[Note: These are longer chapters.]
[ARC 12.5: HAIR VS HAIR]
Alright, it's time to break away from the main students you've read about so far, and follow somebody who was only officially relevant to Mia's life in a secondhand sort of way, months after this summer.
Her name is Kate White, and she was a student in Serena's first year who went by the hero name 'Anagen': the first phase of hair growth. This name was often spoken in conjunction with Serena's Miasma, whether by lesbians who despised the two for 'not belonging' at Urasaria, or in comparing the two best first-years who made an artform of violence.
Kate was a thinking predator in comparison to Serena. She enjoyed not only killing criminals & torturing them, but in showing that her mind worked a dimension ahead of their own: a physical & mental sadist. In her entire Urasaria career, there was only one case she never solved and it wasn't this one. Crime to Kate was a moral defect that came from beasts impelled by their nature, not reason, and from out of this defect, she spawned like a reptilian creature shattering the skyscrapers of Tokyo. She had no desire to know why men were flexed by impulses of rape, murder and violence, and as a female student she became notable for one of the few who kept good relations with civilian police.
So given Serena's issues with civilian police, it's no coincidence she disliked Kate from the bat. Her first memory of Kate was overhearing her arguing with another student, saying something like: "Hey, lady, I don't care whatever the hell you think about me personally, but I'm not goddamn trespassing on anything by working at the same place you do. If just me being here throws you in to a conniption, that says more about what you think Urasaria is than me. It's a job."
This bothered Serena, not because Kate had no idealization of Urasaria - Serena also saw it as just a job - but because she had no clue what 'conniption' meant, yet Mia did when she asked her later. This feeling of ignorance reminded her of when she had nearly failed a grade in highschool, that remained with her not because it proved she was stupid: but that she was only four points away from it. This was perhaps worse for Serena, for where failure may have engendered passion to change, now she was merely precarious and worried.
Thus before she could remember that Kate also wore a civilian police uniform, something in Serena would seize whenever they were in the same sentence. She felt that others would eventually see the difference in intelligence between them, that Kate realized it, and so needed to preemptively construct a barrier against her.
But all the above is how it often is in life: you construct melodramas which you are not in reality, rearrange events so that you are least at fault, and stitch together threads with no common quality but that you carry both around, sometimes from the minutest of starts.
As Matoi waited for the students she had called up to her office, in the middle of summer, she opened her drawer and continued reading a report she had received from China. Near the end of 2019, an unknown group of people had contracted a new virus from eating an exotic animal, and the current, confidential report stated that the area in which it took place had been "wiped off the face of China" to prevent its spread.
This sounded interesting, she thought. Her authoritarian ear was grabbed by the sound of someone knocking at the door, and she set the report aside. "Come in."
Samuel, Mia & Serena stepped inside.
"Kate apologizes for being late. She said she'll just be a minute." said Samuel as they sat down.
"Er, where's Marisa?" said Mia.
Matoi shrugged. "She's recovering in the infirmary - she broke her spine the other day. Someone's missiles accidentally collapsed a house on her."
Mia frowned. "It only took one?"
"Well, the first nine floors weren't an issue, it was the tenth." Matoi looked at Mia & Samuel. "Before I forget, remember that we have our meeting with staff in August. Think of any proposals you have for Urasaria: extra facilities, accomodations, the like."
"Please pay us more." said Serena and Mia laughed.
"I can agree to that." said Samuel. "Is that how it goes, then? Proposals?"
Matoi nodded. "They submit a budget to the state, who submits it to the federal government. It won't be Congress that's the issue - they'll pass anything Urasaria asks for. It's staff."
"Are you saying we shouldn't be too ambitious?" said Mia.
Matoi shook her head. "No, be as ambitious as you like. It'll be clearer once we're in the room."
Someone knocked at the door and Matoi told them to enter. Kate stepped inside. Her black hair grew and pulled over a chair for herself as she sat down. "I apologize for my tardiness, President Rain-On-A-Wedding."
"It's alright." she said. "It's simple, regardless -- there's a host who's been involved in numerous thefts and robberies in Pennsylvania. Apparently, they delayed calling Urasaria until they already had his address and picture." She showed her tablet. "To be honest, it's below all four of your experiences, but I'm assigning you to ensure it's done correctly. I never realized how incompetent some students are until the past months. They often feel inferior, yet they're entirely unaware why."
Serena coughed in to her own arm a few times and felt nervous over how male it sounded. Her eyes exited her sleeve and saw Kate's brow resetting: if she had noticed anything she did not show it.
"It's a three hour drive for one host?" said Mia.
"I told you there wouldn't be any more favoritism in assigning contracts." Matoi smirked. "I'm sure you'll do fine."
"I didn't appreciate what I had." she muttered.
(No longer could she spank herself a better assignment: or promise it later.)
"If Matoi had a girlfriend, she'd give her a gift for Valentine's Day and expect it back with interest next year." said Samuel.
Kate snickered.
"It wouldn't be fair otherwise." said Matoi. "Regardless, I have another contract left to assign for today, and I'll likely give it to Kirihara: if any of you see her, I would be very grateful if you could either rudely let her know or put your fist through her skull."
"She's still a pain?" said Samuel.
"Remember what I said about students feeling inferior? She's surprisingly competent, but she doesn't let that prevent her from lashing out like someone who isn't."
The four left with that, and as they were walking, Kate placed her hands over her face. Samuel glanced to her. "You disguising for it?"
"Figure I'll get it out of the way." Split's hairhand started pricking at her brow. "Oh, Swarm, Miasma. This is something I do every contract. It isn't much for comfort, but it keeps me from getting attacked when I'm out without it." Kate's hands went over her own face, and Split's hair started pricking her brow.
"Are you growing a beard?" said Serena.
Mia winced as she saw a few of the hairs burrow inside Kate's face: they didn't come back out. "O-Oh God."
"Voice is... too high... for a beard, but..." Split released Kate's face, which had changed to puffed androgynous. "Only thing is it hurts like a bitch when it comes out. Haven't gotten the voice down yet, either -- I was thinking there might be something I could do with my vocal cords for it."
"Um, we're not doing that, right?" said Serena.
"No, just for herself." said Samuel. "We tried it once for an investigation, and I decided that if we solved it, I wasn't ever going to try it again. We did and I didn't."
They used Kate's car for the trip. The address led to a riverside apartment; Mia & Serena waited on the third floor while Kate & Samuel waited at the top of the stairwell to the fourth floor, where he lived. Staying there for a few minutes, Kate heard a *ding* in the hallway behind them and turned -
"-oh, god damnit, he took the elevator." she sighed.
Fifty feet separated them from their lazy foe beginning to walk towards them. Kate paused for a second and her & Samuel walked in his direction. Passing by his apartment door, they came 30ft within, and in the next instant -
- he threw his right hand out & forward, and a dozen globs of slime flew at the two -
- but an Outcast-fist hit the wall and ghastly hands tore the shards out to block the slimes; the two sidestepped as the shards burst in to flames, continuing their forward rush at him. 15ft separating them, Split's hairhand formed and rushed a punch at him -
- but retreated as he slipped against the wall and swept back in the direction they had just been, steady trail of slime left behind as the two turned to face his back running away. Outcast's armor formed, Samuel stepped forward and caught a puddle of slime with his boot; beside, he saw the trail leading to their foe ahead, and his eyes turned up just in time to see a lit match thrown in to it -
- and into fire he burst with little damage done, grunting with few signs of pain; beside, Split's hairblade sliced the trail in half and the fire retreated from Samuel's armor. As they rushed forward, Kate glanced up as Split wrung itself out -
- but more tears of goo dripped off of it and on to her right arm, and a strand reconnected to the still-blazing trail, riling her arm in to flames -
- but a hairpalm beat the devil out of it until it was gone, another hairscissor cutting its sister away before it could succumb to the flame.
Ahead, their foe had reached the stairwell, his right arm gone and his shoulder dripping ooze. Split's fist slammed the left wall and ghastly hands grabbed the shards that came out, fashioning them sharper & sharper -
"-Outcast!" shouted Samuel, ghastly hands throwing threw javelins forward -
- but the man's gooey left caught all three -
- missing the fourth that landed right through his crotch and went out the other end, its path having deliberately been delayed; he screamed like a woman in mortal agony as he staggered back, panted, wheezed, then vaulted over the side of the railing to hit the third floor below.
- missing the one that centers right on his crotch and goes out the other orifice; he screams like a woman in mortal agony as he staggers back, panting, vaulting himself over the side of the railing and hitting the third floor below.
"God made man, Smith & Wesson made them equal, Samuel & Kate made them women." muttered Kate, running through the doorway -
- and a strand of ceiling-slime caught on her right arm; she turned to vault, but the rest of it fell on her hand - instantly she started to feel woozy. Staggering with her hand on the rail, she released after a second, then tripped over down the stairs and her face slammed against the concrete at the bottom, groaning as she sat up to face the third-floor entrance ahead. Only one of her legs moved when she tried to stand; she crumpled back and her head hit the rail, her lips slurring out something about alcohol.
Samuel caught up with her and tried to wipe the slime off her arm, but one hair-finger stopped him, then shot in to Kate's arm and burrowed; in the next instant -
- one hair-finger burst back out of Kate's arm, leaving a gaping hole but carrying all the slime that'd been in her pores. She stood up again and they pursued their foe in to the third-floor hall; his legs were thinning, and he had left a trail of ooze behind, glancing back to them as he passed by a human-shaped lump on the wall -
- and out of it came a white Solar Beam that disintegrated his back half, and his front half skid to the floor leaking blood & guts as his life left a crimson trail in its retreat.
Mia disintegrated her & Serena's cocoon and smiled to Kate as her & Samuel walked up. Serena healed Kate's wound. "Did you need him alive?"
"No, that's a good way to deal with it." Kate smirked as she glanced down at her tablet. "Few stolen items were listed here, too. Might be in his apartment." Split's hair grabbed the man's corpse, and they went up to his apartment to search for the stolen items; they found the television and a few other consumer electronics easily.
As they were leaving with them, Kate glanced back and noticed something unright with the couch. She stopped the others, who followed her as she went back inside and checked near the couch. Samuel asked her if she had found something, and she shook her head affirmatively as she gathered up something from the carpet: a bit of torn black hair.
"Far as I remember, this wasn't his hair color." She held it up. "It isn't mine, and it's too long to be one of... Serena's, either." She glanced over to the bedroom door, around which were some signs of recent wear. "Think those marks were there before we started fighting, too."
"You want to stick around and check some more?" said Samuel.
Kate shook her head. "Can leave it to the police to handle -- I'll mention it to them. Might be nothing. I don't mind letting them know, if you'all want to head back to the hotel."
Mia shrugged. "I'd prefer to deal with them as little as possible."
"Hey, they found this host for us, and they might lead us to another. No need to knock 'em."
Mia glanced at Samuel carrying the television, then back to his protege. She liked the former; perhaps this would not be heritable.
Over the next few days, Kate compiled several sources for information in the area, some linked to the police, even as the police had told her that they would look into it themselves. This was a procedure she performed at the beginning of every investigation, regardless of size, to where she had a list for nearly every state by the time she had graduated from Urasaria. She had not heard anything from the police after a few days, so she called them herself.
"You find out anything more about that apartment?"
"Apartment? What are you... oh. Well, what else was there for us to do? We sent two people in to check what you mentioned, and there wasn't anything else indicating any foul play. It might have been one of your's, that hair you found."
"I can guarantee you it wasn't."
"Well, maybe it was one of your other student friends. But regardless, Anagen, there was nothing. Those scratch marks you found had been there for months -- we checked with the landlord. So, if you're still in town, there's no need for you to be. You can head back to Urasaria."
Kate frowned. "I'll be in town for a bit longer. Bye."
"Well, I can't keep you out. Bye."
Kate disguised herself, went over to Mia & Serena's room, where they were already talking with Samuel. She told them she had just gotten off the phone with the police and relayed their conversation.
"But if you can, I'd like it if you all stayed for a couple of days. Something's not sitting with me about that apartment."
"Do you want to re-check it?" said Mia.
Kate nodded. "I do, but by myself. Sorry. Just easier for me if I can investigate something alone -- I don't mean any disrespect by it."
"Um, but what if you run in to a Revenant?" said Serena.
"What if you did?" said Mia, glancing at her.
"Uh, I'd quadruple amputate him."
"Then that's what I'll do." Kate smiled. "Still, isn't very likely for me to get attacked. I'll be disguised for it -- no badge, either."
Disguising herself again with a different face - one more masculine - she drove back out to the riverside complex and went back to his apartment. The door had been left unlocked and the scene hadn't been cleared. First, she checked the carpet near the couch and noticed more marks of struggle leading in to the bedroom, along with a few other strands of hair.
She checked the bedroom. An oiled hair comb was sitting on the nightstand and some foundation had rubbed off on to the pillows. As she crouched to check under the bed, she noticed a snapped golden anklet on the floor and picked it up. She doubted it was his: feminine as she believed today's men were becoming. It seemed an unfortunate fact to her that most civilian men assumed her the type of feminist who would grind their testicles in to powder: even moreso that some wanted her to.
She searched through his drawers and found crumpled half-masses of receipts, underneath which was a journal. She flipped it open, then got through a half-curse before she set it aside. It was filled with symbols, lists in code she couldn't decipher. Before she could get up to check more, she heard the apartment door open; Split pulled her to the wall with no sound, hearing somebody calling out for Santana.
Their footsteps shrank closer, and Kate jumped out with a hairfist ready to rearrange his guts before he screamed & backed away, summoning no Revenant-
"I- god-damnit, you're not a host." Kate sighed, still keeping Split's fist curled. "Who are you?"
"H-Hey, I-I just work here. I-I just got asked to do a wellness check, a-after that fight here yesterday."
"If you're looking for the owner, he's dead. He was a host."
His brow puzzled when he heard Kate's voice. "Oh, y-you're a student."
Kate realized she was not wearing her badge, and showed it with the name covered. "Right. Know anything about the guy who lived here? The one who was in the fight?"
"Y-Yeah, I think his name was... I dunno, it was Spanish or Cuban or something. But he was a total player. Every time I'd see him he'd be with two or three chicks. Even though he was a snooty bastard, they just didn't care at all. Why do chicks do that? They just date assholes like that." (Kate said nothing.) "…I mean, I don't know what they were getting up to here, but they were seriously smoking -- I think he worked with this model place, Slate."
"Did you see him bring anyone with black hair here? Recently?"
"Nah, dude. I mean, that wasn't what I was looking at on those girls, anyway. You probably get what I mean since you're a lesbian and all."
Kate smirked. "Uh-huh."
"Hey, what'd you do with the other dude who lives here, anyway?"
"Who?"
"Well, I never saw them come around here, but they asked me to check if Juno Claus was here. She's on the lease."
Kate arranged the name further back in her head: she doubted she would be turning up soon. "I haven't seen her, either." She held up the anklet. "Any idea who this belongs to?"
"Nah, never seen it before. Looks pretty nice. Maybe it's her's."
"Maybeso." Kate glanced back. "Don't tell anyone I was here, yeah?"
"You got it, lady."
Kate watched him walk out and closed the door. She checked around for another few minutes, and then to herself, took her phone out and called one of her sources. "Hi, Gary. It's Kate. We spoke a few days ago, and I was wondering if you could ID a bit of jewelry for me..."