The three relayed their progress once they'd returned, and though Rayaka's slipperiness gave Mia swap week, they'd return to investigation after. Aimee had asked her to fight with her & Makoto all that weekend, so the scarabwoman had learned enough of Makoto's jokes to find her endearing, if not likable, and come to learn how her & Aimee had met.

After an incident in Aimee's first year, she had chosen Makoto as her same-year protege, partially because she did not know anyone else. Back then, most knew Makoto as a pink-haired brat always snickering like she'd just finished making a dirty joke; three years hadn't changed it much.

Some thought Makoto developed her cynicism after her mother's death, but Aimee didn't put much stock in that. She liked that she was never unaware where someone stood with Makoto: physically or otherwise. Her sexual attitude would've bothered Aimee more if it came from someone whose lips worked properly around women she liked: let alone her hands.

But over time, Makoto's perceived reputation had hardened calluses in to her only Aimee tended to see unfolded. Opinions came from her mind already defensive, and she had reverse-engineered a conceitedness from spouting just the opposite of popular opinion. Whether she even had much confidence Aimee did not know: only that few on campus even mentioned Makoto. She knew from her own public embarrassments that most people did not remember others, and let these dots of the universe blend in the whites of their lives.

Makoto also had an orchestra that usually blew their foes' heads up, if Aimee & Rider's speed didn't slice it off first. Though Mia knew why, she still felt useful when they let her solo fire Revenants, as Worldwide gave her immunity, and Aimee & Makoto credited every kill to her.

Aimee finished scanning on a Sunday street.

"Done." she chimed, and Mia nodded as the three stepped off. "Last one before swap week."

"Yep. Middle of September, too." yawned Makoto, eyes pointing to Aimee. "Jeez. Amazing how time flies, right?"

"I suppose." said Mia. "Er, but - thank you, Aimee. And Makoto."

"Sure thing." said Aimee.

"Super nice president." chimed Makoto. "Sure loves helping students out, right?"

"That's me."

Aimee rolled her eyes at Mia, who laughed but kept her gaze on Makoto to ensure she didn't take the opportunity to look lower than her face. Unbeknownst to Mia, Makoto had stopped once Aimee caught her and gave her a look that nearly singed her skin; she figured it was Aimee's right anyhow.

"Hey, Mia." Makoto grinned as Aimee glanced over. "Iiii was thinking about something."

"...yes?" said Mia.

"So, I was thinking, and I wanted to ask you, if you'd ever, ever be interested -"

" - uh - we should go get dinner -" panted Aimee - " - uh - Mia, do you - dinner?"

"Er, I suppose." nodded Mia. "What were you going to ask, Makoto?"

"…uh. I was gonna ask… Didn't Worldwide's fire used to be red?"

"They - she got stronger." said Aimee. "But - but yeah - dinner. Should get something to eat. Don't want to, uh, bother Luna."

"I'm not hungry." said Makoto.

"I am." said Mia.

"…u-uh." said Aimee. "Just me and Mia, then. That alright?"

Mia nodded, grateful to see Makoto leave. "What should we get?"

"Let me, um, check what's nearby." said Aimee, checking her phone. "In the mood for anything?"

"Whatever's closest." laughed Mia.

'I still haven't fucking asked her out - it's fucking September!' thought Aimee. 'Of course Makoto - fuck. Need to just fucking do it.'

"Um, does this work?" said Aimee, showing her phone.

"It says it's expensive."

Aimee nervously laughed. "U-Um, yeah, but - don't worry. I can pay. Still make $2,000 a month."

"Er, if that's alright." nodded Mia. "I can pay back once I-I have my paycheck."

"You - you don't have to do that, um. My treat, r-right?"

Mia smiled as they set off, and Aimee held the door open for her once they came to the Russian restaurant.

Once they were seated, Mia asked Aimee if it was alright to order steak, and they spoke about their poor salaries until their meals came. Her confidence around Mia had been growing recently, but as she often did, she reacted to positive developments with anxiety. Even if her & Mia did date, she knew these issues would persist. Her teenage years had given her a persistent superstition of jinxing the good out of her life.

Eventually they finished, and Aimee still hadn't asked by the time they walked out, and now there were people blocking her question, so she later lied to Makoto, telling her Mia had asked for time to think it over.

◆◆◆

The next Monday, the prodigal pair separated at the arena. Sylvia stepped beside Mia in the first-year line, the second-years ahead with tablets readied.

"Really hope I don't get Matoi." she winced.

"Why?" whispered Mia. Matoi was the black-haired, thick-eyebrowed Japanese woman she'd seen on her first day.

"Samuel's her protege." said Sylvia. "Guy looks like those old photos from like, the wars and stuff."

"The thousand-yard stare?"

"Yeah, that's it." laughed Sylvia, and the door opened up behind -

- to Samuel's thousand-yard stare as Matoi dragged him in by his neck, two inches wider in two weeks with her.

"Come along, pig!" she shouted. "See who'll fucking take care of you for the week!"

She left her pig with the first-years as she went to the second, Mia wincing away from her gaze.

"…uh. Okay." shrugged Marisa. "Is everyone here?"

The redhead Mia had seen at prison passed by her, coughing as she came in to the second-year line and glanced at Matoi's collarbones. None of the second-years seemed to notice her.

"Make sure you tell Grant you're a lesbian if you get him." whispered Sylvia. "Metal arms."

Lips pinched, Mia nodded as Marisa counted the line.

"Okay." said Marisa. "I have Kirihara -"

" - that's me." grunted one of the women, shoving her way out of the line, spiked sanguine hair. "Let's go."

Marisa led her along. The next second-year was an orange-haired woman, tattered sweater & sweatpants, ponytail messy and eyes drooping.

"…uh. Right." she mumbled, arms close as she checked her tablet. "…Mia, um - Mia Schultz?"

Mia stepped forward.

"Sweet." mumbled the woman. "Uh. Let's go home."

"What?"

The woman started to walk out as the second-years spoke, and Mia heard Matoi speak a doomed man's name as she followed her new mentor.

"Sorry." mumbled the woman. "Just sleepy. I'm Jeanne. Nice to meet you."

"Er, it's nice to meet you as well, but shouldn't we be training?"

Jeanne's head shook like a sloth as they came out to the main hall. "Not right now."

"Then why are we going to your house?"

Anxiety rose up in Jeanne. She had depression and a bad habit of taking people's words like text without any emotion. "Sorry. Just need to take a nap. Uh. You can have some of my tea, if you want."

They came out to the street. "We'll - we'll be training eventually, correct?" said Mia.

"Yeah. Sorry, my… Revenant -" - Jeanne yawned - " - makes me really tired… We'll train. After I nap."

Comprehending none of it, Mia nodded. They came up to one bizarrely lush lawn and came through the home's door to a dark room. She searched for the light switch -

" - wait -" panted Jeanne - " - let me do that - don't touch anything!"

- with the speed of an addict, she threw her hand against the wall, flicking a single switch and the lights on; one of a pair.

Mia closed her eyes. "Do I want to know what the second switch is for?"

"If staff shows up." mumbled Jeanne, sloth again as they went to the kitchen. She filled a tea kettle with water as they spoke. "Sorry if I scared you."

"You're very odd for a woman so tired." chimed Mia, and Jeanne laughed, unable to worsen that one.

"Yeah. Just gotta wait until I can use Dream again. Going to make some peppermint tea. And nap."

"I can boil it for you." chimed Mia, and Jeanne smiled as she handed the kettle to Mia. A swarm of scarabs set it bubbling, and Jeanne started on her tea.

"Neat. Guess you heat stuff up."

Mia nodded. For now, she'd resolved to wait another month before a potential swap. "Er, in a way."

The two sat at the table.

"Yeah." said Jeanne. "Sorry I can't train, right now. Just - um. Been pretty tired recently."

"Is it from the weed?"

Jeanne laughed, head shaking. "No. Uh. Guess you smelled it, though."

"From the moment I walked in." grinned Mia. "You might as well have blown it in my face."

"I guess it's obvious." The two laughed. "That's what the second switch is for. I've got a grow in the back. Flick that, and it all gets destroyed."

"They don't notice the, er, energy use? said Mia.

"Sometimes. But I have my ways." said Jeanne, starting a slow sip at her tea. "Yeah. Uh... Not gonna tell you what Dream does yet, though. Even if you did help me with my tea." She winked. "But you can head out... or, um. Whatever. I'll come get you once I wake up... and we'll train."

◆◆◆

An hour later, Jeanne had awoken, and seemed excited as they stepped up to a door in the second-year building. A plauq beside read 'FOR USE BY: JEANNE BELMONT - DREAMER'.

"Try not to be too surprised. said Jeanne, unlocking the door to a room where the walls flowed like static water. She stepped over a floor of the same material, laughing at Mia's expression as she turned. "It's safe to walk on."

Mia took a step inside, the two separating to opposite ends. "Is this part of your Revenant?"

"Kinda." Jeanne winked. "Um, do you like it?"

"It's… interesting."

Jeanne nodded. She figured that was the best her self-esteem was getting lately. "Um. Okay. So, we're gonna duel, but I just want you to try to hit me once. Um, I don't… have a non-lethal option, so. Yeah. Don't want you getting hurt too bad. Just me."

Mia laughed. "Alright."

"Dream." said Jeanne. A spraycan appeared in her hand. "Okay. Ready?"

"Ready."

"Start!" shouted Jeanne, and a spray of blue erupted out of the can & hit the floor -

- and she fell suddenly in to it, water splashing as she disappeared within it. Rushing up to it, Mia stomped down where she'd just been; but frowned to find it like steel again. Sword drawn, she slashed at it to test the durability & found it as expected. She glanced back and saw Jeanne on the other end of the room and smiling.

With no time to waste, Mia started rushing towards her -

- and the floor launched her up like a trampoline; in to the ceiling smashed her head, Jeanne spraying up as Mia landed staggering ahead of her -

- and a spray of blue on the floor made Jeanne disappear in to it again; a dozen bricks hit Mia's head, shoving her down to the floor -

- and finding it sticky. Grunting & thrashing, she found herself trapped to the floor for a few seconds, but shoved herself up just in time to see no Jeanne on the other end again, staggering to the center of the room, and avoiding the spot in the floor that had trapped her before.

Eyes sharp for where Jeanne'd appear next, her scarab swarm covered the floor.

'I don't need to know where she'll come from next.' she thought, and in the next instant -

- she heard a splash of water behind; her scarabs burst in to flames there, and as she heard Jeanne shriek, she sent another volley as she spun -

- just in time to see Jeanne falling to the ground, fingers twitching as she hit the floor, and limp in the next.

'Oh fuck I should not have done that.' thought Mia as she panted and rushed over, crouching down to check her pulse. "Jeanne? Jeanne?"

No response but a dulling beat. Wincing and worried, Mia scooped her up and knew her next stop.

◆◆◆

"She'll be alright." yawned Hirogane, drawing Pulse's tentacle out. "Probably wasn't even you that did it."

"What do you mean?"

"Probably'll tell you when she wakes up. Dream lets her spray properties of one material on to another. Says it puts her in to comas if she uses it too much. Might be here for another month."

Mia frowned. "What should I do for the rest of the week, then?"

Hirogane shrugged. "Can go hunting with Aimee or anyone second-year or up."

Mia nodded. She thought about thanking him for his defense, but wasn't sure if he would even appreciate it. He reminded her of a teacher who never attempted to act like he understood her generation, which was more endearing than those who did.

◆◆◆

Over the next week, Mia hunted with Aimee, and killed again Sunday night.

"Another one down." said Aimee.

It amused Mia to see Aimee crouch down to scan; like most women, Aimee nearly had a foot under her. She always had to duck a bit hugging her. "Another one down."

"Yeah." Aimee stood and smiled. Makoto had stopped asking about Mia. "Um, wanna get something to eat?"

"Er, some fast food." said Mia as they walked off.

"You sure?" said Aimee. "Um, we can go somewhere nicer, i-if you want."

"I told you I was going to pay you back." Mia smiled.

Aimee had observed a constant when it came to wealth; one repaid their debts and the other could afford not to. "Sure thing."

In another section of the state, Kirihara & Marisa had been hired to escort a rich man's daughter, Yui, who had found every reason to complain about the two, but refused to hire anyone else. Kirihara's temper had worsened around her, and Marisa noted she frequently mentioned that she liked her better than Jeanne.

The three walked down one street, Yui in the middle of the two.

"I don't understand why you students have to be so violent. Don't you receive training for that?" said Yui, and Marisa stared ahead.

"We don't. We barely get a salary."

"Well, you should be doing more to protect civilians, then. There was a - oh, I wouldn't read it if I were you - this devastating satirical piece in the Times. Just devastating."

"Uh, about what?"

"About students. The way you - the way they kill criminals, so indiscriminately. It was written by this brilliant Marxist astrologist. He wrote a book on how great literature led to victory in World War 2."

Kirihara shrugged. "Pretty sure that was the tanks."

Yui continued. "You know, for all the money dumped in to your school - if we redistributed it - we could solve crime within a generation."

"With what?" said Kirihara, alley up ahead and right.

"Zoning ordinances. Student loan forgiveness for people making over a hundred thousand a year. School choice."

"I'm pretty sure killing criminals works better. Sawblades to the skull are always better when it comes to scum."

"Well, but of course you'd be defending -" - Yui shrieked as she tripped over a snake -

- and Carve's telekinetic sawblade spun it in to yellow gore in the next, two students who indiscriminately killed criminals shooting up -

" - got it!" shouted Marisa, Boudoir's glove growing as she scooped Yui up -

- and a strand yanked them up to the roof of the building beside, Kirihara nodding, Carve's sawblade floating by her head as she saw more yellow snakes slithering out of the alley ahead. With no time to waste, she stepped up on Carve and started riding it over; more snakes tried to leap at her from below -

- but a dozen Boudoir bullets burst right through them, keeping her safe as she rode Carve to the alley's entrance -

- and saw another field of snakes separating her from her male foe on the other end, fifty feet separating the two as she kept her ride going forward -

" - Jazan -" panted the man, scooping a dozen snakes up -

- and a dozen more formed on the wall right, man nodding as he climbed up them like a ladder -

- and shrieked at Marisa's smiling face right above -

- and Carve's saw ran him right through in the next, Kirihara leaping off as it spun him in to red & black gore; Yui shrieked as one eyeball hit her dress -

" - GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF -" she shrieked; Marisa wiped it off - " - how - how - don't EVER do that in - without warning me or -"

" - this guy was trying to kill us -" - Kirihara turned below - " - we're fucking keeping you safe -"

" - and - t-traumatizing me -"

" - if you want, I can just let the next one kill you!"

" - don't you dare talk back to me -"

" - or what?" said Kirihara, stepping up on Carve's blade, riding to eyelevel. "What? You're going to fire us before you get home -"

" - my father will hear about this -"

" - I don't - here, I'll give your dad a fucking headline. 'Rich Cunt Faces Reality - Cries.' Spinning fucking newspaper there."

Marisa tried not to laugh, secretly agreeing with her.

"If you don't want to see violence, don't fucking hire students."

"Stop it." said Yui. "I'm - you're escorting me back, immediately -"

" - I don't have any fucking obligation to -"

" - Kirihara." winced Marisa. "Okay, stop, c'mon."

Kirihara groaned. "Great. Great, now, what? You're going to give me shit too?"

"You don't have to insult her like -"

" - oh - fuck you." groaned Kirihara. "Fuck you. We spent a fucking week escorting her -"

" - you don't have to fucking insult her like -"

" - you two are in the same fucking league - you know that? You like to think you're fucking any different from her - fuck off. Both of you - fuck off. Fucking cunts."

Kirihara leaped back down to the alley, Carve's blade disappearing as she stomped off. Marisa thought about calling her a cunt but decided not to.

Kirihara passed by the corner, knowing Marisa wasn't answering because she'd gotten her good. Maybe that'd bother her, but she'd told two people what they needed to hear even if they didn't like it, and she tried not to laugh thinking how Marisa had tried to argue. Hopefully her fucking mentor hadn't fallen in to another coma.

In another section of state, Aimee & Mia left the building with their fast-food. No one was blocking Aimee's question in this street.

'F-Fuck.'

"…their onions are always raw." muttered Mia, picking them out of her burger.

"U-Um." said Aimee. "G-Guess they are, yeah."

Aimee watched her hold one up, try to heat it with a fire scarab, then laugh as it burnt to ash. She heard Mia say something about needing a better Revenant and nodded, her arms shivering a bit.

"…u-um. Mia. Need to talk to you about s-something."

Mia asked her what it was as she turned.

"You're still single, right?"

Mia paused, then nodded.

"…u-um." said Aimee. "I - I really like you. More than - more than a friend, and i-if you want I'd r-really want to go out on a date sometime i-if you want to sometime."

She heard Mia's breath pause, trying to read her expression. "You're - you're asking me out?"

"Y-Yes." she winced.

"I-I, e-er…" Mia trailed off. Her mind running back, she tried to see if she had missed any sign of Aimee's attraction to her. "I-I, Aimee, e-er -"

" - you can say no, I-I just, um -"

" - I - I need to think about - I need some time to think about t-this."

Aimee really wished the last Revenant had killed her now, but she nodded. "S-sure."

She heard Mia pause, then apologize, then quickly add that she needed more time to think about this. As they began walking back, she saw Mia glancing over at her, wondering if those eyes were trying to see her newly. Controlling her emotions had never been one of Aimee's better traits - she wished she was a bit better at it now.

As they came up to Urasaria's gate, she scanned her badge, then noticed Mia stop beside.

"Aimee." She placed her hand on Aimee's shoulder. "I… want to let you know, that. I-I haven't decided, but - I want us to still be friends."

"Y-Yeah." nodded Aimee.

Mia crouched down a bit to hug her. Feeling Mia's fingers tighten on her vest's back, Aimee hugged her back. They kept like that for a while, and as they pulled away, Mia kissed her.

"…I-I." Mia nervously laughed. "I-I'm not sure I-I should have done that on the spot, b-but -"

" - I-I don't mind." laughed Aimee.

The two kissed again. Aimee fumbled through scanning her badge again, and the gate reopened, kissing again before they went inside.

"I-I still wish to - er." laughed Mia, a little giddy. "No dates until - until we're finished."

Aimee nodded as they kissed again. Her mind started to fill up with every activity her & Mia could do (none of them sexual), but she had what she would've wanted from a date anyway. "S-Sure thing, just - just r-really excited right now."

"Me too." Mia smiled as they came up to Aimee's mansion. "One - one more for goodnight."

The two kissed again before Aimee went inside. Mia went to her & Marisa's house, fashionista already on the couch in her Boudoir-pajamas.

"Hey, Mia-Mia." she chimed.

Mia-Mia sat down beside, shaking her head affirmatively. "Hello, Marisa. How - how are you?"

"I'm good." she shrugged. "Uh, don't have to like, deal with Kirihara anymore, so.. She has anger issues or something, like. She got set off by everything."

"Ah." nodded Mia's shaking head. "Y-Yes. She, she may have some issues, then."

"Yep." Marisa yawned. "What about you?"

Mia grinned. "Aimee and I are - she asked me out and we're dating now and we just kissed and -"

" - niiice!" grinned Marisa, and Mia nodded rapidly. "She finally asked you out, huh?"

"She did - she - wait - finally?"

"Yeah! I was gonna like, tell you to ask her out if you wanted. That's so cute though, like -"

" - what - what do you mean 'finally'?"

" - uh, because of her big crush on you, dum-dum."

"Her - what?" panted the dum-dum.

"…Mia." Marisa's lips & cheeks pinched. "…did you not realize that?"

"Realize? How was I supposed to realize that?" panted Mia. "She - she never -"

" - oh my God -" cackled Marisa - " - you're a clueless lesbian -"

" - I-I am not -" panted the clueless lesbian -

" - you didn't - every time she looks at you, her eyes grow like, three sizes! Mia, she doesn't ever get involved in investigations, she was -"

" - she doesn't?"

" - no, duh! I can't believe you didn't -"

" - I-I thought she was simply being nice -"

" - uh, she is, but -"

" - I'm sure there's some other explanation -"

" - yeah, that you need to get your eyes checked!"

◆◆◆

The next morning, Mia woke up from an Aimee dream, and answered the front door to the Council of Four: Aimee, Makoto, faceless-but-a-scar Atori, and two-headed Dmitri. Atori's badge read 'ECLIPSE' and Dmitri's 'ALCHEMIST'.

"Bombs went off at a local hospital." winced Aimee. "Rayaka's there. Need to go."

◆◆◆

The scene was cacophony when they arrived. The parking lot was packed with emergency personnel, evacuation vehicles coming and going, sirens over the fighting within the three-floor hospital. The windows were shattered and filled with smoke, a blaze angered within, and the six rushed through the crowd gathered.

"Lavender Menace!" shouted Aimee. "You - Eclipse - Worldwide - second and third floor! Symphony - stay here to help with the evacuation - Dmitri, with me."

"Yes, Aimee!" shouted Marisa, throwing Boudoir's strands around Mia & Atori, and as they rushed up to the hospital -

- a strand erupted from her dress and yanked them up -

- and straight through the second-floor window smashed the three, glass cutting their skin as they landed in the melee raging in the corridors. All around them were embers & smoke & glasseyed men, scarab tattoos nodding from necks that were stained crimson, mob shoving murderously through new doors.

"Definitely a Revenant." winced Marisa as they rushed; another mob burst out of the doors ahead to block them -

- and three blades went through six men each, Worldwide's scarabs flying behind and charring to ash the next dozen that'd burst out behind, Atori with knife drawn at Mia's side, scarab tattoos falling off of broken necks. The mob was packed tight in the halls, and as the three carved their way forward, Mia's scarabs burnt every foe they found to ash, Boudoir's strands throwing them out of windows when there was an inch's room to swing a string.

"None of these people have Revenants, do they?" winced Mia, another arc of blood hitting her clothes -

" - they do not." muttered Atori. "Some other Revenant is controlling them. They're not disappearing -"

- and one knife's sweep decapitated another three, three screaming with quadruple limbs on the floor, and as the three saw a stairway ahead & left -

" - Worldwide - with me!" shouted Atori, and the two rushed up as Marisa guarded their exit, coming out to another left&right hall -

" - search the right." said Atori, and Mia nodded as she rushed right, Atori rushing left, both disappearing past their respective corners, and in the next instant -

- an explosion blasted Mia forward -

- and right in to the hall's floor she smashed; she felt another dozen men rushing to meet her -

- but Worldwide's scarabs swarmed them, ripping and tearing the flesh off their bones, not a single skeleton left as she burnt them to ash, wincing as she slumped against the wall, few wounds but still dripping.

"W-Worldwide." she winced, cauterizing it herself. She heard a familiar voice shouting her name around the corner ahead, and stood up just in time to see Rayaka coming out of it.

Fifty feet separated the two. Mizuchi's form swayed up beside him as Mia readied her scarabs & sword.

"You actually came for me!" laughed Rayaka. "What did you think was going to -"

- three arms shot past the corner and gripped his neck, and fear filled Mia as Dreadnought stepped out with it. One four-fingered hand threw Rayaka to the ground, and Mizuchi fell with it. He stomped Mizuchi's neck and Mia winced as blood squirted from both it & its master's eyes.

"B-Boss…" panted Rayaka. "I-I thought we were -"

" - I do not have time nor care to discuss my reasoning with you." he said in his otherworldly tone. Seeming to speak to Mizuchi, he said: "I despised your previous host. I despise your current host, and I already despise your future host."

Dreadnought's hand shot in to Rayaka's chest and all Mia made out in the cloud of blood was his fingers ripping out Rayaka's still-beating heart, veins still connected around it.

"Hollow vessel in the form of man. Heed the will of your new master."

Dreadnought set his heart back in, and Rayaka rose up like a man in a surf, eyes blank as he walked past the corner with his horrendous wound still dripping. Both torso & legs turned towards Mia.

"Why - w-why are you after me?" grunted Mia, sword held tight. "Why did you g-give me fucking advice?"

"I have need of Worldwide. I will make one offer and one offer only. For the price of a single Revenant, I shall send no more Revenants towards you or men." he said. "A thousand dead civilians. Five dead students. This hospital can be one starting point of another dozen."

"I-I'll never fucking give you Worldwide."

"If you do not, I shall take it from your corpse."

Embers burning in the hall, he stomped forward as Mia rose.

"Then c-come fucking take it."

"…aye. Raise your weapon - your teeth of steel - your blood-red voice. Show me that you possess power fit to best me."

Mia couldn't tell how one man spoke two patterns. A mist of crimson filled her eyes as she rushed forward, and for all the exhaustion & doubt & nausea that drained her mind, she carried it through in one sword sweep that met with his trio of gauntlets -

- but she'd never felt such might in the strikes she blocked; her steel blunted the first and second -

- and the third cracked her left arm in a burst of blood; she swept with the speed of light back -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted; a pillar of flame erupted ahead -

- but was just as quickly snuffed out by a second set of scarabs ahead, chill with blue-lines extinguishing her flames, corridor filling with steam as the Dreadnought stepped forward -

" - two opposites, Mia Schultz!" he shouted - " - you'll face me with your steel or not at all!"

' - distance first.' she thought as she stepped back, door at her left as she stumbled back, Dreadnought rushing towards her ahead -

- and a sweep of scarabs burnt the door down; in to the room she swept, vicious charge catching only air outside as she rushed across the room, shoving instruments and beds aside as she came up to the wall & turned, and in the next instant -

- he burst through the wall at her left -

- and underneath a trio of hooks she dodged, sword's sweep catching against his armor, steel already starting to crack as they fought in a whirlwind of blows. Inch by inch, the pressure of his strikes forced her further back, and as she felt another wall approach behind -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted; a swift swarm burnt the wall down -

- and in to the sudden hole she swept again, Dreadnought charging towards her again, and as he came danger close -

- his left grasp shot to her right; she swept underneath his legs -

- but his right ripped her by her hair and threw her through another wall -

- and another -

- and another, scarabs swarming as she landed and stood again, Dreadnought charging at her through the apertures again -

- and right in to an orange pillar of flame -

- but a swarm of his own scarabs snuffed it out as he came in to the room; another pillar of flame claimed him -

- and his extinguishers filled the room with steam, mist so thick he could no longer see Mia, but sensed her presence lurking and waiting to strike. One figure was at the corner of the room, and as he rushed towards it -

- the scarabs composing it dispersed, and before he could react -

- Mia's blade entered his back & out his chest; grunting as he staggered, three hooks went wildly back, one grip on her sword hand -

- and throwing her with the strength of a million out through the wall and to the corridor again, blade still stuck in his chest as she rose up wincing, pilfering quick another blade from another corpse beside. She saw him charging at her again -

- and swept left just in time to avoid it, new blade slicing and hacking at his right arm -

- but one punch threw her with the strength of a million away; as she flew, she saw one window behind, bracing herself as her scarabs readied to burn -

- just in time to keep her from hitting the glass as she flew out of the aperture and out behind the hospital, third-floor fall of asphalt below -

- and one pole crunched her skull as she landed & smashed right in to it; stars lit her vision as she shrieked, agony filling her eyes -

- and she saw the Dreadnought leap out of the third-floor ahead, blade still stuck in him as he staggered forward, blood oozing. One hand ripped it clear out, and Mia barely saw five beats in his chest's corners.

"Rise! Raise your weapon -"

" - Rider!" she barely heard Aimee shout, and in the next instant -

- Aimee was on his back with knife drawn -

- but three hands slammed her with the strength of a million down, Dreadnought's voice suddenly rage-filled -

" - THIS BATTLE IS NOT YOUR'S! SCOURGE!"

- and she saw his fingers gouge open Aimee's chest and pull her still-beating heart out, energy only in her left arm as Mia picked up her blade again, Dreadnought speaking -

" - hollow vessel in the form of woman. Heed -"

- Mia threw her blade forward -

- and the keen end cleaved his left arm off in a shower of crimson; the pain staggered him back, Aimee & heart dropping but still connected as he screamed -

- and Mia fell unconscious.