Zelkova48 - Indeed, but you know what they say about people in love.
A/N: I don't know how many chapters I plan to have left, but I can say that we're getting to the end. I estimate at least five more, give or take.
Enjoy!
In Splatsville, a community of Inklings and Octolings dedicated time and effort to scouring the Splatlands for any relics of the past left behind after the Great Flood. Their main mission was to chase after ancient history and learn what was their home before they became the dominant species. They went by a simple name - Remnant Chasers.
Chasers were a skilled bunch able to contend with the harshness of the desert better than anyone else in Splatsville. Many excursions lasted for days to weeks on end. With the vast area of the desert, it was a melting pot of valuable knowledge and resources; however, the Splatlands obtained its name for a reason. Aquatic life wasn't the only biological wonder to evolve. Horrendous and ferocious monsters evolved over the decades and made the desert their resting place as well.
Any second in the Spatlands could be a Chaser's last. Creatures ranged from scorpion-like creatures the size of Steelheads, four-legged, massive jawed beasts that loved to snap their teeth on any prey they found, to long serpentine monsters longer than Steel Eels with the speed and devour power of a Maw.
Luke had faced these monsters before, lost limbs, and received scares. Any normal squid and octo would ink themselves from the magnitude of fright the beasts instilled in their prey. He had no fear, especially when his immense strength came in handy so many times. No monster scared him.
The monster behind him, however, was scarier than all those beasts combined.
Luke ran for dear life. A great terror chased after him with the sole discretion of tearing him apart. He sprinted clockwise around the arena, but no matter how fast he ran, he felt no safer. He was swift and agile, but his pursuer was fueled by anger and murderous intent. She was faster, but the overwhelming desire to survive pushed Luke harder. He managed to stay ahead of her, albeit barely.
"DON'T YOU DARE RUN FROM YOUR AMADA!" the screeching terror demanded, but Luke refused to listen and kept running. He ordered his legs to run faster.
"I was going to tell you, but something kept coming up!" He tried to reason with his pursuer.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Luke looked towards his so-called friends and saw none of them coming to lend a hand. "Guys, I could use some help here! If one of you would take the time to HELP ME!"
"You're doing great, buddy!" Agent 7 cheered him on with a bouncing Levi perched on his head. "Whatever you do, don't look back!"
"Yeah, no duh, Sherlock!"
A strong gust of wind grazed his back, and Luke yelled at the sudden touch. He ignored Zane's previous advice and looked behind him. Another shrill shriek left his lips as Shiver drew even closer, and what's worse, her unique Octobrush was in her grasp. The bristles on the ground, Shiver skidded across the ink to match Agent 9's speed and closed the distance.
"You can't keep running away forever!" She declared. "You'll get tired, and I'll make you pay for betraying me!"
Another strong slap hit the space where Luke barely escaped from. Shiver continued her furious assault, her raging battle cry harmonizing with Luke's screams of terror.
"It wasn't a betrayal, Belleza! I was just helping the guys fight back the fuzzy ooze!"
While the physically strongest agent ran for dear life, Frye and Syrus were engaged in an intense staring match.
"Can we still talk?" Agent 3 asked of her and Big Man.
Frye watched her friend chase down Luke and sucked in a breath.
"I don't know now, Hotshot. Shiver is pretty adamant about ripping you to shreds."
"Frye," Syrus tried not to sound disappointed.
"Ay. (I wouldn't mind talking.)"
"Thank you, Big Man."
Unfortunately, Frye had other feelings.
"Sorry, Syrus," the idol took out her flute, "but I can't resist a good dance battle to the death. Especially with my favorite punching bag."
She played a tune and summoned a single eel. It locked eyes with Syrus and let out a monstrous screech. Things would end differently this time.
"Ken, Levi, protect Zane," ordered the ex-soldier. "Zane, try your best with Big," before he could finish the thought, he pushed his teammate out of the way and dove to the opposite side to avoid Frye's charge. She rode atop her eel, playing a whimsical melody as she set her sights on the blue-haired soldier.
"Round three, cutie. Let's dance!"
Syrus and Zane grabbed their weapons. The latter was joined by the two little buddies. He didn't attack the large manta ray outright, but he remained on guard as he approached him.
"It's you and me, Big Man. Can we talk this out?"
"Ay. (I would love that, but Frye and Shiver will yell at me if I don't fight.)"
"It'll be okay. We'll take on their anger, okay? Tell me what you want to do. We don't have to be enemies."
Big Man loved the sound of that. He knew the NSS weren't bad people.
"Ay. Aay. (I'm glad you all aren't as bad as we thought. We're not after the treasure for the sake of it. We want to help Splatsville."
"I get what you're throwing down," Zane put his Dualies away. "We want the treasure because we're trying to rescue some people. The area they're trapped in is covered in fuzzy ooze, and our little buddies don't have the appetite to handle all that."
Big Man recalled the huge rocket ship lurking in the center of the domicile. It gave off a foreboding aura. Every fiber of Big Man's being warned him to avoid it at all costs. Something was lurking there that shouldn't be disturbed.
"Ay ay. (You're trying to save people too.)"
"That's right," Zane pounded his chest. "Let's talk this out, and I bet we can put our brains together."
It should be an easy choice.
Zane hoped the manta ray would agree, but he saw the uncertainty on his face. If they came to blows, Zane wasn't fully recovered enough for an intense showdown.
"Ayúdame! (Help me!)"
Zane jumped at the caterwauling.
Agent 9 was crawling frantically on the ground. He outclassed everyone in strength, but his immense power abandoned him and left him weak at Shiver's mercy.
The livid blue-haired idol had her beloved by the leg, and her angry scowl was replaced with a sinister and highly murderous grin.
"I got you now!" She wrenched back.
"We can talk about this, Belleza, just give me a chance!" he pleaded with her, but there was no trace of mercy on her scary yet beautiful face.
"And how many chances did you have but never told me?"
"It never came up!"
"LIES!"
Snarling like a wild beast, Shiver continued to pull. She was so transfixed on Luke's punishment that she didn't see the two small little buddies until they rammed her in the side and forced her off Agent 9.
Ken and Levi took up stubby fins in front of the agent of strength.
"9, get up," 7 stated, pulling the floored agent to his feet. "We have to fight."
Shiver, a zombie of her former self, growled and picked herself up. "You," she hissed at Agent 7.
"Howdy," he smirked, "ready for round two?"
"I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream," she started laughing. "To me, Master Mega!" She called, and her shadow flooded with royal blue ink.
The pressure in the chamber spiked as Shiver's sea beast emerged and let out an ear-shattering roar. It did not expect to see its mistress's mate under her ire, but in truth, it wanted to sink its jaws into Luke once again. It went double for Zane. Master Mega would not forgive the Inkling for such a humiliating defeat.
Shiver caressed the Megalodon's nose.
"Time to get our revenge, Master Mega. You focus on the green one. I need to have a personal chat with mi Amado."
That was all it needed to hear. It adopted its mistress's evil grin and set its sights on Zane.
"Devour him, Master Mega!" Shiver commanded.
The Megalodon screeched and took off like a speeding train.
"Scatter!" Agent 7 yelled out. He and Agent 9 went different ways.
Master Mega chased after Agent 7, and Shiver blocked Agent 9 from moving.
Big Man was alone, watching his friends and the agents fight against each other.
"Ay. (This feels wrong.)" he said.
Should he fight or should he stay back? He didn't know. Everything was so complicated. His aversion led him to Syrus and Frye.
Syrus moved across the arena, expertly evading the water serpent's attacks while trying to shoot the dancer down.
He asked her a simple question. "Why are we doing this? I'm genuinely disappointed."
"It's become our thing, Hotshot," Frye replied. "We communicate better this way."
She hopped off the eel.
"You never give me a straight answer anyway, so I gotta beat it outta you."
There was some truth to her statement, but it didn't make Syrus less disappointed. They had no reason to fight.
"I still don't want to fight," he said. "I'm too spent. I just want to talk."
Frye threw her hands on her hips.
"I gave you plenty of chances to speak your heart out, but you chose to lie. I ain't got any sympathy for you."
Again, there was truth to her statement.
"That's fair, but at the same time, I did explain what's happening. You're no longer left in the dark."
"Doesn't matter," she shook her head, "I was nice enough to give you a place to relax. How did you repay me?"
"By being your hostage," he secured his bow and clapped his hands together, practically begging the idol to show him some more kindness. "But this is also important. Please, help your partner out. I swear we can make a deal that benefits everyone."
Frye looked appalled. "You're seriously begging?"
"There's a lot going on, Frye. Help me calm down Shiver, and I'll explain everything we know and what to do with the treasure."
There was a moment of silence between the two as Frye contemplated Syrus' request. In the end, and she couldn't believe it either, she cracked and let out a sigh of defeat.
"You're lucky you're cute," she stated. "Alright, I'll listen, but I'm not helping you with Shiv. That's all on you."
She backed away and leaned on her eel with a cheeky smirk as Syrus groaned and turned his attention to Shiver and Master Mega.
Luke was fairing against the idol better than earlier, but Zane was in trouble. His two little bodyguards could only do so much against a much larger and aggressive foe, and Zane himself was still feeling the pain of his last bout with the sea beast.
"The things I do," Syrus mumbled under his breath.
He decided to help Zane first since he needed it more. He ran to his side, appearing as a blur before the beast, and fired a shot into its open maw. He then whistled a command to the Smallfry duo and helped Zane steady himself.
"You okay?" He asked.
Zane breathed, relief filling his soul. "I've been better. My body can't hack it just yet. What happened with you and Frye?"
The ink arrows exploded inside Mega's body and left the beast stunned and infuriated. Then, the two smaller morsels latched onto its face and flailed about, making Master Mega thrash on the ground.
"We reached an agreement," Syrus answered. "I'll explain everything later."
Syrus ran at the beast, vaulted over Mega's wild tail swipe, and jumped on its back. He whistled again to inform the little buddies to regroup with Zane as he leaped off Mega's head. Upside down, he aimed another shot and fired into the beast's mouth. Simultaneously, Zane ran around its body while unloading a barrage of bullets at its tender underbelly.
While Syrus helped Zane, Shiver was trying to bash Luke's head in with her Octobrush.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" she interrogated her beloved, swinging her brush with more finesse than any other user.
"It's not entirely what you think," Luke stated, dodging and deflecting Shiver's blows with expert precision.
"You're still here though. You still sided with the inimiscus (enemy)."
"Because they needed help with the fuzzy ooze," Luke blocked the overhead strike. "You've seen that stuff. It's dangerous, and it's already infected more Octarians."
Shiver increased her speed and got through Luke's defenses. She tripped him up, grabbed his arm while he was off balance, and flipped him over her shoulder and back onto his back.
"Owww," Luke groaned.
Not skipping a beat, Shiver pounced on Luke with an elbow drop, driving it into his chest. She pinned him down as he deflated from the air forcibly leaving his body and pointed her brush at his face.
"How long have you been working against us?" She asked.
Luke didn't want to answer though, earning a whack on the noggin.
"HOW…LONG?"
"… a week?"
WHAM! Shiver's hand connected with the side of Luke's face in a vicious slap. She slapped him so hard, the echo made everyone stop what they were doing.
"Veo (I see)," she said. "A week, huh? That should be around the time Frye challenged Syrus to a rematch. So, you had a whole week to tell me but never did."
"Hold on, I promise, it's all a big mis," WHAM! Another slap to the face silenced the agent of strength. The handprint on his cheek darkened.
"I've suffered humiliation, defeat, and now betrayal, and you," Shiver grabbed Luke by the collar and yanked him closer, "have been living the double life, trying to take what's ours!" she shook him violently.
"Aditineo! (Hold on)!" Luke raised his hands in defense. "It's not what you th-" WHAM! Yet another slap to the face.
"Luke, Amado, my adorable little Remnant Chaser, you can't be suggesting things aren't what they seem," she interrupted. "Three traitorous Splatlandians and your Inkadian witches invading our turf, and you're aiding them in stealing our plunder! Luke, you know what Deep Cut does on the side. I've told you stories, cried on your shoulders, and lent you mine. And you would betray me?"
"Just…just give me a moment."
"And why should I?"
"Because you'll have three arrows between the eyes otherwise."
Shiver snapped her head up, wondering who had the audacity to interrupt her torture session. Dead in her face, she saw a loaded Tri-Stringer pointed at her head. Behind the weapon was Agent 3, primed and ready to release the string.
Shiver looked around, and immediately, she saw Zane to her left, his right Dualie aimed at her head and the left aimed at Master Mega, who, to her horror, was in the mouth of Syrus' little buddy, swinging its tail crazily to escape its unfortunate fate.
Frye and Big Man were to the side, simply watching the event unfold. She didn't know why her friends weren't ripping the others apart limb from limb, but she couldn't focus on that at the moment.
"There's been a compromise," Syrus continued. "We can go with my original plan and talk this out like adults, or my little buddy can feast on your shark, and I can break a lot of boys' hearts with your demise."
Shiver didn't back down though.
"Giving up is for the weak. Do we look weak to you?"
"I can make both sides happy, but only if you cooperate."
Master Mega continued to thrash.
"Better hurry, one command, and your shark is Salmonid food," Syrus stated, his focus never leaving Shiver's gaze. "We can all walk out with something. Luke's my frater (brother), and you're his girl. I would hate to murder my frater's Amada."
His eyes held no sparkle. They were completely soulless inside like a trained soldier.
Shiver looked down and saw Luke's pleading expression. She scoffed at the attempt to tug at her heartstrings.
"Fine," she stated and pushed Luke down forcefully, "but we will talk about this later. Now let Master Mega go."
Syrus whistled. Deep Cut knew it was his calling tune that kept people in line, and it worked like magic. Ken regurgitated the shark, which swam back to its mistress and her tender care.
"Let's go, Master Mega. Change of plans."
She dismissed her pet and left the chamber without a second word to either group.
Frye and Big Man looked concerned and followed her.
"Meet us at our base!" Syrus told them before they were out of earshot.
"You okay, Luke?" Agent 7 inquired, offering a hand to his friend. "Don't get mad at us, but there was no way we could help you with Shiver acting like that."
"You," he accepted, "ain't wrong. Frankly, I'm lucky to be alive, but when round two starts…"
He touched his cheek and hissed at the sting of the handprint left behind by Shiver.
"Tough love is sometimes necessary I guess."
"Do you want to rest for a moment before heading back?" Agent 3 asked. "You two aren't in the best shape."
Luke sighed. "No, let's go. I'm going to get an earful regardless."
"If you wish. O.R.C.A., can you open the vault, please? The other team forfeited, and please notify the captain what happened."
"Affirmative, please hold."
The trio wondered what the last piece of the treasure looked like. Their haul consisted of a blue frame and sharp golden blades. The third piece could be anything, but they had an idea.
"…a motor?" Zane looked to his comrades with uncertainty.
The last prize was a silver motor-like apparatus.
"It is a lawnmower then," Luke assumed.
"I think it's more of a tiller," Syrus hypothesized. "Let's grab it and go."
Luke hauled the motor over his shoulder with one hand and followed his fellow agents out of the chamber after thanking the intelligence program for her cooperation, but he dreaded what lay ahead in his future.
Xxx Bolero xxX
"Callar! (Shut up!)" Shiver screamed, but the fuzzy Octolings continued to scream at her and Deep Cut.
"They're spunky, I love it," Frye giggled.
"They're giving me a headache," her friend snarled.
A loud whistle from Syrus made the screamers quiet down and go back to their position around the treasure, which now had all three pieces in place.
"Whoa, Hotshot, you're their boss now?" Frye teased.
"Somewhat," he replied while giving them a pat on the shoulder, blocking one's attempt to grab his neck, "they're still under the control of the fuzzy ooze, but their souls are intact."
He clapped his hands and got everyone's attention.
"Okay, now that everyone is here, we can begin," but he was interrupted by his phone ringing. "Who in the… oh! Wait a minute, I have to take this. Agent 2, continue for me please."
Syrus answered the call and walked off to the side. It didn't sound urgent but important enough to distract him.
Given the floor, Agent 2 cleared her throat and took over the negotiation. Based on the information O.R.C.A. told them, she had a good inkling as to what Agent 3 was doing. His level of planning was scary indeed.
"He didn't give us the complete story, but I think I know what he's got planned."
"It had better be good," Shiver grumbled under her breath but still loud enough for everyone to hear.
"I'm sure it is. We know all you want is the treasure, but we also need it to clear that," she gestured to the wall of fuzzy spikes wrapping around the launch site. "We're trying to mount a rescue, and the people we need to save are most likely trapped somewhere in that launch site."
"How sure are you 'bout that?" Frye asked.
"One hundred percent. The signals we were receiving led to each treasure piece, and our targets were nowhere to be found. The last place we have yet to explore is the rocket. If they're not there, who knows?"
Shiver turned her focus away from Luke and to the white-haired Inkling. "And how long will said operation take?"
Marie received a shrug from her captain and Callie.
"Uhh, until we can figure out how to assemble the pieces and go to work."
Shiver didn't like the answer.
"But, once we do have it worked out, you're more than welcome to it. Is that acceptable to you three?"
It wasn't a hard decision, but their minds were everywhere at the moment.
"This isn't a trick, right?" Shiver questioned. "You really mean it?"
"From the bottom of our hearts," Marie proclaimed. "Our grandpa is missing, and we're trying to find him. If you can help us do that, we would be grateful, and in return, the treasure is yours."
Deep Cut didn't object. They could relax, and Frye and Shiver fell to their knees in relief. Tears were threatening to fall from all three, the relief bringing forth a wave of emotions.
"Are you guys okay?" Agent 1 asked. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah," Frye rubbed her face. "I feel kind of… not good about fighting you to the death."
"Seriously. Such a boss move," Shiver sniffled. An idea then popped in her head. "Actually, why don't you be our boss?"
Marie froze. "Say what?"
Frye and Big Man loved the idea.
"Yeah!"
"Ay! (New boss! Can I get a raise?)"
Agent 1 and Agent 7 shared a laugh.
"Boss Marie?! Ahaha!" Callie couldn't hold back her giddiness. "Looks like you have your own employees now. Have fun with that!"
Marie didn't know what to make of this. "Oh... I'm going to have to approve their time cards, aren't I? Oh well, can I trust you three to work with our boys?"
"Hmm, probably not," Frye shook her head. "We tend to do our own thing."
"Noted," Marie sighed.
"I'm just pullin' your leg, Boss Lady," the ebony idol chuckled. "Deep Cut's the best team. Tell us what we gotta do to help."
"I'll leave it to you, Captain," Marie gave Clora the floor.
"I guess an inauguration is in order, but we'll do that in the future. I'll fill Agent 3 in when he comes back. While we figure out how to work…this, you six take a Smallfry and finish cleaning the last two islands. We were working on that before the guys were called."
"Yes ma'am," the two male cephalopods, and Frye, saluted.
"Wait," Marie interjected, "Agent 3 should stay here to make sure our "bodyguards" don't go awol."
The three fuzzy Octolings were positioned in a delta formation around the three treasure pieces. Every so often, they glanced at Deep Cut and the NSS, waiting for one to attack. The internal conflict of their mind and soul continued to determine their actions. Their mind ordered them to attack now, but their souls reminded them of their Octarian training and pride.
"I know a little Octarian," Clora said. "Maybe I can talk to them."
"Bad idea," Shiver stated. "I tried communicating too and they only saw me as an enemy. Whatever your agent did, it's working."
"Dude is magic," Zane shrugged. "Known him for years and still can't figure out how he does it."
"Let me go with Hotshot," Frye requested, much to the group's surprise.
"Why?" Clora inquired.
"Come on, Cap," Callie wiggled her brow, "it's obvious she wants a little alone time with our Neo 3. Did you hear the love in her little nickname?"
Frye hated the sets of seven eyes judging her.
"It's not like that," she denied it, but the glow on her face said otherwise. "He owes me, and I'm already taken."
She didn't know how much the group knew of the affair. For all she knew, Syrus told them everything, but just in case, and for her own sake, she stuck to the plan.
Callie deflated at the news and put a hand on her chest.
"Aww, I was rooting for him too. Does he know? Is he alright?"
Callie then frowned at the girl, and a dark aura enveloped her that caused the group, minus Clora and Marie, to sweat.
"You're not playing with his heart, are you?"
"Of course not," Frye answered carefully. "I told him during his interrogation. I appreciate his efforts, but I'm more into Bolero."
Callie puffed her cheeks out. She looked ready to cry. Her support wasn't enough and she believed Syrus was dealing with a broken heart.
"He gave it all he had too. Imagine how much pain he must be in."
Callie rested her head on Marie's shoulder.
"Deep down, I bet he's so heartbroken."
"I didn't crush his soul, geez," Frye said. "I let him down easy, but we need to talk about something else. I still made him a promise, and we keep our promises."
"You're talking about his big project, right?" Marie affirmed, rubbing her cousin on the back.
"So he did tell you."
"Just that he had something planned and invited us to join if we wanted."
"Wait!" it amazed Deep Cut how fast Callie bounced back, her face sparkling again. Nothing kept this hopeless romantic down. "Are you officially dating Bolero?"
"No, why?"
"Would you say it's possible for Syrus to tip the scales?"
'They really don't know. He didn't even tell his closest friends about his second personality. He was that paranoid of others finding out.'
"Not really," she replied. "I've made my choice."
"Darn," Callie deflated again.
Xxx Bolero xxX
"I can't believe they turned out to be so nice. And so FAMILIAR. Where have I seen them…" Frye wracked her brain for any answers but came up short. "Marie… I heard that name somewhere."
Syrus chuckled. "You'll figure it out eventually. Took me a couple of days to uncover the mystery."
"What, did you psychoanalyze them or something?"
"No," he smirked, "I just asked."
Frye scoffed at the answer. "Of course, leave it to you."
"It was more me leading them into the answer. They answered it for me."
"You're full of tricks. Is that how you have everyone fooled? You know the minds of every citizen?"
Syrus empowered Ken with the power eggs and launched him at the isolated brain of the fuzzy pile. Their previous work on the site dwindled the amount of ooze and left the duo able to explore without much worry. It was just the two of them because Agent 9 should not be left alone with Shiver. Agent 7 offered to join them in case the shark mistress got too murderous, leaving Syrus and Frye to explore the Eco-Forest Treehills together.
There was the occasional attack, but it seemed the ooze was too focused on surviving with what little energy it had left. Syrus didn't know what was happening.
"Observation is an opportune time to gather information, but I know you prefer the more direct approach."
"Damn right, gotta get up close and personal. That's how I finally tripped you up," she bumped him with her hip, succeeding in making the normally stoic Syrus blue with embarrassment. "Shiv was right. If I wanted to throw you off your game, all I had to do was use a little charm. Didn't know you were so down bad."
Syrus regained himself with a small growl.
"I am not down bad," he retorted, a little panicked in his voice.
"Hey, don't get so bent out of shape. A lot of guys enjoy looking at me."
"I am not one of the hormonal boys in our city. I'm more well-behaved."
Frye giggled. She enjoyed Syrus' flustered side. Such a rare sight was made to be cherished.
"More behaved doesn't excuse horniness."
"I am not horny!"
Syrus covered his mouth and turned his back to Frye, who was taken aback by his sudden outburst. The latter took a deep breath and mumbled a mantra in Octarian.
"You good, Hotshot?" Frye stepped closer, face full of smiles.
Syrus breathed and regained his composure. He was more angry with himself for letting a simple comment rile him up.
"I'm fine, sorry about that."
Frye laughed. "Don't sweat it, but uhh… do we need to talk?"
Syrus faced her. A dark blue tint stained his cheeks, and he couldn't bear the thought of looking at her because of the comment.
"Do you think I'm a creep?"
That was the last thing she expected him to say. "A creep? No, why do you say that?"
"Because someone always comments that I'm feeling amorous when I'm eager about spending time with you."
'If only you knew.'
"I mean…"
"I am not horny," but he sounded so uncertain. "I do find you extremely attractive, but I'm not a creep about it… right?"
"Chill, Syrus, it's fine. I honestly don't mind," Frye put her hands behind her head and winked. "I got it going on. I can't help but turn heads. Nothing to get upset 'bout."
Syrus turned away, and Frye stepped in front of him, hands on her hips, and eyes burning with determination.
"You do become a different octopus when we're bickering. The stoic and serious Syrus becomes witty and flirtatious. Ain't nothing wrong with that, just means you fell for me harder than you think."
"…You're taking this better than I expected."
She shrugged. "Doesn't bother me one bit."
The agent felt a sense of relief. Ever since Zane first mentioned his…excitement towards the ebony squid, he had grown more self-conscious about his actions.
"It's my boobs, ain't it?"
Syrus choked on the air, glad he wasn't sipping anything, else he would've spat it out.
"E-Excuse you?"
Frye enjoyed herself more than she should, but she couldn't help it.
"Shiv gets jealous when we compare our bodies. She has better curves, but I'm bigger than she is."
Syrus was scared to comment. He tried his hardest not to lower his gaze.
"I," he swallowed the lump in his throat, "I see you more than…a nice chest."
His three hearts were about to explode. His body stiffened, his breath halted, and his heart rate accelerated when the apple of his eye threw her arms around him and pressed herself against him.
"Wh-what are you doing?" He questioned her motives.
"What's wrong, Bolero?" she replied coyly. "We've hugged before. I'm your dancing partner for Cod's sake."
"Y-yeah, but…"
"Listen up, I'm gonna pay you back for all the shell you put me through. I cried today because of you."
This came as a shock.
"You were crying? Why?"
Frye chuckled. It was nice to hear worry in his voice.
"I was too happy," she let him go and backed away, but the mischievous smirk never waned. "Can't really explain it. I was overloaded and just… had to cry about it. I'm feeling great though, and it's thanks to you ironically."
Syrus' head was a storm of emotions. He was flustered yet excited, happy yet confused. His mind could only remember the softness of the girl's body pushed against him, her scent of sweet chocolate filling his nostrils.
"Are you disappointed?" he asked.
"By what?"
"By how things turned out?"
She didn't know what to say. There were no regrets in her mind. She found a great dancing partner, a tough rival, and a possible future boyfriend. Although, she never contemplated the last option so heavily. Life was already good for her. She didn't need a romantic partner, but she also couldn't deny the feelings she developed over the course of their rivalry.
"Do you still hate how you feel?" Syrus eventually broke the small silence that fell between them.
With Ken resting after consuming his fair share of the fuzzy ooze, the only thing the two could do was rest.
"Nah, I'm not disappointed. Compared to my other fanboys, I'm glad I stumbled across you, but I don't like waiting."
It was killing her inside. She couldn't wait to perform in front of a great big audience.
"I want to dance with you," plain and simple.
If she could only imagine how happy she made Syrus feel with that statement.
"I know," he whispered, "and I'm sorry it has to be like this. I promise, though, that I will make every second worth it. You won't regret it."
Frye smiled at him. "What makes you so confident?"
"Because you're worth the stress."
It felt like Frye was slapped in the face by a wet fish. Her mouth opened and closed, no words able to respond to the statement.
Syrus finally regained his bearings. "Frye, I can't put into words how exhausted I am," he told her. "Let me break it down for you. Aside from our Alterna mission, I was training hard for our rematch, working at Grizzco in the afternoons while planning the celebration without the Parental Four noticing, working on side projects to go alongside the celebration, and taking care of my sister. Yesterday, our little chat was the first decent bit of rest I've had in the past week, and most of the time was spent attacking my mental fortitude."
Frye studied him closer. She thought it was her imagination, but his eyes weren't as bright as before. It was impossible to tell if he had bags under his eyes, and as more signs of fatigue reared its head, she felt more guilty for not considering the weight on his shoulders. She didn't think about his other duties. Working at Grizzco was an experience all on its own, especially with his skill level. Add in everything else and Frye was amazed Syrus had the energy to stand let alone engage her in brief combat. This was further proof that he could handle nine straight shifts without collapsing.
"That last part is your fault," she stated. "We were having harmless fun. You're the one who wanted to play chess," her expression softened, "but I'm sorry all the same, and I told you, you don't need to do all this extra stuff. I appreciate the effort, but there is no need to go this extra mile."
Unfortunately, Syrus had to disagree, but he didn't say it outright. He showed one of his rarer wide grins.
"I want to show you that I'm willing to go that extra step. As corny as this will sound, I want to prove that I am committed because, in the end, I'm doing it for mi Amada, the girl I love."
Shot through the chest, a wave of fire enveloped Frye's face. The wave of heat from Syrus' grin evaporated the chill air around them and warmed Frye even more. She took one step closer to him, the intense inferno in her chest almost too much to bear.
Her lips parted ever so slightly, just enough to utter her reply.
"You're an idiot."
Even laughing was exhausting for Syrus.
"You know what they say about being in love."
"Yeah, it makes you blind."
"Also true, but more importantly, it makes them do crazy things," he tickled under her chin. "Are you feeling a little crazy? Would you believe me if I said you are my first love?"
Her response was instant.
"No."
His words sent shivers down her back. She knew deep down that, no, she wasn't feeling a little crazy. It was a lot more than a little.
She scoffed but let their proximity intermingle.
"I'm always crazy. You know that, but I doubt a guy like you didn't have at least one girlfriend."
They leaned in just a little closer, their lips close enough to touch.
"Nope, you're my first."
Frye stopped them.
"I'm not gonna let you win," she told him, pressing a finger to his lips. "Don't think for a second that I'm gonna give you the satisfaction. I'm gonna drive you wild."
There was challenge in her eyes - she wanted to have the last laugh, to finally break through his defenses. She was the stronger rival. She was the one who made heads turn, and she would not let herself be subservient to her feelings for the secret agent. She was the one in control.
"One week," she pulled her finger away and spun around, hiding her yellow face. "When we dance on stage, I will let the results decide what my heart wants. Go ahead and shoot your shot, but the main event will decide everything. So, if you want me to be your one and only, I strongly suggest you put your heart and soul into your routine."
The ride would end the same way it began, with the two dancing together on a lit-up stage. She just had to endure one more week of waiting. It was so close yet seemed so far away, but Frye held on to her thoughts. She knew it wouldn't take much, and she was betting on a guy who always put everything into his assignment.
'That night is going to be magical.'
She could feel it in her soul.