Not much reaction to that first chapter. Still, thanks for your kind words, Kjara, and for your feedback. Hopefully you'll continue to read, and who knows? Maybe a few more readers will get interested by and by.

As soon as he arrived back at the station, SGT Hall was told that the chief wanted to see him. 'Ah, Christ!' He thought as he made his way through the building toward the chief's office. 'Now what? I used to think Todo was bad, but this new bastard! At least Todo would stand up to you, face to face and toe to toe, and tell you that you were chewed the hell up. This guy seems like the kind who'll blow sunshine up your ass and then stab you in the back after the fact. Goddamned corporate yes-man, that's what he is. And God only knows why Chief Todo retired so suddenly. Sure didn't seem to be planning on it, and then, two weeks ago, bam! He puts in the paperwork. What the hell kind of shit is that?'

Hall's mental tirade halted abruptly as he reached the chief's receptionist, and saw who awaited him there. Leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, was SGT Natomi. She looked up at him as he neared, her expression unreadable, and said, "Well. Fancy meeting you here."

Hall sighed loudly, and said, "Yeah, imagine that. Chief sent for you too?"

She nodded, and said, "Mm-hmm. Sure did."

"Well, this should be damn interesting, then," Hall said dryly.

The receptionist cleared her throat pointedly, and said, "The chief wanted to speak to you first, SGT Hall. He said he'd call for SGT Natomi once he'd discussed things with you. You can, uh, go right in."

Hall grunted, and, looking to Natomi, said, "Huh. That ok with you, Natomi? Or does that leave you feeling cut out of the loop?"

'Kiko shrugged, and, voice sullen, said, "What difference does it make? He's the chief. I guess he'll do whatever he feels like."

Hall shook his head and said, "Right. Shouldn't of asked. Got it."

And then, turning, he strode purposefully to the chief's door and knocked authoritatively. After hearing a muffled, "Come in," he opened the door and walked in, stopping two paces in front of the chief's desk. If the man behind it had been Todo, he might have saluted, but he'd be damned if he'd give this pale imitation that honor.

"You wanted to see me, chief?" He said in a neutral tone.

The new chief, a nervous, pale little man, said, a bit uncertainly, "Ah, yes, Officer Hall. There-"

"SERGEANT Hall, sir," Hall interrupted.

Backpedaling slightly, the chief said quickly, "Oh, yes, of course, Sergeant! You'll have to forgive me, I'm still not used to all of these titles. They're not the ones I'm accustomed to using, after all."

Sighing in exasperation, Hall said, "Yeah, I can imagine, sir. Police department's a whole different world from the board room and all that crap. So what was it you wanted to talk about, sir?"

Considering for a moment, the chief finally said, "Well, SGT Hall, it's simply this. For the last two weeks, I've sort of been in 'look, listen, and feel' mode, if you know what I mean. You can't just come on board somewhere and start changing things without seeing how they work first, right?"

"Yeah," Hall said tiredly, "I suppose. Unless you can see that shit's screwed up from the get-go, of course."

The chief nodded tentatively, and said, "Well, yes. But at any rate, I think I've gotten a pretty good overview of operations here in the ADP, and I've already identified a few changes I'd like to make."

'Here it comes,' Hall thought resignedly. 'This is where the shit starts getting deep.'

After a pause, the chief continued. "In addition to some overall changes in the department's response and equipment deployment policies, I find myself in a rather awkward position regarding one special piece of equipment on the department's books. The Mark II Advanced Police Anti-Boomer Battle Cyborg, to be exact. And I believe you can help me with my little conundrum."

Frowning now, Hall said, "Help you, chief? With Natomi? Begging your pardon, sir, but what the hell do you think I can do to help you with her? In case you hadn't heard, the two of us had a little falling out today, and I don't think I'm exactly her favorite person right now."

Looking vaguely perplexed, the chief said, "Well, I'm not sure exactly how that's relevant, SGT Hall. I don't think it's 'feelings' are really a factor here. We are discussing a piece of police hardware, after all."

Hall felt the blood rise to his face as he heard this, and he said angrily, "Now wait just a goddamned minute! That 'piece of hardware' you're talking about just happens to be a cop! And whatever I might think about what's been done to her, I can't deny that her heart's in the right place! Shit, the first thing she did after coming back to work for this department, AFTER SHE'D DIED FOR IT, was save my whole squad's collective ass from a bunch of berserk combat boomers! Not to mention saving God only knows how many lives down in Yokohama after the fact. So even if the two of us had a little tiff today, I'll be damned if I'll stand here and let her be discussed like a goddamn K-suit or a road chaser!" And then, sarcastically, he added, "Sir."

Licking his lips nervously, the chief said quickly, "Well, yes, of course I can see your point of view, SGT Hall. And certainly I wouldn't want to belittle it's-"

"Her." Hall interrupted in a flat, dangerous tone.

"Er, her achievements." The chief finished cautiously, and then continued. "But, as I'm sure you're aware, by law she's no longer human. The only thing left of the original Akiko Natomi is a brain and spinal chord, installed, is it were, in an experimental heavy androidial combat frame. And even those have been modified and toughened by the use of nano-technology, yes? If I understand the technical summaries correctly, that is. "

Still frowning, Hall said, "Yeah, that's how I understand it. So?"

"So, Sergeant," he said leadingly, "What does that add up to, from a legal standpoint?"

Hall sighed, and, reluctantly, said, "Yeah, she's way over the seventy percent mark. We both know that. So, legally, she's a boomeroid. You're not telling me anything I didn't already know."

Nodding, the chief said, "Exactly. And therefore, she's neither a human being, nor is she entitled to any of the legal rights of a human being. She's the legal property of Cytech Enterprises, currently licensed exclusively for experimental use by the Advanced Police Department. And that's where it stands."

"Alright," Hall said slowly, "You've made your point, chief. Now where the hell are you going with this?"

"Actually, it's pretty simple," the chief said slowly. "I believe the current air-patrol and deployment scheme that's being used with her is both risky and cost-prohibitive. Keeping her on-station in the air for most of a shift, or sometimes even two with her endurance, is costing the department an arm and a leg, so to speak. And it allows her to be dangerously unsupervised."

Hall's eyebrows jumped up in surprise, and he said, "Unsupervised? What the hell are you talking about, sir? There's a pilot and a crew chief on those birds!"

The chief shook his head and said, "Yes, but they're not in charge of her. She was given the authority to make the decision whether or not to respond to a particular incident. That was the former chief's position, I believe."

"Well, yeah," Hall said slowly. "With limits, of course. She still has to get the okay from dispatch to drop in, and the tactical commander on scene could veto her. But who the hell would want to? Yeah, we had some harsh words today, and I accused her of thinking we were helpless. But the truth is, even with minor incidents, cops get hurt, if not killed. Even when we're able to take care of whatever it is, we hardly ever get away scott-free. So even if a commander's a glory-hog, he or she's usually damn glad to spare their people some lumps. And 'Kiko usually hands out a helluva lot more than she takes, trust me."

The chief just nodded slowly and said, "Yes, I'm sure. Be that as it may, I've decided to change things around a bit. First off, no more air patrol. I simply cannot justify the expense. From now on, she'll either be here at the tower on standby, or out in a regular patrol vehicle. She should be able to provide adequate coverage that way, and if need be she can always be picked up by aircraft for a specific mission."

Hall frowned, and said, "I think you're making a big damn mistake with this, chief, but obviously you've made up your mind. So what other changes are you planning on making?"

Smiling again, the chief said, "Oh, just this, Lieutenant Hall-"

"Ah, that's Sergeant Hall, sir." Hall said carefully.

The chief shook his head just slightly, and, still smiling said, "As I was saying, LIEUTENANT Hall, I believe that our Anti-Boomer Cyborg needs just a bit closer supervision. Someone with a bit more rank on the collar to keep an eye on her. A… partner, if you will."

Again Hall's eyebrows shot up, and he said, "Oh, hell no! You're talking about pulling me off the line, away from my guys, and putting me in a position where I'm not only completely redundant but probably worse than useless! Shit, I'm good and I know it, but I'd just slow her down if the shit hit the fan!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way, LT Hall," the chief said with mock-sincerity, and then, "but I'm afraid I must insist. Of course, if you don't feel up to this assignment, I believe there is a position open for a tactical instructor at the academy in Kobe. I'm sure that you and Sergeant Major Takashi would have a lot to reminisce about up there."

Color rising once again, Hall said, "So that's how it is, huh? Either I agree to this crap or you screw me over the same way they screwed Ami over years ago? That's bullshit!"

"Possibly," the chief conceded, "but those are your only two choices. I… took the liberty of filling your old position already. You'll probably want to clear out your locker in the squad room after this, regardless of your decision."

Breathing heavily and restraining himself almost physically, Hall said through clenched teeth, "Goddamn it! You know damn good and well what I'm going to say! No way in hell am I gonna get parked behind a desk or in a friggin' classroom up in Kobe! Yeah, I'll partner up with 'Kiko! But you can be friggin' sure that you're gonna regret this, SIR!"

The chief nodded slowly, and said, "That may be, LT Hall. Only time will tell. But remember. You're in charge. You have the rank, and the authority. And the RESPONSIBILITY. She doesn't make a move unless you say so. And that applies twenty-four hours a day, not just during shift work."

"For Christ's sake, chief!" Hall exclaimed. "She already can't leave the building without a chaperone, and she has to sign out at the front door. What the hell else do you want?"

"You need to know her every move, Lieutenant," the chief said. "So far as I'm concerned, other than in a dire emergency, no one other than you, me, or an authorized Cytech employee will be allowed to escort her outside the building. And under no circumstances should she leave alone."

Vaguely amazed now, Hall just stared at the creature that had replaced Chief Todo. 'Christ,' he thought, 'We didn't know how good we had it all these years.' Aloud, he said, "You're out of your goddamned mind, sir. If you're trying to drive her friggin' nuts, you've just about found the perfect formula to do it."

"Again, I'm sorry you feel that way, Lieutenant," the chief said. "But that's just the way things will have to be. And now, I think we need to explain things to SGT Natomi, don't you?"

"Huh!" Hall said, and then, sarcastically, "Why bother? I thought she was just a piece of equipment to you. You don't explain shit to your toaster, do you?"

Seemingly oblivious to Hall's tone, the chief replied, "Well, no, but SGT Natomi is a bit more complicated than a toaster, I'm afraid. A better analogy might be a cleaning boomer or some such, I suppose. I certainly would explain what I wanted to one of those, and very carefully, I might add."

Hall could take no more of this. Realizing that if he spent another minute in the same room with the chief he'd most likely become the perpetrator of a major crime, Hall turned on his heel and headed for the door, saying over his shoulder, "That's it! I'll send her in and you can explain this shit yourself! And I friggin' dare you to use that cleaning boomer line on her! Could be kinda' hard getting a couple of K-suits in here to save your ass when you won't be able to authorize them. SIR"

With that, Hall stormed out, slamming the door behind him hard enough to rattle the wall. He stalked angrily toward the receptionist's desk, looking for Natomi, and was brought up short when he failed to find her. Frowning, he turned to the receptionist.

"Where the hell did she go?" He said.

With an odd look on her face, the receptionist said, "I'm not sure, sir. It was the oddest thing…"

"What do you mean, odd?" Hall said suspiciously.

Frowning, the receptionist said, "Well, not long after you went into the chief's office, the strangest thing happened. She was just standing there, with her head kind of cocked to one side, almost as if she were listening to something. But there was nothing to hear! And then, all of a sudden, her eyes got really wide, and she put her hand over her mouth, as if she were horrified by something. I asked her if she was okay, but she just ignored me. Then, for no reason at all, she started to cry, and just kind of slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees of all things! I was just about to call Chief over the intercom, but then she jerked her head up all of a sudden and gasped really loud. She had this expression on her face… I don't even know how to describe it, really. Lost, I guess, like a little child, maybe. And then she just jumped up and bolted away, sobbing." The receptionist paused, shaking her head slowly, and then said, "I was just so surprised I didn't know what to do. Why do you think she did all of that?"

Hall suddenly smacked his forehead and then drew his hand slowly down his face. "Son-of-a-bitch!" He said self-reprovingly. "How in hell could I have forgotten about those damn cyber-ears? She heard every friggin' thing that was said in there!"

Looking puzzled, the receptionist said slowly, "I take it that's a bad thing?"

Shaking his head, Hall sighed and said, "Lady, you don't know the half of it."

With that, Hall took off at a run, thinking that this was a hell of a way to break in a new partner.

Alone in her bedroom, one of the small suite of rooms on the ADP tower's twenty-fourth floor that had been remodeled to accommodate her, Akiko lay curled on her bed, sobbing, a small, yellow teddy bear clutched to her chest. She could hardly believe the things she'd heard, and she didn't want to believe what those things said about the new chief's attitude toward her.

Taken together with her earlier fight with Hall, and the reactions of his people, this latest incident seemed to her to be just another part of a depressing pattern. In fact, it seemed that her new life, so far at least tolerable with brief moments of near-happiness, had just come crashing down around her, all in one day. And, worst of all, she knew that there was no escape for her. It wasn't like she could just turn in her badge and quit.

As she contemplated these black thoughts, still sobbing, she hugged the teddy bear even tighter. She was careful, though, to make sure her kinesthetic subroutines' safety interlocks were engaged, damping down the power of her enhanced musculature. She'd never forgive herself if she damaged the bear in any way. It wasn't replaceable.

There was a low rapping at the suite's front door, followed by a muffled voice. "'Kiko? It's me, Hall. Can I come in?"

She briefly considered just ignoring him in the hope that he'd eventually go away, but she quickly rejected that idea. More than likely he'd either wait there until she couldn't ignore him anymore, or, if he were concerned enough, he might just get someone to override the locking mechanism. Either way, she knew she'd have to deal with him sooner or later.

With a shuddering sigh, she said, "Yeah, I suppose so." Simultaneously, using her internal wireless link, she sent a signal unlocking the door.

Hall came inside a bit hesitantly, probably the first time she'd ever seen him tentative about anything. She sat up as he entered the bedroom, still holding the teddy bear tucked under her arm. Hall couldn't help but notice this, and, taking a closer look, saw that the bear held in it's small paws a framed photo of what appeared to be a newborn infant, cradled on someone's arm.

Casting about for some way to start, Hall simply said, "Nice bear, 'Kiko."

Looking down at the bear rather than at Hall, she said in a small voice, "Toshiro gave this to me the day Maiume was born. He snapped the picture in the hospital room, printed it out downstairs, and bought the bear in the gift shop. I remember when he came back in, grinning from ear to ear and hiding something behind his back. I sort of fell in love with him all over again when he handed me that bear. It just said so much about what kind of man he was. Always so gentle and kind."

Hall sighed, sure that he'd picked exactly the wrong way to open the conversation, and said, "Toshiro was your husband, right?"

'Kiko nodded, and said, "Yeah. Was. But you know that story, Hall."

Hall nodded as well, and said slowly, "He was Tokyo PD, right? An N-cop?"

'Kiko smiled wistfully, and said, "He hated that word; N-cop. N-police too. N- for normal, as if they were just the boring, watered down version of the ADP or something. We used to tease each other all the time with stuff like that. And he used to worry so much about me. He always said that I should just transfer back over to Tokyo PD and stop trying to save the damned world, or whatever it was we did in the ADP." She shook her head, and then said, "I guess that's kind of ironic, isn't it? That he was the one always worried about me."

"I guess so," Hall said carefully. "He died, line of duty, right?"

'Kiko nodded again, and said in a tight voice, "Yeah. Went patrolling way too damn close to the Canyons one night, and ran across a bunch of wanna-be gangers mugging some old lady. So naturally, he had to charge in and save the day. The old lady got away, but Toshiro didn't. Just one crappy little .32 caliber bullet, Hall. Something that would barely even scratch a coffee-boomer's hide, and suddenly a wife is a widow, and a little girl has no Daddy. How the hell is that fair? Can you tell me that?"

Hall shook his head slowly, and said, "No, I wish I could, but I can't. There's a whole lot of shit that's not fair, 'Kiko. Especially in this damned town."

Sniffing, she said, "Yeah, tell me about it. Seems to be the story of my life. Every damn time I pick myself back up after fate's kicked the shit out of me, something else comes along and knocks me right back down. First it was Toshi dying, and then my little… accident. And now, just when I'd started to think that maybe I was getting things back together, that maybe I'd be able to pull something good out this whole nightmare, I get kicked in the damn teeth again! Christ, Hall, as far as chief's concerned, I'm just one step above a damn cleaning boomer! You heard him! How the hell do I fight that? And if that's how he feels, what chance do I stand of ever being with Maiume again? He's the one in a position to either make that happen or make sure that it never does, and what do you think he'll recommend?"

Hall sighed, and said, "Hell, 'Kiko, I don't know what to tell you. I used to think Todo was friggin' impossible. I used to go round and round with him just like McNichol and Takashi did. But after seeing what this rat-bastard is all about tonight, I'd damn near get on my knees and kiss Todo's fat, wrinkled old ass if he'd come back."

Incongruously, Akiko giggled at this, and, frowning, Hall said, "Ok, what's so damned funny, Natomi? You're not losing it on me, are you?"

She shook her head, and said, "No, it's just the mental image, that's all. Picturing Chief Todo's ass is bad enough, but seeing you on your knees, all puckered up and ready to-"

"Ok!" Hall said quickly, "I got it! And I don't need that image any more than you do. But at least you laughed."

'Kiko sighed, and said, "Yeah, I guess that's true. But goddamn it, Hall! Why all this crap, and why now? Why couldn't he have just left things like they were? It was working! Over the last two months, line of duty deaths have dropped by fifty-seven percent! Not all of that was me, but sure as hell some of it was! And it's only because I was able to be where I was needed when I was needed. It won't work that way in a damned patrol car."

"Huh!" Hall said smugly. "You've never seen me drive a road chaser, obviously."

'Kiko rolled her eyes, and said, "Riiiight. You and Leon have been hanging out again, haven't you? Getting drunk, talking lots of shit, and reminiscing about the roaring '20's, or some crap like that, I'll bet."

Hall shook his head, and said, "Naw, Leon and I kind of parted ways once he moved upstairs. We still shoot the shit every so often, but I never really wanted to be anywhere but on the line. It's what I'm best at, and where I can do the most good. I don't think there's anybody in the department who can deny that my squad's just about the best we've got. Damn near as good as Takashi's ASWAT people were back in the day. Maybe better in their own way."

"And now you're stuck with me," Akiko said slowly. And then, thoughtfully, she continued. "Y'know, after this afternoon, I was really surprised by what you said there in the chief's office, Hall. I didn't expect you to stick up for me like that."

"Ah, shit," he said gruffly. "I just told the damn truth, Natomi. The chief was so full of bullshit he was about to explode. Just wish I'd had a pin to help him along."

She giggled again, and said, "Y'know, Hall, maybe this won't be so bad after all. None of those chopper pilots made me laugh the way you do."

"Great," he said resignedly. "If nothing else, I'm good for moral support and sound effects. And that's probably just about all."

Frowning, 'Kiko shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't believe that for a minute, Hall. You're too evil a bastard to be happy sitting on the sidelines. If anything kicks off, I fully expect you'll find some way to make yourself useful."

"Heh." He said, grinning slightly. "You might just be right about that. Chief might've bitten off a hell of a lot more than he can chew, putting the two of us together. We might just end up being more trouble than Malso and McNichol were. That'd serve his ass right."

She laughed again, and said, "Damn you, Hall! You've managed to slice right through that black funk I was having so much fun wallowing in and actually put me in a decent mood again. I may never forgive you."

"Well, hell,' he said. "That calls for a celebration, then. Grab yourself some civvies, get changed, and then you're coming with me."

Frowning again, she said, "Whoa, now, wait a minute. What've you got in mind, Hall?"

"Nothing much," he said, smiling. "Just a little night out. When the hell's the last time you got out of this hole other than to duke it out with a damn screw-loose boomer anyway?"

"Too long," 'Kiko admitted. "Too damn long. Ok, Hall, you're on. But don't expect anything fancy. I don't really keep a whole lot of clothes up here."

"That's fine," he said. "The place we're going is pretty casual. But the atmosphere is great."

That's the end of chapter 2; hope you enjoyed. This one was mostly drama, and character setup, and the next one's pretty much plot advancement. Chapter 4, however, is packed with action, so if you can stand it that long, hang out and see what's coming. Oh, and please review; I really like to know what I'm doing, right and wrong.