"Okay, let's go for a walk."
D.L. let her collar go and they both continued down the hall together.
After they had walked quietly for several minutes Stella broke the silence, "Why did you let Grun in there but not me, or even deal with it yourself?"
"Well, frankly, you would make it worse."
"Hey!" Stella fumed.
"Will you shut up," D.L. scolded her then began his explanation, "For once I'm not just being rude. You two are far too different. You had never been asked to do anything. Expectations of you were just 'stand there and look pretty'. You do that well but you wanted to do more. Cerise on the other hand was asked to do so much more than any person should have to. Her mother is the one who forced her into this she is probably feeling the pressure of this stupid test thing with Belle and just Beacon altogether."
"Oh," Stella said quietly, "You really know us well. You must be good at figuring people out."
"I guess, but it's more than that. You are my team and therefore my responsibility. I have to know you to keep you safe and make sure we work in a fight."
"Okay, but that doesn't answer why you didn't talk to her?" Stella asked him with a hint of snootiness returning to her demeanor, "actually it makes it seem like you should have talked to her."
D.L. shrugged and said, "Truth is, even though I know her well, Grun is her partner and knows her better, and despite how he acts he is rather smart and I'm sure he's the right person to cheer Cerise up."
"Wow, I didn't know you really cared about us like that," Stella said under her breath.
"Huh," D.L. asked, "You say something'?"
"No," She answered hastily.
"Okay, I think it should be cool to head back now."
D.L. and Stella returned to the room to a relatively normal scene. Grun was snoring and Cerise was on her bed with her nose buried in a thick book. The only thing off was the faint trace of a smile on her lips.
D.L. ditched his jacket and crashed into his bed saying, "We should get some rest. We're gonna need it. After all we're gonna get Goodwitch off our back," He grinned and continued after a pause, "for a while at least."
The next morning Team KRWN was a bit more enthused than usual to wake up and head to the arena at 5:30. They arrived to meet Goodwitch and Belle in the arena a whole five minutes early.
"Well, our team lead by a slacker is surprisingly here ahead of schedule," Glynda snipped at them, "As a reward for your punctuality I'll let you add the time to your preparations."
D.L. shook his head and said dully, "Don't need it."
"Ok, then, just the twenty minutes."
D.L. locked eyes with the teacher and reiterated, "I said we don't need any prep time. At all."
"Fine then, Mr. King, have it your way." Glynda glared at him and headed to the observation area as KRWN entered the arena.
When they entered Belle had yet to arrive. Stella took a moment to criticize D.L., "Are you nuts? We need all the help we can get. Why would you do that, You plebian imbecile!?"
"Does she ever stop?" D.L. dejectedly asked no one in particular which made Stella let out a noise somewhere between a sigh and a squeal.
As Stella stood there trying to decide how to insult D.L. next, Belle walked into the large space. She greeted them, "Hello, freshies. How can I beat you today?"
Although they didn't know it all four members of KRWN all thought the exact same thing, I don't like that girl.
The PA interrupted their synchronized thoughts, "This test scenario is a practice battle between Team KRWN and Belle Carmella. The examination will conclude when any member of Team KRWN lands a single attack on Miss Carmella or when 5 minutes has passed. Begin."
Oddly Cerise was the first to move soon followed by D.L. and Grun. Stella stood there completely oblivious to what was going on, "What is this!?" she cried.
The others seemed to move like they had planned this. Cerise launched her whips at Belle who easily dodged them along with Grun's attacks as well. D.L. fired several shots her way the first of which she dodged with her semblance and then blocked the others with her weapon.
"Regroup!" D.L. shouted and the team fell back to where Stella was still standing.
Stella gawked as they continued to execute an apparently pre worked plan. D.L. ordered them, "Now! Go!"
The three of them (Stella was still dumbfounded) rushed Belle. Cerise again swung her whips before the others attacked and like before she missed, but unlike before they swung through where Belle was and hit her teammates on either side.
D.L. and Grun took the hit sliding back a few feet. D.L. then very angrily said, "Cerise, that's enough just get out of the way!"
Grun even more surprisingly yelled, "Yeah!"
This was just too much for Stella, "No! That is just not right. You just lectured me about how she is under pressure and stuff and you were all caring and nice. And you goat boy you absolutely can't say that!"
Belle saw her tantrum as an opening to take Stella out of the fight. She rushed at Stella. She raised her weapon. Her glyph activated adding extra strength to her swing. She planted her foot to make contact and… froze.
"What!?" Belle cried out.
The entire floor of the arena was covered in a web like pattern. Cerise's semblance had all of Team KRWN and Belle ensnared. "Sorry shorty," D.L. called out, "but we had to have a believable distraction."
"But… When did you even have time to sort all this out? But.. why… me?"
"Cause it's funny," D.L. said and probably would have shrugged but was still snared in the glyph.
Cerise decided to speak up, "My semblance caught you. Finally. It can immobilize anyone caught in it as long as I remain still. You finally lost."
Belle fumed, "No! It doesn't matter if I can't move neither can any of you. You have to hit me to pass."
"That's true," Grun grunted while straining against the glyph.
"And not really an issue," D.L. also pulled against the snareing.
As the two boys fought the semblance Cerise continued, "My semblance isn't perfect. It can be overcome with enough sheer force which, we assume, you don't have."
D.L. broke free and got close enough to Grun who had managed to kneel low with his back facing the ceiling. D.L. stepped up onto Grun's back and stretched his joints a bit, "See, now this is where you lose to a bunch of 'slacker' underclassmen." He used Grun as a launching pad and landed a bare-fisted punch to her exposed stomach.
So I was in a bit of a rut for a while but I got that out so I hope it won't be so bad from now on.
This geek is out
Seeya