the uniqueness that happens to surround the younger son of the family. This was bound to happen eventually.
"Do you want to…Help me draw?" Bert began nervously and brightened when Aurick nodded slowly.
The two left the computer room with an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance, and peace.
Whatever came next wouldn't destroy the semi-constructed fort of the two conflicted siblings.