[ARC 23: RAISE THE DEAD]

[October 6th, 2021]

"Worldwide!" she shouted, and in the next instant -

- a pillar of purple flame disintegrated their foe with only a beating-heart left, Mia nodding to the two men beside. "Go ahead."

"Right." he nodded, crouching down to scan. "Um, thank you, President Swarm."

Mia laughed. "You don't have to call me that. Mia is fine."

"Sorry." he laughed. "Just, um - didn't know."

"And now you do." she chimed. "Did you need any healing, or will you be alright going back on your own?"

"I think we'll be alright. Uh, you good?" he said to his protege, who nodded. "Cool-cool. Um - but thanks again, though. Kinda - kinda big help this early in the year, too."

"Of course." Mia smiled, and she waved the two off. She texted the other three to let them know she'd finished up with her pair, and Serena called her after a minute -

" - GOT THE BITCH!" shouted Natasha's voice on the other end; Serena&Mia burst in to laughter -

" - is that Naomi's protege?" cackled Mia -

" - yep." laughed Serena. "Uh, I have you on speaker, so -"

" - wait, you do?" said Natasha.

"It's cool." laughed Serena. "We were gonna get something to eat, though."

"Yeah." laughed Naomi. "Uh, her name's Natasha, also."

"I - right." said Mia, still laughing. "Do you have your location on?"

"Naomi does." said Serena. "I think, uh… we're on Fifth Street, so."

"Uh. Yep." said Natasha, much more professionally. "Yes."

Mia paused, wondering if she knew the rumor too. "I'll be right over, then."

"Coolio." chimed Naomi. "Byeee."

"Bye."

She hung up, and thought as she crossed the avenue. Students who hadn't known Kirihara seemed to be scared of her, and those who had were grateful she'd started her presidency by cleaning up the campus. She had asked Serena & Yuruko & Samuel to go hunting with other mentor&protege pairs, partially to alleviate the former issue and because she had, over the years, gained a sense of pride from being a Urasaria student, & would prefer to be remembered as a helpful president over a murderous one.

The first few months had overwhelmed her, solving daily disputes between students & balancing hunting with assigning contracts. At the start of each month, she read reports on new or ongoing cases, and the month prior she had made an appearance with each student president of the European Union. She still felt out of place, but figured she would be used to it eventually. For now, she left Sylvia to assign contracts when she was out, and she & her squadron had built up good will by repairing any property damage they caused.

Natasha & Naomi & Serena were all sitting down when she stepped inside the diner and she went over to them.

"You look better." chimed Naomi. "Not so uh, not so tired."

Mia laughed. "I haven't had to sleep in my office this week, at least. But I, er - I did want to… apologize to you for last month. When I accidentally misassigned you."

Naomi nodded. "It's okay. I mean, I know you were having to deal with a lot of stuff, and uh, honestly - I bet it would've gone the same way anyway."

Mia nodded, and looked over her shoulder to see Samuel & Yuruko entering.

"…um." said Naomi. "I wanted to talk to you about something after, too." Her tone was a little ashamed, but Natasha had asked for a final fight together with her & Serena.

◆◆◆

The following day, Samuel woke up to a text from Mia asking the four to meet in their office, and he set out of his new mansion once he finished shaving. On his way to the Royal Four's office, he heard three younger male students calling out to him and walked over to them.

"Yes?" said Samuel.

"You're Boar, right?"

"That's me, yes."

"Bottom Boar." chimed one of his friends, and the other two laughed. "Weren't you in a squad of all women last year, too?"

"Yeah. when we had that one crazy bitch for a president?" said another. "The one with the huge eyebrows?"

"Yeah. What was - what was her name, Boar?"

"Are you finished?" said Samuel.

"You know what an orbiter is?"

"Are you -"

" - what - you're just gonna - you're just gonna stand there and take it?"

"I was asking you if you're finished. I have a meeting to get to."

"Oh, sorry. You've got a meeting to get to. Don't let us keep you." said one, tapping Samuel's chest. "Wouldn't want to keep you waiting here."

"Mmhm." Samuel nodded and walked off, hearing a few insults behind his footsteps. The anger left his head by the time he walked inside the Royal Four's office.

"Apologies." he said as he sat down, Serena & Yuruko & Mia already there. "Few people wanted to talk to me on the way over."

"Everything cool?" said Yuruko, fingers scrunching in her gloves.

"They were asking for directions."

He felt no need to assert himself - he had done it enough in his first-year to know it made no difference, in violent incidents where Matoi's rank had pulled him out of expulsion. To him, a man established himself in his self-control and refusal to note insulting expressions. Too many ran around thinking tearing others down was the solution to their insecurity & not a symptom of it.

"Were they new students?" said Mia.

"Must've been."

Mia nodded and took her tablet out. "I was supposed to take a call. Someone wanted to hire me specifically for something, but -"

" - REVENANT!" screamed Serena, yellow spider dropping on to her shoulder, and in the next instant -

- streams of fog filled it with acid -

- and in to a cloud of acid it suddenly burst, foul vapors forming a solid stream and shooting towards Mia, then burrowing right in to her eyes; sight melting, she shot to her feet and sprayed her face purple -

- and shrieked in agony as she immediately snuffed it out, burns & scars appearing all over her face & hand as she shouted, pointing up - " - t-temperature control! Doubling!" 

- and the three visioned turned their eyes up -

- to see two men & one woman hanging from the ceiling by a set of red tendrils; shotgun forming in Yuruko's hands, one blast tore through the tendrils -

- but another dozen red fingers yanked their three foes back and to the wall fifty feet away, a dozen yellow spiders leaping out of one man's chest as he shouted " - B-B-Ballooning!"

- and Yuruko realized it before they hit the ground; she shouted for the four to jump, and the four jumped -

- and the next scene was instant. She kicked underneath Samuel & Serena, hand on her back but Mia out of her limbs' range -

- and a stone platform formed underneath the three; Mia vaulted over her desk and met up with the three just before the spiders hit the floor, and in the next instant -

- an electrical current entered the metal floor & walls, four wincing and trying not to stagger, Mia clutching to Serena's arm and still blinded, streams of fog not returning her sight yet. An island of stone formed for them in the electrified room, three foes staying safe on the opposite wall fifty feet away, and in the next instant -

" - P-P-Pal'tsy!" shouted the woman; a hundred red tendrils burst up below & beside Mia -

- and Samuel swept to her just in time to take the grapple armor-first, one swift thrash breaking the red links with Mia staggering behind Serena, punk muttering about how her fog wasn't healing yet. Streams of fog flying in to the floor, she shouted for Samuel to stomp -

- and he tried not to twitch as one stomp shattered a hole in the floor, sending a line of explosions towards the three at the end, and as the end of it hit them -

- the next scene was instant. A strand erupted from the man of spider's palms and yanked him to the roof, electrical spiders swarming his right leg as he kicked directly for Mia -

- but one Outcast-grip shot to his left leg and tore it clear off in a geyser of blood -

- and one shotgun blast splattered his guts on to the ceiling in a bouquet of red mist, and in the next instant -

- his body burst in to a thousand drops of blood, hovering for a second, then disappearing a second later; hearing something but blinded, Mia staggered back -

- and her hand touched the non-electrified wall, but the next scene was instant. Steel suddenly melting, the gray & molten goo claimed her hand, trapping her arm as it solidified -

" - Blackburn!" shouted Serena, streams of fog flying in to it -

- but Mia winced as the glass within solidified further -

- but one Outcast-punch shattered it and freed her again, both hands clutching to Serena now; six shotgun slugs shot through their two foes still left -

- bizarrely standing still, staggering to the left like they'd been pulled. No time to waste, Serena stayed back with Mia as Samuel & Yuruko rushed up, and as they cleared the clearing -

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

- Samuel's grip shot to the man's neck -

- and twisted the top half of his torso off like a screw just as another shotgun blast burst open the woman's skull like a red water balloon -

- and in to a thousand droplets of blood burst their corpses, disappearing after hovering for a second.

"That's - that's gotta be a Revenant -" panted Yuruko; she heard the door open -

- to a man with a golden Urasaria badge - " - everything alright?"

- Mia recognized his voice, still gagging blood - " - n-n-no fucking thanks to -"

" - c'mon, Mia -" winced Serena, tentacle dipping in to her spine -

" - is the Revenant still around?" said the man, glancing back -

" - FUCKING BRING HIROGANE H-HERE!" shouted Mia, still gagging as she slumped against the wall, Serena following with her -

" - I can't - close these fucking wounds, what the fuck -"

" - I'll go get him, then." nodded the man, rushing off. Streams of fog filled Mia's ears to keep her from passing out from blood loss, Serena still wincing beside -

" - I - still can't close these fucking wounds, fuck - or the burns -"

" - just, just wait for Hirogane." nodded Yuruko quick, crouching down next to Mia, eyes closing but jaw wincing.

"H-H-He b-better f-f-"

" - c'mon, don't -" winced Serena - " - don't talk -"

- she coughed out a glob of blood, and the floor had a new set of paint when the guard & Hirogane came back.

"Stay still." he said, dipping Pulse in her veins. Her wounds started to close, sighing as she tried not to move.

"Will you be alright?" said the guard and Mia glared.

"G-Go fuck yourself."

◆◆◆

The Royal Four met with the staff that night.

"All of you!" shouted Mia, pointing down the line. "All of you are so FUCKING USELESS! Someone tries to FUCKING assassinate me, and the only one who lifts a fucking finger to help is Hirogane - I swear to fucking God, if that ever happens again -"

" - you'll what?" said Armstrong. "Kill another guard?" His head shook as he sat up. "I realized something in the past month, Ms. Swarm. You can go to the press all you want about - whatever my personal, personal habits are - whatever other embarrassing secrets you've gotten to know about me. I know something about you that would be far worse if it ever leaked."

"Don't you fucking dare talk to me like that."

"Do your parents know you killed Kirihara? Or do they accept the story we put out - that she was killed by a Revenant earlier that night? Something done by a drifter who had already killed a number of other students?"

"I could easily fucking kill every single one of you. Every single fucking one of you." She pointed down the line. "Utopia. Field. Howitzer. Astro-"

" - could you live with something like that on your conscience? Do you know the woman - the woman you murdered here, right here last semester. She had a child. A child that I had visit in person to lie to him about -"

" - I don't give a shit about whatever fucking sob story you're going to tell me."

"Fine. Then something more immediate for you. I did meet with the government. I did, after last semester. You're aware how your legal immunity works by now. There's not a single professional who wants to hunt you, but if you're going to be, be wantonly murdering any person who pisses you off, then you should ask your squadron about it. You should ask them if they signed up for having your ego as a leader. You might be alright being an enemy of the state for the rest of your life - but I doubt Ms. Miasma or Genesis are."

Samuel felt angrier the longer he stared at him. Armstrong was the type of man he always detested - apathetic and in an untouchable position. He had seen it in his first-year in men who used their badges for little but sex, hunting only the minimum to not be expelled and demanding that civilians respect them for their service. Rarely did he feel sorry when they wound up dead to a Revenant.

Mia sat angrily back down, still considering it. Some day, she was going to reach that fucking existential threat.

"Now." continued Armstrong. "It was an attempt on your life - and we will investigate it. If you would like to make a statement about it -"

" - of course I would."

"Additionally. If you would prefer a guard be assigned to you, then -"

" - I already have someone." said Mia, referring to Kate.

She had been investigating rumors of a man with a deformed hand recently, but Samuel had called her back to watch over Mia. They hadn't talked in a month, but there was a strong respect between them that allowed their friendship's thread to be picked up easily.

"Then in the meantime, Renault - and myself - will investigate it. It started in your office, correct?"

"Of course."

"Then we'll call you if we find any new information."

"Go, then." said Mia. "Leave."

The staff stood, and Mia glared at them as they left. Hirogane asked if he could stay, and Mia said yes, sighing as she sat up. "Did you need to talk about something?"

"Nope." he yawned as he sat back down. "Can actually take a break from the infirmary, now. Figure I'll take any chance I can get."

The three laughed, besides Mia.

"How's, uh, Emily been?" said Yuruko, twirling her hair. "That's her name, right?"

"Emilia. She's…" He shrugged. "…well. Don't tell her I liked Saya and Luna more. She's a good kid, though. Think she just needs some time to get used to America. Always shows up on time with food."

"Yeah." said Serena. She'd thought about his offer from last year and wasn't sure if she wanted to apply as a traveling medic after graduation.

"You know, you've grown in to that Revenant a bit too well." said Hirogane to Mia. "Seem to remember a certain mentor and protege always getting in to legal trouble, too."

"What?" said Mia.

"Ryumi and Magnus?"

"I... what? Magnus was Ryumi's -"

" - he was her - I thought, didn't I tell you about that?" (Her head shook.) "S'right. Thought I talked to you about that at some point."

"You, er, didn't." said Mia, calming. "She was Magnus's mentor?"

"She was. Barely remember anything else about her, though." yawned Hirogane. "Think I only do because she used to have to drag him in for healing. Felt like he was trying to impress her, the way he would always act around her."

"Uh, so he was whipped?" grinned Yuruko and Serena laughed.

"Well, it did work eventually." said Samuel and Hirogane shrugged.

"I was going to say it reminded me of you with Matoi, but -"

- the four burst in to laughter, sans Samuel -

" - don't even -" laughed Yuruko - 

" - well, exactly why I didn't -"

" - let's - let's not." laughed Mia. "Didn't - didn't you not even ask who Rin was?"

"Rin?" said Hirogane, relevantly.

"Matoi's girlfriend. She visited last year."

"If Matoi wanted me to know who she was, she would've introduced her." said Hirogane and the four laughed. "Figured she wasn't supposed to be on campus."

"Sneaky." said Yuruko.

"…wait." said Serena. "Um. Who did Magnus have for a protege, then?"

"Don't remember." said Hirogane. "Probably had one, but - don't think I ever saw him with anyone but Ryumi."

"Damn." muttered Yuruko. "I read a few papers by him a few months ago, but it was just - yeah. It was just by him and Ryumi."

"You're still studying to be a researcher?"

"Yep. I sure am." winced Yuruko. "Only one left in my class, too. Everybody else dropped out. I had to do a group project by myself last month, but it was about how Revenants react with temperature, and I already read about that, so."

"Er, Hirogane." said Mia, sitting up. "Do you know anything about - the government has a system of ranking heroes. Ryumi was listed as 'Threat Level Existential'?"

"...you know, Aimee's not supposed to be sharing that information." said Hirogane and the four laughed. "I know about it. Can't think of any reason why she'd be listed like that, though."

"Is there - do you know how they decide it?"

"No clue." The four frowned knowingly, and his head shook as he stood. "S'pose I should be getting back. Probably'll keep me in the infirmary until I'm 150 or a meteor comes in through the ceiling."

Mia laughed, but asked on his way out; " - do you know if she ever had a fire hotter than purple?"

"She was at blue last time I saw her!" he called back, and Mia frowned as he left.

"…man." muttered Yuruko. "There really isn't, uh, shit about her, is there?"

"…no." sighed Mia. "I - I suppose not."

"Maybe Akira knows more?" said Serena, and Mia nodded.

"If he ever shows up - I don't want us to kill him until after I question him."

"There's a first for everything." nodded Samuel and the four laughed. "President Enemy-Of-The-State."

"And now, someone's trying to assassinate me." muttered Mia. She thought of what Matoi would've done and nodded. "Can, er, all of you move in with me?"

Serena glanced at Yuruko. "Um, sure."

"Yeah, so long as you don't mind anime." grinned Yuruko to Serena, and Mia smirked quite normieshly.

"I don't have a problem with Japanese cartoons -"

" - stop -" - laughed Serena - " - I told you to stop calling them -"

" - wait, she's - she's intentionally doing that?" laughed Yuruko -

" - every time I bring up anime -"

" - you know, you showed us that one clip -" laughed Samuel - " - of - what was it called?"

"Uh, Dragonball Z?" laughed Yuruko, relevantly -

" - that's what it was." laughed Samuel. "Got a new standard to hit, now, after seeing that -"

" - nice." laughed Yuruko. "But yeah, uh. Do you have enough rooms?" (Mia nodded.) "Coolio. Yeah, I think that's - yeah. Good idea."

"Should get started now, then." said Samuel.

"Uh, mind if we do mine and Serena's first? It'll probably be the most stuff." said Yuruko and Mia nodded.

The four walked out, and Mia grumbled more about Urasaria's staff on the way out. They all agreed with her, but in Yuruko's eyes, Mia's principal shortcoming was her arrogance. She had been a bit annoyed at Mia putting in her squadron without asking her, and with some difficulty, had arranged a schedule where she had time for Serena, studying, the Royal Four & hunting.

On their way out, the four ran in to Sylvia, who'd put on 30lbs of muscle in 3 years. Mia had overheard a few women gossiping about Sylvia recently, hoping her relationship would deteriorate soon so they might pick her for themselves.

"Mia!" she said as she came up, and the two embraced. "Are you - I heard what happened, are you -"

" - I'm - I'm alright, yes." nodded Mia. "I'll be making a statement about it tomorrow."

"Alright. Cool-cool. Uh, yeah." nodded Sylvia, glancing back to her & Maria's house. "Do you - do you need any help?"

"We were just about to - my squadron will be moving in to my mansion."

"…shit. Was it - was it a Revenant?"

"Someone tried to assassinate her." said Serena and Sylvia winced.

"I - shit. That's - yeah, if you're all moving in together - yeah. Do you need any help?"

"Could always use more. Was going to start with Yuruko and Serena." said Samuel and she nodded.

"Cool-cool. Uh, I need to… go let my girlfriend know so she doesn't worry, but yeah. I'll be right over." she said and walked off.

"…man." muttered Yuruko as they started walking. "That sounds, uh… kinda controlling."

"Her girlfriend's in my class, too." winced Serena. "Maria. She talks about Sylvia all the time. I think she has like… I dunno."

"A fear of abandonment?" said Yuruko, and Serena nodded.

"Still doesn't make it right, though." said Samuel and Mia sighed.

"I remember that… when I first called Sylvia up to ask if she would be alright as acting president, she had to - she brought Maria with her, who said that she was glad I was married -"

- Yuruko burst in to laughter - " - what?"

" - I - I don't even want to know what she meant." winced Mia -

" - that's - that's kinda fucked up, but -"

" - we really shouldn't be laughing about it." said Samuel, trying not to. "Might need someone to talk to her about it."

"Sylvia or Maria?"

"Sylvia."

"Yeah." said Serena. "If you can get past the Great Wall of Maria."

- and the four laughed, even if they shouldn't have, coming up to Serena & Yuruko's mansion. Serena realized it a second before they stepped in to the living room, and in the next instant -

" - why -" said Mia -

- Yuruko started cackling -

" - it's -" winced Serena -

" - is that a body pillow?" said Samuel -

- to the dakimakura left sitting on the couch, enormous eyes & clothed breasts watching a blank TV. Yuruko was laughing like a demon.

" - oh my fucking g-god -"

" - I - I don't want to know -" winced Mia -

" - I - I took her out last night!" said Serena -

" - I was wondering where she was -" - cackled Yuruko - " - you took her out?!"

" - she was dusty! So I cleaned -"

" - so that's what they look like -" laughed Samuel - " - does - does she have a name -"

" - Foo, Foo Fighters -" cackled Yuruko, relevantly - " - she's fucking made of plankt-"

" - Yuruko bought it for my birthday as a joke and -"

" - yeah, and then you just fucking abandoned it -" cackled Yuruko - " - her -"

" - that's why you don't buy dakimakuras as jokes!" panted Serena - " - every time we go to bed, I have to, I have to see her sad huge eyes poking out of a box in the corner -"

" - it's a responsibility -" nodded Samuel - " - you can't throw that on to somebody -"

" - I'm not touching it." winced Mia, and Yuruko laughed -

" - it's not even the type you can fuck, it was just -"

" - there's ones like that?" chimed Samuel and the four burst in to laughter -

" - just - just stop -" laughed Mia -

" - it'd be the closest I've -"

" - I'll send you, uh, I'll send you some sites -" laughed Yuruko - " - what - what should we do with it?"

"I'm not being seen in public with it." winced Mia and Serena frowned.

"…ugh." She paused, carefully considering this terrible choice. "…um. We might just have to get rid of it."

"Her." chimed Yuruko.

"Don't make it harder than it is." said Samuel.

"I mean, unless you want her -"

" - she's - she's not my type." laughed Samuel -

" - what - what -is- your type, exactly?" laughed Mia -

" - well, there was that one woman in Japan -"

- and the four's blood turned to ice as they heard a knock at the door.

"…I'm not explaining this to her." winced Mia, and Yuruko rushed over to Foo Fighters.

"I'm sorry, my waifu." she whispered, and Serena turned away as its sad huge eyes disappeared into Yuruko's gloves.

"Please tell me that was the only one." said Mia.

"Um, we'll handle our bedroom." said Serena.

Lips pinched, Mia nodded and opened the door for Sylvia.

"Hey." she chimed as she stepped inside. "Um, I brought -"

" - hello." said Maria as she stepped inside behind, and Yuruko frowned. "Mia, yes?"

"I - yes."

"Uh - Samuel, Serena, Yuruko." said Sylvia, gesturing to each, and Maria nodded.

"Are you two dating?" she said, gesturing to Serena & Yuruko, who nodded. "Ah. Good, er. Let's get started, Sylvia."

Yuruko saw in Maria the argument against what she disliked in many women - their eagerness to ascribe abuse to only men. In highschool she had seen it in pretty girls who slipped kill-yourself notes in her locker, in Urasaria lesbians who thought less of her for her bisexuality & relationship with Serena, in online feminists who claimed to speak for her now, and she saw it here & hated it.

The six worked for the next few hours, and once or twice Mia had to tell Maria off for rushing them. She almost wanted to pull Sylvia off and talk to her about it, but she didn't know her well & it might've caused more trouble. After four years of growing in power, it was frustrating that some things couldn't be solved with a Solar Beam.