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Chapter 98: Doubles
"This is it then" the words left Tiger reluctantly, an uncommon and entirely unwelcome lack of certainty threatening to leave her visibly trembling as she and her partner stood at the lip of the arena, watched by an audience of thousands within the stadium itself along with countless more watching on the CCT. That realisation the she was making herself appear lesser than she wished to be seen as brought a moment of self awareness and gave the leader of Team TRQS the motivation to steady herself, shoulders rolling back and chin jutting out defiantly for a moment before her rounded features were covered by her armour veil as it was deployed from her jewelled headdress.
"This is is" the words were repeated and given a new context, with Tiger sounding altogether more confident and prepared as she turned her head almost imperceptibly so that she could see her partner more clearly and give Stygian an equally minute nod which served as the signal for the two of them to draw their weapons; the gesture sending a wave of thunderous applause through the stands.
"Yeah….It's, definitely something" Stygian murmured.
"Are you okay?" the question was far more terse in its' tone than most friends or team leaders would have used though Stygian understood, Tiger was now entirely in a focused and driven frame of mind where all that existed were plans, options to be weighed and the goal and that he, with his subdued words and hairless tail twitching uncertainly behind him even as he twirled his katana in a needlessly complicated pattern was at risk of presenting a problem to a partner he knew was relying on him.
"I'm fine" Stygian assured her "A little nervous, was honestly just thinking about home….There's no way this is being shown there; she probably thinks I'm dead. I was just wondering what it'd be like if they could all see me now"
"One day they will see you, one day they will be free of the bastards that control your village" Tiger assured him with utter sincerity "But for now-"
"Hey guys, you ready to do this or what?" the sharp and cheerful voice which interrupted them came from none other than Snapdragon Majus and was followed by another round of cheers and applause as the representatives of Team SHMR entered the arena.
"We thought you'd forgotten how to tie your shoes for a minute there" Stygian joked, giving a slight nod to Stygian's weaponised footwear, the Shuffle Kicks.
"It's called timing darling" Snapdragon exclaimed happily, punctuating her words with a grand flourishing gesture which served as an obvious attempt to draw Tiger into some light and friendly banter before their match began, the gesture itself being a welcome sign that Snapdragon was evidently nervous herself and was seeking out the familiarity of Tiger's unrequited rivalry with her. Tiger herself offered nothing of the sort however and for a moment there was only silence between the two pairs as she and Ravi Santara, her twin brother and now opponent locked eyed before giving one another a slight bow, appearing outwardly as little more than a curt nod of the head.
With the customary chance to introduce themselves, or more commonly to exchange unpleasantries with various degrees of playfulness between the competing teams concluded early both Snapdragon and Ravi made a show of readying their own weapons; with the leader of Team SHMR dramatically shedding and casting aside her multicoloured coat whose appearance had been compared to that of a cracked stained glass window and taking a moment to adjust both her beret and sunglasses whose lenses were tinted a vibrant shade of pink before making a show of shifting her stance and allowing the mechanisms of the Shuffle Kicks to begin working.
Beside her Ravi stood in his more more subdued black leather aviator jacket with its' tiger-striped fur collar and simple white jeans paired with black boots and a layer of lightweight bronze coloured armour which included his own weapons whose dormant forms encased his forearms and the backs of his hands, with a calculated and eye-catching motion he drew both arms back and unfurled the weapons in all their glory; revealing them to be a pair of bladed gauntlets with each arm boasting a single mid-calibre gun and a trio of blades arranged above and to either side of the wrist in a way that evoked claws, with each blade bearing a striking resemblance to those found on Tiger's own trident.
The sight confirmed to Tiger that her twin would be at his best today, fighting her on top form and behind her veil that thought allowed her to smile for a moment before the announcers decided that it was time for things to begin in earnest.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND ESTEEMED OTHERS!" Qrow Branwen's gruff voice was magnified and cast outwards until it filled the air "WE HAVE ANOTHER EXCITING MATCH-UP FOR YOU ALL HERE AT THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT!"
"AND WHAT A MATCH UP IT IS, I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE!" Yang Xiao Long added energetically "WE'VE SEEN SIBLINGS FACE OFF BEFORE, BUT THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE!"
"THAT IT IS!" Qrow picked up on the enthusiasm and matched, tactfully not mentioning the way that the match between Yang's own children Felix and Corvid Xiao Long had ended "GET READY FOLKS BECAUSE WE HAVE A MATCH FOR YOU THAT ISN'T JUST HALO ACADEMY VERSUS HALO ACADEMY, ISN'T JUST SIBLING VERSUS SIBLING….WE HAVE TWIN VERSUS TWIN!"
"They know that there's two of us on each team right?" Snapdragon managed to sound genuinely moody despite wearing a grin that stretched from ear to ear as Ravi began to look genuinely excited.
"For the moment there is" Tiger countered coolly.
"Oh now she wants to do the trash talk" Ravi snorted, any further bickering cut off as the introduction from the announcers' box above them continued.
"LET'S ALL MAKE SOME NOISE FOR RAVI SANTARA AND SNAPDRAGON MAJUS OF TEAM SHMR AND STYGIAN BLUE AND TIGER SANTARA OF TEAM TRQS!" The crowd happily obliged, erupting into a deafening cacophony which shamed all that had come before it and yet still the announcers could be heard.
"YOU SHOULD ALL KNOW THE RULES BY NOW, BUT WE'LL GO OVER THEM AGAIN ANYWAY" Qrow's voice boomed "A MATCH ENDS WHEN ONE TEAM'S MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY REMOVED FROM THE ARENA, LOST ENOUGH AURA TO BE DEPLETED INTO THE RED OR HAVE FORFEITED-"
"AND NOW WE'VE GOTTEN THE GROUND RULES OUT OF THE WAY….IT'S TIME FOR THE GROUND!"
"THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ONE OF YOUR BETTER PUNS FIRECRACKER! YOU HEARD HER FOLKS, IT'S TIME TO SEE WHAT KIND OF ARENA THIS MATCH WILL BE GOING INTO!" at those words the air shifted subtly, a faint thrumming crackle passing through it as shields were activated followed by the sight and sound of the floor of the stadium dropping and rotating away to be replaced by new biomes that emerged.
"What in the hell are we looking at" Stygian muttered at the sight that greeted him.
"A fair chance against Snapdragon if we can force her onto our side of the field" Tiger answered as she studied the bizarre landscape which had taken up Team TRQS's side of the field; namely a web stairways which led to nowhere and were arranged in an intersecting web of stonework arranged at angles that would render them impossible to use properly, with stairs running both horizontally in mid air and entirely inverted.
"ON TEAM TRQS'S SIDE OF THE FIELD WE HAVE ONE OF OUR NEW BIOMES….WE CALL THIS ONE 'THE ABSTRACT' CAREFUL KIDS, THERE'S GRAVITY DUST IN THERE!" Yang declared happily.
"AND ON TEAM SHMR'S SIDE OF THE FIELD WE HAVE THE DESERT STORM, BASED ON SOMETHING YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH IF YOU'RE WATCHING THIS IN VACCUO!" Qrow added and as Stygian and Tiger looked out they could only wince in sympathy at the sight an artificially made sandstorm which whipped and tore over an equally artificial desert floor; the obscured air being littered with occasional flashes of colour and light as some trace amount of elemental Dust within the gritty debris was ignited.
"This is gonna be fun" Stygian chuckled, already privately working on ways he could put his Semblance to use whilst beside him Tiger simply twirled her trident and shifted her weight.
"THREE!" Yang's voice forced all thought down to a single point "TWO! ONE! BEGIN!"
Tiger surged forward, leaping and vaulting her way through the maze of stairwells in search of flat and solid ground whilst her eyes were kept directly ahead of her, peering intently into the dust storm until finally she was rewarded with the sight of a brief flash of Dust reaction being mirrored against a polished bronze surface and the various gems set into it.
"RAVI!" She bellowed, hurtling across the arena at blinding speed and readying her weapon for a massive opening blow; being rewarded with the sight of her twin responding in kind and bursting from the storm with his bladed gauntlets raised to deliver a decisive attack of his own. The crowds' cheering and Qrow Branwen's commentary were lost beneath the thundering her own blood in her ears and as she reached a final outcropping of misaligned architecture Tiger used it to propel herself upwards, weapon held high and entire body alight with the thrill of battle as she prepared to give this crowd the spectacle they had come to see.
Then Ravi looked up at her.
She had already come to understand that her twin had grown and matured in their time on different teams and yet she had never seen it so plainly as she did in that moment, a fraction of a second where his slicked back hair, questionable attempt at growing a beard and confident smile were all that could be seen before his eyes began to shine with the light of a sun that was painful to behold; in the next moment that light had spread to envelop his entire body and a concussive wall of heat and force struck Tiger with enough force to send her ploughing back through stairways and rolling to a stop in a crouch which she quickly struggled to pull herself out of, blinking spots from her eyes whilst at the same time struggling to make sense of a single unshakeable fact.
Ravi had a Semblance now.
Before she could even begin to process that upending of reality a shrill whistle forced her attention to a point just outside of what her blurry vision could interpret and her instinctive effort to defend herself did little at all to prevent the incoming blows.
"AND IT LOOKS LIKE TIGER SANTARA IS STRUGGLING! BLIND-SIDED BY HER BROTHER AND NOW SHE HAS MAJUS ON HER CASE!" Qrow announced as the leader of Team SHMR came swooping into work her way around Tiger's defences and deliver a crushing spinning crescent kick which not only struck the leader of Team TRQS in the side of the head and sent her staggering but was also infused with Ice Dust courtesy of her weapon; resulting in an arc of solidified moisture in the air which was promptly shattered by a follow up Gravity Dust infused kick to send jagged fragments ripping through the air around Tiger.
Though as she shook her head to clear it she found that she could at least see now.
"When?" She demanded, risking a brief glance and nod in the direction of Ravi who now resembled a sun in human form and was closing the distance between himself and Stygian. Snapdragon made a show of stretching and making herself comfortable as she continued her own advance before answering.
"Oh he unlocked his Semblance a while ago…..When you weren't talking. He wanted it to be a surprise when he showed you" her expression became even brighter "It's awesome right? It's like he's an actual star, all that light and awesomeness in him just being fired out"
"Yes….It is" Tiger managed, unable to offer a more taunting reply no matter how much she might have normally wanted to and instead trying to force herself to prepare for the next assault whilst her mind struggled to come to terms with a painful truth.
Ravi had grown, her twin had found himself on a fundamental level and it had only been possible by being separated from her.
Tiger had always been the twin most capable of protecting them both as children and now she had what felt like proof that her brother didn't need her at all.
"COME ON STITCH, YOU'VE GOT THIS!" Athena-Jade yelled out, leaping out of her seat and using a floating glyph to grant herself a better vantage point than her own sadly lacking height could afford her as she leant her voice to the ongoing cacophony within the stadium, her own encouragement of the Mouse Faunus being entirely lost within the uproar as Stygian and Ravi launched themselves at one another for a fresh exchange of blades and blows, with the representative of Team TRQS using his own Semblance to combat Ravi's newly revealed abilities in creative and visually stunning ways.
"No pretence of neutrality today?" Zirconia noted with mild amusement as her partner and girlfriend returned to her seat; a faint smile tugging at her lips beneath her shawl as she watched a blush creep across Athena's cheeks. Whatever uncertainty and vague, immature jealousy Stygian had once managed to inspire in the Grasshopper Faunus having long since vanished as he had ceased in his attempts to flirt and instead settled into an easy friendship.
"Not at all" Athena managed a chuckle before wincing slightly as she added "It looks like they need all the support they can get"
The comment was underscored by a maelstrom of sound from the audience as a whole and Zirconia quickly darted her mismatched gaze back towards the arena to see that Tiger had once again been sent crashing painfully to the ground as Snapdragon continued to effortlessly showcase the natural talent which had allowed her to seemingly coast and triumph for so long; this time using the peculiarities of the arena itself to her advantage. The sight of his partner being so thoroughly thrashed distracting Stygian for long enough for the blue haired boy to unwittingly provide an opening, his attempt to rush to his partners' aid being exploited and halted as Ravi Santara once again unleashed a blast of light, heat and pure force that reduced the ground around him to a glowing, molten state for several seconds.
"BLUE'S HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE BUT NOW IT, AND THE REST OF HIM IS ON THE FLOOR!" Yang Xiao Long cheered, her choice of words prompting Athena-Jade to slap a broad palm into her face and mutter something fond but long-suffering in response to her aunts' antics.
"THAT'S A BIG HIT FROM RAVI SANTARA BUT BLUE IS ALREADY BACK ON HIS FEET….TEAM TRQS ARE PERSISTENT I'LL GIVE 'EM THAT! THEY PULLED OFF AN UPSET IN THE FIRST ROUND AS WELL SO I WOULDN'T CONSIDER THIS OVER JUST YET!" Qrow called out, the counterpoint to his co-hosts' words being delivered as both Stygian and Tiger managed to throw themselves to their feet and back into the fray; both of them struggling to retake the initiative with varying degrees of success.
Athena-Jade watched for a few moments, her hand idly finding its' way to Zirconia's as she used to ongoing match below as a distraction from her own forthcoming return to the arena only for something to niggle at her mind until finally she realised why something seemed slightly amiss.
Astra was yet to offer any of their usual commentary.
"So….I'm guessing Team TRQS aren't the only ones who need every bit of help they can get?" she asked, turning sapphire blue eyes towards her team mate and finding the Deer Faunus sat in silence, focus devoted entirely to their scroll and a faintly unwell look pervading them; drawn and visibly tense whilst their complexion was notably pale and if Athena was honest a little green. Astra didn't respond at first, seemingly hearing nothing until Regalia who was sat at her partners' side leaned close and worked around their antlers so she could lean in and whisper something directly into Astra's ear, the display of physical closeness which brought their cheeks to the point of almost touching something more open than Athena had expected from the Racoon Faunus.
She would be sure to tease her team mates properly at a later date, when she had the mental energy to spare.
"Yeah….Yeah" Astra muttered vaguely, seemingly having been entirely spaced out and vacant from events around them.
"Dude are you okay?" Athena asked, a genuine concern beginning to take root "I know our odds aren't good, I know we're probably gonna struggle….But it's okay, we're gonna go and give it our best shot and whatever happens happens right?"
"Right" Astra mumbled uncertainly, their dejected glumness leaving Athena struggling to find a way to overwhelm it until she was pre-empted by Regalia who leaned forward, tail swishing and eyes bright with sudden energy as she firmly seized her partner by the antlers and turned them to face her.
Athena had thought for a moment she was going to pull Astra into a kiss, but instead she simply spoke.
"This is a tournament, a chance for Hunters to show off and let all of Remnant see how cool they are when they fight" she said firmly "Astra Mars there are two things you are absolutely incredible at and they are looking cool while you fight and showing off! You used yourself as a living wrecking ball to take out a regenerating Grimm in our initiation, I don't care how cool or how scary Honey Scarlatina is; you're awesome and if anyone can beat her it's you!"
"Thanks….I honestly really needed that" Astra managed a weak, cracking chuckle as they pulled Regalia into a playful hug; their right arm looping over the top of her shoulders whilst her left found it's way around her waist and hips, brushing against the fur of her tail in a more intimate gesture which came without thought and left them both pausing in a suddenly awkward silence as they realised how much one another they were touching. A moment later the two separated and in a gesture of kindness Athena allowed the incident to pass by speaking up again and changing the subject.
"You think we're gonna have time to see this match to the end or should we probably go and start getting ready?"
"There's another match between this and us….Shade and Atlas, so it's gonna be a nasty one as well" Astra answered thoughtfully, the rivalry between the Kingdoms of Atlas and Vaccuo and their respective academies being well understood "We should be okay"
"Good" Athena gave a toothy smile.
"I'm probably gonna go and get some air though" Astra added, already rising up from their seat "Gonna call my parents, maybe my brother and try and stop myself from worrying about our match"
"Heh want me to come with?" Regalia offered.
"Nah, thanks though. You stay and watch the match and cheer for Team TRQS. I'll see you later" with that Astra departed though as they made their way to their feet they used Regalia's shoulder for support in a way which allowed the Deer Faunus to give her a reassuring squeeze which seemed to be for both of their benefit and leaned in closer than was strictly necessary.
"You two are cute" Athena-Jade noted offhandedly, her words leaving Regalia sputtering and flailing in a display which nearly saw her upend a drink onto herself.
"We're not...I mean….We're just friends….Still just friends" there was something unspoken and yet unmissable there, a hint that whilst Regalia's friendship with her partner was a treasured one she still wished that things could be different and upon hearing it Athena and Zirconia simply shared a knowing look with one another; the amount of time they had spent pining for one another allowing the two girls to consider themselves connoisseurs on the subject.
"I don't want to get your hopes up and promise anything" Athena offered gently "But honestly….Maybe when Astra isn't preoccupied by stuff you two should have another talk"
Regalia's expression was a truly wonderful sight as she processed the words; only for her to be reduced to frantic flailing again in an effort to keep her eyes on the action below as the stadium erupted into cheers once more.
Despite her best efforts to always remain composed and professional when in battle Tiger Santara was beginning to grow distinctly aggravated.
A fact largely connected to the fact she was being roundly thrashed by an opponent who didn't even seem to be trying all that hard.
"Fucking DAMN IT!" she bellowed as she sprung back to her feet after her latest ill-fated attempt to overwhelm Snapdragon and land more than a handful of glancing or poorly timed blows on her fellow team leader had seen her sprawled face down in the dust.
The two had found themselves locked in combat close to the centre of the arena, with the two halves of the battleground and their odd structure and environmental hazards close at hand but out of immediate reach as the pair traded blows along the length of the central strip of tiled ground which bisected them; as she closed the distance between them once again Tiger knew that her initial instincts upon seeing the arena had been correct and that victory would be achieved by forcing Snapdragon into the 'Abstract' half of the battleground with its' Gravity Dust infused terrain.
Though it was proving to be easier said than done.
"MAJUS IS PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME BY LETTING HER OPPONENT GET UP LIKE THAT" Qrow Branwen's voice filled the air and the insinuation that Tiger was only still in this fight because her opponent was allowing it filled the veiled young woman with an indescribable and incandescent rage.
"WE DON'T CONDONE KICKING PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE DOWN OF COURSE" Yang Xiao Long added hastily though the words barely seemed to register to Tiger who had finally charged close enough to launch an attack; a wordless war cry escaping her as she twirled and swung her trident with enough force to cleave her opponent in half and aimed squarely at a midsection exposed by a cropped t-shirt worn beneath a leather harness filled with Dust supplies. The broad blades of Fearful Symmetry shifting into an abyssal darkness as Gravity Dust permeated them, Tiger's intention being to use the force of her blow to drag Snapdragon into Team TRQS's side of the field where her abilities would be hampered.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she saw Snapdragon once again outpace her with infuriating ease.
The red-haired girl cocked her head to the side, something about the gesture and the way it paired with her oversized and opaque sunglasses being vaguely comical until she blew a strand of hair from in front of her face and gave a smile which was utterly predatory as she began to move. The rotating Dust chambers of the Shuffle Kicks shifted once again and as Snapdragon began to weave and step around Tiger's initial assault she threw herself into a spinning sweep which allowed the two to pass one another with a grace more reminiscent of dancing, dragging a foot deliberately along the ground as she did so and unleashing a torrent of Ice Dust to coat the ground in a frosty layer which offered no traction or purchase. From there Snapdragon followed her spinning pivot to its' conclusion, finding herself behind Tiger and unleashing a devastating sidekick which struck the leader of Team TRQS between the shoulder blades with an impact which triggered a lancing beam of Hard-Light Dust.
Carrying Tiger through the air and into the sandstorm of Team SHMR's side of the field where she landed with a muffled thud.
"NOW THAT LOOKED LIKE IT HURT!" Yang's voice was muffled somewhat by an artificial wind which now filled Tiger's and, somewhat more urgently the pain coursing through her body as her Aura rippled visibly around her and she pulled herself to her feet, silently thankful for the veil which had kept her from ending up with a mouthful of sand. As she turned and twirled her trident once again, its' blades still wreathed in darkness Tiger sought out her opponent and found Snapdragon at the very edge of the sandstorm; evidently considering pressing her advantage and yet at the same time making no effort to so whilst instead simply stretching her limbs and shifting her weight and balance rhythmically.
The display went on for several seconds until something seemed to click into place in Tiger's mind; her opponents' seeming nonchalance being compared against the fact that the two of them had sparred and fought on several occasions before and Tiger had managed to emerge victorious several times. The inability to reconcile that fact with her opponents' continued unnerving calmness finally bringing a lop-sided smile to Tiger's face.
It made sense now.
"So did I overestimate your abilities or underestimate your acting Snapdragon?" she called out, her opponents' head cocking to the side once again confirming in Tiger's mind that she had struck a nerve.
"You've been putting an act on this entire time and I fell for it!" she continued "You're strong, you're capable and you're well prepared….But all of that showmanship and looking like you can't be bothered; it's all a mask isn't it? You're keeping the fight to short bursts and breaking off to catch your breath because you haven't got the stamina for anything longer"
"Ask your brother about my stamina" Snapdragon called back with the same feigned nonchalance though now it seemed hollow, there was a weakness and an opening Tiger could exploit and she planned to do so ruthlessly and without hesitation. She was once again in motion, her Trident held at the ready as she leapt into the air and prepared for a downward stab; already half expecting her opponent to take to the air as she often had done in the past.
She was mistaken, Snapdragon threw another of her spinning kicks and this time the Shuffle Kicks were loaded with Fire Dust which sent a ball of flames exploding out into the sandstorm.
At which point she realised she had been played.
"THIS MIGHT BE IT! TIGER SANTARA JUST TOOK A MASSIVE HIT!" Qrow yelled
"SHE'S NOT OUT YET BUT HER AURA IS BARELY CLINGING ON, ONE OR TWO MORE HITS AND SHE'S DOWN!" Yang added excitedly.
The sandstorm filling Team SHMR's side of the arena had been filled with trace fragments of various varieties of Dust, which had given it the unique appearance including crackling flashes of elemental light and Tiger had not realised that as she had charged the Gravity Dust infusing her own weapon had drawn countless motes and specks of reactive minerals towards her and her trident; Snapdragon had seen however and had taken decisive action. The result was that Tiger was now left laying on her back, her weapon several feet away and her Aura fluctuating uncertainly around her whilst she struggled to suck in lungfuls of air only to find them scorching and painful, reducing her to agonised choking that rattled the bruised bones of her arm and ribs.
And yet Snapdragon was still not advancing on her and finishing the fight.
"You wanna know what's really funny Tiger?" her fellow team leader called out to her "You have done nothing but constantly push yourself and train and improve, every single day since you got here. Your problem with me was that I was happy to coast and rely on whatever natural skills you think I have and that's what got Ravi hurt that one time….How fucking blind are you?"
"What?" Tiger managed to cough the word out only to be answered with genuinely amused laughter, entirely without mockery.
"No seriously, I mean thank you….You clearly think really highly of me, putting me up on a pedestal like that" Snapdragon continued to giggle even as she spoke "But I trained to get where I am, I trained to make sure that none of my team ever come home wounded again and I had to train just to keep pace with you to stop me from grinding me into the dust every single day in classes because of one mistake I made in our initiation….And the whole time you thought it's because I'm just naturally better than you?"
"I-no, that's not-"
"I know I can't beat you in a protracted fight; not if half of what Ravi told me about the way you two grew up is true. I know you can outlast me and I'm not insecure about that" Snapdragon shook her head "But let's be honest Tiger your problems were never really about me and I was never petty enough to let it get to me….So I'm not gonna kick you while you're down now; instead I'm gonna go help Ravi with your partner"
With that Snapdragon Majus rushed out of view, her form quickly obscured by the sand and smoke that lingered in the wake of Tiger's failed attack, whilst Tiger herself was left reeling and struggling to breathe and do anything more than lay in a dazed and pitiable state on the ground as she tried to process what had been said and done in the last few moments.
Motivation came with the sound of an ongoing fight somewhere out of view and a simple realisation that she was still needed.
Stygian had managed to figure out Ravi's Semblance and its' quirks fairly early into the fight and that had stopped the Mouse Faunus from being entirely overwhelmed just as much as his opponents' clear preference for fighting as part of a larger whole rather than duelling an opponent as an individual had. Tiger's twin brother was by no means weak or incapable however it was clear that he had spent much of his life somewhat comfortable in her shadow and whilst he had certainly come into his own at Halo Academy he was not, even with his Semblance an overwhelming force in his own right; evidently more at home in a role that would allow him to support and be supported.
Something which Stygian was eager to deny him at every opportunity.
"DESPITE A BIG OPENING RAVI SANTARA IS CONTINUING TO GET TO GRIPS WITH STYGIAN BLUE….THAT LAST HIT LOOKED LIKE HE'S GONNA FEEL IT FOR A DAY OR TWO" Qrow Branwen's summation of the proceedings was answered with a chorus of cheers from fans, many of whom Stygian was pleased in a distant and distracted way to hear seemed to be on his side.
"OOF, I DON'T THINK….SANTARA 'NOSE' WHAT JUST HIT HIM" Yang added, the Mouse Faunus smirking to himself at the sound of another of the legendary Huntresses' puns; its' subject being the crushing blow he had just delivered to his opponents' face. After watching Ravi use his Semblance several times Stygian had realised that it was not something that could be used for a sustained amount of time, instead the concussive blasts of heat, light and force which had been dubbed simply 'Burning Bright' were brief flashes of intense power which needed a few moments of recovery between each use and in those moments Ravi was vulnerable. Stygian had capitalised by waiting until the attack itself had ended and using his own ability to teleport directly towards danger to appear where the ground was still glowing with heat and sink the blade of his katana into the stone, its' blade infused with Gravity Dust pulling Ravi off balance and allowing Stygian to slam his opponents' nose into the hilt of his weapon.
Now all that remained was to press the advantage as much as possible.
Ravi reared back, more prepared to counterattack than the announcers had given him credit for an aimed a bluntly punishing kick square at Stygian's face to which the Mouse Faunus responded by throwing his entire body into a low sweep, his Aura rippling against the burning ground and his sword being used as the axis around which he orbited before it was torn from the ground; Ravi's legs were kicked from under him and as he fell back he began blindly firing the guns mounted into his clawed gauntlets which inadvertently allowed Stygian's Semblance to come into play once more, bringing the dark-skinned and tattooed young man rippling into existence with his coat whipping out dramatically around him as he swung Sharp Cheese down at his floored opponents' chest.
Ravi blocked him, the claws of his own weapons locking against Stygian's sword.
"EVERY TOURNAMENT WE SEE A STUDENT USING GAUNTLETS LIKE YOURS YANG" Qrow's voice seemed vaguely amused "ANY ADVICE YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE TO A NEW GENERATION OF HUNTERS CLEARLY INSPIRED BY YOUR OWN CONTRIBUTIONS?"
"ABSOLUTELY" Stygian, despite having never met Yang in his life knew that the woman was wearing a smirk "ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW WOULD BE COOLER IF YOU WERE WEARING A PAIR OF AVIATORS"
"Well shit, she's not wrong" Ravi managed to grunt the words out as he and Stygian continued to struggle against one another; freeing himself from his unenviable position by shifting the angle of his blades and firing the weapons' inbuilt guns to throw Stygian's katana and the arm holding it back with a painful twisting motion. With his opponent distracted Ravi kicked out and upwards, catching Stygian in the back to send him staggering before using another flash of his Semblance; his entire body glowing like a miniature sun and unleashing a surge of force to throw the Faunus away from him and towards the maze of twisted and oddly arranged staircases.
"Not bad" Stygian laughed as he righted himself with a flourish, making a show of throwing his sword into the air and catching it behind his back with the same motion which the crowd were vocal in their enjoyment of "But just so you know….Your sister hits harder"
"Yeah, yeah she does" Ravi nodded, far more relaxed and infinitely harder to goad than Tiger was and yet charging into a fresh exchange of blows with is weapons firing nonetheless. Stygian rushed forward to meet him, blocking and parrying incoming Dust laced bullets with blindly fast flashes of his sword which saw him charging through a storm of explosions and coronas of warping light; realising as he did do that the debris was being pulled in a distinct direction which in turn allowed the Mouse Faunus to come to the realisation that both he and Ravi were running parallel to one of the impossible stairways which had been tilted on its' side and was evidently one of the ones to be filled with Gravity Dust, likely intending for battles to be fought upon it at strange angles.
Stygian grinned as he leapt and flipped, feeding Hard-Light Dust into the blade of his sword and swinging down at the last possible moment before he and Ravi met.
The results caused an uproar in the crowd.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THAT MIGHT BE THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN SOMEONE USE TACTICS FROM A CARTOON IN THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT, FORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANVILS LYING AROUND!" Qrow Branwen cheered whilst beside him Yang Xiao Long could be heard absolutely howling with uncontrollable laughter at the fact that Ravi had run headlong into a wall of solid hard-light and been flipped backwards by the force of the impact to land face down on the ground.
The sense of victory, enjoyable as it was lasted only a moment before Stygian was beset from a new quarter.
"AND MAJUS HAS BROKEN OFF, LOOKS LIKE SHE'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HOW OUT OF IT TIGER SANTARA LOOKS!" Stygian had only the briefest moment to curse how badly he'd allowed the larger battle to get away from him, Tiger's own insistence that every member of Team TRQS be fully capable of pulling their weight leading to a lax assumption before Snapdragon herself came flying into view, quite literally as the Shuffle Kicks used Gravity Dust to propel the fashionable and overly dramatic Huntress through the air and towards where Stygian was stood.
Their meeting was explosive as Snapdragon used the odd angle her new opponent was stood at to her advantage, allowing herself to be pulled into the distortion of gravity which had the Mouse Faunus standing horizontally and parallel to the floor to her advantage; hitting the staircase in a hand stand and slamming both knees into Stygian's shoulders to utterly buckle him. Before he could react the leader of Team SHMR pushed her advantage by flipping herself upright and taking Stygian by the waist in the same motion, arms wrapping around his waist and plucking the two of them off the stair case and its' twisted gravity.
Causing them to fall.
The air was knocked from Stygian's lungs as he struck the ground and it took him a moment to find his bearings after the repeated shifting of things as simple as gravity; time which Snapdragon had already used to pull herself to her feet and in a moment of desperation the Mouse Faunus reacted on instinct as he sensed her imminent attack, using his Semblance to hurl himself into the danger.
Stygian appeared in mid-air which allowed him to plant his feet on the ground as Sharp Cheese flashed out only to be blocked as Snapdragon's spinning hook kick was turned into a block using the armour of her shins.
"Nice" the Mouse Faunus nodded, more than willing to appreciate skill where he saw it and having had a quiet admiration for Snapdragon despite Tiger's vocal dislike of her since they had been First Years. Snapdragon gave a lop-sided smirk and flipped away from the blade of Sharp Cheese and used the Shuffle Kicks to launch twin fireballs; only for Stygian's Semblance to bring him into the space between the attack and the weapons' emitters on the soles of Snapdragon's feet which forced her to block again as another attack came.
"Oh so it's like that?" she grimaced before the two launched into an exchange of blows and psychological warfare that played equal parts in the spectacle which left the crowd on their feet and cheering for more, Stygian vanishing and reappearing from nowhere to work around each of Snapdragon's flurry of attacks as she leapt and weaved around each of his counterattacks; the two of them progressing deeper into Team TRQS's side of the arena and fighting at various impossible angles including entirely inverted as they leapt from one staircase to the next.
"THIS IS WHAT WE CAME TO SEE!" Yang Xiao Long cheered into her microphone as the rapid exchanges continued "THIS IS WHAT THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT IS ABOUT, WHERE ELSE ON REMNANT CAN YOU GET A SHOW LIKE THIS!"
"AND IT LOOKS LIKE MAJUS IS FLAGGING!" Qrow Branwen's gruff voice coincided with Snapdragon herself letting out a ragged gasp for breath as her next attempt to evade and counter Stygian was proven to be a fraction less effective than those before it, the tip of Sharp Cheese scraping against her Aura in a faintly glowing ripple of light.
It became quickly unimportant.
"Heads up!" Ravi Santara's voice announced that Snapdragon's partner was on his feet once more and had rejoined the fight a moment before he came rushing around a broken and inverted mass of stone with his arms raised and began firing his weapons at Stygian. In response the Mouse Faunus readied his sword and teleported once more, his Semblance bringing him into striking distance of the immediate danger only for his rash decision to be turned against him.
"OH THAT WASN'T CLEVER!" Qrow's voice held a note of clear disappointment though the Mouse Faunus was in no real state to appreciate it as his entire body was overtaken by painful convulsion which left him sinking to his knees and struggling to do anything other than grit his teeth through the punishment.
Snapdragon had readied a Lightning Dust crystal and with a sidekick that boomed like a thunderclap struck him square in the back from several dozen feet away; rendering immobile and utterly unable to defend himself as Ravi turned Stygian's decision to close the distance against him and engaged his own Semblance.
The Mouse Faunus came rolling to a stop on the ground some distance away with smoke billowing from his clothes and the sound of the crowd ringing distantly in his ears yet despite it all he could still see his Aura flickering around him and he had not yet heard the commentators declare him beaten.
He was still in this fight and so was Tiger, if they could regroup and work together there might still be a chance.
The stadium in which the Vytal Tournament was currently taking place was in fact the same venue which the first round had been held, a fact that was hardly surprising given the bespoke nature of the various biomes and hazard-filled arenas that the stadium held, to say nothing of the countless other mechanisms and systems involved in operating the purpose made aerial platform that had been constructed around the arena much like the Atlesian creation it was intended to emulate and the specialised training needed to operate it all.
Zirconia doubted that many other such structures existed across Remnant, especially given that the Vytal Tournament only occurred once every two years and that the tournaments and exhibition matches which took place on a more regular timetable were very rarely such ostentatious affairs. If she understood things correctly then the various one on one rounds of the tournament which were to come would be held at other locations across the city however, at various stadiums which would not need to be so heavily modified or purpose-built however that was of little concern to Zirconia at the moment and instead the Grasshopper Faunus was simply glad for the fact that she had, on her previous visit to this stadium managed to spend some time familiarising herself with its' layout as she moved quietly and without drawing attention to herself despite the uniqueness of the way she moved, a skill which had been honed and practised to perfection and allowed her to work towards her goal.
She needed somewhere quiet and secluded enough to make a call.
Astra had left in search of fresh air and a chance to clear their head before they entered the arena themselves and Athena-Jade, despite initially intending to stay and watch Team TRQS's bout to its' conclusion in a show of solidarity with Stygian Blue had instead found herself too restless to remain where she was and had instead planted a final, lingering kiss on Zirconia's lips before departing to venture into an empty locker room and begin stretching and warming up and giving her weapon a final check. It had been only a short while later that Regalia had been forced to drag her rapt attention away from the admittedly incredibly well fought battle going on below her, the Racoon Faunus assuring Zirconia that she would return as soon as she had refilled her comically oversized drink and from there Zirconia had realised that she could use the brief moment of privacy and distraction on her friends' part to contact Damascus, with whom she had been unable to speak for several days.
She was unashamed to admit that she missed talking to her father figure and had grown used to having his company close at hand whilst she had been in Neo Vale.
Finally her needs were met as she found a small nook framing a sealed and locked door, one which seemed to lead into a deeper and restricted part of the aerial platform and whilst attempting to open it would certainly have consequences she was certain that, given most peoples' desire to simply go about their day with as little trouble as possible she would be able to soothe any suspicions that lurking in the doorway raised by merely gesturing at her scroll and appearing to be in the midst of a conversation. After casting her eyes around for any security guards or curious fans who might have caught a glimpse of her, or worse still journalists the Grasshopper Faunus made herself as comfortable as possible and produced her scroll and waited.
"Zirconia darling, It's good to hear from you….My apologies for being busy of late" the Chairman's voice was bright and the openly happy tone was genuine, the words themselves however were less so; designed to be innocent and unassuming in a way which would allow Zirconia to answer by keeping up a ruse if she were unable to speak more openly. At present she allowed herself a sigh and simply rasped out.
"I'm alone, I wasn't followed. We have a few moments"
"Perhaps, but you can never be too careful in a place like where I'm assuming you are now; given how thoroughly lodged in Branwen's pocket everything to do with it is I'd be surprised if it isn't bugged" Nero countered, pausing before adding "On the subject of bugs however….Albion wants me to congratulate you on your work, very well done Zirconia. I'm proud of you"
"It doesn't feel like something to be proud of" Zirconia admitted, fighting the urge to betray herself by shuffling uncomfortably despite being unseen "It feels like having to attack Headmistress Adel's son to prevent being detected"
"Of course….I understand entirely" Damascus's tone softened to something impossible gentle "I trust your conscience Zirconia, but remember that we are not making these choices lightly and the violence was regrettable, this is nothing so cheap and vulgar as revenge"
"I know….Thank you" Zirconia mumbled, a moment of silence stretching out to the point where it might become awkward only to be broken by Nero who spoke once again.
"Is there something you need? Or something to report?"
"There is" Zirconia's tone brightened immediately "I spoke with Team MARZ as a whole about our goals-"
"What did you tell them?"
"Nothing about the Cyber-Grimm, I haven't seen them myself yet" Zirconia assured the Chairman "Nothing specific, nothing incriminating….I explained that you plan to create a force that will make Hunters obsolete and some of your reasons for doing so. They all want to help us"
"That is….remarkable news" Nero breathed out "Well done Zirconia, very well done….And congratulations, I know how much this meant to you"
"I just hope that they continue to understand what needs to be done after we begin in earnest" Zirconia sighed, uncertainties once again rearing their head.
"As do I" Nero murmured "Your happiness is one of my greatest goals and all of your friends and Athena-Jade especially have proven to be good for you….and they would be incredible assets, if you don't mind me thinking of them in those terms"
"They are incredible" Zirconia beamed, understanding that the Chairman's forays into calculating and ruthless covetousness were rarely if ever self-serving and were all in aid of the grand plan to see Remnant brought into a new age. After a moments' pause the insectoid Faunus let out a slow breath and allowed herself to deflate somewhat as she asked a question whose answer she already knew but needed to hear confirmed all the same.
"You've left haven't you, you're already out of New Vale?"
"I believe I passed out of the Kingdoms' airspace some time ago yes" Nero answered, voice tinged with faint sadness "It's been good to have you so close and we will no doubt see each other again soon, in the meantime however stay safe and stay alert. We are nearing the final moments and the risk is too great for me to remain in the city, instead I will be conducting my part in the plan from a safe distance….As such I am officially taking a business trip and flying on my own private airship which will not easily be traced whilst Albion handles a key matter on my behalf"
"Officially of course" Zirconia smirked before steeling herself and forcing herself to believe "Stay safe….I love you, my whole team and I will see you soon"
"Of course, I love you too" with that the call ended and Zirconia was left wondering for several moments just when exactly Damascus Nero had purchased something as opulent as a private airship.
Tiger had managed to stand again yet every trudging, trembling step forwards threatened her with collapse and saw her punished Aura flickering around her.
"Fucking DAMN IT ALL!" She snarled in response to a particularly wobbly motion which left her vision swimming and sweat trickling down her brown beneath her armoured veil, the fragile and wavering sound of her own hoarse voice only serving to infuriate her either; threatening to push her beyond the point where the anger would work as a motivating force and would simply render her sloppy, a state which she could ill afford to be in.
"IT LOOKS LIKE TIGER SANTARA IS BACK ON HER FEET" Qrow Branwen's voice seemed detached, audibly less enthusiastic than his previous declarations.
"IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S GOING TO MAKE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE AT THIS POINT IN THE MATCH….BUT IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE EFFORT AND IT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE NOTED AND RESPECTED!" Yang Xiao Long added, the kind and almost motherly tone she managed to pour into her amplified voice managed to set Tiger's nerves on edge and leave her with cold panic twisting its' way through her gut for reasons largely unrelated to just how long it had been since she had enjoyed being mothered or coddled by anybody.
If she and Stygian were already being offered well-meaning commiserations then just how badly was her partner being beaten by Ravi and Snapdragon.
With an unrelenting need to see that question answered Tiger forced herself forwards, one foot defiantly in front of the other and against all odds managing to build up momentum as she did so and push herself it a frantic, uncertain and ungainly limping run which saw her finally cross out of the Dust-riddled sandstorm which took up Team SHMR's side of the arena and into the safer but far more tricky to navigate jumble of stone and stairs which made up 'the abstract'. Refusing to allow this obstacle to slow her Tiger pushed on, building up speed and allowing everything outside of her goal to fade into the background of her thoughts and the fact that her Aura's flickering had first slowed to a regular pulse and was now beginning to quicken with each thundering beat of her own heart going unnoticed by the leader of Team TRQS herself.
Finally she reached where Stygian was locked in combat against two opponents at once and it became readily apparent in an instant that the situation was dire; her partners' Semblance allowed him some level of motion and skills and resolve which had both been honed over the course of a bleak upbringing which Tiger would rather not think about at length had given him the ability to remain in the fight this long but it was clear that they would not be enough for him to emerge victorious; a fact highlighted as Ravi and Snapdragon coordinated their next attacks and Stygian's attempt to close the distance with Ravi and knock his weapons aside saw the Mouse Faunus caught off guard by Snapdragon who had used the Shuffle Kicks to coat the ground with Ice Dust before launching herself clear of the follow-up.
Stygian was staggered by the ice and then flung back by Ravi's Semblance and Snapdragon was already advancing on her downed partner before he could hope to rise.
Tiger acted, in ways that defied logic and reality as she understood it.
She should not have been able to reach Stygian in time, there was simply too much distance and terrain between them and then, simply and despite the way physics were supposed to work there was nothing. Tiger could only blink in stunned confusion before she realised distantly what had happened, forcing herself to clamp down on her rising elation before the shift in emotional state could jeopardise things; it seemed that in her moment of need and desperation her battered and wavering Aura had answered her and taken all of her stubborn determination to plough through any obstacle and singular focus before fashioning them into a tool and physical representation of her very soul.
"THIS IS INCREDIBLE!" Qrow sounded far more interested now, positively yelling "WE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE SEEING A HUNTER MANIFEST THEIR SEMBLANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME, RIGHT HERE IN THE STADIUM! THIS MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A FIRST FOR THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT; WE ARE WITNESSING SOMETHING SPECIAL TODAY PEOPLE"
"Wait what?" Snapdragon's befuddled demand as she turned too where she now sensed Tiger to be, peering over her sunglasses with pale grey eyes came far too late though it it did still allow her to see the newly forged Semblance in all its' glory before it was turned against her.
Tiger Santara did not teleport like her partner, that would involve far too many variables for her tastes and nor did she create a stable portal in the truest sense of the term. Instead it seemed that Tiger's Semblance was in part a variation on the themes of her brothers', though where Ravi could create a pulse of force that flung everything away from himself Tiger's ability allowed her to create a tunnel like focal point and then have reality crumple away from itself.
In short Tiger could find the most direct route between herself and her goal and them create a path by removing everything in the way and creating a tunnel of Aura-warped reality to ensure she was not interfered with.
"Holy fucking shit!" she breathed out, finally allowing herself to savour the moment as she charged; as she did so taking in the particulars of how her Semblance had burrowed its' way through everything that would hinder her progress but also raising her Trident.
"It's awesome Tiger it really is" Snapdragon laughed, seemingly genuine in her praise as she braced herself at the sight of her rival coming hurtling towards her through a tunnel of twisted reality "But it won't matter"
Tiger gritted her teeth, refusing to accept that painful reality that Snapdragon might indeed be right. With her new Semblance serving as a protection as well as a direct route Ravi was unable to interfere and slow her down but the mouth of her tunnel could still be fired into and the leader of Team SHMR was already preparing for a deluge of attacks, the Shuffle Kicks whirring and shifting as Snapdragon adjusted her stance. It would evidently come down to a contest of speed, Aura and willpower and whilst Tiger certainly had a limitless reserve of the latter to draw upon her current condition left her lacking in the other two yet still she charged, shifting her trident into its' handgun form and simply opening fire as she closed the distance; taking no small amount of satisfaction from the fact that her opponents' Aura visibly wavered before Snapdragon raised her leading leg for a thrusting sidekick which would no doubt unleash some elemental burst of power.
Yet the blow never came, Snapdragon was instead halted by a flash of movement behind her and Tiger's eyes widened to an impossible degree.
They had forgotten about Stygian.
The Mouse Faunus was like lightning and a ghost all at once, having returned to his feet and moved into position without detection before swinging Sharp Cheese, blade primed with Ice Dust downwards and slashing the leader of Team SHMR across the back to shatter her Aura entirely.
Before the announcers could even begin to explain what had just happened Tiger watched as her partner vanished in a rippling of air, reappearing directly in the path of her twin brothers' attempts to gun him down with his own weapons; the Mouse Faunus delivering a kick and spinning slash in blindingly fast succession to leave Ravi reeling the before the blue-haired boy could properly take advantage of the pressure he had managed to apply he was forced to retreat as the telltale glow of Ravi's own explosive Semblance began to engulf him.
Seeing her opening Tiger released her strenuous hold on her own power and instead raised her weapon.
"Ravi!" she saw the briefest hesitation, a flickering of the glowing sunlight that her brother was now wreathed with "I am sorry about this"
She pulled the trigger and watched Ravi's Aura break as he was shot in the head.
"AN INCREDIBLE UPSET!" Qrow Branwen bellowed, voice utterly shattered by the force of his words and still almost entirely drowned out beneath a crowd who seemed determined to be heard in Vaccuo with the intensity of their cheering.
"SNAPDRAGON MAJUS AND RAVI SANTARA HAVE HAD THEIR AURAS BROKEN IN QUICK SUCCESSION!" Yang added "TIGER SANTARA AND STYGIAN BLUE OF TEAM TRQS ARE THE WINNERS!
Upon hearing those words Tiger finally allowed herself to collapse, losing consciousness for what felt like only a fraction of a second.
"You okay there Tee?" Stygian's voice so close to her served to inform her that her partner had managed one final use of his Semblance in order to catch her before she could crack her head open on the floor and as blearily looked around she saw that Ravi was already being helped to his feet by Snapdragon, in turn giving her his jacket whilst the pair both made their way over to where she had almost fallen; panning her eyes around the arena allowing her to see that the medical staff now climbing into the battlefield were being accompanied by Rye and Amaya who had decided that they had no intention of following protocol.
"That was excellent work" she nodded, almost delirious with pain and exhaustion "See the benefits of regular training now?"
"Me….That Semblance is something else!" Stygian laughed
"It is, there's definitely potential there for some useful implementation but you ended things here before we could really try anything interesting. We'll have to properly and thoroughly test it before we deploy for our next mission….Another time though, for now-" Tiger exhaled slowly midway through her building monologue and simply sagged further, with Stygian lowering her to the ground and finally succumbing to his own physical punishment to keel over and lay on the ground beside his partner; unable to care about the fact that as the supposed victors they were still the pair left laying on the ground.
There would be plenty of time to train after they had slept for an age and celebrated for longer still.
Astra managed a weak smile, one which quickly gave way to an equally weak chuckle whose faltering and decidedly unhinged quality was one which they made a deliberate effort not to think about in detail, instead keeping their attention firmly focused on their scroll and the interactions that had allowed them the brief respite from their all consuming nervous panic.
Upon departing from the stands the Deer Faunus had spent an uncertain amount of time wandering around the outer area of the stadium where its' food vendors, landing pads and vast array of stalls providing all manner of merchandise were located; with Astra stifling several disgusted noises at the sight of their own emblem plastered across several hoodies in garish and unflattering colours. Eventually however they had found a relatively quiet area, one unbothered by crowds simply because the ongoing match left very little room for interest in other subjects in the minds of the audience and upon sequestering themselves away with a bottle of water which they had hoped might help Astra had sent messages to their family in search of reassurance, or simply a distraction.
The first reply came from their parents, who assured him that they were proud of their child no matter the outcome of their next match and that they, along with friends from both of their places of work and several other family friends from around the neighbourhood were all rooting for Astra and Athena-Jade. The second reply had come from their brother in the form of a picture message with an attached caption; the image showing Felix Xiao Long and his long-term boyfriend Helios Nikos as well as several other Hunters whom Astra could vaguely recognise from stories about their exploits in a bar somewhere whose architecture gave loose indications of which Kingdom the group was currently in. Each of this group were proudly wearing merchandise which had clearly been shipped specially or bought in advance or holding signs which proclaimed them to be supporters of Team MARZ save for one single exception, namely Eagle Arc who held up a banner bearing Team HONY's emblems in a show of support with Honey Scarlatina who was her cousin whilst the caption simply declared that mathematics favoured Team MARZ and also that Felix may or may not have made wagers with his partner on the subject of the outcome.
This was the message which had managed to make Astra laugh.
"You should probably be heading for the changing rooms. You're partner was already heading there" Astra struggled not to physically spasm and flail in response to sound of Professor Branwen's voice alerting them to the fact that the grizzled veteran Hunter had not only spotted them but had also managed to draw close enough to reach out and place a hand of Astra's shoulder if he so chose, without being detected at all despite the skittering mass of his many-legged chair. A further realisation came to Astra a moment later.
"Team TRQS's match ended?" they asked with bated breath, mentally preparing for the worst as their own misgivings and worry seemed to spread out to encompass everything else.
"It did, a couple of minutes ago….Team TRQS scraped through when Tiger unlocked her Semblance. You're gonna regret missing it when you watch it back" Qrow's expression was brighter than Astra could remember having seen it for a moment, distant at the thought of the spectacle before becoming more grounded and firm "There's another scheduled break, which is why I'm here to get something to eat and then another match before yours but you should still go and check in. Don't leave it until the last minute"
"Thanks" Astra managed to breath out, forcing the word not to sound sullen or defeated as they forced themselves to their feet "Have you seen Athena-Jade?"
"I believe your team-mate is already preparing herself" Qrow answered, pausing for thought before adding "From the messages Weiss has been sending to Yang it sounds like she's been speaking with her parents and siblings….Needed a little moral support"
"She's not the only one" Astra managed a cracking bitter laugh at that, one which saw Qrow's deep crimson eyes regarding the Faunus teen with sudden concern which in turn saw Astra decide that they had said enough that to commit and be entirely honest was the only logical step forward "Professor, can you be honest with me for a sec….Have AJ and I even really got a chance in our match? 'cos it feels like I'm walking into my execution live on the CCT"
"A little melodramatic" Qrow answered gruffly, Astra's wordless huff saw him raise his hand before continuing "But I'll address your concerns and be as honest as I can despite my own preconceptions and biases"
"Thanks" Astra found themselves smirking as the urge to comment how openly biased Qrow and Yang's commentary had been on several instances bubbled within them, falling away as their professor gave his answer.
"Honey Scarlatina is without a doubt one of the most exceptional students I have ever had the pleasure of teaching and the only reason she doesn't have the undisputed top spot in that regard is because I cant Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, as well as Yang's kids among my students" Astra buckled, taking another sip of water to keep bile from rising as Qrow continued
"You've fought her before, on more than one occasion as I understand so you shouldn't need me to get poetic about it. Honey is the result of pure natural talent meeting endless training, being pushed to be better by herself as much as everyone around her. Her partner is not to be overlooked either, especially given that when I say that those two young ladies will do anything for one another that means that they will each push beyond any limits they might have had-"
"So I'm screwed" Astra sighed, trying to accept their fate as they cut through Qrow's abject praise.
"Almost certainly" Qrow nodded "But there two things to consider, firstly that to be beaten by someone who I think could go toe to toe with Yang Xiao Long or Nora Valkyrie in their prime is not something to be ashamed of….Even if I don't plan on saying that where Yang or Nora can hear it"
"And the second thing?" Astra managed a faint laugh at the way Qrow's eyes darted around as though he expected Professor Nora to appear and answer the challenge.
"Almost certain isn't certain" the older Hunter said simply "There is a very slim window of opportunity which you and Athena-Jade are uniquely suited to exploiting….Which I think, regardless of result will make this one of the most entertaining matches for several years. I for one have high expectations for this"
"Thank you Professor" Astra beamed, not quite confident but suddenly feeling more prepared "And I'll try to meet those expectations….Especially with Professor Xiao Long watching, she taught me as much as my brother did"
"Of course" Qrow smiled, knowing Astra's family situation well enough "Although on the subject of expectations…."
"Professor?"
"With the talk about options and elective courses for Third Year Students I honestly expected to have heard from a member of Team MARZ by now" Qrow answered in a tone that suggested he was trying to not seem as though he was overstepping a boundary and requesting personal information and explanations where they were not strictly required. Astra, in a better mood than they had been a few moments ago humoured him anyway.
"We've got a pretty good idea of where we're headed as a team….A few things we wanna get finalised before we make any concrete decisions but the idea is there" Astra's grin wavered as they saw the way Qrow continued to study them, prompting them to add "Zirconia's adopted Dad, he's already working on the cities' defences and making drones and mechs right? Well according to Zirconia he's got some long term plans for….I don't wanna call it a private security force because it sounds bigger than that"
"Really….That does sound interesting, not something that was covered when we discussed the cities' defences" Qrow noted in a detached way which managed to completely deflect Astra's attention from just what they had inadvertently given away, discussing the revelation as though it were an aside about the weather before adding "But you should really be going….And I still need to visit the noodle stand, the owner is an old friend"
"Thanks for the talk Professor, it helped" with that Astra departed, their turned back keeping them from seeing the look on Qrow's face as man's chair twitched its' limbs in response to his racing thoughts.
The leader of Team MARZ had expectations to exceed after all.
Author's Notes:
Well, this was a fun one to write.
But now we're going into the mid-season finale properly; Chapter 99 and the Chapter 100 milestone are gonna be a two parter.
So you just know that the showdown's gonna be big and that there's gonna be other fun stuff happening.
But anyway let's summarise anyway, shall we?:
When even Tiger is nervous you know it's gonna be a tough one.
Stygian's home on Menagerie, in the iron grip of a totalitarian group of Hunters outside of the Kingdoms' control….Cos that's obviously not gonna come up later.
The trash talk is tradition.
Ravi's weapons having similar design elements to Tiger's was something I felt was needed.
Seriously, a twin on twin fight is an insane match up really.
Coming up with new biomes was a stretch to be honest.
Sanctioned sibling rivalry, of course they went straight for each other.
Oof, as cool as Snapdragon's combo-Dust-Kick was it probably still hurt less than the knowledge that Tiger's brother has outgrown her.
Having people in the crowd watching is a great way to transition between parts of the fight.
Yeah Hops isn't threatened by Stygian at all at this point, she's the one waking up next to AJ every morning.
Yang and Qrow trying to find a silver lining in this fight was fun to write honestly.
"Astra Mars there are two things you are absolutely incredible at and they are looking cool while you fight and showing off!" Get yourself a Regalia, seriously whether it's romantic or not everyone should have someone who is this thoroughly in their corner.
"The amount of time they had spent pining for one another allowing the two girls to consider themselves connoisseurs on the subject" Where was the lie?
Qrow is the professor of fighting dirty, of course he says kick 'em when they're down.
I wanted everything Snapdragon does in this fight to be cinematic, like every combo to look like it could be the big finale set piece.
Throwing Tiger into the Dust storm and then detonating the dust is an environmental take-down on par with the geyser Weiss used to take out Flynt and herself.
That reveal honestly felt like the set up to a proper conclusion of any lingering hostility between Tiger and Snapdragon….A reveal that honestly Tiger has been kinda wrong this entire time and that Snapdragon has absolutely been trying.
Tiger being motivated primarily by being needed probably isn't healthy, but is also probably one of the qualities that'll make her do well as a Hunter
Ravi being more used to fighting as a pair or part of a team makes perfect sense given that he grew up with Tiger.
The comment from Qrow and Yang about imitation Ember Celica and how they'd be cooler if you were wearing aviators is something that made me chuckle while I was writing it.
The abstract had a lot of potential for fun combos and interactions and I probably could have used it more effectively in other circumstances, but honestly I still had fun with what I did with it here.
Yeah a two on one fight when your Semblance can only get you into danger and not out of it is never gonna end especially well.
Different stadium for the singles rounds, confirmed.
Hops and Nero's interactions are honestly some of my favourite ones to write just because of how unique they are.
The signs of Zirconia having a conscience are there to be seen.
So Nero knows that Team MARZ are thinking about joining him, at least with the info they have at the moment.
Whilst Albion handles a key matter on my behalf….Mid-Season finale is gonna be fun.
Of course Nero has a private airship, his company is comparable to the Schnees in wealth...And I have plans for that airship.
Oof, Tiger really probably should get some kind of grief counselling if her response to the announcer pointing out how well she can take a beating is "Huh, it's almost like having a Mum again".
Semblance reveal! I feel like this is something that should always feel like a 'Moment'
Tiger's Semblance is something between a portal and a shield, basically a direct tunnel of warped space between point A and point B.
Followed by a finishing move that feels a little anticlimactic, but is also kinda the point; because in all actuality Stygian is the character in Team TRQS who I'm gonna do the most with….And also honestly I think I wrote this scene at like 2am after work.
They won, but once again they scraped it.
Astra saw the tacky merch Nero was wearing a few chapters back.
The fact that Team FADE has members who are related to both Astra and Honey is something that couldn't be left untouched, that is definitely a fun little omake I could have written.
Qrow can sneak in a robot chair, because of course he can.
Of course Weiss was messaging Yang the whole day and of course AJ was messaging her parents, Arctus and Diamond….Hell probably Coral, Aunt Winter and Uncle Whitley too and then her cousins, Aunt Artemis and Uncle Rover….The list goes on.
Qrow's version of moral support could probably do some work.
But yeah, Honey could fight a Beacon era Yang or Nora….Possibly even Pyrrha but that last one isn't a comparison Qrow is going to make, just out of respect.
But now we have the real reason for the talk….A chance for Astra to let slip a little more than Nero would have liked to Qrow.
And now Qrow's curiosity is positively piqued.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.