Bubblegum Collision

By Douglas Reeves

Many thanks to Nightelf and Jeanne Hedge for their C&C through the multiple revisions of this work, and also to my fiancee who encourages me in all that I do.

Everything that I write--indeed, everything that I do--is influenced by the music I listen to. This particular story was composed to the strains of:

Star Wars, by John Williams

Star Trek II - The Wrath of Kahn, by James Horner

Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country, by Cliff Eidelman

Batman, by Danny Elfman

and of course, the Bubblegum Crisis Complete Vocal Collection vols. 1 and 2.

Bubblegum Crisis is the property of Artmic and Youmex, and probably of its creator(s) (whose name(s) I do not know) as well. Many thanks to them for providing such a wonderful anime.

This story and the character of Christine “Starblade” Stevenson belong to me.

Enjoy it! Thanks for taking the time to read it. If you like it (or even if you don't, if you can tell me why), drop me a line at Stormwalker stormwalker@airmail.net. Thanks.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Part One: Head On!

Looking over her newly-rebuilt armor, Christine Starblade was feeling rather proud of herself. The data supplied by her client had formed the basis for some simple modifications, and now she felt more than ready to take on the task at hand. This time, her quarry would be like nothing she had ever hunted before, and she savored the anticipation of what was to come.

“Computer, prepare simulation 3863827, using datapacket ZA21.”

As she donned her battlesuit, she ran through the tactical data in her mind. The client had provided her with detailed readouts on the combat capabilities of the targets, which she promptly adjusted upward as always, but she wondered what surprises this group might have in store for her.

The computer usually simulated her opponents’ tactics well, but if anyone would escape prediction, it would be they.

Glancing around the holographic cityscape, she whispered, “Begin simulation.”

Her sensors gave her the locations of four targets, and the fight was on.

* * * * * * * * *

“Do I have to?” Nene tried to beg her way out of it, but to no avail.

“Yes!” came the unanimous response. Priss scowled at her and said, “Get in there and do it again! I'm sick of having to save your ass.”

“Calm down, Priss,” Sylia spoke from the control console. “Nene, I know how much you dislike this, but if you do not learn to defend yourself you will become a danger to us all.”

“Ok, ok,” Nene groaned and pushed open the door to the training chamber.

“Level five again,” Sylia’s voice boomed in the chamber as Nene assumed a fighting stance. “Begin.”

At first, things did not go well. Nene’s movements were too slow and too ill-timed to be effective, and she narrowly escaped being eliminated on more than one occasion. About halfway through the simulation, though, something seemed to click in her mind. Suddenly, she knew where to attack, and when; her body’s responses seemed more sure. Weeks of training under Linna’s supervision suddenly snapped back into her mind, and when the target appeared she struck quickly.

The hologram froze, registering a successful strike, and she nearly fell over from surprise.

In the control booth, Priss’s jaw dropped. “She CLEARED it?!”

“So she did,” Sylia said, then spoke into the microphone, “Well done, Nene.”

Exhausted, Nene just nodded.

“That’s enough for today. We’ll test you again tomorrow, and if you can clear it again I will make some adjustments to your hardsuit.”

Nene nodded again, heading for the door.

Linna met her there, “That was much better than you’ve ever done before. What was different?”

“I... really don’t know. It just felt different that time.”

Linna nodded. “You're learning. I guess that training we’ve been doing is finally paying off.”

“I guess so,” Nene smiles wearily then turned to head for a well-earned shower.

* * * * * * * * *

Reviewing the details of the simulation in her mind, Christine smiled... it was too easy. In fact, she realized, it was exactly that. The data she had been provided with was supposedly accurate, and she had enhanced it somewhat beyond that, but something didn’t seem quite right about it.

Still, the performance of her new armor was well above the levels she felt necessary for this job, so she was satisfied. Stepping out of the battlesuit, she decided it would be a good time for a shower.

As the hot water flowed over her, relaxing her sore muscles, she allowed her thoughts to drift a little. It was at times like these when the questions came... “Why do I do this? Why do I not seek a

normal life?”. The answers, too, quickly came to mind. Ever since her parents had died she had been bored with the life of a rich, spoiled child.

The rush of excitement that came with her hunting filled a void in her spirit, and her competitive nature thrilled to the rigors of combat. Of late, though, even this had gotten boring. It had been a long time since anyone could challenge her; perhaps this was why she was so thrilled about this new job.

As she dried herself off and looked into the mirror, she again faced the realizations of what she gave up for this thrill. She was quite pretty, with long brown hair and emerald eyes, and her body was desirable - she could have almost any man she wanted, but she allowed herself little time for romantic pursuits. With her money and her resources, she could go anywhere, see and do anything she desired, but this was not the life she chose. Sometimes she wondered if perhaps she would enjoy that sort of life... perhaps she could find an adventure of a different kind, she considered, but at such thoughts another familiar emotion rebelled, and she remembered why.

* * * * * * * * *

“This should be a relatively simple job,” Sylia spoke to the assembled Knight Sabers. “As you know, the Japanese branch of Stevenson Incorporated has been at odds with Genom for some time over a military contract. The Stevenson entry in the competition is being transported from their corporate complex to a local USSD base, and they have hired us to protect the prototype from a possible Boomer

attack.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Linna agreed. “Are we supposed to be visible or secret?”

“They didn’t say, so I’m assuming visible. Better if we can deter an attack rather than fight it off.”

“Something seems wrong about this, Sylia” Priss spoke up. “Why would Stevenson need us to guard their equipment? They have the resources to do this sort of work in-house.”

“I wondered that myself. Perhaps they don’t trust their own security?”

“That's a comforting thought.”

* * * * * * * * *

“No activity so far,” Nene commented.

“Confirmed,” Mackie answered, flying far above in the KnightWing.

Looking down on the convoy, he could see each of the Sabers as they hovered above the Stevenson trucks. The passers-by looked up at them in awe, but then just moved on as if it was nothing truly new in Megatokyo.

At the front of the group was Priss, who wore a scowl beneath her helmet. She did NOT like this job... something just didn’t add up about it, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. Even she had to admit, though, that the pay was too good to pass up. Another reason to be suspicious, to her mind.

The pick-up operation had proceeded smoothly, and they were about halfway to their destination. Priss could not help but wonder what was so valuable that the megacorp would be willing to hire them to protect it. Also, why would such a largely American company work on this sensitive of a project in Japan... right under Genom’s nose?

“Too many variables,” she muttered to herself.

“Agreed,” answered Sylia, realizing that Priss had not meant to vocalize her feelings but finding validity in the nevertheless. “Keep your eyes open.”

“Nothing to see so far,” Nene reassured.

A few minutes, and a few kilometers, passed without event, and even Priss allowed herself to relax a bit. Still, suspicion was strong in her mind. Suddenly, a voice cut through the relative silence.

“Incoming!” Mackie called, “Two C-class boomers about half a kilometer back.”

“I see them,” answered Nene, turning to face the attackers. “They look like standard C-types.”

“Brace for battle,” Sylia ordered. “Knight Sabers, go!” With a flash of blue, she fired her motoslave’s thrusters and charged toward the incoming boomers. Glancing right she saw Linna, already on the ground, and she instinctively knew that Priss was right behind her.

The boomers were at ground level, so she separated herself from the motoslave and used her jump unit to land.

Seeing them, the first boomer turned to fire at Linna. Nimbly dodging, she performed a front handspring and vaulted into the air. Her leap carried her completely over the first boomer and she fell toward the second. It raised its gun to fire, but she was coming much to fast. Using her left hand to brace herself, she drove her right into the boomer's head. The Knuckle Bomber flared, and explosions gutted the mechanical monster. Turning in the air, Linna dropped softly to her feet.

The first boomer, not even noticing the demise of his partner-in-crime, charged on toward the convoy. Meeting him halfway there, Priss fired her flechette cannon at him. The boomer had expected this, and dodged, but it was only intended as a distraction.

The true threat was behind, as Sylia’s sword pierced the back of its head. Hydraulic fluid and sparks flew as the boomer collapsed in a heap, and Priss fired another pair of flechettes into his exposed

circuitry just to be sure.

Looking back, they saw that the convoy had gotten well ahead of them, as had Nene, who had remained nearby to monitor for more attackers. Suddenly they heard her cry, “Power surge in the lead truck! It’s going to--”

KA-BLAM! The first truck in the convoy was ripped from its chassis as the trailer it was carrying went up in a massive fireball. Debris rained on the street around it and thick, black smoke filled

the air. Struggling to see, Nene glanced around in a vain attempt to locate the source of the explosion.

“Careful, Nene,” she heard Sylia warn, “We’re coming!”

“Sis,” Mackie warned, “There's something still down there...I can’t tell what or where, though... there’s too much interference!”

“My sensors don't show anything! I can't see for all the smoke!” Nene yelled in desperation. Firing her motoslave’s thrusters, she attempted to fly above the clouds of smoke which enveloped her.

Suddenly, on her left, she saw a bright plume of flame.

“Nene! Incoming!” Mackie warned, far too late.

Nene’s instincts took over, and her left arm flew up to block the attack just as she saw it. Her heart seemed to freeze in horror when she realized -- missile!

An eternal second later, the weapon exploded, its proximity fuse detecting her arm as she attempted to deflect it. The blast crushed the arm of her hardsuit, shattering her lower arm and wrist, and she screamed. Losing all control, she fell from the sky.

“NENE!” Linna screamed as her jump unit propelled her into the air. The emitters on her gauntlet glinted as she leapt toward the armored figure which emerged from the smoke, and she drove her attack home. The Knuckle Bomber made contact... and nothing happened.

“Nani?!” she managed before her adversary’s backhand flung her away. Turning, the armored figure... apparently a woman, though Linna could not see well, aimed at her with her right arm. Linna braced herself as best as she could while trying to right herself with her jump unit, and a bright flash exploded from the hand of the enemy.

The pulse cannon struck Linna with all of its fury, driving her backwards through a nearby building.

Christine could not help but laugh at the futility of the Knight Saber's attack... she was well prepared for that particular weapon, at least. Her laughter stopped, however, when Linna came back through the wall, her hardsuit undamaged.

“Just go AWAY!” Christine screamed, taking aim this time with her left arm.

The Knight Saber kept coming, no longer fearing her, but was brought to a sudden halt when Christine's energy web surrounded her.

Stripped of her momentum, she dropped to the ground hard.

“You bitch!” she heard a shout from her right, turning to face, she saw Priss charging her. Raising her arm to fire again, she saw a blinding flash and was suddenly thrown backwards.

“Aaaahhh...” she managed weakly as she felt her left shoulder disintegrate under the force of the blast. The APDS shell ripped through armor and flesh, nearly severing her left arm, and Christine

immediately lost consciousness from the pain.

Priss watched with angry satisfaction as the mercenary fell amid the remains of the destroyed truck. She turned around, and all her anger fled her. “Nene!” she cried, as she saw her fallen friend.

Nene was in a bad way. Her left hand and arm below the elbow were crushed inside the hardsuit, and she was losing blood rapidly.

“Damn... I KNEW this was a trap,” Priss whispered. Nene only groaned, stirring slightly.

Sylia dropped to the ground beside her and picked up Nene.

“Let’s go. We’ve got to get her some medical help, quickly.”

Linna walked up, having freed herself from the web. “What about her?” she pointed at the armored form of their opponent, lying in a rapidly expanding pool of blood.

“She’s dead anyway.” Priss answered.

“Probably,” Sylia agreed, though not so certain. “We don’t have time to deal with her anyway. Let’s go.”

* * * * * * * * *

“OPERATOR DISABLED. RETURN TO BASE,” Doctor James Boston read from the monitor screen.

“Damn it all, Christine. I knew this would happen eventually,” he muttered, shaking his head an preparing for the worst. As he walked into the secret garage exit, he saw the mauled battlesuit fly in. It set down on the ground in front of him and opened, and Christine slumped out into his arms, still unconscious.

“Dear God,” he breathed, looking at her wounds, and he carried her to the medlab.

* * * * * * * * *

Sylia was distraught as she looked over the X-rays of Nene’s arm. With help, they had managed to stabilize her, so at least she would live... but the doctor’s prognosis had not been good.

“Lower arm broken in six places... wrist shattered beyond repair, hand crushed,” she echoed, shaking her head in near-despair.

“We knew this would happen eventually,” Priss pointed out. “This is a dangerous business.”

“But I... I walked us into a trap. Walked her,” she indicated the sleeping Nene, “into a trap. She’s so young... and this has to happen to her.”

“It could have been much worse,” Linna comforted. “If that missile had hit her body instead of her arm...”

“...then she would be dead,” Sylia finished. “and it would be my fault.”

“NO!” Priss turned violently, barely suppressing an urge to slap Sylia across the face. “It is NOT your fault! She knew this job was dangerous when she took it! Get a hold of yourself!”

Sylia sighed. “Maybe... perhaps you are right. Still, it is time we rethought some things.”

* * * * * * * * *

“Ohhhh...” Christine moaned as her eyelids fluttered open. “Ouch.”

“Ouch,” Doctor Boston repeated. “It’s good to see you awake again.”

“What hit me?”

“APDS shell. Designed to disable a boomer in one shot – I’d say you came out of it pretty well.”

Looking over to her left side, she said, “Cybernetic shoulder?”

He frowned. “You can tell?”

“If it was real, it wouldn’t look that good... unless I’ve been out a lot longer than I think.”

“Just over a day, actually. You're recovering pretty quickly.”

“What about the armor?”

“You intend to use it again?” his voice took on a very disapproving tone.

“Certainly. I have a score to settle.”

“You damn near died, Chris.” He reminded.

“That’s why I pay you so well,” she smiled weakly.

“Whatever,” he sighed, obviously frustrated, turned, and walked out.

“I guess he just doesn’t understand,” she thought to herself, then lay back to get some more sleep.

* * * * * * * * *

The blare of Klaxons jarred her from her slumber. Rolling out of bed, she moved to the wall intercom. “What the hell is going on out there?” she demanded.

“We’re under attack!” came the frantic response from the gate guard. “Type 12-B boomers!”

Slapping another button, she shouted, “Prep the backup battlesuit. I’ll be down in two.”

“You’re in no condition to fight, Chris,” Doctor Boston objected as he strode into the room.

“Maybe so, but someone has to stop them from ripping this place apart.”

“True,” he acquiesced. “But be careful.”

“Always,” she smiled at him.

Two and a half minutes later, she was suited up. The doors opened to show a front lawn that looked more like a war zone. She had spent a great deal of money on the luxury of a lawn in this city, and

the sight of it being torn to pieces infuriated her.

“Go to Hell, Genom!” she cried as she charged into the fray, ignoring the pain which flared through her left arm as she lifted it.

Turning to face the nearest boomer, she fired her energy web. The cyberdroid stepped right into the transparent mesh, and it closed around him. A quick burst of the pulse cannon shattered the metal beast’s armor like so much glass.

A flash on her right attracted her attention, and she nimbly stepped aside as the second of her adversaries fire its machine gun.

The missile launcher swung up over her shoulder, immediately registering a lock, and she fired. The boomer swiftly dodged the missile, and it was taking aim for another shot when the weapon swung around and struck it in the back. Gouts of flame shot from its joints as it collapsed.

“Two down, how many left?” she asked, the adrenaline in her system cancelling all her pain as she warmed to the battle.

“None left. Apparently Genom wasn’t expecting you to put up much of a fight.”

“Bastards…attacking a woman when she’s down. They’ll pay for that.”

* * * * * * * * *

“Sylia, take a look at this,” Priss indicated the news announcer.

“... a mysterious armored figure fought off to Bu-12-B military-type boomers on the estate of Christine Stevenson this afternoon. Miss Stevenson, 21 years old and the majority owner of

Stevenson Incorporated, could not be reached for comment, but it is known that her corporation has been one of Genom’s few competitors in the market for military hardware. Genom executives declined our request for an interview regarding the incident...”

“Interesting.”

“At a glance, that battlesuit looked very familiar,” Linna commented nervously.

“Maybe so... looks like Genom gave her the short end of the deal, though.”

“Quincy has never been particularly tolerant of failure,” Sylia commented. “This could get very interesting.”

* * * * * * * * *

Looking over some blueprints, Christine took a sip from her coffee and grumbled.

“The data Genom provided me on the Knight Sabers’ capabilities was woefully inadequate. On top of that, they tried to kill me to cover their own ineptitude. I cannot let this go unanswered.”

“I doubt that it was ineptitude, Chris. More likely they deliberately gave you false or obsolete data, knowing that you would be more likely to take the job.”

“And would be more likely to get killed in the effort, thus covering the trail. Either way, they are going to hurt for this.”

Doctor Boston sighed softly. Once Christine had set her mind on something, he knew, she could not be deterred. Time after time, he had watched her don her armor and go to battle, and time after time he feared that she would not return. This last time had hurt him... the sight of her as she collapsed into his arms had burned his heart, and he did not know if he could deal with that again.

“You know I have to do this, James. I have to. Even if I don’t continue this, they’re not just going to let me go.”

“I know, but... be careful. I almost lost you last time.” A tear formed in his eye as he spoke in a near-whisper. Quickly, he looked away, hoping that she had not noticed.

She gave no indication of having seen it...but she had.

* * * * * * * * *

“Nene.”

Stirring slightly, Nene slowly opened her eyes. “Sylia... I’m alive?”

“Yes, you are alive,” Sylia could not help but smile. “I was worried about you for a while, but you are a good deal stronger than you let on.”

Nene smiled weakly, then cringed as she began to feel again. Her left arm was a solid mass of pain from the elbow down. Looking over at it, she saw that the entire lower arm was in a cast, which

prevented all movement.

“How bad is it?” she asked fearfully.

Sylia’s smile faded, and she hesitated before responding. “I’m sorry. The doctor says that your arm will heal, but your wrist and hand are beyond repair.”

Nene sighed, and Sylia could see that she was holding back tears.

“I’m sorry, Nene. I really am.”

Nene nodded solemnly. “I guess I'm finished as a Knight Saber, then.”

“Perhaps not. There is one possibility.”

“A possibility?”

“We could construct a cybernetic replacement for the wrist and hand.”

Nene bit her lower lip, considering that... “What would it be like,” she wondered, “to know that a part of you was not really you...But then, what will it be like not being able to use my hand, or be a

Knight Saber... and how would I explain the injury at work... and how am I going to explain my absence?”

Her mind reeled with the rampant worries and thoughts, but there was really only once choice she could make. Steeling herself to the decision, she said softly.

“Go ahead.”

Part Two - Midnight Ride

“Nene!” Leon called, smiling. “Nice to see you back!”

“Thanks,” she answered, “It’s good to be back.”

“How’s that arm holding up? I understand you had a fight with some stairs.”

Nene had to smile slightly at that -- Sylia had set that story up nicely for her.

“Oh, it’s doing better.” Flexing her cybernetic fingers, she again marveled at just how natural it felt. “I should be able to get the cast off in a few days.”

“Great! See you around!”

“Bye” she said, waving to him as he left. As she entered the tower, she couldn't help but think, “It IS good to be back.” In spite of her frustration with the AD Police at times, she really did like her job, and she had been anxious to return to it.

The first hour or so of her day was occupied with answering people’s questions, and by the time she actually got to doing any work she was feeling even more cheerful than usual. Settling down with a

stack of paperwork that had piled up in her absence, she set to work.

By the time she had done, it was getting late. Weariness crept over her, but she knew she had one last thing to do before she went home. Walking into the computer room, she sat down at the terminal and typed in the command to access a file.

“NAME:” flashed onto the computer screen, and Nene began to tap out the letters.

“S-t-e-v-e-n-s-o-n-,- -C-h-r-i-s-t-i-n-e- ENTER”

“Stevenson, Christine. Majority owner of Stevenson Incorporated. Estimated net worth of 15 billion dollars American. Citizen of the United States, but resides in Megatokyo for much of the year.

“Date of birth: 14 April 2014, Height 5’ 8”

Hair: Brown, Eyes: Green

No criminal record.”

Nene’s mood darkened as she read the file, and she could feel the anger building up inside her. The fact that there were no comments on the file at all, even regarding the incident at her mansion, served to irritate her even further. Clearing the file, she shut down the terminal and left, seeking solace in the night.

* * * * * * * * *

“Nothing at all?” Sylia asked.

“Nothing. No record, not even a statement regarding the fighting at her estate the other day.” Nene scowled. The mere mention of this woman’s name had brought a violent hatred bubbling to the surface, a fury so strong that it frightened Nene herself.

“Odd... I’ll have to see what I can come up with on my own, then.” Seeing the change that had come over Nene, Sylia added, “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to do this.”

Nene sighed, “We do what we have to,” and left.

Once she was gone, Sylia slumped into a chair and wept.

* * * * * * * * *

Looking over the shattered battlesuit, Christine said, “There’s no way we can repair this... we’ll have to build a new one.”

“What about the backup?” Doctor Boston asked.

“It's a good backup, but not good enough for a primary... I wouldn’t want to go out in it.”

“Well, at least she is exercising some concern for her own safety,” he thought, then responded, “Well, what do you have in mind for the new one?”

“First of all, we need a projectile weapon of some sort. I had no idea that armor existed with that kind of energy-reflective properties.”

“What kind?”

“The Knight Saber that I hit with the pulse cannon...I hit her dead on and her armor wasn’t even scratched.”

“You might also consider some sort of melee weapon, if you are looking for physical damage.”

“That thought had occurred to me also,” she said, then stopped and looked at him oddly. “I thought you wanted me out of this.”

“I do... but I can't stop you. Maybe I can at least keep you alive.”

“All right,” she said, suddenly looking to change the subject, “Come on... we have work to do.”

* * * * * * * * *

“Sylia?”

“Come in,” she answered quietly, and the door opened to reveal Priss and Linna.

“Sylia, we need to talk.” Linna said softly.

“About?” she asked, struggling to regain her composure.

“About you,” came the response, from Priss this time. She had a look in her eyes that Sylia had never seen before. “What’s happened has happened... but you have to face up to it.”

Sylia nodded, “I know.” Looking up at her friends... no, her family, she realized that they still believed in her, even when she couldn't believe in herself.

Priss extended her hand, and Sylia took it. Pulling her to her feet, Priss said, “We need you, Sylia. You’re the one who makes this all happen.”

* * * * * * * * *

Days passed, and Christine smiled as she observed the new battlesuit in construction. The early stages of the building proceeded quickly, as the frame and power system of the armor were largely similar to those of the damaged one, but when the time came to install the weaponry, the process slowed to a meticulous crawl.

The weaponry was carefully thought out, the energy web remained, as did the missile system, but the pulse cannon was dropped in favor of a hypervelocity razor-disc system in the right gauntlet. As before, twin lasers were mounted on her left forearm for defensive purposes.

Other modifications had been made as well. A new, more powerful flight rig had been installed, taking advantage of the power savings from the removal of the pulse cannon, and the joint structure was altered to further protect her. As the systems took shape, Christine found herself thrilled at the prospect of returning to battle, and she began to make plans.

* * * * * * * * *

“So, how does that arm feel?” Sylia asked, smiling, as she laid the pieces of Nene's cast aside.

“Wonderful, thank you. I didn’t expect it would heal this quickly,” Nene answered, tentatively moving her arm about and rotating the wrist.”

“Well, thank the doctor, not me... my medical abilities are rather limited.” Sylia’s eyes flickered as she said it, feeling a twinge of guilt for putting Nene in this situation. It did not go unnoticed.

“Sylia... this isn’t your fault…i-it’s...my fault.” her voice cracked, then hardened as she added, “and hers.”

“Oh, Nene,” Sylia fought back tears as she was reminded of the anger that so tortured her young friend. No matter what Nene said, Sylia would always believe that it was in part her fault, and with that thought came pain that overwhelmed her cold facade. “I’m so sorry...”

Nene’s anger evaporated as quickly as it had come on. “I’ll be all right, Sylia,” she comforted, putting her arms around her. Over the time they had been together, Sylia had become like family to her, like an older sister or even a second mother, and she loved her dearly. Even so, she had never realized just how much Sylia cared for her and felt responsible for her... and it touched her heart to see it.

* * * * * * * * *

“So. What have we learned?” Sylia asked.

“That a certain Christine Stevenson is a bitch?” Nene tossed in, the hatred quite apparent in her voice.

“Besides that.”

“That Genom is looking for new ways to get rid of us,” Priss commented, “and that other people out there have tech that can match our hardsuits.”

“Which we therefore need to improve,” Linna added.

“Agreed, but we lack the means,” was Sylia's response. “Our hardsuits suffer from a single major weakness, and that is in the area of power production. The systems which comprise the suits have a very high energy demand, and the space restrictions make that demand very difficult to satisfy. There is however, a potential solution.”

“And that is?” asked Linna.

“Genom is, according to rumor, working on a new power reactor for their next generation of boomer.”

“Are you suggesting we go and take it?” The question came from Priss this time, and Sylia could detect a hint of hope in her tone.

“Indeed. If we do this, it will put us at war with Genom. Are we ready for that?”

“I am ready,” Nene volunteered. “We’ve played nice with them for too long.”

Priss agreed, but her expression registered only surprise - surprise that such a strong statement would come from Nene. Still, it was the same argument she had been making for as long as she could remember, and her opinions had not changed. “I am ready.”

“They have gone too far,” Linna agreed. “It is time we took action.”

“Very well,” Sylia rounded out the discussion. “Our midnight ride begins.”

* * * * * * * * *

The storm that raged over head paled in comparison to the one in Nene’s heart. At the first sight of the Genom research and development facility, a swell of anger rose up from within her like

she had never known. Ultimately, Genom was to blame for all her suffering, and she would make them hurt for it.

Less than a meter to her right, Sylia’s thoughts were more tactically-oriented. Get in, get the device, get out. Quick, simple, and with a minimum of noise - the sort of plan that works, which left

her with one question. Why did she doubt it would happen that way?

Priss certainly had different ideas. She had been spoiling for this fight for a long time, and now she was ready to dish out the damage. The mission objective was first, certainly, but if she happened to destroy half of the facility along the way, so be it.

Then, there was Linna. So much had changed for her over the years, and it all seemed to come to a close on this night. She had joined the Knight Sabers for the money and a chance to show off.

Then, Genom killed Irene, and made it personal. She’d finally started to get over that, and then they hired that... mercenary... who hurt Nene, and the anger flared all over again. Not fiery like Nene’s or Priss’. Linna’s anger burned long and deep, and icy cold. Tonight she would get some payback.

Nene’s voice cut through the silence. “One kilometer to target; Enemy is engaging defenses.”

“Defensive strength?” Sylia asked, trying to ignore the chill in Nene's once-cheerful voice.

“Weak at the gate... two twelve-B’s and some sort of mobile gun.”

“Right. Mackie, as soon as we’re clear make sure you're well away from that gun.”

“Right, Sis.”

Looking at Nene to her left, and knowing Linna and Priss were inside the truck, Sylia called out once again. “Knight Sabers, go!”

With that, the side panels opened, and Linna and Priss shot forward and away on their motoslaves. Firing her jump unit, Sylia leapt forward and looked left to make sure Nene had followed. As soon as

they were away, Mackie slammed on the truck’s brakes and swung off down a side street.

“Here we go!” Priss shouted as the boomers themselves came into view. Pressing a button on the motoslave's control panel, she launched two missiles from the right side. The target boomer dodged the attacks easily, having anticipated them, but in doing so he failed to notice as she vaulted off the motoroid and into the air.

Underneath her, the machine transformed and pressed the attack, giving her time to line up her shot. A single round from her arm cannon disabled the boomer, and she dropped to the ground beside its smoking hulk.

Linna had just blown right by the boomer on her side, going for the gun. She could see the weapon come to bear on her, and just as it fired she abandoned the motoslave for the air. Falling on its side, it skidded underneath the cannon's fire while Linna sailed neatly over, above the weapon’s limited vertical tracking range. Dropping to her knees beside the mammoth gun’s barrel, she neatly sliced off the front with her whips.

The operator, realizing that he could no longer safely fire, throttled up the mini-tank’s engine in an attempt to run her down, but she neatly sidestepped, driving the Knuckle Bomber into the vehicle’s side. Sparks flew, then the whole machine went up in a massive fireball that she had to jump back to evade.

Behind her, the other boomer had its hands full, too. Nene had hammered it with a continuous stream of fire from her arm laser, then ducked when it attempted to shoot back.

As it tracked he movement, a sudden white blur was followed by a brilliant flash as Sylia severed its cannon with her sword. Before it could even turn to face her, she had struck again, this time planting the blade deep in the boomer’s back. Still not quite beaten, it flipped forward, throwing Sylia over its head, but the move put it on the ground too, and Nene finished it off with her cannon, point blank to its head.

Stepping back as the cyberdroid’s body sprayed hydraulic fluid everywhere, Nene savored the satisfaction of the victory. Never before had she been truly aggressive in a fight, and it was an odd feeling to her, but the adrenaline rush of battle had just intensified her anger, and she wanted more.

“Here's the front door,” Priss called to the others. “It’s going to take a lot of firepower to crack it, though.”

“Allow me,” Nene answered, a little smugly, touching her palm to the door. The electronics in her suit whistled and beeped as they deciphered the entry code, then with a wave of her hand the door slid open.

“Good work, Nene. This place is sure to be trapped, so be careful,” Sylia cautioned.

“I’ll see what I can do about that, too.” Nene’s sensors weren’t calibrated for that sort of work, but she could pick out the electronic signatures of targeting devices, one at a time. It took a couple of minutes, but she was able to map out the entry hall’s defenses.

“This place is WEIRD...” Linna said nervously, looking around. “I’ve never seen so much machinery before.”

“We should take it apart,” Priss commented. “There are things here that should never see the light of--” An explosion far above cut her off.

Instinctively she raised her cannon arm, but then realized that the sound had come from several floors up.

“Apparently someone agrees with you,” Linna noted dryly as she looked around for threats.

“It’s HER!” Nene shouted. “She’s here!”

“We’ve got to get to that reactor before she tears the place apart... go!” Sylia ordered. Gripped by a new sense of urgency, the Knight Sabers sprang into action. “Priss, you take the point. Linna, guard the rear... Nene, have you locked in on that reactor yet?”

“Working on it... got it! Third floor, west wing!”

“Let’s go!” Priss shouted, aiming at a weak spot in the ceiling. Firing her cannon, she blasted a hole through to the next level, then stepped out of the way as debris rained down around her. The automated fire-suppression systems activated, spraying the hallway with water, and more importantly triggering the alarms.

Priss was the first to jump up to the next floor, and she indicated to the others that it was clear.

Nene followed first, then Sylia, and finally Linna leaped through and they ran through the twisting corridors toward the west wing. Suddenly, they skidded to a stop, where a seemingly important hallway terminated with a blank wall.

“Oh, hell!” Priss shouted as she blasted through the wall.

“She’s headed this way, too,” Nene said. “And she’s wrecking everything in her path.” Indeed, the building was wracked with the tremors of multiple explosions, and the sounds of destruction seemed

to be getting louder.

“Move!” Sylia ordered. Stepping over the debris of the destroyed wall, they found themselves in another westward corridor. Sprinting toward their objective, they listened as Nene gave directions.

“Ok, I’ve tapped in to their system. We still need to go up one floor before we enter the wing... you can't go up once you're in.”

“Easily accomplished,” Priss said, blasting through another ceiling. Leaping upward, she heard a shout behind her.

“YOU?”

Whirling, she found herself face-to-face with Christine. “What the hell are you doing here?” asked the mercenary, taking aim with her right arm.

“I might ask you the same question,” Priss countered angrily. As she spoke, Linna came up through the floor as well and assumed a fighting stance.

“This doesn’t involve you, Sabers.”

“Oh, doesn’t it?” Nene challenged as she too entered the room, her voice trembling with rage.

Christine realized that she was outnumbered. The possibility of fighting them occurred to her, but reason dismissed it immediately.

“My fight is with Genom.”

“Maybe mine is with you,” Nene’s voice grew cold.

“No, Nene.” Sylia’s hand rested on her shoulder. “No personal vengeance; you know the Code.” Looking up, she faced Christine, “Do not interfere, mercenary. I do not want to fight you again.”

“I have my business here as well... and you will not hold me back from it.”

“Try us,” Priss challenged.

Christine only fumed. She knew she could not win, but to be taunted by the one who had injured her...

“Wait.” Sylia's commanding voice cut through the tension. “We only want the reactor. Once we have it, you may have your way with this place.”

“Very well,” Christine acquiesced. The reactor would have been nice, but it was in truth no better than her own, and certainly not worth fighting for. “Go on your way.”

“As if we needed your leave,” Priss said as she walked away, still keeping an eye on Christine as the others continued down the corridor.

“Are you looking for a fight, Saber?”

“Maybe.”

“Be careful what you wish for.” Christine said threateningly.

“Right,” Priss answered with a dismissive laugh.

Down the hall, Nene was working her magic again. “This place has the oddest security I’ve ever seen. The other halls were not well secured at all, but this is going to be tough to crack.”

About that time, Priss caught up to them, standing back as a rear guard. “I don't trust her.”

“Neither do I,” answered Sylia.

“Got it,” Nene interrupted. “We have four minutes.”

“Before?” Priss inquired as the doors parted before them. The rooms inside were almost totally dark, with only the light of the computer consoles to illuminate them.

“You don’t want to know.”

“It is enough,” Sylia said. “Go.”

* * * * * * * * *

Back down at the other end of the hall, Christine was searching for the complex’s computer core. Without the benefit of Nene’s remote access it was a difficult task, but eventually she found it. Tapping into the system, she started downloading the core. As she scanned the data she accessed, a feeling of horror swept over her. Sprinting to the intercom system, she shouted, “Get out! This entire building is a trap! Get out now!”

Hearing the desperation in her voice, Sylia snapped, “Locate her, Nene!”

“She’s... in the computer core, Sylia.”

“Abort mission... let's go!”

“You sure?” Priss asked, “We went to a lot of trouble for this.”

“I’m sure. Now go!” Shoving the other Knight Sabers back out into the main hallway, she ran after them. Just as she stepped across the doorway, a resounding explosion tore through the west wing, shredding the floors upon which they had just been standing.

“Damn! I knew this was too easy,” Priss shouted as they ran from the blast.

* * * * * * * * *

Taking a second to check the quickest way out, Christine fled the computer core. As she ran through the hallways, she found herself wondering why she had saved the Knight Sabers. “The enemy of my enemy...” she whispered to herself, rounding a corner and running headlong into a pair of boomers.

“Thirty-four CX! I thought those were still in development! she thought as she instinctively raised her left arm and fired. The energy web surrounded one of them, and as it struggled to free itself she dodged the other's attack. Using her flight jets to leap over the still active boomer, she spun and brought up the missile system.

Targeting one on each, she fired her two missiles and watched with satisfaction as the prototypes boomers exploded.

* * * * * * * * *

“Boomers around the corner, Sylia... new type.” Nene warned. “Three of them.”

“Priss, take point.”

“Got it.” Bursting around the corner, Priss fired several shots from her arm cannon. Armor piercing shells ripped into the first two boomers, striking one on the shoulder and the other on the hip. The

second boomer’s leg buckled, and she finished it off with two flechettes to the back of its head.

While the boomers were occupied with Priss, the others came around the corner as well.

Linna immediately took to the air, though her vertical space was limited, and went straight to the Knuckle Bomber. Unsure of the new boomers’ weaknesses, she chose to attack the head, but it dodged and she struck its shoulder instead. Flame burst from the joint, and the arm was severed, but the cyberdroid’s other hand caught her while still in the air. Thrown against the wall

by the backhand blow, she fell to the floor.

“Linna!” Nene cried and charged the boomer, who now stood over her friend. Driving her right hand into the mess of wires that had been the 34-CX's shoulder, she fired the cannon. Too intent on

finishing Linna, the boomer was caught off guard, and the laser decimated its internal systems. It collapsed in a heap.

Priss was still fighting with the first boomer she attacked, so Sylia went after the other one. Extending the sword, she slashed for its head, but it evaded the blow. On the backswing she clipped its shoulder, but it grabbed her swordarm and threw her into Priss. As the two of them scrambled to get up, their respective targets closed in.

“Get UP, Linna!” Nene cried, hauling her to her feet.

Linna’s mind was still a bit hazy from hitting the wall, but she immediately realized the danger and swung into action. The nearest boomer had just drawn a blade of its own and had Sylia backed against the wall, so she chose to attack it first. Leaping in front of the boomer, she used her smartmetal ‘whips’ to neatly slice off the boomer’s knife-arm, then began to drive him backwards with her arm cannon.

Nene came in from behind, striking the cyberdroid in the back, and it fell to the combined assault.

Back on her feet, Priss was taking no quarter. Using her hardsuit’s strength enhancement, she was delivering punishing blows with her hands and feet, pushing her adversary backward until it was

pinned to the wall, then riddling it with flechettes. Hydraulic fluid and flame poured from gashes all along the boomer's body, and it collapsed in a heap.

“Sylia, this whole building is about to go up, and quick. We need to be moving!” Nene alerted.

“Then lets go up. Priss?”

* * * * * * * * *

Less than a minute later, they were standing on the roof of the research facility. Looking around, they could see the flames which were consuming the building, burning from west to east. A small

explosion flared a few meters to their right, and Christine emerged from the resulting gap in the roof.

Walking over to face Sylia, she said. “We’re even. I tried to kill you, and that was business. I just saved you all. Don’t forget it.” With that said, she flew off into the night.

“I think we need to get the hell out of here ourselves,” Priss suggested.

“Yes, let’s go home.” Sylia agreed wearily.

Part Three - Rough Roads

“What a waste,” Linna lamented as they changed back to normal clothes. “All that trouble and we didn’t get anything out of it.”

“Didn’t we?” Sylia asked. “We no longer have to worry with the mercenary, at least not for now, and Genom lost their reactor prototype.”

“And all the plans to it,” Nene added. “What little bit of their records I saw indicated that the only copy was in that computer.”

“And we got to kick a little ass while we were at it,” interjected Priss, actually smiling for once.

“Also, we got our first glimpse of the new thirty-four CX boomer,” continued Sylia.

“Those are going to be real trouble when they start producing them in numbers, Sylia,” Linna pointed out.

“I know. At least we may have set them back a little.”

“I hope so.”

* * * * * * * * *

“Well, I got what I wanted,” Christine smiled wearily as she popped the seals on the battlesuit. As usual, Dr. Boston extended his hand to help her out, and to his amazement, she actually accepted.

“You look tired, Chris,” he commented, looking her over.

“Drained is more like it.”

“You did the right thing.”

“Huh? Oh, that. It was just instinct. If I’d thought about it, I don’t know if I’d have warned them or not. Maybe it will help settle things, though. I don’t need to fight Genom and the Knight Sabers both; this is troublesome enough as it stands.”

“Perhaps you should consider joining forces.”

“After I tried to kill them? I think not.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. This is your expertise, not mine. I just thought that they would make a useful ally.”

“Possibly. Just because we aren’t trying to kill each other doesn’t mean we're the best of friends. I still don't think they care for me much.”

* * * * * * * * *

“All right, Nene. What did you get?”

“Enough to see that we can’t use it.”

Sylia nodded. “I’ll take a look at it anyway, but I suspected that would be the case. Still, we had to try.”

“If this project was that secret, how did we find out about it?”

“Need-to-know, Nene. You know better than to ask questions like that.”

“Sorry. Well, I have some things to do, so I'd better go.”

“Of course... you did well tonight, Nene.”

“Thanks.”

* * * * * * * * *

Getting on her scooter, Nene decided not to go straight home for a change. The night air was cool and comforting, and it soothed her restless heart. As she rode around the streets, she considered the recent events in her life. Stopping at a park, or at least as close to a park as Megatokyo could manage, she just started walking through the trees.

“Why are you so angry?” she asked herself. “What, truly, has changed?” Looking at her cybernetic hand, which even she could not tell from the real one, she had to admit that there was not really

that much difference.

Still, the knowledge that it WAS artificial smoldered in her heart like an ember that would not die, waiting to start a new flame.

Tonight, for the first time, she had really felt the fire, and it had hurt her. Never before had she reveled in violence; never before had she wanted to cause pain. She had heard the ice in her own voice when they confronted the mercenary, and she had taken pleasure in it. Now, the knowledge brought her only pain.

“You did well tonight, Nene,” Sylia’s voice echoed in her mind.

Was anger the cost of victory? Did true success require the sacrifice of peace? “No!” her mind rebelled at the thought, but still the question haunted her. Images of the moment that she was wounded, the sting of pain, the satisfaction of destroying a boomer... the sensations flooded her mind, and she could not shut them out.

Many hours passed before she found her way home, and even then, her sleep was consumed with nightmares.

* * * * * * * * *

Christine, too, was facing new questions. For the first time in her life, she had seen something which she had always known – that which was business to her was personal to others. For three years, she had spent her life hunting down people for money, deriving her pleasure from the challenge of the hunt and the trial of combat. Most of the time, they had been people who deserved death at the very least. Often, the death she brought was less than they deserved.

This, however, was not always the case.

In the past, her victims had never come back to haunt her. Usually, she never even saw them. She found herself regretting her tap into the Knight Sabers’ communications this night. Their scrambling was good... almost indecipherable, but she had managed to capture a few words. One of these was a name.

Nene.

It had not taken much effort to assign an identity to that name. She had determined the first time that the one she had wounded was their electronics specialist, and once she eliminated those who lacked the ability, she had found what she sought. Immediately, she wished she hadn’t looked.

“Why did I have to hurt the young one?” she asked herself desperately, looking at the bio on the screen in front of her. The comments on her police file were glowing; her personality evaluation spoke of youthful innocence and vitality. The voce she had heard this night held none of those.

“Dear Lord, what have I done...?”

“An attack of conscience, Chris?” a soft, familiar voice sounded from the doorway.

Angered by his choice of words, she wanted to strike at him, but she found she lacked the will to do so. Turning to face him, she saw only concern in his eyes. Almost unwillingly, she nodded.

“Please forgive me for saying this, but this had to happen eventually. You aren’t hardened enough for the job you do, thankfully.”

“It’s not that...,” she protested, indicating the screen. “She’s just a child.”

“And she reminds you of yourself.”

Christine hesitated. “Yes,” she whispered.

“And you would never willingly push anyone to what you have become.”

Christine froze. “You... know?”

“That you long for a normal life? An escape from your anger? Chris, I could never have not known. I remember when you were the innocent child, before the accident, before the hatred. I remember the pain when your life fell apart. I wanted to help you... but you wouldn’t let me.”

A tear formed in her eye, “I know. I’m sorry.”

He put his arms around her. “I love you, Chris. I’ve never said it, but it’s always been true.”

Crying softly, she held him close. He sat with her long into the night.

* * * * * * * * *

Priss clicked on the television, and the late, late news was on. “Well, let’s see what they have to say about our little adventure earlier.”

Several minutes of weather and stock-market reports passed, then they came around to the real news.

“Earlier tonight, a fiery explosion consumed a Genom research facility just outside of Megatokyo. The blaze, which began at approximately eleven o’clock, completely destroyed the complex, an

alternative-energy research station. Genom claims that the fire was caused by a power spike in one of the laboratories, but eyewitnesses report that several armored figures were visible on the roof shortly after the fires broke out. Could this be the work of the elusive Knight Sabers, or is it possibly a retaliation attack for the assault on the Stevenson estate last week? AD Police officials declined to comment on the situation, saying only that an investigation is underway.”

“Well, looks like we’re going to get blamed for this one. Genom says it was an alternative-energy research facility this time.”

“That's closer to the truth than they usually get,” Linna laughed. “Besides, we already get blamed for everything that happens in this city. I don’t think anyone believes it anymore, or else the AD Police would be after us.”

“Good thing we have an inside contact.”

“That’s for certain. I’m worried about her, though. She seems... different.”

Angry?”

“Yes, but more than that... she was very cold tonight.”

“She'll get over it.”

“You haven't yet.”

* * * * * * * * *

Alone in the databank room, Sylia studied the reactor designs, looking for ways to fill in the gaps. The reactor itself was all there, but the coolant system was mostly absent, and the demands upon

it would be very high. It seemed that Nene was right... the system was useless to them.

“Nene...” she whispered as her thoughts turned to the young woman who had made this possible. Images flashed through her mind at lightning speed, sights and sounds to match. There was no mistaking the cold hatred in Nene's voice when they had confronted Miss Stevenson.

“Stevenson... didn’t she have another name? Ah, well…I can come back to that later.”

The anger had been visible in battle, as well. Quite possibly, it had saved them at least once, as Nene’s aggression surprised the boomers. Still, Sylia was concerned about the reckless manner of

Nene's attacks; on more than one occasion, she had completely neglected her own defense, unnecessarily. Tonight it had been successful, but tomorrow it could be fatal. Clearly, this was a

matter that needed to be addressed.

Pulling up another file, Sylia examined the readouts. Nene’s hardsuit was crammed with electronic warfare gear, so much so that even the power of her suit’s arm-laser had been reduced from standard to accommodate. It might be possible to increase the level of armor, but more than a slight increase would impair her movement and was unacceptable.

“Perhaps if...” she thought, an idea beginning to form in her mind, and she immediately copied the file for modification. “It just might work.”

* * * * * * * * *

“James?” Christine asked as she looked through the files she had downloaded the previous night.

“Yes?” he responded, walking over to the terminal.

“Take a look at this,” she said, indicating the blueprints she had pulled up on the screen.

Dr. Boston whistled. “Tech data on the new Genom modular weapons-mount system...that could be useful.”

“This is one of the two major innovations of the Thirty-four CX boomer class. It allows them to mount several different combinations of weapons for different missions, all interchangeable in a matter of

minutes.”

“Impressive.”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Christine frowned. “This is going to present a real challenge for us. It won’t be so easy to tell what’s coming anymore.”

“How long until the new type goes into general production?”

“Not long enough.”

* * * * * * * * *

Smiling, Sylia looked over Nene's newly modified hardsuit. In appearance it was almost identical to its predecessor, but the new version as significantly improved. A new shell material improved its

performance against all forms of physical attack with only a minor mass gain, and boosting the strength-enhancers in the limbs would more than compensate. The energy-deflection qualities were slightly reduced, but given Nene's new tendency toward close-in fighting, Sylia considered that an acceptable trade-off.

Still, another layer of the energy-reflective coating might be worth the additional weight; she

would have to consider it. The major deficiency of this suit was still in the area of weapons. Nene’s laser was really too small to do real damage to a boomer’s armor, but there was simply no room inside the shell for a larger one. Even if the space could be found, the electronics of the armor used up most of the reactor power.

Therein lay the difficulty; Nene’s hardsuit was not designed for direct combat. From the time she had signed on with the Knight Sabers, she had always shied from battle, and her suit reflected that.

Packed as tightly as possible with electronics, it had little room for anything else. Seeing the need for some weapon, simply to provide defense, Sylia had squeezed in the reduced-power laser, but an upgrade was out of the question.

One possible solution had occurred to her. If another member of the team could handle part of Nene's responsibilities, it would free up space and power for a larger weapon. Unfortunately, none of the others was qualified to do any of the tasks which could be reassigned.

Even Sylia herself could not adequately handle all of them, and certainly not in addition to her own work.

This realization had brought Sylia to a new respect for Nene. The youngest of the Knight Sabers possessed a remarkable intelligence and an amazing affinity for computer systems. She was indeed an invaluable asset, and had proven herself so many times over. Also, Sylia cared for her especially among her ‘family’.

Her youthful exuberance took some of the weight out of Sylia’s responsibilities and helped her to appreciate life sometimes. When the temptation to put away all her emotions was strong, it was usually Nene who would save her.

With those thoughts, Sylia resolved that she would solve this problem. She would not see Nene harmed again; she would not fail her again. She would find a way - of this she was certain.

* * * * * * * * *

Christine was alone. While not exactly unusual in and of itself, this fact seemed particularly apparent to her, in a way that it had not in years. The solitude was almost tangible; it felt as if it had crept up on her and wrapped itself around her like an old, familiar blanket.

There was once a time when she would have liked this feeling. She had always been prone to dark moods, though much less so before her parents had died, and over the years she had come to savor them. It was at times like these when they came... alone, in an unlit bedroom, where she had nothing to do but think.

Introspection was sometimes pleasant for her. There were certainly things about herself that she liked; she had drive, determination, and intelligence; she was confident in her own abilities, and she had enjoyed her work over the years. At other times, though, it was painful. Dark memories haunted her; the death of her parents had seared her heart. She knew that she could be cold, and cruel. She had visions of her own death, lying in the remains of her shattered armor and wondering if she had wasted her life. This time, it was the latter case.

The questions came again; “Why do I do this?” she asked herself. The old familiar answer came, but it now rang hollow. The voice of the young Knight Saber replaced it, accusing her. Her own words

followed, “Dear Lord, what have I done?” Darkness closed in around her, threatening to consume her. She started to scream--And sat bolt upright in her bed.

Breathing heavily, she gasped, “It was only a dream...only a dream...” Tapping her bedside intercom,

she asked, “James?”

“Yes, Chris?” came the response.

“Good, he’s awake,” she thought, then asked, “Can we talk for a few minutes?”

“Anytime you like.”

“Thanks.”

* * * * * * * * *

It took several hours, but eventually she went back to sleep. As she prepared for bed, she began to realize that perhaps she cared for the doctor more than she had thought. Plenty of time for that in the morning, though, she decided, drifting off to sleep.

She awoke with a start - the alarm had been triggered! Looking out the window, she couldn’t see anything suspicious, but she ran down towards the garage anyway. Just as she entered the last hallway, the door was blown inward, the blast wave throwing her backwards.

Climbing to her feet, she sprinted to the now ruined chamber.

“JAMES!” she screamed, seeing him collapsed against one of the walls. Running to him as quickly as she could manage through the debris, she knelt beside him.

Seeing that she had come, he raised his head. His eyes were glazed, and blood trickled from his mouth as he opened it to speak.

“Chris... I love you... I always have. Never forget.”

“No, James... I love you... they can’t take you away, too!” she cried in desperation.

“I... love... you,” he managed, then slumped forward.

Looking at him, she immediately knew that she could not save him.

Holding his hand in hers, she just sat there and wept.

******************

END PART THREE

******************

Concluded in Part 2

Return to the Bubblegum Stories

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