Chapter 2 - Properly Introduced

The day after orientation was a big one for the newcomers. Beacon's fabled "Team Formation Trial" was different every year, although sightings of a Nevermore and an elder Deathstalker indicated that this one had been particularly eventful. Lapis held court with her teammates.

"Word around campus is that RWBY and JNPR took both of the big ones down."

Covacs nodded approvingly. "Pretty damn impressive for eight novices who've never worked together before."

Lapis took another sip of her coffee, "Coco told me that the little one-Ruby-cut the Nevermore's head off with her scythe."

Sam glanced at the two newly minted teams sitting across from each other at another table. He went back to the news feed on his scroll.

"You do know who her uncle is, right? Makes sense that she'd take after him."

"So I guess I can expect to see her drinking out of a flask before long?"

He chuckled, "Might as well, she doesn't seem like the type to be a mean drunk."

"Who doesn't seem like a mean drunk?" Covacs turned in his chair to see the leader of Team CFVY pulling up a seat next to Lapis.

"No idea what you're asking me about."

"Your powers of condescension never cease to amaze, Sam. You guys talking about the new teams?"

"Yeah, just fueling up before training today."

"Right, you and Yatsuhashi. He's been anxious to get back on the mats, even made a playlist: 'Kill Sam', I think he called it."

Covacs nodded, "Bless his heart. I'm sure he'll try his best."

Combatives Training Facility, East wing

This early, Daichi and Covacs had the space to themselves. With over 100 square feet of mats, as well as three separate chain-link octagonal rings, the facility was a martial arts junkie's dream. It was almost as generously equipped as the gym, where the two sparring partners planned to meet their teams later that day. The two stood an arm's length apart, Covacs wearing a white gi, and Yatsuhashi wearing tan. The larger man had his garment fastened with a blue fabric belt, adorned with two white stripes on the black tip. His opponent wore a similar belt in brown, with a single stripe.

"I'll start in open guard, you stand. Two ten-minute rounds, we'll switch in between. You ready?"

Yatsuhashi held out a fist, which Covacs bumped. He sat with his feet planted on the mat in front of him. As the timer started, Yatsuhashi grabbed a hold of his opponent's ankles, gripping the durable fabric in his powerful hands. He attempted to spin him by his feet in order to pass the guard, but was surprised when his Sam ripped one of his ankles free, hooking his right foot behind Yatsuhashi's left knee and grabbing his ankle. Recognizing the beginning of a sweep known as "kiss of the dragon", Yatsuhashi took Covacs' left leg in both hands, attempting to tuck the foot under his right arm for a straight ankle lock, falling backwards to a seated position. Instead of releasing his ankle hold and trying to free his leg, Sam went with the motion, seeing that Yatsuhashi hadn't trapped his foot, he pulled himself up with his left leg, snaking his right past Yatsuhashi's hips, and transitioning to full mount.

"Now what? Hope your escapes got better over the break." Yatsuhashi pushed up with his hips, attempting to buck his smaller friend off of him. Covacs kept his hips heavy, and switched to knee-on-belly, forcing Yatsuhashi back down. He grunted as all 183 pounds of his friend's weight seemed to go straight to his diaphragm. He felt the other knee go into his armpit, and he saw Covacs descend on him as he backstepped, and locked up a perfect head and arm choke. He could feel the pressure on his carotid arteries and airway ratchet up as Sam inched his hips to the left, while allowing his upper torso to sink into the mat. His vision was beginning to gray and head felt as if it were about to explode when he used his free hand to tap Covacs on the shoulder. He released the choke immediately, and Yatsuhashi coughed, trying to suck in precious oxygen. Sam got up and paused the timer. Ninety-three seconds had elapsed.

"Shit!" he managed between gasps.

"You could have finished that straight ankle from standing, you didn't need to give up your posture. You just needed to get my foot under and arch your back."

"Yeah. I thought I had my grips locked in, how did you just brute force that right ankle out?"

Covacs gestured to his eyes.

"Oh yeah, that. I...don't think I ever got the full explanation."

"Short version? Someone put a vial in front of me and gave me a choice. Ever since then...well, you've seen the results."

"Right, like Captain Atlas, straight out of the comics, right?"

He laughed, "Whatever makes sense to you, bro."

Later

"You're really dead-set on making me good at punching stuff, aren't you?"

"Yup! You never know, Grimm might get too close for Crescent Rose to do you any good!"

"So what, you expect me to just punch a Beowolf with my bare hands?!"

Yang Xiao Long was leading her sister over to the heavy bags, when she noticed that they weren't alone. She'd heard the rustling of fabric before turning the corner, and the sight gave both of them pause. Two students, one of whom they recognized as a second-year team leader, were engaged in what could only be described as a death match. The larger one with the white belt was kneeling, with his opponent's legs locked around his waist. As his left hand grabbed the team leader's collar in an attempt to advance position, he was pushed back by the brown belt's left foot, as the leader of Team CBLT wrapped his left leg over the neck, and placed the crook of his right knee over his outstretched left foot. The muscles in his legs strained against the fabric of his pants, as he grabbed his right foot with his left hand, and wrapped his right hand around his opponent's left knee, preventing him from standing and breaking out of what was now a textbook triangle choke.

Yatsuhashi's face began turning purple as the choke compressed, and he was right on the edge of blacking out as he tapped on Sam's knee. He released the choke and rolled backwards. Both combatants were dripping sweat, and mats where they had trained were slick with it, glistening in the overhead lights.

"Hey there! Sam, right?" a chipper voice interrupted the pair's attempts to catch their breath.

They looked up to see Yang Xiao Long, with her sister in tow. Both were dressed in workout clothes, with the blonde's choice of attire leaving...less to the imagination than the more practical choice of a simple t-shirt that her reluctant partner had decided on. Sam knew it was a deliberate attempt at asserting confidence, a way of saying "I'm here, deal with it."

"Yeah. You're the ones who took down the Nevermore, aren't you?"

She elbowed her sister in the arm, "Little Miss Reaper here's got that distinction."

Ruby reached out a hand, and Covacs shook it, "That was some good work. Nevermores are no joke."

"Uhh..thanks. What were you guys doing anyway?"

The two sparring partners looked at each other and said almost in unison: "Jiu Jitsu."

Xiao Long's eyebrows perked up, "That's cool! Grappling was never really my thing, though."

"So I've heard. Still, kind of hard to throw punches if you're flat on your back."

"You'd have to put me there first, tough guy."

"That a challenge?" He grinned.

"I can give you a few minutes to rest up."

"No need, I don't want to take up too much of your time."

Yatsuhashi stood to get out of their way, "This should be good."

Sam stayed seated as Yang dropped her back and tied her hair back before cracking her knuckles and settling into a stance.

"Well? Come on, stand up!"

"No."

"I'll stand here until you do."

"Fine. But remember, you wanted this."

She raised her fist in the universal "touch gloves" start signal that all boxers knew. He raised his own fist for a moment before changing levels and shooting in for a double leg takedown, grabbing the backs of her knees and slamming the top of his head into her sternum, driving forward as he went. He regained his footing as she broke her fall, and placed his hands on top of her knees. Turning her like a steering wheel, he drove his left shoulder into her stomach. As he posted up and tried to kick his leg over for mount, she turned to her side and attempted to push away from him. Seeing a new opening, he swept his right leg into her armpit, executing a move called the "omoplata". As he leveraged his opponent onto her knees, he wrapped a hand around her waist and sat upright, tightening the submission and hyperextending her left shoulder. He saw her right hand slap the mat and lifted his leg up, freeing the striking specialist from a hold that could have torn her rotator cuff if he had kept cranking.

"What was that?! You cheated!"

"Yatsuhashi, what's the first rule of any fight?"

The hulking blue belt responded without hesitation, "Always win, cheat if necessary."

"This wasn't a fight, though."

"News to me. What's one of the first things they taught you at Signal?"

"...Train like you fight."

"Exactly." He glanced at the time on his scroll. "Well, I've got to split. Better luck next time."

She put her hands on her hips, "Oh you'd BETTER BELIEVE there's going to be a next time!"