Aetheral Space

As the train rushed through the countryside, Ruth looked out the window.

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She’d expected a farming planet to be covered in orderly rows of crops, as far as the eye could see, but the reality was a little different. Most of the land seemed wild and unkempt, overgrown with trees and weeds, the railway cutting through it like a blade. The only exception to the mess were the farms themselves. They dotted the landscape, completely covered by massive bone-white domes. It was like gargantuan bubbles were protruding from the ground all around them, concealing the farms from view.

"Ruth?" prompted Bruno. "You still with us?"

She nodded. "I’m listening. Still don’t get why we’ve come here to steal from the Supremacy, though."

"Unless we’re after the crops," Rex chipped in. He was sitting next to Ruth, his arms crossed as he looked over the table.

The trains on Granrue weren’t exactly built for luxury -- they were cramped and slow, and so the entire team found themselves stuffed into a single compartment. Roman lingered outside the door like a bouncer, so at least he wasn’t taking up space, but Alice, Ellis, Rex and Ruth were all squeezed onto one side of the table.

For some reason, nobody seemed willing to sit next to Bruno. Maybe it was the insane plan he was in the midst of explaining.

"As we are now," he said. "Stealing from the Supremacy would be suicide."

"It wasn’t suicide before," Ruth said.

"It was suicide before," Bruno replied. "But we just always got lucky. But I’d rather not rely on luck unless I have to -- which is why we’re here."

"In the ass-end of nowhere," Alice muttered.

Indeed, Granrue wasn’t exactly the center of galactic civilization. As farming worlds went, it was far beyond tertiary -- and the last time a Supremacy official besides the Minister had visited was surely decades ago. Calling it the ass-end of nowhere was actually pretty generous, since the ass was still part of the body.

"Actually…" Bruno said, settling into his seat. "I did some jobs for the Provvidenza recently."

The atmosphere in the small compartment thickened, and the people sitting across from Bruno grew even more tense. Mercenaries and bounty hunters were all part of the same criminal industry, of course… so there was no doubt they’d dealt with the Provvidenza family before, or at least heard of them. If only they’d heard good things.

After the collapse of the Oliphant Clan, a massive power vacuum had been left in the criminal underworld. Organizations like the Crimson Carnival and Paradise Lost had quickly snatched up the hired guns sphere, but the Provvidenza now strove to replace the Oliphants as the general face of organized crime. Given their propensity for violence, and their frankly unhinged levels of recruitment, the Provvidenza had managed to make quite the name for themselves in the last two years.

"While I was on board with them, I had the opportunity to check out some of their files." Bruno leaned over the table, lowering his voice as if his former clients would hear him if he spoke too loudly. "They’ve got a scraping station here on Granrue."

Ellis’ eyes flicked up from his game -- only for a moment, but enough to show that he was listening.

"A scraping station?" he mumbled. "What’s that?"

Rex turned his head to look at the boy, a cartoon smiley face appearing on his visor as he spoke. "Information is worth its weight in gold to the right people -- and the Provvidenza know that. A scraping station latches on to Supremacy transmissions, ’scrapes’ off valuable information, records it… and then they sell it off to the highest bidder."

"Let’s face it," Bruno said, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. "For information like this? We’re not gonna be the highest bidder. They’ve got this old farm -- had to be abandoned by the previous owners because of blight, so they got it cheap. They’ve converted the whole place into a scraping station. Real scary security." He grinned. "But not that scary."

"So we’re not stealing from the Supremacy," Ruth nodded. "We’re stealing from the people who are stealing from the Supremacy."

She had to admit… she’d heard worse plans. But not many.

Most of the people who made up the Provvidenza were, to put it simply, trash. Common goons who’d taken the family name for slivers of reputation and bragging rights. The names of members who could be considered real threats could be noted down on a single sheet of paper.

Unfortunately… three of those names were at the scraping station. The ones they called the Black Sheep. Bruno and Serena knew them by reputation if nothing else.

Ordinarily, the Provvidenza would promote and reward those members who earned themselves a reputation for violence. The family was hungry for notoriety, after all, no matter how they found it. But there were certain kinds of violence the Provvidenza preferred for their advertisement. The sort of violence that didn’t provoke a response they couldn’t handle.

It had happened around six months ago. By some unlucky coincidence, the Black Sheep had run into a group of Special Officers in a bar on Turnaz. The Officers -- six in all -- had been on their way back from a mission. Bruno didn’t know the exact details, but obviously there’d been some kind of disagreement.

A disagreement which had ended with the six Special Officers dead.

Making the Supremacy’s Special Officers look like helpless victims, especially after the fiasco of the Elysian Fields Incident? That was the kind of violence that provoked an unholy response. Small wonder the trio had come to be known as the Black Sheep of the family. Small wonder they’d been sent out here to what didn’t even qualify as the ass-end of nowhere.

Lucius Victri Provvidenza, Eros Matanae Provvidenza and Annatrice del Sed Provvidenza.

Not a del Sed that Bruno or Serena were familiar with, but the name itself was enough to make them wary. Anyone who’d managed to survive and graduate from the Sed was some kind of monster. For that reason, they’d warned the others to be wary of Annatrice most of all.

The plan itself was simple. Three breaching points, with their forces split between them. Most of the Provvidenza’s foot soldiers didn’t even have Aether, so they wouldn’t pose much of a threat.

Ruth and Rex would blast in from the top of the dome and descend to the receiver tower.

Bruno and Serena would breach the loading bay and fight their way in from there.

And this Alice, whose abilities Bruno still didn’t know? She’d be going in from underground, using a disused drainage tunnel. Bruno would have been wary of sending someone in without any backup at all -- the Ellis kid didn’t have Aether, apparently -- but Ruth hadn’t even blinked when he’d first proposed it. Seemed this Alice☆Alice wasn’t someone to be worried about.

The clock passed the hour and -- in the darkness behind a parked truck -- Bruno brought his communicator to his mouth.

"Go," he whispered.

The explosions followed soon after that.

Alice’s boots splashed against the dirty water beneath as she made her way through the dank drainage tunnel. Oh, this was gross. How had she ended up drawing the short straw like this? Someone at some stage must surely have cheated her.

At least Ellis’ drone was following Rex and Ruth, and not her. That was something. This kind of environment wasn’t the kind that Alice☆Alice should be presented in. She was an innocent heroine that fought for justice and the dreams of children -- not for the right to march through sewage.

She glanced up towards the moss-ridden ceiling as she felt a rumble from far above. It seemed the boss lady had made her grand entrance. Alice briefly fantasized about how Alice☆Alice would look, descending from the top of the dome in all her cuteness, but some dreams would remain dreams forever.

Alice shook her head. Alice☆Alice or not, she had a job to do.

Ellis’ drone had the equipment needed to actually extract the data they needed for the records -- so Alice, Bruno and Serena weren’t actually meant to head for the main receiver tower. Their job was to provide a distraction, draw the Black Sheep away from it, and keep them occupied for long enough that Ellis could get what they needed.

A distraction, huh? Well… it seemed like she’d managed that, at least.

A footstep splashing the water.

In an instant, Alice pulled her plasma pistol free of its holster, pointing it forward into the dark maw of the tunnel beyond. Her hands did not shake. Her gaze did not waver. She simply remained still but ready, like a turret, something that would automatically dispatch its target.

"Show yourself," she said calmly.

For a moment, the other party feigned non-existence -- but soon enough, they stepped out of the dark, hands raised in surrender. A young man with handsome features and curly pink hair, Cogitant-blue eyes twinkled in what little light the tunnel possessed.

"Wow," he said, voice light and breathy. "You really noticed me right away, huh? You sure must train a lot."

Alice recognised him from the files she’d been shown: Eros Matanae Provvidenza, one of the Black Sheep. He was wearing the distinctive ’uniform’ of the crime family: a fedora and trenchcoat, each stark white with gold lining. He seemed utterly unsuited to what was basically a sewer… but then again, so was Alice.

"Oh wow," Eros kept on talking as Alice pointed her gun at him. "You have pink hair too! Can that even be a coincidence? We could be siblings… or maybe even lovers? Enchanté."

"Ew."

"Sorry, sorry!" he laughed casually. "That came out a little creepy, didn’t it? I didn’t mean it to sound that way, but you certainly have the right to take my comments any way you like. I wouldn’t dream of telling you how to feel about things like that. Oh, I’m talking too much, aren’t I? Ah, so embarrassing…"

He took a step forward -- and Alice fired at the ground before him, narrowly missing his foot. Eros blinked down at the smoking hole in the ground, surprised for the first time, his mouth a perfect ’o’. The surprise lasted just a moment, though, and soon enough that dreamy grin returned to his face.

"Nothing funny, buddy," Alice said. "No reason you need to get shot here. Put your hands on your head."

"Boy, am I lucky, though," Eros giggled, his posture remaining utterly relaxed despite Alice’s instructions. "The target I decided to go after at random turned out to be such a beautiful lady. I can’t tell if it’s a blessing or a curse!"

"Definitely a blessing," Alice smirked. "But flattery will get you nowhere, pal."

Should she shoot him? Ordinarily, she’d have planted a shot right into his forehead already… but something about this situation didn’t seem right. Given these guys’ reputation, there was no way she should have seen him coming so easily. Was attacking him the trigger to his ability? Was he baiting her?

"No, I’m afraid you might be wrong…" Eros sighed, looking sullenly down at the ground. "Not that I want you to feel bad about being wrong, but it’s just that I have this thing, and I feel like I have to make it clear to you… ah, how to say it, how to say it without seeming creepy… it’s just…"

Alice’s finger began to curl against the trigger. Bait or not, it was certainly getting hard to resist the urge to shoot this guy. Even if it was a trap, the sheer satisfaction might just make it worth it.

"Out with it," Alice snapped.

Even if she didn’t end up taking this guy out, that was fine too. The longer he stayed here in this stalemate with her, the longer he wasn’t at the receiver tower. It fit with the plan.

"It’s just…" he sighed again, twiddling his index fingers together. "Ah, it’s just… whenever I see a beautiful lady…"

Suddenly, his arms dropped limp to his side. His eyelids fell heavy over his eyes. His grin widened, just a tad, just enough to cross the boundary between friendliness and hunger.

"...I can’t help but kill them." His voice was heavy, shuddering… anticipating.

It’s coming.

Growing up on the streets of a slum, Alice had quickly learnt how to recognise the signs of incoming violence. It had been a vital survival skill among those who would readily murder you -- some for your belongings, others for the fun of it. By this point, it was something of a sixth sense for her.

This man was going to try and kill her, just as he said. She was certain of it. In the next few seconds.

A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead.

"I see," she said, voice steady, watching for the attack that was sure to come. "That’s quite the complex you have there."

"Oh, you mustn’t misunderstand me," Eros said, arms swaying as he waved his hands. "Please don’t misunderstand me. It’s not that I have a thing against women. No, no, not at all. Don’t get it wrong. I have the greatest respect for the fairer sex. The utmost admiration… it’s just… it’s like how you have to close your eyes rather than look directly at the sun. You’re far too dazzling for my eyes. I have to remove you from my sight. In that way, it’s an act of self-defense on my part. I know that’s no excuse, of course, but I just wanted to make sure you had a full understanding of --"

Fuck it. Bait or not, she couldn’t listen to this crap any longer. Alice pulled the trigger.

Bang.

As the plasma shot sliced through the air towards Eros, he leapt up -- and, with a flash of dazzling pink Aether, feathered wings burst out of his shoulder blades. Those wings were the same pink shade as his Aether, and a single flap sent him soaring up towards the ceiling of the tunnel, dodging Alice’s second and third shots.

Eros looked down at Alice with his glittering blue gaze, his pink wings holding him aloft.

"That’s so strange," he said wonderingly, narrowing his eyes. "I just don’t know if I get it, sweetheart. I’m certain you’re an Aether-user, but all you’ve been doing is firing that gun at me. Oh! Could it be you’re trying to bait out my abilities? That would be such a coincidence! If that’s the case…" he jerked a thumb towards the wings behind him. "...then we’re birds of a feather!"

Bad puns aside, the creep was dead on the money. The fact that he’d dodged meant that he didn’t have the counter ability Alice had been worried about, but that didn’t mean she could attack carelessly. Best to hold back and see what he was capable of first.

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"What’s wrong, cutie?" Eros asked sweetly, cocking his head as his wings carried him back and forth across the ceiling. "I miss your voice. It was like an angel. All ladies are angels, of course, but even by that metric your voice was truly pleasant. You’re not like other girls at all -- you seem a little more, oh, what’s the word…? Genuine! That’s it! Not that I’m trying to say other girls are fake, but…"

To hell with it. With all the speed and precision she could muster, Alice fired off another volley of shots -- this time aiming directly for Eros’ wings. The mobility difference was going to be a problem if she didn’t do something about it.

Even if the attack missed, Eros’ response to it would be enlightening.

Right as Alice fired, Eros swooped down, weaving through her shots and getting right into her face. The light of his Aether coalesced in his hands, forming a regal pink bow -- and without hesitation, he pulled the string back, the shining arrow aimed directly for Alice’s throat.

"Star Train," he purred.

At this range, with this time, Alice ordinarily wouldn’t have time to dodge. She abandoned that notion immediately. Instead, she pointed her pistol directly off to the side.

Restructure.

As she pulled the trigger, another plasma shot -- far more explosive than the previous -- burst out of her pistol, the momentum sending her flying out of the path of Eros’ arrow. The projectile -- Star Train, he’d called it -- screeched like its namesake as it sailed off down the tunnel, pink light fading into the distance.

Alice landed, transitioning into a roll as she pointed her gun at Eros once again. Far down the tunnel, she heard the boom of an explosion. Whatever Star Train had hit had surely been obliterated, judging from that noise. Good to know: it wasn’t an attack she could afford to be hit by.

Eros wasn’t done, though. Without hesitation, he swung his bow around to Alice’s new position and -- ducking under another pair of shots -- fired his arrow once again.

Another Star Train. What had worked once would work again. Alice fired her explosive shot, sending herself flying off out of Eros’ range once more. It was only when she saw the smirk on the Cogitant’s lips that she realized that had been a mistake.

"Baby Cruising Love," he said.

Immediately, the arrow he’d fired popped into countless tiny duplicates -- like shotgun pellets -- and they turned in the air to follow Alice’s new trajectory. A homing scattershot. Alice wouldn’t land in time to dodge them.

Restructure.

Still sailing through the air, Alice pointed her pistol towards the incoming arrows -- and when she pulled the trigger, a cone of flame belched forth, incinerating the projectiles before they could reach her. Saved, she landed feet-first on the ground, kicking up filthy water as she slid backwards.

"Oh wow," Eros commented, fluttering over the ground. "Oh, that’s really so interesting. I could’ve sworn that was a standard MaTec TD9 pistol you’re holding, but yet you’re using things like explosive shots and even a flamethrower… did you perhaps modify it? Oh, but there’s no signs of tampering on the exterior casing. It’s good as new. How strange, how strange… oh, could it be?"

With frightening speed, he moved, lunging right at Alice. She fired the flamethrower again, but he kicked off the ground, launching himself up and over her while the flames poured forth.

"Your ability," he said, landing behind her with a splash. "Is to restructure the inside of an object and change its function. Am I right?"

Damnit. He’s right on the money.

Alice swung around, already restructuring the inside of the plasma pistol once more, but Eros was already coming for her again. He’d discarded the bow, instead holding just the shining arrow in one hand like it was a dagger. His eyes wide and wild, he thrust it towards her chest.

"Sweet Refrain," Eros whispered -- and, mid-thrust, the arrow extended itself into a spear of pink light.

No time to Restructure the gun and fire an explosive shot. Alice moved as much as she could in the instant afforded to her, and so the spear impaled her through the shoulder rather than the heart. Hot agony pulsed through her as he pinned her to the tunnel wall, but that was fine. She’d accepted that already. So long as she’d managed to bring this guy in close, she could accept the pain.

The arm that had been impaled was no good -- but with the other she lashed out. The move was good, and he didn’t see it coming. Before he could retreat, she’d seized Eros by the throat and began to squeeze, bones creaking under her grip. He went to pull the spear free to fend her off, but Alice tensed her skewered shoulder further, holding the weapon in place.

He kicked at the air in vain as she raised him up, his pupils shuddering, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish as he choked. Their Aether, twin shades of pink, warred in the grim darkness of the drainage tunnel.

She had him. She had him. She’d kill him. She’d take this little creep’s spindly neck and -- and her grip loosened.

The strength had suddenly drained from her fingers. Eros glanced down at her, his eyes twinkling, the choking sounds he’d been making slowly transforming into a low and sinister giggle. The hand that had been holding Eros up like a vice became limp and impotent, slipping down his collar and swaying uselessly in the air.

"Oh," he said, his voice filled with mock-surprise. "Could it be you fell for me?"

Alice glared at him, willing her body to keep fighting -- but something was wrong. The tension in her shoulder slackened away to nothing, and the spear slid free of the bloody wound. It felt like… like there was something in her body, something crawling along the surface of her throat, drawing blood, making it difficult to breathe. Something sharp.

Eros’ wings appeared once more -- and as Alice collapsed forwards onto the floor, he leapt backwards, keeping himself at a distance.

"You thought you’d drawn out my abilities, didn’t you?" he purred. "I can understand why you’d think that. It’s a natural conclusion to make, after the exchange we just had. But these arrows are really just light shows, sweetheart. Something to distract you. My real ability is invisible… and odorless."

Alice drew in a harsh, struggling breath. "Poison…" she hissed through burning lips, her face half-submerged in the sewer water as she lay on the floor.

Eros threw his arms out. "Perfume," he declared. "That is the name of my ability. I’d already completed my attack before our little lover’s spat began. Sorry, darling, but I’m afraid I tricked you."

"Bastard… I’ll kill you…" Alice growled. She pushed her body to power through the poison, planted her hands against the filthy ground to force herself up -- but another sudden burst of pain sent her sprawling back down to the ground.

That infuriating giggle of Eros’ echoed up and down the tunnel, along with the beats of his wings. He was still keeping his distance, sticking near the opposite wall, taking into account the possibility she still had a way to attack him. Somehow, the fact that he was so damn good at this made him even more annoying.

"By the way," he said, smiling. "I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but Perfume requires a certain trigger before it can activate: hostility. The more hostility you feel towards me, the more potent the poison becomes. Perhaps you took my words too much to heart?"

"So…" Alice seethed, glaring up at him with a filth-stained face. "Everything you’ve been doing… and saying… an act just to piss me off?"

Eros cocked his head, a deep frown on his face as if he didn’t understand what she’d just said in the slightest.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "I think you might have the wrong idea. I’m actually a very genuine person, for all the good it does me…" Eros shrugged as he sighed despondently. "Whenever I get talking to anyone, they just die all on their own."

Well, at least he was smart enough to make use of how unbearable he was. But seriously? Goddamn it. This was such a pain… such an unbearable pain… Alice squeezed her eyes shut -- both out of frustration and to stop the water stinging them -- and grit her teeth.

"I really…" she muttered. "...didn’t want… to…"

"If you’re trying to lure me in to finish you off," Eros said casually -- no, mockingly. "Don’t bother. I’m perfectly happy to watch you die from here. A lady should perish with more dignity, anyway. Consider your memory. After all --"

A thunderbolt of pink Aether flashed through the tunnel, cutting Eros off as he retreated back further, planting himself against the wall. The source of the energy was the girl that should have been dying on the ground. Slowly, as if invisible fingers were pinching at her back, she floated up into the air, her arms and legs dangling below her.

Those eyes opened again -- and now they were blazing with pink light.

"I didn’t want to use this here…" Alice finished. "It doesn’t fit the genre at all..."

With feral speed, Eros aimed his bow at her, a new arrow already appearing ready to fire. "What are you --"

"Magical Miracle Girl Alice☆Alice."

Light devoured the tunnel, and Eros was forced to bring his arms up or else be blinded. He tried to bring his wings to bear, to retreat further down the tunnel and away from the wall -- but the wind was far too immense. Blasts of air pressure were bursting forth from the pink aurora of Aether before him, growing faster and faster, like a heartbeat slowly rousing itself back to life. What… what was this?!

And there were sounds.

Tearing fabric.

Joyful music.

Burning meat.

Popping bubbles.

Snapping bones.

Twinkling stars.

With a final tremendous wave of pressure that pressed Eros’ back hard against the wall, the phenomenon ceased. He panted for breath. Those final few blasts had been so immense that he’d had no choice but to increase his infusion in order to avoid being crushed. He’d made it through, he’d made it through unscathed… so why did he feel this fear? This horrible, instinctive sensation… like someone was dragging their nails across his bones.

The pink afterglow began to clear, and he knew the source of his terror.

There, floating in the air where the lady had just been, was something that was not human. It was a young girl -- looked like a young girl -- a good few years younger than the woman had been, clad in a pink-and-white dress. The costume cascaded downwards with frills like a wedding cake, oversized white buttons forming a vertical line down the center. Her skin was a stark white -- like porcelain -- and her pink hair and eyelashes glowed intensely, drowning the tunnel in toxic light. At the bottom of the dress, no legs emerged -- just two black tapered points like those of an insect, hovering just over the ground.

It looked human, certainly, but in the same empty way a scarecrow did. It was like something had crawled out of one of those old children’s videographs and into the real world. A doll, or perhaps a taxidermied corpse.

That thing looked at him with blank white eyes.

"What?" Eros chuckled, floating hesitantly across from her, slowly moving to the left -- to put even more distance between them. "You think you’ve changed anything by taking this form? I admire your optimism, sweetheart, it becomes you, but --"

The girl pointed her arm towards him -- and now, for the first time, Eros saw that she was holding something. A scepter. The staff was white, segmented and curved like an albino centipede, and at the top of the implement rested a glowing pink sphere. An Aether Armament?

Even if it was, that didn’t mean --

"Miracle..."

The girl’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper -- yet her tones were as unnaturally smooth as the rest of her. Like an autotuned song. Utterly without sentiment. Not that he had time to consider that.

"...Pop."

Eros was slammed into the wall again, and this time he couldn’t avoid being crushed. He felt one arm crunch as it took the brunt of the blow -- and when the impact forced his mouth open, a spurt of blood came flying out. The taste of metal lingered in his mouth. What had happened? What the hell was that?!

It was as if he’d been punched by an immense invisible fist. The girl hadn’t even moved. There was no way she could move! Painfully, his teeth chattering with fury, Eros pulled himself out of the wall, chunks of debris falling around him. He looked up at the girl with bloodshot eyes.

"My Perfume’s still affecting you," he hissed, nostrils flaring. "I can feel it inside you. Just because you got a little stronger doesn’t mean it’s not still killing you."

The girl just stared at him. Until she opened her mouth to reply, he wasn’t even sure she’d heard him.

"The great heroine of justice Alice☆Alice cannot be affected by an evil power like that," she said emotionlessly. "It was naive of you to think so, wicked servant."

Eros furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I see you do not understand. Then I shall explain," she kept going like a robot. "Miss Pirouette’s Aether ability of justice is called ’Restructure’. As you surmised, it gives her the ability to alter the interior of objects in order to change their function."

Eros wiped some of the blood from his nose with the back of his good hand. This was good. Whatever this ability was, it could only do so much against his. If he could just keep her talking, Perfume would eventually catch up and incapacitate her again.

"So what?" he muttered.

"Miss Pirouette has used Restructure on herself," the girl declared -- and, for the first time, she blinked those empty eyes. "From now until the ability deactivates, her body is restructured utterly. It is nothing but a pure conduit for the generation of Aether." She cocked her head, the movement jerky, like a puppet in the hands of an amateur. "Your evil power targets the respiratory system, doesn’t it? That respiratory system no longer exists. As I said… the forces of darkness cannot hope to stand against Alice☆Alice, the friend to all children. Your attacks will no longer affect me. The explanation is at an end. Miracle Pop."

Before Eros could so much as register that she was done, he was struck by another invisible blow -- his body sent flying down the tunnel, end over end, one leg twisted nearly one-hundred and eighty degrees. As he landed in the filthy sewer water, though, he did not scream, nor did he try to flee. No -- Eros Matanae remembered.

How dare you…

It was always like this, no matter what he did. Opening yourself up to others just meant exposing yourself to pain. To so many the human heart was nothing but a target to stab at. He knew that, he understood it… and yet he couldn’t help himself. It was the nature of a human being to seek comfort in others. Perhaps that loneliness was his undoing.

How dare you…

Each time, hope that was so quickly betrayed. It had been the same back in that bar on Turnaz. They’d been on top of the world. They’d become part of the Provvidenza family, they’d found somewhere they belonged. That Special Officer. That lady. He’d just smiled at her. He’d just nodded at her.

How dare you…

He hadn’t expected anything back. He hadn’t wanted anything back. All he’d desired was for his heart to make contact with another, if only for a moment. Was that such a sin? Two ships, crossing in the night, parting with the fond memory of their brief connection? Was that such a crime?

How dare you…

He’d been satisfied. Truly, he had. It was only when he’d gone back to his table, only when he’d glanced back around, only when he’d seen that look. It was the same look, every time. When they thought he couldn’t see them. That flash. Disdain. Disgust. As if he couldn’t see. As if he didn’t know.

How dare you…

It was only for a second, but still… far too long. Before he’d even known what was happening, his hands were already wrapped around her throat, wringing the life out of her. But that wasn’t something he felt bad about.

What else could it be called if not self-defense?

Eros reared up, shaking with fury. "How dare you?!" he screamed, gripping his heart with his hand. "I really liked you, you stuck-up bitch!"

With all the strength he had, Eros kicked himself up into the air with his good leg -- flying high, higher even than the so-called magical girl. Pink Aether crackling around his body, Eros summoned his bow once more -- but this time the Armament was much bigger, three times its original size, almost dwarfing the Cogitant as he aimed at his target. The structure of the arrow was completely forgotten. Instead, a focus of energy like a cannonball appeared on the shining bowstring, ready to be pulled taut and let loose.

"MAGIC OF LOVE!" Eros screamed.

"Miracle Melt," said the girl.

Eros reached to pull the bowstring back -- but found himself unable. It was only natural that he found himself unable, though. After all, it would be difficult to pull a string without fingers. His hands were falling apart. His knuckles were bubbling. He opened his mouth to scream, but his tongue was already pouring from his lips.

His last thoughts were nothing profound. My skin! It’s burning my --

Eros Matanae, robbed of structure, fell back down to the earth as red water, and mingled with the rest of the filth already running underfoot.

"Enchanté," whispered Miracle Magical Girl Alice☆Alice… and soon enough, the light died.