While Jeanne & Nuiko napped in their hotel rooms and left Kirihara the self-imposed loner, Mia & Serena went out for street food and to a taco truck in a 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, 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."
Serena frowned as she checked something on the corpse's neck. Mia asked her what it was, and she said: "He has an eel tattoo. Every single Revenant that's attacked me since last month has had one of those eel tattoos. I didn't notice it until I started realizing a lot of people were attacking *me*, not you, which is weird."
"Why is that weird?"
Serena stood and looked up at her mentor. 9 inches separated them. "Because you're the taller target."
Mia considered this, then nodded. Serena waited for her mentor to begin walking away, crouched down, then unlatched the corpse's watch and took it with her.
An hour later, Jeanne & Nuiko woke up in the dank evening and went out on a walk, where they passed by a music store and were given a strange request by the owner.
"He steals music?" said Jeanne.
"Yes." The owner sighed. "I doubt he's dangerous, but he just - he keeps stealing all the reggae." He led them inside and down the aisles of CDs, one shelf completely empty.
"A real degenerate." muttered Jeanne and Nuiko grinned. "Uh, we're only gonna be in town for tonight, but I guess we can stay here until then."
"Thank you. Whatever you need to do. Let me close up for the day, and hopefully…"
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. "Real shitty selection here."
"Uh, I guess, but I remember what you had us listen to on those contracts." said Jeanne, watching the door. "Real earworms."
Nuiko smiled. "Thanks."
"No, I meant the parasitic types."
Nuiko frowned. "Thanks retracted."
Jeanne shrugged. "Guy probably won't even show up."
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."
"Is he dead?"
"Yeah, he overdosed." Jeanne shrugged. "Should've 'just said no'." She turned to Nuiko, offered her shoulder, forgetting she couldn't see it, then leaned with her a few seconds later. "Uh, lean on me. I'm gonna go scan, and then I'll call Serena to make sure you don't lose another one."
Nuiko leaned on her as Jeanne went over and scanned the still-beating heart. "Don't bother calling Serena here, I can walk to where she is."
"Yes, Grand Huntress." muttered Jeanne.
Nuiko frowned, then laughed it off with her friend.
This reference to her original hero name was not one she liked, for she had chosen it intending it to be an avatar of the president she would later become. This had not happened, so she was simply left to open a decent little costume 'shop' at Urasaria and despise that she had to go ask Aimee to change her hero name, when it should have been the other way around & had others going to her for things.
This was not the first time the line delineating fiction from reality forced itself to Nuiko, as she had felt it as she watched her parents divorce over her decision to keep her Revenant, her developing lesbianism, and her decision to attend Urasaria. Had she become president, this would have afforded her advice & actions a certain unimpeachability and a safety from the world that had asserted itself when she crouched to her bedroom door, and put her ear to the crack underneath it to listen to reality belie her own.
Such paradoxes received their due in moments like her desire to be known & popular, yet her fear of being too close to others, and why, after abandoning her friend for months, she had needed to use Mia to ask Jeanne along the trip to France you've already read.
Had she the knowledge of this novel, this might've led her to realize a few of her similarities to Kirihara. Obviously not in psychopathy or narcissism, but consider this ancedote:
Kirihara had once been out on a contract near a rich suburb in New Jersey and killed a local host, and as she was walking out noticed there was a 'little library' in this neighborhood - essentially a box of books free for anyone to borrow. She went over to it, laughing to herself as she pulled a stack of novels out, then ripped through them and threw them all across the road. She looked around a few times to see if she was garnering any reaction, and upon seeing none, muttered to herself, gave a copy of 'The Time It Never Rained' a last kick, and headed back up the road.
Both Nuiko & Kirihara possessed some need for recognition, even if the former was someone fundamentally decent and the latter was, well, Kirihara. It would be superfluous to go in to Kirihara's upbringing as was just done offhandedly with Nuiko's, for the same reason Jeanne realized: the human mind naturally narrativizes and has the desire for narrative in what it encounters, both for ease of memory & a natural like of drama.
But simply because one thing follows another does not mean the latter was *caused* by the former: it's merely that one thing must always follow another chronologically. Had you known that Kirihara's childhood was filled with terrible abuse, often sexual, you would believe that she fit the profile of many deranged serial killers in the late 20th century, and so her abusiveness towards Jeanne was recapitulating the patterns of her parents.
Or if you were aware that Kirihara's parents were always supportive of her, along with being part of the section of the upper-class who always have the nicest cars & schooling; she now fits to being a spoiled brat who had never known demands like Urasaria, and a coddled child who lashes out at anyone who does not give her her wealth-given respect.
Yet nothing has changed about the real woman, only your perceived Kirihara.