"It shouldn't take that long to create the solution," Liger said. "The main problem is how to deploy it against the enemy. It would have to be very concentrated to destroy them on contact...but if any of us touched it, we'd melt." He rubbed his chin. "I'll have to think about that."

"Its not like we can mass-produce any weapon for it, either," Hyuuma mused, folding his arms across his broad chest. "We don't have the equipment or the manpower needed for that."

"Unless..."

A grin crept across Liger's face. Renais would knew that look. It meant her father was about to dive into a mad idea.

Renais eyebrows rose as Liger began to grin. "Oh hell," she muttered, crossing her arms beneath her breasts while scowling. "Now what crazy stunt are you gonna pull?"

He lifted a finger trembling with excitement. "The Sky Shard! If we could just tap into the energy it outputs-"

"But the Sky Shard is dangerous!" Swan cut in. "Trying to use it could be disasterous!"

"I'm AWARE of that," the doctor said, "but if we COULD tap into its power, then we wouldn't have to worry about manpower! We wouldn't need much-just enough to power any equipment we can use to produce the solution."

"And how do you think you can do that, old man?" Renais said, arching an eyebrow at her father. "Do we even have anything capable of withstanding that kind of output? It destroyed your computers last time with just data."

Liger rubbed his chin. "Anything we draw from it would have to be in short bursts...short bursts should be good enough..."

Swan frowned. "But what would the Chief say?"

"I don't think he'll mind, provided I remain cautious."

"We need to get his permission first," Hyuuma said, "We've got enough on our plates right now as it is. We're trying to repair the last two Vehicle Machines, trying to train the crew for combat in case those creatures reappear, and we're going to begin repairs on GaoGaiGar soon."

"Almost time for that, eh?" Renais said, looking at the sergeant.

"Yeah," he confirmed, leaning back in his chair. "We've got to dismantle the machine and repair the Genesic Machines, and we'll also need Mikoto to help reprogram them with a new Program Drive. Apparently that crystal she used last time was a one-time thing, as GaoGaiGar was meant to be used against the Sol Masters, not the Zonders."

J nodded in confirmation. "While the G-Stone that powers it was the original anti-Zonder device, one Super Mechanoid was thought to be unfeasible against a growing army. That is why Abel commissioned the J-Corps to combat the threat of the Z-Master."

"I'll ask the Chief," Liger said, spreading his hands to reassure the others. "You all just keep focusing on what you need to do."

"Well, we better get back," Renais said. "Guy should be done with his part of the training for today, so my shift'll start soon."

And with that, the G-Stone cyborg turned and exited the room, with J following shortly behind her.

Reluctant, The Chief had allowed Dr. Liger to move foward with his plan. Assembling the device took time. As the crew worked on KouRyu and AnRyu, they continued drilling in combat practice, but so far, no more of the monsters appeared. Of course some of the crewmembers asked Matt if he had really fought the changing silver monsters, which he always answered with a spirited tale that would drive them to ask Renais anyway. If Renais verified, it had to be true, right?

At least once, when repairs were almost completed, Matt just had to bug Hyuuma about the last two Vehicle Machines and their need to look female.

"I mean, seriously, who sat down and thought, 'Hey, I'll give 'em really wide hips for no reason?'" he said one day. "Did they have a lot of engineers on it or something that didn't see their wives that often? Or maybe some of them hadn't even touched a girl. Who knows."

Hyuuma merely sighed and shook his head. How did R.D. and the rest of Matt's friends ever put up with him whenever he went on one of these tangents? "I dunno, Matt," he finally said, "We weren't the ones who built them. I'd tell you to go ask Renais about it, but that wouldn't end well."

"I did ask her. She just looked at me funny." He glanced to the side in reflection. "Then again, she always does that. Anyway, I asked her if they were supposed to be HyoRyu and EnRyu's girlfriends and she just thought I was an asshole." He laughed. "I call it like I see it sometimes."

"I'm surprised she hasn't smacked you around yet," Hyuuma said with a slight laugh. He turned slightly and looked up at Ushiyama up on the catwalk in the repair facility. "Oi, what's their status?" he shouted up to maintenance supervisor. Ushiyama looked over the data briefly before yelling back down, "We'll be done in the next two days, so we can activate them within the week!"

Hyuuma nodded. "Well, kid, try not to bug the two of them about it once we've activated them," he said to Matt.

Matt fanned his claws across his chest. "Please. I am a total gentleman. Underneath this wacky exterior beats the heart of a serious, professional man."

He scoffed. "If Hugo was here, he'd probably cuss me out for saying that. Then we'd argue back and forth...somehow we always drop the subject but Hugo brings it back up later and then we do it all over again..."

He smiled halfway, and glanced up at Hyuuma. "You think it's weird to miss that?"

Hyuuma shook his head with a grin. "Not at all. Its always good to remember about happier times," the Sergeant said.

"According to Guy," Renais' voice spoke up behind them, causing Hyuuma to jump slightly, "You and Hugo's arguments were a lot like when Hyuuma here got into spats with Goldymarg."

Looking over his shoulder, Hyuuma only shot the cyborg woman a brief, irritated glare. Renais only smirked back.

"Is that right." Matt looked toward Goldymarg now-only a massive face remained, broken off from the handle of the Goldion Crusher. "So I imagine Hyuuma tried to pass himself off as something he really wasn't only to have Goldymarg shoot him down."

"Nah," Renais dismissed, ignoring Hyuuma while stepping up beside Matt. "Usually Hyuuma would give him an order, and Goldymarg would refuse to do it."

"So it's just like whenever I ask Hugo to make me a sandwich and he tells me to piss off!" Matt said. "You're right, they ARE just like the arguments we have!"

Hyuuma could only shake his head in exasperation. Some of the crew had stopped to stare at the conversation, and when Hyuuma noticed, he snapped at them. "Back to work!"

"We'll get to see more of it, once we transfer Goldymarg's A.I. from the Goldion Crusher to his new body," Renais said, smirking. "I'm sure it'll bring a laugh or two."

"But first, the girls. When they're activated, we can talk about boys!" He laughed loudly, because at that moment, that was the best joke ever, at least to him.

Both Hyuuma and Renais could only sigh in response.

Matt said goodbye to Hyuuma and Renais and toured the surrounding grounds. His paranoia kept him constantly wandering, waiting for danger. Why hadn't those monsters shown up yet? Did they just give up? Or were they waiting for some kind of trigger?

The wind was strong today, so he faced the ruined city, hands on hips, and just stood in silence, listening to whatever noise happened around him.

After many long minutes of Matt's observation of the city ruins, there was the sound of a metal boot touching down on the ground. "You seem troubled," J's voice said to Matt as he landed, his arms folded over his broad green breastplate as the dark green scarves fell down into a relaxed position behind him.

"I'm waiting for those bastards to attack us." He glanced over at the sky warrior. "How long has it been, a few months? I'd say they were planning something but I doubt it. But I really think they're going to attack if we move a certain way. And maybe they should soon otherwise the crew might think I was a liar. And I sure don't need that."

J merely shook his head. "Your honesty in the matter is secure. Many of the crew saw the monsters and the battle that took place," he said. "As it is, no one doubts the events that transpired. If anything, the rest of the crew are as tense as you are."

"I guess. Color me paranoid is all." Matt sighed. "All the same, I gotta find a way out of here. I mean, I've got family I need to see again. I've got school-"

He stopped. "Actually, missing that isn't so bad. But my point still stands. Not that I don't mind the company, but I'm a far way from home."

"We all are," J replied. "But soon we will be able to go home. Nearly half of the GGG Mechanoids are repaired, and with each one completed, we speed up the schedule to leave."

Matt kept his eyes on the ruins. There was home, his family, but then there was the second family. R.D., Alasea, Hugo...somehow he had to see them again. At least to let them know he was okay, and that he was sorry for everything he put them through. Yeah, even Hugo.

"Everything's going to be so different when we go back, I bet," he said. "Maybe they won't remember us anymore. Well, they'll remember you guys, hopefully, because you saved the whole universe and stuff, but I'm not sure about me."

"Do not let it bother you. It would not be as bad as what I will likely receive upon return to Earth. For most of the time we worked together," J said, "I was one of GGG's enemies, in the form of Machine King Pizza."