After the End - Chapter 14
"Checkmate."
Cybersix sighs and looks up at Yashimotto. "Okay, I give up. That's three games now; you're obviously better at this than I am."
He smiles gently at her, eyes sparkling. " How much chess have you played anyway?"
"Oh, I don't know. Six or seven games, I guess."
"Well that's your problem. You just need more practice. I've been playing since I was quite young." He leans over and begins re-arranging the pieces on the board.
Cybersix looks up at the clock on the wall. Nine-thirty. She's spent the whole evening at Yashimotto's. First, he'd told her about all the things he'd discovered about Jose's activities. Most of it was stuff she already knew - the infiltration of the Mayor's Office, the organized crime rings - and then they'd started playing chess. And he is cleaning her clock. Where is that super-concentration state when she needs it? She looks him in the eye. "It's getting late. If you still want to continue on with this, we need to discuss strategy."
Yashimotto looks down at the game board. "Ah, well, I could talk about chess for a long time..."
"Uh, no. I meant our strategy concerning Jose. Are you sure you still want to be involved with going after him?"
"Oh, of course. Yes I do. So let's discuss."
Cybersix lands on a rooftop and takes a deep breath of the cool night air. She feels better after her talk with Yashimotto the night before; it's good to have a solid plan for dealing with Jose, even if they might not succeed. It's even better to have help dealing with him. She springs off the roof, aiming for Lucas' open window; he'd told her earlier that day he wanted to see her.
She lands in his living room to find him sitting a his chair looking down at his clasped hands. His head snaps up when he hears her.
"You called, Lucas?" She poses in front of the window like Superman, her hands on her hips, her cape rustling in the breeze from outside. She's feeling unusually light-hearted tonight.
"Uh, yeah, we have to talk." He replies, not noticing her attempt at humor. "It's about Kevin."
"Oh? Has he found anything out?"
"Uh..." The irony of that question is not lost on Lucas. "Sit down, please."
For the first time Cybersix notices Lucas' serious mood. She sits down in the indicated chair and looks at him expectantly.
He licks his lips and fidgets, clearly nervous. "Well, you see, it's like this-"
"Oh no. Something bad didn't happen to him because of the sustenance, did it?"
"No. It's not that. I told him what you said about being careful and everything, and he said... well, he said he felt he had a right to know what's going on if he's in danger because of it. So I told him."
There is a pause. "Told him what, exactly?"
"Everything. About you. About VonReichter and the sustenance and all the others..."
Darkness falls on Cybersix's face. Lucas plunges on before she can speak. "Before you say anything, it really was the right thing to do, because-"
"It was the right thing to do to betray me?" Her voice is jagged ice.
"I didn't "betray" you. Like I said, it had to be done. If I didn't tell Kevin he'd try to find out for himself, and-"
Cybersix's good mood is shattered. She abruptly stands up and looms over him. "That's not the point, Lucas! The reason doesn't matter. You willingly told someone things I asked you not to. I call that betrayal!
Lucas also stands up and holds his hands out to her placatingly. "Please don't be angry, Cybersix."
"How can I not be? I trusted you!" Hurt evident in her voice, she whirls and starts walking over to the window. "Thanks for everything, Lucas!"
"Wait!" Lucas calls after her. "Don't leave. Where are you going?"
She turns back around. "Why should I tell you all my business? Obviously that was a mistake the first time."
His face becomes tender. "Look, Cybersix, you know I care about you. I really was doing what I thought was best."
She relaxes a tiny bit. "I have to meet Yashimotto."
"Yashimotto? Why?"
There's that nosiness again. "Well if you must know, we're going to Jose's mansion. On a stakeout." She resumes her progress toward the window .
"What?" Why didn't you tell me about this? Why can't I come?"
Cybersix sighs exasperatingly at the ludicrousness of his question. Pausing with one foot on the windowsill, she turns around to look at him. "Because, Lucas, you'd only be in the way." She leaps out of his apartment.
VonReichter opens the door of his secret lab to admit Type 2. He turns in his chair as she walks in. His mouth opens to demand a report on her mission, then closes when he sees the condition she's in. "What happened?"
"Cybersix attacked me, Master."
"Did you destroy the target?" His voice is sharp.
"No."
He is silent for a moment. "I see. And did she see you near him or his property?"
Type 2 takes a deep breath. "Well, you see, it was more like-" She makes the mistake of looking into his hard eye. Her head bows. "Yes, Master."
"And what you have to say for yourself?"
"I'm sorry, Master. It will never happen again." She replies emotionlessly.
VonReichter stands up and begins examining her injuries, poking a few suspicious places. "Is that the best you can do? Not a very eloquent speaker."
Accustomed to his, Type 2 ignores his prodding. "Master, I ne-"
"Shut up. I don't need to hear anymore." He goes to over to his work bench, picks up one of his instruments, and walks back to her. "Stand still." He pushes the plunger of the instrument down on the side of her neck. She gasps and crumples to the floor.
VonReichter takes the type by the shoulders, drags her across the floor, and wrestles her into his one and only tank. He stands back and it is still for a moment, looking at her. Then he takes in a breath and gives vent to a scream of pure rage.
Jumping over the streets with only a vague knowledge of where she's going,
Cybersix tries to quell the storm rising within her. Her mind keeps insisting
that what just happened must have been a dream. No. I don't have time to deal
with this right now.
"Hello, Cybersix." Yashimotto is busily checking the numerous pockets of his black trench coat, ready to go.
"Yashimotto, are you sure you want to go through with this?" She asks him.
"Yes. Why do you ask?" He questions seriously, his eyes thoughtful. "Do you think I'll be a liability?"
"No, it's not that. I just wanted to make sure you know this is going to be dangerous, and I thought what with Ikiko..."
"Yes, I thought of that too." He replies knowingly. "But then I thought, I don't want her growing up in a world where Jose has any more power than he already does. And I know it's up to us to stop him, because he and his father have already corrupted the authorities. Besides, Ikiko is taken care of if something happens to me."
Cybersix studies him. "And what about the danger to yourself?"
"That's part of what I do... what I am. I'm curious enough to risk seeing this through. And yes, I know curiosity killed the cat." He adds when he sees the expression on her face. "But I figure I've only used four lives so far, so that means I've still got five more." He grins.
She grins back. "Okay, let's get started then. But remember what I said before; if you want to come with me, you have to follow my instructions."
"Which are what? You didn't say last night."
Oh yeah, that's right. Cybersix takes a breath to collect her thoughts. "Okay. Rule number one: If we do manage to get on Sylvester's trail, absolutely no talking. Not even a whisper. You have to be as silent as you can." She notes the bulges in his pockets. "And there better not be any clinking from that coat of yours."
He nods solemnly. "Already taken care of."
She nods back. "We'll have to watch the wind too. If we get downwind of him he'll smell us."
"Really? He's that powerful?"
"Oh, yes. VonReichter used to use him to track animals in the jungle. Rule number 2: If it comes to a fight - with any of Jose's minions - let Data 7 and I handle it." Remember they're much stronger than any human. Do not try to do anything heroic."
He nods again. "Got it."
"I really mean it, Yashimotto."
"I know."
He seems to be taking her seriously. Lucas, Cybersix thinks to herself, would
still try to do something heroic. She suppresses a pang of hurt and goes on.
"Okay. I see." His eyes become thoughtful again. "Hmm, how interesting."
Cybersix shoots him a warning look.
"Yes, I know. I promise I won't let curiosity get the better of me. Now, are we ready to go?"
She nods. "We're going to meet Data7 near the storm drains on Portsmouth." She walks back to the window. "See you in the alley."