(Let there be more! More chapters! Sorry about it taking so long, writer's block hit me like a truck.)
Practice Makes Perfect
You know how the idea of an unstoppable force meets an immovable object is sometimes able to devolve into an argument? Take a third option and say the two things just gave up and decided to hang out.
But I'm off topic already aren't I?
Teams ASUR and RWBY are making their way to Scale's class, while I'm trying not to spill my spaghetti due to seeing Yang's...womanly parts. After me, Silas, Uriah and Roy got our weapons we started making our way there for sparing with VOLT
"Soooo, have you seen their weapons yet?" Ruby asks curiously, I haven't gotten to see VOLT's weapons at all. So it could be interesting.
"Nope, no idea what they'll be using really." I reply
"Well isn't that great, we'll be fighting basically blind." Uriah mutters, Roy pats his shoulder. "Then we'll just have to hear!" Ever the optimist
When we arrive to the class, I open up the door and see the three girls and one guy standing around on the circular arena. I see Ahri's ears perk before looking to us with a smile.
"And here they are!" She says happily before scanning between us, she flinches for a moment before speaking again "So who're the ladies?" She asks
"This here ladies and...gentleman, is team RWBY." I say pointing to them, the four them wave.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Ruby." Rubes introduces herself
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Weiss gives a curtsy "I'm Weiss."
"I'm Blake." Our Feline Faunus friend introduces herself with a roll of her shoulders
"Name's Yang." The dear blonde brawler says with a wave. Ahri tilts her head a bit when Yang introduces herself
"Well nice to see we have some people watching, makes things more fun." Ahri says, "Anyway! I'm Ahri, and with me are Oreno Orchid, Lily and Tulip."
"How's it going?"
"'Sup."
"Hello."
I wave to the three again and they wave back to me, "C'mon gents, introduce yourselves." I say holding out my hands dramatically. "Is it just Lily or is there more to your name?" Uriah asks plainly, Weiss giving a light smack to the head...possibly light...I don't know.
Silas gives a nod, "Silas. Glad to meet you."
"I'm Uriah."
"Roy Indigo, or if you want: Royboy." My friends introduce themselves
"Well, glad to meet you all." Ahri says smiling, "So. Who wants up first?" She asks pointing her thumb back.
Let's see, looking to the guys they all seem eager to get started.
"Any volunteers?" I ask looking at either one of them
"Oh! Oh!" Roy starts up waving his hand around, "Pick me! Pick me!"
"Looks like we got our first guy ready to fight." I say gesturing to the tinkerer, "Come on up there Roy."
He gives a salute and jumps up onto the arena, the rest of us besides VOLT take seats ready to watch the fight go down. After a few moments Ahri, Oreno and Lily come up with us leaving Roy and Tulip on the stage.
Wait, Tulip? This is going to be interesting.
"Soooo what do you have for weapons? Or a weapon?" Roy asks
"O-Oh! One moment." Tulip speaks before slipping on a pair of gloves leather gloves, and at the tips of the fingers are wires that gleam from the light.
This ought to be a great match. Bet Ruby and Roy are geeking out already over wires
Roy's POV
Wires? I like this already! Time to get thinking up a strategy, the wires are more than likely razor sharp. Could it have Dust some how? No idea, but things are getting to be E-X-C-I-T-I-N-G!
"Hey uhhh guys? A moment before you both start swingin'." The girl Ahri speaks up, I look to her at the desks and cock my head. "Yeah?"
"We should keep this short and sweet, so five minutes each for our fights...and let's try to not destroy the room."
"Of course!" Tulip says sounding enthusiastic, I give a salute and nod. I turn back to my opponent and enter a crouched stance.
"You're ready right?" I ask curiously, she nods in response
"That I am."
"Aaaaaaaaaand..." Axel starts up with a pause at the end, "BEGIN!"
The moment he says that, the sounds of 'thwips' fill up the air and those wires start to strike quickly across my armor, I move out of the way quickly. Looking to my armor...there's scratches and gashes across it where the arms are.
Looks like I was right about the wires being sharp. Alright what are somethings about wire? They're metal...oh, now the plan is in place
I rush forward to try and get in a few strikes, or at least let her think that. There are more wire strikes before they wrap around my arms and legs, Tulip clenching her hands into tight fists from the looks.
"Are you ready to stop fighting now?" She asks, I shake my head. "Why?"
"Because what I am about to do may be...shocking."
"Wha-"
I cut her off with a bit of Semblance use. Causing lighting to course through the wires and electrocute her, only to stun of course. Crackles of electricity fill up the air as arcs of it go down the wires and toward her hands.
She ends up turning stiff for a moment, I stop letting out more lightning. Once it's done she falls flat on her back. "Ohm my god Roy!" Yang cheers out, with everyone but Axel groaning out "That was a shocking turn of events! The fight was electric! I-"
Ahri cuts her punicane by putting her hand over her mouth, "Please...stop...no more." She says exhausted
Oh Yang.
Axel's POV
Guess they don't like puns.
Yang moves Ahri's hand away from her mouth with a bit of annoyance on her face, "Let me have my fun Foxy. Alright?"
The fox Faunus sighs and looks at me, "Is she usually like this?"
"Pretty much."
Her face goes a bit blank with a frown for a moment, "Oh...joy..." She says dully. "I'm right here you know." Yang interrupts. Ahri merely looks at her with a wry smile, "I know, juuuust wanna get my point across."
"Can we come up now?"
I look over at Roy who's standing next to Tulip with his helmet off. "Yeah come on up."
The two nod and come up and take their seats, congratulating one another and talking about some other general things. Nice to see that.
"Alright, who's up next?" I ask
"I'll do it." Lily says a bit excited, "And I call Uriah as my opponent."
Really?
Looking at Uriah along with everyone else, he seems a bit sleepy and quite frankly bored. He looks over at Lily and yawns, "Alright...go on down there I'll catch up."
She shrugs and heads on down to the arena, once down there she pulls out a handle with a large circle around it. She flicks her thumb and soon it extends out into a long lance, colored black.
"Ooooo, this should be interesting." I say to myself a bit excited
"Well! I'm waiting!" She shouts out, Uriah stands up and stretches before walking down there himself. "Alright." He says sounding a bit tired before pulling out his Tools of Trade, "Let's get started."
"What is this?!" Lily asks a bit...angry?
"What's what?"
"Those! You brought guns here?!"
"Yeah...so?..."
"Only a heathen would bring a gun to a sword fight." She chides, Uriah merely snorts.
"And only a moron would bring a sword to a gun fight." He shoots back before pausing, "And or a lance." He finished
I hear Weiss chuckle a bit, I look back at her with a wry smile on my face and a raised eyebrow. She looks at me a bit odd, "What?"
"Ah, nothing Snow Pea. It's nothing."
Looking back at the arena the two take a stance, "Let's go!" Lily says enthusiastically before charging with a thrust of the Lance. However Uriah dodges out of the way causing her to miss
"Time for my turn at this." He says as his revolvers transform into knives, Uriah darts forward and the two clash. Sword and knives, slashing and stabbing at one another, the sounds of metal clanging and rasping of the blades scrapping against one another when they lock.
The fight is...is a lot like a waltz. Who'd have thought either one was a dancer?
With another blade lock, Uriah breaks it and takes a backflip away from Lily. The two of them are panting.
"You're pretty good Cheater!" She says in a friendly tone
"Not too bad yourself O Knight." He replies
"But I think it's time I end our game." She says, "Did you know my lance is also a cannon?"
Wait...what? A cannon?
"IIIIII...didn't know that, actually." He replies a bit awkwardly
"Well you do now!" Lily cheers out, and with a loud bang she accelerates forward...and ends up hanging from her lance as she's stuck it in the wall.
Wow. Good job.
"You...you alright there?" Uriah asks
"I'm fine! What? I don't feel embarrassed by this right now! You do!"
"Want me to at least get you down?..."
There's a moment of silence before there's a sigh. "Ok...and help me get out Longinus too."
"Well that was..." Yang starts up
"Anti-climatic?" I dully ask
"Yep. Sure was."
"On that note. I'll go now!" Oreno exclaims standing up, "You there!" He says pointing. Looking at where he's pointing, it's Silas. He looks lazily toward him with a bored expression on his face.
"Who? Me?"
"Yeah, you and me! What you say?"
"Hmm...I think'll pass. I'm not really-"
"Come ooooon, just once! That's all that matters, just wanna see if you can beat me." Orchid says a bit cockily with a grin on his face, Silas sighs
"Alright."
Oreno lets out a cheer and slides down the railing before coming up onto the arena. Silas stands up, Blake giving him a pat on the leg. "Good luck."
"Thanks Blakey."
"Go get him Si." I tell him, he replies with a nod before walking down the stairs and coming up to the arena and face opposite of Oreno. He then pulls out a pair of bayonets, holding them up to form a cross.
"You ready?"
Silas unfolds Waxing and Waning, "You got it."
"Alright, let's g-"
"Wait!" Ahri speaks out a bit...frightened? Looking at her, she seems to be shaking somewhat. "Something wrong?" Ruby asks curiously
"U-Ummm...i-i-it's nothing! I-I'm fine Ruben!"
"Ruby."
"Ruby! R-Right, right." She stutters out with a nervous laugh, wait...she was acting strange around Silas. He told us about what things were like when he and Blake were in the White Fang, wasn't there one that he scared off?
"Ahri?"
She turns her attention over to me, "What is it?"
"I have a question."
"Aaaaaand?"
"Were you in the White Fang at some point?"
She visibly flinches and gets a bit pale
"Axel! What kind of question is that?" Weiss scolds
"No no...he's uh, he's right to question." Ahri interrupts sheepishly, "I...yeah. I was."
"What?" Silas and Blake ask a bit shocked, Ahri turns her attention over to Silas for a moment. "You remember that one you scared off before going back to your village one day?"
"Wait...that was you?"
"Mhm...surprise." She says waving, "And before you all say anything: I turned over a new leaf. I wanna have a chance to help out, make up for the stuff I did back then."
There's silence for a good long moment, but then someone speaks up. "Alright then, no going evil on us now." Tulip says
"You know it. How about you guys? Lil? Oreno?"
"Wellllll. I'm fine with it."
"Here here."
Wait what?
"Well, glad to see that you all are pretty accepting. Weiss here wasn't exactly happy with the news...she actually thought we were still with them." Silas butts in
"I said I was sorry!" Snow Pea says a bit annoyed, he merely giggles. "I'm just giving you grief Schnee! You're fine, she's fine, everything is pretty fine."
"But back on topic." he turns his attention back to Oreno, "Let's go flowerboy."
Uh-ooooooh
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"
Oreno rushes forward with a roar...and ends up getting tripped by Silas. Sending him scuttling across, Silas then walks over to him and locks his head in-between either of the blades.
"Temper temper." He says shaking his head before folding his axes back up and putting them at his sides, he picks Oreno back up and pats him on the shoulder. "Learn to control it, next time we fight you may very well win. Right?"
"I-..." He sighs with a nod, "Yeah alright."
The two come back up the stairs and take seats, Blake actually smiling at Silas. Well with three each from us down...that just means one thing.
"You ready to enter the fray?" Ahri asks, I look at her and flash a grin. "Ladies first." She gives a grin back before making her way down the steps. I stand out of my seat and follow right behind, Yang giving some words of encouragement along the way.
Once me and Ahri are up on the arena, she flashes a smile. "You ready to get started?" She asks pulling out two hook swords and taking a crouched stance, I pull out Cerberus and take the same stance.
"Let's dance."
I'm unprepared when Ahri unleashes a rapid barrage of slashes, however in the middle of it I knock her back with a swing of Cerberus. She lands on her feet, crouching down as though ready to pounce...a sinister grin on her face.
I rush her and try to land an overhead swing to no avail as she leaps over me, kicking my back to cause me to double over onto the ground. Damnit, she's trained...pretty well in fact.
Gotta ask that question once we're done fighting. But back to the matter at hand
She's circling around like a tiger ready to pounce on it's unaware prey. She makes another quick dash, I'm ready this time: as she swings down her blades with a grunt I hold up mine just in time to keep them there. She chuckles a bit
"Not bad, not bad at all guy...but you've gotta do a lot more to win here." She says straining with effort, I flash a wicked grin.
"Oh I got plenty more."
"Show me then."
"...Wrong choice."
With a twist, Cerberus transforms from a sword to a scythe. Once it happens I twirl it to break the weapon lock causing Ahri to leap back, a curious look on her face. Time to show off I guess: I spin the scythe in my hand from side to side, over head, and in front of me before ending with a quick slash at the ground causing a few sparks to fly.
"Round two?" I ask
"You better believe it."
We charge again, this time me and Ahri having a struggle to break through a storm of parries and counterattacks happening for one another. In between this Ahri does a sweep which I counter by spinning my scythe, this causes her arms to twist up before her whole body starts spinning like a crocodile in a death-spin.
However I get a swift hit to the side of my ribs, Aura shield preventing injury but I'm knocked back a few feet. I need to move back, get something together now.
I focus on moving back five feet and...nothing...my Semblance isn't working.
"You tried it...didn't you?" Ahri asks standing back up, "Using your Semblance. Didn't work did it?"
"How would you know?" I ask
She merely smiles, "I'll tell you once we're done fighting. Now; let's keep going."
I grin, "Well since you got one trick up your sleeve, time for me to show one myself."
And with that I rush in with a rocket-propelled scythe slash, while Ahri does block the blade just in time she gets sent flying back. No playing around now.
Let's end this.
Another one accelerates me forward and this time, catches the fox Faunus in the pole of it. One quick rotation and I stop it to let inertia skitter across the arena toward the edge. I smile to myself in triumph, Cerberus returning back to it's sword state and I put it in my sheathe.
I head over to Ahri and grab her hand, "Good fight. Don't you think?" I see her grin and I pull her up
"Yup. That got the blood flowing."
I smirk and pat her back, "Alright! Fun day all in all." I speak up
"Awww damn it! We missed it!" Uriah complains, "I blame the lance for this!"
"Don't you dare blame Longinous!" Lily snaps
"Children, no fighting." I sternly speak
"What he said. Or else you get to be in the time out corner." Ahri chimes in with a bit of motherly sounding wisdom
After a bit of brief exchanges and congratulations we start filing out, Roy and the guys heading back to the dorm for some rest. Roy also mentioning he's going to add something to Dragon, whatever he's got for the power-armor may be one of four things: awesome, stupid, awesomely stupid, or stupidly awesome. Ruby along with Weiss and Blake are coming with them, Yang keeping around me to probably shit-talk Ahri.
I'm just gonna talk with the fox Faunus about who the hell taught her how to fight, she's good. Just me, Yang and Ahri hanging around the door to Scale's room
"You put up a pretty good fight out there Foxy."
"Thanks. I'm not bad, not a master...but not bad at all." Ahri speaks a bit humbly
"So Ahri, what happened with my Semblance there."
"What're you talking about Axel?" Yang asks
"I tried using it but it seemed to...I dunno, not work."
"Ahhhhh, that my dear Goldensparkle and Insomniac. Is my Semblance: Nullification." Ahri states with a nod and a grin, "Really?" I ask, "That's pretty coooool."
"Mhm. Only limit is that I can only be able to focus it onto one target, so I kinda suck when fighting multiple opponents...but! That's why there's teammates! To hold the line and the like."
Yang snorts, the fox Faunus gives a harsh glare at her. "Something funny?"
"Nah, it's nothing."
"ANYWAAAAY." I start back up with a sigh to interrupt, "Have you been trained? Because you're a solid fighter."
"I have been trained...mentor is a 'sink or swim' kind of teacher. Know what I mean?"
"Ah, riiight. What's his or her name?" I ask curiously, Ahri holds up a finger
"A lady." She says a bit quiet, "Her name is Raven Branwen." She states
My blood runs cold on hearing that name, a lump in my throat preventing me from speaking. Yang however...looks positively shocked
"What?"
(And there you have it. How was this chapter for you? Good? Bad? Mediocre? Interesting?)