What’s new in fashion in 2051? Why pink bodysuits, Aviator jackets, and combat punk. With the rise of popularity of Lady Lightshow, Aerocruiser and Rip Heart many people want to emulate their unique costume choices. Every year the most trendy individuals emulate the up and coming samurai and this year is no different.

  -Fashion NOW! New years fashion special, 2051

  —

  I awoke the next morning to a tiny set of paws poking me in the face. Cracking my eyes slightly, I found Lala pawing my face. Behind her I could see Skyler standing there, trying her best not to laugh.

  “Not my fault,” Skyler chuckled. “She was sleeping with me, and once I got up, she immediately went to you.”

  “Do you need to do that?” I whispered at the kitten through narrowed eyes. She stopped kneading for just a moment before letting out a tiny ‘mew’ and continuing. Skyler burst out laughing.

  I gently lifted the tiny kitten off my face and sat up.

  “You’re usually the first one up, you must have been tired,” Skyler said as she dug through the wardrobe. Pulling out two casual outfits, she threw one on the bed before disappearing into the bathroom with the other.

  “Well, that’s because one of us had to be responsible, while the other was comatose,” I shouted to her as I crawled out of bed.

  “I wasn’t that bad!” she shouted back.

  “Yes, you were,” I muttered just loud enough for her to hear. While Skyler was in the shower, I had to find something to occupy my time. I ended up playing with Lala. The kitten was easily entertained, fingers under the blanket made good pouncing targets, and even the shifting sheets were a source of amusement for the little one.

  I kind of lost track of time, and I didn't even realize Skyler had finished her shower until she stepped out of the bathroom, still drying her hair, and said something. “Athyna mentioned maybe doing some underwater operations later. Are you sure that’s a smart idea?”

  I jumped, much to the delight of the kitten, who attacked my hand and started gnawing. “Is it smart? Probably not, but from what Artymis was telling me last night, the situation off the coast is spiraling out of control. Just not enough samurai to keep up.”

  Skyler huffed. “You know, just because we’ve gone scuba diving once or twice doesn’t mean we’re qualified to fight underwater.”

  “I was planning to ask someone for tips if we need to assist, but only if the situation calls for it. We’ll definitely stick to the land for the time being,” I said, standing up and pulling my hand out of the kitten’s mouth. “I think we should hold onto enough points to swap over, if we need to.”

  Skyler pouted. “But I wanted to update my style.”

  “You can do that later today,” I said, walking up and giving her a quick peck on the lips. “If what I saw yesterday is any indication, I don’t think you’ll have any problem earning more today.”

  I quickly slipped past her and into the bathroom before she could complain further.

  After a quick shower, I pulled on the outfit Skyler had picked out for me and made my way back to the kitchen. Skyler and the cats were already there, slowly picking through their breakfasts.

  “Any idea where to start today?” I asked as I slid into place across from Skyler.

  “Not really, I’ve been going over the options with Athyna while you were in the shower, but most of our options seem either far too easy, doing sweeps through already cleared sectors, or fairly dangerous. It looks like most of the antithesis have gathered into megaswarms.”

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  I nodded and pulled up the satellite map while biting into a piece of toast. It looked like the situation had improved overnight. I guess a couple samurai had worked the night shift.

  Instead of a dozen or so small red zones, surrounded by a myriad of orange and red, there was one titanic, slowly shifting red zone. There were a couple small tendrils extending from the horde, but most of these already had samurai signatures around them.

  “There are a handful of suspected hives around the periphery, further away from the city, we could try there,” I suggested.

  Skyler hmmm’d. “If we can’t find anything better, I guess we could go grab another token. Always helpful,” she agreed.

  I squinted at the map, which really didn’t help at all since it was all in my head, concentrating on the western edge of the blob. “Is the horde moving closer?” I finally asked.

  {Arty: They are, slowly but surely. There have been numerous artillery and airstrikes against that area, but despite the massive losses, they keep pushing.}

  “Can we help?” Skyler asked, slowly lowering her coffee.

  {Athy: Not without longer range weaponry. You would have to stand within the bombing zone in order to reach them.}

  I raised an eyebrow. “That’s a big killzone.”

  {Arty: Yes, but it’s necessary to keep a horde that size under control.}

  “Well, since it doesn’t look like there are any targets, maybe we should…” Skyler started.

  {Athy: Incoming priority mission. Cascadian command has lost contact with two samurai on the outskirts of the horde. Last known position was here.}

  A mark appeared on my map, right next to one of the tendrils. “Didn’t I just see their signal a moment ago? What happened?”

  {Arty: The tracking signal is still working, but neither have moved in quite awhile, and they’re not replying to any calls.}

  “Worrying…” I whispered. I glanced up at Skyler, who nodded. “Let the Cascadian command know we’ll investigate.”

  I pushed my chair back, popped the last of the toast in my mouth, and jogged back towards the bedroom.

  When I swept my outfit up off the floor, where I’d left it last night, I flinched. “Phew… my outfit is getting a little ripe. We’ve been running around from sunup to sundown, and I haven’t had a chance to wash it in a couple of days.”

  Skyler, who was a couple steps behind me, looked at my outfit, then up at me, giving me puppy dog eyes.

  I sighed. “Fine, we can get new outfits. We have to make it quick though, lives are at stake.”

  “I can do quick,” Skyler replied excitedly. “Athy! Pull up the plans!”

  “Plans?” I asked blankly.

  Skyler didn’t answer me, she was too busy talking to her AI. “We’ll have to cut anything that’s not finished and get something more generic. Tech-wise, we’ll stick with the catalogs Reina and I have already unlocked. I’d love to get something better, but we’re saving… Oh, and keep the under armor.” She looked me up and down, then smiled. “They’re essential.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Purchase!”

  A small pile of boxes appeared before me, each wrapped up by a black ribbon and bow. I slowly opened the top box and glanced inside. There was a new leather jacket inside, similar to my old one, but it had two subtle charcoal-colored stripes down the front and similar trim along the collar and cuffs.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “New outfits! I’ve been working on the designs with Athyna in secret when I had the time. They’re not finished yet. I only had time to work on the jackets and pants, and I haven’t had time to finish the logo for the back,” Skyler explained excitedly.

  Flipping through the other boxes, I found a plain black shirt and a pair of synth-leather pants with a strip of charcoal down each side.

  Looking over at Skyler I was surprised to find her pulling a matching black long coat out of her box. When she noticed Skyler scooped up all her purchases and dashed for the bathroom. “No peeking! I want to show you the entire outfit!”

  Shrugging I quickly unpacked everything, slipped into the undersuit, and pulled everything on over top. It was extremely soft and fit me like a glove.

  This outfit is made of advanced materials. It won't rip or tear as easily as the last one.

  “My last outfit wasn’t that bad, it got me through a lot of scraps,” I grumbled.

  It was also a single fight away from becoming scraps. You’re better off.

  I grumbled but couldn’t exactly argue. My old outfit did look a little rough.

  Scooping up my old outfit, I stuffed it into the empty boxes before sitting on the edge of the bed to wait for Skyler. She didn’t take long, popping out of the bathroom after a couple seconds.

  “Tada!” she cried, striking a quick pose.

  Her new outfit was similar to her old one, but completely different colors. Her previously brown longcoat was completely black. Underneath she had a charcoal-colored armored vest, white shirt, and charcoal pants. “We match!”

  “Nice,” I remarked, looking her up and down. “Come on, we need to get going.”

  “You didn’t even take the time to appreciate it!” Skyler pouted as she followed me out of the room.

  “I would have, if we had the time, but we need to get to those samurai before something happens,” I replied.

  Skyler immediately dropped her cutesy act and straightened up. “Right, I got excited for a minute and forgot what was at stake. We can admire later, when there’s more time.”

  I grabbed Rending Wave from the stand I’d left it on the previous night and jogged towards the garage. “Let's go save some lives.”

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