A/N: I know I said this would start the next episode, but I decided to start a little more character development first, mainly Drake looking around at his new "home".

And, I'm going off of the anime, which describes Raye as being "Boy crazy" in the early part. And what better guy to crush on than one who's merely a machine of death?

I promise, next chapter will be the episode "nightmare in Dreamland".

And a small note on the Sonic portion. I know I haven't included any real elements yet, I will correct that soon enough. As for chronology, I'm using my own unique canon, a mix of my own ideas and the Sonic X concept. No, Don't expect Chris Thorndike to appear. It's going to be similar, but still my unique canon.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave reviews. The more reviews I get, the more frequently I will update. You can even leave anonymous reviews if you're so paranoid.

The next morning came without event. I dressed, joined both Raye and her grandfather at breakfast. I tried keeping down a piece of toast, though I knew that I wouldn't be able to process it. Perhaps by trying to seem human would help put her grandfather at ease.

After breakfast, as I washed the dishes, Raye approached me. Of course, my proximity sensors detected her approach long before she probably thought about approaching me.

"Yes?" I asked, drying the final dish and placing it within the simple cupboard near the sink.

"Um, Drake, I'm not sure how to put this, but..." I noticed her hesitancy. Was she weary of me already? Did she wish for me to leave this place, in search of a new master? I braced myself for the worst as I turned to face her.

"Try, Raye. You won't know until you attempt." I replied, noting that her face was slightly red. "Besides, I'm a machine, I'm pretty sure I'll accept whatever you say."

I couldn't help but notice that my environmental temperature gauge was starting to rise slightly. That was odd, since I know the oven wasn't on.

"Well, you see, Drake... Could you... perhaps..." her voice trailed off.

I tilted my head, indicating that I was confused. "Perhaps what?" I asked.

Raye sighed, then replied in a very hurried tone, "." When she finished, Raye took several deep breaths.

Luckily, my auditory receivers managed to slow down the speech for me to process it in a timely manner. I looked at her, risking a bit of humor to play across my face. "You just want me to walk to school with you? You had a hard time just saying that?"

To be honest, I found it odd that she would have such difficulty with such a simple request. I mean, to me, it appeared to be a simple escort. Probably for safety reasons or something. Still, my limited comprehension indicated to me that it was perhaps due to her pride. Perhaps she thought herself too great to need an escort. That would explain why she seemed to be hesitant on the whole concept.

"Well, it's just that I've never really had a guy walk with me before. It's something... something that I want to try." she explained.

"You see, I've watched all kinds of girls walk with a certain guy and, well..." Raye sighed. "Who am I kidding. You would never understand. You're a machine. You can't really care about emotional and abstract concepts."

I nodded. "That may be true," I agreed. "That said, the chaos algorithm should help me partially comprehend these ideas."

Raye tilted her head, as we headed out the door. "Chaos algorithm? What's that?"

We continued out of the temple, as I continued to explain, "The chaos algorithm is a simple bit of logic, or lack thereof. It's difficult to explain. That's the nature of chaos, you see. It cannot be be confined by absolutes, such as numbers, so it's typically mathematically represented by a variable, such as X, or, in my own algorithm, ∑."

Raye nodded, though I could see she had a hard time trying to understand. I pulled out a small coin. "Let's see if I can show this visually. As you know, a coin has two sides. Two absolutes, a one side and a two side. There's a fifty percent chance of the coin being either heads or tails."

I flipped the coin. When it landed, I showed the outcome: heads. "Normally, this is how most logistics work: either one or the other. With such confines, a person can easily guess the possibility of a given outcome."

I flipped the coin again. "Now, chaos, is more difficult to explain. The best explanation is that it's improbable. Chaos is, in its simplest form, the subvariables within a given situation that minutely affect the outcome."

To prove my point, I didn't catch the coin, as it fell, bounced off the sidewalk, rolled for several feet, and finally rested inside a storm drain. "Again, I could not predict where the coin would fall, even if I knew the air temperature, wind velocity, and other small factors, due to a much smaller force at work."

I continued on past the drain. "If I were to perform the same test again, in the same spot, under the same circumstances, I would still be unable to predict exactly where the coin would stop."

I looked back at Raye, who was trying to understand what I meant. "In other words, logic is an absolute, like a decision. Chaos is everything else," I finished.

Raye paused, looking thoughtful. "So, emotions, are a form of chaos?" She asked.

"Theoretically, yes. There's so many variables when it comes to emotions, including the likes and dislikes of the individual, mental stability, and other factors that make it nearly impossible to gauge a person's reaction to a given situation." I lowered my glasses, my eyes looking into hers. "However, patterns do emerge within certain people. So, the chaos isn't necessarily the probability of a given person's reaction to a certain stimulus, but, rather, the difference between one being's reaction compared to another."

I saw that Raye was still lost. I simplified the explanation, "Take for example, the incident the other day with the monster. Serena reacted by crying and running away from it. You, however, stood and fought it." I watched as the proverbial lightbulb clicked in her mind. "The both of you express such different reactions to the same situation. That, in short, is the nature of chaos: unpredictability."

She nodded. "Well, that was an... interesting idea. I wonder who came up with that concept." Raye mused.

I shrugged. "My creator, probably, whoever that is."

Raye looked at me yet again, slightly curious. "You really don't remember anything?" she asked.

I shook my head, and looked at the building we were approaching. I could see several other humans entering, wearing similar clothing to the one my master wore. After a brief scan, I ascertained that none of them were a threat. So, I turned back to Raye, who was now standing right outside the doors.

She gulped. "Well, Drake, it's been great talking with you, but could you possibly be a little more... casual with your conversations? Maybe talk about the weather, news, something other than your system?" I saw that she seemed to be expecting something from me.

"Very well, I will look up some topics worth discussing, in your eyes," was all I said, as I began to move away.

I heard a growl behind me, as she shouted, "Get over here, Drake!" And forcibly turned me back to face her. I saw that her eyes were clouding over slightly.

Naturally, my chaos algorithm fails me. Such is the nature of the improbable.

Suddenly, I felt an incredibly strong wrap around me. I looked down, to see that Raye had gotten me into some kind of armlock.

At the same time, I felt a rather strong shock run through my body. I made a note to look into a material to dissipate static discharge. Still, it felt... enjoyable somehow, like getting a new hard drive installed, or a fresh reactor.

"Have a good day with Luna, ok?" She said, wiping a slight fluid leak near her eyes. I found it odd. I mean, why did she break down like this?

"You, too, Raye. I hope you enjoy your time at school." I replied, gradually pulling away.

As soon as she was out of range, I immediately initialized a system diagnostic. There was something... strange about her touch. Was I sensitive to her power as Sailor Mars? Or was it just a coincidence that she had an excess electrical charge at the time.

Or... Was it something... more?

I sighed. Perhaps Luna could help me tackle this problem. She may be a cat, but there was unspeakable knowledge within those eyes.

As I walked casually down the street, I felt a small weight land on my shoulders. My proximity sensors detected that it was indeed Luna, and automatically readjusted to compensate for her mass.

"Hello, Luna. I take it Serena's already at school?" I asked, ducking into a small alleyway.

The feline nodded. "Yes, and she was nearly late, as usual," she sighed. "Really, you'd think Sailor Moon would be more punctual."

I agreed. "True, but her... flaws actually provide a perfect strength. You see, my logic systems would have never guessed she was Sailor Moon, personalitywise." I slowly continued my explanation. "I saw the similarities almost straight off. First of all, the hairstyle. Aside from a decoration, the two are identical. I am surprised nobody else has noticed the similarities."

Luna breathed, before replying, "It's part of the Sailor power. An aura of sorts mars the characteristics, making it hard for people to remember key details." She flattened herself on my head, her eyes meeting mine. "But, it seems that certain... machines are immune to this aura."

I gave as best a shrug as I could without tossing the cat. "Yes, well, I'm no threat, if that's what you're looking for. So long as my master doesn't deem you a threat, then I am an ally."

Luna purred, continuing to look at me. "It seems that you have a bit of dedication for Sailor Mars." she commented.

I let out a bit of steam, sighing. "I only defend her as much as I would any other master. After all, I am just a machine." I intentionally withheld information regarding my chaos algorithm. I only wanted Raye to know about that. My logic system deemed it best to keep such a potentially dangerous line of thinking hidden.

The reactor spike, on the other hand, seemed to be a safe enough topic.

I cleared my throat, before speaking yet again. "I have a simple question for you, Luna."

The feline looked at me, jumping down onto the ground. "Well, let's hear it."

I took a deep breath. My processing suggested it would be a good idea, to indicate difficulty. "Well, first of all, is it possible for someone to be sensitive to a Sailor Scout's touch?"

Luna lowered her head, deep in thought. "Well, I don't see why not. Why do you ask?"

"Well, when Raye embraced me before she left for school, I detected a slight energy spike course through me." I felt strange saying that, like my chaos algorithm was trying to make me see something I could no comprehend.

"That is strange. Perhaps you might have some power hidden within your own being as well?" the cat commented, meeting my eyes.

I looked down from her stare. "I'm not too sure, Luna. You see, I don't have any schematics on my own being, not even any information on my power source." I sighed. "Bits and pieces are restored when my modules reactivate, but any specifics, such as my energy core, processor origin, and various details, remain hidden." I pulled out a small coin. "It could be possible that, once my damaged memory is restored, I might have a better chance at knowing myself."

As Luna and I walked down the street, I took a look at a newsstand. I read the main article. It went something like this:

Databank: News articles

Mysterious attacks! Is Tokyo not safe?

In the middle of the day, a giant robot appeared out of nowhere, laying waste to a small fishing village off the coast of Japan, three miles from Tokyo. The machine has not been identified, and vanished almost as soon as it has appeared.

Citizens who spot a robot are advised to contact police immediately. More than likely, it is the work of a new villain calling himself Doctor Eggman. Do not engage the machines.

In addition, a mysterious blue hedgehog has been spotted stopping these attacks. Civilians are advised against approaching it, and leave the entire work to to government authorities.

Also, a nearby amusement park has been rumored to have customers mysteriously vanishing inside the park. An investigation is planned in the nearby future. This case may be linked to the mysterious vanishing buses from earlier this week. However, this is largely unconfirmed, due to lack of witnesses.

I purchased the paper, and read the full extent of the article. Strangely, I found it rather amusing. A robot... and who was this Doctor Eggman? Was he my original creator?

I shook my head. That didn't matter. If he was, he would have already tried finding me by now.

"This robot attack, I wonder if it's related to the Negaverse," I commented to Luna. We had found a nice bench in a nearby park to rest on. The oak tree behind gave a nice shade, allowing me to cool my system much more efficiently.

"Not likely, Drake. The Negaverse works in the shadows, secretly gathering people's energy until the time is right. I've been able to tell that from their previous attacks." the feline explained.

"This Doctor Eggman... I wonder..." I commented, voicing my suspicions.

"If he created you? He might have, Drake, but you serve Raye now, and, to a lesser extent, the Sailor Scouts." she finished, sitting and looking at me over the paper.

I nodded. "That's true, Luna, but still... He might be the one I need to talk to about restoring my memories. However, I doubt such an approach is practical right now. He appears to be a villain. Not as dangerous as, say, your Negaverse, but dangerous all the same." I folded up the paper.

Luna jumped down. "That's true. But, I am confident that, with you on our side, we don't need to worry as much. Your explosives alone came in handy in destroying that monster the other day.

I nodded. "I hope so."

I casually sat on top of a brick wall outside a Juban high school, watching a myriad of students flooded out of the doors. Luna sat on the side, as I observed two girls walking out: One was Sailor Moon, disguised as Serena, her blonde hair streaming in the sunlight. The other, her associate I assumed, had a brunette/auburn colored hair cut around her neck, not a bob like Amy's, but not down to her shoulders. A green ribbon tied up the back of her hair.

I waved to Serena, who instantly recognized me, and ran over. "Hey! What are you doing here? I thought you were helping Raye at the temple!" she shouted out.

I shrugged. "Eh, I wasn't needed, so I decided to start looking around."

The ginger approached, standing next to Serena. "Hey, Serena! Who's this, your boyfriend?" she asked.

I furrowed my brow ever so slightly. Boyfriend? Why would she assume I was Serena's boyfriend?

To a lesser extent, why were people obsessed with all these couplings anyway? Can't a male and a female human walk down the street without drawing suspicion about a possible relationship?

These humans just made no sense, even with the Chaos Algorithm. Could it be possible this was gained from study of their actions?

Serena reddened. "No, Molly. It's not like that. He just helps out a friend of mine."

I nodded. "What Serena says is the truth. I am pleased to meet you, miss Molly." I shook her hand, remembering to keep my pressure strongly regulated. "I am Drake Robotnik."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Drake," she replied. My scanners noticed that her face's temperature was rising slightly. Perhaps she was becoming ill or stressed?

I turned, a little uncertainly. I had just realized that I didn't use my system's homing technology. "Erm, Serena..." I began, as Amy walked up to join the other two. "I'm afraid I didn't watch where I was going. Where's the temple from here?" I finished, looking around once again, trying to gather my bearings.

Serena snickered. "Ah, Drake. Smart as Amy, yet still ignorant and naïve."

I lowered my voice, so that only Luna could hear me. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

The cat nodded in response.

Amy sighed. "We should join Raye over there for our study group now, Serena." she said, starting to pull me away.

I felt another tug on me, as Serena pulled me in the opposite direction. "Oh no, Amy. We're going to show Drake a good time before we head over to Raye's.

A trickle of fluid leaked down the back of my head. This would not turn out well.

As it turns out, Serena's idea of a good time was a strange building called a "Video Arcade". It was a large lobby of sorts lined with computers dedicated to Video Games, entertainment that requires visual interaction.

I looked at one, called "Sailor V". It was odd, about a heroine called Sailor V, who saved the world from evil.

At Serena's insistence, I inserted a coin, and began to play. It was a simple game: Just run and shoot.

"It's your first time, Drake, so don't expect to do too well," The blonde said, giving me a menacing look.

"But, Serena, remember? I aced it on my first try." Amy interrupted.

I couldn't help but smile a little. "It's a simple game. Once you figure out the code and patterns, everything just falls into place. It's not like real life, where you can never truly predict what will happen and where." I began to play through the first level.

I timed everything perfectly, moving at the absolute last second. I surprised Serena, and even Amy. Apparently, this was not normal.

Before I knew it, I had beaten it. I dusted my hands slightly. "That was fun, but I think we should really get going now." I turned, nearly walking straight into a blonde male, a little taller than me.

"Hey, that was pretty impressive. You've even beaten Amy's high score!" He commented.

I merely shrugged. "Timing is the key." was all I said, as I moved towards the door, disinterested in playing these games again. It used only a small portion of my processor. It wasn't even worth the wasted energy.

Amy followed. "Right, Drake. Let's go on to Raye's temple." She looked over her shoulder. "Serena can catch up later."

"Hey!"

As we walked along, I couldn't help but feel something wrong. My Chaos Algorithm, despite not needing it, was overclocking. Was it still running about that game?

Or was there something... different about the flow of chaos right now? Like there was something interrupting it.

As we walked along, I noticed a small yard off to the side, a vehicle, a rather derelict old truck sat, with a sign "free" on the windshield.

I stopped, looking into it. My system scanner ran through it. The engine was broken down, several gaskets were blown, and many bolts were missing. A little work, and it'll work.

Amy noticed my scanning over it. She sighed, "Are you looking at that old thing? It doesn't even run.

"Possibly not, but, if I'm going to be around, I should have some kind of transportation, right?" I countered, scanning the chassis.

The body was in decent enough condition. Admittedly, it was rusted through in several places, especially the bed. The gas tank was still sound, though, and the suspension was intact.

Serena caught up now. "What's with that piece of junk?"

Suddenly, my proximity sensors lit up, as a human approached. "Well, it seems like you're interested in that beauty, eh?" a haggard, wheezy voice asked as I turned around.

The origin of that voice was an old man by human standards, about his mid 70s. He had a gray beard and no hair. His eyes were in a permanent squint.

I frowned. "Well, I'm not too sure. It seems a little unstable. But, free is free."

The man chuckled. "You have an eye for value." He pointed to the truck. "It's an older Chevy C3500. The engine needs work, so I hope you have a lot of spare time."

I let out a slight smile. "Oh, you have no idea..."

After I obtained the title from the old man, I set about getting the vehicle moved.

The engine was blown out, so using its own power was out of the question.

So, I chose the closest alternative. I got in, set the parking brake, and shifted the transmission into neutral.

I got out of the driver's seat, and motioned to Amy. "Please, I need you to steer."

She nodded, and got in.

"What about me?" Serena excitedly asked.

"You can just sit in the passenger seat." I muttered, as I attached the steel cable the old man was generous enough to give us to the front of the truck.

I attached the opposite end to the opposite end of the truck underneath, near the front, and held the handle now formed by the cable, and began to pull.

"Ok, Amy, Release the brake!"

As we approached, I saw Raye standing at the top of the temple, tapping her foot impatiently. I zoomed in, but my digital enhancement couldn't distinguish her face. I made a note to work on an optical enhancement later.

I pulled the truck around the corner, then pushed against it to stop its momentum. As soon as it was set, I instructed Amy to place the parking brake, and headed up towards the temple.

Raye was none too pleased. "What took you guys so long?" she growled. "I've been waiting for the past hour for you three to get here.

I was the first to speak. "I apologize, Raye. I'm afraid I did some looking around on my own, and, well... I found something to occupy myself during the downtime."

She crossed her arms. "Oh? And what would this be?" she grumbled.

I just smiled nervously. "I'll show you later." I said. Her bottled up rage was starting to unnerve me, like she was one of my bombs ready to explode.

Raye's glare spread over to Serena. "Hey! Lighten up, will you, Raye? He was just trying to learn about us!" Serena shouted.

The priestess sighed. "I should've known. You're always finding excuses to goof off."

I moved back to Amy. "Here we go again."

A/N: Ok, here we have it, Eggman makes a cameo, as well as everyone's favorite hedgehog. Expect a new character in the next chapter, but it's not going to be who you'd expect.

Anyway, please review.