Home was where the heart was.
Ikki's case was no different as he was hit with yet another round of severe homesickness.
He hated this stupid island that he wasn't allowed to leave. Lucien showed him where there were fruit and fresh springs of water - that was always a plus. He also restored Ikki's clothing back to their original state. He was the closest thing to a companion, yet Ikki didn't see much of him at all.
Just as well.
If Ikki saw him one more time, he'd rip into the being with a whole new meaning of viciousness. Lucien constantly and patiently refused to let Ikki go home. Lucien had the power, but Ikki was being kept there for his safety. Ikki had retorted that the witness protection program back on Earth was perfectly fine.
He wasn't sure if the flow of time was the same on the island or not. All evidence pointed towards the latter though. Day and night seemed longer than those of Earth. Ikki spent most of his time in front of the pool watching everything going on.
It was night again. The multitudes of stars were a breathtaking sight, but the boy had grown used to it and ignored it. He didn't care if he'd never see something like this in the city.
A refreshing breeze washed over him and Ikki allowed himself to fall back gently into the soft grass. The island was quiet - abnormally so. There were no animals and insects to bother him. This might have allowed for a restful sleep under normal circumstances; but this was anything but normal.
Lucien told him about the Medabot - the living weapon. It bothered Ikki to watch it. It had this weird feel to it, like it was a walking bomb. He needed it to be gone. At some point, being destroyed would be a much kinder fate than being manipulated by terrorists.
Ikki sighed uneasily and closed his eyes. He was much too tired to watch the controlled chaos of his home city. He'll just get some sleep and figure out what to do in the morning.
"This is where we stay and recharge ourselves if need be," Flame said, turning aside so the room was visible, "and when you get initiated, you can find yourself a spot."
The room was more like a large hall; the white walls were lined with glass capsules of some sort. Various Medabots were either socializing, doing some minor maintenance, or recharging within the capsules, as Flame had mentioned.
The Medabot looked around, "this place isn't bad. But what kind of initiation would I have to complete?"
"It's like a performance test, y'know, to see what areas in combat you'll either excel in or fail big time. Once you completed your test, you'd be given your official name and a human partner." Flame explained, before he took on a tone with a hint of smugness, "and once you rise in ranks - Medabot ranks, that is - you could choose to complete missions on your own."
"But, wouldn't you miss your partner?"
"Please! All of the people here are egotistical jerks! Most of the 'Bots can't wait to get rid of them!" Flame sounded exasperated.
"Are they really as bad as you make out?" It asked.
"I've yet to find a single decent person," Flame spat bitterly. "They're only really there to train the inexperienced Medabots."
The robot said nothing as it stared at the bustling scene. However the moment was quickly spoiled. "Ah, there you are! I've been lookin' everywhere for you," a rough, masculine voice barked.
The robot saw Flame bristle slightly before turning around. It turned around as well with curiosity and some confusion. What made Flame react like that?
A strange man stood over them trying to catch his breath. "So you're the project Isis was so secretive about. Don't look like anything special if you ask me," he sneered.
"Well, no one asked," Flame retorted. "What do you want, Ex?"
Ex motioned at the Medabot, "I need to take him to see Isis, he's been running around like a renegade since this morning. She's not very happy."
"How is looking around doing any harm?" The onyx colored Medabot spoke; it's body language seemed somewhat defensive.
Ex seemed genuinely surprised, 'it actually developed a semblance of attitude quickly. This thing could be interesting...' Then he straightened, as if he remembered something suddenly, "speaking of Isis, you need to come with me now! Pronto!"
Startled by the change in the man, the robot reluctantly followed him at a quick pace. Flame stayed behind. It had nothing to do with him, he figured.
Seconds turned into minutes as Ex led it through the endless network of halls and corridors. It didn't matter where they went, it all looked the same. It was going to navigate this labyrinth someday? It shook its head at the thought.
Ex finally led it into the lab. A woman paced impatiently and stopped when she saw them, "it's about time! What took you so long?"
"You're welcome," Ex quipped.
"It doesn't matter," Isis ignored Ex as her eyes connected with the Medabot's, "you are such a pain! But no matter, just follow me."
"Where are we going?" Curiosity overlapped the slight distrust, "is there more of this place?"
"You're going to meet someone special." Isis replied, glancing at Ex. He responded with a lightly raised eyebrow before turning and leaving the room.
"Come on, he wants to see you."
"This is the project?"
"Yes, sir."
"He doesn't seem very powerful. Rather plain, if I may add."
"With all due respect, sir, appearances can be very deceiving. Wouldn't it be easier to conceal his power by looking small? Instead of being armed to the teeth?"
"In that case, that was very wise of you - it shows placing you as the head of science was the correct choice."
"Thank you, sir."
The Medabot didn't dare speak. The air surrounding this... human was unpleasant, to say the least. However, one could argue that the entire room alone could set someone off.
"Medabot, come here."
The robot felt himself go forward unwillingly while Isis backed up and looked on. The man crouched until he met the Medabot's height, "I am going to give you your name, based on a power you may or may not have. Let's pray that you do."
'Okay...'
"From here on out, you will be known as Ki. The power you wield has the potential to be unstoppable - it will be essential to the role you will play very soon."
"But... aren't I supposed to clear some sort of test?" The robot asked.
"Let's say the work ahead of you will be your test," the man responded. He rose to his full height and watched Ki intently, his dark eyes glinting. It was as if the man was judging if it was worth any time or not.
'This is weird - I got my name right away? I didn't even have to do one of those tests Flame talked about...'
"Isis, take Ki and commence his training. While he doesn't need to be tested for obedience and the like, he certainly needs to hone his combat skills," the man ordered.
"Of course, I'll just assign one of the personnel and-"
"No!" He interrupted Isis, "I don't trust that any of those morons wouldn't cause a disaster... Give him to Flame for training."
"Flame?" Her eyebrows twitched slightly.
"No one can train a Medabot better than one. Flame is a good choice; he won't go easy on him at all. Do you have a problem with this?" He asked calmly.
"No, sir. It's just rather unorthodox, that's all. Choosing Flame does come as a surprise to me."
"Every day brings a new change, Isis. We as a race would never get anywhere if we stuck to the same traditions and processes. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Of course, sir."
"You really mean it?"
"Yes, Metabee," she crossed her arms.
"I can stay here?"
"I already said yes."
"That's awesome! You're the best, Ms. Nae!" Metabee quickly hugged her, only to realize what he did and released her just as fast. "I-I'll be sure to help around here as much as I can. I won't screw up," he sounded embarrassed.
Nae, amused by Metabee's actions, nodded before suddenly frowning, "although, it's probably going against my better judgment..."
Metabee didn't flinch at the remark, but rather looked thoughtful. "The moment I find Ikki, I'll go home and put your mind at rest. I won't be a burden, I promise."
Nae didn't think she'd ever seen him this serious before - it was almost a rare sight. She softly smiled, "Alright." She looked towards the garage, "Honey, I think we have a new assistant."
Author's Note:
(Edited: 12/07/18)
So... hi...
It's been forever and a half since I updated this and to be honest... I'm not very happy with this chapter at all. It's too short for my liking and I think everything about this one stinks. If you think so too, I will definitely understand.
But, it's nice to be back nonetheless. I've been busy with everything - it seems like the older you get, the less free time you have. *sigh* I don't think I truly updated this since last summer actually.
But I should be updating this a little more often than I have been; maybe monthly updates. If you notice, I updated the story (I should have put dates on when I updated on each chapter). My biggest update was removing a character (Kaiser) entirely from the story; he served no purpose really, so I wondered what the heck I was thinking when I made the split second decision to add him. I might use him in another story but not this one.
This is why I need to learn how to plan stories better.
I recommend quickly reading through this again. Some parts might not look all that different, some may look a lot different. It's all in perspective.
Sorry for inflating the word count.
-Winterbornbree