"Coco, slow down and talk to me!" Blake demanded as she chased the woman down one of the school's long hallways and caught her as she was about to leave the building. Coco looked at the hand on her shoulder for a few seconds and looked up to meet Blake's eyes. Coco looked exhausted and annoyed as she used her hand to remove Blake's and made her way outside. "Coco!"
"If you can't tell, Blake, I'm very busy right now, but I can answer any questions that you might have about what I am planning later!" Coco said to her without turning back and picking up her pace.
"Glynda told me who you called in for outside help and I speak from experience when I say that she is going to eat them alive!" Blake shouted. They reached the great hall and Coco stopped abruptly, nearly causing Blake to run into her at full speed.
"Good, I hope she does," Coco blurted out. She looked at her friend for a minute before sighing and rubbing her temples. "I'm trying to not become paranoid, and I'm trying not to panic you, but until we get ahead of the curve and find out what the Children of Salem are ultimately planning, we have got to push these kids harder than ever. After fighting Jett something snapped in me, we aren't ready!"
"We are ready, we fought her once and beat her," Blake corrected.
"But she has more followers this time!" Coco mentioned. "And what if we aren't there to save these kids?" Blake looked away. Naturally, that was the worst-case scenario, but Coco needed to step back and look at the bigger picture before she became overly obsessive.
"When's the last time you and Velvet went on a date?" Blake asked her. Coco looked at her confused before brushing her off.
"That's irrelevant," Coco stated.
"You need to slow down," Blake informed her. "I haven't seen you this wound up since Salem's War."
"Thanks," Coco groaned "For bringing that up."
"I just don't want you to overtax yourself," Blake said. "I care about you. We all do. I'm sure that Velvet and Lamar wouldn't want you to get all bent out of shape either." Coco nodded.
"I know," she replied as her scroll vibrated. She glanced at it quickly before leaving without another word. "Thanks, Blake! You're free to come with me if you'd like!" Blake shrugged and followed her the few extra steps to the doors leading from the hallway to the hall itself and entered with her. Titus, Ilia, and Eren, accompanied by Team ONYX, stood in the middle of the room with Harriet Bree, her arms folded as she looked over at the two women impatiently.
"Well?" Harriet asked. "This top student of yours isn't making the best impression right now."
"That top student is my daughter. She's also finishing up a session with our counselor and will be done shortly," Blake corrected. Harriet shook her head.
"Blake Xiao Long," Harriet noted as if disgusted by the word. "You guys got really lucky that night, you know? If we'd actually had the intention of killing you all we easily would have won."
"Does that help you sleep at night?" Blake questioned with a smirk. Harriet huffed and tapped her foot.
"Listen, the past is the past," Harriet replied. "I'm here to do my job. I owe you guys a favor for helping us save Atlas, at the very least I'm grateful to you for that. That being said, I'd like to start without Neela, I've got a lot to get through today."
"You're going to work these kids to death," Blake suggested. Harriet chuckled.
"You guys lived and you had less experience at the time," Harriet pointed out.
"A good point," Coco interjected. Harriet gave a smug grin.
"I'm going to be way tougher on this batch," Harriet sneered. Blake took a step towards her but Coco stopped her.
"Blake, you know I'm not going to let her do anything to harm them. It's just training," Coco insisted. Blake looked at Coco before snapping her gaze back to Harriet and taking a step back.
"Alright, when I say your name, step forward and say 'here' and we'll get this over with quickly and on to more important things," Harriet informed them. "Ilia Cherny?"
"Here," she said, stepping out and then back.
"Titus Prasinos," Harriet called.
"Here," he shouted back, stepping up. Harriet smiled.
"Good to see you again, Lieutenant General Prasinos. Hopefully, this place hasn't made you soft," Harriet joked.
"That would be unacceptable, ma'am," he replied robotically. Ilia glanced at him, she forgot what it was like when Titus was acting professionally.
"I like to hear that," Harriet said. He stepped back. "Eren Prince."
"This is dumb," Eren said. "But I'm here." Harriet glared towards him.
"We could do without the commentary," Harriet replied. He took several steps forward, separating himself from the rest of them.
"If I beat you, can I leave early?" He asked. Ilia stepped forward to protest but Titus gripped her by the shoulder and pulled her back, shaking his head. Harriet gritted her teeth, they curled into an alarming grin that concerned Blake, Yin, and Xavier.
"Sure," Harriet told him. "You beat me in a fight and I will gladly let you leave early. Hell, you can have the rest of the day off."
"Awesome," Eren smirked.
"But if you fail, you'll be here twice as long as your teammates today," Harriet explained.
"Sounds fair," he admitted. "I won't be losing." She frowned.
"Sure kid," Harriet rolled her eyes. "We go on three."
"Ready!" Eren shouted.
"One!" Harriet called out.
"This is going to be bad!" Ilia stated.
"Two!" Harriet yelled.
"This is going to be great!" Natalia roared.
"Three," Harriet counted. Eren began closing the gap immediately with a blast behind him as Harriet took a sprinter's three-point stance and her eyes lit up, lighting racing across her body. Then she moved. Eren lost sight of her before her fist slammed into his chest with her exo arms extended, throwing him backward in motion to land on his back. Before he could land she caught his arm and swung him around her wildly, making sure he stayed on his feet before racing past him again, kicking his legs out and planting a hand on his shoulder. If not for his aura, his kneecaps would have been destroyed as he landed hard on them and grimaced in pain. She restrained him in a blink, his hands tied behind his back with her gravity cuffs and she smirked as she stood behind him and deactivated her semblance, placing a hand on his head.
"Just as amazing as ever!" Orin hollered. The Atlas kids gave her applause as Yin and Xavier looked at each other nervously.
"We're gonna die," Xavier stated.
"It's a possibility, yeah," Yin agreed.
"Anyone else have issues with following basic instructions?" Harriet asked. They all shook their heads as she shoved Eren onto his chest. "Good."
"That was hardly a fair fight!" Eren shouted. Harriet dragged him up to his feet by the restraints.
"Listen, Eren, right? It's your responsibility as a fighter to assess the situation, not your opponents. I can guarantee you that close to nobody that you fight outside of these walls is going to tell you what their weapon or semblance can do. Had you waited until you'd either seen them in action or maybe if you hadn't rushed in, you could have been a little better prepared," she suggested. "But I still would have kicked your ass so… it probably doesn't matter too much."
"Whatever," he grumbled.
"You two in the back are Yin and Xavier, right?" Harriet asked. "I know the other two."
"Yes," Yin replied.
"That's correct ma'am," Xavier managed shakily.
"Good," Harriet said as she undid the cuffs on Eren. "Now, what you might not know is that I am here for an explicit purpose outside of being your field instructor this year. Coco has asked me to teach all of you Semblance Advancement and Aura Endurance. I know that Titus has already begun some of this training as told to me by Winter, but by the end of the year we have the potential to have eight top-tier students who have completely reworked themselves."
"Coco…" Blake started.
"This is why I didn't want to tell you," Coco sighed.
"It's a dangerous method!" Blake reminded her.
"I'm taking what you and your teammates did with your semblances and I'm just condensing it down into a single year," Coco defended herself.
"That's not any more reassuring," Blake groaned. The doors behind them opened and Neela stepped through, looking at her teammate, teachers, and mother.
"Sorry," Neela called across the great hall. "Thought that I would be done sooner."
"This is why you shouldn't get attached to teammates," Harriet sighed. Blake shot daggers at Harriet.
"Didn't you marry one of your teammates?" Blake questioned.
"We weren't teammates anymore at that time, Elm left the Ace Ops," Harriet corrected.
"I swear to Oum if you tell my daughter what you just said to us that I will break both of your legs and we'll find out just how useful your semblance is then!" Blake bit. Harriet stepped over towards them.
"Really?" Harriet asked.
"Ladies…" Coco stepped in the middle of them to break them up. Neela approached the group.
"My name's Neela Xiao Long," Neela told Harriet, extending her hand to shake hers. "You must be Harriet."
"You can call me Mrs. Bree," Harriet insisted, turning from Blake and shaking hands. "If you'd like to join your teammates, we can get started." Neela walked over and stood beside Titus.
"A bit late today," Titus egged her on.
"Don't want to talk about it," Neela exhaled. Titus rubbed her head.
"We're here if you need us," he insisted.
"Thanks," Neela replied.
"Alright kids, listen up," Harriet told them. "Training starts right now. It's going to be a long first day, but I'll let you have some water and if this goes on for too long, I'll let you stop and use the vending machines out in the hall, but it is currently just past 9 AM and your goal is to take this key from me." She held it up for them to see. "It doesn't open anything physically but it is the symbolic goal of letting you have lunch today, or dinner, depending on how long training goes for."
"Can she do that?" Xavier asked. Yin shrugged.
"Shut up," Natalia scolded.
"Now, you will be paired into groups of two and will fight me in sets," Harriet informed them. "If one of you loses your aura or five minutes runs out, the next group will tag in and try to take me down. And I know you might work better paired up with someone else, but I've chosen the groups for you."
"What?!" Ilia blurted out. Blake turned and began leaving.
"They'll be here all day," she mumbled.
"The groups will be Eren and Neela, Titus and Xavier, Yin and Natalia, and Orin and Ilia," Harriet listed.
"What if we opt out," Neela asked. Eren glanced at her, gritting his teeth.
"Automatic failure for the day," Harriet noted. She shook her head. "Today will be graded on effort and ability to work together with your teammate as opposed to actually accomplishing the task. I don't care if you like each other or not. You're teammates now, you have a job to do, rely on each other, and do it." Harriet took a few steps back and bounced in place.
"Who do you want first?" Orin asked.
"Surprise me," Harriet replied.
"What's her run down?" Neela asked Titus.
"Her semblance is speed and even though she's small she's powerful. Anything that she lacks in strength, and she doesn't, is made up for and amplified by those exoskeletal arms on her back," Titus informed Neela.
"We'll go first," Xavier volunteered. Titus looked at him and nodded. "I think we've got the best chance."
"We've got good counters to her semblance, but don't get cocky. Her speed will overwhelm you," Titus informed Xavier. They took a few steps out from the rest of the group and Coco gave them some space.
I know these kids have achieved greatness already, Coco thought, but I want them to become legends.
"As soon as someone's aura breaks the next group can tag in, right?" Neela questioned. Harriet looked at her like she asked a dumb question.
"Yes," Harriet answered. "The instant a team is out, you can attack. If you all burn through aura faster than you can replenish it, we'll have to take a break."
"You ever wanted to beat someone way stronger than you before?" Neela asked Eren. His eyes lit up.
"You have a plan?" He inquired
"You'll have to rely on others," she noted. He stammered for a moment before folding his arms.
"I…" He began. She has told me that this is the only way she'll acknowledge me. "Fine…" Neela looked at him. She smirked.
"Good," Neela replied.
"You have a plan?" Orin questioned, picking up on their conversation.
"We might not win, she's really strong from what I hear," Neela noted. "But this will give us a fighting chance to end it quickly." Yin nodded and smiled.
"I'm up for whatever," he replied.
"Let's do it," Ilia agreed.
"You going to count us down again?" Xavier asked as he stretched and used Titus for support to do so.
"Just go when you're ready!" She informed them. Titus looked back at Neela who had the rest of them huddled up and shook his head, smiling. Even with unbearable anxiety on her shoulders she never stopped analyzing. Alright, we'll buy you some time.
"Just remember, she's fast, and she definitely knows what we can do," Titus suggested. Xavier nodded before phasing into the floor, Titus taking off straight for Harriet. She activated her semblance, rushing in at Titus and spinning out of the way like a football player just before she reached him, Xavier shooting up out of the floor feet first and missing her by inches as she spun back around, dodging a swiping attack from Titus. She swung through Xavier, backpedaling from another attack from Titus before launching herself at him and landing on his shoulders. She grabbed his head and wrapped her legs around his neck, despite her small frame she was able to throw him back by throwing her entire weight backward, leaping off before he landed. Xavier's hand passed through Titus's body and grazed Harriet and she looked up at him with a smirk.
"Good," Harriet replied. Her arms extended, she swatted off additional attacks with incredible speed, driving Xavier back as Titus found his feet again. Xavier fell back on purpose, spinning around capoeira style, his feet a flurry that Harriet met with her own, leaping out of the way of an attack from Titus that hit Xavier instead and sent him sprawling across the arena. Xavier bounced once before phasing into the floor again. Damn, I might have underestimated the jokester, but they've still got a long way to go to beat me. Harriet chuckled, racing in towards Titus again, reaching down and pulling Xavier out as he revealed himself. "It's a good semblance, but your timing is a bit predictable!"
"Guess you've got me," he shrugged. "Can't possibly win…" He smirked. "Pfft, yeah right." Titus swung through Xavier's body, a solid blow sending Harriet sliding away while still gripping onto Xavier's arm. "Ain't nobody told you I can phase only parts of my body too?" Harriet threw him away and he phased through Titus as he rolled to a stop, Harriet charging in again and ducking under another powerful sweep before leaping straight up and uppercutting Titus in the jaw. Titus stumbled back, his body instantly becoming rock as he swung back around but Harriet caught his arm and pulled him over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground and breaking his aura.
"Go!" Eren shouted.
"Right there!" Neela yelled back as she grappled Harriet. Harriet blocked Neela's feet, throwing her back a few feet as she turned and blocked Eren as well.
"We're next!" Shouted Orin.
"How about you let us play first!" Neela suggested. Harriet battered Eren away and he used his semblance to throw himself back even further, Neela opening a volley of arrow fire at Harriet.
"I want to see this semblance of yours!" Harriet exclaimed.
"Sure!" Neela shouted. She flipped her bow into its sword form as Harriet approached, activating her semblance and finding herself astonished. Normally, things were shown to her in a slower motion, but Harriet was moving at a normal running speed, though the sweat on her rolled slowly down her and her breathing seemed slow as well. Neela could block, but with the way her body had been cooperating recently, she was counting on her aura breaking quickly. She blocked several blows narrowly, landing a solid hit to Harriet's side and she slid away, using her semblance to fluidly throw her momentum back at Neela.
"How is it possible?" Harriet asked as she threw several more punches that Neela blocked. "That you can move so fast without a speed semblance?" Neela grunted and nearly hit her knees. Already? She reached her limit in such a short time, was it because Harriet was so fast, or because Neela's mind had been in shambles since that phone call?
"But you can't maintain it for long, can you?"
"Isn't that why you're here?" Neela chuckled grunting.
"Oh, spunky too?" Harriet asked. "I like you kid." Harriet threw another blow that hit Neela's arm and her aura waivered. "But this round still goes to me." One final haymaker broke Neela's aura and she slid back, Orin rushing past her before sliding to a stop as Ilia was thrown from Neela's body, her own aura broken. Orin shrugged and Harriet felt a fist pummel her just under her exoskeleton's storage pack on her back, sending her crashing across the floor away from Nat who was being silenced by Yin. One of Yin's chakram halves prevented Harriet from immediately getting up, and Nat rushed in, wrenching the key from Harriet before she could react.
"I think…" Neela grunted as she stood. "The round goes to me…" Coco shook her head as she approached Harriet and helped her up.
"Well?" Coco asked.
"They can work well together, that's for sure," Harriet admitted. "But I think once I'm done with them they'll be just as good on their own."
"I'm surprised all you planned for was overpowering them," Coco chuckled.
"That normally works with the recruits in Atlas," Harriet pointed out.
"Yeah, Neela is a little different. She's brilliant, and has tons of skill to back it up," Coco explained. Harriet nodded.
"As soon as she learns to prolong her aura, she'll be hard to beat for anyone," Harriet offered.
"I know," Coco replied watching Neela's teammates help her up.
"Is Taven here?" Natalia asked.
"He'll be coming with Elm in a few days, seeing as Coco gave me short notice," Harriet mentioned.
"Hey, this was as much of a spur of the moment for us as it was for you, I'm done chasing the Children of Salem," Coco claimed.
"You really think this is Salem's work?" Harriet pried.
"I really hope it's not," Coco admitted. "But the evidence so far suggests otherwise."
Will having Harriet there to help with training help them get ahead of the Children of Salem? Next week, Chapter 23: Ari!
A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.
Until next week, stay classy!