Marisa turned to her side in her Boudoir-bed, and checked her phone. She had been insomniac the last hour; unlikely to be related to anything she ate last night. After adding some Boudoir-padding to silence her shoes, she stepped outside, and followed the noise she heard to find Sylvia & Grant in the hotel's gym.
She asked them a few idle questions about their routines; Sylvia prattled off some numbers that sounded high, seeming to work harder whenever Marisa was watching. Talk-drowsy, Marisa agreed to go out with them for breakfast after, and felt no annoyance when Grant left a few minutes in, saying he had left something back at their room. She was glad that Sylvia didn't seem to take much after her mentor.
There was a story told about him around campus - possibly true but indicative of the general view of him nonetheless. It was said that, in the middle of receiving a contract, he had been interrupted by Armstrong letting him know there was a civilian woman at the gate demanding to see him. He returned five minutes later, and when later asked who it had been, was said to have replied: "I don't remember, but I paid for her abortion."
Sylvia, on the other hand, had inherited little of this attitude; the most she had picked up from him was a tendency to rate women's appearances like different cuts of steak, and it was a habit she despised in herself.
The two finished up their breakfast, and in the next instant -
- an explosion burst up at the front counter fifty feet away; the two shot up -
" - Urasaria!" shouted Marisa, badge on as Boudoir's frills hardened, Magma's arm swallowing Sylvia's beside, tongue readied for the cloud of smoke ahead, and as it started to clear -
- another explosion blasted them with the strength of a thousand against the wall, tables of crouching civilians beside. Grunting as they stood again, the two saw the smoke clear, their ragged & male foe on the other end, pistol in-hand. His aim turned to their left, and as one bullet shot towards the civilian beside -
- the next scene was instant. Marisa threw a ball of Boudoir out -
- and the fabric expanded to a shield in mid-air just in time to block the explosion, two left with miniscule wounds as they stepped back, eyes sharp for when he'd fire again. He groaned and staggered as he reloaded, blue cartridge in to his pistol.
"Here." muttered Sylvia, handing Marisa a gray vial. "Can you, um, throw this at him? It's steel."
"Got it." nodded Marisa, and as she threw it forward -
- one bullet&explosion scattered liquid steel all over the restaurant, Sylvia wincing as Magma's tongue retreated, and as another bullet shot towards them -
- a puff of steel gas erupted out of Magma's arm and swallowed it -
- and one swift tongue tap turned it solid like a snake, two with permanent safety from the explosive shots but wary of coming in close. Catching an idea, Sylvia whispered to Marisa, and the fashionista nodded as Sylvia ran back -
- and a fabric pillar kept the back wall from collapsing as Sylvia turned part of it liquid, sweeping out and disappearing behind. Another bullet shot towards Marisa, but one fabric bullet swallowed his, combatant still groaning and staggering on the other end.
'This guy's drunk as shit.' thought Marisa, relevantly. Through the front doors, she saw Makoto rushing up from across the street, but in the next instant -
- the ground turned liquid underneath the man -
- and in to the sudden pool he disappeared, Sylvia climbing out a second later - " - got him! Dissolved him with acid!"
She turned as she tapped the floor solid, nodding to Makoto coming through the doors.
"Got him." chimed Sylvia. "No worries."
"…oh." Makoto's mouth went grim. "Yep. Sure did." Realizing it wouldn't help to look jealous for Marisa, she said: " - uh, any wounds? Marisa, are you good?"
Marisa frowned. "Uh, both of us have wounds. Just heal us."
"Sure thing." said Makoto, pleased to place herself above Sylvia in Marisa's rank as her harp's melody filled their wounds.
◆◆◆
The following evening, with no new cases of black-haired women being murdered, the five went out on patrol; Marisa & Mia were alone, and Makoto was in the other trio wearing a black wig. Marisa's phone vibrated and she sighed.
"Ugh. Can she give it a rest?"
"Is it Makoto again?" said Mia. "Are you sure I shouldn't mention this to Aimee?"
"No, I wanna… Aimee's like, three hours away. Not like her wagging her finger is gonna do anything." Marisa sighed as she checked her messages. "She's such a fucking little creep, too. Like, you know the worst part about her texting me?"
"What?"
"She just - like, she has this thing where she's constantly trying to place me below her, too. Here." Marisa showed Mia her phone.
(Makoto) "Did you like the chocolates I bought for you?"
(Makoto) "I can buy you some more, if you'd like. I've got double your salary."
"Exactly like her." muttered Mia. "You've certainly caught her eye."
"Yep." said Marisa, scrolling down. "Look - she actually tried to… ugh - I shouldn't be showing you this stuff." She pressed her phone back in her pocket. "But like, she fucking sent me hentai, too, and pretended it was for someone else."
Mia blinked, too pure for the forbidden art. "Hentai?"
"Oh, c'mon." Marisa grinned. "You know what hentai is."
"I… do not." said Mia. "Hen- hen-tie? Do I even want to know?"
Marisa's eyes widened. "Mia-Mia! You're still a clueless lesbian! You never like, read yuri when you were younger? Online?"
"I - yoo-ree?" panted Mia, aghast. "Marisa, my family barely had enough to buy groceries before my father - I had to go down to the library for internet."
Marisa shook her cackling head. "Okay, okay, like - I'll show you what she went me, but it's super -"
- she showed Mia what Makoto sent her, and the clueless lesbian's eyes widened.
"...those two appear to be very good friends."
"Uh, I don't think we've ever done anything like that, Mia. Maybe you and Aimee."
"…the woman with the red streak, she's…" Mia stifled her laughter. "…she's - she's very aggressive at her meal."
"Yeah. Wait, I just realized." Marisa frowned as she rechecked it. "The other chick kinda looks like Matoi, doesn't she?"
Mia looked over. "…she does."
It was a true twin scissor. Marisa sighed as she shut her phone off, and they continued down the sidewalk. "But, okay, so. Now you know what hentai is. Uh, and yuri."
"I'm not sure if I'm better off knowing." frowned Mia.
"Yeah, but that's probably most things." shrugged Marisa. "Anyway, like, I dunno. I really was hoping she would just get the hint, but… and you know, she's just the worst type of person to say no to, too."
"I… think you need to tell her directly, Marisa."
"…yeah." she sighed. "I know, it's just… like, you know me. I don't really like conflict. Even when I was younger, I…," She laughed. "Okay, so, like - did I tell you what I used to do with guys who catcalled me?"
"Did you shoot at them?"
Marisa laughed. "Uh, no, but I thought about it. Like, I just - I would just fucking -" - she cackled - " - if they were doing it from their car, I got really good at just like - shooting their fucking gas tanks with Boudoir - and it would absorb all of their gasoline -"
" - that's one way to do it -" laughed Mia -
" - exactly, right?! And it was like, a huge pain for them too, because they had to go get their cars towed and stuff, too." laughed Marisa.
"I-I suppose that's one way to do it." chimed Mia.
"Yeah. That's what my older sister told me to do, since - like, she figured I'd accidentally kill one of them if I didn't shoot something inanimate." Marisa paused. "Or, like, intentionally kill one of them."
It was odd how seriously Marisa said it, but Mia understood what she meant. She had noticed a shift in her view of violence since Worldwide activated; not only in how she dealt with scum, but the types of jokes she told. It was an eighth wonder of the world only a few underage hosts had ever murdered someone.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked Marisa, seeing her expression dim.
"Yeah. Just thinking about her." Her phone vibrated again.
◆◆◆
With their bait catching none in the interim, the five returned to Sylvia & Grant's room the following night. The television was on in the background as they ate dinner. Sylvia noted that the foe Marisa & her had fought died remarkably fast, and out-loud Mia wondered if it was a similar situation to Lanara's Appraise, which she then relayed to Grant.
"Ah. Man, that sucks." said Grant. "Hope she's okay, now. Can't belive you, y'know, get to be born with superpowers - but it's worse than just having a regular life."
"Yeah," said Sylvia, "but you get to do shit like - this!"
Magma's tongue tapped Grant's water, and it solidified to a bizarrely warm tube.
"Oh - what the fuck, dude!" groaned Grant, not the first time she had done it.
"That's for last night, biiiitch." said Sylvia, holding the glass like a grenade.
"What'd he do last night?" said Marisa.
Sylvia gestured to the ceiling light. "I -"
"- news is on." said Makoto, patting Marisa's shoulder, and all eyes turned to the television.
The newswoman spoke rushed, already halfway through when their ears adjusted. "…a brief letter was sent to our headquarters, this afternoon. After it was passed on to local law enforcement, we have decided to fulfill this man's request to have it be read aloud, in light of the threat he has made."
She cleared her throat, reading off a paper.
"'To the hero renamed 'Swarm',
Confess the crime you were never punished for, or the killing will continue.
- Era.'"
She gave the camera's stare back.
"Law officers, and Urasaria students have been called in on the ongoing investigation, and -"
" - me?" said Mia - " - he's calling me out directly?"
"Cops didn't say shit to us, like usual." groaned Grant. "Any idea what he's talking about?"
Mia shook her head rapidly. "No, no - I can't possibly think of … crime I was never punished for?"
Marisa felt Makoto's hand on her left shoulder and shuffled her seat away. "Maybe it's someone we've killed - like, a family member or someone?"
"And the part about 'renamed' Swarm, too." said Sylvia. "You've never had another name, right?"
Makoto's hand moved to Marisa's left thigh and she shuffled.
"Sylvia, you only get one." groaned Grant. "Dumbass."
"You're a dumbass." muttered the dumbass. "How's that solid water taste?"
"You know, I can feel your phone in your pocket. Bunch of metal all laying around. You got it for Christmas, right -"
- Magma's tongue turned the water liquid again, and Grant drank with smug satisfaction as Makoto's fingers went along Marisa's. The fashionista gave her a glare and put her hands up on the table.
"It could be a family member of someone I've killed." muttered Mia. "It's the only reason I can think for why they would be after me - but renamed…"
"And if you don't know about it, you can't confess it." said Marisa. "He's going to end up still killing people."
"Yeah." said Makoto, moving her hand back to Marisa -
" - STOP IT!" shouted Marisa, shoving Makoto's hand off her and standing up -
" - I - hey, what -"
" - no - you listen to me, right now, right here - in front of everyone. You've been fucking hitting on me constantly for the past two fucking months, and I keep telling you - AND TELLING YOU - to stop fucking doing it! Stop fucking touching me - stop sending me your creepy fucking notes and texts, and stop thinking like you can just fucking keep trying until I'll go on a date with you - because that's never, ever fucking happening!"
"I - o-o-okay, j-j -"
" - you know why you've never had a fucking girlfriend? Is this how you treat every girl you want? You know what you are? You're a fucking creep - you know what you are? Some fucking little pink-haired creep that no one fucking likes! That's why you're going to be alone for the rest of your fucking life - because you can't take no for an answer!"
Without waiting for a response, she stomped out, shoving out of the door and slamming it behind. The floor caught all eyes but Makoto's, and Mia heard her breathing swiftly.
"C-C-C-Can I -"
- she stood up and ran to the bathroom, caught the knob, threw herself inside. A few seconds later, they heard the retching of an upset heart.
Sylvia glanced to Mia and whispered. "What was…"
"…it's been going on for a while, but…" whispered Mia, thinking Marisa had overdone the right idea.
"Someone needs to go with her." mumbled Grant, not even touching it. "Dangerous to be alone outside."
"I'll - I'll go." whispered Sylvia, and with no desire to move, Mia gave a weak nod as Sylvia went out the door.
Marisa was stopped at a wall outside the parking lot, sighing beside an alley. She felt none of the righteous, feminist fury she had as a teenager; she wouldn't admit she still viewed women as being more attuned to guilt than men, and she shouldn't have dealt with it in a similar fashion.
"Hey." said Sylvia as she came up. "Um, you feeling alright?"
"…eh." Marisa's lips went diagonal. "…I figured that'd be the only way to get her to stop, but… maybe I overdid it."
"Uh, I can't really say anything." muttered Sylvia. "Mia said she's been weird towards you for a while. I know you more than I know Makoto, so…"
"…yeah. I guess." Marisa sighed. "Like, I just… I just kept wanting to say worse and worse stuff, like - I kinda liked seeing her cry, but I don't like that I did. But now if I tell her I went too far, is she just gonna keep doing it? I really d-don't like d-doing that. I just -"
- the two stifled a wince as a dog came out from the alley. The animal's face was mangled, and down his back, burnt skin.
"Aw. Poor thing." said Sylvia, crouching down to pet him.
His owner walked out a second later, with a start as he saw Sylvia crouched - but then halted beside.
"Sorry, I should've asked." laughed Sylvia. "Does he like getting pet?"
"You like him?" said the man, wearing a collared jacket, gloves that hid his features. "His name's Ajax."
Ajax licked Sylvia's neck, as was often the case with dogs.
"Poor thing." said Marisa, crouching down. "Is he okay?"
"Yeah. Was taking him out for a walk." Ajax sat between his owner's legs. "Don't need a collar for him. You spend enough time with an animal, and they'll learn to always stay by you. Not the same with people, though. Been with me since I was ten." He pat Ajax's half-furred neck. "Go ahead. You can ask about it."
"What happened to him?" said Sylvia. "Did someone abuse him?"
"Could say that. Some bitch -" - his eyes went to the two's badges. "- you Urasaria students? Sylvia - and Boudoir."
"Er, yeah." chimed Marisa.
"You know that hero - Swarm?"
"Uh, shouldn't say that." mumbled Sylvia.
He shook his head and stood, and the two women up with him.
"Doesn't matter. I can tell by the look in your eyes you do."
"I just mean -"
" - Era."
- the hollow point of three bullets entered Marisa's chest, and she fell to the ground, writhing as if a current of electricity had struck her; then suddenly fell limp -
- and in the next instant, the barrel of the revolver was on Sylvia's skull.
"She'll live." said Garcian, peeling his collar down. "Struck by lightning three times. Walter Summerford survived that, around the time of World War One - and he didn't have a Revenant. I'm not going to kill you unless I need to. I'll let you and your friend go. Just need you to send a message to Swarm. You can do that for me. Right? Tomorrow, down on Fletcher. There's two houses connected together. I'll be in one with a hostage. Ten in the morning. Tomorrow. Swarm alone, or hostage dies. Got it?"
"G - got it. Sure thing."
"Good. Appreciate you being nice to Ajax."
He and Ajax went back down the alley.