Saffron hated the Scrapyard at night. Who knew whether a rapists or murderer lurked behind the next corner? She knew full well they waited for chance encounters with young women such as herself. However, never venturing outside without her tazer brought some consolation. After dark, she carried it out of her bag in plain view. As she trudged through the alleyways, she reminded herself it was better to nip attempts in the bud by showing that she was ready.

I really should get an apartment closer to the store.

Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the night air. Saffron snapped her head up just in time to witness a sight she doubted she'd ever witness again; flight.

The Red-- well, it resembled a female cyborg, but lacked a face-- whatever it was dashed above her, hovering on a pair of wing-like jets attached to it's back. It paused a moment to make a rude gesture at the Netman that was pursuing it, then dived down into the alley. Saffron screamed, hitting the deck as the Red Thing flew right over her head, the Netman following immediately thereafter.

"Unidentified Powered Armour," the Netman stated, cornering the Red Thing, "I am Factory Law, Remote Terminal 5. You have violated Factory Law by flying under Tiphares. Please surrender yourself for termination."

"Kiss my servo-clenched ass, nut-licker!" the Suit sneered, mooning the bot. The Netman snapped its cannon up, blasting a shell at the gamine suit. The shell sailed back into the Alley, the Red suit having disappeared. Saffron took a moment before glancing aloft. There, the Suit was plunging down, towards the Netman. At the last second, the Netman spotted it and fired off a few bullets from its chain gun. The Suit deftly dodged them, a glowing blade flipping out from behind its right hand.

"Yah!" the Suit yelled, cutting the gun in half. The Suit rounded before the Netman could react, slamming the back of its fist into the Netman's face. The resulting explosion left the headless bot sputtering and sparking.

"You -crackle- are under -pffrtt!- arrest--"

"Bite me," the Red Suit stated, sighing as it raised it's left arm. A pair of strange spheres emerged from the side of its arm, sending a ripple through the air that Saffron could barely make out. Her ears popped, however, as the ripple reached the Netman, which was crushed on impact. It exploded a second later as the Red Suit disappeared into the night. Just to the left of the flaming Netman was a burned patch of concrete. The words "Ghost of the Machine" were inscribed therein.

"I was never here," Saffron murmured to herself, standing, "I never saw this." With that, the girl turned tail and ran for her life.

***

"A-Zero to Control."

"You are late," he stated.

"I know, I know," she sighed, "The evaluation testing took longer than I had originally anticipated."

"Why are you on sound only, A-Zero?"

The controller heard only a disgusted sigh.

"If you MUST know, it's because I'm changing. Free peeks weren't of the deal, ya know."

Hmph. Not that she possesses anything that I would be interested in.

"Would you be so kind to grace us with a report, A-Zero?'

"Thought you'd never ask.

"The new Armor's performance exceeded all my previously determined specifications," A-Zero stated. "It seems I'm just too damn skilled for my own good. Which reminds me, send word to your friends in the Factory and apologize to them about the Netman. It was the only worthy opponent I could find on short notice."

The woman paused momentarily, envisioning veins popping out of the controller's forehead.

"The in-flight maneuverability tests went especially well, performing vectored thrusts resulting in attack angles exceeding 120% of nominal. The weapons all proved to be workable, although I can see one or two field modifications that will be necessary.

"The components sent for the Sonic Blasters were grade A, I'll give you that. The vibro-blade appears to work fine on your Netmen, so I'll assume that it works on just about any Cyber I might encounter. I didn't have the chance to test the gattling gun, but from my inspection earlier I believe it should work as intended. The lasers cut great, but due to the battery drain required to keep the thrusters on stand-by, they would be useless as tactical weaponry.

"That brings me to the only disappointing features on this model. The propulsion system is an energy pig, and the armour itself lacks the flexibility at the joints necessary during an extended hand-to-hand conflagration. You can't do anything about that, can you? I mean, you MUST have some better parts for me in that high and mighty society of yours."

"The technology required to produce that which you seek was lost hundreds of years ago," the controller snarled.

A-Zero sighed. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

She continued. "Not that it matters. Even with sub-standard ground maneuverability I'm the baddest-ass in this filthy burg."

The controller rolled his eyes at her display of her own arrogance. "I shall expect formalized report within twenty-four hours standard, A-Zero. Your verbal one leaves much to be desired."

"Yeah, I'll send it along with my standard report," she said, exasperated, "You seem even more impatient than normal. What, you got a Hot Date to get to?"

"Just send the damn report," he snarled, hand itching for the Shock button. A piece of duct tape currently covered the switch, keeping him from hitting it by reflex. If she was a Masochist, he wasn't about to give her the pleasure. Instead, he merely slammed his hand down on the Comm button.

"I can't wait to kill her," he muttered, leaning back in his chair.

***

Nikira sat on her bed, staring out the open window towards Tiphares. It was raining once again, causing Tiphares' lights to cast a kind of ephemeral glow over the Scrapyard. She had come to the realization that the floating city reminded her of another symbol that lighted her nights. They both stood for the same thing.

They both were symbols of dreams tarnished.

With a sigh, she turned away. Eyes closed in the dark Nikira absently flexed her hand. Her fingers moved quickly, as if trying to reduce their reaction time. The motion carried her hand down even with her waist, where the back of her hand flared into an odd sort of fist.

She repeated the action several times, then stopped abruptly, shaking her head. She took one hand in the other, absently stroking at the palm of her right hand with the thumb of her left.

"I couldn't have played Lady Macbeth," she murmured into the darkness. "For me, the blood always comes off."

Nikira stood, approaching the window. She leaned out a moment, then pulled herself up onto the sill. Arms around her knees as she perched on the frame, Nikira looked out into the Scrapyard. The fact it was raining didn't bother her. A little water wasn't going to kill her, after all.

"So much like my Tokyo," Nikira murmured. She dropped her gaze again, wringing her fingers. "So why does everything feel so different, now? This job never hurt so much before, why now? It's not just him, it’s everything. I just... don't care anymore."

Somewhere out in the Scrapyard, people were singing. Most likely they were huddled around a trash fire, trying to share warmth, good spirits, maybe even a little food. They shared their version of the ancient song of hope with all within earshot. Nikira smiled slightly in spite of herself as she listened.

"I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now, I see."

Feh. What do I see? Nothing.

"Are you laughing at me now, daddy?" Nikira whispered towards the heavens. A few tears worked their way free from her eyes, only to be lost in the rainwater that splashed against her face. The rain and tears dripped freely from her chin, spiraling away towards the ground below.

"I can hear you now... 'I told you it vould be zo, Nikki.' "

"I don't know what pisses me off more... that I failed, or that you knew I would."

"You… bastard."

Nikira sat there for a long time, letting the rain wash away her tears.

***

"Ghost of the Machine," Alita murmured to herself, surveying the destruction. Though not the smartest things around, Netmen were notoriously quick and deadly. It was rare that they missed. But from what people had seen, not only had this one missed, it had completely failed to keep this Red Suit from flying wherever it wanted. And, it had been felled with seemingly little effort on the Suit's part. Someone, it seemed, was showing off.

"What does it mean?" asked Cryto, the full-cyborg Hunter Warrior who had accompanied her here. This area was 'His Turf,' but he was honored to have the assistance of the 'Great Alita' this time.

"It’s a challenge," Alita stated coldly. Cryto gawked at her, his mouth wide open.

"You mean, someone who can take down a Netman wants to fight ME?" Cryto asked, somewhat shaken.

"They want to fight someone, alright," Alita murmured, walking away from the sight.

***

Alita was walking into New Kansas, a piece of dead Netman in her hand, when the Barkeep suddenly rushed out to meet her. "I am so glad I found you!" he said, panting, "My entertainment for tonight's canceled! I've got a room fulla people expecting a band! You've gotta help me!"

"Okay, okay, I'll play," Alita demurred, trying to pry the Barkeeper off of her. She failed.

"No, I need a BAND!" he cried, gazing up at her with blood shot eyes, "Guitars, drum sets, the works! Please, I know you've got some friends in the biz. Please, Alita! I'll pay double my normal fee!"

"I-- I'll see what I can do," she promised, feigning a smile. The Barkeeper thanked her profusely, then ran back into the bar. Alita cleared her throat, glanced around, then headed for the nearest phone.

***

"Okay," Alita inquired as she checked the wiring on her mixing board, "Who gave Barkeep the name 'Hot Oil...?'"

"I thought it would be memorable," Lee stated, tuning his guitar. He and Alita stood on the small stage tacked into the remodeled New Kansas, next to Drew and Nikira. Tamrin sat just behind them, manning his drum kit. Raisa, meanwhile, was helping Barkeep with the speakers. Avid had opted out; she had a date.

"It certainly is That," Alita agreed, rolling her eyes. He might be cute, but his taste was... questionable.

"I still say we should have gone with Leather and Denim," Nikira stated, grinning. Behind her, Tamrin hooted, throwing in a drum lick. "Thank you, you're too kind," Nikira said with a bow.

"Careful, Nika," Raisa warned, returning to the stage, "That outfit doesn't leave much to the imagination when you’re standing straight, much less when you bow." She adjusted her own hat, flashing a grin at Alita as she tipped hers in kind.

"Well," Nikira purred, "Just cause you're a Cup-Size bigger than me doesn't mean I can't occasionally show a bit of cleavage, huh Rai?" Nikira chuckled, dodging back from the enraged redhead. She even managed to shake her rear slightly, showing off her bright green Cat Suit. "Ya gotta give the Leches what they want, ne?"

"So much for the nice, respectable band..." Drew murmured, smiling slightly.

"So no one wants any banners saying Factory Sucks or anything?" Nikira inquired, evading Raisa like a matador, "Last chance for a harsh, likely to get us killed statement!"

"I think she's enjoying herself," Lee muttered, flashing a grin at Alita. She returned it, shaking her head. "You drunk, Nika?" Alita demanded, having also picked up the nickname that Lee had given her.

"Nope," Nikira called, holding Raisa at bay with her guitar, "I'm Russian!"

"You're gonna be a DEAD Russian in a minute!" Raisa snarled, attempting to stab Nikira with her flute. "Can't ya take a joke?!?" Nikira yipped, deftly avoiding the attacks. Alita and the others merely stood back and smirked.

Huh, Alita thought to herself, I've never seen anyone dodge like Nikira. She's so limber, like she's bending her body away from Raisa's attacks. I bet she'd be good at Panzer Kunst. Maybe I should invite her to my self-defense class sometime.

"Ladies, please," Barkeep interrupted, "It's show time. I hope you guys are ready."

"No prob!" Nikira called as Raisa backed off, "Let's rock!"

"Hobby my ass," Lee murmured to Alita, "This gal is an old Pro. She's the type that lives off the buzz of performing."

"Well, Doctor Lee," Alita inquired huskily, "Aren't we all?"

"Never said we weren't," Lee replied, smiling.

Meanwhile, the Barkeep was making his way out onto the Stage. "Ladies and Gents… and all you other lot! We've got a special surprise for you tonight. Instead of 'Death Wish', tonight, we have some local talent playing for us." A chorus of Boos and general death threats followed from the audience. "They call themselves Hot Oil, and are joined tonight by our very own Alita!" This didn't rid the audience of Booers... but it did add a few Cat-callers. Alita privately shook her head in disgust.

The Barkeeper got off stage, having had more share of the spotlight than he preferred. Lee, who didn't have that problem, replaced him.

"Hello there everyone," Lee said smoothly, "I know ya weren't expectin us, but here we are. Live, for the first time anywhere-- Hot Oil!" As Lee stepped back, Nikira unstrapped her Guitar and set it in its stand. "Wearchest," she hissed to the others, scooping up the mike. They launched into their short intro as she counted beats for a moment. Then, eyes sparkling, she tipped forward.

"Ahhh-eiahhh-eiahhhh-aaahhhh-eiahhh-- Ooohhhh..!" she screamed,

"Ahhh-eiahhh-eiahhhh-aaahhhh-eiahhh-- Ooohhhh..!"

Nikira danced before her mike, swaying to the beat as Tamrin and Alita laid it out for her. Drew carefully followed their lead, not wanting to run rail over the bell-chorus like melody. Raisa's flute, meanwhile, complemented it perfectly. Lee strummed out his part and sang backup, the only male vocalist in this song. Not that the audience had noticed; they seemed fixated on Nikira.

Nikira danced back from her mike, head banging to the oddly frantic song. Tamrin, meanwhile, was playing on cymbals only, giving the scene the feel of a clanging trolley car gone out of control. Alita followed suit, banging out her own part as Raisa and Lee tore through theirs. Even Drew was getting into it, plucking out an improv base-harmony. Nikira finished her dance with a twirl that left her just in front of the microphone. She grinned, screaming her lyrics as Lee and Alita led them into a key change.

As the song ended, Nikira stepped back, taking a bow like an old fashion Idol singer. Of course, Nikira thought with a smile, she was the only one here who knew anything about Idol singers.

Applause erupted from the audience. They were enthralled, their minds captured by the blonde siren in a green Cat Suit. They cheered even louder as she reslung the aged guitar over her shoulder and headed back to the mike.

"Thanks!" Nikira called, "Now we're gonna play something a little more on the techno side for you. Well, kinda. Hope you enjoy it!"

"We'll take our hearts outside..." Raisa and Alita harmonized, Lee and Nikira launching into the double-scaled 1980s style techno beat they'd been practicing. Alita and Raisa repeated their lines as Drew began plucking out a counter beat on his bass. Tamrin joined him, powering out the tempo at a furiously rate given the complexity of the song.

Nikira stepped back as Alita and Raisa took the refrain.

Nikira and Raisa took center stage for a moment, dancing as Alita pulled in a Keyboard solo. Then Nikira returned to her mike, cradling it, letting her sleepy eyes play over the audience.

Nikira watched, grinning, as the audience danced to the frantic pulse of the song. New Kansas didn't have all that much room for a dance floor, but the Hunters seemed to have no problem shoving the tables and chairs to the sides of the room. With a grin, Nikira slid over next to Lee, joining him in a quick improv duet before dancing back towards Tamrin and his kit. Meanwhile, Raisa had taken her mike, ready to finish up the song with Alita. It was all happening so fast. Nikira grinned, dancing to the beat even as she strummed it forth.

Once again, the audience erupted in applause. Raisa and Alita bowed, retreating back as Lee took the center stage. Nikira too slipped to the side, pulling a black guitar pick from between her cleavage. A series of catcalls floated from the audience at this one, but Nikira deftly ignored it. Lee, meanwhile, was beginning his guitar intro. Slowly, softly, he strummed out the first few bars. Then, with the subtly of a freight train, Nikira entered, tearing out her own riffs with Tamrin and Drew backing her up. Alita, meanwhile, coasted up the octaves with her bells. As the harmonic deluge faded back, Lee stepped up and began to sing.

From husking to screaming, Lee’s firm voice carried the melody forward. The fact that he had a guitar part to play at the same time didn’t seem to bother the confidant man as he bent forward over his microphone. Fire blazed in his eyes as Lee gazed out at his audience. His look commanded both respect and attention. And what his eyes did not convey, his deep voice well made up for. Power seemed to flow from his lips with every note.

Lee and Nikira danced out onto the center of the stage, playing counter riffs, Nikira heading high while Lee descended into the harmonic depths. As they changed keys, the audience began to clap along with the beat. Stepping back to back, Nikira and Lee switched placed, bringing Nikira up to the main microphone. A grin flashing on her face, Nikira took the vocal.

Lee tore through an improv riff this time, letting Nikira bow and step back by Alita and Raisa again. Lee danced his way slowly back to his mike, ready to retake the lyrics.

Another serenade of guitars followed, pulsing out through the end of the song with a saxophone solo written the day before. Raisa, an accomplished musician on most woodwind instruments, had little trouble with the complex and exceedingly rapid triplets she’d written in.

The song ended with a powerful downbeat, leaving the final note ringing in the air. As applause thundered through the bar, Lee and Nikira headed away from the front stage. "I hope you got something to close with," Lee rasped, as the crowd screamed their praises at the stage, "I'm just about spent."

"No worries," Nikira murmured, "I've been saving a little bit back for something special." With a smile, she headed to exchange her red electric for an old and battered acoustic. Then, waving as she walked forward, Nikira approached the lead microphone. There she paused, waiting for the audience to quiet. After a moment they did so, awaiting her coming words.

"You guys have been great tonight," Nikira purred, bouncing on her heels, "But we need to call it a night. Hope you had as much fun as we've had!" Once again, the patrons of New Kansas screamed and applauded. Nikira grinned, waiting for quiet again. Once she got it, she continued. "Now, I want to finish up tonight with a Reprise of one of my favorite songs by an ancient band called BOA. I hope you enjoy my version of Duvet."

Making a quick adjustment to her mike, Nikira hissed at the now out of tune device. It hissed and crackled for a moment with her breath.

"Present day," she rasped, "Present Time!" She followed this with a sinister chuckle which, amplified through the off-base mike, reverberated through the souls of all present. With a quick flick, Nikira restored her mike and sang the first five words of the song a cappella. Then, strumming her guitar, she cued the band to follow her.

And, through out New Kansas, the Hunters and other ilk paused for a moment, held out their hands, and began to dance. Not all, but a few. The others merely watched, silent for the first time that night. Nikira's soft, gentle voice held them captive once more. Her crimson lips dripped with the nectar they craved. They were her slaves, begging for the next lyric she offered. She was squeezing the life from their hearts bare handed, and they loved it. They loved her for it.

Nikira paused, nodding her head slowly to the beat as Alita, Raisa, and Tamrin took a quick solo. Then Lee and Drew filled out the bottom, leading back in for Nikira. Thought out, she never opened her eyes.

The song faded on her last breath. Nikira stood at her microphone-- motionless-- as the lights fell around her. A silence fell in the bar for a moment, breath held, awaiting a release. Nikira, however, merely turned and walked off stage.

"Thanks everybody!" Lee called, stepping back over to the mike, "Good night!"

The audience responded as if slapped, suddenly cheering and applauding the band as they packed out their equipment.