Chapter 1:

Music And Mayhem

October 13, 2033

 She was preparing for one of her shows tonight as she did every weekend night. Priss put on one of her tight stage outfits and adjusted her blonde wig. She walked over to the mirror and glance quickly at herself. 'That ought to satisfy them for awhile.' she thought ruefully.

 She dressing room door slammed opened. (If you called a drafty closet with a bare light and a mirror a dressing room.)  "Yo Priss! Two minutes until showtime!" her drummer yelled. "C'mon! Magma Diver is finishing up their set!"  The door slammed shut again.

 "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." she mumbled and turned off the light and exited the room.

 The owner of the club came onto the stage. "And now 'Hot Legs' presents our special guests! Welcome Priss and the Replicants!"

 The wild response of the packed club told him that this band was his meal ticket. He nodded toward the stagehands and the lights began to dim. The lasers flickered across the club walls and floors as the owner left the stage and Priss strided across the stage toward the microphone.

 She took the mike into her hands and softly cupped it and began to sing while rocking her body with the beat of the music.

"Searching for the whereabouts of my interrupted dream,

Which kept running down the stormy highway,

Letting all my lies and bitter illusions,

Blow off my back, with the wind.

`Big City' we're all just lonely `Heart to Heart'

Everyone's a lonely child lost in love.

`Big City' `Day by Day'

Tears only shake sleepless hearts.   

Tonight... `Hurricane'

I want.... `Hurricane'

To Tell You... `Hurricane'

Tonight.... `Hurricane'

...Touch Me.. `Hurricane'

Like you mean it.

`Touch!' `Give me Touch!'

I cannot share the pain in your heart

With darting words that merely placate.

I want you to tell me what it is

That make your eyes cloud over.

`Big City' all torn and tattered `Heart to Heart'

Tired of dancing around each other

In the tattered, broken night.

`Big City' is empty `Day by Day'

We waited anxiously for a little empty warmth.

Tonight... `Hurricane'

I want.... `Hurricane'

To Tell You `I love you.'

Tonight.... `Hurricane'

...Touch Me.. `Hurricane'

Like you mean it.

`Touch!' `Give me Touch!'

`Big City' we're all just lonely `Heart to Heart'

Everyone's a lonely child lost in love.

`Big City' `Day by Day'

Tears only shake sleepless hearts.  

Tonight... `Hurricane'

I want.... `Hurricane'

To Tell You `I love you.'

Tonight.... `Hurricane'

Feel the Hurricane

Right on your bare face

`Touch!' `Give me Touch!'

Tonight... `Hurricane'

I want.... `Hurricane'

To Tell You `I love you.'

Tonight.... `Hurricane'

...Touch Me.. `Hurricane'

Like you mean it.

`Touch!' `Burning Touch!'

`Give me touch!'

`Burning touch!'

 She replaced the microphone and smiled to the wildly cheering audience.

 She noticed that a pink haired girl in the back signaled her. 'Damn it Nene! Why now?' she thought and exited the stage.

 Priss ran back to the dressing room and started to change. "Why does a boomer always decide to attack when I'm performing!!!! Baka!!!!!!!" She threw her boot across the room.

 The dressing room door slammed open. And the owner of the club entered. "Why the hell did you just walk off the stage?????" he yelled over the music in the hall.

 "Something came up." was her only response.

 "Something came up? Something came up? PRISS, THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME THIS MONTH THAT 'SOMETHING CAME UP'!"

 "I promise that I'll do a week of performances for free. Just let me change and go." she pleaded with him.

 He sighed. "Okay, Okay. This is the last time, you know. I've got other acts that I could promote." He left the room and shut the door.

 "I'm sure you do." She pulled the wig off of her head and slammed it down. She finished changing and exited the club.

***********************************

Nene was waiting for her outside. "C'mon Priss! Sylia's waiting for us!"

 "The one night there looks like no trouble at all, a fucking boomer shows up!" Priss grumbled.

 "Oh Priss! I thought that you liked to 'suit up and kick some boomer ass to hell'!" Nene said it her perky-as-always cheeriness.

 "Yeah, I did. But that was before I told the club owned that I'd do a week of performances for free." Priss fumed.

*********************************

 Michael Kyle Mason and his band Magma Diver had just finished opening for Priss and the Replicants. They were sitting around the bar, waiting for Priss to come back on stage.

 "I loved that song!!! Can't wait to see Priss go back on!" Jenn, the bass player said. "I love her style!"

 "Yeah!" Toshi, the drummer nodded. He looked toward the stage and saw Priss' drummer and the club owner yelling at each other. "Hey, Michael. Look."

 Kaneda, the Replicants drummer walked over to the bar. "Hey, Akira! Gimme a beer!"

 A few moments later the rest of the Replicants stormed out of the club.

 "What happened Kaneda?" Jenn asked him.

 "What didn't happen? The bitch left again. She performs a number or so and leaves. No explanation where the fuck she goes. And the guys and myself can't take it anymore. It serve her right if we just dumped her ass." Kaneda finished his beer. "I'm going home, perhaps I can get into another band."

 The club owner came up to them. "Can you guys go on again? We need a band and you guys are the only ones here."

 "Yeah." Michael nodded. "We'll do it." Michael's beeper went off. "I'll be right back."

 Michael dialed the number on his pager. After a ring, a voice and picture appeared on the phone-monitor.  "Hello, Hunter speaking."

 "Hunter? It's Michael. What's wrong?" Michael already knew the answer.

 "Everything. We got a rampaging boomer out there and A.D. Police needs us."

 "Fuck! My band was getting ready to go on stage again!" Michael yelled, almost throwing the phone down.

 "Well, cancel it. We need you." Hunter said. "If it means anything, I'm sorry."

 "Fine. I'll meet you at Headquarters." He hung up and headed back to the bar.

 "Who was that, Michael?" Jenn asked. She saw Michael's face. "Not good, huh?"

 "Yeah, I've got to go to work. We've got a 'rampager' out there." Michael said. "Perform what you guys want. I've got to go."

 Toshi shook his head. "Shit, Masa is gonna be pissed. We don't want our singer scattered all over Mega-Tokyo. Be careful."

 "As always." Michael said as he ran for the door. "Give Masa center stage. You know he loves to show off."

****************************

 Priss and Nene were in the back of the Delivery van changing. Priss was still brooding over leaving her concert early.  She was going to take her rage out on something.

 "So what are we up against?" Priss asked. Her armor softly hissed shut around her feminine form.

 Sylia punched a few buttons on the control panel. A picture of the boomer appeared. "This was footage taken about five minutes ago. It seems to be the new RX-71 prototype. GENOM doesn't know what activated it, and then it broke out of the lab it was in. No one was in the lab at the time. But, it's killed three A.D.Policemen so far."

 Priss snorted. "Great, the A.D.Police get slaughtered due to another boomer. Nothing new."

 "That's not fair, Priss!" Nene squealed from the back. "Remember I work for the A.D.Police!"

 Priss yelled back at her. "I don't feel one bit sorry for you."

 Mackie's voice came over the intercom. "We'll be there in five mintues."

 "Suit up!" Sylia commanded.

 "Oh yes!" Priss smiled and put on her helmet. "Prepare to die, boomer."

***********************************

 A.D. Police Van: Highway 23 headed north.

 "Lt. Mason! Your squad is ready to move out." A tech reported from the front of the van.

 He nodded. His long raven colored hair slid about his face. "Let's go. Groups 2 and 5 go east, groups 1 and 3 move north. My group will cover the west closing the circle at Tokyo Bay. Move out!"

 The van pulled to a halt and released the 'Fire-Bee' mini copters. The teams moved off. Lt. Michael Mason thought to himself. 'I've just signed these men's death warrants.' Then a haunting, menacing little voice entering his mind. He recognized it as his own. 'Just like Tali's huh?'

 He hit his head against his fist. He had been torturing himself about her death for the last three months. He pulled on his helmet and darted off after his group.

********************************

 Tinsel City:

The boomer had just started to wreak havoc through the streets. Cars exploded into flames, people were running for the nearest shelter. And Leon's group turned up on the scene.

 "Okay, I want heavy artillery along this street now! Leon pulled out a modified assault rifle from his patrol car. He lowered his shades. "Ready!"

 "Yeah!" His patrol responded.

 "Good. Aim ahead and prepare to fire when you see it!" Leon aimed straight ahead with his group.

 About a mile down the street, Michael saw his team going down around him. "NO!" Michael lifted his rifle  up and aimed.....and just dented the boomers face.

 "What the fuck? That should have went through it's head!" It grabbed Michael's neck and started to choke the life from him. Michael looked his cybernetic assassin in the face. "You bastard!!   C'mon!!" he choked.

 A blast came from above, four armor figures descended from the sky like cyber angels. The boomer gave off a metallic howl  and released Michael. The side of his head hit the sidewalk.

 "Knight Sabers...SANJO!" the gray suited figure yelled.

 "Knight Sabers....finally.." Michael muttered and fell to the ground unconsciously.

 Priss jumped on top of the boomer. She smashed her fist straight through the boomer's head and ripped out it's control box. "Nighty night, motherfucker. Sleep peacefully....in hell."

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