Settling In…
A few days have passed since initiation and despite how early it is, bright lights illuminate the Beacon gym as two people approach the combat mats. One wears simple jogging shorts and a t-shirt, the other a hooded vest and hot shorts, each glad about the lack of company as they stretch and warm-up; it's too early for most of the other students at Beacon.
"Alright, rule one, if you fall outside the circle or I pin you, I win." Theodore tells Eliza as they step onto the mat. "Rule two, no semblances and if you tap then you're out." He continues, picking up two water bottles and tossing her one. "Rule three… no shoes on the mat." He takes a swig from his water as Eliza promptly removes her trainers.
"Let's see what you can do city boy." Eliza sighs happily, her back popping in multiple places as she stretches her arms over her head. She used to hate having to get up so early, especially just for training, but it became routine as an apprentice under Tusk in Vacuo.
"By all means, show me how it's done wild child." Theodore quips in response. He hears her chuckle as he rolls his shoulders. Growing up with his mother, he has never been a stranger to early mornings and enjoys the peace that comes before the break of dawn.
Eliza smirks as she ties her hair up into a tight ponytail. "Oh, I will. Now, let's get some blood pumping." She watches Theodore and they step into the ring and get into a combat stance before slowly circling each other. Theodore smiles. "What's with the glare Goodwitch?" She asks coyly, grinning back, bouncing on the balls of her feet gently.
"I'm assessing your weaknesses." Theodore responds, looking her up and down. He can't be sure how she might act or react, but he knows from their short time together that such a simple jibe will fuel the flames. He doesn't need to wait long; she lunges towards him with a wide punch, which he easily redirects; Eliza swiftly moving to avoid his counterstrike.
Theodore dodges and blocks a few more of her punches before delivering another one of his own. Her attacks are raw and untamed but have unmistakable technique in them, even if that technique is lacking in his eyes. His blows are sharp and precise. After suffering a few gentle taps to the torso Eliza backs off slightly, she feints low with her right and tries to drive her left fist under his chin.
"Too slow." He taunts.
To her annoyance, he manages to move his head out of the way and covers his stomach from her feint. Without hesitation she kicks him in the shin, trying to knock him off balance, but he recovers too quickly and kicks her away. She lunges at him again, but he twists around her attack, driving his elbow into her side and earning a grunt of pain from her. She is starting to read him now and he has done exactly what she expected; she gives as good as she gets by driving her knee into his stomach. He stumbles back.
He smirks then leaps in, knocking her guard away with a roundhouse kick before quickly dropping down and sweeping her legs from under her. His expectation of her crashing onto the mat is cut short however as she flips back into the fall, landing on her palms and then pushing off to flip back onto her feet again.
"Bet your mother never taught you anything like that." She beams cockily.
"Maybe not, but she taught me to always know where I'm standing." He tells her. Eliza looks down to see herself on the threshold of the ring but Theodore dashes forward and pushes her out before she has time to move. He raises one eyebrow and smiles smugly.
Eliza growls but takes his outstretched hand, shaking off her limbs as he walks away.
"You're good," he tells her, inadvertently rubbing salt in the wound. "Impressive recovery. Round two?"
She nods and they square off again. Much more cautious, she tests the waters with a few simple jabs and kicks, watching Theodore's reactions more carefully. Seeing her starting to fight strategically, Theodore decides on a more offensive streak to throw her off. His fist connects with her knee and she drops her guard slightly, allowing him to drive his other fist into her gut. Instead of doubling over and gasping for air, as he expects, she rears up and headbutts him, making him reel back in surprise and pain.
Grabbing her opportunity, she slides between his legs and gets a quick jab to the kidney before he whirls around. She shoots her foot upwards in a high kick, but he does the same, twisting his leg around hers and forcing her to one knee with her back to him. He grunts as she swings her elbow back into his stomach but doesn't back away. Grabbing her in a sleeper hold, he locks his legs around her torso, kicking out her other knee and pulling her back.
"Tap out." He advises her calmly.
Eliza refuses, finding his face with her flying fist. He turns his head to avoid any follow-ups, the arm around her neck unmoved by her other hand beating and tugging. Eliza tries relaxing in the hope he will follow suit, but as soon as she moves his arm is choking her again. She knows there is no escape, she can't break his grip and he has taken away any other means of escape by putting her on her back.
"You're letting your frustration get in the way," Theodore says. "Something tells me you're a sore loser." He releases her. She rubs her neck as he checks his face for cuts.
"Guilty as charged," she admits. "But come on, you've probably been trained by your mother since before you could walk." She needs to re-group, so takes a large drink from her water bottle. Unaware that a couple of the other students were watching their last bout.
"Which means I know what I'm talking about when it comes to a fight." He smiles. "You need to play to your strengths. Rather than always facing your enemies head-on, try staying light on your feet and attacking when you see an opening. Use your agility and speed to avoid their attacks and adapt your approach to exploit their weaknesses."
She mulls over his words for a moment before stepping back into the ring. This time she is much faster on her feet, dancing around Theodore. Her expression is almost feral as she gains more and more momentum, jabbing, sliding, and kicking every chance she gets. Theodore starts to push her back onto the defensive, so she darts back, forcing him to follow her.
'I expected her to be a quick study, but not that quick.' He thinks
She keeps him at bay, leading him around the ring until finally, she winds up and performs a double spin kick, aiming at his head. He leans back to avoid the first kick but lets the second land on his shoulder, quickly clamping his hand over the ankle. She wobbles; he jabs her shoulder while simultaneously hooking her other leg and driving her to the floor. He quickly sits astride her, pinning her hands to the floor.
"Well… hello." Eliza smiles with a slight blush at the larger frame bent over hers. She hears a hushed conversation and quickly spots a few students watching intently, having stopped their own regimens to watch them.
"Are you gonna give up?" She hears one of them call from across the room.
"Not a chance." She whispers, without warning she bucks her hips violently, whipping her legs up and locking her knee right beneath Theodore's chin. With a strong flex, she pushes herself up, forcing him onto his back and rolling up so she is on top of him. "Tap out?" She smiles evilly, raising her fist but stopping when she notices Theodore's smirk.
"No." He states.
A moment later Eliza finds herself on her back again, with Theodore straddling her, again, his hands pinning her shoulders, his knee planted firmly on her stomach and his foot holding her legs down. A few drops of sweat roll down his forehead. She tries to wriggle, but he pushes down on her, leaning down next to her ear.
"Never underestimate your opponent, even if victory seems assured." He whispers.
She sighs and sticks her tongue out at him as he rises back up, earning a smile in return. He stands up and again offers her his hand, which she takes. Some of the students clap; Theodore gives a slight bow, knowing it will annoy Eliza even more than the applause.
"Alright, now it's my turn. Follow me." She commands, ignoring the hair falling out of its ponytail and bundling around her shoulders as she walks. They get outside and Eliza stretches her legs before bending at the waist, legs ready to push off. Theodore realises what she's doing and gets into his own starting position. "Ready, set…" She starts moving as she shouts "Go!"
'What exactly are you up to?' Theodore wonders as he follows her. Once they've both passed the tree line that surrounds Beacon's grounds, Eliza speeds up a little, her hair bouncing more erratically as she gains distance. 'Oh, so that's how it's going to be?' He realises as Eliza looks back at him, a confident gleam in her eye.
"Come on, Goodwitch! At least make it a challenge for me!" She teases as the trees get denser. Theodore watches as she effortlessly glides between thick trunks and saplings, never misplacing her footing or needing to change direction at the last second, as if she instinctually knows where to twist and turn, where the ground is flat or hazardous.
"I wasn't aware we were racing." He shouts back, picking up his pace but gaining only a little ground. "But I think I'm doing just fine."
Eliza looks behind her, he isn't there. She turns back to find him running alongside her.
A small grin spreads across his face when her eyes widen in surprise for a brief second. It disappears a moment later when she scales a fallen tree, swiftly taking to the branches of another as she starts travelling through the canopy, using the branches as steppingstones and swing bars. She winks at him before he's forced to hurdle a log splayed across the ground, nearly falling because he is so focused on her.
"That's cheating!" He shouts as she continues to run above him, birds and small animals fleeing as she shoots past them.
"You said to play to my strengths." She responds, imitating his voice, causing him to smile in amused exasperation.
For a few minutes, they remain neck and neck, Theodore having to predict the direction Eliza is going to go in and adjust accordingly while she bounds above him. Every now and again she becomes no more than a shadow in the leaves, the sun having now risen above the horizon, casting warm rays of light through the trees.
Theodore hears her giggle as he realises that they have come back to the outskirts of the forest and Beacon and its buildings become visible once more. The smells of Beacon mix with the scent of the forest and morning dew on the grass; it is a beautiful morning.
Eliza steps it up a gear without effort, pulling ahead and emerging with a leap from the trees, moving directly into a roll when she meets the ground. She blows some stray hair out of her face as she stands up, watching Theodore come out of the trees and slow to a stop in front of her. His chest is rising and falling in a rhythmic fashion. She notices a sheen of sweat on his upper lip as he cocks an eyebrow at her.
"Wild child, remember." She grins. He chuckles, steam rising off him in the brisk morning air as he places his arms behind his head and opens his ribcage to take a deep breath. "You need to work on your stamina," she comments, a cocky smile coming to her lips as she pokes him in the shoulder. "And I call the first shower when we get back."
"Be my guest." He says, making a show of enjoying the morning, but in reality, he's still catching his breath.
Theodore looks out over Beacon's grounds, and Vale in the near distance, wondering if the old park by the sea still looks the same. Before he can ponder for too long the sound of heels tapping on the floor catches his attention. Turning to look, he sees Weiss walking onto the balcony, her arms crossed, a frown on her face. She doesn't notice him, walking to stare out over the railing.
Theodore decides to announce his presence, "Lovely view isn't it." Weiss jumps slightly, turning to see Theodore sat on the bench with Surtur at his side. She sighs, relieved it seems to Theodore. He goes over to stand next to her, slipping his hands into his pockets. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I…" She pauses then turns to face him. "I should be the leader of team RWBY." She looks expectantly at Theodore, assuming he will immediately agree. Instead, he continues to look out over the railing, humming slightly as he does.
"And why do you think this?" He asks her calmly.
"You saw me in the initiation, I was exceptional. And I know I have some of the highest academic and combat grades of anyone ever accepted to Beacon." She tells him; she looks back at Surtur as he chortles on the bench, giving him an icy gaze.
"I remember Winter coming to Beacon and she believed the same, at first." Theodore's mention of Weiss' sister whips her attention to him briefly before she glares back out over the balcony again. He remains unmoved by her justification for leadership, straightening his tie and clearing his throat to regain her attention.
"I know that you were trained by the greatest tutors in Atlas, with access to more resources than a small kingdom and the influence of you family name at your disposal, but I'm afraid that doesn't entitle you to lead." He tells her. Unconcerned by the fury she is barely controlling.
"Excuse me? So, you're going to blindly accept Ozpin's decision, knowing he's wrong, and I should be the leader." Weiss exclaims, motioning with her hands before placing them on her hips with an indignant frown.
Surtur rolls his eyes and curls up on the bench, small plumes of smoke rising from his nostrils.
"I've known Ozpin all my life," Theodore says, turning to face her, "and he's never given me cause to doubt him. Trust me, having all those advantages doesn't make you better than anyone else, it just teaches you to expect a safety net. In truth, your attitude is holding you back." Theodore tells her.
Weiss is dumbfounded, she could understand him speaking to Ruby that way, she was childish and unprepared, but she was Weiss Schnee, heiress to the most powerful family in the world. "How dare you! And you're hardly one to talk, the Crown Prince of Beacon!" She hisses through gritted teeth.
Theodore sighs, placing a hand on the railing and looking up at Ozpin's tower for a second before meeting her glare once more. "The very reason that I can tell you this is because of my 'Crown Prince' status as you put it." His voice doesn't contain any hint of anger or superiority, making her look at him more cautiously than angry. "Nobody's perfect. There was a time when I used my… advantages, to escape punishment and attempt to influence others. I soon learned that it causes many more problems than it solves."
"But I… I mean you're…" Weiss stutters and tries to find the right words to fuel her rapidly receding anger, clenching her fists and pacing on the spot a little. "I'm not saying I'm perfect, but I'm leagues ahead of her." She points back towards the corridor she emerged from, having left Ruby there.
"The worst kind of isolation, is self-inflicted." He looks at her, smiling wryly. "Respect that is earned is far more valuable than respect given by default." He looks out over the grounds of Beacon again and the skyline beyond. "Ruby may be young, and have a romanticised view of being a huntress, but she'll learn and adapt. She will stumble, she will fall, but in the end, you may just find yourself realising you should never have doubted her."
"How can you be so sure?" She scoffs, hating that his words are affecting her.
"Because, at the moment, you're focused on what you don't have, when you should be focusing on what you do." His words hang in the air for a moment, Weiss following his gaze to the horizon. She leans over the rail slightly, her long pure white ponytail resting on her shoulder.
"So, what would you advise?" She asks quietly, flicking her eyes across to him and seeing a gentle smile on his face.
"Realise you have so much to offer your team. Maybe you didn't get what you wanted, but I think that your team got what it needed; you." He turns to go, Surtur landing on his shoulder when he pauses. "Give Ruby a chance; greatness often grows from small beginnings. She will surprise you." With that he leaves her to her thoughts, a satisfied smile on his face as he makes for the door; he is surprised to see Eliza leaning on the doorframe.
"Crown Prince huh?" She mocks with a big grin, her arms crossed, the richness of her hair spilling over her shoulder like the softest of pelts. "Can I have it? The crown I mean, because I have this fancy-dress party coming up…" Theodore stops mid-stride, right next to her, a sly smirk on his face.
"I'm sorry, can't do that; you'll have to buy your own accessories." He tells her and promptly continues inside.
Eliza chuckles for a second before stopping suddenly, quickly looking back at him. "Wait, you actually have a crown?"
Hello again. In this chapter, I tried to make the scenes and growth a little more original, as opposed to mainly following the canon story as I have been up to now. I'm trying to avoid my characters feeling shoehorned into every scene without a true purpose for being there, and I don't want to be completely copying the show; Though in some chapters, it may be easier to see where I am struggling with this as it will likely follow the show more rigidly. Anyway, I plan to include more of these more original chapters in the future and find ways of advancing the overarching plot without having to re-tell every scene from the show.
I also wanted to try and avoid Theodore just being stuck on one of the main teams, but I also didn't want him to be a one-man-band. This is partly why Eiza was included; I was going to have her anyway, but her being his partner felt much more natural to the story. this also means that they aren't entirely tied to the main characters of the show.
With that being said, sorry about the long note, I hope you have enjoyed the story so far and continue to do so as it continues. All reviews and criticism are welcome and encouraged.
Thank you again so much for reading and have a nice day.