Chapter 1 The new Meg

Meg was staring at the scarf lying on the chair next to her bed, like every other morning. She had thought that in time she would get accustomed with Jo's disappearing. After all something had changed in her that day she found out Jo was dead. Something much stronger than her, had been born that day, something she had vowed to follow. And she knew that all that was for the memory of Jo. In fact, she thought as she touched the scarf with her fingers, she never had wanted for any feeling to change. She wanted to feel the woman in her, to make Jo a part of herself not just a distant memory.

Meg stood up an approached the window looking at the city, looking at the rebuild Tokyo. Years had passed and even if under proper command, the city was still filled with eager people to dominate it, to turn it into the slavery of their ruling. But she was there to take care it would not happen. It was the only way she could hold on to Jo, fighting for what her friend had lived in her last days of life to save. Or at least this was what she wanted to believe.

She had blamed herself many times after Jo's death that she had actually never gotten to know the real Jo. That she had been much too absorbed of her own desires, of her own self, to understand what Jo was. How Jo was. Sure, she had a real friend never leaving her side, always there to save her when she got stupidly kidnaped or in trouble. She was embarrassed at the thought, but, still, it also gave her a sense of satisfaction that Jo's only real desire was to have her safe. Maybe she took it all too much for granted. But all that had changed. It was her turn to take care of Jo. At least of her memory.

- Meg, the mayor is on a private channel, he wants to talk to you; Amy turned from her chair as Meg entered the main room of the big trailer.

She looked at the girl and smiled, bending her head to he left.

- When did you grow up so fast? She asked patting her head.

- Stop it, Meg, I am not a child anymore.

- Aren't you now? she bent to inspect her face.

- I am turning 18 today! Amy said annoyed.

- Oh it was today? Meg pretended she had forgotten.

Amy stuck her tongue at the woman and turned away.

- Sei would have never forgotten; she mumbled annoyed, tapping her fingers on the keyboard, making the mayor's face appear on the big screen.

- Good morning mayor; Meg said, her voice of tone changing.

- Good morning. I am sorry to disturb at such early hour, but we have an emergency. We have trouble in sector 5, we sensed…well our specialist sensed the weak form of syntactical life. We fear…

- Another syntactical brain; Meg concluded. Have you sent the police?

- No, we would rather have your people take a look.

Meg sighted short and nodded.

- We will take a look and report back.

- Thank you; he said and the monitor went black.

- You know…Amy said somehow absent minded. I feel sometimes they have us do their dirty jobs.

- They do; Meg said her voice still low. They are afraid of the synthetic life but also of us.

- Of us? Amy turned again.

- Yes, of us. After all we belong to no one, are paid for jobs, but they can't push us away as we…well Sei and Jo and all of you, were the ones to save Tokyo.

Amy remained silent observing Meg. She hadn't aged a bit, still she looked changed. Her eyes were much more attentive, had filled with knowledge maybe even wisdom. She couldn't really tell, because Meg was so serious only when it came to work. That is why she had ended up the leader of this organization. Other than that Meg was still the silly girl, ending up amusing everyone. Amy wondered for the first time if that wasn't just a mask of the woman.

- Send Takane and have Django prepared; Meg concluded. Leon is still fixing it and if I used it now without a big emergency he will growl for days. But we will stay close; she said sitting behind the wheel of the trailer.

- Right! Amy picked up her phone.

Meg stuck her nails in the leather of the wheel, trying to hide her emotions. She wasn't willing to meet another of those brains; she had no idea how defeat them without Jo. She thought that was over, that they were fighting only criminals and organizations now. Even with her training and new gained force, the one that sensei had released in her for good, she wasn't as strong as Jo. How could she? How could anyone be stronger than a built body for fighting?

- Would you please slow down? It's hard for me to bake if we move frenetically like this; Kyohei popped his head from behind the door, asking with a tender voice.

- Sorry, Kyohei, but this seems to be an emergency and I want to be as close as possible to Takane.

- What are you baking? Amy asked curious.

- Well…he blushed trying to escape the question.

- A cake! You are baking a cake for me and preparing me a surprise party! She cheered in her seat.

- Why does everything has to be about you? Meg pointed her tongue out to Amy. But she was glad she could make the girl happy.

Amy still danced in her chair as they reached sector 5.

- Leon, prepare Django just in case; Meg informed the man.

- I'm going in; Takane screamed out like she wanted to inform the whole neighborhood.

- They sensed the life form in the old mall, 2th floor. It's weak, but if you find it, do nothing till I get there; Meg said through her communication device.

- I sometimes wonder why I listen to you.

- You can mock me later, just be careful please.

- Sure…her voice lowered not being able to have a silly argument with Meg when she was that serious.

Takane pushed the pedal of her big bike and broke through the entrance of the once mall building. She raced the empty corridors, being led by Amy to the pulsating form of life. There was no one there, much to her big surprise. No human, only a few rats ignoring her. She finally reached the second floor, and slowed down, jumping of her bike and walking in carefully.

- Takane, can you see it? Meg asked.

- No, not yet I am…she stopped, her body freezing. What the…her voice was husky.

- What is it? Meg asked.

- This is…she bent to her knees. She is alive! I can't believe it she is alive!

- Takane, what are you talking about? Meg stood up.

- What's happening? Leon approached the screen.

- It's Jo! Jo is alive.

Meg fell back to her chair feeling her breath leaving her.