AN: (Fop-chan) So sorry this took so long! I was just busy with school, worrying about college, and having to deal with a broken keyboard at random times. But now this chapter is finally up and I need to get started on the 5th one ASAP. Anyway, sorry again. Hope you like it. And if you have any ideas for a chapter then feel free to let me know and I'll gladly publish it for you!

Chapter 4: Television

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Dufort and Zeno sat in silence in the small room on the maple table that sat near the kitchen. The young human ran his fingers through his platinum blond hair and sighed. "Zeno. Why can't you be like other children and do stuff like watch television or something?" When he looked up from the table, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a loud crash was heard from another room. Feeling worried he dashed to the sound and found his mamodo settled on the floor in front of a small television that splashed black, white, and grey colors.

Zeno heard his footsteps and heed to the sound that belonged to his human partner. He was sitting on the polished wood floor in a criss-cross position. His view of Dufort was upside-down since he glanced strait up at the man who was hovering directly above him with grave eyes and a serious expression. "What are you up to now?" Dufort asked.

Zeno looked away and returned to facing the retro television. "Nothing. I'm just watching something stupid." He watched the small screen while a plastic chair flew across the room and slammed someone in the face. The person glided across the room and tripped out the window as they landed in the trash with a heaping thud. Zeno did a soft chuckle. "Well, he won't be walking anytime soon."

Dufort pulled a nearby maple chair from the kitchen table and slumped down in it. "This is what I expect from you. Behaving like you should." He paused and narrowed his eyes at the screen when an unexpected question flowed out of his mouth. "Zeno. Where did you get this television? I don't remember owning one."

The little boy's eyes rolled in different directions before he spoke in a quiet voice. "...I found it."

"And where exactly did you find it?" Dufort asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

This time Zeno took an even longer pause before speaking. "...in the trash...over there." He pulled a stubby pale arm from his dress-like cloak and pointed a small finger at a trash can near the kitchen counter. Dufort glanced over at it. The trash bin can nearly hold a foot of garbage. Hence Dufort taking the trash out every single night.

His face turned back to the boy ever-so-slowly with a feature that was not convincing at all. "Do you expect me to believe that a 2 foot television could fit in a 10 inch trash can?"

With his eyes still on the black and white screen Zeno nodded softly. "...uh, yeah I guess."

Dufort leaned back in his chair. His right ankle resting on top of his left knee. "Zeno. There are 12 inches in a foot. A 10 inch trash can cannot fit a 2 foot television. Do the math."

"I don't do math."

"Didn't you go to school in the mamodo world?"

"Does military school count?"

"What do you think?"

"Yes?"

"No."

"Oh."

Dufort removed his foot from his knee and rested it on the floor. His feet stood side-by-side with his legs partly open. He leaned forward in the chair and folded his hands together. "C'mon Zeno. Where did you get that television?" Dufort asked again yet polite.

"I bought it." Zeno didn't hesitate to answer this time.

Dufort raised a brow. "You said you found it. So which one is it?"

Zeno switched the volume on low and swiftly turned to leer at Dufort. "You don't have to believe every word I say."

Dufort smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Huh?" The mamodo only shrugged his shoulders and retrieved back to the television.

Dufort stood up from the chair and his smile faded. "Zeno. Answer me correctly."

The boy turned a knob as the volume raised up to high. "What is that Dufort? I can't hear you?"

Dufort grimaced and shouted the same sentence. "Where did you get that television!?"

Zeno only responded by covering his ears with his hands. "LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

The man walked over and blocked the view of the TV screen from Zeno's eyes. Zeno glared up at him with his arms now down. "Hey! Move! I'm watching something!"

"Don't give me an attitude young man!" Dufort snapped back at Zeno. "You're going to spill the truth to me right now!"

"I never tell the truth!" Zeno admitted.

"Was that last sentence a lie then?"

"What?"

"By saying that you never tell the truth you told a lie which meant that you do."

"WHAT?!"

'It's called reverse psychology, Zeno."

"What the hell is that?"

"Don't change the subject. Now where did you get the television?" He asked one more time.

"It's none of your concern!" He stood up on his feet which only made him reach up to Dufort's thighs. "Just leave me alone for once!"

"Leave you alone? You're the one who won't leave me alone. And even if I did leave you, I bet you couldn't last a second."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because I hold your book! And I can burn it anytime you misbehave."

"True." His face formed a sinister grin. "But if you burn that book then you will have nothing to live for."

Dufort froze for he knew that it was the truth.

Zeno continued on with his rambling. "That's right. I was the one who saved you from the asylums and gave you the book to read my spells. If I hadn't come around for you then I bet you'd be a dead man by now. Isn't that right?"

The man opened his mouth to speak but closed it as he had nothing else to say against the boy's word. He thought back and did remember the time when Zeno saved him and introduced him to a life-long adventure in the battle to become king of the mamodo world. He never even got to say "thank you" to Zeno and suddenly felt bad for it. "You're right Zeno, I'm sorry. And thank you."

Zeno tilted his head and arched an eyebrow that lay under his sliver bangs. "Thanks for what?"

He smiled down at him. "I never got the proper chance to thank you for saving my life before. So thanks."

The duo stared at each other for a while longer before Zeno coughed and broke the silence. "Well, please move now. As I may resume watching my program." He waved his tiny hand as a signal for Dufort to move out of the way. However, Dufort refused to move from his position between Zeno and the screen. The mamodo glared up at him again. "Well, what are you waiting for? A hug? Well you're not getting one. Now excuse my rudeness but get out of the way."

Dufort only shifted around and lifted up the television in his arms, causing it to switch off once the plug was yanked out from the wall.

Zeno's mouth hung open and his bright eyes widened. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Dufort staggered over to a dusty window and pried it open with his foot. "Since I still have no idea where this television came from I'll just throw it out the window." He left the appliance tilt over the edge. "Say buh-bye Zeno."

"NO! MY TELLY!" He leaped off the floor and jumped out the window where he grabbed hold of the TV's only wire that dangled from the window sill and out above the neat streets of Holland. Zeno looked down from the five story building but was not afraid. He actually enjoyed heights. But what mattered now was that he saves the T.V. "Let go Dufort! You can't do this!"

The book reader shifted his head downward so that he could have a good look at Zeno out the window. "You want me to let go now?"

"YES!" Zeno screamed as his hands began to slip of the wire. "Hurry!"

Dufort shrugged. "Okay. Whatever you say." Dufort removed his hands from the item as it started to plummet down into a trash dump with a screaming boy attached to it.

"NO DUFORT! NOT LIKE THAT! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PULL ME UP!"

"You said 'let go' so I let go!" He closed his apartment window and dusted his hands on his pants. "Well, that's one less mouth to feed."

A sudden knock was at the door and Dufort didn't grow restless to answer. He was kind of upset and surprised at the same time to witness Zeno at his door who was drenched in trash with a broken television wire wrapped around his small being. He was panting as well. "Did you forget that-"

"I know..." Dufort interrupted. "...you can teleport."

"Thought...you could get away with me like that?" He panted. "Think again human!" He pushed his way inside.

"I was just teaching you a lesson." He slammed the door behind them both and raised a brow once he spotted Zeno plugging in the lone wire in its socket. However, since part of the wire was still wrapped around Zeno's leg he ended up shocking himself.

Dufort couldn't help but release a small laugh from his lips. The sight of an electric mamodo being shocked to the floor was indeed hilarious, though it didn't affect Zeno too much since he is electricity. He bolted off the floor immediately, smoothed his hair out, and rubbed his head. "What are you laughing at Dufort?"

"Nothing..." He said between his laughs. "It's just that...why do you still have the wire attached to you?"

The boy glanced down and undid the knot to set his leg free. His head spun back and forth from the wall socket to the other end of the wire, which was missing one thing. The television itself. "Do you see this Dufort? HUH? DO YOU?"

"Why yes. I see it clearly indeed."

"You made me lose the box! THE BOX! The box that splashed pretty pictures upon my face so that I could watch in peace." He placed his hands on his hips. "But nooooo you had to TAKE IT ALL AWAY! NOW WHAT AM I SUPPOSD TO DO! HUH!"

"Jeese Zeno, don't yell. You'll disturb the neighbors."

"You think I'm disturbing the neighbors? Oh I'll show you how I disturb the neighbors." Zeno then zipped out the door and began banging, kicking, and wailing on the nearest door closest to Dufort's home. "AHH! THIS IS DISTURBING! AHHHHH!"

Dufort's face fell to worry as he raced at Zeno and swooped him in his arms. "Stop it Zeno! NOW!"

Zeno was still trying to struggle and squrim out of Dufort's tight grip. "PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME! HOW DARE YOU! I'M GONNA TELL!"

Before the book reader could react the door opened and an equally tall man with short dirty-blond hair and a solid black T-shirt underneath a beige jacket was munching on a sandwich. There was a woman tending to two bawling children in the background. The man glared his brown eyes at Dufort and talked once he finished his sandwich. "Dufort! Can't you ever keep that child of yours under control?!" He licked his fingers and whipped the crumbs off his jacket. "At least I can control my kids, yet they're tired of yours crying all the time!"

"I'm sorry Togusa. I'll find a way to calm his down."

Zeno let lose of a giant scream in Togusa's face leaving spit marks on his cheeks and the brim of his nose. However, this wasn't the first time that this has happened to him. All togusa did was slam the door in Zeno's face as Dufort walked back to lock his apartment door and creep down the stone stairs with Zeno still in his grip.

"Where are we going?" Zeno demanded to know. "ANSWER ME!"

"Maybe television isn't for you. We can go to Japan. They have a great botanical garden there. C'mon, let's go."

And so...begins the start of Zeno and Dufort's greatest adventure together...ever!!!!!

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