Chapter 10: A Rude Awakening

All I could do was breathe and wait for the battle to begin. I glanced over at the audience where everyone was staring intently at the both of us. A few were talking, probably making deals to see who would win or how long it would take for me to get my ass kicked. But I wasn't about to go down without a fight. I decided to pass the time by stirring up the tension, "Hey Yang," she broke out of her contemplative state, "I don't want this to be too boring."

I swore her eyes flared red for a second, "Don't worry, if we're lucky it'll be interesting for the both of us."

Then the buzzer sounded and the fight began. She charged me quickly, almost catching me off guard. She swung a sharp right straight for my core. Barely missing I went in for a strike to her legs but she stepped back before I got close. 'Well, this'll be interesting.' I went for a charging sweep but she ducked under it and gave me an uppercut to the chest. The wind was knocked from my lungs but I fell flat to the ground before her other fist could connect. I swept my legs under hers, knocking her onto her side. Backing off to catch my breath I knew I would need more to beat her, but those fists hit pretty hard. So I couldn't beat her in raw power so I would need to beat her in a different category.

After a short pause she charged again, but instead of a straight on attack she tried to take me off-balance. It turned into a ballet of punches and dodges as we tried to outmanoeuvre one another to get in a strike. She found an opening and went for a heavy punch, but I was one step ahead because it wasn't an opening, it was a trap. She swung and missed me, her strike swung wide and I went to strike her in the back with both weapons. She ducked and came up behind up behind me before I could react. She, punched and I heard the crack of her weapon, as well as that of my back. I flew forward and landed sprawled on the other side of the battle arena. 'Come on, pick yourself up! You can't just give up!' I shouted at myself. I wasn't just going to submit defeat; I just needed to go harder. So, I pulled myself up, even though my back was burning with pain. I turned to Yang to see her shocked that I got up. "You'll need to do better than that if you wanna kill me!"

I charged her, putting all my strength into the attack. Time seemed to slow down as I pushed on. I brought my strike down and it hit home, smashing into her side. She staggered to the side, but I didn't hold back, I just kept swinging. Each strike I pushed myself to go faster, hit harder and hit key points. Everything shut down, all I could think was beating her to survive. It became automated, strike after strike connected, slamming into her sides, arms, legs, head, anywhere that seemed to be a weak point. She staggered and collapsed and turned to face me. I switched Sling into a revolver and took to pointing it at her head. I was about to pull the trigger until I looked into her eyes. All I saw was defeat and terror in her purple eyes. Then I froze, something I normally wouldn't do. A part of me was shouting in my skull, saying "Do it, end this." But the other part of me took in the damage caused. Her normally cheerful self was now in pure terror, her figure bruised and bloodied. It was an all too familiar scene I had faced every day and it was the life that I had left. Everything clicked back in my head and my hand was shaking. I dropped my weapon, knelt down and picked her up, resting her on my shoulder. I looked out over the spectators and their faces were all lit up in shock, especially those of team RWBY. I looked away and helped Yang down the stage. 'They must all think I'm a maniac, a psycho. Well that's their thoughts, but they're probably right.'

Then as we walked down the stage Yang asked in a pained voice, "Can I ask one question? Why did you not shoot?"

In a solemn tone I answered, "Because you all are the reason I'm fighting. And if you aren't there why is there a reason to fight?"

I convinced Goodwitch to let me take Yang to the medical area. Once there they took her in without question and began to examine the injuries. I could only sit and pray that it wasn't serious, because if it was I would never forgive myself.

Suddenly the door burst open and Yang's team-mates came into the room with Weiss at the helm. I just sat in a chair, staring at my feet, contemplating what I had just done. But, my contemplation had to be cut short, because Weiss wasn't here for idle conversation.

As I stood up she was already in my face being her angry self, "What was that back there?"

Maintaining a level head I tried to explain the situation, "Okay Weiss, I know that you are worried-"

"I am beyond worried! You nearly killed one of my team-mates, one of my friends; you put a gun to her head. So whatever explanations you have, I don't want to hear it."

'Why's she shouting at me without knowing any facts? If she could calm down I could explain myself.'

While I was thinking, Weiss kept ranting until she noticed my absent-mindedness, "Are you even paying attention to me? I asked for an explanation of what happened back there."

I couldn't hold back any more, so I just snapped, "Look Weiss, I don't know what you might think of me after that but do you know what I think of you? From what I've seen, I think you are a judging, self-centered, asinine and untrusting individual. But I feel you could be better than that. Now, what you saw back there is the reason I am here; that was me, that is what I used to be. That is what I fear the most, because I don't want to be that any more. So, if that provides explanation for what happened back there, I'm leaving." Taking on a softer tone I said, "The doctors don't see any real injuries, just bruises for the most part. I hope we can still be friends." And with that I left them there, Weiss awestruck with Blake and Ruby surprised at my backlash towards the heiress.

I laid on my bed, contemplating my previous actions, 'Everything is falling apart and it's only the first day. What a lousy beginning to a fresh start. I've already pissed off many people, I have a psychopath trying to tear my head off and now the only friends I had will now most likely avoid me like the plague.' "Why does everything go bad for me?"

Then the door slowly opened to reveal Yang, still slightly bruised but mostly fine, "Well, I don't know everything about you, but not all of it must go bad."

"Humph, you don't know the half of it. But, it is good to see that you're fine."

"Well, you did do a number on me, but it wasn't too bad. So what's on your mind?"

"Well, apart from me nearly beating you to nothing and Weiss being generally pissed off towards me, plenty of things. Mostly stuff about my past and we both know how I am about talking about that. It just feels like the whole world is against me."

"Well, I wouldn't say that the whole world is against you…"

"Oh really, well let me tell you something. The people who I thought I could trust in my past are now trying to kill me, Weiss isn't too keen on helping me out and your sister probably is doubting whether she really knows me. So, now you see why I think that the whole world is against me."

"Well, there must be someone who could help you; what about your parents?" That was a particularly rough spot so I just bowed my head at my feet and sat there staring at them playing back the images in my head. Yang noticed quickly and began scratching her head, "Umm, sorry about that, I don't mean to sound like that."

"No no, don't worry, it's partly my fault. I just can't help but feel that I'm accountable for it."

"How could you be held responsible for your parents' deaths?"

"Well, it's a long story…" so I told her about my parents leaving, them not returning and Ozpin coming to my door.

I told her about how I planned on taking out the beowolves that killed them, "Wow, that seems really risky."

"Yeah, I must not have been thinking straight. But, this is where I start to think it was my fault." She stopped herself and began listening more intently, "So, I went off to find them and that's exactly what I did. But, there were more than I had expected. There was roughly forty wolves and me being the inexperienced fighter I was, I panicked. I hit a few, but they were on me in seconds. They ripped and tore at my skin. But, for some odd reason, they left me alive by a thread and dragged me away, but at that point I had passed out."

"That must've been horrible," she was already shocked at my ordeal.

"It got worse. I woke up in a cave, tired and pained. Around me were others who had fought them and most were decaying corpses. However, two of them were still alive and breathing; those two alive were my parents. I reached for them, tried to grab their attention but they didn't respond. They just looked so tired, like they didn't want any more suffering, any more pain in their lives; they had given up hope, now they just wanted it to end. So, a hungry looking monster walks in the room and picks up my mother's body. While it was holding her she looks at me right in the eyes and tells me, 'David all will be all right soon.' Then, it ate her." The scene replayed in my mind, the crunch, the spray of red across the creature's mouth and my father's cry of sorrow that pierced the air; it all brought me to tears.

As I sobbed through my hands Yang put a reassuring hand on my shoulder, "Don't be so hard on yourself, there was nothing you could've done."

"Yes I could've! I had my rifle still in my hands, I could've killed it before it ate my mother in front of me. But there was no way to save my father. He… he was broken after that. His spirit had been broken and so the only thing he looked for was death. He looked at me and told me, 'Never be like me; never give up.' With those final words, he pulled out a pistol, shoved it onto the side of his head and ended it all. Both my parents killed in front of me; both deaths I could've stopped. I blamed it all on me, but I had a fire inside me I couldn't calm. The beowolf turned to me and started to come towards me. I was now blinded by rage so I did the only thing I could. I climbed to my feet, ran towards the creature and blew its head off. Then I ran through the cave killing all of them in any way I could. Once out, I was out of energy and collapsed. So that's why I blame myself for their deaths."

Even though she was awestruck at the hardship I had faced, she still kept a reassuring tone, "David, I know that this was hard to remember but you can't keep this grudge with you. There are some things that you just need to let go."

"I guess you're right, I can't change what's already happened. I can just use it to help guide me," turning to her I let a smile creep across my grim face, "Thanks for helping me."

"Hey, what is a friend if they aren't there for you in a time of need?" Then she walked out the door, leaving me to my drowsy self.

'There is nothing I could've done back then, but now I can make those differences. I just hope they aren't for the wrong reasons.'

Yes, a new chapter is released and yes I have some explaining to do. I have been flaked with other work, summer school to be exact, but soon I'll be able to do more. So, thank you all for reading my story, it is really appreciated. The support is always appreciated.

-TheInnerPeace singing out (why must there be so many things hindering me from this).