Part 5

Luckily for G45 and G46, they escaped unhurt. Well, reasonably unhurt. Just a little singed.

Ok, a *lot* singed.

Unluckily for them, they simply didn't know when to call it quits. Another couple of days passed (long enough for their singed-ness to wear off) and they were once again, discussing ways to try and make Cyrus show emotion.

"Ok, I have it," G45 said. "This time, a foolproof plan. We can't fail!"

"Again?" G46 said wearily, eyeing up the Rawst berry he was about to eat. "Don't you think it's time we gave up now?"

"Not when we've come so far!"

G46 scowled. "If your definition of coming far means *running* far, then I would agree. We must have run miles over the last few days, trying to escape Mars's wrath".

"Humph!" said G45, folding his arms. "Don't be such a quitter. At least listen to my plan".

"Ok, Ok, I'm listening," said G46, privately deciding to himself to take no notice of his brother at all.

"Good! Right, so this time, we borrow Jupiter's Skuntank and get it to spray the Boss. That would make anybody angry!"

G46 nodded slowly. "Yes, especially Mars if she finds out what we're up to".

"No, keep listening," said G45. "Here comes the foolproof part. We make it look as if it's an accident".

G46 put the Rawst berry down a moment, his interest caught. "How?"

"We take the Skuntank to the Boss and tell him that Jupiter sent us and that she's concerned because she thinks her Pokemon is sick," G45 explained. Then, while he's looking at Skuntank, we have to make it mad so that it sprays him".

"It could work," G46 admitted. "But how do we do that?"

"By pulling the end of its tail. Not to hurt it, just enough to annoy it".

"Uh, but what if it sprays us too?"

"It would be worth it to finally see the Boss have a real reaction," insisted G45. "I mean, hopefully it won't but still… Are you game or not?"

G46 thought about this a little more. "How are we gonna get the Skuntank off Jupiter?"

"We can tell her that Saturn asked us to ask her if we would borrow it for a while to let him borrow it because…he's studying poison Pokemon for a secret assignment".

G46 attempted to translate that in his head. He failed.

"But Saturn never said such a thing. What if Jupiter asks Saturn if we asked him to ask our Boss, sorry, I mean Jupiter…"

"You're getting confused! Be quiet," said G45. "And anyway, that won't happen. If we involve enough people in our plan, the truth will never find its way back to us. Nobody ever follows up on these things".

G46 definitely looked interested but still concerned. "I dunno," he whined. "I still think that…"

"Well, don't! Leave the thinking to me," G45 said. "And just concentrate on imagining the Boss getting sprayed".

"Ok then," said G46 slowly. At last, he nodded and grinned.

"Sounds good to me. Let's do it!"

A few minutes later, the two grunts were walking down a corridor, searching for Jupiter. "She can't be hard to find," G45 was saying. "All we need to worry about is running into the Boss".

"Why?" asked G46. "He won't guess we're up to something, will he?"

"Shush, big mouth! He won't, not unless you keep on blabbing like that. I'm more worried he'll think we're slacking and find us some work to do".

"But we are slacking".

G45 looked at if he was going to clobber his brother. Luckily, voices ahead, emanating from one of the tea rooms distracted him.

"Be quiet, that's the Boss in there," G45 hissed at G46.

G46 nodded at once. The two grunts crept forwards, trying to hear what Cyrus was saying.

"Now that I have twenty minutes and forty three seconds where I am not busy, I am able to thank you both suitably".

"Aw, it's OK Boss," said Saturn's voice. "You don't have to, really".

"Not at all. You know we would always help you out," said Mars.

The two grunts exchanged glances and edged closer to the door. It was slightly ajar and they risked peeping round the jamb.

Cyrus, Mars and Saturn were sitting on a comfy settee, relaxing on their morning break. Two cups of hot tea and a glass of water (for Cyrus) sat on the little table in front of them. Saturn and Mars were both looking at Cyrus while he spoke.

"Commander Mars, you were very kind to dispatch those two grunts with a flamethrower after they disrespected my oatmeal," he said. "And Commander Saturn, you were also kind to escort me to lunch, even if the pizza restaurant didn't serve oatmeal pizzas. I am very grateful to both of you".

Mars blushed and Saturn grinned shyly. The grunts looked at each other, wondering whether they should leave or not. If even Cyrus or one of the Commanders sensed they were eavesdropping…

However, they were both too curious to leave. They continued to listen and peep around the door.

"Therefore," Cyrus continued. "I will pay both of you a 500% increase in your wages this month".

Saturn gaped and Mars blushes even more. "Oh Boss, you don't have to do that," she said.

"Yes. I know but I am going to," Cyrus said. "You have both been very loyal and considerate and I wish to reward you for such exemplary behaviour".

"Thank you Boss," said Mars, delighted. She nudged Saturn, who seemed to have forgotten how to speak.

"Uhhh, yeah…thanks," he said.

"Your gratitude is accepted," said Cyrus. "And also…I …" He paused, his eyebrows raised about a tenth of a millimetre.

"Yeah, what is it Boss?" Saturn prompted.

"The following behaviour that I am about to display is classified," said Cyrus. Then to Mars and Saturn's astonishment, Cyrus put one arm around both of them and hugged them.

Mars froze for about half a second, before she recovered enough to hug Cyrus back. Saturn, seeing her respond, decided that it was fine for him to hug Cyrus as well, which he did. Outside, the grunts just stared at each other, totally gob smacked.

"Is…is he…showing emotions?" G46 whispered.

G45 just nodded. Then he steered his brother away quickly, so they could discuss the amazing sight without fear of being overheard.

"That was…did you see that?" G46 gasped, once they were at a sufficient distance away from Cyrus. "It was…wow!"

G45 nodded dumbly. "Our Boss…he was, he did, didn't he?"

"I think so," G46 agreed.

"He must have done," said G45. "After all, affection is an emotion and he was…definitely being affectionate towards Mars and Saturn".

"Yeah," said G46, still overwhelmed by such a rare sight.

The grunts walked on, in a daze. It was a good job that Cyrus hadn't found them and set them to work. Neither of them felt as if they could do a thing for the rest of the day. Or possibly, for the rest of the week. Which wasn't much less that they usually didn't do.

"Here?" G46 finally said, when he had calmed down just a tiny bit. "I just thought of something".

"Yeah?"

"Well, now that we know our Boss has emotions, does that mean we don't have to nick Jupiter's Skuntank to prank him?"

"Borrow Jupiter's Skuntank," corrected G45. "And yes, it does".

"Cool!" said G46, relieved. "I mean, yeah, it would have been funny but if ever Mars would have found out. Who knows what she would have attacked us with this time?"

"I know what you mean," said G45 with feeling. "At least we're safe from attacks now, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that," said a certain female voice behind them.

The grunts whipped round at lightning speed. To their immense relief, an angry Mars was not standing there. To their immense horror, an angry Jupiter *was*.

"What is this I hear about you trying to steal my darling Skuntank?" she demanded.

"Uhh…" said G46.

"Borrow," G45 corrected weakly.

Jupiter was not convinced. She glared at the grunts and whipped out a mortar.

The grunts looked at each other. Words weren't need but they said one anyway.

"RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!" they screamed, fleeing down the corridor at hypersonic speed!

The End