The Empire Underneath II Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All Love Hina characters belong to Ken Akamatsu as their creator. But the ones you've never seen in Love Hina before (namely: all talking Mecha-Tama) is no doubt made up by me.

Keitaro let out a sigh after sipping his tea. 'Pretending that nothing's happening...' he thought. 'Luring them to us...' He sweatdropped. 'Is this going to work...?'
"Ne, Keitaro." Mitsune sat next to him in the dining room.
Keitaro turned to her. "What is it, Kitsune-chan?" He gulped when he saw her foxy smile.
"Did you do her last night?" Mitsune asked bluntly, making Keitaro's heart about to explode.
"K-Kitsune!" Keitaro exclaimed.
Mitsune kept her smile. "Relax. Everyone's out but you, me, and Naru, so we're safe."
Keitaro calmed down. "Despite that, we can't be too careful. This inn has a lot of secret passages. No one is really safe." He took another sip of tea.
Mitsune nodded. "Ah, so that's why you took her out frequently." she said. "Did you do her somewhere else?"
Keitaro choked on his tea. He coughed a bit, then turned to Mitsune. "I didn't do it, okay?"
Mitsune acted surprise. "You haven't done it? At all?" she asked.
Keitaro shook his head. "Not yet." he replied. "Not until we have a ring."
Mitsune raised both eyebrows. "Well, you're one serious guy, Keitaro." she said. "Naru's one lucky girl."
Keitaro blushed as he took another sip of tea.

LOVE HINA: Super Special Episode! #4

The Empire Underneath II: REVENGE

Chapter 2: Information, Reformations, Reasons

A Mecha-Tama stood before the big mechanical box in the underground cavern.
"You'd better not fail this time." the big box said in its heavy mechanical voice.
"I shall not!" the Mecha-Tama replied. It then flew away into the darkness of the underground passages under Hinata-sou.

Shinobu was preparing lunch when she sensed someone at the kitchen door. She spun around to see Keitaro, leaning on the door, staring at her, smiling. Shinobu blushed instantly at the way he stared at her. "A-Anoo, senpai. Lunch isn't ready yet, so please wait a bit longer."
Keitaro nodded. "I know." he nodded. "I'll just be here looking at you." he added. He was staring at her the whole time.
This apparently worsened Shinobu's blush. She began to glow red. "A-Anoo..."
Keitaro chuckled. "Don't tell me I can't just be here and look at you." he said.
Shinobu looked down. Her face was burning hot she can even smell it...wait, smell? Shinobu turned to her cooking and shrieked. "Aah! The lunch!" she exclaimed as she hurriedly turned off the stove. It was a bit late, though. The meal was burnt. "Uh," she pouted. "And I was going to make a special treat today."
"Daijoubu (It's alright), Shinobu-chan." Keitaro said. "Everything you make always end up tasting good." Keitaro went to help her take the steaming pot from the stove.
Shinobu's eyes widened as Keitaro promptly took the pot on the edge and put it away. The pot was supposed to be very hot as it was made of metal. But before she could continue her thoughts, Keitaro turned to her, smiling.
"Ne, Shinobu-chan. Your cooking is always good. Kitsune was right when she said you'd be a good wife." said Keitaro.
Shinobu looked down, her face already redder than the lobster next to her on the kitchen counter. "A-Anoo, senpai, please wait in the living room while I finish the lunch."
Keitaro smiled. "But I want to be with you." he said, even worsening her blush. "And you're cooking is always good. How about you being my wife someday?"
Shinobu looked up at him in surprise. Her face was all red. "S-Senpai...I...A-Anoo...What about Naru-senpai?"
Keitaro frowned. "What about her? She's only a friend to me."
At that time, the sound of a dropped glass was heard from the door to the kitchen. Keitaro and Shinobu turned to the sound and found Naru stunned on the door, her plastic glass spun near her feet, water that was in it was spilled around it.
Shinobu waved her hand anime-style. "C-Chigau (N-No). It...It isn't what you think, Naru-senpai."
Keitaro only gave her a sideway wave, as if ignoring her presence. "Hi, Narusegawa." he said.
Naru was shocked. "K-Keitaro..." she whispered.
Keitaro went to Shinobu's side, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Did you hear what I said? That's a good idea, right? What do you think?"
Naru was on the verge of tears when she suddenly heard the door to the dining room behind her open. She turned around and saw Keitaro.
"Hey, Naru. Has lunch been served yet?" he asked in a casual way.
Naru's eyes widened. She turned around and saw 'Keitaro' with 'his' arm around a blushing Shinobu. Then to the Keitaro on the door behind her. "K-Kore wa (T-This is)..."
'Keitaro' moved aside to see Keitaro on the door. He clicked his tongue. "Rats. And I was just about to get Jealousy as well."
Naru turned back to 'Keitaro'. "A-Anata wa...ano Mecha (Y-You're...that Mecha)!" she exclaimed.
Shinobu was shocked. She turned to 'Keitaro' and found 'him' smiling wickedly.
"Good guess, miss." 'Keitaro' said, 'his' voice began to turn into a heavy mechanical voice. 'He' turned to Shinobu. "Gomen (Sorry), ne, Shinobu-chan." he said. He then went and jumped out of the window.
Naru went to the window and was just in time to see 'him' return into a Mecha-Tama and flew away. "Ugh. It got away again!"
Keitaro joined at her side. "It came again, didn't it?" he asked. "And got away again."
Naru turned to him. "Gomen, Keitaro...I...I almost doubted you..."
Keitaro smiled. "I would never do that." he said. They were about to kiss when they realized that Shinobu was watching them, her eyes wide. "Uh oh." Keitaro sighed. "Another one finds out..."

Shinobu laid on her back on her bed, looking at the ceiling. Her vision was blank, but her mind replayed her memories over and over again. How Naru and Keitaro explained to her what actually happened back in the Memory Virtual Reality Cage, that they were actually...gone further, and they're now steady, although still hiding it from the others. So far, only she and Mitsune were the ones who knew. Naru thought that it would only be a matter of time before Kaolla and Motoko know about this, and then all the others, but that would give them time to think their relationship over.
Shinobu could feel tears falling down her cheek onto her pillow. It would be worthless now to even dream of having him as her boyfriend, since now he's really Naru's. She bit her lip. She turned to her side and tucked her head into her blanket.
'I should've known that senpai would never treat me that way.' Shinobu thought. 'I should've realized it sooner. 'He' held a boiling metal pot with 'his' bare hand. Senpai wouldn't be able to do that. And...And the way 'he' treated me...'he' was being so nice to me...and so cold to Naru-senpai...' Shinobu sighed. 'I should've realized it sooner...' Her tears flowed out of control. Her breathing became unstable as she choked on her own tears.
Shinobu continued crying, without noticing a pair of faintly glowing red eyes on the corner of the dark room.

The Mecha-Tama looked troubled as it flew through the dark tunnels. It even almost hit a huge rock; it made the necessary evasion just in time. Something was bothering it, that's for sure. It finally arrived to the community. It landed in front of a human-sized and human-formed thing that seemed to be made out of the materials of the big box.
"Ah, you've returned." the 'thing' said. "As you can see, my body is complete. All I need now is human skin and a complete set of emotions."
The Mecha-Tama stared at the human form in front of it. "You're looking good, Boss." he said.
The human form nodded. "So, how's your mission?"
Cables spurted from the Mecha-Tama's back and connected itself to the human form's leg. "I've gathered some more of Love, a bit of Guilt and Shyness, too. And I would've gotten Jealousy too if Keitaro hadn't interfere."
The human form looked down to the Mecha-Tama. "Are you giving me all your memory?"
The Mecha-Tama looked up. "O-Of course. Why would I hide anything from you, Boss?"
"It seems to me that there are some parts of your memory that I can't access. Give me access, Mecha." the human form ordered.
The Mecha-Tama shook its head. "It-It's all I've got, Boss."
"Your current memory is a few terabytes less than the memory I installed you with. You're withholding information, Mecha." the human form's voice began to raise. "A few terabytes is a lot of memory. Enough to store parts of emotion. Are you trying to develop an emotion of your own, other than the ones I gave you?"
"I-I wouldn't dare, Boss." the Mecha-Tama was trembling.
The human form silenced. "Okay, I believe you, for now." it said, relieving the Mecha-Tama. "Go back out there and gather some more. Only a few more fills before the emotion database is complete. Now go!"
The Mecha-Tama retracted its cable into its back and held up its fin for a salute. "Yes, Boss!"

Shinobu woke up in the middle of the night. She sat up and touched her pillow. Wet. She sighed. 'I must've cried myself to sleep.' she thought. 'How pity of me...' She then heard someone or something dropped onto her room's floor. She tensed.
A figure came towards her. Kaolla. "Hi, Shinobu." she greeted. She somehow looked calmer than usual. "What's wrong?" Kaolla asked. She sat on the edge of Shinobu's bed.
Shinobu sighed. "I just found out that Keitaro-senpai and Naru-senpai has gone steady and...Ah!" She slammed her mouth shut and topped it with her hands. She just remembered that she wasn't supposed to say that to Kaolla.
Kaolla just smiled. "Steady? Steady umai (delicious)?" she asked.
Shinobu sighed. She didn't realize Kaolla's sudden lack of hyperactivity. "Tonikaku (Anyhow)," she continued. "This means that...I would never be senpai's...A-Anoo..." Shinobu blushed.
Kaolla held out her hand and pulled Shinobu into her hug. "It's alright, Shinobu..." she said. "You're young. You still have a long time to find some other boys. Just think this as your first crush. It doesn't need to end good for you to remember it."
Shinobu sighed in Kaolla's hug. "Thank you, Kaolla." she said.
"Ja (Well)," Kaolla released Shinobu out of her hug. "Now that you're okay, I'm going back." she said. She hurriedly turned around and disappeared into a hole on the ceiling.
Shinobu smiled.
Right then, her room's door was opened hastily. "It's here! The signal is coming from here!" Kaolla stormed inside, a small gadget on her hand, Motoko, Mitsune, Keitaro and Naru behind her.
Shinobu was shocked. "A-Anoo, minna-san (everyone)..."
"Ah, sumimasen (excuse me), Shinobu-chan." Keitaro went to her. "Su-chan picked up a signal using her renewed Kame no Radar (Turtle Radar). It's coming from this room!"
Kaolla stomped her foot to the floor. "It's gone! How weird! It seemed to be able to cover its presence. But I just got its signal. Perhaps its power to cover its presence is lowered to make a hologram or something."
"So that means our hunt is off?" Naru asked.
Kaolla raised both shoulders. "It seems so."
Motoko seemed relieved that she wasn't about to face another turtle. She walked out of the room with a sigh of relief.
"Aahh, waking up in the middle of the night for a wild goose chase..." Mitsune mumbled as she trotted outside.
"Sumimasen, ne, Shinobu-chan." Keitaro bowed to Shinobu who was still shocked on her bed before going out with Naru.
Kaolla sighed before walking out. But she stopped as Shinobu called her.
"A-Anoo, Kaolla...were you here before you enter this room?" Shinobu asked.
Kaolla frowned. "What are you talking, Shinobu? How can I be here before I come here?" She shook her head. "You need more sleep, Shinobu! See you in the morning!" she exclaimed as she bounced herself out of the room, closing the door in the process.
Shinobu sat silently in the dark. 'It wasn't Kaolla...! Then...who...? Masaka (Could it be)...?'

"Hey, 5H1N-531. The Boss summoned for you." a Mecha-Tama told another Mecha-Tama who was sitting idly on the corner of the room.
"Ah, right. Thanks." the called Mecha-Tama replied. It then flew towards the human form on the middle of the cave. "What is it, Boss?" he prompted.
"Mecha, I've given you enough chances, more than any other Mecha." The Boss began to say. Its tone was...cold.
The Mecha-Tama shivered. It knew that something is going to happen, and that won't be good for it.
"Yesterday, you shielded part of your memory so I can't read it. And this morning, you returned with NOTHING!" the Boss's voice raised so suddenly, all Mecha-Tama in the vicinity stopped for a moment, before returning to their current task.
"B-Boss, I can explain..."
The figure pointed a finger to the Mecha-Tama. "You're giving reasons! You're becoming more human than me, faster than me! You are a disgrace! You double-cross your creator!"
The Mecha-Tama shivered, dared not to reply.
"You have violated the highest of rules." the Boss continued. "By this, I ordered for your dismantlement."
"I-Iie (N-No)!" the Mecha-Tama screamed.
"You dare to oppose ME?!" the Boss exclaimed back. "Mecha! Take this Mecha away and dismantle!"
Five Mecha-Tama appeared from all sides towards the sentenced Mecha-Tama.
"I-Iie! Boss, give me one more chance! Onegai (Please)!"
The Boss's human figure turned around, backing the begging Mecha-Tama. "My decision is final." it only said.
The sentenced Mecha-Tama closed its mouth (human equivalent: gritted his teeth), its eyes shone brightly. "I shall not obey you!" it exclaimed. It took off and flew away.
The Boss turned around again, pointing to the flying away Mecha-Tama. "After it! Search and Destroy!"
The five Mecha-Tama flew after the runaway Mecha-Tama.

LOVE HINA: The Empire Underneath II: REVENGE - Not For Sale or Rent :)

Kaolla was playing with her tanks in front of Hinata-sou. Suddenly she heard sounds of something flying at high speed. She stood up. "Are wa nani (What's that)?" she asked.
"...Donokatasukete {short form of Donokata tasukete (Anyone help)}!"
Kaolla jumped onto the roof of Hinata-sou's patio. "Are wa nani, Nani, NA~ANI (What's that, What, WHA~AT)?" She finally saw the source of the voice.
A Mecha-Tama was being chased by five Mecha-Tama, all firing at it with increasing accuracy. The chased Mecha-Tama was getting shot repeatedly and was beginning to emit smoke from its back. "Donokatasukete!"
Kaolla stood confused on the patio's roof, looking at the unbalanced chase for a while. Then she decided to help. "Ganbatte (Hold on)! Tasukeru wa kuru (Help is coming)!" she exclaimed as she maneuvered her remote control.
On the ground, her tanks responded to her commands and began firing at the chaser Mecha-Tama.
The soft bellies of the chaser Mecha-Tama were no match against Kaolla's tank's heavy weaponry. The battle was over in a minute.

"Arigato gozaimasu (Thank you very much)." The Mecha-Tama bowed its head on the table. All around it were Naru, Keitaro, Shinobu, Mitsune, Motoko, Kaolla, Sarah, Amalla, Mutsumi, and Haruka, all looking at the Mecha-Tama in wonder.
"So, it was you who changed into us." Naru began.
The Mecha-Tama nodded. "Yes. My boss wanted to acquire emotion, and it wanted me to collect samples of it, so it can complete itself to be a true human."
"Ah! Papa's prediction was correct!" Sarah exclaimed.
"Why are you being chased?" Keitaro asked.
The Mecha-Tama looked down. "I...I disobeyed my boss's orders. It wanted more emotion...and I...realized that by doing that, I would have to hurt you guys. All of you." it replied. Shinobu was stunned at this reply.
"How can we trust you?" Mitsune asked. "How can we be sure that you're not here to spy on us freely?"
"Yeah!" Motoko exclaimed. "Give an answer before I..." she raised her sword.
"I have a way." the Mecha-Tama said. It jumped and landed on its back. A sound of a deactivated machinery followed as its eyes dimmed into a black nothingness. Then its belly opened sideways, revealing its machines.
The others were shocked, except Mutsumi and Kaolla, of course.
"T-That's some proof." Amalla said. "Perhaps it was telling the truth."
"Ara ara, you're right, Amalla-san." Mutsumi nodded.
Haruka pondered on her seat. Her eyes closed, her hand on her mouth, playing with her trademarked unlit cigarette.
"Ja, Kaolla, do your...stuff." said Keitaro.
"Right!" Kaolla held up a fork and a knife.
Shinobu shrieked as Naru dropped an elbow on Kaolla's head. "Examine it, examine!"
Kaolla grinned. "Right, wrong tools." she said as he held up a screwdriver.
"What's this?" Shinobu asked as she pointed a writing on the Mecha-Tama's machine.
Kaolla held a magnifying glass and looked through it. "Seems like it's serial number or something. Let's see...5H1N-531."
"What's that?" Naru looked confused.
"Ara ara..." Mutsumi raised a finger. "If all numbers are turned into a matching alphabet...Shinsei (Holiness)."
"Shinsei?!"

Shinobu sat in her dark room. 'Shinsei...Masaka...that night...'
"Shinobu-chan," Keitaro's voice was heard in front of her room. "Su-chan said that she's done. Let's go down and see her results."
"Hai (Yes/Right/Okay {and the like})." Shinobu replied.

The Mecha-Tama was on the table, already active again. Kaolla was next to it, holding a long piece of paper, and was reading all the Mecha-Tama's specification. The others were getting bored since they don't understand a bit what she was saying. Finally she arrived at the end of the long paper.
"...and its memory is 6,4 petabytes, with one petabyte is 1024 terabytes, with one terabyte is 1024 gigabytes, with one gigabyte is 1024 megabytes, with one megabyte is 1024 kilobytes, with one kilobyte is 1024 bytes. This gives it a total memory of 7.378.697.629.483.820.646 bytes. A small part of it is filled with information about itself, most is about the emotions it had captured, and a few terabytes I can't access. But from those I can access, I found out that this Mecha has inherited all the memories of the Mecha that operated the Memory Virtual Reality cage for Love. Leaving that aside, all I can say is, it's telling the truth." Kaolla ended her long speech.
The others were already snoring.
"Oy! Okiru (Wake up), okiru, okiru, minna!" Kaolla exclaimed, waking them all.
"Ah, right! So how was it, Kaolla?" Keitaro asked instantly.
"Do you want a long reply or a short one, Keitaro?" Kaolla asked, holding up her paper.
"SHORT ONE!" the others replied quickly.
Kaolla nodded. "It's telling the truth." Kaolla said. "That's the short one."
The Mecha-Tama scanned the chaos that happened from the others trying to get a hit on Kaolla for making them hear a long speech for a four words conclusion. It then raised its head. "I am going to have to ask for refuge here at Hinata-sou."
The sentence stopped everyone on their tracks. "Refuge?" Keitaro asked.
"I don't have anywhere to go. The others will surely find me and destroy me once I return to the Empire." said the Mecha-Tama.
The residents of Hinata-sou looked at each other. Naru turned to Keitaro. "Ja, Kanrinin (Inn Manager), what do you think? It's practically your inn."
Keitaro silenced for a while. He then firmly nodded.
The Mecha-Tama bowed. "Arigato." he said.
"But you will have to have a name." said Sarah. "I don't want to call you Mecha all the time."
The Mecha-Tama shuddered. "Y-Yeah...That would remind me of my boss..."
"Shinsei." Keitaro suggested.
Full votedly agreed.
"And you'd better choose a form." said Naru. "No offense, but I really not in the mood of looking at anymore Mecha-Tama ever since this whole thing started until the end of eternity."
"And Motoko-san's not in the mood since God knows when." Sarah whispered to a grinning Kaolla.
"A...form?" the Mecha-Tama...no, Shinsei, looked confused. "A...human form?"
"Of course." Naru said.
Shinsei thought for a while. It then jumped onto the floor. It floated above the floor and shone, brightly, brighter than usual.
Everyone shielded their eyes, and when the brightness diminished, a young man, about the age of Kaolla and Shinobu were standing on Shinsei's place. "Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Chatamame Shinsei desu. Doozo yoroshiku." he bowed.

Shinobu was back in her dark room, on her bed, sitting alone.
"Shinobu-chan..." a voice was heard in front of her door. "May I come in?"
Shinobu turned to the door, a bit surprised. "S-Shinsei-kun?" she asked.
The door opened, and surely, it was Shinsei. He went in and closed the door. He walked towards Shinobu, then sat on her bed, next to her.
Shinobu took 3 seconds of silence before realizing that she was alone in her room with a young man. She blushed furiously.
"Shinobu-chan..." Shinsei started. "I...I'm here to apologize for what I've done to you yesterday. I know it must've hurt you so much."
Shinobu instantly remembered when Shinsei turned to Keitaro and lured her feelings for him. She looked down, smiling. "Daijoubu, Shinsei-kun." she replied. "You comforted me afterwards, didn't you?"
Shinsei turned to her. "So, you've figured it out." he sighed. "Yes, it was me." he returned his vision to the floor.
"I should've guessed." said Shinobu. "Kaolla was never that calm."
Silence for a while. Then, "I-I've been collecting emotions without understanding them for sometime now. But on that fateful day...I tried to integrate the emotion I received into myself...and I ended with what I am now. A Mecha-Tama with a human body hologram of its own, an emotion, and...a conscience."
Shinobu silenced. She wanted to hear more about him.
"I'm beginning to develop my own emotion, apart from my boss'. And...I'm developing one right now...which is one of many reasons why I chose this form." Shinsei said. He turned his body towards Shinobu and stared at her.
Shinobu aimed her vision onto the floor. She could feel herself blush at Shinsei's stare. 'W-What is this...? Why am I feeling this...? What is this feeling...?'
Shinsei sighed. "I don't think I recognize this emotion, but it must've been because it is actually mine." he said. He then turned his stare down. "I know humans and Mecha-Tama can't...well...relate, but..."
"Shinsei-kun..." Shinobu called, making Shinsei returned his stare to her. "You're as human as anyone I know. And...even if we can't...relate, I'd be happy to be your friend." Shinobu ended her line as she turned to him.
Shinsei smiled. "Thank you." he said. He went forward and kissed Shinobu on the forehead. "Ja, see you tomorrow." he said, leaving Shinobu stunned. Shinsei went out of the room and closed the door behind him.
"Shinsei-kun..." Shinobu whispered. She touched her forehead, where Shinsei kissed her and, half unconsciously, brought it to her lips.

"All preparations are complete, Boss." a Mecha-Tama said as it gave a salute to the human form, now with skin.
The human form was a male in his middle 20s. He opened his eyes and looked around.
"All emotions have been integrated." the Mecha-Tama continued its report. "Nerve system is now being set up...setup complete."
The human form tensed. He could now receive information from all his five human senses. "Incredible!" he exclaimed. A new world had just opened in front of him. A new world of human senses.
A Mecha-Tama landed next to the human form. "Boss, we have confirmed the location of 5H1N-531. It's in Hinata-sou."
The human form nodded. "Good work." He then turned to the lot of Mecha-Tama behind him. "Mecha! It's time for us to go out to the world and take it over!"
"Ho~oy!" A unison of agreement cheers came from the lot.
"First, we shall find 5H1N-531 and destroy it!"
"Ho~oy!"
"Then, we take over Hinata-sou, then Japan, then the whole world!"
"Ho~oy!"
The human form closed his eyes for a moment, then pointed to the tunnel connecting the cave to the outer world. "MOVE OUT!"

TO BE CONTINUED...!

Author's Notes: Oh My God! I'm writing a three chaptered sequel! A new record for me, personally. Tonikaku (Anyway), The Mecha Boss is now after Shinsei and the rest of Hinata-sou, as well as the rest of the world. This has really gone too far from their intended purpose to acquire emotion. A big fight is imminent on the next chapter. And...about Shinsei and Shinobu...will they be...together? The next chapter will have virtually no Naru-Keitaro scenes since I'm going to clarify the relationship on Shinsei and Shinobu.