"Again!"
The boiling sun beating down atop the building, sweat trickeling down Juanes forehead as he threw his hair back and got up off the floor.
He screamed as he threw another punch at Lavender, failing as he got yet another kick to chest.
"You gotta get better Juane, at this rate you're going to pass out."
Juane laid there, groaning in pain as he tossed himself onto his back wheezing silently, staring into the sky.
"You gotta get up juaney boy." Lavender wiped the sweat off his forehead as he adjusted his black tank top, the still air buzzing around them as the sun continued to beat down across town.
Jaune moaned as he got up slowly, tipping to the left and to the right as he struggled to find his footing. Tripping and falling on his knee, the floor warm to the touch as he found his balance.
"Listen, you can't keep that up forever."
Juane spit on the roofs flooring, almost evaporating instantly. "What are you talking about?" The blood on his bottom lip began to build again, creating a small stream to run down his chin and onto the ground.
Lavender let out a soft but irritable sigh, the sweat on his forehead becoming more and more noticeable as he wiped it off.
"You're holding back, don't act like I can't see that your pulling punches."
Juane stayed silent as the wind picked up little by little. A light wind shifting left then right persuading the still air to leave. "Look, I'm going to level with you Juane. At this rate, the way your going, Ozpin's gonna kill us both."
Lavender kneeled down, his heels touching as he leaned foward, towards Juane.
"What's Pyrrha taught you so far?"
"What?"
"You heard what I said. If I'm going to teach you, I'm going to need to know what you know already. Because so far, whatever I'm teaching you is going in one ear and out the other."
"Look I-"
"He's doing his best" a familiar clicking of heels made way as the door closed.
"Pyyrha."
Lavender pulled out two hankerchiefs, one for himself and another for Juane.
"Look what your doing to the poor guy Pyyrha. He's letting me beat him up. If I'd know any better, you turned him into a punching bag."
Pyrrha extended her hand to juane, the wind finally making way as the clouds covered the bright sun and its gaze.
"He's just using what he knows already Lavender, maybe you're going too fast for him."
Lavender rolled his eyes. "Look, the festival is coming up and the deadline even sooner Pyyrha. If I don't speed things up then he'll get the shit beaten out of him."
"You're already doing that." Pyyrha grabbed the hankerchief and moved Juanes face with her soft hands, wiping the blood off his lip. Lavender spit on the floor and scoffed.
"What, you think he's ready? You think he'll survive in there?"
Lavender straightened his legs out, standing straight up. Throwing his arms out and rolling his shoulders, slowly stretching out his biceps.
"That's not what I'm saying-"
"No no no. If that's what you think miss perfect, then show me."
Lavender put his hankerchief on the palm of his hand, letting only a little poke out of his knuckle as he made a fist. "If he can take this from me he can get my go for Ozpin and the festival, Hell, I'll even let you join in on the fight." Lavender put his fists up, taking only a few short steps back.
Pyyrha looked at Lavender in brief
Irritation as she looked at Juane.
"We are not going to fight you, Juane has nothing prove here. Right?"
Juane wiped the dried blood off his lower lip as he looked at Lavender.
"Well? What's it gonna be Juaney boy?"
Pyyrha sighed. "There's nothing to prove here. Let's just walk." Juane picked up his school jacket and put it on his shoulder. "Maybe your right."
Pyyrha turned around and began walking towards the roof door as Juane slowly turned to follow.
"Knew you weren't gonna cut it."
Lavender put his fists down and spat on the ground.
The air stood still as pyyrha reached for the door handle, the clouds parting once more letting the beating sun continue its gaze on the roof.
Juane threw his body back, throwing his jacket in Lavenders face temporarily blinding him as Juane punched Lavender in the nose.
Silence fell as Lavender quickly stumbled back, blood running from his upper bridge. Lavender blew air out of his now congested nose, blood spraying the Grey concrete flooring.
"Good choice."
Lavender quickly threw his right leg into Juane, sweeping his legs and causing him to quickly lose balance. He then threw a swift right jab at his face, almost immediately being caught by Pyyrha as Juane fell on his side.
"Nice catch."
Pyyrha looked in disappointment as she pushed Lavenders fist back, causing him to quickly move back, skid marks being left as he regained his balance.
"Bring it prim and proper."
Juane looked at Pyyrha in awe as he got up, stumbling only slightly as Lavender glared at her.
"You two get three."
"Three what?"
Lavender jabbed at the air playfully as he narrowed his eyes at Pyrrha.
"Seconds."
Lavender quickly dashes to the left and seemingly vanished into thin air.
"Where'd he go?"
"Right here!"
Lavender reappeared into the air decending quickly as he put his hands up and clasped them together, bringing the full force of his attack on Juane's head.
Juane quickly fell to the floor as Pyyrha reacted quickly, throwing a wide right hook as Lavender recovered. Lavender dodged to the right, using Juane's head as a stepping stool in the process.
"Nice try. Let's kick it up a notch."
Lavender reached into his pocket and pulled out his scroll, he unlocked it and pressed a few buttons. The air resonated as a loud whistle echoed in the distance and the feeling of static filled the roof. Pyyrha and Juane pulled theirs out in unison, a distant fizzling sound joining the harmony.
After a few seconds of silence Lavenders was the first to fall. the fallout covering most of the roof, dust and debris shielding Lavender for only a few seconds before the sound of the metal locker swung open; clanging loudly. A sharp blue light piercing through the dust.
Juane and Pyrrha's landed next, the rubble flying out as it shook the roof flooring.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Juane pulled his locker open and pulled his weapon out. A click of a button and a shield built itself around his arm. Pyyrha nodded her head as she pulled hers out as well, quickly shaping itself out and turning into a spear.
The blue light began to fade as Lavender walked out the dust. His weapons sparking blue as he put his hands up. Blood dripped off the bridge of his nose as he beckoned the two to come at him. Both pyyrha and juane stood thier guard as they came from opposite sides, slowly closing the distance between him. Pyyrha pulled back her arms quickly, sending her weapon flying at Lavender's head, he quickly dodged out of the way as it hit Juane's shield, he deflected the spear sending it flying in the air as Pyyrha made her advances. As quick as lightening, she suddenly appeared in front of Lavender, letting loose a flurry of punches each one staggering Lavender left and right as he struggled to counter. Juane threw himself forward and threw his shield.
Lavender quickly got out of the way, letting the shield hit Pyyrha's stomach. A pained moan escaped her mouth as she grabbed the weapon moments later and quickly bashed Lavenders head, temporarily stunning him long enough to get socked in the jaw by Juane from behind.
The flurry sent Lavender flying backwards, his body twisting mid air as he landed on his chest. "Don't let up" pyyrha yelled as she dashed to get her weapon. Juane obliged and starting running towards Lavender, dust picking up as he raised his shield to bash him the head.
Lavender quickly threw his legs to the side, getting a sweep kick on juane once more. He then grabbed juanes head and slammed it into the ground, a small pool of blood forming in the ground as Lavender used his head to get up. "Come on man, you can't keep falling for that." Juane pushed himself up revealing the bridge of his nose had been broke. The blood trickling down his face and off his chin.
"Consider that payback."
Juanes faced turned sour as he attempted to quickly get up and tackle Lavender, to which he quickly Backed up and dodged.
"Gotta be a little quicker than that Sunshine."
Pyyrha quickly picked her weapon out of the ground and pressed a button, the base and tip of it quickly turning into a rifle.
Lavender's eyes went wide as pyyrha began firing at him, getting closer and closer with each shot going by. Almost like lightning, Lavender ran and picked up Juane's shield gaining little cover as she continued to fire on.
Bullet after bullet barely scathing lavenders clothing as he dashed closer and closer towards her, the distance slowly but surely closing the closer he got.
"You're mine after you run out of ammo Pyyrha. You can't keep that up forever."
Lavender dashed to the side again, a bullet barely scathing his shirt. A small tattered piece falling to the ground. Almost instantly, Pyyrha appeared in front him; pulling her weapon back and firing a shot in the opposite direction, allowing the rifles recoil hit Juane's shield and stun Lavender momentarily.
Lavender softly grunted as he responded by throwing the shield at her feet, throwing her off balance for a fraction of a second. Lavender quickly took advantage of this, grabbing pyyrha's collar and slamming his head into her forehead.
Pyyrha dropped her weapon as Lavender raised his foot and kicked pyyrha away from him, skid marks and dust being left as pyyrha regained
her composure. Lavender pressed a button, letting his weapon shape itself into daggers. "I'll make this fair."
He then threw his weapon on opposite sides of each other, too far to reach again but still in view.
Lavender then raised his fists once again, jabbing the air playfully as pyyrha raised hers as well.
"Come on pretty boy, can't let her do all the work." Lavender quickly turned around and caught Juane's fist.
"What the-"
Lavender smiled as he grabbed juanes other hand and spat in his face, a mix of mucus and blood covering his eyes, temporarily blinding him. He laughed hoarsly as he threw him towards Pyyrha making an audible "thud" as he hit the ground. Pyyrha dashed past Juane, throwing her leg full force into a sidekick. Lavender quickly pulled his arms up to defend, the dust kicking up more and more the more she landed her blows.
Juane slowly got up and wiped the spit off his eyes, disgusted as some of it touched his upper lip. As both Lavender and Pyrrha went head to head, Juane's sight began to get blurry and distort, after a few seconds his vision returned. He got up and dusted himself off, the blood on his lip staining his upper shirt.
As he raised his head, he noticed one of Lavender's weapons turn a baby blue, a light hum resonating louder and louder as Lavender pushed Pyyrha back towards the area.
A large patch of scratches began to appear between the two weapons, the second half of the weapon began to take on its counterparts shade growing brighter and brighter the closer the two got.
Juane dashed quickly to Pyrrha's weapon and picked it up, wrapping his sweaty hands around its handle.
"Pyyrha! Catch!"
She nodded as she quickly moved back and caught her weapon. But as she was about to attack Lavender dashed into her digging his shoulder into her stomach, knocking the air out of her. A loud metal clanging hitting the floor as she flew backwards, next to where Juane stood.
"I'm just trying to teach you a lesson pretty boy!"
Lavender put his thumb up to his nostril and blew hard, blood spraying across the roofing.
"Let's see how well you'll learn this way."
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Authors note:
Howdy everyone! It's been some time since I've last did one of these.
These past years of been writing this thing and posting at random moments has been a hell of a blast. I've received some good notes and encouragement where I wouldn't have expected it to come from.
It's been greatly appreciated and I think it's high time I started a "Remaster" of the previous chapters. Make it a bit easier to comprehend and address a few things I've let stew for too long. I'll have a more steady schedule this year. More chapters after this short remastering of the journey I've spun up these past years.
Be safe. Be happy. Be weird.
-soundless