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(let’s. make. reality. fictitious.)

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"All right," Rikyu said while he examined the person that they took prisoner. She kept her head bowed, as though this humiliation weren't enough. "I've got an idea of who is behind this, but I won't mention who until I determine things sooner."

Rikyu gestured for everyone to be quiet,as he repaired the android into a pristine condition. Whlie he as working on her wiring and nanochip brain, he began asking the android questions.

“What is your directive?” Rikyu asked the android.

“To retrieve Tomoyo Aburame,” the android said. “And to make contact with the one known as Rikyu Kazuhiko.”

“Why was it necessary to come to me?” Rikyu said, and the android lowered her lashes and said.

“To…understand his heart.”

Everyone paused. Rikyu then murmured.

“There’s an anomaly within her programming, something that no one else who has tried constructing AI before. Consciousness. But besides that…also, empathy.”

“Is this what it’s called?” the android asked hwile tilting her head at Kazuo. “Empathy.”

Rikyu nodded.

“I am addressed as Echo,” the android said. “Because I merely imitate human speech patterns and trying to gain what is called conscoiusness. The end of the maze, as Mistress puts it.”

“I'm certain that I know who sent this android,” Rikyu said. “It was her, of course."

"You can't mean?" Kazuo said while Rikyu nodded.

"It's her all right."

"Who is this her? Tomoyo said with a frown. What were they talking about? Was it someone similar to Rikyu and herself? Rikyu seemed to be irritated, though his expression smoothed over into its calm mask once more.

"My sister," Rikyu said with a curt nod towards her before he frowned a bit. "It seems that I've misjudged you, Tomoyo-san. My preconceived notions of you have changed."

"What's her name?"

"Shizuha. Shizuha Kazuhiko," Rikyu said in response before he clenched his hands into fists. "She's..better than me. That's all there is to say."

Tomoyo almost considered laughing in his face and saying 'Girl Power', but she thought better of it. There was something about their relationship which seemed to be more beyond the inferiority complex of a brother to a sister. What could have happened between them, but there was something about them that was interesting and deeper than just a sibling rivalry.

"It's best that you don't ask any further than that," Kazuo said softly while putting a hand on top of Tomoyo's. "Rikyu and Shizuha...have a complicated relationship."

"Well, I'm curious, I won't' deny that," Tomoyo said, while she gave a nod towards Rikyu. "I guess that...my 'preconceived notions' about you have changed thank you for..understanding me a little better. But I really do care about your guys, you know? If it were up to me, I would take care of everything myself so that no one else has to get involved, but I guess we're in this together. So, with the bonds of our friendship and going through trauma together...we will get to know one another better."

"Well, the thing is, you did something great, Tomoyo," Kazuo said with a smile before he looked towards Rikyu. "What's your plan?"

"I'm concocting something," Rikyu said. "I placed a nanomachine tracker on Tomoyo and I saw the details of the fight in detail. It looks like an advanced made android that only Shizuha could make. I'm not sure what she's thinking and who's manipulating Shizuha, but I will consider her my enemy for now. Even if we do have sibling bonds, I won't hesitate against my sister if we're on the other side of the battlefield. That's just how it is."

"But she's your sister," Tomoyo said with a frown. "You really think...that she's your enemy? I'm sure that she cares about you...she wouldn't be going along with the enemy so easily if it's her brother that you're concerned about."

"Why should she care about a reject like me?" Rikyu said with a shrug. "But, she's doing this to hurt me, I'm sure. SHe betrayed me."

"Rikyu..." Kazuo said while his silver gaze was downcast. Tomoyo noted this exchange.

So Rikyu was a loner type, huh? Did he only want approval from his sister and never got it from her? Or did their parents play favorites? It seemed like a common scenario that would scar most normal children, though, somehow, Tomoyo wondered if there was something deeper beyond the surface of this than just sibling rivalry. There was something more, she felt, but what?

"So..." Tomoyo said. "our next plan of action should be to provide defensive countermeasures against the androids that Shizuha have created."

"I would, though I don't know the exact technology behind her androids in particular," Rikyu said with a frown. "Each person with this Gift has a particular element that they specialize in. There are definitely elements of technology that are given to each person's brain beyond this world's scope, but there is a certain kind of technology that each Gifted has for their technological specialization."

"So I understand a little more about these Gifted people," Tomoyo said. "So you trust me enough to reveal this information, do you."

"Not completely," Rikyu said. "But I figured you should know the basics so that you don't go awry with your powers."

Tomoyo frowned.

"Hey, don't you think that we've known one another well enough that we could well...call one another friends?"

"Acquaintances," Rikyu said while folding his arms with a little huff, appearing a bit flustered.

"Rikyu, you were lonely before too, weren't you?" Tomoyo said with a smile. "Well, I figured that you used to be yourself, just like I was. I was...friendless for the most part, because of my attitude. I got bullied because I spoke my mind and didn't hold back. But needless to say, I survived because I had one friend who helped me, and that was Kokoro-chan. You have friends too, Rikyu-san."

Rikyu smiled a bit. "Well...maybe you're not so bad after all, Tomoyo-san. I look forward to our partnership. We will examine the battle record videos and add enhancements to Kazuo's nanomachines that will make him more efficient at battling. The thing about androids, though, is that they're mechanical AI and technology has its limitations. Humans are flawed as well, but there is a critical distinction that strove mankind to surpass even God; and that was their intelligence, innovation, and adaptability. So I will make these nanomachines accordingly to make Kazuo a bit more durable. Then he could stand toe to toe with the android that Kazuo fought against today."

"It's a never-ending arms race between two child prodigies," Kazuo said, and Rikyu gave Kazuo a look to hush him up.

"we also have to keep in mind countermeasures and the fact that Shizuha will be adapting to our maneuvers," Rikyu said. "Anyway, you all are dismissed. Let's come up with a plan to protect Tomoyo."

"All right," Kazuo said while pumping up his fist in the air, while Tomoyo gave a genuine smile.

"I'm entrusting my life to you boys," she said.

--x--

"Well, let's see," Kokoro said while she greeted Tomoyo back at school again. "Where have you been going lately? Your grades are slipping by the slightest bit and you've been gone for long periods of time. Why is that?"

"Business," Tomoyo said with a wary air, and the students around her were getting suspicious.

"Where does Tomoyo go with that Kazuo guy?" one of the students said.

"You think that they..." one of the girls' whispered before Tomoyo slammed her hand down on the desk before them.

"You there!" Tomoyo said, causing the students to jump. "Kazuo isn't that type of guy. He's a chivalrous gentleman, that's all I can say."

"Oooh," the girl said in a snooty voice. "Don't tell me that you've fallen for him, have you, Tomoyo the Tyrant? What kind of man could love you?"

"You'll be surprised," Tomoyo said in a surprisingly cheerful tone. "He likes my strong-minded personality, he said. Hehe. But don't mistake me for some foolish love struck school girl. I'm merely making him do my bidding as student council president so that I can whip you all into better citizens of Japan."

"Sure sure," the students said. "That's what you say, but you're really going soft."

"Am I?" Tomoyo said, before grinning. I really am losing my edge."

Both students smiled. "You know, the old Tomoyo the Tyrant wouldn't' have joked with us as easily as she would've before. I kind of like this side of you, you know?"

"You're," the girl student said. "Kind of girlish, in a way?"

"Oh stop," Tomyo said, flushing a beet red right now. She started to play with her long purple hair with her fingers, as she cast her gaze down on the floor and avoided their eyes. "I'm still not going to go easy on you guys. After all, your futures are very important."

"I think that we've had the wrong impression of you, Tomoyo," the male student said. "We won't call you Tomoyo the Tyrant anymore, we promise. Instead, we'll just call you Tomo-chan, just like Kokoro-chan."

"I would like that, I think," Tomoyo said with a genuine smile. "It's fun, hanging out with you guys. Hey, even though you guys gave me a hard time as Student Council President, I still...really treasure these moments together."

"Hey, why don't we have lunch on the rooftop together?" the girl student said, before giggling. "Bring Kazuo too."

"I'm sure that he wouldn't mind," Tomoyo said with a grin. "Maybe one day...we'll throw a big celebration for our graduation. Yeah, I can make plans for that. and I want Kazuo to feel welcome too. I want him to graduate with us and spend time together with his fellow students. So you guys, treat him well, okay?"

"Yeah!" everyone cheered.

Tomoyo smiled.

--x--

Shizuha took a cup of tea. It trembled in her hands. She looked down at the cup while she stared at anywhere else except the male's gaze before her. The man tilted her chin up, before saying, "You're too soft on your brother, you know."

Shizuha said nothing. She didn’t even have the will to defiantly glare back at the man before her. She must remain dignified and calm, despite her situation. She would endure. That’s what she always did, didn’t she?

“My dear Shizuha,” the man said, rubbing a hand underneath his chin. “You’re not thinking of escaping, are you? No, there is no rescue for you. Your brother thoroughly hates you, you know? The one person that you thought you could rely on turned his back on you. But that’s only natural, isn’t it? You were meant to surpass him in every single way; I’m sure that he would have bitter feelings towards you and long suffered an inferiority complex of your doing.”

“Stop it…” Shizuha said, closing her eyes and trying to will the memories away. “I will continue to do as you ask, as long as you make sure that Rikyu isn’t harmed in any way. Even if it means…erasing his current humanity…I want my brother to be alive. It’s better to be alive than dead, isn’t it?”

“Oh, but how much more of his humanity will you forsake?” the man said to her while he went towards the window, overlooking the cityscape. “His loyal dog, Kazuo, won’t come to your rescue either.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Shizuha said with a blank, heterochromatic gaze. “As long as I keep on making your androids, you will keep Rikyu alive, yes? That’s all that matters to me.”

“My dear girl,” the elder man said. “You’re willing to forsake everything for him, aren’t you? If only that devotion were put towards me instead of him. But alas, I can’t have everything that I want, now can I?”

Shizuha suppressed a grimace. This man truly was deplorable, wasn’t he? But she needed to do this for Rikyu, all for the sake of the brother that she loved and cherished. Even though she knew the truth behind his existence, she felt that no one else knew the urgency of his situation and that she must find him…or else he will die an excruciating death that he doesn’t deserve. She may be nine years of age physically, but mentally she was far beyond her years. She understood things that normal children wouldn’t be able to. And it’s this that caused her an existential depression that left her cooped up with this man who berated her and kept her under his control, because despite her super intelligence, she was still a child emotionally, and adult held the power in the world over those like her.

Besides, she was just furniture, wasn’t she?

Shizuha clenched her hands into fists. I will endure, she told herself. Even if Rikyu can’t come rescue her, she will rescue herself. But this man watched her and kept her caged in an isolated room where she would her androids for companions, making one that she pretended was Rikyu, with his personality and appearance, though of course, it wasn’t the real thing. The real thing hated her guts, and she wasn't surprised that he did; he had every right to hate her. Why should he love the one that stole his destiny, of being the genetically superior one, the flawless one, the perfect one, and he just a mere shadow of a great?

Don’t worry, Rikky, Shizuha thought. I will find a way for us to live together. So we can relive the old times again. I will endure whatever hell I have to to do this