Title: Prototype
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Characters: Kurogane/Fai, Yuuko, Watanuki/Doumeki(/Himawari?), Shao/Saku, others
Ratings: Overall might be M. For this chapter, PG.
Warnings: angst, very probable sexytiemz, role reversal AU, bad language
Summary: When programmer Fai D. Flourite joins the Clow Corp. independent programming company, Yuuko Ichihara assigns him to a project right away – decoding the encrypted data in an abandoned persocom they eventually name “Kurogane.” As Fai uncovers more and more of Kurogane’s data, the two start to grow extremely close – but when they stumble on something better left untouched and Kurogane goes out of control, Fai will have to decide between deactivation and taking a risk for his own happiness. Takes place post-Chobits.
Status: Ongoing
Disclaimer: CLAMP lets me play with them
Comments: If someone could point me in the direction of a timeline for when CLAMP published their works, I would be most grateful. :)

File_oo1.wmv

___

 

Report #oo3
Model: TRC-001 (Custom Model)
Codename: “Little Wolf”
Main Programmer: Unknown
Function: Surveillance and Defense

Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Age: Around 10-12 years old
Current Status: Missing
___

The boy’s brown eyes fluttered open.

“…Where am I?”

Yuuko was surprised that the first thing he saw was her rather than the girl he held. She watched him, her face neutral as he frowned thoughtfully at her.

“What am I – Sakura!”

He grabbed the girl and shook her. Yuuko’s heart went out to him – all the boy shook was a doll.

“Sakura – Sakura, wake up, please wake up –”

“She can’t hear you.”

The boy’s head snapped up, his eyes intense. He pulled “Sakura’s” body towards his defensively as Yuuko walked to him, her hand extended towards the girl.

“You don’t have to do a preliminary scan on this girl to see that she’s lost something,” Yuuko said, running her fingers through Sakura’s hair. “I’ve tried starting her up. She has an OS, but her CPU is corrupt. Even if it weren’t, she has no data whatsoever.”

She watched the boy’s hand tighten on Sakura’s arm. And she prayed by whatever god existed that the boy would believe and trust her.

“What is your name?”

The boy’s frown eased as he decided he could trust this woman. “I’m…Syaoran. This is Sakura.”

Yuuko’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Sakura again. The collar of her shirt slipped a little – and peeking out from underneath were two deliberate dark points that disappeared underneath her clothes.

And I have a good idea of what lies underneath them – that mark, the same image that was in that e-mail, thought Yuuko, and her hand tightened on the one in her pocket.

“My name is Yuuko,” she said, taking another step forward. Her voice was coaxing, as gentle as she could make it. “And I can help this girl – if you agree to help me.”
___

“Hahaha, it certainly took awhile for Kuro-puu to accept a name!”

“Kurogane” looked Fai flatly. “You spent three hours trying to give me some pansy-ass name,” he said.

Fai grinned back. “It’s certainly nice to see that your personality files weren’t damaged. Even if you are a horrible brute.”

“Why you –!” Kurogane lifted his arm to give the bastard a good punch in the face – or tried to, but the magnetic cuffs on his wrists pulled his arm back to the table. All he could do was lay there helplessly, giving Fai a death-glare as the other man leaned forward, hands clutched around his middle, laughing so hard that tears glittered on his eyelashes.

“Yeah, you must think this is really fuckin’ funny, don’t you.” Kurogane’s sounded wholly unamused, and Fai felt a prick of remorse.

“I – ahah – I’m sorry,” Fai snickered, waving his hand dismissively as he got himself under control. “I just…I haven’t had that much fun in a long while.”

“Hmph.”

Fai smiled, highly entertained by the expressions Kurogane made. With the way he pouted, scowled, yelled at the top of his lungs like some noisy dog, it was hard to believe that Kurogane wasn’t human.

Is that why it’s so easy to be around him? Because I know that he’s not human? Fai wondered, his smile fading a little. ...maybe that’s part of it.

It wasn’t worth thinking too deeply about, he decided. Fai leaned forward and readjusted the USB cord in Kurogane’s port before turning back to the monitor. “All right then, Kuro-zip –”

“I refuse to recognize that designation –”

“ – we’re going to do a preliminary scan on your system,” Fai continued firmly, gleeful at Kurogane’s smoldering glare. “And I know how hard it is for puppies to stay still –”

“WHO’S a puppy!?”

“ – but please endure it for my sake,” Fai finished, trying hard not to smile at the expression on Kurogane’s face.

“Hmph! Like I have a choice,” Kurogane muttered, knocking his head back against the table.

Fai couldn’t restrain his smile any longer, feeling it spread wide and mischievous across his face. “Kuro-woof really is adorable when he’s pouty,” Fai needled.

“Will you stop –”

“Kurogane, run a basic diagnostics test.”

Fai smirked as Kurogane stopped talking abruptly, angered expression fading as his eyes glazed over. The monitor let out a beep, and Fai watched as it filled up with lines of neon green zeroes and ones, eyes occasionally following the way they moved across the screen.

Fai sighed, running a hand through his blond hair. Maybe this would be a good time to go get something to eat or drink. These things usually took at least an hour or two, and –

*beep*

Fai jumped, head turning quickly towards Kurogane. Did something go wrong?

“Scan complete. Results displayed on monitor.”

Blinking, Fai turned back to the screen. And promptly forgot how to breathe.

He was grateful now that he hadn’t gone to get that beverage or food; it spared him the choking hazard.

Model: Unknown
Manufacturer: Unknown
Programming System: Duklyon v. 1.999
CPU Type: Unknown

ROM Memory: 30MB
RAM Memory: 30MB

Basic Functions: Unreadable
Data: Unreadable

“…yellow-haired punk who can’t even get a person’s name ri –” Kurogane blinked, sensed that Fai was staring at him, and turned his head. “Eh? What’s with you?”

Fai had to consciously force his breathing even. “…How…how are you even running?”

“What do you mean?”

“I…Kuro-byte, you shouldn’t even be moving around!” Fai clenched his fists, his nails scraping along denim. “Your data is....”

Kurogane’s brow furrowed as he contemplated this information. “…I don’t know,” he finally said, his voice very quiet and troubled.

Fai watched the screen for a moment more, then shook his head. “Kuro-byte, send this information to the nearest printer if you can. And then we’re going to get you dressed and go talk to Yuuko-san.”
___

“Unreadable data, huh?” Yuuko felt her eyebrows lift in spite of herself. “That’s…surprising.”

“That’s certainly an understatement,” Fai murmured back. Yuukos’s eyes flicked back up to her employee, watched him bite his lip and look at Kurogane out of the corner of his eye. “I…I don’t understand, Yuuko-san.”

Yuuko put down the paper and folded her arms, her red eyes fixed on Fai’s blue ones. “I can only think of three reasons to explain why Kurogane is still functioning. One – some sort of miracle.” She smirked at Fai’s scoff. “Two – his ROM and RAM have stored only the most essential programming and data.”

“But persocoms need at LEAST 512MB of information in order to store all their –”

“My third theory,” Yuuko said, raising her voice slighty and talking Fai down into silence, “is that there’s something more.”

“‘Something more’…?” Out of the corner of her eye she even saw the ever-quiet Kurogane lift an eyebrow, looking up from his Mangayan to watch Yuuko.

“I think –”

The door to Yuuko’s office clicked open, and Watanuki walked with a tray of sake and daifuku. “Yuuko-san, we brought you and Flourite-san your drinks and snacks,” he said, placing the tray between them. “I’m sorry that you have to split one – this moron behind me snuck one off the tray when I wasn’t looking.”

“You should fill one with strawberry sometime.”

“AS IF I’D DO THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME TO!”

Yuuko’s gaze shifted to Himawari and Doumeki. “Have all of Flourite-san’s possessions been transferred?”

“Yes ma’am!” Himawari nodded, smiling at Fai. “Your items are upstairs, third room to the right.”

“Oh! Thank you!”

“Will that be all?” Watanuki asked. “Because I promised Himawari-chan that I would show her how to make inarizushi, and I’m sure you’d agree that she’s too cute a girl to be kept waiting.”

Yuuko had an idea.

“Actually, there is something.” She bit back a smile at Watanuki’s exasperation. “Himawari-chan. Watanuki-kun. Would either one of you run a diagnostics scan on Kurogane?”

“I’ll do it!” Himawari said, reaching up to her yellow ear unit.

“No! Himawari-chan, that’s okay! I – I’ll do it!” Watanuki responded, sitting beside Kurogane and pulling out his own USB cord. “He reminds me of that brute over there, and Himawari-chan’s too cute to be exposed to that!”

Kurogane growled. “Oi, just what are you…”

“Watanuki, start the program.”

“Yes ma’am.”

They all watched as Watanuki’s eyes glazed over, processing Kurogane’s information; Kurogane grumbled to himself and looked away.

It didn’t take long for them to get results.

“I…I…I c-can’t, can’t – sys-system o-overloa – can’t –”

And then Watanuki leaned forward, his mouth opening as his entire body trembled and whirred.

“Watanuki-kun!”

Doumeki acted quickly, pushing Himawari away and disconnecting Watanuki from Kurogane. Watanuki gasped, then his entire body went limp.

…So it’s as I thought.

“Doumeki-kun. Take Watanuki-kun and reboot his system. Use the backups to restore data, if necessary.”

“Do you want to hook him up and see if he got anything?” Doumeki asked.

Yuuko paused, thought this over, and shook her head. “No. I think if we tried, the data would be corrupt anyway.”

“Will Watanuki-kun be…”

“He should be fine, Himawari-chan.” Yuuko gave her the most reassuring smile she could. “I’m sure that Watanuki would love to see your face first when he’s rebooted.”

Himawari smiled gently. “…All right, Yuuko-san. I’ll go with Doumeki-kun to help Watanuki-kun. Please call me if you need any assistance.”

Yuuko nodded approvingly as they walked out. Then she turned back to Fai and Kurogane.

“What’s his problem?” Kurogane groused, watching as the door swung shut.

“Well it seems your charge is as grumpy as ever, Fai,” Yuuko said, smirking and poking his red ear units. “He doesn’t appear to be damaged.”

“Kuro-ROM is such a brute, even when he’s not beating anyone up,” Fai said, sighing and feigning exasperation.

“Who’s a brute!?”

“Well, you did cause our only means of figuring out how you work to short-circuit,” Fai pointed out. Yuuko watched as Kurogane’s mouth moved silently, searching for an appropriate response.

“…Th-that wasn’t on purpose! I…he…his CPU is obviously inferior!”

They all paused meaningfully and allowed that statement to sink in. Fai looked like he was trying not to laugh. Or cry.

Yuuko neither smiled nor laughed, because Kurogane was probably right.

“Flourite-san, stay here,” Yuuko said, standing and making her way out the door.

“Yuuko-san?”

“Kurogane thinks that Watanuki-kun’s CPU is inferior to his,” Yuuko told Fai over her shoulder. “So we have to find a CPU that’s superior.”
___

Her hand lay cold and limp in his. If that was because she wasn’t a creature of flesh and blood but circuits and wires…well, the boy chose not to make that distinction.

“…Sakura,” he murmured, and trailed his hands through her hair.

Syaoran heard the door click open behind him; he whirled around, pupils dilating, arms extended in front of Sakura.

“Relax, Syaoran-kun.”

“…Yuuko-san.” He lowered his arms, but his body language still betrayed defensiveness. “What is it?”

“I need your help,” she said, walking to Sakura’s side. “Go down the hall and through the first doors on your left. There’s a persocom in that room that I want you to scan.”

Syaoran blinked. “But I –”

“ – can do it,” she said, and smiled at Syaoran. “There’s someone there that will help you out if you need it. I’ll stay by Sakura-chan’s side while you’re away.”

His eyes flickered from Sakura to Yuuko to the door and back again. He debated just staying at Sakura’s side; he still didn’t know anything about this woman at all….

…But she said could help her. And right now, that was what Syaoran needed.

“All right.” He stood, walked to the door. He glanced back over his shoulder when his hand was on the knob. “But if anything happens –”

“She’ll be all right,” Yuuko said, and smiled disarmingly.

He paused a moment more – then he opened the door and walked into the hall.

He didn’t see Yuuko’s smile fade, nor did he see what she clutched in her fist as he closed the door behind him.
___

Fai blinked. “…Yuuko-san?”

The brown-haired boy raised an eyebrow. “I’m Syaoran. ‘Yuuko-san’ isn’t a designation I’m familiar with.”

“You can say that until you’re blue in the face,” Kurogane muttered, “but this bastard’ll call you whatever he wants to.”

“Now now, Kuro-chip –”

“Oh for the love of –”

“You’re….a persocom.” Syaoran’s gaze shifted to Kurogane.

“Aa?” Yeah, I am. So?”

Syaoran stepped forward, and Fai spotted the boy’s tan ear units for the first time. “Yuuko-san wanted me to do a system scan on you.”

Fai’s head jerked back in surprise. “Y-you?”

“You’re even tinier than that other kid!” Kurogane said, brow furrowing. “If you try to run a –”

“I’m just doing what I was – please stay still – told to do,” Syaoran explained. Fai watched as Syaoran opened Kurogane’s ear and plugged in the cord. “Sir, please connect me to the monitor.”

Fai bit his lip, fingering the flared end of the cable. “…Syaoran-kun, I’m not sure that –”

“Yuuko-san said she trusted me,” he said, his gaze determined and steady.

Fai didn’t move for a moment more, contemplating.

“…all right,” he said, plugging the cord into the monitor and pressing the on switch. “Syaoran-kun, please run a basic diagnostics scan.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Don’t blame me if you blow a circuit,” Kurogane muttered.

Fai didn’t watch Syaoran, instead turning back to the screen and watching the data streams flow past. Any minute now he’d announce that his systems were failing, that –

“Scan complete.”

Fai whipped his head around and saw Syaoran ease his USB cord back into his ear unit. “Wait. ‘Scan complete?’”

Syaoran smiled a little. “Yes. As much as I can, anyway. The data should be up on the screen now.”

Frowning thoughtfully now, Fai looked back.

Model: Unknown
Manufacturer: Unknown
Operating System: Duklyon v. 1.999
CPU Type: Clover 4.0

ROM memory: 60MB
RAM memory: 60MB

Basic Functions: Surveillance
Data: 20 .wmv files; 62 basic sword katas; AI self-teaching software; 2 lullabies.

Fai didn’t feel like teasing Kurogane about the lullabies. All he could do was stare, mouth slightly open, at the results.

“Syaoran,” he said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “Is…is this all there is?”

He knew the answer before the boy even spoke.

“No. But I can’t read his information beyond that.”

“The hell does that mean?”

Fai licked his lips as he glanced from the sheet on the desk to the monitor. He paused.

“It means we’re going to have to talk to Yuuko again. And that might need your help, Syaoran-kun.”

___

Yuuko pulled the flash drive out of Sakura’s USB port, replacing it with a connection cord. Her finger hovered for a moment. Then she pressed the on button and looked back at the screen, waiting for a reaction.

It stayed dark for a moment. Then, in the upper left corner, a small green blinker flashed. Yuuko felt herself breathe again.

“Yuuko-san.”

She didn’t need to turn around. “Doumeki-kun.”

Ever-perceptive, it only took a glance for Doumeki to catch on. “So it’s…”

Yuuko nodded. “The ‘Feather’ backups. He did make them.”

“Do you think it’s because he knew about the ‘Wings’ virus?”

“Whether or not he knew is irrelevant. It happened, and at least we know that her data didn’t get lost.” She finally switched off the monitor and turned to Doumeki. “Did you….”

“There was one in the pocket of his dirty jeans.” He pulled a drive out of his pocket, placing it into Yuuko’s outstretched hand. “I don’t think he knows what it is.”

“For the moment, let’s keep it that way,” she said, thumb running across the design etched on the front.

“I’m going to have to speak to Syaoran-kun about this separately. But first...I think Flourite-san has something he wants to tell me.”

And she already knew what it was. But, she thought, settling back into her chair, there was a difference in being told something and finding the answer for oneself.

And that was a lesson Fai would have to learn.
___

Now Playing: Tokyo_News.mp3

“In other news, the trail has finally gone cold for the kidnapping case of Syaoron Li, and as of right now cannot be pursued further.

“Syaoron Li, who lived with his uncle, Clow Reed, went missing approximately one year ago. He was last seen at school, getting into a car police identified as the one that usually picked Li up. The driver was found bound and gagged behind the bushes near the garage and is currently in hospital care.

“Clow Reed, who is also the CEO of Clow Corps. Programming Company, could not be reached for comment. His project, which was temporarily halted while he searched for Li, is wrapping up this month.

“Witnesses and airport employees claim that they never saw the boy, so it’s most likely he’s still in the country. Individuals who have seen him are encouraged to contact the police as soon as possible…”

Author’s Endnotes: Oh, the next chapter’s going to be so much fun. :D I’ve sort of developed in my head an encryption system for persocoms – it’s probably been done IRL, but I think I might have a twist on it and that excites me a lot. …Of course, there’s a little bit of fear that all the computer nerds will be all “….DDDDD8 noplz,” but…that’s a risk I’m gonna take. |D

Comments/concrit welcome!