The next day, the rejected protégé&mentor went out for ice cream. They sat at one of the outside tables, line of businesses down each end of the sidewalk.

"You should eat." chimed Mia, hard on her vanilla wonderland. "You'll feel better, if you do."

Serena took another dab at her chocolate. It'd started to drip. "… yeah. I - I guess. S-Still just hurts." An ice scarab refroze her dessert, and she tried not show her laugh. "T-Thanks."

"Of course." chimed Mia. "Still - it would be best to keep your mind off of it, yes? Would you like to talk about something?"

"… m-maybe." she mumbled. "How, um… H-How did you and Aimee start dating?"

Mia's eyes went away. "… I don't believe we should talk about romance."

"Sorry."

"It's alright." nodded Mia. "Er, have you been playing any - videogames recently?"

Serena scrunched up. "… uh. Just DOTA, I guess, but -" - she paused and winced, and before Mia could respond -

- the two rose suddenly to their feet, their hands and arms moving frantic -

" - U-Uh - you - alright?" panted Serena, suddenly twitching.

"I - I - clearly - Revenant - wehavetofindthehost to deal with and -"

- the two women gasped and groaned, inadvertently twitching up a storm -

- and as if on cue, black clouds formed above; the women turned their eyes up, Revenants readied.

"Whatthefuck is this? That's as black as my jacket and what the fuck -" winced Serena, still twitching in place - " - sorry- I really need to - really hyper -"

"Me too -" winced Mia, starting to run in circles - " - so much fucking energy so much energy so much why are there circles drawn underneath me -"

" - is it - is it?! - sugar? Sugar high sugar rush sugar high?" panted Serena, rushing in circles in-place, feeling as if she could run as fast as a bullet; she turned, and in the next instant -

- she disappeared down the sidewalk -

- and was back in the next. "What the fuck? Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck -"

" - figures of speech?!" twitched Mia, scarabs drawn. The two caught the trend quick -

" - uh why is this here?" panted Serena, the two catching a sign from above that said 'trend'.

"It must mean something but I have no idea what it could be unless it's some sort of joke or -"

- with a sigh, Mia burnt the trend to ash, scarabs swarming as fast as lightning around her -

" - why are you using your electrical scarabs?" winced Serena -

" - find the host first - questions later!"

The two went in opposite directions down the sidewalk, Serena rushing like a speeding bullet along the line of businesses and restaurants, shoving chairs outside aside, glancing through the windows of each as she hurtled and ran.

The end of the line was only fifty feet ahead, and as she cleared the clearing with the speed of a sugar rush -

- a titanic wall burst out from the ground, blocking her path; and in to the sudden barrier she skid and stumbled. Glancing back, she sighed, Mia on the other end suffering the same fate.

"Maybe we can -" - Serena twitched - " - go over it?"

She scooped a rock off the ground, threw it over the wall -

- and two birds appeared in mid-air and were hit beak-on; then fell dead to the ground, Serena wincing as she stepped back.

"Um - we can't escape this sidewalk, I guess! Don't ask me how I know!" she shouted, the two birds killed with one stone disappearing below.

On the other end, Mia yanked open one restaurant's front doors and swept herself inside, checking for patrons with her wild eyes -

- but found only skeletons in chairs, the restaurant's business having been dead for months. She stepped out to the sidewalk again, Serena rushing to her side as the two searched.

"Man." muttered Serena, another dead business beside. "This shit makes me -"

- she gagged suddenly, panted and pat her stomach frantically; and the two groaned in horror, knowing then what had appeared in Serena's stomach.

"Are - are you alright?" said Mia, patting Serena's back; the protégé gave a vague nod, crouching down -

" - fuck - shit - fuck!" screamed Serena, stomach bulging, filling with hundreds of butterflies, cargo threatening to burst her open -

- but with the speed of fog, a black stream went down her throat -

- and out of her esophagus erupted a stream of projectile vomit, hundreds of dissolved butterflies ejecting out of her mouth -

" - stay - stay calm, Serena." winced Mia, fire scarabs vaporizing the bile as she held Serena's hair back, as a true friend might.

And the foul stream slowed. Serena groaned as she burped, and as she stumbled down the sidewalk -

" - wait!" shouted Mia, yanking her protégé back -

- and the two sighed in relief, finding that the suddenly appearing bucket below had not been kicked.

"Be careful -" said Mia -

- and shrieked as Serena transformed in to a sign that said 'careful' -

" - I - don't be careful! Be - Serena!"

- and the two sighed in relief as Serena returned.

"I'm - calm. Calm. Right." winced Serena. "Uh. Not - not feeling so good… C-Cold…"

She embraced herself tight, starting to shiver; Mia held her hand to Serena's forehead, feeling her skin's temperature rapidly dropping -

" - not - " - Mia laughed, fire scarabs heating her protégé's body back to normal - " - not - that! - calm, Serena. You were as cool as a cucumber."

Serena blinked at her for a second. "Were? What I'd do to not be cool anymore?"

"No, you -"

- Mia sighed as Serena laughed. "We - we have a Revenant to fight, here!"

"Guess that makes you -" chimed Serena - " - cool as ice -"

- but she suddenly winced, knowing the metaphor would turn literal -

- and Mia sighed as her entire body turned to ice, setting her fire scarabs to vaporize her frozen prison.

"… No more puns." murmured Mia, sending Serena away with a wave, scarabs dissolving the water before it could hit her. As her protégé searched the buildings beyond, she rushed in to another restaurant -

- and groaned, finding only corpses again.

"Is every business here dead?!" shouted Mia. "Where the fuck is he?!"

With a grunt, she turned and stomped out -

"Fuck off." she groaned, pillar of white flame charring the soldier that had appeared suddenly beside her.

◆◆◆

And two thousand miles away, two men's heads cocked as they sat on their front porch.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!" shouted her voice, so loud you could hear it from across the country.

◆◆◆

And twenty minutes, twenty dead businesses later, the literal duo still searched, having finished with all but one spot. The two met at the ice cream shop where the calamity had begun -

- and found a man sleeping at their table, the last place they would look.

"… Fuck off." groaned Mia, relevantly.

"Think that's him?" whispered Serena.

Mia sighed. "I suppose, but - I've never fought a Revenant that acts while sleeping."

"Might be pretending."

"Worldwide."

A pillar of white flame charred him to ash, and the black clouds cleared overhead.

"What a pain in the ass." muttered Serena, hoping it wouldn't turn literal.

"At least it's another Revenant down." chimed Mia, taking her tablet out and scrolling to her notes. "I'll check if it's one of the Revenants stolen, but..." She frowned. "… It doesn't appear to be."

"What do you mean?" said Serena, peeking over to read the list.

"There's no Revenant registered that causes this - or the one that you and…" Mia paused, not wishing to remind her.

"… oh." mumbled Serena. "Um. Yeah. I guess that was just a random one, then."

"It appears so." she nodded. "We'll report back to the others, and… Are you… feeling any better?"

"Um, kinda." laughed Serena. "Don't worry - I'll be alright. Um. I've, I've been through a lot worse, s-so."

Mia nodded, trusting her.

◆◆◆

That night, the other pair took the streets. Yuruko hadn't said much since they left the hotel.

"You seem bothered by something." said Tuyuan.

"I'm fine." muttered Yuruko. "Just didn't get much sleep last night."

Her phone vibrated, but her eyes kept forward. When they'd first started dating, Hanna's clinging hadn't bothered her.

"… That Hanna?" said Tuyuan.

"Probably."

"You going to answer it?"

"Stop it." groaned Yuruko. "Let's focus."

"I'm just saying. I don't get why you're even dating her." Tuyuan shrugged. "Seems odd to me."

"Yeah - and you've never dated anyone, so."

"That's not really the burn you think it is. I'm fine not dating anyone."

"Just shut up." sighed Yuruko. "Jeez. I don't know why you're being so nosy."

"I'm just trying to understand you. What do you even like about her?"

Yuruko hated feeling like she had to defend. "She's super sweet. Plus, we've known each other for a long time, and have…" She tried to think of a trait Serena didn't have. "… similar hobbies."

"Plenty of people are super sweet. Have you seen that one image, online? It was some alien creature, and it said… what did it say. Something about - 'this alien is nice, has a job, and doesn't harass people. What do you have over him?' It was meant for men, but, you know."

"We've been together for nearly nine months." mumbled Yuruko. "Just focus on this. On fighting."

"I suppose. I'm just asking -"

" - let's just eat." muttered Yuruko, gesturing ahead.

Tuyuan shrugged. "Alright."

◆◆◆

Her burger was half-eaten by the time they walked the streets again. She couldn't stand the thought of being outsmarted by her protégé.

"Still haven't replied to her." said Tuyuan, line of restaurants left, road right, tables and sidewalk ahead.

"Yep." muttered Yuruko.

"What's the punk chick's name again? The black jacket - the one with… Mia. She is a chick, right?"

"Serena?"

"Yeah. Her. You know she likes you, right?"

Yuruko winced. "Uh - I dunno."

"I could tell. Well - at least from what I've seen. I'm a pretty good judge of it, though. Always has that nervous look around you." He shrugged. "She's pretty cute. Like that androgynous look."

"As if she'd ever -"

- the tables ahead suddenly disappeared; the two gasped, and with the speed of light Yuruko turned -

" - there's the bitch!" she shouted -

- and there, a hundred feet separating them and he, was the bitch. The two turned and ran in pursuit, lines of restaurants right, clear sidewalk ahead, and as they surged forward -

- the two tripped and stumbled over an invisible table, concrete meeting their faces as they landed; with a grunt, the two rose, seeing their foe flee inside a nearby restaurant.

"This'll be fun." muttered Tuyuan, feeling but not seeing the table below. A lever appeared in mid-air as he tapped it, and he flicked it incorporeal as the two ran ahead, fifty feet separating them and the restaurant's entrance -

- and again the two stumbled and hit the ground, landing on something bulky and yielding; Tuyuan's hands swept down, readying for etherealization -

- and his lips pinched as he felt something bulging.

"Uh. This is awkward." he muttered, Ethereal's lever not forming as the two stood, starting their run and keeping close to the wall.

"What was that?" groaned Yuruko.

"Some guy who's going to wonder why a ghost just molested him."

"Uh, what makes you think they can't see us?"

"Well, if they can, I'll be viral within a week."

The two groaned as they ran, and as they came up to the restaurant's doors -

- the duo sighed aghast as the entire restaurant disappeared, the line of businesses fading from their sight. A swift flick of Ethereal's lever turned the door incorporeal, and as they swept directly inside -

- the sharp end of three invisible projectiles entered Yuruko's chest; she shrieked as she stumbled back, and as she felt another volley seek her -

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- a wild and hasty spin of Medicinal's gloves formed a shield of steel; a second, and a second shield for Tuyuan. The two held it high as they stepped forward, seeing only the floor, their foe nowhere to be seen.

"God, this shit sucks." groaned Yuruko, almost hoping for a fight more direct. "This is - dangerous, but -"

- a hailstone of dry ice formed at her boot, and as a woman might kick a puck, she kicked it forward -

- and the entire restaurant filled with white smoke, illuminating the rows of tables and chairs, booths along the back wall. The two cut right, seeing what they thought was a door at the right&back end -

" - what if that hit somebody?" laughed Tuyuan.

"Dry ice is treatable. At least mine doesn't leave psychological damage." murmured Yuruko, relevantly, cutting around the corner, and as they rushed to the possibly-a-door -

- the two stumbled direct in to it, hitting their noses on the barrier, and as they stumbled back -

- the door slammed open and threw Yuruko to the wall -

" - fucking bitch!" she grunted, and a sweep of Medicinal's gloves turned the barrier liquid.

With no time to waste, the blind duo swept inside, a second hailstone of dry ice illuminating their path, appearing to be the kitchen, long and narrow -

" - there's the bitch again!" shouted Tuyuan -

- and there, at the other end, fifty feet separating them and he, was the bitch again. His eyes grew wild as he caught sight of them, and as they readied to rush in pursuit -

- they sighed as they saw him disappear out what-they-assumed was a door.

"Fuck this." groaned Tuyuan, pressing vaguely against what-he-thought was a wall right, and smiling to find Ethereal's lever appear. A flick of it turned the wall incorporeal, and the two stepped out to the back alley beyond -

- and laughed as their foe halted to their left, only a dozen feet separating them and he. He turned and wheeled -

- and the keen end of a titanic projectile hit the two from behind, crushing them underneath the weight, allowing him time to escape -

- and Tuyuan grunted as he flicked the bulky projectile ethereal; and up the two rose, sighing again as they turned, seeing the street&road beyond.

"I'll flank him." said Tuyuan, rushing off behind, and he was gone.

The blinded chemist ran ahead, out of the alley and peeling left to the street beyond; on the horizon, she saw her foe weaving between the center of the road, cars she knew were there but couldn't see -

" - Medicinal!"

- and below her boots, the traditional stone stairs&bridge formed as she rushed up, barrier below disintegrating as she took the wide path over the road. Only fifty feet separated her and her foe now, and as she hurtled closer in -

- a second blunt projectile hit the back of her skull; she shrieked as she lost her balance, starting to fall off the bridge -

- but a pole of steel formed in her gloved grip, hanging mid-air off the side of the bridge. She swept her legs back on, starting her run again, new guard rails forming as her hands stretched out.

'Man, that trip made this shit stronger. Maybe I'll break the economy some day.'

Below, her foe still ran down the center of the road, her stumbling having lost her distance, threatening to disappear from her sight around a corner left&ahead -

' - this is gonna look so fucking stupid.'

With a sigh, Yuruko stretched her arms back, running as a true ninja might; and gusts of wind formed at her back, tailwind speeding her pace, only fifty feet separating she and he.

And as he came over one casual manhole -

- a familiar hand erupted from it, yanking him down and within; and Yuruko heard a scream she knew wasn't Tuyuan. The cars formed below again, only miniscule traffic, buildings appearing around again.

And out of the sewage aperture climbed Tuyuan, knife-in-hand, dragging the corpse with open throat behind.

"Pathetic." he droned, and stepped careful over to the sidewalk, Yuruko on her bridge following behind, and down.

"Coolio." chimed Yuruko, stepping over to the corpse. "Finally got a live one."

Tuyuan nodded and crouched down. Yuruko drew her tablet out as he started his incision to the corpse's chest.

"Just need to scan, and -"

" - error." stated her tablet, and her lips pinched her cheek.

"Something up?" said Tuyuan.

"It's - shit. Haven't seen that before. Uh - it's telling me the 'colonies are too close'."

"The… colonies are too close?"

"Yeah, like it…" She wiped the lens -

" - error."

She sighed. "Like it thinks there's two Revenants. Might just be a glitch, but - let's check with the coroner. Once we call the cops."

"Try not to dissolve it." said Tuyuan, and Yuruko's eyes rolled.

◆◆◆

The coroner was as aghast as the two, corpse still with beating heart on the morgue's table.

"It - what?" said Yuruko. "Sorry - I can't hear you over the fan."

He went to the fan and turned it down. "Apologies. It gets very warm in here. It - this heart appears to have two separate colonies. Both do match the Revenants stolen. One allows its host to - copy the appearances of materials, and change them. The other - magnets that can be remotely activated."

"… It - what?" said Tuyuan, and as the coroner went to shut the fan off - " - no, I heard you, but -"

" - two separate colonies?"

"Yes." he nodded, and went to examine the corpse. "It's very odd, however. Normally, two Revenant colonies will simply compete with each other, and one will die out within a day."

"Is it, uh, new, then?" said Yuruko.

"… Also concerning - it is not. Before you ask - I do not know anymore than you do - but I will examine further overnight."

"So, wait - he has two Revenants?" said Tuyuan.

"He…" He yawned. "… apologies. It is late - but, I will be able to tell you far better once my examination is done. Beyond a cursory."

"… Do you need a coffee?"

He laughed. "I prefer energy drinks. I have a son, and when he was a baby… well. It was good they made zero-calorie versions."

"They'd have to tow you around with a crane otherwise?" grinned Yuruko, and the three laughed.

"Something like that. Still, I have your numbers. I will contact you tomorrow with the full report, and if needed, we can discuss it in detail."

With time to waste, the two nodded.

◆◆◆

When Yuruko had visited recently, Hanna had just wanted to watch the season's new shows. They'd used to commentate & laugh, but that had started fading, as Hanna started to take too seriously what was just entertainment for Yuruko. She'd been upset to find their tastes in humor didn't match either, but over time, the anime was preferable than those conversations that'd come from their lips like stumbling bums out of busses; men who didn't know where they were or where they were going, but weren't very interesting either.

◆◆◆

The next morning, the four stood in the coroner's office, and he had just relayed the news.

"It's - a what?" said Yuruko, the fan off.

"It's, admittedly -" - he laughed - " - sorry. I haven't been published in quite some time - but this'll be something rife. It appears this is some - bizarre form of Revenant."

"You said, um - a corrupted Revenant?" said Serena.

He nodded. "Apologies if I sound enthusiastic. You don't get in to this profession without some morbid curiosity." He shook his head. "However - and by whoever - this Revenant was transferred, they appeared to have solved some of the... issues with dual colonies."

"They're not eating each other, then?" said Mia.

"They - admittedly, very preliminary, still. As far as I could tell - and I've requested it be sent away for further research - the colonies appear to… for lack of a better word, merge. But, reproduction appears erratic. Even under a microscope, I could tell the proportions of each were… rapidly shifting. Of the colonies."

"That, um…" Yuruko frowned, mind busy. "… uh. Sorry. The - so they keep competing for Volgari proteins with each other?"

"It may be, but I can't conclusively say."

"Why would someone do that?" said Tuyuan. "What - you've got two… Revenants that you can barely control? Some weird hybrid?"

"If I had to guess, it would be to have multiple Revenants."

Four nods went down -

- and three knots of dread.

"We have someone attempting to have multiple Revenants, then?" sputtered Mia.

"It…  I would assume, yes." he muttered. "I'll send you my hypotheses, but as you've seen, they… You know more of their behavior than I do."

"...leave the room, please." murmured Mia, and he knew not to ask questions as he went out.

"What's up?" said Tuyuan.

(Mia relayed Magnus's conduits.)

"… shit."

"Precisely." murmured Mia. "It, it could be Akira trying to recreate it. Couldn't it?"

"Er - you were the one who saw him, Mia." said Serena. "Um. That'd kinda make sense though, right? If he liked Magnus, then he'd want to recreate those conduits, right?"

"He had the originals, but…" Mia sighed. "… If he were friends with Dreadnought, then - the conduits don't work like that. They're separate hearts - not the same."

"I still remember that." winced Serena, and waved down Tuyuan. "Uh. Yuruko cut in to a guy's chest last month, and he had two hearts."

"Metal."

The two laughed.

"Makes this… Well. If it's just this guy - could be alright." muttered Tuyuan. "But it's probably some freak. Maybe it is that guy."

"Yuruko, do you have any suggestions?" said Mia, and Yuruko blinked.

"… uh. Sorry, what did you say?"

"Wake up." prodded Tuyuan, and Yuruko shook her head.

"… uh. No, was just… thinking about it. Uh. I guess it… could be, but - these guys aren't killing civilians."

"So distracted." yawned Tuyuan, and the barb struck Serena. She knew she'd caused it; they hadn't spoken since, on account of Serena not wanting to pressure.

"… um." mumbled the punk. "Yeah. They - they killed a lot of civilians last time, but these dudes…"

"Right." murmured Mia. "The next time we fight. Serena. I'd like to attempt something nonlethal."

"I can do, uh, sleeping gas or something."

"We'll have to ask them ourselves."

◆◆◆

The pairs went separate for the rest of that day, hoping for a fight, but found none.

By this time, Serena still hadn't talked to Yuruko again as she didn't want to bother her. Mia had been comforting her as she could, but Serena still felt some essential difference between her & the others. Her mentor didn't know how small her dating puddle was, & though Serena did like men, her mind kept clinging back to Yuruko, feeling like she was more immediately available even if she wasn't.

Serena got awoken by a text that night.

(Yuruko) "hey"

(Yuruko) "can we talk?"

(Yuruko) "nothing bad, just, um"

(Yuruko) "wanted to talk."

(Serena) "oh - um - sure!"

(Yuruko) "we should do this in person. do you wanna go out somewhere?"

Serena remembered her hope on the last trip, and her stomach felt stabbed.

(Serena) "sure."

◆◆◆

The two sat on a park bench. They hadn't given anything but a wave since the hotel, and the words Yuruko had earlier fell limp in her throat.

But she knew the punk wouldn't speak first.

"So, I know we… haven't been talking." mumbled Yuruko. "Since you asked."

"Er - sorry." muttered Serena. "It's - it's not your fault. Just want to make sure I don't make you feel awkward."

"You don't. You - you actually always make me feel pretty comfortable." smiled Yuruko. "I - I usually have trouble - kinda - stifling what I talk about, or what I say."

"… wagecuck." muttered Serena, and Yuruko laughed; but suppressed the barb on her heart.

"S-See? That's why this is - hard -" - she looked away, trying to keep her tears from escaping - " - because - because I do like you. I do - and I hate saying 'you'll find somebody', because that's what every f-fucking chick says, and I don't wanna be like that."

"I - I mean, I will. I - you know I can. We're better as -"

" - s-stop, c'mon. You, you know you're going to have a hard time. A-And I know you can do it, but - remember when, remember when I said you're the only chick I know who's in to this stuff? Everyone else I know just plays - shitty fucking phone games or -"

- the two laughed -

" - s-see?" Yuruko sighed, taking a long lean back. "And guys, I can't even get on voice without creepy dudes sending me friend requests - or then you get the 'male feminist' types that go way out of their way to -"

" - we're really shitting on everyone here, aren't we?" laughed Serena relevantly, the absurdity diluting their pain.

"Y-Yeah." smiled Yuruko. "B-But you get it. Y-You know what that's like."

"I do. I mean - kinda. You - know I… kinda."

"Yeah, but… And even that, and... that's why…" Yuruko sighed long and hunched over. "… I - I kinda d-don't - don't want you dating."

"… e-er."

"B-Because - I - I look forward to - seeing you come online more than my girlfriend. I - I practically feel like I only go visit her because I -have- to. Like I'm just - and I don't know if that's just because we just met, and I've been with her for months, or I can see you everyday or maybe you -are- - but I don't want to just… I don't want to realize that when - when you do start dating someone… else. … I know this is super shitty. I'm - this is awful to do. I shouldn't even be... Could… could you - not… At least until I can… think more."

"I'll… um, y-yeah." murmured Serena. "Just to give you time to think. U-Um. Not like I… W-What are we talking about? Just to b-be clear. It."

"If - I decide to break up with my girlfriend. I'd - I dunno how I'd even - fuck - and I'd be putting you in to such a…" Yuruko groaned. "… If any other chick was doing this, I'd think she's a slut."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd be… she meets someone new, and breaks up with her girlfriend to be with them? I'd be saying 'that poor guy - girl - or - an I-I don't want to m-make you think I'm like that. I-I don't want you to be scared of that happening, if we do…"

Serena saw the gloves scrunching.

"… date." muttered Serena.

"… yeah." mumbled Yuruko. "I kept thinking about this, ever since. I - I - didn't - even know that you…" She winced. "…and now I feel like I have to do it, because I -told- you. I could've just - lied and said my girlfriend broke up with me, for something else - and I could've - and I know it'll hurt you even worse now if I don't, a-and I don't want to hurt you. I-It really hurt to say no to y-you, because I knew you were going to blame yourself. But it's n-not your fault. I-It's not."

Her gloves pinched her glasses off. Dabs of tissue formed at her fingertips as she wiped her eyes.

"But I don't want to lie. Yeah. No matter what happens, I don't want to lie to you. You were - I really appreciate you telling me that - and I want to be honest with you. Y-You trusted me."

"I, I do trust you."

"… I trust you, too. Me and her… haven't been that good, recently, anyway, I guess, but… I don't know. It's not even the kind of… thing you can talk about, but… I-It just - feels like - sometimes - that… we're too different. I barely even…"

"You - did say I'm the only chick you know who's - in to this stuff."

"…yeah." Yuruko stifled a smile, fearing it'd portend something. "You really are. We've - talked every night since we met. Right?"

"… a-almost." mumbled Serena. "I - I just don't - I really don't want to believe. I've - I've been trying really hard to not think about this, and I even tried… I even started thinking about - what I dislike about you, and - it just kept making me feel worse."

A long pause.

"…sorry. I s-shouldn't have s-said that - it's not your f-fault - s-sorry."

"… Would you still want to date?"

"…y-yeah. I'm n-not going to act tough about it - I'd, I'd really want that. But. T-That doesn't mean you should make your decision on that, c'mon. I'll be fine - no matter what."

Yuruko nodded. They sat there for a while, eyes on the path. "...yeah. We... I think we should probably just head back. We're both…"

"…really emotional." laughed Serena, filling her cup with tissues. "R-Right now."

"Y-Yeah." laughed Yuruko. "That's, that's what we get for going out at midnight."

The two stood, eyes clear as they started up the path, sparse trees adjacent.

"… U-Um." mumbled Serena. "… S-Sorry I said that stuff. I know we shouldn't talk about it, but -"

- a soccer ball rolled out of the trees and on to their path. Instincts too quick for her mind, Serena scooped it up -

- and nothing happened.

"…uh. Is there some soccer game going on nearby?" she said and Yuruko shrugged.

"Maybe some kid kicked it over here."

"He's gonna be disappointed." chimed Serena, and threw it back the way it came, starting down the path slower. "But - um - yeah. Um - I guess we should talk about something else."

"Yeah." chimed Yuruko. "Like what?"

"… um." Serena scratched her neck's back. "… does my voice sound okay?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. I didn't realize until you told me, right?"

"I guess I just -"

- the keen end of a soccer ball smashed the back of her skull, pain staggering her forward -

" - Medicinal!" shouted Yuruko, throwing her hands to the ball -

- and sighing as it failed to turn liquid, the telltale sign of a Revenant. The ball flew back and behind, and as the two turned, readying for the second barrage -

- there, two hundred feet separating them and he, their foe; and as the sportsball flew towards Serena again -

" - Blackburn!" she grunted low, no care for her voice now -

- and streams of black fog filled the ball with helium, popping it in to a dozen pieces of white gore. The women laughed as they stepped forward, starting their surge ahead -

- and on the horizon, a second soccer ball formed at his boot. He kicked it forward, far swifter than the previous, and before Serena could react -

" - Medicinal!"

- a sweep of Yuruko's gloves forward; the Medicinal shield formed, and in to the sudden barrier smashed the ball - but its power had grown. A dozen razorblades grew from its shell, grinding and carving through the steel -

- and burst clear through; it shot to Serena with the speed of sound, slashing down her arms, leaving a crimson sprinkler as it spun down her hands -

- and flew with the speed of a goalie up and away. Yuruko kept her eyes up, readying for the next volley.

"Shit." winced Serena, fog filling her wounds. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a line of mosquitoes lining for her blood.

But above, the pertinent projectile began to fell upon them, and as the two hurtled forward to dodge -

- Serena screamed again as it slashed&cut down her back; and away it flew to its bearer again. With no time to waste, the women started their charge forward, Serena hobbling behind -

" - it's - stealing my fucking speed?!" she shouted, nothing but glare for her opponent on the horizon, fog repairing her favorite jacket.

"And - we gotta try to take this one alive -" winced Yuruko as she ran; but an idea struck her boots. She rushed ahead, path turning to rubber below as she ran, and as she took an arced leap up and landed -

- she was launched rapidly up as if by a trampoline; a set of monkeybars formed in her gloved grip, and as Serena hit the rubber behind -

- she was launched rapidly up with her former speed, the two climbing ahead now, a hundred feet from their foe. On the distance, they saw him kick the ball, projectile screaming up to them again, and as Serena readied to pop it -

- it fell suddenly to the ground, rolling below to where it had previously struck her, bathing in droplets of her red.

"Oh - n-no - c-c'mon!" shouted the man, utterly aghast, the two gaining distance every second.

"Good luck." chimed Yuruko, forming a final set of bars as she swept to the side, only fifty feet separating them and he now. Fog outstretched, Serena took a final swing, and cleared the clearing in a single bound; only a dozen feet separated she and he now -

- but behind, she heard the projectile screaming back towards her. She swept underneath -

- and laughed as the sharp end of the ball pierced her foe's chest, carving as vigorously as it had against the shield -

" - you aren't getting out that easily, dipshit!" shouted Serena, black fog filling the ball with blood -

- and down the ball fell limp&rigid, mosquitoes she knew were within now engorged on their own crimson supply. With a pant of desperation, the man turned and ran, and as Serena stomped in pursuit -

- she tripped and suddenly stumbled, concrete meeting her face as her former swiftness returned to her. With confusion in her eyes, she hurtled up and started her run again -

- but with perplexed eyes saw his own Revenant form behind him, chasing him as a white rabid dog -

- and pop suddenly in a dozen chunks of white gore. A second one formed on his shoulder, readyingy to slash his throat open -

- but turned and flew to Serena, seemingly of its own volition -

- and suddenly flew back to its hosts legs -

- and decapitated him below the ankles. A horrific shriek erupted from him as he skid and slid, leaving a crimson streak behind, Serena rushing over it as she ran ahead.

"That's how shitty a host you are!" she shouted, only a dozen feet away now - " - your own Revenant knows what a pathetic bitch you are!"

She drew within range, and as a third ball formed -

- with the speed of fog, black streams filled his nostrils with sleeping gas; and he fell unconscious below, leaving a laughing Serena, Yuruko catching up with her behind. Blackburn's fog half-filled his wounds, ensuring only unconsciousness and not death.

"Coolio." chimed Yuruko, and the two smiled. "Just gotta wait for him to wake up."

"…yeah." laughed Serena. "Just hope it doesn't kill him."

"Jinx." winked Yuruko. "But yeah, um… Guess we just gotta wait."

She formed a bench of stone in mid-air, and the two sat down together; but not too close.

An hour later, they saw him awake -

" - don't use your Revenant, asshole." grunted Serena as she crouched over, fog threatening his lips. "I can fill your throat up with knives."

"I - I won't." he panted, catching quick. "What - what do you want?"

"Do you have two Revenants?" said Yuruko, crouching down.

"N-No. The - person who may not have given me or maybe - said - one." He winced.

"… Uh. 'May or may not'? Why are you talking like that?"

"I don't know anything - about the woman or -man- that may or may not have given me this - and they - may or may not have come to a transient camp on the other side of town -"

- he shrieked and raised his hands, and in the next instant -

- his arms were shredded in to sheets by an unseen force, his legs suffering the same fate and rapidly moving up -

- and he was gone, shredded in to twelve strips. Out of his ears burst four seven-blade scissors, shooting with the speed of a shredder to the women's ears -

- and the keen seven ends pierced, burrowing in and through, yet left no wound; and were gone. The women shot up panting.

"What - what the fuck?" said Yuruko.

"That's - is that why he was talking like -"

'SCHIZOID.'

Serena tensed, and Yuruko a second after.

"You heard that, right?" said Serena.

"Y-Yeah - it's gotta be. Someone put that on him. We need to - be really careful what we say."

"In case - y-yeah." nodded Serena. "S-Shit. That's - that must be the - yeah."

Yuruko swept her phone out, typing in quick. "Okay. Just - just in case. It'd be only us, right?"

"It - it might be." winced Serena. "Unless it was on the other ones."

Yuruko took a deep breath.

"… Okay. Just… really hope this works. Don't trigger, don't trigger…"

She leaned over to Serena. A news article about the transient camp was on her phone.

"Um…" mumbled Serena, almost scared to look down. "… Okay. Feels okay."

"We'll - tell them to - fuck, this is super nerve-wracking." winced Yuruko. "I'll - make stuff. To get Mia to interpret. It - it's probably only saying, not hearing, right?"

"U-Um. Yeah, maybe. When we… It's - wait, I know." Serena nodded, took her phone out, and opened a drawing app. "The gender."

Yuruko's head leaned, but was soon answered by the punk's art -

- and the two burst in to laughter.

"Are you fucking serious?!"

"I - I forgot the symbol!"

"How - you even put hairs on the - b-balls -"

" - well - I - I would know!" laughed Serena -

" - you're going to - get -rid- of it!" laughed Yuruko, and Serena wiped the tears out.

"Yeah." she grinned. "But now we know that we can use drawings."

"Apparently!"