“Harley?”

“...”

“...Harley? Babe?”

“...”

“Babelicious babe magnet?”

“...”

“Baby baby baby bab-”

“Huh?”

Sola stared back at Harley warmly. “You good? You’re acting a bit distant.”

“...yeah. Rough night sleep...” Harley excused, staring to the side, as Sola rested her head on her arm.

“Sorry I had to work late. I would’ve cuddled with you, but Virgil was pretty swamped yesterday.” Sola explained. “The tournament’s bringing in some business from outside of the city, so it’s all hands on deck.”

Harley nodded back at her, bumping her side. “That’s good to hear.”

“Good form! Plenty of power behind your strikes!”

Harley and Sola stared back at Essex and Taylor on the field below them, sparring lightly, as they traded blow after blow.

“You’re really good at this stuff!” Taylor exclaimed, throwing their whip at Essex’s side, just as she jumped over it. “I’m so disappointed you aren’t competing anymore!”

“You...are not either.” Essex pointed out, as Taylor gave a good-natured laugh.

“True enough.” Taylor said, before pulling their whip back. “Hey, quick question. Have you thought about creating your own terrain for fights?”

Essex stared at them, stunned. “How would I attempt that?”

“I mean you could use your scythe to unsettle parts of the ground before a hunt.” Taylor said, indicating to it. “Or cut down tree trunks and move them to make platforms.”

Taylor shrugged. “It’s clear your skillset’s best suited for when you have a lot of mobility options. A flat plain’s not very helpful to you.”

“That would be easier attempted with a hunt than a fight.” Essex reasoned. “I would need time to set up areas to lead targets toward.”

“Right, but that’s why you take your time and get it right, you know?” Taylor noted, pointing up at the stands. “You could always get help from Harley. She’s got plenty of muscle. She sets up the area, you utilise it.”

Essex stared back at Harley briefly, as they locked eyes, before addressing Taylor again. “...yes. That would be a valid point...”

Taylor looked pretty proud of themselves, just as their tablet went off in their pocket, as they waved it around. “Sorry to cut this short, but I’ve got a sparring date to get to.”

“Ooo, who’s it with?” Sola asked excitedly.

“Donovan.” Taylor answered. “We both got eliminated pretty early, so we’re gonna make up for not getting to fight in the tournament.”

“I didn’t know you were friends with Donovan.” Sola let out, as she looked to Harley joyously, right as Taylor nodded back.

“Damn right, I am!” Taylor insisted. “I’m gonna go punch their face in!”

Donovan saluted and left soon after, with a surprising spring in their step, just as a groan came out from below Harley and Sola.

“Oh, for the love of...” Wess exclaimed from lower down the stands, as she lowered her tablet from her hands.

“What is the issue?” Essex asked.

“It’s my upcoming match-ups for the tournament.” Wess explained, as Sola jumped down the seats.

“Are you worried about fighting Team Ferocity? Those guys suck so hard.” Sola asked, as Wess groaned.

“No, they’re the least of my concerns...” Wess said, before sighing and showing off her tablet. “...Cyrus just won his match.”

“Oh, good on him.” Julia let out, just as she arrived on the scene with breakfast wraps for everyone. “What’s going on?”

“Wess has concerns with her tournament opponents.” Essex filled in, as Julia connected the dots.

“Is it Team Ferocity? I swear, this has to be the third time you’ve fought Duke one on one.” Julia said, as Wess’ eyes drooped.

“It’s not that. It’s Cyrus.” Wess explained, as Sola grabbed for her wrap. “Since he won his match, that means if I win mine against Duke, I’ll be versing him.”

“Oh.” Julia realised, as Essex took her wrap too. “Is it cause you guys are exes?”

“...partly.” Wess admitted, grabbing one as well. “No, my concern is that I’ll lose thoroughly. Did you make these?”

“No, I got them from the campus café.” Julia answered. “Why’re you gonna lose?”

The rest of the team stared at her, as Harley made her way down the stands.

“Cause Cyrus is one of the best fighters in the academy.” Harley said, grabbing and taking a bite from her wrap. “I’d be terrified too.”

“And let’s be perfectly honest, I’m the weakest member of the team.” Wess admitted. “Physically. There’s plenty of other areas where I excel.”

Julia nodded, before smirking. “I dunno, Wess. I’d say you’re pretty good in a physical sen-”

“Stop that.” Wess insisted, shoving her wrap in Julia’s face. “No flirting.”

Julia grinned. “Sorry. But is it really that big a deal? We fought off Team Instinct, and you guys handled Team Exemplary really well.” Julia assured, as Wess made a point to stand up.

“It is.” Wess said, looking something up on her tablet. “And it seems you need some convincing.”

“The convincing better not cut into our research time.” Sola pointed out, grabbing into Julia’s side, as Essex snapped to attention.

“Yes. It would be beneficial if Julia was with us.” Essex added. “We’ve discovered a few websites relating to Faller’s accomplishments and having three sets of eyes would speed up efficiency.”

Sola noticed Harley still acting distant and grabbed her hand. “Do you wanna join too?” Sola asked, as Harley looked away.

“I-I should prepare for my next match. Now that me and Wess are in the solo rounds, I’ve gotta put some more work in.” Harley reasoned, as Sola nodded and hugged her side.

“Alright. You keep winning for us.” Sola let out, feeling some slight disappointment, as Harley at least appreciated the company.

“Alright. It seems this lines up pretty well.” Wess said, putting her tablet away. “Convincing shouldn’t take too long after all.”

“Ooo. I’m curious now.” Julia exclaimed. “Seems we’ve got plenty to do. Lots of challenges, lots of potential to grow.”

The rest of the team nodded back at her, all in strict confidence, even as Harley wanted to be anywhere else.

———

“Oh! OH! Look at that! How did...I’m just dumbstruck with th-”

“Oh, for Whilit’s sake, not again...”

“And then she hands it to her and wham! It’s like watching twins fight...or something.”

“Adora!”

Adora lifted her head. “Uh huh?”

“Coulda just pay attention for, like, two seconds? There’s literally a match going on right in front of you.”

Adora stared at the surrounding area, as the two students she didn’t know were busy fighting it out, with one maybe winning and the other retaliating or something...

Adora looked confused. “What, Sandra, did I miss something important?”

Sandra grabbed the brim of her nose, before taking a breath. “...you’re the only member of our team that’s made it through, so, yeah, winning it pretty important.”

Sandra noticed Adora staring back at her tablet again, before snapping her fingers.

“Geez.” Sandra let out. “What are you even watching?”

“Team Valiant’s last match. Harley and Wess did an awesome job!” Adora let out, just as the crowd around them cheered at the fight in front of them.

“You know their names?” Sandra let out, before shaking her head. “Whatever, you’re...researching for when you fight that Harley girl, I guess. Just stop fawning over the opponent.”

“I can’t help it! Look, look look!” Adora insisted, bringing Sandra over and showing her tablet off, playing a recording of the fight. “They’re in such sync with each other!”

“Right, and I need you to be in sync with me.” Sandra stated. “Team Hoodwink isn’t going to get anywhere unless we place at least in the top eight. Harley seems like a tough opponent, so if you aren’t ready to win this...”

Sandra could tell Adora wasn’t really listening again, as she turned back to the fight.

“Alright, just...do what you can to win.” Sandra muttered, as Adora gave a half-assed wave, before focusing on the footage again.

“I finally get to meet her in person...”

———

“So, what are we gonna go do?”

“You’ll see.”

“So mysterious...you didn’t get us another sponsor, did you?!”

“Julia, I’m a very gifted speaker, but I couldn’t pull that off at such short notice.”

“...yeah, good call. Hold up.”

Julia finally realised they were walking to another part of the training area surrounding the arena, as Cyrus came into view, along with a couple other students standing on a sparring court.

Julia started waving once Cyrus was in view. “Hi Cyrus!” Julia greeted, as he lifted his head.

“Julia. And Wess.” He realised, getting up. “I got your text. Did you come to see my raw prowess?”

“Somewhat. I’m proving a point to Julia.” Wess clarified, as Cyrus shrugged.

“I aim to please.” Cyrus remarked, as Julia glanced over at the other side of the field and noticed Team Ferocity.

“What’s Team Ferocity doing here?” Julia asked.

“Oh, they challenged me to a practice match.” Cyrus admitted, indicating to Duke on the other side and Ferris half asleep, waiting to officiate. “Depending on how Wess’ next match goes, I might be versing Duke, so they wanted a run-through with me.”

“Cyrus! We’re ready!” Baron yelled out, as Cyrus waved his hand.

“Give me a second!” Cyrus called back, before turning to Julia and Wess. “Well, feel free to watch. I don’t love showing off, but I guess you’re asking for it.”

“No need for theatrics. Just do what you normally do.” Wess encouraged, as Cyrus gave a thumbs up, before jogging to his place on the field.

“I’m glad you guys are still friends.” Julia noted. “So, why's his fighting so impressive?”

“Several reasons. I managed to catch some of his training when we first met. Admittedly...that was back when I was hoping to transfer to his team.” Wess confessed, shying away. “Y-You know, when I...”

“I get it.” Julia said, reaching out and holding her hand.

“...anyway, you’ll see why that was the case.” Wess pointed out, just as Ferris pulled herself out of her seat.

“Alright, you know the rules, bla bla don’t die, first to hit the ground three times loses. Go.” Ferris insisted, just as Duke got his ball and chain ready, itching to take Cyrus out here and now.

Meanwhile, Cyrus placed a hand in his jacket pocket, before flicking his other hand, just as a massive claymore sword leaped out from the spectator stands, floating seamlessly in the air above him, its height almost as tall as Cyrus himself.

Julia was left speechless by the effortless motion, as Duke swung his ball and chain forward, using his Whil to send it hurtling through the ground toward Cyrus.

Right as it was about to reach Cyrus, he spun a finger around, causing his claymore to sharply pierce the ground, stopping the spiked ball dead in its tracks.

Before Duke could recover, Cyrus flicked another finger, as the claymore batted the ball right back to Duke, before Cyrus sent the sword flying directly toward him.

Duke tried to block it with his chain, only for Cyrus to counter by spinning his fingers, causing the claymore to wrap the chain around itself as it passed, before using it to trip up Duke instantly.

Duke did his best to get back up, only for the claymore to easily trip him again, readying itself to keep going.

Just as Duke looked like he was going to stand up, he submerged himself in the ground with his Whil, before disappearing from the field.

After a few more seconds, he appeared right in front of Cyrus, ready to throw a sharp right hook, only for Cyrus to cause the claymore to come shooting back, knocking out one of Duke’s feet, before the handle hooked onto Duke’s shirt, lifting him into the air, and suddenly dropping him flat on the ground.

Duke lay their motionless, struggling to even get up, as Ferris quickly remembered she was meant to be judging.

“U-Uhh...3-0, Cyrus.” Ferris confessed, still trying to rationalise what she saw. “Holy shit...”

Cyrus lowered his hand, before resting the sword handle on Duke’s head.

“I told you this’d be disappointing. You shoulda just saved it for the tournament.” Cyrus pointed out, before moving his claymore back to the stands, as Julia’s mouth hung open in shock.

“Well?” Wess asked, folding her arms.

“H-H-He barely lifted a finger...”

“Oh yes.”

“L-L-Like, literally, his hand didn’t even move...”

“Whil’s are an incredible thing.”

“A-A-And he did all that...”

“He’s considered a prodigy for a reason.” Wess said, sighing out. “Now you can see why I’m so worried. I’m already at a disadvantage against opponents with Whils, but he’s even above that.”

“W-Wow...” Julia let out, still staring at the field. “I-I can see why you wanted to join his team.”

Wess rolled her eyes, as Cyrus came over, calling out to them. “Was that good?”

“Yes, I think it did the job.” Wess said, before deciding to take Julia away. “Thanks for your help.”

“No problem. Knowing I had an audience made this match a bit more fun.” Cyrus admitted.

Wess smiled back at him before leaving, as Cyrus waved back at her.

“Hope to see you in the tournament! It’ll be a worthy fight for sure!” Cyrus called out, before remembering Duke was there and grinning. “And don’t let this chump slow you down! You’ve got this in the bag!”

———

The rest of the day was shaping up to be fairly standard. With Harley’s match against Adora in a day’s time, and Wess’ match with Duke right after, the two were busy preparing in whatever way they could.

And while watching from the sidelines was nice and all, the rest of Team Valiant had something important to look into.

Important, but not exciting.

“...I know we’re just sifting through biographies and all, but...” Julia started, as she slumped onto her desk. “...this is really starting to bore.”

“I know.” Sola admitted, scanning her computer screen. “It’s so basic.”

Essex was busy struggling to use her mouse, as she accidentally pressed the scroll button and started auto-scrolling by mistake.

She let go of it suddenly, looking like she’d made a mistake, before staring at the other two. “I am having difficulties with the computer.”

“Page after page after...” Julia muttered, before giving up and wandering around their spot in the library. “There’s barely anything on Faller here.”

“I guess he ran the engineering department a few years ago.” Sola noted, reading her screen. “Bla bla bla, worked with Jovie, bla bla bla...very qualified...”

“Any interviews?” Julia asked, as Sola shook her head.

“Maybe there is something physical? Perhaps a document relating to past years of the academy?” Essex offered, as Julia leaned on her seat.

“Good idea, Essex. The library’s bound to have old yearbooks.” Julia pointed out, looking around. “Somewhere...”

“Oh wait, I know where they are!” Sola admitted, getting up suddenly. “I had to find some history textbooks with Harley, and they were right next to each other.”

“Great!” Julia let out, as she followed Sola. “Sit tight, Essex.”

Essex stared at her computer, as the screen faded to black due to inactive use. “...okay.”

Sola dashed into one of the aisles, almost getting overwhelmed now that she was in it, before Julia spotted the books for her and pulled a couple out.

“5016. This was right before Faller was principal.” Julia admitted, sitting down and flipping through it. “Maybe he left a quote, or some kind of bio...”

As Julia was flipping through pages, Sola tried to keep herself busy, as she thought about looking through the yearbooks, only to find the thought immediately boring her as well.

She looked around idly, hoping for some kind of stimulation, as she ducked her head out of the aisle and noticed Essex, still fiddling with her computer.

Essex quickly spotted Sola and waved to her politely, as Sola felt obliged to wave back, before realising it was just her and Julia.

“...hey, Julia?”

“Mmmhmm?”

“...I know we’re in the middle of something right now, but can I...talk about something?” Sola let out, as Julia noticed her tone and lifted her head from the book.

“Uhh, yeah, sure. What’s up?”

Sola felt she’d be more comfortable sitting down, as she joined Julia’s side. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Harley, Essex and me have been a bit weird around each other.”

Julia looked to the side awkwardly, as she scratched her cheek. “Kinda. Harley mentioned that she got in an argument with Essex during the formal, but I didn’t really follow up on it...”

“Well, you were probably distracted by the tournament. And dating Wess. And meeting up with Florey.” Sola pointed out. “We’ve been busy lately.”

Sola started playing with her fingers idly. “But there’s a reason for it.”

Sola looked down at the floor, as Julia skooched to her side.

“...during the formal...” Sola started. “...Essex took me and Harley aside and...confessed to us...about wanting us three to date.”

Julia’s eyes widened a bit, before she refocused on Sola as best she could. “...okay.”

“I kinda liked the idea, so I said yes, but...Harley said she didn’t feel ready.” Sola admitted, stammering her words a little. “And then Essex left...and that’s kinda it.”

Sola spun her fingers around. “And now things are really awkward with us, and...I feel like I have to make things better for both of them, but they just want to forget it ever happened.”

Julia gave herself a moment to let that all sink in, before sitting up proper.

“It sounds like you’ve had a tough few weeks.”

Sola quietly nodded, as Julia reached over and offered a hug, which Sola gratefully accepted.

“I...kinda get it.” Julia said, breaking the hug. “When me and Wess got together...I was really terrified. I thought I’d screwed something up so bad, and that Wess was...gonna try to leave the team again...”

“She wouldn't do that.” Sola insisted.

“Well, yeah, obviously.” Julia remarked. “But my rational brain wasn’t working, was it?”

Julia shrugged. “But just as I was about to back out, she...made sure I didn’t.”

Julia looked back on it and smiled subtly. “...she made sure I didn’t actually screw up. Looking back, if I kept pulling away, it would’ve been the worst mistake of my life.”

Sola stared at the floor solemnly. “Did I pull away?”

“No, no, of course not.” Julia assured, grabbing her hand. “You’re the one who reached out. I’m sure Essex really appreciated that.”

Sola stared bitterly at the floor. “Harley said that this was Essex’s thing to deal with.” Sola pointed out. “But that’s just stupid. Why can’t they make up? They were friends before, it should be easy.”

Julia looked to the side. “It’s not easy, though. I wish it could be.”

Julia started circling her finger. “Harley’s probably acting defensive. Relationships were hard for her in the past, and I think with you, she’s found a really stable one. Adding Essex into the mix would just complicate things.”

“...I know it’s okay for Harley to say no.” Sola admitted. “But she shouldn’t be mad at Essex. Holding a grudge is just dumb.”

Sola stood up suddenly. “And if they’re both gonna struggle with this, then I’m gonna have to fix it, even though I don’t know how, and neither of them are talking...”

Sola started hitting her head. “Come on, brain. Work already...”

“Sola.” Julia let out, holding her hand. “Alright, I’ve got an idea.”

Julia resettled in her sitting position. “Just sit like this and breathe.”

Sola did so, as she closed her eyes and focused on breathing.

“Just focus on that.”

“...”

“Clear your head.”

“...”

“...okay.” Julia said, as Sola opened her eyes. “What do you want to do?”

Sola breathed out. “I love them both and want them to get along again.”

Julia nodded in assurance. “Okay. What can you do about that?”

“Get them back on track.” Sola assured, getting a smile from Julia.

“You’re a lot smarter than people give you credit for.” Julia complimented, as Sola blushed to herself.

“Thanks...” Sola let out, trying to hide her face. “You’re also really smart. And pretty.”

Julia waved her hand awkwardly. “Y-You don’t mean that...”

“I so do!” Sola let out. “You’re crazy pretty! Wess is a lucky lady!”

Julia grinned. “I’m the lucky one.”

Sola hopped around a bit, before shying away a little. “...thank you for...talking with me. I don’t really know anyone else I could chat with like this...”

Julai rubbed her neck. “Same here. And...thanks for letting me know about everything.”

An idea popped into Julia’s head. “Is it okay if I tell Wess? Just so we’re all on the same page?”

Sola nodded. “I think it’d be weird otherwise.”

Julia lent her head back on the wall, before laughing a little. “Relationships are fun, huh?”

“Yeah.” Sola agreed, laughing as well. “But they’re really worth it.”

Julia grinned, before picking up the yearbook and a couple previous volumes. “Let’s take these back to Essex. She can help read through them.”

Julia went to head back to the computers with Essex, before stopping herself.

“Hey, weird...question. Do you wanna make this a regular thing?” Julia asked, kicking her foot. “It’d be kinda nice to talk about this stuff with someone else.”

“Like a check in?” Sola asked, as Julia nodded, a bit embarrassed.

“Yeah, when we need it.” Julia offered, as Sola nodded happily to her.

“It sounds pretty fun. Do we have to sit and talk each time?” Sola asked, as Julia laughed to herself.

“No, we can change it up.” Julia said, as her and Sola joined back up with Essex to continue their efforts toward their search.

———

“Excuse me, is this the ‘Birth of Fire’ exhibition that’s supposed to be going on?”

“Yes, it is. Did you want a guide for the works?”

“No, I’ll be fine to wander. Thank you.”

While she didn’t want to admit to it, the agitation of Wess’ upcoming matches was starting to get to her. Fortunately, the academy was having another pop-up gallery alongside the tournament, which gave Wess a wonderful excuse to focus on something other than combat before her match with Duke.

She stopped on a particularly gorgeous piece, showing off some kind of large structure consumed in flame, as the shadows it formed resembled people, sombrely sifting through the remains of what was left for them.

“Truly haunting...”

“Hey.”

Unbeknownst to her, Wess’ visit had been subtly interrupted, as standing beside her was Baron, sharing his glance with the painting.

Wess didn’t say a word, as Baron leaned over a little.

“Are you a fan of Hardison?”

“…mostly for his earlier works.” Wess indulged. “His technique started to get a bit sloppy as time went on.”

Baron scratched his head. “Couldn’t agree more. There’s a reason everyone remembers ‘Voyager’ and not ‘When Time Knows Nothing.’”

Wess scoffed in agreement, before acknowledging it was still Baron beside her and turning to him. “How’re things with Joleicia?”

Baron winced, before turning slowly to Wess. “I would’ve thought she told you about the breakup.”

“Oh, she did.” Wess clarified. “I just had some extra salt on hand I figured I’d rub into the wound.”

Wess turned back to the painting. “So, what’s with this visit?”

“I was looking for inspiration. My work’s been stale recently.” Baron admitted. “And I wanted to clarify something before your match with Duke.”

Of course. Wess thought. No doubt some dismissive remark just to whittl-

“Don’t beat him too badly tomorrow.”

Wess blinked suddenly, before trying to face Baron, despite his attention still being on the painting.

Wess tried to compose herself. “W-What, have you no faith in him? I should hope you’d trust your teammate a lot more than that.”

“I don’t really know if he can beat you.” Baron confessed, stretching his neck. “After all, he’s won both of your previous matches together, but you’ve also gotten a lot stronger. And he’s been slipping recently, a little like our friend Hardison…”

Baron waved his hand. “But regardless of the outcome, don’t do too much damage to him. Our team’s got an internship in a few weeks in the Western Wayside, and I want him in top shape.”

Wess scoffed openly. “I shouldn’t need to hold myself back just for your benefit. Since when do you think I’d disgrace myself just for your team?”

“It’s a simple request.” Baron shrugged off, now facing her. “I’d take the compliment, considering I’m saying you could win while still holding back.”

Baron gave the painting one last once-over, before turning to leave properly. “Whatever you choose is fine. Just figured I’d give you a heads up.”

Baron left as suddenly as he arrived, just as Wess was left to try and decipher what Baron was playing at.

It’s always a mind game with him. Wess thought, her attention drifting from the painting. Or was he being serious this time? There’s...

Wess shook her head, before forcing her gaze on Hardison’s work again.

No distractions. This is your chance to stand out and help Team Valiant...let’s just hope Harley can do the same...

———

“This is it, folks! The biggest of the big! A true clash of the academies! VA versus DG! Who’s gonna come out o-”

“The upcoming match between Harley Baroke and Adora Triever is about to start.” Vent interrupted, giving Spence a knowing look. “Personally, I have a very solid idea of who’s going to win, but I think we can all pretend it’ll be a fair fight.”

“Hey.” Spence complained, covering her microphone. “Whose side are you on?”

“Just keeping things expedient.” Vent clarified, covering his. “We know the fights people are really here for.”

“Come on, let’s give the other students a chance. They might surprise us.” Spence insisted, as Vent gave a dry laugh.

“Last I checked, Cyrus Vesper and Archer Parthos aren’t in this match.” Vent pointed out, leaning back over to Spence. “So?”

Spence closed her mouth and pouted, turning back to her mic.

“The match will start in a few minutes, so get ready, competitors!”

“I can’t wait! Harley’s gonna crush it!” Sola cheered, getting out of her seat already. “KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, BABE!!!”

“Sola, the fight hasn’t started yet.” Julia said, pulling her back down.

“Harley insisted I get amped no matter what!” Sola insisted. “I’m pre-cheering!”

“Apologies for my late arrival. My gallery visit ran a touch late.” Wess said, quickly arriving and taking up a free seat. “Hopefully, this match garners some attention. I’m worried it might sink into the white noise of the rest of the tournament.”

“We’re in the later rounds. Perhaps the sponsorship will garner more attention now?” Essex suggested, as Wess laughed sarcastically.

“Short of The Dragon Tamer arriving and suddenly joining the fight, I think this will continue to go unnoticed.” Wess pointed out. “Once we hit the top eight, then more eyes will be on us, including Andro themselves.”

“ROCK THIS FIGHT!!!” Sola continued, just as Harley walked out onto the pitch, finally getting a good look at her next opponent face on.

Adora excitedly skipped forward, trying desperately to hold back her excitement, as she struggled to contain it once she got in handshaking distance of Harley.

“Hey, nice to meetcha. Let’s have a good match.” Harley insisted, as Adora shook her hand welcomingly.

“Y-You’re Harley, right? From Team Valiant?” Adora managed, as Harley looked a bit surprised.

“Uhh, yeah. Are we famous?” Harley asked, breaking the handshake, as Adora let out a nervous giggle.

“I was just really interested in your matches. You’re really good fighters.” Adora insisted, swinging her arms back and forth. “Hearing that we’d matched up was pretty exciting for me.”

Harley struck a casual pose and smiled. “Hey, glad to hear we’ve already got a fa-”

“It’s just so cool how you and Wess are the only members without Whils, and yet you still managed to beat out Team Instinct and Team Exemplary!” Adora added, giggling again. “I mean, it explains why you guys did so well against so many Wailing.”

Harley cocked her head. “How do you know about that stuff?”

“Well, it’s not hard to find out.” Adora pointed out, rocking on her feet. “Like, I asked around a lot, and you guys seem pretty prolific.”

Adora rocked back and forth again. “It’s like meeting Team Spectrum while they were still training...I feel like a trend setter...”

Adora kept giggling, almost looking eager to please, as Harley started to be thrown off by her demeanour.

“Y-Yeah, great. Glad you’re...” Harley started, before just giving up on the sentence, as she noticed the timer on the monitors about to hit zero and went back to her side of the field.

She got her Buster Knuckles ready, double-checking the jet boosters, just as Adora pulled her daggers from her hip, spinning them idly, before finally noticing the counter.

“Ooo, it’s almost time!” She cheered, hopping on her feet. “I’m gonna fight her for real!”

She turned to the crowd joyously and projected her voice.

“I’ll give a fair fight! Just watch!” Adora let out, jumping around excitedly, before grabbing her jacket and showing it off to the spectators. “And this one’s for the Defender’s Guild!”

At least she’s excited... Harley noted, just as the alarm blared, causing her instincts to kick in. Let’s get my mind off everything for a bit...

Harley started charging at Adora, taking advantage of her distraction, just as Adora noticed the fight had started, before turning back around and smiling.

Right as Harley tried to punch her out of the arena in one hit, Adora ducked suddenly, slipping around Harley’s form, before hooking her dagger around Harley’s leg and trying to trip her up.

Harley’s momentum nearly pulled her off the arena instantly, before she readjusted the direction of her jet boosters, turning them backwards and using their propulsion to force herself back onto the platform.

The crowd was immediately engaged, having sprung to life due to the one of the contestants nearly getting eliminated within the first minute of the match.

“Quick reflexes from Adora, but will it be enough to counteract Harley’s overwhelming bulk?” Spence announced, sitting forward in her seat, as Vent pulled out his tablet distractedly.

“You know it will!” Adora yelled back, despite most of the crowd not hearing her, as she turned her attention to Harley. “This is so cool!”

Of course she’s speedy. Harley realised, giving her Knuckles a once over. I can’t get caught off guard. Just overwhelm her an-

“Careful!” Adora exclaimed, running up to her and slashing, as Harley quickly dodged, falling to the side.

Adora threw one of her daggers at Harley, distracting her as she swatted it out of the way, before Adora jumped over and jabbed her right arm with the dagger, sending a jolt of pain running through it.

Harley swung with her other fist, just nearly grabbing Adora, before she hopped back, giving Harley an opening to get back up.

“Just a few more of those and your arms are gonna betray you. Your muscles are gonna be so mad!” Adora giggled, throwing her dagger up and down. “It’s a shame these can’t actually stab. That’d so much more effective.”

Harley glared at her, before deciding to wait for Adora to attack her again instead of charging at her aimlessly.

However, Adora stayed motionless, chucking her dagger idly, confusing the crowd as to why the fighting had stopped, before Harley suddenly felt the pain of another dagger hit her on the head, having come from seemingly nowhere.

Harley reeled in pain, grabbing at her head and getting some distance from Adora, before Adora rushed over and scooped up her other dagger.

“Careful! I’m a slippery one!” Adora insisted, dancing around. “Did you even see where the other one went?”

Harley’s frustration started to build, as she took another swing at Adora, which she obviously dodged, before Adora jabbed her arms with her daggers again.

Harley pulled back, running her hands over her pained muscles, before her eye was drawn to the crowd.

She noticed Sola jumping up and down, seemingly cheering her on, as Harley was happy to see she was still getting support from her.

However, once she looked a bit longer, she realised Sola was making a motion with her hands, throwing them behind herself.

Harley didn’t quite get it, just as Adora came in with another flurry of stabs, ducking and weaving around every punch Harley threw, even with the help of her jet boosters.

Suddenly, the idea clicked for her, as she pulled herself away from Adora’s reach, giving them some distance, before she got her jet boosters ready and threw her arms behind herself.

Adora was slightly caught off guard, trying to figure out what Harley was even attempting, before she saw Harley shoot right toward her, propelling herself with the jet boosters bursting out from behind her.

Adora panicked and dodged to the side, as Harley stumbled a bit using her Buster Knuckles this way. She jumped as she propelled herself, before aiming an arm off to the side, swinging around in a circle and coming back to where Adora was.

Before Adora could react, Harley managed to get a powerful right hook in, connecting with Adora’s face and launching her back across the arena.

Harley slowed herself as best she could, checking that she still had fuel in her boosters, as Adora shakily got back up, before running a hand on her face, feeling the redness that Harley had left behind.

“WOO!!! That’s my girlfriend!” Sola yelled out, cheering along with the rest of the crowd, before looking back at the others. “She used my technique! Like when I shoot myself forward with my cannons!”

“You got this, Harley! Don’t get tilted!” Julia added, hoping she could be heard.

The crowd was audibly excited, as it seemed the fight was starting to pick up, just as Adora scratched her face with her nails, feeling the slight tinge of blood running down her cheek, before grabbing for her daggers again.

“Alright then...I guess we’re playing for keeps, Harley...”

Right before Harley readied herself to try the booster manoeuvre again, Adora ran directly at her, daggers at the ready.

Just as she reached Harley, Adora pivoted to the side, trying to catch Harley off guard again, as she went to stab at her legs.

Harley couldn’t keep up and took a few jabs, knocking her down a little, before getting back up and taking a swing at Adora now that she was a bit more distracted.

Adora jolted over to the other side, making a motion to go for Harley’s left leg, despite not having a dagger in her hand.

Harley went to block, before realising Adora was unequipped and deciding to dodge instead.

However, right as Adora was swinging, a puff of smoke came out of her hand, just as another dagger appeared in it, catching a glint on sunlight off its blade.

Before Harley could react, Adora connected with the dagger, which instead of jabbing at her leg, broke the skin, stabbing Harley all the way through.

It took Harley a second for the pain to reach her senses, before she finally noticed the line of blood running from the wound, as she fell to the ground, clutching at her leg in pain.

“ARRGGHHHHH!!!”

“YES!!! I did it!” Adora cheered, jumping around joyously, as the crowd finally took in what had happened. “I took her down! No problem for me!”

“I-I-I don’t know what I’m seeing, but it seems one of our competitors snuck an u-unregulated weapon into the arena and...” Spence announced, visibly shaking. “M-Medical?”

“Harley!” Julia yelled out, as the rest of the team got to their feet as well.

“S-She’s not...” Wess managed, holding her hand to her mouth. “My goodness, what happened?”

“What the?!...How dare you!!! I’m gonna mess you up!!!” Sola yelled, ready to climb over the stands, as Essex struggled to hold her back. “What’s wrong with you?!”

Harley kept writhing in pain, just as Adora kept celebrating to herself.

“I diiid it! I diiid it!” Adora continued, as the crowd started catching on to what had happened and began booing.

Right in the middle of her dance, Adora was teleported off the arena by one of the staff helpers, before a few security guards grabbed her and began dragging her away.

“Hey, what’s the big idea guys? I won the fight.” Adora insisted, trying to break free from their grasp. “Why are you taking me away?! I totally won that! I should be ap...”

Just as Adora was taken away, Harley was teleported off the arena and onto a stretcher, whisking her away to the infirmary as soon as possible.

“Apologies to our viewers. We’ll have to cut this match short.” Vent assured, grabbing his microphone. “Once we’ve determined that the contestant responsible has been taken care of, we’ll resume our matches as normal.”

Vent quickly turned to Spence, as she struggled to get a grip.

“Well, you wanted attention on the match. Here you go...”

“Harley?!” Julia yelled out, rushing down the tournament halls, followed by the rest of the team, before arriving right at the infirmary.

“Please be okay. Har-” Sola let out, before they tried to head in, only to be stopped by Pather.

“I’m sorry. I can’t let you in yet.” Pather assured, as Sola stepped forward.

“Is she alright? Please tell me she’s alright.” Sola begged, as Pather held her shoulder.

“She’s with our medical staff now. Don’t worry, we’ve got this handled.” Pather assured. “Do you guys know anything about her opponent? It might help us figure out how this could have happened.”

Julia shook her head. “Sorry. Today was the first time we’ve seen her.”

Pather nodded back. “Alright. You’ll get to see her once she’s in good condition. I’ll let you know as soon as that’s possible.”

“...okay. Thanks.” Julia said, as Pather indicated to the seats set up outside the infirmary.

“Trust me, plenty of Venators have come in with worse. We’re lucky this was in the arena and not out on a mission.” Pather noted, before closing the doors to them, as the team took their seats, save for Sola, who kept walking around nervously.

A few solid hours passed with nothing of note, which only stressed the team out more, right before they were interrupted by a news reporter rushing into the infirmary ahead of them with camera crew in tow.

The team decided to get up and follow them in, as they approached the bed with Harley in it, clearly pretty out of it.

“Harley!” Sola let out, immediately hugging her, as Harley tried to stretch her arm around Sola. “How are you feeling?”

“Uhh, numb. And hurt.” Harley admitted, just as the others poured in, including the interviewer.

“Dana Montgomery, CPNN. A shocking turn of events for this recent match.” Dana said, holding out the microphone. “Could you give us a comment?”

“...I hope whoever stabbed me...got eliminated...” Harley insisted, as Dana nodded along.

“And what about the rest of the match?”

“Well...the match was something else.” Harley managed, clearly still in a lot of pain. “...but fortunately, without the help of Andro Manufacturing, I might not even be here...”

“I-I’m sorry, Andro?” Dana asked, confused.

“Yeah, they...really...helped with my training.” Harley got out, readjusting in her bed to ‘subtly’ show off her Andro-branded shirt. “Without their equipment, I would’ve been unprepared...and this could’ve been ten times worse...”

“No kidding...” Dana let out, before turning back to the camera. “Well, you heard it here first. In the recent altercation at the Venator Academy tournament, Harley Baroke attributes her survival to Andro Manufacturing, and I think it’s fair to say...”

Dana stepped away to continue the story, as the team finally had room to breathe.

“Marvellously done, Harley.” Wess admitted. “You managed to get the sponsorship some national notice, despite what I'm assuming is horrific pain.”

“Correct assumption...” Harley groaned, moving to face her. “I mean, I had to lie a little, but it was for th...oh god, it hurts...”

“Don’t force yourself to talk.” Julia assured. “You did incredible out there. We’re really proud of you.”

“...thanks.” Harley let out, just as Essex came into view.

“If you need one of us to replace you in your next match, I will not hesitate. It would be an honour to fight after this display.” Essex assured, reaching out to grab her hand, just as Harley subtly pulled away.

“Y-Yeah. I’ll...see how recovery goes...thanks...” Harley said, facing the whole team. “Don’t let me hold you up...I’m sure you guys are busy.”

“Don’t be silly.” Sola insisted, sitting on the end of the bed. “I’m gonna stay here and make sure you’re okay.”

“...I mean, the doctors can do that.” Harley mentioned, before reaching out to Sola. “Really, you guys have gotta find out what’s going on with Faller, and Wess is fighting Duke in, like, a day. I don’t want to hold you up from the important stuff.”

Sola went to speak, only to close her mouth and get back up, before making tracks out of the infirmary, as the rest of the team followed.

“We’ll check up on you. Text if you need anything from us.” Julia assured, as Harley nodded back, before laying down flatter on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Right as they left, she let out a heavy breath, as her head sunk under the covers.

“...I can’t believe I let them down again...”

———

It was only a few hours until Wess’ fight with Duke. Harley was still recovering in the infirmary, and frankly, she was appreciating the time alone to clear her head and be alone with her thoughts.

Wess, however, was still stuck in her head. Harley’s recent bout meant that almost no one was focused on any of the other matches, and for someone like Wess, knowing her efforts weren’t being appreciated was...

“Alright...this is it...not long now...”

Wess stared up at the changing room monitor, just as it cut to the arena, prepping for her upcoming fight in a less than ten minutes time.

“Hey.” Julia said, walking in to join her. “Sola and Essex are still studying, but I figured I’d come to cheer you on. How’re you holding up?”

“Somewhat fine. Somewhat...” She said, just as a picture of Cyrus’ recent victory flashed up on screen, freezing her stiff.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, you can always cover for Harley if you don’t win.” Julia suggested.

“I suppose.” Wess replied, before taking a breath and getting ready. “This is it now...”

“Good luck.” Julia said, wrapping herself around Wess playfully, as Wess pulled herself back.

“Julia, you know we can’t...” Wess started, before grabbing her forehead. “We can’t do this right now, especially if I win. Save it for the dorm.”

Julia backed away, before feeling a bit of shame. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sike you out.”

“It’s fine.” Wess said, as she stepped out of the changing rooms. “Just be patient. I’m getting in the top eight, no matter what.”

“You’ve got this.” Julia assured, watching Wess leave her side, as she caressed her own arm slowly. “...dear...”

Wess carried on down the hall, ending up at the entrance to the arena, just as she realised Duke was waiting as well, leaning back on a bench and tapping his foot anxiously.

It took him a second to register that Wess was in the room as well, before he noticed and stood up.

“Who could’ve seen this coming?” He remarked, dipping his hands into his pockets. “What is this, the third time?”

“Who’s keeping count?” Wess added, before facing the direction of the arena.

“Just caught what happened with Harley.” Duke mentioned, as Wess gave him the side-eye.

A silence passed between them, as Duke cleared the air.

“I heard whoever’s fighting Cyrus is gonna have their fight moved up, since your teammate got stabbed.” Duke explained, scratching his neck. “Ripping off the bandage early, huh?”

“I suppose.” Wess said, just as the announcement calling them to the field rang out. “Let’s settle this.”

Before she made too much headway, Duke cleared his throat. “Hey, uhh...can I ask something?”

Wess looked a bit miffed. “Yes?”

“...could ya go easy on me?”

Wess was trying to hide her confusion, as she stopped in place. “...why would I do that?”

“...I’ve just...well, my girlfriend broke up with me recently...” Duke admitted, shying away. “And my training with the team...I mean, I don’t think I’m keeping up and...yeah...it’s been a lot this tournament...”

Wess took a second for herself, before sighing out of annoyance. “Forgive me if I don’t feel much empathy, or feel the need to pity you. Your team’s implored similar tactics in the past to throw off my team, and doing this before a fight makes it all the more suspicious.”

“I’m no-”

Wess held up her hand. “However, out of respect for your abilities, I’ll allow you to give it your all. This tournament’s about promotion, so if you're going to phone it in, then I won’t debase myself by coming off as weaker.”

Wess started heading for the arena proper. “I know no one’s clamouring to see us, but we’re both going out there to give the audience a good show, alright?”

Duke was left on his own, as Wess disappeared into the arena, before he felt he could follow her through, hoping to give what he could to the fight, even if it was barely going to amount to much.

Wess arrived to her side of the arena and grabbed her weapons, before heading up the platform to properly face Duke.

“Both competitors are in place and ready to show us what they’ve got!” Spence announced, before realising Vent was clearly more focused on his tablet.

She bumped his side, before he jumped to attention. “Oh, start the match.”

“Vent, it’s too early!”

“They’re both there, aren’t they?”

“We’ve gotta preamble a bit!”

“You really think you have to explain that to the PR teacher?”

“It’s for their benefit, you dolt! Stop giving this not...”

Wess just shook her head and turned to Duke, as he checked the weight of his ball and chain, before facing her again.

She nodded back to him, as he reluctantly did so too, before throwing out the ball and sinking it into the ground using his Whil.

He took a needed breath, before using his Whil to send the ball through the ground hurtling toward Wess, as he dragged behind it holding onto the chain.

Wess immediately dodged to the side, holding up her shield as she expected him to turn around to attack her again, before he missed her completely and slowed himself down, taking a fair amount of time to recentre himself.

The crowd was visibly checked out of the fight, as most of the people present were either doing something else or still talking about wat had happened during Harley’s fight.

Wess watched as Duke threw out his ball again, trying to same manoeuvre, which for Wess was where she drew the line.

Instead of dodging, she simply side-stepped to avoid the attack, before Duke came hurtling by, letting her knock him over with Belvedere.

Duke slid across the ground, still being carried by the momentum of his weapon, before slowly getting up.

“Honestly...” Wess let out, just as the crowd was starting to pay attention. “Where the hell is your drive?”

“H-Huh?” Duke let out, trying to collect himself.

“Just because everyone else has written off this fight doesn’t mean you have to as well!” Wess yelled, slamming her foot. “Where’s the future Venator that successfully took me down twice?!”

Duke repositioned himself, as the crowd started murmuring, speculating on what could be going down on the arena below, even as it was clear Wess was making a point.

“Are you just done?! Are you expecting me to roll over and hand you your match with Cyrus?!”

Duke stopped trying to get up and just took in Wess’ words, as she held out Belvedere to him.

“You will earn that match, just like I will!” Wess demanded. “So what are you fighting for, Duke?!”

Duke thought over Wess’ proposal, as the guilt in his chest started to ring true. It’s not like he liked her very much or was looking for wisdom, but...

...at the very least, she was right.

Duke stayed on the ground, thinking back to what drove him to becoming a Venator, why he still stuck around even as he seemed stuck in this holding pattern. He wasn’t fighting just for the title...

...I’m fighting for me.

Suddenly, Duke stood back up, before using his Whil to pull his ball and chain back to him, only to unsettle the ground around him and spin the ball through it, creating a cloud of dust around him.

The crowd started getting more invested, as Wess finally entered her defensive pose, just as the cloud began to reach her.

Immediately, Duke came flying at her like last time, but with no hesitation, as Wess did her best to block the attack, only for Duke to barge into her, knocking her off course.

Wess recovered quickly and tried to find him again, only for him to come back around and crash into her side, knocking her down again and making it harder to stand back up.

She hurried out of the dust cloud, hoping to escape his range, only for the ball and chain to emerge from the ground, shooting out of it right in front of her, as Duke appeared from the cloud to grab it again.

Before Duke could try another move, Wess rushed in with a few slashes, hoping to catch him off guard, as she knocked the chain from his hands with a well-placed strike.

Duke reeled in pain, before unsettling the ground below her feet and tripping Wess up, while hurriedly grabbing his weapon again.

Just as Wess got back up, she managed to spot Duke smiling, visibly enjoying their match, even if he’d yet to get a solid hit on her. It was a far departure from earlier in the fight, or even his last few matches, especially now that both hands were out of his pockets.

The crowd was starting to cheer, just as it looked like Duke was going to set up another move, which Wess was well-prepared for.

He sunk the ball into the ground, directly in the middle of the arena, before grabbing the chain and circling it in a radius, spinning even faster than when he’d done this before.

Wess was expecting this attack at some point, but knew better than to rush into it and assume it would be the same as last time. She gave herself a moment to think through her options, as Duke established the centre of the arena for himself.

Finally, once Wess thought over a plan, she rushed into the middle of the radius, aiming Belvedere for the chain just as it was coming around.

In response, Duke sunk the ball further and closed in on Wess, ready to ram into her again, only to realise Wess wasn’t stabbing into the chain. Instead, she’d jumped out of the way only holding Belvedere, before Duke realised she’d dropped her shield right in front of his path, creating a small makeshift ramp once he reached it, launching him right into the air with an impressive amount of height, before he came crashing down, landing directly into the ground with a painful thud.

It was solid ten seconds before he even tried to get up, which hardly amounted to much, all while the crowd held their breath, waiting to see if this was the end of the match.

Just then, the speakers turned on again.

“It would appear...” Spence prefaced. “...that Duke de Vil is no longer able to fight...which means the winner of this match is Wess Delacroix Nouvel!”

Wess let go of her breath, just as the cheering from the crowd started to bleed in, letting her feel some comfort in her skills.

Right after retrieving Artisan, she walked over to Duke, who’d managed to roll onto his back, before she reached out a hand to help him up.

Duke gave it a second, before deciding to take it, as he tried his best to stand up on his own.

After making sure he was okay, she decided to leave the field and work out some of the stress she’d built up, right before Duke cleared his throat again.

Wess turned to face him, before noticing he was sticking out his hand to her.

“Good match.”

Wess needed a moment to take in what she was seeing, before she walked back to him and shook it firmly. “Likewise.”

“...I appreciated the pep talk.” Duke admitted, taking his hand back. “You know, not that I needed it...”

“Your Whil is one of the most impressive I’ve seen, and your use of it in combination with your weapon is nothing short of genius.” Wess confessed. “I wouldn’t go wasting something like that if I were you.”

Wess made her definitive exit after that, as Duke was left standing on the area, quietly admitting to himself that he had more respect for Wess than he thought he did.

Right as the broadcast cut away, Harley dropped her head back the bed, as she smiled proudly.

“Good one, Wess...” Harley muttered, before rolling back over, trying her best to fall asleep.

———

“Way to go, Wess!” Julia cheered, watching her tablet intently. “That’s my girl!”

“She won?” Sola asked, as Julia held out her tablet. “Thanks.”

“Anything noteworthy, Essex?” Julia asked, just as she closed her yearbook.

“It would appear not. There is only one volume left regarding him as a teacher.” Essex admitted, as Julia took it from her.

“Let’s hope this one’s...” Julia started, before quietly reading over the page with Faller’s bio, taking in the words one at a time.

“Julia?” Essex asked, as Sola lifted her head from the tablet.

“What? Is it something good?” Sola wondered, just as Julia nodded her head, her gaze still fixed to the book.

“He used to train as a Venator here.” Julia explained, showing off the page to Sola.

“At this academy?” Essex asked.

“What do you mean used to? Did he stop?” Sola asked, as Julia nodded back.

“He didn’t complete his degree for some reason.” Julia said, looking through the other year books again. “Maybe he was kicked out?”

“If he was expelled, then he would not be practicing as the principal.” Essex pointed out, leaning over to read the page as well.

Immediately, Sola jumped to attention and started typing on her keyboard, trying to see her sudden thought through.

“What’s up, Sola?” Julia asked, as she turned to screen to them.

“Who else got kicked out of the Venator Academy around that time?” She said, indicating to the screen, as Julia and Essex reeled back in shock.

“That’s...” Julia stammered, before swallowing. “Gamma?”

“Was he not the member of Team Spectrum who was expelled for killing a teammate?” Essex clarified, as Julia moved her monitor closer to Sola’s.

“That would explain why he’s got a grudge against the academy.” Julia reasoned. “And why he’d hate Venators as well. It even lines up for when Spectrum were studying here...”

“He got kicked out of one of the biggest Venator teams ever. Anyone would be mad about that.” Sola pointed out, indicating to the photo of Gamma and holding Faller’s next to it.

“...they look very similar.” Essex pointed out, leaning back in her seat. “However, I am still not completely convinced.”

“I’m with Essex. If we knew Faller and Gamma were related somehow, then we’d be onto something.” Julia noted. “Is there any way to find out?”

“Could we ask Team Spectrum?” Essex suggested, as Julia shook her head.

“They’ve been really reclusive since they retired. Plus, everything with Gamma happened decades ago for them. I doubt they’d recognise him these days.” Julia clarified. “But if this is the case, then that’s wild...”

“We just have to find out if Faller’s actually Gamma in disguise.” Sola said, jumping up from her seat. “Did Gamma have a Whil? Or a funny walk or something?”

“...let’s tell Harley and Wess first.” Julia said. “I want everyone’s opinion before we act.”

“Good idea! I’m gonna go borrow these yearbooks!” Sola said, before running off to do so.

“Is this possible?” Essex asked. “That all of this could be connected?”

“Maybe...” Julia admitted, before turning back around to Essex assuredly. “But I think we can finally do something about it.”