"I wonder what a cyborg's lips taste like." a voice above Genos said, in a slightly taunting manner.
Genos turned his gaze skywards, in search of the voice, but saw only the tree tops and clear blue skies.
"I wonder if they're metallic." the voice was behind him now. He turned fast, but still no luck.
"Like the taste of blood. Or perhaps oily." Behind him again. Another missed sight.
"Maybe they're like human lips. I wonder if they're soft." The voice echoed from above, and this time, it stayed there.
As he looked up, into the trees, he found, perched upon a thin leafless branch, a ninja clothed in black. A long purple scarf billowed out behind him, wrapped around his neck. His hair was pulled up in a topknot, and a look of clear amusement was on his face. He went by the name Speed O Sound Sonic, and Genos couldn't stand the guy.
"Just how much of you is human, cyborg? And how much machine?" The ninja asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.
Genos held his tongue, refusing to speak even a sound. Sonic changed his position, from crouching on the branch, to lying on his stomach along it, his legs kicked up into the air, and his hands held in fists under his chin. How he was managing to stay up there, Genos couldn't tell. The branch looked thin enough to break at the first strong breeze, and yet, it held the weight of this man.
God, how he despised him.
"Not much of a talker, huh. Answer me this, at least. What are you doing here?" Sonic's question repeated in his mind.
Where was he?
He didn't remember how he had arrived at this forest, with its dense surroundings and cloudless skies. He didn't even know where 'here' was. A grin slowly spread across Sonic's face as the cyborg hesitated with his answer.
"So you don't know. Well, this certainly is interesting. How did you end up here? Where is here? Can you escape this place?" his grin was so wide, so vicious. He had the traits of a Cheshire cat. The maddening smile, the disappearing act, the piercing gaze. All that was missing was a tail and ears.
"Listen here, ninja-"
"If you want answers from me, you're gonna have to speak nicer to me." Sonic tsked. Genos clenched his jaw, grinding his artificial teeth.
"Fine. Tell me where I am, and I won't hurt you." He growled through clenched teeth. Sonic held out a hand and inspected his gloved fingers.
"That wasn't as nice as it could be. But I guess I could help you, for a price." He said, sending a sly look at Genos.
"What price?"
"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps…" Faster than his eyes could follow, the ninja leapt from the branch and landed in front of him, his face dangerously close to Genos'.
"I really do wonder what cyborg lips taste like." Sonic said softly, his gaze fixed on Genos' lips. Genos hesitated, his body and face heating up slightly. The soft whirring of his internal cooling system started up, working to bring his temperature back to normal.
"No." He replied flatly. Sonic pulled back slightly, flicking his gaze to Genos' eyes.
"Then I'll refuse to tell you anything." He said simply, before turning and beginning his walk away.
Genos watched the man leaving, the scarf as it whipped behind him, despite the lack of wind. He was almost gone forever, into the darkness of trees, when Genos felt himself call out. Sonic stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
"Yes?" He asked. Genos could practically hear the psychotic grin through his one syllable word.
"I-if I give you a kiss, you'll tell me where I am and the way out." It wasn't so much a question as a statement. Genos wasn't sure if he was telling the ninja or himself.
In a blink, Sonic has arrived back in front of Genos, close enough he could see the different greys in his eyes.
"If that is the answer you seek, that is what I will give you." He replied. His face merely held a closed lip smile, but his eyes danced with amusement.
"Okay. Just one kiss." Genos warned, as his body heated up further. Sonic nodded.
"Of course. Just one kiss." He repeated, then slid his hands over Genos' shoulders. The cyborg closed his eyes, in anticipation. The bad kind. He counted the seconds, hoping it would all be over within 10. The whirring grew louder. There was a chuckle, before he felt something soft upon his cheek, staying for less than a second before leaving. The weight of Sonic's palms left just as quickly.
"You look cute when you close your eyes like that." The ninja hummed, not sounding as close as he did a mere second ago.
Genos opened his eyes, spotting the ninja as he had started walking away again.
"Wait, where are you going?" He called.
Sonic raised a hand, waving behind him.
"I can't kiss you when you make a face like that. You're almost out of this place anyway."
"I don't understand."
Sonic turned himself around, walking backwards.
"Don't you see? This is a dream." He whispered as he disappeared into the darkness, while the darkness swallowed everything up.
Genos' eyes opened again, suddenly, and he pushed himself up, his cooling system whirring incessantly. If he had a heart, it would be beating at 100 miles an hour.
He looked around the dark room, his robotic eyes making out things the normal human eyes wouldn't see in the dark. To his side, on a separate futon, Saitama slept soundlessly. He drew in a deep breath and lay back down, listening to his fans. The dream had felt so real, as if he was in that exact forest, seeing every individual leaf on every branch.
Right before he woke up, however, he heard Sonic whisper one last line to him.
"Like Alice, the cyborg has found himself lost in Wonderland."
He really, really despised that damned ninja.