Thomas watched the warehouse with his tactical gauge. After dropping Phalanx off near the tank, he had turned back to keep tabs on the others. He watched as Ziltal had jumped off the building, and landed on the elite. He then saw Leon attach an explosive to the elite.

"You dumb sone of a..."

The bomb went off, and Ziltal was sent flying into the wall of the warehouse. According to Thomas's tactical gauge, Leon's life signs leveled out drastically lower. He was unconscious. He recieved the SOS from Ziltal, and watched as Striker moved in to grab him. Then, he heard Rick's message, yelled out over the communicator.

<"BOSS NUKE IT NOW!">

In a hurry, Thomas first checked to find the location of all their SUITS, and then found the data for the blast radius of the explosives. Everyone that mattered to them were outside of it.

"Beowulf, access the remote link to the explosives."

"Accessing...accessing...link found. Link opened. Please enter demolitions command."

"Dee three through twenty five."

A small timer appeared in Thomas's visor, and it ticked down.

"Hold on to your hats and check your asses, it's gonna be hot in Three...Two...One...SEE YOU IN HELL, MOTHAFUCKA'S!"

The next second seemed to stretch for an hour. An explosive in the center of the building went off, blowing a pillar of fire straight upwards. The fire then seemed to be sucked down as three more explosives went off, triggering a shockwave that sent ash and earth flying in all directions. As the shockwave ripped into the oncoming SUITS and mechs, the limbs of the machines seemed to be ripped from the torsos, and they began to explode on their own.

When finished, the warehouse was simply a large crater. Thomas gave out a sigh of relief. He turned on his neurocommunicator.

"Good job, SSF. You did good. Let's head home."

With the mission over, Jack was quick to detatch from Cham. A compartment large enough for Jack to squeeze out opened up on the back of the SUITS, and Jack slowly got up, groaning in pain as he did so. He seriously had to get his back checked out when he got back, because it was killing him. Getting out of Cham completely, Jack walked over to one of the side seats in the tank and slumped down into it. With another groan, he stretched his back, but a disgusting crack emanated through the vehicle, and anyone in it made a grossed out face, including Jack.

"I'm asking Ben to install some sort of cable on you, Cham. I swear, if I ever do that again, shut yourself down."

"You got it, Boss," Cham replied jokingly over a speaker. "Oh yeah, Jack. You might want to ask for more weapons, because I'm feeling really defenseless after that mission."

"Don't worry about it. Ben'll gladly give you somthing new... If he doesn't kill me first and leave you without an owner, that is..."

Much later...

Eileen drove her covered, hovering flat-top carrier with the usual recklessness she had in her damaged SUITS. Cackling and veering wildly around, she barely missed a corner and a scientist in traditional white lab coating fell over his own feet in order to get out of her way.

Her left hand resting casually on the steering wheel, she held a paper bag with "Donut King" written on one side. Then, just as she saw Marcus' open lab door, she cut the power to the hovering carrier and cruised to a delicate halt, one of its sharp corners jutting precariously between Marcus' trembling legs.

"Goddamnit, Eileen! Young and reckless... Makes me wonder why they ever let such a youngling into the workforce," Marcus shouted at the top of his voice.
"I brought you some munchies," Eileen ignored Marcus' protestation at her skill. She got off the covered, bulky flat-top and slapped the paper bag into Marcus' chest, but not before she extracted a jam-filled donut for herself.

Nibbling it carefully, she ripped the cover off the top of the flat-top to reveal what was underneath. Marcus dropped the paper bag, and she heard his jaw click as it attempted to hit the ground.
The next thing he managed from his mouth was a mix between a gargle and a choke, but could only be depicted as, "...!!!"

"Yeah, it's in a bad shape, but you shoulda seen the other guys'. Besides that, while you're working out how to fix it, you could also add a few extras for me."

"...OH MY GAWD! HOW THE HELL DID YOU MANAGE THAT?!" Marcus finally said as he took a look at the left arm of the SUITS. Melted shield and wires exposed the inside of Slipstream.
Marcus took out a bear claw and crammed half of it in his mouth, chewing furiously.
"Nememin'..." a gulp, then clearer words, "Nevermind. I'm glad you're in one piece. I'll get onto it right away."

"Nifty!" Eileen gave Marcus a quick hug, before turning more serious. "The shield manipulators you installed saved my life. I have a few ideas I want you to try out on Slipstream."

"Sure sure, whatever," Marcus replied absent-mindedly as he clocked in some commands to a horrifically large computer. It extended a pair of gigantic arms with pinces on its sides, picked up Slipstream, and delicately placed it onto a large work-bench. A lazer scanner ran itself over the damaged SUITS, and the computer screen scrolled down with a further damage report.

Eileen barely ducked underneath the half-eaten bear claw as Marcus - in a fit of shock - chucked it at her. He pointed at the screen, looking at Eileen accusingly.

"Life support damaged?! Working at 55% efficiency! How did you do that?"
"Now, y'see, that has a funny story behind it. A SUITS tried to erm... crush me under its weight, and I guess I wasn't careful enough and damaged the abdomen of Slipstream while I was trying to throw it off."
"Let me guess. You tried that stunt trick where you threw yourself onto his back, and he had a jet pack?" Marcus shook his head, "You should've known what would be the initial outcome. HOLY SHIT. YOU CHIPPED A PLASMUS SHIELD?!"
"Uh yeah. About that. It was near the end. I had to fix the shield to my back 'cause I was under heavy fire. Dunno what happened there, but that was what caused a chunk of arm to be missing. But enough about giving me damage report I already know about, it’s time for you to hear some of my improvements I want on it.”
Marcus nodded absently as he tapped in a few commands. The computer immediately set to work with those massive electronic arms, working on the dents and creases and giving a more detailed examination at more damaged areas.

“I want you to install a shield over Slipstream’s abdomen. Kinda in the shape of a beetle’s shell. I know I might be asking a bit more than usual, but I need it’s biological alterations to improve a bit more. Kinda make my spine a bit more flexible, y’know? So that I can curl up into a ball more easily.”
“Hold on with that thought, Eileen. I can help with the installation of a shield, but the biological alteration I’ll need a few weeks. Maybe when times aren’t so rough I’ll install it. The shield I can do.”
“Cool. Also, I want the stinger at the end of the tail to open up in a claw. Just those kind of –” she moved her right hand and opened and closed it in a dilapidated fashion, “- but used for crushing more than holding things. Oh, and maybe have the ranged weapon migrate into the middle of the claw, y’know? And have a shield manipulator installed just below the base of the stinger.”
“…That’s a lot of improvements, Eileen. I might be able to work on the claw-ranged-shield thingy, but right now I can only install the two shields. Oh, and nice work with the helmet piece. There doesn’t seem to be a single dent on it,” he pointed at the curved metal bit that folded out into her headpiece.
Eileen smiled, before that other idea settled in, “oh yeah! You know the two extra limbs you gave me that protrude over the shoulder? Can you give them some form of claws with an opposable thumb? It’ll be a helluva lot easier grabbing and attacking with that.”
“Can do. I was thinking that myself. I’ve even got a blueprint of that. Also, I think it would be a good idea if I installed some sort of prototype anti-grav device, y’know? Make it lighter and easier to move around a bit. Oh, that and maybe a light coating of camoflage paint… the one that Jack’s SUITS Chameleon has.”
“Good thoughts. Can ya do all that by tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? The shields and paint maybe, but I have to scrounge around for that anti-grav equipment and make that claw thingy you want. I’m trying to explain this to you as simply as possible, minus all the jargon we scientists use,” he said when Eileen opened her mouth to tease him.
“Nevermind. So, tomorrow you’ll get it all done?”
Marcus sighed.
“Yes, tomorrow, providing you fork me some cash from your own wallet for overtime,” Marcus grinned and dodged Eileen’s playful cuff.

After getting his arm healed Rick went back to the SUITS. "So how is she?" Maria calmly looked at him with a strange mix of insult and pride. "I cant believe you did this to my baby. Even worse you got beat in the very area you and this machine should be best in. I mean how could you lose."
"There was something different about that one. I think the old man held out on us. That thing was better then anything we had. Three of us could barely knock it down. What if there are others like that?"
She shrugged and went back to work. "Then talk to the chief not me."
"Yea guess your right" Rick then headed to see Thomas

Lee walked into the Garage still inside his Griff. He saw Alan standing their waiting for him with the fuel line in hand. Lee smiled and walked up to him. Powering down the suit and climbing out Lee smiled at his technician.

"I assumed you were out of fuel yet again." Alan remarked.

As Lee's feet hit the floor his smile vanished. The happiness he felt in the suit slowly left his body. "Yeah...arn't I always?" He mumbles looking more depressed by the second.

"Looks like you almost lost Griff's arm." Looking Lee over he continued. "your arm looks a little beat up as well." Lee just stared off into space, a slow trickle of blood comming from a mostly clotted gash. "Well your back to your cheerful self I see. Go ahead and see the doc. I'll fix up the mess you've left me with. I'll see about adding in a sheild to your arm. You may loose some spe-" Lee interupted him quickly.

"The speed stays. Make any adjustments you want, but nothing that impedes the speed. You wanna be useful give me some explosives. Griff likes it when things explode." With that Lee walks off the blood down to his finger tips now, dripping a path out the door.

"Well then Griff, I guess its just you and me for awhile." Alan says to the now quiet suit.

As Samuel was looking over the damage report that the computer gave off for Beowulf's condition, Thomas was sitting on the couch in the repair room, watching the news. He was out of his cyber suit, and was wearing a leather jacket and baggy jeans. His shaggy blonde hair was getting in his way, and he kept brush it out from his sight. It was the night after the fight, and the news should be covering it.

A 20-something year old woman was giving the news. The background behind her depicted a large room of important politicians sitting in booths, large wires and tubes connected to their brains. Where normal debates used to take hours or days, nowadays they take only moments through super fast connected databases. The picture zoomed in on one person.

"A bill was passed today to restrict access to certain trade routes and zones in international air space. The deciding vote was made by Arthur Hanson, and with a majority vote, the bill will be in effect within the next 24 hours. In other news, reports of missing persons is on the rise again, and officials-"

The TV was turned off, and Thomas turned to the man with the remote. It was Jake Rillnor. Thomas sat in to the cushion of the couch.

"What, no story today? No headline? We took some heavy damage out there, and we don't get any brownie points?"

Jake smiled a bit.

"Of course not. This is a political matter. If it was known that the police had managed to save Arthur Hanson's daughter, cynics would believe that he voted in our favor simply because we helped him. This way, it's much better. Besides, you have enough publicity as it is. Last night was, what, your 8th mission? Enough people know your presence. Hell, I'm willing to bet that over a thousand young boys have a poster of Beowulf hanging from his wall. And probably the same number of girls with a poster of the pilot."

Thomas gave out a chuckle. Then, he lurched forward as a heavy object hit his head.

"OW! God damn...Samuel, what the hell is your problem?"

The old man glared at Thomas. At least, he assumed that he had glared. With his large goggles on, his eyes were magnified 10x, making it look like he was glaring at everyone.

"My problem, you crazy pissant, is what you keep doing to Beowulf. Look at these damages! Right leg is down to 54%! Thruster pack is at 73% efficiency! Both arm components are down to 12%?! How the hell did you manage to do that?"

"A mech was pulling me apart. There was nothing I could do."

"Easy for you to say. YOU'RE not the one taking all this damage."

"Now don't you get involved with this."

Rick knocked on the door to get Thomas' attention. "Hey think there is something you should know. As you are no doubt aware I ran into an elite SUITS. This thing was well beyond any of ours. Seems to be able to absorb other SUITS and repair itself. Now its a safe bet that one is dead but there maybe others of that level."

"Guh?" Leon tried opening his eyes. Everything was still blurry.

"Oh, you're finally up. About time." A familiar voice said.

"Ow..." He was slapped in the face. "OWW!!!!"

His vision cleared up. It was Alexis. "What the hell did I tell you about not doing anything dangerous? You detonated three explosions at point-blank!"

"Ziltal is designed to face point-blank explosions and come away unscathed. I don't know what happened." He looked over at the huge chunk taken out of Ziltal.

"One explosion at a time. ONE AT A TIME! How could you be so stupid?" Alexis went back to repairing Ziltal's gyros. She was still pissed. "I swear to god, we already paid for the cathedral. I'm getting married on Christmas Eve with or without you."

"Sorry! But if I didn't, Rick and Jack would have probably died. I promise I won't do anything stupid again before our wedding?"

"Before? And what about after? Or lemme guess, you'll show up to the wedding with bombs strapped around your chest so you can look back when you're dead and say it was a 'blast'? And look at poor Ziltal. I don't expect you to bring him back in perfect condition, or even with as little as a scratch here and there. But wrecking his two outer layers and almost destroying the thirdmost... How stupid can you be? Don't answer that." She was finally cooling down. "Just get some rest. I'm going to reinforce your armor. Again, avoid bullets. And I can't stress this enough: DON'T DETONATE AT POINT-BLANK!"

"Sorry babe. I'll make sure to be more careful." Leon was grabbing his head. It hurt like hell.

"Is that all you've got to say for yourself?"

"I feel like I chugged a couple kegs then got hit by a truck..."

"Get back to sleep, honey. I'll wake you when dinner gets here."

Lee walked the halls of the station slowly, a small trail of blood following him. He entered the infirmary and sat down on a stool and waited for the nurse to notice him.

"Oh my," She exclaimed as she saw Lees blood covered arm. "You do need to be more careful Lee. It seems like every time you walk in with blood coming from one place or another."

Lee just grunted in response and stared off into space as the nurse lead him over to a sink. She began to gently wash his arm and the large gash on it. She kept talking about how reckless he was all the while. It annoyed Lee a little but he really didn't feel like responding. She warned him before applying the peroxide onto his arm. It burned to be sure, but Lee didn't even flinch. The nurse gave her a worried look and then guided him over to the surgery area.

"I'm going to stitch you up now and bandage it, you be careful with it though, It could break open again." She warned him, continuing her chatter this time talking about a new movie she had seen with a gentleman she had met. He just sat and listened with half his mind, nodding or grunting where appropriate. She didn't bother applying a numbing agent to the wound as she worked, they had been through this enough times for her to know he didn't need it. When she was finished she wrapped his arm in clean cloth and sent him on his way, urging him again to be careful. Lee simply waved and walked toward the parking lot. He got in his car. An old beat up NT model. Getting inside he started it up. It purred in what would be a pleasing fashion to anyone but Lee. He had gotten it worked on, all the internal parts were new. Just the body was a POS. The only reason he had even bothered getting new parts was because the car didn't go fast enough. Driving off down the highway he headed for his usual restaurant, a little 24 spot in what would normally be described as a truck stop. No trucks stopped here anymore however. Just lowlifes and gear heads. No one would mess with him in their anymore though. They were all a little creeped out by him.

“Hey, you finish the reparations and whatnot, ok? I’m off now,” she said as she patted his back and turned to walk out.
Marcus looked up from his work, saying, “Oh! I revved up your old hoverbike for you. Give it a go. It can hit an altitude of more than 50 metres now.”
“Oooo! Yipee!” with a small bob of glee, Eileen streaked off, pausing only to check her baggy clothing did not have any telltale signs of jam donut plastered on it.

It was more of a hovering scooter, actually, thought Eileen as she pressed her finger into the DNA identifier that activated the battered bike. It hummed to life, and she put on her helmet. The link from the helmet to the bike showed a simple fuel gauge and a traffic scanner, to aid her in case she manages to get into heavy air traffic.
With a sigh, she strapped on some other safety equipment, including a safety belt in case she was unseated from her bike, then got on, marvelling at how smoothly it ran now.

Reading her fuel gauge at almost full power, she grinned as she pressed in the command to open the secure police parking lot’s roll-up door. She flicked her throttle to maximum and gunned out there like a bullet, spiralling up into the air to join the other dull traffic in the sky, sometimes dipping low or high as she wove in and out of the general flow of expensive cars and other vehicles.

“Woo yeah!” she almost shrieked with glee as her bike hummed smoothly underneath her. Marcus sure did a good job, she thought as she was momentarily displaced upside down when a bus shot by her in the opposite direction, the force of the displaced air causing her bike to spin almost uncontrollably. After righting herself, she saw her turn-off and slipped quietly out, parking her rather battered vehicle in front of a rather large apartment, from which emanated the sweet aroma of cooking food, and the sounds of an open television – with its high-pitched electron whine and it’s lower voices – drifted out the open door.

“Mu-uum! I’m home!”

“It’s about time!” Eileen’s mother came out, speaking in mandarin tagalog. Eileen locked her bike and magnetised her safety equipment, so that it stuck securely to the side of the deactivated hoverbike. “Come in come in. Have you eaten yet?”
“Only a donut,” Eileen replied back in the same tagalog, the only word distinguishable in English the word ‘donut’.
“Huh,” was all her mum said before going in.
“Mm! What did you make? Sweet Egg and Tomato?” Eileen did a bee-line for the food. She doled out a generous scoop from their ancient rice cooker and grabbed a pair of chopsticks, before digging into the delicious food that was set before her.
“Hey! Take smaller bites! It almost looks like the police department starve you agents,” her mother protested, shaking her head.
“Mu-uum, I’m growing,” Eileen replied in English, “besides that, I wanna take a trip to Leon’s place to see how he is. Saved my life, he did,” she added. Her mother shook her head.
“I told you I didn’t want you to accept this kind of career at such a young age,” she said disapprovingly, “fine, fine. I can’t really control you now, and besides that, you bring back most of our money. Finish your food and get on your way,” she said, mock-crossly. Eileen grinned and wolfed down her meal, before hugging and kissing her mother on both cheeks and racing out again with an “I love you!” thrown over her shoulder.

Eileen was pretty much on her way again. She found a florist whose flowers she particularly liked and paid for a bunch of fresh pink and deep purple chrysanthemums, before arriving at Leon’s doorstep. She parked her bike carefully and knocked on the door, waiting for somebody to open it. She smelled food, and smiled with a friendly fashion when Alexis opened the door.
“Hiya Al! I’m Eileen, one of Leon’s workmates,” Eileen stuck out her hand in traditional hand-shaking fashion, “I just wanted to drop by to see how Leon’s doing. He saved my hide back there on the field,” she added in case Alexis was suspicious as to her motives.