Yang grinned, blood between her white teeth as she ducked and dodged her opponents left hook and following uppercut. Hands up, she did one or two testing jabs, testing their reaction speed.

Blocked at the last moment, good. It meant her opponents reaction time was slipping, either exhaustion or one or two head blows, it didn't really matter. They circled each other for a bit, she was trying to remember her adversary's name but couldn't remember what had been called at the start as she was loosening up, they all blended into one after a while. The crowds noise in the warehouse was an unintelligible mess to her and she didn't even see them after a while, having trained not to react to all the little distractions after… God, how many fights?

Does it really matter though? Her opponent had rapidly swelling ears from two good punches and her forearms were going to be black and blue from some seriously good blocks earlier in the fight. She knew she looked a state as well, she had a cut above one eye (in an earlier round) and the previous mouth shot. Her fitness from being a huntress was paying dividends though, her opponent was flagging, one good punch and this would end while she felt like she could go on for a while, the docket saying she might have a few more illicit fights.

If she likes. Her status as a hero of remnant meant she could fight as long as she wanted. Aura helped heal too between bouts, they were strictly not allowed in the fights, no one wanted to punch someone and not leave anything, not here. It had taken a lot of control, Yang remembering her fathers words about her aggression reluctantly. Ha, she had better aura control than pretty much any of her ex-classmates, even Professor Goodwitch now.

She clamped down harder on her Aura, not allowing it to heal her current wounds. She took one more step towards the left.

There. She moved in, moving her head to the right as she took a wider swing with her left fist. The light from behind her beamed and her opponent recoiled but had seen enough movement. She palmed the fist coming at her and forced it even lower and to Yang's right. She stumbled as her momentum spun her a bit. She tried to recover but her opponent recovered faster, and the next thing Yang knew was two impacts, a fist hitting her head and her head hitting the mats, a flash of silver from the last impact drawing her into memories.

Yang had been dodging Mercury's attacks for a while. He was good, especially when he had momentum but Yang had enough tricks to stall him and keep him guessing. She dodged a few of his kicks and the bullets that whizzed past each time and used her last trick while hopping back a few times. She faked being overbalanced from one of his kicks and while leaning back, stretched her leg and body into a roundhouse kick, a style so unlike hers but from sparring with Neo, oh so helpful. Mercury was halfway through another kick and couldn't dodge in time. He planned on using the momentum from the impact for another attack but the one use shotgun Yang (okay Ruby) had installed in her shoe fired and his leg was busted. He fell down screaming and a shotgun enhanced punch to his head depleted the rest of his aura and knocked him out. Overkill maybe but worth it. She looked around, Mercury had been one of the last blocks between their group and Salem and Yang had a grudge. She looked around, and her eyes filled with silver.

'8…7…6'. Her eyes flew open as the memory ended and she felt where she was. The mats were slightly bouncy beneath her hands, she could taste blood in her mouth and that is when the ache from the two hits were felt.

Fuck that wasn't going to be good. The rage from getting hit rose and her hand clenched and hit the mato[. Her opponent was better than she thought, maybe faking her earlier tiredness or just some unknown skill? Yang could basically feel her skull and knew she had to end this quickly. She got to her feet as the countdown reached 4.

'You okay? Look at me, look at me' The referee asked, putting one hand on her shoulder and waving his hands in front of her. Yang's vision swam but everything came back into focus as she fought through the fog in her mind. The lights were bright and dazzling but if she moved her head slightly.. there she could see the face in front of her.

'How many fingers?' Without the lights seemingly burning into her corneas she answered quickly.

'Four….Two…Three' she answered quickly as the referee switched it up. He looked uncertain, especially as she swayed ever so slightly but the tests meant she was fine and the anger in her face was obvious enough. 'One more knockdown and that's it' he warned as he guided her towards the centre, beckoning the other closer who had ignored the baying crowds and kept watch on her opponent.

She squinted at her opponent, details a little fuzzy as the white lights seemed to blaze multiple colours but her senses were settling down, although movement was a little forced and the lights were oh so much brighter. Her opponents body, and especially her fists were clearly visible though and that was all Yang needed. She wanted to hit her opponent so badly, her opponents features morphed into Salem briefly, but she knew that might not end well and she needed them to get closer. She bounced on her toes as they separated and Yang settled back into her style, back into her instincts.

She dodged a few testing punches, let a feint pass and then struck. She was blocked quickly but she had too much knowledge, too much experience with opponents dodging. She moved. She kept moving left and right, throwing punches and various, constant times, never letting up on her opponent. If they had been faking their fitness, She knew she still had more stamina and as long as she didn't let a proper punch connect again, ultimately she would win.

It only took 20 seconds, an elbow was moved before a hand as they twisted to keep Yang squarely in front, and that was all the opening she needed, performing a clean uppercut onto her opponents jaw.

She had risen an inch or two off the ground and then landed, feet, back and then head and the countdown started. Yang just stared at the woman, breathing more heavily now, sweat pouring down the sides of her face, her hands clenching and unclenching as the adrenaline, as the aggression left her as the numbers approached 0.

She let out one long breath, not daring to move and only lifted her head as the referee lifted up one arm, declaring her to be the winner. Sound rushed back from the crowds. Where had it gone? And she swayed again as the lights hit her. She stumbled back to her corner, kneeling heavily as she fumbled for her water bottle. Eyes closed to stop the input overload and hopefully the new pounding in her head, she opened it and almost downed the whole thing. The rush from the water never appeared but the coppery tang that she had been used to this round disappeared. She reacted when a hand grasped her elbow.

'Come on kid, you're done.' She tried to force the hand away but when it stayed strong, she looked at the person. The concerned eyes of the owner of this fine establishment stared back at her. She tried to answer, wanted, no needed to continue but she felt nauseous now that the adrenaline had left her. She just nodded and took the hand a second after. She ducked through the ropes of the ring and carefully placed her steps on the stairs down. She could hear the crowd and could feel the press of them around but the owner was an old hat at this and no one really got close. Too soon she heard a door open and was ushered inside. The sound instantly disappeared but she winced as the lights inside were too intense. She groaned as the hand left her and she stumbled toward a sofa she had spied, collapsing into it.

She closed her eyes, hearing rummaging, rattling and also a tap running. 'Here you are, 'Tantrum''. She felt a glass pushed into her hand and a bottle that rattled into the other. She hissed (huh, maybe Blake had rubbed off on her) as an eye was forced open and a torch was shined into her eyes. 'Yep, that's a concussion, you're awake and alert enough though so should be small'. Yang nodded, she'd had several before, you didn't fight in close without taking a few hits, if Aura had gone and you were thrown somewhere, it didn't end up well. Aura. She almost felt like hitting herself, and released the tightly coiled presence inside her. She glowed briefly and then gasped, all her senses seemingly dialled up to 11. Aura was going to help her heal but it was still going to take a while, and she didn't dare concentrate it near her head while she had the mother of all headaches. She instead leaned forwards, grasping the glass and what must be aspirin as she tried to stop the pounding.

'Hey if you're going to be sick, do it in here, I ain't cleaning' he said, kicking a bucket towards her. She just nodded, just sipping water, not risking opening her eyes. She heard a bunch of buttons being pressed and even through the haze could hear a ringing tone.

'May I speak to Ms Schnee please, it's about Yang Xiao Long …. Of course'. Nothing else was said for a minute. Yang slowly cracked opened one eye. At first it was too bright but soon settled down a bit, enough that she could open the bottle, palm two pills and knock them back, even though that movement caused an involuntary groan.

'Ah Ms Schnee, I have a Yang Xiao Long here down at Warehouse 34 … yes she's done it again … a small concussion this time but she's in no state to move without someone else … round the back of course, thank you.'

The telephone was put back down and there was some more rustling until the other side of the sofa was sat in and Yang shot up a bit. Something freezing was placed against the side of her head, where the pounding was focused and she immediately felt slightly better, placing her wrist against it to keep it there.

'Got a lump there girl, sometimes forget the basic first aid. Ms Schnee will be here in a few minutes, I think she wants to get away from that mansion of hers as well.'

'Yeah that sounds like her' said Yang, leaning back. She no longer felt nauseous but the pounding was back and she was answering on instinct.

The owner sighed. 'Why do you keep doing this? You're making me a lot of money and I ain't stopping anyone willing and in good health, but you've proved yourself 20 times over, 'Hero', underground fights are beneath you.'

A flash of red disappearing into petals drifted through her mind, until all was black again. She blearily cracked open one eye, focussing on the owner. A weathered face, caulifowered ears, a nose broken in 3 different places and a thin mouth showed his experience but his eyes, slightly sunkern but focussed, showed his years. 'Why should I tell you' Yang noted, closing her eye again.

'You're probably right, but I've seen all kinds here before. You ain't fightin' for money, that's obvious, nor fame or what goes along with that, so you fall into the other category, somethin' to prove. The only thing I'm not sure about is why.'

'What, you want my whole life story?' Yang sarcastically replied.

'No, but somethin' so you can stop trying to kill yourself every night.' Yang's eyes flew open fully red and she leaned forwards.

'What the grimm are you talking about' Yang angrily said. The owners hands went up in a gesture of surrender.

'You may not be doing it purposely kid but it's going to happen eventually if you carry on'. Yang's rage grew but as her hands clenched she heard a crack from the glass and it drained away, the pounding coming back full force.

'Just shut up' Yang wearily said as she fell back, letting the glass fall.

'I'll say no more, just sayin' fightin' continuous fights until past exhaustion ain't healthy.' He replied, eyeing the now spilled water.

A flash of red and that smile rose in her mind, as it did multiple times a day. I know it isn't healthy but it's the only thing I can do in memory, to repent. She looked back at the owner as he just sat back into the sofa. She almost snorted, what a pair, washed up fighter and the washed up 'Hero'.

'You ever lose?' Yang asked after a minute, after closing her eyes again. The owner snorted.

'So I can't be your therapist but you can be mine?' he jokingly said.

'Just answer the damn question' She said with a smile. It took him a few seconds to answer, after carefully judging her.

'Not like you have I wager, I was one of those that was after it for the fame. I didn't have the discipline, the drive to be a Hunter when I was young. But the same as every kid at 16, I wanted to be something. I was strong, I was foolhardy, and after a trial, boxing felt right. I made boxing my number one goal, everyone became second. Before you know it, I'd left anyone worth a damn behind. It sucked but I was in too deep. You can distract yourself that everything is fine for only so long. After a while you realise you're lost. Nothin' else you can do from that but move on.' He stared blankly far ahead but then looked down at her. 'I think you haven't accepted you're lost'.

There was a sharp rap on the metal door at the back of the rather spacious office now that Yang could look around properly. The owner sighed as he got up and moved towards the door. 'I may not be able to help kid, and I'm probably not the right person to go to anyway, but those friends of yours, you all seemed pretty close and would do anything for each other, hold onto that at least.'

He opened the door.

AN: Hello, as you may have guessed this will just be a short story of future RWBY kind of dealing with something, it's mostly fluff to be honest. Most of it came about from fanart pictures of boxer Yang and a prompt about Blake and I just rolled with it.

You also may have guessed but this was written before V8 so try and forget about some of those deaths and side-changes, if you even can. I'm also playing fast and loose with abilities but fanfiction and again fluff mostly, I'm just seeing how this fanfic goes.

I've already done the other chapters so I'll probably just release one a week.