Priss walked to the dressing room in order to suit up. Saturday had come all too quickly for her, it didn't help that she was called away from her baby to go and study schematics with Nene. All that technical mumbo jumbo really gave Priss a headache. Give her a mike, a leather mini and the adoration of a crowd, now that she could understand. Needing to know what the triple R output was and how it correlated to the interface program which was a part of the suits dummy plug, well, let's just say Priss's head would spin like the exorcist!

Priss did however find out some interesting little tidbits of information regarding Sylia and her illusive brother Makie.

"Well Sylia did design the suits, but Makie helped her with the interface program so that either of us can control the mech. Well control our own suit, once a suit interfaces with its human host it won't respond to anyone else but them. Weren't you paying attention when you were fitted for the suit." Nene said in exasperation.

Priss had a slightly glazed look about her eyes because of all the talk of interface and human host. Why do I need to know this information again?

"I actually didn't get to see much of Sylia when I trained. Makie was the one that put me through the simulator since Sylia was working on a new way for the suit to be able to mold to it's hosts body. I've only recently really been able to get to know SyliaÖ sure we do her 'missions' together but mostly I talk to MakieÖ" Nene said as she sat back in her chair.

"Nomicon?" Nene got a sympathetic look on her face since Priss obviously didn't know anything about computers. Anyone who had half a brain should have known what the nomicon system for Genom was.

What the hell? Priss looked down at what could only be considered a young teenage boy. Guess he is a boy toy. The boy looked up from his sprawled position and his eyes lingered for a slight moment on Priss's breasts. Ugh, save me from adolescents!

"Yes, I'm Makie Stingray." His voice was missing any of the inflection he had before when he was stumbling over his words. He looked up and had that same vacant look that his sister would get into her eyes every now and again. Creepy! Priss thought.

Priss stopped short just inside the door as she watched Sylia slip the under suit over her naked body. Priss had never noticed that Sylia had a tattoo that ran the length of her spine. Then again at the time when she was naked she was kicking your ass Priss! Priss was mesmerized as she watched the black and white suit glide over slim hips, moving higher up to cover plump breasts as Sylia's hands slipped through the arms of the suit. She depressed the button on the wrist and soon the suit was fitting like a second skin.

"If you are going to gawk, do so while suiting up, otherwise close your mouth and find something better to do." Priss's jaw snapped up at Sylia's cool tone. How the hell did she know?

Right then Nene pushed past her to go to her locker and grab out her own under suit. She hesitated for a second until Priss went to her locker, then Nene began to undress. Both women shed their clothes quickly and soon were in the form fitting attire. Nene helped Priss put her hair up into a tight bun at the back of her head so the helmet of her suit would fit better.

"Follow me ladies." Nene and Priss followed Sylia down a hall to a darkened room. Flicking on the lights, Priss looked in awe at the three suits illuminated. She noticed Sylia's suit right away, with its silver body with accents of pale blue on the hips, forearms, breastplate and visor. Priss put her hand on the mech. It felt slightly warm to the touch but also slick, as if it had been polished. The suit was damn near seamless and was as beautiful as her bike. It suddenly clicked in Priss's head. Sylia designed my bike!

Sylia put a hand on Priss's shoulder and led her off to the left of the dais where her suit was situated. Priss gasped at the suit before. Midnight blue with accents of a rich red over the thighs, hip plugs, wrists, and two stripes going over the visor.

Sylia took the helmet and handed to Priss, then turned to touch the catch release on the upper shoulders and ran the hips plugs counterclockwise to unlock them.

Priss caressed her helmet, loving how similar it was to her bike. God Freud would have a field day with this. Talk about an obsession with all things that are an extension of myself! Priss stepped forward and brushed by Sylia to stare at the inside of her suit. It was very similar to the simulator except that the simulator didn't really have any form and this did. In fact, her suit was all woman. It's to mimic you Priss, it has all your curves, shit this could give a grrl a swelled head.

She ran her fingers along the padding of the inside of the suit. It was soft and cushiony. She could see little indentations where the LED's connection to the under suit she was wearing.

Sylia grinned at Priss. She remembered seeing the same awe on her first teams faces. Amber loved this suitÖ that suit; this isn't the same one. The suit that Nene had was the existing one that Greta gave up when she walked away from the Knight Sabers; there were only a few, slight, modifications to it. Greta had always kept the suit up, always made sure that whatever Sylia wanted to be changed was. She always was ready to please you Sylia. Why couldn't you have noticed when it countedÖ.?

Priss handed her helmet to Sylia carefully. This was her new baby and she didn't want it thinking she didn't care about it. Priss it's an inanimate object.. it doesn't have feelings! Priss slipped her feet into the leg slots.

"Damn, that's tight." She mumbled slightly.

"It has to be that way, the suit needs to be as small at possible, otherwise it would be as useful as the AD Police K-12 battle armor." Priss snorted at the thought of the AD Police. God their more of a hindrance than help!

Until Priss had joined the Knight Sabers she thought the AD Police were doing a good job. That was until she found out that a dummy corporation had founded the AD Police for Genom and of course corporations that were run by Genom also taped all of the news footage for any rogue boomer incidents. Is anything in this place real? Priss thought as she felt her feet click in at the bottom of the suit legs.

"This is just like the simulator, you grab the hips to bring them up together and turn the servos clockwise to engage-"

"Yeah yeah, I've done it a hundred times in the simulator." Priss waved Sylia off as she engaged the hip plugs and leaned forward to put her hands through the arm slots. When she could feel her fingers at the ends and wiggling in the hand outlets she made her hands into fists and curled her arms to the chest as she reared back and engaged the breast plate with the back one. Sylia stepped up and put down the shoulder straps that locked the upper body completely in place.

"Here's your helmet." Priss smiled at Sylia as she put her helmet on.

"Wow, it's like there's nothing there!" Sylia chuckled as she went to put on her suit.

Priss ran her mech covered hands over her new 'body' and was amazed at how light it actually felt. This is amazing!

Nene strode up and pulled the visor up on her helmet winking at Priss.

"Different isn't it?" Priss grinned at Nene.

"It sure is." Sylia talking to them over the comm interrupted them.

"Okay ladies, let's go to the launch pad." Nene and Sylia began to walk away but stopped when they realized Priss wasn't following them.

"Something wrong Priss?"

Priss stepped off the dais and expected to stumble, but luckily she didn't, she gained more confidence as she walked to them, but something was still bothering her.

"Launch pad?" Sylia chuckled at Priss.

"Trust me Priss." She put a pale blue mech covered hand on Priss's shoulder and Priss was comforted even by the padded touch. I'll trust you SyliaÖ for now.

Sylia led them to the launch room and locked both Priss and Nene into position. She stood in front of Priss and lifted her visor, smiling slightly.

"Don't worry, it's only bad the first time around." Then engaged herself a little while away. Ohh great, the first time around. Why am I not comforted by that thought?!

The wait was unbearable, Priss began to feel sweat bead across her forehead because of the anticipation.

"Ready Sylia?" Makie's voice came over the comm system.

Sylia nodded her head slightly then shouted loudly, "Knight Sabers, GO!"

Priss was slammed back against the platform she was racing up; the force that was propelling her was making her stomach feel like it was down around her ankles. Lights blurred by so quickly that it became one endless light of pale yellow. My god we're being launched from the sublevels all the way up through the top of the store!

Priss craned her neck to look above her and found the inky blackness of night.

"HOLY SHIT!" She screamed just before she was flung out. Priss was weightless as she was propelled out of the building at break neck speeds; she could make out Sylia's silver suit in her peripheral vision. Oh my god, ohmygod, ohmygodoymygod! She thought as they started a downward decent towards a building.

"Stay calm Priss, ten seconds before you hit the building use your thrusters in your back then use the ones attached to your legs right as you hit the building to propel yourself back into the air."

"That's easy for you to say!" She nearly screamed. She couldn't feel the wind rushing by or hear it, but for all she was worth she wished she could. The silence was killing her as she saw the rooftop get closer, and closer, and closer.

"Priss NOW!"

Priss engaged her back thrusters then used the ones on her legs; as her foot connected with the building the thrusters boosted her back up into the air. The Knight Sabers kept doing this as they leap frogged several buildings to arrive at Omni Core's roof. They all engaged their back thrusters two hundred feet into their decent and landed softly on the rooftop.

Priss was panting heavily, her heart thundering a staccato beat because of what she had just done. Fuck what a rush!

Each person went to the duct that they were going to make their decent into the building with. Using little plasma guns, they cut into the triple plated metal and were soon going down through the building. Nene was to take care of the control room and create a feedback on the internal monitors for the section they would be heading to and turn off the sensor alarms while Priss and Sylia converged from two different directions on their main objective.

Priss hooked her wire lead onto the ledge from the clip on her hip. She swung her legs of the edge and grabbed the wire with one hand as she eased back and made her way down the shaft. Priss counted the floors in her head and kept an eye on the readout that was on the upper right hand side of the clear visor. Finally reaching her destination she stopped the wire from going with a hand brake. She did a quick scan of the area beyond the metal grate and found that there was neither motion detected nor any core signatures from boomer janitor bots.

"Silver is in position. What's your status red and blue?"

"Blue in position."

"Red is in position. In thirty second you can go out beyond where you're located, count down starting, now!"

The wait was unbearable to Priss, the seconds seemed to drag by like mini-years and she was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic because of the suit and the tiny crawl space she was in. The timer on her suit beeped softly and scared Priss nearly to death. Taking a deep breath she opened the panel and slipped through.

"Blue is twenty meters from the target, over."

"Silver is the same. See you there."

Priss rounded the corner and saw Sylia do the same; they converged on the door at the same time. Sylia put her mech-encased hand to the console and two leads shot out and merged with the system there. Priss arched a brow at that.

"Okay seven of nine!" Sylia chuckled lightly in response to Priss's joke, surprised that she was familiar with the old 'tv' show.

"You wouldn't believe how many idea's those shows gave me for these suits." Priss was beginning to get a pretty good idea just watching the leads interface with the system. Soon the door was opening with a slight hissing sound. They walked in and found the computer console.

"I'll download directly from here, go over to the cili-files and find the corresponding chip numbers that I'll name off."

Priss nodded her head slightly and went to the built-in wall file cabinets. Sylia interfaced with the computer, her eyes moved quickly under her closed lids. The silence was beginning to get to Priss again but Sylia started to name off the chips that they needed. Priss had the chips in hand and couldn't figure out what to do with them until Sylia came over and rested a hand on her shoulder. With her other hand she motioned to Priss's side. She watched wide-eyed as the metal rippled and then parted, Sylia grabbed the cili-chips and placed them in the spot that the metal had once been. Once the chips were stationary the metal rippled over the top and soon was completely covering them. If Priss hadn't seen it herself she wouldn't have believed it. What did you make these things out of Sylia?!

They were leaving, going off to their respective ducts to go back up to the roof when it happened. A man in an Omni Core uniform came around the corner.

"Sylia!" Nene's voice burst over the comm.

"Fuck, run and get to the roof NOW!" Priss and Sylia ran in the opposite direction of the person but Nene's voice came over the comm again.

"No Sylia you don't understand. That WAS a boomer!" Sylia's eyes widened. A human-like boomer?! Christ we have to go back and get rid of it.

She needn't have worried; it was chasing them. Priss's sensor's alerted her to the man chasing them; she didn't want to hurt some innocent guy until she heard what Nene had said. Twisting around she targeted him and fired off a rail shot. The man ducked away, the rail missing him, but the tip still detonated when it recognized the boomer signature within five feet of it. The force of the blast pushed Sylia and Priss away, they looked at the destroyed section of hallway that was in flames but they could still see the boomer. It's fake flesh melting away and it reminded Sylia of a bad B movie. The ones where you come to find the villain isn't human at all, but a machine in disguise.

Fire bells sounded and the sprinklers came on, pouring massive amounts of water over everything. Water glided off the mech suits in sheets, pooling around their feet.

"MOVE Priss!" Priss was shoved and they were running again.

"Why are we running?!" She screamed over the roaring of her pulse and rapid breathing.

"It'll have to follow us. We won't do well in close quarters for combat, we need to be out in the open."

Sylia raised her arm and fired a few rounds at the duct Priss had come through. Priss jumped into the duct and used her back thrusters to propel herself up and away. There was no sense in trying to be quiet about it anymore, they had been found out. Sylia jumped in right after Priss and engaged her thrusters as well; her sensors detected another signature separate from their own. She glanced down and saw the boomer coming up after them, it's skin completely melted away to show only it's cyberoid parts.

They both burst onto the rooftop and flipped away from the opening, training their guns from where they had just exited waiting for the boomer. Priss could hear her ragged breathing mingle with Sylia's over the open comm. This is what you wanted Priss. A real combat situation, well you've gotten it!

The duct exploded and five boomers landed on the roof.

"Oh FUCK!" Priss yelled as she fired off a few rail shots.

Sylia just grinned to herself, playtimes over big boys!

Two of the boomer's got hit with the rails and were blown to bits. Their metal casing acting like shrapnel as it pierced through the things around it. Priss jumped behind a duct and waited for the debris to clear the air. Hope Sylia's all right. Priss launched herself into the air and watched as Sylia extracted her light saber and beheaded one of the boomers. Priss came back down quickly; a boomer lunged at her but was caught in the side by Priss's foot as she did a roundhouse on it. Her sensor's zeroed in on the core as she hammer fisted the boomers head. Her knuckle plugs reduced it's head to nothing but a gaping hole, she shoved her fist inside and opened her hand to fire a plasma round at the core then flipped away from it as it exploded.

Two flashes of light from her right side burst as her sensors indicated that the only thing left on the rooftop were the Knight Sabers.

Nene's voice came over the comm.

"We have to get out of here, the AD Police are sending hoverpods to check everything out."

"Right, lets go Knight Sabers." Sylia said as she walked to the edge of the building, crouched down slightly then was flying through the air away from them. Priss and Nene left the building at the same time and flew into the night after their leader.

Sylia sat in a roach infested bar. The leaks in the roof making a constant drip, drip, drip noise as she sat and nursed a scotch on the rocks from a filthy glass. It wasn't the first time she'd been to the bar and it certainly wouldn't be the last. She'd been sitting like this for five minutes, her contact not but four feet away from her, but this was how he liked to conduct business, who was she to complain?

"You drew too much attention this time. How am I supposed to use that information now." Sylia rolled her eyes. The man was an idiot.

"Then you are more of a fool than I originally thought. Did you actually believe that Genom wouldn't notice any of its files being gone?" She replied coldly. The man shivered at her tone of voice. Her tongue was her greatest weapon, it could make people feel pride in what they did, or cut them down till they felt like something below dog shit.

"I suppose not."

Sylia didn't reply, she didn't have to, they both know that she was only stating a fact. Genom kept a tight leash on every aspect of it's departments, someone once took a stapler home and ended up being tailed by the government for having taken it. No, Genom would notice if its files were gone.

"The money has been wired to the specified account." Sylia stood and threw some money onto the beat up bar. As she passed the man she couldn't help but say one last thing.

"I hope for your sake that the information was worth it." Then she left. Sylia got into her car and started on her drive home, she engaged the automatic pilot system and sat back, deep in thought.

Sylia was disturbed by the last job. She had thought at the time that it was just like the rest, just petty little things that the government wanted from Genom in order to help them with their lawsuit against the company, but she had been wrong. They were idiots to think that they could go up against Genom, hell half the people in the government were on the board of trustee's at Genom. Oh yeah, that lawsuits going to go REAL far Sylia thought sarcastically.

She could still remember her surprise when she had been a part of the uplink to the system, getting the specific information that her contact wanted. She had never expected what would flow over her senses.

Sylia's eyes closed as the data stream coursed over the line and into the suits internal memory banks. The feed was fast but she could still understand it. Massive amounts of data poured over her mind, one tumbling on top of the other. Sylia's brow furrowed as two specific items kept being repeated. All of a sudden enhanced boomer schematics flooded her consciousness. Jesus!

Sylia shook her head to clear herself of the memory and soon got back to her building going straight to the computer room to look at the stream in more depth. She pulled off her expensive Armani jacket and vest then settled in the chair. Putting on the headphones she relaxed her mind and watched the computer screen as she accessed the data from the mission.

Sylia's eyes widened with the implications to this news. You bastard. YOU BASTARD! She screamed in rage and sorrow at what her father had done. She tore the headphones off her head and ran from the room. Makie caught her before she could go very far, he held his sister tightly and she knew it was futile to try and escape. They collapsed onto the floor together.

"What's wrong Sylia? Please what's wrong sis?" He stroked his sisters silver hair hoping to quiet her. His hand brushing over a very faint indent and line at the beginning of her hairline. She clutched at him, thinking that maybe he'd disappear. This is your brother, this is Makie, and this is real! She hiccuped and let the tears flow from her reddening hazel eyes.

"H-he killed her, he killed her Makie! OH GOD!" Sylia started to shake even harder and all that Makie could do was hold his older sister.

Even from the grave you are still ruling our lives he thought solemnly as he held his sister and let her cry out all her frustration and anger. Sylia soon collected herself and pulled away from Makie. She had a somewhat dazed look on her face, as if she didn't know what to do.

"I have to get out of here." Sylia said as she got up abruptly and headed for her room. She changed out of her clothes and donned black jeans and a long sleeved black shirt. She grabbed her helmet and flew down to the garage, got on her midnight and silver motorcycle then was soon flying through the darkened streets of Tokyo2.

~~

Priss laughed as she watched from the side as Daily pranced across the stage. He had on an old outfit right out of a re-mastered Carmen Miranda movie, complete with fruit headdress an overly abundant cleavage and a bare midriff that made Priss wish she had abs that defined. He was being Riva tonight; the voluptuous vixen from Argentina, not to be confused with Mistress Riva his queen dominatrix personality. Now that's a show when he's Mistress Riva. But what Daily was doing so far was pretty damn funny.

Daily would grab a man out of the audience and shove him in said cleavage nearly suffocating the poor fellow. Damn that boy's good! Priss thought. He had done a rousing rendition of 'Culpacabana' that had everyone in stitches as he walked out into the crowd and sat in this person's lap or stroke that persons face, crooning to them about everything at the Culpacabana. It didn't bother Priss much that he dragged her up onto the stage and used her as an example.

Priss was nudged by one of her bandmates and got ready to take the stage but couldn't stop one last thought, that brings new meaning to a banana split with nuts! Priss was a little disappointed though. Sylia had been coming to Priss's shows rather regularly and Priss had gotten used to seeing the aloof team leader at the back of the bar smoking a cigarette. The only person that she recognized out there was Nene with some surfer guy. Don't I know him from somewhere? Priss shrugged and got ready as Daily riled up the crowd some more. Priss was wondering if the man would ever let them onstage until he looked back at the curtain and winked. Little shit!

"And without much further ado.. PRISS AND THE REPLICANTS!" Daily shouted from on stage as the crowd broke out in big cheers. Priss waved to the crowd and gave them a feral grin.

"Do you want music?" There were whistles and growls as the crowd shouted 'yes' right back at her.

"I can't here you, do you want MUSIC?!" People in the back booths stood up in their seats and shouted with the rest of the crowd 'hell yes!'

Priss grabbed the mike and strutted across the stage giving sultry looks.

"Then who am I to deny you what you want." She did a sweeping bow and gave the people a good glimpse of her cleavage.

"Show us your jiggly bits!" A rowdy man near her shouted. Priss simply grinned and strutted over to him and squatted down on the stage, flashing ample amounts of naked thigh.

"Baby, you couldn't handle them even if you wanted to. Besides you already got some of Riva's!" The crowd laughed at the red-faced man.

The band soon launched into their first set. Excitement was high since Hot Legs was virtually packed and this was Priss's first performance in weeks. When word got around that Priss would be at Hot Legs that night, people flocked there in droves. Priss's eyes continually scanned the crowd, locking eyes with one person and crooning the words of the songs out to them. She did this every time she was on stage. She'd pick a few people and lock eyes with then to have their full attention and would use her voice to reel them in and make them hers, if only for a moment.

The night crept by and it had been a good show. She went back stage to get some water and change her clothes so she could leave but the calls from the main room were deafening. She smiled and decided to be devilish. She grabbed one of her black leather dresses. It had a collar that attached around the base of her neck and had no sleeves so it showed off her arms in great detail. The body hugged her form like a second skin as the dress ends went down to her ankles. It was more like a loincloth in front because of the two slits that went up the side all the way to her hips. She slipped on some black stiletto shoes and brushes out her chestnut mane, she didn't feel like putting the wig back on and it wouldn't kill her to be every bit the demonic temptress.

The house lights dimmed and the crowd hushed. Priss took the stage and whispered into the mike "Just one more song". The crowd erupted in applause and cheers that Priss would do one more song for them. The lights stayed off until the cheers died down. The house lights went to up just a tad. Soft lighting from the ceiling illuminating Priss in a hazy glow. Priss scanned the crowd for someone to sing to and thatís when she saw her at the back of the club. She was all in black, her silver hair swept over her shoulders and looking like a goddess among mere mortals. Her eyes bored into Priss with an intensity that she hadn't even known existed for the woman. Priss actually saw emotion in the woman's eyes and it made her shiver from how she was being looked at. What haunts you Sylia, what are you searching for and what will you do when you find it?

Priss turned to the band and told them that she wanted to do a different song, when she told them which one they grinned at her. They loved the old stuff as much as she did and when she was in a mood to sing one of those great oldies they were more than happy to go along.

Priss stroked the microphone as the band started up. She stared back at Sylia with the same intensity; this song was for her!

"Rock on-gold dust woman

Take your silver spoon,

And dig your grave

Heartless challenge

Pick your path and I'll pray

Wake up in the morning

See your sunrise-loves-to go down

Lousy lovers-pick their prey

But they never cry out loud

Did she make you cry

Make you break down

Shatter your illusions of love

Is it over now-do you know how

Pick up the pieces and go home.

Rock on-ancient queen

Follow those who pale

In your shadow

Rulers make bad lovers

You better put your kingdom up for sale

Now did she make you cry

Make you break down

Shatter your illusions of love

Is it over now-do you know how

Pick up the pieces and go home."

Priss had watched many emotions flow over Sylia's face with each word she sung until finally Sylia turned and quickly strode out of the club as the song ended. The applause was deafening but it didn't matter, it wasn't as intense as the feeling she had had when Sylia had stared right back at her as she sang. Priss knew that she had revealed a little something of herself that night, just what that was, she didn't know exactly at the moment.

Priss sat at a burger joint as she contemplated life's mystery, what the hell am I gunna do today?! Priss sighed and sat back. She didn't have another gig at Hot Legs until next week and so far there had been no boomer problems. It had been three weeks since her first mission and there'd been two boomer incidents that the Knight Sabers had taken care of, and a little contract that they were hired for. All in all those were probably the most exciting aspects of her life during the past month.

"Oh hey, PRISS!" Priss winced at the sound of Leon McNichols voice. Christ, kill me now. Priss really didn't want to see the man, hell she wished she wasn't in the same country at least then she would be able to escape from him and his terrible flirting.

She wouldn't have a problem with him if he just didn't try so hard. It had all started after her encore at Hot Legs.

Priss went backstage and changed out of the dress and into her riding gear, taking a swipe through her hair with the comb then winked at herself in the mirror. She stopped as she was walking away. Oh my god, that's something that Nene does! She shivered of doing anything like the little blond haired hacker. Shaking her head she decided to see if Daily wanted a ride home. She liked Daily and he was her only male friend, but a friend with bonuses. If she felt totally shitty she could always count on Daily to let her crash at his place and snuggle up against his slight frame. God if anyone ever found out I had a cuddle buddy I'd strap on a boomer core and beg Sylia to shoot me!

She found Daily out of costume and sitting with Nene and surfer boy. Oh just great.

"Did you see that idiot onstage? Man, I could never do something like that, get dressed up in women's clothes and make an ass out of myself." Priss glared at surfer boy. Fuck he can't be that dense can he? Oh wait, he works for the AD Police, what was I thinking?!

"Yeah whatever." She quickly retrieved her hand back from the guy, but not before he gave it a lingering caress. Oh jeez, save me from guys that think they're Don Juan. That shit went out with the twentieth century. It wasn't that Priss didn't want to have someone be chivalrous towards her, she just didn't want this guy to be this way towards her. Hmm he's inadvertently insulted Daily and ohhh yeah he gave me that ticket my first day with my babyÖ nope he's an ass.

"Daily doesn't have a car so I'd be happy to give you a ride home." He had a self-satisfied grin on his face right then that Priss wanted to knock of. Jesus is he presumptuous!

"First off buddy I know that Daily doesn't have a car. Secondly if you had let me finish you would have found out that I was going to ask Daily if he wanted a ride home. And thirdly, if you spent half as much time as you did fighting boomers as chasing girls skirts this fucking town would a whole lot safer! Let's go D." Priss got up and was trailed by a smirking Daily. They could hear Nene giggling as she got up from the table and the slightly bewildered tone of Leon.

Priss was shaking her head as if to clear herself of the terrible memory and of the voice that was getting closer to her. Why don't some guys take a hint?

Leon sat down in the booth across from Priss and gave her one of his best smiles, the ones that made all the women melt. Oh please, save me from GQ guys that think all they gotta do is smile to get down a girls pants Priss thought as she stared coldly at the man sitting across from her with a smile.

"Ohh look at the time, I'm sorry but I have to be going, practice and all." Priss got up to leave only to have Leon stand up with her.

"Well hey maybe I could sit in and listen ya know. Give you some feedback on how your doing n' all." Leon said as he came to walk alongside Priss.

"Sessions are closed to anyone outside the band, we don't get as distracted that way." Priss arrived at her bike and threw her leg over the side, slipping her helmet on.

Leon grinned rakishly at Priss and leaned his arm on the bike.

"So, you're saying I'm a distraction?" He had a hopeful look on his face but Priss was not happy with the man. I didn't get to finish my lunch because he came in and sat down, I'm trying to be nice about not wanting to be around him and then, THEN he puts his arm on my baby, that's it, he's toast.

Priss calmly got off the bike and got right up in Leon's face. She trailed her hands up his arms to caress his face.

"You want to be a distraction for me baby?" She asked in a low, seductive voice. Leon gulped as he looked into Priss's eyes through the visor of her helmet.

"Oh yeah." Leon's voice was shaky as Priss's hands trailed down his upper body and she cupped his crotch.

"Get rid of this then!" She said then turned around and got on her bike and left.

"What the- are you a DYKE?!" But she didn't hear him; she was already ridding away.

~~

Sylia sat in her study and poured over all the research notes that her father had left behind when he died. She hadn't burned them for some odd reason and had packed them up, never to be looked at until three weeks ago when she had come back from riding her motorcycle.

Sylia had driven around aimlessly, not knowing what she was doing and then eventually found herself at Hot Legs. The lights were off and she leaned against the wall there, her eyes adjusting to the darkness as she listened to the crowd chanting for an encore. Sylia was very confused, she didnít know what was going on with her lately. Sometimes when she put on the suit it was almost like a physical pain piercing down into the very core of her being. There really wasn't any rational explanation for why it was happening but Sylia found that even though she desperately wanted to do some damage against Genom, her body was slowly beginning to give out on her. What will you do when you finally have to put the hardsuit away, when you're so weak that you can't fight anymore?

Priss's voice poured over the crowd in a deliciously seductive manner, snapping Sylia into the present. When the lights came up she saw Priss and gasped softly. She's breathtaking. Sylia had no words for what she was feeling, but seeing Priss up on that stage in her dress stirred something deep inside Sylia, something that she had thought was long dead.

The two stared at one another, locked in a battle of wills as Priss sang. Each word of each verse teared into Sylia. If you only knew Priss, if you only knew! Sylia couldn't stand it any longer as she turned and left. She drove back out into the night until finally she ended up at their summer cottage. This is where it all began, where he got the idea for boomers.

Sylia walked through the front room and into the dinning room. She could see them all together, herself with her parents eating a meal together, laughing and talking, having such a wonderful time but then a phone call interrupting and her father getting up to answer it. Her father eventually came back with a regretful look on his face, he kissed his wife on the cheek then did the same to Sylia, ruffling her short black hair that was like his own and then left. The first of many times father. How many meals were interrupted because of a problem at the lab? When did you stop caring about even coming home for meals?

"You are NEVER to go in there Sylia, and no one is to ever know.. got me?!" He squeezed her smaller wrist and shook her back and forth. Sylia felt tears fall down her face at the memory as she brought her hand back up and pressed the concealed button on the side of the bookcase and part of it slid away to reveal a hidden room. Why were they so important to you? All I ever wanted was to be like you, to be lovedÖ why couldn't you love me back?

Her fingers brushed over their dust-coated lids until she finally hooked her fingers under one and pulled the lid off. She grabbed a journal at random and flipped quickly through its pages, skimming the information. How could something that looks so small, create so much pain? Sylia's face contorted in anger as she threw the book against the wall and kicked over boxes, picked some up and threw them watching as the journals scattered to the four winds as soon as they landed. Sylia finally fell to her knees and wept.

Sylia came out of her reverie as her brother knocked on the door. He peered around the door and smiled at his sister sheepishly. Sylia couldn't help but smile back at her baby brother.

"Priss's here to see you like you asked. Do you want me to stay in here with you?" Sylia nodded her head, the warmth of the love she felt for her brother shinning through in her eyes. Makie nodded his head then was off to get Priss. Sylia swiveled in her chair and looked out upon Tokyo2. Something had to be done and soon.

"You wanted to see me?" Sylia let her mask fall back into place at Priss's words and then she turned around to address her teammate and her brother.

"Yes, I have a mission for you, but only if you're up for it." Sylia said in her own cool tone as she stared at Priss who sat next to her brother in front of her desk.

"Okay, what's the mission?" Priss was slightly confused, normally Sylia just gave them the outlines for the mission and expected them to be available, she never offered an out when it came to what they could and could not do.

"I have some information that I need from an oldÖ acquaintance. Makie and Falcon are both going to Germany to meet them. I'd like you to go with Makie in order to insure his safety and the safety of the person coming back with them, Falcon is going to stay in Germany and see what information he can find out from an old colleague. Are you available to do this?"

Priss was shocked. Jesus I haven't been to Sapporo, fuck I haven't been anywhere!!

"I-I don't have a passport." Priss stammered as the only thing she could think about was just the thought of being sent to Germany. A passport slid across the desktop to rest in front of Priss.

"My private jet will be flying the three of you there, you will be going to Berlin where Makie will get in touch with our acquaintance. Everything is taken care of, all you have to do is go along for the ride and watch over Makie."

Priss turned to look at Makie who was looking at his sister with obvious adoration. All you have to do is baby-sit Priss and you get a free ticket to see Germany, come on girl, think of all that great German beer! Priss licked her lips and knew that this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"Okay, when do we leave?"

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