Chapter 7
Breaking Up
=CALICO=
Calico watched from the rooftop as the man said goodbye to his family. He was a businessman, worked for the Grey dust company. One of the middle management types. This was supposed to send a message. Calico took a deep breath. He was back in the game, doing the things he didn't want to do. All of this for Ash's life. Keep calm Calico, he thought. You just need to do this until you get another opening. No more dead drops, no more waiting for orders. Victor Onyx right before his eyes, with in reach. A harpoon through his chest.
He skulked from the rooftop, waiting for the chance. He drove along the harbours and stopped at a warehouse. He was approached by a man who seemed to just appear in the shadows. Calico recognised the man from the news. Thomas Grey, Ash's father. He hopped to the roof and listened.
"Victor is causing problems again." Thomas said. "Tried to kill me the other day."
"What do we do?" The businessman asked.
"We arrange a trap for him, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our weapons." Thomas said. The businessman passed him a briefcase. Thomas nodded. "Send the word out. Make the preparations. Our friend Victor isn't long for this world."
Calico shook his head. So Ash's old man was also gunning for Victor. Calico had to kill the businessman. Otherwise Victor would kill Ash tonight. That man had important orders that could lead to Victor's death. Damn he hated decisions like this.
He skulked after the man and followed him, he cut down a shady alley. Big mistake. They always try to cut through allies. He aimed Ranger and fired. He closed his eyes. He heard a gasp. He opened his eyes. The harpoon pierced the man's back. Straight through the heart. He gasped and dropped to the ground. Calico shook his head. He felt sick to his stomach.
"Good shot!" A voice called out." Calico turned around. Ivory was perched nearby. She casually flicked her hair around her antlers. She smiled brightly. Calico shuttered. "I'm so glad you came back to me."
"I didn't." Calico said. "Keep dreaming Ivory."
"Maybe you can stop being such a jerk to me." She said. "Why do I have to have the most cruel of boyfriends."
"I'm not your boyfriend." Calico said. "I feel ashamed to say that I ever was."
"Your going to make me cry." She said. She actually sounded like she was going to cry. He shuddered again. He stood up and walked away. She skipped behind him.
"Go away Ivory, go back to the madhouse you clearly escaped from." Calico said.
"Are you seeing someone else? Is that it?" Ivory asked.
"That's exactly it, you've been replaced. You done yet?" Calico asked. "Get lost!"
She started crying. He kept walking. He ran and leaped to the next roof top. A rope grappled around his leg and he felt himself get pulled back. He swung down and hit the side of the building. He was dangling over an alleyway. A dumpster was right below him.
"What's her name?" Ivory asked.
"Oh, like I'd tell you?" Calico asked. "You're a nutter Ivory, I can't trust you."
"But you trust that hussy, whatever her name is?" She asked. "We've got history."
"Ancient history." Calico said. "Sorry nut, but you and I are done."
"Don't say that." She said. "That's not funny."
"I'm not laughing." Calico said. "Believe me, this is nothing close to a joke to me."
"Fine." She said. She let go of the rope and Calico fell. He closed his eyes and made a stupid face, what else was he going to do? Scream? No, he had too much pride for that. Instead he'll look like an imbecile falling from the sky into a trash bin. That's so much better. He collided into a particularly smelly and oddly greasy garbage bag. Not the first trash bin he's ever ended up in. "I'm sorry!"
"No your not!" He shouted back. He rolled over. "You don't know the definition of sorry. I never want to see you again!"
"I'll win you back, you'll see!" She said with a manic look in her eye. He shuttered. She disappeared from sight.
"I think I broke that girl." Calico said. He pulled his hipflask out and took a sip.
The next morning he started his morning routine. He woke up on the beach, stumbled to his house and got dressed. He hooked Ranger onto the side of the highway and pulled himself up. He stumbled down the side of the busy roads until he reached the airships. He smelled pretty bad, more like sea water and booze than dumpster diving. At least that was better.
He stood by the window and watched as the arena grew closer. He felt his scraggly bear. He felt painfully sober. He pulled out his hipflask and took a sip. It was empty. He shook his head. He didn't like being sober, too many bad memories. Like last night. Just one more. Just one more. He shuddered. The airship came to a stop. He climbed out with the rest of the tourists. They were all so happy. He forgot what it was like to be that happy. To not have your conscience eating away at you.
"Chin up Calico." Rojo said. He was waiting for him in full armour. They had a match today. Calico nodded and followed Rojo into the arena. They weren't next. They had to watch a match first. "Remember, it's Pearl's fight today."
"Pearl?" Calico muttered. "Pearl!" He said. "She'd have liquor on her right?"
"Sometimes you really suck." Rojo said. "Go get your liquor you drunk."
Calico headed for the arena. He could see Pearl and the rest of team SPHR getting ready. He hurried over. Pearl turned in surprise and gave him a firm hug. She recoiled slightly.
"You're drunk." She said. "Really?"
"That's what you get when you date a bum." Saffron said absent mindedly.
"He's not a bum, he's just scruffy." She said.
"I'm actually painfully sober right now." Calico said. "You wouldn't be able to help with that."
"Sure thing." She reached into her bag and tossed him a beer. He chugged it on the spot. Team SPHR sans Pearl all groaned disgustedly.
"Thank you." Calico said. "Who's fighting?"
"Pearl and Hilde." Saffron said.
"I still think I should have gone." Robina said. "Pearl and I make a better team."
"But Hilde is our best fighter." Saffron said.
"Yeah, sure she is." Pearl said. Hilde shot her a look. "Sorry."
"Who are you up against?" Calico asked.
"Surprise!" A voice called out. Calico's blood froze. He turned around slowly. Ivory was heading their way waving.
"Crap." Calico said.
"Miss me?" Ivory asked.
"You know her?" Pearl asked.
"Oh we have loads of history, hot steamy history." Ivory purred. Calico shuddered.
"Oh really?" Pearl asked. She glanced at Calico. One her eyebrows perked up. "Is that so?"
"We used to date." Ivory whispered.
"We got that." Peal said.
"Just making sure." Ivory whispered.
"Oh this is too good." Saffron said.
"Emphasis on used to." Calico said. "That was a long time ago, emphasis on long."
"Oh I'm sure." Pearl said. "He's never mentioned you now that I think about it."
"How could he not, we've been together since we were kids." Ivory said. "Like I said, lots of history."
"Ancient history, long gone." Calico said. They both shot him a look. "I'll be quiet."
"Well, too bad that's all over then." Pearl said. "Shame I have to get in the way of that much history."
"Yeah, a shame." Ivory said. "Maybe you should do the right thing, step aside."
"Yeah, I'm going to go with a no." Pearl said. "I like him, he's all scruffy and cute. I think I'll keep him."
Ivory grew a wide smile. Calico felt a little unsettled. "How about a deal?" She said.
"Name it." Pearl said.
"We fight for it." Ivory said.
"Don't I get a say?" Calico asked.
"No!" They both roared. He backed down.
"Deal." Pearl said. "I could take a little deer in a fight."
"Oh, I'm full of surprises." Ivory said. "Don't underestimate me, you'll regret it."
"Yeah, I'm just going to stay out of this." Gwyn said, they turned and noticed she was standing nearby.
"Hey Gwyn!" Saffron said. "Where's my stepsister at?"
"She's watching from the audience." Gwyn said.
"Oh so she gets a front row seat when our team whoops your's." Saffron said. "This just gets better and better."
"Oh, well Kol will definitely like to see you try." Gwyn said.
"Wait, Kol?" Saffron said. "You're not..."
"Nope, Kol's going to be doing the fighting today." Gwyn said.
The room slightly shook when Kol entered it. He towered over everyone easily. He swung his massive mace over his shoulder.
"Hey Gwyn what's the deal between Natasha and Saffron?" Calico whispered.
'They are stepsisters and they hate each other." Gwyn whispered.
"Yeah, as much as I'd love to root for you, my love life depends on them winning." Calico said. "No hard feelings."
"I barely know you but sure, no hard feelings." Gwyn replied.
They both nodded. Calico and Gwyn headed for the stairs. The others headed for the arena. Calico watched from his seat. The rest of his team lounged. The environments were ocean, desert, forest, icefield. Curiously enough it seemed like everyone got homefield advantage in some shape or form.
Pearl pulled out her sword, Hilde drew hers and raised her shield. Ivory drew a telescopic double ended glaive. Kol raised his mace in the air and twirled it casually. Calico felt like he was going to hold his breath the entire fight.
"Fight!" Port boomed.
Pearl flicked her blade and it turned into a whip, she began to crack it around herself. Ivory lunged at her without a second thought. The whip was quickly countering the quick thrusts of the double glaive. Hilde charged Kol. Kol swung down hard, nearly toppling Hilde over. She stamped her foot down and swung her blade for his legs. He took a step back and watched her blade fall short. He kicked her and she tumbled.
Ivory's swings were getting far more aggressive. Pearl flicked her blade back into a solid form and began a swashbuckling style of fighting, blocking swing after swing. Calico nervously smiled. Kol spun around and his mace collided hard with Hilde's shield. She stamped her foot down and braced. She skidded along the ground. He spun around and hit her again, she went flying into the icefields. Kol charged after her.
Ivory changed tactics. She vaulted over her and ran into the desert, she spun around and whipped out a rope which coiled around Pearls chest and sent her flying forward into the desert. She collided with the sand and bounced. Her aura dropped a bit. She hopped to her feet just in time for blades to start hitting her left and right. She wasn't practiced at fighting in the sand, each time Ivory swung, she kicked sand up into Pearl's face. Pearl didn't stand a chance. Her aura was dropping. Ivory cracked her on the head. Pearl leaned all the way back that the back of her head was touching the ground. She then leaned back up and winked. She backflipped out of the way of Ivory's swing. She raised her left arm and a long barrel extended and fired. It hit right under Ivory's feet and exploded. Sand and shrapnel sprayed everywhere. Ivory's aura dropped violently. She hit the ground and skidded.
Kol ran through the icefields like he was running through a meadow. Not even the slightest bit of a skid. Hilde was sliding all over the place. Kol swung again, Hilde stamped her foot down to brace. The mace collided and she slid across the icefield and into a tree, cracking it in half. Her aura was near depleted. He followed her into the forest.
Pearl ran towards the ocean. She dove into the water. It wasn't very deep but she swam through it like it was nothing. She reached an island and climbed onto it. She found Ivory at the edge of the water. Pearl held her hand out and motioned her to come. Ivory waded through the water after her. She climbed onto the island soaken wet.
Ivory lunged but was weighed down by the water. She swung. Pearl leaned back and the blade flew over her. She then leaned forward and whipped her blade at Ivory's back. Ivory spun around with her blade, twirling both ends towards Pearl. Who merely leaned to the left, spun and smacked her in the back of the head. Ivory was getting angry. She charged and Pearl flipped into the air, as Ivory swung a horizontal strike her way. Pearl swung her foot down and kicked her in the side of her head, sending her flipping into the air. She dropped to the ground head first and landed spread eagled on the sand.
"Ooh, a knockout strike!" Professor Port boomed. "Her aura is depleted!"
"And Hilde is down for the count too." Oobleck shouted. "It looks like it's 1v1."
"Kol's aura is untouched." Professor Port boomed. "And he's looking pretty cold too."
Pearl turned to see Kol charging through the water after her. His skin was turning blue and the water around him was freezing. He jumped out of the water and landed on solid ice. His mace froze and icicles grew from it like spikes. Calico watched her swallow hard as she sheathed her sword. She reloaded her rifle gauntlet. Kol charged. She drew her blade.
Pearl hopped onto the ice and slid on one foot. Kol jumped and swung down hard. He just missed her and cracked the ice. She was now standing on a 45 degree angle. She began to slide back. She backflipped over the mace and lined her shot. She fired. The explosive round collided with Kol's chest and he flew backwards, sliding along the ice. Pearl landed on the ice and wobbled slightly, but with grace she slid back to her feet. Kol punched the ice and climbed to his feet, he charged her way.
He just needed to hit her once at this point but Pearl was far too graceful, on top of that she seemed impossible to knock over. Every time Kol broke the ice and messed with the battlefield conditions, she just hopped or flipped and landed back on her feet. He spun around and swung down hard. He cracked the ground directly under her. The ice parted with each of her feet on a different piece of ice. She just lifted one leg and leaned toward the other. Kol got more and more flustered with each swing. Calico glanced around. Team SPHR and team GNKO were all on the edge of their seats. He was satisfied knowing Ivory was out for the count.
Kol lunged. Pearl leaped over him and fired a shot into his back. He staggered forward, swinging down and cracked the ice under himself. He dropped into the water. It froze over him. His aura dropped into the red. Pearl turned and fired another round shattering the ice. Kol climbed out of the water and rolled onto his back.
"With that the match is over." Port said. "What a display of skill Miss Wilks showed today!"
Calico went running down to greet Pearl. She ran towards him and punched him hard in the shoulder. It hurt quite a bit.
"What was that for?" He asked.
"Ivory, what's going on there?" Pearl asked.
"She and I had a thing a long time ago, she's nuts and I keep telling her it's over but she won't give up." He said. "I didn't want to tell you I had a psycho ex following me around."
"Why not?" Pearl asked.
"Because I thought you'd leave." Calico said.
"You are an idiot." Pearl said. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in for a kiss. He was confused but the confusion faded, he figured he'd take what he can get. He opened his eyes and saw Ivory watching from the distance. Tears were streaming down her face. He slowly turned Pearl so that he wouldn't see her.