The team embarked on the grav-jet in silence. No one made eye contact as they strapped themselves in, lost in their thoughts. They were halfway back to base when Saydaa finally spoke up.

“So, we’re not going to talk about it?”

Arvid raised an eyebrow.

“What exactly do you mean?”

“The old lady, obviously! I mean, no one else is curious about the lady who shut up the boss-man?”

“Ah, that is a fair question. I too wonder about this.”

“…don’t ask.”

“Oh I’m asking! That just makes me more curious, you know? Like, I didn’t think anyone could get the drop on you like that! Then in comes some old lady and you’re on the ground! Wait…that’s not what you’re into, is it?! I mean, I can do that too, but I’d kinda rather not, you know? Was the kidnapping teenagers thing just a smokescreen the whole time?”

Bob held his head and sighed.

Black mist condensed in the air, forming the shape of a dark crow. The crow looked over the kids, then flew straight into Saydaa’s head. It crowed once, nodded its head, and then vanished.

“What the…”

“…don’t mess with the witch.”

Bob led the team back to the living quarters, telling them all to get some rest. However, he held Elise back while the rest returned to their rooms.

“Elise, did something happen?”

“Requesting Clarification: Many things happened today, Commander Bob.”

“With Baba Yaga.”

“…”

Bob let out a sigh and placed a hand on Elise’s shoulder.

“Take your time. If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t need to, this isn’t an order. But if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

“…Confused Statement: I…am not certain, Commander Bob. I…something happened. I am not certain what.”

Bob just waited in silence while Elise’s robotic eye spun around.

“…Speculation: I believe she…hacked my organic components somehow. My organic components were reading data my mechanical components could not confirm. Frustrated Statement: I have reviewed the combat footage and logs, but I still cannot comprehend what occurred. My organic components cannot even fully remember what they saw.”

“…and how do you feel about it?”

“…Reluctant Admission: I…do not like this, Commander Bob.”

“I see. Do you want anything? From your organic components?”

“…Reluctant Request: Organic components seem to prefer Commander Bob’s presence.”

Bob nodded.

“I’ll be here for you.”

The pair sat in silence as the night dragged on. Eventually Elise’s human eye closed, her robotic components entering sentry mode. Bob nodded and stood up, patting her shoulder once more before leaving the room.

“Are you ready, comrade Nana?”

“Ready.”

Arvid held his blade back, parallel with the ground with the flat side facing up. Nana leapt on top of the blade and then Arvid swung it over his head. Nana flip through the air, firing her blaster and raining bolts on a line of targets. She stumbled as she landed, rolling forward several times.

“Are you all right?”

She shook her head.

“I missed, let’s try again.”

Saydaa grunted as her hands glowed. Across the field a boulder floated in the air, moving forward at a slow pace. Behind it Arvid jogged.

“That’s the way Saydaa! But, perhaps we could speed up the pace?”

“Shut it, play boy! This…is not as easy…as it looks!”

The boulder began moving faster, wobbling in the air. Arvid tried to turn to the right. Saydaa grunted and swung her hands...

The boulder curved too far to the right and slammed right into Arvid.

"...oops."

Nana let out a sigh as she finished another round of target practice. Her chakra was running low, so she put away her blaster and picked up a normal gun and took aim.

“Comrade Nana! Come, and join us for vittles!”

Nana turned around. Arvid, Elise, and Saydaa were passing by the door.

“Go ahead without me, I want to fit another round in first.”

“Observation: Friendly Nana is operating at reduced efficiency. Recommending immediate refueling.”

Just then Nana’s stomach growled extraordinarily loudly. The girl’s face flushed.

“Maybe…dinner…wouldn’t hurt…”

“That’s the spirit! Come, and let us feast!”

The four made their way to the cafeteria and picked up some food. Saydaa looked around the room before she grinned.

“There he is.”

Nana raised an eyebrow as Saydaa led them towards where Kiyosuke was eating his dinner.

“Amano-san?”

“The jerk always tries to eat alone. So I always try to sit at his table!”

“D-Doesn’t that bother him!”

“That’s why I do it! It annoys the crap out of him!”

“I see?!”

“Heeeeeyyy jerk! What you eating tonight?”

Kiyosuke frowned, furrowing his brow as Saydaa sat next to him. The other three took up seats on the other side of the table.

“Leave.”

“Make me. Oh that’s right, no fighting in the cafeteria! Ahahaha sorry, jerk, but looks like you can’t.”

“I don’t have time for this. Unlike you all, I can’t waste time goofing around.”

“You sure about that? You spend an awful lot of time holed up in your room.”

“Helpful Recommendation: Friendly Kiyosuke should spend more time in the training facility.”

Kiyosuke’s eyes narrowed.

“Yes that’s what I’m saying!”

“I spend more time training than all of you combined.”

“Observation: Friendly Kiyosuke is currently logging fifth most training hours.”

“Ohhhhh! Get wrecked, jerk!”

“I don’t see how that’s possible, machine.”

“Explanation: This unit’s sensor logs indicate friendly Kiyosuke spends significant time in personal quarters compared to other team members.”

“So do you!”

“This unit analyzes combat data from training sessions and produces new protocols for more efficient combat and training while organic components are resting. Kiyosuke’s organic components benefit more from repeated physical training.”

“What about Saydaa?”

“Friendly Saydaa is continuously surrounded by abnormal energy readings, and is in a constant state of practice. Friendly Saydaa also prefers to train with friendly Kiyosuke as a partner, and so her location is predicated on yours.”

“Victim! Not partner!”

“Well I can train in my room too! You’d all just distract me in the facility.”

“Revelation: I was not aware. What sort of training does friendly Kiyosuke perform in his room?”

“...I don’t have time for this.”

Kiyosuke got up and left the cafeteria.

“Confused Query: Is it a secret technique? Should I not have asked?”

Saydaa and Arvid snickered. Even Nana covered her mouth.

“Hahaha, you’re fine Elise. Don’t worry about it."

The next day in the training facility...

“Machine.”

“Response: Friendly Kiyosuke, what is it?”

“That thing you did in our first spar.”

“Speculation: Do you mean the gravity transfer protocol?”

“Yes, do it again.”

“Requesting Clarification: Friendly Kiyosuke and Elise are not currently sparring. Are we starting now?”

“No, just do it.”

“Acknowledgement: Gravity Transfer initiating.”

Elise’s hands glowed purple and Kiyosuke was surrounded with a purple glow. He took a stance and pushed off the ground. He grit his teeth as the world sped by, barely stopping himself inches before the wall. He looked down at his hands and grinned.

Arvid noticed the pair and walked over.

“Oh? What manner of training is this? Comrade Elise, could you include me as well in this?”

“Acknowledgement: Understood. Gravity Transfer initiating.”

Arvid looked at his hands as he glowed purple.

“I see, I feel much lighter now! I wonder…could this result in a boost in speed?”

Arvid took a stance, then pushed off the ground…

And immediately slammed into the wall. Kiyosuke couldn’t help but smirk at the sight.

“Ow, it certainly takes some getting used to, doesn’t it?”

“Requesting Status: Is everyone ready?”

“Ready!”

“Let’s do this.”

Elise, Nana, and Saydaa stood in a field outside. They were standing behind a thin metal wall.

“Status Report: Target locations 10m at 5.5 degrees, 15m at -30 degrees, 50m at 2.3 degrees.”

Nana loaded her blaster with darts.

“Understood.”

She nodded to Saydaa. Saydaa’s eyes glowed and a metal plate lifted into the air high above them, floating to the sky on the other side of the wall. Nana took aim and fired three darts at the plate. The darts bounced off and landed with three thuds.

The three stepped around the wall. There were three targets at various distances on the other side of it, all of which had darts dead center.

“Nice, high five!”

Nana slowly lifted a hand which Saydaa clapped. Saydaa then turned to Elise, who raised her hand in turn.

SMACK!

“Ow! Owowow! I forgot…metal hand…ow…”

Arvid launched Nana into the air once more. She focused in and fired her blaster, then flipped in the air and landed perfectly. She turned back and all the targets were hit. Arvid gave her a thumbs up. She smiled shyly and returned the gesture.

Elise held up her hands, machine guns firing. A boulder quickly approached her flying through the air, blocking the barrage. She was forced to dodge to the side as the boulder passed her, only for Arvid to tackle her from behind the rock. Saydaa let out a sigh as she dropped the boulder.

Arvid and Kiyosuke sped through the air, leaping off the walls and rushing through the room. Arvid jumped on a wall and leapt off it. Kiyosuke met him in the air and grabbed his arm, throwing him higher. Arvid reached the ceiling and pushed himself off it.

“Now, Elise!”

“Acknowledgement: Gravity Transfer canceled.”

Arvid lifted his sword and slashed it down, slicing straight through a steel block as he crashed into the ground.

Xiong Huang stood in the center of the room. Arvid charged at her once more, swinging his blade. She yawned and blocked it with her finger, then pushed him back. The moment he was out of the way Elise unleashed a barrage of lead, broken bullets dropping to the ground as Xiong Huang’s finger flashed about.

Just then a giant shuriken spun through the air, flying from Nana’s hand. Xiong Huang raised an eyebrow and knocked it off course. A second shuriken appeared in its shadow. A puff of smoke covered the shuriken, Kiyosuke canceling his transformation and swinging his blade.

“Phantom Slash!”

Three slashes from the sides and a blade from the front clashed with the cultivator's finger. Xiong Huang knocked the blade out of the way and moved to tap Kiyosuke’s head..

A gust of wind pulled Kiyosuke out of the way and a metal plate lifted into the air. Kiyosuke landed on the plate and pushed off of it, passing Xiong Huang for another slash. As he did, Arvid launched Nana into the air. She landed on the roof, her feet sticking to it and took aim. Xiong Huang blocked Kiyosuke’s strike, then had to defend against a barrage of bolts from above.

As she did Elise laid a hand on Arvid’s shoulder and the boy vanished, appearing behind Xiong Huang and swinging his blade with all his might. A gust of wind shot through the room as her finger stopped his blade.

Xiong Huang scoffed.

“Hm, not bad.”

She swung her finger about, sending a gust of wind through the room, knocking the team to the ground. She crossed her arms.

“Not good. But not bad. I think you brats have a non-zero chance of surviving now.”

The team looked at each other and started to grin.

“What’s with those dopy looks? You still can’t beat my finger. You know what? I’m beating you all just for that.”

The team went pale as Xiong Huang cracked her knuckles. On the observation deck, Bob held his head as the screams started.

Evil cultivators are so annoying.

Bob and Xiong Huang stepped outside.

“They’re ready. Or as ready as I’m willing to teach outsiders. You can handle the rest now.”

Bob nodded.

“Thank you.”

Xiong Huang held out her hand.

“Scroll.”

“I thought we had a wager?”

“We did. You’re going to give it to me anyways, because I want it.”

Bob let out a sigh but reached into his pocket and pulled out the scroll depositing it in Xiong Huang’s hand. She closed her eyes and sighed once, then looked straight at Bob.

“This is the last favor, Bob. You don’t belong to Eternal Night, and I don’t belong to either of your little clubs. As per our deal, you can keep access to Midnight and I'll keep up the flow of bodies. But besides that, we’re done now.”

Bob met her gaze for a second.

“I see. Take care, Xiong Huang.”

Xiong Huang opened her mouth, then closed it. She crouched down, and leapt into the air, leaving a crater on the ground. Bob let out a sigh.

He may have teased her too much lately.

He could only hope…this wouldn’t turn annoying.