http://members.aol.com/deunan/index.htm

Prolouge:

	The officer quickly exited his office.  He was used to the treatment.
His reputation among the officers was one part Jekyll and two parts Hyde.  He
couldn't blame them.  -Let's see them have a cherry out look after a decade
and a half of combat.-  He was a soldier and for him the wars never ended.
The dying never stopped.  -And then their was one...-  He looked down at the
casualty list singling out one name.  He prayed to a power he had lost faith
in long ago that she would be the last.  He knew she wouldn't be.
	An alert siren blasted over the PA system.  His door opened.
	"Commander Dieork, theirs a Boomer incident in Sector J-4."  
	"Your down one man.  Ready a place for me."  He grunted.  Quickly,
he grabbed his armor and rifle that lay beside his desk.  The battles
continued and so did the dying.   

________________
MegaTokyo 2033
Memories
An AD Police Fanfiction

by Deunan (deunan@aol.com)


This fic is the continuation 
of the series starting with
Divisions -> Loose Ends

Note: -indicate thoughts-
      [indicate flashbacks]
__________________

	She closed the locker door hearing it creaked shut on its rusted 
hinges.  The fatigue of the long day surged past the will power and caffiene
that had been keeping her awake.  -Another day with your life on the line,
and another day of emptiness.-  She thought to herself.  Exiting the locker 
room, her gaze lingered for a moment on an empty locker.
"Damnit Jeena, why..."  She said under her breath.  
	"Yo groundpounder!"  A voice shouted through the parking garage.  
Anna shook herself from the daze that she had been under.  The walk to her
car was so much of a routine, she didn't even notice it.  She turned seeing
a familar Firebee pilot, with helmet under his arm, climb down from a 
transport truck.  
	"Open casket pilot," she countered half-heartedly.  Everything seemed
so grey and pointless in her eyes now.  
	"Whoa!"  The pilot said holding up his hands, "I didn't mean 
anything.  There's a blood-sucker waiting for you by your car.  Lucky it
ain't a repo man."
	-A lawyer?-  She nodded to the pilot in thanks and headed over to
her car.  
	"What do you want?"  She snapped.  All she wanted was a full nights
sleep.  
	"I'm representing Jeena Malso's limited.....estate, if you'd call it 
that."  The man muttered the last part.  She felt an urge to strike the man.
"You and a Leon McNichols were named as the sole beneficiares.  I could not
seem to find Mr. McNichols though."  The lawyer reached into his coat pocket
and pulled out an envelope.  "Ms. Malso instructions were to leave this to
you."  
	Anne took the envelope from the man.  It was nothing special as any
envelopes went, but it contents represented Jenna herself.  An ackward
look came across the lawyers face.  "Umm...that's kinda it...I'll be 
leaving."  The whole situation seemed to mock Jeena herself.  A uncaring 
lawyer, a single nondescript evelope.  Was that all an impact Jeena made?  Is
that all she was in the damned city?  No one seemed to care that she was
dead.
	The other troopers shrugged it of.  Commander Dieork hid all 
emotions and excused her from the room.  -Has death become so familar that it
has numbed us all?-  Carefully, she placed the envelope into her coat pocket
and reentered the main building.  She had to make a phone call.
***

	The ringing continued over and over.  He burrowed himself deeper
under the covers to block out the noise.  It was to no avail.  Groggily, he
grabbed the phone off the hook.
	"What, damn it?!"  The voice replied very softly.
	"McNichols?  Its Annabelle Wilson, remember me?"  All drowsiness
dissappeared in a flash.  He bolted awake immediatly.  His heart began to 
beat in anticipation and nervousnous.  It was easy to find the reason.  Anna 
knew Jeena.  He despretely clung to the memories of the shape of her face, 
the sound of her voice, all the little details that made up her.  So many
friends 
and comrades died, their faces and names had seemingly blended together.
	He could remember one how it happened or the face of their loved ones
when he delievered the news, but never the joking laughter or image of their
face.  Their was one squaddie...blonder hair...a women...
	
	[Find her arm damnit!!!  Somebody find her arm!!!  Crimson blood 
was everywhere, so was the screaming.
	'Where's the medic!?'  His voice shouted in desperation.]  She died
in his arms.  -What was her name!?!- He screamed mentally.

He couldn't do that Jeena.  It was his only gift he had for the dead.  
Annabelle's voice brought him back to the present.

	"...meet at her apartment in an hour."
	"Yeah, sounds fine."  He said hoarsely feeling his emotions surge
once more.  He made his way through the ritual of showering and getting 
dressed.  Just as he was finishing combing his hair, the door to the 
apartment opened.
	"Honey, I'm home."  Daley called out jokingly carrying a bag of
groceries.
	"Glad to see your restocking the fridge considering how you raided
it lastnight.  When is the repairs going to be done on your apartment 
anyways?"  
	"Four or five days.  Its not like I wanted my roomate to rent a
boomer while I was gone."  Daley replied.  "I think the Tac squad swiped some
of my DVD's from my apartment while they were filling it with holes... Why'd 
you ask anyways?  We get to spend so much more time together." 
	 Leon chuckled.
	"Its not that.  Your cramping my style.  All my girlfriends are more
interested in you.  Got any lunch in that bag?"  A familar smell greeted his
nose.  "Hot pastrami....I love you Daley."
	"You only want me for my body."  Daley tossed him the wrapped
hoogie to him.  "Anyways, why are you getting dressed up?  I thought you were
going to catch up on sleep?"  He saw a grave look pass over his friends face. 
	"I've got some buisness to attend to."  Leon said gravely.  Daley
nodded knowingly; they both suffered serving in the line of duty.  As he
watched Leon leave, he wondered how much more Leon could take.  

***

	Annabelle stood in the open doorway looking into the small apartment.
She didn't move an inch almost as if afraid to disturb any linger spirits.
Unconciously, she massaged the back of her neck.
	-Do you know Jenna? Do you know its my fault?-  It was eating at her 
so slowly as if to torture her.  Not even at her gravesite, did she have the
courage to confess her guilt. She wanted to cry but found no tears.  She was
so drained mentally.  The extra shifts were all to drive away the pain and 
despair.
	Warm hand touched her shoulder.
	"You all right?"  A worried masculine voice asked.  
	"Yeah,"  she said ackwardly.  "Just overwhelmed."  Leon nodded in
agreement.  They entered the small apartment together.  Lost in thoughts of
the past, they wandered looking through the assorted objects. 
	A magazine or two thrown carelessly on the ground.  Some paperbacks
lying on a small shelf.  Leon pulled one.
	'All Quiet on the Western Front.'  He pulled another.  'A Farewll
To Arms.'  and another... 'For Whom The Bell Tolls.'  -Never knew you loved
the classics.-  He flipped to a random page.  -All the horrors of battle 
and you still went out day after day.  You saw it their was no end to it out
on the lines...-  He rememberd the haunted look in her eyes.  -Was it duty or
were you trapped over your head?-
	Annabelle ran her hands over the furniture.  Her eyes passed over
everything with slow linger glances as if to find something.     A wave
of depression passed over her.  -Nothing, absolutely nothing.-  Their were
no photos of family, no personal effects, nothing except a handful of 
reguarly used items of everyday use.
	
	They were looking for different things.  Leon searched for reasons
while Annabelle searched for the soul.  

	A simple notebook lay on her nightstand.  Curiously, Annabelle picked
it up flipping through slowly.  

		I still remember the quake...Kai, Mother, Father...all of 
		them are all gone.  All alone now...    

	Almost fearfully, she turned the pages reading into Jenna's memories.
>From a young hopeful girl to the dark cynical person they knew, she saw it
all.  The pieces picked apart from her soul bit by bit.  Their was no mention
of her cybernetic arm save one entry.  A dream, the cyber parts consuming
her body as she cried out for death to end the pain.
	"Anna? Find something?"  Leon gestured to the notebook.  
	"Its her journal."  She said horsely.  "Piece by piece, it was taken
from her."
	"What are you talking about?"  
	"In her eyes, her humanity.  In mine, her hope, her happiness.  She
let it get to her, the fighting, the dying, the darkness, and it overwhelmed
her.  Don't you see it?  She blocked herself off from the world never taking
that chance for love and joy, then slowly she...she..."  Her words trailed
off.  Her eyes seemed to focus on something far off.
	Leon nodded somewhat knowingly.  Some handled the stress diffrently.
Some people would: let it out, hide it, let it in, and others would crack.
-And what about me?  My own demons...is this how I'm going to end up, dead
with nothing left behind but a few friends?-  He shivered in fear.  -Why is
she being so poetic about it?-
	"This...this is..," Leon fought for the words.  "This is morbid.  
What are we doing here?"  He exclaimed almost forcing the words out.  "She's
dead nothings going to change that."  
	The words shook her out of her 'trance'.  
	"Answers..."  She whispered.  Leon walked over to the small 
kitchenette.  Opening a cuberd, he withdrew a six pack of beer.  He tossed
her a can.  
	"Its where she lived, not where she died."  He tapped a finger to his
temple.

--------
	Anna leaned back against the chair laughing.  Even through the cloud
of alchohal, she could see the images Leon was weaving.  They both had lost
track of time.  They talked for seemingly hours.  Memories flowed freely of
both joy and of pain.  Leon tossed back the can finishing it off.  
	"..s'funny, I saved her once.  Emptied a full clip into a boomer
fusing with her arm."  He crushed the can in his grip, "It was raping her 
mind..She yelled it screaming for me to shoot the fucker I hesitated first...
after, I never asked, never wondered."  He said softy.  She raised the cold
can  against her forehead.  The cool metal soothing the growing headache.  
"She was never the same."  "I can't help wondering if I'd only blasted the 
thing  faster that things would be different."
	-Chance...everything choice or chance-  
	"Its my fault Jenna's dead.  I offered my watch to her, and she
got killed on it.  I had a damn lunch with a friend I didn't really like!" 
She shouted wincing at the strength of her own words.  Leon watched in 
silence.  "Remember the Friedman case?  Eight officers guilty of corruption.
We protect our own, that's how it is.  What a damn good job I did of 
protecting, Jenna."  
	"No sympathy Anna,"  Leon replied almost coldly, "None from me.  
We've all been through that.  I saw your file, four years in Normal before
the ADP.  Don't give me that shit."  Leon growled angrily.  "Things like that
happen.  Get off of it!"  Anna rocked back from the force of his words.  A 
long silence followed.  They both eyed their beers.  It was so easy to wash
the pain away, but they both knew it would return.  "Its more than that isn't 
it?"  
	He watched her eyes go wide with shock.  "Leon, I'm not gay."  
-How many beers have we downed?-  "But I loved her, closer than anyone I've
known, even my realitives.  We fought, bleed, and drank together.  Somethin..
something, happens between...," she tried to put the feelings into words.
	"I know.  That connection, the complete trust, all of it.  I thought
she knew me inside and out.  Her eyes, they had a way of looking into you."
Anna shook her head.
	"Its not that simple."  She paused choosing the words with care.
"Why did you join up?"
	He shrugged, "I'm not really sure.  My familes been a police clan
since my ancestors moved to the Old US.  I guess deep down I like serving,
doing the dirty work.  And you?"  
	She sat down resting her face in her hands.  A deep breath worked
through her body.  "I don't know anymore.  First, it was helping people, but
now...I'm not sure.  My grandfather, he was a soldier in the UN-RDF, he
said you join up because of your sense of duty but fight for your comrades
in the field.  But now, she's dead..."
	A light buzzing sound filled the room.  Leon looked at his watch.
	"Shit, boomer."
	Without another word, they both leapt to their feet heading for the
door.  They had a job to do.  Anna took one glance back towards the open
journal before closing and locking the door to the apartment.

			June , 26 2033
	I felt it again, that dark feeling...I can almost see the
	pain on her face and the boomer's eyes.  Its the same
	feeling, the one I felt when the sexaroid almost killed
	Leon.  I feel the fear coursing through me.  I can't let her die.  
	Not like this.  Give me the strength...Maybe she'll understand one
	day.
			*		*		*

	Leon pulled at his shirt collar; the summer heat was getting to him.
"Hey Chief, when the hell do we get the AC fixed!" He yelled irritably.  
	"When hell freezes over, we'll have enough money in the buget for
crap like that!!!"  Came the response.  Groaning, Leon propped his feet
on the desk fanning himself with a folder.
	 He didn't notice the foot steps heading in his direction.
	"Hello Leon," came the familar voice.  
	"Anna," he said in surprise, "Whatcha doing here?" She pulled a chair from an
unoccupied desk.   An apologetic look crossed her face.  "What's the matter?" 
	"I'm leaving, Leon.  I came to say good-bye.  I'm moving to LA." 
	"WHAT?!"  He said startled bolting upright.  "How could you?!"
	"Look, I don't want to end up like Jenna, dead inside."  She snapped.
	"Your a cop, so was Jeena."  He replied angrily.
	"Leon...," she averted her gaze, "I know you feel an obligation to
her; she's dead.  God knows I feel like I'm betraying her.  Maybe Jeena 
wanted us to fight, maybe she wanted us to live, maybe she didn't give a shit
about us.  I just can't take it any more.  I feel it.  Everyday, its like 
I'm losing a part of myself.  I want to live."  She paused.    
	"At least you could have told me sooner," he said repressing his
anger and betrayl."  She shook her head.
	"You wouldn't have understood.  You still don't."  She said sadly
"I'll call or something."  He simply nodded.  She left.  Looking down at the 
stack of papers, Jeena's dogtags sparked in the lights.  He looked at them, 
the name plate, the ring, and the small tricket ward.  
	  He looked back up; Anna was gone.  He sat their for a long time
staring at Jeena's dogtags.

END
note: If you look closely in the AD Police Files animation Jenna's dogtags
DO have the standard name identifcation plate thing, a simple gold (I presume
) ring, and what seems to be a ward so I'm not making it up.