A.I.: Takuya

Chapter Five: Is that what I am?

By KellyQ

What's the Gemine?

A mistake.

After Shinya turned and jumped into a nearby tree, Takuya looked down at his yellow mettle hands, thoughts of what his brother had said repeatedly in his mind.

"Uh ... are .. you ... okay?" Tomoki finally asked Takuya.

Takuya looked at Tomoki's innocent face that seemed to radiate off his body.

Izumi looked the metal robot over. "Takuya, do you think you could... er, you know ...change back?" Izumi questioned out loud to no one in particular.

Takuya snapped out of these thoughts; Takuya let his gaze fall to the floor. "I-I don't know.." he whispered.

Takuya stared at his hands again. I don't even know who I am anymore... I'm not human...so am I a robot? I don't know anymore... Takuya noticed Tomki wrap around Takuy's hands.

"I'm sure you could change back if you try..." Tomoki said, staring straight into Takuya's vision sensors.

Takuya smiled down at Tomoki. A strange emotion filled Takuy's chest. Takuy would do anything to ensure a smile was always on Tomoki's face. Izumi continued to stare at Takuya, deep in thought.

"If hitting the switches turns you ... like ... this, hitting them again would turn you back."

Junpei stepped up behind Izumi, placing one hand on her shoulder, hoping Takua would listen.

"Izumi knows what she's talking about. She fixed the T.V. once."

Izumi sighed and shrugged Junpie's hand off her shoulder, rolling her eyes as if it were something stupid.

"It was unplugged."

Takuya smiled and looked over at Kouji; Kouji leaned against the wall and Kouji looked indifferent about the subject. Something inside Takuya's chest started jumping around. Takuya nodded and withdrew his hands from Tomoki's grip, slowly realizing they were waiting for him to transform.

Takuya touched each of his shoulders with fists, and a sudden flash of light filled the room. It was so bright Junpei, Tomoki, Izumi, and Kouji had to shield their eyes. When the light faded, there stood Takuya, still in Kouji's clothes. A beam slowly showed on Junpei's face.

"See? What did I tell you? Z knows everything."

"Yeah, whatever," Kouji said, arms crossed. "That little robot friend of yours seemed to know who you are."

"Yeah ... a mistake with a thing called a Gemine -"

"Very dramatic," Kouji muttered.

Everyone sighed. Takuya watched Kouji walk out. Izumi looked closely at the android, knowing that robots don't act like Takuya.

Why won't the inside of him stop?

≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥.

The cold night air nipped through Kouj's clothes, and Kouji stopped walking, knowing that Takuya had followed Kouji for five minutes.

"You can quit following me," Kouji said, looking over his shoulder; Kouji looked annoyed.

Takuya stared at the ground, wondering why Kouji seemed mad. "I'm sorry. Something right here," Takuya said, touching his chest. "Will not go away."

"Well then," Kouji boy said, facing Takuya with anger, loss, and confusion. "Tell it to go away and stop following me!"

Takuya observed Kouji for a moment - but the only thing Takuya had to admit was that Kouji was pretty. "That's why I tried to find you ... now that I have ... maybe what's right here," Takuya murmured, still not making eye contact with Kouji. Takuya's hands balled into a fist. "...Will stop."

Whatever was in Takuya's chest was still there. It didn't bother Takuya; Takuya just wanted to know what it was, and Kouji seemed the best choice. Something told Takuya to follow Kouji and find out what it was.

Meanwhile, at a robotic lab, a man walked into a room. The room had Multiple flat-screen monitors hooked to computers, and right in front of the room was a lab table; on the table was a robot at the age of 8. "How're the modifications to the android?" Mr. Kanbara asked, walking to the table where the android lay.

A man wearing a lab coat sighed, looking at his boss.

"They're coming slowly. But I should have him ready in 6 hours."

TO BE CONTINUED ...