Chapter 6: Slater vs. Nikos
RING RING RING
"Gah!" You shout, basically hopping off your bed and landing on the floor.
You look around with pure death in your eyes. Whatever made that sound will suffer the worst torture imaginable. You easily spot what made the noise: an alarm clock on your bedside table. You walk over to it and slam the top, instantly stopping it.
Where did this even come from? I don't have an alarm… clock…
Realization sweeps through your mind. No doubt it was Glynda. Nobody else would put an alarm clock in your room. Well, maybe Ruby did? No, she wouldn't do that. Speaking of which, where is Ruby? The last thing you remember is her reading to you as you laid there. She was so happy when she read to you, that you couldn't help but cheer up, despite the mood you were in. She just seemed so enthusiastic about it. Adorable, could be another word. But, considering it's probably morning, since the sun is up now, she probably went to her own room last night, which is good. You wouldn't want her to be sleeping in your room. Between Glynda and what Jaune told you about Yang, you feel that your death would come far too early, not that a Huntsman's life is guaranteed to be a long one.
You kneel down and check the time.
"Seven-thirty!?" You bawl.
You quickly grab your scroll of the same bedside table while smacking the alarm to shut it off. You find your class list and check when the first one starts.
"Nine… First class is… nine…"
You quietly start chuckling in a maniacal, insane way. You slowly get louder and louder, your mind totally breaking. Instantly you stop, throwing the scroll against your bed.
"No. No, that's not funny. I'm going to find Ms. Goodwitch and give her a piece of my mind!" You declare, your path now set.
You honestly don't even know where Glynda is, or where her quarters would be to find her. But, not in the mood to think, you just continue on. You march out of your quarters and into the halls. Unknown to you, a certain female student sees you marching, and raises a brow in curiosity. Falling victim to her curiosity, she follows you.
You barge out of the building, the fresh sunlight beaming onto you. You look around, hoping your gut will guide you. Instinctively you start marching forward, fist clenched, and breathing heavy. Unable to take it any longer, the girl calls out to you.
"I like the sight!"
You turn around to see who's there. It's none other than the busty brawler, Yang Xiao Long. The sun bristles off her golden locks, almost blinding you. She's in slightly different attire than you've seen her in. She has an orange tank top with the same marking in the middle as she does on her other yellow shirt. Of course, her belly button is showing, and her "assets" are as prominent as they normally are; perhaps more so now. She's also wearing a different type of short shorts, these being brown instead of black that show off her legs just like her normal attire.
There's no doubt about it in your mind. Yang is a beautiful young woman. Her brilliant eyes, charming wink, and smooth features make everyone turn their head for a fourth look. She's definitely got a body many would kill for, and which she's probably worked hard for. Hell, she's even great to talk to. You did manage to have a few conversation with her during lunch, and she even played with you and the kids on the playground. She's loud, passionate, and really likes those damn puns of hers. But she seems nice, and cares for her friends. She's also powerful in a fight, something you have first-hand knowledge of, and apparently has a bad temper, but that's just hearsay from Jaune. It seems that team RWBY is full of interesting girls that you're oh so lucky to get to meet. Yang almost reminds you of another unique girl from Vacuo. She had a temper too… though you luckily escaped before she set her wrath upon you.
"What're talking about?" You question, still pumped up from anger.
Yang's eyes scan you from head to toe. You look down, realize that you're not wearing much. You only have underwear on.
What? But last thing I remember was… oh… ooooh crap.
It's true. You remember. You semi woke-up in the middle of the night. You must have torn your clothes off through the night, though a little more than you usually do. Yang, on the other hand, is having a ball with what she's seeing. As a Huntsman, it's natural for you to have muscles for strength. Though due to your extreme training over the years, you're a little more toned than the other kids, which is alright by Yang. She's smiling away, loving the sight, and is happy to wait for an answer.
"Oh…"
All childish anger that you had stored easily slipped away and was replaced by embarrassment.
"So, what were you planning on doing, exactly?" Yang asks, suppressing a chuckle.
"I-I… was, uh… gonna talk to… Ms. Goodwitch," you hesitantly answer, realizing that lying was probably your best way out.
To no surprise, Yang busts a gut laughing.
"Yo-You were gonna talk to M-Ms. Goodwitch with no clothes," she makes out through laughter.
You slouch your shoulders and sigh.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," you argue, slowly walking towards her. "I didn't know I had no clothes on."
Yang doesn't answer with anything but laughter, albeit a little less than she started with. Wiping away a tear, Yang leans on her hip.
"Well, by all means, go ahead. As long as you don't mind me tagging along. I couldn't miss that for the world."
"Ha. Ha," you fake laugh. "Whatever. What're you even doing out here anyway? It's so early."
Yang gets a tad more serious, but not much.
"Well," she starts, lifting up her arms and stretching them. "I was going to go for a run like I do every week. Gotta make sure I stay in shape."
You chuckle.
"Yeah, and fighting Grimm doesn't do it for you?"
She lazily shrugs.
"It does, but a peaceful run when the sunrises isn't so bad. Hey, you wanna come with?"
You think for a moment. You doubt you're going to get any more sleep. Not now. Not after all this commotion. You're basically going to be spending an hour-and-a-half doing nothing anyway. A jog wouldn't hurt. You had to do a lot of those in Atlas. And Vacuo. And Mistral. There's a pattern there. From just those past experiences alone, it seems like a jog in Vale wouldn't be so bad.
You nod.
"Alright Yang, why not. Let me, uh, put something on, though," you meekly request.
"Aw, you sure? I wouldn't mind," she jokes.
"I'm sure," you chuckle, walking back into the building.
Yang watches you as you walk. She catches something right as you pass her. It's not that difficult to notice, though. You have a major scar on your back. Looks like a Grimm claw. That's just one more thing that piques her interest about you.
Yang leans against a column, waiting for you to come back out. She thinks back to her conversation with Ruby last night.
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Ruby quietly opens the door to her room. Weiss, Blake, and Yang seem to be sawing logs, which is good for her. She's lucky that Ozpin wasn't mad that she was out so late. She doesn't want one of her teammates catch-
"Ruby?" Yang groggily says.
"Gh" Ruby mutters, tensing up and freezing in place.
She turns to Yang, moving both hands behind her back and under her cape.
"Hiya sis," she nervously greets. "I just had to, ah, go to the bathroom!"
"There's a bathroom over there," Yang points out, now more awake. "Where were you?"
Ruby starts muttering incoherent nonsense in an attempt to buy some time.
"I… uh… you know, just… studying?" She says, more like a question to see if Yang will buy it.
She doesn't.
"Okay Rubes, you aren't fooling me," Yang declares, becoming all big sister like. "Where were you? With a boy?" She asks, but of course she expects the answer to be no; Ruby isn't into boys yet.
Ruby's body becomes tense, standing as straight and as still as possible. Yang notices this.
"A… Ruby, were you with a boy?"
"Well yes, but… he was in a bad mood so I thought I should help him since, well, you know, it'd be mean if I didn't and he seems really cool from when we've talked to him and I think Weiss has spoken to him on her own plus Pyrrha and Jaune did so I thought I deserved a turn and I think I helped him and then Ozpin caught me and it was really embarrassing and-"
Yang closes Ruby's mouth, stopping her nervous rambling and letting the young Huntress take a breath. Finally, once Ruby calms down a bit, Yang speaks.
"Was it (Y/N)?"
Ruby slowly nods.
"Yeah… he was in a bad mood and I couldn't just leave him alone."
"Awww, my little sister cares," Yang happily cries out, pulling Ruby into a giant bear hug.
"Hgh," Ruby squeals, stuck between her sister's strong arms and large lumps.
Yang lets Ruby go.
"I noticed he was off too. Proud of you Rubes, you're meeting more people. But, if he touches you, I'll kill him."
Ruby blushes hard.
"Nothing happened! I just read to him!" She defended, revealing the book from behind her back.
Yang looks down at it, recognizing it instantly.
"Where did you get that?" Yang happily asks.
"(Y/N) had it. He let me borrow it."
"Oooh," Yang coos. "Sounds like someone has a crush."
"He does not!" Ruby shouts, going red.
Her high pitched shout wakes up both Blake and Weiss.
"People are trying to sleep," Weiss moans.
"Yes, please go to bed. You two are being very loud," Blake pleads, slamming a pillow over her head.
Ruby quickly grabs her pajamas and goes to the bathroom to change. Yang hops back in her bed, getting into a sleeping position. It's clear to her that you and Ruby have been spending time together. As an older sister, she has to make sure you're not planning anything.
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Not a minute later, you come out in a t-shirt and shorts. Yang sizes you up, estimating how long you'll be able to keep up with her. You cross your arms and stop in front of her.
"Well, shall we get going? I still want to shower before classes."
"Don't worry, we will. That is, if you don't slow me down," Yang teases as she pushes off the column and starts running.
"Hey!" You shout, with a hint of laughter.
You bolt after her, slowing down once you match her speed.
"That was a cheap shot. Now I've used up more energy than you."
Yang shrugs while she runs.
"Hey, should have been more alert. So, did you sleep well?" She asks, starting the conversation.
"Yeah, I suppose. I think I fell asleep early, though."
"Enjoying Beacon?"
"Yeah, I would say."
Yang leads you past some buildings and around the outskirts of the grounds.
"Alright, lets cut to it then," Yang states.
Your curiosity peaks.
"Cut to what? What're you talking about?"
"Ruby."
"Little Red? What about her?" You innocently ask.
You can't deny that you're a little worried. Talking about Ruby, with Yang, alone, and you have no weapons. You can see her weapons are on her wrists. She has control right now, no matter what you do.
"You're spending time with her. I want to know what your intentions are," Yang asks, her eyes changing to red.
"Nothing! I swear! She just… I don't know. She helped me out last night, so I guess I owe her a thanks. Trust me Yang," you say, stopping. She stops with you. "I have no bad intentions with your sister. I mean, I just met her. I almost feel insulted."
Yang sizes you up before sighing. Her eyes return to normal, and she starts jogging once more. You follow suite.
"Look, she's my little sister. Nobody's more important to me, and nobody will mess with her on my watch. So you better watch yourself, bucko!"
You nod.
"Yes ma'am!" You jokingly salute.
Yang chuckles at your action.
"Well, now that that's out of the way lets get to our run, or, me kicking your butt," she smirks, sprinting ahead.
"Hey!" You laugh, increasing your speed to catch up to her.
Yang sprints across the edge of the docking area. You stop for a second and stare at her. The sun is shining bright from the side, and it's illuminating the blonde like nothing else. Her beautiful flowing blonde hair that bounces with each step. Her strong legs and smooth arms. Almost as if she can sense you, she looks back at you while she runs. Her lilac eyes sparkle from the sun's rays. She gives you a quick wink before bolting off again. It's… mesmerizing.
You shake your head, getting back in the game. You gather your strength and burst forward, catching up to her quickly. You surpass her, which takes her by surprise.
"You aren't beating me that easily!" She declares, using all her stamina in one shot.
You both run at full speed through Beacon, the harsh wind causing your hair to whip around. It's worse for Yang, of course, though she also has some other "obstacles" that get in her way while running.
You're closing in on your dorm, which surprises you. You have no idea how long you've been running for. A mix of admiring Yang, a desire to win, and the rush of running has made you lose all track of time. Besides, that scare Yang did also took some time out of you. Yang glances over at you, smirking. You give her a grin right back. With everything in your bodies, you floor it to the door. You're both being careless in your running due to fatigue, and just want to beat the other.
"HYAA!"
"HARRRH!"
You both leap forward, your arms reaching towards the pillar Yang once rested on. You're both neck and neck, finger and finger. Your hands are inching towards the pillar. Time almost seems to slow down as the distance lessens. But, as soon as your finger touches the stone, time goes back to normal. You and Yang push the pillar with so much force that it breaks. You both go through it and tumble over one another as the column slowly tips over. You and Yang gain your bearings, realizing you're lying beside each other, her leg wrapped around yours and your hand in hers. You're both calm about it since this predicament was more funny than romantic. But you quickly realize the column is falling down.
You and Yang share a look, knowing that you can't let the column fall. You untangle yourselves quickly and rush to its falling point. You both take position under it, you closer to the base, Yang farther back.
"Struggling?" Yang teases.
"Ha, not on your life!" You bark.
You both push the pillar back into position, Yang slowly approaching you as the pillar rises. Soon, she's right to your back, and the column is erect once again. You wipe your hands together, getting rid of some dirt.
"Well, that worked out fine," you smile.
"You think it'll fall over?" Yang ponders, crossing her arms.
You both stare at the column, looking at the obvious crack near the base.
"It'll be fine."
"Yep."
And you both go on your way.
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It's time. You've been looking forward to this fight for the past day, and it's finally here. You walk into the locker room to get ready. You don't know why you need to do this, since you forgot to put on the school uniform. But this class is your first, so you'll have time to slip away and put on the uniform before next class.
Already having your weapon and fighting clothes, you stretch a little bit. Pyrrha is grabbing her gear from her locker. She looks over at you, giving you a pleasant smile. You nod her head in return. Not wanting to dilly-dally here, you head towards the arena. You walk through a hallway and reach the arena. There's two displays that show off the aura level of both you and Pyrrha, along with your pictures. Students are sitting around the outside too. Ruby and Yang wave at you, and you wink right back.
Glynda, standing as regal as ever, awaits for you and Pyrrha. You take position at one point of the arena and wait for Pyrrha.
"Who do you think is going to win?" Ruby asks aloud, not asking anyone specific.
"Definitely (Y/N)," Yang comments. "I mean, he stood up against all of us."
"But he didn't beat us. I don't think Pyrrha could beat us all either," Blake adds.
"Pyrrha's a professional. It's probable she has more combat experience and ability than (Y/N)," Weiss analyzes.
"But we don't really know (Y/N)'s training," Ruby counters.
"He was very skilled when he fought all four of us. We don't know how strong he is one-on-one," Blake says.
Weiss thinks for a moment.
"That's true. I suppose we won't know until the fight starts."
"Underestimating an opponent is a mistake," Ozpin interjects, standing behind all the students. Everyone looks back, confused as to when Ozpin got there. "The true question… is who's underestimating who."
Jaune sighs, a little disappointed. Both you and Pyrrha are his friends, so he doesn't want to cheer against either of you. But, admittedly, he's interested about this fight. He knows Pyrrha's extraordinarily strong and skilled. Her training has been helping him immensely. But you… he has a weird feeling about you. Not a bad one by any means. He simply feels that you're stronger than you're letting on.
After a minute of constant chatter, a single sound silences everyone. The click of heels walking down the hall. Everyone knows Pyrrha is coming. Everyone knows what's going to happen. The strongest first years against someone who competed with one of the most skilled teams. Even some students who don't even have Ms. Goodwitches class is attending just to watch.
Pyrrha exits the hallway, staring right at you. You smile at her, keeping the mood friendly.
"Alright. We're starting off with Pyrrha Nikos and (Y/N) Slater," Glynda announces, stepping forward. "Prepare yourself, and remember this is just a sparring match."
"Don't worry Miss, we'll be good," you smirk.
Glynda rolls her eyes. It's not worth the effort to chew you out right now.
"Are you ready?" Pyrrha asks, moving her sword and shield to her hands.
You nod, placing your hand on the top of your hilt.
"I am."
Glynda takes a last look at each of you. She raises her hand and leaves it there. The air grows heavy, everyone is silent, and the tension grows.
"Begin!"
Pyrrha instantly shoots off her heel towards you. She spins her blade in her hand, transforming it into a spear. She throws the spear at you, then throws the shield to the side. With little effort you move your head to the side, dodging the javelin. You return your head to normal and watch as Pyrrha runs at you.
Now why would she attack me un… armed…
As soon as the thought goes through your mind you hear metal hit metal. You fall backwards, spreading your hands to your sides. Miló flies through where you were, spins around, and returns to Pyrrha's hand.
Hm… There's no way that should have moved like that. It should have hit Pyrrha.
Pyrrha lunges at you, attempt to stab you. You throw your hands into the ground, getting the best grip you can. You pop your hips and shoot your legs up, your heels connecting with Pyrrha's chin. She's sent into the air, and with the breathing room you roll over your shoulder and push yourself onto your feet. Meanwhile, Pyrrha easily recovers and lands. You look down near your feet, seeing her shield.
"You know, throwing your defenses at me isn't the best. Usually they're meant to… you know… defend! It's in the word," you comment, a smirk on your face.
"Even defenses can be used offensively, if one knows how," Pyrrha retorts.
You shrug.
"I suppose."
You stomp your foot on the side of Akoúo, making it flip into the air. You raise the same leg and kick it towards Pyrrha at a specific angle. The shield zooms towards Pyrrha's arm. Pyrrha moves it a bit and reattaches her shield instantly.
"Hm…"
Pyrrha, not wanting to waste time, comes at you again. You raise your left hand and attract Crimson Blaze to it. You dash at Pyrrha as well. The two of you meet in the middle, your weapons colliding with one another. You stare into Pyrrha's eyes, your sheath and her weapon, now in xiphos form, getting slightly in the way. Pyrrha lets out a small smirk, then throws her shield at your legs. With little breathing room, Akoúo nicks your leg, knocking you off balance. Pyrrha seizes the moment, attacking slicing you diagonally twice, the spinning around, morphing her weapon to javelin form, and spearing you in the chest with it.
You tumble backwards, but quickly gain your bearings. You can hear Pyrrha's heels coming towards you, which means she's going to attack again. Her shield, somehow, is with her again.
"You know, heels in battle must be uncomfortable," you remark, flipping onto your feet.
In the sidelines, Ruby looks towards Weiss. Weiss notices Ruby's stare.
"Don't even give me that."
Ruby giggles, showing her childish nature, then watches the fight again.
Pyrrha slashes at you over and over, but, now completely recovered, you're parrying her attacks with just your sheath. Though she's getting awfully close to hitting you many a time.
"How can you even stay standing," you say, ducking under a javelin jab. "I mean, wouldn't you be off balance," you parry her stab, then spin around and attempt to hit her face, only for her to handily block your attempted attack and reward you with her own, which you dodge. "But then again, girls seem to have a hang of the whole heels thing," you snicker, countering Pyrrha's attack.
You jump away from her, getting a decent distance between you.
"Do you always talk so much during battle?" Pyrrha huffs.
"I try to make jokes, yes. There's a purpose to it."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Well," you starts stretching your arms. "If I can keep level-headed enough to make stupid jokes, then I know my head's very much in the game, and I'm not blinding myself with rage or anything. Plus it can make my opponent on edge, which makes them slip up. I noticed you missed a couple shots while I was talking that I may not have been able to dodge."
Pyrrha molds her weapon to the xiphos form once again.
"Very well, but know that won't be enough for you to beat me."
You chuckle.
"I know, but it's a force of habit. Honestly, I think I have to get serious. You're a lot better than I initially thought."
You move your right hand to the hilt of Crimson Blaze while your left hand holds the sheath. You raise the sword to about eye level, but not enough that it blocks Pyrrha from your field of view. You slowly unsheathe your weapon, revealing the pitch black blade. The dim lights around the arena reflects off the dark metal, giving it a texture unseen with Pyrrha's weapon. You let go of the sheath, allowing it to attach to your belt.
"Alright Pyrrha, let's get serious," you state in a far less cheery tone.
You move your left hand in front of your mouth, pointing your fingers towards Pyrrha as if your hand is a claw. Your other hand points the sword at Pyrrha, sideways. Pyrrha takes a step back, moving her shield in front of her.
You both stare at each other. Pyrrha knows your persona has changed, though she expects a joke or two. Or maybe you're truly in a fighting mood now. She really can't say. Pyrrha takes in a deep breath, as it's likely the last one she'll have for some time. But, as if almost like you teleported, you're in front of her. Your hand is still covering your face, but your sword is going right for head. Pyrrha leans back, dodging attack, but that's exactly what you were expecting. You swoop your free hand down and grab Pyrrha's leg and pull her towards you. You let go of her leg and move your grip to her face, slamming her into the ground.
Pyrrha's legs flail in the air, but she uses that to her advantage. With the momentum, she flips her body around, kicking the back of your head with her legs. You fall forward, but still stay on your feet. Pyrrha, on the other hand, gets on her feet and attacks. She brings her knee to your face, knocking you back, the delivers an impressive eight hit combo through spins that, in your dazed state, are unable to block. She finishes by slashing you up a few feet in the air.
Ruby clenches her fist at the sight of you being beaten.
"Come on, you can do it," she whispers.
Ozpin notices Ruby's cheering, and can't help but silently chuckle.
You soar into the air… but… you smile. Beacon's just proving to be better and better. You spin yourself in the air, spin your blade to an icepick grip, and dive towards Pyrrha. She's surprised you're back in the fight so quickly. Other students have been knocked out with that combo. Pyrrha solidifies her stance and prepares herself. She raises her shield for defense. You draw your hand back, wait for the right moment, then, right in front of her, you slash. A loud roar erupts from the metal.
Pyrrha is pushed to the side from your pure strength. You land behind her, spin to keep your momentum, and attack from the side. Pyrrha notices the blade coming at her, and knows there's nothing she can do. Well, almost nothing. She raises one hand and activates her semblance, pushing the sword away just enough to miss her. With the unexpected movement, you're slightly off balance. You spin all the way around then duck, dodging a kick from the Spartan. You quickly turn, dragging your sword along the ground, and slice up. Once again, you somehow miss.
Pyrrha activates her javelin form and jabs you right in the stomach. However, you notice a small movement in her other wrist. As she does it, Crimson Blaze seems to fly out of your hand, landing a few feet away from you. You slam one hand on the ground to grind yourself to a halt, but Pyrrha doesn't give you a break. She runs at you, even though you have no weapon.
She spins her weapon around then slides onto one knee. Her weapon turns into some kind of rifle, which she begins firing at you.
"Hey! I never shot you!" You shout, dodging the bullets as you run at Pyrrha.
You jump into the air, front flip, then bring your heel down on Pyrrha. She manages to block it with her shield and send you back a few feet. Quickly she hounds you down, leaving you with no other option but to attack with no weapons.
Pyrrha seems to slide right past you and attempt to attack from the rear. You lower your upper body to the floor and kick Pyrrha in a similar fashion to what you did to Yang. Pyrrha soars in the air, but quickly comes down for another attack. You cartwheel backwards, getting out of the way of her heavy attack, but she quickly follows up with some quick slashes. You continue to flip and cartwheel away from Pyrrha, dodging every attack she throws at you, whether it's in javelin or xihpos mode, which she likes to switch between.
You finally get a second to counter attack, and hop on the chance. You land, drop your body to the floor, and sweep Pyrrha's feet. You push off that same leg to continue turning, then use your other leg to send your heel right into her neck, stopping her from falling over. You then pivot your foot so you can spin around once more, then use the same leg you kicked with to hit the other side of her head.
Pyrrha falters to the side a bit, but quickly attacks again with a lightning fast slice. You barely manage to lean back to dodge it, her blade just passing your nose. Your reflexes manage to catch Pyrrha's shield coming for an attack to, as her entire body turns to face you. You immediately push her shield down, then elbow her, all in one slick motion. With her balance disrupted she takes a few steps back to recover then comes in for another round.
She thrusts her blade at your chest. You clap your hands together on either side of Miló, slowing it down. Pyrrha takes a step forward and thrusts again. This time, it works, and the swords clocks you in the chest.
"You know, I think you have something against my chest," you mutter, annoyed at her constant jabbing.
Pyrrha spins around and slices your chest, zooms to your back and cuts there too. She returns to your front and tries to hit you with her shield. You duck under it then push it towards her blade, stopping it from attacking. You go for the elbow once again, then an open-handed uppercut to the jaw, and finish with a sturdy punch. You keep the pressure on by throwing a side kick, which she manages to block with her shield. You start low, then quickly raise your kicks to her head, then switch sides, forcing her to block with her sword. However, she isn't ready for the force of your kick, which results in you kicking her weapon across the room.
You take another step, flip around, and drive your foot into her chest. You land on that same foot and bolt off of it, attacking. You spin around and execute an elbow, which Pyrrha blocks with her shield. You look to your other side and attempt another elbow, which she guides away with her hand. With your back now to Pyrrha, you attempt to throw her off by repeatedly throwing elbows at her until an opening presents itself. Fortunately, after three, you decide to duck under her attempted block and punch her in the gut.
Pyrrha quickly brings her shield down on your arm, making you feel it. You use your other hand to punch her chest, then grab her shield arm and throw her over your shoulder. She gracefully lands away from you, but doesn't hold her breath. She turns around just in time to catch a punch from you. Instantly both your arms become nearly automatic. You both attempt to hit each other with your hands, and her shield. Ducking, bobbing, weaving, and blocking all take place ever second with no break at all. It's nearly a blur to those not fast enough to catch it.
But you know this won't get you anywhere, but at the same time you know your weapon isn't going to cut it. Which means…
You block one of her punches then jump into the air, quickly resting your feet on her shield and bouncing off it to gain some distance. Luckily you land near Crimson Blaze, and Pyrrha's already close to Miló. You both pick up your respective weapons, then face each other.
"You know, that's a nifty little ability you got there." Pyrrha instantly realizes what you're talking about. "Seems like this thing won't work as it is. Normally I wouldn't have to do this, but it seems against you, I have to."
You look up to the stands to where team RWBY is sitting.
"Hey Ruby! Remember when you asked what my sword could do? Or was it Weiss…" You contemplate it for a moment, then wave it off. "Whatever. Anyway, pay attention. You're going to see what Crimson Blaze can really do."
Glynda, standing in the back, raises her brow. She looks up at Ozpin, who has a small smile on his face. He's thinking the same thing she is.
So (Y/N) can use it too? But… it can't be as effective. Jet based that ability around his semblance. In theory, only Jet and Harrier can use it effectively. (Y/N) doesn't have the same semblance as them… so what's his plan?
You lightly toss your sword into the air, only enough so the tip barely passes your head. You then grab the blade with your hand, squeezing hard enough to draw blood. The entire room, besides Ozpin and Glynda, are shocked at your actions. You watch as blood seeps out of your glove and onto the blade. You toss the blade in the air again and grab the hilt. Slowly, blood begins seeping out of your hand and crawling up to the blade. A deep red begins taking over the black. Soon enough, the entire blade is red, and blood continues to slowly attract itself to it.
"I can't really do this forever, so we should get going," you say.
You bolt towards Pyrrha, your blade staying at your side. You reach Pyrrha and attack, which she dodges to the right. Having your blade in the air, you turn and slice her. She counters with her own blade. You place both hands on the hilt and push against her. She's strong, no doubt, but you're strong too. Plus you have that genetic advantage. You manage to push Pyrrha back, forcing her stance to falter.
She hops back a bit, but that gives you an opportunity to strike. You slice her stomach armour, then circle your blade back for a downwards cut. Pyrrha moves backwards and tries to use her semblance, but it isn't working. You manage to hit her once again, damaging her aura. She stumbles back, then bursts forward to attack. Your swords clash, then clash again, and again.
You're matching each other blow for blow, bouncing around the arena. Large clashes erupt from every corner as if the place is going to crumble. You're smiling the entire time, enjoying every second of it. You can see why she's known as a powerful Huntress-in-training. You can feel the sweat slide down your face, and the pace of your heart going tenfold. Pyrrha's feeling the same. She's never faced someone so equal to her during her time at Beacon. But… she still hasn't.
You manage to parry Pyrrha's attack, disrupting her flow. You let go of your sword and ram your elbow into her stomach. You catch Crimson Blaze in your other hand, holding it in the icepick stance, pivot your body, and slam the hilt into her stomach as well. With a final move, you lower your body and slice upwards, sending Pyrrha in the air. Pyrrha flips a few times but manages to recover before you jump after her. She clashes with your initial attack, forcing you both to spin the in the air. You lift your leg up and go for a kick to the head, but she blocks it with her shield. You smirk.
"Defenses can crack, you know," you say.
You turn your foot and hook it on the shield. You pull your body towards it, throwing Pyrrha off what little balance she has in the air. You move your back to her, then sheathe your blade, stopping the flow of blood. You grab the sheath with two hands and move it in front of Pyrrha's neck, locking her to you. You force your body forwards. With Pyrrha hooked behind you, it's easy to get the momentum.
You both start spinning forward at a decent rate as you plummet to the ground. You make sure the timing is right, and slam Pyrrha against the ground as you land on your feet. You let go once impact occurs, which lets Pyrrha tumble on her back. You back flip away from Pyrrha and let out a sigh.
"Slam dunk, huh?" You snicker.
The lights start to turn on as Glynda walks into the arena.
"That's enough for now. Both of you were excellent, but it seems like (Y/N) has taken this victory."
Pyrrha gets to her feet. She has a smile on her face, then slowly approaches you.
"That was an excellent battle. It seems I still have more to learn."
"Don't be too hard on yourself," you smile, firmly shaking her hand. "It's not often that I have to use my blood. Honestly, you're insanely good."
"Thank you. I hope we can practice again soon."
You firmly shake one more time.
"Definitely," then let her hand go.
"Well, lets continue with the matches. Please return to your seats," Glynda requests, sending you two off.
Pyrrha heads back to the change room while you simply jump onto the side railing.
"(Y/N)!" Glynda shouts. "Why not use the stairs?"
You flip yourself over the railing and turn towards the teacher.
"Well… I don't know," you admit.
Glynda sighs.
You take a seat in front of team RWBY, but turn back to face them.
"You were awesome!" Ruby excitedly relays. "But… what exactly did you do with your sword?"
"Oh… well-"
"You augmented its prowess with your blood," Ozpin answers. "Though you held it back quite a bit."
You look up at Ozpin and instantly adopt a downcast face. You're overwhelmed with guilt from what happened yesterday. Ruby notices your change in expression. She snaps her fingers, grabbing your attention. You look over at her and are greeted with a warm smile and bright silver eyes. She nods at you. You smirk then wink back.
"Ozpin… can… we talk outside?" You request, a little dubious.
"Of course. Let's be on our way," he smiles, leading the way.
You job behind Ozpin then follow him. Team RWBY and JNPR watch as you leave with the headmaster. Not even a few seconds later Pyrrha returns to her team, taking a seat with Jaune.
"That was an amazing fight, Pyrrha! You were awesome!" Yang cheers.
"Seems you have an equal now," Ren comments.
Pyrrha shakes her head.
"No… no I don't. I have a better."
"Hm? What do you mean?" Weiss inquires.
"He didn't even use him semblance, while I had to. That alone is reason enough."
"And didn't Ozpin say that he held back?" Ruby adds.
Pyrrha looks down at her knees, thinking.
"But he was really cool! He was all over the place! And the way he spun around in the air at the end! So cool," Ruby coos.
"He was impressive. Makes me think what he's like when going all out," Blake ponders.
Pyrrha lets out a smile, though nobody notices it.
"I do to. I hope we fight again," she whispers.
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You and Ozpin leave the stadium and walk around the campus. There are a few students littering the premise, but they're few and far between. Ozpin lets out a humble sigh.
"You did well in your battle. I didn't expect you to use your blood."
"Oh, well," you rub the back of your head. "I had to. Her polarity made my sword ineffective, and I wasn't going to beat her hand-to-hand. Well… maybe… but either way, I didn't use THAT much blood so it was alright," you convey.
"How much training have you done with it?" Ozpin asks, looking down at you.
You think for a moment.
"Well… a lot. From what I know, I can do about everything that my dad could do, at least that's what my last headmaster said. But I don't use them as often."
"Ah, yes. You wouldn't recover as fast as Jet," Ozpin nods. "So you can do all of them?"
You nod.
"Yeah, all the ones I can think of. Extension, shield, the base augmentation, plus that blood energy, and that ground… thing. Not sure what to call it, but those last two take a lot out of me. Literally. So, I tend not to use those ones unless I absolutely have to."
"If I remember the design correctly, it will drain your blood until there's none left, correct?"
Once again, you nod.
"Yes, sir. Which is why I generally don't do more than just augment it. But… sir…"
"Sir? You don't have to call me sir when Glynda's not around."
"I… yeah, I know. But…" You stop and turn to him, filled with conviction. He stops and faces you. "I want to apologize. I didn't even hear you out and… I was so angry. I couldn't think straight, and I took it out on you. So, Ozpin, I'm sorry."
Ozpin smirks.
"Apology accepted. Now, would you like to continue our conversation from yesterday in private? I never did explain myself."
You harden your heart and nod, wanting to hear why you were tossed around like an unwanted shirt.
"Yes. This time I'll listen."
"Good. Come to my office. We'll pretend the first time never happened."
"Turn back the clock?" You snicker.
Ozpin stops. He slowly moves is head towards you and nods.
"Yes… turn back the clock."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In almost no time at all, you both reach Ozpin's office. You have become more attuned to Beacon's layout so far, but it's still not ingrained in your mind. Ozpin takes a seat in his chair, while you sit across the desk from him, much like last time. You exhale, smile, and look at him.
"So… you're adopting me?" You lightly ask.
"I am indeed. You see, your father… he had a Will. If he and your mother were to die, you would be sent to various teachers around Remnant to train, in lieu of just training you himself. But obviously, being so young, you couldn't live on your own. Your father… he made lots of friends. Almost every Huntsman and Huntress knows the name Jet Slater, whether it be personally or not. So, training you and finding care for you was an easy task."
You remain silent, attentively listening to what Ozpin has to say. You can't help but feel warm at the thought of your father still looking after you. You don't remember a lot about your parents, but you do remember your dad training you to follow in his footsteps and become a Huntsman. He wanted you to be better than he was… just like Pyrrha was talking about.
"Knowing you would be sent around Remnant various times, there were designated homes for you to stay at, which you did. However, the truth was kept hidden from you. Why?" Ozpin stops, almost as if he's asking you. "I truly can't say. He just requested that you not know why. In fact, nobody was aware of where you'd be going until you got there. Remember, you'd be placed in a location, and your new family would pick you up and take you home?"
You nod. He's right. Even when you went to Atlas the family travelled all the way to Mistral to get you. When you think about it, nobody ever knew where you were, or where you'd go. Why would your father care about something like that?
"Well… after all this time, you're finally here. I was the only one who knew of every place you've been, every person who's trained you, and how you've grown up. Though I only ever visited you a few times, as you remember." Ozpin stands up and turns around, looking out the window with his hands behind his back. "Jet asked for me to be your God Father, and I accepted it. It's the least I could do for him. So, (Y/N) Slater, are you alright with this? Are you alright with me being your guardian?" He turns his head to face you. "Your… father?"
You leave your seat and walk up to Ozpin. He turns his whole body to face you. You both stare at each other, an odd tension filling the room. You smile and extend your hand.
"I think I can live with it," you joke.
Ozpin shakes your hand, happy with your decision.
"Alright. It will be official in a few short days," he says, returning to his seat. "Now, please get to class."
You acknowledge his request and begin to leave his office. The moment you enter the elevator Ozpin speaks up.
"But not before changing into your uniform that you neglected to put on."
You go to say something but the elevator doors shut and you begin descending. You frown, knowing Ozpin got the last laugh.
"Well… it is the way… fathers… are…" You hesitantly mumble to yourself.