Team Nightwatch

"Training" for the Vytal Tournament

     Some people train to use their weapons better, and even their semblances.  I, on the other hand, feel like I can't really learn much more with my weapons.  There are only so many maneuvers and fighting styles you can learn, after all.  That just leaves me to learn things that I can do just to spice up my fighting...good thing no one's swimming today.  

     I walked up to the lake's edge, knelt down, and touched the surface of the water.  Ice started spreading outwards from the place that I'd touched and froze the entire lake.  I've always wanted to try this in a fight but I never really learned how to stand on ice without skates.   Another good thing about no one being here is that there's no one to watch me as I fall over and over again.  Slipping a little, I stepped onto the ice and tried to stand.  A few minutes of being unsteady, I started to carefully slide along the ice.  Graceful?  No, but I was working on it.

     "Nice job."  I slipped like a cartoon character and landed flat on my back in surprise.  Leah was standing under a tree near the pond, looking at me with a smile.  Embarrassed, I stood up and slowly stood back up.

     "Thank you for distracting me,"  I said, pretending to sound irritated.  "I was doing so well...."  

     "Still really wobbly though," she replied.  I knew what she was trying to do, but I don't know if I want to play her game.  My friends have been doing this for years, playing on my pride and trying to wind me up to get a reaction.  It's not going to work on me today though....

     "Well let's see how you do without skates," I challenged.  "If you can do it, then prove it, hm?"  We had a silent stand off for a minute before she stepped, shakily onto the ice.  I cocked an eyebrow as she struggled over to me.  

     "Shut up," she told me.

     "I didn't say anything," I smirked, holding out my hand.  "All we really need is just some temporary support...."  Her look told me that she knew that I could just cheat and use my semblance to keep myself up, but that I just wanted to put my arms around her.  "If you're not training with the others, then you can help me, right?"  

     "No funny business," she threatened before taking my hand.  I nodded and just kind of started gliding with her.  I got the hang of it faster than she did and started to skate backward in front of her.  "Show off...." 

     "What was your first clue?"  I asked.  "The fact that I froze a lake or that I'm skating backward."  She slapped my arm and an evil grin spread across my face.  "Okay then...I didn't want to do this...."  I let go of her hands and skated just out of arms reach.  Leah's probably up where she could skate on her own, so it was a pretty late threat.  Note to self...learn how to do things quicker.  

     "Figure that I'd find you two together."  I almost slipped again at the new voice and looked up to see Serenity.  On impulse, I extended one of my hidden blades and glared at her.  You can't blame me, considering that our first meeting she had a knife up to my face.  "How've you been, Handsome?"

     "Why are you here?"  I replied.  "And where's the rest of the team?"  She kept smiling that unnerving smile as she walked to the edge of the lake.

     "I don't really like hanging out with those idiots," she said.  "Really actually would've like to be on your team.  Reese is just the unfortunate person who I had to find first...."  I was still uneasy around her and kept the hidden blade raised.  

      "Something tells me that you don't just want to talk, and share secrets," I said.  "Why're you really here?  Trying to sabotage us for the festival?  Scared that we'll win if we fight you?"  

      "I know that you'll beat us," she said.  "I'm the only one who actually understands tactics, and who doesn't just charge in and get my aura completely wrecked...."  She started to twirl one of her knives in her fingers.  "But I can't say that I don't want a rematch after last time."  I nudged Leah off of the lake, but kept my eyes focused on Serenity.

     "If want it now, you've got to come out here," I told her, spreading my arms.  My brain finally caught up with what happened last time I fought her....  Those aren't just knives...they're guns.  

     The first bullets hit around my feet, but I had a very sneaking suspicion that he next shots wouldn't be warnings.

     "I think that I'll stay right here, thanks," Serenity said, still smiling.  Okay...time to see if I can learn on the fly.  I started to speed skate around the lake, dodging her bullets as they pinging into the ice.  Problem was that I, for reasons that I'm really not sure of, had no weapons on me at all.  When you've got about nine total weapons and usually have three of them on you at all waking hours almost, it's just really awkward not to have anything.  Hold up...I don't need physical weapons...I'm a force of the universe.  

     I sped to the end of the lake and put my finger tips to the ice, hoping that it looked like I was just turning myself around.  I kept my fingers low and watched as Serenity aimed directly at me.  "Come to see that you're losing?"  

      "Nope," I replied, "'cause I'm not losing, here!"  I threw my hand up, manipulating the ice to grow into spikes and grow towards her.  One hit her squarely in the chest and  knocked her on her back.  That heavens that that actually worked...never done that before, but at least I now know that I can do it.  "Sorry, Serenity.  Maybe next time.  Just ask me, and I'll see if I have time for a rematch...."  

     She spit her hair out of her mouth, picked up her knives, and stormed off back towards Beacon.

     "You fluked that, didn't you?"  Leah asked, watching me defrost the lake.  

     "Yeah," I admitted.  "But, hey, at least I know something new that I can do, and I've got my idea for the Tournament works."  I don't know if she can really share in my enjoyment, but a smile did break across her face.

     "You're such a nerd," she said.  "But that's probably one of the best things about you."  I might just be overthinking this, but it sounded like there was something else she was trying to say, but either wanted to keep me waiting, or just afraid to say it....