Episode 9: Missing Act.

            "VISION! VISION! VISION!"       

            The loud and restless crowd shouted endlessly as Kou looked on silently from behind some of the sound equipment, with his muscles flexing and relaxing. He checked his gun concealed inside his jet black bomber jacket one more time, before casting his gaze toward the trailer, where Reika Chang, known as "Vision," was doing her own final make-up check. He narrowed his eyes as he recalled the conversation he and Miss Chang had before the concert.

            "It'll be ok, Kou. Really," Reika had said with that silent and lonely look of hers that he saw more than enough times after her sister's death. "I think I'll just have to take care of Hu Ban, and sing at the same time. I…I don't want to run away from my dream anymore…I…I don't want to give up."

            Kou was silent, but he knew he had to try to make her see some sense. "Reika, the world of business is cut-throat, you know that. And our revenge isn't complete." Reika had been looking at her sister's engagement ring for a long while, before looking up at him with these doe-like pleading eyes. "Ok, Kou. But just one more time, please? I've already promised that I perform this one. Then I'll quit. Alright?" Her gazed turned to the mirror. "I would like to do one more check on my make-up. Could you leave now? Oh, and I heard there was some trouble at gate C-6 and the security can't seem to take care of it. Can you go check?"

            Kou had looked Reika in the mirror. He tried not to curl his lips. He wasn't sure if he should believe her or not. "I'll go take care of that." He wasn't going to argue with Miss Chang, the now only daughter and heir to the Changs' group, Hu Ban. "But take care of yourself, ok?" He couldn't help but speak suddenly. "You've lost too much weight lately."

            The last thing he saw before he left for gate C-3 was her weak smile.

* * * * * * * * * * *

            It turned out that there were two trouble spots. Some big drunken brute was giving the much smaller Japanese security personnel a hard time at gate C-3, but a couple of quick hand chops to the neck, and a good kick in the stomach from Kou put him face down on the ground. As Kou checked on the writhing and puking person, he was relieved the drunk wasn't a boomer.

            "Fools. I guess people here have no proper training." Kou cursed under his breath, but thanked the guards politely for their assistance. The other trouble spot was on the other side of the stadium, much farther from the trailer but located behind it. "Gate E-2?" The shorter guard at C-3 was looking confused. "I don't remember anybody actually uses that gate often. What type of trouble could happen there?"

            Kou was already walking away. There has been no report about E-2 after he took care of the drunkard. He walked back to where the sound equipment was. Something was gnawing at him in the back of his mind…

            "I'm just too tired. I guess I'll go check." He started toward the back of the stadium where Gate E-2 was.

            He stopped suddenly, frowned, and looked at his watch. 7:37 PM. It's a little bit late. He changed his direction toward Reika's trailer.

            He reached the door, and was about to knock, when he smelled something all too familiar, and brought back painful memories…

            "Blood?" He muttered, and instantly, he tried to open the door.

            It wasn't locked. He quickly went in and looked around. Reika's trailer was so much bigger than the average make-up trailer that there was a separate room from where the performer put on the make-up. The smell came from that direction. He instinctive rushed there, cursed himself for nothing going to Reika's room first, but opened the door anyway.

            The head make-up artist was lying at his feet. Blood poured out of the gaping hole in her chest.

            "Wasn't a gun shot…" He calmly and quickly checked the wound. Looked like a puncture wound instead. He hurried to Reika's room, and opened the door.

            She was nowhere to be found.

            The sound of the crowd shook the trailer and Kou felt his brain was vibrating, as he felt blood rushing through his body, up and filling his head. His temple was pulsing hard.

            The back of Reika's trailer had a huge, jagged hole.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"I swear I've had it with these people!" Priss slammed her bike helmet down on the table when she saw the news on Linna's TV. The announcer continued: "…so the incident at the AD Police Headquarters was pointed out by a spokes person of Genom as a random terrorist attack that had nothing to do with the company…"

            "The company, he said." Priss growled. "Did you hear that? He called them the company. As if he actually works for them."

            "You're over reacting here, Priss." Linna seemed to shrug. "It's just the news." She yawned.

            "Just the news, huh?" Priss walked toward the table, and picked up the newspaper, and shoved it to her friend's face. "Well, then tell me, why does the news never mention the name Genom with the word, guilty?"

            "Genom is innocent: We know nothing." Linna read the headline in a lower voice. She paused. "Yeah, I know," she said while playing with her tie. The announcer continued: "…as there is no further evidence that Genom was directly involved in anyway, the investigation is at a stand still…"

            "NO EVIDENCE? You're saying there's NO EVIDENCE?" Priss's eyes widened. "Oh man! I can't believe this!" She threw her hands up, but quickly slammed the table with her right fist.

            "Careful, this is new." Linna said in a mild voice. "Anyway, it does suck but we can't do much about it." She looked out of the window. "Sometimes I think the media, the AD Police, and even the government is owned by Genom."

            "Gee, you think?" Nene said with a not quite sarcastic voice as she stepped out from the kitchen with a cup of ice cream in her hand. "Maybe that's just it. Maybe Genom does own everything."

            "Well, at least it doesn't own us." Priss said while slamming her right fist into her left palm. "I say, we go charging straight into the Tower and take over, find whoever the bastard in charge is, and…"

            "Careful Priss," Linna cautioned. "That's against the rules and you know it."

            "Yes, article 2 said…" Nene said with her eyes on the ice cream.

            "Shut up." Priss growled. "I've had enough of the goddamned rules."

            Nene seemed to wince. "You're ruder then usual. What's gotten into you anyway?"

            Priss stared at her for a second before she spoke. "Look here, how many times did we have to clean Genom's mess, adding last time involving your chief's niece?"

            Nene sighed, and then smiled as she swallowed another scoop of chocolate ice cream. "We do get paid for the cleaning, you know. Mmm, this is good."

            "Yeah, so you can feed your fat gut!" Linna made a pinch at Nene's waist. Nene frowned. "How mean!" She pouted. "I do have a real job, you know, unlike some of us..."

"Hmm…?" Priss cast an evil eye in Nene's direction; Nene stuck her tongue out, and then went back to eating.

            Linna looked at her watch. "When is Vision going to be on tonight?"

            Nene's eyes bulged. "Shouldn't you know?"

            Linna looked up at the ceiling. "I've lost track." She shrugged. "Working too hard, I suppose."

            "Thanks, guys." Priss leaned forward and stared at the two. "I do have a gig tomorrow night, you know. In fact…"

            "What, what?" Nene asked while leaning forward.

            Priss shrugged and leaned back. "Come to hot legs and find out." She half smiled.

            "…This just in." The news anchor said suddenly. "The internationally famous singer Vision who agreed to sign a new contract with Toshiba EMI was declared missing by her management…"

            "What?" The three women exclaimed collectively, and all eyes turned to the TV.

            "Hey that's Leon!" Nene said loudly.

            "Shh!" Linna said.

            Priss simply stared hard at the TV with her hand formed into fists.

            "…We think a boomer did it, look at this hole in the wall…" On TV, Leon pointed at the wall to Vision's dressing room. "I don't know what Gen…was thinking, I mean, I have some idea but I sure am not gonna tell ya, so go away already and let us to our job." Leon seemed to storm off. The announcer continued: "Although the police and the higher ups at the AD Police HQ do not think a reputable company like Genom can be involved in things like this, it seems like some officers on the police force disagree…"

            "Bastards." Priss seethed between her gritted teeth.

            "…A spokes person at Genom denies involvement…"

* * * * * * * * * *

"We have nothing more to tell you all." Madigan waved her hand, and the two huge men by her side started to shove the reporters back, some of the reporters falling down the front steps of the Genom Tower. With a few snickers, the two followed Madigan into the building.

            What is the chairman thinking anyway? We have no need for their technology! She mused darkly, Chang's group never had any power over us.

* * * * * * * * * *

            Priss's hand machine gun blazed in the dark of the night, the sparkles lit the smelly and scummy street. The boomer jumped up, and kicked Priss in the head, as she flew backwards. Linna ran toward the boomer as it landed, and with a snap of her head, the cutting ribbons became sharp blades shooting at the Boomer's arms. It growled, turned and quickly grabbed the ribbons, and with a quick sling by the boomer, Linna went flying toward the front of the abandoned store. Smash! The glass shattered as Linna crashed through the display window.

            "Shit!" Priss yelled as she made another charge, her fist slamming into the boomer's face, and she kicked the boomer in the waist. It grabbed her without flinching, and Priss found herself being slammed into the ground. "Damn, that hurts!" She could hear the sound of a sword blade being snapped and locked into position. As she looked behind the boomer, she saw Sylia swing her right arm, then a light flashed by, and instantly a orange-yellowish slimy fluid was all over her. With a loud clank, the boomer's left arm fell on the ground. Priss quickly jumped up and back, with her fist aimed toward the boomer's face, four or five spikes shot out and raced toward the boomer's neck and face. Before it could scream, the spikes had already penetrated its skull and throat. It made another attempt to grab at Priss, who gracefully back flipped out of harm's way. The boomer all of the sudden lost its balance and fell on its face. Its body was thrusting about violently. Sylia raised her hands, the explosion tubes extended, and she thrust her hand into the boomer's body. It exploded and made a bigger mess of organic parts, synthetic fiber, and orange fluid. Sylia lifted her hands, and quickly and silently stepped backwards.

            "Whew! That was that." She said simply.

            "Uh…we won?" Nene looked around a few times, and then quickly ran up and stopped next to Sylia. She was standing somewhere not too far off, but well out of the harm's way. "This is like, the third one tonight, isn't it?"

Sylia shook her head. "Well, I didn't think they could mass produce new military types this soon, but it looks like they can." She paused. "I suppose it was inevitable."

            "I'm not sure if 3 in a row qualifies as 'mass produce'." Linna said while shaking her head. "I'm just too tired."

            "True, but all three had very similar designs, and their weapons and movements weren't too different from one another, here for instance…" Sylia was about to continue, but she took a look at her colleagues' tired faces and hunched shoulders. She smiled, and said: "Well, it can't be helped. Let's call it a night." She paused and looked up. It was a new moon. "I hope," she added, and then looked at her teammates. "Let's go."

            All the Knight Sabers except Priss got into the mobile pit, and drove off. Priss quickly hopped onto her bike, kicked it in gear, and left.

* * * * * * * * * *

            "This doesn't give us time to find Vision! I mean, Reika!" Linna whined while holding her head. She fell into the sofa in Sylia's living room. "It's like 3 in the morning, and we still have no clue where she is or who took her!"

            Nene was sleeping on the floor.

            "Oh man, this bites. All this thrashing but no information!" Priss stretched and grumbled. "I do wish we could just hit Genom head on."

            Sylia looked grim. "I doubt we could really disturb this balance that both sides helped to create," she said in a low voice.

            "What?" Priss looked up at Sylia.

Sylia sighed. "Nothing Priss. I think it's too late for us to come up with anything; you guys should go home and get some rest. Unless…" She glanced at Nene, who flipped over.

"I'm going, see you tomorrow." Priss stood up, and walked out. "Coming, Linna?" She yelled from outside the door.

"Shh! You'll wake Mackie!" Linna cautioned. She turned to Sylia. "Call me ASAP when you come up with something. I've already lost Irene, I don't want to lose Reika as well…" Her voice was a little hoarse from the fatigue.

Sylia nodded. "Now please go home and get some rest."

Linna woke Nene, who grumbled and rubbed her eyes, and all three including Priss left Sylia's place.

As Sylia gazed at the pollution blackened sky, and then at the direction where she knew the Genom Tower was in the distance, as if her gaze could cut through the buildings which blocks her view of the Tower, her eyes slowly narrowed. Her right hand slowly curled into a fist. Then she sighed, uncurled her hand, and turned off the light.

Perhaps Priss is right after all…

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

             Quincy took a deep breath and sunk back in his leather executive chair. His eyes were closed as he listened to Madigan's report on the data extraction process, which they started when the prisoner was brought in.

            "Ah, Chairman?" Madigan had just finished her report, she asked slowly. "If you will forgive me for asking something?"

            Although Quincy only half opened his eyes, Madigan still felt the glare. She silently swallowed.

            "Yes?" Quincy said. His tone was neutral enough, she decided.

            "Well, sir, I'm not so sure what good will it do to take her in, and getting information out of her. I'm pretty sure she has no knowledge of the designs of the multi-legged all-terrain combat vehicle her family developed, or the Changs' supposed recent secret dealings with that accursed…" her lips curled. "…With that accursed super boomer that the Knight Sabers supposedly destroyed a while back. I really don't see her use…"

            "That is quite enough, Madigan." Quincy said with a deep voice. She thought the chairman's desk and her chest vibrated with the bass sound. She quickly shut herself up while he continued. "We're a respectable company, but then again, sometimes it is beneficial to deal with some people who are discontent…" She could hear the slightest hint of threat, and couldn't help but shuddered as he spoke. "…with our often too lenient ways toward the public, this nation, even the world." He paused, and she found herself looking at the sharply cutting stare that came from under his deeply furrowed brows. She was silently feeling proud knowing that she was one of the very few in the company who could stand being gazed by him. "At any rate, since I do own the boomer technology, and Largo was a boomer, I have the right to deal with him, and his potential associates anyway I wish." He paused and leaned back. "You were right. The Hu Ban is no threat to us whatsoever, and their foolish creations mean nothing to me. I could crush them right at this moment if I wanted."

            Madigan trembled at the word "crush", but she felt delightful and frightened at the same time.

            Quincy continued: "However, a lesson does need to be taught. At any rate, our public media, military, police force…I mean Mega Tokyo's police force," he said with a sardonic grin. "They will not disagree with me, will they Madigan?"

            She tried not to swallow hard as she faced his eyes. "No Chairman, they will not." She said firmly. "I'll see to it myself." She added quickly.

            "Don't worry yourself too much with trivial matters as such, just continue doing what you usually do the best," the chairman said with his eyes half closed as he leaned back and sighed silently with a smile. "Cancel the meetings this afternoon. And tell the new Minister of Defense that I will see him when I have the time for him."

            "Yes sir!" Madigan said. She turned and quickly left the chairman's office. The huge entrance to the office that looked like a gaping mouth. She closed the doors, and then stepped out into the brightly lit hallway.

            She allowed herself a cold grin before she disappeared into the elevator.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

            "Same old story, huh?" Leon was practically up on the Chief's desk yelling at the top of his lungs. "No one's really guilty here, the top brass is closing the investigation. End of story. Is that all?"

            Daley thought Leon's voice couldn't get any louder. Then he shrugged and plugged his ears with his index fingers. But the sound was still coming through.

"Damn it! Chief! Haven't you had enough with these motherfuckers? For God's sake it was your own niece last time! Don't you give a damn?"

            The chief yelled back: "Look here, I would very much like to do something about this, but so what? Even with the testimony from the boomer designer, there isn't anything that we could do to Genom itself!"

            Leon's face looked twisted. "Why not? He did work for Genom!"

            The Chief yelled again: "All Genom would say was that this disgruntled employee acted on his own, and that Genom was going to fire him anyway. That was that!"

            "Screw Genom!" Leon finally completely exploded. "I'm gonna take one of them K-12 ATs, charge into the Tower, and take out the lot of them!"

            "GODDAMN IT! LEON!" The Chief screamed. "Who the hell do you think really owns us anyway?"

            Daley took his fingers out of his ear holes, as the office all of sudden grew deathly silent. He looked out of the glass door to the chief's office, and found everyone's eyes staring into the office, at the chief.

            Leon's face turned frosty, which Daley decided was a very rare sight indeed. "Really owns us? What's that supposed to mean?" Leon demanded in a far calmer voice then Daley expected.

            The chief turned aside. "Like you didn't know," He said. Leon was about to speak again when the chief added in a lower voice: "Nothing's going on here. Look, why don't you take the rest of the day off? Get some coffee, and go to a hotel with…ahem, I mean go get some beer or something with Daley here, forget about this whole thing, and let the regular police handle it, huh?" He fell into his chair, looking deflated with his arms akimbo and gaze lowered.

            Leon stayed where he was for a moment, and as Daley watched, he slowly straightened himself up. Daley swallowed. He's never seen Leon's face cold like that before. "Let's go Daley." Leon said as he was walking out of the office. He stopped at the door. "Chief, next time it may not be just your niece. It maybe your own daughter." Leon said calmly before slamming the door shut. He took huge strides and Daley found himself running after him. The two left the office quickly.

            The office was still deathly silent.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

            Seeing Nene's exaggerated expression, Sylia had to smile, but she knew that she probably frowned a little. "I hate to tell you this, Nene, but frankly I'm not even surprised."

            She found Nene rushing through the door and almost knocking over at least three customers in the process just a few minutes before. They went into Sylia's living room, the Knight Sabers' private council chamber of war, leaving Mackie to look after the store.

            Nene's eyes were bulging out of her skull. "Really? Sure I knew they're our sponsors, but they actually own us? I mean, who could've thought of that?"

            "Well, maybe everybody's too busy to think of it." Sylia grinned. Some people can be so naïve…"Anyway, that doesn't solve our problems whatsoever. I've called for a meeting, so let's just wait for Priss and Linna to show up first." She paused. "I've got something interesting here to show you."

            After Priss and Linna came and sat down, everybody exchanged some pleasantries, before Sylia took out a folded newspaper, and a fax. "Take a look." She said coolly, waiting for everyone's reaction.

            "But…" Nene looked up immediately. "But Genom…? They requested…?"

            Linna snapped her head up. "I didn't think Kou realized…that I was…"

            "Apparently he isn't stupid." Sylia said calmly. "That, or Ms. Chang told him."

            "That's unlikely because Reika isn't…" Linna stammered.

            "You don't know her that well, Linna."

            "But…"

            Priss shot up from her seat. "What is this? Genom asking the Knight Sabers to do a job for them?" She threw the newspaper down. "What the hell is going on, Sylia?"

            Sylia glanced at her before she spoke. "My source told me only this: they're paying 40,000,000 yen up front, and the rest is paid upon completion." She shrugged. "It IS a job."

            "That's a job I will not take." Priss sat back down with arms akimbo. "Anyway, I thought we dealt with Largo's group." She spat the name "Largo".

            "It's not Largo exactly they're trying to deal with. The specific request which my source handed to me stated that they're trying to deal with a potential Largo-like super boomer, who may very well be the origin." Sylia said grimly.

            Priss frowned. "The origin of what?"

            Sylia was silent. She found Linna's eyes bored into her face. "There's something you're not telling us, what is it?" She looked concerned.

            Sylia stayed silent.

            Everyone was looking at her.

            "Well," Priss said suddenly. "I sure as hell am not going to work for Genom!"

            "What about Kou's request?" Linna said. She sounded uncertain. "Aren't we trying to find Reika anyways? Maybe we can combine our resources with theirs…"

            "It isn't that simple, Linna." Sylia said patiently. "Now with Reika, Kou, and assuming the core group of the Hu Bang knows who you are, there is a good chance that they will try to drag you, a member of Knight Sabers into the conflict between the Hu Bang and Genom, which in time could involve all of us."

            "Oh I see." Priss said sarcastically. "Since Genom's offering more money then Reika's family, this makes the decision hard, isn't it?" She stood up. "If that's the way it is then I'm leaving." She began to turn.

Sylia grabbed her arm. "Please wait a minute, Priss. It isn't like that at all." She said quietly. "Please just listen to me."

            Priss seems to tense up for a second, before deflating and sat back down. "Fine, let's hear it."

            Sylia cleared her throat, and braced herself. "The way I see it, Genom's offer is a trap, but we do need to find out what they're up to, as far as the Hu Ban's request…" She glanced at Linna, who looked back with urgency on her face. "We will help out. Anyway, we do have to get Miss Vision back, or Priss won't have her special guest at her gig later this week. Isn't that right, Priss?"

            Sylia chuckled, as Priss's shocked expression was priceless. "Hey! How did you find out? I was going to keep it as a surprise!" she asked while sounding slightly indignant. Sylia smiled. "I figured you being the local talent and wanting to actually make friends with Miss Vision this time around would like to ask her to perform at your usual hang out, so I simply asked around." She winked. Nene seemed to be surprised at her reaction.

            Linna's face brightened up. "Hey, maybe after we save her again, this time we could ask her make Priss as her special guest next time she performs on stage!" She turned and grabbed Priss's hands. "Doesn't that sound like a great idea?"

            Priss's face lit up for a second before she smirked. "Nah, I don't need that. I can make it myself, besides…"

            "No, no, no!" Linna said breathlessly. "We have to get Reika, I mean Vision to take you along, and then she could help you find a gig in a bigger place, and then…" Nene quickly cut in: "And you could be Priss' manager, right?" She said with that gleam in her eye.

            "Well, yeah!" Linna said, and then laughed in a higher pitched voice. "We could make millions! Just think all the things we can have!"

            Priss held her forehead. "Oh please…"

            "Well anyway," Sylia said quickly. "It seems like we'll have to handle both ends at the same time." She nodded to Priss. "You go and find some information on the streets about Miss Vision's abductor. Linna, you go talk to Kou and his group." She turned to see a giggling Nene. "How about you find out as much information as you can on the AD Police's central network?"

            All three uttered agreements. "Then contact me when you find out something." Sylia said. "But don't go solo on me this time, got it?" Her eyes were on Priss the whole time.

            "Yeah, yeah." Priss said with a wave of her hand. The three left Sylia's room.

            Sylia stood alone in the middle of the room for a moment, before sighing deeply. "Father…I didn't ask to be it, did I?" She took a deep breath and stretched. "Well, it can't be helped." She walked toward the data room.

            Maybe a war with Genom is inevitable after all.