Animator vs Animation: The Dark Web

Chapter 11: The Officials (Part 1)

Meanwhile, Blue and Turquoise were preparing for a one-on-one sparring match to test his strength, standing a large space apart. Blue was a lot more energetic than Red to say the least, over exaggerating his stretching. Turquoise was cracking her knuckles, then exchanged a sharp glance at Blue's direction.

"You have quite the power of strength already, Blue," Turquoise remarked. "But strength alone does not win a battle. You may have the power, but do you have the precision? Or are you just going to attack like a reckless virus?"

Blue gave Turquoise a stare, his expression mocking against her words as he continued to warm-up. He straightened slightly and tilted his head, as if precision wasn't needed to battle against somebody like her.

Turquoise tilted her head, clearly unimpressed by his ridicule. "Still trying to be smart? Go ahead, I'll humor you and give you the first shot. Just be prepared for some notes, for there are going to be plenty." She clasped her hands behind her back, her focus shifting entirely to him.

Blue didn't need to think twice. He immediately charged forward to Turquoise, his fist flying straight to her face. But Turquoise sidestepped smoothly with movements that looked almost effortless. Blue continued to punch nothing but air, his bewilderment from each miss rising to the next.

As Turquoise continued to weave around Blue's attacks, she echoed in his mind, "First note, Blue, don't focus on your enemies' present moves; predict their next ones. The enemy would read your strikes as easily as a children's book."

Blue paused, his chest heaving as he was catching his breath. He gave her a look of irritation, but her attention was not entirely on him—but somewhere, or someone, else. Blue followed her gaze, which landed straight onto Mountain Mist, who paced around the training grounds with a watchful eye on the others' sessions. A hint of realization struck through him. It was a distraction. Perhaps he didn't need precision after all, but he just needed the right moment to strike. It was timing that would be his weapon, not calculation after all.

As Turquoise perched waiting, Blue finally stood up to his feet, crouching low. Turquoise's attention flickered back to him, but she remained still. But little did she know that he had a trick up his sleeve—he would watch for an opening where he would strike Turquoise down once and for all.

Green and Dusk stood together in an area that was hilly, full of cracks and tall rock formations. Dusk silently handed him a blindfold along with a grave stare. Green stared down at the cloth, hesitation creeping into his expression. Dusk tilted his head slightly at him, an unsympathetic gaze. "Your doubt is like a chain dragging you into a lake. If you don't want to drown, you'd have to break them and learn to focus swimming back up."

Green held up the blindfold, tilting his head in confusion. How was being blindfolded supposed to teach him about focus? Before Green could ask any further, Dusk snatched the cloth from him and stepped forward, tying it around Green's vision.

"Focus isn't just about your instincts," Dusk added as he worked. "It's about trust, and trusting those alongside you in a fight. There are those who tell truths, while there are those who tell lies. You're going to need to learn to look past those lies, or in this case, hear past them."

As Dusk finished tying the blindfold, Green shifted uncomfortably from the cloth. He raised up his hand to try and peek through, but Dusk swatted his hand away in a quick motion. "Follow my voice and the sound of my footsteps, and I'll lead you through the obstacles. Don't second guess your moves, otherwise you'll trip. Understood?"

As Green nodded, he heard Dusk's footsteps retreating farther from him, slow yet heavy beats. The hesitation continued to grow in him, but he sharply aligned himself. The sound grew fainter until they stopped entirely, leaving Green surrounded by silence and obstacles he couldn't see.