Disclaimer: I no own! Okey dokey, d'ya get it? (Audience nods) YAY! Good little guys! Have a cookie!

Metabee: And what do the medabots get?

Uhh…chips! Heheheh…

Metabee: ? CHIPS? Wait, computer chips? Cool…wait, we can't eat those, either!

Funny, this story is almost all about medabots eating…ha!

Metabee: I'll compromise with ya' on oil!

Ugh, deal. You're a tough negotiator. (Hands Metabee oil can; he sips gingerly through gold straw) predictable…

Prologue: Killer Apple Sauce

I strained my sound receptors to hear Miss Nae and Metabee talking in the front. I was sitting in the back of Miss Nae's van, on the parallel seats facing each other, with Blakbeetle next to me, Rokusho next to her, Ikki across from me, Erika next to him, Brass next to her, Zuru, my medafighter, next to her, my brother--err--partner, Tyrelbeetle, next to him, and Professor Hushi at the end of the seats in the back of the van.

"Metabee, what happened to Kam?" Miss Nae asked.

"I don' know. He ran off after Roks grabbed Blakbeetle. Why?" Metabee returned. Their voices were muffled through the thin glass window between the front and back seats, but I could tell Metabee sounded sad, the same as I felt. "After how badly I beat KiloRoks," at this, all of us in the back seat quieted suddenly, listening intently, as Metabee finished, "I don't think he'll be bothering us for a while!"

"But now that we've got his strongest kilobot, Blakbeetle," Miss Nae began. I could hear the hydraulics as Metabee turned to her, and she finished, shutting all of us in the van up for the rest of the trip, "Kam's bound to be back to get her."

Blakbeetle latched onto my arm frightfully at the thought of Kam returning to get her, and I looked down at her. Her expression screamed exhaustion silently as she hung her head, sinking back into her seat.

The next night, I was awakened around one AM by Blakbeetle. Trying to get my optics focused, I slowly sat up, rubbing my red optics as I did.

"B-Blakbeetle?" I stuttered, staring down into her one exposed yellow eye. "I don't know much about kilobots, but they do sleep, don't they?"

"Yes, I do. But I can't tonight. I can't stop thinking about what would happen if Kam came back for me. I ran into Brass this--well," Blakbeetle glanced at the clock on the bedside table between my, Tyrelbeetle, and Zuru's bed and her bed, on the other side of the bed than the side I slept on, and looked back to me, "yesterday morning, and she told me to talk to you about it. I don't know why she told me you in particular, though."

"Why didn't you talk to me earlier? I was asleep," I returned.

"Sorry, but I couldn't bring myself to ask. Would you talk to me now?" she asked. I stared at her, surprised, and then nodded. I crossed my legs pretzel-style, scooted back to lean on the bed's headboard, and patted the bed in front of me, inviting her up. She pulled herself onto the bed and sat on her knees in front of me.

"Go on," I prompted, staring into her eyes. She stared back, and I saw a touch of red illuminate her metal cheeks. A blush? I felt my own metal cheeks heat up, and dearly hoped she didn't notice.

"I, uh…do you believe he'll be back?" she began.

"Probably. You're his best kilobot," I returned.

"Actually…canItellyoutwosomethings?" she started talking fast and quiet enough I had to strain my sound receptors to make out her words.

"Uhh, sure," I said after a moment.

"He designed a kilobot even stronger than me, just recently. He calls it--don't tell anyone, but--Gryphon."

"Gryphon?" I stared at her, and she looked like there was something more to say, "Anything else?"

"I can't lie. Yes, there is. This is about Kam himself…he doesn't tell anyone. Along with his butler, Eddie, and his father, Shin Kamazaki, the president of Bakas, I'm one of the few who knows--about his past…" she left off nervously. "I shouldn't be telling you this! If he ever finds out, he'll--he'll--well, he'll do something terrible to me!" She was now starting to cry. She needed to tell someone, I could tell. "He doesn't even know that I know! Eddie told me, just last week!"

"Tell me. He'll never know, I promise," I assured, taking her hands as a tear streaked down her face from her one eye.

"You promise? What does that mean?" she returned, gripping my hands tightly.

"Uhh, promise…means I'm giving you my word…uhh, vow? Swear? Uhh, it's hard to describe…" I looked to the ceiling, eyes closed, looking through my mind for the right words. "Oh…in this case, I'm telling you he'll never know, and I'll…make sure of it…Guarantee?"

"Guarantee? Yes, I get it. So, you 'promise'?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Will you tell me?"

"Uhh, well, he never sees his father anymore. When he was born, his father built his mansion, and Kam never saw him again. He had his mother, and they loved each other…what exactly is 'love'?"

"Love?" I was a bit taken aback by her question. The word 'love' struck my heart. I couldn't help but wonder why she knew so little. "It's like friendship, only much stronger. It's when two people care so much for each other, they'd do anything." I found this oddly easier to explain. The words seemed to flow by themselves, from my--from my heart?

"Can medabots or kilobots like myself 'love'?" she continued.

"Quite possibly." I felt a blush coming on, my cheeks heating up again, and stuttered through my next words, "Uh, oh, uh…can you continue--uh--with what y-you were telling m-me?"

"Yes, uhh…" she ran through her mind where she left off, and repeated her last sentence, "He had his mother, and they loved each other, but his mom was very weak, and she…passed away when Kam was about four. According to Eddie, he's 'never shed a single tear since then'. It's like his heart hardened, not wanting to let in any emotions or get too attached to anything, in case he might lose it again, and go through the--the…"

"Pain? Sadness? Heartbreak?" I suggested. She stared at me, seemingly surprised at my suggestions.

"I understand sadness, that seems accurate, but pain? How would it hurt him? And I don't know what 'heartbreak' is in the least."

"Uh, emotional pain. It hurt his feelings. And heartbreak means the same thing, only stronger, I suppose. His mother dying made him sad enough his heart broke."

"His heart broke?!" she exclaimed, "Then it didn't harden? How is he still living if his heart is broken?"

"Not literally, figuratively. Don't worry, most people get over heartbreak eventually…I think…"

"Then why hasn't he?!" She seemed like she was going to cry again. I leaned closer to her and laid my hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her saddened eye. It was hard to see her feelings through one eye (the other was punched out in a 'robattle to survive' against one hundred enemies), but I could faintly see, in the dark room, tears shimmering under her eye.

"I guess some people could…be hurt so much they, figuratively, pull back into their shell, and stay there until the pain passes, but they don't realize it will never pass until they find someone to replace whoever broke their heart. I mean, no one could ever replace someone else, but, you know…"

"I think I get it. That's why everyone's making such a big fuss about me becoming his friend."

"Yes, exactly."

"Then why can't I do it?"

"Because Kam's one of those 'some people'. He needs you. You're the only one."

"I'm the only one…" she repeated quietly. She looked down, failing miserably at hiding a tear rolling down her black visor, and then mouth plate. My medal ached when I saw her tear. As I pushed aside the strange feelings, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, rubbing her back. Taking this as in invitation to let her emotions flow, she cried onto my round shoulder, gripping both my shoulders as she shook and sobbed. I leaned back against the headboard again, letting her lean on me, and wrapped us both in the blankets. After we were both covered, I rubbed her metal back and whispered, "It's ok." every few moments. Every now and again, after I said that, she called out, "No, it's not!" and cried harder. She cried herself to sleep, and I simply fell asleep, eventually. It was probably about two AM before we both fell asleep.

The next morning, we woke up, thankfully, before everyone else in the house, sometime around five AM. Once we were awake enough, we noticed each other, yelped, and jumped, shocked that we fell asleep like that--me holding her. She jumped off the bed and backed away a few steps, and I scooted back in the bed, though I couldn't scoot back as far as I wanted without hitting Zuru. I looked down behind me and at Zuru, who was sleeping peacefully despite the ruckus around him involving Blakbeetle and myself. A moment later, I looked back to Blakbeetle, scooted forward, and slipped off the bed. Blakbeetle watched every move I made intently, making me self-conscious of what I did. As I hit the ground after slipping off the bed, Blakbeetle took a step back. We turned to each other nervously, blushing madly, before we turned our backs to each other stiffly. After a moment or two that seemed to last forever, I turned to the bed, straightened the covers, and fluffed my pillow. My pillow wasn't as flattened in the middle as usual, since I didn't rest my head on it, and instead leaned back on the headboard with¾ you-know-who¾ so it cushioned my lower back. It was still rather flattened, though not quite as much or in the same way. I glanced sideways back at Blakbeetle to see her staring at me, watching my every move intently again. I couldn't help but wonder if she really knew why we were so jumpy. When she turned, walked stiffly over to her bed, and sat on the end of it with a sigh as her blush faded, I figured she didn't know why we were so jumpy, and just mirroring my moves, thinking my reaction must be right, though I don't think I handled it correctly. We both willingly fell asleep like that. We enjoyed each other's company--wait. Willingly? We enjoyed it? Did I…like her? We? Did she like me? We? That's impossible.

----------------------------------------------------------Flashback-----------------------------------------------------------

In the crowd at the party, Blakbeetle turned to me and wrapped her arms around me, obviously wondering what all the fuss was about with hugs. I, surprised, slowly wrapped my arms around her.

"What are you doing?" I asked eventually.

"At first I wanted to know the deal with hugs, but--" she left off, realizing something. She pulled out of the hug suddenly, blushing rosy red, and held my shoulders at arms length. I let my arms drop by my sides, also blushing, and slightly disappointed that she pulled out of the hug.

"What's wrong?" I asked, in an oddly quiet, slightly higher-pitched voice than usual. Blakbeetle stared into my eyes. I stared back. She never answered.

---------------------------------------------------------End Flashback------------------------------------------------------

Or is it? I ignored the idea, as I watched her fall back on her bed, arms out by her sides, eyes closed. I stared for a moment, before I ran my hand over the white covers one last time to straighten them, and then leaned over on the bed, laying my hand on Zuru's shoulder, thinking about waking him. I decided against it, and, instead, took the covers, which were around his waist, and pulled them up around his neck. He would wake up at his usual time, six thirty-ish. Smiling, I left the room and headed downstairs. I entered the kitchen and headed immediately towards the cabinet next to the fridge. I kneeled down to the bottom drawer (one of the few things I, being three feet tall, have to kneel down to) and opened the drawer. Inside, there were several twelve-ounce cans of oil with a silver and black label, and a long, cardboard box filled with blandly colored straws, which we refilled weekly on average. I took out a can marked '1414FT' and my favorite color straw, dark purple. As I stood, can and straw in hand, I closed the drawer with my foot. I turned and walked to the tall kitchen table and reached up to put the can and straw on top. It must have been a funny sight to behold, because the table was at least six, seven inches taller than I was, and I had to reach up about arm's length to put the can and straw on top. I walked over to the first barstool seat with a back to my right and climbed up in it; yes, I had to climb, planting my hands on the seat, and stepping up on the silver, metal rim around the middle of the barstool's four metal legs, and pushing and pulling myself into the seat. I turned to the table and sat down normally, and then pulled the can of oil closer to open it. It opens like a can of soda, with pull-tab and all. I stuck my dark purple straw in the hole. Next, I touched a button on my muzzle on the point of my 'nose', and a vertical slit appeared on the middle of my muzzle. My muzzle opened at the slit and slid back into my armored helmet, revealing another muzzle, though this one didn't have an outcrop from my face, and formed perfectly over the bottom half of my humanoid head. The 'new' muzzle didn't have much sheen, except for my lips. Yes, I said lips. Not to mention the rest of my mouth in the bottom middle of my face. I opened and closed my mouth a few times to test it. I keep my muzzle shut most of the time, since, like a human's mouth and throat, my mouth and throat are a direct path to my internal systems, and if I swallow anything foreign to my systems, or, in other words, anything other than oil, it would spell 'disaster' for my systems, so my mouth is shut down most of the time and I find it hard to get used to when I power it on. I quickly thought up something to say for a test. But the word, or name, that came to mind first, which I blurted out, was surprising.

"Blakbeetle." is what I said. The test worked. My lips moved to the words, like a human's, but the name I said made me jerk, wide-eyed. I tried to forget about it. She was on my mind after our talk the night before. Nothing to be surprised about.

I stuck the straw between my lips and sucked. I took a few sips, swallowed, took a few more sips, and so on. To me, and probably not to anyone or any-bot else, it tasted sweet, yet tart, like a soda. I continued to drink, and eventually I happened to look up at the digital clock on the microwave. It showed '5:20 AM'. About an hour and ten minutes until Zuru, Tyrelbeetle, and Mr. Zora would wake up. I had an idea. I slipped off my seat and walked up to the refrigerator, leaving my oilcan and straw on the table. I opened the refrigerator and looked through it.

A few minutes later, I stood on a black and white step stool so I was taller, just slightly, than the kitchen counter. I stared at the red and yellow box of bacon on the counter, feeling rather proud of myself for finding it, since I didn't know my way around the fridge for obvious reasons. Eventually, I got over myself and hopped off the step stool. I started bustling around the kitchen, preparing a simple, average breakfast for my master and his father, Zuru and Mr. Maizu Zora. I don't know what inspired me to do it, but I was cheerful this morning, and I just thought it was a good idea. Every few minutes or so I would hop up onto the barstool seat on one knee and sip my oil, then hop down and continue preparing breakfast.

After about forty-five minutes, putting me at 6:16 AM, I leaned on the kitchen counter behind the kitchen table, stirring some applesauce in a clear plastic bowl. The kitchen booth-table was set, with two plates, two sets of utensils, two empty bowls for the applesauce, and all the food I had prepared: some toast, eggs, and bacon.

I shifted my weight to my other leg and leaned on my arm on the counter, smiling as I stirred the applesauce with a wooden spoon. I looked up, checked the time, and looked back down at what I was doing. 6:20 AM. At least fifteen minutes before Zuru and Mr. Zora came down. More than enough time.

I couldn't help but wonder what apple sauce tasted like. I trailed off in my thoughts, using the 'it would taste like apples' route, but of course that didn't help. I don't know what apples taste like, either.

Figuring I had stirred the applesauce enough, I let go of the spoon, letting it lean on the rim of the bowl, and stood straight. As I put my weight on both feet, I lost my balance, and fell forward. I caught myself, bracing myself up with one hand on the edge of the counter, but my other hand landed on the edge of the bowl, flipping it up and splashing some applesauce in my face and the rest of me, and spilling some on the counter and down the front of the counter. I would've been ok and cleaned it up immediately if the equivalent of a large spoonful of applesauce hadn't landed in my mouth. I got my wish and found out what it tasted like, and I loved it, but I swallowed it. Wide-eyed and nervous, I clutched my left hand over my synthetic stomach and stared ahead into space, keeping my other hand on the counter.

"That can't be good…" I uttered, as my nervousness graduated to terror. I heard the beeping of an alarm clock coming from upstairs, in my, Zuru's, Tyrelbeetle's, and Blakbeetle's room. With the thought that maybe I didn't swallow enough to bother my systems…maybe…I grabbed the neatly folded lavender towel from the far side of the sink and quickly wiped the applesauce off my front, then the counter, and then the front of the counter and floor. I wiped the apple sauce off the side of the bowl and stirred the rest of the apple sauce that was still in the bowl a few times, before dropping the towel down next to the sink, cupping my hands around the bowl, and picking it up. I carefully jumped off the stepstool and walked over to the booth-table, where I sat the bowl with the rest of the food. I scanned over the table, found what was missing, and ran to a cabinet above the counter. Having to stretch to reach the cabinet even though I was standing on the stool, I opened the cabinet, whipped out two clear glasses, sat them on the counter while I closed the cabinet, picked up the glasses, and jumped off the stool again, carrying the glasses to the table and sitting them by the plates. I then ran back over to the stool, kneeled down, and folded it so it looked like a miniature, two-step ladder, then opened the cabinet under the sink and leaned the now-folded stool against the side wall where I found it. After closing the cabinets, I stood, and my synthetic stomach ached. I clutched both hands over it as I headed back to the barstool-like chair, climbed up into it on one knee, and snatched my oilcan off the surface of the table. As I slid off the chair, oil in hand, my stomach ached again. I decided to throw the last few sips of my oil away, because I was oddly feeling too nauseated to drink the rest, so I threw it in the silver, metal trashcan by the fridge.

I turned up the volume on my sound receptors to hear if anyone was coming downstairs yet. I couldn't hear anyone coming down, but I could hear movement upstairs. I had figured they had gotten up and were getting ready. At 6:40 AM, sitting in the barstool chair, I heard the alarm clock go off again, and scrambling to turn it off.

Figures. Zuru usually hit's the snooze button, but still gets up, so every ten minutes it goes off again, until Mr. Zora comes in and turns it off for him! I thought, causing myself to giggle aloud quietly. As my stomachache grew, I sat in the barstool chair simply waiting for Zuru and Mr. Zora to come down. I hoped the food wouldn't get cold. At 6:50 AM, I heard two people and two medabots, rather, one medabot and one kilobot, heading down stairs quickly. Then I heard Zuru's voice coming from the other side of the kitchen door.

"Roks, are you down here?" he asked. I looked to the door, and a moment later Zuru, followed by Mr. Zora, Tyrelbeetle, and Blakbeetle, came in.

"Yes, I'm right here," I answered, my stomach aching even more. Zuru turned to me, smiling.

"Oh. You're up early," he commented.

"Yeah, I got up around five," I returned. "Breakfast is on the table!"

"What?" everyone who had entered exclaimed. Zuru and Mr. Zora, who had a definite family resemblance, turned and looked to the booth table, and their eyes widened immediately.

"You made that, Roks?" Mr. Zora asked unbelievingly.

"Yeah, like I said, I got up around five, so I decided to have breakfast ready when you come down."

"Thank you! Looks great!" Zuru exclaimed, now standing at the end of the table and looking over the food. Seeing that they were both mesmerized by the breakfast that I made, I clutched my hand tight over my synthetic stomach and winced, holding my breath. Unluckily, both Blakbeetle and Tyrelbeetle noticed and ran up to me worriedly.

"Roks, what's wrong?" Tyrelbeetle asked quietly. I jerked at his voice, and looked down at him and Blakbeetle nervously.

"Yes, Roks, what is wrong?" Blakbeetle added. I slipped off my seat and turned to Blakbeetle and Tyrelbeetle. Still clutching my stomach, I nearly buckled over at my 'new' standing position.

"I--uh--" I felt a strange burning sensation in my stomach, and I had to resist slapping my free hand over my mouth, "I'll tell you later!" As I turned around, I glanced up at the clock, and then ran on, unable to resist slapping my hand over my mouth anymore. It was 7:01 AM. It takes a half hour for anything that goes into my stomach to 'digest', in a sense. I ran swiftly down the hall connected to the kitchen, turned at the first right turn, ran down that hall, and no later than I passed the office, I collapsed to my knees, sliding a few inches, and I couldn't hold it in any longer. I moved my hand from my mouth, clutching both hands over my stomach, leaned over, and vomited oil all over the floor. I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut. Zuru had been sick before, every kid has, with at least a stomach ache once or twice, but I had no idea it hurt this much.

----------------------------------------------------------Flashback-----------------------------------------------------------

"Here you go, Zu-Zu," I informed quietly, sitting on my knees on my, Zuru's, and Gorem-Two's bed, a brown wooden tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of soda on it in my hands. A much younger-looking Zuru turned over and sat up, in his pajama's, and took the tray, the covers falling down around his waist.

"Thanks, Roks. You make it?" young Zuru returned, leaning on the headboard.

"Yeah. Your father helped, though," I answered, causing Zuru to giggle slightly. I reached up and felt his forehead for his temperature. Still too hot, though it had gone down since the last time I checked.

"Zu-Zu, how are you feeling?" Yes, I called him 'Zu-Zu' again. I'm the only one who calls him that. It's his pet name from me. His father has a different pet name, and so does a girl who's been training him since before I was activated.

"A little better. Thanks again," he replied. He leaned toward me, wrapping his arms around my neck. I was a bit surprised, but I returned the hug after a moment. I really enjoy taking care of him.

A little while later, I poked my head in the room door and looked at Zuru, who was done with the meal, and half-asleep with his hand over his stomach. I stepped in quietly and climbed up on the bed, and, sadly, in doing so he noticed me.

"Sorry to wake you. If you're done, I'll take the tray," I apologized.

"I wasn't asleep, anyway. I am done, though, thank you," he returned. I took the tray from his lap as he leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes and wincing. I sat the tray down behind me carefully, turned so I was shoulder-to-shoulder with Zuru, and stretched my armored legs out in front of me. I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him close, letting his head lean on my shoulder and laying my hand over his, which was on his stomach. I leaned my chin on his head, looking down at him.

"I'll take care of you, Zu-Zu."

---------------------------------------------------------End Flashback------------------------------------------------------

I was lying on my side in bed, one hand over my stomach, the other on my pillow. I felt nauseated, and I hated the feeling.

Blakbeetle and Tyrelbeetle followed me, and found me unconscious in the hall, so they got Zuru and Mr. Zora to help.

"Roks?" Zuru questioned from behind me. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Zu-Zu?" I returned with a lie, and apparently surprising Zuru.

"Uh, you haven't called me that in years. Why all of a sudden?" Zuru replied, climbing up on the bed behind me. I turned to him and sat up.

"Just thinking…would you prefer I call you 'Zuru'?" I answered.

"No, that's ok. Zu-Zu or Zuru, whichever you prefer."

"Did you like breakfast?"

"Yes, it was great! Thank you. Can you tell me what's wrong?" He changed the subject.

"Uh, well, I accidentally swallowed some apple sauce."

"Accidentally? How did that happen?"

"I lost my balance, tipped the bowl, and threw apple sauce all over my face."

"Oh, I get it. Are you ok? You were unconscious, you know."

"I know. I'm ok, but my artificial-stomach's killing me." Zuru laid a hand over mine, which was over my stomach, and that immediately reminded me of what I was going to say before we got off track. "Zu-Zu, remember when you were sick, and I told you I'd take care of you?"

"Uhh," he thought for a moment, and then nodded, "Yeah, I do. What about it?"

"Will you do the same for me?" I looked at him hopefully, and he immediately answered, as if it was obvious.

"Of course."

"Thank you." I leaned my head on his chest, optics dimmed and closed, and both hands over my stomach. Zuru held both my hands, wrapping one arm around me.

"Sorry you're so sick. Are you going to walk to school with Tyrelbeetle, Blakbeetle, and me? Or is there anything I can get or do for you?"

I groaned in response, and answered after a pause. "Yeah, I'll walk to school with you three, but--ah!--there's nothing you can do. I-it's too late to do anything about it. It's just a matter of time 'til my body tries to get rid of it by itself??"?I groaned again. Maybe I should stay home--ahhh!--my stomach hurts too much!

"'Get rid of it by itself'? You mean…"

"Yeah, exactly," I replied before he got to say it. I could tell what he was going to say. It's the only option my body would have. I already did it once, and it wasn't a pleasurable experience. It's what humans would call 'vomiting'.

I sat on the steps outside our house, waiting for Zuru. Blakbeetle and Tyrelbeetle had gone to pick him up, and they forced me to stay home. By now, I could barely stand. If I could, I would immediately buckle over. I could tell my systems were starting to fail. Think nighttime, right after the sun sets, so there's still some light in the sky, but it's mostly dark, and then add thick smog and blurring, and you have my vision. Think a room quiet enough to hear a pin drop, with the low hum of the heater or air conditioner, and think that low hum is voices, and you have my hearing. Think a boxing match that you're losing, you're winded, with a headache and bruised painfully all over, and you have my feeling. Think a whisper you're hearing on an old, broken down television, so it's even harder to hear and make out the words because it's hoarse, metallic, and it fades in and out, and you have my voice. Think tasteless lettuce and water with lemons in it for dinner. Bland, right? Well, that's my taste, though I hadn't tried anything to test it, I could tell from the readouts on my system. Think being able to go swimming in drinking water and able to sniff it without filling your nose with water, so you swim to the floor to find a flower, and sniff it. You can barely smell it through the smell-less water. That's my sense of smell, though it might feel like I am filling my 'nose' with water. Very slowly, my world was going dark and senseless, the only thing going with me memories and a terrible synthetic stomachache. But this wasn't as bad as it could be. I often snapped to attention and had brief moments where my senses were normal, then they'd fade again, then snap, then fade, et cetera.

I stood on wobbly legs, clutching my hand over my stomach, and slowly and shakily made my way to the opening in the wall around our house, holding in the urge to vomit again. I dropped to my knees by the opening and listened closely for Zuru, Tyrelbeetle, and Blakbeetle. I coughed, and then swallowed as best I could. I leaned on the wall, breathing heavily. The pain from my synthetic stomach seemed to restrict my airways. Yes, all medabots, especially speedy 'bots, breathe (breathing does include synthetic lungs), and it works as a ventilation system so we don't overheat, just as our synthetic stomachs and 'drinking' works as a way to refill on vitals like oil, since oil's like our blood.

"Roks!" I looked up, and saw Zuru dropping to his knees in front of me, and then pulling me into a comforting hug.

"Ah, Zuru, hey," I returned weakly, closing my eyes and leaning into the hug. After a moment, he pulled back, keeping his hands on my shoulders, and asked, "How are you?"

"Nauseated," I answered, hanging my head and gripping my hands over my stomach. "I'm worse than this morning." I lifted my head to see Zuru, Tyrelbeetle, and Blakbeetle staring at me sympathetically. Then, I saw three more stares, coming from the black-haired blue-eyed boy, Ikki Tenryou, the golden Kabuto medabot, Metabee, and my very-close-in-looks-counterpart, Rokusho. "What are you three doing here?"

"They forced me to tell them what's wrong with you," Zuru began, grabbing everyone's attention, "and then they followed me to see you, and I didn't have much say in the matter." He looked up at me hopefully, "I hope you don't mind some company."

"That's ok. I guess I could use some company," I assured nervously. I felt so bad the only ones I was interested in seeing were, in rank order, Zuru--or was Blakbeetle at the top of my list?--Blakbeetle--but then Zuru would be second--and Tyrelbeetle--my brother would stay the same, right? I mean, my partner would stay the same, right? Brother? First strange feelings around Blakbeetle, now this? Actually, this had been going on for a long time now. No matter how long it's been going on, why would I say 'brother'?

And tats teh prologue!! As they say, plz R&R!!