Old engineering saying.. "In every project.. there comes the time to shoot the engineer and go into production Anyway!" Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow In association with von Harlas Schweremachinerywerk GmbH (Side 3) (Mobile Suit division) Presents ******************* A WOLF IN CRISIS ******************* PART 2 : AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE... ******************* A BUBBLEGUM CRISIS / SHADOWRUN CROSSOVER By Barry Cadwgan (BCADWGAN@FL.NET.AU) Inspired by a story by Darren Steffler (Twister) Bubblegum Crisis and related characters are all (c) Artmic, Inc., & Youmex, Inc Fenris & Angua created by Me :) The 'Real' Angua created by Terry Pratchett, may his pen never get blunt Lieutenant Go Buranto and Officer Kira Midori on vacation from GRIT with the kind permission of Scott K. Jamison - majks@cyberx.com Prime Reference (after the OVAs themselves) The Bubblegum Crisis Role Playing Game by Ral Talasorian Many thanks to Chris Plaice and Stargazer for prereading and much C&C Also many thanks to everyone who encouraged me to continue. You know who you are.. ^_^ Reality Engine used : Shadowrun(FASA)/BGC RPG (Ral Talasorian) (ie, used to define what is and is not possible.. not having any _personal_ experience with automatic weapons, magic or hardsuits.) Note : This FanFic currently rates at 36 drinks and climbing on the BGC Drinking game scale. Warning, do not drink and hard-drive Normal Speech uses conventional quotes Thought uses * * Telepathy/mental communication uses { } Spells uses {* *} _indicates_ emphasis WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE... In the sort of freak accident that is beloved of cliche ridden writers and real life, a Shadowrunner, a type of freelance corporate mercenary, going by the name of Fenris, a Wolf totem Shaman and professional trouble magnet, was transported from 2057 Seattle to 2033 Megatokyo, arriving in a rather flashy and spectacular fashion. With his background in the 'black economy' he managed to disappear quite competently, and settled in, trying to make a new life for himself while he tried to work out what had happened to him and if it could be reversed... or at least he tried to. Magic was difficult in an unawakened world, but it was enough to give him a significant edge... the only problem was going to be keeping things 'impossible' in a normal context. To keep his skills up, as "Benedict Rowan", he joined a fitness club.. Phoebe's.. and caught the roving eye of one of the instructors, Linna Yamazaki. They dated.. Things began to get serious, which worried both of them as they each had secrets to protect. Then, one night, as he was walking her home, a street gang tried to shake them down. It ended with Linna lying critically injured and a bloody massacre of the gang. In a different persona, "Mack" a 'physical penetration specialist' (i.e. burglar), our hero had attracted the attention of Sylia Stingray who had been looking for 'unusual' people who fitted the profile of a rather spectacular recent arrival. She began to gather information. Fenris managed to keep Linna alive, and got her back to her apartment where he healed her. He called one of her friends, Nene Romanova before collapsing from exhaustion. The redhead had, at Linna's request, done some checking on 'Benedict' and had found out it was a manufactured ID. An unexpected guest arrived, his familiar, a wolf-spirit calling herself Angua. With less than perfect timing, her sudden appearance almost precipitated a firefight in Linna's living room. Confronted by Sylia Stingray, who seemed to know entirely too much about him, Priss in a hardsuit, the revelation that Linna was also a Knight Saber, along with her reaction to his being literally from out of this world and, perhaps, not entirely human (certainly not normal)... He ran. PART 2 : AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE... LOOSE ENDS ========== 22 November 2033 Evening The remnants of the Blue Monkeys had holed up in a small below ground bar. 'Tingrin' and his lieutenants had not survived and after being kicked loose by the AD Police for lack of evidence the decimated, leaderless gang were drowning their sorrows and trying to decide what to do next. On the stairs, two figures in black shimmered into visibility and moved silently down. The larger kicked the door open. They moved through in a blur and flanked the door, covering the room, one with a mean looking assault rifle with a grenade launcher with what looked like a suppressor, the other, smaller, with a suppressed submachine gun and a bandolier of grenades. Both were wearing dark, baggy BDUs with armoured jackets, and full face helmets with black faceplates. The outfits were designed to be anonymous and intimidating, and succeeded. "RIGHT EVERYONE BUT BLUE MONKEYS, OUT NOW! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" The voice was electronically distorted and amplified. There was a mad rush for the door, halted by a burst of rifle fire into the ceiling. The weapon itself was relatively quiet, the suppressor muffling the muzzle blast, but the whipcrack/thunk of the slugs and the shower of plaster was very, very real. "NOT YOU TWO" indicating two figures with singed blue hair trying to join the crowd leaving. "RIGHT A LITTLE MORE SLOWLY NOW..." The bar was quickly emptied of uninvolved bystanders. "YOU, RED SCARF, HANDS IN SIGHT" he spoke to a ganger who had been easing a pistol from under his jacket. The ganger froze as the assault rifle snapped in his direction and put his hands up... nothing human could move that fast and they all knew what a pair of Boomers with military weapons could do to them... "NEXT ONE TO TRY ANYTHING STUPID EATS A ROUND OF CANNISTER" He pumped the grenade launcher action for emphasis, catching the ejected round and refeeding it into the magazine.. The Blue Monkeys became very quiet and still in hope of avoiding becoming even quieter and stiller. "NOW, MY PRINCIPLE HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU. YOU HAVE FORTY EIGHT HOURS TO LEAVE MEGATOKYO.. I WOULD PREFER TO KILL YOU ALL NOW, BUT THOSE ARE NOT MY ORDERS. IN FORTY EIGHT HOURS, I'LL COME HUNTING. STAY AROUND PLEASE, I'D ENJOY IT. SEE YOU... LATER" The smaller, silent figure blurred back to the door, and checked the stairs before the other figure moved, keeping the gang covered. By the time anyone worked up courage to go up the stairs, there was no-one in sight. When they went back to their squats, each found a card on their bedding. The card had a thin film electronic countdown timer in red printed onto it, counting down forty eight hours from when the message had been delivered, the other side read I know who you are, I know where you live. The clock is ticking ++++++ Later that evening, the pair were in a hotel under another fake ID, Fenris having made arrangements over a month ago on the principle of always having an escape hatch. "Well, that's that loose end cleaned up." "What do you think, will any stay?" asked Angua "One or two maybe, the most stupid... Well, they can't say they weren't warned. I'll check them out again tomorrow with a follow up, that should do it." "I still don't understand why you don't just kill them all. It's not like anyone would miss them?" "Have you been eating raw meat again? We're not going through that argument, Just trust me on this one OK?" "Weeel, just for you, they can live. So now what?" Angua leaned back in mid air and rolled over on her stomach. "I don't know, see about getting home I guess." "I _meant_ about these Knight Sabers, that Linna in particular. I kinda like them." "What have you been doing?" "Oh looking around, poking my nose into things.." "That don't concern you!" "Honestly, you're not fit to be let out on your own!" Angua blinked out in a huff. LIFE'S A BITCH! =============== "...You can walk through fire, you can walk through walls, you can blow holes in the roof and you can even fly!" (Tenchi Masaki) Or what do most children do when told Not to do something... 23 November 2033 Linna was taking an easy class. She had finally felt well enough for light exercise, nothing strenuous, but enough to lead some basic classes. Anything was better than sitting around staring at the walls! Part way through her last class she noticed someone watching the group, a slim black haired girl . It was Rowan's 'Familiar'. The girl saw that she had been noticed, winked at Linna and walked through a wall. ++++++ Nene was sitting at her desk when someone walked past, someone unfamiliar, she looked up. The figure paused and half turned at the door flashing her a smile before turning the corner. It was that wolf/girl, dressed in an ADP uniform. Nene rushed over, but there was no-one there. Angua had already faded to astral space, letting the mask spell drop at the same time. "I can cast the best Mask spells on the planet.. I AM THE GREATEST! I AM THE GREATEST! I! AM! THE! GREATEST!" she crowed as she arrowed up through the ADP building's walls and floors towards the sky. ++++++ Mackie noticed a girl window shopping in the Silky Doll. She noticed him noticing her, smiled and walked over. "Mackie Stingray?" He perked up. "Er Ah ..." He noticed her eyes, yellow, and remembered what his sister had told him about a 'girl' with black hair and yellow eyes. "I'll take that as a yes. Tell your sister I said Hi." She grinned and quickly walked out ++++++ That evening, Priss was out riding, working out some aggression on other road users when she noticed the lights of a bike in her rearview mirror. It had been there for a few minutes before she had taken much notice, and seemed to be sticking to her like glue. *Allright, A challenge!* she grinned to herself and accelerated. The black bike easily matched her and pulled alongside. The rider was colour coordinated with the bike, basic black with yellow accents, female and sporting a ponytail poking out from under her helmet. The rider waved and surged ahead. Now that she could see it up close, Priss recognised it. It was the bike that that Mack was having copied at Doc Raven's, and the rider... They were approaching an on-ramp for the freeway system and the black bike flew up it, Priss in hot pursuit. No way was that wolf bitch making a fool out of her again. The two bikes, red and black raced down the road, surfing through the traffic. As the speed increased Priss incredulously saw the black bike unfold small aerofoils to improve it's handling *Waaa! Drive by wire?* The black bike slowed up suddenly, dropping to a legal speed, waving Priss to do so too as a THP car came into sight behind them, and passed them. The black bike turned off at the next exit, Priss still following. Angua soon pulled up and parked, Priss screeched to a stop close behind. The singer kicked down the stand and stalked over to the spirit. "What the hell do you think ...." "You have a problem Razor Girl? " "I think you're a con-artist or a boomer and don't call me RAZOR GIRL!" "HeHeHe! Make me!" "ARRRGH" Priss swung at Angua and was very surprised when her fist passed through the girl She recovered her balance and looked around "Allright where are you! This Hologram doesn't fool me! You switched while I took my helmet off didn't you!" Angua tapped her on the shoulder "Ahem, I'm here actually." Priss jumped and squeaked "How'd you do that!" "'Cos I'm Special!" Angua grinned. Priss was feeling a little light headed "But.. but.." Angus's face wrinkled in mock concentration then brightened "Ahhh I get it, you think it's all done with mirrors, don't you! Thaaats it, isn't it! Well, I've thought of something you CAN'T ignore!" Angua looked around.. good, no-one in sight. She put on Evil Grin Number 3, waggled her eyebrows and Priss felt herself... change. The colours faded from the world. She felt herself fall to all fours... paws? She kicked herself free of clothes suddenly too big for her... and whined. "Quit it with the baby talk, you're a big girl." Priss tried to tell her where to get off, but wound up producing a collection of yips and other canine sounds and she stopped in surprise... Then she noticed what her nose and ears had been trying to tell her, that there was a whole new world out there... a whirl of scent and sound, she could... there were no words to describe what she was hearing and smelling.. like seeing an extra colour and saying it was sort of a greenish purple... the actual streets and buildings were there, as a sort of drab monochrome background to a riot of sound and smell, like brilliant lines and clouds of... well, coloured smoke. It was all a little too much... Angua shifted too, and there were two wolves in the park, one horribly satisfied, the other horribly confused. Angua walked over and nudged the red-brown she-wolf {Come on, have a run with me} {What have you Done To ME YOU BITCH!} {Well, if it wasn't accurate, I'd be offended, c'mon, lets play.. hey, what's wrong? It's just a shapeshift...} {turnmebackturnmebackTurnMeBackTURNMEBACK!} {well, OK....} Another brief moment of disorientation and Priss was back to normal.. physically. "Now I don't know if you have simsense here, but if any simulated experience can duplicate _that_ I'll turn vegetarian! So do you believe me NOW?" Priss was kneeling, looking at her hands, turning them over looking at front then back, totally absorbed. She looked up to see the girl, once again a girl, grinning at her. "Look, no-one can see us at the moment, but hurry up and get dressed Razor Girl, you'll get hypothermia." Priss looked up, shivering from more than the chill in the air "How'd you do...." "Hey Its MAAAAGIC!" Angua held up Priss's jacket as a reminder. Priss snatched it and hurriedly shrugged it on, then her pants. It was Cold and the rest of her clothes could wait. Angua then did her Cheshire cat disappearing act, popping back again by her bike, smiling irritatingly as she ducked a handful of slush Priss hurled at her and rode off sniggering as the singer was hopping towards her still pulling a boot on and blistering the air with curses. ++++++ Later that evening Priss, Linna and Nene were all trying to talk at once, it seemed that Angua had had a busy day, visiting them all. Sylia finally managed to get coherent stories out of them. Sylia managed to conceal her worry from Priss and Linna who were both wrapped up in their own concerns, one for her sanity, the other trying to come to terms with conflicting emotions. Nene sat down beside Sylia and whispered "How are they doing this?" "I do not know... Clarke's law seems to apply.. a sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. They seem to be capable of things that are simply not possible.. Magic is as good a word as any for now." "Magic..." Nene looked wistfully out the window Sylia smiled "Or a sufficiently advanced technology... Let us keep an open mind. I think I would give almost anything for the chance to study... No matter. We must find them first." "If he can create and maintain _two_ different identities, he can make more." Nene commented "As you say... " Sylia sighed "The remnants of the Blue Monkeys have already left Tokyo.. he handled that interestingly. I think if he was going to move against us, they would not have telegraphed it like this, or indeed acted so mercifully. He would have to consider us a greater threat and act accordingly. But it scares me to my soul that they seem to know.. know everything important.. so quickly... so very quickly." ++++++ 24 November 2033 Linna was leaving Phoebe's next day and saw a familiar figure leaning up against the wall by doorway waiting for her. She walked over to Angua, hesitating before she spoke... "How.. How is he? Benedict, Fenris, whatever his name is." "Oh yeah, he's F.I.N.E. Fragged up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional." She looked sharply at Linna "And you, Miss 'What have I been going out with' didn't exactly help. You managed to push just about every button on his board. Humans! Can't live with em, can't live without em!" Seeing Linna's stricken look she continued, more sympathetically "Hey, he'll be all right, he's tough." Linna flashed a querulous smile before glancing around... "I saw you walk through a _wall_! How'd you do that!" she whispered, not wanting to be overheard. "Like he said, _I'm_ a Spirit. I can manifest like I am now, but normally I'm pure astral. I can pass through anything non-living. And _walls_ are non-living." she seemed very pleased with herself. Linna's eyes narrowed "What about my kitchen window?" Angua grimaced "Well, I'm a spirit, but big bro isn't. He has to do things the hard way. Sorry about the window." She paused and looked hard at the dancer "And What are You, Dancer in Green Armour?" Linna's reaction confirmed Fenris's guess. "Come on, you're the right height and build, and I've watched your moves. You've seen the elephant. You've a lousy poker face though. Lucky you keep it behind a faceplate on runs." she finished with a smirk. "What business is it of yours ghost!" "It's Fenris's business, that makes it mine. Oh yeah, can you pass the word to Sylia, I'll be dropping in this evening, eightish, you all might want to be there." "Hey, wait a minute... can't you tell me what... what is he... " she bit her lip "Oh.. right.. you wouldn't know. Hokay," her voice took on a sing song quality, as if she was quoting something she'd read "He's one of about one percent born with the metagene allowing the perception and manipulation of astral energy. Magic to the layperson. He follows what is called the Shamanic path rather than the Hermetic path." her tone reverted to normal "It's just a different outlook on life chummer, respect, restraint. Everything alive is magic, he can just see things a little better than most. Stoopid Hermetics think the world is a giant mechanism. Bunch a idjits! The chucking spells around is the least of it. Well, I gotta go. See ya tonight." Before Linna could react, Angua did her Cheshire cat impression, grinning and fading away. ++++++ "Buranto, My office!" shouted the station chief, booming through the entire floor of the district N- police station house.. Lieutenant Go Buranto hauled himself to his feet and ambled towards the noise. He entered to see his chief standing next to a young female officer, short and boyish looking with white hair. Her neatly pressed uniform and crisp appearance made him feel even more rumpled than he really was. "This is your new partner. Kira Midori. And you have a new assignment. Your first priority is to apprehend the notorious burglar called the Spectre." The rumpled police officer looked at his new partner, evidently brimming with enthusiasm and suppressed a groan. ++++++ "OK. First point: I should mention I know who you are, I know where you live, If I _wanted_ to mess you over, I'd just let ADP or Genom know, or the media, if I didn't want to do it myself. Just so we all know that, it's out in the open. I mean how can it make things worse to listen to me? Huh?" The reactions around the girl varied from anger from Priss, worry on Linna and Nene to cool calculation on Sylia's. Mackie was elsewhere, monitoring. They had all arrived a little before eight, and Angua had knocked on the door to the room on the dot. Sylia wasn't sure how she had entered the building, but she hadn't registered on any of the security systems until she had knocked on the door. Very worrying indeed. "You would not be believed without more evidence than a bare word from an unknown. Those interested in us already have suspect lists covering most of Megatokyo." the saber's leader replied calmly. Angua looked truculent "OK, I concede the point. Anyway. Fenris doesn't know I'm here. He's been vegging out, pushing himself into a mould he doesn't fit into. Basically, he needs something to do, a task worthy of him, and friends who can know him for what he is. I think you qualify." "How Nice" Priss said sarcastically "Any time Razor Girl, any time." replied Angua with a lazy grin "You are very direct" Sylia said cooly "Heck, I'm a two year old, I'm entitled." Angua shrugged "Anyway, I get tired of all the bulldrek " she sighed "What I'm trying to say... he doesn't have Anyone here but me, I don't think he can get home, not safely, and anyway, there he's just another shadowrunner, better than most, but nothing special. Here, here he can really do something Important. Worthwhile!" "Forgive me, but why us?" queried Sylia "I like you. You're cool! And you smell nice. This nose" she tapped it "Never lies." "What will 'Fenris' think of this?" "Oh, he'll come around, give him time. He was ever an obstinate heretic in the despite of beauty." Angua flashed a grin at Linna. Linna blushed in spite of herself *Shakespear?* Sylia thought for a moment after Angua left, thankful her own problem child, Priss, was limited to the purely material in the havoc she could cause... Benedict, no think of him as Fenris, had many more problems than she. The sheer power the 'spirit' had shown, and the freedom he appeared to allow her, showed either an insane degree of optimism or that he had instilled a strong sense of responsibility in her, and presumably had one himself. Useful to know. SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME ======================== 25 November 2033 "You did WHAT?" "I told them about you..." Angua answered her creator matter of factly "Look this a crowd of women who go around in high heeled power armour and who's idea of _fun_ is to beat up on killer _robots_!" Fenris exclaimed Angua gave him a Look "What is it you're always telling me about the responsibility of power? Here you are, drifting along, people are dieing out there. This is one place you can really make a difference!" He turned away, looking out the window of the small hotel room. When he finally spoke, his tone was sombre "I'm afraid. You know why. I don't want to go through it again." "Think of it as a learning experience, this is _One_ problem you can't shoot or slash or weasel your way out of. What is you're always saying... 'If it was easy..'" "...Anyone could do it. Yeah, " he smiled momentarily then sank back into gloom *Do I love her? I don't know... but... but I cannot bear the thought that she is out there somewhere, and that she despises me.* *Hmmmmm* thought Angua, studying her creator through slitted eyes *Stronger measures seem to be required. Wish he'd let me learn that Dimensional Mallet spell.* "Get a grip. Focus." he muttered, then louder "The first priority is to put together a lodge. We need a site, relatively undisturbed, within a day's round trip travel." ++++++ "You don't think we can do it, do you sir." the young officer exclaimed. "Kira megirl, this is a guy who walks through walls.. He has security systems down pat, researches his targets exhaustively, can do some amazing second story work and has a streak of luck a mile wide. No physical evidence.. No one's even _seen_ him! And if we're going to be working together, call me Go." "Go-san, I think we can do this, we just need to approach it from a different direction.." He sighed... "OK, tell me what you had in mind.." mentally postponing the call to his bookie. ++++++ He needed items that would symbolise and resonate.. to connect him to the world, the worlds, remind him of what he was, a bridge between worlds. Nothing magical in and of themselves, just to focus himself. And a place where he could meditate and perform ritual magic. A small stone carving of a wolf he had made years ago and kept with him would be the core, something with a connection to him, his totem and his old world. Over the years he had developed his world view and magic to incorporate elements from many cultures. He had spent a lot of time with the Druids of Wales, studied with a Miko of Japan, and voudoun houngans. He had never been conventional, always improvising. It had given his teachers fits at times. Flexibility, resourcefulness and blinding speed, that was his paradigm. ++++++ 29 November 2033 The last Boomer had just been disabled and had fallen with a thud, the Knight Sabers stood ready for a moment then relaxed. Sylia moved over to her second kill, there had been something odd about the way it was moving... she flipped it over with a crash of metal... there was a small hole next to what would be the spine on a human. She looked up quickly, her sensors picked up movement, enhanced it.. two blocks away on a rooftop, a figure in black putting something long into a case. Linna, noticing Sylia's attention, looked too "Ben-kun.." she whispered The figure looked up and stiffened, Linna could feel his eyes, and knew he could feel hers. They stood frozen for an endless moment. Someone came up beside her, Linna automatically flicked a glance at Priss and when she looked back, he was gone. Her face was unreadable inside the helmet, but she took a few steps towards where he had disappeared. Sylia spoke softly "No Linna, wait. You won't catch him. Let him be." *It's a good sign..* Elsewhere. "Well, I was just passing, and..." "Yeah right.. " Angua floated along beside her creator, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the thieves highway "..I believe you, thousands wouldn't, but yep, _pure_ coincidence that you happened by, and you're monitoring the ADP freqs for fun and you brought the Walther along on a B and E run and took a few pot shots at a few Boomers!" "Come on girl, we've a job to do." Fenris growled *Geeze, brains of a NEWT!* thought Angua as she followed after Fenris. *He wants her, she wants him, where's the problem! Humans! Always complicating things!* ++++++ 3 December 2033 Nene was sitting in a dessert palace, uncharacteristically toying with her food. Things were just getting weirder and weirder. People who could become invisible, and fly, and change shape. Magic, real magic in the real world. Finally, she noticed the ice cream had melted and the wafer had gone soggy. It really wasn't her day. She quickly shovelled it in and left. Now a little peeved, she was walking to the bus stop kicking a can along. She gave it a particularly energetic kick... it clanged to the ground by a large black dog. The dog picked up the can in it's mouth, trotted over to her and dropped it at her feet. It looked up at her with eyes of amber. Nene stiffened with shock.. she knew it was that Angua person.. but.. how could it be? People couldn't turn into dogs! But _She_ could! Magic? Just like in a game? This was a dog, well, a large, longer jawed wolf actually, but she was a human too.. and she'd _seen_ her change that night in Linna's apartment, and Priss had too later. Angua grabbed a sleeve and tugged at it, breaking her out of her train of non-thought. The bus was there, Angua moved around and pushed her towards it. Nene broke into a run, shouting to the driver to wait a moment, Angua bounding along beside her. She caught the bus and turned back to see the wolf sitting, tongue hanging out, tail wagging and grinning at her. ++++++ That evening, there was a knock at the door... Nene looked through the peephole... a hand holding a tub of ice-cream was visible, followed by an urchin grin framed with black hair. "Hi! This is the big bad wolf, let me in, let me in!" Nene didn't know what to think... then... The girl's head popped through the door. _Through_ the door. "I come bearing gifts!" she said brightly. Nene lurched backwards, her heel catching on a shoe and falling on her rear. The brunette, a look of horror on her face blurred over to Nene and hauled her up. "I'm So Sorreeeeee" she wailed "I keep doing this, and I'm not used to it and.. and... I didn't mean to scare you and... and... It's... It's all Going WRONG!" Nene struggled with her shock. "You.. you just surprised me, that's all.." "He won't listen to me.. It's ripping him apart, but he.. he wants to go home and he wants to stay and he doesn't know what he wants and... " she sighed "I'm sorry, I'll stop bothering you..." Nene grabbed her arm "Hey Wait A Minute! You.. you can't just pop in here, give me the shock of my life and then just go away? At least tell me what it's all about!" "You sure you want to know?" "Is-it-real-magic-and-how-does-it-work-and-can-anyone-do-it-and.. and.. and _everything!_" Angua did a classic bigsweat. "Lessee now.. Yes. It just does. No and _Everything_ might take some time." Nene's eyes narrowed "You have something _better_ to do?" She ostentatiously rubbed her rear. "OK then. He's a shaman, I'm his familiar. He's also a Shadowrunner, kinda like what you lot do, but a little less flashy... actually a lot less flashy... " Forgotten outside, the tub of ice-cream slowly melted. TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE ========================= 7 December 2033 Even in Japan of 2033, there are some parts relatively unspoiled, mountains, forests, places apart from the ceramic jungle. In myth and legend, edges of forests, fields and flowing rivers are gateways between this world and the otherworld. Magh Mell, Annwn, Tir nan Og, the Starbright world, the Dreamtime. Many names in many cultures. He had found a place that felt right to him, and set up camp. A few days preparation and meditation and he was ready to begin the vision quest. Angua would guard his body for the time he would take. A plume of smoke from a small fire rose, spreading and fanning up into the shining space above the trees. Elsewhere... Fenris was floating alone in the void. He knew roughly what he would come next... the Dweller on the Threshold, the stuff of nightmares incarnate, would have it's fun and test his resolve. "You Bastard!" The Dweller had taken the form of a green suit of power armour. It's voice was electronically distorted "You have to pass me, you know the rules Wolf-who-dreams- with-eyes-open. I cannot be ignored." "Pity about that. Well, what's your test." "Simple..." The dweller flipped up the visor of the armour Fenris found a gun in his hand, a Predator. He felt it POST and interface with the smartlink. A full clip and a round in the chamber. "Kill me" Linna/Dweller smiled. *It's just the dweller playing head games again, not real... not real!* There was a report and the dweller faded out, laughing. "BASTARD!" he hissed and lowered the gun. He half expected it to fade away, well it might be useful. Fenris stepped forward, and found himself on a flat plain under a grey sky.. a wind blew his hair, a dry bitter wind... untainted by man, uncaring... there was a road.. he was walking down it... he reached a fork. Somehow he could feel the paths... a cold, long path, straight, predictable... the other, he could not see far, but he could sense it's danger... twisting and turning... fear and sorrow... happiness.. He stood at the crossroads.. seemingly for an eternity. He found himself back in the void. The dweller was there again, whispering from behind him, this time hidden in a robe. "Too long. What a pity...Not making a decision is a decision itself. Try again. Fool!" He stepped forward, he was in the Forest. Not a forest, but the Forest. The archetype of forests of which the mundane world was a pale shadow. The colours were more vibrant, smells sharper, sounds richer than seemed possible. He walked for a while, he didn't know how long, absorbing the scents and sounds.. a symphony of birdcalls, the air fresh and pure, invigorating. He began to run in sheer joy. He reached a stream and drank from the crystal waters. He heard music, faintly and began to move in it's direction He followed the music through the world-forest, getting stronger. His destination?... the music was strong here. He was at the edge of a clearing, in the center stood a stag with a large rack of antlers. He looked at the pistol for a moment, ejected the clip, took out the firing pin and threw the lumps of plastic and metal away. They fell noiselessly in the undergrowth and faded from the world. He worked his way downwind, silent as a ghost in the woods... the pattern and colours of his BDUs flowing to match the background. ++++++ He touched the stag, and it sprang away, startled. He grinned and howled out a wordless cry of triumph, scattering birds and animals, spurring the stag away. He felt a vast presence, a whiff of musk and fresh sweat and turned. Cernunnos, the Horned god, guardian of the gate to the underworld. The hunter, personification of the forces that give and take life in nature. The horned god rumbled like distant thunder. "You have passed the test. Any fool can kill. The lesson is to take only what you need, no more. And when you do, with respect and reverence, knowing what you do is part of the cycle of life." The presence faded, and another replaced it. A giant wolf stalked out, grey-black with hackles frosted with silver. Wolf. Not any wolf, but the spirit of _Wolf_. He sensed others, more normally sized moving in the forest. "Father Wolf" Fenris inclined his head in respect to his totem. {Cub} Wolf seemed to smile, speaking not with his voice, but straight to the spirit. "I seek wisdom, I wish to return home. Any ideas?" {Home is where the heart is. Remember that and all will be clear to you.} "Thanks a bundle, that's a Big help." He thought for a moment. "How about some advice on what's wrong with my magic, it's like wading through honey to do anything, major workings are virtually impossible. {The spirits of the land, sea and sky slumber, the mundane is very strong... without belief or an awakening, there is little power for you to draw on. You are loosely connected to the land, you have no roots, and you are at war with yourself. Is it any wonder your songs go awry?} Wolf paused. {Be true to your kin, your pack and yourself and you will not go far wrong.} "That's what I hate about this, it's all so enigmatic" Wolf grinned {I will counsel you, but I will not spoon feed you. You must make your own decisions, otherwise you are nothing but a puppet. And I will not have lap-dogs in my pack.} His grin matched Wolf's "Day anyone accuses me of that is the day they die." {You do well, Wolf-who-dreams-with-eyes-open, you do well. Remember, my path has many trails, the one you walk now is overgrown, but I value it the more for that. But you will accomplish nothing without your balance, you are off your center. Remedy this and things will improve.} Fenris rolled his eyes {Sing my songs with pride cub, for I _am_ proud of you.} Wolf turned and walked back into the trees. Before he was out of sight he turned. {Good hunting and Clean Kills} "And to you." The man faded from the clearing. He awoke. Angua passed him a canteen of Gatorade and helped him up. "Any luck?" "Naaa, enigmatic as usual. Couldn't give a straight answer if he tried." "That's us spirits for ya. But if you think he's bad, remember Old Man Coyote? Or Fox?" "I'm still trying to forget. What's a poor wolf to do?" "Well, tell me about it." "OK, first the dweller playing his usual head games...." ++++++ 9 December 2033 Angua and Nene were exploring new tastes at one of Nene's favourite dessert palaces after work. "You know, I can't hear or smell as well like this, but I can see colours, and hands. Hands makes it all worth while! No-one gives wolves Ice Cream!" Nene spread her arms wide, face to the ceiling "Yes, one of the truly _Great_ things in life! There is a goddess!" Angua's mouth quirked up "You're overacting you know" Nene chuckled conspiratorially "Yes, fun isn't it!" The food arrived and all conversation stopped for the duration, mouths being engaged in a far more important activity. "Your _third_ helping? You'll get fat Angua. Fat. Fat. Fat." Nene sat back selfrighteously in front of her seconds. "I don't _get_ fat Nene. This form is fixed unless I change it... get Fenris to change it anyway." "Waaa, Unfair. You mean you can eat all you want and not get Fat? Waaaa! I hate you!" Angua went white and blinked out, the spoon she had been holding clattered on the table, the wallet and ID from her pockets spilling onto the seat and floor. Nene blinked in surprise, waved her hand where the spirit had been then quickly grabbed what had dropped, hoping no-one had seen. "I'm sorry" she whispered "I didn't mean it." "You mean that?" she heard a voice by her ear "You don't hate me?" "No..." "They say it's the first sign of madness, talking to yourself" said Naoko, who had come up behind Nene. Nene squeaked and jumped. "So where'd your friend go? She was here a moment ago..." "Here I am" said Angua right behind Naoko. Naoko squeaked and jumped. "Hi, I'm Angua." "She's ah, a friend's boyfriend's kid sister." Nene lowered her voice "I'm keeping her out of the way." Angua looked dubious at this statement "Another one of that Linna's conquests?" Angua looked Extremely dubious. "Ix-nay on the ..." Angua interrupted "I Know Pig Latin! Thanks for holding onto these" she grabbed her ID and keys out of Nene's hands and walked out. A moment later a bike rumbled into life and screeched off. "So who is _she_?" asked Naoko pointedly. Nene bigsweated. ++++++ 11 December 2033 That evening in her apartment, Linna was sitting crosslegged in her bed hugging a pillow. "Why couldn't he tell me!" The poor defenceless pillow bounced off the wall opposite. "What.. 'Oh by the way, I'm a wizard from another universe, still wanna go out with me?' Yeah, I can really see that." "If you love something, set it free, and if it doesn't come back." Her face broke then firmed "Hunt it down and... Find it again!" *When you act, you accept the consequences of that act. And if you _Want_ a consequence, you'd damn well better Act!* A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE... ========================== 12 December 2033 Two women walking through the part of Night City called the Shades. There were a few neon lights and Electro-Luminescent Displays glowing fitfully, supplementing the bleedover of light from Timex city. The shadows were deep, filled with piles of garbage. As they passed one there was movement, something scrabbling inside it. The smaller woman shrank away. They saw a sign, "The Crow" over a doorway. "This is a _Really Bad_ idea, Linna, we can still..." Linna continued to walk determinedly towards the bar, an anxious Nene trailing. The pair walked in, and it was suddenly quiet. Nene clustered in behind Linna, eyes flickering nervously from side to side. ++++++ Earlier that evening, in Nene's apartment. "Nene, can't you do _Something_? What about 'Mack', isn't there anything on him?" "Well, I could try the N-Police databases... they might have something." "_Please._" There followed a prolonged period of keyboard tapping as Nene snooped around for a while. "Well, he's been seen a lot at The Crow... but that's in the Shades! N-police don't go in there with less than a squad at night!..." Nene trailed off, seeing Linna's set expression. "I can't stop you, can I." Linna shook her head. *I really _Really_ wish I hadn't told you that..* Nene thought as she surreptitiously typed a quick E- Mail to Sylia. "I've _got_ to, I can't stand this... this not knowing..." ++++++ The Crow was dimly lit and smelling of beer and a tired, pointless violence. A small knot of Outriders warily watched a group from their rivals, the Obsidian Daggers. A few tired joygirls sipped drinks as they waited for a trick. A jukebox pumped out the latest Genom Records 'discovery'. As the two women entered, the atmosphere in the bar shifted to something similar to that of a pair of sheep entering a predator's convention. Sheer incredulity followed by a collective drooling and smacking of chops. Looking up, Fenris suppressed a wince. He had been negotiating with a man in a rumpled suit. Handle of Fargo, who had a job for him. Fargo also looked up, surprised... his scent a mix of fear, worry, protectiveness?. That made things interesting especially as the fixer had been asking him about finding a certain Benedict Rowan. Hiring him to find himself, sparked his sense of whimsy. Brown Eyes must be playing her cards close to her chest if he's working for her. He'd gone to a lot of trouble to build up Mack as someone you didn't mess with unless you liked pain, then giving Angua's 'street' persona a similar rep, but different enough from 'Angua' to be a distinctly different person. Just like Mack was different from Benedict who was different again from Fenris. Both had enough detail differences in hair and eye colour to make recognition difficult without knowing the two 'people' well. And no-one knew Mack well. He'd introduced her as his kid sister. The resemblance was obvious, and implied that anyone messing with her.. he wouldn't save them, and then she grinned, growled. And backhanded the first person not to take her seriously across the length of the bar. There hadn't been a second. She hadn't given a name, they called her the Shadow, because she was Mack's shadow. So she used it, it was enough. They had seen (or heard of) Mack and his Shadow play Mumbley-peg. The game with knives where one where one, the vic... ah.. subject places a hand on the table and the other stabs a knife into the table between each finger in turn, going faster and faster until the victim's nerve breaks or blood is drawn. The knife had been moving faster than the eye could follow, staccato impacts and chips from the table flying. The worst thing had been both of them grinned all the way through, and then changing places. Certifiably crazy. No-one bothered them after that, and the game itself lost a lot of it's appeal. While the two took their bearings, Fenris and Angua glided over as Lefty and the Geek were moving in. Angua intercepted Linna and Nene, while Fenris/Mack blocked the two hoods "Mine, I think." he hissed "Go have a drink on me." He turned to the bar "One on me for Lefty and the Geek." Lefty grunted and turned away. Free booze was free booze, but the Geek had an odd gleam in his eyes. "Dumb uptown broads, oughta..." Fenris's hand flashed out, grabbing the Geek's hand, bending his thumb back painfully while walking him over to the bar. "This is a Friendly warning. You. Don't. Touch. My. Clients!" "This is Friendly?" the Geek grimaced. "You want to try for Unfriendly?" Fenris released him and turned to the women. The Geek took a swing as he turned away. The mirror behind the bar was enough. Without looking, Fenris grabbed the wrist and whirled him in a half nelson against the bar. "Have your drink Geek. Or I'll break your arm. Your choice." As he turned towards her Linna didn't recognise him at first, he showed no signs of recognising her or Nene. "You're early, the meet was for eleven, Miz Johnson." Linna started. She _thought it was Benedict but she wasn't quite sure. He was different. There were shadows of Benedict in his mannerisms, but here and now, dressed the way he was, moving the way he did. He had a presence, a dark presence. An urban predator. His voice and speech patterns were cold, almost vicious. But his eyes blazed as he looked at her, not with anger, and she knew him then. Fenris threw a bill onto the bar "I need the back room. Half an hour." Fargo was edging out, this development Sylia needed to know about immediately, but Fenris was in his face before he was halfway to the door. "Leaving so soon? I don't think so." The voice was as taut as a piano wire and there was a feral gleam to his eyes that Fargo didn't want to argue with. Fenris walked him back to the others. Fenris and Angua hustled the trio into a small room with a table and chairs. Linna opened her mouth but Angua Shhhed her. Fenris set up a small device on the table and turned it on, he and Angua wincing as he did. Fargo was banished to a corner, outside the area of effect and told to face the wall with an unspoken 'or else'. "What are you two idiots Doing here! Did you get your ideas on operational security out of a Christmas Cracker? If we Hadn't been here, you'd have been lucky to get out alive. The cops only come down here in Squads and these guys..." Fenris glared at the two women. "I had to see you." Linna blazed back He seemed to slump "Cariad. This is not a safe place to be." Nene sidled up to Angua as Fenris and Linna had a horrible silence "Hey, what's that on the table?" the redhead whispered. "A white noise generator, stops eavesdropping. Horrible rackety thing!" replied Angua "I can't hear anything.." Sound around the four was damped, felt like an anecholic chamber, acoustically dead. "Oh yeah, you humans can't hear very well, you call it ultrasound. Look, are you out of your tree coming here? That badge of yours wouldn't help and you can't be packing anything big..." Angua looked Nene over carefully "Your Not ARMED??? crazy.. completely crazy..." she muttered. Fargo was surreptitiously fiddling with his mobile phone "Fargo here" he whispered "Emergency, At the Crow, two people here you're interested in along with two others you may be missing.." The handset was snatched out of his hand by Angua, the high impact plastic splintered in her hand, and the remains dropped on the floor. There was a soft 'phut' and a gob of transparent goo appeared on Fargo's cheek.. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed. "Oh how Truly Good!" Fenris muttered Neither woman had even seen him move, one moment he was sitting talking to Linna, the next he was standing putting something gun-like away... his chair clattered on the floor. Angua and Fenris exchanged looks, then she shrugged. While Fenris searched and immobilised the fixer, Angua Masked herself as Fargo and to all appearances, the fixer walked out the door. Both Knight Sabers were speechless, more so when Angua popped out of thin air a bare minute later. Fenris was talking as he worked "I'm no hero. I'm a mercenary, my skills are what I sell, and I can't be as picky as you in the jobs I take. You're knights in high tech armour. I run the shadows. I can't _afford_ bright lights and glory." Linna was almost in tears "What's that got to with you and me! Us?" His voice shivered "We're from different worlds, you dance in the light, I live in darkness, in the cracks in society. I'm a thief and a killer. I'm not 'good' and 'decent' like you. If I was I'd be dead by now. I never wanted to hurt you, but it couldn't have lasted." "It never _has_ before. I Love You!" He turned away "All the love in the world doesn't stop a bullet. It's death in this business, screws you up and people die." "Then _Say_ It. Tell me to my face you don't love me!" Fenris picked up Fargo and he seemed to vanish, but up close, you could see a faint distortion outlining where the fixer was draped over his shoulder. "This is not the place and there's no time. Don't say a word out there, don't make eye contact with anyone, just keep moving. I don't particularly want to have to kill them." His voice was soft and bleak Fenris deactivated and picked up the white noise generator and walked to the door. "Angua point, I'm rear. Let's move." +++++ Out on the street, Linna and Fenris faced each other. Nene looked on, her heart in her mouth. Angua looked out for trouble. Fenris finally spoke "And if I said I loved you, what then? You have your life, I have mine. I..." *I don't want to see you die...* "Enough. We have no time." He raised a hand and spoke {*Spirit of Sky, I summon you*} An arctic wind blew up, gusting around them, rustling scraps of paper and whistling through their hair. It seemed to whisper in their ears, voices just outside comprehension. The tang of ozone filling their nostrils. "Don't do this again. Angua, will you see them home?" *Before I change my mind* "What about him?" Linna looked at where the unconscious and duct taped Fargo should have been, only a faint outline and imprint on his shoulder showed where he was. "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to!" Fenris replied coldly. {*Storm-Spirit I ask for protection and concealment for these, my friends, while in your realm. Guard them from misfortune and conceal them from unfriendly eyes.*} He shook his head. His hand twitched towards Linna, standing stunned, then whispered "Goodbye". He turned and loped off. Angua looked at the two women coldly "I really thought you had more sense than this. You could have been robbed, pack raped or murdered. Down here you're streetmeat. Dumb. Real Dumb." Nene looked stricken, Linna was still staring after Fenris. "Would.. would he have killed them?" asked Nene quaveringly "If he thought they could identify you two, of course we would have. Get a grip, this is not a game." Angua answered matter of factly, glancing around. "We're clear. Right c'mon you idiots, lets go." Angua picked up them up like rag dolls, one under each arm and shot up into the sky to a despairing wail from Nene and silent tears from Linna. ++++++ Fenris was jogging back to an abandoned building he had scouted and noted as a place he could be undisturbed with an invisible Fargo over one shoulder. Two armoured figures dropped into the street, one in front, one behind him The one in white, behind him, spoke first "Where are they?" "Who?" retorted Fenris, playing for time while he edged out from between the two Knight Sabers to get them both in sight. "You know who, and let the man go." *Drek.. must have Thermo in those suits to spot him..* he cursed mentally. That would make it more difficult to break contact if he had to run. "A. They're safe. And B. Not until I ask him a few questions, Saber, then we'll see." He couldn't reach the pistol under his jacket without dumping Fargo, but Fang was accessible. A flick of the wrist and.. Priss made her move first, trying to grab him. He ducked under it and his automatic riposte slashed through part of the suit's pauldron and a helmet antenna with a suddenly expanded Fang. Fargo fell off in the process and, now unburdened, Fenris somersaulted backwards several meters to get some fighting room before the fragments of Priss's suit hit the ground. "RRRRRGGGGGG" He had both hardsuits in view now, and Fang glowed softly as he stood on guard, balanced to attack or dodge. The hardsuit's sensors showed the blade was hotter than an oxyacetylene torch. He made a slashing gesture with his free hand and snarled {*S*L*E*E*P*} His eyes glowed momentarily. Both the Knight Sabers staggered and almost fell. Priss could see spots in front of her eyes. Sylia put a hand to her forehead and was momentarily surprised when the armoured sleeve clacked on the faceplate. Fenris was not much better, he hadn't time to activate any of his power foci that would have reduced the drain of the spell, and was feeling a little woozy himself, but he knew what was going on, and they didn't, and he was much, much faster. Priss lunged forward, Fenris vaulted over her. She turned to find his blade at her throat. "HOLD IT" Sylia shouted, both power-arms shaking but covering him. He carefully stood back from Priss, making the sword disappear somehow. The Blue Saber covered him too. "Listen Saber, it's frosty. They're really on their way home. But _That_ one." he nodded at Fargo, now wriggling feebly "May know too much about them for comfort. He seemed to recognise them. I want to know why." "Are you sure you want to know?" the white saber replied coolly. "Is he yours?" "I won't answer that. Just leave him to me." Fenris thought for a moment "Hah! Very well Saber, He's all yours. Don't try and find Mack again, He'll be disappearing for a while. Good night." He turned to leave. "Wait a moment Damnit!" Priss called after him "They're on their way home?" He paused and turned "I already said that. Angua's giving them a lift. Safe as houses. Should be there by now. Hey call them if you don't believe me." Priss walked over to where the pieces sheared off her hardsuit lay, picking up one and studying the cut surface. A clean cut She felt a little queasy looking at it. Sylia stood for a moment, accessing a comm-link relaying through the truck several blocks away, after a few moments she nodded to herself. "They're home." She moved over to Fargo. While Sylia checked Fargo, Priss squashed down her temper. There was something she needed to know, and walked over to Fenris, who was standing with his arms folded, waiting. "Well Blue.." She flipped up her faceplate "You know my name, you and your.. whatever she is.." "Names are Power, Blue. True Names. Besides you never know who might be listening." "Huh! Mystic mumbojumbo! What's with you and Linna.. If you hurt her.." He stiffened slightly as Priss spoke Linna's name, even after his warning. "I'm afraid I have already done that. The deepest cuts are to the soul." "But.." He continued as if she had not spoken "Everything I touch turns to.. I attract trouble the way a.. I could pick several metaphors, but you lot don't need the grief. _She_ doesn't need the grief. Best a clean break. There is no 'me and Linna.' Not now." "That means... But you love her... don't you?" His voice softened and he looked away "That's not important." "It's always _important_. She's my friend, she likes you a lot, and you're tearing her heart out." "Better than dead, Blue. Better than dead." He replied flatly. "You really are a cold bastard." He looked at her and his eyes were full of pain "Yes, I know" his voice a sad whisper "Sometimes there is no happy ever after." He turned around, Sylia was helping Fargo to stand. He spoke with a small gesture {*DARKWING*} and silently shot up into the air, disappearing into the nights sky on wings of shadow. WALKABOUT ============ 15 December 2033 A shabby grey haired old man limped past a fire gutted building near the fault zone, a pack on his back and a shoulder high staff in his hand. Peoples eyes brushed over him and moved on, another piece of human flotsam. There were faint shimmers, distortions in the air around him, drawing the eyes away, distracting, inducing moments of forgetfulness and inattention. The old man passed another building, a tenement, and paused. He cocked his head, as if listening to a voice, then shrugged, smiled and walked through the door. Voices echoed down from a floor above. A female spoke "But I've paid until the end of the month and you've got my bond..." "You got paper? A receipt?" replied a male. "Bennet, You know I don't, _Someone_ broke in and stole it." "Too bad girlie." Fenris caught the sour stink of stale sweat and male excitement, a rush of fear and stress from a female. He dropped the limp and ghosted quietly up the stairs, towards the voices. "... cos ya got a week for yor outa here, cos this whole blok's coming down" Fenris paused for a moment, closing his eyes and reached out to the spirit of the building, singing quietly, calling, cajoling... it was old, and tired, but not dead yet, and agreed to help him, if only so he'd go away and let it sleep. He opened his eyes, only a moment had passed... He reached the landing and Angua/Wolf shimmered in beside him. They continued up. 'Bennet', The male voice he had heard coming up was attached to a bodybuilder gone to fat. There were two others, younger, street toughs but not wearing colours. Facing them was a straight backed woman in a doorway, worn clothes and a worn face showing a recent illness, in her mid thirties with brown hair neatly tied back. {*Spirit of this place... sow unluck and confusion for my foes, guard my friends and I*} "But I don't have anywhere..." she broke off as he limped forward, the regular clicking of the staff on the hallway floor focusing their attention. "Whaddya want gramps, this is private." "Funny, I could hear you from the street and the door was open." "Take a hike! Girl you're outa here too." "I think she should get a refund." commented Fenris. "Some people just can't take tha hint! Smedley, show tha old geezer out." One of the thugs, presumably 'Smedley' grinned and lurched towards the old man, taking out a tonfa and smacking it meaningfully in a palm. Angua/wolf walked out from behind Fenris, her shoulder level with Fenris's waist. "That's a big pooch ya got there... WAAAAAA" The thug's feet seemed to slip out from under him, he fell flat on his back, knocking the breath out of him. "What a _horrible_ accident." The old man limped past, the end of the staff accidentally catching Smedley in the solar plexus, then clipping him behind the ear. The other thug moved forward and was slammed down by a 90 kg blur of black fur, blazing amber eyes and two inch fangs. A deep canine rumble filled the hall. "That wasn't polite at all. I don't think she likes you. Now if you don't move, she _may_ not rip your throat out. Now about that refund." the crotch of the thug's pants suddenly darkened. The wolf seemed to snicker. Bennet reached under his jacket, and started to pull out a pistol. The staff snaked out, striking his wrist and sent the gun clattering against the wall. The old man slammed Bennet up against the wall and quickly frisked him, finding a knife and a single clip for the gun. The old man motioned to the wolf, who trotted over to the gun, and brought it over to him, then sat and grinned at the hood. who shuddered, inching away. "Huh! Call this a gun?" It was a chinese PPK knock off in lousy condition. No comparison to the Hivloc 10mm Ares Predator under his own arm. Still, guns were a lot rarer here than Seattle. He checked the clip, safed and uncocked it and slipped it in a pocket. The knife he placed in the angle between floor and wall and broke it with a booted stamp. "Now then let's have a talk in a civilised manner." "No one bucks the Tower gramps." "I'm not bucking the Tower, I only want what's just. Can't argue with that. Now, give the woman her money." "What money. She don't have no paper." Fenris snarled "I smell your Lies! You're a cheap thug who's trying to skim a little off the top. Your masters wouldn't be pleased if they found out, especially if it was brought to their attention in a public manner.. bad PR is such a bitch." Bennet let out a wordless cry of anger and swung at the old man, freezing as he felt his own gun lightly touch the bridge of his nose. It was just _there_. He'd heard the snap of the slide being pulled and released, but hadn't seen the old man move. The gun was just .. there. He was going crosseyed looking at it in an appalled fascination. "B..b..boomer.. boomers" he breathed, backing away from the old man who moved in lockstep with him until Bennet found himself hard up against the wall. Fenris blinked then a thin smile crossed his face "You really think we wouldn't make spot checks? Give her the money and go." the smile went "Well? What are you waiting for? A signed invitation?" The wolf let out something suspiciously like a snicker again. Bennet scrabbled out a handful of bills, tremblingly handing them to Fenris, still holding the automatic on him. Fenris frowned. "It's _her_ money." She moved cautiously, plucking the money from Bennet's hand. "Check it." Fenris murmured. "It.. It's more than.." she murmured in shock. "Consider it damages.. pain and suffering. Understand?" Fenris applied a little pressure with the pistol, "Do You Understand?" he repeated coldly. "Y..yeah..." The old man released the thug and stepped back, the gun down by his side. "Take your trash and get out of here." Fenris waited until all three were gone then turned to face the woman, an enormous grin covering his face "Oh how I _love_ a good scam! The wicked flee when no man pursueth." "You're not really a boomer from Genom are you." "They don't know that, now do they. Well, good day." he nodded to her and started down the hall, the black dog beside him. "W..wait a moment. You did me a good turn, the least I can do is give you a cup of coffee." "Why thank you. If it's no trouble." "Trouble he says.. Saying thank you is never _Trouble_." He smiled "Many people would disagree. And a cup of coffee would be wonderful." ++++++ Kira Midori was feeling quite frustrated.. her.. or rather, Lt Buranto's stoolie had linked the Spectre to a 'Mack'. Nothing definite, just a whisper of a rumour and he's been more than usually jittery. She had sensed a dark shadow associated with 'Mack' in the source's mind, a shadow of fear. She'd checked the records and asked around. Mack was often seen at The Crow, a bar in the Shades. Not a nice place at all, but reasonably safe, in daylight. She had finally badgered Lt Buranto into them going down there but Mack had disappeared a few days ago. Apparently he did that a lot, and no-one knew where. As they left and were walking back to the patrol car, a seedy looking thug, Lt Buranto had called him 'Geek', had talked about a pair of women who had come looking for Mack. He thought so anyway. A redhead and a brunette. Kira was impressed with the way Lt Buranto had extracted descriptions from him. It made the images she had gotten so much clearer. For all his seedy appearance and apparent laziness, he was a good cop. "Well, what do we do now? Try and find them? And let them lead us to him?" "Kira megirl, it's not much, but it's a start. No point in chasing around after him. He seems to just find a hole and pull it in after himself. No. The smart money is on being where he will be, not where he has already been." He leaned back and wound the seat back and closed his eyes, letting her drive him back to the station while he thought on the afternoon's race meet... ++++++ The small apartment was filled with faded dreams, a collection of photos... family, school, university, a company office party, but it was an island of warmth in the winter cold. Angua/wolf was curled up by the door. The man and woman were seated with steaming mugs of coffee, the emptied plates of an evening meal had been moved back to the kitchen. "Why'd you help? Most people wouldn't lift a finger. Most of them have moved out anyway. I'm one of the last, but then I don't have much choice." "Seemed like a good idea at the time. Thanks for the food and coffee." "Just plain, nothing special." "It's the thought that counts. Hunger is the best spice. So, what makes you say you have no choice?" "I simply can't afford to move.. my pension won't cover it." He raised an eyebrow. She quirked a smile "Well, it's not a secret.. I was involved in... call it an industrial accident. I was working on.. well, it doesn't matter anymore, but I can't work. It triggered a form of epilepsy. Can't go near a computer... school, university, ten years experience.. all down the tubes... and I can't tolerate most food now either, too processed... Look, I completely forgot.. what's your name? I'm Cordelia Bujold." He smiled thinly "Call me... call me Fenris." She looked at the giant wolf by the door "Wouldn't that be better as her name?" "No, she's Angua. She doesn't answer to anything else, do you girl." Angua stood, stretched and sauntered over, laying her head in the woman's lap and gazing up at her soulfully with big amber eyes... It was hard to reconcile this with the menacing black shape in the hall. She thought for a moment, a name that was not a name.. someone who moved with skill and assurance and the reflexes of youth... careful watching eyes.. not smelling like someone who lived on the streets and a.. not a dog. She reminded her of a direwolf. "You're not.. not a tramp are you.. Mr Fenris." He snorted a laugh "I'm not as old as I look. There are some people I don't want to find me." "What, someone wants to _kill_ you?" He smiled reassuringly "No, nothing like that. I need some time. Time to think, 'the hardest lesson in life to learn, is which bridge to cross, and which to burn.' hmm I seem to be full of catch phrases. Just some time." "Yes?" Cordelia was a good listener. He would not, could not tell her everything, but enough.. of awakening in the Rocky mountains five years ago with no memory, not even of his humanity. Being found and re-educated. His search for his identity. Then a second wrenching change, one which he could not explain or have any real hope of reversing. Then a woman who he.. who he loved, and feared, or feared what she represented. Risk of pain, of loss... "Tell you what _I_ think. She wouldn't have any use for you if you didn't treat her as a person in her own right, and _you_ wouldn't have any use for her if she _weren't_ a person. You don't seem that type. Are you that scared of her? Of losing her that you are willing to lose her anyway? To pay the price and refuse the prize? Where's the sense in that?" "That's.. something to think about." "Compassion is being able to feel someone else's pain as your own.. How much pain is she in now, do you think?" He turned away, unable to meet her eyes. Finally he broke the silence "You know, this is the second time I've done this, rebuilt my life from scratch..." She leaned back "Tell me about it. I saw you looking at the photos, I don't know why I keep them, just keeping old wounds open. It's been long enough now..." He turned back and leaned forward, suddenly intense "The past is what we use to measure the future. Do not forget your past. Never forget." "I suppose you would see it that way.. you have so little of your past, every scrap is valuable. I can only see it as.. as a waste. Useless baggage." "So find something else to do. All of that paper.." he waved his hand at it "..it just says you're bright and a trained thinker!" "No-one wants someone who can't go near a standard VDU or Holodisplay without collapsing in convulsions! I've tried damnit! The flicker rate on them is too slow and no employer want's to spend the money on high end equipment for a new hire!" He leaned back "What field were you in.. before..." "Biochemistry and neurology." she replied flatly. "hmmmmm.. any medical training?" "A little.. the ankle bone's connected to the... " He glanced at the wolf for a moment, and blinked "When did it happen?" he asked, studying her with a sudden intensity. "Late September... why?" He leaned back grinning "Perhaps nothing..." She chuckled "Do I really want to know?" she glanced at the wall clock then stretched and stood. "Well, it's a big day tomorrow, getting ready to move... You can sleep on the couch. No funny stuff, understand?" "It's better than the floor of an abandoned building or camping out. Thanks." he looked around the room. "It likes you, this place.." "Huh.." "It will miss you.. The building is old, it's life is done. But life goes on, in other places." he finished with a smile. As she prepared to sleep she thought about him.. A strange man.. very strange.. but there was no harm in him, not for her she felt.. and if there was, there was nothing she could do. The speed, skill and raw menace he had projected out in the corridor were proof of that. It was like being in a room with a large dangerous animal that seemed to have taken a liking to you. Adopted you. ++++++ In Genom tower, an office was being cleaned out.. someone was being transferred. Another casualty in the deadly game of office politics in the most powerful megacorp the world had ever seen... ++++++ When Priss got back to her trailer, she found Linna sitting in her car parked outside, dozing. The biker rapped on the window "Hi Linna, what's up." Linna opened eyes swollen with weeping. "Oh, Priss. Thanks, I need someone to talk to." "Let me guess, Benedict. Come in and I'll make us some coffee." Inside, Priss turned on the heater to full blast and investigated the percolator. She poured out the chewy dregs of the last batch and started to make more. A little later, they were seated, Priss sprawled on a salvaged couch, Linna in a chair with steaming mugs in their hands while the heater struggled to banish the winter cold. "...Sylia only just finished chewing me out and was starting on Nene again.. so I snuck out. But I had to! He can't just... just... I can't get him out of my mind! I go to work and walk past that coffee shop and my heart aches! Everywhere we went together! It hurts so much sometimes I just want to die!" "I think he's stuck on you as badly as you're stuck on him." "Then _why_ is he doing this?" anguished Linna "He was spouting some macho shit about it being too dangerous for you. You know what men are like. Gotta grandstand." "Heh, you should talk." Linna looked around at the posters on the walls, smiling in spite of herself. There was a knock at the door. Priss opened it on the chain, keeping one hand on her cut down anti-boomer pistol. Angua stood, hands in pockets at the foot of the steps leading up to the trailer door. The snow drifted down, catching in her hair. She bit her lip "Can we talk?" Priss's eyes narrowed "You're not going to turn me into anything strange again are you?" Angua looked down at her feet. "Sorry 'bout that, it seemed like a good idea at the time," she looked up again "..maybe not so good. Huh? ...Look, you can hit me.. I'll hold still..." Priss was silent "Well, isn't it..." Angua trailed off, shoulders slumped. "I don't understand. Hitting people seems to be the way most of you humans solve problems." "You must hang out with a pretty strange crowd." "Not really, most of you just don't do it physically." Priss paused before replying "This is really important to you isn't it." "He has nothing but memories, and he won't let go of them. He's living in the past, not the future. You.. You four are the future, his future. I can see that even if he can't." The girl sounded so earnest... "Here, come on in. It's cold out." "Thanks" she smiled wanly. Priss poured another cup of coffee for Angua who warily greeted Linna. When they had settled the conversation started up again, eventually turning back to Benedict.. and his 'sister'... "He is my pack. He made me what I am. I am pure spirit, a shadow of Wolf. Thought given form, where he is flesh and blood. I love him as a sister, and I'll kill and I'll die for him, because that's the way I am. And he'd kill and die for me, because that's the way _he_ is." she looked at Linna "...and for you, I think, although he doesn't realise it.." It suddenly struck Priss that outside, Angua hadn't been shivering, and looking into her ageless eyes. She truly wasn't anything mortal.. Linna finally spoke "Why is he doing this?" "That's his secret. He'll tell you when he's ready, I'm stretching things enough as it is." She wouldn't say anymore and the conversation drifted again... Angua cocked her head, listening to something. "EEP! I gotta go! He'll be waking up soon!" She blinked out... "I don't think I'll _ever_ get used to that" murmured Priss "Me either." replied Linna. ++++++ He was surrounded.. a hall of dreams, a hall of mirrors, a multitude of reflections, all the aliases he had used, people he had been, roles he had played. Mack, grey eyes Benedict, brown eyes, Fenris and The Wolf, amber eyes and others... Many others... What colour were his eyes... he had so many mirrors to choose from... eyes, the mirrors of the soul... "Who are you?" ".. who are you who asks?" "Choosechoosechoosechoose" "WWhhoo iiss tthhee rreeaall oonnee, wwhhiicchh oonnee ooff uuss?..." The voices echoed and murmured He thought. Time passed, an eternity. The eyes of many colours looked down on him... He looked up, then looked down at himself. His hands covered in blood, garb a mix of all the reflections and none. He looked up and put a hand on his breast "This one." The voices ceased... or became one. He was not quite sure. *I am who I choose to be, I have always been what I _chose_, although not always what I pleased.* He awoke. He lay, drained of tension, unmoving and content to be so. "I will be.." he smiled "Myself. My path becomes clearer." ++++++ Fenris spent the next few days helping Cordelia move. He'd shed the old man disguise and the wolf disappeared after the first night, but a girl, his sister? turned up the next morning. Somehow he had managed to arrange for her a flat that she knew she couldn't afford, but now it seemed she could. Cordelia could not help feeling that she had met the girl before. Her strange yellow eyes, so like the wolf's. but that was ridiculous. Once she had been sitting dozing.. she still wasn't back to full health, if she ever would be, and for a moment she thought she saw the wolf.. then the girl.. a trick of the light. And she was called Angua too. On the last day, a series of boxes arrived. A top range computer suite with a hi resolution, very high scan rate Holo-display. One that would not set her off.. if used in moderation. Very expensive, very very expensive. Along with paid up subscriptions to a wide range of science libraries and a high end security system. "Why?" she asked flatly "Don't worry, I can afford it. I did something bad, I feel a need to make amends somehow... Penance you might say. A senseless act of random kindness. No.. not strictly accurate... I may need help one day.. nothing to touch your honour, but one day, I might need a friend..." "A friend in need..." He smiled slightly "Is a friend indeed.. one with biotech skills." As he turned and walked off, she could have sworn he glowed slightly. SHADOW CHASE... =============== 17-21 December 2033 Nene's workspace was crowded with piles of paper.. she had to catch up on the backlog after spending so much time showing Lisa, the chief's niece, around. Leon was sneaking up on her to play a little 'joke' . The redhead had fallen off her chair and was on the verge of tears, Leon started apologising while Lisa Vanette snuck away, there was a faint growl audible to all three. ...A little later, Leon walked into the gents... and a bucket full of water dropped on his head, accompanied by a fading giggle. ...Lisa had a similar dampening experience and found her bike's tires had been let down. ...Later still, Leon stood up from his desk, took a step and fell over, how had his bootlaces been tied together? And where had that blasted 'Kick Me' sign come from? ...The young photographer had been talked into taking a group shot of Nene and friends.. and everyone around started laughing.. she couldn't explain it until Nene dragged her to a mirror. Someone had put stamp pad ink on the viewfinder. She looked like a raccoon! And she was certain no-one had touched it! ++++++ Lisa Vanette, plucky girl photographer was sitting on an abandoned settee in a vacant lot, waiting for Nene to return after a mission.. this time she would find out the truth! It was a long wait though, a cold wait. A tall figure in red approached, seemingly curious about why someone was sitting out on a settee in the middle of the night. "Well, you see, I heard there was a ghost around here..." They conversed on the nature of Genom, the Knight Sabers and the future of humanity... ...Sylia walked to her car after her talk in the dark with the girl. Neither could perceive a third figure watching. "Ghosts.. no-one here but us ghosts." chuckled Angua, then she was suddenly serious "She knows too much... little Culture Vultcha.." ++++++ Later that night, in an abandoned building in the Fault zone. Fenris's latest home away from home. "She knows too much. Do we kill her?" the spirit asked, having given him the gist. "I think not." her creator replied "If Brown eyes wanted to take action, she would have. It's her call. Her turf. But keep your eyes open." ++++++ A new office in a Genom subsidiary... A man looked out the window, he'd picked an office with a view. A specific view. "Well, it could have been worse.. a sideways 'promotion' is better than.. well, many things, but now I'm cut off from the Thrones and Powers... those dizzying heights. Well.. we'll just have to see about that." The man seemed to have come to a decision. Turning to his desk, he made a call. "Mr Baker... my office, your earliest convenience." He put the phone down and turned to face the window... an ordinary seeming man, middle european, black hair and blue eyes.. cold blue eyes. He looked out over Megatokyo, but he saw nothing but the tower looming over it... ++++++ 21 December 2033 The AD Police HQ was under attack by an egomaniac Boomer designer. There were three combat boomers loose in the halls and a fourth in the computer room. The Knight Sabers fought their lone battles in the rooms and corridors of the skyscraper. ...Sirens were wailing and lights flickering as Linna destroyed Miriam's Boomer. She cocked her head, sensing something. The astral form of Fenris, a figure in shades of grey, watched her for a moment, smiling sadly, there was little he could do but watch... Angua could act, she had been distracting the boomer after Nene, baffling it with illusions and phantoms, delaying it until Priss and Mackie arrived. She was out of danger. He turned and flashed away through a wall, Angua might need a hand. ++++++ ...The last of Miriam's enhanced Boomers was running the building's power systems up into overload, ordered to spoilsport, destroying the building. After a few overshoots, Fenris and Angua finally found the main computer room and the fusion- boomer. "Right girl, Red seems to be trying to overheat it, how about helping her a bit, it'd be a shame if this _lovely_ building blew up with her in it." "Yep, smell of bacon and burnt donuts everywhere for Months! Can I use it as a chew toy?" "After you cook it. I'll feed you power, you burn it." Angua manifested and began throwing firebolts at the Boomer, dodging it's razor-tendrils "Well that's" "a change, usually" "it's the other way" "around." A few moments later there was a large explosion. Two figures watched the arrest of Miriam and departure of the Sabers. "No Boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow." Fenris commented. "I've heard _that_ somewhere before." muttered Angua. CICATRIX MANET (SCARS HEAL) =========================== 23 December 2033 Soundtrack : Ayeka's theme.. Tenchi Muyo. The sky was the colour of gunmetal.. bleak and threatening rain. Fenris/Mack was on his way to Raven's Garage, to check on the progress on his duplicate bike. Angua had watched him leave, a particularly dyspeptic look on her face "I'm sick of this! sick! sick! Sick! He's just going to keep on running and hiding!" She sat and thought.. and then grinned. "Oh dear, did I forget to tell him that Sylia knows about the bike and part-owns Ravens Garage?.. oh dear oh dear." Then she picked up the phone. ++++++ "Benedict, Fenris or what ever the hell your name is, you owe me an explanation" Doc Raven started, he hadn't heard Linna approach. Fenris had, and could smell her anger and frustration "For what?" he did not turn around. "You've been avoiding me, cutting me off.." Linna said. "It's too dangerous for Rowan to..." "BULLSHIT!" she shouted "Doc, could you give us some privacy" Fenris's voice was tense. Doc Raven left. "Sit down please." He motioned her towards a stack of tyres an appropriate height and sat cross legged in front of it. When they were settled he began, speaking calmly, impersonally. "You know Benedict, know him quite well, he's a likeable person. You _don't_ know Fenris. I've got a lot of blood on my hands. Goes with the territory, I won't go out specifically to kill someone, and I use gel ammo and stealth where I can, but sometimes... You mainly fight boomers, robots, there's more psychological distance, they're not human, less guilt, getting off topic. Anyway, you are a good person, I'm basically a professional criminal. Not a nice, safe person to hang around with." "Also, I'm not from this space time, I have friends, people I care about back home, and if I can work out how the hell I got here, well, there are some hard choices I'd rather not have to make." "That's not all is it... Be.. Fen.. what do I call you anyway. Who's the real you?" Linna asked softly, hearing his confusion and despair "Call me Fenris, the name I was born with, it doesn't mean much to me now. My friends call me Fenris. And I suppose you're right, that's not all" He muttered to himself "We all have our blind spots," then looked her in the eye. "It's because you're a runner." seeing her incomprehension "A Shadowrunner, in the Biz... " "A few years ago I knew a girl, a bit of a cliche, an elvish assassin, beautiful as the dawn and as cold as ice, Ha! I think she even went to bed with her sniper rifle. Called herself Mist.. we called her Never Missed... Never knew her real name, or if she ever had one." "We worked together off and on, I think she liked me. I never told her, but I loved her." "She went on a run, dropped out of contact, nothing new there. Part of the biz. Then the team I was part of was tasked to raid what turned out to be a front for the Universal Brotherhood. Bug Spirits. Found her there with the rest of her team. You ever read about some types of wasps, catch caterpillars, paralyse them and lay eggs in them... Linna nodded, looking a bit green as she realised what he was hinting at. His voice was edged with pain "There is no cure, the insect's spirit devours the host's. I could have let the bug eat her soul out from the inside. She knew her mind was going, what was happening to her. Soon there would be nothing of her left, only the bug, looking out from behind her eyes." he swallowed, his knuckles were white.. "So I the only thing I could for her. I killed her." he paused, sounding unutterably weary "I don't know if you can ever really get over something like that." He picked up his jacket and quickly walked out into the bitter rain. Linna sat still for a moment stunned, remembering Priss, after she had killed Sylvie in the DD Battlemover, and hurried after him, but when she reached the street, there was no-one there. ++++++ Sylia looked up from the monitor. She had been studying Fenris closely when she could. She needed to know more about him. Voice stress and other physiological indicators indicated he believed what he had just said and it had caused considerable stress... but insect spirits? However the line between possible and impossible had become very blurred for her recently... This explained his reaction to Linna. A dangerous and complex man. If she read him right, within his team, his pack, he gave and expected absolute loyalty. Outside, so long as you were not a threat, he was quite normal, aside from some rather absurd play acting and costumes. But if he considered you a threat... the Blue Monkeys had found out about that, and so had Fargo, almost. Nene and Angua appeared to be friends, and despite appearances, Nene was a good judge of character. Assuming Angua's character was a reflection of Fenris's, that was good mark too. Linna. Linna was a problem she had not yet resolved. She did not like using Linna like this, but the stakes were too high. . Her pawns were also her closest friends, but she would use whatever means she had to, needs must when the devil drives... and pay the price unflinchingly. The term Shadowrunner was an interesting one. Both and Fenris and Angua had used it several times. It was vaguely familiar. She started a computer search for the term, with no results, then widened the search parameters... still nothing ... then again... nothing... global search, unrestricted. Shadowrun : Roleplaying game published late last century by FASA corporation. Setting : Mid 21st centaury, incorporating high-tech and magic..... cyberwear.... Shamans... spirits... elementals, insect spirits.. She remembered.. at University, the wargaming and roleplaying crowd. She had never let herself be distracted by it, but she had overheard others in the classes she had attended. She spent several hours reading. It all seemed to fit in with Benedict/Fenris's capabilities and the technology, cyberwear in advance of anything she'd seen, AIs apparently unknown. Even their slang fitted. Either an elaborate practical joke or mad and with odd abilities, or what he seemed to be. A choice of impossibilities. "This is insane" Sylia said to herself "A man out of a GAME? The universe is not only queerer than we suppose, it is truly queerer than we CAN suppose!" ++++++ Fenris had simply started walking, letting his mind go blank. The rain was lighter now he noticed, and the sun low in the west. It had been mid morning when he left. He was standing by an old temple, there was an old, faded sign, "Tarikihonganji Temple" There was an air of ... peace around it. He went up to the gates, they were unlocked and he pushed them open. The garden was years overgrown, and there was a house, somewhat dilapidated close to the temple itself. He opened his senses, and was stunned. There were powerful echoes, memories _burned_ into wood and stone. A being of great power, and great love had resided here for many many years. There was also a sense of aching sadness and terrible loss. He did not wonder that it was deserted, no-one could ignore the overpowering presence that had been left. It would be deeply disturbing to even the most head-blind clod. He entered the temple, leaving his weapons outside, it did not feel right to carry instruments of death into that place. He sat cross legged in the center of the temple, thinking, remembering things that he had locked away from himself, friends he had lost, through death or this dimensional shift, people that he would never see again, Jasmine Seeks-the-moon, and Sam the Spade, Spug the Orc light infantryman, Foxy Locksley, The Mad Bomber, his sister Justine, who he had begun to get to get to know again.... Mist, dead at his own hand. Lost. All lost. The ambience of love and loss finally broke the shell of ice around his heart. He sat, weeping for all he had lost... and began to heal. Eventually, he slept NEW BEGINNINGS ============== "Pleasure may come of illusion, but happiness can only come out of reality." Soundtrack : The Rose 24 December 2033 He awoke to find Angua looking down at him seriously. "Bro, you can't keep running away from the past" "I know... I know." "Lets get you back. People are worried about you, disappearing like that." She dragged him to his feet and they walked out into the pale winter sunshine. The day was clear, most of the smog had been washed out by the rain, and the air was crisp. "Beautiful place here" commented Angua "I wonder if we can buy it..." "Not a bad idea." He bent over to collect his weapons "Ouch, I'm getting too old for this sleeping on the floor lark. Next time I go running off in the rain, remind me to take a mattress with me. " Angua took a step back, looking him up and down and sniffing "Nope, won't do at all! You pong!" She briefly contemplated throwing him into the pond and sloshing him around a bit before deciding to clean him up magically. Spruced up and with clothing shifted to Benedict's characteristic cravat, coat and breeches, they walked to the gate. They reached the arch and he stopped dead. Linna's car was parked out the front, with her leaning against it. She smiled a little uncertainly up at him. "I thought you might want a lift." {What did you tell her?} Fenris asked his familiar. {Oh, nothing important, just girl talk. See you _two_ later.} "When we will have a little talk about just _who_ you talk to about my business girl." "EEP!" she blinked out Fenris turned back to Linna "Considering I don't know where I am right now, a lift would be great. I'm sorry about yesterday." He thought for a moment "Say, do you ever get the feeling you're being manipulated by supernatural forces outside your control?" "I Heard That! Humph!" Angua it seemed had not yet departed. Linna burst out laughing, Fenris joining her a moment later. As he walked over to her, Linna thought he seemed less tense, more at peace. "So where do you want to go?" she asked as they broke their embrace. "How about breakfast, I'm starved." "I thought you might be hungry, so I brought this" she lifted the hatchback exposing a picnic basket . "I passed a nice park on the way, it's close." "That sounds fine." Her eyes lit up at his smile. ++++++ A little later, in the park, lying on a blanket. "Thank you, that was delicious." "It was nothing" she blushed, her head propped up on one elbow "This" he patted his stomach smiling "is _not_ nothing." "About yesterday" he continued "I found a mental blind spot. I can't say it won't happen again, but I'll try. You're an adult and you can make your own decisions... It's not as if anyone press ganged you into this. Just be careful. No that's not fair..." "I'm always careful, it's Priss who doesn't know the meaning of the word. And I don't want to see you hurt either." she leaned over and kissed him lightly. ".... I should run away more often, great food and OOF" "What were you saying about running away?" Linna shook her hand "Ouch, what _are_ you wearing?" "What all well dressed shadowrunners wear, body armour." "And I suppose that gun under your jacket means your pleased to see me?" "Cariad, I'm always pleased to see you." "Shut up and prove it" Neither spoke for a while... or at least not with words. ++++++ "Well sir, we've been through the N-Police records and came up a blank.. what do we do now?" Kira Midori looked crestfallen. Her first big case and she'd run up against a brick wall.. "Legwork megirl.. legwork. You can't expect to crack a case like this in a few days. Have you checked out the ADP?" He half listened to her reply as he studied the form guide for the weekend's racing... and thought of Christmas.. a cold Christmas.. A small package, brightly wrapped, appeared on the desk in front of him.. "Merry Christmas Sir" He looked up, surprised.. and touched. And one little corner of the world was a brighter place. ++++++ "What did Angua say to you, not that I'm complaining mind." Fenris asked Linna "Oh, nothing important. Girl stuff... you wouldn't understand. "I have bargained with spirits as old as time, seen worlds beyond imagination, and stared at the darkness in my own soul. And you keep on surprising me." "You really are a strange one.." "Well, actually I'm several stranges..." "You can say _that_ again" He grinned "Well actually I'm.. OOF" This time Linna had picked a spot without hard armour and didn't hurt her hand. Fenris was trying to laugh but suddenly found he didn't have any breath. He started making rather strange noises and turned an interesting shade of blue. When he recovered, he turned and smiled at her "You know we are totally insane don't you, falling in love inside a team is completely mad. And I've never been happier." "Me too, me too. So next time you've got a problem talk to me, or Sylia, or Priss, or even Nene. Heck talk to Angua! Just don't bottle it up inside again." "I thought I was brave. I've faced a dragon, bug spirits, toxics, nosferatu, and none of them are as scary as this. Where do we go from here?" "One day at a time. One day at a time." He looked her in the eye.. suddenly serious "This I promise, I will never leave you again, not unless you tell me to go. _Never._ May the sky fall upon my head, the earth open up and swallow me and the sea engulf me if I break my word. I may not be present, but I will _always_ be with you." "Cross your heart?" "Cross my hear and hope to.." She stopped his words with a kiss. ++++++ They were lying back on the blanket, watching the sky.. Fenris rolled up on one elbow to look at Linna.. "Something, Somethings you _need_ to know. These " he indicated his eyes disguised behind the contacts " and this " he let a little mage fire gather in his palm " are only part of the changes I went through. There is also the Rage. If I get hurt badly, or anyone I care about, I go berserk. In that state I am not capable of exercising judgement. Aut vincere aut mori.. 'Either to conquer or to die', those are the only alternatives and I take down anyone who gets in my way. So far I've won. If you got hurt, I don't know what I'd do... No, I do know what I'd do." Linna looked seriously at him. "Well, we'll just have to see that you don't get in that situation again." "I don't like killing with magic, heck I don't like killing period. It's too easy, too easy to get used to it. It takes little more than an angry look, and people die. It's a slippery slope, I've seen a few too many people, other runners, become monsters of indifference. So much blood on their hands they just don't care anymore. There's got to be more to it than that. So I swore I'd only kill to save a life." "Then why are you wearing the gun?" "Cariad.. I made a mistake that almost got both of us killed. I will _not_ make it again. Visibly armed, I could have bluffed those poor fools. People respect deadly force. Back home, people know how dangerous magic can be, here, they have _no_ idea." "Oh... I see." she replied, subdued. "Something I've been meaning to ask... what does Cariad mean.. it's a lovely sounding word but..." "It's Welsh... means Beloved." "Beloved?" she smiled contentedly "I like that... beloved..." She settled back against him. ++++++ "Just realised something. Recently I had a... call it a dream. I didn't understand it at the time. I has standing at a fork in the road, on one path lead to danger, great risk, the other was a safe path, but it was a cold, lonely. I did not understand until now. A path without you would be much safer, but it would be a cold path... So why do you Run?" she could hear the capitals on the last word "Well, the money's good, and I had nothing better to do with my time." "And..." She looked away, her feet evidently of intense interest "My dancing career was going nowhere, I'd just been passed over for my big break and Sylia contacted me. My mother and father were killed by rogue boomers. " she looked up again "Hey, life goes on, I love them and I miss them, I miss them a lot, but I don't let it rule my life anymore. What I do now stops that from happening to other girls and I'm damn good at it. "And?" he asked encouragingly. She smiled "I'm alive... like the Dance, I'm dancing on the edge of disaster, I have to be perfect, and I _am_. That's the _Real_ reason." She flopped back onto the blanket "Anyway, what about your family?" "I have only a few memories before four years ago, I know the facts, born 2030 Hamburg Arcology..." Her eyes widened "Twenty THIRTY?" "Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so. Physiologically I'm twenty seven" "Oh.. that's all right then.." "Anyway, what memories I do have are like they happened to someone else. I know the facts, but the emotional connotations are gone. My parents are dead, Michael and Katherine Greer , and my sister is as big a corp shark as any I've seen, runs a division of Ares Macrotech. We managed to steal a few days last year, to try and get to know each other, difficult to set up, and dangerous. It didn't work very well, she kept on expecting her brother, and I wasn't him, not anymore. It was a start though. We were arranging another meet for, lets see, eight days from now. She probably thinks I'm dead now. Bar Angua, she's all the family I have, had." "Hey. You've got Me, us." He smiled "When life hands you a lemon, make batteries.... then go electrocute someone." Fenris sighed "All my life I've been trying to find out who I am, my identity. I became a shadowrunner to get the contacts and resources I'd need to do that and then I tripped over it without even trying! Go figure." She sighed "What do you do for fun? Ahhh. If you were perfect, you wouldn't be available." "What, I'm not perfect?" He grinned wickedly and began walking a hand up her arm. "Pervert perhaps." She smiled back "Try Pervect." And began a tickle attack. ++++++ Mr Baker, a tall thin man with a shock of white hair knocked and entered the office. "Mr Aachen, all is prepared. The Knight Sabers will have a most exciting Christmas.. and we may get a present ourselves." "Excellent Mr Baker." replied Johann Aachen, turning away from the window overlooking the Genom tower. They shared a small smile.. ++++++ "I don't know about you, but I'm still all stiff after sleeping on that floor, in armour yet. I've _got_ to work some kinks out." Fenris stood up and began a series of warm up exercises. Linna joined him. The session changed to slow motion katas, then turned to a mix of dance, slow sparring and swapping moves. It was relaxing. When they stopped, they had gathered a small crowd of lunchtimers who applauded. "How about we give them a show, full speed, minimal contact." suggested Linna "You just want to show off, and I thought you were the careful one? Ah why not." They bowed to one another and launched into a seemingly furious battle. Blows flew thick and fast, always blocked or missing by millimetres. After a little over a minute they halted, breath steaming in the crisp winter air, bowed and walked arm in arm back to their picnic to a stunned silence followed by more applause. ++++++ Later, as they walked back to her car, he hesitated for a moment, watching her move.. dancing to music only they could hear, she looked smilingly back over her shoulder and his soul sang. DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS ============================= 25 December 2033 "Why'd they have to pick _Today_ to go mad?" "Stop whining.. Huhhh... Nene. That cake isn't.. Ooof.. Bastard..." "Hah! Gotcha!... going anywhere, you need the exercise anyway." "The Apewoman speaks... WAAAA Sylia. Multiple contacts incoming!" The Sabers had been alerted to a few construction Boomers that had malfunctioned in their usual catastrophic failure mode.. destroy anything in their way. An easy mission. Except for the trio of BU-55-Cs that had popped out of nowhere. Priss had charged one and was whittling it down with a combination of kicks and punches. Linna was keeping the other two in play, dancing around them, but unable to devote enough attention to either to finish them.. Sylia and Nene were dealing with the remaining construction boomers.. or rather Sylia was dealing with them while Nene cheered and zapped with her laser from the sidelines. ++++++ That evening, after work, Go Buranto had opened his present.. it was a tie.. pink.. *How'd she know I like pink?* ++++++ Something was firing at the Boomers. Silent, moving firing points between shots.. It seemed to be from above, but who, whatever it was had a low thermal signature, was well camouflaged and avoided being skylined. The Boomers were losing sensors and weapons in a silent patter of tungsten rain.. It wasn't enough to kill, but it slowed them enough to tip the balance.. "HI, IS THIS A PRIVATE PARTY, OR CAN ANYONE PLAY?" someone shouted from down the street. One of Linna's 55-Cs turned to engage the new target. ..and was knocked over, it's head canted over to one side. It began to clamber back to it's feet. And was knocked down again. The Boomer twitched a few times, but this time didn't get up. "WAHOOOO THIS IS MY KINDA GUN!" Angua was in some kind of military cammo BDUs with a full face helmet and carrying a laser sighted ADP issue Gerlitch 20/12 squeeze bore anti-boomer rifle half again her height. "GRADE A BANG BANG!" She was waving around the 30 kilo weapon like .. like it was toy. Free of one distraction, Linna made serious inroads on the other 55-C, tossing her head and slicing both arms off with the energised ribbons attached to her helmet before finishing it with a shaped charge from her knuckle bomber... The last 55-C landed a punch on Priss, sending her flying and turned towards Angua.. it's laser charging up... the laser pulse passed right through her, impacting on the building behind... "YOU DON'T SHOOT MONGO, IT JUST MAKES ME MAD!" The 55-C was knocked over by the hypervelocity slug.. Sylia took the opportunity to dart in and gut it with laser-swords from behind as it climbed to it's feet, Angua switching targets to construction boomers as she saw the white saber move. "ANYONE ELSE WANNA PIECE OF THIS?" "MWAHAHAHAHA" A voice echoed over the battle "Oh put a sock in it girl! You missed nearly half your shots.. And if you've shot the lands out of the barrel, you can buy a new one yourself." "Aw, you spoil all my fun! My Christmas pressy!" the girl responded and kept firing. Between the Knights and the wolves, the remaining unarmoured construction boomers didn't stand a chance. ++++++ Priss rocket kicked the head off the last construction boomer. It fell with an echoing crash. Silence finally fell over the street aside from the sirens approaching. Fenris jumped 3 stories down, landing lightly and walked over to the armoured women. He was wearing a vaguely military suit with overtones of armour, in mottled grey and black. It must have been damping his heat signature and he was carrying a sniper rifle in a thermal sleeve. "You weren't home and my thumbs pricked so I went looking. Thought you might want a hand. Christmas spirit and all that." The helmet was on, but his voice was recognisable, and Linna, at least, recognised his walk immediately. She bounced over and gave him a rib cracking hug. After he recovered, he turned to the white knight "So White, what does it pay? This Knight Saber business?" END PART 2 Continued in "A Wolf in Crisis" Part 3.. A DESPERATE TWILIGHT STRUGGLE =================================================