Chapter 2: Jo

Jo woke up, or at least it seemed like she woke up, as her head ached and hurt. She rubbed her forehead accustoming her eyes to the light, trying to understand where she was. Actually trying to understand what had happened. She recalled the big blast after the shooting of the brain, but besides that…she could only see images. Blurred images of herself crawling around the city, surviving here and then, fighting here and then just to stay alive. She had no reason to and still she did it, it was written in her that no matter what, she would stay alive.

And now she was here in this clean room, she herself being clean, on white sheets, like resting for the night. She felt her body lighter, her injures had stopped aching. She was returning to her former self, gathering her powers. Jo instantly thought of Meg, of how she wouldn't be there. She actually thought of her only reason to fight, besides the genes written in her. She had always fought to hold her safe; even her last attempt to save Tokyo was merely a try to create a better world for her. Well, there was of course Sei who she had to help, but after all…Meg was that reason she was fighting for. That cell that demanded her to fight and fight had been destroyed yet replaced by Meg.

And now? What had helped her to stay alive? What did she want of this life? What was she trying to gain? What did she want now that she had herself pushed her reason away? Jo lifter her upper body and placed her feet in the carpet feeling she had much too many questions populating her mind.

Jo was hardly breathing when they had brought her in. She was unconscious and had remained like that for days. Her body was covered in old and new scratches and bruises, which had started healing under proper medication. She would have come to herself again, so did the doctors tell Meg. But in time, Meg sighted.

Amy's party had been postponed due to the events, but Meg considered that they had to finally celebrate her. After all it should have been good news that Jo was alive. But all seemed fearful. All had said their good buy's to the woman, had somehow buried her long ago.

Yet Meg didn't. Meg felt fear. She felt the fear of having Jo back, but not truly having her for herself. After all Jo had never been attached romantically to her. In time she believed Jo couldn't have any romantic feelings. After her death she was sure, Jo had been built just to fight. She was unable to feel the joy of life as a normal human being, unable to feel desire for someone.

Then again it had hit her. One night, when she couldn't fall asleep, she remembered Mario. She remembered the lust in Mario's eyes towards her. And she wondered if Jo could have felt the same. Moreover right now, as she watched the still sleeping Jo, she wondered what she could do to trigger that.

Amy's party was being held in the next room of the house they had rented. All her genius friends attended somehow boring Takane and amusing Leon. Meg had withdrawn silently to her so called command room, feeling she wasn't able to think of anything else than Jo. She watched the woman through the monitor, sleeping. And then she observed the change. Jo opened her eyes, looked around for long and lifted her upper body. She placed her feet on the ground her eyes clearly trying to find her guns. Unable to do so, she stood up and left the room. Meg didn't move a muscle. She stared at the screen supporting her chin in her palm. She would let Jo come to her.

One by one, Jo walked through the room very careful, always prepared to jump at someone's throat, to rip it off if she desired so. She reached Amy's party, shocking everyone, having the once young girl jump at her neck. Joe smiled almost imperceptible. Meg wasn't even blinking as she watched Amy point to the room she was in. And then she heard the door behind her open.

- Amy says you are the new leader of this group. Show yourself I want to know who you are. I want to know who has the guts to take over Sei's place; she heard the deep voice of the woman, strong as always. So Amy hadn't said a work about her.

Meg slowly turned in her chair, remaining seated, her eyes trying to fill with the presence of the woman.

- Meg? Jo shocked her eyebrows arching. Meg?

She stood up and approached Jo without a word. She was so determined that Jo took a few steps back meeting a table. Meg placed her hands on the table, on each sides of Jo's body, making the woman bend her back. She was still weak, she was still spaced out, that was the only explication of her hesitant moves. Meg approached her face and without a warning placed her lips upon Jo's mouth, kissing her lightly. She felt her body tremble a little as Jo didn't reply, but she insisted. She caressed the woman's lips, brushing them, sucking lightly on Jo's lower lip and just as she was about to give up, she felt Jo open her mouth, moving her lips gently.

To Meg's big surprise, Jo's hands got wrapped around her waist, picking her up turning her, placing her on the table, the woman's thigh between Meg's legs. Joe pressed her body against Meg's as the kiss gained in passion, making Meg tangle her fingers in the silver hair of the woman, breathing her in with desire, shattering her heart in the pain she had felt since Jo's disappearing. She couldn't let her go, she wanted to melt in that moment and feel a never ending approach of the woman.

But she did, Jo suddenly broke loose from Meg.

- What am I doing? She asked herself the back of her palm pressing her lips.

- It was…I am sorry, it was an experiment. Just another selfish act of mine. I…wanted to make sure you couldn't feel anything towards me, other than the care you gifted me these years we spent together.

- What are you talking about? Jo turned to her.

- Sei had explained to me that you were created only to fight, that you had no joy in life what so ever. But…Mario…I saw lust in her eyes. And so, I tried to trigger that in you as well. Of course it was more than I had expected, but…she shrugged her lips smiling.

Jo looked from head to toe at Meg, feeling there was someone very different in front of her. She wasn't the Meg she knew; her eyes had changed, her voice, her way of speaking. She observed Meg was wearing her jacket and scarf and she had to admit that they suited her. And she asked herself what that reaction towards Meg was, why she had felt a sudden desire to place her hands all around Meg's body, to kiss the breath out of her, to feel the woman in her arms, to receive more and more.

Meg approached her, and rather than jump to her neck as she usually would do, she stopped placing her hand on Jo's cheek.

- It's good to have you back; she smiled.

- Meg, what happened to you? Why are you so changed? Why are you the leader of this organization? Haven't I told you to go and build up a life of your own, to find someone who needs you and your protection?

- YOU happened to me. It was the only way I could feel you alive in me; by carrying on as you would have. And I learned to like it as the more I was like you, the more I could have of you.

- You are making no sense…this is not what you truly wanted.

- What you could never understand and probably will never understand is that the only thing I truly ever wanted was you. As I could have you. As little I could have of you, I was happy I had it; she walked to her desk looking at the big screen.

- Meg…

- So are you back for good? Meg interrupted her, she didn't want to push Jo too much.

- I guess I am.

- Good; she smiled cheerful as she turned. Now let's join Amy's party she is turning 18 after all.

- So many years have passed?

Meg opened the door for Jo, letting her pass. They joined back Amy's party, much to Takane's big relief. She pulled Jo down on the couch next to her and started talking wanting to tell her everything that had happened in these years she had missed. She didn't realize that Jo wasn't paying too much attention that she was rather observing. Leon hadn't aged too much, he looked the same. Amy had grown up, she was taller and more mature, yet had the same insane genius look in her eyes. Takane was still the crazy dare devil and Kyohei had not lost the warmth on his face and in his eyes.

And Meg…right now she was Meg. Fighting with Amy over some food, laughing loud, amusing everyone, dancing and having fun. Jo smiled lightly, relieved. At least Meg hadn't changed that much. When Meg approached handing her a platter of food she took it in her hands and looked up at her.

- Listen, I am still kind of tired; Jo said, interrupting Takane.

- Well, the doctor said you will come to yourself, but that it will take time. I'll take you back to your room; Meg replied.

- Good to have you back, Jo, I can't wait fighting by your side again; Takane jumped to her feet as the woman stood up.

She nodded quietly and left the room after Meg.

- We rented this house as all of us were tired of living in a trailer; Meg explained. It has enough rooms, but we still end up spending a little bit too much time in the trailer. The good part is that here everybody has a private room.

- I never minded sharing the same room with you.

- Well, now you can rest properly without my snoring interrupting you. Besides that you'll have the opportunity to hear that again when we spend the nights in the trailer; she winked playfully and turned to left. Night Jo.

- Meg…

- Yes? She turned to face her again.

- You never snored; Jo smiled lightly and opened the door to her room. Night.

She watched Jo enter her room and supported her back on the wall. Meg sighted long; her heart was pounding fast as she the memory never left her mind. She still felt every touch of Jo on her body and her lips craved for more. She had played with fire and that was the end result: she had triggered in her a desire she had long before buried, multiplying it as now she understood it could be real.

- That synthetic life form they had noticed wasn't me; Jo explained during breakfast the next day. I realized that it might not be over after the killing of the command brain, other must existed, probably still in research.

- But wasn't that commanding every brain? Takane asked.

- Even if so, it looks like these brains seem to have a power to still exist, to take control of themselves. Like I managed controlling my life, even if I was created for one purpose only.

Meg shattered a little at those words.

- Still they existed to give life now what is the purpose? Leon asked.

- If I knew; Jo shrugged.

- Well, it's our duty to find out. And if you say you sensed something there, then we will return. Don't inform the mayor yet, we don't want to scare them; Meg said.

She felt like in old times. Walking around with Jo in abandoned buildings searching for something that shouldn't exist, concentrated and worried. They searched up and down that mall a few times, looking in every shadowed corner, but there was nothing.

- Are you sure of it? Meg asked.

- Yes, I felt something here, after all that is why you found me here. After that fight I can…fell that synthetic life form even more. It's like…she remained silent.

Meg looked at her as Jo as frowned.

- It's like…? She asked.

- It's a part of me.

- How can that be possible?

- Other than the fact that we have been developed at the same way? She smirked at Meg, pleased to find traces of her innocence.

- But that's not it, isn't it? Meg stopped walking.

Jo sighted and turned at her.

- I wish you would have kept your youthful and playful former self, not filling your mind with these things. It seems like your senses have sharpened.

- Maybe I am not so concentrate on myself, but rather more on your wellbeing.

- I am fine, Meg.

- You know what I did? I evolved. I learned, I thought, I put everything in balance and that is called evolving. Not like a machine, but as a human being. I think…I guess you are also looking for it: your evolution.

- In what could I evolve if I am already the perfect fighting machine, if I am what I was created?

- Are you? After all you should have been dead, you weren't perfect. After all you should be fighting to your dead, still you don't fight the once that don't desire to.

- And still I seek to fight, I am bored without it. Don't you see I am merely a contradiction of myself, as to some I am a failure?

- Pretty strong for a failure; Meg smiled caressing.

- Hush; Jo said sensing something.

- What is it? Meg whispered

Jo's eyes widened as she saw the bright light approaching. The room was silence and even if Meg placed her palm on the woman's shoulder, even if she observed with the corner of her eye Meg taking out her weapon, moving her lips, she couldn't hear anything. The light entered her and there was nothing all around her.

- Jo! Meg screamed holding the woman from meeting the ground. Jo, come to yourself!

She was desperate. Out of nothing Jo had collapsed. They were talking, and suddenly she was gone! In vein had she tried asking Jo, what was wrong, in vein had she pulled out her guns ready for the unexpected. Nothing had happened, but Jo still collapsed.

Meg's human eyes hadn't seen the light.