One Week Later

"Alright, have a great day at work today!"

"You too, Mom. See you later!"

I waved goodbye to my mother as I stepped out of the house. It had been exactly one week since I became an official M-SERT captain, one week since our first mission as a team, when we stopped a bunch of sentient snacks from terrorizing the people down at Sakura-Sweets and the surrounding neighborhood.

"Hey, taxi. Shibuya Station, please."

"Sure. Hop in."

I sighed in frustration as I entered the backseat of the cab. That damn Sashi. Despite having my own police cruiser, it was practically useless to me now. My little sister had convinced Aki to drive her to school every morning. And my blonde, half-Japanese agent, ever-the-people-pleaser that she was, stood no chance against my little sister's manipulative tactics—a combination of fake smiles and puppy-dog eyes.

I arrived at the station a few minutes later. The place was in much better condition than the first time I entered. Back then, my subordinates had nearly brought the entire roof down because they saw a spider. It was a miracle I managed to show up when I did. Otherwise, I didn't want to imagine what might have happened.

"Oh! Boss! Good morning!"

As usual, Miko was the first person I saw when I entered the station. She was busy clanking away at her workshop in her Bazooka Babe t-shirt and police shorts, tinkering with her magitech weapons. When she turned and locked eyes with me, she immediately dashed to the counter and started preparing my coffee.

"Here you go, boss. One steaming cup of joe, two cubes of sugar, no honey, just as you like it." She gave a confident smirk as she held up the mug to me, knowing she had gotten my order right as always.

"Thanks," I said as I accepted the cup from her. I took a sip to calm my nerves. I hadn't been sleeping well the past couple of days. Late-night paperwork was starting to greatly affect my mood in the early hours.

"So, what are you working on today?" I asked her as I took another sip. This was how our usual morning unfolded. If I didn't ask her about it, she'd come bother me at my table later when I was working. And I didn't want that.

"Oh, nice of you to notice, boss. Behold! The MT 9,000!" she announced dramatically as she lifted the weapon over her head. "With a double mana compartment and a mini cryo chamber, this baby was designed to shoot short bursts or a steady stream of cryogenic ejectors at targets."

With her baggy shirt, blue shorts, and the pose she was striking, she looked absolutely ridiculous. But she wasn't going to hear that from me.

"So you made a freeze ray?" I asked plainly.

"Tch! Don't dumb it down like that, boss. 'Cryogenic ejectors' sounds way cooler."

"Fine, fine." I waved my hand in apology as I strolled back to my table. "Just make sure not to shoot that thing inside. And remember to crank down the power. I don't want you nearly taking out half a block again."

Aki finally arrived as I was heading towards my desk.

"Guten Morgen, Captain. A wonderful day today, ja?"

"Hey, Aki. Sorry again for all the trouble with my little sister. That girl can be a handful sometimes."

"Nein, Captain. I zon't mind at all. It's a pleasure."

Aki was still defensive about discussing what had happened to her last week during the mission. Whenever I had brought it up since then, she would always just laugh it off and change the topic. Well, I wasn't going to pry. Even though it literally was my job to do so, I wanted the girls to feel safe. However, safe didn't mean they could go unpunished for lying, deliberately withholding information, and causing collateral damage.

"Oh, before I forget, I have a little something for both of you," I announced as I walked over to my desk, coffee still in hand. I reached down to pull the gift out of my drawer. I was trying, and failing, to hide the mischievous smile slowly tugging at the corners of my lips.

"Come on, gather round, gather round, don't be shy." Aki was already standing in front of me, a curious expression plastered on her face. Miko was slightly more cautious before leaving her workshop to join us.

"What's up, boss? Got a cool gadget you wanna show us? Extra points if you make the presentation dramatic."

"Maybe he has ze present he vonts to gif us. You know, for a vell done job on our first mission last veek."

"Ooh, yeah! I totes hope so."

I just smiled and handed them both a rectangular-shaped box.

"Haa! I vos right!" Aki said, her face beaming with joy. "It vos ze present after all. But just one?" The blonde girl looked up at me expectantly.

"Yeah, sorry. I just got the one for Miko right now," I said, scratching the back of my head. "But don't worry, yours is a work in progress."

Both girls looked at me in confusion, probably wondering why I had gone for such an arrangement. But I couldn't tell them just yet.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go try it out," I said to Miko. "And she is going to need your help in the changing room." I pointed back to Aki. "Now go. Both of you."

The girls hurriedly took the boxes from me as they rushed off to inspect the contents. Seeing how excited they were almost made me feel bad for what was actually inside. Almost.

Unlike what Aki had guessed, it wasn't a present for a job well done. It was actually the opposite.

A silence lingered for several minutes while I sipped my coffee in the girls' absence. Then they returned.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Miko, now wearing a maid uniform, asked the question with an annoyed look on her face while I handed her a mop.

"Permission granted, soldier."

"With all due respect, sir, what the hell is this?"

I smiled as I leaned back and rested my hands on my waist, admiring my handiwork. As part of her punishment, Miko would regularly clean the station while dressed in a maid uniform. That was my present to her.

"Why am I dressed in this frilly crap, boss? This is not my style."

"Well, maybe next time you won't modify your weapons above regulation standards and almost destroy an entire neighborhood when we were supposed to be saving people. This is your punishment for doing that."

"Tch!"

Miko fell silent from embarrassment, and rightfully so. After the Sakura-Sweets incident, I called her in to inspect her weapons, only to discover she had modified her tools and gadgets way above regulation standards. That's why there was so much collateral during the mission, and I was stuck with a mountain of paperwork afterwards.

"But, boss, I was clearing out them enemy bros and baddies, and quickly too, so they wouldn't overpower us with sheer numbers," Miko protested.

"I admit, you did eliminate all of the enemy targets. In record time, even."

Miko allowed a dumb smirk to envelop her face at the sound of that praise. "Hm, are you saying, despite the circumstances, you liked my shooting, boss?"

"Honestly, yeah."

"Eh?!"

Miko's eyes widened in surprise as she visibly jumped back. She wasn't expecting my comment.

"You... you're sure, boss? You like my shooting? You want me around?"

"Credit where credit's due, you are an amazing shooter. And why wouldn't I want you around? You're part of my team, aren't you?"

"Wha...?"

She was still making these dumb faces as if she couldn't believe what I was saying.

"But, in order for you to continue being on the team, you will have to make some adjustments. I can't have you blowing up government property every time we go out on an assignment, so you have to learn how to shoot without causing extra collateral. In the meantime, this will be your punishment. Is that understood, officer?"

"Sir, yes, boss!"

Miko happily struck a salute while smiling. That wasn't the face I was expecting from someone undergoing an embarrassing punishment. I had done my research specifically for this. I observed that she was the kind of person who enjoyed wearing boyish clothes. So naturally, I assumed having her wear something like a maid outfit would serve as a sufficient reprimand. At least, that’s what I thought.

Aki had been busy playing with and admiring Miko's dress this whole time. It was obvious she was longing for one of her own.

"I sinc you look cute, friend Miko," she said, glancing over at the shorter girl. "Ze outfit really brings out your feminine side."

"Whatever."

Miko spun around with one foot in the air and her mop resting against her shoulder, cartoonishly whistling a tune as she walked away, presumably to begin cleaning.

"I'm just glad I'm not getting fired, that's all."

So that's why she looked so happy. I probably should have given her a harsher punishment.

"And, you." I pointed to Aki, my expression turning serious. "Come with me."

***

I stepped outside with my half-Japanese agent, intending for a one-on-one sparring session. I took off my jacket but kept the glasses. In turn, Aki took off her bomber jacket as well.

Holy cow.

She was now dressed in slim blue pants and a fitted tank top. She cracked her knuckles, her violet eyes locked on me. I forced my own gaze to stay on her face, but it was a struggle. Pretty, deadly, and—as the fitted top made clear—curvaceous in a way that was going to be very distracting.

"And is zis part of my punishment, Captain?" Aki asked, still cracking her knuckles. I was a little intimidated by her cool demeanor; she was a level-six fire elemental, after all. Even though it was just training, she could easily wipe the floor with me if she wanted to. It was a good thing I wasn't trying to punish her this way, otherwise it would have been embarrassing.

"Nope," I said, removing my wristwatch. "Miko is the only one truly being punished today, even though it appears she's enjoying herself. I just want to train with you. Hope you don't hold back."

"Are you sure, Captain?" Aki asked, hesitating. I could see she was considering pulling her punches for my sake. But this wouldn't work if she went easy on me.

"Absolutely," I said, my voice firm. "Do not pull your punches. Feel free to go all out. In fact, that's an order. If I win, I get to ask you any question I want, with the understanding you'll answer honestly. If you win, you get to do the same."

Aki hesitated slightly. It was clear she was worried about hurting me.

"Hmm."

She eventually nodded, shifting into a combat stance. I did the same.

The plan was simple. I wanted to learn more about the individual, Aki Sakai-Schmidt. Since she wasn't going to come out and tell me her secrets, I’d have to work it out of her. Win the match, then get her to tell me everything—everything she had intentionally left out of her M-SERT profile.

I initiated the first blow.

"Lightning Strike!"

I aimed a low-level spell directly toward her, and she simply stepped to the side while punching a steady stream of fire at me.

"Fire Rush!"

Holy crap, she was definitely not holding back.

I ran to the side, avoiding the flames. The steady stream of orange followed me for a bit, but was eventually cut off. As soon as I had some breathing room, I shot two more lightning strikes at her, activated a bubble shield, and began rushing her. All I needed to do was overpower her quickly, and this fight should come to an end.

But I never got close enough to test my theory.

"Dragon Breath!"

Crap.

Aki jumped into the air and shot a burst of flames from her mouth. The fire connected with my bubble shield, pushing me back on my feet. The move kept her levitating for several seconds, presenting a significant challenge as I struggled to maintain my shield. The sheer heat from the flames rushing past me was overwhelming. I couldn't hold up my protection spell much longer.

The fire stopped, and I thought the attack was over. But immediately, before she even hit the ground, Aki followed up with another move: a midair spinning fire kick, hot enough to cancel out my protection magic. This time, I was completely knocked off my feet as my shield disappeared from the impact. I was hurled back through the air.

"Vhoops! Captain! Are you alright?!"

Aki rushed over to where I lay sprawled on the ground. I was definitely seeing stars. For all my bravado as a captain, I hadn't been able to land a single punch. Granted, I already knew she was more powerful than me, but really? Not one?

"Captain, are you okay?"

Aki dropped to her knees beside me to inspect my state, and something soon eclipsed the bright morning sun. When I blinked to clear my vision, I was suddenly face-to-face with a stunningly generous view of her cleavage.

"Whoa!"

I panicked.

While trying to scramble up from underneath her, I accidentally bumped foreheads with her and we crashed back to the ground. This time, I somehow ended up on top.

She was so soft…

"Hmmmmmm!"

Aki's cheeks instantly turned beet red.

"Ah! I am so sorry."

I hurriedly began apologizing as I got off her. I didn't want to give her the wrong impression of me, I didn't want to give her a wrong impression of her captain.

"Real smooth, boss. Real smooth."

Miko, still dressed in her maid outfit, had apparently been watching from a window the entire time. I quickly tried to change the subject.

"Aren't you supposed to be cleaning?"

"I’m on a break," she replied, producing a juice box and sipping on it. In her other hand was her ice blaster. What was she even doing with that thing?

"C-captain, you're bleeding."

Aki whispered from behind me with a shaky voice, causing me to turn around. Something was wrong. She had a horrified expression on her face.

I reached a hand to the back of my neck. I felt around, and once I retrieved it, I could see there was indeed some blood on my fingers. Just a little. I must have been cut when I fell.

"Aki," I called softly. "You okay?"

In response, she slowly shook her head. She looked terrified. Gone was the confident persona from a moment ago. Was this because of me?

"Crap. I knew something like this was going to happen... Boss!" I heard the sound of Miko's ice blaster powering up, and when I turned, I was horrified to find she had already taken aim at Aki.

What the hell was happening?

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

I stepped in front of the blonde girl to shield her. She was still seated on the ground, and it looked like her own friend was about to shoot her.

"Have you gone blind?" I yelled at Miko. "Do you see who you're aiming that thing at?"

"Rats." Ignoring my question, Miko lowered her weapon and made a few adjustments to the settings before lifting it back up and aiming directly at me. She gazed through the scope with a serious expression.

"Boss, I'm gonna need you to move outta the way, stat. Our lil' lady there is about to go nuclear, and I gotta put her on ice before that happens."

Nuclear? Did she mean…?

I turned just in time to witness it for myself. Aki's eyes had turned a bright orange, and the air around her was starting to spark and crackle with flying embers. It was happening again. Just like last week at Sugar-Saboteurs. She was changing into the form she said she couldn't control.

Was this because she saw my blood? Does the sight of blood also trigger this other side of her?

"Captain, please let her shoot me. Before I lose control of zis form and attack you."

"No, Aki, there has to be a better way. I didn't like it when you asked me to knock you out with my lightning last time either. Tell me another way to help you control this. I'll do it."

Still on her knees, Aki's ponytail suddenly came undone, just as it had the last time. Strands of her hair floated upwards, and her whole body began generating waves of heat, which I felt just by standing in front of her.

"Boss?!" Miko shouted, still aiming her weapon.

"Stand down, Miko. That's an order."

"Captain, please. Let her zu zis."

I turned back to Aki, confused. I couldn't get close enough without getting burnt, and even if I could, what was I planning to do? I didn't know what this thing was. I hated that our only option to stop it was to violently knock her out.

Aki suddenly threw her head back and screamed in pain. The heat waves coming off her increased in intensity.

"Boss?! You really gotta move now and let me take the shot, before it's too late." Miko yelled, her weapon trained on us.

"Aki!" I called, forcing myself a little closer despite the waves of energy pushing me back. "Promise me. Promise me you'll tell me everything, so we can find a better way to help you."

With her head still thrown back in agony, Aki managed a nod. Thank God. I still didn't like this, but we had no other choice. I jumped out of the way, and Miko immediately took advantage, firing four concussive blasts from her freeze ray at her friend.

Aki fell back on the ground, frozen, wrapped in a thick layer of ice. Soon after, Miko waddled up to the blonde girl in her maid uniform, swapped her freeze ray for a smaller stun gun from underneath her dress, and shot Aki in the face with it.

The silence that followed was deafening. I knew Aki had to be rendered unconscious for the suffering to end, but the way Miko had done it was far too perfect. The cold precision in her movement right up to the execution. The serious look in her eyes. It was clear this wasn't the first time the shorter girl had carried out such a favor for her friend.