Donta moaned as he woke. His room still full of unopened boxes, the one beside his bed held up a blaring alarm clock. His arm burned as he lifted it to smack the top, ending the annoying sound. His mother's voice could be heard from the kitchen.<br/><br/>"Donta? How are you feeling?" she called. Donta moaned louder.<br/><br/>"I feel like I was thrown through a window." he muttered, "Oh wait..."<br/><br/>"You must be better. Sarcasm so early?" she said, "Get up, sweetie. I think your teacher's friend will be taking you to school."<br/><br/>"Who?" He asked, crawling out of bed. He struggled for a moment with the sheets tangled in his pink wings, then slowly emerged from his room, his fur a mess and his mouth fry. His mother was chopping fruit for his lunchbox, and on the couch, sat the red armored kid that showed up with Wolfcub.<br/><br/>"And you are?" he asked.<br/><br/>"Cypher." he replied sharply, "I have been designated as guardian for you, Donta. I will be accompanying you for the foreseeable future."<br/><br/>"Great." he muttered, "I don't need protection."<br/><br/>"On the contrary. You were injured just yesterday. You cannot protect yourself and have become a target." he said flatly.<br/><br/>"Cypher here told me a great oatmeal recepie." Raine said, changing the subject, "Would you like to try some, Donta?"<br/><br/>---------------------------<br/><br/>Donta sighed as they drove to school. Cypher sat beside him, quietly staring out the window while Donta looked him over. He seemed to sit motionless, the long, blonde ponytail almost synthetic in appearance, the metal of his armor reflected the morning sunlight like it was highly polished. Donta hadn't realized he was staring, when he heard a quiet whir and Cypher's head turned slowly to look at him.<br/><br/>"Yes?" he asked simply. Donta looked to the floor and then back to him.<br/><br/>"You're going to follow me around all day?" he asked.<br/><br/>"Not just today. Everyday." he said.<br/><br/>"Cypher, right?"<br/><br/>"Yes."<br/><br/>"What are you? You aren't Human or Feral." Donta said.<br/><br/>"No. I am an Android. An artificial being. Also a Prototype of my kind." he said.<br/><br/>"And they sent a prototype to guard me? The government?" Donta asked.<br/><br/>"Yes."<br/><br/>"If we're going to hang out all the time, you need to be more, I don't know, personable." he said.<br/><br/>"What do you mean?"<br/><br/>"It's like you have no personality." He said.<br/><br/>"Donta!" His mother scolded from the front seat, "That was rude!"<br/><br/>"Sorry, but it's true!" he said, "He's talking like a robot!"<br/><br/>"I am." Cypher simply said.<br/><br/>"Well people can't find out or you'll attract attention. People will start asking questions as to why an Android is hanging around me all the time."<br/><br/>"I see. So we need a cover story." Cypher said.<br/><br/>"And a disguise." he said, "You can't go to school with me in armor."<br/><br/>"My exterior chassis is designed for optimum combat efficiency." he said.<br/><br/>"We aren't in combat." Donta replied, "Can't you wear clothes?"<br/><br/>"No."<br/><br/>"Well can't you do something about the way you talk? Like an alternate setting?" he asked, "Can you emulate emotions or the way normal people talk?" Cypher looked away for a moment, his eyes glowing a light blue as he connected tot he net to research common speech patterns, syntax and a few quotes. When he looked back. His mother had stopped at the school.<br/><br/>"Well?" Donta asked, assuming he did something to his settings. There was a pause as if Cypher was unsure of what he was going to say, then it came out rashly.<br/><br/>"Listen, shithead! If ya wanna gripe about how I talk, ya better stop screwin' around and tell me exactly what the fuck you want me to say, or I'm gonna pick my words, myself, capiche?"<br/><br/>Both he and his mother's mouths dropped open. It sounded like a common street thug, yet there was no anger in Cypher's face.<br/><br/>"N-Nevermind." Donta muttered.<br/><br/>"Shall I revert to previous settings?" he asked.<br/><br/>"Yes. You do that." he cautiously said, then grabbed his bag heading into the school while Cypher tagged along behind.<br/><br/>Donta passed a clock in the hall and realized they were really early for homeroom, wondering why his mother left so early. Cypher's boots made dull clomps on the linoleum behind him as they walked, but he stopped as Donta halted in front of him, seeing Angela leaning against the wall beside homeroom. He saw her go off with Cody after the fight, so it may not be the best idea to be around her at the moment, but there was no mistaking the salty smell of tears from her as she hung her head in her arms.<br/><br/>He slowly approached her, then took a seat on the other side of the Homeroom door, knowing how she didn't like him or his kind, yet he felt as if he should try to help.<br/><br/>"Good morning." he said awkwardly, "Well, it doesn't look like one for you. Are you alright? What happened?" Cypher stood silently beside him, remaining silent and expressionless. His eyes flashed blue for a quick net search, then he turned on his heel and wandered a bit down the hall, looking at the posters and things on the wall to let them talk in private.