Chapter 六: The Fiery Mom

Nurse 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 much even for him.

First things first, Saya needed to get the whole family on alert. Seeing as how her son’s rival was also arrested, the Blackscales were probably already aware of the situation and the two families were going to have 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 reckless children trio 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 after the lights around her turned on again. The fiery mom had calmed down, after all, so the effect her heightened deva output due to being angry had on the electricity in a close proximity had disappeared.

(Hikaru) ‘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, as it usually happened when her son was concerned.

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

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

(Seiren) ‘Yeah, but his mother’s the worst one off when it comes to being angry.’

The young Blackscale immediately starting with the annoying comments didn’t escape Saya’s notice. And that only further strengthened her resolve to straighten up the misbehaving children with a lot of spanking.

(Saya) ‘You’re gonna be the worst one off if you keep that up, Seiren. Don’t start getting on my nerves.’

(Seiren) ‘Sorry, Mrs. Summerbolt. Please don’t incinerate me.’

From the golden-haired pervert, Saya’s eyes moved on to the white-haired girl sitting between him and her son – the only person in the cell she hadn’t met personally yet.

(Saya) ‘And you’re Yuki, right?’

(Yuki) ‘Yes, ma’am. Yuki Iceflame.’

(Saya) ‘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.’

Yuki became more than flustered after being complimented, her delay in coming up with an answer for what Mrs. Summerbolt had said angering her greatly.

(Yuki) ‘W-well, I … I don’t really know what to say to all of that.’

(Saya) ‘Just say ‘thank you’, damn it!’

(Yuki) ‘Thank you, Mrs. Summerbolt! Please don’t incinerate me!’

(Hikaru) ‘Mom, what video are you talking about?’

Finally, the mother’s attention returned to her son, hoping none of the three youngsters would get on her nerves again any time soon in order to allow her to give the explanation she had prepared in one go.

(Saya) ‘Someone managed to film the whole battle you had at the construction site.’

(Seiren) ‘In our defense for what happened there, if me and Hikaru hadn’t gone all out with our devas, we wouldn’t have been able to stop those bastards. They were going to destroy a lot more than that construction site then! The police should be giving us medals for what we did instead of putting us in jail!!’

(Saya) ‘Hold it, kid. Your actions at the construction site were labeled as 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 fully excused, that’s not the main issue. It’s about the place where that beam of white energy sent Yuki.’

(Hikaru) ‘You know about that?’

(Saya) ‘I read the reports from your questioning.’

The three kept growing more and more surprised the more they listened and talked to the fiery mom.

(Seiren) ‘They just gave you access to those?’

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

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

(Saya) ‘Things would be even worse if it had. The problem is the place where the beam hit the city. Do you know what lies under that park?’

(Seiren) ‘Dirt?’

The irritating remarks from the perverted Blackscale kept on coming, Saya hoping the lethal gaze she sent his way as she kept explaining would kill his sarcasm for good.

(Saya) ‘Very smart, Seiren. The back-up for the chip signal antenna is buried there. That beam almost reached it when it dug into the ground.’

(Yuki) ‘An antenna for the chips in our bodies?’

That question reminded the violent nurse a member of the trio she was talking to was not fully aware of the situation of deviants in Barilia, directing her next inquiry to the other two members of said trio.

(Saya) ‘How much does she know about the chips?’

(Hikaru) ‘I didn’t tell her about the antenna. Thought there was no need to burden her with too much information so early on.’

(Saya) ‘Well, then, Yuki, in order to limit our devas, these chips need to receive a signal from somewhere. There is a main antenna in the highest place near the city for that purpose.

In case it fails, there is a back-up chip controller buried somewhere under Deckstoru, its location never being disclosed to the civilians. Turns out that controller was buried under that same park where you showed up today.’

(Seiren) ‘And they think we’ve got something to do with that?!’

(Saya) ‘Yes. The police believe that beam hitting the park and the attack on that square are connected somehow and since the three of you were involved in both, the blame is going to fall on you. The ordinari from the city are pissed off as hell and are demanding that deviants be arrested and questioned, suspecting there may be some mass deviant conspiracy going on right now.

As for you three, they’re calling for life sentences at minimum, although you’re underage. When I came here, there were already crowds of hundreds of 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 in light of their release and the responsibility Hikaru’s mother had just put on their shoulders.

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

Saya only shrugged with a smile to answer that.

(Saya) ‘I just came to get you out. What you’ll do from there is up to you. But someone has to take responsibility.’

Hikaru, at least, didn’t need too long to find his resolve after understanding the situation, Saya noticing him clenching his fists with a face full of determination, which made her smile.

(Hikaru) ‘Alright, then. Let’s get out there and finish his.’

(Seiren) ‘I think we’re the ones who’re gonna get finished.’

(Hikaru) ‘At least something will end.’

(Yuki) ‘I’m not letting you two out there alone. I still have quite a debt to pay.’

Realizing the rivals were heading into trouble, Yuki’s behavior had changed completely. It was like the scaredy-cat Saya had met earlier had become someone else.

Mrs. Summerbolt felt relief when she saw that. A person like this white-haired girl was what Hikaru and Seiren needed. And maybe Deckstoru needed that, too.

(Saya) ‘That’s the spirit, brats!’ – the violent nurse pushed the three down the hall without regard for the wounds her son and his rival had suffered resently because of how excited she had become – ‘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. 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.

As for the number of TV stations with reporters representing them in the area, it seemed to have reached about 10 at this point, 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 police officers 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 youngsters’ three.

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.

(Random Reporter) ‘How does it feel to be a convict at this age, Seiren?’

(Random Reporter 2) ‘What’s your relationship with the white-haired girl? And what about with Hikaru Summerbolt?’

(Random Reporter 3) ‘How do your parents feel about this situation?’

(Seiren) ‘Cool it, people! That’s too many questions at a time!’

(Random Protester) ‘There are too many deviants in this city at a time, Blackscale!!’

(Random Protester 2) ‘So do us a favor and just get out!’

(Random Protester 3) ‘Get back in your damn cells and never come out again!!!’

(Random Protester 4) ‘And take the rest of your kind with you!!!’

Having had his dream-like fame experience shattered by all the ordinari’s accusations and insults, Seiren quickly became mad.

(Seiren) ‘That won’t happen because we haven’t done anything wrong.’ – ready to defend his position, he even pulled Yuki and Hikaru closer to him and the army of people all around – ‘What me and these two did is another example of us deviants protecting the ordinari that hate us so much!

And in return you only call us all kinds of things and blame us for shit we’ve got nothing to do with!! Since I’m used to it, I’m fine when you talk that way about me, but don’t go accusing all deviants for being involved in some plot against the ordinari that’s not real!!!’

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

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

As Saya had expected, Hikaru intervened to mediate between the positions of his friends, ever being the balancer.

(Hikaru) ‘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 something like this!

We dealt with the attack from the unknown enemy, the police will deal with us and with the transfer of the controller for the chips’ signal to another secret location, 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 and hitting him on the forehead.

A hit like that wasn’t anything fatal but the young Summerbolt’s mother already knew what this was going to unleash, taking a step back and pulling the worried Yuki to her.

(Saya) ‘You might want to stay back for this one, Yuki. I think negotiations are over.’

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

(Hikaru) ‘THAT’S HOW YOU WANT TO GO ABOUT THIS?! YOU WANT TO FIGHT?!! BECAUSE THAT’S FINE WITH ME!!!! LET’S GO, BASTARDS!!!!’

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

(Seiren) ‘We can’t make them listen unless we go all out, Yuki!! That’s just the way it is!!!’

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 up the fight while the reporters were trapped in the middle of this melee. Watching that happen seemed to increasingly annoy Yuki, Saya studying her reactions with much amusement. Whoever this girl really was, the fiery mom became more and more intrigued by her the longer the two were together.

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

(Saya) ‘Not all of them end so violently but when a Summerbolt or Blackscale is involved, it pretty much ends like this, yeah.’ – Saya sighed as she realized the inevitability of a battle between species, cracking her knucklebones and stepping forward – ‘Might as well join them because those two will only end up killed if they keep fighting in their beat-up state.’

Miss 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 with minimal violence. That focus was short-lived, however, because soon enough Saya released a burst of bright yellow flames from her hands, throwing a number of people aside with burning clothes and drawing more attention to herself.

(Yuki) ‘Mrs. Summerbolt, what are you doing?!’

(Saya) ‘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 a middle-aged female protester in the face with a fist enveloped in her special type of flames, knocking her down over three more – ‘Like this!!’

Now a part of the protesters directed their attacks toward the fiery mom, the police officers being forced to put their anti-deva weapons to use as a response to the increasing violence.

(Random Protester 5) ‘Who the hell is this crazy woman?!’

(Saya) ‘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!!’