"Seriously," Leo continued in a hushed tone where only Bee could hear. "If that wasn't a massive publicity stunt, then it should have been. My viewers will not be able to get enough! That Lemac and Inha are gold! Think I could get an exclusive?"
Bee gave the other Awakened a silent stare.
"I know I know, probably not, but you cannot blame me for wanting to try," Leo continued, unbothered by the woman's silence. "It's good to see you, Bee. I was a little worried after yesterday that you might take a break. I am glad to see you back in the ring. Fought anyone yet tonight?"
With a shake of her head, Bee indicated that she had not.
"So I would be your first Dreamscape battle since Mongrel then?" Striker shifted his stance, leaning forward with great interest.
Bee pointed to her eyes. She knew the man had his video running almost all the time,
"I have it running an ad from my sponsor right now, don't worry. I won't show the battle off to my viewers if you don't want me to." Leo bowed his head slightly.
He really was a nice guy. The Queen knew he would be true to his word.
Bee would be lying if she said that she wasn't a little hesitant to get back in the ring. After her loss with Mongrel and the painful spar with Fireshing earlier that day, her confidence was shaken.
But the best way to overcome her fear was to get back out there. Really, if she lost again, it wasn't like it would break her already broken streak. Even if she had two losses on her stats, Bee was still far ahead of anyone else in the rankings. The loss would be a drop in the bucket.
And while Leo was out to win, he wasn't out for blood. It would be a friendly match, which was just what Queen Bee needed just now.
Shrugging, Bee spun her finger around her temple lazily, letting Leo Striker know he was good to 'let it roll' and record whatever he saw fit.
It didn't make much difference. There were cameras rolling around the dreams all the time, and the press was already present. Bee had nothing to gain by making Leo refrain from showing his viewers what they loved to see.
"You're the best!" Leo cleared his throat as he prepared to resume his feed. "Ok, Strike Force! I have a special treat for you. Queen Bee is here with me. What do you think? Should we see who can sting first?"
The charismatic duelist got a landslide of affirmative responses as he feigned reluctance.
"All right, you roared, and I am listening." Leo winked at Queen Bee. "Let the game begin!"
The voice of the Dreamscape boomed, "Leo Striker has challenged Queen Bee!"
The other challengers cleared the area quickly. While uncommon, a non-combatant could be injured or worse even though they were not part of the duel.
Bee's eyes narrowed. Leo's movements were familiar to her. It had been a couple of months since they had last battled, but he favored his own style very highly.
Likewise, her work with her estoc was probably familiar to Striker's viewers. If Leo wanted some entertainment, perhaps she should oblige and shake things up.
There was only one other weapon that she felt comfortable using in the Dreamscape. It was one she had earned in her first nightmare but never used in the waking world.
'He wants a show? I'll give him a show.' Mischief flickered across the swirling colors in Bee's eyes.
In her outstretched hand, sparks flickered and manifested into a long bronze staff.
As she sensed Leo's shock, a smirk formed behind her [Fraudulent Facade].
"A new weapon? You really are pulling out all the stops today!" Leo's amazement turned to excitement.
Sensing his enthusiastic reaction, Bee knew she had made the right choice. It was time to have some fun.
Less than a moment later, Leo produced a long sword the same color as his azure armor. He was ready.
Bee knew that she should feel nervous. The tone of this battle would likely set the scene for the next stage of her time in the Dreamscape.
And it was a bold move to pull out a weapon which she had not used in years for a duel against a seasoned veteran. Leo might not be Mongrel, but he was still formidable when in his element.
'Control the pace. Conserve your energy and move with purpose,' Bee ran Bane's words over in her mind as she usually did. Amid the constant storm of the emotions around her, those words were her grounding.
The two began to circle each other. Leo smiled, clearly enjoying the game of cat and mouse. More than anything, he loved a good surprise, and what was more shocking than the Queen not using her signature stinger!
His azure blade flashed through the air as he dashed forward with blinding speed.
Bee moved aside and struck him on his back with the quarterstaff as he flew past. The hit roared like thunder across the mountaintop.
While a strike like that would have paralyzed or even killed a mundane human, Striker merely fell to one knee. He chuckled and rolled his shoulders as he spun back to face his opponent.
Bee stood impassively as she waited for him to rise to his feet. She saw no reason to hit the man when he was down.
"I see you've decided to speak softly and carry a big stick. Minus the speaking par–" Leo's last word was fragmented as he tried to throw the woman off guard. He wheeled around and came at Bee from the side, his Azure blade slicing through the air toward her slender neck.
Bee shifted her weight and shoved the [Staff of Sages] between herself and the blade.
Leo's sword clashed against the bronze, sending sparks through the air. The deadly blade was cast aside. Striker leapt backward as Bee jabbed him with the end of her staff. It was a glancing blow.
Rather than wait for the placid Queen to sting again, Leo dashed forward.
'Nice,' Bee couldn't help but admire his tenacity. It was part of what made him such a popular combatant.
Blocking each of his advances, Bee got in a subtle punch with her quarterstaff on every pass. It was not enough to debilitate her opponent, but it was certainly more than enough to let Leo know that she could read his every move.
The other duelist pressed his lips together in concentration. The jovial nature that had been bubbling in him was becoming more serious by the moment. Bee sensed his shift in mood and widened her stance.
'Things are about to get interesting.'
Sure enough, Leo spun his blade over his head in a spectacular display. While it wasn't the most functional move, the fact that Bee had no sharp edge to her weapon likely gave the other man some confidence to take the chance.
When the azure weapon came out of its circular arc, Leo's entire cadence changed. His fluid motions became staccato. The strikes came at uneven intervals, each more deadly than the last.
Like a good dance partner, Bee matched his every move.
It was strange and refreshing to see Striker forgoing his usual style. It seemed Bee's branching out had inspired the talented duelist to do the same. Leo gave a charming smile.
Bee knew that look. 'It's time.'
His blade sang through the air at blinding speed, crashing into Bee's staff with enough force for the Queen to have to float a few steps backward.
The staff gave, breaking precisely where the azure sword bit into the bronze.
The crowd gasped. Would the broken weapon disappear back into Bee's soul sea, or would she continue to fight with it in two separate pieces?
Neither.
Bee smirked.
'Got you.'
Between the severed pieces of the rod, a set of bronze links formed to connect them once more. On the opposite side of the [Staff of Sages], a second tether released an equivalent section.
What had once been one pristine shaft was now three intricate rods connected by two adamantine chains. The segmented staff twisted on itself, catching the blade up in the process.
Leo barely managed to disengage without losing his sword. He stepped back to evaluate the change.
This time, Bee did not give him the respite he desired. She grabbed the center segment firmly and, holding it still, began to spin the ends of the staff. They blurred like humming bird's wings around her, causing a low hum to fill the air.
Striker tried to make his move before Bee had gained her momentum.
His blade hit directly beside Bee's left hand, nearly chopping her pinky. Bee's eyes flashed. Twisting her staff and her body to one side, the Queen swung one spinning end into her opponent.
The tip of the baton cracked Leo on the cheek. His head tipped backward, giving the chain enough room to continue its serpentine journey around the hilt of his blade.
When the baton snapped against Leo's hands, Bee pulled with all her might. Striker grunted, his palms involuntarily releasing his weapon to the woman's persuasion.
The azure blade came sailing at Bee like an arrow. She ducked.
'Not so fast!' Before the sword could fully pass over the Awakened's right shoulder, she reached up and caught the handle in her hand.
Reversing the direction of the blade, Queen plunged the sword into Leo's heart.
His face paled, but his smile was as genuine as ever. Striker's opponent had given him exactly what he wanted: peak entertainment. As he disappeared in a rain of sparks, Queen Bee could have sworn she heard him laughing.
The next morning, Frey's article said it all.
"The Bee is Back!"