Saya Summerbolt finished her late shift in the Deckstoru Central Hospital without any particularly disturbing patient cases for the day and was getting ready to go home for some nice rest during the coming weekend.

Sadly for her, this weekend was going to be the most restless one in a while for not just her but her whole city, which was confirmed by the phone call she received upon leaving work.

A phone call saying her son had been arrested for using his deva beyond his chip limit and causing proprietary damage.

While Hikaru was known for getting into trouble, this sounded a bit too overboard even for him.

First, get the whole family on alert. Seeing as how her son’s rival was also arrested, the Blackscales were probably already on alert in their own right and the two families were going to coordinate their actions from here on.

But most importantly, they needed a set of eyes on the scene. Those eyes were going to be Saya’s.

After getting to the precinct, she got all the details – partially through what the police told her but mainly from a video some civilian had recorded of the whole ordeal her brat had got himself into.

From there it was time to meet with the dumbasses currently kept in a holding cell to inform them personally about the trouble they were in. And to discipline Hikaru again.

Her son lit up like a candle from happiness when he saw his mother’s face clearly, the effect her heightened deva output due to her anger had on the electricity in a close proximity disappearing when the fiery mom calmed down.

‘-You … you came for meeeee!!!’

He jumped at her from inside the cell which led to being smacked on the head with enough force to make him fall on the floor. Saya’s calmness was short-lived, after all.

‘-I came to end the miserable life I gave birth to years ago, you little shit!!!’

‘-She’s scary!!! Do all members of Hikaru’s family have anger issues?’

‘-Yeah, but his mother’s condition is the worst in that regard.’

The Blackscale kid didn’t wait to start with the irritating comments. Looks like there was going to be a lot of spanking for these misbehaving children.

‘-Your condition’s the one that’s going to worsen, Seiren. Don’t start getting on my nerves.’

‘-Sorry, Mrs. Summerbolt. Please don’t incinerate me.’

‘-And you’re Yuki, right?’

‘-Yes, ma’am. Yuki Iceflame.’

‘-Saya Summerbolt. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

From what I saw, you saved my stupid son’s life, so thank you very much for that. And I have to say you’re a lot cuter in person than on that video they showed me.’

‘-Well, I … I don’t really know what to say to all of that.’

‘-Just say ‘thank you’, damn it!’

‘-Thank you, Mrs. Summerbolt! Please don’t incinerate me!’

‘-Mom, what video are you talking about?’

‘-Someone managed to film the whole battle you had at the construction site.’

‘-In our defense for what happened there, if I and Hikaru hadn’t released our devas beyond the limit of our chips, we wouldn’t have been able to stop those bastards and the destruction they caused wasn’t going to be contained to the construction site!

The police should be giving us medals for what we did instead of putting us in a cell!!’

‘-Hold it, kid.

Your actions at the construction site were accepted as an example of self-defense. And surprisingly even for me, you did manage to contain the damage to the area to a minimum. While the overuse of your devas can’t be excused, that’s not the main issue.

It’s about the place where that ray of white energy sent Yuki.’

‘-You know about that?’

‘-I read the reports from your questioning.’

‘-They gave you access to those?’

‘-I have some connections in the police, luckily for you three. But that alone won’t be enough to get you out of this.’

‘-I have no memories of what I did or where but I don’t think I sent that ray here. If it has caused any damage …’

‘-Things would be even worse if it had.

The problem is the place where it hit the city. Do you know what lies under that park?’

‘-Dirt?’

‘-Very smart, Seiren.

The back-up for the chip signal antenna is buried there. That ray almost reached it when it dug into the ground.’

‘-An antenna for the chips in our bodies?’

‘-How much does she know about the chips?’

‘-I didn’t tell her about the antenna so as to not burden her with too much information.’

‘-Well, then, Yuki, in order to limit our devas, these chips need to receive a signal from somewhere.

There is a main antenna and a number of secondary antennas spread throughout the city for that purpose.

In case any of them fail, there is a back-up emitter buried somewhere under Deckstoru, its location never being disclosed to the civilians.

Turns out that back-up is buried under that same park where you showed up today.’

‘-And they think we’ve got something to do with that?!’

‘-Yes. The police believe that ray hitting the park and the attack on that square are connected somehow and the three of you were involved in both, so the blame is going to fall on you.

The ordinari from the city are pissed off as hell and are demanding that deviants are arrested and questioned, suspecting there may be some mass deviant conspiracy going on right now.

As for the three of you, they’re calling for life-sentences at minimum as the main culprits, although you’re underage. When I came in here, there were already crowds of hundreds protesters outside the precinct.

As well as reporters from a couple of TV stations. Things are really getting nuts out there. (she made a signaling motion and soon enough a police officer showed up, Saya nodding to him after which he unlocked the trio’s cell)

I’ve arranged for the three of you to be released for now, so I suggest you get out there and deal with the situation.’

Yuki’s face was the one that screamed disbelief the most out of all the three.

‘-But we’re just three deviant teenagers. How can we change all this for the better?’

Saya shrugged with a smile.

‘-I just came to get you out. What you’ll do from there is your job.

But someone has to take responsibility.’

‘-Alright, then. Let’s get out there and finish his.’

‘-I think we’re the ones who’re gonna get finished.’

‘-At least something will end.’

‘-I’m not letting you two out there alone. I still have too big of a debt to pay.’

‘-That’s the spirit, brats! (she pushed the three down the hall, looking very pleased with herself or with them, probably with both) Now make me proud!!’

As all four of them made their way out of the building, they were met by a real human tempest that had covered the steps of the precinct and surrounded it on all sides.

Just as Saya had said, there were ordinari protesters, some carrying cardboards with messages like ‘Having a deva is a crime!’, ‘Justice for the square attack’, ‘Get the deviants out!!!’ and so on, others simply shouting out deviant-oriented insults or insults regarding the incompetence of the police and government to deal with the situation.

There were reporters of TV stations but at this point it looked there were representatives of at least 10 different stations, there even being a helicopter for one of the stations up in the air.

Surprisingly there were also deviant fan groups in favor of the trio which were mostly comprised of people their age or just a bit older, all of them along with the members of the other groups being somehow contained for the moment by a hundred policemen or so.

The containment line was broken as the main stars came outside, the officers practically being run over by a stampede which went straight for the young hot heads.

Seeing that he had fans, Seiren seemed to enjoy the whole situation for about four seconds after which the protesters and reporters reached him, Yuki and Hikaru.

‘-How does it feel to be a convict at this age, Seiren?’

‘-What’s your relationship with the white-haired girl? And what about with Hikaru Summerbolt?’

‘-How do your parents feel about this situation?’

‘-Cool it, people! That’s too many questions at a time!’

‘-There are too many deviants in this city at a time, Blackscale!!’

‘-So do us a favor and just get out!’

‘-Get back in your damn cells and never come out again!!!’

‘-And take the rest of your kind with you!!!’

‘-That won’t happen because we’re not in the wrong here.

What I and these two did is another example of us deviants protecting the ordinari that hate us so much from a threat!

What we get in return is a number of accusations that don’t have anything to do with us!!

Quite honestly, I’m fine with that but don’t go accusing all deviants in the city for being involved in some non-existent plot against the ordinari!!!’

Yuki also stepped up then, inspired by Seiren’s words.

‘-If you want to direct your anger towards someone, let it be just us three! We’ll accept whatever punishment you think we deserve!!!’

As Saya expected, Hikaru intervened to mediate between the positions of his friends.

‘-Now that’s going a bit far, Yuki! I think the point here is, though, that there’s no need for the peace between deviants and ordinari in Deckstoru to be broken over an event like this!

We dealt with the attack from the unknown enemy, the police will deal with us and with the relocation for the back-up emitter for the chips’ signal, so it’s safe to say this whole issue has been resolved!

Why don’t we just …’

The protesters had started throwing things at the trio after what Yuki had said about them taking all the punishment, just as Hikaru was talking a small rock being thrown at the spiky-haired teenager, hitting him on the forehead.

The hit wasn’t anything too heavy but Saya already knew what this was going to unleash, taking a step back and pulling the worried Yuki to her.

‘-Take a step back for this one, Yuki. I think negotiations are over.’

Hikaru’s head had bent down after the rock had hit him and his expression wasn’t clearly visible, suddenly his whole body being enveloped in lightning bolts as he charged against the ranks of the protesters with a maddened face and clenched fists.

‘-THAT’S HOW YOU WANT TO GO ABOUT THIS?! YOU WANT TO FIGHT?!! BECAUSE THAT’S MORE THAN FINE BY ME!!!! LET’S GO, BASTARDS!!!!’

‘-Hikaru, wait! Should you be releasing so much power with your wounds?’

Seiren jumped right after his rival as more and more people attacked both of them, the fans of the duo attacking the protesters, the police trying to break off the fight while the reporters were trapped in the middle of this melee.

‘-We won’t make them back off unless we scare them and for that we need power, Yuki!’

‘-That’s great! They just can’t help but get into trouble!! Do all negotiations between deviants and ordinari end like this?!’

‘-Not all of them end so violently but when a Summerbolt or Blackscale is involved, it pretty much ends like this, yeah. (Saya sighed and cracked her knucklebones) Might as well join them because those two won’t be able to handle this alone.’

Iceflame nodded as the two women jumped in the crowd and joined the fight with an initial focus on keeping the protesters away from Hikaru and Seiren when suddenly Saya released a burst of bright yellow flames from her hands, throwing a number of people aside with burning clothes, drawing more attention to herself.

‘-Mrs. Summerbolt, what are you doing?’

‘-Call me Saya! And don’t go easy on these freaks or they won’t learn anything!

Piss ‘em off a lot if you want to keep them away from the boys! (she hit another protester in the face with a fist enveloped in her special type of flames, knocking him down over three more) Like this!!’

Now a part of the protesters directed their attacks toward her, the police officers putting their anti-deva weapons in action as a response to the increasing violence.

‘-Who the hell is this crazy woman?!’

‘-The mother of that shithead over there! And I’m here to educate you ordinari bastards on what Summerbolt-style negotiations look like!

We’ll beat you till you give up and say we’re in the right! Anyone in need of a lesson, come right here!!’