Interlude: Korra
The storm her perfect little bone bastard gave her sang in her blood.
Every time she clenched her fists, lightning licked down her arms, sparking across her knuckles like impatient dogs straining at a leash. The air was thick with ozone and the roar of thunder above. Her thunder. For the first time since Sōkotsu had dropped his little bombshell, Korra felt like she could breathe. She had just got done kicking the shit out of the flashy little twink who seemed a little too girly for her tastes when the scary lady Sōkotsu summoned dragged Sensei away for the grudge match everyone could see coming.
Speaking of grudge matches, her teammate had disappeared around that time too, and Sombra usually didn't do things for no reason. She dodged just in time, as crimson red flames bathed the area she was just standing a moment before.
"Behind you~"
Korra spun, her fist lashing out, only for her knuckles to slam through smoke. A mocking giggle echoed all around her, too close and too soft. Sparks crackled across her skin, but the shadow she way trying to punch into next week was already gone.
"Quit hiding, Sombra!" Korra snarled, slamming her foot into the ground. Lightning crawled outward in jagged arcs, chasing phantom silhouettes that vanished before she could pin them down. It still felt weird to have an element respond so instinctively to her emotions. Before she had to mold Chakra every single time she wanted to see even a spark across her palms. "Fight me!"
"Mm, I am fighting you," Sombra's voice purred, coming from her left this time, just out of reach as a bolt of lightning slammed into the spot a moment too late. "You just don't know how to fight someone you can't punch."
The sound of her damn voice, so smug and so calm, made Korra's teeth grind. The storm inside begged to be unleashed, but what good was raw power if it couldn't find its target? She was just wasting her energy. It was like Sombra was everywhere and nowhere, her annoying teammate darting in and out of the fight like a snake.
Korra hated snakes.
A flicker of movement, there! She lunged, fist sparking, but struck only a nightmare flame that exploded in her face. Her skin prickled, her vision swam, and her temper boiled over.
"Cheap trick! Come back here you bitch!" she spat, lightning coiling tighter around her body. "You think this makes you strong? I could still fucking kick your ass the second I get my hands on you!"
A figure stepped from the shadows just long enough to smirk at her, Sombra, her eyes glowing crimson and her skin pitch black from her embracing her new nightmare powers. "No. This makes me smarter. Which is exactly why you won't be catching me~"
Korra roared and charged, her storm-wrapped fists swinging in a relentless barrage. Each strike lit up the clearing like firecrackers, thunder booming with every blow. But every time she got close, Sombra melted away, sometimes into shadow, a few times into smoke as she was replaced via substitution with a minion, and the last time right behind her as the bitch giggled and waited for her to notice.
The frustration burned hot in her chest, hotter than the storm burning in her veins. She could see the smug little grin, the way Sombra toyed with her like a cat with a mouse. But she wasn't a fucking mouse. She was lightning incarnated, damn it! She was a storm! And Sombra should know not to underestimate a storm coming from the Hidden Cloud Village.
The next time Sombra whispered at her back, Korra didn't turn or try to swing at her. She inhaled, steady and sharp, and slammed both of her fists into the ground while her skin glowed blue and she assumed her full 'elemental' form.
The storm above answered.
A pillar of lightning roared down from the clouds, striking the ground in a blinding flash. The shockwave tore across the clearing, scattering the wannabe Ghost Queen's shadows like leaves in a gale. For the first time, Sombra stumbled backwards caught off-guard, her hair slightly singed as she barely managed to dodge the full power of the strike.
"Ha!" Korra bared her teeth in a wild grin, the power of her storm still dancing along her arms, enhanced further now that she had fully shifted into her new form. "Caught you."
Sombra only smirked again, though it was thinner now, sharper. "Maybe. But how many times can you do that before you burn yourself out? Especially now that you won't be catching me by surprise?"
The question stung, because Korra didn't know the answer. She was strong now, stronger than she'd ever been, but Sensei always said that power without control was just wasted. And against someone like Sombra, who thrived on patience and precision, wasted power meant defeat. This fucking sucks, no wonder Soifon got promoted before them. She was a way better fighter. She was smart like Sombra but she wasn't a smug bitch who would lose a fight because she wanted to gloat. She also knew how to throw a punch.
Fuck, now she missed Soifon. Wonder if she'll show up for the final round, maybe they could 'introduce' her to her replacement. Get a nice team reunion going around Sōkotsu's dick.
"Fuck, in the tits?! I'm gonna shock you until your eyes roll back you sadistic bitch!" Korra roared as Sombra took advantage of her distracted thoughts and shoved a fire coated against her chest before poofing away in another teleport, that weird nightmare fire seemingly able to hit her just as hard even when she was in 'Lightning Mode', which wasn't true for most attacks which dealt half of their damage at best.
She roared out and sent out a shockwave around herself, managing to catch the other girl off guard. She seized the opportunity, lunging after her and managing to land some blows before she recollected herself and teleported away again. Fucking Teleportation. What a load of bullshit. No wonder the damn 4th Hokage got so many kill-orders, and then subsequently got so many 'run the fuck away' orders once the kill-squads' bodies got brought back by the Hunter-Nin.
The storm hummed inside her, demanding she release it further. She wanted to. She wanted to so badly. But she had to conserve her strength. Sombra's whole plan was the same as it usually was when they sparred, just with a new twist thanks to their new abilities. The strategy was unchanged, mostly because it usually worked. She'd piss Korra off, bait her into wasting energy, and then go for a kill-shot. She hadn't accounted for one thing though.
Korra was tired of fucking losing.
She was gonna take the win even if she needed to pull some under-handed bullshit like the other girl normally pulled. Maybe she'd even pretend to be exhausted and see if she took the bait.
For now, though, it was enough that she'd forced Sombra to show herself and managed to land some hits. She was still a squishy back-liner at heart, and she couldn't take a punch. A couple more hits and she'd be done.
The next clash would be hers, the other girl just didn't know it yet.
---
Interlude: Sombra
Korra was so cute when she was 'plotting'. The other girl normally had one thought in her head, and that was how hard she'd need to punch something. Sombra was almost a little proud when she saw the amateurish acting as the dimming of her lightning blue aura started. It was adorable she thought she'd be able to trick her with such a see-through scheme.
Sure, the other girl caught her off guard with her powers here and there, but who wouldn't be surprised? These powers were complete unknowns to all of them, after all. It's not like she could predict them like she normally did with Korra's heavy-handed fighting style. Nope, she just had to be adaptable and roll with the punches.
Punches that really hurt. It seems like her new look didn't help her take hits any better. Disappointing, but not all that unexpected. She wasn't exactly expecting the powers of a Ghost and some kind of Circus Actor (The memories that came with THAT card were fuzzy all over, weirdly) to be bulky tanks, but a little bit more survivability would have been appreciated. Especially since now that she had abilities that were more helpful in direct confrontations, she was gonna feel obligated to use them, which meant getting hit back whenever she wasn't able to wipe out the enemy in a single attack. No more sitting on the sidelines and reprogramming enemy kunoichis into desperate little sluts for Sōkotsu… erm, or Kumo. Yep, definitely still totally loyal to the Village.
Hopefully those geezers don't have a suicide seal on her, otherwise she might have to commit to the whole 'village first' thing way more than she wants to. Until Sōkotsu kills them for trying to 'take' her, like the greedy boy he is.
Fuck, she can't get turned on right now. Focus!
With a grunt of effort, she'd teleport back into action against Korra, invisible at first to hide her approach before sending blasts of crimson nightmare flames shaped as bats to hunt the girl. They were her first attempt at trying to mix her minion powers with her fire powers. The results were… explosive.
"Fuck, I thought we weren't maiming you little bitch!" Korra's scream was deserved, as the boom her little experiment gave off would've probably been enough to end the average Chunin's career. Thankfully, both of them were a bit better than the average Chunin even before Sōkotsu decided to meddle. How Korra still hadn't realized that she wasn't sure.
"Oh please, what's a little dismemberment between friends?~" She tried to bluff… but folded after a moment when the other girl's glare promised that she'd be getting her revenge with a little 'maiming' of her own. Time to ease down tensions before the next punch she takes is aimed with more than the intent to 'rough her up a little'. "... Fine, I didn't mean for them to explode. Happy?"
The chuckle she received in reply was more than enough for Sombra to hope that bygones would be bygones.
At least until her focus on the match was ripped away by the sound of a sonic boom and the ringing clash of metal from across the training ground. She wanted to win… but she wanted to see Sensei taking a fight seriously way more. Thankfully, she knew the meathead felt the same way. All she had to do was teleport in front of her with a quirked eyebrow, and Korra was already offering her hand. "Truce, at least until they're done."
The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the battle of legends unfold.
Yoruichi blurred across the battlefield in a flash of lightning, Sensei's new sword singing as it carved through the air. Scáthach met her head-on, spear flashing in arcs of scarlet light, and her feet a blur as she somehow managed to keep pace with the fastest swordsman in Kumo. The impact cracked the earth and sent shockwaves rattling through Sombra's bones.
"Damn," Korra muttered under her breath. Her fists clenched, not in anger this time, but awe. "They're… fast." The meathead was as eloquent as always.
She just smirked in response, folding her arms as her eyes tracked every twitch and every feint in the fight. She doesn't know why, but for some reason Grimm felt like they knew how to keep pace with incredibly fast opponents. As if they had battled foes on par with Scathach and Yoruichi before. Those instincts helped her read the current state of the fight. "Fast, yes. But speed's nothing without precision. Look closer."
She did, and her jaw tightened. Scáthach's spear wasn't just intercepting Yoruichi's strikes, it was like it was waiting for them. Like she knew exactly where the next flash of lightning would appear before it even did.
"Shit," Korra whispered, the realization dawning on her as well now that she'd been given a helpful little nudge. "She's reading her."
"Mhm." She couldn't help the sly curl of her lips. "The spear-queen's got her down like a book. Not that Sensei will give up easy."
The two clashed again, spear and sword ringing like temple bells. Sparks flew as a cursed spear met one of Sōkotsu's bullshit weapons. Lightning scorched the trees with every swing from Sensei. It wasn't just like a fight. It was a symphony of violence, and both of them knew the tune by heart. For some reason it reminded her of… a waltz?
What the fuck is a waltz?!
For once, Sombra didn't feel the urge to snark. Instead, she felt a massive headache coming on as she tried to ignore some of the fuzzy memories surfacing in her mind. She forced down the feeling, and for once, just… watched. Because this was what real power looked like.
And damn if it didn't make her want it for herself.
Beside her, Korra's storm started buzzing again, low and restless. Not angry this time, it was like the power inside the other girl was hungry.
Better than it feeling happy like hers, or familiar, or whatever these emotions were!
"Next time," Korra muttered, sparks crawling across her skin. "Next time we'll be able to put on a show like that."
Sombra just smirked, leaning back into the shadows with her eyes still fixed on the duel. "Careful, M̸̠̈́y̷͛ͅ ̶͍͒f̵̗̄r̴̛͍i̶̻̒è̵̘n̴̩̽d̷̗́. You keep saying things like that, and I might almost start believing in you~"
Korra just shot the snarky girl a glare, but didn't rise to the bait. Her eyes were locked on the fight, just like hers.
And together, they watched two real fighters tear each other apart.
-x-X-x-
Interlude: Astolfo
(Warning, some gay implications below. Avert thine eyes if boys in skirts are not your cup of tea)
Astolfo knew how to lose.
Oh, he didn't like it, no knight of Charlemagne ever liked to lose, not even one like him. But, there was a kind of nobility in throwing yourself into battle against impossible odds and still standing at the end, bruised and smiling. It proved your strength, to lose and keep fighting despite it.
Besides, he was somewhat of an expert in losing spars and taking it with dignity. It was a requirement if you wanted to be Roland's favorite training partner.
And him losing is exactly what had just happened.
The Lightning Lady's storm had bowled him over like a hurricane, The Spooky One had flickered into existence behind him with a mocking "¡Boo!" before knocking his sword aside, and the one Master fucked while he was gone had… well, she'd simply appeared in front of him faster than he could blink, her glowing sword that looked so cool humming an inch from his throat.
He'd thrown his hands up in surrender with a laugh, dramatic as always. Because if you're going to lose, you may as well do it with style. Then they proceeded to beat him up anyway, or tried. He wasn't gonna surrender meekly if it didn't even get him out of the beating.
Now, as the others returned their attention to the duel brewing between cum-smelling lady and Scathach, Astolfo dusted himself off and found himself with company.
Jack.
The tiny white-haired girl was watching him with those piercing bottle green eyes of hers, her small body perched on a broken tree stump like a cat waiting to pounce. She tilted her head when he approached. She was definitely deciding if she wanted to stab him. Thankfully, she seemed to end up deciding against it. Good, he didn't mind losing, but moving hurt right now, never mind fighting.
"You lose easy," she said plainly, her voice lilting like a child's, though the words carried a sting. He couldn't tell if she was mocking him. Odd, most people were pretty upfront about that. It's not like he made it hard for them.
Astolfo laughed, brushing dirt off his cape. "Lose easy? No, no, no, little one. I lose gracefully. There's a difference!" He struck a pose, one hand on his plush hip, and his princely smile wide. He was cute with a capital C, just like Mastah liked. "Besides, do you know how boring it would be if I always won? I had a couple of friends like that, and trust me, they were total buzz-kills. Roland was a little more fun once he got some liquor in him though~"
Jack blinked at him, then giggled softly, a sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Then, she'd seemingly shift moods, glaring at him. "You're a bad liar. People don't get happy when they drink, they get angry."
He leaned down, resting his hands on his knees to meet her gaze. "... I think you may have misunderstood. He was quite angry the next morning, that was the best part!" He said with a smile on his face. Just the memories of the scoldings the barely dressed Roland tried to give him, it was too precious. He had to stop himself from breaking down into a fit of giggles.
She blinked again, then tilted her head in the eerie yet adorable way that made him worry about getting stabbed but also made him want to pat her head. Sadly, she probably would stab him if he tried. Then again… "Why?" She'd ask, even as she glared at the offending hand reaching out to pat her head and reached for a knife.
"Because it made him more honest," he said, winking. He was good with kids! 'Corrupting the youth' his butt, sometimes he thinks Roland just made things up as a reason to be mean! Besides, he didn't even get stabbed!
Jack giggled again, quieter this time, and that was enough. Well, that and the fact she stopped reaching for her knife, even if she expertly dodged the incoming headpat. She understood, after all. Most people were liars, this the two servants understood, even if they had radically different rationales for it. Still, he was glad the little one understood. She was a little… off-putting, but still cute! A perfect little adventuring partner, or maybe a partner in crime? He wasn't ssure he wwanted to join in on her crimes though. What a cono-cunu-conumu… what a troublesome mental problem!
Astolfo straightened and made his way toward Sōkotsu, who stood at the edge of the clearing, arms folded, and watching the duel between Scáthach and Yoruichi with a grin tugging at his lips.
Astolfo dropped into an easy stance beside him, folding his arms in mock imitation and sagging in relief once the white haired boy started to heal him. As a Servant, the wounds would heal on their own with enough time and Magical Energy, but they still hurt! "Your Lancer and your Sensei are really tearing it up, huh Mastah?" he said cheerfully, eyes shining as he tracked the blur of cursed spears clashing against lightning.
He glanced at Sōkotsu, grin widening. "And I have to say, Master… you've gathered quite the team. Chaotic, a little murderous, maybe a bit unhinged…" He'd say before gesturing to himself for some reason.
I'mnotcrazyI'mnotcrazyI'mnotcrazyI'mnotcrazy
He laughed, sweeping an arm toward the battlefield before 'tripping' and rubbing himself against Sōkotsu like a needy cat.
The ground shook as Yoruichi blurred past, her blade ringing against Scáthach's spear in a crack of thunder and scarlet light. Astolfo's heart leapt at the sight.
He lived for battles like this. Even if he lost, even if he stumbled, even if he had to pick himself up again and again, it was worth it, just to see who came out on top at the end. But, as much as he loved a good battle, he loved watching one more.
Not the blood or the pain, he'd seen too much of that in his lifetimes. What he loved was the dance between two skilled warriors. The rhythm, the grace, the clash of wills given form. Or at least that's how Roland and Charlie liked to describe it. He always just thought it was cool to watch strong people go at it. In more ways than one.
Scáthach's spear was relentless, just like the woman herself. It wasn't wild or frantic, but precise. It was like every thrust was a note in a song. She didn't waste movement. She didn't need to. Even her pauses carried weight, a silent dare for her opponent to step wrong.
Yoruichi was the opposite. She blurred and flashed like a lightning bolt given flesh, her legendary sword cutting arcs of gold through the storm-scarred clearing. She fought like him, full of energy and bold strikes to poke at the enemy. He doesn't understand why she hates him so much, they should be besties!
Still, it was spear against lightning, scary spear lady against grumpy slutty lady, and Astolfo's heart thudded in rhythm with every clash. Especially once it was clear that the spear was winning the clash.
She's reading her, he thought. Watching Scáthach intercept another of Yoruichi's blinding charges was all the proof he needed. Every step, every feint, the queen of the dead had seen it all before. It was almost a little sad, the grumpy lady clearly wanted to get the win. Maybe they bet on who would get the first round with Mastah? Jokes on them, he's definitely gonna get it!
Still, it's clear that just because she was outmatched the grouch wasn't gonna give up. Her grin widened, her body flickering so fast even he struggled to track it. She just won't quit. She pushes herself to her limits, going faster, her moves sharper, and chasing the moment where her instincts might beat the Lancer's ruthless experience.
He almost wanted to cheer, like a boy at a joust. He bit his lip instead, grinning like a fool. No wonder she hated him, he was just her but cuter!
The fight was pretty good too. Honestly, she might even be a better fighter than him. Not stronger, but probably more skilled. She'd have made a great Paladin.
He remembered being in battles like this, a long time ago. The rush of meeting someone who could match him blow for blow, the joy of losing and learning at the same time. It didn't sting. It never stung. To lose like that to someone like her was a gift. To lose to someone like Scathach was even better. Hopefully the grumpy lady doesn't take it too badly when the inevitable happens.
When Scáthach finally pinned Yoruichi with that brutal spear thrust, stopping just shy of breaking her ribs, Astolfo's grin only widened. Not out of mockery, but out of awe. He hadn't seen a clash like that since Roland and Charlie had to get a little serious back in Germania.
He leaned back on his heels, watching Yoruichi laugh off the loss with that reckless grin of hers, and Scáthach respond with her cool, unshaken poise. It reminded him way too much of the end of a match between him and a certain blonde grumpy nudist.
Astolfo clapped once, softly, unable to help himself.
"Heh, you better run, Mastah, I think you're the student she plans to discipline~" He'd comment with a grin after a moment to let the dust from the battle settle, his smile only growing as his Master's excitement from the fight was replaced with an eager sort of dread, like a lamb who was ready to greet the butcher with a song in its heart.
Yep, this was definitely the place for him.
It's not often he gets to meet someone crazier cooler than him, after all!