The Alien Wars 5: Trinity

Holiday Wars Finale

Hot Valentine

written by Kevin Bell (Death Star)

*editor's note - due to the Galactic Standard Time, and sat. positioning, all of earth goes through night and day at the same time to keep up with the rest of the galaxy.

6:00 AM, Galactic Standard Time - PAX City (Valentine's Day)

Paladin tested his arm by shooting in a private shooting range he had rented, his grip a little unsteady after being in a coma for a week and then in a hospital for two more for 'observation' by Cuddles. During the observation period, he had used it wisely, spending it studying both Taiga Mizukaze and Benjamin Mizukaze Carmichael, while feigning ignornance on what happened to him. He remembered all too well what happened. While the smell of the old fashion gun powder from his gun, one of the few in the world who still used it as a back up, knowing that bullets sometimes could pierce things that energy blasts couldn't - sometimes, he hit the button to bring his sheet back while setting the gun down and with an unsteady hand grabbing his pack of cigerrates from his vest, having begun to smoke more recently.

He had looked into the matters of clones and it was unusual for clones to degrade after one time, but Taiga Mizukaze's transfer was unusual - coming from a third source of memories. The way she acted in that alley, talking about The World being her killer. And that aura, it was unnuatral. She would have killed me if I kept bothering her and her 'lover' as she called her.' Also, from what his research stated, the cloned Taiga shouldn't even have remembered The World killing her, and have been detatched from it all. Yet that young woman in the alley flared in anger when Paladin reminded her. Did she somehow remember something more, or did she get a type of clone degredation and is making up her own story of the original's death? Reading up on it, it was possible the clone was fabricating stuff in her head and believed she knew how she died, and was making up her own memories to replace the missing six months she didn't have. The fact is, there had never been a clone of a dragoon and kitsune hybrid, or a kitsune to his knowledge.

But, that doesn't explain the person who shot me in the back. Judging by the blast setting and the skill, it was a professional who wanted me out of the way for a while. It was a warning. Benjamin Carmichael, if I had to hazard a guess. He did warn me. Which means he could be the killer, and is telling me to back off, or he is protecting Taiga or Cheryl. Paladin mused. The fact was Benjamin had lost his father during the crisis with the Illium and the Arcana that were being used as pawns, and then his little sister - before the clone bit. Then Paladin began to hunt down his mother and his family as suspects. The protector role. Or it was possible he knew his mother wanted The World dead and knew all the pain she caused him after everything that happened him, killed her. The killer role.

Paladin held up his sheet, only two of the twelve shots having hit the stomach and only one hitting the head. If it is Benjamin, I am screwed. Hell, if it's the girl, I am still screwed. He blew out his smoke and crumbled up the sheet and reloaded his backup gun, checked his energy gun, and headed out of the shooting range, unaware of a camera watching him.

* * *

The PAX City was in a whirlwind of activity, since this Valentine's Day was on a Friday and the school was filled with students having banked chocolate for people they cared for. Kitty walked down the hallway with her own chocolate covered goodies for Jade, having worked on it with X the previous night, Siri wrapped around her neck, and stepped into the room she set aside as a memorial for Taiga. Having only an hour before classes began, Kitty ran her hand along Taiga's desk, then turned and set Siri down in a makeshift little bed for her. Outside it was snowing hard, one last vestigage of winter trying to break through in Italy before spring took over. Most students had been caught off guard since it had been warm lately.

"You stay here and be good, girl," Kitty said, petting Siri's head and stepped out with her chocolate, glancing at the time on the walls, having to hurry to get to the student council room before the others did to prepare everything. Siri watched her go and yawned sleepily, then turned and eyed Taiga's desk and jumped up on it as the fox often did and sprayed out a bit, then jerked and ducked out of sight when someone came in.

The girl that came in moved in steathily, muttering about time zones and needing to hurry, then kneeling and opening a hidden compartment on the desk. Her fox ears sticking out, and wiggling, the girl pulled out an envelope, a pink one that looked old, having been there almost a year it looked like. She paused, glancing at some of the other stuff in the compartment, squinting at the papers, then shook her head, mumbling. "I decided I didn't want to know about that other Taiga's life. She's mine. Mine. But I wrote this," she mutters.

Siri peeked up more and saw a short girl with brownish blonde hair, brown eyes, and decent sized breasts. Her hair smelled a little like she dyed it though. "Okay Taiga, time to get out of here," the girl muttered, walked out quickly. Siri stared at her a long time, even after the door was shut, peering back down at the shut drawer, then made a yip, sounding offended and moved to the window. Who knows how foxes work, perhaps the fox didn't like someone pawing through her mistress' things, but Siri worked at the window like a demon, using her face and paws to get at it and finally managed to knock it open.

She then leaped out as Taiga was walking, aiming for her backpack and landed inside it, knocking the tiny fox out, almost comically. Taiga paused and glanced around, then walked onward.

* * *

6:15 AM, Galactic Standard Time (Mega City)

Having managed to make it back to Mega City undetected using the Nue Manor Teleport, Taiga set her backpack down and got back into bed with Ouka, stripping naked and laying beside the naked girl, hugging onto her and smiling at her, feeling her body. All mine. This wonderful girl is all mine. I love you so. I will never let you go. I would kill anyone that got between us. She noted, kissing along her back.

Taiga then turned Ouka over and she ran her fingers along the tatoo on her stomach, having a matching one on her stomach, then began suckling her breasts to wake her up, mischeviously, thinking about how much they have been having sex lately. Wanting to go further, to explore more and more of her body, wanting Ouka to take her all. And today is the day, after school, with what I have planned. She giggled at the thought, a grin on her face, listening to Ouka's writhing moans as the girl began to wake up, watching the shadowy ear outlines. Spreading her legs, she began to tongue her, not paying attention really to the lack of the hymen, figuring that was lost when Ouka was in battle, throwing her legs over her shoulders and enjoying her taste.

After the two wasted a good thirty minutes exploring each others body and had to take a quick bath in their Japanese bath, since they lived in the Japanese half of the mansion, they quickly began to hurry to meet the bus that came by, Taiga grabbing her school back pack, not the same one she took to take her valentine day card, which she had safely tucked away in a pocket for later in another outfit. The chocolate she had baked was back in the mansion, since this school didn't do the chocolate thing.

"W-Wah, we barely made it. Oooo, you are so bad, Taiga," Ouka wailed as they lept onto the bus with moments to spare.

Taiga gave her a tigerish grin as they found seats with Hie in the back, the two having made friends with the Arcanas - however reluctantly on Taiga's part. She had to admit, however, it did seem Hie was not trying to take Ouka from her, so she was letting her guard down. "I didn't hear you complaining earlier," she responded as they sat.

Hie wrinkled her nose as they sat down. "Were you two fucking again?" the flat chested white hair girl asked. It seemed she always had a different hair color.

Ouka sighed.

* * *

10:00 AM, Galactic Standard Time

Benjamin Carmichael eyed his datapad while moving around in the mansion, keeping an eye on Gordon Paladin. That man will not leave this alone until he is dead. Commendable, but annoying. How far will you have to go to protect your family, Benjamin? He asked himself, shuddering a little and feeling nauseous. Sitting down on a seat, he glanced in the kitchen and saw Cheryl and Lemon talking to each other, Cheryl helping Lemon with some Valentine Cookies for Miyuki and Kasha, Tweety pacing about the kitchen at Cheryl's feet, along with the other pets.

Oh Mom... he mentally muttered. It's all gotten so mixed up. Maybe it 's always been this way since I was taken. Rising up he walked into the kitchen and took Cheryl into a hug and she blinked, peering back at her. "What's gotten into you?" Cheryl asked with a smile.

Benjamin just held her a moment, his hands on her belly, which had gotten a little bigger by about 10-15 pounds, and her breasts a cup size larger, rubbing her belly as he hugged. I wonder when her mind will accept what's happening - she just couldn't reverse what Miyuki did. "I just wanted to hug you. I love you, mom," he told her.

"I love you too, Benjamin," Cheryl said, leaning back. Lemon gave him a knowing smile and stepped out, giving the two a moment alone. "Do you need to talk about anything?"

"No. I just wanted to say, you've always made me happy and stood by me. I know you wished you could have done more for me, but I've never been left wanting. You got dealt a lot of bad hands, but I don't think any of the kids would trade a minute of the time they've had with you, good times or bad. You're a great, loving mom," he told her honestly. "We know you would do anything to protect us."

He watched Cheryl smile sadly, and knew she was remembering all the times she failed them - him and Taiga specifically. The first born and last born. How tied to his little sister he was after all. He was taken when he was four years old by an alternate reality version of Warren and raised to believe he was his real father - and that his mother was dead until she crossed the realities to get him back, and by then he was a grown man. And then Taiga, when she was four years old, lost Cheryl and Chii for five years when they were frozen by the Others.

"Have I?" Cheryl asked softly, her voice like a little child.

Benjamin took her hands, and held them to his chest. "You have, really. What actions I take, Taiga took. They are own. Not yours. You raised us good, and we made our decisions off that. Good or bad. We are own people, and you can't hold yourself accountable for everything - for what people do to you that took you away from us, and then what we do afterward. We learned by example, yes, but we learned by the best example. But like all people, sometimes people do good and bad. And sometimes people choose to do the right thing, and the bad thing. You have to know when to step back and be happy for us, and be disappointed, but know that you can only be there for us so much," Benjamin told her. Perhaps trying to prepare her for what was to come.

Cheryl touched his cheek and gave him a slight smile. "Such a man you've grown up to be, my Benjamin. Okay. Okay..." she said softly.

He smiled eternally and leaned against the counter, talking with his mother about old times and about what his sister was up to with the base. Just enjoying things, knowing Paladin couldn't make his move yet.

* * *

11:00 AM, Galactic Standard Time

Siri pulled herself out of the backpack, the effort having taken a lot of time, since it was sealed up. The fox's adventure in doing it took all her effort and teeth, but she had finally shredded her way out and found herself in a dark closet, hanging up and peering around at various strange outfits like a magical girl outfit, a maid outfit, a teacher outfit, and more sex outfits, and a few toys hidden. The fox made a mrr noise and jumped down, landing with a thud and pushed against the closet door until it opened up.

Glancing around the Japanese styled room she moved over to the bed and climbed up, looking at the sheets, still unmade since Lemon had not made them, Taiga having given her orders not to touch her room lately. Sniffing the sheets, Siri recoiled at the smell of sex, and the two distinct smells and fell over, laying there for a long time dazed, staring at the sheets, eyes glazed over, paws coiling and uncoiling.

After what seemed like ages, Siri rose up and eyed the sheets, inhaling the scent again she was most focused on, then jumped down and left the room, trailing it along the hallway to the room next door and eyed it, then looked around and worked on sliding the door open it, straining until it opened, the little fox panting, her energy waning quickly, feeling dizzy. Then she stumbled inside the neat room and quickly collapsed on the bed.

* * *

Noon, Galactic Standard Time (PAX City)

Lunch had finally come and students who had managed to wait to hand out their chocolate during class or between breaks were finally approaching their loved ones or crushes, giving their chocolates. Sometimes popular students were getting chocolates as well from underclass men or even upperclass men. Lenneth had huge stacks of chocolat from girls and men, just from admiring her - mostly the girls admiring her, the men wanted her. But one look from Iro would have sent them running.

Kitty sat down by Jade and smiled. "Jade," she said, smiling and pulled out neatly wrapped box of chooclats. "Here. I made these for you." She offered her chocolats and Jade smiled, taking them.

"Thank you!" Jade gave her a kiss on the lips, not too lingering since they were waiting until they were a bit older, then gave her some of her own that Em helped her with, having been training Jade how to cook with the resturant in her spare time, not only making Mal work there. Having a bit of elegance to it. Each girl having their own style and technique.

Kitty took them and smiled, and they both laughed lightly, eating each other's chocolat. A few other girls offered them chocolats as admiration and they thanked them, being student counsel, and ended up having to bag a few. However, it didn't compare, Kitty heard, to Ako and Iko's stacks over in the Middle School wing - probably the two pawed and eyed every girl and student they could see from elementary to high school.

Just as lunch was ending a student ran up, an underclassman who was out of breath, the young girl looking at up at Kitty. "I was outside, Miss Kitty, and I noticed that that room's window was open. And snow was blowing in," she said. Kitty felt a cold blade in her gut and she hurried up the stairs with Jade rushing behind. She knew Jade could have gotten there in a blur but Jade let her get there first.

They arrived inside the room and Kitty felt the cold wind from the snow storm outside, which had been letting up just a little, but was still dumping a little snow at the foot of the window. She glanced around and saw no sign of Siri - again, but also no sign that anyone had come inside. In fact, the way the window looked opened, it was almost wedged open as if by something small, since there was no way anything else could have fit through. Kitty kneeled by the window, tears in her eyes. "Siri...where did you go...?" she murmured into the cold.

* * *

12:30 PM Galactic Standard Time (Mega City)

Taiga murmured, listening to Hie rattle on about some stupid shit to Ouka and the other Arcana. Blah Blah Blah. Who is she mimicing today? Taiga thought darkly. While she might be accepting the Arcana wasn't trying to take Ouka away from her, she was preventing what she was trying to do on this day - Valentine's Day. Don't they have dates, geeze.

"Um, excuse me. Ouka, could you come with me for a moment?" Taiga asked, taking Ouka's arm and her wrapped bag. Ouka blinked and nodded, standing up and waving at Hie and the others. Taiga ignored Hie's hurt look at them going. The girl is too needy for friends. Taiga thought. I should introduce Si to her.

Moving along to the hallway, Taiga glanced around, becoming shy again as the dark thought shifted out of her mind. "What's wrong, tiger?" Ouka asked. Taiga wonder if perhaps she was picking up on her dark thoughts judging by her expression.

"I wanted to give you something, and Hie wasn't giving me a chance to do so," Taiga said softly. She held out the bag. "Happy Valentine's Day." She hoped this set Ouka off guard and made her think this was all she was planning. I got so much more planned for you, my little wolf. My wolf.

Ouka smiled and opened the bag and glanced inside at the bag and grinned at the chocolate. Taiga had asked Justice, Ouka's mother, what her favorite type of chocolate was and baked with Justice to get it just right. "It's my favorite kind! Thank you, Taiga!" She threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"I just hope it tastes okay. It took me a lot of tries," Taiga admitted as she hugged her back. And that was the truth. If Justice hadn't helped, who knows if they would have ever been edible.

Ouka shook her head, smiling. "I don't care, the fact Taiga made them is all that matters," she said and threw them into her mouth, chewing them slowly. Taiga waited, wincing with worry that Ouka might die from it, but then after a moment she smiled. "It's good!" she said and hugged her. I don't know if that's true, but at least she likes it alright and it isn't making her sick. The first part of this day is just warming up. Soon I'll make it really hot. Taiga grinned and hugged her back, kissing her and tasting some of the chocolate on Ouka's lips. Not bad.

* * *

1:00 PM, Galactic Standard Time (PAX City)

Erevis, floating in her chair, pet Athena who was on it with her, studying files and information that Leyaeh Cridhe had been gathering on the side that Gordon Paladin was not aware of - something they had been doing since he had entered the hospital and told Cuddles Zhenmei Carmichael he had no memory of what happened. After telling Cuddles that, she had stepped out and contacted Erevis and Ama.

Cuddles finished her examination of Gordon Paladin after bringing him out of his coma with her cocktail shot a week earlier. "How do you feel, Gordon?" she asked, shining a light in his eyes. Studying his pupil dialation.

"I've felt better," he stated.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Cuddles asked him, still studying his eyes, making her voice almost casual in conversation.

"I'm afraid not. It's all a blank after going to the high school and waiting in that alley. Do you have any information?" he asked.

"Just a stun blast, I'm afraid, nothing we can trace though - was hoping you could shed some light on the matter," Cuddles said. His eyes had dialited - Paladin had lied. Cuddles was good at catching liars, having worked in the hospital so long. Caduceus had trained her after all.

"Well, I feel fine, so can I go?" Paladin asked.

"I'm afraid I need to keep you in here for a bit, for check up reasons. You took a blast, stun or not, in your spine and were in a coma. You have to be held for observations for any side effects. If you need anything, you can ask," Cuddles told him.

"Just my datapad and a linkup to the HoloNet," Paladin requested. Cuddles smirked - your datapad probably had it where we couldn't watch what you did, but in here CHIP could still trace what you did.

"Of course," Cuddles said and walked out, immediately contacting Erevis, Leyaeh, and Ama, while having Paladin's things sent in and CHIP set up to watch everything he did. She briefed the three on what happened.

Erevis frowned. "We need to observe him and see what he is up to. The fact he is a judge doing all this is worrysome. He is neglecting his main duties as Head Judge."

Leyaeh nodded. "And he is going out of his field, like in Mega City. EarthGov may be part of the Suisen Empire, but outside PAX City, we should be informing their local government what we are doing and asking permission."

Ama mused. "For some reason, Paladin has made this personal against the Mizukazes. Perhaps he thinks we will not do what is right and is taking it into his own hands. And that can be as dangerous as any criminal."

Erevis then spoke and Cuddles felt her blood chill. "For now, Leyaeh, let Paladin continue. But be prepared to have a strike team intervene to bring him down, and the killer if he finds him. But I want them all alive. But if need be, do what you think is best, regarding them all. We cannot let our judges be judge and executioner." Leyaeh nodded.

Now Erevis was going over reports with Leyaeh Cridhe while Ama was dealing with some meeting with her own security forces. "So Paladin has been gone the past three days?" she asked Leyaeh, leaning back in her hover chair, worried, feeling a slight pain in her lower stomach and trying to ignore it to focus on the problem at hand.

Leyaeh nodded, blowing her blue hair out of her face. "I'm afraid so. We think he's still in PAX City, but he's on the outskirts and keeping a low profile. Likely he'll move toward Mega City soon, where I asked President Arakawa and have most of my agents positioned, since the Mizukazes are there. If he gets within the school or manor, we'll know," she promised.

Erevis nodded, studying what Paladin had been studying and gathered so far, taken by CHIP while he was in the hospital room. "So he thinks it's likely Cheryl Mizukaze, Benjamin Mizukaze Carmichael, or Taiga Mizukaze. And is leaning toward the latter two," she said in thought.

Leyaeh glanced at the paperwork, then looked back at the screen, bringing up at the three's profiles, focusing on Benjamin and Taiga primarily. "Yes. Taiga Mizukaze he believes did it due to clone degradation and insanity. He believes it due to the ninpo fire residue inside the body, which Taiga has and she is fire elemental, and the fact in what we saw she threatened him to stay away from her lover and not to bring up her killer's name, which she shouldn't know."

Erevis frowned in worry. Could Taiga be having clone degradation? Every clone has it to some degree Cuddles told me, but usually it's several generations of clones that go mad. Is Taiga mad? "How can we tell if Taiga Mizukaze is insane?" she asked slowly. "Should I try to scan her mind?"

Leyaeh mused. "You could try, but with her abilities and if she has any reality powers, in her clone body, it may be dangerous. With her unique ninpo and foxfire abilities, she is pretty strong in the mind department as well. The best way to tell is to scan her mind in a hospital, which she is not likely to consent to. Or take her unaware and scan her then with a telepath," Leyaeh stated. "As far as if Taiga is insane, I do not know. It happens sometimes with first generation clones, and sometimes they get diseases. Plus Taiga was made unusually, through Morrigan. We also know that Taiga was in the park, 10 minutes away, washing her hands according to camera, about 15 after The World's death."

Erevis frowned. "What was she doing during those 15 minutes?" Erevis asked.

"We do not know. The camera feeds in the area..." Leyaeh trailed off. Erevis nodded.

"And Benjamin Carmichael?" Erevis questioned finally, peering at his profile.

Leyaeh clicks her tongue. "More complicated. Much more. Taken when he was four years old by an alternate Warren Carmichael, he was raised in the multiverse to be a killer and was that. He battled Cheryl and her group when they went to rescue him, having become an adult due to the time differences of realities. However, the power of love won out, and Cheryl's love for him turned him away from the fake Warren. But at the last minute, the corruption was falling toward the group and he leapt into it to keep it back, and was thought to be dead until he showed back up years later. He never explained how he survived. But after being questioned, it was clear it was him. The only thing that might make him not the killer is that unless a gun can simulate a fire ninpo, and according to the KU agent we brought in and that Delano Giblin verified, it is 99% unlikely to be faked, Benjamin Carmichael cannot use fire ninpo."

Erevis leaned forward, the pain worse now, and she had to work to hide it. "Unless that time in the multiverse and contact with the corruption changed him. You said he was gone for years before returning. Was he close to Chii?"

Leyaeh shrugged. "I think so. I do not know. It would be something we have to ask Cheryl Mizukaze or Chii Mizukaze," she said.

"Which leads to our third potiential choice, Cheryl Mizukaze. Who was having sex with Chii Mizukaze 15 minutes later, which gave her just barely enough time to get there according to his notes, and who threatened The World, and who had motive. I know Cheryl - she did not do it. I cannot believe it. And I think this nonsense has gone on long enough. We need to bring Chii and Cheryl in and talk to them, and tell them what we know and have so far," Erevis said.

"But one of their kids is a killer," Leyaeh pointed out.

"Yes. And they might can bring them in without more pain. We--" Erevis stopped and cried out, her vagina in pain and she felt liquid ooze out. Dammit - my water broke. Not now.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Leyaeh asked, panic in her voice. Oh bless you Leyaeh Cridhe.

"Get Cuddles and Jennifer Carmichael. And pull my wife out of her meeting. And find Megumi..." Erevis said, and she felt herself getting unnaturally weak.

* * *

Benjamin sat across from Jennifer Carmichael, his half-sister in a way, for lunch in a cafe on the PAX. While Jennifer was from another reality, and older than him in some ways, before he was aged by the multiverse, they had a connection through the fact they had a father in a Warren Carmichael. Realities were funny that way.

Eating his spicy meal and drinking his light beer, something he found himself doing more of lately, and ignoring Jennifer's looks of disapproval of the beer, since she didn't like the addiction factor. She never understood our father really. The brief time he drank after mother died, and she never died in her reality, was because his world was broken under him. When he was popping pills, yes he was an addict and had an addictive personality, but it allowed him to see things and know things others could never see. It helped him reign himself in but facing that dark side of himself, and control the pain he constantly lived with since his wife and baby died - the baby that was Jennifer in this reality. It was why Benjamin was trying to face his pain, day in and day out, since losing so much thanks to that insane Warren. And protect what was his like his real father did, and taught him when he came back to this reality.

"How have you been, sis?" Benjamin asked her as Jennifer drank tea, eating her salad and turkey meal. Outside the window that had been set up in the cafe, one could see out into PAX City. Since the PAX would never fly again, CHIP had set up some of the hull, either through holographic projectors or real windows, Benjamin was not sure, to show the outdoors. Right now one could see the snowstorm going on, and people trudging along in the snow. He thought he spied Kitty and Jade rushing along in the snow storm toward Taiga's shrine, holding hands.

"I'm good," Jennifer said, smiling. "Athena is happy, and doing well. Though there are times I worry about her." Jennifer peered down.

"Worry about her how?" Benjaming glanced back at his sister, studying her face. He already knew about it, but it was better for Jennifer to talk about it. Athena's split personality. He had been looking into it a little himself, these past few months. Tying up loose ends before it was too late and he had no more time. Trying to help everyone he could.

Jennifer rubbed her cup with both hands, peering out, clearly trying to think about how to put her words together. Benjamin gave her time, finishing his beer and eating his spicy meal, letting it burn along his tongue. Enjoying the sensation. "I'm not sure if Athena is well," Jennifer admitted finally. "Sometimes she's my kitten, my woman. Other times she's someone else. Not exactly cold, but hard. Different. Pushing me away? I don't know. But she becomes someone else. Something else," Jennifer says finally.

Benjamin nodded as he listened, finishing his food and pushed the plate away for the waitress to take, and indicated he wanted a refill on his drink. Yes, I've been looking into Athena for you, my dear little sister. Athena had always been more clever than she let on, having a hard edge warrior side, a calculating side that others never really got to see. She could out think Isis really if she needed to. But that was curtailed by a dark side. Not really a berserker side - that was what Isis inherited from Megumi, and it was wild and dangerous if awakened. If Isis ever went berserk, full on berserk, like Megumi did on Centerpoint from what I heard, then Isis might not recover. Then again, like Megumi had Erevis, Isis has her wives and children.

But Athena's dark side, is a blade as sharp as the berserker side. And it's a mix of Erevis' dark nature and Megumi's berserker nature. It's something she'd push down, likely, since she was a child, from what Benjamin could piece together from all the reports over the last 20 years. And it was awakened by the Dark Erevis that was inside her. From Isis' statements on file, Athena was an innocent girl, childish and sweet, but with leadership material, and she pushed Isis into a lot of situations, always getting into trouble, but happy and harmless. She would have likely grown up to be a good leader, but loveable. However, in this timeline, Iko is the dominant personality over Ako more than half the time. You can see when Ako is like Isis described Athena, but for some reason Iko is more dominant. Likely, Xanatos for whatever reason kept Isis from becoming more dominant. Perhaps him being around - or gone a lot - kept her demure. From what I understand, Athena really loved Xanatos and when he left the family because of Megumi, she bawled and fell apart, and Isis had to step up and support her sister, and fell into the the role of nuturing, while Athena was allowed to run wild and be free.

Whatever the case, when Dark Erevis entered Athena, it changed her core and left her fundamentally changed, even after she was taken out. Athena began to man up and show her leadership material in a harder nature, more like Megumi and Erevis without the light hearted side. But then Jennifer and Sammael and the others came into her life and seeing Ako and Iko, and Athena began to demure again and become playful. There was an inconsistency. Likely, Athena couldn't reconcile it. Plus with the darkness core left in her, it manifested as a split personality. One that is hard and pushes people away to do what needs to be done, and the other that is a child and acts like nothing is ever wrong. There may even be a third that is in the middle, but it is rarely seen. But that needs to be done is that the two extremes need to be combined, if Athena is to ever be healthy, and the darkness removed.

Benjamin picked up his refilled beer and studied Jennifer. "I know, sis," Benjamin said sympathically. Jennifer raised her head at him, blinking once. "I looked into it for you when I noticed her behavior."

Jennifer smiled a little, though it was a bit sickly, due to the subject Benjamin imagined. He drained his drink while she talked. "I should have known you would have noticed it," she noted.

Benjamin leaned over and gave her a hug while he paid for their meal and both of them stood up. Placing a tip down, he led her out of the cafe and into the plaza area, talking with her about his theories on Athena. Jennifer nodded her head as they walked down the plaza. "So what do you think I should do?" she asked after he finished his explanation on the split personalities and darkness.

Pausing in front of the telepads, Benjamin looked at her. "You should get a telepath and Megumi. Probably Katrina, since she's an empath, and make her go into her mind with people who love her, like you, as well as Megumi and others who love her, and make her face the darkness, and after it's eliminated, make her combine her personalities. It would be healthier - she might not be the lazy cat you all love, but she won't switch off and be the distant personality at times either. She would become a middle ground. A healthier personality, a more rounded one," Benjamin noted.

At that moment, before Jennifer could respond, one of Leyaeh's agents ran up and touched her shoulder, out of breath almost. "Dr. Carmichael. Leyaeh Cridhe wants you in the Medical Bay. Empress Erevis' water broke and she is being taken in. Dr. Cuddles is already prepping things," the agent said.

Jennifer turned back and Benjamin smiled at her. "Go on. See to it," he told her. Jennifer threw her arms around him and they hugged each other.

"I love you, brother," Jennifer whispered. Benjamin felt a pang in his heart, for some reason. As if he might lose something soon.

"I love you, too. Now go deliver that baby. Erevis needs it," he said and Jennifer nodded. He watched the two use the telepad to teleport to medical bay, then he teleported for the hanger bay to leave and see if he could keep track of Gordon Paladin.

* * *

1:20 PM, Galactic Standard Time

Kitty and Jade arrived in the snow covered shrine. Moving to the momma cat house, Kitty wiped the snow off the top and opened it, peering inside. There was some white fox fur, indicating another fox had been inside recently, but no sign of Siri. In fact, other than when Kitty had last put her in before the snow storm, there was no sign any fox had been in it, even this white fox.

Kneeling and checing the food level, there was no food in it at all, since Kitty had last filled it and she made a cry of anguish, glancing at the other things around the shrine that marked Taiga being there. There was the mail box for the letters and a platform Cheryl had added for her chair to sit and meditate, with a tiny rooftop over it to keep the elements off.

None of it looked to have Siri. "She didn't come here this time," Kitty muttered.

"Where to then?" Jade asked.

"I don't know. Back to the school, then home," Kitty said disheartedly. Siri, where are you?

* * *

2:00 PM, Galactic Standard Time (Mega City)

Gordon Paladin checked his readings and drones he had hired on the black market, glancing at what they said of the Mega City High School. So far Taiga Mizukaze and Ouka Mikomi were still in class, along with some Arcana surprisingly. The biggest one being Hie, the one they fought before The World. Able to mimic anyone she encountered and the only one with a hint of her former power still, which indicated she had that ability before her transformation.

Interesting. Why would they be with the Arcana? That would indicate that perhaps Taiga didn't kill The World. Unless she did and has nothing against these Arcana. Paladin mused to himself, and glanced at the readings on the drones, trying to get bio readings on Taiga amongst all the other students, which was hard to do. All the students were interfering with their own bio signatures, but thankfully there weren't that many dragoon-kitsune and he could lock on after a bit of work.

Leaning back, he studied the signature readings with a worried frown. Her body was healthy and she had high levels of fire energy and power. Which was worrisome in itself if she was the killer, but it was her mind readings. While he couldn't read her mind with the drone, the mind readings were erratic and guesses could be made. Whenever she was around the Arcana with Ouka Mikomi, her mind readings seemed to go erratic a little, as if she were annoyed, and her bio readings got heated, as if she were antsy or angry, or perhaps annoyed. It was hard to tell what, but she was clearly wanting them gone for whatever reason. Does she want to kill them too? He remembered what she said to him in that alley.

Yet when they were alone, Taiga and Ouka, later, her readings were totally different. Euphoric, full of the signs of someone in love, possessive, needy - completely different. Scary in a different way. Taiga Mizukaze is completely in love with Ouka Mikomi. Psychotically so, if my guess is right. The type of person that does not want anyone to get between her and her lover. I could be reaching, based off my readings, but I do not think I am wrong. Yet no one would believe me based off bio readings - they are not completely reliable since they are just picking up bio chemisty and they would say it's been a long day for the students.

Paladin began to recall the drones and rubbed the beard that was growing, reaching for his cigs. He was positive now that Taiga Mizukaze was the killer. She likely felt that The World got between her and Ouka Mikomi the first time with her first death, due to her clone denegration, making up some false tell due to having lost six months, and knocked her off. Then once she was gone, she began to latch onto Ouka free of the past and problems. And she will get rid of anyone else that will get in the way, I bet. She will kill again.

Gordon Paladin checked his energy gun. He would bring Taiga in to face her crimes. He knew he couldn't be the judge on her case, but after he built up the case against her, no one was going to disagree with him. He just had to wait for school to get out to bring her in.

* * *

2:30 PM, Galactic Standard Time

Siri stretched out and woke back up on the bed, looking around. She inhaled the scent she was searching for and wobbled, weakly along the sheets. Narrowing her eyes, the tiny striped fox leapt up onto the dresser and began to tear apart the room, searching it top to bottom, exhausting itself slowly.

After nearly an hour, it pulled out two small pieces of jewelry and eyed it quietly. Looking at it, Siri could feel her eyes being drawn into the darkness of the sapphire before picking it up in her tiny mouth and leaving the room.

* * *

3:15 PM, Galactic Standard Time (PAX City)

Erevis made a violent noise and mentally broke something. Jennifer and Cuddles turned to glance at it, while Ama and Megumi held her hands, both talking to her calmly. Zephyr and Hisame wisely decided to vacate the area into a further section of the medical bay, both holding Zephyr's babies. Erevis made a face, panting, while Cuddles and Jennifer handled the various things necessary. Jennifer could tell this was going to be a long haul pregnancy, likely going to take until late afternoon or night to be born. "Steady breaths, Erevis, the pains are normal," she assured her.

Erevis made a strangled gurgle sound of threats. Then she relaxed as Cuddles shot began to relax her, fast acting it seemed. Cuddles' expermenting with drugs with Tamara seemed to be paying off. "There, she'll be able to say things other than fuck off now and go die in a fire," Cuddles noted ironically. Ama gave them both a grateful look.

Erevis leaned her head back, her red hair wet with sweat and she looked at Ama and Megumi weakly. "I love you both, my sun - my kitten," she noted weakly. She touched both their faces.

Ama smiled softly and kissed her lips and Megumi's tails twitched and swayed back and forth in the air. She nuzzled Erevis' face. "We know," Ama said softly. "Just focus on getting our little darling baby out."

"I love you too, my goddess," Megumi said softly, helping her a little while holding her hand, focusing - not enough to injure her and not enough to get in the way of the two doctors. Jennifer decided not to say anything, letting Megumi's work go unspoken and think she was getting away with it.

Erevis looked back at the others and Jennifer saw her trying to catch her eyes. "Get ... Leyaeh and Zephyr in the other room .. for me," she asked. Jennifer paused and nodded and went to the door, glancing at the waiting room where Leyaeh and Zephyr was out. Leyaeh was speaking into her comm and Zephyr and Hisame were talking. It was odd to Jennifer how much Hisame looked like Kasha, but then again, she was the Alternate Kasha.

"Erevis wants to see you two - Leyaeh and Zephyr," Jennifer said, pointing them out. Leyaeh nodded and spoke some words into her comm before approaching. Zephyr touched her other wife's hand and moved over after giving her the babies. Jennifer led them back into the room and they walked over to the bed.

Erevis looked up at them weakly. "Contact Cheryl - bring her here and tell the what we know. No more secrets. Let he know and find Paladin. Do you -- know where he is at?"

Leyaeh shook her head, her lips thin. "Our contacts saw him enter Mega City, but then he went off the radar. Satalites picked up drones near the school 30 minutes ago and something happened at the school just now, but we don't know what," she said thinly.

Erevis breathed heavily. "Get her now," Erevis ordered. "Tell her everything." Leyaeh nodded and ran out. Zephyr followed, clearly confused.

Jennifer looked down. "Mind filling me in?" Jennifer asked. Cuddles wasn't making full eye contact. Jennifer knew a little, but she needed to know more. As Erevis spoke, she wished she didn't know.

* * *

3:15 PM Galactic Standard Time (Mega City)

Taiga Mizukaze and Ouka Mikomi began to step out of school. The snow was beginning to let up a little, at least in Mega City. Taiga grinned a little inside, since that meant she could get ready for her Valentine Day plans. She felt practically hot inside thinking about it. Hie waved at them. "See you two Monday," the girl said and moved on. Taiga watched the short girl moved on, well short was comparitive being short herself.

Turning to Ouka, Taiga smiled. "Lets go back home and get a few things, then I am taking you out to my Valentine Day surprise," she whisper in her ear, kissing her.

Ouka shivered in delight and hugged her back, leaning forward. "I look forward to it," Ouka said softly. Taiga took her hand and they began to walk toward the bus to go home, since Taiga had more time to go before she could take her test to get her license, being 14. As the two got on the bus, Taiga noticed that the bus was empty. Turning to look around, Taiga turned to the driver, noticing that instead of a white driver like normal, it was a black man. Her danger sense went off, not because he was a black man, such racism did not exist anymore, but because it was not the normal driver and the bus was empty.

Before she could act, the doors shut on them both and the black driver began to drive forward, sending them both rolling backwards due to the speed, and pressing them back against the seats. Taiga growled dangerously, her eyes flaring, and she formed fire ninpo to stirke the back of the bus. Students around the school turned their heads to watch as she began to attack the back of the bus like a wild cat, trying to escape. Clearly, the bus driver did not expect her to make a scene so fast, because he turned his head a little and aimed his gun at her back and began to fire stun shots.

Ouka was up immediately, and deflected the shots with her back pack, forming an energy blade and rushing at the driver. Taiga turned and eyes the driver and she realized who it was. "You!" she snarled. And began to leap across the seats, feeling murder in her heart, and the desire to kill the man for attacking them. For endangering Ouka by shooting at her. She was going to put this man down for trying to kidnap Ouka - for shooting at her. For trying to kill her. "I warned you to stay away from Ouka. Now you try to shoot her and kidnap her!? For trying to murder her!?"

Ouka seemed a little stun by the ferocity at Taiga's voice and words. "Taiga, it was stun shots--" she began but Taiga felt a buzz in her head and couldn't quite make herself hear as she leapt at Paladin. She realized she recognized his smell in more places than one. He's been stalking us! And that drove her even angrier and she drove a foxfire fist into him, realizing he was armored under his clothing, knocking Paladin back against the wheel that he had one hand on still. The bus wheeved wildly.

Taiga felt herself thrown against the driver door and Ouka gripped a seat. Paladin aimed his gun at Taiga's face and was about to fire another stun shot when Ouka slashed his hand, blood splattering the windshield and making him drop it. "Stop this, Judge Paladin! Why are you doing this!?" Ouka cried out. Paladin eyed her, then was reached into his coat. Taiga felt herself cooling off when Ouka said that. Yes, Ouka would have to know who this stalker creep is. I'll ask her who he is before we wreck--

But then she saw that and realized he was reaching for another weapon. Taiga flamed on and punched his hand, burning it, flesh sizzling and Paladin jerked, dropping a stun grenade onto the ground that he planned to use on Ouka and Taiga to take them out, the grenade going off only on Ouka and himself. The bright flash went off, blinding Taiga and she held up her arm and felt the bus lurch due to Paladin being unconscious and then hit the ground upside down and sliding uncontrollablely on the snowy streets.

As her vision came back in, Taiga realized they were upside down, going head long down the street for a drop hill that Mega City was known for, and no doubt into dangerous traffic. Grabbing Ouka, Taiga busted out the window, and eyed Paladin. Fuck him. He hurt my love. My love. Mine. My Ouka. She dived out into the snow and rolled, holding onto her tightly and watched the bus slide down the hill, picking up speed and ran off the opposite direction, not caring what happened to Paladin now. She wanted to have her Valentine's Day.

* * *

Paladin felt himself waking him, pins and needles all over his body and he felt like he was pulling himself from a deep darkness. He heard the sound of horns blaring and could heard the sound of something sliding quickly through the snow. Opening his eyes, the light painful to his eyes, he saw that the world was upside down, which made his stomach want to upheave, his throat burning with the bile that was trying to escape, but he pushed it down, knowing that could be fatal in his situation.

As the light became more bearable, he looked out the broken wind shield and saw that he was speeding downhill one of Mega City's more notorious steep hills, vehicles either driving or hovering out of his way, but up ahead was a large tram bus that was not going to be able to move, on a tram system and heading right at him at a high speed. Snow or not, it was coming, and at the speed he was moving, he was going to slam into it, and it's speed was decent enough that it would be fatal.

Rolling onto his feet, he eyed all around and blasted out the door with his gun that he retrieved from the roof of the bus, watching the door flip through the street and bounce, slamming into a storefront window, shattering it and knocking over the plants that had been lining it. Then he dived out and rolled, grunting in pain that shook his shoulders and legs, despite his armor and went flipping along right at the tram system. Thinking back to what Warren Carmichael taught him about combat, he threw out his right arm and launched a grappling hook and attached it to the tram system and jerked past it, then as it snagged and went taunt, his body whip lashed and his right arm jerked, going out of socket painfully and he clicked a button, detaching and hitting the ground and snow, laying there as his momentum finally had ended.

Gasping for breath and his arm out of socket, he watched people approaching him, curiousity on their faces and he stood up, moving to the wall of a building and slamming his arm into socket, roaring in pain and anger. That little killer bitch. He thought. You will not get away with this. Trying to add another kill to your list. I will not forget this.

He eyed the people around him and limped off, holstering his gun that he managed to hold onto somehow, his body shaking and in worse shape than before. A man his age should not be doing this and he wondered if he ruptured something eternally.

* * *

Benjamin lowered his binoculars. He had been too late to stop Paladin from getting his sister, much to his anger. A cold, burning anger that had heated up into a heat that burned through him. That man did not know when to stop in his crusade. However, it seemed that his little sister, clone or not, turned the tables on him and escaped with her schoolyard lover, leaving Paladin to his well deserved fate in Benjamin's opinion after that stunt.

He had been debating if he should let Paladin smash to his death in the tram or save him - let his family have peace or not, but the former choice would make Taiga a killer, so he had been aiming his gun to blow the bus off track, when Paladin escaped on his own, having recovered faster than Benjamin would have credited.

Father always did say not to underestimate Gordon Paladin. But Father also said that Gordon Paldain could not be trusted as far as you could throw him. Not because he was a bad man per say, but because he was a devoted fucker. Once he went on a crusade that he thought was right, Paladin did not stop. He did not waver. And he did not care who got hurt in the way. As long as it was right, Paladin did it. For better or worse. It's why he made such a good judge. You should have stayed a Judge, old man.

Benjamin put the binoculars up. He knew his sister, Jennifer, looked up to Paladin for whatever reason, but if that man went near the Cheryl Manor, he was going to have to put him down. He just hoped it wasn't fatally.

* * *

3:45 PM, Galactic Standard Time (PAX City)

Kitty stepped out of the school, glad to be done with school business at last. Her little excursion to the shrine had cost her an hour of school time as it was already. Jade and Lenneth stepped up on either side, and Ako and Iko as well. Lenneth spoke smoothly, yet not unkind. "I am sorry your fox has run away again. I would help you with it, but my mother is in labor, and it sounds like it is a rough one. I wish to be there with her," she told them, and bowed.

"I understand. Thank you anyway, Lenneth," Kitty said. Lenneth nodded and moved on toward the PAX that was on the edge of the city. Kitty then turned back to the others. Ako and Iko looked sheepish. "I suppose you two want to go be with her as well?" They nodded and she gave them pats as she watched them run after Lenneth.

"I guess it's just us again," Jade muttered and Kitty nodded, making a face, and turned to head to the teleporter that went to Cheryl Manor. Standing there, however, was Sol, and she was studying each of them.

"The little fox is missing again? Siri, right?" Sol asked. Kitty nodded slowly. She remembered how Sol tried to help last time, and ended up finding every fox in a 5 miles radius and ended up keeping her own baby fox, that abused her nightly. "Then I'll help. Where do we begin?"

Kitty and Jade exchanged slow glances, then Kitty looked back at Sol. "We're going to go back to the manor and see if somehow Siri went back there, then do a search pattern around here again. She wasn't at the shrine, but she might go back there. You mind starting around here and beginning the search?" Kitty asked.

Sol nodded. "I will. If I see her, I'll contact you," Sol promised. And she zoomed off with a bright flash. Kitty blinked a moment, wondering what was up with that girl sometimes.

Turning back to Jade, Kitty took a breath and held her hand, and they quickly moved for Miyuki's Manor, finding it rather empty for once, strangely, and teleported for Cheryl's Manor. The place felt a little odd as they entered, but Kitty ignored it, not wanting to stay above ground in case she ran into Taiga's clone, or others like Ouka who lived up there now, and headed down into the base to talk to her mother.

* * *

4:00 PM, Galactic Standard Time

Cheryl sat there with Chii, staring at Leyaeh Cridhe and Ao, holding the cup they had offered her a little harder than she meant, but she felt angry. The dents she was putting into it was the only way she could keep herself contained right at that moment. Are you okay, Cherry? she felt Chii ask her mentally. No, I'm not. I'm really fucking not Cheryl told her back in their bond link, her eyes on the two in front of her. Ao, the PAX Captain, who wasn't really much of a Captain anymore with the PAX grounded, but she still ran the PAX, and Leyaeh Cridhe, the security chief officer, who ran the security for the PAX's daily affair security unlike Ama's galactic and political security.

The two had told her everything that had been going on since The World died during Thanksgiving, and how one of the Mizukaze did it. It's unthinkable, truly unkthinkable. Cheryl thought to herself.

I know, but their evidence is overwhelming. They have it narrowed it down to you, Benjamin, or Taiga. As much as I don't want to believe it myself, can't believe it, after all these months we have .... to at least hear them out until the end. Before we kick their asses. Chii said in her mind.

Cheryl swallowed, rubbing her larger belly, something she did a lot these days. She had been putting on weight since her depression over Taiga's death, even though she had gotten over it after the Santa's Woods trip. I know it's not me. You can verify that with a bond search. Cheryl responded back, eyeing the two looking at them. If they bother to believe it.

Before Chii could mentally respond, Cheryl spoke, and her mouth tasted like ashes. "So you have it narrowed down to us three. Well, I can tell you I didn't do it. And Chii can verify it," Cheryl said cooly. "If you believe us."

Leyaeh nodded quickly, while Ao just kept studying them, her eyes looking at both of their eyes. However, Cheryl did see a trace of sympathy there. "Of course we believe whatever you two tell us. Erevis told us that you wouldn't lie, and I personally believe you. Erevis believes we should have brought you on much sooner, and we only didn't to protect you - you were in a bad spot. If one of your kids... well.." Leyaeh trailed off.

"I know. I wanted The World dead. And I'm not sorry to see her gone," Cheryl snapped. She ignored Chii's emotions in the bond. "She killed my little girl. We might have her back as a clone, but we lost her. And the bitch didn't care. She didn't blink an eye and said it was following orders. She had no remourse. I've seen some of our enemies show more emotion than her. So no, I don't care she's dead. I am more concerned and care that one of my babies is going to suffer for putting her down. But I'll work with you to bring them in because I don't want them hurt," Cheryl said coldly.

Leyaeh nodded slowly. "I understand. So you say you didn't kill her. What were you doing the 15 minutes before you were having sex with Chii?" she asked. She flinched a little at the glare Cheryl gave her, though it wasn't really directed at Leyaeh, but Gordon Paladin. That bastard was watching us have sex. He was in our house, watching us fuck. I never really like Paladin that much, when we both were running the unit. The fact he ran away and left it all to me.... Always concerned with what was right and almost led us to ruin more than once. If I get my hands on him, I'll show him a thing or two inside the law.

I'm with you there, my love. But you need to tell them the story so we can get out there and find Benjamin and Taiga, and learn who did it. Cheryl could tell Chii couldn't believe either did it, didn't want to believe; she loved Benjamin like a son, the first boy, the first born, even if he was from Warren. They had a special bond, and Benjamin loved Chii like a mother. She went into hell to get him back, while pregnant with Lorelei. And Taiga, she was the baby - the one that tore them apart to lose. To think her clone was insane and killing, well...

Cheryl sighed and began to relate what she was doing before and during The World's death, her voice flat and emotionless. Hating the fact she had to tell her business to others.

Cheryl, after being annoyed at the idea of The World being released today, needed a good buggery in bed a bit, so she walked along the streets near the PAX and came across a sex shop, slipping in and began to purchase various items to surprise Chii, buying up the latest Evil Inc items, including the Marble III, which guarentee surprises for the phallic object. She also picked up a few cosplay outfits, then used one of her credit cards not in her name to buy them.

Stepping out of the store, she looked both ways and began to walk down the street toward the Nue Manor, still living there at this point and spent a moment giving a Santa on the street, despite it being Thanksgiving, a coin, for his charity and then walked on down the street for the next 4 minutes to the Manor, where she proceeded to have normal sex with Chii, saving the Marble III for later.

Chii sat blushing by her, knowing what the Marble III did - giving the user a tentacle like penis to use. She quickly verified what Cheryl said while Cheryl peered at her, then she glanced ahead; normally she would have teased her, but she had nothing in her to do it. Ao moved out to run her CC name and see if she was in the shop and returned a few minutes later.

"She was in the shop and bought what she said. That means there was no way Cheryl could have killed The World and gotten to the Nue Manor in time like she said," Ao announced, leaning back against her desk.

Leyeah let out a breath she had been holding. "Well, that means we have to find Benjamin and Taiga and talk to them," Leyaeh said. "We know Taiga was 15 minutes away at the time of the murder, washing her hands in the mark. We don't really know what Benjamin was doing; if we can pick up Taiga and Ouka, maybe we can learn what happened."

Chii spoke up at that. "Why Ouka Mikomi?" she asked.

"We're hoping that maybe they reforged enough of a connection that Ouka can look into her mind without us being evasive and see what Taiga was doing - and can verify what Taiga tells us. Like you did with Chii just now," Leyaeh told her.

At that moment, one of Leyaeh's people walked in and whispered in her ear, and Leyaeh's ears drooped a lot. The agent stepped back out and Ao was even looking at Leaeh. "What? What happened?" Cheryl barked.

"Earlier we knew we had a situation at the school, and we had agents go in to find out what it was," Leyaeh began hastily.

"And you didn't think it important enough to tell me!?" Cheryl shouted.

"It was already over and we needed to clear you from the list so we could put you on the team," Leyaeh began, holding out her hand as Cheryl jumped up and stalked toward her. "So you could legally be with us when we do find which one did it, Cheryl." Cheryl backed down, but just a little, and she tried to control her anger.

"Go on."

Leyaeh mewled a little and stepped back. "Paladin tried to kidnap Taiga and Ouka in front of the school on their bus. He knocked out their regular driver, then got the other students to take another bus. It seems they figured it out quickly and attacked him, which got the other students to notice. They fought down the road toward the hill, when the bus flipped upside down and civilians reported two girls exited the bus before it went speeding down the hill," Leyaeh reported.

"So they escaped. Thank God," Cheryl said, and sat down, rubbing her face.

"And left Paladin in the bus as it went down. Taiga, if the descriptions were accurate, carried Ouka out and jumped for it. With a few seconds to spare before the bus went over," Leyaeh added.

"So?! She's not a big girl and Paladin is an adult man - who INITIATED the attack. Fuck him. He should not have done that shit. Even if she did kill The World, he was WAY out of line. Fuck, he could have gotten the girls killed. Both of them. DID the fucker die?" Cheryl asked, the anger boiling in her at Paladin and his self-righteous causes always causing shit.

"No. People say he got out at the last minute and limped off."

Cheryl paced, arms crossed. "The girls will likely head for our manor, and Paladin after them. We need to go there and get set up," Cheryl muttered and turned away. "If we're not already too late. I'll call Lorelei down in the base and have her go up into the Manor, but they can't do too much without blowing their cover. God fucking dammit, if he hurts those two little girls..." she began but trailed off, moving on.

If Taiga, clone or not, is a killer, what will I do....? But then that means Benjy is a killer. God fucking dammit!

* * *

4:00 PM, Galactic Standard Time (Mega City)

Taiga managed to get Ouka inside through a back door and up the stairs, panting and into their room, laying her down. She kissed on Ouka to wake her and she squeaked, waking up and looking around. "What?! Taiga--?! Are you okay?! What happened?!" she asked, clearly confused. Taiga loved her all the more for it, kissing her lips.

Ouka murmured at the kiss response, relaxing a bit, hands on her back, and Taiga held her tightly, then let go. "Nothing, it's all over. He's gone now and we can continue our Valentine Date," Taiga said.

"What? But we should really report him--" Ouka protested. Taiga frowned, trying to ignore the darkness in her that welled up, that wanted things her way. I already lost too much, I don't want some psycho judge to take more from me! Not what is mine, Ouka. My dear wolf.

Taiga put her finger on her lips. "Shhh," she whispered and Ouka relaxed. "No doubt others saw what happened already. We can just go on our date and have fun already."

Ouka nodded slowly and sat up. "Let me go get changed then," Ouka said, smiling and Taiga felt herself relax, and bursting with love. She kissed Ouka again and held her, running her hands along her.

"I know I am asking a lot, but this means a lot to me. It really does," Taiga told her and Ouka looked at her a moment longer and nodded, rising and going for her room. Taiga moved to her pocket and touched the letter, then moved to her closet, changing into a sexy dress and hiding it under her coat.

As she turned around, a tiny creature leapt on her face and sank it's claws in and Taiga shrieked and flailed backwards against the shelf, Siri holding on, the fox looking wild and rabid, like it was almost channeling it's master. Taiga twisted left and right as the fox held on, and felt like there was glowing going on, and pounding in her head. And her mind was pulsating.

* * *

Ouka stepped into her room, adjusting her torn school outfit from the battle with Paladin. Part of her wondered if it was wise to go rush off on a date without warning anyone, but Taiga clearly, desperately needed this. As she looked up, her dark eyes widen in shock at the state of her room. She dashed around in horror, glancing at it upturned and glanced around, then saw the spot she kept the positions of her and Taiga. The previous Taiga. No, Taiga.

She moved over and turned over the spot. It was well hidden and she had kept it close by, a reminder of her heart. Perhaps she would one day give it to the other Taiga, perhaps not. Opening it up, most of the stuff was there except the most important things in the world to her. Taiga's golden earrings shaped like a magatama set within a lotus flower, the stone in it being a dark sapphire.

Ouka found panic bubbling in her. Her's was still there, the matching set. The pale diamond. Though she hadn't worn earrings in ages and her piercing was almost gone, and Taiga's clone had never really noticed. Who took it? Who!? Judge Paladin!?

Just as she was standing up and wondering what to do, if she was going to bring Taiga into it, she heard a shriek of pain in the next room and ran out into the hallway, heading for it and busted into the room only to get a kick into the face after seeing what looked unbelieveable to her.

* * *

Taiga threw Siri off her face and she landed, and the tiny tox began to transform into what looked like herself, though her face was expressionless almost and confused. Taiga stared at her duplicate in confusion and then felt rage bubble up and kicked at her right when the door opened up and hit Ouka in the jaw, knocking her out.

Both of them peered down, Taiga feeling horror in her stomach, then looked up at Siri and felt rage at her for causing her to do it. However, Siri punched her in the face, touching her again and the glow resumed a moment before Taiga felt unconscious claim her. Her last thoughts being I have to kill whoever has taken my Ouka. The person with my face.

* * *

Paladin watched Taiga, wearing what appeared to be a tactical suit and having an earring on, blood going down her fox ear, and carrying Ouka, bust out of the Cheryl Manor, looking around all wild like and confused and holding Ouka close before moving back inside and toward what looked like the teleporter. He checked his gun and began to approach, when he felt a presence behind him. He paused, slowly turning and saw Benjamin Carmichael behind him.

"Benjamin Carmichael," he said slowly, holding his gun in his right hand, controlling his shakes as best he could, suddenly wishing for his cigs more than ever. But they were all mostly smashed in the bus incident. "You are interfering with an investigation. Step aside."

"I don't think so - you've gone off the reservation, Paladin. All in your cause for what is right. Step down and leave those girls alone. They're coming for you right now," Benjamin said, his voice steady Paladin noted. He glanced at Benjamin holding two guns in each hand.

"Taiga Mizukaze is a killer. I am going to bring her in for trial," Paladin said slowly, glancing for a way to take down the young man without hurting him too badly. He was trained by Warren Carmichael, so it wasn't going to be easy.

"You are always so sure of yourself, aren't you?" Benjamin said softly. "You are not going inside that mansion. You are going to stand down. You are done, Paladin."

"Nothing is going to get between me and her," Paladin promised him, meaning every word of it. He knew the facts now, and he was going to bring her in for the courts to make their verdict.

"I am. It's time you listened to me, even if I have to beat you down while I do it," Benjamin said. And with that, both men moved like lightning.

* * *

4:25 PM, Galactic Standard Time (PAX City)

Leyaeh Cridhe had Nue Manor surrounded, preparing to send in a few agents into Cheryl's Manor discreetly, as they could not risk busting out Lorelei's base. At that moment, Ao was in touch with Lorelei and was hopefully telling someone in the base to go up into the Manor, discreetly, that had reason to be there, and they could stop Paladin from causing a bigger mess.

However, at that moment, the teleporter flashed and the stun snipers in place lifted their guns when Taiga and Ouka came through, Taiga holding Ouka. She glanced around, looking more comfortable suddenly and then took off through the back way. The snipers opened fire before Leyaeh could give the cease fire, busting up the windows and shattering them all over, glass falling over. Thankfully, the Manor was evacuated completely within the last 25 minutes. Isis and Miyuki are going to kill me because of trigger happy jackasses.

"STOP FIRING. EVERYONE STOP FIRING!" Leyaeh ordered. "Whoever fired first, yank them off the line and throw them in the brig. No one was supposed to fire without my command. The rest of you, be glad I'm not slapping you in cuffs to join him," Leyaeh roared, angry. The plan was to wait for the targets to get out of the house before firing. Stun shots could tear up windows just as easily as regular shots - maybe not walls and whatnot.

By now Taiga and Ouka were off into the woods, and out of sight. "Try to find them, and do not shoot them! Just bring them! And if any of you do, I will have your balls in Ao's vice!" she snarled at the non sniper troopers who hurried off.

Leyaeh sighed and contacted Miyuki, updating her on the situation. Cheryl came on the comm, with Miyuki as the two were approaching the house. "If you hurt my daughter, Cridhe, you and I will talk," Cheryl promised.

Leyaeh sighed once again as she watched Cheryl, Chii, and Miyuki enter the Nue Manor, heading for the teleporter and teleport over to Cheryl Manor.

* * *

4:27 PM, Galactic Standard Time (Mega City)

Lorelei moved through the base quickly, feeling a tightness in her stomach. Aurica was up in space, and was not able to be reached. Passing Kitty and Jade, who were looking for somethihng, she stopped to grab their shoulders, since most of the base was empty right that second, Hale and Delano out in PAX City grabbing things they needed, and Em and X in Mega City doing their businesses.

"You two, has anything unusual happened upstairs, or in general?" Lorelei asked calmly. She had left Umi in charge of the puppies back in their room while she came out and was worried completely.

"Just Siri went missing again," Kitty said softly. "We hoped she came back here, but she didnt." Lorelei nodded and grabbed her datapad, quickly filling the two in what happened. To their credit, Kitty and Jade listened and got ready quickly as they moved for the entrance. Lorelei used her cameras in the mansion to go over what happened in the last 30 minutes or so, when she stopped.

"You said Siri, your fox, went missing?" Lorelei repeated slowly. Kitty and Jade nodded behind her and Lorelei turned, showing them the datapad of Siri attacking Taiga and then transforming into a Taiga look alike. "Is this her?"

Kitty looked stunned. "Y-Yes. But--how?" she asked slowly, glancing at Jade, who looked equally baffled. Lorelei rewinds and they watch Siri sneak in through the clone Taiga's backpack and all her activities, including searching and taking the earrings in her mouth and holding onto it, then attacking the clone, glowing upon contact, and carrying Ouka out.

Lorelei shook her head. "That makes no sense. Who or what is Siri?" she asked the girls. Kitty shook her head.

"I found her at Taiga's shrine, furless and weak. It's taken her all this time to get back her energy. She's a wonderful fox, very loving. But--- I never expected this..." Kitty trailed off. Jade nodded in agreement.

Lorelei looked grim, then paused when the other Taiga, a little swayed in her dress, headed down stairs, and outside on the cameras, Benjamin and Paladin were fighting. "Dammit, Taiga is heading after this Siri Taiga and Paladin is outside. I'm going up there after Paladin and Benjamin, but Leyaeh has shooters at Miyuki's place. They might nail Taiga. Stop her if you can," she ordered the two and they all headed up stairs quickly.

Lorelei say Taiga teleporting already as they got up there and Kitty and Jade following immediately after. A delay occurred and Cheryl, Chii, and Miyuki appeared a moment later. Lorelei slid to the window and Cheryl and the other two followed her, both peering out as the two men were shooting at each other and grappling.

"What's the situation?" Cheryl asked her, making a face in Paladin's direction. Lorelei quickly brought her up to speed, including the Siri bit. All three looked blank a moment, including Miyuki especially, but then Cheryl spoke, breaking the spell. "First thing's first, then we deal with Taiga. Paladin is after Taiga, it seems, if you're right and Benjamin is trying to stop him. Lets get out there and nail him. Miyuki and I will use our powers and ---"

Lorelei spoke up. "Too late, Mom -- I think it's over..." And all their heads lifted up.

* * *

4:32 PM, Galactic Standard Time (PAX City)

Taiga teleported into Miyuki's guest living room and looked around, smelling Ouka's scent faintly as well as her own in the air and hurried along, eyeing all the glass shattered. Moments later, Kitty and Jade appeared behind her. "Wait, Taiga! There's snipers out there, and they're going to take you down the moment you step outside," Kitty warned.

Taiga turned back in surprise, wondering why Kitty warned her, since they hadn't really spoken to each other much since she was cloned and brought back to life. "I -- thank you, Kitty," she murmured.

"I didn't warn you just for you, I have to reach Siri," Kitty spoke, not noticing Taiga's face twisting a little. So she's with that fake Taiga that took Ouka after all. But Taiga kept her anger down. Kitty was her friend, her best friend, once. Before she became this way. "We all have to get past them, and I don't think Leyaeh will let any of us out."

"So we all work together as expedience," Taiga said, nodding. The three moved to the windows and glanced out, Jade studying each window, blurring along. Leyaeh was pacing on a ridge, glaring at her snipers as if she wanted to chew nails. "There they are, probably more on other ridges," Taiga muttered.

"Jade could rush past them without being shot," Kitty noted. "But that leaves us." Taiga mused, then began to play, talking to them. After a moment, Jade rushed out, blurring, get the snipers' attention, and they opened fire with stun shots again since she was outside this time, but before Leyaeh's orders once more, making her shout, while Kitty and Taiga run hand in hand, Taiga using her ninpo shield, and Kitty using energy transfer to knock back a few shots that came their way. After a few moments they were far enough away into the city to get away and a bit into some trees that were planted, the Manor on the outskirts a little.

Jade zoomed back. "We did it!" she grinned and hugged Kitty. While the two were doing that, Taiga took off, following Ouka's scent, and not wanting company for what was coming. Besides, another regiment was coming and it might slow down Kitty and Jade just long enough to give her a chance at this Siri.

* * *

4:33 PM Galactic Standard Time (Mega City)

Benjamin Carmichael and Gordon Paladin stood facing each other, panting. Paladin could feel his heart beating hard, and his vision had some red on the fringes. They had been fighting hard for the last 15 minutes it felt like, but maybe it wasn't quite that long. Benjamin had come at him with everything he had, at the same moment he did at Benjamin, each firing stun blasts at one another.

Their shots collided with each other in mid-air and they kept spinning to the side, trying to get another angle, only to get their shot blocked again, until their energy banks beeped, indicating they were dead, at the same time. Benjamin switched to his other gun, and aimed and fired a true blast at the ground, while Paladin grabbed his real bullets, and felt the hill shift and shift and give out, sending him rolling down toward the area that Miyuki and Kasha were married at.

As he rolled and fell, Paladin felt his right rib snap, already weakened from the bus, and his right hand shook more. I'm surprised I've been this steady so far, meeting this young man shot for shot. Or has he been aiming at my shots? As he stood up, Benjamin was there and kicked him in the face, and he felt pain blaze across every nerve in his nose and eyes, and his hand dropped his gun.

Benjamin's foot kicked the gun away and Paladin blindly felt fot it, and realized he'd never find it until his vision cleared of blood. Reaching for his belt, he threw blindly a stun grenade and heard Benjamin grunt in pain. Diving at the sound, he tackled the young man and used a knife to stab him in the side, not aiming to kill him, but disable him a little, knowing he would have armor. I cannot become a killer taking in his sister for trial.

Benjamin kicked him off and Paladin landed on his back and rise, wiping the blood from his face and Benjamin stood up. And so now they stood there, facing each other, panting, their guns on the ground near them.

"It's time we stopped this - they're far enough away you won't catch up to her," Benjamin began, pulling the knife out of his side and tossing it down. "Will you listen to me, Gordon?"

Paladin decided to play for time, shifting a little. Benjamin's eyes cut to the right and back to him, but Paladin kept his gaze straight on him, not taking his eyes off this lion for a moment. "I suppose I will," Paladin said, playing for time. Was the brother in on it? Or are all the Mizukaze this insane?"

Benjamin shifted and leaned on his knee a little. "Taiga didn't kill The World," he said, simply. His voice didn't seem to be lying, and his eyes seem to be saying the truth, but Paladin knew the facts.

"You can't know that, Carmichael," Paladin responded.

"I do. I killed The World," Benjamin told him, and Paladin heard a female gasp.

* * *

4:40 PM, Galactic Standard Time (PAX City)

Siri laid Ouka down in the seat that Cheryl used under the little roof she had built to keep the elements out and sat, staring down at her, glancing at the matching earring to the one Siri was wearing in Ouka's hand. Likely she had grabbed it before she ran into the room and got hit in the jaw. Images were flashing in Siri's head and words and images were forming. She was a fox, a pet of Kitty's. She lived in a cat house and was saved from a snow storm much like this one.

No... I am ... not a fox.... I am... a kitsune... she heard the words forming in her head. When she touched that girl, the images, words, and memories began to reform in her head. She was not Siri. That was a pet name given to her by the one called Kitty. She knew Kitty once before she became a pet. It was why she didn't mind being taken care of by her. It was safe. Safe while she recovered from near oblivion.

I dashed at The World. I was being evaporated. My body was burning away, all my hair burned off. My flesh was melting. I used the last of my reality powers, all I had, to teleport away, to curl in on myself, to keep a promise I made to the one I love -- the one I love - to live. But it cost me everything - my very self - and I was a fox. I was nothing - no memory - nothing - dying - starving. The shrine called out to me - didn't know why - was found - luck - fate?

And then seeing that person with my - her - face sneaking in and taking her Valentine Day letter she wrote so long ago. I wrote that? To the one I love. The one who I was going to have a future with after 24. Kids. We were going to do it all. My mind began to stir. Followed. Leapt in her back pack. Took all I had. Sought out the symbol of our love. She said this was the symbol of our union for when we do get married one day. Kids.

Was compelled to dive at that face - my face? - it triggered something. Memories began to come back. This girl is my love. She is the one I pledged to. I am her's. She is mine. We are one. I have to protect her from the one with my face. I am Taiga Mizukaze. I am the daughter of Chii and Cheryl Mizukaze.

Taiga stood up. "And I am angry as hell!" she shouted at the sky. Ouka began to stir and she knelt down, touching her face and Ouka woke up, jerking away.

Ouka stared at her, eyeing the earring, then her. "How did you find that? Who are you?" she asked, her voice quiverring with emotion, part fear and hope.

"It's me Ouka. I'm alive. I came back like I said I would. I'm sorry it took so long," Taiga told her softly, and wrapped her arms around her, and as she held the crying Ouka, they both jerked at the wail of rage, pain, and grief, and turned to eye the clone Taiga standing there, fire burning around her.

"She is mine! I love her! Get away from her, you fake! Ouka is mine!!! And I am going to kill you!" the clone roared.

* * *

4:40 PM, Galactic Standard Time (Mega City)

Benjamin glanced at Cheryl, who had her hand to her face, and Chii, who looked grim and sad. Lorelei stared at him in utter disbelief, while Miyuki just stood there, making sure Paladin didn't do anything. He could tell Paladin didn't believe him, so he had to tell what happened that day. "Yes, I killed The World."

Paladin, so obsessed with finding the killer, despite the fact Benjamin was right in front of him, didn't turn to look at the others. "So you say. I think you are protecting your little sister. Fire ninpo was used, and so far you have been acting to protect your family, not as a killer would," Paladin pointed out.

Benjamin sighed. It was true, he had been acting to protect his family. When Paladin began to investigate, his worst fears had been Paladin would uncover what he did, and the fact that Taiga, his little sister, was unstable and bring it all to light. The cloning was not perfect - the others hadn't notice. She wasn't exactly a danger in Benjamin's opinion, if she wasn't pushed, but it was clear there were certain issues that could set her off. She had been in the danger zone when it looked like her family had abandoned her and she had latched completely onto Ouka, as both lover and savior. Chii was probably the second most important to her, then Si and others who didn't abandon her.

At this fragile stage, the clone Taiga needed her world stable, since the first year was most important in their brain pattern. She needed her confirmation of love and a steady balance, and Paladin could have upset all of that, and uncover more than Benjamin wanted in his zealous search. All because of Benjamin's actions that day. And now it seemed this zealous fucker might have pushed Taiga over the edge, if the state of what he saw earlier was anything to go by.

"No, I did. I confronted The World in my mother's place, without her knowing. I was angry, and I wanted answers. The Illium, the Arcana, they all played a part in my father's death, and my sister. And my mother had a gaping hole that she could not fill, and at least one killer could be pointed to. And so I wanted to talk to her, to understand why. Her talk with Cheryl was not enough for me, there had to be more. So after she left, I short circuited the cameras in the area and talked. Taiga would not have that skill," he added, and he saw the gears finally turning in Paladin's eyes.

"And the fire ninpo?" Paladin asked.

"Well, let me tell what happened."

Benjamin finished disabling the cameras with his datapad, watching the 17 year old girl walk down the street. He had made sure it was deserted and far enough away from the PAX as not to be seen. Approaching her from behind, he pulled out his gun and aimed it at her. "Turn around, slowly, World," he said, keeping his voice steady.

The World turned, and eyed him; when her eyes dropped to the gun, disdain entered her eyes and her lips curled. "So she sent you to do her dirty work? Couldn't do it herself?" she said mockingly.

"No. She decided you weren't worth the time, right now. I wanted to talk to you for myself. I'm her son," Benjamin said, and he saw the shock register on her face, then realization of what that meant. "And that means you killed my sister. My father also died in that war. So, I want to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about - your sister stupidly killed herself trying to stop the chain reaction. I didn't kill her," World responded, and her words dripped with no remourse, or pity for Taiga.

"So you don't care that she died?"

"The Illium took us, and made us, into what we were. They turned into us into weapons and made us what we were. Where's the pity for us?"

"That's not entirely true, is it World?" Benjamin began. "Many of you girls did have that done to you, but I talked to Hie and she says a few of you volunteered for that power. The higher up ones of you. Granted you didn't know what you were getting into. Hie was one, though she says she did it for her family, hence why she has her powers still. And she says you were one of those who sought it out for selfish reasons - you always craved the power. She says you never had enemies, and that no one wanted you dead, and that you kept to yourself, but you walked into this wide open."

The World sneered by then. "So what? You heard her - I didn't have enemies. So what I craved the power? That I sought it out?"

"It means you were accomplice to her death. That you went looking for power and it got my sister killed. And you don't care, do you? Not a single bit of you cares," Benjamin stated, peering into her eyes, realizing she was remourseless.

"No, I don't. She wanted to be a hero, and now she's a dead hero. And I won't shed a tear. That's what she gets and she deserves it for thinking she could change the universe. Heroes are stupid and your sister is too. And so are you because you aren't doing anything. Now I'm going and starting a new life," World stated flatly and turned away.

Benjamin stared at her. Granted, she was transformed into that monster, but she sought that power. Granted, Taiga killed herself by diving into it to stop the chain reaction and save the universe. And granted, Hie said she sought the power, but it was a sketchy thing and it would not get her arrested. No one else was there long enough that was still alive but Hie and it would be she said he said. All the others that sought power were killed by the Zodiac. And that would also mean Hie would go to jail.

Aiming his gun at her back, it began to glow, and he felt fire burning from his soul into it; he had changed when the blackness consumed him and he reached out to Chii for survival, to the part of his other mother's soul and felt abilities awaken in him that he never used since they were uncontrollable for him, being non kitsune. Fire flashed out of his hand through his gun into her back, burning into her heart and killing her, the giant fireball being death. That was Benjamin's fireball ninpo.

Death.

Benjamin looked at his mother and the others and Paladin stared. He stepped forward. "You are arrested for the death of the---" Paladin began when Cheryl punched him, breaking Paladin's jaw and dropping him.

"Fuck off, Gordon," Cheryl said. She eyed the man lay there unconscious, then eyed Benjamin. He smiled at his mother.

"You know I still have to go to the PAX and stand trial," he told her.

"I know. But not by that fucker's hand," Cheryl said, and she looked at Miyuki. "Take him in will you - I have to find Taiga. Leyaeh messaged me."

Miyuki nodded and Benjamin watched Chii and Cheryl run off. He leaned his head back and let out a breath, wondering if Warren was looking down at him right now, and if so, was he proud of him, or would he turn his back.

* * *

4:40 PM Galactic Standard Time (Taiga's Shrine)

Taiga leapt back as her clone dashed at her, fire swiping, destroying the structure Cheryl had built. Ouka stepped back, staring wide eyed at the two. The clone was crying hard, but her eyes were also full of anger and hate for Taiga. She slid back and the clone grabbed the mail box and threw it at Taiga, who had to dodge it as it smashed into a tree and letters went flying into a snow drift.

"Go away! Leave us alone!!!" the clone snarled, in a wail almost. Taiga narrowed her eyes. There was no way she could do that. She had promised herself to Ouka, and if that meant taking down this insane clone, then so be it.

She dived in and punched the clone, and thought vaguely she heard Ouka calling out for them to stop fighting, both of them, which was crazy, she thought. She would clearly be rooting for her. Taiga and the clone slammed into each other with their fox fire and ninpo, but they kept canceling each other out.

Taiga grabbed the cat house and asked the momma cat to forgive her and slammed it into her clone's face, and heard something crunch, and sent her flying backwards into a tree. The clone rose, and broke the tree in half and sent it flying at Taiga, the tree trunk sinking into her side and gut, pinning her to the snow as the clone lurched forward, bloodied in the face.

Taiga struggled, feeling weak all over again, her power draining. Apparantly she was still suffering her power weakness since her survival and it was not all gone since remembering who she was. The Siri naps were not just a fluke. And I think I used up all my energy fighting my clone.

She strained to yank out the tree trunk and the clone was over her, but by then Ouka was over her, hands up at the clone. "Stop it, Taiga! Both of you! You can't kill each other!" Both of them eyed her, though Taiga felt her vision weakening, and the clone looked like she might lunge at Ouka herself, in pain of betrayal.

The clone...she loves her... my god, she loves her. Oh god, how long have I been Siri? Taiga asked herself as she felt herself passing out, more from weakness than blood loss, but then she heard voices approaching. At least they'll stop the clone if she goes after Ouka. At least...

And with that Taiga passed out, hoping the others got there quickly so when she woke up, the world made sense again. Milk.... Was her last fleeting thought as she eyed the broken cat house beside her. I smell milk.

To Be Concluded in Session 449

Holiday Wars Finale Hot Valentine written by Kevin Bell (Death Star)

Hot Valentine

*editor's note - due to the Galactic Standard Time, and sat. positioning, all of earth goes through night and day at the same time to keep up with the rest of the galaxy. 6:00 AM, Galactic Standard Time - PAX City (Valentine's Day)

Holiday Wars Finale

Hot Valentine

written by Kevin Bell (Death Star)

*editor's note - due to the Galactic Standard Time, and sat. positioning, all of earth goes through night and day at the same time to keep up with the rest of the galaxy.

6:00 AM, Galactic Standard Time - PAX City (Valentine's Day)