[ARC 9: BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY]

Three days later, Aimee returned to campus for a meeting with the academy's true president, Jeff Armstrong.

Luna, Saya, Hirogane, and Henry were sat across from him when she came in. She took the seat between Hirogane and Henry; he was wearing a baseball cap to conceal the writing.

"As I was asking." said Armstrong, gelled black hair, nearly as wide as Magnus. "If this was traumatic for her - why did she not report it then?"

The anger hadn't left Saya's eyes. "Because she -"

" - from Ms. Kari, please." he sighed, gesturing to the quivering chef. 

"… I d-didn't have anywhere to g-go." she mumbled. "He was the only f-friend I had, l-locally, u-until - H-Hirogane a-asked m-me i-if - "

- Hirogane held his hand out. "She came in to work one morning and locked herself in her office. She doesn't need to repeat it."

Armstrong sighed. He knew that back then, he would've done something about it - provided evidence beyond a doubt or eyewitnesses. "Are you planning on pressing charges, Ms. Kari?"

"…no." she muttered, Saya's hand on her's.

"Then -" - he sighed again - " - Ms. Yanaro's act can considered defamation - and attempted sexual assault."

"I just want it gone." muttered Henry. "I screwed up, but I've changed, since then."

If Luna weren't there, Saya would've erupted again.

"Then we'll find a solution that works well for all parties. Ms. Yanaro - you will erase the text from him."

"She can't." said Hirogane, and Saya's eyes went to his as his went to her's. "Odyssey can't erase text - except by finishing it. As far as I know."

"… That is true." muttered Saya. "Precisely how I said. It will not go away until I write the last letter."

"…precisely what I had feared." sighed Armstrong, gesturing to Aimee. "Ms. Sato. Given Rider's enhancement capabilities - it would be best to make the experience as… swift as possible, for him."

"Might hurt a lot." said Aimee, glancing over to Henry. "Read it up on the way over. Poseidon raped Demeter when he was a horse."

"F-Fine." winced Henry. "J-Just get it over with. I can't go out in public with this text on. I - I thought Grant was going to k-kill me."

"…then it's settled. Ms. Yanaro - given your otherwise good conduct - and Hirogane's recommendation - the academy has decided to postpone your termination until February 29th."

"W-What?" sputtered Luna; but Saya nodded.

"What will become of my Revenant?"

"It will be removed, and -"

" - she's keeping it." said Aimee, eyes on Saya. "She'll be working for my agency - as a medic."

Saya paused for a moment.

"… if she wants." Aimee smiled.

"… That decision lies above me." said Armstrong. "If she attains her federal license by then - then do as you see fit. She won't be allowed on campus, after."

"Yeah. I know. Been checking through all the regulations."

"Funding going well, then?" said Hirogane, and Aimee gave a vague wave.

"Well as being a bodyguard for a millionaire is. Need to head back by tonight - so let's make it quick. I'll enhance Henry, make time speed up for him. Thing'll be over in a few seconds."

Armstrong nodded. He left the room, Hirogane following, and Aimee gave a gesture to the bathroom door right.

"Go. Undress. Whatever you need to fucking do."

"A-Alright." nodded Henry, and he was gone.

Luna stood, still quivering. Saya stood with her, Odyssey in hand.

"Do not worry." she whispered. "Do you want to play Hanabi, after?"

"Y-Yeah. U-Um - I-I'll be in my office…" murmured Luna, and she was gone. Saya sat down beside Aimee, both breathing deep.

"… hey. Um." muttered Aimee. "… sorry I can't do much besides this."

"You are already ensuring I have a job. You have always been very kind."

"Yeah." nodded Aimee. "Just so you know, though, uh… If you do join - I can't guarantee you won't have to fight some day. We'll keep you safe as best as we can - but… you know how Revenants are."

"I've…" Saya paused. "… I - still never wish to fight alone, but inflicting harm…" She gestured to the bathroom door.

"Yeah." nodded Aimee. "If, uh… once I get my funding - let me know if Luna wants to join, too. Figure she'd rather be with you."

"I shall." 

Out came Henry, lower half undone, baseball cap off. Aimee sighed as she & Saya stood, Odyssey at the ready.

"I-It'll be quick, r-right?" said Henry.

"Yep." grunted Aimee, tendrils ready.

"It certainly will be." grunted Saya, finishing the last letter -

- and for Henry, the world slowed as a reflection in a disturbed pond.

◆◆◆

Twenty minutes later, the medic returned to Luna's office and shut the door behind. She sat beside Luna.

"Did you still wish to play?" said Saya.

"I… I wish you hadn't done that."

"Done that?"

"… w-wrote that." Luna closed her eyes, tears up. "I had to t-think a-about it. T-That's w-why I never t-told anyone but you, because I don't - I don't want to think about it anymore, and having to be in the same room as h-h-him and -" - she threw herself in to Saya's arms, and the medic clenched her own back as she held close.

"I'm - I'm s-sorry."

"E-Everyone w-who saw it, t-they - they c-can guess. E-Everyone around campus a-already thinks that I-I'm just some s-stupid delicate t-thing that - that they can just g-gossip about and feel l-like they need to protect. I-I don't n-need you t-to be t-treating me like t-that t-too." Luna clenched her eyes tighter. "...I-I just wished you asked me b-before you r-ran out like t-that."

"...no. You're, you're right. I-I should have asked you. What, what would you have - wanted me to do?"

"...j-just stay with me. I-I know you can erase Odyssey. I k-know what Aimee was going to do. I-I'm not going to say it doesn't f-feel good to - to make him suffer like that, too, but... I-I wanted to be the one to say it. To ask for it."

"...you're right." murmured Saya, taking tissues from the desk. "I should have stayed. N-Not - barged o-out. N-Not when you n-needed me. I'm sorry."

◆◆◆

[December 1st, Monday, 2019]

Yuruko and Serena were in the living room. Mia had gone out for the night.

"We did -" - Serena winced, voice far deeper than usual - " - um - that was a nice date."

"Uh. I guess." groaned Yuruko. "I don't like getting seen in public with you."

"What are you -"

" - I'm supposed to like men and women, not freaky in-betweens like you. When are you going to get your money?"

"I'm trying to get the money, the fifty thousand, but - Mia burned up all of my funds and -"

" - you're not going to be happy even with it anyway!" 

Yuruko stood, starting to walk out -

" - come back, you fucking -" grunted Serena, standing behind. Her girlfriend turned.

"Tranny."

"Don't - ever fucking call me that."

"Tranny -"

- streams of black fog filled Yuruko's eyes -

- with a dozen knives and a dozen bursts of blood, and she still spoke as her face tore open.

"W-Why do you keep hurting me?!"

"I'm - I'm sorry - I just -"

- she woke up back in her bed, mind in accustomed distress by then. Her dysphoria had been worse lately. She took her phone out, worrying there'd be a sequel if she fell back asleep.

She checked her bank account and sighed. $22,308.

She started typing out a message to Yuruko;

'Can I come over?'

- but stopped, as she didn't want to intrude with her own problems so early. Yuruko might've thought she chose wrong if she did. It was something she probably wouldn't have wanted to hear about, either, and Serena always had trouble describing how gender dysphoria felt to other people. It's not like she could've helped, either. 

She glanced over at her lottery tickets on the nightstand. She'd only won $200 so far, and filled her cup with tissues when she remembered she could have another thirty-nine months of them.

'Gotta, gotta get two-star.'

◆◆◆

"Are you feeling alright, Serena?" said Mia the next morning, tapping the protégé's shoulder as she filled a gallon of milk.

"Huh - oh. Um, yeah." she mumbled. "Just - still kinda tired, I guess."

"We did only return last night." chimed Mia, relevantly. "Still, if… If you… need anyone to talk to -"

- Serena shrieked as Blackburn's fog appeared -

- and Mia shrieked a second later -

" - what the fuck!" panted Serena, waving frantically her right arm -

- which had turned in to a pure-black tentacle, and as it tapped the gallon jug -

" - what the fuck?!" shouted Serena -

" - er - that's chocolate milk, Serena." chimed Mia, seeing the gallon fill up with brown liquid -

- and the tentacle disappeared.

"What the hell is that?" panted Serena, putting her right arm away like it was hexed.

"Er. Let's go see Hirogane and Saya." said Mia, utterly clueless.

"Yeah." panted Serena, readying to rush out the door. Mia tried to stay calm as they went outside.

"Does it… Is it only when you summon Blackburn?" said Mia, two going up the main sidewalk, students passing by.

"Um… I guess. Blackburn." winced Serena, and her right arm turned tentacle for a second.

"Hey, you two heading out?" said a male student ahead, peeling off towards them.

"Er, infirmary." muttered Serena, not wishing to keep conversation long. Her voice had failed her on the first day of class, and a few of her classmates had penned her as male. So far, she'd managed to keep the battle of the sexes from colliding.

"Infirmary, yes." said Mia, and the man nodded.

"Catch you later, Erin." he said, and went off.

Mia cocked her head. "…did he say Erin?"

"Yeah." muttered Serena. "I, uh. He just thinks that's my name for some reason."

"…odd." murmured Mia, and Serena smiled a bit.

"What do you mean?"

Mia shrugged. "I don't understand how someone could confuse the two."

"Me neither."

The two went in to the main building and up the elevator to the infirmary. Hirogane was mid-patient when they walked in, with a black woman even butcher than Aimee. Her head was shaved, and she found it amusing how many times people mistook her as male & kept track with her femme girlfriend.

"Thanks, Hirogane." she chimed, and she walked past Saya&Luna on her way out. Mia waved Hirogane down, and Serena sat on one bed.

"What's the issue?" he said, drawing over with Pulse's tendril.

"It's, uh…" Serena scratched her neck's back. "Uh, this started happening with Blackburn." Her right arm turned tentacle, fog shrouding it.

"…right." muttered Hirogane. "Saya, can you come over? This started happening with Blackburn."

Saya came over, eyes on Serena's new equipment.

"We might have found my long-lost daughter." muttered Hirogane, holding up Pulse's tendril and Blackburn's side-by-side.

"Uh, wouldn't that make Saya your daughter?" said Serena, and the medic's eyes pinched.

"… Still." she muttered. "This… does not appear to be harmful to you, correct? Are you - how powerful is it?" 

Serena nodded, taking her cup&lid in her left-hand. Her new right tentacle gripped it and ripped the lid off, white suction cups forming to keep it held.

Saya smiled and nodded. "It must be some form of Blackburn, with more strength to it."

"Seems to match up." said Hirogane. "Can take a look at your heart - not that you've been in here lately. Wouldn't have much to compare your colony to."

Serena nodded, and Pulse touched her heart.

"Looks normal." said Hirogane, drawing the tendril out.

"Nothing to worry about." chimed Mia, utterly clueless.

Serena nodded, her arm returning to normal. "…man. Yuruko's going to make so many jokes once she sees it, though."

"Er, what?"

"Nothing. Uh. I should go tell -"

- the door opened, and in came the black woman again. "Mia!" she chimed. "I didn't even realize you came in here until I left."

"I - oh." laughed Mia. "Hello, Rochelle."

Rochelle walked over to the two as the staff went away. "And your, uh, protégé? Right?"

"Serena." nodded the woman herself. 

"Serena. Right. Sorry - you two just got back from… Comb... uh, what was it?"

"Combanee." laughed Mia. "We were there for a few days, dealing with a local gang."

"Yeah, yeah." said Rochelle, nodding. "Did that go good?"

"Somewhat." Mia smiled. "We got rid of them, at the least."

"Nice, nice. Uh - alright, so - you guys aren't busy, right? Sorry, should've led off with that."

"We're - not, if - are you alright, Serena?" said Mia, and the protégé nodded.

"Um, yeah. Just had to get something checked out."

"Like a wart?" grinned Rochelle, and the three laughed. "But anyway, so-so. My girlfriend and me got a text from Nuiko - pretty urgent. Little town a few hours away is having some undercover sting going on, some drug deal."

"Is it, uh - gonna go bad?" said Serena, relevantly.

"I mean, that's what we're there for, right? They just want us to go bust it up. Two small-time gangs, maybe like - dozen people at most. But, you know how it gets with Revenants. Always need a host."

"Are you asking us to come with you, then?" said Mia, and Rochelle smiled.

"'Zactly. You in?"

"Er - certainly." laughed Mia, gesturing to Serena.

"I'm in." nodded the protégé.

"Meet you at the gates - uh, in an hour or so, then. Coolio." chimed Rochelle, and she was gone.

Mia blinked as she went out.

"…er. Doesn't Yuruko say that a lot? 'Coolio'?"

"Um. I guess." shrugged Serena. "Doesn't she look even more butch than Aimee?"

"She doesn't have the biceps - or back."

"Er, what?"

"Nothing. Uh. I should go tell…"

Mia stood up and walked out.

◆◆◆

The two met Rochelle and another woman at the gates an hour later, pale with a red bun.

"Hey! Serena, right?" chimed the woman, who Serena knew as Tiffany.

"Yeah." she nodded, grateful she was on the Serena faction.

"Alrighty." chimed Rochelle. "Let's get going before it gets too dark."

The four started down the hall. 

"Is she your protégé?" said Mia, gesturing to Tiffany.

"Yep." she chimed. "Tiffany. You're - god, you're like - rank #26 or something, aren't you?"

"27." smiled Mia. "And you already know Serena."

"Yeah. I mean, him and I don't talk much, but - we've got the same class."

Serena's heart dived in to her stomach.

"Er." said Mia. "Serena is - a woman."

Tiffany's eyes went wide with embarrassment. "I - o-oh! S-Sorry -" - she laughed nervous, gesturing to Rochelle -

" - sorry." said Rochelle, going through the front gates. A car was parked on the street outside. "Dating me gets her sense of gender aaalll mixed up."

"Um. All mixed up?" said Serena, trying an octave higher on her voice.

"You two are dating?" said Mia, and Tiffany kissed Rochelle's cheek.

"Yeah." chimed Rochelle, arm around her girlfriend. "My protégé - and my girlfriend."

The uncoupled protégé & mentor stared at them.

"… Is that legal?" whispered Serena to Mia.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Rochelle walked up to the driver side, unlocking the car. "C'mon. Let's get going - can talk on the way over, right?"

The two nodded. Tiffany took the passenger, and Mia&Serena the back. The engine started up as they started down.

"But yeah, don't, uh - sorry. Nothing personal." laughed Rochelle, waving a hand back to Serena. "Dates a woman so butch, and - who's that guy in your class, Tiffany?"

"Taofeek?"

"The one that you said looks like a hair metal artist?"

"Yeah - Taofeek." laughed Tiffany. "He steals a ton, too. If you took all the shit that was stolen out of his house, it'd be empty."

"And looks just like a chick. That's what I mean. Was he the one who stole that vending machine?" said Rochelle, and Mia laughed.

"Are you - near the beginning of the semester?"

"Yeah. It was - ah, shit." She laughed. "Of course."

"That was my idea to train Serena." chimed Mia, prodding the prodigal protégé.

"Yeah." she mumbled.

"Figures." said Rochelle. "Should be there in - like an hour or two. I'll let you know what to do once we get there."

"Of course." said Mia, and Rochelle let the radio fill the rest of the drive. Serena's eyes went out the window.

Every now and then, Rochelle reached over and put her hand on Tiffany's knee. Rochelle was one of the few black students at Urasaria, but like Mia, she'd drawn up a heavy border between her & cops. She found that white people were usually more interested in her justification for becoming a student than herself, and she'd been interviewed a few times, usually with a question that began with "Now, I can't help but notice that you're...". In contrast, Tiffany's naivete was easier to handle, and they had already been sleeping together before they started dating. Whether that was unethical, Rochelle figured was between them, & she was honestly less experienced than Tiffany romantically, so how could it be?

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

The buildings got taller as they pulled in to town near the coastal air. Rochelle parked on the street next to a five-story apartment complex.

"Alrighty. They have it set up at - of course, the docks. Dipshits probably watched too many gangster movies. I wanted to get - uh, go from roof to roof until we get there. You'll know as soon as you see it."

"Of course." nodded Mia, and the four got out, walking up to the front doors. "Were we going up the… normal way?"

"I mean, we've gotta." shrugged Tiffany. "You've got ice, though, and. Um. Serena…" She smiled sheepish.

"Um - yeah." mumbled Serena, taking her new tentacle out. "Lemme see if -"

- she smacked it against the wall, and the four nodded as it stuck.

"Get to be waaaay cooler than us." chimed Rochelle, relevantly, and she&Tiffany were gone.

Mia nodded and started climbing up a ladder of ice, and Serena's new equipment let her follow up beside. They came up to the roof, seeing the docks on the distance. They leaped and climbed another few sets of buildings, and came perched on a two-floor store, street below, fence that led to two splitting warehouses ahead, and waited for the others.

◆◆◆

The four watched an hour later. Four men had already gone inside the warehouse right, and the next four had just come up to the doors.

"That's our cue." mumbled Rochelle. Mia nodded, forming a ramp of ice down to the street, and the four slid down, rushing across the road.

"Are they kill on sight?" said Mia, running across the road. The four vaulted over the fence, fifty feet separating them and the front doors.

"I mean, we're Urasaria students, so -" shrugged Rochelle, and as the four burst in through the doors -

- there, at the other end, a hundred feet separating them and them, their eight foes, two briefcases between them -

- and the keen end of a bullet entered Mia's chest, turning her in to a woman of laughter for a second, swift scarab burning it to ash.

"Not a Revenant." she said, waving down the four; at her side, Serena filled her cup and threw it forward, and as it hit the crowd of eight -

- the container burst open in a cloud of acid, corroding five away in an instant. With a shriek of terror, two men scooped up the briefcases, and three men rushed and ran back across the room, reaching the back doors quickly and heading through, one scattering left and two veering right outside -

" - scatter!" shouted Mia, and the prodigal duo chased across the room -

" - we'll try to flank, right?" said Rochelle, hand on Tiffany's back, and the two rushed back out the front doors, leaving a chasing Mia&Serena.

"Uh, careful on the acid -" winced Serena, and a ramp of ice brought them over the dissolved corpses, swift whip of her tentacle ripping her cup from the ground as she ran, fog repairing the pockmarked material.

Out the back doors burst the women, and as they veered left, ocean at their right and cargo containers left -

- there, rushing down was one of their foes, no briefcase in hand; his eyes turned back, and as the two rushed in pursuit -

- he leaped in to the water beside, and the two sighed expectantly. 

"Water Revenant." groaned Serena.

"Almost certainly." sighed Mia. "Er, let me test if it'll dissolve first, and -"

- a wave hit the docks beside, and in the next instant -

- the ground shook like an earthquake had struck it, throwing the women off balance, unseen force staggering them off the side -

- and in to the ocean fell the women, clenching their eyes shut as they hit the surface; and as they felt another wave wash over them -

- they were thrown thirty feet deeper underwater, blinded by water all around -

" - Nnna!" hummed Mia, patting frantically Serena's face and eyes. A lensless set of ice goggles formed around their eyes -

- and streams of black fog filled the empty holes with perfect fits. The two opened their eyes with new sight, water all around, seafloor and foe two hundred feet below; with no time to waste, the women started to kick their way back up -

- but shrieked as they felt knives of water form in their nostrils and ears, worms of water burrowing and seeking their minds, and in the next instant - 

" - Bnnnnn." 

- streams of fog filled their ears and nostrils with steel, blocking the water's advance; but they couldn't stay underwater forever. 

The women kicked desperately up, tip of the water above, and as they came within a dozen feet, a wave crashed overhead again -

- and blasted them down thirty feet again, vision starting to blacken as the shockwave knocked the air out of them - but the next scene was instant.

Serena's tentacle went to Mia's neck, tip dipping in to her veins -

- and renewed oxygen refilled her lungs. A second sweep to her own, and the punk nodded, infinite breath assured within the depths. Mia gestured to their foe two hundred feet below, and as she started swimming down -

" - mmm! Mmm!" hummed Serena, yanking the mentor back. Her fog filled her cup with paper -

- and the two stifled laughter as it turned waterlogged, dissolving in an instant. With a humming sigh, Serena shook her head, fog a wild flurry in her goggles, filling and half-filling with writing.

'Decompression kill us if too quick.'

Mia nodded, and another message was written.

'Make sure I don't come up? Stay back.'

Mia nodded. With no time to waste, the protégé flipped upsidedown and started swimming down, streams of black fog filling the water at her feet with wind, and in the next instant -

- she was blasted with the speed of water down, only a hundred vertical feet separating her and their foe now. His hands aimed high, and as they clapped together -

- a shockwave of water shot with the speed of sound towards her, a second and third blasting her with the speed of a hundred up, and as a set of ice scarab readied to freeze her ascent -

- the next scene was instant. Tendrils of black fog flew in to Serena's jacket and filled it with osmium,  and the blue-platinum metal turned her dense -

- and she fell with the speed of metal down to the floor ahead of her foe, only a dozen feet away now. His hand swept back again, a second shockwave missing narrowly her neck - but few could match her in close quarters.

Her tentacle shot to his lips, left hand ripping his mouth open, and as the tendril shoved down his throat -

- his lungs filled with lead, leaving a smiling Serena as he fell dead, both metaphorical and literal. A second sweep of fog cleared her jacket, and Mia nodded above, starting slowly up to the surface.

A few minutes later, the two came up to the docks again, fire scarabs drying their flooded clothes and steel plugs gone.

"I'll have to ask Nuiko to manually add that one in, at least." chimed Mia.

"Don't wanna going back down to scan it?" laughed Serena, shaking her hair dry.

"No, no." Mia laughed as her head shook. "But, er…" She smiled. "I'm… very proud of you, Serena. You're becoming a very good fighter."

Serena's cheeks filled without fog. "O-oh, um - thanks." She smiled. "Um. That means a-a lot to me. Especially since - yeah. I guess I've gotten stronger, too, since…" She gestured to her sudden tentacle.

Mia nodded. "We'll meet with Rochelle and Tiffany, and -"

- as if on cue, her tablet vibrated, and she took it on speaker.

"Rochelle?"

"It's me - fuck fuck - some fucking third guy showed up a-and - I need you two to come to me. Can you?"

"I - yes." said Mia, and with no time to waste, the two rushed off, Rochelle speaking as they ran.

"He got away with Tiffany - and - f-fuck, having to - two Revenants, and both of them -"

" - can - are you fighting now?" panted Mia, the two running across the road and down the sidewalk, curb up ahead -

" - no, I'm fucking locked to a fucking lightpost and - fuck - you know where I am, but -"

- the two turned up the street, and near the next intersection was a lamppost, the prodigal Rochelle tethered by two thick bike-locks on her legs to it. The mentor and protégé ran up quick.

" - don't touch them, because I don't know if -"

" - I - yes -" nodded Mia, the two backing away. "You - said someone - ambushed you?" 

"I - yeah - and - fuck, Tiffany, a-and - they'll have - f-fuck. Me and Tiffany were chasing the two guys and - someone just came out of fucking nowhere and - we didn't get either of them, and he fucking - took her away and - god I really hope she's okay but -"

- the bikelocks disappeared, and she hit the ground. 

"I - fuck - that's one Revenant out of range, but -"

" - I - okay. Okay." nodded Mia. "We - we should stay as a trio then, and look for her."

"Y-Yeah." said Rochelle, standing and stifling a tear. "D-Don't want to think of anything else but this right now."

The three started down the street, searching and hoping for the rest of the night.

But they didn't find a single step of those three.

◆◆◆

Though Mia didn't know Rochelle too well, she tried to comfort her overnight with her story of Aimee in China, if partially because Rochelle might've gone out sleep-deprived otherwise. Rochelle was usually able to, at least, put up a good act of a tough front, something that had benefited Tiffany as a protégé & amused her as a girlfriend, but they had searched for long enough that Rochelle did start crying in front of them. Lack of sleep does that to a person. 

The next morning, the four received a call from the local station, and he was still on the line by the time they arrived.

"You have three students left. Let me hear all of you, so I know you're not tracking me."

"Mia." muttered Mia.

"Serena." muttered Serena.

"R-Rochelle." muttered Rochelle. "What do you want?"

"Don't sound so glum. I'm not that bad a guy. She's still alive. Here. Hear her. Just say hello."

"H-Hello." said Tiffany's voice on the other end.

"Like I said. Let's make it easy. $40,000 for her. That's good, right?"

"F-Forty thousand?" said Rochelle.

"For her - unharmed?" said Mia.

"Of course. Alive, unharmed, with her Revenant. Just how she was before. Not a scratch on her."

"…w-when?" mumbled Rochelle. "When do you - where?"

"A week from now - no, let's say - Sunday, at midnight. I'll call you, oh… Oh. I shouldn't say when. But if I think you've got another student coming along - or that you're not going to pay - I can just leave her in the ocean."

"D-Don't do that. We'll - I'll get it. I'll - I'll get something."

"Good luck."

The line went dead, leaving only air for an ear.

"We should…" muttered Mia. "I - ask us if - you need advice, Rochelle."

"…y-yeah." she mumbled, wiping her eyes. "J-Just. Okay. A-At least she's okay, and… I-I'm n-not gonna risk not paying. Okay?"

"Yes." nodded Mia. "I have some money saved, but..."

"…yeah. I - I still have one-star salary, s-so. M-Most of it gets s-spent on food, and I-I only have $1,000 in savings, a-and…"

"Serena?" said Mia, tapping the slumping protégé's shoulder.

"I, um…" Her eyes went low. "… I've… got some, but…"

"…g-guess we a-are students." laughed Rochelle, relevantly. "O-Okay." She nodded. "Okay. Six. Six days to get $40,000. Let's start thinking of ideas."

"We can't use our Revenants to make money." murmured Mia. "Serena buys lottery tickets using Blackburn to create quarters, but…"

"That. Maybe. Just something on the side." nodded Rochelle. "Um. Okay. Okay. So - could you make… Maybe counterfeits?"

Serena took her cup out, and Blackburn filled it -

- with obvious counterfeit bills, leaving the three sighing.

"Sorry."

"No, it's… it's alright." said Rochelle. "Um. Maybe Nuiko can ask people to…"

"… she - she could, yes." nodded Mia, taking her phone out. "You mean fundraising?"

"Yeah." nodded Rochelle. "Um. I mean, she's not... popular, but - maybe that'll help close the gap."

"I'll let Aimee know, as well - and my friend, Marisa. She's three-star." said Mia. "And Matoi."

Every name pushed Serena's guilt further in.

"…um. What about the guys we were chasing?" said Serena.

"The drugs?" said Mia.

"…wait." Rochelle nodded. "Yeah. No, yeah. If, if we can find the guy that - ugh, those two guys that got away - then we can… I mean, I dunno how much money they had, but… okay. Okay. Okay. Um. So - fundraising, friends, and - t-thanks, you guys." 

"We'll get her back." smiled Mia. "Still, to… If we're to find them, then…"

"They must have Revenants, right?" said Serena. "Um - they didn't get melted by the acid, so."

"Right. Okay, um." said Rochelle. "I think that if they have Revenants, we'll probably run in to them - eventually, too, so. H-Hopefully."

Mia nodded slow. "I… may have an idea, but… It - it will take a day. To lure them out."

Rochelle nodded. "Right. Um. You work on that, and… maybe me and Serena go out. I dunno. Maybe lottery tickets, or something, just, just to get a little more cash."

The mentor nodded.

◆◆◆

Rochelle and Serena started their search on the street beside the docks, still feeling uneasy around the warehouse across the road, businesses right.

"Maybe they'll return to the scene, or something." mumbled Rochelle.

"I - I hope so, yeah. Um." mumbled Serena.

"Um, and especially if it's us, they might... I mean we did kill a lot of them, so… M-Maybe." Rochelle nodded swift. "If they -"

" - HEY!" shouted a female voice behind, and as they turned -

- a hundred feet separating them and she, a woman with an enormous left arm, covered in boils&red flesh -

" - Revenant." grunted Rochelle, Serena's fog&tentacle forming beside.

"Where the fuck is the money, pigs?!" shouted the woman, stomping up by a parked car beside.

"The money?" sputtered Rochelle.

The woman stomped and shook her head. "Fucking dickweeds took it, fucking -"

- her grip shot to the car at her left, grunting and lifting it one hand; a sweep of her hand forward, and as the familiar automobile projectile screamed towards the women -

" - Bl-"

" - Twinfast!" shouted Rochelle - and the next scene was instant. 

A prehensile tail grew from her back, lashing forward and sweeping across the projectile -

- which froze midair as a dozen bolts appeared on it, Serena nodding as she knew it immediately. A second sweep of Rochelle's tail slashed the car in half, scrap metal falling rigid and down - but they had no time to rest.

Ahead, the woman's arm punched the sidewalk below, and in the next instant -

- a rumbling began from below, entire sidewalk turning brittle and starting to collapse -

" - Bl-"

" - Twinfast." chimed Rochelle, tail sweeping forward again -

- and a dozen bolts appeared in mid-air; her tail swept Serena for the ride as she leaped up ans landed mid-air, sudden platforms formed below as the sidewalk collapsed down, shards of concrete burrowing to the ground below. 

"Really stealing your thunder." chimed Rochelle, relevantly, and with no time to waste, her tail raised forward as she ran on air ahead. Only fifty feet separated them and their foe now, and as they cleared the clearing in a single bound -

- the woman swept with the speed of light back, pane of glass in a store behind -

- and tore it clear off, glass mysteriously not shattered as she held it like a shield, and as the woman came within range, Serena's fog flew in to it -

- and she panted aghast as her fog was deflected, ricocheting back to her; the woman's grip shot to her tentacle and threw her back with the strength of a thousand, leaving only Rochelle left as the punk flew behind.

The two stared down on what sidewalk was left, spiked tail drawn high, and as it shot to the woman's left -

- she laughed as she blocked again, mysterious durability in her glass shield, and in the next instant -

- her blood froze as she felt her arm unable to unclench the shield, a hasty set of bolts pinning her arm to it. A set of thick claws burst from Rochelle's hands, two circling out to the road as they stared down. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Serena rushing back on the air platforms.

"Gonna be real easy." grunted Rochelle, digging in her pockets; she threw her hand forward -

- and a burst of pocket sand hit her foe's eyes, blinding her as she stumbled back, bolts tying her eyeballs to the foul grains -

- and Rochelle's tail cleaved her head from her shoulders in a geyser of crimson. The woman sank and fell rigid, enormous arm disappearing.

Serena rushed up, the two nodding as they glanced down to the corpse.

"All good." nodded Rochelle, letting the adrenaline push her worry away. "Uh - that's my Revenant, though." Her claws and tail disappeared. "Twinfast. Lets me place bolts on things, claws and tail."

"Cool." nodded Serena. "Um. Do you have any wounds?"

"Nah, nah. Could use some more sand, though."

Serena nodded, filling her pockets as they walked back, to the sidewalk, fog repairing the collapsed sections.

"…I just realized something, though." said Rochelle. "That was - you heard it, right? She was asking us where the money is."

"What do you mean?" 

"That means those two guys still have it. They… must've made off with it, or something, right?"

"I, um…" Serena nodded, mind still hazed. "Um, yeah. That makes sense."

Rochelle smiled and nodded. "Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll find them for us. Uh. Gotta just stay optimistic, right? Forty thousand. Forty thousand."

"…um, yeah." mumbled Serena. "Um. Maybe we should tell Mia?"

"Go ahead, yeah."

(Serena) "we fought someone that was asking us where the money was. I guess they don't know those guys took it."

(Mia) "This may work even better, then."

◆◆◆

Rochelle and Serena went out again the next day, knowing Mia was dealing with the press once more. Rochelle was as nervous as expected, though she had tried to stay upbeat, if only so the others would focus on Tiffany too. If - when she got her back, she'd set to training twice as hard to make sure it didn't happen again. A few months in to their relationship, she was still protective of Tiffany & figured she always would be, so long as it wasn't overbearing for her. Sometimes a woman just needed a woman to keep her safe.

"Alright." she nodded, the two coming up to the convenience store lot. "Um. Got it, right?"

"Yeah." said Serena, Blackburn filling their pockets with quarters.

"Thanks." nodded Rochelle, and the two stepped inside, elder on both sides of the register. The two students stepped behind, the two men mid-conversation.

"No, I hadn't seen you in a while - I was worried something might have happened." laughed the man in front -

" - sorry." said the man at the register, leaning to wave to the two. "Urasaria, right? Do you young gentlemen need something?"

Rochelle stifled a laugh as Serena stifled the barb.

"Uh, just lottery tickets." laughed Rochelle, and the elder ahead cleared the way for them.

"Two students trying the lottery?" He shook his head and smiled. "Anything in particular?"

"The five dollar ones." mumbled Serena, feeling too weak to correct him.

"Uh, just - however much this is, yeah." chimed Rochelle, and the two dumped out their stock of Blackburn-quarters. "Was clearing out… couch cushions. You know."

"Oh, I know, I know. My granddaughter tries to play these games, too." murmured the man, counting out their stock. "Enough for… four tickets, here."

"Sweet." nodded Rochelle. The two exchanged, and the two heroes stepped out to the sidewalk.

"How do you, um…" Serena's eyes went low. "… deal with that?"

"With what? What's up?"

"Um, I just notice you... um. Kinda get misgendered a lot."

"Nah, nah. It's all good - I mean, you know, they get disappointed when they - -if- they realize, but. I don't really try to correct them, so." She smiled. "This is just my style. It's just, you know. Me being a… woman. Whatever that means, I guess. They can say whatever they want. People, you know, they try to get under my skin with it sometimes, too. Call me a man, ape, things like that. But it doesn't matter what they say."

Serena nodded as she continued.

"So, I know I'm a woman. Doesn't matter what anyone else says. That's how I deal with it." laughed Rochelle. "That what you mean?"

"Yeah." laughed Serena. "Yeah. That, that makes sense."

"Alrighty. Let's just - right here. Coin me again, coin-lady." chimed Rochelle, sitting down on a bench. The coin-lady coined her, and the two set to scratching their lottery tickets.

"…nothing on this." winced Serena, setting one down. "Um, and… nothing on this, either."

"…n-nothing on mine, either." nodded Rochelle slowly. "Fuck - fuck, okay. We - we need to, we can't rely on this, so - we gotta find those guys. That's the best way. Right?"

"Um - right. Right." said Serena. "Um - I can still keep getting these, though - in the meantime. Just - just in case."

"Y-Yeah. I'm sorry, starting to…" She stood, nodding swift. "Don't have time to feel. No time to feel. Just - let's keep going and trying."

Serena nodded, knowing she could offer more. Stereotypes of a narcissist began to pop up in her guilty head.

◆◆◆

On the other end of town, Mia had gotten two distress signals, and hoped her plan had worked. The press had leaked a potential arrest and plea bargain soon to be made in the case, and she had presumed the men to be as stupid as they were elusive.

She walked up the sidewalk, knowing the avenue was right&ahead, dark clouds obscuring the sun overhead -

" - fucking - money -" shouted a man's voice ahead and right - " - give me the fucking money -"

- with no time to waste, Mia laughed and ran ahead, and as she turned the corner -

- there, a hundred feet separating her and he, a man standing at a lamppost, another man tethered by bike locks to it -

" - now look at it, dipshit!" shouted the captive man; the other ripped his eyes back -

- just in time for a frozen projectile to pierce through his eyes and out his skull; a choked gasp left him as he fell dead to the ground -

- and Mia cursed as the bikelocks disappeared, her foe landing down, a hundred feet separating she and he.

"This could be much easier!" shouted Mia, sword and scarabs readied. "Tell me where the money is!"

"Why the hell would I tell you?! You fucking kill everyone anyway, Swarm!"

There was a strange logic to the scum's words. Mia felt some pride at the recognition, two combatants starting each other down, and in the next instant -

" - Vampyr." grunted the man -

- and his skin turned pale, black&red cloak forming at his back -

" - a fucking vampire?" panted Mia, and before she could react -

- he was in front of her, fangs seeking her neck, and s she stumbled back -

- not in time to avoid the teeth dipping in her left wrist, ripping her skin open in a tuft of blood, and in a second sweep seeking her neck -

- she dodged with the speed of light back, ice scarabs chilling her blood where he had struck. Her fire scarab readied to burn the demon alive -

- but she cursed as she stepped back again, knowing she needed identification, and as the man rushed with the speed of light towards her again -

- a frozen wall burst from the ground, and through the frozen barrier smashed the vampire, and as his arms sought her neck -

- her sword clashed with his arms, immense durability and speed in his limbs, claws bursting out and seeking her throat. Inch by inch, the pressure of his strikes forced her further back, desperate blocking as her shield of ice formed -

" - Worldwide!"

- a set of fire scarabs lit a torch over her shield, hoping for the light of the sun to blind him -

- but he was unharmed, and in the next instant -

- was at her back; and as his fangs entered her neck -

- an icicle burst out of her wound, shooting through his mouth and out his skull; with a cursed grunt, she bashed him back as she stepped away. A hasty swarm of ice scarabs flew above, forming a midair globe of ice, and as her fire scarabs provided the light again -

- she sighed again as he stood unarmed, knowing only one choice left against her foe as she rushed away and back. Sheets of ice formed at her feet as she ran and slid; a ramp of ice formed ahead, launching her up and away, landing fifty feet with a roll -

- she turned, sword disappearing, and the next scene was instant.

"Worldwide - Solar Beam!"

- her palms aimed forward, scarabs swarming her wrists -

- and an orange beam erupted from her palms, disintegrating her foe's lower half, and before he fell -

- she snuffed the orange kamehameha out, nodding and panting as he fell dead, blood and entrails leaking out on the road below. 

She stepped over careful, sword drawn as she rolled his body over -

- and smiled to find his face still identifiable, pale skin and fangs gone.

◆◆◆

The three checked in with local records, and it only took a few minutes of searching to bring them to his apartment, a third-floor near the initial battle, fortunately far cleaner than the last.

"Let's start searching, then." chimed Rochelle, and the three took separate rooms; Serena the living room&kitchen, Mia the bathroom&hall, and Rochelle the bedroom. Serena filled her hand with a knife and cut in to the couch cushions, tearing the upholstery in hopes the cotton might contain cash.

Once she'd finished the  couch, she filled it with enough acid to corrode it, and set back to the kitchen. The fridge had leftovers, as was often the case with fridges. The counters only held dishes, and she tried feeling around for any secret compartments or cuts.

Eventually she came back to the living room, starting careful work on the wires, stressed at her search's failure. The television screen didn't carry anything, and no part of the wall buckled.

Rochelle came out with an expression like Serena's.

"Um - you guys found anything?"

"Er… no." mumbled Mia, stepping out of the bathroom.

The three met up and sat down on the spot that used to be the couch.

"Nothing. Um." mumbled Serena.

Rochelle took a deep breath and nodded. "U-Um. Maybe he - spent it, but -"

- Mia's phone vibrated, and she took it quick.

"Matoi said she'll donate $8,000, if needed." said Mia. "She's saving for something, apparently, but…"

"That'll… That'll help, yeah." mumbled Rochelle. 

Every act of selflessness amplified Serena's guilt.

"What, um, what are we at now?" winced Rochelle.

"Aimee will donate $3,000, Marisa, er…" said Mia. "…she's currently checking her funds, but… I believe Nuiko has over $6,000, so far."

"So - um, maybe… Three thousand, six thousand, eight thousand, um. I have a - thousand, and - Serena, you said a thousand, right?"

"Um, yeah."

"And a thousand from me." nodded Mia. "Er - nearly twenty thousand, then."

"Half - halfway. Still got, still got a few days. Just - need to keep looking."

"Of course." nodded Mia, and her and the protégé stood. Rochelle sat down for a second longer.

"…u-um. Can you… g-guys handle it? F-For a bit." She pinched her eyes.

"Um - I-I can recheck." mumbled Serena, and Rochelle waved her off. Mia crouched down next to Rochelle.

"I'm... I'm - sorry, Rochelle." she murmured. "I - I can't imagine how you're feeling."

Rochelle gave a shake like she was sobbing underneath her hand. "…y-y-yeah. I-I'm - r-really scared. I-I don't like saying that, b-but I am."

Mia embraced Rochelle, and the woman took her shoulder.

"Y-You know, I just - me and h-her have been together f-for a f-few months, t-too, s-so it really h-hurts."

"Is she your first girlfriend?" whispered Mia.

"Y-Yeah. S-She's probably scared, t-too, a-and…"

"We're halfway there, yes?" said Mia, pulling back and smiling. "We still have the rest of today, Friday, Saturday, and... Sunday. Marisa will donate."

"...o-okay." mumbled Rochelle. "T-Thanks. I-I should just, get focused on this. T-That'll help keep me going."

◆◆◆

The three searched the apartment for the rest of the day, but didn't find anything more.

That night, Serena stared in to her bathroom's mirror. No matter how she angled her face, she could still read male in her jaw. She tried parting her hair a new direction.

She then sighed and took her jacket off, but swept it back on as she saw her shoulders. She flicked the lights off. She tried smiling, moving her hand to obscure some part of her face; and her reflection started forcing a tear out.

"O-Okay." she mumbled, walking out to her and Mia's room.

"Are you alright, Serena?" said Mia, still sitting up in bed.

"…um. Yeah. Just kinda stressed. Um. I need to go call Yuruko."

"Of course." nodded Mia, and Serena was gone. She glanced back to her phone.

(Marisa) "yeah Sad [https://www.royalroadcdn.com/public/smilies/sad.png] I've got like $3,000 saved up. Nuiko's collected $7,000 so far, so. I bet it'll be fine."

(Mia) "Thank you."

She sighed.

(Mia) "Serena's been upset about something, and I don't… believe it's about this."

(Marisa) "mia-mia, if you keep this up, I'm gonna upgrade you from clueless lesbian"

(Mia) "To what?"

(Marisa) "lesbian mom :D"

Mia's cheeks filled.

(Mia) "I'm simply concerned for her."

(Marisa) "just like a mom!"

(Marisa) "didn't she call you out about that, too? Wink [https://www.royalroadcdn.com/public/smilies/wink.png]"

(Mia) "I suppose she did, but…"

She frowned, having hoped she'd thought of her next message in the pause.

(Mia) "… She's still my friend. I want to make sure she's alright."

(Marisa) "yeah. I bet she'll be fine though, like - she's got you and Yuruko to talk to, right?"

(Marisa) "besides, you know she's your age, right?"

(Mia) "What do you mean?"

(Marisa) "you're a 19 year old that thinks they're twenty-five :P"

(Mia) "Only twenty-five?"

(Mia) "I suppose you're right. She'll tell me if she needs help."

Outside, Serena had reached a quiet bench with her phone, already mid-call.

"I-It's r-really hard." said Serena. "I-I know I shouldn't be complaining that much, but -"

" - hey, it's okay." said Yuruko on the other end. "What's up?"

"…just… feeling shitty. About everything. I-I dunno. S-Sometimes I like how I look, and sometimes I just… I dunno. I guess it's good that the worst thing in my life is this, but…"

"Yeah, but… I mean. Dysphoria's hard, right? That's what you said."

"…s-sometimes. I just wish I could let it not affect me, b-but…"

"Yeah. I mean - that's why you have to, right? Remember that dude we played Turbo Mode with?"

Serena laughed. "Y-Yeah. Kept yelling about buying Dust."

"Yeah." She knew Yuruko was grinning on the other end. "But we just didn't let that bother us, right?"

"Y-Yeah." Serena smiled. "I-I guess it's, kinda. Yeah."

"Yeah. Plus, I mean… I wake up some mornings and - think I look like shit, or whatever. I know it's different for you, but…"

"...yeah. It just feels like - it feels like I'm failing at something. Like I'm not a real woman. I-I h-have a lot of trouble with that, I guess."

"You're a real woman to me." chimed Yuruko, and the two laughed. "And Mia. And Matoi, and Grant, and… who was that other guy?"

"Henry." laughed Serena, having not heard the news. "And - Aimee."

"And Samuel, and Jeanne, and… You get what I mean, right?"

Serena thought about Rochelle. "...y-yeah. I… I think I'm starting to feel better."

"Coolio." Serena heard her tablet vibrate. "Ah, shit. Uh. Will you be alright?"

Serena nodded, wiping her eyes over a smile. "Yeah. I'll call you when I get up. Be careful."

"I will."

◆◆◆

The next night, Serena knocked on Rochelle's door.

"Open." said her voice on the other end, and Serena stepped inside. Rochelle was laying in bed on her phone, and she sat up.

"Hey, Serena. Uh - what's up?"

"I, uh…" Serena mumbled and closed the door behind. "…um. How's the fundraiser going?"

"…uh." Rochelle sighed. "It's… Nuiko says she's got - around $8,000, so far. K-Kinda - getting scared, but. Just - just $18,000 or so left."

"…um." Serena nodded and sat down beside. "I - I've - got the rest."

"You - wait, what?" said Rochelle, sitting up.

"I have twenty thousand dollars - I - I can withdraw it from my bank account, tomorrow."

"I - s-shit." said Rochelle, eyes suddenly teary. "You're - y-you're not screwing with me, right? That's - you can pay the rest?"

Serena nodded rapid, tears starting to mirror. "Y-Yeah - I - I had it the whole time - but I didn't want to - and I-I'm sorry - I-I could've just - I-I was trying to w-wait until Sunday t-"

" - hey, hey, cool, cool." smiled Rochelle, waving her down. "Hey, look. C'mon. Let's focus on the good here, alright? That - seriously, that - that makes me - feel way better. You - you can pay it, then? T-The rest?"

"I - checked. I have - I have over twenty thousand dollars. I - I should have just l-let you know, but -" - Serena's eyes filled - " - t-that m-money is r-really i-important to me, a-and -"

" - hey." said Rochelle, hand on Serena's shoulder. "Hey. I'll pay you back. That's - that's a definite. I don't know what you're saving up for, but…" She smiled. "…dog, I'm just happy that we've got the money. I mean, twenty thousand's a lot. This isn't some movie where you can just be all noble and give that away like that."

"...m-maybe." sniffed Serena.

"I can't… I mean. Of course I wish you said it earlier, but - I'm not gonna be mad at you for trying to hold on to that as much as you can. I mean. I don't think you'd be sobbing like this if it was just for a sports car."

"… i-it's not. C-Can I tell you?"

"Sure."

◆◆◆

Sunday night, money readied in a briefcase, the three received their final call.

"Do you have it?"

"We do. Forty thousand." said Rochelle. "When and where?"

"Where the last one was. I want… Serena to deliver it. You and Mia will stay on the line."

"Uh, not a dead drop?" said Rochelle. 

"And risk one of us backing out after we get our reward? No. Besides. Serena might be the weakest of you, but I don't want my throat getting filled with knives. If you're worried about me running off with her."

Mia glanced to Serena, and the protégé nodded.

"…be careful." murmured Mia. 

"Here. I'll let you hear her before I sedate her. Say 'I love you'."

"I love you, Rochelle." said Tiffany on the other end.

"Time to sleep."

"I love you too." murmured Rochelle.

"I'll head out." nodded Serena, and she was gone with the briefcase.