Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki
(Sun and Moon)
By: Sinead
Chapter Four: Investigating
Year 5862
Taiyoo yelled, and hit the wall with all his might, sobbing, leaving quite a dent behind. He looked at the still form in the lab, and turned away again, hiding his face in his hands. He was in his new-found robot mode. He heard his parents come in at a run. Soft hands gently pulled his own hands away from his face, and he looked into his mother’s dark blue eyes. She placed her hands on either side of his face, and silently pulled his head to rest upon his shoulder, letting him sob into it brokenly. The last test had left him weak for three days, but never as weak as Tsuki. She was just this side of going into a coma.
Wrangler was in with his daughter, but had looked up at the noise slowly. Satsujinhan’nin shook his head at his oldest friend, indicating that there was nothing that could be done from his end. Instead, the father put his hand on his ten-year-old son’s shoulder, and said, "Taiyoo."
The younger bot’s sobbing increased, and Satsujinhan’nin pulled him away from his mother, and placed his hands upon his shoulders. "Taiyoo, look at me, son."
The boy did.
Calmly, slowly, Satsujinhan’nin searched his son’s optics, as he had done with countless recruits. Then, with a sigh, he pulled his son towards him, and embraced him, letting go of his pride, but also taking on a new pride, seeing how his son cared for his life-partner, young though they were. Satsujinhan’nin sighed, and said, "Don’t be ashamed of your emotions, Taiyoo. Take pride in them, whether they be love, sorrow, hatred, fear . . . anything. They are the signs of a sentient being. Even I am proud of what you are showing for Tsuki. You have each other, and you’ll both survive."
Taiyoo nodded, taking his father’s advice to heart, and said quietly, "I don’t want her to be hurt."
"None of us do."
Taiyoo pulled away sharply. He had inherited his father’s crimson optics, and his young voice was already starting to deepen. "Then why agree to create us."
Kelsi didn’t touch him, but she said, "Because there was no other option. Not even your father knew about this once simple fact until this very moment, but we, the humans, were abducted for this. For you. We had no choice. Some became retreated into themselves, like Tsuki’s mother did, and six were allowed to leave. The other four of us stayed, so that we could look after the fathers who were left, and the children who would be born. Essentially, we stayed for you. This is my responsibility, to raise you, and nothing could sway that."
Taiyoo looked at his mother in a new way, seeing someone barely twice his age, but also someone who had seen hardships, and lived through them. He lowered his head, changed to his human form, and ran to her, burying his face in her shoulder. She smoothed his curls, looking up into Satsujinhan’nin’s shocked face. She blinked slowly, then lowered her head again, resting it against Taiyoo’s own.
Wrangler threw something at the glass, and once all three were looking at him he indicated Tsuki. Her eyelids were starting to flutter. Taiyoo ran in, and skidded to a halt beside her bed, placing his hand over her own, palm-to-palm, and looking into her face intently. Her dark eyes opened, and she saw her father first, then looked to her left, and saw Taiyoo, whose face was openly depicting his worry. She smiled, and whispered, "I’m back."
Satsujinhan’nin gently turned Kelsi to face him, and then embraced her quickly. "Kelsi, why didn’t you ever tell me?"
"Sats, I didn’t want you to be hurt, knowing that I had been taken from all that I had held dear, once. I only wanted to live in the present, with you, once I saw that you weren’t the tin-headed idiot that I once thought you were."
"Kelsi, love, I would have only wanted to comfort you."
She sighed, and wrapped her arms around him, whispering, "Satsujinhan’nin . . . just hold me."
He did, smiling sadly, knowing now, what she had been really crying about, ten years ago, the first time that they were able to completely open up to each other.
"What?!"
It was six months later. Taiyoo looked to Tsuki, who looked at the other eight children behind her. They were blinking in confusion. Their parents hadn’t known about the Protoform X project. None of them, except for Satsujinhan’nin. Tsuki shook her head slightly, while Taiyoo asked, "So you’re pitting us against him? Hmph. I don’t see the logic in this."
The scientist glared at him. "Pity that both of your parents have above average intelligence. Even more is the pity that they didn’t teach you to hold your tongue. You shall be observed together, and nothing more."
"You’re insane, if you think that X will leave the children be," Satsujinhan’nin growled. "And never tell me how to raise my son."
The scientist ignored the last comment, while answering the first. "There will be more than enough protection of our children from him." He turned, and glared at the other parents. "Any resistance, and you all shall be removed from the program, leaving your children in our care alone."
Not a word was said, while the ten-year-old children silently watched their parents, telling them though eye-contact alone, that either everyone will return, or none will return. They were as close-knit as any great fighting task force, as Satsujinhan’nin said once, and five times as cunning. They would all survive.
The opaque steel slid up into the ceiling, and the children shifted to their robot modes, ready to draw weapons. A single child was sitting in the center of the room, watching the group coldly. His green optics gleamed almost evilly, which caused some of the timid ones to shift uncomfortably. Tsuki blinked once at him. ~Taiyoo, stand at the back. Reassure the timid. I’ll try to speak with him.~
~He might attack, Suu.~
~That’s his problem.~
She nodded once, then walked closer to the clear steel, and asked, "X?"
"What."
"I’m Tsuki."
"So?"
She smiled, and asked, "Did you want to talk, or something?"
He stood, and blinked. In a flash of movement, he had tore through the clear steel, and was running at Tsuki. Taiyoo’s feet felt rooted to the ground, as he watched her flip upwards, then come down hard upon the twelve-year-old’s back, the edge of her sword pressed against his skull. "Back down."
"Will I?"
He twisted in such a manner, that he was able to throw Tsuki up against a wall. That was when the others ran, and circled around her, all waiting for his next attack. Oddly enough, Tsuki was laughing, as she pushed her way forward. "You really got me, you little bugger! Hah! Who would have thought?"
"I’m used to fighting dirty. You don’t stand a chance."
A voice came over the intercom. It was deep, yet young. The owner of the voice couldn’t have been more than sixteen. "If you care for your life, you’d better stay on your guard."
"Yeah? And who am I taking advice from?" Tsuki snapped in return.
X snickered. "My elder playmate. Depth Charge."
Tsuki’s heightened sense for emotion picked up something of disgust from Depth Charge. With a blink, she asked, "Don’t sound surprised, Depth Charge, when I’m asking you what are you disgusted at. We can read emotions like a book."
"Why would you care."
Tsuki blinked up at a camera, then saw a hologram of the young bot appear. He looked younger than he sounded. She blinked at him, then said, "Well, you could be talking about us, or . . ."
"The whole deal is absurd. Scientists playing Primus."
X blinked at the hologram, but said nothing. Shizukesa asked, "So you are for us?"
"What makes you think that I’m for anyone?"
Shizukesa’s life-partner, Tatakai, replied for her, "Ever hear that human saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’?"
"Can’t say that I have."
"Then learn it, Pureblood," Shinri snapped. Her patience was wearing thin. "Learn it, and live by it. Heaven forbid that you become honorable."
Depth Charge blinked, then looked at his hands. "I wish I could help you. I can’t. I’m sworn by my honor to only be a junior guard. I have no authority in this arena."
"Then why not enter, playmate," X taunted. "Enter, and then kill. It’s easy, once you get the hang of it. Just like I am about to demonstrate with her."
Tsuki’s feet couldn’t move, as he sped towards her. However, he passed her, and targeted Shinri. With a scream, Shinri drew an arrow back upon her bow, and released it. Uso ran to her aid, while Taiyoo and Tsuki managed to finally move, towards them.
But it was too late.
Both Shinri and Uso lay upon the ground, with X over them, laughing. "See? Not that hard, now is it?"
Taiyoo knelt in shock, seeing two people whom he had known since his birth, simply lying there. X looked at him. "Lost hope, perhaps?"
The rage within Taiyoo grew. The other half-Cybertronians backed against the wall. Every one of them, except Tsuki, who was glaring at X. As the bot started to walk towards Taiyoo, Tsuki yelled, and deactivated her optics, concentrating. Something within her clicked, and she ran at X, moving faster than she ever would have thought possible, diverting his attention off of Taiyoo.
With a neatly-executed kick, X went skidding into a wall, and shook his head, starting to stand. Taiyoo stood, looking at his life-partner, watching her. An unfelt wind ran around her, as she shifted to her human mode. Her white hair swirled around her, and her eyes were narrowed slits. With a yell, the wind increased, and in a flash of light, she was another being completely. She was all of her modes, all in one. Her beast mode was represented by her legs, long, an iridescent silvery-white, and of a cat. Her upper half looked like her human mode, but it was armored in the style of her robot mode. The only thing that was different, was that she had large wings, white, bearing the color of a full moon shining though a fall mist.
Not to mention, she held a rather large sword in one hand.
Rampage snickered. "Ooh, like that’s going to do anything? I’m immortal, cutie. Get it straight."
He kicked out with his amazing speed.
Taiyoo shut his optics off, and withdrew into himself, ready for that killing blow. But instead, he found a small ball of light.
Hope.
Hope, and vengeance.
With a roar, he came back to his senses, and ran at X without a fear. Three hits, and the other experiment went though the ten-inch titanium alloy wall. He looked at Tsuki, who was watching him. With a blink, he looked at his hands, knowing that they were human, but . . . armor covered them. ~Taiyoo, go see to the others. I’ll . . .~
Taiyoo’s hand grasped Tsuki’s once. Their eyes met, and she bowed her head. Now wasn’t the time for comfort. She walked over to Shinri and Uso. Uso was closer to her, and she rested a hand upon his chest. She pulled it away sharply, then pulled her helmet off, and leaned closer, putting her ear closer to his Spark.
"By Primus above," she breathed. With a start, she heard someone moving from debris. "Taiyoo! My turn! Uso and Shinri are still alive! Get them outta here!"
"I’m not leaving you!" Taiyoo yelled in return. "I swore to my mother that I’d never leave you, and I plan upon keeping that promise."
Tsuki blinked, nodded, and he turned to the others. "We’ll distract him, and you get those two out! I don’t want to hear anything, so you shut your mouth up, Tatakai!"
The bot snorted, then nodded, and walked over to Uso, and picked him up, then slung him over his shoulder. Shizukesa carefully picked Shinri, and cradled her broken form. Taiyoo and Tsuki looked at each other, then at the shadow rising from the dust. X walked out, and Tsuki said, "You know, freak, I really thought we could have made an alliance, then rebel against those who keep us captive. Now I see that we’re completely different, and that nothing is possible."
X held his hand out in a fist, then opened it downward. Something fell out, and he knelt, holding his head. "Don’t let them put that back in me. Please."
Tsuki cautiously walked forward, ready for him to turn, to rush at her, and kill her in front of her life-partner. She picked up the device and saw what it did instantaneously. "Primus . . . Taiyoo . . ."
The older being walked over, and Tsuki handed Taiyoo the small chip. He blinked. "It’s a behavior controlling chip. I’ve seen these, but . . . always for the opposite effect." Taiyoo looked up, then called over, "X. What is your full name."
"Xanthos."
Tsuki sighed, and took the chip back from Taiyoo. She crushed it between her palms, and then let the particles fall from the armor. She knelt in front of Xanthos, and said, "That’s a Latin human name."
He nodded, and Tsuki sighed, then put her hand upon his shoulder. "They’ll make another. Remember, then, Xanthos, that you have to apologize to my warriors."
X looked up at her, and Taiyoo stood behind his life-partner, then added, "If you ever touch any of our warriors again, I’ll kill you."
The older boy nodded, broken, hiding his face in his hands.
Depth Charge walked into the arena. He stopped short, seeing Xanthos weeping into a human Tsuki’s shoulder, while Taiyoo, also human, stood by protectively. The young guard walked over, and carefully put his hand upon Xanthos’ shoulder, seeing if he would allow that. "Hey."
The younger bot looked up at him, then away. "I nearly killed someone, Charge."
"You never killed that other one, you know."
Xanthos snorted. "Prove it. He’s probably dead."
"You’re speaking with him, and he’s rather displeased with your behavior."
Xanthos looked up at Depth Charge, who sighed. "Come on, then. They have to get home. Their friend is healed."
"R pool?" Taiyoo asked.
"Negative. CR chamber."
"Never seen one before."
"They’re new. You’re not likely to see one for a while."
"Whatever."
Xanthos stood, then helped Tsuki stand. "Please, could you convince them to not attack me, so I can apologize now?"
Taiyoo was somewhat stunned, at the innocence of the Maximal boy. ~Should we trust him, Tsuki?~
~Killers don’t cry, and they don’t accept comfort.~
~Sentimentality. You really should learn how to harden your heart, Suu.~
~Tai, let me be who I am, and I’ll let you be who you are. And I trust him.~
Taiyoo sighed, then said, "Alright, stay here. Tsuki, you go ahead, and warn them. Bring them back, when they’re ready."
The white-haired girl nodded, and took off in a light run, her already-long legs stretching in long strides. She reached Shinri and Uso, wrapping her arms around both of them, and quickly whispering to them the situation. Shinri blinked, indecisive, but Uso sighed in anger. "Suu, do we even know that was the one that changed his personality."
"I am."
"Are you sure?" Uso asked.
Tsuki nodded. Ai sighed. "Suu, we all heard. We’re all going with you."
She nodded, and walked out front, with Shinri and Uso. The others followed behind, and once they reached the arena again, only Tsuki, Shinri, and Uso walked forward. Uso was still suspicious, while Shinri walked forward timidly. Xanthos bowed his head, and said, "Please forgive my actions, Shinri. I . . . I was under the influence of the experiment. I’m so sorry I did that to you."
Shinri blinked, then said, "How do we know you won’t do that again?"
He looked up at her, and whispered, "My father was a Predacon, they told me, before he was murdered. On my word as sharing half of the same heritage that you do, I will try to never harm one of your comrades again. You especially."
Shinri smiled, and said, "I accept that. Uso?"
"You touch my life-partner again, and I’ll rip your head off, and–"
Taiyoo covered Uso’s mouth, and said, "Stormsteel would have your head, if you finish that comment! You slagging know he would."
Uso sighed, then glowered, when Taiyoo took his hand away. "I don’t care. Shinri was hurt, and I could do nothing for her."
"How about we discuss this later, and not in front of new comrades?" Taiyoo hissed.
Uso fell silent, then nodded in shame. "I’m sorry. Forgive me, X."
The older one shook his head. "No. There’s no need to."
Depth Charge led him away, a hand upon his shoulder. Once they had reached a door, Xanthos went through, while Depth Charge looked back at the other experiments mournfully. Tsuki called over, "Keep in touch, Charge. We need more people like you."
He sighed, and nodded once. "Taiyoo, Tsuki, I will."
With a nod, he turned and left, while the technicians from the half-Cybertronians own compound came in, and ushered them away. This was a rather odd new development, that involved the two young leaders, Taiyoo and Tsuki.
And it would not be forgotten.