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Chapter Seven: Tough Love

I sat groaning at Kayato’s complaints. He only cared about learning to use a gun. I growled at his stupidity. You can’t kill a virus like that.

“When are you going to teach us to use a gun!” He asked again yelling.

“You’re not going to.”

“Why?”

“They’re inaccurate.”

“No it’s not! Swords are old and useless.”

“Oh really? Let’s say you’re trapped. I’m a virus. I plan to kill you. I have my clawed hands ready to kill.You aim and miss.” I walked closer to him. I grab his shirt with my claws in his face. “It’s my turn and I never miss at this range.”

“Um. Prototype.” Shiria taps me. I turn to look at her. She looked a little scared.

“What is it?” I sat her brother down.

“Tadashi is over there.” She pointed. I looked over as he leaned against the wall with his normal unsatisfied look.

“Why don’t you teach them to use a gun?’ He asked.

“You know why.” I growled.

“Then at least teach them something better than swordsmanship. They need to learn long range.” Tadashi walked towards us.

“You know up close and personal works better. I’m the only weapon you have against the viruses that actually works.” I lowered my head.

He looked at me. Then turned around. “Fine we’ll get someone else to do it. But you will train them or you know what.”

“That sly little-” My fist shook. I held back from charging him.

“Proto, do you not like him?” Shiria asked.

“What did he mean by you know what?” Kayato asked.

“Stay out of my business. It’s between me and him. Besides you kid’s wouldn’t ever understand.” I walked away.

“Hey! We’re not that stupid! What did he mean?” Kayato screamed.

“I’m fixing to mute you! Stay out of things that aren’t your’s or you’ll get hurt got it?” I threatened. They both shrank back in fear of me. I was fed up enough. By the rate they argue and refuse to work with me then I’ll be dead before they learned how to attack viruses and not die. I walked back through the doorway after Tadashi. “Tadashi! You ever bring her up again in front of those kids and I’ll kill you.”

He turned back and looked at me. “Those kids don’t know her. You have nothing to worry about except you only have five more months to train the kids or the plug will be pulled on Airi.” He turned around again and walked away.

“How am I suppose to do that?” I asked myself quietly.

“Proto! Why’d you run away?” Shiria asked. I looked down at her. Kayato had followed her.

“You two need to train harder and take me seriously. Otherwise you’ll die first thing in a battle against the viruses.” I scowled them.

“You know just because you think Tadashi’s a jerk doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk to us!” Kayato yelled.

“I don’t need a child like you lecturing me!” I raised my hand to hit him. I froze and turned away. “You better train for two more hours here or you’ll be locked out of the house. Practice what I already taught you.”

“What!” They synced again. I growled and walked away. I had to before i become Tadashi. That’s the last person I want to be like. They just want to take up for ‘their Tadashi’ that’s just an illusion. I went back home and went to my room. I locked the door and went to my computer. I pulled up my photo albums which I only had so few of and looked at one picture of me and Airi when I was younger. Valentine was tomorrow and this picture was from my first valentine as far as I knew.

“Proto come here.” Airi called from kitchen. I came running to her worried.

“Is something wrong!” I asked.

“It’s valentines day and I made you some chocolate.” She smiled at me. She held out a plate with chocolate in it. “It’s warm so you need to wait for right now okay. Give it ten minutes.”

“Okay.” I smiled back at her. I ran up to my room and quickly pulled out some ribbons and glue. I created a card for her and ran back down stairs. She had left a note on the table that was still fresh ink:

Dear Proto,

I need to go back home now. The chocolate should be cool enough to eat by now. I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye but I thought you were busy so I left.

Sincerely, Airi

“Airi.” I looked at the door. I ran out of my house and down the street. I saw her reach the elevator and I ran faster. “Airi! wait!” I ran into the back wall of the elevator trying to get in before the doors closed. “Ow…”

“Proto! Are you okay?” She asked me.

“My head hurts.” I rubbed my head. It had started to bleed.

“Proto why’d you run in here?” She asked me.

“I made you this.” I held out the card I made her. She opened it and the ribbon and confetti came out.

“Thank you Proto it’s very beautiful.” She hugged me. She gently picked me up and kissed my head. “We’ll go to my house and fix up that bruise and then put this on my wall okay.”

“Okay.” I smiled. That’s all I ever wanted was for her to smile. So whenever she gives me a present I always have to make or give one back to her. Once we got to the house she bandaged my head and placed my letter in a picture frame on the wall.

“There what do you think?” She asked me.

“I like it!” I smiled. She pulled out her phone and pulled me into her lap. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“We’re going to take a picture together since it’s valentine's day.” Airi smiled at me.

“Okay.”

“Say cheese.” Airi held me in her arms. Click!

I smiled at the memory of the past. I missed her too much. I missed her touch and voice. I wondered what she would say to me once she comes back. Vrr.Vrr. My phone interrupted my thoughts. I looked at the phone. Tadashi was sending insults to me that I ignored and only read the last line saying the kids were coming back here. I didn’t bother spending too much on it and continued my thoughts about Airi.

It’s been so long I actually forgotten her voice. I can only make out a little of it and her touch. That’s why I hold onto the past so much. I have to remember it. I have to keep her or I’ll lose it all again like I did in the red room so long ago where I was tortured by Tadashi. I would sit in there starving for days on end with nothing but what I wore or in my pockets. I sat in silence in the corner weeping, cutting myself to get rid of her blood. If I wasn’t doing that or trying to call her phone I had screamed to the point of collapsing her name slamming myself into the walls to get free of the red. Tadashi would only let me out if I stopped doing those things and I’d be trapped for weeks on end only getting food whenever I calmed for a moment.

I always got pitiful, dirty looks sent by the scientist in the laboratory. I was mentally unstable after Airi was killed. Who wouldn’t be? You're a child of innocence and your own mother that you never even remembered who stayed by your side no matter how much you’ve changed was shot point blank in your face. I hated men, I feared women, and I wanted to die. I couldn’t though. Not if she could come back to me. What would she do? If she came back would she blame me for her death and bringing her back to someday suffer another?

“Stop it!” I stood up. Airi wouldn’t do it. She was too kind to hate me. Knock! Knock! The kids were back and they didn’t have a key. I walked down the stairs shaking away Airi for at least a while. At least till I can sleep. I opened the door and the kids were waiting with Tadashi.

“You left them on they’re own to get injured.” Tadashi growled. Kayato had his arms wrapped up and Shiria held her stomach.

“If they’re better than me then they should be healed up by morning.” I growled. The kids came in and I slammed the door on Tadashi. The kids both looked at me. “What’s you’re problem!”

“I was about to ask you the same.” Kayato growled, “But you can’t really act like an adult apparently.”

“Go to your room or I’m going to-”

“Going to what? You can’t hit me because you're afraid to. You only threaten but you never do it!” Kayato yelled.

“Little brat! I’m the only thing that will keep you alive later on. So you better watch who you’re talking to.” I lowered my voice but kept my harshness in it.

“Why do you always pick a fight with others Proto?” Shiria asked. She had grabbed my hand.

“Let go of my hand.” I told her.

“But why do you have to be so mean to us. We just ask you a question and you get angry.”

“I said let go of my hand!” I pulled away from her. “Now I don’t care what Tadashi says but if you two can’t listen to anything I tell you then you can go back to being in the laboratory.” I stormed off to the stairs. After a few hours of being in my room looking at pictures of Airi and reading I felt tired but I stayed up. I hated going to sleep around the days I felt were the most important to me.

“Proto. Proto are you okay?” Shiria asked me. I looked up. I somehow fell asleep reading by the computer.

“How’d you get in here?” I asked her. I bumped the mouse and the computer screen flashed on revealing a pic of me and Airi making a snowman just a week before she died.

“I saw that woman in my room last night!” She pointed in tears.

“What?” I looked at the screen.

“She was looking at me at the end of my room. She was looking out the window and she turned and looked at me. She said someone’s name and disappeared. And I got scared so I ran up here and the door was unlocked.

“What did she say?” I stood up.

“Something with an ‘R’ in it I didn’t really hear it because she disappeared before she finished it. But she was glowing in white.” Shiria shook she grabbed my waist and cried. “I’m scared please let me stay in here for a while.”

“She won’t hurt you.” I told her I shook in fear again as I did the first time she asked to stay with me.

“You’ve seen her before too?” She asked me.

“I knew her when she was alive. I never knew she was a ghost.” I looked at the screen.

“How’d you know her?” Shiria asked.

“She was my homeschool teacher.” I sighed.

“But why do you have a picture of her?”

“Don’t ask me anymore about her. Just go back to your room she never hurt anyone she was too kind.” I pulled her off me. If Airi is a ghost then I doubt I can have her back in her own body.

“She was someone you cared about wasn’t she? Is that why you don’t like to talk much about anything?” Shiria asked.

“Never mind it. I told you to mind your own business so you need to go back to your room and go to sleep.” I shoved her toward the doorway.

“She’s there!” She pointed at the door. I didn’t see anything but Shiria was too pale and shaken to be joking.

“She won’t hurt you okay. Just go.” I looked at the door. The door closed and locked itself. I stood in shock. Shiria ran behind me and clung to my waist.

“Did she saying anything? Where is she?” I asked. Shiria squeezed tighter looking at the bed.

“She say she loves Ryouya and she’ll come back and that he doesn’t have to worry. She says she wants Ryouya to calm down and be nicer to others and get to know them better.” Shiria cried.

“She won’t hurt you, Shiria. She’s a good person.” I reached for her head. I gently patted it. It was all I could tell her.

“She has to go back now somewhere. She says she’ll come back if you keep causing trouble.” Shiria held on. The door unlocked and opened again. Shiria fell to the ground in tears.

“I told you she won’t hurt you.” I kneeled down next to her.

“It’s just that I never seen a ghost before.” She cried. “Please just let me stay with you.”

“Fine.” I patted her head. She got in my bed and laid down still crying.

“Is your real name Ryouya? Who was she?” She asked me. I sat up against the bed.

“I’m not allowed to use that name because of Tadashi.” I told her looking down.

“Why?”

“I’m his son. I don’t believe it, I mean I can’t remember a thing about me from before I was nine and all he does is treat me like dirt. Airi was the only person who cared for me,but I never remembered her either.” I sighed.

“Is she your mom?”

“That’s what I was told after she died in front of me.” My voice got softer.

“I’m sorry. I never knew. She seemed nice but I was scared of her.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re a kid.” I looked at her.

“I can call you Ryouya if you want me too.”

“You’ll get in deep trouble if you do. That’s the least I want you to be in so never say that name.” I laid down.

“Aren’t you going to get in the bed too? There’s plenty of room in it.”

“No. You can sleep in it. Boys shouldn’t sleep with girls unless they're married or a child to the other. I can sleep here on the floor or go to the couch.” I yawned.

“But I want you to stay here but not on the floor.” Shiria looked at me sadly.

“Don’t worry about me worry about yourself.” I told her.

“I guess Airi is your soft side.” She looked at me.

“Yeah she was always my center.” I looked off.

“Then you are just a little rough around the edges right?” Her voice started to grow sleepy.

“Maybe. But if you tell anyone I’m going to make sure that mouth stays shut.” I looked back at her with a small smirk.

“I bet Airi wouldn’t want you to. Your a nice person Proto it’s just that not everyone sees it because they don’t know you.” Shiria laughed.

“Alright, go to bed.” I gently enforced the law.

“Okay. Good night...Ryouya.” She fell to sleep. I sat up and rubbed the side of her head.
“Night Shiria. Sleep better.” I sat at the end watching her sleep peacefully before I laid back on the floor. Airi would probably be laughing at me right about now telling me I change my tune too quick...

Description
Chapter Seven: Tough Love

I sat groaning at Kayato’s complaints. He only cared about learning to use a gun. I growled at his stupidity. You can’t kill a virus like that.

“When are you going to teach us to use a gun!” He asked again yelling.

“You’re not going to.”

“Why?”

“They’re inaccurate.”

“No it’s not! Swords are old and useless.”

“Oh really? Let’s say you’re trapped. I’m a virus. I plan to kill you. I have my clawed hands ready to kill.You aim and miss.” I walked closer to him. I grab his shirt with my claws in his face. “It’s my turn and I never miss at this range.”

“Um. Prototype.” Shiria taps me. I turn to look at her. She looked a little scared.

“What is it?” I sat her brother down.

“Tadashi is over there.” She pointed. I looked over as he leaned against the wall with his normal unsatisfied look.

“Why don’t you teach them to use a gun?’ He asked.

“You know why.” I growled.

“Then at least teach them something better than swordsmanship. They need to learn long range.” Tadashi walked towards us.

“You know up close and personal works better. I’m the only weapon you have against the viruses that actually works.” I lowered my head.

He looked at me. Then turned around. “Fine we’ll get someone else to do it. But you will train them or you know what.”

“That sly little-” My fist shook. I held back from charging him.

“Proto, do you not like him?” Shiria asked.

“What did he mean by you know what?” Kayato asked.

“Stay out of my business. It’s between me and him. Besides you kid’s wouldn’t ever understand.” I walked away.

“Hey! We’re not that stupid! What did he mean?” Kayato screamed.

“I’m fixing to mute you! Stay out of things that aren’t your’s or you’ll get hurt got it?” I threatened. They both shrank back in fear of me. I was fed up enough. By the rate they argue and refuse to work with me then I’ll be dead before they learned how to attack viruses and not die. I walked back through the doorway after Tadashi. “Tadashi! You ever bring her up again in front of those kids and I’ll kill you.”

He turned back and looked at me. “Those kids don’t know her. You have nothing to worry about except you only have five more months to train the kids or the plug will be pulled on Airi.” He turned around again and walked away.

“How am I suppose to do that?” I asked myself quietly.

“Proto! Why’d you run away?” Shiria asked. I looked down at her. Kayato had followed her.

“You two need to train harder and take me seriously. Otherwise you’ll die first thing in a battle against the viruses.” I scowled them.

“You know just because you think Tadashi’s a jerk doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk to us!” Kayato yelled.

“I don’t need a child like you lecturing me!” I raised my hand to hit him. I froze and turned away. “You better train for two more hours here or you’ll be locked out of the house. Practice what I already taught you.”

“What!” They synced again. I growled and walked away. I had to before i become Tadashi. That’s the last person I want to be like. They just want to take up for ‘their Tadashi’ that’s just an illusion. I went back home and went to my room. I locked the door and went to my computer. I pulled up my photo albums which I only had so few of and looked at one picture of me and Airi when I was younger. Valentine was tomorrow and this picture was from my first valentine as far as I knew.

“Proto come here.” Airi called from kitchen. I came running to her worried.

“Is something wrong!” I asked.

“It’s valentines day and I made you some chocolate.” She smiled at me. She held out a plate with chocolate in it. “It’s warm so you need to wait for right now okay. Give it ten minutes.”

“Okay.” I smiled back at her. I ran up to my room and quickly pulled out some ribbons and glue. I created a card for her and ran back down stairs. She had left a note on the table that was still fresh ink:

Dear Proto,

I need to go back home now. The chocolate should be cool enough to eat by now. I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye but I thought you were busy so I left.

Sincerely, Airi

“Airi.” I looked at the door. I ran out of my house and down the street. I saw her reach the elevator and I ran faster. “Airi! wait!” I ran into the back wall of the elevator trying to get in before the doors closed. “Ow…”

“Proto! Are you okay?” She asked me.

“My head hurts.” I rubbed my head. It had started to bleed.

“Proto why’d you run in here?” She asked me.

“I made you this.” I held out the card I made her. She opened it and the ribbon and confetti came out.

“Thank you Proto it’s very beautiful.” She hugged me. She gently picked me up and kissed my head. “We’ll go to my house and fix up that bruise and then put this on my wall okay.”

“Okay.” I smiled. That’s all I ever wanted was for her to smile. So whenever she gives me a present I always have to make or give one back to her. Once we got to the house she bandaged my head and placed my letter in a picture frame on the wall.

“There what do you think?” She asked me.

“I like it!” I smiled. She pulled out her phone and pulled me into her lap. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“We’re going to take a picture together since it’s valentine's day.” Airi smiled at me.

“Okay.”

“Say cheese.” Airi held me in her arms. Click!

I smiled at the memory of the past. I missed her too much. I missed her touch and voice. I wondered what she would say to me once she comes back. Vrr.Vrr. My phone interrupted my thoughts. I looked at the phone. Tadashi was sending insults to me that I ignored and only read the last line saying the kids were coming back here. I didn’t bother spending too much on it and continued my thoughts about Airi.

It’s been so long I actually forgotten her voice. I can only make out a little of it and her touch. That’s why I hold onto the past so much. I have to remember it. I have to keep her or I’ll lose it all again like I did in the red room so long ago where I was tortured by Tadashi. I would sit in there starving for days on end with nothing but what I wore or in my pockets. I sat in silence in the corner weeping, cutting myself to get rid of her blood. If I wasn’t doing that or trying to call her phone I had screamed to the point of collapsing her name slamming myself into the walls to get free of the red. Tadashi would only let me out if I stopped doing those things and I’d be trapped for weeks on end only getting food whenever I calmed for a moment.

I always got pitiful, dirty looks sent by the scientist in the laboratory. I was mentally unstable after Airi was killed. Who wouldn’t be? You're a child of innocence and your own mother that you never even remembered who stayed by your side no matter how much you’ve changed was shot point blank in your face. I hated men, I feared women, and I wanted to die. I couldn’t though. Not if she could come back to me. What would she do? If she came back would she blame me for her death and bringing her back to someday suffer another?

“Stop it!” I stood up. Airi wouldn’t do it. She was too kind to hate me. Knock! Knock! The kids were back and they didn’t have a key. I walked down the stairs shaking away Airi for at least a while. At least till I can sleep. I opened the door and the kids were waiting with Tadashi.

“You left them on they’re own to get injured.” Tadashi growled. Kayato had his arms wrapped up and Shiria held her stomach.

“If they’re better than me then they should be healed up by morning.” I growled. The kids came in and I slammed the door on Tadashi. The kids both looked at me. “What’s you’re problem!”

“I was about to ask you the same.” Kayato growled, “But you can’t really act like an adult apparently.”

“Go to your room or I’m going to-”

“Going to what? You can’t hit me because you're afraid to. You only threaten but you never do it!” Kayato yelled.

“Little brat! I’m the only thing that will keep you alive later on. So you better watch who you’re talking to.” I lowered my voice but kept my harshness in it.

“Why do you always pick a fight with others Proto?” Shiria asked. She had grabbed my hand.

“Let go of my hand.” I told her.

“But why do you have to be so mean to us. We just ask you a question and you get angry.”

“I said let go of my hand!” I pulled away from her. “Now I don’t care what Tadashi says but if you two can’t listen to anything I tell you then you can go back to being in the laboratory.” I stormed off to the stairs. After a few hours of being in my room looking at pictures of Airi and reading I felt tired but I stayed up. I hated going to sleep around the days I felt were the most important to me.

“Proto. Proto are you okay?” Shiria asked me. I looked up. I somehow fell asleep reading by the computer.

“How’d you get in here?” I asked her. I bumped the mouse and the computer screen flashed on revealing a pic of me and Airi making a snowman just a week before she died.

“I saw that woman in my room last night!” She pointed in tears.

“What?” I looked at the screen.

“She was looking at me at the end of my room. She was looking out the window and she turned and looked at me. She said someone’s name and disappeared. And I got scared so I ran up here and the door was unlocked.

“What did she say?” I stood up.

“Something with an ‘R’ in it I didn’t really hear it because she disappeared before she finished it. But she was glowing in white.” Shiria shook she grabbed my waist and cried. “I’m scared please let me stay in here for a while.”

“She won’t hurt you.” I told her I shook in fear again as I did the first time she asked to stay with me.

“You’ve seen her before too?” She asked me.

“I knew her when she was alive. I never knew she was a ghost.” I looked at the screen.

“How’d you know her?” Shiria asked.

“She was my homeschool teacher.” I sighed.

“But why do you have a picture of her?”

“Don’t ask me anymore about her. Just go back to your room she never hurt anyone she was too kind.” I pulled her off me. If Airi is a ghost then I doubt I can have her back in her own body.

“She was someone you cared about wasn’t she? Is that why you don’t like to talk much about anything?” Shiria asked.

“Never mind it. I told you to mind your own business so you need to go back to your room and go to sleep.” I shoved her toward the doorway.

“She’s there!” She pointed at the door. I didn’t see anything but Shiria was too pale and shaken to be joking.

“She won’t hurt you okay. Just go.” I looked at the door. The door closed and locked itself. I stood in shock. Shiria ran behind me and clung to my waist.

“Did she saying anything? Where is she?” I asked. Shiria squeezed tighter looking at the bed.

“She say she loves Ryouya and she’ll come back and that he doesn’t have to worry. She says she wants Ryouya to calm down and be nicer to others and get to know them better.” Shiria cried.

“She won’t hurt you, Shiria. She’s a good person.” I reached for her head. I gently patted it. It was all I could tell her.

“She has to go back now somewhere. She says she’ll come back if you keep causing trouble.” Shiria held on. The door unlocked and opened again. Shiria fell to the ground in tears.

“I told you she won’t hurt you.” I kneeled down next to her.

“It’s just that I never seen a ghost before.” She cried. “Please just let me stay with you.”

“Fine.” I patted her head. She got in my bed and laid down still crying.

“Is your real name Ryouya? Who was she?” She asked me. I sat up against the bed.

“I’m not allowed to use that name because of Tadashi.” I told her looking down.

“Why?”

“I’m his son. I don’t believe it, I mean I can’t remember a thing about me from before I was nine and all he does is treat me like dirt. Airi was the only person who cared for me,but I never remembered her either.” I sighed.

“Is she your mom?”

“That’s what I was told after she died in front of me.” My voice got softer.

“I’m sorry. I never knew. She seemed nice but I was scared of her.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re a kid.” I looked at her.

“I can call you Ryouya if you want me too.”

“You’ll get in deep trouble if you do. That’s the least I want you to be in so never say that name.” I laid down.

“Aren’t you going to get in the bed too? There’s plenty of room in it.”

“No. You can sleep in it. Boys shouldn’t sleep with girls unless they're married or a child to the other. I can sleep here on the floor or go to the couch.” I yawned.

“But I want you to stay here but not on the floor.” Shiria looked at me sadly.

“Don’t worry about me worry about yourself.” I told her.

“I guess Airi is your soft side.” She looked at me.

“Yeah she was always my center.” I looked off.

“Then you are just a little rough around the edges right?” Her voice started to grow sleepy.

“Maybe. But if you tell anyone I’m going to make sure that mouth stays shut.” I looked back at her with a small smirk.

“I bet Airi wouldn’t want you to. Your a nice person Proto it’s just that not everyone sees it because they don’t know you.” Shiria laughed.

“Alright, go to bed.” I gently enforced the law.

“Okay. Good night...Ryouya.” She fell to sleep. I sat up and rubbed the side of her head.
“Night Shiria. Sleep better.” I sat at the end watching her sleep peacefully before I laid back on the floor. Airi would probably be laughing at me right about now telling me I change my tune too quick...