"This... This... The client didn't explain things clearly last time! So, that's why I overlooked it! It doesn't have much to do with me!"
A petite girl with fluffy blonde hair and a beret stammered weak excuses. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.
"It's all the damn client's fault! In the end, I'm innocent!"
Frenda Seivelun. The explosives specialist of the team.
"You always shirk responsibility! I can't stand you!"
A younger girl with a bob cut walked over, her arms crossed coolly. She wore a light hooded sweatshirt and short denim shorts that revealed her legs.
"If you're careless again, I super won't go on missions with you anymore! You super almost threw that bomb at my feet!"
Kinuhata Saiai. The "Offense Armor" user. Her speech was peppered with the word "Super."
"This, this..." Frenda chuckled awkwardly, sweating profusely. "The situation was critical..."
"Really, Frenda."
A tall, elegant woman with long brown hair loomed over them. She radiated a dangerous aura.
"Just thinking about how your mistakes have given those clients leverage to haggle... I'm furious."
Mugino Shizuri. The #4 Level 5, Meltdowner. The leader of ITEM.
"I know I was wrong, Mugino! It won't happen again!" Frenda shrank back like a mouse meeting a cat.
"How many times have you promised this? You haven't improved at all."
Mugino stared at Frenda, one hand on her hip.
"Hehe... Hahaha..."
Frenda laughed nervously. She put a hand on her head and stuck out her tongue, trying to act cute to get out of it.
Twitch.
A large vein popped on Mugino's forehead.
STOMP!
She drove her high heel hard into Frenda's foot.
"OUCH—!!"
Frenda dropped to the ground, rolling around and clutching her foot. Tears streamed down her face.
"My poor, cute feet are all swollen! Uwaaaah!"
"Serves you right," Kinuhata said, rolling her eyes. "That was super deserved."
Ring. Ring.
Mugino's phone rang. She scoffed, flipped her hair, and answered the call.
Frenda breathed a sigh of relief on the floor. Saved by the bell.
"Huh? Again? Whatever. Who's the client this time?"
Mugino frowned slightly, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.
"The Seventh Pharmaceutical Research Center? That's not within ITEM's jurisdiction, is it?"
"We deal with spies and suppressing rebellions. Those dirty jobs usually go to that Dark Matter bastard and his group, SCHOOL."
Academy City's Dark Side was compartmentalized. Stepping on another organization's turf usually led to a purge.
"That being said... An extra bonus?"
Mugino's eyes narrowed.
"SCHOOL refused the purge operation? Heh. Even that bastard Kakine Teitoku gave up on this? Isn't that suspicious?"
She scoffed.
"Purging a Spatial Esper interfering with an experiment... Dealing with Teleporters is annoying, but it shouldn't be enough to make the #2 run away."
"Tch. The client is willing to pay three times the usual fee? What kind of experiment is this?"
On the floor, Frenda's ears perked up. She stopped crying instantly.
Three times?
Kinuhata also looked over. "You super don't know either?"
"A total of 10 Million Yen? For one target?"
"TEN MILLION?!"
Frenda shrieked, jumping up on her "swollen" foot.
"Ten million yen! Normally we split 500,000 for a spy hunt! This is huge!"
"Are you sure this mission isn't a scam?" Mugino asked the phone, keeping her cool. "Okay. I'll take the commission."
Click.
She hung up and clapped her hands.
"Alright, everyone. Cheer up. We've got a job."
"Ten million yen! This is the first time we've gotten such a big commission! If we complete it, we won't need to work for a month!" Frenda's eyes turned into yen signs.
"I'm going to buy a hundred cans of Mackerel to stock up!"
"A hundred cans... Do you super want to start a grocery store?" Kinuhata retorted.
"What exactly do we have to do?"
A sleepy-looking girl in a pink tracksuit leaned against the wall. She looked like she was about to doze off standing up.
Takitsubo Rikou. The AIM Stalker.
"Eliminate a mysterious interferer who is disrupting the Research Institute's experiments," Mugino explained, smiling predatorialy. "The target is a powerful Spatial Esper. It's suitable for us."
"Spatial Esper..." Takitsubo murmured. "There are only about a dozen high-level ones in the city. Who is it?"
"A newly promoted Level 4. They didn't specify the name yet."
"What?" Frenda complained. "A Level 4? And they're paying 10 million? That sounds fishy."
"The client will contact us later with the coordinates," Mugino waved her hand. "Don't overthink it. It's just a Level 4. Easy money."
"Let's go back to the base and wait."
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