Reclaiming in Black
Chapter 4: The fight, and the truth
An oppressive silence lingered upon Rose and team RWBY as they sat in the cafeteria. The younger five picking and playing with their lunches. Yang has given up on lightening the mood, recognizing that the morbid tale she had just experienced would weigh heavily on the minds of her teammates. Weiss for her part was shaken but overall her silence was more contemplative than shocked. Obsidian was numb, still toiling with his thoughts, and what may have been. Blake looks the most serious by far, her furrowed brow and pursed lips belying the turmoil within. Ruby has apparently taken it the worst, at least emotionally, looking depressed and not a little terrified of the horrific path her life could have taken.
Rose was growing rather tired of the angst, though. She'd forgotten all teenagers propensity for that particular trait and she really didn't miss it, no need for her to suffer it now. Luckily she has a ready-made solution to handle the problem.
"Guys," Rose says, each of individual in team RWBY looks at her, ready to listen. "I know this is... a lot to take in." She continues, ignoring Yang's snort. "It must be really hard to process, I'll be happy to answer some questions if you have them later. But, right now I have the perfect thing to make you feel better." Rose offers.
"And that would be...?" Blake fishes, lifting her hand palm up in a questioning pose.
"I'm going to beat the tar out of all of you." Rose grins. Yang returns her grin with a feral smile.
"Puh-lease. Like you even stand a chance against all of this." Yang gestures expansively to her team. Rose snorts dismissively. Weiss looks indignant at once again being treated as a non-threat. Obsidian looks interested but reserved.
"We'll see how funny it is once we've won, shall we?" She says icily.
"Sure." Rose says, not looking the least bit worried. Ruby seems to be warming up to the idea of the spar.
"It would be fun..." She says mostly to herself. "And even if I lose, it isn't really losing." Ruby declares victoriously. Rose laughs and gives her a high-five.
"Too true, Ruby." Rose says but then she smirked viciously. "Won't make it hurt any less, though."
Ignoring the idle banter, for the most part, Blake was currently searching the booking for mock combat areas using her scroll, as well as sending a message to team JNPR to attend the match. After a few moments, she receives an affirmative on her search, quickly booking a sparring ring with a small amount of seating for the audience and judges.
"We have ring twelve in fifteen minutes, booked for one hour." Blake says smoothly, interrupting the worst of Weiss' growing annoyance at Rose, having cut off her rant before she could really begin. Obsidian looking over the two of them, plotting. Yang leans back in her chair, noticing Weiss' agitated state as the two Ruby's start to talk lightly at the exclusion of the group. She bumps shoulders lightly with Weiss, getting her attention.
"You ok?" Yang prompts mildly, looking at the throbbing vein on Weiss' forehead. Weiss takes a deep breath, releasing it evenly as she returns Yang's gaze. The genuine concern reflected in Yang's lilac orbs is surprising to Weiss; she finds her sarcastic retort dying a premature death in her throat.
Instead, she settles soft, but firm, "I'm fine, thank you."
"S'all good, gotta look out for my teammates." Yang looks at Blake who is watching the two Ruby's with fascination, a habit she seemed to be a falling into. Or maybe she just likes looking at Rose, Yang really isn't sure. She looks to Obsidian, as sees more a level of commitment, and fear, he scans the two of them, obviously planning. She looks back at Weiss, who is watching her stoically but with a glimmer of curiosity on her features. "I know Ruby is my sister and Blake is my partner, but you're important too, ya know?" Yang says warmly.
Again Weiss is startled by Yang's sincerity and the care lacing her words. Yang is slightly startled when Weiss gapes a little but then blushes prettily. Before she can even hope to follow up with a teasing remark Rose stands smoothly, stretching her limbs and giving team RWBY a challenging smirk.
"Ready for your lesson, girls?"
Team JNPR walk into the audience section for ring twelve as all the soon-to-be combatants went through a series of stretches. The rings is already displaying a holographic hall, with high ceiling, arches, and stone floors. RWBY stand on one end of the ring, Rose at the other.
Nora is visibly vibrating, her enthusiasm for violence was, as always, worrying for the still-fragile Jaune.
"Go team RWBY!" Nora cheers preemptively. Rose turns to her, hand pressed over her heart.
"Ouch!" She feigns hurt but then turns an accusatory stare on Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha. "Where's my cheerleader?"
"Go Rose!" Nora cheers immediately. Rose laughs, shaking her head lightly.
"That's fair." She says lightly.
"Don't you uh, need a referee?" Jaune asks, noticing the distinct lack of said ref. Rose waves him off.
"Don't worry so much, you'll give yourself wrinkles." Rose furrows her brow. "Or is it too many cookies that do that? It's always been a bit unclear." She flicks an accusatory glance at Yang, who whistles innocently.
"Even if she hadn't been introduced as their sister, it wouldn't have been hard to guess." Ren muses, dissecting the interaction.
"Probably not." Pyrrha says agreeably. "They show remarkable similarities." She points at Rose, then flicks her hand at Ruby and Yang. Jaune shrugs.
"I grew up with seven sisters, I've probably picked up a thing or two from them." Jaune says, then realizes what he says and blushes lightly. "What I mean is that with such a small family you're bound to share a few ticks."
"Plausible." Ren says. "I could guess who Ruby chose to emulate, however." Nora hums, eyes scanning Rose.
"I wonder what kind of weapon she uses? It could be a sword, or sword with guns, a sword with guns that shoots swords or a sword with guns that shoots sword with guns that shoot swords..." Nora babbles and Ren claps a hand over her mouth.
"Please no." He begs softly. Pyrrha and Nora giggle.
"Alright, let's do this!" Yang bellows, pointing an outstretched hand at Rose as Ember Cecilia activate forming her signature gauntlets. "You're going down sis." Rose shrugs.
"Bring it, firecracker." Ruby retorts. The rest of RWBY get into combat ready stances, weapons hot. JNPR watch avidly.
Rose simply shifts into an unarmed fighting stance, flicking her fingers in a beckoning motion with a small smile.
Yang thinks Rose is cocky and about to pay for it.
Blake reckons that Ruby might have become a bit arrogant in the years to come.
Weiss is incensed at being dismissed as a threat again.
Ruby thinks that Rose, who is no doubt just as attached to Crescent Rose as she is, might be biting off a bit more than she can chew.
Jaune is too stunned at the thought of facing team RWBY, already regarded as a spectacular team of prospective Huntresses unarmed to judge Rose.
Pyrrha, Obsidian, Ren, and Nora think differently, however.
Pyrrha is a tournament fighter and an excellent combatant but she knows that doesn't hold a candle to a powerful, experienced hunter. There was a reason people attended these schools. There was a reason that all combat tournaments had separate divisions for those with or without hunter training. And if Rose had even a dab of the immense talent Yang and Rose displayed she thinks that team RWBY might be a bit over their heads.
Ren is anticipating a slaughter. He knows unarmed combat. He recognizes the grand stance of the 'Wavering Fist'. It was one of the few styles he was expected to master before his graduation, as was his duty as a Lie. Notoriously difficult to use but immensely powerful when applied properly, if Rose truly knew the style... If he was a betting man he wouldn't take team RWBYO's odds.
Obsidian recognizes someone who had had to fight for their life, and the skill demanded of someone who got into Beacon two years early, fought a war that destroyed a country, and in the back of his mind, he feared those eyes, even just one.
Nora simply wonders if it was possible to have a stack of very large, fancy pancakes as a wedding cake.
"3...2...1, GO!" Jaune counts down, starting the match.
"Yaaahh!" Ruby yells.
Instantly she charges in, just like Rose knew she would. Three weeks into term, Ruby was inexperienced and not used to relying on her team in combat and it showed. Using her immense speed Ruby dashes, lifting Crescent Rose for a horizontal slash. As the distance closes Rose tenses her muscles in preparation. Just as Ruby nears her she dashes forward with incredible speed. Ruby is unable to alter her strike enough to hit Rose, taken by surprise. Rose delivers a deft spinning back fist along with simultaneous low kick, a calculated grab behind her.
JNPR watches in the beginning stages of awe as they watch the undoubtedly skilled Ruby is disarmed less than three seconds into the fight. Ruby's opening slash is avoided when Rose dashes inside of her guard, too quick for Ruby to change the blow. The spinning back fist and sweep send Rose spinning sideways, almost like a drill, through the air. Rose then reaches, snatching Ruby's scythe and spinning, yanking it from the young girl's hands. She flourishes it deftly, spinning it a low neat circle around her.
The remainder of team RWBY suddenly look a lot more apprehensive but still determined. Ruby tries to stand groggily, her aura meter showing her to be in the yellow already. Rose hits incredibly hard, apparently.
Weiss, Obsidian, Blake, and Yang suddenly unleash an incredible salvo of ranged attacks at Rose. Weiss shoots ranged dust spells, Obsidian launching bolts of lightning, intermingled with waves to fire and whips of ice, one or two almost connecting, Blake fires Gambol Shroud as fast as she can; similarly, Yang throws out flurries of punches in order to launch her explosive payload. A veritable font of dust shoots in the air as a wall of projectile fire connects with the surroundings.
Ruby and Rose both dash at the same time. Unarmed and unskilled at hand-to-hand Ruby opts for a high-speed tackle to disarm or restrain her foe. Armed and ridiculously skilled with scythe combat in all of its forms, Rose is more than prepared.
Rose reaches the other four first.
"Ohsh-" Yang is smacked in the chin by the blunt of Crescent Rose courtesy of her time-traveling sister, sending her flying away as she is taken unprepared. Weiss dashes in for a stab at Rose's unprotected back. Rose spins Crescent Rose to block Blake's retaliatory strike, simultaneously clotheslining the dashing Ruby. She almost takes Obsidian's broadsword in the chest, but the balancing hook on the end reaches far enough to block it, for a second. Once more sent flying, Ruby collides mid-air with Weiss, resulting in an 'Ooph' and a 'thud' as both are sent sprawling, rolling across the floor in a tangle of limbs.
"Ruby is out!" Jaune yells as Ruby's aura reaches red. Simultaneously both Yang and Weiss' aura take a dip, Yang more than Weiss but still in the green. Obsidian, just up in green, and he moves to launch another lightning bolt. Nora looks itching to yell but is professional enough to realize why it is taboo to do so. Distracting the fighters doesn't benefit anyone.
Meanwhile, Blake is unsuccessfully trying her best to land a blow on Rose. She makes gratuitous use of clones and her natural agility but is unable to match Rose's skill. It helps that Rose has had eight years to grow accustomed to Blake's unpredictable fighting style.
Blake lunges for a stab, which is blocked by the shaft of Crescent Rose. At the same she clone leaps going for a leaping, spinning vertical slash. Rose's block continues its momentum. With a fire of the gun the scythe yanks toward Rose and at the same time, at Blake's unprotected back. With her aura shielding up it is enough to block a cut, however, she is still pulled toward Rose, having lost control of her actions in the air.
Team JNPR winces at the resounding smack of Rose's knee colliding with the face of the Blake, who had been wrenched toward it. Her aura is reduced to the red. Unfortunately, even with aura shielding, the blow is formidable and the force knocks Blake out, slumping onto the floor.
"Blake is out!" Jaune yells again at the sight of both the aura and Blake, head lolling incoherently.
Weiss and Yang have both stood up, looking wary. Leaving Obsidian in the middle, channeling more lightning, they split up, Weiss walking left and Yang right, circling around Rose, who remains completely unmoving, twirling the Crescent Rose, sending the lightning off in random directions, to everyone's irritation. Yang's hair burns lightly, flames licking at the golden mane and a steady red. Weiss remains impassive, Myrtenaster held ready. Rose grins cheekily at both of them.
With an incoherent war cry, Yang barrels forward, fist cocked for a heavy punch. On the opposite side, Weiss flies from her position for a powerful thrust. Rose reaches behind her and unsheathes her own scythe in one smooth movement.
JNPR watch with wide eyes as Rose fires both of her oversized weapons, one in each hand, spinning on the spot to produce a maelstrom of blades. The speed lent from her firepower and her own strength and skill create a wall of steel that Weiss and Yang can't do anything but run into. They defend wildly, doing their best to arrest their momentum and disengage. Before they can, however, Rose switches again, sheathing her scythe.
Unprepared for the change they can't stop her as she tightens her spin, moving more quickly thus landing a neat blow against both girls in a long, smooth swing of her blade. Weiss and Yang both gasp as their aura is dispersed by the blow, knocking them into the red. The blow itself causes them to stumble and fall over as Rose stands gracefully, once more flourishing her weapon.
"Yang and Weiss are out!" Jaune yells, sounding incredulous.
All eyes move to Obsidian, standing with his broadsword. He quickly switches to his twin swords, as a dozen knives begin to spin menacingly. She burst forward, slightly cautious, and she swings low, and her Crescent Rose catches on one of the knives, and for a second, all the time he needed. She tried to move, but the Crescent Rose was pinned in place by a second knife, and Obsidian struck, fire and ice enveloped her for a moment, taking a small chunk of her aura. He moved in, as knives moved to pin her limbs directly, she activated her semblance and threw off the knives. She backed up, and pulled her sniper, and fired, the knife deflecting the bullet, she fired for the left, as she charged from the right, the knife stopped the bullet, as a second moved to block her, to no avail.
She slipped past it, and while he moved to block, his swords didn't have the power, and she nailed him in the chest, armature stopping at the sword, bringing his aura deep into the yellow with that one hit. He stepped back, circling, then he charged, throwing her for a second, as he slashed, creating small waves of fire, and ice for her to deal with, as he struck, one solid hit it the arm, and another to the leg resulted in Rose dipping into the highest partitions of yellow. She struck, knocking him back hard, bringing him to the precipice of not having any, in just 2 strikes, ending the fight.
Jaune announced, "Obsidian is done, Rose wins!" Pyrrha and Nora cheer, clapping enthusiastically. Ren applauds with more reserve but still sincerely, deeply impressed by Rose's skill.
In fact, save Rose, everyone conscious was a little astonished by just how easily team RWBY had been dealt with. Rose didn't look tired, merely slightly banged up, as one would after a short hike and didn't look like she had just been fighting a team of highly skilled fighters.
"That looked like it sucked." Nora yells helpfully.
Her only response is a few groans, Rose's laugh and Yang's slew of impressive curses.
After the fight, Rose waved Obsidian over, "I realize this must be a little strange for you, but can we talk, I was hoping to see if I knew some version of you back… in my past, and that I could still help you like I am about to offer the girls."
He smiled curiously, "I was hoping you would offer to help the girls, after all, you knew exactly what they did to improve, and what they shouldn't do this time around."
"You really thought about this." Rose responded, "However, you, who are you?"
"Obsidian Sinclair at your service." He says, she Rose's mind spins…
She pulls up her scroll, and types in his name. She runs searches and finds nothing. "Hmmm, where are you from?" She asks, thinking.
"Spartum." He says casually.
She runs a search, and while she remembers the town, she doesn't remember anyone specifically.
"Sorry." She says as search results come up empty.
"It's fine, however, would you mind if I did a search or two?" He asked.
"No, why?"
"Well one, I wanted to borrow.a copy of your Grimm-pedia." He explains
"Sure." She says, "But only some of the Grimm-pedia, some of the stuff in there is really nasty."
He begins again, more cautious, "There was one other thing I was hoping to know."
"Abyssal." Rose said more than asked.
"Abyssal..." He said, ..."I want, no, need to know what who he was, and…"
"What he did?" Rose asked.
"No, how to stop him from happening again." He said, his calm mask snapping back up.
"Why?"
"I...I think...I…" He tries to start, he fades away, looking almost like Yang from this morning.
"You think that…" Rose begins, as a thought permeates her mind, both uplifting and terrifying.
"I think I know who I was… and I… I need… I need to know what he did. What… what I did. To you and… and everyone." He finished, almost crying, the possibilities of the hell he put his team through, eating him alive.
Rose pauses, thoughts screaming through her head, realizing just how powerful he could be, and the force for evil he was. She looked down at the teen in front of her. Horrified at the burden this was going to drop on his shoulders, and incredibly relieved at how much this small change was going to tip the balance.