Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. If I did, it… probably would have turned out exactly like Volume 3 did.
Had he done the right thing?
Ozpin sat at his desk and mulled. It was only 2am the following day, yet news outlets from all across Remnant had flocked to Vale after the bombing incident. Obviously the event itself had overshadowed everything else, but the locals were turning their incensed attentions elsewhere. Namely on Ozpin himself.
The day before. It was a day that would go down in history. That's when one bomb blanketed the world in dread. However, that meant it had been hours without any news of Jaune Arc. Numerous online forums were lamenting his critical state and blasting Ozpin for his 'immoral' handling of the situation.
Following this day's match (Aqua vs. Penny), there would be eight left. The final came closer and closer with each passing day. Weiss had been attacked before too, not to mention Noire's antics. Goodwitch had even convinced him to allow Neo to stay at Beacon for the foreseeable future in apprehension. It was culminating in something, but not even Ozpin knew exactly what was coming.
BEEP, BEEP! BEEP, BEEP! He had foreseen that though.
Reluctantly pressing the button, he momentarily closed his eyes as General Ironwood came storming in. Since they had locked horns on two occasions now, Ironwood was looking slightly more riled than usual. His suit was crinkled and his face wore an eternal scowl.
"Ozpin, I don't know how you can have the nerve to arrange this meeting after your actions in the last match," Ironwood said, almost slamming his hand down on Ozpin's desk. "You're a wise man, yet you still conducted it disgracefully. One of your students could have died!"
"When have you ever cared about the welfare of students, General?" Ozpin said. His voice wasn't loud or even contemptuous, but his words were certainly sharp, and cut like a scalpel. "Wasn't it you who suggested war against the terrorists who attacked the White Fang compound all those months ago?"
"That's not important!" Ironwood's voice contrasted to Ozpin's, as all of the weight lay in the volume. "You know what is important? How much your comments have affected us both. The Knight which carried the bomb was Atlesian property. Now I'm being talked about in the same breath as you."
"That's hardly my fault."
"Ozpin, giving students all of these 'basic rights', as you call them, clearly isn't helping. We have to step up security all across the board."
Ozpin shook his head dismissively. "Hush now, General. I did not invite everyone here to give you permission to cover the sky with airships. We shall think about a practical solution once everyone is present…" A pause as they glanced towards the door.
BEEP, BEEP! BEEP, BEEP!
"Speak of the devil," Ironwood muttered as Ozpin pressed the button. Without a moment's hesitation, a man in a white blazer barged though the door, followed slowly by an ambling man in a grey dress shirt.
"Blanc, Qrow, thank you for joining us," Ozpin said.
"I do not care what the circumstances are, I refuse to get into another confined space with that… mess of a man," Blanc spat, glaring at Qrow who still had his drink at his lips.
Emerging from his swig, Qrow muttered, "Please. It's not my fault you can't handle a whiff of the real world, Schnee. Believe me, I'm as real as you're ever going to get."
"I thought that you were running a class at Signal, Branwen?" Ironwood asked. His voice was low.
"Tai's taking it for now," Qrow said. "When I heard about the bomb, I left straight away. I was halfway to Beacon when you called to invite me."
"You teach a class with that foul, alcoholic mouth of yours?" Blanc questioned.
"Combat class, pal, and I could easily give you a personal lesson," Qrow said, taking a step towards Blanc.
"Qrow…" Ozpin warned.
"How dare you?" Blanc fumed.
"What are you going to do, huh? Set your Faunus slaves on me and let even more die doing your work?" Qrow said, hand on hilt and face inches from Blanc's.
"Qrow, please." At Ozpin's firm voice, the black-haired man stood down. "I'm not asking for any actual relationship, but for a marriage of convenience. Don't implode before the vows have even been spoken."
Nodding, Blanc and Qrow stepped away from each other and took their places to Ozpin's left and right respectively with Ironwood across from him.
"So what are we going to do about this?" Ironwood asked, shattering the descending silence. "This predicament has been getting worse ever since the tournament began. Even after the first attack three or four months ago, it didn't step up until the tournament. They, whoever they are, must want something."
"The one who is coordinating these attacks is specifically targeting the tournament, a symbol of harmony between the four kingdoms," Blanc said. "What they want is anarchy."
"Inconclusive," Ozpin muttered, but Ironwood nodded in agreement with Qrow swinging back in his chair and saying nothing.
"We have several suspect groups and individuals. I, for one, believe that it to be the Third White Fang," Ironwood said.
"Faunus scum," Blanc said. "They are on their third try and are still trying to 'gain equality'. When will they learn that tossing the scales out of the window does not mean that the two arms are in equilibrium?"
"Scum?" Qrow said with just a hint of disdain. "I'd think you were pro-Faunus considering you're officially letting your daughter date one."
"How did you-?"
"I have two nieces and both are on your daughter's team, jackass. So what's your excuse?"
"…I can spontaneously find an apple amongst the oranges, but it takes a blind man to believe that they are all the latter," Blanc said with an air of superiority. "I will begin trusting the bastards when they stop trying to demolish our society."
"Bastards?" Qrow scoffed. "Bit rich, Schnee, seeing as how you'd know all about that."
Right when it looked as if Blanc was preparing to dive across the table and impale Qrow between the eyes with his rapier, Ozpin raised a hand. "I'm afraid the causes of the past aren't our biggest concern. We should, instead, be trying to find out how to stop any more from occurring."
"We must use force, Ozpin," Ironwood implored. "They aren't playground bullies that'll get bored once they're finished hitting you a few times; they're a terrorist organisation hell-bent on spreading fear."
"We don't know how big the threat is. If they can compete with the military in any way, we'll have a war, and then the fear will be replaced with death which will only attract Grimm to cause even more death. I refuse to help sanction those actions."
"Then think of something," Blanc said. "If we do not fight back, there is no point in there being a military. Maybe it is a war they want, and that is exactly what they should get."
"Hang on," Qrow said, gingerly raising his arm and the other three turned to him. "Look, I don't agree that we should start handing out weapons to Atlesian first years and sending them to the front line, wherever it is, but there's no point in doing nothing, Oz, especially since fear is taking its toll already."
"Branwen has a point," Ironwood said. "Noire vs. Neopolitan and Jaune vs. Phoenix. Both of those matches saw the crowd invade the arena, the latter even having something drop in from the sky. The crowd itself is perhaps a talking point."
"I do not think we should be prohibiting the students in that way," Ozpin said, but his voice didn't carry much conviction.
Blanc, however, nodded in agreement at Ironwood. "Considering how the general's soldiers handle the few disturbances outside of the arena, it is the inside which needs protection." His voice lowering slightly, he muttered, "Should we leave it as it is, then who is stopping them from doing the exact same in a double-bluff? Maybe the impact would be even more serious than what is was yesterday like if they attack the crowd directly? I just… do not want Weiss hurt in that way."
"The crowd could be a flashpoint. What if someone sneaks in one way or another and jumps into the arena before detonating in the crowd? I concur with Blanc," Ironwood said. "Branwen?"
"Look, I don't like agreeing with either of you two, but like Schnee said: we have family in the tournament. I want to see Ruby and Yang hurt as much as he wants to see Weiss hurt. For the good of all the kids, I'll agree with you," Qrow said.
"Still interested in defending that, Ozpin?" Ironwood asked almost smugly.
Rather than speak up about how they were caging students up for a conflict which they had no say in, Ozpin simply nodded. "I propose this: Ironwood, your kingdom produces aura barriers, correct?"
Ironwood nodded slowly.
"Good. I suggest we create two covers. One separating the crowd from the arena and one protecting the crowd from the sky." Ozpin continued nodding as Ironwood stared. "As Qrow said, it's for the good of the students. I can't disagree with that."
Hiding his gritted teeth, Ironwood stood. "I'll make sure that the protection is implemented before the first quarter-final."
"I will supply you with any dust that you should require from Atlas, as I shall be departing from the city at noon." Blanc said. "Now is not the time to stand down."
"Qrow?" Ozpin asked.
"I'm staying here for a while. If there's a time when my nieces needed me in the thick of it, it's now," Qrow said. "I'll stay in the city until the end of the tournament at least."
"Very well," Ozpin said, with Blanc and Ironwood already making their way towards the elevator, "I consider this meeting adjourned."
Watching the other two enter the elevator, Qrow leaned in closer to Ozpin. "I'm sorry, but taking things slow ain't going to do much anymore. We're on a collision course now." Before Ozpin could retort, Qrow pulled out his drink again and walked away.
As the three left in the elevator, with Blanc voicing his audible displeasure at Qrow's resumed drinking, Ozpin sat and stared. Alone and silent, he held his head with his hands and stared into the abyss of the starless night.
Had he done the right thing?
A few hours later…
That son of a…
Ironwood glared at Beacon Academy from his base, scroll in hand. No doubt Ozpin was sat in his desk doing absolutely nothing, as per usual. To Ironwood, the man never did anything above and beyond the call of duty. Every time it was 'think of the children' or 'we must take this slower'. Even in this breaking point in events, he did not change his lackadaisical approach. Not anymore though.
"Ozpin is a fraud," Ironwood said into his scroll. "He's proved that with all this media tension surrounding him. Even his impending suspension due to tampering with the qualifiers demonstrates it. He's been acting too docile all year. When not, it has led to backlash."
"I fully agree," Blanc said from the other end of the line. "Should we keep allowing him to run affairs this way, it will be like shooting fish in a barrel for those terrorists. Do you think these concerns should be raised?"
"No. Ozpin is no longer a man we can trust. No one can trust somebody who thinks that the best way to stop an active terrorist organisation is to sit back and watch them grow."
An audible noise of agreement from Blanc. "What do you suggest?"
"I suggest that we take matters into our own hands," Ironwood said, allowing a grin, "and prepare for life after Ozpin."
"I see… Double time on the dust orders then?"
"Make it so. I'm going to need a lot more if I'm going to have these ICBMs ready for action," Ironwood said before letting out an exasperated groan. "They've got to have a base of operations and, bearing in mind that all of the attacks have been exclusively in Vale, it must be in this kingdom… My plan is to stockpile weapons in or around the kingdom for an impending conflict."
"Are you sure the council would allow you to take these measures?"
"Let's just say that it protects their interests as much as it does mine," Ironwood said. "Now… where to put them. I was thinking the abandoned south-east quadrant near Mountain Glenn. Perhaps we could consider Patch should there be more leads to them operating in the city."
"I doubt the latter's citizens will take kindly to that," Blanc said, although his voice did not convey disagreement.
"Well… I'll just have to come to a compromise, and my men are very good at that," Ironwood said, frowning. "If there are any more high-profile attacks, then… I suppose we'll let the ICBMs decide the consequences."
"I shall continue to assist you towards that goal, General. Until then, I must leave. The dust orders should arrive by the evening."
"Thank you. Goodbye, Mr Schnee."
Shutting the scroll off, Ironwood glared at Beacon. Its edges were highlighted by the rising sun but above it was still a blanket of dark.
"I'm sorry, old friend," Ironwood said with not a hint of remorse. "I care about our world too much to watch it fall."
He began walking. Only for a few seconds did he do so before halting in front of a sealed chamber. All that talk about dust had reminded him of something. Something that he'd almost forgotten about, especially after limited opportunities to visit given current affairs. After punching in a specific code, the door opened to reveal his prized possession: a bedraggled, beaten Roman Torchwick.
Still, the criminal managed to give a snarky smile. "Good morning, General! No need to worry about waking me up, I was just-"
"Torchwick, I am beyond the point of playing your foolish games," Ironwood said, each word laced with venom.
"Is that because you were the one playing and losing twenty questions," Torchwick said, brushing a bent strand of hair from his eyes. "Are you just mad that you never got the answer you wanted?"
"That's exactly why I'm here once more," Ironwood said, taking a few heavy steps towards Torchwick. "You have one more chance to tell me, Roman. Who else knows about the dust?"
"No-"
"Liar!"
"And what are you going to do if I am, General?" Torchwick said in his mocking voice. "Hit me with that hand of yours?"
Rather than grow further annoyed at his remarks, Ironwood stepped back. Slowly, purposefully, he drew his scroll and began typing.
"Bored already, General?"
Ignoring him, Ironwood bluntly said, "In this message are orders to launch an attack on your hometown. With it is permission to kill on sight."
"Of cou-"
"That means everyone… including your mother."
Torchwick's expression faltered, before collapsing into one of doubt. "You're bluffing."
Ironwood turned the scroll and Torchwick covered his mouth in horror. On the screen were the exact address as well as the corresponding coordinates and message. He was certainly not bluffing.
"How could you…? I-I mean… there'd be a national scandal if that got out, you bastard!" Torchwick half-spluttered.
"Watch your mouth, Roman. Also, in such a secluded area? I could find a way to cover it up. Besides," Ironwood said, leaning closer, "who do you think is getting Ozpin removed from his position without his knowing?"
"Alright! I'll tell you, just please… not my mother…"
Ironwood tilted his head, thumb hovering above the 'send' button. "Go on."
"Right. When you captured me four months ago, I said that I was the one who'd used that illegal dust to injure Ruby Rose," Torchwick said quickly. "It wasn't. Although I was the one who collected it, the user was…"
"Was… who?" Ironwood said. His voice was subtly growing more eager.
"…Cinder Fall."
"Just as we expected. Thank you for confirming it." Ironwood lowered his scroll to the relief of Torchwick. "However, I still have suspicions that you aren't telling me the full truth."
"Well, I mean…" Torchwick trailed off again as Ironwood raised the scroll. "Alright. Two Beacon students were working with Cinder too. Their names are… are… Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai."
"Of course they're from Beacon," Ironwood growled and closed his scroll, ignoring Torchwick's conflicted frowns. "I'll leave you for now then. With you here and this information you generously gave up, this scandal isn't getting out anytime soon."
"What scandal?"
Ironwood clenched his fists as Torchwick looked up at the third voice. "Penny… now is not the time."
"But you sound annoyed. It must be serious," Penny said, her head given a permanent tilt with scroll dangling from her hand.
"I do not have time for this," Ironwood said, preparing to shove past her. "Move."
Penny, rather than move, frowned. "I have been told by my father that I should never leave someone if they're in need."
"Penny… Shut up."
"My father said-"
THUMP!
Much to Torchwick's surprise, Penny hit the ground like a sack of nuts and bolts, her scroll sliding away from her. Her face was framed in permanent shock, eyes and mouth wide as if she'd stopped functioning.
"How dare you disobey me?" Ironwood seethed. "I shall see to your father about this. In an ideal word, I'd have you dismantled. Do I make myself clear?!"
Penny coughed, her face still frozen in that state. "Yes…"
"Yes… what?"
Penny's face twisted in discomfort, and her arms tensed in helplessness. "Yes… sir."
"Good." Then Ironwood continued walking away as if nothing had happened. Penny, on the other hand, did not move. She didn't even notice her scroll being picked up before the cell door behind her shut.
Instead she stared forward completely still, the strike itself did not affect her as much as the implications and the words. They echoed throughout her, dominated by one thought: Is this what sadness feels like?
The next day…
There was nothing. No sound. No movement. No emotion. Pyrrha sat in the chair alongside Jaune's hospital bed. Her eyes were numb from staring straight ahead and it felt as if her bones had solidified in place. Hours had passed since she'd entered, each lasting an eternity. During which, Nora and Ren, who had stayed for a while after the match and several hours for the past two days, had returned to Beacon. Not Pyrrha. Unlike before, she had to be by Jaune's side now.
The lack of sound was what scared her most about the situation though. Neither she nor the doctors could detect his aura. Most organ activity in Jaune's body had since stopped, so his aura had ceased natural production. Although, he was hooked up to a machine which was feeding some aura to his heart so it wouldn't stop. At least he wasn't technically dead; only 'comatose'. That was how Nuage had put it. Lily had, more accurately, called it 'being a few steps from death'; Pyrrha had never seen someone comatose like this. Either way, whether he would wake up from the 'coma'… was a different matter. Some had ignored this fact entirely, with two cards having arrived after the match.
From Lila and Bianca Arc, two of his seven sisters. The latter of which (being 28 years old) had wrote an articulate metaphor about life and how he had to keep fighting. The other (16), well… Pyrrha could see where the teardrops had stained the card. Two completely different cards, yet both shared one common sentiment: love… why?
It was meant to be perfect. After reminiscing in their memories, he had discovered his semblance. Then he would have pulled off an unlikely comeback against a heavily fatigued Phoenix (who even admitted that she was inches from collapsing) and then the apology. If only he could have finished what he wanted to say.
It was her fault though, and what irony. Like a skyscraper which had been carefully planned and built over several years, one faulty screw and it all came crashing down on everyone.
But she didn't feel sadness at any of it though. Those emerald eyes had dulled and her heart, once beating red with care, had since become shrouded. Hopeless vengeance was what she had narrowed the feeling down to. Vengeance towards anyone and everyone.
So there was only one solution. She had to exorcise the demons. The only way to do that was to do exactly what Jaune would have wanted – to keep on fighting and win the tournament. That is what Jaune would have wanted, for her not to give up. People like Weiss were her competition, but that just riled her up further. Just think… Without her, Jaune wouldn't have been blinded.
Pyrrha would win, even if that meant going through Weiss.
"Miss Nikos?"
She didn't look up at Nuage's voice, but gave a limp nod in acknowledgement.
"How are you faring?"
Pyrrha's head jittered awkwardly before she sighed, giving Nuage a clear enough indicator.
"I'm sorry about the lack of conclusive information but… this is a very sensitive situation," Nuage said, voice still impersonal. "It's as if his body isn't reacting to any of our conventional healing techniques."
A nod.
"Our paramedics are still thoroughly discussing this. If we were to try and resuscitate him now, then it would have to be with… less conventional means."
The words barely sunk in but, when they did, Pyrrha strained her neck facing him. "There are other means?"
"That's confidential," Nuage said, keeping his voice controlled. "We are still doing the best-"
Those uninspired words, at least to Pyrrha, caught in his throat as the redhead grabbed him by the jacket. "You have to try anything! Jaune can't just…"
At the pause, Nuage plucked Pyrrha's hand from him with a startlingly firm grasp. "There's a reason they're unconventional. Like I said, we're doing the best we can, and that's all we can do. If it was that easy-"
Pyrrha cut him off. "Alright. I get it." Drowsiness returning to every bone and nerve, she dropped back into her seat.
The room descended back into silence for a long moment. As if sound and time were linked, when Pyrrha couldn't hear her partner's voice, things began to lose meaning. Everything and anything.
"The tournament draw's starting. Shall I put it on?" Nuage said, with Pyrrha's world spluttering to a start again. The tournament…
Her outside mostly remained compassionless, yet her lips turned up at the far corners as she nodded. The road to the crown would still continue, yet she was praying for the biggest obstacle possible. Nothing would stand in her way this time, and she'd make sure of it. One way or another, she would win.
The cameras panned up slowly. It was strange as the two presenters weren't partaking in their usual skit, but were instead sitting there staring blankly into the camera as if they were both anxious to speak.
"Good afternoon," Steele said, smile forgotten. "Welcome to the draw for the Vytal Tournament Quarter-Finals. I am B.B. Steele alongside Jacinto Ramos."
Ramos opened his mouth as if to speak before quickly shutting it and looking back down.
"In light of the recent tragic events at Concord Arena two days ago, we bring the pre-match news to you in a heavy heart," Steele said. "We have been asked to report that Jaune Arc is still in a coma, with no signs of his immediate state changing. Additionally, we can report that his opponent, Phoenix Ceara, suffered no extensive injuries and no one else was hurt. But even one huntsman being hurt is one too many."
"Amen," Ramos muttered, not looking up.
"Despite this, we shall not allow what has always been a celebration of strength yet commodity to be masked in uneasiness. The Vytal Tournament was created in the aftermath of war, and we shall not let a group of ragtag radicals to take that away from us. So, out of respect, we shall hold a one minute silence for Mr Jaune Arc before every Quarter-Final match. The show must, and will, go on!"
What they didn't know was that, all throughout Remnant, a collective applause rang out.
"Yes," Ramos said, finally raising his head. "Firstly, I suggest that we get all the… edgy news out of the way."
"And with that, we start with the continuation of Dr. Noire's reign of terror," Steele said, making no attempt to hide the disdain in his voice. "Each time we see him, the man seems to getting more peculiar and more dangerous. In his last match, he left Neopolitan in a significantly worse state than he did Coco, but not once did he try a fatal blow even though he had more than enough time to do so."
Ramos nodded throughout. "His actions are causing discussions between the councilmen about new policies to be introduced next year regarding… unorthodox semblances. Additionally, his official warning will leave everyone looking to his next match. Unfortunately, Noire is currently safe as, technically, he hasn't broken any rules."
"Although he hasn't been affected by his actions, it seems that the rest of you will be, as the Atlesian Military officially announced hours ago that they are to implement domes around the arena to prevent crowd invasions," Steele said. You could hear in his voice how unsure he was. "This is to ensure less crowd panic in 'flashpoint events'."
Ramos muttered, "What a load of-"
"In brighter news, I must laugh at my co-host for his distaste of last quarter seeds, seeing as how one of them went through to the Quarter-Finals." Steele turned to Ramos with a smug grin.
Ramos raised his arms in defence. "No offence to seed number twenty-five, but two sudden death wins in a very one-sided affair with her Round of Thirty-Two match being a forfeit victory? It doesn't sway me, although well done to her. Guess that makes it three out of eighty-eight then…?"
While the two had a mini-argument about the validity of seeding, said seed was watching alongside her girlfriend as well as a few others. They were right: Blake Belladonna, seeded number twenty-five, was in the Quarter-Finals. It had been a whole tournament full of surprises for her, no thanks to the fact that her entire team had made it to the quarter finals alongside Pyrrha, Aqua, Phoenix and Noire.
The second of the list especially surprised everyone. Penny, seeded number three and Aqua's opponent, had been tipped to win but… she was annihilated in straight sets. Her aim was off, her attacks sluggish and her defence practically non-existent. No one was quite sure how.
As the commentators cut to Ferrous, Blake started to sweat. She was the only one though, as Yang and Weiss looked confident while Mercury and Emerald, who Yang had invited, had both been eliminated two rounds ago. Ruby, as expected, wasn't present. Blake watched as Ozpin swirled the balls around the pot and prayed. Her entire team was in there, so that meant Weiss was too. Within a week, I could be facing her. I have…
A fourteen to fifteen percent chance of being drawn against Blake, Weiss thought. She didn't think that she could hold her smile at this rate.
Steele grinned. "Ball number one is coming up and it's… number three! With performances so good they give you chills, it's Weiss Schnee!"
Now everyone in the room tensed up, with Blake being the most noticeable.
"Coming up next is…"
Everyone held their breaths.
"Number seven!"
Oh, thank God!
"She flowed through the crack of opportunity, but she'll fight for Team STAR's dignity if it kills her. It's Aqua Farryn!"
"That's exactly what I'd expect from a Quarter-Final match," Ramos said. "Shame it might not get much better by the numbers."
"Match number two will consist of… number five!" Steele exclaimed. "It was an unfortunate way to win her match, but she's still ready to take flight. Phoenix Ceara!"
"Could it be time?" Ramos asked hopefully.
"She'll go toe-to-toe with… number one!" Steele had barely finished the number before Ramos broke into cheers. "From the Mistral Regionals to the Vytal Tournament, she can't give anyone else a chance! The ever-perfect Pyrrha Nikos!"
"Well, I suppose I lied," Ramos admitted. "Now the numbers can't get any better, and with a lot of pride in this battle between friends, it'll be a cracker!"
While the room mostly smiled and chattered in appreciation, Mercury's scroll buzzed. Expecting it to be a discreet flirt from Yang, he almost ignored it. Then Emerald's buzzed too.
"Seriously?" he muttered, as they both pulled out their scrolls. The topic… it caused Mercury's blood to run cold. One glance showed the same effect on Emerald too.
From: Unknown Sender.
Topic: It's Torchwick. Ironwood knows.
"This must be fake…" Emerald started quietly.
"We can't take any chances. I think we have to take this," Mercury whispered. "Torchwick is under Ironwood's custody. Maybe he blabbed? God knows how he got a scroll though."
"It is Torchwick... What an ass," Emerald muttered as they both rose and slipped out, unbeknownst to the rest of those present.
"Already halfway through," Steele said, "and the fifth pick is… number twenty-five! Judging from her performances, it's quite clear that she does have nine lives. It's Blake Belladonna!"
Whilst still sighing in relief at avoiding Weiss, Blake frowned at Steele's comment. Not because it was out of order, but because it was completely true. Still, Blake was so thankful about missing Weiss that she was unready for whoever was to come next. Except Noire because he was, well… insane.
Perhaps she should have opened her mind.
"Her opponent…? Number eight! She's lighting the competition up, and is a hot favourite after beating Rasmus Bloodstone, the winner of two years ago. It's Yang Xiao Long!"
"Ignore the numbers. An inter-partner battle between a crowd favourite and the plucky under-cat is the pick of the bunch!" Ramos exclaimed.
Yang leaned back, hardly fazed. That's a lie, actually; she had a look of delight plastered across her face. Her eyes and Blake's both met with Weiss remaining silent in shock. Only the blonde's lips remained upturned. "A match against you, Kitten? Awesome!"
Said girl could only offer a wry, nervous smile.
Yang, still buzzing, said, "You hear that, Merc? It'll be…" Spinning around, she stopped. When did Mercury leave? And Emerald too? It was the middle of a draw and they'd missed the best part! She sighed, not thinking much more of it, but then something started to sink in as she recounted the matches. Three matches chosen. Two more people left. One is Ruby, the other's… Oh God!
Yang's horror was reflected in Steele as he announced, "Which means that the final match of the round will be number twelve, Ruby Rose, versus number twenty… Dr. Noire.
Yang, Blake and Weiss all just stared as Ramos formed a disgusted expression. "A man like that being matched against a fifteen-year-old. These new rules can't come sooner enough."
"Before we end once more," Steele said quickly, "here are the four Quarter-Final matches."
Weiss Schnee (3) vs. Aqua Farryn (7)
Phoenix Ceara (5) vs. Pyrrha Nikos (1)
Blake Belladonna (25) vs. Yang Xiao Long (8)
Ruby Rose (12) vs. Dr. Noire (20)
As the presenters gave their somewhat reluctant goodbyes, Team WBY were left entranced, with none able to break free. Their matches, even Blake and Yang's, had been forgotten, and all for one: Ruby Rose would likely be putting herself on the line against Noire.
"Damn it," Yang cursed. "We can't just let her fight. He's been getting worse with each round, so who knows what he could do to Ruby?"
Blake turned to Yang. "If Ozpin was willing to let a match continue right after the contestants were bombed, this won't concern him."
As Yang started shaking, Weiss rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "She's not a defenceless little girl; she's our team leader, and more than capable of winning."
"I… just don't want her to get hurt before I can do something about what happened." As the monochrome duo stared at each other, Yang sighed. I wonder how Ruby's taking this.
What she didn't know was that, somewhere in Beacon, her sister was grinning. Bring it on!
The next day…
The rhythmic thuds of heels on concrete were the loudest, albeit only, sounds in the locker room. Eight people left – the Quarter-Finals were starting – and Weiss had made it there. With everything going on though, she was starting to see it as less of a benefit. Her match was first and surprisingly the most low profile. Dr. Noire was nowhere to be seen, nor was it between two friends.
Somehow, that made Weiss even more fearful.
It felt as if she was entering that grey period after an occurrence where everything just drones on until the next big event. No one knew what exactly to expect anymore, whether the tournament would have a winner or be cancelled. What if the terrorists chose her in order to make the latter a reality? Of course they wouldn't choose a high-profile match with a bustling crowd; that's what everyone would expect, right?
"Miss Schnee," the trainer, a bearded male, said, "I recommend that you take your place. The match will start in a few minutes and you do not want to miss the silence."
"Alright," Weiss said, masking the uncertainty well. The silence would be a nice gesture to her friend, if only it wouldn't remind her of them. Either way, it would be most discourteous to miss it.
Yang leaned back in her seat. "Tough match to call, huh Blake?"
"Yep," Blake said, refusing to unglue her eyes from her lap.
"Weiss may have the skill advantage, but Aqua may have a better style… maybe more purpose too."
Blake nodded in faux agreement.
"I don't know either. But the bookies said-"
"Yang," Blake whispered, her voice dry, "Stop."
Rather than becoming annoyed or even deterred, Yang grinned. "Hey, lose the cat-itude, Blake."
Blake couldn't bring her hand up to facepalm. In truth, she hadn't gotten the best night's sleep following the draw for one reason: her Quarter-Final opponent was Yang. Yes, all the pundits and bloggers were fawning over the draw, but not Blake. She wasn't an entertainer, but a person with feelings and fears. Although, whether she was more scared about having square up to her partner or the vast likelihood of her losing, she couldn't say. All she knew was that the fear of both did exist, and both made themselves heard.
"Blake? C'mon, it wasn't that bad."
Blake, rather than launch into any sort of tirade or even cry to Yang about her worries and how they were dragging into a bottomless emotional pit, she shook her head, leaned past the blonde and sighed.
"Look, Yang. Someone else to annoy."
As Yang turned left to look, she managed to mask her displeasure as she thought about how exactly to handle this. Silent and cool? Smug and outspoken? Were her and Rasmus actually on good terms after their match? She didn't know. Nobody knew.
Rasmus stopped as he saw the only free seat in-between Yang and Sapphire (no doubt his leader had found that hilarious). He, on the other land, failed in masking his disgust. Between his glance-avoiding leader and the blonde, he was beginning to wish he hadn't come. Shaking his head, he took a few steps forward before sank down next to Yang.
"So… Rasmus…" Tau said from Sapphire's left, "Do you like your new seat?"
"Take a good look at it, Tau, because it'll be going up your ass in a second."
Tau flinched back, and Sapphire shot him her best 'disappointed mother' look. "Rasmus… remember what I said to you earlier."
Rasmus immediately turned back to stare straight ahead. Even Yang was mildly impressed at Sapphire's deviousness. Hopefully, he would be slightly more welcome to an alternate conversation now.
Yang gave her most neutral expression and said, "Bloodstone."
"Xiao Long," Rasmus replied, no hint of displeasure immediately evident in his voice.
"…How would you describe Aqua's style?"
Rasmus turned and stared at Yang with a puzzled expression, the same way a Beowolf did when it has just noticed you standing there. Then, still like a Beowolf, he frowned and scanned Yang up and down, analysing her as if he was trying to examine for any underlying innuendos or euphemisms that she could have woven into her words.
Upon spotting none, he shook his head and said, "Fast."
He turned away again, and Yang wasn't sure whether to be satisfied or not. It wasn't a lot of information, but something told her that she wouldn't need much else.
Thankfully, there was no time to dwell on it as everyone else was standing to applaud the two emerging competitors. Neither really looked the same adrenaline-fueled, raring-to-go figures that had come to be expected before a match. They weren't solemn either, more neutral. Everyone knew why; that's partly why they were applauding.
"Ladies and gentlemen. As announced, the minute's silence shall commence in fifteen seconds, at the sound of the klaxon, to commemorate one of our own – Jaune Arc."
The impending klaxon needn't have been used anyway. As Steele finished his announcement, the stadium went eerily quiet. Huntsmen and huntresses in training from all kingdoms, even Ironwood and Ozpin, all lowered in volume. Weiss's left hand covered her right in almost a mourning stance, while Aqua clasped her hands below her chin, almost in a prayer. Both closed their eyes and bowed their heads.
The klaxon sounded, and the stadium went completely silent.
Distant engines from the motorway were but a figment to those present. Whispers of wind were lost in the thick air. The only sound anyone could hear was the collective heartbeat of those present, of the kingdom. Even so, the eerie quietness was no more, replaced by a deafening silence which screamed defiantly. It screamed louder than any man, woman or child could have.
It screamed, "We are one!"
Another klaxon burst, signally the silence's end, and the entire crowd roared. The final, no matter how grand, would have seemed quiet in comparison, and that's because everyone knew that all of Remnant had joined in.
"The match will begin in fifteen seconds. Competitors, ready!"
Weiss and Aqua, who had both been applauding amongst the cheers, both reached for their weapons' hilts. It had been a tremendous show of respect from everyone, and a massive reassurance to everyone too. However, Ozpin had been right about one thing: The entire point of the tournament was to fight and, in the end, that's what they were all here to see.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
The klaxon coincided with Aqua exploding from her starting position. Even the usually eagle-eyed heiress couldn't react before her opponent was metres before her. A jab of the rapier was customary, but Aqua sprang over it and twisted in mid-air.
Before she could look up, Aqua locked her calves around the heiress's neck. Using her forward momentum, she twisted and released Weiss, flipping her over.
Landing on her feet, Aqua wasted no time in stepping forward and plunging Monsoon, her sword, downwards towards Weiss's chest. The time between the two moves was short, but Weiss managed to roll away from it as the ground swallowed the entire blade.
Seeing an opening, Weiss propped herself up and swung her left leg around to clip Aqua's. Yet, with only half of the blade out of the ground, she gripped the hilt before using it to hoist herself over Weiss's boot and the sword itself.
At her evasion, Weiss's leg clipped the unearthed blade, denting her aura, as Aqua balanced in a handstand on top of the hilt. Throwing herself to her right, Aqua brought her boot down onto Weiss's skull.
Weiss, dazed from the kick, scrambled back to her feet and automatically slashed her rapier, halting the oncoming charge. More aggressive slashes saw a plethora of ice shards form and fire within seconds of each other.
At such a close proximity, Weiss allowed an impressed gape as Aqua flipped and twisted into the spaces between shards. Even with one jump taking her into the path of one, she didn't falter. Instead, she brought her sword back and slashed.
A gust would have paled in comparison as a huge gale, blowing from Aqua's sword, scattered the airborne shards, stray ones being zapped by the force field around the arena. Still, before Weiss could even comprehend that, Aqua had broken into a sprint again.
Weiss took up a defensive stance but Aqua surprised her again. Moments before leaping, she lowered her arm and the sword zipped from her hand and snapped into the showing arch of her boot, the flat blade now pointing inwards as she sprang upwards.
As Weiss held it in front of her defensively, her rapier was caught by Monsoon and pressed against her throat, the sword pressing it there. After landing, Aqua held herself upright in a handstand.
"She should have taken up a career in being an acrobat," Steele said.
Ramos shrugged. "You'd swear that fighting was the second biggest thing on her mind."
The crowd oohed as Weiss futilely pushed against Aqua's sword. God, she has strong legs! With outmuscling being no option, Weiss waved her hand and formed a red glyph between the two.
A back-swing of the arm was joined by Weiss throwing herself backwards. The glyph exploded and sent Aqua flying forward and rolling back to her feet.
Weiss had barely gotten to her feet before she noticed Aqua arrowing towards her. Again, she rolled and brought her foot, sword still attached, down. Weiss parried and Aqua sprang backwards to her feet before jumping forward into another foot-slash. The unorthodox spinning offence meant that she was able to clip Weiss's hips and arms but the awkward defence led to rogue hits being taken from Weiss in an open exchange.
Aqua spun once more and slashed Weiss away before bringing her bent sword-leg across her abdomen. Weiss had just regained balance as Aqua kicked outwards, sending the wind-propelled sword towards her.
The dodge (or throwing herself desperately to the side) was successful, despite the blast of air the sword's impact with the ground created. Surely throwing her only defence wasn't a rookie mistake, but Weiss still took one step forward and slashed.
Aqua ducked under and brought her leg back around into Weiss's side. At the 'oof', she swung her other leg into the heiress's knee. Then, at her buckling, she kicked her gut before spinning, other leg raised, and bringing it down towards Weiss's skull.
Weiss pulled back at the last second and whipped her rapier, forcing Aqua to jump back. One ice shard whizzed past her head but the second one she saw before it was fired. As it went for her hip, she thrust her leg outwards. Her heel and sole almost clamped the shard like a fist and she, following the momentum, spun on the spot and launched back at Weiss.
Still not deterred, Weiss spun around the shard's path and glared, seeing it at the same time Aqua did: the sword. She went for it, as did Aqua. Expectantly, the faster owner got there first and prepared to use the sword to spring into a kick.
Only she hadn't counted on Weiss to keep running.
The air from Aqua's kick brushed Weiss as she side-stepped and pointed at Aqua's outstretched leg. With her foot helpless, Aqua could only watch the glyph trap it. In anger, Aqua yanked the sword from the ground, threw her free body up and brought her sword forwards. Weiss had continued her circuit around Aqua though and, as the arm was straightened, glyph-trapped her hand. The flailing from her other hand led to the third trap while an anticipatory kick led to all of her limbs being bound.
Anger dissipated into fear as Weiss sprung into the air before bouncing off another glyph. It seemed as though everyone had accepted it before it even happened as Weiss dived downwards and sliced Aqua's neck.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Set One goes to Weiss Schnee!"
To say that Yang was glad with Weiss's win would have been an understatement. She jumped out of seat before screaming, fist pumping and turning to Rasmus with a smug grin on her face. "Looks like your team's only hope has already broken down."
Rasmus didn't react, although he did offer a shake of the head. "Who said she was even out of first gear yet?"
"Huh?"
"The thing about Aqua is that she's not the most clinical of fighters. If Schnee manages to keep her eye on the ball, she's fine. I wasn't lying when I said that she was fast though."
Excuses… Yang thought. Something nibbled at her though, and it was the idea that they hadn't seen anything of Aqua yet.
Before long, the two combatants had retaken their positions. Weiss remained outwardly calm while Aqua seemed slightly more agitated than in the first set. It didn't seem that Weiss noticed, but that was exactly what Aqua needed.
Rasmus grinned. Show Xiao Long why you're part of Team STAR, Aqua.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
Both combatants dashed off their line. Swords screeched as the two met in the arena's centre, kicking up a small dust cloud.
Pushing Weiss away, Aqua had her side slash parried with Weiss chaining into a jab. She spun away while bringing her foot upwards to knock Weiss's rapier away. Continuing the spin, her slash was blocked by Weiss who, with two hands, held her rapier upside-down over her shoulder.
Breaking the stalemate, Aqua looked to sweep Weiss's legs but the heiress executed a faultless backflip and brought her rapier back in a slash. Her opponent leaped over the slash and caught her with a boot to the cheek.
Weiss recoiled. Evidently speed was not a profitable offence. Stepping back in, she jabbed forward with Aqua pacing back. However, as she lunged in a counter, Weiss let go of her rapier before pirouetting and catching it in her other hand, completing the back-slash on Aqua's wrist and forcing her to drop the sword.
Swapping hands, Weiss looked for a straight stab but Aqua sprawled as her sword fell. Twisting as she landed, her foot swung and the dropping sword snapped into the boot's arch. Continuing the grounded spin, she raised her leg and deflected the stab away. Ending up in a crouching position, she sprang up and flipped backwards. Her feet created a crescent of air which flattened the still stunned Weiss.
She rolled away from the subsequent air blasts. They were pressurised almost, as if it would be like taking a stab from the sword itself. Standing, Weiss saw the distorted air of two spinning air blasts – one on either side of her.
Weiss had formed a repulsion glyph without bothering to think. As she flew, the air almost took the sheen from her boots. Another blast of wind was heard and Weiss formed a large air step below her, creating a mid-air platform for protection. Yet she felt no impact from the blast...
It took Weiss a few seconds to register that Aqua was now staring her in the eyes. By the time processing was done, Aqua had already swung and left her off balance. A slash to the arm. Two to her chest. One final hopping, spinning kick sent Weiss plummeting from the glyph with a lot more force than just gravity.
An unpleasant thud as Weiss landed, taking a healthy chunk from her aura and causing the crowd to wince. Craning her neck upwards, through the sun's blinding rays, she saw Aqua leaping from the dissolving glyph. The sword disconnected from her boot and, with one mid-air roll, the same boot slammed against the vertical sword's hilt, firing it towards Weiss like an asteroid.
Weiss scuttled from the impact zone, but the force of said impact would have rivalled a meteorite. As it collided with the ground, it created a hurricane-force wind that blew outwards everywhere and carried Weiss into the air like a sheet of paper. Grains and stones hurtled across the arena before being zapped by the dome.
The air, however, acted as a parachute to Aqua as it slowed her fall. She fluttered downwards and landed, perched perfectly upon the swords hilt, prompting the immediate clicking of some scrolls' cameras.
She allowed the sword to clip onto her boot before attempting a diving front flip slash. Weiss, back upright, guarded and blocked. Aqua jumped, kicked and slashed but Weiss kept her eyes narrow and batted every slash away. Despite the extravagance of the style, it was not getting through the simple, structured defence.
One slash did knock Weiss's hand away though and Aqua stabbed her foot forward. That was until Weiss pointed and formed another glyph, trapping the blade mid-stab. Fully expecting another simple reaction, Weiss didn't react to Aqua's initial struggles despite her visible, gritted teeth. Hastily, Aqua disconnected her sword and stepped back. She took single step forward before slamming her foot off the exposed hilt, creating a blast of air that knocked Weiss over. The loss of concentration meant the glyph faded and Aqua grabbed her sword. She tried to attack again but Weiss was already up.
Her first slash was repelled by Weiss's now red rapier. Fully preoccupied with not letting her sword go into orbit, Aqua couldn't defend against the slashes to her legs and abdomen, which did nothing to sweeten her mood.
CLANG! Aqua held one slash and remained there. In a stalemate, Weiss tried to push but focused on Aqua herself. Had she imagined that manic glint in her eyes?
As Weiss pushed, Aqua brought her foot up to replace her hand in grasping the sword. The force of the kick swatted Myrtenaster away but she kept spinning. She was akin to a ballerina as she spun on the spot, the air around her almost forcing Weiss off-balance. Then she fell back onto her hands but continued using her momentum to continue twirling like a spinning top – she was breakdancing.
With that realisation came clicks of camera's, cheers and woops all from the crowd. The air immediately surrounding Aqua grew too fearsome and pushed Weiss back, allowing the heiress to see the full extent of Aqua's 'showing off'.
The spinning air had now evolved into a colossal funnel, with the winds grabbing Weiss and tossing her across the arena, whittling her aura. Roaring of wind began to drown out the crowd as the tornado grew in radius and began inching towards the helpless heiress. Still, Weiss refused to show fear and she extended her rapier and formed a glyph below her, cementing her to the ground and keeping her on both feet even though her ponytail was now permanently horizontal from the wind.
"And the weatherman thought were we going to be getting a 'breeze'." Ramos said, hiding his awe.
"Aqua will be. Like nature, there's not much Weiss can do about this."
Through the clouds of dust surrounding the twister, Weiss could see Aqua still spinning away, although she thought that she'd imagined a shadow splitting from her and getting sucked into the vortex. That was the least of her concerns as she tried to figure out how to stop the behemoth of a whirlwind.
Without warning, another, smaller shadow zoomed upwards through the dust and the wind began to slow. Weiss was ready to step forward and engage Aqua when a blur flew from the funnel. The last thing she noticed was a pair of fully purple eyes zipping past her, with Monsoon cutting across her neck.
It took the crowd as long as Weiss for it to sink in.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Set Two goes to Aqua Farryn!"
Weiss glanced around, her glyph shrinking at her feet. Those purple eyes were nowhere to be seen. Only Aqua, visibly sweaty, climbed up from the ground. It wasn't the loss that bothered her, but the fact that she didn't know how she lost. She'd always hated that. Where was her omniscient guardian angel when you needed one?
"Ugh, Weiss!" Ruby complained, waving her arms her scroll. "That was your set to lose, how could you-?"
"More cookies, Ruby?"
She stopped and sighed, failing to suppress her smile. "Yes please! Thanks, Neo."
"No problem :)" Neo paused, staring at the girl lying on her stomach, before she raised her pen once more. "I still think that you should be there."
Back to frowning. "I know that I should. It's just… this thing with Yang…"
"…Still sounds really stupid."
"Neo, you know why it bothers me," Ruby half-scolded, turning to her. On the off topic, Ruby was still trying to get used to Neo without her original jacket; it had since been replaced by a black Haven blazer.
As Neo went to write again, Ruby stood and put her hand against Neo's. "I know what you're going to say, and yes. It had nothing to do with Yang, but I do want to forgive her. I will forgive her. But… I may have bigger problems coming up."
Neo shuddered at him before nodding. "You'll win, Ruby. Don't worry." Ruby's eyes had barely finished glossing over the note before Neo wrapped her in a hug.
"Never had any doubts," Ruby said, returning it. Thankfully, Neo didn't question her shaky voice. What Ruby was really thinking was that she wouldn't mind Neo never letting go; at least it'd mean she wouldn't have to face Noire.
"Isn't she meant to be your team's best fighter?"
"Shut up, Bloodstone!" Yang wasn't happy. Sure, she had been haughty, but at least she'd stopped at one round of celebrations. There weren't even any emotions in Rasmus's voice, but Yang had never been one for constant questioning. "I thought you were meant to be the top-ranked team, but how many of us are there compared to you in this round?"
"That won't matter if she outlasts all of you. Just watch her."
Yang watched, and Weiss maintained her stance. One set each now. Winner goes to the semi-finals. Every worry and memory had been forced out of Weiss's mind, her undivided attention trained on Aqua. Maybe not all though, there was still something swimming in the back of her mind… Just like Set Three for Jaune.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
Aqua dashed from her spot for the third time in a row, but Weiss stayed still. She remained until Aqua was only about a metre away. Then she jumped left to dodge and began running, using the newly forming glyphs as a speed boost to begin circling Aqua.
Weiss was everywhere at once as she ran. Rebounding off glyphs at irregular intervals, she sliced Aqua and the usually fast girl could not keep up with the directions, causing her to frown.
Though, her aura had barely fallen before she attached her sword to her boot. She dropped to the ground and executed a spin akin to her breakdance, creating a small cone of air around her, which Weiss decided not to interfere with. Throwing herself upwards from the spin, Aqua brought her foot down, her sword penetrating the ground.
The air that had been circling her dispersed, the shockwave knocking Weiss off balance and sending her skidding across the floor from her speed. At least it did more damage to her combat skirt than it did to her aura.
Hoisting herself to her feet, she glanced at Aqua who stood at a carefully fixed distance, she could tell. Weiss was left standing as a smirking Aqua began to twirl her wrist, a rotating blast of wind emerging from the sword which threatened to slam her into the far wall. It was wide too, and completely encircled her. The only option was to form a glyph at her feet in hope that she wouldn't be blown away.
What she didn't expect was Aqua to jump side-on into her own funnel. She spun sideways as she entered the now declining wind and used her velocity to kick Weiss. The glyph meant that Weiss could only bend backwards at the impact. Aqua followed through with slashes. First was Weiss's stomach. Then her abdomen. Momentarily feeling the sharp pain of a heel in her shoulder, Weiss bent her legs. Falling back, the blade grazed her throat.
She couldn't stop the other boot from grasping her rapier though.
Aqua completed the move with a roll, both Monsoon and Myrtenaster attached to a boot each. "Perfect…" Without looking back, she blasted into a backflip back over her opponent to where she had started the attack. Weiss, now weaponless, slowed her breathing. There's no easy way out of this.
Aqua came in with a strong attack. First Monsoon slashed above the ducking Weiss, with Myrtenaster grazing her hip. Another rapier jab was escapable but the second sword slash caught her arm. She had been too fast before, but this…
Weiss then fell back as Aqua swept her feet using Monsoon. She spluttered as she landed and Aqua grinned. Jumping into the air, she plunged towards the ground.
Now!
Weiss rolled into a stand as both blades buried themselves in the spot where she had been. Before Aqua could spring into more attacks, Weiss lunged and grabbed her by the waist, arms pinned. Luckily for quite 'physically challenged' heiress, her opponent was hardly built like a brick house either. Clearly this didn't please her though.
"Really Schnee, you wanna play?" No response as Aqua strained her arms. "Alright, let's have double the fun." Closing her eyes, Weiss barely noticed a shadow split from Aqua's body but now, in the full sunlight, she saw it fully – an exact copy of Aqua. The intentions clicked a second too late as she pulled one foot from the ground and tossed Myrtenaster to the clone that caught it with her own boot. This wasn't like Blake's shadow clone; it was as smart as the original.
"Double trouble for Schnee," Ramos said. "I don't see this going well."
Steele hummed in agreement. "She could barely keep up with one."
The clone jumped in, forcing Weiss to let go. Aqua pulled her own sword from the ground and now both faced Weiss who refused to look defeated. Head up. Shoulders ba-ah!
The two dashed and Weiss ceased thinking as she ducked under the simultaneous strikes. It was almost a Yang-esque technique as she predicted the linear paths of the blades before bobbing and weaving under and around them. Both, growing synchronously agitated, soon caught on as they went for lower attacks. Still Weiss transitioned into a small jump before flipping away. The pair, however, executed a scissor-like slash, and Weiss had to cannon away from them using a repulsion glyph.
Some time. That's what she had bought herself, and that's all she needed. They were fast, but Weiss was ready.
Clone Aqua attacked first, using her foot-rapier in a jab. Weiss faced it head-on and formed a glyph, trapping the tip of the blade. Rather than wait, she chained into a backwards roll, using her feet to pull the rapier further through with the clone falling face-first into the glyph. As she clambered to her feet, Weiss circled around and kicked her in the back of head, slamming her face off the glyph again.
Weiss had turned back around when the original attacked with a side slash. Weiss extended her palm to meet it, and blocked the sword with the mini-glyph in her palm. In anger, Aqua forced her sword in a downwards slash. It only met a red repulsion glyph which floated above the prone heiress.
Aqua landed, barely composed, with her opponent still approaching. One more slash was dodged by a well-placed air step as Weiss vaulted over her, only causing the last of Aqua's patience to dwindle. She put all her force into a diagonal slash which was parried with a mini repulsion glyph. She followed into a kick to the teetering Aqua's knee, forcing her to bend over, and Weiss finished by falling away, kicking her in the jaw.
Space. Weiss finally had it. Slowly, with Aqua scrambling into an attacking position, Weiss closed her eyes and focused. Even without her rapier, a pale yellow glyph formed below her, clock hands spinning wildly.
Her eyes opened. Aqua was lunging straight at her neck, and it would have been too easy to dodge. Weiss didn't even need to look behind her to realise it. She jumped while spinning sideways, over the sprawling clone which was aiming for her legs from behind. Her time frame seemed slow as the glyph took full effect.
Come on… Weiss couldn't spare any other thoughts and glanced at Aqua. Her elbow jerked upwards into her face and, using the distraction, she grabbed Monsoon. Still spinning, she extended her arm and dragged the blade across the clone's neck, watching as it flickered away. Come on. Weiss completed her spin, now looking back at Aqua who had almost completed her arc over Weiss. Come on!
Throwing her arm out, a burst of air erupted from the blade, smashing into Aqua and sending her tumbling across the arena. Time sped up again and the crowd roared in appreciation. To them, it had been over in about three seconds.
"Even Aqua herself was blow away by that one!" Steele exclaimed.
"I think that serves as a reminder not to blink during this fight." Ramos laughed.
Weiss picked up Myrtenaster and smiled. "There's no sword that could replace you." Dropping Aqua's sword, she hopped back as the blue-haired girl jumped at her and grabbed it. Weiss waved her rapier and unleashed another cloud of ice shards as she fell away.
Barely needing a moment to register, Aqua squeezed through the tight gaps and looked as if she was going to run at Weiss again. But Weiss extended her rapier before immediately pulling it back. Suddenly the shards behind Aqua stopped and travelled in reverse, with Weiss sure that she had gotten her.
She dodged. No look either. Aqua just leaped over the entire storm. With the last now ahead of her, Aqua fired another blast of wind to speed up their paths which were aimed right back at Weiss.
Another repulsion glyph fired Weiss into the air, but she didn't descend. Several more took her to just metres below the new dome's roof. The final glyph was a standard air-step and Weiss waited. Aqua flew upwards after her. Weiss still waited. Aqua impatiently lunged at her. Weiss continued to wait until… she flipped her extended fingers before falling backwards.
The glyph reddened as Aqua landed on it.
ZAP!
The now repulsion glyph had just catapulted Aqua straight into the roof, causing her to violently jolt as a loud electrical buzz echoed through the arena. No sympathy from Weiss as she dived towards the ground, with the expecting heiress having already formed a glyph. The crowd had already broken into cheers before Weiss intercepted Aqua, slicing her neck in the process.
Slowly, Weiss descended to the ground via glyphs as Aqua fell. Almost looking reluctant (likely for the cameras) she formed one glyph which the paralysed Aqua bounced off before rolling onto the ground. After all – there was no need to continue the fight.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Set Three and the match go to Weiss Schnee. She will advance to the Semi-Finals!"
Everything else was an afterthought. Weiss Schnee – Vytal Tournament Semi-Finalist. She supposed it had a good ring to it. As the crowd continued to cheer, she walked over to Aqua, who was beginning to regain control of her limbs. She wasn't entirely sure how to approach her.
"Are you okay to walk?" Weiss asked as Aqua stood up, still trembling.
"N…Yes!" Aqua exclaimed, backing away from Weiss's outstretched hand as if it was diseased. "I do not need your help, Schnee." She turned away with aplomb, and Weiss could have sworn she was trying to imitate her.
"Alright," Weiss said, turning away.
"Although… it was a good match," Aqua said, her voice was ever-so slightly quieter. "You deserved it, Weiss.
Weiss just stared.
"What are you looking at?!"
"Nothing!" Weiss wished, at least. She turned and began to walk back to the tunnel, not noticing someone running after her. Had she been staring them in the eyes she wouldn't have noticed, as she was too jubilant. She'd won and survived. Although the latter had begun to seem like an arbitrary threat, she was just glad to walk back down the tunnel alive and well. She didn't see how things could get any better.
"Weiss! Wait up!"
That didn't mean that they couldn't though.
"Blake!" Weiss said, turning around only to be wrapped in a vice-hug from her girlfriend.
"You were amazing, Weiss," Blake said, holding Weiss out so she could gaze into her beaming eyes.
"I'd hope so," Weiss said jokingly, tracing her finger along Blake's forearm. "Thank you."
"You know…" Blake said, arms drifting to Weiss's waist. "We haven't been alone together for a while…"
At the hanging sentence, Weiss immediately caught on. "So needy," she chuckled, her fingers enclosing around Blake's arm. They both leaned in, eyes closed. So what if the trainer was still there? They both needed this. Besides, it's not like he could do anything; this was Weiss's celebration.
Before their lips could even brush though, they heard a loud cough. It was distinct too, and not her trainer's.
Jerking back, Weiss stared into the shade of the locker room. On the bench sat, not her trainer, but someone who's mere presence insinuated the worst.
"Miss Schnee," Ironwood said.
"General," Weiss replied. Thankfully he couldn't see her flaring cheeks. Blake, on the other hand, remained silent.
"First of all, I must congratulate you on your performance against Miss Farryn."
"Thank you, General," Weiss said, beaming. "It was difficult, but one of the most exciting matches by far. Don't you…"
She trailed off as she realised that the congratulations had been a pleasantry.
"Now, Miss Schnee, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you," Ironwood said.
"Where's my trainer?"
"I'm sure he can wait." Weiss shut up at Ironwood's solid voice.
"Shouldn't you be allowing someone who's just fought to spend time with their trainer?" Blake spoke up, before immediately wishing that she hadn't.
Ironwood stood and took a few steps towards the girls, towering over both of them. "I have more of a reason to be down here than you do. However, as I'm feeling generous, I'll allow you to stay for the questions."
"And if I refuse…?" Weiss said, determined to take attention off Blake.
"I'm sorry, but they were never optional." As Weiss backed away, Ironwood continued. "After a bit of digging around, I discovered that you may have encountered the Third White Fang a while back."
Blake tensed up. Discomfort began to bite at her, just from those three words. It must have shown too.
"Blake, what's wrong?" Weiss asked.
"W…Why don't I just wait for you outside?" Blake asked. "This does sound like a private matter."
Before Weiss could laugh off Blake's expected anxiety, the Faunus began to walk away. Weiss wanted to call her back, she almost needed to, but it wouldn't have been beneficial to either of them.
"As I was saying…"
"The Third White Fang?"
Ironwood nodded. "Yes, but that question can wait as we seem to have more time on our hands now."
Weiss gulped.
"What do you know of Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black?"
Those two? Weiss's brain started going a mile a minute. Yes, she was speaking to General Ironwood, headmaster of Atlas, but she still had to choose her words carefully.
"I know of them, yes." Before Ironwood could prompt, she continued. "I didn't speak to either of them much though. I was with them for the tournament draw. They left halfway through and I haven't seen them since."
"I see…" Ironwood said. "What about Cinder Fall?"
Again, Weiss had to rattle her brain. "I haven't seen her in about four months, and I spoke to her even less."
"To your knowledge, did any of them have ties to the Third White Fang?"
Finally, an easier question. Weiss even offered a supplementary chuckle. "From what happened a few months ago, I'd highly doubt it."
The easiness in Weiss's voice slowly cracked as Ironwood's eyes lit up. "Bringing us full circle: What about your encounter with the White Fang?"
"Well…" Weiss said. Any word was starting to look like a landmine to her. "At the docks a few months ago, Emerald and Mercury were attacked by some mercenaries who were later confirmed to be members. They left before we could get a good enough look at them."
"Do you recall anything distinctive about them?" Ironwood said, Weiss not picking up on the light clue of desperation.
"Their black robes and their new symbol. Um… I think one, who I'm assuming is their leader, had a red sword too with quite an unconventional sheath."
Ironwood's eyes widened. Kaboom. Had she misplaced a step in the midst of her confidence? Some horrible thought told her that she had as the general stood.
"Thank you for your time, Miss Schnee. I shall leave you to your trainer now." Leaving the heiress confused and conflicted, mostly the latter, he frowned. All other information had been rendered inane because he finally had a lead. A 'red sword' and an 'unconventional sheath'. There was only one person he knew who fit that description. Maybe he shouldn't have been that surprised either, as being a thorn in his side seemed to run in the family.
"Raven… You'll be out of hiding soon enough," Ironwood said. "Whether he wants to or not, your brother will make sure of it."
A/N: Alright, no arguments anymore. Another three month break is not good, but I am back again! I wish I could explain myself, but I just lost interest mostly. However, during the writing of this chapter, my PC also broke so I lost a small chunk of the draft (thankfully I had a memory stick with an almost up-to-date file on it). Turns out it took a lot longer than expected to get it back though, so I had to finish this chapter on my laptop. Maybe it would have been longer had I not scaled it down too, as I look to keep the word count around 10,000 per chapter (except the tournament final which, judging from my plan, looks like it will last about 20,000+ words...). If there are any mistakes, I apologise, but I had to do a bit of mixing and matching between the two drafts. Plus, this is one of the most edited chapters due to the fact I finished about a week and a half ago. The reason I didn't upload last week? Well... I had another week of mock exams. I decided to push this one back so you won't have to wait as long between this and the next one ('Eight, Part II'). Hopefully, normal writing shall resume after my final pair of mocks tomorrow.
Moreover, next time I do not upload for an extended period of time, keep checking the fic's description, my profile, or my Twitter for updates ( TheArcaneRose) while I hope in vain that I'm not talking to no one. If people keep checking then I will update more frequently so let me know if you are!
A few comments on the next chapter too. I'd expect it, if I continue to write at a decent pace, to be out this time next week, although I'd expect another two weeks. I have already written the first major scene out of four or five. However, one of those is the Blake vs. Yang fight which I will look to do justice through extensive planning. Also, the reason that I expect the next one so early is because I decided to split the Quarter-Finals into three parts, so 'Eight, Part III', with Ruby vs. Noire, will come after that. This is because the two-part incarnation was far too cliché(each member of Team RWBY was in a different match) so I rewrote the draw to make it interesting.
Remember when I said that I'd make injuries more significant? Well, Jaune hasn't woken up! Alright, I'm sorry if it seemed cheap because I made it seem like he was stone-cold dead, but at least he isn't back on his feet already. Let's just say there's a lot more benefit in not killing him off straight-up. Besides, I think you blood-thirsty readers need a bit of a break after Volume 3. A few comments on Volume 3 too: it's the best volume by far. I'm loving the darker tone, and now I don't feel as scared when it comes to killing people off anymore! Whether I'm being serious, you'll have to wait...
Otherwise, thank you. I keep saying it, but you're the reason I keep updating. Let me know your thoughts about this chapter. Remember to review, follow and favourite if you enjoyed. As always, thanks for reading!