Sara was not the superhero I wanted to see, and she was not the kind of superhero to be making threats like that. Even with Punch and Grapple in tow, I didn’t see how the five of us could take on the swarm of machines. Sure, Fursona and I could handle one cat-bot, and maybe the three of them could fight another, but—
“What the hell?” Milo said, staring at Springlock, who glared at Sara-N-Dipity. “Did you text her, too?”
“Nope. She must’ve gotten lucky,” I said, needling the probability-based heroine.
“It’s not…dammit. No, I predicted with 83% likelihood that Iron Fist would be here,” Sara said. “It seemed like a good enough bet, so after the boys wrapped up Tearjerker, we headed here to see if you needed help. And it sure looks like you do.”
She pointed at the horde of red-glowing bots, science projects, and plants. “Anima’s got a good defense, but she can’t attack against all of us, especially when Hephaestus shows up with Forger. So, we’re at a stalemate, and we need to break it.
Then, she gestured at the security camera overhead. “Knock those out. They’re telling her what we’re up to, and I have an idea.”
“[Starlance],” I said, and the security camera popped and the reddish aura surrounding it disappeared.
[Dramatic Damage! +1 Drama Point]
“Great. Now, we’re going to build a Springlockpult,” Sara said.
I blinked at her. Springlock’s fingers flew, and Milo interpreted. “A what? That sounds completely ridiculous.”
“It’s not completely ridiculous. You have massive control over your power, right? But even with that control, hitting Anima from this range isn’t likely. She’s got too many minions in the way. You can launch yourself that far, right?”
Springlock nodded, glaring at the suit-clad heroine.
“Great. Here’s the plan, then. I’ll aim you, or you can throw Milo if you think he can burst harder than you. That’ll increase the probability of success. Whoever we throw will take out Anima with everything they have, and then the rest of you will rush Iron Fist and get the hostage. Good plan, great plan.”
It sounded like a decent plan, but I saw a flaw right away. “Won’t Iron Fist leave with the hostage?”
Sara considered for a moment. “Good point. Let’s do Springlock and Milo, then. Milo can go for the rescue, and Springlock can—“
“Nah, send Springlock and me,” I interrupted. I’ve got a few rescue-based powers. Not much, but I can protect one Extra for a few seconds until a heavy-hitter distracts Iron Fist, then I can set up a combo to help out.”
“Got it. Are we in agreement?” Sara asked.
Springlock signed back and forth with Milo, then nodded slowly, still scowling at Sara. Milo cleared his throat. “Alright, Understudy. You’ve never been thrown, right? It’s going to feel like pressure is building up. Grit your teeth through it, let it build up, and trust Springlock to launch you before it gets to be too much.”
“Got it,” I said, already gritting my teeth.
The pressure built and built, and I tried to look back to wink at Fursona, but I couldn’t move. I gritted my teeth instead, feeling an ear pop. Then, suddenly, I launched through the air over the ranks of red-glowing animated experiments. Iron Fist’s eyes widened as I slammed, boot-first, into his chest, and he dropped the Extra.
[Bold Plan! +1 Cunning Point]
[Badass Damage! +1 Badass Point]
[Badass Assist! +1 Badass Point]
[Stylish Save! +1 Flamboyance Point]
A half-second later, Springlock sailed through the air like a blue lightning bolt, tackling Dark Girl Anima and driving her into a wall.
I whirled, skirt swishing as I did, and [Quick-Time Changed] Iron Fist’s punch, shifting into Magical Girl Rainy Day again and activating [I-Frame Transform]. Then, as he recovered and sent another devastating blow toward me, I used [Wind Front] on the Extra.
[Flashy Fitting-Room! +1 Flamboyance Point]
[Steel Yourself! +1 Grit Point]
[Badass Move! +1 Badass Point]
The kid, who couldn’t have been more than a sophomore like me, pinwheeled down the hall, away from the fighting, and hit a wall. It looked like it hurt, but I couldn’t do anything about it since Iron Fist’s blow connected and sent me crashing off the walls to join the Extra.
[HP 4/11]
As I shook off the impact, Iron Fist turned on Springlock, who hadn’t gotten Anima down yet. Faced with his fists, she had to let the Dark Girl recover for a moment, and I couldn’t have that. “Stay down,” I told the Extra, and [Quick-Time Changed] to Lab Assistant Panic.
“EVERYONE STOP! THE LAB ASSISTANT’S BACK!
TIME FOR THE GENIUS TO START HER ATTACK!”
TA-1LZ appeared, already charging up her [New Head-Cannon] and aiming the spinning, sparking weapon toward Anima. The robo-cat shimmered and disappeared a moment later, but the constant barrage of tasers slamming into the Dark Girl revealed her position.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Not that it mattered. As she twitched on the ground, Springlock loomed over her and launched a bench toward the villainess. She stopped moving, and a moment later, so did her army of constructs.
I sat back and watched as the entirety of TUSSA, including Hephaestus and a crude-looking machine with a massive blacksmith’s hammer, tore into Iron Fist. He lasted about five seconds before his hands went up in surrender.
A camera drone dipped down, mercifully focusing on Springlock and Sara-N-Dipity. They said something into it, and the end-of-Episode message popped up a moment later.
[Episode Finished!]
[Episode: The Annual Orientation Episode - PG-13]
[Penalties: N/A]
[Episode Finished! +5 of each Style Point]
[Winner Winner! +3 of each Style Point]
[Role Focus: Drama+ Flamboyance - Goal Met! +10]
[Alias - Understudy] [Archetype - Magical Girl] [Community Rank - 219/523]
[HP 11/11]
[Styles and Skills]
►Archetype Skill - Transformation Sequence
►Combo Skills - Power-Weaving
►Badass (49)
►Cunning (33)
►Drama (46)
► Starlance 1
► Bit-Part Barrage 2
►Flamboyance (38)
►Signature Skill - Adaptive Armoire 3
►Stored Costumes: (Rainy Day, Copy Cat, Lab Assistant Panic)
►Starwave Sail 1
► Quick-Time Change 3
► Hog the Limelight 1
►Grit (33)
► I-Frame Transform 3
----------------------------------------
We’d won. As Fursona and I headed for the exit, I blew out a long breath of air. I’d thought about catching up with Springlock and Sara-N-Dipity, but everyone had classes to get ready for tomorrow. The two candidates could email or text me if they wanted to.
Instead, we started the long walk from the Hemlock Building to Walnut Tower, on the campus’s far side. “So, that went well,” Fursona said.
“Yep. Think Rocko will accept it as a minor league Episode for the first week?” I asked. “It meets all the requirements.”
“I’m not sure we had enough of a starring role,” Fursona replied. “Don’t we need to be headlining?”
“Technically, TUSSA and the SSS are the headliners, right?”
Fursona thought about it as we walked toward a crowd of Extras. “I suppose…shit.”
“Yeah, shit,” I agreed. The Extras wore T-shirts with the words ‘APPEAL: For a Post-Superpower World’ across the front of them, a picture of a fist behind a globe, and a slashed-out red circle over Mister Felsic’s face. They held signs saying ‘Our Campus, Our Safety, Our Voices,’ and as I winced, Su-Bin led them in a ridiculous chant. Nearby, a few more APPEAL members sat behind a table, helping freshmen fill out club paperwork. They’d clearly benefited from the Orientation Episode, too.
Luckily, they faced the Student Union Building, and even more fortunately, they hadn’t seen us yet.
Unluckily, we needed to get through the crowd to get home and debrief.
“Do we…try getting through?” Fursona asked.
I shook my head. “Let’s go over. It’ll be so much faster, and I don’t want to deal with Vice-President Pak right now.”
My sidekick shivered but nodded, and I summoned my sailboard under us.
We kept low as long as we could—I knew Fursona had a problem with altitude, and even though she’d toughed it out before, it didn’t help to scare her if I didn’t have to. Then, just before we reached Walnut Tower’s concrete facade, I spiraled up, gaining enough height to put us even with the top of the tower. Fursona and I landed, and she half-laughed/half-sighed in relief. “Thanks. Let’s get inside.”
I nodded, we ditched our superhero personas, and I sat on the couch with my feet under me. Bianca left the bathroom and joined me, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. She let me pull her in for a good snuggling, and I sniffed. The smell of her sweat from the Episode mixed with the familiar green apple perfume. “So, our first Episode as minor-leaguers? I think we’re off to a good start,” I said.
“Yeah. I’m a little concerned about the APPEAL protest, though. Do you think the professors knew they’d be out in force today?”
“Probably not. They’d have warned us.”
Bianca shook her head. “Su-Bin’s going to get hurt.”
“Yep. Not much we can do about it. She’s made up her mind to be actively anti-super. All we can do is make sure we’re not the ones that get tired of her. Speaking of getting tired of someone, though,” I said and yawned.
“Annie! It’s three o’clock! You can’t seriously be tired.”
“No, not really, but I am tired of Sara already,” I said. Bianca looked shocked, and I continued. “I think Springlock would be a better candidate, and I know you do too.”
“I did…” Bee hesitated. I saw her look at the blank TV screen. Then she met my eye. “Look, Springlock’s cool, but Sara’s tailor-made for being president—and not just her suit. She’s not a combatant, sure, but her power’s got a lot of potential to…win Episodes out of nowhere. And, yeah, she’s, uh, kind of bossy and full of herself—“
“Yep.”
“—but she’s also got more leadership potential than Springlock.”
“Why? Because of the sign language thing?” I asked.
Bee rolled her eyes. “No. Because she took over the Orientation Episode and turned what would have been a nasty fight against the animated experiments and stuff into a cakewalk with her brains and her power.”
I pondered that. “Springlock had some good ideas during the ‘Grant Building Dogpile,’ too. She’s not dumb.”
“No, not arguing that,” Bee said. Her phone buzzed, and she grabbed it. “Schedules are in for the semester. The professors will have our books, so we don’t have to go shopping. That’s nice of them.”
I untangled my arms from Bianca’s waist against her protests, found my phone, and opened my emails.
Subject: Magical Girl Understudy Schedule, 2042, Fall Semester
To Magical Girl Understudy,
The following is your schedule for 2042’s fall semester.
MWF 8:00-8:50 - Team Composition Symposium
MWF 11:00-11:50 - Stage Combat
MWF 3:00-3:50 - Psychology in Action
T/TH 10:00-11:15 - Superpower Legal Issues Forum
T/TH 12:30-1:45 - Extra Relations and Public Presentation
Since you’re in my Team Compositions Symposium, please meet at the Mister Felsic statue. Doctor Jackson’s Superpower Ethics class will be meeting there as well. I encourage you all to befriend and mentor the new super-students. They’ll need help for sure.
Please be aware that, as associate’s degree students, all these classes are must-pass if you want to graduate this school year.
Doctor Mays
Head of Superpower Studies
Tokyexico University
I finished reading and then swapped phones with Bee. Her email looked identical, and she grinned at me. “Guess we’re doubling up this time around. Wonder if the professors know we’re going to help each other with every assignment?”
“They’re probably counting on it,” I said. Then I stared at my phone. “I’m going to have to talk to Mindstorm, aren’t I?”
“About your schedule?”
“Yeah. I need some help with the planning side of it, and before you ask, the whiteboard’s not going to cut it.”
Subject: Associate’s Degree and Minor League Help
Doctor Mindstorm,
Can we meet as soon as possible to discuss my schedule and how to balance everything on my plate?
Thanks,
Magical Girl Understudy
I gulped, sent it, and turned to Bee. “Hope she sees it tonight. The sooner I can get this figured—“
My phone buzzed.
Subject: RE: Associate’s Degree and Minor League Help
Magical Girl Understudy,
4:30 this afternoon. My office. You can bring Fursona. My advice will benefit both of you.
Doctor Mindstorm