"Boombox Boy? Really?" Chromata scowls, and she puts her hands out, waving them back and forth in front of her.

"Yes, yes!" She chuckles. "You have the sound, and I can focus it". She strums her guitar again, small orbs of light popping into being around her, and he blinks, realization dawning in his sky-blue eyes.

"We have synergy?" He nods. "Let's try it". Down closer to the mountain, a rainbow cat-girl sprints through the woods, dragging a bedraggled, grey-jacket clad boy behind her.

"Keep moving, Firestarter!" She yells back. The boy grabs his hat, barely staying ahead as a Black-furred Goliath bats aside a trunk like a twig, its' tusks narrowly missing the boy's coattails.

"Never a dull moment out here, huh?" Chromata shakes his head, staring down. "We should probably help them".

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Cappollo doesn't move, rubbing her chin with one hand. "You can't fly, and I'm not exactly the best with the big guys". She kneels down, her drones taking to the air.

"How much energy can you hold?" Chromata asks simply. "Like, we talking the Snowflake center levels of sound here?"

"Absolutely not". She shakes her head. "You aren't telling me you can put out that kind of sound...Right?" He grins, and her eyes widen. "...That's insane".

"They can't keep running forever. The guy down there's too slow". He scowls. "Lasers are something you can do, right?"

Cappollo nods reluctantly. "What, you thinking sniper?" She plants her feet, narrowing her eyes. "Alright. It's a bit far, but not too bad". She turns her head back towards the bird boy. "Put your hand on my shoulder and scream when I say so".

"Didn't think I'd find a girl that forward in the military". He almost chokes on his laughter, and Cappollo lightly slaps him upside the head.

"Sound in three...two...One...Now!" as she reaches out with her semblance, closing her eyes temporarily, her cheeks flush red with sudden heat. The sound floods from his mouth, bleeding out the sides of her sphere of influence. "...Cut it back!" Her shoulders and arms glow with pale gold light, and the girl grits her teeth. With a cry of effort, the energy leaves her body in a golden beam of light. Chromata ramps up the sound, and she keeps pouring the energy into the laser.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The cat-girl looks up into the sky as the light of the sun seems to amplify and grow. Coming down like a hammer of solid light, she dives aside, pulling the boy with her as it flashes past them, slamming into the Goliath.

"What the-" It rears back in agony, slicing into its' head. A tusk gets in the way, and it blackens, melting off almost instantly.

The Goliath's howl echoes through the forest, dust sloughing off it in sickening waves as the blast of light melts through its' face. It howls once more, vanishing with a horrifying wail.

"You okay, Neon?" The boy stands, dusting himself off with one hand. He offers her his other, and she takes it.

"Yeah, but...where the heck did that come from?" She peers up and to the south, where the snow's been melted away in a line, like summer had come to that specific patch of land.

"Hello!" A weak voice comes from the top of the outcropping. "You okay down there?" Cappollo waves, and the redhead chuckles, putting a hand on her pink skirt.

"You almost hit us, you crazy sun-lady!" She waves her fist. "Look where you're aiming!"

"We just...Saved your sorry...Butt, and you're...yelling at us?" A second face pops up, leaning heavily on the blonde. "Talk about...Ungrateful!" He dry heaves, his noises somehow making its' way down the rock face. "Bleh".

"Wait...we?" the boy chuckles, doffing his hat politely. "Hello there".

"Don't mind him. He's just out of breath". She nods, and the two blondes make their way down the cliff face.

"What the heck was that attack, though?!" Neon basically jumps on them as soon as they're on level ground. "That was amazing!" She zips from Cappollo to Chromata. "It was all like 'Big laser of death! Nyooowwww!"

"Pretty cool, I gotta admit". He smiles. "I'm Flint, and my partner here is Neon". He pats the trumpet at his side. "You're a sound guy, right?"

"My voice". Chromata hisses, then coughs. "My voice is my semblance". He inhales deeply, his voice returning to normal. "Just run out of air if I use it too much".

"The power from that laser? All this guy". Cappollo elbows the bird boy. "I just directed it".

"And I can turn sound into light!" Cappollo says proudly, grinning. "So we decided to make a big laser!"

"We need to get to the mountain to start the next part of the challenge, right?" Flint asks, pointing up at the peak. "Any chance of a lift, bird boy, or are those wings just for show?"

"Specialist Schnee shorted out my conduits with a combination of earth and electric Dust". He scowls. "I don't dare touch it".

"What's wrong? It's just rock dust. Don't miss a beat for that!" Neon goes to touch the device, and he pulls his hand back.

"Absolutely not". His face pales, and Neon backs up, raising one eyebrow.

"Okay, if you say so". She eyes him, curious. "And what happens if I do mess with the earth Dust and get it out of your gauntlets? Will you thank me?"

She bats her eyes, but Chromata's scowl deepens. "If you take it out, and don't solidify it correctly, two things will happen. First, it'll react with my semblance and start to choke me. And if that happens, I won't be the only one in danger".