Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash
Author: LV426
Chapter 10: Secondary Objectives
Sylia listened half-heartedly as the voice over the intercom announced the plain would begin the final descent in a few moments. Soon she would be back in MegaTokyo, and though it would be good to see her friends again, she couldn't ignore the reason she was coming home.
Sylia couldn't help but smile to herself. Mackie had asked her to join him in Germany, and she had accepted, yet it was only because he pushed her to stop and have lunch that she finally did. Who's project was this becoming? She laughed to herself quietly while sipping her tea, genuinely amused, though Mackie probably thought her insane for it.
When the phone rang, she didn't even get a chance to stand before she heard her brother yelling from the computer, "I've got it." His voice lowered as he spoke on the phone, though he probably understood that it didn't stop Sylia from being able to hear some of it anyway. "...Linna?... Man, it's good to hear from you. Hey, how's Nene doing?"
Sylia had to chuckle to herself at that point. As much as he probably would not admit it, at least not to his sister, Mackie would love that one to get more serious. For her part, she wouldn't worry about it too much, but the idea of Mackie going with one of her Knight Sabers was a slight bit troubling, mainly cause if something happened to her, she didn't want to see her little brother crushed. Still, over all, this was a small concern as of yet.
Mackie's tone of voice brought her back to the present again. "Sylia? You... have a call." His voice was shocked. Whatever she had missed must have hit him hard.
"Alright, I'll take it in here," she complied, her voice not masking her concerns. With the fluidity that anyone who knew her would expect, she got up and walked to the phone, picking it up and bringing it to her face in one motion. "You can hang up now, Mackie," she added, knowing he may be more of an adult now, but he would still eve's drop if he could.
What Linna had told her that night had absolutely floored her; the night before she got the call, the man who once accompanied Vision had arrived at Linna's door and demanded to meet the Knight Sabers. Linna was too shaken up to ask the reason for the meeting, but Sylia had no doubts that she would know soon enough.
Sylia looked out the window once more as they approached the runway. While others who had obviously been afraid to fly from the start showed relief in their faces at being on the ground, she only sighed and waited for the plane to stop and be given permission to get up and leave the plane. Within moments, her wait was over, and she left in the throng of passengers into the airport.
It was while she waiting for her bags that she felt a hand tapping her on the shoulder. A look in that direction revealed it was a depressed looking Linna that had grabbed her attention. Still, Sylia couldn't help but smile a little. After all, it had been a long time since she had seen her friend and fellow saber. "Hello, Linna," she began, her tone as it always is. She wanted to say more, but something kept her from doing so.
"Hi..." Linna's voice was low and as depressed as her expression. "Sorry you had to come over like this."
A hand on Linna's shoulder and a re-assuring smile was all Sylia needed to use right away. "It's alright. Whatever the reason all this is happening, we will fix it." She looked away a moment, looking to see if the others were also here. It didn't take long to spot Nene, who was leaning against the wall near the doorway. She was looking down at the ground in a manner that suggested a depression much like Linna's. Considering what she was told a week ago, that didn't surprise Sylia. However, something else caught her eye; not so much what she did see as who she did not. "Linna?" she asked with concern in her voice, "Where is Priss?"
* * *
It had driven at well over 400 Khm/h to get to it's destination before ceasing to function, but it still made it, none the less. But that was about a week ago. Since then, Dr. Miriam Yoshida had been hard at work. Now it rested in a repair pod across the lab from the scientist.
Miriam grunted to himself. His words unheard by anyone, as he continued to repair the one of the limbs of his creation. As much as he would have liked more up-to-date lab to work in, he had to admit to himself that this place was incredible... especially for the times that it was active... well before almost all of the complex went sky-high.
He smirked to himself on that note. "Damn that bastard knows how to work," he grunted once more, though now a bit more audible. The man he spoke of was not there, however. In fact, they had never met face to face. While he was imprisoned, the man given him a phone call... a phone call that would start him down this path.
He had been in jail for a week. His trial had been incredibly fast, and now he was going to serve for life. And why? Because somehow those bitches had found a weakness in his creations. How they had done it, he couldn't begin to fathom. They were perfect, and should have won in all rights.
Still, that was the past and now he didn't have much chance of doing anything more... ADP can be quite pissy when you were going to destroy their headquarters. That brought a smile to his face, as he wished he had started that sooner. Maybe they he could have had his revenge.
His thoughts were interrupted as a guard called out in disgust. "Yoshida!" Miriam looked up at him from his seat, but didn't move. "Listen, asshole, you have a phone call. I suggest you take it."
With a grunt, Miriam got up and went to the door. The guard opened the door and guided him to the booth. Of course the bastards would listen in on him, but he didn't care. They were stupid and whatever they heard would be of no consequence... well, he didn't think so, anyway. But he just didn't know who would call him out of the blue like this.
"Ah, so I finally reach you, professor," the voice almost cooed, leaving Miriam a little intrigued.
"Yeah, its me," he still had his annoyance of being here in the first place in his voice, "Now what the hell do you want from me."
"Now, now... that's no way to treat a fan... especially one who wants the same thing as you..." the voice trailed off.
"What are you talking about?"
"A hypothetical question, if you were to get out of that cell, what would you do with yourself?" Miriam was silent... he already knew the answer, he would kill that bastard McNichol for putting him in here in the first place, and he got the very creepy feeling the voice on the other end knew it. The voice went on after a moment, "Lets find out... please call me in two weeks... that should give you enough time to find an apartment and settle in," the voice dropped the almost patronizing tone and the last words were almost a command. "Talk to you then, professor." The phone was dead.
It had taken about three days after that everything had set into motion; first he was released from jail with a pre-paid taxi waiting, then it dropped him off at the apartment where he now resided. Money had been taken care of too, as his account had enough money to get what he needed in terms of food, a car, and a few accommodations.
Still it wasn't all free and he knew it. A second call had come, and directed him here, where he was now working. At last the man revealed the true goal, and a name... Brian was out for revenge as much as he was, and though he didn't have the building power himself, he did have the deep pockets to supply Miriam with everything he needed. A small smile spread across the professor's face as he continued to work. Yes, the officer had made a few very powerful enemies... and now he had paid the final price for it.
* * *
Linna's van came to the normal slow stop at the front of the hospital, but the look on the faces of her and her two passengers betrayed the hurry they were all in. Nene was practically running through the parking-lot, Linna and Sylia a little bit behind, but not walking slow either. The only reason that Linna wasn't running was the fact that despite the briskness of her step, Sylia refused to break into a run as well. Even now, she forced control over herself.
Still, it didn't take them long to reach the elevator, and after a ride upwards that felt much longer than it really could be, they were making their way to one of the hospital rooms. The door was closed, and Sylia gave it a gentle knock, only her eyes betraying her concern.
A voice answered within, "Go away."
Sylia couldn't help but smile a little... no matter what happened, Priss would always be Priss. "Are you sure you want us to go, Priss?"
Dead silence for a moment, which in Sylia's mind, was the hint to open the door. Inside, she found the room was pretty much untouched. Priss was sitting up on her hospital bed, a medical gown on, and a pissed off look on her face. There was a TV playing something that was angles do only Priss could see what it was, and an empty bed on the other side of the room. All these details were secondary to Sylia, though, as she looked right in Priss' eyes. All she saw was pain and rage. "Hello, Priss," she tried in her most cordial manner.
Priss, however, was not going to have any of it right now. "Shut up. I don't need to hear the pity speeches from you."
Sylia sighed. This was exactly what she expected, but she still had to try. "I'm sorry about your loss..." she left it at that, the daggers in her fellow Knight Saber's eyes telling her going on would be the worst move she could possibly make. The silence got uncomfortable after a moment.
Linna was the one to get up the courage to break it. "Um... Sylia? How should we handle..."
Sylia waved her off. This was not the time or place to talk shop-talk. "Priss, I know your still healing, but there is a good possibility we will have to go to work again very soon. Do you think you can do it?"
Priss didn't even look back, "What's the deal?"
"Quite possibly the one who did this to you, from what Linna has told me already."
Priss froze solid before slowly looking up, absolute disgust in her face. "When and where?"
Sylia smiled and put a patronizing hand on Priss' shoulder. "Don't worry about that now... first you get better. Nene tells me they put a synthetic muscle in your calf?"
Priss laughed quietly. "Yeah. I should be able to leave anytime, but they insist on an 'observation period.' I think they're afraid I'll rip out the useless scrap of metal when they aren't looking."
Sylia looked at her apologetically, and well aware that the expression was only driving Priss' inner anger. "You wont be here much longer, I promise you that." She turned to the other two Knight Sabers, who were watching the discussion, neither feeling they should get involved. "Linna? Could you please get the car started? I have to make that call, and it would be better if I do so from home."
Linna nodded and jogged out the door, bringing a smirk to Priss' face. Sylia always was all business. Then her face softened. After all, Sylia didn't have to come see her, much less care about her condition. "Sylia?"
The woman called turned to face Priss once more, her usual confidence in place like she had never left MegaTokyo. "Yes?"
"Thanks for stopping by."
"Well of course I would. I just wish I knew before I left Germany... I would have been here several days ago."
Priss allowed herself a slightly sadistic grin. "Just be sure to wait for me to take this bastard down. It's personal now."
Sylia nodded, "And you be sure to behave for the doctors till I can bring you home."
Priss rolled her eyes, though there was a smile on her face, perhaps the first one since the day her world went to hell a week ago. "If I must..."
* * *
Miriam re-attached the arm he was working on and wiped his brow. Looking at his creation, he was satisfied with the day's work. So far, he had repaired all the major systems and almost all the minor ones that needed it. That arm was the last real functional detail that needed work, but now came the hardest part... he had to repair the cosmetic side of the boomer. It had to look human. Miriam sighed and leaned on a wall as his stomach grumbled.
"Before I do anything else, though, I need to eat," he said to himself. He had skipped breakfast to get to work in the lab early, as inspiration had hit him. Now he was paying the price of it late in the afternoon. "Ah, what the hell, I'm almost done fixing you, it's not like we didn't already get the job done, right?" he spoke like it was to an old friend as he gentle patted the boomer's bared metallic head. "See you tomorrow, my friend. We will then finish everything." He smiles as he looked down on the optical systems. "Then you and I have a few more personal jobs to do... then we can really have some fun."
On that final note, he turned around and walked out the door, leaving everything on. After all, who would come looking for him in the assumed to be destroyed Wiz-Labs? Yes indeed, Brian knew exactly what he was doing when he set all this up.
* * *
Kou waited patiently in a booth towards the back of the restaurant. From there, he had a clear view of both the bar and the entrance next to it. He leaned back and took a moment to relax, never letting that door leave his perephial vision. When the right person came in, he would know.
The lead Knight Saber, he didn't have a name on her yet, seemed very intelligent, and losing a member of a team when you only have four would be a crippling blow to the team. He doubted he could kill someone who proved a true friend to Reika, but he didn't have much challenge in making it look like it. Besides, he could still end the Knight Sabers by leaking the information if they didn't help, and he was sure this didn't escape the armored woman he had spoken to on the phone that afternoon.
He let his eyes wander to the clock for a moment, and realized how late it was getting. Linna would be here any moment to take him to meet the team. All he had to do was wait and sip his soda. The last part wasn't something he really wanted, but he thought he best at least drink something if he wanted to blend in.
For the most part, Linna was on time. Kou watched her walk in and with a nod stood up. He watched as her eyes locked on him, with both worry and relief. "Makes sense," he though, "after all, I could well destroy her." He didn't even smile at the idea as he paid the tab for the drink at the bar then approached Linna.
"Are you ready?" His voice was calm and steady as was the nearly impassive look in his eyes.
Linna nodded. "My van is right outside. We best get moving. She doesn't like being kept waiting if it can't be helped." The last part was more to say something then it was to speak the truth. Sylia would understand if it took time and Linna knew it well, but she just couldn't bring herself to delay this... or she might lose the nerve to complete this.
Kou, for his part, didn't seem to notice. With a nod, began to stride to the door, "Then lets get moving. I, too, don't want to keep waiting any longer than I need to."
* * *
Nightfall came and Dr. Miriam Yoshida still didn't return to the lab. Instead, everything buzzed and hummed as they would without human intervention. If one wasn't paying close attention, they would miss the low buzz of a network connection Miriam had gained plans for some of the parts of his boomer buzzing to life, followed by the whir of a few extra small motors.
The screen to the left of the boomer's holding chamber continued to display different statistical information on the boomer and how each part was behaving, but now showed a large spike in memory activity. Another screen nearby scrolled though a series of binary coding far too fast for the human eye to read as more than a mess; and after a few seconds, just as suddenly as it had all started, the lab was silent again as if nothing every happened.
* * *
They reached their destination relatively quickly, and Kou realized he should have predicted the location of the meeting. Where else would a fully armored techno-vigilante be unnoticed, but the fault? There was a lot of junk here, not all of it of the non-technological nature, and few paid the place any attention. As Linna removed the keys, Kou was already stepping out of the van and looking around.
No sooner had both gotten out then the silver Knight Saber made her appearance. Kou smiled a little. This was going to work very well indeed. "We finally meet in person," he commented, as much observation as a greeting.
"As I agreed to. Now, what is it that you want of us?" her voice was calm and controlled, not what Kou was expecting. However, if this young woman was very business like, all the better.
"First of all, you can bring the others out of hiding. I come unarmed as I also agreed, and I know you wouldn't come alone."
Before anyone could say anything more, a higher voice was heard. "Damn right she wouldn't. I wasn't about to let you take advantage of a young woman all alone in the middle of the night!" The red Knight Saber jumped clear of her hiding place under the ledge and landed next to her leader.
Kou was shocked. No one in all his life had ever accused him of something so vile, and the anger flashed across his face, but the leader put an arm across her team-mate... a suggestion to be quiet, which Kou also took. Instead, he went on to business. "That makes one, where is the blue one?"
"Away on her own business," the leader responded curtly. Obviously this was not up for debate or questioning.
Kou nodded understanding. "Very well then. I wished to offer you a job."
The leader's voice gave nothing away. "Go on."
"I'm sure you heard about Ms. Vision's death, have you not?"
"Of course."
"I have inside sources that tell me the killer was a boomer. I want you to catch it for me... with the memory still functioning if you can."
"What do you intend to do with it?"
Kou allowed a flash of his own inner rage at the whole situation, "I will find the bastard who made it and from them, get the name of the one who ordered the death of Vision."
"So you simply want revenge, is that it?" The Knight Saber shook her head. "I'm sorry, but this is not the kind of job we take on. We may do a lot of things, but simple vengeance is not one of them."
"Even if I reveal Linna to the world?"
"I don't think you will," Sylia's confident smile could be practically seen through the helmet. "You couldn't bring yourself to hurt her, on behalf of your mutual friend. I am truly sorry for your loss, but I must still decline the job."
Kou stood there a moment, Linna still within five feet watching him. For once, his front was crumbled... the silver Knight Saber had just called his bluff perfectly. He may have his duty, but he cared too much for the one he lost to even begin to hurt a friend of hers that much. However, that front returned quickly as he spoke again to the now walking away Knight Sabers. "This has gone beyond simple vengeance in the week it took to get this meeting."
Linna looked him in the eye as the lead saber once again stopped, though she didn't turn to face him. It was Linna who spoke. "What do you mean by that?"
"The boomer is apparently on a killing spree now."
Linna's eyes went wide, and the lead once again marched forward. "Explain."
"Before I came to visit Linna a week ago, I sent someone else to gather information on the boomer. He came back while I waited to setup this meeting with disturbing evidence that the boomer isn't done yet. The man who I am taking over this job for is now dead along with several others that were in the facility, and Leon McNichols is also dead. A Ms. Asagiri, had my man not intervened, would now be dead as well."
Dead silence followed for the next thirty seconds, and Kou knew he had this deal in the bag. Apparently, something was going on that, though he didn't know the details, stumbling across would help him do his task. The first to talk was the red saber. "It couldn't be..."
Again, the leader silenced her, but this time, the results were quite different. "How much does the job pay?"
"What do you need?"
"Five million yen up front," the tone was cold, like she was just throwing a number out there, "We usually charge more, but this is a job that can not be ignored."
"Done. It will be wired into an account Linna will determine and call me up on tomorrow."
"Very good... and one more thing..."
"Yes?"
"Your contact? Who is it? We may need to talk to them for information on this boomer."
Kou nodded, "Of course. His name is Astis..."
* * *
Morning came and Miriam walked into the lab with a spring in his step. He had had more fun then was probably legal, but he needed to get out of the lab. He may consider himself the best at building these things, but he still had to be human once in a while to. "Well, my son, how was your night?" He smirked at his creation.
A moment later, he had the lab coat on and pushed a few buttons. The motor systems he finished up the night before whirred to life once more. "Now, lets see how everything is doing with a few stress tests..." He undid the restraints holding the boomer to the table.
For it's part, the boomer didn't say anything, it just sat up obediently. Miriam watched as the display before him showed how the parts were behaving. "Good, now straighten your legs..."
The boomer got off the table and looked at him.
"What do you think your doing? I said straighten your legs."
The boomer approached. It's voice was flat. "Secondary objective continuing: Eliminate all loose ends."
A familiar voice spoke over the com speaker of the room. "That means you, Doctor."
"Brian?" Miriam near fell as he back as quickly as he could against the opposite wall from his boomer. "What? What the hell is this about?"
"A simple question, with a simple answer. You had loose ends to remove when you sent this unit out before, now I have a loose end to destroy... namely you." The door slammed closed with the computer lock sliding in place. "You see, aside from you, no one knows I exist, and I cant have myself revealed until I'm ready."
Miriam shook as he drew his gun, pointing it at the boomer. "You bastard. I wont let you kill me like this!" He shot at the boomer approaching, and watched as the bullets seemed to freeze in place before hitting. The shocked looked on his face only lasted another second before his head was jerked violently to the side. His neck snapped and he slumped lifelessly on the ground.
"You don't have a choice," Brian finished.
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash
Author: LV426
Chapter 10: Secondary Objectives
Sylia listened half-heartedly as the voice over the intercom announced the plain would begin the final descent in a few moments. Soon she would be back in MegaTokyo, and though it would be good to see her friends again, she couldn't ignore the reason she was coming home.
Sylia couldn't help but smile to herself. Mackie had asked her to join him in Germany, and she had accepted, yet it was only because he pushed her to stop and have lunch that she finally did. Who's project was this becoming? She laughed to herself quietly while sipping her tea, genuinely amused, though Mackie probably thought her insane for it.
When the phone rang, she didn't even get a chance to stand before she heard her brother yelling from the computer, "I've got it." His voice lowered as he spoke on the phone, though he probably understood that it didn't stop Sylia from being able to hear some of it anyway. "...Linna?... Man, it's good to hear from you. Hey, how's Nene doing?"
Sylia had to chuckle to herself at that point. As much as he probably would not admit it, at least not to his sister, Mackie would love that one to get more serious. For her part, she wouldn't worry about it too much, but the idea of Mackie going with one of her Knight Sabers was a slight bit troubling, mainly cause if something happened to her, she didn't want to see her little brother crushed. Still, over all, this was a small concern as of yet.
Mackie's tone of voice brought her back to the present again. "Sylia? You... have a call." His voice was shocked. Whatever she had missed must have hit him hard.
"Alright, I'll take it in here," she complied, her voice not masking her concerns. With the fluidity that anyone who knew her would expect, she got up and walked to the phone, picking it up and bringing it to her face in one motion. "You can hang up now, Mackie," she added, knowing he may be more of an adult now, but he would still eve's drop if he could.
What Linna had told her that night had absolutely floored her; the night before she got the call, the man who once accompanied Vision had arrived at Linna's door and demanded to meet the Knight Sabers. Linna was too shaken up to ask the reason for the meeting, but Sylia had no doubts that she would know soon enough.
Sylia looked out the window once more as they approached the runway. While others who had obviously been afraid to fly from the start showed relief in their faces at being on the ground, she only sighed and waited for the plane to stop and be given permission to get up and leave the plane. Within moments, her wait was over, and she left in the throng of passengers into the airport.
It was while she waiting for her bags that she felt a hand tapping her on the shoulder. A look in that direction revealed it was a depressed looking Linna that had grabbed her attention. Still, Sylia couldn't help but smile a little. After all, it had been a long time since she had seen her friend and fellow saber. "Hello, Linna," she began, her tone as it always is. She wanted to say more, but something kept her from doing so.
"Hi..." Linna's voice was low and as depressed as her expression. "Sorry you had to come over like this."
A hand on Linna's shoulder and a re-assuring smile was all Sylia needed to use right away. "It's alright. Whatever the reason all this is happening, we will fix it." She looked away a moment, looking to see if the others were also here. It didn't take long to spot Nene, who was leaning against the wall near the doorway. She was looking down at the ground in a manner that suggested a depression much like Linna's. Considering what she was told a week ago, that didn't surprise Sylia. However, something else caught her eye; not so much what she did see as who she did not. "Linna?" she asked with concern in her voice, "Where is Priss?"
* * *
It had driven at well over 400 Khm/h to get to it's destination before ceasing to function, but it still made it, none the less. But that was about a week ago. Since then, Dr. Miriam Yoshida had been hard at work. Now it rested in a repair pod across the lab from the scientist.
Miriam grunted to himself. His words unheard by anyone, as he continued to repair the one of the limbs of his creation. As much as he would have liked more up-to-date lab to work in, he had to admit to himself that this place was incredible... especially for the times that it was active... well before almost all of the complex went sky-high.
He smirked to himself on that note. "Damn that bastard knows how to work," he grunted once more, though now a bit more audible. The man he spoke of was not there, however. In fact, they had never met face to face. While he was imprisoned, the man given him a phone call... a phone call that would start him down this path.
He had been in jail for a week. His trial had been incredibly fast, and now he was going to serve for life. And why? Because somehow those bitches had found a weakness in his creations. How they had done it, he couldn't begin to fathom. They were perfect, and should have won in all rights.
Still, that was the past and now he didn't have much chance of doing anything more... ADP can be quite pissy when you were going to destroy their headquarters. That brought a smile to his face, as he wished he had started that sooner. Maybe they he could have had his revenge.
His thoughts were interrupted as a guard called out in disgust. "Yoshida!" Miriam looked up at him from his seat, but didn't move. "Listen, asshole, you have a phone call. I suggest you take it."
With a grunt, Miriam got up and went to the door. The guard opened the door and guided him to the booth. Of course the bastards would listen in on him, but he didn't care. They were stupid and whatever they heard would be of no consequence... well, he didn't think so, anyway. But he just didn't know who would call him out of the blue like this.
"Ah, so I finally reach you, professor," the voice almost cooed, leaving Miriam a little intrigued.
"Yeah, its me," he still had his annoyance of being here in the first place in his voice, "Now what the hell do you want from me."
"Now, now... that's no way to treat a fan... especially one who wants the same thing as you..." the voice trailed off.
"What are you talking about?"
"A hypothetical question, if you were to get out of that cell, what would you do with yourself?" Miriam was silent... he already knew the answer, he would kill that bastard McNichol for putting him in here in the first place, and he got the very creepy feeling the voice on the other end knew it. The voice went on after a moment, "Lets find out... please call me in two weeks... that should give you enough time to find an apartment and settle in," the voice dropped the almost patronizing tone and the last words were almost a command. "Talk to you then, professor." The phone was dead.
It had taken about three days after that everything had set into motion; first he was released from jail with a pre-paid taxi waiting, then it dropped him off at the apartment where he now resided. Money had been taken care of too, as his account had enough money to get what he needed in terms of food, a car, and a few accommodations.
Still it wasn't all free and he knew it. A second call had come, and directed him here, where he was now working. At last the man revealed the true goal, and a name... Brian was out for revenge as much as he was, and though he didn't have the building power himself, he did have the deep pockets to supply Miriam with everything he needed. A small smile spread across the professor's face as he continued to work. Yes, the officer had made a few very powerful enemies... and now he had paid the final price for it.
* * *
Linna's van came to the normal slow stop at the front of the hospital, but the look on the faces of her and her two passengers betrayed the hurry they were all in. Nene was practically running through the parking-lot, Linna and Sylia a little bit behind, but not walking slow either. The only reason that Linna wasn't running was the fact that despite the briskness of her step, Sylia refused to break into a run as well. Even now, she forced control over herself.
Still, it didn't take them long to reach the elevator, and after a ride upwards that felt much longer than it really could be, they were making their way to one of the hospital rooms. The door was closed, and Sylia gave it a gentle knock, only her eyes betraying her concern.
A voice answered within, "Go away."
Sylia couldn't help but smile a little... no matter what happened, Priss would always be Priss. "Are you sure you want us to go, Priss?"
Dead silence for a moment, which in Sylia's mind, was the hint to open the door. Inside, she found the room was pretty much untouched. Priss was sitting up on her hospital bed, a medical gown on, and a pissed off look on her face. There was a TV playing something that was angles do only Priss could see what it was, and an empty bed on the other side of the room. All these details were secondary to Sylia, though, as she looked right in Priss' eyes. All she saw was pain and rage. "Hello, Priss," she tried in her most cordial manner.
Priss, however, was not going to have any of it right now. "Shut up. I don't need to hear the pity speeches from you."
Sylia sighed. This was exactly what she expected, but she still had to try. "I'm sorry about your loss..." she left it at that, the daggers in her fellow Knight Saber's eyes telling her going on would be the worst move she could possibly make. The silence got uncomfortable after a moment.
Linna was the one to get up the courage to break it. "Um... Sylia? How should we handle..."
Sylia waved her off. This was not the time or place to talk shop-talk. "Priss, I know your still healing, but there is a good possibility we will have to go to work again very soon. Do you think you can do it?"
Priss didn't even look back, "What's the deal?"
"Quite possibly the one who did this to you, from what Linna has told me already."
Priss froze solid before slowly looking up, absolute disgust in her face. "When and where?"
Sylia smiled and put a patronizing hand on Priss' shoulder. "Don't worry about that now... first you get better. Nene tells me they put a synthetic muscle in your calf?"
Priss laughed quietly. "Yeah. I should be able to leave anytime, but they insist on an 'observation period.' I think they're afraid I'll rip out the useless scrap of metal when they aren't looking."
Sylia looked at her apologetically, and well aware that the expression was only driving Priss' inner anger. "You wont be here much longer, I promise you that." She turned to the other two Knight Sabers, who were watching the discussion, neither feeling they should get involved. "Linna? Could you please get the car started? I have to make that call, and it would be better if I do so from home."
Linna nodded and jogged out the door, bringing a smirk to Priss' face. Sylia always was all business. Then her face softened. After all, Sylia didn't have to come see her, much less care about her condition. "Sylia?"
The woman called turned to face Priss once more, her usual confidence in place like she had never left MegaTokyo. "Yes?"
"Thanks for stopping by."
"Well of course I would. I just wish I knew before I left Germany... I would have been here several days ago."
Priss allowed herself a slightly sadistic grin. "Just be sure to wait for me to take this bastard down. It's personal now."
Sylia nodded, "And you be sure to behave for the doctors till I can bring you home."
Priss rolled her eyes, though there was a smile on her face, perhaps the first one since the day her world went to hell a week ago. "If I must..."
* * *
Miriam re-attached the arm he was working on and wiped his brow. Looking at his creation, he was satisfied with the day's work. So far, he had repaired all the major systems and almost all the minor ones that needed it. That arm was the last real functional detail that needed work, but now came the hardest part... he had to repair the cosmetic side of the boomer. It had to look human. Miriam sighed and leaned on a wall as his stomach grumbled.
"Before I do anything else, though, I need to eat," he said to himself. He had skipped breakfast to get to work in the lab early, as inspiration had hit him. Now he was paying the price of it late in the afternoon. "Ah, what the hell, I'm almost done fixing you, it's not like we didn't already get the job done, right?" he spoke like it was to an old friend as he gentle patted the boomer's bared metallic head. "See you tomorrow, my friend. We will then finish everything." He smiles as he looked down on the optical systems. "Then you and I have a few more personal jobs to do... then we can really have some fun."
On that final note, he turned around and walked out the door, leaving everything on. After all, who would come looking for him in the assumed to be destroyed Wiz-Labs? Yes indeed, Brian knew exactly what he was doing when he set all this up.
* * *
Kou waited patiently in a booth towards the back of the restaurant. From there, he had a clear view of both the bar and the entrance next to it. He leaned back and took a moment to relax, never letting that door leave his perephial vision. When the right person came in, he would know.
The lead Knight Saber, he didn't have a name on her yet, seemed very intelligent, and losing a member of a team when you only have four would be a crippling blow to the team. He doubted he could kill someone who proved a true friend to Reika, but he didn't have much challenge in making it look like it. Besides, he could still end the Knight Sabers by leaking the information if they didn't help, and he was sure this didn't escape the armored woman he had spoken to on the phone that afternoon.
He let his eyes wander to the clock for a moment, and realized how late it was getting. Linna would be here any moment to take him to meet the team. All he had to do was wait and sip his soda. The last part wasn't something he really wanted, but he thought he best at least drink something if he wanted to blend in.
For the most part, Linna was on time. Kou watched her walk in and with a nod stood up. He watched as her eyes locked on him, with both worry and relief. "Makes sense," he though, "after all, I could well destroy her." He didn't even smile at the idea as he paid the tab for the drink at the bar then approached Linna.
"Are you ready?" His voice was calm and steady as was the nearly impassive look in his eyes.
Linna nodded. "My van is right outside. We best get moving. She doesn't like being kept waiting if it can't be helped." The last part was more to say something then it was to speak the truth. Sylia would understand if it took time and Linna knew it well, but she just couldn't bring herself to delay this... or she might lose the nerve to complete this.
Kou, for his part, didn't seem to notice. With a nod, began to stride to the door, "Then lets get moving. I, too, don't want to keep waiting any longer than I need to."
* * *
Nightfall came and Dr. Miriam Yoshida still didn't return to the lab. Instead, everything buzzed and hummed as they would without human intervention. If one wasn't paying close attention, they would miss the low buzz of a network connection Miriam had gained plans for some of the parts of his boomer buzzing to life, followed by the whir of a few extra small motors.
The screen to the left of the boomer's holding chamber continued to display different statistical information on the boomer and how each part was behaving, but now showed a large spike in memory activity. Another screen nearby scrolled though a series of binary coding far too fast for the human eye to read as more than a mess; and after a few seconds, just as suddenly as it had all started, the lab was silent again as if nothing every happened.
* * *
They reached their destination relatively quickly, and Kou realized he should have predicted the location of the meeting. Where else would a fully armored techno-vigilante be unnoticed, but the fault? There was a lot of junk here, not all of it of the non-technological nature, and few paid the place any attention. As Linna removed the keys, Kou was already stepping out of the van and looking around.
No sooner had both gotten out then the silver Knight Saber made her appearance. Kou smiled a little. This was going to work very well indeed. "We finally meet in person," he commented, as much observation as a greeting.
"As I agreed to. Now, what is it that you want of us?" her voice was calm and controlled, not what Kou was expecting. However, if this young woman was very business like, all the better.
"First of all, you can bring the others out of hiding. I come unarmed as I also agreed, and I know you wouldn't come alone."
Before anyone could say anything more, a higher voice was heard. "Damn right she wouldn't. I wasn't about to let you take advantage of a young woman all alone in the middle of the night!" The red Knight Saber jumped clear of her hiding place under the ledge and landed next to her leader.
Kou was shocked. No one in all his life had ever accused him of something so vile, and the anger flashed across his face, but the leader put an arm across her team-mate... a suggestion to be quiet, which Kou also took. Instead, he went on to business. "That makes one, where is the blue one?"
"Away on her own business," the leader responded curtly. Obviously this was not up for debate or questioning.
Kou nodded understanding. "Very well then. I wished to offer you a job."
The leader's voice gave nothing away. "Go on."
"I'm sure you heard about Ms. Vision's death, have you not?"
"Of course."
"I have inside sources that tell me the killer was a boomer. I want you to catch it for me... with the memory still functioning if you can."
"What do you intend to do with it?"
Kou allowed a flash of his own inner rage at the whole situation, "I will find the bastard who made it and from them, get the name of the one who ordered the death of Vision."
"So you simply want revenge, is that it?" The Knight Saber shook her head. "I'm sorry, but this is not the kind of job we take on. We may do a lot of things, but simple vengeance is not one of them."
"Even if I reveal Linna to the world?"
"I don't think you will," Sylia's confident smile could be practically seen through the helmet. "You couldn't bring yourself to hurt her, on behalf of your mutual friend. I am truly sorry for your loss, but I must still decline the job."
Kou stood there a moment, Linna still within five feet watching him. For once, his front was crumbled... the silver Knight Saber had just called his bluff perfectly. He may have his duty, but he cared too much for the one he lost to even begin to hurt a friend of hers that much. However, that front returned quickly as he spoke again to the now walking away Knight Sabers. "This has gone beyond simple vengeance in the week it took to get this meeting."
Linna looked him in the eye as the lead saber once again stopped, though she didn't turn to face him. It was Linna who spoke. "What do you mean by that?"
"The boomer is apparently on a killing spree now."
Linna's eyes went wide, and the lead once again marched forward. "Explain."
"Before I came to visit Linna a week ago, I sent someone else to gather information on the boomer. He came back while I waited to setup this meeting with disturbing evidence that the boomer isn't done yet. The man who I am taking over this job for is now dead along with several others that were in the facility, and Leon McNichols is also dead. A Ms. Asagiri, had my man not intervened, would now be dead as well."
Dead silence followed for the next thirty seconds, and Kou knew he had this deal in the bag. Apparently, something was going on that, though he didn't know the details, stumbling across would help him do his task. The first to talk was the red saber. "It couldn't be..."
Again, the leader silenced her, but this time, the results were quite different. "How much does the job pay?"
"What do you need?"
"Five million yen up front," the tone was cold, like she was just throwing a number out there, "We usually charge more, but this is a job that can not be ignored."
"Done. It will be wired into an account Linna will determine and call me up on tomorrow."
"Very good... and one more thing..."
"Yes?"
"Your contact? Who is it? We may need to talk to them for information on this boomer."
Kou nodded, "Of course. His name is Astis..."
* * *
Morning came and Miriam walked into the lab with a spring in his step. He had had more fun then was probably legal, but he needed to get out of the lab. He may consider himself the best at building these things, but he still had to be human once in a while to. "Well, my son, how was your night?" He smirked at his creation.
A moment later, he had the lab coat on and pushed a few buttons. The motor systems he finished up the night before whirred to life once more. "Now, lets see how everything is doing with a few stress tests..." He undid the restraints holding the boomer to the table.
For it's part, the boomer didn't say anything, it just sat up obediently. Miriam watched as the display before him showed how the parts were behaving. "Good, now straighten your legs..."
The boomer got off the table and looked at him.
"What do you think your doing? I said straighten your legs."
The boomer approached. It's voice was flat. "Secondary objective continuing: Eliminate all loose ends."
A familiar voice spoke over the com speaker of the room. "That means you, Doctor."
"Brian?" Miriam near fell as he back as quickly as he could against the opposite wall from his boomer. "What? What the hell is this about?"
"A simple question, with a simple answer. You had loose ends to remove when you sent this unit out before, now I have a loose end to destroy... namely you." The door slammed closed with the computer lock sliding in place. "You see, aside from you, no one knows I exist, and I cant have myself revealed until I'm ready."
Miriam shook as he drew his gun, pointing it at the boomer. "You bastard. I wont let you kill me like this!" He shot at the boomer approaching, and watched as the bullets seemed to freeze in place before hitting. The shocked looked on his face only lasted another second before his head was jerked violently to the side. His neck snapped and he slumped lifelessly on the ground.
"You don't have a choice," Brian finished.