"You're overreacting Neri-" John sighed.
"I AM NOT! YOU VOMITED IN MY HAIR!" she screamed, absolutely furious with him. The team walked towards the stadium. The sun shone brightly. The second day of the tournament - the doubles - would begin today.
The stadium was packed with far more people than yesterday. Every single civilian seat was filled. The red seats closer to the front were kept for participants and their teammates, these seats were much emptier.
"You washed it out-" John headed over to buy some snacks for his team, to make up for his drunken return to the dorm last night. He felt bad about vomiting on Neri, but he had already spent the last hour apologising and was getting a little sick of it.
His head hurt. His movements were slow.
"You have no idea, do you!? We thought she killed you!... Or something! But no, you were out getting drunk and licking her tonsils!" Nerisa screamed and started to drag Daryun to their seats.
The pair had found little in Cinder's teams's room. They got some encrypted files, but it would take time for Daryun's program to decrypt them. It was just a waiting game now.
John shook his head slowly. After spending some time with Cinder he couldn't believe that she would be involved in some sinister plot. She was a little controlling, sure, but she was nice. He smiled as he remembered their kiss.
"Yo!" a familiar voice called out.
John jumped and screamed slightly. He turned to the source of the voice.
"Dude... you look like shit, what happened?" Nume laughed.
"Argh... I'll tell you later" John rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Where have you been?"
The archer smiled. A red haired girl walked up to him. "Nume...? You getting something? Or...?" Octavia asked.
The cat felt something warm grab his hand. He turned-
"Hey kitty" Cinder smiled at him. "I have a feeling my team's going to fight first, so keep me company".
John and Nume exchanged looks.
"Well 'kitty'" Nume laughed "We'll leave ya to it". The bunny led Octavia into the stadium.
Daryun's mouth dropped as John approached him, with Cinder holding his hand.
"Here you go..." John handed them some popcorn and drinks. "Neri... sorry again... about... you know...".
His teammates both sat, looking shocked.
Cinder pulled John away and towards some seats in the distance.
"... um... so... are they actually, like, a... couple now?" Nerisa's eyes followed them.
"Well, I guess that depends on what we find..." Daryun took a sip of his drink.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask - what happened to Raven?" Ruby stretched out in her seat and placed her popcorn in Anton's lap.
"You forgot to ask? Wow, that sounds bad..." Blake sighed.
"She died..." Anton looked sad. "I... couldn't save her..."
"Dude, there's nothing you could have done. It's sad, sure, but we barely knew her..." Clodus paused, feeling Blake's glare. "I mean, that doesn't make it less sad... but... there's no point worrying about it."
He sighed. Weiss was with Winter - a risky move as she might get called in to fight, but she didn't mind being late if it meant she could speak with her sister.
"WELCOME!" Peter's voice blared out through the speakers. The crowd cheered excitedly. "Today we begin the double rounds! This should be exciting, I for one can't contain myself! I am reminded of a time when I-"
"Erm, yes, well Peter shall we begin?" Oobleck interrupted.
The screens, holographic projections floating in the middle of the stadium, begun to turn. The names and faces of the remaining combatants whizzed past as Oobleck once again explained the rules.
The first names stopped - Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black - Cinder's teammates. The crowd cheered.
"Wow, just as you predicted..." John rubbed his eyes again and took a long gulp from his tea - attempting to sober up just in case he and Neri were called to fight.
Cinder leant her head on the cat's shoulder. "I'm always right".
"Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black of Haven Academy!" Oobleck announced. The excitement of the crowd grew as the two hunters entered the arena.
The last two names finally stopped.
"Versus Coco Adel and Yatsuhashi Daichi of Beacon!" Oobleck read the names and smiled. Coco and her team, CFVY, were second year students. They were famous in Beacon and incredibly popular.
The leader, Coco, was the most fashionable girl in the school. Her brand name cocoa-coloured shirt and dark brown corset, with a black scarf, were very expensive. Her dark brown, almost black, trousers had golden stitching and went perfectly with her knee high leather boots. Finally black gloves, a black beret and black sunglasses finished the outfit. Her hair was short and brown, with a single wavy lock of hair hanging down her face which slowly transitioned from brown to orange.
The crowd cheered. Men wanted to be with her, women just wanted to be her. Coco was popular, but also strong. Her weapon of choice was a suitcase that could transform into a minigun. She had long belts of bullets dangling from her should and around her waist, ready to fuel her weapon.
Her teammate seemed completely opposite from her. Yatsu was not fashionable or cutting edge. He was a samurai that looked out of time. He wore green and brown garb with armour over his left shoulder and his wrists. His huge bronze sword, however, didn't really suit a samurai. But Yatsu was strong. Very strong.
It was clear who the crowd wanted to win.
"The selection is complete!" Peter yelled out through the speakers as the combatants stood opposite each other. "The doubles tournament will now..."
The crowds roared into life, their cheers were almost deafening.
"Ow..." John held his head. "... how are you not hungover Cindy?"
Cinder smiled weakly "I'm that awesome" she lied. She was very hungover. The screams of the crowd were causing her pain too. "Cindy...?" she thought. She smiled. For some reason she didn't mind it if he called her that.
The arena begun to move. This time each of the four sections were different. A savanna sat adjacent to a forest and ruined buildings. A rocky area with dust crystals and small amounts of water sat between the forest and ruins.
Coco lowered her sunglasses, with a hand on her hip, and laughed at Emerald. "Hey, love the outfit kid" her patronising tone wasn't met with the anger she expected.
Emerald just smiled and said "I'll try not to get blood on it".
Yatsu had been sitting on the floor, meditating. He slowly stood and drew his greatsword. "I can't promise you'll leave without a scratch..." his eyes narrowed on Mercury.
"I won't be the one bleeding" The green haired thief was starting to get caught up in this pre-fight banter.
Coco turned to the samurai and smiled "I like her...".
The countdown started.
3
2
Emerald drew her weapons - her green pistols, with large blades attached to the end.
Mercury already had his weapons ready - his legs.
1
"BEGIN!" Peter's voice exploded into the stadium.
The thief and assassin slowly backed into the tall grass of the savanna and disappeared.
The samurai nodded to the fashionable huntress. She smiled and hit a button on her case - transforming it into her minigun. The barrels begun to turn and heat up-
Moments later a hail of bullets flew into the tall grass and started to shred it as Coco searched for her opponents.
"Uh oh, looks like your team's in trouble" John finished his tea and put an arm around Cinder.
The dark haired huntress smiled. "They're not"
Coco's minigun finally stopped firing. She lowered it. The barrels glowed red hot.
The savanna was closer to a desert now.The grass had been cut down to ground level, the single tree that stood proudly in the middle of the area had fallen over riddled with bullets. If plants could scream they would have.
But Emerald and Mercury were nowhere to be seen.
Yatsu raised his blade and begun to scan the forest for movement, convinced that his opponents must have sneaked into it.
"LOOK OUT!" Blake cried as the silver haired assassin leapt high into the air from the ruins and started to descend towards the Beacon hunters at incredible speed. Almost as if he was being weighed down by something...
Yatsu heard the cat girl's warning and quickly shoulder barged Coco out of the way. He raised his sword just in time as Mercury's feet landed on the blade-
*clang*
The samurai looked confused. For a moment there it sounded like metal just hit metal... but Mercury's shoes were leather-
He didn't have time to think, however, as the force of Mercury's attack pushed him back.
Coco's gun barrels started to rotate-
The silver assassin leapt back and sprinted with incredible speed as he dodged the hail the bullets.
"He's good!" Sun laughed. He searched the crowd for Blake and winked at her as they made eye contact.
"Yeah, but where's the girl?" Scarlet frantically scanned the battlefield.
"Why?" Sage let out a hearty laugh "Is she your type?"
Scarlet's face quickly matched his hair colour as he blushed.
Mercury managed to get between his opponents. He danced over their swings and landed carefully timed kicks when he could-
The samurai gritted his teeth. Each kick had incredible force behind it and was draining his aura fast. He had to move-
The assassin focused on the melee combatant. He flipped his legs up, landing both feet into Yatsu's chin. The samurai rose into the ground slightly, his jawbone cracked. The silver haired hunter did not let up. He spun and knocked Yatsu's sword to the ground then followed up with a brutal kick to the samurai's ribs.
*crack*
Bones snapped. The assassin smiled menacingly. It had been a while since he last had this much fun.
Coco screamed and fired a hail of bullets at Mercury-
The assassin jumped out of the way.
The bullets kept moving - straight into Yatsu.
The samurai screamed and hit the ground.
"YATSU!" the fashionista looked on in concern-
"I-I'm OK..." the samurai stood and grabbed his sword. "Just watch your aim..."
Coco's eyes widened as the assassin landed on top of her weapon. Another clang of metal hitting metal, followed shortly by a swift kick to her face-
The fashionista screamed and flew backwards, into the forest. "You... fucking..." she stood, filled with rage. "If you've damaged my face in ANY way... I will kill you..."
The silver assassin dodged the samurai's swing and sped towards Coco. "Just try it..." he whispered as he vaulted over her and held her tightly from behind. He aimed her weapon at Yatsu and moved his hand over hers-
She hit the button just in time and reverted her minigun back to a suitcase - Yatsu would not be able to absorb any more of her shots. She stamped on Mercury's foot, attempting to dig her heel in-
*clang*
Nothing happened. She reeled her head back and smashed it into his.
He felt that.
The assassin released her and screamed in frustration.
*whack*
Coco's suitcase slammed into the side of his head and flung him against a tree.
The assassin leapt back into the center of the arena and took a moment to spit blood onto the ground. He glared at Coco.
"You OK?" Yatsu glanced over at his leader, his sword aimed at Mercury.
"I will be..." she glared at her opponent.
"He's pretty good..." Nerisa admitted as she grabbed another handful of popcorn.
"Yeah..." Daryun glared at Mercury's legs. Something seemed... off.
"AH! THERE HE IS!" Nerisa almost choked on popcorn. She stood and stormed towards her brother.
Nume moved in for the kiss. Octavia closed her eyes and leant in too. This was the moment Nume had been waiting for all his life - his first kiss. Octavia was so beautiful, kind, funny... but best of all she seemed to actually like him. He could feel her breath-
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" his sister's voice screeched through his ears as she pulled him back.
"N-No! Let me go! I was just about to-"
"Do you have ANY idea how worried I was!?" Nerisa started to drag her brother back to Daryun. He struggled.
Octavia laughed "See ya later Nume".
Mercury jumped and spun, firing two energy shots from his shoes off at his opponents.
Coco stepped forwards and batted them away with her case, effortlessly. Both shots flew past them and exploded in the distance.
She turned to Yatsu and smiled-
But the samurai's mouth dropped. The silver assassin spun his legs, creating a maelstrom of wind above him. He filled the spinning air with more energy shots.
The shots fired off towards the hunters - far too many for Coco to deflect-
But the shots weren't aimed at the hunters. They hit the ground and stunned them for a moment. The next thing they knew Mercury was standing between them. He grabbed Coco's hand and unleashed a flurry of kicks with one leg, then hopped onto it and used his other leg to attack Yatsu.
Both hunters screamed. Their aura levels plummeted. Scorch marks and blood stained Coco's expensive outfit. Mercury sent her to the ground with a loud thud and a terrified scream.
Coco leapt to her feet. "You..." rage consumed her. "This was designer!-"
She felt a chain wrap around her and looked down, slightly confused-
Suddenly she flew through the air, the chain dragging her into the forest.
"COCO!" Yatsu screamed and started to run after her.
But Mercury's foot smashed into the samurai's head.
Yatsu stumbled but stayed standing. He lost vision in his left eye. Blood trickled down his face. He gritted his teeth and roared as he took another swing at the silver haired hunter-
Mercury ducked under it.
Yastsu smiled. He reached out with his hand and grabbed his opponent by his throat, taking Mercury by surprise. He flung the assassin towards the rocky area.
Mercury screamed as he hit the rocks.
He felt something sticking into him-
A dust crystal.
The assassin snapped it off-
"ARGH!!!" Yatsu was high above Mercury now, falling towards him fast. His bronze blade aimed towards Mercury's torso.
*clang*
Yatsu screamed in frustration as Mercury's feet somehow stopped his blade.
The shockwave produced from the impact shattered rocks and nearby dust crystals.
"HOW!?" Yatsu raised his blade and prepared to strike again-
Mercury spun his feet, pushing the samurai back. The assassin stood. "I don't want to spoilt it..." he smiled and swept Yatsu's feet with a low kick-
The samurai tripped and slammed into the ground. He left a trail of blood as he stood and ran further into the rocky area.
The assassin pursued.
Yatsu was now fighting for his life. He swung desperately at Mercury, but his opponent dodged every swing.
"S-STOP! I SURR-" Yatsu cried out.
But Mercury wasn't about to let him get off so easily. He slammed his foot into the ground, shutting Yatsu up. Small rocks lifted into the air from the force. Time seemed to slow as Mercury's other leg moved towards the airborne rocks.
*slam*
Yatsu stumbled back as a rock slammed into his chest, aiming for his broken ribs. He screamed in pain.
*slam*
Another hit him, sending him to the ground.
The third rock missed, flying over his head.
"I SURREN-"
Mercury pressed his foot against he samurai's head.
He smiled.
Coco screamed as the chain pulled her deep into the forest. She slammed against trees. Her bones cracked. Her aura almost out. But that didn't bother her. Her clothes were getting ripped - and dirty!
*shatter*
The fashionista hit a tree hard, the chain released her and faded into the distance.
Coco's world looked brighter than normal... she paused and patted at her eyes.
Gone.
She looked at the black shards on the ground. Her sunglasses - what was left of them at least.
"You... fucking... BITCH!" she screamed. "I take it back... I don't like her. I'm going to kill her!".
The sound of a gunshot rung out. Coco turned to see a green bullet whiz past her head, narrowly missing her hat. She sighed in relief for a moment before running for her life.
More bullets followed, slamming into the ground and trees around Coco.
The fashionista hid behind a tree and panted as she searched for her weapon.
Gone.
"Shit..." she muttered as more bullets hit her tree.
She had no choice. She had to run.
Coco headed deeper into the forest.
"That's right... run little girl" Emerald smiled. She leapt from tree to tree, using the blades of her pistols to swing around the trees and get a better angle.
Bullets continued to rain down on Coco-
"AH!" the fashionista screamed as a bullet tore through her leg. She hit the ground, her aura gone.
She waited.
No siren...
"W-What!? But my aura-" Coco shook in fear. Something was wrong. She started to crawl, desperately hiding behind the nearest tree.
The gunfire stopped.
"Coco!" Yatsu's voice brought instant relief. The fashionista turned and smiled at her teammate.
"Yatsu! Watch out, she's in the trees-"
A siren interrupted her.
"Oh dear, with that final blow Yatsuhashi is eliminated!" Peter announced.
"What...? No he's-" Coco turned to the 'Yatsu' behind her.
Gone.
Her eyes darted around the forest, her body shook.
She saw movement and screamed.
"S-STOP! MY AURA IS OUT!" tears welled in Coco's eyes.
Emerald smiled. Her semblance allowed her to create illusions - to control what a person saw, heard, smelt etc. She slowly approached Coco from behind, looking down at the pitiful huntress. Her weapons aimed.
The crowd cheered in excitement. A large explosion from the forest sent a limp Coco flying above the trees. She hit the center of the arena with a thud - blood spraying out of her mouth and leg. She didn't move.
Emerald calmly walked out of the forest. She extended the chains that attached her blades to the pistols and slowly spun them.
Oobleck paused. He looked at Coco's aura gauge - it was empty. Strange... it read full just a moment ago... he sighed and hit the button - triggering a siren.
"What a splendid battle! With that, Emerald and Mercury are victorious!" he announced.
The crowd cheered.
"... Coco...?" Velvet had tears in her eyes as she looked at the lifeless huntress. "Is she OK!?". This bunny faunus was Coco's teammate - and friend. She wore a skin-tight black body suit with a brown jacket and brown hotpants over the top. Golden armour sat atop her shoulders and around the edges of her hotpants. She had long brown hair with two rabbit ears standing proudly.
Fox, her teammate, patted Velvet on the shoulder. He had dark, scarred skin. His eyes were white and dead. He was blind, but that didn't stop him. His other senses more than made up for it. He wore an orange vest and black combat pants. His messy brown hair blew slightly as a breeze rushed past it.
"She'll be fine" he smiled.
"Hmmm, well we'll take a quick one hour break before the next fight, so go and enjoy the festival!" Oobleck announced and nodded to the medics - sending them down to check on Coco, who still wasn't moving.
"Well..." Cinder smiled and stood "we better congratulate my teammates" she pulled John by his hand and dragged the cat along with her.
"Not bad..." Cinder smiled.
"Yep, just as plann-" Mercury stopped himself and glared at John. "... what's he doing here?"
"Oh, come now, be nice to my boyfriend" the dark haired huntress leaned against the cat.
"B-Boyfriend!?" Emerald, Mercury and John all cried out in unison.
"Of course!" she looked up at the cat "... don't you like me?"
The cat blushed. This was it. He could leave now and pursue Blake. If Daryun was right about all of this then Cindy and her team were bad news. His mind raced to thoughts of Blake eating the fish-
But his mind snapped over to Cindy. The lobster, her awful singing, the laughter they shared... the kiss...
"I..." John wrestled with the decision. "I... of course I love you-"
"SHIT" he thought. "I meant to say 'like'"
Cinder blushed slightly "See? Now then babe" she looked up at John, forcing the cutest expression she could "I need your help with something..."
"Erm... sure, what?" John laughed nervously and desperately tried to hide his erection.
Mercury and Emerald looked at each other and smiled.
"We need to... acquire some paramedic uniforms" Cinder explained.
The cat raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Kinky... OK, sure, let's go get 'em"
"COCO!" Velvet screamed, tears streaming down her face.
The doctor pushed her aside and felt the fashionista's pulse. He sighed and started CPR.
"No way..." Yatsu cried as he laid in the bed next to his leader's. The nurses quickly bandaged up his face.
"He's going to lose that eye..." one nurse sighed to another.
"PLEASE! I don't care about me, just save Coco!" the samurai pleaded.
The doctor finished compressing her chest and moved in to force air into her lungs-
She coughed.
"COCO!" Velvet hugged her leader, crying uncontrollably.
"Ow..." the fashionista coughed. "Velvet... my hair... does it still look good...?"
"Yes-" Velvet smiled at her leader and wiped away the tears. "It looks perfect as always" she lied.
John stood at the entrance of the room, his mouth wide open as he watched the scene unfold.
"Come on 'kitty'" Emerald pushed him away.
"That girl... you almost killed her!" the cat roared.
"What a tragedy that would be..." the thief sighed as she hurried John along.
Cinder leant against the wall and smiled at the medical VTOL on the landing pad outside. She nodded to her fourth 'teammate' - Neopolitan, the pink and brown haired silent umbrella user.
"Cindy, what the hell!? I though we were going to buy-" the cat stopped himself as he looked at the fifth person - a man covered in bandages.
Neo gave John a smile and twirled her umbrella.
"Um... hi..." the cat said sheepishly.
Cinder did not like that. She pulled John towards her and glared at Neo. "... she's Neo, our teammate... and Neo, this is my boyfriend... so hands off!"
"A-And him...?" John pointed at the bandaged man. Something was very wrong about that man... unnatural. His movements were sharp - snapping into position. He was silent.
"Boss... I get that you're excited, but... " Mercury leant in to whisper, making sure John couldn't hear "he shouldn't be here!"
"Him?" Cinder gestured to the bandaged man "he's here for the heavy lifting-"
"I MEANT THE CAT!" Mercury screamed.
The group fell silent.
John shifted uneasily "M-Maybe I should go..."
"No" Cinder insisted. She pulled him towards a door that read 'Staff Only'. "Teleport inside and get us the uniforms - we'll want..." she counted "three, well, plus one for you if you want it too".
"This is wrong..." John shook his head. He needed line of sight to teleport, which he thankfully had through a small glass pane on the door... but that wasn't the issue. This felt like theft-
Cinder sighed "We're just borrowing them, we'll give them back tomorrow! Besides they won't even notice!"
The cat glanced around at the others. The peer pressure build up.
He sighed.
"... fine..." and teleported to the other side of the door.
Emerald leant in to whisper to her leader "So that's why you keep him around...".
Cinder blushed. That wasn't the only reason.
John tip-toed his way into a locker room-
"You!" a voice called out - he'd been spotted.
"What are you doing here?" the doctor asked.
"Um... this is going to sound weird... but can I borrow some para-medic uniforms? I'll bring them back tomorrow-" John did not want to steal.
"... you're right, that is weird..." the doctor paused "... sure, why not?" he handed John a pile of uniforms - both male and female. "Kids these days..." the doctor smiled "just clean up any... stains..." he winked at John and escorted him out of the staff area.
"Not bad... you got a few extra too" Cinder smiled. "OK, well, give them to Neo. We better head back to the stadium" a smirk crossed her face "we wouldn't want you to miss your fight my silly kitty".
Meanwhile Winter and Weiss sat alone in an almost deserted café. It was beautiful - in the gardens of Beacon, surrounded by trees and flowers. The café itself had a large outside area with a water feature in the middle and a handful of tables scattered around the edges. Brilliant white pillars supported plant pots. Birds sang in the distance. It was peaceful.
"You're... leaving?" Weiss looked disappointed. She poked at her mug of tea.
"Yes..." Winter finished her mug and sighed. "I... I was only needed to transport additional units to Vale" she lied. In truth she had been ordered home by Ironwood. She did not look forward to her return, she would likely face a court martial for killing that child and even if she didn't... everyone would call her a child killer. Her military career would be over.
The Altas specialist reached for a croissant and took a small bite. "The last shipment we sent was lost to an ambush... I believe you and your team had a run in with the cargo." she sighed, referring to the mech units that the White Fang had stolen. "Those 'paladins' were still prototypes... good thing too..."
Weiss sighed and stared at her tea. Tears started to form in her eyes. "I... I'm sorry..."
"What are you apologising for?" Winter held her sister's hand and gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'm... I'm weak. A disappointment... I-"
"Not another word... you boob..." Winter smiled gently. "You've done well... out here, on your own. You should be proud... you have good friends..." she paused and laughed to herself. "And that Clodus... he's a good person."
The specialist laughed more. "To be honest, seeing father's face the day you left... it was hilarious!..." her tone became serious again "... he's proud of you too. He might not say it... but he is."
"Weiss... your glyphs are good, much better than before. But... I haven't seen you summon, what's wrong?"
"I..." Weiss looked to the floor and shifted uncomfortably "... you know I can't-"
"Don't be ridiculous! You're a Schnee, of course you can! All Schnees share the same semblance... we..." Winter paused. "That's odd..." she had never really thought about it before, but EVERY Schnee for generations had the same semblance. Semblances are an extension of one's soul, a manifestation of its power... could it be? Was there any truth to the foul rumours? Are all Schnees...?
She shook her head. She refused to believe it.
"It's the ONE thing I'm having trouble with!" Weiss groaned.
"Semblance is... like a muscle" Winter assured her sister "the more you practise with it..." she held her hand out, forming a small glyph above it. "... the stronger it will become. But-" she glared at her sister "if you only use one aspect... if you fail to test your limits... "
A white flash filled the café. Weiss shielded her eyes. A moment later she opened them-
A beowolf, made of ice and aura stood behind Winter, the glyph in her hand was gone.
"... then you'll never truly grow." the specialist stroked the beowolf's face and smiled.
"YOU'LL NEVER BEAT ME, OLD MAN!" Ruby shrieked excitedly.
"You're nothing but talk, kid!" Qrow laughed.
"You can do it Ruby! Take him down!" Yang cheered her sister on.
Tension filled the dorm.
Anton sighed "Um... it's just a video game-"
The girls glared at him "IT IS NOT!"
"Soaring ninja wins! Total annihilation!" the game announced.
"HUH!? WHAT!?" Ruby glared at Qrow "NO FAIR! I was distracted!"
The drunken hunter ruffled her hair "Fighting is never fair. You get distracted, you die"
"ANTON! This is your fault!" Ruby threw her controller down and sat on the bed next to him.
Qrow blinked-
When his eyes opened Yang sat next to him, controller in hand. Her eyes lit up. "My turn!"
Qrow sighed and turned back to the game. He loved Yang, she was his niece - his actual niece... but... she reminded him too much of his sister.
"Uncle Qrow! You were telling us about your last mission!" Ruby bounced in excitement, apparently already cheering up after losing the game.
"Yeah, please continue" the butterfly couldn't help but feel excited too - Ruby's happiness was infectious.
The drunken hunter unleashed a powerful combo on Yang's character, depleting over half of her health. She screamed. He then went on the defensive as he finished telling his story. "Right... I came across a small village in the swamps west of Mistral..." his tone became dark and mysterious. Ruby, Anton and Yang all hung on his every word.
"Right off the bat I knew something wasn't right-"
"What were you doing there?" Ruby interrupted, busy imagining every detail Qrow described.
"I needed information. Tired from battling grimm along the way, I decided to start my search at the town's inn..." he smiled. Yang had let her guard down.
"The place was crawling with low-lives, thugs... even a few huntsmen that I can only assume had been hired by... less-than-reputable sources for less-than-respectable jobs." he moved his character closer to Yang's, slowly getting in range for his finisher.
"And that's when it happened!"
"What happened!?" Yang was drawn into the story.
"I was defeated... by the mere sight..." he smiled "of the innkeeper's skirt length!"
Qrow laughed, but a cushion swiftly hit his head and shut him up.
"Soaring ninja wins! Total annihilation!" the game announced again.
Yang looked at the screen with a wide open mouth. She had lost.
"YOU ARE THE WORST!" she threw her controller down and glared at her uncle.
Ruby and Qrow laughed heartily. Anton sighed.
"Best two out of three?" Qrow asked.
"So uncle Qrow, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?" Ruby snuggled up to Anton with a smirk on her face.
"Trouble?" Yang looked confused.
"... So Ruby... who's the butterfly?" Qrow finally asked. "Is he... your...?"
"Hey! Don't change the subject Qrow! What trouble!?" Yang glared at him.
The drunken hunter smiled and pulled out his flask "Na, me and Oz go waaay back. We're cool-"
Yang let out a slight laugh. "Cool for an old guy"
"Not. Funny. I am NOT old!" Qrow protested.
Anton stretched his wings-
Pain filled him. He sighed. He had hoped that a good night's sleep would help him heal... apparently not. "So Mr Qrow, what are you doing here anyway?-"
"It's just Qrow, not 'Mr'... stop making me feel old!"
The girls laughed.
"Ready? Fight!" the game announced.
Qrow let out a slight groan. Yang had hit 'rematch'. He picked up the controller again proceeded to fight Yang while only half paying attention. "Well a professional huntsman, like myself, is expected to get results as soon as possible..."
"Yeah...I get that" smiled Ruby. "We're pretty much pros too!"
Qrow stifled a laugh. "Oh really?-"
"Yeah!" Yang smiled "Read the news sometime! We totally saved Vale while you were gone-"
Qrow's character grappled Yang's character and dealt massive damage. The blonde huntress squealed.
"Funny... I heard Vale suffered a grimm attack after you almost managed to stop a train. I also heard that Atlas troops saved the city... oh and that Ruby here almost died in the process-"
"Soaring ninja wins!" the game announced again.
Yang screamed in anger and threw the controller across the dorm. She had been practising too... but she still couldn't beat him.
"But they don't give out medals for 'almost'" Qrow finished, prompting a glare from Yang.
"They do! They're called 'silver'!" Ruby looked expectantly at Anton. He nodded.
Yang crossed her arms "We helped take down Roman Torchwick! He's locked up on Ironwood's ship and crime has fallen ever since! That's basically a bounty mission-"
"Sure, you may be acting like huntresses, but you're not thinking like them." Qrow scolded his niece, just as he once did to his sister. "You really think four girls and their friends can end all crime in a kingdom!?"
Ruby looked sad "... I mean I did until you said that..."
"Hey! They've got me too! I'm a butter-" Anton tried to cheer Ruby up.
"Oh yeah, the mighty butterfly faunus. You're still just a kid and far too arrogant for your own good!" Qrow immediately shut down Anton. The faunus started to protest but stopped.
"You know, violence hasn't dropped since Roman was locked away... it's stopped. Completely." the drunken hunter took a swig and looked at the reactions of the others. They looked confused. He sighed.
"No White Fang activity anywhere around the city. You cut off the head of king taijitu, but now the second head is calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick metal head of his..."
The three students exchanged looks.
"You... know the General?" Yang asked.
Qrow smiled. "Hey, I know everybody to some extent - remember you're talking to a member of the coolest team to ever graduate Beacon-" he handed Yang a photo of his team. Team STRQ - lead by Ruby's mother: Summer Rose.
The photo showed Summer wearing a cloak, hiding most of her, but the small amount of her face that showed looked like Ruby. Taiyang, the second member was a blonde haired man - Yang and Ruby's father. Next was Raven, the dark haired huntress in red armour. Her hand on her sword. She was Yang's mother and Qrow's sister. Finally was Qrow himself. He looked younger in the photo - less grey hair - but other than that hadn't changed much.
Yang started at the photo of her mother. They had the same eyes. She smiled - a smile of both happiness and sadness.
"Team STRQ..." Qrow begun to reminisce "that's when I met your parents... well I knew Raven before then of course... we were pretty well known back in the day..." his smile slowly turned to sadness. He remembered finding Ozpin... and what was left of Summer on that fateful day...
"Well known for crumby fashion sense!" Ruby laughed, pointing at the photo.
Yang and Qrow continued to look sad.
"Hey, we looked good!" Qrow buried his memories. Now was not the time for sadness. "... and I have a number of inappropriate stories that will back that up-"
"Ew..." Ruby shook her head and leaned into Anton.
The blonde haired huntress continued to stare at her mother's photo.
"But!" Qrow quickly put the photo away "I'll save those for when you're older... although judging by how close you two are-" he gestured to Ruby and Anton "you've probably got a few to tell yourselves" he chuckled.
The lovers blushed.
"Anyway..." Qrow stood. "I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids..." he looked down at Yang. She was still deep in thought. He sighed. "Here..." he handed her the photo "take care of that, it's my only copy... and I will be wanting it back!"
He slowly moved towards the exit, hands in his pockets. He paused at the door. "Look... just remember that you've still got a long way to go... and don't think for a second that graduating means you're done..." he paused again.
"Every day out there is worth a week in this place. You three..." he looked into their eyes and smiled "you're gonna go far... but only if you keep learning-" He looked into Yang's eyes "-If you never stop moving forward". With that the drunken hunter left.
"Welcome back to the tournament!" Peter roared. The civilians once again filled the stadium, but even fewer hunters showed up. He sighed.
"Hey Blake!" Sun sat next to her and handed her a bucket of fish.
He blinked.
When he opened his eyes Blake already had a fish in her mouth, blushing.
The screens whirled into life.
"So where's the rest of your team?" the monkey asked, trying not to laugh at the cat.
"Catching up with family..." she sighed.
"John and Nerisa of Haven!" Peter announced. The crowd roared in cheer.
Blake looked up at the image of John and smiled. She hadn't seen him since-
She looked at the arena and her eyes widened in anger. She shook.
"Good luck babe, I'll be cheering for you" Cinder leaned in and kissed John, then headed back to her seat.
"I don't know what it is... but I don't like her!" Nerisa moaned.
John sighed and looked up at the screen, eager to see his opponents. "You just don't know her... you'd like her if you gave her a chance"
"That fucking cat!" Blake grabbed another fish and ate it angrily.
Sun felt a little scared.
"Oxygen and Nitrogen of Haven!" Peter announced the last two names.
John froze.
Oxygen, another cat faunus from Haven, was once his teammate - along with Nitrogen.
Oxygen was a strong guy. He and John used to play fight all the time when they were growing up - they were best friends once. Ox, as John called him, had pale skin and short blue hair with cat ears poking out. Unlike John he didn't have a tail.
Oxygen walked out onto the arena. His white t-shirt and blue jeans didn't really make him stand out, but the blue katana on his back did. John and Ox forged their swords together on the day they got accepted into Haven. They swore to stay together, to fight together... to die together.
Standing beside Oxygen was his teammate - Nitrogen. Nitro, as they called her, was also a faunus - a dog faunus. She had ears too, and was often mistaken for a cat for hanging around with John and Ox for so long, but her sense of smell was certainly that of a dog.
Nitro had short green hair and olive skin. Her weapons of choice were a pair of daggers - one green, one blue.
"John..." Ox sighed.
The black cat looked at the floor.
"It's been a while..." the blue cat reached for his sword.
The arena shook. All four sections raised at the same time - all were the same: city ruins.
"Oh my! What are the chances?" Oobleck mused. "Very well, you may begin in 3-" he started the countdown.
2
Ox drew his sword, Nitro drew her daggers.
1
Neri readied her spear. She looked at John.
He just stood there, staring at the ground.
"BEGIN!"
*clang*
John looked up to see Nerisa's spear blocking Ox's attack, just moments before it would have hit him.
"John! Stop thinking about your dick and focus!" the bunny screamed, assuming he was still thinking about Cinder-
She saw movement.
The green dog flanked her and closed in-
Nerisa leapt into the ruins, firing a rocket at Nitro. An explosion sent dust into the air, forming a cloud over the hunters below.
Nitro leapt out of the cloud. She coughed, but ran into the ruins as she pursued the bunny.
"Why did you leave...?" Ox held his sword just below John's chin. The black cat did not move.
"I'm asking you a question, John! I know it was hard when Row died-"
"Shut up..." the black cat's yellow eyes narrowed. He slowly drew his white sword. "You don't know... you've never lost anyone-"
"You're right... I don't know. Is that why you left us? Why you broke our promise!?" the blue cat swung, his blade hit John's.
"..." John jumped back.
"Running away again!?" Ox chased him as they ran into the ruins.
Nerisa paused. She looked behind her - no sign of Nitrogen. She sighed and jumped up to the highest structure she could. "Man... this would be so much easier with Daryun..." she was far too used to the sickly hunter giving the orders.
Suddenly the ruins she stood on begun to break, crumbling into a green cloud-
Nitro stood at the bottom of the ruins, using her semblance to convert the ruins into energy - energy which she would soon use to attack.
Nerisa begun to fall. She swore and aimed her spear towards the enemy below.
Nitro didn't move.
Neri was close now, she could see the whites of Nitrogen's eyes.
The green dog smiled and raised her hand towards the falling bunny-
A powerful blast of green energy raced towards Neri. She spun her spear in front of her as she fell, deflecting the blast.
*thud*
She hit the floor, landing on her face.
"Ow...." Nerisa stood up-
*stab*
She looked down. A dagger pierced her abdomen. Blood flowed onto the ground. Her aura started to fail-
"No..." Nerisa reached back and grabbed the hand that held the dagger. "I'm so tired..." she sighed and turned to face her opponent. The dagger cut her open as she turned.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Nitro looked on in horror as the dagger opened Nerisa's stomach like tin-can opener. She felt a little sick at the sight.
"I am so tired of being the damsel in distress!" Nerisa screamed.
"AH! SIS!" Nume screamed, watching her aura on the screen plummet.
"I am so fucking tired of crying... of feeling weak..." Nerisa poked her spear against Nitro's chest. The green dog desperately tried to pull away, but Nerisa held on tight.
"LET ME GO YOU CRAZY BITCH!" Nitro dug her second dagger into Nerisa's shoulder. The bunny smiled.
She pulled the trigger of her spear, just as her aura popped-
*BANG*
"Just you and me now..." Ox had John cornered. The black cat turned and sighed.
"So, tell me! Why did you leave us!?" a tear welled in Ox's eyes. "We were friends!... Weren't we?"
"I left that life behind..." John teleported behind the blue cat and slashed-
Ox screamed and fell forward. The cut across his back bled, but his aura remained.
"You were our leader! We were team JOHN! John... Oxygen... Harran... Nitrogren... so... tell me why!!" Ox screamed and slashed at the emotionless black cat. Each of Ox's attacks would be fatal if John didn't block them, but luckily for the black cat he was able to easily.
"I... I..." Ox screamed and slashed at John's throat-
John lowered his sword in silence and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to block this one.
"JOHN!" Cinder screamed in horror.
Winter checked her scroll and smiled. The next fighters had been chosen, her sister wasn't one of them. "Looks like we have some more time..." she watched as Weiss struggled.
A glyph formed on the ground and rotated slowly. Weiss strained as she tried to summon.
"Excellent form-" Winter encouraged her sister "Now, think to your fallen foes. The ones that forced you to push yourself past who you were, and become who you are now!"
The glyph flickered.
Sweat poured down Weiss's face. She panted.
"Think of them... and watch as they come to your side" Winter continued.
Weiss screamed, half in pain, half in frustration.
The glyph shrunk in size.
"I... I can't..." she collapsed to her knees and the glyph vanished.
*slap*
Weiss hit the ground and rubbed her sore cheek. "WHAT THE FUCK!?"
"Stop doubting yourself!" Winter paused. That slap was a little stronger than she anticipated, but she couldn't help it. Weiss gave up far too easily, Winter needed to get serious.
"I'm trying!" Weiss stood.
"If this is what you call 'trying' then you have no hope of winning the tournament! Let alone succeeding as as huntress! You might as well go back to your dorm and stay in bed... pathetic-" Winter's rage began to build. She was sick of Weiss's attitude.
"Why don't you just move back home!? Become a secretary or something! That's all you're good for!" Winter panted. She expected her words to trigger an angry response, for Weiss to get mad and get serious.
Instead Weiss just cried. Tears streamed down her face.
"Weiss-"
The Ice Queen of team RWBY ran towards the café exit-
Winter extended her leg.
Weiss tripped.
"FUCK YOU! I don't need you, or father!" she slowly stood, clutching her stomach. The pain intensified. Her wound tore open again.
"You don't need him? HA! You need his money though, don't you!?" Winter blocked the exit.
Weiss's tears intensified. "Just... leave me alone! I HATE YOU!" she raised her hand, a glyph formed in front of her - spinning fast. The air above it crackled with power.
"Emotions can grant you strength... but you must never let them overpower you-" Winter smiled. Her words had gotten through-
"EMOTIONS!? What the FUCK do you know about emotions!? You heartless BITCH!" Weiss screamed. Dust begun to form a shape above her glyph-
"WEISS! CALM DOWN!" Winter screamed in horror. Blood poured out of Weiss's eyes, ears and nose. Her skin became paler, almost corpse-like. "WEISS!"
Winter reached out to her sister-
The Atlas specialist felt something wrap its hand around her throat.
She turned.
An icy clone of herself stood behind her, squeezing hard at her throat.
Winter screamed-
The clone shattered.
Winter fell to the ground and panted desperately. She turned to her sister - she was unconscious.
"Weiss! I... I'm so sorry..." Winter laid on the floor next to her sister and wept. Winter wanted to say so much more... she wanted to tell Weiss that she loved her. That she didn't mean the harsh words she said... she only meant to encourage Weiss... to inspire her. Once again the Ice Queen of Atlas earned her nickname.