The five heroes had scattered off by the time it was night. The medic had been left alone with Henry, and the white wedding & scarab woman had set out on patrol, knowing Grant was on the other end of the city, prepared in the suburbs.

The two were mid-conversation about Serena.

"She's very amusing." laughed Matoi. "When we were fighting earlier - she insulted our opponent."

"Did you join in?" grinned Mia, and Matoi smirked.

"I did, though it was useless. Against someone who might've been easily provoked - it might've worked - but it was otherwise only entertaining."

The two laughed as they kept down the sidewalk, antique stores left, bank up ahead, cars parked right.

"Regardless, she's an effective fighter, from what I've seen. You've done well training her."

"Er - thank you." Mia smiled. Matoi's praise was worth three Marisa's, at least in training. "I was slightly - overprotective of her at first, but she's already nearly rank #60."

"And you?"

"I thought you would have that memorized."

"Only my own - the only spot that matters is #1, after all."

The two laughed as Mia took her tablet out.

"It's, er… ah." She smiled. "Rank #38, and Serena is… rank #59, actually."

"…and unfortunately, stuck with Henry until we return." muttered Matoi. "My apologies."

"He, er - rank #6? 'Glucosepane'?" said Mia. "Is something…"

"He's an utter degenerate. Grant's said he's a skilled fighter - but I can barely stand being in a room with him for more than a few minutes. It's almost fortunate that he's usually masturbating in the bathroom, by the time I return."

"I - wait - he's - what?"

"Precisely. Either that - or his bladder only operates whenever he sees me. I considered asking Grant if I could plant a missile in their toilet."

The two laughed.

"It - it would be quite something." laughed Mia. "Still, will - I hope Serena will be alright."

"To be clear - he's an awkward pervert, not a dangerous one. I simply asked Nuiko for a random assignment of a duo - and I was unlucky. It's put Grant on his best behavior, fortunately."

"His best behavior?"

"Seeing someone so pathetic forces you to prove you're not similar." smirked Matoi.

"I suppose." laughed Mia. "Er - I need to withdraw some money before we return."

Matoi shrugged as they walked up to the ATM outside the bank. Mia took her card out her pocket, and as she typed&inserted it -

" - here we go." she groaned, seeing the text on the screen.

"What is it?" said Matoi, peeking over - " - ah. 'Feed me a stray cat.'"

"I suppose it could be - it's not giving me my card back, either." Mia sighed, scarabs drawn.

"…hm." Matoi frowned, taking the lead at the machine. "Do you care if it's destroyed?"

"No."

"Fortunate." Matoi nodded, took a thin missile from her shoulder -

- and shoved it in to the card-slot; and as the explosion erupted inside -

- she shrieked as an unseen force sucked her veil in to the slot; her grip shot to it as she was pulled against it, fingers curled deep around -

- and leaving her trapped against it, veil halfway to being shredded by the machine.

"For - fuck's sakes." winced Matoi, slumping halfway against it, and a new message appeared on screen.

"'Revenant or $100,000'." murmured Mia.

"Find Henry and shove him in to this fucking thing, then." groaned Matoi, and Mia laughed. "It must be attempting to take my Revenant, then."

"Or $100,000, but…" Mia's lips pinched. "I - don't want to leave you here, but -"

" - go." said Matoi, giving a vague wave to the antique stores. "If someone comes - I'll call for you."

With no time to waste, Mia nodded and rushed up the street.

◆◆◆

She returned a minute later, carrying a blue vase. "They - did not want to give me any money, but -"

" - of course." groaned Matoi. "Try it."

With a nod, Mia shoved the vase against the slot -

- and an unseen force shrunk the vase, sucking it direct in to the machine, still leaving a trapped Matoi.

"It says - " - Mia sighed - " - $99,950, but -"

- Matoi nodded, and Mia set off again.

◆◆◆

"There's - a - trading card store the next block over." panted Mia, set of cards in hand.

Matoi's head cocked. "How valuable could those be?"

Mia shrugged as she set it in to the slot -

" - I - $80,000 left?!"

◆◆◆

"Lottery tickets." nodded Mia, taking a page from the punk as she set them in -

" - $85,000." She groaned.

"It went up?"

"Even this Revenant knows what a waste of money they are."

◆◆◆

"I - didn't want to do this, but -" - Mia winced, holding a stray cat.

"What's its name?"

"I - I didn't name it. I - just found it."

"If we're going to sacrifice him, it should have a name." smirked Matoi. "Like Fido."

"This is hard enough." murmured Mia, feeding the cat in to the machine -

- and it was launched with the speed of the dozen out of the machine, flying over the buildings behind, meowing as it disappeared.

"…er. That's new." murmured Mia, reading the new message. "It says 'You're a horrible person. $100,000.'"

◆◆◆

"They said this was the most valuable item they had," panted Mia, carrying a small golden necklace - " - er - I told them they would get it back, afterwards, so it would be best if we were not ever seen on this street again -"

- Matoi laughed as Mia set it in to the slot -

- and frowned.

"$99,955. It must be very cheap." chimed Mia, attempting humor to soothe.

◆◆◆

"One of the restaurants nearby has a $100 burger." nodded Mia, balancing a dozen takeout containers. She shoved one in to the slot -

" - and it's worth $10." She groaned.

◆◆◆

"This will work." nodded Mia, cardboard box full of phones in tow. "Er - the police will be arriving, shortly, but -"

- she dumped the box in -

" - $40,500!" she shouted; and her cheeks filled at the sudden glee. "I - er."

"$40,500." laughed Matoi.

"… still. That was their entire stock, but…"

"You could rob the bank, like your father did." laughed Matoi, and Mia's lips pinched.

"I, er…" Her eyes went away. "I..."

"I - er." said Matoi, slightly flustered. "I… apologize if that was improper to joke about."

"It's alright." nodded Mia. "Er - but, I… Yes."

She nodded again and set out.

◆◆◆

Matoi's head barely cocked as she saw Mia come up with a bottle of water.

"Something reusable." murmured Mia. She poured it down the slot -

"…$40,499. I'll call Serena to speed it up. This will take a while, but -"

" - wait." said Matoi, holding her hand out. "I thought of something, while you were gone."

"What is it?"

"There's plenty of cars here."

Mia blinked at her for a second, but caught the trend quick. She rushed up to one sports car down the street, and Matoi saw a vague movement of her hands below -

- and a platform of ice formed underneath the car and Mia. As she had last month, a bridge of ice formed, and as she pushed it along, a ramp of ice drove it down in to the ATM -

- and the two laughed involuntarily as the car crashed in to the machine and split it in half -

- and freeing Matoi, a second swarm of ice scarabs freezing the car in place as she stood.

"Much better." chimed Mia -

- and a terrified scream rose from the bank beside. With new freedom, the two rushed up through the doors, and as they came inside -

- they saw a dead female teller at the other end, hunched over her desk and split in two, the only woman to be seen in the room.

Mia felt Matoi's eyes on her.

"...perhaps I should have." she mumbled, and the two set off.

◆◆◆

One house still had its lights on when Enyo pulled in. She'd seen posters for the party all over campus that weekend, and knew she'd find plenty of men there.

She parked on the street opposite, got out and crossed the road, went up to the front door, a dozen cars parked on the grass left. She knocked at the door, windows lit and music on inside.

A gruff man answered. "Oh - shit, a chick."

"This the place?" she preened, knowing fraternities well.

"I - yeah." He glanced back, wide frame obscuring the living room behind. "… Come in, yeah."

She stepped inside to the enormous living room, floor empty but for -

" - is that a fucking car -"

" - Ferrite!" shouted Grant at the other end, civilian fleeing through the back door - and in the next instant -

- the car at the center of the room was launched with the speed of light towards her, and as the enormous projectile sought her skull -

" - Ferrite!" shouted the woman, and as the car flew back to Grant -"

" - Ferrite?"

- the car flew back to her -

" - Ferrite."

- the car flew back to him -

" - Ferrite - god, seriously?" groaned Grant -

- and an unseen force shredded the car to bits, throwing it in to the floor and underground, the metal man and woman circling as he sighed.

"-That's- your Revenant? Copying?"

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

- the wall behind her burst open as a car flew through, and as the automobile projectiles sought Grant's neck -

- it was yanked rapidly right, veering to the back wall, smashing clear through; and as the house started to collapse -

- an unseen force yanked the car to the hole in the wall; then formed a solid wall of it, front half of the home starting to collapse in on the woman -

" - Ferrite." she muttered, and a third car from outside flew to patch the remaining hole.

But from behind began a new rumbling, and in the next instant -

- a set of metal projectiles flew from out the wall and sought the woman's neck; her hand flashed back, and in to the car-wall went the projectiles -

- just in time another volley from below to pierce through her feet; she shrieked as she stumbled back, copied-Ferrite ripping out the metal -

- but Grant was among her with a rush and a gigantic bound. His grip shot to her neck, and as he threw her to the floor -

" - F-Ferrite -" she gagged -

- and Grant laughed as his arms of steel stayed taut, crouching over and pinning her down with the strength of a hundred.

"Copies it -weaker-." laughed Grant. "L-"

" - not fucking telling you shit!" she grunted, thrashing and writhing.

"I - I could just kill you, come on."

"Go fuck yourself, you fucking roided dipshi-"

- the front window shattered in a rain of glass, and as Grant felt the bullet fly towards him -

" - Ferrite!"

- and the bullet hit the wall beside, another gunshot rising behind -

" - Ferrite - "

- and an unseen force redirected the second projectile away, and as another gunshot rose behind -

"… Ferrite." sighed Grant, third bullet catching only wall. "I can do that all day, you know! It's not limited use!"

With another sigh, his grip tightened around the woman's neck, starting to choke her unconscious; but she thrashed and writhed, clawing at his arms of steel, movement beginning to slow -

- and with the last of her strength, her grip shot to his to his legs, and as her nails dug ferociously in -

- a snap of her neck, and Grant knew she was dead. He rose to his feet and rushed back across the room, through the front door to the street outside, and as another gunshot rose ahead -

" - Ferrite!" he shouted -

- and laughed as he heard a scream of terror from a rooftop ahead, the sound of a falling body, their own projectile hitting their skull direct on as he rushed up the street, houses on both ends.

'Gotta be… three houses down - and right. Can feel the lead.'

With the strength of Ferrite in him, he cut right to the sidewalk, running down past houses like the previous. Ahead and right was the prodigal house, slanted roof above, and as his eyes turned above -

- he sighed to find only bullets and blood on the roof, his foe having already fled.

◆◆◆

While the others fought, Serena filled Henry's wounds at the hotel, steady stream of fog for scars old and new.

"… uh, so…" she mumbled. "… almost done. I guess."

"Thanks." he muttered. "… Saya used to have this. Didn't she?"

"Yeah. We swapped Revenants this year, so."

"Right." He tried to keep his mind from the infirmary. "… I guess that's cool. Sorry. I'm not good - at talking."

"It's - alright. Uh. I don't mind, so."

Henry nodded, repressing deeper thoughts. He'd found it hard not to notice Serena's height; she was as short as she was. "… I'm - rank six, so. Don't worry if we get attacked."

"What's your Revenant?"

"Crosslink. Lets me change elasticity - stuff like that. Here - give me your jacket sleeve."

"Sure."

She gave out her jacket sleeve, and he tried to resist touching her hand as he grabbed it. He pulled it back, and the leather stretched out like rubber.

"Oh." laughed Serena. "Cool."

"Yeah." he nodded, setting it back to normal. "I can also make stuff brittle - but I wouldn't want to mess up your jacket."

"I mean, it was pretty expensive." chimed Serena.

"I - I bet. Yeah."

He tried not to let her smile bother him. He could already feel himself imbuing it with what he wanted out of it. She was cute. She'd probably giggle if he was hugging her, and she probably scared easily. He moved in a bit closer to her and put his hand on her thigh. If she wanted, she'd move away. He wasn't the type to not give a choice, and he felt some satisfaction when she didn't move.

"… uh." she muttered. "I'm gonna go to my room now, though."

He moved away. "A-Ah. Sorry."

Serena shrugged and stood up. "Just tired, so. I'll, um, let you know if anything comes up."

He wondered if he was cursed.

◆◆◆

Unbeknownst to Grant, Enyo had done her duty. Deino's aim had allowed her to track him that night, and she'd managed to stay within her Revenant's range until he got back to the hotel. Euryale checked in to their hotel that night. A week in Lucidity's range; and the five wouldn't want to wake again.

◆◆◆

Henry and Matoi returned to Urasaria the next day, after they'd dealt with the rest of the Gorgons. The others had offered to stay back, and though Henry hadn't mentioned it, he felt Matoi's doting eyes on the whole plane ride back.

She tapped his chest, outside the front gates, a few inches shorter than him.

"Henry. I - I need you to take me."

"I can't, Lady Kujo." he muttered, knowing there was a team of hot yoga instructors waiting for him back home, nurses to attend to his body. "It wouldn't be -"

" - I can provide for you! Much better than - she can! So what if you're married?!"

"Henry!" shouted one of his nutritionists from the front gates. "We were all going out skinny dipping! Did you want to come?"

"Hands off, you ragged bitch!" grunted Matoi, nails possessive around his muscular arms.

Henry shook his head, knowing he was noble. "I'm sorry. I've already married the love of my life. Hopefully, my salary allows her to buy the cosplay - the costumes for her."

"They would look much better on me." grunted Matoi, and Henry shook the harlot off.

"You're a real - dick, Henry." said the buxom nutritionist, and she swayed breastily out by him, her hips missing narrowly his third leg on the way out.

"The only one pure in a world of degeneracy." he muttered, went through the hall; and she was there.

"U-Um… W-What was that y-yelling?"

"It's… nothing. Don't worry on it."

◆◆◆

The four returned to Urasaria the next day. They had dealt with every last member of the Gorgons, and Henry had stayed behind to keep watch over Combanee.

"Did pretty good back there. Man, though." muttered Grant, and the others nodded, already knowing.

"A total degenerate." said Matoi. "Fortunately, you're nothing like him."

"Yeah." said Grant, seeing Sylvia and her girlfriend at the front gates. The former protégé had the widest smile he'd ever seen, and as she ran up -

" - I hit 415!" she shouted, and the two erupted to the high-five then.

"You - bench? That's - that's fucking sick." laughed Grant, Sylvia's girlfriend coming up, the other three disappearing beside.

"Yeah." smiled Sylvia. "Uh - just like you said. Takes a lot of volume, but - got it."

"That's - man, sick, sick." grinned Grant, and the three started walking. "Oh - uh, sorry, yeah. Your girlfriend."

"Yeah." laughed Sylvia. "Uh - she was wanting to set you up with her sister."

"Her, uh - sister? That legal?"

"Yeah. She's cool, though. She's in to all the things that you're in to."

"That's my favorite type of person."

"And she's got shoulders that make boulders cry."

"Yeah." nodded Sylvia. "I'm pretty sure she's on steroids. She could snap your neck between her thighs."

"She could probably literally kill you." nodded her girlfriend. "Like, one punch. I'm not joking. She would literally murder you."

"Hell yeah -"

- he woke up, eyes still closed. With a sigh, he readied to fall back asleep; but stopped as he heard Henry's blanket rustling beside.

'…for fuck's sakes.'

◆◆◆

The five heroes returned to Urasaria the next day. Mia and Serena had dealt with most members of the Gorgons.

"We did very good." she chimed, and the dwarfish Serena nodded, only four feet tall.

"Those blue flames were so totally cool, though. I'm going to go play videogames with Yuruko for eight hundred hours, and talk about those weird Japanese cartoons that you don't understand."

"Training." said Matoi, made of stone. "Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training. Training."

Mia nodded, and the others disappeared.

But she knew, as soon as she stepped in through the front gates -

- a woman of heat, Aimee's passion, raining kisses.

"Hey, Schultzy. I love you."

"I love you too." chimed Mia, and the two started down the hall. "Did you want Rider-time?"

"Yeah."

The two went out of the hall and to Mia's mansion. The living room was cluttered and dirty.

"Ready?" grinned Mia, closing the door behind.

"Yep."

Rider's tendrils went taut, and in the next instant -

- the room was completely clean, and Mia gave applause. "Much better."

"Plus," said Aimee, "I cleaned the dishes and sink, did all the laundry, folded all our clothes -"

- Mia woke up -

- and her lips pinched to find her lower half wet.

She wondered which Rider-time was better.

◆◆◆

The four heroes returned to Urasaria the next day. Matoi had dealt with every last member of the Gorgons.

"It's a shame about Henry, though." muttered Serena.

"Yeah. Really weird." replied Grant. "Didn't you say you could make your missiles not detonate, Perfection-In-Human-Form?"

"I must have forgotten in that moment. It was a shame - the Revenant we fought directed four thousand missiles directly to his penis."

"I had never seen one so small." nodded Mia, the only one as tall as Matoi. "We had to call Nuiko - the local scientists said they are examining the remnants of it, as it's even smaller than the smallest subatomic particle."

"They took similar samples of his brain. They believe he had the first negative IQ." said Matoi,

"He was legitimately a fucking brain-dead imbecile." nodded Serena, sagely. "I bet his nuts looked like two grapes that had been left out on the counter for three days."

Matoi laughed, seeing Aimee at the front gates hailing her down.

"Rain-On-A-Wedding. Uh - wanted to talk to you about something."

Behind, the others disappeared.

"Of course, Mad Dog." said Matoi, and the two went down the hall.

"So, uh - given your strength, and all that… I was looking at the rankings, recently."

Matoi nodded. "As I remember - I'm currently at rank #1, with over one million confirmed kills."

"Yeah." laughed Aimee. "Second is me, with half a million. Anyway - I figured, uh - you're obviously the strongest hero that's ever lived, and I'll be off campus - you wanna just assume the presidency now?"

"What's the salary?"

"A hundred trillion dollars a second."

"I'll have to demand a pay raise." muttered Matoi, but nodded. "Give me a week - and I'll prepare."

"All the time you need."

She felt a presence behind her, and as she turned -

- an imminent heat grew from Wedding's eyes -

- and she woke up, movements fogged, still angered.

She'd seen him again.

◆◆◆

The four heroes returned to Urasaria the next day. Serena and Mia had dealt with most members of the Gorgons.

"Such a, bro, shame about Henry, bro." said Grant, protein shake in steel-hands.

"It's unfortunate - but -she- did very well." said Matoi, tapping Serena's shoulder. "-She- is a very good fighter."

"Yes, -she- is." chimed Mia, seven feet tall, writing on her forehead that said 'NORMIE', helicopter blades sprouting out of her hair. "-She- did very good. Even if -she- did accidentally fill Henry's throat with knives."

Serena nodded. Her cheeks were softer, her voice came with no effort, and she saw Yuruko at the front gates. "Yeah. We did pretty -"

- her phone vibrated, and she took it quick; a text from her mother, calling her Serena.

"Hey!" chimed Yuruko, rushing up to her, and the two embraced&kissed as the others disappeared. "Guess what I got?"

"What?" said Serena, chemist with one glove behind her back.

"Guess."

"A gift?"

"Two gifts for my -girlfriend-." grinned Yuruko, handing her a lottery ticket and two plane tickets. Serena's eyes went wide.

"I-It - t-this is the f-fifty thousand?" she sputtered -

- and sighed as she woke up.

She would've preferred a nightmare.

◆◆◆

The five had breakfast delivered the next morning, all but Serena in better spirits from their dreams.

"You gave the bullets to the police, then?" said Mia, gesturing to Grant.

"Yeah - uh, what I could find. Said it'd take a few days to trace it back to the gun that shot it - but if it does..." He sighed. "…well, we'd know who it's registered to - if they even have it registered. Doubt whoever used it has a Revenant, though. Would've used it then."

"And the blood. Possibly DNA." muttered Henry, dream-given confidence. "I'm - sure we'll find something, at least - or we'll end up wiping them out."

"Can't be that many more." said Serena. "Um - you've been here for a few weeks before we came, right?"

Matoi nodded. "That's -"

" - correct." said Henry, waving her down. "But - yes. Er - bathroom."

Grant sighed as he went off, seeing Henry's eyes on Serena. Once the door closed, he lowered a whisper. "…seriously. I - I have no idea what the fuck's wrong with him."

'Joke's on him.' thought Serena. 'Ugh.'

"Simply a pervert." said Matoi.

"Yeah. I - has he told - did he talk to you, uh…" He gestured to Serena. "… about his ex?"

"No."

"A total degenerate." murmured Mia.

"Yeah - that's about what I'd say, yeah. Dude - I mean, I fucking - but shit. He's always…" He shook his head. "…fuck. He's just sad as hell, dude. It's ridiculous. Anyone know who his ex is? Is she a student?"

"A lucky woman, I presume." said Matoi, and the four laughed.

"It's a thing where - man. Like a car crash, you know. It's like I'm watching him fly through a windshield. He's just a weirdo. Just a weird dude."

"Let's -" - Mia sighed. "We'll set out again, tonight. Little else to do but hope they show up - or we find more clues."

"We'll - yeah, uh. Me and Henry - you and Serena, and - yeah." said Grant, gesturing around.

Eager to leave, the women nodded.

◆◆◆

Mia and Serena set out on patrol in one of the worse areas of the city that night, hoping the presence of true male scum around would lure one of the Gorgons out.

But word of their arrival had already spread, leaving only pale faces behind blinded windows, eyes and a few fingers watching empty streets. Serena hadn't said much since they set out. She'd had similar dreams when she was a kid too, and getting reminded there were groups out there that wouldn't ever accept her still bothered her, especially since the only person she knew at Urasaria that would was Yuruko.

"Are you feeling alright?" said Mia, tapping the protégé's shoulder as they walked.

"Huh? Oh - uh, yeah. I guess."

"You're usually more talkative." chimed Mia, and Serena gave a nodding yawn.

"…yeah, I guess - um. Just tired. Guess I slept in late today, too, so."

"So did the rest of us." laughed Mia, relevantly. "Even Matoi only woke up at ten."

"Yeah. Just tired." mumbled Serena. "Uh. Had a weird dream last night, so -"

- from the street over rose the sound of breaking glass -

- and the two rushed up the sidewalk. They came quick to the corner and cut right, rushing along another building, second corner up ahead.

"Probably - not a Revenant, but -" said Mia, scarabs drawn, and as the two came to the sidewalk over -

- they saw an apartment on the other side of the street, six floors, no shattered windows facing them.

"…er." murmured Mia as her eyes searched. "Possibly nothing, but…"

With a gesture to Serena, the two went across the road to the apartment's front doors.

"Maybe, uh…" Serena scratched her neck. "Just someone random."

"It's possible. We should still wait, until -"

- the doors opened, and out stepped a sighing woman with short black hair. Her eyes went wide as she saw the two.

"Is everything alright?" said Mia, gesturing to the apartment.

"I… U-Uh." sputtered the woman. "Um - I, uh…"

"We heard a window breaking." chimed Serena.

The woman glanced left&up. "Um… no, it's… fine. Just… I… got angry and broke it."

"Oh." mumbled Serena. "Um. I can repair it for you, if you want."

"I, uh… Actually, maybe… Can - can I talk to you two, about something? I know Urasaria students are probably busy, but -"

" - we may have to leave, but - of course." nodded Mia.

With a nod, the woman gestured to the wall, and the three leaned against.

"… I guess, um…" She sighed. "I… got in to an… argument, with my partner."

She paused, and the two nodded.

"It's just - recently, he's kinda… been getting angrier."

"He's - has he been abusive?" said Mia, leaning in.

"U-Uh. I - I don't know, I guess. Maybe. I - maybe I'm just complaining. He - he was the one who broke it, actually, so… But - maybe I'm just complaining."

"You're not.

"…yeah. Maybe. But, it… I mean. Men are just kinda like that, aren't they? They - get angry for no reason, so… I mean. You two probably know what that's like. Dating men."

"Er - we both have girlfriends." said Serena.

"I - oh - you're, you're lesbians?"

"Yes." nodded Mia. "Er - but - if he is… You deserve someone you feel safe around. Someone who treats you well."

"Not breaking windows." added Serena. "That's - yeah, like. That's - that's kinda dangerous."

The woman nodded. "… thanks. Yeah. Um. I'm gonna just stay at a friend's, tonight. And get someone to move my stuff out. I - I knew you'd understand. Thanks."

◆◆◆

"I do." said Aimee.

"I do." said Mia.

The two kissed -

- and Mia sighed, finding six fingers on Aimee's left hand, knowing she was dreaming. She'd sleep in later that day, just to see her in a suit for a bit longer.

◆◆◆

Matoi took the podium in the school's auditorium.

"Urasaria Academy East.

For decades, this academy has covered our housing - as an excuse for our meager salary.

For decades - this country has benefitted off of this, presuming that - as students - as state employees - we won't demand better. Our lives are risked every day - the bacteria we carry in our bodies, a magnet for every sort of scum - and we'll carry it until the day we die. The average salary for a police officer is $40,000 higher than a three-star student's.

And sans the infirmary staff, Urasaria's faculty does little to address our concerns. The abysmal state of one-star housing - the danger of exposed Revenants - the risk of legal names exposed. I cannot guarantee that I will fix these wrongs - but as your president, I intend to fight for these changes as I would against any Revenant."

Her eyes stayed firm.

"Urasaria's staff will heel to me."

She woke up right before the applause started.

◆◆◆

She was on Serena's lap, and they were kissing again.

"Man, c'mon." laughed Serena, the chemist hard at work on her cheeks. "We - we gotta get ready, soon."

"Nah." grinned Yuruko, shirt instead of a labcoat, gloves off. "This can be our second date."

"Just kissing?"

"Unless you wanna do our ranked matches - but we got top #100 last season, so. C'mon. Spend time with your girlfriend. It really makes me happy being around you. I'll never leave you."

"Sure." smiled Serena. "You too."

"I'm really glad I met you, and… You know." Her grin went wider. "If you want…"

"If I - h-huh?"

"I mean, it is our second date." chimed Yuruko, dipping her fingers under Serena's pants -

- and she woke up, the mismatch between dream and reality still too strong.