She hated how one comment could still bring her whole confidence down. She had nourished a secret hope that she'd wake up with her memory back one day; some better-built Naomi.

The two had breakfast the next morning, and Serena had nearly finished her barely-legible manga. Naomi was halfway through her pancakes. She took the blueberry syrup pitcher -

- but frowned to find it empty.

"I've got it." said Serena, fog refilling it.

"Thanks."

Serena nodded, fog filling her pitcher with strawberry, drinking her gore-free milk.

"…man." laughed Naomi. "You've ruined like - you've ruined milk for me now, you know -"

" - sorry." chimed Serena, and the two laughed, Naomi sipping her water -

" - I mean, now I have to have pancakes with water, it's like - what even -"

" - you end up getting desensitized." laughed Serena, relevantly.

"Yeah." nodded Naomi.

Their waitress came up with two new & filled pitchers -

- and Serena winced - " - I - shit, sorry."

"Did you refill those with your Revenant?" said their waitress, gesturing to the strawberry & blueberry, and Serena nodded.

"Um - sorry, yeah. I did."

"It's alright." she laughed, nodding. "I'm sorry. I saw they were empty and was just coming to refill them, but…"

"Wait, what?" said Naomi; Serena waved her down.

"Sorry - one second. Do you want me to take the pitchers with us?"

"I'll just wash it out. Leave them out when you finish."

"Sure thing."

The woman went off as Naomi's head leaned. "Uhm. What was that about?"

Serena shrugged, drenching her pancakes in cursed red. "There's like - a law where you can't sell anything made by a Revenant."

"Oh." nodded Naomi. "Guess that - makes sense."

"Yeah. That's like - it's like the only thing we can actually get arrested for." laughed Serena, and Naomi lightly laughed as a thought distracted her.

"Can't uh - can't go around solving world hunger or whatever, yeah."

The thought shoved further in Naomi's head, and the two ate for a minute until she spoke. "…hey, um. A while back, you said… there's a website where - people talk about Urasaria students?"

Serena nodded. "I think it's called, um - 'UA Daily' or something, yeah. It's a forum."

"Could they, uh…" Naomi's neck itched. "…just - maybe the could help with my - identity, I guess?"

"Um…" Serena winced. "They're kinda… they're not mean or anything, since like - it's just people who are fans of us, but…" Her head shook. "They're kinda weird. I looked at it one time."

"…I guess." mumbled Naomi, trying to laugh. "At least they're nice, right?"

"Yeah." Serena smiled. "Especially since someone tried to like - I guess someone called a student like, a bitch or whatever online, and she ended up showing up at their house and -"

- her tablet vibrated; the two shot up -

" - time to go!" chimed Serena, setting aside the cursed containers as the two ran out.

"What's, what's up this time?" said Naomi, Avalanche forming as she shoved her thoughts out.

"It says, um…" Serena frowned as they ran. "Someone called in about - gunshots? Maybe a gun Revenant?"

"Maybe."

The two didn't receive any new information by the time they reached the neighborhood. Serena led her to one two-floor home at the end, and the two came up careful to the door. Her tentacle rang the doorbell, and in the next instant -

- the door opened to an elderly man&woman, hands up as they saw the two. Serena stepped up careful, fog readied, Naomi beside, three feet separating them.

"…uh." said Serena. "You - called in, right?"

"Yes." nodded the elderly woman. "But - we're safe, now - we realized what it was."

Knowing false alarms well, Serena clenched back a sigh. "You... realized what it was?"

"Someone -"

- a firecracker popped in the distance; the elderly laughed -

" - well, Harold thought it was gunshots -"

" - you can never be too careful." nodded Harold. "We thought that - with all that crime recently, we had better report anything we see - or hear."

Serena checked her tablet, no new calls coming.

"…uh. Okay." she shrugged. "Um. I need to check you for a Revenant, though."

Naomi glanced at Serena as her fog readied, elderly with cocked heads.

"Just stay still." said Serena. Streams of fog flew in to their nostrils -

- and she nodded as nothing happened. "All good."

"Was that - that isn't harmful, is it?" said the woman, and Serena's head shook.

"No, it just checks you for a Revenant. Um. Did you need anything else?"

"Can we put our hands back down?"

"Sure." shrugged Serena, and the two set their hands down as the elderly woman spoke.

"Well. If you two young women -" - Serena stifled a smile - " - need anything to eat, I was just in the middle of fixing a pot roast."

"We, um - just ate, but thanks." laughed Serena.

"I like that jacket you have on." said Harold. "Reminds me of - oh, when I was in the military. Those bomber jackets."

"Were you in World War 2?" said Naomi.

"No, I got kicked out of basic."

Lips pinched, the two nodded.

"...Um. Do you need anything else?" said Serena, and the couple laughed as they finally waved them off.

Once the two walked out of listening range, Naomi whispered; "Wait, you can check for Revenants?"

"Nah." grinned Serena, and the two laughed. "Just gotta fake them out."

"Nice." Naomi smiled, trying to shove the thought out. Maybe her confidence wouldn't ever come. "That's - yeah. I didn't know, so. Yeah."

"Yeah. I mean - I guess they could've, um - had a mind control Revenant in them, but…"

Naomi's face paled at the reminder, and in the next instant -

- they felt a pencil dropped behind their feet; the two turned -

- and swept with the speed of light back as a spike burst out from the ground, already seeing Rich fifty feet away up the road, pencils clenched between his knuckles -

" - real fight." chimed Serena, amnesiac nodding as Avalanche & Blackburn formed, and as more pencils flew at them from ahead -

- streams of fog flew in to them as Serena dodged left -

- and shrieked at her suddenly spiked fog, sharp ends slashing all up her right tentacle; she swept away as blood burst from her wounds -

- and turned suddenly spiked again, wounds opening further as more spiked red geysers burst towards Naomi -

- but Avalanche's arm blocked it as frantic streams of new fog filled Serena's wounds, grunting and cursing as the two staggered close again -

" - gotta be - forming spikes - hurts really bad -" winced Serena; at her side, Naomi nodded, more volleys flying towards them. She stomped -

- and a wall of asphalt burst up ahead -

- and the two swept back just in time to avoid the spikes growing from the barrier, more pencils hitting the other end and new sharp edges growing. Naomi whispered to Serena as they rushed left & past the wall, streams of fog flying underneath the pavement as they ran up the road, only fifty feet separating them and Rich, and as the next barrage came towards them -

- the next scene was instant. Avalanche's arm bashed the road; a miniscule hole grew in the ground ahead -

- and the pressurized air within blasted the pencils up&away; nodding and grinning, the prodigal duo kept up their pace until forty feet away, Rich starting to back away ahead -

" - fucking Christ." he groaned, single pencil readied as he glanced left. "Door-to-Heaven!"

He threw it to them again; Naomi bashed the ground again, and as the wind blasted off again -

- a green tennis ball flew in to the fissure and swallowed the air; counter suddenly wilting, the projectile kept it's trek toward them -

- but as a true hero might, Naomi took the hit Avalanche-arm on, layer of spiked stone falling off her arm as she staggered back - but they had no time to rest. Their eyes turned left, seeing the tennis ball's source now, Gaspari in a home's second-story window with racket readied -

" - Serves-Up!" he laughed, batting a dozen yellow balls towards them; Serena yanked Naomi back -

- and dodged narrowly the explosions ahead, sudden clouds of smoke bursting outward, vision of Rich lost but new pencils swarming ahead. Streams of fog filled the smoke with wind -

- and the two split separately to dodge the next swarm of pencils, and as it flew past -

- an unseen force yanked them left -

- and right -

- and back -

- and left again, sidewalk & lawn of Gaspari's home only a dozen feet left now, green tennis balls scattered all along the road -

" - got it!" shouted Naomi, Avalanche blocking another pencil; she stomped -

- and spikes of asphalt burst out of the ground, piercing pierced every last green tennis ball, vacuuming projectiles disappearing -

" - other guy first!" shouted Serena; Naomi nodded as they ran left to the sidewalk, and as they rushed on to the lawn -

" - wait, shit -" winced Serena, and in the next instant -

- the two felt a dozen pencil hitting the leaves of grass, turning them literal and threatening a shredded death -

- but the next scene was instant. Avalanche's arm gripped in to the dirt -

" - jump!" shouted Naomi; the two jumped as her arm clenched -

- and flipped a strip of the lawn upsidedown, ground bowing to her mental command, soil top & grass below as the two hit the ground running. More yellow balls erupted around them, but streams of fog dissolved them as the two came to the front door, Gaspari still in the window above; Serena ripped her cup out, streams of fog filling it with warcrimes -

" - breathe deep!" shouted Serena as she threw it up & in to the window -

- and the last they saw was a cloud of yellow devouring him as he staggered back to the room.

Behind, new spikes grew from the dirt, source that wasn't Naomi's. Serena opened the door and rushed in to the living room, stairs on the other end, Naomi slamming it shut behind as they ran -

" - I can neutralize it if - mustard gas -" panted Serena; Naomi nodded as they ran to the stairs. Starting up, Serena's tablet vibrated, and she took it quick -

" - we know!" she groaned, relevantly as they ran up the stairs, one bedroom door opened, yellow gas starting to seep out of the aperture as they cleared it. Her tentacle swept as they rushed in, dispersing the foul vapors, Gaspari dead on the other-end with face peeling & eyes dissolved -

The two crouched down beside the second-floor window, hearing new pencils thrown below, spikes growing in the first-floor's walls.

"Got - got a minute." nodded Serena, fog refilling their wounds, Naomi wheezing beside.

"Looks like - he's in, same spot as before -" she said, gesturing to the window - " - but - lawn is all spiked, a-and, u-uh -"

" - it's alright." nodded Serena. "Just - got a minute to think, right? We can do this."

"R-Right." panted Naomi, daring not peek out, entire lawn turned spiked outside.

"When, um - it hit you, how did you counter it?"

"I - m-made Avalanche's arm - an extra layer of stone."

"Can you do it again?"

"Yeah, I - yeah -"

" - okay." winced Serena, sweeping her jacket off, fog filling as she handed it to Naomi - " - okay. I need you to go first. Land on this when you leap out. I can heal you if you get hit, right?"

"Right -" Naomi nodded as she stood, mentor's jacket readied - " - and - just get him, right?"

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" - get the bitch." chimed Serena, and the two laughed.

With no time to waste, Naomi rushed to the window, throwing Serena's jacket down as she leaped out -

- and landed directly on it, steel within keeping her from being impaled by the lawn's spikes, Rich still in his position thirty feet ahead; another leap brought her to the road, and as his wrist flicked -

" - Avalanche!" she shouted; a stone erupted out of her palm, staggering Rich's aim as she cleared the clearing, and as her stone-arm gripped his neck -

- she slammed him hard enough in to the road that it burst up like a mismatched seesaw ahead, and another smash crunched Rich's bones to dust. She glanced behind, seeing Serena leap out to the normal lawn again, retrieving her jacket as she came up.

"Think - think I got him." panted Naomi, corpse like a crumpled cloth below.

"Think so." grinned Serena, crouching down to scan, streams of fog refilling their wounds. She nodded and the two went back to Gaspari's corpse, Naomi still panting.

"Two… two bitches down." she laughed sweating.

"Yeah. Good job." chimed Serena. "I - want to tell you something, too."

"What's up?"

"…um." Serena laughed nervously. "I - just, um... wanted to tell you you're a good fighter. You're getting really good with Avalanche."

Naomi smiled. "I - oh, um. Thank you. That… k-kinda means a lot, actually."

"I'm glad." smiled Serena. "I just remember that - in my first year, Mia… kinda - didn't trust me with Blackburn at first, so. If you ever need help, let me know, right?"

"I will."

Naomi planted her confidence's flag in 'good fighter' as they walked home.

◆◆◆

Three waited in one living room that night. Miles was on the couch with his legs on the table.

"…guess Bruno ain't coming." sighed Geno, sitting down beside Vinny across. "Fuck barely responded to me calling him today."

"Probably all locked up in that shitty apartment he's got on the other side of town." laughed Vinny. "Big fucking pussy. All scared of those two chicks now."

"Can you blame him after today?" said Miles, and Vinny laughed again.

"Yeah. 'Course I can. Dealt with a few students before. Ain't so fucking tough. Rich, Gaspari - they both had shitty Revenants anyhow. That's like a - survival of the best."

Miles stayed silent, used to Vinny by then. Geno glanced knowingly at him.

"…still." muttered Miles. "Should just wait them out. Can stay here for a month or two. Don't do nothing. They'll get called somewhere else -"

" - what, and just sit on our hands the whole time?" laughed Vinny. "Nah. Here's what I was thinking - actually, was gonna tell Rich and Gaspari about, before they decided to do their own shit. We find out - someone was saying they're staying at… what's that place called? Geno?"

"Renewal Inn. Other side of - out by, eh - out by that breakfast place."

"Yeah, that's the place, yeah. What we do - you, me - Bruno and Geno - or hell, I'll stick my own neck out for it - we get someone that works there. We get 'em to tell us where they're staying, their room. Middle of the night - we come in while they're sleeping."

Miles stayed silent, rubbing his neck.

"...you've still got that shit?" laughed Vinny, gesturing to Miles' eel tattoo. "Thought you were thinking of getting rid of that."

"Call it sentimental. Not a good idea, though. 'specially that Serena chick. Might find out."

"Then we fight 'em - but we still strike first."

"Not a good idea. Like I said."

"What, you scared? 'Cuz I'm not. Not one fucking bit."

"Be your body in four fucking pieces -"

" - watch your fucking mouth -"

" - what, you're gonna - the fuck you think you're on acting tough about this?"

"Yeah, 'cuz I ain't a -"

" - Miles." said Geno. "Think this through first. We got - we got three Revenants. Four if we get Bruno in. Four versus two - be real easy. Even if we gotta fight."

"Yeah." said Miles. "Four throats full of fucking - acid, knives, whatever other shit her and Naomi do -"

" - you're scared." said Vinny. "That's what you are - big fucking pussy. Just a big fucking pussy."

"Better a pussy than a mook."

"What's a mook?"

"It's -"

" - no, at this point - fuck it." said Geno. "Vinny's right. You signed up for this shit - unless you wanna go run and skip town, or tell the fucking cops on us - why the fuck haven't you been -"

" - you, Geno, Bruno - I'm not going for this. I'm not risking this shit." said Miles, sitting up. Vanquish came to mind; better two than hurting Naomi. "Killing those students - that'll get more after us too."

"We'll leave right after -"

" - you don't think we could handle them too?" said Vinny; Geno sighed -

" - I'm trying to fucking -"

" - no, you listen - you listen to me -" said Vinny - " - who got all these fucking people together? Who runs this shit? Who's the one - I remember, they were going to fucking remove your Revenant, and when I broke you out -"

" - Vanquish!" shouted Miles; his legs flashed, and in the next instant -

- kicked the table in to Geno & Vinny's faces; the two staggered back as Miles stood, leaping to the light bulb above, and as his boot tapped the bulb -

- it shattered in a rain of glass, plunging the room in to darkness, hearing Vinny&Geno wounded ahead. Vanquish's white&blue legs formed as he ran to the kitchen left, knowing the window was over the sink left -

" - Trophus!" he heard Geno shout -

- and a swarm of fireflies appeared on the ceiling, light suddenly returning as he turned, window&sink at his back, two brothers rushing in pursuit thirty feet away. Miles glanced back -

- and saw a pane of beetles crawling on the window, ironclad armor he knew he couldn't shatter alone. Vinny & Geno stopped on the other end of the kitchen, twenty feet separating the two. Vinny was scaled with the stove at his back, claws already formed.

"What the fuck do you think you're -"

" - gotta fucking do this quick." grunted Geno. "Someone'll fucking call by now, deal with -"

" - yeah, two students to two fucking corpses!" shouted Miles, boots tapping below the sink; Vinny started rushing towards him -

- but the next scene was instant. Vanquish's legs flashed as he kicked below the sink -

- and blasted a geyser of suddenly boiling water in to Vinny's scaled face; the gatorman kept his rush forward, seemingly unperturbed as his claws scraped through Miles chest -

- just in time for Miles' knife to enter his back; Vinny's claws entered his chest, but in the next instant -

- Miles wound superheated, sudden cauterization trapping Vinny's claws within; more strikes slashed through Vinny's back, superheated knife able to penetrate through -

- but the floor buckled underneath Miles; sudden footing lost and gravity applying, Vinny's claws tore up to his shoulders -

" - why you don't - fucking mess with me!" grunted Vinny, other hand trying desperately to keep the knife at bay -

- but only assuring impalement, keen end trapping his hand to his back; no option left, Vinny's teeth tore at his neck, flesh & gore ripping -

- and as Miles felt his blood start to boil, he was doomed and knew it, red liquid starting to melt his skin. Vinny ripped his claws free in the next, slamming him with the strength of a thousand down -

" - there!" shouted Vinny, stomping his head in - " - you played a stupid fucking game, and now you've got a - a fucking, a stupid fucking prize -"

- and in the next instant -

- a stone bullet came through the window -

- and burst out of the back of Vinny's scaled skull; he screamed as he staggered back, clear hole left -

" - we gotta go - now!" shouted Geno -

- and the two rushed out to the hall, stairs leading down right, another window at the left. With no time to waste, the two veered left, Vinny clutching his head as the two came up to another window -

" - god, what the fuck kinda shit -" he groaned, bashing it open, and in the next instant -

- Geno threw a centipede out the window, and the two leaped out.

A minute later, two sets of footsteps rushed up the stairs -

" - really hope I didn't kill someone innocent." winced Naomi, and Serena nodded as they ran up to the door -

" - just whoever was fighting here, I bet." she chimed, Blackburn's tentacle readied as they pressed against the wall. Dipping her tentacle in, acid corroded a section clear through, and in to the dark room swept the women. Serena turned her phone's flashlight on -

- and anxiety rushed in to Naomi as they saw Miles' mangled corpse, wound revealing his heart still beating, eel tattoo still visible on his neck. Serena's fog filled the lightbulb with new life as they rushed up and crouched down.

"…shit." she winced, Blackburn checking for a pulse (but not that kind). "I… I don't think it's - whoever you shot."

"I - alright." winced Naomi, crouching down beside. "Okay - yeah. Just - okay. Must be, um - p-probably whoever he was fighting, right?"

"…yeah." Serena nodded. "Um - if they screamed like that, then - probably got a good hit, right?"

At another time, Naomi might've joked. "Y-Yeah. U-Uh, y-yeah. C-Can we - can we just, f-find out w-who this is?"

Serena nodded. "I'll call the cops, um."

"O-Okay." said Naomi, eyes never leaving the tattoo.

Serena called the cops regular. Four eventually came with their chief, asking the two to keep outside while they cleared the crime scene & started their questioning. The punk & protégé sat in patches of moonlight on a curb in view of the apartment, though Naomi's nerves stuttered her words over the next fifteen minutes. Serena had tried to distract her, knowing she couldn't until they had their mystery solved.

"…um." mumbled Serena, twenty minutes later. "They'll probably be done soon, so -"

" - excuse me." said a voice behind; they turned -

- and there stood one officer, carrying a paper bag, stained at the bottom.

"I - sorry if I scared you two." he laughed, setting the bag down beside Serena. "Imagine you… well - students - can get pretty wary."

"A bit." laughed Serena.

He sat down beside, careful on his movement. "I got a call - well, actually - showed up a few minutes ago - but Robert told me they had everyone they needed."

"Are they done yet?" mumbled Naomi, and his head shook.

"Don't believe so yet, unfortunately. Can take a bit of time. S'why I brought these for you two." He pressed the bag over. "Just some donuts."

"You're a cop bringing us donuts?" grinned Serena, relevantly, and the two laughed.

"Well, thing about it, actually - they've got some - local one here. Got some Halloween special going on - six for $3, something like that - but the thing is -" - he laughed - " - I don't like jelly -"

" - did they give you extras?" laughed Serena, prodding Naomi as the man nodded.

" - so I figured you two might like some."

"Yeah." nodded Serena. "Still need to check it, though."

"Go ahead."

She dipped her tentacle in the bag, nodding as she scooped it in the other. "Thanks. Um - Naomi, do you want some?"

"…I-I guess." she mumbled, taking one from Serena. "T-Thanks."

"Not a problem at all." he said, eyes on Serena's tentacle. "What've you - got some kind of octopus?"

The two laughed, but Serena's head shook. "Can't say."

"Can't say." he laughed. "Sorry. On me."

"It's cool. Um, thanks for the donuts." said Serena, taking one.

He nodded, glancing behind to his parked car. "All good. You women do a lot to keep this country safe."

The two nodded, eating as he yawned.

"…sorry. Been taking - lot of night shifts, recently." He yawned again, and the two followed, five feet separating them & he.

"Sounds like it."

"Yep." he said. "Well - that and the divorce. Got that finalized a week or two ago - was actually going to take some vacation days, but, well…" His head shook. "Minor criminals try to scare us, recently - pretend like they've got Revenants. The trick - well, don't - I don't much like doing it unless I need to - but most of the time, you point a gun at them, they still get scared."

"If they don't have a Revenant?" said Serena, and he nodded.

"Not to - not to shoot, of course. Never nothing like that."

"I guess, um - we always get to skip that." mumbled Naomi, trying to chime.

"Well - you've got a lot more to deal with, too." he nodded. "You've got more protection, legally - than us - but you've got hard stuff to deal with too."

"Yeah." shrugged Serena. "Uh, I mean - they do give us legal immunity."

"That's right." he laughed. "Even if that's more to cover their ass, if you know what I mean."

"I think so, yeah." laughed Serena, and he continued.

"Because for them - they were saying this, recently, on uh, on - uh, news I was watching, about a week ago. There was some student who - from here - a few of them went to Japan, and one of them accidentally destroyed this -"

" - um, neighborhood?" winced Serena, and he nodded.

"Figured you'd know about that."

"She was my mentor -"

- he laughed - " - well, how about that?"

" - I - yeah." laughed Serena. "But, um - yeah. Go ahead."

He nodded. "But what they were saying - this is mostly for the old folks, really, they were saying this for. Before Revenants were around. They had someone from the government on, and they said that - the reason you all get legal immunity is because they worry that, if they don't - if they have to send another student after one of you to arrest you…"

"They'd - um, yeah." nodded Serena. "Fight back - or go rogue."

"Right." he nodded. "So it's a bit of an arrangement where - they figure so long as they're generally within the lines, they can look over a few crimes. Said she didn't kill anyone, and she apologized. Just destroyed some houses, accidentally."

"Yeah." nodded Serena, having already heard it directly. "She's… she's a really good person, though."

"That's good." He nodded. "The guy they had on said something about - they did get contacted about it by the Japanese government, day-of - but they both decided to let our academy and their academy handle it."

"Yeah. Matoi - our student president - handles most of that stuff." laughed Serena, relevantly.

"They - that sounds right, yes." laughed the man. "I think I remember - gosh, it was a long segment, but - something on - gosh, Matoi… some Japanese lastname or something. Sounded Asian, at least."

"Kujo?" nodded Serena, having remembered it for the time-stopping marine biologist.

"Something like that." he laughed. "But, well - it seems. Wish the real world ran like that, sometimes - well, not in every way, but."

"Uh, what do you mean?" said Naomi.

"The way you have - the rankings, right?"

"Right." nodded Serena.

"But the way you've got it set up - whoever's really doing the most work is gonna get to the top. At least, that's how it looks to me."

"Um - sorta." laughed Serena. "I mean, like - some Revenants are better for, like - responding to calls quicker."

"Or just better in general." laughed Naomi, and he with them.

"Well - but even that, I just wonder - seems like a better system than how we've got the real world set up. Almost feels like some real - not based on who you know, how they feel about you, nothing like that. Just how good you are at your job."

Serena shrugged, starting to mention the Elite Four, but in the next instant -

- icicles started forming on her & his faces; she opened her mouth to shout, light entering her throat and sudden temperature dropping, ice forming all over her skin -

" - Avalanche!" panted Naomi, stone arm forming and trying to bash Serena free -

- but only assuring a frozen arm of stone as moonlight bathed it; she stomped -

- and a cocoon of asphalt formed over Serena&the man; new beams of light shooting towards Naomi, she felt her temperature drop again -

- but clouds blocked the moon overhead, freeing her as the cocoon of asphalt dissolved, Serena and the man both safe inside. The two students shot up as he crouched down -

- and saw patches of moonlight up the road fifty feet away, starting their steady advance towards them, humanoid faces projected within them. Fog & tentacle readied, Serena took up the front as her and Naomi started towards it -

" - just run!" shouted Serena behind, and the officer was gone. More beams of light coming closer, Naomi started to stomp -

" - wait -" said Serena - " - don't - the light freezes you, so -"

" - be - be careful how I stomp, y-yeah." nodded Naomi, clutching to 'good fighter' again.

"Need to find whether it's - automatic or not." winced Serena, and the two started rushing up the road, weaving between the beams of lights seeking them, buildings flanking them as they ran. Blackburn's fog flew in to one patch -

- and she sighed as it froze instantly. Her fog disappeared & reappeared around her tentacle, Naomi stomping to block another ray from their right, full swarm in pursuit of them now -

" - got an idea!" said Serena, ripping her cup out. Fog filled it with a pure-black cloth, and as she threw it on to one patch -

- it absorbed the light instantly, leaving two nodding as she refilled her cup. Another swarm of cloths covered the next swarm of lights, leaving the avenue with only natural moonlight again.

"Got it." grinned Serena, and Naomi nodded.

"Think so, yeah."

Serena nodded, fog filling her cup with pure-black hoods. The two wore them as they came back to the curb, and as two final beams appeared above -

- they were swallowed in an instant, Bruno's face fading from each.

"…probably an automatic one." shrugged Serena. "Um, we can go search for him, but…"

"…yeah." mumbled Naomi, investigation filling her head again. "Need to - be on the lookout, so."

"Yeah." said Serena, hoping Naomi wouldn't be let down.

An hour later, the two met with the department's detective, speaking outside before he left.

"Right." he said, notes readied. "I'll send you a copy of what I've got, but there ain't much."

"What do you mean?" said Naomi.

"From what we've got of the victim - name was Miles Walken. Had a Revenant - professional already came by to remove it, but other than that - already gone through about everything we could on him. No family, no living relatives - nothing. Moved here a few months back. No job, either. Real lowlife."

"He was probably stealing, then, right?" said Serena. "To pay for rent?"

"One assumption we've got."

"Do - do you know why he had an eel tattoo?" said Naomi, and he shrugged.

"Probably just liked the look of it. Damn thing was nearly ripped in half."

"We were… trying to look for people who had them." winced Serena.

"…well. First time I've seen anything like it, here."

"You're - r-really sure, right?" panted Naomi - " - that - nothing? Nothing about him?"

"Total generic." he shrugged. "As I said - I'll send you two a copy of what we're working with."

"That - maybe, yeah." winced Serena, worry building for her protégé. "Um, what about - whoever killed him?"

"There we go." he nodded. "Seems like it might be our two guys. Right as - two men, mid-thirties by the look of 'em - right as they left, one of them had that same sorta scaly skin. You know. Crocodile skin. Or, well - alligator skin. Had a hole right in his head."

"Like a bullet hole?" said Serena, and he nodded.

"Clutching it, too. Sounded Italian. You know - real, uh, real - spaghetti and meatballs type voice."

There was a stereotyped logic to the man's words.

"…uh. Sure." shrugged Serena Kunst, speaking in her non-bratwurst&sauerkraut voice. "So, like a bullet hole?"

"Might be. Lemme - once I get back to the station, I'll send you what I've got. Picture is worth a thousand words and all. Miasma, right?"

"Miasma."

◆◆◆

The two headed back to their hotel, and Serena had tried to keep Naomi focused on the fight more than Miles on the way back.

"Um - we did good with dealing with the moonlight stuff." chimed Serena, and Naomi nodded. She went over to her bed before she spoke.

"…yeah. Uh - did good, yeah." she mumbled and sighed. "Sorry, I just…"

Serena sat down beside.

"…just - keep thinking about it, I guess." mumbled Naomi. "I-I want to - I wish - I don't know."

"About, um... Miles?" said Serena, and Naomi nodded.

"…y-yeah. I-I know it - j-just looks like I'm o-obsessed with this for no reason, b-but - I-I'm really wishing I-I had -"

" - it'll get better." nodded Serena. "Um. I'm sorry I didn't - back then - I should've tried to convince you, too -"

- Naomi's head shook. "It's - it's not your fault. It's just - I don't know, I just feel like it's…" Her eyes started dripping. "… I-I don't know. I-I know you're - n-not gonna make fun of me or a-anything like that, but…"

"Right." nodded Serena. "You know I'm here for you. Right?"

"…y-yeah." Naomi smiled. "T-Thanks. I-It just - I-I know it p-probably sounds kinda weird, but - i-it makes me feel… scared. N-Not knowing this stuff. A-And j-just - seeing that reminded me, a-and - I-I'm scared."

"What do you mean?"

"B-Because I just, whenever I - people in my classes, they just - I know that they've had like, an actual life and everything, l-like - w-whatever these e-eels are about, I know my dad was part of it, and i-if one of them - if anyone knew what I was like before, I could just - I'd know h-how I'm s-supposed to be, b-but - I-I don't know how I'm supposed to be. I-I don't know what I'm supposed to be like."

"...but that - that means you can be how you want to be now, right?" said Serena, and Naomi's sobbing nodded.

"…y-yeah. J-Just feels - h-hard. L-Like, l-like I'm having to g-go through puberty again, or something."

Serena nodded, thinking of her own second puberty. She'd gone on hormones before she was sixteen, having to deal with one male, then one odd mix until she passed. She thought of telling Naomi her transgenderism, if one oddity could help another oddity.

"… I-I don't know." mumbled Naomi. "S-Sorry. I know I'm really harping on this, but - do you know - anyone else with an eel tattoo? M-Maybe?"

"…um." Serena shrugged. "I've fought a few people with them before, but…"

"...guess they're all dead?" said Naomi, trying to chime. Serena nodded.

"Yeah. One of them, uh, kidnapped somebody, but we got her back."

"A student? Could - do you think I could talk to them? In case he like - maybe he said something, or whatever. I, I dunno."

"Sure." Serena nodded. "I can, um - I can give you her number, yeah. Her name's Tiffany."

Naomi wiped her eyes and nodded. "…c-cool. Yeah." She nodded again. "Maybe - maybe it's nothing, but - I just wanna know. Just in case."

"Yeah. Just in case he - said anything, yeah." She texted Naomi.

"Thanks. Gonna call her up now, then."