[January 20th]

While the Elite Four had dealt with bureaucracy, the new trio waited outside the gate for Julia&Yuruko.

And Yuruko knew, as soon as she stepped out of the plane -

- a woman of heat, the sweeping of tentacle, Serena's passion. Julia stepped out behind, short red hair and pastel shirt&jeans, in time to see Serena set Yuruko down.

"Hey." chimed Yuruko, and Serena laughed nervously.

"H-Hey."

"Genesis. Mint Condition." nodded Kate.

"Hey, uh - Anagen." said Yuruko, Serena wrapping one arm around her.

"You got my message, right?" said Kate, and the two new nodded.

"Just - got it on the way over, yeah." said Julia, coming over to Naomi.

"Like your shirt." chimed Naomi.

"Oh - um, thanks." she laughed.

Kate nodded. "Right. So - pairs. Gonna guess you two want to pair up." She gestured to Serena & Yuruko. Her father wouldn't have liked their public affection, but she didn't have any issue. Lesbianism was probably a better idea.

"U-Um, yeah." laughed Serena, and Naomi grinned.

"Two lovebirds." she said, and Julia held back a sigh. "Uh - who should I pair up with, then?"

"Think Mint Condition would be best." said Kate. "Stuff gets bad for me - I can always run away with Split."

"Sounds, um - sounds good." nodded Julia.

"Right." nodded Kate, and the five started walking. "Right now - well, don't have much to go on until another one shows up. What I want, uh - you… women to do - try to get one nonlethally."

"I've got some stuff if I get in close." shrugged Yuruko, and Kate nodded.

"Good-good. And - Naomi, Mint Condition?"

"Uh…" Naomi shrugged and had a cut-short smile. "I… can - kinda knock people - unconscious, maybe."

"I can handle that." nodded Julia, metal&electrical baton forming in her right hand. "Stun 'em unconscious."

"Good." said Kate. "Don't - I mean, you know. If you have to be lethal, do it - but let me know either way. I'll handle bringing them for removal surgery and all that."

"Sounds good." said Naomi. "Um. What're we… gonna do now, then?"

"Just wait." shrugged Kate. "Split up. Get something to - eat, or whatever."

"Sounds - sounds good." smiled Julia. "Um, Naomi, right?"

"Naomi, yeah. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

Once the five left the airport, they went separate streets, Kate swinging over to a third.

"So, um - what's your Revenant?" chimed Julia. "Didn't, um - didn't get the chance to look it up." (She had.)

"Oh - it's called Avalanche." said Naomi, stone arm forming.

"Jeez." Julia laughed. "Pretty, um - pretty big, huh?"

"Yeah." laughed Naomi. "It lets me, uh - I don't wanna do it - right here, you know, but - lets me control asphalt, dirt, ground - stuff like that."

"Sounds pretty good." nodded Julia. "Uh, by the way, um. I - like that tie-dye shirt on you. Looks really cute."

"Oh. Thank you." smiled Naomi.

"Yeah." chimed Julia. "You even, um - even have your - sleeve removed for your Revenant, huh?"

"Yep." laughed Naomi, stone arm flashing. "I had to - I used to, uh - wear like, tracksuits and things like that - " - Julia laughed - " - but I always had to cut out the left sleeve -"

" - or it'd just burst open?" laughed Julia, Naomi nodding.

"Yeaaah. At least now I can just - just wear it kinda like a tanktop."

"Yeah. But - still, uh. It, it looks - really nice on you."

"Thanks."

Julia had a bad habit of not knowing anything about women before wanting to date them. Some unwilling envy had started recently when she saw pretty women around Urasaria with girlfriends, and she hoped she wouldn't approach the sundown side of her twenties without one.

"What about your Revenant?" said Naomi and Julia nodded.

"Um, right. It's called Manufacture." Two metal batons appeared in her hands, electrical arc between them. "Uh - there's - kinda a lot I can do, but -" - she laughed - " - these can pull metal stuff, or - arcs of lightning. Electricity. Stuff like that, you know.."

"Cool. You're in - your fourth-year, right?"

"Yep. What about you?"

"Just my first-year." laughed Naomi. "Uh. Mostly just - spend it doing - I got in to, uh. Do you know Dance Dance Revolution?"

"I do, yeah." laughed Julia. "Are you in to that?"

"Yeah, I've - actually been getting really in to it recently." laughed Naomi. "I just get to, uh - pretend it's cardio for my job, you know?"

"Definitely, yeah. I kinda - I mean, I've never played, but. Too embarrassed I'd look stupid."

"Yeah." Naomi smiled. "It's - just gotta get used to it. I bought a pad recently, so I don't have to go out to an arcade, or whatever."

"Sounds - sounds fun, yeah." chimed Julia. "Uh, but, but - speaking of you being in your first-year, um. If - if you want to, um, get an idea of what life is gonna be like - just - just look at your teachers' faces."

Naomi laughed. Julia was glad she hadn't realized it was from a Woody Allen film.

"Just - how they look, you know." laughed Julia. "All you need to know."

"All I need to know." laughed Naomi, and in the next instant -

- the two tripped over an overgrown root; Naomi instantly stomped -

- and only a small tip of a sharp branch burst out of the ground; beside, Julia shot up, Manufacture's metal rods forming in her hands.

"Let - lemme bash it, shit -" she panted, and as she bashed the stubborn root -

- the wall beside exploded in a storm of concrete; but a swift Avalanche stomp&wall blocked the projectiles, two nodding as they stepped back, and as Naomi snapped down the wall of stone -

- they saw their foe on the restaurant inside, ten feet separating them & him, staggering back with broken branches in his hands -

" - Manufacture!" shouted Julia, throwing one rod behind him as the other sought his neck -

" - Grows-in-Brooklyn!" he shouted -

- and a sharp root burst up out of the ground; in to the sudden barrier went her swipe, second bush bursting up from the floor to block her second mid-air rod -

- just in time for Avalanche's bullets to burst through his face & out his skull; shrieking as he staggered back, vines burst out of the bush, swallowing Manufacture's second rod as it crackled&hissed, plantmaster starting his run away now.

" - Manufacture." muttered Julia -

- and in to a thousand pieces fell the bush, second rod flying back to its sister as the women started their rush in pursuit, man swinging on vines ahead, kitchen & emergency exit doors right&ahead a hundred feet away. Another root burst out of the floor ahead -

" - Avalanche!" shouted Naomi, stone-arm gripping it tight -

- but the two winced&halted as the entire floor started to shudder, system of roots groaning underneath the floor, man still fleeing ahead -

" - got something!" shouted Julia - " - uh - can you - hold on to me -"

- Naomi nodded and held on, Julia shoving her distraction down as she threw one rod in to the roof -

- and a swift arc of lightning pulled its twin in to it, Julia nodding as she grabbed the second rod and threw it forward, more bolts of lightning pulling them forward, vines bursting up out of the ground but unable to reach their height. Ahead, they saw the man land, starting his fleeing right & to the emergency exit door -

" - Manufacture!" shouted Julia, throwing one rod in his path -

- but a swift vine threw it to the side, and as he came up to the exit door, readying to push out -

- a bolt of lightning burst out of her second rod and hit the door; and the man sighed as he yanked his hand off, fleeing back in to the kitchen, Naomi&Julia nodding as they landed against the wall -

" - bash it down." chimed Julia, and Naomi nodded as she bashed down the wall; and in to the kitchen swept the women, eyes turning right, seeing their foe fifty feet away on the other end -

- with a dozen vines burst out of his back, dozens of knives in their grip; Julia shoved Naomi behind as she took up the front, and as the volley of cutlery flew towards them -

- the next scene was instant. Manufacture's rod sparked; the one in the other room popped -

- and every last knife flew back & straight through the man, crucifying him against the wall, dozens&dozens of blades piercing through his limbs & out his back -

- and the two nodded as he fell rigid, blood draining as they stepped up.

"…uh. Hopefully - hopefully still alive, uh." winced Julia, bashing him unconscious. "Sorry for - shoving you like that."

"It's cool." nodded Naomi. "Uh, guess we should call Kate, right?"

"Yeah. Guess we fight well together, huh?" she chimed.

"Pretty good, yeah." She smiled.

◆◆◆

While the new duo fought, another had their date.

"S-Shit." panted Yuruko. "Really - really is spicy."

"Told you." laughed Serena, fog refilling her glass. "It's pretty good, though.

"Y-Yep." laughed Yuruko. "Gonna - need to wait a while before I - eat the rest."

"Sure." chimed Serena, taking her phone out.

"Did they announce their new roster? Team Liquid?"

"Um…" She tapped. "…no, not yet."

"Dang." mumbled Yuruko, and Serena nodded.

"Oh - um, did you get my text before you left?"

"Yeah, I brought it." laughed Yuruko. "I mean, we did steal it, so -"

" - yeah, and that - that guy who came after us -" laughed Serena -

" - no no -" laughed Yuruko - " - the best - the best part was just fucking going up to the case -"

" - swoop!" chimed Serena, and the two laughed.

"Just - just fucking swiped it out of the case." laughed Yuruko. "Being legally immune owns."

"Yeah." grinned Serena, relevantly. "Plus, like, I'm almost three-star, so -"

" - you could probably rob a bank and get away with it." grinned Yuruko, and Serena nodded like she was thinking.

"…maybe."

"Maybe. Plus - Medicinal can just straight-up like, create shit whole now." She held her hand out, and a pistol appeared in it.

"Nice." chimed Serena. "That's completely useless."

The two laughed, Yuruko swapping between another few revolvers & rifles before she ate again. "Yeaaaah - but it's got some uses." she laughed. "Now I could really break the economy."

Serena nodded and set back to her food. Yuruko laid her head on her shoulder, one tentacle wrapped around her.

"...man. I missed going out on dates."

"Me too." smiled Serena. "And contracts."

"And contracts, yeah." grinned Yuruko. "They're probably gonna try to recruit you too, eventually."

"The - Revenant trade guys?"

"Yeah. Revenant Trade Commission." laughed Yuruko. "You have to like - I mean, they pay you at least, so. You just have to do a bunch of undercover shit - like, I, uh… They had me go in to like, thrift stores and try to like - create stuff basically right in front of them and try to sell it."

"Sounds pretty easy." laughed Serena, and Yuruko nodded.

"Yeah. I had - like -" - she laughed - " - some cashier completely flipped out on me about it, like -" - she tried his voice - " - ' - I'm going to fucking report you! Get the fuck out of here - I've already got you on camera -'"

- the couple laughed together, Serena grinning as she refilled their milks.

"Some dude - who's in my class like - 'cause I wanted to make sure they knew I was just Urasaria, I stuck around -" - laughed Yuruko - " - he came by and looks at me and is like ' - where's the Revenant -'"

" - wait, he thought you were -"

" - he thought I was the one who called it in or whatever, yeah." laughed Yuruko. "I called, uh - my 'contact' or whatever, after. He said they have someone who could like - totally disguise me if - you know, if I started getting recognized."

"Neat." said Serena.

"Yeah. It's like - international, so - they probably have some really insane shit."

"So fucking good." grinned Serena. "But yeah, if they talk to me, I'll probably - do some stuff, I guess."

"Gotta get money." chimed Yuruko, relevantly.

"Yeah. Getting - really close to it, too."

"To, uh... oh! Yeah - almost there, right?"

"Yeah - um. Actually, um…" Serena's eyes lowered. "…um. Feeling kinda nervous about it."

"...yeah." nodded Yuruko. "Still, uh - there's only like, three reviews for it, right?"

"Yeah - I mean, it's done by the government, so…" She scratched her neck. "Um - that's not - really what I'm… nervous about, though."

Yuruko sat up, hand on her girlfriend's. "What's up?"

"I guess it just - it changes sex, but… I dunno. I mean - I… I know I'm - gonna look different, and - I kinda wanna look different, but - I don't know if it'll like, change me that much - but…" She sighed. "… I dunno. I'm kinda used to this face -" - the two laughed - " - you know what I mean!"

" - yeah. Gonna have to get you a new face." grinned Yuruko. "One with a bunch of tentacles, like -"

" - like Cthulhu?" laughed Serena, relevantly -

" - octopus girlfriend." laughed Yuruko. "I get what you mean, though. Just gotta - try it out, right?"

"Gotta try a new face." chimed Serena. "Yeah, though, um. I just… used to this, so. Um. I'm sure it'll be okay, though."

"Or your money back." grinned Yuruko, and the two laughed. "I get what you mean, though, so."

"Plus, it'll - um. Fix - other stuff, too." Serena grinned like a sheep; a cymbal crashed, and in the next instant -

- the two were blasted against the wall; grunting & wincing, Blackburn's fog & tentacle formed as Yuruko's gloves swept back -

- and turned the wall to water; a second shockwave blasted them out to the sidewalk, two dripping as they stood again, seeing their foe standing on one table inside, cymbals in-hand fifty feet away. A second crash tore every civilian to notes of gore, two wincing as they swept against the remaining wall, and in the next instant -

- a dozen spikes of concrete burst out of the wall -

- and the two swept away just in time for the sharp ends to only slash their skin, more cymbal crashes from inside, spikes erupting out and being carved towards them -

" - Medicinal!" shouted Yuruko, gloves catching every last -

- and turning them in to water, Serena whispering as fog refilled their wounds. With no time to waste, Yuruko held on to Serena, swift sweep of tentacle bring them up to the wall; up they climbed, more spikes erupting below & cymbals crashing as they came to the roof. Taking her cup out, Serena planted it face-down at the center, and as Yuruko dipped a finger inside -

" - fluoroantimonic - " she winced, Serena's cup turning to teflon as liquid dripped within -

- and the spray of acid corroded a clear hole through the roof, more liquid rushing down&inside -

- but the two sighed as they saw their foe sweep aside below, cup disintegrating & falling down, another cymbal crash blasting it away -

" - parry this, you fucking casual!" shouted Yuruko, Serena laughing as a revolver formed in her glove -

- and the hollow point of six completely useless bullets entered the man's chest, grunting as he staggered back and out of sight. Yuruko reformed a new cup as they stood again, handing it to Serena -

- and the two swept with the speed of light back as another spike jut out of the building; another cymbal crashed, and in the next instant -

- the shockwave blasted through the roof from below; sudden footing lost and starting to crumble, the two started to fall -

- and Serena didn't refill the roof as they fell down in to the restaurant again, forty feet separating them and their foe still, shotgun forming in Yuruko's hands as the two stood again -

" - parry this, you f-"

- the two swept right again to dodge another spike, and as Yuruko fired -

- the fucking casual parried, another cymbal crash blasting the slugs back in to the two -

" - Blackburn!" shouted Serena, fog filling her jacket & Yuruko's coat -

- and the two turned their backs in to the reflected projectiles, more cymbals crashing as they started their rush left & away, left wall of the restaurant ahead.

" - got an idea." whispered Serena as they ran, Yuruko laughing as she relayed it -

" - seriously?"

" - I mean, it worked in the show!" said Serena, relevantly; Yuruko laughed as she threw a mini-grenade down, streams of fog flying underneath her boots, two grinning as they heard the man in pursuit behind, and as they came up to the wall -

- streams of fog filled it with acid; in to the hole swept the women, new & empty restaurant within as they rushed inside, and as they came to the opposite wall -

- the two stifled their laughs as they turned, foe running in oblivious pursuit & on their line, and as he came up to the mini-grenade -

- a single crash blasted it away - " - you thought a pitiful trick like that would -"

" - you should've spent more time on the streets!" shouted Yuruko, relevantly -

" - take a look at that grenade!" cackled Serena, relevantly -

- and the man's blood turned to ice as the thrown grenade pulled out the fuse of the other hundred planted underneath the floor -

- and the enormous explosion of sleeping gas claimed the entire room, swift sweep of Medicinal & Blackburn clearing the vapors from their nostrils, laughing at the unconscious man ahead as the pink mist cleared -

" - secret - uh - Kunst technique!" shouted Serena, and Yuruko laughed beside -

" - uh, the Joestar technique was running away -"

" - yeah, but, um - it's different -"

" - sure." laughed Yuruko. "Got the bitch."

"Got the bitch." chimed Serena.

"Let's, uh - call Kate before anyone comes."

Yuruko called Kate, and the hairwoman towed the unconscious body for Revenant removal & the rest of the day guarding Dr. Fujishita.

◆◆◆

That night, two men awoke in a storage unit, bound to chairs of hair. One had his mouth covered.

"Good - both of you dipshits awake." yawned Kate, stepping twenty feet ahead. "Here. You know how this is gonna go. Tell me if you know anything about students disappearing recently -"

" - Grows-in-"

" - come on." she laughed. "Don't be an idiot. Maybe that's why you're the one sitting there and I'm the one with the badge. Two sitting there. Two dipshits." Split's hair formed a hammer.

"W-What do you want?" panted one of the men -

- and Split's hammer smashed his right foot in ways it shouldn't, Kate laughing as he screamed -

" - answer me carefully, here." Split gripped the second man's head and turned it to him. "Do you know this man?"

"I - yes, yes I d-"

- Split's hammer smashed his left foot in a crunch of red; he screamed again -

" - and he said he didn't. One of you is lying -"

" - I-I-I - please, I -"

" - can't handle it now, can you? All fine attacking Urasaria students - but now, but - now - you're scared. You know I'm going to kill you either way this goes. Maybe you spent your time thinking that you managed to get one over on the system by having a Revenant and by not choosing Urasaria. Maybe you got born with one, or someone gave it to you - and you thought you could avoid the consequences because you're slick. 'Only idiots die to Urasaria students. Only idiots get arrested.' You're realizing now how easily I could paint these walls with you." she said. "You're fucking scum. It's going to be the long way if you don't start talking."

"I-I - n-no, you're going to - you're going to fucking kill me anyway - s-someone will - f-fucking find out you're torturing -"

" - I wasn't bargaining. I'm just gonna do this by way of example."

Her hair formed two arms, yanking the first man's legs and hanging him upsidedown, and as a woman might snap a wishbone -

- tore his body in two; the second man started screaming -

" - that's the short way." shrugged Kate, discarding the grisly halves over her shoulders. "Scream all you want. I'm the first second-year to reach three stars. Got a job lined up after I graduate. Surgeon didn't even ask why I wasn't arresting you - just removed it and kept quiet. No one cares how I'm gonna treat you."

She shrugged as he kept screaming. Split's hair divided in to four arms, and his phone rang in her pocket.