Jusenkyo Productions Proudly Presents
A Bubblegum Crisis, The Crow Crossover
Gentle Rappings
Part Two.
(This part is dedicated to all those who know what it is to be dead inside, and to Tanya Muller who drug me back to real life, shown me I cannot hide, and keeps me from running away. My heartfelt thanks.)
Daylight, once again it is daylight. The bright light banishes the darkness, sending those fears that hide in the night screaming for cover, and invites man to once more take his place in the world.
The light creeps slowly through the corridors between the buildings, reflects off of the solar collectors, and casts the long shadow of GENOM Tower onto the city. It illuminates the fault were Timex City lies, and glints off of Tokyo Bay. Humans once more stir, reclaiming the city from those of their kind who daylight is the enemy. It caresses the Lady 633 building, and slowly warms AD Police Headquarters.
Daylight, once again it is daylight. The bright light banishes the darkness, casing away the shadows, and casting light on hidden things. Daylight is not welcomed by some. For some, it takes away the protective cover of night. And to others it shines light on what is best kept hidden. But for some people daylight is a reminder, another day has started, another period of time where you have to walk among the living, even though you may be dead inside.
Such a man is ADP Inspector Daley Wong.
The world as Daley saw it now was without color, joy, or even satisfaction. It was admittedly a problem that he had, this worldview. Daley figured he had two solutions to his problem. One rested in the holster beneath his jacket, the other was in a bottle sitting in his car. So far he had used the second, but was close to the first.
'It's been almost a year Leon,' he thought to himself as he drove down the freeway, 'A year of no leads, slammed doors, and pressure to drop the case. I'm sorry Leon, for you and Priss.' He took a swing from the bottle next to him, another day had started, another damnable day.
Noa Ibuki turned at the sound of an ADP interceptor pulling up.
'He's here,' she thought to herself. She looked at the man who got out of the driver's seat. Orange hair, a really bad shirt, and once more slightly drunk. She understood, she too had lost a partner when a boomer that they were checking the license on went haywire and killed her before Noa could stop it. But Daley took it to extremes.
"Inspector Wong, thank you for coming," she said.
Daley looked at her, "Noa," he said slowly, "We both know you are much better at this than I am, your squad has the lowest morality rate in the ADP, only one other beat it, and you know what time of year it is, why did you call me?"
Noa winced a bit; the only other squad that ever had a better morality rate was the one commanded by Daley's old partner, Leon McNichol.
"Sir, the N-Police just passed this on to us, and, truthfully sir, I have never seen anything like it."
"Is that it?" he asked.
Noa screwed up her courage, she had heard how good both Leon and Daley were, she wanted, no NEEDED that officer back again. "No sir, I also thought that it was time you got back to work. I mean, no disrespect intended to the memory of Inspector McNichol, but don't you think it's time to let go?"
Daley looked at her for one long moment, then turned. Noa's heart deflated a bit.
"What was it you wanted to show me, Noa?" he asked.
Noa lowered her eyes for a split second, if not today, she promised herself, sometime. "This way sir," she said. "The N-Police passed this one on to us after the victim was identified as having been a boomeroid."
"When was he found?"
"That's just it sir, the patrons of the bar, The Tower, knew he was being killed."
Daley stopped and looked at her, "They saw him being killed, and yet did nothing?"
Noa stopped as well, this is where it got strange, "Yes sir, umm, according to the people in the bar, Laughing Boy wasn't that well liked. And when this lady came in and drug him out no one really protested all that much."
"Wait a minute, you said a woman drug him out and killed him?" Daley asked. "Was she a boomer?"
"We don't know sir. We were just able to ID the victim as a boomeroid."
"What too you so long?" he asked.
"Well," she faltered, "Daley, this is something you're going to have to see for yourself. It seems that all the cybernetics have been removed, all of them."
Daley looked at her in shock for a minute then gestured for her to lead on. He stopped for once split second to look at a stylized crow cared in the door of The Tower, then went on after her. For some reason he felt something he had not for one long year, hope.
************************************************************************
The Crow rested in her trailer once more. Daytime was not her realm, the night was the time to be about her business.
In the year she had been gone the trailer was not touched. She could see the signs that someone HAD entered the trailer a couple of times, and that someone was in powered armor. She touched the tread of a boot by the door. It was rather distinctive one. Only four people had ever worn boots like these, and each of those had something special about it.
"Sylia," she said softly, tracing the outline with her finger.
Another in the kitchen brought the response of "Nene."
A third by the couch next to the open photo album was Linna's. Her friends had come back, a few times.
The sound of wings alerted her and she flung out her arm so that the crow could take perch.
'So kid, how's it going?'
The Crow did not answer; instead she walked over to her third most prized possession, her guitar. It was still all right, although a year with no care should have� The Crow stopped for a second, 'Of course,' she thought, 'Someone has been taking care of it.'
She picked it up and moved to the couch, sitting down she strummed a few bars, tuning the instrument. Memories flooded though her of the thousands of times she had done this. One memory stirred, of one rainy afternoon. Both she and Leon had been caught in the downpour and had come here, as it was closer.
'Priss, don't do this.'
The Crow started to strum, playing the song that she did that day. When Leon had asked her to play something for him, just for him. The tune was one she had played not too long after she had first met him, after that incident at Aqua City.
'Come on Priss, don't do this to yourself.'
Even after all this time, the lyrics came to her.
Machi wa veil o nuide The town lowers its veil
tsuka no ma sugao o and for a moment
miseru . shows its true face.
Leon had listened and asked her to play another, then another.
Aoi tobari ga A blue curtain
shizuka no oritekuku. silently falls over it.
Soon they both had noticed how late it had grown, and that the rain had not stopped.
Nemuri o wasureta makurabe ni On my sleepless pillow,
namidaa hitohira sakasete a single teardrop blossoms
anata o omou and I think of you
hitoribotchi no yoru. on this night when I am alone.
Leon had suffered through her cooking, laughing when she apologized, saying that after the ADP cafeteria, he could eat anything.
'Priss, why?'
Je t'aime� Donna ni tooku Je t'aime� No matter how far
Je t'aime� Hanareteite mo Je t'aime� apart we are,
Remember� Anata o Remember� I will not
Remember� Wasurenai wa. Remember� Forget you.
They both were on the couch, drinking a bit and looking at the still pouring rain.
Aenai jikan wa The time that we can't spend together
kono mune ni leaves the impression of love's
ai no omosa kizamikomu. heaviness on this heart of mine.
Shinjiteitai I'm wanting to believe
Ano hi no hohoemi o. the smile you smiled that day.
Leon had stood up; saying that he needed to go before it got too dark and the rain too bad.
'Priss, you know how this ends.'
Priss had grabbed his hand, and asked him to stay that night, with her.
Someday� Kanashimi o koe Someday� I want to find my way
Someday� Tadoritsukitai Someday� beyond sadness
Remember� Yasashii Remember� into your
Remember� Ude no naka e. Remember� gentle arms.
2035:
Priss gently removed herself from the slumbering Leon's embrace. It was still dark outside, and still raining. She paused for a second; listing to the sounds of the drops as they struck the roof of her trailer, and also to the sounds of Leon's breathing. Unclothed, she made her way to the kitchen area. A quick flick of the light switch told her that the storm had knocked out the power. It happened quite often out here. But no matter how many times Sylia tried, Priss would not leave.
Grumbling a bit to herself, she filled a glass with water and drank it slowly, enjoying the coolness as it went down her throat. Turning a bit to rest her elbows on the counter, she looked out at the rain streaked window.
'It's been what? Five years?' Priss thought to herself. She counted backwards, to when Jesse had been killed by that 'accident'. Her eyes widened in surprise, it had indeed been five years since she last had a lover in her bed. After Jesse had died, all she had cared about was revenge. Then Sylia came, and gave her a tool for that revenge. She looked over at the dim sleeping from of Leon, her love� er.
She pressed the glass to her forehead, 'If Linna or Nene ever find out, I'll never hear the end of this,' she thought to herself.
Then she noticed something else; she really needed a bath. She smiled softly to herself, 'After five years, I guess I get to be a bit enthusiastic.' She looked back out at the rain; the power outage gave her the perfect excuse to do something that she loved, shower by candlelight.
She quietly got together the candles and a book of matches and went to the bathroom. Her trailer was far too small to have a traditional Japanese bath, but it did have a nice sized shower. It was big enough that Priss could stretch out on the floor if she wanted to, and didn't mind being in a sitting position.
One by one she touched the lit match to the wicks, the candles responded by throwing off their golden light and caused the shadows to dance. Priss started the water running and got in, letting the warm water cascade down her front, then turning to wash her back. She looked out through the glass at the candles, the frosted glass distorting them, making it all seem surreal. The light reflected off of the water, transforming it into a golden shower. In this frame of mind, she slowly closed her eyes, letting the water run over her. Washing away the memories of revenge, of death, and bringing hope. Lost in her thoughts about Leon, she was quite startled when a pair of arms snaked around her midsection and someone nuzzled her neck.
She turned to see Leon's face reflecting the glow of the candlelight.
"You left," he said.
"Well, I just wanted sometime to think." She responded to not only his words, but also his caresses.
"About?"
"Just� thinking. It's been five years since I�" she trailed off a bit.
Leon hugged her, a hug to give comfort, "I understand," he said.
She pulled him close and together the stood under the wash of water in the glow of the candles. Priss rested her head against his shoulder, content this one magic time to be held. She looked out at the dancing candles and hugged him tighter. She felt him respond.
Then the water got a particular smell to it. It was now warm and sticky, and as Priss looked down to see it circling round and round as it went down the drain, she realized it was red.
'It always ends up the same Priss, I told you that. Come on, you have work to do.'
2036:
Je t'aime� Donna ni tooku
Je t'aime� Hanareteite mo
Remember� Anata o
Remember� Wasurenai wa.
Someday� Kanashimi o koe
Someday� Tadoritsukitai
Remember� Yasashii
Remember� Ude no naka e.
The Crow finished her song and put away her guitar. Night was coming; night was once again casting its shadows on MegaTokyo. The night was her element and she still had prey. As she left the trailer, she didn't even make a backward glance.
End part two.
What? Were you expecting blood and guts and gore? Wait until the next part. IF you haven't read The Crow, you will probably miss out on this part, for it isn't just a tale of revenge, but a love story as well. Telling of a love so deep that one would come back from the dead to set things right. Bubblegum Crisis is owned by the usual people, The Crow by James O'Barr, and any forms of C&C are appreciated.
JG
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Here sir we come to famous training ground of accursed springs
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|Guide of the training grounds|Ranma 1/2, Tenchi Muyo, BGC, |
|of accursed springs, 8th |AMG, Tank Police, Gall Force, |
|Disciple of Eriond, President|YUA, GitS, ADP, Evangelion |
|of the AMS, and proud member |Project A-ko, UY, VPM, BGC! |
|of the #SkAS# |Darkside Blues, Dragon Century|
|------- http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/6549 ----------------|
|Akane, Lina, Washu, Nene, |Nene showed Mackie just how |
|Skuld, Belldandy, Kiyone |much she knew. Winter Blossoms|
---------------------------Jusenkyo---------------------------
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