"I will be the first to create a genuine, fully functioning A.I."

Sebastian let out a sound of derision at what Maru, his younger half-sister just said.

"You don't have to be that way," Maru said, glaring as he turned his head to look at the wall. "Particularly when my family is visiting."

"Whatever," Sebastian said, leaving the kitchen table for his basement bedroom, not caring about the decorum. A finger clicked on the light and he headed to a bookshelf, pulled out a photo album, and turned the pages until he came across a familiar news clipping among the photos, a black and white of a man standing next to a robot.

...

"Why is Duvos attacking Portia?"

In the cacophony created by the sound of canons firing from outside the Civil Corps, a man turned to look at Sebastian, frowning as he did so. A pair of blue eyes peered out from the sweat-soaked hair as they grimaced at him while a hand remained on the shoulder of a bright yellow robot.

"It's because of me," the robot said. "Which is why Arlo is going to destroy me."

"Arlo!" Sebastian looked at his older brother in disbelief. "What the fuck!"

"Language," Arlo said, not batting an eye, instead focusing on the robot in front of him.

"Don't be angry with your older brother," Ack said. "I'm the one who asked him to do this."

"But you're just a cooking A.I., so what use can you be to them?" Sebastian said, shaking his head.

"They don't know that," Arlo said, turning and clapping both hands on Sebastian's shoulder. "But I need you to do your thing."

"What are," Sebastian started saying.

"You're the only one with both building and computer experience, meaning you're the only one who can download Ack's memory and potentially build him a new body," Arlo said. "And once you've downloaded his memory, you'll hide in the ruins until Duvos is gone." You're the only one now with access to the ruins as well, but I'd appreciate if you did what I said."

"And I'll tell you when you've no more time for downloading my memory," Ack said as the Civil Corps building shook upon being hit by the cannon fire. Dust drifted down, getting into Arlo and Sebastian's hair.

Arlo squeezed his shoulder, ruffling Sebastian's dark locks before darting out the door.

...

"And that's what I have to live up to," Sebastian muttered. The sound of footsteps on the stairs made Sebastian snap the photo album shut so he could replace it on his bookshelf.

"You don't have to put it away," a voice from the stairs said.

"Heidi," Sebastian muttered, not looking Maru's cousin in the eye. He didn't argue, instead holding the album up so she could take it from him. "Here to tell me I was out of line?"

"Maru was the one who was out of line," Heidi said. He turned and saw her frowning at the pictures. "She and I may be blood-related, but that doesn't make you any less family. Plus, she doesn't know what it's like having her home taken over by Duvos to be renamed the Gotoro empire. And despite being super smart," Heidi pulled the news clipping out of the photo album. "She's completely clueless about Old World tech, so she would make such absurd statements as being the first to create the first fully functioning A.I., but does her interest make it harder to talk to her about what happened?"

"It does, actually."

...

"It's time."

"No," Sebastian said, bowing down his head as robotic fingers brushed even more debris from his hair. "I don't want to go."

"Yet go you must, as Arlo plans on blowing up the Civil Corps building with me in it. Plus, you need to get to the ruins before Duvos finds you, Sebastian. It's the safest place for you, since you can't get to the hidden basement at The Round Table."

Another hit shook the entire building as Sebastian gritted his teeth together. "It can't end this way."

"It won't," Ack said, squeezing his shoulder lightly. "Now run."

Sebastian unplugged his device from Ack, and headed to the door just as another canon shot hit the building. Glancing over at the stables, the Civil Corps horses were nowhere in sight, far more concerned at how the sound of canon fire ceased. From up on the hill, he could see down into both plazas and saw Duvos soldiers.

Swallowing, Sebastian ducked behind the Civil Corps building, hoping his advantage of high ground hadn't resulted in him being spotted, before heading straight for the second abandoned ruins in Portia. He glanced back, just in time to see the Civil Corps building—the building his mother built and his father worked at—explode.

The explosion lurched him forward, knocking him off his feet. The ground bit into his arms, scraping up his already worn-out jeans while his ears rang. His fingers twisted in his hair as his eyes closed, mentally trying to get a grip on his surroundings.

And then—

"There's someone here."

Sebastian's eyes snapped open. He rolled over onto his back in time to give a good hard kick to whoever had approached him, yet in the haze he could definitely see the person was a Duvos soldier. There was a shout and the sound of a gun going off.

"Hide in the ruins until Duvos is gone."

He stood up as the Duvos soldier commanded, their guns on his back as the one soldier groaned from the kick he'd received to his gut. Sebastian turned his head, mentally calculating. "Only two of you?"

"So?"

Sebastian swung his elbow back, landing a blow to the man's nose before taking off, knowing the terrain to the second abandoned ruins better than they did, and yet—

Just as he got to the door and pushed the button to open the door letting him in, Sebastian felt a bullet pierce his shoulder. He stumbled in, the doors closing behind him, closing him off from the outside world.

And then it hit him as he utilized some of his own first aide supplies. "I'm the only one with access to the ruins, and while I do have food and water on me—"

He could hear the Duvos soldiers banging on the door, calling for explosives. Grimacing, he headed further into the ruins to find a hiding spot, waiting for something, or perhaps someone, to find him.

...

"I heard when they were checking for survivors, they almost didn't check the ruins where you were located," Heidi said.

"Oh, I know," Sebastian muttered, rubbing his shoulder where the bullet went in. He tilted his head, frowning. "Care to join me for some ruins diving?"

"You're fine with going into the ruins after all that?"

"The local mines and the Old World stuff one can fine are kind of peaceful," Sebastian said, reaching for a device on his desk. "Plus, it's the one place I can freely chat with Ack. And no, Mom doesn't like me doing it, so don't tell her."

"That is true," said the voice from the box.

"Let's go, then," Heidi laughed. "Mum's the word. Also..."

"What?"

"Just because we don't look like family, doesn't mean we aren't family."

"She is correct," Ack chimed in.