Chapter 9: Conflict, Counsel, and Courtship
The crowd gathered in Amity Colosseum went wild as Arthur Gray and Chalaign Royale of Team ACVR walked into the combat arena, Arthur as calm and collected as ever, Chalaign looking as furious as ever with her permanent scowl. Team ACVR was famous in Beacon, a team in their final year of Beacon and a deadly force to be reckoned with, both as individuals and as a team. They were deadly Huntsmen and Huntresses in the making, and to think that this team of ferocious fighters wouldn't be competing in Vytal was simply ludicrous.
Across from them Noir and his stand-in partner entered the arena as well, and the crowd's roar of approval redoubled at the sight of the dark faunus. Noir had become an almost overnight celebrity at Beacon Academy, his four-onto-one fight against Team TRRF having become a major highlight of both the tournament and the festival as a whole. Like many such objects of fascination, Noir had naysayers, who claimed he was merely an attention seeking child looking to put his own mark upon the festival, but these were few and far between, as Noir had, whether he'd meant to or not, given the crowd exactly what they'd wanted: an amazing fight. And now, students and visitors from all four kingdoms were eager to see the follow up to said fight.
"Go kick their asses Noir!" Yang cupped her hands around her mouth as she yelled out to Noir, who looked in her direction and nodded to her with a small smile, before turning back to Arthur and Chalaign, trying to resume his calm and collected demeanor. The two intimidating hunters in front of him looked at one another as the two duos met in the middle of the arena, the crowd cheering wildly at what they were anticipating to be a showdown of epic proportions. For a moment neither of the duos said a word, the roaring of the crowd filling the silence between them as they stared each other down. The tension was high and the suspense was starting to get to everyone there.
Noir was fighting to keep his temper in check, and it was taking every ounce of his self-control to do so. His encounter with Check in the locker room had shaken his emotional stability, with so much anger and hurt being brought back to his mind, much of it still fresh, and now he was struggling to keep calm and regain his composure before he lost his temper. This wasn't proving easy, however, as the roaring crowd was deafening to Noir's hypersensitive ears; yet the cacophony was necessary. The noise allowed Noir to echolocate without needing to open his second pair of ear canals, and it allowed him to mentally map out the entire arena, every nook and cranny visible to his mental perception, so long as there was sound. As he continued to mentally map out the arena, his concentration was broken by Arthur's voice.
"Noir." At the sound of his name, Noir looked over at Arthur, the tall armored huntsman eyeing the bat with his good eye rather intensely. "I understand that you're doing this alone for personal reasons. However, I wouldn't advise it. In this situation, I believe help is called fo-"
"Spare me your advice, Arthur, you already know I won't listen." Noir cut him off, his red eyes unblinkingly meeting Arthur's intense gaze, and then meeting Chalaign's deep glare as he looked to her as well. "My reasons for this are mine and mine alone. So do both me and yourself a favor and save your breath." Arthur and Chalaign exchanged looks, Arthur looking rather amused, and they both turned back to Noir and nodded.
"Very well, Noir. It's your choice." The two duos each took a couple of steps back as the holographic roulette began rolling, and the crowd roared as the terrains were chosen: the City Ruins, The Dark Forest, The Mountain, and the Lava Lake. Noir's echolocation went into overdrive as the crowd roared louder than ever, and in a few moments Noir had the entire field mapped out in his mind, and as he looked back to Arthur and Chalaign, Port's booming voice echoed across the arena.
"Three...two...one...BEGIN!"
Immediately, Noir's stand-in partner booked it for the edge of the arena as Noir drew Schwarze Klinge, flourishing it rapidly as he prepared for the onslaught to come. There was a short moment during which the three combatants stared each other down, weapons drawn, nothing between them but silence. The crowd seemed to quiet down slightly as they watched, and the air itself seemed to grow still.
Arthur, quick as lightning, drew Myrddin, his great sword, and leapt forward, aiming a powerful downward slash at Noir's head. Noir reacting quickly, side stepped the slash and kicked Arthur in the back, forcing him away, but as he turned was forced to duck as Chalaign, with a raw-throated yell, swung her powerful mace, Dominus, right at Noir's head. As he ducked, he was forced on the defensive as Arthur aimed a low slash at Noir's legs, forcing him to retreat. Noir rolled as he narrowly avoided having his legs cut out from under him, regaining his footing not far from them. He didn't have much time to fully recover before both of them were onto him once more. Noir, reacting quickly, grabbed several shurikens from Schwarze Klinge's sheath and slung them at the two fighters. The lethal projectiles forced them to shield themselves, Chalaign with her shield, Hallowed, and Arthur with the flat of Myrddin's wide blade. The distraction was all Noir needed, and using the momentary pause to his advantage, Noir charged forward, leaping in the air and kicking Chalaign hard in the face, the powerful girl momentarily disoriented by the impact as Noir then turned to Arthur, who had recovered a lot more quickly than Noir expected, landing a hard punch on the side of Noir's face and sending him rolling a few feet across the arena floor. Noir quickly got to his feet, a bit dazed but quickly regaining his focus as he leaped right back at the his two opponents, snarling in aggressive determination as he slashed at them viciously, narrowly avoiding another blow from Chalaign, this one striking the arena floor and creating a small crater in it. In response Noir flung three shurikens at her, forcing the large girl to retreat as Arthur charged Noir once more. This time, Noir was ready for him and parried Myrddin's blade as Arthur slashed at him, engaging the scarred young man in an intense duel of blades, and for a moment, it seemed Noir would be able to hold his own. In the next moment however, Chalaign had recovered and out of nowhere aimed a powerful blow at Noir's torso. Without enough time to dodge or parry it, the blow struck Noir right in the stomach, sending him several feet across the arena, his back slamming into a piece of rubble in the City Ruins, depleting a large amount of his aura. The crowd gasped as Noir flew across the arena, and as he slumped on the ground for a moment, Yang gripped her armrests as she felt concern for the bat well up in her. Come on, get up...get up, Noir, get up! Yang found herself thinking desperately as Noir, for a moment, was slumped on the ground, and beside her, her fellow teammates were equally anxious for him as they voiced her concerns aloud.
The fight was off to a far more intense start than anyone had anticipated, and in mere seconds Noir had been forced on the defensive. As he got to his feet, Arthur wasted no time and converted Myrddin into its gun form, firing several shots in Noir's direction, forcing him to retreat once more. Noir, moving as quickly as he could, took cover in the City Ruins as Myrddin's shots narrowly missed him, damaging the ruins around him as he stealthily moved through the labyrinth of abandoned buildings, his focus still disoriented from Chalaign's blow to his stomach. Noir's confusion was only worsened by the roaring of the crowd around him, his broken focus making it extremely difficult to tune out the roaring noise, and as Noir tried to shut it out, Arthur's shots came very close to where he was hidden, forcing him to lay low.
It was agonizing. With the amount of clashing information and noise hitting Noir from all sides, his mind was a disorienting cacophony of confusion, his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth grinding as he covered his ears, trying to regain his composure and his focus. Through it all, one though was prominent in his mind: Stay Hidden. Survive. For the first time in years, Noir was being driven by pure gut instinct, and as the agonizing confusion continued to dominate Noir's senses, he fought his way into deeper cover, managing to get out his ear plugs and plugging his ears as quickly as he could. The muffled silence was pure bliss for Noir, and as he finally managed to shut out the noise, he slowed his breathing down and managed to clear his mind. With his mind finally cleared, Noir's eyes finally opened, and he finally relaxed, taking a moment to think his situation over.
He had underestimated Arthur and Chalaign's teamwork, and that had been a fatal mistake. They were faster and stronger than he'd thought they'd be, and this was quite possibly the worst mistake he could have made in a battle. Fuck...What is wrong with you, Noir, you're better than this! Noir cursed himself for rushing in without thinking, and as he thought over his current situation, he realized that his anger towards Check had distracted him and thrown him off balance far more than he'd initially thought. As a result, he hadn't fully analyzed his opponents before entering the conflict, and hadn't had a stradegy formed, forced to improvise from the getgo. And as a result, he had just had the snot smacked out of him, and now had a little less than half of his aura left, putting him on the defensive and forcing him to retreat.
I can't afford to take another risk like that. As it is, I'm already low on Aura Level, and they both know it, and they're going to press their advantage however possible. Taking them head-on will cost me any chance of victory, and taking them head-on at the same time is an even worse idea. Shit...it's been years since I've been forced into a tight spot like this. Noir took several moments to think things through, as all the while, Chalaign and Arthur searched for him throughout the City Ruins, forcing Noir to keep his cover. Taking them on face to face won't do me any good. That said... Noir breathed in and silently sighed, getting to his feet and taking a low crouched stance. ...I'll have to outsmart them and take them out with stealth.
The other two combatants continued to search for Noir, both of them crouched and moving as silently as possible, while Noir silently climbed to the top of one of the buildings, moving so silently and imperceptibly that not even the commentating professional huntsmen could see him, and all the while he was analyzing the search pattern of the two powerful combatants below. As they passed through the area where he hid, Noir began counting down mentally, grabbing some shurikens from his sheath and waiting patiently for them to move into place. The suspense was clearly killing the crowd, for they had calmed down very considerably, and were watching the match with baited breath.
In the stands, Yang was watching the fight wide-eyed, her gloved hands gripping the arm-rests of her seat tightly as she scanned the arena for Noir, unable to see him anywhere on the field. With the tension in the air, the suspense saturating the atmosphere and the sheer silence on the field, Yang was watching the fight closely as though hypnotized, the suspense almost too much for her to bear.
Now! Spotting the opening he'd been waiting for, Noir flung his shurikens at several support beams, the fire dust-infused blades burning through them and severing them. The rubble supported by the beams, a small tower, came crashing down and placed a solid barrier between Arthur and Chalaign, separating them. Chalaign yelled out in surprise as she rolled to avoid the falling tower, and as she got back to her feet, a quick look around revealed that she was now surrounded by rubble, closed into a ring and trapped. Arthur, alerted now, looked up at the now severed support beams, perhaps for a clue as to what had severed them, but his look revealed no clues. They had seemingly been severed out of nowhere.
Noir, satisfied Arthur would be occupied for quite a while, stealthily slipped through the maze of buildings and into one the ruined structures surrounding Chalaign, moving quickly and silently as the crowd roared from what they had just seen. The hulking girl was tensed and clenching her mace and shield tightly in preparation for an attack, her scowl deeper than ever as she growled. Noir, keeping to the shadows, circled around her in perfect stealth silently drawing his blade and holding it at the ready as he prepared to strike at Chalaign. Grabbing two more shurikens, Noir waited until he was close enough to strike without being seen and flung them at her shins, the projectiles infused with ice dust. Noir timed his throw perfectly as each of the shurikens hit their marks, freezing Chalaign's legs in ice and freezing her to the ground.
"What the...?!" Chalaign yelled out in shock as she tried to free her legs, the ice around them holding her in place as she struggled to move. "Damnit!" As she struggled to free herself, Noir took his chance and struck from behind, landing a blow on the side of Chalaign's head with Schwarze Klinge's hilt that dazed her and depleted part of her aura, but it didn't knock her out as he hoped it would. Not risking retaliation, Noir dissolved into ashes and then reformed several feet away from Chalaign, slipping back into the shadows as the huge girl growled in anger, shattering the ice around her legs with her mace. Meanwhile, Arthur, outside the ring of rubble, heard the the commotion within and realized that Noir was inside the ring, taking on his partner, and began looking for a way to get in.
Noir swore to himself as Chalaign got free, for the third time one of his tactics going wrong as she pressed a button on the handle of her mace, the top opening up to reveal a barrel, which she aimed in Noir's direction.
"Shit!" Noir swore as a powerful grenade fired from the mace, narrowly missing him and wizzing past him into one of the ruined structures behind him, blowing it to smithereens and eliciting a shocked gasp from the crowd. The shockwave from the blast knocked Noir into the air, thankfully only depleting a small amount of his remaining aura. As he flew through the air, Noir spread his wings and flew through the air, falcon diving into the Dark Forest, another area where he would have the field advantage, and there he waited as an incensed Chalaign and a quite aggravated Arthur rushed in after him, walking right into Noir's field advantage.
"Chalaign, watch yourself in here, Noir is a master of stealth. If you lower your guard, even for a second he'll exploit it. So stay alert!" Arthur growled as he entered the forest, Myrddin in gun form as he scanned the area for any sign of Noir. As he waited for Chalaign's signature grunt or growl as her typical response, he was met with silence. Arthur froze, the eerily still silence in the forest putting him very on edge as he spun around to look for Chalaign. She was nowhere to be seen, no sign of her anywhere, and he hadn't even seen her disappear. In another part of the forest, Chalaign was frozen to one of the tree trunks, Noir having used more ice shurikens to freeze her in place, and with her at his mercy, Noir struck her twice in the head, hard, depleting her aura completely.
"OH! Chalaign Royale is out of the match by aura level!" Port declared over the P.A., and the crowd roared in approval as Arthur froze where he was after hearing this.
How...?! Arthur was tensed now as Noir, using the trees as a way to avoid making noise on the ground, quickly located Arthur with his bat-like hearing, thanks to the roaring crowd. Arthur was visibly agitated now, growling under his breath as Noir watched him closely from the shadows. It was just the two of them now, and Noir, confident now that with Chalaign out of the fight, he could take Arthur himself, drew Schwarze Klinge and dropped out of the trees, in full view of Arthur.
"How...how did you take out Chalaign?" Arthur growled, glaring at Noir as he flourished his blade.
"She's incredibly strong, but not very fast. I had to back her into a corner and immobilize her before I could take her out." Noir calmly elaborated. "Plus, between the two of you, she was the one I needed to eliminate first, since when I'm fighting you, my focus is one hundred percent occupied with keeping you at bay, thus giving her any opening she needs to put me down. And so by eliminating her, I can focus entirely on you, if only out of sheer necessity." Arthur, agitated as he was, had to admit that Noir's strategic thinking in a tight spot was impressive, even with the odds stacked against him.
"Impressive, Noir, but I don't plan on holding back." Arthur growled, converting Myrddin back to its great sword form and flourishing it rapidly as he took his aggressive stance.
"I'm not asking you to." Was Noir's calm reply, and he too took his stance, the two swordsmen circling one another as they prepared to charge each other. The tension was high as they stared into each other's eyes, Noir's piercing red orbs meeting Arthur's offset glare, and as they circled one another, they seemed to be attempting to predict each other's moves. Once more the air seemed to go still, and the tension finally reached breaking point. With a low growl, Arthur charged Noir and rapidly slashed at Noir with a two-handed swordstyle that flowed from one blow to another, Myrddin's massive blade a deadly wave of metal that struck at Noir again and again. Noir, ready for him, dodged the first several blows, backing away and following the flow of Arthur's blows, analyzing his style as he backed into the open arena, the crowd roaring as they saw him emerge, and as Arthur emerged after him, Noir saw the opening he needed.
As Arthur brought Myrddin up above his head to slash downward, Noir reacted as lightning speed and kicked Arthur in his open stomach, hard enough to knock the breath out of him for a moment, and as Arthur's flow was broken, Noir attacked, raining blow after blow down on Arthur in quick succession, pushing Arthur back as the older hunter tried to regain his pattern, at the same time trying to analyze Noir's. Noir's style however was unlike any that Arthur had encountered, and Schwarze Klinge's blade seemed to be everywhere, above, below, on the left, on the right, everywhere in between. Noir's speed and agility were blinding, and no matter how much Arthur tried to grasp the pattern of Noir's attacks, there was no pattern to grasp.
Finally, after several intense moments of lightning fast blows, Arthur missed a parry, and before he could recover, Noir ducked under Myrddin's blade and landed a powerful punch right into Arthur's chin, and as he stumbled back, Noir jumped up and kicked both his feet into Arthur's chest, depleting the remainder of his aura and putting him on the ground, the crowd roaring in approval.
"And the match goes to Noir Harceleur by aura level!" Dr. Oobleck declared, the roar of the crowd nearly drowning him out as Noir, panting hard, sheathed Schwarze Klinge and nodded to Arthur as he managed to get to his feet. Arthur, impressed by Noir's skill and patience, nodded in acknowledgement as medics rushed on the field to thaw out Chalaign in the Forest, and Noir, tired but satisfied, nodded in return, acknowledging the powerhouse he had just defeated, and turning to walk off the field.
Yang was beside herself as she cheered wildly for Noir, clapping enthusiastically as her teammates cheered with her, her heart actually fluttering a bit from what she had just seen. Noir, a mere second-year student, had just fought two students in their final year at Beacon and had won, a feat even she admitted she couldn't do against one of them, let alone against two of them at once. This was more than she could have imagined Noir being capable of, and as he walked off the field, she resolved to congratulate him in person as soon as possible.
In another part of the stands, another individual had watched the match with equal if not greater interest, and he wasn't as thrilled with the outcome as everyone else. Remnant, from his spot in the stands, had watched this fight with interest, and was very bothered by Noir's victory. This mere second-year had taken two final-years, two students with more experience, more skill, and more knowledge of combat, head on, and had won, something Remnant couldn't have predicted and only increased his sense of unease towards the faunus. There was far more to Noir than he let on, and with this victory, Remnant couldn't help but wonder whether the Vytal Tournament was leaving him with an even more inaccurate perception of his opposition than before.
Whatever the case, Remnant was determined to find out what he could about this faunus, and wasn't going to let this victory stop him.
Meanwhile, at the top of the clock tower at Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin, Goodwitch, Winter Schnee and Qrow Branwen watched the battle with interest, Ozpin allowing himself a prideful smile as he watched Noir outsmart and defeat Arthur Gray and Chalaign Royale, two of Beacon's strongest students. Ozpin had only ever seen potential in Noir, and as he watched him, a student whom Ozpin himself had personally brought to Beacon, Ozpin felt a small twinge of pride in his student.
"So. This is the one you want to add to this circle, Oz?" Qrow inquired as he watched next to him, drinking from his flask. Next to him, Winter cooly watched with a critical eye.
"Either he is incredibly skilled or else his opponents are subpar. He took multiple hits before managing to gain the upper hand, and missed several of his own-" Qrow cut her off.
"Use your eyes, Ice Queen. He was letting them wail at him, so he could analyze their patterns. It worked on the Gray kid, didn't it?" Qrow grinned as he looked at the aggravated Winter.
"He still managed to lose half of his aura before he turned things in his favor and even when he did, he was forced to retreat. He seems to me to be a reckless risk taker with little regard for his own safety and more for achieving victory." Winter coldly replied.
"Sounds like my kinda kid." Qrow grinned as he took another swig from his flask. "And isn't that what being a Huntsman is about? Putting the safety of others over your won for the sake of protecting them? For the sake of getting the job done?"
"Well, yes, but this isn't a professional huntsman at work, this is a teenager in a tournament doing whatever it takes to achieve victory! That's not the same thing!" Winter argued.
"Enough, you two." Ozpin put in, both of them going quiet. "Noir Harceleur is a very exceptional individual with experience and knowledge beyond his years. He will be a vital addition to this circle should he agree to it. Besides." Ozpin turned in his seat and stood, facing the other three in the room. "It will help to have an outside point of view from a younger mind. The more we know about recent events the better. Noir is highly observant, and a master of gathering information even for his age. His insight may very well prove to be exactly what we need."
"I hope you're right, Oz." Qrow remarked.
As do I, Qrow. Ozpin thought to himself. As he looked out his window towards Amity Colosseum, Ozpin hoped in his heart of hearts that he was right, for the world would be in the balance should he prove mistaken.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
As the large crowd filed out of Amity Colosseum, the day's matches done and the doubles round completed, Noir leaned against a support pillar, changed back into his normal garb, waiting for Teams RWBY and JNPR to join him. The fight with Arthur and Chalaign had very much drained him, and now he felt glad for a chance to properly rest, especially since he was planning on doing some reconnaissance that night. Noir's suspicions of "Remmy" were starting to deeply bother him, and he felt that it was an issue that needed his immediate attention. Yet, despite his closeness with Yang and Team RWBY, he felt that he needed to do this alone, for there were no others who shared his suspicions, and unlike the issue with Torchwick, this was something far more immediate and concerning. If Noir's suspicions were correct, it was possible that was a very viable threat to his friends, and possibly even to Beacon as a whole. Whether he was being alarmist or not didn't matter to him, for he would be dust-damned if anything happened to his friends. Or to Yang.
"Noir!" Her voice suddenly broke his thoughts and Noir looked around to see Yang running towards him from the stands, a wide smile on her face as she ran across the landing area to greet him. Noir smiled widely as he walked towards her to meet her halfway, and almost had the wind knocked out of him as Yang collided with him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and smothering him with her warmth.
"Hello, Yang." Noir greeted softly as he returned the hug, holding Yang close to him as a sudden warmth blossomed in his heart, something he hadn't felt for anyone in a very long time. Noir found himself unable to let go of Yang as he held her close to him, her scent filling his nostrils as he breathed it in deeply, savoring it like no other scent he'd ever encountered in his life. He didn't know what it was that had him so taken with her, it was unexplainable for him. He felt as though he needed her, as though having her in his life filled some kind of long-empty void. He couldn't explain even to himself what this feeling was, nor why he felt it. All he knew for certain was that the girl in his arms at that moment was more important to him than anything else in the world, and nothing could change that feeling.
"Hey Noooir!" came a cheerful call from the direction Yang had come, and Noir's moment of bliss was broken as he looked up and saw Ruby, Blake, and Team JNPR approaching them, Ruby waving happily as Noir and Yang parted their embrace.
"Can't we even have one moment alone..." Noir muttered softly, only Yang hearing him.
"Come on, don't be such a downer." Yang giggled a bit and pinched his cheek. "Whether you wanna admit it or not you were badass out there. Just let people say so for once."
Noir rolled his eyes a bit and managed a small smile as the others approached, conceding defeat as he turned towards the others approaching. There is never any arguing with her whatsoever. Noir thought to himself as he walked with Yang to greet the others.
"How the heck did you do that?!" Ruby demanded excitedly. "Those two are in their final year at Beacon! And you freaking beat them! How'd you do it?!" Ruby was beside herself with excitement as she looked up at Noir with a wide eyed smile, clearly beyond impressed.
"I gotta admit I wasn't expecting that," Blake concurred, collected as ever.
"Really! I'm freaking jealous that Pyrrha's going to the finals and not me! I wanna fight you so bad now, seriously!" Nora pouted and then turned to Pyrrha. "Kick his ass in the finals, Pyrrha!"
Pyrrha raised her hands defensively. "The finals are randomly selected! I don't know if I'll even face Noir!" A sweat drop ran down her neck as Ruby giggled, and, though Noir couldn't tell for the life of him what compelled him to, Noir smirked.
"Well, if we do face off in the finals, I promise I won't hold back this time." Noir smirked widely as he said this, and all seven of those present stared at Noir wide-eyed as what he just said sank in.
"You...were holding back last time we fought?" Pyrrha asked, her emerald green eyes frozen open as Noir just nodded. For the life of him he couldn't say why he just revealed this, nor why he had held back the last time he'd fought Pyrrha, but, there it was. And his statement had the desired effect as Pyrrha went from flustered to sporting a confident grin of her own.
"Fine then. If we meet in the finals, I'll fight no holds barred, and I'll make sure you go down this time." Pyrrha declared. Jaune and Ren just looked at each other, Ren with an expression that clearly said, Well. This just got interesting. While Jaune's expression said, Oooooh, shit! Nora was excited, as this had been exactly what she'd wanted Pyrrha to say, and was now chattering about getting Pyrrha ready as an eighth person approached them.
"With skill like that, you oughta be graduated by now." A low, gruff voice said, and every head turned to see Qrow Branwen standing a few feet away, leaning against a support pillar. Ruby's eyes went wide upon seeing her uncle in front of her and immediately rushed toward him.
"Uncle Qroooooooooooooow!" Ruby immediately latched onto his arm in a split second, and for a moment Qrow didn't seem to realize she was there, and looked down after a moment at his younger niece.
"Hi~!" Ruby chirped happily as she looked up at him. "It's so good to see yoooooooou~! Did you miss me? DID YOU MISS ME?!" Ruby seemed to get more and more excited the longer she latched on to Qrow's arm, and as he looked at her, he finally grinned as well.
"Nope!" He grinned and rubbed Ruby's head affectionately as his other niece approached.
"What's up, Uncle Qrow!" Yang grinned as she bumped fists with him, and Qrow grinned as he looked down at his older niece.
"How ya doin', firecracker?" Qrow grinned as Yang winced slightly at the use of her uncle's favorite nickname for her.
"Why are you at Beacon, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked excitedly, "I've never seen you come up here!"
"I came here after Ozpin called me. Can't say what for though, that's for the grown-ups, kiddo." Ruby pouted in disappointment as Qrow said this, and her uncle chuckled. "No worries, kid. Everything's fine."
"So what brought you to Amity?" Yang asked happily.
"As a matter of fact, I came to see that kid." Qrow pointed at Noir, who seemed taken very aback by this, though he only showed it briefly.
"Me...? Why, exactly...?" Noir asked, his expression confused and guarded and yet curious at the same time.
"Ozpin wants to see ya in his office, kid. There's something he wants to talk with ya about." Qrow replied, and every head turned towards Noir, the same question on everyone's mind: Why would Ozpin want to talk to him, of all people?
"I see...and if you don't mind, I'd prefer it if you'd call me by my name. It's Noir." Qrow raised an eyebrow at this blunt statement and then grinned.
"Okay then, Noir. Anyways, I decided to come get ya myself, figured you'd be out here after that fight. Seriously, how are you not graduated with that kinda skill, kid?"
Noir looked Qrow in the eyes and replied with the same words he'd used just a few days prior. "Skill in the ring can't be matched by experience in the field. I've found that patience is far more beneficial than rushing in headfirst. I would rather complete my time here and know for certain that I am ready, instead of overestimating my skill and likely getting myself killed in the process."
"Smart, skilled, and cautious. I see why Ozpin likes ya, kid." Qrow grinned, finally managing to shake Ruby off his arm. "Come on, we shouldn't keep him waiting." And with that Qrow strode away towards the airship that'd brought him to the colosseum. Noir hesitated for a moment before turning to Yang and whispering to her.
"You'll see me later, I promise." He smiled at Yang, and she smiled back whispering as well.
"You wanna go out tonight? I know a good place." Yang grinned as she whispered back to him.
"I know somewhere better, and...a bit more secluded than Junior's Club." Noir smiled as he gave Yang a sly wink.
"Ahem." The couple jumped and turned in the same direction to see Qrow watching them with a raised eyebrow. Noir, turning a bit red, nodded to Yang before quickly moving over next to Qrow, who gave an amused smirk as he led Noir to the airship. As the ship took off and flew towards Beacon, Qrow could not resist the opportunity to bust Noir's balls.
"So, you and Firecracker, eh? How long's that been a thing, eh?" Qrow couldn't help but smirk as Noir tensed up, turning very red.
"W-we've known each other nearly a year, a-and we started d-dating a few weeks ago..."
"'Dating', eh?" Noir fell silent at this and Qrow chuckled at his reaction. He was loving every second of the interrogation, as it seemed that, for all his outward appearances, he was quite a nervous and socially awkward individual, maybe even a shy one. Qrow just chuckled a second time and let Noir sit in awkward silence, and the airship soon docked at Beacon, both of them disembarking onto the docking area, where Goodwitch was waiting for them.
"Hello, Mr. Harceleur." She greeted Noir as formally as ever, nodding in acknowledgment to him as he bowed respectfully.
"Professor Goodwitch." Noir greeted just as formally, inwardly relieved that he was no longer being interrogated by Yang's uncle, and Noir had to resist the urge to wince every time Qrow came close to him; the man smelled like he slept in a brewery.
"Professor Ozpin and Specialist Schnee are waiting for us." Goodwitch turned and began leading Noir and Qrow towards the Clock Tower, and at the mentioning of the name Schnee, Noir couldn't help but stiffen slightly. Noticing Noir's reaction, Qrow placed a hand on Noir's shoulder as they continued walking.
"Relax, kid, she's alright. She's just here cos Ironwood ain't here." Noir looked up at Qrow, not quite sure how to react and yet sensing the seriousness of the situation as his mind went into overdrive.
"How long has he-" before he could finish, Qrow cut him off.
"We'll explain when we get to Oz's office." Noir feel silent as they entered the elevator, beginning their long ascension to Ozpin's office at the peak of the tower. The elevator was silent as they ascended, with Noir's mind in maximum overdrive. He had no inkling of what was going on, and the more he thought it over, the more concerned he was that he was about to be caught up in far more than he'd ever been in his life.
Finally the elevator doors slid open, and Noir got his first look at Winter Schnee, who stood off to one side of Ozpin's desk, as straight and formal as ever, with Ozpin himself behind his desk in his seat.
"Ah, Noir. Thank you for coming." Noir entered the office and once more bowed in respect to Ozpin. The headmaster had always been held in very regard for him, and in many ways Noir even idolized him. For as long as he'd been at Beacon, Noir had silently admired the headmaster, and never in a thousand years did Noir think he'd find himself standing in the headmaster's office.
"Professor. What can I do for you?" Noir greeted, looking around at the four adults surrounding him, realizing that, perhaps with the exception of Qrow, each adult in the room was one of authority. Ozpin and Goodwitch were both very authoritative figures at Beacon, while Winter Schnee, judging by her uniform, was an Atlas Military Specialist. The moment Noir realized this, his eyes narrowed into near slits, looking from one person to the other rather coldly. "Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on here?"
"Noir!" Goodwitch glared at him as his tone changed from respectful to cold and edged.
"That's alright, Glynda." Ozpin stood from behind his desk and walked around to stand in front of it. "Noir has a good reason for feeling guarded. After all, anyone would be in his spot." Ozpin smiled a little as he looked down at Noir, with Qrow walking around and leaning against a pillar. "So, Noir. Since you are wondering why you are here, the four of us will fill you in. However, what we say to you, we say to you in confidence. What we discuss here cannot leave this room."
"I wouldn't be alive if I didn't know how to keep my mouth shut." Noir said flatly, eliciting a grin from Qrow and a wry chuckle from Ozpin, and even Winter seemed to give a small grin.
"Fair enough. Now." Ozpin walked back towards the window of his office, pausing for a moment before continuing. "As you're undoubtedly aware, criminal activity in Vale has come to a complete stop since the Grimm Invasion and the arrest of Roman Torchwick. In addition to this, however, there have been...newer developments." Noir remained silent, his expression exactly the same as it was minutes ago, and when he didn't respond to this, Winter also put in.
"Three days after the invasion was pushed back, General Ironwood ventured out to Mountain Glen with a small legion of Atlesian Knights. They traced Torchwick's train back to the old city and went there to investigate." Winter paused for a moment before continuing in a sombre voice. "He has yet to return."
"Meaning he's probably dead." Qrow said from his spot across the office, and Winter flinched visibly. "In addition, Grimm activity has been eerily non-existent as well. And just about a week ago, as I'm sure you heard, your friend Topaz and his partner were attacked. The person they described as their attacker matched the description of an assassin I myself had a run-in with a few months ago." At this, Winter visibly stiffened.
"You failed to mention that before!" Qrow winced in annoyance and put a finger in his ear.
"Geez, could you yell that any louder?" This question actually came from Noir, and Ozpin chuckled as the faunus covered the ear facing Winter, the Atlas Specialist shooting him a icy glare.
"Anyways, right after the attack on the first years, Torchwick turned up dead." This particular bit of info made Noir stiffen, and his eyes narrowed as he began turning over this new information in his mind.
"What we would like to know is, in light of this new information, is there anything you may have seen or noticed that we haven't? Your observational ability and deductive skills may lead us to something we didn't think of." At this inquiry from Ozpin, Noir looked at each of them, his expression flat as ever, and he began pacing a little, his mind working at top speed as he thought over this new information.
"I'm not sure what I can add, nor that I may have seen something that you didn't, however, I am aware that the academy is infiltrated." The adults all looked at one another as Noir continued. "It hasn't escaped my attention that Atlas's Military presence in Vale has multiplied in the last few days, nor did I fail to notice that security at the CCT has been increased. I've noticed everything that's gone on at the Academy in recent months, and I've heard the whispers of what's been going on." Noir looked from one adult to the other. It was clear that the strength of Noir's perception was beyond what they'd expected. "I'm not stupid, nor am I aloof. I'm well aware that things are not as they should be. Nor do I believe that these recent events are accidental."
"You'd have to be stupid to think they are." Qrow remarked, and Noir winced at the interruption.
"Exactly. I believe that this goes beyond Beacon. And beyond the Academy's infiltration. I believe there's something a lot larger at work." Noir continued pacing as he glared at the floor, out of concentration. "And whatever it is, it's only a matter of time before we see it come to fruition, unless we can figure out how to stop it before then."
"Kid knows his stuff, Oz." Qrow grinned. Winter also had to admit that Noir had a much better grasp on the situation than they'd first thought. Noir knew exactly what they knew, and had learned it through observation and deductive reasoning.
"I see your grip on the present is better than I'd expected." Ozpin remarked with a smile. "Noir, I think you be a valued addition to this counsel. With a pair of eyes and ears like yours in the student body, observing and listening where we can't, we very well may discover what's going on. That is, if you are willing to join us."
At this, Noir stopped in his tracks and looked at Ozpin in surprise. "You...want me to be apart of your circle, Professor?"
"I do. And I believe Glynda, Qrow and Winter agree with me on this. If you will join us, Noir, we will be privileged to have you." Noir stared at Ozpin, unable to fully believe that Ozpin, someone Noir had enormous admiration for, was actually asking him for his help. Noir, thinking hard for a moment, hesitated, not sure what his answer was, before gathering himself and looking at each adult in the room.
"I will be honored to be a member of this council, Professor. I will do my best to get to the bottom of this as soon as I can." Noir declared. Ozpin smiled down at Noir and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You've always been a good student, Noir. I see you one day becoming one of the greatest huntsmen to ever live." Noir bowed his head humbly.
"Thank you, Professor. That means more than you know." Noir then finally returned Ozpin's smile before looking at each member of the council. "If I may, I have other plans for this evening, and I would very much like to take my leave."
"You may, Noir. Enjoy your evening, and may you continue to perform exceptionally as you have been." Ozpin bowed his head to Noir and then turned to walk back to his desk.
"I'll show him out." Qrow said, grinning widely as he entered the elevator with the young faunus. As the door closed, Winter turned to Ozpin with a narrow-eyed look.
"Are you sure about this, Ozpin? As skilled and as smart as he is, I don't think he's the right one to add to this council. Perhaps Pyrrha Nikos would have been a better addition, she is, after all, world renowned as a combatant." Ozpin was silent for a moment before replying.
"Noir Harceleur has experience beyond his years. Miss Nikos is indeed skilled, but she does not have the experience nor the intuition and insight Noir does. She's smart, no doubt, and one of the best students at Beacon by far. But as Noir himself said. Skill and smarts do not compare to experience in the field." Ozpin looked Winter in the eye, his own looking almost uncharacteristically serious. "Noir may be only 18, but he has seen more than any student at this academy, and he is better suited for this than anyone else."
"I do hope you're right, Ozpin. You place great faith in him, and he certainly trusts you as a leader. If he should fail, it will be on you." Winter coldly replied.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
As Noir and Qrow descended in the tower's elevator, the silence between them was much less awkward and now one of mutual respect. Qrow's initial impression of Noir had been one of a silent, aloof, and antisocial individual, yet the discussion with Ozpin had revealed that Noir was far more than he seemed, and his grip on reality and penchant for facing it regardless of its brutality was something that reminded Qrow a lot of himself.
"Qrow." At the sound of his name, Qrow looked down at Noir, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Between us, I believe the assassin you mentioned may be here. At the Academy." Qrow's eyes narrowed, his grin dropping.
"Why do you say that, kid?"
"Because there is a student here, claiming to be from Haven Academy, who fights unlike anyone I've ever encountered. He took down Coco Adele and Yatsuhashi Daichi single handedly and did so without even breaking a sweat. He moved faster than anyone I've seen, and was high on adrenaline the entire time, and yet he somehow had the strength to knock out Yatsuhashi with one punch to his face." Qrow thought hard on this for a moment before speaking again.
"What weapons did he use?"
"Swords, two of them. He combined them into one big sword one that was nearly as long as he is tall." Noir looked at Qrow from the side. "Sound like what the assassin used on you?"
"No, with me he used something else. It was a sword, but not like the one you described. More like a short sword, only curved, like a scimitar, and it had fire dust infused with the blade." Qrow thought more on this before turning back to Noir. "You really think this...kid...is the assassin?"
"I suspect it, but I don't have evidence to know for certain. It's only a theory." Noir turned back to facing forward. "I intend to wait and see if any evidence can be found to support it. I'm not jumping to any conclusions just yet."
"Nor should you kid." As they reached the bottom, the door opened, and Noir smiled to himself as he heard Yang and the others waiting outside, and was about to walk out to greet Yang, but stopped as he remembered Qrow was still there. Suddenly nervous, Noir turned back to Qrow, who seemed to sense that Noir was nervous because he was Yang's uncle.
"So. That's what you meant when you said you had other plans, eh. You're plannin' on a date with Yang?" Noir turned a bright shade of scarlet and looked away a bit shyly, and simply nodded. Qrow chuckled and reached in his pocket, pulling out a small square package about an inch or so wide, and slipped it into Noir's hand. "If you're plannin' on anything extra, take this." Noir took one look at what it was and turned a vivid shade of red that rivaled his eyes. "Taiyang forgot one of those once, and, well, you may fuck the result."
Noir was so red it was a wonder he wasn't passing out, and as he looked down at the object his hands he managed to stutter out. "Um...th-thanks...?"
"Hey, no problem, kid." Qrow grinned and patted Noir on the back. "Just treat her good."
"O-of course..." Noir could barely speak, he was so embarrassed by what Qrow had just handed him.
"Good. Or else Daddy Taiyang and Uncle Qrow will rip your balls off, kiddo." Qrow grinned. At this, Noir looked up at him with a bit of a wry grin.
"I don't doubt it. Though, I think your blonde niece would be several steps ahead of you."
"Heh, good point."
"Anyways..." Noir looked up at Qrow with a bit of a grin, his blush slowly disappearing. "I don't want to keep her waiting." Not knowing what else to do, Noir nervously raised his fist for Qrow to bump it. Qrow, grinning, bumped Noir's fist and winked.
"Get it in, kid. Become a man." Noir, blushing once again, nodded a bit shakily before heading towards the exit. As he did so, Ozpin, emerging from the elevator, approached Qrow from behind with a knowing smile.
"You forgot for a moment that he's going on a date with your niece, didn't you." Qrow took a very deep breath.
"Yeah pretty much. Well...I'm gonna drink to forget that..." Qrow reached in his pocket to get out his flask.
"You would drink either way." Was Ozpin's knowing reply.
Noir exited the building to find Yang, Ruby, Blake, and a fully recovered Weiss outside, and upon seeing him, the team all walked over to greet him.
"I saw your fight on my scroll in the infirmary! That was amazing!" Weiss exclaimed, smiling as she greeted Noir first.
"Weiss." Noir smiled at her widely. "I thought you'd need a few days to recover."
"Since Yang will be in the finals, and not me, the nurses felt I'd recovered enough to leave." Weiss smiled, genuinely heartwarmed to know Noir had felt concern for her. "I look forward to seeing you in the finals as well, after that match with Team ACVR." Noir smiled and humbly bowed his head.
"Thank you, Weiss." He then looked at each of them, smiling wider as his eyes rested on Yang's, her own passing a silent message to him, which he received. Weiss caught on immediately as well.
"Well, since you two seem to have plans, we'll leave you be!" Weiss quickly said as she ushered Blake and Ruby away before either of them had time to protest, leaving Noir and Yang still looking into each other's eyes.
For several long moments they simply gazed at one another, lost in on another's gaze before Yang moved forward, throwing her arms around Noir's neck and kissing him firmly on the lips, a kiss Noir returned with equal vigor, his arms wrapping firmly around her waist as her scent once more filled his nostrils. For a long moment they remained like this, their bodies pressing to one another as they let themselves become lost in their kiss. In that moment, there was nothing but the two of them, nothing else in the world, nothing t bother them, nothing to break them apart, and nothing to ruin this moment for them. For the first time in what felt like forever, the two of them were alone, with no one but each other.
After what felt like several minutes, the kiss parted, and Yang rested her forehead on Noir's, the two of them gazing into each other's eyes, and both of them smiling as they each felt the same warmth spreading from their hearts outward. Noir felt more close to Yang emotionally and physically than he'd ever felt towards anyone else, and he couldn't explain even to himself the feeling in his heart that blossomed more into being with every passing moment he and Yang gazed at one another. Yang, gazing into Noir's red eyes, felt the same blossoming feeling in her own heart, a feeling she'd never felt on this level towards anyone, a warmth like fire that made her heart pound as she gazed into his eyes, seeing that they were opening up to her, allowing her to look into the young man that held her in his arms.
For several long moments they remained like this, simply gazing at one another, before Yang said is a soft caressing voice, "So~ You said you know a place where we can be alone~?"
Noir smiled and gently rubbed her lower back, speaking in an equally soft voice that seemed to bring out the lower register of his voice. "I do. If you'd like, I can take you there easily, but just one thing..."
"What is it?' Yang looked into his eyes, and Noir felt slightly awkward as he looked back into Yang's.
"Do you think we could probably go get some food first...? I'm not sure about you, but it's been hours since I last ate, I had to hold off before my fight so I wouldn't, well, you know, get sick..." Noir's voice trailed off as he felt as though this question and explanation was completely killing the moment, and that already he was messing up by doing so, but mere seconds after trailing off, Yang's stomach gave an audible growl that sounded to Noir like a beowolf challenging an ursa. Yang, hearing her stomach growl so loudly, turned rather red as she giggled a bit.
"You know, now that you mention it, I am just starving right now." Yang admitted with an awkward grin. Noir grinned back and nodded a bit.
"I know a place near the fairgrounds that could serve both our interests if you don't mind flying?" Not once during this exchange had either of them let go of one another, and were still standing in close embrace.
"I think all the airships are locked up for the day, but I could get Bumblebee?" Yang offered.
"Who said we'd fly in an airship?" was Noir's reply and he accompanied it with a small wink. Yang's eyes widened as she caught his meaning and she grinned widely, nodding eagerly.
"Please do." Yang insisted, feeling legitimately excited at the thought of Noir flying her to the fairgrounds. Noir smiled widely and spread his wings wide, and a moment later, Yang's heart leapt as her feet left the ground, and as they went further and further into the air, Yang looked down towards the ground, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as Noir took off flying at high speed towards the fairgrounds, the increase in speed and the spike in her heart rate more thrilling than anything else she'd experienced.
"WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!" Yang whooped in exhilaration as Noir dove towards the ground, and just moments before he impacted, spread his wings wide again, pulling out of the dive and then landing gently on the ground near the fairgrounds. "Wow...I have no words, Noir~!" Yang smiled widely, Noir returning the smile as all thoughts of hunger suddenly left her mind. "You know what, screw getting food, I'm not even hungry, I wanna fly some more~" Noir grinned and chuckled a bit, thankful he kept food on his person.
"I guess I can do that." Noir grinned widely as he turned Yang's back to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. "I think this will work better for you, just hold on tight to me, alright?" Yang nodded eagerly back to Noir as he took a deep breath, spreading his wings once more.
Yang's heart nearly leapt out of her chest a second time as Noir took off, her feet leaving the ground once more as Noir flew high into the air, the ground dropping out from under them as he accelerated into the air, and as they climbed higher and higher til even the Clock Tower was under them, Yang felt her heart flutter, clinging tightly to Noir's arms as he held her tightly to him, their flight more thrilling to Yang than any other experience as he hovered there for a moment, hundreds of feet in the air, and a moment later, he went into another falcon dive, descending headfirst towards the ground at a steadily accelerating speed. Yang whooped and hollered in excitement as they descended several hundred feet in mere seconds, Noir pulling out of the dive and gliding at high speed over the City of Vale, the people below little more than ant sized from their height. Yang, thoroughly enjoying herself, looked back at Noir over her shoulder, smiling widely as her eyes once more met his, and Noir returned her smile as he gazed down at her. No couple had ever experienced what these two were, enjoying one another's company over 800 feet in the air, with nothing to stop him from dropping her, and this didn't even matter to Yang, for she trusted Noir with all her heart to not drop her.
"Yang~" Noirs voice was little more than a whisper, and yet at their height, with not a single sound around them to interrupt them, Yang could hear him perfectly. "From here we can find that place I mentioned quickly. Shall we go there?" Yang smiled at him and reached back to caress the handsome face that gazed down at her.
"Go for it~" Noir didn't need telling twice, and with that, he began a rapid decension towards the ground, holding Yang to him as he beelined it for what looked like an odd formation in the cliffs on which Beacon rested, and in moments had arrived there, pulling out of his descent and landing gently on a precipice that overlooked the entire city, and gave an uninhibited view of the sun setting on the horizon.
"Wow..." Yang's lilac eyes gazed out at the view in awe as the adrenaline from their flight died down, and she turned to Noir, gazing into his eyes as they both stood there, still high in the air, overlooking the city. At that moment, in the light of the setting sun, hundreds of feet in the air, Yang felt her heart pounding out of her chest, the warmth she'd felt before continuing to blossom outwards, and as she gazed into Noir's eyes, she felt a surge of desire unlike anything she'd ever felt, and as she gazed into his eyes, he leaned forward towards her, his red eyes filled with the very desire she also felt, and a moment later their lips met once more, and they stood there for a long moment, their lips locked and their eyes closed as their passion overwhelmed them. After a long moment, or maybe hours, or maybe what could have been days, their lips parted, and for a moment they simply gazed at one another, just as they did earlier, but now there was more to it.
"Noir..." Yang's voice was lower than before, and even a bit husky sounding. "I think I'd like to be somewhere more...private right now. With you." Noir simply nodded and hugged Yang to him, her head resting on his chest as he took off once more, flying towards Beacon's dorms not far from where they were. His dorm window was open as they approached, and a moment later their feet touched down in the middle of the dorm floor. The room was almost empty save for one solitary bed, and as Yang looked into Noir's eyes a silent message passed between them, and Noir reached in his pocket and pulled out the square that Qrow had given him.
"Courtesy of your Uncle." Noir said with a small grin, a blush spreading across his face as Yang giggled.
"He gave you a condom?" Her giggling was almost hysterical. "Do you even know how to use one?" Noir's blush spread across his face and he looked down shyly, shaking his head slowly. Yang just giggled and shook her head, taking it from his hand and tossing it in the trash. "It's expired anyway. Come here." Yang pulled Noir into another passionate kiss, and Noir, overcome by emotion, kissed her back, and now, in the privacy of Noir's dorm, something passed between them, and their passion was unhooked in a second.
Yang pushed Noir's back to the wall as their kiss intensified, and a moment later, everything became a blur of color, emotion, sound, and light. Clothes were shed in mere seconds as Yang pushed Noir onto the bed, their lips never parting for even a second as the cool air struck their bared bodies, and their tongues wrestled against one another as the passion flowed between them, neither of them focusing on anything aside from each other, and Yang moaned as she felt Noir's hands on her, touching her, caressing her, holding her as their bodies joined for the first time.
Pure ecstasy flowed between them, Noir's pale body covered in sweat as Yang looked down at him, their eyes locked now as her moans escalated in volume and intensity, the pleasure and ecstasy shared between them escalating with every passing second as it built towards an inevitable peak, and as their passion continued to build, Yang's moans did as well, and for once, to Noir's ears, the volume did not even phase him. Her voice was pure music to Noir's ears, and no amount of volume could ruin that.
"NOIR~!" Yang's moan of ecstasy reached the heavens as the two of them climaxed simultaneously, and as Yang collapsed on Noir, everything blacked out, the two of them clinging to each other as the room faded away, fatigue overtaking the both of them...
Hours later, the two of them lay in Noir's bed, the comforter covering their naked bodies as Yang cuddled up to Noir, her head resting on his chest and his arm tightly wrapped around her as her breasts pressed to his torso. The two of them lay there, the room silent but for their slow steady breathing, and Yang, tired but awake, smiled at Noir as she finally understood the feeling she felt towards him, and he smiled back as he finally comprehended his own.
"I love you, Yang." The words left his mouth with a feeling of rightness, a feeling that it was exactly what he felt, and the words were simple enough to convey what he felt, and yet not nearly enough to do it justice.
"And I love you, Noir." was Yang's softspoken reply.