Resonance (BanG Dream x Superhero Reader)

Chapter 4- Awakening Part 2

Quick note: This chapter has a word count of 17816, making it hopefully the longest chapter in this book by a large margin. The reason these last two chapters took so long was because I thought I could put the events of both of them into one chapter. I was so wrong. I hope someone beats me within an inch of my life if I ever attempt to write a chapter this long again. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

The schools are surprisingly close, but that doesn't matter when I have terrible stamina. My legs carry me almost as fast as when Hina dragged me around yesterday, and out of breath, I finally catch sight of Haneoka as I turn a corner past a construction site that I hadn't noticed the day prior. Quickly scanning it, I notice that it's a Tsurumaki Tech building, but I don't have time to sit and think about it. I have to rush before the gates close.

I keep going and arrive with five minutes to spare. I take a moment to catch my breath, silently praying that today's gym class won't be too demanding. I take my time to go inside and stroll down the hall to class. Most of the students have already funneled into their classes, leaving the hallways mostly empty.

I feel my phone vibrate, and I glance at the message. It's from my sister, notifying me about some Pastel Palettes video she wants me to check out. The thumbnail for it features the group on what appears to be a gameshow, all dressed in swimsuits. It feels risque and wrong to look at Hina wearing nothing but a bikini while at school. Despite noticing how good she looks in it, Haneoka is the last place I'd want someone to see me looking at the student council president like that.

"Whatcha looking at~?"

I jump at the voice addressing me and drop my phone. I fumble to catch it in my hands but end up letting it fall to the hard ground. Lucky for me, the screen is face down, and I quickly swoop down to swipe it off the ground before looking up to identify whoever was talking to me.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you like that." An apologetic pair of emerald eyes belonging to a familiar gyaru, stare at me. "Is your phone okay?"

I quickly examine the screen. I see my relieved face in its reflection as I notice that there are no cracks.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"What a relief. I would've felt really bad about it." She lets out a small sigh of relief. "You may not remember me. I'm Lisa Imai. I accidentally knocked you over in the hall yesterday."

"Oh, right.." I reply. "How could I forget such a... blunt introduction?"

"Yeah, sorry about that again." Lisa scratches the back of her head and lets out a small awkward laugh.

"It's fine, really. As long as you don't make a habit of it."

"Duly noted~." She teases with a smile.

I smile back at her. She seems to be acting friendly, which is a good thing. If she saw what I was looking at, then she would definitely be weirded out and treating me like I'm a pervert.

"So, you're a fan of Pastel Palettes?" She curiously asks.

... So she did see the photo I saw looking at after all. Better play dumb.

"What's Pastel Palettes?"

Not that dumb!

"I mean, my sister is a pretty big fan, so she sends me photos and videos of them sometimes."

Okay, nice recovery. Keep going...

"And uhh..."

A puzzled expression appears on Lisa's face.

"Did I mention that my name is Y/N L/N?" I awkwardly extend my hand for a handshake.

What are you doing, Y/N?! Japanese people don't shake hands when greeting!

She maintains the same expression, but I now realize that her gaze isn't directed at me. I turn around and notice her gaze is fixated on a third-year student with long flowing silver hair. The girl appears flustered and is accompanied by none other than Yuki as they walk up the staircase together, the girl looking slightly embarrassed.

"That's weird." Lisa murmurs to herself. "Yukina isn't the person to sneak around with a boy. Somethings definitely up."

She thinks to herself for a moment before a playful expression finds its way onto her face.

"Should we spy on them~?" She asks.

I don't know who Yukina is and I hardly even know Yuki. We've only spoken twice. Well, it's more like I've only talked to him twice; I'm not exactly sure if jotting down responses on paper counts as talking. Eavesdropping can be fun, but I've still got to get to class in time.

"Well, class starts soon, and I-"

"C'mon, it will be real quick. I promise." She looks at me with puppy eyes.

If there's one thing I know for certain about myself, it's that I'm easily swayed by peer pressure, even when I'm aware of the potential consequences.

"...Fine," My almost nonexistent resistance crumbles. "But you owe me if we're late to first period."

"Sounds good~. It'll be quick."

The two of us ascend the staircase trailing them and the whole time, I'm mentally beating myself up for giving in so easily. We're at the door to the roof now. It's propped open by a small cardboard box that someone stuck there. I get the impression that students aren't supposed to be up here, but that doesn't seem to stop students. Notably, the door has a window, allowing us to peek through to watch the two students standing on the roof.

"There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about for a while now." Yukina says to the boy in a direct voice as a gust of wind blows her long silver hair.

"Well, I have this... profound love for cats. It's hard to put into words just how much I adore them." Yukina's cheeks keep getting redder with embarrassment the more she speaks.  "But, there's something else. I've had this um... secret wish for the longest time, and it's kind of embarrassing to admit..."

Taking a moment to gather her courage, she finally confesses.

"I've always wished I could... actually talk to cats. Like, understand them and have real conversations." She admits, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "So, what I wanted to ask is, do you think it would be possible to make a device that could maybe translate their cute little nyaas~ into something I could understand?"

Even though he is an intern at Tsurumaki Tech, I don't think a device like that is possible to make. But maybe that's just me being too pessimistic. I see Yuki scribble something onto his notebook and show it to Yukina. Whatever is written results in Yukina's eyes lighting up.

"What does it say?" Lisa asks. In her curiosity, she accidentally leans too heavily on the door, causing it to swing open and making us both fall forward onto the ground.

Welp... there goes our cover. Looking up, I see both of them looking at us. Yuki maintains his usual deadpan expression, while Yukina, on the contrary, appears visibly embarrassed.

"Lisa?" Her eyes widen as she sees the two of us laying there. "How long have you been listening?"

"We were just... walking by." Lisa shoots me a wink as we get off the ground. "Isn't that right, Y/N?"

Oh... oh! We're lying.

"Y-yeah, just passing through." I stammer.

"Just passing through the roof?" Yukina questions.

"Well, you know... we thought we'd take the scenic route to class."

"Yeah! It's his second day here, so I thought I'd show him the best routes to class." Lisa adds, her voice laced with an awkward chuckle.

I look at Yuki and see that he scribbled something in his notebook.

You really need to come up with better excuses

I know, Yuki. I know. There's no way that Yukina will buy our excuse.

"I did hear that sometimes students have snuck up here to spy on Afterglow." Yukina says, seeming somewhat convinced somehow, her eyes landing on me. "I believe this is our first time meeting. A friend of Lisa, I presume? I'm Yukina Minato,vocalist of Roselia."

I have no idea how she bought that, but I won't question it. Now that I think about it, the more time I spend here, the more I'm noticing the influence of what they call the 'golden age of girl bands.' It seems like I've come across a lot of people who are in bands. Maybe that's just the norm in this city. This whole golden age wasn't a thing in any of the smaller towns I've lived in before. At least, not that I ever noticed.

But that does make me wonder something. These are all-girl bands and I've noticed that most of their fans also appear to be girls. Does this just mean that the music scene is heavily segregated by gender? I brush that thought aside and get back to the conversation at hand.

"I'm Y/N L/N." I reply to the girl who, just a moment ago, was embarrassed while expressing her love of cats. Now, she's wearing a much more stoic expression. "Yesterday was my first day here. I just moved here from Yumekawa."

"So you're from Yumekawa? It would seem that we have both lost a lot because of Melody."

For a brief moment, I consider the possibility that she might be from Yumekawa too, and I simply never noticed her around because of how antisocial I was. However, that thought is swiftly dispelled as I remember that she's part of a band and that there are a sizable chunk of people that dislike superheroes, whatever their reasoning might be.

"What do you mean by that?" I inquire.

"Years ago, my father was a member of a band that successfully reached the pinnacle of Future World Fes. During that event, there was a catastrophic attack that occurred. Melody was there. She was unable to prevent it or save my father, as she had failed to save the lives of many others present that day." Yukina's hand clench at her sides, curling into fists. "That's why I decided to follow in my father's footsteps and sing. I formed Roselia, not only to honor his memory, but also to stand on the stage that was unjustly taken from him by reckless superheroes."

Silence fills the space between us for a moment. I've never been good with this sort of thing before.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." I finally manage to say. "I'm sure your father would be proud of you."

Was that the right thing to say? I hope that was the right thing. I do feel bad, truly. I'm just really, really bad at expressing my feelings at times.

"I know he would be." She heads to the door, indicating that the conversation, as swift as it was, is now over. "We better get going or we'll all be late for class."

Ah yes, the reason why I ran to school in the first place. I happen to be really good at running into every distraction possible on my way to school. A check of the time shows that I have less than thirty seconds to make it to class on time.

"You're right. Gotta go! Nice to meet you all!" I sprint down the staircase, not even waiting for the others. I rush to class fully expecting the worst after yesterday. I burst through the gym door just as the bell rings, my arms outstretched like a runner crossing the finish line of a marathon.

Phew... victory... just barely. I'm met with a familiar scene as I arrive for first period. Everyone is already line up, prepared for class, and here I am, once again, late. The only thing missing is the coach yelling at me.

"You!" The coach's voice echoes through the gym as he walks over to me and points his finger at me as if to fire a beam right through my chest. Oh, there it is. "In all my years... thinking you could be late two days in a row! Explain! NOW!"

I lied once to Yukina. I can lie again to get out of trouble.

"I uhh... got lost looking for the bathroom?"

Mr. Nikai incinerates me on the spot.

THE END

...

Just kidding.

"Lost? On your second day?!"

"Well, you see, it's a really big school, and-"

"He was on time, coach!" Tomoe shouts out defiantly, her voice cutting through the tension. All heads turn toward her, some showing concern while others, like Moca appear entertained by the objection. Among them, Ran is the most visibly worried. "He had his right foot in the gym when the bell rang, so that counts!"

With monstrous steps the coach closes the distance between Tomoe and him.

"Did I just hear you take this miserable excuse of a human being's side?!" He bellows.

"Yeah! You weren't looking when he got in on time. Everyone will back me up."

The coach turns his piercing gaze to the other students, most of whom are still stiff with fear. He slowly walks down the line examining their faces.

"Is this true?!"

"It is, coach~." Moca chimes in while snaking on a bun.

"They're both right. There's no way he was late." Tsugumi adds, and then mouths, "You owe me one" to me discreetly as she winks. A part of me dies, knowing that she'll most likely use this moment to try to get me to join the student council.

"Yeah! He was here on time!" Himari joins in.

Some of the other students murmur in agreement while others just say nothing. Regardless, the coach's face darkens with a mix of frustration and resignation. He takes a deep breath, visibly trying to control his temper. With a begrudging nod, he relents.

"I stand corrected! Y/N, go join the ranks of your comrades! And don't even think about thinking of cutting it this close again! I have done nothing but hit teenagers with dodgeballs for three days, and school just started yesterday! For making these maggots lose a minute of gym class to argue about this, I'm assigning you four laps today! Do I make myself clear?!"

Hello darkness my old friend...

"Y-yes, sir!" I shout back and rush over to my classmates.

He then blows into his whistle.

"Alright! Time for warm ups! Let's start with forty pushups!"

I get on the floor and do the warm ups with the rest of the class. Yep, it isn't gym class if every inch of my body is screaming in pain the moment we finish with warm ups.

"Alright, listen up, you weaklings who disgrace Haneoka!" The gym teacher shouts out. "After yesterday's poor excuse of a cool-down jog, I decided that today we will be working on your cardiovascular system! And by that, I mean a good old fashioned eight laps around the track field!"

Ah, I see that we're aiming for 'Yesterday's Suffering: The Sequel'. Considering how sequels typically unfold for movies that didn't need a sequel in the first place, it will likely be worse than the first one. And I've been assigned an additional four on top of that. Screw my life...

"Anyone who manages to outrun Tomoe will have the rest of the week off! Now, I want everyone out and running on the track in the next thirty seconds!" He calmly blows his whistle with the wrath of a thousand suns.

That offer would be enticing if I believed I had even the slightest chance of accomplishing it. Without a moment's hesitation, I join the rest of the class and embark on the run. As expected, I quickly lagged behind the group. And just like yesterday, Himari and I are the ones who are the slowest.

"On your left! Passing through!" Once again, the tall athletic maroon-haired girl sprints past us.

"What? Does that make it the second time she's lapped us?" I gasp for air.

"Yeah... I'm starting to think we'll never beat Tomoe at this." Himari wheezes.

To an onlooker, we must look pathetic. We're far behind everyone. It's not even by a little, it's by a lot. Most of the other students are a full lap ahead of us. It doesn't help that we've only completed half of the laps and my lungs already feel like they're on fire and my legs feel like they're going to fall off at any moment. What is the proper technique for running again? Something about hands spread and another thing about hitting the balls of your feet, rather than the heels...

"You two running aiming for the slowest record at Haneoka?" Chihiro slows down to run by us instead of lapping us.

"No, just trying to make everyone else look fast." I reply.

"Aren't you so selfless and inspiring?"

"I'm just trying not to throw up..." Himari huffs

"You're doing an amazing job then!" He gives her a thumbs up.

"Anyway, what are you doing back here?" I ask. "Shouldn't you be at the front of the pack with Tomoe?"

"Well, I'm just keeping my new buddy company. Besides, Tomoe's in a whole different league. I don't think anyone in our class will ever beat her." He chuckles a little between breaths. "Also I don't want to be up by Kumiko."

He gestures up towards the front of the pack. While Tomoe is running like this is a just a casual jog, the delinquent girl with bleached hair, the same one I unintentionally rescued Yuki from, is pushing herself to catch up, just barely falling behind Tomoe.

Ah her...

I'd definitely prefer to never speak with her again. At least at the rate I'm running at, I won't have to worry about sticking near her. But still, this is only the second day of school, and we're already being pushed this hard.

"Is gym class always this difficult?"

"Yup! Don't worry, you get used to it." Chihiro simply smiles.

"No... no you really don't!" Himari huffs.

"By the way, I follow Aya Maruyama on Notsagram and saw a picture of you in an alley with Melody posted last night. What happened?"

Ah, yes... that whole incident. I only almost got stabbed, just another Monday... for Melody at least.

"My sister threw a burger at some thug harassing a girl and we ended up having to get saved by her."

"What?! I'm so jealous." Himari pouts. "I could've gotten so many likes if that happened to me..."

It seems like the pinkettes think alike...

"I'm jealous too. I could've interviewed her." Chihiro adds.

"That's easy to say when you weren't about to get stabbed because your sister decided to throw a freaking hamburger at some guy." I retort.

"But it is an uplifting story. I mean, who knows what would've happened if you didn't get involved?"

"I guess that's true..." I agree. "Don't you work for a paper or something?"

"The Tokyo Times! I want to cover stories that uplift and inspire others. I think we live in a world overshadowed by negativity, so there's a necessity to showcase narratives that restore people's faith in humanity. But you know what my boss said when I said I wanted to do that?" He clears his throat and mimics a gruff voice. "Negative stories sell and there's a million sob stories out there, boy! None of them are special until we make them special! A picture can tell a thousand words, so find a picture that will make them weep!"

Wow, he can sure talk a lot for someone who is running. As he casually talks while we attempt to not pass out, we pass by Ran who is running by herself. Earlier, she was running with Tsugumi and Moca. I take a quick glance around the track field and don't spot the brunette or bread loving girl anywhere. Along with that, It dawns on me just how far we are behind the rest of the class. In that moment, out of nowhere, a tennis ball strikes me right in the head. Looking to see where the ball came from, I spot Hina hiding by the bleachers.

"Y/N! Over here!" Hina gestures urgently, excitement evident on her face. I look over at the coach who seems to be distracted yelling at some poor student who tripped. Best to slip out while he's not looking.

"I'll be right back." I take the moment to exit the track. "Looks like trouble is calling."

Going to Hina, it seems that I'm not the only one here. Tsugumi is here. But, to my surprise Moca is also present. So that's where they went.

"What is it?" I ask. "Whatever it is, make it quick. Coach Nikai is going to kill me if he sees me slacking off."

"I require your assistance with some official student council business!" Hina smiles, hands on her hips.

I now realize that Hina and Tsugumi are strategically positioned, effectively cutting off my escape routes back to the track. Meanwhile, Moca stands nearby, arms crossed and a sleepy amused grin on her face. While a part of me feels offended, I reason that whatever they've got in mind surely can't be worse than running eight laps. Actually, twelve laps.

"I saw something very interesting this morning and am calling the student council to investigate!" Hina elaborates. "You'll never believe who I spotted in our school this morning!"

Not the guessing game again...

"Who?" I feign curiosity.

"The Happy Phantom Thief!"

For a moment I just stare at her not knowing how to react. Part of me thinks she might be telling the truth, while the other half of me just thinks that she's setting me up for some sort of trap to join the student council.

"Are you sure?" I shoot her a skeptical look. "Are you absolutely positive it wasn't just someone in the drama club in a costume or your imagination?"

"I'm positive that I saw what I saw. And you're going to help us find her. Unless you want to keep running of course."

"Don't you have a class to be at right now?"

"It's fine. Chemistry is boring anyway. Anyone can balance equations."

"Besides, if you're with us, we can just say it's student council duties." Tsugumi tries to reassure me.

"But I'm not even officially a member of- wah!"

Before I can say another word, Hina positions herself behind me and begins to push me forward, coercing my legs into a pace beyond what I thought I could run. Somehow, I manage to match the pace that Hina was forcing me to maintain.

"Don't worry! We'll probably be back before the hour ends! I saw her in the supply closet so we can easily corner her!"

I can already picture how angry the coach will be once he realizes three students decided to ditch his class. I have no clue how Hina will cover for us, but I sure hope she can. The other part of me wonders what Hina's plan is for if we even manage to catch this person. I mean, she's a thief that has infiltrated the building that was seen as being one of the most secure in all of Tokyo. What could four high school students possibly do against someone like that?

Eventually, we reach the main building of the school and Hina thankfully no longer sees it fit to push me around. For once, I am willingly following her. It's an experience that feels much weirder than it should be. I think this might be the first time I've actually seen her walk in front of me instead of me getting dragged around. I notice that she walks very quickly, taking long, determined steps. Maybe if we were traveling through a snowstorm it would make sense to walk like that, but we're just in the halls... skipping class. Maybe it is valid for her to walk that fast. Either way, it's making me feel exhausted just watching her. Clearly, she's full of energy all the time, unlike me.

As she goes on a tangent of a tangent about her sister or idols or something like that, I wonder why Moca of all people is here. How in the world did they manage to rope her in this?

"I didn't know you joined the student council, Moca." I inquire.

"The amazing Moca-chan doesn't have the time for student council~." She nonchalantly shrugs. "Hina said if little ol' me helped out, then she would add a bread buffet to the lunch room~."

Yeah, still not sure that Hina fully knows what she can and can't do as the student council president. There's no way she has that much power. To me, it just seems like she was just looking for an excuse to skip out on gym class. I can't say I blame her though.

"Here we are!" Hina says as we reach the door to the supply closet. Hina promptly kicks open the door with the elegance of a rhino.

I look inside. It's just the supply closet. To no surprise, it is not large and smells strange. Not to mention how messy and cluttered it is. It was a cluttered mess of cleaning supplies, with brooms, buckets, and cleaning supplies haphazardly strewn about in disarray. The floor is a minefield of discarded items and garbage that you have to be careful where to step. Very obviously, there was no thief inside

"... What are we supposed to be looking for exactly?" I ask.

"A secret room!" Hina just waltzes into the room with Tsugumi and Moca following.

"What makes you so sure there's a secret room here?" I look around the room. Nothing looks out of the ordinary, unless you consider this mess, appearing as if should be classified as a biohazard, normal.

"The Happy Phantom Thief entered here, and when I followed after her and checked, she just vanished! So, there must be some sort of secret room in here somewhere. We just need to find it." Hina begins to carelessly toss items to the floor in her search.

With a resigned sigh, I step into the cluttered closet, joining in on the search despite having no clue of how I would even detect a hidden room if it existed. I mean, why exactly would our school have a secret room that the Happy Phantom Thief would even want to break into. It isn't long before the school's intercom unexpectedly crackles to life.

"Y/N L/N! Moca Aoba! Tsugumi Hazawa! If I don't see any of you back on the track field in thirty seconds, I swear on my family that I will personally mount you to my wall!" The furious voice of our gym teacher booms through the school's intercom, creating some reverb.

Hearing that, I think I feel my soul leave my body. Every fiber of my being is telling me to go back right now.

"Don't give me that look, Y/N. This is official student council business! We're on a mission to recruit a potential student council member. But~!" Once more Hina wears a smug look. "Since you're not a part of the student council, you have no valid excuse for ditching class!"

That potential member she's referring to must be Moca. Although it is clear that she has no intentions of joining. They assured me earlier that they'd cover for me. Either they've conveniently forgotten, or it was a lie.

"Don't look worried, Y/N." Tsugumi joins in with a more sympathetic look. "You can still join now. If you join now, you won't be in any trouble at all, and we'll have the opportunity to go on more excursions like this one regularly. Trust me, it'll be a lot of fun!"

I'm starting to suspect that the Happy Phantom Thief sighting Hina claimed was all just an elaborate ruse, meticulously designed to bring us to this moment all while providing an excuse to skip class. Perhaps they strategically led me far away from the track field when I was already drained, counting on me losing track of time and falling right into their scheme. I attempt to decipher the intentions behind Hina's and Tsugumi's eyes, but they merely meet my gaze with expressions of innocent excitement.

"Ahaha~! What with that look, Y/N?" Hina giggles. "Did you think we orchestrated this to rope you into joining the student council?"

Either she just read my mind or she's admitting that she's guilty.

"What? So you're not?"

"You genuinely thought that?" Tsugumi frowns briefly before laughing a little to herself. "Doing that sort of thing would be an inappropriate abuse of power. Not to mention, that would basically be blackmail. We're not that cunning or evil, Y/N. It's not the end of the world if you don't join."

There's still some doubt in my mind, but I decide against saying anything else regarding the topic. They don't seem like the people who would seriously throw me under the bus if I said no. At least I hope so...

"What Tsugumi said is true. Since Moca and you are with us, and we're totally doing student council work." Hina shoots a wink at me. "It's not the end of the world if we miss a class or two. Not that this is a good excuse to do so. Like anyone would believe I saw something so zappin. Nothing really exciting really ever happens here anyways."

What does she mean 'nothing really exciting'? The level of energy and intensity among the teachers and students here far surpasses any other school I've experienced.

"I'm all for abuse of power if it means bread and no gym class~." Moca comments with a sleepy smirk. "Fufu~ I'd like to see the look on Ran's face right now. She's probably fretting over where we've disappeared to."

Moca absentmindedly leans against the wall. A faint, barely audible click reverberates through the air as her hand nudges a wall tile slightly inward. Then, with a quiet whir, the back wall of the closet starts to slide, unveiling a staircase that descended concealed behind it.

To be honest, I'm more surprised that this might actually mean Hina's motivation was to find this thief instead of forcing me into a situation where I would have to join the student council. The sudden revelation left us all momentarily speechless, except, of course, Hina.

"Woah! Now we're boppin!" Hina's eyes glitter with excitement. "What are we waiting for? Let's go! Last one down is a rotten egg!"

Not taking any time to think about precautions, Hina excitedly rushes down the stairs.

"W-wait, Hina!" Tsugumi worriedly calls out. "Shouldn't we think about this more carefully? What if it's dangerous down there?"

However, Tsugumi's attempt at stopping Hina is futile. She is already far ahead, leaving only the faint echoes of her hurried footsteps behind. As much as my gut tells me that I shouldn't just blindly walk into this place, we can't just let Hina go down there alone. If there really is something dangerous down there...

Hina so owes me for dragging me into this.

"Well, we can't just let her go alone." I declare with a sigh.

"You're right. We can't let Hina have all the fun~." Moca starts to follow Hina's trail down the staircase.

I exchange a hesitant look with Tsugumi, her face evidently filled with as much uncertainty as mine. Although her face doesn't show that she is slightly fed up with Hina like I am.

I walk towards the entrance and take a look down. You have two choices, Y/N. Either you explore wherever this hidden staircase leads, which sounds awesome in concept, but for some reason I feel reluctant. Whatever motive the school has for this is about as clear as censored hentai.

Hidden room... or gym.

Hidden room... or gym.

A freaking hidden room... or running a total of twelve laps in gym class.

Screw it. What's the worst that could happen?

"We better catch up." I tell Tsugumi.

"Yeah. I mean, it's just a secret passage that no one ever reported to the student council. It's not like there's anything actually dangerous down there." She forces a smile, evidently nervous. I can't lie, I feel a bit nervous as well. But this or gym class...

Stepping into the staircase ahead of Tsugumi, we both proceed down the steps. The faint sound of whirring reaches our ears once more, and the wall behind us begins to close, sealing off the entrance. In that fleeting moment before it fully shuts, I catch a slight glimpse of a first-year with purple hair. She stands there, shocked as she observes the wall as it seals us off from the outside world.

Well, it's not like she can exactly tell anyone about this. What would she even say? I don't think anyone would believe her.

Looking back, I don't see a clear button or switch to open it. I guess that means that we are trapped. Great start, Y/N....

With our exit sealed, the only thing we can do is move forward. So, that's what we do. In a somewhat awkward silence, we descend the staircase. My feet descend the steps easily, but my mind is ill at ease. I want to at least say something to Tsugumi, but my mind is racing wondering what place this is. Besides, she seems much more difficult to talk to when Hina isn't around.

Eventually we reach the bottom of the staircase, where an open door awaited us, leading right into a hallway. My eyes drift to what must've been a hand scanner or screen of some kind positioned on the wall next to the door. It was cracked with wires exposed. It's clear that someone had forcibly gained entry. My mind immediately goes to blaming Hina for this, but if it is true that the Happy Phantom Thief was here...

I brush off the thought and we continue through the door in silence. We find ourselves in a corridor illuminated by fluorescent lights that stretches out in two directions. The design was minimalistic with shining white walls and floors that stretched both directions. There are numerous large windows peering into small side rooms lining the walls on either side. It looks like the light in each room is off. The only thing inhabiting the visible hallway are some boxes, most of which bear the Tsurumaki Tech logo.

"What is this place?" Tsugumi looks around. "Tsurumaki Tech, huh... I should message Kokoro about this. Maybe she's planning something?"

She sounds unsure, like she's trying to create a rational reason for all of this to be here. I don't blame her, I'm trying to do the same.

"Huh..." She frowns as she looks at her phone. "No service down here."

"I guess that means you can't call Hina or Moca." I reply.

I think it dawns on Tsugumi and I at the same time. Hina and Moca are long gone, and there's two directions we can go. Splitting up doesn't seem to be the best idea, so we might just have to pick one way and hope for the best. Depending on how far ahead they went, I think about the chances of us finding them.

Everything is a fifty-fifty chance! Either the thing happens or it doesn't!

The words of Hagumi echo in my head. I hate that she's technically correct in this situation.

"What should we do?" I ask her.

Glancing at her for a moment, she seems to have a lost look on her face as she stares at something. Which is not surprising. I probably have a similar look on my face as well. Or maybe it's a look of confusion. Or a mix of the two? Either way, something has clearly caught her attention.

"Y/N, take a look at that." She points to one of the boxes on the side of the hallway. The top is slightly propped open, so I walk over and see something that almost makes me gasp. It's what looks like a security personal stuffed unconscious into the box. Hina does seem like the person who would do crazy things, but nothing that crazy.

Objective five of this school year is to now get out of here without getting beaten unconscious. Next is memorizing my class schedule.

"W-we should really get out of here." I stammer with fear evident in my voice. What? I'm a coward. You've seen how out of shape I am. Do you honestly believe that I stand a chance against literally anyone in a fight?

"I want to leave as well, but we can't just go." She looks at me with determination. "Moca and Hina are my friends. If this Phantom Thief or whoever is down here might harm them, then I can't leave until I find them and ensure their safety. I don't care if we get hurt or get in trouble, they would do the same for us."

Well, now I feel terrible for wanting to leave this place so quickly. Remember, Y/N: you wanted to become someone who would stand up for others. This is your chance. Be brave.

"I guess you're right." I take a look at the divergence in the halls. "Which way should we go?"

"Well, everything is a fifty-fifty chance so I say... right!"

EVERYTHING IS NOT A FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE! IT'S SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT!

I scream those words silently in my mind while maintaining a blank expression on my face.

"Sounds like a plan." I respond, and we begin walking.

Each door is equipped with a hand scanner, and I wasn't eager to test my luck with any of them. Instead, I cautiously peek through the windows of rooms as we pass. Oddly enough, none of them seem to be occupied by people. Instead, they're filled with a multitude of scientific equipment and contraptions whose purposes are indecipherable at a glance.

It isn't long before we reach a spot where we must make another decision. The hallways split once more, and we can go straight... or right... or left.

"If we have three options, then it's not a fifty-fifty chance, right?" I ask.

"Well, technically-"

"Hey, did you hear something?" A voice from around the corner asks.

We freeze for a moment as we hear two pairs of footsteps approaching. There's nothing behind us, besides hallways. But, there are rooms on each side. Someway, somehow, I place my hand on the hand scanner to the door closest to us and it opens. Not even taking time to register why this even happens, I motion for Tsugumi to follow and we quickly duck into the room.

"You sure you heard something?" Another voice questions. "All I see is just a whole bunch of hallway. God, we've got to decorate this place."

"I swear I heard something!" The first voice replies. "You heard what the boss said. The security system is malfunctioning for some reason, the cameras aren't even operating, and we lost contact with Yusuke! Something is up!"

"Yusuke? The guy who's supposed to guard the Haneoka entrance to make sure only staff and interns come through? That's not surprising. I mean, have you met the guy? He's constantly blasting Poppin Party or whatever idol group he's obsessed with on his headphones, so he hardly hears attention to anything he's supposed to."

"I guess... should we at least check on him? It's not like there's anything else to do in the meantime."

"Sure, why not. This job is so boring that I'd quit if it weren't for the pay. It's not like anyone is actually going to try and break into this place."

"Yeah, the pay is great, but they don't even give us dental. What's up with that?"

The two voices start to get quieter as we hear them walk away, leaving the cost clear. One comment they made really sticks with me. Staff and interns know about that entrance we found. Does that mean Yuki knows about this?

"They didn't mention anything about intruders." Tsugumi lets out a sigh of relief. "Moca and Hina must be safe. Should we continue onwards?"

"I guess so, but you really owe me for this." I reply as we walk out and continue onwards.

"You could join the student council."

That's not even her owing me. But, nevertheless I feel like I'm going to hear that phrase a minimum of ten more times today.

"Not this again..."

"You said you'd consider it."

This conversation continues as we keep traversing the empty halls of whatever this place is. We go left, right, left, left, right, left, straight, and on and on until...

"We're lost..." I mutter. "How are we even going to find our way out of this place?"

"Hmm..." Tsugumi puts her hand to her chin for a moment before snapping her fingers. "We go that way!"

She points right at, you guessed it, a long hallway. Real riveting stuff. I brush it off as just being a random guess on where to go, but as Tsugumi begins to walk, I realize there's something different about this corridor, and I'm left with no choice but to follow her..

The corridor grows wider, and the buzzing of fluorescent lights overhead intensifies. We walk through the door at the end of the hallway. The air becomes cooler and the scent of chemicals and machinery invades my nostrils. we're met with the impressive sight of what looks like a central hub.

The room is vast, with rows of lab benches stretched out in all directions, each cluttered with microscopes, vials, computer screens, and all other sorts of various scientific instruments as only two people in lab coats mill about. There's a multitude of robotic arms positioned on benches and even the walls, although none of them seemed to be active. The heart of the lab has a massive control center with a multitude of computer screens flashing complex data and images.

Either way, this is the first room where we actually encountered people, and we're standing right in plain sight. Spotting a few boxes positioned conveniently near the door, I swiftly pull Tsugumi with me and hide ourselves behind the makeshift cover.

"Do you see Hina anywhere in here?" I whisper as I scan the room.

"Not yet... maybe we should just stop sneaking and just tell them that we're lost." Tsugumi replies. "I mean, what's the worst that could come from that?"

Peeking from behind the box, I see the two men in lab coats examining data on a computer screen. A door on the other side of the room opens, and I have to do a double take. Entering the room is the suited woman who I saw with Mr. Tsurumaki this morning.

"It's one of the suits!" They both immediately stand up straight. "We weren't expecting to see you here."

"I'm here under the direct orders of Mr. Tsurumaki. He wants to see your results." She replies in a monotone voice.

"O-of course! Right this way." One of the scientists stammers, clearly nervous. He gestures for the suited woman to follow him as they navigate through the array of equipment..

"As you can see, we've made significant advancements to the sonic shield. Once it's complete, it will be able to create a bubble capable of preventing all sound entering from entering it, making the perfect trap for-"

"Yes, yes," The suited woman interrupts, her demeanor uninterested. "Dr. Takamatsu's toys are very impressive, but we all know I'm not here for a show and tell. I want to see the progress on Project HeroGen."

She just said Dr. Takamatsu, didn't she? I recall Tomori saying that her mom worked here and that she was secretive about her work. Is this where she works? Maybe I can ask her what this place is if I see her around.

"Well, Dr. Takamatsu has been working on the serum around the clock." The scientist continues to explain. "We have begun experimentation after obtaining DNA from The Reptilian along with DNA from other super-powered individuals that we have gotten our hands on. So far, it has a seven out of ten success rate, and that's with animal trials. Dr. Takamatsu seems to think that soon the serum will be stable and ready for human test subjects."

"Don't be so hasty. You said there was a seven out of ten success rate. What happened to the other three?"

"Well, in those trials, the test subjects were showing significant side effects to the formula... I uhh suppose it's best if I show you myself." The scientists shoot an uneasy look at each other before turning to the corner of the room, where cages covered with blankets lie. They walk over and with a hesitant motion, one of the scientists removes the covers, unveiling what at one point must have been rats.

The once ordinary rats appear grotesquely mutated. Their fur is matted and discolored, and their limbs appear twisted and elongated. They twitch and snarl at the scientists. In the corner of my eye, I see Tsugumi covering her mouth in shock, and she looks away. The scientists maintain their grim expressions, looking guilty for what they've done.

"Increased aggression, abnormal strength, and uncontrolled mutations." One of the scientists reveals as he averts his gaze from the cages. "The likes of which we've never seen before."

"So, despite these... results." The suited woman leans in close to observe the monstrosities. "Dr. Takamatsu seems to think that the serum will soon be ready. What do you think?"

"Truth be told, I think we need to take the whole line back to formula." One of the scientists admits, throwing the blankets back over the cages. "I don't think the current method will ever be fully safe for humans. Even if Dr. Takamatsu claims to have developed an antiserum that can reverse the effects, or even hypothetically remove powers from individuals entirely."

"Back to formula?!" A sudden voice pierces the air, accompanied by fast approaching footsteps. The scene gains another participant as a woman with striking magenta eyes and sporting a lab coat, strides towards them. The frustration in her voice is evident. "What do you mean 'back to formula'? We don't have that much time!"

"L-listen, I know that Mr. Tsurumaki wants this by the end of next week, but you have to tell him we hit another roadblock, Dr. Takamatsu." One of the men tries to reason. "We'll need another four to six weeks to get back to-"

"Woah woah woah. Four to six weeks?! Mr. Tsurumaki has given us a deadline, and we will meet it! If we fail, this lab won't exist in four to six weeks! I don't care if there's a chance of failure. If we show that it works on at least one person, it will secure us more time and resources."

"With all due respect, Dr. Takamatsu, can you not see what happens if it is not successful?" The man gestures towards the cages. "We can't, in good conscience, subject anyone to this. It's simply unacceptable."

"I'm prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to ensure this project meets its deadline. Continue work on the serum, and we'll conduct a trial using me as the test subject."

"Y-you can't be serious!" One of them steps forwards towards the woman. "The serum... it's too risky!"

"As the leader of this project, I've made my decision! I'm willing to administer the serum immediately if that's what it takes!"

"You're a bold one, Dr. Takamatsu." The suited woman speaks up, witnessing the squabble between the scientists. "But I must say, such a move would be unwise. You must be fully aware why this lab is connected to Haneoka. Nearly every student should be viewed as nothing more than a human guinea pig, although Mr. Tsurumaki does has a 'no-touch' list..."

"I-I won't allow that to happen!"

"You deny this lab its purpose. Don't you know what things this company has done in the past to achieve results?"

"... I'm well aware. I refuse to allow my lab to engage in any of those unethical practices."

Once more I turn to Tsugumi and see that her eyes are now glued to her phone.

"I'm getting a signal now." She whispers. "Maybe we can finally contact Hina and get out of here. We have to alert someone about this place."

She goes to her contact for Hina and presses the call button. I expect it to go unanswered, but surprisingly, she picks up.

"Hina? Where are you right now?"

"Oh, hey Tsugu-chan!" Hina replies in her usual peppy voice. "You won't believe what Moca and I found!"

As Hina begins to speak, her voice starts to cut in and out, her words fragmenting into something almost undecipherable. I can only make out "going dark" and "phantom".

"Hina, you're breaking up." Tsugumi says with concern, only to be met with silence. "Hello? Are you still there?"

The call disconnects and without warning, the lights go out, plunging the room into complete darkness.

"What's going on?!"

"Has the power been cut?"

"Turn on the back up power source!"

It isn't long before a voice over the lab's intercom begins to sound.

"All units, be advised: The security system has been compromised, and communication with select units was lost prior to the blackout. Exercise extreme caution, and be prepared for potential intruders. There is strong suspicion that the Happy Phantom Thief is responsible. I repeat, we suspect-" The audio abruptly cuts off, plunging the room into an eerie silence.

This whole situation was completely avoidable. I think to myself why I'm even down here. Why did we have to explore this place so much? Why couldn't I have just stayed in class with Himari and Chihiro? Why did I have to stumble into this? What did they mean by experimenting on students? Is any of this legal? Does my mom know about this?! Does anyone know about this?!

"Let's get out of here." I whisper to Tsugumi, and she nods in agreement.

She begins to rise from our position. However, in the darkness, a misstep causes her to accidentally bump into one of the boxes, sending it crashing to the ground and scattering its contents with a cacophonous clatter.

"What was that?" The suited woman questions.

We stand there frozen like a statue as the lights turn back on. The woman in the suit fixes her gaze directly on our hiding spot. With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I seize Tsugumi's hand, and without hesitation, we make a frantic dash towards the nearest door.

"Stop them!" The suit's voice rings out. "All units, we have intruders heading out of the central hub going to the west wing."

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Tsugumi asks between gasps for air.

"Not at all!"

Our footsteps echo through the corridors as we make a mad dash with the shouts and clamor of security faintly behind us. We can't run forever, and we have no clue where the exit is. So, I devise a plan that is probably really dumb.

"Quick, in here!" I pull on her hand, pulling her into a nearby side room, and swiftly seal the door behind us. Inside, I see that we're in a cramped office. Files are scattered haphazardly across the desk, but my attention is immediately drawn to the single photo resting on the desk. It's a picture of Dr. Takamatsu alongside none other than the rock collecting girl who gave me the penguin Band-Aid. So this is her mom. I'm starting to see why she doesn't tell Tomori about what she does.

"Maybe if we hide in here, they will pass right by us." I reason. "I mean, it worked before, didn't it?"

"Sweep every room! Leave no space unturned!" The muffled voice of the suited woman commands from the hall beyond the door. "If she's truly here, then we can't afford to let her slip away. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Several voices respond in unison. Ensuing chaos made up by a cacophony of hurried footsteps and the sounds of doors being thrust open, steadily get closer to our hiding spot with each passing second.

Tsugumi then gives me a look that says that I'm stupid for thinking that this plan would've worked.

"We've gotta get out of here now or they'll catch us." She whispers.

"But where would we even go? We have no clue where the exit is." I respond.

"What are we whispering about~?" A voice says from behind us.

The chair behind the desk spins around and Moca is sitting there wearing a lab coat and looking smug. I can feel my heart skip a beat. Maybe even two beats. God, it felt like my heart was going to stop from that.

"Moca?!" We gasp in surprise.

"That's me~." She nonchalantly smiles.

"Moca, you're alright!" Tsugumi exclaims, rushing forward to hug her. "What happened? When did you even get here? And where's Hina?"

"Fufu~ the amazing Moca-chan can hardly explain what Hina and I did leading up to this moment~." A pause follows as Tsugumi and I eagerly await her explanation. "So, I won't."

A loud knock interrupts the moment, causing me to slightly jump in surprise.

"I hear someone's voice in here!" A voice calls from behind the door. "W-what are the chances it's the Phantom Thief?"

"In that case, I'll apprehend her and put her down like the dog she is." The suited woman's voice replies, drawing nearer to the door. "I wouldn't mind some payback."

Moca tosses a bag on the floor in front of us. Inside are lab coats, wigs, glasses, pretty much everything you'd need for a disguise.

"Put these on. Our friendly neighborhood thief thought these might be useful~."

Tsugumi and I quickly throw the lab coats on and button them up to try and hide our Haneoka uniforms as I kick the bag out of view. Without warning, the door bursts open, revealing the sharply dressed suited woman sporting sunglasses storms into the room, closely followed by a man pointing a taser at me.

"H-hands up!" The man stammers, his voice quivering, while the suited woman fixes us with a stern, unwavering gaze.

Tsugumi and I freeze, and I feel my heart beating out of my chest. I'm slightly shaking and I can feel myself sweating as I feel myself breathing heavily. My mind races at a thousand miles per hour. Moca, on the other hand, appears strangely unfazed by the unfolding scene. In fact, she looks a little smug.

"That's no way to greet your interns~." Moca quips in her usual sleepy voice.

The room hangs in a tense silence for a few heartbeats, and I can feel the suited woman's sharp eyes scanning each of us. Tsugumi and I exchange anxious glances, while Moca continues to lean casually against the desk.

"Who are you three?" The suited woman breaks the silence, her voice stern. "And what are you doing here?"

"We... we're interns, ma'am!" I hardly manage to stammer out. "Dr. Takamatsu asked us to... fetch something for her before the power cut out."

The man's expression loosens and he lets out a sigh of relief as he puts down his weapon. The suited woman doesn't have such a reaction however.

"Dr. Takamatsu didn't inform us of any interns today."

"Our bad~." Moca chimes back in, shooting me a confident look telling me to let her take over once more. I hardly notice her swipe what looks like a hard drive from the computer. "We were just eager and arrived early~."

"Is that so? And why are you all in this restricted area?" She raises an eyebrow.

"W-we didn't realize that!" Tsugumi adds.

"Interns, I swear..." The man audibly mutters to himself. "Got me all worked up for nothing..."

The woman lets out a sigh of frustration.

"You three are lucky this isn't what I thought it was. You shouldn't be wandering around with proper clearance. Come with us, and we'll sort this out with Dr. Takamatsu."

"Of course!" Tsugumi and I say in unison, and we all follow the stern woman and man out of the room. As we exit the room, Moca can't resist a quip.

"Well, at least it wasn't the Happy Phantom Thief, right~?" Moca quips

The woman doesn't respond, her expression remaining stoic as she escorts us out of the room and leads us down the hall in silence. Every inch of my being is yelling at me to attempt to run as fast as I can from here, but we find ourselves moving back deeper into this complex, caught in a situation where it seems like going with the flow is our only option. Certainly running a few extra laps would beat whatever we got ourselves into any day.

"Did you take care of the problem?" A stressed and anxious looking Dr. Takamatsu inquires as she sees us approach her.

"We found these three interns in your office. They claim that you sent them there."

"I did no such thing." Dr. Takamatsu's gaze narrows as she studies us. "This project has no interns. Who are you?"

My body feels like stone as I feel my heart drop. Yep, we are so dead. It was a nice run. Not really, but I'll tell myself that to make me feel better. Gaslight myself, you know?

"You must have a bad memory~." Moca explains. "You hired us to-"

"Stop talking." The suited woman says. "Dr. Takamatsu, if what you say is true, then I believe we found some of the little rats who have created this whole headache of a situation for us."

She turns around and nods at guards who I didn't even notice follow us.

"Seize them."

Before we can react, guards swiftly move in, their movements efficient and well-coordinated. They seized Tsugumi, Moca, and I, restraining us without any room for resistance. I can feel my hands get cuffed behind my back, before a forceful kick to the back of my knee sends me to the floor. I look over to Tsugumi and Hina who just willfully get on their knees after being ordered to do so.

"H-hey! How come I only got kicked?!" I protest.

"My mom said I shouldn't hit girls." One of the guards responds.

"Yeah, same." The other chimes in.

"Shut up, all of you." The suited woman snaps. "The professionals are talking."

She turns back to Dr. Takamatsu and clears her throat.

"Dr. Takamatsu, you said you were willing to test your serum on humans, correct?"

"W-well, I-" Takamatsu stutters.

"It looks like you have your human test subjects right here." She remarks coldly. She walks over to Dr. Takamatsu.

"Yui Takamatsu, Hand me your serums."

I feel myself begin to shake as my eyes drop down to the floor. I pray for something, anything to save me. I don't even look at Tsugumi or Moca. I don't think my heart could bare seeing them afraid.

"Y-you couldn't! They're just-"

"The serums. NOW."

Dr. Takamatsu closes her eyes for a moment and sighs. I notice one of the mechanical arm in the corner of the room, which reaches into something out of my sight, and retrieving a vial containing a yellow bubbling substance and passing it to another mechanical arm. This arm, in turn, hands it to yet another mechanical arm, repeating the process until a mechanical hand finally offers the vial to the suited woman.

"A syringe, please." The suited woman extends her hand out, and the doctor reluctantly hands her one. She then administers the serum into the syringe and walks back over to me,its contents glistening in the light, and places it menacingly in front of my face.

"I'm aware that you're in league with the Happy Phantom Thief. Now, I'm feeling generous today so I'll let whoever gives me the most information go. As for those who don't feel like talking... They'll be helping us with a little science experiment. So, who's feeling talkative today?"

"W-wait!" The voice of Tomori's mother shouts out as mechanical arm extends from the corner of my vision and grabs the arm of the suited woman with the serum in it. "I'll inject myself with the serum. I'll take the blame for this. It's my fault the lab got breached."

The suited woman turns to Dr. Takamatsu with a cold, calculating gaze.

"Dr Takamatsu, those rats that I saw earlier... do you want to end up like one of them?" The suited woman sighs. "It's better them than you."

"Y-you don't fully understand the capabilities of this serum."

"Release me. NOW."

As the mechanical arm maintains its grip, I spot another sequence of mechanical arms passing a case over to Dr. Takamatsu.

"Y-you see, The best part about this serum is that once DNA is administered, it creates new sequences faster than they can be identified. If you administer a DNA sample to the serum it could be ready to go in less than an hour. This case is full of antiserum." She opens the case to reveal an assortment of similar colored vials. "By working from the other end, we managed to create a serum with a human DNA filter that knocks out nonhuman DNA. It could hypothetically take away powers from individuals or maybe even cure certain illnesses."

"... What are you getting at?" The suited woman questions with a look of annoyance.

"I think it's easy to understand." Hina speaks up. "For someone working with scientists, you sure don't seem to know a lot about-"

"Shut up!" The suited woman yells at her, before composing herself and looking at Yui once more. "Just get to the point or I'll inject that annoying girl with this serum right now."

"Hey, I'm not-"

"I said be quiet!"

"If you say so~."

"Well..." Yui continues to speak. "I managed to strike up a deal with a person who's supposedly loyal to The Sphinx. Normally, that would be a problem since Mr. Tsurumaki is at odds with her and her organization. But, this certain individual was willing to provide us with something valuable in exchange for a supply of our antiserum once it's ready."

This doesn't seem to quell the suited woman's desire to threaten us. She pulls at her arm, trying to free herself once more from the grip of the mechanical arm to no avail.

"You worked with the enemy?" The suited woman snaps at the doctor.

"Not exactly. This person knows Melody's true identity and was able to collect some of her DNA to offer us."

Suddenly, the suited woman's interested is piqued.

"They know her true identity? Then who is she?"

"They've promised to reveal that information if we can uphold our end of the deal. It's through this arrangement that we've acquired this."

The mechanical arm released its grip on the suited woman, and another slender arm extends, holding out a vial with a shimmering blue liquid. She eyes it with hesitation before ultimately accepting the vial.

"What is this exactly?"

"It's a serum that could administer Melody's power to the user. Now, seeing as how we have her power along with a way to negate any negative side effects, we could give this to you. You would no longer have to be kicked around by that Phantom Thief or Melody. I don't see why the current serum should not be used. The horrific side effects can be cured!"

The suited woman keeps looking at the vial for a few moment before tucking it in her coat pocket.

"Absolutely not. Do you even know if those antiserums work?"

"Well, it worked on a few animal trials so-"

"I'm not ending up like one of those rats." She turns back to us, brandishing the syringe in her hand. "Now, I'll give you ten seconds to speak before I decide to-"

Before she could finish speaking, a familiar, high-pitched sound pierces the air. A soundwave suddenly materializes, knocking the syringe clean out of the woman's grasp, causing it to scatter to the floor.

"Experimenting on students?" A figure calls out from above, perched on the beams of the room's ceiling. "Sorry, but I think it's time for your little science project to get a failing grade."

It was unmistakably the woman who had saved me the day before: Melody. Beside her stands a figure of a woman in a weird suit, mask that covers her eyes, and top hat. I think it's a strange costume, but it is the figure that was the reason Hina dragged us down here in the first place. It's the Happy Phantom Thief. Surprisingly, they're also accompanied by Hina, who is now sporting a disguise that consists of a lab coat and blonde wig that she doesn't seem to realize has partially fallen off, revealing her teal-hair underneath.

"Unhand these innocent souls at once, and mayhaps we shall go easy on you." The thief adds.

"Hey, guys!" Hina cheerfully waves. "You won't believe what boppin stuff I've been up to!"

That's definitely the Hina I know. Optimistic and bubbly despite everything. I wonder if they were up there the whole time and just were waiting for the moment that would be the most dramatic to enter or if they just got there. Either way, I'm glad they're here. Now we've got Hina and Moca in the same room and can high tail it out of here in time for second period... which is English. Actually, I think I would appreciate it if we get lost down here for a little longer.

"That was a neat trick you did with those arms." Melody jumps down, landing in front of the scientists. "But I've got news for you, the only experiment that's happening today is seeing how fast I can stop you."

She doesn't comment on the whole person knowing her identity bit which I think is strange. But maybe she doesn't think it's the biggest concern right now.

"Experimentation is messy, my dear Melody." The suit remarks. "And I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty."

With lightning speed, she reaches into her suit and produces a pistol. But before she can take a shot, Melody reacts with a swift and powerful sonic blast, sending the woman tumbling to the ground, her firearm skittering across the floor.

"Sorry, no cheating on the science exam~!" Melody quips.

Before the cringe-inducing quips could continue, Dr. Takamatsu rushes forward and positions herself between the two with her arms outstretched.

"Stop! Stop it, you idiots! You'll damage the equipment if you fight in here!" The woman shouts.

"That's the point." Melody responds nonchalantly as she sends another sonic blast at a cluster of computers, causing them to erupt into an explosion of wires and sparks. "My friendly little thief decided to inform me of this place when she was already here. I just happened to be in the neighborhood, so I decided to join in on the fun. I can't have you endangering any of these high schoolers like they're lab rats. You might want to rethink your choice of venue before you end up in detention or worse."

"I must protect this lab, no matter the cost." The scientist replies as the mechanical hands all around the lab start to whir to life and extend.

I get the feeling that none of us should be here for what's about to go down, despite how much I want to stay and watch. I know I should feel scared, but I actually feel somewhat excited.

"Phantom Thief, untie these guys and escort them out of here, along with the data. I'll Stay back and deal with these guys."

"What about me?" Hina interjects.

"Leave with everyone else. I won't let anyone get hurt due to this woman."

"Aww that's boring~." Hina sighs. "But, okay. I should be leaving soon anyway. I was hoping to get back before second period starts."

The Happy Phantom Thief jumps down with Hina in her arms before setting her down. She approaches the three guards by us and she cracks her knuckles.

"W-well would you look at the time..." One of the guards stammer. "I think it's my lunch break. Gotta go!"

He darts off and the other two guards slowly back away as she approaches. At least these guys seem to know when they're out of their league, unlike those thugs from yesterday. With little effort, she somehow takes the cuffs off of my hands.

"Hey! Get back here and fight!" The suit shouts at the guards as she struggles to pick herself off the ground. "This is what we pay you for!"

Seeming undeterred by some of the guards leaving, with the flick of her wrist, Dr. Takamatsu sends a quartet of robotic arms hurtling towards Melody with precision and speed. Quickly reacting, Melody unleashes a high-frequency scream that effortlessly shatters the incoming arms into a shower of spark and debris.

Undeterred, Takamatsu sends more arms swinging through the air. The suit and multiple guards joining the fray as they enter the room. Melody dances between them, using her powers to create a temporary shield that deflected several arms, before dispersing it in a wave of energy, sending multiple guards flying back. The lab was filled with a deafening cacophony of clashing metal and sound waves.

By this time, the Happy Phantom Thief had finished uncuffing everyone.

"Come! Follow my lead!" She motions and we all make a break for the nearest door. As we run, I find myself glancing over my shoulder to catch glimpses of the ongoing fight. I know it's slowing me down, but I don't care. How can I not look? My favorite hero is fighting right in front of me. And this is a full fledged fight, not a fight that's over in the blink of an eye.

Melody is still artfully dodging the barrage of attacks from her opponents. She deals with the guards with ease, weaving between them and knocking out the ones who decided to stay and fight. Seeing an opportunity, Melody focuses her energy and directs a soundwave at the scientist herself. Her control over the arms wavered for a moment as she staggers backwards, struggling to stay up. It was enough for Melody to close the gap.

Swiftly reacting, she redirects several of the robotic arms to form a protective barrier in front of her.

"I won't let you destroy everything I've worked for!" Seizing Melody in the leg with an arm, Dr. Takamatsu slams her against the ground.

"If I lose this, then I'll have nothing! Nothing!"

The arm lets go, throwing her at a wall.

"You don't understand what is at stake here! I won't allow you to take all that I have left from me! I won't allow it!"

An arm lunges toward Melody with blinding speed, but Melody reacts even faster, propelling herself into the air with a blast. The mechanical limb swipes through empty space. In that moment, she seizes the opening.

With a graceful twist, she redirects her airborne momentum towards Dr. Takamatsu. Quickly closing distance, she unleashes a devastating sound wave right at her target. Takamatsu has no time to react. She's struck squarely by the attack, her body sent hurtling backward through the air.

She crashes into the central control center of the lab, her impact triggering an explosion of sparks and shattered equipment as the mechanical hands of the lab fall still. The room briefly lights up with a chaotic display of malfunctioning machinery as pieces of machines are sent flying everywhere. Barely visible amidst the wreckage, Dr. Takamatsu lies on the ground.

"Y/N! What are you standing there for?!" I can hear Tsugumi shout from behind me. Her and the others are all waiting in the doorway that we used to enter this room originally. "We have to go!"

I snap back to reality and turn to exit, rushing to it. But my self-defeating clumsiness seems to have a different plan, and my foot snags on a piece of debris, sending me tumbling to the floor. I struggled to regain my footing, but my efforts were in vain as a new message echoes through the intercom system.

"Backup power outage emergency protocol initiated. Lockdown procedures now in effect."

The heavy steel door abruptly shuts, sealing me off from the others. The sparking machinery around me gradually settles, the room now dimly lit from what few light sources remain, along with the occasional sparks.

"Y/N!" I can faintly hear Tsugumi pound on the other side to no avail. Not wanting to be caught out in the open in case the fight is still ongoing, I search for something to give myself cover so I won't be caught in the open.

The muffled knocking of Tsugumi quickly fades away, leaving me alone in the silence of the room. Doubt started to creep in as I wonder if they decided to abandon me. A hopeful voice in my head insists that the fight is won, and that there's no danger present anymore. Melody herself could save me... again.

I see a shelf nearby and quickly rush over to give myself cover. As I go, I notice something glinting on the floor and I nearly kick it as I run. I see that it's one of the vials of antiserum. It couldn't hurt to hold onto this. Pocketing it, I see the case of antiserum lying just a few feet away.

My gaze shifts from that to the cage where the rats where kept laying on the floor. It's open and they're nowhere to be seen. Not wanting to think about where they went, I then shift my gaze to the silhouette of Melody, her gaze fixed on the figure emerging the the floor, struggling to rise. Somehow, Tomori's mother was still willing to fight. Nearby, I spot the suited woman struggling to pick herself up. Looks like they're still in the fight, although neither of them seem to have the strength to continue.

"It's not... over yet." Dr. Takamatsu mutters weakly. Clutched in her trembling hand, I spot a syringe with the serum. "It's not over yet! I won't let you take everything from me!"

"Wait! Don't-" Melody's voice rang out, but it was too late. She plunges the serum into her arm, and for a moment, the only sound filling the room other than the occasional sparks was the sound of her heavy breathing.

But then, the silence was shattered in an instant. Yui's face contorted in agony, and her body convulsed violently as she fell to a nearby table, struggling to hold herself up. A blood curdling scream escaped her lips, echoing through the mostly silent lab. She twitches violently for a few seconds before she takes one last gasp, collapsing to the floor silent. Melody just stands stunned, looking unsure how to react to the sudden development. The suited woman hobbles over and looks as Dr. Takamatsu lay motionless on the ground.

"All this time and resources and these are the results? What a disappointment." The suit scoffs. "I'm sure Mr. Tsurumaki will be slightly upset by the thorn in his side finally kicking the bucket. Come to think of it, maybe he won't care. After all, you're just a nobody."

A faint tremor courses through her body, so subtle at first that I almost missed it.

"Sh-she's moving!" Melody exclaims. "Listen, if you give yourself up, I'll make sure you get the medical care you need. We have to..."

I tune her voice out as I watch the doctor. The tremor quickly intensifies, and her limbs began to twitch with unnatural movement. Her eyes snap open, and she begins to transform with speed that shouldn't be possible. Her fingers elongate into long claw-like appendages, and her skin morphs into a grotesque, hard and scaly texture. Her form expands, easily towering over everyone.

Finally, as everyone stands in stunned silence, she stops transforming. With a guttural roar, she seizes the suit, the sheer size of her hand easily encompassing the woman. She slams her against the ground, the sheer force of the impact creating an imprint. Then, without hesitation, she flings her at a wall, with such speed and force that the suited woman breaks right through it, disappearing into the wreckage beyond.

I can hardly process what I am seeing right now. Is this real life? Is this just fantasy?

I pinch myself to make sure that this isn't just a cruel nightmare I'm having. C'mon, Y/N, wake up. This has to be a dream. Nothing about today makes any sense. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how hard I try to wake up from this. This is real. I feel like I'm caught in a landslide, no escape from reality. Open your eyes, look up to the scene right in front of you and accept that it's real, Y/N.

I get the overwhelming urge to flee. I take a step back, and step on a shard of glass that loudly and audibly cracks.

The monster that was once Tomori's mother looks past Melody and directly at me. The monstrosity lunges in my direction. I attempt to run, but the force of her ramming the shelf sends me tumbling to the ground once more. As I lay there, I hear it... or her? I hear the monster over me and I lay there with my eyes closed expecting this to be the end.

I wonder what everyone else is doing right now. My classmates are probably finishing up their run right now. Ena is most likely still in her homeroom class next to that Kirigaya girl she seems to admire. And Tsugumi, Hina, and Moca? They're probably safe right now, back in that closet that led us to this mess.

I lay there but... death doesn't come. I slowly open my eyes, only to find the towering abomination standing over me on all fours, its gaze fixated not on me, but on the penguin Band-Aids scattered on the ground next to me. Oh yeah, I forgot I put those in my pocket and never took them out.

"To... mo... ri." It utters in a deep and raspy voice.

"Hey! Over here!" The voice of Melody resounds, snapping the monstrosity out of its gaze. I can see it get hit with a blast, before it lets out a screech and slightly stumbles. The monstrosity proceeds to charge away, smashing through the wall in the direction that Tsugumi and the others had escaped.

"No, not over there! Over here!" She shouts out before quickly rushing over to me.

"Are you alright?" She asks, offering me a hand. It's just like the moment from yesterday, except infinitely more terrifying.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I mutter, accepting it and getting onto my feet. Best not tell her about how that moment is probably going to be engraved in my mind forever.

"That's good. I'm sure neither of us want me saving you to be a recurring thing." She smiles, only for the room to slightly rumble. "I've got to go deal with her before she ends up hurting anyone. Stay put. I know our friendly thief will be back for you in just a moment. As for me, I've got a monster right under a densely populated area to stop."

She turns to go and confront the monster that was once Tomori's mother. Suddenly, I remember.

"Wait!" I call out to her, rushing over to the case where the antiserum is. "She believed the antiserum in this is capable of reversing the effects of the serum. Perhaps, if you can use it, you can bring her back to being human."

I look down at the penguin Band-Aids still littered on the ground.

"She's still in there..." I reach out the case for her to take. "I'm sure of it."

Without hesitation she accepts it and turns around.

"I'll take your word for it. I don't want anything bad happening to her or the people of this town."

Without warning, she heads out, chasing in the direction that the monstrosity headed. I was alone in what remained of the dimly lit lab.

"Worry not, I have returned for the noble prince." A voice suddenly rang out.

I slightly jump and turn around to see the Happy Phantom Thief just standing there, chilling. Now that I think about it, that's such a long and lame name. Either way, I quickly feel a wave of relief wash over me when I see her.

"Y-you're okay!" I take a deep of relief. "Does that mean Hina and the others made it out of here safely?"

"Of course, I would never dream of leaving one of my little kittens in danger." She reassures me with a warm smile, her bright ruby eyes sparkling. Looking at her this closely, I realize that I'd never noticed just how beautiful she was. I can feel my cheeks slightly blush.

No no no, this isn't the time for falling in love with some woman you've only interacted with once and imagining your whole life with them, Y/N. The thoughts are dispelled when with a graceful and almost effortless motion, she scoops me up into a bridal carry. Her strength was surprising, and I felt the thoughts return once more.

"Hold on tight." She instructs. "We shall rendezvous with the others."

With me securely held in her arms, she exits the room as hastily navigates the lab's labyrinthine corridors, the walls occasionally slightly shaking from whatever fight must be going on. Eventually, we reach the one spot in this place that is recognizable to me, it's the staircase that we first descended down to arrive in this whole mess in the first place. It makes me feel nostalgic even though that must've been only around thirty minutes ago.

Finally, I see the absolute mess of a closet and I am greeted by normalcy. Waiting there, I see Hina, Tsugumi, and Moca as the Happy Phantom Thief gently sets me down.

"You're okay!" Tsugumi rushes over and envelops me in a tight hug.

"You should've seen the look on her face." Moca chimes in. "She was so sure you were a goner~."

"I-I was not!" Tsugumi lets go with an obvious blush on her face.

"Ahaha~" Hina laughs. "All that matters is that he's in one piece, which means..."

She points her finger at me with a confident grin.

"You should join the student council."

I can feel myself grimace. Not even one minute back at school, and I've already been asked to join. After all that I've been through because of these two, I can safely say...

Joining the student council was the last thing on my mind. But, Hina and Tsugumi do seem like fun people to be around, and I did want to get involved with school activities instead of heading home everyday. Besides, if I audition for the drama club and fail, I'd have this. I mean, how bad could being in the student council really be? Hina and Tsugumi and both in a band and have time for the student council.

"Fine. I'll join." I admit. "But mostly because I want to find out what the hell Tsurumaki Tech is doing."

"You shouldn't make it known that you are aware of the existence of this." The Happy Phantom Thief finally speaks up. "The Tsurumakis have everyone in their pocket. You should have refuge in the fact that you were disguised. For the safety of you and your families, act like this day was merely a bad dream."

I become aware that I am still donning the disguise that Moca threw me earlier. The others seem to realize this as well, as I notice Hina take off her wig and lab coat. I take mine off as well.

"But... we heard-" Tsugumi starts, only to be cut off.

"You must act like you didn't eavesdrop. I know what you're feeling. Trust me, Melody and I will bring those behind this to justice." She turns her back to us, and faces the stairwell. "I'll descend back down and aid her for the time being."

With that, she descends and the wall closes.

"So... do we just head back to class?" I ask, my voice full of uncertainty.

"Yeah, I suppose so..." Tsugumi responds, her voice as uncertain as mine.

Ditching the disguises in a trash can and walk in relative silence, but the whole time my mind is racing. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to react after seeing what I've seen. Part of me wants to run as far as I can from this place. How am I supposed to act like that never happened? What did she mean Mr. Tsurumaki has everyone in his pocket?

"So..." Moca looks at us. "After all of that, Moca-chan thinks she deserves buns on the lunch menu."

"I think so too!" Hina agrees before turning to Tsugumi. "Tsugu-chan, how would we do that?"

I'm wondering how they seem so unaffected by what we just witnessed. Are they just putting up a facade right now? Now that I think about it, I still have no clue what either of them were up to. Besides, none of them saw what happened after they left. But still, being threatened the way we were, that's got to leave lasting effects.

"Why don't we discuss that during our first meeting?" Tsugumi suggests. "As for now... we should get back to class."

Part of me dreads getting back to class. I can already imagine how furious the coach will be once he sees us. I hope I don't regret putting my faith in Tsugumi to cover for us.

"That's boring." Hina replies. "Hopefully the process doesn't involve any paperwork."

I still really don't think that Hina knows exactly what responsibilities being the student council president ensues. But with that, we finally part from Hina and start to make our way back to the track field. I already feel mentally and psychically exhausted, but I hope that somehow, classes will take my mind off of what just happened.

-AKO'S POV-

Just less than a week ago, the students of class 1-A were lazing away at home. Now, they're barely managing to stay awake during the teacher's math lecture on the unit circle. The only thing caught their attention was a subtle tremor they had felt earlier, which they attributed to a minor earthquake.

"Alright, here's the frickin homework covering today's frickin lesson. Use page seventy-eight. I'll give you the last ten frickin minutes of class to work with your frickin peers. So, you all better make good use of your frickin time."

The teacher retreats to his desk and pulls out a math book with a very poorly concealed hentai magazine stuffed inside of it.

The room fills with the sounds of unenergetic voices of students and seats sliding against the floor as everyone went to work with their respective friend groups. Among them were two students who had found themselves friends of a certain purple-haired chuunibyou.

"What's with that look on your face, Asuka?" A blue-haired girl with emerald green eyes asks her friend

"I'm just wondering where Ako is, Rokka." Asuka wonders out loud. "She's been gone for like half of the period."

As if answering her question, the door to the classroom slams open, and an excited Ako bursts into the room. She rushes over to her friends.

"I just saw the coolest thing ever!" Ako shouts out excitedly, causing the entire class to turn their heads to here. "You won't believe what the student council is doing!"

"Ako! Keep your frickin voice down!" The teacher shouts. "Your peers are trying to get their frickin work done here!"

"Sorry, teacher." Ako sheepishly responds as she sits down next to her friends.

"What was it that you saw?" Rokka questions.

"I was heading to the bathroom and passed by the closet with all of the cleaning supplies. It was open and when I peeked inside, I saw Tsugumi, Hina, and Moca with some student I've never seen going in some sort of secret passage. They must have seen me, because the door shut with a bang! The student council must have a secret lair beneath the school, so I tried to look for it."

"And did you find this supposed lair?" A skeptical Asuka questions.

"Not yet. That's why you guys are going to help me." Ako excitedly stands back up. "C'mon, let's go."

"Now? Shouldn't we be focusing on our math homework?" Rokka questions.

"Rokka is right." Asuka adds. "What matters most is using these last minutes wisely so we have less homework to do at home."

"Mou~! C'mon! What if we can prove that the student council is doing dark rituals below the school?"

"There's no way that-" The chatter is interrupted by a deafening crash as the windows shatter. A figure flies through the window, slamming into the classroom wall before landing on the floor. All attention is drawn to the unmistakable figure of Melody getting off the ground. She lies on the floor for a moment drenched in a liquid seeping from a case that flew in the room with her and burst open on impact.

"Nice classroom you've got here." She coughs as she gets back on her feet. Casting her eyes down at the damaged case, she notices that all of the vials have been shattered. Her expression freezes momentarily, realizing that the solution she had hoped for was now beyond reach.

"Sorry about the mess." She says, walking over to the class windows. "I was just having a minor disagreement with someone. Toodles!"

With that, she leaps out of the room and fired a blast below her, propelling herself away. A monstrous, guttural roar echoed, drawing the attention of the entire class. They all gather around the shattered windows, only to witness a colossal, green, scaly abomination approaching the school from beyond the gate.

"See? I told you." Ako nudges Asuka excitedly. "This is definitely the result of dark rituals below the school! I need to take a photo of this! This is so cool!"

"Get away from the window!" Asuka grabs Ako's hand, panic in her voice, and pulls her away. "We've got to get out of here!"

"Wah! But I need a photo! I want to make this my wallpaper!"

As the students hurriedly flee to the hallway, the student council president, who had no intention of returning to first period, took notice of the terrified students pouring into the corridor. Among them, she spotted Ako.

"Hey, Ako." Hina skips alongside Ako as she was pulled by Asuka. "What's with all the commotion?"

"The coolest thing just happened!" Ako replies with enthusiasm.

"More like the most scariest thing I've ever seen in my life!" Asuka chimes in. "Melody just flew through the window. She must've been thrown by this weird monster that's heading straight for the school!"

"Yeah! And she had these weird vials that all broke! It must be a dark elixir or something like that! We've got to go back and collect some!"

"'Maybe if the school is still standing after this!"

"A dark elixir? I wonder what that could be." Hina wonders to herself. "I didn't see her with any earlier... maybe the others know."

-Y/N's POV-

There it is: our gym class. The place where boys are seperated from the men and where people with herculean physiques are able to show off their sculpted bodies and infinite stamina.

My thoughts about the recent events were quickly replaced by thoughts about how much I dread this school's gym class. The class appeared to be finishing their run and transitioning into stretching exercises. In the distance, we spotted Tomoe, Ran, and Himari all standing next to each other. Tomoe seemed unfazed, while Himari and Ran were drenched in sweat with their hands on their knees.

"Soiya! I think that was a new record for me!" Tomoe grins victoriously. "Where did Tsugumi and Moca go? I haven't seen them in a while."

"That's what I'm wondering." Ran replies.

"I saw Y/N go with Hina somewhere. Mou~! They all ditched class and didn't invite us." Himari adds.

This looks like a good time to casually drop in. None of them have seemed to notice use approaching them.

"Sorry to make Ran-chan feel left out~." Moca chimes in as we approach them. "How about I give you a nice pat on the head as an apology~?"

They all turn to us with different expressions in their eyes. Himari looks betrayed, Ran looks annoyed, and Tomoe looked like she just had a great time.

"Nope, I didn't feel left out at all." Ran while giving Moca a disapproving look.  "You might want to look out. The coach seems like he's out for blood."

"Mou~! How could you leave us like that?" Himari pouts. "I couldn't finish the eight laps and got assigned extra as punishment!"

I'm starting to wonder how this school's gym teacher hasn't been fired. This just seems too extreme for high school students. I mean, we're not athletes.

"Did you guys invite Hina to gym class or what?" Tomoe points to the teal-haired student council president playfully skipping over to the school's track. She covers ground surprisingly fast and approaches our group.

"I have a question." Hina asks all while having a smile on her face. "Were those vials Melody had important at all?"

I wonder how she knows about the antiserum vials with her not being present. Whatever the reason is, I don't have a good feeling.

"Yeah. Wait, how do you know about the vials?" I ask.

"She was thrown through a class window and all of the vials were smashed. I wish I was there to see it. That would've been so zappin to see."

I chill goes down my spin. If she's up here and clearly in a fight, then that means...

"What the heck is that?!" A student shouts out and all heads turn to the monstrosity that Dr. Takamatsu had turned into right in front of the school's gate, only to be turned around by something, and letting out another roar.

"Screw stretching! I'm out of here!" Another student shouts, as they run away. They're soon followed by other students deciding to flee the field as well.

"Another excuse to run? Soiya! Let's go, Himari." Tomoe says, not really seeming concerned. "I'll show you the proper running technique!"

My ears are assaulted by the coach shouting at students who are deciding to get away from here, rather than stay and stretch when mortal danger is right outside the school and threatening to enter the campus if a certain superhero can't stop it.

"Just a minute ago all you jelly-legged pansies were crying about how you could no longer run, yet the moment a life threatening event happens, suddenly you all have stamina!" He shouts.

I quickly feel the pocket that I had put the antiserum that I had found on the floor. If all of those antiserums are gone, then this might be the last one. The only way for her to revert back to being human might be...

"I've got to go!" I stand up and start running.

I can hear Tsugumi and Ran shouting at me telling me that I'm going the wrong way. I appreciate their concern, but that's the point. The coach spots me running in the direction of the front gate.

"Y/N! There you are! You better double time it back here now or I swear I'll make sure you'll never be capable of running extra laps again!"

I think that's a threat against my life, but I'm not sure. Either way, I decide to keep running.

"Yep, I know! Gotta go! Student council stuff! Surely you understand!" I quickly reply as I rush out of the school grounds straight through the front gate.

My instincts are screaming at me not to go there, to turn back now... I can't. Tomori's face flashes in my mind. I can't let her lose her mom. I can't let anyone get hurt. I reach the front gate and don't see the fight anywhere. That is until I see a steel beam get flung from the construction sight into the middle of the street.

Looks like that's where I need to go. I take a deep breath before sprinting as fast as I can towards that place. And when I'm finally almost there, I hesitate to keep going. I find myself afraid to get closer. I close my eyes as I clutch the vial tightly in my hand and try to psych myself up. I remember why I'm doing this, despite how stupid it may seem.

"Ahaha~ What's with that look on your face?" Hina laughs, throwing a small smirk my way. She seems to do a lot of smiling, even in times like now. I don't know how this girl manages to look this excited about the current situation. I jump at the sudden appearance of Hina, who I had not heard approaching at all. Somehow she had gotten all the way to me without making a sound. Creepy.

"I've got to go in there." I respond, glancing at the vial in my hand. "I saw Dr. Takamatsu turn into that thing. I know her daughter. I can't let Tomori lose her mom. When I was back in the lab, she tried to attack me, but stopped when she saw the Band-Aids that Tomori gave me. A part of her is still in there somewhere."

"Well, if that's true, then there's no point in standing here, let's get right to the action!" She exclaims, seeming to accept everything I just said without question. Once more, she positions herself behind me, and before I can react, she starts pushing me, leaving me hurtling towards the scene of the active fight. I guess at this point it doesn't matter how strong my doubts are, if Hina is here, she will make sure this gets done.

It doesn't take long before we arrive at the construction site and see what's going on up close, and in the range of danger. Playing out right in front of us is the fight. I can see Melody launch a sonic beam right at the monster that is Dr. Takamatsu, before it swipes at her. She dodges at the last second and notices us. Now would be the best time.

"Melody!" I shout while waving the vial. "I've got one more right here!"

From behind me, a hand yanks the vial. I turn to see the Happy Phantom Thief... god, that name is still so tacky.

"I shall deliver this to Melody for you." She says with a reassuring smile. "As for you both, I would get as far from here as you can."

"Thank you, weird thief that my dad hates!" Hina waves. "Well, looks like my job here is done."

She turns back and heads back in the direction of our school, but my feet stay planted to watch the fight. The Phantom Thief rushes in. Dr. Takamatsu sees her and attempts to rush at her, only for her to slide out of the way and toss the vial to Melody. She catches it and releases a blast right below her, launching herself up into the sky, positioning herself above the monster, before unleashing a deafening boom right below her, aiming to knock it down. The force struck the creature's massive form, causing it to stumble and roar in pain. Taking advantage of this opening, she lands on its back and gets ready to inject the antiserum.

She injects the antiserum, the monster turns back into a person,  and everyone walks away happy. I go back to living my ordinary life and pretend like nothing happened that day. That's how it should've ended at that moment. But, that's not what happens.

A loud bang pierced the air. Melody loses her grip on the antiserum, and it plummets from her grasp, her own body following suit as she tumbles to the ground. The antiserum going flying through the air, and crashing to the ground. I close my eyes, expecting it to shatter into a thousand pieces like the others had, but it somehow remains miraculously  intact.

I then snap my gaze to the source of the bang. Standing there I see the suited woman shakily holding the pistol that Melody knocked out of her hand earlier being grasped in a shaky hand. She looks beaten and bruised, and she looks like she is struggling to stay standing.

"Got... you." The suit wheezes as she slightly stumbles. "Time... to end this."

She aims the gun at Melody as she attempts to get back on her feet, a bullet wound in her side being evident. I know I'm not a smart person. I've made many stupid decisions. Even today I've made stupid decisions that made us get caught. But I'm going to do what is possibly my stupidest decision I've ever made if it goes wrong... I'll have to take out the suit before she finishes off Melody.

I sprint at full speed toward the suited woman. She notices me at the last second, and turns to me, but it's too late. I tackle her to the ground and she attempts to fire, only shooting a stray shot into the air. The gun slips from her grip, clattering and sliding across the floor. The suit does not resist, it looks like she fell unconscious. It must be from the injuries. Either way, she doesn't look like much of a threat anymore.

"Melody!" I hear the Happy Phantom Thief shout out as she rushes over to where Melody is.

"It's okay." Melody tries to get onto her feet before collapsing onto the ground again. "I... always get back up."

Takamatsu swings at her, and Melody takes the full force of the assault head-on, propelling her like a ragdoll into a pile of steel beams, causing them to collapse in a cascading domino effect. With an ominous roar, the heavy beams tumble towards her, crashing down upon her, burying her beneath their weight. Dust and rubble fill the air, obscuring the scene of the impact.

Things are getting bad real quickly. There's no way that I'll be capable of running up to that monster, I'll have to pass off the antiserum to the Happy Phantom Thief. My eyes drift to where the antiserum lies. It no longer lies on the ground, but in the hands of... Tsugumi?

"Tsugumi! What are you doing here? You have to get to safety!" I shout at her.

"I couldn't just leave you here even if Hina said you'd be fine! I had to make sure you were safe!" She shouts back.

"The antiserum! Toss it to the Happy Phantom Thief! We need to finish this off!"

"Over here!" The thief waves her hands.

Tsugumi gets a determined look on her face before throwing the vial like it was a baseball in the thief's direction. She seizes the precious serum and evades a wild swing from the transformed monstrosity. With a graceful leap, she clears its path and plunges the serum into its form, prompting an agonizing wail from it. Almost immediately, it visibly begins to violently twitch and shrink, slowly reverting back to a human form.

It looks like it's finally over. I attempt to rise from the ground. However, a hand seizes me, yanking me back down. I look down in shock, meeting the gaze of the suited woman, who produced the serum from her coat pocket. A weak laugh escapes her lips as she injects the serum into my arm.

"I... win..." She faintly says before going limp, her arm falling to the ground next to her. Her breathing shallow.

I pull myself off of her and get to my feet. My view suddenly spins out of control and ends up on the ground, my body haphazardly sprawled after hitting something and stumbling over. A surge of unimaginable pain courses through me before I can even assess the damage. All my thoughts vanish as I curl up, my whole every part of my being feeling as though it's engulfed in searing flames.

"Are you okay? That looked like a really bad fall." Tsugumi's concerned voice reaches my ears, yet it, along with the world around me, feels distant, as though I'm somewhere far removed from reality.

"Something's wrong with him!" Tsugumi shouts. "We have to get him to-"

Her voice and all of the sounds encompassing the area around me gradually fade, slowly being replaced by a deafening ringing in my ears. By now I'm unable to move my head, and I realize I'm now immobilized. My gaze shifts upwards and I see Tsugumi frantically speaking and trying to pick me up, but I cannot hear anything. I realize I can't feel my fingers any more, nor my feet. It feels like my entire body has shut down.

With one last effort, I turn my head to where Melody was. I can feel my vision dimming as I try to move my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing emerges from my mouth despite my best efforts. I want them to get as far away from me as they possibly can. Slowly but surely, my vision begins to black out the scene before me.

Summoning the last of my strength, I hardly manage to turn my head toward the debris where Melody had been. My vision dims rapidly as I struggle to my mouth, attempting to say something, anything, but nothing emerges from my mouth. I want them to get as far from me as they possibly can. Gradually, an inky veil of darkness starts to black out the scene before me as my vision fades.

So... this is how it ends. Turning into something unrecognizable that will be put down. There's still so much that I wanted to do, dreams left unfulfilled. I wont get that normal high school life I wanted. But with the last of my strength, there is one thing I can attempt to do. I have to protect Tsugumi, to ensure that a sweet person like her wouldn't get put in mortal danger because of me.

"G-go..." I wheeze.

That last word extinguish the last of my energy. The world falls into a deep, inescapable darkness as every muscle in my body shuts down. I realize that this is a fitting end to a truly, truly bad day.