The next afternoon, Chimera got called in to the facility's front office, his father having called.

"Hayato." said the doctor, his tone slightly off. "Hayato, I - I need you to - to listen to me -"

" - what is it?" said Chimera.

"They - they've found out - they've found out what we've been doing -"

" - what are you?" He paused. "I don't - I have no idea what you're -"

" - one of them - one of them fucking came by -"

" - I don't know what - I think you -"

" - they know! The Revenants - the cryptocurrency - Leon - Peter - they fucking know everything that we've -"

" - no, no you - fucking imbecile, they're going to find out we've been fucking - that you've been fucking using Tamer for -"

" - I - I have no idea what you're - talking about -" muttered Chimera - " - I think you -"

" - OF COURSE YOU FUCKING KNOW! The Elite Four - they were here - they were just here, they're coming to fucking arrest you -"

- he slammed the phone down, but stepped as calmly as he could out of the room. He knew the conversation & his reactions were recorded and started to fear what other evidence he had forgotten behind. His father wouldn't have betrayed him; they must have forced him to talk -

- and the sight of Matoi & Mia & Marisa running through the gates and towards the facility's front doors a thousand feet away glued his limbs against his body, and their expressions said they knew, but he couldn't figure out how badly until Mia was five hundred feet away and he remembered what her profile had said about a hundred-foot Solar Beam until he was running back in to the facility and rushing through every hall's door, claws growing as he sliced open every Revenant's vat, monstrous limbs&fins&arms growing from the still-beating hearts -

- and he didn't look back as he ran in to & through every room, Tamer's raptors growing as they rushed back to the front doors; he heard missiles and fabric swords behind as he came in to one hall he knew led to the back. One final room with three Revenants was ahead & right, and as he turned inside -

- there stood the scarabwoman with a burning blue blade on the other end, three vats behind her, thirty feet separating the two.

["Devil May Sly Extended". You'll need the extended.]

"How - how the fuck did you find out -" he panted -

" - we didn't." chimed Mia, relevantly -

- and she loved how his face filled with agony as a sweep of burning blue went through the vats, disintegrating them without a single ash left. She'd wanted to attack him for the disrespect before, and she'd enjoy killing the evil standing thirty feet ahead of her.

"Your father isn't harmed, either - but I'm sure his testimony is worth more than yours." laughed Mia, and in the next instant -

- the keen end of a spiked green tail burst through her back and out her chest; her scarabs froze it as she sputtered -

- but a swift thrash broke it free from its icy prison, more icicles trying to pierce it as it slithered back out of the ghastly aperture -

- and a gust of wind blasted her with the strength of a million through the wall -

- and another -

- and another, Chimera's wings growing as she flew out of the building, sword scraping against the ground as she flew -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted, scarabs freezing her wound & weapon -

- and stopping her midflight as she gripped the frozen pole and landed -

- and she swept back just in time to avoid amputation as a pincer burst out of the ground where she'd just been; a frozen spray erupted from her palm and hit it at the base -

- and froze it in to the ground; but it thrashed free again, shattering through its icy prison again as it slithered back to its master -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted, spraying a jet of water after it and in to its former burrow, electrical scarabs following after the rabid beast -

- but she sighed aghast at no apparent damage done to it, water filling the hole as it kept slithering back. Another flash of ice scarabs froze it again, forcing it to drag itself through a carpet of icicles on the way back. She saw the rubble she'd shattered through ahead, and in the next instant -

- Chimera's wings launched the concrete chunks with the strength of a million towards her -

- but a whirl of golden blade went through every last -

- but the embedded larva within sprayed web on to her face as they died; grunting with vision blinded, a puff of blue hit her face -

- and only melted the strands further, no disintegrating or a single ash until her electrical sword bashed her face and charred every last in to black&limp string. Ahead, she saw Chimera rushing out of the facility, wings launching as he tried to take flight -

" - Solar Beam!" she shouted, sweeping her palms above him; an orange beam erupted from her palms -

- and he dodged underneath just in time for the scorching ray to rip one of his wings clear off; as he fell, the remaining wing beat and a gust of wind hit the ground -

- and shot a fissure with the speed of sound towards her -

- and she froze it to a platform of ice in time to dodge underneath the next three white fireballs breathed towards her, Chimera's maw growing but reverting back as he shouted. "I checked your fucking profile, you know! I don't know - how you possibly FUCKING got national level threat in three years -"

- and she couldn't even respond, focus shoving her words down as she felt something leap at her from behind; with the speed of light she turned -

- and a whirl of her blade disintegrated Tamer's blue raptors behind to ash; as she spun back to face Chimera, a spray of blue hit the asphalt -

- and started to disintegrate it. The ground started to rumble; a buffer of ice formed between her & he, his own side of the ground starting to crumble and shudder, more concrete disintegrating and the rest sucked in towards it; sudden footing lost, Chimera started to stumble as she aimed her palms forward -

- but the next scene was instant. Tamer's teeth and Tamer's claws grew as the ground collapsed -

- and underneath the concrete he burrowed with the speed of sound, Mia losing sight of him as he disappeared, rest of the ground disappearing as she stepped back and away. She saw one blue fin peeking out of the ground and rushing towards her -

- but spun to see the enormous green fin behind, and in the next instant -

- an enormous shark burst out of the ground towards her -

- but a pillar of ice launched her up; and right through the barrier smashed the aquatic beast, one wing growing from it as it scraped against the ground -

- and a gust of wind blasted her with the strength of a million away & off her pillar; she turned her eyes back as she flew, and the wall that separated them from the rest of the city was behind -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted, sweeping her blade back, slide of ice forming underneath her midair as she flew -

- and launching her right into the wall, blade impaling through for her handhold as she landed, midair and hanging by two hands. With no time to waste, she swept with the speed of light left -

- in time to avoid another giant pincer bursting out of the wall and seeking her hanging legs; below, she heard Chimera shouting about scarabs and beetles -

- and the wall started to rumble. In the next instant, she leaped off her sword and away from the wall; a jet of water burst out of her hands and blasted her away, sword still embedded ahead -

- and an enormous scarab burst out of the wall and gripped her sword -

- but one miniature scarab burst her sword in to blue flames and disintegrated the would-be usurper without a single ash left as she landed on the ground again. Sword reappearing in her hands, she shoved it in to the ground -

- and nodded as she felt the concrete underneath freeze and turn to ice, knowing she might have to use it later. In the next instant -

- a dozen tendrils burst up out of the ground and around her, locking her in like a cage -

- but her own ice tentacles burst out of the ground and slashed through the twelve wardens; she felt the ground rumble and shoved her sword down -

- just in time for the burning blue blade to disintegrate the thirteenth that'd tried to impale her from below. With a sigh and a grunt, she realized she'd lost sight of Chimera, and in the next instant -

- her ice below turned to water; and in to the enormous pool she fell, more & more water shoving her down as it formed an entire pit -

- bur her electricity claimed the entire pool as all the ground shattered around her. A tri-swarm raid flew down her throat and ensured her breath, ice forming goggles for her, seeing Chimera's waterserpent form vaguely on the other end -

- and shooting with the speed of sound towards her. She opened her mouth -

- and the next scene was instant. An orange beam erupted from her throat -

- and the scorching ray disintegrated the water instantly, hundreds of gallons turning to steam in an instant and disappearing in the next; its favored habitat lost, Chimera flew past her as she fell back to the bottom of the pool -

- and a wall of ice burst up behind to block his spines shooting towards her -

- but she turned, realizing she'd lost sight of him again as her frozen barrier disappeared. She heard something screech, and in the next instant -

- an enormous phoenix appeared over the pool and swept with the speed of sound over the crater -

- and dunked the entire area in to white flames; grunting and wincing, she rushed through the fire and the flames, single ice scarab healing her miniscule burns as she came up to the end of the pool. She heard something stomping behind, but climbed as fast as she could up with her sword, sweeping up and out of the fiery pit. She rushed ahead and to the wall separating them from the city before she turned again -

" - RAPID EVOLUTION!" she heard his bestial voice shout, and in the next instant -

- a beast the size of a skyscraper burst out of the pit, bull's hooves but standing on two legs, minotaur's head the size of a building. His hands dug in to the facility beside, and as he threw it towards her -

- she was almost grateful for the easy counter as her body burned blue; and in to the scorching woman disintegrated the projectile, building smashing and shattering through the wall behind, swift spray of blue disintegrating the rubble before it could land on her. In the next instant, she saw him starting to shrink again, hooves turning to orange claws and arms turning to phoenix wings, and in the next instant -

- he shot with the speed of the sun towards her -

- but her frozen blade cleaved clear through its right wing in a burst of orange gore -

- just in time for a hundred enormous spider strands to burst out of it -

- but shrink instantly as Chimera's body hit the road behind, scraping and rolling for hundreds & hundreds of feet down, shrinking back to humansize as she started her rush in pursuit, no time to waste as she came out to the street, cars&lampposts in their rightful places and lines of buildings beside. Ahead, a scorpion tail burst out of his back -

- and one lamppost fell beside her; she didn't look as a pillar of blue flame disintegrated it, scorpion stinger bursting out of the ground ahead. She saw Chimera stand with his chest caved in. A wheel of spinning teeth was inset near his heart, and out of the ghastly aperture burst six enormous tentacles. As they shot towards her -

- she made to block, sword raised ready -

- but another scorpion stinger burst up behind -

- and she spun in time for its vicious thrust to impale clear through her palm, trapping her grip to her sword as more cars were thrown at her from behind -

- but the next scene was instant. Grunting as she clashed, she swept to the side, stinger still impaling her as one car flew towards her from her new-right -

- and a pillar of blue flame claimed the vehicle; in to purple flames it burst -

- and disintegrated the scorpion's tail without a single ash left, next blue flames disintegrating the cars themselves as she spun back to face Chimera, and as she swept her palms forward -

" - Solar Beam!" she shouted; a white beam erupted from her palms -

- and pierced clear through Chimera's left arm; a turtle shell formed over it, scars forming all over the shattering limb as the white beam carved through it -

- and she saw with aghast eyes him sweep left just in time for the beam to disintegrate his left arm, not a single drop or vein left as a new scaled limb grew -

' - are you fucking kidding me?'

"What - what the fuck is this?!" he shouted, new arm just as scarred as the last.

'Solar Beam - fuck, my - I only have three scarabs left until they replenish.' she thought and winced, setting one of each in her blade. As Chimera staggered ahead, she rushed left and up to one car, slashing through the gas tank and making her blade drip. Five white fireballs shot towards her -

- but a swift pane of ice blocked them in midair.

'Fire and electrical left.'

"I know you're fucking depleted!" he shouted - " - is that why you - aren't using your fucking blue beam?!"

- and in the next instant, she saw his limbs growing gigantic again, body growing to a gorilla the size of two cars; two counters left, she started rushing back and on to the street, enormous arms hurtling the beast along at terrifying gait as she ran.

'Those hairs - its arms have ice on the end. It'll swallow my fire.' she thought as she turned; more cars were thrown towards her -

- but the next scene was instant. She blocked one blade-on -

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- and ensured it flew to her right as she shoved it aside; as she blocked the next, she shoved it left as she blocked it, two cars on opposite ends of the street as she ran back & past them; behind, she felt Chimera pass between them -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted, and a final electrical scarab flew to the edge of its range -

- for the next instant scene. An electrical arc formed between the two cars -

- and yanked them together with Chimera stuck in the middle -

- and the keen two two-ton projectiles smashed his chest's sides both ways; his hair formed armadillo's shells to block it -

- just in time for her burning purple blade to burst through his chest & out his back, having thrown it alongside her metal volley; as he gasped and sputtered, her blade appeared in her hands, Mia standing between two buildings. In the next instant -

- three tentacles yanked one building in to her left; three tentacles yanked one in to her right -

- but a pillar of blue flame disintegrated the ground below; and in to the sudden burrow she fell, buildings catching only air as they smashed together above. She focused on what she would do next as she kept her tunnel going. A spray of blue disintegrated and walls of ice supported, and her scarabs had replenished now. She felt the pressure lighten on the ground above, and in the next instant -

- a hundred spines burst out of the roof and right ahead of her -

- and she stopped just in time to avoid their touch, noting their spiked ends were red. A cloud of steam burst up ahead -

- and a dozen spines grew to impale right through it, daring not nod as she realized. Quickly, an enormous cloud of steam claimed the entire enclosure -

- and she rushed left with a new tunnel as she heard the spines slashing wildly behind, motion setting them confused as she burrowed a new path, eyes sharp for when they might appear again. No time to waste, a puff of blue hit the roof -

- and disintegrated her exit back to the city; a cloud of steam went out -

- and a geyser of water launched her up and out of her burrow, unfamiliar but new avenue below as she flew up; turning her eyes, she saw one five-floor office building, walls of windows that another geyser of water launched her through, puff of blue disintegrating the glass as she landed on the second-floor. She had no sight of Chimera yet, but rushed as quick as she could across, city filled with screams and missiles around.

As she came up to the other end, she saw Chimera on the road below, and in the next instant -

- the entire left half of the building exploded & shattered; sudden footing lost, she stumbled and crashed out of the window, Chimera turning to greet her below as a slide of ice brought her to ground-level, turning his back as spines grew out and shot out towards her -

- but the next scene was instant. A jet of water hit his midair spines and his back -

- and a single ice scarab froze it in midair, trapping him to his own spines as Mia landed safe, thirty feet separating them -

" - Tamer - Phoenix!" he shouted; a flash of orange light -

- and the phoenix dove across the street again in an instant, landing and turning back to human just in time for Mia to sweep her palms forward -

" - Solar Beam!" she shouted; a white beam erupted from her palms and pierced Chimera's chest -

- and she swept back just in time to dodge a meteor seeking her head, enormous projectile swallowing her scorching ray as it crashed down -

' - what the fuck?!'

- ahead, she saw Chimera's tail slice open another three meteors over his head, lightning bolts that weren't her own striking around him -

" - another fucking ability?!" she shouted, tornado winds starting up all around her, clouds swallowing all the fog above -

" - you think I can't handle this?!" shouted Chimera, and Mia didn't have time to think what he meant before his claws grew again, but in the next instant -

- an enormous icicle that wasn't her's pierced right through his head from above -

- but still shattered instantly as he tore it away, green fin growing and shark's teeth growing -

- and underneath the ground he burrowed again, Mia readying her last three scarabs again, meteors smashing through every building in the avenue, downpour worsening and entire road starting to flood. Hundreds of gallons dropped out of the clouds -

- and plunged the entire avenue & she underneath the enormous pool of water. She set one electrical scarab for her breath or when he'd appear again, current sweeping her up the street, and in the next instant -

- Chimera burst out of the ground two hundred feet ahead & in to the pool -

- but she couldn't understand why he had a scorpion's tail and no fin; glancing back, she found no trick, and by the time her eyes went forward -

- he was a waterserpent again, tail sweeping and blasting shockwaves of water towards her, and as he rushed at her with the speed of light again -

- the next scene was instant. A single fire scarab erupted in to a wall of blue flame ahead -

- and disintegrated halfway between the pool of water; osmosis acting up, the currents sweeping her up rushed to refill the sudden hole, diluting their speed & Chimera's as he still swam towards her -

- just in time for her to sweep aside and her blade to cleave right through his maw as he shot past -

- and a single icicle went all the way through him from the mouth down and out, blood spewing as he was ejected from the flood. Her scarabs had replenished. A fire swarm disintegrated the rest of the water, and she landed in the moist  avenue just in time to disintegrate another twenty meteors seeking her head; she felt a gust of tornado wind right -

- and a chunk of concrete smashed right through her left side; ahead, she saw a skyscraper fall on Chimera, claws slashing and fire breathing out of the rubble as he came out of the ruins ahead, eternal cars beside her but waterlogged.

" - R-Rapid - Rapid Evolution!" he panted; two enormous serpent heads burst out of his neck, and as three enormous globes of acid shot towards her -

- the next scene was instant. An electrical arc yanked one car to block it; a blue fireball of her own shot back, bursting in to purple flames as it flew through the vehicle -

- and swallowed only enough of the acid to avoid her body but not her right eye; she shrieked as she staggered blindly back, entire right eye melting and left eye wincing as she heard Chimera scream ahead. No option left, her palms swept forward again -

" - Solar Beam!" she shouted; a blind white beam erupted from her palms and pierced through Chimera's chest -

- and thousands & thousands of scars formed on his body, limbs bursting in to red flames -

- and white -

- and blue -

- and purple as he staggered weakly out of the scorching ray, limbs continually disintegrating as her aim swept to meet him -

" - R-Rapid - R-R-R-Rapid Evolution -" he panted, new limbs constantly forming but shattering before they'd even breathed, claws trying weakly to block more meteors raining on him -

- and Mia's left eye opened as her scorching ray turned orange, sweeping her aim to his heart again, Chimera's chest cracking and scars ripping his flesh off his blood -

" - T-Tamer - T-T-T-T-Tamer - " he gagged, beam turning red as he staggered and slumped against one corner -

- and the heated ray melted him to a puddle of gore & flesh that dripped right in the sidewalks' cracks, still-beating heart barely left in the goo that'd been him.

With no time to waste, Mia started rushing towards it -

- but a thousand bolts still struck her, questions filling her head -

" - I n-need to p-protect this -" she winced, scooping up the still-beating heart, final ice scarab keeping it safe as she ran up what had been a street ten minutes ago. All around her were meteors striking & screaming, hail the size of cars smashing skyscrapers down, fissures cracking and filling with blood. She turned in to one street -

- and saw the calamity end at the city limits up ahead; with no time to waste, she rushed as fast as she could down, running and staggering out of the city and in to the exit road, scarabs replenishing as she ran and ran -

- and turned once she was out of the destruction's ring, entire city destroyed behind, rubble & rain hiding it from sight -

" - what the fuck is -"

- and fear struck her as she realized the Revenant. "I - how - how the fuck could this be -"

- her tablet vibrated, and she took it quick, flicking her location on to share it with the others.

" - how the fuck could this be -"

" - Mia-Mia!" shouted a voice behind; Mia turned -

- and a woman of heat could barely stand Marisa's tackle, fashionista having ran too fast in to her, two wincing as they hit the ground. The two groaned as they stood, Matoi coming up from behind, Boudoir healing Mia's wounds and eye, some energy returning to her.

"Where's - where's Serena?" panted Mia -

" - we - don't know." winced Marisa. "She - she was at the hotel, but -"

- Mia readied to rush back in; her phone vibrated -

(Serena) "I lost my tablet. (｡╯︵╰｡)"

A picture of Samuel & Kate & Tiffany & Naomi & Serena & glazed-eye Fujishita, Avalanche's hand carrying the shards that'd been Serena's tablet.

The three laughed, Mia's worry fading.

(Mia) "It was destroyed? Are you alright?"

(Serena) "Yeah. Naomi grabbed it too hard when we ran out."

The three laughed as Matoi nodded. "Tell them to stay where they are - we'll come to them."

(Mia) "Stay where you are - we'll come to you."

(Serena) "Okay."

Marisa swung them around the city of destruction, and they met up outside a diner between Rockfield and an unaffected city. Mia remembered the disastrous weather on their second-year trip, as did Serena&Samuel once reminded. Mia called Timepact again.

"It's…" She winced, another emergency alert on everyone's phones. "It's, look up - look up - Ryumi Egashira. Queen of Scarabs."

"Uh, that profile is locked up tighter than a nun's pussy." chimed Makoto's voice on the other end. "Please try again."

"Does - Akira?"

"Uh, is that in recent searches?"

"Yes."

"…Akira Kagume. Former employee of the Eastern League -"

" - that's the one, yes - can you - look up its members? Find - whatever Revenant is control over weather - find that one."

"Gimme a minute." said Makoto.

While they waited, Serena called Yuruko to ensure she'd survived, as the extreme weather had affected Wilcook and a third city, Janetown.

"She's going to head here, now." said Serena, and the rest nodded. For a second, Naomi thought about asking if Julia was alright.

"Good." said Matoi. "Kate, Tiffany, Naomi - stay here if we find anything more."

"Would be nice if Akira just killed them again." whispered Samuel to Serena, and the two laughed.

"Serena and Mia - investigate Wilcook. Samuel and Marisa - they might still be in Rockfield. I'll investigate Janetown."

"You're going alone?" said Marisa and Matoi nodded. "Phew, 'cuz I didn't want to -"

- Matoi laughed - " - you could have at least -"

" - I'm - sure it'll be fine -" chimed Naomi, Matoi's head still shaking.

"If it's control over weather - Wedding's missiles will deal with meteors, hail, earthquakes. I'll be immune to electricity."

"Right." nodded Kate. "Just - need to deal with the host, right? Is it -"

" - Makoto's back." said Mia, setting her on speaker. "Go ahead."

"Lessee." said Makoto. "Rita Kuznetsov - Weatherwoman. Threat Level National, Revenant Meteorology... deceased. Former employee of the Eastern League. Murdered by Magnus Egashira, after murdering his wife Ryumi…"

A sense of anger came over Mia and she did not like it.

"…uh." said Makoto. "You're just trying to kill whoever has it, right?"

"Yes." said Matoi.

"Sweet. Yep - just control over weather. Tornadoes, meteors, lightning bolts, rain, earthquakes, hail - all sorts of shit. Super long range, and…" She laughed. "What a cuck - " - Serena laughed - " - she just fucking told them she could do - yeah, this shit. Attack three areas at once - but she, uh - had to be in one of them."

"The new host is in one of the cities, then?" said Mia.

"Yep. Good luck."

◆◆◆

Three civilians had donated three cars to the three groups. The white wedding drove to the limits of what had been a city an hour ago, fifty feet away from the edge of the perimeter. She took her phone out.

"I've arrived."

"How bad is it?" said Samuel on the other end, Marisa the driver.

"See for yourself." She took a picture and heard the other pair groan.

"This is gonna suck." sighed Serena's voice, relevantly.

"What is it?" said Mia's muffled voice - " - oh - god." - she groaned.

"I'm outside of its range." murmured Matoi, thousands of meteors blasting the city to chunks ahead, rain&fog thick, only hearing the dozens of earthquakes shaking the ground but stopping just ahead. "Setting out now."

She hung up, started her rush in to Meteorology's range, and as she passed the perimeter -

- a hundred meteors appeared above, falling with the speed of fire upon her -

" - Wedding!"

- an explosive volley erupted from Wedding's shoulders, hundreds and hundreds of missiles seeking their targets above -

- and blasting every last meteor in to hundreds of chunks, constant line of explosive projectiles erupting outward -

- and tearing every last shard of meteor to ash, Matoi keeping her rush going down the sidewalk, new earthquakes and fissures shooting towards her, and as the ground split open below -

- a swift shockwave blasted her to the side and away, keeping her safe as the street was swallowed beside. Wedding's lasers tearing the buildings in half, she kept her run going up the street, feeling the clouds gather overhead, and in the next instant -

- a bolt of lightning turned her to a woman of laughter, thousands of volts entering Wedding's insulation as she ran, sidewalk that looked like a curb thirty minutes ago up ahead. She stopped at the middle of the intersection, new meteors forming above and seeking her head -

- but a swift megamissile blast every last to chunks; metallic shards of its casing falling, Wedding's laser readied to refract -

- and the scorching beam ricocheted with the speed of literal light around, new missiles growing it with every hit -

- and the enormous beam disintegrated every building around the intersection, new missiles keeping it bouncing as it tore through the roads -

- and she sighed as no scream of pain came, readying to start her search again.

◆◆◆

"Got it!" grunted Marisa, rushing up to one skyscraper, clouds forming above and lightning striking her -

- and she twitched, staggered, but still stood by the end, Boudoir's insulation protecting her as she rushed along the skyscraper's front doors, rope of Boudoir tethering the building as she ran around the corner, constant bolts striking her as she kept her run going. Boudoir's rope went taut once she got back to the front, tethered all around the skyscraper -

" - enjoy!" shouted Marisa, one yank back -

- and ripping the skyscraper off its hinges, fashionista turned concrete lumberjack as the skyscraper collapsed -

" - get behind me!" she shouted; Samuel huddled behind -

- and a single sweep of her new sword mowed down the entire avenue, two groaning as no scream came.

◆◆◆

["The Living End - Carry Me Home". No extended version, sorry.]

" - Matoi says -"

- another gust of wind blasted her phone at two hundred miles down the street -

" - fuck!" groaned Mia, new tornados sprouting five hundred feet ahead, Serena with fog&tentacle readied beside - " - the other cities stopped! He's here!"

"How do we know he's male?!" shouted Serena, new tornado shooting with the speed of wind toward them; fog swarming her body, she rushed up ahead, and as the counter-clockwise winds caught her -

- streams of fog filled it with clockwise winds, dispersing and neutralizing in an instant, new meteor shower threatening to fall upon them -

" - SOLAR BEAM!"

- a orange beam entered every last meteor, disintegrating it as Mia caught up to the punk, still starting their run down what had been a city an hour ago. All around them were buildings collapsing and winds screaming, meteors shattering on flaming rubble, downpour that was stained crimson. Clouds blinded the sky above, and in the next instant -

- a dozen lightning bolts struck Mia, turning her in to a woman of laughter -

- and the punk laughed beside, shared elemental resistance in her as the two kept their rush going up the street; a nod from Mia, and the two split down opposite sidewalks, fog dissolving buildings left and blue flames buildings right. The coast was on the horizon peeking between one intersection they ran in -

- and the two stopped as they heard distant rumbling, waves starting to shatter on the horizon -

" - shit." winced Serena, tsunami growing on the distance -

" - Serena - get behind me!" shouted Mia, wave growing & growing on the distance, smashing and crashing through every building in between; and as the thousand foot tsunami threatened to swallowed them alive, towering over with no sign of stopping -

- Serena huddled at Mia's back; and the next scene was instant -

" - SOLAR BEAM!"

- a white beam erupted from her palms and hit the wave, thousands & thousands of gallons of water vaporizing to steam, new wave coming from behind to replace it -

- but a swift sweep of her aim cut both waves in half, and as their water started to fall -

- a final sweep disintegrated the rest, keeping them safe as they stood again.

"H-Holy shit." panted Serena, relevantly.

"That's why I'm a national threat." grunted Mia.

"What's that?" said Serena, and Mia tried not to sigh as they ran up another street.

"It's - how the government classifies heroes! Local - national - existential!"

Serena nodded as she split right again, dozens of tendrils of fog filling up the buildings beside, acid corroding every last wall away, supports crumbling and stores collapsing as she rushed - " - do I have a ranking?!" she shouted -

- Mia winced as she ran, blue flames disintegrating every last store & building left - " - you - do, but - er - they -"

" - do they know I'm trans?!" shouted Serena across the street, two running as fast as they could down -

" - you're - threat level local!" shouted Mia, not wishing to let Serena know of Aimee's knowledge now. The intersection was ahead, and the two split separate ways again -

" - nice!" shouted Serena's voice behind - " - wait! Mia! Have an idea!

- the former mentor turned, sheets of ice forming as she skid&slid to Serena, catching up quick. Serena relayed it, and the two nodded as they rushed down the road, blue flame disintegrating a line in the road behind and fog refilling it, and as they came to one end of the avenue -

" - go ahead!" shouted Serena; a single scarab lit the fuse -

- and the entire city was claimed by an explosion as if a hydrogen bomb had struck it, destroying every last building, skyscraper, road, sidewalk, every last videogame again, icy prison keeping the two safe -

- to at last come out to the shattered city; and seeing Linvald still standing on the horizon, thousand feet ahead & right. They heard him shouting as they ran, but didn't hear why until they were five hundred in range of his mansion's rubble -

" - stop - stop this, please!" he shouted; their eyes pinched at his sobbing eyes -

" - we know you have Meteorology, retard!" shouted Serena -

" - I don't - I don't have a fucking Revenant!" he shouted, four hundred feet between the two and the shattered home - " - I-I fucking hate Urasaria students, why would I ever want a Revenant?!"

" - as fucking if." groaned Mia, tornado winds appearing ahead to slow their advance. Streams of fog kept their pace as they ran -

" - you - you fucking people think you - think you can just get away with f-fucking anything! That's why - that's why you've been fucking spying on me, and now, now that I'm getting close to getting better -"

" - this guy's fucking crazy." groaned Serena; Mia nodded, two hundred feet within -

- and the heavy weather stopped just as the two did, Revenants still readied as the clouds disappeared, Linvald still shouting ahead -

" - I'm not crazy - I'm not fucking crazy, you know! You know what real crazy is?! There's people who think the - who think the Earth is flat, or that - or that the government destroyed Los Angeles - those are crazy fucking people!"

" - Serena." winced Mia beside. "I -"

" - don't think he's controlling Meteorology?" winced Serena, and Mia nodded a hundred feet within range, man starting to step back as they ran closer.

"Or he's luring us." she muttered over new shouting -

" - called - called gangstalking, and - you have everyone ready to come for me when -"

- a bolt of Worldwide lightning knocked him unconscious, and the two sighed as they stepped up.

"…ugh." muttered Serena. "…do you wanna kill him?"

Mia crouched down and texted Matoi. She remembered Aimee on their first dinner saying prison wasn't for rehabilitation.

"…he'll be executed, regardless." she murmured, and Serena nodded as she crouched beside.

"…yeah. Um. Do you think - I guess Akira must've given it to him, right?"

Mia glanced behind as if he might appear. "I - suppose we should ask him, at least. It - may be related to Chimera."

Serena nodded, and her tentacle scooped him up as the reunited duo went back.

◆◆◆

Meteorology had been given Xenocyclin, and Linvald refused to speak with any student once jailed. Under threat of capital punishment, Dr. Fujishita had identified him as his initial benefactor in court, though he, Peter (who had been Leon), and Hayato had planned it for years. The ten heroes stood trial at the end of February, though Timepact's benefactor bought them a lawyer, and the evidence against Hayato had assured only minor punishments. Tiffany had accepted a month without pay for using Contagion on a civilian, and Matoi had been reprimanded for not notifying the government first.

The four knew the government was scared of them in a way they hadn't with Aimee's four. Mia had the feeling she was on the much-less side of trouble she was worth, but she still kept Akira secret. The court had reminded her of her first year's interrogations, and she was proud she wouldn't allow herself to be treated like that again.

The day after their acquittal, they visited Jeanne&Nuiko's graves, and President Matoi received a call from the previous.

"Hey." Aimee laughed. "Thought you might wanna know this. 'Matoi Kujo. Threat level national.'"

She grinned, enjoying the praise from someone she didn't know.

[END OF ARC: HERE'S THE WEATHER]