Cowboy Samurai X Badass Android Read online

  Chapter 3: It’s your friendly, neighborhood cowboy

  Jake had no idea what had happened, but when he came to he found himself strapped to an examination table. His clothes had mysteriously disappeared and he had been left in nothing but his Superman boxers. He looked around realizing that he was in some kind of laboratory. It reminded him a lot of a mad scientist’s laboratory from comic books since he recognized some of the various high-tech electronic equipment.

  Jake spotted an impressive, towering Jacob’s Ladder - a device that consisted of two wires rising up into the air and forming a V-shape. It was turned on so that sparking purple-colored electricity was flowing between the two metal wires continuously rising upwards and making a low humming sound.

  Jake recognized a Tesla Coil next and flinched when an outburst of electrical discharge that looked like purple lighting went zooming directly over his head and he couldn’t even move! His aunt was insane to have him this close to so many strange electrical devices.

  Jake craned his head to see a massive super computer behind his aunt. He was almost positive it would be able to speak in a female synthesized voice. He also noticed piles of incomprehensible, metal, electrical devices, which looked like they had probably been Dr. Valery’s failed experiments, or fault inventions. Jake shuddered thinking what could happen if he touched any of those items. Control panels and mysterious levers seemed to be everywhere. This was a place that he would have to make sure not to move in, maybe not even breath in, or else something catastrophic could occur.

  Jake began to tremble on the examination table as his aunt Dr. Valery suddenly appeared at his side. He noticed that she was no longer wearing her posh Prada suit but was now dressed in an altered, sexier version of a doctor’s lab coat.

  “Oi! Hey! How the hell did I get here? Why don’t I remember getting here? When was the scene change? Where are my clothes? This is sexual harassment, you know!” Jake groused, flushing. “And didn’t you have a meeting?!”

  Dr. Valery leaned over Jake while smiling down at him lustily and he saw that she had a rather large syringe held in her gloved hand. Jake eyed the sharp looking needle and gulped. “I injected you with a sedative in order to knock you out. It’s a concoction I developed myself. It works really well on larger animals like elephants too. I’ve never used it on a human before, but it seems to work just as good.”

  “You WHAT?!” Jake burst out, turning red. His aunt was not only perverted, she was completely crazy. He had just been used as a guinea pig!

  Dr. Valery pulled her rubber gloves on tighter and Jake noticed that there was a hungry gleam in her eyes as she leered at Jake’s half-naked body. She ran her gloved hand over his muscular chest. “Such a fine specimen of a man…you’re so muscular. Do you work out? You look so tough, strong and brave and yet you’re a complete coward. What secrets does this body of yours hold, I wonder?” She tweaked one of Jake’s nipples causing him to gasp in surprise.

  “Oi! H-h-hey where do you think you’re touching?!” Jake demanded nervously stuttering.

  “Let’s use my special full-body MRI scanning device to find out.” Dr. Valery declared as a cat’s paw smile formed on her face. She walked around behind Jake’s examination table and began to wheel him in the direction of a strange, high-tech looking device. It was a cylindrical metal tube that was large enough that Jake would be able to be wheeled inside. On the outside of the metal tube Jake noticed strange symbols or glyphs.

  “Special? How is it special?” Jake asked, beginning to sweat.

  “Well, a normal MRI would merely show a 3D image of your body. It can reveal your body’s internal structure…bones, muscles. But my MRI goes even further and can scan your body at a cellular level. It will be able to unlock any secrets that you body has, Jake. Any technological secrets that you are perhaps keeping from me. I have used this device to scan cyborgs and androids before. It was fascinating really…what I discovered about the cyborgs…” Without revealing anything further Dr. Valery wheeled Jake inside of the device and closed the hatch effectively trapping Jake inside of the machine.

  Dr. Valery walked over to a nearby table and picked up a pair of goggles, which she put on over her glasses. She then walked over to the MRI device and began pressing a few buttons on its control panel as she activated the machine. The machine began to hum and the glyphs on the outside of the machine illuminated with light.

  “Oh, and feel free to scream.” Dr. Valery said off-handedly. “This may hurt a little. I haven’t quite worked out that little kink yet.”

  Scream? Hurt? Jake wondered as a blinding light flooded the interior of the MRI device. Jake shut his eyes against the light and then he felt a strange tingling sensation on his skin and then this sensation began to penetrate deeper until he felt tingles going up and down his legs, which felt like static electricity. This sensation began to grow until it became painful. Dr. Valery hadn’t been joking when she said the procedure could possibly hurt. Jake began to feel like he was being shocked by electricity and cried out.

  He saw stars as the pain became excruciating and promptly passed out. Jake Lonestar did not do well with pain. When he woke up he was still tied to the examination table but he was now outside of the MRI device. Or rather the MRI device no longer existed since it had exploded into several pieces and was now a smoking mass of metal debris. Jake frowned knowing that somehow his strange ability had caused the destruction of Dr. Valery’s invention. Whoops.

  Jake was groggy, and his limbs felt stiff as he turned his head to the side to locate Dr. Valery. He spotted her standing in front of a giant computer screen where his MRIs were being displayed. Apparently, the machine had managed to take a few MRIs of Jake before exploding. Jake recognized the android butler Zee standing next to Dr. Valery and looking at the result too.

  Jake saw a normal MRI of his internal bone structure and then saw another MRI that must have been of his cellular structure. The MRI was so intricate that Jake could see his entire circulatory system. Inside of the veins of his circulatory system he noticed that there appeared to be these strange floating particles. At first he thought they might be red blood cells, but then he noticed that they were a strange silver color. Jake shuddered. They were like bugs crawling around inside of his body. “What are those? What’s inside of me?” Jake asked in a hoarse voice as his voice cracked.

  “Nanomachines.” Dr. Valery informed him simply, pushing her glasses up her nose. “How unexpected. These nanomachines are different from any I’ve ever seen. They don’t appear to be controlling you either but awaiting your command. I’ve seen nanomachines inside of cyborgs before and it was…different. Since you have such a weak will it appears as though the nanomachines have been bullying you, Jake. What do you think about this, Zee?” Dr. Valery turned to face the android curiously.

  “Those are not ordinary nanomachines at all but neo-nanomachines. You are indeed correct - the boy should be able to control them with his will. He should be put into intensive training immediately.” Zee said in his droning voice.

  “Neo-nanomachines huh?” Dr. Valery stroked her chin in thought. “How fascinating. If they were normal nanomachines they would be trying to make him follow her will. Like the others.”

  Dr. Valery approached Jake, her high heels click-clacking against the cold linoleum floor. “Jake…how did these nanomachines get inside of you?” Dr. Valery reached out and touched Jake’s chest.

  Jake swallowed thickly and wondered if he should tell Dr. Valery about Nova Inara but…the last time he had told someone about Nova Inara he had been committed to a psychiatric hospital. He had even begun to doubt himself about whether it was all real or not. “Not telling…” Jake stubbornly declared, making an immature face.

  “He’s acting like a child.” Zee stared down at Jake coldly. “I suggest we inject him with truth serum, Doctor.”

  Dr. Valery’s blue eyes were sparkling with mischief, however, and there was a curious glint in her eye. “Oh
? That’s not a bad suggestion Zee. I’ll consider it. For now though…leave us.”

  “Wait!” Jake gave Zee a panicked look. “Don’t leave me alone with my scary peverted aunt. She’ll eat me alive, Zee!”

  Zee ignored Jake’s plea and bowed towards Dr. Valery. “Yes, of course, Dr. Valery. As you command.” Did Jake imagine the almost sneer in Zee’s voice? The almost jealous look the android gave him as he turned to go without looking back as he left the laboratory.

  Jake frowned wondering how he had managed to get on the android’s bad side.

  “Right before my machine exploded…it looked as though the machine had detected something else inside of you. The machine failed to recognize it or get a proper reading on it, but it was something that had a sort of energy signature. Perhaps a more complex kind of nanomachine is also inside of you. I can’t say for sure…I’ll rebuilt the machine and see if we can’t find out what this other thing is that’s inside of you.” Dr. Valery informed Jake kindly. “Hmmm the MRI device told me a lot but…if I were to get a sample of your DNA it could possibly reveal much more to me about how you came to possess those strange nanomachines that are inside of your body and that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen until now…Jake…” She purred his name.

  Jake swallowed, feeling nervous. He really didn’t like the sound of that. “S-s-sample?”

  “Yes, a sample…” Dr. Valery put her hand over Jake’s boxers, right over his crotch, and his eyes widened. Dr. Valery grinned Cheshire-like before slipping her hand into his boxers and beginning to stroke his length.

  “Hey!” Jake complained, his eyes going all swirly, and he tried to keep completely still, “Where do you think you’re touching, perverted aunt! Stop that! Stop! I said stop! Arghhh!” Jake pulled at the metal restraints and broke them easily-!

  Dr. Valery pouted and put a finger to her lips, “You actually broke those restraints. And they were supposed to be made out of an indestructible alloy that I invented recently too…poo~ Back to the ‘ol drawing board I guess.” Dr. Valery put her hands out in a helpless gesture.

  Jake hopped off the examination table, and ran out of the laboratory in nothing but his boxers and with a raging hard-on. That perverted, crazy woman…there’s no way she can really be my aunt?! Right?

  Jake looked around the hallway frantically wondering if he could find some place to hide when he spotted the butler Zee. Jake let out a breath of relief. “Howdy, Zee…can you please tell me how I can get the hell out of here?”

  Zee approached Jake with long strides and raised an eyebrow at the teenaged human. “You do not wish to stay here with Dr. Valery?” Zee seemed to give Jake an intense look for a moment before the android’s lip quirked slightly in an almost smile. “I am under strict orders not to allow you to leave the mansion. Follow me. I will take you to your designated room.” Zee turned around and started off down the hall not waiting for Jake’s response.

  “Hey, wait!” Jake called after the butler as he ran after him. Zee stopped in front of a door. He reached his index finger out and Jake watched curiously as a key emerged from the tip of Zee’s index finger, which he used to unlock the door. Jake’s eyes widened as he remembered that this stoic man was actually an android.

  Zee led Jake inside the bedroom and motioned towards a tall, mahogany armoire. “You should find some suitable clothes to wear in there. I will return when it’s time for dinner. Try and get some rest.” That said, Zee turned around and began to make his way out of the bedroom.

  Jake scratched the back of his neck nervously before he called out to the android butler. “Er, um, thanks!” Jake called out.

  Zee turned around and gave Jake a surprised look. He nodded once before a slight smile came to the butler’s lips. “No problem, Metaloid.” The android’s smile turned creepy and Jake shuddered.

  Metaloid? Jake wondered. What the hell is that? But Zee left Jake’s bedroom closing the door behind him without expanding upon what he had just said. Jake made his way over to the armoire and flung the wooden doors open to inspect what kind of clothes his aunt had provided him with. Jake’s eye twitched when he caught sight of all the tight, revealing leather and snakeskin clothing. “Damn perverted aunt! There’s nothing normal in here…gah!” Jake threw his arms into the air out of frustration.

  Jake spent the next hour trying to find the most normal outfit in the armoire and ended up settling for a red snakeskin vest, a pair of black leather pants and a pair of combat boots. The sleeveless shirt showed off Jake’s arm muscles and the leather pants were fitted and showed off his nice ass. Jake sighed. He knew the clothes must have been expensive, brand name clothing but they definitely weren’t his style. Jake preferred more casual and less revealing clothes.

  Jake made his way over to the king-sized, four-poster bed and collapsed on it staring up at the ceiling. His life seemed to have been turned upside down. Just like how a superhero’s life gets turned upside down before he can become a hero. Jake frowned. But he was no superhero. He was a lazy, coward. Jake turned on his side as he couldn’t help but think about his family. He wondered where they were and what they were doing at that exact moment. Ma. Pa. Bonnie. Where are you? Why didn’t that alien abduct me too? I’m so helpless. I can’t do anything on my own…dammit…I’m so weak and pathetic…and what does this crazy woman really want from me? Can she get rid of these neo-nanomachines that are inside of my body? I also think my virginity is in danger at this house. Perverted aunt. Jake fell into a troubled sleep and awoke when he felt a hand touch his arm lightly.

  He blinked his eyes and focused on Zee’s stern face. Jake sat up and stretched. “Time for dinner already?” Jake couldn’t believe he had actually slept through an entire day! He must have been extremely jetlagged.

  Zee nodded. “Yes, please follow me, Young Master Jake.”

  Jake nodded and hopped out of bed. Zee led Jake to the dinning room and he made his way inside. Jake spotted Dr. Valery seated at the head of the dinning room table while sipping a glass of red wine from a long-stemmed glass. She had changed clothes again and was now wearing a classy but low-cut black evening dress. Jake felt like doing a u-turn when he saw his perverted aunt but when he turned around he saw that Zee was blocking the doorway. Damn android butler. Jake sighed since he had no choice but to make his way over to the table.

  Jake noticed that an elaborate dinner had already been laid out on the table and couldn’t help but be impressed. In fact, the entire mansion was rather impressive. The dinning room table had to be made out of some kind of mahogany and the chairs looked like they were expensive antiques.

  Jake decided to take his seat at the very opposite end of the table, as far away from his aunt as humanly possible. The maids who were nearby immediately began to move Jake’s place setting and food to where he had seated without having to be asked.

  Dr. Valery frowned at his action. “Jake~” She began in a whiny voice, “You’re so cold to me~ Didn’t I say we’re family? You’re a healthy young man. I’m surprised you resisted that…” Dr. Valery gave Jake a thoughtful look. It was the first time a young man actually rejected me.

  There was the ghost of a smile on Zee’s pale lips.

  Jake blushed as he thought back to how Dr. Valery’s hand had played up and down his length. Damn, that had felt good…and damn he had wanted to let her keep doing it but it would have been dangerous. He might have gotten overly aroused, and pounced his aunt for heaven’s sake!

  Instead, as soon as he had managed to find suitable clothes and he was sure that Zee wasn’t going to return to his bedroom any time soon he had jerked off, vigorously, and almost tore his own dick off.

  Jake’s face was bright red as he remembered this. “You’re supposed to be my AUNT!” He stressed the word.

  “Hmm.” Dr. Valery hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose you’re right. It’s a shame the others are all away on missions. I so wanted you to meet them but I suppose you’ll get to meet them soon enough.” <
br />
  “The others?” Jake raised a curious eyebrow.

  “The nanomachines obviously give you an unusual amount of strength.” Dr. Valery pushed her glasses up her nose in an intellectual gesture. “Strength that with the proper training you should be able to control. Your nanomachines seem to react to electrical appliances as well but for what reason I know not. Have there been any other unusual occurrences that you feel you were probably responsible for, Jake?”

  Jake raised his fork and knife and began to cut into a piece of veal. “I sometimes randomly ‘attract’ metal objects. Like magnetism or something. This can be really scary when I’m in someone’s kitchen…the kitchen knives suddenly go flying towards me!” Jake exclaimed before shoving a huge piece of veal into his mouth. His eyes widened at the taste of it. It was delicious! It had been lightly breaded and sautéed with lemon and butter. “This is delicious! Did an android cook this?” Jake was curious.

  Dr. Valery raised an eyebrow at his question. “Yes…my chef Tekker is an android. I programmed him myself - he has the culinary skills and knowledge to cook almost any kind of cuisine: French, Italian, Greek. You name it. Most androids don’t have the ability to taste but I specially made it so that he can actually taste food.”

  “Huh?” Jake said thoughtfully and a small frown formed on his face. “That’s strange because…this food…moved me. Ma always used to say that cooking was something that you could put your feeling into and that the people eating it could feel it. She said she always cooked us food full of her love for us and I…felt that. But this food…it’s put me in a good mood. Why do you think that is?”

  Dr. Valery blinked. So Jake was claiming that Tekker’s food had moved his heart? Dr. Valery cut a tiny piece of veal and popped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly and swallowed. His cooking was definitely delicious but…did she feel anything? “Jake. Androids don’t have feelings. They’re machines.” Dr. Valery felt she should explain. After all this was Jake’s first encounter with androids having come to New York.

  Jake thought about how he had made Nova Inara laugh saying ‘Howdy’ and touching their index fingers together in a parody of ET. “I dunno…how can you be so sure? Maybe you’re wrong. Maybe androids do have feelings.”

  Dr. Valery shook her head. “I specifically program them not to have feelings, Jake. If any of my androids or robots were to have feelings then it would be an anomaly. Now, you were saying something about magnetism.” Dr. Valery swirled her wine before taking another thoughtful sip. “How very interesting. I see…she can do that too. Perhaps, there’s some sort of connection.”

  Jake became distracted as his attention focused on the maids that were refilling Dr. Valery’s and his own wine glass. The maids were definitely cute. A leer formed on his face as he eyed the cute, young maids, who had big boobs, and who were wearing racy, black and white maid costumes. The maid outfits weren’t normal and had definitely been custom-made. The outfits had shorter skirts, lower cut blouses and more frills and lace than any maid outfit he had ever seen. Some of the maids were wearing high heels while other were wearing knee boots.

  Jake gave Dr. Valery a suspicious look. This definitely had something to do with Dr. Valery’s strange fetishes. Jake was almost positive. The outfits were very sexual and suggestive and those skirts left little to the imagination. Jake accidentally knocked his fork off the table and a maid instantly bent over to pick it up for him. Jake’s eyes widened since he was completely able to see the maid’s underwear. Jake’s dick twitched.

  The maid turned around and replaced Jake’s fork with another clean one. “Would you like some more water, young master Jake?” The maid asked Jake in a bland sounding voice noticing Jake hadn’t touched his wine glass yet.

  Jake started. “Er, sure,” Jake said awkwardly as he looked at the maids out of the corner of his eye. Hot hot hot!

  Dr. Valery smiled a Cheshire cat smile, noticing Jake’s interest in her Sex Droids even if he was trying to hide it. She suddenly clapped her hands together. “I think it’s about time for dessert.” I think we need a little mood lighting. Dr. Valery clapped her hands again and said: “Lights!” The lights immediately dimmed to romantic mood lighting.

  From a side door two maids emerged, each carrying a plate with a chocolate covered banana on it. Jake’s eye twitched. Yesterday night’s dessert had been strawberries and whipped crème and now tonight Dr. Valery had chocolate covered bananas prepared for dessert. The maid set the chocolate covered banana in front of Jake and he felt like hitting his head on the table. Damned perverted aunt…! He knew that she was testing him but how much could a man take before he cracked? And his aunt was hot!

  Jake glared at Dr. Valery from across the table as she gave him an innocent look in return. “Bon Appetit.” Dr. Valery said before picking up the chocolate banana and putting the tip of it inside of her mouth and sucking on it in a very suggestive manner. Jake gulped, and he could feel his pants tighten. Dr. Valery continued to look at Jake intensely as she began to lick the chocolate covered banana with her tongue in a teasing manner. The way she was licking that banana was a lot like how she might lick his…! Jake would not allow himself to finish that thought.

  Jake felt a nosebleed coming and put a finger under his nose. Crap! I want to screw my hot aunt. How sick is that? I have to get out of this crazy mansion and as far away from my aunt as possible before…gah! Jake gripped his head in his hands as he tried to get a hold of himself. This woman was his aunt. Jake reminded himself firmly. This was just so wrong. So wrong, on so many levels.

  Jake looked down at his lap and realized in disbelief that he had gotten another hard-on. What the hell was wrong with him?! Crap! Jake abruptly stood up from the table, flushed. “I gotta go. Thanks for dinner. Bye!” Jake hightailed it out of the dinning room and down the hallway in the direction of his bedroom with Dr. Valery’s musical and amused sounding laugh trailing after him.

  “Oh, Jake, dessert is far from over.” Dr. Valery said to herself as she bit into the chocolate covered banana and licked her lips. “Mmm that’s good.”

  ***

  Jake somehow managed to make it back to his room without incident and quickly shut the door behind him. Zee had given him his own room key and so he used this to lock the door as well as an extra preventive measure from perverted aunts sneaking into his room at night. He was panting for breath. Whew! I made it! Jake looked down at his hard-on. He sighed. I guess I got to take care of this.

  Jake turned the lights off (using a pencil to push the light switch) and made his way over to his bed before reaching under the mattress and pulling out a Playboy magazine that he had somehow managed to sneak along with him from Texas. He opened the magazine and stopped at the picture of a busty girl with platinum colored hair that reminded him of the famous pop singer Galaxy Girl. Jake held the magazine with one hand and fumbled with the top button of his pants with his other hand. He was just slipping his hand down his pants and into his boxers when-

  “Young Master, do you need some assistance with that?” Came a dry female voice directly next to Jake.

  “AHHH!” Jake yelled and turned to see that a maid was lying on the bed right next to him. How he hadn’t noticed her presence before he had no idea. That in and of itself was incredibly creepy. It was like she was some kind of ghost.

  But then Jake became captivated by her eyes…they were incredible. Deep pools of violet with long, dark lashes. Jake then began to inspect the rest of her face and discovered that it was a perfect oval-shape. Her skin was as pale as porcelain and her features were Asian. Jake wondered if she was perhaps from China or Japan. She had short black hair but it had an edgy hairstyle with long layers in front framing her face and shorter layers in back reminding him of Aeon Flux.

  “Er, howdy, my name’s Jake. What’s your name little lady?” Jake was surprised he managed to get out.

  The maid looked back at Jake and said simply: “I am to be your personal maid, Young Master Ja
ke.”

  “Personal maid? Is that so?” Jake’s eyes traveled down to look at the rest of her body next. He was disappointed that she wasn’t bustier. She had a very petite and lithe build. She seemed almost childlike in appearance and couldn’t have been taller than five feet. She was wearing a frilly black and white maid costume with a pair of black leather knee boots. Jake suddenly grinned at the maid. “Either those are your eyes, or you managed to make a contact lens made out of gemstones.”

  The maid did not respond to Jake’s cheesy pickup line but merely quirked her head at Jake.

  Jake had never seen a girl who looked quite like her before. Or at least that was living. She reminded him of his sister Bonnie’s porcelain dolls that she sometimes pretended to play with. Though his tomboy sister usually ended up breaking those poor dolls. The image of a shattered head came to Jake’s mind and he shuddered. Looking back at the doll-faced maid he decided that it was kind of creepy that she looked like a living doll.

  There was something cold about her that reminded him of Nova Inara except this maid had a face and was obviously human. There was no smile on the girl’s lips just a neutral expression. This unsettled Jake.

  The maid looked down at Jake’s crotch and he quickly tried to zip up his pants in a hasty move. Unfortunately, he accidentally caught his engorged dick in his zipper. “OW!” He turned, tears in his eyes, to glare at the maid. “What are you even doing in here anyways? I thought I locked the door…?” Jake turned to look at the door, which still appeared to be closed. That meant she must have already been inside when Jake entered but he was still surprised that he really hadn’t noticed her at all. What was she a ninja?

  “No room is off limits to the maids of this household.” The maid informed Jake in a droning tone as if she were bored.

  “Oh, I see…” She must also have a key to my room. I guess that would make sense since she’s my personal maid.

  “Allow me to assist you with that, Young Master…” The maid began to crawl towards Jake on the bed.

  “Eh? With what?” Jake questioned evasively as he tried to back away from the pushy maid.

  “With that.” The maid pointed directly at Jake’s crotch.

  Jake blushed. She can’t be serious…! Can she…? “Huh? Wait! No…!” Jake said as the maid roughly pushed Jake backwards with one hand and straddled him. She then began to strip Jake’s clothes off of him. In seconds, Jake’s snakeskin vest was flying across the room and he was shirtless. His well-defined, muscular chest was revealed to the maid who stared at him with a bland, unaffected expression on her face.

  That cold look was a bit of a blow to Jake’s male pride. Jake inwardly pouted. He knew it was because of some freaky nanomachine thing but his body was surprisingly buff.

  The maid unzipped Jake’s leather pants next and began to unceremoniously tug them off of his legs without further ado.

  “Whoa…wait a sec…what are you doing?! Aren’t you moving a little too fast?” It didn’t take long until Jake was in nothing but his Superman boxers. The maid grabbed Jake’s boxers next and began to tug them off. Jake began to panic and grabbed the waistband of his boxers to keep them on…

  Jake was torn. Okay, so he really wanted his boxers to come off and for this hot maid to do whatever she wanted to him but…he was afraid that he’d hurt her. If he was actually going to have sex he’d have to be on top of that petite little maid, thrusting inside of her and Jake was unsure he’d be able to hold himself back from thrusting into her hard. He shuddered. He’d break that poor girl in two for sure! Especially since she was so petite and he happened to be rather well endowed.

  Jake gripped the sides of his head in indecision. Oh man, oh man, I really want to let her keep going but…shit…I’ll break this little maid for sure. Dammit…she’s so fucking hot but…damn I can’t do this!

  “No! Stop! Wait!” Jake objected and put his hands on the top of the maid’s hands in order to stop her. And then-

  ZAP! An electric shock went from Jake into the maid who began to act strangely. Suddenly, her body began to spark and twitch and her head turned around in a three hundred and sixty degree circle. Jake was horrified until he realized what must have happened - no, she wasn’t possessed - she was an android! And this was the result of Jake touching her. She had wigged out just like any other electrical device that Jake came into contact with.

  His eyes widened. “She’s an android, which means she’s a machine. Shit! I probably broke her and she probably cost a fortune!”

  He thought of Nova Inara suddenly and fear filled him battling with the worry he felt for the android girl he had just touched.

  Jake was so shocked he was trembling and ran a shaky hand through his shaggy brown hair as he tried to compose himself. What the hell was that? Did some kind of Sex Droid really just try to rape me? Damn, I think I broke her. That’s too bad. She was kinda cute. Jake pouted as a frown formed on his face.

  However, the android maid suddenly rebooted and started back to life as a soft whirling sound filled the room.

  “Uh oh…” Jake muttered as he looked down over the side of the bed to watch as the android girl rebooted.

  The maid sat up blinked slowly and her eyes became an even deeper shade of violet than before. Her eyes appeared different to Jake now. It was almost as if her eyes held a spark that wasn’t there before now. She stood up and dusted herself off and looked at Jake. She took in his half-naked state and then her eyes were drawn to his Superman boxers where his raging hard-on was still evident. Her blank expression was immediately replaced by a disgusted sneer. She stalked towards Jake, balled her hand into a fist and punched Jake hard across the face with a pow! “I’ll sue you for sexual harassment, disgusting pervert!”

  Jake was sent flying into the western wall of his room where he went crashing through the wall and into the adjoining room only to discover Dr. Valery sitting in a cushy chair while munching on some popcorn as she…?

  Jake turned to see that Dr. Valery was able to see right into his room from behind a kind of holographic wall projection screen like in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. “Perverted Aunt! I can’t believe this. You were watching as I…!”

  The violent maid stalked towards Jake with purposeful steps entering the room through the hole Jake had created. Once she was standing right in front of Jake the maid suddenly took out a cigarette from her cleavage, lit it, and took a drag on it. She held it between her index and middle finger as she glared up at Jake and blew a ring of smoke into his face. “Pervert. I hope you rot in hell…” She growled.

  Jake began to cough violently as he accidentally breathed in the smoke that had just been blown into his face.

  Dr. Valery raised an eyebrow at the Sex Droid’s new strange, badass behavior. “My oh my, what have you done to my obedient little Sex Droid, Jake? That’s definitely not the current response she’s supposed to have for when she sees a man’s arousal…how did you manage to give my Sex Droid that crappy personality?”

  Jake blinked and looked down at the robot maid. “So she is a Sex Droid? Hey, wait a sec - you sent a Sex Droid into my room so that you could watch us having sex?! You’re sick! You’re supposed to be my AUNT!” Jake balled up his hands at his sides.

  “Perverted hag.” The android maid drawled as she glared disapprovingly at Dr. Valery.

  “Hag?!” Dr. Valery burst out, frowning at the Sex Droid. “That’s not what I was doing, Jake. I was merely trying to get that sperm sample I wanted. Anyways, I don’t understand how she could get like this all of a sudden. It’s very strange. You see, I programmed Sex Droid 4567 myself and downloaded Mallanaga Vatsyayana’s Kama Sutra into her artificial brain, which means she is able to perform up to sixty-four types of sexual acts. She knows how to have sex in fifty-seven positions. And she also knows pleasure points on a man that when touched drive a man wild.” Dr. Valery gave Sex Droid 4567 a befuddled look.

  Jake blushed at the description of Sex Droid 4
567’s programming and capabilities and shook his head. “Were you even listening to me, Aunt Val?! This has got to stop!”

  “Well, I guess I’ll just have to dispose of this one since she’s become…defective.” Dr. Valery gave the robot a cold look.

  Jake was suddenly thrown by Dr. Valery’s words. “What? You’re going to dispose of her? You mean, like throw her away?”

  Dr. Valery hummed. “Well, first I’ll have to erase her memory and then scrap her. I could recycle her for parts I guess or perhaps I’ll just melt her down in an acid bath…” She tapped her chin in thought.

  Jake looked horrified by this idea and turned to see how the android maid was reacting to this conversation.

  The android maid was simply continuing to smoke on her cigarette while giving Dr. Valery a stone cold look. “I’d like to see you try, perverted hag.”

  Dr. Valery gave the android maid a shocked look and Jake’s jaw dropped. “Sex Droid 4567?! How dare you threaten me! Androids aren’t supposed to be able to do that…! You’re definitely defective. Oh that’s it - I’m calling the other maids to come and subdue you-”

  “Are the other maids all Sex Droids too?” Jake asked curiously.

  “Why yes, I don’t know if you’re aware of this but the NeoTech Corporation doesn’t just develop video games anymore. I also invent elaborate, high-tech, sex toys. Originally, I helped to create the very first robots and fembots that replaced people’s computers. The living-tissue maid and butler android series are just one of my many projects, but the maids and butlers of this mansion are all Sex Droids that have been programmed with special skill sets in order to give their masters the greatest sexual pleasures.”

  Jake looked horrified by this revelation. Maid and butler series? Project? Oh my God…sex toys. Does that mean Zee is a Sex Droid? Jake rubbed his temples. My perverted aunt invents high-tech sex toys and robots? Someone just shoot me now since it seems like she wants me to be some kind of guinea pig to test her sex toys on! “But…it’s my fault Sex Droid 4567, I mean, that the maid, went loopy. I…don’t want her to be destroyed because of me.”

  “Oh?” Dr. Valery raised an eyebrow at him. “Why not? She’s just a machine.”

  Jake looked at the badass maid. “She’s an android and she’s not really acting like a mere machine, now is she? Who am I to decide if someone has the right to live or not? I don’t even understand how a robot is able to move, think or feel but…it’s beyond my comprehension. They’re - she - is beyond me. I don’t understand them. I can’t really make a judgment on something I don’t understand.” Jake shook his head and put his hands out in a helpless gesture.

  A frown formed on Dr. Valery’s red lips. “They don’t feel Jake. They’re androids. And they don’t live either - they exist.” Dr. Valery corrected him automatically.

  “How do you know if that’s really true? Are you a robot? And who’s to say that existing and living aren’t the same thing…?” Jake argued in a tremulous tone.

  Dr. Valery gave the maid a thoughtful look before sighing. “Alright fine, I won’t dispose of her but I don’t know what use I’ll have for her now that she’s not a Sex Droid. Shin is going to be incredibly displeased with me. Though I suppose you can use her as your own personal android computer, Jake. She’s able to connect to the Internet via WiFi and make phone calls.”

  Jake let out a breath of relief. The Sex Droid wouldn’t be destroyed. Phew.

  “Well, Sex Droid 4567 is your responsibility now. Maybe you should even give her a name.” Dr. Valery said in a joking manner, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  However, a look of understanding came to Jake’s face and he nodded slowly. “Yea…that’s right…she doesn’t even have a name.” Jake looked over at the android maid. The maid was still smoking her cigarette and gave Jake an expectant look.

  “So are you going to name me or not, shitty Master?” The android tapped her booted foot impatiently upon the floor. “You better not give me some lame ass name like Bertha!”

  Jake chuckled and stared into the android’s surprisingly beautiful, deeply-colored violet eyes. “No, don’t worry. I won’t name you something as uncool as Bertha. You look more like an…Ultraviolet.” Jake finished, looking pleased. She looks like some kind of hot battle maid with that badass attitude of hers. She needs an edgy name. I think Ultraviolet suits her.

  Ultraviolet raised an eyebrow at Jake. “Ultraviolet hm? It’s not that crappy…alright fine, you can call me Ultraviolet, shitty Master.” A small smirk formed on the android’s lips.

  Jake smiled back at her goofily. If he didn’t know better he’d say that Ultraviolet liked her new name. Jake’s momentary happiness faded, however, as he remembered the stunt his perverted aunt had just pulled on him. He couldn’t stand being in that crazy mansion any longer. Jake decided that he’d try and escape from there, maybe even that very night. He pondered if he should take Ultraviolet with him or if she’d be safer on her own. His mere touch had nearly destroyed her after all.

  Dr. Valery looked back and forth between Jake and Ultraviolet. A small frown formed on her face. She didn’t like the way Jake was interacting with Ultraviolet. He was treating her as if she were a human being - as if she were someone he was meeting and getting to know for the first time. Dr. Valery knew she had to correct Jake’s misconception about androids before it was too late.

  Dr. Valery stood up and approached Jake. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “I know that ranch in Texas was pretty isolated but…here in the city robots and fembots are common now. They’re nothing…special. They’ve replaced classic computers. Robots and fembots have the same features that regular computers had and then some: WiFi, Internet access, and data storage space. Robots live side-by-side with human beings in New York City but none of these personal computers have free will.

  “That’s unheard of. That’s why they have the control antennas on the top of their heads - all owners of a robotic personal computer have a remote control device that sends a command signal to the antenna and into the robot’s brain so that they can control them. Ultraviolet and the other android maids all have antenna too but I just hide them with their frilly maid caps and hair styles so that they look human. Ultraviolet, I order you to remove your maid cap and show Jake your antenna. He seems to be under the impression that you’re more human than you really are.” Dr. Valery ordered firmly.

  “Yes, Dr. Valery,” Ultraviolet said in a monotone voice as she removed her maid cap. Jake blinked when he caught sight of two tiny radio antennas on the top of her head. They’re kinda cute. Jake thought.

  Dr. Valery gasped at the sight of the two radio antennas. The android was supposed to have only one radio antenna. What was going on?

  Dr. Valery quickly schooled her expression so that she didn’t appear surprised by this revelation. She would unlock Ultraviolet’s new secrets later. “I’ll let you keep her, Jake. For now. And when you get bored of her we can just dispose of her.” Dr. Valery was saying but Jake wasn’t really paying attention to her since Jake was currently captivated by the android Ultraviolet. She was fascinating.

  Jake shook his head, returned his attention to his perverted aunt, and took a deep breath. He opened his mouth wanting to tell his aunt off, but suddenly lost his nerve. How dare she sic a Sex Droid on him?! Jake rubbed his aching jaw. He had nearly been killed! Jake decided that he would leave Dr. Valery’s crazy mansion that very night. He couldn’t take much more of this.

  That night, Jake pretended to go to sleep and waited until it sounded extremely quiet within the mansion. When he was sure everyone must be asleep Jake unlocked the door to his room and began to make his way down the hall. He was so freaked out and worried about his escape that Ultraviolet had completely slipped his mind. He exited the mansion and a tiny synthesized voice called out to him:

  “Where are you going, Young Master Jake?”

  Jake spun around, eyes wide and realized that
the doorknocker had actually spoken to him. He gave the doorknocker an apologetic look and put a finger to his mouth. “Shhhh! What if my perverted aunt hears you? I’m really sorry but…I can’t stay here. Please say you won’t tell on me?”

  The doorknocker blinked slowly at Jake. “I will not tell Dr. Valery that you have escaped, Metaloid. But be careful, New York City is a dangerous place. Especially now with the emergence of the cyborg criminals…”

  Jake gave the doorknocker a surprised and grateful look. “Hey, thanks little lady! You take care too!” Jake said before running off down the graveled driveway. Jake then sneaked through the forest that surrounded the mansion. It wasn’t long before he reached a high metal fence. The metal fence was more than twenty feet high and there was coiled barbed wire at the very top. There was also a warning sign which read: ‘Warning High Voltage’. Jake shrugged and approached the wire chain link and grabbed it with his two bare hands. Instantly waves of electric shocks were sent coursing through his body. Jake cried out in pain but almost as quickly something somewhere exploded and suddenly the fence went dead no longer shocking Jake.

  A wry smile formed on Jake’s face. Apparently, his crazy powers could actually come in handy for something. Jake grabbed onto the wire chain link and began to climb up the fence. Once he reached the top he merely jumped right over the coiled barbed wire using his incredible strength and agility.

  As soon as his feet touched the ground he took off running. Running away and not being found was one of Jake’s greatest skills. Jake had no idea where he was going but he figured as long as he ran in one direction he would eventually reach something. Soon he reached a highway, which he followed into the city - New York City. The city was unlike anything Jake had ever seen.

  It was the dead of night but there was so much artificial light that the city seemed alive. Skyscrapers reached for the sky, cars and people whizzed past Jake swiftly going God knows where at this hour of the evening.

  Jake yawned widely and realized that all he wanted to do was to find a quiet place to sleep. He looked around and spotted a sign, which read ‘Central Park’. Jake headed into the park and instantly his surroundings became quieter. Jake decided he liked Central Park. There were a few shaddy characters hiding in the bushes and watching Jake as he passed by but…Jake shrugged. If they tried anything he could just run away. Jake spotted an empty park bench and made his way over to it. He lay down on the park bench, folded his arms behind his head, and looked up at the night sky.

  He was surprised by how crisp the air was in the middle of a park that was in the middle of such a large city. Jake took a deep breath feeling refreshed. He was free…free of his crazy aunt and her technological perversions. His eyes began to droop and he was soon fast asleep. Another of Jake’s skills was being able to fall asleep just about anywhere.

  Jake woke up the next morning to a pigeon pooping on his face. Jake felt something wet hit his cheek and was instantly awake. With a groan he sat up and stretched. “Ugh…what the?” Jake wiped his hand across his face and realized that a bird must have pooped on him. “Just my luck.” Jake looked around the deserted park and suddenly realized something. He had no real plan. He had just decided to run away from Dr. Valery’s mansion but…now he was in the middle of New York City. A place he had never been to before, a place where he knew no one. He had no money, no real skills if he was planning on trying to get a job somewhere, and he was a coward to top it all off. Suddenly, it felt like the walls were closing in around Jake. He felt suffocated and afraid. Shit! What the hell was I thinking? How am I supposed to survive on my own but…I can’t go back to that crazy mansion. I’ll go insane.

  Jake dragged his feet along the busy NYC streets and watched businessmen in slick suits with leather briefcases hurrying off to their desk jobs where they’d be forced to sit in a cubical for at least eight hours, typing in things on their computers, but really just spending time chatting with people on Facebook.

  He saw beautiful women who looked like models dressed in expensive designer labels like Prada, Chanel, and GUCCI. When he wandered off the main streets he spotted homeless people and stray dogs. On other streets he saw street venders set up on the side of the roads selling anything from fake designer purses to sunglasses to bottle openers. And there was something else that Jake saw that he hadn’t expected to see:

  Robots.

  In only seven years things truly had changed in NYC. With the NeoTech Corporation’s creation of A.I. and the development of personal android computers things had totally changed. Now seeing people walking around New York City with robots or fembots next to them had become commonplace. At least for the people who could afford the expensive personal computers. He also noticed another strange phenomena. There were men and women with cybernetic limbs - metal arms and legs. He hadn’t heard anything about this and frowned.

  He stared at one cyborg man a little too long apparently because the cyborg turned to glare at Jake and began to crack his sparking knuckles. One of the cyborg’s eyes glowed red and Jake stumbled backwards in fear with a squeak. He ran away and didn’t look back.

  A thoughtful frown formed on Jake’s face as he ran. Seven years ago Nova Inara had left the Lonestar Ranch and left for New York City. Not long after that all of a sudden scientists possessed the knowledge of A.I. and were suddenly able to make robots and androids. That was no coincidence. Nova Inara had come to New York City and suddenly robots were real and no longer sci-fi. Jake wondered if perhaps Nova Inara had simply leaked the advanced alien technology over the Internet to set her plans in motion. Although he had no idea what she was planning to begin with. What did Nova Inara really want? Well, besides the destruction of humanity, probably. At least, that’s what all evil alien invaders wanted according to his comic books, right?

  It pissed Jake off that these people had come to accept the ‘creation’ or ‘invention’ of A.I. so easily, but that the cops back in Amarillo couldn’t accept the truth about aliens when he had told them about Nova Inara.

  And just where did these people think this advanced technology or technical know-how had really come from, anyways? That it had just fallen from the sky? That Dr. Valery was really a super-genius? Jake didn’t believe it. Well, he supposed the technology had sort of fallen out of the sky if he considered the fact that Nova Inara had crash landed on earth, so scratch that.

  A few years back Jake remembered having come across an interesting newspaper article. He supposed that his family was probably one of the few in Amarillo who still subscribed to a newspaper to begin with but since the Lonestars were unable to have a TV in their home because of Jake’s strange abilities the newspaper was the only way the Lonestars could keep up with current events.

  Jake racked his brain for what the newspaper article had said:

  …leaked over the Internet…an amazing discovery of a sudden advancement in technology. The creation of A.I. - Artificial Intelligence. No longer is A.I. ‘science fiction’ or ‘fantasy’ but now a reality for mankind. This revelation brings endless possibilities in the fields of science and technology. A.I. will be sure to benefit mankind and help to make our lives easier. Through the advancements in cybernetic technology people who are missing limbs or are blind will be able to recover mobility and sight. Cyborgs are no longer a myth either now due to a new drug that…

  Jake was almost positive that this sudden advancement in technology had to be Nova Inara’s doing.

  Jake continued to wander aimlessly through the busy New York City streets when he spotted a ‘Help Wanted’ sign on the front door of a diner. He went inside and asked about the position, which happened to be a dishwasher. Jake immediately accepted the job and was taken to the kitchen where he was expected to wash dishes. Jake pushed his sleeves back and immediately began to wash the dishes, however, the dishes were so fragile they crumbled instantly in his hands. He was immediately fired.

  That night as Jake was walking past some road construction workers he aske
d if they needed an extra hand. Jake was immediately hired but fired just as quickly when he ended up making a gigantic crater in the middle of the road when he had merely swung and hit the road using a pickaxe. Oops. Jake seemed to cause chaos and destruction in his wake while trying to do the simplest of tasks.

  The next day, he somehow managed to get a job as an errand boy and for the next week this was working out well until his boss told him to enter some things into his computer. Jake told his boss he really shouldn’t but his boss wouldn’t listen. As soon as Jake’s hands hit the keyboard the computer had exploded. He was instantly fired. Any electrical devices that came into contact with Jake would still wig out apparently.

  Over the next few days, Jake tried to get another job but to no avail. Apparently, he was beginning to get a reputation for being a troublemaker. When he went to ask people about their ‘Help Wanted’ signs he was immediately turned away without even getting to try the job. Jake stumbled down the sidewalk and his stomach growled loudly. He hadn’t eaten anything for three days. He was starving and he didn’t have any money since he had never gotten paid at any of his jobs since he had always screwed them up, and causing damages that came out of his paycheck for repairs.

  Jake scratched his head trying to think of a job that he would be capable of doing and came up with a big blank. It was hard enough trying to get a job where you didn’t have to be around electrical appliances but to top it all off it was the middle of a recession and jobs were scarce to begin with.

  His stomach growled loudly again. I wonder if I’m going to die a homeless bum on the streets of New York City?

  Jake’s footsteps slowed as he just felt all the motivation and hope leave him suddenly. What was the point in even continuing to move forward? Is this it? Is this the end? I guess so…man, I’m so pathetic but I guess there’s just no place for someone like me in this world. Maybe it’s better if I die…maybe the world will be a better place without me in it. Jake thought morosely as he sat down in an alley way and just closed his eyes and decided to sleep. If he slept he wasn’t hungry. Jake knew he was being stupid and going off on a pity trip but he couldn’t help it. It was times like this that Jake painfully realized that ‘no man is an island’.

  A man’s strength was the sum of his friends, James had once told Jake. Jake had never really had friends - if he couldn’t count his sister Bonnie - but not by choice of course. He would have liked to have friends just as much as the next guy. He didn’t choose to be alone. He just was. I can’t believe I went through my entire life without meeting anyone who wanted to be my friend. That’s just sad, man. Maybe I’ll make a friend in my dreams.

  Jake dozed off and slumped down against the grimy building wall.

  Little did Jake know that his current plight was being observed by a superhero dressed in green…

  ***

  Jake groaned and stretched his arms over his head as he began to awaken. The first thing he realized was that he was actually warm and felt comfortable. A feeling he hadn’t felt for about fifteen days of sleeping on a park bench in Central Park. He also felt a wet towel on his forehead, which felt nice and cool against his feverish skin. Whatever he was sleeping on didn’t feel like a hard, unforgiving park bench, which meant he must have been sleeping on a bed.

  This realization startled Jake and he quickly sat up in bed to see where the hell he was. The sudden movement made Jake’s head spin, however, and he felt dizzy. The towel that had been on his forehead fell to the floor. Jake put a hand to his forehead and felt that he was burning up. Apparently, he had come down with a fever. Probably from the whole sleeping outdoors and having no food thing.

  Had someone kidnapped him? Was he going to be sold off as a slave and shipped off to some far away land? Was Jake good looking enough to be sold off as a sex slave? Did human trafficking really even exist in this day and age? These sorts of questions ran through Jake’s head frantically and as he began to panic he forgot to breath.

  Jake then considered the possibility that he had been captured by people who wanted to cut him open so that they could sell off his organs. Jake quickly eyed his surroundings as the dizziness finally left him. Shit. Where the hell am I? I’ve definitely been kidnapped by human traffickers or illegal organ sellers!

  Jake discovered that he was inside an extremely tiny house. The entire structure was only about twenty feet by twenty feet. The kitchen, living room, dining room, and bedroom were all in the same room. The next thing that Jake noticed was that something smelled really good. Jake’s stomach grumbled loudly in response. Jake’s attention was drawn to the tiny kitchen where he spotted a plump, short, middle-aged woman at work at the stove stirring a pot of what smelled like chicken soup. The woman had black hair streaked with gray and that was tied up into a bun on the top of her head held there by two long chopsticks. This gave her an Asian appearance.

  The woman seemed to feel Jake’s eyes upon her and so turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw that Jake was awake. “Oh! You’re awake, young man?” She wiped her hands off on her apron before approaching Jake’s bed. She reached her hand out towards him and Jake flinched back. The woman frowned at him and gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m just going to check your temperature, young man. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of little old me?” She chuckled and reached out to touch Jake’s forehead and this time Jake didn’t pull back.

  Now that he could get a closer look at the woman he realized that she definitely seemed to be of Asian descent. She had dark, narrow eyes and olive colored skin. She’s probably from Japan or China…or outer space. Jake half-smiled at his own inside joke as he remembered how Nova Inara had strangely chosen to dress in traditional Japanese clothing.

  “You’re still a little warm.” The woman frowned and Jake noticed that she had dark brown, kind looking eyes. “How are you feeling, young man?”

  Jake blushed at her unexpected show of concern. The feeling of her hand on his forehead was such a simple thing but it made Jake infinitely happy. But also infinitely sad at the very same time. No one had showed him much concern or care like that for a very long time. “Mmm fine.” Jake shyly mumbled and then at that moment his stomach took the opportunity to growl loudly. Jake’s blush deepened out of embarrassment.

  “Oh dear! You must be hungry! You poor thing. You look absolutely starved!” The woman hurried back over to the stove and quickly ladled a bowl of soup for Jake before walking back over to Jake with a bowl and a spoon. She handed the bowel of soup to Jake who took it gingerly in his hands. “Careful, it’s hot…and try not to eat too fast. If you’re suffering from starvation your body could go into shock if you eat too quickly and you could end up throwing up all that food. So please be careful.”

  Jake nodded, giving the woman a grateful look before he carefully spooned up some soup, blew on it, put the spoonful of soup into his mouth, and swallowed. Tears immediately sprung to his eyes. So good! So delicious! Jake wanted to devour the soup quickly and he had to use all of his willpower to eat slowly like the woman had advised.

  Jake was eating his soup quietly when the front door to the tiny dwelling opened and a middle-aged businessman stepped inside. The first thing Jake noticed about the man was that he was just as short as the woman who was kindly feeding him, but whereas she was plump this man was incredibly skinny. When he turned around Jake could see that the man also had Asian features and due to his closely cropped, salt and pepper hair must have also been middle-aged. He had a round face and kind eyes. Jake immediately figured that this man must have been the woman’s husband. He had on a business suit and was carrying a briefcase but in his other hand he was holding a rather large fish.

  “Tadaimas. I’m home, Questa.” The man greeted as he quickly hung his coat and hat on a peg that had been nailed to the wall.

  “Okaerinasai. Welcome back, Quentin.” Questa greeted him with a fond look on her face.

  Quentin’s eyes widened when he caught sight of Jake and he grew
nervous instantly beginning to wring his hands together.

  “Oh, is that fish for dinner?” Questa asked.

  Quentin nodded. “Yes, Green Avenger just gave it to me…um, honey, who is that…? We have a…guest?” Quentin asked hesitantly.

  Jake frowned. The poor guy was looking at him like he was a robber or something. Though since Jake hadn’t gotten the chance to bathe in several days he probably did look like some kind of dangerous, homeless thug. Jake hung his head dejectedly at the thought.

  “Oh! Green Avenger brought him here. The poor boy was apparently starving to death in the city in some alleyway…” Questa explained, her eyes going a little misty.

  “Green Avenger?” Jake looked up at Questa curiously. That totally sounds like a superhero name. I must have misheard her.

  Quentin’s nervous look shifted to a compassionate one as he looked at Jake. “Starving? And he’s so young.” Quentin looked Jake over and took in his ragged appearance noting his hollow cheeks and the dark circles that were under Jake’s eyes. “He’s probably the same age as…” Quentin trailed off and coughed into his hand suddenly. “How could something like this happen? Where are you parents, young man?” Quentin asked as he walked over to take a seat at the small round table that was in the center of the home and that was surrounded by three rickety looking chairs. Jake wondered who the third chair was for. He hoped it was for their cute daughter.

  Jake bit his lip to make sure he didn’t speak. My parents…are probably somewhere in outer space right about now. But there’s no way these normal, kind people would believe that. “Gone.” Jake said instead.

  “Gone?” Quentin blinked and he and his wife exchanged an emotional look. “That’s so…sad.” Quentin declared and Jake was incredibly surprised to see tears welling up in the man’s eyes.

  Questa was nodding vigorously. “How horrible…you poor dear! How you must have suffered!” Questa quickly joined in.

  Jake slowly blinked at the couple in surprise. This hadn’t been the reaction he had been expecting. The couple immediately began to fuss over Jake, who blushed and his own eyes began to sting with unshed tears. Yes…yes it WAS hard! Dammit! Jake silently admitted to himself. He wasn’t even eighteen yet and all these crazy things had happened to him. He was so close to being an adult and yet he felt like a useless kid.

  “The Green Avenger should be just outside somewhere.” Questa informed Jake putting a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “He was really worried about you. Green is the one who brought you here. I’m sure that you’d like to meet him? Well, I’ll go get him so that he can see that you’re awake now.” Questa finished before wiping her hands on her apron and leaving the tiny house.

  The Green Avenger…if I didn’t know any better I’d say that sounds just like a superhero name. But…superheroes don’t exist in reality. Right? Naw…Jake ran his hands through his oily hair. He really needed a bath.

  A few minutes later, the door swung open of its own accord and then suddenly three things that resembled grenades were suddenly tossed into the room. Jake’s eyes widened in fear and he quickly grabbed Quentin and pushed him to the floor. “Look out, old man!” Jake cried.

  The grenades exploded into clouds of green smoke and then a shadowy figure leapt through the smoke to enter the tiny house. “Evil that lurks in the night! Beware for the Green Avenger has come to fight! I am a mighty champion of Justice!” A skinny man who was dressed in a black and green spandex bodysuit began to strike cheesy superhero poses at Jake and Quentin. The man’s face could not be seen since he was wearing a full facemask that had a black ‘A’ on it. He was also wearing a snazzy looking utility belt and a pair of shinny black boots.

  Jake’s jaw dropped. This was the Green Avenger? He’s a real superhero? Or did he just escape from the Looney bin?

  Jake felt a trickle of sweat form on the side of his head. This was the superhero that had ‘saved’ him? As the green smoke began to disperse Jake noticed just how lanky and wimpy the ‘mighty’ Green Avenger really was.

  “Who the hell are you?” Jake asked as he stood up and held his hand out to help Quentin up off the floor.

  “Ah, thank you, young man.” Quentin said as he took Jake’s hand and allowed himself to be helped up. “Such a polite young man.”

  “Er…” The Green Avenger seemed to be at a lose for words. “Didn’t you just hear my grand introduction? Should I go back outside and do it again?” The Green Avenger turned back around and was about to head back out of the tiny house when Jake called out to him.

  “No! Wait! I already heard your cliché introduction. I get that you’re the Green Avenger but…I’m sorry, man. You look like you’re supposed to be some kind of superhero but I’ve never heard of you.”

  It was the Green Avenger’s turn to stagger backwards in surprise. “N-N-Never heard of me?!” He squeaked. “Impossible! How can you not know who I am, young man? I am the mighty Green Avenger!” The Green Avenger struck another pose, this time with one of his legs bent and both of his hands in the air forming a giant ‘V’. “For more information see my comic book series…” He added in a tiny voice.

  Jake raised an eyebrow at this so-called superhero. “Dude…did you just strike a superhero pose? You were way off from the proper execution. Lame…” Jake trailed off in a disinterested tone as he began to pick wax out of his ears.

  Jake took his superheroes very seriously. He of course only read comic books that had the word ‘man’ in the titles since Jake considered them to be the most manly: Batman, Spiderman, Superman and Ironman. But this green superhero before him was not manly. He was wimpy.

  The Green Avenger bristled. “It’s not lame! It’s cool. All superheroes strike poses when they’re making their grand entrance! Didn’t you know that?”

  “Dude…superheroes aren’t real.” Jake put in. Now here was someone that Jake felt probably deserved to be taken to a psychiatric ward a lot more than he had deserved to be. Jake inwardly frowned at the thought. Being called crazy and a liar had not been fun. He got to find out firsthand just how Sarah Conner must have felt.

  “Ah, that’s where you’re mistaken, young man. New York City is rampant with superheroes these days!” The Green Avenger explained enthusiastically to Jake. “You haven’t noticed the masked heroes running around?”

  “Masked heroes?” Jake questioned in disbelief and racked his brain for any time he may have seen one of these so-called superheroes.

  “More like vigilantes.” Quentin clarified and shook his head. “Young people have begun to take the law into their own hands…which sadly is only to be expected since NYC has become more and more lawless, and dangerous. The NYPD can’t handle everything on their own anymore. The balance of power has shifted in this city. The cops and the government are no longer in control of NYC. The person who is really in control of NYC is the leader of the Noppera-bō Gang…”

  Jake finished his soup off and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Ah! That was really delicious!” Jake turned to grin sheepishly at Questa and Quentin. “Thanks a lot. Y’all really saved me. I thought I was a goner.”

  Questa and Quentin both looked extremely pleased yet embarrassed, and both began to blush.

  “It was n-n-nothing special,” Questa took the bowl from Jake so that she could wash it.

  “Your praise doesn’t make us happy, asshole,” Quentin said while looking totally embarrassed and he began doing a goofy kind of dance.

  He sure looks pleased…Jake shook his head ruefully.

  “Ah! No! Don’t compliment them! They’ll get totally embarrassed and then they’ll-” The Green Avenger tried to warn Jake as he waved his hands frantically in the air before him.

  “Too late.” The Green Avenger sighed and smacked a hand to his forehead.

  With a poof! Questa and Quentin suddenly turned into two strange raccoon-like creatures.

  Jake’s eyes widened in shock. “Racoons…?” I must be dreaming.


  The Green Avenger let out a dramatic sigh. “Now you did it…”

  “Oh no!” Questa gasped as she stood on her hind legs and raised a hand in front of her mouth before shooting her husband a concerned look, “He’s seen us!”

  “Damn…” Quentin frowned also standing up on his hind legs and shook his head. “This is why humans aren’t allowed under the bridge, Green Avenger. We’ve been discovered by a human…if the Mayor finds out about this I don’t know what he’ll do.” Quentin began to wring his hands together.

  Jake’s eyes had become swirly. “The raccoons are talking…is this a dream? Or maybe I smoked some pot…?” Jake decided to pinch his arm. “Ow! Nope, this isn’t a dream…”

  The Green Avenger was beginning to freak out. “Shit! Shit! Shit! If Mayor Stark finds out about this…he’ll want to kill him! We gotta get him outta here….”

  “Hey, what’s going on? What’s the big deal anyways? So you can turn into raccoons? So what? I’ve seen much stranger things…” Faceless androids…hot, blue-skinned alien babes…feisty sex droids…

  The raccoons gawked at Jake in disbelief and so did the Green Avenger.

  “What? Are you raccoons wizards or something?” Jake questioned, his eyes beginning to sparkle with the idea. “That would be so neat.”

  Quentin and Questa exchanged a look. “Maybe we should tell him…”

  “Mayor Stark is definitely going to want to kill him.” The Green Avenger shook his head and gave Jake a pitying look. “Maybe I should take his measurements for the coffin?”

  Coffin? Jake paled.

  “We’ll sneak him back out to the city. We can let him live above the store.” Quentin suggested firmly.

  “Oh honey, that’s so thoughtful of you!” Questa’s eyes turned into two hearts as she gazed at her hubby.

  “Your praise doesn’t make me happy, woman.” Quentin said gruffly but he was blushing, well, as much as a raccoon could blush anyways.

  “Fine, I guess he deserves the truth, especially since it’s my fault for bringing him here in the first place, and Mayor Stark may end up trying to kill him…hmmm…” Green Avenger stroked his chin in thought. “Alright, well, seeing is believing.” The Green Avenger said before he suddenly removed his facemask to reveal to Jake that he had green skin, a mop of messy black hair, large eyes that were solid black, and a yellow beak-like mouth.

  Jake blinked and said the first thing that came to mind. “You’re a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?” Because really, the Green Avenger almost did look like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle if his strange mouth had been green as well.

  “No! I am not a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! Why does everyone from America always think that! Geesh!” Green Avenger complained and stomped his boot upon the floor angrily.

  Jake shrugged. “Sorry man, but you really do look like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. So…then what are you? Some kind of mutant? Or a monster?” I wouldn’t be surprised if a rat-like man showed up calling himself Shredder!

  “NO!” The Green Avenger bristled, “I’m an alien! Usually humans in Japan just get it wrong and think I’m a kappa. But you must be the dumbest human yet.”

  “What’s a kappa?” Jake scratched his head thoughtfully.

  “You don’t know anything do you?” The Green Avenger sighed and rubbed his temples. “Kappa is the Japanese word for water demon. The Japanese know all about our existence and even include us in their folklore. But what they don’t know is that we’re actually aliens.”

  “Yea, but we’re not in Japan.” Jake felt the need to point out.

  “I know that, baka! Okay, it looks like I should probably start from the beginning so your tiny brain can understand. Five hundred years ago during the Japanese Warring States Era, or Feudal Era, in Japan according to myths, legends, and folklore there were powerful yokai (demons) living side by side with the samurai and geisha of that time…it was also said that the yokai possessed powerful magic. But none of this was actually true.

  “There’s no such thing as yokai or magic. The yokai were really just aliens that came to Japan and their ‘magic’ was nothing more than advanced alien technology. In Japan the people there would take one look at me and say I’m a kappa yokai but I’m actually an alien from the Planet Aqua 7. In Japan, the people there would see Questa and Quentin and think they were tanuki (raccoon-dog) yokai, but in reality they’re aliens from the Planet Q.” The Green Avenger finished giving Jake an exasperated look.

  “So, basically yokai or demons are really aliens, and magic is actually advanced technology? And you’re all aliens, right?” Jake’s mind was spinning.

  “That is correct.” The Green Avenger nodded.

  “But that doesn’t really explain why you’re dressed up like a superhero.” Jake said bluntly. “Is it some kind of fetish?” He asked.

  “Gah, no! And I’m not just dressed up as a superhero! I am a superhero, baka! I even have my own website in order to be able to take on superhero jobs!” The Green Avenger explained and he puffed up his chest in pride.

  Jake began to pick wax out of his ear again and looked unconvinced. “Uh huh.” He flicked the wax into the air. “So, big deal, you’re all aliens…what’s that got to do with me? Why would your ‘mayor’ want to kill me?” It’s not like you’re the only aliens I’ve ever seen before…I already knew aliens existed before this.

  The Green Avenger gave Jake a frustrated look. “Because I took you to our secret community under the Brooklyn Bridge. Brooklyn Prime is protected by an invisibility hologram so humans can’t even see our community here.”

  “If you aliens first arrived in Japan when you came to Earth what are you doing here in New York City now?” Jake asked curiously. And this actually explains why Nova Inara was wearing a Japanese kimono.

  “Ah, well, that’s because the Demon Slayer Clan has become more of a threat to us than ever. Of course, what the Demon Slayers hunt aren’t actual demons but aliens. They’ve stolen a lot of advanced alien technology and are now using it against us aliens. A lot of aliens are fleeing to other parts of the world. Many of us decided to move to New York because of its growing acceptance towards A.I., cyborgs and robots which remind us of our home planets where such things were commonplace.”

  Jake nodded. “I see. That sucks man.”

  “Tell me about it. The rivers in Japan are so nice.” The kappa alien said with a wistful note to his voice. “Not as polluted as the rivers here. Tanuki like Questa and Quentin are a type of alien that has the ability to shape shift into a human form, making it easy for them to blend in with human society, however, all of the aliens here in Brooklyn Prime have trouble completely immersing themselves into human society for various reasons. Mr. and Mrs. Quark have a store in NYC but unfortunately can’t stay there all day. They can only maintain their human forms for about eight hours. After that they return home, here to Brooklyn Prime before they change back into their true forms.”

  “Whoa, wait a second, so what you’re saying is aliens already live among humans? The ones that can shape shift properly, that is?’ Jake questioned, feeling floored by this revelation.

  Green nodded. “Yep, aliens have been living among humans since five hundred years ago. Also, Questa and Quentin…if they get too embarrassed, shy, or emotional they turn back into tanuki. All of the aliens that live under the bridge have problems with their transformation or shape shifting abilities. Or they’re like me…kappa aliens don’t have the ability to shape shift but we’re humanoid enough that in full disguise we can blend in with human society. It’s really exhausting though having to be in disguise all the time…” Green seemed to pout, or at least Jake thought it was a pout.

  “So…the only job that a kappa can get is being a vigilante since you can be in that costume?” Jake asked seriously.

  “NO!” Green burst out. “Other kappas wear full human face masks. Geez. Kappa aliens also need to live close to water or we’ll die. That’s why a lot of
kappa live in the city but still come back here at the end of the day to their secondary homes where they can truly relax. This community was created to protect aliens from humans, and to prevent humans from discovering our existence. The world may be ready to accept A.I. but it’s not ready to accept us.” The Green Avenger waved his hand at himself and at the two tanuki aliens. “We’re too…different. That’s why it’s forbidden for humans to enter this community because if they find out about us…everyone here will be put in danger. It’s forbidden for humans to enter here under penalty of death.” The Green Avenger ended dramatically.

  Jake swallowed thickly. He paled. Death. “Great, just great, and you brought me here why? Shit…” I’m so going to die…!

  The Green Avenger shrugged. “You were already about to die of starvation…and as a superhero I could not just sit by and do nothing when I saw that someone was in need of assistance!”

  “Even if that someone happened to be a human?” Jake raised an eyebrow at the kappa alien.

  The Green Avenger nodded. “Yes, even if that someone is a human.”

  Jake really didn’t want to cause the kind tanuki couple or this kappa alien any trouble. They had been kind enough to help him when he had been about to die. He needed to leave before they got in trouble for his sake!

  Jake nodded in understanding. “I’m thankful for your help…but I should leave before any of you get into trouble because of me. You said bringing a human into the community was forbidden. What about aiding a human? Will this Mayor Stark guy punish you too?”

  Quentin and Questa exchanged a worried look.

  Jake’s expression became one of bleak acceptance. “That’s what I thought. Thanks for the soup Mrs. Quark it really was quite delicious. I’ll be going now…” Jake headed towards the door with heavy footfalls.

  The Green Avenger put a hand on Jake’s shoulder to stop him. “Wait. You’ll never be able to sneak out of here on your own. I’ll help you get out of here. It’s the least I can do.”

  Jake gave the kappa alien a thankful look. “Thanks, buddy.”

  Quentin and Questa looked at each other before nodding. “We’re coming too!” Questa exclaimed. “We have to at least make sure you get out of here safely.”

  “A second or third pair of eyes is always helpful. We’ll play lookout.” Quentin said firmly.

  Jake gave the tanuki couple a surprised look. They really were just so cute and cuddly. Though Jake figured it would probably be rude to tell them that. “Mr. and Mrs. Quark…why are you helping me? I’m a human.” Jake’s voice was thick with emotion.

  Questa walked over to a humble cupboard where she stored her dishes and removed a tiny framed photograph that had been sitting upon one of the shelves. She walked over and handed the photograph to Jake. Jake looked at the photo and saw that it was a picture of Questa and Quentin while they were in their human forms. Standing between them was a young man who looked to be around the same age as Jake. They were all smiling in the picture.

  “Is that your son?” Jake asked softly. They made a nice family.

  Questa nodded with tears in her big brown eyes. “Yes…he…was taken from us..”

  “Taken? I’m sorry.” Jake said sadly. Dang, I can so relate to that.

  “He got into drugs. Fell in with the wrong crowd. We haven’t seen or heard from him since.” Quentin began to explain in a gruff voice. “We believe he may have been taken by the Noppera-bō Gang. That gang distributes the drug that our son became addicted to…a nanomachine drug simply known as NANO.”

  “NANO?” Jake asked.

  “NANO is a drug that is actually a tiny nanomachine. The user consumes it and gets a similar effect to a drug like cocaine for instance - they get that same rush, high, or addiction. It’s all the same. However, since it’s a machine the drug can be cheaply produced. It’s become a very popular drug here in NYC but has some odd side effects…”

  “Side effects?” Jake asked.

  “The more NANO a person takes the more addicted they become to the drug but also their body begins to transform and become robotisized. Hands…arms…legs…eyes…all turn to metal and become cybernetic parts. The drug slowly turns human beings or aliens into cyborgs. Ultimately, if you keep taking the drug you will one day become a complete robot.”

  Jake’s eyes widened in shock. A drug that slowly turned people into cyborgs and ultimately robots?! “Robots?!” Nova Inara…was this your plan all along? “But…why doesn’t someone do something to stop this? At this rate…we’re losing our humanity.”

  Quentin shook his head sadly. “The drug addicts don’t see it like that. And the drug lords only see the potential profits that can be made from such a drug that doesn’t need to be grown or harvested, but simply and cheaply made in a factory. They also don’t see the whole ‘becoming a cyborg’ thing as a negative side effect. The drug addicts and drug lords think it’s ‘cool’. They’re gaining strength, confidence, power. I don’t think they realize that they’ll eventually become completely robotisized.

  “Our son Quinn…didn’t realize it either…Quinn became hopelessly addicted to NANO. And it’s expensive. He was becoming more and more cyborg and less tanuki. He became addicted and joined a gang to get the money he needed for the drug. We wanted him to stop taking the drug because we were losing our son. He was turning into a robot but he wouldn’t listen to us no matter how hard we tried to reach him.

  “Then he…got into a fight with some pushers who wouldn’t give him the drug because he didn’t have the money and they took him. The Noppera-bō Gang has probably killed our son…” Quentin finished with his fists clenched at his sides. Jake noticed that his body was trembling.

  “What does Noppera-bō mean?” Jake asked suddenly, a sinking feeling in his chest.

  “Faceless ghost.” Quentin informed Jake.

  Nova Inara. Jake thought as he grew pale. She must be the leader of the Noppera-bō Gang. The gang that supposedly controls NYC from the shadows now. Shit.

  Questa was sobbing into a handkerchief. It broke Jake’s heart. “I’m sorry…I didn’t know.” Jake said. There’s a lot of stuff I don’t know about apparently. In just seven years Nova Inara was able to turn the world upside down: robots, cyborgs, A.I. and NANO.

  “You remind us of our son…Quinn would be about the same age as you.” Questa said sniffling. “If he’s still alive…”

  “I see.” Jake said.

  “I never did ask your name.” Questa suddenly realized, looking abashed.

  “It’s Jake. Jake Lonestar.” Jake informed them.

  The Green Avenger’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Jake Lonestar? That’s your name? That’s so cool. It’s just like a superhero name!”

  Jake gave the Green Avenger a surprised look, before a sad, lopsided smile formed on Jake’s face. “Yea…that’s what my sister Bonnie said.”

  Japanese Word Key: (Because Otaku like to throw in random Japanese words)

  Tadaimas: I’m home!

  Okaerinasai: Welcome home!

  Baka: Idiot!

  Yokai: Demon

  Kappa: water demon

  Kitsune: fox demon