Sylia Stingray sat back in the chair, and looked at the unadorned package sitting on top of her desk. She reached over and opened the letter first, leaving the large brown envelope on the desk top. In a short, terse style it read "Sylia, enclosed are surveillance photos of requested subject, as well as the negatives. Current report is attached." Sylia put the letter down and picked up the envelope, slid the photographs out and spread them out across the desk. Priss and Sylvie were standing and talking in one, dancing closely together in another. The photos were taken over several nights, the clothes changing but the obvious delight they felt for each other written all over both of their faces. At last, a final bunch of photos showing them checking into a love hotel together, and a few shots taken of them through the bedroom's window, showing them twisted together on top of the sheets... Sylia slumped down in her chair as she felt a sudden rush of jealousy ran through her. She clenched her fists as it was quickly followed by a surging feeling of utter betrayal. 'You never told Priss how you felt,' Sylia thought to herself fiercely, shaking her head as tears of anger appeared at the corner of her eyes 'but...' She suddenly stood up, grabbing the collection of photos and wadding them up into a tight little ball. She furiously hurled them into the nearby trash bin. Sylia slumped forward on the desk, laying her head down on her crossed arms and cried softly all through the night until, at last, the first light of dawn crept into the dark office. She got up, wiping her teary eyes, and looked out at the dawn. She clenched her fist, and softly swore to herself, "Never again." Linna and Nene staggered out of the Silky Doll building together, feeling sore, breathless and aching. Their shoulders were slumped, their clothes extremely grimy and in one case, greasy too. All in all, they looked like they had been put through a industrial sized shredder. A shredder who just happened to be named Sylia. "I wonder what Sylia's problem is," Linna sighed to Nene tiredly. She had just partially disassembled and then completely reassembled her hardsuit three times in a row as part of one of Sylia's new pointless emergency drills. She looked down mournfully at her nails and decided she'd never get all the grease out of them. "Maybe Sylia just really needs to get laid," Nene answered Linna with a great deal of sarcasm, then she winced as she bumped a large bruise that stretched all the way up her right side. Two hours of intense combat training with a relentless Sylia had left her with quite a few of them, and they all hurt in a lot of different, but distinct, ways. "Maybe I should take her over and introduce her to some of the guys at the station," Nene finished with a weary sigh. Linna gave Nene an odd look after that last statement, but she didn't say anything about it. If the other woman hadn't managed to figure out yet that Sylia was only into the ladies, Linna certainly wasn't going to be the one to have to break the news to her. "Lets just hope she gets over whatever it is soon," Linna sighed softly. "You'd think after we beat up Largo she would be more cheerful, but no, it's just been train, train, train all day long!" Nene groused. Linna said to her wearily, trying to change the subject, "I'm way too tired to cook anything, so do you want to join me over at the restaurant?" "I got a date," Nene answered Linna with a tired smile of her own. "I'll see you for Sylia's next torture session." After a quick stop at home to try hard to scrub herself clean and change her smelly clothes, Linna walked into her favorite restaurant, smiled wearily at the greeter and took her usual seat. Her regular waiter came over and Linna made herself smile for her too as she ordered her favorite meal from memory. Her eyes widened as she saw Sylia eating a small dinner not too far away, and she shifted back a bit to keep out of her line of sight. A closely watching Linna soon realized there was something wrong with this picture. Sylia ate her dinner hesitantly, completely stopping often, and sometimes just ignoring her food to gaze off at an unknown something in the distance. It was all very odd behavior for the normally extremely cool and terribly collected Sylia Stingray. Linna watched her there a few moments more, then she finally picked up her plate and walked across the room to where a very astonished looking Sylia was sitting. Sylia's eyes widened as she saw Linna walking to her, and she quickly tried to regain her composure. "Do you mind if I join you?" Linna asked her softly. Sylia swallowed what she had been eating with difficulty, her eyes red and swollen from a recent bout of crying. "Do whatever you want," she said shortly to Linna. Linna took out a clean hankie and passed it to a surprised Sylia. who, when Linna discretely pointed them out, used it to wipe at her eyes. "I don't know what's going on," Linna said to her gently, "but you're obviously hurting." Sylia looked at her, then reluctantly nodded, obviously embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I..." she started, then trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "You don't have to tell me anything," Linna assured her. "But you do look like you could use some company. Would you like to eat with me?" Linna offered tentatively. Sylia looked over at her a moment, trying to read her sincerity, then nodded in relief. "Thank you," Sylia said softly. She smiled a bit at Linna as she admitted "I believe eating alone may give me a bit too much time to think." "So," Linna asked after they had eaten for a bit, "I did want to ask you, was beating up on Nene particularly satisfying?" Sylia smiled suddenly, "Actually, yes." She laughed softly, "It was mean, I know, but it was kind of fun. And there was a good reason." "I'm so sure," Linna said disbelievingly, with an impish smile. They both smiled at each other and began to laugh together softly. "I'll try to go a bit easier," Sylia said with a sigh. "I guess I had to let my anger out somehow, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you." Sylia grabbed the bill before Linna could get to it, and they both left together. "You know," Linna said softly, "I really don't like to cook much. I usually grab dinner here around seven," she finished leadingly. Sylia smiled a bit, "Then maybe I'll see you here tomorrow." They shared a nod, and went their separate ways. They met that way several times, over the next two weeks. Sometimes after Linna left work, occasionally after another one of Sylia's training sessions, both of them ensuring they arrived there at roughly the same time. They would enter seperately, sit at a table together and talk as they ate their dinners, or sometimes they just sat there and enjoyed a companionable silence. They were feeling each other out, begining to see the person behind the working relationship they shared as two members of the Knight Sabers team. The ringing phone woke Linna from a sound sleep, and with a sweeping gesture she knocked it right off the dresser. She then fumbled on the floor for it quickly, finally getting it up to her ear. "It's Sylia," the crisp voice said to her simply, 'we have a boomer situation, and Priss and Nene aren't answering my phone calls." "Probably because of all those false alarms you pulled on us in the last few weeks," Linna pointed out to Sylia with a weary sigh. "I'll meet you at the 'Doll in ten minutes," she calmly said, and climbed out of bed. Sitting on the side of the mattress, she began to pull her clothes on and kept the phone at her ear to hear any reply. "Right," a very relieved sounding Sylia answered Linna softly. A soft click signified the conversation was at an end, but Linna suddenly stopped dressing and looked at the phone with a small frown on her face. Throughout the short conversation, there was something odd going on. Linna realized she hadn't heard that sort of tone in Sylia's voice before; gratitude and, almost, kindness. Shortly, they were in the truck rushing to the emergency, Mackie up front at the steering wheel. "So what's the situation?" Linna asked Sylia quietly as she efficiently pulled on her green suit of armor. She ran systems checks as she went, because even though Mackie did a excellent job in maintaining the suits, there was always a chance of a failed component. "There's an out of control Boomer, of course" Sylia said to her tersely. "It seems to have developed the delusion that humans are malfunctioning machines, and need to be 'disassembled' and repaired." Sylia touched a earphone, obviously receiving an update from Mackie, up front. She nodded a few times, and Linna frowned worriedly. "Oh, hell," Linna sighed. "Has anyone...?" she started to ask, only to have Sylia interrupt her before she could finish. "There's two casualties, and a third person's just been taken hostage." Sylia tersely reported. "It has a girl captive, so we need to get her out of there before we can take the Boomer down." She slipped her helmet on and was fully armored as well. "Lets do it," Linna said tersely as the truck rolled to a halt. "I'm sure you have a plan," Linna added softly as the two moved out. "I want you to cut across the boomer's arms and then grab the girl and get her clear of danger," Sylia said to Linna tersely. Sylia was clearly in her 'battle mode', focused totally on the task at hand. She didn't let herself get angry at the absence of Priss and Nene, or think about how dangerous that now made the current situation. They moved together like clockwork. Linna swung her body, her suit's cables slicing across the boomer's arms and sending the girl sprawling! As fluids spurted from it's arms and it howled in anger, Linna grabbed the sobbing, shocky girl from the ground and boosted away from the boomer and up to as nearby building! Sylia followed her path to the boomer, swords extended, and plunged a blade straight through the boomer's head! She was caught up in the boomer's explosion, fire and light engulfing and obscuring from view Sylia's armored form! Linna held her breath a moment, worried, until Sylia walked out of the flames, her suit smoking a bit but otherwise appearing completely unscathed. "Don't do that to me," Linna said with a dramatic sigh. With her smile apparent even through her voice distortion, Sylia answered "Sorry, but it was unavoidable." The girl clung to Linna, sobbing uncontrollably, and it took them a few moments to calm her down enough to get free. The sounds of sirens heralded the A,D, Police's arival and their own departure, and they quickly returned to the truck and soon were on the way home. "Very good job, Linna," Sylia tiredly said to her, leaning back on her seat with her helmet resting in her lap. "It went exactly like I planned," she added with a smile. "Since you never tell us anything, I've learned to guess what you're going to do," Linna said to her easily, her own helmet sitting beside her on the seat. Sylia looked at Linna in surprise, then she grinned cheerfully. "I guess I'll have to be less predictable," Sylia answered, smiling. They both shared a laugh over Sylia's usual tendency to hold back information. "I'll try to be a bit more forthcoming," Sylia added unexpectedly. As they pulled up to the front of the Silky Doll building, they saw Priss and Nene standing there outside, both looking very uncomfortable. Sylia, dressed in her street clothes, climbed out of the van and stood beside it as she slowlt looked over at the two women, keeping completely silent. Linna climbed down as well and held her breath, expecting a explosion. Sylia opened her mouth to say something, then she closed it. "I suppose I can excuse your actions tonight," the grim faced woman said quietly to the very surprised looking Priss and Nene, "but if you ever pull something like this again, you will seriously regret it." With the last, her tone of voice was like a crack of doom. Linna, at least, knew Sylia meant what she was saying, absolutely. Sylia took a deep breath, and Linna noticed Sylia's hands were shaking just a little. "Now get the hell out of here," she finally growled at them, and Linna realized that Sylia was barely holding her temper in check. Nene and Priss wordlessly fled the scene, and Linna was left standing with the clearly angry Sylia. "Do you want me to leave, too?" Linna asked quietly. Sylia shook her head, no. "Linna, would you mind sticking around and helping Mackie and I pack away the suits?" a slightly drooping Sylia asked her, letting herself show Linna the signs of how tired she really was. "Sure," Linna said to her gently, and climbed in the truck as Mackie drove them around to the shipping bays, then down into the Knight Saber's headquarters. All three worked together smoothly and almost silently, unloading then checking over the two suits before packing them away in their charging booths. "I almost thought I was going to have to go out alone," Sylia suddenly said into the silence. Linna looked over to her, and Sylia smiled and added "Mackie would have tried to stop me, but if you hadn't answered, I would have gone to help that girl." Mackie actually scowled as he said, "I can't believe those two didn't answer!" It was obvious the young man was furious at them for his sister's sake, and that it would be a long while before either Priss or Nene returned to his good graces. "Anyway," Sylia continued, after stopping and giving a blushing Mackie a fond smile, "I called you last, but somehow, I just knew you would answer me. It occurred to me that you've been one of the very few people I can always rely on, Linna." Sylia smiled over at Linna tiredly, and said with real warmth "Thank you." Sylia added after a moment, an impish smile on her face, "And if you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it." "Sylia!" Mackie scolded her. Linna began to laugh, then she swayed a bit as tiredness began to catch up with her as well. "Why's the room spinning?" Linna asked, dazedly. A long day, little sleep and a very hectic night all finally caught up to her as darkness crept across her vision and she fell back into someone's very gentle arms!
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