Oni swallowed hard when the last of Dev disappeared into the crowd. He stood at attention and, rather reluctantly, allowed his eyes to slide to the side and settle on Sen who eyed him in hate.

Sen looked even scarier with that new eyepatch.

There wasn't much time to consider the best course of action when several head cadets came out of the crowd and stood before Sen.

One demanded, "When can we get in?"

Sen paused in glaring at Oni long enough to look back through the glass doors at the sisters still huddled together.

He did the strangest thing. Instead of allowing everyone entry, he shrugged and said, "Sorry, Bray. My charges are still trying to figure out what the hell they're doing."

Bray's blue eyes widened. He raked his fingers through his blond, nearly white hair and growled, "What the hell are we waiting on again?"

Put face to face, Sen didn't look like much of a match for Bray. Sure, Sen had height. He was cocky as well. But Bray had muscles to spare. Oni found himself wondering if Bray was manmade at this point.

Still, Bray didn't shove Sen aside and barge in. Instead, he went on his tip toes and looked over Sen's shoulder.

"Well, what's taking them so long?"

Sen raised and dropped his shoulders again. "Way I see it, one of them can read, but not well. And another one of them thinks she can read, but she can't. And it's a constant battle."

He spoke as if they were the most fascinating things he'd ever encountered. The number of head cadets increased. Their serious scowl behind the glass of their helmets resonated enough for Sen to ease off the wall and turn to the door.

It opened and he walked in then put his hand against the wall to shut it again.

What happened next defied reasoning.

If Oni hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he'd never believe it. All seven sisters stood at attention upon seeing him. Like before with Dev, they covered for one another, refusing to indicate who was injured.

That didn't matter. Sen marched up to the shortest one and snatched the tube from her hand then approached the sister in the dead center.

Of the seven of them, she was the most unkempt—always. That was how Oni knew her.

Sen recognized her as well, perhaps. The girl stared through Sen for some time but said not a word when he pulled her right hand forward and squeezed the medicine into her palm.

That wasn't all. He walked down to the short girl again and did the same for her.

Moments later, Sen approached the door and once they opened, he bowed.

"It's all yours. My queens are finished wasting everybody's time."

He was teasing but even Oni felt uncomfortable with just how red each seven face was.

Within minutes, the req room was packed. Half of them would go today, the men, and the women the following day.

Sen made his way up the steps after everyone was seated. He paused halfway and looked back when Dev's seven-woman crew didn't follow.

Oni understood why they remained at the doorway, but Sen was certainly unfamiliar with Vagrant customs. The girls weren't going to move, not for anything.

Within seconds, Sen realized that as well because he marched back down.

He reached Oni and ordered, "Go sit down," as he walked by. "And make sure it's not in the wrong area."

Oni, eager to be away from all of them, did just that. He took the furthest seat he dared, right in the center of the row. Before him, each row was packed, seating all who remained from this morning's physical evaluation. Most crews now held forty members rather than sixty.

The frequent glances back at him told him many didn't think he deserved to be there. They were probably right but he'd earn his respect today. Guaranteed.

Sen was still standing at the steps, watching the girls. He was slow to approach them, something unlike him.

Rather than the little mean-looking one, he headed for the one in the middle again and said something before nodding upwards.

Her face reddened. She stared through him. Oni considered that he should go down and explain that these girls weren't going to break protocol on an evaluation day even when it wasn't their own. They were waiting for Dev.

"What's taking so long? Are we using 'em for target practice?" a voice called.

Oni scanned the crowd to see Bray sitting smack dab in the center of the seats.

A unanimous chuckle had Sen smiling. He turned to answer but the short girl stepped out of line. The one before Sen, in the middle, took a step forward to protest but rethought her action when it took her too close to Sen's face.

The one short girl sat moments later, leaving her six sisters to look foolish.

They weren't the only ones uncomfortable. Sen had the grace to blush as he extended his hands towards the stands.

Scrutiny from others fueled the girls' ascension, Oni was sure. But he didn't dare look. He had enough sense to remember what Lotsu always said about witnessing someone's defeat.

A girl close to the steps covered her mouth and coughed as the sisters passed by. The middle girl paused and regarded her before the others dragged her on.

Whatever retaliation was to come, it would have to be later.

Sen reached the same row as Oni but didn't sit down. Oni saw why—because those girls wouldn't either.

He let out a groan and ordered, "Go the next row up and let them have this row."

That hardly seemed necessary. Still, Oni did as he was told, even moving closer to Sen when the girls refused to sit with him behind them.

Oni was curious when these fools would realize just how dangerous these seven girls truly were.

He knew, and that was enough.

The evaluation to commence was interesting to say the least. At least each cadet could choose something at which they excelled. The moment Oni spotted a gun model put on the table down on the floor which looked similar enough to one he recognized, he sat, relieved.

Part way through the evaluation, Bray made his way up to them.

The seven sisters stood at the sight of him so Sen went up to the top row, even higher than Oni's perch.

It worked—the girls sat again, quite comfortable—if not uptight.

"Got a proposition for you," Bray said, getting himself comfortable. "A life-line—"

"If it's about my wife," Sen grumbled, "the answer's still no."

Bray paused a moment then groaned. "Stop with the wife business. She's your cousin. A first cousin—"

Sen, one foot up on the empty chair before him, leaned forward with his elbow on his knee. "Still legal in three districts."

"Oh? So now it's three? Wasn't it two before?"

"Might be. And who knows, it could be four tomorrow."

Bray pleaded, "Stop with the jokes for a minute. I'm not asking for nothing but your approval to—to eat with her. To strike up a conversation without you taking offense."

Sen shook his head, feigning anger. "Takes a real piece of work to try to steal someone's cousin-wife."

"Urg." Bray gave up. Instead, he watched the evaluation below.

Oni was trying to do the same but wasn't sure why he couldn't quite manage to focus.

"Okay," Bray announced, "two life-lines."

"Nope."

"I can't give you three."

"You can offer up your very throat. I'm not letting you get anywhere near my future woman."

Oni's chest felt tight. Why did that matter so much?

His heart began pumping so hard his face burned.

"Fine," Bray said at length, "one life-line if you answer a question for me truthfully."

Sen turned his attention to the blond head cadet and waited.

"Why are you saying no?" Bray asked, facing him as well.

For a long minute, Sen's single eye studied him. Finally, Sen dropped the pretense.

"Because I don't know what your motives are."

"Well, I like—"

"Nope. You absolutely don't like her. Now, don't get me wrong, you're not the first lowlife I've had to check for staring at her too long."

Bray leaned away, insulted. "Oh, come on. Now I'm a lowlife? I don't stare."

"That's not what I mean." Sen said, "I'll be straight with you. From your reputation, your loud mouth and all those muscles that are nearly rendering you with no neck, you're all about image. You're a cadet sporting triple numbers." Sen lowered his voice. "The lowest number of triple digit male fighters. It was as far as your father can go and I know enough about mennga fathers to know you're not allowed to go home with that same triple digit. My future wife has not just one but two triple digit bands. Her own father was one of the most decorated Volunteers to date. You wanna rise up, I don't blame you for that. But not at the expense of others, least of all her."

The crowd broke out in cheer. Whatever on the floor below caused it was anyone's guess. Oni was listening too intently.

Bray's voice sounded tighter when he said, "It's no secret she's got ranking to add to the looks. And yeah, nobody bothers her because of you—"

"Because," Sen said, leaning in, "I will break every bone in the body of whoever tries."

Oni risked looking at them from the corner of his eye. Bray looked inhuman with that body so to see him shy away, hands raised in surrender meant something Oni had feared—Sen had earned his reputation and respect.

"All right," Bray offered, "let's...let's make it sporting. Let's leave it up to chance. My best cadet against yours."

He wore a fat grin and Sen turned to stare at Oni who shot to his feet.

After a long minute, Bray said, "What you say? You've been called out. Look." He yelled out a name and a cadet scurried from the crowd and hurried to them, short of breath.

"Olo, you think you can take this kid here?" Bray called to Oni, "What's your specialty?"

Under Sen's stern gaze, Oni swallowed hard and squawked out, "Shooting."

"Shooting?" Bray scoffed. "Perfect. Olo, too." He told the cadet, "You manage this and you're as safe as they come."

Olo, equally as lanky as all other recruits, had height. But unlike others, his brown hair had been cut well. Oni puzzled about that for some time.

Finally, Oni told Sen with confidence, "I can do this."

Sen folded his arms. "I don't talk to vermin."

Bray followed suit. "Then let it be known the great Senji's turning down a proper wager. And I'm not asking for much but the ability to say one thing to her each day. One."

That squeezing sensation in Oni's chest returned but he didn't know why.

"I'll even do it one-handed," Olo boasted.

Bray's smile fell. "What? Don't be—"

"Deal!" Oni answered but waited when he realized that dumb word had come from him.

Sen's single eye shifted from Bray's surprised yet happy face and settled on Oni yet again.

"All right," Sen said to Bray though his eyes stayed fixed on his cadet, "because if he messes up, it's just one more beating in wait."

Oni swallowed hard.

Bray barely cast Olo a glance as he stood and made his way down past him, whispering, "You meng this up, and you go home in a jar."

Once he returned to his previous seat, Olo remained on the steps, too frightened to rejoin them.

More than once, Oni considered sitting. He looked like a right fool standing there on those top steps. But as Olo stood, more petrified than defiant, Oni refused to look weak.

Their turn took forever to arrive and Oni scampered from the chairs, down the steps and hopped the banister much like Dev.

He landed on his rear end to much laughter, but he had to be first to that table. The gun he'd been eyeing was the right one and he sighed.

Within seconds, he had it assembled. A gasp of awe came from the crowd and Oni looked down the other end of the table to see Olo, left hand at his side, using just his right to toss up and catch each part of his weapon.

His actions were so impressive that Oni's mouth hung open.

That didn't mean anything, he reminded himself, not once he got to shooting.

Nine of them, from all the nine male crews, started on their targets. By the second round, three fell away. They'd done the adequate amount and were wise enough to not risk making a mistake.

The targets on the wall shrunk and grew distant. That didn't matter, Oni got each one despite their rapid movements. A few people cheered but Olo didn't miss a beat.

Impossible. That shouldn't have happened. Even Lotsu, their best shooter, had nothing on Oni's skill-level.

And then Oni realized the problem. He was giving all his good moves away. Tiring himself out.

Olo moved like a machine with his precision despite his target accuracy taking some blows. But because he used one hand, he garnered more and more praise.

Oni'd never tried this one-handed. There was never a need. But he'd learned this weapon in and out.

Fine. He'd bury this cocky schemg.

"Dim the lights and set all the targets loose," Oni demanded.

For the first time, Olo's boastful expression wavered. He went so far as to whisper, "Be a sport about it, hey. You've already qualified. Just let me get this."

But Olo'd qualify now, too. More than anything, Oni told himself to allow this guy to get a win.

Something in the situation wouldn't let him.

Per his request, the room adjusted. Most cadet leaders, even Bray, leaned forward, hands braced on their knees as they watched.

Oni didn't need the lights, he'd already memorized the target pattern, a fact he proved by firing on the wall without looking.

Dead silence filled the room.

A laugh came and Oni looked up into the stands to make certain he was hearing right. Sen, standing along with some of the weird sisters, started to clap.

Not to be outdone, Olo mimicked his action then took it one step further by extending the pattern.

Oni smiled because he knew he'd just won. Should Oni do the entire pattern, Olo could only copy it.

With that, Oni raised his gun, staring Olo down to do just that.

The door busted open and someone, dripping in sweat, propelled in.

Dev.

Breathing labored, Dev staggered to him and held out something.

"I made it," she declared.

Oni took the gun from her. It was the exact same model as the one he'd trained on.

"I had to literally, and I don't mean figuratively, literally dig through a pile of old ammo to get this. The sort that could probably combust at any time. It was all the way in the recycling wing."

The recycling wing was on the other side of the facility.

Something happened to Oni when she patted his shoulder and whispered, "Good luck. You're worth it, right?" then lumbered up the steps to her cousin and crew.

Even from here, she looked terrible. The moment she took off her helmet and let her usual neat bun fall to her shoulders, Oni blacked out.

Reality came back with him being asked something he couldn't hear.

"What?"

Olo gestured to the new weapon. "Which one are you using?"

It was stupid to change weapons midway. Oni knew that; both of them knew that.

But Dev watched with an eager smile and Oni marched to the weapon's table and put the newer model down.

With the gift from Dev, he returned to his previous area. His body trembled. That sickness was back. It was back and he felt hollow.

Maybe that was why he raised the weapon but didn't hear Olo's warning.

"Kid, no. The resister—"

Oni fired and the discharge shot him off the floor and directly into the wall.

All wind left him, but it was both the happiest and worst he'd ever felt.

"Sen...is going to kill me." But why couldn't he stop smiling?