RWBY The Champion and The Monster (RWBY x OC's)

Lost

In the Land of Darkness at Salem's keep, Emerald Sustrai is sitting on the floor while Mercury Black is training around the room with punches and kicks.

Emerald: I hate being kept in the dark like this...

Mercury: Yeah, Cinder was a pain, but at least she kept us filled in. (continues training)

Emerald: Can I ask you something?

Mercury: You're gonna.

Emerald: Why did you come with us, the night Cinder and I found you?

Mercury: Why are you asking--

Emerald: Just answer the question.

Mercury: Just made sense.

Emerald: It made sense?

Mercury: All my life, my father trained me to be a killer, an assassin like him. And then moments after I killed him, you two showed up looking for someone with my exact skills. Just felt like it was meant to be.

Emerald: (incredulous) That's it?

Mercury: Hey, what's your problem?

Emerald: I mean, there has to be something you want from this, right?

Mercury: Salem's promised us everything. We win this thing for her; we'll be top dogs in her new world. What more do you want?

Emerald: I just... (sighs) Cinder was the only family I ever had. She cared about me, taught me things... But without her here, I don't know if what we're doing--

Mercury: Wake up, already...

Emerald looks at him in shock upon hearing this.

Mercury: Cinder doesn't care about you! She doesn't care about either of us!

Emerald: You don't know what you're talking about!

Mercury: You're in denial. And if you're gonna start having a crisis of identity or some crap... keep me out of it.

At this, Emerald angrily Emerald lunges at Mercury with a right hook before following up with three jabs and a roundhouse kick. Mercury blocks and dodges his partner's attacks while backing away from her. Emerald jumps to deliver a superman punch coated in Aura, only for Mercury to intercept the attack by immediately grabbing her wrist.

Mercury: I'm sorry you didn't have a mommy that loved you, but I had a father who hated me!

Mercury shoves Emerald back a bit. She takes a defensive stance as he slowly approaches her.

Mercury: He never went easy on me! Every day of training was a beating. And when I unlocked my Semblance, he stole it with his! (throws a punch and a kick at Emerald, who dodges them, while he quotes his father's words) "This is a crutch!" "This makes you weak!" He told me I could have it back when I was strong. So, I got strong, but I never got it back! I've had to work harder than anyone to get where I am. You may not like it here without Cinder, but I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be!

Suddenly, the two hear a certain laughter. Tyrian Callows and Happy step out of the shadows with Tyrian sporting his new metallic scorpion tail.

Tyrian: (mocking) Oh yes, the world is mean, and I'm a big, bad man now just like the others. (laughs)

Mercury: (growls as he angrily walk over to Tyrian) How long have you been standing there?!

Happy: Long enough to know you've got daddy issues and hate to leave blood and pain. I had you pegged from the start brat. (giggles)

Tyrian: All you ever learned was pain and violence, and now you're too afraid to leave it. Such a tragedy.

Mercury: You don't know me!