AN: Sorry that this was late again. School started back up again, took my motivation for a while, and then it was tough to find a good writing schedule. But, I'm back!
Also, RWBY Volume 8 HYPE! Honestly, with the pandemic, I'm surprised that they're getting it out on time.
What do you guys think is gonna happen in V8?
I also want to thank you guys for the positive feedback from last chapter. I was honestly a little worried.
Anyway, on with the chapter! Enjoy!
Edit: I now have Fox just introduce himself instead of use his Semblance.
Chapter 20
"Yeah, Weiss, you're going to need to change," Yang said, standing in the Team RWBY dorm with her workout clothes on. Today was the day that both Teams RWBY and JNPR were going to start working out together in the mornings, so they were trying to get ready, but there was a small problem…
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Weiss asked, wearing her usual white combat dress and high heels. "It's just my combat outfit."
"Notice that none of us are wearing our usual outfits," Blake said, wearing a white tee-shirt she converted into a crop top by bunching up the side and tying it in a knot and black yoga pants.
"Besides, how are you going to work out in heels?" Ruby asked, wearing her tank top and shorts. "Actually, how do you even fight in those things?"
"It's not that difficult once you get used to it," Weiss said in her own defense. "And this is what I always wear. What's wrong with it?"
"Trust us, when you're working out, you wanna wear something lightweight that's easy to move around in and won't make you overheat," Yang said. "Do you think soldiers work out in their full combat gear?"
"So what are you suggesting?" Weiss asked. "That I wear something like… that?" Weiss asked, not feeling particularly comfortable with wearing something even moderately revealing. She had an image, after all.
"Pretty much," Blake said.
"Well, I don't own any clothes like that."
"You can just borrow some of mine," Ruby said. "We're about the same size, so it shouldn't be a problem." Weiss's eyebrow twitched a little at her leader mentioning that she had a very similar figure to a girl two years her junior, but that was a problem for another time.
"Very well," Weiss said, accepting the offered clothes from Ruby and stepping into the bathroom to change. She took off her dress and slipped on the offered black shorts. They were shorter than anything she would wear normally, but beggars can't be choosers. She was about to slip on the red tank top Ruby provided when she noticed something on the floor. Ruby had accidentally handed her one of her sports bras as well. Weiss picked it up to give it back to her leader when she made a shocking realization.
It was bigger than hers.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Weiss grumbled under her breath, dropping the bra in disgust and slipping the tank top on. Weiss never would have guessed that Ruby was, ahem, bigger than her, but she supposed that the slightly baggy shirt she wore under her corset hid her figure well enough that the heiress couldn't tell.
She stepped out of the bathroom and was handed a pair of sneakers by Ruby. Weiss accepted them with a glare at her leader, much to the younger girl's confusion. She slipped the sneakers on and looked back at her team members.
"Let's be off," she said.
Jaune was looking forward to the workout more than he thought he would. He arrived with the rest of his team at the courtyard, all of them in workout clothes. Jaune was wearing a black tee shirt and gym shorts. Ren was wearing some weird Mistralian outfit in green with white shorts. Pyrrha was wearing the skimpiest tank top and shorts he had ever seen.
Most guys would probably stare, but Jaune was a gentleman, thank you very much.
Nora was clearly the most enthusiastic about it. She was wearing a white tee-shirt with her emblem in pink, bright pink shorts, and even pink sweatbands on her head and wrists.
Jaune was surprised and a little grateful to the universe that he happened to end up on a team with two good-looking girls like Pyrrha and Nora. He was super embarrassed about sleeping in the same room as them every night, but again, gentleman. While they were certainly pleasant to look at, he wasn't going to let himself ogle them.
Especially when the reason for him agreeing to come along on this workout was going to be there.
Weiss Schnee. His Snow Angel.
Now, he knew that they had gotten off on the wrong foot, but he was confident that she'd come around one he showed off his impressive physique and physicality. All that time spent running from his sisters when they tried to braid his hair had to count for something. His team approached the courtyard, only to see Team RWBY already there and doing some stretches.
Boy, they were going to really push the whole "gentleman" thing, weren't they?
"Hello, everyone," Pyrrha cheerfully greeted.
"Hey, Pyrrha!" Ruby said. "Hi, guys!"
"Glad to see you all here," Yang said.
"Like we'd miss this," Nora said. The two teams continued their greetings, but Jaune instead headed for Weiss, who was looking cute in her tank top and shorts.
She should wear color more often.
"So, Weiss," he said, flexing his arms, "looking forward to our little workout?"
"Morning workouts are not for pleasure," Weiss said, continuing to stretch. "These are necessary for maintaining proper form. You don't 'look forward' to them."
"Oh, uh, right," he said, deflating. "So, uh, you wanna partner up for this?"
"I was under the impression that this would be a team effort. Thus, we have no need for partners." Jaune deflated further.
"All right!" Ruby said excitedly, taking Jaune's attention away from Weiss. "The gang's all here, so let's get started!"
Jaune was confident. He knew he could woo Weiss with his skill and strength. He could handle anything these girls could throw at him.
He was wrong. He was so very wrong.
By the time they were done with their workout, Jaune could barely stay standing, he was so exhausted. But everyone else was barely winded!
They weren't human. That had to be the only explanation.
"Are you alright, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked after noticing his exhaustion.
"Yup," he lied through grit teeth. "Totally fine. What makes you think I'm not fine?"
"It's just that you seem tired."
"What? No…" he said, still trying to sound cool. "It's just been a while, you know?"
"If you say so…"
Nailed it.
"Alright guys!" Ruby yelled. "Good work today!"
"This was nothing!" Nora said almost challengingly. "Next time, we're trying my workout!"
"Nora, no," Ren scolded.
"Nora, yes!"
"Let's try not to kill our friends."
"Well, we're doing nothing else until tomorrow," Yang said. "We have to get to class in a little bit."
"And today is Advanced Combat!" Ruby yelled, jumping up and down excitedly. "Let's go!"
And just like that, she burst into rose petals and zoomed off back towards the dorms.
Ruby bounced excitedly in her seat, eager for class to begin. The classroom for Advanced Combat and Team Tactics was basically a smaller version of the classroom Miss Goodwitch used for regular Combat Class. Apparently it used to be one of the training rooms, but they added some arena-style seats to it to turn it into a classroom. It was the reason it took a few days to get everything set up.
There were only a few teams in this class: Her own, Team JNPR, a team that Ruby had never seen before, and sadly, Team CRDL. Obviously, her team had its problems with Cardin, but if the looks Pyrrha and Nora gave him were any indication, he had made enemies of Team JNPR as well.
He totally deserved it.
Her excitement grew as she watched Mom walk into the room, wearing her super-cool and professional teacher clothing. She walked up to a mobile blackboard in the middle of the room, and wrote her name on the board.
"Hello, students," Mom said, and Ruby could hear the very subtle nervousness in her voice. It was a little amusing that she was so nervous to do something she was so good at. "Welcome to Advanced Combat and Team Tactics. Some of you already know me, but allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Professor Aqua Branwen. You may refer to me as 'Professor', 'Mrs. Branwen', or if you feel so inclined 'Master Aqua'." A few hands went up at that statement, Weiss's included. "Before you ask, I earned the title of 'Master' when I completed my apprenticeship under my sword master." The hands went down. "Now, you may be wondering what the point of this class is. Well, this will be a more intense version of Combat Class with Professor Goodwitch, with a focus on building teamwork. When we do sparring, the rules will be different. More realistic. We will also do the occasional lecture. Simply put, by the end of the year, your teams will function like well-oiled machines and you will be better equipped to handle the dangers this world will throw at you once you graduate. Any questions?"
Weiss raised her hand.
"Why are there so few of us in this class?" she asked.
"You were the best-scoring teams in Initiation. This is a special program just for you." Several people beamed with pride at Mom's statement, including Cardin.
How were those jerks one of the highest-scoring teams?
"Anyway, now that that's out of the way, let's move on to introductions," Mom continued. "We'll start with Team RWBY." Of course she picked them first. "Stand up and introduce yourselves, girls."
"I'm Ruby Rose, leader of team RWBY," Ruby said happily.
"And I'm her sister and her partner, Yang Xiao Long."
"I am Weiss Schnee. A pleasure to meet all of you."
"Blake Belladonna."
Team RWBY sat back down and Teams JNPR and CRDL introduced themselves in much the same way. Then they got to the unfamiliar team. Mom introduced them as Team CVFY. The four unknowns stood up and a stylish girl in a beret and sunglasses took the lead.
"I'm Coco Adel, leader of Team CVFY," she said, looking around at the other students with her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses. "Nice to meet you."
"My ogle senses are tingling," Ruby heard Yang mutter under her breath.
"I am Yatsuhashi Daichi," a giant in green said, giving a slight bow. The boy next to him had almost copper-colored skin covered in scars with red hair and pure white eyes.
"My name is Fox Alistair," he said quietly, and nothing more. Finally, the fourth member of their team, a girl with long brown hair and an adorable set of rabbit ears spoke up.
"Um, hi," she said shyly. "My name is Velvet Scarlatina, and—"
"Huh, I didn't know Beacon was opening up a zoo," a voice interrupted her. Shocked that someone would say that, Ruby looked around the room, only to be totally unsurprised to realize that Cardin was the one who insulted the Faunus, if his smirk and the way his team were chuckling meant anything.
"What did you just say?" Coco asked in a threatening tone as Velvet shrank back, mortified at what was happening.
"What? Animals belong in a zoo, don't they?" Cardin asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why else would one be here? It's not like they're worthy of being Huntsmen."
"And you think you are, Mister Winchester?" Mom asked, her voice brining a chill to the room.
"Of course," he said, that arrogance never leaving his voice.
"Then why don't you come down here and prove it?"
"Heh. Fine," Cardin responded, getting up out of his seat.
The poor guy had no idea what he was getting into.
"Aren't you gonna get your weapon?" Cardin asked after he walked onto the stage, mace in hand.
"No," Mom said, standing on the other side of the arena without having summoned her Keyblade. "I won't need it."
"What's she doing?" Weiss asked.
"You'll see," Ruby answered with a wicked smile on her face.
"You're planning to fight me without your weapon?" Cardin asked skeptically.
"No, you won't be fighting me," Mom said, holding her hand out in front of her. "You'll be fighting him." She summoned her familiar blue glyph. "626!" she shouted, causing a small multi-armed creature with big ears to appear in the arena.
"What?!" Weiss exclaimed from next to Ruby, shocked.
"I know! He's so cute, right?" Ruby said.
"No, that's not…"
"What is that thing?" Cardin asked.
"This is Experiment 626," Mom said. "He will be your opponent."
"That little thing?"
"Yup." 626 got down on all its hands and knees, the spikes on its back sticking up aggressively. "All you have to do is it hit him once with that mace of yours and he'll disappear. I'll stop the fight if it's clear you won't be able to do it. If you're half as good as you seem to think you are, then this shouldn't be a problem."
"Let's just get this over with already. I've got an animal to put in its place." Mom let out a frustrated breath through her nose.
"Fine then," she said through grit teeth. "Begin!"
True to her word, 626 didn't move and let Cardin charge at him, his mace held high and a battle cry fresh out of his lungs. He brought the mace down with enough force to crack the stone of the arena, a smirk on his face, confident that he had passed Mom's test without any trouble.
Ruby knew it wasn't going to be that easy.
When the dust cleared, 626 was standing on top of the head of Cardin's mace instead of being underneath it like the boy had clearly intended. He didn't even have enough time to look surprised before 626 launched himself at him, punching him in the jaw hard enough to send him sprawling on the ground.
"Nice!" Yang cheered.
Growling, Cardin got up and tried swinging his mace at the little creature over and over, but 626 dodged every swing.
Mom had really picked the perfect summon to teach Cardin a lesson. All he had to do was hit 626 once, but his speed made doing it much more difficult than Cardin had thought.
And he hadn't even seen 626's strength yet.
After dodging another swing of Cardin's mace, 626 crawled up his body like a bug before depositing himself on his back and swiping at the sides of his face with his claws.
"Eugh," Weiss grimaced at the sight of 626's crawling.
After a few seconds, Cardin managed to reach behind him and grab a hold of 626. Only instead of doing the smart thing and slamming him into the ground, he chose to instead fling him away to get the little guy as far away from him as he could. 626 spun himself around in midair so he could land on his feet and ran back at Cardin, sliding when the boy swung his mace again, and going between his legs to grab his ankle. 626 pulled, yanking Cardin off his feet with minimal effort, causing the boy to land face-first on the ground.
But 626 wasn't done yet. He lifted Cardin up off the ground purely by the ankle, and slammed him into the ground again and again. Finally, he lifted him up one more time…
Before disappearing, causing Cardin to drop to the ground unceremoniously.
"That's enough," Aqua said, looking down disappointedly at Cardin, who was slowly attempting to pick himself back up. "Your aura's red, and I don't feel like sending anyone to the infirmary." She looked back up at the rest of her class, at the mixture of facial expressions. Some looked happy, like Coco, Nora and Yang, some looked thoroughly unimpressed, like Yatsuhashi and Blake, but Velvet, the girl who Cardin got himself in trouble making a comment about, refused to look at him.
Weiss's reaction surprised her, though. She was glaring at her.
"Let this be your first lesson," Aqua addressed the class. "Never assume victory will come easily, regardless of the unassuming appearance of the enemy. Always assume that there is some ability or attribute that you don't know about. Approach every fight as if it as a matter of life and death, and always give your all." She gestured at Cardin, still recovering from his beat down. "Take Mister Winchester for example. If he took this battle seriously from the start, he would have seen that 626's small size would mean greater speed and maneuverability. An experienced Huntsman would have at least assumed that much and waited to confirm it. Mister Winchester, on the other hand was so thoroughly convinced of his own supremacy that he thought he could just brute force his way through it. When that didn't work, he was taken so off-guard and became so frustrated that he didn't even bother to change his approach." She looked Cardin straight in the eye. "If this was a real battle, you would be dead right now because of your arrogance."
He glared back at her. She could already tell that her advice was going in one ear and out the other.
"Which brings us to the ability you may not know about," she continued, returning her attention to the students. "Thanks to the boxes of digital lies that are video games, so many of you assume that high speed means low power. Stop assuming that. In this case, not only is 626 fast, but he has monstrous strength, too. In fact, he can lift 3,000 times his own weight." That earned some surprised faces from the students. "A Huntsman-in-training is nothing for him. Since Mister Winchester couldn't overcome the obvious problem of 626's speed, he was entirely unprepared for his strength. Take every fight seriously and never take victory for granted." She looked back down at Cardin. "You can go back to your seat now." She watched as he slinked back to the stand, taking his place among his team.
Weiss watched as the buffoon that was Cardin Winchester took his seat after that embarrassing performance. Now, normally, she would take pleasure in watching that sexist barbarian be put in his place, but there was a more pressing issue on her mind.
Namely, the fact that her professor had the Schnee Family Semblance. How was it possible? Was she related to the Schnee Family in some way?
She had to get to the bottom of this.
"Now, that fight wasn't just to pick on Mister Winchester," Professor Branwen continued. "Remember that at the beginning I asked him to prove that he was worthy of becoming a Huntsman. Well, if you ask me, as it stands now none of you are worthy of becoming Huntsman and Huntresses."
Weiss gasped. How dare she?!
"Every single one of you is missing a key part of what is required to be a Huntsman. Some are lacking the heart, the skill, the willpower, the temperament, or some combination of all of them. But it doesn't have to stay that way. You will be spending four years at this Academy, and in that time, all of you will be molded into the kind of Huntsman and Huntresses that Beacon will be proud of. But that all depends on you." She paused for a second.
"Oh, and, Mister Winchester," she said, looking at the boy in question, "Detention. Racism in my class will not be tolerated."
She heard several silent celebrations at Cardin getting disciplined yet again, particularly from Team CVFY. Professor Branwen took her scroll out of her pocket and projected and image that was familiar to eight of the students in the room.
"Now, let's move on to talking about one of the reasons I was hired as a professor at this Academy."
It was one of those weird black creatures they fought during initiation.
"The Heartless."
AN: So we finally get to see some of Aqua's first class, and Cardin gets another beat down. Let me know if this is getting old yet.
Now, I'm including Team CVFY as part of Aqua's class, but I never got around to reading RWBY: After the Fall, so my characterization of them might be inaccurate. I know a few things, like what their Semblances are and the fact that Coco is gay, but not much else.
Like, Fox can actually talk, right?
We also get another of Aqua's summons, this time Stitch. Also, just for clarification in the future, did Stitch have laser blasters in BBS? I can't remember.
And honestly, using Stitch to kick the crap out of Cardin has been in the pipe for a while. So happy I finally got to it.
As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next time!