In countries no bigger than Texas like Zesotho, the emergence of Revenants had created even more stratified conditions than those in the States. Factions in decades of civil war had been obliterated overnight by one chance activation, and it had been one of the first countries with a presidential Revenant.

A city like this, with industry & charity, could now access a part of life in the first world. Factories burnt coal and dropped toxicants in to the rivers until the trees wilted & the grass shrunk in to husks that the ranchers' livestock would not touch. To many in countries like these, environmentalism was a Western enemy contrasted by Western businesses who had little reason to argue against them. The mines that ripped gemstones up by their roots had become a fact of this country, leaving cyclones in the core of the rolling savanna.

Yet they were not fully industrial. Miles from the city, two young boys sat on the porch of a wooden house, listening to a radio playing commentary from the stadium beyond where the dirt road turned in asphalt. They watched their father tune the motor of a tractor as the sound of afternoon traffic crept up ahead behind the recently-built apartments. He told them that many in the city planted flowers in boxes and hung them outside their windows, bringing nature to them. The farmers were the lucky ones - they never left it.

Their eyes alive with curiosity, they saw five weirdos pass by in a noisy Jeep.

◆◆◆

Yuruko had asked for a trip in to the capital to backup her work again. Through some difficulty, Mia had arranged for an in-person meeting with the president of Zesotho, but had to settle for a phone call in their hotel room.

"It's on." said Mia, setting it on speaker with the others with her.

"Yes, Ms. Swarm." replied a man's voice. "You said that you have something important to our country - something Revenant-related?"

"Yes. May I start?"

"One moment. Allow me to translate."

He spoke in French, and another man's voice replied likewise. The translator said: "Yes. Go ahead."

Mia relayed their theory with Mr. Sharp, asking if they had any leads as to where he was. She heard the president's French reply to the translator's English, who after a short conversation, said evenly: "We are aware."

"You're aware? Do you know where he's hiding, then?"

French, then English.

"We do not know where he is hiding, and we do not care. We are aware of the infected. He invests money heavily in to infrastructure, protection, clean water - and unlike our European business partners, asks for nothing in return but a few teenagers with Revenants."

A feeling of rage arose in Mia. "Those are fucking children's lives you're talking about."

"I do not expect you to be aware of this, but there was a civil war ended a decade ago because of the money he poured towards us. It ended quite conveniently for my side against the old government. As I saw it, some Western countries were pouring money towards my enemies - and Sharp's contribution alone allowed me to become the man I am today."

"I could fucking reveal this to everyone in the government - the U.S. government. I can't fucking believe that -"

" - why is what America believes any concern of ours?" said the translator, then apologized to him, who spoke, then relayed. "If you go to your government and tell them, then perhaps you will have a scandal on your hands. But what you fail to realize is that your government has many, many scandals as well. I have spoken with the Communist Party of China myself. Your government says that they keep the Muslim population in camps, that they harvest their organs and sell them on the black market. This affects nothing in China. They tell me that in your government, students have killed more civilians than criminal Revenants, that many male students rape women with no consequences. Are these things true? I do not know, and I do not care. Business cares nothing for morals, and faced between what is good for this country or what is good, I will always choose what is good for this country. Morality is a luxury we cannot afford."

"You're fucking lucky this isn't in-person." said Mia.

"I will tell you this. We will not give you any resources to help you find him, but I will not hide him myself, either. I will allow the natural progression of events to occur. I do not do this because of morality, but because you and your squadron would make far more of a mess if I did not."

"I'm already planning on telling the government about it."

"With what proof? They have nothing to go on but your testimony. I will say that the accusation is misguided, or enough evidence will appear that this is a plot by one of the other factions in the government. Your news will have nothing to go on, nothing to fill the television with. The papers will laugh at you, Swarm. We have nothing more to discuss."

"We-"

- he hung up and Mia stomped.

"Bitch." muttered Yuruko.

"They've confirmed he's in this country, at least." coughed Matoi.

"…we could try to track the brightness again, but…" Mia frowned. Matoi coughed again as she waved to the bathroom, and they heard her vomiting once she closed the door.

"…god. How the fuck are we going to find him?" sighed Mia, glancing at Samuel. "The government isn't going to help us."

"Country's about as big as Texas, too." he frowned.

"…make far more of a mess." muttered Mia. "There has to be something to…"

"You're talking terrorism?" said Samuel and Mia laughed. "I'm serious."

"We can't hurt civilians."

"…I have an idea." said Serena, looking at Yuruko.

◆◆◆

For ten years, Berhanu had run one of the most expensive restaurants in Zesotho. This plot of land thirty years ago had been where the man now president had fought himself against, official history said, three or four Revenants, but in attracting customers this number was always doubled.

Today, two women had come in without reservations and demanded in atrocious French to be served. The masks they wore were a little odd, but, worrying they were hosts when they refused to leave, he decided to serve them anyway. After they finished eating, he cocked his head to one side as if he were deferentially listening and came up to their table.

"(We are finished.)" said one, looking at her phone to translate. "(This is tip.)" She handed over a bag of diamonds.

"(Do not one location spend.)" said the other, handing over a bag of francs.

++++++

It struck Tenjadi odd how quickly this country had changed. His father had worn down his years in a sunburnt field and could read two or three words by the time he died. Even as someone not too smart himself, he often thought of what he would think looking at this place now. The more money came in to this area, the less it was looking like Africa. There eventually might come a time where the world would be filled by cities cut from the same quilt and the borders would disappear along with all distinction between cultures, religions and attitudes. Hopefully he'd be dead by then.

That afternoon, two women wearing bizarre masks, feminine with enormous, cartoonish eyes, stepped in to his bank's lobby.

"(Reverse robbery!)" shouted one, pulling a burlap sack out.

"(Do not money give, penis soaker!)" shouted the second, digging her hands in to the bag and pulling out a million francs.

◆◆◆

"If you do not stop, we will be forced to report you to the Revenant Trade Commission -"

" - with what proof?" laughed Mia. "They have nothing to go on. In the U.S., I'm a national level threat - Urasaria's president - and every member of my squadron is either a local or national level threat. I'll say that the accusation is ridiculous, and the government will find any alibi I need because they know how valuable I am. Why would anyone listen to a small African country?"

She hung up, and laughed as it immediately rang again, not picking it up. Matoi was in the room, but Mia felt a little guilty when she started coughing.

"…er. Sorry." she said, sitting down beside Matoi.

"It's a-a-alright." Matoi hacked again. "I-I doubt they'll report y-you, re-regardless."

"…Serena and Yuruko should be coming back soon, at least."

Matoi nodded. "…t-they may send a professional after us."

"Samuel still hasn't come back, either."

Matoi frowned. Four years ago a team of racehorses couldn't have dragged this out of her. "…I-I'm concerned for Wedding's durability. I-I felt it weakening as soon as the scar appeared, and I wo-would prefer to be with Y-Yh-Y and -" - she started coughing and Mia quickly nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Matoi winced & nodded, waving herself off to the bathroom.

◆◆◆

That night, Matoi had been left with the others and the group met back at their hotel room. Mia managed to find a news station in English.

"…man." winced Serena, ripping her anime head off. "Those things are uncomfortable."

Yuruko frowned as she took off her own. "…wait. Why did we have me be Misato instead of Rei?"

Serena cleared her throat, hoping she'd wear it elsewhere too.

"There you are." murmured Mia, watching the screen.

"…in the footage here, we can see that the bag does appear to be empty before the second suspect pulls the money out, indicating the possible use of a creation Revenant. Some citizens have posted online asking the Revenant Trade Commission to investigate, though a spokesman declined to comment."

Mia studied the screen a little worriedly.

"Guessing they're about as impotent as the UN." said Samuel, relevantly. "Doubt the US'll ever hand you over."

"Yeah. Fuck the rest of us though." said Yuruko and the four laughed. "I dunno. They're usually just trying to uh, entrap people and shit like that. I don't think they even have any offensive Revenants - it's all disguises."

Mia glanced at Serena knowingly and the two smiled.

"Did they try to get you to work for them?" said Samuel and Yuruko nodded.

"Yeah, but I told them no."

"Good. You know, half the problems they deal with they cause themselves."

"Here he goes again." muttered Mia, smiling a little as Yuruko & Serena laughed.

Her & Samuel had spoken politics plenty - while she had entered Urasaria as a progressive and still had more trust in the government than he did, it always seemed like he hated any element of society that didn't involve a blue-collar at every step, whether it was newspapers, academia or federal agencies. Neither conservative nor libertarian, he tended to believe in half-true conspiracy theories and let his prejudices fill in the rest.

In contrast, Mia doubted Serena even knew who the president was.

"Exchange rate is already dropping." said Serena, checking her phone.

"…uh, wait. Isn't this what France uses, too?" said Yuruko. "Fuck."

Samuel shrugged. "They don't even let their students kill. Can't imagine that they'll do much."

Mia nodded slowly, thinking of a friend far away from there as the news continued.

"In our next story, anti-poaching officials have begun investigating the mysterious disappearance of Bebe, the last rhino of her kind."

◆◆◆

On the condition he not kill, Sekani had been called in to the capital to deal with two counterfeiting hosts. Nephila's hundred eggs formed on his back as he turned the corner, two women handing a loaf of bread to a civilian in front of a store 50ft away. One was wearing a bodysuit & a cartoon mask with blue hair, the other black hair with a red streak.

"(There are condoms in this.)" nodded the blue-haired woman. "(No need fridge.)" She pulled another loaf of bread out of her burlap sack, and in the next instant -

- a geyser of something white but not sticky shot through her bag; the two animewomen swept with the speed of light back -

- and saw Sekani standing 50ft away, Nephila's spider-eggs on his back growing as he started stepping towards them. Yuruko Ayanami nodded to Serena Matoi, throwing her right hand over Serena's right arm -

- and forming a prosthetic claw to hide her tentacle later.

- and saw Sekani standing 50ft away, Nephila's spider-eggs growing on his back as he started stepping towards them. Yuruko Ayanami nodded to Serena Matoi, throwing her right hand over Serena's right arm -

- and forming a prosthetic claw to hide her tentacle later.

"Uh, shouldn't it be a red glove?" frowned Serena, relevantly.

"It was on her left hand, dummy." muttered Yuruko. "And it represented menstruation."

"Her left hand represented menstruation?"

Shrugging, Yuruko picked up her sack, sticking her hand inside to plug the hole -

- and shrieking as the maggots inside bit her fingers -

- but she threw the sack back at Sekani before they could fully latch, backup bag forming behind her back so she didn't have to directly show Medicinal later.

"You are warned to cease at once!" shouted Sekani, tone showing he didn't know English. "If you do not comply, I will be forced to apprehend you!"

"Professional." winced Yuruko. "Great -"

" - haruka mirai mezasu tame no! Hane ga aru kotooooo!" shouted Serena, relevantly; Yuruko laughed at her side -

" - zankoku na tenshi no te-ze! Madobe kara yagate tobitatsu!"

"Hotobashiru atsui patosu de!"

"Kekka dake ga!"

Serena frowned at her forgetting the lyrics to Cruel Angel's Thesis, and in the next instant -

- another geyser of maggots shot towards them, and Serena slashed the wall at their rights -

- and swift & invisible streams of fog corroded an entrance; in through the sudden hole they swept, only a few maggots nipping at Serena's neck as they ran inside the store, back wall up ahead. Yuruko's hand went to Serena's neck, trying to sweep the maggots off -

" - they're - fucking multiplying -" - she winced, knife forming in her hand - " - gonna have to -"

- and a whirl of steel ripped them out by their roots; Serena shrieked as a dozen jets of blood burst out of her neck -

- but a swift tap with her claw filled her wounds as they rushed up to the back wall, puddles of blood left on the floor behind as the two looked back -

- and saw the maggots drinking it & multiplying by the second, slithering towards them with no sight of Sekani yet. Claw readied, Serena slashed a hole through the back wall -

- but the next scene was instant. Jets of liquid concrete burst out of the maggots and in to the hole -

- plugging it back up as the two swept away to dodge tt. Yuruko's shotgun formed and dumped one shot towards the maggots -

- and Serena winces as she felt a few bullets enter her neck; her claw slashed another hole that another jet of concrete plugged up, maggot swarm fast approaching with no escape in sight.

"Didn't use Xenocyclin. Was testing." winced Yuruko, reloading. "They're - eating the floor and spitting it out -"

- Serena nodded and reached in to Yuruko's bag. Blackburn gave her a grenade and when she threw it at the ceiling the explosion sent bits of rubble crashing on to the maggots, and she turned slashing through the back wall again -

- and out through the sudden hole & in to another street swept the women, maggots busy chewing their way out of the rubble behind. They glanced right and saw Sekani standing 50ft away further up the street, line of stores at their right as they backed away.

"You are warned to cease at once! If you do not comply, I will be forced to apprehend you!"

Serena stifled her distinctive mouth, and in the next instant -

- three geysers of gasoline shot from their lefts towards them -

- and in to the two animewomen splattered the liquid, wall beside them catching the rest; ahead, Serena saw Sekani light up a match ahead -

- but the next scene was instant. Her right arm went tentacle and shot through the wall, filling it with heat -

- and in to flames burst the entire store, impoverished building standards ensuring it'd spread fast. A line of fire shot down the line of buildings and every store went up like a cloud of smoke; they saw an expression of worry flash across Sekani's face before the smoke shrouded them & him, and in the next instant -

- a grenade came out of the smoke and landed at his feet; instincts quicker than his mind, he swatted it away -

- and didn't see the other three pins attached to it -

- whose three explosions blasted his right arm off and sent it in to the fires & the flames; he stifled his scream as he staggered back, swarm of maggots replacing his gone-arm and feasting on the blood that was left. Another jet of maggots hit the flames at his left and started chewing through the fire, nodding as he rushed off to find his foes.

In the next street over, Serena & Yuruko ran down the middle of the road, line of buildings & alleys in their rightful places.

"Time for real terrorism." mumbled Yuruko, relevantly.

"I'm - pretty sure the civilians got out, I think -" winced Serena, and as she glanced back -

- a green jet of liquid hit her mask's right eye, and she clutched it as she staggered back, clawed hand catching the next one before it hit Yuruko -

- and the two saw Sekani back again & standing 50ft away, right arm formed of caterpillars & dripping maggots now.

Serena tried to open her right eye and a disorienting scene met her stare; half of her vision was normal & the other half was 5 seconds late. Her stomach reeled with sickness until she forced her right eye shut, barely seeing Yuruko catch the next jet of green in her burlap sack, and definitely not seeing the puddle of maggots land at their rights.

Yuruko's handgun formed. She squeezed the trigger 3 times and Sekani staggered back when the bullets hit his heart, surprised a firearm would hurt him; Yuruko yanked Serena with her as she rushed left & away, and as the puddle of maggots leaped towards Yuruko -

- the next scene was instant. Her bodysuit's right sleeve loosened to let the maggots land inside -

- and streams of fog flew under her suit to ensure Blackburn wasn't seen, dissolving the maggots as the two ducked in to an alley, stopping quick with Serena staggering away. "Slow - slowed my eye - and claw -"

" - gotta repair your mask." winced Yuruko, peering around the corner to see Sekani rushing at them 40ft away. She placed her hands on Serena's mask - " - what anime should we do?"

" - um, Fate Stay Night?-"

" - isn't that a pair with a guy?"

" - no, it's an anime -"

" - no, the - "

" - Madoka?-"

" - that's bad luck!" - Yuruko groaned -

- and ripped Serena's anime-head off, new long & red-haired mask & loose brown jacket forming as she shoved them both on Serena, and as she shoved her own black-haired mask on -

- one spiderstrand landed outside and yanked Sekani 5ft away from them -

- but one shotgun blast tore half of his face off & left it hanging off his skull; agony staggering him back, half of his lips mouthed Nephali and another set of strands shot towards Yuruko -

- but she swept to the left wall, and Serena swept right. One sweep of Serena's claw & one sweep of Yuruko's hand and the two fled in to opposite buildings, both of them closing up the sudden holes behind.

Sekani grunted as he stepped in Serena's direction, spiderstrands pulling his expression back together. No time to waste, one spiderstrand brought him to the wall, and up he climbed, reaching the roof quick and rushing across to peer over the entrance 2-stories below.

12 seconds passed as he waited to see if she'd rush out, and in the next instant -

- an explosion from below split the building like an earthquake had hit it, and as the roof started to collapse -

- a swift set of strands stitched it back together and kept it safe for now, footing staggering but no new damage yet. He aimed his right hand in to the crack and a dozen maggots & caterpillars dripped in to it. Serena couldn't stay inside for long; if Nephila's venom hit her other eye she'd be functionally blind.

He crouched down and spent another ten seconds staring down in to the crack. Standing back up, he glanced left and saw a crowded restaurant across the street -

- and his breath froze as he saw Serena rushing over to it; no time to waste, he swept down the wall as fast as he could, seeing her rush in through the front doors -

- and his breath pierced his lungs as a dozen explosions claimed the front half of the building, smoke shrouding the screams coming from inside -

- just in time for a Penxeno bullet to burst through his left arm & shoot through his heart, and Yuruko knew she was to blame for why he was sleeping before he hit the ground.

From the roof of an adjacent building, she climbed her way down the wall, Medicinal forming subtle footholds. The smoke cleared and Serena stepped out of the still-standing restaurant, civilians sleeping peacefully inside. Yuruko guessed she'd planted explosives outside the store & Blackburn had kept the walls repaired inside.

Yuruko frowned as she crouched over Sekani's body, motioning Serena to her as she whispered. "…uh. What're we gonna do with him?"

"…umm… Can you make his Revenant weaker?"

Yuruko shrugged and tapped her finger near his heart. A bit of Xenocyclin dropped through his pores.

"…um. I know you're Revy from Black Lagoon, but who am I supposed to be?" whispered Serena.

Yuruko coughed, hoping she would wear it elsewhere too. "Kurisu Makise from Steins;gate."

The two nodded as they headed back to their hotel with Mia mid-call.

"We have tracked Sharp for you. In exchange, you will cease your ridiculous economic terrorism."

"Give me his location." said Mia.

"We will not give you his location. A professional will meet you at an assigned spot and lead you near his location. You forget that we still -"

" - goodbye."

◆◆◆

The next morning, four anime-women set out to a nearby factory, forced everyone outside, then called up every news station with a location & a time. At the top of the building, Mia nodded to the crowd gathered below, having electrified the fence enough to keep them out.

Mia put her anime-ear out and heard something skittering on the side of the building. No time to waste, she nodded to Yuruko, who pulled a shotgun off her back and ran right, and in the next instant -

- a buckshot of Penxeno knocked one man off the roof & she laughed as she ran back to the others. Surprisingly, even Samuel had chosen to be a muscular anime-woman for a day, but declined the schoolgirl uniform.

"Mmfmm?" said Serena and Mia nodded.

'Worldwide.'

A pillar of white disintegrated the front door from the inside -

- and out of it flooded an ocean of gems, precious metals & luxury items; Mia laughed as the fence de-electrified, and the four jumped off the back of the roof & were gone.