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The Law of Libra
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There is a balance to all things,
A scale to be measured.
Even in the most lawless of places,
There is a rule, a code abided by.
Where a broken word is answered swiftly by a broken spine.
.
.
*Knock knock knock*
"Peafowl," Emerald opened the door.
"Ms. Sustrai, I have brought you the component you requested."
"Oh, thanks? Good job."
In the doorway of Team ENMY's dorm, Emerald took the boxed package from the butler and set it absently on a nearby table.
Peafowl paused for an awkward moment.
"You…do not wish to inspect the contents of the parcel? Our resources experienced quite some difficulty procuring the item in question. I think it would be best you verified the contents."
"Hell if I know it's right by looking at it. My people were the ones who filled that order, not me," Emerald bluntly replied. "I'm sure your guys got it right, though."
"Hm. I see you've chosen to drop your previous formalities."
"Only worth the trouble for introductions. We're in it now. Not much point pretending."
"…I see. Well, I must inform you, this is how I always speak."
"Got it. So, that it?"
"No. My visit is two-fold. In addition to delivering the parcel, my employer wishes for an update on your group's progress."
"Um… it's great. It's going great. We're working very hard."
Peafowl peeked over Emerald's shoulder and saw only Neo lying on Yang's bed. Her feet kicking in the air, as she doodled in her sketchbook.
"You don't seem very busy. May I inquire as to the rest of your team's whereabouts?"
Emerald sighed and took the package under her arm.
"Fine. Follow me. Come on, Neo."
The girl led the butler across Haven's campus to the academy's science department. There, they took an elevator down to the facility's engineering basements, where they made their way through its halls.
When they came to a certain steel door, Emerald kicked it in and flipped on the lights.
""AHHHH!"" Yang and Mercury shouted in anguish.
It seemed the two had been asleep on the floor. Between them hung an elevated motorcycle.
Its frame was larger than average, and its inner workings, far more complicated. Although the vehicle was still in the process of being assembled, it was apparent the finished design would be a very impressive model.
It was the racing machine Yang and Mercury worked obsessively over for the last few days. Since a stock vehicle would be no match against modded competition, they needed to build a custom model practically from the tires up. Getting this far was nothing short of a miracle, as a professional crew would have taken weeks.
"Satisfied, Peafowl?" Emerald asked.
The butler circled the bike once, then nodded.
"I shall report to my master with confidence."
And with that, the man turned on his foot, and left.
"What was that about?" Yang asked, rubbing her eyes.
"He wanted to check on how we were doing. Oh, and deliver the thing you guys ordered. By the way, how are we doing?"
"You have the nerve to ask that when you haven't helped with anything?"
"We all have our strengths, lefty. Mine doesn't include getting greasy, building a bicycle."
"—Motorcycle," Mercury groaned, as he reached for the package under Emerald's arm. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Probably?"
Suddenly, Mercury and Yang were wide awake. The young man tore open the box, like a child unwrapping a birthday present. He held up the device that looked a little bit like a compact heater.
"It's beautiful," he revered.
"Yeaaahhhh~," Yang joined in awe.
Emerald and Neo watched their partners like they were insane.
"How sleep deprived are you two?" Emerald rested a hand on her hip.
"Em! Don't you know what this is?"
"Mercury. I obviously don't. And I can't honestly bring myself to care."
"Well, you should care! It's the reason goldilocks here is going to win that race!" Mercury said with sparking eyes. "This is a Synchronizer."
"Wait a minute, I actually know what that is. Isn't it that thing Masa put in your prosthetics?"
"It synchs an inanimate object to a person's Aura. This one in particular is a rare model the S.D.C. stopped making."
"And you guys are putting it…in a bicycle."
"—The Bumblebee Mk. II!" Yang interjected. "With this baby, I'll be able to control the bike like it's a part of my body. In theory, anyway."
"Huh. I actually understood that…" Emerald thought for a moment. "Wait. Isn't that cheating?"
"Technicallyit isn't."
"What part?"
"There's no actual rule saying we can't put it in a motorcycle."
"Sounds like cheating."
"Fine, it's cheating."
"Doesn't interfere with your morals?"
"No. Because it'll be super awesome and I'll be the fastest thing alive!" Yang pumped her fist.
*Ahem* "—We'll be the fastest thing alive," Mercury added. "After the job, I get nexties."
"You know it! Can't wait to see how this thing flies when we synch it up to your legs."
The two high-fived.
"Awww. Mercury and Yang bonding moment. When did you two become such bros?" Emerald clapped. "Seeing you like this makes me forget at one point, you guys wanted to kill each other. Whoops. Awkward."
"Say whatever you want, Em," Mercury scoffed. "It's actually kind of nice to talk shop with someone for once."
The two gearheads immediately set to work on the motorcycle with renewed vigor. All the while, Emerald started reading a book and Neo found herself a quiet corner to draw in.
After several more hours, the Bumblebee Mk. II prototype was complete.
Yang and Mercury took a step back to marvel at their handiwork. It was a vehicle only made possible, because the two had mechanical limbs and were taught their complicated technicals by one Masa Moon.
"Maz would absolutely freak if she saw this," Yang commented.
"I dunno. Knowing her, she'd find something wrong with it. Look at us dead-eyed, and call us stupid, this one expects."
"Mister Mercury. I did not spend countless hours teaching you how to maintain your prosthesis or provide you with manuals, so you could construct a glorified crotch rocket, this one condescends condescendingly."
"Miss Yang. My technology was meant to help you find the meaning of life and explore the cosmic identity of oneself. Not to kick other people's behinds for lien in races, this one complains complainingly."
Yang and Mercury looked to each other and shared a lighthearted laugh.
"Hehe!" Yang smiled. "Seriously, though. I wish we could've asked her for some advice."
"Yeah, but the line never connected. Maybe something happened."
"Hopefully, it was just bad timing. We should try to get in touch later."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
And they both collapsed where they stood from pure exhaustion. Their snores bounced off the walls of the garage.
As they slept, Neo came over and drew on their faces.
"Alright, Neo," Emerald called over. "That's enough. You and I have work to do."
When they were both about to leave, the green-haired girl thought how Yang was going to have to be at her best in the coming week. Reasoning that, she decided a decent nap was in their best interests.
Emerald activated her Semblance and crafted Yang a pleasant, hallucinated dream to fall asleep to.
.
X
.
…
…
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
"Nervous?"
"No."
"…You're getting better at lying. Em would be proud," Mercury smirked at Yang.
The streets rumbled with the revs of a hundred engines. Heavy bass made the pavement pulse from tricked-out stereo systems. It was a rowdy scene, but some would call it paradise.
Drivers and spectators, gamblers and gangsters, rich and poor, people from all walks of life danced in the streets. They alighted in their collectively shared obsession: Powerful Machinery, Speed, Adrenaline—in whatever form it took.
Rows of modded cars lined each side of the streets. The vehicles awakened something primal in people. For many, racing was a way of life, and this was the watering hole at which they gathered.
Alongside the other machines, Mercury and Yang took their place, leaning against the Bumblebee Mk. II.
While chaos and partying ensued around them, Yang shut it all out to concentrate on the slip of paper in her right hand. Her mechanical fingers whirred softly, folding the parchment with carefully applied pressure. Never using her left, only her right. Her brow knitted in knots.
After a few minutes, she held up a poorly folded crane.
"Hey, you made another one," Mercury commented.
Yang crumpled the origami bird and tossed it aside.
She pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and started over. The exercise was meant to help build precision in her hand. Training her to utilize a delicate, exacting touch.
Before they started the job, Yang thought she was satisfied with her prosthetic, gotten over whatever mental block she had when she defeated Weiss.
How wrong she was.
The first time she sat on the new Bumblebee, she snapped the handlebar off simply gripping it. And just like that, a familiar sense of depression sunk in. Her handling improved in the two days that passed—but only time would tell if it would be enough.
Yang held up a new paper crane. It didn't look as bad as the last one.
"Doesn't look as bad as the last one," Mercury commented again.
"I can't believe you of all people are trying to cheer me up. Do I look that pathetic?"
"Even worse."
"Thanks."
"I'm not very good at the whole rah-rah dance. But here it goes." Mercury cleared his throat. "…You need to win."
"…Yeah?"
"I spent a lot of time on this bike. It's my baby."
"Mine, too."
"Don't lose our baby."
"Yeah. No more rah-rah dancing for you. Just stick to looking pretty for the crowd, Merc."
As Yang was about to crumple the new crane, a thin hand reached down and plucked it from her fingers.
When she looked up, she saw Neo standing there in flashy goth loli fashion.
"Looking good," Yang complimented.
"—If only the same could be said about you."
Emerald appeared from behind in her own dark-green outfit. Accompanying them was also someone Yang had never met before.
It was a woman whose head was almost shaved bald. Her body was covered in tattoos. Piercings stapled across her skin, and many of the jewelries were heavy link chains. They draped about her face and hung from her arms. As scandalous as it was at first glance, Yang found an odd ritualistic sense to it as well.
A cigarette burned between the stranger's fingers as she stared down at her.
"This your racer?" she asked in a raspy voice.
"Yep," Emerald answered. "She's the one."
"You do know who's racing in the slot you're gunning for, right?"
"Oh, we know. In fact, we want to set wagers before the heat."
The heavily-pierced woman frowned.
"What wagers are we talking?"
"Pink slips."
Her frown deepened, as she took a long drag of her cigarette.
"What exactly are you trying to pull here? If you're thinking about cheating, this isn't the place for it. You know who I am?"
"Brass Libra; mediator, negotiator, balance keeper, blah blah blah," Emerald answered readily. "Your word is law on the streets. We know."
"Then you can understand why my bullshit meter's running high, when a couple of fresh bloods want into a race with the best right off the bat. On the riskiest map course, and wagering pink slips no less."
"Yes, very suspicious," Emerald stared back, unperturbed. "But I also know, every single person here wants to see Chariot taken down a peg, yourself included."
Libra measured the other up and down. Her glare seemed to scrutinize every bit of the mint-haired girl's demeanor. An odd authority carried in her presence.
"Chariot spares no thought for the balance. Nothing in the honor among racers," Libra admitted with obvious dislike. "I'd banish him if I could. He disrespects the law, but he does abide by it."
"That's what you say, but I've heard the rumors," Emerald replied. "Lot of people say he's cheating. Something about there being no way his car is as fast as it should be."
"I've inspected it myself. It's got what some would call…an unfair advantage."
"But nothing that breaks your rules?"
"…None."
"You don't sound like you like it either."
"It toes the borderline, but stays within what defines an engine. Unfair, but not a violation."
"Look, Libra. We don't want to step on anyone's shoes. And from the word going around, it sounds like if we take his car, things will be a whole lot better around here, including for you," Emerald persuaded. "So, how 'bout you just let us solve your problem for you, and you can badmouth us all you like behind our backs?"
"…Let me see your ride."
"Go for it."
At Emerald's signal, Mercury removed some of the plating on Bumblebee Mk. II for Libra's inspection.
The woman's hands navigated the interior, checking every space for illegal tech. The woman even asked the engine to be turned over so she could examine how it worked. When she finished to a point she was satisfied, Libra turned back to Emerald.
"What's up with you?"
"Just a headache," Emerald tried to play off. "Sudden onsets."
"Right…Well, the machine passes." Libra wiped her hands with a cloth. "Be on the line in an hour. You're in the third heat. I'll bring your proposition to Chariot."
"Thanks for that."
"Don't thank me," Libra grunted. The woman started walking off, chains jangling, but stopped after a few steps. Under a hushed breath, she added, "I'm not supposed to say this, but tell your racer to get her head straight and take Chariot off my streets."
When she was out of sight, Emerald exhaled a huge sigh of relief. Even Mercury and Yang were sweating bullets when Libra was examining the motorcycle.
"That…was one of the hardest minds I've ever hallucinated in my entire life," Emerald panted. "And she didn't even know about my Semblance."
Yang couldn't help but eye the Synchronizer Libra touched, but paid little attention to. There was a generous amount of stress during that part of the judge's examination.
"You think she suspects something?" Yang asked.
"Fifty-fifty she noticed and let it pass," Emerald replied.
"She might not know what it is by looking at it. But what if she decides it's cheating after seeing the way I drive?"
"Considered, and we have a failsafe. You just think about winning this damn thing."
.
X
.
The crowd was going wild by the time of the third race. Ten of the fastest rides and riders were competing, including Team ENMY and their target, Chariot.
Graffiti tagged the road across, making for an urban art starting line. Energetic house music pumped louder to get the audience off their feet. And everyone could hear bookies yelling odds and bettors putting down wages.
From the small snippets ENMY could hear, they were not favorites to win.
Taking its position beside them, pulled up a large gaudy gold-painted car. The door opened and a rather obese man in a track suit with a Mohawk decorated helmet stepped out. Even though they couldn't see through his visor, it was clear he was surveying Yang and her party. The focus of his attention rested on Neo last, and stuck there.
"Hey there, baby. Haven't seen you before. I'll let you in on a secret. I've got a thing for pig tails and short black skirts." He opened his visor to give a wink.
Neo only smiled silently back.
Though her expression came off harmless, her teammates knew better. And hidden from Chariot's point of view, Mercury and Emerald tried hard to keep Neo from drawing the sword behind her back. The petite girl's strength was enough to make both struggle, as they pretended like nothing was wrong.
Just when Chariot was about to say more, and a bloodbath sure to follow—Yang stepped in between.
"She's with me," she spoke with a threatening glare.
"Is that right? What a waste…Well, maybe she'll change her mind once I smoke your ass."
"—Yang." Emerald tried to get her attention, when she saw her fists clench.
"What's wrong, blondie? Am I embarrassing you too much in front of your girlfriend and your punk-ass posse."
"Ignore him. He's just trying to get in your head."
"Too late, greenie, I'm already there," Chariot leaned forward. "How about your crew just takes a minute—take a deep breath…And back your weak asses off my line before I really stop being nice. I'm doing the kind thing here, believe you me. You ain't ready for this. I have concerns for the fragile and crippled."
"Merc! Help me out here! I can't hold them both back!"
"—Yeah, screw that," Mercury gritted his teeth. "I'm ready to stick my boot up his—"
"ENOUGH!"
Libra's voice cut through the hostility on her approach.
"None of you are starting an unsanctioned fight while I'm around. You wanna start killing each other? I'll disqualify you both and you can settle your garbage somewhere else!"
"Relax, tats," Chariot laughed. "Just some harmless fun. I'm a lover not a—"
"Shut your dumbass up!" she interrupted, then wheeled on Team ENMY. "Now, did you all come here to fight? OR DID YOU ALL COME HERE TO RACE?!" Libra roared at the top of her voice.
The crowd, who paid close attention to the whole drama, rose up and cheered with mad joy.
"Damn she's good," Emerald couldn't help but compliment how well Libra glossed the whole thing over and turned it to promotion.
The audience grew more invested. New bets and higher wagers flooded in. Previously uninterested bystanders were flocking over. And all eyes centered on Chariot and Team ENMY.
"Now, then!" Libra spoke up, loud enough for all to hear. "Ownership of the racers' vehicles have been offered as prize of victory. Are the invested parties in agreement?"
"Yeah, no deal," Chariot crossed his arms. To which, the crowd started booing and giving him the thumbs down. "Oh, shut up! Look at that puny thing! I'm not worried about losing, but I'm supposed to accept my bad ass ride is worth the same as that poor excuse of a tricycle? Come on!"
"Alright, we'll sweeten the pot," Emerald started. "How much lien to make this interesting?"
"I've been winning races since I got here! Undefeated! You think I need money?!"
"Okay…What do you want?"
"Hmmm…" He scratched the bottom of his chin. "Her! That'll make this a little more worthwhile."
For a second, everyone took the time to follow Chariot's pointed finger to Neo.
And before, anyone could protest, Emerald shouted, "DEAL!"
"I take it both parties have reached an accord?" Libra interceded.
Chariot and Emerald both nodded. The mediator extended one hand to each of them, to which the two shook at the same time. To Emerald's surprise, a sort of power seemed to flow from the woman's touch. Like her Aura was intermingling with hers.
"Through me, I, Libra of the balance and scales, recognize this contract as valid!" she announced to the once more, roaring cries of the crowd. "Racers! Finish final preparations!"
As everyone was settling down and getting ready—Yang, Neo, and Mercury turned to Emerald, who was looking down at her palm.
"Hm… Maybe, I shouldn't have done that. Well! I know you guys may not have exactly agreed to what just happened—"
"What the hell was that?!" Yang shouted.
Neo's cheeks were extra puffy, as she inched closer to Emerald with sword in hand. Mercury also stared at her with extreme skepticism.
"Guys, I need you to focus. Yang, I believe you had a question."
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
"Right," Emerald nodded. "That the hell, was me making a deal so we could get on with this stupid race. Face it, we were losing him near the end, and if he doesn't bet his car, then what?"
"But, what if I lose?!"
"Uh…don't?"
"But—"
Emerald aggressively grabbed the sides of the girl's face.
"Listen, Yang. I brought you on this team. And I wouldn't keep you around if I didn't… believe in your usefulness. Understand?"
Yang stayed quiet.
"Failure is not an option. If you lose us Neo, I'm disbanding our team. Don't disappoint. Take all that hate, ball it up, and throw it at that sleaze ball and his stupid freakin' car. I don't care if you have to kill him, or run him into a wall. KICK. HIS. ASS. We're Team Enemy! So start acting like it!"
Emerald clapped the sides of her face and walked away.
Stunned for a moment, Yang was brought out of her daze when Mercury jabbed her arm.
"Kick his ass, Yang. Team Enemy."
He then, walked off to join Emerald on the sidelines.
"You told her it was okay to trash the car?" Mercury side-whispered her.
"Did I? Guess, I got a little carried away. I'm sure the client won't mind a little wear and tear."
"—I don't suppose you're going to say something now?" Yang looked to Neo.
The small girl's slender arms wrapped around the back of her neck and through her hair. Neo pulled Yang down for a deeply passionate kiss that conveyed her feelings. When they separated, Neo wrote something in her sketchbook and held it up.
On which was written:
Kick his ass!
Team ENMY! Grrrrr! =(
Neo revealed her usual vicious grin and made her way to Libra to discuss something.
"—She'll make a decent prize," Chariot called from his rolled down window. "Your bike ain't worth a damn, but at least I'll get something out of beating your—"
"I'm going to murder you," Yang cut him off.
"What?"
She turned her head slowly to him.
"When this race is done, I'm gonna take your crappy car, and I'm gonna run your ass over with it."
"…"
"Again and again."
"…"
"And again."
"…"
"And again…"
Chariot rolled his window up slowly in silence.
Yang put on her helmet and the course display on her visor went live.
As the heat was about to start, all the racers began revving their engines. The crowd was restless. All betting had ceased and finalized. They were all settling in for the show. Even Emerald and Mercury got themselves a giant tub of popcorn.
"This is such a trashy racing movie," Mercury pointed out.
"You know, I noticed, but I didn't want to say anything…" Emerald replied.
"Don't get me wrong. I love trashy racing movies."
In front of the drivers, standing on the starting line was Neo. Her arms raised to give the ready and set. She gave a wink towards Yang, and her appearance shifted to her more familiar, pink and brown hair color.
At the same time, her hands went down to signal the go.
Tires screeched and smoke billowed into the air. Flames fired from the vehicles' exhaust pipes and the racers shot forward into the night. Only the lines from their taillights were left.