A Rockman X fic!

[Aria]

It might not be a Rockman EXE fic, but what the hell. XD Let's kick this forum awake! Boo yaa! And I figured out my plot ahead of time this time, so if I don't update kick me in the ass. YAY! :D

They say that once a generation, a genius is born.

Of course, they are wrong. In a generation, many geniuses may be born. Perhaps in the distant past, this was not noticed due to child mortality and the favoring of some fields over others. Brilliant artists and writers are often not appreciated in their lifetime.

And sometimes, the opposite occurs. A field can stagnate, advances progressing at a snails pace. Even the field itself can be lost.

Until someone takes it up...

~~~

The patio doors were open to the breeze. No sound was heard, except for the whishing of the soft curtains against the floor and the slow, rhythmic beeping of the monitoring equipment.

The girl in the chair blinked, wet her lips, and transmitted a command through a conduit implanted directly into her brain. A TV turned on, and began to change channels. Eventually, she settled on a romantic comedy featuring a young man and three women all vying for his affections. It wasn’t that amusing, and finally the TV flipped off. She sighed, closing her eyes.

For a long time, there was no sound. Then the soft sound of footsteps made her open her eyes again. The chair turned slightly in response to another command, so she was looking at the doorway to the rest of the house.

Her brother stepped into the room. His hair was as blond as hers, but actually longer. Hers had been shaved off for the endless surgeries and not allowed to grow past the length of a crew cut since. It was easier on the nurses who washed her and actually more comfortable. His eyes were a warm, sympathetic blue, and her lips twitched into a smile just seeing them.

For the rest, he was homely, almost ugly. Still, she was certain some girl would want see the bright inner spirit and want him someday.

“How are you today, Jennie?” He smiled, sitting down beside her. She smiled, and a tiny computer monitor set next to her arm flashed her answer.

A bit bored. And that wretched woman earlier insisted that I eat my spinach. She made a face, as much as she could, as her brother laughed. Go ahead, make fun of the cripple.

“Sorry Jennie.” He said, instantly contrite. “I just can’t imagine anyone making you eat spinach. She didn’t force it down your throat, did she?”

No, worse. She called me a puddim pie and said I needed to be a good girl and eat my spinach. I think she’s mentally deficient. If she weren’t so good at the bathing, I would say get rid of her. Jeannie’s lips twitched again, into the expression that served her as a smile. How is the project coming, David? When will it be ready? There was burning eagerness in her eyes, and her brother took her hand.

“Soon, Jennie, soon. Have you been practicing the simulations?”

Every chance I get. Please, let it be soon! This is a living death. She had been trapped, completely paralyzed, since a Maverick attack six months ago.

Jeannie closed her eyes briefly, remembering. Ever since she was a little girl, she had wanted to be a dancer. It hadn’t just been a child’s whim, it had been a calling.

And she had been good at it. She had practiced all kinds of dances, but she had just been accepted as a lead in the New York City ballet when…

A tear ran down her cheek. As such things went, she had been lucky. Her friends and coworkers hadn’t been. She couldn’t name five people she knew who had escaped the wreckage that had been the downtown core… she had only been spared by a fluke. Although not much had been spared.

As it turned out, her nerves scarred easily. Her body had rejected any attempts at cyborg technology… all of them required neural connections at some level or other. The only thing that had taken was the neural tap she used to communicate and run the chair, but that was nothing new. It had been installed when she was only a child and her body had been more flexible.

Fortunately, there was more than enough money for her care and her brother’s work. Their family tree had not fared well in the Maverick wars, and a great Aunt had won a lottery nearly fifty years ago. Her brother, a niece and herself were the very last left and had inherited everything. That had given them a great deal of freedom... although it had come at a ruinous price.

“It should be done in less than a week.” David said soothingly, patting her hand. “Just be patient, Jennie. Be patient.”

I understand. She tried to smile again. I can wait a little longer. Take all the time you need. Soon, she would be free.
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Aria]

Wake up.

………

Come on, sis, wake up! I know you’re fine.

………

Sis?

……… David?

Sis!

Prying her eyes open, Jennie tried to focus on her brother.

For a moment, he was a complete blur. She blinked rapidly, then remembered all the simulations she had practiced in. A moment later, she managed to focus.

“David?” She said weakly, sitting up. He put a hand against her back, helping her slightly... although she was too heavy for him to help much.

But getting used to the new body was fairly easy, on a minimal level. Jennie stood up shakily, then glanced at her old body and shuddered. “Is it still…?”

”Alive? Yes, but not for long.” David gave the body a quick glance, then looked away. “Here…” He pushed her towards a full length mirror. Jennie stood in front of it and stared at herself.

Her face was identical to her old one. Long, golden hair and light blue eyes. She had a very long, straight nose, high cheekbones and a pouty, sensual mouth. She thought her mouth was her best feature, and touched it with one finger. Then she posed for the mirror, managing to look winsome and sultry at the same time.

“You’re awful!” Her brother laughed, seeing what she was doing. “Yes, you still look like an elf and a demon mixed into one. Ready to go break some Reploid hearts?”

“Not just yet.” She examined the rest of her body. The armor he had given her was bright white, with a red belt and blue teardrop crystals set on her arms, near her hands. Similar teardrops made a four pointed pattern on her chest, the rounded ends facing outwards. It was an unusual look. Between the bulkier parts of her armor, her arms and legs were a dark grey. Her helmet had two white, upswept spikes on the sides, and was dark grey in the middle. Another teardrop crystal was set into the forehead of the armor. “Not bad, I suppose.”

“Not bad? That’s all?” David shook his head sadly at the ingratitude. “I spent ages working out that design. That armor is the best ceramic alloy mix you can find, and the buster is even better. One of my exclusive designs.” David often made one-off weapons and items that were vastly more powerful than anything mass-produced. “And now, I think you should meet your trainer.”

”Trainer?” Jennie’s eyes widened. She had mentioned entering the Maverick Hunters but she hadn’t thought her brother had taken that seriously. He had surprised her. “You engaged a trainer? For me?”

“Yes.” He gently touched her arm, looking at her seriously. “Even if you don’t join the Hunters, you’ll need to learn to control your body better. Combat practice will fill that need… but Jennie, he doesn’t know what you are.”

They were keeping the process that had been used to transfer her to a Reploid body a secret. It could have all kinds of ramifications when it was released, so David wanted to take his time about it.

Not that anyone else is being very careful. Jennie thought cynically. New and often reckless advances were being made every day.

She smiled brightly, and followed her brother. This would be interesting…
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Aria]

New Life

Jennie tilted her head, glancing around the auditorium. She almost winced at the cacophonous barrage of colors that came from too many Reploids gathered in one place.

Being transferred to her new, Reploid body had been a ghastly experience. It had felt like she imagined dying would... and her body had died. Was she really the same person, or just a copy of that person? The concept was enough to give her a bad case of existential uncertainty, so she tried hard not to think about it.

After months of practice with her new body, including combat practice, she was well aware of why most combat Reploids were brightly colored. Electronic scanners tended to go haywire or get blown off in the heat of battle, leaving the combatants coping with Mark One Eyeball scanners. Friendly fire wasn’t, so both Mavericks and Hunters favored bright colors and garish, unmissable insignia. It didn’t always help, but that was the breaks.

Walking on the balls of her feet, Jennie walked gracefully over to a register counter. She’d found that walking that way posed no strain to her new Reploid body, and it minimized the sound she made as she walked. She would probably have to give it up eventually, when she received her armor but not everything was perfect.

Rubbing her left arm, she gave her information in a clear, calm voice. The place where her buster had been installed ached, but she hadn’t dared bring it. Civilian Reploids didn’t have busters.

“Name?” A very bored looking young Reploid almost sighed as he asked.

“Jennie Velazquez.” The first name was original, the last name new. Both were on her new documentation that said she’d been created six months ago.

“Occupation?”

“…Dancer.” Jennie looked him squarely in the face as he frowned at her. That occupation wasn’t particularly believable. Dancing was mostly limited to humans, although there was a limited market catering to the Reploid audience. So, much like whores had once called themselves dancers, such a claim from a Reploid could cover a multitude of sins. The young Reploid finally shrugged, and entered it into his computer.

They quickly ran through her other vital statistics, and he told her to take a seat. She would have a real interview before taking a brief physical, and then she would be on her way.

The chairs creaked under her weight as she sat. Obviously salvaged from the school and intended for use by children, she wondered if the hard plastic would survive the day. After supporting the weight of countless Reploids, she doubted it.

“Hi.” Surprised, Jennie turned her head to look at a young man sitting two seats away. He was human, which was a little startling. While humans could join the Maverick Hunters, their use was severely limited in battle. But there were other fields…

“Hello.” She smiled slightly. “Are you here to become a Maverick Hunter?”

”I wish!” He sighed, shaking his head. “No… even if I wanted it, I’m not fit. See?” She tilted her head as he held out a hand which trembled faintly. “Neuro disorder from bad injuries as a child. Incurable, but I’m up for becoming a mechanic. Already good at it.”

“Well, you might be repairing me someday then.” Jennie said with a smile. The work in the repair bays might be less glamorous and dangerous than the actually hunting, but it was just as vital. And often it was fairly dangerous. Medics often followed the warriors to save what they could. “What’s your name?”

”Huh? Oh, Jim Thomson. Hey, do you know if it’s true what I’ve heard?” He shifted over until he was sitting beside her. She was vastly entertained by the way the Reploid he had been sitting next to previously was ignoring them both. She suspected the boy had been inflicting chatter on him for quite some time. Jennie didn’t mind, though. She was in the mood to talk.

”What’s that?”

“That we’ll have to share rooms at the Maverick Hunter HQ, like, four to a room?” Jennie winced at that earnest query.

”I’ve heard that too, so I suppose we will.” She said reluctantly. After the wide, airy rooms at her sister’s mansion and the huge practice room that had been devoted to her exclusive use, that would be difficult to take.

But life as a Hunter wasn’t about the privacy and it certainly wasn’t about the money. Owing no allegiance to any one country meant that the Hunters never got direct funding from them. They ran mostly on private donations, which was only possible because of their tremendous fame. Jennie estimates that at least half of her old neighborhood had been subscribed to the donation campaign, paying a monthly amount directly to the Maverick Hunters. Other organizations were funded directly by various governments and had to abide by their rules and regulations, but the Maverick Hunters went directly to the people.

This didn’t endear them to other organizations. Jennie had heard rumors of massive turf wars and enduring hostilities. She didn’t know how real those rumors were but she was certain there was some truth to it.

“Damn! I hope all my bunkmates are Reploids. I snore so loud it could wake the dead.” Jim shook his head in mock dismay, and Jennie choked on a giggle before sneaking a peek at him from beneath lowered lashes.

She hadn’t really noticed how attractive he was. His hair was bright red and very curly, and there was a light dusting of freckles across his nose. His eyes were a bright blue, and if she had still been human she would have dated him gladly.

If she were still human. Reploids and humans didn’t really date. It usually ended badly.

They talked quietly for a good thirty minutes. Jennie discovered that Jim liked cats, his favorite music was light rock and roll and he had lived in a very rural location all his life. His family was still alive and intact. Jennie felt slightly envious.

In return, he found out that she also liked cats, was fond of modern classical music, particularly Bond and really was a professional dancer. It was a fun and happy conversation.

“Jennie Velazquez?” Jennie reluctantly tore her attention away from him, seeing a Hunter holding a clipboard. “Over here, please.” He motioned to a curtained off section of the auditorium. It granted at least the illusion of privacy.

The Hunter sat down across from her. He was a very humanoid reploid, with dark green armor shading to blue on her arms and legs. Jeannie couldn’t judge his age at all, but she was willing to bet he was at least three years old. He was wearing the insignia of the 17’th, X’s unit, and was favoring one leg. Jennie wondered if he had been damaged in combat, something long lasting and was recuperating as he worked at the recruitment fair.

Most of the interview was standard… questions about her capabilities. The Hunter was a bit disappointed to find out she had no technical skills at all, and was a bit dubious about her contention that she was an extremely new, experimental model. That amused Jennie a bit. If only he had known how experimental she truly was!

Then came the expected question.

”Why do you want to join the Maverick Hunters?” Jennie hesitated. She had been preparing for this question for days… but found that she couldn’t say the false words she thought would be acceptable. She did want to help people, but to say that was her primary motivation would be a lie. It wasn’t revenge, either, though. She wanted…..

“I don’t want to be a victim anymore.” She said abruptly, and the Hunter raised his eyebrows, inviting her to continue. “I... survived an attack. But I couldn’t do anything. I kicked him and he never noticed...” That had been as a human, but it was true enough. “I can’t just live my life as a normal person, knowing I’ll be helpless if it happens again. I need to do something to stop it.” Passion had entered her voice. “I can’t just sit around!”

”I see.” The Hunter nodded, looking thoughtful. “I appreciate your honesty.” Jennie smiled shyly. She was sure he had heard plenty of answers that amounted to so much self-concealing BS. She was thankful he didn’t seem to find her response worrisome. “Well, Jennie, I need to tell you some things about the Hunters.”

He ran through what was obviously a well rehearsed speech. Jennie learned about each unit... there were seven in total... and was pleasantly surprised to hear her pay rate. It wasn’t much, but when she added in the free room and board it became far more respectable. She would have plenty of money to enjoy herself on her time off. The amount of which would range from fair to nonexistent, depending on the current situation.

Examining the contract, Jennie nodded and finally signed, just barely remembering her new last name.

It was time to start a new life.
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Cyclone EXE]

Oh wow, that's really good! I'm serious...at first I didn't think it would be anything awesome...but it sounds like you put a lot of thought into this. Keep going please!
_________________
=]

[Aria]

Dropping her suitcase on the floor, Jennie glanced over her new apartment at Hunter HQ. Then she let out a sad, quiet snigger.

It was worse than she had imagined. Maverick Hunter HQ seemed to be packed to the brim with new recruits and even for officers, privacy was at a premium. For rookies like herself, it was a faint dream gleaming off in the distance. Her new room had four recharging capsules taking up fully half the area available. After arriving, she had learned that humans and Reploids were always placed in separate quarters, and she could see why. Bunk beds could be stacked neatly together, and recharging capsules did fairly well with other capsules. But mixing the two would have been a right pain.

The other side of the room had a small card table and four chairs. She eyed it speculatively. It was heavy duty metal, obviously meant to take some pounding, and so were the chairs. Perhaps her roommates would like to play cards? Euchre had been a huge thing at the ballet, and she dearly missed the nightly tournaments.

The one last thing in the room was a walk in closet. Opening the door, Jennie sniggered again. Obviously, this was where she was supposed to store all her worldly goods. The closet was not particularly spacious, but there was enough room for a clothes rack and a wall full of shelves, partitioned into four rows and four columns.

I guess that means I get one row of shelves. Jennie sighed, then started unloading her suitcase. The clothes went quickly on the rack. Two modest but sexy dresses that could be used for formal and informal parties took their places. Two t-shirts and two jeans for when she was feeling ratty were quickly slung over hangers.

Then she turned to the shelves. A small collection of books quickly filled out her bottom slot, leaving three more. Her undergarments took up another. A perfectly lovely Japanese ivory took up the third… it was of an old man carrying a child on his back, and it was exquisitely done, an heirloom from her mother. Last, but not least, her jewelry box had pride of place in the top slot. A smile played over her lips as she looked at it. As jewelry boxes went, it was huge, and full of some very expensive pieces. Jewelry had always been a terrible weakness of hers, although she had justified the acquisitions as solid investments.

Stepping back into the room, she was startled to see someone else looking at the card table. He had walked in so quietly, she had entirely missed him. Curious, she looked him over. He was a very young looking Reploid, with grey and dark blue armor. There were stripes of red as well, and his helmet was red, white and blue. The most interesting thing about him, though, was the bright red hair and the scars on his face… they seemed to form an X right between his eyes. She wondered how he had gotten them. She wasn’t particularly surprised to see a boy sharing her room… the questionnaire she had filled out had included questions about her preferences for roommates, and she didn’t mind boys. Living in the dorms at University, then performing in hundreds of dances had burned away any self-consciousness about her body.

Smiling, Jennie stepped forward to offer him a hand. He smiled back, and gave her a firm, confident handshake.

“Hi, I’m Axl.” He introduced himself, and she nodded gracefully.

“I’m Jennie. So you’re a rookie too?” It was a normal assumption, since the rookies all came in at the same time and were naturally put in rooms together. But he shook his head.

“Not really… I, uh, had a bit of a disagreement with one of my last roommates.” From the urchin grin he gave her, she had the feeling he had been positively wicked. “So I’ve been hoofed over to you after being banished to a couch for two weeks.”

”I see.” She said dryly. “Well, just don’t bang the wang in front of me and I’m sure we’ll get along fine.” Axl gave her a brief, wide eyed look, then laughed. He had a very nice laugh, she noticed.

”Yes, ma’am! No banging the wang, ma’am!” He gave her a crisp, parade ground salute and Jennie couldn’t help but laugh. Axl laughed as well, and then someone else stepped into the room.

My lord he’s HUGE! Jennie had to look up at the towering Reploid. Fortunately, doorsills and ceilings had been built for this sort of thing.

The newcomer was obviously not a new model. His body type had fallen out of favor years ago… and unsurprisingly so, since it was the line Sigma had come from. Fortunately, the newcomer didn’t look too much like Sigma. The lack of hair was similar, but he had a normal shaped chin and overlarge, but perfectly human, brown eyes. In fact, there was a great serenity in his expression that made Jennie think of the Buddha. Although the terrible scar tracking down one side of his face was at odds with that. Axl’s scars looked like ornamentation, but this one looked like someone had opened his face with a broken bottle. His armor was a dark, royal purple with golden stripes and flashes of dark blue. He was carrying a helmet in one hand… also dark purple, with antennae on the sides and a black, reflective visor.

“Hello.” He said in a startlingly high tenor voice. Jennie blinked, wishing she could hear him sing. “I’m Sebastian. You are?”

“I’m Axl.” Axl stepped forward with a confident smile, and they shook hands. Jennie took his hand a moment later.

”I’m Jennie.” She smiled, pleased with the controlled strength in Sebastian’s grip. She’d been half afraid he might accidentally crush her hand. “Welcome to the sardine can.” Axl grinned, and Sebastian smiled faintly.

“Too true.” He shook his head. “This place needs to expand.” Jennie nodded. She had thought that the instant she saw it.

“It can’t.” Axl put in, and they both turned to look at him questioningly. “The property prices around it have really gone up… I mean, even at their worst the Mavericks have never dared launch an attack right on Maverick Hunter HQ! So this is prime real estate. Then add in all the Hunters fresh off the job with money burning holes in their pockets... no business is going to move without one hell of a lot of money. Not that I mind.” He grinned cockily. “Wait until you see all the stuff around us!” Then he shrugged. “I hear their setting up some satellite HQ’s, though.”

”I heard that too. One in Albuquerque?” Jennie tilted her head. “And one in Calgary?”

”So I heard.” Axl confirmed. “They’re going for dry spots. Easier on the electronics.”

A fourth person knocked on the door, and then cautiously peeked inside. Jennie smiled, a little relieved to see it was a girl. Then she slipped into the room, and Jennie winced faintly.

Her hair was a bright, almost neon pink. Little, sandy colored cat ears tilted to catch the sounds in the room. Her face was heart shaped, with large green eyes, a pert nose and a laughing mouth. A sandy colored tail slowly twitched behind her, flicking back and forth. Her armor was also hot pink, with some brilliant aqua marine and violent yellow thrown in, and almost eye watering to look at. Jennie finally toned down her visual receptors to cope with it.

“Hullo.” She said softly with a shy smile. “I’m Dagger.” Jennie glanced down, and sure enough, she had two large knives on her hips and several smaller throwing ones set into her chest armor. They all introduced themselves again, but anything else was cut off by-

“All recruits report to the training centre. All recruits report to the training centre.”

”Well, see you guys later.” Axl waved, and Jennie flashed him a smile as she followed Sebastian and Dagger out the door.

He smiled back, and she couldn’t resist thinking how cute he was…
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Cyclone EXE]

Yes! The hawt and sexeh Axl!!!!!!!!!!!! *cough* ...yeah...great chapter! *bricked*
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[Aria]

Hehehe, I love Axl. XD He's the cutest thing evah! :D :chat:


“Ohhh, I feel sick.” Jennie laid her head down on the card table. “Seriously, I’m going to puke. I can’t bear it.”

She hadn’t realized how light her trainer had been going on her until now. He had obviously not wanted to upset her brother by beating her into the ground. She’d developed a fair estimate of her own skill.

That estimate had taken a brutal beating today. By the end of her first sparring match, every deficiency had been made apparent… and the grudging approval she’d finally gotten from the veteran Hunter teaching them had made it all worth it. Just thinking about it gave her the warm fuzzies. She’d EARNED that compliment.

Dagger was slumped beside her, ears folded back. She was just as exhausted. Sebastian didn’t look tired, but he didn’t look pleased either. He had discovered that he was strong and powerful, but far too slow. The more agile rookies had run rings around him.

“Actually, you all did pretty good.” They all looked over at Axl in disbelief. “Seriously, I talked with X and he thought you all had a lot of potential.”

”X was watching us?” Dagger squeaked, looking appalled. Jennie swallowed hard, sure she must look like she had just swallowed a bug. Even Sebastian was looking a little horrified. Axl snickered at them.

”Oh sure, the unit commanders watch all the rookies a bit. I mean, their scoping you out for their units.” Jennie swallowed even harder. She’d had some vague notion that rookies would end up in a “newbie unit”, but, thinking about it, none of the seven units sounded like that.

The seven units included the 17’th, X’s unit, and the 0th, Zero’s unit. Less well known, but basically the same, were the 13’th and 5’th. There was the 18’th, which tended to be full of animal style Reploids. The 16’th was the heavy weapon unit, and tended to hold the highest percentage of humans of all the units. It wasn’t any easier a unit than the others, though… the problem with heavy weapons was the lack of mobility. If the battle rapidly turned against the Hunters, the 16’th would always fare the worst. Last but not least was the 14’th. Not really a unit in the sense of the others, it was all the medical specialists, technicians and repair crews. It also included some oddball specialties like the bomb squad. Members from that squad were often detached to other squads, and wore both insignias when on detachment.

If anything, she had assumed that rookies would be sent into the 13’th and 5’th, then taken on by other units when they had more experience. But she could see how that would be hard on the 13’th and 5’th… it might make more sense for each unit to take it’s own share of the rookies. And each unit commander would want to get the best they could.

“Could we get the 17’th?” Jennie finally asked, slightly awed by the idea. Axl gave her a quick grin.

“I hope so.” Jennie blushed as she met his eyes, then looked down, feeling very shy. It was odd… she’d never felt this self conscious about a boy before…

A little while later, Jennie was lying in her recharger, the lid open, reading a book. It wasn’t bad… a suspense/horror novel about a serial killer stalking a young woman from beyond the grave. But right now, the book wasn’t keeping her attention. She sighed, closing her eyes and letting the book rest on her chest for a moment.

Then she glanced over at Axl through her eyelashes. He seemed to be doing a crossword puzzle… he was tapping his bottom lip with a pencil, and obviously thinking. Jennie smiled, watching him for a moment. He was just adorable like that.

”Axl?” She said softly, not wanting to disturb Dagger. She was hard at work on the card table, trying to assemble a three dimensional puzzle and occasionally swearing at it.

”Hmm?” Axl chewed on the end of his pencil. “Do you know what a four letter word for syndicate is?”

”Gang?” She hazarded, then shrugged. “I’m not so good at those… Axl, would you like to come to church with me tomorrow?” That got his attention, and he glanced over, startled.

”Church? You’re religious?” He sounded surprised, and she scanned his face carefully.

“Well, somewhat. I don’t always go in on Sunday, but I do tithe to the church. First Catholic church.” She said, a little uncomfortably. Too many boys at University had seemed to think that religion was retrograde and foolish. But Axl just looked interested.

“Catholic? Weren’t they the first church to accept Reploids?”

”Oh, yes!” Jennie said with some enthusiasm. She knew this subject very well. “It was soon after mass production started and a few years before the first war. The Pope was thinking really hard about the ethical issues involved, so he had some very long talks with Reploid designers. Then he talked to Reploids, and just couldn’t decide, so he finally had a talk with Rockman X!”

”Really?” Axl was impressed, although it was hard to say who he thought had gotten the bigger favor, the Pope or X.

“Mmm hmm. They talked all day. It was a big philosophical discussion about all kinds of things… only X would know exactly what was said. Anyway, the Pope decided that since God created man and man created Reploids, man was the agent of God and so God also created Reploids. And since Reploids could think and make their own decisions, they must have souls, and so they would have to be admitted equally to the church.”

”Ohhh. Can Reploids become priests then?” Axl asked teasingly, and Jennie blinked.

”Well, of course. What do you think Duhallan is? He’s the HQ Chaplain.”

”Chaplain?” Axl blinked. “I thought he was a Councilor!” Jennie giggled at his expression.

“Well, of course silly! What do you think priests do most of the time? Sit in their office and polish the brasswork?” She teased him gently, smiling. “A good priest IS a Councilor for his flock. He has to give faith-based advice.” Then she made a small grimace. “And… well, Reploid priests get more training in that than humans do. Most go to help units like ours, to help people deal with casualties and combat fatigue.”

“Ouch. Well… sure, I’ll go. I’m not doing anything, and I’ve never seen a church.”

“Wonderful!” Jennie reached to him, and Axl took her hand. They looked into each other’s eyes for a long moment-

”AHHH SHIT!” Dagger cursed, breaking the moment. Both of them glanced at her, then let go, blushing. “Stupid puzzle! I hate it. Hey, where’s Sebastian? We could play Euchre!” She beamed at them both… she had completely missed the earlier conversation.

”I think he said something about hitting the Full Moon café.” Jennie offered. That was a small, intimate coffee shop not too far from the Hunter HQ. “He should be back in an hour at least.”

”Okay then!” Dagger darted into the closet, getting out a book of her own. “I’ll read with you then until he gets back.” Jennie glanced at the book, trying to spot the cover, and giggled. It was a bodice ripper romance novel.

Jennie picked up her book and started to read again. But deep inside, she was feeling warm and fuzzy again.
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Cyclone EXE]

I'm jealous of Jennie...XP Great job on the chapter! I have a feeling she'll be in X's unit or summtin good like that...hehe. *glomps Axl*
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[Aria]

“Come on Axl!” Perky and playful, Jennie dashed ahead of him, using her dash boots for extra speed. Axl laughed and matched her easily… a few Reploids ahead dodged and favored them with a few swear words, but they were both too happy to care. “Hey, let’s check our mail before we go!” Jennie slid to a stop in front of the counter and the apprehensive mail clerk. “Jennie Velazquez please! And Axl… uh… do you have a last name?”

”Nope.” Axl leaned against the counter with a wide smile. “Brighten my day and tell me I have a postcard.” The mail clerk turned away and looked through the pigeon holes on the wall to find…

“I’m afraid not, sir. Just bills.” She passed them over to Axl, who winced theatrically as Jennie giggled. “But you, miss… you have a parcel.”

”A parcel?” Who could have sent her… “Oh, of course, my… uh, creator! It’s probably a care package!” That was a very nice thought. She knew from long experience living in a dorm that sharing care packages was one of the best ways to make tons of friends. No one could resist the lure of home baked brownies.

The package was surprisingly big, though. The mail clerk brought it out on a dolly.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Open it!” Axl urged her. Jennie frowned… a lot of people were watching now… then shrugged. Really, what did it matter if they saw? She quickly broke the seals and opened it to find…

“Ohhh, brownies!” There was a huge tub sitting on the top. She carefully pulled them out and handed them to Axl. “Don’t eat them all, or we’ll be peeling you off the ceiling~” She grinned as he started to pry it open.

”Wouldn’t… mrff… dream of it. These are good!” Jennie giggled at him, but kept digging into the crate. It was much too big for just that tub. Packing peanuts spilled onto the floor, and she silently hoped the mail clerk had a dustpan she could use.

”There’s something BIG in here… Axl, can you put those down and help me?” She couldn’t get a firm grip on both ends, and whatever it was had been jammed into the crate tightly. As the watchers converged on the brownies, they managed to yank it out.

”What… this looks like something you’d use to transport armor!” Axl blinked at the hard, formed plastic container, and Jennie’s eyes widened. What could her brother have sent her?

Then she remembered the buster, the powerful buster she’d been forced to leave behind. And the armor upgrades…

Suddenly eager, she touched the combination lock on the case. It opened with a hiss of indrawn air.

“Ohhh.” She breathed out as she lifted the buster free of the case. Everyone quieted as they saw it. Right now, her buster was the common one issued to all rookies. But this… this was far beyond that, and it showed. It was slimmer, painted and adorned perfectly for her armor, and just looked sleek and deadly. There were a few other things in the box, as well, but she didn't pull them out.

“What is that?” Axl leaned over her shoulder, fascinated. “Your creator sent it to you? Who is he?” Most Reploids were made on assembly lines, and didn’t really have creators, unless you counted the person who had created the line originally. Jennie cuddled the blaster, remembering her practices with it.

”David Herkowitz.” She blinked and looked up as she heard several gasps. “What?” Most of the audience was looking puzzled… but the technicians were almost awed. And… there was a lieutenant in the audience from the 17’th who looked surprised.

”David Herkowitz? THE David Herkowitz?” A female repair technician said, awed. “The one who invented to X4 buster? The enhanced teleporter? The anti-grav units? That David Herkowitz?” Jennie blinked. She hadn’t really kept up on her brother’s achievements, although she had known that he had become quite a bit richer than just his inheritance. Her mind had been focused on dancing, and he never bragged about his successes.

“I… suppose so. He really didn’t mention any of that.” She said cautiously. “I’m a one off creation, though, with no product line.”

“Herkowitz… I remember that name. He’s one of the biggest contributors to the Maverick Hunters.” The lieutenant commented as he stole a brownie from the tub. Jennie blinked again. She hadn’t known that, but wasn’t particularly surprised. Her family had no love at all for the Mavericks.

She admired the buster for a moment, and then carefully repacked it. She would have to get it installed later. She stood up, lifting it up to carry back to her room. Axl got the brownies… which had already appreciably diminished. Fortunately, it was a huge tub.

”Hold on a sec there!” Someone red dashed by and snatched a brownie from the container. Jennie stared wide-eyed after the Hunter. Zero?!? It was the first time she’d seen the famous Maverick Hunter.

“C’mon, Jennie! Catch me if you can!” Axl lit off his dash boots, and jumped off. Jennie stared after him for a moment before lighting up her own.

”Careful with the brownies, or there’ll be a lynch mob after you!” She called after him, hearing laughter behind them.

It was starting off as a wonderful day.
_________________
That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Aria]

“Well, that was interesting.” Axl said diplomatically, and Jennie winced mentally.

They were walking away from the church. It hadn’t been a very interesting experience. The sermon had been about the duties people had to bring children into the world responsibly, which was an important issue but immaterial to a pair of Reploids.

“The choir was very nice.” Jennie tried to make the best of it. “Even if the sermon wasn’t good for us. I don’t think we’ll be making any babies!” She grinned and poked him, making Axl blush, then smile. Jennie blushed too as she thought of the implication of what she had said… that they would someday be doing what it took to make babies.

But that was a very attractive thought, actually. Jennie snuggled up close to him, and slid an arm through his, gripping Axl’s hand. He blushed again as she smiled at him winsomely.

“You know, I heard there’s a nice club nearby that plays salsa music and has some wonderful dancing… do you know how to dance?” She could hear the yearning in her own voice. It had been far too long since she’d had a good dance… there was always someone in the practice rooms even in the dead of night, and their room was just insanely small.

“Oh yes. It’s been a while, but I still remember how.” Axl looked thoughtful. “But we need to get back by noon… do we have time?” That was when exercises started on Sundays. Jennie considered the time, then shook her head.

”No, I suppose not. Well… how about on Thursday? Do you think you can get that off?” She asked hopefully. That was the free day for the rookies this week, but Axl was on an entirely different schedule.

“I’ll try my best.” He promised, squeezing her hand. They walked back to the base slowly, hand in hand.

Just enjoying being close.

~~~

Later…

Jennie dragged herself back into her room, and promptly collapsed into her recharger. She was truly, truly exhausted.

She had worked hard at practice, then gone down to have her new buster and other enhancements installed. The technicians had gone over her with a fine-toothed comb, scanning her repeatedly in an effort to learn all they could about David’s design. Just thinking about it made her giggle wearily.

Her brother had come up with some additive to her alloy that defeated most scans. Hooking her up for medical diagnosis still worked, but not the kind of full body scans that could be used for replication. That had caused a great deal of consternation among the techs and some speculation on her brother’s motives. She imagined he would be receiving a few letters from Maverick HQ soon.

And knowing David, he’ll give them my technical specs. Outside of what he had done with her mind, the rest of her design wasn’t really secret. No doubt he’d already gotten the patents.

But with no way to scan her, they had asked her to undergo a far more extreme version of the first physical she had done to enter the Hunters. Tests of speed, strength, endurance… all performed after a hard bout of training. So tired…

It was still a bit early to recharge, though. Glancing around slowly, her gaze lighted on the tub of brownies sitting on the card table, and Jennie smiled faintly. There was only three left. She estimated that every rookie and a good number of hunters had stopped by for them… or gotten some from a Tupperware container Axl had taken to his unit.

Just before she dropped off to sleep, Jennie had one last groggy thought.

I wonder if brownies will get me in the 17’th?
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Cyclone EXE]

Yuum, brownies...great job on both of those chapters. You use big words...XD I know what they mean but...oh, whatever lol. Good job!!!! Axl...;D
_________________
=]

[Aria]

Aw, thanks Cyclone. I didn't think I was using big words, but I could be wrong. No one else is reviewing though. -_-; Give me feedback or I shall set Forte on you! :grr:


Jennie stretched, doing her limbering exercises. Technically, as a Reploid she didn’t really need them. But after years and years of dancing, starting as a child, that would have seemed profoundly unnatural.

Besides, her mind whispered treacherously, there are some guys over there admiring my ass! Jennie tried hard to wipe that awareness out of her mind, but couldn’t stop a faint blush from touching her cheeks.

“Hi, lovely!” Startled by that familiar voice, Jennie stopped her stretching to turn and look.

“Axl? What are you doing here?” She asked, surprised. As a Hunter in the 17th, Axl ought to be doing patrols, scouting, manning the defenses… anything but coming down to the rookie training room. But he was here, large as life and his usual cocky self. Axl shrugged expressively, and then grinned.

”Oh, I got tapped to put you through a few hoops. Probably had something to do with the defanged tarantula… but we won’t go there!” Of course, everyone in earshot desperately wanted the details, and a few got snarled at for not paying attention to their own exercises. “Well, let’s get started.” The both stepped out onto the mats, as Jennie set her buster to practice mode and Axl did the same. “I won’t go easy on you!”

”If you did, you wouldn’t be the man for me.” Jennie purred, her voice throaty and sexy. She really wasn’t interested in someone who would protect her… not as a Maverick Hunter. If Axl went easy on her, he would be crippling her training just as her first trainers had. Just kicking her ass on full power would also be pointless, but she needed to be stretched to her limits. How else could she learn?

~~~

Meanwhile, watching from above, X and Zero scanned the rookies.

The training room had a three story ceiling. It was a waste of space that had made the architects cringe, but there was just no help for it. The height was needed for flying Reploids, flying armors and Reploids with dash boots. Anything less would have been unfair to everyone.

It also made it very easy for anyone who wanted to, to watch the rookies at work. Mirrors had been set into the upper walls so officers could get a full view of the new talent. One way mirrors, so none of the rookies would choke up when they realized how much they were being observed.

“That recruitment drive was almost too much of a success.” X shook his head, a little sadly. “Twice the rookies we expected, can you believe it?”

“And it’s a good crop.” Zero pressed a hand against the glass, pleased. “Don’t forget that, X. This has got to be the best bunch of newbies I’ve ever seen.”

“Some of the politicians are complaining of a talent drain, though, Zero.” X murmured, watching the activity below. “And they’re right. We shouldn’t be getting so many recruits of this caliber.” He winced as a rookie managed to knock himself out on another’s shield. “Well, mostly.”

”Well, if they hadn’t been such total pricks at the last UN conference we could palm a few off on them.” Zero snorted. “Don’t expect me to feel sorry.” X sighed, but couldn’t really disagree.

After the bureaucratic double dealings they’d had to contend with, there was no way to transfer rookies to other organizations without looking weak. They were in direct competition and any perceived advantage would be seized on.

X glanced over the rookies again, and his eyes were caught by a single rookie facing off against a familiar Hunter. He frowned.

”What is Axl doing down there?” He demanded, then grimaced as Zero turned to grin at him. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. A disciplinary action?”

”Got it in one. Signas told him to go play with the rookies if he thought he was so hot.” Zero eyed Axl’s sparring partner, wincing slightly as she kicked him in the face. “There’s a little hellcat. Who is she?” X was much better at keeping up with the rookies than Zero. And in this case, he had no trouble remembering.

“Jennie. She’s one of Axl’s new roommates.” X couldn’t quite keep from sounding smug, and Zero groaned.

”You bastard! Already gotten dibs on the best of the rookies. I should smack you.” X didn’t bother hiding a smile at Zero’s aggrieved tone.

Generally, rookies were assigned to a unit according to their room situation. If roommates got along well, it made sense to foster the bonds of friendship they had already developed by putting them into a unit together. And given that Axl could make enemies just as easily as friends, his roommates would be slid neatly into X’s unit.

“The other two are only average, but she is something special, isn’t she?” X murmured, watching the battle. “She has no idea how good she is.”

“Ya think? The good ones usually get swelled heads.” Zero had painful experience with that phenomenon. But X shook his head.

“No, she doesn’t realize how much time the trainers are putting into her. And she never seems to realize when their going all out.” It was sort of amusing. X hadn’t talked to her himself… he tended to make the rookies nervous… but Axl had spent a long time with her and was willing to talk about it. He said she was full of praise for how the trainers “stretched her to her limits” without actually beating her into the ground. X knew from the trainers that they weren’t beating her into the ground because they couldn’t.

And right now, Axl was introducing her to one of the dirtier tricks in his combat repertoire. Zero snickered as she went rolling, stunned. Then he turned his attention to the other rookies.

“Well, if you get her I want that one.” Zero pointed to a short rookie with slate grey eyes and dull blue armor. He was already developing a reputation as a deadly marksman.

“He’d do well in your squad.” X conceded, and then frowned as he watched one rookie. “That Reploid, the one in yellow…She’s too slow. Maybe she should be transferred to the fourteenth. I think she has technical training…”

~~~

Jennie groaned as she looked at herself in the showers. Axl hadn’t gone easy on her, and she was sporting a few actual dents where powerful blows had landed. Jennie massaged one of her breasts, making a face. It still ached from that dash boot assisted punch Axl had hit her with.

Oh well, them’s the breaks. Picking up the soap, she started to lather herself, ignoring the other girls around her as they chatted quietly. The showers were just like the ones she’d suffered through in the dorms… no privacy whatsoever.

“Jennie!” She heard a high pitched squeal from behind her, and turned lazily to see Dagger squeezing through to take a shower beside her. “Have you heard the news? Have you?”

“No. What is it? Axl’s on probation?” She wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he were. But Dagger shook her head.

”No, but there’s a rumor going around that we’re going to be assigned to X’s unit! Can you believe it?” Dagger bounced excitedly, then had to grab onto Jennie’s arm as he feet started to slide.

”Careful!” Jennie laughed, steadying her. “And no, I don’t, not until I see it. The rumor mill is notoriously unreliable. What else is it saying?”

”That Rasp and his friends are going to get into Zero’s unit. Oh, and Marco’s team is going to be in the 16’th.”

”Good for them. They’re very good with the rail guns.” Jennie started soaping herself again.

”Oh, and one last thing!” Dagger grinned. “I have a date!” Jennie nearly dropped the soap in shock.

”Oh… that’s wonderful! Who with?” She beamed at her friend who beamed right back.

”Subaru, he’s a hunter from the 5’th! I hope you get to meet him soon, he’s soooo nice!” Grabbing her own bar of soap, Dagger started to lather herself. “He’s so cute, too!”

”He sounds wonderful. Would you like to borrow some jewelry?” She offered graciously. She’d noticed that Dagger didn’t have a jewelry box, and had sometimes looked at hers enviously.

”Could I?!? I just LOVE jewelry.” Dagger sighed. “I love it SO much but I never could afford any.”

”Of course. Just bring it back… brownies come and go, but jewelry is forever.” Dagger nodded, and started to soap her hair.

“No problem. I’d never want to loose your jewelry. So how are things going with Axl?” Dagger grinned, then poked Jennie in the side. “He’s so cute~” Jennie tried not to blush, but being naked, it wasn’t easy to hide.

”Oh, he’s nice… we’re going to be going out dancing on Thursday.”

“Ohhh! Where, where? Tell me everything! And what did you do on Sunday?” Dagger demanded, and Jennie smiled as she started to relay all the details.

It was nice to have a girlfriend.
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Elizabeth]

This is a very good fic! The characterization is excellent, and you've pulled off making Jennie powerful without turning her into a Mary Sue. Keep up the good work!

[Cyclone EXE]

The other Elizabeth also luvs this fic! XD HI PERSON WITH MY NAME!

Yeah, this fic is really well developed. Keeps me on the edge of my seat...wanna read more! *waits for next chapter*
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=]

[Aria]

Aw, thank you so much for the feedback. XD It's easy to keep her from being a Mary Sue, though... I couldn't dance if my life depended on it. -_-; She's original, but definitely not self insertion. ^^ Well, enjoy the next chapter!


“Pass.” Axl threw down his cards in disgust. Jennie sighed, and they all tossed theirs in as well.

“What garbage.” Dagger said after she examined the cards. “I’ve never seen that bad a split before. Oh well… my deal.” And she swept up the Euchre deck, quickly shuffling and dealing.

All of them but Axl were trying not to think about tomorrow. It had been almost three months, and their basic training was done. Tomorrow was graduation. They would be getting their unit assignments, and this year that was significant like no other.

The new HQ in Calgary had just been finished. They were still putting final touches on it, but it was only a matter of time before the move started. It had already been decided that the 5’th and the 13’th would be going. The 17’th and the 0’th worked too well together to justify splitting them up, even if their commanders hadn’t been totally opposed to the idea.

With them, they would be taking a good half of the 16’th and the 14’th. They would be forming new units, tentatively named the 19’th and the 20’th. The 18’th would be staying, but they would eventually be going to the new facility in Albuquerque. That construction had just started, though, and could take as long as two years.

It reminded Jennie of a beehive that had gotten too big and needed to swarm. She was glad they would be having more space. She had been wondering where on earth they would put the next class of rookies, but now enough rooms would be free. Beginners like themselves would still be four to a room, but at least there would be more space in the recreational facilities.

It was sad, though. Friends were going. They would still be fighting together, but not sharing each others lives on a regular basis. Hunters were already saying goodbye to friends and colleagues. Even within the units staying, some were going to help give the new units the command experience they would need. Dagger had already cried on Jennie’s shoulder about losing contact with Subaru when he left.

Only Axl wasn’t worried. He was with the 17’th, staying right where he was, and almost all his friends were staying. They were probably staying too, but there was always a nagging uncertainty…

“Pick it up.” Jennie said decisively when the bidding reached her. Grumbling, Dagger picked up the ten of clubs and put it in her hand, discarding a card. That made clubs trump, and Axl led a spade.

In the end, she and Axl lost by 3 points. Axl shrugged with a grin, and then stood up.

”I think that’s enough for me. I have a long patrol tomorrow.”

”Me too.” Dagger stood up with a yawn. “Oh, Jennie, here’s your necklace.” She passed over the necklace she had taken to borrowing most of the time… A white gold chain with pink sapphires and tiny emeralds dangling from it. Jennie took it with a smile. She had a few plans for it.

“Fine by me.” She took the cards, putting them away in the box. It was getting quite late. “Good night.” Sebastian watched them get into their rechargers, and then turned out the light before getting into his own.

Tomorrow would be a long day.

~~~

The next day…

“Front and centre, recruits!” The soft, wave-like sounds of whispering quickly halted as the rookies found their places. Parade ground marches were not something the Maverick Hunters excelled at… a more useless skill could hardly be imagined in a fight with Mavericks… but they did practice it. There were sometimes awards and presentations that required it. Right now, the rookies were arrayed neatly in rows and had been drilled on how to leave them and how to receive their insignia. The room had been decorated for the ceremony, and great banners with the insignia of each unit were draped on the walls.

All the unit commanders were on the stage, waiting. Jennie blushed lightly as she examined them. She knew X and Zero on sight, of course. The commander of the 18’th was a golden hawk Reploid that reminded her of pictures she had seen of Horus. The commander of the 16’th was a grizzled human with a thick beard and burning eyes. Rumor had it that he had never seen a gun he couldn’t handle and inspired an almost fanatical loyalty in the heavy weapons unit. The commander of the 5’th was a tall, female Reploid in black armor. Her armor was speckled with red crystals, and Jennie had heard nothing about her, good or bad. The unit commander of the 13’th was a young male human in dark blue who radiated almost as much serenity as Sebastian. Signas, in overall command of all the units, stepped forward to begin.

“This is the end of your training, and the beginning of the next stage of your life at Maverick Hunter HQ. You’ve all done well, or you wouldn’t be here.” He looked them over, and Jennie felt for a moment that he was looking directly at her. “In one way or another, you have all excelled and been proven worthy. Now, you will be taking up your insignia and joining your permanent units.” He stepped away from the microphone, and Zero stepped forward to begin calling up the rookies for his unit.

There were a few cheers when popular rookies were named, and Jennie joined in when Rimshot was called for Zero’s unit. He was a good one, always willing to help someone with their aim.

Once Zero was finished, the commander of the 18’th went, and Jennie clenched her hands nervously as she realized they were going by number, counting down, although not to zero. That meant X’s unit would be next and the moment of truth would be at hand.

X stepped up to the mike and gave them all a warm smile. Then he began reading his own list. After a few names, she heard…

”Jennie Velazquez!” Feeling almost as if she was floating, she stepped out of her row and marched around, onto the stage. X smiled at her, pressing her insignia into one hand as he shook her other. “Good work. Welcome to the 17’th.”

”Th-thank you, sir.” Blushing a fiery red at her stammer, Jennie stepped back to leave the stage, heading to her place in her unit. She held the insignia tightly in her palm, feeling the ridges of it. She had made it into the 17’th!

”Dagger!” Dagger’s squeal of delight made a soft laugh pass through the rookies. Then… “Sebastian!” Now, Jennie felt positively euphoric.

We’re going together. Together…!

~~~


Later…

Jennie lay in her recharger, too keyed up to shut down. Then she remembered what she had planned to do…

“Dagger?” She spoke softly. “Are you awake?”

”Yes?” The equally soft voice came out of the darkness. “What is it?”

”I have something for you.” She passed over a tiny box. She could almost feel Dagger’s puzzlement as she held it, then interest as she opened it.

“What…a chain?” She said, puzzled as she touched the contents.

“Guess which one.” Jennie grinned as Dagger puzzled that out, then melted into an emotional puddle.

”Oh Jennie… thank you so much! It’s so expensive… oh, thank you!” Dagger sniffed softly, touched by the gift of the necklace she had admired so much and borrowed every chance she could. She reached out to touch Jennie’s hand. “Thank you.”

”That’s so sweet.” Axl’s voice came from Jennie’s other side, and she blushed. “I’m curious, though… is Sebastian the only one recharging, or are we all just lying here in the dark?”

”We’re all lying here in the dark.” Came a familiar tenor voice, and Dagger giggled.

”Does anyone want to play Euchre?”
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Aria]

Jennie clasped her hands together, trying to present a calm face to the world. This was her first mission. Her first battle. An assault against a Maverick stronghold.

As their transport came in for a landing, she started to shake as a wild excitement rose in her breast. It wasn’t like anything she had ever felt in training. In training, she’d only felt resolute and focused. Now… she still felt focused, but she was so excited and so… angry. But why was she excited?

”Don’t be afraid, Jennie.” Dagger said softly, misinterpreting her shivering. “Remember what X said. Look to your friends and you’ll all be fine.” She was repeating the blue hunter verbatim. Jennie suddenly remembered a poem she had once read… Kipling, she thought it was.

Take open order, lie down and sit tight, and wait for your help like a soldier.
Wait, wait, wait like a soldier.
Soldier of the Queen.

Shuddering, she tried not to add the last verse. But she couldn’t help thinking about it.

When you’re dying and left on Afghanistan’s plain,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Roll to your rifle and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier.
Soldier of the Queen.

“I’m not afraid, Dagger.” Although that poem did interject a note of fear into her emotions, which only seemed to make the excitement stronger. “I’m angry and…” How could she explain the strange exaltation that was creeping over her?

The transport slammed to a halt, and with the ease of long practice, they all slammed off their harnesses. Then the doors opened, and there was no time left. The landscape revealed would have been beautiful… a field spotted with lovely poplar trees… if it hadn’t been for the Maverick fortress, squatting in the middle of it like a repulsive toad.

Jennie dashed out of the transport in perfect order and began her run towards the base. Another transport landed nearby, and disgorged Zero’s unit. They went screaming towards the base on hoverbikes, easily passing her. Jennie had to suppress a scream of rage at them. She wanted to be first!

But even in the midst of her wild emotions, she was still focused. She stayed clear and true, taking the zig zag pattern that offered the best hope for avoiding enemy heavy weapons. The boom and explosion of the 16’th’s weapons hitting the enemy was glory to her ears, and craters bloomed in the walls of the Maverick’s fortress. Then a crater exploded in front of her, and she leaped over the dust plume.

Excitement sharpened at the close call, she finally reached a massive hole that had been rent in the Maverick’s fortress. Enemies reached her and fell before her, as she fired a charged up shot into the hole, then peppered them with brutal accuracy.

She was vaguely aware of Dagger following, and took out a Maverick about to aim at her. Then Axl was by her side, grinning and flashing her a quick thumbs up. Sebastian was behind them, a little slower but unstoppable as a tank.

More Mavericks attacked, little better than drones. As the wild excitement and rage filled her again, Jennie suddenly realized what had to be happening to her. Her family was Nordic, and there had always been a myth they were descended from the Norsemen of legend… Berserkers.

Then the exaltation took her to new heights, and nothing concerned her but the battle.

~~~

“All units, the bombs are in place! Pull out!” Came the order, and Axl broke off his attack to dash back out. Most of the Mavericks had been trashed anyway.

He’d lost track of the others. In the middle of the furball, it was easy to get separated from your friends. But he met Dagger and Sebastian on the way out. She was panting, and he was ignoring a gaping wound in his side, but both were still going concerns.

“Where’s Jennie?” He yelled to them over the crack and rumble of heavy weapons, still pounding the life out of the fortress. Dagger gave him a wide-eyed look.

“We thought she was with you!” Forcing himself to stay calm, Axl keyed his communicator. She had probably gotten the order and already started back.

Unless her comm. was disabled. A treacherous thought informed him. It wasn’t impossible. Zero had suffered that problem once…

“Jennie, are you there? Jennie?” He shot at another Maverick, still heading for the exit as he spoke into his communicator. “Jennie!”

Hsst… fsst… A… xl! Shut… pzzt! So her communicator was working, just not well.

“Jennie, you have to get out. They’ve planted the bombs to blow this place up, and they’re going to detonate as soon as we’re out.” If she wasn’t out by then, too bad. They hadn’t waited for Zero last time either… but then, everyone had just assumed he was on someone else’s transport. It had been a near thing.

Shut up! That came through crystal clear, and Axl blinked. Mav… fsst… gen… ral… fight… shu… pzat!

“A Maverick General? You’re fighting a Maverick General?” No wonder she didn’t want to hear about little things like explosives detonating any minute. She might not even have a minute. “Jennie, where are you? Answer me! Where?”

Ro… zzzt… Ro… pzt… Roof! Kzat! H… me? Roo… pzt!

“The roof?” Dagger heard him, and cursed in tearful rage. They were almost to the transports, as far from the roof as they could possibly be. Sebastian only looked at him sadly. Jennie might as well be dead, if she were that far away. Axl glanced around frantically, trying to think of something, anything that could reach her and get her away in time. She wouldn’t even be able to make it to the door the way Zero had.

Then his eyes fell on the transport.

“The transport!” He turned to look at his friends. “We’ll take it back to get her. Are you with me?” They both stared at him, shocked at first. Then Dagger grinned maniacally and Sebastian smiled seraphically.

It was totally against their orders and they could very well be court marshaled. And no one cared a bit.

“Right behind you, Axl! Let’s highjack a transport!”


Yes, I'm stopping for a while on a cliffhanger. XD Kick me in the ass and call me a coathanger! MWAHAHAHAH!!!
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That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Aria]

“Everyone out!” The group of Hunters from the 17’th were very confused, as they unhooked their harnesses and left the transport. But no one was quite willing to challenge Axl… maybe they somehow hadn’t heard the order?

And they were more than far enough from the way from the blast site, anyway. Not having a transport would just delay their return slightly.

”What in HELL are you guys doing? Signas is going to gut you for this!” The transport pilot snarled, trying to ignore the gun Dagger was pointing at his head.

“Just go along with us. All will be well.” Sebastian said soothingly, and the pilot calmed down slightly. It was hard to stay upset with Sebastian.

“And where do you want me to go? Hawaii?” The pilot asked sarcastically, and the communicator suddenly snapped on.

Axl, come in! What game are you playing at over there? It was Zero… X must have been busy with something or lost his communicator. Axl hesitated, hand over the communicator as he considered shutting it off. Then he shrugged and answered.

”Jennie is on the roof fighting the Maverick General. Her comm is malfunctioning, and we’re going back for her.” Iron resolve entered his voice. “No matter what you say. Sir.”

That cowardly son of a bitch! That was where he went! There was a long pause, then Zero came back. Okay Axl, I’ve talked to Signas. You’ve got ten minutes to get her before we blow this puppy. Got it?

“Got it.” Axl nodded sharply, then grabbed for a handhold as the transport jerked into motion. “Hey! What are you…”

”You heard the man.” Snapped the pilot. “Ten minutes! Come on, baby, don’t fail me now.” He crooned to the machine as the transport fired up. The transport squealed in mechanical torture as he turned it towards the base, picking up speed.

”Dagger, Sebastian! Take the guns!” Axl ordered, and the two ran to obey. The transports had some weapons, mainly for defense. Now they would be used for offense. Axl went to the side of the transport and threw open the main doors.

”Woof!” He barely maintained his balance in the wind, and wondered if he should have told Sebastian to do this… he was much heavier and stabler then Axl or Dagger.

But it was too late to worry about that. Axl stared at the rapidly approaching Maverick HQ, sharpening his gaze until he could see Jennie clearly.

His heart clenched as he saw the brutal damage she had suffered. Her armor was scorched, sliced so deeply circuits were sparking in places. Her right arm was limp and useless, dragging at her and upsetting her balance. But the expression on her face made it clear that she was far from beaten. Her eyes burned with an unholy joy, and her face was twisted into a fixed snarl.

And the Maverick General didn’t look happy at all. Axl’s eyes widened as he took in the damage on the Maverick… an animal type, a black and gold eagle. Some of the rents in his armor had obviously come from a beam saber but it looked like Jennie had given as well as she had got. The scorches from her souped up buster were obvious, and as he watched the Maverick dodged a charged up shot but got hit by several small ones.

”When we get close enough, fire on him!” He ordered Dagger and Sebastian.

”Aye aye, sir!” Dagger caroled back. Then Axl waited, concentrating on keeping his balance as they got in closer.

The Maverick didn’t notice them until it was far too late. Dagger and Sebastian weren’t from the 16’th, and their first shots went wide. One of the second went wide, too… but the other slammed home, knocking the Maverick out of the air. Axl could faintly hear Jennie’s shrill scream as she took full advantage of that and released a charged up shot on her enemy.

The Maverick disappeared in a boil of light, and Jennie looked around wildly for whoever had helped her. Her eyes widened as she spotted the transport… and the familiar person standing in the hatch.

”Axl!” She screamed, running to the edge of the roof. She had caught enough of Axl’s transmission to know that she was in danger from explosives, although the details were a bit fuzzy.

“Why aren’t you landing?” Dagger yelled at the pilot.

”We have three minutes left, that’s why!” The pilot cursed them all vividly, and Axl snarled back.

“Then get closer!” Then he knelt, leaning out of the hatch. “Jennie, jump! JUMP! Catch my hand!”

Jump? Jennie stared up at him wildly. It was so far, but there was desperation on Axl’s face. The transport bumbled closer… Jennie threw caution to the winds, and jumped, activating her dash boots at full thrust.

It was almost enough. But not quite. She fell short and slammed into the hull, digging the fingers of her left hand into the smooth metal. Desperation lent her frantic strength and she managed to hold on, fingers penetrating the steel alloy with all her might.

It wasn’t enough. Jennie looked down, gripped by sheer terror as the landscape beneath her twisted. The pilot wasn’t waiting and the wind threatened to rip her away from her frail perch.

”JENNIE!” Suddenly, Axl was sliding out of the hatch and she gasped.

”Axl, NO!” He gripped her arm but his feet were touching nothing. They began a slow slide down the hull, and Jennie thought wildly, Axl no we’re both going to die-

Then large black hands gripped Axl’s feet. At that moment, Sebastian’s face looking down at them was the best thing she had ever seen.

He dragged them in easily, then slammed the transport doors shut. Jennie stared at them both, speechless for a moment as she tried to catch her breath.

”Axl… Sebastian…” She managed, eyes filling with tears. “I’m going to kiss you both!” She grabbed Sebastian and kissed him firmly on the cheek. Then she released the startled Reploid, and did the same for a slightly more prepared Axl. His kiss was on the lips, and for a moment, she was lost in the sensation as his tongue slipped between her lips… His arms going around her…

“Ohhh, Jennie!” Unable to contain herself, Dagger hugged them both. But there was room for three, and Axl threw an arm around her as well. Jennie gasped as the kiss ended, and they all burst out laughing. Sebastian watched them with a slightly puzzled, but happy smile.

”You people are all nuts. Nuts nuts nuts…” The pilot grumbled. That only added to the lunatic hilarity of the moment, and Jennie finally collapsed against Axl, exhausted and drained.

“Oh! It’s so good to be alive!”
_________________
That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Cyclone EXE]

Wee! Weeeeee! That was teh awesome! Wow, I could see everything so clearly in my head! YAY! *claps*
_________________
=]

[Aria]

By the time they had reached HQ, any humor in the situation had drained away. The transport had picked up all the stranded hunters, who had had a variety of reactions to the daring rescue, ranging from disbelieving to congratulatory. Jennie had a bad feeling that the disbelieving were right on the money when they said…

“You guys are SO going to get it.” An older Hunter is yellow armor said, shaking his head.

“I always do.” Axl shrugged as much as the shock harness would allow. The Hunter shook his head again.

“That was for the tarantula and playing pranks on your roommate. You disobeyed orders this time… you’re dogfood, buddy.”

”We already got the freaking picture.” Jennie snapped, exhausted, hurt and annoyed. She didn’t like to hear what her friends were in for. She had been the cause of it, but she was unhappily aware she would get off lightly. The only charge against her was recklessness, not disobedience. Jennie would much rather have shared her friends’ punishment, since they had risked it for her.

Dagger’s ears had wilted at all the pronouncements of doom, but Sebastian appeared to be practicing Zen. The Hunter turned his attention to him.

“How can you be so calm when Signas and X are going to rip you a new one?” He demanded, and Sebastian only smiled.

“My soul is calm because my heart is pure.” He replied serenely. The Hunter stared at him for a moment, then shook his head and mumbled something about insanity. Jennie was just glad he had stopped pestering them.

”Oh, Axl… I’m so sorry for getting you into this.” She said quietly to him, and he smiled back.

“It’s nothing to worry about, Jennie. Communicator failures happen to the best of us.” That reply made her want to shrivel and die. Because…

The transport finally came to a smooth halt at the landing pad. Everyone exited… and, sure enough, X, Zero and Signas were waiting for them. Signas was looking particularly pissed off, while X was serious. Zero just looked amused, but they weren’t in his unit. He wasn’t giving the dressing down.

X stepped forward as Signas glared away the straggling Hunters who were obviously hoping to overhear the proceedings. X regarded them for a moment.

”So what exactly happened?” He asked. After a brief hesitation, Axl quickly sketched the whole situation, including the fact that Dagger had held the pilot at gunpoint… under Axl’s direction.

“I see. Well, that was bravely done. We’re lucky you all survived.” Was X’s first, mild words. Axl started to relax, and even managed a grin. Dagger and Jennie also relaxed a little, while Sebastian still appeared to be meditating.

“Did he say at ease?!?” Signas snapped, and they tensed, apprehensive.

“You three are fined three weeks pay.” X said, no longer mild. “Two weeks for disobeying orders and another week for threatening a fellow member of your unit. Consider yourselves on probation.” Axl and Sebastian both took that fairly well… Axl from long experience, Sebastian philosophically. Dagger’s ears drooped, and she looked down at her feet. Then X directed his attention to Jennie. “Why didn’t you get out when we made the call? Was your communicator broken the whole time?”

Jennie swallowed hard. That question was exactly what she had been expecting, and it was what made her feel so guilty. She could only answer honestly…

“No. No, it wasn’t. I just…” She looked down at her feet. “I lost my head, sir. I was so… so focused on fighting and everything that the sounds over the communicator were just noise, until I was in trouble. I’m sorry, sir.” She glanced back up to see X regarding her unemotionally, and Zero… grinning?

”What exactly did you feel in combat, Jennie?” X asked gently, and she blinked. How could he have known that she had a strange reaction?

”It was… exciting, sir.” She blushed. “It feels wrong saying this, but, I enjoyed it. I want to do it again…” She trailed off, hoping she didn’t sound quite like a homicidal maniac. X sighed, then smiled faintly.

“That’s called battle fever, Jennie, and some of us have problems with it.” His glance towards Zero was full of meaning, and Zero shrugged. “It’s rare, but not unknown. You’ll need extra training to learn how to pay attention in spite of it.” Jennie nodded, feeling grateful. She didn’t want to get her friends in trouble ever again. “But for now, you’re fined two weeks pay for recklessness in battle. Don’t let it happen again. Dismissed!”

~~~

Later in the evening, Jennie was in one of the practice rooms. But there was no practice going on.

It had been turned into an impromptu dancing zone. With the battle won, everyone was celebrating… celebrating their victory and the euphoria of still being alive. And many were trying to numb the pain of loss.

Most units had suffered light casualties, but that only made the particular losses more painful to the sufferers. For those who had lost a lover or best friend, other friends were busy getting them drunk. The 0’th, in particular, was partying hard. In one of the ironies of warfare, the most veteran of units had suffered a disaster: The loss of a transport. The hit had been a freak occurrence. Transports landed far out enough for the chance of a hit to be minimal, and the covering fire of the 16’th made such hits even more difficult for the Mavericks. But a random shell had gotten through. The transports were made to deal with such things, but there was only so much that could be done. Between the armor, the shock harnesses and the fire retardant foam that was part of the transport’s safety features, almost half the Hunters on the shuttle had been saved. Many critically injured. But a good twenty were dead, rookies and veterans alike. It hurt a lot.

But the dance helped to forget, and Jennie loved it. It had been a while since she’d had a chance to really dance…

Axl caught her as she whirled into his arms, and laughed. Jennie grinned back at him. She had been a little surprised to find out he was an excellent dancer.

The energetic rock song finished, and changed to a slower love ballad. Jennie blushed lightly as Axl pulled her close, and slid his arms around his waist as they slow danced. She loved songs that made for wild dancing, but slow songs also had an appeal when there was someone you liked close… And unlike many others, his hands were stopping just above her buttocks. Jennie had always hated it when men used slow dances to cop a feel.

”Axl?” She murmured into his ear, her breath tickling him. He nuzzled her cheek, making a small, inquiring sound deep in his throat. “Would you like to go to the garden?” Axl pulled back a little, startled. The garden was one of the few places in the base secluded enough for romantic trysts. Jennie gazed deeply into his eyes, then smiled playfully.

”I think it’s time. Don’t you?” Axl blushed, but nodded. They walked out hand in hand, and Jennie blushed as a few people whistled. Everyone could guess what they were up to.

The garden was not unoccupied. Jennie studiously ignored some of the sounds coming from the more secluded areas. The 5’th and 13’th hadn’t left yet, and with space still at a premium, only an absolute idiot would interrupt what was going on.

Soon, they found a secluded corner to sit together. Jennie cuddled up to Axl as he nuzzled her, then spoke.

”Axl… would it bother you if I were human?” She had to know now, before she did this. Axl pulled back slightly, confused.

”Why would you ask that?” The question was coming out of nowhere. Jennie bit her lip lightly, then pulled something out of a pocket.

”Here… read this.” She handed him a piece of paper, and Axl unfolded it, puzzled. It was a news article.

“This is about your creator…” He read it over carefully. “The Jennie buster?” He grinned at her, and she winced. Her brother had decided to name her prototype buster after her, but that wasn’t the important part.

”Keep reading.” She snuggled against him, resting her cheek on his chest as he read.

“Transferring a human to a Reploid body?” She could almost feel the moment when it clicked, and Axl gently touched her cheek. “…Who are you really?”

”Jennie Herkowitz.” Jennie nuzzled his neck lightly, ignoring his indrawn breath. “He’s my brother… I was paralyzed in a Maverick attack.” She looked up as Axl touched her hair, gently stroking it.

“That explains so much…” The care packages, the prototype buster. Axl smiled at her, and Jennie relaxed. “It doesn’t matter, Jennie. It won’t matter to anyone else, either… you’re a Reploid now.” The problems with Reploids and humans getting together were mostly practical. Babies, family, the weight difference… but not all were practical, and Jennie smiled happily.

“Good…” He silenced her with a kiss, and she gripped his shoulders tightly…

~~~

Elsewhere…

“Where is Jennie?” Dagger scowled, looking at her cards. “She and Axl were going to play rummie with us…” Sebastian laughed softly.

”I saw them leave the dance floor together.” He said with a slow smile. “To go to the gardens.”

”Really?” Dagger’s ears flattened slightly in surprise. “They’re going to do it?”

”I think so.” Sebastian frowned at his cards. “Do you have a five?”

”Go fish. Well, it’s about time!” Dagger grinned gleefully. “They’re just perfect for each other!” She sighed. “If only Subaru were staying…” Neither of them had seen the point in a long distance relationship, so they had both regretfully said goodbye.

“Mmm hmm.” Sebastian nodded, taking a card. “Do you really want to play Go Fish?” He found the game mind numbing and rather tedious. Dagger flicked her ears.

”Not really… how about monopoly?”
_________________
That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.

[Aria]

Jennie growled as she evaded a slash from Zero’s saber.

She hadn’t been expecting X and Zero to take over her training… she’d assumed they would just speak to her trainers about her problem. But it seemed she had been wrong. Zero was running her through her paces as X watched, and Jennie was suffering from the same excitement and rage as before…

She heard something, but it was immaterial. All she wanted to do was get past her enemies guard. She dashed forward, planning to-

“OW!” Something hit her in the back, hard, knocking her to the ground. She rolled over with a snarl to see who had interrupted her practice.

X was standing there, expression stern. He had fired a low level shot at her! But why…?

”If you had been listening to your communicator, you would have heard me say, “Look out behind you!”” Jennie blushed scarlet, mortified at her lapse. “Let’s try it again.” She looked up at Zero, who smiled sympathetically.

”It’s a rough school, but it works in the end.” Then he chuckled. “Sigma and Wyorli were the ones to do this to me!” Jennie’s eyes widened at that… but Sigma had been a commander when Zero had been a rookie. It was hard to imagine Zero as a newbie, but it had to have been true at some point.

”Yes sir!” She bounced back to her feet, tired but still game. She needed to master this, for her friends if not herself.

~~~

The next day…

Jennie squinted, protecting her eyes against the wind, her hair flowing behind her like a wave of gold. Even at the speeds she was traveling, the air was hot, and so dry it felt like it was leeching all the moisture out of her skin.

The hoverbike beneath her suddenly bucked and she swore, fighting with it for a moment. It was old and tired, in need of repairs. Axl was just ahead of her on a better model, and he glanced back at her with an impish grin.

As Maverick Hunters, they had permission to break all the speed limits, and the result was an exhilarating ride. The long, flat roads were perfect for going all out and the scenery was spectacular. Jennie gazed around alertly, her eyes constantly shifting as she searched for any sign of trouble. But all she saw was the windswept desert, decorated with scrub brush and cacti. Large rocks rose from the plain, orange and brown in color. Truly, it was a glorious vista, a land of barren beauty that made her want to stop to just quietly soak in the tranquility.

But, alas, they had a job to do. Jennie continued to scan the desert, paying only peripheral attention to a Winnebago coming in the opposite direction. It was old, badly beaten with peeling paint. No Maverick would have been caught dead in it.

She was utterly shocked when it swerved towards them, forcing them both off the road. Fortunately, the hoverbikes adjusted easily to the transition and they blazed over the nearby brush, before slipping back onto the road.

Kzt… What an asshole! Axl’s voice came through over the communicator, and Jennie grimaced.

“Complete asshole.” She agreed. “Maybe he didn’t like our speed.” Some people disliked the Hunter exemption from traffic codes.

Of course, there was a possibility that the driver didn’t like Hunters or Reploids, or both, but she preferred to believe in general malice than bigotry.

I should follow him and jump the back of that dirtmobile.

“He’d deserve it, but we don’t need it right now.” They were both still on probation from the escapade at the Maverick HQ. The communicator managed to reproduce Axl’s sigh perfectly.

I guess your right. Too bad, I’d have loved to teach him a lesson. They continued in silence for a while, seeing nothing interesting but a blue, four door sports car. It was parked by the side of the road, on the same lane the Winnebago had been driving down.

They flashed past it quickly, but Jennie was left with a peculiar feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She frowned, slowing slightly as she tried to understand what was bothering her. Then her eyes widened as she realized…

”Axl? Can we go back to that blue car?”

Sure, I guess. Why?

“Something funny. The doors were open, did you notice?”

No. That is a bit strange. Okay. They had encountered nothing at all interesting so far, so Axl made a sharp U-turn, throwing up a cloud of dust into Jennie’s face. She coughed, eyes watering, but followed at a slower speed.

“Watch the dust…” She mumbled as they came to stop near the car. She frowned as she looked at it. Three of the four doors were open. She put her hoverbike into park as Axl slowly walked toward the car, his gun out.

“Holy hell!” His surprised exclamation brought her over running. Axl was putting away his weapon and kneeling down beside the front door. Jennie almost gagged as she realized the dark liquid he was kneeling in was blood.

A human was sitting in the front seat, barely alive. Axl carefully eased him out, and Jennie gasped as she saw his injuries. Someone had shot him, once in the chest and once in the gut, with a weak, civilian style firearm. Axl looked up at her helplessly, obviously clueless about what to do with a human. Jennie quickly knelt down beside him, and pressed a hand against the gut wound, trying to slow the bleeding.

It didn’t seem to help much, but the man’s eyelids flickered. He was a dark haired man, middle-aged, and would have been handsome if he hadn’t been pale as milk. At first, his eyes were out of focus but then he oriented himself on her. Jennie was startled by the desperation in his face.

“Ellen… Marjie…” Jennie blinked at that. “Help…”

”It’s alright sir. I’ve contacted an ambulance.” Axl said as soothingly as he could manage. It wasn’t really his style. But the man only became more agitated.

”Not… me! Wife… daughter… they took…” He swallowed, a wet, tearing sound that made Jennie cringe.

”Someone kidnapped your wife and daughter?” She questioned. “Who?”

”Men… two. Forced us off the road… help… them…” He gasped, unable to speak further. Axl’s and Jennie’s eyes met in grim surmise. It was too much of a coincidence that this man was forced off a road, and the Winnebago they had passed had tried exactly the same maneuver on them.

Jennie looked down at the man, and her breath caught in her throat. He was so still… she quickly searched for a pulse, and found nothing. Grimacing, she stood and tried to wipe her hands off on the car’s backseat. It would need to be cleaned anyway.

“Damn.” Axl looked down at the man, expression grim. “I thought he would, but…” Jennie nodded. They had both hoped the ambulance would arrive in time.

“We have to go after that car. If it reaches the city, it’s lost for sure and certain. I didn’t get the license, did you?” Axl shook his head, as they stepped away from the dead man and back towards their hoverbikes. Jennie frowned as she got back on her bike. This situation called for some cleverness. “If we just go and force them off the road… Axl, what happens if they use the woman and child as hostages?”

”Oh man.” Axl contemplated that situation for a moment, and then grimaced. “And they’re humans. We’re not supposed to kill them.” They could, and would probably get away with it given the evidence of gross antisocial actions on the offenders’ part. But still… it would be difficult.

“We kill them if we have to.” Jennie couldn’t have lived with herself any other way. “Police Reploids are allowed.” There was just no way to be a police officer without occasionally shooting someone. “But I was thinking. These guys are perverts, right? And we’ve got some civvies in our bikes.” They had both brought changes of clothes, for when their shift was over and they returned the bikes to the Albuquerque storage unit. They had planned to explore the city before returning. “We could get ahead of them easily. I bet if they saw a pretty woman, alone, trying to flag down a ride they wouldn’t be able to resist.”

”Three being better than two? Maybe.” Axl grinned wickedly. “Alright, get out those clothes so I can change!” Jennie stared at him, stupefied.

“What?” She was completely lost. Axl’s grin widened.

”So I can seduce them into picking me up, of course!” He struck a pose that had probably been swiped from a Playboy magazine. One hand on his hip, the other teasing his hair… well, sort of, since it was far too spiky.

”Axl!” Jennie sputtered. “You can’t… you… you haven’t got boobs!”

“I can stuff!” He looked at her with shining sincerity. She didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.

“You… your hair! Your scars!”

”Makeup! And you can do my hair, can’t you?”

”Axl!” Jennie finally laughed, and Axl grinned. “You are totally unreal.”

”You don’t think I would make a convincing girl?” He asked, wounded, and then shrugged. “Well, maybe if they were blind… okay.” He stepped forward to touch her cheek, and she blushed. “You be careful.”

”Always.” They kissed briefly, before getting back on their bikes…
_________________
That which does not kill me... shall be the basis for my revenge.