a/n- supris bicth

Kyoko took a deep breath.

And while she was at it, she took a second unnecessarily deep breath to ease her hot nerves. In and out, as she used to when she would go hungry to push out the emptiness.

She was calm. She was ready.

So what if she had absolutely no experience being an intern? How hard could it be? She just had to make it through today and she would be fine. Couldn't be any much different than wrestling a large fish out of the river, or learning to cram her hand into a soda dispenser to reach the sugary drinks inside, or enduring an empty stomach for days at a time and still being able to fake a smile for your little sister…

Compared to all that, figuring this out was nothing. 'This is going to be a piece of cake,' Kyoko thought to herself, all of her confidence mustered into her stance. 'Easy peasy lemon squeezy.' She tugged on the lapels of her new jacket, grateful that she could fit into Sayaka's clothes decently enough. She straightened up, ran a hand through her hair and took a step forward towards…

Towards..? Where was she supposed to go again?

Looking around, she saw that there sure were a whole lot of people moving purposefully about. Wall-to-wall elevators spat people out and swallowed them up again in rapid succession with countless floor options. She fished in her pockets trying to locate her instructions only to come up empty-handed. She realized it most likely had fallen out when she ran all the way here. Negative thoughts swarmed her head and she became angrier with herself with every passing second. 'Oh for fuck's sake! What the hell are you even doing? Shitshitshitshit!'

"Pardon me," someone addressed her. "Do you need some help?"

"No," Kyoko was quick to respond defensively. "Do I look like I need fucking help?" She renewed her search for the missing instructions. Maybe she had crammed them into her pants; she had to exhaust all her possibilities here!

"Very much so, actually," the voice continued addressing her for some reason. "You're Kyoko Sakura, correct?"

At her name, Kyoko paused in burying her hands in her pant pockets and took in the source of the voice. A girl, probably around her age but with a mature look and blonde hair that looked like it wanted to pierce the heavens.

"Yeah," Kyoko said slowly, trying to place the girl's face. 'Do I know her from somewhere?'

It took the other girl a second too long to respond, taking in Kyoko as well with an odd look in her eye that Kyoko couldn't read. When Kyoko raised an impatient eyebrow and said, "And you are?" Snapped out of her thoughts, the other young woman blinked and looked a little flustered.

"Sorry, where are my manners! I'm Mami Tomoe, I'm also an intern here for Mrs. Kaname."

"Ohhh." Kyoko tried to hide the relief at having found an anchor in this ever-moving tide of people. She was not very successful at this because and she couldn't help looking at Mami with wide expectant eyes that probably begged for guidance.

Her expression betraying how obviously lost she was, Mami's shoulders seemed to relax and her face softened. "It's your first day, isn't it? I could show you to her office if you'd like?" she offered with a serene smile. Her entire look was vexingly kind and open, like the human embodiment of a fresh croissant. Hell, she even smelled warm!

Disarmed by the offer, Kyoko released a grateful breath. "That would actually save my ass, thanks."

"Right this way then, Ms. Sakura." Mami helpfully led the way to one of the elevators, Kyoko quick to follow behind her.

"Call me Kyoko. Only old ladies call me Ms. Sakura," Kyoko said as they entered an elevator together.

Mami laughed lightly as she pressed the proper floor number. "My, was that intentionally rude, or accidentally rude?"

Kyoko bit back her curse at coming off as rude right off the bat. She had to make an effort to get along with her peers. "I've been told being rude is my default. Sorry in advance now for all future rudeness."

Mami shrugged, brushing some meticulously crafted hair behind her shoulder. "Around here a bit of rudeness comes with the territory, not that I approve of it. I prefer a bit more teamwork, but I suppose that's the corporate world for you." Mami shared another confidence-boosting smile in Kyoko's direction. "Just never hesitate to ask me for help."

Like a pebble skipping across Kyoko's memories, the redhead made an 'oh' sound as she struck her fist against her palm. "I remember where I've seen you before!"

Mami's breath stuttered at those words, her spine stiffening for a horrendous second of dread.

Kyoko snapped her fingers victoriously. "I saw you at that circus thing! Waluigi Nights or something? You played one of the magical girls."

Mami's hand twitched imperceptibly at her side before she tightened it into a fist. "O-Oh, is that so?" One could hardly tell Mami was smothering her own awkwardness.

"Phew, glad I figured that out. It was bugging me for a minute there!" Kyoko was blissfully ignorant of Mami's plight.

Mami shook herself, trying to keep up her smile as best she could. "Glad to help in any way I can." Luckily the elevator doors opened with a smooth hiss to free Mami of this stifling box of apparently her own memories. "Try to remember the way for next time, okay?"

"Got it."

There was something about this floor that made everyone move to the same steadfast beat. An energy similar to that of entering enemy territory, and it made Kyoko tilt her chin up higher and roll her shoulders out a little. There was a sort of thrill knowing that she would soon be a participant in this cutthroat environment.

"So… are you ready for this?" Mami asked as they approached their destination.

Kyoko chuckled grimly. "We're about to find out."

"I'll take that as a no." When she stopped she motioned towards a third girl, who stood poised with her arms crossed as if she had been expecting just this moment to look down her nose at Kyoko. "This is Oriko. She's Mrs. Kaname's senior assistant."

Kyoko had to make a conscious effort not to glare back like she was a fighter in a boxing ring. Mustering up her rusty manners, she squared her shoulders. "Nice to see you again. My name is Kyoko Sakura. I'll be in your care." Stiff, but hey, she said the words with a straight face.

"Charmed." It was obvious Oriko wasn't charmed one bit. "So you can clean up after all."

Mami smoothly cut in to relieve some of the vibes Oriko was giving off. "Oh, so you've met before?"

"Briefly, when Ms. Sakura was being escorted out by security."

Kyoko let slip the tiniest of smirks. "I guess it's a good thing I left an impression."

Oriko sighed deeply- like she was a gatekeeper who couldn't believe a ruffian managed to get past her watchful eye. "The first thing you have to learn around here is that we are Mrs. Kaname's foot soldiers. We are her eyes, her arms, and her legs. We reflect her image, and her image is always top of the cut. Got it?"

Kyoko nodded like that all made sense. "Sure. Peachy."

"Hmph." Oriko stepped closer to Kyoko, looming over her. "She could have any candidate she wanted, and she went with you." She placed her hands on her hips and Kyoko wondered if everyone around here was an asshole. If so, she'd fit right in in no time. "Let me make this clear to you: we are running a business, we're not here to spoon-feed you. I've seen your files."

Kyoko's back went rigid at that.

Oriko continued, "I don't care if you have a sad backstory, because guess what? We all have one."

A heavy beat and Kyoko tilted her head to one side. "Are you done with the snide posturing, or are we actually going to get some work done today?" she said in her most bored tone. Off to the side, Mami bit back a smile. It appeared Kyoko had some bite to her!

Giving her one last critical once over, Oriko turned heel. "Have it your way."

As if sensing that Kyoko had to stay on her toes, the large door to the office they were standing in front of swung open and Junko Kaname finally emerged from her office. All three girls puffed their chests at her presence, and Kyoko wondered how exactly Junko gave off the energy to pull that off. She had a phone to her ear, but she still flashed them a grin and wink. "Ladies," she greeted as she put the device away. Her eyes landed on Kyoko and her grin widened like she was welcoming a daughter home. "Glad you decided to join us, Kyoko! Welcome to the new season of the walking dead!" She winked in Mami's direction. "No offense, Mami."

"No offense taken!" Mami said, chuckling at their own private joke.

Oriko rolled her eyes as she sat back at her desk. "Were you always this distasteful, or are you being influenced by our present company?" Oriko gleamed another pointed look at Kyoko as if this was also her fault.

Kyoko looked between the ladies with a raised brow at the cryptic joke.

"Well, we have time for a quick rundown before things start getting messy around here." Junko ushered Kyoko as well as the other two into her office. And just like that, as the doors closed behind them, the next chapter in Kyoko's wildly varying life started.

.-.-.

Junko was kind enough to spend a few minutes with Kyoko explaining what they did around here- in a much clearer way than Oriko had a few minutes ago. She was provided with a newly minted photo ID, fitted with all the anti-counterfeit technology she never even knew existed. It hung around her neck, making her feel just a little more official in the building. Kyoko wondered when the hell her mugshot-looking photo was taken. She also apparently got her own tablet and phone that Kyoko stared blankly at.

"You break it, you buy it," Oriko commented, and Kyoko internally panicked because she didn't really know anything about how the technology worked. And there was a 98% chance that she would immediately break the items with her rough hands alone. As Mami took a moment to set up the tablet for her, Junko, probably sensing her discomfort, just gave Kyoko a slap on the back for encouragement.

"They're tougher than they look, believe me."

Kyoko chuckled nervously. "I hope so."

"By the way, you're looking sharp. Sayaka's, I assume?"

"Ah! Yeah," Kyoko admitted, feeling embarrassed for some reason.

"Once we get the ball rolling, I'll be happy to hook you up with my tailor. We're close, so we can work something out for you."

Kyouko sat up even straighter. "Thanks, but I think I've had enough charity lately."

"Is that so?" Junko's smile stayed virtually the same but for some reason, it felt a touch sharper. "Keep in mind that we're a business. You're an investment, not a charity case. You'd do well to remember that."

It was similar to what Oriko said earlier, but coming from the older woman the words carried a lot more weight. Kyoko's eyes were tempted to turn towards the floor but she resisted her instincts. "Yes ma'am," she said in a low voice. She had a feeling she had to get used to saying that.

"Nervous?"

"Yeah," Kyoko admitted with a smirk. "Honestly, I'm freaking out."

"Good," Junko seemed pleased by that. "That's what I like about you, Kyoko. Nerves of steel!" After checking her surprisingly traditional wristwatch, she started to gather her things from her desk like she had an important place to be. She probably did.

"Oriko is in charge of scheduling and general paperwork. Mami accompanies me to boardroom meetings and organizes my notes and presentations. For now, I'm going to make you my acquisition officer," she explained as they walked out of the office.

Kyoko's eyes shined with anticipation."Oh, that sounds kinda cool." A pause. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Oriko cut in, pointing at a pile of boxes sitting at the foot of her desk, waiting to be delivered to god knows where. "Fetch."

"And while you're at it, I'll send you my coffee order," Junko said thoughtfully as she typed into her phone, the unfamiliar device in Kyoko's pocket pinging with a notification.

Mami raised her hand with a sheepish smile. "And I'm going to need you to retrieve something from another floor, too."

Kyoko pursed her lips. "You could've just called me a grunt," she grumbled as she mentally rolled up her sleeves.

"There are two types of people in this world," Junko started as she started walking down the hall, Mami following on her heels. "Those who start at the bottom, and those who landed near the top out of luck. How far you go is entirely up to you. But take it from me," Junko flashed a secret grin at Kyoko, as though she was imparting a juicy secret, "it's a much more satisfying view from the top after pushing all those lucky people out of my way."

.-.-.

PING

Since Homura was already busily typing away on her phone, she saw she received a text from Sayaka immediately. Never had a text message been so readily ignored and swiped aside. She was too busy lovingly crafting a message to Madoka and it required her full attention. Homura had spent two hours painstakingly constructing this text, reading it over and over again to check for any spelling errors or anything that could possibly be misconstrued… or worse: A message that gave away her impure intentions of wanting to spend time with her. Accepting that she would never be satisfied with the selection of emojis, Homura finally hit 'send' with a hesitancy she felt right down to her boots.

"Want to study at the library?"

Nailed it. Homura gave herself a mental pat on the back and proceeded to the library, Sayaka's ignored message the furthest thing from her mind.

If there was any place Homura considered a second home, it was the library. It was the only place she could read and do her homework in peace. Holding a drink in one hand and earbuds blasting her favorite music, Homura settled in her usual spot, a secluded cove in the corner with an excellent view of the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that illuminated the place with natural lighting. It was also the spot that would allow her and Madoka the most privacy from prying eyes. She had calculated it. All went smoothly-

PING

Not so smoothly anymore.

"Sorry, maybe next time! But I sent you a friend!"

Immediately looking up her most emo playlist that consisted of only one song on repeat (64,695 plays), Homura put her phone away with a sulk. She had been looking forward to more time with the rose haired beauty. It felt like she could hardly see her anymore outside of group activities.

'Speaking of groups, what did Madoka mean by sending over a friend?'

Something slapped against the glass in front of her. It was an ominous sound that carried with it a negative energy. Slowly, Homura looked up, dreading the sight that awaited her. Her gut instinct proved right because Sayaka was standing on the other side of the glass with her face pressed against it and a gleam in her eye that landed on Homura's forehead like a red target.

Sayaka waved. Homura cursed under her breath.

"Why don't you answer any of my calls or texts, transfer student?" Sayaka muttered as she stalked up to Homura's sacred space and stomping all over it with her stompy feet.

"I wonder why indeed," Homura sighed as Sayaka helped herself to the seat she had specially reserved in her mind for Madoka. "What do you want?"

Sayaka was crossing her arms, her leg bouncing. She was clearly not in the best of moods. "I just… I'm freaking out and I don't know if I'm going crazy or if I'm not going crazy enough."

Homura eyed the anxious girl warily. That was extremely vague, even by Homura's standards.

"And you're seeking my advice?"

"Ha!" Sayaka sent Homura a dirty glare. "I'm not! Well! Maybe, I don't know. Am I? Okay, yeah, I am!" Sayaka ran her hand through her hair trying to get her bearings. "I feel like you can help me."

It was clear Sayaka was working through something. How that something involved Homura specifically, she had no idea.

"Since you've agreed to help me with Madoka, I suppose that's fair," Homura gave in, intrigued despite herself. "Perhaps you should start at the beginning?"

"You knew Kyoko before I did, right?"

So this was about Kyoko. Homura tilted her head, considering the question. "In a way, yes." She waited for Sayaka to elaborate. The girl across from her seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

"When I first met Kyoko, I saw some guys beating on her. It was really messed up. That's the reason I invited her to live with me, you know? So that she could be safe." Homura nodded, listening intently, encouraging Sayaka to continue. "And then she got that internship with Madoka's mom and I was really happy for her... But when I dropped her off just now for her first day today… I saw that guy again." Sayaka visibly shuddered at the memory, her fists tightening on her lap. "One of the guys who had been beating on her the day we met. I had almost forgotten about him, too! And it looked like he worked there! In the same place Kyoko works now!"

"So you're concerned for Kyoko's safety," Homura finished for her.

"Well yeah. She could be in danger, and I'm the one who helped put her there. I encouraged her to take that position!" Sayaka groaned, throwing her head back as all these thoughts assailed her mind at once. "I wanted to warn her, but security wouldn't let me through to talk to her!"

"Now's not the time to assign blame," Homura said before Sayaka spiraled with negative thoughts. After all, it was Homura who recommended Kyoko for the job, so technically the fault would mostly be hers should an incident actually befall Kyoko. Not that she was going to disclose that to Sayaka.

"It's just such a big coincidence!" Sayaka's head shot back up to exclaim in disbelief that Kyoko managed to land in the same spot as her enemy. Then her brows furrowed in thought. "Or maybe... it's not a coincidence?" She looked towards Homura with suspicion in her eyes that wasn't necessarily directed at Homura herself. "Do you think maybe… Kyoko did that on purpose? Do you think she's working there now to get to him? Or maybe she's being blackmailed?" Homura could practically see the other girl's mind going rampant with possibilities.

Before it could, Homura brushed her hair behind her should and reluctantly stood up. "How about you ask her yourself?"

Sayaka stood up as well, unconsciously following the other girl's lead. "How am I gonna do that?"

Homura removed the glasses from her face and put them away. "I can get you in."

.-.-.

'Fuckfuckfuck-'

Kyoko dashed down the hallway with bags in one hand and a tablet in the other, a map barely legible on screen. The map- a layout of the entire office building that was supposed to make her stressful trips less stressful. It might have, but only a minute before she realized that she had been holding it upside down and had to backtrack all her previous steps. She already struggled to follow other people's directions, and she was so distracted that she ended up shoulder-checking some other poor intern running in the opposite direction, knocking him over without a beat. "Move it or lose it!" she tossed behind her as his papers scattered everywhere, causing someone else to slip. She internally winced in sympathy but kept going- she had no time to waste! She was already behind on her scheduled list of tasks. The coffee she had brought back was cold, she'd gotten lost too many times already, and Oriko looked like the Grim Reaper ready to take her soul when Kyoko brought her back the wrong document. The first day wasn't even over and already she had a feeling she couldn't afford to screw up anymore.

Her destination now was the corporate lab. Mami said that she couldn't miss it, but with Kyoko's luck today she'd missed it a couple thousand times already. When she eventually found it, she was surprised she had missed it at all. The corporate lab had its own elevator that led up to its own floor, and when the elevator doors opened she realized why. If downstairs was a river of everflowing people, this place was more like a pond with croaking frogs sitting at their lily pads, if the lily pads were stations of technology and the frogs were wearing white coats. The atmosphere was entirely different; Kyoko had never seen anything like it. She couldn't help but to stare in awes, mouth slightly agape. It wasn't until the doors started closing that she reacted, shoving them back open and working her way inside. According to the memo on her tablet, she was charged with retrieving an item from someone. The note attached to it read "Don't come back without it!" and a smiley face. Hunting for the right name, she walked by workstation after workstation, eyeing the nameplates as well as experiments being conducted. She walked by an artificial set of lungs that looked like the real thing, passed a floating hologram of the human brain, and nearly ran into someone who, oddly enough, was trying to shock a dead toad back to life.

"What a bunch of nerds," Kyoko cracked to herself. She cleared her throat as she passed an intern. "Hey, I'm looking for a Jonathan?" Kyoko asked. The intern pointed towards a tall stringy man a few stations away and she made a beeline towards his desk.

"Mister uhh... Mister Jonathan?" Kyoko ventured into calling adults more respectful terms.

The older man turned away from his project to face her. "Who the hell are you?" he asked in near perfect Japanese. Foreigner or not, Kyoko was convinced that most people in this building were pricks, to put it kindly.

"New intern for Mrs. Kaname," she responded, trying to keep her temper in check.

"Oh, great," Jonathan groaned as if this was the greatest inconvenience in the world. He turned back to his project. "Listen, kid, you can tell Kaname the same thing I've told to every single intern she sends up here; Fuck. Off."

"Wow, okay," Kyoko's teeth were playing the world's smallest violin between her teeth and she was trying not to crush it, "I've had a really lousy day, and I'm trying to do my stupid job here. So if you could just hand over whatever it is she wants and I'll-"

"FUCK. OFF," he spoke over her, keeping his eyes on what appeared to a Terminator's arm. The robotic arm commenced shooing Kyoko away, making the street-raised girl take a step back. That thing creeped her the hell out and made her brain go all fuzzy with conflicting emotions. Instead of smashing this guy's head in like she oh-so-wanted to do, she stormed off, red-faced with fury.

She smacked the elevator button rapidly at least two dozen times until the doors reluctantly slid open for her. She walked in and as the doors closed and the elevator started to move, Kyoko polished the bottom of her shoe against the wall, completely oblivious to the young lab technician hiding behind his clipboard on the other side of the elevator. "Dumbass job," she grumbled in-between stomps. "Why the hell am I here again?"

When the doors re-opened, she stomped back out into the hallway, a storm cloud hanging over her head. She didn't exactly want to deliver the guy's explicit message to her new boss, but she didn't know what else she was supposed to do without breaking some noses. So distracted she was by her thoughts that she didn't notice that the closet door she was walking past was cracked open.

Without warning, she felt a pair of hands cover her mouth and pull her into the closet. Kyoko could barely make a noise. The space was cramped and dark, what little light there was cut off when the door clicked shut. Kyoko's back was pushed against the wall. Adrenaline flooded Kyoko's already rage-filled mind and instinctively she brought her fists up. She wasn't going down without a fight!

"KYOKO!" Sayaka's unmistakable voice shouted right into her ear before Kyoko could swing.

In a split-second, Kyoko went from enraged to confused. "Sayaka? What the f-"

"Kyoko, I saw the guy!" Sayaka seemed like she was out-of-breath. "The guy you pulled a gun on that one time! He works here, Kyoko! I'm here to warn you!" Sayaka might as well have yelled her warning into a megaphone with how loud she was.

Kyoko winced at the thought. "Oh, damn, you're right. I guess I did forget to mention that."

There was a long ominous pause that made Kyoko's head inexplicably duck. "What do you mean 'you forgot to mention it'?" Sayaka's voice was flabbergasted and the hands holding her clothes tightened. "You knew and you didn't tell me?!"

"I was gonna! I'm handling it!" Kyoko tried to cover her own ass.

"Handling it? You're putting yourself in danger if he finds out!"

"I'll be fine! I'm just gonna kick his ass on his own turf!"

"OH MY GOD I'M SO STRESSED RIGHT NOW, FIRST OF ALL HOW DARE YOU-"

"I DON'T HAVE TIME TO ARGUE, I'M KINDA IN THE MIDDLE OF WORK!" Kyoko yelled back.

"Yeah, in the middle of explaining why you thought this would be a good idea!"

Kyoko stuck an accusing finger into Sayaka's chest. "This was your idea!"

"You never listen to me, why would you start now of all times?"

"You're such a pain in the ass!" Kyoko grunted, attempting to pry Sayaka's hands off of her clothes. "Unless you came here to share feelings of undying love, I don't wanna hear it!"

Sayaka stammered at the weird and sudden accusation. "NOT ON YOUR LIFE!"

The light in the closet was just dim enough that Kyoko could make out Sayaka's silhouette, huffing, shuddering, like she was holding back tears.

"How did you even get in here, anyway?" Kyoko demanded. "Sheesh, did you get even dumber in the last few hours? Whatever, I don't need your stupid heroics! I'm FINE!"

The hands grabbing her jacket gripped even tightly and begun to violently shake her.

"KYOKO, YOU-!" Sayaka's voice cracked. Kyoko felt her heart sink. What little light there was, she could tell that Sayaka's face and eyes were completely red, and she could make out the outlines of her tendons in her neck. Kyoko didn't want to admit it, but she knew she'd fucked up.

"That guy…" Sayaka spoke up, voice quieting down as her fingers dug into Kyoko's shoulders. "The last time I saw him, he was standing over you with a bunch of other guys. You…" She paused to swallow the image of Kyoko in danger. "You looked so broken and helpless. It was scary," she admitted as she recalled the memory of the day they first met. "I've never been so scared. And when I tried to help, you pulled a gun on him!" She looked to be on the verge of tears. "To protect me!" She sniffed. "And now he's here, and what, it's no big deal? It's terrifying, Kyoko! God, why didn't you tell me?"

Kyoko was caught off-guard by how much this affected Sayaka. Her skin crawled as memories she had pushed to the back of her mind resurfaced.

"You make fun of me for playing the hero, but are you honestly going to tell me that you got this job knowing he was here? Or because he was here? Oh my God, did you get this job just to get revenge on him?" Sayaka went back to incredulous annoyance at how Kyoko flippantly dismissed her warning earlier. "Are you insane? Do you want me to go insane from worrying about you?" She waited for an explanation impatiently, staring Kyoko down.

"Sayaka…" Her hand went up slowly between them, reaching for Sayaka's face. After a second, her hand went limp and fell back to her side. Her face dredged up a smile to throw off this heavy mood. "You know me! Just out for kicks as usual!"

"Do I actually know you, though?" Sayaka asked, looking into Kyoko's eyes.

The half-smile Kyoko had barely managed to lighten the mood slowly crumbled the longer Sayaka looked at her. She had hoped to keep Ryu a secret to avoid this conversation with Sayaka completely. Now, this girl had her completely cornered, and Kyoko couldn't just brush her, or the situation she put herself in, off. And just like she had to take this internship more seriously, she had to face Sayaka head on and take her seriously as well. How else would she be able to convince her that the risk was worth taking? If she could convince someone as stubborn and headstrong as Sayaka…Then maybe she could convince herself as well.

Kyoko slapped her own cheeks, then proceeded to slap them over Sayaka's cheeks in a sudden movement that left matching red handprints on both of their faces.

"Ow!"

Kyoko brought Sayaka's face close and looked her in the eye.

"Sayaka," the redhead's voice rang steady enough for Sayaka's conscious to latch onto it for reassurance. "How you saw me that first day we met? That girl who couldn't defend herself from how shitty this world is? I'm here because I sure as hell never want to feel that way again. Ever."

Knowing that if she half-assed her words in any way she wouldn't be able to convince her, Kyoko made sure to charge every word with conviction. She held onto Sayaka's transfixed gaze to make sure every ounce of attention was focused on her.

"I'm not here for some petty revenge shit, alright? I'm here to prove to you - and myself, and everyone out there - that I'm not just a piece of shit that can be kicked to the curb and forgotten about. And if he ever tries anything like he did to me before, I'll actually have power to do something about it!"

"Kyoko," Sayaka's gaze narrowed, "you do know that's pretty much revenge, right?"

There's a pause when Kyoko's badass equilibrium was broken and she furrowed her brows in a bewildered cute way, looking almost offended Sayaka pointed that out. "Well, fine, but like I said, it's not PETTY revenge, this is like, DEEP revenge, you feel me?" Kyoko tried to salvage.

Sayaka didn't buy it.

"Then what if you get your deep revenge or whatever, and he wants to get deeper revenge for your deep revenge?" Sayaka shot back, making Kyoko squish her cheeks together as revenge for interrupting her revenge speech.

"Forget the revenge! Forget Ryu, fuck that guy!" Kyoko almost laughed. "He's nothing but a fly I have to swat away on the road to unlimited taiyakis!"

A surprised snicker escaped Sayaka's scrunched face at those words. "That is somehow the most honest goal you've ever set."

"Damn right." Kyoko rubbed the back of her head, eyes moving to the side as she mulled her words. "And... It was a mistake not to tell you. I didn't want to worry you, but that obviously didn't work. Made you worry worse. Sorry."

Sayaka's demeanor went sheepish as opposed to gratified as Kyoko would expect after her apology. "I'm sorry for ambushing you," she apologized as well with a touch of embarrassment.

"You've got to stop pulling me into closets," Kyoko smirked teasingly. "You could give a girl the wrong idea, y'know."

"I was worried!" Sayaka rolled her eyes.

"Awww, you do care!"

"Shut up!" They were smiling at each other, they were close, and making eye contact. Kyoko's mouth felt a little dry when she realized they were breathing the same air. Sayaka's gaze was traveling lower as natural as gravity.

Homura sneezed in the corner of the closet.

Both girls jumped, Kyoko smacking her head against the door behind her and Sayaka grabbing her chest in surprise.

"Ahh, what the FUCK Hom!" Kyoko sputtered. "How long have you been there?"

"We're in a closet, I've been here the whole time."

"How are you so freaking quiet?!"

"You two are just loud," Homura replied, chilling like a villain in her dark corner.

"Homura helped me get into the building," Sayaka explained quickly, flashing Homura a look that was both grateful and annoyed that she had interrupted her interrogation of Kyoko.

"Could you two try to wrap this up more quickly?" Homura said with displeasure.

"Right," Sayaka mumbled, turning back to her red-haired roommate. "So," Sayaka eyed Kyoko up, considering her words, "you're safe here?"

Kyoko's head nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think I'm okay. I've honestly been too busy to think about him," Kyoko answered as honestly as she could. She owed Sayaka at least that much now. Sayaka's face still looked unconvinced so Kyoko tried a different tactic that was more Sayaka's language.

"Hey, remember when you convinced me to take this internship? That you'd help me, and make it worth my while? I'm still counting on you for that!" Kyoko grinned brightly at her, the facial equivalent of a giant thumbs up.

It worked. Sayaka realized that Kyoko didn't need Sayaka to shield her or get her out of here. What Kyoko was asking for was her unadulterated support.

Sayaka slapped her hands over Kyoko's cheeks.

"Ow, really?"

"Then you better kick some butt out there!"

Kyoko grinned. "Don't need you to tell me that!"

"But if he touches you in any way," Sayaka's words dripped with conviction, "I'll kill him."

Kyoko blinked. Sayaka's words were stupid, and they were misinformed, and yet her blue eyes shimmered with promise and Kyoko felt her chest twinge just looking at her. Christ, she must be warped if the thought of Sayaka wielding true justice, in her name, brought a sense of yearning. The feeling was so surprisingly poignant that Kyoko snorted with laughter to cover it up.

"You're so damn dramatic."

She left the closet feeling reinvigorated. The two matching hand prints on her cheeks stung pleasantly. And she knew what she was going to do now.

.-.-.

"Gyah, stop!" Jonathan yelled as Kyoko held his terminator arm project over her head, getting ready to smash it against the floor. "I'll call security on you!"

"This'll be broken before they get here!" Kyoko said, a smirk of promise on her face. "You've got ten seconds to hand it over!"

"Fine! Okay! Just, just, just put it down please!"

"Oh, you want me to put it down? Are you sure that's how you wanna phrase it?" She moved to smash it and she swore the older man was about to cry on the spot.

"Stop! I'll do it!" He took a key ring off from around his neck and bolted to a nearby filing cabinet. With swift hands, he unlocked it and pulled out an envelope. He still seemed reluctant to relinquish it to Kyoko, so she snatched it out of his hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you," She said with the most pleasant of smiles as she put the robot arm down. Before she made her way back, her eyes caught glimpse of an innocent cinnamon bun sitting seductively on his desk. She snatched it up without thought. "And I'm taking this for the trouble."

Prizes in hand, she strutted away triumphantly. As she entered the elevator, she heard him mutter "Why does Kaname always hire the crazy ones?" It made her smile all the wider.

.-.-.

In the office's main lobby, an attendant rolled his food cart toward the entrance. Several hungry people grabbed his attention, but as soon as he stopped two figures suddenly rolled out from under the tablecloth, surprising the people around them. One woman fainted from the shock. Sayaka and Homura quickly sprung to their feet and made a mad dash to freedom before anyone had time to register the sight.

"Wow, that escape plan was super complicated. Air vents, who knew?" Sayaka commented when they were a good distance away. "Thanks for helping me, by the way. You're pretty reliable!" she smiled at Homura, who was wiping her glasses on her shirt.

"I'm glad you've finally realized that," Homura smoothly placed the red frames over her eyes. "Now if you don't mind, I had some studying you interrupted before."

"Nuh uh," Sayaka tutted before Homura could turn away and escape. "Now there's something I want to do for you!"

Homura had an ominous feeling about this. "What do you want now?"

"What do I want? Shouldn't the answer be obvious?" Sayaka clapped Homura on the back, almost as if she was now fully comfortable with the other girl.

As if they were friends now.

'Oh no' thought Homura.

"We need to plan your confession to Madoka!"

The sound that came from Homura's throat was like the childish whine of an injured horse.

"No complaining; you wanted my support, right? Well, you don't have to worry anymore, because love-guru Sayaka is on the case!" When Sayaka pulled her V-sign to her face it was almost as if she expected fireworks of confirmation to go off behind her. Homura could only see a murder of crows to doom her luck.

"And how many successful cases does this 'love-guru' have under her belt?"

They both already knew the answer to that. Sayaka's eyebrow twitched.

"Or, consider, your dreams will come to life if we pull this off right!" Sayaka chose to be a river of optimism to counteract Homura's waterfall of doubt.

"I doubt that-"

"Just listen to my frickin' ideas at least!" Sayaka optimism smashed against the rocks at the bottom of the negativity waterfall. "I don't have patience for pessimistic ingrates today!" she growled.

Mollified, Homura nodded with little enthusiasm. "Sorry. I do appreciate your support." She had just assumed it would be silent support from a distance. Perhaps this wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, though, if she actually had a good idea to offer Homura. "What do you have in mind, exactly?"

Sayaka put her hand to her chin in thought as they walked down the street together. Then her eyes brightened, and she snapped her fingers. "Do you know how to play any instruments? Maybe you could write her a song?"

"I don't have any musical talent," Homura said.

Sayaka looked surprised by that. "Really? I don't know, you just seemed like you'd be a piano prodigy or something."

"Next?"

"Hm. I remember I was watching a TV drama the other day, and this guy secretly learned the girl's native language for their wedding vows! It was so romantic!" Sayaka remembered with a dreamy sigh. Homura stared at her blankly.

"That's not… that's not applicable to this situation," she muttered, wondering if Sayaka herself forgot how words worked. Or how life worked.

"I know that, I'm just thinking out loud!" Sayaka muttered defensively.

"I'm starting to wonder if you know how to not think out loud."

"Oh, 'cause you're such a genius, right? Then how are you gonna tell Madoka your feelings, huh? Explain the brilliant plan that you clearly have!"

Homura pursed her lips and looked off to the side.

Sayaka raised her eyebrows in question. "Well?"

"I don't have one," Homura mumbled.

"There you go then, you need me!" Homura's reaction wasn't very reassuring - Sayaka was failing. Sayaka sighed deeply and stretched her hands over her head. "Seriously! It's better to accept the support of your friends than take on everything yourself. I learned that recently."

Homura looked at the other girl with a sidelong glance. "That's surprisingly... prudent, coming from you."

"Even I can learn from my mistakes! Taking on love by yourself…" Sayaka's voice went low and her eyes reflected a nostalgic sadness. "It sometimes feels like the more feelings deepen, the more they drown you."

Homura felt a little humbled that she wasn't isolated in her feelings. She nodded.

"Besides, you're going to need all the help you can get with Madoka!" Sayaka chuckled. "She's super oblivious! I feel like the only way to get through to her is to throw a boombox at her playing Bon Jovi!"

"Bon Jovi?"

"Yeah, he's super romantic!"

Homura remembered Sayaka's failing grade in English. "Right. Let's please not use Bon Jovi."

"Lucky for you, I have a little experience with oblivious crushes!"

Homura raised a brow. "Oh? Are you referring to yourself?"

"What? No, I meant with Kyousuke! Why would you say me?"

Homura fixed Sayaka with a glance filled with judgment. "Oblivious as ever, I see."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Sayaka was clearly peeved. Homura tilted her head towards her, silently considering the other girl. Would it be considered a betrayal on her part if she told Sayaka about Kyoko's feelings towards her? A violation of an unspoken agreement between her and Kyoko? She shrugged- If anything, she was doing the redhead a favor.

"Considering Kyoko's crush on you," Homura dropped experimentally, keeping her analytical gaze on Sayaka.

Sayaka's gait paused mid-step. Her expression went frozen as she blinked at Homura. The dark haired girl paused as well, wondering if the information short-circuited Sayaka's brain.

"Pft-" Sayaka's cheeks puffed up in amusement before they burst with laughter. "Kyoko? Having a crush on me?" She placed a hand on her chest to support her overworking lungs. "That's the funniest thing I've heard all week!"

It was Homura's turn to look bewildered. She knew Sayaka was dumb, but she had no idea it was this bad! "Have you really not noticed, Sayaka Miki?"

Sayaka was just starting to calm down, wiping a tear from her eye. "There's nothing to notice, transfer student. We're just friends!" She happily went back to walking aimlessly forward, head held high in her assurance that what Homura revealed was hogwash. Homura couldn't help feeling a sense of disappointment. Her gaze fell to the sidewalk as she thought of Kyoko, and her horrible taste in dumb girls.

"Since I can relate to Kyoko's situation, I can't help but feel sorry for her," Homura commented as she caught up to Sayaka.

"You're just messing with me. There's no way Kyoko has a crush on me, trust me," Sayaka insisted with a smirk.

With a flip of her hair, Homura made her point. "If you want to break the cycle of oblivious crushes, perhaps try opening your eyes a little wider."

Annoyance was apparently getting to Sayaka again, she couldn't hide her glower. "Are you ready to be serious now and help me plan your perfect confession?"

Homura sighed. "Alright." It was frustrating that Sayaka would dismiss Homura's claim outright, but perhaps in the back of her mind maybe, just maybe, Sayaka would start to wonder a little. It was thankless work, ridding the world of one oblivious crush. Too bad thankless jobs were Homura's specialty.

.-.-.

It had turned out the package Kyoko went through so much trouble to obtain was a set of photos that made Junko throw her head back and laugh when Kyoko tossed them onto the desk. She delicately wiped a tear from her eye as she went through them. "That Jonathan was hogging all the photos from the company party. I knew there had to be something juicy in them." Junko briefly showed Kyoko a photo that depicted Jonathan dancing on a pole of some sort. "Not even Oriko could get that guy to give these up. I'm impressed."

Kyoko could practically sense Oriko's glare on her back, and she puffed up proudly under the praise. "I can be persuasive when I want to be!"

"That little errand was just for fun, but keep it up, Ms. Sakura." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "Between you and me, everyone up in that lab is a bunch of nerds."

Kyoko's usual smirk cracked to a genuine laugh of amusement at that surprising comment. The older woman's validation was satisfying. She craved more.

By the end of the day, Kyoko had surprisingly gotten used to the layout of the office. She thanked the heavens that she was blessed with stamina because she'd be dead on her feet otherwise. When it was the end of the workday and she was dismissed with a pat on the back from Junko, the redhead trudged out of the elevator with her feet dragging behind her. Her physical and mental facilities were stretched thin and she was hungrier than a polar bear stranded on an iceberg. She deserved a snack after the bullshit she had just volunteered for, she reasoned with herself. Not that she ever needed a reason to treat herself, but with a day like today she definitely ought to express some self-love!

At least it wasn't all bad, Kyoko thought. At least she got to see Sayaka's dumb face. Day would've been a helluva lot worse without it.

Thankfully the lobby of the building had a line of vending machines. The downside was that she didn't have change on her. Not that she needed it! She was just getting ready to pop her shoulder so she could reach the treats inside when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Just a tip," Mami Tomoe began. "If you use your badge, it charges a special account Mrs. Kaname arranged for us." She demonstrated, flashing her photo security ID at the machine and choosing an orange juice for herself. Fascinated at the opportunity presented, Kyoko tried it out as well, mimicking Mami's actions.

"Holy shit," Kyoko exclaimed like an excited child when she obtained a Ding-Dong. "Thanks!"

Mami was so taken in with the genuinely happy smile, she didn't have the heart to stop the other girl from using the card to fill her arms with snacks.

"Good work today, by the way," Mami complimented as she followed Kyoko out the building.

Kyoko huffed in irritation as she inhaled a Twinkie. "You don't have to make me feel better. I know my first day was more like an alligator trying to do ballet."

Mami chuckled at that imagery. "I think you managed just fine. A lot of girls that come through get discouraged within a few days and decide to take their internships elsewhere."

"Yeah well, I don't exactly have options right now." Kyoko wiped sugar off her face with the back of her hand, then furrowed her brow in annoyance when powder got all over her jacket sleeve. "For me, this is all or nothing."

Brushing her blonde curls out of her face, Mami kept stealing glances at Kyoko, curiosity bursting out of her. "If you don't mind me asking, what are your living arrangements right now?"

"Huh?" Kyoko immediately eyed her with suspicion. "What's your angle? You've been giving me weird looks all day, don't think I haven't noticed." She noted Mami's eyes go wide at having been caught.

The blonde stopped walking, golden eyes downturned as guilt pursed her lips. Kyoko stopped walking as well, curious and displaying a patience she had discovered within herself recently thanks to Sayaka.

Mami eventually managed to look back up with a smile. "I'm just curious about my new fellow intern, that's all."

A clear lie that Kyoko immediately sniffed out. She considered Mami for a moment, before shrugging and deciding she didn't particularly care. "Not that it's any of your business, but a friend is letting me stay with her."

Mami breathed a sigh of relief that Kyoko was letting her off the hook. "That must be nice. To live with a friend."

Kyoko scoffed, walking ahead. "Not in particular! We argue too much, the bathtub is too small to fit the both of us, and this morning she stole my Pringles!" But then she shrugged, even if she could feel her cheeks warming. "But other than that, it's alright, I guess."

"Kyoko!"

Kyoko laughed as she saw Sayaka was waving at her from ahead of them. "Speak of the devil!" Kyoko said, wondering if she had been waiting outside all this time. "What a dumbass," she muttered with a grin. She turned back to Mami, who was giving her another one of her oddly personal looks. "Well, see you later, Senpai."

Mami hung back, watching as Kyoko reunited with the girl up ahead, one she recognized as one of Madoka's best friends. Kyoko punched Sayaka in the arm as a greeting, then ran away when the blue-haired girl tried to retaliate. They were both laughing as they ran off together.

Tears of relief gathered in Mami's eyes as she watched Kyoko in particular. "I'm glad you're doing well, Kyoko…"

a/n- heeeeeeeey

I really wanna thank Takerfoxx, who didn't let me off the hook when it came to updating this even when I repeatedly tried to escape the abandoned cabin in the woods. Let's see about getting this fic back up and running so I can finish it!

This chapter was beta'd by best boys rhynoholter and Takerfoxx