Another clone hit the ground. Rowan looked up, wiping the rain from his brow as he peered after Kaidu, searching for a snatch of white amongst the oppressive gray. Still no sign of Red? She should be around here somewhere.

He glanced at his upper right-hand corner, where the clone distance counter ticked down. Triple digits ducked into double as he watched. At least there’s plenty of clones around.

Ikara ran around the corner and shook rain off her hood. “Oh, good. I thought I lost you.”

“Just chasing a clone,” Rowan said, kicking the body. It shifted easily, lighter than it should have been.

“Same,” Ikara said. She glanced up, the same way he had seconds ago. “No sign yet?”

“Nothing—”

Two whistles, short and sharp.

Rowan and Ikara exchanged a look. Rowan raised an eyebrow. “Showtime.”

--

Red turned the corner, eyes narrowed. Clones passed her on all sides, the same wooden expression on their careless faces. Frustrated, she raised her sword.

Blue caught it with his staff before it could fall. “Patience.”

“These damn clones. Where the hell is my last clone? Is the hundred clones a lie?” Red snapped.

“Calm down, Red. We should really focus on taking points from other players, not on finding your last clone. That’s only one point, versus as many as four hundred,” Blue replied evenly.

“It’s so damn frustrating. It’s so close! So close to one hundred! Ugh, it’s gonna piss me off forever.”

“What if we beat another party? Then you’ll be over one hundred!” Blue said.

“But I’ll know. I’ll know.”

Blue sighed.

Red whipped around.

“What is it now?”

“It’s that boy. That smug asshole that you stopped me from killing yesterday,” Red said, narrowing her eyes. She pointed her sword at a clone.

Blue glanced over and sighed. “He didn’t have any points. There was no reason to fight him.”

“Yeah, but what if I want to kill that motherfucker’s stupid butt-faced clone to let out my frustration? How about then?” Red asked.

Blue pressed a hand to his forehead. “Will you stop if I say no?”

Red grinned and drew back her sword. “Fire Strike!”

Flames burst from her blade. Hauling back, she struck at Rowan’s face.

The sword slashed through. Fire sparked in dark hair. The clone split in two and fell to the ground.

Behind her, Ikara raised her hands. “Unspool.”

“Red!” Blue shouted.

Rowan jumped at her from the right, handspade flashing in his hand. She whirled and blocked, even as thread settled around her. Annoyed, Red shrugged off the thread and struck at Rowan. He ducked back, narrowly dodging her strike. The sword glanced off his apron, edge of the blow not strong enough to bite through.

Ikara drew her hands toward one another, fingers clawed outward, string running through them. “Spool!”

“No you don’t!” Blue snapped. He struck at Ikara with his pole, even as it darkened to a metallic shade.

“Razor Cut.”

A blaze of silver dropped from the heavens. Blue flinched back at the last second, drawing his blow short, but even so, the blade scored a deep cut down the side of his throat. White coat flying after him, Kaidu descended from the heavens. As he splashed down, he launched a second strike, razor aimed at Blue’s neck. Blue stumbled back, off-balance, his pole too long to use at close quarters. He choked his grip and barely managed to block a few of Kaidu’s blows. Eyes narrowed, Kaidu pressed on, heavy scissors keeping Blue nailed down while the razor darted a flurry of blows at Blue’s head and neck.

Rowan thrust at Red’s face. Arms bound by thread, she ducked backward to avoid it. The second she committed to the duck, Rowan whipped his other arm from behind his back, gripped the shaft with both hands, and swept her feet with his rake. Red fell hard, wincing as her head hit the ground.

It’s a soccer ball. Strike! Squinting, a grimace on his face, Rowan kicked with all his strength.

Red rolled over from the force of the blow, her head snapping to the side.

He stared, panting. Did we do it? Was that it?

“Flame Blade!” Fire raced over the thread. Red sat up, face contorted in anger. She glared at Rowan and growled, “That’s the last straw, you piece of shit.”

Shit, I forgot about the difference in stats! Rowan spun the rake around and struck at her, tines-out.

Red held out her hand and caught the rake. She shook her head and stood. “Is that all you’ve got?”

Behind her, Kaidu jumped back. Blue struck the stone at his feet and shattered it, forcing Kaidu to retreat again.

Did we underestimate them? Releasing the rake, Rowan retreated.

Red threw the rake to the side and charged after him, slashing at his head with her flaming sword. Rowan blocked. The force of the blow sent the hand spade flying. Her sword scored a rent in his arm. Blood spurted, heat racing up his forearm, but no pain. She drew back her arm for another blow. Rowan reached blindly over his back and got the handclaw in both hands just in time to bat her sword aside clumsily.

The handclaw! Good. Rowan spread his stance and faced Red head-on, determined to take her next blow.

“Have this!” Red slashed down at him with all her might, the sword whistling through the air.

“Spool!” Ikara shouted. A few threads, too thin for Rowan to see moments ago, tightened around Red’s arms. They snapped immediately, too weak to stop the blow.

But strong enough to slow it! Rowan struck at the same time, aiming not for Red, but for her sword. The blade slotted between the teeth of his handclaw. Rowan twisted, turning the blade in Red’s hand.

“What the—”

The blade snapped. The flame died, technique interrupted.

“Useless. I’ll just summon another!” Red tossed her sword aside and raised her hand.

“Garden Box!” Rowan shouted at the same time Red shouted, “Sword!”

The box slammed down on Red’s outstretched arm, then her head. She stumbled, dazed, and dropped the sword. Rowan snatched it up and slammed it at the side of her head.

Red put a hand out, half-blocking, half-reaching. “Return!”

The sword vanished. Rowan’s hands whiffed in front of Red’s nose, a total miss.

Red laughed. “Useless!”

“Spool,” Ikara whispered.

Piano wire tightened around Red’s neck. She gasped and reached for her throat.

Rowan sprinted to the wall, grabbed up his rake, and hammered it at Red’s head. Her head snapped back, red hair flying.

“Fucker! I’ll kill—”

Again. Again. Eyes wide, Rowan slammed the rake on her again and again.

“She’s out! She’s out, Rowan,” Ikara shouted.

Rowan sucked in a deep breath and staggered back. Blood ran down Red’s face, her head slumped forward, dyed red hair now dyed in blood. He wiped his mouth, then stared when he tasted blood. His hand was soaked in it. For a second, he looked at Red, but then he found the culprit on his own arm. Blood ran down his forearm without stop, mixing in with the sweat.

Defeated two members of team! +162 pts!

He looked up. Blue tumbled, blood rushing down his chest. Kaidu stood over him, lips pressed together, a single spray of red on the chest of his white jacket. He caught Rowan looking and turned away with a click of his tongue.

“We… we did it,” Rowan panted.

“Yeah! We did, we did it!” Ikara replied. She unwound the wire from Red’s throat slowly, then jumped away.

“She’s unconscious, she isn’t going to bite you,” Rowan joked, clutching a hand to his injured arm. Glancing at the Garden Box, he flicked his fingers. “Return.”

“We should go. Others might have heard our battle,” Kaidu said. Ponytail flying after him, he strode away.

Rowan nodded. “Right.” He and Ikara followed, hurrying into the rain.