Arashi, Kyousuke, and the other officers swarmed Ice while he was out alone on a shopping trip.

“That was suspiciously easy,” one of them whispered to Arashi, as he cuffed him.

“I told you,” she said confidently, “he won’t attack when his master isn’t around.

Normally, Ice would instinctively retaliate when he sensed danger or any sort of threat to his master’s plans, but today, for some reason unknown even to him, Ice couldn’t bring himself to attack these people. His will to comply overrode his usual violent programming, and he gave himself in.

“Who cares how we nabbed it? All that matters is that we did!” Kyousuke exclaimed, as he pulled his katana from its sheath. “That thing is going to the scrap heap!” He lunged forward to slash downward at Ice, but two officers grabbed him and pulled him back.

Arashi sent a sharp glare in his direction. “How dare you,” she exclaimed. “You know fully well that we need Ice to accomplish our goals!” She got up close to Kyousuke now, glaring down at him, with her chest puffed out in an intimidating manner. “We need him to infiltrate the laboratory and the castle! Are you willing to doom us all for your revenge?”

Kyousuke fumed silently for a moment. “Frankly, I don’t give a shit,” he sighed in a way that sounded like he had given up on life. “My reason for living was taken from me. What do I lose if I get blown up with this rotten city?”

Arashi smacked him hard with her strong hand.

Kyousuke’s eyes opened wide as he felt the sting. He looked at her as though he had just woken up.

“Has our time working together these last 5 years meant nothing to you?!” Arashi yelled. It was rare to see her lose her cool. “Are you seriously telling me that you don’t care if I, or any of our other officers, or anyone else in this city for that matter, dies?!”

“I didn’t say that,” he replied, with eyes narrow and thoughtful. “I trust that you can take care of yourself. You’re strong. You don’t need me, and you sure as hell don’t need that hunk of junk to protect you.”

“Protecting myself is one thing,” Arashi replied. “But I can’t protect this entire city on my own. I need backup. As strong as you think I am, I’m one person. And right now, I can’t take any risks.” She placed her hand gingerly on her stomach. “I’m not just protecting myself now.”

Kyousuke’s eyes widened again. “Wait, Arashi,” he gasped lightly as his eyes went from her belly to her face, “are you…?”

She nodded. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my child.”

Kyousuke looked down and bit his lip in shame. How could he be so selfish? He didn’t think about what other people have to lose. He can’t let Arashi lose her child or her husband. He can’t wallow in his own misery when there’s a world at stake. He looked up at Ice, that deceptively fragile-looking machine, with its delicate, snow white face and lithe limbs. Visions of it stabbing Maria plagued Kyousuke every night. He hated this. Absolutely hated it. But he had to acknowledge that using this killing machine was the most surefire way to protect this city, and maybe even the world. They had to put a stop to Crimson’s acts of terrorism. Sure, this world was shit. But it didn’t deserve to get destroyed just because some people are unhappy. Kyousuke would never wish that on the world. So, for now, he’d have to play nice with this robot. At least… until their mission was complete.