The Neon Knight Sabers
A Multiple Crossover / Alternate History
By Ammadeau
Roy.Fokker@UNSpacy.org
http://members.tripod.com/~Ammadeau/fanfiction.htm

Program 2c

	The Knight Sabers regrouped about a block away from the 
remains of Aqua City.  Belldandy still sat in the truck with Keiichi, 
holding the sleeping little girl in her lap.  Once Keiichi has assured 
her that no one else was in the area, Rei had gotten out of her 
damaged hardsuit, but Ami had stayed in hers in case of trouble.  
She hadn't seen what hit her, but her suit hadn't taken any serious 
damage.
	Mihoshi dropped off Ranko before Rei.  The blonde Knight 
Saber had found Rally helping Saber-Red out of the wreckage and 
had taken over.  Ranko studied her feet as she tried to keep her 
balance on her one good leg while Rei silently stared at her.
	"I'll help her get her armor off," Rei finally said. "Keiichi, 
get the medical kit and set it up in the truck.  Ami, get out of your 
hardsuit and get ready to treat her injuries.  Mihoshi, patrol the area 
for signs of trouble.  We're not leaving until Ranko is taken care 
of."
	"And Ranko?"  Rei added after everyone else had started on 
what she had told them to do.
	"Hai?"
	"Disobey my orders again and you're off the team."
	Ranko nodded. "Gomen, it won't happen again Rei."
	She had agreed to follow Rei's orders when she joined up 
and knew her little stunt had nearly gotten her killed.  Ranko didn't 
mind risking her life for others, but knew she had just been foolish 
and reckless.  Besides, she was too tired and sore to argue.
	Rei only nodded in response as she helped Ranko into the 
truck, where she could lie down after her armor had been removed.

	Ranko was sleeping in the back of the truck as they headed 
for home.  Keiichi was careful to drive slow and avoid bumps so 
not to jostle her.  Belldandy was helping him pick the best routes.  
The goddess seemed to have a knack for navigation.  Actually, she 
had simply tuned herself into one of the satellites overhead.
	Ami had just finished tidying up after taking care of Ranko.
	"So how is she?" Rei asked.
	"Most of her injuries were minor, or at least look that way 
now.  Ranko heals faster than anyone I've ever seen before.  Quite 
a few painful bruises and she'll have to go easy on her left leg, but 
most of that should be cleared up in a few days.  The worst were 
the burns on her hands.  It looks like she tried one of those fireballs 
of hers while still in the hardsuit.  I applied some cream to help 
with the burning and bandaged her hands up, but even at the rate 
she heals it'll be at least a week before they will be all right."
	Rei nodded.
	"What do you plan to do with the girl?" Ami asked her.
	"I'm going to find out what the USSD wanted with her 
first."
	"Shouldn't we bring her back to her parents?"
	"She doesn't have any parents.  She's a boomer."
	Ami was shocked.  "How do you know?"
	"I know."
	There was something in Rei's tone that made Ami decide 
not to inquire further.

	The Knight Sabers finally returned to Rei's apartment after 
a long day.  Ranko had woken up briefly; Ami had ignored her 
protests and ordered her to sleep in one of Rei's guestrooms.  
Ranko didn't put up much of a fight and was dreaming in minutes.  
	Belldandy put the little girl in her own bed and unrolled a 
futon for herself.  Then she got started on some snacks for 
everyone.  She had seen someone serving cheese and crackers on a 
TV show and wanted to try it out.
	Everyone else sat around Rei's room.  Keiichi was setting 
up for the call to the USSD.  He'd make sure that no one could 
trace this.  Mihoshi was sipping on a little warmed sake while 
reading some new manga she had brought with her.  Rei was 
nursing a cup of coffee as she sat at her computer, jotting down 
notes on the latest adventure of the Knight Sabers.
	Ami was lying on Rei's bed in a half-doze.  It had been a 
long day.  She knew Rei would just let her go home if she asked to, 
but she still wanted to know why the USSD would want the little 
girl so badly, especially if Rei was right and she was a boomer.  
Besides, she wanted to be here to support Rei in any way that she 
could.  Ami admired their leader for being such a strong and 
independent woman, something she was striving to be herself.
	"Good evening everyone," said Belldandy cheerily as she 
entered the room, "I've made you all some snacks."
	"Wow, snacks!" Mihoshi exclaimed, putting down her 
manga and practically jumping for the tray that Belldandy was 
holding.
	"They're so cute!" the blonde space detective enthused, 
holding up a cracker with a cheese-painted smiley face on it.  The 
cracker quickly vanished into her fanged mouth.  "Yummy!"
	Belldandy blushed faintly with the praise as Mihoshi took 
two more and went back to her manga.
	"Thank you," said Rei as she took the offered cracker and 
set it down next to her rapidly cooling half-full cup of coffee.
	Belldandy nodded and went on to serve Keiichi.  He was 
working on getting the communications equipment set up, so he 
didn't notice her until she was standing right next to him.  
Ironically enough, while he was working half of his thoughts had 
been of her.
	"Hello Keiichi," she said, her lips only inches away from 
his ear.
	He jumped in surprise and automatically tried clinging to 
the ceiling, but it was too smooth to get a grip and he fell on his 
head.  The teenager wondered how Ranko managed to do that trick 
as he rubbed a growing bump on his noggin.
	"Oh, my, Keiichi, I didn't mean to startle you.  Are you all 
right?"  Belldandy asked, as she started checking him for injuries.
	Having overheard what Belldandy had just said, Ami 
wondered if she was just imagining that the pause between 'my' 
and 'Keiichi' was much shorter than it should have been.  It was 
strange how quickly everyone had accepted a goddess into their 
midst, but even Ami had to acknowledge that ther was something 
about Belldandy that made you want to trust her.
	Keiichi quickly put a little distance between himself and the 
goddess.  He did not want to think about her hands on him at the 
moment.  "I'm fine really.  I guess that I was so engrossed in 
setting this gear up that I didn't notice you."
	Keiichi had seemed lost in thought.  Belldandy wondered if 
he had been thinking about Ranko.  She thought that he had 
seemed a little too worried about making the redhead comfortable 
on the ride home.
	Actually, Keiichi was busy thinking about the goddess who 
stood so close to him.  How in two days she had completely turned 
his world upside-down.  He hadn't even tried to peek when he was 
helping Mihoshi on with her suit or when Ami was examining 
Ranko.  Things like that didn't seem to matter to him anymore, as 
long as he had Belldandy.
	"Is the equipment ready yet Keiichi?" Rei asked from her 
computer, startling both the young goddess and the mortal boy out 
of their thoughts.
	"Almost, sis," Keiichi answered back after he'd collected 
himself.  Belldandy decided to take a seat so as to not get in the 
way of his work.  A few more adjustments and he was done.
	"All set, sis.  We'll be able to see him, but he won't be able 
to see us.  And if they try to trace the call, they'll end up 
somewhere in South America."
	"Good work, Keiichi.  Make the call."
	It was a surprised general who answered at home.
	"This is the Knight Sabers," Rei told him.
	"Ah, yes I should have guessed.  Have you completed the 
mission?"
	"We recovered the girl."
	"And the man?"
	"Turned out to be a bug-boomer.  We had no choice but to 
destroy him."
	The general nodded.  "I guess that's all for the best then.  
When are you going to deliver the girl to us?"
	"No."
	"What? What do you mean 'no'?"
	"I mean that I will not be delivering her until you tell me 
why you made a boomer in the image of a little girl."
	The general began to look very uncomfortable.  "We were 
developing a new control unit for the satellite platforms.  Our 
research showed that the form of a little girl would be the least 
conspicuous.  We even gave her a real personality, derived from 
cartoon shows that depicted girls of her age group."
	"What kind of shows?" Ami asked.
	"Sailor V, Child's Mallet, things like that."
	Ami, Ranko, and Keiichi looked at the general in horror, 
even though he couldn't see them.  That could be even worse than a 
chibi-Mihoshi.
	Rei was expressionless as always.  "How does she control 
the satellites?"
	"There's a box attached to the back of her brain that is the 
main control unit.  It's all completely self-contained in case the 
boomer was destroyed."
	"Then I will remove this black box and deliver it to you in 
the morning.  I will keep the boomer as a partial payment."
	"What?  But the boomer will cease to function without the 
black box.  What could you possibly want with it?"
	"That is not your concern," Rei said and was about to cut 
the connection, when she added, "General, make sure next time 
that you choose a non-human form for your devices.  It would be 
safer in the long run."  Then she finally terminated the call.
	Ami and Ranko exchanged glances.  If they hadn't known 
Rei better, they would say that last bit had sounded like a threat.

	"Rei-san," Belldandy pleaded with her, "you mustn't 
remove that black box, otherwise Sana will die."  The young 
goddess hadn't known the little girl for very long, but she already 
felt quite attached to her.  It had felt so nice when Sana had been 
sleeping in her arms, almost as if she were her child.
	"It is not my intention to have her cease to function," Rei 
responded.  "Keiichi, please bring Sana down to my workroom.  I 
will need your assistance in the operation.  Belldandy, you should 
go to sleep, I don�t know how long this will take.  Ami and 
Mihoshi, you're welcome to stay the night if you wish."
	"Thanks anyway Rei," Ami told her, "but I have to get up 
early for first shift tomorrow."
	"Oh, me too," Mihoshi said.
	Everyone said their good-byes, agreeing to meet tomorrow 
as early as possible.
	Keiichi and Rei exchanged nods.  They knew that for them 
it was going to be a long night.
	Belldandy, back to her room, thought only for a moment 
before reaching for the phone and dialing a very long number.  She 
didn't know anything about machines, but she could tell from the 
expression on Keiichi's face that this operation wasn't going to be 
easy.  They might need help and the young goddess knew just who 
to call.


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