As the girls finished off the very last of the invading werewolves, a heavy silence settled over the ruined gym. the stoic samurai girl let out a long, exhausted sigh. She adjusted her dark collar and said, "That was almost neverending." It had been a mind-numbing chore. "It felt like listening to someone talk about something you already knew... but for hours."
In stark contrast, maniac was practically vibrating with chaotic energy. The maniac girl was cackling loudly, one boot planted firmly on top of an unconscious werewolf like a victorious pirate standing over a hoard of war treasure. "This was so fun!" she shouted, throwing her arms wide. "And look! I didn't even have to level the building this time!"
Grey girl ignored her, smoothly jumping down from the basketball hoop where she had been perched. She stuffed her hands into her pockets and began walking off, ready to leave the mess behind.
"Hey... gloomy, wait!" Maniac girl called out, pointing a finger at her. "You were actually pretty cool during that fight. You barely even did anything, yet somehow you got more points."
Grey girl stopped, her shoulder twitching slightly. She didn't look back, keeping her hands firmly in her pockets as she muttered, "You were keeping count?"
Maniac girl grinned like an absolute gremlin, her eyes gleaming. "Of course I was! I always have to be on top!"
Grey girl looked away, trying to sound completely indifferent, though a hint of curiosity slipped through. "What did... I get?"
"One hundred and twenty-three," Maniac girl stated instantly.
Grey girl turned her head, staring blankly at the chaos gremlin. "Wait, what?! That many?!"
"Mhmm...!" Chaos gremlin puffed out her chest proudly. "And I got one hundred and twenty-four."
Grey girls eyebrow shot up, her deadpan expression cracking into pure irritation. "By one point?!! Are you serious?!"
Before Manic girl could gloat further, a faint, trembling sniffle echoed through the gym. Miss Marcy stood tucked away in a corner, shaking like a leaf as she clutched her hands to her chest. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she squeaked, "I'm ok... I'm alright..."
Grey girl glanced from the trembling girl back to chaos gremlin. "How many did she get?"
Chaos gremlin suddenly crossed her arms, her smug grin vanishing into a flat, deeply resentful pout. "...Three hundred and fifty-three."
Grey girls eyes widened to the size of saucers. "What!!??"
High above the chaos, perched comfortably on the metal support poles just under the roof, Pigeon Chad looked down at the squad. He puffed out his chest and let out a deep, surprisingly muscular coo of genuine surprise.
The bickering was cut short when the heavy doors of the auditorium swung open. Alice walked back into the gym, her eyes scanning the debris. "Have you guys seen Pink?" she asked, her voice echoing in the large room.
The girls all stopped what they were doing and pivoted, staring blankly at her. "Who are you?" The stoic samurai girl asked.
The maniac leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she inspected Alice. "Are you another magical girl? Why do you look so... stable?!"
the stoic samurai girl stared at Alice for a quiet moment before giving a slow, knowing nod. "This is the one you referred to as the smiling girl."
Hearing that, Maniac, Miss Marcy, and grey girl all did a synchronized, immediate double-take. Alice felt the sudden, intense weight of their stares and flushed a bright crimson, giving them a shy, completely genuine smile. The moment she did, a literal wave of pure, unfiltered sunshine seemed to radiate from her, so warm and dazzling that Maniac, Miss Marcy, and stoic samurai girl all found themselves instantly blushing in response.
Even grey girl had to look away or risk her color returning.
Alice cleared her throat, trying to focus. "Pink... she watched over me while I was knocked out. But she was totally different, too. She was all white." Alice tilted her head, remembering the bizarre exit. "Then she de-transformed and ran away before I could see who they were..."
A heavy silence fell over the gym. The girls looked at one another in a silent, mutual calculation, and even Pigeon Chad turned his head on the rafters, looking thoroughly intrigued. They all turned their gazes back to the empty doorway.
Something was definitely up with Pink.
Then again, there was always something deeply, profoundly wrong with that girl.