"Hey, Linna, you seen Mackie lately?"
  Linna looked up from where she was warming up.  She was clad in her soft
suit; the Knight Sabers had a mission tonight, and it was nearing their
planned departure time.  "No," she said.  "Why?"
  Priss frowned slightly.  "I'm worried, that's all."
  Linna almost fell over from shock.  "What?  You're actually worried about
Mackie?"
  Priss shook her head, sighing.  "No, Linna.  Look.  Remember two weeks
ago?"
  The gymnast scowled.  It wasn't as if she could forget.  That had been
Mackie's finest - or worst, depending on your point of view - hour.  The
first they'd known about it was when a miscalculation on Mackie's part meant
that one of his devices drew slightly too much power and shorted out.
Fortunately, he'd had the good sense to rig the hidden sensors independently
of the hardsuits, but the gall of him!  Using VidCam systems and 3D mass
sensors *inside* the suits!  "What about it?" asked Linna, her tone cordial
from the memories.
  "I'm just worried that he's up to something.  He's been too quiet lately."
  Linna paused.  "You know, I think you're right.  I haven't seen him around
the last few nights."
  "Linna," mused Priss, "Sylia mentioned something about Mackie seeming
rather downcast and depressed up until about a few nights ago."
  That sparked an unwelcome thought.  Linna's hand flew to her mouth.  "You
don't think...."
  "No!" Priss said, just catching on to what Linna was thinking.  "I don't
think it's that at all.  I just think he's been too quiet."
  The door burst open before Linna could reply.  Nene rushed into the room,
quickly undressing and getting ready for the upcoming mission.
  "Hi Nene," Linna said.  "We were just discussing Mackie."
  "Forget it."  Nene was giggling somewhat.  "Listen to what I just heard
from the night patrol!
  "Apparently, Leon was downtown, just patrolling?  Well, he stopped for some
reason, and saw this guy in an outrageous costume, right?  Last thing he
hears is the guy shouting the word `Wedgie', and then suddenly he can't see!
Daley said he pulled Leon's underpants right over his head!  Can you just
imagine it?!"
  The trio broke out in giggles at the mental picture.  Leon was probably not
going to be happy.  And imagining his expression made Priss laugh all the
louder.
  As a result, Priss and Linna forgot all about their previous conversation.
At least for the time being.  Events were soon to transpire to change that.

  It's strange the things you find washed up on sandy beaches.
  Even stranger is the type of people who actaully find these kind of things.
  Sure, Mackie was depressed.  Sylia's latest punishment had seen to it that
that was a highly probable state of mind.  Perhaps the destruction of his
latest `adult' discs had something to do with it.
  Three nights ago, that all changed.
  Mackie's been given a whole new lease on life.  No more behind the scenes
work.  This time he'll really stand out.
  Problem is, can he deal with it?

  Or will it deal with him first?



                             MEGATOKYO AT NIGHT

                   A Bubblegum Crisis / The Mask Crossover

                            Not Quite Coming Soon





                             Terence Fergusson
                          -- Student of Advanced Murphodynamics
                          -- Stranded in an Anime-free College