Two for the Price of One

Rain was too delighted to argue about an additional combatant. It was two for the price of one!

"Sounds perfect. I will get the supplies! No one do anything interesting until I get back!" 

She leapt from the couch and ran to retrieve weapons from her mother's dojo.

While she was gone, Blaze squirmed out of his brother's grasp. "This is insane! Are you really going to fight a couple of kids?"

Queen Bee, of course, made no response, but Blaze could almost swear her eyes swirled faster with amusement. Did she enjoy murdering children in front of their families? She really was as heartless as she seemed! 

Blaze turned a pleading eye on his father. The man seemed strangely calm. Did he not realize what was happening?

"Dad, you cannot let this happen. What about the furniture? Mom will have a cow! In fact, MOM!!!" 

"Mom is unavailable to help you at the moment, but I can assure you she would approve this match. There is no need to worry. Look! I brought two dummy spears and a wooden sword." Rain bounced back into the living room with unrestricted glee. 

"A fake sword can still kill a real boy," Blaze pointed out as he had one blunt-tipped spear shoved into his palms. "I don't think mom would approve of our deaths or...you know...blood getting on the carpet."

The teen shrugged. "I mean, I'm sure she would understand..." 

As Rain handed the wooden sword to Queen Bee and looked into her eyes, she coughed lightly. 

"But, uh, you make a valid point. We should have some ground rules." Thinking for a moment, Rain came to a conclusion. "Alright, the terms of battle are as follows: if you lose your weapon, you are out. Oh, and no blood or destroying furniture." 

Queen Bee shook her head. She pointed to the two boys and then touched her arm.

"Very well. If either of you manage to touch Queen Bee before she disarms you, she will conceed victory. Any questions?"

"We just have to touch her? Even our spear counts?" Blaze's mouth opened slightly in shock.

The Queen nodded. That was how it would work.

Emboldened by the rules of the game, Brock lifted his spear. "I'm ready."

Queen Bee titled her chin, approval glistening in the eyes above her unreadable mask.

"Our Father will act as the voice of the Dreamscape, if that is acceptable to you," Rain addressed the champion respectfully.

"At your service, Your Majesty." Fort bowed to the armored warrior. "And if I may…I would like to talk to you about some merchandising options once we are through."

Queen Bee gave the man a sharp look, but he simply smiled pleasantly and motioned to the makeshift arena.

It was time to begin.

————

Noble and Rain had agreed that the teen would be able to make the big reveal to her brothers. It was so nice to see Rain back to her livlier self, how could Noble say no?

What she hadn't anticipated was that the video game simulator would cause her children to bicker.

And with her Ascended hearing, Noble could hear every blessed word. Noble chuckled to herself.

'Some things never change.'

By the time she was finally called to make an appearance, things had already gone sideways. Noble had the choice to ruin the fun or use this as a teachable moment.

As a professor, the choice was easy.

As a mother, it was less so.

When Blaze called out to her, she nearly broke character. Her baby needed her!

It was very hard not to speak. And since Rain and Fort were in on the secret, they took full advantage of her mute state.

When Fort said he wanted to talk about Queen Bee merchandise, it took everything in her not to react.

'Over my dead body!'

Instead, she walked haughtily by him to enter the arena.

'It's not an arena. It's my living room!'

The boys had wrestled here before, but never with spears. Blunt-tipped or not, they could do some damage!

'Just makes it more of a challenge for me.' A small smile formed on her face.

Disarming the boys would be easy enough. She could do it in a single move, two if she wanted them to each have their own special memory of being defeated by Queen Bee.

But keeping them and their gear from bumping into the furniture or scraping the floor while they did everything possible to try and get in a single touch? That would at least be a little more of a challenge.

Noble felt the wooden heft of the sword. With her Ascended strength, she would be able to splinter it with her bare hands. It was an extra reason to be careful.

'Two group duels today,' she mused idly. 'Yet they couldn't be further apart.'

Noble took a fighting stance and the two boys' eyes opened even wider. But they did not back down. 

They lifted their spears and took on the challenge. Noble was especially proud of Blaze, who had been dragged into this by his elder brother. Once he realized that the clash was inevitable, he clenched his jaw and prepared for battle.

'His feet need work, but the grip is there,' Noble noted.

Brock was more cavalier in his position, giving up some of his safety in order to shield his brother from the opening move.

The boys certainly took after each of their parents.

Brock had a thirst for excitement, a penchant for leadership, and a protective nature just like his father.

And studious Blaze was careful with his speech and deep in his thoughts. He also often seemed to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, but somehow still make the best of it.

'Sorry kiddo!'

And Rain? Rain mirrored a good mix of both her adopted parents, showing both determination and a curiosity for the unknown. But like the boys, she also had characteristics all her own, like the pettiness that had made her prank her brothers like this when they didn't want to listen.

'Hm, I wonder where she gets that from?'

The girl in question stepped between the boys and the armored warrior.

"Wait, this isn't quite fair," she pursed her lips.

"Finally, you are coming to your senses!" Blaze's tense expression relaxed for a moment.

'What is she up to now?'

Noble knew there was no way her eldest child would let her siblings off the hook.

Her suspicions were proven correct a moment later.

"We need to protect your heads," Rain pointed and her father gathered two bicycle helmets from near the door. "Perfect. Here you go!"

"I'm pretty sure this is child abuse," Blaze buckled the helmet as he rolled his eyes.

But Brock had warmed to the idea considerably. If he was going to go out, he would do it in a figurative blaze of glory.

Or a real one if they knocked something over and started a fire.

"Do your worst!" He said, his expression openly defiant.

"For the record, Brock only speaks for himself," Blaze held up his spear in objection.

Rain clapped her hands, "Enough chitchat. Let's see some carnage!"

'Rain!' Noble wagged her finger and glared at her daughter.

The teen coughed. "I mean let's see some totally family-friendly action. Dad?"

"Challengers Queen Bee, Brock, and Blaze have entered the Living Room." Fort mimicked the voice of Saint Thane while holding an invisible microphone. "Challengers Blaze and Brock have challenged Queen Bee. Prepare for battle."

Fort paused so he and Rain could step behind the couch.

"Aaand…Begin!"