A/N: Hey! So sorry it took me so long. I fell out of the SRMTHFG fandom for a little bit, but I just needed a month break. Anyways, I feel like I'm starting to come back, so expect more updates from me.

Enjoy chapter 17


Chapter 17

The Sinking Ship

A week had passed since the fight with the crime boss, things were, as always, going smoothly in the super robot. Except for one thing, Chiro took notice, was Mandarin's odd behavior change. Ever since the young human-now-simian had witnessed the orange simian's unknowing kind side, he started to reconsider many things.

Chiro was sitting in the command center, watching his future teammates spar, matching their skills against each other. Gibson and Nova had been going at it for about an hour, but Gibson had underestimated Nova's reach and got clobbered. Then, like all the times they sparred in the future, the poor Brainiac had fallen to the warriors' mercy. Chiro stiffened a chuckle. It was a little weird watching when Mandarin was not present.

"Sorry Gibson." Nova laughed with fake regret, retiring her fists to her normal hands. "But you lose, again!" She dusted the imaginary dirt off her, beaming a grand smile.

Gibson, who sported a huge dinosaur sized hand print over his face, grumbled and replace his drills. "I do not understand how my calculations keep failing when I clearly studied the timing of your undercuts and planned step by step on how to properly avoid him!" He breathed his long winded statement as if everyone was actually paying attention.

"It's because you take too long to think before striking, big brain!" Sprx jived while wearing his every day cocky grin.

"It's better to plan to be efficient then to rush on ahead like a brash young fool like you!"

Before another shouting match could irrupt like a class nine volcano, a calm hand was raised. It silenced the feuding brothers, directing their attention to the owner.

"You both possess something you both need in battle." Antauri called, standing firmly before them with his hands pressed together like he was making a prayer. To Chiro, it was still weird not seeing Antauri hover around when he preaches.

Gibson and Sprx crossed their arms, not looking like they were following. Before Antauri could continue, Chiro had called out.

"Gibson, it's good to think before you attack. But sometimes you just need to act." The blue eyed simian stepped in, finishing Antauri's statement. "And Sprx, sometimes you got to think then just acting, if you're given the chance to plan, do so."

Everyone glanced over to him, eyes wide, but Antauri gave him a pleased smile. "Very good Chiro, perhaps you'd like to take a turn and join us in sparring?"

Chiro's gawking expression made the wise lime eye colored simian chuckle.

"The last time we have seen you spar was with Mandarin, and that was a full out brawl we had to end. I'd like to analyze you for once, on a more safety controlled format. Don't you agree?"

No matter how hard Chiro tried, he couldn't refuse the smile filled with warm kindness. He groaned and forced a smile. "O-okay, I've been meaning to stretch my legs anyways."

"Good, you'll spar with me, so I can properly decipher your skill levels myself."

Chiros gut drooped, oh shit, he had to spar with Antauri. Every sense of logic was telling him to retreat, abort mission. The wise monkey was already suspicious of him, he could tell by the way he started at him. He gripped the watch of Morrow, he didn't have a choice, he'd just have to play it out carefully.

"Agreed."

And just like that, the wise simian was already on him. Chiro was taken by sheer surprised as he jumped back. His side was healed, leaving nothing but a huge scar, so it wouldn't hinder his performance near as much.

"Stay on your toes." Antauri spoke firmly but gently, throwing swings at his look alike.

Chiro dodged each swing, remembering Antauri's future teachings, this was some of the beginner stuff. Following memory, he started ducking and weaving. He predicted each swing, tweaking his moves, and danced past the swift simian. When Antauri swung his left foot, Chiro managed to grab his ankle and twirl him over his head. The wise simian twisted his body and landed on his feet acrobatically, blinking in surprise.

"Your power primate is strong." He stood up, dropping his attack stance. "Almost as if you've already been trained. Hm?"

All eyes were on him, again, except this time, questions were starting form. Like he could almost read their mechanical brains processing the new information behind their ocular lens. He twiddled his fingers, his own mind racing to come up with something—anything—to get him out of this jam.

"Well, I've had time to practice. That's all I can really explain."

Before Antauri could question, a loud bang rang out from the door. Heads turning, they spotted Mandarin shuffling down the hall way. His steps were uneven, eyes glazed over, looking extremely tired and sick. Worry struck Antauri's heart as he turned away from his interrogations with Chiro and raised a hand to stop Mandarin.

"My friend, are you okay?" He asked, his deep voice wavering with obvious worry.

"Yea," he gurgled, swatting his second in command's hands away. "I was just working out, get some quiet." He rubbed his temple, obvious his head was in a lot of pain. "Quiet that I'd still like now."

Otto rushed over to his leader, eyes beaming with joy he always held when approaching his best friend. "I missed you! You we're gone all night, kind of like the other nights before this. Where do you go?"

"Just private stuff." Mandarin snapped, sounding a little crueler then he wanted it to come out. He pushed his hand against Otto's chest and nudged him off. "But could you please get me some water?"

Otto rushed off to the kitchen and returned with a crystalline cup of water, handing it obediently to his leader. Mandarin gratefully took it and sipped it all down in one chug.

"Well, Mandarin, we are preparing for our next set of training. Chiro has proven to be quit skilled, would you like to join us?"

"No." Mandarin said bluntly, walking away and shooting up his orange tube, leaving a confused team behind.

Chiro was stumped, not quite sure how to take this.

~Upstairs~

Mandarin walked down the hallway, the alcohol he had consumed last night weighing his mind down. He snarled, feeling the anger boiling up in the pot of his stomach, threatening to spill over. He fought back against the voices threatening to make him snap. He massaged his forehead, the hang over being enough of burden on his already stained mind.

The thug he had killed a week ago during that raid he and the team stopped. It… did something to him, something he was not quite sure of. He had trained and led the team for years, taking down all sorts of enemies in certain ways. He had always been one to favor rough justice, even going as far as supporting the death sentence in prisons. But to actually have killed a guy on purpose? Or, was it an accident?

He walked to his room, unsure of the last thoughts. He liked to think it was an accident, but the anger that grasped his heart made him question wither or not he wanted to do it.

But the image of that bloody corpse just wouldn't leave him alone. Hurting his sleep schedule, actually, he forgot the last time it was when he actually got a full night's sleep. Mandarin curled his lip back to expose his angry fangs flexing in venomous anger. He slammed his fist against the wall, denting it with ease.

He made his way to his room, as he leaned against the door, a voice called out to him.

"Mandarin?" Chiro asked, coming from around corner. "You okay?"

Mandarin arched an eyebrow, glancing at the taller/younger simian as if he was a special kind of stupid. "No," he muttered through gritted teeth. Trying very hard to keep his patience up.

Chiro scratched his chin, not buying it. Then a thought hit him, what was he doing? He tried to remember this was the enemy he had to be fighting. But, remembering that it was this Mandarin that had saved him from getting killed, he swallowed his paranoia.

"I'm just trying to help." Chiro muttered, eyebrows raised.

Mandarin's angry scowl then drooped to a more subtle passive look. He sighed and rubbed his helmet. "Sorry, I'm just not feeling to great at the moment. Have a lot on my mind, so I'd rather not talk about it."

Chiro frowned as he watched the monkey walk away from him. Sighing, he turned and walked off in the other direction. Not sure how to feel about this situation.


A/N: So sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but this one is just meant to be a filler. The next chapter is going to be a big one.

So again, sorry it took so long to update. Forgive grammar mistakes, too lazy to look this over. And expect another update soon.

Peace out.