Sam leaned against the wall and shook. What had he been thinking? He just fought two magical girls! By himself! In the air! He didn’t even know he had any weapons when he went up there! He was damn glad the guns appeared when he wanted something to fight with. Now, if he could just stop shaking. Then he could grab a taxi and head home.

“You did good,” a voice suddenly said startling Sam.

Sam spun around. He saw the cat sitting on a trash can. “You,” he said. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you almost got me killed,” hissed Sam. “I could have died fighting those two!”

“If it looked like you were going to lose,” the cat replied. “I would have provided aid.”

“And just what could you have done,” scoffed Sam. “Clawed their ankles?”

“I would have done more than that,” the cat calmly replied.

“Whatever,” Sam sighed. He then ran his hand through his hair. That motion brought the bracelet into view. ‘How do I get this off?” Sam shook the arm holding the bracelet.

“You don’t,” the cat replied. “It stays on you until your services are no longer needed.”

“What?!” Sam glared at the cat. “You mean I have to wear this thing until the magical girls are all gone?”

“No. Only until they are no longer a problem.” The cat studied Sam. “I don’t see why this is a problem. You did a very good job on your first time out.”

Sam was starting to develop a headache. “Grr! I can’t deal with this right now,” he said. “I’m going home.” Sam started to leave the alley. “Don’t you follow me either!”

As soon as he exited the alley, Sam flagged down a taxi. He got in and told the driver his home address. He tried to relax as the car pulled into the light traffic. This had been a long day and all he wanted to do now was lie in his bed.

* * *

Selene watched as her ward walked away. She may be new at being a guide, but she could tell that this was going to be a difficult one. There was a bright spot. The retired guides did tell her that the best wards were the difficult ones. That should be a good thing. Especially since this is the first time a group like this has been formed.

For now, she should report. She had a lot of questions to ask. Like, what were those weapons her girl used? They didn’t look nor act like anything Selene knew about. Why couldn’t Samantha have used traditional magical girl weapons? With a shake of her head, Selene put the thought aside. Those questions could wait for later. Right now, she needed to report in. Selene jumped down and started walking. She walked into the shadows and disappeared.

She appeared in a glade somewhere outside the city. There was an elderly fox and rabbit waiting there. “You are late,” the fox said as Selene approached the duo.

“I came as soon as I could,” Selene replied. “Humans are not what I thought they’d be.”

“And what did you think they’d be,” the rabbit asked

“Less challenging for one,” sighed Selene. “Even though I made her a magical girl, I don’t believe Samantha trusts me.”

“That could be a good thing,” mused the fox. “Especially considering the situation in Tower City.”

“Yes,” agreed the cat. “With those girls as examples, one would be wise to be cautions of any offering magical abilities.”

“That doesn’t make my job any easier,” Selene complained. “And there’s so much I want her to do!”

The rabbit chuckled. “Give her time. She’ll come around. Now. Was there anything in particular you need help with?”

“Yes, there was.” Selene focused, and an image of Sam as the Magical Girl Assassin Hollow Point appeared. The image was from the battle she had with the two magical girls. “What are those things in her hands?”

Both the rabbit and the fox studied the image. “I don’t know,” the fox said after a moment. “I have never seen anything like those before.”

“Neither have I,” the rabbit said. “What did she use them for?”

“She used them to fight a couple of magical girls,” Selene answered. “So, I think they’re weapons.”

“What was wrong with the traditional weapons,” the rabbit asked.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Selene said. “I’ll try to work the question in at some point.”

The fox nodded. “Good. For now, just watch and report,” he said. “This is the first time we’ve done anything like this. Hopefully it will work out.”

“On that note,” the cat said. “We should let you go back. There’s no telling what could be happing in that city.” Selene nodded and left the glade. She only hoped that Samantha was calmer when she returned.

* *

“Keep the change,” Sam told the cab driver as he paid him. He got out of the cab and walked up his driveway. He hoped the cab driver was putting away his money and not watching him walk. As he approached the front door, he fished his house key out of his pocket. He was glad he insisted on having shorts with pockets. But he knew it wouldn’t be long before his mother insisted that he start carrying a purse.

Sam sighed as he opened his front door. After the talking cat, seeing the start of a magical girl fight, turning into a magical girl, then getting into a magical girl fight, he just wanted to lay down. The only good thing about this day was the picnic lunch he got to have with Rebecca and Jennifer. He was just glad that his mother didn’t know about the fight.

Sam suddenly froze. He just remembered the food his mother wanted him to pick up. Maybe he could call Rebecca and have her pick them up? If not, he’d just have to admit to seeing the fight in the park. There was no way he was going to tell her that he actually fought those magical girls. He wasn’t crazy. Sam resumed his journey to his bedroom. It would be best if he called Rebecca from there.

“Sam? Is that you?” The call came from the kitchen.

Sam cringed. He did not want to talk to his mother at the moment. “Yeah. It’s me,” he reluctantly answered. “Did you want something?”

“No, I heard there was a magical girl fight at the park,” his mother said as she exited the kitchen. “I knew that Rebecca had planned on taking you to the park after you got your new clothes.”

“She planned that,” a shocked Sam asked. “I thought that was a spur of the moment thing.”

His mother smirked at him. “No, she planned it. But what I want to know is where you two there when the fight was going on?”

Sam sighed. He didn’t like lying to his mother. And, since she asked, he had to tell her the truth. “Yeah. Rebecca, Jennifer and I were all there when the fight started. We did run as soon as we realized what was going on.”

“Oh,” his mother said. She sounded disappointed. “Then you didn’t see the new magical girl?”

“New magical girl,” Sam asked pretending not to know what his mother was talking about. “What new magical girl?”

“Like I said,” his mother began. “There was another magical girl fight at the park. Between Lily Jade and Blazing Heart, I think. But before they could really get, a third magical girl showed up and killed them.”

“She what,” yelped Sam.

“That’s what everybody says she did,” his mother said. “She even called herself an assassin. Assassins kill people.”

Sam stared at his mother in shock. He knew he had left those two alive. What could have happened to them after he left? “Are you sure this new one killed them?”

“I’m just telling you what I heard,” Sam’s mother answered. “She did use guns to shoot the other girls. So, there is a chance that she did kill them. But, I also heard that the police were taking the other two girls to the station.”

“So, they may not be dead,” a relieved Sam asked.

His mother shrugged. “You know how rumors are,” she answered.

“Okay. When you learn more, let me know,” Sam said as he turned away. “I’m going to be in my room. Call me when dinner is ready, please.”

“Samuel.”

Sam froze. His only used his first name when he was in trouble. Or, for something serious. He hoped it was the latter. “Yes, Mom?”

“Turn around please.”

Sam slowly turned to face his mother. She didn’t look angry. Which was a good thing. But he didn’t know why she was studying him so closely. After a minute of her staring at him, Sam started to fidget.

Finally, he couldn’t take any more. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mother beat him. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed his right breast. With a shriek of surprise, Sam jumped back. His arms covering his chest. “Mom!”

His mother only nodded. “Just what I thought,” she said. “That’s all you.”

“What do you mean it’s all me,” Sam angrily asked.

“The last time I saw you in a top that actually fit you were an A-cup,” his mother responded. “And that was a little over a year ago. As the rest of you filled out, I assumed that your breasts did too. If you keep growing like this, you’ll outgrow your poor old mother.”

Sam paled at his mother’s words. “But you’re a D-cup,” he cried. “That’s huge. I don’t want to be that big! These are too big already!”

“Oh,” Mrs. Hathings said. “And what would Rebecca say about you getting bigger?” Sam blushed as his mother laughed at him.

“I’m going to my room,” Sam grumbled.

* * *

Sarah Callusy’s day had gotten worse. Much worse. It was bad enough watching the magical fight. But that third girl made it worse. That was the opinion of the police chief. He didn’t like magical girls fighting in the city when he couldn’t stop them. He definitely doesn’t like it that one showed up to stop them. Which is why her day was much worse than it had started.

Ever since she had returned from the hospital, Sarah had been in this interrogation room. Being debriefed on the fight. But there was only so many ways she could say the same thing. She was starting to get tire of repeating herself. She understood their reasons. But she was a police officer. She had better know what she had seen.

The door opened to her room, but Sarah didn’t look up. Instead, she took a swallow of her coffee then grimaced. It had gone cold. “Another round of questions,” she asked whoever had walked in.

“No,” the person answered. “I believe we’ve asked you the same questions enough by now, don’t you?”

Sarah’s head snapped up when she heard the voice. When she saw who had walked in, she jumped to her feet. “Commissioner Tackly,” she said. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“No one did,” the Commissioner replied. “I was doing a quiet inspection.”

‘That explained the casual clothes,’ thought Sarah. ‘But not why he’s here. He is usually a hands-off leader.

“I had heard about today’s fight,” the Commissioner said as he sat down. He waved her to take her seat. “And I decided to come by. I was a bit surprised at the time spent questioning you. Not once did you change your reply. You may have used different words, but the answer was the same. But, then you are a police officer. You’ve been trained to observe these things. If nothing, it makes the paperwork easier.”

Sarah stared at the man. She was wondering where he was going. “You have read my report,” she asked. “It said the same thing as I did during the questions.”

Commissioner Tackly sighed. “Sorry about that. It’s because one of the girls was Melissa Brightly.” Sarah’s eyes widened. The Brightly family was one of the richest families in the city. “Yeah. Her parents were throwing their weight around trying to discredit your report. It didn’t matter that you weren’t accusing their daughter of being a magical girl. Not that it matters anymore.”

Sarah blinked. “Why not,” she asked.

“The girls aren’t being charged with anything,” Tackly answered. At Sarah’s puzzled look, he continued. “Since they’re not magical girls anymore, and they can’t remember being magical girls, the charges against them are being dropped.”

“She did say that they may not remember being magical girls,” Sarah said. “So, what happens now?”

“Now, the girls should be home nursing massive headaches. As for you, I want to know your impression of this latest magical girl. I know we will be seeing her again.”

“Well,” began Sarah.