Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Marionette ❯ Chapter Eleven ( Chapter 11 )

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Night had already fallen upon the manor, thick clouds overhead heralding the coming of rain. The front door opened a crack and Kwannon stepped outside. She settled down on the porch, staring at the dark sky. It certainly lent a gloomy atmosphere, an ominous harbinger for the disaster that was to come.

They had talked to Gojyo long and hard, patiently tried to answer his questions. Try? Kwannon snorted in disgust. None of them could bring themselves to tell the marionette the entire truth. The explanations they had concocted were a mix of lies and half-truths, designed to ease the fears of the poor clone. And to make him ready to meet the fate that was coming for him in a few, short hours.

In the end, the Persian couldn't take any more of the lies. She had quietly slipped out of the lab and went out into the porch to wallow in her misery and sorrow. As she laid her chin on her front paws, a tear trickled from the corner of her eyes.

Hakuryu, who was perched on the roof, let out a soft "kyu". Then, the sound of the opening gates and the flashing of headlights jolted Kwannon out of her reverie. Hakkai had arrived at last!

Parking the jeep, the scientist got down from his car and walked up the steps.

"Hi, Kwannon!" Hakkai greeted the cat, fingers raised to ruffle the cat's ears.

Unable to control her anger, the Persian lashed out at her creator. If Hakkai hadn't pulled his hand back, those sharp claws would've slashed through his skin.

"Damn it, Kwannon!" the geneticist exclaimed, shocked by the cat's behavior. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

To Hakkai's startlement, tears began to form in Kwannon's eyes, falling as crystal droplets on her fur. At once, dread filled his heart. He knew something was wrong.

The good doctor rushed inside the house, going straight to the lab, only to find Goku and Jiroushin waiting for him within. Goku's image on the monitor distressed Hakkai. His colleague's eyes, as well as the monkey clone's, were red from weeping. Even the Golden Retriever was sniffling miserably.

"Did something happen here, Goku?" Hakkai asked nervously. "Where's Gojyo?"

"He's upstairs in his room," Goku answered, the bitterness and resentment obvious in his voice.

Jiroushin interrupted over the speakers, "I hope you're happy with what you've done to Gojyo, Hakkai. Because of you, Gojyo is...he's..."

With a choked sob, the Golden Retriever fled from the room, joining Kwannon out on the porch.

Hakkai looked at his best friend in confusion. "What's going on?"

There was a dark scowl on the monkey clone's brow as he crossed his hands over his chest, mimicking the pose of his human visage on the screen. "Chin Issou was here. Not only did he try to rape Gojyo, he told your marionette...things...that he should've known right from the beginning. Kwannon was so damned right about this. But then again, you yourself have said some very hurtful things to Gojyo before you left. I guess Chin only finished what you started." Renewed tears welled up in Goku's golden eyes. "Damn you, Hakkai! How could you do this to him? He only wanted love from you, love he was willing to give you as well!"

The scientist's blood ran cold, hearing his ex-partner's retort. Without saying a word, Hakkai hurried to Gojyo's bedroom. When he opened the door, the sight that greeted him shocked him.

Gojyo was seated on the bed, packing his meager belongings in a bag. He looked up briefly to give Hakkai a sad little smile. "Oh hi, Hakkai! I didn't you hear you arrive. I'm sorry I wasn't downstairs to meet you, but as you can see, I'm rather...busy."

"Angel," Hakkai began haltingly, "what is all this?"

The marionette let out a weak laugh. "I think it's obvious, Hakkai. I'm leaving."

At those last two words, the scientist felt his knees about to buckle under him that he decided to sit down on the bed as well. "But Gojyo, why...how..."

Gojyo paused from what he was doing. He didn't want this confrontation to take place. The clone had been hoping that he would be picked up before Hakkai arrived. Sighing, his fingers fondly traced the TarePanda design on the pajama shirt that the good doctor had bought for him.

"Do you know that I'm so proud of you, Hakkai?" the clone said, smiling warmly. "You've accomplished the impossible. In me, you have created a cybernetic clone. A cyborg that is more human than machine. Do you know that you even had me fooled. I really thought I was a human being, an advanced one, as Goku called me, because I have these sockets on my neck that could hook up to the computer and these seams on my arms and legs."

"Angel, please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive. You didn't want to part with your precious creation, even if you knew that I belonged to someone else. Someone who ordered you to make me. I'd like to believe that your reasons were not purely selfish, that you didn't just think of me as some object. That, in a way, you have learned to love me. But I can't stay here. Hakkai, I don't belong to you. I must go now to the person who truly owns and needs me."

" 'Needs you'? What do you mean? Who're you talking about?"

"Mr. Gyumao. Goku, Jiroushin and Kwannon told me everything. Mr. Gyumao had you create me so that I could be a companion for him. Poor man. He may be very rich, but he's very lonely. I guess all that money couldn't buy him happiness. I'm to keep him company and make him happy...like what I was to you. That's why I was made, wasn't it? To make lonely people happy."

Hakkai couldn't believe what he was hearing. Seething inside, he wanted to go down and strangle his best friend, the dog and the cat for telling the clone all these lies. "You don't know what you're getting into, Angel. It's not just your company that Gyumao would want from you."

Gojyo nodded. "Yes, I've guessed that part. You should have programmed that data into me right from the start. I hope Mr. Gyumao wouldn't mind my inexperience in that area. I'll just make up for it with my winning smile, charming personality and my willingness to learn."

Not wanting to say anything else, the clone placed his pajamas inside his bag and proceeded to stuff his other things as quickly as he could. Hakkai, however, laid an arm over his bag.

"I don't want you to go to, Gyumao, Gojyo," the scientist declared. "Goku's right. I could take you away from here, hide in a place where Gyumao couldn't find us."

"But I won't go with you, Hakkai," Gojyo insisted. "It's not right for you to steal me away from my true owner."

"TO HELL WITH GYUMAO!" Hakkai blurted out, pounding an angry fist on the bed, shocking the marionette. "You say he's your owner? Well, I created you, damn it! Being your creator, you belong to me!"

"Is that all I am to you? Your property?" the clone asked his guardian. "You can create another like me. You're very smart, Hakkai. I know you can make a better model than me."

Gojyo's eyes flew wide when Hakkai's arms suddenly enfolded him in a desperate embrace. "I will not make another clone. It's you I want, Gojyo. For God's sake, Angel! Please don't leave me!"

The marionette wanted so much to surrender into that embrace, to say yes to Hakkai's plea to stay. In truth, he didn't want to leave. More than anything else, he wanted to stay with Hakkai and his three animal friends.

It was a tremendous effort on Gojyo's part to gently push his mentor away. As he did so, tears at once streamed down his cheeks. Noticing the wetness on his face for the very first time, the marionette's right hand went up to feel the wetness that was pouring from his eyes.

"Hakkai, I think I've sprung a leak!" Gojyo blurted out, laughing. "How could you make a machine like me cry like this? Is there a way to shut this off? I don't want to cry ever again!"

"Gojyo..." the scientist made to hug the clone again, but Gojyo raised both of his hands, stopping him.

"Please don't. If you hug me again, I'll never be able to stop crying."

"If you leave me, Angel, I'm the one who'll never be able to stop weeping." As Hakkai said this, sure enough, tears trickled from his eyes as well.

"Gyumao needs me, Hakkai," the clone repeated firmly, brushing away the wetness from his face. "To him, I must go. I'm so sorry." Gojyo lifted a finger and wiped away the tear that formed at the corner of the scientist's hazel eye. "Please don't weep. I could ask Gyumao's permission to visit you from time to time. And you wouldn't be truly alone once I'm gone. There's Goku and Hakuryu and Jiroushin and Kwannon. You also have Chin, remember?"

But I don't love Chin, Hakkai's soul cried out. I love you, Gojyo!

Before he could say those words aloud, there was furious barking downstairs as well as angry voices.

Gojyo swiftly zipped his bag close and slung the strap over his shoulder. "I guess that's my ride." As he stood up, he looked at his mentor. Again, there was that charming tilt of his head. "There's something that I forgot to ask you, Hakkai."

"You're leaving me and you still want to ask me a question?" Hakkai exclaimed in disbelief.

The marionette bit his lower lip uncomfortably. "It's a question that you don't have to answer, because I think there really is no answer to this query. Hakkai, you forbade me to read the Bible unless you're around to teach me. I was able to read the Good Book and other religious books on the Net and I wanted to know..." Gojyo took a deep breath, closing his eyes to stop the welling up of tears. However, when he opened them again, two teardrops trickled from his gentle doe eyes. "Since I'm not a human being after all, does this mean that I don't have a soul? That if I die, I won't be able to go to Heaven and see all the angels?"

The scientist was caught speechless by that query. As the clone said, it was indeed a question with no answer.

The bitterness that Gojyo held in his heart just burst out. "Why did you have to create me with the form and emotions of a human being? You should never have made me this way, Hakkai! I'm just a thing with artificial intelligence and no soul. Unlike you humans, there could be no redemption for me. Only an eternity of sorrow and grief and misery! Always doomed to love and to lose those I care for!"

The marionette gave Hakkai a desperate hug and kissed him passionately on the lips. When he broke the kiss, he whispered, "In a way, I'm happy to be leaving you. I couldn't bear to see you grow old and die while I live forever." At these words, Gojyo hurried out into the hallway.

For a moment, Hakkai sat in stunned silence. Then, his eyes fell upon two things that the clone had left behind -- the Teddy Bear and, on its lap, the chattering teeth. Snatching both toys, the good doctor ran after the clone.

Hakkai paused halfway down the stairs, seeing his beloved marionette standing before his new owner. Gyumao was practically beaming as he bade the clone to turn left and right and around. Grinning beside the multimillionaire was Chin Issou, who gave his lover a mocking salute. Snarling and hissing at their feet were the four animal clones, who were being held at bay by Gyumao's armed bodyguards.

Noticing him, Gyumao gazed up sharply at the scientist. "Did you think you could hide him from me, Hakkai? You know damned well that what Gyumao wants, Gyumao gets." The evil man embraced the meek marionette possessively, causing Hakuryu, Jiroushin and Kwannon to take one lunging step forward. Quickly, the bodyguards aimed their guns at the animal clones. "Unless you want these creatures riddled with bullets," the rich man declared, "call them off!"

"All of you! Back off now!" Hakkai sternly ordered, but animal clones wouldn't obey him.

"Please, Mr. Gyumao!" Gojyo begged the multimillionaire, tugging urgently on the sleeve of his tweed jacket. "I said I was going with you. Please don't hurt my friends, sir!"

Fearing for the lives of the animal clones, the scientist dashed down the remaining steps. As he stood protectively before his creations, he found himself face to face with the muzzles of automatic weapons.

"Mr. Gyumao," the good doctor began, hoping he could stall the marionette's departure, "you've got my intentions all wrong. I wasn't hiding him. The lightning storm destroyed the programming diskette you gave me. I had to re-program him all over again. In fact, I haven't finished yet. He will not be able to...perform...to your satisfaction."

"It doesn't matter. I will teach him myself. You've already done your job, Hakkai. As much as I don't want to do this because of the way you kept my dear clone's existence to yourself, I'll still pay you anyway...for all your hard work." Saying this, Gyumao threw a suitcase at Hakkai's feet. "Farewell, Hakkai-sensei. You won't be seeing your creation ever again. I have a team of scientists now who could perform any maintenance work on him."

The multimillionaire was ushering the clone away, when Hakkai suddenly shouted, "NO, WAIT! GOJYO!" As Gyumao's bodyguards surrounded him, he somehow managed to squeeze his arm between them, holding out Teddy and the chattering teeth.

Gojyo stopped at once, his sweet crimson eyes gazing with intense longing at his favorite toys. No matter how much Gyumao yanked on his arm, the clone could not be moved.

"I can't take them, Hakkai! Especially Teddy!" the marionette exclaimed. "They belong to Linchei!"

"Linchei's dead! And so's my wife Kanan!" Hakkai spoke the painful truth out loud for the first time. Seeing Chin's approach out of the corner of his eye, he cried urgently, "TAKE THEM, ANGEL! THEY'RE YOURS!"

Before Chin could insinuate himself between the scientist and the clone, Gojyo reached out and grabbed his toys with both hands, giving Hakkai's hand a squeeze as well.
"Goodbye, Hakkai," the marionette mouthed the words in deep sorrow. Then, meekly, he allowed his new owner to lead him to the waiting limousine, his precious toys pressed close to his body to prevent them from getting wet in the sudden drizzle that fell on them.

One by one, Gyumao's bodyguards backed away, the first two opening the car doors to their master and his new whore. Hakkai had one last glimpse of a handsome tear-filled face before the door was shut.

"It's over now, Hakkai," Chin declared, holding onto the distraught geneticist. "Let him go! He never belonged to you!"

Hakkai's green eyes flashed daggers at his lover. Tearing away, with a twist of his body, he struck a hard fist into Chin's jaw, sending him reeling to the driveway's pavement.

"Go away, Chin! You're not welcome here anymore!" Hakkai roared in the man's face. "Because of you, my life is ruined! If you dare show your face here again, I swear I'll kill you!"

The ferocity in the good doctor's voice startled Chin. Then, he saw the four animal clones spring at him, and he swiftly got to his feet and jumped inside the moving van before Jiroushin could sink his teeth into his leg and Hakuryu could blast him with a stream of fire.

Hakkai raced down the driveway after Gyumao's convoy. However, the last van had already sped out onto the road. Before he could squeeze himself through the narrowing crack, the gates closed in his face.

As he stood there, stunned, in the pouring rain, the scientist found his mind drifting back to that day when he had gone into the city to buy the marionette some clothes, a mere day after he had been 'born'. Gojyo had run after his jeep, crying like a child, begging for his guardian not to leave him. It was ironic that he was now in the same position that the clone had been in months back.

Bursting into bitter sobs, the good doctor found himself falling to his knees, his hands clenched tightly to the bars of the gates.

"Gojyo, please come back!" Hakkai wept in anguish as the pouring rain drenched him. "Don't leave me here all alone! I love you very much, Angel! Please come back to me! GOJYO!"

* * * * * * * * * *


Converting /tmp/phpSS27nf to /dev/stdout