Forte sweat-dropped as he stood outside the Neo Arcadian Base, Gospel beside him. He was out of his armor, his short black hair messy. He wore a white t-shirt under a purple over shirt and black pants. The agenda of the day worried him: interview with the siblings, trip to the mall with the siblings, eat out with Halperia alone (be spied on by siblings), be tested by siblings, then walk Halperia home (and again be spied on by siblings). He sighed and knocked on the door, a bit unsure if he should even knock.
The door opened to reveal a young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a blue tube-top, bell-bottom jeans, blue pumps, and a silver armlet on her left arm with a sapphire on it. He winced, recognizing her as one of those who had been dropped before Halperia. I probably did the same to his other siblings, Forte thought. He bowed to her, and she nodded her head at him.
"The KAMI agents sent you?" Leviathan asked. Forte nodded. "I'm Leviathan, Halperia's older sister." She looked him over. "You look presentable...for a jerk."
Forte smirked. "I only wish Halperia to be happy. If I have to let you walk all over me to do that, so be it."
Leviathan rose a skeptic eyebrow. "I bet it took a lot of effort to rehearse that line." Forte glared at her, and now Leviathan was smirking. "You will be given four tests to see if you are worthy of dating our youngest general." She looked down at Gospel. "Uh...pets aren't allowed in base...We have quite a few members who are allergic."
With a shrug, Forte told Gospel. "Stay." Gospel sat down in the shade. Forte faced Leviathan. "Ready when you are, Leviathan-san." Smirking proudly, Leviathan led the way in. Forte followed a step beside and behind her. "I take it you aren't going to warn me about those tests?"
"Not one," Leviathan answered. She led him to a door. "Please wait in here while I fetch the others."
"Why am I sensing a trap?" Forte muttered to himself as he entered the dark room. The door closed behind him, and the ground under his feet felt slick with liquid. "Ugh..." He held a hand over his mouth and nose to prevent a horrid smell from entering his lungs. It smelled like ancient oil, old wet blood, and rotting flesh. "Where am I!"
Leviathan's voice sounded from an intercom. "Your first test." The room was lit from all over to reveal a chamber full of destroyed Reploids and Reploid bodies piled up all around, an inch of oil and blood flooding the floor. All the Reploids resembled Swiss cheese; full of large holes. Above, on an observation deck, Leviathan was watching. "The challenge is to get out alive," she said.
"Sounds simple enough." He punched the wall next to the door, leaving a large dent, and continued beating the metal, surprised at its strength.
"Oh really?"
Forte froze as he heard the creaking of metal-against-metal and looked up to see the ceiling creak down, large spikes coming from it. "Oh shit!" Forte exclaimed in surprise. "You're trying to kill me!"
Leviathan grinned darkly. "You can't date Halperia if you're dead."
Sickening realization clenched his stomach, and he pondered just how many of these dead Reploids were suitors for Halperia. Forte shook his head and looked around for options. Grabbing an armful of Reploid heads, Forte scrambled up the walls, sticking the heads in the corners to stop the ceiling. With this to buy time, Forte went back to pounding the wall. I have to get through the wall to reach the electric wires and shut this thing down, he thought. The wall only seemed to bend, not even looking like it was close to breaking. "Shit..." Forte muttered, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. "I have to find another way..."
Suddenly the ceiling stopped and the spikes were pulled back into the ceiling as it went back up. Forte faced the observation to see a bound and gagged Leviathan wiggling like a worm caught in the automatic doors. The door to his left opened and Halperia ran in, crying. He was wearing a cute green sundress that was instantly ruined when he hugged Forte's neck, clinging to the Bioroid.
"H-Halperia!" Forte stuttered, unsure if he should hug back. "What are you doing in here! You could get killed!"
"I'm so sorry!" Halperia sobbed on his shoulder. "I...I should have warned you! You could have been hurt!"
Forte sighed and hugged Halperia's waist. "Shh...It's okay...I'm alive and so are you...C'mon, lets get you out of here." Halperia nodded weakly and let go of Forte, rubbing his eyes to dry them. Forte led the way out and sighed with relief as they left the chamber. He looked sadly at Halperia. "I...can't date you..."
Halperia's eyes went wide and became full of tears. "Why!" He exclaimed. "S-says who!"
"I failed Leviathan's test..." He put a filthy hand on Halperia's face, brushing away the Reploid's tears. "I was supposed to find a way out..."
"Wrong," Leviathan's voice said from nearby. They turned to see her approach them, free of her bindings and gag. "The test was for you to get out alive. I never specified how." She smiled at them. "You passed. And with bonus points for getting Halperia to stop crying so quickly."
For a moment, Forte wanted to slaughter her, but the moment passed as Halperia again threw himself onto Forte, laughing rather than crying. "Yay! You don't have to be squished!" Halperia continued to hug Forte's neck and stood on his tip-toes as he whispered in Forte's ear, "The shadows have ears and eyes..." Halperia's childish voice was unusually adult.
"Halperia, you'd best go change," Leviathan said before Forte could question the younger Reploid. "Forte, follow me. I'll take you to a spare bedroom so you can get cleaned up."
Saying nothing, Halperia pulled away and gave Forte a last look before walking away, his wings drooping behind him. Forte had read and understood that look as he watched Halperia go with an aching energy coil. Without saying a single word, Halperia had begged Forte to be careful and not drop his guard. Forte sighed and let Leviathan lead him. She led him to another door that felt like was across the base from the chamber he nearly died in and opened the door. The bedroom was obviously a guest room; a bath already waiting and a clean set of clothes on the bed.
"I'll be waiting outside," Leviathan told him. She left.
Forte looked around the bedroom suspiciously, taking Halperia's advice. He spotted a moving curtain and silently crept toward it. Forte held his breath as he pulled back the curtain then sighed with relief. Standing behind the curtain was Halperia, already clean and in a spaghetti-strap green tank-top and jean shorts. He was wearing green sandals. "Halperia, what are you doing here?" Forte asked, trying not to sound like he was scared a moment ago.
The smaller Reploid let his gaze fall to their feet. "I...wanted to...uh..."
Forte rose an eyebrow. "If you wanted to watch me bathe, you're more than welcome to."
"N-no!" Halperia looked up quickly at Forte, blushing brightly. "I-I...just wanted to see you again..."
A soft smile crossed Forte's face. Hopeless romantic, he thought. Poor kid...Between the KAMIs and the family, he can't make any choices...Except to accept it or not... Forte let himself laugh weakly, saying, "If I could, I'd hold your cheek and kiss you, but I don't want to dirty your face, and I don't think I'm allowed to kiss you until the first date."
Halperia blinked at him. "Says who?"
"Well...I...er..." Forte tried to avoid Halperia's gaze as he searched for an answer. "I...It...It's an unwritten rule of dating!"
The younger Reploid gave him a skeptic look. "You're just afraid of being killed by Leviathan if she found out."
"That and I...well..." Forte blushed an embarrassed red. "I've never been kissed."
This made Halperia giggle and nod. "I understand." He went to the bed and sat down.
Forte nodded and went to the bathroom to bathe. His back was to the door as he began undressing and shivered, feeling as if he were being watched. He glanced at the door through the corner of his eye and saw a flash of green jump back. Forte smiled to himself as he continued undressing. I guess it wouldn't hurt if he watched...Forte thought as he slid into the warm water of the large tub. I mean...we're both guys and eventually we'll see each other naked...if all goes well...
He closed his eyes as he relaxed in the bath. I wonder...if he's thinking that too...Forte thought as he washed himself of blood, oil, and sweat. "What if something goes wrong?" "What if we can't be together because of someone or something?" "What will happen then?" He sighed and poured a bit of shampoo in his hair. A pair of hands not his own started to gently scrub his hair; he didn't have to look back to know who it was.
"What will happen to us...if this doesn't work out?" Halperia asked softly.
Forte shrugged, glad that the water was murky from filth and soap. "Move on, I guess..." He turned his head a bit so Halperia could see his weak smile. "There are other birds in the sky after all."
Halperia giggled again. "I like you...You make me feel good and laugh...Dip your head back please." Forte did as told, and Halperia washed out all of the bubbles and shampoo. Their gazes met, and Forte wished what he'd said earlier wasn't true. His eyes drifted to Halperia's lips, and Halperia giggled for a third time. "You want a kiss?"
A dark blush formed on Forte's cheeks. "J-just a small one..." God I'm out of character... Forte thought.
"It's okay," Halperia said with a shrug. He let go of Forte's hair, and he faced Halperia. The smaller Reploid was blushing.
Forte leaned forward, and Halperia closed his eyes, his hands on Forte's moist shoulders. Timidly almost, Forte brushed his lips against Halperia's and then kissed his lips with closed eyes. The kiss lasted only a moment, but the tingle of it would last for the rest of the day. Forte smiled and nodded. "You...better go..." He said softly, grabbing a towel. "Leviathan would be furious if she found out about this..."
"Yeah..." Halperia peeled himself off and stood. "Thank you...for my first kiss." With that, Halperia skipped out, wings fluttering behind him.
The Bioroid watched Halperia go, feeling more confident. Well...at least I'm one hundred percent sure about one thing...He thought as he got out of the bath and dried. Halperia likes me and has accepted me as his boyfriend. I like him too...Maybe even love him. He got dressed and ran the towel over his head to try his hair. The clothes fit, and Forte recognized them as his spares Gospel carried around in case of emergencies. Dressed and presentable, Forte left the bedroom.
As she said she would, Leviathan was waiting beside the door. She nodded to Forte and led him once more through the halls. "We'll meet Phantom and Fafnir at the mall...although Phantom has sent word you already passed your second test," Leviathan explained as she walked.
Forte blinked. "I did? How?"
"He didn't give any details," answered the woman. "All he said was, 'It made me happy to see such a smile on his face.'"
The Bioroid swallowed in a dry throat. He was spying on me when I was with Halperia, Forte thought. He sighed, holding his chest. I passed his test without knowing it...How? What kind of test was it? 'It made me happy to see such a smile on his face.' But who's face? Halperia's? Did I pass because I made Halperia happy?
Halperia joined them outside, where a small limo waited for them. It could be easily seen that the limo was sent by the KAMI agents. Halperia went to stand beside Forte, their hands slipping into one another. Leviathan noticed them holding hands, but said nothing as Forte opened the door and held it open for Leviathan and Halperia. He got in after them and sat beside Halperia, Leviathan across from them. The limo began moving.
"So..." Leviathan smiled at Forte. "Tell us about yourself."
Forte shrugged. "What's there to say? The KAMIs gave you my profile report."
"I'm trying to start a conversation," she replied, twitching a bit.
A sly smile crossed Forte's face as he looked at Halperia, ignoring the female Reploid. "You, however, I know nothing about."
Halperia blushed and giggled, enjoying the attention. "Well, what do you want to know?"
Leviathan rolled her eyes, ignoring the conversation. After what felt like the longest hour of her life, the limo pulled up tot he mall. Waiting outside were two young men. One was Phantom, never removing his helmet. He wore his jumpsuit under a black jacket and pants. Beside him was Fafnir in a red turtle neck and black pants, shoulder-length burnt-red hair hanging free. Forte left the limo first and held the door open for Halperia and Leviathan, the former giving Forte a silent "thank you" with a smile.
Forte bowed tot he two guys. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.
They nodded and Phantom said, "The pleasure is ours. Let's take a walk."
Nodding, Forte led the way hand-in-hand with Halperia. As they mall-walked and talked, Forte noticed Halperia's eyes drift along the windows of the stores, his gaze stopping now and again. At one store, Halperia's eyes found a small bush of live flowers in a jar; the flowers would keep growing if they were watered and taken care of. Forte whispered in Halperia's ear, "Do you want those flowers?" They were a gorgeous ruby-red with thorny stems and large, soft petals.
Halperia shook his head. "N-no! I don't want to be a bother..."
Sighing, Forte nodded once more. As they neared the food court and arcade, Fafnir patted Forte's shoulder. "Time for the third test." Reluctantly, Forte let go of Halperia's hand and followed Fafnir to the arcade. Now I get it...Forte thought. These tests are themed! The chamber represents how well I do under stress and pressure...Phantom's spying was to see how honest I am to Halperia and how well I resist temptation...then that must mean this test is...
Fafnir put the coins into the machine and stepped onto the metal dance pad. Wordlessly, Forte stepped onto another and watched as Fafnir chose the song. "Good luck," Forte said as he grinned at Fafnir. The song began. Forte found the beat, knowing the song. He sung softly to himself as he danced. Their movements were in sync, the song going by quickly.
The song soon ended. So did the second one. And minutes later, the third song was over. By this time, both teens were out of breath and sweaty, barely able to stand on the dance pads. Halperia ran to Forte's side and let him lean on the younger Reploid as Phantom helped Fafnir. "'ey Forte," Fafnir said between gasps. He gave Forte a thumbs-up. "You break my little bro's heart, I break you." He was grinning.
Forte grinned as well. "Read yuh loud and clear." Now Forte was feeling really confident about this dating thing as they all took seats at the food court in a booth. Halperia sat beside Forte, the two still holding hands and the three siblings sat across from them. Forte sighed, venturing to rest his head on Halperia's shoulder tiredly. "So...Do I fit your criteria?" Forte asked.
"You passed our tests," Phantom spoke for them. "All but one. But the last test is an unimportant one..."
"I doubt that." And Forte thought, Stress endurance, honesty, and how well I can have fun...The fourth test...I know exactly what to do... "What are you in the mood for?"
The four of them exchanged looks, then Halperia asked, "Can...you eat?"
"I've been upgraded." Forte winked at the Reploid. "It was part of the contract with the KAMIs."
"That's good," Halperia sighed. He smiled cutely. "I'd feel horrible if I had to eat in front of you like that."
"That's right..." Leviathan said in a sly tone. "You two have to eat alone..." The three siblings stood. "We'll see you guys later." They left.
Again Halperia sighed as he moved to sit across form Forte. "I'm glad we'll finally get a chance to talk alone again."
"Yeah..." Forte answered. "There are some things I've been meaning to ask. But first," he winked at Halperia, "let's get some chow." Halperia giggled and nodded, the two going to the Japanese food area. With their meals and drinks, they sat back down in the booth. Forte ate a bit (he paid for Halperia's meal), then asked, "How did you know I was in that chamber?"
Halperia looked a bit sad as he ate his sushi. "Your doggie, Gospel, came to my window. He led me to the chamber, then he went back to the entrance because you had told him to wait there." He smiled. "I'm glad I got there when I did."
Forte nodded. "I am too...I would have ended up like Swiss cheese if you hadn't shown up."
This made Halperia giggle again. "Thank you...I was scared at first, but you're nice to me. And you make me smile and laugh." Halperia blushed, bowing his head as he ate. "I hope...we can be together for a long time..."
It made Forte happy to hear that, but something was bothering him now. "Why were you scared?" Forte asked in a concerned tone.
"I've been upgraded." Forte winked at the Reploid. "It was part of the contract with the KAMIs."
"That's good," Halperia sighed. He smiled cutely. "I'd feel horrible if I had to eat in front of you like that."
"That's right..." Leviathan said in a sly tone. "You two have to eat alone..." The three siblings stood. "We'll see you guys later." They left.
Again Halperia sighed as he moved to sit across form Forte. "I'm glad we'll finally get a chance to talk alone again."
"Yeah..." Forte answered. "There are some things I've been meaning to ask. But first," he winked at Halperia, "let's get some chow." Halperia giggled and nodded, the two going to the Japanese food area. With their meals and drinks, they sat back down in the booth. Forte ate a bit (he paid for Halperia's meal), then asked, "How did you know I was in that chamber?"
Halperia looked a bit sad as he ate his sushi. "Your doggie, Gospel, came to my window. He led me to the chamber, then he went back to the entrance because you had told him to wait there." He smiled. "I'm glad I got there when I did."
Forte nodded. "I am too...I would have ended up like Swiss cheese if you hadn't shown up."
This made Halperia giggle again. "Thank you...I was scared at first, but you're nice to me. And you make me smile and laugh." Halperia blushed, bowing his head as he ate. "I hope...we can be together for a long time..."
It made Forte happy to hear that, but something was bothering him now. "Why were you scared?" Forte asked in a concerned tone.
Again the smaller Reploid looked a bit sad. "I was afraid you'd hurt my brothers and sister...and from where I stood, you were all shadowy and scary...I didn't want to go down the dark hole..." Halperia shivered a bit. "I'm afraid of the dark..."
"I'm sorry..."
Halperia smiled. "Don't be. Now that I know you're nice, I'm not scared anymore. In fact..." He blushed and leaned forward over the table to whisper. "I think I'm in l!"
He was cut off by Forte placing his finger on Halperia's lips to silence the little Reploid. Forte winked at Halperia. "Ah-ah-ah! No saying the 'l' word until the first date." Both of them laughed quietly as if it were their own secret joke, and Forte stole a quick kiss on Halperia's lips. Halperia smiled proudly to himself as they continued eating silently. After a while, Forte broke the silence and asked, "Why were you dancing at that fountain anyways?"
"The kitty-angel-girl taught me the dance," Halperia answered after taking a sip of his soda. "She said it was a summoning dance as if I did it right, my true love would appear."
"And you believed her?" Forte asked in almost disbelief.
The green-haired Reploid gave Forte a sad look. "Wouldn't you if your family made your decisions for you?"
Forte sighed, understanding what Halperia was going through. Wily...he thought. What would you do now if you knew the once-dark and evil Forte was now capable of love? But a nagging voice chose that moment inside him to ask, But is it love? How do you know your programming is capable of such an extreme emotion? What if Wily left that out? You're only good at destroying things. Does that mean you'll destroy Halperia's heart with your false smile and sour kisses? "Yes..." Forte finally answered Halperia's question. "I would..."
A concerned look crossed Halperia's face. "Are you okay? You seemed upset..."
The Bioroid forced a convincing smile. "I'm fine. This is my first meal ever after all." He winked. "Not sure if I'll get indigestion or not, ya know?"
Halperia sighed with relief and nodded, saying no more. The two finished eating in silence and hand-in-hand, headed back toward the limo where Leviathan, Phantom, and Fafnir waited. Again Halperia's eyes caught the small bush of flowers and Forte sighed, stopping outside the store. Halperia gave him a worried look when Forte pulled his hand free from Halperia's. "What are you going to do?" The younger Reploid asked, sounding a bit scared.
Forte winked at Halperia. "I'm about to make you mad." With that, he went into the store. Halperia watched as a worker removed the flowers from the display, feeling his heart sink in sadness as his wings drooped behind him. Moments later, Forte came out carrying the small bush of flowers in a vase. Halperia smiled happily when Forte offered them to Halperia. The younger Reploid carefully took them and sighed, taking in a deep breath. "They're red roses," Forte said. "Real live roses. No hybrids or spliced genes."
"They must have cost a fortune!" Halperia exclaimed.
Again Forte winked and grinned. "Gospel will have to go a long time without any tune-ups or upgrades, but I think he'll live." He kissed Halperia's cheek. "For you, I'd sacrifice anything."
"Thank you," Halperia said with a smile. Tears were in his eyes as he kissed Forte's cheek. "This entire day has been so wonderful..."
"Why are you crying?" Forte asked, using a thumb to brush away Halperia's tears. "Are you that happy?" Halperia nodded his head against Forte's hand. And Forte thought sadly as he looked deep in Halperia's eyes, I'd sooner kill myself than break Halperia's heart. This is love. It has to be love...Wily, I'll murder you if I end up breaking Halperia's heart because one of your flaws in me!
"Well," Leviathan's voice spoke as she and the others approached. "It seems you've passed the fourth test." She winked. "Buying Halperia the most meaningful gift."
"Congratulations," Phantom said, smiling behind his mask. "You have our blessing."
Forte smiled and bowed to them. "I thank you for your blessings." He faced Halperia. "It's getting late. We'd better get you home."
Fafnir placed a hand on Halperia's shoulder. "We'll be taking him home." He grinned and winked at Forte. "Gotta get him rested up for you guy's big date tomorrow."
"Yeah..." Forte sighed, his smile fading. "Until tomorrow, I guess..."
Halperia nodded, his once glowing face now fading with the sun in the background. Silently, he entered the limo and was followed by his siblings. Leviathan closed the door, and Forte watched with growing uneasiness as the limo drove off. That night, Forte dreamt of Halperia sitting in his room, crying over a broken vase and slowly wilting roses.
