Chapter 5: Nero Arcelle
It had been a week since Maro agreed to allow Sean and Almira to finish their work on Nero. They all were on the same boat as Sean once he explained the situation and no one ever referred to Nero as “A2” through the entire time he spent there. There had been many offers and attempts made from both of them to get back on Maro’s good side, but the android was only concerned about his brother. He had a somewhat open demeanor towards the two scientists he used to work with, but he never entirely gave them an easy time either. This didn’t surprise though and Sean was also just very proud to see and hear about how well Maro was doing since he left. Almira didn’t care as much by the looks of it. She did express happiness that Maro had a semblance of a normal life, but it appeared more from a doctor's perspective, as one who just cured someone of an illness or condition. Not entirely wrong either, if you will.
Finally, Sean did his daily check, and it was time. All preparations were done! The synchronization was finished. All that weasel had to do was to hit the button to release the second android. But before that, he called over Maro, all excited like. Of course, hearing it, the older of the androids rushed right over as well! This was the big moment he waited for after all. Once in the room, he was just standing there, bouncing in place a little bit. Obviously worried for anything going wrong, but the much more likely positive outcome got him all the more excited in turn. Sean went right to the console, double checking all the statistics, giving the green-light and finally, hitting the button.
The capsule opened with a soft hiss, revealing the entirety of Nero. Gray-white fur, arms with wing-like features, making him look very avian, even though he absolutely wasn’t. But the feathers were quite large and elegant looking. Hands and the entire lower half of Nero’s legs seemed to have more scaly, yellowish features instead of the fur that covered the rest of his body. But he was also a little more fluffy in some places. A muzzle and ears similar to Maro as well, he had a certain similarity to his brother and appeared like a similar template had been used for it as a result. Even though that being the only noteworthy similarity made it hard to tell at a glance they were brothers, it didn’t at all bother Maro.
Nero’s bright-blue eyes opened slowly. Hands reaching for his head right away, a bit dazed just like his brother was at first. Lifting himself up. There was clear brain function going on this time. An inquisitive look around, taking in the room he found himself in. Sean spoke directly to him to get his attention and to focus that mind of his a little: “Good morning, Nero. You recognize that name, don’t you?” Maro remained quiet, waiting for everything to turn out right. He was also somewhat stunned by the fact everything was going well.
Nero though let out a dazed “Hmm?” as he lifted himself, looking at Sean with a few blinks from the brightness of the room, still getting used to it: “Uhm… Yeah, that is my name. Why? What is going on?”
There were bound to be some brief holes in his memory that had to come back to him, so Sean reminded the android of it all: “And now, your procedure is done! You have been completely freed of your prior issues! Your new body might be … different. But it is perfectly healthy.”
Hearing all the details did bring back all of Nero’s memories to full. He was seemingly a bit shocked. Of course, he agreed to this all happening, so seeing that it all went perfectly fine and as intended was hard to believe. His entire life, Nero was hindered. He was carrying huge weights that no one could free him of. … Except for now. That was something he would have to get used to. But of course, the droid sat up. Feet on the ground. Looking at his hands until Sean brought a mirror to him. Nero did immediately check himself out and was quite mesmerized by the looks of it. The younger of the brothers sure took this whole thing a lot better! … Partially due to actually having his memories for sure.
Maro peeked at Sean, making sure to get attention. Expecting to finally get to reunite with his brother properly. The weasel apologized right away and gave the two space. It was time…
Maro stood in front of Nero. Gently pushing the mirror out of the way. Nero had his suspicions right away of course. Looking at the person in front of him, he could tell there were clear similarities overall. This must be another android. And if so, who else could it be? Nero stood up, revealing his slight height advantage over his older brother. Though his body still slow and heavy at first, knees weak and almost stumbling forward, just to be caught by his brother. To Nero, this was a mere matter of meeting his brother again after a long nap. Except with the both of them in new bodies entirely. To Maro however, this was a lot more. Finally, he had his brother back! Not only that though. No more shackles. No more worries. No more weakness… His little brother could finally be free.
The older sibling was already tearing up while Nero simply tried to straighten out. Smiling wide, a warmth that Maro had been missing since he woke up. The familiar, friendly and bright smile of his little brother. After standing there awkwardly and quiet, Nero finally had to get his final confirmation: “It’s you, Maro. Isn’t it?” And hearing his brother’s new voice carry the faint characteristics he knew so well, Maro broke. Hugging his brother tight. Face to chest as he clung to the fellow android and held him close, breaking out in tiers of happiness: “Nero, I finally got you back! I am so relieved…
Nero was not entirely sure what went down to cause that reaction, but it isn’t like he wasn't happy to be the way he was right now. So the younger brother returned the hug, comforting his sibling the best he could with pats over his head and some squeezes of his own.
This went on for a little while. Sean couldn’t help but shed a tier of his own. Not only because his research was a complete success, but also because he had bettered the life of two people who he knew were going to have nothing otherwise. Although he did have to address a small issue and tapped Maro on the side: “I hate to interrupt, but would you two mind? One of you is still naked! And if you recall, we went out to organize an outfit for your little brother just a few days ago.”
Maro almost ignored Sean. He went a little pouty and didn’t want to let go. But Nero just chuckled. Not at all bothered by the revelation aside from showing a small blush on his face: “Oh my, you did? I would love to see it, Maro.”
It was true. The older brother had been part of searching for a simple outfit. Him and Sean went out to get some, since the scientist knew the sizes they would need. Sean was amused greatly by the two. “My, you two are precious, I got to say that. Let us get your brother dressed. Then, we can tell him about all the basics about his body over today and tomorrow. Unless there are complications, I am sure we can let you leave right away. Mainly because of issues we are aware of, Maro. Do not worry, any tests you have done were used to adjust your brother here, so everything SHOULD be fine, even if we would have preferred to let him tell us ourselves.” Sean explained with a smile.
With Nero’s help, Maro managed to eventually let go of them. The elder brother is just being somewhat flustered. His focus never let off of his sibling, but he agreed otherwise.
Sean quickly got the outfit. It was truly simple. Basic shorts and a vest, specifically designed for avians, given the wing features of his arms. Once that was done, Maro and Nero were left alone for a while. This time, the older brother told his younger brother all about what happened since he woke up. Nero heard Maro out without interrupting. Sitting next to him on the bed, legs crossed and smiling the whole time. Something that warmed Maro’s artificial heart incredibly well over time. He immediately felt like he was talking to his sibling again. The most important person in his life. Nero on the other hand was very happy by default. He could hardly wait to test out what he can do without all the limitations he had to deal with his whole life! But for now, hearing out his older brother was more important. And Maro didn’t get away without some well-meant criticism at some of his actions. Some of the details he gave about certain tests were leaving Maro flustered, and gave Nero a bit of room to tease about it. But it was all in an endearing manner. For the first time since he woke up, Maro entirely opened up to someone. All because he knew he could do so no problem with Nero. No matter how embarrassing some things might be to say and talk about, Maro didn’t shy away from it.
Nero had a lot of his own questions. Especially about all of those friends his brother apparently made all of a sudden. … And that one enemy too. Of course, now Nero just wanted to meet them all! What were his brother's friends like in person? Especially, since he knew all too well how reserved Maro was compared to him. And the idea of Varié did excite the younger droid. Unlike Maro, he didn’t mind the sound of more adult themes at all.
Besides that, the two just kinda relaxed. Around lunch, Maro explained a bunch of details about his body already. After all, Sean encouraged him to help out based on his own knowledge where he felt like he could. During lunch tho, a certain janitor arrived to sit down at their table.
By now, Fred was a well enough acquainted friend of Maro. The two had a few chats over the last week. Plenty of time for Maro to explain everything that is going on. And now, he finally got to introduce him to his little brother! Even if it meant they would leave in a day from now. Fred was pretty calm, respecting his friend’s brother and Nero was sure to offer the janitor the same warm and welcoming attitude he gave everyone else. “Hello, Fred! Maro told me you helped him out a lot. Nice to meet you. If you don’t mind me asking, but you don’t happen to LIKE like my brother, do you?” Nero asked, putting quite an amused look, knowing all too much how he would make the two react. And his assumption was on point, causing Maro to freeze up and the janitor to wave his hands in front of himself, shaking his head: “N-No no no! Not at all! I don’t swing that way. We are just friends. Besides, I wanna have kids someday, you know?” After hearing them out, Nero just narrowed his eyes, smiling wider with his hands under his jaw, resting his head on them. “Hm, oh, I am sure the scientists can whip something up for that. Replacement parts and such~” Nero mused, pure evil indeed!
Maro didn’t say a word, hiding his face. He knew his brother, but some parts he had to be reminded of the hard way. And Nero was already becoming a giggly bitch next to his older brother. Waving it off as jokes after, to try and calm them both down. For a good while after this, the three had some more casual banter. Fred was quite surprised by how much more open Maro seemed all of a sudden, and finding out what kinda guy Nero was, just added to the experience overall. But since it was their last proper chat in a while, even if they stayed in contact over the network, they made it count for a little while longer.
The rest of the day consisted of a few courses and explanations for Nero. Almira and Sean just went over some of the things that Maro was bound not to know or explain properly, even if he went through the very same process. And the next day, it was mostly going to be the same.
In the evening, he had a message on his holo-pad that Percy gave him. It said that he and Rorik would not be the ones to pick them up. Instead, it apparently was going to be their friends. It looked like a message sent in a hurry, though he assured them through it being a video message that it really was him and not a trick of someone.
After a few hours of information, through half of which Maro outright slept through with his lack of sleep at night, the Scientists got a notification that the mercenaries that were here to pick up Maro and Nero arrived. Telling the secretary they would be there in a second, Sean sighed and directed himself towards his androids: “So, you two. I guess this is it. You two reached out to my offer and proved to the universe this sort of thing is indeed possible! I am so glad everything went according to theory, and I could even save the lives of two admirable young men!”
Nero bowed politely in thanks: “Thank you so much, Sean. I have thanked you every time I met you since yesterday and don’t know if words could ever express my gratitude. My life was undeniably over before you helped us. I hope you guys find a new place to continue your research.”
Maro took a deep breath. To him, this was all a bit more complicated and awkward than for Nero. But he was somewhat sentimental about it regardless. “I have to say, you kept your part of the deal. No matter what, I think I can forgive you for any complication in the past. Don't keep secrets from your clients, ok? … I will stay in touch if something about our bodies doesn’t work properly at some point.” The older android said with only the faintest smile, but that was more than the weasel was used to from Maro anyway.
“I will make sure to help you two out with any issues if they come up once we find a new place to set up our base of operation! And really, I am proud of you Maro. Even if it might not mean much to you. But you proved to me and everyone else that this is exactly how we wanted things to be! Now, let us not leave your friends waiting.” Sean finished up before leading the two out of the room and towards the reception.
Once there, the two of them were greeted by two people in the same uniforms that Percy and Rorik wore. But these two were a Fox guy, maybe the one from the poster at their agency, and a Cat lady. They were blatantly carrying their weapons on them! The cat with two high-caliber handguns on her belt, and the Fox with a massive sniper rifle strapped to his back. These guys look like they were ready for battle. So much so, it was a bit intimidating.
When approached, Sean just gestured to the androids, reassuring the mercenaries with a “Save and sound! As promised.” After which the two androids closed the distance to greet their new acquaintances. Though the Cat spoke up before either of them could: “Yo, how’s it going? I’m sure you got the message from Percy? We needed them to fill in for us because of technical issues. You know, the little guy’s whole thing. We're gonna fill in for them instead. Name’s Jay, and this here is my partner Terry. Best sniper in this sector, and worst womanizer as well!”
The introduction left the Fox looking somewhat smug, until the last part was pointed out and he just went “Hey!” at the feline, But then directed himself at the androids as well: “Hey there, you two! Percy talked a lot about you. And since we are talking about the wolf, that must mean a lot about you guys being friends. So we’ll get along just fine too! So long as miss angry here wont start a fight or something.”
By now it was clear the two were just playfully bantering, given all Jay replies was a scoff while smirking at her partner.
Nero was happy to introduce the two of them right away: “Oh, nice to meet you! Shame I don’t get to meet the friends Maro said helped him, but I doubt you two will be any worse company! My name is Nero, and here is Maro, my big bro”
Maro just ended up feeling a bit shy besides his outgoing little brother. But he waved at them with a smile of his own and a quick “Hey there” of his own.
Nodding her head towards the exit, the cat led the two androids out of the facility, heading towards the hangar. Though she directed her attention directly at Maro along the way: “So, you are the guy that got through some of Percy’s cold exterior? Good on you! Not gonna lie, it's good to hear whenever that happens. He doesn’t do good with people.”
Maro’s ears perked up: “Hm? Well, being in tense situations together helped. But he sure seemed to have a personal beef with that bitch that kept talking down to us androids.”
“He did that, huh? Well, he usually doesn’t let his emotions get the better of him, so that probably triggered some rage from his past. We all went through our own little series of hardships. Ours was more tragic, while his is more on the trauma side of things.” Jay explained, just for Terry to add to it, “If you wanna hear some stories, we got some time on the way home. So long as we get to hear yours too that is.”
Maro nodded. It couldn’t hurt to hear some stories. And Nero didn’t look like he had objections.
It turns out that the two were going to fly back home with the same ship that Maro got here with. Presumably leaving whatever craft the mercenaries have aside of this one having been given to Percy and Rorik instead. Once everyone climbed on board, the mercenaries in the front seats and the androids in the back, Jay took off with them, being the actual pilot of the group.
Right away, Terry asked for Maro and Nero’s backstory. So Nero complied and told them all about their life. Severely shortened down to make for a good summary, and by the time it came to the android section of their life, Maro filled in the rest instead. Even telling them about what happened on the mission with Percy.
Terry, as promised, returned the favor. While they flew through space, he went into his own section first. It was simple, to the point. He didn’t have much to tell, being mainly a guy who had nowhere to go before Jey picked him up. Rorik and Jay though sounded like they had it rough. Having been in a military platoon in their early adult years. Seeing a lot of combat. Another of their friends and founding member of their mercenary group apparently lost his life on a mission, leaving Rorik bitter for a long time, until Percy joined them.
Then, Jey took over to talk about Percie’s past. She found it her duty to try and keep that part of the story extra clear and to the point. The mechanic was apparently tricked in his early teen years into joining a lab-rat program. Becoming a disposable test-subject that led to injuries like his left arm being blown off and unethical replacement of his lungs with artificial ones as well. He apparently almost became a rape-victim before using that very moment to make his escape. Jay almost stopped him on the run, but since Percy was a quick thinker, he actually slipped past Jay and that impressed her enough to rescue him instead.
These stories sounded rough too. So many different ways to suffer, Maro thought. Nero listened and sighed, speaking up after a moment of silence: “I am glad things turned out nice for everyone. We can't let our misfortune get in the way of what time we have in this world. Hope you all enjoy your life too.”
Once Nero was done talking, that did bring up some curiosity in Maro: “Oh! By the way, not to pry, but are you two a thing? You know, because the other two are…”
Jay laughed out loud, and so did Terry. They even looked at one another as they did. It wasn’t a disrespectful amusement, but clearly sounded like a ridiculous statement to both. “Me and Terry? Oh hell no, you won't find me getting in the way of his womanizing.” And Terry had his own jabs to add to that: “Yeah, like I would hit on a woman THIS much in love with her guns! Lemme tell you two one thing about women. Never get between bitches and their canons!”
Maro scoffed with a slight smile, shaking his head. He got his answer and they clearly didn’t take it badly. Whereas Nero was giggling into his palm at their attitude.
It was a delightful time to banter with the mercenaries. At first, the idea of not getting to return with Percy and Rorik was a bit scary, but those two also seem like perfectly fine people to the androids. They also apparently already received their pay over the last week. So by the time they reached Apolleon colony and landed, Jay was checking up on the engines, where Terry just got ready to check some messages. Maro and Nero said their goodbyes for the time being and waved to the Mercenaries, who returned the gesture. Perhaps they would get to see them at Varié sometime in the future!
It was still a bit hard for Maro to believe that he was finally strolling through these large main halls of the station with his brother. Nero being somewhat in awe, but also having his occasional criticism about the whole metallic and plastic environment. But before the two could do anything, Maro had to take his brother to the local authorities and get the younger droid registered properly. Just some basic paperwork he had to go through as well. Once that was done however, Maro knew exactly where to take his brother first. The arcade, as well as various other entertainment options he never dared to visit without Nero. And sure enough, it was a great time.
They played some games, then watched a movie. Luckily Maro got to save all that money he had ready for the Mercenaries and could spend it freely now. And every single one of Nero’s smiles was worth it. After doing a bit of shopping while they were in the shopping district, the two were finally heading home. What was Maro’s, was also Nero’s! And just as they reached the front door, the older brother had to hug his younger sibling once more. Tightly at that. Almost clinging to them like his life depended on it. “I-I am so glad to have you back, little bro… All these years of trouble and finally, I don’t have to worry about your health anymore. … Finally you get to have a normal life. It feels like no matter what, I cannot express just how happy I am.” Maro admitted, sobbing a little bit over his brother’s shoulder. Whereas Nero comforted him with a gentle laugh: “Oh dear, and here you would think I should be the one breaking down in tiers over this outcome. Believe me, I feel just as great as you do! But you know what makes me much more happy?” he pushed Maro off of himself a little bit, to look right into his eyes, “To finally see you having rid yourself of that depression you have been wearing ever since I first became sick. I may have been the one with the terminal illness, but you were suffering from it just about as much. And now, you don’t have to anymore, alright?”
Maro just smiled, mildly ashamed of that. After all, it was partially his own fault for letting it affect him that much. But he didn’t beat himself up over it either. Especially having Nero right here now, wiping his tiers off for him. “Never again, I promise, so long as I got you!” He reassured his brother before opening the door to their apartment.
The two spent the rest of the day chatting and playing some games. Maro got to tell Nero all about his job some more, especially about the individuals. Warnings about Hammond once more… All these details he didn’t have time to really get into before. It would be an understatement to say just how much it intrigued Nero…
The next morning, Maro knew he had to get back to Inukira! The time off was over! He would not be able to just spend time away from the club even longer. However, he still had to do a few things before that. A quick meeting with Percy and his friends, trying to find Bram to return the vest that he was asked about by Nero the evening prior and then he would finally be able to return to work. His brother knew all about this, hearing them out as they got ready. But since it was already the time, Nero’s curiosity was sparked. And he headed out by himself just shortly after his brother did.
The younger of the siblings headed right for Varié! First strolling through Anfang, mildly impressed by such a structure and atmosphere, before entering the club through the front door. He didn’t draw any immediate attention and just looked for a place to sit. It was so early, he was the first and only guest for now. Of course, he noticed SOMEONE taking glasses behind the bar, though he couldn’t see anyone or what they did with it. Soon enough though, Hammond showed up. Heading over to Nero. Greeting them with a usual bland expression: “Welcome at club Varié. What do you…” The deer squinted, speaking quietly, “You remind me of something…” before shaking it off, “What do you want.”
Nero just blinked at him, amused that he seems to remind the guy he heard so many bad things about, most likely making him think of Maro. “Oh! Good morning, good sir! You look quite lovely! Is this uniform standard or do you just wear it so well?” The droid returned in an absolutely overly positive tone. So much so, Hammond was taken aback. Usually guests don’t start a conversation with him, especially because of his demeanor. Shaking it off, he replied with a grumble: “Doesn’t matter. I’m doing my job. Order please?”
The droid resting his head on his interlaced fingers, while giving Hammond quite an alluring gaze: “Aww, come now. Why so gloomy? I am sure you can make guests VERY happy if you try hard enough! I know behind that grim look is one hell of a gentleman! Why don’t you let me see it?”
Was this stranger flirting with him? Hammond thought. Utterly flabbergasted by the whole ordeal. His natural response is to get rude to people who do this sort of thing, but he can't do that with a guest. But the silence from his surprise was interrupted by Nero reading the name-plate: “Hammond, hm? I can call you Hammy, I’m sure~”
What was going on? Why was this guy being so cutesy and flirty with him? Hammond couldn’t handle it. He snapped the stylus that he used to tap in orders. Face red in flustered frustration, but he took a deep breath. “Ok, one more ti- Mmmm… Don’t fucking call me that…” he said between gritted teeth, only getting a giggle from Nero in turn. By now Zoe was peeking over the Bar, curious what was going on. But the android was entirely unphased: “Hm, I don’t know. The menu is delightful, I’m sure, Hammy. But what would you suggest? You just HAVE to tell me your favorite~ I would love to share a sundae with you and get to know you better while the morning is quiet.”
This was the last straw! Hammond tossed the broken stylus aside, glared angrily at Nero, who just smiled wide the whole time, before angrily storming off into the back of the club.
Now without a waiter, Nero just giggled to himself. This was clearly on purpose. But Zoe quickly chimed in: “Oh no! There no waiter! Just a second!” With that, the small avian girl ran off into the other half of the club.
Nero was well sure none of these people were aware of who he is, nor that Maro is even back yet. His brother was too busy caring about him, than to message anyone. Luckily, everyone in the club had a basic understanding on how to serve guests. So after not finding anyone, given Amanita wasn’t here this early, Zoe returned by herself with a tablet to take orders with. She was the last Inu usually wanted to do the waiter duties, but it was an emergency. Stepping up close to the table, she asked politely: “Good morning, sir! I apo- … aplo- … appalo- … Sorry for my colleague! May I take ordler.”
The guest just looked at Zoe, smiling warmly. Not putting nearly as much of a facade on for her: “Good morning! You really are a cute one... I would like something simple if you don’t mind. Maybe a cocoa and a small salad for the morning?”
Zoe was mentally prepared for the same stick that Nero pulled with Hammond, but could be seen having her gears turn with how she just stared quietly for a few seconds. But she didn’t quite connect the dots either. Instead she just returned the smile and a quick “Right away!” as she tapped in the order. Then, the girl rushed off, trying to check if Kira was available to tell him about Hammond.
A few minutes later, given the nature of his order, it was already done and got delivered too. Just about at the same time, Zoe had returned to her position behind the bar. Who delivered the order instead, was Inu himself. His uniform looked slightly different of course. He placed the salad and cocoa in front of Nero. Not at all catching on to the faint similarities at all. “Here you go, sir! I am deeply sorry for my employee walking off so rudely without taking your order. Please, this is just a small breakfast. It will be on the house for the inconvenience!”
Nero smiled. A protogen? Of course this had to be the boss, given what he heard. The droid waved Inu’s worries off with a dismissive hand-gesture: “Oh, no no. Do not worry, sir. I understand someone getting cold feet or having a bad morning. Do not be too harsh on him. But I am honored to be served by the owner himself! Quite worth the endeavour~”
There was a vague smugness in Nero’s demeanor. Like he knew something, like he wanted to be suspicious in the protogens eyes. It was a fun game to him. How long could he mess with everyone before they noticed he was much better informed than he should be for a normal guest?
“Oh? I don’t know, I just have to jump in when we are short on staff. Usually this doesn’t happen, but … that one can be difficult…” Inu replied with a calm tone and expression. But he was a bit unsure about the new guest. Either way, the suspicion was there, though Inu decided to disguise it behind some questions instead: “If you don’t mind me asking. What exactly did Hammond say to you? I hope it was nothing rude? What did you say that made him so … dramatic?”
Nero shook his head while swallowing the first bite of his breakfast: “Hm, let me see. I thought to give him a nickname he might not have enjoyed. But he didn’t say anything specifically bad in turn. Maybe I just flustered him, sir Avalon.”
“Please, just call me Inu or Kira. I would prefer not to be associated with my stern and no-fun-allowed family. May I ask for your name? Until more guests arrive, I would like to know more about this problem if you are willing.” The proto replied with a vaguely flustered look on his face. But it was more or less just to appear more off guard than he really was. Not that Nero didn’t notice, shaking his head: “Oh, Inukira is your full name? Quite unique, I must say. But I gladly talk some more about the deer. You see, he REALLY seemed to have his blood boiling BECAUSE of how ‘willing’ I was. Sorry for the approaches on him, but seeing someone frowning just makes me want to turn that upside down. And how better to lighten someone’s day than through a harmless flirt or two! Please, the blame should be on me if anything.” The android was quite aware he avoided the question. Instead, he pushed a more pressing and important matter into the forefront, using the potential fault of his own as a second layer to mask the shift of topic. He didn’t know how much these people knew, and giving a name would potentially cut his fun short.
Inu initially noticed, but a guest taking the blame and flirting being involved did send his hyperactive mind a bit on a loop. Just barely enough to convince himself to focus on that matter: “I do not believe a simple flirt warrants his abandonment of his position. Please, you do not need to protect him. He won't lose his job quite yet. However, it was not the first time he caused problems and he is starting to get on some thin ice admittedly. But I never fired someone before… I don’t know if I could live with that.”
Inu was opening up a bit. Rather genuine about it. And where he was good at hiding his feelings behind a facade, Nero was even better. Hiding the utter amusement, as well as his sympathy for Inu behind the same calm smile while enjoying his salad.
The android was enjoying this a lot. And he got a lot more details from Inu without even having to try very hard. It was very understandable. Firing someone must be a lot more guilt inducing than if they left on their own accord. But also … this was one great dressing for a salad…
As he sat there with the protogen, taking a moment to enjoy his food, a falcon entered the room. Briefly looking around, before spotting Inu and approaching. Dartagnan was wearing the uniform, having apparently just arrived moments ago himself. He leaned in close to Inu, talking quietly. Not enough for Nero not to listen in quite blatantly however: “Boss, Hammond is just kinda standing out in the back, doing nothing. Did something happen that I should know of?” And of course, Inu answered in a similar low tone: “He is apparently upset by our guest here. It seems flirting is not a way to make the grumpy guy lighten up.”
Arty looked over Nero quickly right away. Predictably, his flirt-mode kicked in right away, especially with what he heard. Nodding at the android with a confident smile before leaning towards them instead: “Hey! So you were daring enough to give the grumpy deer some warm and tender looks, hm?”
Now being on the receiving end of the flirts, Nero couldn’t help but giggle. Finishing his salad before returning the look. Playing along for the moment. Well aware who he was dealing with of course. “Maybe I have. Do you think it was on me perhaps? Maybe I just don’t have a talent for the … flirty looks and words” He said, making it quite obvious how self aware he was to use that as a flirt instead. And the falcon was very impressed by it! A ‘master’ of flirting could tell when someone was just putting up a front in this particular manner. Dartagnan put a finger under the android’s jaw, getting notably closer. A delighted hum emanating from his throat: “My, not at all! Speak of someone who knows his game! Will you tell me your name, or may I have to … convince you first?”
His voice dripped with seduction, all directed right at Nero. And the android knew exactly how this was going. Playing along for a bit longer, humming with a somewhat seductive tone of his own as he inched closer to Arty as well. But just as the bird opened his beak for what could only be assumed to be a kiss, Nero booped him on the tip of the beak with a giggle. Snapping out of it in an instant before pulling away again and only offering Arty a knowing side-eye. “You really are naughty~ But alright, I think I had enough fun. My name is Nero. Nice to meet you two.” Nero admitted, saying it in such a knowing tone as if he knew it would tell them everything. But Arty only cocked a brow, amused by the boop, but unsure what the name was meant to tell him. Inu however, who just watched the whole thing, judging his employee, perked up right away. He had heard of that name for sure: “Wait, Nero? … Arcelle? Wait! Oh god, of course! Hold on, doesn’t that mean Maro is back too? Oh!” Inu rushed to shake Nero’s hand very energetically, “It's so nice to finally meet Maro’s brother in person! I heard he succeeded, but I didn’t know you guys got back already!”
Arty was a bit dumbfounded, while Zoe just had sparkles in her eyes from all the way over at the bar. Her only reaction was: “Floofy, times two~”
Just as if it was planned, Maro stepped out from the back-part of the building. He didn’t check in back home before heading right for his job to finally show up again. Hoping to make it a surprise for whoever wasn’t named Hammond to see if Zoe or Inu welcomed him. But by the time he was about to speak up, he already noticed them all staring at … his brother?!
Nero was a bit too occupied with Inu to notice right away. The protogen was very excited and doubled down on making the food go on the house. Finally, Maro just walked up to them, briefly waving at Zoe when she noticed him first, before standing next to the table. It was a surprise to see his brother here. Nice to see them all getting along, but still, the older brother was not entirely happy about this. Of course, Kira and Arty noticed him and the protogen immediately jumped out of his chair to hug his waiter with some taps on the back. “Maro! There you are! Perfect timing! We just realized who we were talking to here. Looks like your brother was messing with us a bit.” Inukira explained with a jolly tone. Dartagnan added: “Yeah, he is pure gold with that tongue of his! … Not THAT way~ Not that I would know of at least.”
Maro didn’t care much about the implications. “I am glad to be back, Inu. Gonna get right back to work too! But Nero… Why are you here this early? You could have waited and let me introduce you…” Maro explained with a certain hint of sternness.
Nero didn’t take it personally. Smiling warmly at his brother: “Oh, now don’t be like that, big bro. Like it or not, I am an adult too. If I go somewhere or not is up to me”
Maro stared at his brother. That smile. It was always making him feel warm, but right now? … It also made him uneasy. Perhaps he wasn’t wrong, but Maro needed to see for himself first how ready his little brother was! “N-No, Nero. You see… There are many things that can happen. We never know if there won't be some form of revenge from certain people. Or accidents! Misunderstandings… And then you end up getting in trouble.” He expressed his worries to his brother.
The younger sibling shook his head: “You are silly. And frankly, act like I cannot take care of myself. It has been ten years since I stopped needing to hold your hand while we leave the house, you know. Without my illness I can now-” Nero was interrupted by his brother. Maro raised his voice just a little bit. Not aggressive, not yelling. But serious: “SOMETHING will happen. SOME random thing. Be it people who hate androids, criminals, or another type of accident that makes someone try to lock you up! I just don’t want to lose you again!”
Nero didn’t even wait for Maro to finish before standing up. Pushing the chair back audibly in the process with a slight slam of his palms onto the table. Nothing harsh, just enough to demand attention from his older brother. What really got to Maro tho, was Nero’s now much more serious expression.
The younger sibling walked around the table, up to get right in front of Maro, staring him right in the eyes in a stern glare. Grabbing his brother’s bottom jaw to make them stare right back without an escape. The serious demeanor caused the elder of the two to lower his ears, mildly intimidated. Never did he see his brother get mad at him. But it seems like he wasn’t actually angry, breaking the stern look with a scoff: “Oh dear, you are a handful, aren’t you? Let me make this one thing clear, Maro. I will not be at an arm’s length with you all the time. I will be going my own way here and there. But you have to keep one thing in mind. Sooner or later, I will be back, no matter what~ Nothing will keep me away from you anymore, ok? So now, stop worrying please. I know what you went through, and I intend to make up for as much of it as I can. Just relax, take a breather and … well, probably do your job~” Just as he said that, some guests had entered, so Nero nodded his head towards them.
The older brother didn’t quite sort things out so easily. Unable to argue with having to do his job, he nodded and went for it for the time being. Arty was amused, but the arrival of guests meant he should get back to the other side of the club himself. Inukira however, took the now empty plate and let Nero pick up the cup as he gestured to the android to follow him.
Together with the protogen, Nero headed to Kira’s office. The two sat down together while Nero enjoyed the cocoa he still had left. Inu exhaled a relaxed sigh. It felt like a bit of a weight was lifted from him too. Now Maro was fully able to focus on doing his thing. No worries, no desperately needed off times. Not that he wouldn’t have let the droid have more if needed. “So! Seems like you know how to handle your brother! Seeing you next to one another, it's hard to believe you are the younger one.” He jested, but then leaned onto the desk, “If I may: I could always use another person working here. We often run low on staff when something comes up. And it would also mean you can be with your brother a lot more!”
Nero listened, even though he focused on the cocoa, taking a few sips here and there. “That doesn’t sound so bad. I was already thinking if I wanna check the bakeries if they need someone. Baking is my thing, so it was my go to option. But even in the bakery, I used to have to serve people like any other worker! So that is nothing new.” Nero replied, taking another sip.
“A baker!? Now we are talking! You see, Claude, our chef, is only that. He can bake, even learned it. But as the only staff in the kitchen, he’d get overwhelmed with a handful of guests wanting baked goods for him to stock up, as well as normal food. We obviously got some bread, but we buy that every time. If you like tho, I gladly let you do some baking! Maybe put some nice stuff you can make onto the menu! Gotta see you in action first of course, you understand.” Inu made his offer, in hopes that it would sound appealing to the android.
Maro thought about it, not letting a single thing get to him by the looks of it. It was slightly nerve racking for Inu how quiet and unimpressed Nero seemed to be with the offer. … Before suddenly getting a wide smile from them that changed the impression entirely: “That sounds very lovely actually! I always LOVED baking. You see, I wanna do a ton of it, all the time. I already told Maro I need a lot of stuff for that as soon as we can get to it. GOD I would love to have my own baking job like this. Just me and what I can make…”
Inu chuckled, watching the android swoon over the offer. “Sounds good! I let you handle everything else however you are comfortable. If we need more people serving, you will be required to help out though, alright? That happens more often than not, especially in the later half of the day. I assume you know what the other half of the club is like?”
The cup empty, Nero placed it on the table and gave Inu a very upbeat, genuine look: “You mean the adult section? I assume suggestive dances? Maybe more for ‘generous’ guests? Especially since … Dartagnan was his name? Made it seem like he knows his way around getting in the right mood.”
“Oh, Yesss! … Pretty much exactly that. No one is forced to do anything they don’t want to, but the extra money is hard to turn down.” Inu confirmed.
Nero nodded and shrugged it off: “I don’t see why that is a problem. We are all adults here! Nothing wrong with that type of thing.” the android then snapped his fingers, “I wont wear lingerie though!”
Nero’s willingness to deal with those things surprised the protogen. Usually, especially with Maro, that whole thing was a no go. At least, at the time. But who was he to complain? Inukira reached his hand over the counter, giving Nero the chance to agree to the job if he wanted it: “Alright! I will let you have a test-run for like a week and then, if you like it here and there are no problems, I will make it official! All paid of course”
Smiling, the android gladly grabbed the hand. Bakery or this club, he got to do what he loved! And like this, Maro was always nearby.
Inu then just joined with a smile on his own visor: “Amazing! Just come back tomorrow together with your brother and you can get started right away!”
“I can't wait to see my bro in his uniform some more! Haha! … And the look on his face when I wear it too.” The android said with a slight devious snicker.
Following their deal, Nero took a quick tour around the place together with his new boss. Most importantly, meeting Claude who he was working with first and foremost. After brief introductions from Inu and a wave from Nero, the droid thought to try and interact a bit with the equine: “Hey Claude! Heard of you from Maro and Inu. Seems you finally get to share the kitchen with someone, hm?”
Claude shrugged. He had a certain care for the kitchen from what Maro said, but he didn’t appear to mind the idea of someone joining at all: “If that means I don’t have to keep this place clean all by myself, take whatever you need. Baking, is it? Well, you can take the whole other side of the kitchen over there.”
It was brief, but Claude seemed to have no special thoughts about Nero at all. Moving on, Kira led his new worker through the rooms in the back. Of course, Arty happened to be there, but he wasn't of any concern to them. Nero already got to meet him.
They made it to the adult section of the club. This early, this place was empty. Amanita, who just arrived, was behind the bar, preparing everything for whenever guests would show up. Just in case. And on stage, there was Natalia! She spotted Inu and Nero first, immediately finishing her safety checks on the pole on stage to gracefully step down from the stage and head towards the two with a welcoming expression: “Oh, another new face! Now you just remind me of our last one, I have to say. Inu, why don’t you do us the honors?”
The Protogen just shook his head, amused. “You sure like being put on a pedestal, hm? Well, this here is … Nero! … He is Maro’s brother! That’s why he reminds you of him. Hehe. Oh, and Nero? This wonderful lady here is Natalia! She is the second in command around here, so if she asks something and it doesn’t get in the way of anything I said, trust her, alright?” He explained, fully introducing his new worker to the wolf-woman. Nero carried his usual friendly demeanor, bowing his head politely to play along with the fancy approach: “Nice to meet you, miss. It is an honor to serve. Your words will be my command, I assure you!” There was a smirk on the edge of his maw. But Natalia was amused, “Oh dear! You are putting it on thick, aren’t you?~ … Please, do not tell me you are one of those ‘simps’ and the like.”
Nero couldn’t hold his giggling at her reaction, waving it off: “Hah, of course not! I just can't help myself. Playing along and such is pretty fun.”
The wolf hummed, visibly delighted as she rubbed her lower jaw, thinking for a moment. “Hm, that so? My, you could make it big here if we put you on stage! But I wouldn’t want to assume anything. Your brother would probably have his objections, and I respect those things.” The woman clarified to make sure she was very transparent.
Before they could even get to her, Ama approached already. She thought, since she was going to be part of this conversation soon enough, she might as well join them: “Morning. So you are Maro’s brother? Slender and probably looking good in a dress… Yeah, I can see it. Jokes aside, name’s Amanita. Ama works.”
“Oooh, you look pretty tough! If it wasn’t cheating, I would love to try and do some arm wrestling with you. Not to say you don’t look well shaped regardless of course! I’m Nero, but you probably already heard that by now.”
Ama was quite amused: “Well, you got some spunk, I like it. Hope you live yourself into the whole thing pretty well.” Nero replied right away: “Thank you very much! I intend to try~”
With that, the tour reached its end back in the main room with some guests having found their places to sit. Inukira thought about if he missed something when Maro joined them, given he was not busy at the moment. But he didn’t say much, just looking at his brother for a moment before the protogen pondered, shifting his gaze between the siblings. “… I’ll take a wild guess and assume you two won't need an introduction! Hehe.
Maro just gave him a glance, as if to say “you don’t say…” whereas Nero giggled. Waving it off with one hand before putting some humor into it: “Oh, it is nice to meet you, Maro! Something tells me we will get along swimmingly!”
Maro cocked a brow at that, but he couldn’t help but smile, snorting a bit as he hid his amusement a bit. But just the smile was enough for Nero. Especially once the older brother leaned forward to hide his face against his younger brother’s chest, who just gave him some taps on the back in turn.
After this, Inu simply finished the tour properly: “Alright, Nero. I hope to see you tomorrow!” before he left, after which the android just waved politely.
Maro took a deep breath, taking the moment he had to talk to his brother: “So, what are you doing now?” Nero just shrugged in turn however: “Not sure. I was going to head out and explore a little. See what this station got to offer. I assume you won't argue, will you?”
The furrowed brow and knowing smile on Nero’s face told his older brother everything. Maro sighed, but shook his head: “No, you are fine. It will hurt me that I can't be with you all the time at the moment, and make me worry a lot, but … you know… If I just latch on to you and stuff, I just become the replacement to your illness. I don’t want to be a burden, but a benefit to your life instead!”
“Aww, look at you! Smiling, all mature and stuff. I never would dare to see you as a burden, big bro. But it means a lot to me how much you care. But anyway, you are on the job, so let's talk later at home. I will try to make you some banana bread! You always liked that.”
Maro smiled and nodded, then got a notification that he had to pick up food. “I'll see you then, looking forward to it!”
The elder of the two rushed into the kitchen, resuming his duties, so the younger was free to take his leave for now!
Along the path out of Anfang, Nero realized he never got to chat with the avali lady. His brother said she was the nicest of them all, and apparently his favorite in a sense! … Nero knew he just HAD to tease his brother with it sooner or later.
Nero had no interest in business and what was he going to do at the landing bay? So instead, Nero wandered around a bit. Taking his moments to appreciate the view. The androids used to live their whole life on the surface of a planet, so to see one like this was quite fascinating. Just wondering what this one would be like on the surface and all that. But soon enough, he moved on to the shopping district. It was plenty of time to go buy the ingredients he would need for what he had planned for his brother later!
Once there, the android rushed through any grocery store he could find. He needed the best of the best for today. None of this would need refrigeration, so Nero just paid another visit to some of the game-corners. Maybe checking what games there were available. Perhaps something that his brother would like too! The more they could do together, the better.
A few hours later, he just bought himself a quick snack from some of the isles. Just a bit of candy really. On the way back home now to get to work, just as he was about to leave the sector, the droid could hear some commotion. Turning around, he saw someone. A rather sturdy looking tiger, rushing ahead of a mob with a bag. What was in it? Who knows. But the guy was clearly pretty strong. Anyone unfortunate enough to be in his way got rudely thrown aside with no care for their well being. And he was about to leave as well. People that ran after him, a mob of angry individuals, were yelling something about “Stop the thief!” and such.
This is what Maro was concerned about. If he got involved with this, it could be causing his brother to worry more. But could he just ignore it? Helpful or not, Nero HAD to try at the very least… As the guy approached, Nero took a stance, akin to a goalie in soccer. His own bag was put down nearby as he tried to block the entrance. One could hear someone say “Careful!” in the back, before the tiger growled in the droid’s direction: “You better move or I make you, twig!” Nero didn’t respond. He was considering his options. Was his augmented strength enough? Would it react in time anyway? They weren’t so much worries, as they were calculations. But there was an idea. The droid doubled down on the stance, making it clear just how dedicated he was to stopping this thief! Did he hope they would back down or something?
Soon enough, the tiger got close enough. This was the moment. Could the droid stop the strong looking tiger? Those muscular arms ready, reaching to grab his opposition and tackle them over, straight up. No attempts made to dodge or get around Nero. And just as they reached the android, Nero pivoted. Dodging out of the way! But instead of just letting them pass, he made use of his decently long legs. Leaving one stretched out all the way over to the other side of the frame of the exit he blocked. And with that support, it didn’t budge as the tiger got taken entirely off guard! His weight was put all into his top to wrangle this spindly guy to the floor, causing him to stumble spectacularly.
He practically launched himself, unable to react in time. Falling flat to the ground onto his front. There was a significant strain on Nero’s leg, enough to sprain most normal people of his stature. But luckily, his android body was sturdy enough to get away with a brief bit of pain and no damage whatsoever. By the time the guy realized what happened, he already felt a firm step of the droid’s foot-talon, pressing down onto their upper back to pin them there. Of course, not without protests from the guy, who struggled and tried, but couldn’t lift himself in this position. “H-hey! That was cheap! Get off of me, you dirty freak”
Hearing them out, Nero relaxed a bit. But this time, there was not the slightest hint of his usual kindness to be found. Instead, he had a rather disdainful glare. “And you think a guy, who was willing to hurt me for nothing more than money, has anything to say I should give a damn for?”
Luckily, another person quickly joined. A wolf? Fox? Maybe both? A gray wolf-fox, quickly jumping in for Nero after giving him a thumbs up. He was one of the people that were rushing after the guy. “Thank you very much, sir! I will take it from here. Name’s Bram by the way.” the canine hybrid explained.
Now, the droid could relax even more and put on his typical friendly demeanor for the stranger again.
The thief barked a few more things, but after Bram had cuffed him, it was just a matter for the security to show up. A few questions were asked, but Nero had little to add to this. Most of the credit went towards Bram for taking him in essentially. But once it all was over, he directed his attention towards his helper: “Hey! That was very slick, not gonna lie! Feels like I met you before, but that must be my imagination.”
“Oh, no worries. I had to give it a shot and it worked out, nothing else! I’m Nero, nice to meet ya too! If you don’t mind, I have some baking to do at home, so…” Nero returned with clear indication he was not making this a long conversation.
“Huh, that sounds almost like someone I know… Oh well, let me not keep ya! Don’t be shy to let me know if you need help with anything and have a nice day!”
Nero smiled wide, nodding at Bram, before turning to take his leave.
It was a bit of a rush, but nothing the droid enjoyed. Shudders still ran down his spine. What if it didn’t work? What if he had not been fast enough? … What if his leg couldn’t handle the impact? It was painful to think about, and even more uncomfortable than just the pain alone. Even though he should feel only excitement at his ability to use his strength again. Luckily, he had plans today. It would get his mind off of things in no time.
Once at home, he spent the next few hours with some calm music running in the background. Getting his first round of baking in since he got this new body. Did they need the food? Not so much. But just because they didn’t NEED it so desperately, didn’t mean it didn’t help. And it's all about the nice treat in the end anyway!
Mixing, stirring, kneading and putting the dough in a mold, then putting it in the oven. It would take a little while, so he set a clock as a reminder before sitting down on the couch to play some games. It was an event-less evening. By the time he was done, Nero was already in nothing but boxers, only putting on the apron by the time he went back to take the bread out of the oven. Leaving it out to cool. It wasn’t too much longer from here until his brother would return from work.
Sure enough, before the bread even cooled down fully, Maro returned! He stepped inside, letting out a sigh as he noticed the tasty smell. It immediately took his mind off of his mild exhaustion “Mh, I am home, Nero! Damn, It has been ages since I got to smell your baking. … God, it makes my eyes almost tear up right away!”
Nero immediately got up and headed for the kitchen to pick up the plate with the bread and showed it to his brother. “Hah, and here is hoping you are not trying to say it hurts your eyes~ I made it just for you after all!” The younger sibling explained.
Maro nervously shook his head: “N-not at all! I can't wait to try it, little bro.”
The younger brother chuckled, readying their food for the evening: “I know that, silly. Let's hope I didn’t get rusty!”
The two sat down, enjoyed the bread and finally hung out some together. Nero was honest and even told about his incident earlier today. About Bram as well of course.
“Maro? I think it is pretty nice here. Your friends are nice, the work seems manageable, the view is great and we got each-other. I have seen you smile so much more than ever before since we are like this and … it really warms my heart. The feeling of being a burden was very rough, not gonna lie. I really hope you are just as happy as me, because I would love to stay here, with you and just live, now that I can do that so much better.” Nero opened up, leaving his brother a little speechless for a bit: “Uhm … well then. I am arguably doing amazing myself, you know? I know showing that isn't my strong suit sometimes but … I really like our friends too! And I already said how glad I am to have you back~ Living like this… It will be all I ever wanted.”
Nero just smiled, hugging his brother close. A pair of siblings like this could not be driven apart.
End of chapter 5
