Experiment Bandicoot
Chapter 5
Child

Year 5, Day 5
He was just pass the age of five, just barely when we took him to school for the first time. I didn't care that I ruled over these three islands and had more money then anyone in it, my little Hiroki was NOT going to some snotty private school where he'd grow up learning money is more important then family and friends. Possessive materials my ass. I sent him to a nice, public school where he would get a decent education. I didn't care if he got straight "A's". I just told him to do the best he can. He was going to start Kindergarten.

I picked him up a few hours later. I was too short for a car and I felt quite embarrassed to have to buy those seat adjusters or get some fake leg to reach the pedals. I felt like those devices merely insulted my small height. I could have easily made a car for my own needs, but cars weren't really my forte. My vehicle of choice were motorcycles and scooters. Because I had a child, the scooter was the more safer choice. My own personalized one I made myself, sitted for two. It was a lovely shiny, red one with a yellow lightning streak in the middle. Unfortunately, it lacks a name.

Hiroki immediately spotted me and slowly walked over to my directions. His face wasn't what I expected (happy and excited), but sad and frustrated. I asked him what's wrong, but he merely said, "Nothing" and I drove him home.

Year 5, Day 12
This sadness repeated for about a week. Growing worried, I decided to stay in his kindergarten class and see what's causing him to be so depressed. The Kindergarten teacher (a lavender furred kangaroo named Mrs. Kate Juniper), didn't mind at all of my presence, but I secretly thought she only said that because I owned the entire island chain. I decided to observe without interrupting, as if I was invisible.

"You're a freak. My dad said you're a freak!" one of the kids cried. A dingo with sandy colored hair (there were FAR more animals then humans in this city, let along this entire island, but plenty enough that my colleagues and I don't feel alone) named Danny.

"You don't even know what "freak" means!" Hiroki threw a raspberry.

"I know it means something bad and you are bad!"

"Yea, you're a freak." Another child joined in, a little colorful bird named Precious.

"Yea, my mommy and daddy told me you came here in a different way, so you're a freak." A third child popped in, a bear child with brown hair and dotted black eyes named Corey.

"I'm NOT a freak!" Hiroki shouted, "My name is Hiroki, but everybody calls me "Crash!" I'm better then all of you! I can read better!"

"Nobody cares!" The one named Danny shouted.

Lunch ended up messy with the kid's stealing Hiroki's lunch which I made for him (rice, sushi, and orange juice). They mainly pushed him and used all sorts of physical abuse to hand them his lunch. He was left with nothing, not even a crumb. Not many Australians took kindly to sushi and rice, but they didn't beat him up for his food, that much is pretty obvious to both Hiroki and I. Recess was even worse where bigger kids who were about 9 years old beat poor Hiroki. He was fine enough to walk, but he was still sent to the nurses for the scraps he had.

I knew I should have tried to step in, but I decided to watch the entire thing, tape record it, and see what it is that they were doing to Hiroki. Believe me, I wanted to step in, I truly did. It was hard to just stand there, watching my own child get beaten to a pulp. Bruised, fur mangled, and a black eye…all in one day.

Year 5, Day 33
When I reluctantly sent Hiroki back to school, I headed back home to talk with the colleagues. We sat at the kitchen table, each with a drink: I had green tea, Gin had coffee, and Brio had wine.

"Maybe I should privately tutor him." I suggested, "Sending him to that school where he'll be abused physically, mentally, and emotional isn't good for him. The same would happen if I transformed him to another school. Doesn't matter if it's private or public."

"Oh, Cortex, stop moping!" Gin cried. I was shocked. My head was down, starring at the tablecloth decorated with flowers until he spoke that sentence.

"What?" I gasped, starring hard at Gin's plump face.

"This might do good for him." Gin spoke, "For the past five or so years, you've been pampering him."

"Pampering?" I repeated.

"D-D-D-D-Day in and D-D-D-D-D-Day Out." Brio popped in, not knowing for sure if he was on my side or Gin's just yet.

"With that kind of abuse he gets in school, he could toughen up." Gin suggested, "With you always cuddling with him, you're making him weaker and weaker! You don't want that! The child will grow up completely depending on even through his adult stages."

"But I was being a father." I cried, "And to leave him like that without interfering is traumatizing!"

"You don't h-h-h-have to leave him." Brio suggested, "Just g-g-g-g-give him advices and encouragements here and t-t-t-t-t-there."

"I don't know." I shook my head.

"And bring him outside more." Gin came in, "Take him camping, see the great outdoors. He can't stay in the castle forever."

"But I'm scared." I confessed.

"Your son will be scared even worse of the outside world if you keep him cooped up!" Gin slammed his fist down which rattled our cups, "You're scared because you'll lose Crash like you did with your previous son." I nodded slowly in agreement. Don't you hate it when someone corrects you? Don't you hate the harsh truth, making you feel ungodly uncomfortable?

"Oh, C-C-C-C-Cortex, you must move on." Brio sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder, "I have to agree with Gin. This is g-g-g-g-g-good for Crash."

"………….Alright." I softly, almost in a whisper, muttered, "I'll try it your way."

So Hiroki continued going to that school and every time he felt discouraged, I just gave him fatherly advices.

"Ignore them, hang your head up high, keep a stiff upper lip. You're better then people like those!" I would say those things to him, but I didn't think he fully understood some of it. Even if he could read books like an expert, he was still only five and barely knows anything of the true reality of the world. A children's mind is simply black and white. If they see someone is evil in cartoons, they automatically think that. They don't see the story behind them of how they came to be and how they see their intentions are not evil in their eyes. It's an example I was stating. He was five, so he automatically thought everyone hated him when there was a much deeper reason for all this. For the way he was being treated. If I told him now of the reasons, he wouldn't understand.

Year 5, Day 78
Hiroki, except for books, was doing pretty average in his school. When it came to books, he was a reading expert, but the rest he was only average in. The teacher, Mrs. Juniper said it's possibly because of his endless energy, which comes to no surprise. It's as if he had sugar in him and not blood, the boy had energy to spare. Because he was so excitable, he had a short attention span. I decided to find some way to get him to calm down. Until then, I decided to take Gin's suggestion to take him outside in the wild and see how he'd like it there. To use his energy in a good way. I'm going to stop typing this so I can go pack my camping gears.

Year 5, Day 82
We spent only a few days in the jungle, not too far from the city. I have gotten to the point where I could trust Gin and Brio to watch over the castle while I was away for a short time. I never left the castle for more then a week at least. I didn't completely rely on them THAT much.

I've camped a few times before, so I was experienced enough, but I kept a survival guide just incase. Hiroki was an insanely curious child and he moved around constantly, picking up random flowers, mushrooms, branches, and even animals. He would examine them and show them to me. I grew used to him wandering around the house, but the jungle was a new experience for Hiroki, so I had to keep a close eye on him. I let him wander, knowing he needed the free air like my cohorts have said, but I made sure he touched things that weren't dangerous or poisonous. If anything he got near was under those two categories, I immediately pulled him back. One time he cried because he saw a colorful blue and green frog he badly wanted to touch.

"It's poisonous!" I harshly spoke, "If you touch that frog, you could get very sick and die!"

"But why would animals do that?" He asked after he manage to calm down from crying, "I thought he was an animal like me."

"That animal is different then you." I spoke.

"I know that. I'm all furry and he's all slimy." Hiroki spoke, "But we're both animals."

"Hiroki, this animal cannot talk like a human or walk on two legs the way humans do." I started, "You can talk like a human and walk like a human."

"How come I can do that and the kids in my school can do that and even my teacher, but not these guys?" Hiroki pointed to the blue and green frog who hopped away into a small, nearby pond.

"That's how the world works." I said, "There aren't many beings such as you people. You are not humans, you are called an "anthro" or "furry" and you are different from those animals who do not look or speak like a human."

"But I thought animals like me and animals like that frog can understand each other." Hiroki pointed to the pond.

"Hiroki…remember Mrs. Patterson's dog, FiFi?" Mrs. Patterson was a skinny, heavily in make up, cat anthro with sleek platinum hair that I'm sure she dyed (no way in hell a woman her age can have hair color like that by natural means).

"Yea." He nodded.

"Well, remember when FiFi kept barking at everyone, including Mrs. Patterson herself?" Hiroki nodded

"Well, it's like the frog." I spoke, "Animals like FiFi and that frog doesn't always become friends with animals like you. Animals of the same species don't even get along. You've seen me fight with your Godfathers, N. Gin and N. Brio before."

Hiroki nodded and left to go explore more. He started to hang on to some of the lower branches. I didn't think he'd understood everything as I said. He's a child, I wouldn't put it past him if he forgot all about it by tomorrow and did his usual business of playing with his toys and watching TV.

Year5, Day 158
Hiroki spends more time outside now. We camp every so often and I would show him more of the Citadel City. Sometimes, the entire resident of the castle (all four of us) vacation to other parts of the world. We went to Europe just last week as well as China and America. We plan to go to Africa next year. Hiroki wanted to go Egypt terribly.

"I wanna see the mummies!" He stated.

The only place I refuse to go was Japan. I just…couldn't face it. Knowing my parents were still there…alive and probably berating me. For them to see me in success would further frustrate them and result in more harsh insults. Carrying around a small anthro wouldn't exactly help either. But when I thought of Japan, I immediately remembered my sister, Hanako. I realize I kept no contact over her after I departed the Ichigoya mansion where I once lived. She should be about 26 right now. I should give her a call, but I was afraid she'd speak with my parents about me. That was the one thing from preventing me to call her, let alone write her a letter. I desperately wanted to know how she was doing, however. I wondered if she was constantly thinking about me? What terrible temptation.

Year5, Day 233
Hiroki had his daily check up from me. He still hated getting shots, but I told him it was for his own good. Hiroki asked why he had to do this and I merely told him, "So you can be nice and healthy." I didn't have the heart to tell him it's mainly because of what he truly is…

Year5, Day 301
"I think it's time we made more animals." Gin replied, "More creations."

"What?" I gasped.

"Crash is a total success." Gin continued, "We should make more and use different animals, see how they react differently."

Normally, I would have agreed, but something prevented me from taking Gin's side.

"I don't think we're ready yet." I softly muttered, "Hiroki is only five, he still has many experimental stages to go."

"For goodness sake, Cortex!" Gin gasped, "What's the deal? You're a scientist. We're all scientist. Our duty is to literally play God."

"I don't want any other animals!" I shouted. Realizing what I just said, I quickly continued that sentence, "…Yet, anyways."

"Oh, I get it. Don't want anyone to upstage your "precious" son, eh?" Gin crossed his arms.

"That's not true!" I snapped, "I just think it's still too early. The boy is five. Give me a few more years!"

"This machine is gathering dust, Cortex!" Gin sighed, "Sooner or later, it'll be so clogged up we won't be able to use it!"

"I can make a new one! All of my ideas are in here (I pointed to my head), not in blueprints and that machine!"

"G-G-G-Guys!" Brio stepped in, "Please calm down! Let us not f-f-f-f-f-fight!"

"Yes, let's not. This discussion is over." I nodded.

"No, it's not!" Gin screamed, "Damn it, Cortex! You're a scientist! You're forgetting that Crash is an experiment, not your son!"

"HE IS MY SON!" I screamed, getting close to Gin. I honestly didn't know what came over me, "HE HAS MY BLOOD! HE IS MY CHILD! THE ONE I LOVE!"

"Crash is merely just a replacement for the son you LOST!" Gin screamed, "Because you're too stupid to move on, you had to create someone you could love!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" I cried, my face was red and I had tears coming down my eyes, "DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HIROKI THAT WAY!"

"You're WEAK, Cortex! WEAK!" Gin shrieked. He pushed me to my limits and without a lick of common sense, I pouched on him. We fought. We fought all over the lab room, knocking down chemicals and year's work of reports. Computers and beakers were shattered and broken into a thousand pieces. I slammed Gin to a machine he made a while back. It deployed missiles faster then an average missile launcher. A design the army could easily use. Little did we know we accidentally activated it, causing a stray missile to go off.

We didn't notice it at first, not until we hear Brio's scream. We both stopped fighting (but not letting go off each other) to see a missile flying in random around the lab room. It finally decided on a decision…it was aiming for us. We had little time to think, so I quickly dived out of the way, hoping Gin would do the same, but he didn't quite make it. Stunned and scared, Gin merely pulled a metal hiding we knocked down during our quarrel and shielded his head...

Everything was gray with smoke, so when I opened my eye, all I could make out was shadowy figures. The worse came when I saw Gin, lying still with the metal over half his face…and the missile sticking out like a gray pimple. Both Brio and I were insanely horrified. He was starting to bleed once the clouds faded out. I motioned for Brio to get something to hold the dark blood (although I had a difficult time getting words out of my mouth) and he came back with towels. After I tied it around his head, we quickly took him to the medical room. We had to do something…

Year 5, Day 315
It was grueling, but we manage to save N. Gin. We had to slightly turn him into an cyborg. Slightly as in half his face was completely metal which surrounded the missile which it's pointed end was halfway jammed in Gin's brain. The rest of his body was normal. Brio and I had to work out the kinks to balance out metal and flesh and after a grueling two weeks or so, we think we got it. Gin woke up fine. He looked the same, but with half a metal face and a robotic voice.

"What…happen?" Gin mumbled, "My voice! My voice sounds so…artificial!" When we gave him a mirror, he nearly fainted from the screaming he did (without even taking a breath in between). When we calmed him down, we explained the whole thing and afterwards, he cried.

"This happen because we had a stupid argument." Gin muttered, "I deserved this!"

"No, I pounced on you." I came in, "I should have held my temper."

We spend a while apologizing to each other. In the end, Gin said he accepted who he was now and that was that (plus, as the world's first cyborg as far as we were all concerned, he felt like a breakthrough in science).

"B-B-B-B-B-Believe me, we thought you wouldn't make it." Brio sighed, "None of us have experimented on the p-p-p-p-p-process of melding metal with flesh."

With all this excitement, I haven't given Hiroki that much attention, so I spent some extra time with him afterwards. He was naturally shocked at Gin's new look, but he looked passed it and touched his metal face.

"Uncle…" He smiled (he called both Gin and Brio "Uncle" despite them being their legal Godfathers).

Year 6, Day 122
The idea for creating more animals never left my head after N. Gin mentioned it. That didn't mean I wanted to make more, I just felt like one was enough. I wasn't kidding when I saw Hiroki needed more experiments, but I did feel like he would be upstaged. Maybe even create a sibling rivalry. I was still afraid for Hiroki. My former son barely left my head nowadays, but at the same time, I seem to be loosing my touch with him. I keep forgetting his name. What a terrible father I am…

Year 6, Day 200
"It's been a while."

"Yes, it has."

Imagine my surprise when Candy was standing on the front porch, hands together and with a serious, yet gentle smile. It was quite late at night. I was reading near the fireplace in the library when I heard the doorbell. Once I saw her, my mind filled with memories of her.

She was the same as before, but she felt much more older. Well, obviously she was older, but she didn't look like that girl I married so many years ago. Back then, she had supermodel appearance: what with her wavy blonde hair and bright, blue eyes, as well as legs that could reach the sky. Candy back then enjoyed wearing short pants and tight T-shirts. Her hair was always stylish and shiny. Her physical appearance had the ability to make men stop whatever it is they were doing just so she can be looked upon as the gorgeous babe she is. Everything was in slow motion as she slowly strutted pass wherever she'd be, waving her hair and winking to those men examining her like vultures to a carcass. Baywatch girls had nothing on her. Now, she donned a lavender dress that reached just above her feet and a blue blouse. Her hair was now tied up in a bond with some loose hair coming out. Her eyes felt more mellow and calm then bright and cute. She looked much like a mother. Either way, she still had that beauty.

I invited her in after I got over the shock of her appearance. We had tea (she had coffee, actually) and then, we chatted. She told me what she was doing lately (She's in America as a struggling actress) and I told her what I was doing…the same job since she has left.

"I thought so." She said. I nodded, then changed the subject to an issue she had to know about.

"I have a son."

"What" Candy removed the coffee cup from her lips, "A son? Another?" I nodded.

"Do you want to see him?"

Candy thought for as brief moment and nodded. I took her to his room where he was sleeping.

"I must warn you…he's very different." I showed her the sleeping Hiroki. He had a stuffed doll of an elf-ish creature. It had straight blonde hair and dotted blue eyes. He named the little thing "Jack"…without the "C". He got it when he was younger and naturally assumed that was how "Jack" was spelled. As he grew older, he eventually learned the proper spelling, but he kept the doll's name he gave years ago; "Jack" without a "C".

"Did you…adopt him?" Candy asked.

"No." I shook my head, "I made him."

"What?" She whispered.

"I made him." I repeated, "Remember that machine I made? I made him from a small, injured, near dead bandicoot. He has my blood. He's my son." I smiled softly at Hiroki and flicked back the orange fur blocking parts of his eye. I then turned around to see Candy who had on a shocked, concern expression.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Year 6, Day 203
She actually stayed for about two days right now. She spend all her time playing with Hiroki like she did with Akio. Hiroki took an immediately liking to her. In truth, it reduce the amount of stress I had; what with taking care of him, experimenting, as well as governing an entire set of islands. Candy had the motherly spirit and she would take out Hiroki in the city. He's been outside more times then I did with him. At times, I do feel a surge of jealously as Candy seem to pay all her attention to Hiroki and vice versa. The two barely ever talked with me, but I was happy to see them get together. The only question I had was why was she here? It couldn't be "just for a visit to see how you are". I had to ask her.

Year 6, Day 204
I asked her why she was truly here, but she merely said "Just to see how you are doing". I didn't buy that and I kept pestering her. When she refuse to answer, I gave up for the day and just watched her play with Hiroki.

Year 6, Day 220
I asked her the same question occasionally and she still refuses to answer. Instead of asking today, I decided to continue my progress with Hiroki. I seem to be experimenting on him less and less. Those shots I usually give him were now mainly of shots every normal child gets to prevent childhood diseases. Candy caught me writing on my clipboard and asked me what I did. I said it was nothing, but she took my clipboard and observed what I had written. She was shocked, saying I treated him like a science experiment then a son. I said I was just keeping a close eye on him and observing him, is all. Candy argued back and we had a nasty fight. She stormed off. I read what I wrote, then remembered N. Gin saying I treated him more like a son then an experiment. So…who's right; Gin or Candy?

Year 6, Day 234
When I look back at the progress reports I've written, I've noticed it felt more like a journal then notes and research. I keep forgetting to do it…the research, that is, but Candy didn't know that. She thought I was treating Hiroki like a science experiment everyday despite my pampering of him. She accused me so many times, we had a fight nearly everyday. Then I asked her that question I haven't asked her in a while…

"Why are you here?" I cried, "Tell me the truth!"

"Neo, please." Candy sighed, "We're talking about Hiroki, not why I'm here."

"There HAS to be a reason!" I shouted, "You left me some 6 or so years ago saying I was too obsessed with my work! Why did you come back?"

"………I came back to give you a second chance, but apparently you're even worse off then before!" She cried, "Experimenting on a boy you made! He's not real! He's a fake! A cruel nature!"

"How can you call him that? I cried, "You played with him! Treated him right!"

"I had to!" She snapped back, "I pretended to be nice and friendly so I'd know if it was worth coming back to you. Apparently not, you're mad!"

"I am not mad!"

"You created a being that does not exist! Your blood it holds! Obviously, you created him to replace our son!"

"I did not create him to replace Akio!"

"That's a blatant lie! He's your son by blood, just like Akio was! You made him shortly after Akio's death! It makes perfect sense!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

"Your son is replacing the one we both had together! You're forgetting about Akio for that freak!"

"HOW DARE YOU CALL HIM A FREAK? He is MY SON! I LOVE HIM!"

She was silent, shocked that I said I loved him.

"You've flipped your lid! Well, SEE IF I EVER COME BACK TO YOU!" Then grabbing her coat and purse, she left, in her mind, never to return.

I sighed and sat on the living room chair, silence except for the fire crackling in the fireplace. In mere seconds, I heard small sobs. I left my chair and went into Hiroki's room where the sob came from. In there, Hiroki was clutching his elf doll and crying his eyes out.

"Hiroki, oh…I'm sorry." I hugged him, "I'm sorry you had to hear us argue so much."

"It's not…that." He sniffed.

"Then what is it?" I asked.

"I thought she liked me."

To Be Continued…