CHAPTER 2

She could feel the heartbeat pounding in her head.  She heard a roar like a beast awakening in hell. Confusion reigned; a scream, somebody crying, explosions. She didn't want to look behind because if she did, Priss knew she would be looking into her own death.

Suddenly, there was a louder roar as if a giant were crumbling, and then silence. Opening her eyes, she found herself at the highway's side, close to the police's barricade. In front of her the voomer lay immobile; in her arms, the little girl was crying and gripped onto her strongly. Priss looked at the girl, caressing the soft golden hair. She noticed that something was moving between her and the girl.  A puppy's head appeared and then she released the child.

"Everything's over now. Are you ok?"  The girl dried her tears with her little hands and nodded, raising the dog.

"Don't run away again Toby! Thanks lady for saving us, Toby and me."

Priss smiled.  The world really stunk, but sometimes there could be something of innocence to it.

"Where are your parents?" She didn't get an answer.  The girl seemed so scared.

Some officers approached.  Among them was the one who Priss had attacked earlier.

"There she is Captain!"

"Sorry Miss, but I'm afraid that you must come with us."

Ignoring the officer's words, Priss rose and carried the girl in her arms and walked to her waiting bike. She intended to take the girl home until she could find the parents. The officer signaled to the others to block her attempt at escaping.

"You hit an officer and disrupted an operation. Those are more than enough reasons to be placed under arrest."

"I saved a life!" Priss yelled. "That's more than enough of a reason to stop bothering me."

"Kaede! Kaede! You're safe!" a woman shouted while forcing her way through the officers.

"Mum! Look! Toby is all right! This lady saved us!" the girl exclaimed while Priss put her down so she could reunite with her mother.

The officers watched the scene in silence while the woman hugged her daughter.

"You saved my child.  How can I ever repay you?"

"Don't worry.  She's safe and that's enough," she replied just before leaving the scene.

She put on the helmet and mounted the waiting red bike. Priss realized she had to take the long way since the highway would be sealed off until they removed the voomer. Several lines of cars waited while the officers tried to direct traffic.

       Priss started up the bike and left the chaos cautiously. At the end of the line of cars, a red Porsche became visible. Priss immediately recognized it as being the same car that had almost smashed her. The driver's window was down, showing the female figure at the steering wheel. Priss slowly passed by the car's side, discovering the person who she considered to be a psychopath. A light blue haired woman with deep blue eyes looked at her with intensity.  At the same time a seductive smile was drawn on her lips. Priss sped up and was lost in the night.

*****

The night had been far too long and exhausting. First the show, then an unexpected meeting and finally the voomer incident. Playing the part of a heroine wasn't in her plans either. Even now her blood chilled at recalling the voomer's hand over her.  However, it felt good in a strange sort of way, almost as if it had freed the anger and frustration that she held boarded up deep inside.

She opened her trailer's door and checked that everything was in order, or rather the whole mess in which she was used to living in wasn't disturbed. She took off her jacket and left it on the sofa.  When she was on the bed, she took off her boots, turned off the light, and felt very ready for sleep.

However even being so tired, she couldn't help but remember everything that had happened. She had saved a girl's life and that filled her with peace. But, had she acted as a hero or had it been some kind of selfish burst to purge her rage? In any event, she was reluctant to continue to watch people die right in front of her. She had lost so many close to her in seventeen years of life; her family, her friends, Hiroshi… If only someone had been in the right place at the right time, maybe some of these tragedies could have been avoided. But she had avoided one on this night. She had given the mother and daughter a chance that she never had.

Sleep finally beat Priss and her eyes closed. She fell asleep with a lone tear rolling down her face.  In her dreams, she whispered something.

"Mum, dad…"

*****

The red Porsche stopped in front of Lady 633 building. Next to the Silky Doll boutique, an access to a garage was opened and the car entered. The tall young woman exited from the vehicle, entered the boutique and took the elevator to her room. She quickly changed her clothes and put on a silky robe.  She poured a shot of whisky and went to a lower part of the building's subbasement. Once there, she sat down in front of a huge computer and started to analyze the design and plans of what seemed to be a hard suit or a high-tech voomer.

"Could it be possible to start again?" she wondered, despite the failure she carried on her shoulders. "Would it be worthwhile to risk everything again?" All these questions tormented Sylia Stingray's mind. The night's incidents had given her a new perspective. It hadn't been the voomer which had caught her attention, nor the AD Police's incompetence which was so very common. It had been something, or rather someone, else. She couldn't get her mind off the image of that woman saving the girl. Her figure, her movements, her passion and at the same time her disregard for everything else around her. And above all that was the deep cat-like look in which sharp rage mixed with suffering could be easily seen. That was what she was looking for, what she needed for her cause. "But how to trap such a savage creature?" She knew that wouldn't be easy, but she was ready to start the hunt anyway.

*****

Like always after a voomer incident, the media altered the facts and the A.D. Police was shown like heroes and saviors. On Sunday, there wasn't any news on TV, so it gave them enough time to edit it on their own. This way, the voomer which ravaged the highway was shown like a dumb beast that was quickly defeated by the officers. The A.D. Police's heroic acts had consisted of saving a girl, a dog and a young woman who were caught in the crossfire and had been at the mercy of the monster.

At this time of disinformation, the unscrupulous Genom Corporation didn't care if a hundred people witnessed the events.  They knew another million people would see it on TV and would believe the truth shown there. Everything was in the hands of the great "corporation". They surged as Japan's saviors after the earthquake in '33. But the "savior" title was nothing but a ruse since they created the chaos and then pretended to control it. Even more disturbing was that the exact reasons for the voomers' violent breakdowns seemed to be a mystery. Additionally, the fact was that the A.D. Police, another creation of Genom's, weren't qualified to handle these incidents either.

*****

Priss slept the whole day Sunday. In this way she calmed the physical exhaustion that she had accumulated after a very intense week. Also it gave her a break from the memories that were constantly haunting her.

Off course, Monday brought back her daily activity again, and with it her own personal hell. Her day started at 2 p.m. when she got up to eat a brunch before heading to the studio for practice.

Her friends were already there and practicing some new tunes.

"Hey! I thought the Earth had swallowed you up!" said Maxon.

Priss' only reply was a little grin. Meanwhile, Jaid couldn't avoid opening his big mouth.

"We saw you on TV Priss! So, the A.D. Police saved your ass from the voomer, huh?"

Priss changed her face's expression. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"They said on the news…"

"Nobody rescued me from nothing. I saved that girl."

"But…"

"I believe you.  You're not the kind of girl who needs to be rescued, and definitely not by those idiots," Fox interrupted.

This was amazing.  Not only had they wanted to arrest her, but they also took all of the credit for what she did. Actually, she didn't care to be recognized as a heroine, but this was where she drew the line.

The anger started to fill her again. She decided not to pay attention and let herself be carried away by the only thing that made her calm down; her music. She practiced the rest of the day and deep into the night.

When she started back towards home, she thought of passing by Nigel's place. She wanted to talk about what happened Saturday night. After all, she had been the one who had run off and as such owed him an explanation. But she didn't know how to start the conversation. Nigel wasn't easy to deal with. He was so quiet and would most likely avoid talking about it anyway. Priss decided not to stop by tonight; it wasn't the right time. However, she realized sooner or later she would have to bring the bike to the garage.

*****

Sylia Stingray had just completed her swimming session and exited the pool. She dried her hair, put on the robe and she went to a room.  Once there, she turned on the light and looked around. The place was spacious with a huge drawing table complete with pencils, rulers and other work related tools. There was a sheet of paper on the table; an evening dress sketch which she had worked on for quite a while. All of the Silky Doll designs were made exclusively by her.

She went to a desktop and took out some rolling sheets.  There, she unfolded it over the table.  It was filled with very detailed plans… technical specs used to build some kind of cybernetic hard suit. She gazed at it for a while before taking a blank sheet, a pencil and starting to draw. But she was surprised to find that what came from the pencil was a face… a female face with a deep look. It was the same woman who captivated her a couple of days ago… the same person who had made her believe again in her goals... the same woman whom sooner or later she would trap and tame for her own use.

She continued to draw and this time concentrated on what she wanted… a brand new hard suit… a new weapon to be used by her inspiring muse.

When she finished, Sylia picked up the phone and made a call.

"Hello, how are you?"

"Ahh, Sylia it's you."

"I have to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"I've decided to go back to business."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"I thought you had given up…"

"Not exactly.  We can say that I'm inspired now."

"…"

"I need your help. I'm working on a new hard suit."

"Do you intend to use it?"

"No."

"Do you know who?"

"Yes. I'd like to show you the project."

"OK."

"I'll wait for you tomorrow night. Is that good?"

"OK."

"See you. Bye."

"Bye."

To be continued…

Author's Note: I really want to thanks to my beta reader Analogk37, who without his help and support this story couldn't be possible.