It's time for Sector JP to have a chapter now! We get a handful of revelations and new characters, but this chapter is pretty focused for the most part!

A Lesson in Discipline

Hana simply hated homework. After a boring day of school, he wanted to just goof off after coming home, not do more work. They should've had plenty of time to do this stuff in class, why couldn't the teachers get done with their lessons faster? And it didn't help to have to receive help from a fourth grader, peering over the 7-year-old with belittling big eyes. "Okay, the next word is 'farfetched.'" Hana said.

"Well, that means unbelievable! Impossible." Ichigo Diego explained with a smile. "How would you use that in a sentence?"

"Drinking lots of milk to get bigger than you is farfetched."

"That's right!"

Hana needed rocks to hold down his homework papers, so they wouldn't blow away from the giant's breath. Ichigo couldn't fit inside the Asakura Family shrine without crumbling the wooden structure, so they simply worked on the pavilion. If nothing else, doing homework in this peaceful, forested seclusion was much nicer than sitting in a boring classroom. Even though most of Hana's view was obstructed by Ichigo's eclipsing visage. Both boys were on their bellies, the homework lain between their faces, and Hana between Ichigo's plump hands.

It adored Hana's mother for him to have a big, brotherly figure to rely on. Ichigo primarily undertook this voluntary work under the insistence of his own mom—so you couldn't really call it voluntary—but Ichigo took joy in it regardless. Outside of this, Ichigo and Hana were teammates in the same sector; or rather, Ichigo's secondary sector, in which Hana sort of had seniority over him. He was 4 years younger than Ichigo, yet he awakened his Zanpakutō first and helped Ichigo awaken his. That was the only thing Hana had over the giant, whereas Ichigo was older, bigger, and academically smarter.

"Heeeey! Ichi-bro!" Ichigo's cousin, Mazu called up from below the stairs to the shrine, mounted on his skateboard. "Guess what just came to port? Nijiki's Sea Eatery! When you're done, come meet us there, we're gonna go eat!"

"We were just wrapping up!" Ichigo pushed up to his knees. "Now, Hana, make sure you use these words when you talk from now on."

"Only teachers and grown-ups talk with big words!"

"And now you can feel like a grown-up!" Ichigo stood and prepared to leave. "Later, Hana. Bye-bye, Mrs. Asakura!"

"Don't knock over my arch this time, go around it!" shouted Anna, the mother skinny and stick-like with platform sandals, blowing a cigarette with a fragrant scent.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Ichigo gingerly stepped around the arch. One thing they had in common was scary moms.

The giant mounted his super-sized skateboard and geared up in safety wear. "I'll race ya!" Mazu boosted down the forest road with firebending jets!

"Be careful!" Ichigo would try to immerse in the race as safely as he could.

It took them a while to reach the port town, but the ship was recognizable from the hill they flew down. The wood was a rustic brown, it was wide in shape, and flew the colors of a purple-haired skull. Already, there were customers entering and leaving via the boardwalk. Ichigo and Mazu's two friends, Joto and Koda were sitting on tether pegs, waving at the two upon their arrival. "Yo, you're late, Bighead!" Joto taunted. "She prob'ly gave away all the best food by now!"

"I'm sure she saved the best for us!" Mazu grinned. "Let's not keep her waiting!"

Some would expect this to be a pirate-themed restaurant going in, but the inside was more like a hunter's den, a country style with mounted heads and pelt rugs. The meals were cooked from hunted game, served with exotic spices and condiments. "There ya are! Enjoy yer meal!" they heard a country accent say. Not far, they saw the back of a purple-haired girl, braided in a ponytail that hung around her right shoulder.

"Thank you, Miss!" replied the customer she was serving to, a 15-year schoolgirl with wavy pink hair, a red ribbon, and white uniform. She had been served a large bass.

The purple-haired jumped and spun. "And don't think I didn't hear yer car-sized sneakers walkin' in, Ichigo! My, you get taller every time I visit!" She had golden eyes and brown, leathery armor, with thick fur cuffs around her wrists and ankles. She had boots and her hands were bare.

"Nijiki!" A beaming Mazu sprung over to hug the taller girl. She was 4 years older than him at 14.

"Howdy there, Mazu!" She happily ruffled his hair. "Ah hope you brushed up your cookin'! I'm dyin' to see what you can make now."

"Ah, I don't have time to travel everywhere like you." Mazu said, a blush on his tan face and eyes closed in bliss. "Your cooking's gonna be way better."

"So long as you put heart in your recipes, that's all that matters! Well, tastin' good is also important."

"So, what's this month's theme?" Ichigo asked.

"Gaian! We explored the country of Lucis on Planet Gaia. Beautiful place, it was just my style! Lots of beasties in the valley and great fishin'! I got a table reserved just for you, so go on and get seated and have a look at our menu!"

"Nijiki!" A very short girl in a frilly blue dress, blonde hair with a tall crown, and pointed ears scampered over. She also had a big, fluffy tail. "We got an order for an Anak, mind giving us a hand?"

"Comin', Charlotta!"

Nijiki Yukihara was the daughter of two talented Tōtsuki graduates; the best culinary school on the planet. Raised in the country, she was taught to hunt and fish and learned to cook and prepare her game. Her parents planned to get her into Tōtsuki one day, but through some special connections on account of Mazu's mother, Yuzu, Nijiki was granted the opportunity to sail the universe, hunting game in all kinds of places and expanding her palette. The people she worked with found potential in her skills and decided to let her stay for the long haul. She was 10 years old when she started traveling, but she would occasionally return home and treat her homeland to whatever alien ingredients she had discovered. The girl they just saw, Charlotta, was an Avalaran dwarf. The people Nijiki worked with were very diverse, but almost all major organizations were diverse nowadays.

"Boy, look at this stuff." Mazu said, his light-brown eyes in awe. "Chocolate Chocobo, Bavarois-flavored Basilisk, Cactuar Cracker appetizers… this stuff is so neat. We've never been ANYWHERE like this!"

"We aren't really an exploration sector like GF or V." Ichigo reasoned.

"Yeah, our whole thing is sports!" Koda laughed. "That and the booms~"

"But we gotta go somewhere, man! Sectors get points for going on expeditions, so we should!"

"I vote for the Sports Planet." Joto said.

"Somewhere exotic!"

"I really wouldn't mind a trip." Ichigo replied. "But there's risks that come with it. There'd be no one to protect this town from villains."

"They'd just call one of the other sectors to help!" Joto argued. "Sector V leave all the time, that's why Sector W's right next door. …Next door. Hah."

"I know that, but it's still better to be available when there's a villain attack." The customers all jumped out of their seats from the sounds of explosions and screaming outside. "Like right now. …What the heck?!"

Everyone scrambled to the exit, curious and concerned to know what was happening. Only the pink-haired girl remained, smirking.

"'Scuse me," Ichigo requested, taking careful steps between the people, "give me space, operative on duty here…"

The port was smothered in colorful clouds as missiles rained everywhere. "KAMAMAMAMAMA!" They originated from a makeshift Chinese dragon, ridden by a madwoman in black and white kabuki attire with firework designs. "Hungry for something exotic?! Well, too bad! No one'll cross this port if I have anything to say about it!"

"That lady is…!" Ichigo gaped.

"MOM!" Kodachi exclaimed. "HEY, MOM! HEEEEY!"

"Huh?" The woman raised her kabuki mask and surveyed the ground. "Oh, hiya, Koda! Already here, huh? How ya BEEN?!" The dragon spat a firework toward the restaurant.

"PRETTY GOOD!" Koda fired one to intercept it, the explosion dazzling. "Just got done with a tough mission!"

"Oh, I'd love to hear about it!" A fountain of lantern-like bombs sprinkled out. Joto had shrunk to fly-size and flew to grab one, flying up to throw at the dragon's tail. The explosion blew Joto back, but Kodama was shaken on her seat. Ichigo grabbed Mazu, spun his arm, and chucked him like a baseball, the chef using Rocket Boost to fly to Kodama. She fired Iceworks, but Mazu was swift to evade them, drawing a spatula and channeling a fire-made patty to it. He "flipped" the patty up the hole where the dragon's tail used to be, exploding the creation, but Kodama leapt off and glid on a firework-powered parachute.

Kodama released tiny, homing missiles to lock on Joto, knowing she'd be buzzing up for a sneak attack. Joto's quick buzzing tricked the missiles into crashing each other, the Tiny Devil then flying to clip the strings of Kodama's parachute. Ichigo dashed, leapt, and clamped the villain in his hands. "Playtime's over, Mrs.… Ramsey?" Light glowed between his fingers, a burst forcing him to release.

"Nice try!" Kodama showed the black devices in her palms. She landed on her feet and extracted a jetpack to run, but Kodachi kept after her with the same technique. Kodama dropped bombs behind her, Kodachi long-jumping over them. Eventually, he let the jets fly on their own, ramming Kodama's butt as she toppled over, her jets flailing her about wildly before flying off. "HAH!" Kodachi jumped on his mom's stomach. "I shoulda called Dad, so he could join us for DINNER!" He punched her mask.

"I wouldn't mind a nice home-cooked meal!" She thrusted her Palm Blasters, Koda flipping off while dropping a bomb on her belly. She punched it toward Koda, bursting on him.

"If you surrender now, we'll let you join us!" Mazu landed on Kodama's belly with a flip-kick, the woman pushing her off and standing. A baseball whammed her in the mask, breaking it, and afterwards a giant soccerball ran her over. Kodachi shot a Cheesework to stick his mother to the ground.

"Kamamamama! That's okay… I wouldn't wanna eat at that messy restaurant. Heard the food there is awful."

"Is that only 'cause the Brotherhood is enemies with Nijiki's crew?"

"A little, but it's true. Have you even TASTED her food?"

"Nijiki's food is the second-best!" Mazu stomped. "Once you have a bite, you won't be able to hide your joy!"

"UCK, that stuff was AWFUL!" A woman whined at her husband, waving away her own putrid breath as they walked by. "Did their refrigerator break or something?! How could they serve that gunk?!"

"It looked good when it was served, and it's not like we were watching the battle that long."

"Huh…?" To Mazu's confusion, several people seemed to be leaving the Sea Eatery, expressing frustration and looking disgusted. He and Ichigo raced back to the ship.

"Wait!" Nijiki pled. "I swear it ain't our fault! I don't got a clue what happened!"

Every table was soiled with rotten food, casting a cloud of decay over the restaurant. "Mumumumu~" the pink-haired customer snickered. "So, this is what Gaian cuisine is. They sure have rotten tastes."

"Hey, that ain't true! Somethin' had to have done this…"

"Well, it's the restaurant's fault in the end." The smirking girl stood from her table and marched to the exit, passing between Mazu and Ichigo. "'Scuse me, big guy." She passively brushed the giant's shoe.

"Nijiki-chan…" Mazu approached his senior to offer sympathy.

"Mazu-kun, when everyone went to see all them fireworks, somethin' happened when no one was lookin'. We ain't got a clue what."

"That means…" Gritting his teeth, Ichigo raced back out to where Joto and Koda were securing Kodama. "You! Mrs. Ramsey, what did you do to the restaurant?!"

"I dunno what you're talking about, Ichigo." She smirked.

"I'm used to your occasional property damage, but hurting Nijiki's reputation is going too far. You'd better pay for every meal you ruined!"

"PEE-YOO!" Joto cringed, pinching her nose. "I'm sorry to change the subject, but did you change your socks, Ichigo?! Your foot stinks!"

"Uh…" Ichigo blushed, embarrassed from the sudden and uncalled for callout. "It's not nice to yell private matters out loud…?" However, it was only then he realized his left shoe rotting away, infecting the sock underneath. "EUUUUH!" Ichigo frantically pulled his sock off and threw it over an unsuspecting fisherman. "Oops, sorry!"

"BLAST IT, boy, ye've ruined my bait!"

"Kamamamamama!" Kodama cackled.

"Alright, SPILL THE BEANS, Mama Dama!" Joto tipped her bat to her face. "Ichigo doesn't stink that bad! You shoot a new Super Stinkwork or something?"

"I don't remember stepping on anything…" Then again, Ichigo could rarely tell if he stepped on anything small enough. He tried to think of anything that could've caused this, anything that… brushed his shoe. "Wait…" That pink girl came to mind. She was already in the restaurant by the time all the food rotted, she had touched his shoe just before this happened… even her behavior seemed odd, like she was totally unsurprised.

"Ichigo, did she say anything?" Mazu asked, jogging over.

"Mazu, that pink-haired girl! Remember the girl that passed us?"

"Uh, yeah, I think…"

"Ah, it seems Detective Diego has learned something." Kodama smirked.

"So, I'm right! Guys, split up and look for a pink-haired girl with a ribbon and white uniform! She couldn't have gotten too far!"

"A girl with a typical anime design, got it!" Joto saluted, taking flight.

"Don't take that girl lightly." Kodama cautioned. "She may not look it, but she's kind of a VIP among the Brotherhood."

"A VIP?" Kodachi questioned.

"I don't care who she is!" Mazu declared, rolling off. "I won't let anyone who ruins good food get away with it!"

Ichigo couldn't move as fast as desired with a missing shoe, but the kids searched determinedly for the suspect. "Sniff, sniff…" Mazu was the first to pick up the awful scent. The skateboarding chef skid to a halt before one of the port's warehouses, its shutter open by a small gap as a smell leaked out of it. "Guys, I think I found a lead. This warehouse I'm by smells really… fishy. The bad kind of fishy."

Sending his coordinates, Mazu chose to brave it and crawl in first. Rotten fish toxified the inside, the nets holding them having crumbled apart as they spilled into horrid piles of dead flesh. He kept his nose and mouth covered and wished he had goggles, his eyes tearing from the smell. …His eyes narrowed for a different reason: the suspect in question stood before him.

"Isn't it sad how hard work can easily be reduced to nothing?" the girl said, her purple eyes half-closed and her smile cynical. "It could take years to build a city, but a quick invasion from hostile warships can destroy it without care. It takes hours to make a perfect soufflé, but one trip-up and it smashes against the floor and is deemed inedible. It takes years for someone to achieve talent and recognition, but say the wrong thing, and they lose any chance for a high career no matter what talent they have. Imagine it from the view of these little fishies. They don't ask to die, but do you think they take solace in knowing they'll satisfy the bellies of hungry people? Now their deaths are all in vain and no one will mourn them. They'll just catch more fish and forget all about them. Not even the fisherman will be pitied that their work just went to waste."

"Are you one of those people that likes to feel smart by making long and cynical arguments?"

"You've never had the experience to try it yourself."

"Are you a Brotherhood villain? Why did you attack Nijiki's restaurant?!"

"I overheard Kodama-san planning to attack it and 'asked' her to invite me. You seemed quite fond of that girl. You hoping to get a kiss if you bring me to justice? Mumumu…"

"I'd have to stop you with or without such a boon—AAH!" The floor beneath him caved, Mazu falling into a dissolved pit.

"You'll just have to settle for a 'get-well' kiss." The girl watched as the floor between the pit and a fish pile decayed in just the right manner to create a slide. The fishbones and melted flesh slid into the pit, Mazu in muffled panic. He hesitated to Rocket Boost out, thinking his fire would make things worse, but this left him helplessly buried in the nightmare.

A set of thick fingers tried to stick under the shutter gap, effortlessly hauling it up. "You!" Ichigo's suspicions were confirmed, stomping toward the girl. "Who are you?! And… where's Mazu?!"

"Call me Emukae-chan. To go for the obvious pun, your friend is sleeping with the fishes~"

"?!" The putrid pit of dead fish drew Ichigo to a dreadful conclusion. Emukae retreated to the back wall and began to dissolve an exit. "Will you chase me, or try to rescue him?"

Ichigo kicked his soccerball at Emukae, but with a thrust of her free hand, the ball was pushed back, unraveling itself as it dissolved. "Darn it!" Ichigo expected such an outcome, but he wouldn't have been able to focus on her anyway with Mazu in danger. Against his better wishes, he dug his finger into the fish hole and began to scoop them out.

However, as soon as Emukae was outside, a firework struck her, the blast knocking her down. "I'm just assuming you're bad and I should hit you!" Kodachi said. A red "fly" then began to whack and knock Emukae's head around, the girl attempting to swat it, only to be caught in a Cheesework. The cheese rotted away, enabling her escape as she lunged at Kodachi. His face paled as her open fingers closed in, but Emukae rammed her in the back. Her arms flailed back as she fell, one hand rotating back forward as she tugged Koda's kabuki robe. To his humility, it began to melt, as did the piece of ground Emukae's other hand touched. Joto resized and bashed her head once with the bat, the villain withstanding, and her second hit was thwarted when Emukae grabbed the bat. She swiftly pulled herself up, pushed Joto's chest, and made a run for it. To Joto's horror, both her suit and bat began to decay. "Ugh! Well, I was due for a new suit, anyway!"

"Mumumumu!" Emukae laughed, running into town. "Is that all Sector JP is capable of? I can't believe no villains have beaten them, yet-"

A fishing hook latched Emukae's shoe, bringing her on her front. Before she could snap it, the string flung her up and slammed her to the ground. "So, y'all were the culprit, naughty little lady." Nijiki glared. Emukae was then smashed and bound by three large innertubes made of water, courtesy of Charlotta's bending. "Pickin' a fight with us weren't the wisest thing. Were you aware we're members of a Yonko pirate crew?"

"Ooooo, a Yonko crew, how scary! Does this mean I'm starting a war?"

"Do those villainous hoodlums really have the willpower to start a war over some apprentice villain?" Charlotta wondered.

"I wouldn't think some 'apprentice' pirates would underestimate me. By that logic, your own crew would forsake you just the same."

"I'm no apprentice!" the dwarf fumed. "I'll have you know I'm 24 and I'm the vice-captain of our division! Nijiki may be in charge when we open our restaurant, but in terms of our crew hierarchy, I'm far above apprentice level!"

"C-Calm down, Charlotta." Nijiki said nervously.

Missiles rained on them, swallowing them in thick, colorful smoke. Charlotta spun her fluffy tail to wave it away, but Charlotta lost her hold on the Water Doughnuts during the attack. They tried to chase the fleeing Emukae, but Kodama's fireworks impeded them. "Don't chase her." Kodama stated seriously.

"MOM!" A half-naked Kodachi came rushing alongside Joto, returned to her normal clothes. "Shoulda figured you'd escape!"

"Who is that girl?!" Joto asked.

"Listen, I didn't really mean to bring her along. I knew the restaurant would be docking here today and told some acquaintance villains I was off to trash it. But she overheard me and said…"

"Oooo, a seafaring restaurant. Sounds tropical." Emukae said, her smile unsettling. "Hoping to visit your family while you're there?"

"Uh…nah, just some old-fashioned vandalism."

"Mind if I tag along? I'm a little hungry for some vandalism myself. You'll need backup in case the KND show up, anyway."

"It's fine, I'll be able to make a clean getaway."

"You know I'm just gonna follow you, anyway."

"Er…fine. But keep your hands off those kids."

"Then we came up with this plan where I would distract you guys and the customers, and she would ruin the food with her power. Just a quick 'get in, get out' prank against one of our rivals. I thought she'd get away before you had a chance to catch on, but she was already planning to bait you."

"Yeah, and she just tried to touch my face!" Koda stated.

"Tch…" Kodama glared in Emukae's direction. "Anyway, I did you two a favor." she said to Nijiki and Charlotta. "If you captured or seriously hurt her, you would've been starting a war with the Brotherhood."

"Mom, did you hear me?! She totally didn't keep her hands off us! What's with her?!"

"She's… no, I can't just tell these pirates. Anyway, it's too late. If she's done playing, she'll be long gone by now."

"Not until Nijiki gets her apology!" The scent of rotten fish signaled the arrival of Mazu. Everyone clamped their noses and wanted to shut their eyes: Mazu was possibly the filthiest thing they had ever seen. "Mrs. Ramsey, is she going back to a nearby villain hideout or something?"

"Tell us immediately!" Charlotta demanded. "She will face punishment for her actions!"

"No." Mazu stated. "I'll talk with her myself."

"What?!" Ichigo jumped.

"You're planning to barge into a bar full of villains and demand her to apologize?" Kodama questioned.

"Uh, no. We'll take a bath real quick and we'll all barge in together. But if you aren't gonna give that girl a good talking-to, then I will. Nijiki, you can head back. I promise I'll bring Emukae to apologize."

"Mazu-kun…"

"Sigh, alright…I have a plan." Kodama said. "But first… I think you should know a little about her."

Diego House

"Ugh, you ruined one of your shoes AND socks?!" Karin yelled as Ichigo prepared a backup pair, after thoroughly washing his hands. "Sewing giant socks is annoying enough, but do you know how expensive big shoes are?! Those Riveras don't charge cheap!"

"So, uh, helped Hana with homework today and…"

"Anna called and said her arch was askew!"

"Awwww…"

"And YOU!" Karin threw her finger in Mazu's direction, her nephew rinsing in the bathtub. "I hope you're planning to clean that later! I don't got a problem with sharing the big tub with my husband, but a lady likes to take her time with a bath, ya know?!"

"Okay, Aunt Karin, I promise!"

The Roadside Wreck

No one bothered to pull over to the closed-down bar in the outskirts of the next town over. Boarded up, there were no chairs or tables inside for anyone to relax… because they were all in the basement. "'ey now, that lassie's too young to drink here, ain't she?" Lord Mod III cocked a brow.

"Show your respect." The elderly Katarou said. "She has every right to be here as the most experienced of us."

"Hah, and that ain't you, old timer." remarked Silk, a blonde young man with spider fangs and four arms. "'sides, heard she totally stuck it to those pirates. Even gave JP some trouble."

Emukae sat by her lonesome in the corner, meeting the gaze of her reflection in the glass of juice. Thanks to a pair of chi-blocked gloves, she could hold the glass… yet her hands felt nothing through them. She could never feel anything without it feeling like death. That was why her foster siblings avoided her. Avoided the pale-dressed child with soul-piercing big eyes. The child who was banned from the pet store. "I just wanted to pet the doggy…" The child who put Suzume in the hospital. "She was sad, so I gave her a hug…" Even when she was given chi-blocks to contain her power, and moved to other homes, rumors were spread and people feared her. Adopted children told their new parents and spread the rumors further. Eventually, those rumors reached the right ears.

"You want her? Um, sir, you should know… she has a dangerous Quirk. And she doesn't seem able to control it."

"Ah, yes, a Quirk that makes whatever she touches decay, right?" the white-skinned, red-haired man asked.

"Oh, you've heard?"

"That's why she belongs with us." The man approached the curious child, extending a hand. "Hello, little one. What's your name?"

"Uh…Emukae."

"You may have heard of me, but I'm Jack Spicer. Supreme Leader of the Brotherhood of Evil." He was boastfully open about his position.

"Brotherhood of… what?"

"I know your father, you see. Well, I knew him. He was our last leader. That sort of makes you a princess."

"Princess? My papa… was your leader?"

"Yes. I'm sure you've heard of him. One of Superbia's worst criminals… his name was-"

"Oi, there's our Firecracker!"

"Yo, we thought the KND had you!"

Emukae looked up to a beaten-up Kodama. "You didn't think those kiddos could hold me, did ya?" Kodama grinned. "I used to be one of 'em, so I know how to escape 'em!"

"Well, join us for a swig then!"

"Afraid I can't, Moddy. I'm here to pick up the little heiress." She approached Emukae. "Supreme Leader's orders. Can't have her getting drunk under my responsibility."

"Can't I stay? I never even got a decent meal. And waterbent water doesn't make a good drink."

"That's your own fault, young lady. Come along, I got treats in the car."

"Hmph." Emukae drank her juice and compliantly followed Kodama upstairs to the fake bar, going out the secret exit behind the building. Emukae climbed in the backseat of Kodama's firework car. It sparked to life and sped recklessly through town, unconcerned for whatever cars would veer off and crash. There was a box of cupcakes with filling under Emukae's seat. If Kodama's driving didn't already make them hard to eat, Emukae's gloves made it hard to judge a good grip. Even more so that the cakes were unappetizing with the residual dirt that got off the gloves.

"I should've known you'd try to fight those kids, but my son said you tried to touch his face. Is that true?"

"What if it is?"

"Well, I just assumed you had a sense of honor. Or is the fact that you can get away with anything going to your head?"

"I mean, the Brotherhood would be glad there's one less operative to deal with. Only one who would have a problem is you. And I doubt they'd like you anymore if you attacked me."

"And what about you? Would you have felt proud of yourself? Are you proud of yourself now? You act all haughty and invincible, but what's really going on behind those irises? Why don't you really open them all the way? Show people the full extent of your despicability?"

"…" She merely stared at the back of Kodama's head in silence. She knew there was no reason to answer… yet. Once they were far enough through a wooded area, Kodama pulled the car over and parked. A pair of giant eyes peered at her through the twilit trees… and beneath those eyes were three smaller ones. "Oh, dear." Kodama said. "Our ship was supposed to meet us here, but looks like the kids caught on."

"Heh." The woman was barely trying to cover her intention, Emukae thought. "Then we'd better get out of here. I'm sure the ship could meet us someplace else."

"Also, we're out of fuel."

"You're not leaving until you apologize to Nijiki-chan." Mazu stated, stomping forth first.

"You still on about that?" Emukae leaned her arm against the car rim. "Don't you get it, stupid? I'm not one of your happy treehouse friends. I'm an apprentice villain. A girl who does bad things because it's fun. If I wanted to, I could've just sunk her ship completely, but I decided to be nice and hurt her culinary reputation instead. It's not like she can't sail to another town, so what's the harm?"

The next second really caught her off guard: Mazu slapped her. His friends and Kodama blinked. The shock was even enough to startle her eyes fully open. "It's because you're a Brotherhooder that no one bothers to discipline you. Or is it because you're a special case? 'Cause they treat you like a princess?"

"And what makes you any different?" Emukae smirked, her curved eyes showing instability. "You KND are allowed to get away with anything! I'm sure you've caused lots of property damage, either chasing villains or playing your crazy games! And you don't get in trouble 'cause everyone knows you're the heroes!"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Ichigo said. "Joto always breaks windows and her family makes her pay for it. I can barely go anywhere without kicking something and someone throwing a fuss. You may not have a nagging mom to come home to, but that doesn't exempt you from discipline!"

Her eye twitching, Emukae threw a punch at Mazu and climbed out of the car, the others readying their selves. "Yeah?! Try saying that to the bosses of the Brotherhood! The only ones getting disciplined will be you! You'll be punished for hurting their princess! And if I decay you right here, I'll get even more love and praise!"

"Oh, yeah?" Mazu pushed up to his feet. "I don't think you can."

"What, because of my chi-blocks?" Emukae removed and threw the gloves away. "You know, even cheaply-made chi-blocks wither away with use. I have to keep getting new ones if I hope to eat, and they don't make eating easy. Can't tell if I'm holding my fork right, always hold my brownie too hard and it falls apart…"

"You could always ask someone to feed you."

Emukae threw a slap across his cheek, the friends crying Mazu's name in horror as Joto threw a baseball at Emukae's face. Emukae dashed for them, Joto running to intercept and swing her bat. Emukae evaded each swing, trying to grab the bat, but eventually threw a punch at Joto's jaw. Mazu tackled Emukae with a Rocket Boost, pushing against her left as her arm flipped up from the force, and crashing into a tree. Mazu pinned her to the ground afterward. "Your power only works when all five fingers are touching. But I think you're avoiding touching us on purpose. Were you planning to move your hand away at the last minute before touching Koda? If not, you can touch me right now and be… done?"

Her hands planted to the ground, strong vines erected and raised them to the air. "What the-?!" Ichigo exclaimed. Emukae rotted some vines and dove between them, leaving Mazu to keep rising.

"Rotting the ground beneath me creates humus, causing plants to grow rapidly."

"I never knew that!" Kodama exclaimed. Kodachi shot fireworks against the vines to destroy Emukae's shield, while Mazu used rockets to keep from falling. Emukae dashed opposite from Koda, but Ichigo swiftly caught up and swung a kick, blowing Emukae through three trees. The soccer giant pursued, leapt, and tried to grab her, but Emukae had already melted a hole to sink, Ichigo's hands too thick to fit. "Whoa!" Strong vines raised the giant skyward, and they began to grow rapidly around the small forest.

"She must be crawling all around underground!" Kodama yelled, her car rising. "I didn't think her power was this good!"

"It's still rough around the edges!" Mazu raised a cutting knife and chopped his way through the vines. He made his way in front of where the vines were growing and raised a skewer, piercing it through the ground and pumping tiny bursts of fire further below. The trail of vines slowed, so Mazu suspected he was landing hits, jumping back when Emukae emerged from the earth. Her glare was cold, but a resilient Mazu threw fireballs. She raised her palms open and seemed to blot the flames out with clouds of rotting smoke. "So, you can decay the oxygen, too."

"That's right." She pushed both palms forward and stretched a trail of dead air at Mazu. He dodged sideways and kept maneuvering on his way to her.

"You can control the spread of your power, but not how to turn it off. Is that why you need those gloves?"

"What's it matter to you?" She evaded his punches and brushed waves of bad air to hold him back. "Without my gloves, I need to ball my fists to keep the air from rotting. Otherwise, I'd leave a trail right to me."

"Did you ask anyone in the Brotherhood to help you control it?"

"All I need are gloves and to take them off when it's time for crime."

"But that's not enough! 'Cause deep down, you wanna be able to lick the residual butter off your fingers when you eat toast! You wanna be able to feel a puppy's fur, or hug a friend when they're down! You act all cynical and heartless, but you feel as bad as any kid should when you do something wrong! You act this way to feel self-righteous and the Brotherhood support it, but deep down, you don't!"

"This is only our 2nd meeting and you think you know anything about me?!" She threw another slap, but Mazu firmly clasped her hand.

"MAZU!" the other screamed.

"Uh-!" Emukae's pupils shrank at his reckless action.

Mazu maintained a constant, but gentle gold flame in their hands. Emukae was confused… was his bending cancelling out her decay? It kind of burned… but it was also warm. "I may not know you very well… but I know an upset girl when I see one."

His grip was firm, but soft… and his eyes full of passion. Emukae hated that look. So naïve, so all-knowing, so compassionate, so… right. "Ghh…ugh!" Eyes welling with tears, she threw their hands down and released the grip.

"Huh." Mazu stared at his palm, the skin slightly wrinkled. "So, either firebending acts as a shield… or your power responded to your strong feelings and kept you from hurting me."

"Hmph. Lord Spicer was right. Little brats like you really think they know everything."

"It takes one to know one!" Mazu grinned spritely.

"You're just annoying now. Fine…" Her cheeks puffed in a pouty manner as her mouth compressed to a little 'o.' "I'll apologize, only if you quit bugging me."

"Could you repeat that?" Ichigo asked, bending down. "I can't pick up small sounds very well."

"I'll melt your shoes again."

"Uh-!" The giant stepped back.

"It's alright, Ichi." Mazu smiled. "She'll cooperate."

"Hey, what about that villain bar your mom mentioned?" Joto asked. "Should we do something about that?"

"Don't worry," Kodama said, "they'll be evicted soon."

…

The villains blissfully enjoyed their drinks and darts. They were unaware of the timed firework Kodama stuck under Emukae's table. In a few more seconds, the place was smothered by colorful smoke and sparklers, ruining all the drinks and covering the baddies with soot. "Ha ha ha!" laughed Mod III. "Oh, that Kodama, always a blast, ain't she?"

Nijiki's Sea Eatery

Nijiki hadn't attracted many customers after word spread of the double-incident. Long into the twilight hours, the pirates saw Ichigo returning, using him as guidance to find his teammates, along with Emukae in company. After Nijiki and Charlotta were alerted, the two marched to meet them with furrowed gazes. "S-sorry." Emukae stuttered, hoping to get this over with.

"One more time, darlin'?" Nijiki requested.

Emukae twitched anxiously. "S-s-sorry. I only wanted to pull a little prank… I'm sorry I ruined all that food."

"It'll take more than a halfhearted apology to make up for this!" Charlotta stated.

"What, do you want me as your cabin girl or something? You want money? If the Brotherhood catches on, they aren't gonna let you go."

"We'd at least like you to mean it when you say you're sorry." Nijiki replied. "And it'd be nice if you could tell all those customers what ya did. They deserve an apology, too."

"How do you expect me to find them?"

"We think we'll just send a message out saying a villain snuck into the restaurant and did this." Mazu reasoned. "We won't make you go that far, yet."

"And at this rate, we'll be havin' to set sail by tomorrow noon." Nijiki said. "I don't really feel like hasslin' you, anyway. But I hope you think twice about ruinin' a girl's hard work. Ah hope you learn to be a little more respectful. I'd like to have you back here when you're really ready to enjoy a good meal."

"Yes, ma'am…" Her head bowed to hide her shame.

Nijiki sported a smile. "Well, I'd better get her back." Kodama said. "This's been fun, I'm glad I brought her along now! Keep your guards up, though, you never know when I'll rain sparkly showers again!"

"You could learn a few lessons yourself." Ichigo said.

"Worry about your own mom, Ichi-kun." Kodama led Emukae back to the car and drove away. Her hair flailing behind her, Emukae turned, watching until Mazu and his waving her were out of sight.

The next morning

"That woman is a real piece of work." Quill Ramsey sighed. "Sorry she gave you so much trouble."

"Well, she helped straighten things out with that girl in the end." Nijiki smiled. "So, it's all fine."

The kids invited all their families for breakfast on the restaurant roof (mainly so Ichigo's dad had room to coerce). "Who did she say that girl's dad was?" Joto's dad, Jinta asked.

"You said she had the power of decay." his wife replied. "So, she'd have to be related to-"

"I'M HEEEERE!" A short, black-haired woman with a hair bun sprung onto the roof. "So glad I caught this place before it left! Why didn't you guys call me yesterday?"

"We got held up, Charmy. Didn't have time to." Mazu told the MG operative honestly.

"Well, you'd better have saved the best grub for me!" Charmy jumped into the seat of a table her size.

"Yes, Charmy, we anticipated your arrival eventually." Charlotta said.

"Thanks, Charles. So, how are the folks doin'?"

"Just well, actually. They're hoping you'll come watch the Dead Man's Race with them."

"Tell Mom to bring her best cooking!"

"Hehe!" Nijiki giggled. "…Ah, I see the captain's already here!"

Another ship rose from the horizon, with a white and aqua-green hull and red horns on the back sides. "Heeeey!" A woman with similar-colored hair and horns, with red hakama pants and a huge purple knot on her back waved from the keel. "Is it going well, Nijiki? Hope no one gave you any trouble!"

"We had a little scuffle with some villains, Cap'n Yamato! But nothin' to start a war about!"

"I was wondering if we'd see her." Yuzu said. "Augustus still never told me where she found that girl."

"You sure she isn't my long-lost cousin or something?" Mazu asked. "Her firebending's the same color as mine, isn't it?"

"I don't know anyone else in our family with gold fire." His father shrugged.

"We'll be ready to sail soon, Captain." Nijiki said. "Just lemme fill these fellas up!"

"Well, get done soon! I'm starving without my favorite cook!"

Emukae's from Medaka Box and Charlotta's from Granblue. Sort out other crossovers yourself. ;)