Arvid stretched his arms over his head as the grav-jet landed in the street. He turned and looked back over at Elise, rubbing his chin.

“Hmmm, now that I have a good look at you, you are quite the fine maiden, are you not?”

Bob placed hand on Arvid’s shoulder.

“Don’t.”

Arvid flashed him a smile.

“Oh? This Arvid never backed down from a challenge!”

“She’s a killer cyborg developed by an evil organization specifically to hunt down supers. She has also been programmed to respond to propositions with immediate deadly force.”

“So a good fight and a fine maiden all in one? I am not seeing a downside.”

Bob let out a sigh.

“Just get on the plane.”

Arvid shrugged.

“Very well, I must prove victorious in our rematch first in any case!”

Elise walked up to Bob as Arvid moved to the grav-jet’s exit ramp.

“Confused Query: Commander Bob, what are these propositions? I cannot locate any protocols on this term, or any relevant termination responses.”

Bob let out a sigh.

“I’ll tell you later. For now, just ignore any request Arvid makes that isn’t mission-relevant.”

Elise looked at him for a second before nodding.

“Reluctant Acknowledgement: Understood. Entity Arvid designated as low priority. Please inform this Elise of any targets requiring termination.”

Bob just held his head.

“...I’ll do that. Let’s go.”

“Affirmative.”

Arvid walked through the facility, Bob and Elise following behind, and entered into the living area.

“So these are to be our quarters? Not bad, not bad.”

Bob looked around. Ninja duo nowhere to be seen, but Saydaa was outside Kiyosuke’s door, quietly cackling.

“Saydaa, come and meet your new teammate.”

Saydaa looked over. As she did Arvid smiled and walked over to her.

“Well hello there, fair maiden. My name is Arvid, and it is my sincere pleasure to meet you. Perhaps you would like to show me around later, just you and I?”

Arvid stood up straight and gave her a wink. Saydaa just grimaced and raised a hand.

“Stay back, creep. I’m not interested in getting propositioned today. Now beat it.”

"Ah, tis my appearance is it not? Fear not, fair maiden! Though I have the body of a man, I assure you our ages are closer than you think!"

The moment she said the P-word, Elise’s mechanical eye glowed red. She held up her right arm, transforming her hand into a gun barrel.

“Target Designation: Propositions are to result in immediate termination. Elise moving to engage.”

Saydaa made a smirk and chuckled.

“That’s right, creep! No fair maidens for you to woo here! Now go get terminated by miss killer robot.”

Arvid sighed but held up his hands and took a step back. Bob just held his head and sighed.

“Stand down Elise. Saydaa, do you know where the other two are?”

Saydaa shrugged.

“Where do you think? Jerk’s in his room, as usual. No idea where the other girl is.”

Bob sighed again and went to knock on Kiyosuke’s door when Saydaa stood in front of him. Bob raised an eyebrow as she grinned.

“Wait up, boss-man. Watch this.”

Saydaa’s eyes glowed slightly as she waved her hand, something like a red fog sliding under the door.

A moment later they heard a yelp and Kiyosuke slammed the door open.

And a bucket of paint materialized in the air above him.

Saydaa burst out laughing and pointing as Kiyosuke was covered in pink paint.

“AHAHAHA! You were so gloomy and all, thought I’d give you a makeover! What…hehe…what do you think of your new look?”

Just then there was a puff of smoke, revealing a log covered in paint. Saydaa froze.

“...what do you think you're doing?”

Saydaa began to sweat as she heard that horrid voice behind her.

“Dang it…um…look we have a new teammate! Go say hello!”

Saydaa ran behind the other three. Arvid looked over to Bob who just shrugged. He turned back to Kiyosuke and extended his hand.

“Hello there, fellow comrade! The name’s Arvid, let our battles be fierce and our banquets lengthy!”

“Shut up, I’m only here to gain power for my revenge. Just stay out of my way if you don’t want to get hurt.”

“Ohohoho, power you say? I’d like to see this power for myself, care for a match then?”

Kiyosuke sighed.

“What a waste of time, let’s get this over with.”

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud thud.

Nana breathed heavily as she stood in front of the training dummy, brow drenched with sweat. She took a deep breath as she pulled her fist back.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Punch, kick, jab, stab. She cycled through the forms she was taught. She frowned.

Still not fast enough.

One more set…

“Oh? And who is this fair maiden?”

Nana jumped and spun around. Her eyes widened.

“H-Hello, Bob-sama. Who is this?”

“Arvid, new member of the team.”

“Hello there! Arvid, at your service.”

“...Ueno Nana…nice to meet you.”

“Well, I’d love to talk more, but battle awaits! We shall speak again once I’m victorious!”

“Um…ok?”

Bob let out a sigh as Arvid and Kiyosuke moved to the sparring room.

“Kiyosuke’s making friends again. Want to come watch, Miss Ueno?”

“Y-yes, if you don’t mind, Bob-sama.”

Kiyosuke and Arvid stood facing one another in the sparring room, Kiyosuke with his hand on the sword at his waist, Arvid with a hand on the sword tied to his back.

3.

2.

1.

The moment the buzzer rang both boys vanished from sight.

CLANG!

A greatsword and a katana met in the center of the room, the two boys pushing against one another. Arvid made a big grin.

“Oh? You’re approaching me? Brave of you, little boy.”

Kiyosuke furrowed his brow. He pushed on his sword, but it refused to budge. Arvid’s grin grew wider and he pushed forward.

Kiyosuke let out a grunt as he flew back, flipping in the air to land on his feet. He immediately pushed off the ground, holding his sword behind his waist with both hands. As he swung it around, Arvid casually moved his greatsword to the side with one hand.

CLANG!

Once he blocked Kiyosuke’s strike, Arvid turned his body to grab his greatsword with both hands, then swung it in a mighty arc. Kiyosuke gasped as he leapt back, barely dodging the blade. He tried to reset his stand but Arvid pursued, the greatsword once again arcing through the air. Kiyosuke was forced to jump back again and again. He sheathed his katana and focused on his opponent, one hand near the hilt of his sword while his other grasped the sheath.

A large sword like that is a weakness in a one on one duel. It’s slow, predictable. Even a decent swordsman will inevitably leave themselves open, for it requires perfect timing, expert prediction, and even an element of luck to wield such a blade with grace. A weapon reserved for masters.

And yet…there was no opening.

Arvid’s swings were mighty and powerful. They seemed wild and instinctive, no formal structure or stance. Yet, each swing blended perfectly into the next, not a single ounce of wasted strength, not a single inch of overextension. By the time Kiyosuke reset his stance after one swing, Arvid was already beginning the next. He was controlling their range, keeping Kiyosuke too far for his shorter blade to reach.

The performance of a master. From a boy who seemed no older than himself, save for his large build.

There!

The boy finally made a mistake. One swing too far, his back now turned to Kiyosuke. Kiyosuke grabbed the hilt of his blade and leapt forward. Then his eyes widened.

And a foot slammed into his stomach, sending him bouncing across the ground.

Kiyosuke groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet, his body aching all over. Ahead of him, Arvid still stood in the center of the room, blade resting on his shoulder.

“Your skills in the sword aren’t bad, maybe in a few decades you’ll actually give me a challenge!”

Kiyosuke furrowed his brow but took a deep breath. He didn’t know how it was possible, but this boy was clearly better at him as a swordsman. But that was fine.

Because Kiyosuke wasn’t a swordsman.

Kiyosuke swung his arms out, sending a volley of kunai at his opponent. Arvid just grinned as the kunai bounced harmlessly off his chest.

“It will take more than that to hurt me!”

But Kiyosuke had already vanished from sight.

“Heh, so there’s more to you than meets the eye? Well come, show me what you can do!”

Some more kunai struck Arvid’s back. He spun around and swung his blade down, cutting Kiyosuke right down the center.

Who then exploded into smoke.

Another knife hit his side. Arvid swung in a wide horizontal arc.

Another clone vanished into smoke. Just then a shadow whizzed past him, and a small scratch appeared on his cheek. Arvid grinned.

“Now that’s more like it.”

Arvid brought his blade up, holding it parallel with his body with the blade hovering by his face. Shadows whizzed past him this way and that, Arvid moving his blade with small quick moments. Metallic clangs rang out the shadows shot past him. Small scratches appeared on his limbs as he focused on protecting his center.

“Impressive, but it will take more than papercuts to stop me! Is this the best you can do?”

Kiyosuke appeared behind him, his body angled to the side, his hand gripping the hilt of his sheathed sword.

“Phantom Slash.”

And Arvid grinned.

“Got you.”

Arvid abandoned his defense, a large scratch appearing on his back. Instead he gripped his blade with both hands, and swung hard at the boy behind him. The flat of his blade caught Kiyosuke dead on. Kiyosuke’s eyes widened.

“Gahk!”

And he flew through the air, slamming into the wall.

When Kiyosuke came back to, he awoke to two feet standing in front of him. He looked up to see Arvid standing over him, arms crossed and nodding.

“Not bad, but you lacked the power for a decisive blow, so your speed was no threat to me. You’d always be vulnerable at the moment you attack, and I knew a trade would favor me. But if you managed to up your firepower, you might present a real threat. A good bout, now let us go and feast!”

Arvid extended his hand. Kiyosuke swatted it away.

“I don’t need your pity.”

Arvid shrugged as the boy stood up and began walking away.

“Gloomy fellow, eh? Ah well, more time to seek the favor of the fair maidens! Perhaps one of them has noticed my might?”

Up in the observation deck, Bob just sighed. Saydaa was on the ground, pounding it with her fist.

“...I lost to that jerk…and now some playboy beats him just like that? ARG! This is so annoying!”

“W-Wow…he’s really strong…”

“...if he bothers any of you, let me know. Elise, you have permission to engage in that case, just don’t kill him.”

“Acknowledgement: Affirmative. Compiling information on ‘propositions’, response set as ‘near-termination’.”

Bob let out another sigh. He had his recruits. A killer cyborg with no knowledge besides termination, a broody teenager with superspeed and a sword, a definitely normal shy girl with knives, a mischievous mystical being with a temper, and a playboy with superstrength. Now came the hard part of turning this mess into a functioning team.

This was going to be…very annoying.