Tidus wiped the sweat from his brow. He dropped the wooden staff and sat on the floor. Cole walked over to his little brother, laughing. The older man pat the ten-year-old on the head while talking about how he would have his own weapon someday. Tidus just pouted and crossed his arms. A call from the house took his brother away. The house was familiar, yet distant. The same, but different. It was home, but not how he remembered it. Very empty. Where were the other houses?
He felt eyes on his back. Two robed figures advanced through the clouds of sand. One is tall and broad, one is short and thin. One with a face of white and red and another of black and gold. They stood above him, looking down. He didn't feel fear. There was screaming from the house. His vision rippled at the edges.
Darkness…
When he woke up, there was a new face looking down. A much more punchable one.
"Hell yeah, you're up!" Ash rubbed his hands together as Tidus groggily sat up from the bed. Both Ash and Kai stood before him, dressed for exercise. Ash in a red sleeveless hoodie with shorts and Kai in gray and purple spandex sports wear. The Oscuro crest pristinely stitched on the front. He looked to the window for the time. No light was coming through.
"What time is it?" His yawn muddled the words as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The morning giving a deep rumble to his voice.
"It's time to wake up and seize the day." Ash's energy radiated out and grated on Tidus. It was far too much for this early in the morning.
"It's five." Kai's frank tone was a bit more welcome.
"Five? We don't have lessons till eight."
"Lessons start at eight, but training starts now. I want to get a head start of the competition." Ash pounded his fist into an open palm before he turned his attention to the top bunk.
Tidus just sighed. Truthfully, he was rather talented at closing his eyes and instantly finding sleep. But he rarely dreamed and the last dream or memory (whatever it had been) left him a little uneasy. Best not to dwell on it, he thought. The events were already a haze in the back of his mind. He stilled the hand that had been unconsciously curling his hair and got up to get some clothes. Settling on a black tank top and some cargo pants.
"Come on Jett, it'll be like a team building exercise." Ash said, dangling off the side of the bunk bed ladder.
"Yeah? Now that I've slept on it, I've already decided that I'm going to switch teams." Jett didn't even turn to face Ash. The cocoon he had made in his bed was a much more inviting prospect than talking to Ash.
"What do you mean? You can't just switch teams."
Behind Ash, Kai cleared his throat. "You can actually. If you look at page five, paragraph three of the application form, it states-"
That was all Jett needed to hear. "See I can. Now let me sleep."
Ash jumped down from the ladder and started a slow walk to the door, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That's such a shame, and to think I planned the run to go past the women's yoga class in the park."
The mention of Jett's greatest vice finally got him to sit up. "You're lying."
Ash stopped and turned with a smirk on his face. "Nope, they have special early morning classes."
For a second, the idea waged a war behind Jett's eyes. In the end, he moved to get out of his bunk. "I suppose I can get up early for some training."
A run around the streets of Vacuo, weight training and a quick shower finished with the group back in their normal clothes. Going straight to the mess hall for some breakfast. Tidus wasn't sure what part of what they did was team building, but at least it woke him up. The mess hall was certainly a colourful place, filled with so many people from different walks of life. Shade didn't have a uniform. Well, they didn't anymore. Once upon a time there was, but no one bothered to wear it for the first year. Then the next year, logistics issues caused them all to be shipped in nursery sizes. After that, the academy dropped the idea for more pressing issues. The greatest thing to come out of the whole debacle was the variety Shade now possessed. It was surprising what people got away with wearing in the desert.
As they sat to eat, Tidus couldn't help but notice a frosty reception. Students filled the room, but the few he could identify from the end of initiation all seemed to shoot them dirty looks. In particular, a table of girls with colourful hair caught his eye. He had to admit; they were all very appealing to the eye. Until the red-headed girl caught his gaze in a ferocious glare. He let out an audible gulp as the girl viscously stabbed a sausage on her plate. His focus remained on his own food and his team for the rest of breakfast.
"I can't believe you lied about the early morning yoga session." Jett did his best at feigning annoyance.
"You wouldn't get out of bed if I didn't tell you that. And come on, you had fun, right?" Ash said, giving him a grin, easily seeing past his friend's facade.
"The day I admit I enjoyed something involving you is the day I take a rain check." He sipped his drink to hide a forming smile.
"I'm surprised. Figured you would be pissy about it," Tidus said.
"And what makes you think that?"
"Why the fuck does your scroll not have a flashlight?" Tidus' emphasis on Jett's accent during the impersonation made the other two men chuckle.
"Alright, no need to come after my accent." His features scrunched up after he spoke. "Fuck, now you've spoken like that, I can hear it in my voice." Jett rolled his eyes when both Tidus and Ash laughed at him. Even Kai had a humorous smile on his face. "But I was on edge yesterday. Might have made me a little irritable."
"A little?" Tidus raised an eyebrow at him. "Does that mean you're ready to talk about the tattoos?"
Jett froze. Across the table, Ash had to cover his mouth to make sure he didn't laugh out loud. Jett had gotten a few tattoos a couple of years back. Young Jett had thought they were the shit. Old Jett had hindsight to work with. They weren't necessarily the worst, but he would prefer it if they stayed hidden beneath his chest armour. He was quick to change the topic. "So, Kai, you an Oscuro shill or something." The mentioned man raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you have all the gear." He gestured to the Oscuro sigil on Kai's armour. Similar to Vacuo's, but with the side swords facing up rather than down and the colours inverted.
"I trained there for a time." Jett nodded along, waiting for the story. It never came. Kai was already back to eating. Short, curt and to the point, that was just how the guy rolled Jett figured. Better than Ash, at least.
The team went back to enjoying their breakfast, making small talk in the meantime. Until one of Tidus' off handed comments brought the unusually hard gazes to Jett's attention. And now that Tidus mentioned it, when he looked around, he could feel quite a few murderous eyes gunning for them. Still riding his positive mood, he decided he would try to build some better relations and understand everyone's problem with them. He spied four women across the room, staring at them with heated intensity. Having always fancied himself a ladies' man, he excused himself and made his way over.
Walking with his head held high and a swagger in his step, analysing the women. They all looked pissed off. Thoroughly pissed off. Despite that, he couldn't help but admire their looks. Athletic with especially smooth looking skin for the desert climate. Four distinct hair colours and eye colours gave all of them a unique allure. He stopped in front of their table, ready to turn the charms on.
"Well, hello there. Couldn't help but glimpse your beauty across the room." Only one girl lost the frown on their face. "My name is-"
"We know your name." The blonde one said. She looked beyond unimpressed. In fact, she looked a bit bored with him already.
"Saves me some time then, would be nice to get your names?" Jett did his best to keep his charms going by focusing his efforts on the girl with Indigo hair.
She blushed a bit when he leaned closer, the frown long gone and replaced with a shy smile. "I'm Nebula, the blonde is Dew, Octavia is the redhead, and this is Gwen. We are team NDGO." All the other girls at the table continued to ignore his existence.
"It's nice to know there's a team of gorgeous women with us this year."
Nebula's blush deepened as she giggled. "Oh, you don't-"
"Are you done yet?" Octavia cut the moment short, her eyes glaring daggers at Jett. "If you can't tell, you aren't welcome here."
Jett held his hands up in a mock surrender. "Listen, I don't know what I did to make you all mad but-"
"You don't know?" Gwen let out a hollow laugh. "How about almost running me over?!"
"You mocked me!" Octavia stood and pushed her finger into his chest.
"And you almost dropped me out of the air!" Dew's tone stayed level, but her eyes were cold.
Jett was at a loss for words after their sudden verbal assault. Turns out their pretty faces were hiding quite a thorny attitude. "Now I think there may be a bit of a misunderstanding." He stopped and looked at all their faces properly. His mouth made a small 'O' shape when he recognised them. The events they listed may or may not have happened to a certain extent. He just saw it a bit differently than they did. "Maybe it's just a matter of perspective."
"A matter of perspective?" Dew grabbed Jett by the front of his breastplate. She leaned in, her voice a whisper. "You tried to kill me, dog boy."
"Guys, maybe we should…" Nebula gave up her attempt to defuse the situation when she caught the way Jett and Dew were glaring at each other.
"Listen Dew. I wasn't trying to kill anyone," Jett said through gritted teeth. His positive mood was all but dried up. Jett followed two rules in his life. No sucker punching women and children. Don't get him wrong, he would fight both gladly. It just never looked good when he threw the first punch. Right now, his resolve to hold that rule was slipping.
A man's laugh turned both of their stares to an approaching group. "You are a genuine character, Jett." The man spoke his name with malice. "Just try not to get yourself hurt before I get my hands on you." His group comprised three boys and one girl. With the lead man wearing a white and purple sleeveless top. His hair was in an elaborate style that went from black to gray. Or a douchebag in Jett's book.
He turned to square up to him, finding it much easier to get angry in the face of someone who didn't break his moral code. The shit-eating face helped as well. "Even more pricks just popping out the woodwork. The fuck you want?"
The man gave a cocky grin and began speaking. "Names Brawnz, captain of BRNZ. I-"
Jett let out a snort. This guy really thought he was the shit. "BRNZ? You get it like that so you could have your team named after you?"
Brawnz's cool demeanour slipped, replaced with an anger to match Jett's. "Watch it dog boy. After the stunts you pulled during initiation, my teams looking to teach you a lesson." Jett peered past him briefly to spot said team. They all looked pretty chilled out from where he was standing.
The rest of AMBT watched in astonishment as Jett assembled more and more angry people. This had to be some kind of talent to make this many people dislike you in less than twenty-four hours of first interacting with them. Ash stood to save their team mate from his floundering attempt at diplomacy. Tidus and Kai shared a nod before following.
A set of hands divided Jett and Brawnz before things could come to blows. But when Jett realised Ash was the one mediating, he figured it would have been easier if they just skipped to the part where they beat the snot out of each other.
"Ok fellas, let's try to keep it civil. The initiation is over. Let's move past certain mistakes and look to the future." Ash gave the crowd a beaming smile with his hands on his hips. They looked even angrier to see him than they did with Jett.
The girl in BRNZ spoke up. "Oh please, the only reason you're here is because you're Novis' little boy. Daddy's money might have got you an academy place, but it won't get any of us to believe your lies about killing massive blind worms." A series of nods and murmurs from the two teams followed. Ash's smile slipped away when he realised he was a public enemy next to Jett.
Tidus decided he would give his hand at defusing the situation next. Although the irate crowd did little for his confidence. "Umm. It's the first day, so maybe we can all try to get along?" Tidus chuckled nervously when the entire crowd moved their stare to him. Maybe he should have not talked.
"Think you can tell us what to do because your brother's the dragon?" Octavia started advancing on Tidus.
Tidus recognised her as the girl from before. He moved back to keep distance when he thought of the sausage and his sausage. "I feel like my words are being misconstrued."
Octavia continued, regardless. "Think you're hot shit because your brothers a big time huntsmen. I can already tell your a fraud." Tidus stopped when his back hit a table and looked down to avoid her piercing gaze. He tugged at the collar of his jacket, suddenly feeling hot. Why did he wear a coat in the desert? Before Kai could complete the chain and try to intervene with the new argument, Gwen had intercepted to unload her fury.
"And you!" She prodded a finger at Kai before looking him up and down in disgust. "You look like you need to go back to Atlas to get that rod removed from your ass."
The rest of AMBT would have felt bad for the guy if the insult hadn't been so funny to them. Jett had to stifle a laugh as Kai stood still at the insult. The mixture of shock and confusion on his usually blank face was quite something. Kai wasn't one to take much notice from insults, but being inadvertently called a citizen of Atlas in Vacuo was the lowest of the low.
Jett shifted his focus back when he realised Brawnz had squared up again. Looking closer at the man's goofy haircut, Jett realised something. "Wait, I remember you now. You're the guy who went running with his tail between his legs in the mine." Brawnz's face went red, giving Jett the answer he needed. Tidus, Ash and Kai watched as Jett burst out laughing at the man's embarrassment. They let him have this one and decided to not mention the fact he had tried to run as well.
After getting over his initial embarrassment, Brawnz was angrier than ever. His fist clenched and moved before the simple clearing of a throat sent a chill down the spine of every person in the room. The short stature of Professor Rumpole could never fully convey the true extent of her presence. But standing there now, not a single person could bring themselves to look away, the rage that had hung in the air fading. Sandy brown hair that travelled down to her ankles and a sleeveless overcoat, both infused with gold, gave her a regal aura.
"I was wondering where my history class was." Her voice was cold and level. "Imagine my disappointment when I find them already starting fights with each other. My classroom now." There was no argument to be had. Most left with their heads low to avoid Rumpole's chilling gaze. A few bold students shot AMBT annoyed glances before leaving for the history class. As Jett walked past, Rumpole grabbed his arm to stop him. "I want you to know, Mr Masters, that I am aware of your past and if you continue to cause problems, I will remove you. Is that understood?" Jett swallowed and gave a small nod. The area that Rumpole had once held him feeling disturbingly cold.
Rumpole's monotonous tone did nothing for Jett's lack of interest in history. The past was the past and he couldn't care any less about the events. Ironic, considering his shared disdain for Atlas along with the rest of Vacuo. Instead, he spent the lesson stewing over the morning, glaring across the room at NDGO that sat opposite him. No one here respected him or his team. That much was clear, and it ticked him off royally. In Vacuo, one had to earn respect and while he gave the benefit of the doubt that anyone who passed the initiation deserved respect. It seemed they weren't receiving the same treatment.
Rumpole slapped her hand on Tidus' sleeping frame once again. Scolding him before she continued to walk around in circles at the centre of the room. The layout of desks being level with the teacher in a circle around them left nowhere for Tidus to hide for his naps. Jett frowned at Tidus, who was nodding off again despite BRNZ and NDGO's not-so-subtle mockery of him. To his left Kai sat studiously taking notes while to the right of Tidus Ash looked equally bored. It annoyed him that his team didn't take as much offence as he did over the situation. Roy Stallion laughed while he threw a ball of paper at Tidus' hunched form when Rumpole wasn't looking. It annoyed him even more now. Didn't they care? Were they not mad that no one respected them?
After the lesson ended, he took a moment to confront them about it on their way to weapon training.
"Don't sweat it." Tidus said. Hands behind his head as he yawned, looking unfazed.
"Don't sweat it?" Jett asked in disbelief. He had expected Tidus to care even a little.
"Listen, I hate it as much as you do, but this is standard procedure. We make our move in weapons' training." Ash's confidence had returned as he walked with his team. This wasn't an unfamiliar situation for him and Tidus. Noteworthy families may have earned easy brownie points with regular people. But it bred scepticism among professionals. It was a simple fact that most people thought nepotism trumped hard work in terms of opportunities. Which wasn't often wrong. The only way to get past the allegations was with a first hand showing.
The sandpit was the open-air arena at Shade Academy, hosting all combat training and events. Much like the name, it was rather simple. A loosely marked out area in a courtyard filled with sand and dirt surrounded by elevated stands for spectators. In the mornings and evenings, the place wasn't too bad. The high walls blocked out the sun. But at midday, the courtyard was nothing more than a suntrap. That was probably why they scheduled combat training from ten until one.
"Welcome students. I am so glad to welcome you to weapons training!" Professor Sunnybrook's energetic movements caused her blonde braid to swing back and forth like a pendulum. "I am Rowena Sunnybrook. However, you shall refer to me as Professor or Rowena." In between pants and fanning themselves, the crowd nodded in understanding. "Excellent. Now I have heard about how eager you all are to fight, so let's not waste anytime!"
Sunnybrook was all smiles and energy. The woman looked on the younger side, halfway between Rumpole and Mirage in age. Bright hazel eyes with dimples and a splash of freckles across her face. Although, if you looked close enough, you would see her smile never reached her eyes. They were rather unnerving. Her build was quite buff compared to the other women, and her clothes were strictly utilitarian in design. Maybe for the best, considering how much effort Rumpole and Mirage put into their image. She had them doing simple duels for the first lesson. No semblances. The spectators went to the elevated stands while Sunnybrook stayed by the sandpit to referee.
"Our first match will be-"
"Professor! Let me fight first." Sunnybrook smiled at Ash's enthusiasm. That was the exact quality she strived to imbue in her students.
"Since you are so eager, Asher, you will face Brawnz."
Jett gave a grunt of annoyance now that Ash had swiped the guy he was hoping to fight. Ash gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll kick his ass for you."
"You better." The two shared a fist bump before Ash dropped into the sandpit.
He bounced on the balls of his feet, shaking out his muscles as Brawnz stood opposite him.
"Now I want a competitive fight, you two. Give it your all, but be aware. We fight till an aura breaks here in Shade, so measure yourself." Both men nodded. Sunnybrook took a step back to the sidelines before beginning the match.
The stances of both boys already told her how this match would start. Both circled in wide and low stances. Ash hadn't even bothered to equip his weapon yet. She gave a disappointed sigh, knowing it would be another attempt at wrestling. For whatever reason, wrestling was big in Vacuo. As a sport and as entertainment. It supposedly started as a way for the original settlers to defend themselves without bludgeoning each other to death. But evolved to put on entertaining shows with displays of skill. Since then, the sport had devolved in Sunnybrook's eyes. It was no longer useful in combat thanks to advanced weaponry and was instead Vacuo's number two cultural export right behind metal music. People still tried to use it in fights. Too little effect when ninety percent of their experience came from the televised crap.
So her two students pleasantly surprised her when they locked up with impressive proficiency. Both men struggled for dominance in the centre of the arena, teetering back and forth. Brawnz made a sudden switch in his weight, throwing Ash off balance and into a standing headlock. The dominant man laughed as he watched Ash squirm. After a few more seconds of futile flailing, Ash stopped. Brawnz knew he wasn't out yet, but he still took the moment to showcase his handiwork to the crowd.
The only thing the crowd took notice of was the crazed grin on Ash's face. Done playing possum, the brunette struck, hooking an arm under Brawnz's legs and another on his hips Ash lifted him off the ground. A shocked look spread across Brawnz's face as Ash fell backwards, slamming him into the ground. Brawnz was quick to recover from his embarrassing blunder dropping into a more orthodox brawler stance. Ash finally equipped his tonfas and fell into a boxing stance of his own.
Sunnybrook watched as the two fighters ended their little ego challenge and got to the main event. Brawnz struck first, leading with a hail of blows using his clawed fists. Ash was quick to respond with his own strikes, ending in an extended exchange between the two. Each one standing their ground as they threw punch after punch at one another.
Jett snarled on the sidelines. "What the fuck is that idiot doing?" Kai and Tidus couldn't help but agree. The way Ash was fighting right now was playing directly into Brawnz's favour. The lightweight metal claws compared to the bulkier tonfas allowed Brawnz faster attacks compared to Ash's. They also afforded him more reliable dodging. They continued to watch as Brawnz weaved Ash's hits, countering with his own that met with flashes of red aura. If this kept up any longer, then… Brawnz's next strike was a brutal uppercut that staggered Ash. His arms instinctively rose to block the incoming assault intended to finish him. Ash dug in and waited. Maybe he had over indulged himself with the blow for blow trades, but that didn't matter anymore. He told Jett that he would kick this guy's ass and that's exactly what he intended to do.
He made a slip up in his defence. Brawnz spotted it and moved for the finish. The right cross travelled in slow motion as it closed in on Ash. Jett relaxed when he recognised the strategy. That idiot really had him going for a bit. Ash dived into the strike, his left tonfa raised with a shield emerging from the sides. Brawnz's claws sparked as they scraped against the shield. Ash pushed out, parrying the blow. His second tonfa came in for a liver shot that made an audible bang on contact. Brawnz didn't have the chance to keel over before Ash followed up with a series of heavy strikes. Finishing with a roundhouse kick that launched Brawnz back, breaking his aura. Ash almost followed to continue his onslaught before he calmed himself. The blood stopped rushing to his head as the dullness in his ears cleared.
He took a few deep breaths before he offered Brawnz a hand. "Hey close fight." The other man took it reluctantly, but gave a nod in agreement.
Sunnybrook walked over to congratulate them.
"Well done, you two. Brawnz, you did well but your over confidence let Ash trick you twice." Brawnz looked away in embarrassment. "And Ash, you took far too long to pivot from your original strategy." Ash didn't let the criticism dampen his mood. "Regardless, you both did well. Our next match…"
The next matches rolled on, with each member of AMBT watching with avid interest. It paid to know what the competition was working with. The next to be called up was Tidus. He dropped into the sandpit to face his opponent Nolan of BRNZ.
"You know, this looks like a bit of a mismatch." Ash said as he looked down at the two men.
"Yeah, now I'm looking at him from a distance. I remember how imposing Tidus can look," Jett replied. It looked quite comical, a six-foot something Tidus built somewhere between an ox and a horse stood with a halberd as big as his opponent. Meanwhile, Nolan looked more than nervous at the other side. Despite that, Nolan had a plan. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, May had said before Nolan had gone in. So it was quite simple, aim for his legs. Although, the shaking in his own legs didn't help.
"Three, two, one, begin!"
Less than a minute later, Nolan was flat on his back with his aura broken. It was debatable whether Tidus had beaten him or if Nolan had beaten himself. After all, people considered fumbling your weapon mid-match a less than optimal move.
"Ok Nolan, you gave it your all, and that's all that matters. You're here to learn, so I don't expect you to be perfect." Sunnybrook gave the sulking man a comforting pat on the head. "But I need to see you after class." Before Tidus could go back to the stands, Sunnybrook continued. "Don't leave yet, Tidus. That match was far too easy for you." She scoured the stands to find him a new opponent. "Kai, you will face Tidus now." Tidus' shoulders sagged when he realised he had another fight.
The moment Kai was opposite him, Tidus could already feel the change from his last opponent. The silver-haired man's poker face was unmatched compared to the quiver that Nolan had. Both men readied themselves. The words to start the match had only just left Sunnybrook's mouth, and Kai was already rapidly advancing. His speed taking Tidus off guard. The way he glided across the arena in a full set of armour was nothing short of skillful. The strikes from his ringed saber came in thick and fast. Each slash flowed seamlessly into the next, making his attacks appear as a storm of blades. Tidus struggled to keep up with the movements, his halberd a blur of motions as he used both ends to block the attacks. But he was seeing it. Kai was a fundamentalist. A practice one move a thousand times sort of guy. That meant he just needed to find a flaw in the attack patterns. Easier said than done.
Tidus spotted an opening and took it. Predicting one of Kai's attacks, he pushed the man back to his outer limits and took a horizontal swing. Kai rolled under, but Tidus continued to spin, building momentum and hitting the crouching man. Kai only managed half a block before the collision launched him back across the sand. As both men stood gathering their breath, Tidus looked at the scoreboard. It turned out his blocks had been lousier than he thought, with half his aura already being depleted. His returning blow acted as a consolation, but still Kai held ten percent over him. He wouldn't panic. He was getting to grips with Kai's attack patterns and if he could keep…
Across the arena, the rings on Kai's saber opened, allowing him to split the blade in two, wielding it as two scimitars. Tidus' shoulders sagged further. Of course, he had a gimmick.
Kai had completed his rest by now. He had taken the time to analyse Tidus' fighting style and was ready to end the match. All he had to do was get on the inside of the halberd to limit Tidus' range of attack and defence. If he spent too much time in the danger zone, he would end up on the receiving end of a heavy hit like last time. So he transitioned to his dual scimitars, more evenly distributed weight with faster swings. It was no use trying to match Tidus' weapon in a pound for pound clash.
This time when Kai dashed forward to attack, Tidus met him with a charge of his own. He was on the offensive, obviously trying to push a slip up from Kai. But equally so, Kai knew a relentless offence would offer holes at some point. The silver-haired man dodged with grace, knowing one hit from the heavy weapon could spell disaster. Every time he looked to slip through, he only managed one swing before Tidus was quick to create more distance. He grew bolder and bolder with each engagement. Tidus was wearing out and more openings were becoming clear to him. Then his right foot got swept out from under him. The wind completely knocked out of him as Tidus' halberd struck his stomach and rushed him to the ground.
Kai lay there for a second, paralysed, before he realised the match was over. When he stood, Tidus was there, hands on his knees, just as exhausted as he was. Tidus on twenty percent and he on zero percent. The match had been rather close. Kai offered his hand, and Tidus accepted. The two shook hands and nodded to each other in a sign of respect. The moment ended with a squeal of delight from Sunnybrook.
"Ooh, that was very close! Kai, your fighting style is very advanced, but that means you need to step out of your comfort zone, or else you'll fall victim to crafty work like that." To her surprise, Kai reached into his pocket to pull out a notebook and write her instructions. It was quite nice to have someone take to her teachings so quick. "And Tidus, you need to be proactive. Acting in reaction can work, but sitting back can also get you picked apart, like in this match. Have more confidence in your offence." Tidus didn't look directly at her, but his nod was enough to know he understood her words.
Jett was beyond ready now. With all the other matches finished, there was only one possible opponent left.
"Seems like it's just you and me, dog boy." Dew approached him before their duel. "I'll admit your team is better than I thought, but you're the one who talks the talk. So at least try to give me a challenge, all right?"
Jett didn't waste his breath instead, going down to the arena to wait for his opponent. When she was finally standing across from him, he felt his fury grow. That look she always had on her face really pissed him off. Dull. Dull eyes and a blank expression. The shade of blue was so vibrant, yet she somehow made them look so muted. And that bored stare, like she was constantly looking down on him. Like she was above him. Then he laughed. Dew looked at him like he was insane. But he had just realised. She totally had a resting bitch face. The more he thought about it, the blank expression also reminded him of Tidus and Kai as well. His laughter died down as he saved that morsel of information for later. Right now, he had a point to prove.
He started aggressive, launching reaper from range. Dew easily deflected the attack, but its job was done. Jett had sprinted to close the distance, jumping and hitting Dew in the chest with a flying kick. He followed up with a series of alternating kicks she was quick to block. Jett switched Reaper into scythe mode, continuing his relentless assault. The scythe's blade dragged Dew into Jett's waiting elbow when she attempted to step away. She blocked Jett's next slash with her spear, the two weapon shafts sparking as they pushed against each other. Jett pushed her back and continued onward, his usual fluid motions replaced with a dogged pursuit of Dew's retreating form.
Kai frowned on the sideline. "He's going to lose."
Ash was at risk of falling if he leaned any further over the railing. "You think? He's got her on the back foot and is controlling the tempo of the fight. Seems like a winning position to me."
"Jett may be in control, but he's still playing into Dew's hand. This is less cat and mouse more fish on a hook."
Tidus nodded in agreement. "Watch carefully. Jett has the means to attack from outside or inside the spear's radius. But Dew knows he won't, so she's exploiting it."
Ash watched more carefully now. Jett chased Dew around the sandpit like a rabid dog. Lunging with wild abandon any chance he got, but every time he closed in, Dew dodged back with a quick spear thrust. The cycle repeated over and over and as much as Ash hated to say it. Tidus and Kai were right. Jett was running himself ragged, chasing the woman, with minimal pay off. On the next swing, Dew held her nerve. Her spear met with Reaper on multiple swings before they deadlocked once again. As she pushed down harder, Reaper went slack underneath her. The handle turned back into a chain, causing Dew to fall forward into Jett's uppercut. The punch sent the woman off the ground and backwards as Jett moved in for his victory.
Then everything got flipped upside down.
Literally upside down. Jett was soaring through the air until his head contacted the ground. A sandalled foot on his chest and a strike from the end of her spear breaking his aura. The rest of AMBT stood stunned, jaws agape at what just happened. One minute Jett was closing for the win, the next thing he wasn't. When Jett had knocked her back, Dew had saved her fall into a handstand. Then used her legs to catch Jett's head throwing him over the top. Certainly an extraordinary display of dexterity and skill. The girl fixed her rumpled green dress and adjusted her hair as a series of claps came from the crowd.
"Well done Dew, stellar improvisation on the finish! Jett, you did good as well, but you need to control your anger in the future. You would have had a much better chance if you didn't get so caught up in yourself."
Jett responded with a grunt as he headed for the exit. Dew held out her hand for him to shake, but he swatted it away and continued.
For the rest of the day, Jett fell further and further into his rage. Even during engineering, a class he had been looking forward to, he couldn't focus. Didn't help that they were starting with dust for dummies. Despite his distraction, the lesson was a breeze. Multiple times, Professor Rosco tried and failed to get the drop on him with tough questions. After flexing his mechanical knowledge, Jett left the lesson in a better mood. It at least acted to soothe his bruised ego. Until he found out about the last lesson.
That afternoon, the new teams found themselves back in the sandpit with Sunnybrook. Professor Mirage joined them this time looking like, as Jett had put it, a "smoke show". Tidus didn't know exactly what that meant, but he could take an educated guess and agree. Mirage was undeniably a beautiful woman. The youngest of the professors, her enticing purple eyes, smooth dark sin and seductive smile, were all-encompassing. She dressed just as glamorously in flowing silks of purple and white. Completed with sandals and a shaggy bob cut that covered one eye. Stood next to Sunnybrook's simple combat attire, she looked even more like a fashionista. Rumpole was probably the only other person in Vacuo with as much style as her. Tidus could already tell he would have a hard time focusing this year.
"Now then, students, this year we are doing things a little differently. After some feedback from our last first years, the first week of semblances is being replaced with team battles." Whether she intended it, Mirage's voice came out like velvet that sent a chill down AMBT's spines.
"Unlike this morning, you can use semblances now. So that is why Mirage will join us." Sunnybrook was just as chipper as she had been in the morning.
Jett was back on his warpath. He knew more than anyone else how rare second chances were, and he was more than ready to seize this one.
"For our first match, I'd like to see AMBT and NDGO," Mirage said.
Jett grinned. Even better. AMBT limbered up on one end of the sandpit as NDGO shared hushed discussions at the other end.
"Alright guys, what's the game plan?" Tidus looked between his teammates. All of them seemed to just exist. In their own world, doing their own thing.
"We wipe them out. Don't even give them a chance." Jett's nuclear solution could have used a bit more work. Specifically on the how.
"What Jett said. Just a with a little less hatred in the whole thing." Ash was just as apathetic to the idea of a plan.
"C'mon, we need like who we plan on fighting or a formation or something." Tidus looked to Kai for back up.
"Even if we have no plan, I can break down our opponents. NDGO is an all-female team led by Nebula Violette. It's members comprise-"
Before Kai could rattle off any more details about NDGO, Tidus stepped in. "Ok Kai that's great, but," he thought of the appropriate words to avoid hurting the man's feelings. "Maybe just speed this up a bit?"
"Of course, my apologies. Dew and Octavia will engage us in melee combat, while Gwen and Nebula will keep to long range. Dew excels in one-on-one scenarios while Octavia specialises in mobility."
"Ten seconds till start!"
"Faster, Kai!" Tidus was nearly shouting at the man.
"Our best plan will be for Tidus and Ash to lead, with me and Jett working as close support. Tidus can face Dew while Ash and Jett synergize to deal with their ranged support. I will keep Octavia busy."
"Ok nice," When he looked over, he still wasn't sure anybody was listening. "We going with this plan?" Silence "Guys?!"
"Let the match begin!" Sunnybrook lowered her hand to usher in the match's start.
The remaining vestiges of the plan fell away when the match started. Ash charged down the middle while Jett flanked to the right, leaving Tidus and Kai at a loss. In a split second decision, Tidus followed down the middle, with Kai following behind for support. Not Tidus' best decision. Ash's shield was small, but at least the brunette had one. With no reliable ranged defence, Tidus was stuck dodging through a volley of throwing knives and crossbow bolts. Kai attempted to ease the pressure by launching a wind blast at the projectiles. At that moment, Jett launched his chain at Dew. The wind blast collided with the chain, sending it in a haphazard direction. Ash was lucky enough to duck it, Tidus was not.
"What the fuck!" The metal coiled its way around Tidus' body, pinning his hands on either side and tangling his legs.
"Now!" On Nebula's command, NDGO broke formation. Octavia skated towards Jett while Dew and Nebula moved to assault Tidus. Gwen stayed back and continued to launch knives at Ash. Tidus was easy pickings now that the chain restrained him. Even when he tried to avoid Nebula's crossbow, the tugging from Jett on the other end stopped his movement. Kai leaped over Tidus' head in order to cut off Dew. But unable to block for the raven haired man and fight the spear wielding woman, meant they soon eliminated Tidus.
On the right flank, Jett spent most of his time trying to remove his chain from Tidus. It wasn't long till Octavia descended on his position. He gave up on his weapon and went hand to hand with the woman. The red head skated around him, diving in and out, making minor cuts with her knife. As it stood, Jett was too slow to make any attacks back, so he shifted his strategy. When she came back in, he made a leaping kick for her head. Octavia narrowly avoided, but it was enough to slow her speed. Jett moved in and grabbed her arms, trying to disarm her. The two struggled back and forth, pushing and pulling for the knife. Jett came out on top, using his superior upper body strength to wrestle the knife to behind her head. Octavia groaned in pain as the position forced her to kneel while her arms strained at an awkward angle, but she wouldn't let go. Jett was sure he had her beat until a shooting pain went through his back. He instinctively let go, both his hands searching and finding the crossbow bolt that struck him. Before he realised his mistake, another shooting pain came from his front when Octavia's knife broke his aura.
Back in the centre, Kai and Dew were an even match. Each fighter matching strike for strike. Kai kept close, using walls of wind to slow her retreat, while Dew kept Kai at bay with explosions of her own air. The silver-haired man slipped under one of Dew's thrusts, landing a staggering hit on the woman. She was on the back foot, and Kai was hoping to capitalise. His priorities changed, however, when he caught a flash of scarlet in his field of view. He was barely quick enough to block Octavia's swipe. By the time he recovered, Dew was back on his case. The cycle repeated only a few more times before Kai ran out of steam. With his aura nearly depleted, he made one last effort. Concentrating his aura, he made a sweeping gale that tripped the skating Octavia. He hastened to attack the prone woman. With Dew on the wrong side, she would take too long to help. So it surprised him when Nebula used her own body to block the attack. Kai couldn't help but praise the move. Nebula had avoided damage all battle, so she easily took the hit compared to Octavia's weakened aura. A strike by Dew from behind was enough to eliminate Kai.
Ash was having a far better time than the rest of his team. When he had gotten close to Gwen, it was already game over. The woman swapped the usage of the throwing knives for more standard combat. But Ash played it safer than he did in the morning. Flicking the tonfa out, he wielded them like night sticks, using the extra range to avoid the knives. The fight was entirely one sided with the knives unable to provide the range or defence needed to win. After he had dispatched Gwen, he turned to be met with the three remaining members of NDGO. Apparently, the rest of his team hadn't faired to well in his absence.
"Better watch out. I'm finishing this in one blow!" Ash's aura burned around him as fire collected at his fingertips. The women in front of him became more cautious as the fire grew. The heat radiating off him becoming more intense. Ash shouted as a raging inferno engulfed both hands. He brought them out and up to either side and charged forward to attack.
"Calamity Crash!" Ash tried to smash his burning hands together, but Dew and Octavia blocked his arms and pushed them wide open. The fire abruptly vanished now that they had interrupted his technique. Nebula stood in the middle of both and fired a simple shot to his chest. Breaking Ash's aura.
After the match, the professors sent AMBT to the infirmary to get checked out. Now the four men sat on a bench outside, all with various plasters and bruises on their faces.
"Now you be careful in the future. I'd rather not see you back here." The old doctor said. She gave a wrinkled smile before going back inside without waiting for a response. She was no stranger to a post fight loss, and that usually meant a lot of brooding on the loser's end.
The mood in the corridor ranged from disappointed to irate. A far cry from the positivity the day had started with.
"I just don't understand how we lost." Ash had his head hung low, sounding tired and defeated. His comment only acted as fuel for the pending argument.
"I don't know. Why don't you ask Kai?" Jett's words awkwardly echoed down the empty corridor.
"I believe I did everything in my power to make this victory possible." Kai remained calm despite Jett's goading.
"Yeah, would help if some people weren't still stuck on arguments from this morning." Tidus said.
"Would help if some of us actually tried."
"If I actually tried? Says the guy who did more friendly fire than anything else."
"Oh please, you expect me to believe your reaction times are so bad that you couldn't block or dodge a swinging chain?"
"Not when it's coming from someone who isn't supposed to be attacking me."
By now, both Tidus and Jett stood face to face. Jett's scornful glower against Tidus' frosty glare. A throat being cleared alerted them to Professor Mirage.
"Good thing I got here before things got worse." Both Tidus and Jett sat back down now that there was a professor. "I understand that working with new people can be challenging. You have only been a team for a day, after all. But after that performance, it appears I will need to get you on track." Her eyes hardened as her visage became stern. The velvet in her voice gone. "You are a team. Not four individuals. A team, one singular unit. And a team can not operate when all members will not commit."
"But I think we are all committed. Aren't we?" Ash said.
"To an extent, you each have individual commitments to individual goals. But there is no commitment to a shared goal. That is where your job as team leader starts, Mr Novis." She stared pointedly at him. "But a leader is nothing without followers." She then looked at the rest of AMBT. "You will have a rematch with NDGO at the end of the week. Use your time to prepare wisely."
She left AMBT to think her words over. The group didn't have long to analyse them before Ash stood. The fire in his heart reignited. "Our team goal for the end of the week is to beat NDGO."
"Yeah no shit. Did you only just catch on to the lecture we just had?" Jett said. Ash ignored the sarcasm.
"And to do that, we need to be all in! So from now till the rematch we train every morning and every night! Starting right now."
"Right now?" Tidus asked.
"Yes, we are going to the library!"
"The library? What about dinner?" Tidus frowned at the prospect of having no proper dinner two days in a row.
"Forget dinner. We are all in!"
"What exactly do we require from the library?" Kai had stood up and was ready to go.
"Research on team-building exercises so we can actually train!"
"This is so fucking stupid." Jett was making a face that told Ash he wouldn't budge.
"On the contrary Jett. This is all for you. The goal to beat NDGO is really to reclaim Jett's honour." Jett's eye began twitching. "So that Nebula won't have to look down in pity as the man she swooned so easily for falls further and further from-"
"Ok fine, let's go to the stinking library!" Jett finally stood with a massive sigh.
"Brilliant! Ok, AMBT, let's move out!" Jett stylishly posed and pointed down the corridor. He wasn't pointing in the right direction. In reality, none of them actually knew where the library was. And in those minutes of wandering, Tidus came to the damning conclusion that Ash was going to do the stupid pose and phrase every time he wanted them to do something.