StarDestroyer.Net BBS

This idea hit me during my attack of gibbering madness, and I decided to write it down. It is a combination anime/scifi story, with a somewhat dark setting. What do you think?

Dark Rain

Chapter One: Cold Steel

It was raining. The water fell the ground in moderation, coming down from the dark night sky to wet the black surface of the road. The city, with its tall skyscrapers and streetlights, seemed to be an island in the middle of a dark ocean. So thought Class 2 Enforcer Michael Atner as he walked along one of the sidewalks in downtown Teal City. All around him, people covered by dark cloaks rushed to get out of the rain, but he did not join them. He continued his easy stride, letting the rain wash through his short blond hair and down his neck to the dark blue of his torso armor. The young Enforcer, barely 23, loved the rain; the clean feeling it gave him, the sound of it splashing against the concrete of the sidewalk made him feel at peace. He wore the typical uniform of an Enforcer: dull blue torso armor with his number stenciled on the chest, it's extensions covering his shoulders, but leaving his muscular arms bare, light blue jeans, black boots.

Mike had made quite an impression on the older Enforcers as a friendly, dependable, athletic recruit, his brown eyes often carrying a smile. He had also scored points with the brass with his steady aim and skills with the katana strapped to his back.

As Mike continued to walk the beat, he heard the crash of steel on steel. As he directed his attention to the source of the noise, a nearby alley, he heard more clanking. "Swordfight," he said to himself. Just as he reached the alley, the sounds stopped. He looked in to see a single man lying on the ground. Jogging over, Mike pressed his hand to the dead man's neck. No pulse. Mike grabbed his shoulder comm. "Enforcer Atner here. I've got a dead male here, possible duel victim."

"Roger that Atner," a female voice said. "Enforcer Burton en route to your location."

"Roger that." Mike snapped off his transmitter. As he began looking around, something crashed into him, knocking him forward. Mike managed to turn it into a shoulder roll, and sprang up to turn and face the mouth of the alley, just in time to see a cloaked man rush out. "Hey, you! Freeze!" Mike yelled as he ran after the figure, but the man didn't stop. Mike again grabbed his transmitter. "Enforcer Atner, now in pursuit of possible murder suspect, heading south on foot on Shen Street." Mike snapped off the comm. and raced after the figure, slashing through the puddles formed by the rain. By now, the streets were nearly deserted, and Mike and the cloaked figure were alone in rushing down the street. "I said freeze!" Mike shouted, but the other man didn't even hesitate. The rain was coming down hard now, and Mike drew his sidearm. The gun was compact, yet delivered a good punch, and held eight bullets. Mike fired into the air, the bang of the gun filling the dark night. Again the figure didn't hesitate. Suddenly, he cut left, heading towards Center Square, the middle of the city. Mike followed, close behind him. They ran between to buildings and came out across the middle of the massive courtyard. The suspect headed towards the corner of one building, reached it, then began to run up the side of the building! Mike set his gun back in his holster.If you think that's gonna stop me, you better think again. Then, he began to run up the building, just as the figure had. As he reached the roof, he caught the figure coming at him, and blocked a punch to the head. He twisted the man's arm and threw him over his shoulder, towards the middle of the skyscraper's roof. I wasn't made an Enforcer for nothing, moron, he thought.

The two now stood several feet apart. Mike drew his gun. "Hands up," he said. "You're under arrest for a Code 15, which is assault of an Enforcer, and a Code 7, which is murder."

The figure laughed softly, his face hidden under his hood, and almost lazily raised his arms. "You're not bad," he said.

"Hands on your head," Atner said forcefully, ignoring the comment. "Get down on your knees."

"I don't think so."

"Do it pal, or I'll shove resisting arrest onto your list of charges." The figure threw back his head, and his hood fell away, revealing long brown hair and a...blindfold? A black strip of cloth covered the man's eyes completely. How the hell did he do all that blindfolded? The rain continued to pound down, soaking both men. "All right buddy. You've got five seconds to put your hands on your head, or I'm gonna cap your ass."

The man laughed again. "I'd like to see you try." Suddenly, his hands went to his sides. Mike pounded out a shot, but, moving with incredible speed, the man drew a sword and blocked it! Mike knew the gun was of no more use here and dropped it, drawing his katana instead. Then, he got a good look at his opponent's weapon. It wasn't really a sword. Rather, it was a long bar of steel, round, ending in a point. A second point broke off shortly before the end of the shaft and curved backward, reminding Mike of a fireplace poker. The handle was of burnished red iron, and had two extensions at the hilt that broke off and circled around, protecting the hand. The figure rushed Mike, moving quickly, but the young man blocked. The two began a back and forth, their weapons ringing with the crash of steel on cold steel. The figure suffered no lack of awareness from his blindfold, prompting Mike to again wonder what was going on. Then, the whine of a hovercopter pierced the air. It was nearby, probably homing in on his transmitter. Mike rushed the figure again, their weapons clanging.

"Looks like my cavalry's here," he said. "Give yourself up."

"I think not," the cloaked man said. Then, with superhuman strength, the figure shoved him backwards. Mike nearly lost his balance, and the suspect took advantage. He thrust his weapon straight towards Mike's heart, the point driving home right through the Enforcer's armor. Mike stood, stunned, the katana dropping from his hand to the surface of the roof.

"Bye-bye, Enforcer," the figure said with a smirk. Then, the metal of this enemy's weapon began to glow a dull silver. Suddenly, a blast of energy blew Mike backward, the reverse point of the weapon breaking off a chunk of his armor. Mike flew back, landing several feet away, his eyes going glassy. The hovercopter broke through the clouds, its spotlight searching for the murder suspect. All it found was the young Enforcer, lying on the roof of the building, unconscious due to the loss of blood, his eyes closed.

Wow, I love the idea. Needs a little tweak here and there, but otherwise brilliant.

VERY nice begining, I like the whole cop angle and the blindfolded man is definately something I want to know more about. More chapters are definately a must.

That is extremely intriguing. More, please.

Good action with free flowing from.
Keep up the good work.
LT.Hit-Man

This one's a bit longer.

Chapter Two: Kaos

Mike slowly swam back to consciousness in a room he didn't recognize. It was mostly white, and well-lit. He guessed he was in the hospital. Well, I don't feel dead. He sat up with a short grunt, shaking his head as if to clear it. As he looked around, he noticed his katana, gun, and uniform lying on a shelf in front of a window, beyond which the sun was shining. He noticed that his armor had been repaired. "Well, looks like you're awake," came a voice from the door. He looked over to spot a female nurse standing in the doorway. Her eyes were a soft green, and her hair a dark purple.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "How long was I out?"

"Three days," she said, walking over to his bed. "You lost a lot of blood." At her mention of his injury, his hand automatically moved to his heart. The skin there felt normal, and when he looked down, he saw only a patch of light pink. "You're lucky Enforcer Burton showed up so quickly. If he hadn't, you might've suffered permanent damage from the blast."

He looked up at her quizzically. "Blast?"

She nodded. "Whoever stuck you had a Kaotik beam built into his weapon. He triggered it and blew a hole in your chest." He frowned.

"Are you sure?" Kaotik guns were dangerous weapons, notoriously unstable, and only military personnel had access to them. They utilized a refined metallic element called Kao and magnetized it, firing bits of the element in place of a bullet. The pistol version could damn near bring down a rhino.

"She nodded. Scans indicated bits of Kao in your wound, and that was confirmed during surgery." She suddenly leaned in and took him by the chin, making him look up. Her fingers probed the patch of skin where he'd been shot. "Seems to have healed fairly well."

"Good enough to go back to work?"

She nodded. "I wish all my patients could recover this quickly." She released him and began writing on a clipboard. "Go ahead and get dressed, Mr. Atner. I'm certifying you as fit to return to duty."


The next day, as Mike entered the station, Ricky looked up and smiled warmly. Ricky was a heavyset black man with a penchant for always being in a good mood. "Hey, everybody!" he said loudly. "Mike's back!" Several other Enforcers looked over and waved, some with a few words of welcome. Mike grinned and slapped the hand Ricky held out. "Good to see the man who can take a shot to the heart and bounce back like a basketball."

"Good to be back. How you doing, Ricky?"

"Pretty good. Branson's being anal again," he added, referring to the station head.

"Does that guy have any other mood?"

"Nope. He was born a jackass, and he's gonna die one."

"Good point. Any info on the body I found?"

Ricky's grin disappeared. "You ever heard of Jonathan Render?"

Mike froze. "You're shitting me."

Ricky shook his head. "Nope. Whoever your perp was, he killed the most influential businessman in Teal City."

"Great. Is that why Branson's so PO'ed? One of his Enforcers lost Render?"

"Nope. It's your fault."

"Why has every shitfit he's thrown in the last week been blamed on me?"

"Because he likes you."

"Thanks, Ricky. What minor glitch is he up in arms about this time?"

Ricky shrugged. "He's mad because the hospital staff declared you unfit for work until today. Which means the pa-per-work is building up." Ricky pronounced 'paperwork' like it was some kind of demon.

Mike sighed. "You mean he's gonna be mad because I got shot-"

"ATNER!" the chief's voice bellowed from his office. Mike groaned softly.

Ricky grinned as he returned to his desk. "A very welcome back," he said.

Mike chuckled, then jogged over to the chief. "Yes sir?"

Chief Enforcer Branson was a tall, heavyset man with thinning hairline, think moustache, and brown eyes. He didn't look happy. In fact, he looked ready to strangle something. "Here," he said, shoving a huge load of files into Mike's hands. "It's everything you've missed while you were off recovering. And get to the helipad in ten minutes, you've pulled air patrol today." Mike groaned inwardly. He hated flying. "Why are you still here? MOVE!" the chief bellowed.

"Yes sir!" Mike saluted as best he could without dropping the paperwork and scurried off.


Five minutes later, he was still at his desk, filling out forms as quickly as he could. Otherwise, he'd need to take them home. "Hey, Mike," a soft voice said. He looked up to see Enforcer Kayla Ser standing beside his desk. Kayla was a year or so older than him, and extremely attractive. Her dark red hair, streaked with black, was tied in a long braid, although she let it hang loose when off-duty. Her smile carried up into her sparkling blue eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he said, setting his pen down.

"I heard you got busted up pretty good."

He grinned. "Well, he got in a few good hits, but you know me. It'll take a steamroller and a lightning strike to put me down."

"So, in other words, he kicked your ass."

"Solidly." They both laughed. "Seriously, Kayla, you didn't see this guy." He gestured for her to lean in closer. "I think he might've been a professional."

"A mobster?"

He shook his head. "An assassin."

She raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You sure he wasn't some drugged-up desperate bum with a stolen gun?"

"No chance in hell. He was carrying a state-of-the-art weapon, Kayla! I didn't even realize what it could do until he shot me with it. The way he moved, it reminded me of a buddy who went through military training. This guy must've had some training, too. And there's one other thing."

"Yeah?"

He hesitated, nearly telling her about the blindfold. Keep your trap shut, he told himself. She'll never believe that. She'll think you were leading her on the whole time. He shook his head. "Never mind."

"Come on, tell me."

"No, look. Just forget about it." Mike leaned back and sighed, rubbing his temples. Then, he glanced at the clock. "Aw, SHIT!" He was going to be late. He sprang up out of the chair, gazing mournfully at all the work yet to be done. "Ill see you later," he said to Kayla.

"OK, later," she replied to his retreating back.


Hovercopter 6 was already warmed up and ready for take off as Mike ran across the helipad. Then, he stopped, listening as the powerful rotors beat the air, and the turbines whined as the pilot prepared to take off. The hovercopter was a state-of-the-art flying machine, combining a triple-bladed rotor with heavy turbines for speed and maneuverability. Slung under the nose was a massive gattling gun, the machine's primary weapon. Mike stood and watched the bright sunlight reflect off the finely polished steel of the gunship, and found it hard to believe that just a few days ago, he'd faced down a cold-blooded killer. "Move it Mikey, or I'm leaving you here!" The pilot's yell snapped Mike back to reality, and he ripped open the door and slid into the copilot's seat.

"Hey," he said as he adjusted his earphones. The response came in the form of a loud whoop, followed by a painfully familiar voice.

"Welcome to Burton Airways," the pilot said. No,Mike thought. "In case of emergency, the door is right next to you."Please, no. "After that, I'm certain you can find your way to the ground rather quickly." Mike risked a quick glance. Oh, god. Why me? "There will be no snacks or movies on this flight, however, you will have the incredible, planet-smashing humor of ace pilot-"

"DENNIS!" Mike shouted. Dennis Burton, twenty-seven years old, grinned like a maniac. Dennis was a crazy, incessantly goofy Enforcer. Mike loved and hated him at the same time.

"MIKEY!" Dennis yelled back. Then, he spoke into the mike. "This is HC 6, requesting clearance."

"You've got it, 6," the tower replied.

"Hey Mike, did you bring any coffee?"

"No!"

"Good!" Dennis jerked back on the controls, and the hovercopter shot skyward at an amazing rate. Mike gripped the arms of his chair and held on for dear life.

Good characterization. Very nice. Looking really good, Iggy.

call Kao an alloy, not a element. Good otherwise

PERFECT!!

Beowulf wrote:call Kao an alloy, not a element.

Why?

Chapter Three is done...finally!

Chapter Three: The Chase

Dennis took the hovercopter straight up, the heavy turbines whining as he pushed them to the limits of their ability. As he reached his approved flight ceiling, he stopped ascending and pushed the throttle forward. The hovercopter shot forward like a bullet. Dennis glanced to the side and noticed Mike giving his armrests a white-knuckle grip. "Hey, Mike," he said. "Don't tell me you're afraid of flying."

"I'm not afraid of flying!" Mike said. "I'm just fine with flying! I'm afraid of YOU flying!" Dennis laughed like a maniac and pushed down on the joystick, sending the copter into a crazy headlong dive.

"All right Burton," a voice came over the radio. "That's enough showing off. Get to your patrol."

"Yes sir," Dennis answered. He pulled the airship out of its dive and set it onto a gentle, sweeping turn towards Teal City's skyline. Mike sighed in relief and relaxed his grip. "Having fun yet?" Dennis asked.

"Have you been shot?"

"Uh...no."

"Then I'm not having fun yet." Dennis chuckled at his buddy's remark, then returned his attention to flying. The sleek blue machine cut through the air with the ease of a knife through butter, quickly moving over the city. Mike leaned forward to check the screen in front of him. "Nothing to do yet," he commented.

"Nothing reported?"

"Yeah, that'll be the day. Couple muggings, petty theft, nothing for us to get involved in."

"Good. Then we can have a nice, relaxing day while I make you miserable."

"Shuddup, Dennis." Mike eased his rebuke with a slight grin. The two fell into a simple pattern: circle around, check the screen, enjoy the view. Ten minutes later, the call came.

"We have a Code 8 in progress, Thelm Street, all available units are to head there immediately."

"Great. A bank job," Dennis growled. Mike was silent as he brought the firing program for the Vulcan up. Dennis banked and brought the hovercopter to full speed as they roared off towards Thelm Street.


Vicco gabbed the bag of money and fired his gun into the air, causing everybody to duck to the ground. Then, he ran out of the bank to his waiting car. His long green hair swayed back and forth as the young man pumped his feet. Arriving at his car, a sleek, bright red Oceanic, he ripped the door open, tossed the bag in, and slid into the driver's seat. As he started the car and pulled out of his spot, his attention was focused on getting to safety. As a result, he didn't notice the cloaked figure watching him from a nearby ally.


"All units, be informed. Code 8 suspect has left the scene of the crime. Suspect is traveling East on Thelm street in a red Oceanic. Suspect is armed and dangerous. All units, commence pursuit."

"That's our cue, Mikey," Dennis said. He hit the thrust, and the hovercopter kicked up to top speed, roaring towards its prey. As they arrived over Thelm Street, they began searching for their suspect.

"There he is," Mike said. He tapped his microphone. "This is hovercopter 6, in pursuit of bank robbery suspect. Suspect has just made a left and is traveling North on Drask Street at high speed." He clicked off the transmission. "Bring us in, Dennis."

"You got it, kiddo," he said. The hovercopter dipped into the canyon between the rows of skyscrapers, coming to fly only a few meters above the tops of moving cars. Mike grabbed this transmitter again.


"Attention. Will the driver of the red Oceanic please pull to the side of the road?" Vicco cursed as the voice came over his car's transmitter. He whacked the switch.

"Will the Enforcers in the blue hovercopter please shut the fuck up?" he asked sarcastically.

"Don't push the envelope, pal," the voice replied. "You're in enough trouble as it is."

"My momma said I never did know when to stop," Vicco said, and turned off the transmitter. Deal with that, he thought. He stepped on the gas.


"What the...that sonofabitch cut me off!" Mike said.

"Must be your charming personality," Dennis replied. The Oceanic made another sharp turn, then another. It moved into a less crowded lane heading out of the city proper and into the surrounding area. By now, a trio of squad cars were following at a safe distance. "OK, he's moving into an empty stretch. Get the gun ready, Mike." The other Enforcer nodded, and took the controls for the heavy weapon. The instant the vehicle was away from civilian traffic, Mike would attempt to shoot its tires out.


Vicco growled as he changed lanes. The Oceanic wasn't accelerating as fast as it usually did, and it wasn't corning as well as normal. The rear seemed to be weighed down, like something had been placed in the back...


"Get ready Mike," Dennis warned. He brought the hovercopter even closer to the ground, mere inches away from the pavement. Mike now had a clear shot at the Oceanic's right rear tire. With practiced ease, he aimed the gun and fired a single round. The heavy slug tore into the rubber tire, a prefect shot.


"Fuck!" Vicco cursed as his car suddenly lurched to the right, now struggling against his control. This wasn't going as planned, not even close.


Atop a building at the edge of downtown Teal City, a cloaked man stood and watched the chase. The fact that he was blindfolded seemed to offer no problems for him. Deftly, he reached inside his cloak and retrieved a small remote. It had a glowing red light, and a single button below that. The man smiled as his thumb stroked the button.


"He'd better slow down for the turn," Mike said, watching the Oceanic veer left and right drunkenly.

"He's gonna flip if he doesn't," Dennis commented.

"There he goes," Mike said, watching as the Oceanic tried to make a turn, failed, and began to flip over and over. He tapped the comm. "Hovercopter 6, our suspect has just crashed into the guardrail and flipped over it. Better get a med runner out here."

"Roger that, 6," the tower replied. The two Enforcers watched as the Oceanic finally came to a rest upside down.


Vicco groaned. He'd bashed his head on the steering wheel, and now had a massive headache. He was also hanging upside down in his seat, held in place by the seat belt. Slowly, his hands reached for the buckle and undid it, dropping him to the roof. He scrabbled at the latch for a moment and flung the door open. He could still make it on open ground, he just needed to get out...


The cloaked assassin smiled as Vicco opened the door. Then, he pressed the button on his remote.


"Looks like he's gonna make a run for it," Dennis said as the driver of the car started to crawl out.

"Set us down, I'll see if I can run him down," Mike said. As Dennis started to do so, the rear of the Oceanic suddenly exploded with a resounding BOOM. "What the hell?" Mike shouted as the flames reached towards the sky.

"Whoa, that's weird. It shouldn't have gone up like that."

"You see our guy?"

"Nope. Doesn't look like he made it.

"Dennis?"

"Yeah?"

"What the hell just happened?"

"I have no idea, Mike. I have no idea."

Thats some good stuff IG.

Whew! I've been slacking off! Chapter 4, finally.

Chapter Four: Conspiracy

Mike sighed deeply as he opened the door to his apartment. It had been a long day. He and Dennis had spent most of it cleaning up after the exploded car, trying to figure out what had happened. As it turned out, the trunk of the car had been filled with explosives. Why, the Enforcers had no idea. Dennis figured that the guy's backup plan had been to level the bank if he couldn't threaten the cash out of the tellers, but it didn't seem to fit. The guy hadn't seemed suicidal, and that amount of explosives would cost thousands on the street. Mike rubbed his eyes as he shed his jacket and dropped it onto a nearby chair. He'd had to write up both the report for the chase and the one about the murder. Neither had given him a sense of closure. The mysterious assassin was still out there, and the robber's death had been set up by someone else, he was certain of it.

Now, he grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and flopped down on the couch in front of the TV. With a yawn, he flipped on the news. The weather segment was just beginning. "Well, it looks like a clear week for Teal City," the man was saying. "Little humidity, a small amount of wind from the Northwest, and not a cloud in sight. Temperatures will be ranging from a high of about seventy-five to a low of sixty-two. Get out your sunglasses!" Mike yawned and took a swig of water as the anchorwoman's face came on.

"Good to hear. And today was definitely a good day for the Enforcers. Chief Branson, the local division chief, has reported that last week's murder of industrial tycoon Jonathan Render has finally been solved." Mike stopped drinking and focused on the screen. "The suspect responsible, one Vicco Marens, was caught fleeing the scene of a bank robbery this morning." The TV flashed a picture of an arrogant, green-haired man. What the hell? Mike thought. That is definitely not the guy I dealt with. The anchorwoman's face returned. "Marens, twenty-four years old, has apparently had scrapes with the law before."

Branson's face came on. "He was definitely a hard case," the chief was saying. "He's been caught at several types of theft, larceny, and assault, was convicted twice, and he's spent time in prison."

"Why do you think he suddenly decided to commit murder?" a reporter asked.

"It's our suspicion that Render ran into Marens on the street, a quarrel developed, and Marens killed Render in a fit of anger. He chose to lay low for a while, then decided to hit the bank and use the money to get overseas. It's fortunate for us that our Enforcers are a well-trained group."

"Is it true that Vicco assaulted an Enforcer the night of the Render murder?" another reporter asked.

"Yes, Enforcer Michael Atner was in the area when Render was killed. He attempted to apprehend Marens, and the suspect shot him. Interestingly enough, Atner was in the hovercopter that helped stop Marens today. So, if you're watching this, Mike, hope you're proud of yourself." The screen flashed a picture of Mike's face, his Academy photo, then returned to the anchorwoman.

"Yes, thanks indeed. We'll all sleep a little better knowing one more criminal is off the streets." She smiled. "In other news-" Mike muted the TV. He sat, frozen, wishing it away, wishing itswrongnessaway. Then, he stood and began pacing the room. The information in the news had not been in the reports he submitted. Someone had altered them. The questions were who, and why? Was it the assassin? Or someone connected to him? Mike pursed his lips. He needed answers, and he needed them now.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when the vidphone rang. He picked it up, answering with automatically. "Atner here."

Dennis Burton's glittering blue eyes and thick black hair swam into view on the small screen before him. "Mike, did you catch the news?" his voice rang. "You're a hero, man! Can I have your autograph? Or a framed picture? Or a-"

"Dennis, I need to talk to you," Mike broke in.

"Sure thing man, what's up?"

Mike hesitated. If there was something going on, Dennis might be involved in it. Then, he shook that thought away. Dennis was a goof, but he was loyal and honest, and would never take part in such a lie. "Not here. Meet me at the café on Flase and Turne in a half hour."

Dennis was silent for a moment. "Sure, Mike. Is something wrong?"

"Maybe. I'll tell you when we get there."

"This better not be a trick. I'll see you." Dennis hung up, and Mike replaced the receiver. For a minute, he stood there, looking out the window. Then, he again picked up the receiver and dialed a number. He heard the dial tone once, then twice before the phone was picked up.

"Hello?" her voice came.

"Kayla, it's Mike," he said.

"Oh, hi! I saw the news. Congrats on your little achievement. How are you?"

"Uh, OK," he said hurriedly. "Kayla, can you meet me at that café on Turne?"

She hesitated. "Isn't this kind of short notice? I mean, I'd love a date, but-"

"No, Kayla, it isn't like that. I need to talk to you. And Dennis'll be there," he added as an afterthought.

"Oh," she said, a bit subdued. "Well, how soon?"

"Thirty minutes, no, make it twenty. Can you be there?"

"Sure thing."


Mike sat back, finished with his story, and sipped his coffee. Kayla and Dennis were both staring at him like he'd grown a new head. Dennis blinked and leaned on his elbows, looking at the surface of the table. "I dunno, Mike," he said. His blue eyes were cold. "I've heard some crazy stories in my time, but this..." he trailed off.

Kayla's brow furrowed. "You'd better be telling the truth, Mike," she said, sitting back and crossing her arms. "If you're not, I swear-"

"Everything I've told you is real, Kayla." She chewed her lower lip. "Do you believe me?"

Kayla hesitated, but Dennis looked up. "I believe you, Mike. I remember when I picked you up that night. You were in pretty bad shape. The gun that guy shot you with-"

"Of course!" Mike said, snapping his fingers. "The nurse at the hospital recognized the type of injury. It was a Kao wound, and there's no way a guy like that Vicco could get his hands on a gun like that."

"And if he did have it," Kayla added. "Why wouldn't he use it to hold up the bank?"

"Good point." Mike took another sip of his coffee. "I don't know who's behind this or what they want, but tomorrow, I'll get hold of my hospital records. Then, we'll bust this wide open." The others nodded.


"Classified?" Mike repeated. "What do you mean, classified?"

The man on the other end of the vidphone shrugged. "Sorry sir, but last night, your file was moved into the restricted files. I can't give you access to it."

He was silent for a moment, digesting the information. "Thanks," he said, and hung up. Shit,he thought. Whoever's behind this, they've covered their bases. Dammit! I can't believe they managed to classify my hospital file! These guys are good. Very good. He checked his watch. By prior arrangement, he, Dennis, and Kayla had agreed to take their breaks together and meet outside. It was nearly time.


"So, what do we do now?" Kayla asked. The three were in Enforcer HQ's parking garage. Dennis sat on the hood of a squad car, Kayla and Mike standing in front of him.

Mike fiddled with the handle of his katana. "I don't know. I never thought they could-"

"I've got an idea," Dennis said.

"Really? What?"

"The assassin killed Render, right? Well, Render lived in a mansion just outside out Teal City. Maybe if we go there, we can get some answers."

"Good idea, Dennis," Mike said. He fished a set of keys out of his pocket. "I'll drive."

The ten-minute trip was uneventful. As the car pulled up to the front doors of the Render mansion, Mike checked his watch. "We've got about five minutes. Let's go."

Awesome Iggy... simply awesome.