Chapter Fifteen: Dance Drama


"What the hell just happened?" Phoenix asked, looking at a dejected Jaune holding a guitar. He had just gotten the door slammed in his face.

"Weiss said no to my offer for the dance."

"Not quite what I meant. Blake just stormed past me looking especially upset. Wondering if you knew anything."

"Uh… no. Sorry."

"No big deal. And as for Weiss, avoid singing and you'll have much better odds," Phoenix said as he walked by Jaune back to his room. He barely resisted the urge to tell Jaune about Pyrrha.


The next day Phoenix was helping team RWBY, or more accurately team RWY, plan for the dance. Yang was moving around a stereo while Weiss was putting dollies on the tables. "What kind of dress you wearing to the dance?" Yang asked Ruby.

"Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going," she replied.

"Don't worry, she's going. Weiss! I thought we agreed no dollies!" Yang exclaimed, completely forgetting what she was originally talking about.

"I don't get dollies, you don't get fog machines," Weiss threatened.

"What kind of dance has both those things?" Phoenix asked, but before he could get an answer Neptune and Sun came in.

"You're going to have fog machines?" Neptune asked.

"We're thinking about it," Weiss responded, immediately changing her demeanor.

"So, are you ladies excited for dress up?" Sun asked the girls. Ruby couldn't care less, but Yang seemed pretty excited. Weiss asked what the boys would be wearing.

"Uh… this," both Sun and Phoenix replied.

While Neptune covered Sun's mouth and said, "Ignore him, for he knows not what he says," Weiss started chewing Phoenix out.

"Seriously, you're the headmaster's son. I would think you would know how to handle social gatherings."

"You're what?" the other two boys exclaimed.

"I was trying to keep it secret, but yes I am," he replied, glaring at Weiss and hopping she could keep his other secrets better. "Anyway, I just watched those from the rafters. Some of the thing you see are pretty funny." When the two of them returned to the original discussion, Ruby was trying to figure out how to get Blake to go to the dance.

"Guys, trust me. Blake will be at the dance tomorrow," Yang said as she walked away, completely sure of her success.

"I've got to see how this plays out," Phoenix thought as he followed Yang. "Sorry guys, but I remembered I've got some studies to do. See you later."


"And if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance," Yang said. She had just finished telling Blake about her search for her mother and encouraged Blake to get some rest, perhaps using somewhat unconventional means.

"She's right you know," Phoenix said, dropping down in front of Blake once Yang left.

"Phoenix! How long have you been here?" Blake exclaimed.

"Since the start. Wanted to be around in case Yang's plan didn't work so I could help. Slightly surprised she didn't lose you with that laser pointer bit. But really, when the guy who sneaks out every other night to fight crime tells you to take a break, you seriously need to take a break."

"I suppose you're right."

"Good. Go back to your room and get some damn sleep. Don't worry, we'll wake you up before the dance!" Phoenix shouted as he walked off. "Thank God she didn't think to use this to blackmail me into telling Ruby everything. I can see it now, 'Fine, but only if you tell Ruby everything, including how you feel.' Probably too tired to think that deviously." he thought


"I see the two of you two are hiding at the punch bowl too," Jaune said to Phoenix and Ruby. It was the night of the dance, but neither of them knew how to dance.

"I even got dressed up… somewhat," he thought as he looked down at his outfit. Most of what he was wearing was a standard suit. The only major difference was that he was wearing a coat like the one he wore as a vigilante. The only major differences were the lack of a hood and a slightly more refined appearance. This was a fact that Ruby pointed out, though he simply said he liked the way it looked, hoping she didn't notice how flustered he got. "To be fair I wasn't lying. I did like the coat. Why I thought wearing it was a good idea I'll never know, but hey, live and learn," he thought. Pulling himself back to the conversation he replied, "Yep," at the same time as Ruby.

"To the socially awkward," Jaune said as he held up his cup.

"To the socially awkward," the two of them said, Phoenix pulling out a flask and taking a sip. Ruby and Jaune gave him shocked looks.

"Don't worry Ruby, it's not the stuff your uncle drinks. Not of the punch they have so I brought some lemonade." The other reason he brought it was because he didn't trust punch bowls. Too many opportunities for someone to slip something in.

"Sorry things didn't work out with Weiss," Ruby said to Jaune.

"It's okay I guess. I mean, Neptune is a good guy. Pretty cool," he replied.

"What?" the other two asked.

"I mean how many people can pull off blue hair?"

"Nonono, the other thing," Phoenix responded.

"Weiss came to the dance alone," Ruby finished. They looked over at Weiss, who was trying to get a flower to stand up straight.

"Hold my punch," Jaune said dramatically as he walked over to Neptune. Immediately after he left she took a sip of it, causing Phoenix to start laughing.


"So, how's your date going," Yang asked as Ruby and Phoenix walked over to her.

"Wha-! No! It's not like that!" both of them stammered, turning a bright red.

"Relax, I'm only kidding, although you two would make a really cute couple." This remark caused the two of them to turn even more red than before, which they thought was impossible.

"You know, you did a great job planning all this," Ruby said, desperate to change the subject.

"Awww! Thanks!" Yang exclaimed as she pulled Ruby towards her, much to the latter's annoyance. "But it wasn't just me. Weiss did a lot too." They all looked over at Weiss and saw that Neptune had gone over to talk to her. "Well, back to work tomorrow," Yang grumbled.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can handle whatever gets thrown at us," Ruby replied.

"Does that include this?" Phoenix asked, gesturing toward the dance floor. On it, Jaune, who was wearing a dress, walked up to Pyrrha.

"Nope," the sisters responded. After a short conversation with Pyrrha team JNPR burst into a dance routine.

"Did they practice that?" Yang inquired.

"I don't bloody know."


"Phoenix, want to get some air?" Ruby asked once team JNPR finished their dance.

"Sure."

"Hey, Ruby there's something I want to tell you," Phoenix said once they were far enough away that no one could hear them.

"What is it?"

"Well, I… God this is awkward," he groaned, looking down so she couldn't see how much he was blushing.

"Hold on," Ruby interrupted, "I think I saw someone on the roof over there."

"Wha-" Phoenix tried saying, but stopped when he saw who the figure looked like.

"Ruby, you should go back in. Wait, where'd you? Damn it wait up!" he yelled, chasing after her.


When he finally caught up to her she had called her weapon and was moving into the building. There were a couple of bodies lying around. Upon further investigation he found something that confirmed his suspicions. One of his mother's arrows. "Ruby, I've seen this person before. Trust me when I say they're out of our- Wait NO!" he shouted as he saw the elevator door close with her in it. "DAMN IT!" he screamed as he punched a wall. He repeatedly pressed the down arrow in hopes that when he got up it wouldn't be too late.

"What's going on here?" a new voice asked.

"Ironwood! Ruby is going up against my mother! I tried to stop her but-!"

"Calm down, I'm sure Ruby can hold her own until we get there."

"I know she's skilled but so was I. Don't you remember what that woman did to me in a matter of seconds?" Before they could continue the elevator door opened.

"Ruby! You're alright!" Phoenix exclaimed as the elevator door opened on the top floor.

"Phoenix what are-" Ruby tried to say. She was, however, cut off by Phoenix embracing her.

"I was terrified. I thought I'd lose you to her too. Don't ever do that to me again!" Phoenix demanded as he started to break down.

"What's wrong? What're you talking about?" Ruby inquired, a concerned look on her face.

"That was his mother," Ironwood said calmly.

"Oh…" Ruby said after Phoenix had finished telling her about his mother, being careful not to mention anything that could implicate him as the vigilante.

"If you hate me now I understand completely. Considering that she's my mother and how much she's done because I failed to stop her, I probably deserve it," Phoenix replied somberly.

"Why would I hate you because of that. You're not your mother, and you're not the only one who hasn't been able to stop her."

"But-"

"Nope."

"But-"

"Nope." Phoenix couldn't help but grin at this, remembering how she told him about doing something like this with Jaune. "There you go," Ruby said with a smile.

"Thanks. Just one more thing. Don't tell the others."

"What! Why?" Ruby exclaimed. "I- I'll tell them at some point. Just not now. Especially not so close to the incident."

"Fine… now, you want to go back to the dance?"

"Ruby," he replied, "I think I need some rest. Sorry to disappoint you."

"Disappoint me? I was just asking to be polite!" Ruby responded.

"Sorry to interrupt the two of you," Ironwood said, "But I'll need to talk to both of you to get the details tomorrow. Until then, get some rest."


Figured I'd use this to clarify who knows about Phoenix's secret identity. Oz, the other professors, Ironwood, Weiss, and Blake. If you didn't guess, he was going to tell her how he felt before Cinder interrupted. Also, sorry for the large amount of breaks in this chapter, but there are a lot of time lapses. Anyway, thanks for reading.