Chapter 14: Differences and Injuries

Kevin was having a very hard time figuring out a way to train Ruby, And could you really blame him? Kevin was a tank with a short-ranged weapon suited to defense, while Ruby was the exact opposite, being an attacker with a long-ranged weapon suited to offense. On top of that, the way they used their weapons were completely different. Ruby zipped around using the recoil of her rife, while Kevin sat in one place, resisting the recoil of his weapon. He had no idea how he would train someone like Ruby, while their only similarity was that they both used big, heavy weapons.

Speaking of which, while he was thinking of this, he was basically wasting time, knocking Ruby around. Currently she was above him, coming down with a strike to the head, but by now, you probably know how that song and dance goes. The point is, Ruby landed on the wall, and she didn't get up. Kevin was kind of worried that her aura might deplete soon, so he tried his damndest to think of a way to train Ruby while she was out, so that he didn't break any bones.

"Having a tough time, Kevin?" Said Dusty, walking over.

"Yeah, I can't- where's the Bitch?" asked Kevin, realizing that Yang wasn't with Dusty.

"Knocked out cold, same as Ruby." Replied Dusty. "Seems we both have some free time on our hands. So, back to what you were saying?"

"Yeah. I can't really think of a way to train Little Red when her weapon style is so different from mine, and I don't suppose you have any ideas either."

Dusty thought for a moment.

"Not really."

"Well, that's just fuckin' great." cursed Kevin. Kevin had not come across a problem he couldn't burn or bash the brains out of before, and it was pissing him off.

"Maybe you could find a way for her to train herself, and you just help her along, or something like that."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?"

Dusty pondered for a moment. "Not really sure."

"Then was there any point in saying that?"

"Not really, I'm just grasping at straws here. Oh, I've got it. What are the key aspects of Ruby's style? The ones that make her style dangerous?"
Kevin thought for a bit, then said, "The ones that were most annoying was her speed, and the fact that she can change direction almost instantly."

"Then find a way to train those, and make her style even more dangerous, or... Something like that..." Said Dusty, losing his train of thought.

"Any ideas on how I would do that?"

"... Nope."

"You really are terrible at this, aren't you?"

"Yep." said Dusty. Dusty looked over to Yang, still unconscious on the floor.

"Are... You quite sure your girlfriend's okay?" Asked Kevin, teasing but still serious.

"I dunno, she's usually up and at me by now." Said Dusty, worriedly. "Shit, I think I might have given her a concussion..."

"Well, you have fun with that. I'm gonna go check on Little Red."

"Later."

"Later"

Dusty walked over to Yang, feeling the place on her head where he had hit her. Sure enough, it was bleeding pretty badly.

"Shit." Said Dusty.

...

Weiss, who was just getting up after the 52nd match (Yes, she was counting), got a call on her scroll. Blake, who was about thirty miles away, sleeping in her tent, also got the call. It was from Dusty.

"Hello?" they both answered.

"Hey." Said Dusty, sounding drunk. "Sorry to call ya in th' middle of training, but I have some purdy serious news. Yang is currently incapacitated in th' Infirmary with a concussion and a skull fracture-"
"WHAT?!" Weiss and Blake screamed into their scrolls.

"OW. Look, I don't wanna interrupt your training, but y'all need to get back here ASAP and see Yang. She needs company right now more th'n anything else. Later."

Dusty hung up. Ringing silence, weighted with the news they had just received, hung thick in the air. After a minute or two, they finally were able to comprehend the weight of the situation.

"What was that about?" asked Eddie.

"We need to get to beacon RIGHT NOW!"screeched Weiss.

"Hey, Blake, go back to sleep. We need to-" began Roy.

"We have to leave, NOW!" screeched Blake.

...

Thirty minutes later, Weiss, Blake, Eddie, and Roy arrived at beacon at the same time, running into each other at the entrance. Neither of them talked, too focused on their goal. Three Minutes later, they stopped at the Infirmary door. Remembering never to disturb a patient, they entered quietly.

"Girls, what is this about- oh." said Roy.

The scene before them was not a pretty one. Yang was lying on a infirmary bed, barely awake, with her head bandaged and bleeding. Her eyes were open, but there was no light in them, like a dead fish. Ruby was lying over her leg, crying, and Dusty was next to her, his head in one of his hands, a beer bottle in the other. Kevin was standing, with a dark look on his face.

"What the... Hell.." stuttered Eddie. "What... Happened?"

There was no need for him to ask. They all knew what had happened, even without explanation. They all knew this day would come from the first day Dusty and Yang started training. The nurse walked in, and Weiss and Blake immediately asked "Is she going to be okay?!" in unison.

"I'm not quite sure. It's a skull fracture on top of a concussion. There may be long-term effects." she replied. "What I'm more concerned about is, how did she get such an injury with an aura as strong as hers?"

No one said anything for a minute, then Dusty, already drunk off his ass, spoke up.

"It was me." He said "Yang and Ah've been goin' through some purty serious trainin' for a good while now. She was keepin' me on mah toes so much, Ah..." He stopped short.

The nurse looked at Dusty with a stare that could impale a person.

"I have no influence over your decisions, but as a nurse, I highly advise that, unless Yang makes a complete recovery, you stop this training at once. If she gets another injury like this, it could be fatal."

Those words did not help the situation. Ruby went from crying to wailing, Dusty dropped his beer (which smashed), and put his face in both of his hands, and the rest of Team RWBY just stared on in a state of shock.

"Where... The fuck... Am I?" said a shaky voice.

"Yang!" cried Ruby. "Are you okay? What-"

"Shut th' fuck up, Ruby!" Hissed Dusty. "She don't need someone yellin' at her right now!"

Ruby stopped talking, and the nurse walked over.

"Miss, can you tell me what your name is?"

Yang completely ignored the nurse, and slowly turned her head towards Ruby and Dusty. "Ruby? What- where-" She started, confused.

"Yang, lissin to th' nurse." Said Dusty. Yang, squinted at Dusty, and then her eyes snapped open, the light returning.

"Dusty?! What the- Owwwwwwww..."

"Miss, please calm down. Can you tell me what your name is?"

"Yang. Yang Xiao Long." Yang replied, trying to calm herself.

"Very good. Now, what is the last thing you remember?"

Yang thought for a moment. "I was training with Dusty, and I threw a jab, and then-"

She stopped, not remembering anything else.

"Can you confirm, Mr. Revick?" the nurse asked Dusty.

"Yeah. Just a'fore she passed out, she threw a jab, an' Ah counter'd..." He slurred.

"Very good, Miss. Now, can you tell me the names of everyone in this room?"

Yang looked around, and named everyone in order.

"Well, there's no memory loss at least. Very well, then. You may visit for a few minutes. The headmaster and his assistant will be in shortly."

The nurse left.

"Well, shit, we're dead." said Kevin, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. Everyone was too shocked to talk, and for a few minutes, everyone sat in silence (besides Ruby's crying).

"Well," Yang said. "I suppose there is a bright side to this."

Dusty, depressed, asked "How can this have a bright side?"

"This'll give you guys a chance to catch up." she said.

"What do you mean?" Asked Blake.

"I mean, if Dusty and I kept training, I would have kept getting stronger, and you guys would have never caught up to me." Replied Yang. "This is you guy's chance to catch up. I don't expect you to waste it."

"Training in a time like this?!" Ruby said through her tears. "We need to visit you, and make sure you're ok!"
"I've got Dusty for that." replied Yang.

"Me?" asked Dusty.

"Who else? Everyone else will be busy training."
"Ah- Ah know, but, Ah thought you woulda trusted Ruby or someone you didn't hate."
"Hating and trusting are two very different things."

Everyone was completely astounded. Even when incapacitated in a hospital bed, Yang still though of how to help people. None of them could refuse her. Everyone eventually agreed, and they were asked to to leave when Ozpin and Glenda arrived.

They waited outside, and they met team JNPR there, all with concerned looks on their faces.

"Is she okay?" Asked Jaune.

"Ah would say so." Replied Dusty. "She wus up an' talkin' thirty minutes after she got th' injury."

Jaune turned on Dusty, angrily. "Look, I don't want to hear a word from you. YOU'RE the one who did this to her, so you don't get to act all concerned. This is YOUR fault."

"S'cuse me?!" Dusty yelled. "Why're YOU actin' all tough, Jauny-boy?! You pickin' a fight?! You couldn't HOPE ta fight goddamned RUBY, let alone ME, so Ah suggest you turn yer ass around afore I drop ya."

"You think you have the RIGHT to pick a fight after what you just did?! So that's your plan, huh?! Earn all of our trust then beat the shit out of us?! Go ahead, kill me! You're just proving my point!"

"Oh trust me, Ah will, you little-"

"STOP IT!" screamed someone from the infirmary. Everyone turned around, and to their complete shock, there was Yang, leaning on the doorway, with nurse begging her to get back to her bed. She let go of the wall, stomped over, and punched both Jaune and Dusty in the face, one after the other. Jaune ended up on the floor, and Dusty hardly flinched, but the point still got through.

"You!" Yang said to Jaune. "This was MY choice, so leave Dusty out of this! Trust me, I'll kick his ass for all of us someday."

Yang turned to Dusty. "And YOU. Leave the poor bastard alone. He gets enough beatings from Cardin as it is!"

Dusty, still drunk, was not eager to let go of his rage, and simply turned, walking away.

"You'd BETTER RUN, YOU LITTLE-" Jaune couldn't finish his sentence. Dusty was right in front of him faster than he could blink. He grabbed Jaune by the hood, and lifted him off his feet, giving him the most murderous look you would see in a lifetime.

"Ah swear ta gawd, you little shit. Ah don't care what Yang says anymore. One more word, one more word, and yer ass'll be six feet under before you can say "Ursa."

Dusty dropped Jaune on his ass, and walked away.

End of

Chapter 14