***Haha, an UPDATE! I should have another one for you in two to three hours...gotta get this book on the ROAD! And then we'll have reached the halfway point (this book is ten chapters and an epilogue).

It's also ONE WEEK until I post the first chapter of "That One Girl" and reveal the cover for "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" <3 Where did the time go?

And the song for this chapter....you'll probably only get through the first chorus before you finish reading after the music cue. And that's okay! This chapter stops rather abruptly...***

***(Zane's POV)***

"Zane, there is something you must know," PIXAL says slowly.

I swallow hard. I have already been overloaded with new information today. I am not sure I can take much more.

She continues, "I...I am not like your friends, Zane. I am like you, but not like your friends."

"I knew that," I rush to reassure her. "We seem to share more tastes and interests than I do with my companions. I believe we also have similar intellect and speech patterns. It is quite peculiar."

"Yes, well...you would think so." She fingers the hem of her purple coat. "Zane, I don't have a family."

"You...don't?" Sorrow floods me, and I pat her hand in reassurance. "I apologize. Neither do I." 

Once again, I feel a strange connection with her.

"Yes, well, there's a reason I don't have a family. I never had one in the first place."

My forehead furrows, and I'm at a loss for words.

"I apologize," I finally say. "My mind...fails to process what you're saying."

"I never had a family." She looks up to the sky, swallowing. "I'm not human, Zane."

I blink, then snap out of my confusion and assess her face. "Are you feeling all right, PIXAL? Or are you...joking? I'm sorry, but I do not understand most humor."

She smiles softly. "Neither do I, Zane. But this is no joke, and I assure you that I am in perfect health. I...am a robot."

I stand upright. "That isn't possible. I – no. I don't believe it. You are unwell, PIXAL. Allow me to drive you home." I extend my hand for her to take.

She looks at my outstretched fingers, then shakes her head. "No, Zane, I am perfectly fine. I...I think I can prove to you that I am, indeed, not human."

My mind races. I must find a way to get her to a hospital, or at least back home. She's obviously suffering from a mental disorder, or perhaps some fever or disease of her body.

"How can you prove to me that you're a robot?" I ask, stalling.

"By taking you to meet my creator," she smiles. "His name is Cyrus Borg."

"Cyrus Borg." I ponder the name. "He is the founder of Borg Industries and an incredibly famous inventor." She must have formed some alternate reality for herself.

"Yes, you are correct. Would you like me to take you to him?"

"I..." If she wants to leave, that means I can drop her off at her home. All I need is her address.

"I think that is a wonderful idea," I finally say. "Would you like to go together right now?"

She studies me. "Do you not believe me, Zane?"

"Of course, I believe you." I bite my tongue, blushing bright red. I'm a terrible liar.

She gives me another odd look, then shrugs. "You don't really believe me, but that is all right. You will see the truth in time." She rises off the ground.

I sigh with relief. At least now I'll be able to find her aid for her condition.

"Follow me," I bid her. "We can take my motorcycle, unless you would prefer a warmer vehicle." It's a chilly day, but the cold never bothers me as it does my companions. I attribute that to my elemental power.

"I enjoy cool weather." She follows me down the patio stairs and to my team's garage. Our motor bikes are kept separately from our ninja vehicles, so PIXAL will hopefully fail to realize that we are, in fact, the ninja.

I fear our identities may not be a secret for much longer.

"What's that?" PIXAL asks, gesturing to our workshop. It's a small building out by the garage. Only Nya, Jay, and I ever use it.

"That's where...er...my companions and I invent. We enjoy tinkering in our free time."

"You must spend a great many hours with your friends," she muses.

"I do. As I mentioned, I don't have a family, so my friends are my only company."

She nods solemnly. "I am very sorry, Zane. I'm sure my creator would like to get to know you. Perhaps you could share some of your inventions with him."

I swallow hard. She's once again reverted to talking about her robotic nature. Perhaps I need to steer this conversation in a different direction?

For lack of anything better to say, I try, "I'm currently working on a set of vest simulators. They're much like the vests one would use for an activity such as laser tag."

"Really?" she asks, intrigued.

I pull two helmets from under my motorcycle's seat. "Indeed. The vests react to certain...stimuli." I debate on how much I should tell her about my project.

"What stimuli?"

I cringe. "Uh, well, fighting stimuli. For example, a punch delivered to certain locations on the vest results in a loss of health points." In reality, elemental powers are what do the most health damage. However, that would certainly divulge that I'm in league with the ninja.

"That is very interesting, Zane. Is there ever a point where the vest shuts down, indicating the wearer has been annihilated?"

"I...yes. Er, with enough blows, the vest uses electrodes to deliver some sort of negative stimulus to the wearer."

"What kind of negative stimulus? Is it painful?"

I start my motorcycle. "Yes, the stimulus is painful. That is because the vests are used for...very competitive reasons." 'Competitive reasons' simply means that they're for battle training.

"Interesting. But you neglected to answer what negative stimulus the vests had the capability to produce."

"They, um, demonstrate the sensation of electric shock to the wearer." I'm still trying to decide on how to make Jay's vest. Since he's the elemental master of lightning, the vest should theoretically strike him with a counter-element to that.

"That sounds like quite an endeavor," PIXAL praises me. "Mr. Borg would be happy to help." Her voice suddenly monotones. "In three-quarters of a mile, turn left."

I frown. She sounded just like a global positioning system, better known as a GPS, when she said that.

"So, Zane, tell me about yourself," she says pleasantly, having returned to normal. "Is it all right if I lean my head on your shoulder?"

Tingles flurry through my chest. "I...yes, PIXAL, you are welcome to...to lean against me. Uh, you do not have to ask."

She rests her cheek against my neck. "Thank you, Zane. I was unsure of your beliefs on public displays of affection."

I blanch. "You have...affection for me?"

"Well, I believe that – " Her voice goes blank again. "In two hundred feet, turn left."

I flip on my turn signal. "Thank you, PIXAL. I understand your directions. Uh, would you mind finishing what you were saying?"

"Of course! I believe that I might – turn left."

I maneuver the bike onto the main road. "PIXAL, are you sure you're all right?"

"Just fine. I was recently updated with new GPS capabilities. I'll have to ask Mr. Borg to turn off the vocals for those." She hugs me tighter, her voice becoming void of emotion. "Continue for five miles."

I bite my lip. I really am concerned about PIXAL. All I can hope is that her directions lead me to her home. That way, I can inform someone of her condition and ask if she needs to be taken to the hospital.

***(PIXAL's POV)***

"You will absolutely love Mr. Borg," I gush, sliding off Zane's motorcycle. "And he's shown a very great interest in you. That is why I followed you home from school."

"Oh, yes," Zane says absently. "I had forgotten you did that."

"Are you all right?" I ask. "You seem extremely distant."

"I...am worried, is all." He shakes his head. "Why would Mr. Borg be interested in me?"

"Because..." I bite my tongue. I do not believe Zane is quite ready to hear the truth about his android nature yet.

"Because...what?"

I know he's just playing along with what he thinks is crazy rambling, so I opt not to reply.

I rub my boots on the doormat. The recent increase in temperature has melted most of the February snow, so my shoes are a muddy mess.

I look at Zane. "I apologize for the muddy walkway. I know your footwear is very important to you, and I hate to have caused any uneasiness about the status of your loafers."

He hitches a shoulder, a small smile adorning his lips. "Thank you, PIXAL. I am sure my shoes will be fine with proper cleaning."

I push open the door, and a bell chimes, signaling my creator we've arrived.

"If you wouldn't mind, please place your shoes next to the door. Mr. Borg is very wary of dirt in the floors."

Zane nods solemnly, removing his loafers.

"Who are you talking to, PIXAL?" my creator questions from down the hall.

Zane frowns. "Who is that?"

"Who, me?" Mr. Borg asks, wheeling his chair into the foyer.

Zane's jaw drops. "You...you really..."

My creator laughs. "Yes, I am Cyrus Borg. A pleasure to meet you." He extends a hand for Zane to shake.

My friend accepts the offered hand, seemingly dazed.

"PIXAL, you didn't tell me we'd have a visitor," my creator scolds.

"I apologize, Mr. Borg. This is Zane, my friend I was telling you about earlier."

"Oh! You mean, the an-"

"Yes," I say quickly. "And I have not told him yet."

Zane blinks. "Haven't told me...what?"

"That..." Mr. Borg scrambles for words. "That based on your grades and expertise, you have been selected for a very special project of mine!"

"Forgive my cluelessness, but...what project are you referring to?"

"Ah, yes. PIXAL just said she had not told you. Well, that's fine. I'll, uh, explain it over dinner."

I clear my throat. "I do apologize for the lack of communication, Mr. Borg. Zane appeared very disturbed at the fact that I'm a robot, and I thought bringing him here would help dissolve any qualms he had about that."

"Ah, yes!" my creator exclaims, leading us into the dining room. "PIXAL is my greatest creation, Zane. Did she fool you?"

***Music Cue***

Zane grasps my free hand, and I feel an odd tingling about me. "I...PIXAL, you really are...a robot?"

"Yes," I assure him. "But I...I am not so very inhuman."

"No, not at all." He shakes his head. "Please excuse my previous disbelief. I...I did not know."

"And that is to be expected!" Mr. Borg happily says. "She can perform most of the functions of a human, as well as all the functions of a robot! You get the best of both worlds!"

"I see," Zane swallows.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I just...you're so real, and it bothers me that you believe you are anything but human. You are one of the most real people I've met."

I gasp with delight. "You...think so?"

Mr. Borg waves me off. "No, PIXAL. Remember what we talked about with compliments? He's being polite. I think we need to update your human relations software."

I hang my head. "Oh. I..."

Zane pats my shoulder. "I assure you, PIXAL, that I meant every word. You are very real to me. You make me...feel things I do not feel for my other companions."

"I do?" A thrill runs through me as I meet his gaze.

"Yes, PIXAL." He smiles into my eyes.

We stand like that for seconds, minutes, hours. It seems my time processor is shorting out.

But the warm, happy, fluttery feeling inside...I've never experienced it before.

"Dinner's ready!" my creator announces.

I snap out of my haze, feeling...embarrassment?

"How may I assist, Mr. Borg?" I ask.

"Would you set a place for our guest?" He hums gleefully as he works. "Oh, this is just wonderful. I now have a model for some of your updates, PIXAL. Tell me, Zane, which company are you working for? Your programming is amazing!"

My eyes widen. "Mr. Borg, he – "

Zane stumbles backward. "My...what?"

***Well, here's about all I can say:

https://youtu.be/cphNpqKpKc4

Next chapter coming soon!***