**Just a quick reminder about some of the formatting used in performances, in case someone forgot. Lines in (single parenthesis) are sung in a single harmony, with the lead singer being backed up by just one other band member. Lines in ((double parenthesis)) are done in full harmony, with everyone singing.**


In the past, Jaune read horror stories online about how awful soundcheck could be. They were supposedly boring, lengthy, and frustrating. Truly, experiences only the most patient could come away from with a shred of sanity. But, they couldn't be that bad, right? Oh, how naïve he'd been.

Every act took the stage to test their equipment individually. That mean, after each band finished their checks, everything of theirs had to be moved off the stage and replaced with equipment belonging to the next band. After making sure all of their levels were okay, Yang made sure to inform Jaune this process was not normal. Any venue worth its salt would have its own speaker cabinets and maybe even amps, speeding up the process. Ebony's was not worth its salt. The entire thing took almost two hours to complete, and by the time they were done, it was almost time to let in the first customers.

Presently, Jaune stood in the hallway backstage with the rest of his friends. It was either that, or share the lounge with the other two bands performing that night. Unanimously, they chose the latter. Yang leaned back in the corner, arms crossed. Counterclockwise from her found Weiss, Ruby, Jaune, and Blake, all in a messy circle.

"I'm just saying," Yang began, "if you need expensive gear to get a decent sound, that's your own fault. Which isn't a slight against you, Weiss." She added a quick glance to the heiress, who huffed and crossed her arms.

"I didn't think it was."

"It is a bit ridiculous though, isn't it?" Blake offered her opinion. "No one needs a thousand dollar amp."

"That's what I'm saying!" Yang agreed with a wave of her right hand. They'd been talking about this for a few minutes. Apparently, the headliner's lead guitarist had a very expensive amp which no one found necessary. Jaune agreed, but thought it best to keep his mouth shut, lest his ineptitude on the subject show itself.

A lull fell over the group, and Ruby took the chance to pull out her scroll. She ignited the display, and gave a quick squeal.

"It's almost time to go on!" She said with barely contained excitement.

"Finally," Yang said, popping off the wall. "I've only been waiting all day."

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Offered Jaune from out of the blue. Unable to set up any of the equipment during soundcheck, he was desperate to make himself useful.

"Yeah, go keep Penny company," Yang answered.

"Penny's here?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"She makes it out to all our shows, whenever she gets a chance." There was a hint of pride in Weiss's tone, like she was glad to have a fan.

"Yeah, and twenty bucks says she's out there right now, all alone, bored out of her mind," Yang explained further. "Well, probably not bored. You know what I mean." She corrected.

While Jaune couldn't really see how going to talk to Penny helped the band out, he certainly didn't want one of his friends to be alone in a place like this.

"Alright, I'll go find her. See you guys after the show." Jaune said before turning with a wave back to them.

"You know it," Yang called back.

"See ya, Jaune!" That one was Ruby.

The blond boy made his way down the hall, and out the door into the bar proper. It was… much fuller than he expected. Yang said the headliner was kind of a big deal locally, but he never expected this. Every booth was full, not that there were many to fill. The floor played host to just the right amount of people. It was a stellar turnout, but a person could still move about with relative ease. The incoherent murmur of conversation permeated the entire room.

For a second, Jaune stood in front of the backstage door, scanning the crowd. Being a somewhat short girl, one may think it would be difficult to locate Penny among the sea of people. But, Jaune found her in just a few seconds. Hair that vibrantly ginger would stand out on the face of the Sun. The boy pushed his way gently through the crowd—offering apologies whenever appropriate—and made his way over to her.

"Penny!" He called out when she was within easy earshot. She twirled around at the sound of her name. The ecstatic grin plastered on her face widened at the sight of him.

"Salutations, Jaune!" She greeted him with a big wave, even though he was right in front of her.

"Hey, Penny. What's up?" Jaune came to a stop roughly a foot from her.

"I'm waiting for RWBY to come on," she said, as if that weren't obvious. "How about you?"

"I just got done helping them set up not too long ago, so now I'm waiting like you." Jaune paused for a second as something else occurred to him. "Wait, how did you even get in? I thought you were underage."

"I'm eighteen," Penny remarked. "Well, that's what it says on my license, anyway." She smiled. Jaune gave a chuckle at the joke, but deep down his heart sank. Something about the thought of Penny driving a car terrified him.

He could've said more, but an approaching figure caught the corner of his eye. A rather tall man clad in all black walked behind him with a stony scowl on his face. The man elbowed Jaune out of the way as he passed, instead of excusing himself like a decent person. The strike forced some of the air from Jaune's lungs and shoved him a step forward. The blond caught himself on the person in front of him, placing a hand on each of their biceps for support. Thankfully, they both remained upright. Jaune looked over his shoulder with an unimpressed grimace, but then returned to whomever he'd collided with, afraid he may have hurt them. It was only then that he remembered the one in front of him had been Penny.

She had both palms flat against his chest, but that was mostly to help carry his weight. The girl somehow managed to shift one foot behind the other just in time to catch him. Jaune noticed her arms felt quite sturdy beneath his fingers. She was stiff and solid, much stronger than she looked. But, Jaune realized he'd also touched her without express permission. He took a quick step away, flinging his hands away as if they'd been burned.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Penny confirmed. The smile returned to her face, but her eyes were soft around the edges. "That man was rather rude, though. Did he hurt you?"

"No, I'm okay." Jaune shook his head. "Trust me, I've had worse."

"Okay, then! It's good that you are unhurt," said Penny, her previous mirth returning now in full. They both faced the stage, standing just inches apart as the crowd forced them together. A silent moment passed, one that Jaune was determined to stop from multiplying after such an awkward encounter.

"So," the boy began, as he often did, "how many of RWBY's shows have you been to?"

"Oh, almost all of them, at this point. The only time I miss one is when my father has made other plans for me, which isn't very often."

"I guess that makes you their biggest fan, then. Do you listen to Punk Rock like they do?" That was actually something he'd wondered for a while. Penny seemed far too innocent for the brash genre, even moreso than young Ms. Rose.

"Hmm, not really," Penny said after a moment's consideration. "I don't hate it, or anything, but I mostly come to support my friends."

"Well, that's something we have in common," Jaune agreed, though the music was starting to grow on him. Just a little.

They continued chatting idly for a bit. Any discomfort which may have lingered after the potentially unwanted proximity vanished after only a few words. It was as if nothing ever happened, like Penny didn't care. Perhaps she really wasn't bothered. Penny didn't seem the type to get all worked up over a little physical contact, after all. Jaune really admired that kind, positive nature of hers. She was one of the most approachable people he'd ever met.

The minutes flew by as Jaune and Penny spoke, two voices indistinct amongst the crowd. Penny was always fun to talk to. No one ever knew what would come out of her mouth, and that made her interesting.

It was about twenty minutes later when the lights above the crowd went down, and those over the stage flickered to life. Instantly, delighted quiet gripped the room. Jane and Penny joined them, their faces both split in huge smiles, though hers shone brighter than his ever could. It was time. The moment they'd all been waiting for. The double doors behind the stage opened, and out strode RWBY.

Their appearance surprised the blond boy, two of them in particular. Yang and Ruby looked the same as when he'd seen them last. The former had her luscious golden hair up in a ponytail. An almost impossibly tight orange tank top covered her torso, while loose khaki pants hung from her hips. White sneakers completed the ensemble. Ruby wore a violet band logo t-shirt, black mid-thigh length miniskirt, dark leggings, and combat boots. The purple didn't necessarily match her hair, but that was probably the point.

Weiss was largely unchanged. The only difference was the white leather jacket she wore. It hung open to reveal the black shirt beneath, and stopped just shy of her matching belt. A multitude of short metals spikes poked up on the shoulders and all down the lapel. It reminded Jaune very much of a hedgehog.

Blake was the one who really stunned him. She wore even less than during the first time Jaune had watched them perform. Gone completely was the white hoodie from earlier that day. The only article concealing her chest was a black bikini top. It provided adequate coverage to leave plenty to the imagination, and yet revealed enough to draw every eye in the room. The black, thorny vine tattoo worked its way all the way up her right side, coming to rest on her shoulder. The lightly tanned skin of her slim midriff was on display for the whole world to see. At least the rest of her was unchanged, still concealed by black skinny jeans and matching boots.

Jaune had to forcibly tear his gaze away, lest he stare forever. His eyes fell upon Yang, who met deep blue with warm lilac. She showed that signature gigantic smile of hers, and gave him a thumbs up. After a quick scan of the crowd, she stepped up to the microphone.

"Good evening Vale!" Muted cheers rose up to meet her amplified voice. "We are RWBY, and we're here to fuck your shit up!"

With a quick look behind and a nod, the drummer—Ruby—counted them off with a quartet of swift stick taps. The band launched into their first song. Everybody came in at once, playing on the same beat. It was a simple intro, two power chords with some accentuation on the treble via Weiss at the end of each repetition. Jaune's expression brightened. Though it was the same opening number as during practice, it sounded entirely different. The crowd and the venue gave a unique atmosphere. The place was on fire, and the song just started.

The same chord progression continued into the verse. When Yang opened her mouth to sing, it was the same extremely loud and clear voice Jaune had come to know, almost completely devoid of grit or vibrato. He'd never caught her sing any of these songs to the fullest of her abilities, and couldn't wait to hear Yang belt.

I don't know you, but I think I hate you
You're the reason for my misery
Strange that you've become my biggest enemy
And I've never even seen your face

When the chorus came around, it added a third chord, lending more power to the section. Weiss had the harmony in this song, and would in the next one as well.

Maybe it's just jealousy
Mixing up with a violent mind
A circumstance that doesn't make much sense
(Or maybe I'm just dumb)

The intro served now as an interlude, separating the chorus from the next verse-chorus combo, which shared the same instrumentation as the first time around.

You're the cloud hanging out over my head
It all comes crashing down, welting my face
Magic man, egocentric plastic man
Yet you still got one over on me

Maybe it's just jealousy
Mixing up with a violent mind
A circumstance that doesn't make much sense
(Or maybe I'm just dumb)

I'm a chump!

The intro played once again as Yang shouted that last line. The chord progression looped around three times, and everything seemed normal, but Jaune wore a satisfied smirk. Things were far from normal.

Without warning, the song changed completely. The guitars fell away, leaving Ruby to pound an even beat on the kick drum, while Blake played a rapidly descending riff on her bass. Each root note was hit twice before a short walk brought it down to the next. A quick climb up brought the whole thing to a repetition, only to start the process anew.

The entire audience, which had been somewhat bombastic the whole time, quieted down dramatically at the sudden change. A few pumped their fists along with Ruby's drum, but most waited patiently, completely enraptured by the drastic change. If the song shifted once, would it do so again?

Blake kept them waiting. She closed her eyes and leaned back on her left foot, the picture of pure coolness. The crowd watched on with bated breath, eager to see where the journey would take them next. But the groove was completely under Blake's control. The riff looped around once, twice, three times, more and more to draw everyone in. On the eighth, Blake opened her eyes.

When again the bass riff repeated, Yang and Weiss shared a glance and accompanied it with a big power chord. It went around four more times in silence, and then another chord. Blake played twice, and then a chord. After that, she only had time for one entire phrasing before Yang and Weiss played over her.

The guitar chords became a pair, alternating high to low at the halfway point of Blake's part. The song continued to build, until there was little space between the chords to speak of. At that point, Blake abandoned her riff entirely to play along with the guitars.

And then the madness hit. The melody became a single chord struck over and over again, punctuated by triplets from Blake. Ruby lost her mind on the drums. There we cymbals, rolls, and fills all over the place. The kick drum pattern from earlier was the only thing to keep it all together. Weiss and Yang chugged on their single chord, coaxing every ounce of aggression and volume from their instruments.

Yang hopped with each sound, just high enough to barely remove her feet from the ground. They only lasted a few seconds, though, before giving way to a wide stance, guitar slung low. She hung her head so long thick hair cascaded around her fretboard.

Suddenly, Weiss launched into a solo. Though, that may have been a generous term. She slid up high on the neck of her alabaster guitar and hammered out a rapid rhythm, sixteenth notes on the same lofty chord. She paused, and then did the same thing again. The band behind her was steady as the Ice Queen continued her assault. Again and again she played, never once letting up.

After eleven total intonations from Weiss, the song began to slow. It was just sustained power chords, punctuated by insanity courtesy of Ruby. Yang and Weiss took turns hitting the notes, while the blonde assumed a normal posture. Eventually, Weiss hit the final note, letting it ride over everything else.

When she did, the drum beat changed. It slowed significantly, to a more moderate pace. The cymbals faded away, replaced by throaty hits on the toms. All other instruments ceased, but Ruby remained. The younger girl held down the beat, propping up the entire show on her sticks.

For the audience, it sunk in after a few seconds that this was a completely different song. No matter how many times Jaune heard it, he still couldn't nail down exactly where that transition happened. He looked over at Penny, to see if she'd caught on. Whether or not she did, her eyes shone with admiration for her best friend's time in the spotlight. Jaune returned his attentions to the stage in time to catch said attention expand.

Blake made her entrance to the new song with a rapidly descending intro. She then transitioned into a slick little groove, one which fell down and then climbed back up on itself in a constant battle for neck control. It even ended with a few rapid chords, which—as Jaune understood—was rare for a Punk bassist. When it repeated, Yang spoke up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the lovely Ms. Blake Belladonna!" The blonde made a wide gesture to encompass her bandmate, and the crowd cheered their adoration.

The bassist couldn't hide her grin as she continued to play. Yang slid her guitar around behind her back. A few more loops, and the blonde gripped the microphone with both hands, leaning forward just slightly so it tilted toward the dance floor. The bass and drums spilled into the first verse, but the guitars remained silent. Yang's voice dropped down into her much more restrained chest range. She sounded largely the same as before, but markedly quieter and with more vibrato.

I sit around and watch the tube, but nothing's on
I Change the channels for an hour or two
Twiddle my thumbs just for a bit
I'm sick of all the same old shit
In a house with unlocked doors
And I'm fucking lazy

Yang straightened up, whipped her guitar around, and began to play on the same beat as Weiss. Rapid chords ensued from their instruments, which gave way to a more regulated rhythm accentuated with each on beat.

Bite my lip and close my eyes
Take me away to paradise
I'm so damn bored, I'm going blind
And I smell like shit

After the short chorus, the guitars fell away again, Ruby and Blake persisted, but the bass part changed. It bounced between strings, hitting low and high notes before a rapid run slammed into more chords. Jaune liked this one much better, but it only sounded twice before Blake switched back to the intro riff. The second verse was upon them.

Peel me off this Velcro seat and get me moving
I sure as hell can't do it (by myself)
I'm feeling like a bitch in heat
Barred indoors from the summer heat
I locked the doors to my own cell
And I lost the key

The full band came in for the chorus, in the same way as before.

Bite my lip and close my eyes
Take me away to paradise
I'm so damn bored, I'm going blind
And I smell like shit

At this point, the song switched over to the bridge. It was rather simple, just a pair of guitar chords supported by a downward running bass groove and the ever-present anchor of Ruby's drums. It was sung in full harmony, except for the very last word.

((I got no motivation))
((Where is my motivation))
((No time for my motivation))
((Smoking my))
Inspiration

The instrumental break following all of this was just the chorus, no bells or whistles, but also no lyrics. After that, Blake's second bass riff, the one Jaune preferred, came back in as the guitars quieted again. It played through half of the last verse, before going back to the original.

I sit around and watch my phone, but no one's calling
Call me pathetic, call me what you will
My father says to get a job
But he don't like the one he's got
When masturbation's lost it's fun
You're fucking lonely!

Yang screamed the last line, a rough, feral screech unlike anything Jaune heard from her before. It blared around the entire room, yet somehow managed to stay in tune. Jaune was so taken aback; he almost didn't notice the chorus come around one last time. On this occasion it had two complete stanzas to play through, instead of just one. Yang went about them normally.

Bite my lip and close my eyes
Take me away to paradise
I'm so damn bored, I'm going blind
And loneliness has to suffice

Bite my lip and close my eyes
Take me away to paradise
Some say quit or I'll go blind
but it's a myth

The guitars shut up, and Blake played her riff again. After a single repetition, Weiss came in with a little part of her own. They were simple, trebly chords that gave the song an oddly tranquil ending. But if there was anything Jaune knew about RWBY, it was that the word "calm" did not exist in their dictionary.

The next bit was Jaune's favorite of the entire forty-five minute set. Yang began to chug away on single palm-muted power chord. It started out quiet, but with each second it grew louder. At the same time, Blake, Weiss, and Ruby became gradually quieter. The result was an awesome shifting power dynamic. As everyone else faded away, the steady plod from Yang's guitar took over. Before long, all that remained was a single chunky chord powered by an unruly mane of blonde hair. Yang played at her full volume for a couple bars and then began to sing in her normal, super loud and crystal clear tone. For a time, it was just a girl, her guitar, and a message.

I know things are getting tougher
When you can't get the topfrom the bottom of the barrel
Wide open road of my future now
Is looking fucking narrow

Ruby led into the chorus with a roll of the snare, and the entire rest of the band kicked in with full, unmuted notes. The song featured the exact same three-chord progression the entire time, short enough to fit in either the verse or chorus twice. Yang and Weiss shared the harmony on the chorus, both belting it out as if competing for the part of lead singer.

(All I know is that I don't know)
(All I know is that I don't know nothing)
(All I know is that I don't know)
(All I know is that I don't know nothing)

When the verse started up secondly it featured all of RWBY, but was half the length of the first.

We get told to decide
That's right. As if. I'm not gonna change my mind.

(All I know is that I don't know)
(All I know is that I don't know nothing)
(All I know is that I don't know)
(All I know is that I don't know nothing)

Fir the third time, Weiss launched into a solo which was actually just a riff. Four quick, pulled-off notes repeated themselves, and then played through the progression on a single string.

Another verse followed, but with a bit of modulation. The first chord of the progression was played in punch couplets, a short rest between. The following notes came at regular intervals. Each repetition of it followed this pattern.

What ya gonna do with yourself
Boy, you'd better make your mind
What ya gonna do with yourself
Boy, you're running out of time

There came an instrumental break. It was just the same chord progression again, but Weiss played it with full major chords instead of the power 5th variety. The difference was barely audible, but the added treble gave the song a completely different feel. There was also supposed to be a single line in the middle, but Yang chose to omit it for some reason.

The chorus returned after the break, and so did the palm muting from the intro. About halfway through it, Weiss abandoned her spot to stand next to Yang.

All I know is that I don't know
All I know is that I don't know nothing
All I know is that I don't know
All I know is that I don't know nothing

The unmuted chords and harmonies with Weiss came back for the big finish. The Ice Queen stood on her tiptoes to share Yang's microphone.

(All I know is that I don't know)
(All I know is that I don't know nothing)
(All I know is that I don't know)
(All I know is that I don't know nothing)

And that's fine!

RWBY ended with single strikes of the first chord of the song, separated by beat-long rests as Yang shouted her last line.

A single, sustained tone rang out from the stage, touching every corner of the room. A heartbeat passed by.

The crowd exploded. Cheers and clapping echoed off the walls. There were occasional words thrown out, but then promptly swallowed up in the noise. Jaune and Penny added their voices to the cacophony, though the boy almost wished they hadn't. He never would've guessed Penny could be so loud. Something told him even the band could hear her.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Yang called over the audience, her gratitude barely audible even with the aid of a microphone.

That was absolutely incredible, amazing beyond all description. No matter how many times Jaune heard those first three songs in practice, nothing beat the real thing. The band was perfectly in sync, playing off each other to never miss a beat. They all carried their own weight, and added it to a concoction which was both mind-blowing and impossible, yet they pulled it off without a single ounce of strain.

They were unreal, a force of nature which shouldn't have existed but did all the same. They defied explanation. The human brain simply couldn't wrap itself around them. They were an enigma. And that was only their first trio of tunes. If the rest of the night continued in a similar fashion, then scraggly blond boy knew it would be the best forty-five minutes of his life. Jaune may not have liked Punk Rock, but he loved RWBY.


AUTHOR'S NOTES: I think this chapter mostly speaks for itself. A little bit of Jaune and Penny, but it's mostly about the band. Like I said in the notes on a previous chapter, I absolutely do not intend on writing out every second of longer sets like this. It's just the highlights. I'm pretty sure most people don't want to know about an entire 45 minute set and, honestly, I don't feel like writing it.

I hope the little encounter between Jaune and Penny came across okay. It's strange, really. Big, bombastic action set pieces I have no problem with, but little altercations like that escape me.

Songs featured in this chapter, in order of appearance:

1.) "Chump" - By Green Day. Chosen because it ends with the intro of the next song…

2.) "Longview" – By Green Day.

3.) "Knowledge" – By Operation Ivy. Not the Green Day version.

I know someone out there is about to argue with me, so let me give my side of it. We can talk all day about whether or not Green Day is a real Punk band, but there's no denying that both Dookie and Nimrod and real Punk albums. In this instance, I think it's about looking more at the music itself, instead of who made it. Pop-Punk and Power Punk are both real, established subgenres, no matter how much some people out there refuse to admit it.

If you liked this chapter, or even if you didn't please remember to leave a review. I want nothing more than to know what you think.