Silent Möbius: Red Destiny

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 0: Tokyo

Chapter 3: A World Expanded

Authors: OSTOCOM

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Website: see our profile

Rating: PG-13 for mild language

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See the Authors’ Notes for complete disclaimer.

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"This is stupid," Kiddy moaned for what was probably the twentieth time that hour. "What a complete waste of our time. Could this *be* any more pointless?"

"The way you've been going on about it, I highly doubt it," Lebia replied sarcastically.

"You should relax more, Kiddy," Katsumi sighed. "At least we're getting some comfortable first-class seats on this plane. I had to check poor Grosspoliner in with the baggage because they won't let weapons on the plane. *He* gets to spend the entire flight alone, freezing, and in the dark."

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Roy said, tugging on his mother's skirt.

"Grosspoliner's lucky," Kiddy responded. "*He* doesn't have to spend five lifetimes waiting in this line for some security whatever when we're completely trustworthy."

"Most of us, anyway..." Lebia muttered.

"Mommy, I'm tired."

"I just don't understand why we have to take a commercial flight," Kiddy continued, unwilling to let the tirade slide. "We *have* our own plane, last time I checked..."

Lebia gave a bored glance at their uninteresting surroundings. "The chief already explained that, remember? If we take our jet, the Hawks will know for sure what we're up to and we could endanger the lives of the people in New York. It's safer for everyone if we go on a commercial flight."

"Well then, let them spend their security stopping the Lucifer Hawks, and not us humans."

"Mommy, I'm thirsty." Roy tugged on Katsumi's skirt again.

"I know, sweetie. We'll get something to drink in a little bit."

Roy went through two more "I'm thirsty's," three more "I'm hungry's" and four more "I'm tired's" before the AMP group finally reached the metal detector. Rally got through with no difficulty. Lebia had to go through three times with all of the various wires, circuits, and other tools she had on her.

And then it was Kiddy's turn.

She emptied her pockets and took off her jacket, yet when she marched through the metal detector just about every alarm within a five-foot radius of her went off.

Kiddy moaned, and the guard looked at her suspiciously. "Are you carrying any change or pocketknives?"

"No," Kiddy barked with as much politeness as she could muster. So the guard had Kiddy walk through again...and the alarm went off again.

"Mommy, I'm bored."

The guard ran the wand over Kiddy's body, and it crackled loudly before it even touched her. The guard frowned at her. "You are carrying something that's setting this off."

Kiddy threw her hands up. "Well damn, I forgot to mention...I'm part Megadyne. My body's 97% metal."

"Don't fool around with me," the guard growled. "No human can survive a transplant of more than 75%. Now, if you're a full Megadyne, I need to see your identification papers, serial number, and manufacturer's seal. Also, all Megadynes are required to wear a muscle relaxation collar while on board."

"Relaxation...what the hell?" Kiddy sputtered. "Listen, moron, I've already had enough of standing in your godforsaken line forever, but now you're talking about serial numbers and *collars*?!"

"Listen, moron!" a tiny voice cried from the back.

"Roy, don't use such bad language!" Katsumi threw an angry glance at Kiddy.

"Threatening an officer is a criminal offense," the guard droned. "Listen, I understand you're in a hurry, and I don't want to deal with this. Just let me see a reputable manufacturer's seal, and I'll let you go."

"Manufacturer's seal? Where's that?!"

"Oh, most are on the back of the neck..." The guard took the liberty to locate the seal himself, and moved his hand beneath her hair.

This was, of course, the wrong move. Kiddy spun around, lifted the guard clear off his feet, and threw him across the room. In less than a minute, every guard that was within shouting distance of their position had their guns on Kiddy. The Megadyne, finally realizing her position, slowly raised her hands in the air. The entire line for the metal detector instantly ground to a screeching halt.

The guard that had been thrown carefully stood back up. "I want that thing dismantled! Take it apart, and don't put it back together again! It's beyond lethal!"

"Do I look like an 'it,' moron?!" Kiddy yelled back.

The head guard held his weapon up to Kiddy's face. "You realize that assaulting a federal officer is a criminal offense, no matter who you are. You're going to have to be detained, so you can forget about getting on the plane."

For the first time, Kiddy showed a look of concern. It was then that Rally, who had been standing at the front of the line, made her way back to the guards. It only took one authoritarian glare from Rally to get half the guards to lower their guns.

"Look, gentlemen, I'm sorry about this misunderstanding. My subordinates can sometimes be overenthusiastic about their jobs, and I can assure you that Kiddy was only being on her guard. You want to do your job, and so do we. It is essential that *all* of us get on this flight."

"*She* can't get on," the head guard motioned at Kiddy. "With this sort of behavior...lying to and assaulting an officer...there's no way she can pass."

"Kiddy didn't lie. Her outburst was merely a defensive reaction. She is normally very calm and collected." From somewhere up ahead, Lebia tried to hold back a sarcastic snort. Rally continued, "Our business is both dangerous and highly confidential. If you don't let us through, you could be facing charges and mounds of paperwork yourself."

The head guard looked warily at the fuming Kiddy, then back at Rally's utterly deadpan expression of seriousness. It was very easy to see that you didn't want to mess with this group of women.

"If this is a situation for higher authority, then you'll need to show us a few credentials before you can board. You understand that we can't let this sort of behavior go unchecked."

"We understand."

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

------

20 minutes later, the members of AMP were finding their seats on the plane. Roy, happy to not be in his car seat, promptly proceeded to push every button and switch within arm's length. "Mommy, where's Gosspleener?"

"He gets a different seat, Roy-kun. You'll see him once we land in New York."

"I'm thirsty."

Katsumi let out a sigh. "They'll bring around drinks once the plane takes off. Just be patient." Roy thought about this for a moment, and then went back to pushing buttons.

Meanwhile, Kiddy came and sat down on the other side of Katsumi. Katsumi had seen the Megadyne angry before, but she had to admit that this incident probably ranked in the top ten.

"You know Kiddy, you have no one to blame but yourself."

Kiddy gave an incoherent grunt of a reply.

"If you had not overreacted and gotten us all in trouble, you wouldn't have to do this. We're lucky we were able to get on this flight at all."

Kiddy gave another grunt that sounded something like "that jackass."

Roy glanced over on the other side of Katsumi. "Is Aunt Kiddy in trouble?"

"Aunt Kiddy just needs to be taught some manners," Katsumi answered. Kiddy glared.

"Mommy says I need to be teached manners too, Aunt Kiddy," Roy called over sympathetically.

Kiddy angrily fingered the cold, blinking muscle relaxation collar that circled her neck. "I have never been this humiliated! I feel like somebody's pet! How can this possibly be legal?!"

"Just relax, Kiddy," Lebia called from across the aisle. "After all, it's all you can do at the moment."

Kiddy fumed. "There better be some damn big Lucifer Hawks in New York, 'cause I'm gonna need to kick their asses!"

"Kick their asses!" Roy mimicked.

Katsumi groaned and lifted her eyes towards the ceiling. It was going to be a looong flight.

------

By the time the plane landed in New York, 11 hours and 35 minutes later, Katsumi thought that her patience had been tested to its utmost limits. She hastily scooped up Roy and their carry-on luggage and got off the plane as fast as her legs would carry her. "I thought we'd *never* get off of that plane," she groaned. "11 hours sitting in the same seat is pure torture."

"You think you had it bad," Kiddy grumbled. "Try being collared and caged like an animal. Get this damn thing off me!" she shouted in English at the security officer who was fiddling with the collar. A few seconds later he had removed it, and she gratefully reached up and massaged her neck.

"I hope you ladies have a pleasant stay here in New York," the officer said with a nod of his head before moving off.

"Rally Cheyenne?" a voice questioned to their right.

A young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties was standing next to them. She had auburn hair that was pulled into an immaculate bun, with a few stray bangs falling over her forehead. Her eyes were a stormy gray and her skin was fair with just a hint of rose undertones. She was dressed in a stylish suit-like uniform consisting of blue pants and a blue jacket that covered a white top. On the breast of the jacket, a familiar crest consisting of the six-pointed star encased in a circle sat proudly. "I'm Adara Davis, Field Commander of the ECC. I'm here to escort you to our headquarters." She smiled. "We've all been anxiously awaiting your arrival."

"A pleasure," Rally murmured. "Allow me to introduce my subordinates: Kiddy Phenil, Lebia Maverick, Katsumi Liqueur, and her son Robert."

"It's nice to meet you all. If you'll follow me, I'll show you where you can collect your baggage, and then we can be on our way."

"Please," Katsumi added. Adara Davis wondered if it was just her imagination that added the desperate tinge in the AMP officer's voice.

As she led them towards the baggage claim, Adara had a strong suspicion that the next weeks were going to be interesting.

------

"Gosspleener!" As soon as Roy saw his beloved friend, he rushed over to the turning carousel to pick him up. Unfortunately for Roy, he was just a tad too short to actually reach the sword. That didn't deter him in the slightest, however. Before anyone could react, he had clambered onto the carousel among the luggage and grabbed his prize.

"Roy!" Katsumi called frantically as the little boy was swept away along with the luggage.

"I'll get him," Kiddy volunteered.

/Help, my master!/ There was a decidedly fretful tinge to Grosspoliner's normally deep timbre. Katsumi buried her face in her hands and let out a sigh. It looked like the "fun" wasn't over yet.

Kiddy pushed her way through the thick crowd that had lined up along the carousel. By the time she made it close enough to grab him, he had passed her location again. "Damn," she snarled as she tried to make her way around.

The crowd was having none of it. These people wanted their luggage and the plight of one little boy wasn't going to stop them. Kiddy, despite snarling and shoving, still wasn't able to get close enough.

Finally she managed to get a prime spot, and when Roy came around again, she reached up to grab him and Grosspoliner. Unfortunately for her, it was at that exact moment that someone saw a bag they needed and pushed her aside to get to it. Kiddy, who had already been off-balance from stretching to reach Roy, tumbled head first onto the carousel.

Roy laughed in delight as Kiddy muttered several words that Katsumi would have hit her for using in front of her son. She grabbed Roy in one arm and managed to right herself before jumping off of the carousel. Marching back to where the rest of the group was waiting, she placed Roy right in front of Katsumi and said, "Here."

Katsumi was desperately trying to smother giggles, Lebia wasn't even bothering to hide the smile, and even Rally looked amused. Kiddy humphed and turned her back on all of them. "Stupid city," she muttered under her breath. It looked like this trip wasn't going to be the vacation she had thought.

------

When the group finally made it to the black limousine Adara Davis had rented for their use, there was an audible sigh of relief. Roy sat transfixed at the window, taking in the sights and chattering with Grosspoliner in Japanese. Rally and Adara were discussing some work-related issue, while Lebia was glued to her laptop and Kiddy was kicking back with a beer. Katsumi had slumped tiredly next to the red-haired Megadyne and appeared to be dozing.

/How was your trip, little Master?/ Grosspoliner asked Roy.

"It was fun! I got my own seat, and there were movies and the lady on the plane gave me cookies and juice whenever I asked for them and Aunt Kiddy taught me lots of new words. She slept a lot, but I didn't want to sleep," Roy said. "Did you have fun, too?"

/Well, please don't tell my Master Katsumi, but my trip was horrible! I, Grosspoliner, King of Swords, had to spend the entire ride in such an awkward situation!/

"Why? What happened to you?"

/I was tossed around with all sorts of smelly bags, and they put these awful stickers on me! It was cold and completely dark, and I was crushed underneath a pile of bags! On top of that, the entire room was very noisy and shaky, and I had a headache the entire time! It was horribly undignified, little Master./

"I'm sowee, Gosspleener! You should have asked the lady for some juice…it always makes me feel better."

/I wish I could have. But I don't think even that would have helped. In any case, please don't tell my Master; I'd be terribly embarrassed./

"Okay." Roy promptly turned around and tugged on Katsumi's skirt. "Gosspleener says the trip was awful and that he was horbelly undigiffied."

Katsumi opened one eye at her son. "Tell him he can join the club," she said before dozing off again.

The ride lasted about thirty-five more minutes before they pulled up to a rather non-descript brown building situated along one of the city's main streets. It was dwarfed by taller buildings on either side, and would have been very easy to overlook if you just happened to be passing by. A small sign in neatly printed English read simply, "Department of Agriculture."

"Department of Agriculture?" asked Kiddy in amazement. "What the hell does agriculture have to do with fighting Lucifer Hawks?"

"If you'd paid attention at all during the mission briefing, Kiddy, perhaps you would've remembered that America has a...fondness for undercover operations," Lebia replied.

Kiddy let out a snort of derision. "Undercover, humph. So," she said conversationally, turning towards Adara, "What does ECC stand for anyway?"

The young lieutenant looked like she was trying to hold back a smile as she replied, "Equine Clean-up and Control."

"Equine? As in horses?"

Now Adara was grinning as she led them into the small building. "Yes, it basically means we clean up all the horseshit around here."

Kiddy laughed and slapped Adara on the back. "Now that's my kind of job!"

"Ah, so you all made it," a new voice spoke up. Behind a computer terminal, a woman with shoulder-length red hair and brown eyes surveyed the new arrivals. "Wonderful. That saves me a lot of paperwork." She stood up to her full height of five-foot two and smiled good-naturedly. "Calixta Solaris. Nice to meet you all."

Rally repeated her introductions of the AMP group, but when she got to Lebia, Calixta's eyebrows rose. "*The* Lebia Maverick? The one responsible for the Holonic incident?"

"Interesting. I didn't know anyone even remembered that," Lebia replied.

"You mean people have forgotten about it? Tragic." The red-headed woman sighed in mock sorrow. Then she recollected herself. "But of course you want to see the commander. Right this way." Calixta gestured for everyone to follow. She then fell into step with Lebia as the two continued to discuss the Visionaire's exploits.

No one noticed Adara standing perfectly still with a pained expression on her face. "Ow," she let out after they had left. She fingered her bruised back gingerly. That woman, Kiddy, certainly had some strength!

Calixta guided the visiting AMP members through the polished halls of the small building to an office situated near the back. She knocked once before opening the door and stepping in. She saluted at the woman sitting behind the desk and said, "Commander Jameson, Lieutenant Davis retrieved our guests as you ordered."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. That will be all."

Calixta saluted again, turned on her heel, and left the room.

The woman stood and came out from behind her desk. "Mackenzie Jameson. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Rally Cheyenne." Mackenzie was slightly taller than Rally with mocha skin and black hair pulled back into a French twist. Her eyes were a warm brown and served to put most of the AMP members at ease. "As well as Lebia Maverick, Kiddy Phenil, and...Katsumi Liqueur, right?"

The others nodded. "And who might you be?" Jameson asked, bending down to Roy, who was clutching Grosspoliner to his chest.

He looked up at his mother, who translated the question into Japanese.

"Roy," the little boy mumbled, keeping his eyes to the ground and his arm tightly around his mother's leg.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Roy." The American commander smiled at him. Katsumi translated again and Roy nodded, still keeping his head down.

Mackenzie got up and brushed off her hands on her knees. "Your plane trip must have been long. Why don't you rest up and get adjusted to New York time? Lieutenant Davis is lending her guest house for your use. I'll have her take you there."

"I'd like to stay and discuss our situation," Rally said evenly. Then she turned to her subordinates. "The rest of you take some time to recover. That's an order," she added, seeing Kiddy start to protest.

"Can you find your way back to the main room, or shall I have Lieutenant Solaris escort you?" Mackenzie asked.

"I think we can find our way back," Katsumi answered. "It was nice meeting you." The others chimed in with similar sentiments as they left the room. Soon Rally was left alone with Mackenzie.

"I'm glad you replied to my message," Mackenzie said as she settled in a chair. Rally did the same but said nothing. "I hadn't expected to see you so soon, however. I'm honored."

"Well when one deals in the 'situations' we do, I think you'd agree that time is of the essence," Rally answered with a smile.

"So I would. And time is something I fear we have very little of. You've read the reports, I assume?"

Rally's eyebrows rose slightly. "I'm surprised you know. That information has been kept strictly confidential, if I remember."

Mackenzie smiled secretively. "I have my sources. But the situation is clear. Unless we seal the gates of Nemesis, Earth will not survive."

"That is what I created AMP for: to deal with the threat posed by Nemesis and to seal the gate once and for all."

"Yes. And to defeat the one responsible for this entire mess," Mackenzie continued. "Ganossa Maximillian."

"Indeed. Is that not why you called me here? You have information on Ganossa?"

"Possibly," Mackenzie admitted. "I'll admit I'm not privileged with all the information about what happened 36 years ago, but I have heard the name Ganossa. It's rumored that he hails from our humble state itself."

"He has been missing since his last battle with Katsumi Liqueur four years ago. She has a great stake in the knowledge of his whereabouts. As do I." Rally couldn't hide the brief look of pain that crossed her features, but fortunately the American woman chose not to ask any uncomfortable questions. "So I'll ask you...do you know where Ganossa is?"

"One of my agents, Lieutenant Nakai, noticed something suspicious a few months ago during three consecutive battles. She caught sight of a man watching them fight. He was at three different locations for three different attacks. He matches the description I've been given of Ganossa, except..."

"Except?"

"The Lieutenant described him as a younger man, in his twenties. I thought Ganossa was much older."

"That is puzzling," Rally agreed evenly. "However, I would like to observe your work here for awhile. If there is a chance that it is Ganossa...I think you'd agree that it would be better for us all if we eliminated him as soon as possible."

A slow grin spread across Mackenzie's face. "Well, we've certainly got enough firepower to do it. It's agreed then. You'll stay until you find evidence of Ganossa's whereabouts."

"Assuming we find him, of course…" Rally sighed with an all-too-familiar frustration.

Mackenzie noticed the strain in Rally's voice. "He won't give us the slip this time. I'm sure with our combined knowledge on him, we can stop him before he tries anything serious again."

"If you do help us capture him, AMP will be indebted to you," Rally said with a smile. "And we both know it would be good to have as much collaboration on this as possible."

"Speaking of collaboration…" Mackenzie nodded towards where their subordinates had left a few moments ago. "I think they'll get along well. Don't you?"

"Let's hope they do," Rally said.

------

"So where's this guest house everyone's been talking about, Davis?" Kiddy asked conversationally once she, Katsumi, Roy, and Lebia had made their way back to the main office of the ECC.

Adara smiled as she gracefully placed a few files in an elegant briefcase. "It's on Long Island. It's been in my stepmother's family for generations. Right on the beach, it's a gorgeous place." She finished packing and straightened up, still smiling. "Follow me and we'll head out there." Turning to her teammate, she said, "Goodnight, Calixta. Be sure to get some rest tonight."

The red-head waved distractedly, engrossed in something on her computer. Adara shook her head fondly and led the rest of the group upstairs, finally exiting onto the roof.

"A helicopter?" Kiddy's surprise was evident in her voice.

"It's a lot faster than the ferry," replied Adara. "And besides, at this time of day, we'd hit horrible traffic. This way, we can be there in no time. And *you* have more time to relax. So climb in."

They all piled into the aircraft, with Adara in the pilot's seat and Lebia opting for the co-pilot's position. Adara was impressed with Lebia's competence as they ran smoothly through the pre-flight checks. Soon they were cruising through the dusky sky over the city.

(Adara was right,) Katsumi thought as they landed. (This really is a gorgeous place.) The house was practically on the beach, three stories tall and beautifully styled. It was painted white with blue trim, and there was a small rose garden in front of the house. Ivy climbed several trellises along the edge of the house. The inside of the house was just as impressive as outside…sweeping halls, antique furniture, and original oil paintings greeted them once they entered the house.

Two people were waiting for them as they entered the large living room. A beautiful Native American woman rose from where she had been sitting on the couch and smiled. "Hello. I'm Miakoda Nakai," she greeted them. Miakoda was tall, with long black hair that fell to just below her waist. Her skin was a dusty brown and her eyes the shade of dark chocolate.

The man turned from where he had been looking out the window and strode over confidently. "Hello," he said in a rich baritone voice. "I'm Richard Price III." Richard stood around 5'11 with neatly slicked back black hair and simple brown eyes. He bowed to the assembled AMP ladies and offered them a "Hajimemashite."

They each bowed back and then completed their introductions.

"Miakoda's the third member of our group," Adara explained once everyone had settled on the couches and chairs spread around the living room. "She's our resident psychic. And Richard is the head of GenPro and also happens to be my boyfriend."

"Luckily for me," he interjected with a smile.

"GenPro, of course!" Lebia said as she snapped her fingers. "I thought I recognized that name. You're related to Richard Price, founder of GenPro."

"I'm his grandson. And you are Stephen Maverick's granddaughter, are you not?"

Lebia looked slightly surprised. "I am Stephen Maverick's granddaughter. My grandfather always said that he never would have gotten the Visionaire community off the ground without Richard Price's help. Your company has done great things for us."

Richard smiled. "Thank you. When my grandfather started the business, he had a few Visionaire friends, Stephen Maverick included. My father and I have always thought that Visionaires represent the future of humanity. We've tried to dedicate GenPro to helping them with whatever they need."

"I hate to interrupt," Adara said as she placed a hand on Richard's forearm to get his attention. "But I'm sure you ladies are all exhausted from your flight. Why don't we continue this another time?

"Of course, how rude of me. If you'll beg my pardon, ladies, I'll let you get your sleep. It was nice to meet all of you." He stood and offered them another genteel bow before he let Adara lead him over to the door. With a few whispered words and a quick kiss, he was gone.

Adara reentered the room with a slightly far-away look in her eyes. She shook it off when she noticed the scrutiny she was receiving, both from her teammate and their new guests. "Follow me and we'll get you all set up for the night," she said quickly, hoping to change the subject. She led them down the hall and then upstairs towards the guest wing.

Katsumi gave Roy a "don't touch *anything*" look as they set their luggage down. The entire house was ridiculously lavish and left Katsumi wondering just how much their auburn-haired host was worth.

"Well, this is quite the setup. I'm wondering if we should ask Rally to raise our salaries for fighting Lucifer Hawks," Kiddy mused.

"Oh no, the government doesn't give us *that* much funding," Adara sighed. "Most of this is inherited. And also, some of it is my own…I've made some extra money on some albums."

"You sing?" Lebia said. "It must be nice to be making a nice profit off of hobbies while having a job such as ours."

"I really don't sing that much anymore, but I did it a lot more before I joined the ECC." Adara waved her hand as though dismissing the issue. "Trust me, I'm kept pretty busy nowadays. We all are."

Kiddy seemed somewhat skeptical. "Huh. I didn't even know Lucifer Hawks were known in America until now…I thought they were restricted mainly to Tokyo, or at least Japan."

"We wish that were the case," Miakoda sighed. "But they seem to be everywhere these days. The number of appearances has been climbing steadily, and the government still won't give us more funding."

"It might help to have more members, too," Kiddy added. "Three people fighting Lucifer Hawks? We have a tough enough time with a group of six."

"I think we handled things okay when there were just three of us, Kiddy," Lebia interjected. "I'm sure they do fine."

Katsumi then glanced over at Roy, who was yawning and looking incredibly bored at this obviously adult conversation. "I think I should put Roy to bed," she said, gathering her son in her arms. "It's been a very long day, and I'm sure that we can get to know each other more tomorrow."

"Absolutely." Adara stood up to help Katsumi and Roy with their luggage. "Tomorrow we have a lot to discuss. And of course, we'll have to show you the sights of New York. I'm interested in hearing how you all handle Lucifer Hawks."

"Same here," Katsumi said. Adara helped bring in their large suitcases, and then went off to go help Kiddy and Lebia get situated in their own rooms. Katsumi pulled off Roy's clothes and helped him to get on his pajamas, ignoring his unconvincing statements that he wasn't tired. Once he was dressed, she tucked Roy into the large feather bed, and decided to go speak with the others a bit before crawling into bed herself.

As Katsumi turned out the light, she suddenly heard Grosspoliner cry, /Master, don't leave your son alone!/

"What do you me-" Before she could even finish her sentence, she saw it. A mass of hard, dark flesh seemed to materialize out of the bed around Roy…a Lucifer Hawk. Katsumi was armed in a flash, and shouting, "Grosspoliner, blade form!" Roy blinked back into wakefulness. As he noticed the sticky strips of flesh beginning to surround him, he cried out in fear.

"Kiddy! Lebia!" Katsumi cried out before launching into one of Grosspoliner's spells. Even as she was doing it, she knew that she may not be able to finish the spell in time to save her son…and she might even harm him in the process. Halfway through the spell, Kiddy and Lebia burst into the room…about two steps behind Miakoda and Adara.

Roy scrambled off of the bed as Miakoda and Adara pushed their way forward. Miakoda began to utter words in Navajo, and a psychic shield appeared in front of the Hawk, preventing it from charging forward. Then Adara thrust her hands toward the attacker, and a brilliant column of flame shot from her palm and hit the Hawk dead-on. It let out a shriek of rage, and then disappeared in a flash of smoke and burning flesh.

Miakoda and Adara were left standing, breathing heavily, staring at the guest room which was now completely on fire. Adara glared at the crackling furniture. "Damn Hawk…now we'll have to replace all this." She held out a hand and carefully closed it. As she did so, the flames in the room were extinguished. The members of AMP simply stood and stared with wide eyes and open mouths.

"Are you two all right?" Miakoda asked.

It took awhile for Katsumi to find her voice, as she concentrated mostly on Roy clutching her leg. "I…that was…"

"You guys are fast," Lebia finally said it for her.

"That's our job, isn't it?" Adara sighed as she stomped out the remains of the fire. "I'm sorry about this…I suppose we'll have to find you two another room. At least your luggage wasn't burnt."

"Forget about the room! What about the Hawk?" Miakoda interjected. "They've never attacked us in our homes before. They shouldn't be able to do this."

"I'm sorry…" Katsumi looked at the floor, away from her son. "It's because we're here. The Lucifer Hawks have been after Roy and me…for a long time now. I just didn't think they would find us this quickly…"

Nobody said anything, but they were all thinking the same thing. They had been incredibly careful about their trip to New York, and they had been hoping that for once they could pull off a difficult job without having to worry about interference from Nemesis. But with this attack…Ganossa could already be two steps ahead of them.

"I'll perform a cleansing ceremony for the entire house, and then set up a basic shield," Miakoda offered. "That should deter any more Hawks from entering, or at least alert us to their presence before they pop up like that."

"Come on," Adara motioned as Katsumi picked up Roy again. "There's one more room available. And don't worry…if another Hawk shows up, we'll be ready to kick its ass."

"I believe it," Katsumi said, hoping her voice hid the fact that she had doubted it before then.

"Kick their asses…" Roy mumbled sleepily into Katsumi's shoulder.

Katsumi gladly let Adara help her and Roy into the last remaining guest room. They said their goodnights, this time with the reassurance that there would be no more Hawk attacks while they were here. Katsumi wanted to believe them…but the incident kept her up most of the night, exhausted as she was. She was glad that at least Roy was able to find peace in her arms.

(All of this danger, this uncertainty…) she thought as she finally drifted off to sleep. (Is it ever going to stop?)

------

The next morning dawned a light grey, as if it were trying to decide whether to bring forth a promising day or a disappointing one. The AMP members were thankful to sleep in a bit, and it took much coaxing from Adara and Miakoda to finally get them out of bed and at least attempt to get over the jetlag. They ate a breakfast of blueberry pancakes, bacon, fruit, and orange juice, with Roy thrilled at trying out new foods in a foreign land. After breakfast, the red-headed computer specialist, Calixta Solaris, showed up at the house, and they all clambered back into Adara's helicopter for their tour.

"You should visit more often," Calixta remarked as the helicopter approached a cruising altitude. "The Chief gave us the day off so that we could talk with you guys and show you around. I can't remember that last time we've gotten a full day off like that."

"I'm sure New York must be a little unimpressive compared to Tokyo," Adara called back from the pilot's seat. "But to us, there's plenty of room to work."

"It's amazing how similar New York and Tokyo seem," Lebia said, staring at the skyscrapers around them. "Only specific landmarks seem to really identify a city."

"It seems like New York is losing most of its landmarks…" Miakoda said sadly. She pointed to an odd green square in the middle of the gray buildings. "That area is called The Towers."

"That's an odd name for a park area," Katsumi commented.

"People say that two huge towers, the World Trade Center, used to stand there. They were another casualty of the Crisis. People are always talking about building something new there, but for some reason, they've never done it. The Towers and Central Park are some of the only green places left in this city."

"Huh…" Katsumi mused. "Say, is the Statue of Liberty close to here? Roy's wanted to see it ever since we told him we were coming to New York."

"We'll head that way…" Adara turned the helicopter to the right suddenly. "But that landmark may surprise you as well."

"I've always wanted to see Tokyo Tower," Calixta chimed in. "It's still standing, right?"

"Yes, thankfully," Lebia said. "It's a wonder that it survived the Silent Crisis. I'm constantly amazed by what has lasted through the years and what has been destroyed in the Crisis."

"In a way, the world's sense of security was destroyed by the Crisis," Miakoda said. "Nothing really lasts, but that's easy to forget when things seem so stable. Then evil asserts itself and the world crumbles around you, and you have to wonder why. But it's just another unsolved mystery. The truth is, we will probably never understand."

The AMP suddenly became very quiet. They all knew how the Silent Crisis had actually happened. But were they going to share that with the ECC? Rally had not made it clear exactly how friendly they were supposed to become with this new group of compatriots. Finally, Katsumi gave Kiddy a look that said they should keep quiet for now.

"There's the Statue of Liberty." Adara pointed out the window. The great green colossus was still standing, but it looked as if it had been severely warped. The torch had been reduced down to a darkened stub, and the face of Liberty looked more like an incomplete painting than a beautiful woman. Large holes studded the entire statue, and when Roy saw it, he immediately began laughing.

"Roy!" Katsumi chided her son.

"No, it's all right; it is somewhat laughable," Adara said. "It's just all this darn acid rain. It's been corroding the statue for several decades now, and we're all pretty sure it's deteriorated beyond repair. They're just keeping the statue up because of the identity it gives. But eventually, they're going to have to do something to support it, because at this rate it's going to cave in on itself soon."

She took one last sad look at the statue before turning away. "Anyway, there are all kinds of places that can be much better experienced from the ground. I can take us down to ECC headquarters, and we'll make our way on foot from there."

------

Adara banked the helicopter slowly, heading east, towards ECC headquarters. Before they had gone too far, however, a voice interrupted the friendly chatter that filled the aircraft. "Code 324-LH. Repeat, code 324-LH has been detected near the vicinity of Sixth and Thirteenth."

"Damn," Adara cursed softly. "Well, so much for this outing. Back to work, ladies."

Calixta had already pulled out her laptop and was currently accessing the ECC's main computer for more information on what they would be facing. "It looks like several Category Threes, and possibly a larger one as well."

"This doesn't bode well. Are we equipped to handle a Category One?" Miakoda asked worriedly.

"Oh, I think you'll manage somehow," replied Kiddy with a grin. "Don't worry, we'll back you guys on this one."

"Thanks," Calixta mumbled as she looked up from scanning the data.

Just then, the helicopter made a sharp descent, causing some grumbling from its passengers. "Hold on, we're almost there," Adara called. She sat the helicopter down smoothly on top of a tall building.

"Calixta, scan," she barked as they hit the roof.

"Fifteen meters directly below us I'm reading eighteen Category Three Lucifer Hawks and a possible Category Two."

"Katsumi, stay here with Roy. The rest of us will take on the Hawks down on the street."

Adara started to clamber out of the helicopter when a voice said, "No." She looked up to see Lebia frowning. "You'll need Katsumi and Grosspoliner. I'll stay here with Roy."

Adara looked to Katsumi, who nodded. "All right then, Lebia stays and Kiddy and Katsumi come with us. Don't start the engagement until I give the order. We'll do a standard surround and enclose operation."

"Too late!" Calixta called out warningly. "Looks like the Hawks are bringing the battle to us." Just as she finished, the first of the Category Threes came into sight. More quickly followed, and soon the women found themselves surrounded.

"Take out what you can; draw them away from the helicopter!" Adara shouted as she sent a quick burst of flame towards the nearest Hawk. It shrieked and disintegrated.

"Grosspoliner, blade form!" Katsumi shouted, bringing the sword into its full power. As soon as he had formed, she swung him at two of the Hawks, killing them on contact.

Kiddy and Calixta had both pulled out guns. Kiddy aimed quickly and fired off several shots. Some went wild, but she managed to bring down three of the enemy. Calixta took more time in aiming and every shot hit its mark, but she only managed to down two of the wildly flying Hawks.

Miakoda closed her eyes and started chanting in her native language. The Navajo woman spread her hands slightly and a small bubble of yellow force appeared between them. As she opened her eyes, a bright yellow wall appeared in front of her. Two of the Category Threes hit the wall and evaporated.

Between the five women, they managed to take out all of the Category Threes within five minutes. "Where's that Category Two you were reading?" Adara asked Calixta once they had mopped up the last of the little Hawks.

Calixta ran a quick scan. "I'm not getting anything conclusive," she replied with a frown. "It could have been a mistake in the readings..."

At that moment Kiddy shouted, "Davis, behind you!" Adara whirled just in time to dodge the Category Two that had appeared.

"Ganossa sent me to defeat you," the Hawk rumbled in a deep timbre. "Prepare yourselves!" With that he launched himself at Adara, who flung herself to the side while letting out a stream of flame. She landed on the ground roughly, cursing under her breath.

Miakoda launched into another spell as Kiddy and Calixta fired their specially modified guns at the Lucifer Hawk. Both women hit their target, and their enemy let out a scream of rage as it was frozen in place. Miakoda finished chanting, and a shimmering shield appeared around the Hawk. It tried to rush forward, and let out another frustrated yell as it hit the shield.

"It's all yours, Katsumi," called Adara as she hauled herself off the ground.

Katsumi nodded. "Tell me something, is Ganossa here in New York?" she asked the trapped Lucifer Hawk.

The Hawk remained silent, still trying to push its way through Miakoda's shield.

"Answer me!"

"You cannot defeat us," he said, his voice dripping with scorn. "Even if you defeat me, others will take my place. You have all been marked for annihilation. I would watch myself if I were you, Katsumi Liqueur."

"Enough of this," she muttered under her breath, and launched into a spell.

/The power of 13 stars' spirits is in me.

The Emperor of Swords Grosspoliner's strength is given to me.

Gaia's earth's light, destroy the dark utterly.

The time to free it has come now.

Open the door of heavenly light!/

Grosspoliner began to glow as she chanted, and when she had finished, a massive burst of energy flew straight at the Hawk, disintegrating it.

Adara came over and clasped Katsumi on the shoulder. "Not bad for our first team effort," she said, making sure to catch everyone's eye. "If we can continue to work together like this, I'm sure we can defeat the Lucifer Hawks for good." She sighed, taking in their scorched surroundings, the only evidence left of the battle they had fought. "Now let's get back to headquarters and report in. I'm sure Commander Jameson and Chief Cheyenne are anxious to hear what happened."

------

It was a couple of days before either Rally or Commander Mackenzie Jameson felt comfortable enough to allow the groups to continue their aborted tour of New York City. The search for Ganossa had proved fruitless; the Category Two they had interrogated at the earlier battle had told them nothing. So the girls decided to take to the city again and see the rest of the sights.

"I hope we don't see any rain today…" Miakoda said as she glanced out the window nervously. "This morning's clouds weren't exactly promising. It'd be nice to have our day off also be a day outside."

"I think we can take our chances," Calixta told her.

"So where are we headed this time?" Kiddy asked as the group made their way out of the lavish guest house.

"Well, why don't we just see where the day takes us?" Adara suggested lightly.

The next few hours went smoothly for the ECC and the AMP in New York City. They stopped and gave a brief hello to Rally and Mackenzie, who were apparently going over some sort of records, before going on their way. Rally offered to watch Roy so that they could explore the city unhindered, but after the first night's attack, Katsumi was nowhere near letting her son out of her sight. She knew she would have to get over this fear if she wanted to fight Lucifer Hawks effectively, but it was a difficult habit to break.

Thankfully, their hours of exploration went without incident this time, at least for most of the day. Adara, Calixta, and Miakoda were more than eager to show their Japanese friends around their beloved city, and gave them whirlwind tours of Times Square, Broadway, and Central Park. They had hot dogs from a street vendor for lunch, and Calixta managed to get them into the New York Stock Exchange to watch and laugh over the frenzied trading that still took place there.

Katsumi smiled at the group as they made their way along a crowded New York street to yet another interesting destination. Lebia and Calixta were practically inseparable, speaking in a technical jargon that the rest didn't even try to understand. Even Kiddy was finally getting used to the idea of being friends with these people, and gladly gave her opinions on anything they came across. Roy was picking up on some English words, and at the same time was trying to teach the ECC some words in Japanese. Everywhere he went, he carried Grosspoliner with him, now completely attached to the sword. The three New York girls hadn't asked about Roy's strange plaything yet, but Katsumi knew it would come eventually.

Katsumi was greatly heartened at how well the two groups were meshing. She had been afraid there would be some sort of rivalry between the two groups…after all, the discovery of a separate Lucifer Hawk-fighting force had surprised everyone in AMP. She could only imagine how surprised the ECC had been at the news. She wasn't sure what sort of future lay in store for them as friends or as compatriots, but she knew at least that an alliance with other fighters for humanity could only mean good things for their cause.

As the afternoon began to grow dimmer, the seven of them stopped at a park bench to rest and eat frozen yogurt. Katsumi offered to hold Grosspoliner for Roy, but her son refused and attempted to eat his treat and hold the huge sword at the same time. Katsumi eventually gave up on him, telling herself that she would just clean up the mess later.

"I was wrong about the rain," Miakoda said gratefully.

"The psychic is wrong about something? Miakoda, I'm shocked," Adara teased.

"I'm a psychic, not a meteorologist," Miakoda reminded her playfully. "I'm allowed to be wrong if it's a good thing."

"Speaking of which…" Kiddy paused to catch some of the yogurt as it melted off her spoon. "It's been great seeing the city and doing the small talk thing, but I'm interested in a little business now. How exactly did you guys end up in the ECC, and where'd you get your own fighting skills? Those were some interesting fireworks the other night, Adara."

"As you may or may not have guessed already, I'm a fire elemental," Adara responded. After a long and somewhat strange pause, she added, "It runs in the family. As for how we all joined the ECC…we all joined around the same time. Commander Jameson was looking for recruits, and it all just fell into place."

"I'm not a Visionaire like Lebia, but I run the computer systems we use," Calixta said, poking absently at her yogurt. "I specialize in holoprograms, actually, and I’ve designed my own training simulations."

"And you…" Kiddy pointed at Miakoda. "…are psychic, right? Hmm, I wish Yuki had been able to come along and meet you."

"Yuki?" Miakoda questioned.

"We have three more teammates back in Tokyo," Katsumi explained. "Yuki is also psychic. Nami is a Shinto priestess, and Lum Cheng wields Jesso with her own elemental powers. Chief Isozaki is back there with them, holding down the fort."

"That is interesting," Calixta remarked. "But what about you two? I know about Lebia—I mean, who doesn't?—but we don't really know about your powers."

"I was a special detective before I joined AMP," Kiddy sighed, glad that she could finally talk about her past with at least some ease. "I had a run-in with a Megadyne called Wire and…didn't come out so well. I had a combat-grade cybergraft operation done so that I could get my revenge on that Megadyne. But one thing led to another, and I ended up in AMP. I must say…it's one of the best things that's happened to me." She gave a look to Katsumi and Lebia. "Weird story, I know. But you can probably guess how I handle those Hawks."

"That does explain a few things…" Adara winced.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing." Adara turned to Katsumi. "And how about you? We've heard quite a bit about you from Mackenzie when you were scheduled to come…you're a sorceress, right?"

"That's right." Katsumi nodded. "Same thing as you; it runs in the family. My father was Gigelf Liqueur, and I inherited Grosspoliner from him."

Calixta's eyes widened. "*The* Gigelf Liqueur? I saw an old tape of some kind of Japanese talk show with Gigelf Liqueur on it once. When I heard your name, I wondered if you were related to him, but I wasn't sure if I should ask."

"Well, I am," Katsumi smiled. "I guess you could say he's the main reason I joined AMP."

"By the way, what exactly is Grosspoliner?" Miakoda asked.

"Officially, the King of Swords," Katsumi said with a laugh. "He certainly has a temperament to match that title. You saw him earlier…Roy's been carrying him around all day. Roy, why don't you let the others hold Grosspoliner for once?"

She stopped as she suddenly realized that there was no reply from down by her knees. The others came to the realization along with Katsumi, and searched around frantically for the dark blue-haired boy. He was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Roy?"

------

/Little master, I think we're lost./ Grosspoliner's deep voice sounded somewhat nervous. /Perhaps you should have listened to me before when I said we should wait for your mother before walking off alone./

"I'm looking for a trashcan, Gosspleener," Roy reminded him, waving around the empty container of frozen yogurt. "Mommy is always telling me to make sure I put away my toys and throw my trash in the trashcan."

/Yes, but it seems to me we should have found one by now./

Although Roy didn't want to admit it, he was starting to agree with Grosspoliner. He thought he had seen a trashcan just around the corner, but there was nothing there, and his quest to find one had proved unfruitful. The scenery was becoming less and less familiar, and there was nothing more frightening to the four-year-old boy than being without his mommy in a foreign city. The sun was beginning to set, and long twisting shadows crept farther along his path.

"Gosspleener, I'm scared," Roy finally admitted. "I think we're lost."

/Don't be afraid, little Master. I'll protect you,/ Grosspoliner encouraged him, even though his words were only a half-truth. He knew that he couldn't perform any action without his master, even if was to protect her son. The only time he had acted on his own was to prevent Medium from possessing Rally, which had been a strange occurrence for Grosspoliner.

Roy suddenly brightened. "Look, we found a trashcan!" He clutched Grosspoliner to him tighter and ran over to where a bent-up metal can was barely visible in the twilight's shade. He was able to forget his troubles for just a moment with the joy of finally completing his quest. As he tossed the cup into the can, Grosspoliner suddenly leapt from Roy's arms and floated close to his head.

Roy instantly saw what it was that had startled his sword friend. Barely discernible from the dark trees was some kind of huge creature. It had a face like a human's, but it had no ears, and seemed to be covered with strange stripes and whiskers. Roy took a step back as the monster thrust its head forward, staring at him with deep turquoise eyes. He remembered what his mother had said about these monsters…he was supposed to run away if he ever saw one. But he couldn't get his feet to move, and just remained staring into its face.

"You are Robert Liqueur, are you not?" the Lucifer Hawk asked calmly.

"Mommy said I'm not supposed to talk to monsters," Roy said, still unable to run away.

"Your mother is wrong on this point," it responded. "My name is Jerel. I have something very important to tell you."

/I will not let you harm my Master's son!/ Grosspoliner proclaimed defiantly, moving to shield Roy from the Lucifer Hawk.

"Brave words, Grosspoliner, but I am afraid that you are rather useless without Miss Katsumi Liqueur," Jerel sneered. "As much as I would like to take Miss Liqueur's own son from her so easily, I'm afraid I'm not at the liberty to do so. My own master has big plans for young Robert. I was told not to interfere."

/Then why are you here?/ Grosspoliner demanded, comforting Roy with his authority. /Go crawling back to your master Ganossa!/

"I am here to tell you to abandon all hope. Ganossa is not here, but he is everywhere. He knows more about this war than you will ever know. Even you, Grosspoliner, are shamefully ignorant of your own past…and your future. As you can see even now, we are watching everything you do. How can you possibly hope to win when you don't even know what you are fighting against?"

"I believe in Mommy," Roy spoke up with his own defiance. "I believe that Mommy and her friends can beat you! I'm not scared of you."

"You lie well, young Robert," Jerel jeered. "But anyone can still see that you are afraid. I shall enjoy seeing your reaction when your mother and all her friends become a part of us…when you find out the truth about these new friends of yours."

Roy felt his spirit sink at these words. He didn't know exactly what Jerel meant, but he somehow knew that they meant bad things for everyone that he knew. His feeling of sadness turned to anger at this thing that was saying bad things about his Mommy. "Go away! I hate you!" he cried at Jerel, and searched the ground for a rock to throw at his aggressor.

"I will honor your request this one time," Jerel said as it began to fade into the background. "But don't expect such compliance from me again. Make sure you don't wander far from your mother, or there will be no one to stop Ganossa from doing what he will with you." With that, he disappeared into the darkness, and was gone.

Roy stood there for a moment, shocked at the abruptness with which the monster had departed. Then he turned around fast at the sound of footsteps right behind him. He relaxed as he saw that it was his mother, with the rest of the AMP and ECC behind her.

Katsumi grabbed her son as soon as she reached him, and held him close to her. "Roy, are you all right?" she cried, trying to disguise the sobs that were rising to her throat. At seeing his slow nod, her face became angry. "Don't ever run off alone like that again! You *always* have Mommy or Aunt Kiddy or someone else go with you! I was so worried…" Her voice choked up, and she merely let her son bury his face into her shoulder.

Miakoda scanned the area, her face full of concern. "There was a Lucifer Hawk here just a moment ago," she told Adara and Calixta. "I can feel it."

"Is he all right? What happened?" Kiddy demanded of no one in particular.

Roy pulled his face away from Katsumi's shoulder, trying to hold back his own sobs with small hiccups. "I'm sorry, Mommy…I tried to run away, but I couldn't. You said I should run away, but he was talking to me, and I couldn't run away…"

"It's okay, Roy," Katsumi comforted him. She hated to see her son cry. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just glad you're okay." The reality of Roy's words suddenly hit her, and she looked towards Grosspoliner in concern.

/My Master, I tried to protect your son,/ Even Grosspoliner sounded apologetic. /I am sorry, but I need to speak to you and to Miss Rally right away./

"All right, you can tell us what happened later," Katsumi responded slowly. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know what had happened. Another Lucifer Hawk had come to Roy? And if so, why didn't it attack him? It didn't make any sense, especially when the other Hawk had attacked Roy in his bed only a few nights ago.

"I say we head on back to headquarters," Adara suggested. "It's getting dark, and even without Lucifer Hawks, the city is dangerous at night."

"Couldn't agree more." Kiddy shuddered, and pulled her jacket tighter around herself. The six women walked back out of the park to catch a taxi, with Katsumi still holding Roy in her arms. She slowly allowed herself to calm down as she felt her son's steady breathing into her shoulder…but she couldn't help glancing back at the shadows every few steps they took.

------

By the time night had settled into the city, the women were gathered back at the ECC headquarters. Grosspoliner asked to speak to Katsumi and Rally alone, and the others grudgingly left. After the incident in the park, Katsumi could barely stand to have even Kiddy watch Roy without her. It took more effort to let him out of her sight than she wanted to let on.

Once they were alone, Grosspoliner repeated to the two what he had heard word for word. However, once he was done, it was clear that they still couldn't help the situation any.

"The Hawks know we're here, and they know about my son. But why aren't they doing anything about it? Their actions don't make any sense," Katsumi said, feeling greatly disturbed.

"I don't like this, either…" Even Rally's tone was full of concern. "It bothers me that we don't know Nemesis's motivations, aside from the fact that Ganossa now seems to be more interested in Roy than he does in you."

"'Ganossa is not here, but he is everywhere…'" Katsumi repeated to herself. "What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I think we can assume that if Ganossa was in New York, he's left by now," Rally answered. "Otherwise that Hawk would have had no problems with taking Roy with him. There's no telling where Ganossa is now. He could even be back in Tokyo."

"Then all of this was just a distraction to get us away from Tokyo?" Katsumi said, suddenly anxious about Yuki, Nami, and Lum Cheng. "Then what about the others?"

"I've kept in close contact with Mana, and she says so far things have been quiet in Tokyo. But if Ganossa is not here, and is not in Tokyo, then we don't know where to find him."

"There is something else that bothers me…" Katsumi said, although she was hesitant to bring up the point. "What did the Hawk mean about finding out 'the truth about your new friends'? You don't think he meant the ECC, do you?"

Rally's look was firm. "Don't get the wrong impressions, Katsumi. I have done several background checks, and I'm certain that Mackenzie and her team are trustworthy. The Hawk could very easily have been saying such things to stir up doubt between us. And the last thing we need right now is a lack of trust between the ECC and the AMP."

"This is more than just a meeting between people of similar interests, then," Katsumi sighed, looking over at Grosspoliner. "The way you were talking to Mackenzie earlier, I suspected it. You mean for us to work rather closely with the ECC."

Rally nodded. "Mackenzie and I talked about this at length before we arrived. We think it would be better for everyone if we were to form a collaborative effort, even if it is long-distance."

"Of course," Katsumi looked at the floor. She knew it was true, as much as she didn't want to admit it. She told herself that she had already made her decision about staying with the AMP, but with these new developments, it certainly made her wonder if she had made the right decision.

She looked over to Grosspoliner for reassurance. Even though he technically couldn't form any facial expressions, she felt as though he believed she had done what was right, and that everything would work out in the end. She looked back up at Rally. "Well, we haven't found any concrete signs of Ganossa's presence here. Does this mean our stay in New York is over?"

Rally sighed. "Yes. It's time for us to head back to Tokyo, and make sure that we're doing our job there. Like I said before, we'll keep in close contact with the ECC, even if we are in our respective cities. I can almost guarantee you that we'll be seeing them again."

Katsumi smiled. After thinking about all that the two groups had done throughout the week, and how close they had become, she found it much easier to ignore the cryptic message the Lucifer Hawk had given Roy. "I'd like that. I think we all would. I'm sure Yuki, Nami, Lum Cheng, and Isozaki would love to meet everyone, too."

"I'm sure they would," Rally said as she, Katsumi, and Grosspoliner went to join the others.

------

The following evening, both groups were gathered at the New York airport, only this time they were standing in the departures section. The separation between the ECC and the AMP was more difficult than any of them had imagined. In a mere week's time, they had all become fast friends, and nobody wanted to say goodbye so soon.

"We'll keep in touch, right?" Calixta asked Lebia as their bags were checked in for their flight. "I definitely want to hear about what's going on with you guys in Tokyo."

"Definitely. Heck, just talking with somebody else who understands what I'm saying is reason enough for me," Lebia laughed.

Kiddy enveloped Adara in a hug, nearly squeezing the life out of the ECC field commander. "I look forward to kicking some Hawk ass with you guys again," Kiddy said.

This time, Adara didn't bother to hide the pained expression on her face. "I pity the Hawks in Tokyo that cross your path!"

Even Rally and Mackenzie seemed grieved that they were parting, and shook hands with each other respectfully. "This has been a very enriching experience for us, Jameson," Rally said. "I'm glad we were able to meet your team."

"Same here. I look forward to seeing you and your subordinates in the future…hopefully under happier circumstances."

Rally sighed, and closed her eyes. "That would be very nice. But I think we both know what sort of circumstances we'll be reuniting under in the future." Mackenzie nodded in understanding.

Even Roy looked very sad that they were leaving, although he was glad to be going back to his friends and a country where he could understand what people were saying. Katsumi had to keep passing him from one person to another between hugs. Miakoda in particular had a hard time letting him go. She ruffled his hair and pronounced a Navajo blessing over him before reluctantly handing him back to Katsumi. As Roy finally settled in his mother's arms, he asked, "Mommy, will we come back to New York soon?"

"I think so, Roy. These people do the same job that Mommy does, so we'll be seeing them quite a bit."

"I'm glad. I'm going to talk to them in English next time!" Roy said decisively. Katsumi laughed at the four-year-old's bold proposition. There was another round of hugs and goodbyes before the AMP finally went through to where their flight was going to board.

Just as they approached the metal detector, Katsumi remembered what had happened the last time, and nearly groaned aloud. Just as she expected, when Kiddy stepped through the metal detector, the alarm buzzed loudly. Behind them, the ECC, who had heard about their problems the first time around, tried to stifle their laughter. The guard approached Kiddy, and was just about to ask her about the alarm, when Kiddy whipped out a formal-looking piece of paper.

"Not so fast, moron! This document explains my situation as having a combat-graft cybercoat. I have permission from both the Tokyo Police Alliance and the United States Government to travel on international commercial flights without hindrance. Read it and weep, sucker!" She looked back at the AMP and the ECC with a smirk. "I think I'm getting the hang of this people skills thing."

Katsumi let out a groan she'd held back, while Rally shook her head hopelessly and Miakoda tried desperately to stifle her laughter. "Read it and weep, sucker!" Roy announced proudly.

At a coffee booth across the hall, a well-groomed, middle-aged man in a military uniform watched as the AMP passed through the metal detector. It was amazing how obvious Katsumi's concern for her son was, especially without Grosspoliner. He was amazed that he'd even been able to talk to Roy alone in the first place.

He watched them until AMP was out of sight, and then turned his turquoise eyes on the three women of the ECC…the short redhead, the Native American, and their elegant auburn-haired field commander. But his eyes lingered longest on their leader as he stirred his untouched tea.

"So the Attacked Mystification Police and the Equine Clean-up and Control have met at last," he said to himself with a smile. "This should be interesting."

--------------------------------------------------

Next Episode Preview:

Adara Davis: "Now that the members of AMP have returned to Tokyo, we've got new Hawk problems all our own. We've got to prove that we can handle ourselves, but it's hard to concentrate with a nosy reporter poking her nose where it doesn't belong. But of course, my greatness will finally be recognized!"

**From out of nowhere Calixta and Miakoda appear and dogpile their commander**

Calixta: (smiling brightly as she sits on Adara's spine) "Please, look forward to it!"

Book 1: New York

Episode 1: On Your Own.