As a child Matoi's mother had imparted to her daughter a love of reading & accruing knowledge, and sometimes remarked that while Matoi had not been born in the wrong time, her maturity for her age proved that she still had an overpowering mind, one less pliable to the movement of time around her; certainly you can attest to this trait. It was this determination and lack of weakness to peer pressure that proved useful as she aged, and again here as she laughed at a political cartoon in the bookstore she had taken the four to the following day.
"What's it say?" said Marisa.
Matoi laughed. "It's a cultural reference -- you wouldn't understand it."
"…Is there anything we would get?"
Matoi stared around for a few seconds, while her squadron just stood there, then saw a tabloid magazine with a small picture of the four on the cover. She went over to it, showed them, then flipped to their section. "'An exclusive section on America's hottest heroes.'"
"Am I in there?" chimed Samuel and the three laughed.
Matoi's eyes rolled and she decided to pay for it as they stepped outside and flipped through it. "In case you were wondering if Japan has tabloids." She resumed reading. "'America has sent their most buxom superheroes, but you may have a shot with one of them.'"
"They know female hosts are almost always lesbian, yes?" said Samuel.
"If only that stopped them." muttered Mia.
"Uh, yeah, that doesn't stop guys from harassing us." said Marisa.
Samuel seemed slightly embarrassed.
"They have a ranking listed here." muttered Matoi. "Guess who tops it."
"Me?" said Marisa.
"Excuse me?" said Mia, mock-aghast.
"I mean, Mia, I've got big--"
"No, how could I not be America's hottest hero?" Mia burst in to blue flames for a second and the three laughed.
Matoi flipped to another page as they saw Daishi on the other side of the street, who waved at them and came over. "(President Rain-On-A-Wedding. I hope you and your squadron are enjoying Japan.)"
"(We are. I introduced them to tabloids today.)"
"(Tabloids? What do you--)" He was discomfited as Matoi showed him the article. "(I- my deepest apologies. This trash does not represent J-)"
"(They're aware.)"
"(I- if you would like, I could have them brought off the shelves-)"
"(-and make them a collector's item?)" Matoi shrugged. "(There's no need for it. I was about to read over a few of the other articles.)"
"(…I suppose it may be good for a laugh.)" Daishi sighed as he joined them. "(Which magazine is it, again?)"
Matoi showed him.
"(Ah, yes. I remember - my apologies if this is too crude - they once ran an article on how drinking breast milk could cure obesity.)" He frowned. "(I shouldn't joke about such things.)"
"(It's fine.)"
"(Yes, but aside from their more ridiculous articles, I despise how these tabloids prey on people's fears. If this style of reporting had remained on its own shelf, I wouldn't be as frustrated by it -- but I have watched the news for years. As Ueno's president, I keep very abreast of current events, and I now see the same style infecting legitimate journalists and news organizations, who find they can no longer make a living by merely informing the public, but must outrage and scare them. In some cases, it's legitimately warranted, but elements like extremists or conspiracy theorists latch on to it, and the result is a diminishment of the public's trust in society as a whole.)"
Matoi shrugged. "(Well, the article about breast milk sounded amusing. Samuel may be interested.)"
Daishi suppressed his laugh, then unsuppressed it. "(Still, I'm ashamed you had to see this. It's uncivilized.)"
There is always an element of oddness interacting with Daishi, for especially in these years, he frequently portrayed himself as who he believed he should have been rather than who he was. His essence and appearance overlapped yet did not fully coincide.
Matoi read out the headlines. "How to find a hostess girlfriend - for life. The soar of virtual reality and male hormones."
"The what?" said Mia, and the formerly clueless lesbian's eyes widened at the pictures. "Oh!"
"(Next article, please.)" laughed Daishi. "(Most of these are on celebrities.)"
"(I thought so.)" As Matoi flipped back through it, she paused on their article again.
Samuel looked over. "So I'm not in there."
Matoi's rank #1 had not transferred over. Yet as she read through it, she realized something and muttered it out: "These have our fucking Revenants."
"What?" said Marisa. "The abilities?"
"Names and abilities." Matoi relayed it in Japanese to Daishi, who agreed that the magazines should be destroyed for posing a threat to law enforcement. (After this arc ended, there was a long court case, at the end of which a meagre fine was levied.) He called Ueno's students and told them & the four three phrases: one to ask for a store's stock of said magazine, the second for justification, and the third for where to direct complaints.
Keeping with his general demeanor to nationalize all he observed, Daishi felt embarrassed on his country's behalf and invited the four to an upscale restaurant later that night. Sometime while they were ordering, Daishi had asked Matoi if she had any family she was planning on visiting while she was in Japan.
"(No, I was not.)" She shook her head. "(My mother's surviving family no longer lives in Japan, and as for my father's… I don't speak to his side of the family.)"
"(Ah.)" Daishi glanced down at his menu. "(I don't mean to pry, of course. It's... something I've noticed is quite common with Ueno's students, unfortunately, if I understand you correctly. Trouble with their fathers.)"
"(You would be correct.)"
"(Especially with male students, they often anticipate me to be harsh if they struggle with an investigation or must ask for advice, but... I suppose I haven't inherited my own father's sense of austerity. In fact, I once had a student confide in me that he despised how his father was always a Father, rather than his father, if that makes sense.)"
"(It does. It's still by vote, isn't it? Ueno's presidency?)"
"(Yes, although I chose my own vice president. Suzu -- I would have introduced her to you all, but there's been an illness in her family, recently.)"
Matoi glanced down her menu. "(I assume choosing a female vice-president was controversial.)"
"(Unfortunately, yes.)"
"Matoi, what's this?" said Marisa, pointing at something on her menu.
"Black sesame ice cream."
"Okay. Second question: what's sesame?"
"Sesame seeds?"
"...okay. Third question--"
"Er, I'll explain it to her, Matoi."
Matoi resumed her conversation with Daishi. "(Did any Ueno students have an issue with it?)"
"(Actually, there was resistance from some members of the staff. I don't wish to mention who, but there were some... disagreements. They still won't speak to Suzu as a superior, but neither of us thought it would be useful to further belabor it.)"
It was precisely this conflict-avoidance she disliked in Japanese culture, Matoi thought. What use was power without expending it? She has always felt it was better to erect oneself no matter the cost of another's opinion or glare.
"Marisa, do you remember what was on the burgers we had earlier?" panted Mia, aghast. "The buns?"
"Yeah, but how do they make ice cream with that?"
Mia frowned. "…wait. That's a good question. Matoi, how do they-"
- the windows burst open in dozens of showers of glass, enormous thorned vines following behind; the five shot up, Daishi ripping his phone out -
"(Junpei!)" shouted Daishi. "(Kotaro - two floors.)"
A pause, new vines entering by the second, civilians ducking under the tables.
"(What? …yes, you can't enter?)" He nodded. "(We'll manage, then. Keep yourself safe.)" He hung up. "Junpei - cannot arrive. (He says there's white foam covering the entire building - a Revenant.)"
"Junpei can't evacuate - Elite Four!" shouted Matoi, voice whipping. "There's a white foam Revenant outside! First floor - tell the civilians - jitto shite - daijobu dakara!"
"Jeetoshi - daijobu dah-cara." nodded Mia, fire scarabs flying below; Samuel&Marisa clutched tight to her -
- and fell with her to the first floor as she disintegrated a hole through, landing on one man's table, civilians not yet privy -
"Urasadia! Jeetoshi - daijobu dah-cara!" shouted Mia -
- and sighed as every civilian she saw gave her eyes odd -
" - what are you trying to say?" shouted a man's voice behind - " - I speak English!"
"Stay down and you'll be alright!" shouted Mia, and she heard the man reply; "Jitto shite - daijobu dakara!"
"…isn't that what I said?" she muttered, civilians ducking under their tables.
With no time to waste, the three leaped off and to the floor, lobby on the other end; Mia started her running as Marisa&Samuel stayed behind, scarabs and sword drawn as she rushed up to the front door, white foam covering the windows from the outside.
A sweep of gold went through the door -
- and she sighed aghast as she felt the white foam outside, starting to harden and swallow her sword; with a wince, a single fire scarab lit her sword blue -
- and turned the foam to white molten liquid, burning in an instant the front doors down; pulling her burning sword out, she stepped carefully back -
- and saw the foam seep in through the aperture, covering the room and starting to grow as it dripped on the floor, and in the next instant -
- four tendrils burst out of the foam and shot to her hands&wrists, hardening as they gripped her tight -
" - Worldwide!"
- but a swarm of fire&ice scarabs watered her wrists, turning her slippery as she thrashed out of their grip, still dripping as she ran back across the room. Her eyes glanced back and saw the foam growing over the droplets of water. Halting quick and sword turning electrical, she bashed the ground -
- a dozen bolts of lighting erupted outward, and as they hit the growing ooze -
- the current scorched through the foam, scarring and wounding it as it retreated to the front wall. Another dozen tendrils shot towards her -
- and she swept with the speed of light away, wall of ice blocking her exit and vision as the tendrils shot for her again -
- and stopped suddenly in their tracks, flailing blindly, Mia groaning as she realized it.
'It's not an automatic Revenant. The host is in the dining room.'
And on the second floor, the two presidents had already found their foe two hundred feet away, civilians already sleeping at their half-eaten plates. A new swarm of vines shot towards the two -
- but a swift missile blasted each in to chunks of green gore; fear in their branches, the remaining vines retreated, decapitated stumps regrowing as the two started their rush forward. A rumbling began underneath the floor, and in the next instant -
- a dozen vines carrying electrical wires burst out of the ground; gripping Matoi's legs, the electrical current claimed her body -
- and she laughed as Wedding's laser trimmed every last weed, electricity eternally useless.
"(You should have read the tabloids.)"
The two started their rush unimpeded again, passing by tables and seeing their foe backing against the wall ahundred feet ahead; the floor began to rumble again, and in the next instant -
- a dozen new electrical vines shot to Daishi -
- but the next scene was instant.
" - Kiseru!" he shouted, sweeping a plate of eel off the table beside, puff of black gas filling it as it took the hit for him -
- and absorbed every last current, tumors on the suddenly electrical&dead animal's body, lightning bolts bursting outwards -
- and charring to bits the green army around. New weapon readied, he swept it to the floor -
- but sighed to find no wires in the floor. Above, the two heard new vines erupt out of the ceiling, roots growing and cracking, roof buckling in and starting to collapse -
"( - do you mind property damage?)" laughed Matoi -
"( - go ahead!)" said Daishi, almost eager for the spectacle -
- and the next scene was instant. A volley of missiles flew from Wedding's shoulders, constant line of explosive projectiles erupting out of her armor, hundreds and hundreds of micromissiles flying around and above -
- and blasting the entire roof to bits, rubble turned miniscule as hundreds and hundreds of explosives burst outward -
- and leaving two laughing as the shockwaves blasted the debris to the clear streets below, smoke and embers thrown aside in its wake, one final chunk of rubble left to fall on the two -
- just in time for a final shockwave to blast it ahead; the man instinctively threw his arm out -
- and the keen end smashed in to their foe's skull, knocking him unconscious in an instant, leaving two laughing as they rushed up.
"(Good.)" laughed Daishi, and a puff of purple haze filling the man's nostrils. "(I shall stay back here, in case another comes.)"
"(Enjoy.)" laughed Matoi, and an explosion below brought her to the first floor -
- and a bizarre scene met her stare fifty feet ahead, Marisa holding a Boudoir coffin covered in frayed wires, civilians unconscious, Mia with electrical sword readied, Samuel with a set of new wires.
"Maybe now." he sighed, ghastly hands dipping the new set inside, Boudoir opening to allow the conductors in -
" - now!" shouted Marisa, and the two threw their hands off -
- another bash of electrical sword claimed the coffin -
" - god - fuck!" groaned Mia, still feeling the foam-man thrashing inside. Matoi stayed still, watching the spectacle, three oblivious facing away.
"How strong was that?" sighed Samuel, new set of wires readied.
"A billion volts." sighed Mia. "I could try higher, but - it might kill him -"
- and Matoi laughed as she walked up - " - how long have you been doing this?"
The three turned, coffin still thrashing.
"… a few minutes." murmured Mia. "He's, er… appears to be immune to electricity."
Matoi laughed. "Daishi will handle it, then."
"Thanks, President Matoi." said Samuel.
Matoi brought Daishi and his cargo back, and a puff of purple gas filled the coffin. Marisa unearthed the unconscious body a few minutes later, and Kiseru kept their two foes sleeping while they waited for the civilians to awake.