The following night, after her & Serena finished their normal patrol, Mia decided to go alone by the apartment in hopes she would see the woman again. As she sat down at the same bench, she recalled something she had once seen in her life. She had once seen a stray cat she had wanted to adopt, and though her mother likely would have allowed it (for it was past the time of Mia's father's arrest, and of their issues with money), she had thought over how to broach this for a week, and saw its corpse on the road soon-after.
It had been three years since this memory, and yet she had thought of it as she sat down at the same bench, with neither in front of her again.
Thirty minutes of waiting later, she decided to leave and was walking down a bare avenue of closed speciality shops. She stepped off the curb at the end, readying to cross the road -
- and from the other end of the avenue came a car screaming down the road towards her -
" - Worldwide!"
- and a wall of white fire burnt it to ash, a momentary flash of blue as she snuffed it out, and as she turned her eyes up the avenue -
- there, at the other end, four hundred feet separating them, was a woman wearing a leather gorgon mask, golden snakes dripping out of her hair.
"Medusa." muttered Mia, sword forming as she rushed forward, passing by one casual fire hydrant. A rumbling began from underneath the sidewalk, and in the next instant -
- the fire hydrant burst open in a shower of water, enormous geyser bursting out of the ground, drenching the entire avenue -
" - Worldwide!" shouted Mia, sending a swarm of fire scarabs to vaporize the sudden rain -
- but with aghast eyes saw the water refuse to vaporize, every last bit of heat absorbed. The avenue filled with a blanket of rain in to which she plunged like a swimmer, eyes under the crook of her elbow as she rushed ahead, both combatants soaked, only two hundred feet separating the two -
" - Monstrous!" shouted Medusa, and in the next instant -
- a dozen tentacles burst out of her back -
- and she suddenly shot up as if a hundred bolts had struck her, tentacles charring black as she twitched and staggered. Mia laughed at the other end, electrical scarabs at her wrists turning the rain electric as she rushed ahead; only fifty feet separated them now, and as she cleared the clearing in a single bound -
- her sword met with Medusa's tentacles -
- and she felt with aghast strength a woman who could stand against the blade that was rightfully her's. In a whirlwind of blows they revolved down the street, tentacles slashing her back and chest, a flurry of movement blocking her sword -
" - Worldwide." grunted Mia, gripping her rage as her sword burst in to white flames, hoping it would turn blue any second.
Inch by inch, the pressure of the woman's strikes forced her further back, and as one store's front doors approached -
- six tentacles shot to her wrists and yanked her sword away, and another six shot to her legs and arms -
- and threw her through the front doors; the entrance burst in a shower of glass as she flew through, tables and chairs shattering as she smashed across the room, back wall cracking her back as she landed, leaving a watery streak behind.
Ahead, she saw Medusa's tentacles grip her sword, readying to smash it open -
- but with the speed of light, an electrical volley flew in to the wet streak she had left, conductive water connecting her and her sword -
- and the current stunned her foe, forcing her grip unclenched. Her sword disappeared and reappeared in her hand as she stood, and as Medusa rushed across the room in pursuit -
" - exactly where I wanted you." chimed Mia; and the next scene was instant.
A sweep of scorching white went through the back walls, memories of Matoi as her fire scarabs burnt the entire back wall down, hacking and slashing ferociously at the walls; and as Medusa approached her again -
" - no, no!" laughed Mia, sweeping her sword out, tip aimed square at Medusa's legs -
- and a jet of water erupted and blew her back across the room -
" - f-fucking - crazy!" panted the woman -
" - just enough time!" chimed Mia, and by a final sweep of her sword through the back wall -
- the entire building shuddered, starting to rend inward, walls collapsing all around them; and as the rain of rubble threatened to bury Mia alive -
- a cloud of fire&ice scarabs flew above, swift winds blowing the concrete skyward and away, her sword slashing ferociously out of the concrete ruins -
- and as she rose out of the rubble mountain, she saw the dominoes of every building on the street collapsing, stores falling and smoke filling the air; and out of the ruins shot hundreds of concrete projectiles, smoke threatening to strangle her alive, rain still pouring -
- but a swift and hasty igloo formed above & around her, protecting her from the storm of rubble around, unmeltable ice shielding her as the entire street was ruined.
She waited for a minute, hearing no sound around. Sword readied, she melted her barrier, still standing atop the ruins -
- and a gargantuan bullet burst through her right calf and out her right leg; the pain staggered her forward, and as she turned -
- there, on the other end of another ruins, stood her foe, fifty feet separating she and she. Her pistol's aim raised to Mia's chest again, and as the gunshot rose in the air -
- the next scene was instant. Her ice scarabs froze carefully the droplets of rain around, forming panes of ice - and in to one ricocheted the bullet, bouncing with the speed of sound, careful sheets of ice reflecting the bullet back to its bearer -
- and Mia laughed as she saw her foe hunch over in agony. Another three gunshots shot with the speed of sound towards her -
- but out of the rubble flew one casual piece of concrete, blocking each head-on; a swift wind of scarabs propelled it towards her foe, and as the projectile flew danger-close -
- the woman shot it again -
- and Mia laughed again as it hit the fire scarab she had planted, bursting in to blue flames, melting her revolver in an instant - but she was fired to unholy durability, few wounds as she thrashed and stood.
The two combatants started to circle, few options left.
"…you're Medusa. Aren't you?" said Mia, ice scarabs chilling her wounds.
The woman said nothing, adozen tentacles taut out of her back. The rain stopped overhead and the moon emerged from the clouds.
'Amplification.' thought Mia. 'The fire hydrants ran out of water. The blue flames were accidental.'
The woman gave a muffled affirmation, and in the next instant -
- her hands swept down, pulled a necklace out of the rubble, and before Mia could react -
- a ray of lunar light focused on it, enormous rays of light refracting and blinding her; Mia shrieked as she stumbled involuntarily back, and as she felt Medusa rush in pursuit ahead -
- an ice wall erupted from the ground; and in to the sudden barrier slammed her foe. Mia opened her eyes again -
- and clenched them immediately shut, enormous light only refracted further on the frozen barrier. A swift sweep of fire scarabs melted her wall of ice to liquid, a second melting the refractory necklace -
- and her eyes opened, her foe only a dozen feet away; her tentacles shot to Mia's wrists -
- but an electrical volley flew in to the puddle at her feet, stunning her temporarily; and in a single sweep seeking her neck -
- that caught only air as her foe swept underneath, and as her tentacles shot to Mia's wrists -
- she felt boundless strength flow in to her grip, hilt of her sword cracking underneath the sudden power - the pain reflected immediately, stumbling her back on to the sidewalk -
- and Medusa was among her with a rush. Her tentacles shot to her torso, threw and pinned her down with the strength of a thousand, six suctioned grips ripping her sword away; Mia grunted and thrashed, swarm of fire scarabs seeking desperately her foe's mask -
" - I- wait." said her foe - " - I'm not going-"
- a million-volt current went through her tentacles and their trip tightened, Lichentenberg figures shooting through Mia's skin as the voltage doubled -
- but Medusa's tentacles shot off from her like bark off a lightning-struck tree; her foe staggering back, Mia spun back to her feet and grabbed her own sword -
" - Wedding!" shouted a familiar voice at the left end of the avenue, and in the next instant -
- a missile burst at Medusa's side; the shockwave blasted her back in to the rubble and through a few concrete chunks, but her tentacles pushed her back up, already beginning to swing herself away as Mia pursued her -
" - Worldwide!" shouted Mia, extending her hand; a whip of scarabs came out of it, final pincers grabbing Medusa's mask from behind -
- and ripping it clear off as Medusa staggered forward; she looked back and Mia saw her face for a second, but she swung away in the next and rapidly faded in to the next street, and was soon gone.
Worldwide's scarabs returned to Mia and she crouched down, grabbing the mask and leaning against some ruins as Matoi & Serena came up. Streams of fog began filling her wounds.
"I-I got you." said Serena.
Mia looked up. Matoi was considering whether to go chasing after Medusa, but quickly calculated the difference in speed and crouched down. "Are you alright?"
Mia nodded and glanced at Serena. "S-Serena, that was the woman from last night. The one we spoke to."
"Let me see the mask." muttered Matoi. Mia handed it to her and she read it over. "I apologize if you were in the middle of a strategy."
Mia shook her head, standing with a little difficulty. "I-It's alright. I'm not sure what I could have done next."
"Wait, so that was Medusa?" said Serena. "That really, like, immature woman?"
Given Serena was still watching cartoons as an adult, Mia wasn't sure she had much standing for that, but no matter. "I... believe so, yes."
"It's a custom mask." muttered Matoi, showing the tag. "It mentions the store that made it for her, here. If you're alright, we should go there now."
Mia nodded, and they went back to Matoi's car: whether it was stolen, bought or rented is your guess. They drove to a costume shop a half-hour out of city, and with little business now that Halloween had passed, quickly were able to speak to the goth at the register.
"Those masks?" she said as Matoi handed it to her. "…umm, those are... lemme check... yeah. We make these to order."
"Do you know who bought it?" said Mia.
The goth looked at Matoi. "Um, maybe? I-I think we might keep records of that in the back, yeah, but... um, my manager might come in and ask what I'm doing, and it's a dark room -- and I scare easy, so, um -- if you could come with me?" She nervously smiled to Matoi.
Mia glanced at Matoi, who shrugged and went with her to the back room. After a few minutes, both came out, and Matoi gestured for Mia & Serena to follow her as she walked out alone to the sidewalk. Wedding's lasers began drilling a large hole in the sidewalk: Mia had no clue why, but had more important matters to discuss.
"So?" She grinned. "How was it?"
Matoi shrugged. "I have no idea why she needed me for it - it was fully lit."
Mia gave Serena a knowing look.
"Regardless, she only had a name - Violet Herschowitz. I presume the Gorgons used an intermediary to buy their masks, and whoever it is may come here soon to destroy the evidence. Serena, keep the hole from collapsing - we'll wait inside of it and ambush whoever shows up."
"Uh, okay."
"Do you know how to knock civilians and hosts unconscious?" (Matoi was asking due to each requiring different concentrations of anesthetic.)
"She does." yawned Mia. (That had been their favorite day of training: neither needed to leave the couch.)
"You just want me to knock everyone who goes in unconscious?"
Matoi shrugged as she stepped inside of the hole. "I doubt it'll take long."
Three wrongfully accused women later, Serena dragged an unconscious redhead to the cashier. "She's a host. Is this her?"
"…um, put her hair back, uh... no, put it forward... I-I'm not sure, actually." She sheepishly smiled. "…um, I need more time to think, but, maybe, I just…"
Serena glanced back to Mia, who shrugged.
"We'll kill her after, regardless." said Matoi. "Can you restrain her?"
Streams of fog filled Serena's cup with a rope. She started tying the woman to the wall, and Matoi told the clerk she should go on break once she awoke. Still, the three sat down and had time, so Matoi spent some of it thinking about her odds at presidency.
Aside from Marisa or Mia, the only student who gave her trouble in the rankings was Kirihara. Matoi had done her research on her and found that her Revenant Carve acted as a form of transportation. She took this opportunity now to probe Mia about her, and received the answer she expected from her & Serena: Kirihara was hated around campus for being a narcissistic prick, and the conversation quickly devolved in to a series of violent jokes about her. They were the type a non-host would find grotesque, no matter how despised the victim, so they are not relayed here.
Though neither could confirm for Matoi the rumors she had heard of Kirihara using civilians as bait, this did not change her plans; she knew enough from her research to say Kirihara would make a terrible president, unable to solve any mentor & protege dispute or advocate for anyone beyond herself. Urasaria's morale and reputation would suffer just as it does under a boss who despises their subordinates, so she had decided that if needed, Kirihara would need to die.
As she looked to the wall and saw the woman waking up, she enjoyed that she felt no guilt to killing an evil thing, and put a knife to the woman's throat before she could speak, holding up the golden mask with her other hand.
"This is Medusa's mask." said Matoi. "Where is she now?"
Tearing up, the woman begged for her life. Matoi knew she wouldn't give it to her, but no matter, she promised it anyway and repeated her question.
"W-What are you talking about? T-That isn't Medusa's mask."
"Whose is it?" said Matoi.
"E-Euryale's."
"That's another Gorgon sister." said Serena.
"Y-Yeah, that's right. I don't know where she is, either."
"Somehow, I don't believe you." said Matoi.
Uncomfortable with torture, Mia glanced away. Most hosts who attacked students had already accepted the death penalty: it was difficult to extract information without it. Sometimes an effective tool, it was still one she had resolved not to use. After a minute of shrieking, she heard something that sounded like a confession and let her ears turn back to the woman.
"I-It's Euryale's m-m-mask, s-she had me measure her f-for it!"
"You're certain the woman we fought wasn't Medusa, then?" said Matoi. "Eight tentacles -- strengthening objects and events?"
"I-I…I-I don't know, I-I don't know anyone's Revenants."
Matoi lowered her knife to the woman's thigh. Mia was turned away, but heard the woman scream and a laser flashed in her vision's outline; she turned back and Matoi was standing beside a headless corpse.
"She tried to attack me." she muttered, relevantly. "We should discuss what she mentioned -- even if she may have lied."
"U-Um, sure." said Serena, turning back.
"Why would Medusa be wearing someone else's mask?" said Mia.
"It's possible she isn't Medusa."
Mia frowned. "Why would she tell me she was, then? She could have just not answered."
"…Samuel and I once dealt with a gang who called themselves the Foundation." muttered Matoi. "They constantly used body doubles to protect their leader, the Mule. There may be something similar here."
"This woman could also have been lying to protect Medusa." Mia thought about adding something about the unreliability of torture, but there was an aura to Matoi that made her difficult to disagree with on any subject.
"It's possible. Regardless, I doubt this mask has any more leads for us." said Matoi.
"What are we gonna do?" said Serena.
"Mia, do you remember the apartment you mentioned from last night? I told Grant and Henry to see if any of the rooms have a broken window."
"Medusa's girlfriend." muttered Mia, then nodded. "Do you think they'll find anything?"
Matoi checked her tablet, then showed them the dots that marked the men's locations: both blinking as they usually did when their tablet detected increased heart rate. "Hopefully a Revenant."
"Hopefully." winced Mia. As they left the store and sat down in Matoi's car, she realized something and told Matoi this. "The woman at the apartment. Do you remember what I mentioned about talking with her?"
"You did." said Matoi.
"She was kinda dumb." said Serena, scratching her neck. "Like, I don't even get how she's the leader of a gang."
Mia looked to Matoi, and they nodded solely to each other.