I think we can expect strict, militant fighters with advanced technology and carefully rehearsed strategies.
Ruben's jaw dropped as he saw the blades get whisked forward faster than any bullet he's ever seen, penetrate the sides of the rock like dart against a board. Russel, a member of team CRDL, narrowly missing the impact of the swords as he ducked behind the rock for cover. His body pressing up against the stone as he watched Penny from afar. Legitimately afraid of this dainty woman who used these floating blades.
Sky followed suit, jumping behind another rock to avoid a flurry of blades. Her blades stabbing into that rock as well. His hands gripping his lance as he glanced over at Russel. Who was fiddling with his blades. His wrists rotating his blades and his neck rolling in small circles.
Penny's companion, in her blue cap and skirt, caught Penny's attention with a wave and tap on her wrist. As if telling her to pick up the pace and end it already. Penny simply gave her a nod, pulling her hands back and flicking her fingers. On cue, all the swords pulled back, pulling the stones up along with Russel and Sky into the air. With a great wave, she smashed them into the floor.
Ruben's hands shot up in joy, his lips curled into a smile as he nearly jumped out of his seat. He glanced around, trying to see who saw him get so overjoyed and excited. Ruben rolled his shoulders back, slumping into his seat and crossing his arms. Stilling smiling though.
At the crash, the buzzer's went off and the crowd erupted into cheers. Penny giving her opponents a respectful bow before skipping off of the field. Her companion following right behind her. Ruben watched Penny leave, his eyes following her bounces and her strut.
"That was...something. Eh, Ruben?" Blair raised a brow, rubbing his chin as he stayed reclined in his seat. He couldn't really put what he saw into words. He saw this girl just throw these swords around with her mind like leaves in the wind. Demolishing everyone who stood in her way like a one woman army. Blair heard the silence come from besides him, before before turning over to where Ruben sat. Wondering why he wasn't answering. To his surprise, Ruben was missing. Not to be seen. Vanished into thin air. "Ruben?"
Ruben made his way towards the concrete walkway leading towards the locker rooms, wanting to catch Penny before Yin and Winter's match started. Ruben moved past several students, jumping over the railing and landing onto the concrete floor. His hands resting on his hips and his lips curling to a smile. Appearing right behind Penny.
"That was some cool moves out there." Penny's stance straightened, before she turned on a dime and saw Ruben standing behind her. "Not too shabby."
Her eyes lit up, her hands moving to her chest as she nearly started dancing in her spot. Penny let out the biggest squee as she wiggled her body in her spot. Then she burst up into the air, with the biggest grin on her face. She threw her arms out, charging at Ruben.
"Ruben!~" Penny voice sang his name like a hymn, music to whoever heard her voice. She slammed her whole frame into Ruben, knocking the boy off of his feet and taking them both to the floor. Penny couldn't control her laughter, her giggles and laughs just erupting like fireworks. Her eyes shutting tightly as she couldn't control her laughter. "Ruben!"
"Penny...uh...P-p-penny?" Ruben's voice wasn't as joyous as hers was. Nor as high or as singing like hers was. Penny glanced down at Ruben beneath her, raising a brow as she wondered why he wasn't as excited to see her as she was to see him. It's been a few months, and with all the things that have been happening with Ruben, she'd figure a talk with him would be just what she needed. But she was curious why his voice rose several octaves. Sounding like he was struggling to breath and lying to his friend. She wondered why his body locked up as though he was frozen in time.
She failed to notice how her knees stayed leveled with his hips. Her backside planted firmly against his thick thighs. She didn't feel how her delicate hands were pressing down into his broad chest. Keeping him pinned to the floor. She couldn't feel how his heart was literally racing underneath her fingertips, just by her touch. She didn't feel his hands laying froze against her smooth synthetic thighs as his cheeks burst into a shade so much pinker than bouquet of carnations.
"What's wrong Ruben?" Penny asked, leaning in closer to take in his blush. Wondering if he was catching a fever. Ruben glanced around, giving Penny a rather weak grin to follow.
"Get off. Please." Ruben requested, barring his teeth as he started mumbling the alphabet backwards. Eyes shutting tightly as he started flexing his hands. Frantically.
"Oh, of course, Ruben!" Penny, who was about to dismount Ruben, suddenly recalled her companion standing just over her shoulder and watching the both of them on the floor. Taking in the sight of Penny straddled over Ruben's waist and her hands buried against his chest. Not even letting the image sink in. Her face as stoic as Ruben's typically is. "This is my teammate, Ruben!"
"Ciel Soleil." She said, with a courtesy curtsy and a nod. Her eyes resting on Ruben.
"Pleasure's mine." Ruben barred his teeth and cringed to himself, before shutting his eyes and letting out groan. He took a moment to relax, trying not to mince his words yet again. "I'm Rub-"
"Ruben Rose, although goes by Ruben Thorn. Age fifteen, but looks thirty, hails from Patch. Leader of team RWBY. Status: Questionable." Was all Ciel had to say, before nodding her head once again. "Penny, we must leave to our next location."
Penny's lip curled to a half frown, her eyes batting towards Ciel before turning back to take a glance at Ruben. Who's cheeks rose to a fluorescent pink flush.
"Might I spend just another minute with my friend alone?" Penny asked, intertwining
"Please Penny, get off on-of me!" Ruben eyes went pure white before he slammed his hands against his face and began to muffle his scream. Rattling the concrete walls around him with his cries.
"Precisely." Ciel glanced down at her watch, waited for the second arm to cross the 5 before take a few long steps back and keeping a steady eye on the watch.
Penny got off of Ruben, who shot up onto his feet and began to pat himself down. Trying to lose the pink hue in his cheeks. His heart racing like a beating of a savage drum.
"So...she's like a friend? Or..." Ruben didn't want to come out and say she was just like Penny. Probably another attempt to create a synthetic person who could harness Aura. Just like Penny.
"Perhaps. More like Blake, if she was ordered to spend time with you." Penny explained, eyes shooting all around as the crowd continued to go wild.
"So, kinda like Winter used to be?" Ruben shrugged, tongue in cheek. Nodding his head softly.
"Precisely." Penny heard the intercom go off, catching Ruben's attention as his jaw dropped. His eyes lighting up as his sights turned over towards the stage. "Ruben, I've been meaning to tell you-"
"Yin's match!" Ruben turned towards Penny, grabbing her shoulders as he stared into her emerald eyes. Lips curling to a smile. "Yin's about to start fighting! I'll talk to you later! Promise!"
Ruben bolted away, leaving Penny in his dust. Just standing in the hall with a hand raised and mouth ajar. Eyes watching the crimson cloaked man sprint away.
"Penny, I don't mean to interrupt the minute of alone time, but it appears that your friend left exactly twenty eight seconds too early." Ciel stated, before stepping over towards Penny. She just watched Ruben leap up towards the railing, lifting himself up and rushing towards his seats. Her eyes fell to the floor, sullen gaze staying with the concrete. Her right hand reaching up to rub her left arm.
"I want to join Beacon..." Was all Penny wanted to tell Ruben.
"We! Are team RWBY! We'll always save the day!" Yin bounced and hopped in his spot, shaking out his wrists and stretching out his arms as millions of people at home and the thousands of bystanders in the stadium tuned in to watch the Doubles competition come to it's grand match. The stadium floor was this shade of boring granite gray, with the overhead stadium lights not even on as the match took place at high noon. The match between Beacon's own Team RWBY vs Atlas' Team FNKI. Yin threw in a loud and quick spinkick, followed by a flurry of shadow boxing rabbit punches. "And if you think we can't, we'll always find a way!"
Team WY was prepped, as far as Yin knew. The fighter's hands were tapped up and one of his favorite sleeveless jackets shining like a bright gold coin against the hot sun. His loose simple blue jeans and black combat boots gave Yin the appearance of a boxer during a day of casual training. His eyes resting on the crowd before him and his fists ready to do some talking.
Winter was dressed to impress, as he typically would be. His snowflake sewn cap adorning his head, his white vest and black button up tucked into his white slacks and his polished black dress shoes. The top buttons intentionally unbuttoned for all the ladies to enjoy from home. Which he was sure many would. But that didn't matter the moment Winter stepped onto the stage and really got the settling feeling of all those eyes watching him fight. Winter popped out the wheel of his revolver, taking out a handful of bullets.
"Atlas will have brought their A-game to the showfloor Yin. I've seen what kind of people come from these academies. Legends, heroes, warriors." Winter began to drop shells into the wheel of his revolver. His eyes only taking quick glances all around the stadium as he felt his hands begin to shake. His heart thumping hard in his throat and his hands quiver with every inconsistent beat of his hummingbird heart. He had to remember his sister's advice. Which wasn't coming to mind as soon as he recalled the hundreds cameras fixated on him at this precise moment.
Back when he could preform on his piano to literally sold out theaters across the continent, he would recall two things. One, the lights on the stage making it impossible to see everyone's piercing gaze. Which made him feel as though he had the whole stage to himself. And two, this wasn't a hobby that he occasionally played in his spare time.
This was going to be the showcase of his skill. Of his training and his hardwork. And one good miss up could mean his credibility as a Hunter and Student would be sent down the drain. And everyone would see it. But Winter kept a cool head, counting slowly to one hundred and slowly loading his gun.
"We have to be smart and be proper. We are not just representing Beacon, we are representing RWBY. Got it?"
There was no answer by the time Winter flicked his wrist and locked his wheel into place. His eyes glancing over at Yin. Who was now doing a quick jig and humming a beat to himself. "Yin?"
"That's why the people of this world, believe in! Ruben! Winter Frost! And Blair! And Yin!" Yin threw up his arms with a crowd pumped 'Woah!', and clapping his hands together as he kicked his heels into the back of his thighs. Getting a stretch going as he glanced down at Winter. Who he could see was nerveracked about the whole affair. With his beady eyes, pale cheeks and greasy hair. Which took Yin a moment to remember that his hair wasn't as greasy, eyes weren't as beady, and cheeks weren't as pale as they typically are. "Come on, Fro-yo! We aren't rookies at this! We are fighting military stiffs from Atlas! We'll break 'em over our knees like rulers over...knees!"
That's when the blur whizzed right past the both of them. Picking up Yin's hair in it's sharp gust and nearly pulling Winter's cap right off of his head.
The blur slowed to a stop, revealing the N of team FNKI.
What Yin noticed was the vibrant red hair that was up in two huge puffy pigtails. Looking more like lion mane's than swine. Then the swaying of the tail that started out as a redder shade of pink before lighting up into a bright tip. The yellow winky face belt buckle and white belt that was wrapped around a frilled pink skirt. A choker around the young woman's neck with a bell attached.
The edges of a dark shade of purple bra hidden under her light sky blue tank. A tattoo of a shooting star running down her right arm and pads along her elbows and knees. Then the roller blades that she skated in on. The whole sight was a quite a sight to behold, the kind that made Yin's eyes turn into big 'ol hearts and made his own blood start to pump faster.
Winter didn't care for the Cat, instead focusing his sights on the leader of FNKI. A mister Flynt Coal. Firstly, his cool sunglasses and rather eye-roll worthy dark fedora top of his head. His dark dress pants and silver dance shoes atop his feet. The dark vest and white shirt conflicting with the white vest and black shirt Winter had decided to wear this morning. The darkskinned leader brushed the earring with his right hand, his left holding onto his glistening trumpet.
"Hey, Frost right? The Princess himself?" Coal said, his lips curling to a rather devious smile. The kind that made Winter growl under his breath.
"Princess? Come on, you can do better than that." Winter mumbled, before cupping a hand around his mouth and raising his voice. "Original the first time I heard it, but I'm fine with reused jokes! Try better next time, pal!"
"Not everyone is a gifted comedian-" Yin began to say, before hearing this low gutteral growl begin to repeat what he said.
"Not everyone is a gifted comedian! That's you!~ That's what you! Sound like!~" Kitty dipped into her knees, as she pointed at Yin. Who's lips curled to a smile as he lapped a tongue over one of his canines.
"Thank you, Sweetheart-"
"Hey! When did start hitting the 'roids! Because! You! Are! Huge!" Kitty gestured with a flex of her slender arms and barring of her teeth. Impersonating a bodybuilder stance whilst giggling. Yin blinked, glancing down at himself.
"No 'roids. All natural." Yin shrugged, hands moving to rest on his hips. Eye brow raising. Shaking his head. "You know? You talk-"
"That can't be true! You're arms look so malformed! Like bowling balls! In a pantyhose sock!" Kitty giggled, skating around in a soft circle as she made a frown and continued to flex her arms.
Yin's smile stayed formed, except his eyes began to grow beady as his color began to drain from his cheeks. He raised a finger, shaking it as his hands began to violently tremble in his spot. He then let out a little chuckle. Gnashing his teeth.
"B-b-b-bowling balls? In a sock!" Yin clutched his hands into tight fists. Before slamming his heels into the metal floor and pounding his fists against his chest like an angry gorilla. His eyes turning an almost bloody shade of red.
The floors began to shake, revealing the board that the combatants would be dueling on. A fourth of the map was a molten crater, brewing with an endless supply of lava. Another was a layer of desert sand, that should be somewhere in the wastes. Another was a dilapidated district of a city. Broken down and battle scarred. The last fourth was gem like structures protruding out of what looked like mountain top rock.
"3!" Winter locked the hammer and kept his revolver at his side.
"2!" Flynt and Neon began to get into position. With Coal taking in a huge breath of air and Katt getting ready to speed away.
"1!"
"In a pantyhose sock!?" Yin shouted, not hearing the 'Go' before he began his dead sprint towards Katt and Flynt. The musician blew into his instrument, a huge sound wave barreling out of the trumpet and made the whole area floor beneath them begin to rattle. Yin stopped his sprint, finding the high note keeping him in place.
Katt spun into the wave, getting propelled forward and clothes-lining Yin and taking him out of the action. Knocking the both of them towards the fallen city skyscraper. Yin rolled over his shoulder and hopped back up onto his feet.
Neon zipped towards him, raising one of her heels and striking across his chin. Knocking Yin back and twirling her nun-chucks in her hands. Before gripping them in both of her hands and cracking them. The sticks glowing into a bubbling shade of eggshell white. Then the blur from her spinning was matched with her roll on her blades, blowing past some rubble and rushing right towards Yin.
Yin threw an arm to catch her on the rush, only to feel one of her sticks smash against his forearm. The blur brushing past him and strolling around him.
Yin glanced down at his arm, feeling this almost numbing feeling on his arm and an immense weight along his entire limb. That's when he noticed that his whole arm was encased in a layer of ice.
"Time to put that hothead on ice!" Neon winked at Yin, only for him to let out a growl and slamming his thick arm against the floor. Shattering the thick ice into bits and pieces. Yin backfisted the knocked up rubble, sending shards of jagged pieces arena floor towards Neon. The scattershot of the floor pieces, shooting out towards Katt at breakneck speeds.
"Not funny!" Yin roared, slamming his fists together and charging towards Katt.
The cat ducked and dodged the arena pieces, giggling and hollering against the music of Mister Coal. Who had just allowed his note to play just long enough to shatter the eardrums of whoever stood too close to Trumpet. Not including the Heir to the Frost empire. Who was still standing his ground, regardless of the intense note of the trumpet.
Flynt stopped the note mid blow, spinning his instrument and turning all of his attention towards Winter. The Princess himself. Winter smirked a bit, before winking towards the musician. Nodding his head towards the Atlas trumpet player.
Winter barred his teeth as he shot three shells right from the hip, just as the musician played another note. Winter steadied his stance and kept his feet buried into the floor. Not wanting to frail like a leaf in the wind.
The three bullets flew forward, in the great sound-wave of the player. The hundreds of feet per second slowed to a crawl, as the bullets began to slow to a stop in middle of the air, before holding position just a few feet from Flynt's face before being shot right back towards Winter. Who had to duck and roll out of the way of his three shots. Winter rolled over behind a nearby rock, never having to have to dodge his own revolver shots before. An experience he never had to live through.
"Frost are suppose to be good fighters! Guess all that money can't buy you skill!" Flynt stated while Winter popped the wheel out of his revolver. Twirling the instrument in his hand and ejecting the empty shells from it's wheel.
Winter began to hold the three shells he needed, his eyes glancing up at the millions of people watching him. Winter felt his hands begin to shake, his heart thumping hard in his chest. Winter dropped two shells, slamming the remaining shot into the wheel. Winter flicked his wrist, popping the wheel back into the gun.
"I'm not saying that you're gaining some weight, I'm just saying MAYBE you should just hit the gym a few more nights a week!" Neon stated, skating all around Yin's stagnant being. Who's head was bowed down, hands curled into fists and his head twitching at the bit.
"Yin! Smash!" Were the only two comprehensible words that the Yellow Brute made that weren't a compilation of battle cries and gnashing his lips like he was a rapid dog. Yin's arms detracted immediately, his gauntlet's taking form. The protruding knuckles sliding into place as the cuff extended out around Yin's forearms and his biceps. Yin's shoulders then began to take form, the layered spaulders a shining and shimmering gold. The armor extending and covering his upper torso and leaving his skull bare.
Yin stomped the floor, cratering the arena beneath him and releasing this huge animal roar. His eyes a shade of bloody red. His lips curled into an evil smirk. Yin pivoted his step, slamming his elbow right into Neon's stomach and knocking her up into the air. The blow blew her off of the floor, her eyes shooting open. Before she got knocked up in the air much too far, Yin grabbed her ankle and gave it a hard squeeze. Twirling and throwing Katt right towards Flynt.
Coal raised his trumpet, hesitating as Neon flew towards him. Instead of playing his horn and blowing his teammate and the Golden Beast away, he dropped his weapon to catch Neon with both of his arms. Worried about how hard that blow to the stomach was.
That's when Yin quickstepped towards Flynt, knocking the musician's cheek with a hard slobber-knocker. The blow that landed before the trumpet could even tap against the floor. Yin threw his left arm back, his forearm clothes-lining the cat and sending her spinning towards the floor. Yin turned towards Flynt, who remained on the floor. Who kept his eyes resting on the trumpet.
Yin raised the instrument, smiling. Pressing down on the buttons of the trumpet.
"Listen ear! See!" Yin turned towards Katt, who was still groggy as she unsteadily rose to her feet. Hands resting on her knees as she kept her gaze fixated on Yin. Yin shook the trumpet in the air. "I can be funny! Listen, Louie Arm. You got gumption. And you got skill! Now-"
Yin's skull was thrashed with the nun-chuck, encasing the entirety of his head in a case of ice. Yin fell to the floor, slamming his fists into the block to chip away at the ice.
Flynt made a rush towards his trumpet, the revolver shots coming from Winter causing him to dip and dodge. A few bullets grazing the edges of his loose shirt and even clipping the edges of his own hat.
Winter popped the spent shells out of his revolver, spinning his gun into it's dagger and charging towards Coal. The musician kicked his trumpet back up into his hands, turning towards the charging Winter, and playing one of his devastating notes. The wave rocked Winter's frame, sending him towards the molting lava portion of the area. A heat vent shot up as Winter blew past, catching the Frost heir in a horrendous gust of hot air and scorching flames.
Winter rolled out covered in ashes and smoldering clothing. His body aching and his eyes scanning over the area. Who he could see was beginning to laugh at his expense. At his apparent lack of skill. Of his rookie mistake.
Flynt peered up towards the scoreboard, the buzzer going off as Winter was effectively eliminated from the doubles.
"Neon! Let's take care of Blondie-" Flynt turned towards the middle of the area, where Yin was. He had vanished, leaving nothing but a block of chipped away and broken pieces of ice. Coal glanced up, seeing a huge incoming pillar from a skyscraper zooming in like a javelin. Flynt shut his eyes for a moment, the pillar smashing against the musician and covering him in shattered debris and concrete.
Another buzzer was heard, Flynt now was eliminated.
Yin turned his attention towards the rollerblading cat, his knuckles slamming together as he ran towards the middle of the field. As he reached the outer ring of the neutral center zone, he slammed his fist into the very edge. At that moment, he began to scoop into the earth and tear away at the ring. His heels digging into the floors and his lips curled into a rather bright and bouncy smile. His quickstep leaving a huge divot and noticeable ravine in the floor.
Neon then began to motion blur over towards him, twirling her nun-chucks in her hand. Yin pulled his arm out, rushing into the middle of the field. He jumped up into the air, barrel rolling whilst midjump and slamming his elbow into the floor. Just as Neon roller-bladed onto the stage.
That's when the whole ring began to shift, tipping over sideways like a great freighter sinking in the sea. The floor rose from just where Yin elbow dropped the arena, Neon's footing stayed on course as the floor was now a thirty degree angle. She began to slip and stumble a bit when it came to a sixty. Her arms shooting out to steady herself. It wasn't before long loosing traction and control as the incline grew to a slope too steep for her to even casually ride down. Eventually, the floor rose to a perfect ninety degree angle, leaving Katt to simply fall straight down. Yin watched her descent, eye on the scoreboard and waiting for the buzzer to go off.
A hard crash against the floor later and a ringing bell later, team RWBY just won the doubles contest.
The crowd was silent as first, in complete awe at the sight of one of the students flat out ripping the floor out and using it to his advantage.
Then the cheering commenced. The whole stadium roaring Yin's name as though it was the only word that they knew. Yin casually approached Neon, who was now resting against the floor as she stared into the ceiling. Her jaw dropped in complete shock of what she just witnessed.
"Listen, sweetheart." Yin loomed over her, smiling as he came face to face with the kitty cat. "I'm going to milk this for all it's worth. It was a cat-astrophic what I just did. And I was just testing meowself out. It's been a while since I've been in a real battle, I was just kitten for the first few minutes." Yin then followed up with a quick 'boop' on her nose and a quick wink.
Ruben and Blair shot up out of their seats, hands raised in the air and screaming Yin's name as well. Totally impressed just how ridiculous that was to witness.
Winter glanced up, seeing Yin rushing over towards him and helping him off of the floor. Yin's smile a huge shining grin from ear to ear.
"We did it buddy! We won!" Yin couldn't help to share the victory with one of his best friends. Lifting up Winter's hand in post-victory pose, making sure to celebrate the teameffort and the duo that was WY.
Winter didn't feel that victory. He didn't feel that intense feeling that Yin had felt. He saw W leaning on Y like some sort of life-support. Who would have been completely lost without his teammate. Not competent on his own, relying upon others to fight his battles for him. Relying on Yin fight and carry this fight to the win.
"You, you didn't even need me..." Was Winter could think, as the flashing lights and cameras made sure to focus on their Golden Victor. Who would be advancing towards the singles.