Setting: Desert
Violet, Remus, Silver, and Zelts watched the four girls in awe. All the members of Team CLSH were completely different than the last time the team saw them, in both appearance and experience.
Cerise Sanguine was the leader of the team, yet had the most child-like appearance, but she didn't look like a child anymore. She had short pinkish-red hair before, but it was longer now, reminding the others of her first hairstyle. Her hair went down to her shoulders. She wore a short-sleeved crop top that was dark red and beneath that was a sleeveless pink shirt. She had a waist bag full of her Runaway cherry bombs and white shorts with red and white sneakers. Cerise carried herself differently than the last time the others saw her. She truly looked and felt like a leader.
Loden's physical appearance hasn't changed much. She still had long green hair though seemed to be a little more muscular than before. Her attire changed more than her looks. She wore dark, blue-green, sleeveless shirt and matching tights. Over her clothing was green armor protecting her chest, waist, legs, and her left arm, giving her some protection while not restricting her movements. In her right hand was her naginata, Worldsplitter. She was more battle-ready than before.
Sapphire looked a little different than before. Her blue pixie cut hair grew a little longer and her clothing choice changed as well. She went from casual to formal-casual. She had on a black, buttoned-down coat with dark blue trim and a single, matching coattail on the right side. She wore black shorts and black shoes that transitioned to blue at the bottom. On her hands were her Spinneret gloves. Sapphire still had the air of a wild child, but it was different, like a predator lying in wait for its prey.
Last was Hazel and she changed the most out of the team. Her honey-colored hair was in a mid-length ponytail, showing she let it grow. She didn't have contacts anymore and wore glasses again. She wore a body suit that was mostly yellow with black outlining of the body. Attached to her back was her tech-pack, Hive, and on her arms were her wasp drones. The third was flying around and shooting bandits. She didn't have her command pad on her right arm anymore, so how she was controlling her drones was currently unknown. Hazel didn't look like a timid or reserved faunus she used to be. She looked determined.
Team CLSH was here and finishing off the bandits that were scattered around the desert where their base once stood. With their stronghold destroyed, none of them had a reason to stay and fight. Now, all the marauders wanted to run away to save their own skin. Unfortunately for the bandits, Team CLSH and VRSZ weren't going to let them get away so they can loot another day.
Hazel released her two drones on her arms and sent them after the bandits. They flew around and shoot a laser blast from it's stinger, attacking all bandits in their line of sight. The third drone was inside the Hive on Hazel's back. Its thruster started and Hazel took flight. She charged into one of the bandits, tackling him to the ground. She wasn't in the back fighting anymore.
Silver already had Fenrir as escrima sticks and started moving in to strike every bandit in his way. He enjoyed battering them because it brought an old thrill back into his life. He saw one of the bandits come his way so he scooped up some sand and threw it in the man's face then sucker-punched him in the throat. A dirty fighter till the end. Silver struck one person in the knee and another on the temple with his sticks. It felt good to be back in action. He howled in enjoyment.
His loud shout caught CLSH's attention and the girls finally realized VRSZ was here. Cerise, Sapphire, and Loden took notice while Hazel was still fighting. They all noticed the team was here, specifically Violet, who they haven't seen since the destruction of Fortuna. Cerise smiled and said to her team, "Show off!"
Everyone on both teams scattered to take down the bandits. None of them took the battle seriously anymore. This was a group of friends bonding after some time apart.
Loden slammed her naginata into the sand and earth erupted all around her. The rising stones launched a lot of bandits into the air where Zelts was and he spun around with his wingblades. His fast rotation created a spiral of wind around him that carried the bandits and broke apart the stones, making a tornado filled with people and stones. The bandits were being bombarded by the stones that flew their way before the tornado vanished and they fell to the ground. Loden and Zelts smirked at each other before moving to their next foe.
Silver used Gravity to leap to where Hazel was. He landed on top of one of her wasp drones and used his semblance to make himself light enough to ride it. The drone continued to shoot lasers at the enemy and Silver did the same with Fenrir as guns. He shot bullets filled with ice and lightning dust, freezing and electrocuting them on the spot. Hazel flew beside him and directed her drones to continue their work. On closer inspection, Silver could see Hazel was commanding them via her glasses which was actually a computer she controlled with her eyes. It was an ingenious creation that helped her operate with little trouble.
"Hey, Remus!" Sapphire shouted as she landed beside the Blue Flicker.
"Hey, Sapphire," Remus responded while palm striking a bandit in the jaw.
About seven bandits came their way and Sapphire whipped out her cables with Remus standing before them and in front of her. She waved her hands around and unleashed her cables at them. Remus ducked to avoid the first few cables as they lashed the bandits in their faces. Sapphire motioned again for the cables to sweep them from below while Remus pulled out Delta and changed it to its blaster form. He quickly hopped as Sapphire's cables swept the legs of the bandits, knocking them off their feet. Remus, while still in mid-jump, aimed Delta at the enemy and fired a bolt of blue energy at them, blasting them away. After he finished and the enemy was defeated, Sapphire jumped onto Remus' back and told him to run. She rode him through the battlefield to lash and whip all nearby bandits.
Violet threw some Enigmas at bandits coming Cerise's way and they fell to the ground with throwing knives in their bodies. Another group was trying to run away, but Cerise threw a Runaway at them while create a force field with her semblance, Shields. She contrasted a dome-shaped shield with a hive design around the bandits, preventing them from running away from the Runaway. The bomb went off and red like smoke came out. The bandits' eyes were beginning to water and they screamed in pain while others fell to the ground and wallowed in misery.
"You didn't use your dust for those guys?" Cerise asked Violet, as a form of saying hello.
"Can't waste everything on fodder. You added tear gas to your arsenal. You're getting scary," Violet responded, as a way of saying hi and that she's gotten stronger.
"Fodder? You sound like Silver." Cerise threw a cherry bomb that exploded in a burst of lightning that shocked them.
"Eh… The jackass rubbed off on me," Violet said whimsically. She pulled out her kukris and moved in to fight up-close.
Cerise used Shields to create a small, flat platform in the air with another in front of it. Violet jumped onto the first platform with one leg then leaped to the other. Cerise created more small platforms so Violet could jump through the air until she reached the last group of bandits that were too slow to run. Violet activated the ice dust in her kukris to coat the blades in ice, turning them into icy swords. She began her assault by slashing and striking her opponents, leaving jagged gashes and frosty cuts on their bodies. Some tried to overwhelm her with sheer numbers, but Cerise, from a distance, activated Shields and created a force field wall in the bandits' path. Violet saw this and used the interruption Cerise created to cut them down once Cerise deconstructed the shield. Blood stained the ice on Violet's blades as she took down the last few bandits with little difficulty.
The large clan of bandits was defeated. Most of them were beaten down while a few of them managed to escape, but the chance of them coming together again was very low. The mission was a success and Nova was safe. Now that the threat was gone, the two teams gathered together to finally speak for the first time in months.
"It's good to see you-" Violet started, but stopped when Cerise leaped for her and hugged her tight.
"I haven't seen you since the destruction of Fortuna. I was so worried," Cerise professed, glad that her friend was safe and sound.
"I'm glad to see you guys found her. She was in Atlas?" Loden asked the boys.
"Yeah. It was a crazy trip," Zelts admitted.
"We're never going back," Silver stated dryly. He really hated Atlas, the kingdom, all of it.
"Was it that bad?" Hazel asked.
Everyone on VRSZ looked back to their adventure in Atlas. Insane family members, nearly dying in the cold, nearly dying in an avalanche, and being arrested by Atlesian authorities.
"Yes," every member of VRSZ said dryly.
"Well, you guys are back in Vacuo. That's what's important," Hazel responded.
"And you guys are kicking ass! Gotten stronger see we last met, have ya?" Silver exclaimed.
"They've been leveling up like crazy," Remus said with enthusiasm. "We need to fight it out to see how strong they've gotten!"
Everyone glanced at each other before some of them chuckled at his suggestion. Violet placed her hand on his shoulder then said, "Another time."
Setting: Nova
Both teams returned to the settlement they protected and they reported to the leader of Nova. Team VRSZ did this as a mission from Solis while CLSH was here on behalf of the kingdom of Vacuo, answering the leader's call for assistance.
Nova's leader rewarded CLSH on the spot and sent word to the kingdom of their success. The leader reported to Nova about VRSZ and they would be paid by Nova once they returned to Nexus. The two teams wanted to use this time to converse and trade stories, but Shade Academy was insisting Team CLSH return as soon as possible.
"How's life as academy students?" Zelts asked the girls.
"It's been great!" Sapphire answered first. "We're some of the best fighters there."
"Thanks to you guys teaching us," Loden stated happily. "It gave us a huge lead compared to the other students."
"Good to hear you guys rule the school," Silver added. "Next time you're around, swing by Nexus. It's our new home."
When Silver mentioned their home, the girls began to share slightly worried looks with one another. This didn't go unnoticed by Violet. "Something wrong?"
"It's just…Vacuo doesn't really like Nexus," Hazel admitted.
"Why's that?" Remus asked.
"Because its construction wasn't authorized by the kingdom. Also, because it's a flourishing settlement that can be seen as a second form of a governmental body in Vacuo. It's being viewed as a potential threat, so…" Cerise tried to explain, but Violet filled in the dots.
"Ah. No friendly interactions between Nexus and the kingdom. We're basically rogues living in a rogue town in their eyes."
"But not to us," Hazel said.
"Yeah. We know how cool you guys and Clair are. The people running the kingdom may not like you guys, but we do," Sapphire assured as she wraps her arm around Silver's neck.
"I like it. Makes us sound badass," Silver joked while smirking.
"Just know that the next time we run into each other, it might not be for friendly conversation," Loden informed VRSZ.
"Somewhere in our heads, we kinda figured that," Silver answered. "VRSZ and CLSH are gonna butt heads for a while."
"That doesn't bother you guys?" Cerise asked.
"Remember what we agreed on before we left to find Violet?" Silver asked and this piqued Violet's interest. "Next time we fight, we get together and eat. Losers buy."
Cerise and the others of CLSH couldn't help but laugh at their humorous promise. He washed away any concern they had with a few words. This meeting ended on a good note.
"We have to get going. We'll see you guys next time and maybe we can actually talk next time," Violet told the girls.
"Yeah. It'll be great to meet or fight our seniors," Sapphire said with a smile, hoping the next meeting would be a fight.
"I don't think we can consider you guys juniors anymore. From now on, you're all our equals. Remember that," Violet told Team CLSH.
Her words of praise raised the spirits of all the members of CLSH. To be seen as equals to the people they admire and respect was all they wanted. Hearing Violet says those words put a warm feeling in Cerise's chest especially. They were equals, standing on the same footing, and none of the girls wanted to disappoint.
"You guys better be ready if we're on opposite sides on a mission. We're taking you all down," Cerise declared and it resounded within her teammates as well. They all felt the same way.
Team VRSZ and Team CLSH; both teams saw each other as worthy rivals. Their homes may be adversaries, but their feelings for each other remained the same. This was the beginning of their friendly competition.
Setting: Desert
Both teams departed Nova, returning to their homes after a job well done. Remus drove the Fantasia back to Nexus and Zelts was still amazed his friend could drive it so easily. Silver and Violet were in the back seats talking to each other.
"Those girls are going to be our toughest opponents yet," Silver said, "They know how we operate and they're getting better."
"That makes it more challenging. And we're not that old compared them. We get better and better every day just like they do. If anything, it'll be nice to have opponents out there that aren't trying to kill us," Violet retorted, feeling like today was extremely easy.
The team's first mission has been like their lives so far; easy. However, the harsh reality of life was that nothing remains the same forever.
A Few Hours Later
Setting: Vacuo
In the kingdom of Vacuo was Shade Academy, the only form of government and order in this region of Samus. The higher-ups of the academy were talking about the current events in Vacuo, including the rogue settlement, Nexus. Despite the town being built without consent, the kingdom decided not to take aggressive action against it, though they will also have no part in providing support or assistance in any way. Whatever happens in Nexus will be of no concern to them.
The topic of their discussion was not only about Nexus. It included two more rogue civilizations that have recently risen to power. The first was the City of Thieves that was once Fortuna. It became nothing more than the hangout of lowlifes that was bound to implode on itself eventually. The City of Thieves was something the kingdom believe they needn't worry about for long, but precautions will be made regardless.
The same couldn't be said for Nexus or the third settlement that was growing in the east. This third place was called Corona. It was growing in size and gathering a large group of people to live there. Besides that, there was only one other thing known about Corona. It was under a monarchy ruled by a single person. The kingdom of Vacuo was unfamiliar with this person, but their name was something heard before by the people of Fortuna. Someone who vanished from the city a few years ago. Remembered by Fortuna's citizens as a crime boss, known by a select few as Clair de Lune's fake persona.
The leader of Corona was named Royal.
Team CLSH is back as students of Shade Academy. This chapter served to introduce them as friendly rivals of Team VRSZ. Both teams will try to beat the other during missions. Their battles will be difficult since both teams know each other very well and CLSH has gotten stronger.
Team CLSH's new theme song is Born Ready by Dove Cameron. The song really expresses how confidant all the girls feel after learning as academy students. The lyrics describe how CLSH feels about wanting to be Huntresses and how close they feel they are to their goal.
Cerise's Shields allows her to create force fields with her aura. After months of training, she can use her aura to manipulate the shape and size of her force fields. If they're broken, then the aura used to create them vanishes. But, if Cerise recedes her force fields, she reabsorbs the aura used to make them. he has learned to be very tactical with her semblance.
Hazel's glasses for controlling her Hive drones are very similar to Google glasses.
Nexus isn't a legal civilization in the eyes of Vacuo's kingdom because it was built without their permission. The only reason it remains untouched is due to its commercial success, bringing in trade and security for people in that general area. As the sole governmental body in Vacuo, the kingdom can't be everywhere at once.