((Post between [@Letter Bee] and [@Neozeon0083]))

[b][i]Red-Star Floating Supercarrier Kuei-Ren[/i][/b]

[quote=@Letter Bee]
The Red-Star Political Officer was struck with indecision. Then an idea came to him. Turning on the intercom, Osamu said, "Bring me Alexander Sky, Mako Shintai, and Hibiki Laplace."
[/quote]

Before he entered the room, Hibiki had a sense of what was going on. Osamu emitted a feeling of agitation. He entered the room and found a remote area of the office to timidly be present for what was going to be said.

As Alexander and Mako entered, Osamu looked at Hibiki and snapped, "Don't hide in a corner! Stand beside Alexander and his [i]nakama[/i]; I have something important to tell you three."

And with that, several sentry guns emerged from ports in the walls, before pointing at Alexander, but not Mako and Hibiki. Osamu then got up from his plush seat before activating his own desk's holoprojector, showing Alexander in the Virtual Reality Room. He then showed an image of Alexander's avatar in virtual reality space, wandering the twisted corridors of bytes and bits that marked the intersection of Red-Star's Virtual Reality network and the inter-corporate dark-net.

Alexander's Avatar then faded for a second, and reappeared in a Kurdish-style coffehouse, where he went to sit on a table in front of a brown-skinned, green-eyed man with black hair. Osamu then gestured at the holoprojector's sensors to bring up a second hologram, bringing up the info on [I]Theodore Narra, General Commander of Haven[/i]; this was the person Alexander was having a virtual dine-in with.

"You think I wouldn't know?" Osamu looked at Alexander, "You think you're skilled enough in Virtual Reality to evade a Red-Star Political Officer? Well, you're not, and you're going to suffer for this, Alexander Sky!"

Alexander had stiffened, and glared at Osamu, saying, "What are you going to do? Torture me? Abuse me? Replace my memories like you've done with so many others? Five years created and it's hard to believe you've become such an utter abomination of humanity. And you've gotten Hibiki to watch as well, you psychotic brat."

Osamu released a breath, before saying, "Hibiki is actually what I want to talk to you about, actually, Alexander Sky. If I kill you, his beloved mentor, or harm you seriously, the 'Dark Hibiki' side his father implanted in him will take over more of his psyche. And that's a danger to both our sides, as 'Dark Hibiki' is an omnicidal maniac like Dread, only less restrained. But at the same time, I cannot abide the thought of Phoenix Inferno and its pilot sabotaging Red-Star from within once more, or even using the Ion Projector you were trying to get upgraded to sink the Kuei-Ren and then blast your way out to Havenite lines; that would be a propaganda disaster for us."

Alexander raised an eyebrow, before saying, "You really have a tendency to overplay your hand, don't you? Listen, you brat, you've just revealed that I have something you want, something you just can't take by force. What is it and why can't I take revenge for your abuse by just, you know, refusing?"

Osamu smiled, "You can't refuse because you care too much. Despite what I've said about your VR skills, they're impressive; same about your aptitude with the Neural Net. We're going to need both of those for what I plan next: Transfer 'Dark Hibiki' into Phoenix Inferno."

Hibiki looks puzzled by the reference to a 'Dark Hibiki'. Now in line with the others, Hibiki asks, "there is a Dark version of me?". 

Hibiki looks side to side, as if looking for affirmation or denial. "But there is just one of me, right? Right?". The boy seems to be getting unnerved by the whole conversation. He visibly started to fidget.

Osamu looked at Hibiki and said, "Yes. And I'm saving you and Red-Star from it. I am not going to let Serk have his last laugh."

There was a firmness in his tone at that.

Still unsure of what is ment by that, Hibiki nods and continued to listen.

Osamu continued, "The AI in Titan Breaker is influencing your psyche, turning you into a monster - that is Dark Hibiki. But the Bio-Computer in my head is stronger than that AI; it will have to be. What I am going to do is to retrofit Phoenix Inferno with enough storage capacity to contain both Akuma - the AI - and Dark Hibiki. Then I and Alexander will transfer those two into Phoenix Inferno with Bio-Computer bullshit. Why am I doing this and why haven't I done this to Haven's NCs before if I were capable of doing this type of thing before? Simple: Because for once in my life I feel as though I have to do something just because it is... Because it is..."

Mako interrupted, "You can't be saying it's the right thing to do, Osamu-[i]sama[/i]! We both know you don't care about right and wrong!"

The Artificial Human glared at Mako. "Yet I do. But only this once. When I saved Hibiki, I formed a mental link with him, saw his life under Serk and he in turn saw my own issues with being unable to protect my creator. So I am saving him, even if it costs me my... My... I can't say it."

Alexander says, "Your life. Or your powers, which if you lose, will destroy your usefulness to Red-Star."

The glare was turned to Alexander as Osamu snapped once more, "I know that! Now help me save Hibiki and you can stay clothed once I exhibit you in a cage for punishment. It's the best bargain you'll get."

Osamu trembled even as Alexander made eye contact with him, staring deeply. It was to the Artificial Human's relief when the Slave-Pilot said, "All right, I want to save Hibiki."

Hibiki's look of concern slowly shifted to one of terror and worry. He stepped forward to address the only friends he has kept so far, "Osamu? Alex? What are you talking about? I'm here, and I'm fine. What is this talk of you dieing Osamu?" 

The boy's frustration had finally come to a head as he yelled, "Why are all you acting like this!?" He looks at Osamu, "Your life is far more valuable than mine! I have not done anything of Worth! If anyone should disappear, it should be me!" The welling of tears begin to form in his eyes.

Hibiki managed to calm down and with fists curled, he stepped back in line, "Why am I worth so much" he said under his breath.

Osamu walked towards Hibiki, and with his right hand, wiped away the young man's tears. "Because you remind me of myself. Because you also remind me of my father, the person I failed to protect. You're the first person I feel kinship with, because we're both creations of mad science. You are the only one who can spark such an emotion inside me, and the fact that you're too naive to take advantage of that... It makes me want to protect you more. We're [i]family[/i]."

His gaze turned firm, "So accept the only sacrifice I am willing to make, or I will torture Alexander in front of your eyes."

Hibiki looks towards Alexander for a quick second, then looks Osamu in the eyes. 

"No, I will not. If you do whatever you want to him, he still lives in the end, but if you have a chance of disappearing for my sake". 

With a defiance Osamu has never seen before from the boy, he said, "I'd rather disappear into the abyss". 

Osamu shook his head. "I'll do it anyway; you can't force me to do anything I don't want to - You don't have that power. Hibiki Laplace... You are like a brother to me and I [i]will[/i] do what I can for you."

He then shoots Hibiki with the taser, hopefully stunning him. And with that, the Artificial Human walks off, ready to do the first good thing he has ever done in his life.

Hibiki's muscles convulse and clenched, as he fell to the ground on his side. He fought for consciousness for a second, as his eyes grew heavy, and thought escaped him.

The boy soon went too sleep.