"Three, it''s rude to refer to Doctor like that." The one chastising the young Valkyrie this time was Shizuru, not Nine.


    "Well, he is old and a man so…" the young Valkyrie remarked.


    "I''m not that old, you know." Sam said with a sigh.


    "Does that mean I''m an old woman?" Shizuru asked, pointing a finger at herself. "I''m only a year younger than him."


    "Eh!? Seriously!?" Zero Three stumbled backwards, looking utterly shocked.


    "Yes."


    "Why are you so shocked?" Sam asked.


    "Of course I would. I thought you were at least ten years older than her." The young Valkyrie spoke with a serious expression. "Maybe you''ll look better once you start exercising more."


    "I… guess you have a point…"


    Sam already ns on getting back into shape so her remarks didn''t bother him that much.


    "You should do a lot of swimming." Zero Three said, getting excited as she once again sang the praises of her favorite sport.


    "By the way, Doctor." As she spoke, the strange feeling Shizuru gave off beforepletely vanished. "Is it really possible for other people to take over your job that easily?"


    "Well, ourmander is a special case." Sam answered. Alice was someone who could do anything if she puts her mind to it. It wouldn''t be strange for her to learn how to operate Eir in a short amount of time. "To begin with it doesn''t require any particr knowledge or skill. As long as they''re able to follow the instructions and read the data anyone can do it."


    "So it really doesn''t have to be you, huh? I''m somewhat disappointed." Zero Three sighed.


    "Hey, even if anyone can do it I''m still the most qualified, you know." Feeling a little offended, Sam decided to shot back. "I''m quite the expert when ites to nanotechnology, especially the kind used in Eir."


    "Is that so?" The young Valkyrie looked at him as if to ask what''s so amazing about it.


    "Now that I think about it…" Nine spoke, holding her chin as she looked up. "Doctor looked way busier back when he first started working here."


    "Theb was always a mess back then." Zero Fivemented. "Nowadays it''s always tidied up."


    "That''s because I''m already done with my research." Sam said with a sigh.


    "You never mentioned it before." Shizuru said, looking at Sam with half lid eyes.


    "It''s not a great topic of conversation." Sam replied, scratching his head out of annoyance.


    "So? What were you researching?" Zero Three asked, eyes filled with curiosity.


    Sam had no intention of answering, however seeing the four beauties waiting patiently he let out an exasperated sigh and gave in.


    "It''s a bitplicated but… to put it simply, I was trying to make even smaller nanotechnology than what we have at the moment."


    "I feel like I get it, but at the same time I don''t…" Nine said.


    "So your whole research is about making small things smaller?" Three concluded.


    "Something like that." Sam confirmed. "Currently I''m waiting for permission to start practical trials."


    "Hm? You mean you have yet to try any of it?" Shizuru asked. "Not even onb rats? I thought you only need permission for human trials."


    "It would be really problematic if such technology isn''t kept under control." Sam said. "Even I can''t imagine what it could be used for so it''s only natural for the higher ups to want to advance carefully."


    Sam had focused all of his research on the medical use of nanotechnology with the goal to use it to cure Alice''s disease. That said, when most people hear about a technology that can alter human DNA their first thought goes to the worst possible scenariopletely overlooking the positive uses that can be achieved.


    ''Well, maybe I shouldn''t have tried to go subatomic in the first ce.'' Sam thought, another sigh escaping him. ''Though I''m pretty sure that''s the rout Odin took. The size of the Valkyries wouldn''t make sense otherwise.''


    Odin chose to keep his scientific discoveries to himself. Those in power held one big grudge against him for that, but there was nothing they could do about it. After all the mad scientist didn''t care about humanity. He didn''t care if all of them died.


    "I knew it! Doctor really is an amazing person after all." Nine said, a beaming smile on her face.


    "Not really." Sam said, leaning back and letting the pillow embrace him. "If I were really that capable then I would''ve convinced the big wigs to let me do what I want by now."


    That''s the difference between him and Odin. Sam has yet to get a single dor in fundings for his projects when the mad scientist built a bunch of sex-bots and convinced the world that they''re humanity''s most powerful weapon.


    It''s frustrating, but he couldn''t do anything about it. As he let his thought wander Sam soon fell asleep. Noticing that the Valkyries went quite and one after the other they all left letting him get the rest he needs.


    ~◇~


    Two dayster and Sam has yet to recover. Well, to be more specific he was advised to move as little as possible for a few day until he ispletely healed.


    To put it simply, it''s like his body is being held together by a thinyer of glue and until it dries and hardens it would be for the best if he moved as little as possible.


    That said Sam didn''t feel like staying in bed the entire time so he borrowed a wheelchair and was about to use it to get to hisb. While it had a little motor and could be moved by the user someone had arrived before he left and insisted on pushing it for him.


    "You really didn''t have to do this, Nine." Sam said, holding a hand to his forehead feeling a slight headache.


    "What do you mean, Doctor?" The blond Valkyrie asked. "All I want is to be helpful to you."


    Though her intentions were good, Sam couldn''t help but feel that by doing this she was putting him in even more danger than before.


    Today the only one who came to visit him was Nine and she just so happened to arrive at the exact moment he sat on wheelchair. Her eyes sparkled and she immediately took her ce behind him. The nerse that was helping him had her mouth agape the entire time because, even though she already knew that the weapons came to visit him often, she never expected one of them to offer to help him in any way.


    The two saw many simr reaction as they headed to hisb. If the Valkyrie fanatics weren''t angry at him already then this would be the reason they were looking for.


    Thankfully no one came up to them and they reached their destination safely, or so he thought. When they arrived at the door to hisb Nine didn''t stop and continued down the corridor. Sam turned around to look at her but she only smiled in return.


    "Nine, you realize we just passed theb, right?" He asked.


    "Yes." Nine replied curtly.


    "Then shouldn''t you stop pushing already?"


    "Doctor has nothing to do at the moment, right?" The Valkyrir tilted her head as she asked. "Instead of the gloomyb it would be for the better if you spent your time in our quarters."


    "Well…"


    While she does have a point, Sam never intended on visiting the Valkyries'' residence which made it felt a bit wierd. That said, since he saw no problem with it he just shrugged and let the Valkyrie lead the way.


    Soon enough they were inside the residence. Sam thought for a moment about the things he could do there. He remembered Nine''s garden and felt that spending some time there would help him a little. He was about to ask her to take him there but she spoke before he could.


    "Doctor, shall we head to my room?"


    The question took Sam by surprise, but before he could turn his head to ask the Valkyrie why she suggested that he felt something soft press against the back of his head as two arms wrapped around him from behind.


    "Nine?"


    "Three is in the pool on the roof and Five is in the training room." She whispered in his ear. "And with us here neither themander nor that female with the sses will be a bother. I can finally have Doctor to myself, even if it''s just a little."


    Just then Sam began to remember Shizuru''s warning. Trying to be the Valkyries'' master meant that he had to make them fall for him. Though she shouldn''t have known anything about it, the Asian girl hit the nail on the head as if she was aware of where his actions would lead him.


    That said, Sam had no intention of stopping aftering all this way. With his head sandwiched between the two giant marshmallows and the sweet voice whispering in his ear Sam felt a fire ignite inside him and his meat pir prepared itself.


    "Alright." He said giving his approval.


    "Yay!"


    Tightening her hug for a moment, the blond Valkyrie then proceeded to push his chair toward the second floor.


    Sam wasn''t in a shape that would allow him to enjoy such event to its fullest, however even like this he could still perform some experiments and that''s exactly what he intends on doing.