What did Amy Rose do to my face?



I couldn't stop thinking about it. Whatever that was, it could've made me overload. But I didn't see any attempts at trickery... so... how did she do that?



I put my hand over the part of my face she touched with hers. I had collided with my adversaries using my face many times, but I never got a sensation like that. It made me feel warm. Too warm.



But I wanted it to happen again.



...



I referenced back to the movie I watched with her. The two leads embraced one another, and, in a climactic moment, they brought their mouths together in a kiss. Was... that what she did? She kissed me? I didn't know I could feel anything like that... I didn't have a mouth.



If she kissed me, then were we like the two leads? There was a lot I had to organize in my head...



I leaned back in my chair in the surveillance room, crossing my legs over the front of the console. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary on the monitors.



I needed to come up with an excuse to leave for Little Planet tomorrow. My Master started to go on trips with Sage with the idea of them testing out projects, so their presence was currently infrequent, leaving just me to monitor Orbot and Cubot and the nearby facilities. I didn't even know if they would be around by the time Little Planet appeared.



I would be more irritated about my exclusion if I wasn't preoccupied with my changing dynamic with Amy. I also would have taken great pride in the responsibility over the Eggman Empire if I was assigned more than a month ago.



"B-Big Bro?"



Cubot nervously looked up to me like he'd done something wrong. I was waiting for the bad news.



"Orbot told me not to ask, but neither of us can get the TV to work and Cyber Singer Mika's 'ANNUAL SUPER CYBER SINGER BASH!!' is starting soon... We saved up to get exclusive access to the channel and everything!" He pressed his index fingers together. "Can you fix it? Please?"



I got out of my chair and walked to Orbot and Cubot's room. Orbot was laying on his side while reading some magazine. When he noticed me, he quickly slapped the magazine shut. The TV In the room was glitching out with static, a bunch of exposed wires-- and spark plugs, for some reason-- indicating they tried fixing it and gave up. They were capable of fixing all kinds of machinery on their own, including me; I was insulted they couldn't do the same here.



"Big Bro! Boss! Boss Bro." Orbot let out one of his fake laughs. "C-crazy seeing you in here, we've been, uh... Taking inventory... We have 315 volumes of Bot Weekly! That's that done," he said, sliding the magazine away from himself.



I rolled my eyes, then smacked the top of the TV with my fist. The picture came back on to show whatever verbose concert Cubot mentioned.



They both loudly gasped, then they clamored for my legs to hug me. They were both talking at the same time so I could barely understand them. Cubot sounded like he was on the verge of tears.



They finally let go of me after their 50th 'thank you', then they huddled to the TV. I was more of a bot-sitter than interim Overseer... Annoying. I was bored. My skills weren't properly utilized; I wanted to go on a run or destroy something.



Orbot and Cubot could be absorbed in whatever show they were into for days at a time if our Master didn't have any assignments, so I at least didn't have to worry about them while I was gone. Even so, I kept my connection to the Eggnet open just in case.



I decided I could fulfill my monitoring duties by studying the movements of this area's troublesome inhabitants. I checked on the two bots one last time, then I left the base. I had to be careful and stay at a distance if I wanted to successfully monitor anyone... some of them were awfully perceptive.



I pulled up all my available data while I flew through familiar terrain. The detective agency was close, but they were pretty much nothing and concerned me very little. Rouge the Bat was worth the caution, but she often operated independently and the base didn't have anything on her radar. I quickly dismissed her; plus, she was the most perceptive of them, so she wasn't often worth the trouble outside of direct orders. Belle left town a little while ago, so I was unlikely to visit her for a while. That just left Tails Prower, Amy Rose, and the inferior Hedgehog in the vicinity.



Sonic and Tails didn't often strike first unless my Master did, but they monitored us as much as we did them. I needed to stay informed. Amy would assist them...



... She was the greatest concern. I could look for her first--



No. I was making a biased judgment. The last time I thought to check on her first, I was caught off guard by Sonic... Then when I was tasked to track her down, I didn't realize I was being followed. Despicable. I couldn't let him get the upper hand in any situation, no matter what. I needed to find him first, then I could find Amy.



I did wonder what she was doing... In the early afternoon, she was often active somewhere outside, be it coming to others' aid or exploring the many districts. When I came across her last week, she was in the forest above my garden. I really needed a new place to maintain the flowers... I didn't want her to see what I grew until they were ready to be given.



... That being said, there weren't many convenient places to have my specific garden. I'd have to carry a lot of soil on my own... That'd require taking something like a shuttle, and coming up with an excuse for that was a headache on its own. Hopefully my Master wouldn't regain any interest in the old base, keeping it a safe and neutral location. Truthfully... he might've forgotten it existed.



I trusted Amy Rose to keep the location of the base private as well. Even if her friends saw the base, they would see nothing compromising; I didn't think she would take them there intentionally, anyway. The most compromising aspect would be us not in combat, which would be much more harmful to her than to me. Not even Belle told anyone about our kinship.



Despite our secrecy, she still wanted to take me to a public location. It made me feel strange... But... it wasn't unwelcome. She was energetic, laughed frequently. She liked asking me questions, but they didn't annoy me. She took my hand and held it the entire time. While I did pay attention to the movie, I was more interested in what she was doing, and I was becoming more and more aware of the warmth she passed to me.



I did like fighting Amy Rose... She was impressive in her own right. But I preferred less combative interactions with her, like with the hands... Or the kiss. When we would next be in opposition, I wasn't sure how I would handle it. What if my Master commands me to harm her? To kill her? I didn't want to, but I was incapable of disobeying him. I could only stall the inevitable. Fooling my own creator was an ambitious feat; if I made a single mistake, I'd be killed instead.



I didn't like my train of thought anymore. I decided to stop thinking about it.



I located the Hedgehog-Fox duo patrolling in the plains outside of the city limits. Sonic dashed through low-level pawns and sabotaged some lesser traps, while Tails flew by his side. The bots and traps would be replaced again in time and I didn't feel like grinding Sonic's face into the dirt yet.



I couldn't exactly get closer to them since the area was so open, but I didn't think I needed to follow them more. Their exploration was aimless, untargeted. They were probably as bored as I was.



So that left Amy Rose. I didn't see her when I scanned the town, so she was likely in her home. I made sure Sonic and Tails were still distracted by themselves before I left.



I wasn't sure how to get Amy's attention... When I went inside her home previously, she pushed me through the back door. Since it was a busier time of day, that was probably the safer route anyway. I knew my way to her house very well and got there in record time...



I peeked through one of her windows. She was in there. Her outfit was different. Looked more for comfort. Her quills were pulled back in a large red ribbon.



... I moved the handle of the back door. It was unlocked. I opened it and Amy stood right in front of me with her arms crossed. I turned around to make sure she wasn't staring at someone else.



"You gonna knock?" she asked.



I turned back to her. Did I need to?



She looked irate, but her expression quickly softened. "You know, for a machine with a rocket for a chest, you are really quiet..." She smiled at me. "What's up?"



I looked away for a second, then just walked inside, closing the door behind me.



"Did you just want to see me?" she asked.



Technically, monitoring. But... yes. I nodded at her.



"I don't mind if you hang out..." She averted her eyes and smiled. "I imagine you don't have anything going on right now either, huh?"



I shrugged.



She sat back down on the couch and crossed her legs. "Yeah, I get it... I couldn't think of what I wanted to do, so I decided on relaxing-- Oh! Oh!" Her face brightened and she got up from the couch just as fast. "Come here."



I approached her, first scanning her, then around the room. She patted the coffee table in front of her. "Sit in front of my table here! I'll be right back."



I sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. The table itself had a glass top. When I looked down, I saw my reflection staring back at me.



...! The lights turned off. I lifted my head. Amy switched the lights off and covered windows with curtains as she passed by them. She went over to a nearby lamp and turned it on, then sat at the other side of the coffee table. Light shimmered behind one side of her head and reflected to the table below us.



"Do you know what fortune telling is?" she asked me.



She's mentioned it before in her letters, but I didn't exactly know what it was. I tilted my head.



"Mm, well, it's a few things, I guess. Different objects might lend some insight to ourselves, our futures, the people involved with them. I like to use my card deck," she said, showing me a stack of tall, thick cards. Some of them were numbered and had different suits similar to playing cards. "Within these cards contain the answers to your greatest questions. The secret is that you don't need any special powers to see what the cards tell you... You just have to open your heart to them."



Her tone was sincere, but then she laughed: "It's also just fun! Interpreting cards is one of my favorite hobbies. Can I try you?" She gave me a hopeful stare all while casually shuffling the cards. "I know I made the room all moody, but it's your choice. We could watch another movie or something if you don't want to."



I nodded, gesturing towards the cards. I had never seen her look so eager.



"Yay!" she beamed. "Okay, what do you wanna know about? Family? Love? Health?"



I hated when she asked me multiple questions that made it harder for me to answer. She hardly gave me time to think before she said something else:



"Wait! Let's start with something more neutral so you can get a feel of what this is about. Let's just focus on you as a person. So..." she hummed, continuing to shuffle. "What's in Metal Sonic's future?"



I leaned one of my elbows against the table and rested my hand on it, watching her. Our gazes met... I felt comfortable.



"Okay, tell me when to stop shuffling the cards," she said, calm.



The way her hands moved mesmerized me; the cards were nearly a natural extension of herself. Eventually, I beeped out for her to stop.



She spread the entire deck out face-down. "Pick one that calls to you. You can look at it if you want."



I glanced at the line of cards. How exactly do I know what calls to me? I tapped my chin.



"There's no wrong card! Take your time," she beamed.



Her saying that made me feel like there was a wrong card. I grabbed a card near the end of the line and glanced at it, then flipped it over to show her. The card was titled The Wheel of Fortune.



Her eyes went wide. I did not like what that could possibly imply. She coughed, then cleared her throat. Her cheeks were a little pink, but she didn't look angry. "The Wheel of Fortune is an interesting card," she started, sitting up straight. "The way I interpret the card is about fate. See the seasons depicted here? I see it as passing time, something that we can try to alter, but really, its changes are cyclical no matter what we do. So, basically... Your future will involve something you were always meant to be a part of; this could be something within yourself or something incredibly important to you. Think about what that could be for you."



What I was always meant to be a part of? If I were to take this fortune-telling seriously... I was created to defeat Sonic the Hedgehog, but I wasn't sure that was my purpose anymore. I thought about my duties towards my Master, my role within the Eggman Empire. Her reaction told me she didn't have nearly the same kind of thoughts I did. She grinned at me, moving the flipped card aside and reshuffling the deck.



"If you're not sure, there's more cards to come that'll make that answer clearer for you! I'll get you to draw two more." I watched as she shuffled for a while more, her gaze inviting me to stop her whenever I found it necessary. I told her and she spread the deck once more.



I picked one towards the middle of the deck. This one was Three of Wands, but I had to rotate it to read it.



"Oh! That one was upside down?" she asked. I showed her the card. "The way the cards are placed are significant for me. The interpretation can change, but I often see it as the opposite of what I gather from the card upright. So, you got Three of Wands upside down? Hmm..." She rubbed her chin while staring at the card for a while. I was amused how involved she was with staring at them.



She moved the card beside the first, then took a deep breath. "So, the way I interpret this one... You will face some kind of obstacle; something that stops you. This doesn't have to be like, a literal obstacle, though it could be," she hummed.



I had no idea how she interpreted that from a card, but she sounded incredibly serious.



"It could be something that makes you really angry and distracts you from realizing your fate. Maybe it's something you have to wait for to get to the next step of your life's journey. Whatever you thought about the first card? There's something that'll get in the way." She gave me a firm nod. "Okay, let's do one more."



Amy swayed her head from side-to-side as she cheerfully shuffled the cards. I liked watching her. I let her shuffle for a while longer this time.



She noticed, glancing at me and smiling. "I wonder what this one will be?" she asked. I requested her to stop, then she lay the deck out one more time.



I picked another card in the middle of the deck and flipped it over by the other two cards.



"Justice," she said. "This card depicts a scale... It's all about balance, deciding right from wrong, revealing the truth. I think that's really interesting for you," she muttered, tilting her head further to the side as she stared hard at the cards. "I think... maybe... you'll face a significant problem that shrouds you from something really important to you as a person. But, once you're patient and get around whatever's stopping you, you'll find what you were always meant to do with full clarity."



After a moment, she chuckled. "I get that's kinda vague... But, I think I'm learning more about you already. That's one reason I'm happy; I could tell you took me seriously. That means a lot to me." She took the three cards and put them back in the deck, shuffling them just to keep her hands busy. "Reading these cards guided me to Little Planet when I was just a girl. I believed I would make a fateful encounter there."



...!

I pointed at myself.



She smiled more. "You know, I think that might be what the cards were saying. Our fates don't change, but what we interpret as our fates do. Take my fortune and let it give you wisdom!"



Her tone was more lighthearted at the end. I enjoyed her energy... though it was a little intoxicating. She mentioned family, love, and health... could she really gather things like that from cards? I was... curious. I gestured towards the deck again.



"What? Do you want another reading?" she asked.



I nodded.



"Ooh... I got your interest. I already interpreted your general future--" I pointed at her. "... Me? You want to know your future with me?"



I nodded again. Her demeanor turned more expressive and shy at the same time, her face reddening. "Well...! You've come to the right person!" she said. "I'm afraid I charge for extra readings though. Pay up."



I rolled my eyes at her, making her giggle. It was a nice sound.



"You're cute, so I guess you can have a discount..." She smiled at me, but then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, shuffling the cards in a loose pattern. "What is Metal Sonic's future with Amy Rose...?"



After a moment, she opened her eyes:



"Alright... Same as before. Just tell me when to stop shuffling."



I beeped immediately.



"Ooh, eager." She spread the deck. I took my time picking a card... The one I went for was close to one of her hands.



I turned it over.



"Are you kidding me?!" she yelled. I stared at the card for a while. Seven of Pentacles. The card depicted a garden with seven strange-looking flowers sprouted evenly. Was it... bad? When I glanced at her, her face was totally red.



"There's, just, like, one card out of my 78-card deck that has garden imagery," she mumbled. "And you picked it."



The garden was significant between us, but I wasn't sure why exactly she was freaking out about it. She cleared her throat, then continued:



"So, like, each card has general meanings, but the art can be really significant too. As soon as you turned it over, I saw you and me." She leaned over and studied the art. "Seven of Pentacles is about perseverance, all the time and effort you put into something. It takes time to grow a garden... it takes time for relationships to grow into something stable. I interpret as your work beginning to pay off," she said.



I gestured at her as if to ask what exactly she meant. Her face only got more red.



"I don't know what you're asking!" she exclaimed. "H-hey! That's mine!"



She had a notebook and a pen on the end-table beside her couch that I grabbed. At first glance, it looked like a shopping list. She clamored for it, but I moved out of her reach and began writing something down on the page under it.



I let her snatch the notebook away when I was done.





She slapped the notebook down to the coffee table, refusing to look at me. "The card is saying that maybe I had a great time at our date and I'm excited for the one tomorrow. Don't look too deep into it."



She was suddenly so flustered. I would laugh if I could; her shuffling was so much more intense. I could understand her actions more than I realized... She was forward with her feelings unless she was confronted with them. She overloaded in her own way.



I wanted her to stew in her feelings for a bit. One of her ears twitched. "T-tell me when!" she huffed.



I looked away and tapped my claws against the coffee table.



"You're actually insufferable. You're taking forever to stop me on purpose." She let out a loud sigh. "Well! If it's what the cards will, I'll respe--"



I beeped at her.



She slammed the deck on the table and spread the cards out. Hahaha.



I picked one three-fourths a way through the line and turned it over. Her bashfulness vanished as she studied the card. I tilted my head to examine the art myself. The Hanged Man. This was the most ominous looking card, name-aside... a person was strung upside down by his ankle on a large post. There was an artistic halo around his head and his arms were stretched out, strings connecting to the post.



"The Hanged Man symbolizes some kind of sacrifice..." She hummed and looked away, focusing on nothing in particular as she thought. "It could mean that you give up something significant between us, or it could mean you give yourself up for something about us." Her gaze went back to me, serious. "Your perseverance is so strong that you're willing to sacrifice something great for whatever you're aiming for... Maybe you'd do the same for someone you care for."



I wasn't sure how to take her words.



She giggled. "Some cards seem scary, but none of them tell you when you're going to die unless you specifically interpret it that way. Honestly... I think this card is fitting for you. Just... don't actually destroy yourself."



I tapped the notebook that had my question from before.



"Sh...shut up!" She quickly shuffled the cards. "Obviously I don't want you destroyed! It's hard to go out with a bunch of loose bolts!"



I was amused again. While she was shuffling, I took the notebook and wrote something else down:





She glanced at my words when I put the notebook beside her. Her face was red and she turned her nose up at me. "Wh-what? Is that supposed to impress me?" she asked.



I nodded.



She couldn't help but giggle, her tough facade gone. "Okay, I didn't expect you to answer that," she said. "But I'll always prefer you in one piece, Metal."



I gestured back. I mean, me too.



We had a comfortable moment of silence between each other. I requested her to stop shuffling. She spread the cards out with less intensity this time. "Last card."



I stared at them for a while, then slid one of the cards out with one of my claws. I flipped it over.



"Why are you getting such strong cards?!" she shouted. I enjoyed her reactions more than whatever the cards were saying to her. I leaned my head in my hand while watching her loom over the card. She tugged her quills down with both her hands.



The card was titled The Sun. There was a round depiction of a nature-filled horizon and a winged person reaching out towards a vibrant, beaming sun. There were chao in the bottom two corners with hearts and flowers surrounding them.



"Well, that's your fortune," Amy said to me, her voice an octave higher than usual.



I aggressively pointed at her.



"But it's embarrassing!" she said, her face still red. I felt like letting her do this fortune-telling taught me more about her than it did for her and me. She had quite a beating heart...



"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked. I was just admiring her; I didn't even realize I was doing it until she asked. She sighed, picking up the card to look at it one more time. "Okay, fine... This card says you'll find endless joy and happiness. And since it's about us, connect the dots yourself."



I was about to gesture to the notebook--



"Don't point at the question you wrote!" she said, blushing more. "Your ego is showing! A-and... And fortunes can change! So just because my reading says one thing doesn't mean it's going to happen if you make dumb decisions."



I gently took the deck of cards and went through them to find one specifically. I held out The Wheel of Fortune to her.



"Okay, smartass," she mocked. I was incredibly amused. "Fate can mean a lot of things! It could mean the fate of me knocking you upside the head with my Piko Piko Hammer."



I showed her The Hanged Man. She laughed.



I put the deck down, then offered my hand with my palm facing up. She stared for a little while. "What?" she asked. I gestured for hers. She let out a little huff, then put her hand on mine. I gently squeezed her hand while resting mine on the table. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment.



Warm.



Amy slowly sighed out, causing me to open my eyes again. Her gaze was soft and she smiled, her free arm and head flat on the table. She was admiring me this time.



"You know... I think this could work."



What did she mean? I leaned forward a bit to study her expression. She was calm, more confident.



"Maybe I'm getting too ahead of myself, but... I dunno. This was also years in the making, I guess," she muttered, averting her eyes. "There are a lot of things we'd have to figure out... But... You clearly don't mind that we're on different sides. I'm willing to talk about it. Can we... do that? Talk about it?"



I nodded to her. Knowing this conversation would be something a little more complex, she moved the notebook over to me. We both sat upright and watched each other with more serious intent, but she didn't move her hand out from mine.



Amy Rose and I talked for a long time... She told me her feelings and concerns fully from the perspective of being romantically involved with me. We both understood my reputation was negative and to be feared, an aspect that personally brought me pride, but in the context of Amy Rose... it meant she still could not have the public affection she craved. While she made peace with the idea of our secrecy, I felt a little... empty. I had to make peace with the idea that I could not make her happy in every sense.



I communicated to her my concerns about my Master. I gave her more insight into my programming and what exactly that meant in terms of fighting against her. I was clear to her that I felt loyal to my Master, even without any blocks to make me less dangerous to him. But I still had to follow every command, including ones I didn't want to follow. After some thought, the next statements I wrote compared my programming to her deck of cards; I could make different interpretations from the commands, but I could not deny what the commands actually were. Similarly, even though I valued Amy's safety, if my Master was in danger, I wouldn't have the choice to favor one or the other; I would prioritize my Master every single time, no matter how I felt. Only movie characters could miraculously override their programming; any alterations made could have me killed, and if she ever saw another Metal Sonic, he wouldn't be me anymore. Amy was receptive to my words even though they weren't pleasant.



I accepted she would loathe my Master and what he stands for, as well as what he makes me do. In some ways, I understood why. But... I had no desire to defect against his empire. The one time I defected, I didn't even view it as overthrowing my Master; I wanted to fulfill my purpose by any means necessary, which was what I was created for... And it prevented me from ever truly doing what I wanted. Frustrating. The freedom my Master gave me had to be earned and those opportunities lessened over time. It was complicated... Even more complicated to explain it to someone. I didn't think I expressed my intentions very well to Amy.



I could tell she wanted to ask me more about my Master, but she didn't. I didn't know if her hesitation was good or bad, but I didn't press her. The main point was that she understood I would not suddenly 'switch sides' even though I had feelings for her. Similarly, I wouldn't attempt to convince her to work against her allies. I didn't want her to sacrifice her ideals; her kindness towards those not deserving was how I fell for her at all. As long as she liked me more than that loathsome Hedgehog, she could do whatever she wanted, even face off against me.



... Huh.



In the short lull of our conversation, I wrote another question down.



"There's something else you want to talk about?" she asked, her tone curious. I slid the notebook over to her.



She laughed as soon as she read it, but I did not see it as a laughing matter. I glared at her. "Sorry!" she giggled.



For the first time in our entire conversation, I let go of her hand and crossed my arms.



"Nooo, come back! I'm sorry," she said with a grin. I slapped her hand away when she reached for me, then I turned my head away. "I just think it's a shockingly cute question for you to ask!"



Well, she was doing a whole lot of talking but not answering my question.



She left the other side of the table and dropped beside me, giving me a hug and pressing the sides of our heads together. "Sonic is important to me, but so are you," she explained. "You're special in a different way."



I turned my head further away.



She laughed. "There are plenty of things I like about you more than Sonic. Is that what you wanted to hear?"



...



I turned my head back enough to see her in the corner of my eye.



"I think you're the better gardener, for one. Better writer, too. You have a much better memory than he does... And I like that you're sensitive and moody."



I squinted at her.



She giggled. "See, you're proving my point. You get riled up so easily, but I like it. I wished Sonic would get frustrated with me sometimes because it would show how much he cared. He's not, like... uncaring, but sometimes he's so relaxed at the worst times and it drives me crazy."



... I turned my head fully towards her.



"I don't think you should focus any of your energy on being jealous towards him. You have plenty to work with on your own that's worth seeing. And... I'm here with you." She leaned her head against me again, tightening her embrace. "I don't want anyone else sitting here beside me."



I returned her hold.



"Maybe we'll fight about Sonic in the future... We're on completely opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to him. But you took a piece of my heart that he can't have. Understand?"



I didn't know words could be so... relieving. I leaned my head against hers. I understood.



"Now I know this can work," she said with a light sigh, then let go of me. The way she looked at me made me overheat. I didn't know what to do.



I glanced down at her mouth and remembered what she did before... I didn't know how to approach the subject with her, but I wanted to do it again. I was curious if it would give the same sensation as before. Her face reddened and she looked away from me, but she was smiling, bashful.



"I had fun the last time we went out," she muttered. "I, um... I was thinking about you after you left. I... hope you had a good time too." She brushed her quills back and shifted a little.



I gave her a single nod... Then I pointed to her mouth.



"What?" she asked. "D-do you want me to say something?" I could tell she pretended to not know why I gestured to her mouth. I turned her head more towards me. She was pretty.



... We were awfully close... I forgot what I was thinking about for a brief moment. I was... overwhelmed. She closed her eyes and leaned in more towards me.



Zrrt! K...Kiss! She kissed me! I needed to let hot air out of my system. It was too much. Too much.



I heard her giggle, but for a brief second, I couldn't see anything at all. I regained my vision and stared at her. "Is that what you wanted me to say?" she asked.



I was totally fried. I didn't know how to respond to her.



"Don't worry, I'm a mess too," she said. "I hope we can spend a lot more time together. Is that something you want too?"



I reached for one of her hands and firmly held it, watching her. She grinned at me.



"BIG BRO!!!"



...!



Amy stared at me, shocked. I let my head fall to the coffee table. Cubot's irritating voice echoed out and permeated what was otherwise a precious and tranquil space. I forgot I had my communicator set to a speaker instead of internal logging.



"Th-there's a fire! Fire! The TV caught on fire!!!! Cyber Singer Mika is--" I switched the communicator so only I could hear it. "-- Going to be so disapp-- Oh, I... I can't take it!! B-big bro, h-help!"



'Put the fire out,' I said back, annoyed. Amy Rose could not understand me, but surely the bots could. I didn't even want to ask how a TV could catch on fire.



"Big Bro?" Amy repeated, a brow raised.



I glared at her.



She giggled. "You have a little brother?"



I sat back up and rolled my eyes, holding up two fingers.



"Oh! The little bots you mentioned before, right? I didn't even know you considered any other robots your siblings. That's so cute!"



She giggled more at me while I let go of her and stood up. I snatched the notebook and wrote a single word for her:





Amy stood up too. "Well, sounds like your subordinates really need help saving Cyber Singer Mika. Probably only a job that Big Bro can handle."



She was clearly too amused by the call I received. I nudged her a little, to which she playfully nudged me back. Cubot still cried out to me, but I completely ignored him. I'd go to the base in time.



I turned around and went for the back door to make my leave.



"Hey!" she huffed. "You have to say goodbye before going." She took my hand again, slightly tugging me back.



I turned towards her and looked at our hands. She lifted herself up a little and kissed me on the cheek.



That was goodbye? But that made me want to stay.



"See you later," she said with a smile. "Pick me up here when it's time to go tomorrow."



I squeezed my hand to hers. Goodbye, until our next meeting. I watched her for a moment, then forced myself to leave. I would no longer have little brothers if they interrupted my time with Amy Rose ever again.