Breakfast the next day was tense. Dev joined them at least, but the way she eyed her pilfered uniform, and the way Pleasant repeatedly fixed her collar, drawing attention to said stolen uniform wasn't helping.

Pleasant's gaze was smug as she sat back, arms folded.

Oni, sitting on Dev's right, looked across from her to Pleasant's guarded posture. The way Pleasant folded her arms might have made her look arrogant, but Oni knew it to be her way of hiding the fact that she was waiting for her turn to eat.

Slowly, a head leaned forward until it was in Dev's line of sight. That head puckered its lips.

"Come on. It was for a good cause." Sen waited then scooted closer on the bench. He gave her a nudge. "Come on. Be a good sport. So I lied. It was one lie."

"You've never lied to me before," Dev grumbled.

Sen threw one leg over hers and was nearly in her lap as he draped her shoulders. "Of course I have. I've complimented every meal you've ever cooked."

The slow way she turned her head to face him looked demonic.

The overexaggerated shudder meant Sen agreed. "We need to make a plan for the cull."

His words changed Dev's expression.

Whatever the reaction, Oni willed himself not to push Sen off her entirely.

"Wait—you—you mean to try? To actually try?"

Sen considered it then nodded. "Yeah. I will. But we need to get a proper plan in motion."

Beyond their calmer squabble, Oni caught sight of something else disturbing. Bray, hair slicked back, standing some distance away with his boldness adequately sapped.

The moment he turned back to his table in the distance, Sen pressed his cheek to Dev's, an action that had her suspicious.

"What are you up to?"

He gave her a squeeze then sat on his own once more. "Nothing. Just correcting a mistake." He cut her off. "Best if you don't ask."

Dev's mood improved but not by much. Today, too, Mercy dragged out the eating time, a fact everyone regretted with a sweep of Dev's hand.

A tray crashed to the floor. Dev stood and sent the next one flying and the one after that. When all seven landed finally, she stood eyeing her stunned crew.

"I'm tired of this. I'm tired of having to fight all of you. I'm tired of having to accommodate your habits, nonsense, squabbling, insubordination. I need nothing from the lot of you. You're the ones who need me. And if we can't do something as basic as eat like normal people then fine. Don't eat. Don't eat one bite."

Sen didn't move a muscle but pride shined in his eyes. It swelled in Oni's chest as well.

Finally.

Dev was finally taking a stand. This would earn her the much deserved respect.

Mercy's stared at the table, face beet red.

The entire mess hall stilled to watch them. One boot landed on the bench, then the table. The kick to Dev's tray sent it straight at her face.

Dev caught it but not all of the food to douse her.

"Good that you've got outrage to toss around." Pleasant crouched, meeting her at eye level. To the naked eye, that was all, but Oni saw it, she was gearing up for a fight. "Now. If you'd only be so kind as to act like a half-decent head cadet and take it up with us directly before throwing a fit, that would be much appreciated." Her body tensed when she spat, "Boss."

A deadly silence fell over the spacious room. No one moved, no one breathed.

Sen started to lean back, gearing up to grab one of them.

Oni timed it.

Pleasant lunged at Dev. Oni lunged at Sen.

It was less of a tackle and more of a flounder but that didn't matter.

Dev caught Pleasant by the throat, whipped around, and slammed her into the floor.

Many things crawled out of the silent abyss after that. One, was several female head cadets taking great interest in their meal while muttering to their crew to eat on. They continued to glance in Dev's direction but discreetly. Second, several male head cadets got to their feet but hesitated. And third, Pleasant didn't try to rise.

All the muscles of the body Oni fell on refused to relax. Sen took this hard.

Finally, Sen muttered, "Her stitches...."

A wave of realization swept Oni to his feet and he rushed Dev.

What happened next rivaled reason and occurred too fast for Oni to hold on to. He slipped his palm against Dev's free hand and tugged her to stand.

Her grip tightening was automatic as she geared up for another strike but Oni's heart leapt. Their touching hands drew his focus. Surprise nearly made him let go but he stopped himself from doing something that stupid.

Pleasant remained on the ground, hand over her eyes. Male head cadets rushed them with Sen standing also. All hell broke loose.

Oni was in heaven. He fought back his grin as Dev tried to pounce Pleasant again. More than once, she nearly broke free but that led to an even better consequence—Oni had to hold her shoulder to keep her from attacking.

A fat grin crept across his face and he fought to hold it back. Disgust reflected in most of the head cadet faces, reminding Oni of the situation.

Oni settled for keeping his head down. By the time someone—probably Sen—helped Pleasant up, Oni had his left arm around Dev's right shoulder, his other hand still gripping hers.

The string of curses coming from Dev's mouth were like heaven.

All too quickly, it vanished.

Dev brushed him off...and let him go.

Oni felt cold.

"One word," Dev growled. "Any of you say one word about how I deal with these vermin and you're welcome to having them on your crew instead! One word."

With this, Sen left Pleasant's side and grabbed his cousin's arm and yanked her to him with such power she gasped.

"That's enough."

Pleasant's hand came up to her torso but down again.

Plenty of people took notice.

"Take her to the medical bay," a familiar voice said.

An invisible string yanked Oni's head back, forcing his eyes forward to regard the menga. Bray.

He didn't brush Sen aside though he seemed intent on making the attempt.

Oni debated what to do, what to say.

Bray told Dev, "I've seen the way they've treated you. I can vouch for that. This medical checkup is on me."

The first thing to change was Dev's drawn up shoulders. Little by little, a calm came over her.

Internally, Oni panicked.

"We don't need the help!" Bad enough those words tumbled out of his mouth. He then took a literal fall in his attempt to intervene.

Oni crashed to the floor, right on top of the food.

The sighs and snickers from others didn't concern him for once.

Someone caught Oni by the back of his shirt, and he flicked them away.

Dev.

She kept her hands hovered over him after that and Oni regretted nothing more.

"I'd appreciate the medical checkup," Dev muttered, deciding to help Oni up eventually.

The shame in her voice threw him until their eyes met; she was begging Oni to stop making things worse.

A large hand landed on Dev's shoulder. Bray tried to meet her gaze. "If you need help—"

"No. We're fine!" Oni jumped up, slipped, and crashed to the ground again. This time laughter came from more than a few people. It didn't come from even one head cadet.

Oni got to his feet. Dev caught hold of him to steady him. Body trembling, Oni eyed Bray with as much hate as Dev directed at Pleasant.

"The eight of us will clean up here," Sen said. "Take the washup and get cleaned up."

Dev wouldn't meet his gaze. The nonsense with Oni sobered her at least.

"I should get her checked out."

"She's fine," Sen insisted.

A light went on in Oni's head. The names. Bringing Pleasant to the med bay was no option.

The spectators gave no resistance after that. In fact, it all ended rather unceremoniously. All but for the shame.

Oni's world started to crumble or different reasons.

Bray and his crew of forty hadn't left. "We'll clean this up for you. It'll be done in no time."

Dev's face reddened.

In Oni's eyes, that blush looked perverse somehow. He didn't mean to, and it wasn't his intent, but his body lunged forward on its own, set on somehow blocking Dev's acceptance of this slug's generosity.

This time when Oni slipped, Bray grabbed him in the chest to keep him upright.

It was an action that had Dev giggling but it instead sounded Oni's defeat. He'd lost.

She even giggled, a sound someone like her didn't seem capable of emitting.

Dev's smile transformed her into someone else, even when she took hold of Oni's arm and helped him out of the mess he was sliding around in like some amoeba.

"Thanks," Dev said, "but I think I should clean it up. I caused it." Her eyes scanned her sullen crew. "Hopefully this will be the last time we're the talk of the division."

"You sure?" Bray was losing ground.

Good.

At Dev's meek nod, Oni calmed. Now he could actually feel her arm on his shoulder.

This would be all right.

"Good." Bray's jaw worked but ultimately, he gave up.

His face was beet red when he turned to leave, flicking his hand to command his crew to follow.

Each step they took had Oni's heart beating at normal speed again.

"Bray!" Dev waited for the head cadet to look back at her before flashing him a smile. "Thank you."