Strange Ones: Volume 3

A Relationship...?

"Whoa!" Carly said as her phone recorded the battle between Team Mexico and Team Australia.

Her eyes lit up with astonishment as she watched a humanoid bull of Team Mexico try to headbutt a green-haired boy of Team Australia, but he dodged by rolling to the side and pulled out a pair of green scimitars, which he used to block his long horns. Then, a strange light blue whip was wrapped around the bull's waist before he was pulled away from the boy. The bull was flung into the air and slammed to the ground by the whip's owner: a tanned young woman with blue eyes and silver hair dressed in a white dress under a blue and gold shrug. The bull tried to push himself back to his feet, but his own body gave in to the pain.

Carly looked up at the hologram that presented to the rival teams. Team Mexico now has two fighters that were still active while Team Australia's four fighters remained standing. She suddenly heard footsteps behind her. When she turned around, she saw Boris coming as he adjusted the gray neckerchief that surrounded his neck. Following him was Ruby and Yang.

"Where have you three been?" Carly asked.

"We were walking back from the bathrooms and we saw Atlas soldiers near the coliseum." Ruby answered.

"Atlas soldiers?" She got a nod from them. "Why?"

"Honestly, we don't know..." Yang said with a shrug.

"Did we miss the battle?" Boris asked.

"Nope." Carly shook her head. "They're currently in the middle of it. Team Mexico is losing, by the way."

"Good! The battle's not done yet!" Ruby sighed with relief.

With that, the four turned their gaze back to the fight. Carly, Ruby and Yang watched with their faces full of joy as the battle escalated. For Boris, however, the fight wasn't on his mind. The only thing that was on his mind was his brother, Bendy.

~~~~~

Meanwhile, Jonas and Blake were currently walking in one of the coliseum's hallways. Jonas currently covered his pink face out of embarrassment, and the cat Faunus walking beside him wasn't dumb enough to notice.

"Jonas," Blake said, her voice firm enough to get his gaze. "Is there something on your mind that you want to say?"

He didn't reply. He just kept covering his face with his own hands.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it." The Faunus spoke again. "But if you feel like it, then I'm right here. My ears are open for your words, you know."

In response, Jonas let out a sigh. After all, he knew that keeping his feelings to himself is an unhealthy thing. He had to confess somehow without getting himself embarrassed. But how?

"Blake," He finally said. "Remember all the times when Frisk always referred to us as a couple?"

"Yeah..." Blake began to blush a bright pink.

"Well," Jonas gulped. "It's very difficult to say this, but...maybe Frisk might not be wrong after all..."

"What are you saying?" The Faunus chuckled.

"Of all the times Frisk called us a couple, I've been starting to consider it."

"Considering a relationship..." Blake tilted her head. "...with me?"

"Maybe..." Jonas awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I mean, not to embarrass both of us on purpose, but if you're up for it, maybe we should...I...uh..."

"I know what you mean." She wore a grin. "And to be honest, I'm totally up for it."

Jonas' breath hitched when she said that. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah. Of course, my dad wouldn't mind either. After all, he does like you despite the fact that you're human. My mom likes you too." Blake chuckled. "She thinks you're cute when you get embarrassed."

That was when he stopped walking and looked at the Faunus standing next to him with wide eyes. "No... No! You're mom thinks I'm cute?!"

"Yeah. In fact, my dad and I couldn't agree more." The pink in her blushing cheeks went darker.

Jonas' face quickly turned completely red. He tried to find the right words to speak in response, but his voice was stuck in his throat. Next, he felt his left eye twitch rapidly. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He leaned his back against a nearby wall and slid down until he was sitting on the floor with both his hands covering his face. He let out a small whimper of embarrassment, not wanting anyone to see how red his face has become. Meanwhile, Blake chuckled again before she decided to sit beside him.

"I can't believe you're own parents think I'm cute..." Jonas uncovered his right eye to look at Blake. "Did they say anything else?"

"Dad says you seem to have a pure soul no matter how gray and weak it is." She said.

"Oh, yeah. I remember what Kubo said about gray souls."

"He also said that you have a spark within yourself that keeps you going, and that spark is fueled by the people around you. He likes you for who and what you are."

"But, what about your mom?"

"She said we wants to get to know you more. She's also beginning to fantasize our wedding, if we were to have one. So, she's basically wishing that you and me would get together sometime."

"Jeez." Jonas gasped. "Is she really getting that obsessed whenever she sees me on her screen?"

"Yep." Blake winced. "Might as well live with it, dude."

All he could do in response was let out a sigh and lean his head on the inner walls of the coliseum. Taking in a deep breath to calm himself down after everything that has happened, he let out another sigh before he suddenly felt something soft peck the right side of his face. He quickly jolted his head to the right to find that Blake was the source of the peck on his face.

"Did you just kiss my face?" Jonas got a nod from her. With that, he blushed again and turned away.

"You don't need to be embarrassed, Jonas." Blake said, content. "I'm yours."

Slowly turning his head to face her again, all Jonas could do now was grin. But then, an "aw" got their attention and they turned to find a snow-braided girl in red and black attire looking down at them with a sweet look on her face. While Jonas wore a surprised expression, for he did not expect someone's presence like hers to come around, Blake suspiciously squinted at her.

"I'm sorry." The girl said. "I didn't mean to ruin the moment. I just couldn't help but watch."

Everything was silent around them until Jonas said, "Apology accepted...?"

"Harumi!" A voice was heard from down the hallway.

Jonas and Blake turned their heads to find a familiar man with red hair and a dark red suit approaching them. More specifically, the girl who was standing in front of them.

"Romeo?" Jonas stood up, followed by Blake.

"Oh. It's you." Romeo immediately recognized him after turning his gaze to him. "Please excuse my assistant, Harumi. She loves to wander around behind my back sometimes."

"She seems just as young as I am." He said and raised an eyebrow. "Is she an intern or...?"

"Yeah, I'm his intern." The girl known as Harumi said before looking at the man. "I'm really sorry, Romeo. I should have stayed by your side."

"I require no apology from you." Romeo said sternly to his young assistant. "We should get going. Just to see how all of the other fighters are doing."

Harumi nodded in agreement, and soon, both she and the executive began to walk away. Jonas and Blake watched as they left. But as soon as they were finally gone, everything went quiet around them despite the clamoring of the other people who were walking through the hallways of the coliseum.

Without saying anything, the human turned his greenish brown gaze to the cat-eared girl standing beside him. In an instant, he saw the suspicious look on her face.

"Are you okay?" Jonas asked.

"Jonas..." Blake looked at him with her amber eyes. "Something's not right..."