"R.D.?" said Marisa, wincing as she glanced over.
"Yeah." muttered Aimee. "Mia, can you compare them?"
One scarab appeared beside its two-dimensional sister. Marisa & Aimee's tablets vibrated, though they didn't take them.
"T-That man... his voice." said Mia. "When I was first attacked, I-I thought he said something. It was FTL."
Aimee's tablet vibrated again. "Gotta be... FTL, FTL, FTL..."
"But why would he kill the guy who gave you Worldwide?" said Marisa.
"I think it was him that gave me Worldwide."
Aimee's tablet vibrated again, and she sighed as she took it. More alerts were appearing onscreen and indicating nearby Revenants. "Mia, I think you should head back to Urasaria."
"Are you sure?" said Marisa.
"Yeah. I can handle these. Just text me when you get back, okay?"
"A-Alright." said Mia.
Once they were out to the street, Marisa hugged Mia tight and a strand brought them up to a lamppost. If the stress hadn't made Mia want to vomit before, Boudoir's bumpy ride nearly did. Marisa's tablet kept vibrating until the two landed at Urasaria's gate, and the two went inside. A man the size of two men with a golden Urasaria badge approached Mia; Marisa recognized him as Armstrong, Urasaria's dean, and instinctively she hated him.
"Mia Schultz. Come with me."
"Why?" said Marisa and his head shook.
"Go deal with those Revenants."
"She's my protege-"
"The staff needs to ask her about something. She'll be home by the time you return."
"I-It's alright, Marisa." muttered Mia.
Marisa frowned as she glanced over to her, but assented. Armstrong led Mia to an office in the staff building, twelve seats at one end of the table and one seat at the other. She only recognized Hirogane out of the twelve across from her. One of them, a black woman, passed a sheet of paper to Armstrong, who glanced at it and set it face-down. "Mia Schultz, describe your day for us."
Mia relayed it, anxious as she was. As she finished relaying Doppori and the scarab tattoo on his neck, the black woman spoke up: "He had a scarab tattoo, you said?"
"...he did." murmured Mia, her anxiety building. She had always despised the police; particularly for interrogation tactics as this. She felt it a labyrinth of interactions that she could not fully decipher, yet they knew the layout and texture of where she unwittingly walked; even their prior jokes during her explanation of events was one such constructed extension.
"Like one of these, right?" The woman flipped the paper over to six more photos of tattooed corpses; one had blue lines, another white.
"I- where are those from?"
"Can you answer me first? We just wanted to make sure before we let you go."
"I-I'd like to know where those are from, first-"
"Answer her, Ms. Schultz." said Armstrong.
"I.. I suppose they look a-a little similar, yes, but-"
"Can you show me Worldwide?" said the woman.
Tears were starting to come, and more leaks started to form the harder she pressed them back. "W-Worldwide." Her scarabs appeared.
The woman nodded. "Thank you, but that brings up more questions. Your Revenant has red lines. There's one with blue lines here. Can you explain that, Mia? Shouldn't it be part of your ability as well?"
"I-I don't know why. These are the only scarabs I can summon."
"These began appearing very quickly after you said Doppori was stabbed."
"I-I don't know anything about... I-I can assure you that-"
"Is there a reason you're so quick to deny, or why you didn't correct me on how Doppori died?"
"Give me the paper." said Hirogane, and it went down to him as the others kept questioning.
Hirogane had seen hundreds of students over his twenty years at Urasaria. He could call to mind the names of most of the high-ranks and even some of their mannerisms, and what he had remembered now of Worldwide's previous host was far different than the girl stammering here. Revealing his knowledge would've helped the staff's investigation, but it would hurt Mia worse. As they kept questioning her, he was reminded why he thought his co-workers as men & women who hadn't made it as professional heroes and took to judging a campus they had little involvement with anyway. Wasn't that different from the rest of the world, really, but he was the only staff member the students liked & he intended to keep it.
"Then maybe," sighed the woman: "You can go schedule your removal surgery -"
"She's not getting her Revenant removed." said Hirogane. "She's been investigating on her own. Asked me when she was in the infirmary. Kept asking what she could do to help."
"It's a security risk to keep her Revenant like this. If they're using it as some sort of symbol..."
Hirogane looked over at her; he wished he could reveal to Mia why they were actually interested in Worldwide, but knew he could not; he felt it an argument of their respective fictions. "Then they'll be angry at me for removing it. The rest of you can defend yourself. I can't, and neither can she if I remove it."
"Keeping Urasaria safe is my job." said the woman. "Keeping her safe isn't."
"Then what is your suggestion, Mr. Hirogane?" said Armstrong.
"I don't see any reason to remove it so long as she keeps investigating." He glanced at Mia and attempted to communicate something unsaid with her, but could not; she was still afraid. "Don't see any reason to remove it if she investigates with Aimee."
"...y-yes. P-Please."
Armstrong nodded. "Then I agree with Mr. Hirogane. Mia Schultz. So long as you continue to investigate, there'll be no reason to remove Worldwide. You may leave. Do not leave Urasaria without Marisa or Aimee. We have surveillance on you."
Mia walked out. She tried shifting herself back to the day prior as she went to her & Marisa's home, but realized in her pockets she'd lost her Boudoirkeys, and slumped on to the steps to wait for Marisa. She began to cry, then turned as the door opened to Marisa with strand extended. She went inside and slumped onto the couch. "I-I thought you were out fighting Revenants."
"Not without my protege. What happened?"
"They i-interrogated me." mumbled Mia. "T-They think I'm responsible for all the Revenants showing up, because t-their hosts have Worldwide tattooed on them."
"What?" said Marisa. "That's not like, because of you, that's... ugh, staff are just such dicks. They just get off on making us miserable."
"T-They threatened to remove Worldwide, but Hirogane said he wouldn't if I k-keep investigating."
Marisa hugged her. "Yeah. There's no way he's gonna do that, like. They're just trying to scare you."
"H-Hopefully."
"Plus, you've got me and Aimee. Aimee's rank one, I'm rank forty-six. They're not gonna do anything without... ugh. I'm really sorry, Mia. I know it wasn't my fault, but still."
"H-Hirogane seemed to stick up for me, at least."
"Yeah, Hirogane's cool. It's just everyone else who sucks. People joke about how if like, the staff building was on fire, we would save the infirmary and pour gasoline on the rest."
"At least I could help with that." muttered Mia.
===
Over the next few nights, the three investigated every tattoo artist in the state with the initials R.D., and one night had ruled out ten men. Mia was feeling generally exhausted as they came to the parlor of the 11th, and asked if she could rest outside alone for a moment. It bothered Marisa occasionally how reserved Mia was with her, for she had not had a good relationship with her mentor; but she supposed she couldn't force a woman to unshroud herself.
She went inside alone and left Mia on a bench outside, thinking. The staff had not called Mia in again yet; she knew they would soon, as some news had leaked, and this was not the first time Mia had been in the press. Running it back through in her mind, she doubted there was anything particular she could have said -- what bothered her more was that she had not shown much resistance.
Someone wearing a puffy jacket sat at the other end of the bench, their face hidden but for a Urasaria badge.
"'Today, the astronomer senses the galaxies fleeing from the infinity of darkness...'" they said. "I once sat here somewhere like this and read Loren Eisely. I doubt he would have known what to say about Revenants. They defy the laws of physics too much."
This mean nothing to Mia. "...er. Are you a Revenant researcher?"
"I am. You're Mia, yes? I've heard the news, however distorted it may be. Something about the staff believing that you're responsible for the recent gang activity."
Mia sighed. "Y-Yes, but I'm in the process of trying to clear my name. It's been very bothersome."
"If you are beset by an opponent that cannot be convinced with logic, then make it superfluous through strength." they said. "If it's expulsion you fear, then there are students who have done far worse yet had no consequences."
"It isn't entirely a fear of consequences. I just despise that only a few people believe me."
"There's no need to take a democratic approach to truth. The opinions of others should not bother you; care too much about what others see of you and you'll stand outside of yourself. But, I will illustrate this through anecdote."
"Alright."
"There was a conference a few years on Revenant research: Phantasmology. I assume you're in your first-year."
"I am."
"Then I will simplify this. One hypothesis for the origin of Viscera exspiravit, often held by civilians, is that Revenants are assumed to be aliens that feed upon something. A soul, essentially. That every human has one soul, and this is why most experiments to host more than one Revenant have failed. As your expression notes, obviously unscientific, but in the absence of knowledge, people turn to religion for the unexplained; when they cannot comprehend the real milieu of existence, they turn back upon the spiritual. Regardless, there was a reporter who went around, asking us -- myself, particularly -- if I believed in this sort of theory. Conducting some poll. I should note, as well, that though I purposefully hyperbolize my anecdote with such a ludicrous theory, that I have still been asked for my thoughts on all other manner of explanations, some more or less absurd. Do you know my answer to them all?"
"What?"
"I ask if they would like to put the law of gravity to a vote."
They laughed.
"But, few people question anything: even researchers." they said. "Certain facts become dogma until science is forced to reorient itself, and solved riddles begin reopening themselves for examination."
"...what do you mean?"
"Only that I still talk too much about my work." They paused. "I read that Urasaria's staff threatened to remove your Revenant."
"They did."
"It would clear your name. Have you considered it?"
"I haven't. It's... Worldwide is very personal to me." she muttered.
"I suspected it would be. So they have only words left." muttered the figure, and stood. "There's a Schopenhauer quote for you. 'There is no surer sign of a great mind than that it refuses to notice annoying and insulting expressions, but ascribes them to the defective knowledge of the speaker.' FTL." And he was gone.
===
She returned for another interrogation with Urasaria's staff and relayed their conversation. Hirogane remembered his appearance from ten years ago, and the way Mia had said he had spoken reminded him too. His mentor had always had to drag him in for healing, and Hirogane had the feeling they hated everyone but themselves. Didn't seem so long ago, really.
"And now, he's speaking to you." said the woman. "What did his badge say?"
"I don't know." stated Mia.
"You noticed it was a Urasaria badge, but not the name? How the hell did you not notice -- he's fucking headless!"
"He was wearing a jacket-"
"-one that would-"
"I know what I saw!" Mia tried to take this as one of those annoying expressions. "No, I-I did not see what his badge said."
"Five hundred dead and three dead students." said Armstrong. "You need to be able to notice things like this. You're hardly taking this as seriously asy ou'd like us all to think that you are-"
"-I haven't seen any of you -"
Armstrong sighed as a knock came at the door. Aimee's voice followed: "If you don't open this, I will."
"Go." he said to Mia. "Answer it."
Mia calmed a little as she opened the door for Aimee & Marisa.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" said Aimee as she stepped inside. "I told you to stop interrogating her."
"I'm sorry, were we supposed to wait for your approval?" said Armstrong.
"This isn't your fucking investigation."
"When it's a matter of danger to Urasaria, it becomes my investigation." he said. "I'm aware that-"
"What about the mind control Revenants from last year? Huh? The copy Revenant from two years ago, the breach Revenant from six months ago?" said Aimee. "Seems pretty suspicious to me that you wanna claim this is about dead students and civilians, but I never heard a fucking word from you on that. Almost as if it isn't the investigation you're concerned about."
"And I find it suspicious that a woman claiming to be innocent has been so consistently argumentative." said Armstrong. "As for why we have dealt with Mia directly on this and not other incidents; because those were your job to handle. Student affairs that might require expulsion, particularly such odd 'coincidences' as this case, belong to us."
"If you expel her, you can do the same to me, Makoto, Atori and Dmitri." said Aimee, unwittingly signing up the other 3 for a pact they did not necessarily want. "The only reason you talk to her like this is because I'm not in the room."
Muttering something about patients to heal, Hirogane stood up and left. But Aimee saw him grinning, just a little. Armstrong said nothing as Aimee sat down. She was an effective, if not good, student, but he privately preferred her defensiveness; it meant she never grew many demands beyond her post.
"We still need your progress." said the black woman. "What did you find?"
Hastily Aimee relayed her progress. With only a few names left, the three would investigate tomorrow night, and they left to the hall before Armstrong could say anything more.
"'Serial thief.'" laughed Marisa. "What a bunch of dicks. I fucking hate staff. Ugh. I'm sorry, Mia-Mia. I just thought, like, it would be better if I got Aimee first."
"You and me both." said Aimee, gesturing for them to start walking.
"Fucking boomers." Marisa sighed, then looked to Mia-Mia. "I'm sorry, I just - I thought like, it would be better if I got Aimee first."
"It's a-alright." nodded Mia and the three hugged.
"Yeah." muttered Aimee. "Just a bunch of…" With some embarrassment, she realized Mia might not have liked seeing her angry, and attempted to suppress herself. "…um. Just let me know if they try that again."
"Thank you." Mia smiled.
Marisa grinned at the two. The three set off to the infirmary to find its freckled chef. Luna & Flashbulb made them waffles, and the four sat around her desk. Out of her eyes' corners, Mia noticed Luna's phone was set to a picture of her & Saya, former wearing a white dress & the latter black. She paused as she noticed Luna wearing the same dress now. Though she did not interact with her much, she began to assume the same that almost every other female student that had interacted with both Saya & Luna did; that they were dating but did not wish to disclose it for whatever reason.
They spoke a little of the investigation, and Aimee noted that Revenant researchers -- Phantasmologists -- were always former students. The program is generally designed for a drop-out rate approaching 100%, as it is suspected the government does not wish for anyone to study Revenants; the legal immunity of students and their immense power not only a benefit for students themselves.
Eventually Saya knocked at the door and Luna opened it. She was wearing a black dress. "Are you ready?"
Luna smiled. "Y-Yes."
"Good. You look very cute." Saya looked over Luna's shoulder. "Ah, did you three need anything?"
"All good." said Aimee, and Saya & Luna went off holding hands. Mia stared at the closing door.
"I know, right?" whispered Marisa and the three laughed.
"She swears they're not dating." laughed Aimee.
"Well, whatever it is, it's very cute." Mia smiled and wondered if she would ever have a not-quite-a-girlfriend too.
"Maybe they're just super private about it." said Marisa. "I mean, like, every student knows them, so... iunno. Plus, Saya's only like, worked here for a few months, I think?"
"And Luna's been here for years." said Aimee. "Used to be even more nervous before Saya got hired. But she's super nice, just... shy."
The two continued talking, and Marisa let the conversation fall from her ears as she thought about her own romances. Her mood always dimmed a little when it came to relationships. She had tried dating for the past few years, and by now had resolved to wait for life to send her a lady who didn't think they would be the one to make her different.
But it sure could hurry up.
===
The three had a trio of names left, and stepped up to the first the next day. A neon sign overhead read 'RAYAKA'S HUGE PRICKS', and a placard in the window read 'NO PUSSIES'. Desks of antiseptic bottles were along the walls inside, a chair & recliner at the center, and two cubicles at the back. Someone black-haired, wearing a white coat & collar was sitting in the chair, attending to his shirtless client in the recliner. Forty feet separated them as the man glanced back.
"Excuse me." said Aimee. "We're Urasaria students, wanted to ask you a few questions."
"The sign said 'no pussies'." he said, resuming his work. "I count three. Probably."
Aimee muttered something as Rider's tendrils burst from her wrists, and in the next instant her blade was at his throat, herself standing right behind him. "Tell me if you fucking know anything, or -"
" - if that's how you want it!" he shouted, and in the next instant -
- Aimee swept back just in time for a serpent to burst out of the ground underneath his feet -
- and swallow him alive in the next. One bottle shuddered at Mia's left -
- but her & Marisa swept back just in time to avoid the man bursting out of it, laughing as he landed between the two & the one; Rider's tendrils went taut again -
- and the serpent swallowed the man again before she could swipe, Aimee appearing where he'd just been as he reappeared at the other end of the parlor, pool of green saliva dripping on the wall, forty feet separating them from him again.
His client's head was in his hands, laughing as he discarded it. "Mizuchi." The serpent's full form swayed up out of the pool, fangs dripping and head swaying. As he shouted a time limit of five minutes to spare, Mia noticed the scarab tattoo on his neck, and in the next instant -
- half of the antiseptic bottles burst open in showers of liquid and covered the floor -
- and the three swept with the speed of light back as Mizuchi burst out of the midfloor streak, Rayaka still laughing behind, serpent's head swaying as Rider's tendrils dipped in Mia's veins. Enhancement in her now, her scarabs flew in to the liquid -
- and set it alight; Mizuchi screeched as its home burst in to flames -
- but a swift hack of saliva doused it as the rest of the alcohol burst in to flames, fire shooting up the walls, Mia wincing as smoke filled the room -
" - enhance!" shouted Aimee, reaching for Marisa's hand -
- and a dozen Boudoir balls doused a dozen fires in an instant, smoke's advance slowing as the three stepped back, Mizuchi still swaying ahead -
" - what a fucking firebrand you are, Mia Schultz!" laughed Rayaka -
- and the keen end of one antiseptic bottle hit Mizuchi's maw; a scarab followed -
- and burst again in to flames; Rayaka shrieked as he staggered back - " - and - and a f-fucking thief, too!" he shouted, and in the next instant -
- Mizuchi burst up out of one drop of liquid behind her; Aimee enhanced her as her sword spun -
- and cleaved a quarter through the rabid beast, venom shooting out of its vicious wound -
- but a swift scarab boiled the venom to steam and away, three safe as Mizuchi retreated again. Aimee felt its saliva hit her back -
" - Boudoir!" shouted Marisa, sweeping her gloves across Aimee's back, and Boudoir absorbed the saliva. They noticed their foe had disappeared ahead -
- but groaned as they heard the tattoo needles rumble ahead; before they could react, the needles burst open in showers of ink, Rayaka appearing in the clouds of liquid ahead. Bullets erupted from Marisa's palms to try to absorb the sudden volley, but in the next instant -
- Mizuchi's shrunken head appeared out of the sweat on Aimee's neck -
- but her Riderhand gripped it tight, knife in the other as she stabbed clear through, and as the blood burst out of the serpent, arcing over her -
- Rayaka appeared above her -
- and flew in to one saliva pool on the wall in the next, disappearing as the three kept their eternal step back, Mia trying to dissolve what she could, Boudoir trying to absorb -
" - please, go ahead - go ahead!" they heard his voice laugh, Mizuchi's head slithering out of every drop of liquid it could - " - I've got fucking gallons here! Can bring in some other fucking friends, too!"
- Mizuchi's head burst up ahead -
- and disappeared just in time for Aimee's vicious swipe; a swarm of scarabs followed her -
- but couldn't match Mizuchi's speed, serpent bouncing and appearing around for another minute, three sighing but unable to lose their focus, saliva replacing whatever ink was dissolved -
" - time's up, dykey-dykes!" shouted Rayaka behind; they turned. and saw Mizuchi swallow him whole, three sets of eyes still turning for where he'd appear next, no calm until two minutes had passed without him."
Aimee groaned. "For fuck's sakes."
"How the fuck do you even catch that?" said Marisa, Boudoir forming bandages for their wounds.
"Need...something with better range, or something, fuck." sighed Aimee. Partially amplifying her embarrassment was that she looked weak in front of Mia; because she did not trust her personality nor appearance to get her to what she wished, she had secretly nursed a hope that her strength could. "Maybe Makoto. She's good on range. Let's, uh... check around here, and... check the two other guys we have planned, too, just to make sure."
"And then swap week next week." said Marisa.
"What's that?" said Marisa.
"It's a week where you swap mentors with somebody else." said Aimee. "It's, uh, meant to get you comfortable fighting along someone new, but also to help you if you have an abusive mentor or something like that."
"Make sure you tell them how much better I am as a mentor." said Marisa and Mia laughed.