[21-- Post event]

[kaitopants]

Just so the guys who run this place know, I don't find their attempts to have us kiss each other even if we've never met before that funny. What kind of car doesn't drive, anyway? Er, sorry, Chie-san. You're cute, don't get me wrong, and I wouldn't have minded kissing you, but I kinda got distracted. Ehehe...

Robot! I gotta talk to you.

Comments

[lafillebleue]

Chie-san?

[Aoko's face is actually turning pink.]

Who's Chie-san?

And what about kissing?

[lafillebleue]

[It was a Kaito sandwich. Had Aoko been in her proper senses, she might have stared at them both. But for the moment she only has eyes for one Kaito -- the one in front of her, the one who'd just stepped out the door. The other Kaito, for all his fussing, she disregards completely. Even as she advances, she feigns towards his face, giving a full-scale jab towards his gut with the ropey end.]

YOU!! YOU--!!!

[kaitopants]

[He's rushing up to Aoko as fast as he can, head still pounding from where she hit him earlier]

Aoko, stop! [And he reaches out to grab her to keep her from attacking the robot, but he's pretty sure he's too late to stop her]

[tickingheart]

[The robot steps back, out of reach of the mop. His reflexes are better than Kaito's, and he is not about to joke around with Aoko right now. Really, he has no idea why on earth she's mad at him.]

"What's that for, Aoko?"

[He doesn't sound very much like Kaito right now, the inflection is off, and his eyes are blank despite the mild annoyance on his face. He's not even looking at Aoko as he dodges. The other "Kaito" is right there. Right in front of him. He needs to break him into hundreds of non-functioning pieces. Right now.]

[lafillebleue]

[Kaito's hands brush Aoko, but she shakes out of them violently, determined to go after the robot at any cost. The fact that he's not even looking at her drives her rage even higher.]

[Wrathful Aoko is .4 of a second faster than non-wrathful Aoko, perhaps? The mop darts out almost blindly again and again, aiming to hit anything she possibly can.]

Liar! You lying, lying, liar!!

[kaitopants]

[Wow, that's creepy. His gaze is now focused on the robot's, and now that he thinks about it he's seen that face once before.

It was back when this machine had almost killed him.

And Aoko was right in the middle this time. The robot... he may claim to love her, but would he really prevent himself from going through her to get to him?

That wasn't a risk Kaito wanted to take]

Aoko stop!

[And his voice is firm and angry as he reaches out to grab Aoko by the back of her shirt and pull her out of the way before Robo can try anything]

[tickingheart]

[The mop really isn't a threat. Not right now, when there are more important matters. He catches it as it hits him, Aoko swinging it as hard as she can. It would have hurt, if he could feel it. It broke something inside his hand, which twitches spasmodically as he grabs the head of the mop.

A sharp twist, and if she doesn't let go the handle is going to snap.]

Stop it Aoko.

[He's still not looking at her.]

[lafillebleue]

[Aoko's breath goes sharply out of her as she finds herself yanked backward. Between Kaito's tug and the robot's pressure on the mop, she finds her weapon wrenched from her hands and Kaito's grip on her firm. For a moment, even before she thinks, she almost tries to wrest away again.]

[But then his voice registers . . . that tone, which Kaito never uses. And the robot responding also, cold and dead.]

[She shivers suddenly, slightly, trying to grab back onto firmer ground amid the swell of emotion. Her eyes flicker rapid-fire between them both.]

[kaitopants]

[As soon as he has her, he wastes no time pulling her back behind him and stepping forward, so he's in between her and the other him. In the same motion, he reaches into his jacket and pulls out his card gun with his free hand, loaded and ready to go and the only weapon he has against his clone. He's still holding onto Aoko's arm, but he's also training his gun on the robot's face.

He knows it's useless. The other Kaito is better than him by .4 seconds. Better reflexes, better timing... but maybe he can buy them enough time to get away before something drastic happens]

We're going to leave now.

[He says it slowly and purposely, never taking his eyes off of the other Kaito, and never once lowering his weapon]

[tickingheart]

[The robot steps forward, the mop clattering out of his damaged hand to land on the steps.]

Aoko is leaving. You are not.

[Another step. He is going to destroy the human, break him apart. He is faster, and stronger, and has nothing holding him back.]

I am Kuroba Kaito.

[lafillebleue]

[Something is wrong . . . very wrong. Aoko doesn't even resist being pushed behind Kaito, her eyes enormous over his shoulder. Her brain flashes to try to catch up, fear and anxiety welling up against the rage, crashing up against it like two waves battling against one another with the tide.]

[That gun . . . Dimly she recognizes it, but it's wrong -- Kaito shouldn't have a gun.]

Kaito? [She barely hears her own voice; it's very small.]

[The strange, blank eyes of the robot are getting to her. She throws out words, her face screwing up; it's all she has.] Stop it!

[kaitopants]

[His grip on Aoko tightens protectively, and he takes a step back]

We're both leaving, you fake.

[And he's doing his best to sound low and menacing, poker face doing a damn good job of not slipping.

He's more concerned about Aoko at this point. If the robot wants to attack him, so be it. Just as long as he doesn't hurt his best friend]

[tickingheart]

[A step forwards, and another. He can reach out and grab the other "Kaito" by the collar, if he wanted to. He could break him. It wouldn't be hard.

But Aoko said stop. Aoko is scared. Aoko is scared of him. That is wrong. He can't be Kaito if Aoko is scared of him.

So he doesn't attack. He doesn't reach out his hand and grab the gun and wrest it away from the other "him".]

Aoko. Leave now.

[If she leaves, he will be able to break "Kaito". He will be able to really and truly be Kaito. She needs to leave.]

[lafillebleue]

[He'd stopped. Hesitated.]

[They're both waiting.]

[For her.]

[Even as relatively helpless as she feels right now, she might actually have some influence, some power through her own fear.]

[But what happens if she's wrong?]

[Either way, she can't move. Neither of them seem to want to tear into each other like their eyes tell her they want to as long as she's standing there. To help Kaito, how could she leave?]

No. [There's still fear in her voice, but she forces it not to shake.] I'm not leaving.

[Does she dare?]

If you hurt him . . . I really won't forgive you.

[kaitopants]

[His gaze flickers from the other him to Aoko, and he takes another step back to increase the distance between them. He didn't want to be too close. It was too much of a liability.

But if the robot had been that close, and hadn't attacked... and if he had asked Aoko to leave, then... maybe he wouldn't attack at all while she was around. So if they left together...]

C'mon, Aoko. [Kaito releases his grip on her arm and reaches down to take her hand instead, still backing away from the robot and toward the gate and, consequently, escape, taking Aoko with him as he does so]

[tickingheart]

[Empty eyes flicker back and forth between Aoko and "Kaito". He has to be the only Kuroba Kaito here. Has to.]

Leave Aoko.

[And he steps forward again, not letting the distance between them grow.]

Don't make me break you.