Chapter 14: Sick Day For All

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," Mina chimed, standing over Galactica's pod.

"Wha?" Galactica sounded, as she came back online. "Mother?"

"How are you feeling?" Mina asked. "Do you want any WD-40?"

"No, thank you," Galactica replied, sitting up. "My auto-repair is complete. All systems are…functioning normally. Where are my clothes?"

"I had to clean and dry them," Mina answered. "Just use one of your other sets. I also took the liberty of making some in other colors…you know, just in case you wanted something different."

"Thank you," Galactica said, lifting herself out of the pod and onto her feet. "I need to get to work now." As she began to walk away, she started to sway before stumbling.

"Whoa, there!" Mina cautioned, catching the Android before she fell. "You still need to rest. You may be repaired, but your energy hasn't fully recharged yet."

"I will simply have to deal with it," Galactica reasoned, standing back up. "I must get to work on time."

"It's much too late for that," Mina warned with a mischievous smile. "It's almost noon. You slept like a rock. Besides, I already called the Nei School and told them you couldn't come in today. So, you might as well just stay here and take it easy. Chronos is doing the same."

"Sigh…Fine," the RAcaseal relented. "I just hope that Isis won't mind too much."

"Where are they?" Misha asked out loud. So far, the class didn't have a teacher and the students were just talking amongst themselves.

"Maybe their batteries ran out?" a black-haired boy suggested humorously.

"Shut up, Jared!" Misha barked. "Androids don't just run out of batteries!"

"Maybe they got sick?" a blue-haired boy suggested.

"Huh?" the whole class said in confusion.

"Y'know, a computer virus," he joked meekly.

"…You suck at jokes, Van," Misha said, arching her eyebrow.

"No wait, Misha," Taya said, worriedly. "He might be right. I hope they're okay."

"Don't worry, little one," said a young lady, entering the room. She was very tall, but she did not have a large or thin frame. She was fair-skinned, with blue eyes, and golden hair weaved into a long ponytail. She was obviously a Human, since she had no long pointed ears. She wore a grey dress that seemed to have the same basic design as the students. "Galactica and Isis are fine. They are just having technical difficulties right now. They should be in tomorrow."

"Who're you?" Misha asked, studying this new person.

"Caseal!" two sea green-haired girls cheered, running over and hugging the lady. The other students didn't know what to make of this. The two twins hadn't been known to be so affectionate towards anyone but each other. They also happened to be the oldest Newmans in the class.

"Hello, Kroe, Anna," the lady smiled affectionately. "You've grown so much since I last saw you. Are you doing well?"

"We're Hunters, now!" exclaimed Anna, who had straighter, more rigid hair. "We missed you so much."

"The orphanage has been treating us well," said the calmer Kroe, who had two bangs and softer hair. "Are you our substitute?"

"Very good," Caseal responded before turning her attention to the rest of the class. "Children, I am your substitute teacher for today. You may call me Caseal."

"Can I call you Cassy?" Taya asked, raising her hand.

"Sure," Caseal answered warmly.

"Can we call you Honey?" asked Jared, speaking for the boys who all had a dreamy look on their faces. At this question and the sight of these young Newmans looking at her like that, Caseal immediately blushed, but was able to suppress it shortly after. She noticed that many of the girls were visibly irked by this.

"Um…let's just take things a step at a time," Caseal said nervously. It wouldn't be long before these boys started becoming young men. "Anyway, there is no lesson plan for me to follow, so I made a suggestion to the school. I think you'll all like what I have in store for you."

"So, what is it?" Misha asked with intrigue.

"We're going to have our own little tournament," Caseal said. "Did everyone bring their Phantasy Monster decks?" Almost everyone in the class rejoiced at this turn of events. All except for one very quiet girl in the back.

"You're the best Caseal!" Anna cheered.

"She's cool with me," Misha said to Taya.

"I love you!" cried one of the boys, briefly reddening Caseal's face.

"Marry me!" exclaimed another.

"What does the champion win?" Kroe asked.

"A date with Caseal!" exclaimed the boys.

"Settle down, boys," she said, deeply flattered. "To become champion, you'll not only have to defeat the rest of the class, but also some special players…like me. You can still win the tournament without beating us, but you'll get a better prize if you do beat us. Everyone gets extra credit just for participating. Finalists will receive rare cards. The champion's prize is a secret. There will also be a separate tourney for teams of two."

"Won't something like this take some time?" Kroe asked.

"That's why this event will last until the weekend," Caseal said. "And just to add some more fun, your extra credit grades will be based on competitive language." The class again burst into cheering, still with the exception of that one girl who actually didn't care much for cards.

"Miguel?" Chronos asked, staring at the soup he was eating on the couch. He was in a blue robe. "What did you put in this?"

"Why do ya want to know?" Miguel asked, walking out of the kitchen. "Not too cold, not too hot, but juuuust right."

"It tastes…odd," he said, putting his tongue to the spoon.

"Like how?" Anne asked, lifting weights in a corner.

"Like alcohol, salt, and…oil!" he said with shock.

"Yeah, so," Miguel asked innocently. "I've seen plenty of people put oil in their food before."

"That's cooking oil!" Chronos shouted. "This is NOT cooking oil."

"That's the last time you cook," Anne said, taking a seat next to Chronos.

"Everybody's a critic," Miguel mumbled.

"Let's see what's on today," Anne said, turning on the holovision. The current channel was about news.

"And now we bring you Nol Rinale who is live at the scene," said the anchorman.

"Thanks, Jim," said the Newman. She was in front of a burnt out building. "I am currently standing in front of what officials are calling an arson. Here in Sector 8, it is common to find all sorts of malicious acts, but what happened here at around 5:00 last night was much more uncommon. Officials suspect that someone managed to start a large fire in one of the hotel rooms. However, they are unsure of how and where it happened. Fortunately, there was only one fatality caused by the fire, while several people have suffered non-life-threatening injuries." The screen then changed to a white military class Android.

"At this time," he said professionally, "we are unsure of who might have caused the fire. There wouldn't have been any gain in destroying this establishment since Androids, Newmans, and Humans come here. The only casualty was a light tan Human of average height and build. We are not releasing his name at this point in time. He died of incineration. That is all the information we can release at this time." The screen then changed back to Nol.

"Officials also state that the crime was probably not connected to local radical gangs, the Newks and 'Droids," Nol said. "However, they are not ruling them out. The prime suspect is most likely a Chaotic. Reporting live from Sector 8 for PON Channel 4, this is Nol Rinale. Back to you, Jim."

"There's always something wrong with that Sector," Anne commented, changing the channel. "And no one's going to do a thing about it. Militares de mierda."

"It can't be helped," Chronos said, abandoning his soup. "There are more important things to worry about right now."

"Like getting you some edible food," Anne said, walking to the kitchen. "Hey, Miguel, save some of that soup for later."

"I don't know what he's complaining about," Miguel said. "Tastes alright to me."

"I'll take over from here," she said, pushing him out of the kitchen. "All he needs are some naranjas."

"Knock, knock," Escuro said, knocking at a door. He wasn't in his Force outfit, but he was still dressed in black robes. "Open uuup." A short lady in a crimson dress opened the door. She had tan skin and short black hair. He could tell that it was an Android from empty look of her glassy dark eyes.

"Come in," she said, staring at him with her blank eyes. When Escuro walked in, he saw five other "servants." They all paused to glance at him. Two other synthetically skinned Androids were there. One of them was Nina, in the usual blue. The other was a tall dark-haired male whose skin was blue while his clothes were white. They and the red Android quickly lost interest in Escuro. However, the other three kept their eyes locked on Escuro. One of them was Guldo, the only one standing up straight. Another one was a pale-faced Human male, covered in cloth to keep most of his head concealed. He was leaning against a wall in his trench coat, moving his black stringy hair out of his eyes. The last one was an albino female Newman in a pink blouse and black dress, with a hairstyle similar to Loris's twin-ball look, and sat on the floor between the two. Of all three, she seemed to glare the most threateningly at him. All three seemed to be guarding a door. The other remaining person was a short, blue-haired, Newman girl looking nervous amongst all the people staring at Escuro.

"Hmm, I guess they wanted to travel in comfort," Escuro said to himself whimsically. "I'm here to see the Zano sisters."

"They are with Master Zin at the moment," the albino replied coldly.

"They are not to be disturbed," Guldo added. "Those are Mistress Xi'san's specific orders."

"I guess that I'll just have to interrupt their little family reunion," Escuro shrugged, stepping forward. Each guard immediately stood in his way.

"You will not see them," the Human said sternly, revealing a katana beneath his trench coat. "You may wait until they are ready for you."

"Touchy," Escuro said, sitting in a chair. "May I have a drink? Or do I have to be threatened first?"

"Rupika," the Human called to the blue-haired Newman. "Get this clown some water."

"So, let me get this straight," T-65 said to Xero. They were on the Hunter's Deck. "You beat a Dragon?"

"Yep," Xero smiled.

"All by yourself?" T-65 questioned disbelievingly.

"Yeah," Xero said proudly.

"And you're level what?"

"Nine, man!" Xero said, getting tired of all the questions. "Now're we gonna' do this or what?"

"As long as you think your ready," T-65 shrugged. "I'll bet you went to the hospital as soon as you got back."

"…So what? Get off my balls, man," Xero said defensively, as they walked to the transporter.

"Fine," T-65 shrugged, as they teleported to the new area, Caves. It had taken numerous launches to get a transporter to that location, which was somewhere under the Central Dome. The first thing they noticed when they materialized was the heat.

"Damn, it's hot as shit in here!" Xero cried out, already beginning to sweat.

"So it's a little warm," T-65 said, shrugging off the heat. "Your suit should give you enough shielding to take the heat." They appeared to be in a small cavern with a very high ceiling. The rocky walls looked very similar to the area under Central Dome where they had fought the Dragon. In front of them, was a large metal door with green lights.

"It's quiet," T-65 noted.

"Too quiet," Xero added. It was absolutely silent, with the exception of Xero's breathing. "Watch my back." He stepped toward the door, which raised open. Both hunters were stunned by what they saw. It was a huge cave with lava flows on both sides.

"I always thought lava would make it hotter," T-65 noted. "Better watch your step." As soon as they stepped out of the doorway, there was a familiar sound. Bright green lights appeared all over the room, as several greenish creatures appeared. They had bright blue scythes for arms and walked on two feet. Their heads looked like those of sharks, except they were disproportionately large for their rather slim bodies, and had 3 pairs of red eyes.

"What the hell are those?" Xero asked, backing up as the creatures hissed and began walking towards them.

"…No data," T-65 said, looking at his ISL. He made a warning shot with his Rifle, hoping to scare them away. They didn't seem to notice at all and kept walking. "I guess we gotta' fight," he said, firing at the creatures. Unlike the Boomas in the Forest, these sharks actually made an effort to dodge some shots by bobbing their heads or swaying to the side.

"Here it goes!" Xero yelled, beginning his assault on the same one that T-65 was shooting at. Both of them missed an unnerving amount of shots and slashes as the monster either sidestepped or blocked with its claws. "Ah!" Xero yelled, getting knocked down by a counter-strike. Immediately, a trap exploded from T-65, freezing all of the sharks. T-65 continued to shoot, finally killing one of the monsters, which hissed as it fell into the ground. Xero got to his feet, taking a Monomate and resuming his attack on the frozen beasts.

"They're like Goboomas," T-65 noted, still shooting. The ice quickly melted from the surrounding heat, allowing the sharks to move closer. The hunters instinctively strafed around behind them so they wouldn't be backed into a corner. The sharks never lost their gaze on them. The hunters, who had plenty of room, now, continued their attack. Two more sharks went down, hissing in pain. The remaining two double-teamed Xero, who was the closest to them. While one blocked Xero's Saber with its claw, the other bit down onto his left wrist.

"Damn sharks!" Xero exclaimed, trying to wiggle it off while struggling not to be overpowered by the other. Fortunately for him, his shield was protecting his wrist. T-65 moved in to help by shooting the shark on the right at close range. Its death allowed Xero to fend off the shark that was biting him. With T-65's help, the last shark was killed. Before they could congratulate each other, the strange sound signaled the arrival of more company. On both sides of them, appeared two giant white lilies.

"Flowers?" T-65 said, as the plants seemed to stare at them by bending towards them. One tilted back and spat green slime onto him. Then, it began to snicker tauntingly. "What the hell is this?" T-65 asked, trying to wipe the goo off himself.

"I'm not about to find out!" Xero said, running at the nearest plant, preparing to cut it. Just before he could make contact, the blossom closed into a bud as the stalk stood straight up and emitted some sort of screeching sound. Xero's arms and legs immediately went numb and he nearly fell into the plant.

"What's wrong?" T-65 asked, seeing Xero barely able to stand.

"I can't feel anything!" Xero cried out. The plant then seemed to peck Xero in the chest, knocking him back. "They can bite!" T-65 then felt another blob splash against his back. He turned around to see the same flower that had done it before, laughing again. He silenced it by shooting the bud, which tried to bend out of the way, but was an easy kill at such close range. Despite Xero's numbness, he was still able to move, so he backed away from the flower near him. It then spit green slime onto him. Unlike T-65, he immediately felt sickly. He regained feeling in his limbs, but they began to ache, as did his sides. T-65 killed the plant with several shots to the bud.

"Can you feel anything, now?" T-65 asked sarcastically, noticing Xero's obvious pain. Again, the teleporting noise sounded. The first thing they noticed were two larger red sharks that hissed at the door they had come through. What truly surprised them was what appeared right next to them. With scales, claws, and two large wings, it appeared to be a miniature dragon, though it was still bigger than them. It stared at them, seemingly locking itself into position. It unexpectedly fired a large blue laser that plowed through T-65 and into the sharks.

"Screw this!" Xero exclaimed, pulling up T-65. "Let's get outta' here!" he said breaking into a run to the door. The RAcast followed suit, fed up with the Caves. They shoved pass the sharks just as the angered dragon fired four smaller beams that seemed to home in on each hunter and shark. The sharks were blasted into the lava, while the hunters were blasted through the open doorway, landing on the transporter. Dazed, they teleported back to Pioneer 2 without even getting up.

"With this card," the Newman boy, Jared, announced, "I'll destroy any hope you have of making it to the finals!" It was a team game with Jared and his friend, Van, against Misha and Taya. They were in the gym surrounded by the rest of the class, with it being the last game of the day. All of the monsters were full-scale holograms in the middle. The score was even with each team only having a total of 500 HP left. Van had summoned a powerful humanoid ice monster that had icicles poking out of its head and back, called Frostman. Jared had summoned a cloaked ghoul called Evil Dead and a Zombie. Misha had a large mech-like robot called Loader while Taya had a weak puddle monster called Blue Slime.

"He's pretty good with his language," Caseal complimented from the sidelines.

"Just make your move!" Misha shouted, growing impatient.

"Fine," Jared smirked. "I'll sacrifice my two monsters to summon one of the most powerful monsters in Phantasy Monsters!" he said, as the undead monsters sank into the ground.

"Repetitive word use," Caseal noted.

"Now witness my unstoppable red-eyed White Dragon!" he yelled, as a large, icy blue dragon appeared, flapping just above the ground. "Attack the Loader with your Fire Breath!" The fire instantly incinerated the Loader, costing Misha 100 HP. "Your move."

"Show off," Misha muttered, drawing her card. "Sigh I'll summon Monitor in defense mode and place two face down cards on the field." A small floating sphere of a machine appeared. "Done. See how simple that was?" Van then drew his card and immediately placed it on the playing field.

"I'll play my magic card, Arctic Glacier," he announced, "which freezes the entire field, raising Frostman's speed, strength, and defense. Sorry, Taya, but I've gotta' do this. Frostman, attack the Blue Slime with Ice Spike!" The monster extended a sharp ice arm at the slime, piercing it.

"You just activated two effects!" Taya said cheerfully. "First, I'll activate my trap card, Assimilate, which lets my Blue Slime absorb your Frostman and get stronger!" The Blue Slime then covered the entire ice monster, growing twice as large.

"What?!" Van exclaimed. Jared shook his head in disgust.

"Your magic card also activated my monster's special effect!" Taya announced. "Ice makes my Blue Slime split and since you turned the field into ice and attacked with an ice monster, it splits into five equally strong slimes." Her entire section was covered in blue goop.

"Way to go Taya!" Misha cheered her on.

Van groaned and said, "Wing Eye in defense mode." A small blue-winged eye appeared, lying on the ground. "Your go." Taya drew her card and paused for a moment in thought.

"First, I'll play Reverser," she said, laying down a magic card, "to bring back Misha's Loader." A wire frame appeared in Misha's section and was restored into her monster. "Next, I'll tribute two of my Blue Slimes to summon my rare Medusa." A serpent-tailed lady appeared with snakes for hair. "Then, I'll switch my other slimes to defense mode and attack White Dragon with Stone Cold Stare!" Medusa's eyes began to glow red and both Van's Wing Eye and Jared's White Dragon were petrified, although only destroying Van's monster since it was in defense mode and very weak. Both boys were stunned that their monsters had been beaten so easily. "Then, I'll put one card face down. It's your turn, Jared," she said enthusiastically, as the White Dragon hit the ground with a crash.

"Nice card," Jared rasped, drawing his next card, "but it won't save you. I'll play this ritual card, Call of the Dragon. When a dragon is severely injured like mine, this card allows me to summon up to three other dragons from my deck or hand."

"Aw man!" Misha whined, as Jared picked three cards from his deck.

"Three dragons are better than one!" he continued. "Behold, the Green, Red, and Gold Dragons!" The three giant winged lizards appeared on the field roaring and then biting onto the petrified White Dragon. "Oh yeah… They also eat the fallen dragon, raising their attack power just enough to beat your Medusa. Lucky for you, I can't attack on this turn. So, I'll just put a card face down and end my turn." Misha drew her card.

"Nice!" she said. "I'll tribute my Monitor to summon Sinow Kwin." In the small machine's place appeared a green robot that looked like a large, but primitive RAcast. "Then I'll have Loader attack Van directly with Laser Shot." The larger robot turned toward the defenseless Newman and shot a green laser at him. He flinched from the impact, losing the rest of his HP.

"It's up to you, man!" he shouted to Jared, who nodded in response.

"Not done yet," Misha warned. "Then I'll use Sinow Kwin's Strong Arm ability on Green Dragon." The green robot then picked up the Loader. "It sacrifices another monster to strengthen Sinow Kwin's attack." Sinow Kwin then tossed the Loader at the weakest monster, with Loader firing its laser the whole time and pestering the lizard. It self-destructed on impact, destroying the monster in an explosion. "That ends my turn," she smirked.

"These kids might be tougher than I thought," Caseal thought to herself.

"It wasn't strong enough to take away any of my HP," Jared said, not impressed. "So consider that a lucky shot." Since Van was out, Taya was able to draw her card.

"Yay!" she squealed. "I'll tribute my two Blue Slimes to use one of my most powerful monsters…and it's a rare Dark type." The crowd gasped as a frightening creature appeared in black sparkles of darkness. It looked like a tall, skinny man, except very mutated. Most of its body was black, gray, and brown. It had a thin waist, rotten skin, and two claws on each foot. The most startling part of the creature were its arms; the right arm was a saber made of bone, while its left arm ended in three slimy tentacles. It also seemed to have torn material, skin or cloth, hanging from it, especially in the area where its head should have been.

"Now that's a monster," Misha commented, impressed with the appearance of the monster in 3-D.

"What is that…thing?" Jared asked, unnerved.

"One of my favorites," Taya answered, her voice becoming uncharacteristically malevolent. "The legendary Shadow Saber… What's the matter, Jared? Afraid?""

"I…I'm not afraid of some freak!" Jared stammered. "I've got two dragons at full strength."

"Wrong!" Taya yelled. "Medusa, use Stone Cold Stare on Red Dragon!" The serpent lady's gaze turned the red beast to stone, but didn't destroy it. "Then, I'll use Shadow Saber to attack Gold Dragon with Claw Cut!" The hideous creature leaped across the field to the last active dragon, slashing across its belly and leaving a large gash. "Your turn," she said, returning to her sunny voice. He drew his card, nervous of her mentality.

"First I'll play this magic card, Reset," he said, "which let's me return my Gold Dragon to my hand." This action only left the petrified Red Dragon on the field. "Then I'll summon Octopus…"

"Hold it!" Misha shouted. "I'll activate my trap card, Turncoat, which let's me take control of a monster that you just summoned." A large, purple octopus appeared in her section. It had no eyes, just gnashing teeth.

"Whatever," Jared shrugged. "I'll reveal my face down card, Call of the Dragon. I've got one left and it's the strongest. Ain't no way you're gonna' beat this one. It's the supreme Blue Dragon!" It looked like the White Dragon, except it was darker and bigger. The Gold Dragon also reappeared, now at full strength as both bit into the Red Dragon. "Are you obsessed with dragons or somethin'?" Misha asked, weary of his latest monsters.

"They're the strongest and I'll prove it!" he said, laying two cards face down. "Now make your move!" Misha drew her card and went into brief thought. "Now you hold it!" Jared said, visibly annoying her. "I'll activate my trap card, Passover. It skips the rest of your turn."

"Bullshit!" Misha exclaimed angrily.

"Misha!" Caseal scolded. "Watch you language!"

"Sorry," she apologized half-heartedly. Taya drew a card.

"Medusa," Taya ordered, "attack Blue Dragon." Medusa's eyes began to glow.

"And I'll activate my other trap," Jared announced, "Friendly Fire. I'll use it to have Medusa take out that…thing!" Medusa then turned toward the Shadow Saber.

"I'll counter with Mirror Shield!" Taya said quickly, flipping her face down card. A giant mirror appeared in front of Medusa, resulting in her own petrifaction. "Then I'll use Shadow Saber to attack Gold Dragon!" The monster again leaped to the dragon with another slash.

"My turn!" Jared said, drawing his card. "Now I'll have my Gold Dragon annihilate that vulnerable Medusa. Attack with Thunder Claw!" The Gold Dragon stepped toward the statue to slash it.

"I've got another trap!" Misha taunted, flipping her other face down card. "Trade-off negates your attack, sacrifices her monster, and lets me draw another card." The Gold Dragon returned to its spot as the statue disappeared.

"Thanks," Taya smiled gratefully.

"Fine," Jared said, annoyed. "I'll just get rid of the freak with Blue Dragon's Fireball!"

"What a lame name for an attack," Misha mumbled, as the dragon blew the flame from its mouth and towards the Shadow Saber.

"It's no use attacking it like that," Taya said, returning to the wicked voice. The Shadow Saber raised its claw and tentacles just as the flames got within a few inches. The projectile dispersed on contact, leaving it unharmed.

"What happened?" Jared exclaimed. "Why didn't it get destroyed? Is the game glitching out?"

"It's Shadow Saber's special ability," Taya said condescendingly. "Only certain attacks can hurt it." The Shadow Saber seemed to agree by shaking its claw at Jared. Jared started to seethe, signaling Misha to draw her card.

"I'll activate this field card," Misha smirked. "It's called Dark Factory. It raises the stats of all machine or dark monsters." Metallic flooring and conveyor belts replaced the ice field. Her Sinow Kwin became more polished, with a little electrical discharge being given off. The Shadow Saber gained purple armor and its blade began to glow through a sequence of neon colors. "Then, Sinow Kwin will use its Strong Arm to attack Gold Dragon with Octopus." The robot picked up the animal and tossed it at the Gold Dragon. The Octopus latched onto the dragon's neck with its sharp teeth and both were destroyed as the mighty beast fell to the ground and crushed the sea creature. "And it's Taya's turn. Take 'em down."

Jared retorted, "You won't beat my…"

"Unstoppable Blue Dragon," Taya mocked him, drawing her card. "Blah, blah, blah. Ultimate dragon this, invincible dragon that. I'll use this card, Half-life. After sacrificing half of my HP, your monster is destroyed, with half of its health being subtracted from your HP."

"No!" Jared screamed, as his Blue Dragon split in half, disappeared, and took a large chunk out of his remaining HP.

"Shadow Saber!" Taya said with flare. "Let's do a combo attack." The Shadow Saber then walked up to Jared. Being much taller than the Newman, Jared shrunk back from the monster. It then swung wildly at him. After he managed to dodge three slashes, it used its tentacles to smack him to the ground. "We win!"

"Great job, girls!" Caseal cheered.

"Hey, Taya!" Van called, walking up to her. "That was a nice move. I'll bet there isn't anyone better than you at Phantasy Monsters. And Misha's pretty good too."

"Thank you," Taya said, flattered.

"Not so invincible, huh Jared?" Misha taunted him, as he got back to his feet.

"Pft." He shrugged, straightening his uniform. "I let you two win."

"Yeah, right!" Misha retorted. "You had like a hundred dragons coming at us, saying 'My dragons can beat anyone!' and they all got slaughtered."

"It wouldn't be right if I just crushed a couple of girls with my best monsters," he replied coolly. "Besides, it was Van's idea," he said, grinning at Van. "He just wanted to be nice to little Taya."

"Shut up, man!" Van snapped, blushing. "I didn't make you lose!"

"Someone's got a crush," Misha taunted.

"That's so cuuuute!" Taya said unexpectedly.

"Huh?" Van sounded. "It is?"

"Uh huh," Taya nodded, smiling.

"Then, uh…" Van stuttered. "Will you…uh…would you…"

"Okay," Taya replied before he could finish. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said, as she and Misha left. Van was stunned.

"Well, whadya know," Jared said, tousling Van's hair. "You got a girlfriend. I guess I could just go for her catty friend. Maybe you'll have better luck with Taya than you did with Serenity," he said, glancing at the brunette reading in the corner.

"Sheesh," Escuro said, looking at the clock on his ISL. "Isn't 45 minutes enough?" Then, Fina, the black Android, walked out of the guarded room with a dish full of teacups and handed them to Nina. Then, she noticed Escuro.

"You may enter," she said, walking back into the room.

"It's about time," he said, going to the room. "I could've been doing other things by now." On a large, but low circular bed sat Loris. Sitting on large pillows before her were Xi'san and another robed man. He had long reddish-brown hair, a light tan face, and green eyes. All three were in mantles, surrounded by potpourri and other aromatics.

"Escuro," Xi'san greeted, putting down her teacup. "What an unpleasant surprise."

"I knew you'd miss me," Escuro responded playfully. "I see that you decided to have a little family get-together."

"What brings you to my humble abode?" Loris asked with her eyelids shut.

"Straight to the point, eh?" Escuro noted. "Well, then. It seems that our scouts have found some potential in the Caves. However, they are having a bit of difficulty with the local wildlife. I was told to look for any volunteers who might want to be of some assistance."

"What's the matter," Zin asked mockingly. "Can't handle it yourself?"

"The more assistance we get," Escuro retorted, "the smoother things should be. And furthermore, I won't be available for a few days."

"I will not go," Loris responded plainly.

"I might go," Xi'san said. "Couldn't they have sent another messenger besides you?"

"May I remind you that I am the only person that knows where both you and your sister live?" Escuro said in a gravelly voice.

"I'm willing to go on one condition," Zin said shrewdly.

"What?" Escuro asked, expecting an unpleasant answer.

"If I do this favor for you," Zin smiled, "then you'll have to have dinner with me sometime."

"I don't think so," Escuro said, taken aback. "Where did you get that idea?" he asked, grimacing at Xi'san who had a barely visible smile on her face. "Anyway, I also came here to speak with Xi…………..alone."

"…Well," Loris said, noticing no movement and opening her blue eyes. "Take it outside. I won't be shooed out of my own room." Xi'san and Escuro stepped out into the main room and into the kitchen.

"Nina, Ren," Xi'san said to the blue Androids. "We need to talk. Please give us a moment." The two Androids went into the main room with the rest.

"Were they yours?" Escuro asked, watching them leave.

"The blue-skinned one belongs to Zin," Xi'san said. "Now, what do you want?"

"Have you watched the news lately?" Escuro asked quizzically.

"I've been busy," she replied defensively.

"You should make time for it," he said more sternly. "You've been getting reckless."

"Explain," Xi'san said, becoming offended.

"Your promiscuities are drawing too much attention," he clarified. "After taking care of business, you obviously started a fire at some hotel in Sector 8. It was all over the news. Fortunately for you, they don't know who started it and how."

"I already know," she said with a mix of irritability and shame, surprising Escuro. "Loris already scolded me, so if that's all you have to tell me, you can leave." She abruptly turned around and walked back to the bedroom.

"Hmph," he said, leaving the home. "Forty-five minutes for that… Oh, well. The look on her face was good enough. Until next time."

"Hey, sis," Zin said to Xi'san, as she entered the room. "I thought you said he liked men." At this, Loris couldn't help but giggle.

"I never said that," Xi'san said, with a small smile. "I only said that you had a chance with him."

"He favors both genders," Loris explained, humored. "But, you seem to be the only person that unnerves him. Not even Xi'san can scare him the way you did."

"Hurray for me," Zin said dryly.

"Excuse me, Loris?" Rose, the red Android said, entering the room.

"Rose?" Loris asked, looking in her general direction. "What is it?"

"A Ranger is here to speak with you about Rupika," Rose explained.

"The Newman girl?" Loris asked.

"Yes," Rose answered. "He wants to make sure that she has recovered from her injuries since she was brought back from Ragol. He also mentioned something about a chip."

"What was his name?" Loris asked, getting up. Her hands searched for her Cane on the bed until Xi'san handed it to her.

"Bernie," Rose answered.

"What is going on?" Mina complained, following a nurse through the hospital. She was in her Force outfit.

"They're in here," the nurse said, opening the door. Both Xero and T-65 were inside. Xero had bandages on his head and hands, sitting in a chair. T-65 was in a recharge station being repaired by a nurse in a face shield, who was welding him.

"Uh…Hi," T-65 said, waving nervously.

"Okay," Mina started. "I can understand being injured every once in a while. But, when it starts happening consecutively, there's a problem. Starting tomorrow, you're going to get some supervised training."

"But Mom!" he protested. Xero started to laugh from the scene that was developing.

"Please, hold still," the nurse said to the Android.

"But nothing!" Mina said firmly. "You're going to do the same kind of training that all serious hunters undergo… That goes for your friend too.

"What?" Xero exclaimed. "Why do I have to go? You're not my mother! I mean, come on, we're like the same age!"

"You're going!" she said curtly. "It's the only way for you to become a decent hunter."

"And if I don't?" he asked.

"There are several reasons why you should," she warned, cracking her knuckles and undoing her hairstyle. "For one thing, you might learn how to do this." Then she folded her arms and closed her eyes.

"How to sleep standing up?" he asked, not impressed. A few silent seconds later, her hair started to rise in the air and she began to emit a purple aura. Xero began to scoot his chair back.

"Keep in mind," she said, opening her now glowing, empty eyes, "that this part is mostly for show. It only hints at the true power of oneself. I don't think I have to demonstrate this power, do I?"

"No, that's okay," Xero said in awe. "I'll do the training. Just don't go super-saiyan on me, okay?"

It was nearing the evening period of Pioneer 2. The "nightlife" was just beginning. It was also the only good time for Alicia to visit an old friend. Despite the fact that she didn't want to draw attention, she knew that it was better to deter people from approaching her. Because of this, she wore her Force clothing as she entered the Last Stand bar. She immediately caught the attention of everyone inside, but not wanting any trouble, they returned to their business. It wasn't a rough bar at all, but still rather close-knit.

"Alicia, over here!" a blonde bartender called out. Her hair was somewhat short; she had red eyes, pale skin, and was shorter than Alicia. The FOmarl quickly took a seat at the bar.

"Hello, Claire," Alicia greeted. "I decided to pay you a visit. How is everything?"

"Just fine and dandy," Claire smiled. "College is a little rough and it doesn't let ya go hunting much, but at least I can say I went to college. How's Donoph?"

"Not as good as we would like," Alicia responded uneasily. "We tell him to get more rest, but he's just not happy that way. And it doesn't seem to be helping much. We're thinking about moving him to the hospital soon."

"Well, what do you expect?" Claire said, not surprised. "Old Donoph may be getting on in years, but he's got the heart of a hunter. There's no way you're gonna' get that man to stay still."

"That reminds me," Alicia began. "What has Seth been up to lately?"

"Nothing much," Claire replied, filling a glass and sliding it down the table to a customer. "He's been having a hard time finding time for hunting, but he's been kicking some serious ass in the sword clubs. He's also been running from all those preppy college girls."

"So, where does he stay?" Alicia asked. "On campus?"

"You know him," she said, cleaning the table. "He's the lone wanderer. He doesn't even have the room he was assigned on campus anymore. Sometimes he's on a hunter ship. Occasionally, I manage to convince him to stay at my place, but he always feels like he's freeloadin'… Can I get you anything?"

"No, thanks," Alicia answered modestly. "You know I don't handle alcohol well."

"You'd better buy somethin'!" another, older bartender called out. "There's a two-drink minimum!"

"Can it, Rick!" Claire yelled back. "Sorry about that," she apologized to the FOmarl. "How about some water or juice, on me?"

"I wouldn't mind that," said a somewhat large waiter, walking up to the bar. "I wouldn't mind it on her either," he said, looking over the FOmarl.

"You know what, Con?" Claire said angrily. "Some day you're gonna' say that crap to the wrong person. Now go give that lady over there her cosmopolitan."

"Which one?" he asked, lounging against the bar.

"The one in the corner by herself," Claire said, giving him the drink. "Thin eyes, red-tipped dark hair, in the dress."

"I remember her from somewhere," he said, looking at the woman closely. "That's the chick from the club!" He grinned to himself and walked in her direction.

"I really wish I could fire that guy," Claire said, watching him talk to the lady. "Or kick his ass… Or find someone who'll kick his ass." Then, a certain HUcaseal and a certain blue HUcast entered.

"We really should be getting that OJ," Anne said to the HUcast.

"Chronos can wait," Miguel said, heading straight for the bar. "Right now, I need a quick recharge. Besides, they might have the juice here."

"Well, I've gone this far," she shrugged. "I might as well get a drink too."

"Give us the heaviest, strongest, cheapest stuff you've got," Miguel said to Claire.

"Are you Anne and Miguel?" Alicia asked the two.

"Yeah," Anne replied. "Aren't you that lady who was with Mina?"

"Very perceptive of you," Alicia complimented. "I'm Alicia Baz." Claire also happened to recognize the HUcaseal not by name, but by her reputation.

"Say," Claire whispered, getting out a pair of beer cans, "you want more than regular booze right? I'll let you have 2 quarts of Vodka on the house if you do me a favor."

"We'll do it!" Miguel announced triumphantly.

"You haven't even heard what she wants yet," Anne said. "What is it?"

"I've seen you beat the crap out guys before," Claire said, leaning over the bar table. "Could you take out that waiter over there? I'd do it myself, but I'd probably be fired, ha ha!"

"I don't think that'll work," Alicia said, pointing in his direction. He was leading the lady, who had a barely noticeable smile on, out of the bar.

"Oh, well," Claire sighed. "At least I can get him fired for walking out on the job."

"Do we still get the Vodka?" Miguel asked hopefully.

"Yeah…" Claire answered, smiling.

"All right!" Miguel cheered.

"But you have to pay for it," she chuckled.

"Aww!" Miguel whined. "You put me up just to drop me back down."

"We're leaving anyway," Anne quickly muttered to herself, pulling Miguel away. "Adiós, Alicia."

"Bye," Alicia said. "I hope to see you again."

"Hey, Alicia," Claire said to the FOmarl. "Thurday's Karaoke Night. You and whoever else you know should come down here sometime. You could even make some extra cash with your sax. You still play, right?"

"Yes," Alicia answered. "In my spare time…which I have very much of now."

"Well, just think about it, okay?" Claire said. "I'd really like to see you guys more often, but graduation isn't for like a week or two…Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed, taking out a card. "You can also come to Jinx's on Friday or Saturday. Just show them this," she said, giving Alicia the card.

"I suppose he didn't learn his lesson from merciful Chronos," Xi'san thought to herself, having just finished disemboweling Con at his apartment and stealing his money. "I know I've learned mine." Instead of immediately setting the apartment ablaze, she used Barta to freeze the area around his remains. Then, she tossed a fireball at the center, incinerating the remains. The flames melted the ice, but died in the process. Satisfied with the few ashes that were left, Xi'san took her leave.

Notes: This might be the first episode to have a moral, if a sadistic one: If you want to destroy the evidence, don't start big fires because it draws too much attention. My goal in this episode was to humanize some of the shadier characters and add some more characters. And that whole card thing… Think of it as a cheap substitute for real action on Ragol. Gotta give the Boomas a rest, y'know? Is it me, or are these chapters getting longer?

On the next episode of PSO: Sidestory: Misha and Taya take on a special team, which uses more unorthodox monsters (as if you could tell the difference). Part comedy, part action, with the Yugi-Oh heart of the (BS) cards crap, its "Dream Team." Back to school… Only Toonami!