Never Be the Same Again – A Metal Slug Romance Fanfic

Author's Note: I have been a very big fan of the Marco x Fio pairing in "Metal Slug" since I first played part 2 (and the X remake) of the series, and this is a one-shot fanfic of the two. The title is taken from a song of the same title by Melanie Chisholm (a.k.a. Sporty Spice of the Spice Girls). It is a very awesome love song with a mix of R&B and Funk, one that Melanie sang with Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (R.I.P.).

This story is set between "Metal Slug 2" and "Metal Slug 3"; it contains profanity and content of sexual nature. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter 1

Downtown Los Angeles, California. 9:30 P.M.

Major Marco Rossi, former officer with the U.S. Army Rangers and veteran of the "Peregrine Falcons" special operating forces squad of the U.N. Peacekeeping Force, and Lieutenant Fio Germi, a former paratrooper from the Italian Folgore Brigade who had been newly commissioned from her previous rank of Warrant Officer Class II, have just finished a phase of one of their espionage missions for the American C.I.A. This evening, they infiltrated a banquet in the Los Angeles Convention Center to "paint" a few key targets – liaisons working for the Rebel Army. An hour after that mission and the pair's debrief for that day, they were driving down the streets of Los Angeles looking for a designated place to lay low for the night.

Marco was manning the steering wheel of a BMW 550i Sedan he and Fio rented 2 days before that infiltration mission, and Fio was riding shotgun in the front right seat. Marco was dressed in a dark blue suit with gray stripes, white long-sleeved shirt, and a red tie with white and black stripes, away from his gruff look consisting of a headband covering the forehead below his dirt-blonde hair, white tank top, blood-red vest with the blue roundel of the 82nd Airborne Division (Marco's first unit as an enlisted man fresh out of Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia) on the back along with a black and red tab of the 75th Ranger Regiment (his previous parent unit), Army-issued pale green and tan combat uniform pants, and tan boots. Fio, on the other was clad in a sleeveless vintage red velvet dress, her mahogany brown hair ponytailed leaving a couple of side bangs hanging in front of her view and her face doused with makeup that made it radiate amongst the eyes of spectators, in her case, away from her typical combat appearance – white shirt, goggle-eyed glasses, tan ball cap, brown boots, and tan vest and short shorts. The two were silent throughout the drive, contemplating about the success of their mission for the day and what lies ahead for the next few days of their assignment as temporary secret agents.

"Hey, Fifi! You see anywhere we can rest yet?" Marco finally asked.

"That's a negative, Major," Fio replied, as she and her partner kept on scanning the area for lodging.

"Pale yellow building, 12 stories, half a block at our 11 o'clock," Fio pointed to a Sheraton hotel on the corner of Hope and 7th street. It stood out within the area with lights shining back at it out front.

"Roger that, Lieutenant. You got good eyes," Marco claimed in confirmation as he and his partner drove to a parking complex beside the hotel.

The two did not waste anytime even in downtime. It had been a long day, and all they wanted to do was sit back and unwind while staring at the beautiful scenery that L.A. had to give at night from a terrace. They stepped out of the vehicle and walked to the front porch of the hotel.

They then went inside and towards the counter of front reception desk next to the elevators. A red-headed, freckled young man of high-school age (17 or 18 years old), dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt and black vest with bowtie stood behind the counter and caught a glimpse of the two.

"Good evening, Sir. How may I help you?" the receptionist asked Marco.

"I have a 3-day reservation for a penthouse suite upstairs," Marco replied.

"May I please have your name, Sir?"

"Carlisle. John Carlisle," Marco confidently stated in a tone similar to the famed British MI6 agent James Bond.

"And you, Ma'am?" the receptionist turned and asked Fio.

"Daphne Fuller," Fio replied, doing her best to mask her Italian accent with one reminiscent of any girl living in the area, San Fernando Valley particularly. Marco snickered in his mind and physically hid it with a nervous grin while he looked at Fio.

"May I see some sort of identification?" the receptionist asked.

"Sure," Marco replied as he took out his fabricated California driver's license as Fio did the same. A minute later, the receptionist handed back their licenses.

"Here you go. Floor 12, Room 1201. Enjoy your stay," the receptionist said as he gave 2 key cards and a copy of the receipt to the pair.

"Thank you," Marco replied. He and Fio then headed to one of the elevators next to the desk.

"Hoo-hoo, sweet!" Fio giggled in excitement and relief as she lovingly grabbed hold of Marco's right harm in a hook motion with her left and leaned her face on his shoulder.

"I know," Marco said with a slight grin as he and Fio got into the elevator.

-END OF CHAPTER 1-