By Nikholas F. Toledo Zu (niftol@i-manila.com.ph) This is a bad habit I’m starting to pick up. Hopefully, someone will tell me to stop, but while the going’s still good... ***** Kiyone sighed in her seat, in the Yagami. It was, of course, quiet in this neck of the woods, but that was understood. After the whole shebang with Kain, Kagato and Ryoko, it was somewhat of a vacation. Well, actually, after most of her life, it was now very much a vacation. Unfortunately, with her onboard idiot, things won’t be quiet for long... ***** Kiyone (the calmer part of the Galaxy Police’s Dirty Pair) was suddenly adrift. "What?!? A reassignment?!?" As I said, calmer. "Well," her superior said, "there’s this new officer, and... well, she’s the golden child of the higher up..." "I will not be someone’s BABYSITTER!!!" "Uh... excuse me..." Kiyone turned around, to see... "Gaah!!" The sergeant looked sheepish. "Detective First Class Kiyone, here’s your partner, Detective First Class Mihoshi." "Uh... hi." "WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" ***** "Oh, Kiyone..." The blue-haired officer was roused from her reverie. "Yes, Mihoshi?" "Where’s the coffee?" "You still can’t work your Control Cube?" Sigh. "I can work it fine... but I can’t get it to give me coffee..." Kiyone took the cube, did some manipulations, and popped a cup of coffee. "Yaay!" Mihoshi leapt from her seat to hug her partner. "I don’t know what I’d do without you!" Kiyone just dislodged herself from Mihoshi’s embrace, and hoped for a galactic war to start... just so that she would have some semblance of sanity. ***** Their first outing was a complete disaster. "Watch where you point that thing!" "Sorry!" They had hoped to corner the escaped felon, but the thug had packed a gun, and knew how to use it. Kiyone eyed the corridor before her and thought. Then she whispered to Mihoshi, "cover me!" "OK" was all she said. Letting loose a volley, she ran into the corridor. That was exactly when Mihoshi let loose. "Aaaarrrrggghhh!" "Kiyone?" ***** "But, but, I’d thought we’d be partners forever." ***** Kiyone thought back, and then considered the orange headband. She thought back to that time. "Kiyone..." That... that voice. "Yes?" Mihoshi turned to Kiyone. "Have you forgotten? About Mihoshi’s wish?" "No. But we’ve tried as much as we can. The trail’s gotten cold." Mihoshi’s third eye enlarged. "We... we must find the master key..." ***** Sazan eyes forever! BWAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAG! Switch