Divine Milking System

Misato’s expression was unreadable. "Do that again," she ordered.

I repeated the maneuver, this time adding a flip for style points before landing. Hey, if they were going to watch, might as well give them a show.

When I finished, Misato was writing furiously on her clipboard.

"That," she said without looking up, "is what we need to work with. Mobility plus firepower. Monroe, why didn’t you tell me you could move like that?"

Because I just upgraded the ability last night after stealing Aurora’s power. "Still getting used to it," I said instead.

"Well, get used to it faster. That changes our entire strategic approach." She turned to the others. "New formation. Monroe as mobile artillery. Love as center anchor. Fox and Wayne on flanks for support and detection."

The rest of the training session focused on integrating my new mobility into our team tactics. By the end, even I had to admit we were working better together. Naomi’s blasts coordinated with my aerial attacks. Jordan’s shadows provided cover for my landings. Belle’s callouts guided my targeting.

We were becoming a real team.

When Misato finally called it quits, the sun was directly overhead, beating down on us mercilessly. We collapsed in the shade of a nearby tree, passing a water bottle between us.

"Not bad," Misato said, which from her was practically a standing ovation. "We’ll train again tomorrow."

"You can’t be serious." Belle protested.

"Gates don’t take days off," Misato replied coolly. "Neither do we."

She turned and walked away, already typing something on her phone. Probably reporting to Blair.

"I hate her so much right now," Jordan muttered, lying spread-eagle on the grass again.

"No, you don’t," Naomi said, taking a long drink of water. The way her throat moved as she swallowed was mesmerizing. "You hate that she’s right."

"Same difference," he groaned.

Belle scooted closer to me, lowering her voice. "I looked up the schedules. First year gate bids open Friday. If we want a good slot, we need to come in strong."

"How much money do we need?"

Belle’s expression turned calculating. "Minimum bid is five hundred credits per person. But if we want priority selection, we’re looking at closer to a thousand each."

I winced. My stipend was already stretched thin between food, date expenses, and saving for emergencies.

"And I assume you’re about to tell me you’re broke," Belle sighed.

"Not broke," I corrected. "Just... financially challenged."

"That’s broke with extra syllables," she deadpanned. "Look, I can cover you for the first bid. But you need to get your shit together for the next one."

I stared at her, genuinely touched. "You’d do that for little old me?"

"Don’t make it weird," she warned, but her cheeks flushed slightly. "I just don’t want our team ranking to drop because you’re a poverty case."

"Right," I said, fighting a smile. "Purely strategic."

"Exactly." She stood up, brushing grass from her leggings. "I need a shower. This heat is disgusting."

As she walked away, Jordan snickered. "Real smooth, Monroe."

"Shut up," I muttered, but there was no heat in it.

Naomi watched Belle leave, then turned to me with those piercing pink eyes. "You two seem close today."

The question in her voice was unmistakable. I’d promised her honesty, and I intended to deliver.

"We had our session this morning," I admitted quietly. "The buff thing."

She nodded slowly, processing. "And... how was it?"

"Do you really want details?" I asked gently.

"No," she said quickly, then paused. "Maybe. I don’t know." She sighed, running a hand through her sweat-dampened hair. "I’m still figuring out how to handle this whole arrangement."

I reached over, taking her hand. "Hey. You know where you stand with me, right?"

She squeezed my hand, offering a small smile. "I think so."

Jordan made a gagging sound. "If you two are going to get all mushy, I’m out." He stood up with exaggerated effort. "Besides, I need to shower before the stench becomes permanent."

After he left, Naomi and I sat in comfortable silence, still holding hands.

"She’s right, you know," Naomi said eventually. "About needing more abilities. More power."

"I know."

"And I’m assuming Aurora has already... contributed to your collection?"

I nodded, watching her carefully. "Last night."

Naomi took a deep breath. "What did you get from her?"

"Sensory Hijack," I explained. "I can manipulate what people see, hear, feel, taste, and smell. At Bronze rank now, I can affect two senses at once."

Her eyes widened slightly. "That sounds... powerful."

"It is," I confirmed. "Especially in the right situations."

A thoughtful look crossed her face. "Could you use it in combat? Make enemies see things that aren’t there? Or not see things that are?"

"Theoretically, yeah. I’m still experimenting with range and duration."

She nodded, her tactician’s mind clearly working through the possibilities. "You should practice with it. On willing subjects," she added quickly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Volunteering?"

A blush crept across her cheeks. "Maybe. For the team, of course."

"Of course," I agreed, fighting a smile.

Her blush deepened. "Don’t make fun of me."

"I wouldn’t dream of it." I stood up, pulling her with me. "Come on. We both need showers, and I need to respond to Aurora’s lunch invitation."

"Lunch?" She kept hold of my hand as we walked. "You’re seeing her again so soon?"

"Just lunch," I assured her. "Nothing more. I promise."

Naomi bit her lip, then nodded. "Okay. But... maybe we could do something? Just us?"

The hopeful note in her voice made my chest tighten. Despite everything—despite knowing I was involved with other girls, despite the complexity of our arrangement—she still wanted me. Still chose me.

"You’re right. Let’s have lunch together instead." I said, meaning it.

Her smile was like sunshine breaking through clouds. "Good. Because I’ve been thinking about you. About us."

The way she said it sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. "Oh?"

"Mhmm." She moved closer as we walked, her shoulder brushing against mine. "I have some ideas I want to try. If you’re interested."

"I am definitely interested," I replied, my voice dropping lower. "Very interested."

She laughed, the sound light and carefree. "Good. Because after seeing what you can do with that Wave Motion ability now..." She trailed off, biting her lip again.

"What?" I prompted, genuinely curious.

She leaned in, her breath warm against my ear. "I want to see what else you can do with all that control."

And then she was walking ahead of me, her hips swaying slightly, leaving me standing there with my mouth open.

Who was this bold, flirtatious version of Naomi? And how quickly could I get her alone?

As I hurried to catch up, I couldn’t help but think about the contrast. Belle with her direct, almost aggressive approach. Aurora with her playful teasing and sensory games. And now Naomi, surprising me with this newfound confidence.

Each one so different. Each one stealing a piece of me in their own way.

And each one helping me get stronger, whether they realized it or not.

If I was going to make this team reach the top five—if I was going to survive long enough to see it happen—I needed all of them. Their essence, their abilities, their support.

The price of five was high. But I was more than willing to pay it.

I caught up to Naomi, throwing my arm around her shoulders. "So about these ideas of yours..."

She smiled up at me, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Patience, Monroe. Good things come to those who wait."

"And to those who don’t?" I asked, grinning.

Her laugh was answer enough.