The Other Side

Ever wondered who Androids 17 and 18 were, and how they became androids? Well, here's my version of events, and my first contribution to the wiki ever, so please feel free to criticize and tell me what I can do better next time! (Anyone find that I put TOO much detail in? That's my style of writing, but I'm not sure how it's going to work for fanfic. If you think I should modify my style, do tell!)

Characters
Ama (Android 18)

Kurai (Android 17)

Kioko (mentioned)

Twins' Parents (mentioned)

Haruto

Various gang members

Drunken Man

Dr. Gero

Overview
A brief look into the lives of Ama and Kurai, two teenagers struggling to get by in a poverty-stricken section of North City. The story follows the events of the life-changing night before they are kidnapped by Dr. Gero and a glimpse into the transition from human to android.

Story: The Other Side
North City; a bustling metropolis tucked deep in the wide Black Mountain range and the surrounding forest. The remote location of the city keeps away most tourists and outsiders, and ultimately, most threats. But all cities have their problems. Our story begins in a dark, ramshackle building on the rough side of the tracks, where two teenagers have spent the entirety of their short, unhappy lives...

            Ama lay on her bed, if it could really be called that, looking bored as she flipped through a magazine a few weeks out of date. The bare mattress she shared with her younger sister, Kioko, was beginning to smell of the damp that seeped through the floor when it rained. Truthfully, Ama hated spending more time than she needed to on it, but there was no other place for her to sit while she read her magazine, one she’d picked out of someone’s recycling this morning.

           As she turned the next page, showing which capsules the richest and coolest kids must have this year, her brother walked in, without knocking. As usual. Normally, Ama would’ve been mad, but right now she was just glad for something to break the boredom.

           “Need something?” She asked with calculated disinterest as she sneaked a glance over the top of her page. She watched him and studied his appearance, wondering at how much he’d changed over the last few years. His hair, which he’d allowed to grow long, was as black as hers was blond. If it wasn’t for their mother’s high forehead and her eyes, brilliant as ice, that they both exhibited, no one would’ve believed they were related, let alone twins. “Can I help you?” She said, allowing a smidge of annoyance to assert itself in her voice this time.

Kurai ignored her as he continued rifling through the small box where she kept her jewelry. Rolling her eyes at his insistence to not answer her, Ama went back to her magazine. It didn’t take much longer for him to find what he was looking for, and in a moment he was holding up a pair of small golden hoop earrings, similar to the ones Ama was wearing right now.

           “Can I borrow these?” He asked. Ama looked up from her magazine again, this time the page displaying the latest fashions she knew she would never be able to afford.

           “What?” She asked, genuinely surprised by her twin for the first time in a long time. “What do you need those for?”

           He gave her a smug grin and flicked his black hair back, revealing a diamond stud in his ear. Ama sat up and stared. “You didn’t.” She said flatly, disbelievingly. He just shrugged, looking pleased with himself, and repeated his request.

           Ama ignored his question, just staring at the new piercings. “You know, when mom fi-” the threat died in her throat as she remembered, for the thousandth painful time, that their mother was dead.

           “Exactly.” Kurai said. The lack of compassion in his voice made Ama furious, but she knew he was just dealing with Mom’s death in his own ways. “So can I have these or what?”

           Ama sighed. She didn’t have much use for them. “Sure. Whatever.” Kurai left her room and was halfway down the moonlit hall before she became suspicious. “Hey, wait a minute! Kurai!” She ran out into the hallway, where Kurai had stopped, but had not turned around. “Those earrings…I’ve seen boys wearing ones like them around the city. Boys in that gang.”

           The slight stiffening of Kurai’s lithe figure was enough answer for her. “How could you?” She asked, angrily but her voice not rising above a normal tone, for fear of alarming their father.

           “Look, I’ll do what I have to for survival in this city. You of all people should know that. I’m doing this for you, and for Kioko.” His voice was maddening in its calmness, the quiet way he explained away such a drastic move. “There will be money in this for us.”

           “This is your solution for poverty?”

           “What would you rather I do, end up like our dad? You know as well as I do where he is right now; passed out in a drunken stupor on the sofa. And you know better than I do how he deals with disobedient children.” At this he turned around and Ama could feel his eyes searching out the cut along her cheekbone in the darkness. Self-consciously, she hung her head slightly forward so a sheet of her fine hair swung down to cover the half-healed wound.

           “You could get a job.” She offered quietly, knowing what his response would be.

           “Impossible, without a high school diploma. This is my choice, just as dropping out of school was, and I’m sticking with it. I didn’t expect you to understand, but the least you could do is let me continue with this.” He turned and left her in the dark house, entering the deepening shadows of the city alleys.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">           As Kurai navigated the gloomy city labyrinth, he exchanged his diamond earrings for the ones he'd taken from his sister. He hissed at the pain of changing earrings with such fresh piercings, but he thought the benefits outweighed any discomfort he might experience. Then he pulled an orange bandana out of his pocket. The official sign of a member of the North City Strikers. He stared at it as he walked the next few blocks, walking by instinct only, as his thoughts were far away. If he put this simple, orange square of cloth around his neck, there was no turning back.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Slowly, with fingers trembling slightly from nervousness and excitement, he tied the bandana at the back of his neck and immediately felt his heart settle and calm. Now he knew his territory, he knew who he could trust and, more importantly, who he couldn’t. Ama might not understand, but he felt that he really belonged in this world, and his purpose was clearer than ever.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Down another side street and one last dark alley before he reached a safe house he’d been told about earlier. Here he would meet other members of the gang and be briefed on who he could talk to, where he should be at all times, and the ever-changing battlefronts in the war against rival gangs.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">He was met at the entrance by a huge, muscular guy who was lounging back in a rusty folding chair and cleaning his fingernails with a knife. After he had carefully examined Kurai and considered him worthy of admittance he showed him into the next room.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Kurai ducked into the entrance and immediately recognized the friend who’d gotten him into the gang, Haruto. Haruto and several other young men about his age were huddled around a map of the city, with colored lines indicating the latest movements of known enemies and other things Kurai didn’t understand yet, but was determined that he someday would.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Haruto greeted him with a slight nod and gave the other guys a look, clearly saying, ‘This is the guy I was telling you about’. After a minute’s quick discussion, the shortest of the group broke away and told Kurai to follow him.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">As the shorter man led the way down a winding, confusing maze of hallways and rooms, Kurai realized he never would have been able to find a way out by himself. Every time it seemed they must have reached an outer wall of the building, another corridor would open up and keep going another 10 feet, with rooms opening on either side. Finally they entered a large room that was clearly being used for storage, boxes piled around all four walls.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">“Look, even though you’re new, turns out you’ve got pretty good connections. Your friend Haruto knows the Boss pretty well, and he’s managed to get you a sweet deal. Usually you gotta earn the privilege, but we’ve decided that, considering how close you live to enemy territory and how well you know Haruto, it would be best to give you a weapon now.” The gruff voice of the short man was issuing from the bulky cardboard box he was rummaging through. When he straightened, he was holding a battered energy pistol and holster.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Hurai’s eyes widened at the sight of the gun, but he did his best to keep his cool. “Little old, isn’t it?” He asked, with a typical sarcastic note in his voice.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The other man gave a little chuckle as he handed the gun over. “It might not be the newest piece of technology, but it’s been through more fights than you can count, and it’s reliable. It’s yours now.”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Ama had followed Kurai out of the house, pausing only to put Kioko to bed and shrug on an old leather jacket. She’d watched him don the bandana with a tight throat, and had collapsed against the nearest wall when he’d finally crossed the threshold into the new world he’d chosen.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Now she waited for him to exit again, sitting on the sidewalk with her head against her knees, feeling miserable. If Mom was still alive, he never would’ve considered this. Then again, if Mom was still alive, he wouldn’t have felt the need to do this. She knew that he blamed Mom’s death on gang activity, though what connection he found between a car crash and the local gang fights was still a mystery to her. But ever since her death, Kurai’s passionate hate for the Golden Eyes had grown to the point where school, family, and living a regular life were no longer important to him, and he’d become distant and withdrawn, even from Ama.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">These muddled, worried thoughts ran through her head for more than an hour before a slight shuffling sound jolted Ama out of her near doze. When she looked up she saw Kurai walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. In the dark he hadn’t recognized her hunched form, so she decided to follow him again and see if he was going home or to somewhere else in the city.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">As far as she could tell after a few minutes of careful shadowing he was just on his way home, and she began to relax a little. They would have to sit down and have a serious talk sometime, but not today. As it turned out, the slight letting down of her guard was only her first mistake.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">As she passed the next pitch black opening to an alleyway, a figure melted out of the shadows and held her arm in a grip like a vice. “Hey!” She said in surprise. Kurai was too far away to hear her, so he kept walking as before.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">“Why don’t you come with me, little lady.” A breath laced with alcohol whispered in her ear. “Much too dangerous for a pretty thing like you out here all alone.”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Ama probably could have escaped on her own, if she’d been thinking clearly. Kurai had been persistent that they both be trained in basic martial arts and fighting skills, and this guy wasn’t much bigger than her and he was drunk. Not a good combination for him, under normal circumstances. But this was the first real fight she’d ever been in, and she panicked, yelling aloud, “Kurai!”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">He heard her and quickly turned around to asses the situation. In a flash he was at her side, with his new pistol drawn. As the two teenagers struggled with the man, they easily gained the upper hand. Kurai elbowed him in the gut and pushed him away from his sister as hard as he could. As soon as Ama was separated from the creep, Kurai brandished his gun in his direction. “Stay away from my sister!” He shouted, feeling a little silly, but also dizzy with the power the weapon gave him.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The guy began backing off, but in his rage, nervousness and eagerness to prove himself, Kurai was tense and gripping the gun way too hard. His sweaty finger slipped on the trigger and a beam of red energy blasted forwards, punching through the man’s stomach.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Instantly, the drunk fell to his knees, clutching the hole in his stomach and giving a great, choking cough which splattered blood on the sidewalk in front of him.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Kurai watched, transfixed, his face growing whiter with every second. Ama was speechless. She hadn’t even been aware that Kurai had the gun, but now she knew they were in trouble. She was scared. “Kurai, let’s go,” she said after a few seconds, tugging on his sleeve.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Kurai could do nothing, go nowhere, just stare as blood seeped through the prostrate figure’s fingers and pooled beneath his sneakers. Slowly, the man grew weaker and completely collapsed to the sidewalk, where he lay, moaning pitifully. He had caused this. This man was dying, and it was his fault.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">“We have to go! Now!” Ama said, snapping Kurai from his reverie just as police sirens became audible in the distance. They began to run, just run as fast and as far as they could, blindly stumbling across the garbage and the homeless that littered the night streets.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">They made it to the edge of the city before dawn, and decided to stop and rest for a while. Breathing hard, they sank to the ground before a magnificent cliff face that led up to the Black Mountains.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">“Where…where did you get that gun?” Ama eventually managed to ask.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Kurai just shook his head and moaned, not even wanting to look at it anymore. He was a murderer. He’d killed someone, and not even a gang member, someone who knew the risks. A defenseless, drunk man, and there was no honor in that.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">“We can’t go back.” Amah stated practically, her voice reverting to her usual sardonic tone in an attempt to bring Kurai back to normalcy. “Poor Kioko…I wish we didn’t have to leave her, but it’s best if we just go.” She leaned her head back and let out a great sigh, wondering where they would go from here.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The pair suddenly became aware of another presence, approaching slowly down a faint path on their right. It appeared to be a harmless old man, so, with a wordless glance between them, they decided it would be alright to wait and see what he would do before they made a move.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">It wasn’t long before he was right at their side. “Morning.” He said, stopping to study the unlikely duo by the cliff side. “Bit early to be out here in the mountains, wouldn’t you say?”

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">“Then what are you doing out here?” Kurai asked, with his usual bluntness and lack of respect.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">“I live up there.” He said, pointing vaguely over his shoulder to somewhere in the mountains. He eyed the two young travelers for another minute while they shifted about uncomfortably under his gaze. Eventually he seemed to come to a decision. “Yes, yes, you’d do quite well…” he said, almost to himself, nodding all the while.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">That put Ama on edge. “What do you mean?” She asked tensely.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The old man nodded once more. “Yes, I’ve made up my mind. You two would be perfect.” He pulled something out from the inner part of his jacket, quickly manipulated it, and a light smoke descended upon the two teenagers. Before they could so much as stand, Kurai and Ama felt the world begin to drain away from them, and the old man broke in to monologue. “You two will be part of the greatest science experiment mankind has ever seen! A new era in fighting technology is beginning…” The rest of his speech was lost on the twins as unconsciousness gradually enveloped them.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The last image Ama had was of the old man’s face, a face she realized she recognized from somewhere, some magazine or journal she’d picked up. What was it? Who was he? A scientist or doctor, she was sure of it. Her final fuzzy thoughts groped around for the man’s name. Dr…Dr. Guru? Dr. Gyro?

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> Dr. Gero.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">When she awoke, she felt powerful and confident. There was a new sleekness to her features. The formerly ragged blond hair had been cut to a ruler-straight edge, and any body fat she’d managed to hang on to from childhood had been trimmed. Her body was toned and hardened, but her mind was strangely empty and absolutely clear of irrelevant thoughts.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Who was she? No name came to her head, but an identification of sorts sparked in her brain, as though put there by something other than her own mind. Android 18. There was nothing else, no sudden flood of memories or flashbacks, just a general sense of who she was; a tough, hardened girl who had been taking crap from other people for far too long. So now, the real question was, what was she? What was her purpose?

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">She sat up on the hospital-type bed and placed her feet on the floor, reveling in her perfect balance and stability. Standing up and glancing over to her right, she saw a dark-haired male, who she instantly knew to be called Android 17. Frowning, she also felt something more about him. He’d once been her brother, but that seemed to be all she knew of him. He was staring at his hands, clenching and unclenching them, with an almost feline look of hunger on his face.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Curious, 18 looked down at her own hand and slowly formed a fist. She could feel the joints working, and not in the usual sense. She could feel the exact pull of the muscles, feel the mechanical pieces enhancing her already trained hand to make a fist like a sledgehammer. There was a new power within her, and unlimited power.

<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Smiling slightly, she turned and punched a satisfyingly large hole in the wall on her left. She knew exactly what she was. She was the perfect killing machine.