Chapter 2: Luck Be a Lady To(k)night
by Maxwell Sinclair

The moon hung in the sky, a fat crescent illuminated by an orange glow from the streets below. A figure clad in a white hardsuit with blue highlights stood in a dramatic pose on a rooftop in front of the moon. Sylia looked down in horror as this new boomer flung a prototype military boomer through the air with its legs, and then formed a bus-sized crater with the force of its punch. To think they could put that much power in such a small frame.

Her visor heads-up display showed nothing. She couldn't get any readings off of it, not even heat. Obviously, the AD police had interrupted a new Genom weapon test, of course Genom would never admit that. The figure triangle jumped off two buildings in the area and fled. They need to stop this prototype now.

"Let's get it, ladies. Priss, go left. Linna, take the right. Nene, stay with me. We'll hit it hard and fast."

Sylia followed in the direction of the boomer, jumping from roof to roof using the suit's jets to assist.

She didn't have to go far. Less than a mile over, it stood on the roof of a tall hotel, its arms folded across his chest. She didn't hesitate.

Extending the suit's blades she charged forward and swung her blade in an arc towards the thing's neck...

...and her world spun around.

Too fast! Her arms were pinned against her back and a hand held her throat. Its fingers pressed through the metallic suit and she could feel the gloves against her skin. The aroma of leather filled her helmet.

Three rails from Priss struck her in the chest, as they exploded she heard Linna scream from behind her.

How can it be this fast?

"Can't we talk before we dance, Sylia?" spoke a sarcastic but warm voice in her ear.

The blood drained from her face. How did it know her name?

"Ladies. Consider your situation. I'm sure Linna is behind me preparing to use her ribbon cutters, but there is no guarantee they will work with the front of her helmet smashed. Or maybe you'll consider striking me with those knuckle bombs, but you've seen how fast I am. Before any attacks landed Miss Stingray here would be dead. I can also easily use the lovely Sylia to block any attacks from Priss.

"Ah but maybe, the lovely young Nene sneaking up on me plans to hack into my core and shut me down. If you all attack at once, one of you may succeed but at what cost? Let's play this my way. I've got a fairly good idea what questions you'll ask. Rather than drawing this out, I'll say a few things and then leave you in peace. If you'd still like to hold a dance party afterwards, I'll be happy to leave your hardsuits in a pretty heap for you to carry home."

A cold chill spread from Sylia's stomach up her throat. This thing might be able to carry out its threat, at the least one of them wouldn't live through this. It looked like that would be her. She was willing to sacrifice herself for the cause, but this maybe a time where discretion would be the better part of valor.

"What you just observed was me trashing some Genom boomers. I do not work for Genom."

"Who do you..."

It cut her off, continuing to speak, "I'm not going to tell you who I am or who I work for, of course. I'm similar to you lovely ladies, but I'd prefer to stay out your way. I'll try and keep my operations out of your neck of the woods; however, if my suspicious are correct comic book laws apply."

..."Huh?" This time, it was Priss attempting to interrupt it.

"I like you chicks, but if you get in my way I'm going to have to smash your toys. Man's gotta pay the rent."

Priss rushed toward her, or rather Sylia had been thrown bodily into her. She turned and saw Linna beginning to pursue the fleeing thing.

"Linna. Stop! We're in no condition to fight it right now."

The green suit turned to look at her. The front of Linna's helmet had been demolished and her face was clearly visible. White flecks of metal were still coming off the chest of Sylia's hardsuit from the shots Priss had fired. They would have to recoup their losses, but she'd be damned if she'd let that man-thing threaten them and get away with it.

Three operations. If I perform three significant operations, I should hopefully get the attention of some company. I can't keep operating without financiers.

I wiped the amateur surgeon's blood off my new knife with his own antiseptic.

This corporate terrorism and espionage gig is a game I know how to play. The key was to minimize collateral damage. Today's target may be tomorrow's client.

I've picked my first target. While simple to accomplish (translation: affordable), it should send a clear message of my capabilities.

Genom was the leader in cybernisation. In this society, you could have a replacement eye surgery in five minutes. But there were growing concerns with the risks of boomer technology. The failed mass boomer revolution had only occurred about a year ago. The media spin had convinced most humans that it was simply a well orchestrated terrorist act. That's basically the truth.

I chuckled to myself. If Genom instituted Asimov's three laws, they probably wouldn't have nearly as many problems. I had checked though, something truly was off about this world. Most of the books, movies, and music I had grown up with simply didn't exist. Some of them had equivalents, but many famous examples were completely absent. This added weight to my theory that I was really lying in a coma somewhere, or maybe even dead.

I shook my head, I was losing my train of thought and I can't afford to be distracted right now. I need to finish my business and get out of here. I continued to gather up the supplies I was going to need.

The AD police was a clever public relations move on Genom's part. Thanks in part to them, I doubt Genom's business is in any real trouble; however, the growing complaints had opened the door to other alternatives.

Enter Mitsuhide Industries, the leader in biotechnology, with their cute slogan:

'Why replace when you can enhance?'

Forget cybernisation, you can modify your body using parts grown from your own altered stem cells. It's an interesting concept for sure but Mitsuhide had a few obstacles, the largest being a lot of the enhancements they'd like to offer weren't currently legal in Japan. However, this was soon to be up for vote in the Diet.

Which leads me to Fujikawa Iruzuka. Kind of a religious nut, but he keeps it in check well. He was the biggest opponent to biotechnology, with enough political sway to keep cosmetic and performance bio-enhancement illegal. He was going to speak to the Diet in four days.

Some would simply kill him. Take him out of the equation, but that would probably create a martyr and could prove even more disastrous than his speech.

I plan on destroying him.

Sylia Stingray's office above Silky Doll was a pleasant, well-lit room with plants congregating by the windows that covered an entire wall. The room was set up as a living room and gathering place for meetings with the Knight Sabers as well.

Several weeks had passed since the nightmarish encounter with the current object of her attention. She was pouring through notes and reports on her computer. Fargo didn't really have much to say, but he was able to confirm that it didn't work for Genom. Genom seemed just as curious and interested as she was.

After repairing the damage to their suits, Doc Raven had been spending all of his time making the modifications to her suit she had requested. If it worked, she would have the work done to the other suits; if it didn't work, she may not be in any condition to fight again. It was taking longer than she had hoped, but it was to be expected with Mackie still in Germany. If they couldn't resolve this soon, she was going to have to ask Mackie to fly home for a while; she could use his expertise.

She sipped her wine and stretched. Switching the computer off she decided she would find out if Linna wanted to grab a bite to eat. Nene was busy with the AD Police and she hadn't heard from Priss since they had been beaten. She wasn't worried though, Priss would turn up even more motivated to fight when she was ready.

"Branch! This is OUR case!" Leon's shouts carried throughout the AD police building.

The chief sat in his seat with a resigned expression. "It's out of my hands. We don't know for certain if it's a boomer, this is for their detectives to figure out."

"That's bullshi…"

The chief stood up to glare in Leon's face slamming his fists down on the desk. "McNichol, you can back off and go on patrol or head home! I don't care! One more word out of you and I'll have you directing Traffic with Romanova."

As Leon grabs his jacket and heads to the door, Chief Todd calls out, "McNichol, make sure you grab Wong from District 4 before you start your patrol." Leon smiles and walks out the door.

"Hi Naoko-san," Nene sung with cheer as she skipped over to her partner. Her friend looked like she could use cheering up.

Nene didn't know the half of it. Naoko rubbed at her neck. She had woken up on the couch in her apartment this morning with a splitting headache. This meant that 'thing' had been in her apartment. Except for her neck, it didn't seem to have hurt her. She couldn't find anything missing in her apartment, except her work-issued knife and a beer. She hadn't submitted a report about the knife yet. Her day had already gone bad enough and Chief Todd seemed to be in an even fouler than normal mood.

This morning, she had gone to investigate a crime scene in District 4 with Daley. It was a chop shop. She had seen a few illegal cybernisation shops before, but this one seemed to specialize in the new biotechnology trend. The floor had a standing puddle of blood. The employees hadn't just been killed they had been butchered and the place trashed; some kind of sick message.

It was probably a turf war or maybe the yakuza. She was just glad she didn't have to go back. Leon, however, seemed pretty angry about it. This didn't help her headache any. "Hey Nene," she muttered to her cheerful friend.

"Come on Naoko. Let's ditch and go get some ice cream."

"I wish."

"Hey look, it's Niki and the others returning from Aqua City. Looks like they've brought an American back. I thought they were investigating reports of a combat boomer."

Naoko looked up. There was Drake's unit returning with some scruffy looking American. She shrugged, "I don't know. Two of them, that Buzz guy and a creepy looking boomer, relieved us at the District 4 scene this morning."

"Oh, is that what has Leon-kun so angry?"

"Yeah, but the Chief seems to expect him to stick his nose in as usual." There were other issues concerning her now. How was she going to explain the missing knife? She couldn't shake those eyes; those piercing eyes...

Two days later.

Genom was going to have to lose a toy.

Time to answer the age-old question. Am I a boomer?

I was looking down from atop a building in Tinsel City as a combat bomer shot up some apartments. Genom's tried and true testing method. Wreak havoc till the AD Police arrive and see how many you can kill before being killed.

The AD Police hadn't arrived yet. Regardless of what era one lived it seems police response time is directly proportionate to the residents' level of wealth. These people didn't have jack shit. Tinsel City borders the remains of Tokyo.

I could hear sirens approaching. There wasn't much time. If I'm to do this the way I plan, I'll need to take down the boomer with minimal damage.

Leaping through the air I landed with small crater in front of the crazed boomer. I knew I was too fast for a model like this to keep up with. I punched my hand into its chest and crushed the battery core. Really, it's a silly vulnerability in these models. Then again, its chest was equipped with plates thicker than most tank armour. They probably figured it wasn't a vulnerability.

I shouldered the slumping boomer and jumped off the nearby buildings, escaping to the rooftop levels and away from the carnage. Luckily, Tokyo had plenty of abandoned ruins to test my theory in peace.

Almost an hour later (better safe than sorry), I set down the boomer in the ruins of a Sony tower. The building had mostly crumbled away leaving an almost two story pile of rubble. After laying the Boomer on its back I lay down on its chest. Even if this works I have no way of knowing if my flesh will grow back. Only one way to find out.

"Here goes nothing."

The metal shell of the boomer began to bubble, cables formed, the outer shell began wrapping me like a mummy as the cables tore through my clothes and flesh. Soon, I was completely absorbed within the boomer.

Red eyes lit and the boomer sat up. There was no evidence of me or any damage I had caused.

Clenching and unclenching my fist I stood up. The world had a reddish hue, a tiny box zoomed around reading my surroundings. Words scrolled on the right side of my vision listing details of the world around me. Now I feel like a robot.

I performed a few katas to get used to moving this new form and then sprouted jets from my back like demonic wings of fire. It was time to pay Iruzuka-san a visit.

Fujikawa Iruzuka lived in a large manor near Bayside. From his gardens you could look down the cliff at the sea below. This would be his downside.

I had investigated the place earlier. By going through the ruins of Tokyo and across the sea I would be able to approach Fujikawa's house from the cliffs without causing a stir. There were boomers in the guise of security personnel that patrolled the property. This was going to be fun.

I flew up the cliffs and across the back lawn. Immediately I was spotted by two guards. I rushed forward and grabbed one's head, crushed it, and threw the body at the other, deflecting its fire. I'd have to remember to fight like a standard combat boomer.

I leapt up coming down on the other boomer, the flying body of its companion blocking it from noticing my rise. After crushing it into the ground I turned to the house. Three boomers had shed their human guise and began firing on me.

Five boomer guards, he was going all out.

I always wanted to try this. Ignoring the bullets of the weaker boomers, I willed my chest to open revealing three cannons. Fire.

When I stopped the barrage and waited for the smoke to clear, I had not only destroyed the boomers but half of the back wall of the house as well.

Fujikawa had had a shelter constructed beneath the house. Paranoid fellow, you'd think he expected some crazed boomer to attack his house.

I tore the floor boards apart till I came to the trapdoor. Then I jumped in crushing the stairs with my mass.

In front of me was a massive barricade taller than the largest boomer I had seen. If I had been a standard boomer this would be my defeat. I could hear sirens approaching. There wasn't much time left. I waited. I needed the AD Police here.

Sure enough, much faster than in Tinsel City, I could hear the screech of tires above.

I wasn't a standard boomer. By assimilating this boomer I had changed my appearance, but it now possessed my strength. I grabbed the door in front of me, my fingers digging into the metal like sand, and ripped the entire door off the wall.

Inside the room, Fujikawa Iruzuka cowered with his wife and two children. I could hear men rappelling down behind me.

I charged forward, reached for the family, and...

The world went blank as they blew off my head. Perfect timing. No one noticed that as my hand grazed Fujikawa, the syringe I had had injected him through my finger tip. He'd feel a little ill, but probably assume it was related to post-traumatic stress.

I waited for the AD police to leave with the family. I knew they wouldn't come for the boomer corpse till it was time to clean up the scene. That should give me at least a 30 minute window. That's more than enough time.

After I was sure they would have been gone, I rejected the boomer, the shell boiled again and I was pushed back to the surface. I stealthily snuck away. No one in the AD Police the wiser.

Three days later.

Chairman Quincy threw the newspaper down in a rage.

Two-thirds of the Diet had voted yes to the new bill. Consumer biotech upgrades was legal now in Japan.

Someone had arranged one of his boomers to attack Iruzuka and his family. That, in itself, could have been glossed over, but it turned out that Fool Fujikawa had been augmenting his brain with illegal biotech. They couldn't explain that one away.

This had Mitsuhide written all over it.

TBC...

AN: Max is an American. He only rarely uses honorifics, primarily when I would say mister or miss. He may end up picking up my habit of saying sir and ma'am all the time. We'll see.