Happy Friday if it means anything to you. OKAY! After going back and re-reading my last chapter I was mighty annoyed at ALL those grammar mistakes I made and misspellings. I apologize for that. In any case, I'm glad most of you enjoyed the chapter. It was my first real take on a fight scene, and I hope I can do a little better here. Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. It means a lot that a douche like me can at least entertain. We're steadily moving along. I have to map it out, but we may be at the halfway point. Just hang in there!
The Almighty Cross – Deciding Pyrrha's storyline route was probably my favorite part. No one thought she would be the wildcard, but I had to give her SOMETHING. I guess we'll have to see where she winds up.
Dragon Lord Syed 101 – Ren will never be forgotten for his sacrifice. His... lucky/unlucky sacrifice. And yes, alcohol tends to do that to people, so I figured why not, right?
RiggyMinus – I think we might agree on that overconfidence part. Ruby marked her territory and Jaune is none the wiser. Someone should have taught him about the "birds and the bees" when he was younger.
AzraelSaint – Thanks for pressing F. And she said he "tasted good", so that's really a shame for him (or is it?) And thanks, I figured this could at least tip the scales a little and make the fight more even. After all, RWBY would honestly wipe the floor with them in a fair fight IMO.
Shuujin takagi – Uh... Yes?
Draco711 – I enjoy your attention to detail and how you can see these routes. I wish I was that creative in developing a true, consistent story. Unfortunately, I only know how to throw slop on a page haha. And if you want to take part of my story and make it your own for an idea, I'm behind it all the way.
343 - F, indeed. He thanks you from wherever he may be (probably still tied to the bed). Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you? Wouldn't that be something?
Konstantinsen – Not so much "potent". If you recall, Blake and Weiss did not drink the 'Lightning in a Bottle' (still working on a trademark for that drink). They have never consumed alcohol in bulk, so it's going to mess with their control in general. Now someone like Qrow who has wine for blood, might be okay, but not 100 lb girls in school. And yeah, it was a last-minute decision to tip the scales to a fair fight. Yes, Ren will be missed but he played his part. Gave him the easy out... Kinda?
EmperorCookies – Yeah, that's why I tend to deviate away from action stories. What I have written I have not posted on because I know it can be subpar, and readers deserve better than that. I'm attempting to get better with it starting with this chapter. Thanks for the compliments. What I lack in action I try to make up for with character building and interaction. As for Ren? Pelvic fractures heal.
Wow. I never thought I'd have that many reviews to respond to. Feels good to be a part of something. Can't believe we're on Chapter 9. I thought I would put this on the backburner but these shorter chapters of 3-4K words are enough for me to stick to it. Please enjoy and be aware of the ratings system on as always. THANK YOU ALL!
Italicized – Inner Thoughts
BOLD - Speaker
GodRealm
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Chapter 9 – Battle of the Sexes
A cold sweat dripped down Weiss's neck. She stared at her three, smirking opponents. They had been exposed by that Monkey boy that was thought to be of little consequence. How did they figure it out so quickly? She thought.
She made her way over to Blake, as did Ruby. They were going to have to be a little more serious when it comes to this fight. They couldn't risk losing here and being shamed by the idiots who were now attempting to escape. She thought her surprise attack on Jaune, and Sun would be enough to end this battle before it began, but it was not to be. Unfortunately, they had all become better fighters and could sense the intent from their opponents.
They regrouped in the center of the courtyard standing side by side. The boys made their way together as well. It felt like a mid-western showdown between cops and robbers. There was silence. You could hear the nighttime breeze and the trees ruffling in the background. Leaves fell onto the now battleground, signifying a change in the seasons.
Neptune made his way to the front of his pack, weapon still slung over his right shoulder. He gave the signal for Jaune and Sun to stand down as he stopped a few feet short of the group of women. They eyed him up as he cleared his throat.
"Ok, ladies." He began. "We know that you're angry and rightfully so. We need to grow past this though. We can all be adults."
"You attached a camera to a toy and spied on us. How is that for being an adult?" Weiss replied. 'We could have been changing, or exchanging secrets, or who knows what."
She walked to meet Neptune between the two groups, footsteps determined and loud. She came within reach of him, causing him to reach for his weapon. Getting in his face, she pointed at him and squinted her eyes, almost like a glare of death.
"What you did is inexcusable and childlike. Furthermore-"
"Just guys being dudes."
"What does THAT even mean?"
"It means you had your fun and we had ours. How do you think we felt being excluded? Maybe we all could have had a good time?" Neptune continued.
"Girls need time to themselves. We need to talk about things." Weiss tried explaining.
"Like pouncing?" Jaune asked, sticking his head out from behind Neptune's figure.
"What?" Weiss replied.
The others all shot him a confused look at the statement he made. Jaune thought back to the moment when they first caught audio on the camera and remembered the conversation.
"Y-You know... There was some strategy you were all putting together to fight us. I remember hearing it. Don't either of you?"
Neptune looked over at Sun who shook his head. They hadn't recalled anything of that stature.
"That's why they're mad. They're mad we go the drop on them first. Sorry Rubes, but you won't be pouncing this guy!" He announced proudly.
Ruby sat their confused for a moment and then recalled the conversation she had with Nora and her sister.
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Flashback
"You just need to be more aggressive!" A voice over the speaker came through.
"Aggressive?" Ruby questioned.
"Yep. Jaune is soft on you, Ruby. Back him into a corner... and pounce!"
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Ruby's face was red. So red. In fact, the amount of heat being generated off of her face right now was so strong, smoke could be seen coming from her ears. She covered her face in embarrassment as she struggled to not deal with the eyes that were on her.
He... He heard that. She thought.
Jaune examined her as she glowed a dark shade of red. He had caught her. That looked just like any other guilty person who had been caught in the act. He gave a cocky smirk at her as she stared at him, still distraught.
"Looks like I win. I caught you all."
Weiss facepalmed in annoyance as Blake rolled her eyes and shook her head. Ruby began regaining her composure and went from being red... to seeing red. She was going to make him pay.
She had been afraid of embarrassing herself like this. She thought that only he should feel that way, and now she was about to crank it up to 12 on a scale of 1-10. But first, she was going to make him pay.
As quick as her legs would take her, she made a dash for Jaune in a blind rage. He narrowly dodged her attack as Crescent came crashing down into the cobblestone pavement of the courtyard. He nearly fell over in fright as she retrieved her scythe and aimed it at him again with blood-red eyes.
"You're dead." She growled.
Weiss took the opportunity to swipe and nick Neptune with her blade as he stood before her distracted. He attempted to didge a kick of hers, but was unsuccessful, being sent a few yards back to his knees, landing behind Sun.
He stood back up and spit at the ground next to him.
"Just remember, we offered you the easy way out." He remarked.
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Jaune activated his semblance to make sure any incoming attacks would be mostly nullified and what did hurt, was quickly healed by his aura. Ruby dashed at him again, swinging her scythe in a rage. She had to calm herself down, but she just wanted to hit him!
He evaded her attacks with ease, the alcohol still playing a minor role in that. He parried attack after attack before deciding to go on the offense after she had tired herself out slightly. Once he heard her attempt to catch her breath, he pushed forward with his shield in an attempt to do as little harm while creating distance. As he approached, Ruby jumped into the air and kicked off his shield into a backflip landing on her feet. The result staggered Jaune backwards, long enough for Ruby to make a break for him again. She swung high this time and Jaune being off-balance, took the hit to his side, forcing him to roll as he collided with the ground.
He activated his semblance and smiled at her in a mocking fashion. He stood up and brushed himself off, seeing her attack as no consequence. Her movements were getting a little quicker, but nothing he couldn't handle right now. He ran towards her as their weapons clashed constantly, metal scraping on metal.
Ruby retreated slowly as he forced his blade at her. His strokes with his sword were precise and attempting to keep her defensive. Jaune knew a Ruby that could not attack was his best option. His best bet would be to disarm her with her weak hand-to-hand combat.
Ruby back-stepped another swing as she found herself further and further from Blake and Weiss. He wants to separate and isolate us. She thought. He knew just as well as his other teammates that RWBY had great teamwork. From the time they were formed and even before then they would outshine any other unit. It was smart on his end. He was always thinking, and he knew her well enough to use any advantage he could.
She smiled to herself. Her semi-drunk mind was still processing her feelings but even things like this were making her heart flutter. She would have time for these thoughts later though. For now, it was time to kick some ass.
She ducked under a high swing from Jaune's sword and used Crescent Rose's ammo to shoot herself into the air and land partially on a ledge from a school window. She took aim and fired shots at him as he ran to duck behind the courtyard statues. Jaune prayed Ozpin didn't see the actual battles taking place and all the destruction they were causing, or they'd never hear the end of it.
Ruby continued to fire on Jaune's location, essentially pinning him behind whatever statues he could. She reloaded a clip and continued firing.
"I can keep at this all night, Jaune!" She shouted from her ledge. "If you want to surrender, I promise it won't be all bad."
She stared at the disfigured battleground waiting for a response. She was surprised to see a hand pop up with an erect middle finger. Jaune waved his arm back and forth, making sure she saw his response clearly.
Ruby's eye twitched in annoyance at his resistance. Cocking the gun again she began firing shot after shot, forcing his arm back into retreat. He listened closely as she fired and then as she would drop a magazine. He listened one last time as she fired a few shots.
"Seven. Eight. Nine." He counted quietly.
After her ninth shot, he rolled from his cover as he saw the tenth shot wiz by his right arm and took off in her direction. He sprinted quickly until he was nearly under the the second story ledge she was firing from. He began platforming the building to try and shorten the distance as she fumbled over another magazine to reload.
He was counting my shots. She thought. She watched as he climbed towards her. He had tossed his shield over his shoulder but kept his sword in his hand as he made his ascent. She knew if she fired down, she would have a close shot, but missing from this range would be costly. She took aim as he climbed the windowsill below her and fired. Jaune narrowly dodged and took cover directly below her position.
Based on where he was, she had no shot. Hiding directly under her was the only way Jaune could take her sniping out of the contest. She converted Crescent Rose back into a close quarters weapon. She dropped down to the ledge below and tried a kick only to see the window was opened and no one was there. Jaune had escaped inside the school building.
"No matter how far you run, I will catch you." She stated, making off into the building after him.
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Across the courtyard was a similar situation. Neptune was keeping his distance as Weiss struggled to summon her glyphs. He kept her moving as he fired endless shots from his Tri-Hard rifle. Keeping her sword away from his pretty face was a top priority. Without her semblance, this was proving to be an easy feat. He would wait until she tired herself out from the running before he made his attempt at ending this battle. He was enjoying overpowering her currently.
Weiss huffed as she took cover behind a tree. She knew it was only temporary, but his attacks were consistent and precise. He wanted her there at that moment, and she knew it. She stuck her sword out from her position and angled it slightly. Using the reflection, she looked out to see where he was at now. He was 30... No 40 yards away. Even from that range his shots were nearly accurate. She knew if she didn't think of a plan, she wasn't going to last.
She looked over to where the battle began and saw Blake exchanging hand-to-hand blows with Sun. She had gotten better with it learning from both Yang and Pyrrha. She was proud of her teammate's growth. On the other side of the courtyard, she saw Ruby enter the school building after Jaune had fled. Separating them was smart and they knew that as well.
Weiss was shaken from her thoughts as one of Neptune's shots ricocheted off her sword, causing a painful, trembling sensation in her arm as she dropped her blade. She shook her arm in frustration and discomfort as she brought her attention back to her conflict. She reached for her blade on the ground only for three more shots to disrupt the attempt.
"Now, now. We don't need you hanging onto that." Neptune commented, as he stopped looking down his scope and slowly walking towards his opponent.
She looked back at him in annoyance as he approached slowly. Her sword was only feet away, but he was a good shot. His footsteps stopped after a while as she peeked her head out again. His range had been cut by half, but he was not making the attempt to come any closer, opting to keep his eyes on her from a safe distance.
"What? Did you think I was going to come right up to you? Sorry babe, but I like to keep things in my favor."
Babe? She thought. She rolled her eyes at his comments.
"Is that why you like to spy on girls from a camera?" She spat.
"If it helps, you all weren't that interesting." He replied, firing more shots and pinning her further to her spot.
"I'm sure you wanted something out of all this."
"I admire pretty things, Weiss. My undying love for you may have been a factor."
"Hah, that's a laugh." She yelled. "You're undying love for anything in a skirt is a factor on why it wouldn't work."
Neptune took offense to the comment. The Schnee heiress was going to lecture him? Yeah, not today. He kept his gun drawn as he approached in silent anger.
"I bet you have dated half my school already. You're just another guy being a closet pervert."
"Pervert?!" He yelled. "Who the hell are you to decide what I am?" He dropped his attention and focus through the scope of his gun. He was going to let her have it. "I tried to impress you in different ways, but you and your pride kept us from being something real. Just Weiss being Weiss, I guess."
Her plan to fluster him had worked. As she saw his cool demeanor drop from his face, she took the opportunity to roll out and take her rapier in hand. He regained his composure in time to see her make a break for him. He had advanced into an unsafe proximity of Weiss during their spat. He raised his gun again and fired at her.
Weiss attempted to use her glyphs to shorten the distance between them even more. She jumped forward but was only able to summon one of them and used it to move behind another bundle of trees and bushes, narrowly dodging a shot in the process.
"Damn it, just one?" She stated. She had great control over her semblance but was only able to use her "glyph slide" one time and barely made up ground. She was certain her control was coming back, but it was a matter of how soon?
Neptune used this time to take a breath and begin backing up. His smile returned and he wiped the small droplets of sweat on his forehead as he lifted his gun to eye-level again.
"Nice try, Weiss." Neptune commented. "You surprised me there, but this won't end how you want it to."
"What can I say? I'm full of surprises. You'll find that out soon enough again."
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Kick, punch, and counter for counter. Blake and Sun were stuck in a stalemate of blows. Since the fight broke out, she had made it her goal to make him her opponent. His "kitty" remarks earlier had skyrocketed him to the top of her shit list. She knew he was decent at martial arts and with what she had learned in her short time under her friends, she was going to see just how good.
She deflected another kick from Sun as she forced his leg back with her own. His strikes were accurate and had some power behind them. She knew she would be feeling this in the morning. Sun's frustration with being unable to land a solid blow was getting the best of him. That, in combination with using his semblance a bit earlier, was beginning to wan on him.
"You've... gotten really good at this." He spoke between breaths.
"I bet you're regretting your smartass comments now, huh?" She asked, parrying another blow.
"No way. If you're going to do or say something, commit to it. I don't regret anything tonight." He replied, ducking a kick to his head and sliding backwards.
"So, you admit what you did was wrong?" She asked.
Sun stood up and began stretching out as he caught his breath. The sweat was visible on his head after a prolonged hand-to-hand fight with Blake who was better for wear than he was.
"Sure do. Don't care either." He spoke nonchalantly. "It was funny, and I enjoyed it."
Blake raised an eyebrow and dropped her guard slightly at his response. "At least you admit it. Even though you're just as dumb for arrogantly admitting it."
"You act like there was anything to see besides 6 teenage girls drinking. Sure, we were hoping for something a little more interesting, but there was nothing to see or hear except Ruby playing with your kitty ears."
Blake narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth at Sun's remarks. Was he trying to make her make a mistake while fighting? Did he think this would psyche her out? She removed Gambol Shroud from the belt of her pants and stared him down. He Sighed and removed his staff from his back.
"What would have been so interesting?" She asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He answered. "Also, how sensitive are those ears? Just curious."
"Why don't you come here, and I'll let you give them a touch?"
He laughed at her poor attempt to draw him in. Anger begets desperation he thought, but he would indulge her. He leaped at her bringing his staff down as she used her weapon to block his attempt to overpower her. The force he used was powerful, forcing her knees to buckle as he continued to apply more pressure. Blake dropped to one knee and her arms began to shake. Damn meathead. She thought.
She used the leg that had buckled and attempted to sweep Sun's legs and he slid to the ground. He was surprised by her flexibility and ability to knock him to the ground. She attempted a downward swipe as her weapon shifted into a katana. He rolled out of the way and kept rolling as she attempted over and over to slash at him.
Sun kept mobile, all the whole, attempting to get to his feet again. Once she stopped, he got to his knees and attempted to get up and counterattack only to be caught by the chain part of her weapon, holding him in place. Sun attempted to unwrap his legs as Blake tugged on the weapon, attempting to reel him in. His attempt was futile, opting instead to grab at the surroundings to keep him from closing the distance.
He grabbed a broken cement tile from the ground in the courtyard and held on with a tight grip. Her attempt to pull him closer was met with strong resistance and another cocky smile. Another one. She thought. He had endlessly mocked her since they encountered each other tonight. If there was one thing she was certain of, he was going to get it.
She stopped her tugging and he relaxed his grip, thinking he had stopped her. Unfortunately, she wrapped the chain around her dominant arm and gave a smile of her own. She looked over at Weiss still engaged with Neptune. She had closed the gap, but he had opted to jump onto the second story balcony of the school building with a wide-open window behind him he could use as escape if needed. He kept firing at Weiss, forcing her to not be able to engage.
She wasn't positive, but she thought she saw Weiss signal at her as she took cover behind a tree. Having Blake's vision, she could see perceptively at her partner as she signaled in Neptune's direction with her head. Blake looked back at a struggling Sun and knew exactly what she wanted. Smiling again, Blake gripped the chain tightly causing Sun to look at her with an intrigued face. She tugged forcefully, causing sun to roll to his stomach as he let out an uncomfortable "oof."
She then began pulling in one direction, slowly at first, but then began to pick up more and more speed until she was spinning him. Using all of her strength she spun around and round several times over until letting go and releasing her weapon completely and seeing Sun fly into the distance.
I hope this works. She thought.
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Jaune continued down the hallway as Ruby fired her weapon behind him, giving chase. He ducked and dodged shots as he looked over his shoulder, keeping her in his vision at all times.
"I'll be gentle, Jaune! You don't have to run!" Ruby yelled as she fired another shot.
He dodged again as it flew over his head. "I don't even know what you're talking about anymore! Just give up already!" He yelled back, still attempting to get more distance and shake her.
She frowned as she reverted her weapon back into a scythe and stopped aiming down her sights. He was making her work so hard and she was beginning to get annoyed. She just wanted him to give in and while his resistance was fun and somewhat cute, urges are urges.
The chase ended at the far end of a hallway near an open window. He saw his chance to get back outside, but before he could make his attempt, Ruby's Crescent Rose flew by his head, blocking the open window exit. Jaune attempted to un-wedge it but the weapon was stuck tightly, cutting off his escape.
How does she lift this friggin' thing? He thought.
He turned back to see Ruby watching him with an amused look on her face and hands on her hips. He swore that she was laughing at him, annoying him further.
"What's so funny?!" He announced.
"You, dummy." She responded. "You're so desperate." She walked closer and closer as Jaune gripped his weapons in defense.
She waved him off, causing him to drop his guard.
"We both know you're not going to fight me unarmed, Jaune. An Arc wouldn't do that."
Jaune's own eye twitched at her remark. Damn her and her intuitiveness. She could read him like a book and now, he was trapped with her here. He had one other option. He could fight unarmed. It was the only way for him to justify still fighting. With a force, he tossed his sword and shield in the same direction as Crescent Rose, un-wedging it from its spot.
Jaune's eyes went wide as he saw an opportunity for escape. Ruby shot him a look that dared him to try and make a run for it. Slowly, he began inching his way over to the open window as she also moved closer and closer.
"Jauuunnneee." She hummed.
He could feel the lump in his throat as she was close now. She could probably make a grab for him if he made his move to hastily. He had to wait for the opportune moment.
"Neptune made us do this, you know." He tried.
Ruby snorted a laugh. "Wow, you are so desperate. You might be worse than Ren."
Jaune's eyes opened in horror as Ruby flashed another smile at him. Ren. He thought. He had hoped that his teammate had escaped or at the very least passed out drunk somewhere safely.
"What about Ren?" Jaune asked.
"He's done for."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"We caught him. He talked. Now he's getting what was coming to him. Whether he liked it or not." She replied.
Jaune was confused by that last part, but her earlier statement had him worried too. Would Ren sell them out? In that case, did he tell them where Neptune's apartment was? This night seemed to be going further and further downhill as it progressed.
"Ren... Ren wouldn't talk." He began. "He's too good of a man. He wouldn't give up Neptune's place either. That's why you're trying to stop us now. You know if we make it off the property, we'll be in the clear. In fact, I don't believe you even caught Ren yet."
Ruby sighed as she pulled her scroll out from her pocket and began going through it. Jaune watched as she looked for something, apparently. A few moments later she came to a stop and smiled briefly.
"You may be half right." Ruby started as she clicked a few buttons on her scroll before placing it back in her pocket. "But you're incorrect about one thing."
Jaune felt his pocket vibrate as she put her scroll away. He reached in where the vibration was and pulled out his scroll. It read "One new picture message." He slid his screen to open the message and what he saw turned his face pale.
The picture was of Ren... tied to a chair... covered in... syrup? What the fuck? He thought. While he was wide-eyed staring at the image before him, Ruby had closed the gap more until she was standing in front of him. He's eyes were still glued to his phone as he didn't notice her get close to his ear.
"I bet you'd be even tastier covered in syrup too." She whispered.
Jaune's hear rate shot up and adrenaline kicked in as he had now noticed her proximity and devilish smile. He backed away slowly as she followed with each step he took.
"Y-You wouldn't..." He stammered, backing away.
"Yeah... You're right. I was thinking strawberry milk." She grinned.
Jaune didn't know where this was going, but he knew he was treading in some dangerous territory. In a flash, he retrieved his weapons from the windowsill and jumped to the balcony outside the building. Ruby stood and watched him escape the room. This was getting even more fun.
Jaune gained his balance outside the window after a narrow escape. He was stunned to find Neptune standing there with his back to him, firing his weapon out into the courtyard.
"Neptune?" Jaune asked.
Neptune stopped firing and turned his head to see Jaune behind him. "Jaune? How did you-"
"Incoming!" A voice yelled.
The two boys looked up in the air to see Sun flying at high speed directly at them with what appeared to be Blake's Gambol Shroud attached to his ankles. They tried to scatter, but the best they could do was brace themselves as the impact of Sun took out both of them, sending all three crashing to the courtyard below.
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Ruby, Weiss, and Blake met up together in the courtyard where the boys had landed, giving each other a high five after reuniting. Jaune was the first to stir awake. He saw the three approaching Neptune, Sun, and himself and looked around the area for his weapons. He had lost them in the fall and spotted them about 10 yards away.
Unfortunately for him, he found the chains from Gamble Shroud and caught him and his party and entangled them.
You have got to be kidding me. He thought.
He looked up to see that they were standing above him as he struggled to get free. He could feel that this game was about over. Neptune and Sun stirred awake just in time to see the girls smirking above them. Jaune's previous "Fuck yeah" had now, once again become...
"Fuck."
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Okay! I hope this attempt did a little better than the previous chapter. I tried for a few days to scrap together something that wasn't too boring but offered what was needed. I apologize again for the grammar and hope that it improved this time around. I'll do a better proofread this time around, I swear! Thanks again for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Leave a review if you have any comments, concerns, questions, or rude remarks.
Next time: Chapter 10 – An Unlikely Ally
GodRealm
