Last Time:
Erica and the others learned that Saipia is a cyborg and the first Genoid ever created. They also learned that she has been plagued by the riddle of who exactly she is. Her identity was further complicated by the fact that when she's switching prosthetic bodies, she has to upload all of her conscientiousnesses into her computer. All three of them. This was the first we've seen of the other two minds that normally inhabit Saipia's body. They are Tiffany Summers, Saipia's former human self, and a white wolf named Lasola. Lasola and Tiffany are the two beings that were originally combined to make the Genoid Saipia. It was hinted that the other Fifteen have had similar issues with their previous selves. However, now isn't the time to be dwelling on identities. Now, it's time to crash Sebastian's party and find out, once and for all just what he's up to in the Season Finale.
Saipia and her team decided to forgo any sort of vehicle. It was only a couple miles to the tower that was Sebastian's hideout, and she figured everyone could use the exercise. Because of this, they packed light. Saipia took the most weapons with a shotgun, assault rifle and a pistol. The rest took an assault rifle and a handgun. Erica carried the extra ammo.
Erica had changed her spots and Saipia was in her white fur. All of them changed into more casual clothes with their weapons either stored in sheaths underneath their clothes or in backpacks. Casually, the group walked down the streets.
Tossa wore a beret to protect her identity from any of Sebastian's computers. She also looked very different in civilian clothes. Jimmy also wore civilian clothes. Dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans and sunglasses, he didn't stand out much despite the fact that he was a walking, talking border collie. "This still feels weird, Commander," he protested.
"Don't call me by my rank at the moment. Call me Tiffany, if you have to call me anything. Also, act like you don't know me. You and Tossa can team up, but I don't want it to seem like there's a group of four Genoids heading towards the building. We might try to space ourselves out a bit to fulfill the illusion. Maybe do some window shopping. But no real shopping. Unless it's a cup of coffee or a quick snack,"Saipia ordered.
Tossa and Jimmy nodded as Saipia made a sudden turn into a coffee shop with Erica in toe. Tossa and Jimmy meandered on ahead of their boss who was soon back out on the sidewalk, a few yards behind them. "You're enjoying this walk a little too much, don't you think, Tiffany?"
"And you're enjoying using my human name a little too much, Cathy," returned Saipia.
The leopard looked at her boss a moment, trying to read her expressions and mannerisms. "You've been spending some time with my siblings," said the cat who proceeded to sniff the wolf's fur and clothing. "Luke to be exact. I mean, I know you shower everyday, but his stench is REALLY hard to get out with him being an animal cop and all."
"How do you think I got Synder? Luke fought with me more than I thought he would. But he gave up your middle name without hesitation," the white canine commented before taking a long sip from her Americano.
Erica took a bit of her biscotto to keep her mouth occupied. "You know, though. I've never noticed most of these shops before. Like I didn't even know that coffee shop was there."
"I'll have to take you on walks more often," Saipia smiled.
"Hey, shouldn't I be saying that to you, since you're the dog?" Erica retorted.
"Don't you dare call me a dog, you little bitch. Don't forget I'm still your superior officer and we're still on duty," warned the canine.
Erica swallowed another bite from her Italian pastry before speaking again, "You know, Tiffany, you may have trouble with who and what you are, but if you ask me, you are more wolf than human. I mean, of all the foods on this planet, you're favorite is ribs with some nice juicy bones. And the meat has to be raw. You're an awesome problem solver, which is another wolf trait. You're bold, tenacious, fierce, wild...a wolf, through and through."
"Yeah, I just hate these stupid machines. I mean, Kammy did an awesome job with the upgrade, don't get me wrong, but I still feel artificial. It's not how I move that's not right. I just don't feel like myself anymore. I don't feel human. I don't feel like a wolf. And, thus, I don't even feel like a Genoid. I feel...like a damn robot. Which pisses me off. Granted, a lot of the arguing within my circuits has stopped, but still. It's the little things. The weight of my arms is just a fraction off, but I don't ever really get tired, because I have no muscles to strain my heart. My heart is only pumping blood to my lungs and brain and stomach. So, even when if I were to run from one side of the city to the other at full sprint, I barely get tired. I'm sure upgrading to a full prosthetic body won't feel that much better either. Speaking of, I haven't talk to Kammy about that yet, but I assume it's not going to be an easy task to map my brain patterns onto a prosthetic brain. I'll probably be out of the office for a while and I kind of want to put you in charge. Unless you want to hang out with me while I become entirely machine," complained the cyborg.
"I can run things while you're gone, no problem. I mean you'll have Kammy and Linda and probably Isan there with you the whole time, so it's not like you need any MORE protection," Erica agreed after finishing off her iced coffee.
Saipia nodded and heaved a sigh into her coffee. Casually they came up to Jimmy and Tossa again while they waited for the walk sign to flash at an intersection. As they stood there, Saipia noticed one of Sebastian's goons walking right towards them. "We've got company, it would appear," she commented as the group casually started crossing. All four officers caught the human rushing towards the crosswalk behind them.
At an alley, Saipia brushed imaginary dust off of Jimmy's back. Jimmy almost instinctively read the command and he guided Tossa into the alley while Saipia and Erica continued on, still casually sipping on their coffee as it nothing was wrong. The goon glanced towards the alley, but decided to follow the two higher ranking officers instead.
Whether out of stupidity or duty, the goon, figuring he could take on both women, pulled out his pistol and moved towards the Genoids."Saipia, stop right there."
"Well, it would appear our disguises don't work," Erica commented as the two obediently halted.
Across the street, another goon saw what was going on and began to wave his hands and shout at his comrade to stop what he was doing. The women noticed this. "You want..." Erica started.
"You can handle our friend here. I'm far more interested in his friend," said the wolf, who turned towards the goon across the street and backflipped towards the building behind her. Launching off the wall, she easily cleared the street and brought her skilled, mechanical, shoe-clad foot down on his shoulder, resulting in is collar bone to crack.
Erica smiled at her boss's skill and effortlessly grabbed the first goon's gun, crushing it. She then simply punched him in the gut and pinned him against the wall of the building she was standing in front of.
"So, who tipped you off that we were coming?" Saipia asked her goon as she zip tied him to a lamppost.
"What are you talking about?" the man nervously answered.
Saipia grabbed him by the collar and brought him only inches from her nose. "If you want to keep your arms, I would suggest you start answering my questions honestly." the cyborg canine emphasised this point by pulling him away from the lamppost. Far enough to hear his joints strain at the weight.
The man screamed in pain. "Sebastian's been paying some of the cops to keep an eye on you. We just got a call this morning that you were getting ready to storm the base."
"You got the call? Does that imply that Sebastian doesn't know about our little raid, yet?" interrogated the wolf.
The man shook his head. "Sebastian's going to try and rape one of the Genoids in his collection today. I didn't want to be disturbed."
"Hmm...Good. His arrogance will be his downfall. Now, you and your little friend are going to be good little humans and stay put. I'm sure a van will be by shortly to take you to prison. But, if you do escape, I don't want you warning your friends. So..." and with that, she slammed his head against the pole just hard enough to knock him out.
Just as Erica was zip-tying her goon to a bench, Saipia lept back over and looked at her with a wicked smile. "We should probably speed things up a bit. Apparently Sebastian's looking to get forcibly lucky, today."
"You do realize that Gjai can take care of herself. As can Isan and the others," Erica replied.
"Yes. But it's not them I'm really worried about. I don't know if he has any other Genoids in that building. So, are you up for a little jog?" the canine asked.
Erica nodded. "Although, I can actually get tired," said the cat.
"Don't make excuses," Saipia said and took off with Erica right behind her.
The main floor was heavily guarded. Everyone was is guard uniforms and all had pistols. "Damn. It would sure seem that Sebastian doesn't want any unwanted guests."
"Well, he should have thought about that before he kidnapped your friends, huh?" Erica replied.
"I thought this whole mission was for the other Genoids he's captured," Tossa remarked.
"That is what she will put into her report. Truth is, however, she's far more concerned about Gjai and the lions than anyone else," explained Jimmy.
Saipia smiled are her team and dug into her pocket for an SPG. You kids ready for this?" The three others glanced at each other, then at their commander and nodded with a similar smile. "Well, then, get your guns. Erica, you can keep mine warm, for me. I'm going to pass out the invitations to this little party."
Without another word the white wolf made her way casually to the front door of the building and opened it. "Excuse me, boys, but do you happen to have a bathroom? I really need to tinkle," she said in a sultry tone, while clutching her thighs together.
"Sure thing, miss. I'll show ya," said one of the guards as he eyed her with a lustful look that made Saipia want to throw up.
"Great," she said as she eyed the security desk. "But first, why don't I leave my cellphone here." With that she laid her little SPG on the desk and followed the guard towards a unmarked door. The guard began to close the door behind Saipia, but just as he was about to latch it, the bright blue flash of the Static Pulse Grenade lit up the lobby.
"What the hell..." the guard exclaimed.
"Damn. I was hoping you wouldn't see that. Not that it makes any difference," Saipia commented and pounced on the human, slamming him against the partially shut door hard enough to force it open the wrong way, snapping the hinges. His fellow guards saw the commotion and turned her way, but not before she leaped back into the room.
The attention of the guards was now divided between the front of the building and the back. It was an opportunity that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of Saipia's team. Within a moment a shotgun was hurled across the room and into Saipia's hands. In another instant, the wolf unloaded the first round into the first guard to whip around the corner. It didn't take her long to empty the entire gun. After it was empty, she tossed it aside. "This really is taking too long, boys," she commented as she casually walked out of the cell, slamming a heavy fist into one of the guards, knocking him out cold.
Erica tossed Saipia's rifle to her. "It's a good thing I knew you'd be in a hurry. I didn't even bother to pack you any extra ammo."
"And what if your intuition was wrong, Captain?" Saipia scolded.
"Oh, I brought plenty of ammo for my gun," Erica replied, smiling at her own joke.
Saipia, Tossa and Jimmy all laughed at Erica's comment. "Cocky little bitch. Just don't let it go to your head."
Even while they were talking, they were mopping up the guards. Soon they were all dead and the only living creatures in the lobby were the Genoids. Saipia tossed her gun aside and made a beeline for the elevators with Erica right behind her. "Tossa, Jimmy take the stairs and meet us on the top level. Make sure no one crashes the party," ordered the leopard as she hurried after her commander.
As the elevator began it's ascent to the top floor, Erica replaced the empty clip in her assault rifle with a full one while a small hatch in Saipia's right shoulder opened an a hilt of a sword appeared. The wolf took the hilt and drew her long white sword. "Are you sure you're going to be alright, my old friend," the leopard asked as she analyzed the look on the canine's face.
Saipia just glanced at her friend without saying a word. "Yeah. You'll be fine...once you know Gjia and Isan and the others are safe. Especially, Isan though. You already feel guilty for having her go through this mission, and you couldn't stand it if something happened to her. That's why you broke up with her in the first place. It was to protect her. That's why you're a cop."
"Then you'll back me up, won't you?" Saipia asked.
Erica nodded. "Don't I always?"
As the doors swung open, they were greeted by several more guards. These, however, had swords instead of guns. The instant the doors open, one of them swung their swords towards the wolf who effortlessly caught it with her bare hand. The guards were shocked almost as equally as Erica was. Before anyone could recover from their shock, Saipia snapped the blade in half with a simple flick of her wrist while wrapping her free hand around the human's throat. "You're in my way," she muttered and tossed the man against the wall, knocking him out instantly.
As Saipia and Erica entered the hall that lead to Sebastian's chamber, the guards protecting him suddenly weren't so sure about fighting the wolf. Another guard attacked. Saipia blocked with her sword without even flinching. A hard fist connected with his chin, breaking his jaw. A wolfish growl began to emit from Saipia's throat, while her wolf lips curled away from her fangs and gums to reveal 42 razor sharp teeth. In fear, one of the guards whipped out a pistol and fired, but Saipia simply side stepped it and took hold of the man's hand. "Naughty boy, it's not nice to shoot guns at a lady. I'll just have to take that arm away." With that, Saipia grabbed the man's throat and pulled at his arm until the arm tore away from his body.
"Saipia!" Erica shouted. "You're getting a little carried away."
"And what would a simple cat know about the affairs of wolves?" Saipia questioned.
That response took Erica by surprise and caused her to halt in her pursuit of her boss. The look in Saipia's eyes wasn't all that pleasant, either, and the stillness of her tail also warned the leopard to stay back. Then, a smile broke across her face and she scoffed at question. "Like you can even lecture me about getting involved in the affairs of different species. I seem to recall you're doing this whole thing to rescue a lioness. If you ask me, that's not very wolf-like."
Saipia's expression quickly changed at that. The fierceness on her face vanished and a red glow seemed to appear in her cheeks. "Yeah, whatever. She's just a member of my pack, is all."
"As am I. But you can't just rush in and kill everyone in your path. You are a cop, after all," remarked Erica.
"Fine, I'll do this your way," sighed the wolf as she pulled another SPG from her pocket and flung it down the hall. After a flash of blue light, the remaining guards dropped to the ground. "Killing them would have been much more satisfying, though."
"Yeah, but what's the point of killing if you're not going to eat them?" Erica asked.
"Who says I wasn't?" Saipia joked and glanced back to see a scolding look on Erica's face. "I'm kidding. Human's don't taste that good, anyway."
The two hurried on towards a set of large oak doors. Without stopping, Saipia smashed through them, revealing Sebastian holding a knife to the hem of Gjai's jeans. A gag was in her mouth and her hands and legs were tied.
In another part of the room, Isan and her family were on their feet in an instant, in a false attempt to retrain the new intruders. "Stop right t here, Sebastian Stone. You dare harm a hair on her head, I'll cut your head off," Saipia said, pointing her sword at the human.
Gjai promptly spit out her gag and strained a moment at the handcuffs. "Took you long enough."
"Are you mad? Can't you see I my best bodyguards are here?" said Sebastian.
"Actually, we were just leaving," Isan said as the boys slipped past the two cops. "Have fun, Saipia." Here Isan paused a moment and put her hand on the back of Saipia's neck. "You owe me more than you know, old woman," she muttered and placed a loving kiss on the wolf's lips. "My old woman." With that, she moved towards the door pausing only briefly to say: "And, Erica, don't let her do anything too stupid. Not that I would care if she threw Sebastian out a window, but if she gets fired for doing so, I'll hold you personally responsible."
"Oh, go dunk your head in a sewer, Isan," Erica shouted back.
Sebastian was in shock as a cold sweat began to bead on his head. "Wh-What the hell is going on?"
"Isan is Saipia's ex-girlfriend, you dim-witted pervert. And, now that you've determined that she's fine, how about helping your sister out, Saipia?" Gjai explained.
Saipia instantly stuck her sword in the floor and marched over to Sebastian and grabbed him by the throat. "Did you really think you could kidnap my sister and get away with it?"
"But the Prophetess..." Sebastian started.
"Lied through her teeth because she knew if she told you the truth, you'd just have her killed. Don't you get it, Sebastian? Liv, Isan, Gjai, Lyst...they're all my friends. You've been screwing with every single one of them." Saipia slammed him against a window of the room.
Erica, out of instinct put a bullet through the arm the held up the human, causing Saipia to drop him. "You little bitch!"
"You can't kill him, Sai. I know you want to. Trust me, I want to, as well. But we're cops," Erica said.
Gjai finally broke out of her restraints and marched over to the human slammed against the glass again. "Well, I'm not," said the doctor, bringing her sharp fangs inches from his face. "But I think keeping him alive will be far more torturous for him. I mean, didn't Lyst say that it would be those who he once abused that kill him."
Saipia nodded as she put the man in handcuffs. "Yeah. And we don't know when that's going to happen."
As Saipia, Erica and Gjai made their way towards the main door of the building, Isan was there to greet them. The smile on the lioness's face informed them that she was glad they were alright. Calmly, the cat approached Saipia and promptly slammed a fist into her right cheek. Before Saipia could complain, Isan grabbed her by the collar and brought her inches from her face. "If you EVER order my family or anyone to do something like this again, I'll break into your house and kick your ass. I don't appreciate having my family killed just to fit into your little scheme. And I REALLY don't like you taking advantage of my feelings for you."
"I'm not..." Saipia started.
"Don't lie to me, Saipia. I know how your brain works. And I know it always tells you that I'll do anything for you because I still love you. But you know what, I'm not going to play that game anymore. You're getting far too reckless with your orders and your schemes. You put every one of us at risk, you made it impossible for you to keep your secrets and then you strut around like everything is fine," scolded the cat. Neither woman knew what else to say. "Nothing's fine, Sai. You have no idea what that bastard did to us. Don't do it again, you got me?"
"Yeah. Isan, I'm..." Another deep kiss from the cat cut off Saipia's words.
"And make sure Kammy gets home safely tonight," the words were said through tears as Isan wandered off towards her vehicle and her home.
"She does have a point, Sai. Hell, I'm pretty pissed at you, myself. You pulled one hell of a stunt and almost got everyone killed. For someone who prides herself in problem solving, I don't think what you came up with was the correct answer," Erica agreed.
Saipia sighed and hauled Sebastian towards a waiting patrol car. After stuffing him in, she simply began to walk. Not towards the precinct, but towards home. Her direction caught everyone's attention. "Hey, where the hell does she think she's going?" asked James.
Erica and Gjai sighed in unison. "She's had a rough few days, I would think," Gjai answered.
"That's understandable. I mean, revealed that she's..." started Jimmy.
"She almost got everyone she cares about killed," said Tossa. "She's supposed to be this great leader, known throughout the land as being a skilled problem solver and she very nearly failed this mission."
"And some of her relationships with those closest to her have been strained. Isan used to be madly in love with her, but I think this whole deal almost made Isan a real enemy. And everyone's been yelling at her lately," Erica added.
"None of that even remotely answers my question," James retorted.
"She's going home to think," Jack said. "And, probably, to cry."
Saipia wasn't about to cry, though. It had been a long time since she had. She was, however, fed up with herself. As she arrived home and burst through the door, she quickly removed her button-up shirt and all her weapons and bullet-proof vest. Quickly she tapped the code for the basement and wandered down the steps. There, Kammy was still busy with making updates to everything she could get her hands on. "Hey, Saipia. Aren't you home a little early?" asked the lioness.
Saipia didn't say anything. She just placed her hands on the control panel of her computer banks. She searched her brain for any reason why she would mess up so badly. "Hey Kammy, you're a medical engineer, do you have any idea what's happening to me?"
"Happening to you? What do you mean?" asked the younger Genoid.
"I mean...I actually got you and your family killed. I almost got Gjai killed as well as Lyst and Ginger and Liv and...I never used to be this horrible at making plans. Hell, if Erica or someone had come up with the plan I did, I probably would have at least suspended them," said Saipia.
Kammy just giggled at the wolf. "Saipia, how old are you?"
"I'm twenty..." Sai started.
Again, the feline giggled. "You honestly believe that body of yours made you younger, don't you? You can't lie about it, either. I've seen those readings that your computers take every time you change bodies. You're extremely hard on them and, thus, your own organs. But, you're not twenty-seven, Sai. You're seventy-three. Almost seventy-four. You're no where near as old as you would like to believe you are. And your brain is just as old. And don't think switching to an all-prosthetic body will help. I mean, it will improve your brain functions slightly, but your soul is still very old and very tired. If I thought you'd listen to me, I'd even suggest you retire and just take it easy."
"But I haven't finished the mission I set out to do," said Saipia.
"Right. Just be careful with that. There might just come a day when you can't complete that mission yourself. Someday you will have to retire and hand off your work to someone else. And don't expect Erica to do that. She'd worry way too much about you. I suspect she'll end up taking care of you in your final days," Kammy replied.
"My final days?" Saipia questioned, not quiet believing there was such a thing.
The lioness nodded. "I just finished doing some calculations, and I've determined that you have a few more decades in you, but, I think, once you reach the century mark, it'll be time to retire for you, and that's WITH a fully prosthetic body."
Saipia sighed and leaned against the computer console. "That gives me thirty years to complete what I set out to do." Another more frustrated sigh escaped her lips. "And I suppose I can't simply decide on the best plan of action on my own anymore, either."
"And that, my dear, is why you have us and the Angels. Sure, we'd gladly give our lives to help you complete your mission, but in truth, we follow you because we're your friends and family and we know you're not nearly as independent as you want to believe. We spent two years trapped in plastic tubes with your father. We know how crazy he was and we know how crazy your mother is, as well. We just wanted you to know that you weren't alone," Kammy replied and gave her old friend a warm hug.
Their ears perked to the sound of the garage door opening. "Speaking of Erica..." Saipia replied.
"Aww...she even bought you some treats. You must have been a good..." Kammy started.
"You dare finish that sentence, and I'll take my chances with Isan and kick your ass," growled the aging wolf.
Kammy giggled as the door to the basement slid open and Erica made her way down the steps. "You, my friend, are in some serious trouble. James' pissed, the chief is pissed, Gjai's pissed...But, fear not, I told them to all go jump in a nice cold lake and cool off."
Saipia scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I hope you have another job lined then. I'm not going to let you stay here for free."
"That's alright, 'cause I will," Gjai commented as she popped her head in.
"Like hell you will. It's my house. I'll just kick you out, as well. You and your useless bodyguard," Saipia retorted.
"Nah, you won't kick any of us out. Someone's gotta make sure she takes her pills and change her diapers," Erica said.
"You're lucky you bought me ribs, you crazy little bitch. Now, if you're all done poking fun at my age..." Saipia started.
"You're going to eat your ribs and take a nap at three in the afternoon," Erica said causing Gjai and Kammy to laugh along with the leopardess.
A deep red blush as she snatched the grocery sack from Erica's hand. Saipia paused at the top of the stairs and glanced back at her friends below. "Seriously, though, thanks ladies. I don't know what I'd do without you. A wolf couldn't ask for any better friends to grow old with."
"Right. You want someone to tuck you in?" Erica asked.
"Nah. Thanks for the offer, though. You're free to go work on your cars," said the white canine. "And Kammy, everything looks great. I've never had the basement so quiet. And this new body feels great. Thanks a lot."
""You're welcome, Sai. Any time. I still have a lot of work to do, but I suspect Isan will want to see me tonight. Just to make sure I'm alive. So, after dinner, I'll hit the road, but I'll be back tomorrow to finish everything up," Kammy replied.
"Don't be afraid to let yourself in. Just don't set off the alarms. I'm going to try and sleep in a bit tomorrow. Tomorrow...everything changes," said the white wolf.
