Tengu Man

Ye-ah... I'm Tengu Man. And I'm probably the last guy that I would expect to be making a blog or whatever.. ... Hey, I'm bored- what else can I say? (( Part of TMN ))

[doctor-albert-wily-blog]

Wily grumbled and rubbed his forehead offline. This was ridiculous.

> An invited visit to non-neutral ground is not neutrality, Tenguman. I would blame such an imbecilic idea on your youth except you should be old enough by now to recognize what a mistake that line of thinking is, so instead I will blame it on your idiocy. But to hear it coming from someone who served for King, as well… I have no understanding of why that thought even came to fruition in the first place. You really should know better.

> If you are honestly still under the impression that such a thing is acceptable, then I have no advice for you, except to consider where your allegiance lies and act accordingly.

[holding-a-tornado]

>No! I'm not saying it's acceptable; I've already gotten it stated enough times to get that it's not. I get that I should have known better, yes... and I can assure you it's not going to happen again.

>No one got hurt as far as I can tell. No one came storming to the castle or anything... The only mistake I made was not stopping to think when I got the invite, and I'll admit that was stupid of me. However, I also won't hesitate to say that given the general lack of reactions from the DLNs I've picked up in this so far, Quick and the rest overreacted, big time.

>So again, what am I supposed to do? What do you want me to do, Dad?

[doctor-albert-wily-blog]

> What are you drabbling on about?

Wily scrolls through the network feeds, picking up only glimpses of publicly-held conversations. After a long while and a good dose of impatience he settled on checking Tengu’s public posts personally, to see if they’d lend him any hints.

cs-robit-edu-light asked: Hello, Tengu Man. Splash Woman told me about your little visit. I’m not mad, I’d just like to talk. Please come back at once.

No thanks, old man. I can’t trust my own brothers right now; why should I trust you?

What?

dln-067splashwoman:

Not exactly!  You make Neo Kobe pizza by taking a slice of pizza and dropping it into a pot of hot soup.  You fish it out of the pot when it pops back up, then eat it while it’s still all soupy.  Again, it tastes better than it sounds.

I’m at home now, and everyone else seems to be gone for the time being.

Sounds interesting to say the least. You mean the Light residence, right? I’ll go ahead and key it into my flight path.

Oh. Oh.

> Tenguman, are you telling me that you actually entered the Light residence to have lunch with one of them? I’m not sure whose stupidity I’m more impressed with, yours or Splash’s. On neutral grounds, sure. But in their home?

> How I feel about the situation should be the least of your worries. I’m a firm believer in logical consequences. Your kin obviously perceive you as a threat to our current neutrality… if it can even be called that anymore.

> What you do now is your choice entirely. If you want things to change, you have to address what must be done on your end, first.

[holding-a-tornado]

>If we're really neutral, even if it's just for now, then an invited visit shouldn't be seen as unreasonable or a threat. But no, Blondie flips out and next thing I know I hear Quick on the lines freaking out and asking who went there.

>I've gotten some distance from everyone, but now I'm at a bit of a hitch. I have no idea what I need to do to fix this. Light doesn't view me as a threat, as far as I'm aware. He's fine with me hanging out with Splash as long as it's on neutral ground from now on, and I'm okay with that.

>I just need some advice. Recommended course of action, sir?

[dln-067splashwoman-deactivated2]

>Dad caught somebody hacking into my brain, and apparently they’ve left quite a mess.  I’m still stuck in the repair bay, and talking to you using a terminal because my wireless adapter is shut off at the moment.  He might be able to give you more details, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s tight-lipped about the hacking.

[holding-a-tornado]

>Hope that gets cleared up. Me, I'm just glad things turned out okay. No one got hurt... And the house didn't get blown up. Everyone's doing okay?

She hadn't mentioned the note, so either she didn't find it, or it embarrassed her. No worries.

[cs-robit-edu-light]

Godspeed, Tengu Man. Godspeed.

Now let’s see what’s going on up front. He didn’t hear any weapons go off. So far, so good.  He rounded the corner, making sure Rock and Jewel were still waiting at the front.  Mental to-do list; one, reactivate Splash Woman.  Two, check Roll’s communication logs to see if she really invited that Wily bot over.  Not necessarily in that order.

"Hello, boys. The bird’s left the nest. Jewel Man, go upstairs and let Roll know everything’s fine. Rock, what’s the latest on our guests?"

[holding-a-tornado]

No signs of anyone else, and he was a decent distance from the house. Tengu smirked under his mask, gaining a little altitude before his thrusters flickered to life. "Off I go," he said, jetting off into the night sky.

[cs-robit-edu-light]

“Is that what you’re trying to do?  I don’t honestly think you can do it in stealth. Whenever a teleporter goes off, mine included, there’s so much energy being transferred that you can see it as a sort of huge glowing beam coming from the sending equipment. They’ll know someone’s using a teleporter in here.  You might, however, be able to simply leave from the backyard and circle right around to the front, if you want to try to deceive them.”

[holding-a-tornado]

"Dammit..." he muttered, fitting on the mask. "Back exit it is then. Um..." he paused. "I guess it was... nice to drop by?" he said, honestly not sure what else to say. "Wish me luck, and I hope things sort out for you guys," he settled on saying as he slid the back door open. Wind picked up, lifting him of the ground as he drifted away from the house. It was quieter than his thrusters, and less conspicuous. Hopefully, none of this would get noticed. He would drift a ways off and then jet back to his cabin where his stuff was still waiting for pickup.

'Please don't let anyone see me leaving... Please, maker, please... I don't care if they catch me after this but just don't let them see me leaving...'

[holding-a-tornado]

I could do that. As there's no teleporter on the receiving end, I can't guarantee a precise location; you might wind up on the ground, or possibly above some other yard in the neighborhood. I don't suppose that would be a significant issue?

"As long as it's enough to hopefully convince them I was never at your house," Tengu replied, getting his armor on. "In the air is preferable. It gives me a running start..."

[cs-robit-edu-light]

"All right.  I’ll be back shortly."  Hopefully.

"Stay here and watch the cameras.  If a fight breaks out, please bring it away from here.  And lastly, don’t reactivate Splash Woman yet, if she thinks I’m in danger she’ll try to kill Roll, which I’d really prefer to not have to worry about right now."

As he walked upstairs, an interesting thought came to mind; if a genie showed up and offered him a weapon, would he take it?  On one hand, he would be adding fuel to the fire.  On the other, he’d be able to defend himself.  Ah, who is he kidding—a shotgun wouldn’t seriously hurt a robot, and he could never lift or aim a rocket launcher properly.

As he rounded the corner, he noticed Rock and Jewel at the ready, with Roll walking the other direction.  Where could she be going?  Well, at least she won’t be in harm’s way.  He’ll deal with her later.  For now, Thomas thought it best to keep his voice down.

"Sorry for the wait.  Everything downstairs is under control.  Top Man is on the way here. Keep your voices down, the camera shows another Wily bot outside. What’s going on out there?"

[holding-a-tornado]

Tengu watched the doctor leave, scratching at the back of his head before looking at Splash. "So um... Hey again," he said, taking a seat on the floor next to her unconscious form. "I saw that look you gave, when you saw me. A little bit before you flipped out about Roll and got shut down. 'What the heck are you doing here?' Right?" he asked awkwardly. "Well, I'll be honest. Yes, your dad invited me; it was to make sure I wasn't pulling a fast one on you- made me swear on a Bible and everything... He really cares about you."

He sighed. "I don't know if you can hear me now or not; I'm kind of hoping not, because I probably sound like a sappy idiot and that's not how I want to be seen. But I still just want to say this, just to put it out there before something else crazy happens."

"I think I might- no, I know I like you. I like you a lot, and I don't think it's just as a friend. You're clever and beautiful and strong; you don't take crap from anyone - even family - and I really appreciate that. And you know, I think if maybe things had gone a little less wrong that day, we'd be in a very different situation. Kobe pizza, shark diving.. and hey maybe I would've convinced you to go hang gliding with me. I control wind, so we could literally soar for hours!" he said, grinning excitedly.

The grin was however, short-lived. "I don't think any of that's going to happen now though. I don't know what's going to happen. I do promise though, just like I did to Light; if I can help it, you're not going to get hurt. I don't know what's going to happen to me if I have to step out there. Destruction, possibly capture and a memory wipe or being totally reprogrammed. What do you think happens with that? Would I cease to exist? Would 'Tenguman' become someone else, nothing like this one? It's just a thought. Maybe I should ask Dr. Light if I'm still here when this is finished."

He'd been glancing over to the camera monitors periodically during all of this. "I don't want to be needed out there. I want to run, and save everyone the trouble... They won't attack your family if I'm not here, right?" He noticed a small notepad lying nearby on a table with a pen sitting on top. Carefully he reached over and picked up the items, flipping through the  lined papers before tearing out a blank sheet. He wrote something on the small sheet, before returning the pen and notepad to their original spot. He stooped then, gathering up Splash and placing her back on the work table. Slipping the note under Splash's right hand, he took a step back and started up the stairs to the main part of the house.

[dln-067splashwoman-deactivated2]

She laughs as he goes to shut her down.  ”One day you’ll wake up and realized that you’ve lost control.”  Once the command is processed, her eyes go blank as her reactor powers down.  She slumps a bit, before falling over on her side.

[cs-robit-edu-light]

Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised if that day were tomorrow.

"I’m sorry that you had to walk in on this, Tengu Man.  I’ll turn her back on in a few hours when everybody’s calmed down; I can’t risk another thing going wrong right now.  For the moment, it seems like your brother is looking for you.  I don’t know if he knows for certain whether or not you’re here.  What are you going to do?"

What the hell was Splash Woman talking about?  Roll inviting a DWN here?  She hates them all with extreme prejudice…right?  Just to be safe, he’ll look at her communication logs later.  But first, he’s got to figure out what to do about Tengu Man, and then he’s got to confront Aqua Man.  Hopefully, he isn’t being accompanied…

[holding-a-tornado]

Tengu watched the interchange, before huffing. "She probably didn't so much 'invite' him as 'snitch' about me being here, or that's what I assume at least. This all started when she freaked out over the initial invite Splash gave, so it makes sense to me. Either way, that does put you in danger, Doc," he said. "I'm not worried about Aqua, but Quick started the whole 'manhunt' business when he kicked me out, so I don't think it'd be a stretch to say he's out there too, in hiding."

He looked around the lab, before frowning. "...I'm tired of this crap. You can go talk to them; I'll wait down here. If they start anything, I'll step in." His armor wasn't at hand, but he didn't need it.

"They want to call me a traitor? They're about to give me a reason to be just that."

[cs-robit-edu-light]

He smiled with the satisfaction of, at the very least, a decent attempt at honesty.  Also, he managed to get a machine to swear on the Bible, and one of Albert’s to boot; what a story to tell!  He decided that Tengu Man was off to a good start, but that he was not absolved of Thomas’ watchful eyes.

"Very good.  Now, come with me."

He led the automaton inside, closing the sliding glass door behind them.  He set the Bible back in the drawer he had taken it from, and proceeded to lead Tengu Man into the basement laboratory.  The automatic doors gave way, permitting the two entry.  He gestured to the table at the center of the room.

"Come in.  She’s been waiting for you."

[holding-a-tornado]

Following silently, Tengu considered the situation he was now in. This was a historical moment, now that he thought of it. He was the first DWN to set foot not only into the Light home, but the lab of Dr. Light himself, and under friendly terms to top it off. Him, an unbound robot with no inclination whatsoever to follow the Three Laws... It was enough to prompt a quick archiving of the event in his internal memory.

He entered the lab, looking around before his eyes fell on the indicated table. "...Splash?" he asked, stepping forward.

[cs-robit-edu-light]

"And finally, but not the least of all; do you swear, with God as your witness, that every single word that you have said to me tonight is the truth in its entirety?  That you mean nothing but the most absolute sincerity?

[holding-a-tornado]

"Every word was said sincerely, and to my best knowledge all in true," he answered.

[cs-robit-edu-light]

"Fair enough.  Will you always be there for my daughter, in her times of crisis and need, and in her times of happiness and well-being?"

[holding-a-tornado]

"Absolutely," he replied confidently. He would be there as best he could; that's what he'd wanted to do from the start. Just to be with her.

[cs-robit-edu-light]

"Do you vow that, no matter how violent your relationship with your brothers may become, that harm will befall neither her nor the rest of our family?"

[holding-a-tornado]

"If I can prevent that, I will," he replied. There was no way he could know for certain if anyone would get hurt. He wasn't a seer like Crystal Man... It was still an honest answer.

[cs-robit-edu-light]

"Excellent.  Put your left hand on the cover, like I am.  Hold your right hand up, like—no, no, more upright—there you go."

"Now.  The specifics of an oath often vary in different countries or in different situations; citizenship, marriage, being sworn into office, etcetera.  Normally they ask you to repeat a particular wording, a short monologue of sorts.  I see no need for that.  All I ask for is your honesty in these affirmations."

Aherm.

"Do you, Tengu Man, vow to treat my daughter with the utmost respect and sincerity?"

[holding-a-tornado]

Tengu placed his left hand on the book's cover, lifting his right up and straightening it on the doctor's suggestion. He wouldn't have minded repeating, but a simple and honest yes or no seemed to be all he was looking for.

He nodded solemnly. "I vow on my life."

[cs-robit-edu-light]

"That reminds me.  One moment, please."

He stepped inside for a moment to grab something very dear to him.  There was a dresser in the living room, next to the couch.  In the bottom drawer was an assorted bunch of old books and magazines.  High school yearbook, old technical papers, some James Bond novels—ah, there we go.  He pulled out a world-renowned, highly controversial tome; the Holy Bible.  Thomas himself wasn’t a religious man, but he still saw taking an oath on the Bible as one of the most binding promises a man can make.  To him, the significance was more cultural than theological.  Also, it reminded him of Mom and Dad, may they rest in peace.

He stepped back outside, Bible in hand.  Forearms outstretched, front cover face-up.

"I’m not a God-fearing man.  I haven’t been to church since I was twenty-three.  I think you’re even less interested in God than I am; humans often have no answer for the reasons of our own existence, so we turn to a higher power to find them, but all you have to do is phone home.  Despite my beliefs, however, it is still quite common for humans—at least in the Western hemisphere—to see an oath on the Bible as a binding promise.  It’s a cultural thing.  I’m sure Albert would tell you something similar."

[holding-a-tornado]

Confused at the doctor's sudden retreat into the house, Tengu wondered momentarily if he should simply float away. No. He'd stay, and wait patiently for whatever Light had to show him.

And then the man was back, carrying a Bible. He explained that while he was not religious, the act of swearing a promise on the Bible was taken very seriously in the Western world. Tengu had never been interested in Bibles, or any books, really... but it made sense. "Okay. I'll take an oath."

If that was enough to satisfy the old man for the time being, it was worth it.

[cs-robit-edu-light]

"You can’t easily ‘prove’ your trustworthiness in the mathematical or logical sense, so I will have to put some faith into you.  But.  If you want to see my daughter, then I will establish some ground rules.  Now, listen to me very carefully.”

Now he’s getting serious.  He edged closer to Tengu, getting right up into his face with a glare he wouldn’t soon forget.  A little theatrics wouldn’t hurt in getting his point across.

"Number one.  Splash Woman is my daughter.  As such, I reserve the right to monitor her conversations, track her via GPS, or otherwise listen in on her current state at any time, especially when she is with you."

"Number two.  If she goes missing or fails to respond to my communications in a timely manner, I will hold you responsible.  Likewise if you decide to befriend anyone else in my family."

"Number three.  You may not visit her here without my explicit permission. Likewise, you may not bring her back to Albert’s fortress under any circumstances. I know you said you can’t return there, but this rule still stands."

"Number four.  If you so much as lay a finger where she doesn’t want it laid, I will personally see to it that that is the last thing you will ever do.  Not Rock.  Not one of my other robots.  I will.  I am a very well-connected man; I could have the Air Force hunt you down for simply being here.  Do not cross me, Tengu Man.  I will make sure you that regret it.  Slowly and painfully.”

The look in his eyes dared Tengu to screw this one up.  Try my patience, motherfucker.  Just try me.

[holding-a-tornado]

"Scheisse, you humans can really be scary when you want..." Tengu said, backing off a bit. "I get it though; the rules are committed to memory," He folded his arms a little more snugly across his chest. He understood. Light was protective of his kids, and him being interested in Splash had the old man in full on 'Dad mode'.

After a moment, he chuckled a bit. "So... it's not so different from the town punk wanting to date the pastor's daughter... Just the threats are a lot less hollow. Less of 'God's Wrath', and more of your own if I step out of line."

He nodded. "I'll do my best."

[cs-robit-edu-light]

> “And I’m giving you the opportunity to prove it.”

Fffffffh.  Pahhhhhh.  This one’s almost gone.

> “If you were a human, or a robot from somebody without Albert’s track record, that would be one thing.  But Albert is notoriously cunning and deceitful, and as much as I would like to consider him my friend, I can’t trust him after all he’s put me through.  Therefore, you are by default in hot water, and if anything happens, as far as I’m concerned you are guilty until proven innocent.”

He reached for the ashtray to his right and extinguished the dying butt.  Time to bring out the bad cop.

[holding-a-tornado]

"So what do I do to prove it? Tests? Scans to detect any of this potential programming that I don't know about?" A tiny whirlwind whipped up over the ashtray, picking up the ash particles in it and spinning around with them a short while before depositing them into a neat little pile in the tray's center.

He huffed, "You did bring up a good point though. I haven't lived at the castle in a long time, but that was under the assumption that it gave me more freedom. I assumed I was leading my own life, but if he can just yank me back on a whim... I don't like the implications there."

[cs-robit-edu-light]

"The problem with that is this; you are a robot.  Whether you’re conscious of it or not, you are subject to Albert’s whim, barring some substantial rewrite of your code base that I’m not aware of.  Is it or is it not possible that you are lying to me, and plotting to, or being used in a plot to, do something malicious, and that you are using Splash as a pawn?  Is it not possible that everything you do and say to me is complete and utter bullshit, a facade meant to bring our guards down long enough for you or Albert or somebody else to stab us in the back?  I am not accusing you of anything per se, only speculating on some possibilities, but I want you to see the angle that I’m coming from.”

[holding-a-tornado]

Tengu stared back, and he wasn't sure what his expression was at moment. Somewhere between livid, confused, and perhaps a little scared. Oh how he wanted to snap back - to tell this old man how wrong he was. He didn't follow the three laws, and that meant he didn't have to obey humans. That included his dad, right?

Oh, who was he kidding? Dad wouldn't be stupid enough to let any of them be completely unshackled. But if that was the case... "Why would they be needing to catch me if that's the case? If Dad could just force me back with a command after what happened, why let Quick and the others others waste time trying to catch me? Why let me even run?" he asked.

"I do get where you're coming from, and I know my word probably doesn't count for anything right now... but it's no facade. I care about her."