Chapter Text
“And… there.”
Rei let out a sigh of relief as he leaned back, admiring his handiwork. In front of him was his latest project—the fifth rendition of his robotic spider—, a newly etched bat emblem—rei’s trademark—placed atop its head.
The project was nostalgic, really. It’s been 8 years since that fateful day he and Nagisa met, and he’s been mentored by him ever since.
Or, he was mentored by Nagisa up until about a week ago. For his 18th birthday, Nagisa had given him his own workshop, proclaiming that Rei was ready to be on his own. Yet, he still didn’t feel satisfied. He was on his own, yes, but… He still hasn’t accomplished anything. His eyes glanced upon the many plaques on the wall, given to him for his many feats during his adolescence. Each one was just a sore reminder that all his fame was built on his age . None of his ‘feats’ were real accomplishments; each plaque only taunted him, as if they chanted, “You’re so intelligent for your age!” or “I've never seen someone so young invent something so brilliant !” It was daunting.
Rei felt lost. What did he have to do to be noticed? For his achievements to be noticed for their brilliance rather than their circumstances? He’s an adult now, yet they still only know him as the young and brilliant inventor. He was more than his age. His age did not define him.
Rei suddenly left out a huff of frustration, slamming his fist down on the desk. The slam happened to flicker his automated spider on. Rei’s attention flickered back to the arachnid as it skittered across the desk, beginning to climb up the wall. Rei’s eyes followed the spider as it happened to stop on a poster on the wall: the anatomy of the human body.
For a moment, Rei forgot to breathe. That was it. If he builds a real talking, walking homunculus, they’d be forced to look past the circumstances, and simply admire his brilliance alone.
He bit his lip, hesitating as a thought crossed his mind. Even so… homunculi were illegal to attempt to create, weren’t they? He could be jailed or worse for trying… but…
He stared at the poster for a bit longer, eyebrows furrowed. Did he really care about self preservation? Self preservation won’t get him the satisfaction he desires. He could walk the safe route, sure, but nothing would change.
With a brand new surge of confidence, Rei took in a deep breath, reaching for his pen and parchment.
He would prove himself. He would show everyone. Even if it killed him.
[…]
He let out a frustrated sigh, crumpling up yet another paper as he threw it into the overflowing trash bin. He set another paper down on the desk, glancing up at the anatomy poster again.
He had been at work for hours trying to design schematics for this homunculus, yet he was stuck drawing a blank. Sure, he had many ideas on simulating a human’s fluid movements or bodily automations, but… how would he give it a long term power source. He glanced at the mechanical arachnid sat on his desk. These arachnids alone could run for about 12 hours at a time, but they were much smaller and less complicated. How would he go about powering a functional faux human being?
He began listing power sources in his head. Solar Power? No, if it would have to be hidden inside, it couldn't get the needed sunlight. Both wind and hydro power were off the table, as they’re both unrealistic to fit inside a human-shaped vessel. He couldn’t use steam or anything similar without needing to figure out a way to hide the steam output…
He paused for a moment, suddenly coming to a realization. Nagisa had recently developed powerful, palm-sized batteries that could last for years, hadn’t he? If Rei could get his hands on a few… He was sure Nagisa wouldn’t mind, after all.
Ah. But Nagisa would likely question his purpose… He supposed he would just have to come up with an excuse.
He felt a smile creep onto his features. He would really do it. Once he has his hands on those batteries, he would be able to start his homunculus project… and he’d be able to prove himself once and for all.
Pushing himself out from under the desk, he stood up. It was time to visit his beloved mentor.