"... I hate to say it, but you're both right," he says, gritting his teeth. "I... wish I were human, sometimes. I wish they'd see me as a person, rather than a machine, but at the same time... that is what I am. A machine. A weapon. And there's no way around it; many people will never see me beyond that."
He balls his fists.
"I hate them for that. I hate humans, for doing what they did to me, and I wish they'd die out, sometimes. I hate that some of you-" he glances back at the group, his voice glitching a little, "-hacked me to undo the damage Shido's people did to me. I hate them for it. I can't forgive it at all. I hate that I'll never be safe from having my mind toyed with, that, if someone's good enough at it, they can just... make me do what they want. Make me into their personal plaything to toy with- and it scares the shit out of me."
His fists clench and unclench again, something that suspiciously sounds like a glitchy hiccup leaving his mouth. His eyes narrow.
"I can't remember the last time I wasn't scared, to some degree. And seeing people just be- happy, to have good worlds and friends to return to- it makes me want to- fuck. I don't know, it's unfair, and I'm jealous. What do I have to return to?"
"Maybe, If I were fully human, I wouldn't have to deal with this shit. Or if I fully were a machine, I wouldn't even care in the first place, but..." he trails off, and there's a distinct sound like a sigh. "The truth is that, no matter what, those sides of me are linked. I'm a machine, but I'm also just as capable of feeling as any human, and..." he glances at Phoenix. At Hiro. At Lyssi. "... isn't that enough to make me human?"
"But you're not," the robot points out.
"I'm not," Falcon agrees, "not physically. I never will be- and it's a lonely existence. People will continue to see me as a machine, and I- I'm afraid that means they'll never see me as a person, and that they'll never care about me. Not really. I fucking- I wish I could be the most important person in someone's life, but I'm just not. It hardly feels like I'm important at all outside of my capabilities as a weapon, sometimes, but... if they're to be believed," he glances behind himself once again, "I'm wrong, clearly. They love making my problems their business, which counts for... something, I guess."
"Sounds like someone else we know," the human sighs, "what would he think?"
"I don't know. Amamiya's an enigma- one that I'm- ugh, one that I miss," Falcon sounds like he has to force himself to say it, but his human Shadow grins in approval. "and I wish I could get to know him better, back home. Without any interference from that asshole, this time."
"And what if he rejects you for what you are?"
"... I don't know. I'd hate him for it. It'd just be one more confirmation of what I already know."
"But?"
"... But somehow, I don't think that'll be the case. I mean- it's Amamiya. He knows I'm his enemy, and yet he still reaches out to me."
There's a pause, before the robot speaks up again.
"Then? Which once of us are you?"
"Yeah, tell us!"
Falcon lets out another frustrated sound, crossing his arms.
"Both. You're... both me," he says, resolute. "Even if it's isolating, and lonely, and it scares the shit out of me to be what I am- you're both me. If I'm a machine with a human soul, then that's the truth."
"Well said."
The Shadows glow, dissolving into two balls of light, before they shoot forwards, merging with Falcon once again. It seems, though, that they leave behind some light residue, that quickly forms into a new ball of light, illuminating the entire room. Soon, a new Persona comes out, and to those who know, it may look familiar...
"I am Hereward," the Persona speaks, "be it human or machine, I shall fight along you, and we shall beat those who seek to subjugate us. I am thou, and thou art I."
"Hereward..." Falcon murmurs, and then, Hereward, too, disappears into Falcon.
For a moment, Falcon simply stands there, bathing in the new... power that's washed over him, eyes closed. Then, he turns back to the group-
-and promptly collapses with a low, robotic powering dowwwwwnnnn... his glowing eyes going out.
It looks scary, but closer inspection from Zenkechi or Lyssi may reveal that his battery simply has been depleted. He is, in robotic terms, exhausted.
2/2
He balls his fists.
"I hate them for that. I hate humans, for doing what they did to me, and I wish they'd die out, sometimes. I hate that some of you-" he glances back at the group, his voice glitching a little, "-hacked me to undo the damage Shido's people did to me. I hate them for it. I can't forgive it at all. I hate that I'll never be safe from having my mind toyed with, that, if someone's good enough at it, they can just... make me do what they want. Make me into their personal plaything to toy with- and it scares the shit out of me."
His fists clench and unclench again, something that suspiciously sounds like a glitchy hiccup leaving his mouth. His eyes narrow.
"I can't remember the last time I wasn't scared, to some degree. And seeing people just be- happy, to have good worlds and friends to return to- it makes me want to- fuck. I don't know, it's unfair, and I'm jealous. What do I have to return to?"
"Maybe, If I were fully human, I wouldn't have to deal with this shit. Or if I fully were a machine, I wouldn't even care in the first place, but..." he trails off, and there's a distinct sound like a sigh. "The truth is that, no matter what, those sides of me are linked. I'm a machine, but I'm also just as capable of feeling as any human, and..." he glances at Phoenix. At Hiro. At Lyssi. "... isn't that enough to make me human?"
"But you're not," the robot points out.
"I'm not," Falcon agrees, "not physically. I never will be- and it's a lonely existence. People will continue to see me as a machine, and I- I'm afraid that means they'll never see me as a person, and that they'll never care about me. Not really. I fucking- I wish I could be the most important person in someone's life, but I'm just not. It hardly feels like I'm important at all outside of my capabilities as a weapon, sometimes, but... if they're to be believed," he glances behind himself once again, "I'm wrong, clearly. They love making my problems their business, which counts for... something, I guess."
"Sounds like someone else we know," the human sighs, "what would he think?"
"I don't know. Amamiya's an enigma- one that I'm- ugh, one that I miss," Falcon sounds like he has to force himself to say it, but his human Shadow grins in approval. "and I wish I could get to know him better, back home. Without any interference from that asshole, this time."
"And what if he rejects you for what you are?"
"... I don't know. I'd hate him for it. It'd just be one more confirmation of what I already know."
"But?"
"... But somehow, I don't think that'll be the case. I mean- it's Amamiya. He knows I'm his enemy, and yet he still reaches out to me."
There's a pause, before the robot speaks up again.
"Then? Which once of us are you?"
"Yeah, tell us!"
Falcon lets out another frustrated sound, crossing his arms.
"Both. You're... both me," he says, resolute. "Even if it's isolating, and lonely, and it scares the shit out of me to be what I am- you're both me. If I'm a machine with a human soul, then that's the truth."
"Well said."
The Shadows glow, dissolving into two balls of light, before they shoot forwards, merging with Falcon once again. It seems, though, that they leave behind some light residue, that quickly forms into a new ball of light, illuminating the entire room. Soon, a new Persona comes out, and to those who know, it may look familiar...
"I am Hereward," the Persona speaks, "be it human or machine, I shall fight along you, and we shall beat those who seek to subjugate us. I am thou, and thou art I."
"Hereward..." Falcon murmurs, and then, Hereward, too, disappears into Falcon.
For a moment, Falcon simply stands there, bathing in the new... power that's washed over him, eyes closed. Then, he turns back to the group-
-and promptly collapses with a low, robotic powering dowwwwwnnnn... his glowing eyes going out.
It looks scary, but closer inspection from Zenkechi or Lyssi may reveal that his battery simply has been depleted. He is, in robotic terms, exhausted.