The Bubblegum Crisis Center > Extras > Fan Fiction
Instrumantatum Vocalle 2040 - Trading Places
Natasha looked at her watch and grinned. Only ten more minutes till quitting time. Usually she would stay an hour or so after work, she liked the quiet, but, it was Friday and she was looking forward to the weekend.
Her phone's incessant ringing pulled her out of her reverie.
"CIC, Romanov speaking. How may I help you?"
"Hi Natasha, it's me Linna."
Linna didn't sound to good, her voice was scratchy and it sounded like she had a stuffed up nose.
"Hey there. What's going on?"
"Nothing much. Um... I was wondering, could you pick me up at the doctors office?"
Natasha smiled to herself, of all the people she could have called she called her. It fit though; Linna had confessed her love for her last month. It still surprised her but what was most surprising was that Natasha genuinely reciprocated the feelings. She'd never have admitted it and had figured that she and Linna were just real good friends. But when Linna had made her confession Natasha was in a way forced to come to grips with the situation and had accepted it.
"Um.. Sure. Is everything alright?"
"I've got a real bad cold. The doctor say's it not a good idea to drive."
"Well OK, where are you at."
Natasha got the directions from her and for the first time in months clocked out at exactly five.
When Natasha arrived at the doctor's office the sun was beginning to go down which cast a wonderful orange and yellow glow about the city. Linna was waiting for her at the main entrance looking miserable.
After putting the bike in the trunk Natasha drove her home.
"So how're you feeling?"
"Miserable. I hate being sick." Linna remarked in between sniffles.
"Well, I don't know that many people who do."
"True." She agreed, amidst sniffles.
When they got to her building Natasha walked her to her room and said good buy. She'd only made it a few steps when she heard Linna coughing. Natasha stood there for a few minutes pondering what to do next. After all she didn't have anything super important to do this weekend and Linna was sick. Her mind made up she walked back and knocked on the door. When Linna answered the door she looked horrible. Natasha pushed her inside gently and closed the door.
"Ok, sit down."
She took her dress uniform top off and hung in on the coat rack followed by her shoulder holster. Kicking off her boots she walked past Linna, who still had a surprised look on her face, up the stairs into the bathroom and drew a bath. Once that was started she walked down and stood in front of Linna.
"Ok, stand up."
Linna did so reluctantly. Natasha reached over and turned her around pulled her jacket off and set it aside.
"Now you're shirt."
Linna obliged and unbuttoned her blouse which Natasha slid off and set atop the jacket.
"OK you know the drill, pants, and all your other dressings. Then upstairs into the tub."
Without a word and with a meek look Linna obeyed.
"You don't have to do all this Tasha."
Tasha smiled knowingly.
"I know."
Linna smiled and padded to the tub. Natasha went to the kitchen and started some tea, western style. None of that bitter crap they served over here. A lemon slice here and a spoonful of honey there. Killing deranged boomers wasn't the only thing she learned in the military. On the way to the bathroom she could hear Linna coughing again. She picked up her prescription and pulled out the appropriate number of pills.
When she entered the bathroom she was sitting in the tub slumped over looking pitiful.
She was still gorgeous though. Kneeling at the side of the tub Natasha put the tea on the lip of the tub and handed the pills and a glass of water to Linna, who dutifully swallowed them. Without a word, Natasha reached over for the soap and washcloth and lathered it up. Linna was a little self conscious and turned away slightly. Natasha smiled, it made it easier to get to her back. Linna jumped at first than gave in as Natasha gave her a good back scrub. She motioned towards the cup of tea and Linna picked it up and nursed it while Natasha gave her a gentle back rub.
"Feel better?"
Linna turned her head and gave her a warm smile. Natasha reached over and stroked a strand of wet hair out of her eyes and gave her a kiss on her forehead.
"Ok, you can finish the naughty bits while I fix up the bed."
Linna looked up with a nod as Natasha left.
She had just finished fluffing the pillows when Linna meandered in wearing a bathrobe. Natasha pointed to a clean set of PJ's that she'd laid out and watched in fascination as Linna disrobed in the middle of the room and slowly, as if she was in pain, put on her nightclothes.
"You have no shame, you know that don't you?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't..."
"Don't worry about it." Tasha laughed.
Linna blushed as she crawled into bed.
"Here, lean forward."
Linna did so and Natasha started to give her a back massage. She could feel the tension drain out of Linna as she melted like putty. She looked back and gave Natasha a contented smile.
"Why are you so good to me?"
She wrapped her arms around Linna and whispered onto her ear.
"Because you're very special to me."
Natasha tucked her in and gave her another kiss on the forehead.
"I'm going to take your house keys alright."
"Why?"
"So I can let myself in tomorrow."
"Oh."
"Now you try to get some sleep, I'll see you first thing."
As she turned to leave Linna grabbed her hand.
"Tasha?"
"Yeah sweetie?"
"Thank you so much. I just, well, how did I get so lucky?"
Natasha sat down on the bed and stroked Linna's head, pushing some errant hair from her eyes.
"I don't know, but you're not the only lucky one, now get some sleep okay."
Natasha patted her cheek as she stood.
"Night."
Linna had already conked out. Natasha turned out the lights and made a sweep of the apartment making sure everything was off and secure.
The next morning Natasha stopped by the market on the way over and picked up some supplies. The apartment was just the way she left it when she showed up. Setting down the goodies she checked up on Linna. She was still asleep and it looked as if she had tossed and turned all night. Natasha went back down into the living room and opened all the windows and hooked up her PS9 that she'd brought over. After she had unloaded the bags she set about cooking up something to eat. Breakfast in bed would be a nice touch she thought. Well, more like lunch anyway. When the meal was done she took it up only to find Linna still sleeping. Natasha weighed the options, she could wake her up, or let her sleep. She decided to let her sleep a little bit longer.
At three o'clock after beating four levels in her new game Natasha was confident that Linna had had a sufficient amount of rest and took lunch up to her. She opened the curtains and the windows to ventilate her room, which by all accounts was rather stale. Linna stirred and pulled a pillow over her head.
"Oh no you don't, time to get up sleepy head."
"I don't wanna." Came the muffled reply.
Natasha walked over and pulled the pillow away. Linna looked like hell. The colour green didn't do her face justice that was for sure. She felt her forehead, Linna was on fire. Natasha propped her up and immediately regretted it when Linna coughed and threw up all over her. With a degree of dignity that belied the situation Natasha helped Linna out of bed and walked her to the shower. Stepping in with her she turned on the cold water. Linna yelped and tried to back peddle but Natasha held her firm. Linna, still out of sorts started to cry.
"Cold!"
Natasha pulled Linna's pajama top off and flung it into the hamper and did the same with her pants. If it weren't for the fact that she was covered in puke and that the shower really was cold Natasha might have been turned on.
"I know it's cold, but you're burning up. Trust me, you'll feel a lot better. Now hand me the soap."
Linna did as she was asked and Natasha removed her own shirt and cleaned herself up. Stepping out of the shower Natasha turned on the hot water a little so that Linna wouldn't freeze to death, or be tempted to move. Mumbling to herself Tasha grabbed the wet soiled clothing and dumped them in the washer along with the bedding. Stripping out of the rest of her clothes she added them to the load. After she started the wash and dried herself off she raided Linna's closet and dressed. Tying her hair up she went back into the bathroom and turned off the water and helped a shivering Linna out. She dried her off and handed her a new robe.
Than she shooed Linna down to the living room and made the bed. When she had finished she brought down lunch, which was now cold, and joined her.
"Feeling better?"
"A little, what happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"All I remember was falling asleep and then waking up in a cold ass shower. Um... why are you wearing my clothes?"
"Oh, because you threw up all over mine." Natasha said with a sardonic smile.
"You're kidding me right?"
"Nope, afraid not. Which reminds me, eat."
Natasha slid the lunch tray over.
"It's a little cold, unless you want me to warm it up a little."
Linna leaned over and pulled the lid off the dish revealing a bowl of chicken soup and some bread. She looked over at Natasha who had walked over to the kitchenette and was dialling a number on the phone. She waited until she came back.
"Let me get this straight, you cooked all this, did the laundry and let me throw up on you?"
"No, I also brought over my Play Station, rented a few movies and picked up some things from the store, oh and I cleaned the apartment too."
"Natasha."
"Yeah?"
"I don't know what to say..." Linna paused "...Natasha I love you. And I always will."
Tasha blushed.
"I, I think you're pretty special too."
Linna nodded, she hadn't said love but than again Tasha was a tomboy, and a soldier. Love wasn't something she would have said often, and she was probably uncomfortable saying it.
"So, who was on the phone?
Linna put her hands in her lap leaving Natasha speechless.
"I Uh... I was, I was on the phone with your doctor. She said that your cold would get worse before it got better and that you'd have a high fever, that there wasn't anything to worry about, that you'd be fine."
Linna nodded than coughed. She reached out her hand and lovingly caressed Natasha cheek. Reflexively Natasha tilted her head into her hand closed her eyes and smiled.
For the next few hours they played video games and watched movies. Then the phone rang. Natasha picked it up and handed it to Linna. Linna waved it away citing a full mouth. At least her appetite was returning.
"Yamazaki residence."
It was Nene.
"Linna! We've got a rouge boomer in District 4."
"Um. This isn't Linna, it's Natasha."
"What! What are you doing at Linna's? I thought you went out of town."
"She's sick, I'm playing nursemaid."
"Oh. Well, um.. well we need her, it's a experimental model, and it went berserk!"
"Can't you handle this without her, she's in no condition to fight."
"I wish we could Tasha. But we've never seen this type before. Please tell her to hurry."
"I see, OK, I'll get her there."
Natasha hung up and muttered under her breath.
"In one form or another."
Linna swallowed the food that was in her mouth and started to make her way to the bedroom.
"Where're you going?"
Linna turned and coughed a few times.
"To get dressed."
"Like fun you are! You get your butt back on that couch before I put it there!"
"But there's a rouge boomer out there."
"And that affects me how?"
Linna turned and continued towards the bed room. In three steps Natasha was in front of her on the stairway blocking her path.
"Tasha! What are you doing?"
"Answer me this. How do you think I'd manage if you got hurt, or worse, fighting a boomer in your condition? Than add in the fact that I could have stopped you. Huh? Well? I'll tell how I'd manage, I wouldn't. It'd kill me! Now sit your idealistic ass down."
Linna still didn't look convinced. Natasha put her hands on her shoulders.
"Look Linna. I've already lost someone special to me on the field of combat. I was next to him, I saw him get hit. He died in my arms. Linna, you're the first person I've had a real relationship with since then. Please don't make me go through that again."
Linna froze and was about to say something when Natasha gave her a pleading gaze. Linna knew what that meant. Natasha would sooner handcuff her to the furniture than let her go outside and play.
"Ok, you win."
Natasha hugged her fervently.
"Thank you."
"But they need me."
"I know, and you'll be there, kinda."
"What's that supposed to mean."
"Well, if I can fit into your clothes I can fit into your armour right?"
Linna's eyes bugged out.
"No way! You're not serious are you."
"As a heart attack."
Linna moved past Natasha and sat on the bed.
"Just because you can fit into my clothes doesn't mean you'll fit into my HARDsuit."
"Yeah I know, I'm oversimplifying, but it's the best idea I can come up with."
"You might not fit into the skin suit."
Natasha scratched her chin.
"Skin suit?"
"You have to wear that under the armour, it has all the connections to the armour on it."
"Oh like a flight suit."
"Yeah sorta. But it's form fitting, to me."
Natasha nodded.
"Well, the armour has padding inside right?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, so that means there'll be some play. You and I are the same height and we've nearly identical builds."
Linna pursed her lips.
"Ok, ok, so it might be a little tight upstairs. Look, if I can't fit into your skin suit than there's no point in me trying on the armour, so if I can't squeeze myself in I won't go. Does that sound fair."
Linna nodded and proceeded to tell Natasha the boarding procedures and how to get to and from the dressing room and the launch bay. While she was briefing her Natasha was dressing herself in a jacket, long sleeve shirt and slacks. She plopped on Linna's scooter helmet and did a three sixty.
"Well, close enough?"
"God that's creepy. Yeah I think it should work. You just better hope they've launched by the time you get there or you'll never make it out of the dressing room."
"Right. I guess it's a good thing you taught me those flips and spins and stuff. Never be able to manage those moves in a K-suit though."
Linna got up and hugged her.
"Well, you just be careful all the same. God I wish I could see you in action. I wish I could fight with you."
Natasha hugged her back.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the chance."
"To see you in action or fight alongside you."
"Yes."
Natasha smiled as Linna tried to make sense of her cryptic answer.
"Gotta go, I'll be back soon."
"Wait a minute. I just thought of something. Sylia is going to be livid when she finds out. I don't know about this, I'll get in so much trouble. Remember when she blew up on you the first time you met?"
Natasha nodded, how could she forget.
"Linna, if Sylia does anything to make you sad I'll have her hauled away so fast it'll make her head spin." And that was that.
With that Natasha made her way to the Silky Doll building.
'God I hope this works.' She thought.
The front door was open when she arrived and she made her way to the elevator.
'So far so good.'
On the way down two bright flashes past her going up followed by a low rumbling.
'Hmm. Must be the others, well at least the dressing room will be empty.'
The doors opened depositing her on the required floor.
'Lets see, Linna said hang a right than two doors down on the right.'
Sure enough, there was the dressing room. She went to Linna's locker and pulled out the skin suit. It took her some doing but she was actually able to get it on. The plumbing connections startled her but Linna had warned her about that.
"Are you ready Linna?"
Sylia's voice came in over the intercom. She reached over and pushed the talk button.
"Uh huh." She added in a cough for good measure.
"Well hurry on up to the launch pad. Priss and Nene are already on their way."
'Priss huh, so that was her name.'
The skin suit was tighter than she'd expected, especially around her bust. It was the first time that she could think of that she was sorry she had such large breasts. The launch pad was amazing but she had no time to look around. Linna's suit was in its slot waiting. Natasha padded on up to it and boarded it.
'Damn she wasn't kidding when she said it'd be cold.'
Once she had placed her arms the suit closed automatically, which startled her. Suddenly she got a real dizzy feeling. Her head spun and she could feel data pouring in and out.
'Shit, neural interface. Linna never said anything about this. Fuck this is weird.'
Almost as soon as it had begun the feeling subsided and Natasha felt naked. She knew that she was wearing armour but she couldn't feel it. She tapped the armour on the leg and freaked when the sensation registered on her skin. Or at least she thought it did. It felt as if she wasn't wearing anything at all. In fact when she touched the armour it felt like skin touching skin, her finger to her leg. This was weird, and totally cool.
"Linna put your helmet on, you have to launch!"
'God she's pushy.'
Natasha put on the helmet and sealed it the way Linna had told her to. Once the helmet was sealed it disappeared to her. It felt as if she'd never put it on. She had complete peripheral vision and the HUD indicators seemed to float in space in front of her, and even though she wasn't looking at them she somehow knew what they said. Than it dawned on her. She remembered reading somewhere that her model of Sexaroid had the unforeseen ability to synchronize with super weapons and the like.
'Oh my god, did I just link with her HARDsuit?'
She noticed the floor drop away from her feet, her feet. Not the armour, but her feet. Natasha was giddy with excitement. She was the armour the armour was her. Complete and total symbiosis. Natasha had quite literally become one with Linna's armour.
"Linna; prepare for launch!"
'God you're melodramatic!'
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"Oh fuck, it just transmitted my thoughts! And in Linna's voice too. This is way weird!"
Natasha laughed nervously. Then she noticed that Sylia's voice originated in her head not from any ear piece or speaker. Before she could figure that one out she was launched upward at a fantastic rate of speed. 450.85mph to be exact. In seconds she'd cleared the launch tube and was hurtling towards the fray. Instantly she became aware of everything within a kilometer of her position.
With a thought she produced an altimeter overlay and a location indicator for Priss and Nene. They were a few klicks out and she figured she'd reach them in a few minutes. On a whim she switched over to the ADP scramble frequency. The sound of radio chatter filled her head. The ADP had mobilized but where stuck in traffic. A few air units were converging but she knew they'd be ineffective.
The first building was coming up fast but she was ready. Linna had warned her about this too. With fluid precision she tucked her legs in and ricocheted effortlessly back into the air. She swung her arms out and did a series of barrel rolls shouting in exultation all the way. She'd never felt so free, so alive. The feeling was intoxicating. No wonder Linna enjoyed this so much. After two more bounces she arrived over the scene. Priss was engaged with the boomer and Nene was hanging back providing support.
'Good girl. Just like I taught you.'
She checked her battery status; full, then cycled through her onboard systems; all green.
Something pinged right on the edge of her consciousness. New targets. She focused and saw or rather felt the presence of two ADP patrol choppers and a second boomer.
'Well, time to earn my pay.'
"Priss! Nene! Target update! Two ADP choppers overhead, angels six. Second boomer sighted 100 meters west northwest your position, heading towards you at approximately 45mph. My ETA is twenty seconds!"
On the ground Priss and Nene received the message and were a little overwhelmed by the depth of the data and the seriousness of the tone. Nene recovered first.
"Rodger Linna. I see them."
Priss had a funny feeling but pushed it aside. She had more important matters to attend to.
Natasha set her self up for a side approach on the boomer engaged with Priss. However Priss was unaware of this and dodged into her path.
"Priss cut left!"
She hesitated.
"GODDAMMIT PRISS! CUT LEFT! Clear my line of fire!"
The pure venom in her voice was enough to put Priss' head back into the game and she ducked to the left scant seconds before Natasha barrelled past her and impacted the boomer with both feet sending it flailing onto the concrete. A quick boost from her thrusters sent her into a perfect back flip which deposited her a few feet left of Priss.
"Hi."
She waved than turned her attention back to the boomer which was picking itself off the ground, a giant dent located center mass.
"Bye."
Natasha launched forward into a series of front flips heading straight towards the boomer, which was still doubled over, struggling to get his footing. She landed on her hands with her back to the boomers chest one meter in front of it she tucked her legs and arms in. Bursting into full extension just before she completed the rotation she sent both feet square into the top lip of the dent she'd made earlier. Natasha heard a sickening pop as the force of the blow sent the boomer skyward. Completing the rotation she planted herself to halt her forward motion then boosted up to meet the boomer that had just reached its apogee. Her hip burned and she realized that the popping sound was her hip dislocating. Just before passing it she applied full reverse thrust into a haymaker sending both arms into the boomers head bursting it like a ripe melon.
"Holy Shit!" Nene yelled.
Natasha landed in front of the boomers carcass and back flipped away from it. Priss was on her way over to either yell at or congratulate her when she whirled around and grabbed her. Thrusting right Natasha managed to get both of them out of the way of a brilliant beam of energy that cut a swath through the air, narrowly missing them.
"Focus!"
Finished chastising Priss she skimmed off to the left of the boomer, catching its attention. Her right side was on fire, the pain almost unbearable.
'No jumping this time around. Fuck this hurts.'
"Nene! Jam it. Priss. Cut right and flank it, I'll keep it busy."
Skimming across the ground as she would in a K-suit Natasha bobbed and weaved while Priss maneuvered herself into attack position. Nene had begun her jamming sequence, completely cutting the boomer off from the outside world save for visuals. Priss jumped it from the rear and took a chunk off its torso with a shot from her knuckle bomber. The boomer immediately turned its attention to Priss, which is what Natasha had been waiting for. Thrusting forward while maintaining her skim she deployed the suits ribbon cutters and executed a pirouette as she passed it cleaving its left leg off.
Disengaging her boosters she settled off to its left as it crashed to the ground. It's pavlovian feedback systems causing it to register pain in copious amounts. Limping up to it purposefully she took the right ribbon cutter in her hand and with a flick of her wrist wrapped it around the boomers neck and garrotted it. Nene and Priss were stunned by the sheer brutality of the attack.
Natasha checked her sensors and was notified that the ADP had cleared out of the logjam and where approaching fast. Nene noticed her limp and went to her side.
"Linna, are you OK?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. We have ADP inbound, lets beat feet. Race you back!"
Natasha thrusted up and threw a wave to a chopper as she passed by. Priss and Nene followed her sans the waving.
"Is it me or did Linna just get a real mean streak?" Nene asked.
"I don't know. But I'm gonna find out when we get back. What the hell was she playing at?"
Back at the Silky Doll the battle telemetry was being digested by the computers and Sylia was seeing numbers she'd never seen before. Linna's performance levels had skyrocketed. Not only that, they were off the chart. Something was definitely not right. She pulled up the numbers from Linna's last sortie and compared them. Sylia had noticed a marked increase in performance ever since she'd been hanging around with Natasha but this was ridiculous. The numbers didn't lie; there was no way, barring divine intervention that her numbers could've increased so fast in such a short amount of time. Whoever was piloting that suit she'd no idea, but it sure wasn't Linna.
When the girls got back Sylia and Nigel were waiting for them in the hanger. Natasha had moved off towards the exit limping. Priss was walking toward her while Nene hung back unsure as to what was going to happen next.
Tearing off her helmet and tossing it to the ground Priss walked up, spun her around and started into her.
"What the hell where you doing Linna!? You could've taken my head off with that stunt!"
"Priss!" Nene wailed.
"Priss! Stop right there and back away."
Priss turned to see Sylia with a wicked looking revolver, which was pointed at Linna's suit.
"Sylia! What are you doing?" Nene asked half crying.
"I said step away!"
Priss took a few cautious steps back. She was torn. True, Linna had nearly hit her with that attack but that was no reason for Sylia to pull a gun on her.
"What's going on Sylia?"
Natasha took a few hobbled steps back away from Priss; which put her in a better firing position for Sylia. That ought to placate them some she thought. Nene went over to Nigel who was hefting a railgun.
"Nigel, why is Sylia pointing a gun at Linna?" Nene whined.
"Because that's not Linna."
"WHAT" Both Nene and Priss hollered in unison.
"No way!" Priss challenged, her arms raised, ready to strike.
Natasha wasn't listening. All she wanted to do was remove the suit and set her hip. If the pain continued she'd pass out for sure. She hopped on one foot trying to keep the pressure off her bad side.
""She's right." Came a voice from behind them followed by a cough.
Natasha took a step forward and nearly fell, which caused Nigel to raise his weapon.
"Linna! What are you doing here? You're in no condition to be out."
Linna walked over to the green HARDsuited stranger and stood between it and the others.
"It's OK. It's my fault."
"Goddammit! Will somebody please explain to the rest of us just what the hell is going on." Priss demanded. Natasha slowly removed the helmet. She thanked herself for going slow because it was an unpleasant sensation. At once all the information she'd been receiving was cut off and the backlash from that was unsettling. Her face was flushed from the pain and she had tears coming down both cheeks.
"Natasha!?" Nene blurted.
"You." Priss snarled.
Sylia lowered the hammer on her weapon. Nigel sighed and walked out.
"Why is she in your suit Linna?"
"Because I'm sick and she was worried about me getting hurt."
Her explanation was good enough for Nene who was quite impressed that Natasha was as good as she was. Priss seemed to understand but was a little miffed at having been shown up like that. Sylia looked like she was about to throw a fit but Nene interrupted her.
"Natasha, how did you do all that stuff?" Nene asked.
Tasha smiled thru the pain and winced as she shifted balance.
"Oh god! Natasha! Are you alright?"
Natasha shook her head.
"No. I dislocated my hip. How do I open the suit?"
Linna explained it to her and Natasha did as she was instructed. As the armour disengaged she nearly fainted, thankful Linna was there to catch her before she ended up as a heap on the floor. Linna looked over to Sylia with a worried expression. Sylia was still very angry but knew what Linna wanted. She walked over to the intercom and pressed the talk button.
"Henderson. Bring a med kit to the hanger, we've a dislocated hip."
Linna smiled and coughed. Natasha waved her hand.
"No. No medics. I'll be fine, just give me a second."
Natasha took her good leg out of the armour and grabbing the front and back of the armour and twisted her body into her right leg. She was rewarded by another loud pop and a blast of intense pain. She howled. Doubling over the open armour she started swearing a blue streak in Russian pausing only to cry out as she wrestled with her pain receptors, which by all accounts were winning. Linna and everyone else were just now recovering from the nigh masochistic spectacle they had just witnessed. Nene and Linna were horrified and Sylia and Priss wore expressions of disbelief. Gingerly pulling her leg from the armour Natasha hopped back and used the armour as a crutch. Wiping away her tears she managed a smile. Henderson walked in with a med kit, blissfully unawares to what had just happened.
"I brought the medical kit mistress Sylia."
"Thank you Henderson. But I don't think it'll be necessary."
Linna walked over to Natasha and offered herself as a crutch.
"Jesus Tasha. How can you do that to yourself?"
Natasha sighed and blinked back some tears.
"You get used to it after awhile."
"How often does this happen, you dingbat?"
"This would be my third time."
Nene shook her head and went over and acted as a second crutch as Linna began peppering Natasha with questions.
"I can't believe it fit. So, what do you think?"
Natasha didn't answer; she was still in too much pain. Nene looked over to Priss and Sylia.
"I told you she was cool."
Sylia walked over and regarded both girls.
"Where did you get the skin suit?"
"Linna's locker."
"If you let it out a little in the front it'd be a perfect fit." Linna blurted.
Sylia gave Linna a nasty stare. Natasha noticed and sighed.
"No no, it's Ok, I was just covering for her this once. I don't want to cause any more trouble than I already have."
Natasha smiled meekly. Linna and Nene helped her to the locker room leaving the others in a stupor. A few minutes later after Natasha had changed Sylia walked into the dressing room and was forced to do a double take, both Linna and Natasha looked so much alike it was scary. If it weren't for the hair and skin differences she'd have a hard time separating the two. Sylia also knew that Natasha wielded an unbelievable amount of power and had access to vast amounts of recourses, both for material and information. And it seemed she cared a great deal about Linna and Linna for her. Yes it was scary indeed. So, doing the smart thing she decided to make a friend rather than an enemy.
"Thank you for covering for Linna tonight. I can appreciate what a compromising position this can be for you."
Natasha understood perfectly. Linna was going to be fine and Sylia wasn't going to make waves, unless she rocked the boat, at which point it would be justifiable.
"You're welcome. Any time." Natasha smiled happily.
Nene jumped up and down in elation and Priss just stood off to the side in her HARDsuit, still not ready to trust this person. She had skills, she'd give her that, she could take pain, she'd give her that too, but no way was she going to allow her to vie for her title. Selfish, yes, deal with it. Linna coughed and Natasha regarded her friend. Sylia closed her eyes and smiled.
"I would just like to ask one thing."
"Go ahead." Tasha replied, her eyes narrowed, studying her adversary.
"How long have you known Linna was one of us?"
"The day after she joined."
The room fell silent, even Linna was shocked.
"H...How?" Linna stammered. "But, you didn't come over until a week after that."
"I know; I was busy."
"Oh."
"Priss."
"What?" Priss bit back.
"Thanks for vouching for her, she's deserving."
Priss's eyes widened slightly than narrowed, trying to see if she was baiting her.
"No problem." She tossed back, her arms crossed over her chest.
She looked at the rest of the group than back to Linna.
"I'm gonna take her home now. No use getting all of you sick."
Priss snorted and walked back into the hanger, once she was out of eyesight she allowed herself to swear, that bitch, with Linna, it wasn't fair. Nene followed suit shortly after. Sylia nodded and left as well.
During the drive home Natasha decided it would be better to think about what just happened a little later. Besides Linna was still pestering her with questions.
"So what did you think, pretty cool huh? Come on, I know you want one."
"I told you two months ago that I did."
"I still can't believe it fit you so well. I mean I know were almost the same size but that's uncanny, but wasn't it a little tight."
"Tight!? What are you trying to say, that I'm fat?" Natasha joked.
"You know what I meant."
"Yeah. Right." Natasha put a confused look on her face for fun.
Linna noticed the look and fell for it, hook line and sinker.
"You know, I mean your..."
She put her hands in front of her and made the classic 'work with me here' motion with her hands.
"Oh you mean my tits?"
Linna sighed, threw her head back and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah I guess you can call them that. I was trying to be a little more tactful."
"I know." Natasha smiled and winked at her.
Linna gave her an incredulous stare.
"You sneaky bitch!"
Natasha only giggled. When they got back to Linna's place, Natasha pitched camp on the couch after Linna had gone to sleep. She started to go over what just happened. She didn't know why but it was almost as if she had fused with the suit, or was it the other way around. And how was it she could move so fast. Than it hit her. It was the suits, they were sentient somehow, or at least artificially so. But if it fused with her or her with it that meant that the suits were boomers. That would explain a lot of things, like her speed and ability. She knew she'd never used those particular flips before, never been taught. But Linna knew, and if the suit had a neural interface the suit must have learned it from Linna and passed it on to her. A shiver ran up her spine. She had in effect fused with Linna, in some obscure convoluted way.
For no apparent reason she remembered one of the pictures Linna had in her room. She padded up quietly and took it back down into the living room. The picture showed Linna having just won a race. She had such a look of triumph on her face. It was an innocent abandon that could happen only one or twice in a lifetime. She had felt that, in her suit, at least she thought she had. Natasha was struck by one thing, Linna's expression was that of complete utter happiness and contentment. Not a worry in the world, just the moment, the moment of total jubilation. She doubted that she'd ever feel like that.
Later that night Linna woke to get a glass of water and saw that Natasha was asleep on the couch clutching a picture. Curious she went over to see what it was. She recognized it immediately. She also noticed that Natasha had a smile on her face. Linna reached over and put her jacket over Natasha as a cover than went back to bed feeling very loved.