Well, here's part 5. I hope you enjoy it. If so, PLEASE send any
replies to jedediah@tri-countynet.net.
Also, if you need previous chapters, just let me know. I'll gladly
send them.
The Dirty Pair and the Predator are copyright their respective
creators/owners, and are used without permission.
=========================================================
Preying Angels
Chapter 5
STARCOM SECTOR--RESIDENTIAL BLOCK BETA--CORIX HILTON--FLOOR 100
TIME: 1000
DATE: 2143.06.25
Mughi lay on the large bed, a white bandage holding a fresh Bio-Pack to his
wound. If all went well, this would be the last one needed, though the huge
cat wouldn't be back at peak condition again for at least two or three weeks.
The bed was unbelievably soft, with goose-down mattresses and silk covers.
The whole room was done in white; walls, bed, and ceiling. The wine-colored
carpet pleasantly offset the near pristine shades of the rest of the room.
Kei had to admit, 3WA never skimped on accomodations for its TCs. A
penthouse on the hundredth floor of the Corix Hilton cost per night almost
as much as a Trouble Consultant's salary for a month. Rising to her feet,
she picked up the empty bowl that once held a half-pound of cat food. Kei
lovingly stroked the sleeping cat behind the ears. Mughi stirred slightly,
and slept peacefully once again. With a smile, Kei silently left the room.
The spacious living area was done in the same white-and-wine motif as the
bedroom Mughi occupied. The furniture was done in black synth-leather, and
was almost as soft and plush as the beds. A picture window gave an
impressive view of the StarCom skyline. On the long, black couch sat Yuri,
who was poring over a small holopad.
"No luck?" asked Kei. Startled, Yuri spun on the couch and faced her
red-haired partner.
"Kei! Don't scare me like that." Yuri said. Kei couldn't blame her for
being a little on edge. "I can't find a single scrap of evidence of a
break-in on the Angel's security logs."
"How could they have gotten past the Angel's security systems?" Kei asked
as she sat down next to her raven-haired friend.
"3WA locking mechanisms are supposed to be hack-proof..." began Yuri.
"Supposed to be. Looks like sombody managed to hack it." The two fell
silent for a moment. Kei leaned back on the couch and locked her fingers
behind her head. "Y'know, we need to relax."
"What?" Yuri asked.
"You heard me. We need a night out on the town, and I've been meaning to
check out the club scene on this planet."
"We destroyed one already." Yuri joked.
"Ha, ha. You're REAL funny, you know that?" Kei asked sarcastically.
"Anyway, let's go!"
"Go?"
"Yeah!" Kei exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. "After all, if we're going
out tonight, we're gonna need some new clothes!"
"Kei..."
"C'mon!" Kei grabbed Yuri's arm, and hauled her off the couch. Despite
Yuri's ardent protests, Kei pulled her out of the room and down to the
turbo-lift.
============================================================================
STARCOM SECTOR--UNDISCLOSED AREA
TIME: 1544
DATE: 2143.06.25
|| Oomans were rather strange creatures. Try as it might, the Hunter could
not understand their routines. The damnable creatures enclosed themselves in
giant structures for hours at a time, as well as small box-like things that
shot through tunnels at insane speeds. They made absolutely no sense.
A noise from one of the alleys below its current perch drew its attention.
One thing Soft Meat was good for was violence. One Ooman was attacking a
female, and quite savagely at that.
Silently, the Hunter made its way down to the shadowed alley below. It
didn't really care about the safety of the Ooman female, but the male looked
to be a somewhat decent trophy... ||
=======================================================================
STARCOM SECTOR--RESIDENTIAL/RECREATIONAL AREA
TIME: 2000
DATE: 2143.06.25
"How's the image, Twiggy?" Ryozo asked.
"Crystal clear, boss." came Twiggy's reply. Ryozo didn't worry about anyone
else overhearing the transmission. Every member of the crew had an ancient,
yet still highly effective, transceiver called a Codec. Invented in the
early twenty-first century by an Asian scientist named Mei Ling, the Codec
was a two-part communications device; the reciever directly stimulated the
small bones of the inner ear, while the transmitter located on the larynx
allowed for sub-vocal communication. Everyone was routed through the
surviellance van, where Twiggy sat running the equipment. "You feelin' all
right?"
"Yeah." Unlike the other members, however, Ryozo was using an experimental
video surviellance technique using image-transmitting nanomachines attached
to his optic nerves. The nanomachines were no larger than a millionth of an
inch, and transmitted the images passed along the optic nerves to the main
monitor on Twiggy's surveillance panel.
The eight signals; four continuous video feeds and four intermittent audio
feeds, would normally light up the airwaves like a Christmas tree. Thanks to
several signal suppressors and Twiggy's own special encryption method, that
was not an issue.
Nobody in the crowded, smoky nightclub was the three-piece type. Doc was by
far the best dressed, though. He wore mustard-colored silk pants and an open
jacket of the same color and material. A black silk shirt was beneath the
jacket, and black Gargoyles sunglasses adorned his shiny, bald head. The
glasses were transmitting visual to the van.
Ozzy wore simple jeans and a flanell. A round, silver pendant hung from his
neck, and transmitted visual to the van. Specs wore khakis, polo shirt, his
trademark glasses transmitting visual.
The music thumped with authority, the floor shaking slightly from the force
of the sound. Doc and Ozzy took up positions by a replica of a 1950's era
pinball machine, Specs by the jukebox, and Ryozo at the bar. Through the
dancing throngs entered the two they were waiting for.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Isnt't this GREAT!" Kei shouted over the noise of the crowd and the music.
She was wearing a black mini that highlighted her curves and boosted her
ample cleavage. The synth-leather material shone in the dim light of the
dance club and left her shoulders bare. Her hair shone from the washing she
gave it that afternoon, bandanna still in place. Black spike heels and just
the right amount of makeup completed the picture.
Yuri was no less stunning. Her sheer blue mini did the same for her body as
it did for Kei's. A belt of thin, interlinked gold rings looped around her
slender waist. Her dress was shoulderless, with a wide collar around her
neck, and her hair hung down her back in a loose ponytail.
With Yuri in tow, Kei threaded her way to the dance floor. Once in the
center, she began to move her body to the thundering beat. Yuri began to
dance too, albeit a little reluctantly. Kei seemed right at home gyrating
her hips in the middle of all those bodies. She exuded an almost primal aura
of sexual power.
At times, Yuri envied that about her partner. Kei's ability to completely
let go in a crowd was a quality Yuri sometimes wished she possessed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ozzy? Yo, Ozzy!" Ozzy simply stood there, transfixed at the sight of the
Lovely Angels. A thin line of drool hung from his bottom lip, and Doc
started looking for smoke to billow from his ears. Tired of the sight, Doc
whapped Ozzy on the back of his head.
"OW! What the hell was that for?"
"You keep starin' like that, we gonna get made dipshit!"
Ozzy wiped the drool with a handy cocktail napkin.
"They can arrest me anytime." Ozzy said longingly. Doc simply rolled his
eyes behind his shades.
Ryozo stood by the bar, umbrella slung across his back. He slowly spun the
martini glass between his thumb and index finger as he watched the two
dance. He had to admit, they were attractive.
VERY attractive.
The redhead was almost a force of nature on the dance floor. The
raven-haired one was more reserved, but that did nothing to detract from
her...appeal. He watched them dance for another ten minutes, ignoring the
lewd and, in some cases, pornographic comments made by his comrades.
Finally, they stopped dancing, and began to make their way to the bar. The
black-haired woman locked eyes with him, and stopped.
//This can't be good...\\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yuri was getting thirsty from all the dancing, as well as trying to dodge
all the hands from guys and a few girls who tried to cop a cheap feel.
"I want something to drink!" she shouted to Kei.
"I'm gettin' thirsty myself!" Kei shouted back as she slapped away a hand
that was aimed at her ass. The two left the dance floor, pushing their way
through the crowd toward the bar.
Yuri locked eyes with what was quite possibly the most gorgeous guy in the
club. She stopped and took him in. Nice clothes, NICE build, oh yeah.
"Kei, look at this!" she squealed. Kei looked at him, and got that hungry
look in her eyes.
"Hello, handsome." she purred.
"I saw him first, Kei!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Guys, we've got a problem.] Ryozo said over the Codec.
[What's goin' down, kid?] asked Doc.
[I think I've just been made.]
[WHAT!] Ryozo winced at the collective shout that thundered through his
inner ear.
[The Dirty Pair are headed straight for me. From the looks of them, I'm the
one their coming for.] The look on Kei's face made him distinctly nervous.
[What do you want us to do?] asked Specs.
[Walk away. You, Doc, and Ozzy get the hell out of here.]
[Kid, you sure...] said Doc.
[WALK, Doc. If I've been made, I don't want to risk the rest of you getting
caught.] There was a pause for a few moments.
[All right, kid. We're walkin'.]
[Good luck, chief.] said Specs.
"Hi!" said Yuri. Hiding his nervousness, Ryozo replied.
"Hi!"
"So, what's a nice guy like you doin' in a place like this?" asked Kei.
"That's usually my line." Ryozo replied. Kei started to giggle, while Yuri
started to hit on him.
============================================================================
STARCOM SECTOR--RESIDENTIAL/RECREATIONAL--OUTSIDE DANCE CLUB
TIME: 2020
DATE: 2143.06.25
The side door closed as the last of the crew stepped into the van. Twiggy
had the images being transmitted by Ryozo displaying on the main screen,
with the others dark. They all watched raptly, wondering what was going to
happen next. Had the Dirty Pair realized they were being shadowed, and
identified them as their tail?
From the look of things, it didn't seem so.
Ryozo had already bought them both a few drinks, and they were starting to
loosen up considerably.
[Boss, how's it goin'?] Ryozo didn't answer.
"Looks like they're hittin' on him." said Doc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, whaddya do here?" Yuri asked. She'd had two Vodka Screwdrivers, and
was just getting tipsy.
"He'sh a hunk. Prob'ly...prob'ly works in shippin'." Kei slurred. She'd had
a few Fuzzy Navels, a Long Island Iced Tea, and a Sex On The Beach. She was
way past tipsy.
"Uh...actually...I work in one of the warehouses." Ryozo nervously replied.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Please, God, tell me he didn't forget the cover story." prayed Twiggy.
"I don't think the big guy's listening." replied Ozzy. "Looks like he just
forgot."
"Son of a bitch." whispered Specs.
"That man just doesn't know how to handle women." Doc said. "Must run in
the family. His dad was the same."
"You worked with his dad?" asked Specs.
"Yup. 'Bout ten years ago." Doc paused. "At least he ain't had one a those
nose geysers yet."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Uh...ah..." was Ryozo's inarticulate reply to one of Yuri's questions. On
the verge of a nosebleed, Ryozo took another drink. The alcohol eased his
nerves a bit, and he gave Yuri a lopsided grin. Kei gasped, and stared at...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Looks like they found out about those damned fangs." Doc said.
"Why didn't he get those things capped?" asked Specs.
"Everybody in his family's got 'em. It's a heritage thing." replied Doc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh, Thoshe're shoooo...CUTE!" squealed Kei. She was now quite sloshed.
Yuri was three sheets into the wind, and Ryozo was quite tipsy himself. She
had her fingers hooked into the corners of Ryozo's mouth, exposing all his
teeth. Yuri just giggled beside him.
"Uggg...kuud oo eez et orr ingers outta i outh?" Ryozo tried to ask.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wait, wait. They're leaving."
The three, now quite drunk, stepped/staggered out the door. The air was
muggy and still, and rain began to fall. Unsheathing his umbrella, Ryozo
opened the canopy, sheltering them from the falling water. Neither of them
noticed how the canopy had inexplicably become bigger than it possibly could
have been when it was folded.
"Allright, Specs, start drivin'." said Doc. "I don't wanna be more than a
block away from them." Specs had the van moving by the time Doc was
finished. Despite the fact that the Dirty Pair didn't seem to be on to them,
they weren't taking any chances. Things were screwed up enough already.
============================================================================
STARCOM SECTOR--TOWLER MEMORIAL EMERGENCY WARD
TIME: 0144
DATE: 2143.06.26
The graveyard shift was unusally quiet that morning. Maybe it was the rain,
but the number of drunks with busted faces and kids taking tumbles down
steps had diminished.
Takahashi, the R.N. at the Emergency Ward's desk, briefly scanned a
holocopy of an ancient manga. Something about a college student living in a
derelict mansion with rooms to rent who had fallen in love with the
beautiful new manager lady. The neighbors went out of their way to make his
life hell; the drunk waitress with an affinity for see-thru babydoll
nighties, a guy with a mysterious job and a peeping fetish, and a fat lady
with her son. A bit weird at first, but it kinda grew on her after a while.
She was startled from her reading by the tell-tale sound of air brakes
screeching and sirens keening of an ambulance pulling up. Heaving a sigh,
she plopped her holopad on the desk and rose to head for the double doors.
The EMTs burst through the doors with a man strapped to the gurney. His
body bucked with convulsions. With every convulsion, he almost broke the
thick brown straps that held him. Takahashi ran over to the gurney, prepared
to administer whatever aid she could.
"BP's 190 over 100!"
"Heartrate's through the roof!"
"He's hemoragging!" A large glob of blood flew from the man's mouth, and
hit Takahashi square in the face. She reeled back, screaming from surprise
and disgust.
"Get her cleaned up!" one of them shouted.
The EMT team rushed on ahead, carrying the man into the ER. Takahashi
simply went to the nearest lockerroom to wash the blood off her face and
change clothes. She dearly hoped that whatever as wrong with the man wasn't
infectious. She'd have to get checked out, now.
============================================================================
STARCOM SECTOR--RESIDENTIAL BLOCK BETA--CORIX HILTON--FLOOR 100
TIME: 0800
DATE: 2143.06.26
[Rise and SHINE, loverboy!]
Ryozo stirred, and the pain hit him. His head pounded, his throat was dry,
and every muscle was sore. He felt drained, yet somehow content and
fulfilled. Finally, Doc's last word hit him.
[Loverboy?] he asked. [Just what are you talking about?]
[You mean you don't remember?] asked Twiggy.
[Remember...what?]
"Specs, is he exhausted, or does he have a hangover?" asked Twiggy.
[What are you talking about?] Ryozo asked.
"Some of both, I'd think." replied Specs.
[ANSWER ME!]
[Maybe you should open your eyes, boss.] said Ozzy. Grudgingly, he did so.
[Oh, holy shit.] He was lying on the most comfortable bed he'd ever been
on, a white comforter twisted this way and that over top of him. His arms
were spread out, a weight on each one. The weights looked just like...
[What the hell happened?] Yuri was on his left arm, Kei on his right.
[Oh, look, Kei's still wearing those handcuffs.] said Ozzy. Indeed, Keis
right wrist was cuffed to the nearby bedpost.
Ryozo was absolutely flabberghasted. In an attempt to clear his muddled
brain, a thought came to him.
[Was I transmitting...during...]
[The whole time, boss] replied Twiggy. Ryozo groaned inwardly.
[You didn't...]
[Nononononononono....] came the unanimous reply. It was a little too quick
for his tastes.
[Bullshit. You'd better not have recorded it, Ozzy.] Ryozo said, knowing
Ozzy's penchant for perversion.
[Would I do a thing like that?] he asked innocently.
[Do you really want me to anwer that?]
[Hey, you mean you REALLY don't remember last night?]
[No, and you'd better not have it recorded, either.]
[What about that damn critter you carry around?] Doc asked.
[How much trouble could Jikken get into?]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mughi limped out of the bedroom in search of food. There was the scent of a
strange man in the room. Articles of clothing were strewn all over the
furniture, and a strange scent emanated from the couch.
Curious, Mughi made his way to the large couch. The closer he got, the
worse the smell got. It seemed to be coming from that umbrella. Mughi began
to growl at the umbrella. He didn't like the stench coming from it.
The umbrella just layed there, unmoving. After ten minutes of staring and
growling, the umbrella hadn't moved an inch. Tentatively, Mughi swiped at it
with a large paw.
What happened next would have surprised anyone, were there any witnesses.
The umbrella wrapped its handle around the large cat's paw in mid-swipe, and
commenced to wrestling him. Mughi and the umbrella rolled around the
spacious living room floor. Mughi yowled and screeched, eventually knocking
over a table as well as breaking a lamp or two.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[You just HAD to open your mouth, didnja kid?] teased Doc. Ryozo merely
groaned and rolled his eyes. Kei and Yuri instantly woke up, wildly looking
around. Neither seemed to notice him.
Ryozo and Yuri were out of the bed in an instant, headed for the door. Kei
attempted to join them, but the handcuffs on her right wrist had a different
idea.
"MUGHI!" Yuri screamed as she burst through the door. The room was trashed.
Tables had been overturned, and pieces of the carpet and curtains were
shredded. Mughi appeared to be wrestling a perfectly normal umbrella. Ryozo
noticed that she relaxed considerably once she realized there was no
immediate threat in the room. Ryozo walked over to the big cat, who was
merely staring at him and Yuri.
He took the umbrella from the cat and inspected it for damage. He turned
around, and noticed that he was in the same room...with Yuri...naked...
Spouting a fountain of blood from his nose, Ryozo blacked out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in the van, Doc merely shook his head as the image went black.
"Like father, like son." was all he would say.
"Now why the hell didn't he do that earlier?" Ozzy asked.
"Liquid courage, and plenty of it." replied Specs, pantomiming someone
drinking.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WIth a grunt, Yuri heaved the man on to the couch. She only had a vague
idea of who he was...Ry...Ryo... Ryoga? She almost decked him, but he beat
her to the punch and blacked out himself. She was a little concerned for his
health. After all, she'd never seen a nosebleed like THAT before.
"Kei! Get up!" Yuri shouted as she began to pick up the strewn clothes.
Honestly, Kei and her dates... And WHAT was he doing naked in the living
room? Also, what was that damned weird taste in her mouth?
"I would if I could! Could you bring me the keys to these cuffs?" Yuri
nearly facefaulted at the remark. She had no idea that Kei was the kinky type.
"In a minute!" Yuri replied. She picked up a pair of blue lace panties, and
paused. Weren't those...
She looked back at the sleeping man, then back at the blue panites. A few
seconds more and she discovered a blue lace bra. Worried now, she hunted up
and down the living room, ignoring Kei's shouts to be untied. Slung over the
back of a chair, was...
"AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The four men in the black van outside winced and covered their ears at the
shrill scream that blasted from the several speakers connected to Twiggy's
surveillance panel.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The scream pierced the blackness around Ryozo's mind like a spear. He sat
bolt upright on the comfortable couch, and saw Yuri glaring daggers at him.
She was still very nude, and in her hand was a blue mini-skirt.
============================================================================
STARCOM SECTOR--RESIDENTIAL BLOCK BETA--OUTSIDE CORIX HILTON
TIME: 0822
DATE: 2143.06.26
A battered and bruised Ryozo Hibiki sat in the passenger seat of the
surveillance van, holding an icepack to the side of his head. His body was
nearly covered in bruises, and every inch of him hurt. The hangover he'd
woken with was now of no consequence.
"So, what are we gonna do now?" asked Specs.
"Be more careful. We don't want Don Juan over here to give us away." said Doc.
"Do not oblige me to hurt you, Doc." Ryozo replied curtly.
============================================================================
TOWLER MEMORIAL--INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
TIME: 1000
DATE: 2143.06.26
"Time of death?" asked the physician on duty.
"Three twenty-seven a.m." replied the Nurse Practicioner, Otonashi.
"What do you think about the cause?" Doctor Martins asked.
"Lots of things. His heartrate never dropped below 120, and the fever hit a
high of 115. Finally, his heartrate went so high, his heart literally ripped
itself apart. We'll have more once the autopsy is done."
"Samples?"
"Blood, urine, stool, tissue, and sputum samples have been sent to the lab.
We should have results by tomorrow morning at the latest."
"Good. I want to know the second the lab finishes the tests. In the
meantime, bag him and get him to the morgue. No sense in having him take up
bed space."
The two walked out of the room, safe in the knowledge that the Bioscreen
forcefield around the now dead man's bed would keep them safe from
infection. "Oh, yeah, what was he doing before he was brought in?"
"The police had to restrain him so the ambulance could bring him here. He
was attacking his roommate, scratching and biting. His roomie said that he
was acting like a viscious zombie."
"Hmmm... I want him brought in here for observation. Also, bring in the
R.N. he sprayed when he got in. What was her name?"
By now they were approaching the cafeteria. "Takahashi, sir."
==========================================================================
Well, that's it for this one! Hope you liked it!
Jed