Alright, First off, let me clearify some stuff:

If you're here to read any Shipping, let me save you the trouble, it's not about that. I can't say there might or might not be elements of certain ships in here, but if you're ookign for a true love story, sorry but then you're in the wrong place.

I'm writing this with a lot of research put into it.

Oh and Disclaimer: if I owned RT RWBY, I'd not be writing this, wouldn't I?

But anyways, enough small talk and weird looks, enjoy!

One thought. A single gesture. Mind expanded and focused upon his goal. A single sigh escaped his mouth. With a mad dash and that was it. His arms flexed, his muscles relaxed and his eyes closed.
To a bystander, he just stood there, a man with a single blade in hand. His boots were black, as the dept of night. His legs were covered in a camo pants. The ones of night camo, if I was to be specific. Dark and light grey to make him fade, if it was around the debt of night. His chest was hidden. He had a tshirt with normal short sleeves, yet his left sleeve reached all the way to his elbow. From there, a small part of his arm was visable and then it ended in a glove. A crimson red glove that had exposed fingers, allowing him slightly more control. On his head, he had short brown hair, the face that defined 'average' and one feature he could hide. He had a unique set of eyes. His left one being able to see in different spectums, but that wasn't exactly a big thing. Simply a fact that others could see, if he wasn't closing or covering his eye. For it was not like others. Some might even call it animal in nature, Faunus,
Also, his entire physical appearance was unassuming. He seemed exacty how many others looked, but less then them. He was less then average. Slightly bulky in his shoulders, but that was it. Just your average twenty year old human male. In his right hand, a sword. A simple sword? Maybe. It appeared slender and thin, like himself. Yet this blade was nothing if not special. It was a few inches thick. Thicker then a rapier, but thinner then a broadsword. It held up on a one metre length, but ended in a curved tip. Not a normal tip like rapiers or normal swords, not curved beyond any angle like skimitars. No, more like a katana, but less curved. And it was compatible to his own skill.

To his own knowledge, he was strong. Why? He had a strong burning fire within. He had a unique aura and therefor, unique weaponcompatibility and interaction. But most importantly, was his Sembelance. A manifestation of a personal power. Some could bolster their physical abilities, others had shieldlike powers or could manifest clones. Yet, he could do something else entirely. He could cast illusions. Illusions so lively that they had been able to kill others, as he had done so long ago. His power was over the illusion of his opponent. That and his aura was both blazing with passion, yet stinging with anger and cold repulsive hate. His hands could cast fire from them, his skin could harden with flame like armor and block lethal blows. He was the manifestation of burning Fire, as deep despairing darkness. This had leaked into his fighting. As he was fast and blazing in combat, but also calculated and calm in his aproach and his way in life. He was calculating, deadly. His left eye also being influenced. His eye being able to cast illusions but also analyse almost every thing he layed eyes upon.

And then there was his sword. The Phoenix Blade, as he named it. A blade that could strike and lash out with a burning touch to it's strikes and could absorb other materials to become more deadly. Fire resistant, nearly unbreakable and easy to handle, this was the ideal blade for a fencer like him.
But don't dare to think he was open for attack. His belt around his waist holstered both a Mauser C96 with boosted power and magazine and it also holstered both a standard rapier and both a curved knife as a parrying dagger. With a holster for his Phoenix Blade on his back. The parrying dagger behind him on his belt and the rapier on his left hip. His knife was hung around his right boot. And on his right waist, his side arm C96. He was the textbook defenition of 'armed to the teeth',

His blade started to radiate heat and as he cleaved through the air, a strange blue fire began granting his blade a spooky and devine glow. Only for a slight heat to leak over into his hand and making him break his concentration, dropping the sword and falling to his knees.

'Damnit, again? Why won't it work?'

His hand had a red thin line in it. A burnmark. As he reached for his blade that lay discarded like a leaf in authem on the ground, a shot of pain made him retract his hand. The burnmark wasn't just a normal scar. See, there's a reason why his blade is called Phoenix Blade. Each burnmark his blade inflicts causes second degree burns that are ment to hamper the overall battle capability of the opponent. Making specific marks that trigger while holding a hilt or a handle or causing slight melted damage to barrels. Any wound made from the Phoenix Blade, is ment to incapacitate someone.

'I was sure I had enough control'

In an impulse, his left eye glowed in a reddish tone and threw a shroud over him. Causing an illusion for himself. As he wasn't exactly aware why he kept doing it, this seemed to ease the pain that was his scarred hand and his dark soul. For as he looked up, he saw her!
Dressed ellegantly in navy blue with saphires for eyes and the ellegance matched only by the fairness of her skin, she was a sight to behold. Each time he saw her, he was both overjoyed. But then he recalled what happened and withdrew behind his defensive wall. Her hair was as he remembered: soft and slik to the touch, yet marvelous to the sight. Hair that felt all the way to her waist, while a part was focused in a small braid over her left shoulder. She was how he loved her. And the way how he had seen her in the end.

'Why do you torment yourself in this way?'

Her voice was soft to the ears, an ellegant wisper beyond measure. It was her voice that had captivated him. Her voice followed by her eyes. Sadly, that wasn't ment to be. The dark thoughts that had occured flashed vividly before his eyes...
A meadow, sun setting and the winter was approaching. Winter was when she was at her best. Like a flower in the spring, but then a flower that would grow and dominate in the cold and grace of winter. Her eyes were filled with tears, her hair was a mess and her ellegant dress was ripped in pieces. He had ripped them.
A wisper to his ear conveyed a single word: Why? He knew why. She had betrayed him by ratting him out. He had done so much for her. He had been so caring for her. Trying his best to be her 'knight in shining armor' , but for the milionth of times, his scarred brain would push her away.
A single slip of his side had caused her to become insecure and seek sanctuary in a mutual friend and his family. But that made things worse, as he felt her words cut through his soul in a way he had dreamt she would never do. He always was the outsider. The monster. The different one and the village idiot. He was the weakling. The screw-up. The one everyone bullied and hated because he was so different. He was the monster. He was the freak. He was the dominant force that would rival a dictator! Or so he was called.
Yet she had been there for him. She had shouldered his pains and pulled him from the darkness that had corrupted his mind. But when she 'betrayed' him, the others attacked him relentlessly. He couldn't take it anymore and he had snapped. His hands had drawn both his Phoenix Blade and his Rapier. And slaughter ensued. He had attacked her in his mad rage. Her Gemini Blades were no match for his swift and presice strikes.

His strikes would break her defence without any effort. He was blinded. His vision blurred and blacked out fully. By the time he could see what had happened, it was to late. Her dress shredded, her skin sprayed with red and her eyes in tears. She had appologised so much for what the others had said. But her words could not touch him anymore. The caring person she had knew, was consumed by the hate he felt for the pain that others always wanted to inflict upon him. He could feel his hand lift and be ready to strike the final blow. But he managed to get a grip before he struck. And instead of accepting her appologies, he was driven away because he HAD become the thing they called him. He was a monster. His family, slaughtered. His beloved better half, wounded by his own hand. And he ran. He ran and never looked back. He wanted to forget what had happened. But he was flagged by the authorities. A killer, an outlaw and an outcast.

'Well?'

Her voice snapped him from his vivid daydream. He had closed his hands and made fists, digging his fingers in his palms and he could feel the disgust for himself get the better over him. With the biggest of efforts, he managed to calm himself, using the technique he had always used: deep and long inhales and exhales.

'I don't know. I guess it's because I can't and don't want to forget you after everything we had'

'You were the one who struck out at me'

'I know...I'm sorry'

'My dear, I'm but an illusion'

Her smile was friendly, but her eyes were sad. He knew all to well she wasn't real. He simply wanted...to cure his loneliness. No matter how tough you look or claim to be, loneliness can break someone to their core. Shattered like a mirror.

With a swift gesture of his left hand, her image fell into pieces, blowing away in the currents of the wind. He had tears in his eyes and when he finally figured why his knees were painfull, he realised he had dropped to his knees. His blade was right in front of him. Without much effort, he basicly was in automatic pilot or something, he picked it up and put it on his back.

As he sat there, paralysed by his own illusion, time passing on to the point of rain beginning to fall down on him. Creating wonderfull colors as his aura was vaporising the rain before it hit his skin. A rainbow of colours was there to form a shroud over him. His eyes were empty, his mind blank. He was in a clearing in the middle of a big forest. And he wasn't alone...

Noses sniffed the air. Paws stepped over the ground and closed in on him. The air suddenly shifted in tone. From the serenity of the rain and the passing of time, to the approach of death. A single wolf stepped into the opening. Just your average wolf. A fur coat that protects against the cold, majestic blue eyes and powerfull jaws.

His knees felt shakey, but he was able to stand up. His eye blazing red. His body dropped the pain he felt before his self inflicted wound. And his right foot took a dominant step.

'Hear me, brothers of the pack. I am not here to enter your domain, nor do I want to harm fellow outcasts'

Three wolves stared at him. Their eyes scanning. Calculating their chances. Normally, they wouldn't come even remotely close to places where humans are. They are scared of humas. And can you blame them?
But he was close by their denn. And territory is nothing if not special. After all that time having found a spot that's your home, that place will not be defended lightly. As the three wolves lowered themselfs for an attack, a high pitched howl pierced through the air. He placed one foot back, not in fear but in preperation. He knew exactly what he had to do.

A slender but strong wolf with massive jaws and the eyes as blue as her's were. This was the Alpha. The leader and the one who decides for the pack. Standing dominant above the others, staring at the intruder. Then, the wolf showed his teeth. Shining in the reflection of others eyes. He knew this was a stand off. So, he reached for his Phoenix Blade and his Rapier. Unsheeding them slightly, as if to..show his fangs as well...

'What's he doing?'

'He's going to draw his blades? We're all just watching this as well'

A young fifteen year old girl sat down near a tree. Her black boots planted firm into the ground and her cloak curving on the currents of the wind. Her hood was down, her stockings protecting her from the cold as she was wearing a combat skirt. Her eyes were moon silver. Her belt held a pocket which contained her amunition. She was inocent in her voice, as well in her overall appearance. An adorable girl.

The one that had responded to her question, was her pail blue dressed teammate with blue eyes. In heeled wedge boots that reach her mid calf, display red colors inside her boots. Like her red teammate, she wears a combat skirt. All pail blue. With a bolero jacket. She stood somewhat hiding, her voice confident. She had the appearance of a girl that had gotten anything she wanted in her childhood.

'My guess, he's probably going to attack those wolves. We've been on his tail for days now and he's always attacking stuff'

'I hope so! Just watching without doing anything is way to boring. Maybe we can fight him'

The other two were hiding in the canopy. A black dressed girl with a bow on her head and amber eyes. Her black stockings that fade to purple and her low heeled boots give her a mysterious outlook. She wears black ribbons on both her arms with a black derached sleeve ad a silver band on her arm. Black buttoned vest with coattails and a white sleeveless undershirt. Her voice was reversed and controled. Yet not empty of emotions.
She was a great contrast to her blonde and fired up companion next to her. Her boots were high and brown, matching her vest. Just like the man in the clearing, she wore fingerless gloves, yet hers were black. Allong with bracelets that turned into her gauntlet weapons. She was the colourful counterpart to her dark clad teammate.

'Yang, we must approach this with caution. We know nothing of his abilities'

'Oh, Weiss, learn to live a little'

'She does have a point, Yang'

'Urg...Both of you need to lit up a bit'

Yang, the blonde, was not willing to go over this again. Weiss, the pale blue girl, had wanted to wait for his 'display of skills, so they would have a tactical advantage. And Blake...was Blake. But her younger sister would agree, right?

'What do you think, Ruby?'

Ruby stared at her teammates and back to their quarry. After picking up the trail of this man, they had approached with causion. According to the recent word on the news, this guy was a murderer and a hazard to other living things. And they had to take him down. Plus, he might have a clue on Tortwick, the outlaw they still needed to find.
As she wanted to respond to their waiting gaze, a long howl echoed through the air again. Ruby's silver eyes darted back and she saw that the wolves backed off. Leaving him alone.

'What the...'

Came the voice of Yang. Weiss her hand lifted and pointed at the man. He had howled. He was the one who made them back off. Her eyes scanning the area. What was going on here. Then, she voiced her burning question.

'How did he do that?'

'And what was all that stuff about brothers of the pack and outcasts?'

Blake's bow twitched. As her teammates knew, Blake was a faunus with cat ears. Ruby had commented on them as cute and her overall appearance was catlike. She was staring at him differently after his howl. Normally, she could identify other Faunus rather fast. Yet this man had nothing strange about him. No ears, no tail, nothing. Perhaps he had hidden features? Claws or nails?

'I think that was a way of speech. Maybe he thinks he's a member of a wolfpack?'

Weiss still couldn't figure out why, but he had a strange way of acting. He wasn't afraid of the wolves. Maybe he was just a crazy fellow. Someone who talks to trees and thinks he's a wolf. He was mostly seen near the forest, according to her scroll data.

'Or he's just better of with animals. Like I was with weapons'

Ruby could swear she saw him looking at them. Her hand drifted to her weapon, Crescent Rose, the scyth weapon she had constructed for herself. But it was all false alarm. He went back to his meditative state.

'Urh, are we going to watch him meditate for another hour? Cause if he does, I think I'm going to die from boredom'

'Preperation is half the battle'

'Or perhaps you four could all just come out of hiding?'

Ruby and her team all had a look of shock on their eyes. As Ruby looked at her teammates, she could see that they all had the same thought: had he known all allong? Ruby tried her best to think up a plan of approach, but her sister had already stepped out and her gauntlets were ready and waiting. With a soft sigh, the other three stepped out their hiding places and 'greeted' him.

'So...'

Ruby saw how his eyes darted from Yang to Blake. And eventually rested upon herself as well. He had strange eyes. As if they could see through you. While still staring, the man crossed his arms.

'...this is the famous team RWBY I have heard so much about. Let's see, you're Ruby, right? With your silver eyes?'

Ruby was shocked. He did know and he knew their names. They all stared at the man. The way he moved his head had something wolf like. Tilting his head after asking the question. Staring at them, with eyes that were not normal. Ruby's keen sense of speed also allowed her to see something in his left eye.

'And a member of the White Fang...oh wait, you're EX member, right? Blake'

Blake didn't seem to respond. Her bodylanguage was unchanged, only for a narrowing of her eye lids. Her bow, didn't move a single time. Her entire focus however, was off balanced. She tried to find a good way to respond. Then, he took away her idea of asking questions.

'Well, how's Adam? Haven't seen him? I would love to hunt him down'

'You hunt Faunus?'

'Nope, I collect'

'Bountyhunter'

'Indeed, better to be a bountyhunter with a moral code then to organise hit and run attacks on inocent people'

'The White Fang used to stand for something good!'

Both Ruby and Yang stared at Blake. She wasn't just angry. She was puched. Yang reached out to stop her. Placing her hand comfortable on her shoulder. Blake's eyes darted back at Yang, a slight hint of deep rooted hate towards this unidentified man. When Yang reached out for Blake, Allowing a clear line of sight for the unnamed man and Weiss, who had been standing somewhat back. Still trying to figure out what his attack technique was.

'Well, this is an honor! Weiss Schnee, Heirress to the Schnee Dust Company'

Weiss looked up. At first she had to fight the urge to say she was recognised. But as she saw the degenerate that identified her, she felt a slight tingling of fear in the back of her head. One time, long ago, she was told by her fatehr she had to watch out. Sometimes, a bad man could come and kidnap her for money, was what he had said. She never really cared for such things because she was safe at home almost all the time. But for some reason...

'Well, whom might you be?'

'Off course, you wouldn't know me. After all I did for him'

Entire team Ruby was amased at how this guy could know who they were all with a single look. Sure, Weiss was a well known girl, but that was just unnerving. Weiss hand slipped back to the hilt of her Rapier. Blake reached for her blade on her back and Ruby unfolded her Sniperclass Scyth: Crescent Rose.

'Please, ladies, there's no need for this. Or does Yang think I'm the same kind of guy like poor Junior?'

Yang's eyes were the expression of her disbelief. Junior? That no life creep with his nightclub knew this guy? She would have to pay him a visit again, from the looks of things. As her mind had formed the question as to how he knew Junior, he responded already.

'No, I'm not a no good henchman of Junior, I simply had a business deal with him a while back. And he mentioned something about you'

'So, you know who we are, who might you be?'

'Why don't you ask Weiss, if she cared to remember'

Ruby and Yang stared at their teammate that was searching deeply within her mind. But she could find no memory of this man. Not in the slightest. And while the eyes were focused on Weiss, the man shot a daring look at Blake. While she was trying her best to stay calm, there was something about his behavior that enraged her ever so more then she already was. His mouth voicelessly formed the sentence that could have been her emotional trigger to cut loose. Like the human body had specific pressure points, so did the mind. And so his lips spoke: 'Well, they seem preocupied. Shall we see if the cat can beat the wolf?'

She absolutely hated that people mistreated her as a Faunus. Carden was a perfect example of why Blake was never openly admitting that she was a Faunus. Humans could only discriminate or downgrade. While the others were all distracted due to his poisonous words, Blake saw a look on his face. A sly grin, resembling the one she had grown to hate within the White Fang. Arrogant and selfconfident to the extend of near egotism and dark intentions. And that's when she, despite her attempts to do the opposite, snapped.

'You human...'

Blake grabbed her Gambol Shroud, folding it up into range mode and swung the blade outwards. Like a Chain Whip, but far more deadly. Yet while the shot alerted the other teammembers, the man sidestepped and managed to grab the weapon. As if he picked a flower, with such ease did he pluck it from the air. Blake was angry, she tried to pull it back. But with a fierce pull, Blake was flung forward and released her weapon.

'One down'

It all happened in a flash. The blink of an eye. Blake's senses even didn't pick it up. Ruby had moved so fast she could have teleported. Standing there to catch a falling Blake while the other two engaged the unnamed man. While Ruby helped Blake recover, a fist filled with a burning fury striked out towards his body. Yet right before she could hit, Yang felt him sidestepping again. And therefor she lifted her leg, roundhousing and kicking high. But he duck underneath. He was like a snake, slithering through the hitzones, taking no hits. Yang became increasinly agitated about the fact she couldn't hit him.

'You are quicker then you look'

'Thank you'

Yang then had him cornered. Faking jabs and striking out at the man who kept dodging her. He had a suprising agility for someone that seemed so 'less then regular'. Yang's eyes began seeing things in a different light. What more things did he intentionally hide?

The way they faught reminded her a lot of the time she had first visited the nightclub of Junior. He had those two henchgirls, Melanie and Miltia, but he moved faster then they did. As if he could see her moves before she even made them.

Suddenly Yang felt a ringing pain in her ears. In the one milli second she was distracted by the speed he was able to maintain, he slammed his open palms against her ears. A simple move that normally would disorient anyone. But Yang wasn't just a normal brawler. She was an advanced brawler! While his arms were retracting in an attempt to defend against her frontal punch, empowered by a shot of her gauntlets Ember Celica, which made contact with his chest and blew him several feet away. Yet unlike other targets that were hit by Yang's punches, this guy simply began spinning around and flung himself backwards, spining around in a clockwise motion and landing balanced and strong on his feet. With a small 'approval' nod of his head, he complemented her attack.

'Nice hook'

'I'll show you another if you come closer'

'Listen, Blondie, I'm not Junior, I'm not stupid enough to fall for that kind of thing'

'And yet, I was the one who landed a hit in out fight'

'True, that's why I complemented upon your hook'

In a split second, Ruby's sense of speed managed to pick something up. A strange symbol was displayed over his left eye. But it was only there for a nano second. As if his eye was blurred or something. Such was the speed with what it happened. And considering no one else noticed this, she simply swept it aside.

Yang felt both joy as discomfort from fighting this guy. It was fun to do something, unlike the boring stake-out. But the fact she only landed one hit upon his body, a very strong hit no less, but he was able to shake it of that easily? Something was off. He had some form of boosted durability or something. Maybe hidden armor under his tshirt. Whatever the case, this skinny twig was nothing if not resiliant.

His hands formed fists, jumping in close to Yang and beginning a tight movement beatdown. With Yang struggling to keep up the blinding fast strikes, she also noticed that the jabs and hits weren't very strong. He was striking very fast, but his hits lacked the power to do real damage. Only minor damage and slight discomfort. But he still stood way to close to use a wide and strong swing. She locked her arms closer in a defensive posture. Blocking most of his punches, yet some did sneak through her defence. As the others began closing in to help, a thin black ribbon flung out and ensnared his right arm. Blake had re-entered the fight.

'Ready for a rematch?'

'Looks like the team is coming down on me, time to take someone out...for good'

Placing his left hand on the ground, he backflipped out of the range of Yang and then released his right arm from Blake's ribbon. But time to comment he had not. Ruby and Weiss both lunged forward to strike him down. He made a high jump, boosted slightly by his fire power like a rocket jump, propelling him slightly higher then that Yang was tall. Again, he spun around and landed firmly a set distance away of the enemy team. His face having an expression of interest. These four were worthy opponents.

Then he lowered himself to the ground and entered a guardstance. He closed his eyes and waited. While Weiss used her glyphs to engage again, Ruby's eyes were able to notice it better this time. In his eyes, a single symbol that resembled a black coloured A on his red eyelense was ever so shortly visable. Ruby tried to warn Weiss, but as she opened her mouth, a hand was placed on her belly. As ruby looked up, she saw his navy blue right eye and his crimson red left eye. As silver stared into red, the A vanished almost immediatly, to be replaced by an inward spiral. Wispering almost inhumanly silent, yet still able to reach Ruby's ears.

'Now, slip into a dream only you could like'

Ruby's silver eyes began to drown into a blur of colours and spirals. She could hear laughter, the sounds of moving chairs and people wispering to themselfs. It was the darkest of places she stood in. As if all light was drained from existance. Then, after a while of trying to move, Ruby heard the familiar sound of Yang's voice.

'Alright sis, you ready for your big suprise?'

'Euh, Yang? Where are we and what are you talking about?'

'My dear sister Ruby, are you implying you don't remember your birthday?'

Yang's immitation of her own voice was scary accurate. Yet she wasn't making any sense. They were in the middle of a fight. Nothing was planned nor was there a birthday party happening. While she was still trying her best to keep her mind together, once the blindfold was removed by Yang, Ruby bursted into a gasp of excitement unlike she had ever done. She was in the best place ever! The Weapons Museum!

His hand withdrew from her belly. His eyes blinked and the red glow faded into a dim light. Ruby stood still. Frozen in mind, her silver eyes stared into nothing. She didn't say anything, she simply fell to the floor. Her knees giving way as they became weak. Ruby's body slowly subcoming under the illusion he had casted over her. Yet, he wasn't a monster.

Grabbing hold of her falling frame, he placed her down on a bed of rose red leaves. After making sure she was safe, he stood up. Only for a massive fist to hook him on the jaw. With the grace of a sinking brick in a pool of water, he flew through the air and crashed back first on a tree. A shot of pain numbed his body. But that was just for a few seconds. He stood to his feet, shakey knees and banging ache in his back. But with a firm twist of his head, he managed to shake it of.

'What have you done to my sister!'

'She's fine, for the moment anyway'

'What have you done to her!'

'Made her go to sleep'

'Calm down, she still has a pulse and she's breathing steadily'

The words spoken by Blake nearly fell on deaf ears. Ruby still stared into the deep nothingness and Yang was on the edge of going into a berserker rage. Her eyes beginning to change colour and her hair beginning to flare up like a tortch. With Ruby out of the fight, he was the fastest of them. Yet speed ment nothing if Yang would knock him out. Plus, he had noticed that Ruby was slowly identifying his unique talent.
Weiss knelt down besides Ruby and began examening her state. Blake saw the angry stare of Yang's eyes and decided to back her up. They both had some payback to take on this guy. Yang swung her arm forward and pumped a shell out of her gauntlets. While Blake took hold of Gambol Shroud and made it in her prefered Chainwhip state to fling it out at him, Yang clashed her fists to intimidate him.

'A berserker, this will be tough'

'Good for you'

'Oh, trashtalk, my turn, come get me blondie'

'I will'

He finally was driven to desperate tactics. As he tried to anticipate their next attack, he was taken by suprise as Blake threw her Gambol Shroud towards Yang and the both of them began forming a sledgehamer. While he was looking at their build-up of momentum, a paralysing cold caught his left leg. He had been distracted and now he payed the price. His boot frozen in a huge block of ice. The sledgehamer, that Blake called the 'Bumblebee', became faster and more deadly. While he still tried to keep his attention on the fists of Yang, another ice blast came his way. But this time, he acted.
Simply on instinct, he drew the Phoenix Blade and sliced vertically down. Yet the blade edge wasn't just steel, there was a small blade shaped fire wave that was sent from the edge. He cleaved the ice in two, forming a small cloud of thick mist.

With one part of his attention spent on the charge up from Yang and Blake, he had little to none options left. Using that one skill would cause him massive damage to his eyes and mind. Yet better to have mental pain and exhaustion that to have his body blown into a tree. As he was about to unleash his trumphcard, he noticed that Weiss had other plans. Weiss lunged forwards, her rapier Myrtenaster aimed at his heart. He acted on instinct, an action he drilled into his body that it came as easy to him as breathing.

His Phoenix Blade made a forward twirl, in the action catching the rapier. Then, using the twirl for kinetic energy, he altered the angle of Weiss' her blade. So as the rapier missed it's target by inches, a large flame shot out from Myrtenaster and set a nearby tree ablaze. Weiss never ment to do it, it's just that she wasn't used to someone who could make such slight yet major angle alterations. She knew only a select few of the Schnee Dust Musketeers had such skill, the elite. Weiss was to struck with confusion to notice the hand that pushed her away.

'I must thank you Weiss, this is a very helpful solution to my problem!'

He extended his left hand towards the tree. His right one held his blade in a defensive posture, diagonally guarding his body. His left eye began radiating a slight hint of red while he closed his right one. Focusing his energy and aura, he reached out in thought. Through his training he made a small part of his aura loose from his body. Then he made it embody the flames eating away at the tree. Like a man with a rope that flung to catch and tame a wild horse. His eye secretly formed a new icon, the A replaced by a unique flame insignia. The same that was carved into the hilt of his blades and on his belt: a rising Phoenix.

'Here comes the Bumblebee!'

Yang blasted herself towards him, releasing the ribbon and flew at him with a high speed. Raising her left fist to hook him out, she barely saw how the fires of the tree came to life! Like a snake that was agitated after provocation, rising high up and hissing fiercely. In a flash, it lunged away, leaving the tree alive and somewhat undamaged. Only to throw a coil around Yang's target and safeguard him.

Yang's fist blasted with a loud explosion into the body of the Fire Snake. Unlike what she thought, her fist clashed on something solid instead of going through the flames. Somehow, the snake wasn't just a manipulation. It was real. It was solid and able to fight back. Yang's eyes darted upwards to see huge firey fangs falling down on her. She raised her arms, trying to defend against massive fangs the size of swords. Thundering roar acompanied by the sight of death. But then, a huge glyph appeared underneath Yang's boots and pulled her out of harms way.

'Thanks Weiss'

Weiss gave a slight nod, gesturing the 'no thanks'. Yang looked at her fists and could see that she wasn't burnt. Or not yet anyway. Darting back at the hissing Snake, Yang realised what he had done. He had projected his aura and gave it a solid figure. Indicating he was a high level user of aura. Like Ren was as well.
He reversed his grip on his Blade and planted it firmy in front of him. Bending down to kneel, he layed his hands on top of the hilt. Then, he opened his mouth and began speaking. Calm and gentle in nature.

'Ladies, allow me to introduce a very close friend of mine...'

The Snake began thrashing. Throwing it's tail and head around and shrieking in pain. And the flames began eating away at the snake. Encasing it completely in fire. Then, it began reshaping. Forming a big orb like figure. The shrieks of the Snake faded to soft wispers of fire and twitters coming from the orb. The sound stopped almost instantly and the orb froze in place. Only for a massive burst of fire to break the orb and a huge bird to arise. Letting out a beautiful cry of melody from it's beak. Spreading blazing wings of fire, simply as an intimidation factor.

'...The Phoenix!'

The size of the Nevermore they had fought, only blazing red and burning bright as a candle in the dark. The Phoenix flapped it's majestic wings and let out a loud cry. A cry that felt demotivating to the three girls and provided a morale boost to the man. His body still in a humble kneel for the bird, which was now staring at Yang with both interest as agression. It was angry alright, in a very bad way.

'How do we stop a huge bird like that?'

'There has to be a weakness. He created it, target him'

'Easier said then done. This Phoenix has more strength then the Nevermore'

'Every creature has a weakness'

'Weiss, just don't'

'Well, I'm sorry for trying to help!'

Weiss turned slightly on her heel, turning a cold shoulder to Yang who in turn glared daggers at Weiss. Blake's eyes darted back and forth between them. Inside fighting isn't aiding the team any way. A house devided cannot stand, a thing that Blake had heard once the new leader in the White Fang rose to power. Whatever the weakness of the bird was, with Yang and Weiss arguing, it was not important. Yet, as her amber eyes gazed over the battlefield, she noticed how the man was making faces of a man that was being put through serious pain.

He was in utter agony. While most aura users weren't open to internal tissue damage from a massive aura attack, simply because they don't know what aura can trully do with training, most simply feel a massive fall in energy. Making you lose balance or pass out. Yet, he wasn't just using aura. He was manipulating it. He had made it into a living thing. The strain he felt was agonising, yes. But there was one skill he could uphold for simply five minutes. But if he would, he needed about hours of recovery. With his special elixer he had crafted to counteract his tissue damage. That being said, he wasn't exactly liking this part.

'Weiss, use your ice attacks on the man, not the bird!'

'What should I do?'

'What you do best, punch him in the guts'

'Sweet!'

Weiss reloaded her Myrtenaster with blue dust and entered an offensive guard posture. Then she reached out and shot a couple of ice blast at him. While at first the shots seemed to come close to hitting him, the wings of the Phoenix caught the shots. But unlike previously with the blade, the Phoenix wings froze over and grounded the bird. The fact it had lost it's power over flight due to frozen wings, caused it to cry out and attack by snapping it's beak at the three girls. Yet those were far to fast. As such a huge bird that had no flight anypore, speed was completely gone.
Yang used the diversion of Weiss to flank around. Blasting around and through the flames, her fists began battering at him. And even though he managed to sidestep, dodge and block most of them, the one true goal was achieved. He had lost his concentration and that ment his Phoenix imploded in a soft explosion and vanished. While that was good for the girls, the man in contrast was limping into a fight that he needed a fully operational body for. So, he needed to disengage. And drink a little. But as he figured that out, a fist broke through his defense. And not a Yang fist, no. Blake had blindsided him and struck him in the ribcase.

A cough made it's way over his lips. As he looked down, there was blood accompanying in his cough. Which was a very bad sign. He needed to get away from there. But they were blinding fast and he was both exhausted and hampered by some damage after both the attacks and his own bad idea of channeling his aura in a Phoenix. Yet there's one slight bright spot in this situation. He wasn't paralysed with major pain, the way he would have been if he had used THAT trick. He made a very bad call indeed if he used his trumphcard. As he drew his Phoenix Blade and his rapier, using his rapier as back-up in a tight set of reposts and defensive manouvres.

'What's the matter, you being beaten by a girl?'

'I might have underestimate you four after all. Especially Blake and Ruby'

'Wait, what about me?'

'Well, blondie, you were as expected, berserkering just like I have seen countless of times'

'Have we met?'

'Would that matter?'

'Euh...Yeah'

'Well, for now, it's fare thee well at best. I will withdraw now'

And suddenly, he just vanished. Yang, Blake and Weiss all stared at the exact spot where he had been standing mere moments earlier. Yet as they looked around, they saw that the twilight was aproaching rapidly. Had he frozen them in time? Because it was like afternoon just a second ago. Blake's amber eyes darted around to find any trace of him. But it was Weiss who actually found it. A small puddle of blood. Quickly grabbing an empty flacon, she began collecting a small sample. Who knows what secret it might hold.

'RUBY!'

Yang yelled out. Concern for her younger sister made her voice tremble slightly. How long had Ruby been out? Dashing forward, Yang knelt down by her sister. Still her silver eyes stared into nothing. Yang, feeling helpless, grabbed Ruby's shoulders gently and pulled her in a hug.

'Come on, Ruby, wake up'

'Maybe we need to get to professor Ozpin?'

Yang was scared. Her eyes never left Ruby's. She was a berserker, yes, but she cared immensely for her sister. As she pulled her closer and began cradling her sister, Blake stepped closer and patted Yang's shoulder.

'We need to get her to Ozpin. He can help, he always helps'

'I'll carry her then'

Alright, that was the first chapter, the 'Pilot' if you would.
Hope you enjoyed. And leave a review if you did, I'd really appreciate it!