She was created from the cells of another, spliced to achieve maximum potential. Her mind, a malignant scrap of psyche bound to be subservient to they and they alone. It was to be their crowning achievement, a creature born and bred to be their tool of resurrection. Tylon Corporation would rise on the back of Uranus the Chimera. She was perfect, except for one thing.

She was not human. She was a creature, born of misbegotten faith in science. She had no moral center; they hadn't given her one. She had no concept of right or wrong, of morality or civility. So it was without a second thought that she turned on her creators, and wiped them out of existence. She felt no twinge of remorse as her birthplace, the laboratory in which she was spawned, burned to nothing but ash. She silently turned and walked away. Among the ruins, a single figure stirred, and rose to his feet.

"I guess I'll just have to try again."

Chapter 1: If I Had a Heart

Three Years later...

"C'mon slowpoke! I'm going to beat you!"

"That would only be true if we were engaged in a race, Uriko."

"Ah poo, can't you drop the stone faced ninja act for once?"

Kenji swiftly closed in on the young woman, and in a single swift motion twisted her arm around her back, and with his free arm wrapped her in a soft, tender embrace. "I thought you liked the game, little kitten?"

"Its not a game..."

"Why not? Shouldn't we enjoy our youth?"

"I guess... but whenever we get close, something bad happens. Busuzima, that whole Tabula weirdness, that thing with the dragon... just look at what it's done to Yugo and sis..."

"Alice and Yugo's problems are their own, not ours." Kenji reassured her, easing his grip on her arm and wrapping the now freed arm around her.

"I know... but..."

"Shhh... no 'buts.'" Kenji said, letting his lips graze her neck. Uriko closed her eyes.

"Kenji... I l..." Uriko's found herself interrupted by wail of screeching tires. A black van pulled up, causing Kenji to release his girlfriend and tense up. The door swung open, and a single leg swung out, clad in red leather and black boots, followed by another, and finally revealing a tall, attractive woman with an air of sinister intent. Sh walked a few steps forward, her eyes intently locked on Uriko.

"Can I help you?" Kenji said menacingly.

"No," she replied, drawing a knife. She lunged forward and swiped at Uriko, who instinctively ducked. The knife slid through her hair, cutting several strands. Within the blink of an eye she caught the loose strands and slid them into a pouch on her belt. "Well, business is taken care of, how about some fun?" she said as she drew a second knife.

"You are armed. I am not. Isn't that a bit unfair?"

"C'mon Kenji, we both know your something more than human."

Kenji looked surprised. "How did you... no, I guess that doesn't really matter... Uriko, stay back." The red-clad stranger lunged forward, carving the air with two swift swipes that Kenji easily ducked. He rose to counterattack, but was caught by his opponent's foot as she used her momentum to perform a spinning kick. Kenji staggered, but regained his footing in time to avoid being stabbed. He took the offensive, attending to deliver a spinning axe kick to his foe's exposed neck. The woman was too fast, as she had rolled foreward and regained her balance before Kenji could make contact.

"C'mon Kenji, show me you still have a little Bakuryu in ya!"

"Bakuryu? How could she know?" Kenji never got a chance to ask, as a bolt of lighting flew past him and struck the woman in the chest, knocking her off her feet. Uriko and Kenji turned to look at the source of the blast. She was a tall woman of almost impossible proportions, with short blueish-silver hair. They both recognized her as Uranus, a creature who had attacked them and their friends in recent times.

"Grr..." The red-clad woman said getting to her feet. "I don't like surprises. We'll meet again, Ohgami!" She quickly ran to her van, leapt inside, and it sped off with a squeal. Kenji and Uriko were left to question their mysterious savior.

"Uranus? Why are you here? Why did you help us?" Uriko asked. Uranus merely stared at Uriko, with a wistful look in her eyes. She sighed, and looked away, before vanishing just as quickly as she arrived. "Well," Uriko said in bewilderment, "that was weird..."

"Indeed," Kenji agreed. "But lets get you home before pondering this further." As Kenji and Uriko walked off, Uranus hovered, watching them from afar. Her lips mouthed a single word.

"Human."

Kenji and Uriko walked through the door to the Nonamura residence, where Mitsuko was sitting with Alice, Alan Gado, and Jenny Burtory. Mitsuko immediately jumped to her feet and hugged her daughter. "Uriko! Thank goodness your safe!"

"What is going on here?" Kenji asked Alan.

The old lion cleared his throat, and motioned for Mitsuko to calm down. "Uriko is in danger. Someone's hired an assassin to go after her."

"I see. Then it makes sense..."

"What does?"

"Uriko and I were attacked on our way home, by a woman with red hair and a pair of knives. We manage to escape, with a little help."

"Kenji, that woman's name is Kira. She's a world-class assassin. You must have had some serious help to escape her..." Jenny said with a hint of skepticism.

"It was Uranus. I have no idea why, but Uranus chased her off."

"Uranus? Well, that's certainly unexpected..." Jenny replied.

"That's another question we need to answer. But first, who hired Kira?"

"HOO-HAAHAAHAAHAA!"

"Must you laugh like that? You know how irritating I find it."

"I'm sorry, Kira, but I'm just so happy! WEEE!"

"Hajime, calm down. Nopw, I brought you the brat's hair, where's my part of the bargain?"

"Just check your PDA, you'll find $50,000 wired to an off-shore account, just like you asked."

"Alright. I'm done. Call if you need me again Buzy." Kira said blowing a kiss to the eccentric scientist.

"Oh, I'd stick around if I were you, Kira." Dr. Hajime Busuzima said holding the vial containing Uriko's hair. "'Cause I'm gonna be crafting the future!"

"Don't worry Uriko," Kenji said, assuring his girlfriend as she lay in her bed, "Alan and Jenny are outside, if anything suspicious happens, they'll know about it."

"I'm not worried about me, silly" Uriko replied. "I'm worried about you. What if Kira uses you to get to me? Please Kenji, stay here with me tonight..." Kenji sighed. He knew it was useless to argue with her, she always won.

"Alright, let me call Yugo."

Kenji walked off, and retrieved his cell phone. "Yugo? Yeah, she's still pretty shaken. She's guilt-tripped me into staying here tonight. Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm sure you can pour cereal by yourself. Goodbye."

Kenji walked over to Uriko, and she smiled. He removed his shirt, pants, and socks, and crawled under the sheets. "Thank you," Uriko said sleepily as she rested her head on Kenji's chest. Her eyes closed, she let out a few whispy breaths. Safe in her boyfriend's arms, she drifted off to sleep.

Morning came, and Uriko slowly awoke. Kenji was still asleep. Uriko walked downstairs when a knock came at the door. No one was around, probably off to get some breakfast. Uriko cautiously opened the door. On the other side was her savior from yesterday, Uranus.

"Uranus? What are you doing here?"

Uranus had the same wistful look as yesterday, but with a more pronounced sorrow. Slowly, she tried to find the words. "Uriko... I want to know... what it is like to be... human."

....................To be continued!

Next: An new enemy is born and an old one returns! Meanwhile, what is up with Uranus?