[ARC 1: SCOURGE OVER URASARIA]

It always irritated Rodale how the redhead student assigned on Wednesdays made a habit of smoking indoors. He had once seen the hero name on her badge, and after a series of calls to Urasaria Academy's student body president with no real resolution, simply resolved that this was a group of people who broke the law as much as they enforced it.

He worked in a building whose existence had become nearly superfluous in recent years: a prison for former hosts. Mid-afternoon on the first day of August 2018, his eye was pulled over his desk at the visitor's center by a young, tall woman walking down the sidewalk.

"Well, there she is. I was wondering why she was so late."

His supervisor sat down beside. He saw nothing that made her different from the eight or so already gathered in the waiting room. "I don't know her. Is she somebody special?"

"Mia Schultz."

The name meant nothing to the supervisor. "One of the students?" he guessed.

"No, she just likes to dress like she is one. She don't talk much, but you should see her when a student does come in. She sits right up and smiles at them. I don't notice her pay any respect to anyone else who comes through here."

"You thinking of somebody in particular?"

"I just think law enforcement is law enforcement, I don't see why she's got to act like we're different. Would be nice if she learned some manners with everyone in this building. Not just those girls."

The supervisor mused. "I suspect that's the point."

Rodale watched as Mia pulled open the door. A 6' tall woman with midlength white hair, she wore a button-down shirt tucked in to her dress pants.

"Afternoon, Ms. Schultz." he said. "Here to visit your father?"

"Yes." she said.

He started typing. "I'll have them bring him out soon, then. Any particular reason you were so late today?"

"Revenant." she said, then turned away and sat down.

Rodale muttered something under his breath. He had seen Mia a few times around the city before; no wonder it was never with anyone else.

"I can see why you're so afraid of her." whispered the supervisor.

Mia coughed to herself as she took out her phone. The last host she had seen hadn't broken it, but the student who'd responded missiles nearly did. She checked social media for any recent Revenant sightings, then sighed a little as she saw a disparaging comment. In America. some still bitterly argued over the distinction between Urasaria students & civilian police: one killed when necessary & the other even when not. Which, of course, Mia would have answered in that order.

She often felt disconnected from the rest of her generation. Lesbian communities didn't like her because she defended Urasaria students, and for this reason & others, she had difficulty making any friends besides her parents. In her view, her years as a latchkey child walking home with students had grounded an obligation to defend them, acidic as she sometimes was.

Checking the comment again, she replied: "Civilian cops already practically have legal immunity. Why shouldn't students? They don't abuse it." Turning her phone on silent, she added: "Ask a radiation victim in California if students are too violent."

She had seen enough violent hosts with Revenants to feel no sympathy over their deaths. For this reason, rent was cheap around Urasaria Academy, and she came from parents whose money was cut off at the pockets until her father's arrest. She would be leaving soon for college, but wasn't entirely confident; she had signed up for Psychology only because it seemed like a major she might enjoy, or enough to live on. She felt some causes deeply - politics or students - but that was all.

Hearing the doors open, she turned to smile at a redhead student stepping inside, who didn't even look her way before pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her jacket. Mia knew this woman's Revenant from online videos, and she would confess that this was not a particularly attractive woman - by any standard. From what little conversation Mia had once made with her, she tended to speak as awkwardly as Mia.

A little embarrassed, Mia watched as Manufacture's metal rods formed in the woman's hands. An electrical spark from one of the rods lit her cigarette and another electrical arc pulled the smoke away. Out of the side of Mia's sight, Rodale's neck tensed with rage. She tittered just as the student did.

A guard called for Mia, and the last she saw before the door closed behind her was Rodale's mouth opening to yell. After being searched, Mia was escorted to the telephone visitation hall and sat across from her father Stefan.

She picked up the phone and smiled. "There was a - a Revenant, I'm sorry I'm so late."

"Better get all my questions out now, then." he said. "Did you get a haircut, or was that the Revenant?"

Mia laughed. "I had it cut last week."

"Should've brought what they cut off to me." he laughed, rubbing his head. "Could use some. What about - college, right? Admissions going good?"

"A bit, but…" She frowned, needing to be careful. Eight guards were behind her father & two behind her. Since he'd been arrested, this was usually how she asked for money. "My scholarships were a… little short on tuition."

The two pretended to sigh.

"Well, they don't want any poor people getting an education, now." he laughed. "But, I'm sure - sure there's something you can do. Ask your mother."

"Perhaps." She smiled.

He nodded. "Who's on guard today? Did you see?"

"I, er, I don't remember her name. She hosts Manufacture, the - the metal rods."

"Did you talk to her?"

"I'm not attracted to e-every lesbian I see." laughed Mia.

"Oh, you don't know her name, but you know she's a lesbian?"

"Most hosts are." muttered Mia. "A-At least the women. A-And I have talked to her before, but she's not my type, she's very… weird, and I… like more butch women. I-I suppose."

"Well, has there been any development there?" he said and Mia shook her head. "I bet you'll be popular at college. You know your mother always told you you've got the height of a model."

"I s-suppose. I always feel a little nervous around other women." She sighed. "Or in general."

"Well, but that's something that… and if you had…" His head shook. "No, I'm not going to lecture you today. I'm just glad you were able to come visit."

Mia nodded, grateful he wasn't about to hit her with that foolishness about needing to find a job. If she wanted stubborn lessons about the 'real world' from a father who hadn't seen it in years, she listened to Stefan; if she needed coddling from a mother who wished she could've put Mia in a picture frame when she was 10 & kept her like that, she went to Alina.

They talked for a while, and after a guard escorted Mia back to the waiting room, she noticed the student was still smoking. She'd seen students survive amputation before; whatever durability that bacterial colony on their hearts gave them probably prevented cancer, too. As she walked past, the redhead pulled the smoke away from her eyes.

On the way home, she decided to walk closer by Urasaria Academy's street, and texted her mother.

(Mia) "I'll be home in an hour."

She passed by one corner, and in the next instant -

- four arms gripped her neck from behind -

" - FTL." his voice muttered -

- and she fell unconscious.