Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, or else you wouldn't be reading this... =1
A/N: Wow, I apologize for not having updated last month. End/beginning of year activities were quite time-consuming. But I'm really grateful for the people who continue to follow this story, and for those who reviewed last chapter. Thank you!
Also, to Random Reviewer: THANK YOU so much for offering to proofread! Please send me a PM when you make an account. Really appreciate it!
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Day # 10: "Welcome" Part 2
[What is there to look forward to, in this twisted new world?]
...
It would simply be a lot better if he could make the itching in his right arm stop. But no matter what, scratching a metal surface was not in any way comforting. He wished he knew as much about his own arm as Dr. Andonuts or the other scientists did. He bothered to look at graphs and browse through text in monitors, but even a computer chip in his own head could not make him truly understand the mechanisms of his newly-repaired arm cannon. There was this awful sensation to it, like feeling small surges of electricity tickling his insides . He moved it up and down, from the elbow to the tip at the end, fired a few shots toward an already-cracked wall in the pale, dim-lit room; even slammed it on the table, with elbow joint hitting hard surface, but no avail.
He paused. Slammed it again and fired. But the tickling wouldn't stop. It wouldn't be so bad if there was another task he could do to split his attention. He was fighting the urge to tear his own arm apart to pieces all over again. With his trembling left hand, he began twisting the metal right above the shoulder. The door to the room then slammed open, with Dr. Andonuts carrying a white case in his hands.
Upon such a sight, he figured out what the boy was feeling. "Sorry about that.. you'll get used to it..."
The boy reluctantly sat in the table and let Andonuts work. He shortly discovered that the built of his new arm was much more complex than the first. It will take some more adjusting to do, but in time, he could effortlessly morph it between a cannon to an artificial hand. But at the moment, the new fingers couldn't move as well. Much to his relief, the tickling in his arm died down at last, once Andonuts adjusted some screws.
"You must know, Porky is never quite satisfied.." Andonuts began, as he worked around the artificial arm, fiddling with wires that would sometimes produce some strange whirling noises. "But sometimes, materializing his wishes is quite," he paused to find the right word. "...troublesome."
"..because it always seems to go against the laws of nature itself.." Andonuts mumbled, more to himself than to his physical listener.
What is nature? The boy pondered.. At what point does the synthetic grass surrounding the lab end, and the 'natural' one of the forest begin? How do you tell them apart? The smell? The color? His thoughts trailed off into picturing grass on the fields, dancing as the wind blew by, and changing colors as he passed by them. And then, further ahead was a familiar figure in red and black. His back was turned away from the viewer, and his hands were on his pockets. He felt so distant and nonchalant.. as if he were calmly waiting for something.. or maybe, as if he never expected anybody to disturb him..
Dr. Andonuts finished his work and began to remove the latex gloves he had put on, once he cleaned away some fluid. But the question he had expected the boy to speak never came. He glanced at him, saw a dead and unfocused stare, making Andonuts feel uneasy.
He supposes he should bring up the subject, because as much as he'd like, he can't keep the boy within the labs for long...
"You know.. once you feel ready," the doctor asks, walking away to properly dispose of the gloves. "I'll get someone to escort you.. to..." but he has trouble finishing up the sentence, and he clears his throat instead.
"No need..." the boy finally answers and gets up, dully grabbing his black jacket resting on a chair near the table. The jacket was still torn and dirty from the previous fight. He proceeds to put it on, regardless. "I will make my way there soon."
The sentence had been clear enough, but Andonuts still asked, "..come again?"
The boy looked at him with those deadened eyes. If he were completely human, Andonuts would've imagined the boy thinking he was a fool for not understanding such a simple sentence.
"I mean.. You don't have to do it alone, boy." Andonuts proceeds to try to reason. "You've only been outside once. And it's infested with chimeras out there! Well, not like you.. quite.. uh.. It'll be fine, if we get someone to escort you. I'll-"
"I'm just not sure..." the boy cut his sentence. A faint hint of sadness curiously emanating from his often aloof red eyes. "..if Master really needs me..."
Doctor Andonuts isn't sure what to say to that. An "of COURSE he does!" feels like a lie. And the truth is that he half-wishes it to be..
...
A small hovering object with the shape of a pig's head shakes several leaves as it raises slowly from one of the many bushes resting a small distance from the entrance of the Chimera Lab. The lenses from the camera within adjust to focus on its found target, and proceeds to transmit data to its receiving end. It floats further up, hiding right under the shades of the trees, to continue following its assigned mark.
Around other areas of the island, similar objects float about too. They report any suspicious activity to the heads at the Pigmask Army. Only if they're smart enough, will they be able to distinguish if any news is of value to Master Porky. Most of the times, they like to slack off.
...
"Just hold it right there, gawd. I'm not gonna kill you. And it won't bother you if I do."
"Y-yes, your Highness.." a quivering voice replied.
A ball of paint rested over a Pigmask's head as he kneeled down in the artificial grass, as Porky prepared to bat it with the wooden instrument in his hand. He swung his arms around softly, as if for aiming practice (not like he really wanted to aim anyway), and then he stood still as he looked over at the colorful, plastic figure that stood ahead, planted to the ground, waiting to be splattered with the paint inside the spherical container above the Pigmask's head.
Porky then batted, half hitting the Pigmask in the head, but thanks to the atrociously-shaped mask he was wearing, the knock didn't feel as bad he imagined. He still ended up in the ground, and the ball he had been holding flew out in to the air, missing its target, and splashing paint further out the field.
"Gawdammit!" Porky exclaimed, hitting the bat against the ground furiously. He then turned to look at the Pigmask laying on the grass. "Maybe if YOU hadn't been such a coward, it would've been a good hit!" Porky then swung his body to face other Pigmasks standing behind the field.
He pointed toward a random one. "Hey you! Bring me the gun." The Pigmasks in the direction Porky had pointed quivered, with several signaling themselves.
"Who, me?" they chorused in confusion.
Porky then threw the bat in his hand at them, hitting an entirely different Pigmask, who fell on to the ground from the hit. "That one," Porky yelled. The other Pigmasks scattered, and one helped the knocked guy up, who then ran away to fetch Porky's whatever he wanted.
Porky then turned to look once again at the guy he had previously knocked out when he batted. "And you! You'll be my new target. Now MOVE!"
"Y-yes, sir!" He ran quickly to his new assigned spot. The Pigmask supposes it's better to be the target of a paint ball than the target of a bat. ...Unless the King orders a different kind of gun...
Porky's entertainment for the day was shortly interrupted when Ms. Marshmallow came in to report to him. In her hands she held a digital map of his facilities, and two different locations in it were blinking.
"Hmm, what have we here?" Porky curiously measured the movements of the blinking lights. "Honestly, does the word 'Suicide' run through its veins?" his childish voice cackled. The Pigmask who had gone out to fetch Porky's paint gun came in.
"Send word to the Fierce Porky trooper," Porky states as he takes the paint gun from the Pigmask.
"Tell him there's a little chimera problem I'd like him to take care of.."
...
He had to make the most out of the available sunlight, but not only did the shade of the trees not help, the overall ambience just seemed dark and unwelcoming throughout the whole area. He battled bushes and tree-branches on the way, and he tried his best to avoid being detected by other nearby chimeras-only because he doesn't wish to trash something he wasn't told to. But just in case, his arm canon was charged to its fullest. And at least he did remember his PSI. Surely nothing should go wrong. The boy who's only glanced at this whole new map once can get to his Master by himself in one piece, no problem!
Too bad the quick stomping noise he was hearing out from the left side behind him didn't seem to agree.. Whatever it was, it was coming fast, thwarting any plants on its way to him. It sounded as though it were a stampede. He readied his canon and turned around. If it was one of the chimeras, well... he didn't exactly want to damage it unless he had permission. No, he didn't want to cause any damage at all.. his thoughts briefly trailed to the terrifying sight of his dream.
Between the moving bushes, he saw a brown figure with what looked like purple Mohawk hair standing up. His internal scan focused its vision on it, but it approached him so fast that he had to jump to the side and roll over to avoid getting run over by it. The creature continued its path until it slammed hard against a sturdy tree, shaking it from the impact.
It screeched like a drowning horse, as it stepped back with its eight legs. The boy was half-surprised at the sight. The chimera's shape made sense in one way, but didn't in the other. Though, it's not his place to agree.
..Goes against nature.. Andonuts mumbled words briefly flashed back at him.
After thrusting its head one direction and then the other, the Horsantula caught sight of him, and then began to ready its legs toward him. The boy also prepared to move.
A big shadow with horns cast over the boy behind him, but he didn't fully have the time to see what it was. He only obeyed the command in its voice.
"Move over, boy."
The boy rolled out to the side again, the Horsantula dashed forward, and with the figure behind, they both rammed against each other fiercely. The mass bulk of the Fierce Pork Trooper had just been enough to stop the Horsantula mid way, but its legs continued to inch forward. The Trooper was barely holding its ground.
The red-haired boy watched the sight before him with half amazement. Maybe, if only he had as much strength as the Pork Trooper... he could be somewhat useful to his Master...
..but for what purpose..?
The Fierce Pork Trooper concentrated his strength on his left arm, and swung the Horsantula, to the right. Once losing its balance, its eight legs kicked fiercely, rolling the body a few times. The Trooper took this chance to slam its head with two fists shaped together, knocking the spider-like chimera out of its senses, finally inducing it to sleep after another screech.
Its legs seized to move. The spider now put to rest, and the boy's heart ached at the sight.
Like nothing had happened, the Trooper got up and turned to look at the boy.
"You're him, aren't you?" he scanned the boy, and spotted the metal arm.
"..." the boy said nothing back.
The Trooper came forward, in a more friendly manner. "Master Porky is waiting for you, sir."
Even more speechless, the boy merely stared up at the Trooper, red eyes somewhat surprised.
The Trooper scratched his head. The conversation was going nowhere. And he had zero experience in speaking to a child (a child that wasn't... his King).
"Master Porky.." he began. "..ordered me to make sure you were uninjured on your way to him." A pause to make sure his words up to now had been understood. The boy simply blinked back at him. "He's waiting for you right now."
They could hear the grass rustle beneath where the Horsantula lay, but it was not yet ready to wake up. The news finally sunk to the boy's head, and a strange feeling of purpose attempted to wake up the rest of his senses.
'I see..' he thinks, but does not speak it.
"Thanks.." he speaks, but does not feel it.
...
After a briefing and directions, the Fierce Pork Trooper happily leaves on his way to the DCMC concert, and the boy makes it just fine toward the entrance of Thunder Tower, where he's greeted by two Pigmasks, gladly showing him the way in. He feels at ease at the sight of a more familiar place (and more colorful-looking too. Unlike those bleak science rooms). Ignoring everything else the building has to offer, he enters the elevator and he exits at the top floor.
He walks forward and stops before the entrance to the hall leading to his Master's room. He remembers it being well-decorated inside, but he doesn't remember such huge balloons to the sides of the hall. They each read "Welcome."
He tilts his head, searching his database for any information regarding important dates (what day is it today, anyway?). Unable to find anything relevant, he shrugs it off and keeps walking toward it. He goes through the hall, and stops right before the last door to inside. He isn't sure what to expect, nor of what he wants to expect. But the less rioting, the better..
"Come in, come in.." a voice speaks from inside, the noise of something both welcoming and mischievous in tone. He opens the door and peeks in. He's greeted by the aroma of greasy snacks and sweets, and his sight awash with all kinds of colors. Presents and toys laying in the floor like usual, but more big balloons that he does not remember seeing before flash the signs he saw out the door.
They all read "Welcome."
And to add to the flash, without moving from his chair, Porky points a small toy gun at the boy and fires. A dart hits the boy's forehead, sticking into his skin, and then pops open a container it held. Confetti paper rains down, and a small scroll flies out. Again, the letters "Welcome" were written.
"..." He blinks twice.
Porky gets up from his chair and walks toward him. The boy's hand reaches up to touch the dart, unsure if to take it off. Porky does this for him without delicacy. Takes the scroll and waves it in front of him.
"Do you know what this means?" he smiles.
The boy opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, Porky wraps his arms around him and hugs.
"..."
A rather awkward short pause, until the boy attempts to speak "...Ma-"
"I've been waiting for you," Porky cuts in, speaking into his ear, and tightening the embrace.
Too many thoughts occupy the boy's head. Physical contact feels warm, and somehow familiar. But the feelings coming from it aren't so assuring, and he can't point out why. Troubled by his previous dream and his recent state, he finds himself unable to reach an accommodating explanation to the situation. He should be glad, he tells himself. Maybe he isn't completely worthless. He should be glad, he thinks, because his Master was waiting for him.
He should be glad, if Master Porky looks happy...
Unable to respond, he merely stands there, unable to return the embrace. His heart begins to race, though his physical readings indicate there is nothing abnormal. He manages only to close his eyes, as if wanting to completely shut down instead.
The floating balloons inside stuff the room with far too much color, much in the same manner that pain soars in excess inside the boy's head. Far too much.
~Fin~
A/N: Hi there! I have no idea what kind of impression did this chapter, or the whole story, has given you so far because you have not reviewed yet! So please do so by clicking below, thank you!