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Official home of my Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 mega series:  BGC Post 2040.

Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 File 7: Web of Lives
The Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 Continuation Fanfic Series

by P. Kristen Enos

SPOILERS WARNING!!!
Most of these stories take place AFTER the TV Series! So DON'T blame me if I ruin the ending for you because you read these stories first!
Lesbian/Yuri/Shoujo Ai Warning! (Non-explicit -- at least in the "PG13"/"R" sort of way.) Just not written for children because they probably wouldn't get half of it.
All rights belong to JVC/AIC, ADV Films and the other creative powers that be. I just want credit for writing the story.

Part 4

Chapter 26: Siege

10:07 a.m., June 17th, The Watanabe Grand Hotel, Tokyo

In the privacy of the luxurious suite, the four Watanabe siblings regarded each other quietly. The three men were in their finest suits while Yoshiko wore an elegant kimono.

“Well, Densuke, this day has been a long time coming,” Largo said as he eyed his youngest brother. “Even though you will now be a Chang, we know you are still a Watanabe at heart.”

He gave a slight bow and said, “Of course. This is a union of our families. My children with Reika will honor both blood lines.”

Ryoko, the third oldest sibling, gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. “Never thought you’d actually be serious about settling down as a family man. I guess stranger things can happen in this world. Good going, Little Brother.”

All eyes then settled on their sister, who had remained quiet until that point.

Yoshiko stepped forward and gave him a slight smile. She planted a gentle kiss on his cheek and said, “We’re proud of you.”

He genuinely smiled in return. They were, after all, family.

Largo’s phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. “I suppose that’s our reminder that several hundred people are waiting on us downstairs,” he said as he pulled it out to check who was calling him.

Minutes later, Densuke was in the hotel lobby, greeting well-wishers.

Driven by curiosity in the back of his mind, he scanned the faces and was puzzled to not see the one he was looking for. He knew she was no longer the maid of honor but he had assumed she would still attend the wedding. Not that he actually asked anyone specifically about her attendance status.

He thought about hunting down Jun to ask her, using this as a feeble excuse to initiate conversation but then thought better of it.

He then ran into Largo’s personal assistant and asked if Sylia Stingray was on the guest list. He was genuinely surprised to learn that she wasn’t expected to attend.

He was also surprised that he felt more concerned than anything else. This must have meant something big had happened between her and Reika. This realization bothered him more than the news of Leslie’s death in a car accident.

Just then, the hotel ballroom plunged into darkness as the lights went out.

* * *

10:49 a.m., Three Blocks Away from The Watanabe Grand Hotel, Tokyo

“So we’re sure that was the only one?” Nigel asked the two women who were displayed in their separate video screens in the mobile pit.

Behind him, Mackey was focused on monitoring the readings of the terminals hooked up to the frozen boomer.

In standby mode, Priss and Cynthia observed the conversation.

“I didn’t find any other hidden commands,” Linna reported from her office at home.

Also at her home, Nene nodded. “Neither did I. But I already wrote a patch that we can still in her program. She’ll only lose today’s memories but it’ll get her started again. It should only take an hour at the most. And I can do it from here if you free up a connection for – “

Both phone screens suddenly went dark and started to display a “No Service” message.

“What the heck?!” Nigel mumbled as he tried reconnecting them without success.

“We’ve also lost all of our connections to the outside, even to the Silky Doll,” Mackey reported as he also tried to re-establish a connection.

“My phone isn’t receiving a signal either,” Priss announced as she tossed the device to the side.

Both Cynthia and Mackey suddenly straightened up in alarm at noises only they could hear.

“There are several helicopters coming from the north!”

Nigel glanced at his watch. “Timing’s too coincidental. Get into your suits!”

* * *

“Cynthia? Can you hear me?” Priss asked into her helmet once she had propelled up into the air with a jump. She had her suit still in stealth mode, knowing that surprise was the only way the two of them could have an edge against a dozen helicopters.

“Yes. I’m right behind you.”

She breathed a sigh of relief that by being up in the sky they must be out of range of the signal disruptor.

“Suggestions on where to start?” she asked as they flew towards the speeding choppers.

“There’s several blocks of construction sites to the west. If we knock them in that direction, it should minimize bystander causalities.”

“Got it! I’m heading for the one in the front!”

“All right.”

Priss focused her attention so her suit could respond with a rocket boost from the last jump off of an office building rooftop. In the next second, she collided into the side of the lead helicopter, knocking both of them into the direction of the construction site.

Embedded into the out of control machine, Priss mentally kicked her boosters into full throttle to propel her catch as deep into the construction zone as possible. She forced herself not to worry too much about the crew, thinking that this was their chance to save themselves before the impending crash landing into the metal framework. Hopefully, she could keep the vehicle from exploding upon impact.

The mass of metal crashed into the top of a partially finished building, knocking down several layers of the top floors before wedging itself into the core of the building.

Priss quickly freed herself from the wreckage so she could rejoin the fight. Just then, she saw the pink Knight Saber whiz by with two choppers in tow from cables she used as a lasso.

She was about to smile in pride at her woman when she was distracted by a large explosion back in the direction of the hotel.

A helicopter had burst into flames and dropped towards the ground in a fireball.

Another chopper in the swarm was also caught by anti-aircraft weaponry and exploded in mid air.

Priss immediately jumped back towards the action even though she knew she was too late to catch any of the falling debris from hitting any of the more occupied areas. The best she could hope for was to get this battle under control as quickly as possible.

* * *

The explosions and gunfire outside eventually stopped and everyone huddled inside the large hall started to exchange whispers if it meant the worst was over. Then the lights came back on and everyone seemed to breath a sigh of relief at once even though the sounds of sirens could be heard from outside.

However, the heads of both families were furious as they exchanged looks with the understanding that they needed to talk privately now!

Standing at the front of the hall, Largo focused everyone’s attention and announced, “I’m sorry, Everyone. But as you may realize, we need to assess what just happened. Please bear with us. In the mean time, there is food and drink available in the next room. I will make another announcement as soon as possible.”

Moments later, the members of the Watanabe and Chang families and their key personnel were gathered in an office near the lobby.

“Reika is not picking up her phone, nor is Irene or Kou,” Jun reported nervously to the elder Chang. She couldn’t help but meet Densuke’s gaze every once in a while, like they couldn’t help but make eye contact even though their mutual concerns were clear.

The old man looked grim as he gripped his cane with almost trembling hands. He then whispered to his own assistant and said, “I want every Clan Elder to be considered a suspect, even if they’re attending this event.”

“They said no one is in the bridal suite,” someone else relayed from his side of a phone conversation.

Sho bit his lip as he cradled his daughter, who thankfully remained asleep through all of the commotion.

With his phone to his ear, a solemn Largo raised his hand to get everyone’s attention. “They’re casualties in the south stairwell number three. There are reports that there had been gunfire involved.”

As the group now moved to urgent action, Yoshiko watched the activities with a stone expression. She then pulled out her own phone as if to make a call, thought better of it and decided to put it away for the time being.

* * *

Stingray Country Home

Stretched out in the bed, Sylia stared up at the ceiling in the dim light that still made it through the closed curtains. Her body felt like complete lead, a sign that her sleeping pills were in full affect, but her brain wouldn’t let go of consciousness. As if there was just something incredibly wrong.

She closed her eyes and tried to force all thoughts from her mind. And sleep still eluded her. But now she suddenly had a strong impulse to call Nigel.

With full concentration of her stiff arm, she reached over to the nightstand and picked up the phone.

When she saw Nigel’s face, the mixed expression of surprise and worry were all too evident to her.

“What just happened?” she managed to croak, her voice not having been used in days.

The man took a deep breath and answered. “There was a raid of the hotel, with military-style helicopters. Priss and Cynthia managed to take care of them. But I’m monitoring the communications in the hotel. There’s confidential word going out that Reika is missing and is believed to be kidnapped. The people who were last seen with her, including her sister Irene were found dead.”

It was only the fact that Sylia was lying down and literally already sedated that kept her from responding to his words with sheer emotion and panic. She finally cleared her throat and ordered, “Send someone to fetch me. I’m not in a condition to drive any vehicle right now.”

There was a mild look of relief in Nigel’s eyes as he answered, “I’ll try to get someone out to you within the next half hour.”

Once the call ended, Sylia laid back down on the bed and finally felt herself slip into a much needed sleep even if it would only be for a few minutes.

- End Chapter 26 -

* * *

Chapter 27: End of the Tunnel

12:04 p.m., June 17th, Matsumoto Industries Factory

Putting the battery powered lantern on the ground, Mei stood over the unconscious form in the blood splattered wedding dress that was stretched out on the muddy basement floor of the abandoned warehouse. She pulled out the medical injection gun and inserted the small vial. She was hardly a medical expert but she had been through the process more than enough to know the basics of giving someone a shot.

Once she had emptied the contents into Reika’s forearm, she stood back and waited.

While she knew she was on a time-limit, she wanted to relish every second possible. She loved the sight of this normally pristine beauty being covered in the filth.

As the new drug started to counteract the sedative, Reika started to slowly stir back to consciousness. Once her eyes opened, she seemed alert and bewildered by her surroundings as she looked at the mud that covered her and stuck to her hair. But once she glanced over and noticed the other woman, she froze and her eyes narrowed with a hateful glare.

“So you must have remembered everything,” her captor said, “Good. Anri was supposed to kill you. But for some reason she malfunctioned. And so I decided to initiate Plan B, which is me. What you see before you is a boomer shell that now houses the brain of Mei Asakawa.”

The information was a momentary surprise to Reika, who then immediately started to take stock of their surroundings.

“We’re a couple of floor underground,” Mei explained as she made a general motion towards the almost collapsed ceiling. “It’s the part of Tokyo that the government decided to not bother rebuilding after the last few earthquakes.”

Reika clearly had several questions on her mind as she tried to focus. She finally asked, “Was Anri supposed to kill Irene as well?”

“No. It was an unexpected opportunity that I had decided to take advantage of. Your lead bodyguard as well.”

“… And so you brought me here to finish the job,” Reika concluded. “Was killing me always your plan?”

Mei’s face went dark. “I don’t know. But it’s all I can think about these days… This body is the second time I’ve cheated death. And even then, it’s only a temporary measure. My brain has been going through accelerated deterioration for years because of the boomer technology that I’ve been exposed to. Even though this shell is now the ultimate indestructible form, it’s estimated that my brain will start to lose the ability to manage critical functions in less than three years. I already don’t remember a good portion of my childhood, even through my teenage years… Yoshiko doesn’t even know any of this.”

“Was she part of this assassination plot?”

“Of course not,” she answered grimly. “And it won’t take long for her to figure everything out. So my time with you is limited… Yes, my end goal is to kill you, but if that doesn’t happen, I want to make certain that you ‘understand’ me as much as possible.”

Prompted by Reika’s look of concern, Mei explained, “That night you walked out on Sylia was the start of when everything really fell apart with the Knight Sabers. She became an obsessive maniac and made battles decisions based on that. At least when you were there, she had some sort of balance.

“But you had left and the rest of us stayed. And I did it willingly because I believed in Sylia and her cause. As a result, I was rewarded by becoming a mechanical freak while you went and lived the life of the poor, whiny little princess. Now, that is not fair, is it?”

Clearly fearful but cautious, Reika stayed perfectly still, not breaking the eye contact with harsh glare.

“And I tried to let it go. To live my own life. But when I heard that Sylia was expected to be your Maid of Honor?! It may have been for a short time but that was just unacceptable! You should not be rewarded for betraying her. You make her weak!”

Reika cleared her throat and said, “So you orchestrated all of this to get your revenge?”

“Don’t flatter yourself!” she growled. “I merely took advantage of the enemies and mess you made on your own. They just needed someone who could provide some guidance and inside assistance when needed. I just didn’t tell them that your head was mine alone… But the clock is ticking…” With that, she turned pulled out another vial of liquid and loaded it into the injection gun.

“Mei, you have someone who truly loves you and is devoted to you. That’s far more than what I have.”

The woman paused for a moment and said frankly, “You’re right. And that does make me feel better, but not by much.”

Seeing that what was going to happen next was inevitable, Reika focused the attention on the loaded injection gun. “What is that you’re going to give me? You’re going to knock me out again?”

Gripping the other woman’s arm like a vice, Mei held up the device proudly. “No, this is the real starting point. Even though someone might need a boomer prosthetic, there are definite compatibility issues that limits the type of persons who can have them. But even with that, most people try to do it anyway because the perceived benefit of having almost normal human capabilities are just too much to pass up. This is the first true test of compatibility: it’s a vial of the serum that focuses on making a person’s brain and body conditioned to work with the boomer nanobots that are required to control the prosthetics.

“Of course, when taking this kind of treatment, doctors always warn people about side effects. The usual: dizziness, headaches, blurry vision, et cetera. Every person who has gone through treatment has had a reaction of some sort. Obviously, the more mild reactions are the people who become successful boomer cyborgs. And there are quite a few people who have severe reactions, some even fatal. But, the one side effect that affects everyone equally is permanent sterility. After all, boomer brains aren’t made to replicate all human functions.”

Before Reika could even react to the words, Mei immediately pinned her down and injected the needle into the base of her neck.

As the liquid entered her body, Reika grit her teeth to try to keep from crying out. It felt as if acid seared through her veins and flesh. She soon began to shriek in complete agony as she writhed on the floor.

Mei stepped back in surprise. She had never expected this intense of a reaction. But as she watched the other woman scream and convulse, her lips curved into a pleased smile.

* * *

The Silky Doll

Sylia had just stepped foot into the Pit command room when excruciating pain suddenly flooded her brain. She gripped the edge of the nearby console to steady herself.

Already concerned by her haggard and gaunt appearance, Mackey immediately stood help to catch his sister should she fall. “Sylia, maybe you need to rest first!”

“We don’t have time!” she snapped. “I just need to take some aspirin.”

Mackey flashed a desperate glance at Nigel, Priss, Cynthia and Henderson.

Priss shrugged her ‘what can we do?’ response, which was the shared feeling of the rest of the group.

“I’ll get some!” Henderson announced as he urgently exited into the elevator.

“So what leads do we have?” Sylia said as she tried force composure.

“Unfortunately, we have too many leads,” Nigel stated softly. “The helicopter attack and the power outage made a perfect cover for whoever took Reika. From the communication we’ve heard, the families are trying to figure out who’s behind this too.”

Sylia frowned and immediately typed into the nearest keyboard to initiate a video call. The main screen lit up with the name Yoshiko Watanabe before the image of the woman herself suddenly appeared.

Now dressed in a simple suit, Yoshiko was apparently alone in a hotel room. She was clearly surprised to see more people than Sylia on her phone screen but she quickly focused on the other woman. “Yes?”

“What do you know?” she firmly demanded.

Clearly reluctant to answer, Yoshiko said, “I have… a suspicion that I haven’t been able to confirm yet.”

Sylia narrowed her eyes at the hint of hesitancy. “… Was it Mei?”

“I don’t know for certain. But she was the only one who could have pulled this off given that there were clearly inside elements to this. She was supposed to be visiting her mother in Kyoto but she hasn’t been seen since last night.”

“And there’s no way to track her?”

“No. And you wouldn’t recognize her if you saw her. Her brain has been transplanted into the original boomer shell that we had stolen from Genom. --”

Nigel jolted slightly in alarm but he kept quiet.

“-- If she hasn’t killed Reika by now, it’s going to be soon.”

Sylia looked as if the wind had been knocked out of her as she braced herself against the console.

“I have my people looking at all possible places she could be. Our network is monitoring any possible way she might try to leave the country.”

“Fine. Report any status back to me. I’ll get my own network on it.”

Yoshiko gave a brief nod before ending the call.

Sylia looked at her anxious team mates and said softly, “We’ve got work to do…”

* * *

12:58 p.m. The Watanabe Grand Hotel

Along with several dozen other reporters, Lisa Vanette sat quietly in the hotel meeting room that had been quickly prepared for the press conference. While this was definitely front-page newsworthy, she was skeptical on what she could write. The two families in question had shadow reputations that would limit what she could put in print. And with war zone level damage to the building and in the surrounding neighborhood, she knew that the full details weren’t going to be publicly disclosed, at least not this soon after the event. This was another case of hurry up and wait, which was part of her job.

Finally, a group of very well dressed men and women entered, though clearly for the standards of the wedding that had been expected to take place two hours earlier.

Lisa made a mental note that besides Largo, who was leading the group, she didn’t see any other members of either the Watanabe or the Chang families present.

With an air of absolute authority, Largo approached the podium and spoke into the microphone, “Thank all you for coming. The Watanabe and Chang families apologize for the inconvenience that this afternoon’s unexpected activities have caused. We’ll will take full responsibility for all damages, including to any unfortunate persons who may have been harmed in the nearby neighborhoods.

“As for the reason for this attack, we do not have a firm statement to make at this time on the matter as we’re still looking into it with the assistance of several government agencies. Many of our guests are prominent members of the world’s political and business communities so we have not ruled out the possibility that one or more of them could have been the real targets.

“The wedding will be postponed indefinitely but all of our guests and staff will remain in this hotel while all preliminary investigations are being conducted. Our staff will let you know when we will have the next press conference. I’m sorry, but at this time I am not able to answer any questions but I hope I can the next time I speak before you.”

With that final statement, Largo then turned and led his entourage away, completely ignoring the questions shouted by the hungry press.

Lisa kept quiet and made sure that her recording of his speech was saved for later.

In the back of her mind, she knew she could probably dig up more information by using her resources, but a part of her decided it was best to let things unfold as needed for the time being.

- End Chapter 27 -

* * *

Chapter 28: Full Circle

3:48 p.m., June 17th, Matsumoto Industries Factory

It took hours but Reika finally stopped convulsing on the floor, collapsing in a gasping heap in mud and her own filth.

And Mei watched every moment in fascination. She was especially pleased when the writhing woman started vomiting a mixture of food, blood and black sludge, all the while whimpering and groaning in agony.

Satisfied that this step had reached its completion, Mei walked over and knelt down by her victim. She reached down and tapped Reika on the forehead to check how conscious she was.

Reika, who had been staring wildly into space during her fit, suddenly focused her sight on Mei. She snarled and clutched Mei’s throat with both hands.

Not at all concerned by the attack, the other woman chuckled at the primal response. This is just getting better and better!

“Good! I was hoping you would finally fight back!” she declared as she gently gripped Reika’s right upper arm and started to slowly squeeze her boomer hand.

* * *

Silky Doll

Sylia’s sheer force of will looked as if it was finally feeling defeat as she started to nod off in her chair.

As Henderson gently wrapped a blanket around her, the three exchanged a look of agreement to be as quiet as possible.

Both Nigel and Mackey were hunched over their separate computer terminals, each absorbed in their tasks of searching and gathering information.

Suddenly the woman bolted upright in her chair, her expression wide-eyed and panicked.

“I can feel where she is!” Sylia said as she stood with groggy steps.

A bewildered Mackey was about to say something but Nigel signaled for him to be quiet.

She quickly regained her physical control and started to walk towards the elevator. “I have to go to her now! Get the others to follow my signal”

Nigel was on his feet in an instant and grabbed her arm, “Sylia, wait!”

Sylia froze and stated in a deeply emotional tone, “Nigel, I have to go! There’s no time!”

Keeping his tone as calm as possible. “I know you do. Take me with you. There’s a good chance she’s going to need medical attention!”

For a brief second, Sylia was clearly speechless as she stared at him. Then she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a brief kiss before taking him by the hand to the hard suits.

Mackey let out a sigh of relief as he started the process of alerting everyone.

* * *

Matsumoto Industries Factory

With fresh blood dripping from her hands, Mei stood over the still figure and watched for any movement beyond the occasional twitch and spasm.

At the least, Reika was bleeding to death. With both of her eyes gouged and her right arm snapped off, she was surrounded in a pool of red and brown muck. Her right leg was crushed and twisted from the thigh downward.

To kill her now would just make the inevitable end come faster.

Mei frowned to herself as she thought that it would be an act of mercy, and that was not the point of this exercise. And she hadn’t even done all of the damage she had planned to do.

The faint whine of a hardsuit landing nearby caught her attention. She didn’t have to guess to know which one it was. Intense feelings of anger and betrayal once again absorbed her thoughts.

Mei turned to the trunk of equipment she had nearby and readied herself for a real fight.

* * *

In the bright sunlight, Sylia easily punched through the rusted metal doors of the warehouse, which was filled with the ruins of concrete and metal from the collapsed roof and upper floors. She stepped forward and immediately caught sight of the lone figure who stood on top of the tallest pile of rubbish. The person was dressed in black military style suit with a helmet and several weapons.

Sylia’s rage drove her to leap right at the calmly waiting target. She nailed the woman with a tackle to the stomach, sending them both flying towards one of the still standing walls. Just before they collided, Sylia felt the blow of some sort of explosion against her helmet. It was only a moment of disorientation, but enough for Mei to get the upper hand and shoot more rounds of the anti-boomer guns into the white hardsuit body.

Upon seeing Sylia swat Mei into the air, Nigel tried to ignore the sounds of fighting as he focused on his task at hand to find Reika based on Sylia’s verbal descriptions of where she might be. With the weight of his special backpack, he immediately spied the door that led to stairs leading underground.

It didn’t take long for him to see the glow of the lantern that had been left behind and he stopped in his tracks when he saw Reika sprawled out on the floor. He grit his teeth at the immediate thought that if she wasn’t dead, she might be better off that way.

Pushing that thought away, he frantically rushed to her side and opened his special backpack. As he tried to put some pressure to her open limb, he pulled out the container of the special mixture of blood and serum and inserted the tube into Reika’s neck. Almost immediately, he thought he could see Reika start to relax as the fluid started to spread through her.

He couldn’t help but think it was ironic that he had been inspired to develop this special medical kit because of the very battle that had started to turn Mei into what she had become. And he always thought he would use it on a Knight Saber -- not Reika, of all people.

He then pulled out the special scanner and waved it over her body. Sure enough, her human vital signs barely registered. However, her nanobot signs were at maximum levels. He noted that her own body’s sources must be involved because the serum mixture didn’t contain enough to cause such a strong reading.

He pulled out his phone and called Mackey. “I’m with Reika! Direct Priss and Cynthia my coordinates! We need to get her to a medical facility ASAP!”

“I’ll let the hospital know -- !”

“Wait!” Nigel ordered as an idea hit him as he watched the scanner continue to show maximum nanobot readings for the fallen woman. “We’re taking her back to the Silky Doll! Prepare tank two with solution seventeen.”

“Um, all right,” a confused Mackey responded, knowing better than to question or argue.

* * *

As she pulled herself out of the pile of concrete, Mei knew she was sustaining damage, but it was simple to ignore the signals coming from the implanted part of her brain. She could have just let Sylia kill her to end everything, but her own emotional turmoil and drive for survival wouldn’t let her do that.

With her swords out, Sylia leap at her again, though it was clear she wasn’t moving as fast or efficient as she should be. But it was enough of a lag to make a difference in a fight like this. And the explosions hadn’t actually penetrated her hardsuit but dents and cracks were apparent.

Mei dodged Sylia’s attack and once again shot an anti-boomer shell into the crack in the clear torso. The hard suit finally gave way and Sylia screamed in pain as blood spurted from her abdomen.

As she watched Sylia crash into the wall, Mei heard the whine of two other Knight Sabers approaching. But instead of landing to help Sylia, they were focused on ripping open the floors above where she had abandoned Reika.

Now Mei was mad again. The Knight Sabers were supposed to be committed to helping their leader, not the one who abandoned and rejected them! This is all messed up!

From the crumpled door of the warehouse, Yoshiko aimed her own anti-boomer rifle at Mei’s neck and pulled the trigger.

The single shot was all that was needed.

* * *

4:42 p.m. The Watanabe Grand Hotel

“Reika has been found but she’s in critical condition!” Largo announced to the anxious members of the family.

A mixed response of relief and concern went through the group. Several people were still immersed in grieving for Irene and the others who had been killed.

“However, in agreement with the Chang Family, we’re going to refrain from making any announcement about her until her condition is more… conclusive. We’re also keeping her whereabouts a secret for security purposes. So I think at this point, those who do not need to be here should head home. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.”

Once Largo’s announcement was done, Jun looked over and saw Densuke sitting quietly by himself in the corner. He seemed to be staring down at the still full glass of scotch in his hands.

She cleared her throat to announce her presence as she walked over to him.

He looked up at her and managed a faint though tired smile.

“So are you coming with us?” she asked, referring to the handful of people who were going to head over to Sylia’s home to see Reika.

“Of course,” he said as he stood up and brushed off his suit. He put the drink on a nearby table.

Feeling compelled to say something, Jun said, “Despite her condition, I’m glad they found her. It’s a small amount of hope with everything that has happened.”

Densuke gave a solemn nod. “It’s probably the first time I have ever been grateful that Sylia was in her life.”

- End Chapter 28 -

* * *

Chapter 29: Moving Forward

5:28 p.m., June 17th, The Pit of the Silky Doll

In only her underwear as a small token of modesty, Reika was stretched out in the tank, completely immersed in a thick blue liquid. Along with a breathing mask, several tubes were connected to her body, especially at the stump of her right arm. A thick blindfold covered where her eyes had been. The faint beep of her heart beat came from one of the monitors nearby provided

Very grim and pale, her grandfather clutched his chest as he stared silently down at her.

“As you can see, Sir,” Nigel explained, “She does have a steady heart beat now, even though it’s faint. When we had first hooked her up, she had almost no readings for her vital signs. Irene’s blood helped stabilize her.”

He nodded. “You made the right decision, Kirkland. I’m certain she would have died if you had taken to a regular hospital. At least now she seems to have a chance. So how many injuries did she sustain?”

“Apart from her eyes and arm, she has an extremely low amount of blood and shattered right leg. And she has high toxicity levels from something foreign that may have been injected into her. We're still performing tests so there may be more damage we haven't discovered yet.”

“Besides Irene’s eyes, is there anything else we should retrieve?”

“I think it would be a good precaution if we could also have as much of Irene’s stem cell matter as possible…” Nigel looked clearly uncomfortable in making the comment but the priority of trying to save the living was more important at times likes these.

The old man nodded to his assistant, who immediately started to call their contacts.

Jun glanced around at the equipment that put the Chang and Watanabe labs to shame. She glanced over at the young man who was focused on a monitor hooked up to the frozen Anri. And as she glanced around at her companions of Grandfather Chang, his assistant and Densuke, she seemed to be the only one who was in awe of her surroundings, even though she tried to hide it. The only other person nearby was the statuesque, beautiful woman she had recognized as Nigel’s other assistant.

Then her mind turned back to the night of Densuke’s rambling drunken vent about Sylia being more than just a shopkeeper made her wonder if he knew about this all along.

The old man then glanced around the lab, as if taking in the surroundings for the first time. “Where’s Sylia-chan? I wish to speak with her.”

“She had been wounded so she should be upstairs resting in her bed. I’ll check to see if she’s awake.”

* * *

Henderson closed the door behind him to ensure the two had the maximum amount of privacy for their talk.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa, that I can’t get up to greet you properly,” Sylia said softly as she remained in the bed. She wore her bathrobe to cover the fact her torso was wrapped in gauze and bandages. Now that her adrenaline rush was over, she was incredibly physically and emotionally drained.

The old man chuckled from the chair positioned by the bed and said, “You are hardly the one to be apologizing to me all things considered, Sylia-chan. And thank you for everything. I admit I was disappointed to hear that you had bowed out of the wedding completely but I guess it turned out to be a good thing in the end.”

Sylia blushed slightly and gave an acknowledging nod. “I am truly sorry to hear about Irene. And Kou. I know you had considered him to be like a son.”

He winced. “Yes, yes, far too much has happened today. While I must take care of those matters, I must also firmly believe that Reika will pull through and yet make preparations in case she doesn’t. It’s the horrible position of being a leader, as you well know.”

“What about Nozomi?”

“Her father is clearly devastated but luckily there are several people available who can help take care of the baby for the time being. We have time until we have to figure out what must be done for her future. With everything that has happened, I can’t take chances with her safety.”

Sylia gave him a firm look and said, “Reika will pull through. I can feel it.”

The old man met her gaze and then chuckled. “Your love for her is as strong as always. Perhaps I should have approved a marriage between the two of you since the beginning. None of this would have happened, and my granddaughter would have led a happier life in general.”

She laughed, but then winced at the pain. “Would you have honestly approved such a thing?”

“Would you agree to it?”

Sylia blinked at the realization of the change in his tense. Her smile immediately faded. “I’m honored, Grandpa, but…”

“Yes, yes, I know. Kirkland is clearly a good man. You’ve done well for yourself.”

He was quiet for a long time, clearly trying to focus his thoughts. “Life is a very unexpected journey. I had my heart devoted to another young man in university, though we never took it to physicals levels. But I had chosen my family responsibilities over him. And now I am glad that I made that choice given the children, and their children, that I’ve been blessed with, even if almost all of them were taken away too soon. Yet, every time tragedy strikes, there’s always a part of me always wondering if I had made the right decision. And I’m sure I would have felt the same doubts if I had my dilemma had involved a woman that my family would not have approved of.”

Sylia reached over and squeezed his hand. “But I’m certain that once the initial pain has passed, you’ve come back to the conclusion that you did make the right decision after all.”

He squeezed her hand back and said, “Too true. I suppose hard decisions do make life richer… I’m sorry, you need rest rather than hear an old man babble on. We’ll talk again soon, Sylia-chan. Sleep and recover.”

* * *

6:11 p.m. Yamazaki/Vanette Apartment

Lisa sighed and turned off the television as soon as the special broadcast ended. She looked down at Linna, whose head was on her lap with Fluffy stretched out on hers.

“You’re not going to ask me any questions, are you?” Linna asked as she looked up at her. She knew her wife’s article for tomorrow’s edition of the Tokyo Sun was already written and sent to the editors.

Lisa ran her fingers through the thick, short hair. “Am I allowed to ask them if they’re off the record?”

“… Maybe.”

“How are you feeling?”

Linna blinked, clearly not expecting that one from the Vanette reporter arsenal.

“I’m worried about Reika. Still in shock about Irene. I mean, I just had lunch with her last week. -- But mostly I’m feeling selfish about being very glad that I’m here with the person I love and who loves me.”

“Me too,” she said with a gentle smile. “Have you talked to Sylia at all about this?”

“No, I’ve been staying clear since she needs her rest. But Priss said they’re worried about her. Even if Reika pulls through, Sylia is going to feel guilty about this for the rest of her life. Priss also said that she’s never seen Nigel hover the way he is around Reika right now. There’s no doubt in her mind that he’s really doing all of this for Sylia. I had to admit I agree with her.”

“I guess he really does love her after all. I have to admit I never really could tell, being the minimally expressive man that he is. But apparently that works for the two of them.”

Linna sat up and gave Lisa a gentle kiss, one that was heartfelt rather than passionate.

“Everything that happened today made me really aware of how life can change abruptly and without warning,” she said. “I feel like I was caught off guard, and I don’t like that feeling.”

“I know what you mean,” Lisa commented, sensing though that there was more she wanted to say.

Linna gave her a focused look and said, “You know, we never seriously talked about having children even though I think both of us just assumed it would happened somehow. And since accidental pregnancies aren’t really in our future…”

She smiled. “So are you asking to talking about it now?”

“Are you okay with that?”

“Of course…”

* * *

8:27 p.m. The Watanabe Grand Hotel

Standing out on the balcony, Yoshiko stared out at the lights of the city before her.

Largo walked into the dark suite and used the draft to focus his attention on her silhouette. He walked up side his twin sister and put his arm around her shoulders.

She remained stiff to his touch but he didn’t let go.

“I am so sorry, Yoshi,” he said softly.

Perhaps hearing the worry in his tone, she relented and leaned against him. “Mei’s mother has agreed to having the funeral at the end of the week.”

“Do you want me to come?”

“No. Our family has been shamed enough… I should be able to wrap up my final report to Mr. Chang by then too. Once that’s done, I’m going to head back to Rome. I’ve had my fill of this city.”

“You’re the strongest one of us. You’ll get through this.”

“What about Densuke? Have you talked to him?”

“A little bit. He said there is hope for Reika for as long as she’s in Sylia’s care. I think he’s rattled and just needs time to process it all. I think we all do.”

- End Chapter 29 -

* * *

Chapter 30: At Peace

12:16 a.m., June 21st, The Pit of the Silky Doll

At the sound of the elevator ‘ding’, Mackey glanced up from performing maintenance work on Priss’s Moto-slave. He grinned at Sylia, who grinned back.

Well rested and, thanks to her hyper-healing, almost completely recovered from her wounds, Sylia was dressed in her t-shirt and overalls. It was now her routine to end the day by checking in on Reika, who was still in the stasis tank.

Returning his attention to his task at hand, Mackey was pleased that his sister seemed to have emotionally and mentally recovered as well. She no longer gave off the intense, obsessive vibes that she had prior to the incident. It was as if an emotional calm had finally returned to her now that Reika was in their care.

Sylia looked down at the sleeping woman for a minute. She started to reach down to touch her face but stopped when her fingertips touched the thick liquid that separated them. As if woken from her reverie, she then focused her attention on the nearby monitors and started to pushing some buttons. A couple of seconds later, Sylia frowned slightly.

“Mackey, when was the last time this monitor was calibrated?”

“We did it when we set it up for her,” he answered. He grabbed a rag to wipe his hands as he walked over. “Why?”

“According to this, her weight has increased by a couple of milligrams since yesterday. That shouldn’t be possible.”

He looked to see what she was pointing out. “Hmm. Well, let me run a full scan to see if I can pinpoint where this mass increase is being detected.”

Just as he was about to initiate the program, the monitor lit up with an incoming call status with Leon’s name on it.

Leon blinked in surprise to see Sylia and Mackey answering the call. He had a haggard look of someone who had been up far too long as he was clearly calling from somewhere out on the Tokyo streets.

“Hi, Sylia, Mackey. We just got an incoming call that a couple of street gangs are trying to settle a turf war at a construction site. Apparently they’re using the equipment to settle matters and they’ve already caused a lot of damage. We’d send someone out but we’re overextended with two standoffs and the aftermath of the Watanabe Hotel siege.”

“So you want to see if a Knight Saber or two can settle it,” Sylia said.

Even in the dark, he looked clearly embarrassed. “Well, yeah. If you’re able to find someone who’ll do it.”

“Well, no one is here right now,” Mackey answered. “I’ll have to see if someone is available to come in –“

“I’ll do it,” Sylia said.

Both men looked clearly surprised.

“What? I am a Knight Saber, too, you know,” she teased them.

“Great!” Leon blurted as he quickly recovered. “I’ll send you the info now!”

While the phone call continued with the other two, Mackey used another terminal to prep the hardsuit for launch. He couldn’t help but smile as he did that.

* * *

11:07 a.m., June 23rd, Chang Enterprises, Tokyo

Jun paused at the office at the sight of Densuke clearly immersed in reading files on the computer screen. She had to admit she was a little amazed at how natural he looked in Reika’s office.

It had only been a day since it was publicly announced that Reika would be on indefinite medical leave, and business seemed to be moving forward as usual.

She cleared her throat and tabbed on the door frame lightly.

A little startled, he blinked and looked up at her, smiling in response.

“Is there anything I can do or get for you so far?” she asked. She couldn’t help but feel a little strange at making such an offer to him as she thought about their confrontation on that hotel balcony but she forced it out of her mind.

“No, not right now. Just trying to recharge the business side of my brain.”

She was genuinely surprised by that comment because she had completely forgotten that he had a business degree from Todai. She had wondered if there was another reason why Grandfather Chang had given him the role of Acting CEO instead of doing it himself. And as Reika’s fiancé, no one questioned him taking over the figurehead position even though he had almost no exposure to the company’s business matters.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll catch up. As you know, my office is just around the corner. The green button on the speaker phone is my direct line to both my desk and cell phone.”

Just as she said that, both of their cell phones buzzed with an incoming text message.

The message was from Sylia and marked urgent: Reika’s eyes seem to be growing back. Will provide another status when we have more information.

While Jun was glad and relieved, she couldn’t help but wonder how that was possible. She knew they were holding off implanting Irene’s eyes until they felt Reika could handle such intense surgery. She didn’t know they were possibly doing other experiments on her.

“Don’t question anything. Just accept it,” Densuke said at the puzzled expression on her face. There was mild jadedness in his tone.

He quickly put the phone away and asked, “Actually, do you have lunch plans?”

Even though the answer was no, Jun was clearly a little reluctant.

He held up his hand in oath. “I swear, just business. I assume you’ve got your finger on the pulse of everything around here. And I’d think such a conversation would be more worthwhile over good food.”

While she knew the conversation could be kept to business only, she wasn’t comfortable at the thought of having such focused one on one time with him. But she’s a big girl, right?

“I’m free to leave whenever you are.”

* * *

9:07 a.m., June 25th, The Pit of The Silky Doll

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think we have a choice,” Nigel said to Sylia. “The leg is too mangled. Her body is already overtaxed with recovering. Having it also work on a limb that can’t be useable will just cause unnecessary complications. The latest scans show that the nanobot activity level drops considerably just above the damage. It’s as if the body already knows her leg can’t be saved. We could get some other doctors for another opinions if you want. Maybe there are other medical treatments that I’m not aware of, even if they’re in experimental phase still.”

“No, I understand,” Sylia said grimly. It was the first time since that day that she seemed a little unsure. “Let me talk to Mr. Chang to see what he wants to do.”

Wanting to say something else but not knowing what, Nigel put his hand on her shoulder.

She brightened at his touch and embraced him in a full hug. “Nigel, I know you’re doing everything you can. Thank you.”

* * *

2:11 p.m., July 7th, Off the Coast of Bali

Under the bright sun, Yoshiko took off her scuba gear and allowed herself to walk around the deck of the yacht in her bathing suit. With her gun out, she made the final rounds that indeed everyone on board was dead, especially her target.

Satisfied that she was the only living person on board and within several kilometers of open water, she used the ship’s satellite connection to send an encrypted message that her task was done. She then relaxed in the captain’s chair and regarded the Hou-Bang ring she had taken off her victim. This would be the end of the list of Clan traitors who had participated in the wedding attack.

Normally, she would have minimal emotion in carrying out her assignments. But this time it was personal.

She felt tears start to form in her eyes. Instead of holding them back, she allowed them to silently fall.

It was probably the first time in her life that she allowed herself to cry.

* * *

11:10 a.m., July 9th, The Silky Doll

“ -- See, you cut them into bite size pieces,” Cynthia instructed Anri as they stood by the kitchen counter over a pile of carrots and potatoes. “They don’t have to be exactly the same size. Just big enough that someone can put it in their mouth and chew comfortably.”

Clearly not understanding what still seemed like imprecise instructions, the other boomer stared back at her while holding up the kitchen knife in preparation for tackling her task.

Henderson, meanwhile, stood quietly off to the side and focused his attention on preparing the rest of the lunch. He wasn’t about to get in the middle of a discussion between two combat boomers armed with kitchen knives unless he had to.

“If you do a direct link – “

“No,” Cynthia said firmly, following the agreed upon method by everyone of teaching Anri better social and verbal communication skills. “Here, open your mouth – “

Suddenly, Anri looked distracted, her attention was clearly focused inward for a moment.

Cynthia waited. She knew the only thing that could cause this kind of interruption would have to be some new information from her secondary feed to Reika’s monitors.

Anri then reported, “Reika’s brain activity has suddenly increased to ten percent of human normal levels… Explain why am I opening my mouth.”

* * *

4:06 a.m., July 19th, The Silky Doll

Reika slowly became aware of an overwhelming mixture of haziness, stiffness and pain throughout her body. It was dark but she felt warm, as if she was immersed in a nice bath. She wanted to open her eyes, but something didn’t feel right, like a mixture of intense pressure and pain. She also started to feel the something covering her mouth and nose even though she could breath clearly.

Still, with these confusing jumble of sensations, she started to focus on the realization that she was indeed alive.

With that final thought, she allowed herself to drift back into to a deep sleep.

- End Chapter 30 -

* * *

Chapter 31: Healing

8:14 p.m., July 20th, The Silky Doll

“So how did you find me?” Reika asked from the bed with bandages over her still healing eyes. She was understandably thin and weak, and her long hair was braided into a single pony tail down the side.

“It was as if you were calling to me,” Sylia responded as she sat on the edge of the bed while holding Reika’s left hand in hers. “Like an S.O.S. I mean in hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised she took you there. But obviously that wasn’t the first thought on our minds.”

“Can you feel me calling you now?”

“… No, but I’m right here. So you probably don’t feel like you need to.”

Reika was pleased to hear the slight smile in Sylia’s tone.

“Well, I have to admit that while I don’t remember a lot of what happened, I do remember wishing you were there… That place was where she had been injured the first time, right?”

Sylia reddened in embarrassment, grateful that no one else to see it. “Yes. It has originally been an office building under construction before a boomer rampaged and drew us there. They had since torn it down and turned it into a factory before abandoning the site completely after the last big earthquake… The wounds she gave you were parallel in the damage she had received, though I think a lot more brutal. I guess it all made sense as fairness in her mind… I am truly sorry about this, Reika. I – “

Reika stopped her by squeezing her fingers. “I know you are, Sylia. And I forgive you. For the whole thing. Even the parts that weren’t really your fault.”

“That’s a lot to forgive in such a short time.”

“I think the lesson I learned from Mei is that being stuck in the past when you’re still alive is the worst place to be,” she said with a weary sigh. “Forgiving doesn’t mean that I won’t try to keep learning from this. And it doesn’t mean forgetting. I’ll keep wondering how much of my own actions led to this to some extant. I just need to not let anger and obsession consume me the way it did her. I’m not saying that I’m going to be perfect at it, but I realize I need to try otherwise I’ll end up like her.”

“Well, then that means you need to forgive yourself, too.”

“… Yes, you’re right. Besides,” she held up the stump of her arm as a point, “just this is enough to show I can’t go back to being the old me without some significant effort. I wonder if I wasn’t trying to live in the past myself. I need to define who I am going forward with an unbiased view of all possible options.”

“Does that mean you’re still going to marry Densuke? Nigel feels the nanobot attack damage to your uterus will probably fully heal, once your body has finished with your eyes.”

Reika was silent for a moment before saying, “It’s fair that he knows everything so he can determine if he still wants to continue with the engagement. After all, having children was the one thing we both knew would be the most important thing out of our union.”

Though it wasn’t what Sylia wanted to hear, she tried to be positive by commenting, “Well, I do hear that he’s done a good job managing the company in your absence. Perhaps this will let you stay Reika Chang, private citizen, for as long as you need to.”

“True… And it would be nice to go back home as soon as possible.”

The comment caused Sylia to be momentarily stiffen in alarm.

Reika felt it and teased, “Now what was that about? Were you expecting me to continue to stay here?”

Sylia once again blushed. “Well, what are you going to do about your arm, and your leg?”

“I’m a rich girl. I have servants. And they’ve had to take care of before when both of my arms were incapacitated… Did you want me to stay?” she asked in a gentler tone. “Sylia, I told you that I forgive you. I don’t want you hovering over me any more than necessary while I’m trying to recover. Besides, this is your home, not mine… Now I’m starting to feel like I need to sleep again.”

When Reika was once again asleep, Sylia stood by the bed and continued to stare down at her. Her expression remained grim with a hint of pain and longing.

* * *

7:01 a.m., July 21st

“… Oh, okay,” a stunned Jun responded as she paused in taking notes in her datapad. She hadn’t expected Reika’s order to continue to be Densuke’s personal secretary.

Hearing this reluctance in her tone, Reika cocked her head curiously. “Are you having problems with Densuke? Has he been behaving himself?”

‘Too well’ was what Jun wanted to reply but thought better of it. True to his word, the man had never made reference to the stifled attraction between them, which was both a relief and point of frustration for her, embarrassingly so.

“Yes, things are fine. He’s been a perfect gentleman. But you are planning to return to take over?”

“Eventually. I just don’t want you to be bored while waiting for me to recover. He and the company needs you more than I do at this point.”

“I wouldn’t be bored!” Jun proclaimed. “I-I’m here to be your personal secretary. Not his, or anyone else for that matter.”

Reika actually chuckled at this. “All right, that’s very cute but I know you don’t have a crush on me, otherwise I might reconsider. Might. I’m not saying that I won’t still need your services on occasion. And speaking of which, did Yoshiko complete tracking everyone down who contributed to the siege?”

“Yes. As suspected, she found out Genom was the ultimate supplier of the helicopters and their crews. If she hadn’t used her connections, I don’t think we would have been able to uncover that.”

She mulled that over for a moment, clearly not pleased with the information, but not surprised either.

“Are you also bowing out of Clan activities too?” Jun asked, realizing that she needed the clarification since the Hou-Bang Clan and Chang Enterprises were really two different operations.

“Yes, Grandpa is going to continue representing me to the Elders… Can you also call Densuke for me and let him know that there’s something I need to discuss with him in person?”

“Oh, all right. Is it urgent?”

“Probably not. But better to be done sooner rather than later… And while you’re at it, I’d like to speak to Yoshiko when it’s a reasonable time for her in Rome.”

* * *

3:14 p.m.

Densuke couldn’t help but stare at the stump of Reika’s right arm and leg. It didn’t look right at all. At least the bandages over her eyes seemed temporary, but the missing limbs felt very… permanent.

Realizing that she would have to endure such scrutiny going forward, Reika waited patiently until he had really absorbed the reality of her condition.

Her fiancé suddenly became aware of the silence and blushed in embarrassment, glad that she couldn’t see it.

“Um, are you still in pain?” he asked softly as he sat down in the chair by the bed, not sure how else to start their conversation.

“I get an occasional twinge but I’m sure I’ll feel more when I start being more active. My eyes feel numb and tingly but Nigel theorizing it’s because they’re still healing. I think that was the one benefit of having been in an coma during the time my body needed to do the most critical healing.”

“Oh… So Jun told me that you don’t remember much of what happened. That’s probably a good thing… I haven’t really spoken to Yoshiko about it,” he said of his sister. “But I have to admit I don’t know what to say to her. I can tell she feels deeply ashamed of what Mei had done. She even apologized to me, which she’s never done in her entire life. Not that she ever had a reason to, of course.”

“That’s good to know. I had planned to call her later. I want to let her know that I don’t blame her at all. When I heard that she was the one who… stopped Mei, I couldn’t imagine the discipline it would take to do something like that.”

“Yes, my sister is an incredible woman,” he said sincerely, with a distinct note of pride. “Largo will be the first one to admit she’s the true embodiment of the Watanabe family spirit and honor.”

“Speaking of honor, thank you for stepping in as acting-CEO. Both Grandpa and Jun have told me you’re doing an excellent job.”

“I am merely being a figurehead,” he said with uncharacteristic humbleness. “Your company is a very well-oiled machine in terms of its operations. I think my other role as your fiancé was an incentive for everyone to go out of their way to work with me.”

“Actually, speaking of our engagement, I do want to have a serious conversation about that. To make all things fair.”

He frowned at not knowing what this was leading to. “I am still fully committed to it, if you are able to forgive my family in this matter.”

“Well, this time, isn’t about you as much as it’s about me. When you came to my bedroom that night before to ask for a truce, I wasn’t as upfront as I should have been about my condition.”

“What do you mean?” He was now genuinely confused.

Reika took a strengthening breath before explaining, “A couple of days before, Sylia had let me know that she had a physical condition that she had passed on to me some time when she and I were together. There were no symptoms and we didn’t know if it could become something more serious later on. I was not happy about the news because it made me concerned that I shouldn’t bear children and pass it on to them.

“Obviously, in hindsight, this condition was probably what kept me alive through that ordeal as well as heal my eyes. But with that, Mei did something to me that almost destroyed my uterus. Nigel thinks there’s a good chance that once my eyes have finished healing, my body may try to heal that as well, but obviously we don’t have any guarantees with that. Having my eyesight come back was unexpected enough. Plus, while this condition that I got from Sylia turned out to be a good thing for now, we don’t know how it may affect any children I have. I could end up producing mutants for all we know.”

Reika felt her voice falter as she heard herself articulate what had been in her mind about her current physical state. “So what I’m saying is that I don’t think I’ll be able to hold up my part of this arrangement, which is to produce heirs. And if you want out of this engagement because of that, I understand. With everything that has happened, I don’t think there would be any animosity between our families should we choose to dissolve this amicably. But I want you to know the truth since this affects you just as much.”

Densuke was silent for a long moment as he tried to process everything she just said.

Finally, he swallowed and said carefully, “I appreciate your offer to let me out of this, but to make such a decision when so much is still unknown would not be honorable. Perhaps we should have this discussion again should it turn out that you cannot have children at all?”

It was her turn to be silent as she thought about his response. “… I appreciate your support,” she said after moment. “But, Densuke, I also want to make sure your own guilt about what happened in L.A. isn’t a factor in your decision to remain committed.”

He was genuinely surprised by that. “Honestly, Reika, that wasn’t a factor in my response. Though I admit it still haunts me on occasion.”

She sighed. “Then, I think it’s good we cleared that up. And you’re right in that perhaps it’s too soon to have such a discussion. We’ll talk about this again when things are more settled.”

* * *

7:12 p.m.

Even though she couldn’t see Yoshiko’s image in the phone screen, Reika could hear the very distinct tone of passivity and weariness in the once proud and regal woman. If she had her eyesight, she wasn’t sure she would have noticed it as much.

“Your Clan traitors have been executed per your grandfather’s orders,” Yuko reported softly. “I did discover a couple of business rivals who had minor participation and Largo is in the process of dealing with them by orchestrating takeovers that should be completed within a year.”

“So it seems all loose ends have been taken care of. Thank you.”

“I am just grateful that you do not feel it is a poor reflection on my family’s involvement in this mess.”

“Of course, I don’t, Yoshiko. I know how much you love Mei. And Nigel explained to me that she was probably driven to her final state by long term and excessive exposure to boomer bio-matter.”

“While that is true, and not to dismiss responsibility, our flaw was that even though we could develop the hardware to match Genom’s, the source material still came from them, with all of its flaws included. And given your own relationship with Genom and Rosenkreuz, that would my warning to you if you are considering boomer prosthetics at all.”

“Understood. Even before Mei, I never wanted to take that option for those reasons…”

Reika let out a weary sigh of her own and said, “I feel like I’m having déjà vu. It was exactly this reason why we decided to create Anri. Genom always seems to be the reason behind everything… I have a personal favor to ask of you, and I need it to be done in absolute secrecy, if you’re willing.”

“I am willing.”

“It’s regarding my parents’ deaths. I want something confirmed.”

* * *

9:37 p.m.

“Good news is that non-boomer prosthetics technology has become much more sophisticated in the past fifty years,” Nigel said as he scanned his datapad before the two women, “Not at all my area of expertise but Sylia or I might be able to hook you up with a trustworthy doctor for consultation.”

As he spoke, he was trying not to be distracted by the sight of Sylia sitting on the edge of the bed while holding Reika’s hand. He didn’t like the unnerving feeling he was trying to ignore.

“It’s probably just as well I become accustomed to that,” Reika said softly. “It’s not like I really need as much dexterity as I had. Even with a boomer prosthetic, I don’t see myself ever playing the piano again.”

Sylia immediately frowned in alarm.

Reacting to sudden tension in her hand, Reika said, “Sylia, it’s all right. Given the scope of everything that has happened, that’s on my list of small losses. I’ll be happy enough when I reached the point of being mobile again.”

As if an idea hit her, Sylia opened her mouth but then paused. She glanced at Nigel, apparently thought better of it, and remained silent.

Nigel stifled his frown. He had never seen her look so hesitant before, but he chose to let it go.

“According to the scans, I think we should try to see how your eyes are doing by the end of the week,” he said, turning his attention back to the datapad. “You may not have full 20/20 vision right away but I’m curious to know what you’re eyesight is compared to what the scans are showing us.”

“Of course… And, Nigel, thank you for everything. I know you weren’t suddenly expecting to be my personal physician.”

He looked at her and to Sylia, and then said, “You’re welcome.”

* * *

1:26 a.m., July 24th

Alone in the stillness, Reika finally felt the loss and despair hit her. She started to cry and soon found herself completely sobbing uncontrollably.

She may not have remembered a lot of Mei’s abduction, but the vivid sensation of witnessing Irene’s murder could still be felt in her remaining hand. It was enough to make her wish that it had been torn off too.

Then she heard the door slide open and close, but she wasn’t alarmed at being exposed in her most vivid moment of weakness. She knew who had arrived.

Knowing that she didn’t need to announce herself, Sylia sat down on the edge of the bed and embraced the woman, who collapsed willingly into her arms as she continued to sob.

- End Chapter 31 -

* * *

Chapter 32: Turning Point

9:32 a.m., July 29th

Though still remaining in bed to conserve her energy, Reika carefully cradled her baby niece, who looked up at her with a curious gaze. She no longer had the eye bandages but she still had to squint to make out details.

Sho quietly looked over them. He had a certain haggardness about him as shown by his beard that was there due to lack of shaving rather than an attempt to be fashionable. His clothes were still pristine, but more due to having servants to do laundry rather than any extra effort on his part.

The proud father said, “She’s a doll. Everybody adores her, and she seems to adore everyone… I hope it doesn’t change when she becomes old enough to understand what happened to her mother. I would like her to grow up strong, but not bitter.”

“That’s a good goal… How are you doing?”

He shrugged and tried to blink back tears. “Every once in a while I find myself wanting it to not be true. So I guess that must mean I’ve finally started to accept that she’s gone. I am so grateful that we were at the compound when it happened, when there were so many people who could take care of Nozomi when I couldn’t.”

“What are you going to do now? Grandpa told me that he did not want to continue with the new identity plan now that Nozomi truly is the only real heir to our family line and needs utmost protection.”

He looked at her for a moment and then said, “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve thought about it seriously for the past couple of weeks that I’d like you to consider adopting her and raising her here. You and the compound families could protect her so much better than I can, as well as provide her a rich home life. After all, I’m still a wanted man by Genom’s standards.”

Reika fell silent as she seriously contemplated his words.

“I’m not saying you have to pretend to be her mother,” he continued to try to persuade her. “I want Nozomi to know about Irene. But perhaps that’s information she doesn’t need to know about until she’s old enough to handle it… And I’m sorry to spring this on you when you have so much to deal with now. I guess the problem is that I’ve had longer to think about this than you have.”

She gave him a sad smile. “True, I feel like I’m a month behind everyone.”

He hesitated a moment and then said, “Can I ask you a question? Did you feel like you had died?”

“… For good or bad, I don’t remember a lot of what happened. I get an occasional flash but nothing that feels like I walked down a dark tunnel towards a light or anything. And I’m not sure I want to try to go out of my way to remember more. I’m satisfied enough to view it as a month lost. Well, we lost more than that, but you know what I mean…

“Back to your request about adopting her, thank you for feeling like I could be a good substitute mother for Nozomi, Sho. But you’re still my brother no matter what happens in the future. And she needs you as a father, especially in Irene’s absence. Why don’t you both move back to the compound? I think we need to evaluate all of our security issues anyway. If you still want me to give me shared guardianship for her, I am fine with that. So unless you have another reason to want to go to London, or to continue with the plan to go to America, please come home.”

Sho seemed deeply relieved as he shook his head. “Thank you, and yes, I’ll move back.”

“Contact Jun to make the arrangements. I’m certain we have plenty of room. And it’ll be something for me to look forward to when I’m back on my feet -- er, foot. This also means you can continue with your work in boomer technology, if you wish.”

He let out an even deeper sigh. “More and more I’m finding my work less rewarding with everything I’d witnessed lately. Maybe I should get out of this field eventually.”

“Yes, you might leave, but I don’t know if that means they’ll let you go as a target.”

“True.”

* * *

7:11 p.m., July 30th, K’s Garage

At the ding of someone coming near his private entrance, Nigel looked up from working on Linna’s scooter. He went to a nearby terminal, saw that it was Sylia carrying a picnic basket. He couldn’t help but be a little stunned and pleased.

Minutes later, Sylia placed the picnic basket on his kitchen table. “I’m very certain you haven’t had a meal recently that wasn’t a sandwich that you ate in the garage.”

That was certainly true. “So what did you bring me?”

“A very nice meal, cooked by Cynthia and Anri… As a precaution, I did take a preliminary taste and it is delicious.”

“Who would have known that decades of being immerse in boomer development would have such a reward.”

Then he spied the chess set that was the signal that Sylia had a lot more on her mind than just eating. A lot more.

“So what’s going to be at stake tonight?” he asked.

Sylia shrugged playfully and said, “Whoever wins gets to be on top?”

“You’re giving me a very good incentive to lose.”

“Did I?” she responded just as playfully as she started to set the table.

Nigel didn’t move as he watched her for a moment. It was as if she really was here to spend time with him, and just him. He didn’t feel any sense of distraction from her.

And that was more than good enough.

* * *

5:06 p.m., August 7th, The Chang Family Grave, Hong Kong

Able to stand with her new artificial leg and crutch, Reika stared at the grave markers for the ashes of her immediate family. She looked over at the waiting spots for her and her future family.

Sylia stood quietly by and held her hand for support.

To give them maximum security and privacy, a dozen bodyguards, including Anri and Cynthia patrolled the area as open and camouflaged presence.

“I honestly don’t know what I should do, Sylia,” Reika said softly. “I mean, I can’t claim that I’m honestly surprised by what Yoshiko found out. But as leader of the Clan, I feel honor bound to initiate a hit on Rosenkreuz -- which I must admit is not an unpleasant idea.”

“Is it the idea of ordering a kill bother you?” Sylia asked softly.

“… I’ve done it before. Admittedly when I felt like I had no choice. In fact, I was called weak for this very reason. But a person who has the amount of power that I have shouldn’t have to keep making decisions as if they’re out of my control. And I can’t let revenge become an obsession for me, otherwise I didn’t learn my lesson from Mei.

“I just know that the answer shouldn’t be that simple. With Rosenkreuz gone, another type of Rosenkreuz will take his place, just like he did with his own grandfather. And it will all happen again, just with different people.”

“So is it that you want to destroy Genom?”

“Again, that goal feels too… simple. Even though we have our personal issues with the company, there’s a lot of people in the world who benefit from the services it offers. Genom has the monopoly on boomer technology for a reason… Sho made a comment that he didn’t want Nozomi to grow up being bitter but strong. And that’s the kind of role model I’d like to be for her but I’m not sure how. It’s like there’s a bigger picture out there that I’m just not seeing.”

“… Or perhaps being purposefully blind to it?”

Hearing the leading tone in Sylia’s words, Reika looked at her and asked, “What would you do?”

She opened her mouth to answer but then paused. She then said, “I don’t have your perspective. When I created the Knight Sabers, it was inspired out of revenge. You know that.”

“But it’s evolved into something better now.”

She shrugged. “Not out of my purposeful actions, I assure you. It had more to do with the others than me… But it seems you’re looking for the better option. And I don’t think you would be looking for it if you didn’t know on some level that you had such options available to you.”

“Are you going to tell me again that I should make my own rules?”

“You’re the boss.”

“Am I?” Reika said with distinct doubt in her tone.

* * *

4:14 p.m., August 12th, The Hou-Bang Compound, Tokyo

“It’s awkward but better than nothing,” Reika said as she showed off her new prosthetic arm in the dining room. “Once I get the chip implant, it’s supposed to increase response and flexibility to near natural behavior. And the chip should work on my leg too. They’re supposedly the best non-boomer prosthetics on the market.”

Even though he was clearly uncomfortable, Densuke tried to keep his staring to a minimum. Jun stood quietly to the side and found her attention immediately drawn by the buzz of her data pad.

“When are you planning to do the surgery?” he asked.

Reika winced at the thought since she had just moved back home for good last week and wanted to relax. “I have to admit I don’t like the idea of having someone cut me open again so soon. And since I don’t really need that much mobility and flexibility, it really is just an optional enhancement if I want it, that I could continue with just physical therapy to see how far I could get my mobility back without the chip. But I was told that without the implant, using these limbs will be a lot more physically tiring for me because control is being done via body movement compensation rather than a mental signal or two. So I should do it, and the sooner the better that way I can take back my job of CEO from your hands.”

Densuke raised his eyebrows in response as Jun looked up from her data pad.

“… Unless you want to keep the job?” Reika teased him.

The man was momentarily stunned by her tone. In his entire life, he’d never been the target of her playfulness before.

He blushed and said, “No, no. It’s yours. I’ll be happy to hand it back when you’re ready.”

Jun watched the two of them and felt her heart tighten, which made her extremely uncomfortable, but then the message on her data pad distracted her attention again.

“Excuse me,” she interrupted carefully, and probably a little happily, “Reika, there’s something you need to see on TV right now.”

The three of them immediately moved to the nearby living room and turned on the television. Jun had grabbed the remote control and moved to the couch to sit down, which Densuke immediately stood to give her prime seating. His movements were apparently too close for her comfort and she jumped back a bit. They both momentarily fumbled around each other’s body space before finally sitting down with very forced casualness.

Reika noticed this awkward waltz but said nothing as she waited for Jun to find what she wanted to show them.

While Jun searched for the channel in question, the room became a little more crowded as some other curious members of the household wandered in, including Anri, who had been helping out in the kitchen.

Then Jun found the broadcast in question. It was a Japanese Business Information show with an interview between a newscaster and Genom’s Quincy Rosenkreuz. The bottom text on the screen read: “Genom announces new line of pseudo-human bodyguards and other high level security services.”

“—So you admit that you’ve actually had these products and services available only to special customers?” the dapper newsman asked of Quincy.

“Yes, we had developed these products at the request of special customers, included some government agencies for Japan and other countries, like the U.S. We felt it was high time to offer these products to the general public so that they know such security and protection can be available.”

“But your prices will still be for the elite level of consumers?”

“True,” he conceded. “These are not cheap products for creation or maintenance. Each one is customized to the special needs of the customer, including the capabilities and features required. The average consumer wouldn’t need such services to begin with.”

“Then why go ‘public’ so to speak? You’ve obviously been successful providing such products to your private client base.”

“Well, that’s just it. They’re a private Genom client base. We want to offer our products to consumers who are not our normal customers. They are people who may need such services but not know we have them readily available for the asking. Or at a price they may consider reasonable.”

The interviewer then took on a sly tone and said, “I have to admit when I first read this briefing, I immediately wondered if the timing could be related to the disastrous Watanabe/Chang wedding that took almost a dozen lives on top of very expensive property damage. Could you comment on that?”

Quincy actually paused briefly, as if for effect, and said, “I won’t deny that our private clientele placed several orders directly after that event. It then led us to realize that perhaps we needed to market our products to others who may have developed concerns after that… incident.”

“Are the members of the wedding party your clients?”

Quincy held up his hand. “I am not allowed to reveal my clients’ identities… But I can say that if Genom had been involved, those lives would not have been lost. And Ms. Chang would not be on medical leave right now.”

Whatever else was said from that moment onward was lost to Reika. As the rest of the room tensed up in awkward silence, she carefully stood and stiffly walked out of the room. She gripped her crutch so tightly that her fingers looked white.

- End Chapter 32 -

* * *

Chapter 33: Decisions

4:29 p.m., August 12th, Silky Doll

“ – If you want to kill him now, no one will blame you. In fact, I think people would expect it,” Sylia said to Reika’s video image on her phone since she had been reading a book in her living room. “… Unless you’ve finally figured out what your ‘better’ option is.”

And even though she tried to sound passive and supportive, she couldn’t help but be secretly thrilled that Reika had called her first.

The other woman took yet another deep breath to calm herself down. “Even more than ever, I really don’t want to sink to his level, but at the same time I want send Anri after him. After having gone through a near death experience, I feel like I should ignore his…”

Then the idea started to form in her mind. “… Now that I think about it, there is something I want to do… But to do it, I would need your assistance. And Nigel’s too.”

Sylia was both surprised and intrigued. “He should be in his garage. I’ll conference him in now if you want.”

“… Yes, please do it because if you two say ‘no’, then there’s no reason for me to think about this idea any further.”

* * *

11:09 a.m., August 20th, The Watanabe Grand Hotel

In the corner of the packed room, Jun waited near the TV monitor that showed the live broadcast of the press conference on the other side.

Even though she knew what Reika was about to announce, she couldn’t help but feel her heart pound wildly as the first time she heard it.

Reika looked as beautiful and polished as ever for her first public appearance since before the attempted wedding. She projected an aura of self-assurance and ease amidst the flood of camera flashes and spotlights. Densuke and Largo stood by her side as they were part of the news she was about to present.

“ – I thank you for that warm welcome and the well-wishes during my absence. As you can see, I am sufficiently healed from that unfortunate incident that took lives of dear family and friends, including my own sister. And I thank you for respecting my families’ privacy in this period of grieving and adjustment. I have asked this pressed conference to be held because I have four significant announcements to make.

“First of all, as many of you know, I had been out on medical leave to recover from the injuries I had sustained. To make it known what had happened to me, I was caught in a confrontation that resulted in the loss of my right arm from the bicep down and my right leg from the upper thigh down. I am currently using basic prosthetics and physical therapy to readjust to my previous lifestyle.

“Second, the Chang and Watanabe families will be rescheduling the wedding for spring of next year. We are absolutely positive that we have resolved the reasons for the disruption to the last ceremony.

“The third announcement is that, effective immediately, I will be stepping down as CEO of Chang Enterprises, with my fiancé Densuke Watanabe set to continue to perform those duties in permanent capacity. He has led the company effectively in my absence of the past two months and I have confidence that he will continue to do so to greater achievements. I will continue to remain on the Board of Directors in Advisory capacity.

“My last announcement is that I will be the CEO of a new joint venture that has been established between Chang Enterprises and the Watanabe Group that will be called Kyuusei Industries. This new company will be ready to do business at the beginning of next year and will be headquartered here in Tokyo. This will be an international company which will consolidate the independent work both parents companies have done in the field of weapons and security.

“We will also be entering the medical market, with plans to be on the cutting edge of research and development of products for hospitals and patients, including that of boomer technology. As a show of faith in our products, I will be the first patient for our company. And in two years or less, we expect that all products we offer will set the standards for quality in their respective fields. Both parent companies have known and experienced first hand, the current standard has been very low due to the monopoly in those fields…”

Jun stopped listening as Reika started to field questions from the rabid group of reporters with her standard charming and clever style that had made her a darling in the business world at her debut.

Jun couldn’t help but stare at Densuke and was reminded of the growing awkwardness she was feeling as each work day that went by. Now with the announcement of the man staying on as the CEO, it meant that she would go back to supporting Reika. At first she was thrilled, but then she realized that it meant that Densuke needed to hire a personal secretary of his own, and that she would have to train that person.

The handful of finalists were all young, pretty women, and Jun felt her jealousy start to burn every time she thought about it. It baffled and dismayed her to no end. And she started to get a feeling that he made those choices on purpose.

More and more, she started to think that perhaps she needed to submit her resignation to Reika while she had the chance to retain her sense of personal piece of mind and pride.

* * *

8:09 p.m., The Rooftop of the Silky Doll

Sylia opened the bottle of wine to finish their first full dinner alone since even before the wedding fiasco. They were standing by the railing to take in the view of the city in the evening light.

“Congratulations! The business world seems to be turned upside down by your announcement. Not many people have the opportunity to declare open war with Genom, though I’m impressed that you never actually said the word ‘Genom’ in the entire press conference.”

With a self-satisfied smirk, Reika held up her glass to be filled. She was still finding it awkward to rely on her left hand, but it felt better to use her natural one than the artificial one. “I have to admit, I’m feeling very good. Especially in that part where I made that product to product challenge. They say Genom has a ‘no comment’ on that.”

“I admit I’m almost jealous,” Sylia declared as she poured their glasses.

“Well, you don’t have to remain a silent partner, you know,” Reika teased.

Sylia chuckled in return. “Oh, and then why don’t I put a sign out front ‘Knight Sabers are here!’”

“And I’ll help you a press conference for that too!”

As the women laughed, Sylia paused and stared at her with a deep smile.

Noticing the focused attention, Reika stared back and asked, “What is it?”

“I think you really are on the path to achieving real peace with yourself.”

“Well, if I am, it’s thanks to you.”

Sylia’s smile immediately faded. “But –“

Reika stopped her with a deep hug. “Subject closed,” she whispered into her ear. “All right?”

Sylia nodded and hugged her back.

The women parted enough to look into each other’s eyes to give a confirming smile.

And then their smiles faded as they found themselves realizing another subject was starting to open itself up again.

As soon as she felt Sylia’s pounding heart against hers, Reika kissed her. And Sylia kissed her back. It was a kiss that was as real and full of emotion possible between them.

They don’t know how long they had kissed, but when it was clear they were reaching a point that it wouldn’t be enough, they finally parted. They averted their eyes as they tried to regain composure.

As she tried to control her breathing and heartbeat, Sylia swallowed and cleared her throat. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped, as if at a complete loss for words.

Calming herself as well, Reika looked at her as the longing and fear made their awkwardness return. Without a word, she turned to leave.

* * *

10:32 p.m., The Hou-Bang Compound

Jun sat glumly at the kitchen counter over her plate of a slice of peach pie that was barely recognizable from being picked at more than eaten.

She jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of Reika in the doorway. She had expected her boss to be out much later, like tomorrow morning.

The women looked at each other for a moment in surprise and then shifted into trying to be comfortable with each other.

Looking at the mauled dessert, Reika asked, “Is there any left?”

“Oh yes! Let me get it for you!”

Reika was about to protest but Jun was already off her stool and at the refrigerator. She carefully sat down on another stool and asked, “Not able to sleep?”

She nodded sheepishly. “Just can’t stop thinking about… things.”

“Anything you would be willing to talk to me about? After everything I’ve gone through, hearing someone else’s problems would be a nice change.”

As she handed the plate to Reika, Jun blushed deeply and said, “It’s embarrassing more than anything else.”

“… Is it about you and Densuke?”

Jun’s blush was so deep that she almost turned a shade of purple. “There’s nothing going! I swear!”

“I realize that. I can tell,” Reika said as she took a bite and savored it. “When I had first realized you were attracted to him, I felt sorry for you because I thought you could do better. And especially because you knew him better than his other… distractions. But when did it become mutual?”

“I—It hasn’t been long. And I told him nothing was going to happen.”

Reika looked at her curiously. “Why not? I wouldn’t have anything against it. Especially if it would make you happy.”

She shook her head, doing her best to fight down her embarrassment despite her rapidly beating heart. “While I had always expected to work in the services of your family, we’re really not from the same world, Reika. I always grew up with this belief that I would marry the man I loved. It may seem incredibly naïve and old-fashioned but it’s something I’m willing to stick to.”

Reika was immersed in thought as she took another bite. Then she admitted, “It’s a good standard to have. And I respect that.”

Jun then swallowed and said, “And that’s why I think I need to resign. It’s becoming too complicated for me. And I’m ashamed about it. I mean, I’m willing to work for any other part of the Clan or Chang Enterprises where I may be needed. But being his or your personal secretary just blurs the lines too much right now that I can’t feel like I can maintain my professionalism.”

“I would like you to reconsider that. And I’m willing to work with you, whether it’s giving you some leave time or changing your duties slightly.”

After eating half the slice, Reika pushed it away and said, “You know, I thought Densuke’s behavior change was due to guilt about Los Angeles and the seriousness of pending fatherhood. Now, that I think about it, I’m wondering if he really changed because you… because I’m certain it really had nothing to do with me.”

“He loves you. He always has. He was incredibly jealous about Sylia… and Leslie.”

Reika looked at her for a moment. “It must have been hard for you to know that. Well, whatever feelings he may have had for me wasn’t real love, and I’m sure he knows that now. He just hadn’t had the experience to put it in perspective before…”

Suddenly, a dark look settled on her face. She then carefully stood from the stool and said, ”I’m turning in. I’ve had a long night. But please wait a bit before making the final decision about resigning. We’ll talk about it again later. Good night.”

* * *

10:14 a.m., August 23rd, K’s Garage

“She’s checking out fine,” Nigel said of Anri, who was in the process of having her latest readings analyzed by Mackey. “How has she been behaving?”

“Good,” Reika answered, trying to ignore the extreme awkwardness she was feeling with him. “Now that she’s discovered cooking, the kitchen staff has been putting her to work when we’re home. It’s improving her social skills somewhat. She’s still pretty quiet for the most part but maybe that’s just her real personality that’s showing.”

“Does it bother you?”

She shook her head. “Given that she spends the most time with me, I appreciate her silence.”

“Well, I think once we’ve done these final tests, she should be pretty clean that Sho’s team can continue her maintenance support again.”

“Good. I appreciate what you and your team have done for her… Have you had a chance to take a look at the specs for the new facilities?”

He nodded. “I’ve made some preliminary notes. I wanted to let it sit a bit before giving it a final assessment. Have you had Sylia look at it yet?”

“Um, yes, Jun said she received Sylia’s feedback.”

Nigel was quiet as they watched Mackey and Anri interact from across the garage. Finally, he let out a sigh and asked, “So, she didn’t give her feedback directly to you?”

“… No, she didn’t.” She felt the hairs on the back of her neck start to prickle.

“… I heard about your engagement being dissolved…”

Reika realized it was her turn to bite the bullet. “Yes, he and I made an amicable decision. It turned out he had developed feelings for someone that he wanted to explore. And I did not want to be married to a man who was in love with someone who would be better for him.”

“… Do you mind continuing this conversation in my office?”

“Not at all.”

Minutes later, the two of them were standing on the opposite of the office with the door closed.

They stared at each other for a moment before Nigel said, “In the beginning, I could always tell by Sylia’s behavior if things weren’t well between the two of you. And when you had left, I thought her emotional outbursts were caused by Galatea, which I believe was true to some extent. But then you came back into her life, and it was if we were back in the beginning. While I’ve been with her all of these years, there are still parts of her that baffle me. I’ll bet those are the parts that you understand like the back of your hand.”

Reika studied his expressionless face. “It sounds as if you’re making an argument that I should fight for her.”

“I’m curious to know why you aren’t.”

“I know she loves you,” she answered with a faint shrug. “And you’re the one she’s with now. I guess I don’t feel the need to press the issue if the conclusion is already made.”

“That’s interesting because from my perspective, the conclusion isn’t as firm as we’re pretending because I know she loves you too. Look, I don’t want to push the issue either if I’m the official victor. But the Sylia I love best is when she’s truly happy, and you’ve always been a huge part of that. Even now.

“I admit that I am very grateful that you did not die. I’m certain it would have devastated Sylia with everything that was involved. The only time I had seen her being that close to being emotionally on the edge was when she thought Mackey had died because of Galatea.

“I can tell something very important happened between the two of you the last time you were at the Silky Doll. I think I’m… concerned that we may end up driving her into a corner where she’ll feel the best option is to not choose either of us.”

Reika raised her eyebrows at his words. “So it seems we’re faced with the real possibility that the three of us continue this emotional tango, or Sylia will just end it completely and no one benefits… And we can’t keep stalling in dealing with this given our new business venture and the fact that we will continue to be in each others’ lives.”

Nigel narrowed his eyes at her and asked firmly, “How much do you love her?”

“I’m sure just as much as you do.”

“… Then shall we call her to see if the three of us can work something out?”

* * *

3:44 p.m., August 26th, La Bella Rosa Villa, Rome

Yoshiko sat in her private office and stared at her computer screen. More emails were coming in, no doubt more business matters to be dealt with.

She decided she had to stop. She checked that none of the newest responses were from her family members and then double-checked her pending email folder. The individual emails were all on stand by, scheduled to go out in an hour. Everything else that mattered to her had been taken care of, quietly and efficiently.

She shut down her computer and locked her door.

She went back to her desk and pulled out the revolver with the silencer on it. Without further hesitation, she pointed the gun to her temple and closed her eyes. Taking a final deep breath, she pulled the trigger.

- End Chapter 33 -

* * *

Epilogue: Family

3:44 p.m., August 26th, The Hou-Bang Compound

“Hello there!” Sylia declared as she cradled the baby in her arms. “I’m your Aunt Sylia!”

With a deeply pleased smile, Reika stood quietly by and ran her fingers through her recently bobbed hair. “She has the entire household wrapped around her little finger. I think even Anri is fascinated with her. She keeps staring at her… in a good way. No red eyes.”

“She is such a cutie! Reika, you better be careful!” Sylia remarked with a wicked grin. “You and Nigel might have competition in eighteen years, or less!”

Reika’s own smile instantly disappeared. “Not even funny!”

“Oh, that reminds me, Linna called me this morning to let me know that Lisa’s pregnant.”

“Really? That was fast. Have they admitted who the father is yet?”

“No, Linna said they want to wait until the pregnancy is further along. But according to Nene, a certain male couple are very giddy about the subject.”

Reika chuckled. “Nice to know the baby with have a double set of mothers and fathers… We certainly have become a group of non-traditional families.”

“Well, just say the word and I’m certain Nigel will be a willing sperm donor to help perpetuate the Chang dynasty.”

“Again, not even funny!”

Reika playfully scowled at the other woman and wondered if this what she’s setting herself up for the rest of her life.

Then again, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

- End Epilogue -

- The End -

~ 0 ~

Author’s Note

Wow. If you’ve read this far, thank you!

So good news: it’s the end. And bad news: it’s the end.

I’ve reached my personal closure for now. I know I had announced that I would write at least two more sagas, but that was nine months ago and a lot has happened since then. For the time being, I realized I really have to work on my original stories, including ero novella number two and then an original sword and sorcery story. Plus of course, my relaunched column.

And while I could keep on writing Post BGC, I just don’t have enough internal and external rewards to do it. There’s no way I could commit to a ludicrous writing schedule of like one chapter a month because it still takes a lot of effort and time, and will always be a stressor in the back of my mind that I don’t need.

So I don’t see myself pursue the other very obvious storylines unless something happens that I need such an outlet, like the pending BGC live action film leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

Oh, and for you long time readers:

Yes, I always planned to kill Irene. It was the one piece from the original BGC universe that I knew I had to incorporate into Post 2040 and I just needed the right timing and circumstance. I admit I really liked the character but that’s what sudden death is about.

Leslie was a character created to be killed. And given the BGC theme for L-names, I thought ‘why not?’

And while I always knew that at its heart ‘Web’ was a love story, I hadn’t realized that it would evolve into a story about love and the different forms it could take, healthy or not, platonic or passionate, and all things in between. I was tired of lone wolf stories in this genre where the solution to everything seemed to be rooted in violence. So this story was purely for my indulgence while bringing to closure to storylines from the ‘Achilles’ and ‘World’ short stories. Thank you for supporting me in this exercise.

Thanks for reading! I really mean it!

P. Kristen

~ 0 ~

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