There will always be bullies.

In a perfect world, the very idea of people - whether it is individuals or groups - using intimidation, threats, or blatant acts of violence in order to get their way would be a bygone trait of human behavior that was tossed in the wastebasket of history eons ago.  Sadly, we do not live in a perfect world, and therefore, bullies still do exist in the world we live in.  And it is practically guaranteed that bullies exist in all venues of everyday life.  Name a location and sooner or later, a bully is more likely than not to be found there:  Traffic, houses of worship, airports, grocery stores, parks, nightclubs, amusement parks, concerts, sporting events…and of course, schools.  Perhaps no location is more befitting for bullies to flex their muscle and plant their flag than at a school, even if that school is a military academy like West Genetics.

Of course, given that most of the student body is comprised of female supermodel-supersoldiers whose height ranges between eleven feet and twelve feet on average, the idea of being bullied by one of said women can be downright terrifying…particularly when you’re a male who averages between 5-and-a-half to 6 feet in height.

Given those circumstances, it wasn’t unthinkable for a Pandora (with dubious morals) to throw her size around and intimidate a Limiter if the opportunity presented itself.  However, the act of resorting to actual physical violence was still something or a rarity, at least between Pandoras and Limiters anyway.  So whenever such an event did flare up, it certainly hooked people by the eyes and ears, given how surprising such a moment tended to be.

So then, laying the groundwork for what was coming round the corner (in this case both figuratively and literally), the victim was in the process of having a really, REALLY bad day.

As Kazuya’s group rounded the corner, they saw a rather sizeable group, most of them Pandora.  Most of those they saw were simply passerby students who were within earshot or eyesight of the altercation, and reluctant to jump into and intervene with what exactly was happening.  As for the people who were immediately involved in the altercation, there were five in total, with the majority of them being the bullies.

The bullies numbered three in total, all of them Pandora.  One of them wore the standard Genetics uniform and had long, periwinkle-colored hair, lavender-colored eyes, and a particularly slim build overall, with a modest bust resting atop her 11’2” frame.  Her disposition was rather cold, giving off the vibe that she didn’t speak much (if at all).  Her eyes were particularly slitted, giving her the appearance of a snake, especially with the eyeliner she had accentuating their shape.  Overall, her mood came off as rather stone-cold and lacking emotion in general, aside from a lingering murderous intent.

Another of the bullies was an 11’4” tall dark-skinned Pandora with blonde hair reaching all the way down to her shoulders.  Her bosom was more in-line with that of most Pandora, meaning rather generous (probably a D-cup at minimum) as it showed through an opening that showed her cleavage much like Satellizer’s uniform did.  Ironically enough, her face appeared somewhat similar to that of Chiffon’s, especially the way her eyes were slitted just like Chiffon’s were most of the time.  Like Chiffon, this Pandora had a smile plastered on her face, though the difference here was that the smile was masking an ominous foreboding of sorts, as if the dark-skinned Pandora was about to lash out with no warning.

The third of the bullies was possibly the most menacing of the bunch, at least if her face was any indicator to go by.  Dark blue shoulder-length hair framed a face that (while pretty) was twisted in a rather sadistic toothy grin.  She wore a modified version of the Genetics uniform, which consisted of a super-short Genetics-brand top that exposed all skin below her significant bosom and a large gap in the front to show as much tit flesh as possible (even moreso than her dark-skinned accomplice), while the bottom half consisted of blue denim short-shorts that teasingly exposed a slip of her asscheeks at the bottom.  She also wore dirty black combat boots that went up to the middle of her shins, as well as a light blue bonnet in her hair and fingerless black leather gloves.  Were this 11’6” woman not giving off the vibes of a borderline psychopath, she could be perceived as somewhat charming in a way.

It was the third Pandora of the bullying party who was currently holding up a Limiter by his throat and pinning him against a brick wall, with her fingers slowly tightening around his windpipe as she pressed him effortlessly against the building.  The Limiter in question was wearing the typical Genetics dress uniform for all Limiters.  His hair was a medium colored brown, his skin was light (indicating European/Caucasian heritage) and his face showed minor shades of stubble along his lower jaw.  His eye color couldn’t be seen at the moment, given that his eyes were tight shut as he struggled to breathe.

The final member of the group was an 11’3”  Pandora who was trying to intervene and stop what was clearly an episode of outright bullying which had crossed into the realm of assault by this point.  She wore the standard Genetics uniform, though her overall appearance was distinct in its own regard.

The Pandora attempting to intervene in what was going on had distinctly red hair that had a particular bounce to it - a sort of extra plush vibrancy to it and a rather remarkable shine to boot.  Her facial features were something akin to that of a porcelain doll, especially with how distinctly her lips, chin, cheekbones, and button nose stuck out in such a way as to maximize cuteness.  Along with her turquoise eyes, she was rather elegant in her own regard by her sheer looks alone.  However, whatever feminine charm she exuded was overruled by the fire in her eyes as she stared down the three bullies who were disturbing the peace, with intent to intervene directly if necessary (which seemed to be the case more and more as the seconds passed).

“Unhand him right this instant!” declared the redhead to the trio.

“Or what, little miss goody two-shoes?” asked the blue-haired Pandora clutching her victim.  “You gonna step in and take us on?  I’d love to see you try.”  The blue-haired Pandora finished with a chuckle.

“He hasn’t even done anything to you!” declared the redhead.

“Oh, but he has,” replied the bluehead.  “He had the nerve to walk by me without apologizing for bumping into me.  As far as I’m concerned, that’s an insult and a show of disrespect, especially from such a maggot of a man, if you can even CALL him a man.”

“I saw the whole thing play out,” declared the redhead.  “YOU were the one to intentionally step out so that your leg bumped into HIM.  There was no way he could have gotten out of the way in time.  I’d wager that you did that on purpose just to justify your actions.  Whatever the case, you let him go right now before things become extremely unpleasant for you.”

Upon hearing this, the dark-skinned blonde-haired Pandora and her snake-eyed accomplice stood forward as a barrier between the blue-haired Pandora and the red-headed good Samaritan.

“Well well well now,” said the fox-eyed blonde, “it looks like she’s hell-bent on ending our fun.  You want us to put the party-pooper in her place, Petty?”

“Do as you like, girls,” replied the blue-haired ringleader of the bunch, keepin her eyes focused on the Limiter currently in her grasp and cracking a rather sadistic smile as she maintained her clutch on the poor guy.  If she kept things up with the amount of pressure she was using, he would run out of oxygen in less than a minute or so.

“You bitch!” growled the redhead.  “Volt Weapon Deploy: Epée de la Croix!”  A second later, a sword materialized in the redhead’s right hand, similar to that of a rapier.  Given the woman’s accent and the words she used to summon the weapon (as well as her particularly light skin tone), it was a fair guess to wager that the young lady was French by her background.  Pointing the rapier directly towards the trio of Pandora bullies, the redhead replied with one phrase:

“En garde.”

“Well then, challenge accepted,” replied the dark-skinned blonde with a grin.  “You want in on this, Jessica?”  The snake-eyed woman she was referring to simply snorted in response as she stepped forward.  That made the playing field two against one in favor of the bullies, with two of the bully Pandoras closing the gap with the French redhead.  It looked like things were about to get really messy, both for the lone Pandora and the Limiter being slowly suffocated as he was pinned against the wall.

“What exactly is going on here?” declared Chiffon as she and the posse of Pandoras she led walked in on what was occurring, which in turn resulted in all eyes being on her and the group of Pandoras she led.

“Oh boy,” groaned Petty, “there goes our fun.  What do you think, Isabella?”

The dark-skinned blonde stared down Chiffon, with Chiffon staring her right back, neither of the two giving an inch or turning her view in response.  In a way, it was like looking in a mirror, given the similarities in facial features between the two.

“I don’t know, Petty,” replied the blonde, “I’m kinda on the fence about this, to be honest.”

“That so?” countered Elizabeth as she stepped up alongside Chiffon as she stared down both the blonde and her snake-eyed silent partner.  A second later, the two were joined alongside by their fellow third-years, leaving Kaho and Ganessa in reserve to watch over Kazuya (as instructed by Ingrid earlier).  When added with the French redhead, that now placed the bullies as the outnumbered side, with them facing down a combined group more than three times their number (10 versus 3 as things stood, with 2 more Pandoras to jump in if need be).

“Tch…” replied the one named Petty, baring her teeth in annoyance at this change.  “You girls REALLY want to get involved in this?”

“I’d rather there be no violence whatsoever,” replied Chiffon, “but since you three have taken to bullying outright, it would seem to me that YOU are the ones who fired the opening salvo, so whatever we do in response could be justified under grounds of self-defense or keeping the peace.  Now I’ll ask you…scratch that, I’ll TELL you politely before I run out of patience:  Let him go. Right. Now.”

Several of Chiffon’s fellow third-years started cracking knuckles, tilting heads side-to-side, and/or stretching their arms or legs as Chiffon spoke, gearing up for a potential throwdown.  Among some of them, there was the hope that the greater numbers on their side would force these three to back down and turn tail, though pride was always a factor in situations like this.  Right now, protecting both Kazuya and this other Limiter were the main priority, with the second Limiter’s fate the somewhat more pressing matter (given how his windpipe was being pressed quite literally at the moment).

If a brawl were to develop, it could get quite visceral…especially if Volt Weapons ended up being deployed and/or Acceleration ended up being used.

“Why do you lot care about what happens to this maggot here anyway?” asked Petty.  “Is he your lil “fuck buddy” by chance?  I see that other Limiter you all got there, so unless you happen to have another one at your disposal, then why would you give a shit about this nobody right here?”  Petty slightly stiffened her grip on the Limiter in her clutches, which made the man instinctively wheeze as she choked the life out of him all the more.

“The student council president has spoken,” declared Ticy rather sternly.  “Unhand him right now or face the consequences for your transactions.”

“I’d do as she says, ladies,” added Arnett.  “Mind you, if you don’t happen to know about our little clique, we have the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-ranked Pandoras among the third-year students standing here, along with the 4th through 9th ranked third-years to boot, so I’m not sure if you three are honestly ready for an all-out brawl.”  Arnett finished with a crack of her knuckles, indicating that she was more than willing to jump into whatever fight might end up occurring.

There was a momentary silence as the bullies stared down the larger group who had surrounded them, with the ringleader named Petty still holding the Limiter off the ground by several feet (though fortunately for him, she had let up on her grip somewhat, allowing him to breathe once more).

“Hmph,” snorted Petty in response, “I don’t see why girls like you even give these runts the time of day.  They’re nothing but maggots who can pull off a fancy little parlor trick and pretend like they’re Nova.  Way I see it, they’re hardly worth a second glance.”  She then loosened her grip on the Limiter’s neck before suddenly dropping him hard on the ground.  The Limiter in turn fell to his side and wheezed instinctively as he tried to suck in air greedily to fill his lungs.

“I’m getting bored,” grumbled Petty.  “Isabella, Jessica, let’s blow this place already.”  With that, the three started off and were about to vacate the scene, when suddenly Chiffon spoke up once more.

“Stop right there,” declared the Student Council President.  “At least one of you laid hands upon a Limiter, and from what I can tell, you have no grounds to justify such an act.  Given that the other two of you acted in a standby position to protect the aggressor, I’d say that makes you accomplices to what transpired.  I don’t know what your reasoning is for assaulting a Limiter, and frankly, I don’t care at the moment.  So having said all that, you three are coming with me to the principal’s office to be reprimanded and punished accordingly for what just transpired here.  Given that it was in the presence of SEVERAL witnesses, I highly doubt that you’ll be able to deny what just happened.”

“You done talking already, Miss Student Council President?” replied Petty, emphasizing Chiffon’s title in as mocking a tone as she could, clearly showing blatant disrespect for authority (which got Ticy bubbling with raw anger in response).

“You REALLY think that we’re just gonna come along and be good lil’ girls and take our comeuppance?  Is that what you honestly believe is gonna happen?” stated Petty.

“Whether you three come willingly or kicking and screaming is of little consequence,” replied Elizabeth.  “But you all ARE coming down to the disciplinary committee’s office to answer for your transgression.  This isn’t up for debate or negotiation.”  Her tone was equally heavy just like Chiffon’s.

“Is that so?” asked the one called Isabella as she cocked an eyebrow.

“You tell me,” replied Ingrid as she stared down the dark-skinned blonde with a stony look on her face.  It was a look that was mirrored by the vast majority of her side in what was looking to be a clash of Pandoras.

Where once it seemed that things might die down and violence might end up being avoided, it appeared as though pride and the desire to not lose face was going to win the day.  The three bully Pandoras stared down Chiffon’s group of Pandora, with every single Pandora sizing up the other and deciding who she was going to take on, assuming that a fight was going to break out at any second.

Surprisingly enough, the matter ended up being settled when a few extra Pandoras ended up jumping in.

“Well now,” said the voice of one Yu-Mi Kim, “it seems like we have a schoolyard brawl about to break out here.  Now that simply won’t do now…will it, Miss Schmitz?”  The super-busty brown-haired Pandora turned to her taller, leaner, green-haired counterpart to back up her statement.

“I concur with that observation, Miss Kim,” replied Elize with a grin.  “From what I can tell, it would appear as though a Pandora is unjustifiably assaulting a Limiter on school grounds.  That sort of thing is not to be tolerated, plain and simple.”

Alongside both Yu-Mi and Elize were four other Pandoras, all of whom were wearing the typical purple Genetics-themed school uniform.  The looks on their faces at the sight of the Limiter lying on the ground pretty much said all that needed to be said, given their collective cry of one name upon seeing the state of the Limiter:

“Michael!” they all cried in near unison.

One of the Pandoras was a woman with a stern, somewhat chiseled-looking face, though that did nothing to subtract from her overall feminine beauty.  Her complexion was light (most likely indicating Caucasian heritage), she had brown eyes and rich, chocolate-colored hair which was styled up into a long braid that went down the left side of her neck and tied off with simple hair bands (similar to how Rana styled her hair in comparison).  Her frame radiated power, especially with regards to the build of her musculature, whether it was in her biceps, her thighs, her calves, her abdomen, her shoulders, or anywhere else on her body for that matter.  It was a figure similar to that of Creo’s in comparison  Her eyes were a vibrant brown as well, her bosom was modest (around a C-cup) and her height was on the taller side for a Pandora, topping off at 11’9” tall.

Another of the Pandoras was also light-skinned (indicating some kind of Caucasian background), with her hair also long and done up in a braid going down the left side of her head as well.  Though there were differences compared to the first Pandora mentioned:  Whereas the first had brown eyes, this Pandora had blue eyes.  Where the first Pandora had brown hair, this Pandora had blonde hair, which was also done up in a more wild and vibrant style, braided up in strands going down the back of her head (something reminiscent of old Viking hairstyle in a way).  She also had a simple diagonal scar going down the left side of her face starting at just underneath her left eye and going down until it ended just above the left side of her lips.  Her build was not as muscular as the first Pandora’s by comparison, though she was certainly nothing to sneeze at either in all the totality of her 11’6”, C-cup breast-size frame.

The third Pandora had a more darker-skinned, caramel complexion.  Until she spoke again, it would be hard to determine her ethnic origin.  Going by her looks, she had bronze-colored skin, hazel-colored eyes, very dark-brown hair (bordering on black) which most of it was done up into a modest hair bun at the back of her head.  The left side of her scalp had patches indicating potential scarring around her left temple, though this might have been healed over with hair growth.  Her eyes were somewhat stern and her lips were somewhat fuller compared to other women.  Her build was slim, with a bosom that was probably either a large C-cup or a modest D-cup, resting atop an 11’2” frame.

The fourth Pandora was also light skinned (Caucasian heritage of some kind), with a face that was something akin to that of a porcelain doll:  Defined cheekbones, cute button nose, perfectly rounded chin, light freckles on the upper cheeks, and lusciously pronounced lips adorned her face.  Her chocolate brown hair was done up collectively in braids and a bun tied off at the back of her head, and her figure was quite alluring with the way her waistline flared out into rather pronounced hips and shooting down into firm and thick (but not crazy thick) thighs, buttocks, and calf muscles down the entirety of her legs, while up top she had both a firm abdominal set resting underneath what was easily a D-cup bosom (possibly even E-cup).  Overall, her 11'2" appearance was somewhat regal, rivaling that of Elizabeth Mably’s demeanor by comparison.

Given the reactions of these four Pandoras who accompanied both Yu-Mi and Elize, it was clear that they (along with the redheaded French Pandora) had some kind of relationship with the Limiter on the ground, who apparently went by the name “Michael”.

“We just happened to be strolling along when we ran into this group of lovely ladies and soon after heard the commotion that was unfolding over this way,” continued Yu-Mi.  “Given what has occurred, and the number of witnesses to this event, would I be safe in assuming that these three here are the aggressors, Miss Fairchild?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” replied Chiffon.  “It appeared as though the one there named Petty was physically assaulting a Limiter without cause and was possibly ready to inflict permanent damage onto the young man.  We heard the shouting and decided to investigate and intervene if necessary.  That was when we all saw what was going on here.  The one Pandora was choking the poor Limiter while the others stood guard to prevent anybody else from intervening.  At least, that’s the long and short of it, from what I observed.  I like to think my fellow classmates will back up my observation.”

Chiffon’s statement was met with universal nods from all the other Pandora in her party, which in turn got a quick response from Elize.

“Well, Miss Kim,” stated the green-haired medical specialist, “under these circumstances, I’d say this is a rather open-and-shut scenario, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’m in agreement on that, Miss Schmitz.” answered Yu-Mi.  “Given that an act of violence was committed by a Pandora onto a Limiter, and in the presence of several witnesses - all of whom in good standing here at West Genetics Academy - I would say that there’s no need for further questioning at this point.”  Upon saying this, Yu-Mi turned her attention directly to the one named Petty.

“If I remember right, I believe the three of you are transfers from various Genetics facilities.  I suppose the fact that you all were transferred here says something about your character.  And to boot, you were all held back during both your first-year and second-year terms, am I correct?”

“What of it, bitch?” asked Petty.

“My my my, quite the mouth on this one,” replied Elize.  “She certainly isn’t afraid to speak her mind, is she?”

“I’ve heard enough,” continued Yu-Mi.  “All three of you are coming with me and my colleague.”  Yu-Mi gestured to Elize as she said this.  “As a member of West Genetics faculty, I feel compelled to let you know:  If any of you try to pull a fast one on us, whether it involves using violence against us, against anybody here on campus, or even just the act of fleeing, you should know that you’ll be hunted like rabid dogs and put down with force bordering on lethal.  After the stunt you three pulled here today, you are all on thin ice.  Hell, if that Limiter suffers any permanent damage after what you did to him, I’ll see to it personally that all three of you pay dearly for it in turn.  Now then, if you’re done acting like the top dogs at this place, come with me right now…and for the record, that’s not a suggestion, that’s an order.”

The three bully Pandoras stared down both Yu-Mi and Elize, as well as the other Pandoras who now surrounded them.  Under the circumstances as they were, the three were vastly outnumbered at this point, by West Genetics faculty, Kazuya’s Pandoras, and other Pandoras as well.  From a gambling perspective, the odds weren’t looking good for the bullies as things stood.

“Fine,” grumbled Petty.  “Lead on then.  Let’s get this over with.”  A moment later, both Yu-Mi and Elize had placed handcuffs on all three of the bullying Pandora’s, clamping the cuffs behind their backs.  Once the restraints had been successfully locked in place on them, the bullies were led off towards the disciplinary wing of West Genetics, with both Yu-Mi and Elize keeping a close eye on them as they walked, with Yu-Mi turning around briefly to address Kazuya’s group.

“We’ve got things from here, Miss Fairchild,” stated Yu-Mi.  “Best that you ladies head off to your next class.  No need to worry by this point, and your assistance is appreciated.”

“Of course, Miss Kim,” replied Chiffon as she hollered back in gratitude.  It was at that point that she turned towards the Limiter who was assaulted by the bullying Pandora, wanting to make sure that he was still alive and in stable condition.  Yet it seemed that such an act wasn’t necessary, as the young man was surrounded by the five Pandoras who had swarmed around him the second that the bullying Pandoras were escorted away.

The women had all gathered upon the young man, with the redhead gingerly lifting him up and placing him so that his head rested in/on her lap as his breathing began to steady.  The looks in their eyes obviously indicated that the Limiter was indeed precious to all of them from an emotional standpoint, so chances were good that he was paired up with the whole lot of them.

“Michael,” whispered the redhead with worry in her voice.  “Breathe.  Just breathe right now.  It’s over,” she cooed as she brushed the young man’s hair.

“What were you thinking, Elise?” asked the brown-haired, muscular Pandora.  “It was a foolish thing to let him venture out on campus grounds with only one of us guarding him.  You should have brought another of us along with you to better keep him safe!”

“I know, Kassandra, and I’m sorry, believe me I am,” replied the redhead.  “I didn’t think that something like this would happen, at least not so early in the school year.  I can only hope you believe me when I say that I loathe myself for not being able to do more before assistance arrived.”

“What’s done is done,” commented the blonde-haired Pandora.  “What is most important right now is that Michael is safe and in good physical condition.  At this point, everything else is simply academia and philosophy as far as I’m concerned.”

“I agree with Eivor on that one,” stated the fifth Pandora of the bunch.  “It serves no purpose to go around pointing fingers and assigning blame at this point.  Besides, we all know it was that bullying trio who are responsible for this more than anyone else, so take it easy on Elise, will you Kassandra?”

“Thank you, Evie,” muttered Elise in response to being backed up in light of what had just occurred.

“In any case, let’s get him to a doctor,” stated the tan-skinned Pandora as she slowly and gently lifted up the Limiter and cradled him against her body as she held him bridal style.  “We need to make sure that our hermanito is all well and good, so I’m heading off to make sure he’s okay.”  Her accent indicated that she was Hispanic by her origin, probably from somewhere in the Caribbean if one were to guess.

“Just a moment there,” called out Chiffon as she neared the group.  A second later, she was standing among the lot of them and getting a closer look at the Limiter held in the tan-skinned Pandora’s arms.  While her face was contorted with concern over his well-being, she breathed a sigh of relief knowing that his life was no longer in danger.

“My name is Chiffon Fairchild, and as student council president here at West Genetics, I can’t help but feel somewhat responsible for this incident occurring,” explained Chiffon.  “While this is a military facility, it is also a place of learning, so the idea of students being attacked here really irks me to my core.”

“You’ve no need to apologize,” said the one named Evie.  “You can’t be literally everywhere at one time, Miss Fairchild.  Free will dictates that there will be bad actors who occasionally pop up and do heinous deeds.  It’s a simple matter of probabilities.”

“Even so,” replied Chiffon, “in my capacity as student council president, I simply can’t help but feel a little guilty for what just happened.  I only wish I got here sooner.”  Chiffon’s gaze turned towards the Limiter held in the arms of his Pandora, his wheezing now reduced to the occasional cough here and there.

“Your concern is appreciated, Miss Fairchild,” replied the one name Eivor, “and I like to think I speak for everyone in our group when I say that we appreciate the arrival of you and your allies.  But if anything, the bulk of responsibility lies on my sisters and I for not keeping a closer eye on our Limiter.  Of course, what those bullies did is reprehensible, and I hope they’re punished accordingly for what they did, but it is our duty as Pandoras to look after our Little Brother, and in that, we pretty much failed today.”  Eivor then reached out a hand and gently traced a few finger through Michael’s hair, looking at him with sadness and a touch of self-pity in her eyes for failing in her duty as a “Big Sister” to her partner.

“If those malakas aren’t punished severely for this, I’ll hunt them all down and put them in wheelchairs and have them relying on oxygen tanks to breathe,” growled the one named Kassandra in turn.

“We can fantasize about score settling later,” replied the Hispanic Pandora holding Michael in her arms.  “Let’s get Michael to a doctor already.  We shouldn’t waste anymore time by this point.”

“I’ll accompany all of you on the way,” stated Chiffon.  “I feel at a bare minimum that I should assist you in escorting him, to make up for not getting here in time.  I’d also like your contact information if possible, so that I can check up on seeing how he’s doing and if any complications arise.”

“Your concern is touching, but it’s really not necessary for you to go out of your way,” said Elise in response.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist on this one,” countered Chiffon, bluntly yet also with courtesy.

“Fine then,” replied Evie.  “If you know where the medical center is, then lead on, Madam President.”

Chiffon quickly turned towards the others once the smaller group was in agreement with her accompanying them.

“Please head off towards the next class,” said Chiffon to all the others.  “I’ll catch up with you all once I’ve escorted these ladies and their partner to the doctors.”

“Of course, Chiffon,” replied Ticy succinctly.

“Let us away then,” said Chiffon to the smaller group of five (six if you include their Limiter).

“You got a good hold of him, Dani?” asked Evie to the Hispanic Pandora.

“I’m good.  No need to worry on my account.  Let’s just get going,” answered Dani in response as she secured their Limiter in her arms.

And with that, Chiffon and the smaller group of Pandoras took their leave.  But it was the way in which they did so that surprised Kazuya (and to a lesser extent both Kaho and Ganessa).  Chiffon and the smaller group of Pandora suddenly lit up with a faint light blue glow around their figures as a small gust of wind kicked up around them.  In the span of literally a second, they had all vanished in a collective flash as if by magic, leaving only a burst of air with the change in wind currents as they all collectively left.

“W-what was that?” asked Kazuya.

“Acceleration,” replied Elizabeth.  “It’s one of the main combat features about Pandoras that makes them stand out in terms of fighting ability.  Once a Pandora enters her third year at a Genetics facility, she’s usually able to use Acceleration by that point, though there have been cases of Pandoras being able to use it in their second years.”

“Elizabeth would know, given that she’s one such Pandora who achieved it in her second year,” commented Attia.

“I wonder what that whole scuffle was about anyway?” asked Kaho with genuine curiosity.

“Not sure,” replied Ticy.  “From what I could tell, it seemed that the Pandora named Petty had some kind of bone to pick with that Limiter, but from the conversation, it sounded like she was just looking for an excuse to lash out.”

“From that psycho look in her eyes, it seemed like she was enjoying it.” stated Arnett.  “If we didn’t arrive when we did, she might have done permanent damage to that little guy.”

“I hope he’s okay,” muttered Kaho with worry in her voice.

“Chiffon will look into it, I’m sure,” replied Elizabeth.  “And West Genetics has among the best medical facilities on the planet.  I wouldn’t worry too much over it.”  There was a pause before Elizabeth decided to speak up once more.

“And on the off chance that there IS permanent damage done to him as a result of what that psycho did, then I’ll take a rain check during one of our classes and hunt her down myself,” stated Elizabeth with an icy coldness in her voice.

“I’ll be right behind you if or when that ends up happening,” commented Ingrid.

“You guys would actually do that?” asked Kazuya.  “Go out of your way for a Limiter that you’re not partnered up with?”

“This IS a military academy, Kazuya,” replied Ticy.  “In order for discipline and order to be maintained here at West Genetics, it is necessary to keep an eye on the disruptive element within campus grounds and stamp it out when needed.  And besides…”

“Besides?” asked a curious Kazuya.

“Whether or not we are partnered to a Limiter or not, that doesn’t mean that we can’t stand up for you little guys whenever a problem shows up,” cooed Arnett as she gently tussled Kazuya’s hair.  “Military academy or not, school or not, it’s a simple matter of right and wrong, plain and simple.  When we see a bully acting up, we feel it necessary to step in and settle things right there and then.  What those three did was wrong, so it was simply a matter of trying to make things right.”

“I suppose you could say it’s also a matter of protective instincts on our parts as Pandora to boot,” added Elizabeth.  “Whenever we see one of you Limiters being harmed or threatened…I guess you could say that our…what would be the ideal word?  Motherly instincts?  Sisterly instincts?  I don’t know.  It’s just something deep within us Pandoras that brings out that ‘inner protector’ within our psyches whenever we see any of you guys being threatened or harmed.”

‘Is that why they tend to walk around with me cradled against them like a small child?’ pondered Kazuya.  He noticed that it was a fairly commonplace occurrence between other Pandoras and their Limiters whenever he passed about on campus.  With their Limiters as close as they could possibly be (skin-tight closeness at that), the Pandoras could act immediately if the situation demanded swift action.

“Well, I’m sure that little guy will be okay.  Chiffon will see to it,” commented Attia.  “We should get to our next class before we end up being late.  Just standing around here lollygagging won’t help anything.

“Attia DOES have a point there,” replied Creo.

“I suppose you’re right,” added Rana.  “I just hope that guy’s gonna be okay.  That one bi-...I mean, that one Pandora had a pretty good grip on his neck.  I’m pretty sure I saw bruising and finger marks all around his neck.”

“No need to hold back Rana,” commented Arnett.  “She definitely came off as a bitch in my opinion.  I’d sooner lose a limb than have to spend my time with someone like that.”

“Wonder what her story is here…” muttered Ganessa aloud.  “She comes off as kind of old for a student here.”

"I think I heard Miss Kim say that she was some kind of transfer student," said Kaho.

“Yeah all three of them…” added Rana, “Her and the other two.  They also DID seem older than one might expect.”

“I’m guessing they were held back once or twice during their earlier years,” Elizabeth postulated.  “Probably had to repeat both their first-year and second-year terms as students.

“So even though they’re probably third-year Pandoras, they’re really more like in their fifth-years or around that…if that’s even a category…” Ingrid pondered.

“With poor student performance like that, I’m surprised that they haven’t been expelled, given their character,” thought Ganessa aloud.

“I'm guessing that they score high in combat aptitude and fail at everything else,” Creo hypothesized.  “They’re probably deemed too effective as soldiers to outright expel or court-martial, so they get a pass for shirking off their other classes and for their antagonistic behavior.”

During all this multi-sided conversation, Satellizer simply stood in silence with a sort of gaze on her face, as if she were looking far off into the distance.  It was something that caught Kazuya’s eye.

“Satellizer?  Are you okay?” asked Kazuya.  “You have a kind of faraway look in your eyes.”

Immediately, Satellizer shook her head side-to-side and was knocked out of her stupor before turning her gaze down towards Kazuya.

“S-sorry,” replied Satellizer.  “I just…had a bad feeling about those three.”

“I’m sure that pretty much ALL of us felt that way about them, Satella,” replied Arnett.

“No, not exactly like how I felt about them,” commented Satellizer.  “They gave off a sort of…aura, I guess you could say.  It felt like a kind of…bloodlust…coming from all of them.  Those girls are dangerous.”

“We’ll be sure to keep an eye on them,” said Ticy.  “After what we just saw, I think we know to be mindful when any one of them shows up again.”

“After that little stunt they pulled, I’d wager that they’ll be getting time in the brig for a while…probably a week’s worth at minimum,” said Ingrid.

“We should get in touch with those others who left with Chiffon,” stated Rana.  “They seemed like nice enough girls.  Maybe we can hang out with them and become good friends with all of them.  It would also provide cover for us to watch each other’s backs for bullies like them”

“We’ll see where things pan out once their Limiter is taken care of,” replied Elizabeth.  “I’m sure that Chiffon will give us more details once she returns.  Anyways, we REALLY need to get going.  Class is going to start soon.”

And so, with the confrontation passed and no bloodshed let loose on campus, the tension had been alleviated (for the time being, anyway) and Kazuya’s group headed off to resume their campus activities.