"Don't worry about that douchebag." Taki put a hand on Benzo's shoulder.

"Yeah, we're not cleaning up bodies for him." Natsuki sniffed. "Let's move on."

They patrolled the rest of the area. everywhere they looked, there was some form of destruction. WIndows broken, splatters of blood on walls, bodies (both alien and human). Once they had made the rounds, though, it looked like there were no more monsters here. Frustratingly enough, Daisuke's team had done a pretty good job of killing everything that was left in the market district.

Just then a military vehicle drove up. 'You've secured the area?" The driver rolled down a tinted window, revealing a grizzled but clean-cut man wearing shades.

"Err...yes sir." Taki wasn't sure just how to react.

The driver smiled. "Great. now, if it's not too much trouble, we need you to clean up the bodies."

The group collectively groaned.

They trudged back to the school, exhausted from lugging around corpses. Taki looked around. at the throng of students gathered in the gymnasium. It seemed they weren't the only ones who were down: Some students looked tired. Several were crying, being consoled by teachers or, more frequently, other students. He noticed that many of his classmates were missing.

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Roll call!" Their principle came striding into the gym. "Team A"

"Here." Daisuke smirked.

"Team B"

Silence.

"Team B!" The principle sounded impatient.

Another student spoke up. "They were killed. All of them. I saw their bodies..." Her voice trailed off.

The principal paused. "That's too bad. We will honor their memories." After a beat he looked at his chart. "C-Team"

"Here," Natsuki and Taki both spoke at the same time. Natsuki smirked, the closest thing she had had to a smile so far this afternoon.

Once roll call was finished, the teams were allotted a chance to choose weapons. Apparently, supplies from the government had finally reached their town.

The depressed mood of the room was replaced with an excited buzzing. "Weapons. Real weapons!" A girl from another class breathed. They all lined up by teams before the cargo crates, waiting their turn before choosing.

"No guns?" an exasperated student in front of Taki said. "We're fighting aliens and we don't even get guns?" He grabbed a large axe and moved on.

Taki stepped up to the crate. It was mostly bladed weapons, like something out of a fantasy novel. He thought some of these may have been from a prop store. spears, shields, maces; it was like Dungeons and Dragons or something.

He tested swinging a sword, but didn't like the feel of it and put it back.

"You should play to your strengths, Taki." Natsuki said.

"Which is?"

"Well...your strength is your strength, I would say." She motioned to a pair of maces. "Try those."

He hefted one. It fit nicely in his hands.

"You were on the baseball team too, right?"

"Yeah - pitcher, in middle school at least."

"I bet you could throw those knives pretty fast and far once you get the hang of them."

He took a knife and palmed it. The steel felt natural against his skin. "Thanks Natsuki. That's exactly what I'll do. What are you getting?"

Her eyes flicked to a katana hanging on the rack. "I think you know what I'm getting."

Taki grinned.