Ember figured out she could let her strength loose by banging out metal to form as she forged Brutal Thorn's new barrel. She spent the next half an hour aiding the Professor for Weapon Engineering hammer out a number of various parts for his students that didn't know how to build yet, to use to practice. He noticed the girl suddenly slump over and saw her eyes open silver.
"You got what you needed? You 'Reaper' again?" He asked over the sound of the forge.
"Yeah… exhausted now too… thanks for letting us hammer it out." Reaper replied.
"No problem. If you and Ember ever need to calm down again, I could always use more parts. Kids these days are morons. I kinda miss you in my class."
"We'll definitely think about it." Reaper then assembled Brutal Thorn using the new barrel and ran through its various mechanical functions, making sure everything was running smoothly. Satisfied for now, she returned to RWBY dorm.
Reaper was hoping to relax as she stepped through the door, but Weiss had made the study worksheets she wanted Reaper to run through and the scythe girl found herself trapped at the desk for the rest of the night.
"You know what I really miss right now, Ember…"
Of course I do, but I'll entertain you. What do you really miss right now, Reaper?
"I miss a period of time when I wasn't eternally glued to a smart-ass."
Hey! That's not what you were thinking before, you cheater. You miss our drink, is what you mean to say. I'm a pleasure to be stuck with, you're the killjoy.
Reaper sighed. She did miss her drink. She was sure she could focus at least twice, maybe even three times as well if she had a glass to unwind her tensions. Said tensions weren't helped when she heard a knock at the door. Weiss opened it enough to talk to the visitor. "Hello, Velvet."
"Hello, Weiss. Can I speak to Ruby?" Velvet asked the heiress. Weiss looked to Blake and Blake looked to Reaper, who shook her head.
"Sorry," Weiss answered, "she's got a lot to do to pass a test Ozpin is setting, so team RWBY can go on without being held back for her absence."
"Oh…" Velvet responded. Reaper could hear the defeat in her old girlfriend's voice.
Weiss closed the door and turned to team RWBY's previous leader. "You really need to talk to her at some point. You can't avoid her forever. And I still don't even see what the problem is. I figured you two would be all over each other by now."
"Once upon a time, I thought so too." Reaper admitted.
"Then what changed?" Blake asked.
Reaper looked to her team mates. "You really don't know? Me. I've changed, a lot. I have a lot to think about before I pursue a relationship with Velvet again… or even if I do."
Weiss and Blake's surprise was apparent. With how much Velvet obsessed over getting Ruby back, they figured that the 'rehabilitative custody' would give Velvet the perfect chance. They hadn't thought about whether Reaper would consider officially ending things.
The night carried on, and the girls eventually settled for bed. Reaper's emotions may be in turmoil, but the night sky was calm and clear. The broken moon cast a lively glow on the Beacon grounds. The night was even bright enough that, if one were to squint at the rooftops of the closest buildings to the Beacon/Vale boarder, they might see a figure standing atop them.
From afar, and even up close, the near eight foot tall figure may have looked like a monster straight from classic literature. The figure had wrapped itself in layers of bandages, with a heavy patchwork coat that swept the ground. Heavy jeans tucked into heavy boots, and one might surmise he was a monster pulled straight from classic literature if only for the strength necessary to move around in those rags. He had a hood pulled low that, even in this bright night, shrouded his face in darkness.
The Creature. That's what it was called by the few who have seen it. It was a name he adopted willingly. This Creature's name was easy to deduce, but his purpose? Even the rumors didn't know. But it did have a purpose, one he thought on as he gazed at Beacon.
"Beeeaac-c-cooonn." A much underused throat pushed out the word carefully. The voice it created was scratchy and hoarse. She was here. The news had said so. The woman who caused him unending pain. A single eye gleamed with hatred from the otherwise impenetrable shadow his hood created.
"Rrrah… Rrrrrraah… Rah, Rah R-Reaaapah-eerrr…"
Reaper woke and once more found her thoughts dominated by her small, criminal friend. I hope she's there today.
"What's with the smile?" Blake asked her.
Crap… ummm… "I just feel like today might be a good day." She said truthfully.
"Going to finally talk to Velvet?" Blake guessed.
Thoughts of the rabbit girl crashed through her mind. Crap. Neo showed up and I've completely forgotten to think about that… Reaper spent the rest of the day until lunch doing everything she could to avoid her old girlfriend, such as skipping breakfast and using her semblance to get between classes. She managed to get her massive tray of lunch and slip out the back of the cafeteria without Velvet seeing her. What's wrong with me… big, bad Reaper, reduced to a nervous schoolgirl by one rabbit. Well… I am a 17 year old schoolgirl… but that doesn't excuse my behavior.
She rounded the corner and found the table empty. Sitting down with her double-meal she had piled for herself and her hopeful guest, Reaper watched the trees. Neo shimmered into view soon after and took her seat. The two enjoyed their silence together.
You know… we might not be able to leave, but someone might be able to smuggle the vodka we need for our drink onto campus for us. Whoever might have the time and ability I wonder?
Reaper silently thanked Ember. "Hey, Neo, I want to ask you something." Neo looked up from her plate. "If I gave you some Lien to use, would you spend some of it on a bottle of vodka for me? I miss my drink, and I can't leave campus to get it myself." Neo eagerly accepted. Reaper fished a couple hundred Lien and handed them over. Neo checked the time and began writing in her notebook.
'If I leave now, I might make it back before your lunch break is over. If you want.' Was the message she eventually showed Reaper.
Reaper laughed. "I'm not a crack addict, I don't need it right now. It's not a gopher job, it's not a rush job, not any kind of 'job'. Just a favor for a friend."
'A well-paying favor.' Neo wrote out and returned to her meal.
Reaper smiled. A favor for a friend. Two lunches in and she was already looking forward to this as a daily occurrence. She was happy to be able to have lunch with Neo. It didn't take the scythe wielder long to determine why.
Everyone may accept her decision to stay Reaper, but they didn't really accept 'Reaper' itself. Velvet was the bluntest about it, but she could tell everyone held out hope she would return to Ruby. JNPR, Ozpin, Blake, even the icy heiress all wished to have back the sweet girl they remember. Everyone did this, everyone… everyone except the small ice cream girl sitting across from her.
Neo truly accepted 'Reaper', even cherished the persona. Out here, at this lunch table, she was truly free from judgment, and she didn't have to be alone to do it. Out here, with Neo, Reaper could be Reaper, and that's the way her friend liked it.
"Ms. Rose, are you ready to participate today?" Glynda asked. Reaper nodded. "Then, Ms. Valkyrie, I assume there's no point trying to pair her with anyone else?"
"I was promised the first dance!" Nora shouted, excited to fight Ember.
Goodwitch looked to Reaper and nodded. Reaper took up Brutal Thorn in one hand and her knife in the other.
"Given the strength levels I assume Ember displays, I am reinstating the rule that your opponent only needs to take half of your aura to keep things level." Goodwitch informed the scythe wielder.
Again? I guess it's only fair…
Reaper made sure her aura was down when she stuck herself and focused on the pain. Ember pulled the knife out of their shoulder and opened her red eyes. She turned to Nora. "Good to finally meet you face to face, thunder kiss."
Nora's eyes lit up. "Ember! Get ready, cuz I am so gunna whup your butt!"
Ember unfolded Brutal Thorn. "Come try me."
The timer ticked down, and on the ringer Ember fired an air round behind her and propelled herself to her target. Brutal Thorn swung, Nora brought the pommel of Magnhild around to knock the scythe blade off its intended path. The hammer head came up and sent Ember into a small flip that would have ended on her head, if Nora didn't swing her hammer around once more. Ember felt the object hit the small of her back, and could tell her opponent pulled Magnhild's trigger on impact. The explosion propelled her across the room.
She buried the head of Brutal Thorn into the ground to slow herself and land on her feet. She looked up to see Nora jumping after her, intent on bringing the hammer down on her head. Ember pulled her scythe out and pointed it barrel-down. Cartwheeling to plant her feet on the blade, she was able to pull the trigger and launch herself into a backflip over the pink terrors impending attack. Nora's hammer hit the ground where Ember used to be and without having proper footing, the girl was easily sent across the arena by Ember's mid-flip counter swing.
Nora took it in stride, rolling onto her feet and coming up on one knee with Magnhild's grenade launcher form in her hands. She sent three projectiles Ember's way, and the scythe master spun her weapon through the air, slicing two of the grenades in half. She managed to catch the third one without setting it off. Ember smiled and hung the grenade off her belt, trading it for a Burn rifle round. Nora stood on her hammer head and launched herself towards herself toward her opponent and high speed.
Brutal Thorn had a specialized feature Crescent Rose never possessed. The bolt-action lever not only allowed both clip-loading and manual top-loading, but the piece was meticulously crafting to allow top loading even if there was already a full magazine. It only jammed twice and exploded once before Reaper perfected the device. Using the speed semblance, Ember top-loaded the burn round on top of her Air Dust magazine and still had time to avoid Nora's approach.
She ducked under Magnhild's horizontal swing and twirled around behind Nora. The JNPR girl turned quickly, expecting to see Brutal Thorn coming at her. She watched the blade swing down and miss her by inches, the handle of the black weapon landing on her hammer instead. Ember grabbed onto the top of Nora's head and used it as leverage to flip over the girl, using her scythe blade as a hook to catch Magnhild. Ember landed behind Nora and swung Brutal Thorn down in front of her, ripping the hammer from her opponent's hands.
Properly disarmed, Nora had to turn once more to face Ember. As green eyes found red yet again, the hammer wielder felt something get shoved down the front of her shirt. Ember smirked and gave a swift kick to her midsection, sending her onto her back across the arena. Nora sat up with her hands and looked down to see two hearts… the one that served as an aesthetic opening in her shirt, and the one she used to design her grenades.
Nora's eyes widened in realization and the girl looked up to see Ember wink down the sights of Brutal Thorn's sniper mode. The sniper pulled the trigger, sending the Burn round into the grenade she had shoved between the pink terror's breasts.
"WHOOOOHOOHOOHOOOOOO!" Nora shouted, sounding gleeful as she tumbled through the air, end over end, all the way outside the bounds of the combat ring. The buzzer to end the match sounded.
"And that's the round." Goodwitch announced. "Ember is declared the victor. Nora Valkyrie is eliminated via ring-out." Goodwitch looked to Ember. "Good job keeping control, Ember. I'm honestly impressed." Ember smiled and nodded, walking away to check on Nora.
The JNPR girl was covered in soot against the far wall of the classroom. She shot up and saw Ember approaching. "That… was… awesome! Can we go again!?"
"I could flick you and you would fall into red." Ember told her, pointing to the screen showing Nora at 16 aura points. "I don't think Goodwitch would allow it."
"Of course not right now, silly…" Nora said.
"Sorry, thunder kiss. Can't let you monopolize all my fight time." Ember shrugged.
"Awww…" Nora jumped to her feet and shook the black dust off. "We will fight again." Nora promised, and smiled to her team. "That fight was awesome! Did you see her shove one my own grenades down my boobs!"
"That was an… interesting tactic." Weiss said as her and Blake joined them. "Are you still Ember?"
"One and only, ice queen. Nice to see you again, kitty kat."
"Are you going to give everyone offensive nicknames?" Blake asked, clearly annoyed at what Ember called her.
Yes.
"Probably." Ember answered.
"Do my team, do my team!" Nora shouted. Ember looked over team JNPR.
She pointed to Jaune, "Vomit boy's easy." She pointed at Pyrrha next, "Golden idol." Then to Nora, "Already calling you thunder kiss, I'll just stick with that." Then she looked to Ren. The two stared at each other for a moment. "Y'know, you're really quiet… I actually don't know that much about you to give you a fitting name…"
"Awww poor Rennie." Nora lamented.
"Yes, poor me." Ren stated sarcastically.
"Those two seem to be hitting it off." Pyrrha pointed out.
"Unfortunately." Weiss agreed.
"Wait… your calm… quiet… mayyybeee… sloth ninja?" Ember turned to Nora for confirmation.
Gaasssssp "It's perfect…" Nora squeaked with glee. Ren rolled his eyes.
"Alright controlling this meat-boat exhausts me. I'll speak to you guys another time." Ember closed her red eyes and Reaper soon opened her silver ones.
"Sorry about her. You see what I have to deal with 24/7?" Reaper told them.
Oh shut it, I'm a pleasure to be around, just ask Nora!
"Nora's crazy too, I don't think she counts."
"Hey!" Nora shouted.
"Girls!" Goodwitch shouted. "If Ms. Valkyrie is in perfect working condition, I suggest you re-take your seats for the duration of class."
