AN: Special thanks to Discordence and Jodasgreat for betaing this chapter.

Chapter 1- If Only I Had Scissors To Cut You

Nui Matoi stood under the shadow of Honno City, long, drilled pigtails flowing in the breeze as she tilted her head up to take in the majestic sight. The comfortable Japanese homes of the lower levels gave way to villas, then towering skyscrapers, and finally, vast mansions as Honno City spiralled up into the sky, like a giant spinning top that had been flipped upside down. It was a mesmerising display of reds and blacks, intersected by vast systems of roads and tramways that rose up alongside the city, all of which converged on the city's centerpiece: Honnouji Academy. Much of it remained hidden behind the school's walls, but from the tip of its tallest tower a bright light could be seen, bathing Honno City in its crimson glow.

A smile grew on Nui's face, drilled pigtails bobbing as she rested her chin against her parasol, it's tip planted in the ground. "This place looks like a lot of fun! I wonder if I can find my answer here?"

[TRANSFER STUDENT: NUI MATOI]

[AKA: THE KANTO DRIFTER]

Humming a cheerful tune, Nui took off into the city, pink boots clacking against the pavement as she skipped every step of the way. She twirled her parasol in her left hand, now opened and shielding her from the morning rays, while her right held the persimmon she was eating.

She was climbing up a flight of stairs, hopping up each step as though she were playing a game when a young boy ran into her. "Whoops, sorry!" he said, spinning around her as if caught off balance, before diving down the stairs and into a nearby alleyway. Mataro Mankanshoku sat back against a storage box, chuckling as he pulled out his prize. "That was a piece of cake."

His grin quickly dropped when he saw what he'd grabbed. "What? I could've sworn I grabbed her wallet!" Mataro moaned. Disappointment quickly turned to confusion as he examined the half eaten fruit in his hand. "What the hell kinda tomato is this anyway?"

"It's persimmon, actually. Superduper sweet too." A well-manicured hand took the persimmon out of his hands, and Mataro glanced up to find Nui leaning over him from behind, perfectly balanced on the storage box's slanted roof despite her awkward pose. Her dainty lips curled into a sweet smile, blue eyes dancing with mirth as Mataro jumped back onto his feet. "That was so mean of you, the way you ran into me like that, and all just to steal a half-eaten persimmon. I have plenty of uneaten ones I could've given you, sweetie, but I guess you only wanted the one that's already been in my mouth."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean, bitch? I don't need to swap spit with some random hoe, I get more than enough action as it is", Mataro said.

Nui leaned against her parasol, head tilted as her smile grew. "That's great, I'm so happy for you. My father always said we should live our lives to the fullest, because we never know when we're going to drop dead."

"Well, I hope you've lived a full life because it's gonna end today. Come on out, guys!" At Mataro's command, three more boys leapt into the alleyway, makeshift weapons swinging wildly as they surrounded Nui, laughing with devious intent. Nui's smile never faltered. "You must be new here, bitch, because only an idiot would mess with me and my crew. I'm Honno City's top dog, Mataro Mankanshoku, and this alleyway is my turf."

[MATARO MANKANSHOKU]

"It's a dead end for hoes like you, so if you wanna get home in one piece, leave your wallet and scram", Mataro said, though his threat was rather diminished by Nui's constant giggling.

"Gosh, aren't you guys just the cutest little gang ever? It's like being attacked by a pack of puppies; I'm more interested in pinching your little cheeks and patting your heads than actually defending myself!" Smile ever-present, Nui brought up her parasol, resting it on her shoulder with a sigh. "But if you really want to play, I suppose I could spare a few seconds."

Mataro growled. "You're gonna regret calling us cute, bitch. Kick her ass!"

Nui merely smiled as Mataro's gang leapt into action, recklessly swinging their weapons as they closed in all around her. Not one of their attacks landed, however, as Nui had jumped at the last possible moment and was now laughing as she spun in the air above them. From there all she had to do was extend her arm outwards and her momentum did the rest, her parasol smacking each boy across the face before sending them flying into the wall, where they landed in a heap.

"What the hell?" was all Mataro could say before Nui was upon him. She whipped a thread of string at Mataro, shimmering red as it was wrapped around his legs like a lasso, and he could do little more than yelp as he was yanked off his feet and thrown at his friends. They were all sent flying down the alleyway as he smashed into them, coming to a grinding stop near one of Honno City's tramways.

Humming once more, Nui skipped towards Mataro and his gang. "This was so much fun, but I'm afraid I've got business to take care of, so I've got to put your little gang down now", she said, as her free hand dipped into the top of her dress, fingers wrapping around the cold, hard grip of her blade. "Nothing personal of course, sweetie, but bullies need to be punished."

"W-wait! We give up, you win!" Mataro said, bowing alongside his friends as Nui stood over them. "We weren't really going to hurt you, I swear! We're a passive-aggressive gang! Please don't kill us!"

Nui paused at that, her blade half drawn as she glanced down at the trembling boys, and any semblance of a smile vanished. 'They're just kids', she realised, as if seeing them clearly for the first time, and a sickly feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. 'I just wanted to have some fun, I didn't mean to…'

She'd been prepared to kill them. 'Freak.'

She'd almost lost control again. 'Monster.'

'No. You're a human, Nui, not a monster', her father's voice echoed through her mind, a fragment of an old yet vivid memory, and Nui clung desperately to those words, reciting them over and over again until she believed them almost as much as he had. Until she felt human again.

Nui dropped the blade back into her dress and took a deep breath to compose herself, forcing a smile back upon her face. "I'm not going to kill you. Just don't bother anyone like that again, okay?"

Mataro and his gang gave a meek nod before taking off, but it only took a few seconds of running before Mataro started laughing. "I ain't quitting that easily, you dumbass! I'm gonna be Honno City's greatest baller, you'll see!"

That got a giggle out of Nui, but her good mood could only last so long, and the silence that followed Mataro's absence brought with it shame and guilt. Nui let out an annoyed huff, hitting herself in the head with her free hand over and over again. "Stupid Nui! Stupid Nui! Only hurt bad people, not innocent ones! Don't let dad down!"

"Hey there, you okay?" Nui paused mid-hit, only just noticing the girl standing right in front of her. Big brown eyes seemed to stare into her soul, and Nui leaned back, for once a little caught off guard. "Did you forget something? That always happens to me too, but my dad's a doctor, and he says punching yourself isn't a good way to remember. The best way to unjumble your brain is to hit your head against something much harder, like a wall or a car bonnet, until the memory comes back!"

Nui gave a wry smile. "I'll be sure to remember that, thank you, sweetie."

"You're welcome! By the way, my name's Ma-" A bell rang in the distance, and the girl screamed, nearly bowling Nui over as raced towards a nearby tram. "I'm gonna be late! Let me on! Let me on! Please let me on!" she cried out, before flinging herself onto the already full tram, knocking over several students as she went. Picking herself up as though nothing had happened, she turned back to Nui and waved. "Don't worry, I made it! I'll see you at school, new friend!"

Nui cocked her head, watching the girl flail about until the tram was out of sight. "Gosh, this place is a little crazy, even for me", she muttered. Shrugging, Nui resumed her skip towards Honnouji Academy, a reinvigorated smile across her face. "Oh well, better crazy than boring!"

Eventually, Nui found her way to the gates of Honnouji Academy, where a dead boy greeted her, his body tangled in spiked whips as it swayed above the entrance. Standing on her tiptoes, Nui tilted her head to read the sign that hung from his neck. HERE IS A PIG WHO BELIEVED HE COULD THREATEN RYUKO KIRYUIN, AND HONNOUJI ACADEMY. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED it read, and Nui couldn't help but laugh. "Wow, a crazy school for a crazy city. I was right, this place is going to be so much fun!" she said, and her dainty lips curled into a smirk. "Well then, let's see what answers you have for me, Honnouji Academy."

Aikuro Mikisugi felt a little awkward to say the least. Normally he'd have started the lesson by now, being the totally authentic teacher he was, but with a new student arriving today, he'd delayed the lesson to allow for the appropriate introduction. Only said new student had become something of a no-show, meaning he'd wasted the last fifteen minutes just standing in front of his class, awkwardly shuffling under the gazes of his students. Or at least the gazes of those who'd bothered to stay awake.

Giving the clock one last frown, Aikuro turned back to his chalkboard. "Strange, she should've been here by now. I hope you aren't doing anything rash, Nui", he muttered.

"Nui! So that's my new bestie's name!" Mako Mankanshoku said, somehow right next to Aikuro despite having been asleep at her desk not a moment before.

"Mankanshoku, please return to your seat, I'm already behind on the lesson as it is."

"Behind on the lesson?" Mako glanced up at the clock, and let out a shrill scream when she saw the time, waking up the entire class in the process. "Oh no, my bestie is late to class! She's going to get into so much trouble! I have to save her!"

"Mankanshoku, wait-" Mako took off before he could finish, however, leaving a trail of dust in her wake as she smashed through the classroom wall and raced down the hallway. Aikuro just sighed at the Mako-shaped hole she'd left behind. "Of all the people Nui could've been friends with, why'd it have to be Mankanshoku? The world's not ready for this."

After the impressive display of brutality at the front gates, Nui had found the rest of Honnouji Academy to be rather boring. No resistance had been met, nor any students or staff for that matter, just a smoky haze that obscured most of the school from Nui's sight, save for the student council tower itself, which rose high above everything else. With Honnouji already boring her half to death, Nui decided to forgo attending class in favour of visiting the student council president, and so took off towards the tower.

After all, if anyone had answers here, it would be the Kiryuin girl, right?

Nui made it halfway across the courtyard before she was finally stopped, as several sharpened rulers smacked into the ground right in front of her. A hazy silhouette strode towards her, growing clearer in the smoke with each step, until a rather scrawny looking boy stood before her, all in white save for a red sash across his chest. He wore thick, round glasses, and had possibly the worst case of a bowl cut Nui had ever seen.

"You picked the wrong school to skip class in, new girl!" he said in an incredibly nasally voice. "I'm Haru Kaneko, captain of the hall monitors club!"

[HARU KANEKO: HALL MONITOR CAPTAIN]

"Oooh, captain of the hall monitors club." Nui giggled, leaning forward with her hands behind her back. "I bet you're real popular with the girls."

"Are you mocking me? I'll have you know that my grandma says I'm the most handsome boy she's ever seen!" Haru said, and the two stars on his red sash started to glow. He wore a pair of armoured gauntlets, and with a flick of the wrists, both produced a set of long, sharpened rulers. Like his sash, they glistened a deep red.

"Wow, you have Life Fiber claws? That's so cool! You're like a really nerdy Wolverine", Nui said, sliding in for a closer look.

Haru clearly wasn't used to having girls near him, yelping loudly and immediately backing off from Nui, his arms raised in a shaky defensive stance. "You know about Life Fibers?"

"Yep, that's why I'm here! I love beating up Life Fiber puppets like you, it's the highlight of my day!" Nui pointed her parasol at Haru. "But right now, I've got a little question that needs answering, and I think your student council president can help me, so would you mind stepping aside? Otherwise, I might have to hurt you."

Haru laughed, his glasses shining as he pushed them up with a finger. "You might hurt me? For someone who claims to know about Life Fibers, you clearly haven't done much research when it comes to Honnouji Academy. I'm wearing a Hall Monitor Spec Two-Star Goku Uniform!"

[TWO-STAR GOKU UNIFORM]

[HALL MONITOR SPEC]

The two stars on Haru's sash seemed to glow as he continued. "It's granted me superhuman abilities, well in excess of anything an average human like you could muster, and to top it all off it's as tough as steel. You'd have enough trouble penetrating it with a gun, let alone that pathetic little parasol of yours!"

"A Goku Uniform? Wow, I've never heard of them before, guess your president's been keeping all kinds of dirty secrets now, hasn't she? Name's a little derivative though." Nui then smirked. "Still, I've cut through Life Fiber-enhanced armour before, so I doubt your boy scout uniform is going to do much, sweetie."

Haru smirked back, bringing up his sharpened rulers. "Bring it on then, I'll send you to detention in rags, you litt-"

Suddenly there was a loud whooshing sound, and Nui turned to see Mako flying towards her, arms outstretched as she rapidly closed in. "Catch me, Nui!" she shouted. Nui decided to ignore that suggestion in favour of ducking, and Mako flew straight over her, before slamming headfirst into Haru. Both were sent sprawling to the ground. "Owie, that hurt way more than the walls. Why'd you dodge me like that? I just wanted to give you a hug", Mako groaned, rubbing her head as she picked herself up.

"Sorry, but I don't accept hugs from weirdos. Promised my dad", Nui told Mako, though her attention remained on Haru, who was struggling to get up himself. Eventually, however, she turned to Mako with a raised eyebrow. "By the way, how do you know my name?"

"Because I'm your bestie, of course, and besties should know everything about each other! Especially names!" Mako said, jumping to her feet. She dizzily made her way over to Nui, trying to hug her once again, but was kept at bay by the tip of Nui's parasol poking into her stomach. Weirdo or not, there was no way Nui was going to let this girl hug her, dirty as she now was. "Oh, that's right, we can't be besties if you don't know my name too. I'm Mako Mankanshoku!"

[MAKO MANKANSHOKU]

Nui frowned. "Half a conversation and we're already best friends?"

"Of course! When your desk neighbours with someone you've just gotta be their best friend as well, because fate brought us together! We wouldn't be seated next to each other if we weren't meant to be besties!" Mako's explanation did little to convince Nui, who found herself increasingly worried by how often this girl was catching her off guard. She tried to push Mako back with the tip of her parasol, but Mako just leaned in over it, brown eyes sparkling brightly. "By the way, what's up with that outfit you're wearing? It looks super cute on you, like you're some sort of anime cosplayer! I love anime by the way! My favourite anime's Sailor Moon and I can sing the theme off by heart! Fighting evil by moonlight! Winning love by daylight! Never running from a real fight! She is the one named Sail-"

Several sharpened rulers were suddenly flying towards them, and Nui quickly pulled Mako behind her, before opening up her parasol. The rulers smacked into Life Fiber-infused fabric of the parasol, harmlessly bouncing off.

"Hey, I'm not done with you yet! I'm taking both of you to the detention stocks!" Haru screeched, spittle flying out from his braced mouth. "I'm gonna make sure you suffer the ten thousand line punishment! You gotta write ten thousand lines in front of the entire school, and if you stop writing at any time, you'll be forced to start from the beginning!"

"Ten thousand lines! I can barely do five before my hand starts to cramp!" Mako cried out, ducking behind Nui's skirts.

"Don't worry, Mako, once I'm finished with this dork, detention will be the least of his worries", Nui promised, smiling wickedly at Haru. "In fact, he'll be lucky if he can even write lines himself once I've had my fun with him."

Nui made to draw her blade as Haru raised his own weapons, but before they could start the fight a bright red light cut through the smoke surrounding them, and Nui was forced to shield her eyes. "First you skip class, and now you're threatening my students? This ain't a great start to your time here, Nui Matoi."

There was a heel clack against the ground, and when Nui opened her eyes again, she found a girl standing right behind Haru, red light shimmering behind her. Unlike Mako or Haru she wore a sailor uniform; white with blue and gold accents, and a strange pattern of colours around the bow that looked almost like a pair of eyes. Her short, black hair danced in the breeze, a solitary bang of red momentarily catching Nui's eye, before they were drawn back to the girl's face. She sneered at Nui, blue eyes blazing with barely contained rage as she jammed her sheathed blade into the ground.

"My lady", Haru said in awe, sliding to one side and dropping into a bow. Behind her, Nui could see Mako doing the same thing.

"Bow, Nui, bow!" Mako whispered, peeking up at the girl through her bangs. "That's the student council president, Ryuko Kiryuin!"

[STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT: RYUKO KIRYUIN]

"Seems your friend there has more sense than you do, Nui Matoi. So, care to explain why you're distracting everyone from their lessons?" Ryuko asked, flicking a thumb over at the main school building, where everyone seemed to be watching them from their classrooms.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just wanted to ask you a little question, that's all! Promise I won't take up too much of your time", Nui said, and then, in one fluid motion, dipped her hand into the top her dress and pulled out a purple scissor blade. She twirled it around her body, smoothly moving the blade from one hand to the other and then back again, all the while spinning around herself, before finally levelling the blade's tip straight at Ryuko. "Ta-dah! What do you think, Kiryuin?"

"Half a scissor?" Haru asked, glancing over at Ryuko. The student president just raised an eyebrow.

'"Wow, that's the hugest scissor blade ever! You're way cooler than an anime cosplayer!" Mako exclaimed, staring up at Nui in awe.

"Where'd you get a blade like that?" Ryuko asked.

"It's a gift from my father, a weapon designed to tear crummy Life Fiber uniforms apart. But someone stole the other half, right after they stabbed my father in the heart with it", Nui said, before a smirk found its way across her lips. "So, Ryuko Kiryuin, I'm only going to ask this once; do you know who has the other half of my scissor blade?"

"'Fraid I don't, never even seen anything like it before." Ryuko then turned her back to Nui. "Looks like you came all this way for nothing. Damn shame", she mocked, laughing as she started to walk away.

Nui bristled at that. "Liar! It was someone from REVOCS who killed my father, wasn't it? Your family! If anyone here knows who, it'd be you, Kiryuin!" she screamed, before charging at Ryuko. "I'll get the answer out of you even if I have to tear this whole place down, you Life Fiber puppet!"

She swung her blade at Ryuko, but Haru managed to get in the way, blocking her attack with his Life Fiber rulers. Nui growled, trying to push Haru aside with her blade, but the scrawny boy was far stronger than he looked, and easily held his own. As he did so, Ryuko turned back to Nui with a glare. "I warned you about threatening my students already, Matoi, but I guess listening ain't your strong point. I'd teach you a lesson myself, but honestly, you just ain't worth my time", she said, before nodding at Haru. "I'll leave this mundane fight to you, Haru."

"Mundane?" Nui practically snarled.

"With pleasure, my lady." And with that Haru smashed Nui across the face with a Life Fiber clipboard, sending her flying across the courtyard, almost taking out Mako as she came to grinding halt. "How do like my Life Fiber enhanced detention clipboard, new girl? Only the worst students get their names on it, and now you're one of them. Hurts to break the rules, doesn't it?"

"Oh no, Nui! I forgot to warn you not to get caught by the hall monitors!" Mako shouted, but as she tried to help Haru whipped his sash around her leg, before yanking her over to him. As she came to a sliding stop he unholstered a staple gun, and fired several staples into her uniform, pinning her to the ground. Mako struggled at first, but soon froze when she saw Ryuko glaring down at her.

"Stay out of this, Mankanshoku", Ryuko warned her.

Meanwhile, Nui picked herself up, spitting a little blood out. "You think that little Goku Uniform can stop me? I've got plenty more tricks up my sleeve than just this scissor blade", she said, drawing several tacking needles with her free hand.

Just as she was about to throw them though, Haru started to laugh. "I never banked on my Goku uniform being enough to stop you, but I do play a good decoy for my fighting partner, wouldn't you agree?"

"Deco-" Nui only managed to utter half the word before a pair of hands grabbed her head, and she was slammed face first into the ground.

"RKO outta nowhere!"

[RKO OUTTA NOWHERE]

Nui groaned, the taste of iron and dirt thick in her mouth. She glanced up from the newly formed, head-shaped hole in the ground find an incredibly buff guy standing over her, a cocky grin upon his face. He only wore wrestling shorts, and just like Haru's sash, there were two red stars on them.

"Jun, nice of you to finally turn up. Have you finished flirting with your seventeen girlfriends?" Haru asked.

"It's eighteen now, actually, managed to pull another one on the way here. Sorry 'bout the wait though, dork, must've been hard for you to deal with girls who ain't your mother", Jun said, grinning at how riled up Haru got. When he saw Ryuko though his cocky grin dropped, and he gave her a low bow. "Lady Ryuko, captain of the wrestling team, Jun Chino, at your service."

[JUN CHINO: WRESTLING TEAM CAPTAIN]

"Permission to join Haru in teaching this bitch a lesson she won't soon forget?"

"Granted. Show her the power of your Goku Uniforms, and remind her of the price delinquents pay at Honnouji Academy", Ryuko said.

"Two against one? How is this fair?" Nui growled, glaring fiercely at Ryuko.

Ryuko just laughed. "Would've given you a fair fight normally, Matoi, but you've pissed me off with that happy-go-lucky, cocky ass attitude you've been peddling, so congrats, you're gonna get your ass beat instead. Might even take that sword from you too. Maybe then you'll think twice about walking into my school and making idle threats against my students."

"You'll never take this sword from me! I'm not beaten yet, Kiryuin!" With that Nui planted her feet into the ground and pushed, forcing her body into a roll which brought her back upright, her free hand grabbing at the tacking needles as she went. Those needles were soon whistling through the air as Nui threw them at Jun, but when they struck his chest they just bounced off, clattering harmlessly to the ground. Nui's jaw dropped. "H-how? That's not even part of your uniform."

Taking advantage of her surprise, Jun charged forward, slamming his shoulder into Nui's stomach and tackling her to the ground. He laughed as she violently coughed beneath him. "You ain't gettin' it, are you? Our Goku Uniforms are as tough as steel, and a wrestler's manly chest is a much a part of his uniform as his shorts are! You know what that means? Your little needles can't do a thing to me!" Jun hauled Nui up with him, and then threw her over his shoulder, straight at Haru. There was no time to recover; Haru's sash was around her legs within seconds, and concrete soon filled her vision as she was slammed back into the ground.

Nui tried to pick herself up back up, but Haru was quickly upon her, firing several rounds of his staple gun into her back, and her legs buckled under the onslaught. She opened up her parasol, using it to deflect most of the incoming staples, but some were still able to find a way through, nicking at her legs or arms. "What's the matter, new girl, thought you were going to hurt me?" Haru asked, continuing to pour staple rounds in her direction. Nui withstood it as best she could, all the while silently lining up her parasol's tip with Haru's head. "You should've just accepted detention, now you get to feel the true wrath of the hall monitors club! It's going to take you hours to get those staples out, and I've been told it isn't a pleasant experience, but you brought this on yourself! This is what happens whe-"

Haru's rant was abruptly interrupted by a missile exploding his face, and though his Goku Uniform tanked the worst of it, he was still sent flying across the courtyard. Nui smirked, blowing smoke off the tip of her parasol. "Heard getting blown up isn't a pleasant experience either, dork."

Nui managed to find a way back onto her feet, but the staples made moving a painful task, which was unfortunate given how Jun was now charging towards her. Out of missiles and severely restricted movement wise, she drew more tacking needles, throwing them at weak spots such as the eyes or mouth, but each one bounced off just like before. That left her scissor blade, and she sliced at him when he got close enough, a last-ditch effort which threw her already weak footing off balance. Jun easily vaulted over her blade though, before extending his knee, smashing Nui in the chest as he knocked her to the ground once more.

Nui had the breath knocked out of her, and yet again, Jun gave her no chance to recover, grabbing her by the neck and hauling her up until her feet dangled helplessly in the air. "That was a clever plan, surprising the poindexter like that, but that won't work on me. Clever plans are no match for my strength!" Jun then hauled her up even higher, until she was being held high above his head. Realising what was about to happen, Nui swung her scissor blade, intend on slicing the wrestling captain's arms off, but once again her attack failed to connect as Haru's sash wrapped around her arm.

"This is for shooting a missile at my face, bitch!" a slightly charred Haru growled, and that left Nui as little more than a passenger for what was about to come.

Jun laughed as she flailed helplessly above him. "Don't matter if it's John Cena, Hulk Hogan, or The Rock, there ain't a single wrestler alive who can match me! Taste my finishing move; Subterranean Spinebuster!"

[SUBTERRANEAN SPINEBUSTER]

And with that Nui was slammed into the ground. The resulting shockwave shattered hundreds of windows across the city, and sent every student sprawling to the ground, save for Ryuko, who weathered it all with a look of disinterest. Even Jun was forced to take shelter from his own attack, as dust and debris shot out in all directions, smashing great big holes into the academy's walls, and carving massive ravines across the courtyard. And at the very center of it all lay Nui, sprawled out in a crater several metres deep, every inch of her body screaming in pain.

A sharp heel pressed itself against her side, and Nui hissed as she was flipped over. It was Ryuko who stood over her. "Still alive? That's good, ain't much of a lesson if it kills you." Ryuko leaned in, those strange, gear-shaped eyes appraising Nui with a hard glare. "And the lesson better have sunk in, Matoi, because I don't give out second chances to people like you. Threats against me I can take, I'm a goddamn Kiryuin after all, but if you ever decide to come back here and make idle threats against my students again, I'll kill you. You got that?"

"C-crystal… clear… b-bitch", Nui rasped out, and then, despite every muscle in her body screaming in agony, she swung her scissor blade at Ryuko. It was a predictably weak swing, one Ryuko easily sidestepped, but the effort alone was enough to wipe the glare of her face, and its place came a boisterous laugh.

"Gotta give you credit, Matoi, you don't know when to call it quits. Most people would'a crawled up into a ball and had a good cry after the beating you just took, but here you are, still tryna fight me. I admire that. Tell you what, I'll let you-" Ryuko was abruptly silenced as Nui spat a glob of blood in her face.

"You can shove your admiration up where the sun doesn't shine, you Life Fiber puppet", Nui hissed, smirking weakly at a shocked Ryuko.

Ryuko's rage finally boiled over, and she snatched at one of Nui's pigtails, using it to hoist the girl up above her. Nui had nothing left to give at this point, and just hung there limply, withering Ryuko's hate-filled glare. "You know what, you're fucking done here, Matoi! I was gonna let you walk outta here with your dignity intact, but now you're leaving the hard way! Congrats, bitch, this is all on you!" And with that, Ryuko grabbed the other pigtail, and began to spin around. The world quickly became a blur for Nui, and she could do nothing but desperately cling to her scissor blade with all the strength she had left, such was her fear of losing it.

"Get the fuck outta my academy!" Ryuko screamed, releasing Nui at the apex of her spin, sending the girl hurtling into the air. Nui sailed over the school walls, then half of Honno City itself- practically a ragdoll for the entire flight before- Ryuko's throw finally lost its steam, and she fell back to earth again. Barely lucid, Nui saw the ground rushing towards her and did the only thing she could think to do; open up her parasol.

It worked surprisingly well, slowing her down fairly quickly, but it couldn't prevent the inevitable, and Nui still hit the ground harder than she would've liked. She tumbled down the road for what seemed like miles, only coming to an abrupt stop when she smashed into the front of a car, setting the alarm off in the process. Despite the blaring noise in her ears, Nui could only manage a few more seconds of consciousness, just barely able to make out a strangely familiar voice before finally blacking out.

"Well, Nui lost, as we expected. I was hoping she wouldn't rush in like she did, but I suppose it all worked out in the end."

"Worked out? For fuck's sake, Aikuro, she could've been killed! That girl means a lot to me, and I don't appreciate-"

"Relax, this was all part of the plan. Now that Nui knows just how outmatched she is against Ryuko Kiryuin, she'll be less likely to take Isshin's final gift for granted."

"You mean the Kamui? No, absolutely not! We don't even know if it will work on someone like her."

"Isshin wouldn't have worked on it for years if he didn't believe it would. Besides, you know she needs it."

"... Fine, Aikuro, but only because Isshin would've wanted it. I want to be the one to give it to her, though."

"Of course, you know her best after all, Kinue."

[TAILORED FOR VENGEANCE]

AN: A story with Nui as the hero? Uh oh, looks like the writer's gone insane.

I'll be the first to admit this could turn out poorly, but risks are worth taking, and I believe I have it in me to tell a good story without completely butchering the characters. Of course, the different upbringings will alter the characters in some way, especially in Nui's case, but for the most part, I've tried to remain faithful to who they were originally. This work takes inspiration from the Satsuki birth swap stories we've seen in past, of course, but I found the potential twist of having Nui take up the hero's mantle to be an intriguing idea, and one I could not resist writing.

So here we. I hope you all in enjoy, because I'm very excited to write it.

This is my first story in quite a little while, so forgive me if I'm a little rusty. If you happen to find any errors in spelling or grammar (beyond the British-American English differences, of course) please let me know via review or PM, and I'll be more than happy to fix it.