CHAPTER 4
Nigel had been awake for almost fifteen minutes. In his arms, Priss was still in the midst of a deep sleep. It wasn't his intention to try and wake her up; it was still much too early. More importantly, the calm of her sleep marked by the peaceful rhythm of her breath filled him with an indescribable peace. He couldn't help but stare at her. Her soft skin, the disorderly hair, the bangs partly covering her eyes… but the thing that most caught his attention was the childish face that sleep brought to her. He felt fear, as if he had in his arms some kind of innocent creature stolen from paradise. That image was very different from the determined, violent and passionate woman he knew. After all, Priss was only a child covered with a shell of rudeness. She had been forced to grow up under severe circumstances and through her seventeen year old face showed the premature aging of her soul. It was as if sleep allowed her to change back into her real self, relieved of pressures and anguish, and for just a while she could retrieve her lost innocence. With these thoughts in his mind, Nigel began to caress her hair. His thoughts began to drift leading him to wonder what would happen from now on. He knew the situation wasn't going to get any easier and he feared having to somehow give up his feelings for Priss in order to protect her. The object of his thoughts finally stirred. She woke up aiming him a playful look, turning around so she could be above him. She leaned her head on his chest and stayed that way for a moment while he continued caressing her hair. She raised her head to look at him with her cat like eyes.
"I don't know if I told you last night, but I'll tell you now…I love you."
Nigel smiled, but said nothing. His only action was to pull her into a kiss.
"You didn't say it, but you just proved it."
His questions and fears could be put to the side for a while. The present was too good to risk ruining it now. Apparently, Priss felt the same way. Add to that starting the day making love with the man she was sure she loved… Priss didn't think it could have been any better.
*****
Priss had finally gotten dressed, as she knew she must go soon. Nigel had been working in the garage for the last hour. She really wanted to spend the whole day the same way she started it, but both of them had other duties to fulfill. Before she had fallen asleep, she feared that this was just for one night only and would end there. But events of the morning showed her quite the opposite. All of it indicated the beginning of something very new, and that made her very happy. Happiness…she missed feeling it… even to the point of being afraid of it. However, maybe this time, life had given her a respite. Priss knew she couldn't waste this chance.
Once she was out of the room, she found Nigel busy with his work.
"I have to go now. I want to go home and make sure my trailer is still in one piece."
"What are you going to do tonight?"
The question took her by surprise. After wavering for a while, she finally answered.
"I guess I'll have to practice. I have a concert tomorrow night."
Nigel temporarily stopped what he was doing, stood up and approached her. Priss was still quiet. In her eyes could be read a mix of astonishment and distrust. It was difficult for her to start loving someone again, but her true surprise was that it was for Nigel. She could never imagine such tenderness from the quiet and reserved man.
"And when would you like a replay of last night?"
Priss blushed; she didn't know what to say.
"I…" He didn't let her finish. Slowly, methodically he approached her face, finally stopping with a soft kiss on her lips.
*****
Once at home, and luckily finding it still in one piece, she took a hot shower. It allowed her to relax after a very rough day. She started to work on a new song, which happened to reflect her most recent experiences. All her songs spoke from Priss' own experiences. Her past, her loves and her sorrows, everything she kept in her mind and no one else could access. It was as if Priss was like a kind of riddle whose answer was encrypted in the lyrics of her songs.
The obsessions that had filled her mind for the last few days seemed so foolish. Meeting Nigel at Hot Legs had filled her with fearful questions. She never imagined that after four days she'd be starting a relationship with him. However, her fears weren't for Nigel. She had known him for a very long time. But the memories of the losses of her past made her feel that insecurity once more. Priss knew she wouldn't be able to calm it down for quite a while. Nevertheless, this time she could feel the wound from the past was healing little by little, and perhaps it was the right moment to start fresh once again.
*****
Sylia could be defined as an obsessive woman. When an idea was fixed in her head, she didn't rest until making it come true. Moreover, that obsession was even greater when her personal interests were involved.
The new hardsuit plans were finished and the only thing that was left was the person who would wear it. She knew perfectly well who that would be, but the only problem was that the person in question didn't even suspect it yet.
Where could she start looking for her? She only saw her only a couple of times, but it was enough for that face to stay engraved in her memory. She began to make conclusions starting from what she perceived. From her appearance and attitude, it pointed to someone from the suburbs. The kind of manners, the way she acted, the words she used, it all gave the impression of someone from a lower social strata. Based on that, Sylia deduced that she could be a gang member. Sylia was accustomed to dealing with all kinds of people; many of her contacts were in the lower part of Megalocity. In turn she could ask them to bring her information about this, but she preferred to do it by herself.
The hunting season was open now. She had to explore her prey's habitat. So, that afternoon she decided to go for a walk in Soho Ward. This way she could sniff out the track that would lead to her trophy. Besides being obsessive and calculating, Sylia was also a very lucky woman, or at least luck was on her side this day. The posters that promoted a certain singer were covering the alleys and every free hole. It happened that Hot Legs was one of the most popular nightclubs in Soho Ward and Priss Asagiri was the singer of the moment in that district.
In the beginning, Sylia didn't pay any attention to the posters. She was more focused on the people around her, looking for the right person to talk to. While stopped for a moment waiting to cross the street, she finally took notice of those cat-like eyes plastered in plain view everywhere she looked. That face was unique; it couldn't be a mistake. Even so, she found herself approaching even closer to verify her discovery, magnetically drawn to those eyes.
"At last I've found you! …Priss…"
Reflexively, she looked for the cell phone in her bag and dialed a number in memory. The image of a dark man quickly appeared on the small screen.
"Hello Nigel."
"Hi Sylia."
"Do you remember the sketch I showed you the other day?"
"Yes."
"I finished the final designs, but I'd like for you to check it over."
"Fine."
"What do you think about tonight?"
"Sorry, I can't."
"What! What do you mean?"
"I must do some work for tomorrow and I'm getting paid in cash."
"I can offer you something more than payment by cash and you know it…"
"I'm sorry Sylia."
"It's OK! Do whatever you want! We'll talk tomorrow."
She hung up the phone without even saying goodbye. Now her plans needed to be modified. The fact that Nigel wasn't available when she needed him made her very angry… Sylia didn't want to hurl blindly at her prey without her trap fully ready…
*****
She didn't know how to explain it, but she was extremely happy. She was with Nigel for the night, but she didn't stay to sleep. She needed to be home early. The time she would have to take action was coming soon. Nigel promised her that he'd go to the concert that night, and that was what made her so happy. Now, not only would she be singing to feel alive, she'd sing for him too.
Priss knew pretty well that the Friday crowd was very different from the one on Saturday. Friday always brought more "civilized" people as Maxon called them or "bored" in Jaid's terms. These people were the same as the young from the center of Tokyo who preferred to have fun in the suburbs. Even so, she had many fans among them, and they were a very demanding audience. In addition, there was even the possibility of some executive from a recording company putting his eyes on her. Knowing that Nigel would be there supporting her made Priss feel stronger, just as in the old times when Hiroshi was there.
The night passed quickly, the public acted as euphoric as ever and Priss gave them the very best of her. But something had clouded her joy from the very beginning; Nigel wasn't there. Priss started to worry and imagining many horrible things. Once the show ended, she decided to go and check out the garage. When she arrived, she found all the lights out and the garage locked up just like before when she stayed the whole night waiting for him. It was strange… maybe he had an emergency. She tried to hold her thoughts in check before her fears returned to drive her mad. She finally headed off on the raod back home. Exhausted from the concert, she decided to try and get some sleep… resolving to clarify the cloudy situation when she had more time and energy to worry about it…
*****
Sylia woke up checking the clock on the bedside table; it was 4 am. She was thirsty and her throat felt dry. She carefully got up, cautious not to wake the person next to her. She went to the kitchen for a cold glass of water.
She had suffered through some disturbing dreams for most of the night. Deranged voomers she was fighting… and that woman…those eyes…but this time her admiration and obsession morphed into fear... as if the face revealed in her nightmares was an omen of something evil to come. She returned to the room and went to bed again, trying to forget those upsetting images. The man who was lying on the bed turned his back to her. She lay next to him and passed her arm across his body. She started to kiss his back while caressing his chest.
"Nigel, I know you're not sleeping."
In fact, he had been awake since she got up. However, his mind was in another place… with someone else. He turned around to see into her face so he could respond to her caress and kisses. He knew what she was looking for and what she wanted from him. He had no choice but to try and please her…
*****
The cell phone started to ring. Priss woke up thinking that it was the alarm clock. When she noticed that it was the phone, she jumped from the bed to look for it in her jacket's pocket. She was still very sleepy and didn't notice whom the number was from.
"Hi."
"Priss?"
"Nigel?!"
"Yes."
"…"
"Sorry about last night. I couldn't go see you; I had to work late and…"
"Don't waste your time inventing some stupid excuse. I was in the garage after the show ended and you weren't even there."
"Maybe I was sleeping. I was very tired."
"Whatever."
She hung up the line and tossed the phone on the bed with anger. She felt disappointed, almost like she had been taken as a fool. It was obvious that he wasn't at home and for some reason he was lying to her. She didn't have the right to put her nose in Nigel's life, but what really bothered her was that someone had played with her feelings.
*****
The play list for the show wasn't changed very much from the previous night. Even so, the band still wanted to eliminate a couple of the ballads and replace them with more lively songs. It wasn't long before they had to go on stage. Priss, Jaid and Fox were waiting in the room that served as dressing room and lounge. Each one was into their element; Fox practiced some cords in his bass, Jaid followed the rhythm with an invisible drum and Priss revised the new lyrics. Maxon strode in and decided to catch on with his guitar.
"Priss, a guy wants to see you."
"Who?"
"It's the same guy that was talking with you the other day. He insists on seeing you now. So, are you gonna bring him in here or see him outside?"
Priss tried not to care that Nigel wanted to see her before the show. She started to think about how little she really knew about this man. Certainly the abrupt way in which she had ended the telephone call earlier would have irritated him, though. She felt guilty, because she had acted like some kind of brat and now she needed to face the consequences. Fear could be distinctly read all across her face. She walked out into the hallway as if she was marching to her death, thinking how deep Nigel's anger would be.
"Are you still angry?" he asked first, with a calm voice.
"Maybe…"
Watching him so unconcerned calmed her down and chased away her fears. She stood up with the tip of her toes to reach Nigel's face and kiss him on his cheek. It was her way to forgive him and apologize herself, but she didn't want to be more explicit in a public place. Nigel read her intentions and, acting quickly, kissed her lips before she could react. The embrace and kiss weren't long, but still long enough for the rest of Sekiria to exit the room and start ogling them. Maxon cleared his throat to make them aware of his presence. Priss left Nigel but couldn't help the bright blush all over her cheeks.
"Make sure your fans don't see you like this or you'll break all their hearts," said Maxon.
"Or even worse, they could take pictures of you and publish them all over the internet," added Jaid. The two jokesters shook hands with both laughing heartily.
"Shut up!"
"It's ok Priscilla, don't get mad. But at least you could have told us you have a new boyfriend!"
Priss' face was redder than a tomato. It was more anger than embarrassment, however. Everything came out so suddenly and she didn't want to make public her private life. Even though the band was the only real friends she had, sometimes it was still much better they didn't know certain things. Nigel couldn't help but smile; he knew all too well about Priss' bad temper.
Fox stood quietly, not amused by the situation. Everyone headed out on stage; it was show time. Nigel noticed Fox's presence. He had known him for a long time. They had shared some common friends but had never been very communicative to each other. Fox was part of Hiro's gang for a while and they had always taken their bikes to Nigel's garage.
"Congratulations buddy. Seems that you were successful taming the beast. I thought Hiro was the only with that particular talent."
Nigel followed him with his eyes and said nothing. The meanings of that comment ran very deep and he feared putting Priss in a difficult situation as a result…
*****
The concert went off as usual with the hordes of people thrashing along with every song. Priss' lyrics mesmerized her fans, inviting them to her complete rapture. She seduced them with her voice and her sensual movements.
Apart from that euphoric multitude, a lone person stared with interest at the spectacle. She allowed herself to be seduced by the goddess on stage. Sylia Stingray knew she was on foreign ground; she was most definitely an outsider in this place. But she knew pretty well how to camouflage herself. So, in order to be the huntress looking for her prey, she morphed into one of the many preys herself. The leather clothes she had chosen for the occasion were suited perfectly to the place and the circumstances, but they didn't go unnoticed by the males that began to surround her.
Sylia acted with ease and didn't care what was happening around her. Priss' concert ended and it was the right moment to look for a drink so she could obtain some information about the singer. When she was close to the bar, she thought for a moment that she saw someone she knew. Logic tried to convince her it was impossible, that this person couldn't be here. However, when she was finally ready to order her drink, she found that sometimes logic couldn't be applied to everything.
"Nigel?!"
With the hustle and bustle of the club, the man couldn't hear her exclamation. Besides, his thoughts were full of someone else at that moment… Sylia reached out and touched his shoulder, returning him to reality. When he looked at her, it took him a few seconds to recognize her dressed in that manner. It wasn't common to see her with platted hair and a leather cap. And though she was a woman who used all kind of clothes, the leather miniskirt, corset and jacket, all combined with a black boots was very unusual for her, at least until that moment.
"Sylia?"
"Nigel, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you."
"Umm, we can say I'm here for business. But you…"
"I just came here to have a little bit of fun."
"The next time, we can come to have fun together, don't you think?" Sylia took him by the arm while her head lay on his shoulder. Nigel wanted to get away from her very soon. He knew that if Priss appeared at that moment, things would turn ugly… very ugly...
"I have to go."
"So soon? Nigel, stay here for a while. We can go together."
"I just came here for a beer. I'm tired now."
"It seems like you don't want to be with me," she replied with a certain bitterness in her tone.
"It's not that," he evaded. "If you need something, call me. See you."
"Bye Nigel."
The man managed to lose himself in the crowd and began frantically looking for Priss, who already was in the dressing room. Meanwhile, Sylia asked for a whisky and waited there. It wasn't long before someone swallowed the bait and sat down next to her. The fun was just beginning.
*****
Nigel knocked on the dressing room door where Priss and her band were resting, Maxon opened it and wasn't surprised to see him.
"Ah, you're here. Come in."
Actually, it wasn't his intention to interrupt them. He wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation with Fox.
"I'll just wait right here."
"Hey, Priss your boyfriend is waiting for you."
Obviously, that comment caused Maxon and Jaid to start laughing hysterically. Fox just stood serious while Priss had smoking pouring out of her ears. She went to the hall flustered but still noticed Nigel was worried about something.
"What's wrong?"
"I have to go."
"Now? I thought you'd wait for me."
"It's…"
"Then, I'll go with you."
She picked up her stuff and said good-bye to her pals.
"Wait. Is there another exit besides the main door?"
"Yeah, the alley door. Why?"
"I don't like the people out there today. It's not safe for you."
Priss didn't care about the drunks who bothered her, but she really appreciated Nigel's concern about her safety.
"It's OK. We can go out there or we can wait here for a while. There's nobody in here." Priss went to a room that was empty. Here, they could be alone without anyone from Sekiria bothering them. Nigel didn't care where they went. He just wanted to get away from Sylia.
*****
"Hi babe!" a guy dressed in black with a large overcoat sat next to Sylia.
"Do I know you?"
"No, but it might be a good idea to get to know each other, don't you think?"
Sylia didn't say a word and kept drinking. She was laughing to herself, thinking how easily they were falling for her.
"You're new here, aren't you? It's the first time I've seen you," the guy continued.
"Yeah, I came here looking for something, for someone…"
"Maybe I can help you in your search. My name is Takeshi and I know every soul in this place."
"Well Takeshi, so I presume you know Priss."
"I wish… well yeah, I know who is she, but y'know what I mean. I've seen all her concerts… every weekend, but she's untouchable."
"What do you mean?"
"She's not an easy girl."
"You know something about her?"
"What everybody knows…she's seventeen, was a gang member, she's a pretty good fighter and has a really bad temper. She's the girl of my dreams…"
"Do you have some pictures of her?"
"That's my specialty babe."
"Could you show me?"
"Of course. Hey, are you… a fan of her or… you wanna …have a date with her?"
"Lets just say both might be true…"
"Geez…I never thought that a beauty like you could be a girl of that kind…If you want pictures I can give them to you for a very good price." He took an envelope from his overcoat and gave it to her with caution. Sylia took it and put it in her jacket.
"Do you accept all kinds of payment?" Sylia's suggestive tone was very stimulating.
"Of course babe!"
"How much?"
"10,000 yen and I can give you her e-mail address and the address of where she practices." He took a napkin from the bar and wrote everything on it.
"Here you go."
Sylia passed him some bills and the guy counted them quickly.
"Well, we have 6,000 here…"
"… and we can negotiate the rest after having a little fun." Sylia asked for another whisky. Suddenly a hand started to slide on her leg under the skirt.
"And just what do you think you are doing?"
"Taking an advance on what you owe me."
*****
The room was wide, a dressing room that wasn't frequently used. Priss used to go here when she wanted to be alone before a show. However, this time was different. She didn't want to go just yet. She wanted to be with Nigel without any interruption or trouble. Hot Legs didn't close until very early in the morning, and this place was more inviting than her own home. She felt as if everything she needed was right here.
It had been almost an hour since they had decided to take refuge. They were sitting down on the sofa, hugging each other in silence. Words weren't needed. It had been a long time since she shared that kind of peace with anyone, perhaps since she was last with Hiroshi. Occasionally a kiss or caress interrupted the calm silence.
"Do you want to go?"
"If you want to." Nigel was still worried about the fact that Sylia was in the same place. He couldn't figure out what impulsive reasons brought her to be here.
"And what will we do once we get out of here?" Priss' question led on to a certain decision.
"Whatever you want."
"Mmm, really?" She started shyly kissing him… and then she encouraged him even more. Nigel knew exactly where she wanted to go and decided to follow her lead.
"Do you want continue this in another place?"
"That's not a bad idea." Priss stood up, grabbed her jacket and was ready to go.
"Come, let's get out of here by the side door."
"You have your bike?"
"No, the guys brought me in the van."
"Well, then we'll go on my bike."
When they were in the hall, they heard some voices from the next room; Sekiria's remaining group was still there. Even though the alley was dark, Priss still noticed that somebody was there. That didn't surprise her; there were always couples hiding in the dark for intimacy… or perhaps consuming illegal substances. In fact, in the shadows a couple seemed to be having fun right then. Priss and Nigel quickly left to look for the bike.
*****
Sylia was very busy with her own issues at the moment. In addition, the eight whiskies she had drunk were taking their toll as well. Otherwise, she might have been aware that her lover and her prey were running away together in the same alley where she was "clinching a deal". She had decided to pay her debt in a very special way, and her informant didn't oppose at all. It was clear that the alcohol had played an important role in her actions; even so, it wasn't the only thing responsible. But everything had its limit. She felt probing hands trying to open their way under her clothes, and the endless kiss was becoming more violent and oppressive. Thus, she then decided that she had paid her debt in full. Sylia was finally able to break away for just an instant.
"That's enough honey."
"What are you saying babe? I'm only getting started." Takeshi was ready to undo his pants when Sylia pushed him away.
"I really appreciate your information. If I'd need something more, I'll be in touch with you." Trying to recover her bearings, she cleaned up her clothes and said good-bye to him blowing a kiss.
*****
The ring of the phone burst into the quiet Sunday morning, violently waking up the couple who had been in a very deep sleep. Nigel got up to pick up the phone while Priss was swearing, still half-asleep.
Nigel had a small suspicion of whom it might be.
"Hello."
"Nigel, I'll need your help."
"For what?"
"I want to make some improvements to my hardsuit, and I want to start testing the new one."
"Is it urgent?"
"I don't want to waste any more time."
"When do you want me to come over?"
"Whenever you can."
"I'll be there tomorrow."
"Fine."
"Bye."
"Bye."
He hung up and walked back to bed. Priss was completely awake now.
"What happened?"
"Just some work I have to do."
"Now?"
"No. Don't worry, keep sleeping."
"He kissed her on the forehead and succeeded in distracting her from the question that started to scratch on dangerous ground.
*****
The finished plans of the new hardsuit were lying on the drawing table. Sylia looked it over and over again and tried to imagine Priss wearing her creation, fighting for her cause.
Henderson announced Nigel's arrival through the intercom. When he came into the room, Sylia showed a very upsetting cheerfulness.
"Nigel, I'm very glad to see you! Look, I showed you these plans the other day. I made some changes, so I'd like you to start working on these."
Nigel looked at the plans carefully.
"Sylia, you don't have the person who will wear it yet. Do you want to repeat the same mistakes as before?"
"No, this time will be different. I know who this person will be."
"That's what you always used to say. I think this person is only in your mind."
"You're wrong." Sylia took an envelope that was on the drawing table.
"Here you go," she added while placing Priss' pictures on the table.
Nigel gazed at the pictures and felt a knife stab his heart. So Priss was Sylia's new guinea pig, or at least was who she wanted. He tried to hide his surprise from Sylia's eyes or she'd start to ask questions.
"Priss?"
"Do you know her?"
"Yes…no…I've seen her at Hot Legs a couple of times. She's the girl who sings there."
"That's right. She's the perfect girl. Her attitude, her temper. She's beautiful as well, don't you think?"
"But, what makes you think she'll accept?"
"Believe me, she'll do it. I noticed she had a certain hate for voomers and the A.D. Police."
"And how do you know this?"
"I've seen her in action. She saved a little girl from a mad voomer, and she didn't care about hitting a police officer. She's very impulsive."
Nigel knew nothing about that, but everything Sylia was saying was suited perfectly with Priss' profile.
"Well, so you're going to start working on Priss' hardsuit, right?"
"I think you should talk to her about being a member of the Knight Sabers first."
"Umm…yes. I'm waiting for the right moment. But I think I'll need your help."
"I don't want to get involved in this."
"Why? Are you afraid of her? I just need you to show her the way to me. I'll take care of the rest."
*****
The mission Sylia gave him wasn't easy. He knew what it meant to be a Knight Saber and he didn't want to let Priss risk her life carrying out Sylia's revengeful desires. He arrived at the garage and found Priss waiting for him there.
"About time you came!"
"Priss…"
"There was a mad voomer near Hot Legs. The A.D. Police were ridiculous as always. Y'know what? If I could, I want to kick a voomer's ass and then sell it back to Genom as trash."
Priss' comments couldn't be more appropriate.
"And what happened with your work?"
"I don't know if I'll accept it yet." Nigel placed his arm around Priss' waist as they walked together into the garage.
To be continued…
Author note: Well, this chapter is more longer than the others, and I'm working in the fith right now. I want to thank to my beta readear Analogk37, without his help it wasn't the same. And the feedback will be welcome as always. ^_^