Howdy y'all. So, I previously mentioned that I was going to post pone the next chapter due to my business trip. Well someone done fucked up and my group got pushed back like 10 hours….so I busted out this chapter for y'all. Here we go!
It had been a week since the incident with Velvet in the stairwell. Fortunately for the faunus her stay in the infirmary had only been for a few days. By Wednesday afternoon she had been released back to her team's dorm room. She had not spoke to anyone outside of her team and Coco had made sure it stayed that way. More then a few curious students were sent scurrying for cover after attempting to knock on team CFVY's door. This created an air of mystery surrounding the rabbit faunus's trip to the emergency wing of the infirmary. Since Velvet was not talking that left only one other option to obtain information on the ordeal from: Cardin Fucking Winchester. Not a single student could be found amongst the general population that was ballsy enough to approach the ginger giant. That did not mean that there were no exceptions to the rule. A blonde exception. An angry blonde exception. But that comes later.
Cardin, for his part, had been taking the ordeal in strides. He had already abandoned his 'Be Better Plan'. It wasn't due to anything on his part. NO. He was fully prepared to help little old ladies cross the street, shake hands with all the fucking faunus, and take the skinny shits like Jaune to the gym and teach them how to lift. When Velvet would not talk about what happened to her, and it was know that Cardin was involved to some degree, most students assumed that he was to blame. Could he have set the record straight? Yes. It would have been all to easy to stand up in the cafeteria and boast about his miraculous shift of faunus hating bully to defender of the meek. He could have proved everyone wrong and put his conscious at ease…and in doing so ruin Ozpin's investigation into Velvet's drugging and assault. Worst of all, it would ruin Cardin's chances of finding the real culprit first and dealing out his justice. What was that saying he had heard before? 'Wash away your sin with the blood of the damned'? That probably was not in the bible…but it sounded pretty fucking metal. If Cardin Winchester fancied himself anything in this life, it was that he was one metal motherfucker. So, for the past week, most of the student body gave Cardin their dirtiest looks all the while keeping at least thirty feet away. He even had his own corner of Prof. Ports lecture hall to himself. The 'Cardin Zone' grew even larger when he visited any of the school's weight rooms. Coincidentally, he had begun a new power lifting routine this week. The sight of the red head angrily slinging heavy weights around usually gave him some space, but with the new rumors it all but left him alone in his new found Swolehalla.
That is why Cardin expected no company on this fine Superset Sunday. He warmed up with a few three hundred pound deadlifts before occupying the squat rack. He set up two hundred on each side of the bar, locked the plates in place, and went to town. He loved the feeling of just going at it in the gym. Leave the books to Schnee and Jaune, Cardin had the iron and he loved it. It was in the euphoric state of the lift that prevented him from noticing the blonde interloper approaching from the rear. Most would have seen the blonde bombshell's approach, the standard practice to look into a mirror to ensure proper form. Cardin had no need for such novice measures. He could feel if his body had been forced from the perfect squat posture. Currently, his squats were flawless. Brodin himself would have wept at the magnificence of his form. The brawler known as Yang Xiao Long stood behind Cardin with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. She had been wanting to get her hands on Cardin ever since her first time witnessing his bullying in the cafeteria. Given the events of the last week, she was sure no one would blame her for going at it with him outside of the ring.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? The big bad Cardin Winchester all alone without any of his goons to back him up. Wonder what might happen to him~" The blonde teased the ginger as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, setting up one of her signature puns. "I think he is about to get squat-shed!" Yang paused for dramatic effect, waiting to see Cardin tremble in fear at his imminent demise. After he completed another five squats Yang let the air out of her chest and sighed, "Fine…I know it wasn't great, but I had to come up with it on the spot. Punning is hard enough when you are doing it to people you actually give a shit about, ya know?" Again, she waited for Cardin's response. Again, he just kept pounding out squats like a man possessed. Eyes growing red, and aura starting to burn, Yang assumed a boxer's stance, "You keep ignoring me and I don't even care, I will put you through two walls before I even start to hurt you!"
Yang's fist was cocked back and ready to strike when Cardin put up the weight and released the bar from his grasp. As he turned to face Yang, rolling his neck, it was then she noticed the earphones connected to his scroll hanging off his waist. Yang's jaw visibly dropped. The ginger had not heard her over his music. In fact, when he turned around and saw her, he jumped back and hit his head on the bar. One hand went to the back on his head (thank Oum for aura, right?) and the other yanked his earbuds out of his ears. Yang was about to make a quip about the mace wielder but was cut off by the deafening blast of Viking Metal,
Mighty Thor grips the snake
Firmly by its tongue
Lifts his hammer high to strike
Soon his work is done
Vingtor sends the giant snake
Bleeding to the depth
Twilight of the thunder god
Ragnarök awaits
Twilight of the thunder god
Twilight of the thunder god
Twilight of the thunder god
Twilight of the thunder god
[Epic and Brutal Guitar Rift]
Thor! Odin's son
Protector of mankind
Ride to meet your fate
Your destiny awaits
Thor! Hlödyn's son
Protector of mankind
Ride to meet your fate
Ragnarök awaits
Throughout the playing of the song, Yang stood speechless. She knew music like this existed, but she had never heard it before. To say that is was different from the usual club music she listened to would be a major understatement. While Yang stood, mouth agape, Cardin watched her with mild apprehension. When he turned around and saw her there, fist cocked back, he expected a Coco style beat down. Her freezing upon hearing his music…was unexpected. The song's end reminded Cardin to pause his scroll. His actions knocked Yang from her daze. Blinking a few times, she relaxed her stance, "What was that?" Cardin froze and slowly pointed at his scroll, "You mean the song? You don't know the song?" The redhead's question to her question, threw her off. Yang didn't even know what to say. She just stood there, eyes traveling between the scroll and its owner. Cardin took in a deep breath, "You don't know 'Twilight Of The Thunder God' by Omon Omorth?" The brawler shook her head, "Should I?" Cardin dropped his arms in disbelief, "Jaune said you were cool…" With that he barreled past the blonde and straight out the door. It took a few seconds for this to register in Yang's brain, "What?!" She then took off after the leader of team CRDL.
Yang was confused by the path which she followed Cardin. Was he going back to her dorm? When they turned down her hallway she almost yelled out to him…until he started pounding on JNPR's door. When she caught up to him a groggy Jaune and answered the door. He looked between Cardin and Yang before sighing, "…I'm not helping you fight her…" Cardin facepalmed, "No faggot, listen. You said Yang was cool right?" Jaune again looked between the other blonde and the red head, "…she has a fucking motorcycle…" Cardin then pointed an accusatory finger at Yang, "She has never heard 'Twilight Of The Thunder God'." He paused like he was about to reveal some deep, dark sin, and whispered, "She doesn't even know about Omon Omorth…" At this utterance, all the color left Jaune's face and the two boys just stared at Yang.
Yang had been watching this exchange silently. She knew that Jaune and Cardin and attempted to work things out after Forever Fall but she had not expected this level of…broness? She was still in shock from their conversation when she realized the boys staring at her, "What?" Now she was starting to get annoyed. Jaune was the first to speak, "Yang…I said you were cool…how could you embarrass me like this? Yang was about to tell Jaune off, finger in the air, rage on her breath, when Cardin clapped a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "She embarrassed all three of us little buddy." He looked off into the distance, "This shame…we shall never recover from it." He quickly turned and headed off, "I'm going to the roof to beg the gods of Metal to forgive us all with burnt offerings and displays of sweet air guitar." Jaune nodded his head, "I'll meet you later. Maybe I can find something in the lyrics to set us on the right path." He turned his head to his fellow blonde, "Really Yang?" He then closed his door, leaving her alone in the hallway with her thoughts. After a few silent moments, she turned, entered her dorm room, ignored her sister's questions, laid face down into her pillow, and screamed as loud as she could.
Hope y'all enjoyed. Again, I own nothing. Names have been changed to protect the innocent parties until proved guilty. Any likeness to a celebrity or band is used in tribute.
P.S. Look up: Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God