Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 File 1: Dominant Species
Part 3: Casualties
Chapter 33: Power Games
by P. Kristen Enos (bgcpost2040@aol.com)
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A Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 English Dub Version Fanfic. All rights belong to AIC, ADV Films and the other creative powers that be. I just want credit for writing the story. Contains spoilers! Rated PG13. Yuri warning! Nothing in here should be a shock if you've watched the episodes and paid attention. All I'm doing is filling in the gaps with my own interpretation of events! Special thanks to Greenegret for betaing!
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Upon receiving the news that his guests had arrived, Quincy gave a final glance to his waiting display of boomers. Each female standing perfectly at attention yet ready to act upon any command without hesitation. Satisfied that everything was ready, the President of Genom Corporation gave a final adjustment to his tie and took his place by the warehouse door.
The black limo pulled up as expected, drawing to a stop with smooth grace.
Both back doors opened, revealing the men in suits that Quincy had recognized as his guests personal bodyguards. They held the doors open for the other occupants of the vehicle to exit, moving with all of the style and power they commanded.
The next person to appear was the familiar tall and extremely lean figure of Largo Watanabe. His features were Japanese with long, straight black hair that was so dark that it almost looked blue. At the young age of 28 and with the smoothly handsome looks, he could easily be mistaken for a model or an actor instead of one of the most powerful men in Tokyo, if not all of Japan. Dressed in a fashionable suit with dark sunglasses and a white trench coat, he exuded the aura of the Yakuza boss that he was.
Simultaneously, another figure emerged from the other side. Even if Quincy hadn't know who she was by name and description, there was little doubt upon seeing her of what her connection was to the young man she accompanied. Yoshiko Watanabe was also tall and lean, as beautiful as her twin brother was handsome. Her hair matched the exact shade of his, and would have appeared longer if it hadn't been combed back. Also exuding the aura of absolute power and money, she wore sunglasses and a dark gray trenchcoat over a stylish pantsuit.
A third figure emerged from the limo, a person new to Quincy, and unexpected. A young woman in her late twenties stepped out from Yoshiko's door. Though also Japanese, she did not seem related to the siblings judging by her pretty features that were half hidden by her black bangs that were combed over half of her face. She wore sunglasses and in a pantsuit under a long coat. Also tall and lean, she clearly had the presence of someone who had more athletic value than administrative support.
"Mr. Quincy," Largo said with a bow of acknowledgement as he took off his glasses upon entering the building. "Sorry to keep you waiting. My sister's plane was late in arriving."
"That's quite all right, Mr. Watanabe. Such things happen," Quincy responded with a bow in kind. "The girls are ready whenever you are."
Quincy noticed how the two women lingered behind, apparently ignoring the men's conversation. The second woman pulled out a cigarette for Yoshiko and lit it for her while whispering something in her ear. Yoshiko let out a puff of smoke and gave a barely noticeable nod in response before turning her attention to the waiting men.
Upon seeing that her attention seemed to be finally focused on him, Quincy bowed deeply and said, "Ms. Watanabe, it is a pleasure to meet you at last. I'm honored at this opportunity to provide this special demonstration for you and your brother, since you missed the original demonstration."
Not taking off her sunglasses as she entered the building, she gave him a nod and said with a trace of an Italian accent, "Your boomers have been quite the talk lately among international circles, Mr. Rosenkreuz. My curiosity has been piqued."
Quincy then nodded to the other woman, who remained a couple of steps behind Yoshiko. "And may I ask who this is?"
"This is Mei Asakawa," Yoshiko introduced. "She's also an expert of sorts in boomer combat technology so I thought this demonstration would be of interest to her."
Mei gave Quincy a bow but said nothing, her attention far more captivated by the boomers in the background. She took off her sunglasses to see better in the indoor lighting and in doing so allowed Quincy a glimpse of her face hidden beneath the hair. He briefly saw the white streak of scars running from her forehead, over her eyelid and across her cheek, which piqued the man's curiosity -- such cosmetic flaws could easily be corrected with today's medical technology. Her one visible eye looked a little off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why or how.
"Then let us begin?" Quincy suggested, signaling to the waiting Madigan and his staff.
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"I'm glad I was finally able to watch such a full demonstration live," Largo mentioned to Quincy as his sister and her companion continued to talk to Madigan in more depth about the boomers. "It's definitely not as satisfying hearing third-hand accounts or watching videos.... Speaking of which, the public is still crying out for resolution to our special demonstration. Have the police come any closer to solving the case?"
Quincy shook his head. "Nothing concrete according to our sources. However, there is a very smart detective who may stand in the way of closing this case as unsolved."
"That's what our sources tell me as well. Are you going to need a sacrificial lamb to settle the matter once and for all?"
Quincy mulled it over a moment and said, "I don't know yet. I may have to take you up on the offer should Detective Wong prove persistent."
"Well, let me know and we can coordinate something. Quieting government officials is far easier than satisfying a public crying for justice," Largo responded. "It's the least I can do since you accommodated my request for the demonstration so satisfactorily. Is there any status on this missing witness?"
"Yamazaki? No. Not yet. But we are keeping an eye out for all possible leads, including watching her apartment as well as her parents' home for any form of contact or clues to her whereabouts..." Quincy paused as a stray thought hit him. "Out of curiosity, what is your opinion of the Knight Sabers?"
An extremely amused look appeared on Largo's face as he commented, "Researching local urban legends, Mr. Rosenkreuz?"
Something about his tone and wording sparked an even more intense interest in Quincy. "Some people would consider men like us urban legends as well. And I've found that there is always a grain of truth in myths for the masses."
Largo let out a chuckle. "Too true. As for the Knight Sabers, I recall hearing that your grandfather had a particular interest in them. He may have been considered delusional by the end of his days, but this was one matter where many people shared his hallucination."
"Yourself included?"
"I've never had to deal with the matter of rogue boomers, so they didn't matter to me personally. However, other people I know were particularly fascinated with them," he answered as he continued to watch his sister and Ms. Asakawa. "And what about the Knight Sabers has captured your interest?"
"Just doing my homework in case I get a pop quiz."
Finishing their discussion with Madigan, the female guests came up to them.
Yoshiko seemed to be looking at him even though she had never taken her glasses off. "I'm quite impressed, Mr. Rosenkreuz. Ms. Madigan tells us you've already had orders for over 75, with the earliest delivery hitting the streets as soon as by the fourth quarter. However, I am curious to know where the one called 'Sylvie' is. She made quite an impression on our representatives."
"Sylvie is in the upgrading process," he answered smoothly. "We are already implementing the enhancements to bring her to the next version, which will have the integrated capabilities we've beta-tested for your brother... I have to admit, Mr. Watanabe, that I'm surprised at your willingness to wait since some of your strongest rivals have already placed substantial orders."
Largo didn't look concerned as he answered, "That's why I asked my sister and Ms. Asakawa to come here. Their weapons technology expertise and strategic experience hardly leaves us vulnerable during this waiting period. Plus, I would be curious to see what our rivals plan to do with their new toys, if they are indeed going to be used for defensive purposes, or they'll perform tests of their own. Of course, that's providing they haven't already contacted you in those matters just like we did, Mr. Rosenkreuz."
"I do what my clients ask of me," he answered simply, "as any good businessman would."
A slight smile actually appeared at the corner of Largo's mouth before he turned to his sister and asked, "Have you seen everything you need to?"
"I did. Mei?"
The other woman nodded.
"Well then, Mr. Rosenkreuz," Largo said, "Please let us know when the new version of Sylvie will be available for a demonstration. As well as your male prototype."
"Of course. Your eagerness is my eagerness..."
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"We should buy at least one so we can study it in more depth," Yoshiko noted once the three of them were alone in the back of the limousine. In the privacy of the car, she finally took off her sunglasses, revealing dark violet eyes. "It doesn't hurt to at least begin our education on this new model since there's a good chance they'll become standard accessories in our circles."
Mei was seated next to her and her brother sat in the seat across from them. Their bodyguards had been sent to the front cab to allow them maximum privacy in their discussion.
"I had thought the same but do we have the expertise to make it worth our while and expense?" Largo asked. "In the past, we've always relied on direct support from Genom's resources so we never maintained our own technology staff for such matters."
Yoshiko nodded, "When we get back to Rome, I'll prepare my team for what's coming. I'm certain there are a couple of people who would be very interested in broadening their horizons with such a challenge. Don't you agree, Mei?"
The other woman nodded and answered in a soft but firm voice, "I've noticed some have become bored and this may renew their interests and commitments appropriately."
"Hmm, Genom may have something in that boomer loyalty can be far more reliable than humans at times," Largo mused.
"Providing they don't go rogue," Mei pointed out as she stared out the window with her one visible eye.
"Do you think we may have possibilities with these?" the man asked.
Mei shrugged. "The only one who would know that best would be Sylia. And I'm certainly not going to call her to ask."
"Speaking of which," Largo said, "Rosenkreuz actually asked me about the Knight Sabers while we were in there."
Both women looked noticeably surprised.
"Did he say why he was curious?" Mei asked.
Largo shook his head. "No. But I do think it's interesting that this is the first time he's mentioned them since he took over Genom Tokyo. Either he's come across old but still valuable information, or something new has happened to pique his curiosity."
"It makes no sense if it's something new," Mei pointed out, clearly troubled by the subject. "There haven't been any reports of rogue boomers, even through our channels. So there's no reason for Sylia to activate her team again."
"Unless there's something personal involved which would still require the firepower and capabilities of these Knight Sabers," Yoshiko pointed out. Then she slyly grinned and said, "I would look forward to seeing them since I missed them the first couple of times around."
Mei frowned slightly to herself but said nothing.
Largo remarked, "To do that, Dear Sister, you would have to move back to Tokyo."
She gave him a smirk. "Well, I don't think my curiosity is that strong. Rome without Knight Sabers is still far more interesting to me," Yoshiko answered as she motioned for another cigarette. "What about you, Mei? Would you rather move back to Tokyo to catch a glimpse of them again?"
The other woman didn't answer at first as she pulled out a cigarette case and a lighter. Then she commented cryptically, "I've seen more than enough of them to last me several lifetimes."
-- End Chapter 33 --
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