Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 Fanfic Series

Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 File 1: Dominant Species

Part 4: Hunger

Chapter 52: Playing With Fire

by P. Kristen Enos (bgcpost2040@aol.com)

* * * * *

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!

* * * * *

"Well?" Sylia asked Priss, "Are you in a gambling mood?"

The other woman glanced at the waiting Sylvie as well as at Nene and Mackey.

"Why not?" the singer relented as she stood. "It's not as if I can do any worse."

Nene made a silent face at her as she sat down in the now vacant spot next to Sylia's chair.

"Do you want to change into a gi, Priss? I have a couple of spares in the locker room," Sylia offered.

Priss looked down at her attire of T-shirt and jeans and then shook her head. "This is how I was dressed when I fought on the streets. I'm comfortable this way."

Mackey produced another set of training gloves and socks, similar to the ones that Nene had worn.

Once she was outfitted, Priss tested the feel of the equipment. When it was clear that she had finished her personal assessment, she glanced at Sylia expectantly.

"Start whenever you're ready." Sylia's personal amusement at the pending match showed as a mild smirk.

Priss gave a brief bow to Sylvie, who responded in kind. Then they both straightened as they started their match.

Priss flinched as she obviously wanted to launch into an opening attack, but then froze almost immediately.

Only Sylvie could see that Priss's eyes showed that she was focused internally, rather than on her. She tilted her head curiously and prompted, "Priss?"

The action apparently jolted Priss back from her distraction. Without another pause, Priss lunged.

The tiny audience was treated to an impressive display of well-aimed kicks and punches, each expertly blocked or deflected with minimal effort. What was different about this match was that even though no hits were technically registering on the training program, Sylvie actually started relenting some ground as her attacker pressed forward.

"Wow," Mackey murmured as the other two women watched in growing appreciation.

Sylia watched Sylvie's expression curiously, noticing that the boomer actually seemed to portray all of the subtleties of human concentration, from a narrowed gaze and a firmly set jaw. Sylia felt pleased at the signs of just how comfortable the boomer was becoming with expressing herself in unconscious, human ways.

Suddenly, without warning and in a blur of motion, Sylvie blocked Priss's last punch with one hand and landed a hard slap on Priss's cheek with the other. The contact was hard enough to snap Priss's head back and cause her to tumble backwards, landing on the mat with an ungraceful thud.

Everyone else was too speechless and stunned to react right away.

Priss's reaction was nothing less than complete shock as she dabbed the tip of the glove at the corner of her mouth and saw fresh blood on it.

Sylvie calmly stood her ground, clearly waiting for Priss to resume the match. The boomer's face was cold and determined, no traces of the pleasant shop-girl anywhere in her demeanor.

"Um - " Sylia began.

Completely ignoring everything else, an enraged Priss flipped to her feet and lunged at Sylvie in a series of kicks and punches that made the first round look as if they were conducted in slow motion. Again, each attack was blocked, but this time Sylvie held her ground.

In a blur of speed, Priss then spun into her most powerful roundhouse kick, aiming right for Sylvie's head. Not only was the blow blocked, but in the next instant, Priss felt herself dangling upside down, with Sylvie holding her up by her leg.

"PUT ME DOWN, BITCH!" Priss immediately demanded, obviously furious at the predicament she found herself in.

"PRISS, DON'T - !" Sylia's warning came too late as Sylvie immediately responded to the order and dropped her opponent on to her head.

"Shit!" Priss remarked from her weary position on the mat as she rubbed her sore neck.

Her docile manner returning, Sylvie held out a hand and said, "Can I help -?"

Priss glared at her and said, "Don't come near me!"

She stood and ripped off the training gear, tossing it to the side. Without another word, she stormed towards the elevator, wiping the corner of her bleeding mouth with the hem of her T-shirt.

Once she was gone, the three remaining humans stared in shock at the boomer.

"So is practice over?" Sylvie asked them with a curious tilt of her head.

"Um, yes," Sylia said, slowly trying to take charge of the situation. "Nene, why don't you take a shower and, Mackey, why don't you put away the equipment?"

Getting the hint, the couple left, allowing the women to have a private conversation.

Sylia studied the boomer with a curious but still critical gaze. "So what happened to 'defensive mode' only?"

"She was struggling in the first round," the boomer answered. "It was as if she was forcing herself to concentrate when it should have been much easier for her. I decided that I needed to help her focus." Sylvie glanced at the direction of the elevator and looked back at her. "You were right that she fights better when she's angry. I did not mean to end the match in such a humiliating move for her, but she would have broken her foot had she made contact with me."

Sylia shook her head to herself as she rubbed her temples. "Well, part of the joys of being sentient is that you're responsible for your own actions. I strongly suggest you go apologize to her after she's calmed down."

Sylvie bowed and said, "I had planned to do that. Are we finished so that I may also take a shower?"

Sylia narrowed her gaze at her, obviously wanting to ask another question. But thinking better of it, she merely said, "Go ahead."

Once alone, Sylia scanned the data from both matches and smiled to herself. She was glad to see that her team wasn't as rusty as she had feared, but Sylvie's way of proving it might have some repercussions, especially with Priss, and in more ways than one if she was reading the vibes between the two of them correctly.

Sylia then felt the unpleasantly familiar twinge of discomfort at her side, a signal that the painkiller had worn off. She then looked at her watch and decided to turn in for the night, knowing that her body was still demanding focused healing time. Then again, she wasn't that tired yet and decided a call to Nigel would be in order.

-- End Chapter 52 --

For those of you interested in the more "behind the scenes" perspective with some spoilers and teasers as well as be on notification of updates, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BGCPost2040