"Ohmigosh! When the Iron Samurai went back to the past to fight alongside the Steel Samurai to defeat the Evil Magistrate's army of mecha-monkeys, that was EPIC! And then when the explosion of the Magistrate's sky fortress landed both of them in the far future-talk about a cliffhanger! Nick, we've gotta see the sequel when it comes out!"

"They haven't even announced a sequel to this one yet."

"They're gonna. Trust me. My Samurai-Sense is tingling."

"Are you sure that's not from the three bags of Skittles, large Cherry Pepsi, and two servings of nachos you devoured in a 90-minute interval?"

"I'm a competitive eater. I can handle a few snacks."

This was true. Last time I had gone to do something fun like this with Maya, we went to the International House of Waffles "IHOW". They had this month long event during which people pay eight dollars for an all-you-can-eat waffle platter, and if you beat the record for most waffles inhaled in one sitting, then you got free waffles for the next 12 months. Maya took one look at the chalkboard with the high score and then started wolfing down one pocketed breakfast pastry after another.

Let me just say that I'm not going to have to pay for Maya's waffles until June.

"Even still, Maya, I'm very concerned. you know that cherry Pepsi has caffeine in it, right?"

She looked at me innocently. "Oh, really? Gee, I guess I'm gonna be up all night tonight."

"You seriously want to mess around at the office?"

"Come on, Nick! Just one more time!"

i muttered red under my breath. "It's always 'just one more time,' isn't it?"

"Please?"

"Fine."

An hour later, I was in the ridiculously elaborate Steel Samurai costume that Maya had purchased off of I-bay for a ridiculously large chunk of the Fey fortune. Again.

I hated wearing the thing, but Maya loved to dress up like her favorite characters and replay her favorite moments from her favorite Steel Samurai episodes and just make a total wreck of the office and mess around. I was careful to lock the doors of the office and tell Athena and Apollo that I had a very important meeting and they should not under any circumstances come into the office until it's over. I can't have any embarrassing photos of me get on the internet, after all.

"If you truly think of me as an equal, then you shall wield your staff and fight me as an equal," the pink masked being in front of me challenged as she pointed at me threateningly with a broomstick.

"Maya, how much longer am I going to have to stay in this thing?" I groaned, "I can't move in it."

She lowered her "staff" and snapped back, "STAY IN CHARACTER! Geez, Nick, have some imagination, will ya?! Now, again, 'Wield your staff and fight me as an equal,' you dummy!"

I sighed and picked up the mop. "I wish not to engage in battle, but rather to extend my hand in friendship to one whose strength, cunning, and bravery match my own, and to request aid in my eternal battle against the forces of evil. Now can I take this darned thing off of me?"

She still sounded unsatisfied. "Fine, but only if we can watch my super-collector's edition of the Steel Samurai/Pink Princess boxed DVD set."

"Aren't there over nine hours of footage?"

"Yes, and I already called the Elders to let them know I'm staying here overnight to watch the WHOLE THING with you!"

"You're the only 24-year-old person I know who would stay up all night watching the Steel Samurai and the Pink Princess."

"Yeah, and you're the only defense attorney I know who would watch nine hours of Steel Samurai with his bestest friend in the whole wide world."

And that's how I ended up not finishing any of my paperwork that day.

Author's note: I was struck with the inspiration to write a second chapter after reading pyrasaur X's review. Yes, Maya and Phoenix dress up like steel samurai characters and watch Steel Samurai all night long, just like any other normal adult would do in his or her free time. At least, it's what Edgey does, and he's the most grown-up person Maya knows. :D And Blackquill's really serious too, but I bet he watches it religiously as well.