Disclaimer: Why do I even need to put this?

Author Notes: Just a few things here. First: if anyone has any questions pertaining to the story, first read over to make sure you didn't miss something, then feel free to send me a message. Also, please don't just do a "Please update" review. Add some detail to it. And finally: I'll do a oneshot request for whoever can point out my reference first.

Rating: T

Warnings: Violence, language

Chapter 10
Macacos me Mordam

LOCATION: Maputo, Mozambique

"Stop it!"

Saada stopped and crossed her arms. "Stop what?"

Sprx whipped around to face her. "You know what! Stop following me!"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Because I want to help you," Saada sighed.

"I don't need any of your god damned help!"

"Sprx, something is obviously wrong, you need help!"

Sprx rolled his eyes. "Oh, for - I don't need any help. All I need is for you to get off my fucking back!" He turned around and began to walk away.

"Why?"

Sprx turned around. "Huh?" Then he saw the look on Saada's face. It could only be described as tortured.

"Why do you always do this?! Every time I try to be a decent person with you, you push me away or make a stupid joke." She laughed ironically. "Do you hate me? Is that it? Because if so, I'd like to know why."

Sprx jumped. "I don't hate you. I just…I don't know okay; everything's… it all…" he yelled suddenly. "IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" He kicked a trash can so hard it dented.

He panted from releasing his frustration.

"Feel any better?" Saada asked.

Sprx glared at her. "Not really."

Saada smiled mockingly. "Are you going to cry now?"

"No, I – Oh, shut up!"

Saada snickered. "Come on, let's head back for lunch."

"But what about the whole…?" he trailed off, still uncomfortable about the subject.

"We can just um…talk about it some other time." Saada apparently was too.

There was a few seconds of awkward silence.

"So, what's there for lunch?" asked Sprx.

"Why don't we head back and find out?" smirked Saada.

Sprx smiled. And the whole time she didn't even call me-

"Come on, Sparky!"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!"

Otto sighed in relief. Fortunately, Sprx had decided to kick the other trash can, not his. He had to admit that this was probably not the best hiding spot, but he was sick of slinking around the dark alleyways. After all, variety is the spice of life, right?

Although it was muffled from inside the can, Otto could pick out parts of the conversation between Sprx and his new friend. It seemed that Sprx wasn't too close to this 'Saada' girl, which Otto had mixed feelings over.

On one hand it meant that they would probably have an easier time getting Sprx to come with them. But on the other, Otto was sad that Sprx had spent all this time with virtually no one. He had a hard enough time with Ally and Jeff for company. (I hope they're okay.) He couldn't imagine being all by himself.

He shook his head. He had to focus on getting Sprx and the girl apart. Why did they have to give me this job? He really didn't want to be the one responsible for splitting up the two, but he knew it had to be done.

He sighed sadly as he slowly lifted the lid and climbed out of the garbage can. I'm sorry, Sprx.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Sprx whirled around as he heard metallic shuffling behind them. "What was that?"

"What?" Saada also stopped and turn around.

"Didn't you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what? The trash cans?"

"You did hear it!"

She sighed. "Yes Sprx, I did hear it, now calm down for god's sake."

He frowned but didn't lose his tension. "Why aren't you more worried?"

"Sprx it's the middle of the day time, there are two of us, and this is one of the better parts of town," she turned and resumed walking. "No one's going to attack us when there are plenty of other more vulnerable targets for mugging. Besides, you and I both know that there are more stray animals then there are people in this city; it was probably one of them. Nothing to worry about."

Sprx slowly turned around, not completely satisfied, but better than before. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"You honestly need to relax." Saada looked down and stopped. "Wait, my shoe's untied." She placed her hand on the edge of a garbage can for support as she bent down. "OW!" Saada abruptly sprang away from the garbage can, glaring at it in pure shock.

"What?!"

Saada cradled her hand. "Something bit me!"

He turned towards the alley as he heard cans being knocked over and some hissing, as whatever bit Saada ran away. "Nothing to worry about huh?! You go back to the orphanage and get that patched up." He began running down the alleyway.

"Where are you going?!"

Sprx knocked a can out of the way. "To get that thing that bit you! You know, in case of rabies."

"But Sprx!" she called out, but she was too late. Sprx was already out of sight. She looked down at her hand, "It didn't even break the skin you idiot." She looked back up at the alley. "Damnit Sprx." She began running, hoping to catch up to the boy before he got in trouble.

Otto gasped for breath as he ran down the alleyway in an attempt to escape. Oh, why did I have to step on that kitty's tail! It's not like he meant too; it was dark in the alley and the cat was black. But it happened, and the sleeping cat leapt up and bit the closest thing to its mouth. In this case, the hand of Sprx's friend.

Fortunately for him, his agility and smaller size made it easy for him to dash through the debris filled alley. Unfortunately, the alley he had just turned down ended in a large brick wall.

"Uh oh," Otto mumbled. Think fast.

He could hear Sprx closing in behind him.

Oh no, I have to get him to Antauri and Chiro! He can't catch me yet! He glanced around for a hiding spot. None. He looked back and realized that if he tried to go back now, there was a good chance Sprx would spot him.

He looked forward and gulped.

That wall's pretty high. Although he was probably the best climber on the team, from here he could tell that the wall was falling apart. This meant there were plenty of places to grip, but it also meant at any time, a part could simply crumble away.

Otto looked back one more time and heard the rapidly approaching red-head.

Well, here goes nothing.

He quickly made it to the wall and began scaling the stone structure. Several times a brick nearly gave out or came loose, but he finally made it to the top.

"Whew." As if on cue the brick Otto was standing on crumbled. He tried to make a grab for the wall but he reached out to find only air. He hit the ground along with the pieces of brick. He moaned softly in pain.

A tall figure came dashing around the corner, upon seeing the tall wall he grinned, "No way you're getting away."

Otto could hear him run towards the wall and began looking around.

"Now where are you, you… whatever you are." Sprx rounded the corner. Otto kept his breathing steady, hoping that Sprx would give up and look away. Then the human Sprx spotted the small pile of rubble. "What the…?"

Otto burst out of the pile and tried to make it past Sprx, but the red-head was able to dive and tackle the green monkey.

"Hold still you stupid thing, so I can…" He trailed off as he began to get a good look at Otto. "Wha… What in the fuck are you?"

Due to his shock, Otto was able to squirm out of Sprx's grasp. Sprx tried to grab the green monkey, but Otto eluded him. "Get back here!"

Otto slowed to a stop and looked back at Sprx and smiled, "Let's play tag Sprx." With this he dashed off.

Sprx remained on the ground for a few moments; jaw dropped in a state of stupefaction, before he quickly shot up and gave pursuit.

Meanwhile in Seoul…

Hyun Jae felt like murdering someone, specifically the boy whose room she was currently located in.

For the last twelve or so hours, (she had lost track at about 6) she had been helping Jin-Sang develop his program to find Antauri.

Unfortunately for her, her minimal experience with computers ensured that any 'help' she provided involved getting the computer bound 17-year-old food and drinks, and cleaning up after him.

In other words, HE'S MADE ME A FUCKING MAID!

Hyun Jae swore that the next time the bastard asked her to clean something up, she would bash his head in with his keyboard.

As if he had read her thoughts and dared her, Jin-Sang spilled his soda onto the floor. "Whoops. Hey Gandhi, could you get that?"

She repressed her desire to murder and merely glared at Jin-Sang, "Are you doing this on purpose?"

Jin-Sang glanced back. "Doing what on purpose?"

Hyun Jae pointed down at the spilled drink. "Since I've come here, you have spilled five drinks, seven snacks, and created eleven other miscellaneous messes. You have made me clean all of them up. Are you doing it on purpose to torture me?"

"Wow, you sure it's that many? I can only remember like three or four messes at most," he laughed. "It's not on purpose though, it's sort of who I am; I tend to be a real slob."

Hyun Jae looked around the room, from the organized stack of books sitting on his desk, to his neatly made bed. She had a hard time accepting what Jin-Sang had claimed. This place is near pristine.

The teen noticed what Hyun Jae was doing, "Oh this isn't my room, this isn't even my apartment. I'm house-sitting for my friend, his family left a day early for the summer break."

"Well you're doing a pretty crappy job of keeping this place clean."

"Yeah well… seeing as I'm helping you find your mysterious boyfriend-"

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

"Right, mysterious friend who just happens to be a boy. Anyway, I figure the least you can do for me is keep the place clean."

Hyun Jae was dumbfounded, "I'm already paying you!"

"I know, so I'll let you deduct 5% from my final pay in return."

Hyun Jae groaned. "Fine, whatever; just stop being such a slob."

Jin-Sang merely 'hmm'ed in compliance. A few seconds later he spoke up again. "What the?" He waved over to the 18-year-old girl. "Hey Hyun Jae, come look at this."

Hyun Jae came over to the monitor. "I'm pretty sure I found a picture of that kid you described."

She looked at the screen, where a zoomed in picture from a surveillance camera displayed a young boy in his early teens. Dressed in what appeared to be a school uniform. "That's definitely him. What time was this taken at?"

"Just about midnight."

She nodded. "That's only a little bit after Antauri disappeared."

"Okay, but here's what I wanted to ask you about." He pointed to a part of the picture that was directly in front of 'Chiro' (Is that even his real name?) who was headed into an alleyway in the frame. "Do you have any idea what that is?"

Right in front of the boy was a curved… thing, that was metallic in color. "It looks like a tail made of metal."

"Or a snake," he smirked. "Maybe this kid is a spy for Hideo Kojima."

"Excuse me?"

Jin-Sang glanced at her. "Metal? Snake? Any of this ringing a bell?"

Hyun Jae shook her head, Jin-Sang snorted. "That's just sad." He went back to his work, shaking his head in apparent disappointment.

Hyun Jae went and sat on the bed. What the hell am I dealing with?

What the hell am I dealing with? Sprx thought as he dashed after the green, robotic, TALKING, monkey! This is fucking insane.

The damn thing even knew his name… a-and he swore that he knew the monkey too, somehow.

I have to catch it! It knows something about me!

"Get back here you little freak!" The monkey glanced back with a look on his face that suggested he was enjoying this greatly.

"You'll have to catch me Sprx!" he laughed.

How do I know you? And why does this seem so familiar?

Suddenly a thought flashed through his head. Get back here Otto!

Otto?

When he focused on the green monkey, who had just knocked a trash can into his path, the name seemed to stick.

"Get back here, Otto!"

The monkey nearly froze when he heard this, but instead looked back with a look of shock on his face. He smiled even wider than before.

"Sorry Sprx, but that's not how tag works!"

Fine Otto, I'll play your game. But then you better tell me everything you know about me.

Macacos me Mordam- Portuguese, lit. "monkeys bite me'; an idiom roughly equivalent to 'No way!' or 'This can't be real'