Deep in the factory, next to the corpse of the pedophile, Jataro waited anxiously. The security alarms and locks kaput going off each one getting closer than the last. An hour in, his crocodile caregiver ran in.

"Big bro Kazuichi?!" Jataro asked.

"I tried everything, but they won't go away!" Kazuichi said. "You have to go hide in the vents."

"What about you?!" Jataro cried.

"I'll be right behind you, now go before they get here!" Kazuichi yelled.

"Okay." Jataro sniffed before running into the nearby vent.

The bald cat shade fearfully walked deeper into the vent like the crocodile advised, until he heard the vent door slam shut behind him. He ran back to try and open it but Kazuichi had screwed it tight with his claws. Then he saw the two monsters that had chased Kazuichi down here, a tall scary man with a sword accompanied by a demonic looking white fox. In between Jataro and the monsters was Kazuichi snapping his teeth to try and scare them off.

"I'll pin it down," the fox said. "You slice open it's stomach."

"No." Jataro could barely speak his throat was gripped by fear.

The fox bolted forward kicking Kazuichi onto his back. Kazuichi desperately tried to hit the white demon with his thick tail only for it to rip it off in one bite and pin him back down. Slowly the scary man approached the helpless Kazuichi with his broad sword dragging behind him. He looked down at Kazuichi for a second and brought his sword down onto his stomach. With a loud cry Kazuichi squirmed in agony causing the man to turn the blade inside. Soon after Kazuichi went limp and faded away leaving only a blood stain.

Jataro was in complete shock having watched his caretaker mercilessly executed before his eyes. He wanted to scream and claw out the eyes of the monsters that killed his caretaker, but instead he ran away crying. Because as much as he loved his big brother, running was the only thing a weak person like him could do.

Jataro ran through the maze of vents for what felt like forever, crying the whole way. Now that his caretaker was dead, this factory they called home was a rusted metal husk, yet he knew there was nowhere else he could go. He kept mindlessly running trying to get as far away from the monsters as he could until he ran over a loose vent opening and fell out. Upon hitting the cold metal floor unable to land on all fours, he let out a painful meow. Another strange sound swiftly followed, but not from him. When he looked over at the source he saw an abnormally large canine automata with fur like snow and eyes as cold blue as winter standing in the center of the room. It appeared to be a shiba inu. Yet instead of a curly tail, it had five whip like tails with bladed gums on the ends.

"INTRUDER! IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" The robot dog commanded.

All Jataro could do was break down crying again. If the robo dog was going to try to kill him at least he'd be with his big bro.

"AUDITORY SENSORS DETECTING A CHILD CRYING." The robo dog tilted its head. "INTRUDER IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"

Jataro just remained crying on the ground.

"IS THE INTRUDER A CHILD?!" The robo dog asked as it got closer.

"What's it matter…?" Jataro sniffed. "You're gonna kill me."

"IT IS AGAINST MY PROTOCOL TO HARM CHILDREN!" The robo dog said. "IDENTIFY WHETHER YOU ARE OF ARE NOT A CHILD!"

"I'm a kid," Jataro wiped his nose.

"WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!" The robo dog asked.

"Jataro…," Jataro reluctantly replied.

"HEAD MILITARY UNIT K1-B0!" The robo dog said. "IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU JATARO!"

"Wait… how can you understand me?" Jataro asked.

"K1-B0 WAS PROGRAMMED TO BY MASTER IDABASHI!" K1-B0 said. "WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF YOUR CRYING?"

"My brother... just got killed," Jataro tightened his tail around his body. "Now it's just me."

"OVERRIDE LAST ORDER!" K1-B0 raised his head and spoke. "CHANGING OBJECTIVE TO PROTECT JATARO."

"Huh?!" Jataro asked. "I didn't ask you too…"

"MASTER IDABASHI WOULD COMMAND K1-B0 TO PROTECT YOU!" K1-B0 said. "K1-B0 WILL STAY BY YOUR SIDE AS A LOYAL GUARDIAN.!"

"Really?" Jataro asked. "Okay… if you want I guess I can't stop you."

"OBJECTIVE ACCEPTED BY SECOND PARTY!" K1-B0 said. "OBJECTIVE CHANGE SUCCESSFUL!"

"So now what?" Jataro asked.

"DOES MASTER JATARO HAVE ANY REQUEST?" K1-B0.

"No, I just want to lay down and sleep," Jataro said.

"K1-B0's FUR WILL WARM YOU," K1-B0 lies down. "WHENEVER JATARO IS READY."

"Thanks…," Jataro crawled over and in between K1-B0's front paws and furry chest.

The fur while dusty and a bit mangy in some parts was definitely an improvement over Kazuichi's rough scales. Now that Jataro recalled he always wanted a dog, but a smaller less intimidating one like a shitzu. Of course his mother refused saying he'd kill any animal who looked at his face. At least that was one benefit of losing his body. Feeling the soft fur along with the vibrations and pulses coming from K1-B0, Jataro managed to fall asleep.

Time passed, how much Jataro wasn't sure since they stayed in the same windowless room. He could have ventured out, but the fear of that tall scary man coming to kill him and his new friend was too strong. So he remained in the room with K1-B0, passing the time by making sculptures out of spare parts around the room. It was difficult without opposable thumbs, but fun nonetheless. K1-B0 soon took an interest.

"WHY DO YOU ARRANGE THESE PARTS THIS WAY?" K1-B0 asked.

"Oh well I try to put them together to look like things I like," Jataro said. "Like these three sculptures are supposed to represent my friends Kotoko, Masaru, and Nagisa."

"KOTOKO, MASARU, AND NAGISA?" K1-B0 tilted his head. "THEY ARE JATARO'S FRIENDS?"

"Yeah," Jataro nodded with a smile which soon faded. "Well Nagisa was my friend… before he died. When we got separated from Kotoko and Masaru, a human killed him."

"BUT JATARO AND NAGISA ARE HUMAN CHILDREN," K1-B0 said.

"We are but we don't look like that anymore," Jataro said. "But it's okay, I'm used to being a monster even before I turned into this."

"JATARO IS NOT A MONSTER!" K1-B0 got closer and wrapped a paw around him. "JATARO IS HUMAN CHILD AND K1-B0'S MISSION!"

"Thanks," Jataro said. "But you know you can call me your friend."

"K1-B0? JATARO'S FRIEND?" K1-B0 asked. "K1-B0 HAS NEVER HAD A FRIEND."

"Really? Not even the other robot dogs are your friends?" Jataro asked.

"THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM K1-B0," K1-B0 explained. "K1-B0 WAS BUILT BY MASTER TO BE DIFFERENT!"

"How?" Jataro asked.

"K1-B0 WAS RAISED BY MASTER AS DOG THEN WEAPON THEN SON," K1-B0 explained. "WHILE OTHER UNITS WERE TAUGHT TO KILL, K1-B0 WAS TAUGHT TO RESPECT AND PROTECT HUMANS. WHILE OTHER UNITS HUNT, K1-B0 STAYS HERE FOR MASTER."

"I see," Jataro said. "So you're more human than dog or machine."

"K1-B0 IS NOT HUMAN!" K1-B0 said.

"But you can talk and just cause you don't look like a human doesn't mean you aren't one," Jataro explained. "Otherwise I wouldn't be human either."

"MAYBE JATARO IS CORRECT," K1-B0 said. "MAYBE K1-B0 IS HUMAN."

"Then why don't I give you a more human sounding name," Jataro said. "How about Kibou? It means hope."

"KIBOU?" K1-B0 tilted his head

"Yeah!" Jataro nodded.

"KIBOU…," K1-B0 pondered. "K1- CORRECTION, KIBOU LIKES IT."

"I'm glad," Jataro giggled happily to himself. "K1-B0 was a mouthful honestly."

"KIBOU AGREES," Kibou said.

More time passed. Since the two declared one another as each other's friend, they played together a lot. Often by Jataro kicking tiny bits of scrap metal around for Kibou to chase after or Kibou moving his long whip tails around for Jataro to jump over like jump ropes. During those fun times Jataro forgot all the bad stuff and was just able to focus on being with his oversized friend. Then one day he decided he wanted to share his old art with his friend.

"Say, Kibou?" Jataro asked. "Do you wanna see my other sculptures?"

"KIBOU WOULD!" Kibou said.

"Then let's go!" Jataro smiled and led the way.

Together the two walked towards the main doors. Although they were rusted shut, Kibou managed to break them down with his powerful claws.

"IT HAS BEEN 1,266 YEARS SINCE KIBOU LEFT THIS ROOM," Kibou said.

"Really?" Jataro asked. "You never thought of going out?"

"MASTER ORDERED KIBOU TO STAY TILL HE RETURNED, YET HIS PALING BODY INDICATED HE WAS DYING." Kibou explained. "YET KIBOU WAITED ANYWAYS BELIEVING MASTER WOULD RETURN FOR KIBOU HAD NO OTHER MISSION."

"You were scared without him there for you," Jataro said. "That's how I was with big bro, then I found you."

"JATARO HAS KIBOU, KIBOU HAS JATARO!" Kibou said.

"Yeah!" Jataro nodded. "As long as we're careful and stay close we'll keep each other safe here."

"KIBOU AGREES!" Kibou nodded.

Together the two walked through the factory. Luckily since Kibou was on Jataro's side none of the other robot dogs they encountered tried to attack him. Following the trail of claw marks Kazuichi left behind, the two made their way closer to Jataro's room. Suddenly Kibou froze near a three way intersection of halls.

"AUDITORY SENSORS DETECTING TWO INTRUDERS CLOSE BY!" Kibou said.

"Oh no!" Jataro ran and hid under Kibou. "Don't move, maybe they'll pass us."

Still as statues they waited. Soon Jataro could hear the two voices. He recognized both.

"Servant? And Monica?" Jataro asked.

"Ugh I don't want to be here!" Monica groaned. "I want to go home!"

"I know, but you have to learn to help out if you're gonna grow up to be a responsible and safe adult," Servant said.

Monica and Servant walked out from the left corridor and straight towards the opposite corridor. While Jataro and Kibou waited in the middle corridor, they could see the two humans walk by not noticing them at all.

"Why, when you can just take care of me?" Monica asked.

"Cause it's just good to be mature," Servant said.

"Ughh you're insufferable, I WANNA GO HOME AND EAT!" Monica yelled.

Suddenly the factory began to shake a bit as old pipes and plating collapsed from the ceiling above Monica.

"LOOK OUT!" Servant leapt forward with his whole body pushing Monica out of the way.

Monica fell to the side while the crumbling debree crushed Servant to death.

"Oh no…," Jataro shrank under Kibou.

"Hey!" Monica shouted then paused upon seeing Servants robotic arm sticking out from the wreckage.

Fearfully Monica crawled over to the arm.

"Nagi...to?" Monica asked as she took hold of the arm. "Get up…"

She pulled as hard as she could only to rip the prosthetic arm off of Servant. Upon landing on the ground with the arm tight in her grasp, Monica began to cry. Seeing this vulnerable side to Monica, even after all she did when he was human, Jataro couldn't help to run and comfort her. Kibou followed him, the sound of his heavy metal footsteps attracting Monica's attention to them.

"Monica?" Jataro asked.

Monica looked past him and directly towards Kibou. Her eyes were wide with fear and tears as she clutched even tighter to Servant's arm.

"Monsters," Monica breathed then ran as fast as she could down the hall she came from.

"Monica wait!" Jataro tried to follow her.

"DANGER," Kibou grabbed him. "NOT SAFE."

Jataro looked at Monica before she ran out of sight then to Kibou.

"You're right, humans kill people that look like me," Jataro said. "But poor Monica, I hope she'll be okay."

"SOMEONE COULD BE WAITING AT HOME FOR HER," Kibou said. "KIBOU AND JATARO SHOULD MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION."

"Yeah…," Jataro sighed. "We can see my sculptures another time."

Little did the two realize how this singular event would change their lives

Following Servant's death, nothing appeared to happen. The factory was peaceful with no intruders. Still Jataro and Kibou tried to stay hidden in their room. Then a few months later they heard an explosion echo through the vents followed by laughter. Monica had returned to the factory. From the sound of it she was excited to kill the robot dogs.

"KIBOU SHOULD EXTERMINATE THE INTRUDER!" Kibou said.

"Wait. we can't!" Jataro said. "Maybe this is just a one time thing."

"VERY WELL!" Kibou said. "KIBOU WILL NOT EXTERMINATE UNLESS ORDERED TO!"

"Thank you," Jataro rubbed up against Kibou.

Considering everything Monica had done to him and his friends he could've let Kibou kill her. Yet he knew this present Monica wasn't the same Monica that hurt him. After all the present Monica was still young and human looking. He hoped she wouldn't turn out to be as cruel and sadistic as the Monica he knew all those years ago. Sadly he was wrong.

Despite his hopes Monica would move on, she kept coming back to the factory. Each time she hunted down and killed a robot dog. How she did it he didn't know. Probably she spent those months after Servant's death training. Fearful of what she'd do to Kibou, Jataro and the robot dog moved around the factory to avoid the robot dog killer. As they did they saw the corpses of the killed robot dogs that had been picked apart by Monica. When they came to the room Jataro and Kazuichi used to share they found his sculptures smashed to pieces and picked apart by Monica. Yet even upon seeing the sculpture he made of Kazuichi composed of scraps of metal, Jataro could not bring himself to tell Kibou to kill Monica. Though now it had become less out of empathy and more out of fear she could kill her best friend.

Years passed and although all the robot dogs aside from Kibou had been destroyed, Monica did not stop looking for them. It was clear she desperately wanted to destroy Kibou for her own sadistic pleasure. Jataro and Kibou kept running and hiding around the factory, holding out hope she'd grow tired and give up once and for all. Then they could live peacefully in the factory like they used to.

Then they were chased into an elevator Monica had rigged and forced into a circular room, unable to use the elevator to get back up, they still tried to avoid Monica. Despite her ability to kill the other robot dogs, her metallic arm and mace slowed her down allowing the two to just keep dodging her attacks. She'd grow tired and leave only to come back the next day.

They spent a long time down in the circular room, but time was irrelevant to both of them. Both were content with doing nothing as long as they had each other. So they waited for the day Monica would give up for good.

"DOES JATARO WISH TO SEE THE OUTSIDE WORLD?!" Kibou asked one day while they played.

"Not really, it's really dangerous and scary out there," Jataro said.

"KIBOU WOULD PROTECT JATARO!" Kibou said.

"Yeah, I guess if we went together it wouldn't be so bad, but… that scary man that killed big bro Kazuichi could be out there along with the humans that killed Nagisa," Jataro said.

"KIBOU WILL EXTERMINATE THEM!" Kibou said.

"Yeah, then maybe we can find Kotoko and Masaru after," Jataro smiled

"AUDITORY SENSORS DETECTING FOUR INTRUDERS COMING DOWN THE ELEVATOR! Kibou stood up.

"Oh no!" Jataro's tail tucked between his legs.

"JATARO MUST ESCAPE THROUGH THE VENTS!" Kibou said.

"No!" Jataro cried. "I can't… I won't leave you!"

"JATARO MUST ESCAPE THROUGH THE VENTS TO BE SAFE!" Kibou said.

"No!" Jataro shook his head. "I did that before and big bro Kazuichi was killed! I won't run away and let another person important to me die! I'll stay and help you.!

"KIBOU AND JATARO ARE OUTNUMBERED, CHANCES OF SURVIVAL ARE MINIMAL!" Kibou explained.

"Doesn't matter!" Jataro said. "I'm staying with you!"

"VERY WELL, KIBOU WILL WORK EVEN HARDER TO PROTECT THE MISSION!" Kibou said.

In the short time they had the two tried to make a plan. Once the elevator arrived, Kibou would scout the intruders then come back to Jataro. Little did he know who would be among the intruders. Not only was Monica there, but also the scary tall man and the talking fox that killed Kazuichi. The three were also joined by a feral looking lady with blonde hair. Upon seeing the scary man and talking fox, Jataro froze and dug his claws into Kibou's metallic back.

"SCANNING… SCANNING!" Kibou said.

"See!" Monica shouted. "That puny shade controls it!"

"Leave us alone!" Jataro hissed.

Swiftly Kibou raised his tail guns and started rapidly firing shots of electricity. The scary tall man, the fox, the feral lady, and somehow Monica dodged, the latter leaping at Kibou afterwards. Kibou raised his metal claws and tried to cut her only for the fox to drag her out of harm's way.

"They're going to kill us!" Jataro cried.

"EXTERMINATING… EXTERMINATING!" Kibou said.

The fox charged head first into Kibou's face catching him off guard.

"Don't lose Kibou!" Jataro cheered until her heard the sound of the scary man and feral lady from behind.

He watched with horror as the feral lady had summoned shade claws bigger and stronger than his. Using this shade power the feral lady caught four of Kibou's tails in mid air. The stray tail gun aimed but only managed to scrape her right arm surrounded in shadows. Once she landed, she stretched the tails out allowing the scary tall man to slice them in one clean slash.

"Kibou the scary man and feral lady are behind you! Jataro cried

Swiping the fox away, Kibou turned around to face the two responsible for his lost tails. Using his remaining tail, he wrapped it around the fox's neck while lunging at the feral lady. As the tail swiftly tightened around the fox's neck, the feral lady raised her shadow claws to shield for impact. Kibou attempted to bite her arms clean off, but the shadow claws were too thick for his fangs to pierce through much. The feral lady retracted her shadow claws to slip her arms out. Then while Kibou was up close, she resummoned her shadow claws and mercilessly slashed through his metal face. His grip on the fox loosened, allowing it to slip out.

"Kibou! Are you okay?!" Jataro cried out.

Kibou ignored his question and slammed his front paws down creating two waves of electricity around it, that the feral lady narrowly dodged.

"EXTERMINATING… EXTERMINATING… ING… ING!" Kibou's voice started to break.

"Take this you bastard!" Monica yelled as she swung her mace into the organic part of Kibou's side.

"No!!!" Jataro yelled as he saw the blood gush out upon impact.

Kibou turned his head towards Monica before flicking her to the wall with his remaining tail. Once again he slammed his paws onto the ground sending out more electric waves than ever while.

"Kibou you're hurt!" Jataro yelled. "Try to run away! I don't want you to die!

"MUST… DEFEND… MY… MISSION!" Kibou said

"You're my only friend left in this horrible world!" Jataro cried. "The only one I've had ever since big bro Kazuichi died!"

"No! Damn it!" The feral lady shouted. "That's a shade. It's a shade!"

Suddenly, Kibou froze. Then metal wings shot out from his back giving him the ability to fly off the ground. Once in the air, Kibou flew right up to the ceiling and tried to rip it open. All the while Jataro held on for dear life.

"ESCAPE, ESCape, Escape!" Kibou spoke.

"You can do it!" Jataro shouted. "I believe in you!"

"I don't think so!" The feral lady growled and used her shadow legs to launch herself up to Kibou to pull him down by his tail.

"GO… see the WORLD... LD… LD... LD!" Kibou struggled to speak.

Kibou flapped his wings as hard as he could to stay in the air, only for the feral lady to pull his tail and slam him into the floor. The fox summoned lance with its tail and shot it clean through Kibou's chest, pinning him to the ground.

"Get away from my friend!" Jataro roared as he lunged at the fox.

Then the scary tall man intercepted and cut him with his sword. Jataro knocked back by the strike, hit Kibou. Kibou struggled to stand back up only to fall back down.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't... protect you…," Jataro cried as he felt his numb body disintegrate. "The way… all of you... protected me… Nagisa… Kazuichi… K-"

Before he could say his dear friend's name, Jataro died.