Another night of patrol came, and when the heroes scattered off, Mia went by the apartment, hoping she'd see the woman again. That afternoon they'd seen a new set of flyers marking Matoi & Serena & Mia as 'traitors to their sex', and if some of her concern over the woman was because she wanted to spite them & show she was not, she did not realize it. 

But thirty minutes of waiting later, she was frowning down a bare avenue of closed specialty shops. She stepped off the curb at the end, readying to cross the road -

- and from the other end of the avenue came a car screaming down the road towards her -

" - Worldwide!"

- and a wall of white fire burnt it to ash, a momentary flash of blue as she snuffed it out, and as she turned her eyes up the avenue -

- there, at the other end, four hundred feet separating them, was a woman wearing a leather gorgon mask, golden snakes dripping out of her hair.

"Medusa." muttered Mia, sword forming as she rushed forward, passing by one casual fire hydrant. A rumbling began from underneath the sidewalk, and in the next instant -

- the fire hydrant burst open in a shower of water, enormous geyser bursting out of the ground, drenching the entire avenue -

" - Worldwide!" shouted Mia, sending a swarm of fire scarabs to vaporize the sudden rain -

- but with aghast eyes saw the water refuse to vaporize, every last bit of heat absorbed. The avenue filled with a blanket of rain in to which she plunged like a swimmer, eyes under the crook of her elbow as she rushed ahead, both combatants soaked, only two hundred feet separating the two -

" -  Monstrous!" shouted Medusa, and in the next instant -

- a dozen tentacles burst out of her back -

- and she suddenly shot up as if a hundred bolts had struck her, tentacles charring black as she twitched and staggered. Mia laughed at the other end, electrical scarabs at her wrists turning the rain electric as she rushed ahead; only fifty feet separated them now, and as she cleared the clearing in a single bound -

- her sword met with Medusa's tentacles -

- and she felt with aghast strength a woman who could stand against the blade that was rightfully her's. In a whirlwind of blows they revolved down the street, tentacles slashing her back and chest, a flurry of movement blocking her sword -

" - Worldwide." grunted Mia, gripping her rage as her sword burst in to white flames, hoping it would turn blue any second.

Inch by inch, the pressure of the woman's strikes forced her further back, and as one store's front doors approached -

- six tentacles shot to her wrists and yanked her sword away, and another six shot to her legs and arms -

- and threw her through the front doors; the entrance burst in a shower of glass as she flew through, tables and chairs shattering as she smashed across the room, back wall cracking her back as she landed, leaving a watery streak behind.

Ahead, she saw Medusa's tentacles grip her sword, readying to smash it open -

- but with the speed of light, an electrical volley flew in to the wet streak she had left, conductive water connecting her and her sword -

- and the current stunned her foe, forcing her grip unclenched. Her sword disappeared and reappeared in her hand as she stood, and as Medusa rushed across the room in pursuit -

" - exactly where I wanted you." chimed Mia; and the next scene was instant.

A sweep of scorching white went through the back walls, memories of Matoi as her fire scarabs burnt the entire back wall down, hacking and slashing ferociously at the walls; and as Medusa approached her again -

" - no, no!" laughed Mia, sweeping her sword out, tip aimed square at Medusa's legs -

- and a jet of water erupted and blew her back across the room -

" - f-fucking crazy!" panted the woman -

" - just enough time!" chimed Mia, and by a final sweep of her sword through the back wall -

- the entire building shuddered, starting to rend inward, walls collapsing all around them; and as the rain of rubble threatened to bury Mia alive -

- a cloud of fire&ice scarabs flew above, swift winds blowing the concrete skyward and away, her sword slashing ferociously out of the concrete ruins -

- and as she rose out of the rubble mountain, she saw the dominoes of every building on the street collapsing, stores falling and smoke filling the air; and out of the ruins shot hundreds of concrete projectiles, smoke threatening to strangle her alive, rain still pouring -

- but a swift and hasty igloo formed above & around her, protecting her from the storm of rubble around, unmeltable ice shielding her as the entire street was ruined.

She waited for a minute, hearing no sound around. Sword readied, she melted her barrier, still standing atop the ruins -

- and a gargantuan bullet burst through her right calf and out her right leg; the pain staggered her forward, and as she turned -

- there, on the other end of another ruins, stood her foe, fifty feet separating she and she. Her pistol's aim raised to Mia's chest again, and as the gunshot rose in the air -

- the next scene was instant. Her ice scarabs froze carefully the droplets of rain around, forming panes of ice - and in to one ricocheted the bullet, bouncing with the speed of sound, careful sheets of ice reflecting the bullet back to its bearer -

- and Mia laughed as she saw her foe hunch over in agony. Another three gunshots shot with the speed of sound towards her -

- but out of the rubble flew one casual piece of concrete, blocking each head-on; a swift wind of scarabs propelled it towards her foe, and as the projectile flew danger-close -

- the woman shot it again -

- and Mia laughed again as it hit the fire scarab she had planted, bursting in to blue flames, melting her revolver in an instant - but she was fired to unholy durability, few wounds as she thrashed and stood.

The two combatants started to circle, few options left.

"You're… Medusa. Aren't you?" said Mia, mind a flurry of movement, ice scarabs chilling her horrendous wound.

'Amplification?' she thought, sidewalk&road at her back.

"Is it the mask that makes you think that?" laughed the woman, dozen tentacles taut out of her back.

"It - is." said Mia; and the rain stopped overhead, moon coming out of the clouds.

'Amplification. The fire hydrants ran out of water - that's why I couldn't vaporize them. Blue flames - accidental.'

"The Revenant's called Monstrous, if you're curious." chimed her foe, and in the next instant -

- her hands swept down, pulled a necklace out of the rubble, and before Mia could react -

- a ray of lunar light focused on it, enormous rays of light refracting and blinding her; Mia shrieked as she stumbled involuntarily back, and as she felt Medusa rush in pursuit ahead -

- an ice wall erupted from the ground; and in to the sudden barrier slammed her foe. Mia opened her eyes again -

- and clenched them immediately shut, enormous light only refracted further on the frozen barrier. A swift sweep of fire scarabs melted her wall of ice to liquid, a second melting the refractory necklace -

- and her eyes opened, her foe only a dozen feet away; her tentacles shot to Mia's wrists -

- but an electrical volley flew in to the puddle at her feet, stunning her temporarily; and in a single sweep seeking her neck -

- that caught only air as her foe swept underneath, and as her tentacles shot to Mia's wrists -

- she felt boundless strength flow in to her grip, hilt of her sword cracking underneath the sudden power - the pain reflected immediately, stumbling her back on to the sidewalk -

- and Medusa was among her with a rush. Her tentacles shot to her torso, threw and pinned her down with the strength of a thousand, six suctioned grips ripping her sword away; Mia grunted and thrashed, swarm of fire scarabs seeking desperately her foe's mask -

" - wait." said her foe. "I - I'm not going to kill you. Okay?"

"W-What?" grunted Mia, aghast -

- and the woman stepped off of her, releasing her grip, offering one tentacle out to Mia as she dropped her sword.

"I'm not - oh, um." She laughed, and the tentacles disappeared. She offered her hand out. "Um. See? My Revenant is sheathed. Um - if you want, you could - pretty easily kill me now."

"You're - not - what?" winced Mia, daring not take it.

"…yeah." muttered the woman, crouching down. "You know. You're a really good fighter. I don't… I'm - not gonna kill you." She shook her head, taking her mask off. "Here. Here's my big ol' face."

Mia gasped. "You're - you're the woman we talked with last night."

"Yeah. I - I just lied about the boyfriend stuff. I'm - I'm a lesbian, too. We have that in common. And being female. I'm, I'm sorry about the - I don't know if you saw the flyers, but, that wasn't my idea."

Mia stared at her, slumping up against the ruins of one store. "You're refusing to kill me because I'm a woman."

"Yeah. It's because - you know. I don't know if - but you know how men are. You - you get it. The way you talked. They just - that's what they do. They've got control over - everything. They try to pit us against each other - we're just tools to them. I know you - maybe - might think otherwise, but -"

- Mia stifled a gasp as her eyes caught a bald figure in the ruins opposite. "- continue - please."

Medusa smiled. "…yeah. Sure. But - maybe you know. Maybe you - we're together in that, right? And lesbians, too. We understand that. That's why I - I started this. For girls - for women. That grew up like me."

"That grew up like you?"

"Rape victims. Survivors. Because of what men did to us. They've got all the power in society - but we're putting it back around - there's men scared to walk the streets - just like us, now. They get to experience - how f-fucking hard it is. They rape - they lie - they steal - but everything comes from women. From us. Not - they say - one in six, assaulted - violated. But it's way more. It's way, way more. They're sick - deranged."

"Men?"

"You know what I mean, right? When - when I was a girl - my father - my piece of shit father. He m-molested me. I was only - I-I remember it - I was three years old, and when I was three years old - and his friends, and him, and. I know that you can -"

" - Wedding!" shouted a familiar voice at the left end of the avenue, and in the next instant -

- a missile burst at Mia's back; the shockwave blasted her away from Medusa, and as the two shot to their feet, the still-intact mask between them -

"F-fuck -" panted Medusa, making to swipe her mask from the ground -

" - Worldwide!"

- but a dome of ice formed over it, trapping it within; with a shriek of betrayal, Medusa fled, rushing down the sidewalk, tentacles forming and throwing her along at terrifying gait -

- and she disappeared down the corner.

Mia turned back to the others at the end of the avenue, panting quick as they rushed up to her.

"I got you." said Serena, fog refilling Mia's wounds.

"I'll - I'll go after her -" said Henry, and with no protest, he ran off.

Mia glanced to the ruins opposite. Akira had disappeared.

"…b-better." winced Mia, melting the dome of ice around Medusa's mask and clutching it close.

"Is - that's her mask, right?" said Grant, and Mia nodded. 

"Medusa's."

"Is there a tag on it?" said Matoi, and as Mia flipped it over - " - our next stop."

======

The three women set out to a Halloween store three hours away. They stepped through the doors and down the aisles, register up ahead and stuffed ghouls on the shelves.

Serena felt an odd kinship with the goth at the register&monitor.

"Er - hello." chimed Mia, flashing badge and mask out. "We need to find who bought this."

"I, uh…" She stared at Matoi for a second. "That's - sorry, what?"

"We're Urasaria students." said Matoi. "We need to find who bought this mask. As simple as that."

"I…uh, yeah." She smiled. "Sorry - just... Right. Someone's been - bringing that in every so often - a mask like that. We do restitches, too, so - I - should have their name down."

"Can you find the original owner?"

"I - yeah - sure, um." She nodded, eyes constant on the white wedding. "Um, let me pull it up."

The three nodded as she pulled it up.

"…um. That's… yeah. Violet Herschwitz. That's - I can try to get them to look at security footage, if you want? Would um, that help?"

"...It would be best."

"I'll let Henry and Grant know." said Mia, taking her phone out. 

"Or - um, I can - if you give me your number, I-I can just send you pictures?" offered the goth, and Matoi shook her head.

"That won't be -"

- the front doors burst open behind - the three turned -

" - that's - that's her!" shouted the helpless goth -

" - Serena! Keep her safe!" shouted Matoi, and the tone whipped Serena to the backroom with the clerk.

"Fucking great." groaned the woman at the other end, red curly hair and wearing a sweater.

"That's not Medusa." murmured Mia, and Matoi nodded.

"Wedding!" shouted Matoi, and in the next instant -

- an explosive barrage flew from her shoulders, flying with the speed of artillery towards the woman -

- but out of the stuffed animals beside burst a dozen strands, throwing it back with the speed of sound towards the two -

" - Worldwide!"

- and a pillar of flame burnt the missiles to ash -

- and an expression of terror claimed the woman's face. With no time to waste, the two rushed forward, and as they hurtled in to the aisle -

- a hundred strands of cotton burst out of the animals -

- but were just as quickly burned away, leaving a laughing Mia, their foe with no option left, and as she came within range -

" - Worldwide!" she chimed, in far better spirits as her electrical scarabs knocked their foe unconscious.

"It's always nice when it's this easy." murmured Matoi, relevantly.

Mia nodded and called back to Serena & the helpless goth. The two stepped out carefully.

"Is she dead?" said Serena, and Matoi shook her head.

"We'll interrogate her - if she's not in a coma."

"As if." laughed Mia. "I know how to tune Worldwide."

"Someone must have helped you with that." smirked Matoi, waving the clerk down. "Go home - before someone else arrives."

"Um - okay." chimed the goth. "If you need any other details - here's my number. Or anything. Anything at all."

She went over to Matoi and handed her a slip of paper. The white wedding stared at it as the punk and goth walked out, and an engine started outside as Serena came back in.

"…why would we need more details?" Matoi shook her head and crumpled the paper.

"…er. I suppose we don't." nodded Mia, grateful not to be the only clueless lesbian. "We should restrain her, but…"

Serena nodded, filling her cup with a leather rope. "Uh - does this work?"

"Something like that." muttered Matoi, dragging the unconscious body over to the wall. Serena handed her the rope, the magic trick less violent out of her cup than her previous victim's ears, tying the woman's legs and arms behind her back.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Nothing to do but wait." murmured Serena, and the three sat down. 

They stayed silent until Matoi broke with some stories of mayhem and violence. She had begun to speak to people more often lately, though mostly Mia & Samuel & his protégé Kate, if partially because she wouldn't have as much time in the latter half of the semester. April 1st through the 30th required all of her focus; the race for presidency closed midnight 30th. She'd already bragged to her class she would be the next president, and knowing how stupid she'd look if she was wrong gave her an external motivation to match her internal. Some hero named Carve was still above her in rank, and it'd annoyed her that the Gorgons hadn't attacked her as often.

Serena was pleased she'd been called a 'traitor to her sex' and figured she technically was, but still was hoping they'd be done with the Gorgons soon, so she could go home to more Yuruko dates & no longer worry about them finding out.

That, and it was hard not to laugh at how much Matoi looked like Satsuki Kiryuin from the anime Kill la Kill.

The woman eventually awoke, and the three stood over her.

"You're clearly not Medusa." droned Matoi. "Where is she?"

"Fuck you. There's a special place in hell for women like you."

"Where is -

" - all of you - all of you Urasaria students - you're nothing more than fucking cops. I already came here ready to die - if you think I'll ever betray my sisters over this - you can fucking do whatever you want to me, but it'll never wipe away the fact that you're just a bunch of fucking boots stepping on the faces of - don't ever think you're any different than -"

- a volley of strands burst out from her shoulders -

" - beam."

- and Wedding's laser disintegrated her from the neck up, leaving the three sighing.

"I guess we shouldn't have expected that to work." muttered Serena, having expected that to work.

"… still. That was the best lead we - had." sighed Mia. "We can't - simply wait for Medusa to show up, but…"

"I mean, Revenants get drawn together, but... ugh. This is too much thinking."

"Fortunately," said Matoi, eyes on Mia, "I have a second plan."

◆◆◆

Matoi was on the phone with her mother.

"I killed him."

◆◆◆

The next morning, Yuruko & Serena arrived at a home near Thailand's academy, a mile away from the far smaller gates.

Serena checked the address and knocked at the door.

The door opened, and there stood a woman Serena knew as Kamon, wearing a chambray shirt, loose pants and a smile.

"Hi." chimed Serena. "I'm Serena Kunst. Did you get my call?"

Kamon nodded, gestured for them to come to the living room. Serena and Yuruko removed their shoes at the door and followed Kamon to the couch.

"Have a seat." they nodded. "Do not worry about etiquette - I won't be offended. You're American, right?"

"Right." nodded Serena. "Um - we're both Urasaria students - North America's academy. This is Yuruko - my girlfriend."

Kamon smiled.

"Of course." They went to the door, shut it before returning. "My name is Kamon. Shall I explain what I do?"

Serena nodded.

"The Thai government pays me a minor salary to ensure my service stays afloat. I - do not know if you had heard of the recent - decrease in price."

"The - wait, what?"

Kamon nodded. "From fifty thousand to thirty. They're currently processing a slight refund for you, but it won't be finalized until we, ah, finish."

"Sweet." grinned Yuruko. "Twenty thousand extra."

"Perhaps a longer trip for you and your girlfriend." laughed Kamon. "Still, I am sorry if this caused you any undue stress."

"Just - a bit of a wait." said Serena, mustering a nod. "What does your Revenant do, though? Um - there's not really much online information about you, besides a few people who said you… Uh. Change… sex?"

Kamon nodded. "The Revenant will change your biology drastically. Your chromosomes - skeletal structure - genitalia. It will not affect your Revenant - but will affect your appearance."

"… S-Sweet."

"Do you have any questions, or would you like to start now?"

"Is it gonna hurt?"

"It will not. A minor period of adjustment - but that will be all."

"O-Okay." nodded Serena. 

"Should I leave the room?" said Yuruko, and Kamon shook their head.

They stepped over to Serena, placing their hand on her head. "It will only take a minute. Simply stay still."

Serena nodded.

And when she woke up that night, the only comfort was that her sobbing hadn't woken Matoi.

◆◆◆

The next morning, Stheno sat in her apartment. The cockroaches had nested under her's and Medusa's clothes in the corner; and it was playing on every local station.

"Local officials are now investigating the death of Urasaria East student - Mia Schultz, otherwise known as Swarm. Evidence is preliminary, but the police believe the suspect to be a male with a Revenant, and the crime to be - sexually motivated. We warn you of the images you are about to see…"

Even through the censorship, Stheno could see the marks on her neck; the signs of a struggle.

"… was found around 3:23 A.M. this morning, in Sunset Park. Officials have reason to suspect - again, that the suspect is a Revenant host, but -"

- she shut the television off.

◆◆◆

An hour later, boots readied, she stepped out of her apartment building -

- to Matoi and Serena on the sidewalk, staring like they'd been expecting her.

"Halt." droned Matoi, flashing her badge out. "We're asking around in the death of Mia Schultz. Do you know anything we may be interested in?"

Stheno clenched back her deeper anger. "Not a thing."

"It was pretty rough." winced Serena. "I heard her screaming, but -"

" - be quiet." yawned Matoi. "She always dressed like a whore. It was a wonder she wasn't raped sooner. Regardless - did you hear or see anything this morning?"

"Not a thing."

"One test, then."

"What are you -"

" - beam."

- a scorching beam shot from Wedding's eyes, and as it reached the tip of Stheno's nose -

- she stood still, daring not summon her Revenant, leaving a sighing Matoi.

"How unfortunate." she muttered, and the lasers retreated. "Serena. Test her."

Streams of black fog flew in to Stheno's nostrils -

- and she stood stoic, knowing their trap by now.

"She doesn't have a Revenant - she would have summoned it." shrugged Matoi. "Go on your way."

Stheno nodded and started away.

"Are we leaving?" said Serena behind.

"Of course." droned Matoi. "The Gorgons are the far bigger threat. Fortunately, your mentor had sex before she was murdered. There truly is a silver lining in everything."

◆◆◆

Mia & Grant were sitting in a tree in Sunset Park, foliage around, path and benches below.

"She should be arriving, soon." muttered Mia, tapping her tablet off.

"Yeah." said Grant, sweeping behind the leaves. "She - what'd she fill her nose with?"

"Steel."

"…real creative." He shrugged. "Still. Once I get in range - easy knockout, if the particles are big enough, but, uh, small enough she didn't notice. How are we gonna know it's one of them, though?"

"I doubt any sane woman would be walking out alone by this area, now." murmured Mia, glancing ruefully out to the street beyond, arched entrance to the park.

"There?" whispered Grant, seeing a woman out on the sidewalk.

"… er. You're the one that can tell." whispered Mia, and Grant nodded sheepish.

"…uh. Right. She's got steel in her nose - but - shit." muttered Grant, seeing the woman enter the park now. "Did Serena do it to anyone else?"

"Not yet."

The woman came in to the park, and the two swept deeper behind the foliage, daring not rustle as they heard her down below. They heard her pass by their tree, and in the next instant -

- the tree suddenly collapsed entirely, buckling inward and throwing the two to the ground; by their side, Stheno rushed down the path, eyes back as she ran further in to the park -

" - Ferrite!" shouted Grant -

- and with aghast senses felt Stheno's nasal passages entirely clogged, steel particles useless to cut through. With a grunt, the two rose to their feet, foe fleeing ahead -

- and the two suddenly slipped and fell, no friction to be seen on the path as they slid wildly around -

" - Worldwide!" 

- a swarm of fire scarabs burnt their shoes to the ground -

- and still the two slipped, unable to gain a hold on the ground -

- but a swift and hasty ramp of ice formed above; the two gripped their way up, rushing up and ahead, bridge of ice forming underneath as they ran ahead, Stheno on the distance.

"No friction - can't get my particles through her nose - she - clogged them, or something." panted Grant, and as they came within fifty feet of their foe -

" - Nihilist." grunted Stheno, and in the next instant -

- the entire bridge melted to steam, throwing the two back to the ground, slipping ahead as they hit the frictionless path again. Ahead, they saw Stheno run past the playground, and in the next instant -

- an unseen force bent the metal slide in half, throwing it with the speed of sound towards her; she instinctively threw her hand out with a cry -

- just in time for the blunt end to smash her skull; the pain stumbled her back -

" - Nihilist." she grunted, and in the next instant -

- both steel and Grant's arms melted to steam; he cursed as the two stood, path with sudden friction again, starting their rush as their foe turned to them, fifty feet still separating them and she.

"It's - limited use, or some shit, then -" panted Grant -

" - you really wanna fucking try it?!" grunted Stheno - "I can make your heartbeat z-"

- but on the distance behind, came a familiar voice to Mia.

" -eno! We need to -"

- Stheno ripped her eyes back for an instant - " - why the fuck would you -?!" 

- and in the next, Mia's electrical sword bashed her unconscious, having cleared the clearing then; on the distance, Medusa shrieked -

- and fled with the speed of a gorgon again, leaving the two wounded combatants sighing.

"We can't chase after her, right now." winced Mia, and Grant nodded.

"…yeah." He sighed. "Time to let the others know, I guess."

======

Stheno awoke bound to a chair in her apartment, the five standing over her. Matoi & Serena had found it while Mia & Grant fought.

"Congratulations." droned Matoi. "Medusa's fled. Tell me where she might have gone. They've already removed your Revenant - setting properties of matter to zero."

Stheno shook rapid. "I'll never fucking tell you."

"Come on." groaned Grant. "We've nearly wiped you out by now. You can stop -"

" - I'm especially not telling you, shrimpdick."

Matoi shook her head, placing her right hand on her shoulder and catching a mini-missile. "If you think I won't torture you because you're a woman, you're mistaken."

"Wait - what are you doing?" said Grant -

"- this woman tried to kill us. I won't have any guilt for this." Matoi placed her left hand on Stheno's mouth. "Are you sure you don't wish to tell me?"

"Y-You won't do this." grunted Stheno.

"I will." said Matoi, yanking Stheno's mouth open - " - cute, trying to bite me. Wedding - beam."

- a laser erupted from Wedding's eyes and burnt Stheno's cheeks; the woman screamed in agony, thrashing back with her chair on to the floor -

" - the next one will be your teeth -"

" - you can't fucking do that!" said Grant -

" - I can, and I will. There's no shame to torturing an evil thing." Matoi dipped her fingers in Stheno's mouth, missile in her other hand. Mia&Serena turned away as they heard Stheno's screams of agony and thrashing for that full minute. "I'll release you. Bring Medusa back within -"

"- you two are just gonna fucking let her do this?!" shouted Grant, turning to the prodigal pair -

" - she's right." murmured Mia. "Think of how many this woman killed."

"Yeah." said Serena.

"F-F-fuck you -" panted Stheno - 

" - that doesn't give us the right to -"

" - considering I'll be Urasaria's next president, Grant, I would suggest you swallow your protest - just as she did." said Matoi, standing and turning. "This woman tried to murder us -"

"- there's a difference between self-defense and turning her in to a fucking bomb -"

" - I'm not arguing about this. She'll either -"

" - you - you can fucking kill me, then." grunted Stheno. "I - I won't ever g-give her up."

"Don't think I haven't dealt with scum like you before." said Matoi, turning back. "I'll bury you in a fucking desert and leave ants to lay eggs in your eyes if you won't talk."

"Your - your fucking legal immunity doesn't cover torture." grunted Stheno. "I - I know how y-you fucking types work - you're not as invincible as you think you are."

"Er - M-Matoi." nodded Henry. "If - if you would like, I can - leave me alone with her, and I'll -"

- and Stheno's body exploded in a dozen chunks of gore.

"Absolutely fucking not." grunted Matoi. "You and Grant will continue searching for Medusa. Mia, Serena and I will stay here, if she returns." Her eyes went to the metal man's. "Congratulations. It was the same outcome, regardless."

"Better than..." He sighed. "… yeah. Whatever. Go - stay here. Me and Henry'll look for her. Maybe she'll come back here. Maybe she'll - ugh."

"O-Of course, Matoi." nodded Henry. He kept the image of her stern brow for later as the two left.

While the men searched, the women combed the apartment, messy as it was. Mia&Serena took the half-kitchen half-living room, and Matoi the bed&bath. Mia vaporized the gore and rotten leftovers, and Serena had kept her hands at arms-length, more disgusted by the cockroaches in the corners than the prior violence.

"Anything?" shouted Matoi from the other end a half-hour later.

"Nothing here!" said Mia. 

"What are we supposed to be looking for, anyway?" said Serena, having barely started.

The bedroom door opened, and out stepped a sighing Matoi to them, flashing two photos. One was of Stheno & Medusa kissing. "Whoever this woman was - she was Medusa's girlfriend." She swapped to the second photo. Half of it had been torn off, only showing a toddler held by a middle-aged woman. "And this is of her mother - presumably."

"…god, this is gross." winced Serena, checking under the couch's tattered cushions.

"Let alone earlier." said Matoi. "I presume you noted Henry's suggestion."

"He… yes." winced Mia. "I - I'm glad that you - did not allow that."

"And I'm grateful neither of you protested against mine." said Matoi, setting over to the corner. "Torture is ineffective, regardless - but the threat is worth making. She would have simply lied out of her predicament if I had continued. It's better suited for catharsis than actual information."

"… Urasaria's next president." murmured Serena, and the three laughed.

"Don't count me out." chimed Mia, and Matoi laughed.

"Do you think you can climb past #8 before May 1st?"

"You never know." said Serena. "Maybe I'll just, uh, let her have all my kills."

"A mass funneling." said Matoi, rueful head shake. "Cheap, cheap." 

She turned over one blanket, and her gaze furrowed at what was underneath.

"Something amiss?" said Mia.

"… I recognize this." muttered Matoi, pulling a poster out. Two women were snarling at the camera under a blue filter, one aiming a pistol, both with thought bubbles that read 'girls girls girls'.

"Some band?" said Serena.

"… correct. Dykewatch - I had listened to them when I was younger." She shook her head slowly, and folded the poster back up.

"… doubt we're gonna find anything." mumbled Serena, sliding back on to the couch. "Landlord gave us their names, but - not much use without location."

"It's always difficult to track a host." murmured Mia, relevantly.

"…correct." Matoi sighed.

"Does, er…" Mia gestured vague to the poster as she went to the couch, sitting beside Serena. "…I wouldn't let that bother you, Matoi."

"It doesn't." said Matoi, standing over the two. "Every host we fight made their decision. They accepted their fate by not attending Urasaria. One of the reasons I admire your girlfriend - she understands the existence of true evil. Most people don't." She shrugged. "You said that - Medusa told you she was molested as a child?"

"She did."

"Presumably, she thought it would excuse her murders or give her some sympathetic backstory. I imagine you saw through it immediately - her justification is utter nonsense. Crime does not follow Freudian patterns of -"

"- I - wait." said Mia, holding her hand up. "She… er. Do either of you know when memories are formed? What age?"

Matoi's monologuing head cocked. "…four or three, isn't it?"

"Uh, I can look it up." said Serena, taking her phone out.

"Because she -" - Mia sighed - " - told me she remembered it, when she was three years old."

"…yeah." mumbled Serena. "Uh. It says here that you're close to reaching your data limit, and to - oh there we go. Uh. You form memories by age three, but forget them by age seven. 'Childhood amnesia'."

"…the earliest I can remember is my first year of elementary school." murmured Matoi. "I was living in Japan at the time."

"I bet you had straight A's." grinned Mia.

"No. My mother always said it was difficult to convince me to do homework." laughed Matoi. "Difficult to care about tests when I could shoot lasers out of my chest."

"I still find that hard." muttered Serena. "Mia, you can't see my grades, right?"

The mentor's mouth slanted.

Matoi laughed, but shook her head. "When we arrived the first week - I thought at first the Gorgons might have only been killing men who truly deserve it - rapists, other scum and the like."

"Henry." muttered Serena.

"He really is a complete degenerate. Regardless - it became clear within the second week it was not. She thought you might have been gullible enough to believe it. Most people can't believe that some people are simply evil with no deeper meaning to plumb other than hurting innocent people. They don't have the experience we do."

"After that month, I do."

"And our last trip." murmured Mia, still feeling residuals for her anger then. "Pure evil." She wondered if Magnus was.

◆◆◆

That night, Medusa and Euryale met in the latter's apartment. Medusa hadn't stopped sobbing.

"T-They p-probably - k-killed! - h-her, and - I - I shouldn't have been so s-stupid -"

" - come on." said Euryale. "We can still get our revenge. You can still avenge her - for me. Right?"

"…y-yeah." mumbled Medusa. "I-I can't e-even think of w-what you t-think of me."

"I don't have any harsh feelings towards you. We're still sisters, right? Still women. We're in this together, and Lucidity's almost done."

"… I-Is it?"

"Yeah. It'll be permanent - tonight. They're gonna just get lost in their fantasies." She stood. "I need to get back to their hotel, though. Tomorrow - rob the bank, like we planned, alright? To fund the commune? I'll meet up with you after, and we can leave for good."

"… o-okay."

◆◆◆

Medusa stepped in to the bank the next morning, teller's windows opposite, two women and one man working, one man already in the male teller's line. She stepped up.

"Miss," said one of the female tellers, waving her way over, "I can assist you."

"No, it's alright." Medusa smiled, suppressing Stheno's loss further down. She'd try to be kinder - stronger, to set an example for women. She was only eighteen, after all, and Euryale allowing her to lead the Gorgons had already let her make a difference in a world that hated women. 

She stepped up again, and she saw the man tense involuntarily; something she'd enjoyed ever since it started.

"That's right, dipshit." she grunted, and in the next instant -

- her tentacles ripped his skull out his spine -

" - money! Now!" she shouted, ripping her eyes back to the front door; a woman stepped in, throwing her her traditional pistol, and she was gone, back out to the street.

"I obviously have a Revenant! Don't try any shit!' she grunted, hearing the clamor behind. "Try the alarm, if you want, but -"

- and she saw with aghast eyes Grant and Henry burst in through the front doors, fifty feet separating them and she; but she had no time to think.

Her pistol's aim raised, and as the crack of three gunshots rose -

" - Ferrite!" 

- an unseen force directed the bullets away, smashing and burrowing them away, the two combatants circling in the lobby now.

'They must've - broken out of Lucidity, fuck - fuck - got this, got this…' she thought, feeling the right wall at her tentacles' backs - she swept her right hand back, renewed energy flowing in to the walls, readying to collapse them down -

" - Crosslink!"

- but the next scene was instant. A throw of his hands forward, his arm extending like rubber; and as he tapped the wall, the barrier turned elastic -

- leaving no possibility of collapse - the three circled again.

"Are you Medusa?" said Grant. At his side, Medusa saw Henry whisper in his ear, and the metal man nodded as Henry closed his hands together. 

'Doing - something - but - I'm fucking stronger than them close, so -'

- with a curse and a grunt, she started her charge forward, tentacles taut around her back, and as Grant came within range -

- a plethora of wires burst from out of the ground, electrical grip shooting to her wrists and legs; but she was fired to the speed of a maddened gorgon. A whirl of tentacles sliced the hideous wires that sought her neck, and as her grip sought Henry's neck -

- as a true hero might, Grant threw himself in front, her tentacles only catching metal man and gripping him with the strength of a thousand -

- but a thousand metal spikes burst out of his arms & through her tentacles; grip unclenching, she swept back as Grant swept ahead of Henry, only a dozen feet separating the two. Behind, she saw Henry running away, and as he came up to the wall -

- one bash with his foot shattered a brittle section out; he crouched down and crawled out of the aperture, hands still clasped as he disappeared beyond, leaving her with Grant.

"Monstrous." she grunted; one tentacle swept ahead, oxygen in the air enhancing as the wind blew towards Grant -

- and one sharp gust disintegrated one of his steel arms to rust, brown cloud bursting off of his gone-arm -

" - Ferrous!" he shouted; the flakes of rust flew towards her, burrowing in to her nostrils before she could react -

- but the next scene was instant. Monstrous's enhancement flowed in to her nasal cavities, enhanced stickiness catching every last flake before it could fly further in; one tentacle smashed the ground -

- and launched one tile right in to Grant's face with the strength of a thousand; the pain staggered him back, another set of tentacles gripping him tight -

" - I can fucking take you!" she grunted, and by a flick of her tendrils, threw him out of the room and to the street beyond; she rushed out in pursuit, seeing her foe laying on the road ahead, and as she came within range again -

- a metal noose formed behind her, gripping her neck and tethering her to the bank; she thrashed and writhed, feeling the sharp ends start to prick her throat -

- but a rip of her tentacles cleaved it in half and threw it away -

" - you wanna try wires?" she grunted, one tentacle reaching back in to the bank, bringing a still-electrified wire back - " - Monstrous!"

- and the spark grew to a tremendous size; and as she dipped it in Grant's remaining arm -

- it exploded in an instant, shattering to steel chunks; the man screamed in agony, and as she dipped the current to his right flesh arm -

" - Crosslink!" shouted a voice above, and as she turned -

- a dozen bullets shredded her vertically in a shower of gore. The sections fell and went rigid, and they knew that she was dead.

"…f-fuck." winced Grant, pressing up by his shoulders. Henry leaped down, hands unclasped.

"…sorry. Had to make sure there was - enough momentum. With all the bouncing." he muttered, turning his hands from rubber to normal.

"No - yeah, it's - yeah." He sighed. "We need to call Mia, and check if this is her."

Henry nodded, knowing he was a true hero then.

◆◆◆

Euryale stepped on the bus wearing her backpack. The driver was male, and she handed him her ticket.

"Gonna be a long trip out." he said, and as she passed by - " - ma'am, your bag's open."

She stopped, sweeping her bag to her front. Her mask was inside. "Thanks." 

She closed it.

◆◆◆

Henry's heroism had awarded him a front-page on every newspaper in Combanee, and Matoi, Serena, and Mia had offered to stay back for a week. He wouldn't let the praise go to his head, but still thought the rest were rightfully jealous. The dreams and trip had given him more confidence. Once he and Grant returned, the metal man submit to the suggestion of a celebratory meal, hoping it'd be the last of the bowl-cut man.

But only one spot was open.

"Yeah - uh, guess we should celebrate." muttered Grant, stepping in to the infirmary. Saya & Luna were playing Hanabi on the side, chef facing away, and he hailed Saya down as Henry came in.

"Ah - Ferrite-Man, Glucosepane." nodded Saya, placing her cards down careful. "Do you need healing?"

"No, uh - just some food, if that's alright."

Luna turned; and gasped. "Um - um, o-okay. W-What - do you want?"

"Just a - I dunno. Burger, or something. Something simple." said Grant.

"… uh." mumbled Henry, eyes suddenly on the ground. "…yes. That. For me."

"O-Okay." nodded Luna, making with the speed of a chef to her private room.

"Is, uh - Hirogane not here?" said Grant.

Saya's head shook. "He is visiting another academy this week - but has left me in charge."

A knock came from Luna's door. Saya went to answer it, creaking the door open to take the two to-go boxes. She went to the men, handing them their meals.

"Let me know if you need anything else." said Saya, and the two heroes left out to the hall as she sat back down.

She waited a minute, and to her frown, Luna still hadn't come out of her room. She set over to the door and opened it to find her shivering.

◆◆◆

"… man. How many patties did Flashbulb make?" muttered Grant, peeking inside his container, walking down the hall.

"Did you get more than me?" said Henry, peeking over. "Four?"

"I mean, I am pretty jacked. I usually ask her for extra, so."

"Guess that makes -"

- the infirmary door slammed open behind, and as they turned -

"Henry!" shouted Saya, stomping like a pacifist reaper down the hall; he shrunk back as the other stepped away, and as she came close -

"- give me your - fucking head!" grunted Saya, ripping Henry by his hair. "You fucking despicable piece of shit - utter fucking piece of - fucking vermin!"

She wrote down 'POSEIDON RAPES DEMETE' on his forehead and shoved him away.

"You have two choices. Either everyone will ask why you have that on your fucking forehead - or I write the last fucking letter, and it disappears. It can't disappear until I write that last fucking letter, you fucking worthless piece of -"

"- Saya - what are you doing?" panted Grant.

"Ask him why!" shouted Saya, stomping her way back, and as she entered the door; "Don't ever fucking come here again - I'll never fucking heal you again, you fucking piece of -"

- she slammed the door.

[END OF ARC 8: LOCK EYES WITH A GORGON]