"We could be here all day if we go through all of the alternates that could have happened during the fight yesterday," Neela groaned. "Is this for a grade or something?"
"Not exactly," Coco explained. "Glynda thought that it would be fruitful if we went over just a few key points so that you can prepare for different reactions in the future. We only have one more to go. When you swung past Ivory and pulled her off balance. If she'd been more prepared, she could have defended against your follow-through."
"I planned on the chance that she would," Neela explained. "I intended to overpower her with the assistance of my grapple and knock her ax away with my feet."
"If that failed?" Coco asked. Neela rubbed her forehead.
"Could have dislodged my sword on the way back and fired the arrow," Neela said.
"But she's flying at you and blocked it," Coco informed her. Neela groaned.
"How long does this need to go on for?" Neela pleaded.
"Let me see," Coco thought it over removing her scroll. She chuckled and put it away. "Another minute or two. I don't want Glynda to think that I just brought you out here and gave you a pat on the back."
"I'll buy you lunch if we can leave now," Neela offered. Coco thought it overlooking at her scroll again and nodded.
"Deal," Coco agreed.
"Oh thank Oum!" Neela exclaimed.
"I honestly want to know what your next move would have been though," Coco repeated as they headed back for the school.
"Two arrows," Neela replied. "The first stone. If she bats it away, no big deal, I already have the second loaded and it's a fire arrow. It causes the first to go off. The eruption throws her off of her path and the stone prevents her from flying because her wings are now coated. A few stone or ice later and she's at least secured enough that I can stop Lykos. If he gets away, the mission is still a success seeing as we're more worried about Ivory." Coco nodded.
"I'm really not sure why Glynda worries about you being ready, you could probably outsmart me on the battlefield at this point," Coco reassured her.
"Not if we got you back out in the field," Neela chuckled. "I've heard the stories, you're something else." Coco raised an eyebrow.
"Stories from who?" Coco asked. Neela laughed.
"Flynt," Neela snickered. Coco rolled her eyes and pushed Neela.
"I'm not introducing you to anyone from my past ever again," Coco jested. Neela pushed her back.
"Yeah right," Neela replied. They walked in silence as they reached the dorms, Neela retrieved her wallet and returned a minute or so later and they continued on their way. "What was it like?"
"What was 'what' like?" Coco inquired.
"I know my parents were busy with Salem," Neela told her. "Flynt says that you were dealing with waves of Grimm, some of them were Grimm that had never before been seen. Was it horrifying?" Neela took a breath in and stared up at the clouds that rolled by. "I can't imagine being surrounded by countless numbers of Grimm, a few White Fang are more than enough to kill my nerves." Coco smirked as she wrapped her arm over around Neela's shoulders.
"There was no reason to fear," Coco told her. "It's something that comes with settling into a role that you do extremely well."
"You think that I'll get to that point?" Neela questioned. Coco nodded.
"I do," Coco assured her. "This far you've been trying to take charge when you lead. You put yourself at the front and take the reins, using your teammates as you see fit. But yesterday I saw the real Neela on the battlefield for the first time since you've started at the school." Neela looked at her puzzled.
"So how do I apply that to my team?" Neela asked.
"What do you excel at?" Coco challenged her. "Think about it."
"Hunting prey," Neela told her. Coco nodded.
"Exactly!" Coco replied releasing her. "Imagine every mission as a hunt. Your teammates are not your hunting party as they would be for an actual animal hunter. They're your tools, use them as such. Focus on your targets, take them out as methodically as you did Ivory and Lykos! NITE has done well, and it's hard to explain just how effective this will be when all you've fought so far are professionals, but take your time and cull the herd. Use your friends' strengths to compliment your own and NITE will become something to fear."
"So how does that apply to you?" Neela asked. Coco peeked at her over her shades.
"Are you kidding?" Coco asked. "I'm a natural-born badass." Neela laughed as Coco joined her, breaking character as they rode down to Vale.
"So, where are you thinking we should go to eat?" Neela asked.
"I need to stop by city hall first, but after that, we can go anywhere. I'll let you choose since you're paying," Coco told her. Neela nodded and they headed up the hill, passing by White Fang members, considerably fewer than before, that were gathered in the park for another protest. Coco noted Neela watching them, tapping her on the shoulder. "Have you told Eliana yet?"
"No…" Neela told her snapping out of it and paying attention to her. "I just…"
"I've heard all of your classics, Neela. 'You don't want to lose what you've got. As long as I can have these memories, that'll be good enough'," Coco responded. "It's fine if you actually believe that, but don't lie to yourself kid."
"You think I should tell her?" Neela asked. Coco laughed, stopping in her tracks and forcing Neela to halt with her as she doubled over and finished chortling at the girl. She took a deep breath and looked Neela in the eyes.
"You really are trying hard to avoid it at this point, aren't you?" Coco pointed out. Neela looked away blushing, shaking her head. "It's normal, Neela, but the only validation that you need is self-validation. I can tell you now if Eliana is as dense as you say she is, you can probably tell her and even if she doesn't feel the same, nothing will change. I can help you tell her if that's what you-"
"No!" Neela shouted. Coco was shocked at the sudden outburst, but she understood completely. "That's okay but I'll tell her soon." The final word stunned both of them. Soon? Do I really mean that?
"Here we are," Coco told her. The city hall was normal enough, a building with four entrances that all lead to different wings before meeting in a central lobby of sorts. A bronzed dome sitting upon the top with the statue of one of Remnant's many forgotten goddesses on the top. Coco froze short of opening the door as sirens blared behind them, racing down the street on their way to the building.
"Coco?" Neela started. Coco turned away and looked down at them.
"What's going on?" Coco asked them.
"We got a call that a man was threatening a few of the staff inside, claiming that he had a bomb before forcing himself into the city planning room," the cop told her exiting his vehicle and positioning his men.
"Where is Yatsu or Neptune?" Coco asked.
"Currently preoccupied with a call across town, a tip on where Stardust is," he informed her. Coco sighed.
"Sounds about right," Coco groaned.
"Is it a Stardust member?" Neela asked.
"More than likely," Coco replied. Coco smirked as she pressed herself against the door preparing to open it. "I'll see you inside when your locker gets here." Neela gave her a nod and she slipped into the building, immediately finding the hallway a mess of documents and lien, scattered about as though someone was in a rush to find what they needed and left, or they ran into one of the clerks. Coco met eyes with one of the women that worked at the front desk, she was filled with fear and shook violently as she managed to raise her arm and point weakly in the direction that the assailant had gone.
"That way," the woman managed. Coco nodded to her. She heard a gunshot go off, throwing papers down into the hallway from the second-floor banister of the eastern wing. Coco moved quickly, making it halfway to the steps before a ball of light met her gaze, sweeping in from an office on her right. She planted her feet as Orion formed, her purse meeting his gauntlet in full swing. He fired a blast of gravity that resonated off of them both, neither moving as the floor gave slightly and the walls cracked.
"Figures," Coco grunted leaping back. "And here I thought that I'd get a rematch against Mercury."
"Careful what you wish for," Mercury yelled from the second floor. Coco smiled as she swung out her gun and aimed for him.
"Oh hell yes," Coco shouted. Orion charged her, leaping over her with the assistance of his glove, blocking her fire with his shield as he landed behind her. She swung back around, meeting his defense in a full swing, using his counter to throw her tote back over her head and divert Mercury's feet. She flipped her gun back out, firing back at Orion without looking and taking him off guard, getting several shots in before he threw himself back. Mercury charged in, kicking her weapon to divert her fire. As his first foot landed he leapt off of it, attempting a roundhouse that she deflected with her free hand, showing her strength as she managed to pull her purse around fast enough to crack him square in the jaw.
"Orion!" Mercury yelled. Orion raised his hand, making a fist which simultaneously pulled Coco back towards him. She tried stopping herself but it proved ineffective as Mercury charged her, leaping off of her box and kicking her in the side. She transformed it back into its gun form once more, firing at Mercury who landed on one foot, deflecting the bullets with his foot before firing and throwing her into Orion quicker. He grappled her, chuckling loudly as Mercury approached her and shook his head. "I didn't even need Emerald's help to kick your ass this time. What kind of message do you think it's going to send when we kill one of the top Huntresses in the area? Do you think the people will panic?"
"I thought you've said before that you're not a murderer," Coco grunted trying to break free. Orion slammed the bottom of his shield against her hand, forcing her to drop her weapon and allowing Mercury to kick it away.
"I'm not a murderer, but the rest of my 'Stardust Gang' as the media has affectionately started referring to us as… Well, I can't really speak for them," Mercury replied with a smile. "Orion." Orion glanced past her at him. "Kill her." Orion hesitated.
"That wasn't part of the plan," Orion reminded him. Mercury scowled.
"Change of plans," Mercury informed him. Coco yawned.
"Are you two almost done yet?" Coco asked. Mercury glanced at her.
"Hmm?" Mercury offered.
"Let's not lie to ourselves, I could have kicked your asses with a leg tied behind my back, but since I'm a great teacher and an awful godparent, I thought that this would be the ideal situation for teaching a lesson to my best student," Coco explained. Mercury glanced around and grabbed her chin.
"What are you on about?" Mercury pried.
"Your breath smells," Coco whispered. She kicked him in the testicles, causing him to reel away from her as Orion gripped her tighter before a lightning arrow struck his gauntlet and freed Coco. "There she is!"
"You looked like you were in a pinch," Neela told her as she fired another arrow that tossed Orion against the wall as the gravity Dust activated.
"Neela, what did I tell you about making puns," Coco scolded.
"Are the two of you finished?" Mercury asked gasping for air.
"I thought this was going to be challenging," Neela told Coco. Coco furrowed her brow.
"Don't get cocky," she reminded her student. Neela nodded. Coco moved for her purse which Mercury knocked away with a blast from his foot, charging Coco who turned to watch it before taking an arrow to the leg which deflected his foot. It snapped as he landed and he spun his body completely around, nailing Coco in the shoulder due to a failed attempt at redirecting him by Neela. Orion has forced her shot wide to the right, causing the ice arrow to stick harmlessly into a pillar at the end of the hallway.
"Not again," Mercury replied. Orion pulled Neela towards him who thought quickly, using her grappling hook to pull Coco's purse towards her. Coco grabbed it as it slid by, turning completely around and meeting another kick with her tote this time. She blocked another by swinging completely through it, a third she blocked with one of her own before he front flipped away from her and opened fire which she easily deflected. Meanwhile, Neela had flipped her bow out to form her sword, allowing Orion's pull to give her speed as she attempted to impale him but he blocked with his shield.
"We meet again," Orion grunted as he struggled against her.
"I'd prefer it if we stopped meeting," Neela replied as they clashed several times, continually moving as she dodged his free hand. Sparks flew from the force of her sword meeting the kite-shaped metal, obscuring his view of Mercury as Neela called out for Coco. "He's open!" Orion knew it to be a lie but Neela swiftly used her grapple to pull his arm forward, angling the shield for Coco to ricochet her bullets off of and blast Mercury back. "Thanks." Orion overloaded his glove, tossing her away in anger and she slid to a stop a few feet from Mercury who was already coming down towards her. She threw him back with her sword, the force throwing her to the ground as Mercury used the extra speed to reach the second floor again.
"This has been fun and all, but I have a schedule to keep and I need to put it back on track," Mercury told them. "Catch you later, Coco. Blondie Jr." He disappeared as Neela gathered her bearings and fired her hook to chase after him.
"That's the best he could come up with," Neela asked as she flew past Coco.
"Hey!" Coco shouted. "Be careful!" A blast of gravity sounded behind her and she turned quickly, knocking it away with her purse as he looked at her with bewilderment.
"I didn't know that was possible," Orion told her.
"I'm guessing that's why you get caught a lot," Coco replied. "Tell me what his plans are and I'll let you go." Orion scoffed.
"Trust me, lady, I'm way more afraid of him," he informed her. She froze, fixing her sunglasses before marching towards him.
"Is that so?" She inquired. Orion charged his gauntlet quickly.
"Oh shit!" He shouted. A narrow blast of light energy slammed into her chest faster than she expected, removing her from the ground until she met a pillar on the other side and crashed through it.
"And here I thought that your light powers were just for show," Coco mumbled, shrugging off the pain. He prepared for her to attack again, she clearly wasn't aware that using his semblance too much often left him drained.
"Hey!" Neela called after Mercury. "Can't we just have a nice conversation?"
"You're a nice kid and all, but if I fail today, there's gonna be hell to pay!" Mercury yelled back at her, turning quickly to fire a shot that stopped her momentarily so that she could defect it.
"Are you still angry that I caught you a few months ago?" Neela asked. As Mercury spun around to kick in the emergency exit, Neela shot his leg with a lightning arrow, this time glancing off instead of sticking in and he tapped his temple.
"You have to learn from your mistakes," Mercury informed her.
"Just imagine how much I could learn from you," Neela replied sarcastically as the arrow tip erupted a second time, coating his leg in ice. Mercury slammed his leg down to free it, meeting Neela's sword on a follow-through kick completely turned his body around. "I'm glad Ilia bought those dual Dust canisters."
"You're not bad, I'll give you that," Mercury exclaimed. He leapt again, kicking the sword hard before sweeping her leg out, stomping down and crashing against her chest before kicking her against the wall. She grappled to the banister, managing to get an arrow off that exploded near his face but didn't seem to affect him. For a fleeting moment, Neela saw him as a larger threat than just a second rate villain, smirking as he pulled his leg back, using a blast to amplify his kick. Neela shifted quickly, slamming her palm against his foot as she adjusted her head just enough to miss the blow. The arrowhead in her grasp exploded, connecting them together using earth Dust.
She hooked a support beam on the opposite side of the wing, pulling them both off of the catwalk thanks to his last attack obliterating the railing. Coco snapped towards them as Orion gripped his shield with his gauntlet and threw shock waves of gravity out, knocking Coco from her feet but she recovered quickly, opening fire as she ran for Neela, separating her from Mercury. Neela landed safely on the other side as Mercury hit a pillar feet first, firing through it to leap back up to where he was while destroying the column in the process. The walkway above shifted.
"Orion, we need to go!" Mercury yelled. "Don't mess this up like you normally do!"
"I resent that!" Orion shouted.
"Neela!" Coco yelled. Orion ran for the steps with Coco several feet ahead of him, only concerned with her student. Without warning Neela swung down, her feet slamming into Orion's chest and knocking him onto his back. Her last lightning arrow nailed him in the chest and she removed his gauntlet as he found himself immobilized.
"Detain him!" Neela shouted to Coco. Coco stopped, impressed with Neela's performance.
"I really wonder why I keep you around!" Mercury yelled coming back down. He fought Coco hand to hand for a long couple of moments as Neela tried to keep Orion from moving before he regained his wits, throwing her away as Mercury outmaneuvered Coco and kicked her hard in the chest. She stumbled away, Orion sprinting at Mercury before grabbing him and taking off in a ball of light. Neela picked up Orion's weapon, handing it to Coco as they both caught their breath.
"This might come in handy," Neela chuckled. Coco sighed.
"What did I say earlier about puns?" Coco asked. "It's better than nothing, but I'm still wondering what they were here to steal."
"Wouldn't it just be whatever blueprint is missing once they get everything cleaned up and take inventory?" Neela inquired.
"Essentially," Coco replied removing her scroll.
"Calling Glynda?" Neela pried.
"Yep," Coco said flatly.
"Still wanna go to lunch?" Neela asked.
"Yes," Coco told her as she stepped away.
What was Stardust there to steal? Next week, Chapter 110 - Fantastical Ending!
A big thank you to Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. All of their 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!