Third time's the charm.

Friday nights are always long…

*creak*

Nick: "Hmmm… How about here?"

Veetu: "Yes, it should be all right there."

Nick: "I see, it’s the same size as yours after all... Okay, please stand aside for a sec…"

*thud*

The mercenary softly put down the bedstead in his hands with a small thud and looked around while wiping off the sweat from his forehead.

Nick: "Man, we made a mess…"

Veevan: "But it couldn’t be helped, right?"

Nick: "True."

Nodding to himself, Nicolai glanced at his right where the girls were battling with the mattress that they brought over from his designated room. About an hour ago, when they returned from the cafeteria, he jokingly brought up the idea that he should move in with the girls and, to his sincerest surprise, after the longest glancing-session he had ever seen, they actually went along with the idea. In fact they seemed even more eager about it than the mercenary himself…

Veevan: "Ah! Sis, sis! Help me!"

Veetu: "Huh? Whoa!"

*thud*

Veetu: "Uuuu…"

Veevan: "Sorry…"

Nick: "… Hehe…"

As he looked at the two, Nicolai couldn’t help but chuckle. While they were struggling with the mattress they were carrying, they toppled over and crashed on top of the bed in a comical fashion, instantly bringing a smile to the man’s face. Although, truth to be told, he was in a good mood to begin with.

Nick: "Here, here. Let me give you a hand."

He helped the two up from his new bed and straightened the haphazardly fallen mattress upon the bedstead. In the meanwhile, the twins have already moved onto their next task and started packing out his bed sheets with equally amused smiles on their faces.

Nick: "Okay, we are done with the hardest part; now let’s put your stuff back!"

Veetu: "Eh?"

Veevan: "Right now? Couldn’t we have a break first?"

Only a glance at the two’s pleading expressions was enough to make the man give in to their demand.

Nick: "*sigh* Fine, fine. I’ll do it; you just put the bedding into order or something."

Veevan: "Okay!"

Somehow, the lively answer brought a surprisingly warm smile onto the man’s face, but he quickly shook his head and returned to the task at hand. He moved over to the furniture packed into the other corner and grabbed one of the shelves.

Nick: "I’ll put it back where it was, okay?"

Veevan & Veetu: "*nod*"

Nick: "All right. Heave-ho!"

He easily lifted the heavy wooden furniture and put it back to its original place. Once done with that, he looked around once again and promptly shrugged his shoulders at the sight of the twins nonchalantly messing with the bed-sheets in the middle of their chaotic room.

Nick: "You know…"

Veevan: "Hm?"

The two innocently raised their eyes on him as he spoke up.

Nick: "I know it’s a little late to say this, but I honestly didn’t expect you to agree to my idea to move into your room…"

The twins looked together questioningly while the man took a surprisingly deep breath.

Nick: "You know, normally girls your age would be outraged even by the idea. Or wait… No, scratch that, girls of your age normally don’t even speak…"

Veevan & Veetu: "?"

Nick: "Meh, whatever. Don’t mind me."

Even though the two apparently didn’t even see the problem, it didn’t really bother the mercenary that much either. After all, it was his idea to begin with, joke or not. Like that, he leveled his eyes upon the stacked beds in the corner once again. Before they could bring over his new bed they had to move the girls’ furniture first, so now most of it was piled up in the far corner of the room. Strangely, even though it was hard work, the twins were really enthusiastic about the whole ordeal, so much so that their sudden brightness put Nicolai into a good mood as well in no time. He took another big breath and was just about to throw himself against the work when Veevan spoke up.

Veevan: "We… just thought that having you close would help with synchronizing later… Is that strange?"

Nick: "Huh? What?"

For a moment, Nicolai tilted his head uncomprehendingly at the girl’s words, until the meaning suddenly hit him, accompanied by a snapping sound, though the latter might have only been an auditory illusion in this case.

Nick: "Oh, you are answering to my previous words? *chuckle* Sorry, my brain has already moved on…"

Veevan: "…"

Nick: "But just to answer your question; no, it’s not strange. You girls are just practical."

Veetu: "Practical? Is that bad?"

By the time the other twin chimed in, Nicolai had already grabbed onto the bed on top and slowly raised the whole thing above his head, then suddenly his whole body froze in the ridiculously over the top position as he turned his head towards the twins while visibly pondering.

Nick: "Bad, you say? Hmmm…. No, I don’t think so. Actually…"

Suddenly, as if he just remembered what he was doing, he took a step to the left and slowly put the bed down. After quickly exhaling, he abruptly raised his eyes upon the girls with an honest smile.

Nick: "Actually, I love practical people, so you two are awesome in my book."

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

For a moment, the twins’ faces flushed red, but they quickly overcame their momentarily daze and started doing their little glancing game between each other. Seeing that, the mercenary’s voice suddenly took a teasing tone.

Nick: "Hey, are you leaving me out of the conversation again? I’m hurt!"

Veevan & Veetu: "!!!"

As soon as he said those words, the two’s eyes opened wide in shock.

Nick: "Fufu… Just kidding, just kidding."

With a childish smile plastered over his face, the man quietly stretched his back, making it clear that he was about to change the subject again. Suddenly, his eyes popped wide open as he dropped his fist into his palm.

Nick: "Oh, I almost forgot something… What’s the time?"

In response to the question, Veetu timidly pointed at the clock on the wall.

Nick: "Ah, it’s just half past seven? Okay, I guess that’s not that late…"

With those slightly cryptic words, the mercenary buckled on the swords he took off during the impromptu rearranging and swiftly walked up to the half-open metal door, with the map of the Forge in hand.

Nick: "I’ll be out for a few minutes. I should be back in about… hmmm… half an hour at worst. Could you put the books and the other small things back to their place in the meantime?"

Veetu: "Yes, but…"

Nick: "Okay. I’ll be back in a moment. See ya!"

Without even giving them the time to answer his parting words, Nicolai disappeared while leaving the door wide open.

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

For a few fleeting moments, an almost eerie silence filled the room, with the twins quietly staring at the open entrance. More than a few seconds went by like that while even they didn’t know what to think of the man’s sudden departure, but in the end Veevan slowly raised her eyes upon her sister, and…

[Veevan]: "Do you think he noticed…?"

[Veetu]: "I… really don’t know. He shouldn’t have."

Silent words, ones that only the twins could hear. Mind-crossing. It was supposed to be their little secret, the ability to “speak” with each other just by having eye-contact, a unique variant of the ability that apparently every Alternate shared.

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

For a few more moments, only the sound of their breathing echoed within the walls of their room, but the silence in their minds didn’t last long…

[Veevan]: "Hey sis… Where did he go?"

[Veetu]: "How should I know?"

The girl let out a small sigh.

[Veetu]: "I have no idea what’s going on in his head."

[Veevan]: "Really? I think he is really simple."

[Veetu]: "Well, I think so too, but I still don’t understand him. He is just too carefree."

[Veevan]: "Hm? Too carefree?"

[Veetu]: "I mean, he doesn’t seem to care about the rules at all! He even went against His Excellency at the testing facility head on, and he is constantly provoking mister Dust…"

[Veevan]: "*giggle* I don’t know, I thought he was cool."

[Veetu]: "Cool?"

[Veevan]: "Yes! And he did it to stay with us!"

[Veetu]: "I don’t know… I though he just did that to anger His Excellency."

[Veevan]: "Aw! You are doing that again! Why do you always expect the worst from people?"

[Veetu]: "I’m just cautious. It can never hurt."

[Veevan]: "But he is such a nice man."

[Veetu]: "Right, he is nice, but…"

[Veevan]: "No buts! He is strong, kind and fun to be around! He is going to be the perfect partner for us!"

In the end, Veetu couldn’t help but shake her head in resignation at her sister’s cheerful words.

[Veetu]: "You really want him to be our partner that much?"

[Veevan]: "Yes! I really like him!"

[Veetu]: "… Seriously?"

Veevan: "*nod-nod*"

[Veetu]: "*sigh* You can be so naïve sometimes…"

[Veevan]: "Hey! I’m not naïve!"

[Veetu]: "Yes you are! You barely know him! How can you say things like that you like him already?!"

[Veevan]: "Ah, but you like him too, right?"

[Veetu]: "Hm? Where did you get that idea?"

[Veevan]: "Because you are having fun with him around too, right?"

[Veetu]: "Uhhh… I… can’t deny that."

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes wandered away like she was deep in thought. With their mind-crossing interrupted like that, she had to speak up, finally breaking the silence of the room.

Veetu: "I mean, it’s true that he is treating us really well…"

Veevan: "*nod*"

Veetu: "And he is also strong, so he would make a good partner…"

Veevan: "*nod-nod*"

Veetu: "Not to mention, that he has this air of confidence around him that makes you want to trust him…"

Veevan: "*nod-nod-nod*

Veetu: "So… I think I don’t dislike him, but…"

Veevan: "Ah! You are doing it again!"

As Veetu turned her eyes at her sister’s outburst, their eyes met again. As such, the room once again fell silent. Their minds, however…

[Veevan]: "You are making things more complicated that they are again! You like him just as much as I do, right?"

[Veetu]: "No, I’m not! I don’t even know him well enough to say things like that!"

[Veevan]: "Neither do I, but I still trust him."

[Veetu]: "And that’s the problem! You are trusting people too easily!"

[Veevan]: "…"

[Veetu]: "…"

[Veevan]: "So?"

[Veetu]: "Hm?"

[Veevan]: "We agreed that give him a chance before, right? Are you saying we shouldn’t?"

[Veetu]: "… No. I just want you to be a little more thoughtful. He might be nice now, but he is still a stranger to us."

[Veevan]: "Ah, I get it! Then we should just try to get to know him better!"

[Veetu]: "What?"

[Veevan]: "You said that you cannot trust him because you don’t know him enough, so we should just try to get to know him better! Let’s ask him about himself when he comes back!"

[Veetu]: "You can’t be direct like that! I’m sure he would be angry if you asked him about his past all of a sudden."

[Veevan]: "He doesn’t seem like the type who would hide his past…"

[Veetu]: "You can’t know that. Stop assuming things about him."

[Veevan]: "Aw! Then you should stop doing that too! You are always imagining the worst!"

[Veetu]: "It’s the other way around! You are the one who has an unrealistic picture of him! You are too optimistic!"

Veevan: "*ngggg*"

Veetu: "*mmmmm*"

As they were staring daggers at each other, for a moment it seemed like their little dispute might turn into a full-fledged fight between the two, but then Veetu suddenly raised her voice.

Veetu: "Ah! We forgot about the packing!"

Veevan: "…? What? Why are you panicking like that?"

Veetu: "Idiot! He told us to tidy up the place! He will be angry if we don’t do it!"

Followed by her sister’s questioning gaze, Veetu jumped to her feet and walked over to the pile of books in the corner. In a few seconds, her sister followed after her and the two of them started resettling the books onto the shelf the mercenary just put back to its original place…

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

… in silence. They continued on with the task without even speaking a word. Veevan seemed nothing more than a little peevish, but Veetu was actually deep in thought. With all honesty, she was a little confused at her sister’s behavior. Sure, they were always this way. Veevan would always go ahead and trust everything they were told and she would have to always keep an eye on her… However, the speed at which she befriended the mercenary seemed almost unnatural. True, even she had to admit that she wasn’t completely indifferent towards the man, but since her sister was acting like that, she felt she was pretty much forced into the position of the precautious one. Of course, the mercenary should have no idea about this. After all, she was doing her best to keep themselves at the optimal distance from the man all this time.

Veetu: "?"

Suddenly, her train of thought was hijacked by her sister’s sudden halt. She slowly turned to her and their eyes finally met again.

[Veetu]: "Why did you stop?"

[Veevan]: "Hey, sis… I’ve got an idea."

Veetu: "*shudder*"

The girl was instinctively put on guard by her sister’s peculiar smile. Though, it was only natural she did. That smile has always been the sign of disaster for her, so she unconsciously gulped at the sight. Usually Veevan was the more modest of the two of them, but once she had that expression on her face…

[Veevan]: "You don’t believe that Nick is a nice man, right…?"

[Veetu]: "I… never said that…!"

[Veevan]: "So, I have an idea! You said that he would be angry if we slacked off? I say he won’t!"

[Veetu]: "What does that even…?"

[Veevan]: "It’s simple! We don’t finish packing, and we’ll see if he will be angry when he returns. I say he won’t, because he is a nice man."

[Veetu]: "But that has nothing to do with-!"

[Veevan]: "Aw, you don’t get it! It’s that thing, a test of charisma!"

[Veetu]: "Character."

[Veevan]: "Yes, that! A test of character!"

[Veetu]: "But that wouldn’t prove anything!"

[Veevan]: "Hm? Then make it a bet!"

[Veetu]: "Uuu… You are getting carried away by yourself again!"

[Veevan]: "No, it would actually make sense if you think about it! You don’t trust him and say that he would get angry while I trust him and say that he won’t. We make it a test, and see which one of us is right!"

[Veetu]: "But there is no relation between those two th-!"

Nick: "*phew*! I’m back!"

The twins almost jumped in surprise when Nicolai loudly proclaimed his return as he stepped through the doorway.

Veevan: "Ah?"

Nick: "Huh? What is it? You are looking at me like you saw a ghost or something."

The girls didn’t answer. Their eyes were glued upon the mercenary, or to be more precise, to the comically huge duffle-bag on his back.

Veetu: "Where did you get that!?"

Nick: "This? It’s my traveling bag I left at the inn I was staying at. I went out to get it."

It seemed like an innocent remark, but Veetu apparently almost fell on her face from it.

Veetu: "You went to the surface!?"

Looking at the girl’s panicked expression; the man couldn’t help but smile awkwardly.

Nick: "Errr… yes, of course. I had to get my stuff."

Veetu: "Uhhh! His Excellency will be outraged!"

Nick: "Why?"

Seeing the oblivious expression on his face, Veetu was about to lash out at him, but her sister had beaten her to the punch.

Veevan: "You see, you have to ask for permission to use the lift… His Excellency will be really angry if he hears about this…"

For a moment, the mercenary seemed to be musing over her words, then just shrugged his shoulders as he threw the huge bag onto his bed.

Nick: "Well then, we should just make sure that he won’t hear about this, right?"

Veetu: "But… but you are going to get into trouble for something like that!"

Nick: "*chuckle* Don’t worry. If I get into trouble, I will deal with it. You shouldn’t concern yourself with such useless things as me."

Veetu: "Right, but…"

Baran: "What is going on here?"

Veetu & Veevan: "!!!"

In that moment, all the blood left the twins’ faces as the archbishop’s familiar figure emerged from the other side of the open door, with a barely visible frown on his face. The mercenary, on the other hand…

Nick: "Hey there pops. What a weirdly specific coincidence! What are you doing here at this hour?"

Without saying a word, the old man slowly looked around the room, his eyes gradually narrowing in the process. Finally, as he finished with the inspection he raised his gaze upon the casually smiling mercenary.

Baran: "What’s the meaning of this?"

Nick: "What’s the meaning of what?"

Baran: "Why are there three beds here?"

Nick: "Ah, that one is mine. I moved in."

Baran: "…"

With a visible frown, the old man imposingly raised his voice.

Baran: "I thought I made it clear that you have your own room, didn’t I? Why are you going against my order?"

Nick: "Order? It wasn’t an order."

Baran: "Then it is now. I want you to go back to your own quarters right now."

Nick: "Refused."

Baran: "Wha…?"

Nick: "I said I refuse."

Baran: "Why?"

Nick: "*sigh* Isn’t it obvious? I just finished packing over; I’m not going to do all that again."

With his eyes narrowed into a squint, the archbishop’s voice dropped about an octave when he opened his mouth again.

Baran: "Listen to me, Wolf. I might have given you some special privileges, but you shouldn’t try pushing your luck any more. You might be used to being your own master, but as long as you are working here, you are my subordinate and you are going to obey my orders. Did I make myself clear?"

Nick: "…"

For a few incredibly tense seconds, the two of them were just quietly staring at each other in a situation that was seemingly about to blow up any second. And then, amidst the building tension…

Veevan: "Y-Your Excellency…?"

Veetu: "…?"

To her sister’s most sincere bafflement, Veevan broke the silence with a barely audible, shaky voice.

Archbishop: "Yes? Is there something you want to add, number one?"

Veevan visibly trembled under the old man’s piercing gaze, but continued on nevertheless.

Veevan: "I-It was… us… who told Nick that it was all right. Please… don’t be angry… at him… like that…"

By the end, her voice gradually toned down into a barely audible whisper under the pressure of the old man’s stare. After she finally fell silent, Baran once again spoke up with irritation.

Baran: "Is that true?"

The question was apparently aimed at the mercenary, but…

Veetu: "Yes, Your Excellency. We thought that having him here might help with synchronizing later on…"

Baran: "…"

Veetu: "And… if we are to become partners… we would also need to live together, so… we thought…"

Baran: "…"

Veetu: "Uuuu…"

Finally breaking under the old man’s oppressive stare, Veetu fell silent as well.

Baran: "Are you finished?"

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Baran: "If that’s true, then…"

*flick*

Veevan: "Ouch!"

Baran: "?"

*flick*

Veetu: "Ou-! Hey!"

The archbishop involuntarily raised a brow at the sight, as the mercenary lightly flicked the twins’ foreheads with a serious expression.

Nick: "Idiots. Don’t make things more complicated than they are."

After giving the confused girls yet another severe look, Nicolai swiftly turned to the old man.

Nick: "Listen pops, I see where you are coming from, but try to give me this “You are going to obey me!” shit again, and I’m going to cut you down a size."

Baran: "…!?"

Continuing with a surprisingly solemn face, the mercenary took a step towards the archbishop.

Nick: "I am a mercenary, so I’m used to working with my clients. However, and you better carve this into your brain, I am not your subordinate. At best, we are partners. You have something I need and I have something you need. That said, I’m going to follow your orders as far as they make sense and will work with you in this little “project” of yours, but try to cross the line and meddle with my private affairs, and I’m going to make you regret the moment the idea popped into your balding head. Did. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

It appeared even the old man was overwhelmed by the sudden change in the man’s behavior. Finally, after a few seconds, which actually felt a lot longer, the archbishop finally opened his mouth.

Baran: "Yes. Yes you did."

Surprisingly, the old man seemingly let the issue go and turned around.

Baran: "Fine. You are allowed to stay with the prototypes for now. Have a good sleep. Tomorrow we are staring at six. Don’t be late."

With those final words and followed by the twins’ confused eyes, Baran slowly walked out of their room and closed the door behind himself.

Nick: "…"

Still at a loss, the twins kept on staring at the mercenary with questioning eyes. And then…

Nick: "Holy crap, that was scary!"

Veevan & Veetu: "?"

… Nicolai cried out like a huge boulder was lifted from his shoulders and immediately buried his face into his hands.

Nick: "Geez, I was actually panicking there for a moment! That old geezer had the pressure of a goddamn express train behind him!"

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Nick: "…! And you two! Just what the hell were you two thinking!?"

Veevan: "Wh-?"

With his words suddenly aimed at them, the girls nervously glanced at each other in confusion.

Nick: "If you didn’t chime in, I could have sent him away with a “whatever” or something!"

Veetu: "Hey! We were just trying to help!"

Nick: "I… I know, but…!"

Suddenly, the man dropped his shoulders and slumped onto his bed like his strings were cut.

Nick: "(Calm down, calm down. Breath in, breath out…)"

He apparently spent the next few seconds with cleaning out his mind, then raised his eyes upon the twins again.

Nick: "*sigh* Sorry for yelling. Listen, I know you had good intentions, but you just made him mad at you too."

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Nick: "…"

Letting out another small sigh, the man quietly stood up and walked over to the two with a slightly weary smile, softly held onto their shoulders, and spoke up in the quiet but forceful manner one might talk to a child.

Nick: "It was really nice of you that you tried to help me out, but you should have left it to me. You are under my care, so let me deal with these things from now on, okay?"

Veevan: "But… it looked so unfair… for you to take all the blame…"

Veetu: "…?"

The man’s brows rose for a moment, followed by a genuinely warm smile.

Nick: "Ah, but that’s my job. I promised to take care of you until I find a way to take you safely out of here, so you shouldn’t worry about me. Trust me, I can look after myself."

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Nick: "Not to mention, it wasn’t like I would have normally taken responsibility at all. Just between you and me, I had about six different ways to weasel out of that situation if you two didn’t get involved…"

The twins kept silent for a few seconds, then they once again began their little glancing game. This time, however, the mercenary suddenly stuck his palm between the two.

Nick: "Hey, don’t leave me out of the conversation. It’s bad manners."

The twins’ eyes opened wide as they stared at him in disbelief. In fact, their expressions were so comical that it managed to squeeze a few small chuckles out of him.

Nick: "Fufu… Why are you looking me like that? … Ah, did I actually hit the nail on the head?"

With that, he removed his hand from between the two and let out a theatrical sigh.

Nick: "You know, I noticed that you two are always doing this before answering my questions. At first I thought it was some sort of quirk of yours, but then I’ve read about that mind-somethingsomething ability at today’s instruction, and I had a hunch. So, were you really talking behind my back?"

Veevan: "S-Sorry."

Veetu: "Sis!"

Nick: "Hey, you don’t have to say sorry! I’m not mad or anything. It’s only that it feels a little lonely, being the only one left out."

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Nick: "Actually, I don’t really mind if you do that, but I would be happy if you actually voiced your mind. We are going to live and work together, so it would help me a lot."

Once again, the two glanced at the other, then…

Veetu: "We… will try."

Nick: "Really? Thanks."

After saying that, the man took a few steps back and slumped onto his bed once again.

Nick: "*sigh* But that issue aside, this was bad. The old coot is going to put me through hell for this tomorrow!"

Veevan: "Sorry…"

Nick: "Huh? No, don’t take it wrong, I’m not blaming you or anything."

Veetu: "It sure sounds like that though."

Nick: "Nah, I tell you I’m not. He would have been mad at me anyway, so it’s fine. At least he didn’t notice I went out, so we are still far from the worst case scenario."

All of a sudden, the mercenary raised his brow like he just thought of something and leveled his sight onto the door.

Nick: "Oh for the…!"

Veevan & Veetu: "?"

Nick: "The door! That old bastard closed the door!"

Veevan: "Ah…"

Nick: "Damn! I forgot we cannot open this from the inside! I still wanted to go out and get some snacks for the night!"

Veetu: "…"

Nick: "*sigh* Whatever. I’m getting tired anyway…"

The mercenary threw himself over his bed, or at least the part that wasn’t taken by his bag, and stared at the ceiling. Like that, the room fell into a solemn silence. The girls, not knowing how to react to the sudden change in the man’s behavior, kept on blinking in confusion at the mercenary. In the end, however, the silence didn’t last long.

Nick: "Hm… Suddenly, this room feels so small."

Veetu: "It’s because of the third bed."

Nick: "I guess so…"

Veevan: "Um? What’s the matter?"

Nick: "Huh?"

Nicolai sat up at the concerned words and tilted his head.

Nick: "What do you mean?"

Veetu: "Um… You seemed… troubled."

Nick: "?"

The mercenary promptly scratched his head, then lowered it in embarrassment.

Nick: "Oh boy… I must be more tired than I thought. I usually don’t let such trivial things show on my face…"

Veetu: "…?"

Nick: "Ah, don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong. It’s just that I kind of hate these kinds of fluffy beds."

Veetu: "Huh? Why?"

Nick: "*sigh* It’s a little hard to explain. To put it simply, I dislike them because I miss them once I have to move on."

Veevan: "I don’t understand…"

Looking at the girl’s puzzled expression, a small chuckle left the mercenary’s lips.

Nick: "Hehe… Don’t wrack your brain like that; it’s just sort of a pet peeve of mine… I told you that I’m traveling a lot, right? It’s just that once I get used to these kinds of beds, it’s really hard to get back to the makeshift ones on the road after I move on."

Veevan: "I still don’t understand."

Nick: "Ummm… How should I put it then…? It’s that I dislike comfortable beds because they remind me to the times when I was thinking about them while I was sleeping in uncomfortable beds on the road."

Veetu: "But… that still makes no sense."

Nick: "Hehe… I suppose. I told you it’s a pet peeve, they rarely make sense. It’s just a side-effect of never staying at one place for long."

Suddenly falling deep in thought, the man became silent for a moment before continuing.

Nick: "Speaking of which, how long do you think this whole partnering ordeal is going to take for us?"

The girls looked together and shook their heads in unison.

Veevan: "We don’t know."

Nick: "Eh? Then how long does it usually take for others?"

Veevan: "Others?"

Veetu: "The technicians said that we are the only Alternates they ever had."

Nick: "Wait, then what about the Joker’s partner? What was his name again…? I know it started with E…"

Veevan: "Emara?"

Nick: "Yeah! What about him?"

Veetu: "He was created by a different team before we were born."

Nick: "Wait, so you want to tell me that this entire complex is built around the two of you…?"

Veevan: "I… think that is correct."

Veetu: "Yes, though I never really thought about it like that."

Nick: "Weird. That just doesn’t add up…"

Veevan & Veetu: "?"

Nick: "Ah, sorry, I was just thinking aloud."

Veetu: "…"

Nick: "*sigh* Too bad. It would have helped to get a frame of reference."

Veetu: "Why?"

Nick: "Well, because I wanted to know how long I have to stay here. You know, since we can’t leave until the old coot and his posse lets us out."

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Nick: "I mean, sure, I could just scoop you two under my arms and make a run for it, but me and the Order are already on bad terms, and I honestly don’t think I could keep evading them with you two on my back. The best thing to do now is to play along with the old man’s plan, and if we do well, we all get what we want."

Veetu: "You say that, but it didn’t seem like you wanted to work with him…"

Nick: "Hey, I told him too. Working with him is one thing, but him messing with my private matters is something entirely different."

Veetu: "But he hired you, didn’t he?"

Nick: "Technically yes, but you two hired me first, so you take priority."

Veevan: "Really?"

Nick: "Yup. I gave my word, didn’t I?"

Veetu: "But, what are your plans after we become partners?"

Nick: "Huh?"

For a moment, the mercenary actually seemed confused.

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Nick: "… Actually, I didn’t really think about that. I mean, our needs are falling in line pretty nicely this far. I just have to become your partner and everyone wins. I get cleared, the old man gets his project done, you can come to the surface with me… After that, I dunno. We will see."

Veetu: "Seriously? You have no plans?"

Nick: "Nope. There is no point worrying about things we can’t help. Let’s just go with the flow for now and we will decide what to do once we are there."

The girls seemed a little dissatisfied with Nicolai’s answer, but they didn’t voice it. After a moment of consideration, the mercenary was about to ask them if they had any plans, but then something grabbed interest and he stood up instead.

Nick: "Huh? You didn’t finish packing the books?"

Veevan: "Ah…"

Veetu: "…"

The mercenary leisurely walked over to the bookshelf and looked over the half-filled shelves.

Nick: "And what’s this? You didn’t even put the books into alphabetical order?"

Veevan: "Alphabetical order?"

Nick: "Yeah. How else are you going to find a specific book here? *sigh* Whatever, I’ll show you how it’s done properly."

Once again, the two glanced at each other, sharing words the mercenary couldn’t hear, and then Veevan jumped to her feet with an unusually babyish smile.

Veevan: "*giggle* Let me help."

Nick: "Okay, could you… … Why are you grinning like that?"

Veevan: "No reason."

Nick: "*chuckle* Well, I don’t mind. Smiling suits you better anyway."

Veevan: "Um…"

Veetu: "Excuuuse me!"

Nick: "Eh?"

Veetu: "Where do I put this?"

The developing cozy atmosphere between the two was forcefully disturbed by the interjection of the other girl, though the mercenary apparently didn’t really mind such a development.

Nick: "Oh, you are helping too? Good. First let’s just lay them out on the floor; it’s easier to sort them that way."

Veevan: "Okay."

While arranging the books, Nicolai suddenly raised his voice while holding onto a small stack of them.

Nick: "Hm? I didn’t notice before, but you have a strange collection here…"

Veetu: "Strange? In what way?"

Nick: "Well, say, here. You have and advanced physics textbook, two romance novels, a thriller, three more romance novels, another textbook, one more romance novel…"

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Nick: "Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, and I guess now’s a good time too, but… how can you even read?"

Veetu: "What do you mean?"

Nick: "I mean, you said that you are only two, how can you read alrea… Wait, it’s not just reading, but many other things too! How come you know so many things? And why do I feel stupid that I only noticed this now…?"

Veetu: "Oh, that’s because we have been imprinted."

The man’s expression clouded at the definite sounding answer.

Nick: "Imprinted, imprinted… I think I’ve read something about this today, but it was in one of the unintelligible parts…"

The other girl answered while sorting out a small heap of books on her lap.

Veevan: "Um… It means that we were born with this… basic mainframe."

Nick: "Mainframe of what?"

Veetu: "Information. Language, motor skills, basic things like that."

The mercenary’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but he forced a smile onto his face before the girls could notice.

Nick: "Wow, you Alternates really are convenient…"

Veevan: "…"

Nick: "Oh, look. I found five more romance novels…"

Veevan & Veetu: "…"

Nick: "And there are three more here…"

Veevan & Veetu: "……"

Nick: "*sigh* I changed my mind. We are doing a thematic arrangement instead!"

Veevan: "Okay."

Veetu: "Fine."

With that, surrounded by the sound of the rustling of pages and the increasingly open chatter of the girls, the mercenary kept on working… but whenever the twins weren’t looking, the serious light in his eyes confirmed that there was something bothering him, though he even he would have had a hard time describing what it was. The old man’s sudden yield from before? The fact that he had no actual plans? Or just that the fact that he had been entrusted with two teenage girls finally sank in? Maybe something else altogether…? He couldn’t really tell, maybe it was all of the above at the same time, but even if they were bothering him, he never let the girls notice it during this mundane yet somehow still enjoyable task. After all, he promised them to take care of things, didn’t he…?

----------

Baran: "… and here’s the schedule for tomorrow’s tests. Tell the night shift to get the corresponding equipment ready."

The archbishop’s office was much busier than usual. It was way past eleven, but the old man has shown no sign of fatigue as he gave out his order to the researcher while sitting behind his imposing desk.

Technician: "Understood. Is there anything else?"

Baran: "No, you can leave."

Technician: "Then excuse me."

The man politely nodded then walked over to the door, however, just as he was about to exit…

Technician: "Oh?"

Zara: "Fufu… Go ahead."

Technician: "Thank you sir, and excuse me."

After another small nod, the man almost jumped out of the room, and a split second later, the smiling swordsman was already in his previous stead.

Zara: "Good evening."

Baran: "We are a little past evening."

Zara: "Fufu… True, but you are not going to bed just yet, are you?"

Baran: "… True."

The archbishop reached for the half-empty cup of coffee on his table and emptied it in one gulp, then turned back to his bodyguard with a serious expression.

Baran: "Things are finally moving again, we have no time to waste."

Zara: "Right."

Reaching for one of the scattered files on his desk, the old man continued on.

Baran: "His data is just what we need. Even as little as today’s readings have cut two years off our research schedule."

Zara: "If only he was a little more cooperative…"

Baran: "Oh, he is, in his own way."

Zara: "Fufu… Really? Didn’t he just throw you out of the prototypes’ room this evening?"

The old man’s hands suddenly stopped in mid motion.

Baran: "Where did you hear that?"

Zara: "Fufufu… So it’s true. I’ve heard some janitor overhead you two talking. The rest is obvious, this is a closed circle of people. Gossip spreads like wildfire down here."

Baran: "…"

The old man seemed a little displeased, but his hands quickly started moving again, arranging the pile of papers in front of him with almost mechanical precision.

Baran: "I see. It seems like I will have to remind the staff that they should not waste their time idling like that, especially not now."

Zara: "Fufu… Don’t be hard on them. They are scientists, they are dead nuts on gathering tidings like that."

The archbishop looked up at the man with ill-tempered eyes, but didn’t voice his opinion on the matter.

Zara: "But I’m surprised. I’ve heard you let him do as he wanted. Aren’t you a little too soft on him?"

Baran: "I told you, we need him."

Zara: "Fufu… Yes, yes, but I’m not talking about that. You like him, don’t you?"

Once again, the old man raised his eyes upon the swordsman with irritation written all over his face.

Baran: "If you mean that I find him intriguing, then yes, you could say that I like him."

Zara: "Oh?"

Putting the last document to its place, the archbishop slowly straightened himself in his padded chair.

Baran: "He is carefree, fiercely independent, stubborn to a fault, not following any cause, and the only master he accepts is himself. By all intents and purposes, he is a free spirit, one that cannot be bound by laws or orders…"

Zara: "Oh…? I thought you like him, but I never thought you would be so fascinated with him…"

Baran: "Fascinated? Maybe. After all, he is perfect for our goal, and even if he doesn’t understand it yet, he is already on our side."

Zara: "Fufu… Didn’t you just say that he is only on his own side?"

Baran: "… Maybe he is now, but we share a common enemy, even if he doesn’t realize yet."

Zara: "The Plan?"

Baran: "Indeed."

Zara: "Fufu… I wonder…"

----------

Nick: "Zzzzz…"

Veevan: "…"

Veetu: "…"

The pitch-black room was filled only with the rhythm of the mercenary’s quiet breathing. With the door closed and the lights turned off, the darkness was completely impenetrable to the naked eye. The girls, conscious of the man’s unfamiliar presence, were unable to fall asleep, testified by their quiet stirring, breaking the silence of the room time and again.

Veetu: "…"

Time passed painfully slowly, and Veetu couldn’t help but wonder how the man could sleep like that under his new circumstances. She absentmindedly looked his way, but of course she couldn’t see anything in the darkness.

Veevan: "Sis…?"

She almost shuddered at her sister’s tame voice and immediately turned her head towards the source.

Veevan: "…"

Veetu: "…"

[Veevan]: "How about now? Can you hear me now?"

[Veetu]: "Yes?"

In the darkness, it was hard for them to find eye-contact, but it still only took them a few seconds to establish their connection.

[Veevan]: "So, are you going to admit that I won?"

[Veetu]: "What? Wait, you are still going on about that?! Knock it off!"

[Veevan]: "But we agreed and I won! He wasn’t angry!"

[Veetu]: "I… would say it was a borderline case, and… Wait, that’s not important!"

[Veevan]: "Aw! You are the worst! You said you would trust him if he passed this test of charm!"

[Veetu]: "No, I didn’t, and it’s called a test of character!"

[Veevan]: "Uuuu! Why are you so obstinate!?"

[Veetu]: "…"

[Veevan]: "…"

[Veetu]: "……."

[Veevan]: "Hey, sis? Are you still there?"

[Veetu]: "Yes, I’m just thinking."

[Veevan]: "Thinking?"

[Veetu]: "Yes. About why you are like that."

[Veevan]: "?"

[Veetu]: "*sigh* I mean, if you want to like him then fine, go ahead, but why do you want me to like him too?"

[Veevan]: "…"

[Veetu]: "Here you go. Even you don’t know the answer for that, right?"

[Veevan]: "Um, it’s not like I don’t know, I just can’t say it well. I just don’t think I can like him alone."

[Veetu]: "W-What kind of ridiculous reasoning is that?!"

[Veevan]: "…"

[Veetu]: "*sigh* Okay, I see what you want to say there. I have to approve of him too, or it will be complicated when we synchronize. Fine, I already did, didn’t I? I approve of him as our partner, so-"

[Veevan]: "No, I’m not talking about that!"

[Veetu]: "?"

[Veevan]: "You’ve noticed it too, right? He is lonely."

[Veetu]: "Lonely? That guy? Are you serious?"

[Veevan]: "… He… looks just like you sometimes."

[Veetu]: "Huh?"

[Veevan]: "He’s the kind that tries to shoulder too much and don’t want to get others involved in his problems."

[Veetu]: "Just where did you-?"

[Veevan]: "I told you, he is like you."

[Veetu]: "…"

[Veevan]: "…"

[Veetu]: "And you say that he needs company?"

[Veevan]: "I don’t know… I just have this feeling…"

[Veetu]: "… Hmp! Then if we are alike, you think I’m lonely too, huh?"

[Veevan]: "…"

[Veetu]: "*sigh* Fine. Keep him “company” or whatever you want, I don’t care."

[Veevan]: "But… I can’t."

[Veetu]: "What now?"

[Veevan]: "I can’t do it alone… Whenever I try to talk to him, my voice starts wavering and I can’t look him in the eye properly… I need your help!"

[Veetu]: "… Are you trying to tell me that you have a crush on him?"

[Veevan]: "…?"

Even though she couldn’t see a thing, Veetu was quite sure that her sister was furiously blushing under her blankets at this point.

[Veevan]: "I… I don’t think so… Maybe…"

[Veetu]: "*sigh* Oh for the love of…!"

[Veevan]: "Uu… Sis, are you angry?"

[Veetu]: "No, just my head hurts… So, what? You want me to be your matchmaker?"

[Veevan]: "N-no! I just want you to trust of him…"

[Veetu]: "… so that you can safely get closer to him with me at your back. I get it."

[Veevan]: "No, that’s not what I-!"

[Veetu]: "*sigh* Fine."

[Veevan]: "?"

[Veetu]: "I said fine. If you are so adamant, I fully approve of him as our partner from now on, tough I already told you that I don’t dislike him, so it’s actually not such a big deal. I still don’t know him enough to approve of him as “your partner” though, but we’ll see about that later."

[Veevan]: "Sis! I told you it’s not like that!"

[Veetu]: "Yes, yes. Anyways, I will act as mediator between you two, and will try to find out as much as I can about him in the meantime."

[Veevan]: "Uuu… But I don’t have a crush on him…"

[Veetu]: "You say that, but we both know it’s a lie."

[Veevan]: "…"

[Veetu]: "Okay, that’s it for today. Let’s sleep now, I’m sure tomorrow we’ll be needed for the synchronization tests, so we should rest as much as we can."

[Veevan]: "But I’m not…"

[Veetu]: "Good night."

[Veevan]: "… Good night, sis."

With that, they severed their connection at the same time and buried themselves under their blankets… but for some strange reason, falling asleep had proven to be a hard thing to do for both of them that night…

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