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Kaoruko grumbled as she stepped into the bank, seeing how many people were there. She was hoping for this to be just a quick in-and-out thing, but apparently nobody had anything better to do today, so the lines were long.
As Kaoruko stepped into line, she noticed a familiar sight right in front of her. It was a classmate from school, one who she had a brief acquaintance with, but who she otherwise knew very little about. "Utena-han?" Hiiragi Utena jolted, turning to face Kaoruko with a frightened look, like a little cat being cornered by a bunch of bigger cats. "What's with that look? Ya think I'm gonna hurt ya?"
"O-Oh, Kaoruko-san. Sorry, you surprised me." Utena relaxed at seeing her classmate. "I wasn't expecting to run into somebody from school here."
"Yeah, same. My folks gave me some money to put into my savings account. How about you?”
"W-Well, actually, my grandma came to visit last week and she gave me some money…" Utena held up a slip of paper in her hands, like she was trying to hide behind it.
“A cheque? Wow, I didn’t think people still did that.” Kaoruko studied the cheque, and her eyes widened at the value. "Your grandma's pretty generous! Don't go spending that all at once."
"I-I know," Utena said, looking a little guilty. 'Sorry, Grandma, but it's probably gonna go towards magical girl merch right away.' “You’re pretty impressive, Kaoruko-san. Being able to do this kind of thing by yourself.”
‘Well, I’ve had experience handling Tres Magia’s account. Not like I can rely on those two to properly take care of our budget.’ “I guess. You’re here alone too, Utena-han.”
“Oh, no, my Mom left her phone in the car, but she’s coming right back.”
"Ah, gotcha. Still, with this line, we’ll be here all day.” And with that, the two officially ran out of things to talk about, and the air between them quickly became awkward. Kaoruko scratched her neck, while Utena took a vested interest in the floor. “… So-”
BANG!!!
People jumped and turned suddenly, some panicking, others startled into silence. Utena herself covered her ears and let out a shriek, while Kaoruko's guard was up in an instant.
All eyes were now focussed on the group of eight masked men and women standing at the entrance, each carrying a rifle, and the one security guard laying on the ground, bleeding from his shoulder. He was moving, but he was in too much pain to get up. Two of the criminals closed and barricaded the door with nearby benches, while another three ran further into the bank to round up anyone else inside. The remaining three stepped forwards.
"This is a robbery! No sudden movements, and no playing hero! Everyone get together on that side and sit!"
'A robbery?! Are you freakin' serious?!' Kaoruko raised her hands and glared at the robbers as she complied.
"Hey, you! Move it!"
Kaoruko turned to Utena, who was still standing where she initially was, shaking like a leaf. Her legs were trembling so much it was amazing she hadn't yet crumpled. Clicking her tongue, Kaoruko walked over and grabbed Utena's wrist. "Move," she hissed, pulling Utena along with her. The sudden yank seemed to have been enough to snap Utena out of it, and she began walking on her own.
The robbers set about their plan, rounding up the remaining hostages and having two people stand guard, while one person stood by the entrance and two set to work barricading any doors or windows that could be used as entrances. The remaining three made for the vault.
Utena bit her thumb as she studied the situation. ‘I could probably get everyone out safely as Magia Baiser, but I’d be revealing my identity, and it would still be risky… Should we just sit tight and wait for Tres Magia?’
Kaoruko noticed Utena’s nervous appearance and gently lay a hand on her shoulder, startling her. “Hey, it’ll be fine,” she whispered. “We just stay calm and wait. The police’re gonna handle this, and nobody’ll get hurt.”
“Y-Yeah,” Utena said, not sounding convinced. “Thanks.”
Kaoruko smiled, though beneath the surface, she was just as nervous as Utena was. ‘Haruka and Sayo can’t do anything so long as there are hostages, so it’ll be up to the police to negotiate our release. All we can do is wait… I hate waitin’! I feel so freakin’ helpless! Maybe I should just transform and… No, not yet. Let’s see how things go for now.’
Magenta and Azul arrived at the scene as soon as they were able. Police cars were already lining the street, officers hiding behind them with guns trained on the bank’s entrance, while another spoke to the robbers through a megaphone, asking them to state their terms. The robbers were silent for the most part, only showing themselves once to make it clear that any action would result in hostages dying.
“Kaoruko’s in there, and Utena-chan, too,” Magenta whispered to Azul, who nodded solemnly. “We have to do something! If we bust in there and attack at once-”
“Without knowing the situation inside, it’s dangerous,” Azul advised. “This isn’t like fighting Enormeeta; we have to do things differently here.”
“Then, let’s go ask the Chief,” Magenta suggested, and Azul agreed. The pair approached the grey-haired, grizzled veteran heading up the scene, the Chief. An officer well-respected by his peers, and who had a fine, upstanding sense of justice. But more-importantly, he was Tres Magia’s direct connection to the city’s police force, even being one of the few people outside of Tres Magia to know their real identities.
“Chief!” Magenta called out as they approached, and the Chief tipped his hat. “Is there anything we can do?”
“Not yet, I’m afraid,” the Chief replied. “The perps have told us they’ll negotiate when they’re ready, and they specifically said to keep Tres Magia away. Any sign of magic, and the hostages start dyin’.”
“Cowards!” Azul spat. “Utterly despicable!”
“These guys are armed with assault rifles, not the kinda thing that’s easy to come by, so we could be dealing with pros. Sorry, but we’re gonna have ta ask you to stay on standby for now. Though, truthfully, I don’t think is a job for schoolgirls in the first place… but I appreciate you bein’ here.” The Chief looked between the two, noticing the elephant in the room. "By the way, where's Magia Sulfur?"
"She's uh… on a solo mission today," Azul said. "I mean, she's out training. She's left the city to the two of us."
Magenta leaned forward to whisper, “Actually, Kaoruko’s among the hostages.”
The Chief sighed. “Well, that makes things more awkward… I hope she doesn’t do anything rash.”
“Don’t worry,” Sayo said, “Kaoruko might be hot-headed, but she’s smart. She won’t do anything that could put the hostages in danger. In fact, it helps us; Kaoruko can communicate with us telepathically, and let us know what the situation is inside.”
The Chief considered this. “Alright, ask her how many robbers there are, and where they’re positioned. As well as the location of the hostages. If we can get a clear enough image, maybe we can send in an extraction team to-”
“Huh?!” Azul looked around suddenly, as did Magenta. “Did you just feel that?”
“Yeah,” Magenta said, looking nervous.
"Seriously?” Azul growled. “Now of all times?!"
"Heyooooo, Tres Magiaaaaaaa!" Leoparde greeted as she appeared suddenly through a portal, boldly approaching the two magical girls alongside Loco and Alice, unabashed by the armed police officers surrounding them. “Hmmmm? No Sulfur?”
“Just the two of us today,” Azul told her.
“Well, whatevs. Didn’t wanna deal with that bitch, anyway.”
Some of the confused officers began to raise their guns, but the Chief quickly talked them down. "Hold it! There's a kid among them!" He glared at the villainous trio, particularly at Nero Alice, who was carrying a dollhouse in her hands. "What do you want? Are you with the robbers?"
"Ehhhh? Hardly," Leoparde answered. "Holdin' up banks is some boomer shit, like who even does that anymore? Not ta mention it’s just plain rude." The trio stepped closer to Magenta and Azul, and the tension was thick in the air as everybody waited to hear their demands. "Alice got bored, so we came ta play!"
Before anybody could question what that meant, Alice's dollhouse expanded and consumed all five of them, before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
The Chief simply stared blankly at the now-empty space, blinking. “The hell?”
Inside of the dollhouse, Azul found herself strapped to a chair in the middle of a large room, facing a well-lit stage, upon which Loco Musica was singing. Badly. She was singing badly. So badly that it was hurting Azul down to her very core. So badly that Azul was trying desperately to free herself, but the dollhouse had robbed her of all her strength.
For her part, Loco continued to sing despite the uneasiness in her stomach. ‘Ugh, I knew it! I can’t do this without Leber! Why do I have to be on the distraction team?!’
Kiwi roared as she gnashed her fangs, glaring at the bank from an alley across the street. "Let me go, damnit! Those bastards need to pay! Holdin' a gun up to my girl like that!"
"Calm down already!" Nemo shouted. She and Matama were holding Kiwi back, while Korisu watched the bank intently, a neutral expression on her face… but a murderous glint in her eye. "You too, Korisu! I know how you feel, but you can't just rush in there when there are other hostages!"
"Besides, think about it," Matama said, "If we run in there as Enormeeta to save someone, won't that be like broadcasting Utena's identity to the world? Even if we save the others, too, it’d still look suspicious. People will realise Baiser was one of the hostages."
Kiwi seemed to settle down somewhat, but she was still grinding her teeth as she glared at the bank. "Then what do we do?! Those pigs aren't doin' anything!"
"We need to approach this carefully," Nemo said, releasing Kiwi. "My powers are perfect for this, but like Akoya says, if I go in to save the hostages, people're gonna wonder why. Which is why we need a distraction, so Tres Magia never realise I'm in there.”
Loco continued to sing, subjecting Azul to her torture, though that wasn’t exactly her goal. ‘I need Leber to sing, after all. Otherwise… nobody’s going to like it…’
Azul was in so much pain. She struggled against her bonds, and her ears were begging her to plug them up or rip them off. Yet even if she could, she wouldn’t, because as she listened to Loco sing, she realised something. ‘This is… Her voice is bad, and her lyrics make no sense, but she’s singing passionately from the heart. Yes, it may be painful to hear, but this song is… love!’
And so, Azul stopped struggling and listened intently. Every painful lyric, every off-beat sound, every last ounce of the cringe-inducing melody, she welcomed it all and bathed in the euphoria. Yet, it seemed that Loco’s rhythm was slowing down… “Don’t give up!” Azul encouraged. “Sing the feelings inside of your heart! I’ll accept them all! Your music, filled to the brim with your love!”
Loco paused for a moment, and then quickly resumed her singing. ‘Eh? What? Someone… actually wants to hear me sing? Without Leber under my skirt?’ Loco’s face flushed red, and she began to put more energy into her singing. “It seems I have a fan in the audience! Very well, this next song is dedicated to you!”
While Azul cheered, Magenta was being held next door, in the adjacent daycare, playing happily on the floor with her rattle. Alice and Leoparde kept watch over her, the former dangling plastic keys to make Magenta laugh. The little baby teenager was having the time of her life, not a care in the world, until she shook her rattle too hard and it slipped out of her hand.
“Oops!” Leoparde said as she picked up the rattle, dangling it out of Magenta’s reach. “Awww, did you dwop your widdle wattle? Poor baby.”
Magenta cried as she tried to grab her rattle, but the meany Leoparde continued to hold it out of her reach! Alice smacked Leoparde’s thigh and shot her an angry look. “I’m just teasin’ her,” Leoparde said, handing the rattle to Alice. “Fine, fine, I’ll go wait over there. God, this is boring. This plan better work.” ‘Utena, please be okay. I’m gonna smother you with kisses next time we meet!’
Alice gave the rattle back to Magenta and patted her baby’s head, cheering her up. “Mama!” Magenta cheered as she hugged Alice, and Alice hugged her back, rocking her gently.
‘Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be doing something?’ Magenta thought to herself. ‘But I’m just a baby, I couldn’t possibly have had something planned. Hmm… Oh well.’
‘That was Enormeeta’s presence a while ago, and I can’t connect with Haruka or Sayo anymore. What’s going on outside?’ Kaoruko wasn’t sure how much time had passed exactly, but they had certainly been there for a while, and yet the robbers had made no attempts to talk to the police. Instead, they focussed exclusively on emptying the vault, their only interactions with the hostages being with bank employees to bypass security.
More time passed, and she still had no contact with her teammates. The robbers appeared to be finished, and were talking silently among themselves, but they didn’t seem to be in any hurry to exit the building. ‘Of course they’re not,’ Kaoruko thought. ‘The moment they step outside, Tres Magia will be on them in an instant, even if they manage to evade the police. What’re they gonna try?’
By Utena’s side, a little girl was sat with her face in her knees, sobbing as quietly as she could. The girl’s mother held her and stroked her hair, whispering gentle reassurances that everything would be okay.
“Um,” Utena whispered, getting the girl’s attention, “It’ll all be okay. Tres Magia will save us all, you know?”
“But… But…” The girl sniffed and trembled. Utena reached into her pocket and pulled out a Tres Magia phone strap, featuring all three members of the group. “What’s this?”
“It’s a lucky charm,” Utena said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe away the girl’s tears. “If you ever get scared, just look at it and remember that Tres Magia will always save you, no matter what.”
“O-Okay, I’ll try…” The girl smiled. “Thank you.”
Next to Utena, Kaoruko clenched her hands into trembling fists. ‘Don’t make promises like that, Utena-han. Tres Magia can’t do anything right now. I can’t do anything right now!’ Kaoruko gritted her teeth. ‘I’m so helpless right now and I hate it!’
“Kaoruko-san,” Utena whispered, and Kaoruko turned to face her. “I-It’ll be alright. Tres Magia will-”
“I don’t need you to calm me down like I’m a child,” Kaoruko hissed. “I know they’re coming, just… I hate being so powerless to do anything…”
“A-Ah, right. Sorry…”
Kaoruko sighed. “No, I’m sorry for snapping. You’re just trying to keep my spirits up. Thanks.”
Utena blushed, and returned to sitting silently. “Psst.” Her hair antenna twitched and she looked around. “Psst!” Looking down, Utena found her dress was slightly forward, and inside of it was a face, staring into her eyes. She opened her mouth to scream. “Shh! It’s me, Leber,” the face whispered.
‘L-Leberblume?! Why are you in my dress?!’ Despite the shock of it all, Utena was somehow able to keep herself from screaming out and drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
“Listen, I’m still working on the details, but I’m gonna find some way for you to sneak away and transform, so be ready.”
“E-Even if I do that,” Utena whispered, “Would I be able to-”
“You don’t need to worry about beating these guys, right? It’s just the hostages we’re worried about. If it’s the two of us, we should be able to do at least that much, and then leave the rest to Tres Magia.”
“R-Right…”
“Utena-han?” Kaoruko asked, giving Utena a confused look. “Did you say something?”
“A-Ah, I was just uh… trying to reassure myself?”
Kaoruko stared at Utena, who was beginning to shrink out of embarrassment. ‘So Utena-han is just as scared as the rest of us, but has been putting on a brave face all along. And here I am feeling sorry for myself.’ Kaoruko smiled. “You’re kinda cool, Utena-han.”
“Um, t-thanks?”
Kaoruko chuckled under her breath. ‘If only she knew she just got that compliment from Magia Sulfur.’
"Hey." Utena flinched, and slowly craned her head to the man addressing her. She was greeted to the muzzle of a gun, and she felt heart blood going cold. "How old are you?"
Utena's breath quickened, and her throat felt dry, but she managed to find her voice to answer the question. "F-F-F-Fourteen, sir…"
"Alright. With us, now."
"What do you want with her?" Kaoruko asked.
"We’re beginning negotiations with the police, and we're gonna show 'em we're serious."
Utena flinched. What did that mean? Were they going to hold her at gunpoint in front of everyone? Or… were they going to make her into an example if the police didn’t comply?!
"So you're going to take a child?!" one of the adults shouted.
"There'll be a lot more sympathy that way," the robber replied with a grin.
"In that case, take me!" Kaoruko shouted, getting between the robber and Utena. "I'm the same age, so just use me and let her g-" Kaoruko was knocked to the ground by the butt of a gun.
"Know your place! We've already decided our hostage!" The robber grabbed Utena's arm and pulled her to feet. "Start walking!"
Utena began walking slowly, the tip of the firearm pressed to her back. ‘W-Wait, this might be perfect. If I’m alone, Leber can help me transform.’
Kaoruko reached into her pocket, clutching her transformation item. 'Damnit, I can't just do nothin'! Sorry, guys, but I have to-'
"Actually, take them both,” the lead robber said. "She wants to be a hero so bad? I say let her. Take 'em both to the roof and let us know when you're ready. If one of ‘em does something stupid, kill the other."
Kaoruko was hoisted to her feet, and both she and Utena were forced to move, escorted by two robbers. Kaoruko breathed deep to keep herself from exploding, as she stared quietly at Utena to her side. 'Don't worry, Utena-han, I promise I'll protect you. Just… give me a little time to work it out…'
Leber followed after them in the shadows, wondering if there was any way she could separate them from their captors. Seeing no other course of action, Leber took her chance, possessing the shadow of one of the robbers to control his body, and then she pointed his gun at his comrade.
"W-What are you doing?!" the surprised comrade asked.
"I-It's not me!" the possessed robber cried, his hands trembling. "I can't control myself!"
Kaoruko wasn't sure what was going on, but she did know that this was their chance! "Utena-han, let's-" Utena was already a step ahead of her, grabbing Kaoruko's wrist and running down the hallway.
"Stop!" the unpossessed robber shouted, aiming down the sights of his gun. An explosion echoed through the halls as Leber fired a shot into the robber's hand, disarming him. "GAH! The fuck?!"
"N-No! I swear I-"
"You bastard!" The disarmed robber pulled out a knife.
"Alright, alright!" Leber shouted, emerging from the shadows and clutching either robber's head. "Kiss and make up, now!" She slammed the robbers' heads together before they could recover from their surprise, and the force of the impact knocked them both out.
Down the hall, Utena realised she hadn't planned for how to lose Kaoruko so that she could transform, and she was now beginning to panic. 'I have to think of something, but it'll look suspicious if I try to go off on my own! Ahhh, my legs hurt, but it'd also look suspicious if I knew it was safe to stop running!' As Utena tormented herself over this, Kaoruko came to a sudden halt, pulling at Utena's arm to stop her. "Wha-"
"Get in here!" Kaoruko opened the door to an office beside them. "You look like you're about to collapse!"
Utena realised how much she was sweating, and how ragged her breathing was, and suddenly, her chest felt like it was on fire. "Ah. But uh, what about you?"
Kaoruko ushered Utena into the room. "I'm a good runner, so I'll be fine on my own. You wait here and don't make a peep! I’ll see if there’s an escape we can use!"
Utena could only nod at Kaoruko's assertiveness, giving her an appreciative smile. "Thank-" The door was slammed in Utena's face, and Kaoruko took off in a sprint.
"Finally!" she growled as she rounded a corner, and then she took a peek to be sure nobody was there. "Sorry, Utena-han, but bear with it just a bit. Trans Magia!"
Within the office, Utena held her transformation item. "S-Sorry, Kaoruko-san, but I can't just stay hidden like this. Trans Magia!"
Sulfur stepped back around the corner, walking cautiously as she kept an eye out for the robbers. She still wasn't sure what had happened earlier, when the two escorting her and Utena seemed to have had a falling out, but she wasn't about to let her guard down. She neared the office where Utena was hidden and stopped for a moment. 'Should I get her out of here first? … No, there are still other hostages, I have ta act fast before the rest of the robbers realise what's happened.'
Sulfur continued on, rounding the corner that would lead her back to where she and Utena had escaped. There on the ground were the two robbers, completely unconscious. Sulfur considered taking one of their guns as insurance - a bluff, if nothing else - but as she neared the bodies, she found that both guns had been destroyed; something strong had crushed them, breaking each in half.
Hurrying along, Sulfur ran up a flight of stairs to reach the balcony that overlooked the main hall, and she watched carefully from a hidden position. "Doesn't look like they've noticed yet…"
"That won't last long, though."
Sulfur nodded. "Right, I have to find a way to clear the hostages, or somehow take out all six at once." … "Huh?"
"Hm?"
Sulfur and Baiser exchanged surprised glances with each other, each surprised to find the other there. Sulfur was about to shout when Baiser's hand was suddenly over her mouth, muffling her voice. Baiser motioned for her to keep it down, and Sulfur calmed herself. As Baiser moved her hand away, Sulfur whispered, "What are you doing here?"
Baiser bit her lip. She was under the impression that Tres Magia were waiting outside, unable to make a move, so she hadn't counted on running into any of them! She considered playing coy, but the urgency of the situation pressed her to clear the air instead. She just needed some sort of excuse that didn't risk revealing her identity…
"A friend of mine is among the hostages." It wasn't a total lie; Kaoruko was her friend, even if only just. And even if Tres Magia investigated the hostages, there was no way they would find a solid lead back to Hiiragi Utena.
"I'm surprised they're with the hostages, and not the robbers," Sulfur said, a sceptical look in her eyes.
"I don't associate myself with scum like them," Baiser replied.
"Oh, sorry. You’re fine with kidnappin’ and molestin’, but you draw the line at robbin' banks?"
Baiser knew Sulfur was right; she really had no ground for moral grandstanding. Even so, she wasn't about to abide cowards that took civilians hostage. "Anyway, this works out for us. I have a plan, but it’ll be easier to pull off with you as backup."
“…Fine, let’s hear it.”
Down below, the leader clicked his radio. “Hey, are you guys in position?” He waited, but received no response. “Answer me! Have you taken the brats up to the roof?!”
“No, they haven’t,” Baiser replied, stepping casually into the main hall, tapping her crop against her palm. As she walked, Leber slithered from her shadow, into the shadows of the hostages. “They’re taking a little nap right now.”
The robbers quickly trained their guns on Baiser, who simply laughed off the threat. “You’re the leader of that Enormeeta group, right?” the leader asked, holding up a hand to signal everyone to hold their fire. “What do you want with us?”
“Why, isn’t that obvious? I’m a villain, so what else could I possibly be interested in other than the money you stole?” Baiser stopped, now standing a few feet away from the leader.
As Baiser distracted the other robbers, Leber possessed the one standing near the hostages, emerging partially from the shadows to cover her mouth. With her unable to move or signal for help, Leber silently created a portal behind the hostages, and gestured for them to go.
The hostages were understandably sceptical, and so it took a while before one bravely took the plunge, poking her head through the portal to confirm that it was safe. After that, the hostages began quietly filing through the portal.
“You guys need an escape plan, right?” Baiser asked, circling around the leader to ensure his back was to the hostages, and giving herself a clear view of Leber’s progress. “Of course, it’s not easy to escape Tres Magia without having magic of your own. I daresay it’s impossible. That’s why you’re going to such lengths to negotiate with the police, using the lives of children to ensure they give in to your demands.”
“Heh, that’s basically it, yeah,” the leader confirmed. “A magical girl’s weakness is her kindness. They won’t dare come after us if they think it’ll risk the life of our hostages.”
‘So you were planning on taking Kaoruko-san and I with you, then. Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.’ Baiser chuckled. “There is an easier way, though. I can create a portal for you, that will take you far enough away that neither the police nor Tres Magia will be able to catch up to you.”
“And what’ll that cost us?”
Baiser noticed that the extraction of the hostages was about half-way there. “About ten percent of your score. Sounds reasonable, don’t you think? You’d still be getting the lion’s share.”
“True,” the leader said, “And having a magical girl on our side would be beneficial-"
'Kyaa! He called me a magical girl! <3'
"-But there's no way we could trust you.” He pointed his gun, aiming for Baiser’s stomach. “Instead, we’ll just force you to open a portal, then keep all the money for ourselves."
Baiser scoffed. “Please. Those won’t work on me.”
“Don’t underestimate us. We sourced this gear from a defunct mercenary group. It’s real military-grade weaponry.”
Baiser saw the last of the hostages beginning to file out, and she let slip a grin.
The leader narrowed his eyes, feeling that something wasn’t quite right. He turned his head, catching the last of the hostages about to reach the portal, and quickly turned his gun to them. “Don’t move!”
Magia Sulfur leapt from the upper floor, slamming into the ground and creating a shockwave that knocked the leader down. While the others were backing away and processing the situation, Baiser whipped the bags of stolen money with her crop. All of the bills emerged, swirling around like petals in a strong gust of wind. The attack obscured the visions of the robbers, and each bill was suddenly sharp enough to cut through clothing. It wasn’t long before each robber was left in just their underwear. Sulfur was spared, only because Baiser had to promise not to sexually assault her this time.
“Fuck! I can’t see!” one of the robbers cried, firing her gun blindly. Sulfur moved swiftly, dodging the bullets and closing the gap to punch her in the gut, knocking her out.
The remaining robbers, two men and one woman, were lifted into the air by vines grown from potted plants decorating the hall, brought to life by Baiser’s crop. “Naughty boys and girls should be punished, don’t you think?” Baiser laughed heartily as she drove her riding crop against their butts, earning yelps and cries from the once-intimidating adults.
“Do you have to make it weird?” Sulfur asked, cringing at the display.
“This is the least that they deserve,” Baiser answered, delighting in the cries and pleas for mercy from her captives.
“I mean, yeah, but you’re almost making me wanna root for them, now.” Sulfur looked over to where the hostages once were, confirming that none had been left behind. Leber knocked out the robber she was possessing and emerged fully from the shadows, looking awkwardly at Sulfur. “Ugh, this is gonna suck if people find out you guys helped us.”
“Well, maybe I can keep quiet,” Baiser offered, shooting Sulfur a wink, “If you can make it worth my while.”
Sulfur shuddered. “Yeah, no. How ‘bout I just don’t knock your head off your shoulders?”
“P-Please, let us go! We’re sorry!” one of the robbers pleaded, and Baiser whipped all three extra hard, laughing in delight.
As Sulfur turned her head away in distaste, she noticed the lead robber aiming his gun at Baiser, who was completely distracted with her… thing. There was no time to reach him, so Sulfur did the next best thing; she sprang out to intercept the shots with her own body. "NGH!"
Baiser turned upon hearing the gunfire, in time to witness Sulfur's body crashing onto the floor. In an instant, she realised what had happened. "S-Sulfur?" Her heart raced with worry. A magical girl emitted a barrier that kept them safe from most non-magical forms of attack, but a gun that packed enough punch could still penetrate it, and if Sulfur took those hits in place of her, then… “H-Hey, don’t joke about this…”
The man was startled for a moment when Sulfur protected Baiser, but he wasn't about to waste the opportunity. Or so he thought, but his finger wouldn't move, no matter how much force he put into it. In fact, his whole body was locked up. "Wha?!"
"That's enough outta you!" Leber shouted, emerging from the man's shadow with a cold glare. She made him lower his weapon, drop it to the ground, and then kneel.
No longer in the mood to play, Baiser dropped her three captives and had her vines restrain their limbs and mouths, and then she rushed over to Sulfur, rolling the magical girl over to check her injuries. "Magia Sulfur! Don't you dare fall to something as stupid as this!" As Baiser examined Sulfur's body, though, she could find no signs of bleeding or torn clothing. Sulfur herself sat up with a groan, rubbing her back. "Wait, you're okay?"
"Damn, that smarts!" Sulfur picked up a bullet from the ground, and Baiser realised then that none of the man's shots had actually harmed her! "I guess I let my guard down, so they got through my barrier, but they still weren't strong enough to pierce my skin."
Baiser let out a heavy sigh of relief, followed by a genuine laugh. "Well, isn't that lucky?"
"What, you were worried?"
Baiser quickly remembered herself. "Of course I was! If you'd been seriously hurt, I would have to hold back the next time I played with you."
Sulfur groaned. "Right, figures it was something perverted." She climbed to her feet, dusting herself off. "Why did I even protect you? Something must be wrong with my brain."
Baiser placed a finger under Sulfur's chin, lifting her head. "It's because you're a magical girl, and that's what makes you so alluring. So fun to tease." Sulfur batted the hand away. "Ohh, how cold!"
Leber watched with a bemused expression as the two had their exchange. 'Good thing Kiwi's not here. She'd go apeshit.' "Hey, lovebirds. We gonna wrap this up or what?"
"Don't call us that! Even as a joke!" Sulfur yelled, fire erupting around her.
"Oh my! Do we really seem that way?!" Baiser gushed, hearts swirling around her in a flurry. Then, she regained a serious expression as she regarded the leader, still conscious and trembling in Leber's shadow-hold. "Hmmm, now what to do with this one?"
Baiser and Sulfur approached, the latter staring down at the frightened man with a look of fury. "You're lucky that little peashooter wasn't enough to actually hurt me, but you sure tried. You're either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid." She cracked her knuckles, and the man flinched.
"A-Aren't magical girls supposed to not hurt ordinary people?!"
"To an extent," Sulfur said. "… And I guess it would look bad if I beat you up while you couldn't even move."
The man let out a relieved breath, but the relief didn't last long, as Baiser's crop was soon pressed under his chin, lifting his head to make him look her in the eyes. "Unfortunately for you, I'm no magical girl," Baiser said, wearing a dark, sadistic grin.
"Wait! Y-You'd be missing out! Think of all the money you could make using those powers! We could work together!"
Sulfur cringed. "This guy’s not even worth punching. He’s all yours.”
"Aren't you supposed to be a hero?!" the robber yelled. "There's a villain right there! Why aren't you fighting her?!"
Sulfur gave the man an exasperated look and flipped him off. "Don't tell me how to do my job, ya shitty old man!"
Baiser chuckled, tapping her crop against the palm of her hand. "How amusing. You want to be spared? Very well, make your offer."
"A-A fifty percent cut!" Baiser raised an eyebrow. "E-Eighty! Fine, have it all, just let me go!" Baiser crouched, tapping the tip of her crop under the man's chin. "T-That's all I've got!"
"No, it isn't. There's more you can offer me, isn't there?" She moved the crop down to the man's chest, pressing it firmly over his heart. "Something you've gambled with since you decided to involve innocent people. Your life."
Tears were now streaming down the man's face as he began to hyperventilate. "D-D-Don't do it, please!"
"I'm not going to kill you," Baiser clarified, licking her lips, "But if you want me to save you, then offer me your whole life. Be mine forever, swear to do anything you're asked, whenever you're asked. Even if I tell you to jump off a cliff, or to swallow a thousand needles." Baiser's eyes turned darked as her smile fell. "It's simple: either face the music, or become my pet.”
The man let out a shrill cry, before passing out, frothing at the mouth. Baiser chuckled at the display. "You are messed up," Sulfur chided.
"Oh, please. I had no real intention of giving him an easy out." Baiser shot Sulfur a smile and a wink. "My pets have to be cuter than that, something you know all too well."
Sulfur shot Baiser a fiery glare. “Call me your pet one more time, and see what happens.”
“I would love to play with you more, but I have to make sure my friend is okay.” Baiser kissed her fingers and blew it to Sulfur, who swung her fist to create a gale, both blowing the kiss away, and destroying the barricade blocking the entrance. Baiser laughed, and then turned to leave. “I’m looking forward to next time.”
"You think I'm gonna let you just leave?" Sulfur asked.
"I think you don't have much choice," Leber replied, standing behind Sulfur, on her shadow. "You're outnumbered. Besides, don't you have bigger things to worry about right now? Like checking on Magenta and Azul.”
Sulfur narrowed her eyes. “I swear, if you’ve hurt them-”
“Relax, they’re safe. We just kept ‘em company for a bit, but Alice should be falling asleep right about now.”
‘That dollhouse, of course. That’s why I couldn’t reach them.’
“Anyway, you don’t want people knowin’ you teamed up with Enormeeta, right? So isn’t it in your best interest to let us go?”
Sulfur took a deep breath, calming herself. She remembered the hostages that had seemingly been rescued by Enormeeta, but… 'That essentially makes them their hostages. Then there's also Utena-han; I have to go back and check on her.'
Leber sank into the shadows, while Baiser retreated through a portal, leaving Sulfur on her own. “… Damnit,” she spat, and just then, police officers came filing into the bank, securing the robbers and the scene.
“Magia Sulfur,” the Chief said as he entered, tipping his hat. “Glad to see you made it back from your ‘training’.”
‘Ah, is that the story we’re going with?’ Sulfur put on an innocent smile. “Yes, well, I heard about what was happening and rushed back to help. How are Magenta and Azul?”
“They’re okay… I think. They got pulled into Nero Alice’s dollhouse, and we were pretty worried for a sec there, but then out of nowhere, they just came right back to us! Guess they must’ve escaped.”
‘No, there’s no way those two idiots managed to escape on their own. Enormeeta was just screwing with us again.’ “Well, it seems you have everything else under control here. I have to go check on something, so-”
“Hold on, I’d like ta get a report-”
“Later,” Sulfur said, and then she rushed off into the bank, ignoring the Chief calling after her. When she was out of sight, she reverted back to her civilian form, and hurried to where she had left Utena.
"Utena-han?!" Kaoruko swung open the door to the office, but it was empty. She stepped inside and looked around, her heart pounding in her chest. “Ut-”
“I-I’m here,” Utena said, emerging from under one of the desks in a painful-looking posture. She climbed to her feet and faced Kaoruko. “I stayed hidden, like you said. Sorry if I worried you.”
Kaoruko released her breath. “Good, you’re safe.”
‘Good job I came back here,’ Utena thought. ‘I thought Kaoruko-san would just leave without me, but Nemo was right; Kaoruko-san is a lot kinder than she lets on.’ “Um, if you're here, then does that mean…"
"Yeah, everything's sorted now. Tres Magia showed up and beat all the bad guys."
"Oh, good," Utena said, smiling brightly at the news, even if she knew it wasn’t the truth. “I wish I could've seen it, though,” she added, suddenly looking gloomy.
"Thanks for staying here, like I said," Kaoruko said, stepping aside so that Utena could leave. "I know it must've been hard, but-"
"No, I get it. It was for the best, huh? I would have only dragged you down as you ran." 'I can't exactly tell her I actually helped defeat the robbers as Magia Baiser…'
Kaoruko looked guilty as the two began to walk. 'I cant exactly tell her I just needed privacy to transform into Magia Sulfur. I should also keep the part about Baiser helpin’ to myself. As big a Tres Magia fan as she is, I'm sure she hates Magia Baiser as much as I do. It'd probably devastate her to learn we were helped by the villains this time.’
Upon reaching the main hall, the police hurried to check that they were okay, asked them a few simple questions about the ordeal, and then let them leave. As they were escorted out, they were suddenly greeted to a sight that almost made Utena faint: Magia Magenta and Magia Azul, in the flesh!
"Are you girls okay?!" Magenta asked. "The other hostages all appeared outside the bank, but they said two were still in there, so we got worried!"
“Tres Magia,” Utena whispered, shaking Kaoruko’s arm. “Kaoruko-san, it’s Tres Magia!”
“Yes, yes, I see them,” Kaoruko replied, half-amused by Utena’s reaction.
Azul smiled warmly. “It’s nice to see you again, Hiiragi-san, and to see you’re unharmed. And um, is this one of your friends?”
Utena was a stuttering, babbling mess as two of her three heroes were suddenly assaulting her with their presence, and one even knew her by name! Her brain so fried that she couldn't even formulate a response, nor question the absence of the third magical girl.
Kaoruko, on the other hand, was speechless for another reason; she was distracted by the copious amounts of Loco Musica swag on Azul's person. A cap with Loco's face, an autographed T-shirt with Loco's face, wristbands and lanyards, all with Loco's face, and even a pair of fuzzy slippers! 'Don't tell me her underwear is also…'
Azul blinked, noticing Kaoruko's confused and disgusted look. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
Magenta gasped. "Don't worry! If you have any injuries, I can heal you! La-"
"NO!" Azul, Kaoruko and Utena all yelled in unison. Kaoruko and Utena exchanged questioning looks.
"Um, I-I'm not injured," Utena said, her face red suddenly. "Normally I would love to see your La Verita in person, but after today's events, I think I just need some rest…"
"Y-Yes," Kaoruko agreed. "I'm also fine. I'm just tired, that's all. Thank you for the offer, though."
Azul nodded. "In that case, shall we see you home?" 'Is this my chance to speak to Hiiragi-san about… that time?'
"UTENAAAAAA!" A middle-aged woman came running towards the girls suddenly, ignoring the police officers yelling at her to stay away from the scene. She grabbed Utena with tears streaming down her face. "Utena, thank heavens you're okay!"
"M-Mom, you're crushing me!" Utena protested, trying to struggle free.
Utena's mom released her, and bowed to Magenta and Azul. "Thank you so much, Tres Magia! I can't even begin to express my gratitude!"
"D-Don't mention it," Magenta said with a nervous laugh. ''Cause we literally did nothing.'
"It seems you have a lift home," Azul said. "In that case, please take care." 'Damn. I missed my chance.'
Utena bowed and thanked the magical girls before she left with her mother. Tres Magia waved them goodbye until they were out of sight, and then Kaoruko snapped to Azul with an irritated look. "What the hell are you wearing?"
From across the street, Nemo watched as Kaoruko talked with Tres Magia, before waving goodbye and going her own way.
“Oi, you comin’, Nemo?” Kiwi asked, carrying a sleeping Korisu on her back. “C’mon! I wanna go see Utena as soon as possible!”
“You guys go on ahead,” Nemo replied, stepping out of the alleyway. “I wanna go check on somethin’.”
“Whatever.” Kiwi carried Korisu away, while Matama went to Nemo’s side.
“What’s up with you?” Matama asked, following Nemo and spotting Kaoruko up ahead. “Is that-”
“Yeah. She was one of the hostages.”
Matama gasped. “Oh, I see. You wanna see if she’s okay… Well, she is our friend, after all! I’ll come with you.”
Nemo remained silent as she walked through the crowds, closing the distance on Kaoruko.
Leber hurried after Utena and Kaoruko, shifting through the shadows in the halls to find them quickly. As she rounded a corner, she caught sight of Kaoruko running up ahead and quickly gave chase, but when she finally caught up, she saw that Kaoruko was alone.
'Huh?! Where's Utena?!'
"Sorry, Utena-han, but bear with it just a bit. Trans Magia!"
Leber's eyes shot wide as she witnessed the magical transformation, and where her friend Tenkawa Kaoruko once stood, was now the magical girl Magia Sulfur.
As Sulfur ran off to confront the robbers, all that Leber could muster was a simple, “Huh…”
“Hey, Kaoruko-chan!” Matama called, waving to the blonde-haired girl.
“Matama-san? Nemo-san?” Kaoruko stopped and greeted to girls as they approached. “What a surprise. I wasn’t expecting to run into you two of all people.”
“We just happened to be in the area and saw what was happening,” Matama said. “We saw you come out of the bank and wanted to see if you were okay.”
Kaoruko smiled. “Thanks. I’m fine. Tres Magia saved the day.”
Matama seemed relieved, while Nemo simply stared blankly at Kaoruko’s face. “Tres Magia, huh? That must’ve been cool to see.”
“Well, I guess…” Kaoruko felt uneasy under Nemo’s intense stare. “Somethin’ up?”
“… Not really. Just thinkin’ it’s good you’re alright.”
Matama grinned. “What’s with you, acting so tsundere all of a sudden?”
“Shut it, you.”
“Hey, since we’re here, how about we stop by a café?”
Kaoruko nodded. “Yeah, I could do with sittin’ down after all that.” She suddenly wore a playful grin as she looked between Matama and Nemo. “And maybe you two could tell me what new developments you’ve had since last time.”
Matama flinched, quickly looking away, and barely hiding the grin on her face. "N-N-N-New developments? W-W-What do you mean? Nothing new's happened since last time."
Kaoruko gave her an amused look. "Oh, really?"
"Yes, really! Even if it had, we wouldn't tell you!" She tuned to Nemo for support. "Right?!"
Nemo met Kaoruko's gaze, smiling as she nodded to her friend. "Right. Nothing new to report.”