Chapter 28…
Asher was knocked back onto his ass when the end of an iron-tipped staff whipped him in the face. Asher rolled onto his back and gritted his teeth as his head rattled around inside his helmet.
It was Team MARS' first team match in the Vytal tournament… and things were not going to plan. Mauve had pulled them into a team huddle before the match to discuss a game plan, but everything went out the window when the team got separated.
Asher jerked his head to the side to avoid a vicious jab from his staff wielding opponent, the end of the staff burying itself into the stone behind him.
This was how it was going to be then…
Asher snarled and whipped around to get back on his feet, delivering a swift kick to the midsection of his enemy and forcing them back. Asher used his semblance to dash away, smoke beginning to cling to his form, and drew his rifle to fire. The helmeted boy felt a spike of disappointment when the bullets phased harmlessly through his enemy, clearly his opponent's semblance…
"Drat' Asher thought as his opponent sprinted towards him, staff held high to whack him again.
-
On the opposite end of the arena, which had been set up to simulate a ruined village, Mauve and Sage were working together against two opponents. They had been separated from their teammates near the beginning of the match. Rust was somewhere in the desert section of the arena (if the ground shattering crashes were any indication) and Asher was holding his own in the center of the arena against the staff-wielding leader of the other team.
Sage grinned behind his shield as he fired multiple grenades at his two opponents, causing them to yelp and leap in disarray whenever a grenade flew past their bodies. Mauve was using her offensive skills to enact hit-and-run attacks, leaping in to deliver electricity infused strikes before sprinting off to plan her next ambush. One of the two opponents, a tall boy who was whirling around a flaming chain, swung his weapon out to whip Mauve as she ran by. The lynx eared girl reacted with incredible speed, tucking into a hasty front flip and twisting her body to avoid the chain. She landed in a crouch and transformed her blades into guns, squeezing off several shots before retreating away from a chain strike that obliterated the ground around her.
Sage capitalized on his inattentiveness and used his submachine gun to fire more rounds into the boys back, making him falter as his aura flickered. Sage's hasty assault was interrupted by their second opponent, a girl with an eye-patch who wielded two wickedly carved scimitars. The girl dashed around Sage, forcing him to turn around to cover himself.
"SAGE!" he heard a Mauve shout. Sage's sensitive wolf ears picked up the sound of a chain whirling and he spun back around to block a chain strike that would have smacked his back. As he spun Sage held out his arm and held down the trigger of his gun, firing an arc of rounds that forced the scimitar girl to duck into cover. Sage used his semblance to rebound the chain, the flaming metal links flying back to strike its owners shocked face.
The chain wielding boy crumpled to the ground in a heap, his aura flickering. Sage whirled around to spot Mauve already dueling the scimitar girl.
Rust grimaced and used his semblance to avoid a halberd strike, the heavy weapon burying itself in the sand before quickly flying back into its owner's hands. The heavy hitter of Team MARS groaned in annoyance and stomped his heavy feet to break apart the sand that was climbing up his legs to bind him. His opponent, a very tall boy dressed in robes, clearly had some form of environmental manipulation semblance.
And them fighting in the middle of a desert meant Rust was a sitting duck…
Using his practiced agility Rust dropped his shoulder and swung his axe in an upwards strike. The heavy axe blades instead cleaved through a hastily raised wall of sand and stone. Rust's attempt at firing a shotgun blast met the same lackluster fate, a wall of sand and stone rising to block the buckshot.
The sand wall shattered and fell when the razor sharp blade of the halberd horizontally sliced through it, making Rust jump back again. Calling forth his semblance Rust began to generate wind and blew a powerful gust of sand in his opponents direction, temporarily blinding him. Rust quickly sought to use this vulnerability, firing his shotgun behind him to build up speed for a brutal strike…
Things were looking up on Asher's end of the fight. The rifleman quickly realised that his opponent could only become immaterial for a short period of time Asher began trying to trick him into using his semblance.
Asher dashed back again with a whoosh of air, more and more smoke billowing off his form as he kept retreating. His opponent snarled back and sprinted forwards to close the distance again, but quickly became immaterial when Asher fired off a burst of rounds, the bullets passing harmlessly through him. The boy's grin was cut short when an explosive fire round detonated at his feet, sending him and his staff flying.
Asher grinned from behind his helmet, happy that his ruse had worked. The smile was wiped from his face when his opponent shakily stood up, he was more relentless than Asher anticipated. Asher raised his rifle to finish him off but the boy reacted with surprising speed, not even bothering to pick up his staff as he sprinted towards Asher. Asher squeezed off some rounds but the boy became immaterial again, jumping off and re-entering the world of the physical at just the right time to kick Asher's Jackhammer out of his hands.
Asher reacted with lightning speed, drawing his pistol from his thigh holster and firing off a shot. The bullet went wild and grazed the boy's aura but the pistol was spin-kicked out of his hands. Asher's opponents threw out a jab that made Asher's helmet ring, blocking any more attempts to draw his weaponry.
Any attempts to hit the boy back were met with complete failure. It didn't matter how many punches Asher threw, his opponent became immaterial to avoid the strikes and became physical again to retaliate. Asher had a healthy amount of aura but he knew that he couldn't keep this up forever.
Time for another ruse…
Dashing back and drawing his bayonet Asher let out a war cry and sloppily slashed the blade in his opponents direction. The boy reacted predictably by becoming immaterial but couldn't maintain his semblance long enough to shield himself from the follow up punch to his solar plexus.
Asher's opponent's eyes bulged out in shock and stumbled back, clutching his throat as he tried to breathe. Asher didn't hesitate… drawing his shotgun and shoving it into the stomach of his opponent and firing off a brutal gut-shot. The unfortunate boy's aura completely shattered and he fell to the ground in a groaning heap.
Asher stopped to make sure the guy wasn't dead before sprinting off to assist his teammates.
Mauve grimaced as she held up her knives in an X formation and blocked a downwards strike. Her eye-patch wearing opponent was an incredibly skilled duel-wielder… to the point where she was holding her own pretty well.
Sage was somewhere behind her but wasn't offering much assistance, probably because the two fighters were moving far quicker than he could keep track of.
If Mauve had any advantages in this fight it was her electrokinesis. She had been careful to generate some electricity and add them to her strikes, making her opponents teeth chatter every time their blades connected. It was certainly enough to damage her opponents aura but this wasn't a fight that could be allowed to drag on…
Twisting her body to move out of the way of a downwards slash Mauve retaliated with an upwards one, impacting her opponents aura and causing her to jump back. Mauve grinned and spun around on the spot, landing in a low crouch and holding out one blade to fire off a bolt of lightning. The bolt of electricity made her opponents aura crackle again but Mauve couldn't risk glancing up at the aura boards.
The lynx girl was taken by surprise when her opponent's single eye began to glow with a malevolent red light. The girl dashed forwards, her two blades glowing with red energy and moving far faster than they should have been capable of. Forced into a hasty defence Mauve gave up more and more ground as she retreated, her hands vibrating painfully everytime she blocked a strike.
An opening came when Sage finally saw his chance, firing a burst of rounds at the scimitar wielding girl. The bullets crackled against the girls aura, causing her to falter in pain for a moment.
A moment was all Mauve needed…
The leader of MARS switched her right knife into its gun form and fired a single shot into the vulnerable leg of her opponent. The eye-patch girl cried out in pain and fell to one leg, leaving her open to Mauve's vicious spin kick that shattered her aura and rendered her unconscious.
Mauve paused to breathe as sweat dripped off her weary form, taking a second to flash Sage a thumbs up. Sage returned the hand gesture, a kind expression in his eyes as he peered at her from behind his viewscreen.
A shattering crash from the other side of the arena interrupted their camaraderie…
Rust dodged another strike and successfully landed a blow with Ruination, causing his tall opponent's aura to momentarily flicker. Aiming the hilt of his weapon towards his opponent Rust squeezed out a shotgun blast, some of the buckshot connecting before another wall of sand to block the rest.
The halberd swung out again, this time the spear tipped end grazing against Rust's arm, impacting his aura and causing the big man to wince in pain. Rust's opponent jumped back and spun his halberd in a 360 degree circle, a sloppy maneuver but one that forced Rust to keep his distance. Rust used his wind semblance to blow a blast of dust his way before lowering his axe blade to catch the halberds end. The two weapons connected with a thunderous crash that echoed throughout the massive arena.
Rust's opponent quickly untangled his weapon and reared back before jabbing it forwards. Rust was quick to dodge the strike and reached down his free hand to grip the shaft.
That was a mistake…
Rust's opponent grinned cruelly as sand began to snake up and solidify around Rust's legs. The matter moved with speed faster than Rust could comprehend… whirling around his legs and hardening before he could stomp it off. The aura around Rust's hand crackled when the halberd was ripped away.
Rust's opponent raised his halberd high for a finishing blow… only for Asher to leap from a nearby dune and cling around his neck. The helmeted boy let out a war shriek and clung to the larger man's back like a monkey, using his pistol to fire wildly into the man's body. The sand around Rust's feet crumbled and he stomped away the remnants of the matter.
Rust reared up a massive punch and channeled wind behind the fist to increase its force. Rust's fist sank deep into his opponents stomach and the massive man crumpled, Asher quickly leapt away and tucked into a roll as the man fell onto his back.
Rust took a moment to catch his breath and turned to see Asher, the helmeted boys form wreathed with thick grey smoke. Rust offered Asher a grin and a thumbs up, Asher returned the gesture but his eyes were concealed behind his visor.
Team MARS regrouped in the center of the stone plaza, reveling in their victory over the other team. The entire arena shook with the intensity of the crowd's cheers, a show of appreciation and respect for the victors.
Mauve held her both her blades high up over her head, grinning as lightning arced theatrically between her two blades. Asher didn't want to be outdone by his leader, tilting the barrel of his rifle up to fire off some celebratory shots. Unfortunately he couldn't pull his helmet off to face the crowd, the smoke around his form still too thick.
Rust was content to prop himself up on his axe and wave, grinning widely when he found Vermillion's face in the crowd. When he spotted Honey beside her Rust reached down and ruffled Sage's head… much to the green haired boys embarrassment.
Later…
After being dismissed by the announcers and settling in to watch RWBY's match, Team MARS returned to the dorm to change before hitting the fairgrounds. Mauve had begged Rust and Sage to hang around with the rest of the team for a while, insisting that there was something important that needed to be addressed as a team. Rust agreed to this on the condition that Mauve and Asher didn't get too intimate with each other, cackling when blushes arose on his two teammates' cheeks.
Mauve had neglected to tell them why she was dragging them through the crowded fairgrounds. She had clamped one of her hands around Asher's wrist and periodically apologized to him whenever she yanked him along.
"So, uh…" Sage muttered as he jogged next to Mauve. "Care to tell us why you're dragging us around? I told Honey I would meet with her…"
"And you will!" Mauve retorted before she stopped abruptly, Asher bumping into her. "Did I forget to tell you guys?"
"Tell us what?" Asher groaned as he steadied himself.
"Oh…" Mauve muttered with an uncharacteristic waver. "My dad came up from Mistral… he wanted to meet all of you guys…"
"Explains why you're so excited… I've never seen you so erratic…" Rust spoke with a tone of realization.
"Sorry about that," Mauve admitted. "I haven't seen him in a while… other than scroll calls."
Mauve continued to lead them towards the meeting spot she had agreed upon with her father. Asher identified him immediately, recognizing him from the scroll call they had shared the day after the Beacon dance. Argent Tempesta was leaning against the support pole of a fair tent, his silvery hair reflecting in the sunlight.
"Dad!" Mauve shouted with an uncharacteristically chipper tone in her voice, leaping forwards to catch her father in a hug. The silvery haired man laughed and held up his arms to catch her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
"Mauve! My dearest daughter! How have you been!?"
"Great!" Mauve laughed. "I have so much to tell you!"
"I bet you do!" Argent grinned, ruffling his daughter's ears. "But aren't we forgetting some people?"
Mauve blinked. "Right."
Mauve whirled around to introduce her team, starting with Sage and Rust. Argent stepped forwards with a grin to shake their hands and share polite introductions with them. Mauve saved Asher for last, knowing that her father might react differently to him.
"And…" Mauve began. "This is Asher."
"Nice to properly meet you…" Argent smiled as he held out his hand.
"Likewise." Asher smiled. The two shared a brief but very firm handshake with each other before Argent pulled away. So far Asher had only ever seen the man via scroll call, Argent was expectation defying in person. Mauve had informed him that he was a former huntsman and it was clear that Argent had maintained his physique. He was in very good physical shape, with defined arms and a healthy posture. He was taller than Mauve but perhaps an inch or two shorter than Asher. Despite being of smaller stature Argent had a certain commanding presence around him that demanded respect.
"I watched your match from the seating area!" Argent declared. "I was incredibly impressed with your performance… especially you Mauve, although I am biased towards you."
"Thank you Mr. Tempesta." Rust politely responded. "It was pretty hectic for a while there…"
"I don't doubt it!" Argent grinned, he turned to face Sage. "Impressive work with that shield! Were you re-directing those strikes?"
"Ricochet actually." Sage corrected, flattening down his ears. "The shield offers up lots of opportunity for me to strike back…"
"And you…" Argent trailed off, turning towards Asher with an unsure look.
Asher was about to respond when the dinging of a scrolls notification went off. Asher rattled out a quick apology and pulled the device from his pocket, unfolding it to read the notification. It was a single message, simple and straightforward…
'Call me immediately, no excuses." - Father
Asher grimaced and tucked his scroll away to address Argent. "I'm very sorry Mr. Tempesta… I don't mean to be rude but I have to make a scroll call… would you excuse me?"
"Very well." Argent nodded with a stony look. "Do what you need…"
Asher nodded towards him and spared a brief look at his team. Sage and Mauve were looking confusedly at him but Rust looked concerned, probably having already deduced who had contacted him.
Asher walked away and took a few turns, ducking behind a food stall to make the scroll call. A wave of apprehension surged through him as he unfolded the device and initiated the calling procedure.
His apprehension spiked when his father's face appeared on screen…
Slate Russet wasn't a bad looking man. Asher had inherited the man's facial structure and dark grey eyes. Their appearances differed in skin tone and hair, Slate had a far paler complexion and reddish quality to his wavy locks. Slate's face could have been described as handsome, but Asher could only remember it being twisted into hateful sneers.
"Son…" Slate spoke softly, but his lips didn't move much. "How are you?"
"Good." Asher replied, hoping his father didn't see him stiffen. "Why the urgent need for a call?"
"What… I can't keep in touch with my only son?"
"You haven't made many attempts so far…" Asher muttered.
"Watch your tone… and to answer your question… your mother and I just watched your match on the television. We decided not to attend this year as a continued protest against faunus involvement."
'Like anybody fucking cares,' Asher thought to himself as his father rattled on.
"Your performance was very impressive… you're shaping up to be a strong huntsman."
"Thanks."
"But there was one issue your mother and I noticed…" Slate nearly spat, his face nearly scowling. "You haven't been very truthful with us…"
"I have no idea what you talking about-"
"Don't you play dumb with me you little shit. Why… are there animals on your team? You informed your mother and I that you had an all human team!"
"Sorry dad, I must have forgotten to mention it…" Asher spat. "But you seem to be forgetting that I don't give a shit about what you and mom think."
Slate completely dropped the facade of friendliness, his face finally twisting into its usual scowl. "Don't you be disrespectful to me boy… don't forget who gave you this opportunity."
Asher rolled his eyes. "You can't keep trying to pull that on me… it wasn't just you and mom that enabled me to be a huntsman…"
Slate sneered again. "Enough of this… I demand that you see Ozpin for immediate transfer! When this gets out our reputation will be tarnished!"
"I don't care about your reputation! And let me add something…" Asher took a moment to breath. "The leader of my team… the silver haired girl with the lynx ears."
"That mangy animal? What about it!?"
Asher's right eye twitched in rage. "Her name is Mauve and don't you ever fucking call her that again! Also, she and I have been dating for a while now… dating…"
Slate froze on the video screen, his hateful look replaced with absolute disbelief. Asher wasn't done yet, he wanted to twist the knife just a little bit more.
"I know what you're going to say…" Asher snarled. "That I'm only dating her to get back at you and get revenge; but let me stop that accusation before it happens by stating that I care greatly about her… I'll go even farther by saying that I love her…" Asher momentarily paused his rant, Slate was still too shocked to react. "That's right… I'm in a happy romantic relationship with a person you irrationally hate… it's good to know that I'm at least capable of love."
Asher ended the call abruptly and turned his scroll off, collapsing the device and shoving it back into his pocket. The fair haired boy shook his head and sighed before walking back into the crowds to find his team.
Asher failed to notice the silver haired man who was listening in, having caught the tail end of the scroll conversation.
Later...
Asher spotted Mauve leaning against the food tent where they had met her father. Sage and Rust were nowhere in sight and Mauve was watching the crowd, her ears flicking in reaction to the myriad of noises the fair had to offer. The lynx-eared girl was normally very perceptive but must have been deep in thought as she failed to notice her boyfriend until he was standing right next to her.
"Hey gorgeous," Asher muttered in a fake sultry tone. Mauve whipped her head around to find his voice and made eye contact, the surprised look on her face morphing into a warm smile.
"Are you talking to me?" She joked, arching a silver eyebrow.
"Who else would I be talking to?" Asher grinned. "Why is a pretty girl like you standing all alone?"
"Mmmm, waiting for my boyfriend…"
"Oh? Is he a special guy?"
"Quite the contrary…" Mauve crinkled her nose in mock disgust.
"Wha-?"
"He's been a little brooding lately… and don't get me started on his awful smoking habits…"
Asher broke character, swinging an arm around Mauve's shoulders. "Come on… my semblance doesn't have a smell and you know it!"
Mauve laughed and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Sage and Rust left to find their respective lady friends… we'll be on our own for the afternoon."
"What about your dad?" Asher questioned.
"I don't know… he left right after you did… he said he wanted to meet up with me later to talk… he wants you to come as well."
"Should I be worried?"
"Nah…" Mauve chuckled as she turned her attention to the sights and sounds of the fairgrounds. "You ready to win me a bunch of stuffed animals?"
"My wallet feels lighter already!"
"Cheaper than jewellery…"
"Are you dropping me hints?"
Mauve laughed again and grabbed his hand, pulling him off into the crowd to enjoy what the fair had to offer.