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Bubble Gum Crisis is copyrighted Artmic Inc. and Youmex, Inc. 
Highlander, the specific concepts of Immortality, the characters 
of Duncan MacLeod, Amanda, Joe Dawson, and the Hunters are the 
property of Rysher Entertainment. I am just borrowing the characters 
for a little while, and promise not to bend, fold, or staple them 
- unless I can come up with a good reason to do so. I can be 
contacted at the Email address above. C&C will be accepted, out 
and out flames will result in a Boomer or two being sent
after you.

Please, enjoy my take on the Bubble Gum Crisis universe.....
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Chapter 3

District 2
MegaTokyo, Japan
April 10, 2036
4:37am

     GENOM's Boomer manufacturing plant number 5664 was lit
brightly, even this early in the morning. It sat on the edge of
the what the locals called the Badlands, a wasteland that no one
really wanted. There wasn't much activity in the complex itself,
much to Jason's disgust. He moved slightly to dislodge a rock
he'd been lying on, and stared through a third hand set of
binoculars at the factory before him.

     He'd spent most of the last six hours watching the place
from a mound of rubble three hundred meters from the west fence,
and received little for his effort. He'd seen only four humans
during his time watching, all security guards who never moved
from their posts. Several other human-looking figures patrolling
the compound, and by their size and bulk, he'd guessed that they
were disguised Boomers.

     He laid down the battered binoculars and shook his head. Any
type of infiltration of the plant was out of the question.
Security was as hard as a rock, and there were too many unknowns
for a single person to handle. 

     He sighed, and picked up the binoculars. He would have to
try another way of discovering who supplied the Boomers to the
Hunters. He slid out of sight of the plant before he stood, and
worked his way down the slope slowly, keeping all noise to a
minimum. It was going to take him at least half an hour to make
it back to his car, and he wanted to be well clear of the area by
daybreak.

     At the bottom, he retrieved his duster and a small backpack.
He slipped the duster over the dark clothes he wore, then secured
his sword inside the long dark coat. He then made sure that he
had easy access to the sword, should he need it. He put on a pair
of night vision glasses, allowing him to see without the use of a
flashlight. He then picked up the backpack, and slung it over his
shoulder. 

     He started off at a brisk walk, his senses alert and
searching for trouble. He knew the Badland's reputation, and he
didn't want to become another victim. He was also alert to either
the Hunters, or another Immortal looking for his head. The last
thing he wanted to do was announce his presence here.

     He traveled for twenty minutes with no problems. The night
air was still and quiet, but that would change soon enough. The
sun would be up and -

     He felt the presence of another Immortal then. Without
thought, his sword was in his hands, and he stopped. This didn't
feel the same as most of the others he'd experienced. There was a
newness to it, like a fresh soul. <A new Immortal, here?>

     He moved slower now, shifting his feet carefully on the
dirt. After several minutes, he saw something lying in the grass
near a burnt out van. As he got closer, he could see it was a
woman. She was lying on her back, twitching as her body began to
heal itself.

     He squatted beside her, placing his sword across his thighs
for quick access, and took off his backpack. She looked to be in
her mid twenties, tall, slim, very pretty, with long blond hair,
and blue green eyes. Her blouse was soaked with blood, and he
could see several bullet holes centered on her chest. She was
close to reviving now, and she would soon join the Game.

     <I don't need this now!> he thought sourly. <I don't have
time to take on a student! I don't WANT a student! I have a
mission!> But he didn't move. He couldn't walk away. Master
Chang had drilled all his students in the need to help new
Immortals. They always needed help, to understand what they had
become, and start learning the skills they needed to survive. To
walk away from her now would be turning his back on his Master's
teachings. And he just couldn't do that.

     She opened her eyes then, and inhaled a shuddering breath.
Her next several were stronger and more regular. She finally saw
Jason next to her, saw the glint of the blade across his thighs,
and screamed. She tried to get up, but Jason held her gently by
the shoulders.

     "Who-w-who are you?" she stammered. "Are you here to kill
me, too?"

     He shook his head. "I'm a friend." He said quietly. "My name
is Jason, and I'm here to help you."

     "What happened to me?" Her face took on a shocked look and
she felt the front of her blouse. "He killed me!" she screamed,
naked fear on her face. "He sh-shot me!"

     "I know. I think we should go some-"

     The feeling of another Immortal approaching made Jason's
head snap up. <Damm!>

     The woman's eyes went wide, and she screamed, "What's going
on? I just felt something. What is it? What's happening to me?"

     Jason gripped her tighter. "I need you to get out of here
now," he said calmly and firmly. "Find someplace where there's
people about, A LOT of people. Restaurant, police station, office
building, anyplace like that. If you can't find a place that has
people around, find a church, or a graveyard, or any other Holy
Ground. Wherever you go, don't leave it unless I come and get
you, understand?" He slipped a ring off his finger and slipped it
on her ring finger. "Don't take this off until after I've found
you, OK?"

     He pulled her off the ground. She stood and nodded, some of
the terror leaving her face. "But what's going on?"

     "It'll take too long to explain now. If you have another
feeling like the one you just had, run run even harder for any of
the places I just mentioned."

     "Very wise advice," replied a voice out of the darkness.
"But a little too late, I'm afraid." The tone was arrogant and
mocking, and Jason's mouth twitched in irritation.

     "Go," Jason hissed to the woman, and she ran off into the
darkness in the opposite direction from where the voice had come
from. Jason readied himself for a battle. "Who's out there?"

     A figure stepped into the range of the night vision glasses.
He was taller and thinner then Jason, and he held a Katana in his
right hand. Like Jason, he wore night vision glasses, a long
leather coat, and a smile that reminded Jason of a cat playing
with his food. He stopped three meters from Jason and bowed
mockingly.

     "I am Rodney Marder," the newcomer said.

     "Jason Storm."

     "Ah, I have heard of you. You're a long way from the
monastery."

     "And I know your reputation. You're also a long way from
your usual haunts, Marder. England run out of new Immortals for
you to kill?"

     Marder shrugged. "I needed a change of scenery for a while.
I thought MegaTokyo was the best place to loose myself."

     "I see you're still carrying Rokujochigusa's Katana," said Jason,
pointing to Mader's sword with his own blade.

     "This old thing?" Marder held up the Katana. "A fine blade,
isn't it? Since Rokujochigusa had no more use for it, I thought why let
it go to waste?"

     "You stole the sword," Jason's voice was low and hard.
"After you killed Rokujochigusa. You have no right to have that blade."

     "Of course I have a right to this blade, Storm," replied
Marder, his voice loosing some of it mocking tone. "The trial of
combat gives me the right to this, or any other sword."

     "Brave words coming from someone who hunts new Immortals for
their heads."

     "It's a living."

     "I can't let you take her head. she has to have a chance to
learn what's she become."

     "Why? Why waste the time to teach them?"

     Jason shook his head slowly. "You're beyond redemption,
Marder. Time to pay for you crimes."

     "Not tonight, Storm. I have a date with that young lady."

     "Hard to have a date when you don't have a head."

     "Oh, if you insist." With that, Marder covered the distance
between them in a couple of strides, sword flashing down at
Jason's head. Jason blocked the strike, and countered with a
slash at Marder's stomach that he avoided by jumping back.

     The night continued to ring with the sound of swords, and
brief flash of sparks that lit up the night.

          **********          **********          **********

District 2
April 10, 2036
5:17am

     Priss was traveling at a sedate speed for her, not by
choice, but by necessity. The dirt road she was on was rutted and
full of potholes. She wasn't happy, but she had little choice.
Construction had blocked her normal route, so she was forced to
travel across the Badlands to get to her trailer.

     The lights on her cycle showed little of the surrounding
landscape, which was a blessing and curse with the landscape she
was in. She made sure her pistol was accessible if she needed it,
and continued to scan the night for signs of trouble.

     Still, the sight of a woman running out of the darkness
ahead of her caught her by surprise. Priss had to brake hard to
keep from hitting her, sending the bike into a hard slide. She
managed to keep the bike upright, and she came to a stop, her
bike now perpendicular to the road. Before she could find the
kickstand with her foot, the woman was beside her, a look of
terror on her face.

     "Help me!" she cried over the sound of the cycle's engine.
Priss turned to look at her, noticed the blood soaked blouse, the
woman's wild look, and the fact she was out here at this time of
night. She needed help.

     "Climb on!" Priss yelled. The woman hesitated for a second
before she complied, climbing onto the bike and wrapped her arms
around Priss tightly. Priss shifted into gear, and the cycle shot
back down the way Priss had come.

     Priss cursed the lack of any real roads around here. Driving
slowly though this area during the daytime was hard enough.
Driving around here at night, at speed, with a frighten woman
hanging on for dear life wasn't something she'd really wanted to
do. 

     She had to get the girl clear of the area, hopefully before
whoever was chasing her realized she was gone. <But what am I
going to do with her after I get out of here?> she thought.<
Take her to the police?> She dismissed the idea of the police at
once. <They're worse then useless down here.>

     She slowed the bike, aware that the woman's grip had tighten
around her waist. She needed to find out what was going on first
before she made a decision. She left the engine running, and
pulled off her helmet. She turned to look at her passenger, who
was still holding on to her tightly.

     "What happened?" she asked gently. <Damm it, Linna's the
people person, not me!> "Were you attacked?" 

     "He shot me...He shot me....Must reach holy ground," the
woman mumbled. Priss thought the woman was in shock, but she
couldn't tell for sure. There was a lot of blood on the blouse,
but a quick check of her pulse showed it was still strong, if a
little fast. She didn't seem to be shot, but she was scared.

     Priss reached a decision. "I'll take you to the hospital,"
she said, trying to sound soothing.

     The woman shook her head. "Not the hospital. I can't go
there. He'll find me, and kill me again."

     "But the blood -"

     "I'm all right, just scared and tired." The woman looked
over her shoulder into the darkness. Priss thought she heard the
sounds of metal striking metal, but saw nothing in the darkness. 

     "We should get out of here," Priss said, turn around and
pulling on her helmet.

     "Don't leave me, please." The woman sounded desperate, and
she was shaking like a leaf. "Please don't leave me."

     "I won't," Priss promised, feeling uncomfortable. "What's
your name?"

     "Natalia Korsgaard."

     "You can call me Priss. I know somewhere you can be safe.
Hold on." She gunned the engine, and the bike shot forward into
the darkness.

     Neither one saw the large man dressed in black materialize
out of the surrounding darkness twenty seconds later and watch
them speed away. He nodded to himself, and a cruel smile formed
on his lips. He glanced down at the small receiver he held, and
nodded in satisfaction at the result it displayed.

     He turned and listened to the sounds of the swordfight for a
moment before he stepped into the darkness. He wasn't after
anyone's head - at least, not tonight.

          **********          **********          **********

Unknown Location
MegaTokyo, Japan
April 10, 2036
5:20am

     The phone rang, disturbing the figure in the bed. It reached
over and pressed the receive button, careful not to activate the
video feed. "Yes?"

     "Hunter One, this is Jager One. We have a report of two
Immortals fighting in district 2."

     "Any identification on them?"

     "One is definitely Rodney Marder. We think the other one is
Jason Storm."

     "Storm?"

     "Our agent can't get close enough to tell for sure."

     "We can't take that chance. Scramble Wolfhound and Foxhound
teams. I want both of them dead, especially if the other one is
Storm."

     "We're on it."

     "I'll be down in ten minutes to supervise the operation
myself."

     "Yes Hunter One."

     The figure broke the connection, and the figure sat up. Long
dark hair spilled over the woman's face, putting it into deep
shadows. "And so it begins," she murmured.

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