Episode Title: "Welcome Home"
Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.
Special Thanks: Before I begin, I would like to give my biggest thank-yous to shamaru1, love-writer, and Crystal Persian. I have noticed that all three of you have classified me as one of your favorite authors. Also, many thanks to love-writer, FireNovaLover, and Crystal Persian for making my very first fanfic one of your favorites. Everyone else who reviewed, you already have my thanks. I hope that my future stories will prove worthy of your trust.
And speaking of future stories…
Chapter One: Play Time
It would have started as just another day in the Super Robot…except for the fact that there was one addition to the Monkey Team. And that was no small matter for anyone.
Even Chiro had noticed that the Super Robot seemed to have become more like a home now that Hayley Cometra had come back. Everyone had been busy working with her to get her up to speed with the current events. Although they still had a long way to go, she took her lessons to heart faster than even the Monkeys had anticipated.
Chiro, Antauri, Sprx, and Gibson were in the Command Center, performing their normal duties, when Antauri looked around. Chiro was near the colored elevators, cleaning the glass on Otto's.
"I think you'd better move away from the transports, Chiro," Antauri gently said.
The warning surprised the boy as he looked at the other. "Why?"
Before Antauri could answer, though, a figure arrived at their level through the green elevator and ran out, chattering with laughter until accidentally crashing into Chiro! Both of them tumbled to the floor with surprised grunts until the new arrival was on top of him!
"That's why," the Black Monkey said with a small smile.
"Oh, Chiro!" Hayley exclaimed. "Sorry."
Chiro looked at her in complete confusion. "Hayley? What's going on?"
She quickly placed a finger on his lips. "Shh, I'm not here," she whispered before jumping off and running behind one of the command chairs with a giggle. The guys had only a split second to notice that she was carrying something in her hand.
"Uh oh, they're at it again," Sprx commented, quite happily.
"Who's at what again?" Chiro asked.
His answer came quickly when Otto emerged from his elevator, appearing to be out of breath. "Hey, you guys," he greeted, looking around. "Have you seen—?"
One look at Chiro getting up and dusting himself off, and Otto knew that he didn't have to finish the question.
"Oh, yeah, she's here…with my S-Foil hover wrench." He then began to walk around the room slowly, stalking the area for his target and speaking in a singsong tone. "Hayley. I know you're in here. Don't make me come after you."
Chiro did his best to avert his gaze. Fortunately, Otto hadn't noticed as he continued to slowly step across the room.
"Where are you?" he continued. "I'm gettin' warmer. I'm burnin' hot. I've got the fever. Maybe ya better take me to Sick Bay and gimme a check up."
Out of the corner of his eye, Gibson saw Hayley succeeding in stifling a laugh before she tiptoed up to Otto from behind.
She mimicked his every movement to avoid becoming heard as she crept up, ready to pounce on his back.
He suddenly stopped, and she waited for him to make his next move.
What a surprise it was when that move was a quick spin around, almost grabbing her! She jumped up and squealed with laughter, and immediately the chase resumed.
The other four watched (Chiro in surprise) as Otto and Hayley roared with laughter, she ahead of him by a few meters and he trying to catch up with her. In one fist, she clenched the tool that they had noticed, holding it to Otto teasingly with a wide grin.
"Gimme that!" he insisted once he had her against a wall.
"You don't need it," she panted heavily, trying to catch her breath.
"Yes, I do!"
"No, you don't!"
"Yes, I do!"
"No, you don't!"
"Yes, I d—omph!"
Hayley had cut him off by jumping on his shoulders and leaping into the air! She grabbed onto one of the support beams with her tail and climbed up. Otto quickly followed her.
The pursuit continued at the ceiling, their laughter echoing in the Command Center. An exasperated Gibson sighed and returned to his work on the main computer. Sprx tried to ignore the younger Monkeys' riot but to no avail. He glanced at Antauri.
"I thought you would've broken this up by now," the hot shot commented.
"Hayley had been kept prisoner a very long time, Sprx," replied the second-in-command. "She deserves to enjoy every minute of her newfound freedom. Besides, I believe it will be over soon enough, anyway."
"Is it my imagination, or is Hayley usually this hyper?" asked Chiro.
"Admittedly, she does appear to have an increased response to the stimulated adrenaline," Gibson answered without looking at him. "However, she does tend to get a little out of hand occasionally. After all, she still has her savage instincts from living as an ordinary monkey."
"I need that hover wrench, Hayley!" Otto's voice screamed, only a little less playful now, as the pair suddenly came back down, him on top of her. They were both wrestling now; he had the arm that held the tool in one hand, but she had grabbed his other arm to keep the free hand away. She struggled to get away from him, but the Green Monkey was too strong.
Soon coming up with another idea, Hayley carefully weaved her tail between them until the tip of it was gently but quickly rubbing against Otto's armpit.
Immediately, he screeched with laughter and tried to move away while still holding onto her. "Hey! No tickling!"
That just made her giggle some more as she moved her legs in, pushing him off.
"Hayley, please gimme the wrench!"
At once, the fun was over. With a genuine smile, she handed him the tool. Otto quickly grabbed it with his tail and tucked it behind his back to ensure that she wouldn't snag it again. Chiro looked on in surprise and blinked.
"What was different that time?" Otto asked, not realizing that had spoken the question before Chiro could.
"If you have yet to figure that out, then we'll just have to play this game again sometime," she simply stated, flirting with him openly. She then giggled and tickled his chin with her tail. "Otto, I can't decide if you're adorably hopeless or hopelessly adorable."
Even though he enjoyed the flirt, Otto scratched his head in confusion. "Uh…what's the difference?"
She only giggled again in reply.
The other four watching smiled at the pair, but only Hayley noticed.
"What do you need that wrench for, anyway?" she asked Otto.
After noticing a quick glance from Antauri, Gibson stated, "You are apparently abundant in potential energy this day, Hayley."
"No, you think?" she giggled sarcastically.
"I believe the point Gibson is trying to make, Hayley, is that you are still openly displaying your extreme cunning and skill," Antauri told her. "They are not bad qualities. However, I think the time has come for you to show those traits in a more appropriate setting. Will you please pay our combat specialist a visit?"
Hayley gave him a slight bow of respect and started for the elevators. But as she entered the yellow one, the others could see a small grin on her face. "Combat specialist," she commented, mostly to herself. "I doubt I'll ever get used to hearing her that way."
"What did she mean by that?" Chiro asked when she was gone.
"Before we got rid of Mandarin, he used to be in charge of training all of us, including her," Sprx said in an unusually serious tone. "I just hope Nova doesn't hit her too hard. Hayley's not used to training with her."
"She'll be fine, Sprx," Antauri reassured. "Otto, how is your project progressing?"
Otto smiled proudly. "Almost done, Antauri! I just need to fit in the power megacoils, attach the auxiliary control beam, and install the hyper armor siding…and I still have to paint it, too."
"The paint can wait, Otto. Focus on finishing the technical stats. I sense that we may need it for Skeleton King's next attack."
"What are you building, anyway?" Chiro asked Otto.
"Just a little surprise for Hayley."
The leader was about to question him further on it, but a quick stern look from Antauri told the boy to leave it at that. Then, another question flashed in his mind. "And…what was that crack about the fever and Sick Bay about?"
Gibson looked up at Chiro. "Oh, did we not tell you?" the scientist asked. "After we had completed renovations of Hayley's structural form to that of a Robot Monkey, we had appointed her as the head operator at Sick Bay. Considering that she had a keen way of sensing physical ailments and was quickly well versed in medical practices during her first training, it was a most appropriate responsibility for her."
"Not to mention that she has a better bedside manner than Dr. Brainstrain here," Sprx laughed.
"And what, pray tell, is the matter with my medical practices?" Gibson asked indignantly.
"Well, for one thing, Hayley doesn't ramble on about what we come down with."
"I'll have you know that I do not 'ramble on' in any way, shape, or form."
That defense earned a skeptical yet knowing glare from Sprx.
But Chiro had missed most of what was said between them, for he had the image in his mind of Hayley wearing a surgical mask and wielding a pair of long, sharp scissors. His mouth twisted in uncertainty and slight disgust. "I bet she's kinda scary in Sick Bay," he thought aloud.
Knowing what he meant by that, Gibson completely forgot about his argument with Sprx and gave his leader an embarrassed look. "It's not that kind of operator, Chiro."
Overall, an ordinary day, right? But what is this "project" that Otto is working on? Why are Chiro and Hayley kept in the dark about it? But before these questions are answered, find out how the girls interact in Chapter Two: Of Girls and Guardians.