Just a quick author's note, I realized halfway into this chapter that all this time I was mispelling "Aventador". I apologize to any car fanatics out there who may be irritated with my constant misspelling of the name. I don't profess to be a car expert, unfortunately.

And after some thinking, I will be bringing back LLC - I haven't written for a month on the story, and it's about time I get started on it again. No other site provides the ease of writing as Fanfiction does, and even if this site hates me or my story, I have no other choice if I want to develop my story and bring it to an audience that will hopefully find it in themselves to enjoy it - somehow, in some way.


"Yeah, let's get it over with, then."

Upon seeing her adversary's weapons, Losira immediately reacts, snapping out her dual Anaconda .357 Magnum revolvers so quickly that Renko is unable to bring up the sights of her own handguns. The two girls set their iron sights on one another and promptly open fire.

"Losira!" Reimu calls out shrilly as the narrow alleyways erupt with ear-piercing gunshot reports as she and Yukari instantly drop one knee to the ground and put up their own USP .45's at Losira's opponent, but Losira pays them no heed. Their first pairs of bullets meet exactly in midair, colliding and molding into each other in a flash of sparks as the metal fuse together. Even before the molded bullets hit the nearest surface, Losira and Renko readjust their aims and fire another volley. Five more flashes of bright deep-orange fires, five more ear-ripping cracks, and five more pairs of fused bullets crash to the ground. Losira and Renko, both with perfect, flawless aim, seem to be actively searching for their own opponent's projected trajectories and shoot each other's bullets straight out of the air. But Losira's revolvers, holding only a total of a dozen rounds as opposed to Renko's ample thirty, soon click empty, and Renko, hearing the feeble clicks in Losira's weapons, smiles deviously.

"Sucks for you, doesn't it?"

But before Renko can finish off the vulnerable Losira, Reimu and Yukari return fire right as Losira tosses aside her spent weapons and flattens herself against the ground to dodge her comrades' shots. Renko, caught off guard, is forced to outshoot Reimu's and Yukari's rounds as well, and Losira takes advantage of Renko's inability to shoot her and backs off to regroup with her friends and pull out her backup M1911 MEU to return fire as well. Soon, Renko, too, finds herself dry on ammunition, but not before everyone else find their weapons empty simultaneously, leaving all combatants glaring at each other awkwardly. Losira is the first to speak.

"Hey, hey, hey, hold up now. For you to know how to play Gun Game with me, you're not some rando off the streets, now, are you?" Losira's ornately decorated M1911 hisses gunpowder smoke from its muzzle, the slide drawn back to load another magazine.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Renko replies, keeping her eyes keenly on Losira. "What's the point of us talking when we both know this Beta Block can't go to two people at once?"

"Because I'm interested in you, more specifically, how you know Gun Game. I thought I knew everyone in the North American sector who knows how to Gun Game. I'd like to know where you learned to do that." Losira fluffs out her long, dark brown hair, but Renko simply continues to frown at her and suddenly flicks out her empty magazines and slams the butts of her M96A1's onto two gray white Japanese runes that pop up and spit out two fresh 9mm magazines. But before Renko throws the slides of her pistols forward to lock and load, Losira bends down and -

- disappears.

"Umph!" Renko grunts as Losira suddenly barges her into the wall at the other end of the alley, at the T-intersection from which Renko had emerged. The pair of M96A1's rattle and settle on the cracked cement, and Renko's black bowtie hat floats down to cover them. Losira pins Renko up against the wall and pulls her pocket knife on her, essentially pressing the flat end of the blade against her neck. Struggling to keep her eyes open, Renko peers into Losira's eyes - and sees a yin-yang in not only Losira's right eyepatched eye, but also in her left.

The yin-yang in Losira's left eye is bent 90 degrees clockwise, but it is slowly rotating back upright.

"Before I shove this thing up your asshole and through your mouth and gut you like those fuckin' hillbilly rednecks do down in central Kentucky, tell me what I want to know. Where did you learn Gun Game? I'm not gonna fuckin' ask again, bitch. Tell me. NOW."

Renko gasps noiselessly as the blade begins to dig into her skin, threatening to shave off the top layers of skin and poke into the muscle underneath, but she does not take her gaze off Losira.

"The same way - that you did. I don't see why - you see the need to - ask me."

Then, Losira, sensing imminent danger, kicks off the ground and back-dashes as hard as she can, and just as she does so, a tear in the air above where Losira was standing rips open like an oversized pair of jaws and chomps down like sickeningly warped teeth, gnashing horribly as Losira slides backwards to safety.

"Another accomplice, huh? Reimu, Yukari, keep sharp -"

But Yukari, seeing the tear, is conspicuously disturbed by the sight as she cries out, "Huh? ! Wait, you two, do not do anything, I repeat, stand down!"

"Yukari, what the hell are you talking about? They're trying to take the Block, we can't let 'em!" Reimu shouts back, not understanding why Yukari is suddenly behaving so strangely, but Yukari is already walking forward to Renko and the tear that quickly eats itself away from view.

"My, my. It is quite noisy out here, Renko. Why have we not secured this Beta Block already? We have not much time, you know." A low, polite, and dangerously and deceivingly soft voice precedes its owner: a short, blonde-haired girl just about the same height as Renko in a white frilled hat, peachy blouse, woolen jacket, and a skirt with thigh-high white socks and Mary Janes. "This is not the opposition that we had expected in a city of such magnitude. Why hesitate?"

But as soon as Maribel Hearn walks into view, she glances down the alley where Renko's adversaries are standing. Her purple eyes fall exactly on those of the first person she sees, Yakumo Yukari's.

Both women stop dead in their tracks, as if they cannot possibly believe the sights that their eyes are projecting into their senses.

Yukari is the first to break the head-pounding silence that had followed.

"...Merry?"

"...Okaa...san?"

For a blank moment, nobody speaks. Some in confusion, some in awe, and one in annoyed disconcern.

"MERRY!"

"OKAA-SAAAAAAN!"

Losira, Reimu, and Renko gawk as Maribel runs headlong straight into Yukari's open arms.

"Okaa-saaaan! It's you, isn't it? It is, right? Right?" Maribel, almost crying and stammering, buries and rubs her face into Yukari's supple bosom. Yukari, herself near tears as well, hugs Maribel tighter than she has ever remembered to hug in what seems to her a very, very long time, unable to find words to express her unexpected joy.

Reimu and Losira glance at each other, wordlessly asking one another if either of them knew what was going on, with neither being able to provide answers. Sighing exasperatedly, Losira opts instead to walk over to the two women, who are strikingly similar in appearance, and stand over them, hollering, "Okay, you two, this ain't a damn family reunion, we're all here on a job, I'm assumin', eh?" Seeing Renko approach them and put away her weapons into their runes, Losira also glances at her and asks, "Er, you know 'em, or...?"

Renko shakes her head, but mentions, "I might know who your friend is, but...I'd have to ask her. In any case, this is...certainly kinda surprising, I guess." She kneels down next to Maribel. "Merry! Hey, Merry! Are you listening to me? Hey! Heyyyy! ! !"

As Renko tries to get Maribel's attention, Reimu whispers to Losira. "That girl called Maribel...she's constantly calling Yukari 'Okaa-san'. I never knew Yukari was a mother...she never mentioned having any children, besides referring to her shikigami as them."

"Well, if you didn't know, hell if I know either."

It takes a few minutes to calm them down enough to explain as the Beta Block, in the meantime having finally dropped and floating in its strange but serene energy signature, hovers near them.

"Yukari Okaa-san is my mother. It is kind of redundant, but nevertheless," Maribel explains. "She -"

"Haaaaaaaah? ! You never told me that you knew your mom! ! ! !" Renko grabs hold of Maribel and shakes her back and forth.

"B-But Renko, Renko, you - you met her before, remember? ! A really, really long time agooOoOooOoo -" Maribel's voice sways back and forth with her shaking.

"Do I?" Renko looks up at Yukari, who is kneeling in seiza with her newfound daughter, Maribel. "Well, you're a bit familiar, but not enough to make me remember."

Yukari smiles slightly and holds out her hand. "Perhaps I can help you remember. Take my hand."

"Er..." Renko hesitates but takes it anyway. As soon as their hands touch, Renko's eyes open wide. "Ohhhhh! Yeah, okay, I know now! When we were just toddlers, right? In Tokyo?"

Yukari nods, chuckling as Reimu raps on Yukari's head. "Oi, oi, Yukari, when'd you run off and have a kid? Isn't she, like, my age?"

"As a matter of fact, she is exactly the same age as you and Losira," Yukari replies. "Renko-chan too, if my understanding is correct."

Losira butts in, cutting off their conversation. "Uh, I'd rather not be a dick and break up a family reunion here, but we gotta get the fuck outta here before other Beta Testers barge in on our lil' party here." Losira looks up at Renko. "Either of ya got a ride?"

"Not really, no. We came by b-"

"Oh, and Yukari said your name is Renko. You all speak Japanese?"

"Er, yeah, we all do, including Merry."

"Good, let's talk in Jap so we can reduce the chances of us gettin' eavesdropped on. We need to grab this shit 'n get the fuck out, jus' sayin'. I got a ride for us, so I'll take us back to my place. It'll be an hour drive, though."

"The hell?" Renko stands back up, facing Losira angrily. "We just fought over this Beta Block, and now you're acting all friendly and crap? I ain't buying that! We came here for that Block, and we aren't leaving without it!"

"Nobody said you're leaving without the damn thing, 'cause we'll be taking it with us. And for the record, we'd like it too, since I've got a use for it myself," Losira responds curtly and straightforwardly. "Besides, it sure as fuck doesn't seem like there's a reason for us to fight now, is there? With your friend 'n Yukari bein' all smoochy smoochy 'n all."

Losira reaches over and takes the floating Beta Block carefully, carrying it over to Renko. "Here - you carry it on our way back, so you can keep an eye on it. That fair now?"

Renko takes the jewel from Losira and pockets it securely. "Merry, we should just ditch them here and go back. We got what we came for-"

Losira pulls her Colt M1911 MEU on Renko, shoving the muzzle point blank at the side of her head. "I give you the thing for safekeepin', and that's how you're gonna see the situation? Should I say 'fuck you then' and Scarface you right now?"

Renko snickers. "With Merry here, I doubt you can do much of anything, really," she says snugly as Maribel glares at Losira, her left hand raised and focused directly on Losira. "You don't even know what she's capable of, and I'd prefer it to be that way, since she can do a lot more to you than you can to me with just a gun. So I suggest you put that crap away before Merry gouges out your brain or something."

Losira swivels her eyes onto Merry without moving her neck, splitting her attention between her two would-be opponents. Merry whispers fiercely, "Please do as she says. I prefer not to resort to killing if I mustn't." Sighing, Losira obliges, flicking the safety on her gun again and stowing it in her holster inside her business jacket.

"Yukari, as much as I hate ta say it, yer the one callin' the shots among us. Waddya wanna do?"

"Eh? Why me? I am not familiar with this -"

"As in, you and...Merry, was it?"

"Maribel," Maribel corrects.

"Right. You and Maribel are obviously meshin' us together, otherwise one of our little groups here'd be dead already. Since I work with you and not them, I'm givin' you the call here."

Yukari thinks for second. "Well, I do not see a problem with returning to your home for the night. It is rather late, after all, and I would like a night to speak with my daughter."

"Then it's settled. Let's get a move on th-"

Renko cuts off Losira. "Wait, Merry! Are you sure about this? And Yukari-san, do you trust these people? Why were you with them to begin with?"

Yukari chuckles again. "A story's worth to tell, I am afraid. It is more complicated than it looks, I assure you. But they are trustworthy."

Sighing in almost an uncannily similar manner to Losira, Renko readjusts her hat and pulls out her guns to check that they are fully loaded. "Fine, fine. We'll stay at your place for the time being, then. But don't get the idea that we're gonna get all nice and comfy while we're there."

Losira just snickers back at Renko. "I sure as hell hope you don't. I'd rather keep my tea and cake for myself."

Yukari and Maribel get up so that the group can start heading back to Losira's car. However, just as they begin to follow Losira, who is beginning to backtrack their route, she halts and raises a hand, continuing to speak in sharp and perfect Japanese.

"Hold up. I'm feelin' other people comin' down here. Y'all feel 'em, too?"

They remain quiet for a few moments to confirm Losira's detection.

"Yeah, they're coming, all right," Reimu mutters, cocking back the slide of her handgun. "What's the plan now, then?"

"They are mere humans. It should not be very difficult to defeat them," Maribel states calmly, staying close to her mother.

"Nah, don't engage 'em. Let's try to sneak around 'em as best we can, don't wanna get caught out here in a motherfuckin' shootout," Losira commands as she motions to the others to follow. They begin running back from whence Losira and co. had come.

"Detecting many more foreign signatures," Yukari alerts. "It seems an entire faction has descended upon us."

"Some of the local gangs here've caught on to the Beta Block trades," Losira replies, leading the way. "Sometimes they end up battlin' over those things, like tonight. Didn't expect them to find this one, though. Still, they should realize that they've got other people to deal with besides us, so we can use 'em as cover to GTFO."

"What's GTFO?" Renko asks, running close by Reimu.

"Get the fuck out," Losira replies in a very deadpan fashion. Soon, they find themselves in the utility corridor that they had taken from Losira's car, but Losira throws out her arm and puts her finger over her lips.

"Couple dickwads near my ride. Keep your voices low and stay low. We'll catch 'em by surprise since they're all broke-ass dipshits who can only dream of even seeing a Lamborghini." The girls, crouching and pinning themselves against the wall opposite the door to the utility corridor, slowly inch over to the end of the corridor, where Losira begins to peek out before Renko pulls her back.

"Don't do that. Let Merry check," she warns. Losira, not knowing what Renko means, watches as Maribel extends hand out in front of her and traces a tear with her finger. It promptly opens, and the small tear that Maribel has produced provides a point of view of the underside of the bridge looking down at four men in shady loose clothing and hoods or caps.

"How much ya think shit like dis goes for?" one of the gangsters asks. "Fuckin' 'a if I know how dogshit lucky we are ta run inta dis shit."

"Easy, four mil," says another gangster, unable to help himself as he chuckles like a fat businessman counting a thick wad of bills. "Whoeva left dis ride unda here's a pretty generous dude, bro. He even maintained dis shit sommin' fierce. Y'all see dat shit? I can't even tell how da fuck long it's been kept, dat's how good dey took care 'a dis shit."

"Fuck dude, I'd ratha keep dis mothafucka. No lie, if dis shit's a hoe, dawg, I ain't neva leavin' whateva strip club I found 'er at," another gangster hoots.

"So y'all know how ta jack a Lamborghini, den?" the last gangster asks. "It's a fuckin'...actually, hold up, I ain't neva seen dis kinna Aventador before, da shit dey do to dis thang?"

"Waddya mean?"

"I'm sayin', mothafucka, dis shit's a four-seata, nigga. All da Aventadors I eva heard of ain't nothin' but two-seata's. Da fuck dis one doin' wit four seats, huh?"

"Yeah, yer right, I ain't even seen dat shit. Nigga's got a good eye, dat one."

"So dat means, since dis ain't even a factory model, we kin sell dis shit fer more 'n four mil?"

"We gotta, my nigga. Lamborghini ain't exactly da chauffeur company ta walk up to 'n ask fer a custom made, y'know wat I'm sayin'? Aint no fuckin' Lamborghini customs shop 'round these broke-ass parts fer a reason, ya hear? I thinkin' dis gonna net us some eight mil. Hell, we sell it off right, we kin even get fuckin' twelve mil fer all I know."

"Well, who gonna start, den? We ain't got all day, I gotta go back 'n get fuckin' bonged up with mah niggas back in the hood."

"Fine, fine, ya fuckin' pussies, go suck all yer dads' dicks while I fuckin' hotwire dis shit. Jaaaaay-zus fuckin' Christ almighty, my niggas, who y'all callin' car repo experts if y'all jus' know how ta appraise dis mothafucka 'n not even know how ta repo it? Y'all crazy, niggas."

Losira, by this point very annoyed by their conversation, does not bother to change ammunition types as she gets up, rounds the corner with her M1911 ready to unholster, and approaches the four gangsters, despite her accomplices' calls of restraint. "And exactly whose car y'all gonna repossess, motherfuckers?"

The gangsters, having not noticed her entrance at all, immediately stop what they are doing, staring at her and not knowing what to do next. "Erm...evenin', ma'am, f-fine night out tonight, eh?" one of them stammers hastily.

"I asked a goddamn question, you worthless pieces of shit, what's this fucking repo job y'all were talkin' 'bout, huh?" Losira continues walking towards them. "It can't be that car right there now, can it?"

The two closest gangsters to Losira approach her as well. "Worthless pieces 'a shit? Hey, c'mon now, gal, yo momma ain't taughtcha ta talk dat way, did she?"

"At least my momma taught me not ta call cars like that 'shit' over 'n over, dipshits," Losira spits nastily at them. "And that car happens to be mine, so y'all can jus' fuck off."

One of the gangsters walking to her bursts out in extremely sarcastic laughter, intentionally faking his hoots. "Ohhhh, dat hurt, ya dirty bitch! Y'know, dey teach ya dat one sayin', don't dey? In school or whereva? 'Sticks 'n stones kin break mah bones, but words'll neva hurt me' or some shit like dat? Well guess wat, hoe! Dat ain't true! 'cuz ya jus' hurt my feelin's real deep there! I ain't got a clue wutcher problem is, but we out here try'na make some dolla bills, y'hear? Some 'a dat cash money, y'know? So if we see a fuckin' Lamborghini jus' sittin' real nice 'n pretty out in da moonlight like we're on fuckin' acid when we're actually not, 'a coooooooooourse we gonna take dat monaaaaaaaaaaay!" He and Losira are only meters away from one another. "And unfortunately, we da po-leece 'round here, 'n we gotta give ya a parkin' violation ticket, y'know? We da towin' business, y'know? So we jus' gotta do our job, so we kin earn dat cash monaaaaaa-"

Losira drives her left fist into the gangster's stomach and grinds it against his body clockwise before raising her left arm and smashing the bottom of her fist against his head and knocking him far off to the side away from her. The other gangsters, seeing her violent actions, then snap to action and rush at her. One of them pulls out a Glock, but Losira reacts too fast for any of them, pulling out her M1911 and quickly and accurately flinging a bullet to knock the Glock out of the gangster's hand. The loud crack of the pistol stops the three remaining gangsters dead short when they realize to their horror that the girl they are facing is armed.

"I'll give you fuckers somethin' to appraise," Losira growls as she squeezes the trigger three more times, the rubber bullets that were loaded into her gun being spit out and punching her victims excruciatingly in various body parts. As the gangsters fall screaming, Losira beckons to the others to come out, and they rush to the car as Losira unlocks the doors and raises them. As they all pile in, Renko, Yukari, and Maribel in the back and Reimu sitting shotgun as usual, Losira turns and unloads the rest of her clip into the nearest man. It is difficult to tell whether the reports of the gun are truly louder than the man's screams of sustained agony.

"Call my car shit again and I'll bring a fuckin' machine gun next time around," Losira hisses as she drops her empty magazine with the littered pile of bullet casings and swings her legs into the driver's seat, revving up the engine and roaring away from the bridge underpass. Within minutes, the Aventador is safely riding the comfortable flow of traffic of the streets of Los Angeles, and Losira then readjusts her rearview mirror to look at her passengers in the back.

"First things first, intros. Since we probably don't have a reason to blow each others' heads off, we may as well sit down 'n get comfy at least a little. You can call me Losira. Pronounce it Lo-sear-a, or Lo-sai-ra, I don't really give a fuck, since no one else has a name quite like mine. This is Reimu, Hakurei Reimu. She came to this world from Gensokyou with Yukari, 'n I picked 'em up the other night to help 'em out a bit. I'm assuming you know Yukari, which is probably the biggest understatement of my entire goddamn Beta Testing career. Your turn."

Maribel speaks up first. "My name is Maribel Hearn. Like you have already seen, I am Yukari-okaa-san's biological daughter. We have not seen each other in...nnn, Okaa-san, how long has it been?"

"Oh dear...I believe some fifteen years," Yukari replies, digging through her memory. "In other words, too long."

"Yukari, you need to explain yourself. What the hell were you doing back then, running around and having children?" Reimu turns in her seat to look back at Yukari. "That's so not like you, you know that, right?"

Yukari sighs. "It is a long story, Reimu. I will try my best to elaborate once we arrive back at Losira's home."

"Tch. It better be a long story, damn it." Reimu snorts incredulously and sarcastically and sits back in her seat, crossing her arms.

"A-Anyway, I am Yukari-Okaa-san's daughter, and this is my best friend, Usami Renko. She is my classmate and research partner, and we have made a club called the Sealing Club back in high school but continued it between the two of us anyway after we graduated. We are both currently students at the University of Tokyo."

"That's cool." Losira pulls onto the freeway, and the engine of her sports car rumbles, then screams as they immediately begin to outstrip other cars around them. "By the way, if yer name's Maribel, why do Renko and Yukari both call you Mary?"

"Merry, with an 'e'," Maribel corrects. "Erm...well...Okaa-san first started calling me it, then Renko, who has been my lifelong friend, picked up on it too, since when we were young, it was hard for her to pronounce my full name." She turns to her mother. "Okaa-san, why did you start calling me Merry? I've always wanted to ask."

"You were born on the day that this world calls 'Christmas'. Your father had named you 'Maribel', and for fun, I called you 'Merry'."

"Wait, then who's Maribel's dad?" Reimu blurts out. "Why haven't you even mentioned to me that you had a husband, Yukari? Seriously, what the heck!"

Yukari chuckles, very amused at the fact that Reimu seems to be unable to get over the fact that Yukari had a child. "When we get home, I shall explain. I need not repeat, no?" Yukari takes hold of Maribel's hand gently. "I am becoming a bit sleepy, so I shall rest for the journey."

"You haven't changed at all, Okaa-san," Maribel giggles, leaning up against Yukari's right shoulder.

Renko, seeing this, purses her lips enviously and grabs hold of her friend's right arm, as Maribel is sitting in the middle between her mother and her friend. "Don't be forgetting about me, too," Renko whispers, half bashfully and half bitterly.

"Can I grab another one of those candies?" Reimu asks as Losira busies herself with the stereo and nods at Reimu's request. As Reimu selects a strawberry Jolly Rancher and unwraps it to enjoy the treat within, Losira increases the volume to some soothing, calm jazz, the quiet, lullaby-like drums and cooing trumpets drowning out the roar of the engine as it drives down the freeway back home.


"It's weird havin' ta say this to two people who jus' attacked us, but make yerselves at home," Losira calls out as her posse enters her home's living room and dining room out of the garage. "Sit wherever y'all want, I'll bring some snack - wait, have any of us even eaten dinner yet?"

All of the girls shake their heads.

"Damn, can't believe I've forgotten we didn't even eat yet. Lemme see if I have anything in my fridge, I really need to go shoppin' soon..."

Muttering her way to the kitchen, Losira begins rummaging through the fridge in search of things to fix up for a late dinner as the rest of the girls wander over to the living room. Renko and Maribel, upon seeing the plush couches there, squeal and tumble onto them, relishing in the couches' heavenly soft sensation.

"Hehehe, Renko, do you remember when we were younger, when we used to do this all the time?" Maribel asks, arching her neck to look at her friend, who is snuggling with her couch's pillow and simply nods at Maribel's statement. A few minutes later, the kitchen doors squeak shut, and Losira walks into the living room with a platter of hot brownies, ham and cheese sandwiches, and five white teacups with a pitcher of grape juice.

"Sorry for this, I'd take the time to make a half-decent meal if I had ingredients," Losira apologizes as she sets down the platter on the carpet and sits down with Reimu. "Plus, I'd serve tea, too, but...as it turns out, I ain't got any teabags, either...fuck me..." Cursing herself for her negligence of acquiring tea, she snatches up a sandwich half and chomps on it.

"Itadakimasu~" Variations of the thanks for food sing out as the girls eat their simple supper.

"So...obviously, since it turns out we were after the same Beta Block, who're you workin' for? And, by the way, Renko, you ain't answered me yet 'bout the whole Gun Game thing," Losira points her middle finger at Renko while chewing. "Not everyday at all I run into others who know how to play it."

Renko glares again at Losira, lowering her sandwich. "I hope you realize that you can't possibly expect me to just tell you just because you asked me to?" she retorts. "Like, seriously, what the hell? Would you tell me who you're working for?"

"Why not?" Losira calmly responds, biting into her sandwich and tearing out a particularly big chunk and quickly consuming it. "I'd tell you, but that's just me."

Renko narrows her eyes at Losira. "But why? We barely know each other, yet you think you can just say that so easily?"

"Like I said, why not? Doesn't matter if we barely know each other, I can already tell you and your friend are real powerful 'n shit. If possible, I'd rather not get on your bad side. Plus, I'm pretty sure you're not people who'll use the Blocks for malicious intent."

Reimu scoffs. "Malicious intent? Wasn't it you who just straight up beat the crap out of those guys when we went back to the car?" she comments, half amusedly.

"I don't expect someone who's lived their entire life in a completely different world to understand how much I value my car," Losira snaps at Reimu. "I couldn't care less if they called me a dirty ass slut, but I worked my ass off for that car, and I certainly didn't buy it jus' for a couple gangbangers to call it shit every two and a half seconds. So I kindly suggest you to shut the fuck up."

"...the fuck's your problem?" Reimu, taken back by Losira's sudden verbal lash-out when she thought her comment to be only playful, wonders aloud, but Losira ignores her and turns to Renko again. "So? What'll it be? And for the record, I'll have ya know that I ain't plannin' ta let either of you leave my house until you've told me."

Both Maribel and Renko tense up at Losira's words. "I see how it is, then. I hope you don't mind if we punch more than just a few holes in your walls, 'k?" Renko responds in kind.

"Although we may be comrades, Losira, I ask that you do not threaten these girls," Yukari interjects sternly. "That is something I cannot overlook, given what you have shown for your capabilities."

"Then hurry up and fuckin' answer me, Renko," Losira pressures. "I keep havin' ta say this shit over 'n over, but I hate repeating shit. Why are you after this Block? Who sent you?"

A tense silence, broken soon by Renko. "Let us keep this Block, and I'll tell you. Deal or bust."

Losira's face contorts slightly in disgust. "Are you fuckin' kidding me...am I in the fuckin' U.N. again or some shit?"

"Are you sure about this, Renko?" Maribel says in concern to her friend, but Yukari speaks again.

"I would wish to know as well, Merry. After all, it would be nice to know what you and Renko have been up to during my absence."

Maribel squirms in her seat on the couch next to Yukari uncomfortably from the added pressure from her mother. Renko continues to glare hard at Losira, who, frustrated, finally relents.

"Fine, goddamn it, keep it. Now hurry up 'n spit out what I wanna know. Fuck, gonna hafta text Lauren again 'n have 'er look for another one..."

Losira pulls out her Nexus and begins texting Lauren as Renko pulls out the Beta Block to make sure it is safely in her hands and pockets it inside her coat again. "Merry mentioned that we're part of the Ghostly Sealing Club. Well, we're not the only ones in it. We've teamed up with one of our professors and her assistant at our university when this Beta Block business first started happening. She's funded our trip here to America so we can find as many Beta Blocks as we can, since it's pretty difficult to get our hands on them in Japan. Too many research parties in such a confined area that there're too many Beta Testers running around to hunt for the jewels in relative safety."

Losira rubs her eyebrows. "Okay...but...that's not telling me much. I want names, I want areas, I want plans. I'm not asking for the specific details here."

"Stop trying to rush me, and maybe I will tell you, geez," Renko snaps at Losira. "The professor, whom we have given charge of the club in terms of management and leadership, is Okazaki Yumemi. She's -"

Losira cuts her off. "Okazaki? The Okazaki?" she asks, her eyes widening in piqued interest.

"Er...what do you mean, the Okazaki? There's only one that we know of..."

"The engineering professor! Is she the one you're talkin' about?"

"One of the best at Todai, at that," Renko confirms. "She's our age too, so it was only natural for us to have her help lead us, since she's super freaking smart and all."

"Her assistant goes by the name of Kitashirakawa Chiyuri. She is...rather strange, but she is almost equally as brilliant as Okazaki-sensei," Maribel adds. "She is helping to lead our directives here in America. You sound as if you know of Okazaki-sensei, Losira-san."

Losira shoves the rest of her sandwich into her mouth, almost swallowing it whole. "Damn straight I know her! My team and I did a collab with her back in the day. We cut comms with each other afterwards to prevent our pursuers from trackin' us both. That was like, fuck, two, two and half years ago 'r somethin'? It was when this Beta Block traffickin' was first startin' up."

Maribel's ears twitch slightly at Losira's words. "Collab..." She quickly turns to Renko. "Renko, correct me if I am wrong, but...didn't Okazaki-sensei mutter stuff about a collaboration sometimes?"

"Come to think of it, yeah, she did. So you're the one who Yumemi keeps muttering on about, huh?"

"Yeah, 'n she owes us fuckin' big time. We were the ones who let her know about the other side of our world, the side that has magic 'n shit that science hasn't gotten a slice of a chance to explain jus' yet." Losira noms on a brownie, reaching over to Reimu's hair and picking up some strands to play with.

"O-Oi, Losira, stop that, don't touch my hair," Reimu urges as she tries to swipe away Losira's hand, but instead, Losira swiftly removes the hairband that holds up Reimu's hair in a neat, elegant ponytail, causing her hair to drape down like her own.

"You don't have a problem now, do you? Now shut up 'n lemme do what I want." Losira is content with rolling a few of Reimu's long hairs in between her fingers. Reimu, unable to decide how to react to Losira's very strange demand, continues to eat her sandwich, not exactly sure what to feel about a girl playing with her hair. "Anyways, how far's she gone with her research? The last thing we heard from 'er was that she was fuckin' obsessed with the Beta Blocks from that point onward."

"She still is," Renko mutters, almost miserably. "It's almost all she ever talks about, claiming that it'll revolutionize the world in ways we humans would never imagine. Honestly, I wish she'd shut up about it for a change, but...technically, she's our club advisor, so I would never actually say that."

"I see, I see," Losira nods, reaching for another brownie. "Good to know she's still around. She was a good work partner, so it's nice to hear from her again, I suppose."

Renko sips some grape juice but does not take off her gaze from Losira. "This's been on my mind ever since we met back in the city, but...care to explain your power?"

Losira, about to take a delicious bite of her chocolate goodie, halts her hand mid-transit. "My power? Why do you wanna know?"

"Because I've never seen that power before. That wasn't magic energy you used, was it? What kind of trick is it?"

"I would like to know as well, Losira," Yukari states in a rather quiet voice. Losira notices that Yukari, too, is stroking Maribel's hatless, short blonde hair the exact same shade of straw-yellow as her own. "It seemed to be a sort of teleportation technique of some kind, but I was unable to identify its stature. Do elaborate."

Losira scratches her own head, annoyed at the fact that she is disparaging too much of her own personal information. "I'd much rather keep it a secret, y'know."

"I insist," Renko persists.

"Hey, dude, you wouldn't want me askin' where you got your magic abilities from either, would you? Those aren't natural, innate magic runes that magicians make. And I've never seen anyone use 'em fer weapon storage, to boot."

"How about we both tell each other, then? It's not like we'll have a reason to fight in the future, hopefully, so where's the harm in that?"

"Because I don't trust any of you, to be quite frank," Losira stoutly states in a very cold voice. "Just because I invite you to spend the night here at my place 'n feed you dinner, even if it's a crappy one, doesn't mean we're automatically BFF's, y'know. Hope you realize that."

"Yeah, I do, but it's nice to get to know each other. Nothing bad can come out of making a few more friends and getting to know them, right?"

"Since when were we friends?"

"Ever since you gave me the Beta Block."

Losira facepalms. "God fucking damn it...never should've given it to you..." Groaning, Losira relinquishes Reimu's hair, takes off her business jacket, and throws it off to the side onto the staircase railings. "Fine, fine...you better damn well tell me where you got your powers, too. I get this feelin' this ain't the last time we're gonna be workin' together..."

"I certainly hope not," Yukari chuckles. "After being in no contact with Merry, it would be very nice if we were to remain together, I will not lie."

"Oh, and you explain yourself, too," both Reimu and Losira recite simultaneously, and Losira clears her throat.

"Sigh...okay, so. I can't show it to you now, 'cause I actually have to use my ability in order to show you, which isn't somethin' I wanna do if I don't absolutely need to." She taps her eyepatch. "See the yin-yang? This isn't just a decoration. My left eye has one of them, too, imprinted into the iris. It pops up if I use my ability, which I all 'Click'."

"Click?" Reimu asks, starting to take interest. Renko leans in to get a better look at Losira's eyepatch.

"So check it out, right? Click is the term I use to describe my ability, which is basically short-range, instant teleportation. But it's not a conventional teleportation, y'know? When people think of teleportation, they think of an ability that allows someone ta go from point A to point B, take their bodies and physically move them instantly to their destination. Agree, or no?"

"That's the standard definition, isn't it?" Renko asks. "So how's yours different? Yukari-san said herself that she didn't even know what yours was."

"Mine's different. What you saw back in L.A. is a kind of teleportation that, honestly, shouldn't even be considered teleportation. It's more like transplantation, if anything."

Maribel sets down her teacup. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saaaaaaaaaying, that Click doesn't physically move me instantly from one place to another. It's never physical. Instead, it removes my existence from my current location and reconstructs it in a given set of coordinates that I paint to complete the transplantation."

A short silence ensues as the girls take a moment to wrap their minds around the concept.

"But would that not have consequential implications about the integrity of your existence, Losira? That would put your existence at a severe risk of possibly becoming degraded, no?" Yukari asks, visibly concerned.

"Nah, I ain't gotta worry 'bout that. Never did, never will. But it's a simple ability, really, in the end. I just tell myself I need to go here, and boom, I'm there."

Losira taps her eyepatch again. "But it's got a very defined usage restriction. Renko, did you look at my eye when I pushed you against the wall?"

Renko nods. "Your eye was turned, wasn't it? Like ninety degrees to the right or something?"

"Exactly. Every time I Click, my left eye becomes a countdown timer in yin-yang form. My pupil turns ninety degrees every time I Click, and it has a five-second cooldown before it starts turning back to normal. If I Click more than four times in a row without letting it cool down, the yin-yang on my eyepatch will start turnin'."

"Huh? But isn't this just some embroidering?" Reimu wonders, reaching over to Losira's eyepatch, but Losira grabs her hand suddenly.

"I'd rather people not touch it, sorry. It...actually bothers me a lot." Unlike the usual sarcasm that is generally present in Losira's voice, an eerie urgency replaces it, and Reimu, noticing this immediately, obliges without a word. "Anyway, the yin-yang on my eyepatch behaves the same way, even if it looks like it's not part of my power, 'cause it is. It turns the opposite way, though, but it turns four times, too."

"What happens when you try to use it more than eight times?" Maribel asks.

Losira bites her lip. "Bad, bad things."

"Can you even activate it more than eight times, then?" Reimu asks this time.

"I can. But the only reason I would is if it's to prevent me from dying."

"What happens if you do go over your limit?"

Losira remains silent for a minute. "Like I said, bad, bad things."

"...erm, well, can't you at least tell us what happens?"

"Problem is I don't know if I should tell you. The affects are different each time. And they get worse each time. Like, as in, my left ankle got dislocated instantly when I Clicked nine times once."

A harsh silence again. "...er...instantly...?" Renko repeats, as if to reaffirm Losira's statement.

"Yeah. When I Clicked that ninth time, after I Clicked, I found my left ankle completely busted and bent the wrong way." Losira shudders, her usual calm, cool demeanor being invaded by an insecure, uncomfortable one. "That shit hurt. It fuckin' hurt like a bitch. I never wanna feel that again. So do me a favor 'n don't ask me that shit again." Losira points at Renko. "Your turn."

"Fine...unlike you, I'm not a total complete asshole, so I'll bite," Renko says. "I, uh, actually don't really have any 'magical' powers, by technicality. I only have a manipulation power that I was born with. It's just the ability to read stars for time and the moon for location."

"I call her Miss GPS sometimes to tease her," Maribel explains, giggling much to Renko's chagrin. "She seems to be annoyed by it."

Losira cocks her head a little, very interested in the description of Renko's ability. "A walking GPS, huh? That's not a power you see every day, is it. So it's like you can never get lost, huh?"

"Nope. Never got lost in my life."

"Then how do you get time and location during the day? Does your power work the same, or what happens?"

"Well, obviously since I can't see the stars or moon during the day, my power doesn't work well at all. I'd just have to rely on standard ways of telling time and location...but I can still get time and location, it just takes a lot, lot, lot longer than if I were to do it at night."

"Mkay...then what about your guns? You said you're not an innate magic user. How'dja get hold 'a those runes, then?"

"Courtesy of Yumemi. She gave me those runes you saw by inscribing magic into this book that I keep with me all the time. It lets me store my weapons safely and take them with me anywhere. It even stores ammo and other stuff for me, too, if I want it to."

Losira taps her fingers together in thought, her elbows on her knees. "In that case...can you bring up those runes for sec? There's somethin' I wanna see."

"Why?"

"If I'm thinkin' this correctly, I'm thinkin' Yumemi took some of the energy of the Beta Block we got for 'er 'n turned it into a usable form of magic for non-magic users to utilize. Now hurry up with it, we ain't got all night."

Renko curls her lip, unwilling to obey Losira's order, but obliges anyway, extending a hand at Losira and opening a small palm-sized rune for Losira to analyze.

"...yeah, this's definitely serenity energy right here. But this is hella cool, Yumemi's actually managed ta find a way to develop an actually usable interface for non-magic users to use, holy shit. Plus, she even localized it to the Japanese timezone 'n customs 'n shit."

"Well, she is considered to be a genius at Todai, after all," Maribel remarks.

"How are you able to read that, anyway?" Reimu asks Losira. "I haven't seen you use magic once this whole time."

"I can still work with Beta Blocks, can't I?" Losira responds, nodding as Renko deconstructs her magic rune. "That should be proof enough. Oh, and, there any chance I can look at your pistols?"

"No, no there isn't. They're keepsakes, given to me by someone very special to me." Renko refuses Losira abruptly.

"It's either that, or you tell me where you learned Gun Game. Simple as that."

"Then that's easy. As long as I don't let you touch my guns, I already saw what you could do with those revolvers of yours, of all things," Renko accepts, quite relieved at Losira's exchange.

"It ain't like I'm gonna wreck 'em or anything. I know what it feels like ownin' a gun that feels important to ya. I have one myself," Losira explains as she reveals her own precious sidearm. "I'm jus' interested in who made 'em. They looked like they've been well made, that's all."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's all you wanted," Renko scoffs. "Anyways, Gun Game...I was taught by Yumemi, and I only just managed to get it down just a few months ago. I'm still new to this, but don't think I'll hesitate to shoot to kill, because I will. I'm not working out here to die or let Merry die."

"Holy fuck, Yumemi still knows Gun Game? Does she still have her six shooters?" Losira asks.

"Six shooters? You mean her Magnums? Yeah, she still has those. She has them up in a glass display in her office," Renko comments in a rather awkward tone. "Like, why she would see the need to show those in her office for everyone who walks in there to see's beyond me, honestly."

"Oh, by the way, Losira-san, you never told us your own group," Maribel points out.

"My own group? Waddya mean?"

"When Renko mentioned Okazaki-sensei, you also mentioned that you and your organization had worked with her in the past. You could at least show us the decency of telling us the name of this organization that you associate with."

"Does the name Seal Team 6 ring any bells?" Losira mumbles, annoyed further that she has to provide more personal information. "I swear...maybe I shouldn'ta brought y'all here..."

But Maribel claps her hands together, as if in epiphany. "Seal Team 6? Okazaki-sensei holds them in utmost regard for being the best research team that is working with the Beta Blocks! Would it be possible for them to visit Okazaki-sensei or contact her? I am sure she would be very glad to hear from them again!"

"Wait, 'n how do you know how closely we worked together back then?" Losira asks incredulously. "We even made Yumemi swear she wouldn't tell anyone, otherwise we'd put a kill order on her ass 'n take her out."

"Er, you don't have to worry about that, Yumemi hasn't exactly blabbed on about that to just anyone," Renko interrupts worriedly. "She only shared this with our little club, just me, Merry, and Chiyuri."

"...well, if that's really the case, guess it's fine, then, for now," Losira sighs. "Really, though, she shouldn'ta told y'all anyway. Lemme ask, though, how many Blocks y'all've gotten, though? When'd y'all get together in that Sealing Club thing 'a yers?"

"We first came together at the beginning of this school year," Maribel says. "Okazaki-sensei called us out to her office one day because she sensed that we were abnormal humans with potentials to develop powers relatively quickly and easily with the presence of the Beta Blocks. We are not sure about the details, but it seems that Okazaki-sensei and Chiyuri-chan have acquired a fair stock of Beta Blocks by themselves."

"Then I'm assumin' she made you two hold onto some Beta Blocks until y'all developed your powers, huh?" Losira asks, and both Maribel and Renko nod. "Thought so. No doubt that Yumemi's been contactin' 'round 'n gettin' 'er hands on our works, given she really does look up to us as the best serenity research group. She based that procedure off one of our own experiments we did back in the day when we first started workin' on serenity 'n the Blocks 'n shit. Lemme go wash my hands real quick..."

The dialogue pauses for a few moments as Losira gets up and walks a few paces around the corner to enter the nearby restroom, and as the hum of the restroom ceiling fan whirs, Reimu pops a small brownie cube into her mouth and finally asks: "Mkay, Yukari. It's your turn now - You and Maribel there. Explain."

As Maribel chuckles awkwardly, Yukari clears her throat. "Well...Around the time that you were born, Reimu, I had left for the outside world on some business to acquire some wares for Kourindou. While I was roaming Tokyo, I met Merry's father, Lafcadio Hearn, who was a foreign language professor for Todai. He took a...rather infatuated interest in me during my time in Tokyo when I went to the university to visit. At first, naturally, I did not understand his eclecticism, as he was a very quirky and eccentric man. But eventually I learned of his life and his hardships, especially his inability to see out of his left eye, and I must admit that eventually, I grew to admire him as a human, and as much as he was persistent, I cannot deny that his dedication for me was inhuman, to say the least. But I was, nevertheless, quite surprised when he declared his love for me before I departed for Gensokyou and begged me to stay one last night. You can imagine what happened then."

"What the hell? That sounds like a really lame love story, you do know that, right?" Reimu, clearly disappointed, jabs as Yukari giggles, and Losira sits back down next to Reimu on the carpet.

"I stayed during my pregnancy in Gensokyou until it was time for her birth. I did not want her to live in the disruptive world of Gensokyou at the time, so I decided to give birth in the outside world and sent Lafcadio a notice foretelling the birth. I gave Maribel to Lafcadio to take care of as his child as I returned to Gensokyou again. I later visited Merry when she was a child, but I have not seen her since."

"She also met me, too, when she came to visit," Renko adds.

"So in other words, that makes Maribel half-youkai, half-human, right? How's that work?" Losira points out.

"Okazaki-sensei analyzed my DNA structure and innate magic ability and has determined that I have the normal lifespan of a human but the augmented magic talent of Okaa-san's power," Maribel clarifies. "Though, admittedly, even though my power has been sharply accentuated by the Beta Block's influence, it is nowhere near Okaa-san's ability."

"You will get there soon enough, my dear," Yukari assures.

"Just curious, what happened ta Mr. Hearn?" Losira asks nonchalantly.

Yukari gives a sad smile. "Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after Merry's birth due to heart failure. He was aware of his condition, however, so he arranged for one of his colleagues' family, the Koizumi family, to adopt her in the case that he did die."

"I see. Sorry to hear that," Losira nods understandingly as Maribel also gives a sad smile, much like her mother. "At least you still have your mom with you, so make sure ta make the most outta yer time with her, mkay?"

"E-Eh? Losira-san, your parents...are they...?" Maribel begins, but Losira cuts her off like it is her job.

"They're both dead, yeah."

"Hey, so are mine, y'know," Reimu interjects. "Don't be forgetting 'bout me, here."

Losira turns to her sharply, gawking at Reimu. "Oi, oi oi, you never told me that!"

"I didn't? Oh, I thought I did..."

Losira scratches her head uncomfortably. "I guess we all have something in common...tch, the worst thing to ever have in common, for fuck's sake..."

"What about you, Renko?" Yukari asks, trying to dispel some of the conversational awkwardness in the air. "Are your parents still well?"

"Huh? Mine? Yeah, Okaa-san and Otou-san are fine," Renko says, not really paying attention to the conversation being too preoccupied with flipping through her chained book. "Though, I haven't really talked to them ever since I entered university."

Renko looks up from her book into three cold stares from Losira, Reimu, and Maribel. "Er...did I...say something bad...?"

"Nope, nothin' at all, jus' go back ter readin' that book 'a yours," Losira snaps. "Lucky bitch."

"H-H-Hey, it's not my fault I still have my parents!" Renko cries as even Maribel turns away from her best friend and hugs her youkai mother tightly. "Stop trying to ostracize me for something I didn't do!"

"There, there..." Yukari chuckles again as she strokes Maribel's hair.

"Sigh...it's late, I'ma take this tray back," Losira says, noticing the time on the clock hanging just below the M4A1 CCO on its rack. "Reimu, what's gonna happen with us goin' to Gensokyou or whatever?"

"Oh, that's right, I completely forgot, dang it!" Reimu grimaces as she smacks her own forehead with her palm. "Yukari, what do you wanna do? You still wanna go back, or wait until morning?"

"Hmm...the problem is that even if we were to go back now, I do not think I can open the portal forcefully," Yukari says, concerned. "I would like to wait at least twenty-four hours before opening it again."

"Okaa-san, could I not try?" Maribel asks. "I could probably open it, as I have done before."

"Oh, that's right, Merry can try!" Yukari claps her hands together, apparently forgetting all about her own daughter's capabilities. "But are you sure, Merry?"

"I'll try not to disappoint, ehehe~" Maribel scratches her cheek, unsure of her own projected outcome.

"Nah, I think it's better ta jus' spend the night here and then go," Losira firmly states, standing up with the nearly empty tray. "But what're we gonna do with Renko 'n Maribel?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about, Merry," Renko repeats. "Is it alright for us to go too? We've spent so much time trying to go over to Gensokyou to try to prove that there is indeed a parallel world to Earth, but we've never really been able to consciously go there, save for Merry's subconscious phasings."

"Oh God...more people who'll eat up my snacks and tea..." Reimu groans, and Losira's sharp voice rings out from the kitchen.

"Oi, shut the fuck up, you've been moochin' off my goddamn snacks 'n tea, aren'tcha?!" Reimu puts on a guilty look and chuckles awkwardly.

"I wish to spend more time with my daughter, so I would like to take them with us to Gensokyou. It will be a learning experience for everyone, after all," Yukari affirms. "Though, it will only be for a day, for our work here in the outside world is far more important."

"Then it's settled," Losira says, walking back into the living room but remaining standing. "Let's snooze here and get up in the morning and hop on over to the other side and do what we need ta do. Neither of you mind, right?" Losira points at both Maribel and Renko, both of whom shake their heads. "Alrighty, then, now I've gotta decide who's gonna sleep where and who gets to use the showers first..."

"Ah, me, I call first on the bathtub with Renko!" Maribel raises her hand enthusiastically, again much to Renko's chagrin.

"Oi, what the heck, Merry, did you just say you're going to take a bath with me?!"

Maribel looks at Renko with puppy-dog eyes. "But...that is how we have always taken baths, has it not? Together?"

"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY THOSE KINDS OF THINGS OUT LOUD, YOU IDIOT! ! ! ! !" Renko throws a couch pillow at Maribel, extremely red in the face amidst Maribel's squeals. Losira simply sighs as shenanigans among her house guests ensue, but a short vibration in her skirt pocket hums for attention, and she pulls out her smartphone and taps it on. There, she sees a recent text message and opens it up to read.

Have Renko Usami and Maribel Hearn contact Yumemi Okazaki immediately. We shall coordinate another collaboration with her and her group. Details to follow. Lauren out.