Opal scaled the back of the building, climbing to the roof. She walked to the front. Then, standing in the rain, she called Heather.

“We got trouble,” Opal said as soon as Heather picked up.

“Hello to you too, Opal,” Heather ironically replied.

“Yes, that… But I don’t have time, nor does Nook.”

“Put me up to date.”

“Haha. Date…”

Opal summarized the situation to Heather.

“I see,” Heather said calmly. “Fighting someone you know can be cumbersome. Well…, as for how to fight…” There was a muffled response from Gerald. “As I was thinking,” she said in response to Gerald. “Anyway, Gerald and I agree that wearing down Jasper’s Stamina is one of the priorities. Another is to attack from the inside. At the moment, he is like an insect with an exoskeleton. Though I don’t know if his ability hardens the insides, it is still worth the try. Last but not least, suffocation. I believe you can-“

“Looks like time’s up,” Opal interrupted. She leaned over the edge. Peeking at the scene, she spoke, “Nook was just thrown out of the restaurant.” Placing the phone between her shoulder and ear, Opal let her grapple down. The rope rubbed against her palm.

“Will you be alright?” Heather said with concern.

“Yeah… I don’t think so… But we don’t have much choice. Just worry about your end.” Opal hung up the phone before Heather could respond. Opal then cracked her fingers. “Time for some action.” She dragged the hook closer to the edge. It clinked upon contact. She tugged on it a couple of more times. After, she leaned forward, waiting for the right time.

The sound of breaking glass emitted beneath Jasper’s feet with every step. A grumble accompanied his exhales.He bent down and picked Nook up by the collar.

“How about we continue our date after this?” Jasper proposed with a smile. “And maybe dress up like this.”

Nook huffed and groaned. She licked her wounded lips before answering, “This is definitely one of the top weird ways to ask for a date.” She exhaled a laugh. “But yeah... I really had a good time with you.”

“Great. See you then.”

Jasper lifted Nook up above his head. Just before he could slam her into the ground, Opal came swinging in, kicking him in the arm. His arm flung to the side, his grip loosened, and Nook flew out of his grasp. Like a pendulum, she came back. Jasper’s foot slid back while he readied a punch. Then, with an overhand punch, he lunged forward. To his surprise, he missed. Opal used her bite to cling in the air. Her body swung upwards like a gymnast on the bar. She released her bite. She fell. The hook locked onto the edge of the roof, jerking her in place. As she walked on the building’s wall, she wrapped her grappling rope around her arm.

“You two are the most adorable and weird couple I have ever seen,” Opal said unironically. She thought about her breakup. A man with heterochromatic eyes of blue and green. Fair skin that easily tanned. Freckles here and there across his nose. He wasn’t wearing his glasses. Instead, he finally wore contacts as she suggested. His pale red lips opened. Opal loved his deep voice. Every sound made was breathy as if effortless to make… Even when he agreed to the breakup. “At least you have each other…”

“What are you?” Jasper grunted. “Spider-man? How about coming down and fighting face-to-face?”

“Ha! Even I don’t need to be a nerd to know that idea is dangerous.” Opal climbed over the edge. Picking up her weapon, she spoke, “I’ll stick to my rope and hook.”

She spun her grapple, launched it towards the sky, and jumped off the building. Jasper smirked at her fearless and stupid advance. He jabbed as she came close. She parried it with a kick. Then, she made her grapple hook in the air. Like a yo-yo, she spun downwards, shoved her heel into his face, and sprung up, wrapping the rope around her waist. Once the momentum stopped, she clutched the rope. Slightly swaying above and out of reach of Jasper, she pointed her toe at him. Rain collected and streamed down at him.

Jasper flinched and twitched as he looked up. His arms flailed trying to stop the trickling water from Opal. He waddled out of Opal’s teasing range. “Nifty trick.” He spat out the water. “I can’t tell if you hooked something I can’t see, or you are truly in mid air.”

“How about coming up here and finding out yourself?” Opal joked.

“Hey! No flirting with my boyfriend,” Nook called.

“Did you hear that? She said boyfriend,” Jasper said, blushing.

Opal rolled her eyes. As she saw her gauge draining, she began to swing. Once high enough, she released Cloud Walker, tossed the grapple at a light post, and hung passively, letting her gauge refill.

Jasper charged at the post, planning to knock it down. Nook threw three shurikens at him. Two flew upon and by him as if they were walking on his skin, leaving no sign of damage. The third spun past his ear. Reeling them back in, she repositioned herself. Jasper stomped a foot into the ground and pivoted. One shuriken struck him in the lower back.

“Finally,” he said as he absorbed the shuriken. His gauge was filled. Slowly, the protruding corals and metal pillars shrunk back into his body. He stood fully erected. Rain trailed down his muscular body. His skin was silver with patches of brown across his back like large spots of freckles. Loosening up his body, spoke, “That was a lovely gift.”

Nook feigned a laugh. She knew that was not a good sign. Her eyes ogled his body. She bit her nail. With a poker face, she replied, “Guess the foreplay is over now.” Her legs weaved as she moved around him. “ Also, the bright colours and feminine stuff for the date were not my idea. Trust me.”