Bubble Gum Crisis
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers
2034 Year of the Tiger
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)
Flash Powder (Part 6 of 11)
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005)

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Leon walked into the communications room, looking about. "Oi, Harrison-buchou, where's Nene-chan?" he asked.

The sergeant looked up from her desk. "Captain McNichol, officer Romanova is currently helping down in evidence. You see, they made a proper request concerning one of my subordinates. They asked politely. They did not just drag her away."

"Is this a hint?" Leon smiled.

Madoka smiled back. "I hope I'm not keeping you here."

"I guess it was a hint," Leon said as he left.

Leon considered going down into the basements and hijacking Nene. It was probably not a good idea.

"McNichol," a familiar voice called out. Leon turned towards Asako Yamano, wondering what she wanted.

The Lieutenant was a little above average height, and was very attractive, even with the scars that ran across her left cheek. Something she had picked up during her time in the ADP Tac squads.

Her dark brown hair was cut short, her eyes a light blue. She wore a black suit, her ADP badge on the lapel.

"Lieutenant Yamano," he said, being polite. Asako was a hard one to deal with at the best of times.

"Something is going on in this city," she said.

"Something is always going on in this city," he replied.

"I'm not joking around. Genom lost some of its top players, you know that. A lot of things were happening, but suddenly it all stopped. Know anything about it?"

"Probably no more than you."

She looked at him sceptically. "You don't know anything?"

"Rumours. Nothing solid." That was one of the reasons he had gone looking for Nene.

"Any idea why the Kyuusei building is suddenly busy?"

"What?"

"The Kyuusei building, a company that was also taking losses until not so long ago. Its office in MegaTokyo is usually dead, but not now."

"You watch the Kyuusei building?"

She looked angry for a moment. "I keep an eye on everything. Maybe you should think of trying it."

"Leon-Chan!" someone called.

Both Leon and Asako turned towards the voice. A young woman was coming down the hall, an older man right behind her.

"I'll see you later," Asako said as she turned and walked away.

Emiko Kimble was a cute, young woman, a little on the short side. Her blonde hair was bobbed short and she had dark brown eyes. She looked like she should be wearing a junior high uniform rather than an ADP uniform. She was also the best pilot the ADP had.

Tylor Yamanaka was the ADP legal specialist. Their lawyer. A tall, thin man, pretty to the point of being feminine. Long brown hair, green eyes with long eye lashes, and a ready smile. Hard not to like him, except he had denied more arrest warrants than you could count. He wore a three piece, dark blue, power suit.

"Emiko-san," he nodded at her. "Tylor-san."

"We've got a problem McNichol-Kichou."

"What is it now?"

"I've been bad," Emiko said, smiling.

"Well, we all know that," Leon said. "Who was he?"

Emiko moved up close to Leon and punched him in the arm. "Jerk."

"Lientenant Kimble, on January 8th, fired her craft's weapons, causing damage to a Genom warehouse."

"That would be the warehouse that Prometheus Bound had set fire to?"

"Yes."

Leon shook his head. "I'll take full responsibility."

"I knew you would Leon-chan," Emiko said. "I already cleared my gunner of all responsibility."

"You overrode his control of the guns again didn't you?"

"Am I bad?" She tilted her head up and looked sad.

"Yes, but we all love you for it. So, am I going to go to jail or do I just have to pay for the damages?" Leon asked Tylor.

"Neither. Someone in Genom is trying to make points by going after the entire ADP. I have since narrowed down their target from the ADP to just one man. They'll probably drop this because of that, and once I make a request for full disclosure on the contents of that warehouse."

"Good. I was planning on buying a new motorcycle."

"Can I have your old one?" Emiko asked.

"No."

"Please," she begged.

"This might not be over quite yet," Tylor said.

"Buy your own," he told Emiko, then to Tylor, "Think they make a big deal out of it?"

"It is possible," Tylor told him. "While it is unlikely they will try to arrange financial recompense, they may argue for tighter weapons controls."

"Great."

"I should be able to handle it. I'm sure I will see you both soon enough," he told them, and then turned and walked away.

Leon watched him go, then looked over at Emiko. "What were you saying?"

"Give me your bike," she said.

"Buy your own."

"You can give it as a gift for White day."

"You do know that I am currently involved don't you Emiko-chan?"

"I heard. A musician?" She looked up at him. "Isn't that sort of a juvenile crush?"

"And a pilot is so much better?"

"Ouch," she said, smiling.

"You'll have to excuse me Emiko-chan," he said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "I'm a little busy."

"Idiot," she said as she used her fingers to comb her hair out.

"Later," Leon said, turning and walking away.

"You know," she called out to his back. "The pilot cockpit of an Algonquin will fit two, if they are very friendly."

Leon laughed but did not turn back to her.

He took an elevator down to the motor pool where his Road Chaser was parked. He walked over to in, noticing a note taped to the windshield. He pulled it off and read it. The mechanics had put new tires on it, balanced them, and changed all the fluids. He smiled as he folded the sheet up and shoved it into his jacket pocket. Barring a boomer incident, he suspected that his Road Chaser would run forever. The mechanics did love working on the cars as much as the officers liked driving them.

He opened the door and removed the keys from his jacket pocket. He slid into the car, pulling his seat belt on in one smooth action. He closed the door of the car and then slid the ignition key into place. The car started up smoothly, the effects of the recent tune up showing. Putting the car into gear he pulled away from the personnel carrier he was parked beside.

Soon he was out on the streets of the city. Asako's comment about the action at the Kyuusei building had caught his attention. It was a very strong lead, and if things worked out he had an excellent source of information there.

Some time later Leon pulled his Road Chaser into the parking lot for the Kyuusei Tokyo Foundation, parking it between a red roadster and a limousine.

After setting the alarm he exited the car and locked the door-this was not the ADP motor pool. Taking off his sunglasses he looked up at the twenty-story building, small for this section of the city, very small if one compared it to the Tower.

It sat on the site of an old theatre, Leon remembered his grandmother talking him to a play there. He did not remember much about the play, other than he had fallen asleep during it.

The funny thing was the theatre had survived the quake of '25, only to be torn down a year later. Putting his Raybans back on Leon wondered about the city. There seemed to be so little respect for the past at times. Onwards and upwards and forward, no matter what gets rolled over. He shook his head at those thoughts. He had been listening to too many of Priss' songs.

The lobby was nothing special, except for the extra security, and the weapons they were doing their best to hide. While he wore a small badge on the lapel of his leather jacket, Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out his Police ID and flipped it open. One part contained his ID card, the other another badge.

"I'm here to see Chang Reika-san." He placed his ID on the reception desk. He wondered if she was even there.

"I'm sorry sir, Chang-sama is not seeing anyone," the man behind the desk told him.

"Tell her Captain McNichol of the ADP wishes to talk to her." Leon thought he detected some nervousness in the man. Well, at least he knew she was here. That was something.

"I'm sorry Captain but..."

"I'd hate to have to get a warrant to look around here," Leon interrupted him.

The man swallowed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you." Leon picked up his ID and walked over to a set of chairs by the doors and took a seat.

A little over a minute later the elevator doors opened and Reika Chang stepped out. With her was the man who had been with her when he and Daily had arrested McLaren. The way he acted suggested something to Leon, a closeness that had not been there before. Maybe he was just reading things into it.

"Captain McNichol, I'm very happy to see you," she said as she approached.

"I'm sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances, like a concert." Leon smiled.

"What can I do for you Captain? I assume you are here on official business."

"I'd like to talk, off the record."

"About what?"

"Chang Group security personnel in this city, Kyuusei industry manufactured military weapons in the hands of terrorists or mercenaries in this city. Perhaps we should talk in private." It was a guess on his part, but an educated guess.

"Yes, perhaps we should." Her voice had lost all the feeling of welcome it had held before. "Come this way."

Leon got up and followed her. Kou moved so he could watch the both of them. Careful man, Leon thought.

She took him to a small office on the first floor, just behind the reception desk.

"What is it you want Captain?" Reika took a seat behind the desk.

"Some help actually." Leon took a seat across from her. He noticed Kou remained standing.

"How so?"

"The city is ready for a lot of things, that is just the way things are. Still, there are some things that we won't be able to deal with."

"I see."

"We could use some assistance."

"Hypothetically, if I was able to provide some help would you be willing to offer something in return?"

"What?"

"If I did have members of a private security force in the city they could possibly face prosecution."

"True."

"Could it be arranged that they would be protected from such persecution?"

"Possibly." Leon smiled. "Assuming things do not get too bad. If things get messy, well I won't be able to protect myself, let alone anyone else. Of course with the help of your hypothetical people we might be able to keep things from getting too bad. The AD Police would be willing to back up a claim that you were here by our invitation." Leon wondered if he would ever get the Chief to agree to that. Maybe best not to let him know.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked what we are here for," Reika told him.

"To be truthful I have an idea what this is about and the things I might not know, well I doubt you would tell me anyway."

Reika said nothing to that. Somehow what Leon had told her seemed like an accusation. He was used to getting a smoke screen from Genom. She was doing the same thing.

"There is another thing I would like to ask you," Leon said before the silence could get uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Do you have anything in the way of heavy weapons in the city?"

"Would twelve GD-42s, A1 series, be considered heavy weapons?"

"Yes." Leon smiled and for the first time he looked truly happy about something. "Would you mind making an arrangement that would be the best for the both of us?"

"Try me."


The "Hot Extraction" had been opened by a retired AD Police officer, Douglas Kazuhiko. The combination bar and restaurant was only a block away from the AD Police building and had become a popular spot for officers to have their lunch and relax after work.

Nene and her lunch date, Lieutenant Kaoru Wada, her pretty face from the PR department, sat at a table in front of one of the picture windows that looked out on the street and the AD Police building. She had come straight to the restaurant after her meeting with Johnson. Afterwards she planned to go and see Sylia and tell her what she had found out.

"I was a little surprised to see you here before me," Kaoru said as he put his drink aside. "You usually don't show up until, well, almost lunch."

"Usually I'm working right up to lunch hour. Harrison-buchou works me hard. I think she has it out for me," Nene told him. That was true enough.

"She thinks you are away from work more than anyone else."

"Just using my sick days."

"Going to use up all your sick days if you are not careful."

"I still have a few left."

"One might think that you had more than the rest of us. Are you hacking into the personnel files, officer?"

"Of course not." Nene had heard that one before and had learned to lie without sounding guilty or surprised. "I wish I could. I would give myself a promotion."

"Sergeant?"

"Captain." Nene smiled.

"Assigned to the Tac Squads?" He smiled back.

"Of course not. That would be dangerous. I'm a coward at heart."

"Not much room for Captains elsewhere."

"Well, if I could give myself a promotion I could also set up a place for myself."

"Good point."

"So, how are things down in PR division?"

"Quiet, a meeting with the press only once a day. I smile, tell them the official line and send them away."

"I bet all the women reporters melt at your smile," Nene said, trying not to sound fawning and sure she was failing.

"Some, but most are real barracudas. If they scent a story they are just as vicious as the men." He laughed.

"No stories for them to scent these days?"

"Not a one. Some are still trying to figure out what happened during that terrorist attack on Headquarters. Considering I'm not even sure what happened, they can't get much in the way of answers from me. Makes them cranky."

"Oh well."

"Actually, now that you've brought up business..." He trailed off.

"What?"

"There's a Kanadajin documentary crew working with NHK looking to do a feature on the ADP. They want to do some interviews and I was told to round up some people to talk to them."

"Me?"

"Don't sound so surprised. I think you would reflect well on the organisation."

"Well, of course I'm willing to help..."

"Good." He smiled at her. "I'll give you a set of possible times soon as I get them."

"Are you sure I'm the best choice, I mean I'm just a communications tech and everything. Why don't you get Leon or someone in the Tac Squads?"

"The boys in the Tac Squad will be breaking down my door wanting to get on film as soon as they hear about this and McNichol-kichou has already gratefully offered his assistance. I think he knew about this before me. You'll be great for this Nene-san, trust me."

"If you say so."

"Thanks." He pushed the cuff back on his uniform and looked at his watch. "Time to go I think."

"What?" Nene looked at her watch. "Oh. Do you mind if I don't walk back with you? I have a few things to take care of."

"Not a problem. Are we on for tomorrow?"

"What if we decide that tomorrow."

"Fine with me. I'll cover lunch."

"No, I should pay for mine," Nene said as she reached for her purse.

"Don't worry about it," he told her, stepping away from the table. "I make more money than you anyway."

"Thank you," Nene said.

"Take care," he said, then turned and walked towards the cash register.

Nene watched him go, smiling. She really liked Kaoru. So handsome, and so mature. She picked up her glass and took a drink, letting her mind wander down certain paths of fantasy.

She was shocked out of her fantasy by the beeping of her NAVI. She pulled it from her purse and flipped it open, "Moshi, moshi, oh, Okaasan," she said, a little surprised to see her mother's face in the small screen.

"Nene-chan, something has come up. You are going to be on your own for about a week."

"What?"

"I'm being sent down to Okinawa to help a clinic set up their new neurosurgery ward."

"Okay," Nene nodded.

"Your father's company is also sending him down to Okinawa to consult on branch office's computer system and its security."

"Wow," Nene said. "It's like a free vacation."

"It's not a vacation," Ali said sternly. Then she smiled. "But I'm sure that it will be fun. When you get home we will both be gone."

"I'll make sure the house does not burn down."

"I'm sure you can take care of yourself," her mother said, "but if you need anything I'll be leaving numbers where you can reach us at all times."

"Okay."

"If you want, I can hire someone to watch the house when you are not in, and keep you company."

Nene stared at the screen for a moment. "Do you mean like a sitter?" She was not quite sure she could believe what her mother had just suggested.

"Of course not," Ali said.

"Kaasan, I'm not going to run away again."

Ali sighed. "I suppose you aren't, but it is something I worry about."

Nene smiled. "As long as you don't hire a sitter you can be assured that I will be there when you come back."

Ali smiled at her daughter. "If it wasn't for the fact I knew you were terribly immature I might say you were growing up."

"Kaasan!"

"Take care while we're gone," her mother said, then cut the connection.

Nene stared at the blank screen for a moment then closed the NAVI up and returned it to her purse.

Well, that was extremely lucky. Both her parents leaving the city at the same time, just when it was the best time for them to go. Perhaps it was too lucky. Nene thought about it for a time and decided that it was likely that Sylia had arranged for it. She certainly had the connections and financial pull to do so.

Nene got up and pulled her purse over her shoulder. She would definitely have to thank Sylia when she saw her. She wondered if Sylia would deny it?


Jolines was in a rather dull part of Roppongi. It was on the third floor of a ten-story building. It would be easy to miss it. It was listed with the other establishments that used the building, but its sign was restrained, and easily missed. Priss guessed that most of the advertising was by word of mouth.

There was a woman, Priss assumed, standing just outside of the elevator. She was slim and wore a tuxedo. She gave Priss an odd look, almost a smile.

"Irasshamase(welcome)," she said.

"I'd like to speak to Yuki," Priss told her. "Brunette, brown eyes, about this tall." Priss held her hand up level with her chin.

"Of course, a table or a booth?"

"No, I just..." Priss realised that just talking to him was not going to be subtle. "A booth would be fine."

"Of course. Kei will show you to your booth."

A young woman, again Priss was assuming, appeared by the other woman's side.

"If you will come this way," she said, then turned and walked into the bar proper. Priss had no choice but to follow.

There were a few odd looks-at least Priss thought she saw some-as she was led across the floor to a small booth near the back, veiled by shadow. It was still early afternoon, so the pace was not at all busy.

"Is this to your liking?" she asked.

"Just fine." Priss slid into the booth, glad to be partially hidden by the shadows.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Rye and coke, tall glass."

"Yes ma'am. The hostess should be with you in a minute." She nodded, and then walked towards the bar.

Priss looked around the room, though was careful not to be obvious about it. Jolines' waitresses and hostesses were supposedly almost all TVs, though Priss wondered about it. There was very little about either of the staff she had met that suggested they were male.

"Priss-san, long time no see." Yuki slid into the booth beside her. "I never knew of your strange tastes before."

"I'm not here for my enjoyment."

"Hush," he said softly as the waitress came back with a tray holding two glasses. She placed them in front of Yuki and Priss then left.

"How much is this going to cost me?" Priss picked up her rye and coke.

"More than you want to pay." Yuki took a sip from his glass.

"Is she really a man?" Priss used her glass to indicating the waitress.

"Is that what you really want to talk about?"

Priss turned her full attention onto Yuki. He wore a high necked, Chinese style black dress with a golden rose design. She realised another reasons for the darkness. It not only gave some privacy to the patrons but it helped to hide certain things. Priss knew that he was male but she could see nothing that suggested it.

"No, not really. I need some information." Priss dropped her voice low.

"And what makes you think that I have any information?" he asked over the rim of his glass.

"You were good at three things when we rode together. Looking more feminine than the women was one, patching us up was another and knowing things you had no right to know was the third. I personally believe you were the one who gave Mamoru the information that got him killed."

"Be careful what you say Prisila-chan. That sort of talk gets people killed."

"Don't threaten me."

"It wasn't a threat, it was a plea. I have no desire to go the same way as Mamoru."

"I need information."

"Order another drink."

"I haven't finished this one yet."

"So?"

There was a potted plant near the table. She surreptitiously dumped her glass into it then attracted the waitress' attention and ordered another drink. Yuki did as well.

They kept it up for nearly an hour. Yuki always distracted her, reminding her of the past, even making her laugh. He kept putting her off, refusing to tell her what she wanted to know.

Priss had been taking sips out of her drinks for the whole time and was beginning to feel a little loose and her temper started rising.

"Fuck it Yuki, stop screwing me around." She almost forgot to keep her voice low.

"What is it you want to know?" he asked quietly.

"Something is happening in the city, I think someone might be bringing weapons into the city. What do you know of it?"

He stared down at his glass for a moment, not saying anything.

"In a moment, when you leave, be sure to look upset."

"What?"

"Just listen. There has been some things happening at the old Roadhouse. If you watch, you might learn something," Yuki said very softly, then suddenly stood. "I'm sorry, you are mistaken," he said, his voice no longer hushed but a little below normal conversation level. "I think you should leave." He turned and left.

Priss got up, about to follow him to ask what he was up to. Then she realised what that had been about.

Finding her waitress she paid for the drinks. Priss winced at the cost. She hoped Sylia would see fit to pay her back. The waitress wore a slight smile and Priss did not doubt she, or maybe he, Priss had no idea any longer, had seen Yuki leave the table as he had and had jumped to her own conclusions.

No doubt the darkness hid her blush and for that Priss was grateful.


Nene parked her car in a parking garage some distance away from LADYS633. It meant a bit of a walk, but it also kept the car out of sight. The chances of anyone from the ADP seeing the car, being curious enough to find out who had it out, and then sharing that information with anyone who might take exception was pretty low. Still, it never hurt to be careful every now and again.

She entered the building's main foyer and went directly to the Silky Doll. She expected to see Sylia behind the counter at that time of day, but Mackie was there instead. She wandered around a bit, picking up a few things, then walked over to counter and put the bras and panties down.

"Is Sylia-san around," she asked softly as Mackie ran the scanner over her purchases.

"Down in the lab," he told her, totalling the purchases.

"Think I can see her?"

"Just a moment," he said loudly, crouching down behind the counter. Several seconds later he came up with a bag and began to put Nene's purchases into it. "She can see you," he said quietly. Then, "Thank you, come again."

Nene nodded as she took the bag and left the store. It occurred to her that her underwear selection was getting quite large. One day someone was going to wonder why one girl needed so many pairs of panties and bras. Assuming anyone was actually paying attention to her lingerie purchases.

Going back to the car first, Nene put her underwear into the vehicle, and then took the box with the cat in it from the seat. Box tucked under her arm, she walked back to LADYS633 and took the elevator up the Sylia's penthouse, then took the dedicated elevator down to the labs and storage areas in the building's basements. It all seemed easy, but Nene knew that Sylia's security system was better than what the ADP had, even after the recent upgrades.

The elevator opened on the lower levels and Nene stepped out. "Sylia-san?" she called out.

"Back here," Sylia answered.

Nene walked towards the lab where she had heard Sylia call from. She found her there, wearing a lab coat, working on something. As Nene got closer she could see it was the helmet of Linna's hardsuit.

"What are you doing?"

"Just some tests," Sylia said, looking over her shoulder at Nene.

"What kind of tests?" Nene asked, curious.

"Making sure that the seals are in order."

"In case we need them?" Nene said, a tremor of worry in her voice.

Sylia nodded. "In case we need them. I'm not sure we will, but it pays to be careful."

"Is there an antidote for the AF-5?"

"Yes, but there is not a great deal of it. Chang-san has assured me they will have as much of the counter agent, in auto-injectors, in the area as possible. It will not be enough though. It is not something that we can do anything about though."

"I guess," Nene said.

"So, is there anything you wish to talk about?"

"Oh," Nene said, surprised. "That's right. I think I might have a lead."

"What kind of lead?"

"Well, I thought that if whoever has that canister has to get the daily codes, as well as the code to open it, they might need more computing power."

"It makes sense."

Nene nodded. "So I went to speak to a friend and it seems that a Genjiro Giovanni is buying two boomer AI chips from him."

"The Genjiro Giovanni?"

"You know him?" Nene was again surprised.

"Only by reputation. He is well known for his hardware. I once considered having him build some computer systems for me."

"Why haven't I heard of him?" Nene asked herself out loud.

"Even you can't know everyone Nene-san."

Nene nodded. "Well, he's coming by Johnson's shop to pick up the chips tonight, and I also got the address he is presently living at. I thought watching him might be of value."

Sylia nodded. "I'll have someone do so."

"I hope it leads somewhere."

"We'll see." Sylia thought about it. She'd hold off informing Reika Chang until she was sure it was something. For now she'd let Fargo handle things.

"Uh, Sylia-san..."

"Yes," Sylia focused on Nene.

Nene was about to ask Sylia to help with the cat, but then decided against it. She looked busy. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did for my parents," she said, deciding it was more important than a boomer cat.

"It was no problem Nene-san. And if you were worried, it might affect your job."

Nene nodded, then took a step back. She bowed deeply to Sylia. "Domo arigato gozaimasu."

Sylia laughed softly. "You should probably get back to work."

Nene looked at her watch after she had straightened. "You're right. Ja," Nene said, waving as she walked towards the room's exit.

"Wait," Sylia said.

"What?"

"I want you to see what you can get from the Chang Group. Keep it subtle."

"Okay," Nene said. "But why not just ask Chang-san?"

"I'm not sure that she would tell me everything I needed to know."

"You don't trust her?"

"No, I just understand her. I would not tell us everything if I was in her shoes either."

"I'll see what I can find," Nene said, nodding. "Got to go," she left the room.

Sylia watched her go, then turned back to the helmet, turning it over in her hands, looking at it. She was finishing the examination when her NAVI rang. She walked over to her jacket, took the NAVI from the pocket, and flipped it open. "Moshi, moshi, Stingray desu," she said.

"Sylia, is that you?" the voice on the other end asked. "This is Justin Bestar."

"Bestar-san?" Sylia said, a name from long ago. She activated the video feed on her NAVI, seeing the face of Justin Bestar. He was older than she remembered, though it had been years since she had last seen him. His once blonde hair was washed out, thinning and white. His face was still smooth except around his light blue eyes and mouth. Handsome, but not incredibly so.

"It's good to see you Sylia," he said.

"It's good to see you."

"Are you busy?"

"A little."

"Think you could make time to see me? I'm at the St. Regis right now and I'd like to speak with you."

"About what?" Sylia asked, a little rudely.

"I'd rather talk to you in person."

Sylia thought about it for a moment. She was busy, but he was an old friend of her family. "Would four, at the hotel, be good?"

"That would be great. I'll be waiting for you in the restaurant."

Sylia nodded. "I'll see you then Bestar-san."

"I'll be waiting," Justin said, then hung up.

As Sylia closed the NAVI up she wondered what that had been about.

She looked at her watch. She was going to have to hurry if she was to make her appointment with Justin and finish other tasks she wanted done. And she still had to call Fargo and get him to watch Genjiro. She flipped the NAVI open and entered Fargo's number.


Nene just got back to her desk in the communications room when Leon approached her. "I need your help," he said, smiling.

"But Sergeant Harrison..."

"Is not here right now, and does not know you are back from evidence yet. No one will tell on you, right?" he said as he looked over at the young woman beside Nene.

She giggled and said, "No."

"See, perfect time for you to go."

Nene sighed. "What's in it for me?"

"Job satisfaction?"

Nene shook her head.

"I'll give you a Road Chaser," Leon said. "Now come on." He turned and walked out of the room. Nene sighed, then got up and followed after him.

He led her through the building to a small briefing room on the third floor. There she found Daily, a young woman wearing a police uniform, and a short, thin man in a THP uniform.

"Bach Vanessa-san, Lieutenant in the TPD, Arasaki Tsuyoshi-san, Lieutenant in the THP, this is Romanova Nene-chan, Communications tech, ADP."

"Your source of information?" Vanessa looked Nene up and down. "How cute."

"Leon," Nene said, a little anger in her tone. "We were going to keep our little arrangement secret."

"We needed to bring them in, Nene-san, no choice if Leon is right," Daily told her.

"If Leon is right about what?" Nene decided playing dumb was the way to go. She suspected that Leon knew, at least something, of the problems facing the city.

"About a small war breaking out on the streets of the city," Tsuyoshi said.

"We need to know what we are facing," Daily said.

"I've already talked to Chang-san," Leon told them. "She's told me quite a bit, off the record, and arranged to help, but we still need information, just to be sure."

"And you want me to get it for you?" Nene asked.

"Some of it, what you can find out. We'll be on the streets, asking questions, trying to get a feel for what is going on." Leon leaned back against the closed door. "I do know that Kyuusei has got people in the city, and more."

"Legally?" Nene asked.

"They will be."

"By the way, how is Genom reacting to this?" Vanessa asked.

"Good question," Leon said. "I think they are co-operating, to an extent."

"That's good," Vanessa said.

"So why are they co-operating?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"Unknown, right now." Leon told him. He looked over at Nene, the question in his eyes.

"I'm sure I can find something out."

"You are asking a lot based on very little McNichol-kichou," Tsuyoshi told him.

"All I'm asking is that you make sure both your departments are ready in case something happens."

"Do you want us to go to full alert?" Vanessa took a seat on the edge of the desk.

"No, that might actually cause problems. Like I asked, stay on your toes. You both have connections up high within your own departments, you know who to talk to. That's why I went through you. I don't want this to become official until it has to. Once I know more, I'll let you know so you can prepare for it."

"Real cloak and dagger stuff." Vanessa seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Maybe."

"Well, I better go off and see if I can sell this to the powers that be." Vanessa pushed herself off the desk. "No promises but I think I can get them to dust off the civil emergency protocols and give them a look over. If you want this to stay quiet though we can't get too prepared. Maybe we'll be able to get a couple of SWAT teams on twenty-four hour alert. That's not likely to attract any attention. Things better happen in a couple of days though." She opened the door. "Goodbye Romanova-san." She closed the door behind her.

"I won't even make that sort of promise McNichol-kichou, but I'll see what I can do." Tsuyoshi headed for the door. "We still on for pool Friday night, Daily-san?"

"Assuming the city is still standing," Daily told him.

"See ya." He left the room.

"Okay, we're on," Leon said. "Nene-chan, Chang-san hinted at something that I don't like, but she would not come out and tell me anything. I need to know what it is we might be facing. Bach-san and Tsuyoshi-san will need a lot more than vague concepts if they are to get prepared for this."

"And now you want me to find it all out?"

"As much as you can." Leon reached into his jacket pocket and removed a picture and a disk. The picture was of Nene in the St. Regis maid's uniform. "Payment."

Nene reached out and grabbed the photo and disk. "You've been holding this over my head long enough."

"Now I'm not."

"What are you going to do?"

"Daily-san is going out on the streets to see what is what, and I'm going to finalise some deals with a pretty lady."

"How much trouble are we going to get into?" Nene looked up at him.

"Depends on what Toda thinks when I spring this on him."

"I wonder what crossing guard duty will be like?" Nene looked up at the ceiling, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes.


Priss stepped into the tattoo parlour. It was a small shop, the walls covered in art, a small counter bisecting the room at the half point. On the other side of the counter was a reclining chair where the customers got inked. Currently a big man was lying upon the fully reclined chair, the tattoo artist working a design onto the man's back.

Priss pushed by the counter walking towards the rear door. She paused to look down at the design on the man's back-boomer style dragons. It took all kinds. The artist looked at Priss once, but did not seem to care she was there. The big man seemed oblivious to her presence.

The back door opened on a small office. Sitting on the edge of the desk was Fargo.

"Come in," he said softly. "Close the door."

Priss did as he said, then moved to take a seat in one of the chairs. She had met with Fargo once before, at Sylia's urging. She had wanted to make sure that Priss was able to make use of Fargo if for some reason she, Sylia, could not.

When Priss had called up Sylia to tell her of her discovery, Sylia had told her that something had come up and asked Priss to talk to Fargo about what was happening. That was why she was meeting with the man.

"How do you choose your meeting places?" Priss asked.

"I throw darts at a map of Tokyo."

"Can we talk here?"

"Of course," he smiled, running a hand though his hair, messing it up even more.

"Know of John's Roadhouse?"

"Should I?"

"Not really. It's a place where the gangs used to hang out, was kind of a demilitarised zone. No fighting. Man named John Bennati, Amerikajin who came with the Red Cross back in '25, set it up."

"Big guy, looked like he could bench press cars?"

"That was him."

"I know the place."

"You know how it was in an area that ended up underwater after the quake?"

"Yeah, there were a few buildings that were tall enough so that their upper stories were above water. The roadhouse was set up there?"

Priss nodded. "When John left, the place closed down. I heard Genom tore down everything on dry land a couple of months ago. Getting ready to reclaim the area. The roadhouse is still there, though I heard they pumped all the water out a few weeks ago."

Fargo nodded. "Won't be doing anything else there for a few months though."

"Good place to hide out."

"You go there?"

"Do I look stupid? There is no cover out there. Anyone showing interest in the place would be noticed."

"Good."

"We'll need some sort of surveillance set up to watch the place."

"I can do that, very subtle. I'll have the place under watch in an hour. Everything I learn will be sent to you, the standard channels."

Priss nodded, though she had no idea what the standard channels were. She wondered if there was anything else, but could think of nothing. This Fargo person was supposed to know what he was doing. No need for her to tell him his job. "Good," she got to her feet.

"Payment as usual of course?"

"Yeah," Priss said, wondering what the usual payment was. She was going to have to ask Sylia. "Ja." She opened the door and walked out of the office. Fargo watched her go, then took a battered cell phone from his pocket.


"The idea has merit but I am not interested," Sylia said over the rim of her coffee cup.

"Sylia I need you for this. You are the only one who could do it justice. You know what is worth saying, and can say it," her dinner companion told her. "That paper you wrote was brilliant, it shows that you understand what your father did, what he wanted."

"Perhaps." She was regretting using the paper as an excuse to get close to Sharon Knight. It was being passed around among her father's friends.

Justin Bestar leaned back in his chair, looking defeated. He was a big man, nearly two meters tall and he had a body builder's physique. He wore a suit of light grey wool.

Sylia examined him without seeming to do so. He looked older than he had the last time she had seen him, but that had been almost six years before. He was dressed better. She had heard that his company had been doing very well for the past two years.

He had been a friend of her father's years before she had been born. She had met him a few times when she was a child, again a few months after her father's death and then again when she had been seventeen, when they met by chance.

"Why now?" Sylia asked after a moment.

"Why not?" He looked up at her.

"The truth."

"Genom wants it."

"When did you sell out?"

"Three years ago. It was a bad year, they moved in, made the right offer. They have a forty percent of the stock, I have ten."

"So this is Genom's idea?"

"No, not originally, but they like it."

"I'm not surprised."

"Sylia, whatever Genom wants is not really important. I want to honour a friend and his work, nothing more. That Genom wants to use it for good publicity is just the way things fall. I want Katsuhito's daughter to speak at this event. That's all there is to it."

"Honour..." Sylia said softly.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing. When will this be?"

"March 24th, held in the big ballroom of this hotel."

"I'll give you an answer in a week." Sylia got to her feet.

"You couldn't give it now?"

"No."

"I understand I suppose. Thank you."

"Goodbye Bestar-san." Sylia turned and walked towards the restaurant's cloakroom.


It was late when Leon finally returned home. He had finally sent Nene home around nine. Daily had left soon after. He had spent some more time talking to the ADP armour troops, getting them ready for their new toys, as it were.

He checked his mailbox in the lobby, nothing, before taking the elevator up to his apartment. When he opened the door her was surprised to find Yuuko sitting at the counter in the middle of the room, right under the poster of Priss. The second thing he noted, which also surprised him, was that his apartment was much cleaner than usual.

"Konbanwa Leon-san," Yuuko said, a hint of ice in her voice.

"We were supposed to have dinner tonight weren't we?"

Yuuko nodded.

"So," he closed the door behind him. "Is this a flower apology, or something bigger?"

"I'll have to think about it," she said as she stood up from the counter. "Shall we eat first?"

Leon decided not to mention he had grabbed something to eat at the ADP cafeteria. "I'm starving," he lied.

"Good," she walked towards the microwave.

"Shouldn't you be at the club?"

"No," she said as she opened the microwave and removed a casserole dish. "Priss-san cancelled everything for the next week and a half." Yuuko put the dish on the counter, then turned to the rice cooker. "Funny thing, she paid us all for the time. It is kind of like a paid vacation."

"Not standard in a band I would guess."

"No."

"So why did she cancel?" Leon asked as he took a seat at the counter.

"Are you still interested in Priss-san?" Yuuko asked as she began spooning rice out of the cooker and into a bowl.

"Just curious."

"Said she needs some time to think. There is something up, maybe a record deal. She would not say anything about it though. I guess she does not want to raise our hopes again. She told us to take the time off, handed us some checks, and said, 'have fun'. Takeshi-san headed up to Iwate to do some skiing. Norio said he was thinking of going down to Okinawa for some sun."

"Should I take it that you stayed as a compliment?"

"Maybe." She finished filling one of the bowls with rice, then poured the curry on top of it.

Leon waited until she had finished with hers, then he picked up a spoon and gave the curry a try. "Umai(delicious)," he said, wishing he had not had curry rice in the cafeteria.

"Good." Yuuko took a spoonful of her own, then nodded, pleased with it. "Oh, you got a package today, I put it on the couch with the other mail."

"Oh? Well, let's see what it is." He ate another spoonful of the curry, then got up and walked over to the couch. There was a suitcase-sized package, as well as several other pieces of mail. Most of the mail was junk, and he dropped it to the floor. He shifted the package onto the kotatsu, and looked for the return address.

"Who is it from?"

"A friend, Catherine Ballou," Leon said, taking a knife from his pocket to cut away at the paper it was wrapped in.

"A friend?"

"No need to worry. She's on another continent, and we are and were just friends." Leon smiled at her. "There's a set of keys on the top shelf of my wardrobe, can you get them for me?"

"So who is this Catherine-san?" Yuuko asked as she walked across the room.

"Just someone I met during my travels. I did her some favours, she did me some favours, we kept in touch. Right now she works as a weapons designer for a place called Magnum Research Incorporated."

"Is she sending you guns?" Yuuko asked as she looked through the wardrobe for the keys Leon had spoken of.

"I suspect so."

"Here they are." Yuuko held forth the ring of keys. "Catch." She tossed them to him

Leon reached out and caught them from the air. In front of him, unwrapped, were two aluminium briefcases, strapped together with nylon bands. He cut the bands then turned the first case so he could see the lock.

"What are with the keys?" Yuuko asked.

"Cat-san sends them to me in advance. That way the cases remain locked."

"Isn't it illegal to have weapons sent into the country?"

"Yes and no," Leon said as he began trying keys. "I really should label these or something," he said softly to himself. "Anyway, the forms all get filled out on Cat's side, and since I'm a member of the ADP, everything is expedited. Tomorrow I'll have to get any weapons she sent me properly registered."

"I see."

"It's worked so far," Leon said, finally finding the key that opened the case.

Inside, packed in foam, was an Earth Shaker, twin to the one Leon was currently wearing in his shoulder holster, as well as maintenance equipment and replacement parts. He ignored the weapon and instead reached for a piece of folded paper. "Cat's sending me a second gun, just in case. She worries about me."

"Can't fault her for that," Yuuko said, sitting down beside Leon.

Leon picked the weapon up and broke it open, looking into the cylinder. Then he snapped it closed with a flick of his wrist, lifted it to his ear and began to spin the cylinder.

"You're a real gun otaku aren't you?"

"What?" Leon looked up at her. "Not really." He placed the gun back in the foam. "I just need certain tools to do my job. You know, fifty years ago a cop in this city did not even really need a gun. And the one they carried was a small .38. I wouldn't mind it if I could get by with a small revolver I never had to fire outside of a practice range."

"Sorry."

"No problem. I do look like a gun otaku." He closed the first case and shifted it to the side to get at the one below it. After a few tries he got the case open and looked at what was inside. He was not sure what he had once the case was open. At first he thought it might be a submachine gun, with a sound suppresser but once he had looked at what he thought was the sound suppresser he realised the barrel aperture was too small to be 9mm or even .22. After looking at the pieces for a moment he fell back on the old standby and picked up the manual included with the weapon.

"What is it?" Yuuko asked.

"I'm trying to figure that out."

Leon read for a few pages then put the manual down. "What this is a rather small rail weapon."

"What?" Yuuko asked.

"It works like the Mag Lev shinkansen. It fires, and excuse the jargon if it makes no sense to you, a two millimetre, fin-stabilised sabot round. The round is very small, but the velocity is high enough for it the do a nice job on boomer armour."

"So you got a new toy," Yuuko said.

Leon smiled. "It's nice, and it might come in handy, but I won't be using it much."

"Why not?"

"Well, if I fired it at the wall, it would go through the wall, through my neighbours apartment, then the next apartment, and so on until it finally left the building. It might even be able to punch through the outer wall of the next building. And if anyone got in the way, that would not slow it significantly."

"Ouch."

"Indeed." Leon closed the case and locked it. "I think I'll keep this in the ADP weapon's lock up. Everyone will be happier that way. Now," he turned towards Yuuko, "how about we finish that wonderful dinner you made and then talk about things other than weapons?"

Yuuko moved closer to him. "Why officer, you have the best ideas."


"Much less is it fitting for a samurai to lay his hand on his sword or menace his wife with his clenched fist, an outrageous thing that only a cowardly samurai would think of doing"
- Daidoji Yuzan