Selene looked around the park. The council had chosen her for this task. She was to find the first of the new group of magical girls. She had been told that this group would be different from the others. This group was being created to keep the other groups from fighting amongst themselves. She only hoped it worked like they wanted it to. As for why they chose her instead of an older guide. This group was completely new. Something that has never been seen before. So, that meant that nobody knew what their path would be. From that viewpoint, why not have a completely new guide?

With a sigh, Selene shook her head. Thinking about the past would not help her complete her task. It was time to get to work. From where she was sitting, she could only see feet and legs. Sometimes it didn’t pay to be a cat. At least most humans didn’t pay attention to her. Too bad those that did were usually looking to cause mischief. Stupid human males. She lost them in the trees and it was there that she found the scent. The scent of the one she was looking for. Now, all she had to do was find the one the scent belonged too. With a cautious look around, Selene left the bushes she was sitting in. None of the nearby humans paid any attention to her. After all, she was just a calico cat. Nothing special about that.

Selene made her way through the park. Tracking down the scent of the one. Occasionally, a human or a child would try to attract her attention. Only the children seemed to care that she didn’t respond to them. She kept alert for any teen boys. Luckily, they all seemed to be elsewhere. Soon, she found herself near the picnic area of the park. It was there she finally found the one she searched for.

The girl was sitting with two others. It looked like they were having a picnic lunch. She couldn’t be sure from this distance, but Selene believed it was the girl with spiky black hair. She looked athletic, which was a good thing. The elders didn’t say, but she believed there would be a lot of running around. The sheer number of magical girls going rogue was appalling.

Selene made her way over to the trio. None of the girls paid any attention to her as she walked under their table. She took a sniff of the other two girls just to make sure she was correct then moved toward the third one. She rubbed her head against the girl’s leg only to receive a scream and a kick. The kick was more of a shove than anything else. But, it did serve to separate her from the girl. Selene groaned to herself as she remembered that humans were touchy about what touched them and where.

Selene stared at the brunette girl as she leaned to look under the table. She watched her smile and straitened back up. It wasn’t long after that the all three of the girls were leaning over to look at her. Her hand even held her hand out to her to sniff. She did of course. Her scent was confirmed. That girl was the one Selene was looking for. She got a rude surprise when the blonde commented on her gender. Selene couldn’t help but freeze at her comment. Thankfully, none of the girls appeared to notice her mistake. But her girl made up for that. She provided a chicken leg on a napkin. At first, she wasn’t going to eat it. But the smell was heavenly, and she hadn’t eaten in a while.

As she ate, Selene listened to the girls’ conversation. She couldn’t help but perk up her ears when she realized they were talking about the magical girls fighting each other. How they needed to be stopped. The girls realized that none of the normal forces could do that. With the way they were talking, Selene’s work was more than half done. Of course, it was then that a magical girl fight broke out and the three scattered. Selene wasted no time. She put the remains of the chicken leg in a dimensional pocket and ran after her target.

* *

Sam leaned against the alley wall as he panted. He really need to start running more he decided as he rubbed his chest. He reluctantly decided that his mother was right. Maybe he should start wearing sports bras. Not that he wanted to wear any bras. “And I thought bras were supposed to help with the bouncing,” he muttered to himself.

“They do,” a young woman’s voice answered him. “It’s just that traditional bras were never meant to stop the bouncing. They just offered support.”

Sam’s eyes darted around the alley. He didn’t see anybody. “Who said that,” he called out cautiously. He quietly got ready to run. He had enough trouble without a would-be-rapist adding to it.

“I did,” the voice called out again. Then a cat jumped onto a stack of boxes. It looked like the same cat that had scared him earlier.

Sam stared at the cat. The cat stared back. Sam blinked then shook his head. “Nope,” he said. “I am not doing this.” He scanned the alley again. “Whoever you are, you can take your joke elsewhere. I’m not putting up with this today.”

“This is no joke,” the voice said again. Sam spun to face it. Only to find himself looking at the cat again.

Sam pointed at the cat. “Cats can’t talk,” he shouted. “Everybody knows that.”

“Oh, but I can talk,” the cat said.

Sam found himself pressed against the wall. Eyes wide in fright. His mouth worked, but nothing came out. He could only watch as the cat calmly stared at him. He started to wonder if this was a dream. But he could still hear the explosions of the distant fight.

Finally, the cat rolled her eyes. “Come now,” she said. “Surely a talking cat isn’t enough to stun you. You do live in a city with magical girls, you know.”

It took a moment for Sam to work up the nerve to speak. “Why would a magical cat be looking for me?”

“I have been sent to find those who can do something about the magical girls here,” the cat stated. She looked at Sam expectantly.

“Well,” Sam said after a moment. “What are you going to do?” Whatever this cat was going to do, Sam hoped it was good. The city needed all the help it could get.

The cat’s jaw dropped open. She then muttered something under her breath before turning back to Sam. “I’m finding more magical girls.”

“No!” The word exploded out of Sam’s mouth. The cat jumped back in surprise. Sam couldn’t believe what he had just heard. There could be no way that those who sent this cat could believe that more magical girls was the answer to this problem. They had too many as it was. They needed something to stop the fights. Not add to them.

“Why not,” the cat asked. “You said they needed to be stopped. And the only way to stop magical girls is with more magical girls. These girls’ job will be to hunt down other magical girls and strip them of their power.”

Sam stared at the cat in shock. He couldn’t believe what she had just said. “Wait. You’re saying that the girls you’re picking job will be to stop the other magical girls.”

The cat nodded. “Exactly. Now, hold out your arm.”

While puzzled, Sam held out his left arm. Immediately a bright light appeared around his wrist. When the light faded, Sam saw a purple and black bracelet circling his wrist. He stared at it in shock. A sneaking suspicion started to form in his mind. He believed that the cat thought he was a girl.

Before he could say anything, the cat continued. “I hereby induct you into the Magical Girl Assassination Squad. May your enemies learn the error of their ways.”

Sam was stunned. He could not believe what just happened. He did not just get inducted into a group of magical girls. Even with the sounds of the fight still going on behind him, he refused to believe it. He wasn’t a girl!

“Well,” the cat asked. “Aren’t you going to power up? You can’t defeat those two unless you do that.”

“What?”

“Power up,” the cat repeated. “You need to stop those two before somebody gets hurt.”

“But I’m not a magical girl,” Sam said.

“Of course, you are,” the cat insisted. “Why else would I talk to you?”

Sam hadn’t thought about it. He had some vague idea about helping the cat find those she was looking for. But that was it. “I don’t’ know,” he finally said. “But I still can’t fight them. I don’t know how to power up. Do you?”

“I was told it was different for every girl,” the cat slowly answered. “You should already know how. You just need to focus on powering up.”

Sam had had enough. While he didn’t think this was some sort of joke, he still didn’t want to dress up as more of a girl than he was already. He knew he was crushing this cat’s hopes, but he could not do this. He opened his mouth to tell the cat, but his words changed as he spoke them.

Sam’s body straightened to attention. His left hand formed a fist and rose to his right breast. “Magical Girl Assassin,” Sam found himself saying. He did not know where these words were coming from. “Hollow Point, reporting for duty.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Same could see dark shadows streaking toward him. They collected in a pool at his feet and started to climb up his legs. Everywhere the shadows touched, he could feel his clothes disintegrate. His shoes and socks puffed into nothing. As did his shorts, underwear and shirt. He could feel other clothing replace what he lost. He only hoped it wasn’t as ridiculous as some of the outfits he’d seen on the magical girls.

Once the shadows dissipated, Sam looked at himself. He did not know whether he should be flattered or enraged. He was wearing a white, button down blouse, a dark purple necktie, a black jacket, a dark purple and black pleated plaid skirt that reached his knees, white knee socks, and dark brown penny loafers. He even had a backpack. It was black with skeletons that had ribbons on their skulls!

He was dressed as a Japanese school girl! The only thing he was missing was the outrageous hair. Her turned his head to look at the cat. It was then that he noticed that his hair had changed. His hair was still black. But now, it was long and thick and in to pig tails that stretched down to his knees. There were even ribbons tied into his hair. One set at his skull, one in the middle, and the last set at the ends. He glared at the cat.

The cat was studying him. “Hmm,” she said. “I was not expecting this.”

“What?”

“This look,” the cat said as she waved a paw at him. “It is not like the other magical girls. Their costumes are much more eye catching.”

Sam refused to be distracted. “Why am I dressed like a Japanese school girl,” he demanded.

“Is that what you’re dressed like,” the cat asked. “No matter. Now that you’re powered up, let’s go and stop the fight.”

“Hold on there,” Sam said as the cat moved to leave. “I’m not going anywhere until you explain some things. Like why am I dressed like this? And how do you think I can stop those two from fighting?”

The cat sighed. “When a girl first transforms, the magic resonates with something inside her. That resonance decides what her costume is going to be. It is also different from girl to girl.”

Sam opened his mouth, but the cat kept speaking. “As for how you can stop them,” she continued. “You are now part of the assassination squad. As such, you have the power to stop the magical girls. No matter who or where they are.” She stopped and gave Sam a look. “Now, are you going to stay here and ask me questions, or, are you going to stop those girls before they do damage to more than the park?”

“But,” Sam started to say. He looked at the cat, then he looked at the continuing fight. As much as he hated to admit it, the cat was right. Somebody had to stop that fight before someone got hurt. He just wished it didn’t have to be him. At least, in this getup, nobody would recognize him.

“Alright cat,” Sam said as he pointed a finger at her. “I’ll do it. But, we’re going to have a talk after this.” He turned toward the distant figures. “Now how do I get up there?”

* *

Officer Sarah Callusy was having a good day. Right up until the magical girl fight began. Now, she was making sure none of the people strayed into the park and into the fight. It helped that the people of this city had a strong survival instinct. As soon as the fight broke out, everybody scattered. She didn’t blame them. The two that were fighting, Card Magister Lily Jade and Magical Warrior Blazing Heart, were two of the most violent magical girls in the city. She just wished she could have gone with them. Instead, she was stationed, definitely not hiding, in the concession stand. By this point, the various crashes, bangs, pops, and sizzles had become normal, almost.

The deafening boom that shook the small building, caught the officer by surprise. After she got control of herself, she risked a peek. Officer Callusy couldn’t believe her eyes. There was a third magical girl floating in the sky. She was facing the other two and was dressed as a Japanese school girl? Beside her floated a calico cat. Things looked like they were about to get worse. Much, much worse. She ducked back inside to call this in o the station.

“Card Magister Lily Jade,” came a booming voice. “Magical Warrior Blazing Heart. You are hereby commanded to cease this useless battle. For too long has the magical girls in this city have contributed to the problem. You are here to stop the enemy, not become them!”

Officer Callusy blinked. Magical girls were here to fight some enemy? This was news to her. Probably the whole city too. Who was this mysterious enemy? And what was their goals?

“Who are you,” demanded Blazing Heart. She was dressed in red and white armor reminiscent of a samurai.

“How dare you judge us,” Lily Jade all but shouted. She was dressed in a flowing robe of green and blue.

“I am Magical Girl Assassin Hollow Point,” answered the school girl. “And I judge you in the name of the Spirit Council. You have failed in your assignment. You spend your time fighting amongst yourselves instead of our enemy.”

The two girls pointed at each other. “She’s with the enemy,” they cried in unison. “No, I’m not! You are!” The two started to fight again.

Officer Callusy saw Hollow Point pull something out of her backpack. She realized it was a hand grenade when she saw Hollow Point pull something from it and toss it at the fighting duo. There was another deafening boom accompanied by a massive fireball. The two girls where thrown apart by the blast.

“Do you never learn,” shouted Hollow Point. “This is why you’re required to relinquish your status as magical girls.”

The two girls froze when they heard this. As one they turned to face Hollow Point. After a moment of staring at her they looked at each other and nodded. With no warning, the two girls each launched an attack toward the third magical girl. Blazing Heart threw two fireballs and Lily Jade used a card to throw a lightning bolt. Both attacks missed as Hollow Point dropped beneath them. Officer Callusy watched in shock as Hollow Point then drew two handguns from her hips and started firing at the two girls. From that point, the three girls went after each other with a will.

At first, Officer Callusy thought that Hollow Point would be at a disadvantage. It was two on one, after all. But, try as they might, the two couldn’t get a clear advantage over the new girl. They kept getting in each other’s way. But, Hollow Point did not have that problem. She could, and did, take advantage of their lack of coordination. As she watched, Officer Callusy realized there was a pattern to Hollow Point’s attacks. She never would fire when she was above her opponents. She would wait until she was level or below them before she would blaze away with her guns. She also never seemed to need to reload her guns. That didn’t surprise the officer. She was a magical girl, after all.

In a sudden move Hollow Point was able to get behind Blazing Heart. She quickly opened fire. Sending several shots into the other girl’s back. With a pained cry, Blazing Heart dropped from the sky and crashed to the ground. There, she started to glow. Brighter and brighter until bolts of light shot from her. When the officer could see again, she saw that Blazing Heart had turned into a normal looking teenage girl.

“What did you do to her,” Lily Jade shouted Point.

Hollow Point appeared behind Lily Jade. One gun pointed at the back of her head. “This,” Hollow Point said. One shot rang out. Lily Jade’s head rocked forward. Then she plummeted to the ground.

Officer Callusy could only stare in shock as Lily Jade transformed into a normal girl. She clapped her hand over her mouth as Hollow Point suddenly appeared by the girl. Hollow Point kneeled next to the transformed Lily Jade and placed one hand along her neck. She nodded then stood up.

“Officer,” Hollow Point called out. “These two girls will live. But they’ll have massive headaches when they wake. They may or may not remember being magical girls. Either way, they shouldn’t be punished for their previous actions. This should be punishment enough.” With that, the new magical girl disappeared. Leaving the officer to think about she was going to report this.