Wendy slid the sheet of paper into her new typewriter, hoping the keys wouldn't jam up like they did on her old model. Looking over to her left, where her notes where, she began to type. "-With most of the inferior races in Africa, South and Central America, India, the Middle East and the Orient under British, American, French, Dutch, and other country's control, it has always been a fear of the British that a strong nation or force in one of these areas could upset the status quo, possibly giving rise to rebellion and a demand for freedom in other colonized areas. A domino effect, if you will, which could pull in other peoples and could cost the British Empire revenue, manpower, and prestige on the world stage.-" Taking a sip of her tea, Wendy continued. "-A close call came back when the American Colonies were lost during the reign of George III. An attempt to possibly take them back was thwarted back in 1812. Luckily for the British Empire, the feared loss of other colonies, such as large areas of Canada, was averted. The sun didn't set on the British Empire.-" "-Now, however, a new and unexpected threat has presented itself to Her Majesty's Empire. An island country in the heart of the Asian Pacific which has somehow inexplicably resisted invasion, colonization, and subjugation; Japan. The Japanese Emperor, Meiji Mutsuhito, has beaten us at our own game by bringing in foreign educators from Europe and the States, and has begun a process of westernization in order to place Japan on an equal footing with Europe. So far he has managed to turn a feudal country run by a Shogun with small Daimyos under him into a constitutional monarchy, and has begun to westernize the military.-" "-This is a disaster. A strong, independent Japan cannot be allowed to exist.-" "-In an effort to prevent the possible spread of idealistic ideas like freedom and independence, Mr. Joker has made the somewhat controversial decision as Head Librarian to team forces with Mr. Largo and the Japanese branch of the Genom Trading and Munitions Company, Int., in an attempt to subjugate the Japanese Orientals. The British Library, in cooperation with Genom International, stole several secret pages of a sketch book by Leonardo Da Vinci, pages detailing designs for flying machines.-" "-Technicians from both Genom International and the British Library then turned the Renaissance artist and scientist's dreams into reality. Genom, through one of its subsidiaries, then proceeded to hire a mercenary group known as "The Illegal Army," led by a Colonel Lando, to pilot the crafts. After several weeks training, they were then set loose on Tokyo.-" "-To cover its part in the conspiracy, The British Library then assigned two of its own agents on a red goose chase to find the thieves. Mr. Joker even gave the two agents assigned a suspect to search for, a French thief by the name of Arsene Lupin.-" "-While there are several possible threats to our master plan, such as the native Tokyo police force under Chief Toodou, the Emperor's elite Ninth Guard Unit led by Chief of Guards Aramaki, the Royal Family's private group of bodyguards known collectively as Gatchaman, and a ronin in one of the Tokyo provinces with an X-shaped scar on his cheek, the possible danger from any of them is minimal. There is only one group to really be feared, a group which was single handedly able to stop a previous Genom plot involving the kidnapping of the Emperor himself.-" Wendy got up and stretched her arms before putting the second sheet in the typewriter. Adjusting the paper, she continued. "-Calling themselves the Knight Sabers, they are a group of women (estimates of their numbers vary, but most agree they have at least three members, and possibly four) who have taken it upon themselves to dress in samurai armor and stick their noses in other people's business. They are answerable only to the emperor, and have been given the legal status of "samurai," an extraordinary feat given that history only records a handful of female samurai, the most famous of which, Tomoe Gozen, lived and died back in the twelfth century.-" "-Luckily, in an unexpected turn of good fortune, a new group, the Chinese Triad known as the White Tiger, has claimed the right to kill the Knight Sabers. Through Genom's deal, they will do our dirty work while we in the British Library and Genom International will come out smelling like roses.-" "-Unfortunately, in a downward turn of events, the two special agents of the British Library, codenames The Paper and Miss Deep, have been seen interacting with, and possibly working alongside, the Knight Sabers. Worse, they have somehow been able to piece together that Genom International had a hand in the thefts. Both agents, Japanese nationals by birth, are thus no longer to be considered trustworthy. The British Library is therefore deliberating whether or not said agents are to be eliminated. In the meantime, all agents have been advised to cut ties and disregard any information, including possible messages asking for help or distress signals, from said agents.-" Wendy finished typing and took the sheets into the next room, handing them over to the man who operated the newest in technological advancements. Called a mimeograph, it was straight from the Edison labs in the States, and could make any number of copies from the original typed sheets. Telling him how many to make and who to send them to, Wendy went back into her office to finish her tea. ------ Nancy walked along at a brisk pace, her hand around Yomiko's left arm as they made their way through the sidewalk. Since Yomiko's nose was buried in a book, Nancy was in effect steering her down the streets. As Nancy looked over at her fellow agent (and, more recently, love interest), she noticed something. "Yomiko? Haven't you read that one before?" Yomiko looked up and smiled, "Yes, but once this case is over, I'm hoping to go back to teaching, and I think this book will end up in my curriculum. I want to make sure I can teach it." Nancy smiled back at her as she mused that, as Mr. Joker was so fond of saying, she shone brightest with a book in her hand. "So what's it about?" she asked, indulging her companion. "Well there's this gentleman named Ishmael who becomes friends with a Red Indian, and they go on a boat named the Pequod, to try to find a white whale..." As Yomiko continued to discuss the book, her companion began to go over their case in her mind. More specifically, the recent events surrounding Priss' attack. From the description she and Sylia had given, Nancy had been able to piece together that they were attacked by a triad, a Chinese Mafia group. If she was correct, they were the White Tiger. Stolen Da Vinci sketches, flying machines, a French thief named Arsene Lupin, Genom International, and now the Chinese Mafia; Nancy had been trying for the better part of yesterday and today to find a logical connection in her mind between the discordinant pieces of the puzzle, and had come up empty. Also, she was pretty sure that they were being followed, and had been followed for the better part of half an hour. She was getting sick of it. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now. Yomiko, meanwhile, noticed that Nancy wasn't listening anymore and was about to go back to her reading, when Nancy pulled her arm to stop her. Yomiko looked from Nancy to the building in front of them, and froze. They had stopped in front of the Genom International building. "Nancy-san?" Yomiko asked. Nancy looked over to her and smiled as she stroked her cheek with the back of her index finger. "You don't have to keep calling me ‘-san,' you know." Yomiko blushed a bit, "Old habits die hard." she admitted. "What are we doing here?" Nancy turned from Yomiko and stared at the building in front of them. "I'm sick of running around in circles, Yomiko-chan. I want answers. And we're going in there to get answers." she said, pointing toward the building. A short time later, both agents found themselves in the first floor lobby of Genom International's Japanese branch. Coming up to the front desk, the young lady behind the small table looked up and smiled. "Hello, may I help you?" she asked. Yomiko smiled back. "Yes, we wish to speak to Mr. Largo, Ma'am. Is he in?" "Mr. Largo? And who might you be?" "My name's Yomiko Readaman, and this is Nancy Makuhari." "I see..." the woman said as she searched the papers in front of her, "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to have an appointment for you. I..." her voice trailed off as a tall, burly man in a military uniform came in through the door. He had short blond hair, an eye patch over his right eye, a thin mustache, and a scar running from his right eyebrow to his left cheek. "Largo." he grunted out. The woman immediately nodded to him. "Of course Colonel Lando. He's waiting to see you." she said. Nancy noted a bit of nervousness in his voice. She pulled Yomiko over and whispered in her ear as the desk lady watched the man enter a side room. "I'm sorry for the interruption, but..." the young lady was cut off as she was suddenly surrounded by paper binding her to her seat, a single sheet covering her mouth to keep her from calling for help. "Come on, Readaman." Nancy said as she rushed to the door. "I'm very sorry Miss." Yomiko said apologetically, "We'll only be a few moments, and..." "Yomiko, come on!" Nancy ordered. Her fellow agent obliged, trying to turn the doorknob. "It's locked." Readaman said. Nancy smiled as she passed her hand through the door. A clicking sound was heard, and Miss Deep smiled. "Not anymore." she said. They raced down the corridor to the executive office at the end. Bursting in, they found the blond man with the eye patch sitting at a table across from a dark haired man in a business suit. The blond began to reach into his pocket for a gun, but Nancy pulled hers out first. "I wouldn't try it." she warned. Largo raised an eyebrow. "May I help you ladies?" "We're with the British Library." Yomiko declared, "And we have questions to..." "Oh, of course." Largo said, his voice cheery. "You're a bit early, though." Turning away from the confused ladies, he smiled at the other gentleman. "These are the British Library representatives. They'll give you your next mission, as well as update you on the latest upgrades to..." "What in the hell are you talking about?" Nancy asked. "We're special agents, assigned to recover stolen papers and stop a group of thugs with flying machines from blowing up Tokyo." Largo studied them a few seconds before cracking a smile. "I see... You must be The Paper and Miss Deep." Yomiko was startled, "H... How do you..." "Never mind how I know. Get out now," he said in a patronizing tone. "And I'll forget either of you were here." Nancy was seething. "Who do you think you're talking to, asshole?" The colonel was about to get up, but Largo reached out to stop him. He then turned back to Nancy, "You don't know what you're up against. Go to the British Military outpost and ask them about the fallen air ship." he suggested with a grin. "Or better yet, ask Mr. Joker himself." Yomiko's jaw dropped. "J... Joker-san?" Largo started to laugh, "Of course. We have a deal, Joker and I. Now, get out." he said in a more threatening tone. Nancy was about so say something further, when Yomiko grabbed her by the arm and started tugging. "Nancy, come on!" Yomiko pleaded. "No way, I'm not finished with..." "We're very sorry to have disturbed you." Yomiko said as she yanked her partner out of the office. Closing the door behind them, she leaned her head back against the wall in the hallway and let out a sigh. She looked over, to see Nancy scowling at her. "Yomiko-chan," she began, "Why..." "Did you hear him?" Yomiko asked, a perturbed look in her face, "Ask Joker-san?" Nancy looked at her funny. "You're not taking him seriously, are you?" she asked. Yomiko's response was to start quickly for the exit. After releasing the secretary, followed by more apologizing on Yomiko's part, she and Nancy found themselves once again on the outside of Genom International. Nancy watched as Yomiko walked with determination in her step down a side street. "Yomiko-chan, where are we going?" Nancy asked. To see Yomiko so focused was a bit unsettling. "We're going to the British Military headquarters." she answered. "So wait, that's it? On the word of one Genom bigwig, Joker-san is all of a sudden not to be trusted?" Nancy asked. Yomiko didn't answer. She wanted to agree with Nancy, to believe that Mr. Joker had no part whatsoever in any of this. After all, he was the Head Librarian. The British Library were the good guys. Weren't they? ---Thirty Minutes Later--- Colonel Roland stared resentfully at the two British Library agents standing in front of him. He would've liked nothing better than to throw both of them out, but their organization was too powerful. The two women in front of him in effect outranked him. A knock on the door signaled the arrival of Major Leon McNichol. "Colonel Roland Sir, I... Hello." he said, a broad grin appearing on his face as he took in Miss Deep's presence. The agent in question raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm. Major McNichol, my eyes are up here." Nancy said, pointing toward her face. Leon's face turned red. "I'm terribly sorry, Ma'am. I..." "McNichol," Colonel Roland interrupted, "If you're done sticking your foot in your mouth, these two British Library agents have some questions for you." Leon's demeanor changed instantly. "British Library, huh?" he huffed. Yomiko nodded. "Please, we understand you found a downed flying machine. We also understand that an incident took place shortly afterward involving someone by the name of Joker-san." Leon looked at Yomiko suspiciously. "Yeah, you could say that." Nancy's eyes widened at that; Largo wasn't bluffing. Yomiko took a deep breath, and asked the next question. "Can you tell us what happened?" Leon and the Colonel both exchanged glances. "You mean, you don't know?" he finally asked. "Please," Yomiko asked again, "That's why we're here; we need to know." Leon crossed his arms and looked at the bespeckled woman in front of him, "I and my men found a downed airship, just like you said. Shortly thereafter, your Joker-san, along with a group of men dressed in black came and ordered us to turn it over to them, or else." Yomiko shook her head, while Nancy's face turned white. Colonel Roland got up from behind his desk in alarm. "Are you two okay?" he asked. Readaman couldn't speak; she could only stare at him and Leon. Mr. Joker, the Head Librarian, was in league with Genom. In an instant her world was turned upside-down; the good guys were actually the bad guys. Nancy recovered first, "Yes, thank you Colonel, thank you Major." she said as she grabbed Yomiko's hand and quickly left. If the British Library and Genom were in partnership, it meant she and The Paper couldn't trust anyone, certainly not the British Military. Until they knew what they were up against, they'd have to break all bonds and go into hiding. Yomiko cursed herself as she thought of how much danger she and her partner may have already placed Sylia and the Knight Sabers in. As they strode down the darkening street, a solitary figure wearing a monocle and top hat watched from the shadows. Meanwhile, in another part of Tokyo, Wendy was just finishing up for the day when an urgent message came in. Reading the note, she immediately recognized Mr. Joker's handwriting. She sat down at the typewriter, put a sheet of paper in, and quickly typed. "---Attention All Field Agents---" "-Nancy Makuhari, A.K.A. Miss Deep, and Yomiko Readaman, A.K.A. The Paper, have both turned against the British Commonwealth and are to be considered enemy agents. Both are to be eliminated on sight.-" Taking the paper out of the typewriter, she handed it to the man operating the mimeograph machine and ordered copies for all British Library agents in Japan. She then put her winter coat on, slipped on a pair of boots, and stepped out into the cold. ---To Be Continued--- End Notes: Okay, I'm not really sure if I'm allowed to do this, but I've gone back in and re-written Haruka and Michiru's scene in chapter three, as well as a line of dialogue in chapter four. I slipped the first time, and H&M fell OOC. This is the first and, hopefully last, time I have to go back and re-write in an ongoing series (I apologize to everyone for this). Also, for any of you looking out for historical anachronisms, the first fully functioning typewriter was invented in 1868, and Edison was selling mimeographs in 1880, making it therefore very cutting edge as of 1881. And, finally, for those playing at home- Colonel Lando and The Illegal Army come from the Bubblegum Crash OVA. Next Time: Chinese People running around in masks, a couple of meddling kids, and a mystery to solve. No silly, it's not the latest episode of Scooby-Doo! It's the next chapter of Crash '81, featuring the solo adventures of Haruka and Michiru. Be there!
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