Wide arrived at the base's med bay after a particularly harrowing fight against Arachnos troops in Warburg. He could handle the Wolf Spiders, Tarantulas, and Mu Mystics, but the Night Widows' psionic might blitzed through his defenses. Fortunately, it was a double knock out. He leaned against the wall and caught his breath. Despite being better than the field clinic aboard the Longbow ship in Warburg, the med bay still didn't provide the quality care of a full hospital.
He made his way towards the transporters and stopped when he heard a pair of voices from the meeting room.
"No way!" MirrorGuardian Naoko said. "A super strength guy can do that to anyone he's romantically involved with?" Wide peered around the corner and saw the pale, sickened look on her face.
"Yup," Emi Arizona said, thumping the hardcover book on the table in front of her. "Though, as a caveat, I should say that's against anyone who isn't invulnerable." Her accent shifted from a folksy southwestern drawl to a sardonic New England twang. "Niven's also quite clear on what happens should the poor woman survive the act itself. In quite graphic detail." This time the shudder went through both girls. "The title is apropos, 'Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex.'"
"Wait," Naoko said, waving her hand in negation. "What about Statesman? He's got a granddaughter, and that implies..." A sick look went across her face. "Ew! I didn't need to think about that! Thanks a lot, Emi!"
"Well, I guess States has got a way to do it safely, but..."
Wide had heard enough. He streaked to the teleporter and set the coordinates for Galaxy City. He needed to set up a meeting with the leader of the Freedom Phalanx. His arrival and departure had gone unnoticed by one of the girls, but not the other.
Emi turned back to his/her conversation with a somber expression.
"So who's this 'Superman,' anyway?" the erstwhile magical girl asked.
"Well, Hiroshi..."
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
He made his way towards the transporters and stopped when he heard a pair of voices from the meeting room.
"No way!" MirrorGuardian Naoko said. "A super strength guy can do that to anyone he's romantically involved with?" Wide peered around the corner and saw the pale, sickened look on her face.
"Yup," Emi Arizona said, thumping the hardcover book on the table in front of her. "Though, as a caveat, I should say that's against anyone who isn't invulnerable." Her accent shifted from a folksy southwestern drawl to a sardonic New England twang. "Niven's also quite clear on what happens should the poor woman survive the act itself. In quite graphic detail." This time the shudder went through both girls. "The title is apropos, 'Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex.'"
"Wait," Naoko said, waving her hand in negation. "What about Statesman? He's got a granddaughter, and that implies..." A sick look went across her face. "Ew! I didn't need to think about that! Thanks a lot, Emi!"
"Well, I guess States has got a way to do it safely, but..."
Wide had heard enough. He streaked to the teleporter and set the coordinates for Galaxy City. He needed to set up a meeting with the leader of the Freedom Phalanx. His arrival and departure had gone unnoticed by one of the girls, but not the other.
Emi turned back to his/her conversation with a somber expression.
"So who's this 'Superman,' anyway?" the erstwhile magical girl asked.
"Well, Hiroshi..."
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll