Yang and Tai spared on the sunny day, both giving it their all. Zwei and Richard stood on the sidelines, the dog panting as he watched while Richard held a journal in his hands and wrote in it. Tai attempted to land a kick, only for Yang to punch him with her new hand.
"That thing packs a punch!" Tai responded as he slid to a halt, his breathing heavy.
"We've been at this for weeks," Yang said as she stretched out, "I get it, you want to see if I can still fight. I think I'm doing just fine."
The teenage girl slammed her fist together, Richard looked up from his journal with a smile.
"You're close." Yang's father said as he started walking around.
"Oh really?" The buxom blonde asked.
"You're still off balance." Tai responded, getting a scoff from Yang.
"What? No I'm not!" The girl responded before she looked at her new arm, "Honestly, I'm kind of surprised, I thought it would be this huge weight, but it feels…natural. They did a great job with this thing."
Yang yelped as Tai suddenly performed a series of blows, Yang did her best to counter. Tai managed to grab her arm and pull it into a hold.
"I wasn't talking about your actual balance," Tai said, before sweeping her legs out from under her, "Although that could use some work too."
He walked over to Zwei and Richard, who handed him a towel. Yang took a deep breath before she asked her question.
"Meaning?" The teen asked, her voice filled with sarcasm.
"I saw your tournament fights, in the festival." Tai said as he wiped his face.
"Let me guess… 'I was sloppy." Yang said, imitating a dad voice.
"No, you were predictable…and stubborn, and maybe a little bone headed," Tai said with a grin, Yang scoffed as she got to her knees, "Do you know that you used your semblance to win every fight after the qualifiers?"
"So what?" Yang said as she whirled around into a sitting position, "How is me using my semblance any different than if somebody else uses theirs?"
"Because not everyone else's is basically a temper tantrum." Tai said as he started walking.
"And because not everyone's requires taking hits to your Aura." Richard interjected as he got to his feet.
"I'm serious, you can take hits and hit back twice as hard," Tai said as he kneeled down, "It's great if you're in a pinch but what if you miss? What happens if their stronger? What then? All you did is get weak and tired."
"What he means to say is that you are a massively emotional person," Richard said as he walked over, "Usually, it's good, you wear your heart on your sleeve and you shine like the sun, but in a fight? Fear and anger aren't necessarily the best things."
"What he means is that you need to think before you act," Tai said as he got to his feet as well, "You're semblance is good, but don't rely on it."
"Don't pull a Rick though," The mustached teen said with a grin, earning a look from Yang, "Idiot never used his semblance during the tournament."
"Wait, what?" Yang said as she jumped to her feet, "What do you mean?"
"Let me ask you this: What is Rick's semblance?" Richard said with an evil grin.
"It's…uh…the ability to take a lot of punishment? Like Teddy?" Yang guessed, realizing for the first time that she didn't know.
"Nope, bastard can see holes on someone's defense," The monk said as he looked at Yang, "Great…if he wasn't like you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" The buxom blonde asked, debating on if she should be insulted or not.
"He's a doer, prefers to fight without thinking," Richard replied, "Keeps his opponents on edge, hell…sometimes even he can't predict his own movements, if he used his semblance, he'd have to slow down and think for once in his life."
"That…makes way too much sense," Yang said with a laugh, "He was always stubborn."
"Like you," Tai said, "You got that from your mother."
"Oh…so now we can talk about her?" Yang said accusingly.
"Well, as I have been informed," Tai said as he gently touched the tree near him, "You're an adult now."
"Well…sorry I remind you of her." The blonde girl said as her head fell.
"Don't be," Tai responded, "Raven was so great in so many ways."
"If half the stories that Aedan told me before he left are true? That's putting it mildly…and civilly." Richard muttered.
"I see so much of her in you…but I'm glad I don't see all of her in you." Tai said, ignoring Richard.
"Why?" Yang asked, earning a sigh from Tai.
"Your mother was…a complicated woman," Tai started, "Like everyone, she had her faults, and those faults tore our team and family apart. You both act like the easiest way to deal with a problem is through it, but if you took a second to look…then maybe you'd see that there is another path…around it."
"Or you'd see that the easier path is off to the side," Richard said with a grin, "That's something even Rick was able to figure out…after some head punching."
"You know, Richard…" Yang said as she looked over him, "You've been talking a lot, but you haven't been fighting at all…still think you can keep up?"
"Is that a challenge?" Richard said as he reached behind his back, pulling long rod, "Because I'm more than willing to oblige."
Yang smiled and readied herself, Richard returned the smile as a single blade extended from his rod. The brawler looked at him in confusion.
"What about your twin blade?" She asked.
"No need for it yet," The monk responded, "I'm still working on that side of things."
Yang didn't understand, but didn't have time to think as Richard charged in for combat. She dodged his swig, the brawler moved under it but the monk dodged to the side of the swing. He swung the flat of his weapon into her back, sending her forward. He turned his head with a smile, Yang growled as she readied herself. The brawler launched herself at him, only for him do jump above and land and get a hit onto her back leg.
Yang growled again, almost launching herself into combat again, only to stop herself. She remembered, don't be like Rick…or be like him…whatever, just use your head. The brawler stepped back, readying herself. She had to think, what was Richards advantage? She could match his speed and she was definitely stronger…but his weapon allowed him to be beyond her reach.
His weapon was a problem…that's when she had an idea, it was a crazy idea, one that Rick would be proud of. She watched as Richard readied himself, before rushing in. Richard smiled as he stabbed forward, Yang grinned as she dodged to the right, and grabbed the blade with her new arm. Richard's eye's widened as the brawler swung him around and threw him into the dirt, the monk landed with a laugh.
"Now that's using your daft head!" He laughed out as he got to his feet, "Anyway…dinner is on me tonight!"
"What?" Yang asked.
"I made a bet with him that if you could take him down, he'd cook those steaks that I bought." Tai said with a laugh.
"Get ready," The monk said as he started for the house, "I'm going to probably kill your taste buds."
In Atlas…
Alex watched as Weiss stabbed her blade into the ground, materializing the hilt of a huge sword.
"Hello, sister." Whitley's voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to both Weiss and Alex, she breathed out and the sword dematerialized.
"Leave…" Weiss ordered.
"My…how hurtful." Whitely said as he dusted himself off, "Here I am about to offer you a favor…I wanted to see if I could pick you up anything since, you know…you're stuck here."
"Are you jealous? IS that it?" Weiss asked, getting a scoff from her brother.
"What does that mean?" The boy asked, barely giving her the time of day.
"Is that why you hate me? Are you jealous of my abilities? Of Winters?" She asked, her voice getting accusing."
"No…not really," Whitley replied, "Honestly…I find it barbaric…it's beneath people like me, like father, what can a single huntsman do what an army can? That's why we have one, even if it is run by a fool."
"Oh, is that right?" Alex said as he got up from his chair and walked over, his cane echoing in the room, "There is one thing to remember about barbarians…we have a habit of taking things from those who are lazy enough to forget the ways of war…even if they have armies."
"Fine…fine…I've got better things to do…" Whitley could pick up on the threat, "I'll leave…"
"Good," Alex replied with a look at Weiss and a smile, "But remember…us two are barbarians…remember the battle of the Red Pass…where one of us…defeated one of you."
Whitley turned around, only to have the door closed on his face. Weiss growled as she returned to her summoning, Alex returning to his chair. He watched as she stabbed her blade again, the runes spinning quicker and quicker. The fox couldn't contain his excitement as he saw the bright flash of light.
"YEAH BABY!" He yelled as the ground shook and the nearby window shattered, Alex looked up at the knight.
"Ms. Schnee!" Klein yelled as he burst into the room, "Are you all right?"
"Yes…Klein…we need a favor." Weiss asked as she looked out her new window design.
In Menagerie…
Azul followed the trio throughout the woods, lugging his guitar case with him. He cursed that it was so awkward, not suited for this kind of maneuvering at all. He groaned as he jumped through the trees, hoping that they would hit city fall soon enough…
In the city…
Jesse stood on the balcony of his room shirtless, showing his chest hair and many scars. He hated the heat here, even where he was born this was pushing it. He yawned, only to stop as he saw four people jumping across the rooftops. He groaned as he recognized three of them.
"Theo, trouble," He said out loud, hearing a sword being unsheathed and holding his hand up to catch the gun, "You know what to do, if someone else is out here, make sure they don't kill my ass."
He heard a grunt before he jumped off the roof, landing on the rooftop where they trio had cornered their assailant. They all jumped as the bounty hunter landed, his pistol pointed at the girl.
"OK, who's the ninja?" He asked, before the girls mask fell off.
"Ilia…" Blake muttered, earning a cry from Sun that distracted Jesse.
"You know her? She doesn't even look like a…" The monkeys cry was cut out by their opponent suddenly whipping into his shoulder.
"Shit!" Jesse yelled as he readjusted his aim at the girl, who pointed her weapon at Blake.
"Give it to me." She ordered, her voice a growl.
"No…" Blake replied.
"…You shouldn't have come back." The girl said, her voice sorrowful. Jesse's hand drifted slightly a bit…why the hell was she…He didn't have time to finish that thought when the faunas suddenly swiped her weapon at the ground, creating a dust cloud.
"Mierda!" Azul yelled as he turned around and ran towards the downed body of Sun.
"Jesse!" Theodora's voice shocked the man out of his stupor, "What happened?"
"White Fang spy," He replied as he walked over to Suns body, "Got him pretty bad."
"Can you track the spy?" Theo asked, noting that Sun had two others with him.
"No…damn chameleon faunas," The bounty hunter said as he leaned over Sun, "Impossible to track at night."
"Let's get him somewhere safe then…" Theodora said, leaning over, her tone shifting to a softer one.
In Mistral…
"Hold on lad…" Aedan whispered as he walked alongside of the stretcher, "Hold on you bastard…I'm not letting that be the last thing I said."
"We're not going to find anything!" Ren yelled at the group, earning a look from the samurai. He knew those eyes…the eyes of loss.
"Ren," Rick growled, "I get that you have some baggage but I'm starting to get really…"
"We can split up," Nora said before Rick could get his fist to punching range, "Ren and I can cut through the mountains while you and Qrow go through the village."
"No…we're supposed to stick together, we keep each other safe." Jaune said, Aedan knew that tone as well. He looked at Qrow one last time and sighed.
"I'll go with them," Aedan replied suddenly, earning the groups attention, "We'll be safe, I know the way through the mountain. We'll get a better view from up there, I know you lads and lass's don't want to separate…but it's the best chance we have."
"He's right," Micca said, "We've got to…"
"I'll see you on the other side…" Aedan whispered as he put his hand on Qrow's chest, "If you die? I'm kicking your ass."