Chapter 6 – The Beast and the Beauty

Masaki Tenchi stood resolutely in the jail cell assigned to him as a Men in Black agent shut the door between them. The barred door locked with a definitive clank, followed by numerous subsequent sounds of metal on metal, a mechanism ensuring his imprisonment. A moment later, an energy barrier appeared over the door, an extra precaution added after the escape two nights ago. While the prince had used Tenchiken to form a sword, the organization would no longer take chances with energy-manipulating beings.

Tenchi's brown eyes rose to meet the amber feline gaze of Ryua Ryoko, who was already caged across from him. Her somber look spoke of her disappointment in him for surrendering their freedom, a feeling in conflict with her affection for him. Deep inside, part of her was arguing with herself about why she had not just run again. She gazed back at the answer, the noble young man who wanted no more harm to come to her. Alongside her feelings for Tenchi was her own guilt for escaping after Ayeka fell the night before.

Next to Tenchi, Agent J was escorted into his own cell and incarcerated, but the former NYPD officer was not as reserved as the Japanese teenager.

"This is the thanks I get for saving your asses?" Jay barked at his captor.

"You're lucky you weren't already neuralized," the jailer answered.

"Yeah? As if you'd take a dump without orders," the captive agent retorted.

"Some of us can follow orders, traitor."

Not blocked by an energy barrier, Jay grabbed the bars of his cell door and demanded, "Say that shit again." Without a word, the jailer exited the prison while the jailed operative called back to him, "Yeah, walk away!"

With a heavy sigh, Tenchi lowered his gaze and said to himself in Japanese, "I hope I did the right thing."

Ryoko looked away from him before she laid back on her cell's cot, dueling with her own thoughts and feelings. On the other hand, Jay knocked on the wall separating him from the prince.

"So, you're a Juraian prince," he asked curiously, "like the purple-haired girl?"

"Sort of," Tenchi admitted in English, pulling from his language classes. "My mother's father is a Juraian prince, but his wife and my dad were from Earth."

Jay was taken aback as he commented, "I didn't think that was a thing, aliens and humans having kids. How does that even work? I mean, he's a different species, and-?"

Overwhelmed by words, and a bit embarrassed, the teenager interrupted, "Slow down, please. My English is not very good."

"Okay," Jay relented. "Honestly, you don't act like royalty."

Tenchi chuckled, "Well, I didn't know I was until about two years ago. I just grew up in the Okayama hills. I didn't know anything about Jurai or anything out in space until Ryoko crashed here."

Motioning to Ryoko's cell, the agent inquired, "That how you two met?"

Nodding, the Japanese teenager explained, "She crashed in the hills near my house. She was trying to escape from Mihoshi."

"The blond space cop?"

"Yeah, not that I knew that at the time," he admitted, a subtle nostalgic grin on his face. His eyes strayed back to Ryoko, who continued to dwell in her own thoughts. However, he remembered first finding her near Ryo-Ohki's crash site, hungover and disoriented. "A lot has changed in three years."

Jay scoffed, "I bet, ol' Prince and the Pauper over here."

With a heavy sigh, Tenchi thought about when his grandfather had revealed his identity, and how everyone had reacted. Ayeka had asked the young nobleman to ascend the throne in her stead, twice. Ryoko had flown away on her own, likely jealous of the princess's attentions.

And, he remembered the duel with the usurper, the first life he ever took, to avenge his grandfather, to save his friends, to save Ayeka.

"It's not something I like to think about much," he remarked reflectively. "I don't live on Jurai. I don't live in a palace in the trees. I goto school and do my homework like anyone else in my class. I'm just an earthling, you know?"

After years of talking with and interrogating suspects, to say nothing of his interactions with other officers, Jay's perception and intuition had grown quite acute. In this young man's rough English, the former detective found only honesty and authenticity. While rash, his actions the last night had been selfless, concerned only with helping his friend, the notorious space pirate.

With a slight smile, he agreed, "Yeah, I feel that."

Yet, that connection gave Agent J pause. Briefly, he glanced to the cyan-maned fury across the aisle, who laid on her cot and simmered in her frustrations. She had helped both him and Elle escape the mantis's ship, and she stood with them against the bug after shooting him down.

Is she really the bad guy? he asked himself.

"How did you become a 'Man in Black'?" Tenchi queried.

With a roll of his eyes, Jay answered, "Hell if I know. I'm pretty sure my mentor wiped my memory of when he and I first met."

"I guess that's how it works here?"

"Yeah, looks like," the disgraced agent admitted. "If anyone was 'by the book', it was Kay."

Thoughtfully, Agent J thought about his first partner, his stoic demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge of the job, as well as his sharp wit. Sadly, the neophyte operative wondered what his mentor would think of him now, shut in a jail cell for drawing his sidearm on another agent. Honestly, he could not fault Tenchi for acting rashly since he himself had done much the same. The vision Griffin had shared still seemed so vivid, like gazing into a prism, but seeing variations in events rather than colors.

And, every one of those possibilities had everyone in this building murdered, he reminded himself, while wondering how Kay would have reacted to the same image.

Then, a blue light illuminated the room as a public address system called attention to everyone in the complex.

"All medical personnel! Report immediately to the infirmary!" it repeated thrice.

At this announcement, Tenchi's heart sank, and his mouth grew dry. Having visited the infirmary for most of his time here, he knew only one patient currently under their care. In his rush to help one of his closest friends, he had left the other's bedside, and the impotence and frustration renewed itself with his concerns and dread.

"Ayeka…!" he lamented.

Likewise, Ryoko rose from her cot, stunned much like the object of her affections. However, her own guilt blended with her frustrations and worries, how Ayeka had perhaps spared her this same fate. The Ryoan woman gripped her fist tightly, a tear leaking from her eye.

Not like this, she demanded in her thoughts.

X X X

People swarmed around Jurai Ayeka's bedside as she laid motionless, sweat rolling down her unnaturally pale skin. Her breath wheezed slowly and deeply from her bluish lips while a rapid beeping from the nearby cardiac monitor paced her heightened heart rate. The physiological shock from the Jurai and NVO energies warring in her body has begun to tip against the princess.

The scrub-clad physicians had already fitted her with a tight-fitting mask and an intravenous drip bag, hoping to feed her enough oxygen and hydration to keep her stable. However, their medical treatments have not addressed the root cause of her predicament, the two opposing ethereal powers.

Agent H, the chief of medicine in the Men in Black and the attending physician, wedded his latex-covered fingers. He had drawn from his past three decades of treating extraterrestrial illnesses, as well as a local copy of the Science Academy's medical database, but the former heir apparent had not responded. Anaphylaxis treatments had slowed her degradation, yet it had been a losing battle with time.

Frustrated, Aitch turned to a nurse and ordered, "Get Dr. Hakubi in here."

"Right away, doctor!"

Hakubi Washu had been advising them on treatment options, but she had disappeared these last few hours. Reportedly, she had been studying the tissue samples left by the mantis creature in order to understand and combat the threat. Sadly, this academic pursuit might not be in time to save the princess's life.

Agent L arrived at Aitch's side and was taken aback seeing Ayeka pale-skinned and blue-lipped. Having interacted with the Juraian woman these past few days, the former mortician felt an ache deep in her chest, seeing the reserved and demure noblewoman struggling against her body.

"What has been done?" she asked.

Detached, he answered, "All that we can, Elle. Her body is giving out, and we aren't equipped to counteract the energy imbalance inside her."

Already this night, Elle had ridden wave after wave of emotions: her animosity and reconciliation with Jay, saving Griffin from the mantis creature, joining Tenchi in his haste to aid Ryoko, defeating the giant insect, only for her three allies to be arrested by her colleagues. Now, she could be watching another new face breathe her last.

Deep in her heart, the good doctor could feel that déjà vu feeling again. She had witnessed another incident just like this one. Although her mind refused to yield the specifics, her body's reaction and the feeling surging through her were undeniably familiar.

Elle's eyes hardened as she inquired again, "There has to be something. We can't just stand by and let her fade away like this."

Aitch's gaze slid to hers. "Blind effort will not save her, doctor. Given your background, you know this better than me."

The raven-haired woman retorted, "My 'patients' were always dead when they came to me. I never watched them die."

A hint of compassion broke through his cold and cynical face as he replied, "I know it's not easy the first time."

A wave of sadness crashed against Elle as she listened to the senior agent, recognizing his cynical tone as her own, but now directed at someone she knew firsthand. Mixing with the déjà vu, this impotence swelled within her, demanding action.

Then, a solid tone filled the room, a sickening sound, chilling and merciless.

Elle spun to the respirator and heart monitor, finding both motionless. As the other physicians began resuscitation, the newest agent grabbed an epinephrine autoinjector, a spring-loaded syringe full of adrenaline. While she did not have an extensive knowledge of Juraian biochemistry, she had seen enough from Ayeka's charts to know it was almost equivalent to that of Terrans. Thus, as her colleagues were distracted, Elle slipped between them and pressed the device to Ayeka's thigh. The bright coloration of the autoinjector caught Aitch's eye, but before he could stop her, the neophyte agent triggered the injection, sending the adrenal hormone into Ayeka's bloodstream.

Aitch grabbed Elle's arm and pulled the syringe away, scolding her, "She's a Juraian, you idiot! Their bodies don't produce epinephrine!"

The former mortician struggled from his grasp and began to bark back at him when both were silenced by the heart monitor's rapid beeping. Both doctors realized that Ayeka's heart was beating again, giving them another chance. In earnest, Elle called for a nurse to bring more epinephrine and powerful antihistamines, all to keep Ayeka's jump-started heart pumping.

Don't give up on me! she mentally instructed her patient.

X X X

Nothingness surrounded Jurai Ayeka. No sound touched her ears. No light entered her eyes. She only vaguely felt a flat surface behind her back, supporting her as she laid motionless. Her arms and legs were heavy, and she lacked the energy to move them. She struggled to breathe, the air stale and thin.

In this emptiness, her mind drifted freely.

Where am I? she asked herself. How did I get here?

The princess tried to recall what had happened, but she could not pierce the memory. Only indistinct images came to mind: an insect, gun-wielding personnel, a woman with a sword, a talking dog, black fire. She remembered pain, immense pain, radiating from her chest.

But now, she felt cold, empty, tired.

As she fought to take air, the regal-tressed young woman could feel her eyelids growing heavier. Part of her wanted to rest, yet part of her refused to let her ruby eyes close. Indeed, she could feel a fear creeping along her spine, that this tiredness was unnatural, that the tempting rest was a ruse. She wanted to call for help, but her lungs never seemed to have enough air. She glanced around herself, but her eyes could not see in the darkness shrouding her.

She was alone, so very alone.

Ayeka likened this to her kidnapping by the usurper, but even then, her captor had been another person in the room. While she had fearfully waited within her barrier for her savior, she could hear and watch the villain as he made preparations to intercept any who would rescue her, Tenchi in specific.

Now, as then, she longed for Tenchi to be by her side, his arm around her shoulders, holding her close to him.

From the darkness, words wafted into her ear. "… wrong… bonded… girl… Juraian… power… stay…"

Ayeka focused on the voice, finding it vaguely masculine at first, but indistinct and distorted.

"… place… Ryoan… damned… dying… purge…" the words came again.

"… Who's there…?" the princess's voice hissed from her lips. "Please… help me…"

Rustling circled the Juraian woman in her emptiness, not unlike feet through tall, dense grass, though Ayeka could neither feel nor smell grass around her. Her eyes were open, following where she heard the sound, but she still could see nothing, which began to unnerve her as the sound grew louder, closer. As it neared, she could feel a heat growing with the sound until it stopped at her left. Her skin crawled, wondering what being was with her in this limbo.

"… I need help…" she gasped weakly.

The rustling began again, but now joined by a slow, deep breathing, presumably from the entity. She could now feel its breath on her neck before hearing it sniff. The regal-tressed Juraian cringed and nearly swallowed what air she could get into her mouth. Her teeth locked, feeling the entity's presence next to her, invisible in the darkness, hounding her. Unable to move, she was vulnerable, completely at the entity's mercy, and Fear clawed at her from the shadows.

Then, it whispered, its voice now more feminine, "Can don't I'm? I you the even understand opposite? Bond of with you you!"

Though its words seemed jumbled and unintelligible, Ayeka could hear frustration and panic in the entity's words. The being also had not attacked her as she had feared, which gave her some calm and sympathy. She also felt guilt for asking this stranger for assistance.

"… I'm sorry…" she forced herself to whisper. "… I don't want to be alone… I don't want to…"

Then, Fear stabbed into her heart as the word "die" floated through her mind. Her immobilization, her shortness of breath, the empty darkness, they all coalesced into a horrifying prospect, that the former heir apparent may well be dying, with only this unseen stranger at her side.

"Neither do I," the entity said, its voice clearly a woman's.

Ayeka recognized the voice, but that feeling was overwhelmed by her desperation and fear. She could only think of never admitting her affection for Tenchi, of leaving her little sister alone, of never again seeing Jurai. Her desire to fight rose as her fingers finally curled into a fist, tears welling in her eyes.

She could hear the entity rustling, moving, changing its position. It seemed to hum and sigh, possibly pondering.

"… Please…!" she pleaded.

"The however of irony there course is is if. That, precedent it I for works am the you. What's, House will killing of, be you Kamiki mine."

Again, the entity's language became nonsensical and jumbled, yet Ayeka did catch the name "Kamiki", the name of her mother's family. A memory filled her mind, of standing at her father's side during her mother's funeral, holding a newborn Sasami, hearing his haggard coughs. Her imagination then replaced herself with her sister standing alone before their family tomb.

"No!" she cried. "I can't leave her alone like that!"

Then, she felt an intense heat and pressure on her left shoulder, like a fiery hand grasping her. The grip was uncomfortably firm, and the heat might sear her skin if not for her kimono. She fought to shrink away from the entity.

"Say the words," the entity demanded, its voice once more comprehensible, and even more familiar.

With no other viable option, the princess pleaded again, "Save me, please!"

The burning sensation then began to spread from the firm grasp across Ayeka's body, causing her previously immobilized body to writhe as she tried to grip the floor beneath her. The silence around her then was filled with whispering voices, almost inaudible at first, but soon growing louder and coherent.

Laughter. Screaming. Both became cacophonous in her ears.

Then, a deep stabbing pain entered her outer thigh. Moments later, light flashed brightly around Ayeka, illuminating her surroundings at last. The princess was laying on the floor of the Juraian throne room, exactly where Tenchi had fallen when Kagato had knocked him back.

She then looked down at herself, now consumed in onyx fire, enveloping her entire body, seemingly seeping into her very flesh.

Finally, she turned her gaze to her savior, the rustling entity, the source of these flames. It had a masculine frame, covered in a fiery skin that was seemingly being passed to Ayeka. However, as the flames departed, the figure became feminine, nude with elegant skin and long tresses of hair lightly veiling its form. This figure's eyes glowed gray and met Ayeka's. The figure pushed its hair aside to reveal its face.

And, Ayeka finally could take a deep breath, only to scream in utter horror at what she saw.

X X X

With a gasp, Jurai Ayeka's eyes opened, panic-stricken as her heart raced in her chest. Her gaze panned around her, finding herself in a private room in the MiB infirmary. Laying beneath the sheets of a cot, she started to rise, her muscles feeling quite weary.

As her emotions began to calm, her mind attempted to comprehend the nightmare she had just endured. Sadly, or perhaps fortunately, the details were slipping from her conscious mind: immobilized, stifled breath, darkness, Jurai's foliage, a burning figure, a plea.

Before the princess could recall those pleading words, the light fixture above her quietly activated, illuminating the room. She shielded her eyes as a familiar voice came from the door across the room.

"Good, you're awake."

Ayeka blinked her eyes, adjusting them to the light, as Agent L came to her bedside. The raven-haired physician gently took the regal-tressed woman's wrist and counted her pulse.

"Do you remember who I am?" the good doctor asked.

"Yes," Ayeka answered with a subtle nod, "Agent 'L', was it?"

"That's right," Elle replied as she then took out a penlight and waved it into the princess's eyes, watching how her pupils reacted. "What is the last thing you remember?"

As the dream faded away, the Juraian's thoughts were filled with the more vivid images of the Gramercy Park Hotel.

"We were at the hotel," she recalled. "You and Washu contacted your headquarters to negotiate our situation. Ryoko became angry because you revealed her location, and she stormed off."

Elle nodded. "Yes, and what happened next?"

Ayeka then remembered Illirg, the battle, and the black fire thrown at her.

"The giant insect, the mantis creature," she said. "It came for Ryoko, and I remember us all fighting with it before…"

In the back of her mind, the princess could hear a faint whisper, Ryoko pushed you into its path.

Her brows furrowed as she replayed the incident in her mind, the words not sitting well with her memory.

"The bug attacked you," Elle completed as she pocketed her penlight. "Actually, it tried to attack Ryoko, but you pushed her out of the way."

"I did?" the patient inquired.

"Yes," the medical professional replied, "though I wouldn't be surprised if your memories were a little muddled."

"What did happen to me?"

"As far as we can tell, the bug hit you with a pulse of NVO energy, which is in opposition to your native Juraian power. We rushed you to this infirmary as soon as we could in order to stabilize your condition."

Glancing to a clock on the wall nearby, Ayeka asked, "How long have I been here?"

"A little over a day. I would take it slow. While your responses seem normal, I want to be sure you have your strength back."

Still unnerved by the nightmare, as well as the words that floated through her mind a moment ago, the princess nodded. "Yes, you're likely right."

Elle rose from the bed as she said, "I can't stay for long. Why don't you get some more rest?"

"Wait," Ayeka called back to her. "Wasn't Lord Tenchi here too? Wasn't he with your chief when you spoke with him?"

The physician nodded. "He was, and that's why I have to go. We've been called to a hearing on what happened tonight."

Worry filtered into the ruby eyes of the princess as she inquired, "What happened to Tenchi? Is he safe?"

Elle stood conflicted. She had hoped to avoid discussing these events with Ayeka until her recovery was fully confirmed. The physician certainly did not want to cause the princess any more stress after her recent brush with death. While her bedside manner was lacking, the good doctor could tell a convincing half-truth.

"He's safe," she admitted. "There was another sighting of the mantis creature last night, and we need to discuss what to do about it."

To say nothing of us fighting it, she thought to herself.

"What about Tenchi?" the regal-tressed woman asked.

"There's also the matter of your 'unintended' visit to Manhattan," the medical professional amended. "He wanted to have a say in that."

And, he's also locked up downstairs, she commented to herself, with Ryoko and Jay.

Ayeka blushed at the thought of Tenchi advocating for her, "Yes, I hope he would, after these past few years."

Elle smiled. "You really are smitten with him, aren't you?"

"He's a good young man, Elle," the princess explained with a distant smile crossing her lips. "Though he is reluctant to action, he has shown himself to be thoughtful and kind, as well as brave when the occasion requires." Thinking back to her first few days on Earth, she added, "Honestly, I felt attracted to him not long after I first arrived."

In a way, the neophyte agent envied Ayeka's affection for Tenchi. Unlike the princess, the physician's cynicism and dark humor had kept most male suitors at a distance. Moreover, romantic entanglements would have only served to complicate her medical career. However, a deep corner of her heart could appreciate some companionship occasionally, not that many men ever managed to draw her attention.

With a grin, Elle advised, "Then, you should get some more rest before you see him." She motioned to the side as she detailed, "There's a private shower attached to this suite if you'd like to freshen up, as well as a change of clothes."

"Thank you, Elle," Ayeka replied.

"I'll be back in a few hours to check on you again."

As the doctor excused herself from the room, the princess laid back on her bed, letting the tiredness of her body overtake her. However, when the room grew dark, as her mind began to lose its conscious hold, she could feel another presence in the room. Her eyes glanced to the corners of the chamber, finding nothing but static shadows.

Yet, once her eyes closed and found sleep, a dark female figure loomed over her bedside, its hand resting on Ayeka's left shoulder.

X X X

Framed by the swirling cosmic fabric of distant stars and nebulae, the red planet Mars silently drifted along its path around the star Sol. Its two tiny, misshapen moons flew around their parent world in mere hours, descending painfully slowly to their eventual destruction in Mars's gravity or upon its surface. Named for the Roman god of war, the inhospitable globe barely sustained a measurable atmosphere, and what gases could be found were far from breathable. Most of the planet's water was hoarded jealously at its two poles, locked away from any life that would dare set foot upon its surface.

This day, a small spaceship blazed past the angry sphere. Sleek and nimble, the craft was engineered for combat, an interplanetary fighter, intended for short-range skirmishing. Within its cockpit, its single occupant sat quietly and motionlessly, waiting to arrive on Earth.

The gynoid's metallic skin glistened in the dim illumination of the panels around her, her gun-metal gray eyes coldly locked ahead. Her processing resources were focused on two main tasks: a preliminary system diagnostic and an analysis of her confirmed opponents. She gauged her current capabilities against those known for her foes in different scenarios, repeating each trial with parameters changed: number of combatants, type of enemy, different armament. With each iteration, she grew more adept, and more confident.

Her lips twisted into a smirk in the shadowy enclosure.

Then, an alarm sounded as a translucent screen appeared to the left of her face, printing the Cerulian equivalent of "Impact Imminent" in red text. Another screen appeared below the first, displaying her ship's location and three projectiles darting directly for it. Linked to her vessel, the gynoid issued her commands, causing the craft to decelerate and swerve from the incoming shots.

Who? she demanded of her fighter's sensor array.

As she started to receive images from the spaceship's instruments, more shots flew at her conveyance. Dodging again, she swung the ship back toward the planet, where another fighter loomed in orbit, its weapons trained on her.

The gynoid recognized the other vehicle, an earlier model of her own, and she had no doubt of its occupant. Absently, her left hand raised to her flawless face, her fingers tracing her silvered skin. Her memory replayed their last skirmish, not only the images and sounds, but also the error and fault messages as her systems were damaged. Despite being repaired and upgraded after their last bout, the artificial woman relived the incident in excruciating detail: the precise temperature that melted her superstructure, the exact hydraulic pressure loss when her tubing was severed, the voltage of each electrical short caused by torn wires crossing.

Deep in her chest, her power core burned furiously, screaming for his blood. Thankfully, her conscious processes kept her composure.

With a thought, she hailed the other ship, which replied with only audio.

"You're in a hurry," a young man's voice stated icily.

"Hello, Father," she replied, her voice tinny, her Cerulian words precise and articulate. "Yes, I have urgent business elsewhere."

"On Earth, right?" he assumed. "Liaens's orders?"

Her metal lips arched into a slight smile. "You remembered."

"Your business on Earth can wait," he stated.

All around the gynoid, warnings flashed at her, target locks from the opposing vessel.

Her smile widened as she taunted, "You wouldn't, Father. I am your only means of finding Mother."

Without hesitation, her foe countered, "No, your memory is."

Ionized plasma shot from the guns mounted on the young man's ship, and the robotic woman steered her craft away from the impact point. However, his fighter rocketed towards hers, firing more energy pulses at her as she dodged, her direct link giving her far better reaction speed. In a moment, she changed course back to Earth and accelerated quickly to top speed.

Yet, another notice flashed before her. Peering through her ship's instruments, she could see the older fighter chasing her, also at maximum speed. While her conveyance was the more recent model, it traded speed for range, durability, and weapon output. Her enemy would catch her before she reached Earth to eliminate Illirg and continue his mission in New York.

Damn you, she cursed her pursuer.

X X X

Agent L stepped into a conference room, finding Detectives Makibi Kiyone and Kuramitsu Mihoshi already seated at the long table. The blond woman's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of another person and greeted her warmly, her English with a heavy Japanese-like accent.

"Oh! Hello there!"

Elle's brow rose at the pair, as well as the bubbly greeting. "Uh, hi. I take it you two are also with the Galaxy Police?"

Kiyone and Mihoshi both stood and exchanged handshakes with Elle.

"Yes," Kiyone answered, "we're the resident officers assigned to the solar system area. I'm Kiyone Makibi."

"Elle," the good doctor introduced herself.

"I'm Mihoshi," Mihoshi announced. "Pleased to meet you! I hope you're liking the job."

Elle wryly grinned to herself as she sarcastically quipped, "Yeah, gotta love those alien assassins and space pirates."

Sympathetically, Kiyone added, "It's not always like this, thankfully. Usually, the job is far more mundane: a ship stalled by Jupiter, a minor collision around Saturn, maybe a couple teenagers lost near Pluto."

"And then, there's the paperwork, right?" the former mortician added.

With a chuckle, the teal-tressed officer nodded. "It never ends."

"I'm sure we'll all have plenty when all of this is done."

A somberness entered Kiyone's eyes, thinking about her own role. "Yes, likely so."

Before their conversation could continue, the door opened once more as two MiB guards escorted in their three charges: Masaki Tenchi, Ryua Ryoko, and Agent J. All three were cuffed, though the manacles on Tenchi and Ryoko were notably different. Each of their bonds enclosed the entire forearm and had a globe encasing the hand, completely restricting the moment of their hands. Moreover, these shackles were composed "sinium", a complex alloy which reflected some types of ethereal energies such as Juraian and Ryoan. If Tenchi or Ryoko were to charge energy in hand, it would rebound and harm the user instead.

In addition, Ryoko had an extra device around her waist and a thin blue barrier around her body. Derived from the same Archanan technology that powered the Arc Net defense system and the barrier of her prison cells, the energy construct prevented her from teleporting or phasing. Any attempt at either would forcefully knock her back to her initial position.

The sight took Mihoshi aback, her hand raising to her mouth, though Kiyone exchanged a knowing gaze with Tenchi, recalling their previous exchange. Ryoko remained silent, her fury burning brightly in her eyes to those who would dare meet her sight, and her mind already in motion. On the other hand, Jay was far more vocal about his displeasure.

"This is some bullshit," he stated plainly as he turned to Elle and the GP detectives. "Tell them, Elle!"

"I already did, Jay," she replied, "but I don't think they're listening to me."

Once the three captives were seated, four ranking officials entered and took their places at the head of the conference table. Naturally, Chief Z was flanked by Assistant Chief O and Chief Physician H, while GP Liaison Officer Matsu Mitsuki also stood to Oh's right. At Zed's cue, the four slid into their seats, as did Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Elle. Tenchi and Jay also took their seats, though Ryoko hesitated, her glare falling upon the chief as she relented.

"Alright," Zed began, "let's get this over with. The bunch of you have really gummed this all up."

"Is Ayeka okay?" Tenchi asked.

"She is resting comfortably," Aitch answered.

Zed commented, "We should probably start there."

"Very well," the chief physician concurred. "As most of you likely recall, Princess Ayeka was injured in the skirmish at Gramercy Park. Her condition had been slowly deteriorating since the incident, and her condition became critical early this morning."

Oh turned to Elle and added, "However, Agent L saved her life."

Ayeka's friends all collectively sighed in relief, but Aitch argued, "Yes, by acting very rashly." Addressing Elle directly, he lectured, "Your actions could have just as easily killed the princess as saved her. No one in the infirmary knew what pumping a full dose of epinephrine into a Juraian's system would do, least of all you."

"You're absolutely right, Aitch," she said before venomously adding, "so maybe I could use some guidance, instead of a 'pep talk' about watching my patients die."

Surprised and scornful, Ayeka's friends all turned to Aitch, who was taken aback by her direct accusation.

"There was no guidance to give," he retorted. "We have no experience working with Juraians, let alone one with Ayeka's particular condition. From all the blood work, we knew she didn't produce her own epinephrine, and small doses had little to no effect. We had been hoping that Dr. Hakubi might have some insight, but she's been missing for hours."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to sit on my hands and let another patient die without a fight."

While Ryoko did not know how to speak English, the transducelator in her ear allowed her to understand the argument. Though the space pirate did not appreciate Elle's call for backup at Gramercy Park, she did respect the good doctor's nerve to oppose her colleague, as well as to face the mantis twice now.

"That's enough!" Zed interjected. "You two can have your pissing match later. Now, Elle might have broken protocol, but you can't argue with the results that the princess isn't in the morgue."

"That said," Oh appended, "I would agree that if she is to assist in the infirmary again, she should be given training in MiB medical protocol and procedure."

Cornered, Aitch conceded, "You're right. After this crisis is over, I will make the arrangements."

"Thank you, Agent H," Elle said with a twinge of sarcasm in her voice.

"Next on the docket," Zed resumed, "Detectives Makibi and Kuramitsu. You've failed to report both the presence of a wanted felon here on Earth and the death of a Super-A class criminal. Both fall under the heading 'selective enforcement', don't they?"

Taking a calming breath, Kiyone nodded. "That would be correct."

"Admittedly, Kiyone," he commented, "I'm surprised you weren't called on knowing Ryoko's whereabouts when you were up for promotion in 1995."

Coldly, the paragon of detectives argued, "At the time, the Galaxy Police were also corrupted by the usurper to Jurai's throne."

"Point taken," the chief accepted. "Now, I will accept that Ryoko here has been out of trouble for the last couple of years, so having the two of you watching over her will likely play in your favor. I doubt your supervisors at the GP will have a problem with your choice to essentially have her under house arrest in Okayama."

Rolling her eyes, Ryoko huffed in Cerulian, "I could have flown away whenever I damn well pleased."

In a hushed tone, Oh retorted in the same language, "Considering they kept you out of jail until now, I wouldn't be so flippant, my dear."

With a heated glare, the space pirate crossed her arms, her shackles clanking with the motion.

Zed motioned to Mitsuki, whose eyes slid icily to Kiyone's. He added, "It's more the issue that you failed to report Kain's appearance and death on Earth."

Oh supplemented, "We do understand the context that this was an extraordinary situation and that you wanted to preserve the timeline after Kain targeted Achika Masaki. Sadly, that does not excuse the lapse in procedure."

"I understand," Kiyone acknowledged.

"We're really sorry," Mihoshi added. "We didn't want to cause any trouble."

At last, Mitsuki spoke, "No, you didn't." She closed her eyes, taking a calming breath. "However, no report of Kain's destruction means that the rest of us continued to worry about his return." Her reddish-brown eyes focused on Kiyone. "You have both seen the chaos left from his attack, the unease from the destruction of headquarters. The past year has been awful enough just rebuilding, but we have also had the looming threat of Kain coming back to finish the job."

The blond officer looked down to her hands as she wove her fingers together absently. "You're right."

Kiyone met her colleague's gaze and answered, "I accept that we did not follow procedure and willingly omitted the incident in 1970 from our reports." Steeling herself, she continued, "I will take full responsibility and will take whatever punishment is deemed necessary."

"Kiyone!" Mihoshi interjected.

"No," the teal-tressed detective countered, "it was my idea to keep this quiet, whatever our reasons."

"Honestly," Zed said, "your conduct isn't our problem. After all, the Japanese islands are the in the jurisdiction of the Galaxy Police, so it'll be up to your superiors to decide. Mitsuki will turn over her report to the GP after our bug problem is settled."

As Mitsuki affirmed this, Kiyone accepted, "Very well."

"And now," the chief resumed, motioning to Tenchi and Ryoko, "we have you two. Masaki Tenchi, you're charged with resisting arrest. Ryua Ryoko, I doubt I need to list off all your crimes, but specifically, your breakout a couple nights back is enough to put you in hot water."

"Just what I get for doing a favor," Ryoko scoffed in Cerulian, "let alone 'keeping out of trouble' for a couple years."

"No good deed goes unpunished, my dear," he cynically added. "Regardless, you did assault several of my agents and did a fair amount of damage to our holding facility."

"And then," she argued, "I get wrapped up in some bug bullshit, which was not what I signed up for."

"Well, that's what you got," he retorted, "and here you are."

She slammed her restraints on the table as sparks shot between her eyes. "Yeah, here I am, sitting across the table from an ungrateful bastard! I saved your people last night, asshole!"

"And," Oh interjected, "we are actually grateful for your actions, Ms. Ryua."

Hearing her surname, the same used by the mantis last night, the space pirate snapped, "Don't call me that!"

She then recoiled, energy having gathered in her hands and reflected back to her skin.

"Ryoko!" Tenchi exclaimed as he reached for her. "Are you okay?"

"No," she answered, "I'm not, Tenchi." Her feline eyes glared back at Zed and Oh. "I didn't ask to be here. I was perfectly happy to just sleep, drink, and annoy Ayeka at Tenchi's place. I was hurting no one, and that's what you people want, right?"

"You do have a debt to society," Zed countered.

"To hell with society!" she barked.

"What if," Oh suggested, "society could help you?"

"Yeah right," Ryoko sarcastically replied. "Ever since I was a kid, I've been hounded by cops and looked down on by 'society'. You've got nothing I want."

"How about your freedom?"

Curious, Tenchi asked, "What do you mean?"

"The Men in Black have had to assist numerous organizations in the galaxy over the last few decades," Oh explained. "They owe us a few favors, and a few of them could get Ryoko's sentence commuted."

Confused, Ryoko's amber eyes slid back to the assistant chief.

Oh affirmed her words and continued, "Considering her roles in ousting the usurper from Jurai and ending Kain, her sentence might be wiped completely. 'Community service', so to speak."

"You mean," Tenchi inquired, "she wouldn't be an outlaw anymore?"

"Exactly," the lady chief confirmed. "She wouldn't be regarded as a space pirate anymore."

The notion took Ryoko aback. Since her childhood, she had been on the wrong side of the law, from pickpocketing on her home-world to her independent pirate career. She had been "Space Pirate Ryoko" for as long as she could remember, and she had worn it as a badge of pride, of strength. Indeed, the pirate guilds of Ryua were more her family than any blood relative.

She had never thought about being just "Ryoko".

But, she also knew the real world was never so kind simply to forgive without a price.

"What's the catch?" she asked.

"Shrewd girl," Zed commented. "Help us with this bug problem, and we'll negotiate your warrants with the Galaxy Police."

"That's not a guarantee," the Ryoan woman keenly observed.

"What is?" the chief quipped in return. "And, what other option do you have?"

Ryoko's brow twisted into a scowl, but Oh qualified her superior's comment, "Given your precedent of helping the Galaxy Police, specifically our two resident officers, I'm sure a deal can be struck. Then, you'd be a free woman, both on Earth and in the Galactic Union."

The offer was tempting, not ever to worry about the Galaxy Police cuffing her again. Potentially, she could roam the stars again, visit old haunts without threat of arrest, perhaps show Tenchi the journey she always promised him.

Tenchi! she thought.

"What about Tenchi?" she asked.

"Of course," Oh said, "we're extending the same offer to him."

"His charge of resisting arrest is far less severe than years of piracy," Zed detailed, "and only here in New York. We could just let it slide, given the extreme circumstance, and that he helps us."

The space pirate turned to her beloved prince, whose naive smile welcomed her.

"Sounds like a good deal to me," Tenchi said to her in Japanese, "and if you don't have to have to be a fugitive anymore, wouldn't that be even better?"

With a calming breath and a lick of her chapped lips, Ryoko nodded. "Fair enough," she said in Cerulian to Zed, "but I want some assurance that you're not going to double-cross Tenchi or me."

"Don't worry," Kiyone interjected. "Mihoshi and I are witnesses to the agreement."

"As am I," Mitsuki added, meeting gazes with Ryoko, "and I want to see this 'reformed' space pirate for myself."

"You'll see enough," the cyan-maned fury retorted.

Zed then shifted his attention to Jay. "Which only leaves you, Agent J. You are charged with drawing your weapon on and threatening a fellow MiB agent."

"I already told you, Zed," the neophyte agent argued. "If I let the guard arrest Tenchi over there, the bug would've killed everyone in this building."

"And, how would you know that?" Aitch inquired. "We here have the most advanced weaponry and defensive systems in this region of space."

"When Griffin grabbed my shoulder, I saw everything that would happen if I let Tenchi get arrested. None of those possibilities had us living through the night. We needed both him and Ryoko, and the fact that we kicked the bug's ass proves it."

"And, look at them now," the chief physician retorted as she motioned to Tenchi and Ryoko in their bonds. "If that bug has the powers of a Juraian and a Ryoan, then we could easily defend against it with Archanan barriers or sinium armor."

"Didn't it also have that 'NVO' whatever?" Jay contended.

Then, another voice appended to his statement, "Yes, and you never would have done any damage to him."

Everyone spun to the entrance door as Dr. Hakubi Washu joined the meeting, her phantom laptop floating near at hand.

Aitch scowled and demanded, "Where the hell have you been, doctor? We've been looking for you for the past several hours!"

The minute genius glared back at him as she guided the shy Griffin into the room with her.

"Having a rather interesting conversation," she said in flawless English, "something of which I doubt you are capable."

"Hi," Griffin meekly said as he waved. "Sorry we're late." He then noticed the bonds on Tenchi, Ryoko, and Jay, to which he grimaced. "I guess we're not in a future where Tenchi can use Light Hawk Wings."

"What is a 'rait hauku wingu'?" Tenchi asked.

"Nothing important right now, Tenchi," Washu remarked.

"What about your 'friend', Dr. Hakubi?" Aitch rebuked. "You were supposed to be assisting in her care!"

"As I recall, 'Herbert'," she sliced with her sharp tongue, "her 'care' was stagnant, and someone needed to analyze what was done to her. That was 'my job', was it not?" With a few taps of the keys on her phantom laptop, the ethereal device projected an image over the meeting table of Illirg, flanked by streams of data: DNA sequence, astral pattern, energy type and output, among numerous other statistics. "From the telemetry and tissue samples I acquired during and after the battle at Gramercy Park, I have produced a full profile of our adversary. He is a 'blattella gigantea', genetically spliced with the code of a Ryoan and a Juraian, specifically neural tissue. Moreover, two other compounds have forced normally suppressed genes to be activated, yielding warrior and noble caste traits to be expressed."

"That explains why his strength and ability to use Ryoan and Juraian energies," Mitsuki commented, "though how could he use NVO energy as well?"

"Moreover," Kiyone added, "who would have the skill and access to craft those genes together? I doubt this creature did this to itself."

A few keystrokes from the scientist minimized the data on the bug, as two complex molecular diagrams appeared alongside the stream of DNA code. One appeared like a flexible cogwheel, moving of its own accord, while the other looked remarkably like a neuron, branching into a network and sparking with electrical power.

"I found chemical residue from a nanomechanical polymerase," she explained. "It normally biodegrades, but the tissues of the bug are too high in pH."

"And, what does that mean, Washu?" Ryoko bluntly asked.

"It's a machine," Oh answered, "the size of a molecule that rewrites DNA. It's meant to treat genetic disorders, and it's restricted to medical and research use. After its job is done, it's essentially supposed to dissolve in the body."

"I guess somebody doesn't think that it's restricted," Jay opined.

"Do you know who manufactured it?" Kiyone inquired.

"I haven't looked," the researcher admitted, as she typed a few more commands into her laptop, "but I can access Yagami's database right quick."

"You shouldn't have access to restricted GP files," Mitsuki argued with a scowl.

Washu scoffed, "You do know who I am, right?"

The projection then shifted to a search, comparing the molecular machines to several others in the Galaxy Police records aboard Yagami. After a few moments, the two nanites were shown compared to similar models with "95% confidence" displayed above each pair.

"And, there we are," she remarked. "Looks like they're modified from Pentinian designs."

"Pentinian?" Mihoshi asked. "If I remember correctly, wasn't there an incident on the Science Academy campus there a couple years back?"

"Pentinon is a fairly unremarkable world in the Galactic Union," Zed considered aloud, "but it's a lead on our bug." Motioning to Elle, he instructed, "You and the GP ladies get on that."

"What about me?" Jay asked, raising his shackled hands. "I'm still locked up, Zed!" He turned to Griffin. "Help me out here, man!"

"But," the Archanan divulged, "I already showed Zed and Oh the same futures I showed you."

Aghast, Jay directed his attention to his superior. "So, you already know that I'm right?"

"That we do, slugger," Zed confirmed.

"Then, why the hell am I cuffed?!" Jay exclaimed.

"While you did have reason to help Tenchi in that moment," Oh explained sternly, "you still did draw your weapon on a fellow agent." From her pocket, she produced a neuralizer. "Aggression between agents will not be tolerated in any form."

Jay's eyes widened at the sight of the memory-clearing device, as did Elle's. The GP personnel glanced among themselves, taken aback by this turn.

"Jay," Zed began coldly, "in any other circumstances, this conversation wouldn't happen. You would be back on the streets of New York, thinking your time with the Men in Black was a bad trip on acid."

"Given what Griffin has shown us," the assistant chief elaborated, "we will forgive this transgression."

"But," the male chief warned, "you are officially on borrowed time. Kay endorsed the hell out of you, son, and this stunt lost all the trust I had. You're going to have earn it back."

The young agent took a relieved breath and nodded, feeling the shame of his action weigh on him. "I understand."

Zed addressed the guards, "Boys, release Jay and Mr. Masaki."

As the men opened the restraints on Tenchi and Jay, Ryoko raised her hands and barked, "Hey! Aren't you forgetting me?!"

"Not at all," Oh retorted. "I wanted to remind you one last time. The deal is that you help us eliminate this bug. If you attempt to escape or if you fail to cooperate, then the deal is void. Are we clear?"

Icily, Ryoko responded, "Perfectly."

The assistant chief motioned for the guards also to remove the Ryoan woman's chains as well. She rubbed her wrists and stretched, her distrusting eyes never leaving Oh's, which met hers evenly.

"Now," Zed said to Tenchi and Ryoko, "I'm sure the two of you would like to check in on your friend and her little sister in the infirmary. We can have you escorted to her while we discuss the plan for our bug problem."

The prince briefly glanced to the pirate, and she silently agreed. "Yes, please," he said.

X X X

Jurai Ayeka hugged her sister Sasami warmly as the azure-haired girl clung tightly to her elder sibling. Sitting on the edge of her cot in the infirmary, the violet-tressed princess had had a few hours of sleep and a shower, which made her feel much more herself. Soon enough, the dear younger daughter of Jurai had also awoken from her rest and had found her way here. While the infirmary staff had been a little concerned after Ayeka's brush with death, they had decided no harm would come from allowing Sasami to visit.

"I'm sorry that I worried you," the former crown princess consoled her kin.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Ayeka," the nine-year-old girl sobbed as her grip tightened a bit more.

Ayeka smiled softly, somber thoughts floating through her mind. She remembered vividly holding Sasami for the first time when she was a newborn, so small and fragile. As a preteen, Ayeka recalled being amazed to see her sibling for the first time, to think that she too had been so tiny. In the preceding months, she had spoken often with their mother, genuinely growing curious about marriage and motherhood as the empress carried this small life within her. However, actually holding her sleeping sister had endeared the babe to her.

Sadly, the memory was laced with sorrow. Ayeka had seen that their father, the monarch of the sovereign Jurai Empire, could barely conceal his grief behind his practiced decorum on what should have been a joyous day. Inevitably, she had asked him, and he had knelt down to her and had explained to her as kindly as he could a harsh truth. Happiness had changed to worry, and then worry into shock, before collapsing to heartbreak. She could only cling to her father's robes, not unlike how Sasami now clung to hers.

As she combed her fingers through her sister's azure hair, Ayeka silently thanked the mother goddess for not subjecting Sasami to the same loss.

A knock rose from the door to the suite, drawing the sisters' attention from one another. While Sasami wiped away her tears, the entry opened and allowed Masaki Tenchi to enter with a kind smile.

"Mind a little company?" he asked.

Ayeka's heart fluttered a bit, seeing the object of her affections for the first time in days. She was also surprised to see him dressed in the Juraian finery he acquired during his brief stay on her home-world.

"Tenchi!" she gasped as she slid from the bed and walked to his side.

"How're you feeling?" the prince inquired.

"Better now," she said with a demure smile on her lips. "I didn't expect you to be so formal."

Scratching the back of his head nervously, he replied, "Well, the idea was to try and pretend to be a nobleman to find where you all went." With a wry smile, he added, "It didn't quite work out the way we planned."

Ayeka blushed a bit. "I'm flattered you came all this way. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"I wasn't the only one worried," he amended, motioning back to the door.

Glancing once more to the entrance, the princess saw Ryua Ryoko leaning against the door frame, her arms folded and her eyes looking away. The regal-tressed woman was more taken aback to see the wanted space pirate standing free in this law enforcement facility, regardless of her aloof attitude.

"Ryoko?" she asked. "How are you here?"

The felon's amber eyes slid to the ruby gaze of her rival for Tenchi's affections, and the elder Juraian could see a concern in her. Through their long and complicated history, Ayeka had never quite seen this expression in the Ryoan woman before. Moreover, she had never known the pirate to be frugal with words.

Ryoko was still processing her feelings in this situation. She was certainly jealous of Tenchi's worry for Ayeka, not to mention the flirtations she could see in the princess's words just now. However, the cyan-maned fury also was relieved to see her rival standing, walking, and talking like nothing had happened. The last time she had seen Ayeka was when she fell to Illirg's attack, after the Juraian had pushed the Ryoan aside to save her. Alongside those two feelings was guilt from leaving Ayeka lying there to avoid the MiB.

"That's a long story," she remarked.

Worry entered into Ayeka's words as she turned to Tenchi and requested, "What has happened?"

Sasami clung to her sister's arm and asked, "Is that bug still out there?"

The prince knelt to the azure-haired girl and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Not for much longer."

"We cut a deal with the Men in Black," Ryoko explained distantly. "We help them take out the bug, and they drop all charges against us."

"And," Tenchi appended, "they will even negotiate to have Ryoko's old warrants dropped. She won't be a space pirate anymore."

Sasami's eyes lit up. "Really, Ryoko? You won't be a criminal anymore?"

The cyan-maned Ryoan was still unsure about her feelings about the arrangement, let alone its implications to herself, but seeing the joy in the child's rosy orbs softened her response. Ryoko feigned a grin and nodded. "That's right."

While Sasami cheered at the idea, Ayeka was also struck by the notion. She too had mostly known Ryoko as the infamous space pirate, one of many. Indeed, the planet Ryua in the Jurai Empire was notorious for its pirate guilds for millennia, seen as a blemish to the imperial nation. The idea of Ryoko being a free woman seemed foreign to the princess.

And then, Ayeka noted how the notion appeared to please Sasami, and Tenchi. Although both sisters had befriended Ryoko in their own ways, Ryoko's freedom would be one fewer wedge between the prince and the pirate. A dagger of jealousy nicked at Ayeka's heart seeing how he announced the arrangement, that they came here together, while she had fought for her life.

Deep in Ayeka's thoughts, at the back of her mind, she could hear a faint whisper, He's yours.

However, the rational part of the elder princess pushed her jealous thoughts aside. This is not the time for that, she told herself. The monster who harmed me is the more pressing matter.

"What is to be done about the creature?" Ayeka asked.

"Washu, Kiyone, and Mihoshi stayed with the heads of the Men in Black," Tenchi replied. "I'm betting that they'll figure something out soon."

"We probably could have killed it last night," Ryoko remarked, "if it hadn't flown away."

"It flew away?" Sasami inquired. "I thought it was after you, Ryoko."

"So did I," the space pirate mused.

"You and Ryo-Ohki fought him for a while," Tenchi recalled. "Did he say why he was after you?"

The Ryoan woman thought back to her exchange with Illirg, her demands for explanations, his cryptic responses. She remembered her realization of the voice within her head from when the creature had pinned her nights before. The coincidence of all these factors disturbed her as she could see where they converged.

Not the pirate guilds, she reminded herself, knowing the "higher fealty" meant a far darker source.

"He said something about his 'queen' ordering him," she admitted, "so I'm guessing he's some kind of hit-beast."

"I doubt the list of your 'admirers' is short," Ayeka chided her.

Ryoko glared at the princess, her irritation at the Juraian curling into her frustration at the beast.

"But, who would go to the trouble of making that mantis?" Tenchi countered. "It seems like a lot of trouble to go to just to get at Ryoko."

The prince's point threw some doubt on the cyan-maned fury's suspicions. Sending a conventional hitman would be far easier and efficient than manufacturing this monster.

Yet, she thought, the bug basically admitted his reasons last night.

Lost in the logic, she finally shook the notion from her mind and said, "Let the cops figure it out. I just want to be done with this." As she turned to leave, the Ryoan woman gave one last look to Ayeka. "Glad you're not dead, princess."

Outside the suite, Ryoko was met by one of the guards, who escorted her from the infirmary.

X X X

While Ryua Ryoko had a deal with the Men in Black, the clandestine organization still kept her on a short leash. Her temporary quarters was no longer a jail cell, but rather an apartment in the main complex, likely used for visiting dignitaries or staff. The décor was mostly unremarkable, much like a hotel room in its furnishings: two beds, a video monitor, a floor lamp, a small circular table, and two egg-shaped chairs. However, she found the whites and grays of the room distasteful, too sterile, to say nothing of the odd seats. To start relaxing, as well add some color to the room, she removed her orange and black jacket and tossed it onto one of the beds.

Sadly, a stretch did not relieve much stress as she glanced briefly at the closed door. On the other side stood an armed guard, who would likely alert his superiors if she made any action that could be construed as aggressive or fugitive. She was hardly surprised, though knowing the man was on the other side of the divide did make her uncomfortable.

Her muscles ached after the brawl at the alien speakeasy and the battle at the Battery. She had hardly slept on the uncomfortable prison cot. Situation not withstanding, she was ready to drink herself until she passed out and slept into the morning. Checking the miniature refrigerator, she found about six cold beers, but nothing that suited her harder tastes.

Any port in a storm, she lamented before popping the top of the first bottle.

As her lips touched the container's edge, a bell rang from the door, befouling her mood further. With an irritated snarl, she upended the beverage and gulped a mouthful of its contents before turning to the door.

While the door slid open, Ryoko began ranting, "What the hell do you-?" before her amber eyes met the brown of Tenchi's.

A wry smile crossing his lips, the prince answered, "I wanted to check on you."

The Ryoan's eyes lowered to the side as she quietly replied, "I'm fine, Tenchi."

Having lived with her for these past three years, the young man recognized her demeanor and attitude: tired, irritated, and guarded. Given the law enforcement facility around them, and the recent skirmishes, none of these surprised him, though the way she stormed out of Ayeka's room concerned him.

"Could we just talk for a while?" he asked.

Given his usual irritation at her antics, she had not anticipated this request. Her heart beat more heavily against her chest as she stole one more glimpse of the guard at the door, who merely stared back from behind his sunglasses. With a nod of her head, she motioned Tenchi inside before the door closed behind them. Ryoko took another gulp of beer while the prince also took note of the room.

"Not exactly fancy, is it?" he mused with a silly grin.

"Doesn't have to be," she retorted as she sat down on the bed next to her jacket. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

Sitting on the other bed in the room, the high-school senior answered, "You, actually. I'm worried about you."

Flattered, a mild blush crossed Ryoko's cheeks before she chuckled with her usual bravado. "Me? Come on, Tenchi. I've tangled with far worse than the Men in Black or this bug before."

Nodding, he agreed, "Yeah, but I've never seen you get mad at your name before."

The false smile on Ryoko's lips faded some as she chugged another mouthful of beer.

"I never knew your full name," he admitted. "Honestly, I don't think it ever crossed my mind to ask."

"It doesn't matter," she returned. "It's just a word."

"Well, I mean, if it's your family name…"

"I have no family," she rebuked him.

Taken aback, Tenchi apologized, "I'm sorry if I pried."

With another swig of booze, an idea came to the space pirate. "You want to know about my family, Tenchi?"

"I just want to know what's wrong," he admitted, "and if I can help."

Setting her half-full bottle on a nightstand, she retrieved and opened another full one from the mini-fridge. The prince sat confused as she handed it to him.

"What's this for?" he inquired.

"Drink with me," she stipulated, "and I'll answer whatever you ask."

Uneasy, he shook his head, "Ryoko, I'm only 18-years-old. I can't drink."

With a sly smirk, she chuckled, "How old do you think I am, Tenchi?"

Raised by his father and grandfather, the well-mannered young man knew better than to ask a lady her age, but he also knew Ryoko cared nothing for manners. She continued to smirk at him, motioning to the bottle in his hand. His eyes slid down to the alcoholic beverage, its scent earthy and bitter, quite off-putting to his senses. He had never imbibed the like before, despite Ryoko offering him sake periodically over the last few years. He had been told by his teachers and mentors to avoid such drink for his health and education, and he did not want to disappoint them.

Yet, he argued with himself, if it helps her…

Tenchi raised the bottle to his lips and eased it upward until the liquid touched his lips and flowed to his tongue. The bitterness and heavy flavor hit his taste buds, and he grimaced, lowering the bottle with a disgusted grunt.

Ryoko laughed to herself. "It's not exactly the best brand, but it's what we have."

Steeling himself, he upended the bottle and took a full mouthful and forced himself to swallow the distasteful fluid.

The space pirate clapped and cheered, "Woo! There you go!"

"Blech!" the prince exclaimed. "That was awful!"

"Yeah," the Ryoan woman agreed, "it's a terrible swill, but it'll do." After a gulp of her own drink, she added, "I'm the same age as you, Tenchi. I'll turn 19 next month."

"Earth years?"

Rolling her eyes, she retorted, "You've almost never left Okayama, let alone Earth. What would be the point of telling you my age in some other measurement?"

"Fair point," he admitted.

Taking a pillow, Ryoko reclined to her side along her bed as she pointed to his drink. "Take another swig, and ask me whatever."

Tenchi raked his tongue along his teeth, frowning at the woody and dank flavor in his mouth. However, he soldiered forth, taking another dose of the ale. Gagging a bit on the unpleasant sensation passing down his throat, the prince inquired, "Your name? What's your full name?"

"You've heard it already," she stated, finishing her own drink and setting the bottle aside. "It's 'Ryua Ryoko'."

"Isn't 'Ryua' the name of your home planet, like 'Jurai' is for Ayeka and Sasami?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you get that name? I mean, are you royalty like them?"

An annoyance crossed her brow as her amber eyes glared back at him. "Take another suck on that bottle, Tenchi, and I'll tell you."

Grimacing, he acquiesced, taking another mouthful of brown hops before she took a heavy breath. The cyan-maned fury faded away before reappearing at the refrigerator to retrieve her next beverage.

"It's my mother's family name," she softly said, her eyes focusing on the bottle's cap.

Tenchi could hear a somberness to her voice that he had not heard in some years. At that time, Washu had developed the dimension tuner, a device to choose a parallel world from the infinite possibilities. Ryoko and the other girls had tampered with the machine, causing it to overload, drawing the entire household into fractured realities. The genius researcher had systematically eliminated each world until only the first remained, Ryoko's. Unlike the others, her brainwaves had become intimately intertwined with the machine's transport circuit, meaning she would have to be willing in order for the world to be eliminated.

At first, the space pirate had refused to deny her ideal world. She had had Tenchi by her side, stolen from Ayeka's. She had wanted to share the excitement of her life with him in a way more familiar to him, being gangsters in the United States during the 1920s, ironically in New York. She had hoped he would grow accustomed to the world, to being with her. Sadly, he had only wanted to go home, back to his normalcy. He had scolded her for being selfish, for hoping he would change for her.

And, he could see the heartbreak when he had argued with her. She had flown away, defiant to the end. For a few hours, Tenchi had waited with Washu, wondering and worrying about Ryoko. Then, she had returned, finally choosing to allow this false world to be eliminated. As Washu had been setting the dimension tuner for their return to normal space, Ryoko had weaved her fingers together with Tenchi's, and he had held her hand, supporting her. After that moment, the space pirate's antics had seemed to be more subdued, a bit more open to the opinions of others, particularly of Tenchi himself.

She had given up something important, Tenchi reminded himself.

As the Ryoan woman teleported back to her reclined position, the prince could see the distant look in her eyes.

"And, no," she continued. "My planet doesn't have royalty like Jurai. It's part of Jurai's empire, so it has a Juraian governor."

Several questions buzzed within Tenchi's head about his friend, and now drinking partner. He wondered about her planet, her family, her old friends. Though he had lived with her for three years, he still knew so little about her past. However, considering her title of "space pirate", he admitted that some of her part exploits may best be left to the past.

No, he told himself, what matters now is why her family bothers her so much, and if it has to do with the bug.

Taking another gulp of beer, he asked, "Are you close to her? You've never mentioned her before."

After upending her fresh bottle and guzzling about a third of its contents, she hissed through her teeth. He could see the loss and spite in her face as she answered, "She's been dead for five years."

Taken aback, Tenchi commiserated, "I'm so sorry."

Ryoko guzzled another third of her drink before she said, "Don't worry about it. She's gone, and we can't do anything about it."

The prince did the arithmetic quickly. The Ryoan woman would have been around 13-years-old when her mother passed, roughly two years before she came to Earth. He then considered her other parent.

Finishing his beer, Tenchi gagged a bit before he asked, "What about your father?"

Ryoko polished off her second bottle and responded coldly, "Never knew him. He was killed in a GP raid before I was born."

Amazed, the young man sat stunned. "Wow, you were alone for all that time?"

"Not really," she corrected. "I grew up in the Ryoan pirate guilds, Tenchi, and Ryo-Ohki has been with me since before Mom died." She set her empty bottle aside and motioned to his. "Looks like we both need a refill."

The prince grimaced. "There's no better way to just talk?"

"This was the deal, Tenchi," she reiterated as she laid back on her bed.

With a heavy sigh, he stood and retrieved two more bottles, handing one to the cyan-maned woman. She promptly opened hers and downed about a fourth of the product. Hesitantly, he took another gulp of the distasteful swill, slowly acclimatizing to the odor and flavor.

"How does the bug fit in?" he requested.

"He doesn't," she told him before downing another mouthful of ale. "I've never heard of any Ryoan guild dealing with bugs, mutated or otherwise."

As she stretched her aching muscles and partook again of her beer, Tenchi asked, "Why aren't you still with the pirate guilds?"

Her eyelids were growing heavy, more from her activity throughout the day than the alcohol, but this sleepy state allowed her subconscious more freedom. She could remember the clash of swords and the yelling of names and curses. Tenchi could detect a tension rise in her, despite her lethargy, her brows furrowing into a distant scowl. She upended her beer and sucked down its contents before tossing the bottle to the side of her bed.

"Because there's nothing left for me there," she admitted freely.

"What happened?"

"It doesn't matter," she declared. "They aren't behind the bug."

"How do you know?"

Ryoko remembered the black flames attempting to enshroud her, hearing her mother's voice call to her from within the depths of her mind. The unnerving feeling lingered as she recalled demanding answers from the culprit, Ryo-Ohki bombarding him time and again.

"Ryoan pirates attack for one of three reasons," she stated. "To take treasure, to take revenge, or to piss off the authorities on Ryua. These Men in Black aren't Ryoan or Juraian government. We both know I don't have any cash here on Earth, and I haven't done anything with the guilds for years."

"Then, what did he mean by 'old debts need to be paid'?" Tenchi asked, his concern more evident.

His question surprised Ryoko. She knew someone else would ask about those words soon enough, but she had not expected that person to be Tenchi. She then saw him upend his beer and down about a third of the beverage, much to his distaste. She could see that his worry was genuine, not that Tenchi knew how to be duplicitous, a trait that had long since endeared him to her. Sitting up on the bed, the pirate's expression grew grave as she acquiesced to his question, answering him honestly.

"I don't know, Tenchi. I really don't. I thought the same thing, that someone I double-crossed back in the day had sent him to take me out. Hell, I even thought it might be the guilds too." Her eyes met his as she added, "I asked him straight up if it was a pirate guild behind him, and he told me that it wasn't."

"What did he tell you?"

"He just kept saying 'as my queen has ordered'," she said, "which means nothing to me since I've never dealt with the bugs ever."

"Might he have you confused for some other space pirate?"

The pirate recalled the voice that had touched her mind, her mother's. She remembered the fear that crept into her, despite her bravado, as well as the revelation of "a higher fealty". She wrapped her arms around her knees and glanced to Tenchi.

Softly, she replied, "No way." Steeling herself, she paused before continuing, "Did your mom ever read stories to you when you were little, Tenchi?"

"Yeah," the prince acknowledged, "but I don't remember them too well. Mom did pass when I was very little."

"My mom read to me too," she admitted. "Mom wasn't a pirate, and she never wanted me to be." She chuckled, "She said I took after my dad."

Gazing into the mirror on the opposite wall, her eyes met their reflections. As she had matured, she had begun to see more of her mother's face in her own, especially now as she recounted her memories.

"Mom knew a lot of stories," she continued, "some of them even the oldest privateers didn't know."

Hearing Ryoko open up to him, Tenchi smiled warmly and said, "She sounds like a very interesting lady."

Her eyes slid to the prince and flashed him an appreciative grin. "She was, and I'd know her voice anywhere." However, this moment was fleeting as she took a breath and continued, "You know what happened in the hotel?"

"Some of it. I know the creature was focused on you."

"Yeah. He was," she acknowledged icily. "The bug, 'Illirg', grabbed me and slammed me into the ground." She paused, thinking back to the moment, finding the words. "Then, this… black fire, whatever it was, came down on me." She clutched her legs closer. "It felt like it wanted to… melt into me." Her fingers grasped her knees firmly, remembering the feeling, the confusion, the fear. Her skin crawled, the memory of the heat prickling over her flesh. "I've been hit with a lot of things, Tenchi," she admitted, "but nothing like that."

The prince came and sat beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the tension in her, and shiver of fear, something he had never seen from her. She lowered her head next to his hand, appreciating his touch.

After a moment, she whispered, "I heard her in the fire."

"You 'heard her'?"

"Mom," she answered. "While the fire was doing… whatever it was doing, I heard Mom's voice."

His brows raised. "What did she say?"

"I could only make out 'daughter'." Ryoko rose from the bed and gazed into her reflection's eyes. "I don't know how or why."

Tenchi came to her side and reasoned, "It could have been the stress of everything. This whole thing has been stressful for everyone."

The cyan-maned woman shook her head. "No. If it was just my imagination, Mom wouldn't have called me 'daughter'. She wasn't some stuck up princess who addresses people by titles or relationships."

"Then, what could it have been?"

The pirate certainly had her suspicions. When she had severed her ties with the pirate guilds, she also burned all bridges with her mother's family as well, effectively renouncing the "Ryua" name entirely. While the pirate guilds were more pragmatic about such matters, bloodlines tended to be far more vindictive.

But, if so, she asked herself, why now?

That said, deeper inside, part of her held a dread. Of the stories her mother had told her as a child, many had been of heroes of legend and history, but not all. Some had spoken of a consuming black flame, and of other dark fates that befell the ignorant and unfortunate. Though she no longer recalled the stories themselves, the echo of them resonated with her experience a few nights ago.

Those are just stories, Ryoko told herself. Every mother tells those.

She turned to her beloved prince, her amber eyes meeting the brown of his, as she honestly answered, "I don't know, Tenchi. I have no idea what it was trying to do to me." Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her uneasy fear shifting to anger. "I just know that the black fire replicated my mother's voice."

Thinking aloud, the high-school senior conjectured, "The black fire sounds a lot like Kain, and this 'Illirg' does have Kain's power."

"Yeah, but Kain never tried to seep into us."

"He did try to pull my Mom and Dad into himself when we arrived in subspace."

Ryoko remembered flying through her trans-dimensional portal into the subspace pocket, seeing Tenchi's parents being drawn toward the murderer Kain. Nobuyuki had been unconscious, helpless to stop his motion in the vacuum dragging him closer to the creature. Achika, on the other hand, had been resisting admirably, having awakened to Jurai's power, but she had let herself be drawn closer in order to save her eventual husband. While Tenchi had sliced Kain's face open, Ryoko and Ayeka had caught Achika and Nobuyuki, saving them from whatever fate waited them within Kain's body.

Taking the last beer from the refrigerator, Ryoko reasoned, "He was probably thought he'd take them out quickly: draw them in and finish them fast."

Comparing the two incidents, a dark thought came to Tenchi. "Do you think someone sent Kain to kill my mom?"

Swallowing a mouthful of beer, she pondered, "Maybe. We know he hated Juraians, but it's not like there weren't Juraians in the present. Why would he go to the trouble of not only going back in time, but also going to Earth?"

"Who would send Kain to kill my mom?"

Ryoko thought back to when she and Ayeka had sneaked into Achika's high school, both staying close to her, befriending her. The then-teenager had known nothing of Jurai or its dealings, blissfully ignorant of the menace coming to take her life. When Ryoko had discovered that the vibrant girl was merely a bystander and a victim, the pirate had empathized with her. She had not deserved a death at the villain's hands.

And, the cyan-maned fury could see Tenchi's line of logic, that Illirg might have been sent by the same malefactor as Kain. This possibility only nurtured more bitterness in Ryoko's heart.

"I don't know," she replied as she downed another swig of beer, "but I'd blast their face off."

"Hopefully, it won't come to that."

"We'll have to see." Ryoko glanced to the two-thirds full bottle in Tenchi's hand. "I've been answering questions, but you haven't been drinking."

Grinning wryly, Tenchi apologized, "I'm sorry. It's just… it tastes awful."

The Ryoan pirate smiled deviously as a sultry thought came to her mind. "Well, there are other ways to get information out of me, my Tenchi."

As she sauntered closer to him, he blushed and took a few steps back. "We still can't just talk?"

"Where's the fun in that?" she purred as she took their drinks and set them aside.

Before she could snake her arms around him, he reached the door and opened it behind him.

"Maybe we should get some rest," he argued. "We did agree to help the Men in Black."

"True," she admitted as she leaned suggestively against the door frame, "but I know a few ways to relax together."

Backing into the hallway, where the MiB guard can see him, Tenchi stretched his arms in an exaggerated motion and spoke very fast. "You know, I'm really tired. Maybe we can talk more later, after we get some sleep. I'll catch you later!"

With that, he quickly walked away while Ryoko pouted, disappointed and frustrated. She then glanced to the snickering guard, spurring her gaze to harden into a glare.

"The hell you laughing at?" she spat before slamming the door behind her.

X X X

Over the course of the day following Illirg's defeat at the Battery, preparations were made for his eventual reappearance. As requested, Griffin peered into neighboring probability spaces to see if Illirg had interfered with time. Thankfully, the mantis had not. Chiefs Z and O also asked the Archanan if he might be able to prognosticate where and when Illirg would reemerge. With the caveat that his abilities could only envision possible outcomes, he acquiesced to their request and elaborated on four branches from their current position in time.

With some minor deviations, the first two involved the bug being encountered on a street near Van Cortlandt Park. The remaining two had the bug munching on cattle in some farmland about an hour north of the city, varying only in which farm he visited. Naturally, an infinite myriad of other outcomes could result from even the most minute action during the next few hours, but Griffin's foresight gave the Men in Black some areas to investigate. Afterward, Oh had a pair of agents escort Griffin back to his residence near Union Square.

Dr. Hakubi Washu continued her study of the genetic composition of their mantis foe, particularly his limitations. During the last two exchanges, she had noticed that Illirg did not use a wider variety of his potential powers, such as Juraian mini-guardians or Ryoan teleportation. Through several models, she happened upon a fairly simple explanation, namely the powers themselves. Having studied her own Ryoan energies, she knew well that a Ryoan humanoid maintained a low-level charge while conscious. Naturally, this charge could increase and be focused with innate talent and learned skill, but even the most untrained Ryoan had a detectable trace of power. The same could be said of members of the Jurai royal family. Sadly, data on a humanoid with NVO energy was nonexistent since the only example of NVO energy was Kain, who was purely energy by all accounts.

Since Illirg possessed several powers, he maintained a low-level charge of each throughout his nervous system. Considering that Juraian and NVO annihilate in most scenarios, charging one would encroach on the other, causing the latter to interfere with the former. This interference would prevent him from accessing any high-cost abilities of either. Moreover, this explained why he had not used the two simultaneously. Running her models, Illirg required a second or two in order to decrease one power before using the other optimally, reflected by the color changes of his carapace.

However, in her models, the Ryoan researcher noticed an unexpected detail. In studying Ryoan and NVO energies, she noticed that the waveforms of Ryoan and NVO energies were incredibly similar, matching at numerous key points. That said, extensive differences also existed as well. Some parts of the Ryoan curve could be scaled up to match the corresponding NVO curve, but some regions of the Ryoan curve were outright flat, like a part was deleted or omitted. While time constraints necessitated other study, Washu made note to revisit this phenomenon later.

As to why Illirg could use NVO energy at all, Washu was still unsure. In sequencing the bug's DNA, she only found Juraian and Ryoan genes inelegantly inserted for neural tissue growth. Presumably, this alteration allows access to those respective energies, but several studies have been done to determine the source of Ryoan energies, including neurological research. While Ryoan neurology certainly had a hand in controlling the energy, it did not create it.

There's a missing factor, she deduced. Another matter for investigation later.

She did take particular interest in how Tenchi and Ryoko could shatter the NVO barrier together. Considering the similarities between Ryoan energy and NVO energy, the minute genius quickly began to formulate how the three might interact for the resultant effect, another mystery to solve. For the moment, Washu emphasized to Zed and Oh that both Tenchi and Ryoko would be needed for the coming confrontation with Illirg.

On the other hand, Agent L and Detective Kuramitsu Mihoshi conducted their own research on their foe. They found that, indeed, Washu had been correct in identifying the polymerase used to modify Illirg. It had originated from the nanotech research group at the Universal Science Academy – Pentinon, which had been studying new medical applications of the microscopic machines.

And, Mihoshi had also been correct. On 10 July 1995, nearly two years ago, an incident had taken place during presentation of final projects from the graduating class. A gynoid constructed by one of the degree candidates had gone out of control and had attacked not only its creator, but also another student and an instructor before escaping capture. Nerti Ro, the student who constructed the gynoid, had disappeared and has remained missing since the incident.

Immediately after the incident, the Galaxy Police had investigated the scene and found that the gynoid had broken into the data center of the campus. Before hacking countermeasures had cut her off, she had copied a copious amount of data from the backup servers: floor-plans of satellite campuses, security codes, and encrypted files containing sensitive research. While the contents of the stolen files had never been openly revealed, Elle was convinced that the polymerase used to create Illirg was likely among the stolen archives.

"But," the good doctor pondered, "why would the robot steal files?"

"Someone programmed it to?" the galactic gumshoe conjectured.

"Yeah, I would expect so, but that begs 'who would' and 'why would they'. Every file on this girl 'Nerti Ro' says that she was well-liked and mentally stable. She had aspirations to get her doctorate, and her teachers all talked highly of her potential. She doesn't have the profile of someone who would throw that all away."

"Maybe the robot's collecting it?"

"That may well be," Elle considered. "The gynoid has been sighted other places, like this kidnapping on Curul. Apparently, she conspired with a couple of patsies to hold the daughter of industrialist Ryan Rygoeth hostage until he gave up some trade secrets. But, what has that to do with the data from Pentinon, or the mantis?"

"Wouldn't all that be worth a lot?"

Stroking her chin, the former mortician nodded. "Likely so, but the bug isn't here to ransom or steal from us. His actions have been quite the opposite of covert espionage or kidnapping by proxy. He's here to do more drastic damage."

"Well, we could ask the bug when we catch him."

With a wry grin, Elle answered, "I doubt 'catch' is what's going to happen."

As night began to fall once again, the MiB's agents had found no trace of Illirg near Van Cortlandt Park or any farm north of the city. Consequently, Zed ordered that a "bio-net" put around the entire island of Manhattan. This dragnet of agents would stop anyone attempting to leave the isolated body of earth and search for the bug's presence.

However, Matsu Mitsuki suggested extending the sweep to include Governor's Island, Ellis Island, and Liberty State Park, the latter of two being in New Jersey. Her reasoning was that given Illirg's last escape over the Upper Bay, he might have taken refuge there instead of Manhattan. With Oh's endorsement, the chief conceded, assigning GP/MiB teams to investigate each: Makibi Kiyone and Agent J to Governor's Island, Kuramitsu Mihoshi and Agent L to Ellis Island, and Matsu Mitsuki and Agent U to Liberty State Park.

Each team flew a black helicopter from Smith Air, LLC, a front near Battery Park for the MiB used to conceal their local aerial ventures. Each rotary-wing aircraft was piloted by the respective GP officer, considering the far longer flight experience required. However, Elle was quite apprehensive to sit next to Mihoshi after the latter bumped the landing skid into a stack of barrels, toppling them into the bay. Mitsuki, on the other hand, detested her pairing with Yoo, who continually complimented her on her flying skills with her artificial arm.

With Kiyone and Jay, the paragon of detectives flew low over Governor's Island while the neophyte agent watched a panel display. The helicopter's rotors made little noise, implementing several sound-dampening technologies to keep its presence minimized. Meanwhile, the auxiliary display augmented the visible terrain with heat and spectral data as the aircraft slowly swept the area.

During their flight, Jay had been uncharacteristically quiet, though Kiyone could understand his silence. Both of them had been grilled by their superiors mere hours ago, and while her ultimate fate was yet to be determined, his already had a sword of Damocles hanging above it. She could see the tension in him as he panned the auxiliary display painstakingly over the ground below, wanting not to miss any possible detail.

As they passed over the eastern coast of Governor's Island, Kiyone broke the uneasy silence between them.

"What did it feel like?"

He glanced to her as she clarified, "Seeing all those different futures. I'm sure it had to be overwhelming."

He scoffed, "You could say that." The junior agent thought back to the moment Griffin touched his shoulder, showing him the possibilities following from his choice to help Tenchi. "It was like looking into the hall of mirrors at a fun house. I could see myself and everyone around me warped, doing slightly different things. We'd all be fighting the mantis at headquarters, but no matter what we did, he'd still slash his way through us."

"Thankfully," the GP officer said, "we didn't have to live through those alternate worlds. A couple years back, Washu created a machine that allowed us to chose a 'perfect' world. Everyone who was in Tenchi's house at the time was pulled into each of five parallel worlds, chosen by us ourselves."

"What was that like?"

With a nostalgic smile, she answered, "Not all bad. It was nice to live another life for a few days, to see what might have been. I was a samurai, a vagabond, a high school teacher, an office worker." She paused, catching his eye before she continued, "And, a New York City detective."

"I bet that one was yours, right?"

"Actually, no," she replied. "I was in a very strange place at the time. Mihoshi and I were assigned to the Sol system, but the Men in Black handled almost every case on Earth. It's like we weren't even needed, except to transport a captive or escort a dignitary. Even then, the MiB dealt with most planetary organizations directly, leaving us with little to do, outside of patrolling traffic near the outer planets."

A regret filled her face as she added, "I felt trapped here, like my career and all my dreams were crushed. Part of me wanted to blame it on Mihoshi. Her heart has always been in the right place, but she gets ahead of herself and fumbles the details. Sometimes, I've thought she's too kindhearted for this kind of work. I thought she was dragging me down."

Thinking back to her mindset at the time, she recalled, "I wanted a world totally devoid of Mihoshi. Washu's machine manufactured a world, where I quit police work and traveled alone to a northern fishing village, all to avoid my partner."

"If you made an entire world to get away from her, why are you still with her?"

Kiyone grinned to herself. "She's my partner, and my friend. She annoys me, pesters me, and irritates me, but she keeps me grounded, and brings some fun into my life."

Jay nodded. "I can see that. I've only known you for the past couple days, but you remind me a lot of a guy I knew in the police academy here. Real good cop, but real uptight. He could probably do with a partner like you got."

"You look like you've got a good partner as well," she complimented.

"Who?" he asked. "Elle? We aren't really partners."

The GP detective commented, "It seemed like she had your back, and she fights for what she thinks is right."

Recalling his own snap judgment, he grimly replied, "Sometimes, what you think is right gets your neck in a noose."

"It can," she admitted, "but I'd rather stay true to myself than betray who I am." With a smirk, Kiyone added, "I think I've been around Ryoko too long."

Jay chuckled, "I've known some girls like her. She looks like pure trouble, but that Tenchi kid seems to straighten her out."

"Not unlike Elle will do for you, I bet," the teal-tressed woman quipped.

"Heh, maybe," he answered.

A beeping tone arose from the monitor before the former New York detective. Sliding his fingers over the display, the image zoomed closer to show a vaguely humanoid figure wandering alone through the terraced gardens. The figure shambled unevenly, and the screen highlighted the being in brilliant shades of green.

"We've got him," Jay announced as he depressed a nearby button.

Outside, a spotlight attached to the helicopter illuminated and centered on the figure, who stopped and looked back. The former detective recognized well the torn skin and flared mandibles of their prey, hiding once again within another person's flesh. The GP officer immediately tapped her headset, contacting the other two units at Ellis Island and Liberty State Park.

"Mihoshi, Mitsuki," she said, her eyes focusing on their foe, "we've found Illirg. Rendezvous at our location, and tell Zed to mobilize Tenchi and Ryoko."

"Confirmed," Mitsuki responded.

"We're coming!" Mihoshi replied.

Illirg ducked away from the spotlight, but Jay continued to illuminate him, Kiyone piloting the helicopter in pursuit.

"You ain't getting away this time, you skin-wearing son of a bitch!" Jay declared.

Through the aircraft's external speakers, Kiyone called to the beast, "You have nowhere to go, Illirg. Other units are on their way. Surrender immediately, and come quietly."

Then, the creature stopped running and spun toward his pursuers. With a snarl, his true limbs ripped through the flesh suit, his carapace burning a brilliant red. As he crouched with mandibles flared, Kiyone's brows furrowed, her hand gripping the control stick firmly.

"Is he…?" Jay began before the creature launched himself upward at the helicopter, ruby light summoning to his claws.

The teal-tressed detective thrust the control stick down, pointing the nose of the craft toward the ground below, but aiming the rotary blades at their foe. While her hope was to damage the grotesquely clad insect, he adjusted his trajectory via his Ryoan energies to land on the helicopter's tail. The impact jolted the vehicle before the creature unleashed his stored power into the engines of the machine fusing and melting the moving parts.

As Illirg began to rip the aircraft's hull apart, alarms screamed at Kiyone while she struggled with the controls. Punching a red button near her seat, the officer ignited thrusters beneath the seemingly ordinary helicopter, steadying its descent. However, power to both her controls and the thrusters began to fail due to the damage to the rotary engines, as well as the continued efforts of their unwanted passenger.

To Jay, she ordered, "Get ready to ditch!"

Both released their restraints before they threw open glass doors on the canopy, the ground approaching quickly. To either side, they leaped, tucking and rolling away from the wreckage as it bashed its way into a tourist restaurant. While they recovered, each could hear Illirg roar from within the building.

"Milk-sucking bipeds!" he bellowed before the roof of the structure collapsed upon him.

As Jay pushed himself back to his feet, he laughed, "Ha! That's what you get!"

Nearby, Kiyone rose to her feet and drew her sidearm. "That rubble won't hold him long."

Shortly, a rain of plasma shots flew over their heads, targeted at the crashed helicopter and Illirg. Looking above them, the pair saw Mihoshi and Mitsuki's vehicles firing upon the target. In moments, the walls of the restaurant were engulfed in blue flames and were blown apart by the ignition of the remaining fuel in the downed machine.

But then, the hail of shots began to ricochet off a dark sphere in the smoke. The mantis emerged, unfolded into his true hideous form with black flames flaring from the talons on his hands. Jay likewise drew his deatomizer and joined Kiyone as they both aimed at their foe.

"Tenchi and Ryoko better not be late!" Jay warned.

"Just keep him distracted!" she retorted.

While the three pairs of law enforcement personnel engaged the massive insect, the metal barrier of the MiB's motor pool raised. A single LTD roared out onto the road before transforming itself. Its side-panels broke apart and shifted, revealing large jet engines, the vehicle's profile becoming increasingly more aerodynamic and sleek. Upon ignition, the car jolted forward with a burst of acceleration before weaving through traffic, heading toward the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel.

Aboard the MiB conveyance, Masaki Tenchi clutched his seat as he was thrust forcefully back into his seat. His brown eyes watched the scenery streak by the windows as they neared the tunnel's mouth. Then, the agent driving the car swung the wheel hard to the right, spurring the vehicle to roll up along the curved wall. The prince's eyes widened even more at this gravity defying feat, shock and adrenaline preventing him from processing the simple physics of the jet engines acting against gravity's influence.

"Always fun to see a newbie's reaction," the driver chuckled, joined by his partner in the front passenger's seat.

Tenchi grinned wryly as he glanced to Ryua Ryoko, who was strapped into her seat beside him. The cyan-maned pirate remained quiet, too quiet for her before an impending conflict. Dressed in a red and black combat suit, skin-tight and lacking any unnecessary flowing decorations, the Ryoan woman had her eyes closed and her hands clasped, seemingly deep in thought.

"I guess this is nothing new for you, huh, Ryoko?" he mused.

She remained silent and immobile, uncharacteristically stoic. Tenchi glanced down at his own attire, a similar blue and black combat suit, just as skin-tight but with a flowing ring around each of his shoulders. Generated from the golden device on his wrist, this attire had been given to him by Washu as an emergency armor in preparation for the battle with Kain over a year ago. Likewise, Ryoko's costume arose from the golden choker around her neck, and they both decided the coming battle would qualify as such an emergency. The passenger agent reached back to Tenchi, handing him his sword key, Tenchiken.

The weapon turned the young man's thoughts to their friends in the field as he asked, "How long before we reach the island?"

"A few minutes," the driver answered.

Then, Ryoko grinned when she opened her glowing amber eyes and spoke, "We can do better than that."

Tenchi was taken aback as Ryoko clutched her beloved prince close and devilishly winked at her former jailers. With a whoosh of air, the pair vanished from the LTD to reappear aboard Ryo-Ohki's bridge. The young man reoriented himself while the pirate rested her hand on the control yoke, her pleased smile lingering a bit. Her meditative state had successfully contacted her cabbit partner, their bond reestablished after being broken again by the shielding around the MiB headquarters. She quieted her crystalline companion's concerns, sharing the current deal.

On the other hand, Tenchi stood confused. "Ryoko, we were going to help them!"

She slid her predatory eyes to him and replied, "And, we still are."

At her mental command, Ryo-Ohki's main display showed the aerial battle above Governor's Island, before the Ryoan pirate turned to the screen and gave her ship the only order required.

"Let Illirg know who's back, partner."

Outside, Ryo-Ohki charged her primary cannon with a hissing meow, aimed straight at Illirg. As the mighty insect knocked the GP and MiB personnel back, the Ryoan vessel unleashed her blast to collide brilliantly with the NVO barrier around their foe. The force of the impact knocked the mantis back several yards, his talons scraping the ground and concrete around him to remain standing. Kiyone and Jay turned their eyes upward to see Ryo-Ohki join the two helicopters in hovering over the island.

Over the communication channels, Ryoko's voice sung to the others, "You called?"

"Yay, Ryoko!" Mihoshi cheered.

Illirg roared as he flared his mandibles and talons, the dark power around him rippling with his fury. Aboard Ryo-Ohki, the Ryoan pirate extended her hand to the Juraian prince.

"Want a piece of him, Tenchi?"

His eyes met hers resolutely when he took her hand with a certain nod. With a focused thought, the guard of his sword glowed, forming the blue katana-like blade. She smirked while she likewise summoned her crimson power into her hand, molding it into a similar sword of her own.

"Let's kick his ass."

A whoosh of air filled the void left by them while she teleported them both to the air directly above Illirg. Together, the Juraian and Ryoan stabbed downward, their blades punching into the black barrier around their shared enemy. As before, their blades flared brightly, their energies mingling and cracking the barrier around the giant insect. Illirg's carapace started shifting from the NVO purple to Ryoan red, his angry gaze sliding to the pirate. He would end her interference now.

But, he saw the Cheshire cat's grin on Ryoko's face just before she teleported herself and Tenchi behind the GP/MiB personnel. There, the cyan-maned fury continued to smile victoriously as Kiyone and Jay raised their sidearms, and the helicopters targeted their weapons upon the mantis.

A rain of weapons' fire fell upon Illirg, the shots punching through his exoskeleton. His viscous blood spilled upon the ground, pain wracking his body as he stumbled to his knees. Most of the impacts had landed on his arms and legs, and thanks to his insectoid nature, he could still recover from such wounds. His compound eyes watched his foes carefully while they approached him with weapons at the ready.

"Illirg," Kiyone began, "you're under arrest for the murder of several citizens of New York, and the attempted murder of Princess Jurai Ayeka."

"You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney," Jay added, before commenting, "though I don't know anyone who'd want your ugly ass."

Coldly and with sword sparking at her side, Ryoko thought about Ayeka's near-death experience and the bug's attack on the pirate herself. Vengeance floated through her mind as she took a step forward, but Tenchi lightly grasped her shoulder. Their eyes met for a moment, the prince clearly recognizing her malevolent intentions. Conflicted, her eyes shot to Illirg and back to Tenchi, but he shook his head subtly.

"Let the police handle it," he whispered to her. "I know how you feel, but your sword could ruin the deal with the Men in Black."

She gnashed her teeth while the logic slowly penetrated her desire for revenge. She glanced back to Illirg, her murderous thoughts tempted her to teleport out of Tenchi's grasp, to sever the beast's neck. She was a space pirate, and a powerful one. She could kill the mantis now if she wanted.

But, she had a chance to break ties with her piratical past. She could finally end the curse of the GP on her life, never have to worry about them hounding her ever again. True freedom depended on her choice here.

Before her decision was made, a loud boom broke the air above them. Everyone raised their attention to the dark skies, where two fighter spacecraft darted through the clouds. The two exchanged fire, the smaller of the pair chasing the larger.

"Who the hell are they?" Jay asked.

"Good question," Kiyone admitted before tapping her earpiece. "Do we have identification on those two?"

Over the earpiece, Elle responded, "The Twins are running the registrations now, but they say that the ship profiles match fighters from the military on Pentinon."

Mihoshi's voice curiously asked, "Pentinon? Like the nanites?"

Kiyone's detective skills immediately began to churn on these details, attempting to piece together the puzzle before her: the bug, the nanites, the fighters.

Illirg too caught a glimpse of the spacecraft above, a twisted smile coming to his mandibles when he recognized the larger vessel.

Through Kiyone's earpiece, Yoo cited, "MiB statutes clearly state that confrontations with hostile extraterrestrials must be contained immediately. We can't just let those two dogfight in the skies over the bay."

"We need to finish securing Illirg first," Kiyone stated.

"You handle him," Mitsuki instructed. "Mihoshi and I will stop the dogfight."

"We will?" Mihoshi inquired.

"You're sitting in a fighter yourself, Mihoshi," Kiyone commented dryly. "Remember? The red button?"

"Oh yeah," she chuckled.

Aboard her helicopter, Mihoshi pressed her palm against the red plunger on the console, triggering the vehicle's transformation. On the underside of the helicopter, thrusters fired to hold the craft aloft as its rotary blades slowed to a halt and folded into the tail structure. The rear fuselage parted and folded to the side, while two planar wings extended from the hull. A larger jet engine emerged and sent the machine into the sky at immense speeds.

At the sudden acceleration, Mihoshi squealed in surprise while Elle held tightly to her seat, panic in her eyes at the blond's erratic trajectories. Mitsuki's conveyance likewise transformed and joined the pursuit, though in a more direct path.

On the ground, Kiyone and Jay turned back to Illirg. Tenchi and Ryoko flanked the pair with Ryo-Ohki floating just overhead, her primary weapon aimed directly at the bug. The beast remained silent, allowing the two officers to place restraints on his wounded appendages, though his eyes continually darted to the ships above.

Jay noticed his eye movement and commented knowingly, "You seem real interested in those ships."

"Oh," the mantis growled, "nothing to worry your meat-bag head about."

"I take it you know them?"

"One of them."

"Friend of yours?"

"More like an older sister."

Tapping his earpiece, Jay contacted Mitsuki, "Mitsy, watch yourself. At least one of those ships might be with our 'friend' here."

"Confirmed," the redhead acknowledged before quipping, "and learn my name, 'junior'."

In the skies above, Mitsuki and Mihoshi's transformed vehicles soon narrowed the distance between them and their targets. While Elle began scanning the two fighters, Mitsuki hailed the newcomers.

"This is the Galaxy Police," she announced, "and the local extraterrestrial authority. Combative actions are forbidden on this planet. Cease fire and land immediately."

A young man's voice responded on an audio channel in Cerulian, "This is Hunter 4201, Will Pii, and I am in pursuit of this criminal. Don't interfere."

"This jurisdiction does not recognize or condone bounty hunting, Hunter Pii," Mitsuki retorted. "I will ask only one more time. Power down and descend."

"I'm not going to argue jurisdiction with you, GP," Pii rebuked, an impatience and determination clear in his inflection. "This gynoid has information I require, and I'm not letting her escape again."

"Gynoid?" Yoo asked. "Like the one Detective Kuramitsu was talking about?"

Then, Elle's scans returned the following phrase in reference to both alien fighers: "variable geometry". The good doctor's brow raised when she and her colleagues noticed the larger fighter take a sharp turn and slow. The machine next exhibited its own transformation. Much like the helicopters, the outer panels of the fighter split apart and shifted to reveal more intricate inner workings. However, rather than a helicopter changing to a jet, the spacecraft produced arms and legs, becoming humanoid.

Now a suit of powered armor, the gynoid's mech flew at Pii's fighter and grappled the vessel's hull. Though the hunter's ship rocked from side to side, attempting to separate from his opponent, the armor's actuators held fast to the ship's wings. The added weight forced him toward the ground, where the armor's feet dug into the soil. The mech grasped the ship's flaps and ailerons, bending them and effectively locking the vessel's controls, before tossing it aside.

Mitsuki and Mihoshi's aircraft flew to the side of the mech and hovered, their weapons trained on the newcomer.

"Pilot of the powered armor," Mitsuki hailed, "power down and exit the mech. We will not warn you again."

At this, the head of the humanoid machine turned to the redhead's vehicle and nodded. Slowly, the powered armor descended, its feet touching the ground near Illirg. With Mihoshi and Mitsuki's aircraft flanking it, the armor's chest unlocked and parted, revealing the cockpit and its pilot.

Moonlight glistened upon the metallic flesh of the gynoid as she rose from her seat. The robot's silver skin was caressed by a bronze clothing of sorts, which seemed to extrude through rough punctures in her casing, like an invading vine from within a tree. The strands of her golden hair were tied in a vixen's tail behind her head and easily extended to her waist, giving a clear view of her elfin ears and feline eyes. Those gun-metal gray eyes scanned over the assembled people below, identifying them, analyzing them with a cold demeanor.

She leaped from the powered armor and landed in a kneeling position just at the foot of the mechanism, gradually rising back to her full stature. Attached to her left forearm was a curious device, a rod extending from her wrist to her elbow, adhering to her silvery exterior by some magnetic phenomenon.

Mihoshi's blue eyes fluttered at the gynoid, recognizing her. With a few taps on her console, she recalled an image from the Pentinian records of Nerti Ro, the student missing from the 1995 incident. The gynoid's features matched Nerti's exactly, with the silver and gold coloration mimicking the missing girl's fair skin and blond hair.

Mihoshi quickly motioned to Elle and asked, "Isn't that the robot that attacked the Science Academy branch?"

Elle nodded. "And ransomed that girl on Curul." Contacting Kiyone and Jay, the good doctor relayed, "Be careful. She does have a violent history."

"Copy that," her MiB partner acknowledged as he and the teal-tressed detective approached the gynoid, weapons at the ready. "Welcome to Earth," the neophyte agent said to the metallic woman.

Her eyes slid to him silently, then to his sidearm. Her words were cold, precise, and articulate in her response. "A member of the 'Men in Black', yes?"

"That's what the black suit says," he quipped back. "I take it you're a Stepford wife?"

Unfazed, the female mechanoid turned her eyes to Illirg and inquired, "Did he kill your leader?"

"He has murdered innocent people," Kiyone answered, "which is more than can be allowed."

An irritation entered the gynoid's eyes as she turned her attention to the detective. "That doesn't answer my question."

At this, Jay raised his sidearm toward the machine and replied, "Zed's just fine. What's it to you?"

The robot closed her eyes and said simply, "Unfortunate."

Her hand opened as the rod attached to her forearm disengaged and dropped into her grasp. Once in her grip, the rod extended to a nearly her height before extending a curved blade from the end closest to the ground, forming a reaping scythe. Kiyone swung her weapon toward the gynoid alongside Jay, but the machine darted between them, running very quickly at Illirg.

The giant mantis lifted himself up, holding his bonds out for the mechanical woman.

"My queen has not forsaken me," he praised.

Tenchi and Ryoko slid between her and the mantis, but the female robot leaped over them and landed on his back, hooking her scythe blade around his neck. The beast's compound eyes widened in surprise and confusion, his bound and injured limbs unable to reach for the edge against his throat.

Her voice shifted to that of her master, the Great Liaens, quoting, "If he has not by her arrival, she will part his head from his shoulders."

Before Illirg could protest, she pulled the blade back toward herself, the sharp edge easily slicing through his neck joint. She swung her scythe to the side, slinging the viscous blood from her blade as his body and head collapsed to the ground beneath her.

Gunshots rang out as Kiyone and Jay each fired a shot at the gynoid, but the robot deflected both with a sweeping swing of her weapon. Her mechanical eyes fell upon them, already assessing the threat they posed before noticing more movement around her. Tenchi and Ryoko stood with swords ahead of them. The two MiB aircraft hovered with Ryo-Ohki close at hand, all with their armament pointed at the female mechanism.

"Don't move," Kiyone ordered.

"Not that I'm a fan of the bug," Jay admitted, "but who the hell are you to kill him?"

Reverting to her original synthesized voice, the metal woman answered, "Master Liaens has ordered his elimination."

"And, what about Zed?"

Without hesitation or emotion, she replied, "Him too."

"Well, that's not happening," he contended. "You're surrounded."

Her lips curled into a smirk as her eyes burned a dark crimson. "Am I?"

Wirelessly, she connected with the powered armor and began streaming orders to its systems. Behind the assembled parties, the cockpit of the suit sealed as its arms extended toward the two aircraft. Panels in each arm opened to reveal a belt-fed rotary cannon, which began to spin, readying to fire.

The whining sound caught the attention of the four people on the ground, Kiyone calling to her comrades via her earpiece, "Evasive!" Kiyone and Jay dashed to either side, away from the target zone. Ryoko grabbed Tenchi and teleported a distance away, likewise ordering Ryo-Ohki telepathically, Move! The pirate battleship reverted to her cabbit form and flew down to join her mistress and the prince.

Mihoshi and Mitsuki both reacted and turned away from the cannons' line of sight, but each was tracked by one of the suit's arms. Soon, the spinning was replaced with gunfire as heated shells flew at both aircraft and met their mark. The shells riddled holes into the tail fuselage and primary engine of each vehicle, causing a flameout for both. Losing control and power, the two ships crashed into some nearby empty tourist buildings.

As the cannons ceased fire and wound down, the gynoid leaped back to the ground and walked toward the powered armor's feet. With a wireless instruction, the armor's cockpit reopened to accept her once again.

Then, a coherent beam of light slammed into the robot's back, carving a deep gash through her bronze covering and silver chassis. Her voice screamed in dissonant tones as she collapsed and rolled away from the beam. Tenchi, Ryoko, Kiyone, and Jay followed the dissipating ray of light to its origin, finding the pilot of the other fighter spacecraft.

A young man rose from his kneeling posture, a rifle-like weapon held firmly in his hands. He wore red body armor: a reinforced cuirass with arched pauldrons, gauntlets with visible compartments, and fortified cuisses and boots. Upon his back was a flight pack, its wings closed until needed. His head was protected by a white helmet with a bill extending from just above the brow. A black visor covered his eyes, illuminated by a heads-up display (HUD), which helped him target and reported status of his equipment. Lastly, a piece of black material extended from the neckline of his cuirass and onto his left cheek, cut reminiscently to the Mark of Rage upon Tenchi's face.

Hunter Pii quickly advanced on the gynoid, soon finding her couched and hissing in discordant sounds. Tendrils of bronze broke through her silver skin near either side of her wound and punched into the other side, causing her screech in digital noise. The metallic vines pulled the injury closed and melded into the alloy of her chassis, repairing her as if new.

Aiming his weapon at her chest, the hunter commented, "You can't regenerate forever, Mecha-Nerti."

She smiled venomously at him as the whining sound spun up behind him. "Who said I had to, Father?"

Cursing under his breath, Pii extended the wings from his flight pack and launched into the air, away from the incoming shots, and the villain herself. Maneuvering to dodge the cannons' barrage, he flew behind some buttressed walls from the old fort here at Governor's Island. The cannon shots punched through the wall, but lacking direct line of sight, the powered armor could not target Pii precisely. Pinned down, the hunter ducked behind an inner wall to the fort, listening to the shots winding down again.

Mecha-Nerti rose back to her feet when Ryoko teleported in front of the gynoid with a whoosh of displaced air. The pirate thrust her sword into the robot's chest, but while the weapon did burn a hole in the silver chassis of her opponent, it stopped suddenly, blocked by some object inside the machine. The mechanical woman herself lurched forward at the strike, registering the damage and the blow, but immediately grabbed the Ryoan's hand, the firm grip steadily increasing its pressure, soon becoming painful.

"Father knew well enough to keep his distance," Mecha-Nerti stated, her eyes glowing a dark crimson.

Ryoko vanished, reappearing a distance away, saying, "Thanks for the pointer," before throwing her sword at her opponent.

With a slight motion, the gynoid swept her scythe and deflected the Ryoan energy to the side, commenting, "Ryua Ryoko, the infamous space pirate."

While Ryoko had Mecha-Nerti's attention, Kiyone and Jay carefully approached the gynoid from behind some landscaping, splitting their alert senses between the powered armor and the robot herself.

Mecha-Nerti winced for a moment as the damage to her chest sealed itself as the back wound had done. "I see Illirg was a total failure."

A distance away, Mitsuki leaned over some rubble, outstretching her artificial arm. Said arm then split along her forearm, sparks passing between the two sides, reconfiguring itself into a railgun.

"I take it you're his replacement," the cyan-maned fury conjectured.

Tenchi also approached, holding his glowing sword behind him to mask some of its light from the machines' sensors.

"Essentially," the robot replied, "but my objectives do not include you at the moment."

"You'd better make some time," the pirate retorted while she gathered her ruby light into her hands.

"I think not," Mecha-Nerti disagreed, raising her left hand to summon a black fire much like Illirg had done. Ryoko, and those approaching, recognized it as the same NVO energy they had already faced. Then, the rotary cannons of the powered armor started to spin once more. With a confident grin, the gynoid declared, "You and your friends are impediments that can be removed."

A holographic reticle illuminated before Mitsuki's left eye as she settled her sights on the gynoid. With a pull of her artificial thumb, the railgun accelerated a metal slug to terminal velocity, aimed right at Mecha-Nerti's head. Sensors aboard the powered armor detected electromagnetic charge and the incoming slug, giving its former pilot some warning through their wireless connection. While the female robot attempted to dodge, the slug still tore into the side of her cranial unit, and the inertia of the impact sent her flying from Ryoko.

With a motion of her hand, Mecha-Nerti directed her dark flames to form a circle ahead of her, which ripped open the fabric of space. She fell into this portal, vanishing from sight as it sealed after her.

The powered armor, however, turned its guns toward Mitsuki's location, forcing her to slip behind cover. As its shots pounded the area around the redheaded officer, Kiyone and Jay turned their weapons to the cannons, specifically the spinning barrels. Firing, the two damaged the mechanism, causing the enemy barrage to cease abruptly. So disabled, the armor retracted its cannons and resorted to its hands, reaching for both Kiyone and Jay.

Then, Tenchi and Ryoko rushed forward and cleaved through the wrists of the machine, giving Kiyone and Jay the opportunity to shoot out the armor's head camera. Crippled in this mode, the armor boosted into the air and reverted to its fighter form, but a large blast flew into its engines, damaging its power plant. The vehicle floundered for a moment before falling into the nearby fort.

Everyone turned to see Mihoshi waving back, holding with a GP-issue anti-armor weapon, effectively an electromagnetic bazooka. "I got him!" she cheered.

"Nice shot, Mihoshi," Kiyone praised.

As the group gathered together, Elle emerged with Yoo leaning on her shoulder, a splint on his leg from the earlier crash. "Where did the fembot go?" the good doctor asked.

"Offline, if we're lucky," Mitsuki commented.

"We're not that lucky," Jay retorted.

"You're really not," Ryoko replied. "She created a portal before she disappeared."

Tenchi nodded. "It looked a lot like the one you made so we could reach Kain."

"So, she could be anywhere?" Mihoshi inquired.

"Not quite," Kiyone replied, glancing to Jay. "We know her goal."

The neophyte agent agreed, tapping his own earpiece. "Zed, we've got a new problem."

While the group reported to their headquarters across the bay, Will Pii stepped out from cover and approached the newly downed fighter. Opening the canopy, he entered the vehicle and examined the damage, soon finding the ship's flight recorder. From his right gauntlet, he pulled a cable, which he attached to the recorder. While he copied the data, a noise drew his attention. His left gauntlet shifted to expose a weapon barrel, which he swung toward the sound, soon finding Kiyone and Mitsuki holding their sidearms on him.

"I think we have some things to discuss," Kiyone stated coolly.