Chapter Text
Blue fluorescent water lights the tank from the inside and splays shadows on the floor and surrounding tanks. Golden hair flows lazily around in the substance that is barely water. Alabaster skin stains the body of the person inside and robotic blue eyes stare at the nothingness before them. The body breathes, or so it seems, but it doesn’t choke on the fluorescent blue.
Judge clicks his tongue and frowns in the direction of the tank, jotting down notes onto the research papers. He hands them back to the scientist and nods at the man. Then the other scurries off to do whatever it is he does. Judge turns to look at the tank fully, watching as robotic blues follow him, uncertain, new.
“When will he be ready?” Judge asks the nearest doctor.
The man looks at his charts and then up at Judge. “Shouldn’t take that long, my lord. He will be ready in perhaps a few more days. Though it is uncertain how he will react to being out of the tank. We shall keep monitoring his vitals and stress levels.”
Judge nods and walks towards the tank, peering upwards to look at his new experiment. He loathes to think that this one may even be better than his three precious children, but he could very well be better. If only that stupid son of his hadn’t gone and died like an idiot, he wouldn’t have to recreate him as an android with a level 5 intelligence. And he even had to recover the damned child’s memories and everything that comes with his shitty attitude. But now he will at least be strong.
The robotic blue eyes flow towards him, and Judge can see resentment in those eyes. At least the android knows it’s not a real person, which will greatly help Judge with controlling it, so he thinks.
“I want him ready within a week’s time. Make sure it happens,” he commands.
The doctors and scientists all nod and salute him as he walks away. Judge smirks to himself, this will turn out fantastically. He makes his way out of the lab and towards his living quarters. He spots his children, fighting each other and wrestling about in the dining hall. He barges in, announcing his presence without a word. The boys stop fighting and the girl sends him a smile, though he sees hidden sadness behind her eyes.
“Children,” he says.
They stand at attention, grim faces forwards. “Yes, father,” the four of them say.
“I have something important to tell you,” Judge says as he sits down on his throne.
The kids frown, but he doesn’t pay any attention to that.
“Seeing as your failure of a brother has gone and died, I will be replacing him with a 5 level intelligence android. He will be just as powerful as you, and no picking on him this time. He still has that failure’s awful personality, but he will fight just as well as all of you,” Judge informs them.
Reiju looks surprised, and something passes her eyes that Judge cannot dissect. His daughter doesn’t seem to approve, but he doesn’t care.
“But father!” Yonji begins. “That failure was as good as useless, why make a replica of him?” he asks.
“Are you doubting me?” Judge snarls.
Yonji’s face pales and he stutters, taking a step back. “Of course not, father. I wouldn’t dream of it,” he answers quickly.
Judge nods his head. His children understand, it seems.
“He will be here in a few days, until then you are all dismissed from training.”
The boys nod and scurry off, but Reiju stays put. Judge raises his brow at her, waiting for her to talk.
“What is it?” he asks.
Reiju snaps her furious eyes to his face, and Judge can feel sweat slide down his neck. That’s one hell of a stare.
“Why, father,” she asks simply.
Judge sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. “I need him.”
“Do you really?” she asks, eyes set on his and still furious.
He nods, once. Reiju casts her eyes down and he can practically see the gears in her head turn. He hears her mumble to herself, but for once he lets her. She is his prized pupil after all. He can let her off the hook sometimes.
Finally, she lifts her head and glares at him with tears in her eyes, much to his surprise. She speaks, and he hears hatred in her tone, and somehow he cannot fault her for it.
“You might not have loved him, but I did.”
With that, she storms off, leaving her father stupefied and wondering if he could have had more compassion.
o-o-o
Reiju’s eyes are still wet as she stands in front of the tank. The robotic blues watch her, but there is no emotion on that face. She lays her hand on the glass and wonders, if perhaps, this android would be like her brother. Wishing for freedom, to cook, to have a normal live?
She watches the android’s chest rise and fall, but there is no water going in or out of his mouth. He isn’t dying, he isn’t really breathing. It’s fake. Tears wet her cheeks once more and she looks away, only to be pulled back when a hand lays itself on the glass from the other side. She watches in astonishment as the android splays it hand onto the glass, eyes filled with sadness and pain, mouth opening only for bubbles to escape instead of words.
Reiju lays her hand on the tank as well and she looks into those robotic eyes of her now android little brother. Then, to her surprise, the androids face splits into a sad smile, and he looks around the room. She can see he is searching for something, but she does not know what it is. Then he looks back at her, mouths a word which she cannot see, and looks at her sadly.
“You want out of there, don’t you?” she whispers.
He nods, to her amusement. Then she remembers what her father told her. He has a 5 level intelligence, he’s a robot, an android, he has superior hearing to them. Of course he can hear her. Reiju smiles at him, a genuine smile.
“You know what?” Reiju says as she leans in towards the glass.
The android looks at her, neon blues staring at her face. She smiles again at him and presses her fore head to the tank.
“I’ll find a way to set you free,” Reiju whispers, and she knows he can hear her.
o-o-o
It was five days later that the tank was emptied. Judge watches as the doctor ticks a little hammer against the droids knee, to which it reacts by kicking out. He smirks, the droid looks almost human, except for his eyes. Big blues look up at him from the small body. He made sure to keep the android at the same age as his other kids. He looks like a normal human kid for the most part.
“Give him to me when you are done,” Judge says.
The droid looks at him with a neutral expression, Judge cannot tell anything from it. He feels proud, though, that he has created such an I.A. The doctor nods at him, pulling him from his thoughts and the boy slips of the table. Judge motions for him to follow, and the android does.
He takes it to the dining hall, clothed and all. His children are waiting for him there. Reiju’s gaze is hard as stone as he walks in with the droid.
“Children, meet your new and improved brother,” Judge says happily, pushing the android forwards a little.
The droid steps forward and flits his eyes between the kids, resting them on Reiju for only a moment longer.
“I don’t like him,” Ichiji snarls immediately.
Judge rolls his eyes. “I don’t care, you will get along.”
Ichiji pouts, but doesn’t protest any further. Judge smirks.
“Sanji, introduce yourself to your brothers,” Judge orders.
The android nods and takes another step forwards. “My name is Sanji, and I am a level 5 Artificial Intelligence. My name means Sophisticated Artificial Nuclear Juggernaut Intelligence.”
Having said this, Sanji takes a step back. Reiju’s eyes are hard, and the rest of the kids burst out laughing. But they don’t attempt to pick on the android, not anymore.
o-o-o
“Are you sure?” Sanji asks, blue robotic eye gears circling around the pupil gears.
Reiju grabs his shoulders and nods quickly. “You have to! You want to be free, don’t you?”
Sanji nods at her. “Yes, but what about you?” he asks. “I’m far more save here than you are.”
Reiju lets go of him. “Yes, that is true. But you deserve a real life, not like mine. You have the power to get out of here, so do it already!”
Sanji flinches at her harsh tone, but understand where she comes from. “I’ll never forget you, not that I can,” he jokes, pointing to his head and smiling.
Reiju sniffs, but nods happily with a smile. She wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly.
“You’re the right person to continue Sanji’s dream,” Reiju whispers.
Sanji stills in her arms, “You think so?” he whispers back.
Reiju simply nods and lets go, turns her droid brother around and pushes him towards the Orbit. Sanji looks back at her once, before smiling and taking off with a running sprint. Reiju feels tears wet her cheeks, but this is what is best for him, and for Sanji.