"What's he do—get clear of the water!"

Later, Nebula would swear she felt a tingle as she leaped out, but in the moment there was only relief at the escape, the announcer's shouting and the roaring of the crowd flowing over her ears unheard. "Too close," she muttered, shaking a little water off her feet.

Gwen nodded, keeping her eyes on Neptune and Sun. The latter was trying to convince the other to cross the water, now, and it gave them precious time to breathe and think. "We can't use the water anymore, at least not while he's close to it."

"Maybe we can't use it the same way, but…" Nebula's eyes darted about, the gears in her head spinning madly. "Dew, you think you still can whip up another tornado, a big one? And I know it's harder, but holding it until we're ready.

"…Oh, I see. Yeah, I think I can manage one at least. Maybe two." Dew spun her spear, settling into a crouch. "Think you could get them a little frazzled first, though? I don't know how long I can keep it up."

"Separate them?"

"Sounds good. And keep him—" she jerked her chin in Neptune's direction, "—near the water if you can. It'll help."

"Right." And with that, they surged forward, Nebula angling her approach to keep them from running into the other zone, while Gwen came from the other side.

Seeing this, Sun cut off whatever he'd been saying before, and practically yanked Neptune into a run beside him. "Look, sooner we get this done, sooner we can get away from the water, right?!"

"Gods, fine, but after this—"

Nebula spun through the air down toward Neptune, forcing him to block and push her away toward the rocks, while Gwen threw her knives at Sun and got him to jump away from his teammate. "Do you two really have time to be planning dates?"

Sun only growled his frustration, occupied with avoiding Gwen's attacks. The too-large plumes of sand as the knives embedded themselves there told him of the Dust that they were likely infused with. Or maybe it was Semblance. But either way, a blow from one would mean a dozen more, and his Aura would be down to nothing in seconds. Gwen knew it too, and kept him on the defensive, to ensure no gap could come when he could pull out his nunchuks again.

And all the while she shepherded him away from a visibly nervous Neptune, whose gaze flickered between Sun, the water's edge, his feet, and Nebula as she harried with blow after blow. Never letting him far from the boundary of wet sand. Never letting him get too far from her.

Until howling wind drowned out even the commentators, and all eyes went to the opposite side of the miniature sea. To Dew, and the whirling beast of water before her. It stretched high above, droplets sprayed over the entire arena.

Neptune's trident dropped from his hands with a soft thud.

And Nebula smashed her sword against his temple, not bothering to wait as he toppled forward. She darted in Sun's direction, lunging for his legs the moment Gwen spun—

—and they both grinned when he jumped up, savouring his confusion before a blast of air sent him head over heel, then another, and another, until he slammed into an unforgiving spire of rock.

Dew came up beside him, panting slightly, but triumph kept her steady on the sand. She crouched, and waited until he opened his eyes again.

"Bye, boy."