Iris learned that Natasha was a rather regimented mentor, partially because a bit of structured freedom was what she had needed to construct around herself. It was strict, difficult training that Iris never gave any pushback to. Natasha figured that if she gave Iris, generally, her own training schedule, then she would either fulfill it or drop out.
Iris could hear her uncle now: 'It's hard work, damnit. *Life* is hard work!'
Whenever they would go out, she would teach Iris how to steal and get around the tricks businesses set up against students. Iris was conflicted, for she related small businesses to her uncle, but the general acceptance of legal immunity means students enter Urasaria honorable and leave it kleptomaniacs.
She showed Iris out to a local beer garden named 'Stone Butch Brews', where no men are allowed and no men are hired. It's almost certainly illegal, but who would prosecute the favored hangout of female students? It had been trashed a few years ago as a result of one student's relationship tumbling, and the ensuing insults thrown between past girlfriend and the next, but many students pitched in to reconstruct the building.
President Swarm had once chased a host here and disintegrated him while leaving a single hole in the outside wall -- now memorialized by a plaque beneath it. Another photo posted was of the owner and Mia in her presidential outfit, that was imbued with all the importance of a portrait of Christ to a Catholic family. Not once, EVER, did the owner set up in the morning without looking at that photo.
But regardless of the parasocial and possibly sexual relationship of the owner to students, her biggest problem was Salvatore Tranghese. By his name alone he was always assumed to be part of the Mafia. He represented the Marivelli Family and seemed a high-ranking lieutenant, though she was never quite certain.
Six years ago, he had shaken her down for protection money and parlayed it into controlling much of her finances. She had fled and managed to scrounge up enough money to live in the cheap shitholes near Urasaria, yet they soon found her again. Rather than killing her, Salvatore had been the one to suggest they loan her some money to run a business specifically targeted at students. If they weren't killing students, why not profit off them? He knew the American way: profit before ethics and that even a dumbass can achieve their dream.
So, she was thrust deep in a world she couldn't understand, and there ends her relevance for now.
Many in the mafia actually loved students, so long as they weren't being murdered by them. They would discuss students like children & men over 30 discuss football players, and the disintegration of Kirihara Kishor had pleased many circles. These were still wife-beaters who killed for money and sold drugs to kids, mind, but no rogue likes to feel too evil.
Presently, Iris was washing her hands in the bathroom. She noticed another student beside her doing the same, her hands lifted to her face. Her placeholder Urasaria badge read: 'Elizabeth'. Iris thought at first she was rinsing her eyes -- then realized she was drinking sink water out of her hands.
Iris just avoided her for now.
She went back outside and scanned the patio, seeing if there were any women who looked like they were alright being approached. In her younger years she had felt that typical lesbian anxiety towards approaching other women; yet she figured anyone here was obviously open to talk, so long as she was not overbearing.
A woman was sitting alone, reading a book. Her hair was dark-pink & black, and she wore a ruffle-necked blouse with jeans.
Partially because she was the only one without a drink, Iris approached her. "Hi, my name's Iris. Feel free to tell me off if I'm bothering you, but would it be alright if I sat here?"
The woman took out her metal earplugs, looked up, and smiled. "Hello, I'm sorry. Were you saying something?"
"I just found it interesting that you were reading a book. Alright if I sit down with you?"
She pat the seat beside her and Iris sat down. "What are you reading?"
The woman re-checked what she was reading. "Dostoyevsky's 'Crime and Punishment'. The criticism of religion is a little simplistic, but I suppose it wouldn't be a Russian classic if there weren't good to it. I'm sorry: I'm sure that comes off a little snooty."
"It's alright. Sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Iris."
"Amelie." She smiled. "Oh, and since I'm sure you're curious: I'm mostly reading here, of all places, because I didn't actually have a choice to be here. A friend pulled me out here. I don't usually like crowds. Actually, I was thinking about leaving before you approached me - but I don't mind you staying."
"I can keep you company."
"I might like that. I notice you have a bit of an accent - are you from the south?"
"Tennessee, so just about. I lived there for twenty years, but I just moved here recently. It's nice having a lesbian bar so close by. We didn't have one where I used to live -- always had to go to the gay ones."
"And even there, there aren't many lesbians."
"Right. Try to talk to another woman there and half the time you'll get 'I'm straight'. They should make it so they have to wear visitor badges."
Amelie laughed. "I wouldn't mind that, but I don't necessarily mind them so long as they're not... disruptive. They're mostly avoiding the type of men who go to straight clubs. Or so I've been told: I've never been to one myself. It's rare I go out in the first place."
"I can understand that. Only time I went to a straight club, I had to deal with this guy putting his hands on my ass, and... and, uh. But, I also happen to be a Urasaria student, so what I did was-"
"Oh, I'm also a student." Amelie showed her badge in her pocket.
Iris was embarrassed. "I- oh. Are you a first-year?"
"I am." she nodded. "I noticed you the first day, or... well, I noticed your spider Revenant. And actually, since you are a student, I can admit that my mentor was the one who dragged me out here, of course."
"So did mine." lied Iris. "And the spider's name is Phantom."
"May I see her?"
"Of course." Iris showed her her spider.
"Mm. You know, before my activation, I might've thought something like that is gross. I'm not quite sure what I feel about it now."
"Are you pretty desensitized?"
"Incredibly desensitized, actually. Sometimes too much against myself. You know, it isn't exactly the best when I see a chainsaw and have to hold away the urge to imagine my body being ground underneath it."
"Is it that often you see a chainsaw?"
"Almost daily. It's growing to be the most common way I kill Revenants." She glanced at Iris. "Now, were you about to tell me about how you crippled a pervert with your Revenant?"
"Only if it would impress you."
Amelie smiled. "Well, I do find you a little endearing. I'd love to hear it."
Iris embellished it this time, as she was already growing used to Urasaria and its values. "I used when he slammed the car-door earlier on him. Red mist spurted out of his hand, and he hurdled over. Never before have I seen a more abject look of human misery on a man's face."
Amelie laughed. "Well, he was probably some sort of serial sex pest. I doubt you were the first woman he did it to. Criminals often have a pattern of behavior like that, and each time they aren't shamed or punished, it amplifies them."
"You sound a little bit like a psychiatrist." prodded Iris.
"Oh, I just know quite a bit about mental health." Amelie looked off. "Has that happened again since you received your badge? I usually don't wear it in public, but I'm sure it has its advantages for preventing sexual harassment."
"No, it hasn't. Why? Are you worried about getting attacked?"
"I'm always worried. But yes. And I suppose part of me is still a bit uncomfortable with the fear, or respect, that my being a host engenders in some people." Amelie smiled. "Well, I really should get going, mentor or not. Let me, um... give me your phone." She entered her number in it. "And you can even call it to make sure I haven't given you a fake number."
Iris did so and smiled. "Like that?"
"Like that."
'That was easy.' thought Iris. "Will you be alright walking home alone? Revenants?"
"Oh, no, I'll be alright. I move quickly. Delinquent." Amelie stood up, flashed her metal, dark-pink & black legs, underneath which wheels formed. She skated out.
Iris could not tell if she had non-Revenant legs, but she was cute and seemed intelligent. She went back over to Natasha and asked how she had been doing.
"Oh, nobody's approached me." Natasha slipped her parka back on. "Man, isn't that some shit? I get hit on when I don't want to, now I can't get hit on when I do. Am I not attractive enough anymore to get sexually harassed?"
"Ironic." nodded Iris, relevantly. "I did get that woman's number, at least. She seems nice."
"Yeah, I saw. Is she a student? 'Cuz you can't bring her back to Urasaria if she isn't."
"She's a first-year. Her name is Amelie."
"Oh damn. Nice. Who's her mentor? I bet I can get them to come hunting with us next time."
"I don't know."
"Damn. Well, I'll find out for you. You ready to head back and get dinner?"
"You don't want to eat here?"
"You know I don't eat carbs."
Iris shrugged and they went off. But just as Iris had filed away Amelie's face, so too had another woman there filed away Natasha's face.
Natasha & Iris spent some time deciding on a restaurant and eventually settled on a local wing joint, after which they walked out onto a normal street to head back to Natasha's car.
"No soda, either?"
"No soda."
"I've never met someone so strict with their diet before."
"Most people lack discipline. They don't want any discomfort and it ensures their lives are filled with it." Natasha shrugged. "Yeah, I'd like some pasta or soda or cake, but it would fuck my physique and then I'd walk around miserable for the other 23 hours. A bit of controlled misery is best for yourself."
Iris nodded as they started down this sidewalk, and in the next instant -
- four guillotine pendulums appeared in four directions around them; Iris ducked -
- but a gust of wind blasted Natasha & her up into the air, pendulums swinging at nothing below; another gust of wind blasted themselves across the street and deposited them there, their backs to a glass storefront as they glanced around for their foe.
"They hang low. Don't duck -- counter." said Natasha quickly and Iris nodded.
Another guillotine came crashing through the glass behind, but Phantom reverted the glass and kept it embedded within; another pendulum came swinging at them from ahead -
" - Meteorology!" shouted Natasha, blasting it with her wind -
- forcing the guillotine at their back out of her prison; Iris dodged left and slowed it with Phantom's pressure, but when it sliced into Natasha's back it left a gash that would stay until healing; she winced, stumbled to the side and kept herself steady, as a supersharp hand of cards came flying at them from ahead -
- and the next scene was instant.
A swift tornado covered Natasha and captured the projectiles, yet they still broke through the wind and threatened her skin; Meteorology parted for Phantom's manipulation, and a strong counter-current of wind slammed into the cards and sent them back to sender as they sidestepped the next set of pendulums.
"Up -- strands, keeping the two tethered --" - said Natasha - " - moving one will move the other -"
Iris could barely make out the guillotine's strand, but hit it with a superheated blast -
- igniting the strands left on herself & Natasha into flames -
- but Phantom grabbed the oxygen it was feeding on and accelerated its decomposition to nothing; the flames died without any food, only a few wounds as they staggered to the side with no sight of their foe yet.
Natasha glanced back. "Guillotines from earlier disappeared. He's range-peeking: doubt he's anywhere close."
"Time to bring him to us?" said Iris, having gone over this technique & its counter with her before.
Natasha nodded, planted her two legs upright and turned right, then began running up the sidewalk; Iris followed at her side, and more guillotine pendulums were swinging a few seconds behind their step; they still hadn't yet figured out the full Revenant.
"Ugh, he's going to avoid the bar, too, because he'd get destroyed by every student that's there. If he took five steps there he'd end up looking like Russia."
Iris glanced back and saw a supersharp card flying at them from above, a single strand dripping out of it -
- and a guillotine pendulum dropping from it to slice into them at much faster speeds -
" - Meteorology!" shouted Natasha; a geyser of snow covered the pendulum and Phantom cooled it to ice -
- and the blunt projectile slammed Iris into the ground but didn't kill her, and as she rolled with her back on the ground, more cards were dripping wax-covered strands onto her from above, twisting around her legs and slowing her ascent as she tried to get up & failed.
She saw Natasha reach out for her, but another sweeping guillotine blocked her from her protege; she needed to figure this counter solo. Hefting herself up with some effort, Iris slammed her arm into the road as Phantom reverted the asphalt to tar; it stuck to her body over the strings, and as Phantom accelerated time to harden it -
- with one motion she peeled the solid tar off of her and took all of the strands off with it, if for a small price of skin. She stood renewed again, but another guillotine came towards them; a geyser of snow covered it and Phantom cooled it to ice -
- and the blunt projectile broke one of her ribs when it slammed into her chest; her breathing was still a little strained when they made their way back to the sidewalk. Natasha placed her hand on her back, checking her quickly for any serious wound. "Okay?"
"O-Okay. Not doing that again."
"Yeah."
Phantom accelerated the air in her lungs, trying to help her grab more oxygen per breath; another flush of sharp cards came flying towards them and Natasha's wind blasted them up to a nearby bar's roof, keeping them safe as the cards sliced through the wall below.
"If the guillotines have strands, that means they're hanging off something, right?" said Natasha.
Iris nodded.
Ahead, they saw another guillotine hanging off from a flying card 75ft above them; it was approaching fast but was out of Meteorology's range, so Iris shouted for Phantom for the next instant scene. The air slowed & cooled around the flying card, and the cold air began to sink; Phantom accelerated its drop and the card slammed into the ground below with a skid, the guillotine smashing into pieces as it hit the road.
They stepped to the side, and Iris glanced back to see this building had a glass roof-window at the top & back. Another guillotine & card trick came in ahead, but was about 10ft off from hitting them. Another was 15ft, the next was 5ft as they continued to dodge.
"The host isn't l-looking at us." whispered Iris and Natasha nodded.
"Yep. He saw us come up here, but not where we are now."
Iris felt mentally all the glass in the area, and reverted their innards to sand to clog up their vision The attacks paused, and they kept themselves low, glancing back to the formerly-glass window there.
"Maybe?" whispered Natasha, and as Iris nodded -
- a royal flush burst up below Iris and sliced all the fingers on her right hand off; she winced and her jaw grit, but she had the angle of the host below now; the roof collapsed into rubble ahead & left, and with another rot the two landed feet-first into this divebar -
- just in time to hear the pained scream of their host, trapped underneath rubble in the corner; cards were slashing through it from the inside, a masked man freeing himself as he saw them and shouted for Sleight-of-Hand -
- and a card entered Iris's back from behind -
- but Natasha turned and slammed her first into the man wielding it behind her; he died in a puff of blue smoke and another guillotine came at them from ahead, for the next instant scene.
Natasha glanced up and saw its strand, tying it to another behind her; if she hit it with her wind then she would slam the other into her back, but had little else in this instant -
- a gust of wind shot Iris into the right wall as a sharp wind sliced apart the strand's knot, and a second defused the guillotines; a third wind blasted the strand into their foe in the corner ahead & left and he staggered, a swift tornado gathering up the wooden tables, then smashing them into him -
" - Phantom!" shouted Iris, the air heating around the tables and lighting a single spark -
- and an enormous tongue of flame shot into the man and consumed his body; terrible screams of agony filled the bar as the flames rapidly accelerated to their peak, then were permanently kept there via Phantom. His scream became nearly a whimper as his flesh began a barbequed scent, until he took a super sharp card and cut his hand, one drop of blood hitting his forehead -
- and he escaped the water within to teleport a few feet to the left; another drop of blood and he escaped it into the men's bathroom ahead, badly burnt yet still alive.
Iris caught up with Natasha at the entrance to the men's bathroom, and Meteorology's wind blasted the door off; it was a multi-stall bathroom and he had already disappeared, no sight of their foe but for the closed stalls.
"Hiding in a stall." muttered Natasha, seeing no exit carved up ahead.
Iris remembered a known trick of her's: Phantom could manipulate civilians' clothes yet not that of hosts, for a reason she would only later learn. Phantom peered through eternity and grabbed all of the clothes in this room, reverting them all onto their rightful owners -- except one she could not. Several curses & wails came from the stalls of men mid-shit and from men mid-piss, but she pointed out the last stall on the left to Natasha.
Phantom could feel the toilet within, and how its water shifted as a boot imprinted itself into it -
- but all the water in the area accelerated & evaporated; they rushed up to the stall and Natasha slammed the door open, seeing him standing with one leg on the toilet, but before she could react -
- he slammed the door back in on himself and Iris felt a presence in the stall behind; its door opened -
- then closed -
- and all around them the stalls began shaking, doors slamming closed & leaving doppelgangers of the man in their wake; a single bolt of white lightning sufficed to dispatch them, yet they still had no sight of their foe as he planned for his next strike.
"Civilians, this is a Urasaria student speaking! Hit the ground!" shouted Natasha, then whispered her plan to Iris as they backed up against the wall.
Phantom repaired the doors shut and closed every vent in the area. It peered into the pipes leading out, and rotted them away as Natasha began Meteorology's vacuum. A wind appeared and dimmed; all air in the area was gathered near Iris's lungs and would go no further.
A few civilians started to gasp, and Iris felt the lack of air at their lips using Phantom. Tentatively, she reverted some oxygen into it. She backed up against the wall with Natasha, as no sound penetrated and the bathroom fell silent but for their lungs' intake.
She searched for clothes again, and could feel the host in the last stall on their left again... no doors opened. If it was a trap, they couldn't trigger anything that might let him escape.
"Iris." whispered Natasha. "Pipes?"
Phantom felt through the plumbing system of this bathroom again as the vacuum continued. Carefully, it rotted and reconfigured its structure, melting & hardening its metal into new positions. The host was still trying to flush the toilet to bring himself more water, but he would have to respond within 15 minutes of no breath as a host.
Strands of magician's wax rose out of his stall and into the ceiling.
"Got it." said Iris.
Natasha nodded. Phantom reverted all the water back into the area as the vacuum ceased, and they heard a pained shout of Sleight-of-Hand as he escaped through the water -
- then burst up right in front of them out of the pipe Iris had laid previously; he stared in charred stupidity for a moment until Natasha slammed her arm into his gut, then grabbed him and charged with him to the opposite wall; it amused Iris how his limbs flailed as Natasha slammed him into the bathrom's mirror, bits of glass shooting through his body until -
- he grabbed one shard of glass, and his form began to blur as he tried to escape through it -
- but it dissolved into sand between his fingers and Natasha's punch to his skull dissipated his masked face into blood & mush. She discarded him to the side with a smile and glance back at Iris, her muscular arms dripping with blood & entrails like a lesbian's dream.
Iris came up to Natasha, but the next scene was instant. A set of dark hands burst out of his right palm and grabbed his heart -
- then pulled it below the ground and it was gone, Natasha cursing as she stepped back with her empty tablet. "I- fuck, what the hell?"
"A s-second Revenant?"
"Yeah, it's gotta be -- man, what the fuck." Natasha frowned. "Looks like it was taking it back, or something. Let's head back quick and I'll let Kate know, okay? She has this whole book she keeps of Revenants. Maybe somebody else has seen that."
Iris chronoshifted -15 seconds, but frowned as the heart did not come back. It was usually up to the strength of the other host whether she could chronoshift their Revenant or not. She was still missing all her fingers on her right hand, grimacing a bit as she shoved it into her pocket.
"Hey, lemme check you first." Natasha checked over Iris. "Aside from the fingers and rib, feeling okay? Can you last the time limit, or should I wind us back to Urasaria?"
Iris nodded. "I-I'll be alright."
"Alright. I keep compression stuff in my car, so that'll help you until Flickendecke can work."
===
Urasaria's presidency is often an amplifier: abusive students become more prone to random outbursts of violence, arrogant students become more domineering, and intense students like President Kate resolve it better to be feared. She knew she could not garner the same respect President Swarm had, so she had redirected her energy otherwise.
"Here." Kate slid a sheet of paper across her desk to them. "That's Sleight-of-Hand. You aren't the first students to fight it."
[SLEIGHT-OF-HAND: Magician-themed. Teleportation behind closed doors or glass; use of magician's wax; sharpened deck of cards used as projectiles; conjuration of doppelgangers; can escape any body of water; conjuration of pendulum guillotines.]
"God damn." muttered Iris.
"As for the dark hands you mentioned, that's particular to hosts associated with the Marivelli Family. Their Revenants are reclaimed after death. Report it to me when it happens and I'll enter in one kill for you. Lie and I'll demote you twice that."
"Doesn't that mean they can accumulate Revenants? An entire mafia family with Revenants?" said Natasha.
"They're limited by how many carriers they have -- people who can host Revenants but aren't born with one. It doesn't mean they can pick up any thug up off the streets and make them a host. There's about one carrier for every ten hosts, so my intuition would be that they're transferring their dead hosts' Revenants into their carriers."
"So they're limited."
"Mostly, but there's a reason most other Families have gone extinct and they haven't." said Kate. "If they're operating in this area, again, I suppose they have a reason. The FBI has a host division that usually handles mafia investigations: I'll see if they can let you in on it. Any questions? Good. Dismissed."