Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction ❯ Black Knights, Steel Hearts ❯ Chapter 10
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Trboturtle 
The Aftermath of the attack agaist Sylia; Priss goes searching.
Anime/Manga: Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mecha / Cyberpunk / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.23.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 710 | Status: Completed
The Aftermath of the attack agaist Sylia; Priss goes searching.
Anime/Manga: Bubblegum Crisis Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mecha / Cyberpunk / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.23.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 710 | Status: Completed
**************************************************
The Bubble Gum Crisis OVA's (which this story is based on) are copyrighted by
Artmic Inc. and Youmex, Inc. I am just borrowing the characters for a little
while for non-monetary reasons. I can be contacted at the Email address above.
Serious C&C will be accepted, out-and-out flames will result in a Boomer
or two being sent after you, once they get around to building them.
Please, enjoy my take on the Bubble Gum Crisis universe . . .
*************************************************
Ch apter 10
Coastal Highway
District 6
Saturday, December 22, 2035
12:14am
They passed a dozen police cars speeding in the opposite direction, sirens screaming, and lights flashing. Fargo kept the Mercedes-Benz just below the speed limit, not wanting to attract any attention. Sylia looked out her car window, the chilling blast of cold air helping to clear the last of the shock from her mind.
Finally, Fargo said, "Are you all right now?"
"Better then I was. Any signs of pursuit?"
Fargo looked in the rear view mirror. "No," he said after several seconds. "Looks like we got clear."
"Good." Sylia thought for a moment. "Any idea what that was about back there?"
He shrugged. "Could be a number of things, but if it's anything else but the Janie VanDell matter, I'll give up drinking."
"Any idea who the two that tried to kill you were?"
"Nope. They didn't carry ID, and they didn't bother introducing themselves before the opened fire." He hesitated, looking for the right words. "What about the one you shot?"
"You mean the one I killed?"
"Are you sure you killed him?"
"I'm sure." She looked out the window. "But I didn't get the chance to check the body."
"They weren't professionals. If they had been. . . ."
"We would be dead. I think you're right. Someone is worried MALCORP's getting close to the truth about who has Janie."
"Looks like it." Fargo looked grim. "And I don't think I was the only target tonight."
Sylia nodded. "They must have followed one of us to the pool hall."
"Most likely me," said Fargo grimly. "I'm the one with the visibility here. They probably figured you were my MALCORP contact, and decided to take both of us out now."
Sylia said nothing, but continued to stare out the window. The image of the hitman in the street doubling over and collapsing to the ground ran over and over in her mind. Was there something else I could have done? Maybe if I'd run. . . .
"Are you all right?" There was genuine concern in Fargo's voice.
She turned to stare at him. "The attacker I shot. I was just thinking about him."
Fargo nodded. "Have you ever killed someone before tonight?"
Sylia thought of Brian Mason, the look of surprise on his face when he realized he was dying. She closed her eyes. "Yes. It took me a long time to get over the nightmares. But I don't want to talk about it."
"I understand." Fargo was silent for a minute. "Just tell me this. The person you killed before tonight - did they deserved their fate?"
"Yes," she whispered. "He deserved his fate. He was trying to kill me at the time."
"And the one you shot tonight. Did he try to kill you before you fired at him?"
"Yes."
"I see." Fargo was silent for several minutes. "Do you still feel like you should have done something else, like run away?"
She flinched, and her expression was startled by Fargo's question. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
"Because at one time, I thought the same thing." He glanced at her, making sure he had her attention. "I wasn't always what you see here, Sylia. Like you, I have secrets, and I've done things I'm not proud of."
"We all have."
"All I can say is, as long as you feel something, you're human. When you stop feeling, then you become nothing more then an organic Boomer."
Sylia nodded. "It doesn't lessen the feelings."
"Well, look at it this way - if they had killed us, they wouldn't have any thoughts of remorse. We did MegaTokyo a favor when we eliminated them from the gene pool."
"I don't want to talk about it anymore. Who was our hardsuited ally? That was one of the Black Knights?"
"Not only one of the Black Knight, but the leader himself. Which means MALCORP is not taking any chances with the Knight Sabers. They've brought in their own team to do the retrieval work."
The conversation died after that. Both were involved with their own thoughts. Fargo took the next exit, and after ten minutes, pulled into a parking garage. He found an empty parking space and parked the car.
He turned to look at her. "Feel well enough to drive yourself?"
She nodded. "What are you going to do?"
He opened the door. "Do What I do best, hide in the shadows. I'll contact you if I come across anything, but I think it's best for both of us to lay low for the time being."
"I can't do that."
He nodded. "In that case, watch your back. There's no telling who out gunning for us."
She nodded. "Good luck, Fargo."
He smiled at her, that smug smile he used whenever he started his attempts at seducing her. "How about a kiss for luck?"
"No chance."
He sighed expressively. "Story of my life. Stay safe, Sylia." With that, he got out of the car and walked away. By the time Sylia got out of her car, he had disappeared into the shadows.
**********
Coastal Highway
District 4
Saturday, December 22, 2035
12:29am
Priss twisted the accelerator, and her bike increased speed. She leaned forward to decrease drag, and smiled. Her speed was well over a hundred and fifty kilometers per hour now, and slowly increasing. The traffic was nonexistent at this time of night, so Priss had no worries about having to weave through knots of slower cars and trucks.
After several minutes, she eased off the throttle. Even the thrill of high speed seemed to have lost most of its adrenaline rush. She saw an exit leading to an unfinished overpass, and took it. Close to the edge, she stopped the bike and cut the ignition. She slowly slipped the helmet off head and stared out into the lights of the city.
Damn it, Leon! she thought. Where the hell are you?
She wasn't certain What surprised her more - the fact Leon had quit the ADP, or the fact she was out looking for him. She shook her head. He can't be getting to me, can he?
She had checked out several of his usual hangouts, with no results. No one had seen Leon in over twelve hours. She even went by his apartment, but after picking the lock, she found no signs that he'd been there since yesterday.
After several minutes, she put her helmet back on, and restarted her bike. There were several other places she hadn't checked yet, and her temper wasn't getting any better. She slowly turned the bike around, and started back down the ramp.
Don't get yourself killed, Leon, she thought, as she turned back onto the highway and accelerated. I want to do that myself.
**********
Coastal Highway
District 6
Saturday, December 22, 2035
12:34am
After Fargo had faded into the darkness of the parking garage, Sylia got behind the wheel and started the engine. In a matter of minutes, she was back on the highway. Once she had settled into a comfortable speed, she reached down and dialed a number on her portable phone.
The phone rang several times before someone answered it. /Hello?/
"Nene?" Sylia wasn't certain of the voice on the other end of the line.
/Sylia? What's wrong?/
Sylia nodded to herself. It was Nene, but she sounded tense for some reason. "I ran into a problem tonight after I met with Fargo."
/Are you all right?/
"I'm fine. And no, the problem wasn't Fargo."
/Then What did happen?/
"I'll fill you in later. I'm going to need data on the local operations of Gulf and Bradley, and anything you can scrape up on a North American mercenary outfit called the Black Knights."
/How soon do you want this data?/
"As soon as possible, I'm afraid."
There was silence on the line for several seconds, then Nene said, /I can start the process going right now, but I have no idea how long it'll take./
"That's all I ask." A sudden suspicion formed in her mind. "When did Mackie drop you off?"
/Mackie? Er...well...um...about an hour ago. . . I think. Hold on./ Sylia could hear the muffled sounds of Nene talking to someone, and that someone answering back. She smiled. Priss was right. I hope you know what you're doing, little brother. After several more seconds, Nene spoke into the receiver. /He left. . .er. . .about an hour ago. He. . .said something. . .about wanting to see the city again before he went home./
"I see. If you see him before I do, tell him I'm trusting his judgment tonight."
/His judgement?/ She sounded surprised. /Er . ..yes, I will...if I see him, that is . ../
"Good night, Nene."
/Good night, Sylia./
Sylia sighed as she put the receiver away. Just don't do anything you two will regret in the morning.
**********
Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
MegaTokyo, Japan
Saturday, December 22, 2035
12:37am
The phone rang, jolting Carlton Bradley out of a sound sleep. He took his feet off the desk, leaned forward, and glared at the phone for two more rings. He reached out and answered it, making sure the video feed from his side was cut off. "Yes?" he said curtly. He didn't want anyone to know he'd been sleeping instead of working - it would send the wrong message to his workers.
/This is Ozu. First phase of Operation Lumberjack has been completed with a seventy-five per cent success rate./ 'Lumberjack' was the codename for the elimination of Mallory's street agents. Carlton hated the name, but had said nothing when Ozu had named it.
"What happen to the operation that wasn't successful?"
/Team 1 was eliminated. It looks as if they ran into trouble with their target. Apparently he was meeting with a MALCORP contact, and the Boomer decided to take both targets out after they separated./
"Did they manage to eliminate either target?"
/No, Sir. Two of the team were eliminated by the target, while a third was liquidated by the target's contact./
"What about the Boomer?"
Ozu paused. /We think either a member of the Black Knights or the Knight Sabers was in the area, and removed the Boomer./
Bradley's jaw tightened. "Who was the target that escaped?"
/A man called Fargo. He's a freelance underworld contact. He might do some work for the Knight Sabers, but we're not certain. Do you wish to activate the fifth C-series Boomer, and send it after him?/
"No. If he's as good as we think he is, he'll drop out of sight, and we don't have the time or the resources to dig him out. Order the other three teams to eliminate the second group of targets. We will activate the fifth Boomer, but I want it to fill in for Team 1."
/Understood sir. What about the Black Knights and the Knight Sabers?/
Bradley glanced at the clock, and he was surprised at the time. "Leave the Black Knights and Knight Sabers to my sister. Her operation is about to commence."
/Yes Sir. Anything else?/
"Not for now. I will be joining you in the command center in fifteen minutes. I want to watch my sister's plan in action for myself."
/Yes sir. Fifteen minutes./
Carlton replaced the receiver and stood up. Let's see how your plan works, dear sister.
The Bubble Gum Crisis OVA's (which this story is based on) are copyrighted by
Artmic Inc. and Youmex, Inc. I am just borrowing the characters for a little
while for non-monetary reasons. I can be contacted at the Email address above.
Serious C&C will be accepted, out-and-out flames will result in a Boomer
or two being sent after you, once they get around to building them.
Please, enjoy my take on the Bubble Gum Crisis universe . . .
*************************************************
Ch apter 10
Coastal Highway
District 6
Saturday, December 22, 2035
12:14am
They passed a dozen police cars speeding in the opposite direction, sirens screaming, and lights flashing. Fargo kept the Mercedes-Benz just below the speed limit, not wanting to attract any attention. Sylia looked out her car window, the chilling blast of cold air helping to clear the last of the shock from her mind.
Finally, Fargo said, "Are you all right now?"
"Better then I was. Any signs of pursuit?"
Fargo looked in the rear view mirror. "No," he said after several seconds. "Looks like we got clear."
"Good." Sylia thought for a moment. "Any idea what that was about back there?"
He shrugged. "Could be a number of things, but if it's anything else but the Janie VanDell matter, I'll give up drinking."
"Any idea who the two that tried to kill you were?"
"Nope. They didn't carry ID, and they didn't bother introducing themselves before the opened fire." He hesitated, looking for the right words. "What about the one you shot?"
"You mean the one I killed?"
"Are you sure you killed him?"
"I'm sure." She looked out the window. "But I didn't get the chance to check the body."
"They weren't professionals. If they had been. . . ."
"We would be dead. I think you're right. Someone is worried MALCORP's getting close to the truth about who has Janie."
"Looks like it." Fargo looked grim. "And I don't think I was the only target tonight."
Sylia nodded. "They must have followed one of us to the pool hall."
"Most likely me," said Fargo grimly. "I'm the one with the visibility here. They probably figured you were my MALCORP contact, and decided to take both of us out now."
Sylia said nothing, but continued to stare out the window. The image of the hitman in the street doubling over and collapsing to the ground ran over and over in her mind. Was there something else I could have done? Maybe if I'd run. . . .
"Are you all right?" There was genuine concern in Fargo's voice.
She turned to stare at him. "The attacker I shot. I was just thinking about him."
Fargo nodded. "Have you ever killed someone before tonight?"
Sylia thought of Brian Mason, the look of surprise on his face when he realized he was dying. She closed her eyes. "Yes. It took me a long time to get over the nightmares. But I don't want to talk about it."
"I understand." Fargo was silent for a minute. "Just tell me this. The person you killed before tonight - did they deserved their fate?"
"Yes," she whispered. "He deserved his fate. He was trying to kill me at the time."
"And the one you shot tonight. Did he try to kill you before you fired at him?"
"Yes."
"I see." Fargo was silent for several minutes. "Do you still feel like you should have done something else, like run away?"
She flinched, and her expression was startled by Fargo's question. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
"Because at one time, I thought the same thing." He glanced at her, making sure he had her attention. "I wasn't always what you see here, Sylia. Like you, I have secrets, and I've done things I'm not proud of."
"We all have."
"All I can say is, as long as you feel something, you're human. When you stop feeling, then you become nothing more then an organic Boomer."
Sylia nodded. "It doesn't lessen the feelings."
"Well, look at it this way - if they had killed us, they wouldn't have any thoughts of remorse. We did MegaTokyo a favor when we eliminated them from the gene pool."
"I don't want to talk about it anymore. Who was our hardsuited ally? That was one of the Black Knights?"
"Not only one of the Black Knight, but the leader himself. Which means MALCORP is not taking any chances with the Knight Sabers. They've brought in their own team to do the retrieval work."
The conversation died after that. Both were involved with their own thoughts. Fargo took the next exit, and after ten minutes, pulled into a parking garage. He found an empty parking space and parked the car.
He turned to look at her. "Feel well enough to drive yourself?"
She nodded. "What are you going to do?"
He opened the door. "Do What I do best, hide in the shadows. I'll contact you if I come across anything, but I think it's best for both of us to lay low for the time being."
"I can't do that."
He nodded. "In that case, watch your back. There's no telling who out gunning for us."
She nodded. "Good luck, Fargo."
He smiled at her, that smug smile he used whenever he started his attempts at seducing her. "How about a kiss for luck?"
"No chance."
He sighed expressively. "Story of my life. Stay safe, Sylia." With that, he got out of the car and walked away. By the time Sylia got out of her car, he had disappeared into the shadows.
**********
Coastal Highway
District 4
Saturday, December 22, 2035
12:29am
Priss twisted the accelerator, and her bike increased speed. She leaned forward to decrease drag, and smiled. Her speed was well over a hundred and fifty kilometers per hour now, and slowly increasing. The traffic was nonexistent at this time of night, so Priss had no worries about having to weave through knots of slower cars and trucks.
After several minutes, she eased off the throttle. Even the thrill of high speed seemed to have lost most of its adrenaline rush. She saw an exit leading to an unfinished overpass, and took it. Close to the edge, she stopped the bike and cut the ignition. She slowly slipped the helmet off head and stared out into the lights of the city.
Damn it, Leon! she thought. Where the hell are you?
She wasn't certain What surprised her more - the fact Leon had quit the ADP, or the fact she was out looking for him. She shook her head. He can't be getting to me, can he?
She had checked out several of his usual hangouts, with no results. No one had seen Leon in over twelve hours. She even went by his apartment, but after picking the lock, she found no signs that he'd been there since yesterday.
After several minutes, she put her helmet back on, and restarted her bike. There were several other places she hadn't checked yet, and her temper wasn't getting any better. She slowly turned the bike around, and started back down the ramp.
Don't get yourself killed, Leon, she thought, as she turned back onto the highway and accelerated. I want to do that myself.
**********
Coastal Highway
District 6
Saturday, December 22, 2035
12:34am
After Fargo had faded into the darkness of the parking garage, Sylia got behind the wheel and started the engine. In a matter of minutes, she was back on the highway. Once she had settled into a comfortable speed, she reached down and dialed a number on her portable phone.
The phone rang several times before someone answered it. /Hello?/
"Nene?" Sylia wasn't certain of the voice on the other end of the line.
/Sylia? What's wrong?/
Sylia nodded to herself. It was Nene, but she sounded tense for some reason. "I ran into a problem tonight after I met with Fargo."
/Are you all right?/
"I'm fine. And no, the problem wasn't Fargo."
/Then What did happen?/
"I'll fill you in later. I'm going to need data on the local operations of Gulf and Bradley, and anything you can scrape up on a North American mercenary outfit called the Black Knights."
/How soon do you want this data?/
"As soon as possible, I'm afraid."
There was silence on the line for several seconds, then Nene said, /I can start the process going right now, but I have no idea how long it'll take./
"That's all I ask." A sudden suspicion formed in her mind. "When did Mackie drop you off?"
/Mackie? Er...well...um...about an hour ago. . . I think. Hold on./ Sylia could hear the muffled sounds of Nene talking to someone, and that someone answering back. She smiled. Priss was right. I hope you know what you're doing, little brother. After several more seconds, Nene spoke into the receiver. /He left. . .er. . .about an hour ago. He. . .said something. . .about wanting to see the city again before he went home./
"I see. If you see him before I do, tell him I'm trusting his judgment tonight."
/His judgement?/ She sounded surprised. /Er . ..yes, I will...if I see him, that is . ../
"Good night, Nene."
/Good night, Sylia./
Sylia sighed as she put the receiver away. Just don't do anything you two will regret in the morning.
**********
Gulf and Bradley - Japan Headquarters
MegaTokyo, Japan
Saturday, December 22, 2035
12:37am
The phone rang, jolting Carlton Bradley out of a sound sleep. He took his feet off the desk, leaned forward, and glared at the phone for two more rings. He reached out and answered it, making sure the video feed from his side was cut off. "Yes?" he said curtly. He didn't want anyone to know he'd been sleeping instead of working - it would send the wrong message to his workers.
/This is Ozu. First phase of Operation Lumberjack has been completed with a seventy-five per cent success rate./ 'Lumberjack' was the codename for the elimination of Mallory's street agents. Carlton hated the name, but had said nothing when Ozu had named it.
"What happen to the operation that wasn't successful?"
/Team 1 was eliminated. It looks as if they ran into trouble with their target. Apparently he was meeting with a MALCORP contact, and the Boomer decided to take both targets out after they separated./
"Did they manage to eliminate either target?"
/No, Sir. Two of the team were eliminated by the target, while a third was liquidated by the target's contact./
"What about the Boomer?"
Ozu paused. /We think either a member of the Black Knights or the Knight Sabers was in the area, and removed the Boomer./
Bradley's jaw tightened. "Who was the target that escaped?"
/A man called Fargo. He's a freelance underworld contact. He might do some work for the Knight Sabers, but we're not certain. Do you wish to activate the fifth C-series Boomer, and send it after him?/
"No. If he's as good as we think he is, he'll drop out of sight, and we don't have the time or the resources to dig him out. Order the other three teams to eliminate the second group of targets. We will activate the fifth Boomer, but I want it to fill in for Team 1."
/Understood sir. What about the Black Knights and the Knight Sabers?/
Bradley glanced at the clock, and he was surprised at the time. "Leave the Black Knights and Knight Sabers to my sister. Her operation is about to commence."
/Yes Sir. Anything else?/
"Not for now. I will be joining you in the command center in fifteen minutes. I want to watch my sister's plan in action for myself."
/Yes sir. Fifteen minutes./
Carlton replaced the receiver and stood up. Let's see how your plan works, dear sister.