I totally ship Dexter/Mandy now.

Wow, me. Wow. I'm not even sure if that's a crack pairing or not. Is it?

DISCLAIMER. I DON'T OWN IT.

Enjoy!

Translators were needed everywhere in the KND. Those who knew different languages were valued like gold, and then were overworked to keep things between countries going smoothly. People who knew more than one language were awed at, treated like glass and given some of the best treatment. They usually didn't go to the front lines, but rather translated documents and were used in conferences between leaders of the KND. If they were in the front lines, they were constantly monitored and shielded.

Dexter was not a translator, and did not need one.

Mandy did not agree.

The two teens were currently arguing this in Mandy's office.

"Dexter, half the time your own robots can't understand what you're saying. I recently looked at their reports, and they've created their own language for you: Englussian. English-Russian," Mandy told him.

Dexter scowled at her, narrowing his eyes. "They list it as English. You lie."

"I do not." Mandy stared at him steadily. "They list it as English in front of you, but in front of everyone else, they say Englussian. Dexter, your own robots are tricking you."

Dexter crossed his arms, getting more and more irritated as the conversation went on. …Were his robots doing that? He would have to check that later. "But-"

"Dexter, we are getting you a translator."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Dexter," Mandy snapped, eyes growing a bit wider as she got slightly exasperated by the bull-headed redhead, "if you're robots can't understand you, then you're soldiers won't understand you, and you're workers won't, and then production will go down and you won't be at your best and then Grim will be overworked because people will be dying all over the place from either the lack of equipment or you ripping their heads off."

Dexter's eyes flashed, but he didn't fight her point. "I suppose this is true."

"So we're getting you a translator."

"N-"

"If you say no, I will rip your lips off."

"-evermind," Dexter finished calmly. He uncrossed his arms and a smirk grew on his lips. "What if I can convince you that I do not need a translator?"

It was Mandy's turn to cross her arms, but she planted them on her desk. "What do you have in mind?"

Dexter's smirk grew. "You like my accent."

Mandy nodded in concession to this.

"If I get a translator, they will be next to me all the time, correct?" Dexter continued.

"Correct."

"Then if I start babbling in Russian," Dexter cooed, "and you love it when I do," –his smirk was still there- "you won't be able to kiss me to shut me up, because we won't be alone."

Mandy mulled this over. "I'll control myself. We're getting you a translator," she concluded blankly.

Dexter groaned, the grin flying off of his lips and turning into a scowl again. As he exited the door, Mandy could hear him grumbling about how it wasn't fair, and that he didn't need some translator to tell others what he was saying.

A week later, when a confused translator stumbled into Mandy's office, spouting something along the lines, "I don't know what he's saying," Mandy sighed and pressed the button for the intercom. Dexter answered, and Mandy could hear the laughter in his voice as she said, "This one lasted longer than the other two."

"I know, I know. I'm off my game with this deadline coming up."

...Heh.