Anzai Chieko nervously pulled at her collar as she sat in the main lobby of Schale, crumpled application in her shaking hand as she waited her turn to be called. She'd gotten dressed up for this, not half bad if she said so herself, but she wondered if brown hair and short pigtails made her look too...generic. Some of the girls who passed by were so pretty...she couldn't stack up to them if she tried!

C-Come on, Chieko, the former delinquent thought as she swallowed a lump in her throat. You can't be a coward forever! You already made it this fair, do it for her...!

It was not immediately obvious upon first glance, but Chieko was on the ground at the time of the Great Sanctum Riot. A "delinquent" who was one of the first to meet Duke-sensei and PS68, it was an honor she wore with some measure of pride...before getting completely stomped as they moved on to save the city.

Eh. She always knew she wasn't great with a gun, her grades were actually pretty alright so getting back into school was possible, and getting thrashed just gave her an excuse to go clean like a lot of the other actual delinquents did. Getting her ass kicked was one of the best decisions of her life! Especially because it led to her getting something even better than a place to belong: a person to belong to.

That's right, baby, Anzai Chieko was a taken woman! While her girlfriend couldn't be here today, something about some job out in a desert or something, that was okay! She promised her that it was her last job as a Helmet Ganger. Once she was done, she'd be free to quit and join her on the straight and narrow. If she didn't make it into Schale (she was almost confident she wouldn't, actually, but Chieko had kissed those particular worries away), she'd become a waitress or a store clerk, anything to stay with her.

Ahhh...she was so cute...

"Anzai Chieko!" a cheerful white-haired girl called out as a girl exited the room, sighing tiredly. Oh hey, she knew her! She was the short girl!

...

N-Not that she'd remind her of that or anything. That MG5 was scary...

"Um, yeah, that's me!"

"Cool! Come in, Duke-sensei is ready to see you!"

Getting up, Chieko brushed her skirt and straightened her necktie. Hurrying over, she nervously smiled as Short Girl nodded to her.

"Good luck!"

"T-Thanks, you too!"

...

Oh fuck.

Goddamnit! No, maybe-

Fuck. Fuck, no. She knew. That smile. Oh god she actually said-

"Hey there, kiddo. You've reached the desk 'a Duke Nukem, Sensei extraordinaire. You feelin' alright?"

Startling, Anzai Chieko burbled out a reply and shot her application forward like it was burning.

"Tense, huh? Don't you worry about a thing," Duke-sensei smiled from his place at the desk, and wow it really was comforting as all those thirst posts on Momotalk said it was. "I'll judge ya fairly, and even if ya don't get in now that isn't to say that the door's closed forever."

"O-Oh, right, yeah," Chieko nervously laughed, taking a seat and looking around the room as Duke appraised her application. It was white washed like all the other rooms she saw in Schale, but all manners of bits, baubles and books lined the shelves and his desk. A couple of wall scrolls and some paintings also went a long way in livening up the place.

Wait, are those...weeds? In pots?

"Not goin' for operative, eh?"

"Oh, uh," Chieko scratched her head. "M-My skills with a gun aren't really, um...great?"

"Ah, that's fine. We all got skills, and yours just might not be active firefights. No shame in that."

...Yeah. Yeah, there wasn't any shame in that! Chieko sat a little straighter.

"Says here you're 'decent' at cooking, helped out with a couple 'a community events and soup kitchens...I like what I'm seein'..."

Chieko cleared her throat and tried not to get her hopes up. The interview hadn't even started yet, after all! Duke-sensei typed in something at his computer, scrolled, and leaned back to look at her.

"Looks like you've got an infraction for being an 'instigator' at the Great Sanctum Riot. Mind explainin'?"

The former "delinquent" flinched, her (recent) dark past having finally come to kick her in the ass. Oh well, it's not like she had anything to lose by being sincere.

"Um, well, I-I...yeah, I was there. B-But I didn't break anything, o-or steal anything! I just...I fell in with the Kobras because I didn't have anyone else. They...they could come on a...little strong sometimes," Chieko giggled, "but they weren't bad. We just...fell through the cracks and found each other."

"...Gotcha. So then, what brings ya to Schale, then? What makes Anzai Chieko a good fit for the Cafeteria Team?"

"W-Well, uh, I can make a mean bisque!" God, that sounded so fucking dorky! This is Schale, everyone could probably cook like a goddamn queen! "I-I'm good with a wok, fiddled around a bit with an air fryer, o-of course the microwave, I'm just good with appliances! I, um, I'm also willing to learn! Really! They could even put me on dishwashing duty and I'd be happy!"

Duke-sensei hummed, scratching his chin and typing something that made her back sticky with sweat.

"Why are you really here, Chieko?"

She flinched, searched deep inside herself, and took a shuddering breath.

"...I-I don't wanna be a deadbeat, Sensei. I, um, I got a girlfriend and I...I love her a whole lot. I wanna do right by her and she wants to do right by me, and we can't live like this forever. She's, um, she's a delinquent, b-but she promised me she'd quit and go clean too! So, I wanna show her that it's possible even for a plain girl like me!"

Duke-sensei nodded, typed something up, and picked up her application again. Scanning it briefly, he hummed and nodded before putting it back down on the desk. Whatever it meant, Chieko didn't know, but even if she didn't make it into Schale she'd try her best to-

"When can you start?"

"...Huh?"

Duke-sensei smiled at her, and she figured he must have been used to it after all these interviews. "When do ya think you can start? Listen, kid, if I cared about you or your lovely lady bein' a delinquent, I wouldn't be havin' these interviews at all. The Cafeteria Team would love to see what you can do behind the wheel, past schmast."

"Wha- a-ah, I mean...! I-I can start right away, as soon as possible!" Chieko croaked, feeling her eyes mist over. She was accepted! She got accepted into Schale!

"Here," Duke-sensei gently pulled a tissue from a box on his desk and handed it to her. Gingerly taking it, she dabbed at her eyes as the Sensei adjusted himself in his seat. "I'll send the team a memo to expect you in by tomorrow, 8 AM sharp. You game?"

He held his fist out, and Chieko couldn't help but laugh and bump him back, giddy and relieved and crying as she was.

"Y-Yeah, yeah, I'm game! C-Can I...?"

"Sure. I'd say have a good day, but..."

"Yeah, no, it's fu- it's great," Chieko blushed, scrubbing at her eyes. "T-Thank you, thank you so much Sensei, I won't let you down!"

"Didn't think ya would! See ya soon!"

And with that, Chieko left the room on cloud nine, waving excitedly to Short Girl before fumbling to get her phone out of her pocket. Opening Momotalk faster than she ever had before, the newest member of the Cafeteria Team sent a landmark message to the girl she loved most.

RABU HON I MADE IT IN! ! !


"Aw, that's so nice," Arona cooed from the Shittim Chest as Duke let out a content sigh, saving and exiting out of the document program he was using to take notes on all the applicants. Another busy day done and over with, but the amount of firefights he was in and citywide catastrophes he had to solve remained a solid zero in recent history and he was giving kids down on their luck and willing to improve themselves an opportunity to turn their lives around.

Radical.

"Yeah, young love...no clue why she was shittin' herself over the interview, though, she was pretty damn qualified for a student job."

"Sensei, I'm sure you can guess how hard it is to live as a delinquent in an academy city," his super-secretary sighed. "No luck getting a job in the good parts of the city, getting shot at as 'preemptive suppression', the student bank account freeze, it's...it's tough. Knowing all that, imagine applying to a GSC-sponsored multi-district organization as a shot-in-the-dark."

"Damn...wonder if Rin's doin' alright with those classes for mental wellbeing..."

"I'm sure she's doing fine, these things take time and effort to set up, after all. Would you like to message her on Momotalk?"

Duke rolled his shoulders with a groan, and the screen of the Shittim Chest popped on as Arona made to copy him. "Nah, she's busy as hell. I should go through all the paperwork, mail 'n messages that have piled up, though."

"Ah, yep, good call! Please give me a minute to sort the electronic stuff..."

"Thanks, partner. I'll check out the physical shit, then."

Duke hummed as he pulled out a thick stack of letters, flyers, and other miscellaneous junk mail he had stored on a pile in a space under his desk.

"Junk, junk, ad...offer for some sponsorship on, uh, lucky germanium bracelets...? What the hell?"

Arona snorted as she continued digitally sorting envelopes. "Lucky, huh? If you're interested in making lenses for cameras and microscopes, sure. Otherwise congratulations, you've got yourself a bracelet that looks like sprayed tinfoil."

"...Didn't even know that and it sounded like a crock of shit. Well, I feel bad for whatever poor sucker falls for it anyway."

Arona and Duke laughed, shook their heads, and watched as he deposited the offer into the paper shredder. H moved onto the next piece of mail and let out an interested hum.

"Huh, this one is a bit different."

"How so?"

"A letter from an Okusora Ayane. It's got some...the hell, is this sand?" Duke shook the envelope, letting a couple of grains fall to his desk.

"Well, we won't know what's inside unless you pop it open! Maybe it's fan mail!"

Duke chuckled. "Doubt it, Arona, been getting those in the form 'a texts 'n emails."

"Okay, but what if-"

"Uh, hey, Duke-sensei!" Mutsuki shouted from outside. "There's someone who absolutely has to see ya!"

...Weird? Duke and Arona shot each other a look before the Shittim Chest's screen went dark. He'd get back to that letter Ayane had sent him later. Getting up from his chair with a groan and tucking the tablet under his arm, Duke trudged over to the door and swung it open.

"Everything in Kivotos is kinda weird to ol' Sensei, Mutsuki, you're gonna have to be..."

Mutsuki shot him a concerned look as he trailed off, staring at the girl before him. The student before him was in a uniform he had never seen before, covered in bloodied cuts and bruises. The formerly white uniform itself was tattered and covered in mud, blood and other grime, a broken gas mask hanging limply off her neck by a few surviving straps. It looked as if the very act of breathing was painful for her, the image 'enhanced' by her dull, lifeless blue eyes.

"Y-You...the Sensei?"

"Yeah, that's me...but what the hell happened to you?" Duke replied, hovering over the heavily injured girl. He was about to put a hand on her shoulder before she flinched away, a haunted look in her eyes.

"N-No, Madame, please! D-don't, I...s-sorry, take this," she opened a pouch on her bulletproof vest and staggered toward him, battered grenade launcher in one hand screeching against the tile. She held a torn piece of scrap paper out at him with another shaking hand. "Princess, s-save the Princess, please...!"

Dangerously swaying on her feet, Duke had just enough time to grab the paper before diving to grab her, Mutsuki quickly catching her instead with a wheeze. Her light blue halo fizzled out, signifying that her fall into unconsciousness was genuine.

"A-Agh, geez! Never a dull moment around here, eh Sensei?"

"Yeah, guess I won't be retirin' any time soon," Duke slyly remarked to soothe his nerves, passing the scrap paper to one hand while holding out the other for the girl. "C'mon, let's head to the medbay to drop her off. We can read this thing on the way."

"You got it, chief," Mutsuki saluted, pushing the girl gently into Duke's arm. He hefted her up with little effort, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as he hooked the arm under the back of her knees. With her safely secured, Duke was free to read the letter...after angling it a bit for Mutsuki to read too.


SENSEI

PLE ASE SAVE US

UNDER TR INITY

THIS HATRED I S NOT OUR OWN

I WANT TO BE- (The line is crossed out.)

(Duke gently rubs the circular spots where the paper is more brittle with a thumb, and hears the creaking of leather as his other hand balls into a fist.)

CHANGE OUR FATES

ATSUKO


"Goddamnit," Duke lowly muttered under his breath. "Hatred not our own, huh...?"

Were they being abused? Were they hurt like this girl was? How much time did he have? Duke found himself walking a little faster.

"Whoa, whoa, Duke-sensei!" Mutsuki called out, holding onto his sleeve as they power-walked down the hall. "Dunno what's going on in that noggin of yours right now, but let's get the girls together, okay? We'll think of something together!"

"...Yeah. Sorry, kid, I just..."

"No, it's all good! That is a pretty spooky letter, though. Under Trinity...what could be under that goodie two-shoes school?"

Duke sighed as the doors to the in-built hospital slid open automatically. The girl at the desk, a Gehenna Prefect Team officer turned Schale part-timer, adjusted her cap and saluted as the group approached. One glance at the dirtied girl he was carrying was all the receptionist needed to make a decision.

"Good day, sir! Would you like me to the radio the medical team for a patient intake?"

"If ya could, Kei, I'd appreciate it."

"If you'd excuse me, then."

Pressing a button on a nearby console, the girl proceeded to mutter some codes into the mic before taking her finger off. Soon enough, a team of nurses with a stretcher rolled around the corner and in front of Duke.

"If you could?"

"Ah, yep," Duke grunted as he gently set the girl down. "Almost positive this one comes from an abusive situation, Code...Orange. Maybe a Red, dunno how much training she has, but..."

He gestured to the tactical gear and the nurses let out noises of understanding.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Sensei, we'll be careful with this one," the head nurse nodded. "Have a good day."

"You too," Duke smiled at her before they made to wheel back, muttering about the girl's medical history and procedures as they went. Watching them go, Duke looked back over to Mutsuki and jerked his head over to the door.

"Thanks for the help, Kei, we've gotta get goin' now. Keep it up kiddo, and don't worry about your math score, alright? 78 is a good starting point, and I know you'll be gettin' better and better."

"Ah-" the receptionist choked, face turning pink. "Uh, t-thanks. See you, Sensei!"

With that, the two exited the hospital, Mutsuki sending the last of her messages to the rest of Problem Solvers.

"The girls are finished with today's job, Sensei, so they'll be back in like an hour. Wanna head to the main lobby to wait? We'll give 'em a warm welcome home!"

Home, Duke thought with a warm chuckle. It always surprised him a little that the old saying 'home is where the heart is' really held weight its weight as time passed, even in another world. After all, Schale and the Problem Solvers were his home, too.

When he saved Atsuko, the gas mask girl, and however many little friends she had, maybe they'd reach out and make it their home as well.


So, I've done some digging based on that letter, Arona had suddenly said as Duke was simply lounging on the couch. And it seem like there's a lot more to Trinity than we thought, Sensei.

Izzat so? the man thought in response Lay it on me, Arona.

Okay, so...I-I made this infographic thing, right, and I put it away for safekeeping...

Alright...?

And I lost it- no, no wait! Arona gasped. I think I found the file! Okay, let me see if this comes through correctly...

You gonna beam somethin' into my head? Duke raised a mental eyebrow at her.

Yep, brace yourself!

...

(A/N: Please check out the AO3 version to see the picture Arona made! FF is very limited in formatting!)

...

Duke, still remembering that his body was most definitely still in the real world, fought a valiant struggle to keep from guffawing. Mutsuki, having taken up a quarter of her own sofa, was eating her way through a bag of spicy rice crackers and peanuts none the wiser.

WAAAAAH IT'S NOT DONE IT'S NOT DONE YET SENSEEEEEEEI! Arona's anguished wailing bounced around in his skull and he almost perfectly imagined her frantic flailing. DON'T LOOK! I'M DELETING THAT FOREVER!

What the hell- Duke mustered willpower he didn't think he had anymore to suppress a snicker. I love it, seriously, but what the hell's happening to Mutsuki over there? Is she gettin' struck by lightning?

I-I fell asleep mid-coloring...! It was gonna be so cool! Arona whimpered, and to her credit Duke actually did feel a little bad for her. I'm gonna look for that infographic now, I'll be back!

Sure this ain't you runnin' away from that sweet drawing of yours?

The silence he got in return was telling. He'd have to send his dear secretary a boatload of pastries later, just to show her that he meant no harm. It really was a sweet gesture from the AI, and it made him want to actually introduce them whenever he had the chance. Aside from that, though, there was little to do other than wait and plan. It sounded like there was a conspiracy involved, there would be plenty of skulls to crack, and he'd have a mountain of paperwork to do when he gets back.

He was beginning to think this was every other work week in the academy city.

Just hold on a lil' longer, Atsuko, Duke prayed, flexing his hands again as he leaned his head back with a sigh. Next stop, Trinity General School...and whatever bitch-ass skeletons its got hanging around in its closet.

He had his guns, he had his strike team, and he had plenty of motivation.

It was time to fill some motherfuckers with Duke Nukem's own brand of holy spirit.


Wakamo threw a pillow to the ground with lethal amounts of force, heaving with a face flushed with sweat. Collapsing onto her bed yet again, she stared up at the ceiling of her hideout in confusion, lust, and rage.

There had been videos, videos of Duke-sensei online that showed off his battle prowess. His way with words. His kindness. She did not think it important to look at him before, because why would she even bother looking at the man who ruined her fun before the fated moment of his death?

She was wrong. Kosaka Wakamo was rarely wrong but this was a complete fuck-up on her part.

He was perfect, she had decided after glimpsing him asleep on the sofa with that little team of irritants, some drivel playing on their television. How could she have even thought of killing the man?! His chiseled form, protecting a soft heart that was open to all, his striking jawline, his velvety tones that did things to her...

He must be hers. Or she must be his. Whatever, however, it needed to happen...at least, that's what she thought at first.

Why?

Why?!

Why the hell was she STILL reminded of Akeboshi Himari after meeting him?! It defied logic! There could be no explanation for this!

...

Except...

No, no it was impossible, she was not thinking of the gnat like that! She had Duke-sensei, and Duke-sensei had to be waiting for her! Only Duke-sensei could enflame such passion within her!

(His strong hands on her body, his voice cooing sweet nothings softly into his ear, the way her thin body folded neatly against her own, she wanted to talk to her the Fox of Calamity-)

"GRAAAAH!" Wakamo screamed, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't live like this! Something needed to give! She needed to meet one of them, yes, meet one of them and find where she stood!

("It's Wakamo, don't talk to her-" "If you just did what you were told, I wouldn't have had to-!" "Don't hurt me, please!" "Were you stalking me, you freak-"

"...I'm sorry.")

And so, Wakamo of the Seven Prisoners made a decision that day. Sensei could not see her like this. He could not see this broken ugly thing that was sullied by some incomprehensible conflict within her twisted heart.

It was time to visit Millennium and end this farce once and for all. Then, she would be perfect enough to stand by his (her?) side.


A/N: Hello again! Welcome back to the Duke Archive crosspost!

Please check out the AO3 version (repeat message #362)! There are some formatting bits I mentioned above that FF does not allow (or I do not know the workarounds) which bring the chapter together! I have a bit of a backlog to update here, as well as updates on my life situation. To put it short in case you're for some reason REALLY not happy going to read the fic on another side, sewage pipe collapsed. I'm out of the house until at least next week, so compound that with work and stress...yeah.

On a side note, bunch more reviews now! Thanks for the interest folks, it really does the heart good. To answer some specific parts, I did indeed post this story on...well. See above and a couple chapters prior. I WOULD post on Spacebattles...if I understood forum formatting, which I really do not have time fr right now. Maybe some day.

As for the mom/aunt role, who knows? Students tend to take care of each other, so all Duke really needs to do is be dad. But the future is always uncertain...