The following day, the prodigal pair had been called to Nuiko's office for a bizarre request.

"She - what?" said Mia to Jeanne across.

"Requested Serena specifically." shrugged Jeanne. "Dunno why, though."

"Uh - I'm not going." winced Serena. "Nope."

"It's three thousand dollars." preened Nuiko. "Just think - most people have to deal with narcissists for no payment at all."

"After the way she treated me? No way." sighed Serena, and Mia nodded.

"Is there anyone else available for it?"

Nuiko's frown answered, and the four sighed. "It ... is another museum delivery, and they'll want me there, too, but…"

"…yes, but…" Mia frowned, and Jeanne nodded.

"Uh - I could go with you, if you want. It'll be like a lightning rod. She really hates me."

"…will you be alright with that?"

Jeanne laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Um. My therapist tells me to just ignore her, so. Won't bother me."

"I suppose that the money is…" Mia tapped Serena's shoulder knowingly, and the protégé laughed.

"Yeah. Um - guess it's decent pay, anyway."

"Are you in, then?" said Nuiko, and the two nodded. "We'll meet with her in an hour, then."

Already dreading it, the four set out.

◆◆◆

Nuiko had already retrieved the painting and shrunk it in to her pouch, and the five sat on the train out of Urasaria. Mia had drawn the shortest straw and was next to her.

"Don't know why the rest of you came here." said Kirihara. "Asked just for Serena."

"She's my protégé." said Mia.

"Yeah. Doesn't mean you gotta go wherever she goes." She leaned over to peek at Serena. "Besides. We did pretty good during swap week, yeah?"

"Uhhuh." mumbled Serena.

"…sheesh." Kirihara rolled her eyes and leaned back. "Whatever. Only a week's trip, anyway."

"Uhhuh." said Jeanne. "Nuiko will -"

" - will what?" groaned Kirihara.

"Keep the pouch with her."

"Uh, no. I'll handle that. I'm the highest rank here."

"Nuiko is rank #5." sighed Mia. "Aren't you?"

"I sure -"

" - yeah, in her fourth year. I'm #8 in my second year."

"You can take it!" preened Nuiko, throwing the pouch over to Kirihara. "And it'll be your fault if it's destroyed, too. What an embarrassing thing it'll be, to lose a piece of history forever."

"Schyeah." Kirihara laughed. "Whatever. Probably some dumbass religious painting in there, anyway."

She took the pouch and got up, starting down the back to the bathroom. They didn't speak until they saw it close.

"My - fucking - god." groaned Mia, pulling her eyelids down.

"Hang on." said Jeanne, putting her ear out. The four fell silent for a second. "… nope."

"Nope what?" said Serena.

"I was hoping she fell off the train." grinned Jeanne, and the four laughed.

"If only." sighed Mia. "How many days is it, again?"

"Just seven." said Jeanne. "Unless we get transported to France again."

"Don't even say that." winced Mia. She didn't talk much with Jeanne, but still remembered the few days they'd spent together on that trip; and the last artifact delivery.

"Maybe Mizuchi will come back and take her hostage." said Serena, filling her cup with water. "Akira, Akira… Can you hear me?"

"Answer my prayer." groaned Mia, gesturing for the holy grail. The four laughed.

Kirihara came back and sat down with the pouch. "Still. Gotta go on a 'regular' train. Pay for my own ticket, shit like that. Sucks." She shrugged. "Fuckin' three-star. Shouldn't have to do that, but, whatever. Once I make president, I'll change it up. You know who's in the running, Serena?"

'Fuck off.' "No."

"Guess Mia doesn't let you look at the tablet." laughed Kirihara. She took her own out, handing it off to Serena. "Careful with it, right?"

"Sure thing." muttered the sacrificial punk.

#1 Mad Dog

#2 Eclipse

#3 Symphony Regalia

#4 Decant

#5 The Grand Couturier

#6 Glucosepane

#7 Prettiest Pink

#8 Carve

#9 Rain-On-A-Wedding

#10 Boudoir

"Cool." said Serena, handing the tablet back.

"Aw, c'mon. Barely looked at it. I'm top of the second-"

- as if on cue, the train stopped, and Kirihara laughed.

"Eh. Whatever. Let's go get our next train."

The four followed her out of the station and to the sidewalk. Kirihara tried to keep her brag going the entire walk to the next station, and the four had nearly expended their supply of 'mmhms' and 'okay's by the time they took their seats on the next train underground, front carriage empty.

"Still. Gonna be called 'President Kirihara' soon." said Kirihara, and the next instant -

- they heard a shriek of terror ahead, sound of four footsteps beginning on the roof ahead; the five shot to their feet -

- ahead, the roof began to buckle inward, collapsing a clear hole through -

- and down the hole fell a bizarre creature, four bowed legs to the ground, enormous tongue and covered in boils; a hundred feet separated the five and it.

"Revenant." said Jeanne, stepping carefully back.

"Uh, yeah. Obviously." groaned Kirihara -

" - civilians." nodded Nuiko, readying to make her way back; with a nod from Mia, Jeanne & Nuiko fled to the back, disappearing through the carriage doors behind, creature still standing still ahead.

"Got the dead weight gone." chimed Kirihara, and in the next instant -

- the train began to speed up, sudden change in momentum throwing the women off balance and forward, creature starting its charge forward as they stumbled -

" - Carve!" shouted Kirihara, sawblade appearing ahead, unseen force remolding it to a solid pole -

- and out the side of the carriage it pierced, hitting the wall and grinding for hundreds and hundreds of feet, slowing the train steadily; ahead, the creature's tongue lashed the windows -

- and a hundred glass shards appeared on its body, sharp ends facing the women.

It was like a glass and crimson nightmare as it rushed down the corridor, low legs hurtling its body along at terrifying gait, and as it came halfway between -

" - Worldwide!"

- a pillar of white flame claimed its body -

- and still it rushed out of the pillar, covered in white flames, carriage walls starting to melt all around them -

" - fucking dipsh-" grunted Kirihara, and before she could react -

- the creature pounced on her, misshapen hands and feet pinning her down with the weight of a thousand; she struggled and thrashed, and as its tongue sought her throat -

- a spear of steel burst out of her chest, piercing and impaling the creature to the roof, thrashing as it was pinned. With a grunt, Kirihara stood, Carve's reformed blade keeping it trapped as the women backed away - but they had no time to rest.

Its tongue erupted from its maw, slicing in half Carve's spear -

- and turning itself upsidedown on to the ceiling, crawling above as the women backed away again, thirty feet separating them and its flaming body. Kirihara took position ahead of Serena, and as it started its rush again -

" - Worldwide." sighed Mia, aiming her sword high -

- and a jet of water erupted from the tip, dousing its flames and covering it in water. It dropped down the floor again, shaking rabid and covering the three in liquid -

- and Kirihara's blood boiled as she saw its tongue tear at the floor, burrowing and attempting to dig in to the third rail of electricity, and as it opened a hole in the floor -

" - Blackburn!" shouted Serena -

- and streams of fog flew in to the third rail and corroded a section away, creature's tongue catching only acid. It stumbled back, body suddenly covered with acid -

- and corroding through the floor rapidly; with no time to waste, it started its rush forward, readying to pounce on the women, and in a sweep of its tongue seeking Serena's neck -

- the next scene was instant.

Two streams of fog flew in to its tongue -

- and its entire body dissolved in an instant, leaving a laughing Serena, Kirihara grinning as it disappeared.

"Got it." chimed Serena, fog refilling the holes left below. "I, uh - made a reaction for a super strong acid, so - it could only get immune to one of them, I guess."

"Good job." laughed Kirihara, stepping ahead careful. "Smart girl."

Serena gave Mia eyes disgusted, and the mentor frowned knowingly.

"You can come back now!" shouted Mia behind, and Jeanne&Nuiko stepped out of the carriage behind.

"Got him?" said Jeanne, and Serena laughed.

"Whatever it was, yeah."

The five went up the carriage, and as they entered the conductor's cabin -

- they sighed to find him dead at the controls.

"…ugh. Course." Kirihara sighed. "Alright. Whatever. Need to evacuate. Can't step on that third rail, yeah? 'cept Schultzy -"

" - don't ever fucking call me that."

" - sheesh, calm down, calm down. Still. Can ride Carve over it. I'll transport the civilians out."

"You can do that, but we don't need to." said Mia, glaring out the window. "Worldwide."

An unmeltable bridge of ice formed over the third rail, and Kirihara sighed. "Yeah. Conductive, hello?"

"It's not. Not pure water. Here - Serena."

She handed Serena an unmeltable pure ice cube, with an electrical scarab on top. The scarab burst open, and no current went through Serena.

"I trust it." shrugged Jeanne, and Kirihara sighed.

"Great. And when it starts melting?"

"It doesn't melt." said Serena, already readying to step out.

Kirihara muttered something to herself and put her foot off the train. Carve's sawblade formed underneath. "Whatever. Have fun."

And she was gone. The four groaned as she disappeared.

"Psycho." muttered Serena, and Mia nodded, bridge of ice with guard rails forming as the four stepped outside.

"We'll come back for you!" shouted Mia back in to the train, and she heard the civilians murmur in affirmation.

"Careful. Might try to decapitate us on the way back." chimed Jeanne, and Mia laughed, taking a wide berth on the turns.

By the time they arrived at the next station, Kirihara was tapping her knuckles like she'd been waiting for an hour. Another hour later, and they had evacuated the rest of the civilians. They decided to take rest in that city of Dalestone, and the four had been lucky that their hotel room only had four beds, leaving Kirihara the self-imposed loner.

◆◆◆

While Jeanne & Nuiko napped, Mia&Serena had street food, taco truck parked in a clear parking lot.

"You sure you don't want sourcream, guac, cheese?" said the taco man himself.

"Nope." said Serena, glancing at the extra 50 cents for each. "All good."

"Alright." He handed them two containers of three bare tacos, and the two nodded as they walked away.

"…Blackburn." murmured Serena, filling her's with salsa, cheese, guacamole, jalapeños, corn, sour cream, and hot sauce, almost overflowing by then.

"Good lord." murmured Mia. Serena laughed, container in one hand, stuffed taco in the other, and as she took her first bite -

- she cried out in grief as the taco fell apart in an instant, every overstuffed ingredient falling to the ground -

" - karma." chimed Mia, swift fire&ice scarabs washing&drying Serena's jacket.

"Now we have to get another one." murmured Serena, and as the two turned -

- the taco truck exploded in a shower of gore, salsa, and overpriced cheese; the women shot up, fifty feet separating them and death ahead -

- and out of the Mexican ruins stepped their foe, a man with black hair covering a neck tattoo. With no time to waste, the women rushed forward, salsa dotting the lot ahead -

- and the keen end of a bowling ball smashed Mia's chest; the pain staggered her back, panting, breath suddenly stuck in her lungs -

" - S-Serena -" - she gagged, reaching her hand out, pace suddenly slowing - " - need - air -"

- with a nod, Serena's tentacle dipped in Mia's veins, filling her with oxygen once more, foe with a sudden bowling ball on the other end.

His right hand swept out and back, and as he threw the projectile forward -

- underneath the missile dodged Serena, and as the two started their rush forward -

- the path below turned suddenly slippery, from frictioned to frictionless in seconds -

- and the two women stumbled and slid, ground suddenly full of friction again as they tripped facedown. Another bowling ball slid with the speed of sound at Serena's tentacle, and in the next instant -

- an outline of ground below filled with acid, corroding it away; and in to the sudden hole swept her tentacle, concrete refilling above as the bowling ball slid above&past. With no time to waste -

- she felt with aghast tentacle the ground fill with friction around, attempting desperately to yank it out -

- and a fire scarab burnt the cover off, freeing them as they stood again -

- and leaped over a twin set of balls seeking their feet, nodding as they landed, constant fog in Mia's veins as they started their slow rush again.

The man backed away, far more speed in his step than their's -

" - god, fuck this -" grunted Serena, ripping her cup out with a free hand. A grenade formed within, and as she threw the explosive forward -

- she saw with aghast eyes another bowling ball hit it in midair, both stopping and falling only feet away, explosive suddenly bursting in to flames -

" - Worldwide!"

- but a globe of ice formed around, keeping the explosion contained as they started forward again -

- and dodging narrowly underneath another bowling ball, endless set threatening their breath as they rushed forward -

" - Striker!" shouted the man, another spare in hand, sliding the projectile along the ground ahead -

- but with the speed of light, a ramp of ice formed, launching the bowling ball forward and over the women's heads -

- and suddenly stopping&falling; the women looked up -

" - Blackburn -"

- and streams of black fog filled the ball and threw it back to the man -

- and he laughed as it fell rigid mid-air again, counter proving useless as it sat midway between the two.

"The problem with having a close-range -"

" - shut the fuck up, retard!" shouted Serena, waiting for her true plan then, tentacle in Mia's veins keeping her on life support. "You - look like a fucking bachelor at forty years old -"

- and Mia expended her breath on laughing, the traditional punk's antics in tow -

" - no, no -" droned the man - " - go on, really, I have -"

" - you look like you're gonna - fucking buy a flat primer '87 Camaro after your second midlife crisis!" shouted Serena -

' - god, c'mon, melt already -'

" - Striker!" shouted the man, throwing another ball forward, and in the next instant -

- the prodigal first ball exploded in a shower of water -

- and as he felt the water connect him and Mia, he was doomed and he knew it -

- and an electrical current charred him dead, the two laughing as he fell rigid.

"Got the bitch." grinned Serena.

"We did." laughed Mia, the two making their way over. "What was it that time?"

"That one was, uh… Rubidium and water. Just had to wait for it to react."

"Another chemical reaction, then?" said Mia, crouching down, and Serena nodded.

"Yeah, it's - hey, wait." said Serena, gesturing to the man's neck with an eel tattoo. "I… I recognize that."

"You, er - recognize it?" said Mia, crouching down to examine.

"…yeah." Serena nodded. "Um. This is… the guy that I fought last month. The guy who kidnapped Tiffany - he had a tattoo like that."

Mia nodded, thinking. "… He - that man did seem to know a lot about us. The one last month, I mean."

"Yeah. He knew my Revenant was close-range, too, but…" Serena frowned. "Umm. Revenants are public, right?"

"They are, to students." nodded Mia. "They weren't, last year, but - there was an incident with a mind control Revenant."

"…man. Yeah. Um, so he could have known about our Revenants from that, right? Somebody leaking it?"

"Or finding video of us fighting."

"Yeah. I guess…" Serena stood. "… I dunno. It was kinda weird too, because - maybe he just clocked me, but - he called me a tranny, too."

"Tranny?" said Mia, mind too pure.

"Yeah. It's, um - a slur against trans women."

"I - oh." murmured Mia. "I, er - hope it did not…"

Serena grinned, knowing her naïveté well by then. "Mia. I quadruple amputated him - and you burned him alive. I'm not gonna get bothered by some dick calling me a tranny."

She laughed, and Mia with her.

"We did take revenge." smiled Mia.

"Yeah. Still, the only two people I told were… I told Hirogane and Saya when I got admitted. Just because - in case they had like, sex-specific healing. But I only told Rochelle and Yuruko before that, so…"

Mia nodded, and the two thought for a while as they stood. "I - don't believe we have much to go on, yet."

"Yeah. Probably just guessed." laughed Serena. "We can just head back now, I guess."

◆◆◆

While the current pair fought, a former one had stayed in their room. The two had reconnected over the summer & semester, and as Jeanne's therapist had recommended against her getting too attached to another student, Jeanne had connected well with her protégé Maria too. She hadn't brought her along because of Kirihara & had worried for her safety throughout the semester, but Nuiko had joked at least she had emotions now.

"Guess they're coming back from a fight now." said Jeanne, showing her tablet to Nuiko.

"Kirihara will find some way to bitch about that." she preened, relevantly, and Jeanne grinned. The shittalking kept away any possibility of her words penetrating.

"She'll be like -" - Jeanne laughed - " - 'oh, you took five minutes to beat him? I would've done it in four minutes.'"

The two laughed, no hope of stopping then.

"'Oh, rank #5? Well, I got rank #8 by stealing all my protégé's kills, bitch!'"

"Careful." grinned Jeanne. "She might be standing outside the door."

"She's such a cunt." preened Nuiko, sagely.

"Yeah - she really is." Jeanne yawned. "…nnn. We should probably talk about something else, though."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Kinda wanna go back to sleep, but… Not until they're back, anyway."

"Are you smoking with Dream again?" said Nuiko, wagging her finger, and Jeanne laughed.

"Nah - c'mon, you know I stopped. Just regular tired this time. Plus - my therapist is checking on me for that, too."

"Good - because you've been sucking shit at Mario Kart recently."

Jeanne grinned. "Just out of practice. Gonna kick your ass when we get back - eyepatch or no eyepatch."

"I can take it off!" said Nuiko, and as her fingers went to her patch -

" - no - no -" panted Jeanne, throwing her hands out - " - don't -"

" - you were the one who watched it happen, too." laughed Nuiko. "At least Shrink&Swell developed one."

"I - yeah. Thank god it did." laughed Jeanne. "I remember when it kept coming off during fights, when you had to buy one. Looked like a pirate."

"I'd be too short for it." Nuiko laughed and checked on her phone. "Looks like they're almost back. Let's… Do you wanna go get ice cream?"

"Sure." grinned Jeanne, and the two went out.

◆◆◆

The two had their ice cream, and passed by a music store on the way over, owner with a bizarre request for them.

"So he uh, comes here every day?" said Jeanne, head cocked and stomach full of a vanilla wonderland.

"Yes." sighed the owner. "He's - I doubt he's dangerous, but - he constantly steals all the reggae."

He led them inside, down the aisles of CDs, one shelf completely empty.

"Some dedication." murmured Jeanne. "Uh. We're only going to be in town for a day, but we can stay here until then."

"Thank you." he sighed. "Whatever you need to do. I'll close up for the day - hopefully he'll arrive."

He sighed again and closed up, leaving the lights on as he went out. Jeanne&Nuiko waited at the back end, a hundred feet separating them and the front door.

Nuiko's one eye peered around. "… This selection sucks."

"Yeah. Probably won't even show up." mumbled Jeanne, and in the next instant -

- he showed up at the front door, beanie covering his matted head -

" - fuck!" he shouted and groaned. "Urasaria."

"Urasaria, dipshit." preened Nuiko, swiping a dozen CDs off the rack, readying to swell -

- and sighing as their foe started to flee; she threw the projectiles forward, keen ends forming on the discs as they flew -

- and slicing the man's left hand off as he rushed out of the store, slamming shut the door behind; with no time to waste, the two rushed in pursuit, up the aisles and out of the store -

- and there, at the other end of the street, parked cars beside and apartment complex across, was their foe, clutching desperately his amputated stump. He pulled a green needle out, and as he injected it in his arm - " - ganja!"

"That's - not how you do that." frowned Jeanne, and in the next instant -

- he disappeared, leaving the two spinning with three eyes around, neither seeing nor hearing him around.

"Gotta be drugs." Jeanne smirked quite stonerishly, and Nuiko nodded. "Can you - does he have Shrink&Swell's particles inside?"

Nuiko spun again, Shrink&Swell's eyepatch guiding her -

- to the entrance of the store again. With a vague gesture, the two women ran inside -

- and there, at the other end stood their foe, CD cases already in hand; and throwing the bizarre projectiles forward -

- but a hasty spray of Dream turned the music liquid, metal-water falling muted at their feet; Nuiko swept her hands down, Shrink&Swell's infection claiming the water - at her side, Jeanne sprayed the music solid again,and the cyclops picked up the sudden projectiles, eye readying to fire forward.

"I'm about to go from ashy - to classy!" shouted the man, pulling a pouch out -

- and swallowing the entire kilo of cocaine.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how you do that either." frowned Nuiko. "I should know."

"Um - what?" panted Jeanne, and the one-eye winked, throwing another barrage forward -

- and their foe swept with the literal speed of light away&right, sudden superspeed in his step as he rushed along the back, CDs, guitars and overpriced stereo systems flying with the speed of a tornado around -

- and suddenly flying towards them - with a pant, the two stepped back, wild spray of Dream attempting to keep the projectiles liquid -

- and the sharp end of a CD cut Nuiko's working eye in half; she shrieked as she stumbled back -

" - not again!" she panted, hand desperately working on her eye; no option left, the two fled out of the store and to the street beyond, Jeanne keeping one-hand on the blind woman as they ran to the apartment adjacent.

Behind, their foe stepped out of the store. "These - testosterone, androgens, human growth hormone -" - he panted, ripping a container of brownies out of his pouch -

- and swallowing every last, amputated stump still bleeding as his muscularity grew, hulking veins threatening to burst all over his body.

On the other end, a swift spray of Dream turned the apartment walls liquid; and in to the sudden hole they swept, Jeanne throwing Nuiko's hand to the tip of the entrance -

" - swell -" panted Jeanne -

- and the wall swelled to fill the hole up, another spray of Dream on the wall; and in the next instant -

- the two-eyed woman winced as she heard a car thrown against the outer wall, spirit of steel fortunately in the barrier. Another three hit the shield, and she sprayed it once more -

- and laughed as she thought she heard the next ricochet back, a scream of agony erupting from the other end.

"Did you get him?" said Nuiko, cyclops turned blind.

"Maybe. Just sprayed it to a type of rubber." said Jeanne, and in the next instant -

- the wall burst open in a storm of rubble; and out of the ruins rushed the man, his grip instantly shooting to Nuiko's neck -

" - shrink!" shouted Nuiko -

- and the man shrunk to a toddler's size, freeing her and leaving Jeanne laughing as she led Nuiko out of the apartment, back to the store's entrance where the calamity had begun, turning with the blind woman in tow.

"Man." laughed Jeanne, seeing the shortstack aghast at his new size. "I wish you could see this. Looks like a midget bodybuilder."

"You'll have to take pictures." winced Nuiko, working eye still bleeding.

"Fucking - ecstasy! Ecstasy!" shouted the dwarf, pulling a bottle of ecstasy lotion out of his pouch, only hand left squirting the drug on his arms&legs, and in the next instant -

" - oh - oh fuck -" he panted, suddenly crouching down, sweat bursting out of every orifice -

- and his heart exploded out of his chest in a shower of blood. He sank, and became rigid.

"…uh." Jeanne blinked. "Okay."