Cold Blooded

Two

"No," Three shook his head, trying to understand. "You- You're just another one of the voices. I'm the real me! One is my brother! I- I just need to get Yin and then he'll see me again. I'll be his brother again. I'm One's brother! Not you!"

"Oh no," the voice, Two, said with a touch of concern. "Don't get so upset. You did so well all this time. Brother made you after me so I'm proud-"

"No, no, no!" Three shouted louder this time. "I'm One's brother. There is no other me. The voices are all lying! You! You're lying! I'm the one in control! I'm... I'm me." Three fell to his knees and wiped at the tears that had started to fall. "That's all I am... Just- just let me be his brother... Let me, let me be me. Please..."

"I'm sorry that this causes you so much pain, three," Two whispered gently. "Maybe if I show you the truth you will understand. Maybe then you will be able to let us both rest..."

"What- What do you mean?" Three looked around and the darkness started to fade to something else. It was something he knew well though he tried to forget it. It was Brother's old room. The room where Three had come to life.

"I'll show you how it all happened..."

"Saask!" A familiar voice called out, Three gasped at the sound of it. "Saask! Where did you put my notes? You know that I need those."

Brother walked into the room and looked around. Three hadn't seen him in so long. The longing to be with his brother was so strong in Three that it hurt. He hadn't realized just how much he missed him. Three reached out towards his brother, but his hand slipped right through him.

"It's just a memory..." Two's voice whispered. "It's not really him."

"I-"

"It's okay," There was a beat of silence and Two's voice was so quiet Three almost missed it. "I want to see him again too."

"Saask," Brother called quieter this time, lifting up the edge of a blanket that fell from an unmade bed. "You know that it's hard enough to hide you in the dorms, I don't need you making even more problems for me."

Brother reached under the bed searching around for something with his arm. A small smile stretched across his face as he grabbed onto something and pulled it out.

"I got you." Brother smiled as he pulled out a young boy from beneath the bed. Three gasped and took a step back. It was him, but not at all. He had the same hair, eyes, he was even the same height, but he was a real human. He wasn't made of metal pieces and wires. There was no division in his arms to allow for the joints, no mask covering an old soundbox, no broken energy core. This boy was a real boy. One's real younger brother.

"That's me, Saask. One's real brother," Two said and Three could hear the smile in his voice. However the boy that Brother had grabbed wasn't smiling.

"Why do you have to leave each day?" The boy, Saask, pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You always leave me here alone and it's soooo boring."

"Oh yeah?" Brother set Saask on the ground. "Well, if you have nothing to do, maybe you could make the bed and dust the shelves for once?"

"Uugh," Saask sat down on the bed and held up a messy stack of papers, "You're so annoying. Here's your stupid notes."

"Thanks," Brother said with a breath of relief. "How about when I come back we do some drawing, okay?"

"Okay," Saask muttered, kicking the floor.

"Alright then," Brother sighed. "See you tonight." And with that he left the room and closed the door behind him. Saask sat on the bed for a few minutes and then slowly eased open the door. He peeked his head out and then craned down the hall.