Chapter Six: Left Behind
I may not have learned much growing up,
but I have in fact learned,
that the very moment,
you want to give up is the moment,
you should keep pushing forward!
Push yourself!
No one else is going to do it for you...
0020 had been staying with the rebel cyborgs for a few moments now, and she was settled in quite nicely. She had proved to make a nice little addition to their little, "family", and they enjoyed having her around.
001 had enjoyed having her care for him whenever 003 needed rest. She was very gentle with him when she fed and handled him. He often thought of her as a sarogant mother like he had always found in 003. And she often hummed to him to help him sleep, too! He once thought she sounded like an angel.
003 loved the idea of having another female in their crew. She often let 0020 borrow her clothes in exchange for helping her wash the clothes. She saw 0020 as a younger sister and was occassionally found scolding her for pushing herself too hard. However, she was very happy to see that 0020 was trying to open up to them.
004 saw 0020 as the daughter he never had. He fussed over her not trusting them, and keeping things bottled up inside. He kept an extra eye on her whenever they were together and always included her in their conversations. He was also very protective over her and found himself guiding her and helping her adjust to living with them. He tried to help her cope with her Empathy or the powers Black Ghost had gave her. Just like a father should with their child.
005 had found a quiet companion in her as well. They'd be found star gazing together whenever they'd be partnered off for late night patrol. He'd point out all the constallations in the sky and tell her stories he had learned growing up in his homeland. And in return, she'd tell him stories her grandparents would tell her and her brother.
006 found out that 0020 was quite skilled in the kitchen. He was very pleased to learn that she liked cooking and had gotten her help him and 007 prepare their meals and at his resturant. He was even more surprised when she would help them clean up afterwards.
007 had also developed a soft spot for the young girl. The British man had stated on numberous occassions that he had claimed 0020 as his niece. He loved telling her stories about his glory days as an actor and was shocked when he found out that she enjoyed listening to his many skits and dramatics. He also asked her about her days as a figure skater; thus further surprising them all when they learned that she was about to compete in the Olympics the following year she was abducted by Black Ghost.
008 had also bonded with 0020 and would often train with her in their free time. The two would patrol together and sometimes would go fishing together. He'd often catch her in the Dining Room with a cup of coffee and a chess game in front of her. The two would play games until the others started to wake up.
009 had also found a sister in 0020 just like most of the others in their group. He sometimes caught her listening to as much new music as she could get her hands on. He also would sometimes find her outside singing and dancing. Sometimes, he could have sworn she was spirit whenever she'd jump into the air.
'... Just a faded memory... ...'
The two humans loved 0020 as a granddaughter and both were quite surprised to discover that she still had her talents as far as drawing went. Professor Kazumi had supplied her with the supplies nesseccary tools for drawing (i.e. paper and pencils). And once again, the two were shocked to find that she still play the piano like a professional. They both loved hearing her play and more often than not found themselves sitting in her company while she played. They praised her and encouraged her to play. Even though everyone was quite pleased with having the girl around, 002 was the happiest out of the bunch.
002 would often be found not too far away from her. He spent as much of his free time with her as he could possibly manage with her. He was most fond of her and thought very highly of her. Even though he denied it in front of his peers, they could see that he developed an instant bond with the girl. And they could see that he has feelings for her as plain as day. He especially loved hearing her sing when she was alone and would hide in the shadows; listening to her (in his opinion) enchanting voice. 007 had once stated that 0020 was like a mermaid and 002 was her sailor; drawing him to her.
Right now, 002 found his target sitting in the Dining Room with 004. They were playing a game of chess over a cup of coffee. He heard them talking, and from the sounds of it, 0020 sounded more at ease with their conversation. He liked the idea of her being able to let her guard down long enough for he and the German cyborg to get to know her, but he just couldn't understand why it was only he and 004 that could get 0020 to open up to them, but he liked the attention she gave him nonetheless. As much as he wanted to interupt the two, he forced his instincts back and listened to what they were saying.
"...I bet you'd 'ave made a great father, 004," 002 heard her say in a fond tone, "ye 'ave the whole "parenting" thing down pact!"
002 heard 004 chuckling at his opponent. "You really think so, 0020?! I'm very flattered!" He said in an embarrassed tone; rubbing the back of his head. "Though, I can't take all the credit! I had a lot of experience from looking after 001 and 002! They can be a real handful at times!"
002 huffed quietly to himself, and leaned against the wall next to him. How dare 004 say something against him to 0020?! He controlled his temper when 0020's voice reached his ears.
"I would imagine 001 occasionally being a handful what with being a wee babe at times and all, but I ne'er 'ad a problem with 002." She said kindly; making 002's heart skip a beat. "An' speakin' o' 002..." She said playfully; silently getting up from her place at the table and giving the older man a teasing wink.
002 nearly jumped right out of his skin when 0020 appeared in front of him. "Holy cow, 0020! Where'd you come from?!" He cried out in shock; pounding on his chest.
0020 giggled and glared teasingly at the American cyborg. "Serves ye right fer evesdroppin' on private conversations! Don' ye know how rude that be?!" She scolded in her thick Irish accent; dragging him into the Dining Room.
"Well, excuse me for not wanting to interupt!" 002 pouted in a grumpy tone; taking a seat next to the girl.
004 grinned arrogantly at 002. "It's better to interupt than it is to evesdrop on one... You might not like what you hear." He said in a light warning tone; folding his arms over his chest.
002 waved the other man off. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He mumbled under his breath; folding his arms over his chest and looking away from the two.
He then looked over at the two playing chess with a placid smile. "So, what were you two talking about before you caught me?" He asked in a curious tone.
"Well, I was just telling 0020 how proud we are to see how much she had grown on all of us since she came here." He said in a fatherly tone; giving the female cyborg a proud grin.
"... 'an I was tellin' 004 how much I like being 'ere!" 0020 added with a cheerful chirp; giving 002 a happy smile.
002 blushed madly at the girl's comment. "Really? I thought we were driving you crazy!" He said in a joking tone; scratching his cheek sheepishly.
"That thought has crossed my mind a few times, too." 004 added in a teasing tone; leaning into the table. "I'm surprised you haven't gone berserk by now. What with your Empathy and all."
'...It's never as hard as it seems! ...'
"I know I would've gone nuts if I was in your place, 0020!" 002 said in an amazed tone; flashing the girl a lazy grin.
"How do manage to handle all our emotions, 0020? I mean, it must put a strain on you, right?" 004 wondered out loud; taking a sip of his coffee. "It can't be easy feeling all our feelings and dealing with your own at the same time."
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, 0020," 002 chimmed in with a sheepish tone; leaning back in his seat, "I know you went through a lot back then, and your insomnia must be hard enough as it is."
0020 shrugged her bony shoulders, and took a swig of her coffee. "I'll hand it ta ye, gentlemen," she said in a polite tone, "it most certainly be a real challenge that much I can say!"
She then looked down at the game. "And as much as I hate to inflate your egos, you're right, I did go through a lot back in the day. But ye be wrong 'bout one thing, though." She said in a polite tone; taking one of 004's Knights with her Rook.
002 raised a brow at the girl sitting next to him. "Oh, really? And just what exactly am I wrong about then?" He challenged with a playful sneer.
"My insomnia never affected me in a least bit." She countered in a civil tone; smirking over at the two. "I was used ta not sleepin' and now is no different. And I think I'm puttin' it ta good use now more than I ever did back then anyway if I do say so myself!" She added proudly; taking another drink of her coffee and watching 004 make his move.
"And the fact that you're experiencing emotions from eleven different people doesn't make no nevermind to you?" 004 questioned in a concerned tone; eyeballing the girl across the table.
0020 shook her head at the older man before her. "Really, 004, must I remind ye that I am a natural-born Empath?" She stated in a challenging tone; giving him her bravest smile. "It comes second nature. Well, if you don't count the first time I came here. I wasn't in the right state of mind back then."
"Really?" 002 asked in a surprised tone; looking over at the girl with shocked eyes. "So, how do you cope with it?"
0020 shrugged her shoulders once again. "Oh, that's easy! I just go into my center and it goes away like magic! Nothing to it!" She said in a careless tone; taking another sip of her drink.
'...It's so much better than being alone! ...'
002 gave 0020 a confused look. "A center? You mean like in Hockey?" He asked in a baffled tone; looking over at 004 for help.
0020 laughed and shook her head. "Ye Americans are so silly."A Center may be a position in a sport, but for someone like me, it's basically a way to help you focus and stay sane."
004 chuckled at the girl in front of him. "It sounds like you've got it all figured out." He said in an impressed tone; taking one of her Pawns with his Knight.
"Alright, 0020, I'll bite. What's this center of yours?" 002 asked in a curious tone; looking over at the girl with a curious smile.
0020 blushed and looked down at her pieces. "Well... whenever I'd go into my "fits" as Jasper used to say," she said in a careful tone; picking up her Knight and moving it to take one of 004's Pawns, "I'd just focus on how much it hurts."
"But what do you mean?" 004 pressed on. "How does it hurt you?"
0020 looked over at 004 with a tired look. "If I'm around someone who just punched, I'd feel it, too." She explained in a simple tone. "But when there's more people around, I can't really ignore it like I could with just one or two."
"So, if I got hit in the head with a rock or something, you'd feel it?" 002 asked in a curious tone.
0020 nodded her head in agreement. "It'd be just like I was the one who got hit instead. 'ere, I'll show you." She said in a polite tone; reaching over to pinch 002 as hard as she could in the arm; causing them both to jump away from each other.
"Ouch! That hurt!" 002 cried out in annoyance; rubbing the spot on his arm where 0020 pinched him.
0020 rolled her silver eyes at the boy sitting next to her. "Ye see, 002? That's how my Empathy works. I feel what other people are feeling. And look, now we 'ave matching marks." She told him in a lazy tone; lifting her sleeve up for them to see.
"Yeah, but you didn't have to pinch me!" 002 said in disbelief.
"Oh, stop fussin' o'er it! I got hurt, too! So, we be e'en!" 0020 argued in a whiny tone; rubbing her injured arm.
004 frowned at 0020. He really didn't want to make the poor girl remember the painful memories, but he couldn't shake the horrible thought of someone inflicting pain upon others met alone themselves. The thought alone sent chills down his spine knowing that someone as sweet and thoughtful as 0020 had potential of that sort. It was just too hard and horrifying to imagine!
"So, you're telling us that you actually inflicted pain upon yourself? Why exactly would you do that?" He couldn't stop himself from asking. He just had to get inside this child's head to understand her.
0020 sighed and placed the mug down on the table. "It took me a wee bit to actually figure it out, but I learned that if I experience pain of any callibur; then my Empathy seems to subside for a while. So, from that point on, whene'er I start to feel overwhelmed, I find something to get hurt on... Normally, it'd end up with someone else doing it for me..." She answered in an honest tone; looking down at herself in shame.
002 narrowed his eyes at the girl sitting next to him. "What do you mean, 0020? Who hurt you?" He demanded in a possessive tone. "Why couldn't you have gone to a doctor or something?"
'... It never completely goes away...'
0020 growled and stood up from her seat. "Ye try ta go ta yer maw and tell 'er that ye feel e'eryone else's feelin's and see how far that gets ye!" She said in a sharp tone; narrowing her eyes at the American cyborg. "My mother threw me down the basement whene'er I got home from school!"
She then looked down at her hand on the back of the chair she was sitting in, and gripped it tightly as memories from her past life came flashing in her mind.
"When she finally realized something wasn't sittin' right with me, she took me to a specialist where they pumped me full of e'ery drug known ta man. And imagine my surprise when not a damned one worked! And guess what? It got worse as I got older! Pain was the only thing that helped make it stop! E'en if it was temporary... It was still better than going berserk!"
The two male cyborgs sat in shock at 0020's outburst. They were too shocked to find their words, and she took this chance to rub it in their faces.
"Now, if we are done with pokin' 'round in the past," she said as a matter of fact, "I've got better places ta be than down Memory Lane. It's a very twisted place and I really rather not say we went there again... Have a nice day!"
She then turned and walked away from the table. She stopped as soon as she reached the door, and looked over her shoulder with a crooked smile. "Oh, and by the by, 004," she said as she grabbed the handle and opened the door, "checkmate." She finished as she walked out the door.
002 watched 0020 leave and turned back in his seat. "...I think we just made her mad." He said with defeat in his tone; giving 004 a blank stare.
004 kept his eyes on the game and looked at the pieces. "I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that we shouldn't ask her about herself anymore." He said in a stunned tone; looking up from the game.
002 looked over at 004 in disbelief. "Gee, ya think?!" He asked in a shocked tone; looking back at the door 0020 had just walked through. "She's never gonna forgive us, will she?" He asked in a doubtful tone; already knowing the answer his comrade was about to say.
"Not on your life, pal." 004 replied in a defeated tone; sighed with defeat as he leaned back in his chair...
TPW: And there is the newest chapter! Now we know a little more about 0020 (a.k.a. "Noa Pendragon")
002: She sure is a cold one, isn't she?
TPW: Well, yeah, but every person has a chapter in their lives that they don't read out loud, right? People are a lot like rubberbands: You can stretch them so far before they finally snap back.
004: Yeah, but 0020 didn't have to be so nasty about it!
0020: *shruggs her shoulders* Well, you're the ones who kept putting me on the spot! I can only take so much!
TPW: That's my girl!
TPW: Anyway, on a more serious note, I finally have my computer up and running after going so long without one, but that doesn't mean that I haven't stop writing my stories for you all! I promise to get them posted as quickly as I get them typed up! Some of the chapters are very long and there are only so many hours in the day. And with work and a social life, it makes getting my work finished all the more harder. So, what I'm asking is that you all please, please, PLEASE have patience and bare with me!
TPW: *turns to 004* Since you're the main cast of the story, will you kindly to the disclaimer for me?
004: *sighs* The Paper Wolf doesn't own Cyborg 009 or anything affiliated with it. All rights go to their respected owners. She just owns her computer, and this story.
TPW: *Smiles* Thanks, 004! You're the best!
002: Hey! What about me!
TPW: I'm not even going to justify that. *Turns to the readers* Please read and review my story! No flames! Otherwise, I'll use them to burn my laptop and no one else will get to read my stories ever again!
003: *gasps* You're so mean!
TPW: *shruggs my shoulders* What else could I say? People online are even more worse than me!