Crimson XI: Retaliation
"It's finally time for the last class of friday!" Ruby shouted with excitement as she pumped a first in the air along with her sister. "All of our assignments are turned in to Professor Port, we lived through this week's killer tests, meaning it's finally time for us-"
"To continue planning an epic party!" Yang finished, the smile on her face even brighter than it usually was. If Ruby knew her sister, she knew if there was one thing that would get her like this it was an idea of holding a huge bash.
"...They're not going to be showing any restraint in planning this thing, are they?" Ragna asked with a sigh as he followed the sisters from behind them along with the other two members of their team.
"You were the one that decided it was a good idea to let Yang know of the party; you know how she is," Weiss scolded him slightly.
"It was a slip of the tongue! And what was I supposed to do, try and plan this thing myself? Even if I could do that, you know it wouldn't take her long to find out," he reminded as he looked to the walls. "But damn if she's not excited for this thing…"
Already Yang had gone through the trouble of setting up flyers and posters all around the school advertising the bash that Ragna had been asked to hold. In the short time they'd had, Yang had not only managed to find a few establishments that offered food catering, she also managed to draw up a design for promotional posters. It was a cartoonish design of an armored Huntress and an Ursa Grimm both making a scary gesture, though Ragna honestly thought the Huntress was the scarier of the two with how wild Yang had designed her smile and how long she'd made the tongue.
"So sounds like you're starting to be the big man on campus," Ragna heard Kagura say as the Reaper felt an arm around his neck in a buddy-buddy hold. "Never expect you of all people would be throwing a party. I mean with that bleak outlook you've always got… then again maybe that's why you're throwing a Grimms Day Party."
"Yeah, and who the hell asked you?" Ragna muttered as he shoved the arm off of him.
"Well I'm really excited for the party!" Celica said as she too gave a cheery smile. "I can't wait to dress up as a Grimm or should I go as a Huntress?"
"Celica… normally in these parties only the children dress up as Hunters and Huntresses, I mean if you think about what we usually wear anyways-"
"What, so Ruby and I can't dress up as Huntresses?" Yang interrupted, a challenging smirk on her face directed at Ragna. "Call us kids while you still can, I'll come up with something that'll knock your socks off."
"Nice, looking forward to it then," Kagura said to the blonde with a smirk on his face… though Ragna didn't like that his eyes kept glancing at Yang's chest. She must have picked up on this herself because a pained wheeze indicated Kagura had just gotten a sucker punch to the chest.
"He's had that coming for a while," Ragna decided, actually giving a small smirk after he'd said it. He then noticed that even though she was usually the most reserved one, Blake had yet to comment on the matters. "What about you? You excited for the party?"
"I-" Blake had been about to say before being bumped to the side as a familiar pain of Ragna's made his way past.
"If you're just going to stand in the middle of a hallway, then stay out of my way at least," Jin Kisaragi muttered as he continued walking past, only pausing for a moment to shoot a deadly glare at his brother. Ragna's only response was to glare back as he noticed Jin's hand getting closer and closer to his sword hilt. "Today… I'm getting what I want."
"Tch, but that's not up for you to decide is it?" Ragna half-reminded half-taunted his younger sibling. Jin didn't have a response for that and simply continued into the classroom and took his seat. "...Dealing with him's just about the last thing I need right now."
"No kidding," Yang had to agree. "No offense since he's your brother and all, but I have no idea what Tsubaki sees in the guy."
"Urk… You'd be surprised," Kagura said, finally shaking off the injury he'd gotten courtesy of her fist. "For Tsubaki she's always been close to Jin, especially when we were all back at Flare academy. Back then Jin was pretty calm and cool himself, president of his class and top marks all around and even had quite the fan club from the lady students… though mine was bigger at almost the entire academy."
"I don't buy it," Ragna and the entirety of Team RWBY said in deadpanned unison, striking another harsh blow to Kagura (this time his ego).
"Oh, such fond memories," came Amane's flowery voice which caused everyone but Ragna, Kagura, and Blake to jump as they hadn't even realized he was there. "I would have loved to see what you darlings were like back in your former academy. Such sorrow that I wasn't there to witness such things."
"Keep in mind I wasn't part of the academy either…" Ragna said reservedly, off put by the dancer's needlessly outgoing nature. "Let's just get to class; the sooner we're done here, the better."
"You mean we get to go back to planning for the party, right?" Ruby asked innocently. As big as pain planning this thing was to the Reaper, the fact the Ruby seemed to be enjoying herself so much and was trying to tackle a good portion of the work was a nice ease to the burden.
"Yeah, we'll do that…" he said, giving her something of an awkward smirk as he headed inside the classroom. Team JNPR was already in their seats waiting for the rest of teams to show up. Nora was fast asleep for some reason, possibly having something to do with her Janitorial punishment. The rest of Team RAIN was also already in their seats, but that just gave Ragna a note of where not to sit. 'Then again I'll have to clear the air with them eventually… but let's hold off for just a bit longer.'
"Everyone take your seats,"I have something a little different planned for today," Professor Goodwitch informed the class as the rest of the students arrived and did as instructed. "This morning I was approached by a student with a request for a new match up and I don't see much reason to deny said request. Today instead of hosting four separate matches, we'll be conducting one single match with eight members in it."
"A free-for-all, eh?" Azrael asked before smirking wickedly. "This sounds exactly like the thing I need!"
"Calm down, the participants for this match haven't been decided yet and will be picked at random," Goodwitch informed. "Since there will be more participants, the rules will be altered only slightly. This match will last until either we have an obvious winner or the end of class. Whenever a student is knocked out of the match, combat will be put on hold until we've brought them to their seats as to avoid any unnecessary injury. With any luck for the students, class will be over quickly for today. And now the participants..."
The large screen in the room then began cycling through possible participants through the eight open selections. Everyone watched with bated breath as they waited to see if they'd be chosen for the match. The cycling eventually stopped and landed on the following students; Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark, three students in the class that that Ragna had never met before, his brother Jin Kisaragi… and himself.
"...Dammit," Ragna muttered as he rose from his seat and began heading down to the battle arena. Jin walked besides him and as passive he tried to appear, it was quite clear that he was trying not to show his maddening excitement. "So you planned this?"
"Getting you assigned as my opponent in a battle was always going to be a roll of the dice… I just decided it was time I increased the odds," he told him simply, his sword hand twitching as he was practically itching to draw his katana.
"Huh… one thing you forgot though," Ragna muttered. "I'm not the only person you'll be fighting here. Free-for-all, remember?" He'd expected to have that strike a cord with his younger sibling, but either Jin had blocked it out or he hadn't heard him. Stranger yet, Jin was heading to the opposite end of the training field while his best chance to fight his brother would be to stay beside him in the beginning spots.
Meanwhile on his of the field, Cardin looked to the other students. Not only was he here with two of his own teammates, but he was on good terms with the other three as well since they shared similar ideologies about the Fanus. Giving a small cough to clear his throat, he managed to get their attention. Using only his eyes, he managed to motion clearly towards Ragna the Bloodedge, the student here who he had his most obvious beef with. The others gave smirks as they readied their weapons, smirks that Cardin returned with a toothy one of his own.
'That's not good,' Blake thought to herself as she studied their complexions carefully. 'Ragna was brought into this match with nothing but enemies and his brother's Ice abilities could be a problem for him. If he gets hit by Jin's attacks, it could slow him down enough to where the other students could take easy shots at him… this is going to be a difficult fight, even with as strong as he is.'
"Are we ready then?" Goodwitch asked from the sidelines. At no protesting, she tapped her teacher issued scroll and began the timer. As it counted down, time seemed to slow and Ragna noticed that his younger brother had yet to break eye contact while remaining razor focused on him alone… right up until the timer reached zero. "BEGIN!"
"GET HIM!" Ragna heard Cardin shout, breaking his concentration on his brother. Time still seemed slow to him as he noticed all of the students were going straight for him. Cardin and one of the other students leaping into the air while the others charged his way or lunged at him with their weapons. Gritting his teeth. Ragna's hand went for Aramasa's hilt as he began to draw the large weapon against all six opponents.
SHING!
'Wait… what?'
Ragna's eyes grew wide as he took in the haunting scene before him. All of the students that had been charging towards him were frozen in place, quite literally as they were all encased a massive wave of ice in the center of the training arena. Standing a good distance from behind the frozen formation was Jin, evidently having caused that effect from a single slash of Yukianesa.
"Mister Kisaragi!" Goodwitch exclaimed at Jin's brutal move.
"Not to worry; they're all alive… I made sure of it," Jin said as he slowly sheathed the ice crystal blade. The moment he had done so, the ice had shattered and all six students dropped to the floor. Their groans made it quite evident that Jin had been telling the truth about making the move 'non-lethal'. "Get off the field… I've been waiting too long for this already."
(Cue BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Lust Sin Extended)
'Dammit, he was actually prepared to wipe the floor with six students just like that… all so he could get to me,' Ragna thought to himself as he carefully analyzed his brother whose maniacal smile was finally starting to unmask itself. With the required help from some students, the battle ground was finally cleared for the two brothers to face off.
'I… I know I should be rooting for Jin here, but won't it cause trouble if people see me rooting against my own partner?' Tsubaki thought to herself from the stands. 'I… I know Jin's been waiting a long time for this and I need to support him, but-'
"YEAH! COME ON RAGNA!" she heard cheering beside her. She turned to Celica A. Mercury with a look of betrayal upon her face. "What?"
"J-Jin is your partner!" she exclaimed, even though she'd very much been thinking of doing the same herself.
"So, I can still root for Ragna can't I?" Celica asked innocently. Tsubaki was about to protest, but in the end she just decided she should just roll with it.
"YOU CAN BEAT HIM JIN!" she then shouted with her own chant, much louder and more intensely than Celica had done.
"...That's just another level of sad," Azrael muttered from nearby.
"Tell me about it…" Kagura sighed in agreeance.
"Finally I get the chance to do what I've always wanted," Jin said as his sadistic smile finally unmasked itself in full. "Ever since our reunion, I've always wanted to get to you… and now I have my moment."
"...Don't worry, I'll be sure you get exactly what's coming to you," Ragna told his brother darkly, his gaze entirely focused upon his younger sibling as he still felt the cold chill of Jin's earlier attack.
Moving so fast that he was a blur, Jin surged forward at his elder sibling. Seeming to be completely unprepared for his brother's speed, Ragna threw out a wide punch that didn't even come close to hitting as Jin expertly dodged the blow. Shifting to the offensive, Ragna grunted in pain as he was smashed in the face by Yukianesa's sheath. Forcing his body forward from the recoil, Ragna rushed forward with a lunging fist. Not only did Jin easily avoid said move, but by stabbing his sword into the ground he summoned a point ice collum. Given the icy floor left by his brother, it would have been impossible for him to stop leading Ragna to finally draw his sword as he smashed the massive ice spike to pieces.
"A pitiful guard…" came Jin's voice. Tensing as his brother stood directly behind him, Ragna swung his sword and just barely managed to deflect his brother's stab before swinging again and managing to block his second strike as the two entered a blade lock.
"I've never seen Ragna have this much trouble," Ruby noted nervously as she watched the fight, "Can Jin really be that good?"
"Hard to say," came a low growl from Azrael, someone who Ruby was pretty sure she hadn't sat next to. "He's managing to stay alive, but it's clear his brother ain't screwing around… Maybe I've been going after the wrong target all this time."
Down in the fighting arena, both brothers seemed to be pushing against each other's blade, Jin with his own look of crazed malice and Ragna… Something in his brother's eyes sent Jin off guard and Ragna finally managed to break the lock and send younger brother stumbling back. Raising his sword above his head, Ragna roared as he brought the blade down with titanic force. Jin quickly stumbled back while searching his blade as Ragna's sword struck the floor cracking it severly and creating a small crater. Ragna then brought his blade upward for a second reckless strike. Jin seemed to twirl his body as the move missed him by a hair's breadth. Using his created ice from earlier, Jin managed to slide back a good distance before creating a sword composed entirely of ice and launching it at his brother, leaving Ragna to once again recklessly break it with his weapon.
"What's wrong, this can't be the best you've got." Jin said as his expression was starting to go from a smirk to a scowl. "I was expecting better from you…" His only answer was infuriating silence. "Rrrgh… FIGHT ME SERIOUSLY!"
"Tch, try and make me... you crybaby," Ragna muttered, only adding to Jin's anger.
Stabbing his sword into the ground once more, Jin managed to create several icicle pillars, caging his brother in from different sides. While his older brother was busy smashing through those, Jin created a much larger ice sword which moved much slower. With so many attacks focus on his brother, it should have been impossible to for Ragna to defend himself but somehow he was managing to break the ice apart with both his sword and his fists. Just as he'd broken down the final piece, Jin quickly summoned a much rougher icicle in front of him. Everyone watched in awe he flew forward while riding it and the point stabbed itself into Ragna's gut.
"Mr. Kisaragi! That's enough!" Goodwitch called out her student.
"Don't get involved with this!" Ragna shouted as he deflected Jin's overhead strike, apparently having enough energy to keep fighting despite his wound. Making another reckless slash downwards, Jin managed to dodge the blow easily and countered by striking Ragna's heart with his sword's hilt and caused him to gag.
'Wait a minute…' Yang thought to herself as something about the fight seemed off. 'Ragna might be moving fast… but he's not going anywhere near the speed I was seeing him when he was fighting Rojo.' Realization hit her as Ragna made another series of reckless slashes, none of them coming close to hitting his brother. 'Is… is he holding back?'
Down below, it seemed like Jin was coming to one such realization himself and grit his teeth at the fact. Ragna roared as he rushed forward towards Jin, only to see the younger sibling sheath his katana blade and standing before Ragna defenseless. The Grim Reaper's movement slowed as he obviously veered his blade away from his younger sibling…
Right before Jin drew his katana from it's sheath into a slash powerful enough to sending Ragna off of his feet and into the air and sending Aramasa flying useless from his grasp. The younger sibling then transitioned his hold on his weapon to where to it almost looked like an archers bow as icy arrows formed and pointed directly at the airborne Reaper.
'...I'll be damned…' Ragna thought to himself, giving something of a sad smirk. 'He actually went and got stronger…'
The full salvo of arrows hit him without mercy and the Reaper didn't even try to guard against the onslaught as the projectiles stabbed into him and began freezing his flesh over. Once the barrage ended and he'd fallen to the ground, Jin made another powerful draw with his sword as he seemingly passed through his brother, only after having stopped in his dash did several freezing slashes appear over Ragna's body. Jin rushed back one last time, now for his katana to take Ragna's head off in one final slash…
…but stopping before the final decapitating strike.
(End Theme)
"What's wrong, can't finish?" Ragna's voice was quite, so low that only his brother standing right in front of his face could hear him. His eye contact with his little brother was undaunted and he showed no fear even with an ice blade pressed dangerously close to his throat. Around the classroom, students watched with fear as Jin held his brother completely at his mercy and ready to slit his throat. Even Cardin and his battered team felt the tension; sure they hated Ragna's guts but that didn't mean they were ready to just watch a fellow student die in front of their eyes. When Jin's blade didn't immediately pierce him, Ragna continued. "Good 'cause I'm not ready to die just yet…" Jin said nothing, but slowly began to grit his teeth. "You know that I still have to do this; you can kill me when-"
Crack
Jin slowly sheathed the blade, causing the ice encasing his brother to shatter. Since he didn't have much of a hold on his balance, Ragna fell to the ground on his rump. Giving his older sibling one final glare of angry, the Kisaragi heir turned and made his way to the classroom doorway.
"I forfeit." Those were his final words before he left his classroom without bothering to be excused by Goodwitch.
'Dammit… that sure as hell didn't work,' Ragna thought as he looked up to the stands. Teams RWBY and JNPR, Celica, and Noel looked worried for Ragna more than anything else, Kagura and Azrael actually looked disappointed at the display, while Tsubaki as usual glared at him. To that final one, Ragna returned said glare for just a moment before motioning to the the door with his thumb. Had that small act improved his situation with her he didn't know, but Tsubaki did rise from her seat to follow after Jin.
"So is class over?" he asked humorlessly. Goodwitch's stern expression made it clear that she wasn't in any mood for games. "Great... Now what?"
"My first point is that whatever your standing is between you and your brother, I'd ask that you'd both keep it out of classroom affairs," she told him. "Had I known that this would happen I would never have approved his request. As for you though..."
"What the hell did I do wrong?" he demanded as he weakly rose to his feet and headed over to Aramasa and set the large blade back on his belt. "I won the match, didn't I?"
"I didn't see a winner out there; I just saw two brothers that both decided to surrender and six students that happened to be caught in the crossfire," Goodwitch told him, a statement that Ragna couldn't argue with. "...You'll have one final match today. And make this one count; it's likely your last chance to change my professional opinion of you."
"What!? But you can't make him do that now!" Jaune shouted from the seats, showing great concern for his friend and short term mentor. "He's been beaten badly and parts of him are still frozen in ice! At least give him time to recover first!"
"...I'll be fine; Jin went easy on me," Ragna muttered stubbornly, not willing to back away. "So who am I supposed to be fighting?"
"I'm letting you decide," Goodwitch instructed, causing Ragna to raise an eyebrow. Sure challenging other students was a key feature of these mock fights, but that would be for after the first semester, once the students had determined their standings. "You may select anyone here… just make sure you're able to show me what you're truly capable of against them."
"...So I've really got one final shot," he said, remaining silent for a long moment.
'What now, Grim Reaper?' Azrael thought to himself with an eager and toothy smile, one that Ragna seemed to notice and returned with a glare. 'Seems it's finally time for you to give me that banquet I've been waiting an eternity for. She said someone that you could prove your ability against, and who better than me, Reaper?'
"...Fine then," Ragna said as he gave a smirk to a worried Team RWBY in the stands, though failing to put them at ease. "I think I know who I'm fighting."
"I'll have to ask that you keep the destruction to a reasonable level," Goodwitch instructed as she began using her scroll to set up for a second fight. "Both fighters will take their places at-"
The sound of a blade cutting through the air interrupted the teacher. Slowly shifting her gaze, Goodwitch turned and saw Ragna's eyes narrowed in determination … while pointing his blade squarely at her in challenge.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, not sounding pleased… but surprisingly not scowling.
"You didn't say any student; you said anyone," Ragna reminded, not in a playful way but in a purely serious one. "If I'm supposed to be changing your opinion of me, then wouldn't it be best to give you a personal taste of how I can really fight?"
"...So, you simply decided to interpret my message a certain way, 'reading between the lines' if you will," the teacher noted as neither individual broke their gaze at the other.
"I dunno, maybe. Or maybe I was just ticked off that I'm always in trouble whenever you do as much as look at me; you pick one," Ragna told her venomously. "So are we doing this or am I going to be mopping floors this weekend too?"
"...Be careful what you wish for," Goodwitch informed the Reaper as she pocketed her scroll.
"Wait… WAS THIS AN OPTION THE WHOLE TIME!?" Azrael demanded from the high seats, his roar causing many students to try a scoot away to gain distance from an angry Mad Dog.
"Normally no, but I feel that this will be more beneficial than any other lesson I could give him," Goodwitch said as she took her wand out and laid it against her open palm. "I don't think that we'll be needing a time limit this battle, do you?"
"Don't ask a question you already, know the answer to," Ragna said in return as he kept his blade pointed, his eyes focused and ready for the fight.
(Cue Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance I'm My Own Master Now Extended)
'Should I warn Ragna about Goodwitch's powers?' Ruby thought worriedly to herself as she looked over the battle arena. Remembering the time she'd seen her teacher in action, she knew that she could take the debris from the last fight and the few remaining ice shards left behind to her favor and to a dangerous potency. 'Knowing how stubborn he is though, he probably wouldn't want to know… At least I can cheer him on.' "C-COME ON RAGNA! I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS!"
"DON'T YOU DARE LOSE THIS! NOT AFTER THAT BAD OF A WARM UP!" Yang shouted in encouragement as well.
"Heh, guess I can't screw up then," Ragna said with a snarky smirk before he finally rushed forward.
As Ruby expected, Goodwitch's telekinetic semblance took control of a few of Jin's ice shards and turned them into sharp projectiles heading straight for the Reaper. Making a quick series of swipes with Aramasa he managed to beat said objects out of his way and plunged his sword forward… only to have Goodwitch blast him off to the side with a mere flick of her wand. Ragna grunted as he dug his feet into the ground and slowed himself. Plunging his sword into the ground, he swept it upwards sent large chunks of debris straight at his teacher.
'A poor move given my semblance,' Goodwitch thought as she focused on the objects and easily caught them only to see Ragna had disappeared from sight. Catching on just in time, she sent the object directly behind her as Ragna charged from her blindspot. The effort only managed to slow him a short fraction of a second as he cleaved through the objects, but it allowed her to leap into the air and dodge the slash meant for her. Not hesitating, Ragna leaped into the air after her. Seeing the Reaper heading straight for her, Goodwitch once more used her semblance on Ragna to send him flying into the ceiling.
"NOT THIS TIME!" Ragna declared as he flipped his body around, this time letting his feet take the impact as he landed on the ceiling. Not giving Goodwitch a chance to recover, he leaped once more and barreled at her. Goodwitch used her semblance to create a small surface to push off of and avoid Ragna's counter strike as both teacher and student were now back on the ground.
"...Let's see how you adapt to this move," Goodwitch said, swiping her arm out and spearing red fire element dust. Using her telekinesis, she managed to cause the material to explode and then condense, forming a fiery red blade which floated before her. As Ragna rushed forward again, this time he couldn't cleave through this weapon and the two entered a blade lock.
'Damn it, now she's getting serious,' Ragna thought as he noticed Goodwitch wave her wand. Noticing the debris shards from around the room aimed squarely at him, effectively trapping him. 'Shit.'
Letting his struggle against the fire blade falter, he slide backward and got out of harm's way of that attack before turning his body and slashing seemingly wildly, but managing to cut through all of Goodwitch's projectiles before he was forced to turn back and parry the powerful slash from the controlled weapon, only to have his teacher reset the projectiles and being the attack anew. This time he barely had time to block all of them and his deflection against the sword was rushed and sent him off balance. A second follow up slash sent the blade from his grasp and left him defenseless. Goodwitch trusted her wand forward and made her sword due the same aiming to stop just short of Ragna's throat and force him to yield to her.
CLANG!
'WHAT?'
The blade was help back as Ragna held his arm up like he was making a guard… only to have a glowing circular barrier placed in front of him to hold the weapon back.
"What is that?" Ruby asked with her eyes wide in awe. "Is… is that his semblance?"
"...Like hell it is…" Azrael said, even his voice so low it was almost a whisper. "...He's a DRIVE user."
"A Drive?" Weiss asked, not even she having heard of such thing.
"It's something that's only been hypothesised and alluded to in a few rare myths," Azrael explained as he got a good look at Ragna with he dropped his guard and quickly rolled to grab his sword. "Drive users are as rare and powerful as they come; having a number of abilities that aren't linked to any semblances… like that barrier of his."
"He's been hiding something that tough from us this whole time?" Kagura asked with a scowl as Ragna only seemed to be getting faster as he grew used to deflecting and destroying Goodwitch's projectiles.
"There's still more…" Azrael muttered as he tried to get a good look at his team leader. "...Some text allude to another part… some Drive users were thought to have strong abilities… and Multiple Semblances."
'So… he really is that strong,' Blake thought. Goodwitch tried to seize her moment as she gather projectiles all around Ragna and keep him contained in a cage. She thought he'd have no time to deflect them all at such a close range, but Ragna roared as he unleashed a burst of golden energy from his entire body, destroying the cage around him. 'So this is what he's like when he's serious…'
Roaring Ragna made one final rush forward at Goodwitch, someone who in spite of everything that had been reveal was somehow able to retain her composure. She tried using her telekinesis to send Ragna into the wall, but the Reaper wove to the side before she could focus on him. She conjured more shards, but Ragna managed to destroy those with ease. Switching all of her focus into her main offensive tool, the classroom echoed as Ragna and Goodwitch's weapons struck each other with destructive force. On one impact Goodwitch forced the blade to spin viciously like a drill and thrust it forward, forcing Ragna to guard with the side his blade. Despite his own strength the move seemed strong enough to force him back… only then did Goodwitch notice Ragna smiling.
Everyone in the room felt a dark chill as a strong power seemed to pulse into Ragna's weapon, suddenly extending and forming a giant scythe that only Ruby had seen before with a blade of dark energy pouring out of it. Roaring, Ragna swung his blade downward in a devastating slash, cleaving the fiery blade and causing it to explode. The scythe then reverted to its sword for as he blitzed forward while Goodwitch raised her wand to control one last set of projectiles...
...and the match was over.
(End Theme)
Neither Ragna nor Goodwitch said a thing as they stood before one another, so close that their noses were nearly touching and neither yielding in their focused eye contact. Ragna's Aramasa was positioned at his teacher's throat much the same way Jin's sword had been at his own shortly before. Goodwitch still had control over a few of her shards and all were close and able to pierce Ragna's skin with as little as a flick of her wrist. For a long pause neither of them moved an inch, but then Goodwitch did something Ragna hadn't expected...
She smiled.
"Well done," she commended as she brought her wand down letting the sharp and threatening shards fall to the ground. Ragna looked surprised by the development, but tried to keep his own composure as he moved his blade back and rested it against his shoulder.
"So about that opinion of yours..." the Reaper slowly began.
"Don't disappoint us in planning the Grimm's Day Party and I might find reason to view you in a more favorable light," Goodwitch promised as she turned to the rest of the students that had been watching the fight… many of them more than a little shaken. "Class dismissed, I'll see you all on Monday and we'll resume as normal." While most of the students took that as a sign to leave and begin their weekends, one in particular was staying behind with his thoughts.
'He really is a Drive user then… someone who's only been briefly brought up in concept,' Azrael thought to himself before smirking. 'He hasn't even shown one of his semblances yet and I already can't wait to sink my teeth into him… this is going to be amazing.' Chuckling to himself, the Mad Dog rose to his feet, already trying to come up with a plan to get his own fight out of Team RAIN's leader. Goodwitch only shook her head as she knew what he was planning before focusing her efforts on newly needed repairs.
Later
'Knowing the questions everyone has for me, I might as well mind my distance from the Party Planning Committee for tonight,' Ragna thought to himself as he laid in his bed staring up at the blank ceiling above him.
Most of the academy had already headed to the cafeteria for dinner, but right now Ragna just wanted some well deserved and rather needed time to himself. There were obviously a couple of groups that were talking about that day's fight with Goodwitch, an event that had become something of an argument in the short time since it had happened. There were many of the students that had insisted that the teacher had been holding back against while others spoke to Ragna's favor since he hadn't activated or even revealed a Semblance yet. Honestly even with all of the attention he could start receiving, Ragna couldn't find it in him to give a damn one way or another… not with so much continuing to weigh him down.
'...All this brooding ain't healthy,' he admitted with a sigh as he reluctantly made his way to his feet. He decided it was time that he headed out and got some air instead of imprisoning himself inside his own room. Maybe if he really wanted to he could head into town for… something. Ragna really didn't know what to do for fun. Forcing himself to think that this would be good for him to some degree, he made his way out of his room.
He didn't make it very far out of the dormitories before he realized that maybe this wasn't the best of ideas. Jin was walking through the dormitories to pass him, apparently having left dinner early himself. It became clear that Jin hadn't planned on seeing his older sibling as the two uncomfortably started at one another.
"I get that you can't forgive me, but still… I ain't stopping," Ragna informed his brother enigmatically. If anything Jin only seemed to grow angry. "Tch, you're not a little kid anymore. You don't need me to keep holding your hand."
"You think that I want to kill you… just because you left me behind?" the younger sibling asked, a tone of betrayal in his voice. "I understood why you did what you had to do from the very beginning, I hated it more than anything but I knew that you had made that choice. I don't want you dead… quite the opposite actually."
"...Now you're not making any sense," the Reaper told his sibling as he crossed his arms. "If you knew, why the hell do you have such a problem with me? Why the hell are you-?"
"BECAUSE I NEED TO STOP YOU!" Jin shouted, his outburst would attracted plenty of attention had the hallways not been empty. "Seven years! You've spent seven years trying to get revenge when you don't even have any idea where to look for him! You're wasting your life away when it's just going to get you killed!"
"Maybe it will, but there's not a lot out there that can kill me," Ragna countered dryly. "And I'm not wasting my life; you don't know what I've learned about that bastard. Even if you still don't, it's clear he's got to be stopped Jin; you saw what he did."
"And I can't even help you?" the Kisaragi heir demanded. "That was my home and my mother too, Ragna! I'm a part of this as much as you are!"
"Right, but you've still got your own chance at a better life and I need you to hold on to that. I'm the older brother, so I'll be the one to bear the burden…" Ragna sighed as he looked at his gloved right hand. "Don't fall into revenge like I did, Jin; it's a darkness you'll never be able to get out of and I've already gone in too far to stop now."
"That's it… that's all you're going to say?" Jin asked, gritting his teeth. "You wouldn't be doing this if I'd been taken instead of-!"
"DON'T."
For all Jin had done to his brother; from annoying him constantly in their studies, to his scheming to get the two to cross swords, to his crazed expressions and tone of voice making Ragna's academy life an awkward hell… the Reaper hadn't never been anywhere close to enraged as he was right now. Even though his scowl didn't look much different than normal, an eerie glow in his eyes conveyed a rage greater than anything the blond had ever seen. This was the line Jin should have known better than to even think of crossing.
"You sure as hell know that's a lie, Jin. Don't even pretend you think that it isn't," the Reaper told his brother darkly. Now the situation had only gone from bad to worse as Jin couldn't even look his brother in the eye. Hoping to be down for today, Jin passed by his brother without a word and his head slumped forward in defeat.
"Hey."
Unable to help himself, Jin stopped not very far from Ragna though neither of the two turned as they stood with their backs facing one another.
"...You planning on coming to the party?"
"...I haven't decided yet," Jin told him honestly, his voice low and with little emotion. "...Maybe."
"You damn well better be there; I'm putting a hell of a lot of work into this thing," the Reaper told his brother. It was a crass form of an invitation, but for Ragna it was much more heartfelt than he was able to let on.
"...If my schedule stays clear, maybe I can make an effort," Jin said hollowly. Had there not been such tension between the two, he likely wouldn't have been nearly as reserved.
"I'll put you down for a 'Maybe' then," Ragna said with a good deal of smarminess in his tone, neither brother able to see the other's small and sad smirk. "You don't have a lot of time to get a costume ready… But do us both a favor and see if Tsubaki wants to go, will ya?" The Reaper didn't have to turn to know Jin was shooting him a look of heavy skepticism. "And people call me dense. C'mon, you gotta know she'd be over the moon if you asked her to go, even if I'm the one throwing the party…"
"...I'll see if she isn't busy," Jin promised. "But poor choice of words; I thought you'd remember that I hate the moon."
"Yeah, yeah, don't go being such a smartass," Ragna said with a sigh.
"Tch, it would be near impossible to be a bigger one than you," the younger brother said, getting in the final quip between the two before finally heading back to his room.
'That's a step forward… I think,' Ragna said, letting out a deep breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding in. Much like he'd been told by his teacher, the Reaper was all piss and vinegar; he was good at fighting, swearing, and keeping people away but forming and repairing connections was something he didn't have a lot of experience with… it didn't help that he hadn't been here alone. "You can come out now, I don't like the idea of you stalking us."
"I'd hardly call it stalking, but sorry for unintentionally eavesdropping," came the voice of Lie Ren as he made his presence known. "...I take it you don't want anyone else to know about what happened?"
"You catch on quick and lucky for me you're already the quiet type," he muttered, though he still had the usual nagging in the back of his mind. "...This isn't where you try to blackmail me, is it?"
"No, instead I think I have something that might help you," Ren offered as he gestured for Ragna to follow him. Figuring that his plans for a late night stroll had already been ruined, Ragna unenthusiastically followed behind. Leading the Reaper to Team JNPR's room, he picked his small bonsai tree up from his desk and offered it to the Reaper.
"You're… giving this to me?" he asked, only to receive a mild shrug from Ren. "Aren't these things hella expensive, like more expensive than most of our gear put together?"
"If you want, you can always bring it back to me once your done with it," he offered gathering sheers, a small watering can, and a small pamphlet on how to take care of the tree. "Taking care of this tree can bring you a sense of calm and neutering something so delicate often times relieves stress… I have the feeling that you could use both."
'...What are you, my psychiatrist?" Ragna asked, unnerved someone he barely knew would go so far out of his way to help him.
"Not really, though I did overhear Weiss complaining how barren your room was at dinner; maybe this plant will help to change her mind," Ren told him, giving the Reaper something of a knowing smirk.
"Oh, so you're my psychiatrist and a spy, great combination there," Ragna muttered, mostly to himself. Before he could make another quip however, Ren dropped a box containing the tree and the supplies he'd gathered in his arms not giving him a chance to turn it down. "...Seriously though, why the help?"
"It's thanks for helping Jaune win his first fight and for talking some sense into him… you've helped JNPR out more than you could possibly know," Ren told him. "He's still has a ways to go, but at least now he's been improving much more instead of trying to bear the whole burden on his own."
"...Good to hear it then," he said passively, hiding that fact he felt a twinge happier hearing that Jaune was doing better. "Then it's not because Nora's probably come close to destroying this thing?"
"...It's a little hard to say no to that, but I know she means well," Ren said and Ragna couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Don't… tell her I said that though."
"...Like you, I know when to keep quiet," the Reaper promised as he opened JNPR's door to head back to his own room, but paused. "You lost your home too… didn't you?"
"...That easy to tell?" Ren rhetorically asked, looking over at the old curved dagger he kept on his desk; the only keepsake he had of his old village and family… a life that had been taken from him by the Grimm. He then turned back to Ragna, a small understanding starting to form between the two. "Take care of yourself."
"Yeah… you too," Ragna said, still unable not to feel a touch reserved about what Ren had seen.
Finally leaving team JNPR's room and heading back to his own, he put his new Bonsai tree on his desk and looked around his still mostly empty room, save for his new plant and the small rug he'd recently purchased with Weiss.
"Home sweet home," he muttered sarcastically as he headed out of his room once more to leave the academy, this time knowing that what he needed was a big bowl of Udon and Curry.
"Hey."
...He didn't get two feet.
"Missed you at dinner," Yang said reservedly, the rest of her team surrounding her. "In fact a lot of people were asking about you."
"Listen… I…" Ragna sighed, coming up with excuses was not his forte.
"That... Was... AWESOME!" came Ruby's exclamation as Ragna looked at the shorter lady who had sparkles in her eyes as she was getting in close. "How can you do that! ?Are you really a Drive user like Azrael said!? C'mon tell us!"
"I…" Ragna tried to say.
"Ruby, give him some room," Blake told her leading before looking at Ragna… and oddly winking. "You're overwhelming him after everything that's happened."
"Oh… right," Ruby said, still a little disappointed that she couldn't keep asking.
"It's not like it's that big of a secret, I just had these abilities since as long as I can remember." A lie, and a hollow one.
"I think I'm a little more annoyed that you had these powers and you never thought to tell us," Weiss scolded.
"...Something had to make up for my dancing," Ragna chuckled at a self-aimed joke.
"...That I can believe," the Schnee air told him with an uppity look.
"Dancing?" Ruby questioned.
"She's been giving me lessons," he answered.
'So that's what they've been doing,' Blake thought to herself. 'And here I thought…' Shaking the visual of Ragna and Weiss reenacting the latest chapter from her novel from her head, she then looked seriously at Ragna. "So now what?"
"Haven't eaten yet; was about to head into town and grab some Udon," he explained as he stomach gave a confirming grumble.
"Funny, now that you mention it we didn't get eat either," Yang told him with a smile on her face. "And I just happen to know a good restaurant in town."
"...Didn't you four just come from dinner?" Ragna asked with a bit of skepticism.
"Yeah… but we were really trying to find you," Ruby said sadly. "I was… kinda worried."
'...Great, now I feel like an ass again,' the Reaper thought guilty. "Alright then, let's see what Yang's got in store for us."
"Also you're treating us," Yang said, a message that left Ragna with a look of terror. "Call it payback for getting us worried and keeping this whole thing a secret. Treat us this once and we're even, no more questions." ...That was a hard offer to turn down.
"...Weiss."
"Yes Ragna?" the Schnee heir asked with that same sweet yet sadistic smile from when she'd watched her friend be dragged off.
The Reaper looked to all four of the members of Team RWBY, a small collection of people that made up about half of the friends he had. The Reaper then gave a small smirk as he started leading them into town.
"Stop teaching Yang about blackmail."
Author's Note
Well… this chapter was long overdue. I didn't have a ton of Goodwitch fight data to go off of, but what did you think overall?
Anyways, with any luck I'll have the Halloween chapter out on Wednesday like I've been planning. I don't expect too many people to read it that day, but I still feel like this chapter needs that proper timing.
As far as the poll results go I closed them just a bit before posting this and results were SUPER close.
20- Omake
21- Spin Off series
It may take me a while to enact upon those like I promised, but expect some form of update soon. Anyways, let's do the review responses (only a few people posted, but I got a lot more Followers and Favorites to this story, so shout out there).
Wlyman2009: Thing about Weiss; not a cheap date.
The Unplanner: That's debatable, but maybe. As for match ups… well, there's a little to be seen here.
Lovnag: So the Waifu-Weiss army has a new recruit.
WideBrimmedHat: That… sounds painful. Don't go hurting yourself just to get me to post my stories.
Jazz Ears: Hmm… well to each their own on shipping, but yeah; Weiss is clearly easier to deal with.
Paladin9800: Managed to coax you into giving me a review, and I guess Nora needs a little more love then.
Guest: If I want to introduce a character, I'd probably save that for the main series not the spin off… but maybe I could include those guys in a gag reel at least.
SEE YOU OCTOBER 31ST GUYS! HALLOWEEN UPDATE! WOO! WOO!
CIAO!