A Queen is Born

After a little more banter, Fort resigned himself to not getting his coveted Queen Bee wall poster and went to sleep. 

Noble climbed out of bed and walked around to the nightstand. She retrieved the remote and deactivated the room's safety protocol. After removing her communicator from the drawer, she silently slipped out of the room.

The house was quiet. Either the twins had finally surrendered to the call of sleep or they had at least settled for trying to lull Noble into a false sense of security. 

The professor decided that she didn't care. Fake or real rest, they were silent and still. That was enough for her. 

After a cursory glance at the house to see if anything needed tidying, she headed to her dojo for her nightly routine.

That is to say, her nightly routine when she didn't have to travel to the Dream Realm. Awakened did not need the same amount of sleep as mundane humans, so Noble often had extra time on her hands when her family was not awake.

While she could go out, there were only so many things a woman could reasonably do in the middle of the night. Since Noble had expressed a desire to hone her fighting skills and get back into shape after having the twins, Fort had invested in a Dreamscape pod. 

That was how the professor's hobby as a duelist had begun nine years before. 

Noble had started off merely watching the fights. She tried to glean as much information as she could from those who succeeded—and failed. She picked apart different styles and methods, analyzing each for their strengths and weaknesses.

Her dojo became her training area. Noble's rough methods became more fluid as the repetition made things feel more natural. The enthusiastic Awakened also sought out the help of the Battle Master at the Academy. 

The instructor before Rock had been most helpful in taking some of her more rudimentary techniques and honing them to be more effective. The teacher had said Noble had a natural talent for learning and absorbing what was taught, but the brunette professor had just assumed it was his usual flattery he gave to help motivate her. 

And motivate her, it did. After months of training and watching, Noble finally felt ready to venture into the Dreamscape as a competitor. 

'I can do this,' Noble told herself. After giving her carefully chosen alias, the professor selected what she believed to be the location with the lowest skill level. 

"Challenger Queen Bee has entered the Arena."

The world appeared before her. Noble's face paled. Dozens and dozens of battles were going on at the same time around her, each brutal in their own right. Noble quickly began to second-guess her life choices.

It was one thing to look above from the stands. It was quite another to be down in the action. The noise, the clangor of weapons on armor--It was too much. 

Her fear must have been palpable, for those around her turned and looked at her like she was fresh meat.

Under the intense pressure of their gaze, Noble had shied away, her eyes swirling with all the emotions accompanying her nerves. 

Noble had decided today was not her day. She was not ready. She should leave. 

But the professor was not quick enough. She was spotted.

"You there! Queen Bee, is it?" a scrawny Awakened with a club across his shoulders had called out. 

Noble nodded, unsure how her voice would sound through her new [Fraudulent Facade]. 'Please don't recognize me!'

What would her students think if she were spotted dueling in the Dreamscape?!

The woman didn't want to think about it.

"You're new." His eyes were full of the glint of an easy win. He grinned malevolently "How about a duel?"

Noble took a step back, ready to exit the Dreamscape as suddenly as she had appeared. 'This was a horrid mistake.'

"Lone Wolf has challenged Queen Bee," a voice boomed, startling the newest duelist in the Dreamscape. 

The area cleared almost immediately to make room for the battle—however short it would be.

"I hope you don't mind," Lone Wolf smirked, "Gotta pad that win count of mine, after all. You'll understand soon enough." 

Before Noble could react or respond, the club came in an arc directly at her head. Lone Wolf might have been a bit sleazy when it came to a fair fight, but he at least didn't seem to want to draw things out to humiliate her. The duel would be over quickly. 

Noble leapt sideways, her feet pressing momentarily against the stone ground. A shock ran up her legs causing her to cry out just as the large club bit into the marble. 

The force of the hit sent a spider web of cracks along the floor of the Arena. Noble looked up at her opponent. He seemed frustrated that his hit hadn't landed. 

'He's scrawny but that Memory packs a punch! Wonder what tier it is?' The professor's fascination with Lone Wolf's weapon distracted her from her fear. 

The second time the club came crashing towards her, Noble was able to wait until the last moment before sliding out of the way. It was another very close call. 

"You're like a bug who doesn't want to be squashed," Lone Wolf grumbled. He spun the club in the air above his head as he eyed his prey. "Timid little mice like you have no place here, even if they are Awakened. I'll make it painless if you just hold still." 

Enough was enough. Although Lone Wolf could not see her mouth, it was now set in a determined line. 

Noble could handle being humiliated in the fight against someone with superior skill, but she would not be cowed just because this man wanted to bully her. If Lone Wolf was going to win, she would make it as hard for him as possible.

'Come at me, you jerk…' 

The woman managed another duck and glided away from a crash that split the ground. Noble could feel Lone Wolf's intense satisfaction peak just before he struck. It had unknowingly telegraphed his next move to her. 

Another spike in his emotions led her to easily dodge a blow to the head. From outside, it looked like the mysterious stranger had read her opponent's mind. 

Really, Noble was testing a newly formed theory. Lone Wolf was putting forth very little effort in his swings. It meant that the Memory was doing the bulk of the work for him. 

'As I thought, a very cool Memory, but I have a few of those myself.' Straightening her back, Noble's eyes began to swirl ferociously. In her hand, a thin rain of sparks spread outward to reveal the [Unlikely End]. 

The slender estoc was not the most powerful weapon that Noble possessed, but its light weight and maneuverability made it ideal for Noble's slim frame. 

It fit comfortably in her hands, and the tip of the sword, when infused with essence, could pierce armor that otherwise seemed impenetrable. The little beauty also had a small secret, but Noble hoped she did not need to use it just now.

Before the sword was fully formed, the scrawny man took another swing at his opponent.

But rather than back away, Noble stepped into the swing. 

Although the club packed a powerful punch, the Awakened behind it had only minimal strength. So by coming close to Lone Wolf, she missed the bulk of the hit against her body.

That was not to say it didn't hurt. Sharp pain radiated through Noble's torso, but she somehow bent her knees enough not to let her feet touch the ground after the devastating blow. 

Lone Wolf was not so lucky. His hands crashed against Noble's armored shoulder. 

The surly man cursed as he backed up from the altercation. Two of his fingers had been smashed between the metal plates of Noble's greaves and the might of his club. They were pulpy and useless now, causing the man to have to switch his grip to a single hand. 

But he never got a chance to try out his new hold. 

The two separated right as the [Unlikely End] solidified. 

Lone Wolf stared at her and scoffed. "Queen Bee? More like NewBee!" 

A spark traveled across the professor's eyes.

Noble released the estoc in his direction. Immediately, she could feel Lone Wolf's overconfidence at the fact she had just lost her primary weapon. 

By all accounts, it was a foolish move. It would take time for Noble to summon a new Memory to defend herself. 

But the professor didn't need to summon a new weapon. 

'Got you.'

The sword sped up suddenly past the surly man's guard.

A moment later, blood was pouring out onto the pristine marble at their feet. 

Lone Wolf's eyes widened in shock. It was all so sudden that the Awakened had not even felt the thin blade pierce his chest. 

Yet there it was, sticking out like a needle in a pincushion. 

"H–how did you?" 

The voice of the Dreamscape thundered as Wolf disappeared like a destroyed Memory. "Queen Bee has won!"

Noble's eyes dimmed their glow as she finished guiding the sword. 

'I am not a timid mouse nor some helpless newbie. I'm Queen Bee, and don't you forget it.'

The woman paused and took in the results. Had she heard right? 

Yes, she had won!

'That wasn't so bad. I think I will try just one more,' Noble thought, 'Just so I can get a better feel for things. Then I'll call it a night. Yes, one more should do the trick...'

Noble fought twenty battles that night. 

She won them all.

That night, the legend of Queen Bee was born.