Dark Rose

Chapter 12: The Taste of Defeat is Bittersweet

Team JEMM, and Yang, took Matilda to their dorm to lie her down to rest. Miranda insisted on staying behind with her partner when Jett suggested that they let Goodwitch know what happened. "You sure, Princess?" Jett asked giving his sister a worried look. She nodded, and looked back at her partner on the bed next to her. Jett, as worried as he was, he needed to tell the Professor what had happened. Jett and Eccon left the dorm, with Yang in tow. Jett looked back, and was surprised when he saw the blonde behind him. "Why are you going with us, Yang?" Jett asked. "You should really get those ribs checked out." He could see that she was still holding her side. "Nah, I'm good. Don't worry about me..." she trailed off, closing her eyes. Yang colapsed, passing out in the hallway. Eccon rushed over, and caught her before she hit the floor. "We're taking you to your dorm. Now." Eccon said forcefully. Yang's eyes fluttered open briefly, and she cracked a small smile. "Aww, isn't that sweet.." she cooed. "I knew you wouldn't let a lady down.." She said the last part with a wink to Eccon, who blushed slightly. "I'll take her across the hall, Jett. You go to Goodwitch." Eccon said. Jett nodded, and headed down the hall.

Through the hallways, Jett walked, trying to avoid talking to too many people, who were curious about the explosion the Emerald Forest earlier. "Can't talk now. Sorry. Need to go. Sorry, sorry." he said as he pushed through the crowd that gathered in the main lobby. "Students, please let him through." a strict, feminine voice said from the other side of the crowd with a sigh. The crowd parted, and revealed a tired-looking Goodwitch holding a clipboard. She strode up to Jett, and forcefully led Jett down the hall and away from the crowd. "I've been waiting for your report since you came back, young man!" she snapped. She led them to her office at the end of the corridor. "I'm sorry, but one of our team was injured. Well, two, actually, but that just happened." The Professor stopped before opening the door, and looked back at Jett over her shoulder. "Who was injured? And why weren't they brought to the infirmary?" she asked. "We have one of those?" Jett asked incredulously. Goodwitch groaned, and opened her door, leading Jett inside. "Close the door, please." she asked. Jett complied, closing the door behind them. "So, what happened?" she asked.

"...So, you encountered a Beringel, Miranda and Yang injured it. But it took Miranda to finish it with her Semblance? You could have done without the grim details, though, Mr. Oswind." Goodwitch recounted. "Matilda passed out because of Aura overuse, and Yang just passed out minutes ago because of several broken ribs?" Jett nodded. "Well, that certainly was...eventful, to say the least." Jett chuckled, dropping the smile he started when he thought of Matilda and Yang. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked around and saw Goodwitch standing closer, with her hand on his shoulder.

"Things like this happen. At least you completed your mission, and escaped with your team alive." Goodwitch said kindly. "I knew your team would be able to accomplish this, that's why I chose your team to do this, instead of just giving you and Yang detention." Jett looked down. "But we shouldn't have gotten anyone hurt.." he replied quietly. Goodwitch looked Jett in the eye. "It happens to the best leaders. People will get hurt, or die, under your command. But you can't falter. You just need to set the best example you can." she explained, smiling slightly. Jett looked up after a minute, and returned the expression. "Thanks, Professor Goodwitch. That helped." She gave his shoulder a squeeze, and removed her hand. She walked back over to her desk, and sat down. The Professpr moved a hand towards the door dismissively. "You may go now." "Got it." he responded. Jett walked over to the door, and opened it. "Mr. Oswind?" Jett looked over his shoulder. "Yes, Ms. Goodwitch?" She gave him a seriously look. "If you ever let anyone know that I was nice to you, I'll make sure you don't see graduation. Permanently." He gulped, but slowly nodded.

Jett walked down the hallway, making his way to his team's dorm. He mulled over the words that Goodwitch had said to him. So distracted by his own thoughts, Jett bumped into someone in front of him. "Oh, I'm sorr-!" he started, looking up, and stopping when he saw the person he bumped. It was the football jock that stole his seat in Professor Port's class. He was about a foot taller than Jett, and bulkier to match. He wore a fancy silver platebody with gold marquee on the front of his chest. I think Ruby said that his name was Cardin, right? Jett thought to himself.

"Sorry, Cardin." he apologized, trying to move out of the giant's way. Cardin moved to the side to block Jett's path. "Let me...Just, let me..." Jett sighed. This man was not going to let him through. Jett looked up at Cardin. "What do you want? What's your problem?" Jett asked, getting irritated. The student looked down at Jett, and gave him a sneer. "My problem? My problem is you!" Cardin jeered. "Me? What did I do to you?" Cardin pushed Jett forcefully to the ground. "Reason? I don't need a reason! I don't like you, so you should go away." he said evily. Jett shook his head. "I don't have time for this." he said dismissively. Cardin moved to the side, and blocked Jett's path again. "Hey! I say when you're finished talking to me!" he said angrily. Cardin reached for Jett's collar, intending to lift him into the air by it.

Jett sighed. He focused, and time slowed down around him. Cardin's hand still came at him, but at a much slower rate than before. Jett walked around Cardin, and kicked him in the back of the knees. He resumed time, then looked back. "What the-" Cardin said, surprised by Jett's sudden disappearance and reappearance behind him. "How did you...?" Jett smiled, then turned to walk out past the main lobby. He got about halfway when he heard a peculiar sound: The sound of a weapon transforming. He looked back in time to see Cardin's mace coming at his head. Jett had just enough time to put up his Aura to lessen the blow, but the force behind the blow sent Jett flying through the front doors of the school. "I'm getting real tired of fighting every day.." Jett sighed. He backflipped, and slid about 50 ft into the courtyard. Jett looked up, and saw Cardin running at him at full speed, face contorted in rage, mace held aloft. Jett's hands went to his holsters, but paused. I don't need Ebony & Ivory to beat him. Jett thought, smirking.

Cardin brought his mace down on the ground, creating a shockwave of fire heading towards Jett. Jett smirked. He flipped at the last second, avoiding the shockwave by inches. Jett smiled, and ran at the angry linebacker. "Rrrragh!" he shouted, bringing his mace down in an arc at Jett's head. Jett, once again, dodged at the last minute, somersaulting to the right. "Stand. Still. So. I. CAN. KILL. YOU!" Cardin bellowed. Jett thought for a moment, but then shook his head with a smile. Jett closed the distance between him and the linebacker. Cardin brought down his mace again. This time, Jett jumped between the gap in Cardin's arm and body. "Boop." Jett said simply. Using Aura-fueled strength, he flicked Cardin's head with his finger, sending the linebacker flying across the courtyard.

Cardin landed on the ground about 30ft away from Jett. "Will you just leave me alone, already?" Jett asked. Cardin grunted, and ran at Jett again. Jett sighed, but dropped into a defensive stance. Cardin lunged with his mace at Jett, who was prepared to jump back and and out of the way. Suddenly, a flash of silver appeared in front of him with a *ting*. He looked up, and saw a man with red eyes, and slicked-back, black hair with grey streaks facing him, his hand on his gripping something on his back. Jett looked around the stranger, and saw that the stranger had blocked Cardin's mace with a long, silver, inscribed buster sword. "That's enough, kid." the stranger addressed Cardin. Cardin looked up at the stranger in rage. "Don't you know who I am? Don't you know who my family is?" The stranger shook his head. "I don't really care, either." he answered. The stranger lowered his sword, retracting it in half and putting it on his back under his tattered red cape. "Go back into your dorm." the man ordered, pointing back to the building. Cardin still looked mad, but his retracted his mace as well, putting it away.

Jett started to follow Cardin back to their dorms, but was stopped by the stranger, who held out his hand and shook his hand. "Not you, kid." the stranger said gruffly. Jett stopped, and waited for Cardin to leave. After he walked out of earshot, Jett finally spoke up. "Why did you help me? I could have handled him?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Without your weapons? Bullshit." the stranger stated. He grabbed a silver flask on his hip, opened the top, and took a hearty swig. "In case you couldn't see, I flicked him across the courtyard with a finger." Jett retorted. The man put the stopper back on top of the flask, and put it away. "Hmmm, I think you could use some work." The man said, slurring his words. Jett raised an eyebrow. "And who's going to teach me? You?" he chuckled. The stranger frowned. "I guess my reputation has not proceeded me." he chuckled. The man went into a deep bow, almost falling over. "I am Qrow Branwen, Hunter Ex*hic*trodinare! Former member of the greatest team to come out of Beacon: Team *hic* STRQ." Jett gave the man a look. "So?" "So? What do you mean "so"? I was the best!" Jett shrugged, and turned away. He got about 5 feet before Qrow appeared in front of him.

"C'mon, let me pass." Jett sighed. Qrow placed a hand on the handle of his sword that was sticking out. "Only if you can beat me, kiddo." Qrow stated, smirking. "Really?" "Really." Jett sighed again, and reluctantly pulled out Ebony & Ivory from their holsters. Qrow followed suit, pulling out his own sword, extending it to it's full length. The two moved in a circle, facing each other, their weapons at their sides respectively. "If I win this, you'll get out of my way, and I can go?" Jett asked. "Yup. But if I win, you become my apprentice." Qrow retorted. "Fine." A single leaf started it's descent from a nearby tree. It traveled slowly to the ground in an arc. The second it landed on the ground, an explosion of movement went off behind it, blowing it away.

Jett swung first, letting Ebony make the first move against his attacker. Qrow easily blocked the blow with the flat side of his blade. Qrow pushed the advantage, closing in, slashing at Jett with speed to match his. He blocked the blow, making Ebony & Ivory into an X shape in front of him. Qrow smiled. He pushed the blades harder, causing them to hit Jett in his face with them. Jett recoiled, and jumped backwards, trying to recover his senses. Qrow pushed his advantage further, continuing the assault against as Jett tried to recover. I just need a minute... Jett thought, trailing off from said thought. Oh, duh! Jett mentally slapped himself. He activated his Semblance, slowing down time to a crawl. Jett opened his eyes, and saw Qrow coming at him in slow motion. He smiled, and swung Ivory at Qrow's left side in a quick motion. Jett suddenly felt queasy as his blade got nearer to his attacker's side. Two inches from Qrow's side, Jett moved the blades away, and resumed time by accident as he curled over to puke.

"Nice trick, kid." Qrow commented. He moved the blade next to Jett's face. "Give up?" Jett, the feeling of queasiness having passed, shook his head. Qrow shrugged, and swung at Jett's neck. Jett disappeared a second before Qrow's blade struck him. He reappeared behind him and swung at him. This time, the blade struck, it raked Qrow across the face when he turned to his head to look behind him. He recoiled, gripping his face, holding his blade in front of him in a defensive stance. Qrow took his hand away from his face, and looked at the patch of blood that streaked his palm. "How was that, old man?" Jett chuckled. Qrow straightened up, and glared at Jett. The cut Jett had made on his face was already fading, but he definitely pissed the drunk off.

"That was a cheap shot." Qrow commented. "So? You bashed me in the face with mine!" Qrow dropped the pissed off look for an entertained one. "You know, you're the first student I've faced that pissed me off. Good job." he smiled, pressing down the guard on his blade with his first two fingers. Metal gears whirred within a window in the crossguard. His sword stretched out, revealing the sections between the pieces. It bent upwards, and curved in an arc towards Qrow, the tip retracting into the main part of the blade. The handle of his blade turned sideways, and a 5ft pole extended out of it. By the end of the process, Qrow was holding a silver and red scythe in his hands. He smiled evily, and charged at Jett, head-on with a yell.

"What the-" Jett started, but was cut off when Qrow suddenly appeared before him, scythe out to his side, ready to lop off Jett's face. He recoiled, and backflipped out of range of his scythe. Qrow continued to advance. Jett smirked, and activated his Semblance, yellow lightning coming out of his eyes in flashes. Qrow appeared behind Jett once again. He swung his scythe at his attacker, and Jett disappeared. He reappeared behind Qrow again. "I ain't falling for that again, kid." Qrow remarked, turning fast. Jett flashed a smile, and disappeared again. He reappeared again above Qrow. "Still won't work!" Jett slowed down time, causing his Aura to flare brighter. I've only got one chance to do this before I run out of Aura. Jett thought. "Here goes!" he yelled, initiating his attack. Jett streaked around Qrow, resuming time. He dashed at the drunk, slowing down time. His eyes burned yellow with unrestrained power.

Moving in a circular pattern, Jett teleported around Qrow, turning his Semblance off and on as he appeared and disappeared, slashing Qrow everytime he came out of his timestream. Qrow, not knowing how to react to an enemy he could barely see, tried to defend himself against the dozens of attacks that Jett sent against him. "Last hit!" Jett screamed, moving his blades out to his side. He dashed past Qrow, preparing to land the final blow on the drunk. Something felt off to Jett. He tried to shake the feeling as he advanced on Qrow in his own timestream. Suddenly, Jett tripped, falling over a rock he had not seen before. He dropped out of his timestream, and came flying at Qrow. Qrow smirked, dropping his scythe to the ground. As Jett came flying at him, he cocked an arm back. As soon as Jett came within range, Qrow punched Jett in the stomach as hard as he could. The resulting punch knocked Jett out immediately from the pain, sending him into an abyss of black...