"Please tell me what happened in full detail," Arthur asked patiently. He was much more polite than he had been before, and seemed ready to wait for Kiku to figure out the correct words to describe what happened, having dealt with people of many nationalities and understood the difficulties of describing details in a language that wasn't yours.
Kiku took his time in doing so, carefully finding the correct words to explain all the important details of Alfred's behavior, from the way he had gone in and out of focus before the event, to how his eyes had glowed violet while he grabbed Kiku and thrown him aside. He went through what happened multiple times in his head, but could see nothing else that may be important once he had finished, sitting awkwardly on his couch with his form hunched and his knees pressed together. He felt… strangely helpless.
"And you say he simply turned off?" Arthur asked to clarify, sipping what Kiku had deduced (after hearing the familiar sounds of rummaging through the kitchen and a kettle boiling) was tea. "By himself? You didn't press any buttons or say anything?" Kiku subtly noticed that, unlike most people who spoke about Alfred, Arthur addressed the robot as though he were a person, saying his name and calling him "he". Kiku felt oddly comforted by this fact.
"Yes," Kiku said with a small nod. "He was preparing to throw me, I suppose, when he shut off without warning. He's been off ever since…" His deep eyes trailed over to the still form only a few feet away. He hadn't moved in the time he had spoken with Arthur.
"I see…." Arthur pondered this a moment. "It's rather odd. If he got as far as you say, any automatic responses to hacking would have been turned off. It's unlikely it would have kicked in so late, but then, why would someone with full control over him simply shut him off?" Kiku briefly had an idea, but decided best to stay silent, lest he be viewed as juvenile or silly for such a thought. He honestly knew very little about how these machines worked, and wasn't about to offer some uninformed idea without evidence.
"What should I do know?" Kiku asked, subtly hoping he could get Alfred to work again. He didn't like the robot to be so still and lifeless for so long. It was unnerving to say the least.
"That's the question," Arthur said, partly to himself. "What should be done now? If it is already known where Alfred is, then it wouldn't be safe for either of you to stay there." He paused. "Perhaps we can get Alfred back here and you can stay elsewhere while these enemies realize he's no longer in your care. Of course, I'll be sure to give you a full refund and reimburse you for any damages and inconvenience this situation may have-"
"No," Kiku interrupted with an incredible amount of force behind his words. His heart rate had quickened and his fingers were gripping tightly to the couch.
"If this is about money or safety," Arthur said, "I can assure you we will be going about this in a different way. Though if you truly insist on taking legal action, I can't stop you. However, I will remind you that this situation is not favorable to you seeing as, no offense, I'm a very wealthy man, and this is an international affair. I will happily pay you what you need to-"
"That isn't what I meant," Kiku said, shaking his head, not quite able to place where his determination was coming from. "I will not give Alfred up. Not so soon, and not like this. Whatever you need me to do, I will do it, but I refuse to simply give Alfred away for my own safety." He paused. "I'm sorry, but that is my decision, and as long as Alfred is technically mine, I intend to keep him with me. He will not be taken so easily." There was silence that followed his statement, and it crossed his mind a few times that Arthur may be thinking of taking Alfred by force. He was indeed a powerful man, and such an action wouldn't be impossible for him, but…
"You're certain of this?" Arthur asked, more understanding of Kiku than he let on. "Up to this point, you were an unfortunate victim who had no knowledge of the situation. If you truly make this your choice, anything that happens to you, or Alfred, is your responsibility. I have no obligation to reimburse you or refund the money. Furthermore, you will not be able to stay there, and likely will have to leave your job and your home behind, as well as any family members you have there. And, once again, Alfred's safety is not guaranteed. It may all come up to nothing. Is this really your decision?"
"Yes," Kiku said, giving not a moment of hesitation. He felt more determined than he had in a long time. "I wouldn't be able to rest if I knew I hadn't tried to help. He's…. very important to me."
"I understand," Arthur said, and Kiku got the feeling he was telling the truth. "Then I'll make arrangements for you to be flown over here. Should your decision change before transportation arrives, then you may stay and my original offer stands. Anything beyond that is set, and any money or time lost is your responsibility."
"Of course," Kiku said, but already he knew his decision was final. He glanced to Alfred again. "What should I do with Alfred for now then?" Arthur paused, clearly thinking this over.
"I'm sure whoever hacked into Alfred the first time won't try again so soon," Arthur said, "so turning him on should be safe. However, should he start acting strange once more, be certain to shut him down immediately. The manual off and on switch is below the base of his neck."
Kiku slipped off the couch and crouched next to Alfred, easily locating the panel that kept the button safe from accidental pressing. "I see," he said with a nod, though he didn't want to turn him on while still speaking on the phone with Arthur. "Is there anything else?"
"No, this seems to be all," Arthur confirmed. "Should anything else come up, I will be sure to call you. A plane to take you to London should be there by…" He paused for a long while, realizing something. "Excuse me, where do you live?" Another pause. "And what was your name again?"
"Honda Kiku," Kiku said, a small smile playing on his lips, as he couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice. "And I live in Tokyo, Japan." Arthur took a rather long sip of his tea, but the slight annoyance was almost palpable from Kiku's end.
"Yes, yes, thank you Mr. Kiku," Arthur said, coughing at his slight mistake.
"Honda is my family name," Kiku clarified, finding it strange, but still amusing, just how thrown off Arthur was at his mild mistake. "Kiku is my first name."
"Of course, Mr. Honda," Arthur corrected, his irritation growing with each word, though not directly at Kiku. "My mistake. I should have realized when you said Japan that…. Nevermind." Arthur grumbled something to himself and sipped his tea once more.
"It's completely fine," Kiku said, feeling more relaxed now that a plan was made. "It happens often." No it doesn't, actually, but then again, Kiku didn't talk with foreigners that often.
"Yes, of course…" Arthur paused, then coughed again. "In any case, a plane should be there in twelve hours, at the most. If you will leave me your information, I can email you the details of which airport to go to. All will be paid for; you simply need to have a valid passport and identification, and of course any possessions that you need with you."
"Twelve hours?" Kiku asked, glancing at the clock. He had expected quite a while longer than simply that. In twelve hours he was going to leave his normal life behind.
"I would give you longer, but it would simply be too much of a risk," Arthur explained. "Should you stay behind, I can't tell what might happen…"
"I… understand," Kiku nodded. "I will be ready then."
"Good," Arthur responded. "If all goes according to plan, I will talk to you when you arrive. Goodbye." With the curt farewell, he hung up, and Kiku was left in silence. To think, just yesterday he was simply wondering if he should take Alfred on a trip to Kyoto for the weekend. Now he was just hoping Alfred would be back to normal when he switched him on.
This brought him back to where he was; sitting with his legs folded neatly under him, poised to turn Alfred back on. While Arthur had said it was unlikely anyone would try and take control of Alfred again so soon, he still was nervous to try turning him on again. He pondered for a good two minutes on what to do, when he realized he preferred a moving, happy Alfred to a stiff, lifeless one. Knowing he could probably turn him off again, should the need arise, he pressed the button and listened to the whirring of the motors in Alfred's chest start up once more.
Kiku sat back, watching closely as Alfred went through what he could only guess was a start up process. His robotic joints twitched and stretched, as though testing to make sure it was all in working order, and his eyes went in and out of focus. It all took about five minutes before the whirring of the motor calmed to a quiet hum and, finally, Alfred came back to life, eyes glowing their normal blue.
The first thing he did was scramble to his feet as though he suddenly remembered something. The suddenness of his actions caused Kiku to join him, steadying the robot as he stumbled to the side, attempting to regain balance.
"Wh…. Mr. Honda?" He asked, looking him up and down, attempting to regain his memory. He seemed flustered and a bit panicked, holding on to Kiku's shoulders to steady himself.
"Calm down…" Kiku said, trying to keep the nervousness out of his own voice. "It's all fine now. You're okay."
"What…." He paused, then shook his head. "What happened? What did I do? I…." He put a hand to his head, as though frustrated with something, closing his eyes for a long time, his jaw set in a firm line. Kiku was going to ask if he needed help and if, perhaps, it was necessary to turn him off again, lest the hacker attempt to regain control. However, he was interrupted when Alfred put both hands on Kiku's shoulders, bending down slightly in order to look directly at him. "Did I hurt you?"
Alfred's eyes bore deeply into him, and Kiku felt concern and nervousness. "N-no, Alfred-kun," he said, voice wavering. Alfred clearly didn't believe him.
"Please, Mr. Honda, tell me the truth," he urged, studying his face closely. Kiku paused for a moment, then turned away, pulling back from Alfred.
"That doesn't matter," Kiku said firmly. "For now, we have to get ready. We're going on a trip, and we need to be at the airport in twelve hours." Kiku turned from Alfred, not willing to face him as he started looking through his cabinets shelves, starting to make three piles; things he was taking, things he wasn't, and things he wasn't sure about.
He could tell Alfred was staring at him, looking for any injuries, but the bruises were all underneath Kiku's long sleeves, and the lump on the back of his head was likely not noticeable through his black hair.
Time passed silently, as Alfred lent a hand whenever Kiku needed it. At one point, Kiku left to get boxes, taking Alfred with him to be certain the robot was okay, but mostly their interactions were silent. Kiku saw Alfred open his mouth to speak multiple times, but no words passed between the two for a while. Not until Kiku found himself too short to reach the books on the top shelf. He stood on the tips of his toes and reached as far up as he could but he was still a few inches too short. Alfred had come up behind him to help, but instead of helping, froze to the spot. Kiku was wondering if something had happened when he saw that his sleeve had fallen a bit and exposed the yellow bruises on his wrist.
Pulling the sleeve back up, Kiku turned to see Alfred, who was currently very much in Kiku's personal bubble. His hand stayed on the sleeve, keeping it as far up as possible, but Alfred had already seen and was staring at Kiku with a look that didn't simply tug at Kiku's heart strings; it yanked them.
"Did I do that?" He asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"A-Alfred-kun," Kiku said, looking around for an excuse. "It was just…. I-"
"Kiku," Alfred said, surprising Kiku by using his first name, causing him to shake his head and correct himself. "M-Mr. Honda, I mean…. Please don't lie to me. Did I do that to you?" Kiku stared at him for a long while, then looked away for a moment, not wanting to lie, and not wanting to tell the truth either. Still, that gesture was all Alfred needed for clarification.
He suddenly became incredibly interested in his shoes, bangs covering his face. "I-I…." Alfred said, and Kiku was taken aback to hear the wavering in his voice. "I-I'm… how could I…?"
"Alfred-kun," Kiku said, reaching forwards gently and putting his hand on Alfred's cheek. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know what you were doing."
"But I still hurt you!" Alfred said, looking up at him, tears soaking Kiku's hand quickly. "I-I'm supposed to make you happy and keep you safe, but I hurt you! I-if I'm not able to keep you safe then… then…" Kiku stared for a moment, then did something he could never recall doing of his own free will to anyone; he hugged him. It was strange, because of how tall Alfred was, but the robot looked so subdued that it didn't matter.
"Yes, Alfred-kun," he said softly, "I did get some bruises from the ordeal before. I can't keep that from you, and I knew you'd think the worst until I told you. However, don't ever think this was your fault or that I blame you. You were a victim as much as me, and you didn't want to hurt me. I could see that you were fighting whatever made you do that. You are strong, Alfred-kun, and I respect you for it, no matter what happened, and no matter what events happen past this." He stopped, and all seemed still, until Alfred seemed to crumble into him, crouching down so he could press his face against Kiku's shoulder and simply cry.
Kiku gently pet Alfred's head, closing his eyes as the incredibly lifelike robot's shoulders shook. A while passed, and as Alfred started to calm down, Kiku realized something.
"Oh, I haven't told you where we're going!" Kiku said, pulling away and looking at Alfred, who rubbed his eyes and looked up curiously. "We're going to see Kirkland-sama, in London!"
"A-Artie?!" Alfred sputtered, straightening up and staring at Kiku in awe. "B-but you… I thought… You get to…" His face was getting its familiar glow and a grin was growing with each second. "I get to introduce you to Arthur!" He seemed to vibrate in excitement. "Oh my God, you get to meet…." He seemed too energetic for words.
"Yes, yes!" Kiku said, smiling once more. "Actually, it seems we're not just going to be visiting, we're going to be living!" Alfred's grin somehow managed to get bigger.
"Living?!" He exclaimed. "Oh, oh! I can show you all the best places! And we can hang out, and I can see Artie, and you can see where I was made. I'm so excited, Kiku!" He paused. "Mr. Honda." He corrected.
"It's perfectly fine, Alfred-kun," he said. It had only been a few weeks, but… No, Alfred was very close to him already, close enough that he was going to move halfway across the world for him. "You may call me Kiku, if you wish." If Alfred were a volcano, he would have exploded with excitement and happiness at that point as he scooped Kiku into the air and twirled around the living room.
"Kiku!" He exclaimed. "I'm so happy!" He gave a wail of excitement, then tripped over one of the boxes and fell to the ground with Kiku on top of him.
"A-Alfred-kun!" Kiku said, sitting up and looking at him. "Are you okay?" But there was barely a moments delay before the explosive laughter returned. Kiku sighed and gave a small smile, relaxing once more and feeling the strange bouncing of the robot's abdomen with each hearty laugh. He knew that Alfred had no need for air, but it wasn't about need. Alfred was made to be alive, without technically being alive. It was about the details and the making of it. It was about the art.
Alfred was a piece of art, and that realization stayed with Kiku as he and Alfred carried everything to the airport and boarded the private jet together without hesitation. It stayed with him as they buckled up, and it stayed with him as he watched Alfred stare in awe out the window as they took off to their new home far, far away.
A/N: I'm incredibly sorry if this sounds rude or selfish or strange, however I want to make a small request to my frequent readers. I appreciate all the views I get when I post new chapters, however, if any of you have time, reviews are incredibly appreciated! When I get many views, but no one leaves comments, I (and likely any other author in the same position) start to wonder if the chapter was lacking, either in story or in writing. I become less likely to continue the story at all as I start wondering if anyone enjoys it. Even if you leave criticism (of the constructive kind), I will at least have an idea of what my readers think and an understanding of what I need to change to make the stories and writing better! And encouragement makes me more eager to jump into it! Again, I'm incredibly sorry if this is a selfish or odd request, I just feel a bit disconnected from my audience when silence follows an update. Thank you!