Ren POV
I'd been standing on one of Beacon's many rooftops and watching the distant lights of Vale twinkle in the crisp, pre-dawn air for more than an hour, and my entire body was complaining. I shoved my numb hands in my pockets and turned to leave.
"They're pretty aren't they?" I turned and saw a girl I didn't recognize leaning on the railing a few feet away. She wasn't there a second ago. She was wearing a red graphic T-shirt, a black leather jacket, a pair of black jeans, and blue shoes. Her blonde hair floated on the chill breeze, but she didn't seem to register the cold at all. She tilted her head back, her eyes closed, and inhaled deeply. She turned a bit and opened one striking cerulean eye, appraising me, waiting for my answer.
I moved back to the railing and stared at the distant lights again.
"They're beautiful." She laughed softly.
"That they are." We stood in comfortable silence for a long while, staring at the lights together.
"Ren?" I heard Nora's voice behind me, but I didn't turn.
She moved closer and leaned against me, presumably to share body heat. I smiled to myself and wrapped and arm around her shoulders. "Yeah?" She made a face.
"You're cold. What are you doing up here?" I shrugged.
"Watching the lights in Vale." I could practically feel the waves of skepticism rolling off of her.
"This early in the morning? Talking to yourself?" I glanced over and was surprised to find that I wasn't all that surprised that the girl was gone. I kind of expected it, actually. I shook my head and squeezed her against my side.
"I guess so."
Skye POV
I panted and leaned against Spencer's back.
"Geez, I can't take much more of this." Everyone else nodded. Spencer groaned.
"Look at the smug bastard. He's not even out of breath!" I trained my gaze on the person in question and saw that he did indeed seem to be breathing easy. Spencer shook his head. "I didn't even land a hit!" Amber rubbed her arm and sighed.
"He's moving much faster than he was before. I don't know if we'll be able to catch him off guard again." Date growled low in his throat and folded his arms, eyeing the boy warily.
"This is annoying." Spencer scoffed.
"Humiliating is more like it." Amber shifted her weight from foot to foot anxiously.
"Maybe he is tired and just isn't showing it?" I nodded slowly.
"It's possible." Spencer glanced around at us.
"Rush him again?" Date shrugged, Amber nodded, and I snorted.
"Why the hell not?" We charged as one, without warning or signal. The enemy stood, watching us approach and I had the feeling he wasn't tired at all, no matter what wishful thinking told us.
Amber attacked first, slashing at his head with her sword, but he ducked slightly and let the attack whistle just past his head. Spencer and Date attacked together, Spencer stabbing with his sword, Harbinger, and Date following up with a swipe that should have cut him in half, but the boy knocked aside Spencer's attack with one of his hatchets and slid backwards out of Date's range. I drew Annex and fired several shots at him, all of which he deflected off the edge of the hatchets.
Damn, this guy's practically invincible. I drew Athame and swung, but he was already moving out of the way, slipping between all of our attacks like water. It went on this way for several minutes, us attacking and him evading, none of us giving and inch, but all too soon we tired out and retreated to a safe distance to regroup.
Mysterious Assailant POV
Oh. . .My. . .Gods. That was way too close. Amber's first attack almost took my head off! Then Spencer and Date. . .I barely got away! I'm too tired for this! What if they get in a lucky hit and take off my hood? I need a better costume. Maybe some sort of mask. Heiress hummed sympathetically in my head. That sounds unfortunate, but I am certain you will be able to hold out until they tire completely. They seem just about done.
I sighed and nodded, but forced myself not to show outward signs of the debilitating fatigue I was feeling on the inside. I'm most worried about Amber, she's still so quick, even as tired as she is! Heiress chuckled and said, with an obviously teasing tone: Finally found someone who can keep up with you, eh? I nodded warily. Uh, sure. You could say that. Could I, now? Does she excite you? Pique your interest? Whet your. . .appetite? I felt my cheeks heat up, but I didn't dignify it with a response, other than to say: Pervert. She just chuckled in response.
I'd been keeping an eye trained in the initiates general direction, but something was niggling at my senses. Something off. Oh no. I stood ramrod stiff and Heiress suddenly sounded nervous. What? What is the matter? I cursed myself for getting careless and my eyes darted back and forth. Tell me, child, what is wrong? I sighed, grimacing. Skye is go-
I cried out as I felt something crash hard into my back and I went flying forward, tumbling end over end helplessly. I abandoned the hatchets in favor of clutching the edge of my hood, fighting to keep it down. I kicked off the ground, flipping up into the air and trying to regain my bearings.
I didn't get very far into the air before something sharp slashed between my shoulder blades and ripped the back of my jacket. My aura protected my skin from most of the damage, but the pain was sharp and I gasped for breath. Not long after that, I slammed hard onto the ground and lay there for a moment, winded. Then I struggled to my knees and peered up at the four people surrounding me. My spine ached with a sharp, throbbing pain that pulsed every few seconds, making me wince slightly.
"Nice follow up, Spence, you got him." I thought it was Skye talking, but I couldn't be sure. I heard them, but it sounded as if the sounds were coming through a layer of cotton balls. Spencer, who was off to my right, smirked and folded his arms across his chest.
"Thanks. You didn't do too bad yourself." I could hear clearer now, and the pain had dulled a bit, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to escape yet. Especially without weapons. Amber stepped forward and kneeled directly I front of me, causing panic to flare in my chest and adrenaline to pump through my veins. She reached for my hood and grasped the edge. Move, darn you, MOVE!
With great effort, I grabbed her wrist quickly, stopping her from lifting it off.
"Don't." I hadn't been planning to speak, and Amber froze, fear passing briefly through her eyes. It was quickly replaced by anger.
"Who are you?" I cleared my throat and wet my lips, stalling. Heiress, what should I do?! She said nothing for a terrifying moment. I do not know. Amber's jaw clenched and I gritted my teeth. She was probably going to try to remove my hood again. No choice then.
"I am the Orchid." I could feel my mobility returning and I knew that I would be able to escape in mere moments. I just had to keep her distracted. Amber pondered my response, visibly confused.
"The. . .Orchid?" She repeated my name and I released her wrist, allowing my hand to fall to the ground. I lifted my head and looked her in the eyes, hoping that it was dark enough that she couldn't see my face.
"Yes." She paused, straining to see my face through the gloom and I knew then that she didn't know who I was. That's good then. My eyes itched a bit as I activated my semblance, and Amber fell backwards, undoubtedly startled by the glow in my eyes. While she was down, I mentally pressed harder, slowly flattening her onto her back.
"Amber?" I wondered briefly if Skye looked as confused as she sounded. I felt the tip of a blade in my back and Date spoke from behind me.
"Whatever you're doing, stop it now." I expanded my senses, seeing the scene as if from several different camera angles. I focused on the sword in his hand, making it heavier and heavier until he sank to his knees, unable to keep it up any longer. He grunted when it pinned his hand to the ground, much like Amber was pinned to the ground.
A click came from my left and I saw Skye level her gun at my head. I did the same thing to her gun and Spencer's feet and hands.
"I. . .can't. . .move!" Amber watched me with wide eyes as I stood and stepped over her, walking steadily away. I heard the engines of an airship approaching quickly, so I released them and ran as far and as fast into the forest as I could, wincing at the pain in my back, my mission accomplished.
Amber POV
Even though something told me that I could move again, I didn't want to risk it, just in case I was wrong. Being held down by an invisible force until you could no longer move is a harrowing experience, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Skye took my hand and pulled me up, looking no worse for the wear.
"What the hellwas that?" She sounded and looked extremely calm and collected, though her eyes told another story. Skye was just a bit shaken herself. "How did he do that?" I shuddered.
"She. And I don't know." Her eyebrows lifted a bit.
"She?" I nodded, remembering the soft and raspy, but definitely feminine voice that spoke from the black hole of the hood just before her bright, bloodred irises began to glow.
I am the Orchid. I shuddered again, harder this time, as if my body was trying to shed the memory. Skye looked up and I followed her gaze to the large airship that had begun its descent. Several people dropped to the ground to my right and Skye snorted.
"What are you doing here?" Dante Stryker ignored her, pacing back and forth at the spot where we'd engaged the Orchid. She knelt and studied the ground for a moment, then stood up and marched over to us. She gave me a once over.
"Are you hurt?" I shook my head and she grunted. "That's good." She turned to one of the girls who landed with her and folded her arms. "Any idea which way they went, Akari?" Akari shrugged.
"None. Your guess is as good as mine." Dante sighed and shook her head.
"Something tells me that we won't find much of anything that'll point to their identity." Akari snorted.
"That would be your common sense, ma'am." Dante cracked a smile at her awful British accent, then was serious again. She turned to us.
"Hi," She said tersely. "Can you tell me everything you know about this guy?" I nodded and thought a bit.
"Well. . .She calls herself the Orchid, she's about your height, mostly likely our age and goes to Beacon, she's extremely skilled in fighting, and has a very unusual power." I thought for a while, recalling how she dodged all our attacks without even having all of us in her field of vision. Unless she has eyes in the back of her head, that is. "It almost seemed like she had a view or awareness of the entire battlefield, and could see all of our attacks coming." Dante nodded and pondered this.
"You said 'she' and 'her'. This Orchid person is a female?" I nodded. "Are you sure? Orchid is definitely a girl?" I nodded again and she smiled. "Thank you Amber. You did great." I smiled back and she winked. "You too, Skye. Thank you al-Hey, where's Spencer?" We looked around and shrugged at each other. Just then he came running from the ruins, clutching something silver in his fist. He grinned at us and held up a giant chess piece. A rook to be precise.
"Mission accomplished." Dante grinned at us, straightening her jacket a bit.
"Congratulations. Ozpin said you guys passed anyway, on account of engaging the Orchid and successfully damaging her enough to send her packing with minimal casualties. Brilliant work, you guys." Skye shrugged.
"Guess we didn't need you after all, then did we?" Dante's expression didn't change, but something flickered across her eyes so fast, I might just have imagined it. She smiled wider.
"Guess not!"
Heh. Bet ya didn't know Dante could be serious, did ya? Well, she can. Blah blah blah, stuff to do, bye.
TWAD #7: I hate shoveling the driveway.