The six arrived in Pebble the next day, scattering to separate hotels again, a week from Fracassor then. Jeanne and Samuel walked the streets just as the sun was dipping past the roofs.

"Should probably get back to our hotel soon." muttered Jeanne, silent but for footsteps. "Unless you wanna go somewhere."

"Might as well find somewhere to eat before." said Samuel. "Way I see it, they're gonna come whether we're in a hotel room, a store, a casino, a gas station, whatever - so we might as well go wherever the hell we want, and deal with them there."

"Yeah." Jeanne smiled. "I remember - I ended up getting transported to France, last semester. Ended up staying in my hotel room a lot of the time, but - Nuiko managed to get me out, here and there. Helped a lot."

"Then you see what I'm saying." smiled Samuel.

Jeanne laughed. "Guess Aimee's got the pouch now, anyway - if they're even after that."

"We did do a lot of theorizing." laughed Samuel. "But I ain't much for the motivation part of it. If they're after Mia - if this is some test - or if they're just thieves looking to kill and steal - doesn't matter to me. They're out for us."

"You really do sound like a military grunt."

"Well, yeah. But there's something - I remember Matoi said to me. Like always. She told me that the difference between us and soldiers - hell, us and cops - was that we weren't pawns. We can see people hurt others - we can know all our targets deserved it. A soldier can't choose not to fight in an unjust war - well, you get what I mean."

"Yeah." laughed Jeanne. "Uh, definitely these guys deserve it, at the least."

"'I thought that was implied."

The two laughed.

◆◆◆

Two kept poor sleep schedules that night. The lamp was off, but their phones were on.

"You've got that look in your eyes." grinned Yuruko, sitting up in bed. "You can't sleep."

"Huh?" said Serena. "Oh - um, yeah." She laughed. "Aimee might get pissed if we go out, though. Almost one o'clock."

Yuruko tried Aimee's voice on again. "One o'clock in the fucking morning?!"

The two laughed, and their fates were sealed then. Serena sent a message out to the others, got replies back; one from Samuel, one from Mia.

"Got approval." chimed Serena, and permission slip signed, the two went out.

◆◆◆

The streets were dark, and Serena had filled a lantern created by Yuruko for light. They stepped in to the gargantuan parking lot, no cars to be seen, discount department store across.

"Man. These things are everywhere." mumbled Serena as they started through the lot. "Isn't the alarm gonna trigger?"

"Oh noooo." grinned Yuruko, laptop under her shoulder. "Like any company wants to be the one that reports Urasaria students."

"True." laughed Serena, and the two came up to the sliding doors. Yuruko rubbed the glass to liquid, and they stepped inside, produce right and self-checkout left, Serena filling the door back up behind. "Doesn't even look like the power's on."

"Are you scared of the dark?"

"N-No." mumbled Serena, filling the lantern with another bout of oil. The two went down the main aisle, and soon turned left around a corner, more aisles right.

"… Man, everyone bought up all the food." muttered Yuruko. "I thought we'd be able to get cookies or something."

"Eyes are starting to adjust, at least." mumbled Serena. "Um, what do you wanna do, then?"

"Videogame consoles are down there. Can play some stuff." said Yuruko, gesturing three aisles down. "But we'd have to… They probably sell generators or something here. Let's look for that first."

The two went down, and they spoke as they searched, passing security cameras up along the back wall.

"Even if they don't, I could probably look up something, make something homemade. Medicinal-made." Yuruko grinned.

"You really are in to science." laughed Serena.

"I've got this Revenant, and I know how to use it." Yuruko laughed as she gestured to the aisle right. Serena went down and got a generator's box, and Yuruko nodded as they started heading back. "My dad was bigger on that than my mom, though. She's uh, pretty…" Yuruko gave a vague wave. "… old-fashioned, I guess."

"What do you mean?"

"She thinks it's weird I'm in to 'masculine' stuff. I built my PC when I was twelve, and like -" - she laughed - " - you know how if you're good with computers, every old person thinks you're a god?"

"Yeah." laughed Serena. "Sounds kinda rough, though. I mean, she… shouldn't try to restrict you like that."

"Sounds personal." grinned Yuruko.

"S-Sort of. Um - not anymore, though."

"I won't pry." She winked. "My dad's cool, though. I mean, as cool as a wagecuck -" - the two cracked in laughter - " - can be, right?"

"If you meant that unironically -" - Serena laughed - " - I'm leaving."

"I'm not that far down yet." chimed Yuruko. "Not like I'd wanna be, though. I mean, like - insular online stuff's cool when you can find people talking about like - I dunno, like, DoDonPachi or something, twenty years after it got released, but - you're the only chick I know that's in to that stuff, too."

"Yeah." Serena smiled, trying to suppress one wider. "You too. What's your wagecuck of a dad do?"

Yuruko grinned. "He develops drugs - so when I was in highschool, he'd take time off work, and we'd work on simple stuff together. Distillations, acid-base extractions, stuff like that. Helped a ton, 'cause Medicinal grows waaaaay slower than other Revenants."

"What do you mean - it doesn't get stronger as quick?"

"Yeah, exactly. That's why I still gotta worry about running out of uses. Wouldn't want to break the economy, would I?" Yuruko winked. "Kinda like your fog, right?"

"Kinda like my fog, yeah." Serena nodded, and they came in to the gaming aisle, forgotten consoles and videogames behind glass doors left. Yuruko&Medicinal swiped a console out, and she set it up against the back wall of the store, security camera above.

Serena handed her the generator, and Yuruko made the packaging disappear.

"Lessee… Battery powered. Sweet. My laptop's got HDMI, so that'll be our screen."

"What are you gonna do?"

"We could just take some batteries - but I wanna try making some. If you don't mind the chance it'll blow up in the middle of us playing." Yuruko laughed. "But yeah. That's why it was kinda nice I got to work with Gamage my first year, even if it was…" She sighed. "… eh, whatever. Aimee was super good about it, so -"

- the security camera above began to rumble, and in the next instant -

- the hollow point of three bullets entered Yuruko's chest from above; she shrieked and stumbled, her hands a wild flurry over her head and forming a helmet -

- just in time for a second burst of bullets to pierce her back, and as a third volley erupted -

" - Blackburn!"

- with the speed of light, black fog flowed in to the camera's lens and filled it with acid, corroding it from the inside-out. A second stream of fog filled Yuruko's wounds - but the women had no time to rest.

A second volley erupted from a camera further down the wall, and as Yuruko readied to turn the volley liquid -

- the projectiles curved in mid-air, flew towards Serena, and as she readied to dodge behind the aisle -

- the bullets turned again to Yuruko, burst through her chest and out of her back; the two swept back in to the aisle, Yuruko taking her tablet out, hearing more gunfire as Serena healed her wounds and set her lantern down.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

"Gotta find a counter - but just letting them know." winced Yuruko, flicking her tablet on, and as the screen lit to life -

- a bullet curved around the corner and pierced through her tablet, cracking it in half. With a curse, Yuruko pulled her phone from her lab coat's pouch - but as she powered it on, the true assault began then.

All around them, the store's security cameras burst to hideous life, dozens and dozens of bullets shooting out as if called by magic, piercing and shattering Yuruko's phone, and as the next swarm sought their necks -

" - Yuruko! Inside!" shouted Serena, patting frantically the glass door beside; a sweep of gloves turned the glass liquid, and in to the door of games the women swept, fog filling the shattering glass with solid spider silk and blunting the storm.

"Spider silk is stronger than steel." chimed Serena, relevantly.

"They're still shooting outside." winced Yuruko, a stream of fog repairing the pockmarked sheets. "Can't be based on sight - gotta be an automatic Revenant."

"Can't stay here forever either." nodded Serena. "Uh - it went for your tablet and phone, right?"

Yuruko nodded and caught the trend. Serena took her own phone out, held it out to the side, and as she flicked it to life -

- she felt a set of bullets hit the silk guarding her phone, and the women knew then the Revenant.

"Likes electricity."

"Yeah." Yuruko took Serena's phone, Medicinal forming a case of steel around it, a slit to allow Blackburn to fill it with silk. "We've gotta get to the security room - might find the host there, right?"

"Okay." nodded Serena, taking their magnet, and holding it high as Yuruko's hands pressed against the back of the enclosure.

"Ready?"

"Ready -"

" - run!" shouted Yuruko; a swift sweep turned the back of the aisle to liquid, and with no time to waste, the women burst out of the hole and in to the next aisle, cacophony of gunfire entering their ears, and as they curved towards Serena's phone -

" - man, how many fucking -" - she winced as a bullet missed narrowly her thumb " - security cameras do they have?!"

" - must be a real bad area!"

The two rushed through more aisles, shelves collapsing behind as they burst out and through. A wave from Yuruko, and the women peeled right to the back wall, and as another volley sought their magnet phone -

- the bullets curved down in midair, pierced through Serena's back and out of her heart; she shrieked as she stumbled forward, and as Yuruko turned, another volley sought her own neck -

" - Medicinal!"

- but a choke of her gloves around her neck, and a steel brace formed to blunt the foul projectiles.

"I - forgot to charge my fucking phone." groaned Serena, and the two swept in to the aisle beside, security cameras along the back wall still firing steady shots.

"I don't have much left, but -" Yuruko panted, working quickly with her hands, hearing the bullets enter the shelves behind. "We'll use these to lure it - alright? We gotta run and duck - run and duck."

"It ain't me." said Serena, and with a laugh like a fortunate son, Yuruko threw something out of the aisle - two Medicinal-made batteries, terminals connected to each other.

They felt the cameras outside whirr and turn, and out to the back aisle the women rushed again, gunfire entering the battery circuit, another forming underneath Yuruko's boots, only a dozen aisles separating them and the employees only door now.

Down the aisle they ran, and as they came six within range -

" - wait!" shouted Yuruko, peeling in to the aisle left, yanking Serena by her collar as she threw another circuit. "Serena - here!"

Serena blinked for a second, but caught the trend quick, and the two stepped in to the aisle of lightbulbs.

"Can buy us some time for me to recharge." panted Yuruko.

"I - oh." laughed Serena, taking a box off the shelf and opening it. Blackburn's fog dripped in to the bulbs, and as the electricity filled the bulbs with light -

- she winced as every last burst in to shards, Blackburn's electricity accidentally too strong for it. She discarded it with a groan, scooped another box up, and as a second stream filled the new set with light -

- she felt with aghast back three hollow points pockmark her; the pain slumped her forward -

" - Medicinal!" shouted Yuruko, throwing another battery sacrifice beyond, buying them only seconds before the next volley would come.

"I - why isn't that working, shit shit shit -"

At her side, Yuruko scooped up a box of energy-saving bulbs. As she threw it to Serena, Blackburn filled it with electricity -

- and the two breathed relief as the next volley of bullets curved to seek the bulb inside.

"Okay - okay -" nodded Yuruko, pulling Serena by her hand down the aisle, shelves of energy-saving bulbs besides. "Fill just the low wattage ones - and start doing this!"

She yanked her hand off from Serena and started waving her arms frantically. The war gave the punk no time to ask questions, and she started her own jig as she filled the whole shelf to life -

" - got it!" shouted Serena, and down the aisle the women ran again, the hellstorm carving the energy-saving bulbs to bits as they ran down, only six aisles separating them and the employees area.

They heard the last bulb get shot to death as they shoved through the employees door, to the hall beyond, and as they rushed in to the control room at the right -

- an expected scene met their stare, their male foe at the other end, thirty feet separating them and he.

But their blood froze at the dozen security cameras at his feet, ripped from their hinges and readying to fire.

"Medicinal." panted Yuruko, attempting to form a new circuit -

- and only half of one came, her uses expended with no time to recharge. The man laughed as he realized, and as the cameras readied to shred the women alive -

- a stream of black fog filled Serena's nostrils; with no option left, she rushed forward, and as the first volley sought her neck -

- it curved in mid-air, and the lead shot through Yuruko's heart, tearing skin and blood, only a dozen feet separating the man and Serena now -

- and with the speed of fog, a black stream filled his throat with razorblades; and as he fell, a second and third volley entered his lungs -

- and out of his chest burst out a knife, his still-beating heart impaled upon it. A sweep of fog destroyed the last of the cameras with acid, heart still beating below.

"Oh - f-fuck -" panted Serena, turning and rushing back to a collapsed Yuruko, filling desperately her wounds - " - oh god please be okay, please be okay -"

Yuruko's wounds filled as if a grave with dirt, new flesh ejecting the casings inside. Serena felt that worry Mia had that first week then.

"P-Please - be okay -" panted Serena - " - please, c'mon - say something -"

- Yuruko gave a vague wince with her fingers. "… O-Okay."

"Y - you're okay, right? I - I'm sorry, I just -"- Serena swept her wet eyes back, the heart still-beating on its steel kebab behind. " I - I just -"

" - it's - okay." coughed Yuruko, pressing herself to sit. "What… what did you do? To… get in range?"

Serena wiped her eyes, sitting close with her. "I - sorry, just - was just - scared. Um. It was - it was that it shot anything with the lowest electrical signal, right?"

Yuruko smiled to soothe. "Yeah. That's why - wanted to wave our arms. Our bodies have electrical currents. Sort of."

Serena nodded, starting to calm. "I filled - um. My nostrils up with smelling salts - so my heart rate - fuck, it's still through the roof - I thought I could kill him quicker, so -"

" - you did good." laughed Yuruko. "Don't worry. We did good."

"Y-Yeah. Just - scared I almost got you killed."

"C'mon." chimed Yuruko. "Don't worry. I'm okay, right? If you hadn't done that, we'd both be dead."

Serena nodded. The two sat there for a while, and felt an odd connection as they waited for their Revenant's uses to replenish.

"… Man, fuck." mumbled Serena. "This must be how Mia felt."

Yuruko laughed. "How'd that go, anyway? Did you end up talking to her?"

"Yeah." Serena smiled. "She was really cool about it, actually. No more coddling."

"Especially after that combining shit, I bet." grinned Yuruko. The two stood and went over to the Revenant, heart still-beating, corpse still-warm. "Just gotta destroy it."

And as Blackburn's fog filled his heart with razorblades -

- they saw with aghast eyes a dozen bullets burst outward from the heart and curve inward, shredding the metal to bits, leaving the Revenant seemingly unharmed.

"What the fuck?" said Serena.

"…ah, fuck."

"It's still alive?" groaned Serena, daring not try again.

"I've read about this happening before." sighed Yuruko. "Some super-strong Revenants can survive without their hosts. It's gonna keep defending itself."

"They - wait, what?"

"Yeah. Sometimes they - um, can survive without their hosts for a while after death - but… If I touch it - it'll shoot me. Don't want that again." Yuruko winked.

"…so it'll shred anything I put in there." muttered Serena. "What are we gonna do?"

"… Maaan, this is super dangerous." Yuruko laughed, and Serena followed. "Okay. I want you to run to the other end of the store, where the emergency exit is. Shut that door on your way out. I'll meet you there. Coolio?"

"Er - coolio." Serena nodded, and with the scientist's gesture, ran out of the room and shut the door behind.

Yuruko crouched down, wishing she had time to examine closer. She remembered her father telling her to only make it if she had no other option.

'H2SbF7. Atomic numbers - 1, 51, 9.'

Her hands went to her face, swift work on forming a full-face respirator. She held her right hand over the heart, readying to run out as she stood -

- a stream of liquid burst from her palm, and she didn't look back as she ran back across the room, through the door, slammed it behind, and down the main aisle she ran, Medicinal drying her right glove.

Ahead was Serena at the emergency exit, Yuruko's laptop and a videogame case in hand, and as Yuruko rushed close -

" - let's go!" shouted Yuruko, her voice whipping Serena as the two ran, in to the emergency exit and the back alley beyond.

"What - what did you even do?" said Serena, the two cutting through and around the corner, rushing back in to the main parking lot.

"Fluoroantimonic acid - the strongest known acid! Uh, besides helium hydride - but that doesn't count because it's not corrosive!"

"Is - that - uh - that gonna destroy it?"

"They're gonna have to call a cleanup crew - but whatever!" laughed Yuruko, and gestured for Serena to stop as they reached midway down the lot. "Alright - should be out of the danger zone."

With a laugh, she raised her right glove -

- and a hole started corroding through. She shrieked as her entire glove disappeared -

- but laughed at Serena's instant worry, and Medicinal recreated her glove.

"Just kidding." cackled Yuruko, taking her respirator off.

"Don't - don't do that, c'mon." laughed Serena, cheeks filling. "Especially after earlier."

"Yeaaaah, but I don't get to do that often. Sorry. Gamage still falls for that sometimes." chimed Yuruko, taking her laptop back. "Did you get something to play?"

"Yeah. We still gotta game." grinned Serena, handing the videogame case to her. "Um - this says it has local co-op on PC. You could probably just run it on your laptop."

"Dynasty Warriors?"

"Yep."

"Coolio. Let's play when we get back."

She opened up the game's case, and frowned.

"… Uh, where's the disc?" said Serena, peeking over.

Yuruko blinked at the slip of paper inside.

"… Enter this code online for your digital download."

◆◆◆

"Not nearly as naïve as Roma was. I was almost disappointed when she died." muttered Akira, knowing Road-Less-Resisted's death already. "Tell me if this makes sense to you."

He turned to Seth, still bound to the chair. Akira scooped a heart off from his lap, took another from the stool beside.

"A man you know to be violent - and a surgeon, under Nikolai's orders, has just killed his wife. This man, he's - do you understand? Bad news. Well, perhaps she's not dead - but she's dying. Her limbs were turned to steel, her eyes - silver. I saw her. Just before he buried her, he allowed me to see her. But it was a wonder she was alive at all in that state. Do you allow this man to see her, dying like that?"

He felt Seth's sweat. His breath sharpened, thinking of his eyes on a severed head. As he tapped Seth's neck, those fangs could grow and rip. That passion threatened him again, or he liked to think it did. He was obviously in control of his actions, but he'd enjoyed the drama he'd created & seen, and felt that all drama needed a drop of melodrama.

However, finding new hosts was tiring.

"… Answer me." he said.

"You don't."

"Congratulations." He took one of the hearts, readied to shove it in him. "Smarter than Roma. As I remember, his head was twisted off like a screw."