Chapter 13: The Ghost That's Haunting You
"There's nothing left to say or do, you know I'll be the ghost that's haunting you..."
Ice sang.
Nex ducked, stalactites whooshing. The chill brushed his extra pair of ears.
Hrunting's blade shortened, the barrels clicking over silvery steel.
The Mistralian leapt away, the hailstorm stabbing into the far wall.
Nex smirked, his finger twitching.
The barrels roared. A shell caught the huntsman mid-air. The boom probably chunked his aura, sending him crashing into the dirt.
The Mistralian's partner—a woman wielding an electrified baton. Rushing him.
Apparently, she saw it as an opening.
It was most definitely not.
The compact, dagger-shotgun form of Hrunting had its uses. But not here. Not in such a flat, open field.
In hindsight, he could have used Hrunting's longer forms to outreach the baton. But there was no point in revealing more of its gimmicks.
Nex lunged.
The huntress was awfully predictable.
Slow.
Not even on his partner's level.
Certainly not on Neo's.
Hrunting's blade extended, flashing as it parried every single one of her strikes. Razor sharp light coated the blade, drawing from the dust folded into its steel. Imperceptible to the average viewer. But it was enough to prevent the sparks from hopping to his weapon.
Nexus Shade could not give ground.
Weiss Schnee was most vulnerable in close quarters.
It would be a death sentence to let the huntress engage his partner.
"Weiss!" Nex said. Hopefully, his partner was listening. "Try to aim at the enemy only!"
The tanned woman's frustration showed on the muscles of her cheeks. Taut like rubber bands. She was probably used to having an advantage. Against enemies who wielded metal, an electrified stick was a solid counter.
But if it was everything she had, then she might as well quit while she was ahead. As long as she could not figure out why her schtick was malfunctioning, he held the undisputed advantage.
Both psychological and tactical.
He had to win.
Weiss could be a scary motivator, threatening to never let him sleep in Beacon if he half-assed the tournament.
Besides, he hated losing.
Whether it was a match or sleep.
"Sorry!" Weiss yelled. Another glyph tinkled, sprouting tongues of fire. They hissed through his extra pair of ears. "I'll try not to hit you!"
The heat rushed over.
It grazed the huntsman—the one with the rifle. He dodged again, this time rolling on the dirt.
Apparently, the huntsman learned his lesson.
Acrobatic dodges in mid-air were good and all. Except when one needed to dodge the next hit.
The baton arced downwards. But his semblance already saw it coming.
Nex stepped into her guard. Reaching in. His empty left hand crushed her right wrist.
The one with the baton.
The huntress' eyes widened. Her body tilted away.
Nex tugged back. Got her.
Hrunting's pommel smashed into her nose.
The huntress flinched. A fatal mistake.
He let go.
She reeled back.
Hrunting whistled through the gap, its hilt extending a few inches. The two-handed reverse slash would have missed otherwise.
His blade carved a bloody hole into the huntress' exposed neck.
That is, if she was a civilian.
The huntress would be bleeding to death if not for her aura.
"And Shoal Green's aura is in the red! In one blistering cut, the contestant from Sanctum Academy is out of the match! Nexus Shade from Atlas Primary is proving to be quite the ruthless and unorthodox combatant!"
The announcer boomed, a hundred people or so clapping.
Spikes of ice harassed the huntress' partner.
The huntsman rolled right into a black glyph. He collapsed, squirming on the dirt. Then again, acrobatic dodges also had their uses.
Yellow glyphs spun.
Thunder rumbled.
The man convulsed and slumped. Probably unconscious, the huntress already jogging towards him.
"And Dusk Noir is out of the match! Weiss Schnee, ladies and gentlemen! Once again, Weiss Schnee proves that the Schnee family semblance is quite fearsome and deadly!"
The audience clapped even louder.
Nex sheathed his longsword, spinning around to face his partner.
Weiss huffed, smiling as she clipped her rapier to her waist.
Fuck. His trench coat was cheap in comparison to her dress. Maybe it was time for an upgrade.
"That was great, Nex," Weiss said as they strolled through the tunnel. The one reserved for the contestants. "We're going to the finals. Maybe we're even going to win."
Nex shrugged, drawing ragged breaths. His partner looked out of breath as well, sweat racing down her exposed clavicle. There was that black thing on her chest. Whatever it was. Probably some unpronounceable accessory.
"Maybe. Don't expect too much from me, Weiss," Nex said. "I'm not as talented as you."
And that was the sad truth.
Weiss Schnee had a hereditary semblance—glyphs that tapped into the potential of dust. Whatever dust really was.
While Nexus Shade could not claim to be born with such a boon. For every single thing he could do, he poured in a lot of blood, sleep, and tears. It was called dedication, not talent. The kind of dedication where one started swinging a sword at four and picking up a shield at five. Never stopping once to take a break.
Weiss shook her head. "That's not true, Nex. I almost hit you from behind."
The ice would have turned him into a very cold porcupine if not for his extra pair of ears.
While she had a valid point, it hardly compared to the existence of the Schnee glyphs. It spoke more about their lack of experience together. Mostly the problem with this tournament. People partnered up with their friends for fun, but the lack of collaborative combat in the curriculum prevented them from fighting at their best.
Teamwork was something the four huntsman academies apparently taught, while the combat schools provided the individual foundations. Participation was not really required. Nor was it graded.
Apparently, fighting for nothing was the real shit for some people.
"It's fine, Weiss. We don't really have a lot of experience together," Nex said, offering her a smile. "Teamwork isn't something that we can develop in a short time."
Weiss coughed, red staining her glistening cheeks. "I see your point. We'll have to spend more time together then. To work on this deficiency, of course."
They parted in the hallway, going to the separate gendered locker rooms. Thankfully, Signal Academy was kind enough to allow combatants to store their clothes in the adjoined building.
Nex opened his temporary locker, taking out a fresh set of Atlas Primary's uniform. Seeing as he was the only one in the locker room, with most of the students enjoying the festivities, there was no point in changing somewhere more private.
Nex sighed, slipping on his fresh duds. He attached Hrunting Vigilance to his belt, wearing his trench over his uniform, leaving the midnight-blue coat open. It eliminated the need to carry the thing to their tent.
He dumped his sweaty clothes into a plastic bag, holding it with his left hand.
"That's better," Nex said, sighing as his right hand brushed Oathkeeper's hilt.
The door swung open.
Qrow Branwen tiptoed his way around the benches, doing his best impression of a hedgehog.
Fuck.
Nex groaned, closing the locker. He spun and loped towards the exit. But apparently, the birdbrain was having none of it.
"Hey, kid. That was a good match," Qrow said, grinning as he pumped both fists. "The other profs say you pulled a dirty trick, but I say anything goes in a fight."
Nex walked around the huntsman, wrinkling his nose. Same old stink. "Right."
"I see you and the littler Schnee worked out," Qrow said. "Good for you, kid."
Nex shrugged, hand twisting the doorknob. Ancient history. "Yep. All I had to do was try."
The hallway blurred past, even as the huntsman moved to follow him.
Qrow matched his pace, slouching even more as he brought his signature flask to his lips. "Where'd you learn how to fight like that?"
"A legacy of a misspent youth," Nex said, his shoes skidding on the tiles. "Should I be calling you professor?"
Qrow flinched, his hand shaking as he put away his flask. "Nope. You're cool. I don't think the one who's giving me drinks should call me professor. It's bad for my self-esteem."
But still, Qrow Branwen was a professor of Signal Academy, no matter how inebriated the huntsman may seem. And that had been a surprise to learn. Combat schools actually allowed drunk birdbrains to hold class.
Maybe drinking classes, then.
But the standardized curriculum did not have those.
Well, maybe he could mention something about Professor Branwen in the Huntsman's Respite. Just to see the look on Qrow's face. Bonus points if Winter was there. The drunken banter would be the stuff of legends.
Weiss rounded around the corner, already dressed her uniform. "There you are, Nex. I was starting to wonder if you went ahead."
And entertain the crowds alone?
No way. Not even for all the lien in the world.
Weiss stilled, glancing at the drunk birdbrain. Her eyes narrowed. "And who is this?"
Qrow grinned, straightened his posture, and dwarfed the two of them by at least a head. "The name's Qrow Branwen, professor of Signal Academy. You're the littler Schnee?"
Weiss stiffened, plastering a smile on her face. "I am. My name is Weiss Schnee. It's an honour to meet you, sir."
Nex rolled his eyes. Right. Because it was such an honour to serve Professor Branwen beer and watch the birdbrain drink himself to unconsciousness.
But there was no point in popping her Weiss-bubble.
And there was no harm in playing along with Qrow. The huntsman was planning something, judging from that familiar glint in his eyes.
"So the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Qrow said, elbowing his shoulder. "Your partner does take after the ice queen. Can't say I'm surprised."
Weiss shifted on her heels. "'I'm sorry? Are you perhaps referring to my older sister, Professor Branwen?"
"He probably is," Nex said, smirking at Professor Branwen. "He's a bit of a drunk birdbrain, so you'll have to be patient with him."
It was his motto as a bartender.
Patience, Determination, Vigilance.
Patience to attend to his customer's demands, determination to get through the long night, and vigilance that should someone fall asleep on the glass, he would be there to wake them up with pints of freezing water.
The fact that he only started doing it when Qrow began showing up was a mere coincidence. He did not dislike the huntsman, per se. But it was a matter of principle. Certainly nothing personal.
Weiss fixed him a thorny glare. "Nex! He's a professor from Signal Academy. He deserves to be treated with the proper respect."
Professor Branwen shot him a look—a look he returned, matching the grin on the huntsman's lips.
Weiss either missed the exchange or she was simply too far into her rant to notice. Well, Weiss was still Weiss. That is, a stickler for rules and the arbitrary totem poles of society.
"I'm sorry, professor. My partner didn't mean it," Weiss said, huffing she glanced at Professor Branwen. "I'm sure that he'll apologize. Won't you, Nex?"
Nex shrugged. Apologize? Nope.
Weiss scowled, her eyes stabbing holes into his.
Nothing new there.
Qrow slapped his back. "No need. Me and the cheeky kid here are quite familiar with each other. You could say that we have a long, storied history."
Yep.
Said history involved drinking in his mother's house, drinking in his mother's memorial, and drinking in her son's bar.
But the huntsman did offer some helpful advice from time to time.
Purpose.
And this time, maybe he had the beginnings of an answer. Perhaps it was enough to forgive Qrow Branwen. But beating Qrow up with an umbrella was still appealing. Or even spiking his flask.
Again.
Did the huntsman even notice?
"Is that so, Professor Branwen?" Weiss said, her eyes darting between them. "And how exactly do the two of you know each other?"
Qrow grinned. "The kid used to challenge me and his mother to a lot of spars. He's a fighting nut, obsessed with weapons and training. Says it's an art."
Really?
His brain spat out a few pointed words for that one.
Scratch that. A lot.
But how exactly should he phrase them?
"Yep. And I remember almost beating him up with my umbrella," Nex said, cracking a smirk. "Too bad he chickened out of that spar."
Said spar equated to his mother's funeral. But it was nothing but semantics.
At that point in time, he would have beaten Qrow with an umbrella even if the huntsman did show up after the funeral.
The scare-Qrow glanced at him, definitely confused. But there was no point in elaborating. Let the birdbrain think on it over a couple of drinks.
"Well, I better get going," Qrow said, his cape fluttering as he spun and strolled away. "My cute little nieces are up next."
Weiss breathed a sigh of what was definitely relief. "Goodbye, Professor Branwen. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You do know that I'm going to beat your cute little nieces, right?" Nex said, tapping the tiles with a shoe. "It's simply a matter of principle. I hate losing."
Qrow chuckled, already five feet away from them. "That would be a proud sight to see, kid. A proud sight for a birdbrain like me..."
Yep.
Apparently, Qrow Branwen was putting his lien on Nexus Shade.
Good for him, even if the act seemed irrational. Why not put the lien on his cute little nieces?
"Nex," Weiss said, tapping his forearm. "Are you sure you've never met your father?"
Nex shrugged. Why was she even asking? "Nope. If I did, I'd have kicked him in the balls already."
Maybe even a supercharged shell instead of a simple kick. Hrunting and Vigilance would enjoy the exercise. His father was definitely personal.
Weiss frowned, her eyes fixed on the drunk birdbrain—the red speck at the other end of the hall. "If you're sure. Let's go then."
They shuffled along the hallway, minding their own business as combatants slipped in and out of the arena.
Signal held two matches at the same time in two separate battlefields, thinning the herd throughout the entirety of the first day. It was a blur of back-to-back fights, a menagerie that left their bodies sagging even when they finally reached their tents. Tomorrow, on the third day of the festival, they were apparently going to fight in the final round.
Fuck.
Was it too late to ask Neo to teleport him to The Club? A strawberry sunrise to wet his parched throat would be nice.
Their booth in Signal Academy's central square consisted of a stage, a hologram giving an overview of their project, and their robot corgi.
It was a relief the presentation part involved nothing but sitting still and waiting for curious onlookers to ask about their project.
Weiss took care of that one, mesmerizing the crowds with her academic poise and grace.
Nex simply played second-fiddle, or a handy manual should a particularly inquisitive student ask about the dog's more complex inner-workings, like its weapon systems and artificial intelligence.
Come to think of it, there was one of those right now, slipping from another booth to theirs.
"Nex," Ruby Rose said, hands on her black skirt. Her outfit made her look like a girl straight out of a goth fantasy. The red sun burned her cloak. "What's your project?"
Nex blinked, fixing his eyes on her dainty, button-like nose. "Weiss can explain that one. Hey, partner. Ruby wants to know about our dog."
No reply.
Nex glanced at the chair where his partner was supposed to be sitting.
Empty.
Instead, she stood a few ways from their booth, talking with a tall redhead. Seeing as the redhead only nodded along while his partner hogged most of the conversation, he reserved the unfortunate woman his sincerest condolences.
Weiss could be surprisingly persistent and energetic when something piqued her interest.
Crap.
Did he really have to explain their entire project to Ruby?
Weiss took an awful long time when she explained it, elaborating on every single detail. But maybe he could shorten it a bit. Not as if his partner was here to listen.
"Well, this thing is a robot dog," Nex said, matching the silver-eyed girl's smile. No shit, Nex. His smile twitched. "Its design is based on a corgi. It has state-of-the-art programming, modelled after realistic canine behavior and Atlesian combat data. It also has advanced weapon systems and automated protection AI should its owner, well, run into a dangerous situation."
Ruby stared at the mechanized corgi. The one sitting on the stage. "That's so cool! It's just like Zwei. Except, you know, it's made of metal and it has weapons. But that only makes it a lot cooler."
Great.
Ruby gushed, stars dancing in her silver eyes. "Can I pet it? Can I see its guns?"
"Wait. Slow down a bit," Nex said. "What's a Zwei?"
Ruby flushed, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "Zwei's my pet corgi. He's adorable."
Nex tapped his scroll.
The robot dog barked to life, the tiny beads that passed for its eyes glowing pale blue. It pranced around the stage, shooting confetti from the high-velocity cannons that protruded from its back.
The mechanized corgi jumped off the stage and landed in Ruby's waiting arms. She was telling the truth then. Apparently, she had practice catching dogs falling off places.
"That was awesome," Ruby said, the robot dog in her arms barking. "Can I take it home?"
Nex shook his head, schooling his face into his best deadpan. "Nope. You'll have to wait for Atlas to release it to the public."
Ruby pouted, the dog clambering up the stage. "Awww, really?"
"Just kidding," Nex said, managing a smile. "This is a competition. Maybe ask Weiss and I when it's finished."
"I can wait," Ruby said, twiddling her fingers. "So... How did you and Weiss meet?"
Nex quirked an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"You seem very close," Ruby said. "Not that Yang and I have been watching you or anything—it's just that you seem more in-tune with each other than the others in the tournament and—"
The silver-eyed girl rambled on at about Mach Two per second.
Yep. This was the life.
The only person missing was Jaune.
Then they could have a tea party between the socially-challenged elite. Definitely the height of awkwardness. He would be playing host, of course. It was an excuse to start the conversation, stay quiet, and possibly catch some sleep.
But still, he had to say something eventually.
Nex shrugged, lifting his lips into a smile. "What?"
Brilliant.
Eloquent.
Easily speech material.
"Err... Nevermind," Ruby said, scratching her neck. "Let's go back to my original question."
How he and Weiss met.
That was a thought.
"We met in school," Nex said. "Weiss and I were partnered in Dust Practical."
Ruby tilted her head, her reddish bangs concealing a portion of her silver eyes. "That's it?"
"Yep," Nex said, nodding. "That's it."
Ruby sighed, contemplating her boots. Probably expecting a mystical and otherworldly answer. "I hope that my future partner's like Weiss. You get along so well."
Nex smiled, resisting the urge to ruffle her cropped hair. "Eh. Sometimes. Sometimes we don't."
The tall redhead quivered.
Weiss closed in on her like a hungry wolf.
Oh well, oh well. The irony was definitely thick.
"Excuse me," Nex said. Far be it from him to interrupt, but a crowd would eventually come along and ask him to explain their project. Then he would need Weiss. "I have to stop my partner from devouring a redhead."
Ruby waved goodbye, disappearing in a flurry of rose petals.
Too fast.
Instantly.
Breaking laws upon laws of Physics.
Unless-
His semblance screamed.
Impossible.
For a moment, the roses bled into black.
Fun Trivia: Nexus Shade's colour motif is midnight-blue accented with gold. Midnight-blue is the deepest shade of blue—one that's easily mistaken for black.