Chapter 10 - What do you want to know?

Phoenix POV

"You idiot. Why the fuck did you do that?" Phoenix slammed the door to his dorm behind him. Throwing his bag of weapons on the table beside him, Phoenix slid down the door sitting on the ground he put his head in his hands.
"Be a regular student. Avoid attention. Be the loner no one talks to. That's what I had to do to avoid questions about SummerRise being asked." Phoenix mental yelled himself.
"Now you're friends with like eight people who will want to get to know you better. You beat an undefeated fighter why didn't I throw the fight after I saw her record. And I have no team so of course I wasn't going to be another student in the crowd." Tears started to form in his eyes as he lay there. "Why can't I do anything right? I couldn't save them. I'm worthless. I'm a stupid piece of shit." Phoenix punched the side of his head and then his ribs. It hurt more than normal but it made him feel better. "I'm sorry, I promised to stop but I can't. I need you." Phoenix crawled away from the door tears falling off his face.
"Whenever you're sad. Sing one of your songs. You're always calm and happy during them even during the sad ones." The voice came from Phoenix's memories and snapped his focus back to where he was.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Standing up Phoenix looked at the one of the two computers in the room.
"Fingers crossed it isn't broken." He thought. Pulling off his wristband Phoenix split it in half exposing the USB port.
He turned on the computer and started waiting for it to load.
"Better find a new shirt this one is a bit dirty after the fight."
Phoenix began sorting through the pile of clothes Ruby had brought him earlier and picked a shirt with the word "Achieve" on it and a face silhouetted behind it. Pulling off his current shirt Phoenix felt a few stabs of pain from the places where Yang had hit him.
"Damn she hits hard. Those are cracked ribs." Phoenix placed his hand on the source of pain and felt the rapid temperature changes. "Thank Monty bone is easier than tissue."
A tone signaled the computer had turned on. Opening the external drive folder he inserted the USB stick and watched it load.
"1TB of 100TB used." Was the message that appeared beside the stick.
"He really loved computers. I've yet to see computers that big." Phoenix ran a quick scan for corrupt files turning up no results meaning there was no damage. Opening the stick Phoenix watched tens of folders fill the screen. Opening music he clicked the subfolder called "My Songs".
"What do I need? Oh I finished that last." He thought opening a file labeled "Art of War". Lowering the volume of the lyrics he clicked play and listened to the familiar notes. A mic feedback leading into an organ piece.
"I was just a kid then skipping stones, innocent and so alone."
Phoenix's voice carried throughout the room his face relaxing as the song continued.
As he entered the chorus Phoenix began tapping to the drum beat.
The song had a unique sound of a somber score with pieces of electronic but the lyrics contrasted with a more motivational, positive sound and meaning.
"I will never fall. I will never fall. Follow me into the dark and I will lead you into the light." The song ended and Phoenix looked back at the screen smiling, "You always knew the right thing to do." He whispered.
Three light knocks sound from the door. Walking over Phoenix opens the door finding team RWBY.
"Hiya Phoenix! Was - Eek!" Ruby started before squeaking and shielding her eyes with her hands.
Phoenix looks down and sees his bare torso.
"Ehh come in. Feel free to sit anywhere. Where is that shirt?"
Seeing the achieve shirt Phoenix walks over to the bed turning his back to the girls Yang staring at his body. Blake studying the tattoos that covered his back some almost tribal pattern that mirrored across his spine. Weiss glared as he pulled on his shirt not happy at his appearance. The four girls took seats around the room; Ruby on the same chair as earlier beside the computer, Weiss on a bed near the door, Yang and Blake sharing the other bed Phoenix had yet to put anything on.
"Is it safe to look yet?" Ruby asked her voice slightly muffled by her hands.
"Of course you dolt!" Weiss snapped from behind her.
Phoenix chuckled at how innocent Ruby was despite being a huntress.
"Why are you laughing?" Yang asked bluntly.
"Cause Ruby's reaction to the situation amused me." Phoenix answered a smile on his face.
"Now if you don't mind why the hell did you all come here?" Phoenix's small bit of anger coming through in his voice.
"Who the hell are you?" Yang asked.
"As I explained before my name is Phoenix Hart-"
"What's your real name. There's no way some one would be called that unless its an alias." Yang cut him off.
Raising an eyebrow Phoenix smiled. "I'm sorry my name doesn't meet you're standards but I could say the same for you Yang Xiox Long, "Little Dragon.""
Yang's face blanched, Very few people knew the translation of her name.
Blake spoke before Yang could interrupt again. "I believe you that you told us your real name. What I want to know is how could you beat Yang in a one v one fight. She has the best record of anyone in our year. She's also a champion kick boxer."
Phoenix paused for a moment considering the new information.
"I could lie or tell them the truth." He thought as they watched him. "No lying. The truth is better here." He concluded.
"Ok. How'd I beat Yang? I have excellent aura stamina, and as I avoided using my semblance it didn't go down. In response to you being a champion kick boxer Yang, you seemed to have forgotten those principles and relied on brute force with your gauntlets for more power to try and beat me. You were brawling not fighting. Also I was the best amateur Mixed Martial Arts fighter back where I came from."
"Where do you come from?" Blake asked nodding at his previous answer.
"Far away. That's something I'd rather not discuss." Phoenix asked his expression darkening.
Blake nodded understanding the topic was off limits.
"My last question for now. The tattoos, what do they mean?" Blake asked.
"Tattoos?" Ruby asked surprised.
"You had your eyes covered both times you should have seen them. But feel free to take a look." Phoenix answered walking forward turning and crouching in front of Ruby with his back to her, he pulled up his shirt exposing the designs on his back.
"The truth is I've had them for a long time. The central mirror pattern at least has some old meaning I can't remember. The other small ones are designs I liked or are the names of people who are important to me." Phoenix explained rubbing at a small tattoo on his wrist normally hidden by the wristband. "The mirror pattern covers scars that I've had since I was born. It's useful." Phoenix added as Ruby's finger traced over the pattern occasionally feeling a different texture at the scarred skin.
"Was that you singing or something on the computer ?" Ruby asked suddenly.
"When?" Phoenix replied standing up and pulling the shirt down again.
"Right before we knocked we were listening to a song coming from inside the room."
"The singing was me. The music was the computer." He answered with a smile.
"I've never heard that song before." Weiss commented.
"I'd hope so seeing as I wrote it. It's called Art of War."
"You write song lyrics?" Weiss asked stuttering.
"Surprised Ms Schnee? I'm a man of many talents. Some of which I'm good at." Phoenix joked.
"Prove you wrote it." Weiss demanded.
"You four don't take anything at face value do you?" He sighed.
"Nope." Ruby said smiling.
Phoenix clicked open two files on the computer. The editing file of Art of War and a video file.
"There's the song as I wrote it. And the video is of me performing that Christmas movie's song; Let It Go." Phoenix explained while moving away from the computer.
Ruby and Weiss go to the computer to have a look at the video and song.
"You two aren't going to look?" Phoenix asked to Yang and Blake.
"I can hear it from here." Blake answered.
"And I don't care." Yang said glaring at him.
"What do you want to know? Yang, I'm a little pissed off at you coming in here and staring at me." Phoenix spoke quietly causing Yang to lean in at him.
Yang leaned forward putting her hand against his stomach.
"Tell me the truth," she said pressing a narrow object harder against his waist.
Raising his eyebrow Phoenix smiled.
"Really you think a butter knife will make me lie to you to satisfy you?" Phoenix let out a small laugh as Yang's face drained of all colour again after being one upped again by Phoenix.
"You want reassurance that I'm who I'm say I am. Here you go. Ozpin himself interviewed me after I arrived. He was satisfied with my explanations and has allowed me to enrol. If Ozpin trusts me why can't you." During the conversation Phoenix had pushed Yang's hand off his stomach.
He stood up throwing a silver object onto the table.
"And keep your hands to yourself Yang. My cutlery will stay here."
Phoenix said as Yang realised he'd taken the butter knife back from her.
"I'm going to need to ask you all to leave now. I'll see you all for dinner." He stated.
Ruby looked sad but understood he wanted peace and quiet.
"Ok. Lets go team." She said with a small sad smile.
"By the way you sound really good at singing."
The four members of team RWBY walked out of the room and Phoenix locked the door behind them.
"Peace at Last." He thought.

"So Beacon Academy. The finest place on the planet to train to be a hunter or huntress. I'm here five hours. What have I accomplished?"
Phoenix began thinking.
"I've been shot. I've told Ozpin what I needed to. I've made eight friends I think… well at least two; Ruby and Ren. I've shown my weapons. I've defeated an unbeaten fighter and sang when I thought no one was listening and been heard by four people. This has been interesting." Phoenix concluded.
Standing up he muttered; "Well if I'm going to live here I might as well make it more homely."
With that comment Phoenix set to work. He pushed two of the beds together giving himself a double bed. Organising the desks into a work station Phoenix realised he was running low on supplies.
"I never got any dust in town. Damn. Well it's still early I suppose I could go down again and pick up the things I need." Going to his bag Phoenix checked how much money he had. "I need to go to a bank, I have to get some transport."
Sighing Phoenix pulled the bag onto his back. "I could ask Ruby to come I'm sure she could suggest some ideas to improve this room."

A/N

I'm back. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

I lost motivation for this story for so long but I finally have some motivation for it again so lets see how this goes.

Feel free to Follow, Favourite or leave a Review.

See you all soon.