The Shion+KOS-MOS paring is the most debated in the Xenosaga fandom. I think they were made for each other. No pun intended. The events of this stroy take place betwenn Xenosaga Episode One and Two. There will be some spoilers for the end of Episode One, and those who haven't complete that game might be a bit lost in later chapters. I dont own Xenosaga. I only wish i did. Gerad Dalton is my creation, however. Steal him and die. Chapter One Picnic for Two By Silvercry silvercry2000@yahoo.com ...my spirit sleeping somewhere cold, until you find it there and lead it back home.... Bring Me to Life - Evanescence Allen had his head stuck in the refrigerator in the Elsa's kitchen, looking for an early morning snack. All he was able to find was freeze-dried this, frozen that, dehydrated something else. "Aw, man," Allen whined. Don't they have anything quick and easy? The service bots haven't woke up yet, and I'm hungry now. He heard the door open behind him, but paid it no mind. "Good morning, Allen," he heard Shion say cheerfully as she entered the room. "Hey, Chief," Allen replied, his head still buried in the fridge. "If you're looking for food," he went on, "you're out of luck till the bots are activated." "Yes, I know," Shion replied. It sounded like she was trying to suppress a little laugh as she spoke. Wow, she has a cute little laugh, Allen thought. She really should laugh more often. "Allen," Shion went on, "would you let everyone know that KOS-MOS and I will be gone for the day?" Her voice was moving through the room, stopping by the door leading to the main part of the ship. Allen finally pulled his head from the fridge and looked up. "Sure thing, Chief. Where are you two -- WHOA!" Allen's sudden yell startled Shion, and she nearly dropped the whicker basket she was carrying. "Allen, be quiet!" Shion said sharply. "Are you trying to wake the whole ship?" There was a silence in the kitchen as Allen stared open mouthed at Shion in shock. "You know, Allen," Shion politely informed him, "It's not nice to stare." Not nice to stare! Allen thought. How could I not? In all the time Allen and Shion had spent working together, he had only seen he out of uniform a handful of times. Shion was never one for casual social events; she spent almost all of her time working on KOS-MOS. She wasn't exactly anti-social, just focused on her project to the point of neglecting some other aspects of life. She was well liked though, by her fellow KOS-MOS Project team members and, more recently, by the unique party they were now apart of. The last time he saw her out of her uniform was at the private beech at the Foundation (he nearly had a heart attack when he saw her little black bikini, he recalled). But there was definitely something different about the way she was dressed this morning. Her hair was free of its typical braid, framing her face nicely. And since when did the chief wear make up? Allen thought. A hint of blush, a touch of lipstick and eye shadow...just what was going on here? She was wearing a long, light-purple sundress that fell to mid- calf length. The hem of the dress was purposely uneven, longer in front and in back than on the sides, where it only reached her knees. She was wearing a pair of matching sandals, and (much to Allen's surprise) was even wearing nail polish. She carried a large whicker picnic basket on one arm. "Allen, my face is up here," Shion reminded him. Allen snapped his head and neck back up so fast, Shion briefly wondered if there would be any permanent damage. Say something clever, yet indifferent! Allen thought to himself frantically. He opened his mouth, but all he could manage was, "D-Did you say something, Chief?" "Honestly, Allen, you act like you've never seen me out of uniform before," she replied. "Only five or six times," Allen confessed. A small smile crossed Shion's face. "So, you've been keeping count?" she asked. Allen shook a his head and hands furiously. "NO! I mean, not really. I mean --what I mean is --" How can I get out of this one? "Um, wasn't their a message you wanted me to give everyone?" "Yes. KOS-MOS and I will be -- unavailable today. Just let everyone know if they ask, alright?" Shion repeated. She turned to leave. "Oh, right," Allen remembered, grateful for the change of subject. "Where are you two headed? Our report to Vector HQ isn't due for another two weeks." Shion hesitated. "Out," she replied after a moment. "I have this new EVS I want to load up and --" she stopped abruptly, then simply repeated: "Out." "Out?" Allen asked, puzzled. "Out," Shion confirmed. She turned sharply, her dress flaring out around her legs. The door opened, she walked through, and it shut behind her, leaving Allen to wonder what the heck had just happened. Shion quickly headed to for the elevator, not wanting to bump into anyone else. When the door shut behind her, and it began to descend, she released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She glanced at her reflection in the glass of the door before her. Even though she had spent a lot more time than usual on picking and dressing in this particular outfit, she was a little surprised by just how good she looked. A fact, she noted, which was definitely not lost on Allen. She smiled. She was not what you would call a vain person, but it was nice to be noticed as a woman once in a while. Problem was, she was noticed by the wrong person. Shion shook her head to clear it as the lift reached its destination. She exited the lift and proceeded towards her destination, her mood improving with every step. Past the cargo elevator, down to the catapult level, and through the AGWS hangar. At one point she noticed she was skipping, and stopped it immediately. Get a grip, Shion Uzuki! she scolded herself as she reached the door to KOS-MOS's room. You're acting like this is a -- The door slid open, and Shion pushed the thought aside, and stepped into the room. It was a simple room, not much to look at. That is, of course, if one was to over look the single object in the center. Shion walked up to and around the black maintenance bed for KOS-MOS, to see the battle android still 'asleep' with in it. Her regeneration cycle will be over in a few moments, Shion thought to herself. Guess I'm a little early. She set the basket down near the foot of the pod, and took a seat on the side of it herself, never taking her eyes off the sleeping angel inside. An angel of death, maybe, she thought, recalling all the times she had seen KOS-MOS in action over the course off the last few days. On the heels of those memories came images of the several times KOS-MOS had put herself on the line to defend the Elsa...and Shion specifically. Ok, Shion thought. Maybe she's a guardian angel. Another memory came to her then -- a much older one. A thunderstorm, an attack by unknown men, the premature activation of the original KOS-MOS, and the massacre that followed. Or perhaps, she added sadly, a fallen angel. KOS-MOS slept on, blissfully unaware for the moment. "Sometimes I wish you could sleep forever," Shion whispered to the sleeping android. "And others, I can't wait to see you wake up. I wonder what would you say about that?" She tried to mimic KOS-MOS's voice and tone then said, "'Shion, your current line of thought is paradoxical in nature and serves no purpose.' Or something like that." Shion sighed. "Don't you think I know that?" she whispered. There was no reply from KOS-MOS. Shion continued to stare at the android's face, waiting patiently for her eyes to open. After a few moments, her gaze drifted down from her eyes to her mouth. And an idea suddenly formed in her mind. A crazy idea. What am I thinking? Shion asked herself silently. I can't do that! But the more she stared at KOS-MOS's lips, the greater the desire became. Just this one time, she tried to rationalize. She never has to know! "If I stole one kiss, would you hold it against me?" Shion asked in a voice to soft to even be called a whisper. It certainly wasn't the first time she thought about giving her mechanical angel a kiss, but in the days since the incident at Proto Merkabah, the desire had grown stronger and stronger. She had come so close to losing her that day. Twice in fact. Sitting in her cabin that evening, she came to a startling revelation. She was in love with KOS-MOS. "That's right, KOS-MOS," Shion told the sleeping angel. "I love you. This is some fix I've got myself in, huh?" she laughed wearily. "Wonder what everyone would say if they knew? I wonder what Kevin would say? I wonder what you will say? Would you even understand?" Her lips still looked so inviting, but Shion just couldn't bring herself to kiss them. If that's going to happen, she decided, it will happen when she's awake, and only if she's ready -- if she can ever be ready. Instead, Shion leaned over KOS-MOS's body, her hair cascading over her shoulders, and gave the woman who had taken her heart without even trying, a quick, but heartfelt, kiss on the cheek. In a corner of KOS-MOS's mind, a corner so far removed that she wasn't even aware of its existence, something began to stir. To vague to be called emotion, to faint to be called a sub-conscious desire. Not yet important enough to trigger and internal diagnostic scan. But something was there, was brought to life by a kiss that wasn't supposed to happen -- yet. And it began to grow. Shion pulled back with a gasp as she felt a twitch of movement from KOS-MOS's face. Her face was mere inches away when her red eyes slowly opened and locked with her own. "Good morning, Shion." KOS-MOS greeted her in her even, precise voice. She took note of Shion's close proximity, and misunderstood the reason behind it. "My internal chronometer reads 0700 hours, which was the assigned activation time. Do you require additional offline time to finish my maintenance checks?" Shion quickly puller her self back up to a sitting position on the side of the maintenance bed, and turned her head to hide her growing blush. "That wont be necessary KOS-MOS," she said quickly. "I - um - had just finished." "Very well," KOS-MOS stated simply, and sat up. She ran her usual series of start-up diagnostics. Aside from and unexpected minor error in an otherwise blank section of her OS, all the internal quires came back green. "All systems are operating within normal parameters," she informed Shion. Still facing away from her, Shion nodded. "Very good KOS-MOS," she said carefully, her nerve failing. There was a brief rustle behind her, followed by the soft *click* of high heels as KOS-MOS landed on her feet outside the maintenance bed. Shion stood up then and the upper hatch of the bed lowered and secured itself in place. As she stood, she faced the battle android, who was staring at her intently. Shion knew perfectly well that KOS-MOS stared at everything intently, but today, she found the androids fixed gaze unnerving, and lowered her gaze to the floor. What was I thinking? Shion scolded herself. This was a bad idea; I never should have -- "Shion, I am curious as to why I was set to be activated at this time," KOS-MOS stated. "Judging from your attire and the basket you have with you, you seem to have plans for some time of leisure activity, which does not include myself at this time." Shion looked up, meeting her creation's eyes once more. That's as close to a compliment on my dress as I'm going to get, she realized. Feeling some of her bravery return, she said, "That's not entirely true, KOS-MOS. I was actually hoping you would join me for a picnic." KOS-MOS experienced an unexpected data surge from the part of her Operating System was she had discovered the error this upon waking. Before she could isolate the problem, the spike was gone. She added to her error log for later review. "Very well, Shion. I will accompany you," she replied. She turned and headed for the door, her heels making a very rhythmic click-click sound on the floor. She was already through the door before Shion snapped out of her surprise. She picked up the basket, and headed out the door as well. ------------------------------------------ As much as the Federation likes to believe the opposite, there are parts of known space where they have no power. This was good news for Gerad Dalton. As he welded the final components of his terminal together, he felt the urge to cackle like one of those mad-scientist types he often saw in horror sci-fi holos. He kept the urge in check. Who actually laughs like that anyway? Besides, he wasn't mad. Furious maybe, but not mad. It wasn't too long ago that Gerad was a respected and up-incoming researcher at Vector Industries. He knew the men up top (maybe even Wilhelm himself!) had their eyes on him as he began to explore more applications for the UMN, taking what was thought to be an established, immutable science, and pushing it further. Some even went as far as to call him a genius. His own personal research was second in priority only to his desire to rid the universe of the Gnosis. When the KOS-MOS project was announced, he called in every favor he could to make sure he got the number two slot, right after project head Kevin. With his reputation and seniority in the company, he was the obvious choice. Except Kevin chose a complete unknown: an nineteen-year-old named Shion Uzuki. Gerad wanted to cruse, wanted to scream, wanted to pound his fists into the wall, but once again, held himself in check. The tiny, one bedroom shack he lived in on a God-forsaken moon was covered wall to wall with computer equipment; throwing a tantrum would only damage something. Crudely wired and looking rather thrown together, a casual observer would dismiss the mess as trash. It had taken several long years to assemble, however, and its true power could not be seen by the naked eye. He called it the Jolly Roger. It was his life's work, nearly destroyed by her. When Kevin passed him over for that four-eyed wench, he was devastated. It defied logic, defied reason. By choosing Shion over him, he basically told him he wasn't good enough. He wasn't good enough? Him, the genius Gerad Dalton?? The Jolly Roger would show him, show her, show Vector, show the whole damn universe! He was so close the last time, two years ago. His research into the UMN, combined with Vector's resources, made the Jolly Roger a reality. His goal: the complete and total control over the entire Unus Mundus Network. Lets see Shion Uzuki do that. As it turned out, she did one better: she discovered what he was doing, and reported him before he had the chance to bring the Jolly Roger on-line. Gerad removed the goggles he had been wearing. His face was tight and worn, marked with many wrinkles. He was a mere 40 standard years old, but his run from Federation law and his harsh life on a moon of the ice planet Vladek has caused him to age horribly. His once neat black hair was now long and unruly, peppered by streaks of gray. As he closed of the final section of his super computer, he gave a sigh of relief, and allowed himself a smile. It was time to hack the entire UMN. Once that was accomplished, he would see about handing out some payback. ------------------------------------------ KOS-MOS eyes darted from Shion's face to the strawberry she was offering between her thumb and index finger, then back to her face. She blinked once, then repeated the action. She is so cute when she's confused, Shion thought. "I do not see the point to this action," KOS-MOS informed her finally. "I do not require foodstuffs to function." "Just try it this once," Shion replied. "I think you might like it." The two women were sitting on a red and white checkered sheet, in the shade of a large (and probably extinct, Shion thought) tree. This tree stood in the middle of a large expanse of grass and rolling hills, extending as far as the eyes could see in any direction. They sky was a perfect clear blue, with only the occasional whisper of a cloud here and there. All in all it was the perfect time and place for a picnic. Not even the red and blue EVS exit portal spinning silently nearby could shatter the illusion. There was slight breeze just then, blowing KOS-MOS pale blue hair across her face slightly. Shion worried about it getting in her eyes for about a second, until she remembered just who she was sitting with. "Upon swallowing this item," KOS-MOS tried to explain. "It would be broken down to its basic elements, and consumed by my internal generator. I would draw no benefit from it. It would be better if you were to eat it. I insist." Shion felt touched by this comment, even though she knew it was basic on cold logic and not genuine caring. She'd take what she could get for now. "KOS-MOS, don't argue." Shion instructed. "Open your mouth." KOS-MOS's lips parted slowly, and Shion felt a slight blush fill her cheeks. She slowly placed the strawberry in her friends mouth, and forced herself to tear her eyes away as KOS-MOS bit into it and began to chew. She quickly activated her Connection Gear that she had been holding in the other hand, and accessed a program that she had spent most of the last few weeks working on. Once the screen came up, she hit the 'Upload Now' option. The data transfer was so fast that even KOS-MOS almost missed it. In no time at all a new OS sub-routine was downloaded, taking up the same space where the unknown bug had been detected earlier. That was the first thing she noticed. The second was an explosion of sensations in her mouth. She had been chewing the strawberry as instructed, but now she could taste it! It was sweet and soft and juicy and -- and -- KOS-MOS swallowed. Though her facial expression changed only slightly, it was a difference Shion was able to notice. "Wow," KOS-MOS said at last. Shion was stunned. "Did you just say 'wow?'" she asked. The moment soon passed, and KOS-MOS was in control again. "I believe I did," she replied. "Perhaps my linguistic programs are malfunctioning." Shion sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, how did you like it?" she asked. KOS-MOS opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. After a few seconds she spoke. "While I do not see how this program will enhance my abilities as an Anti-Gnosis weapon system, it is a welcome addition to my operating system." "I meant the strawberry," Shion clarified. "I see," KOS-MOS replied. "I find that I rather enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing it with me." Shion felt her heart beat just a little faster, and a new blush spread across her cheeks. What am I, fourteen? she thought. She was just being polite, stop reading into it! "Shion, in the last several hours, I have noticed several abrupt and dramatic changes in your heartbeat, respiration rate, and body temperature," KOS-MOS informed her. "I am concerned about your health. Perhaps you should consult a physician." "How every perceptive of you, KOS-MOS," Shion said with a little laugh. "I'll be alright, though. It's nothing." "Are you certain?" KOS-MOS asked. Shion looked away, staring off into the sky for a moment. She sighed. "If I didn't know better," she said quietly, "I would think you actually cared." KOS-MOS turned her own gaze upward, scanning for whatever Shion was looking at. "I do not wish for you to be unwell," she said "Of course not," Shion said sadly. "After all, I'm your Primary Directive." KOS-MOS identified the tone of Shion's voice as what one might sound like if the were unhappy or distressed. Unsure of how to respond to such a situation, she decided to merely relate the facts of the matter. It was what she did best after all. "The Primary Directive of which you speak directs my action in time of crisis. In such situations, I am to safeguard all Vector personnel, especially you," she explained. "My current desire to ensure you are well is --," she paused here, momentarily surprised by what she was about to say. " - my own," she finished. "I -- just want you to be alright." Shion turned her head to look at the android, who was still staring into the sky. She hadn't been expecting that response. She wasn't sure what to say. "Would you like another strawberry?" she asked awkwardly. Where did that come from, Uzuki? she thought. KOS-MOS just performed the android equivalent of pouring her heart out, and all you can do is ask if she wants another strawberry?? "I would like that very much, Shion," she replied, still staring off into the sky. --------------------------------- On board the Elsa, MOMO watched the scene transpire on the UMN screen near the bridge. In her hurry, Shion had neglected to activate a privacy screen, and MOMO just happened upon it while on her way to the UMN store terminal. "Wow, Shion is so pretty in that dress!" she said to herself as she watched them converse on the screen. Of course KOS-MOS is pretty too...I wonder if she ever gets tired of wearing the same outfit? she added silently. Then she remembered just who she was taking about and decided that the android probably never gave it a second thought. As she watched, Shion reached out with her foot, snagged the picnic basket, and pulled it towards them. KOS-MOS watched her do this, and said something to her. There was no sound , but it was easy enough for MOMO to read their lips. "It would have been easier to use your hands, Shion," KOS-MOS was saying. "But not as much fun!" Shion replied. MOMO giggled at that; she had a point there. "Fun is a wasted use of resources." KOS-MOS informed her creator. Shion surprised MOMO by sticking her tongue out at KOS-MOS, effectively teasing a machine capable of destroying a planet some day. "You still want these strawberries or not?" Shion asked. KOS-MOS nodded. "All right, then," Shion stated. She reached into the basket, and pulled out one strawberries. She held it between her thumb and index figure, and guided it to KOS-MOS's mouth. The android slowly opened her mouth and bit into the fruit carefully. She closed her eyes as the taste of the simple piece of fruit washed over her. MOMO noticed the blush in Shion's cheeks. She also noticed the serene expression of genuine enjoyment on KOS- MOS's face. She started to feel a little awkward herself. Just what is happening here? she wondered. What are they doing? She was beginning to think she should quit watching, when Fate decided the matter for her. The Elsa, which had been cruising through hyperspace at an even clip, was suddenly thrown violently back into real space so abruptly that she fell to the floor with a small yelp of surprise. She banged her head against the UMN terminal, and saw stars for a few moments before rising to her feet and heading for the bridge. She took a few steps, then remembered that her friends were still in the EVS, and hit communication button on the terminal to let them know what was going on. "Hey, Shion, KOS-MOS, I think you better get back. Something seems to be --" MOMO stopped speaking when she noticed that neither of the two women could hear her. They continued their meal, oblivious to what was going on in the real world. She quickly keyed in a few more commands to the computer to discover the problem when the screen went blank suddenly. After a few moments, it winked back on. MOMO took one look at it. "Uh-oh," she said. Then she turned and ran to the bridge. On the UMN screen, there was a rotating gray and black image of the skull and crossbones. --------------------------------- After feeding KOS-MOS nearly every piece of fruit that she had brought with her (and having quite a bit of food herself) Shion began to feel a little better, and very, very tired. "Perhaps we should return now," KOS-MOS suggested. "Not yet," Shion sighed wistfully. Once again, they sat side by side, backs against the tree, staring out over the horizon. Shion tapped a few commands into her computer, and suddenly it was sunset. The bright oranges, reds and yellows slowly receding away from the backdrop of twilight was breathtaking. "It's beautiful, don't you think, KOS-MOS?" Shion asked, even though she new the android thought no such thing. "It is a unique sight for one who has spent their entire existence in space," KOS-MOS agreed. Shion leaned her head on the friend's shoulder. This really has been a perfect day, Shion thought. Pleasant conversation, opening her mind to new experiences, and just being together without having to worry about the Zohar or the Gnosis or Albedo. I should really end it on this note. "What do think of me, KOS-MOS?" The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it. "You are Shion Uzuki, head of Vector Industries First R&D Division's KOS-MOS project. You designed me," KOS-MOS replied. "Forget I asked," Shion said quickly. There was a pause of several minutes as the sun continued to set on the two women. Shion felt her self grow more and more drowsy. She felt so relaxed where she was, so safe, so happy. For the next few minutes, she decided, I'm not going to think. Just be here with KOS- MOS. I'll worry about what that means later. KOS-MOS's mind, on the other hand, was spinning. Things seemed to fall into place for her all of sudden. Every moment she had ever spent with Shion since she was activated came back to her in an instant. When she was upset with her, when she spoke with her, when she tried to keep her from doing things she had to do. Lastly, the utter terror and desperation in her voice aboard Proto Merkabah. ("You'd better come back, KOS-MOS! You'd better!) Realization dawned on the android at once. The area of her mind now occupied by the new taste program cheered silently at this realization...but it was still to faint to be noticed. For now. "Shion," KOS-MOS spoke suddenly, startling the young scientist. "I believe I have come to a realization." "What is it, KOS-MOS?" Shion asked. She felt her eyelids growing heavy, and she was looking forward to falling asleep right where she was. "You are in love with me," KOS-MOS stated simply. Shion was suddenly wide awake. She sat up quickly just as KOS-MOS turned her head to face her. "Do not deny it, Shion," KOS-MOS went on. "Careful examination of your actions since the time of my activation proves this fact. What we must now do is discuss what we shall do about it." "You make it sound like this a problem to be 'dealt with' and disposed off," Shion said, a little angrily. Not at KOS-MOS, but at herself for being so obvious when she had thought she was keeping it to herself. "Emotions are more complicated than that." "I am aware of this, even if I do not understand them completely," KOS-MOS responded. "If you follow that fact to its logical conclusion, you realize that I can never fully understand your feelings for me, and therefore can never return them. This may be acceptable for you now, as this 'date' indicates --" "This is not a date!" Shion insisted, but her protest sounded hollow even to her own ears. " -- but eventually I will become a cause of great emotional stress and pain for you." The android stood up. Without looking at Shion, she continued. "The best course of action would be for me to remove myself from your life as soon as possible." Shion began to protest, but KOS-MOS talked over her. "I realize that my sudden departure will hurt you, but I believe that it will be far better if I hurt you a small amount now, compared to the great amount I will harm you later by staying. In addition, the time has come for me to be turned over to the Second Division, and begin mass production and field testing. Good bye, Shion." She began to walk to the exit portal. "Just you wait a minute, KOS-MOS!" Shion called after her. She jumped to her feet as well. "You can't just leave like this!" KOS-MOS continued walking. "That is precisely what I am doing. After careful consideration, I have decided this will be the best course of action." Shion forced herself not to panic, even though she could feel the same sense of dread fill her chest that she felt at Proto Merkabah. She tried to keep her voice even (and failed) as she spoke. "Don't leave me," she said quietly. KOS-MOS stopped walking. She turned her head slightly to one side. Shion could almost make out the profile of her face. She was looking toward the ground. In that pose, as her ruby-red eyes blinked slowly twice, she almost looked -- sad. "I do not wish to hurt you, Shion. If I remain with you, I will do so more than if I were to leave now," she said. "Is that really what you want, KOS-MOS?" Shion asked her. KOS-MOS opened her mouth to say 'affirmative', but found she couldn't. She was experiencing an error in her verbal skill programming. She quickly ran an internal diagnostic, to find the error source was coming from the same place as before. "No," she found herself saying. Shion held her hand out to the android. "Then don't go," she said. "Are you two serious?" a new voice called suddenly from the upper branches of the tree. "Kevin passed me up for you? A child, little girl who's so foolish that she'd fall in love with a weapon?" Startled, Shion spun around and looked up. In an instant, KOS-MOS was beside her, her right hand hovering over her holster. "Identify yourself!" KOS-MOS demanded. This was only the second time in her life that someone was able to sneak up on her, and she wasn't happy about it. It didn't occur to her just then the fact she was angry should have been impossible. Standing quite easily on a tree branch which was actually thinner than his feet, stood a man in a black and gray Vector uniform. Over his right breast pocket however, was the image of the skull and crossbones. Shion noticed this, and her eyes went wide. "Dalton?" she asked. "Ah, Ms. Uzuki!" Gerad replied. He brought both hands over his heart in a gesture of mock happiness. "You remember me! I can't help but be touched!" The smile vanished from his face, and his tone became as serious as a heart attack. "I, of course, remember you." "You know this person, Shion?" KOS-MOS asked. She attempted to use her internal UMN link to access Vector personnel files for a Gerad Dalton, but was unable to log on. Another internal error? she wondered. "I don't know how you got here, Gerad, but you can rest assured once we get back, I'll be sure to report you! The Federation has been looking for you for a long time!" " 'We?' " Gerad asked. "What, do you have a mouse in your pocket?" "Just what is that supposed to mean, Gerad?" Shion yelled back. "I was talking about myself and KOS-MOS!" "Oh yes, the weapon," Gerad said as though he was noticing the battle android for the first time. "It could pose a problem. Lets take care of that now, shall we?" Gerad quickly pointed toward the two women. At the same time, KOS- MOS detected a sudden energy surge coming from his body, and drew her blaster. A jagged bolt of blue-white energy sprang from his fingertips. Simultaneously, KOS-MOS shoved Shion down out of the way with her left hand and fired with her right. The two blasts met in mid-air and exploded, the force of the explosion pushing Shion along the ground about five feet, and flooding the artificial evening with light. When her vision cleared, she noticed neither Gerad nor KOS-MOS had budged an inch. "Well, well, well," Gerad said with honest surprise. "This should be fun."