Cardin and the rest of my team came back soon after. They all surrounded my bed.
"Alright freak who and what the hell are you?" Cardin asked.
"We'll as you recently saw I'm a lion faunus. I happen to be a guy. I can be an asshole when I'm provoked. Like for example when I see someone attacking a harmless girl for no reason. Oh and I'm tired of getting grouped in with you jackasses. I don't go around harassing other students for no reason yet somehow people group me in with you because I was unlucky enough to get placed on the same team with you. Let me know when you hear what you were looking for." I said.
"Cardin is our leader. Your leader. Your not supposed to attack him in the middle of the cafeteria." Sky said.
"Yeah he's our leader. He's a poor excuse for one. A child can do a better job. In fact a child IS doing a better job. I thought you guys would know the difference between right and wrong but apparently your just blind and would rather follow him even though you know it's not right. I haven't figured out the reason why you choose to go along with it though. Is it cause you think it's right? Are you scared of him? Are you guys just stupid?" I said.
"We do it because we respect him. As should you." Russel said.
"You respect a guy who has absolutely no compassion for others? From what I saw that girl was minding her own business and you walked up and began making her feel uncomfortable and pulling her ears." I said removing my gloves again. I pushed Russel out of the way as I stood up.
"What choice do we have? He was chosen to lead us." Dove said. I grabbed him by the collar and raised him off the ground.
"You have the choice to not go along with this asshole. Maybe if you stood up to him and showed him that what he's doing is wrong maybe he'd get the hint." I said pointing to Cardin. I let go and he fell backwards.
"That's enough freak." Cardin said grabbing my shoulder.
"If you don't want me to kick your ass I suggest you get your hand off of me." I said.
"Hey Cardin how about we go to the training hall for this. Maybe knock some sense into him." Russel said.
"Russel that is the smartest thing you've ever said. Don't wanna leave blood stains on the floor." I said.
Cardin let go and shoved his way past me leading everyone out of the room.
"Oh this is gonna be fun." I said. I started heading out the door when a large man in green blocked my path. "Excuse me sir. I have some people I need to torment." He shoved me back into the room knocking me to the ground. He walked in and grabbing my jacket and lifting me up.
"Care to rephrase that." He asked.
"I would, but it's probably the most realistic answer you'll get." I said grabbing his arm.
"Yatsu stop!" Velvet said grabbing his arm as well. "He's the one who helped me."
The large man set me down. "My apologizes, but meeting someone and telling them your about to go torture someone isn't the best opening."
"You're not wrong. Velvet what are you doing here?" I asked.
"She's really bad at hiding when something is bothering her. Along with that her team is very protective of her." Another girl said.
She tapped The large green man on the chest causing him to take a couple steps back. Allowing another guy to also step forward. The girl was wearing a light brown long sleeved shirt and a dark brown beret. The guy had dark shin and copper colored hair. He wore a orangish colored vest with black jeans. The girl stepped forward and looked me up and down.
"Interesting style. Now care to tell me who you plan to attack?" She asked.
"Well first off you're choice of clothing isn't have bad either madam. As far as who. That would be my currently absent team. They think they can just go around and harass anyone they feel like. So I'm gonna go beat some sense into them." I said.
The girl tipped her aviators down giving me a good look at her dark brown eyes. I mimicked her by tipping my sunglasses down as well. She smiled and pushed them back up.
Alright kid but were coming with. Since it sounds like it'll be four on one we can't have them killing you if things get out of hand. Seems like it would be a huge loss." She said. Holding out her hand. Which I immediately accepted. "Coco Adel. You've already met Velvet. The silent one over here is Fox, and the Jolly Green Giant over here is Yatsuhashi."
"Nice to meet you all. I'm sure my "Team" has finished getting ready and worried about me. We shouldn't keep them waiting." I said heading off towards the training hall with them following me.
When we got there Cardin had his back turned to us. Sky pointed us out causing Cardin to turn around.
"So the big bad kitty was to scared to fight us alone so he went and found some help. Not only that but he brought his girlfriend. You really think the little bunny can help you when she was scared of us?" Cardin said.
"Listen here you little..." Coco started saying before I stepped in front of her.
"Easy cutie. I got this." I said turning to her. I lowered my glasses again and winked at her. I pushed them back and tuned my attention back to Cardin. "They aren't here to help me. See I don't need help to kick your asses. You attacked their teammate, and they didn't take to kindly to that. In fact they almost attacked me for it. So it's giving me extra motivation to beat you guys." I took off my overcoat and hat placing my glasses and gloves in my hat. "Would you mind holding on to these for me" I said handing them to Coco.
"Uh Sure?" Coco said taking my coat and hat.
I started walking towards the four of them. "Oh good you remembered your weapons. It'll be a fair fight now." I stopped and pulled out my scroll and ran back to Coco. "I'm gonna make this interesting. If I can beat them by the end of this song you have to go out with me this weekend."
"You really think that will be possible?" She asked.
"Oh I guarantee it." I said.
"Alright let's see if you're as good as you claim." She said taking my scroll.
I ran back towards Cardin and cracked my knuckles. "Hit it."
(Cue Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold)
Cardin was the first to charge at me. I ducked down and punched him in the stomach. I jumped up and have him an elbow to the back. I grabbed his arm and gripped it hard enough that he released his weapon. I threw him at Russel and chucked Cardin's mace as hard as I could at Sky's face. Knocking them both to the ground and distracting Dove.
I ran up at Dove and locked his arm causing him to drop his sword. I repositioned so he was behind me with his arm over my shoulder. I grabbed his arm and tossed him over me causing him to land on Cardin and Russel. I picked up Cardin's mace and Dove's sword and charged at Sky. He finally recovered only for me to slam him with the mace again. Knocking him into the rest of the pile. I fired a few rounds from Cardin's mace at the pile of my team.
"That's enough!" A woman called out. I turned back to see Professors Goodwitch and Ozpin in the entrance. I tossed the two weapons on the pile of my teammates. "Mr. Finch what do you think your doing?"
"Sparring?" I said shrugging my shoulders.
"Looked to me like you are attacking you're teammates." Professor Goodwitch said before turning to Coco's team. And you four did nothing to stop him. I would think second year students would know better!"
"Mr. Finch I assume you have a good reason for this related to what we talked about earlier?" Ozpin asked.
"As a matter of fact I do. See after we finished our talk I went to the cafeteria and saw my teammate's harassing Velvet. I stopped them and they decided to try fighting me. After I went back to our room they started trying to pick another fight with me. So I agreed to let them try another four on one situation with me. I promise this was all for a noble cause." I said.
"And this cause would be?" Goodwitch asked.
"Does rehabilitation count?" I asked.
"What does that mean?" She asked.
"For weeks Cardin and his goons in the pile over there. Have gone around bullying and harassing other students. I've tried to stay out of it. I tried distancing myself. Because of their actions other students think I'm just as bad as them and have began avoiding me. I thought maybe if I knocked some sense into them and shattered their prides a little maybe they'd get the hint and end all of this." I said.
"Why didn't you go to a teacher?" She asked.
"Technically I did. As I previously stated I did talk to Ozpin. He gave me advice on how to deal with the situation. Besides even if I had gone to you. What would you have done? Give them detention? That will teach them. Suspend them? That's a reward. They don't have to go to classes. Expel them? Then they will just take this behavior somewhere else.? Bullies don't learn with those methods. They learn by getting a taste of their own medicine. It's the golden rule do unto other as you would have them do to you. They wanna attack people they got attacked. I stopped Cardin from attacking me and I will gladly keep teaching him this lesson until he stops bullying others." I said.
"I will admit this isn't quite what I expected. However time will tell the results." Ozpin said before he began walking out.
"You aren't going to do anything?" Goodwitch asked.
"No. He took my words to heart and took action on them. Sometimes a huntsman must do what's necessary even if it's not what everyone agrees with. Mr. Finch is to receive no punishment nor is team CFVY. Had the fight gotten out of hand they would have stepped in." Ozpin said.
Professor Goodwitch sighed before following him out.
I checked the scoreboard and say they were nearly defeated anyway.
"So should I deplete your auras or do you wanna give in?" I asked walking closer to my team.
"We give." Russel, Sky and Dove said.
"Cardin?" I said lifting his head up. He spit in my face. "Good answer."
I lifted him up and kicked him towards Coco and her team. I ran over to where he landed and jumped on his back. Causing him to scream in agony. His aura was gone. Any further attacks would inflict actual damage.
"Are you gonna stop harassing people? Please say no cause then I can start breaking bones." I said.
"Alright fine you crazy fuck." Cardin said.
"Good boy. Now you can start by apologizing to Velvet. Russel, Sky, Dove. That means you guys too. Get over here and beg Velvet to forgive you!" I yelled out.
"Artemis this isn't necessary." Velvet said.
"Oh it most definitely is." Coco said handing my stuff to Yatsuhashi. She knelt down and lifted Cardin's head up. "You and your lackeys just got your asses kicked by one guy. We find out you are still continuing to bully students you'll have to deal with us as well. Now apologize to my teammate."
"Alright alright I'm sorry. Happy?" Cardin said.
"Velvet do you accept his apology?" Coco asked.
"Y-yes." Velvet said.
"No you don't." Coco said. She slammed Cardin's head into the ground before pulling it back up. "Try again. Be warned I'll keep doing this until I know you mean it."
"I'm sorry I wont harass anyone anymore." Cardin said before getting his head slammed down again. "I'm sorry Velvet. Please forgive me. I swear I wont bully anyone anymore." She slammed his head down one more time. This time you could see tears streaming down his face. Dripping onto the ground along with the blood coming from his nose and mouth. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Coco that's enough. Please." Velvet said trying to pull her leader away from Cardin.
Coco stood up and walked towards the other three. "If you don't wanna end up like him apologize, and get him out of here."
They all ran over and got on there knees and apologized over and over to Velvet before grabbing Cardin and leaving with him. Coco walked back over and grabbed my things from Yatsuhashi and handed them to me.
"Your song ended right before Ozpin showed up." Coco said.
"Shit and here I thought it would have been an easy bet." I said putting my stuff back on.
"See you Saturday at five." Coco said.
"But I lost the bet." I said confused.
"Yep." She said.
"Coco did you really have to go that far?" Velvet asked.
"No one hurts my teammates. Anyone who does will feel my wrath. All I did was make sure he was honest with his apology." Coco said.
"I like your style." I said.
"You'll enjoy more than that by the time I'm done with you." She said lowering her glasses and winking at me.
After that she led her team out of the arena. I since the rest of my team left their weapons laying around when they ran away. I decided to pick them up and place them in my locker until tomorrow. I started heading back to the dorm feeling like someone was following me. I turned in time to see someone lunge towards me and tackle me to the ground.
"Blake? Is that you?" I asked.
"Why are you here?" She asked.
"Well the training hall is always lovely this time of night. However you just can't beat the calmness of an empty hallway." I said.
"You know what I mean. What are you doing at Beacon?" She asked.
"Laying on the floor with Adam's ex-girlfriend on top of me." I said.
"Stop being a smart ass. Why are you here?" She asked.
"Look I'm not with them anymore if that's what you wanna know. Not sure why you really care anyway." I said.
"I don't. I mean I do. I mean. I thought you were still with them and sent to drag me back." She said.
"Yeah well I'm not. Mind getting off of me?" I said.
"If your not here because of that then why are you here?" She said getting up.
"Don't flatter yourself by thinking it has anything to do with you. I left the White Fang shortly after you did. Ever since we started getting more and more brutal I wanted out. I'd been questioning what would happen if I left for a long time. For a while I was worried Adam or Sienna would send a team to kill me. When you left I saw that Adam didn't even chase after you. I figured if his lovely girlfriend got away with no problem then I would be fine. So I left. Burned anything related to them and decided that I wanted a new chance. The last thing I expected was to run into another former White Fang member. Least of all you. I said getting up and turning away from her.
"Artemis I'm sorry. I wish I could take it all back. If I had... maybe things would have been different between us." She said.
"We all have regrets Blake. I know I certainly do." I said.
"Maybe we can start over. Maybe this time things will turn out different." She said.
"Or maybe things will turn out the same again. I'm not giving you the chance to break my heart again." I said turning back to her.
"I'm sorry" She said holding her arm.
"So am I." I said walking away.
I got back to my dorm to see my team talking on Cardin and Sky's beds. Cardin had an ice pack on his face. I didn't say a word and went straight to my bed. I grabbed a pair of headphones from my nightstand and headed back towards the door.
"Artemis wait." Dove said.
"What do you want? Make it quick." I said.
"We did some talking and were all really sorry for the way we've been acting. We promise were not going to be doing any of that anymore." He said.
"You're sorry. I guess that makes everything okay then right?" I said clenching my fists.
"Dude are you okay?" You were all smiles when you were with that girl and her team." Sky asked.
"Beating the shit out of us." Russel added.
"It's none of your fucking business!" I yelled before slamming the door behind me.
I started walking around looking for a place to be alone. I eventually found a balcony to sit at for a while. I pulled my scroll out and plugged my headphones into it. It was then I realized this was the first time I'd looked at my scroll since beating my team. I had a message from Coco on it.
'So I went ahead and put our numbers in your phone for ya. I also had Vel take a few pics you might enjoy. Feel free to hit us up any time. ;)'
I looked though the pictures and saw a majority of them were highlights of the fight. She somehow managed to get a perfect shot of when Cardin's mace made contact with Sky's face. She also had Velvet take a few pictures of her. This must have been when Goodwitch was yelling at me. I went to switch to my music and noticed that she had also put one of the pictures as my background. I smiled and turned to my music.
(Cue Lost in You- Three Days Grace)
"Of all the people from my past I could have run into. It had to be her. Couldn't have been Ashe or Opal. Hell I'd even rather see Shinku, and that fucker tried to kill me three times. No it had to be the girl that stole my heart and stepped on it." I said.
"You always come up here and yell out nonsense?" A female voice said walking up next to me. She had long purple hair. She wore a Purple long sleeve shirt that covered her hands and skirt with black leggings underneath.
"Do you always listen to peoples private conversations?" I asked.
"Doesn't a conversation require at least two people?" she asked.
"Maybe I was talking to a chameleon faunus that was blending in to the area." I said.
"While that's not impossible I doubt it's true." She said.
"I'm sorry is there something I can help you with?" I asked getting slightly annoyed.
"Probably not, but if you want someone to talk to I'll listen." She said.
"I don't even know you." I said.
"Didn't I introduce myself? Oh well. I'm Violet." She said.
"Artemis. So care to explain why you're here, and why you were eavesdropping on me?" I asked.
"Well I like to come up to get a little air. I have been for a few days. Today was the first time I met a new friend up here." She said.
"When did I agree to be your friend." I asked.
"A couple minutes ago." She said.
"No I didn't." I said.
"Yes you did." She said
"No I didn't." I said.
"Yes you did." She said
"No I didn't." I said.
"No you didn't." She said
"Yes I did... Alright you win." I said
"Told you, and I wasn't intending to eavesdrop. It seemed like something was bothering you pretty bad. I wanted to make sure you were okay." She said.
"You just walked up to someone you have know clue about. Who just said someone tried to kill them three times." I said
"Well to be honest it's not so much what you said more where we are." She said looking over the edge of the balcony.
"You really are a strange one aren't you Violet?" I asked.
"Some call it strange. Others call it insane. A few call it crazy. I even had a one person call me Looney McCrazy queen of the insane. I prefer unique." She said.
"Someone actually called you that?" I asked trying not to laugh.
"Yep. Although they were like five. So it's probably one of the better things I've been called." She said.
"I don't know what brought you up here but I'm actually kinda glad you were here." I said.
"Well I'm not that interesting. However should we meet again maybe we could get to know each other better. However it's getting pretty late we should both be getting to bed. We still have classes tomorrow." She said.
"Yeah I suppose your right. You know I could just give you my number and we wouldn't have to leave these meetings to chance." I said.
"That's no fun though. Planning things takes the excitement out of things. Surprises are more fun." She said as she headed out the door.
"That is one odd girl." I said walking towards the door.
"I've heard that one too." She said popping her head back in the doorway before taking off again.
I laughed a bit and headed back to my dorm. Luckily they all were asleep by now so I didn't need to explain anything. I laid down and looked over the pictures Velvet took again. I stopped when I saw a darker figure in the background of one of them. I zoomed in to see a cloaked figure with what looked like green hair falling out of the hood.
"Clover?"