After the End - Chapter 4
Lucas leaves his apartment in a hurry and walks quickly down the street, looking for a cab. There aren't any in sight, and he sighs; now there's no way he'll get there in time. It was "Meridiana Day," when the city held a festival in honor of town pride. Lucas had wanted to go see the fireworks display, but he'd completely forgotten that his bike was in the shop and he would have to find other means of transportation. Now he was going to miss it.
The streets in this part of town are deserted; no doubt everyone was down at the fair grounds already. Despite the ordeal they'd just been through, or perhaps because of it, the citizens of Meridiana seemed more determined than ever to have a good time. Lucas resigns himself to walking, even though it would probably mean he'd miss the action; he had nothing better to do at home anyway.
He is walking along, lost in thought, when suddenly a figure appears in front of him as if from nowhere: it is, of course, Cybersix.
"Hi, Lucas." She says, smiling at him.
"You seem to be in a good mood." He replies. "How is Data 7?"
"Much better. I wasn't sure if he could heal as fast as I do, but it seems he can. What are you up to?"
"Well, I was going to see the fireworks, but now it looks like I won't get there in time."
"I was going to go see them too." Cybersix says. She thinks for a minute. "Hey, I have an idea." She turns around and crouches down a bit, holding her hands out behind her. "Get on."
Lucas blinks at her. "You're not serious. Me, piggyback you?"
"Sure. Come on, it'll be fun."
Something in Lucas' gut tells him this is a bad idea, but for some unknown reason he ignores that feeling. "Well... okay." He says, and jumps on her back.
For a split second he feels Cybersix tense, then the ground disappears as they become airborne. The side of the building they're facing flashes by as they rocket straight up. Cybersix barely touches the roof of this building before leaping again for a higher one, coiling and uncoiling like a giant spring. She reaches the top of a very high building and is finally still.
Convinced that his stomach is still somewhere on the street below, Lucas slowly opens his tightly closed eyes. "Warn me next time you're going to do that!"
Cybersix grins at him over her shoulder. "Well what were you expecting me to do?"
Lucas makes no reply. He is too busy trying to get a better grip on her while trying to keep his hands off her breasts while trying to keep from thinking about his hands on her breasts.
Cybersix strolls over to the other side of the building and looks off the edge. "Okay, I'm warning you. Try not to scream." With that, she plummets off the edge of the building and Lucas does, indeed, have to try not to scream.
Cybersix lands a little hard, grunting with the effort as her knees bend under Lucas' extra weight. He is just about to tell her that's enough, thanks for the ride, when she takes off like a racehorse out of the gate, running extremely fast and aimed straight into the side of another building. Only a few feet away she plants both feet on the ground to alter her forward momentum and the next thing Lucas knows they're going vertical again. He shuts his eyes and grits his teeth.
They land safely on the roof of the building. Cybersix straightens her back and Lucas feels her sides expand as she sighs deeply. She lets go of his legs and he gratefully jumps off while he has the chance.
"You enjoyed that." He says to her accusingly.
She turns around to face him. There is a feral light in her dark eyes that he's never seen before, and it surprises him. "Of course I did." She says guilelessly. "It's what I do." She walks over to the other side of the roof. "Come on. We can watch the fireworks from up here." She sits down on the building's ledge and motions for him to join her.
"Uh," Lucas says "Maybe not so close to the edge?"
"Oh, come on. We're not that high up - I can save you if you fall."
Once again this is against Lucas' better judgment, but once again something other than common sense wins out. He walks over and carefully perches on the ledge, fully aware what a sorry state he's in that he's willing to go to such lengths just to be close to her. Unfortunately, once he sits down, he becomes too concerned with keeping a firm grip on the ledge to risk trying to get closer.
They watch the fireworks pretty much in silence. When they're over, Cybersix casually swings her legs over the ledge and steps back on the roof. She offers Lucas her hand to help him down, which he gladly accepts.
"Come on," Cybersix says once they're both standing again. "I'll carry you home."
"Uh... thanks, but no. I think I'll walk." He answers.
"But how are you going to get down from here?" She asks. She only just manages to avoid looking amused.
Lucas looks around. There are no stairs down. He sighs. "Okay, but only to the bottom."
"Not your cup of tea, eh?" Cybersix says as he gets on. "That's too bad."
A heart-stopping moment later they land on the street below. Lucas is afraid she's going to take off with him again, but she lets him get off. They start walking down the street in silence.
Lucas thinks about his conversation with Kevin the night before. He knows he'll have to tell Cybersix what he did with the sustenance eventually, and it was better to get it over with. "Cybersix..."
She puts her arm out to stop him from walking. "Shhh. I smell a rat."
They hear a dull thump from the alley near by. Cybersix walks cautiously into the dark opening and Lucas follows. She stops as she sees a familiar figure, rummaging through a dumpster with his back to them.
"Sylvester!"
He turns around, a look of pure guilt on his face. The look quickly turns to dismay as he realizes who has called him. "Cybersix. You're looking well."
She looks him over. "And how are you doing, now that your God is dead?"
He frowns. "You know I work for the brat now. I mean the brain. Jose." Knowing his slip has been caught, he attempts a smile that turns into a grimace . "Cute little tyke. I just love him to pieces."
Cybersix smiles despite herself. It's no secret that Sylvester hates Jose. He'd only listened to the kid because his master had commanded him to. Suddenly her expression turns serious as she realizes the implications of this. There could only be one reason why Sylvester would serve Jose willingly.
"Lucas, do you know what this means? I'm saved! "
Before Lucas can answer, she turns back to Sylvester. "Jose knows how to make sustenance, doesn't he?."
"Bravo," Sylvester says dryly. " Now if you don't mind, I don't have all night. Are we going to do this thing or what? "
For a moment both of them are completely still. Then they attack at exactly the same instant, engaging each other in a desperate wrestling match .
Lucas takes a step back. The two of them are going at each other so viciously he couldn't have stepped in to help even if he'd wanted to. They fight like a pair of dogs, grunting and growling, arms and legs periodically flashing out of the melee.
But despite the ferocity of the fight, it doesn't last long. When the dust settles, Cybersix has Sylvester neatly pinned on his back on the ground.
"Sylvester, I'm disappointed." She says in the tone of a scolding teacher. "You've gone soft. Too long as VonReichter's lapdog."
"Hey, I know a good deal when I see one." Sylvester answers. He makes a desperate move to try and break Cybersix's hold on him. She simply puts additional pressure on his wrists, looking bored. "Ow!" He cries out in pain and stops struggling. "Okay, you win." He says, sighing. "Let's get this over with."
Cybersix is still for a moment, then she looks up at Lucas. "Lucas, go and wait for me in the street, please. Sylvester and I have some. . . business to take care of."
Lucas starts to ask a question, then thinks better of it. He nods and begins walking back toward the street.
"What's the matter, Cybersix? Don't want to act like an animal in front of your boyfriend?" Sylvester whispers.
Cybersix drops down toward him, her head only inches away from his face. "Don't tempt me, Sylvester."
Lucas exits the alley and stops around the corner, leaning against side of a house. He looks up at the stars. Suddenly the sound of a yelp bricks the quiet of the night, coming from the direction of the alley. Concerned for Cybersix, Lucas turns to look at what's going on.
Cybersix is still straddling Sylvester, and their feet are facing Lucas. He can see that she is lying flat on top of him, her head by his neck. He frowns, curious. She stays that way for a few minutes before her head comes up. He retreats back around the corner, not wanting her to see him.
A few minutes later the two of them come out of the alley, walking side by side.
" . . . You know, you could always come over to our side. " Cybersix is saying to Sylvester as the two of them come over to join Lucas.
He looks at her like she's crazy. "And do what? Jump around rooftops like a pony all night? I don't think so, Cybersix. I like a little more action than that." Lucas notices that there's blood on his neck.
"0h, I get plenty of action." She replies.
Sylvester looks over at Lucas. "Yeah, I'm sure you do."
Cybersix punches him in the arm, but only halfheartedly.
"Bitch," Sylvester says, also halfheartedly. He turns back to Lucas. "But seriously though, you do realize what you're doing, boinking her? I mean, I ain't no priest, but doesn't that amount to bestiality?"
This is more than Cybersix can take. She makes a grab for Sylvester's shirt collar, but he is ready for her and dodges just out of reach. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." She growls at him
He throws his head back and laughs and her face. "That's a good one, Cybersix. You always could crack me up." He deliberately turns his back on her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really must be getting home before I drop dead. Catch you later, Cybersix!"
"Any time, Sylvester! " She calls after him. She scowls. Sylvester was so good at acting spineless it was easy to forget that he wasn't.
"What was that about?" Lucas asks.
"Oh, Sylvester and I go way back. Unfortunately."
"That's not what I meant."
Cybersix hesitates. "Yeah, I bit him."
"What for?"
"To get sustenance, of course."
"0h. . . I didn't know you got it that way."
"Yeah, well, sometimes I don't have any choice."
Lucas is silent for a moment. "I thought you just stole the vials."
"After I did that a few times, Jose stopped allowing the fixed ideas to carry them around. That's just common sense - even for him."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Lucas asks.
Cybersix sighs. She is tired of hiding from him, tired of him asking her questions. "Okay, Lucas, you want to know the truth? Here it is. I didn't kill Sylvester just now, but I could have. I've done it before. Fixed ideas, types, technos, I hunt them all down. And the technos. . . They don't stand a chance against me. It's not even a fair fight." She pauses and looks up at the moon, a complex expression on her face. "You know, Sylvester was basically right. I'm more like him than I am like you."
Lucas remains silent, not knowing what to say.
Cybersix turns and looks him right in the eye. "Think about all this, Lucas. Before you tell me you're in love with me again." Without another pause, she jumps for the nearest rooftop and is gone.
Lucas stands alone in the street for a long time before heading home.