Chapter 10- The Gifted vs The Experienced

"What took you so long?" Hako asked as Tokume got back with an armful of snacks.

"Made another friend!" Tokume set the snacks on the ground and gave Hako another bottle of lemonade and Shoyo another bag of popcorn.

"Uh thanks you didn't have to." Shoyo said as he was handed the bag.

"Don't worry about it I wanted to do it!"

"HEY, don't go wasting all out money! We still need to save up for our groceries next week!" Hako yelled at her as she took another sip from her drink.

"Seems like you're really enjoying it though." Tokume teased.

"Talk again and I swear your not having dinner."

After a few seconds of begging Shoyo looked at Hako and asked, "Is she usually like that when you say she won't eat."

"Yeah, you get used to it."

As soon as she sat down her name was yelled by Eric screeching into his microphone. Taking in a beep breath she took a quick drink of water she went to go down the arena. Escaping the darkness of the tunnel she once again felt the never changing scorching sun. Walking closer the two met in the middle, Black short hair and shining amethyst eyes.

A pitch-black hoodie top with blood red laces all around both sleeves, along with another black shirt underneath it. Shorts like Tokume's but instead of wearing bandages you where able to see her bare legs. Black boots with red and black stipes socks that went a little pass her boots, as soon as the two saw how they dressed they grabbed each other hands and started at each other.

The two simultaneously said, "Those are some nice clothes!!"

The two smiled brightly as they clenched their hands tighter, "Well seems like our contests became friends everyone! Anyway, on our left we have TOOOKUMEEE who made it through the first stage! And to our right iiiiissss MIIIA!!

"Just because I like your clothes doesn't mean I will hold back on you!" Tokume stated as the two let go of each other hands.

"Funny I was just about to say the same thing." Mia replied smiling.

"IN 3! 2! 1! BEGAIN!"

Tokume immediately acted and send a kick covered in water straight at Mia's head, her foot went straight through her as a faint image of Mia vanished with the wind. Putting her foot down she looked all around her, seeing Mia appear out of thin air she quickly kicked in the air sending five crescent shapes of water. Swiftly and effortlessly she doge three of the projectiles then as the next two almost reached her she once again disappeared out of thin air.

In moment Tokume saw in the corner of her eye a foot coming her away, putting her arm up waiting for the impact Mia disappeared once more, not having enough time to react she was flung back as Mia kicked her from the back. Covering her hand in water she flipped herself around stopping herself as she used her foot dragged across the floor.

Coming up with an idea to make sure her thoughts were correct she quickly put up a dome of water. She stared at Mia waiting to see if her suspicions were correct, in a second she disappeared again, as soon as she lost sight of her, she opened a small gate way and rolled through it. Looking at the dome Mia was trapped inside but there was in her expression showed nothing of worries.

"So, I guess we have the same ability." Tokume said as she kept an eye on Mia.

"Yup! Not gonna lie when I saw you teleport; I was surprised I only know another person who has a teleporting ability in this city." Even being in the situation that was in she was unphased.

"Sounds interesting I would like to meet that person." Tokume closed her fist and the dome of water instantly closed on her.

"Yeah, that would be cool, but I haven't seen them in years," Mia's voice came from behind her, "but she thought me everything I knew about my ability. And that's how I know I will win because yours is still very sloppy in a way."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I'm not really a teacher and especially not when in the middle of a fight so who knows maybe I'll help you out when we both have time."

Instead of taking it as an insult she used it as an opportunity, "Sounds fun! I'll take you up on that offer!"

Filled with excitement she put her first in the air and thought to herself, "Yes! I can finally keep my promise to her!!"

"You good?"

"Hmm? Yeah! Let's keep going."

Not wasting another second Tokume's eye started to trace again, leaving the spot where she was, she appeared behind Mia. But as soon as she appeared Mia had already had her foot in the air kicking Tokume back. Landing on the ground she ignored the pain and teleported again, fist ready Tokume threw it at her head only to meet the palm of Mias hand making her fist side across it.

Before Mia could do anything Tokume disappeared again, having her foot in the air she aimed directly at the top of Mia only to once again be blocked by her arm. This repeated several times and not even in one of them was Tokume able to land a clean hit. Jumping back as soon as her feet touched the ground Mia was already behind her, taking a quick noticed she teleported to the other side of the arena.

Appearing again she felt Mia's head resting on hers, heart pounding, thoughts rushing she started to appear and disappear every where and every inch around the battle ground to only meet Mia every single time behind to the side of even in front of her.

"Hey Alicia, what going on down there?" Shuka put her head back from the chair.

"What do you mean?" Alicia started to wipe her fogged glasses again.

"You know like how Tokume keeps teleporting and every time she does the other girl always appears right next to her."

"Oh that…well its only something teleporters can do."

"And that is?"

"Apparently teleporters can surround themselves with Halo Force and are able to know where their next target is, but it only works on other teleporters," Putting her glasses on she was able to see Shuka's upside down face, "from past experiments teleporters are able to see a trace of Halo Force left behind but when someone who doesn't have the same ability as theirs the trace doesn't appear for them."

"So why can't Tokume see the trace?"

"Its most likely because she hasn't had as much training for it as much as her other ability. Look as soon as she teleports and uses her water her Halo Force suddenly spirals out of control."

Looking at the ground again she was right, as soon a s Tokume used her water after she teleported her Halo Force became sloppy and unrefined. But when she only used her abilities one at a time it quickly fixed itself and was polished, "Hey can I train her?"

"You know you can't play favorites."

"I'm not I actually have a list of people I want to train that can use a lot of work and hey maybe you can drop by and watch."

Thinking about it for a moment she replied, "Fine do what you want to do but I doubt I'll watch."

"Come on you already have enough work on you I can see your dark bags you're not taking it easy."

Alicia only gave a sight as she scratched her roughed up hair. Teleporting one last time to the other side she noticed that Mia didn't follow that time but stood where they were before. Using the time, she had she started to think to herself on how Mia was predicting her every move. No, its not predicting there was no way it could be.

There was no way for Mia to be that precise of knowing where she was, there had to be something to it! She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing her sense she started to feel something around her. It felt alive and almost warm, opening her eyes they shined brighter than the sun even her dark eye.

She could see it. Although it was faint, she could see it. A bright light in the form of dust mixed with a little bit of black inside it, it was kind of like a pair of strings is what she thought to herself by how it attached to her and Mia.

Wait a string attached? The floating dust seemed to get closer to her, she didn't know what it was, but her instincts told her to put her arms up. Her body acted and put her hands up, then suddenly Mia was right in front of her as her foot meet Tokume's arms. Mia teleported back putting a little bit of distance between each other but enough to hear one another.

"Seems like you figured out how to track." Mia said to her.

"What do you mean by that?" Tokume asked.

"You can see it right the dust like trail? That's is what is called Tracker Dust or that's what I've been thought," Mia explained to her, "I will admit you are talented and gifted but don't let it get to you just because you have talent it doesn't mean anything against a person who is experienced."

"Oh yeah? Let's find out then!"

Now being able to see the dust it curved around her leading to her back side, right after the second it disappeared, she threw her elbow right behind her only for it to meet the air. The dust appeared again then quickly vanished, looking around her the small amount of dust surrounded the entire arena, as she followed the line Mia kept appearing and vanishing. Her eyes couldn't keep up her body didn't know what to do, then suddenly the dust surrounded all around her, it was like a fly getting trapped in a spider's web.

She thought to herself if she should cover herself in water, no…she would just teleport in. A small feeling of dread came over her as she couldn't think of anything to get out of this situation, time felt like it slowed down for her as soon as the lines disappeared. Multiple strikes from all around her stuck her body in a single instant, Mia emerged from behind her looking at Tokume body fall down to the ground.

Still conscious but feeling the hard ground she tried to rase her body up with her aching limbs. Tokume's limbs failed her as she hit the floor again, turning her body around she looked at blue sky, a shadow covered her face as she saw Mia's tiny smile.

"Give up?" Mia asked her.

In her own thoughts she knew she couldn't win against her, if she used her water, she would just doge all of it and if she used her other ability, she would just appear with her. Giving a sigh she replied, "Well I don't hear no bell."

Taking her chance, she teleported right above Mia with a palm full of water, not wasting another second she blasted it point black at Mia, her final attempt but it was left in vain.

Thousands of lines of dust appeared around her again, it was over in a second as Tokume lost consciousness from the continuous attacks. As she fell Mia caught her caught before she smacked the ground, as soon as the people in blue jackets entered, she put her on the stretcher taking her away.

"You have a lot to learn I'll be waiting." Then Mia vanished from the arena.

Tokume lost her battle.