Andromeda

The Inner Man - Episode 2 – Lost

“I am going to kill that doctor, let me at him right now!” Chiko shouted at the top of his lungs, even as Mashiro grabbed him up preventing him from running away. Chiko’s tiny new body flailed about trying to get free from Mashiro’s grasp, there was only one simple thing on his mind, beating that crazed, insane doctor to a pulp. “I am going to kill him!” he screamed again.

“What are you going to do, kick him in the shins?”

“Huh?”

“Well look at yourself!”

“Don’t remind me. Its bad enough without you needing to rub it in!” Chiko tried to worm his way out of Mashiro’s grasp but found that his new body was hard to move. There was only one thing he really could do; he started to kick as hard as he could into Mashiro’s waist and thigh. After a couple quick kicks Mashiro’s grip loosened and he slipped down out of his arms. Chiko ran off looking for the way to the computer control room.

Chiko ran from hallway to hallway of cloning tubes looking for the entrance to the control room. Unfortunately since he did not pay attention to where everything was when he was looking around at the facility not to mention having been simply transferred he did not know where it was he needed to go. All of the stretches of rows looked the same, but he kept searching hearing Mashiro’s footsteps coming nearer. His urgency to punch that doctor before Mashiro stopped him rose as he could hear Mashiro coming closer.

It had felt like he had gone in circles, all the hallways looked the same, but finally he found the hallway he needed. Down at the end he could see someone look on the floor, if it was not the doctor at least he would be out of the endless maze. Chiko ran down the hallway as it slowly opened up into the control room that he recognized, this was where his body should be and that doctor. His tiny fists clinched together with the urge to beat the doctor senseless for screwing up his life so completely to make everything before seem almost meaningless.

Well it was true that his life was in danger and an entire syndicate was after him even at this moment. It was also true that his former life was over, his apartment building completely destroyed. Anything and anyone he knew was gone, he could not see them again. And yet in spite of all that, this felt like the worst of it all, he was stuck in the body of a child, even worse a girl. How was he suppose to live his life now like this stuck as a little girl?

On the floor the doctor was crying about something precious, Chiko really did not care at this point. He stopped at the entrance of the control room staring down the doctor and shouted, “Doctor! I am going to kill you!” In the moment afterwards Chiko jumped into the air towards the doctor ready to pin him to the ground and unleash all his anger. He really did not care if this body would not hurt him; he was mad and needed to release everything. That doctor was going to know his pain one way or another.

As his small arms stretched out lunging at the doctor’s throat, he halted in mid-air. Someone had grabbed him it was Mashiro again. He had grabbed him just before Chiko was able to land his hands around the doctor’s neck. The doctor however was still in a dazed state that he had not even acknowledged Chiko failed assault. The fact the doctor did not even seem to care about his current situation infuriated Chiko even more as he flailed his arms and legs about trying to get free of Mashiro’s grip. Unfortunately like last time, his new body was too small and weak to actually give him any sort of advantage when being held. Chiko was just too small to be able to make a difference.

Chiko slowly stopped moving until his arms fall to his sides and his head turned down looking at the ground. Mashiro set Chiko back down to the floor, but Chiko do not move from his spot. It was quickly coming to his realization that there was nothing he could do. This was just another way of saying that it was all out of his control, gone left to spinning in the wind without control. The idea of being unable to affect his life slowly set in at that moment as it seemed to be the final end to everything.

His small legs collapsed on the floor as he did not know what else to do anymore. He was at his end without a course or direction. What would become of him now stuck in this body forced to live his life like this? Suddenly he had the urge to cry, he did not know why but it just came over him. It was strange since he was not normally this emotional letting something even as terrible like this get to him. Angry, definitely, anger seemed only natural, revenge the desire to beat something up, but not sadness or tears. What was this that was coming over him?

Chiko lay on the floor in tears unable to control himself anymore. He looked at the doctor through blurry eyes still in a similar state as himself. “What is wrong with him?” Standing up slowly, Chiko walked over to the doctor. Mashiro got ready to step in again, but Chiko looked back at him and Mashiro stopped nodding to him seeing that he was not interested in assaulting the man again. He walked up to the doctor who was about as tall as him kneeling on the floor. The doctor was still consumed by whatever trouble it was that he was moaning about, Chiko did not really know what it was over. But he needed the doctor explain what happened to him, he needed to bring the doctor, idiot doctor back to reality. He was not sure how he was going to do that but he started to place a hand on the man’s shoulder, the man that completely ruined his life in an instant. It was so quickly and easily done his life being destroyed, the doctor was going to wake up now.

Chiko stepped in front of his face staring directly at him, “Listen here doctor, snap out of it!” There was no response and Chiko repeated himself a little louder. The doctor was still quiet so Chiko slapped him and then punched him twice. Chiko started to kick him when Mashiro stepped in to stop him. Quickly Chiko turned his head at Mashiro glaring at him with the eyes of a demon, Mashiro stopped pausing uncertain what to do to stop him. Mashiro face twitched slightly and sighed regret as he heard Chiko start to yell at the doctor, “Now listen you stupid, half-wit doctor, I have enough of your games and this is going to end now! Either you snapped out of it or I will beat you so senseless you will be my newest work of art.”

The lines around Chiko’s face darkened accenting his emotions and he stared down at the man that ruined his life with the same crazed, demonic eyes that glared at Mashiro with. “Do not mess with me anymore!” At those words the doctor for some reason brought his attention to Chiko finally after having ignored him for so long. The doctor yelped at the sight and retreated back against the computers. Chiko walked towards him still angry though feeling a little better about having given the man a good beating.

“My precious girl that you? Oh Chiko, no, no that is such a delicate work do not go stretching the skin with those horrible looks,” the doctor said pressing his hands on Chiko’s face removing the signs of anger that Chiko had, though leaving a confused, dazed look on his face in return. “No, no, stop looking so strange.” The doctor continued to pat and rub his hands across Chiko’s face.

“Hey, stop that, this is my face now thanks to you.”

“Oh, yes you are right, but still it is my precious girl that you are in.”

The doctor had stopped rubbing his hands for a moment, but then started to again annoying Chiko causing a vein on his forehead to pop up. “Now, get this straight doctor this is mine now, stop touching me!”

“Aw, but you would look so pretty if you stop making all those horrible expressions.”

“Just stop this already,” Chiko said as the doctor finally backed away even if it was for a moment, “Now you wouldn’t happen to have some clothes laying around do you?”

“Actually I do have a few things, now let me go look to see where I left it…”

“Somehow that does not surprise me.” Chiko stood on the ground crossing his arms looking around. At least the doctor has finally stopped crying and sobbing of his precious girl. Though, Chiko wondered what was actually worse the creepy doctor’s hobby or him on the floor crying unresponsive. By this point, Chiko just hoped that he did not have to hear any more opinions of his art that he could hardly remember.

When the doctor returned he held a large case that seemed like a suitcase and set it down on the floor knocking a little dust up. Chiko looked a little puzzled, but could only imagine that it had the clothes that he had asked for. The doctor opened the case sliding the top like a door wide open showing off drawers, clothes on a rack and a mirror as well all inside the suitcase.

“That is some hobby doc,” Mashiro said.

“You are telling me…how many outfits you got in there?” Chiko asked not certain if he really wanted the answer.

“Well only ten in this case, but I plenty more in the closet if you do not like any of these.”

Chiko mouth hung open agape at the sight and what he heard; this doctor was getting even stranger by the minute. There were so many children’s clothes and the fact that this doctor had all of them, he must have a lot of spare time on his hands. This was getting a little disturbing for Chiko as the doctor began pulling out outfits to match up on him in the mirror. Chiko could do little but feel like a mannequin while the doctor was putting things in front of him. The depths of this man’s hobby was frightening as he was giving tips about wearing the clothes as he went through them.

The doctor had pulled out every conceivable outfit imaginable it seemed as Chiko was slowly buried under clothes as they were finished examining them on Chiko’s body. Chiko threw the dresses aside standing up finally able to breath and stared down the doctor. He did not have the faintest idea about what a girl should wear; the only women’s clothing he knew about was for adults. If nothing else he knew that would not serve him well at all. “I don’t know, I just take the blue dress there seems comfortable enough. I have to wear something anyway.” He walked over to the dress just glad to shut up the doctor’s endless babble. “Last time I wore a dress was two years on a dare to a party. I swore I never would again, how depressing.”

When he had finished putting on the dress the doctor eye’s seemed to sparkle with excitement, Chiko tried to back away quite frightened by the look. “Oh, to see you move, brings tears to my eyes. Turn around!”

“Huh?” Chiko looked up at Mashiro who shrugged back, seemed like he was trying to stay out of this. Chiko let out of huff of air and quickly turned around for the crazed doctor.

“Again, slower!”

“Don’t press your luck. I am not your doll to play with!”

“Come, come now, please.”

“I still have questions to ask you crazy doctor.”

“Questions can come later, now please, I won’t be seeing her again allow me some leniency.”

Chiko sighed heavily and turned around for the doctor one more time.

“Now try this one on!”

“Doctor! Mashiro, I am going to kill him now!”

“Hey, I’m not getting involved again, my body still hurts from the last two times I stopped you. You can sure pack a punch for a little girl.”

“Well of course she does,” the doctor chimed in, “My precious little girl was made with enhanced physical attributes making her better than a normal human being.”

“Say, what?” Chiko could not believe what he was hearing from the doctor. This little body was stronger than an average human? Mashiro seemed to be able take all of his hits without falling down; he could not be that strong if Mashiro was not in severe pain. “So out with it doctor, what is this body you put me in, this is more than just a play toy for you play dress up on.”

“Well actually there is more…”

“Stop the suspense and just get out with it already.”

“I am a little embarrassed to say this, but I am a fan of the magical girl genre, so I tried to make her special like that.”

“What!?” Chiko and Mashiro practically fell over; they were really expecting some secret about her being some weapon for section three or something. And Chiko was now going to be even more in debt with them for being in some special technology of theirs that he should not be in to begin. It almost seems too strange to be true at this point, a crazy doctor with a doll fetish drops him in his is life size doll that is suppose to be like some magical girl. If there were a god he would laughing right now. “Let me get this straight you made this body to be stronger than the normal human, because of some fictitious genre?”

“Well I never planned on her to be actually used.”

“If this was not so stupid, I would probably laugh, so how strong is the body supposed to be?”

“I’m not too sure, definitely stronger than an average adult, but nothing excessive.”

“Nothing excessive, right, then how come I could not knock down Mashiro if I am suppose to be so strong, I think there is something wrong in your design.”

“No, never, it is the mind transfer, all your nerve connections are still growing, so you will not have full mobility or access to all of the strengths of the body for a few days. You’ll be stronger than an average eight year old right now. It might feel right now that you have complete control but that is just because we make sure the muscles, joints and ligaments get proper exercise so that they do not waste away from disuse. But complicated tasks that require a lot of hand eye coordination or just flexibility you will not have yet. Try touching your fingers together behind your back.”

Chiko tried to do what the doctor said but he was correct, his arms barely reached around. He knew that a little child should be able to; they were far more flexible than an adult was. “I see what you mean.”

“So how long before he is able to have full mobility and strength?”

“Well, it really depends on him, if he makes use of his body and does not sit around doing nothing then everything should a hundred percent in a month. Naturally you should notice some significant leaps in how the body performs in the first week or two. By the time a month comes you probably will not notice the final major nerve pathways being created, most will have been made in the beginning. It will all be a process of trial and error, so try what you do not think you can do, within safe margin and you will break those limits quicker.”

“And how long must I be stuck in this small body?” Chiko said throwing his arms down to his side almost looking like he was going to throw a tantrum. He stared up at them waiting for an answer that seemed not to come, the two just stared back and forth scratching their heads. The fact that they did not know when he would get put back into his own body worried them.

“Well simple answer would be whenever the case is closed,” Mashiro said, “but this is The Awaking Dragons, for as long as they consider you a threat to their plans or wish you dead then you will have to remain in this body.”

“So no actually time frame?”

“Sorry, I am just the driver I am not told about most of the details.”

“Hrmph.”

“Well then is there anything else you have questions about?”

“Yeah, this body of yours doctor, does it age?”

“Oh my but of course it does, I would not have made her if she did not age, she is not a lifeless doll. See I even have bras and panties for her when she gets older.”

Chiko stepped back away from the doctor. “That just takes this creepy thing to a whole new level,” Chiko whispered to Mashiro.

“Yeah, you want to leave?” Mashiro whispered back.

“Oh, panties, I forgot,” Chiko said blushing slightly, “I need some to wear, I hardly feel like going around in my bare butt when sitting down.”

“By all means, they have all be hand washed and dried.”

“Is he just trying to creep us out now, this is too weird,” Chiko whispered again. “Hehe, yeah well…thanks doctor.” He grabbed the stack the doctor was holding and slipped a pair on quickly. Chiko backed away from the doctor and his hobby looking ready to bolt out of the room. Mashiro was quick to follow his lead as well. “Well doctor thanks for everything and adding your personal touch to screwing up my life. The next time we meet will be too soon for me. And take good care of my body, I plan on using it again.”

“Before you leave, here are a few more clothes for you, since you do not have anything wear and do not know your size, have these until you can get your own.”

“Thanks, doctor.”

“Well, we have a long drive to Osaka and I think it is still night. Let’s go Chiko.”

“Hey, I am not child, do not treat me like one!” Chiko and Mashiro walked out of the computer room making their way back to the parking garage and the car that they left parked at the bottom of this facility.

“Well, guess what you are child now Chiko, you may not actually be one in mind but you are one in appearance. So unless you want to be making more trouble for yourself than you already have you need to start acting the part.”

“Oh really? Aren’t I supposed to be living on my own?”

“As a child, I do not think so, someone will have to be there with you to keep up appearances. An eight-year-old child alone in a house is strange, section three will not allow you to cause further complications to the already complicated situation.”

“So then who will be staying with me then?”

“I don’t know, I am just the driver, I just telling you what I know from working with section three.”

The two entered the car for what would be his late time in Tokyo. Chiko just stared out of the window as best as he could in his new body. There was going to be a lot of adjustments that he was going to have to make with his new situation. He did not know where he was going to start in all of this mess; he was being lead out of the city that he had grown up in. Tokyo was the only city he had known, he might have been out in the country or visited other cities for an exhibit he had there, but he would always return to Tokyo. His apartment had been his life and now that was gone with all of his possessions, and if something might have survived it was probably water damaged beyond repair.

He tried not to think about it too much, the thought of it just made him sad. Tokyo was slowly falling out of sight as only the skyscrapers of Shinjuku could be seen anymore. Chiko stood up partly staring out at the city falling away, tears falling down his face. Home was gone now and he did not where his new home was and if he could even be calling it home.

A family car drove up next to them on the skyway, the children in the back seat looked back at him. They waved to him smiling; he did not really know how to respond to them. He did not feel happy at all inside; he could not manage a smile or grin just more tears sniffing quietly. The children looked back at him confused and waved again smiling. Chiko could not help but feel envious of them; they were so innocence right now in life without a care in the world. They had their entire lives ahead of them and did not have to worry about what was going to happen next, they were free. He was stuck inside a body of a child like them yet he was not free, he was aware of his situation. If he had any remote amount of innocence it was lost a long time ago.

The family drove on leaving Chiko to sit back in his seat again looking at Tokyo leave him building by building. They had reached the outer edge of Tokyo already and most of the buildings now he did not recognize. He could not remember if he had even been this far out in the city before. If he had been it would have been for a club, it was not often that he actually saw the city from above in the skyway. He had usually walked through the streets of the city, which seemed a little unusual for most people in this day and age when technology was making life easier and people lazier. He did enjoy the perks of technology, but there was something about walking through the city that he enjoyed it was hard to explain. “I’ll miss Tokyo, the parks, the people, the sights of the building in the evening all lit up, walking through the city listening to sounds. I used to enjoy watching the sun set from a certain hill I would always go to. It showed the entire city laid out all lit up.”

“You’ll see it again someday.”

“Maybe…”

What was he going to do in Osaka? He had to pretend to be a child; children did not have responsibilities, worries, cares, finances, and a life. How was he going to live a life like that when he had more troubles for himself than even an average adult had? He had a syndicate hunting him now viciously to kill him for whatever reason that they had. That alone was enough to make sure he could not live without worries and being a child pretending to be something he was not and have to deal with the fact that he was stuck like this for who knows how long. How was he going to manage to live like this?

Chiko soon fell asleep from the long day that he had already had. So many things had happened, car chase, his apartment blowing up, section three, switching bodies, being forced to be awake for twelve hours listening to the doctor, and all the excitement after being transferred. He finally was able to relax and sit back not worrying what was going to happen next. It had felt like he had been going for a week the way his life had been recently. There were too many things for him to keep straight; he just knew it all happened at this point.

Mashiro nugged Chiko waking him up, “We have arrived, this is the house.”

“Huh, the house?” Chiko said blinking and pulling himself up to look over the dashboard of the car. The house was a two story white and yellow house with some steps coming down from the entrance. There were even a few flowers in the front and curtains were blowing in the breeze on the second floor window that was open. Chiko was expecting an apartment.

“Section three has already dropped off equipment and the movers were here the day before. So there will be boxes and furniture inside. Ready to see your new place?”

“I guess.” Mashiro opened the car door letting Chiko out. Chiko slowly walked around Mashiro looking up at the house, it was strange to get the sense that everything was so much larger than you. He was so short and everything around him reminded him that he was, it was disorienting the size difference. How was he going to reach anything being so short now? Chiko tried to dismiss the thought from his mind and move towards the house with Mashiro following behind. “Where are the keys?”

“I was told that they left a set outside and another inside, let’s see.” Mashiro looked around the entrance looking in all of the usual places but did not have any luck. The two looked at each other and started a more thorough search of the outside trying to figure out where they might leave the keys.

“Why couldn’t have just put it on the mat?”

“Have to keep it a secret I guess.”

“That is just stupid, they expect us to stand around all day and night looking for some keys we can’t find?” Chiko said hitting a rock out of the way in frustration, which hit the house and then bounced off hitting the tree and back at him smacking him in the side of the head. “Grr, I haven’t with this.” Chiko walked up the steps rubbing the side of his head and raised a foot to kick the door in. “Stronger than the average eight-year-old.”

“Hey, wait!” Mashiro rushed down the stairs while Chiko stared at him blankly. He walked around the stairs to the wall of the house where Chiko had kicked the rock at and found a compartment. “Look, seems you found the hiding spot of the keys.”

“What idiot leaves the keys in a hidden place?”

“Well strange or not, we have the key let’s go inside.” Mashiro unlocked the door letting Chiko in first to see the house. Mashiro followed behind quickly looking around letting Chiko just explore the house on his own. Chiko saw the stairs immediately at the front going up to the second floor, he was tempted to go up them but they seemed so tall to him. Instead he walked around into the living room, as Mashiro happened to be leaving.

There were boxes along the wall, but there was already a couch, table and even television with some other furniture around the room. It seemed that they went to the trouble of completely filling out the house, Chiko could only guess that it was to give the appearance that it was a lived in house. That he actually owned things and it did not seem so false that he was just living in an empty house with no things.

Chiko moved on to the hallway that ran in the back of the stairs dividing between the living room and the kitchen and dining room in the back. As he walked through the hallway and turned right around the stairs on the opposite wall he came to a small room with a few chairs and table. He did not know what its purpose really was meant to be; it seemed like a meeting room or an extension of the living room. Chiko was used to being in an apartment that just simply was three rooms, bedroom, kitchen and main room and the kitchen was more of extrusion from the main room.

He continued to follow the room around coming to the stairs, when he suddenly had a strange sense of dread. It felt ill rational for him to be afraid of going up the stairs, yet he did it was a paralyzing feeling that took a hold of his legs. There was nothing to be afraid of yet he was for some unknown reason, “What is this feeling?” He wanted to go upstairs and see the rest of the house, but how was he going to get up there if his legs would not budge for him. Chiko lifted a foot slowly as his entire body was shaking uncontrollable. “What is going on that I can’t move? Why am I so afraid of these stairs? I have never been afraid of stairs or heights. Is this something to do with my body? That doctor…what weird things did he do this is body?”

For several minutes Chiko just stood there at the bottom of the stairs, one foot on the first step and the other safely on the ground. Both legs were shaking profusely and sweat was dripping down his face as he tried to get his next foot up. After a few more minutes of paralyzed fear, he took his foot off the stair and backed way a little. “Alright, just run up the stairs, there are only twenty or thirty of them…” As he looked up at all of the stairs his stomach fell to his feet as he collapsed on the floor feeling sick and unable to stand.

Chiko sat on the floor for a couple more minutes trying to regain his lost composure and attempt the stairs again. He pulled himself up getting back on his feet and stared down the stairs like he was getting ready to attack them. His stance was ready, in a sprinting pose he counted down to himself when he was going to go charging up the stairs and reach the top. Chiko waited, drawing out the count as long as he could as his fear mounted and sweat poured down his face. But he could not wait any longer and he charged the stairs. The foot hit the first step not phased by his fear and the second as well, but the third step made him choke. Then it was the fourth and the fifth that left him in another paralyzed state of fear. He was shaking and found himself stranded between the landing and the ground floor.

Stuck between safe grounds Chiko started to panic, he did not want to or even thought he should be, but he still could not help himself. He jumped off of the stairs back to the floor where he was safe clinging on to the nearest object that he could find. It happened to be a coat rack that was placed next to the door outside. “Why can’t I get up these stairs, this is stupid? They are not going to beat me!”

Chiko was once again staring at the stairs ready to attack them. He had managed to make it halfway to the landing; he was going to make it all of the way this time. Even though the stairs seemed ominous to him and so much taller than him, even farther away he was going to get up the stairs if it was the last thing he did that day. Chiko counted down again and charged the stairs, the first step, second step, third step, fourth and fifth as well. He continued up the stairs not allowing himself to slow down keeping the fear away from his mind as much as possible.

Mashiro was looking through the things that section three had provided them. There was even food in the kitchen and soap, towels everything that they could think of. “How much did they spend on this to keep an illusion?” The entire house had been given an attention to detail to make it seem as though they owned everything. But Mashiro was still concerned how effective this was going to be. The syndicate that was after Chiko was one of the most powerful in Japan and it ran most of the underground of Tokyo. Osaka was a long way from Tokyo but how far would their reach go just to kill one man? How safe would Chiko be anywhere in Japan?

Suddenly Mashiro heard the scream of a little girl, and taking a moment to process it he rushed to the sound realizing it was Chiko. He did not know why Chiko had screamed but he had to have had a reason for doing it. When he finally found Chiko he was sitting in a corner of the landing shaking with his arms wrapped around his legs. “What’s wrong, I heard you scream?”

Chiko did not respond for a minute and Mashiro knelt down to look at him at his level. “I’m scared and I don’t know why.”

“Scared of what?”

“These stairs.”

“Huh? What do you mean the stairs?”

“I don’t know…they just scare me for some reason. I can’t go anywhere, I’m too afraid to go up or back down. I’m stuck here.”

“You have a fear of stairs, how did you get through life?”

“I don’t have a fear a stairs, at least I did not before. It is something weird about this body and the mind, it makes me feel weird.”

“I see, well fine were you wanting to go upstairs or downstairs?”

“Umm, upstairs,” Chiko said as Mashiro picked him up and began to carry him when the fear gripped him again, “On second thought, downstairs.”

“Whatever, here you go, you’re safe now.”

“Thanks,” Chiko said giving a little smile.”

“The doctor does do good work, you actually looked cute there when you smiled.”

“Hrmph.” Chiko walked off into another room leaving Mashiro scratching his head. He continued to look through the things that the organization had left in the house that were still packed. Most of the things that he found were normal everyday odds and ends that no one would think twice about. Though he did find a box that was unmarked and looked suspicious. It was tucked away from everything separate, carefully placed not to have been noticed with the rest of the boxes. This was what he was looking for, specifically from section three for him.

He opened the box finding the usual things that he would expect inside, weapons of various designs and use including ammunition. Then under that was a computer device, what he was really looking for since it had the information on it that he needed. He pulled it out and took it to the back of the house away from Chiko leaving the box hidden in its location with everything returned inside. Mashiro needed to know more about what was going on and hopefully this would explain things to him.

At the back door with the kitchen blocked off Mashiro sat down starting up the computer. The screen turned on and a record message started for him. “This message has been recorded for you Mashiro Takama. Due to last minute changes to the mission as we learned of the incident at the lab the mission has been changed. It has been decided that you will act at Chiko Toyozawa’s guardian for the duration of the assignment. We do not know how long of an assignment this will be as the situation with The Awaking Dragons has been escalated due to the recent attacks that were made on our people. Expect them to eventually find Chiko, we have done all we can to protect you and from what I read about the body that Chiko has this incident maybe to our fortune in the future. Never the less, it will be your duty to protect Chiko at any cost; he remains an important witness in our case. The fact remains he is the only one of our witnesses that has survived for more than two weeks. This will be your toughest assignment, but we trust with your background that you will be able to succeed. Best of luck.”

“This message has ended, it will be deleted and wiped from memory in ten seconds,” the computer’s voice said to Mashiro.

“Well that was a waste, but Chiko’s guardian,” Mashiro said sighing, “Couldn’t they have gotten someone more qualified to baby sit a spoiled celebrity.” Mashiro set the computer down on the table and walked back into the living room to look for Chiko. There were few places for Chiko to be sitting since he had this sudden fear of stairs. But after a quick search around the first floor of the house he could not find Chiko anywhere. It was unlikely that Chiko was upstairs but he had to check it anyway. Mashiro checked the entire second floor and did not find him anywhere either, it started to worry him where Chiko might have run off. Osaka was no Tokyo, but it was still a big city with plenty of places to get lost in since Chiko did not know the city at all.

Mashiro ran out of the house and started down the street looking around for him. He was reluctant to shout out his name at this point since they were suppose to be blending into the city rather than making a scene. Unfortunately he did not know Chiko very well at all and had no idea where to start looking for him.

After more than an hour of searching the sun was starting to fall and night was coming, it would be even harder to find him as night came. Mashiro tried to think where he might have gone. It did seem like parts of the child’s body was affecting him, so maybe he was looking in the wrong place. But it was still Chiko inside for the most part, where would Chiko go? Then Mashiro remembered what Chiko had said, he liked to see the city light up and see the view.

“What am I doing here?” Chiko said, “This city is so much different from Tokyo, everything is different now.” Chiko looked out at the city of Osaka from the ledge of a wall that looked from a hill. The city looked beautiful in the sunset, he had not seen Osaka from this view. He had not really even seen Tokyo from a view like this; it was always tall and crowded, packed in tightly so that everyone could fit. It was more spread out here, there were still plenty of tall buildings, but Osaka had a different feel he could tell. “What is going to happen to me? I can’t even say I’m myself anymore. This body is affecting me, in ways I can’t understand. I’m so alone here. Even in Tokyo I was alone, but I felt like there was always someone with me. I don’t know what to think now, everything is out of my control, I couldn’t even pick my own body.” Chiko started to cry, he did not know why, but he did not care at that point. He looked at the red sky setting through his tear filled eyes hoping that things would get better.

“You won’t be alone anymore, Chiko,” Mashiro said standing at the entrance to the playground that Mashiro finally found Chiko in. It had a view of the city that Chiko did not know and yet was a place a child could have fun.

“But you’re going to be leaving once they find a replacement for you. You’re just a driver you said.”

“Well, I’m more than a driver, I’m your new guardian. I will protect you from now on.”

“What?”

“Yeah, that’s right, I just found out and came looking for you.”

“How did you find me?”

“Wasn’t easy, but I figured this is where you would be if you wanted to a good view of the city,” Mashiro said sitting down next to him. “Don’t worry, I will be here for you whatever happens.”

“I’m so lost right now, everything happened so quickly I’ve not had time to think about what happened. I can still see those women dying in my mind. I can’t get that image out.”

“We all have our burdens to bare, but we can’t let them hold us down and give into them. You have to learn to keep them from controlling you.”

“Yeah, it is not easy though.”

“Well let’s start with something simple then, like say those stairs.”

“No! Not the stairs.”

Mashiro laughed at Chiko, “Fine but your bed is up there.”

“The couch looks comfort.”

“You can’t be sleeping on the couch forever.”

“Don’t make me go up those stairs, not tonight.”

“Fine, lets get something to eat then. We’ll take it one step at a time.”

“Alright! Just don’t say step.”

Preview for the next episode :

"Now living in Osaka, Chiko must deal with yet another trial in his new life. This new trial could be even worse than all of his past dilemmas, how will Chiko be able handle...elementary school!"

"What?! You can't be serious, why I am going to school?"

"Didn't you know?"

"I don't remember this in the agreement, why do I have to go to school?"

"Aw, and I got that adorable school girl outfit from the doctor too."

"No, get that away from me!"

"Come here Chiko."

"Get away! Next episode of The Inner Man, School."

"Will Chiko be able to survive math class?"

"Don't miss it or I'll strangle you! Teehee!"

"I think I heard that somewhere before..."