A/N: Before we get started I would just like to point out the lovely piece of fanart Spirit-of-Twilight made for this story, linked to in my profile. 8DD It's lovely. SHE'S lovely. Let's give her a big hand. 3

Silence couldn't stop the sound
News and gossip got around
A whisper here, a whisper there
I do but don't know why I care

North, south, east and west
Foreign land is right and left
Don't let them see you cry
I didn't know which way was home
Ten degrees without a coat
Don't let them see you
See you...
-The Hush Sound, 'City Traffic Puzzle'

10/11/02

5:01 AM

Only Marian's silhouette and his hands on that blasted animal he always carried were visible as he said "He was with who?"

"Kate Johnson, sir," he reported in a deep voice. "Saw her with my own eyes."

"The one that got away, how very nice," he mused. "Two birds with one stone..."

"By the way, boss, that's-"

"Not her real name. I know. It's not her only alias, either."

"Want me to take care of her, boss?"

He paused, then said "No. No, instead, why don't you make a call to Star Command..."

6:57 AM

Booster padded into the living room, bright-eyed. He was wearing a thin purple ranger undersuit.

Catching sight of XR on the couch, he slowed to a stop, frowning. The small robot was sitting on the edge of the couch, looking down at the floor. He was wrapped in the heavy throw blanket and he looked groggy and sick.

Booster wrestled with himself for a minute. XR didn't wanna talk to him. Lately he didn't wanna talk to anyone at all. But he looked so sad...

"Umm..." Booster said, wringing his hands.

"I don't wanna talk about it," XR moaned.

Yep.

Booster bit his lip. "But..." He sniffled. "Okay..."

"Uhh... Booster... I'm gonna take a sick day, okay?" XR said, rubbing the back of his helmet and frowning. "Could you tell Buzz I won't be coming in?"

"Are you gonna be okay here all by yourself?" Booster said.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, go ahead and go," he said.

"Okay," Booster said, gnawing his lip. "If you need anything, just call me, okay buddy?"

XR nodded, and Booster went back into his bedroom to put on his ranger suit. After a few minutes he came out and said

"Well, goodbye then. You're sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," XR said. A slight edge of irritation was getting into his tone and Booster bit his lip.

"All right then... goodbye..."

"See you," XR said, and Booster walked out the door.

After waiting to make sure he was gone, XR leapt to his feet. The sudden motion made him feel surprisingly dizzy and he sat back down, holding his helmet. For a brief moment he considered actually, you know, taking a sick day, as in just lying around under a blanket watching TV all day, sounded pretty good, but no. There was work to be done. Lives to save. Specifically, his own. Yikes.

He got to his feet more carefully this time and went around the room, pulling down the shades. Probably a paranoid thing to do, but he felt better with the shades down. Okay. Now to get to work.

8:02 AM

Two minutes late.

Two whole minutes late.

She allowed herself a grin at the back of Fop Doppler's head as he plopped into his seat, two entire minutes late. Yes. The stupid man with his 'jolly good's wasn't perfect. He wasn't nearly as precise as a robot.

With a satisfied smirk she turned back to her control panel. All was in order, as usual.

"All right," Rick muttered, drumming his fingers on the control panel. "Once Andi gets here we can start patrol."

Andi. Pfft. What a shambles of a ranger.

Rick ran his fingers through his hair. What a messy substance, was hair. Terrible stuff. "Oh, by the way," he said. "May, you'll be doing a solo mission."

She straightened up, frowning. She loathed being called May, but they never seemed to learn. The solo mission, on the other hand, was a good thing. She'd take any chance to get away from these incompetents she could get.

"On Tradeworld," he explained. "We've gotten a tip that a known affiliate of Pixma Forrester is hanging out there."

"Yes, sir," she said with a nod. Pixma. Hmph. She'd always thought that woman drew more attention than she was worth. She was just a typical mad scientist. Small potatoes.

Suddenly Andi came running in, gasping. She threw herself down at her console.

"Sorry- I'm late," she panted. "Robot- bees."

Not very likely, MALIK decided.

"Whatever, Andi," Rick muttered, starting the ship.

"Good morning, Andi!" Fop said, turning around in his chair and beaming at her. "I say, how are you this morning?"

"Fine," she said, giving him a flustered smile.

"Good, good!" he chirped. MALIK grit her teeth.

They rocketed into the vacuum of space and veered off to Tradeworld.

"Since you weren't here for the briefing, Miss Torrance," Rick said, "we're dropping May off on Tradeworld. She has a solo mission today."

"Ah!" she said, looking delighted. Stupid broad got all happy over anything.

MALIK stayed silent, carefully watching her control panel. Whatever. She wouldn't have to be in proximity to the girl any more in a few minutes here.

"Okay," Rick said, parking the ship in orbit around the planet. He pulled a sheet of paper out from under his seat. "May, here's the address."

She strode forward, took the paper, saluted and went to the launch tubes.

8:32

The location was nothing special, merely a typical Tradeworld apartment. Typical meaning run-down and disgusting. She gave the building a sneer as she marched inside.

Wordlessly flashing her badge at the receptionist, she stepped inside the elevator tube and rose to the top floor. She headed out, walked straight up to the door on the piece of paper, and rapped on it purposefully.

"This is Star Command," she called. "Open the door." She tapped her foot, waiting.

"Kila, could you get that?" a voice yawned from inside. Ugh.

She rapped on it harder. "I said, this is Star Command! Open up!"

A frantic, unintelligible ranting in a Jukani accent from within and the same drowsy female voice from before saying "All right, I'll get it! Ugh!"

The door opened. A green-skinned female alien was standing there. Rather slight in build, MALIK noted. She'd go down easy in a fight.

"What d'you want?" she yawned.

"Are you Kila Jookiba?" MALIK demanded.

There was a yelp from inside and MALIK looked past the woman in the doorway to see another alien inside, opening a window.

"No, that's my roommate," the alien in the doorway said as said roommate began to crawl out the window.

"Not on my watch," MALIK said, vaulting inside the room. The woman in the doorway yelped and cowered away as she ran to the window, grabbing the escaping alien by the legs.

She immediately whipped around in the window frame, baring fangs and clawing at MALIK's helmet. MALIK let go of her legs out of shock.

The creature was instantly crawling back out of the window. MALIK grabbed her tail, elicting squalls of pain.

"By the authority of Star Command-" she began to say, then the suspect rounded on her and bit onto her shoulder, tearing off her left arm.

"Resisting arrest!" she snarled as she smacked the suspect in the head. It made a clanging metal sound.

The alien scurried backwards on all fours, wide-eyed and panting. MALIK drew her laser pistol. Two large, leathery black wings sprouted from the subject's back, one of them knocking over a nearby end table.

MALIK studied them, frowning. "What on-" She shook her head and aimed the pistol, pointing it at the alien's forehead- which was over here- no, now it was over here-

"Hold still!" she snapped. "By the authority of Star Command, you are hereby-"

"Over my dead body, g'shikda!" the alien cried, rearing back onto her hind legs. "You never take me alive! You hear?!"

Her voice was nearly hysterical, which MALIK took as a sign she knew she was beaten, and would shortly behave accordingly. She advanced. "You have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right-"

Suddenly the alien pounced, driving both arms into her chest and pinning her to the ground. MALIK clonked her on the head with the pistol, screaming.

The suspect bit onto the gun and tossed it sideways out the open window. MALIK punched her in the head a couple times until she collapsed.

She crawled out from under the now-unconscious suspect, shuddering. Ugh, physical contact. Ugh. She'd never seen such aggression. It'd been like the suspect was a rabid animal. It was disgusting and wrong.

She made sure the suspect was unconscious, brushed herself off with the hand she had left, then scouted around for the detached one. It was lying by the wall.

She picked it up, studying it. It was quite damaged, but still serviceable. She reattached it, then went back to the suspect. She was already stirring.

Sweet mother of Venus, what was this creature? MALIK rushed forward, snapping on a pair of handcuffs and yanking her to her feet. The suspect yelped once and froze, trembling.

"As I was saying," she said clearly as she herded the alien out of the room. "Kila Jookiba, you are hereby under arrest. You have the right to remain silent and please do."

"G'shikda!" she swore.

"I SAID. You have a right to SILENCE. If you give up this right-"

"Hey!"

She turned to see the woman who'd answered the door still standing in the doorway, pop-eyed. She swore a few times (dirty organics with their dirty language) and said "What d'you think you're doing?"

"I am merely apprehending a suspect," MALIK informed her. "Do not interfere, citizen! I'm here by the authority of Star Command!"

Kila struggled suddenly, a helpless full-body wriggle.

"Cut that out!" MALIK snapped, cuffing her in the head. And she dragged Kila off, still reading her her rights.

9:01

Tradeworld seemed unusually... big today. Big and loud and harsh. Or maybe it was just him.

He wove his way through the crowd as quickly as he could, darting around people to the left and right. Where had he agreed to meet the guy again? Oh, sweet mother of Venus, he didn't know. He didn't know.

He paused for a moment in the shelter of a nearby building, shivering. Okay. He just had to slow down a minute and think.

He couldn't think. He didn't have time to think. Cars were going past him on every side and they were loud and it was loud and his head hurt and WHAT WAS THAT RINGING-

It was his cell phone. Not his communicator. The communicator was too accessible, MALIK's gloomy little missive yesterday had confirmed it, and he'd disabled the communicator himself with a screwdriver. It'd hurt, but so what.

Giving an ingratiating grin to... no one, really... anyone nearby that might have seen him freaking out... he took out the phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

It was the guy. "Where are you?" he snapped.

XR swallowed. "Oh, me? I'm, ah... I'm on Tradeworld, yep. Uh, okay, I know what this sounds like but uh... where am I meeting you again?"

"You know, I'm not so sure this is gonna be worth my while." The voice was deep and dangerous.

"Oh, he's not sure- well, be sure!" XR yammered. "I can play the game with the best of them, man, I just need to... know where we're meeting..."

The guy grunted at him and said "Serdik's."

"Oh, Serdik's!" XR tittered. "Yes, of course, it's all coming back to me. Aha. Well, I'll see you there."

The guy hung up. XR swallowed. He felt a little light-headed. Okay. Serdik's. All right. This encounter could still be salvaged.

He closed his eyes for a minute, then glanced across the street, swallowing. He'd just stand here a minute and get his bearings. He didn't feel well. Yesterday's headache had still not departed, and the alarms of his programming were sounding off again. He was a robot. He wasn't supposed to take sick days.

He stared at the ground for a minute, then looked up at hearing a commotion. Huh. Funny. That robot over there looked like... and she was dragging...

He flailed. Oh craters. Oh, CRATERS. His sister MALIK was over on the other side of the street, dragging that weird Kila chick in handcuffs. Kila was obviously protesting her arrest (he couldn't hear her from here, but what else could she be saying), and as he watched, MALIK smacked her in the head to shut her up. Oh, craters. What were the odds.

Without thinking, he rushed across to see them. "May! May!" he yelped.

She turned to frown at him. "Abshomema." 'Prototype'.

"XR!" Kila yelped, wriggling around in the handcuffs. He gaped at her a minute in disbelief. What were the odds that he could possibly just run into her like this? "Kori ter'a mesta kir-"

MALIK cuffed her in the head. "Stop that!"

Kila hissed.

"Whoa! Don't hurt her!" XR cried, grabbing MALIK's arm. "May, for crying out loud, don't beat the suspect senseless!" ("Yeah! Stupid! You're stupid," Kila added. They both ignored her.) "How many times has Ricky told you-"

"I can handle this," she said very clearly. "Let go of me. This 'innocent suspect' you're accusing me of molesting bit my arm off, now if you'll let me do my job-"

"She bit- what'd you do to her, May?" he said, putting his hands on his hips.

"What do you mean?" MALIK demanded.

"She grabbed me," Kila said.

"She was trying to escape, now leave me alone, abshomema," MALIK said, yanking her away.

He followed as she dragged Kila down the sidewalk. "May! Two words, May, police brutality-" ("Yeah! Stupid!") "-now, do you want your files wiped? They already said you were defect-"

"I don't have to take this," she snapped. She'd started ticking, he was hitting a button.

He turned to Kila. "Hehe, hi there." Oh, mother of Venus, this was awkward beyond awkward. "Uh, sorry. This is kinda- yeah. Um- she does this all the time. I didn't-" His tone and posture became defensive. "I had nothing to do with- are your handcuffs too tight?"

"Eh," she shrugged. "It's not the first time." Probably not.

"What are you even doing here?" MALIK snapped back at him. "Shouldn't you be out on patrol? I know you're not on a solo mission-"

He froze, ticking. "What? Oh, oh me?"

Flashes of what his life would be like without a job (it would probably resemble the life of this hapless green creature before him, actually) appeared in his mind. Kila wouldn't die or anything if he left her with MALIK and he said "Me? Nothing. Uh- I shouldn't be here. I should be going."

Kila's face fell.

He backed off rapidly, not noticing. "Yeah, I should be going. Yeah, bye- don't hurt her, May."

And he ran off.

MALIK considered this. "I handled that rather well," she said evenly.

Kila gave her a dirty look. "Yeah, shut it up, you."

9:13

He rushed into the alley behind Serdik's, ticking. There was the guy, big and lumpish at the back of the alley.

"H-hey," he stammered, approaching. "Here I am."

"What took you so long?" he rumbled, stepping closer.

"Uhh- uhhhuuhuuh- things. But I'm here now," he said, backing off a little. He didn't like this, the alley was dark and shadowy and he couldn't see anything. And this guy was big. And beefy. And looked too much like Marian's thugs for comfort.

Fire with fire, he thought uneasily, swallowing the hot oil rising in the back of his mouth.

"So you are," the big guy was saying.

"Now. You said you could get me out of this?" he quavered.

"I did say that."

XR nodded, swallowing again. Suddenly a fist closed on his wrist and he gasped sharply.

"I lied," the guy said, shrugging, and XR looked up beside him to see the guy who'd attacked him at Booster's apartment.

"Oh no," he said jerkily, pawing at his wrist. "Oh, no way. No no."

The thug said nothing as he began to drag him back out of the alley. XR squirmed and wriggled in his grip, his engine making a loud, rough whirring noise something like a drawn-out distorted scream.

"No, no no no HEEEEEEEEEEELP! SOMEBODY-"

The guy who'd lured him in walked up behind him and smashed a baseball bat in between his shoulders. It jarred his engine, engaging his auto-shutoff feature. He went still and lifeless as he was dragged out of the alley towards a waiting car.