Alliances "Where's Sally Redinger?" When one sees a petite young girl storm inside with rage in her eyes, one does not question her; they merely stand and answer. Sally had been in the midst of a conversation when the girl ran in, but her appearance silenced everyone. The blue-skinned girl stood, not knowing what business this young one had with her. "I'm her. What can I do for you?" The girl screamed and hurled herself against the older woman, striking her as hard as she could. Of course her blows were soft and unfocused; Sally grabbed hold of the girl's wrists and tried to calm her. "Stop it! What's wrong with you? Why are you attacking me?" "You killed him!" she screamed. "You killed my brother! You killed Akio!" "I don't know what you're talking about!" "Don't lie to me! I hate you! I hate you! You killed him, you killed him!" "Whoa, there!" Merry scooped the kid up and held her in the air; she hardly weighed anything, though she squirmed like a rabbit. "Now what seems to be the proble—OW! Don't hit me! Calm down and I—stop it!" The girl was fighting hard, even while captured, and so far had struck Rancor twice in the face. She screamed violently, mostly at Sally, who still had no idea why she was so hated. "Put me down! She killed my brother!" "It's a lie! Sally wouldn't kill anyone." "She killed him!" "Hold on!" shouted Stevenson, running up to take control of the situation. He took the girl's face in his hand and stared hard, trying to calm her down. "Ease up here, miss. This is a very serious accusation. What proof do you have?" "The woman in the other room told me," she answered. "The one with black hair, the one dressed like a scientist." "Yohko," sighed he, knowing who the girl meant. He looked at Sally, worrisome already, but she shook her head in confusion. Back to the girl: "What was your brother's name?" "Akio. Akio Valmont Neuss." "Valmont?!" Sally gasped in shock, suddenly feeling low and dirty again. Then that boy she had killed the other day... "Oh my god, I had no idea... Oh, what have I done..." "So you did kill him!" spat the girl. She wriggled again; "Let me go! Let me go!!" But Merry held fast. The commotion had called most everybody into the room, each gathering to watch the spectacle. They were filled in with the details; some even intervened and vouched for their friend. "Look, kid—" "Sarah!" she screamed. "Sarah Neuss!" "Right, sorry. Listen, Sarah, I don't know what your brother was telling you, but he was running around with this real dangerous crowd calling themselves the Dead Zodiac. He and these other two guys came here with this great big army, and they were going to kill us!" "You lie!" she roared. "My brother would never do something like that! He was a good guy!" "It may be a different boy," noted Stevenson. "Did this Akio have control over animals and insects?" "Yes, he did, and I share his power. If you don't let me go I'll prove it!" "Take it easy," he said, trying to pacify her. He looked at Sally grimly. Were it not for her blue skin, she would've looked really sick. That she had killed somebody, especially one so young, was bad enough, but now she had a sibling to contend with! "I hate you," Sarah growled, glaring right at Miss Redinger. A chilling sensation suddenly came over her, like there were a thousand things crawling all over her body. Merry suddenly dropped Sarah on the ground and screamed, swatting her body everywhere as a swarm of ants covered her. Sally screamed in horror, but her voice was drowned out as cockroaches and termites crawled over her skin, suffocating and nibbling and festering. Locusts burst through the windows, buzzing and devouring everything; mosquitoes and flies darted everywhere, stinging and spraying their disease. Everybody was black with bugs, except for Sarah, who stood there glaring. "STOP IT!!" She turned around and noticed a girl her age, standing amidst the ocean of insects. Suddenly a frightening feeling overwhelmed Sarah and she fell to the floor, screaming in terror. The other girl was overwhelmed by grasshoppers—it was a stalemate. Before everything could fall into ruin, Julie shook the bugs off her, pounced on Sarah, and lightly scratched her neck with the tip of her claw, injecting venom into her bloodstream. The girl wobbled, fell faint, and blacked out quickly, and without her guiding them, the army of tiny warriors soon fled the scene, not a one remaining. ...... When she came to, Sarah's head was still swimming and she felt a little bit nauseous, but aside from fatigue, she was fine. She was lying in a bed next to a window yawning wide open, and a middle-aged bald man, one she had not seen before, was watching over her. He smiled and put his hand on her forehead, feeling for her temperature. "Where am I?" she whispered. "How did I get here? Who are you?" "Slowly, now," said the man, his voice kind and rich. "You've been asleep for awhile. It seems your mischief has set us back a few hours, miss Neuss—but under the conditions, it can be forgiven." He laughed gently and patted her arm. "From the look of your face, I can see that you want me to get to the point! Very well, then: my name is Father Jacob Pochanski, a sort of leader amongst a few of the girls here, and friend to several others. I volunteered to take care of you while you were out." "Was I attacked?" "You were put out of commission for awhile," he answered. "You must understand, miss Neuss, we cannot have such violence in this building, even if your reasons are justified. Yes, I was told the entire story." "Then...you know." "I know," he answered. "But if I may have your permission, I'd like to tell you the truth about things. First, what you heard about your brother: I and several others were eyewitnesses when he came, with those others, and attacked us needlessly. Don't strain yourself," he advised, seeing her rise up and wince. "I am a man of God, my child, and I do not lie unless I need to. Here I speak the truth. Unless your brother was not called Valmont the Summoner and could not command the beasts and insects of the field, I am sad to say that he is dead, and Miss Redinger was responsible. "However," he noted, "the only crime was his own violence towards us. Sally did no wrong by stopping him; he surely would have caused great harm to others, and might have even killed someone. Tell me, would you rather have Akio dead, or the death of others on his shoulder?" "But...he wouldn't do that!" she whispered. "Akio...my brother would not do that!" "I do not know what words the Dead Zodiac used to sway him to their side," he said, "but regardless, he was in their ranks, and certainly doing nothing to oppose them. I do not condone murder myself—I wish there might have been another way, but in war, it is very difficult to keep one's enemies alive while also managing the well-being of one's friends. What is done is done," he concluded. "I know it is hard to forgive us..." "I won't forgive her!" she insisted. "I'm going to make her pay for what she did!" "Careful of what you think!" he warned her. "Revenge is uglier than you could imagine! There is no point in killing Sally; we do not live in such a world. Death can no longer be repaid by death, least not according to the Lord's laws! To kill her would bring you no satisfaction anyway!" "But...I have to do something!" she cried. "I can't go on like this! Mom and dad are gone, I have no home, no friends, no money, and now no brother! There's nothing left for me to do! This might be the only way I could..." "Child," he said sternly, "I have learned one important thing in life: there will always be more than one path. I understand your pain, and even though she fought to protect others, perhaps making Sally pay for your brother's death would be proper. But not with her life!" "How then?" "Force her to serve you until the debt is paid," he stated. "Make her see that she must serve you and those you care about for as long as you deem it. There is some comfort in that, that you will be compensated, and the problem is resolved without bloodshed." "...But..." "Don't worry about anything else," he said, standing up slowly. "If you would like, you may stay here for awhile, at least until you get your bearings. I can arrange it so that you're roomed with people your age. I also think you should speak with that girl who defended everybody against your army." "Which...one?" "That's right," he muttered, "there were two. Well, both, if you can. I have you rooming with one; I hope that's okay. She's kind of antisocial, but she's just your age, so maybe you two can be friends." "What's her name?" asked Sarah. "Joyce Jameson." ......... "Where are we going again?" "How many times do I have to explain it?!" yelled Rin, exasperated. "I need you to help me find somebody's kid! Look, we don't know each other well, but I hear you can make people really lucky. With Angel's eyes over there, plus Kailin's extra firepower—no pun intended—we'll be able to find her easy!" "I'm not sure I understand," sighed Aura. Rin had came up to her not long ago, asking for her help and not taking no for an answer. She figured that the Lady of Luck would be well-suited for the job—that is, the job of finding Lady Snowblood's kidnapped daughter, Kohona—but even though it was for a good cause, Valeria still had reason to doubt. In the end, Rin was just using her for her power, just like everyone else had. "Look," sighed Takamatsu, "it's for a little kid, okay? I hate the idea of all these bullies taking this kid hostage and forcing her mother to do terrible things. It just makes my skin crawl, ya know? I say that if you can do anything about it, you should! Besides, with that creep Sashuo gone, the other guys will be a piece of cake!" "I'm not fighting anybody," said Aura. "I'm not asking you to! Just come with us and help where you can! Look, just...please, help me. It would mean so much to me." Aura was still hesitant, but there were indeed times she would step out of her boundaries and do jobs like this. If her presence could affect the outcome in any way... "All right, I'll go, but on one condition. Joyce and that new girl, Sarah, have to come along." "Oh, the bug lady? Well, I mean...jeez, if that's what it takes, all right. But if she starts calling those things to attack us, I'm not gonna be very happy about it! Hsu will fight back, and she'd be better suited to kill those things than I would!" "Just trust me," Aura stated. "As long as we don't give her any reason to attack us, we'll be fine." Rin grudgingly agreed, and was asked to wait while Aura retrieved the two younger girls. They hadn't gotten much of an opportunity to know each other—Julie stopped by Sarah's room to apologize and the two ended up being friends—but they would certainly get the chance. The Guardian Angel started the search by pointing everybody in the general direction of the Crimson Blades, and with luck now on their side, they set out on their new quest. Yohko Kamaguchi didn't look very pleased when the small team asked to borrow one of her transports again, but when she heard the whole story, she nearly forced the keys into their hands. Apparently she liked having a lot of people working for her. Rin didn't like being cooped up in the large, smelly, clunky van, but she endured it and drove down the empty road, following Angel's navigation. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Joyce and Sarah talking to each other, even smiling and laughing, and felt her heart soften just a bit. It didn't take them very long to find the Crimson Blade base. The remnant was about half its usual size—some had been killed, others fled when they heard of Sashuo's demise. When the team of six climbed out and made their presence known to the stragglers, they really couldn't help but feel sorry for the group. Gone was the essence of fear, of power and strength, of even any threat or danger. Only a few, here and there, stubbornly clung to their heritage; everyone else was pathetic, weak and scrawny, as if Sashuo's absence had taken their very spirits out. Rin was mildly surprised to see her old "buddy" Snowblood taking charge of the band. She called out to the woman using her pet name: "SETSIE!!!! It's me, Rin the Ronin!" Setsuka turned around, unable to hold down the smile as she faced Rin. She bowed and beckoned for the woman to come over and join her. "Rin, this is unexpected, and that's a lot coming from me. How did you find us?" "Angel here!" she exclaimed, giving Kathy a proud slap on the back (rocketing the poor girl forward). "She's got miracle eyes, I tell you what! So is this your band?" "Yes, it is. Word has gone round that Sashuo is dead. When I heard it, I couldn't believe it at first. I came here to see if it was true, and I could tell that the spirit of violence had left this group. When I came, nearly everyone ran out and begged for me to spare them, saying they had only followed Sashuo because they were afraid of him. They've all sworn loyalty to me in exchange for keeping their lives." "Oh. So do you know that these guys were the ones who had your daughter?" "I just found that out," she nodded. "At first I was furious, but after hearing their testimony, I couldn't help but feel pity for them. I actually threatened to kill them anyway if they didn't bring my daughter to me, and so they eagerly complied." "So she's here?!" Setsuka nodded. "She's safe inside my tent. I have a trusted subordinate watching over her." "Whoa! Hey, that's awesome! So Sashuo's dead, these guys are now following you, and your daughter's safe! Man! Things just keep getting better for you!" "Yes," she agreed, smiling softly. "And I couldn't have done it without you, Rin. Is Kailin there? I'd like to thank her as well." "No thanks necessary," answered the young Inferno; "we really didn't kill Sashuo anyway. It was a man named Father Pochanski." Snowblood nodded gravely. "Then I owe this man my thanks as well. But how he could have done such a thing...?" "He had help," answered Aura. She first introduced herself, then pointed out Angel (whom Setsuka had met a few days earlier), Sarah, and finally Joyce, who was shirking behind Sarah. Aura continued solemnly, "Joyce has powers that are unbelievable. I've seen her use them three times, and except for the third time, each one was a devastating spectacle. I can't imagine what they are or how she got them." Setsuka visibly shivered, but calmed herself as she sensed Joyce didn't like people talking about her like that. "I see. Miss Jameson, I am deeply in your debt. Please, consider me your servant, and my daughter as well. We cannot thank you, nor any of you, enough for your deeds." Joyce said nothing, letting out only a squeal of sorrow. Snowblood drew in a deep breath and smiled, taking Rin by the hand. "But let us rest for awhile! If you are here, we should become better acquainted! Much time has passed, and I assume you'll want to meet Kohona. She says you're her favorite hero now." "Who, me?" Rin grinned and blushed, laughing awkwardly as she followed the blind woman to her tent. "Well gee! I never figured myself much of a role model!" The others were invited to stay in other tents for the night, an offer they eagerly accepted, since the hour was late anyway. They were wary of the scattered Crimson Blades, but Snowblood assured everybody that they would do no harm. Without Sashuo to lead them, they were sheep without a shepherd. Early in the morning, everyone emerged from their tents refreshed, although in need of a shower. Rin announced to the group that she had made a deal with Setsuka: she and her daughter would join them in the MERCS building, at least until they had a more suitable place to stay. Needless to say, there were plenty of knowing looks exchanged between others as they wondered what else had transpired over the night. After bathing and eating, Setsuka asked for everyone else to prepare, but something was odd. Several important items were gone, including the coin Aura used to magnify her powers, Setsuka's samisen, Joyce's teddy bear, and most horribly... "MY SWORD!!!! SOME BASTARD STOLE MY SWORD!!!" The Takamatsu family blade was missing. Naturally. Rin nearly tore the entire base apart looking for it, but all she did was make a mess and scare a few Crimson Blades away. Eventually she tired herself out and collapsed right on the ground, nearly on the verge of tears. Her friends surrounded her and comforted her; Angel volunteered to look for the missing items, and began to glow before she could be thanked. "Goodness gracious!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I see them, all right, but there's something else, too! It seems they are being...spirited away!" "Huh? Whaddya mean?" "A...ghost," she whispered, "or somebody that can become a ghost." Rin and Kailin stared at each other, turning pale as they dared to conceive the impossible. Nah, couldn't be! "Where at?" "Less than a mile in that direction," she pointed. Rin sprinted off in the direction, and to everyone's surprise (except for Kailin), she shouted at the very top of her lungs: "Ferret, I know that's you! Come on out and give us back our stuff! Don't you know, you idiot?! You just stole from Rin and Kailin, the great Ronin! Ferret, are you even listening to me!?" Nothing happened for awhile, and people were starting to think Rin had finally lost her mind. But about seventy seconds or so later, somebody was seen approaching them, carrying a sack. It was a slightly petite girl, with braided brown hair and tanned skin, her face colorful with emotion. Rin kept her arms crossed until she came near, then broke out in a smile. Kailin clapped her hands and skipped over, grinning merrily as she saw for the first time the friend they had met while in the afterlife. She looked very real, although different than they remembered, and very pretty. "Can it be?" said the girl, setting her sack down. "Is it really Rin and Kailin?" "In the flesh!" exclaimed the older girl (making Kailin roll her eyes with her choice of words). The tanned girl gasped in awe and laughed. "I don't believe it! You really found a way to come back to life! I was so worried about you! I couldn't find you when I ghosted, and I feared the worst, but it seems I worried for nothing! How are you, how have you been?" "Swell," they answered, "but why the hell did you steal from us?" Poor Ferret chuckled feebly, rubbing her chocolate hair as she turned red. "Heheh...old habits. I'm very sorry—I didn't even know it was you when I robbed you—you look so different when you're not dead—I just...needed money, that's all. I'm kind of short on cash again." "Now what did we tell you about stealing, Jo?" snorted Kailin. Ferret—Joanna White—laughed again and apologized. "Yes, I know, but it's the only thing I'm good at. I'm very sorry. Here, let me give you your things back." To each woman there he returned their goods—Aura her coin, Setsuka her samisen, Joyce her bear, and Rin her sword. Naturally nobody thought well of Ferret at the moment (a few were beginning to think she was more of a rat), but eventually her good nature won them over and earned their trust, though from that day on they kept a careful eye on their valuables when she was around. Joanna was quickly acquainted with everyone and told the situation. She was quite surprised to hear how her friends revived, though was not told the conditions they had to fulfill for it. She was less surprised to hear that they were all (or were going to) staying with Dr. Kamaguchi in the MERCS building, but as she said, "there's no better place to go to when you're in debt." "Why not come with us and stay there for awhile?" Kailin offered. "I'm sure the doctor wouldn't mind, and you did say you needed financial help. Besides, we may need your skills." Joanna gave her usual watery smile and rubbed her neck, a sign that she was embarrassed. "Oh, you don't want me. I'm nothing more than a thief, not suited for battling anything evil. Besides, I've done far worse things under the employ of that woman; I'm not sure what she'll have me do if I chose to come back." "It's your decision," said Aura, touching her hand. Joanna's brownish face turned red from the contact; seeing Aura's gentle face smiling only made things worse. "Umm...well, I would love to find a place to stay, and it would be nice to hang out with these two, but I'm not sure how welcome I'd be." "As welcome as any of us," noted Kailin. She nodded over to Sarah and Joyce, who had been quiet the entire time. "I don't know these two well, but I've been told they like to keep to themselves. Even so, they have people among them who care for them. I'm sure that if you come, everyone will like your company." "I'm sure you don't understand," murmured Joanna, hanging her head in shame. "It's more complex than you think. I just...don't belong anywhere." "There are many among us who would say the same," said Aura, taking her hand again. "In essence, all people with our skills don't ‘belong'. We're set apart from normal human beings. I suppose this sense of isolation can bring even us together. I'd be glad to have you; I can tell you're a good person, even if you are a thief." Joanna's face was now as red as Bloodbane's arsenal; she stammered under the gaze of the beautiful younger girl. "I-if you insist," she managed. "Though I hope you forgive me if I keep to myself." "I hope you don't!" she exclaimed happily. "I know we can all be good friends!" "Uh, yes..." It seemed that the Ferret would come with them, as would Snowblood and her daughter, so after the team packed their bags they set out. Before leaving, Setsuka announced to the Crimson Blades that they were freed from her command and the command of anybody else, so long as they no longer caused anybody pain. They agreed and dispersed, and as far as anybody knew, that was the very last of them. It was tough for the group of women and girls to crowd inside the van—their numbers had increased by three—but the addition of two others, both of them worthy allies, made the discomfort lessen. ......... Mora Johsen, feeling rather foul, stormed into Lyn Shival's room with a look of pure rage on her face. Apparently their sparring session earlier was not quite concluded, and the Cobra was looking to settle the score. When she burst in, Shival was just adjusting her brassiere for a bit of normal work, leaving most of her upper body naked. Cobra herself still had her fighting clothes, worn and torn significantly from their last battle. She almost spat in Lyn's face as she stormed over and grabbed her. "You! Think I'm done with you yet!? Don't you even think that just because you won, that means I'm beaten! I want a rematch, you selfish silver-haired bitch! A battle to the finish!" "Sorry," Lyn murmured, "but I'm not interested. Go waste your hot air somewhere else." "Hot air?! I'll show you hot air!" Mora struck Lyn hard, sending her falling to the floor, where she wrestled her to the ground and slapped her in the face several times. Bloodbane hadn't been in a very bad mood up until then, but being attacked needlessly brought out the animal in her. She fought back with all her strength, even biting and scratching. Blows were exchanged and clothes were yanked, torn, and twisted as the two women battled each other. Mora finally caught Lyn in her arms, and flung her onto the bed with all her might. "And stay down!" But Lyn was a fighter; she scrambled up and pulled Mora along with her. She managed to squirm so that she was pinning the older woman, and struck her face several times. She then bent down and, to Mora's anger and surprise, licked her cheek. Her tongue found its way into Mora's mouth, and the two embraced with all the acidic hatred they bore each other. What remained of their clothes was quickly discarded, and after fighting each other to the door to shut and lock it, they returned to the bed, still hitting each other in between gropes and kisses. "You want some hate sex, huh?" growled Lyn. "You picked the wrong flower to prune, you snake! I'll make you regret ever coming in here!" "Too late, I already do!" She reached up and squeezed Lyn's breasts; it was hard to determine whether their violence was sexual or spiteful in nature. After exchanging more barbs the two got down to business, and relieved themselves of the tension that had built up, perhaps their original intent. In any case, they both wore out, somewhat to their disappointment, and laid there bruised, sweaty, and naked, their chests heaving for air. "Damn," spat Mora, "you...held out...longer...than I thought!" "You really are...an animal," added Lyn. They faced each other and glared. "I still hate you, you know." "Yeah, well, I detest you too. I've never met a more despicable woman!" "Shut up...stupid!" All this amidst kisses, moaning, and feeble grabbing; nobody could say how long this went on since thankfully, there were no witnesses. Several rooms over, Alisti Kreager sneezed. Watch out you don't turn into an imp, Skye advised her. Alisti smiled. IMP? You turn into one if you sneeze and somebody isn't there to put a charm on you. My teacher told me that. He said that sneezing causes the heart to contract and the body to assume a more mystical appearance. If a person sneezes enough times without being charmed, the transformation becomes permanent. Kreager rolled her eyes. WEIRDO. I know, it's a funny superstition, but it's one of my good memories. BAD, Alisti said, gesturing towards herself. ONLY. I'm sure you have good memories too. NO. NONE. What about your family? CURSED! She thrashed around as best she could, indicating the damned circumstance she had been born into. DAMNED...BORN! HELPLESS! MIRACLE...SURVIVED! MIND...DESTROYED. LEFT...LIKE...THIS! HELPLESS! MOVEMENT...SPEECH...THOUGHT...GONE! POWERS...COMPENSATION. NOBODY...SUSPECTS...ANYTHING. PUNISHMENT...WORLD! You have led a sad life, Skye sighed, resting a hand on Alisti's shoulder. Not being able to speak didn't matter if the other person had telekinetic abilities, of which Alisti did. Skye merely needed to think, and she could be understood—perhaps that, or pity, was what kept her in Kreager's company. But I'm going to take care of you, she added. Alisti made a face. WHY? Because you need it. And because I need a friend, somebody I can talk to. Everyone else leaves me alone. MARISSA. She spends her time with Sanaa, noted Skye with a smirk. LURKER. RANCOR. STALKER. LOST. Yes, they do make an effort to befriend me. But I feel more needed with you. PITY? Skye sighed sadly. A bit. I just want to help. Alisti snorted. PITY...WASTED. At least let me be your friend. WASTE. Please don't push me away, Alisti. Please. She touched the girl's scraggly hair, making her wince in revulsion. She swatted at Skye with her only operable hand, but the other girl didn't get the message. She took Kreager's hand and held it, rubbing her thumb against her fingers. Alisti calmed down a little, looked away, and scoffed. WASTEFUL. LEAVE. LEAVE!! I'm not leaving. You need somebody to take care of you. I want to do this, Alisti. PLENTY...CARETAKERS. Then...let me be more. Skye knelt down a little and kissed Alisti's forehead, then slowly moved to her cheek, then looked the girl in the eyes. Alisti howled and bucked in anger, but Skye could see that she was only mad at herself, a failure and a mistake, perhaps the greatest mistake of them all. But didn't the rejected, the ones cast out, the despised need love too? Didn't Alisti deserve that chance as well? Skye took a risk by holding Kreager's hand, and she took another risk by kissing her. She placed her lips on Kreager's twisted mouth, pressing gently to assure the girl of her devotion. When she pulled back, she noticed that Alisti was crying. LOVE...? she seemed to wonder. Skye smiled weakly and nodded. Yes, Alisti. Love. ...... When 5:59 became 6:00, Shalis Torth woke up instantly, as she always had. It was still dark outside, but light was slowly starting to filter into the room. Her eyes did not need to adjust to the darkness, because they were always adjusted, and could see clearly in any setting. They noticed the resting body nearby, still asleep and breathing quietly. Shalis badly wanted to take the woman into her arms, artificial as they were, and kiss her and touch her everywhere, but she knew such love between them was impossible. As much as she cared for Namie, she could not have her, at least not in a physical sense. Their love would have to suffice on another level—physical pleasure would never be theirs. Not even a kiss... Namie stirred as Shalis' arms materialized and launched her out of her bed. She woke up five minutes later, groggy and weary but very peaceful-looking (and quite sexy, Shalis had to admit, dressed in her skintight pale-blue bodysuit). Her head was resting on an acid-resistant pillow Shalis had created; the sheets were more or less the same fabric that Namie wore, so even they would not corrode. Once or twice Shalis had been burnt during the night as she touched Namie's face, though, but the scars were small and healed quickly. She had managed to make do with her lover's condition, and for that, Namie was grateful. She got out of bed after smelling breakfast, and stumbled over to the older woman, wrapping her arms around her body. "Huahhh," she yawned. "Morning, sunshine and joy." "Hello, Namie. Sleep well?" "Hmm, I guess. It's still...early," she yawned again. Shalis smiled and kissed her shoulder, then placed her holographic hand over the woman's mouth and kissed it, the best they could hope for. Namie seemed to revive and even managed a sexy little stare. "I'm gonna take a shower. Wanna join me?" "I've love to, but my body wouldn't handle it. I'm not waterproof, you know." "So how do you clean yourself?" "Very carefully," she answered. Namie raised an eyebrow. "Sponge baths?" "No, special equipment designed just for me." "Oh. Are you sure you're not just backing out on me?" Shalis held up her artificial hand, giving her lover a handsome smile. "Trust me. I would if I could." "I'm sure our boss could arrange something," Namie whispered, her voice sultry and yearning. Shalis still didn't know why Namie loved her so, but if it was her choice, then she would accept it and return the favor. It was the least she could do! "Speaking of which," Shalis said, noticing the presence of their master. Namie turned around and put on a cheerful smile, standing without shame in her bodysuit, which may have well been nothing at all. Shalis was barely presentable herself, but that didn't seem to matter. Their boss didn't discriminate on their choice of, or lack of, apparel. "Good morning, ladies," he said as he appeared. Whether the smile on his face was real or not, it seemed to convey a sense of comfort and warmth. Namie and even Shalis smiled back, greeting him with a loving bow. "Good morning, Mr. White." ---------- Next time: Things seem to be at peace, but that is always when the storm hits worst. As the heroes recover from their activities and spend some time relaxing, a stranger comes begging them for aid. But who is this man? Is he friend or foe? Things are not always what they seem, as every dawn must have its twilight. Next time, "Darkness". Don't you dare miss out!
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