A group of cloak-cladded Firbolgs were chanting in unison in a dilapidated building, raising a choir song to the heavens for a device; the item was a black, small cube, with a red strike around it. Among the chatters, a group stood by their garment; dressed in different robe garments that looked like oily and torn jumpsuits, and jewelry made from fasteners, each from different eras of human ingenuity. 

Priest -” Brothers! Sisters! It is time to uncover the untold mysteries this new device brought from the other world. The heathens from the Union and city leadership want us to believe that only humans only made trinkets like phones or steam cookers!”, he yelled, pointing his cane made from screwdrivers melted together towards a bored group. Blitz gave them a condescending grin and rotated his palm to motion them to continue. 

The crowd started to chant in unison and repeat the word “ Liars!”.

Perren was scribbling with his rapier in the dirt, while his students were watching the meeting with keen interest. Brigit couldn’t contain her glares while listening to their manifesto.

Perren -” Keep it down Brigantia”, murmured her teacher. “ They have a permit and are allowed to do as they please. We are here only to provide help and to keep everything peaceful, got it?”, to which the girl nodded, with a lighter frown.

Priest -” We know the truth! We know how terrifying they are! They are weak, weaker than most of our newborns… And yet, what they built is horrifying! Devices capable of wiping Caer Sidi in an instant were built by fragile beings like that…Truly, if there is a God, they gave us strength, and them cruelty. So what should we do then?”

The crowd knew exactly what the priest wanted, and cried out in unison what he desired- “Learn, adapt, build!”

Priest -” And who is to say that they can’t do the same with the powers the world grants them? Weak and feeble, like them but what if they are more alike than any of us could say?“ Normally his whispery would be barely audible, but he repeated the speech so many times that everyone was looping in their mind.  “Now, Sister, Brother, bring forth the Rotator”, and two of the other figures in jumpsuits broke open a box and pulled out a massive disc-chainsaw that both had to hold on to it so that it doesn’t run amok.

Just then, Blitz rose angrily and shouted at them. “ We never agreed to that! You said that you’re going to study it, not take it apart. Scan it, measure it, use anything else befor…”

Priest -” Silence, you technological fetishist! Your laboratory approach cost us tens of possible weapons and helpful devices. We both know that humans only send us junk, objects that wilter with time. Isn’t that right, former director Blitz?”

Blitz -'' You piece of shit…”, he growled, under his breath. “ That did happen, but we” and Blitz stopped, huffed, and decided to take another approach. “ At least let me handle it. Your “assistants” seem way too eager to use that thing”, to which the preacher agreed. 

Peren took a defensive stance, and the students followed him, knowing that something was afoot. “Just in case”, he then added. Blitz ripped a tooth from the chainsaw and used it to poke around the red line. The preacher looked at him with interest and disdain, but in the end, it was obvious that he held a certain respect for Blitz. A crack in the shell left out a huge, roaring sound and something like steam blew out of the small cube. The substance started to go around the building, infiltrating and possessing anything electronic.

-” Shit, shit, shit!”, cried out Blitz with anger, preparing his hand cannon in advance. “ Everyone, prepare to strike down anything that even jitters. We’re dealing with a nano infestation!”

The priest recognized what he meant and the real danger of his words; all of his followers did as commanded and started to break apart every device in the vicinity. Anyone with fire-based powers tried to scorch away the swarm, and the rest tried to calm down the raging tornado of metal and electricity that was forming. 

-” You three, follow my lead”, commanded Perren as he stabbed and punctured through the metallic whirlwinds; “ Arim and Zinc, protect the gathering members; Brigantia, you try to calm down the winds! Blitz-”, to which his colleague yelled out that he was already on it.

Bolts of electricity were scorched pieces of concrete and rebar in big explosions that threw debris and smoke everywhere. Perren ran around destroying one piece of infiltrated device after another, while Arim and Zinc set up safe pathways for the non-combative ones to flee and Brigit stood in place, keeping a hand grip on her scabbard. “ Eat to your heart's content”, she said as if talking to the blade, before pulling a part of the tilt upwards. The small space it created acted like a vacuum and started to absorb the ravaging winds of the tornado. Even at this stage, though, Brigit had a hard time keeping the sword still. 

-” Found it!”, Blitz yelled out before ripping a small piece of green plastic from inside the cube. At that time, the storm suddenly ended and everything felt raining down to the ground. The priest stared at him with annoyance, and defeatism as well. 

Priest -” Brothers, sisters, pack our belongings…We are returning to the tabernacle…Leave the cube where it is, right Blitz?” but the union member didn’t reply.

-” So…we are taking that in?”, asked Perren who felt completely out of his element here.

Blitz huffed, rotating the cube around, and taking another look at it. The first thing he thought was it would somehow be useful to Feth-” Yes, yes we should.”

...

A day later, the leaf of the clover arena for training was eerily empty and quiet, except for two figures who were doing stretches and other preparations. Perren was sharpening the tips of his rapier and knife, while Victor swung his polearm around, checking the grip and weight. 

Above them, the oldest and largest member of the Platinum Union, Ashen, cast a shadow over most of the field, floating peacefully while scattering a veil made from ashes in front of the public seats. At the same time, the other senior members of the Union scattered around in pairs, looking relaxed, but prepared. Nizzo and Blitz played Roshambo to pass the time, Goidel was noting down some of Feth’s scattered thoughts and observations, while Krass was helping their elected leader, Masso, to set up a mic;

Maci -” Ha, your dad seems really stressed out Brigit”, observed the French teen, trying to calm her trembling leg. Maci was as impatient as usual, but the thought of missing any minute of the fight had her glued to the seat.

Brigit -” Yeah, but I kinda get why. Teacher is usually firm and controlled, but with Victor, he seems to be more…loose? Relaxed is maybe a better description. And I get that as well. Having someone in your life that can keep up with you is something…magical, right?.” She then smirked and playfully pointed toward the approaching Lian and Arim.

The teen turned her face around to make a puking face, which made Brigit giggle for a bit while half-heartedly telling her to stop doing it. 

Arim -” Brigit…did something funny happen?”, the young man asked, while in his mind guessing that Maci probably said something mean.

Brigit -” NO, no, no, we are just giggling from some girly stuff, nothing for you to wrap your head around.”

Lian paid no attention though, being more preoccupied with looking around, as if searching for something or someone. 

-” He’ll be here”, Arim could guess what she was doing and tried to ease her nerves. Brigit noticed what he meant and tried to help out, saying that- “ Giol will drag him along if nothing else, so don’t worry-”

-” What? No, I’m not looking for Ogda”, Lian puffed, a bit embarrassed of how easily they read her. “ I was looking for my pal…Finley!”, she yelled out after noticing the teen who was looking for a seat. She called out to them, while Maci groaned louder than usual, and when the two teens set eyes on each other, it was as if they tried to burn the other with their intense gazes. 

Maci -” Ugh, not that prick.”, she let out with enough ire to make it clear where her stand was.

-” What’s the problem, I think they’re nice”, replied Arim, who was backed up by Brigit; never before had Maci felt as betrayed as she was right there and then. 

-” That kid has some esthetic problems in my opinion and I kinda wish they were less critical of their other pact partner, but otherwise, I like them”, came Tommen with the final dagger in Maci’s back. The artist gave each a fistbump as a salute then took a seat next to Arim and Lian. “ I have a message from Giol; they will arrive a bit late.”

By then Finley took the place beneath the group and saluted each until he reached Maci. “ And you…Hi”, he said, smiling only because he had grown up with social politeness being the first and foremost lesson to learn. 

-” Sup”, Maci replied with the same forced intonation. “ Have you learned how to not be a prick anymore?”

Finley -” Funny. Surprised to see you here without your baby.. oops, my bad, I meant to say chaperone; around. Are you old enough to be allowed a field trip like this on your own? Or did you finally reply to the call of the forests?” 

Maci -” First, we are the same age-.”

Finley -” My point exactly-”

-” AND secondly, at least rats and squirrels have more sense than some people” she quipped before a mic check interrupted them. 

Masso stood in the middle of the arena, more than eager to start and end the event before anything went terribly wrong. “ So, I can see that A LOT of you morons gathered in the middle of what I would call a calamity; and because you wanted to see this SPAR! In huge numbers, the Platinum Union alongside the local heads and peace corps will provide security and keep the fight contained inside the arena”. He then moved the mic away to mutter a defeated “hopefully”. “ Now, you two maniacs, are you ready? Perren?”

-” More than ready to poke my dear companion over there”, the teacher said, pointing his rapier toward Victor.

-” Ha! Hope you can keep up that promise, you know how much I can endure”, Victor replied, laughing with glee.

-” Are you two fuckers flirting right now?... I’m done.” A dejected Masson then dropped the mic and went towards the arena’s exit in an irritated stomp. 

-” Masso…Masso, where are you going?” Krass tried to ask, not knowing if he played a bit or not.

-” I’m going to call my wife; And you two, have fun trying to kill each other or whatever you two do for fun in your relationship”, after which he did as promised, disappearing in the darkness of a corridor.

-” Right…Leader of the Platinum Union dear viewers”, Krass tried to joke about, without his usual charm, which was still stunted from the shock. 

The crowd didn’t seem to care, some even yelling back that- “we know Krass, just move one”, “Leave that wifeguy be, start the fight already!”

With the crowd becoming more restless, both Perren and Victor got closer and closer to the center, until they stood face-to-face, puffing their chests out for intimidation, mostly.

-” Ha, I kinda like to shadow over you like this sometimes. It gives me a bit of a rush, you know?”

As a counter, his opponent stood silent and then hopped in front of his opponent, snatching a peck on Victor's helmet, which made the giant blush and lose his footing, which Perren took advantage of and landed a kick on his right side.

-” Yap…I know what you mean.”