Author's Note: Hey peeps. I don't really need to tell you, but here's chapter seven of Spectre B2F. I have recently suffered from a young author's nightmare: writers' block. Nevertheless, upon checking my views, I noticed that this story has broken a thousand views (if that isn't a milestone, then I don't know what is!). This gave me the kick start I needed to finally finish off chapter eight; I guess third time's the charm, eh? Anyways, I'll probably start chapter nine tomorrow, and I just want to say thanks once again to the magnificent people that are you guys. Spectre approves. (P.S: to CJ Foxy and Elxroid, spot the references!)

Chapter VII: Three Weeks Time

'Anger can be used, or anger can use you.'

Another day, another early morning. The same nightmare, the same fist I threw into the wall after awaking. It was like life was repeating itself – and I hated it.

Just under three weeks had passed since my fight with Yang, the holes in my dorm's walls proved that. I still hadn't cleaned up the mess from that night either, so it was like living in an abandoned building, ill-treated even when people still lived there. I knew a few people who could relate, but they weren't here to discuss it, nor would I want them to be.

I rarely spoke to anyone, or even left the room for that matter… But when I did, I would do it at night or early morning. What would I do in this time? Whatever the mood takes me quite frankly. Some days I would stock up on food, or just get some fresh air. Others I would go to the library and read, or find something to take my anger out on. This could be anything from Grimm in the Emerald Forest, or a low-life thug that chose to mug someone at the wrong time. Both would die very, very slowly and with a lot of pain too.

Pain. That is what I felt once, and that is what people feel in my presence. Whether it physical or psychological, my newfound anger would cause them suffering. Some people would run or avoid me in general. Some would challenge me but were put in their place. Some begged for mercy, and received none…

My anger was the bane of my existence. Whatever foundations I had built here at Beacon had been toppled down weeks ago. Friendships seemed to crumble, relations were severed and my very person had changed into something less… human. And it grew day, after day, after day…

But some days, I would have a clearer head. My conscious would be clung to the dwindling good within me. On these days I would wonder to myself, what happened on that night? What changed me? What will I become? I needed time to think about these things, and seeing as I had no plans today…

Knock, knock.

I sighed. "Interrupted again…" I thought. I moved to the door and opened it halfway, poking my head out from behind the woodwork.

I was greeted by an unexpected face: Pyrrha. "Hello Spectre."

"Oh, hi Pyrrha," I replied, not quite sure what to expect. She was wearing her everyday combat gear, so she probably didn't have a lesson any time soon. She was looking down awkwardly.

"I heard about what happened between you and Yang…"

"Is this what this is about?" I asked, disappointment brewing.

"Oh, no, no! It's just that everyone else is in a class so I'm kind of on my own right now… I was wondering if you wanted to hang out."

I blinked behind my visor. "Sure," I said without really thinking about it.

"Great!" she said with a smile, "So, what do you what to do?"

"I was going to fix my teensy little anger problem, but no sure, I'll hang out…" I thought, cursing myself for my decision. To her it probably looked like I was thinking about her question. "No, actually…" I eventually replied.

She nodded slowly. "I know that you've been spending a lot of time in your dorm, we could just talk in there…"

"No!" I said cutting her off. She looked at me, surprised at my sudden outburst. "I mean, uh… it's kind of a mess in there so…"

The calm smile returned to her face. "Oh, OK then. So maybe we could just… go for a walk?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll just get ready and I'll be right out."

The whole time, I was kicking myself for going out. "You could be doing something productive, you imbecile!" I kept thinking. I managed to push that to one side however, and focused on the few short conversations I had with Pyrrha. It was nice to actually be socialising again, despite the circumstances. I felt that the monster that I had become had resided back to whatever tainted place it had originated. For now anyway.

It didn't take long for us to find refuge in a café, sitting in the sun of the open air balcony. Pyrrha had ordered a tea, whilst I had orange juice. It was orange and that's all that mattered. Taking my mind away from the peace, I broke the silence.

"You didn't come to me just to hang out, did you?"

"Yes I did," she said, nodding quickly, "I was just worried about you, we all are."

I inclined my head to the side, challenging her statement.

Her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. It's just that I need your help."

"Go on."

"So you'll listen?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course," I said leaning in to listen. It was lucky that she caught me on a good day, otherwise I would have said no and probably got angry and wrecked the place or something. Or at least threw my juice carton at her, and that's not very nice at all...

"Great!" She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "I've got some… issues, to do with bullies."

"Cardin's not giving you trouble is he?"

"No, not me… It's Jaune."

I sighed in response; you'd think that someone from the Arc bloodline would be more competent at being a huntsman. Sadly you'd be wrong.

"What has he done to him?" I asked.

"It's just plain bullying," she responded, clearly disgusted at the thought of it, "Things like knocking his books on the floor and shutting him in his own locker."

"I take it someone got him back out again?"

"Well, Cardin also set up its targeting system, and it shot him off campus."

"Ah…" There was a pause to let things sink in. "So, what do you want me to do?" I asked, "I could break his legs or something…"

"No!" she exclaimed, "You don't need to go that far!"

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed. Cardin was the definition of a prick who could really do with broken legs right now.

"What I was hoping you would do," Pyrrha continued, "is maybe teach him how to fight, and stick up for himself." The idea seemed sound, but then I thought of something.

"I thought you were the champion fighter of the group. Why don't you train him?"

"Oh, I plan to. It's just that our classes aren't the same, so we would only get chance to practice in the evenings. If he could work on things outside of class…"

"…He could learn at a faster rate," I finished.

"Yes," she nodded, "It also means that I can focus on the basics whilst you can help out with some things that you are more specialised in."

"So I'll probably cover Grimm studies then."

She winced before answering. "Actually, I've already found someone else for that… Sorry! But you were a mercenary before you joined Beacon, weren't you?"

"Correct."

"That means you've encountered a lot of unique fighting styles, right?"

"Correct again."

"So maybe you could teach him about these fighting styles and point out their weaknesses."

"That's three out of three. Well done! Your prize is my full co-operation in your exploits."

Her face lit up. "Thanks! I appreciate it, and I'm sure that Jaune will too."

"No problem," I said nodding coolly, "After all, basic fighting styles will be good for school, but in the open world, it's rare to find people who only dedicate themselves to one."

She seemed really interested in my words, like I was an old man telling his grandchild a story. It was actually getting pretty awkward now…

"So…" I began, changing the subject, "How are the others doing?" I didn't know whether I actually wanted to know or not. It was probably for the best though.

"Oh, well my team's doing fine," she said happily, "Team RWBY was a little off a couple of weeks ago, but they seem fine now."

I took a few moments to absorb that before asking the next question.

"Do they… talk about me often?"

"Sometimes." Her tone had completely changed now. "When you're brought up in a conversation, they all go quiet, Yang and Ruby in particular."

I nodded in understanding. "They haven't forgiven me then?"

She hesitated before answering. "No… Yang still hates you."

"How much?"

"I believe she said she would 'cut off your testicles and force feed them to you'…" she muttered looking away from me.

I sighed. "That's a lot then… What about the others?"

"Ruby stays quiet and looks down – she used to really like you, you know."

"Really?" I asked putting my juice carton on the table.

"Yes. She never used to shut up about how cool you were, but now…"

It pained me to see how things had changed so quickly. I placed my palm just above my visor.

"Are you OK?" Pyrrha asked with concern.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine…" I breathed, "Carry on."

She hesitated but continued. "I can't tell with Weiss. Sometimes she's angry, but sometimes she seems sad. She looks like she shows pity towards you though."

Well as surprising as that was, it was also nice to know that I could still talk to one of them without something bad happening.

"And finally there's Blake. I don't think you two really talked much, so I don't really know. She can be hard to read."

I sat for a good minute collecting my thoughts, deciding my next move.

"What are you thinking?" Pyrrha asked. I was impressed by her inquisitiveness and by the fact she guessed what I was doing.

"I'm thinking that I haven't decided yet," I said smiling, not that she could see it but it was the thought that counted.

She giggled. "Do you want to know what I think of you?"

I took a sip from my juice and looked back at her. "Humour me."

"I think you're a great person," she said confidently, "You may not realise it, but you influence the people around you in ways you can't imagine." That was certainly a confidence booster, but there was one problem I had with it.

"If I'm such a great person, then why do I shout at my friends and make them loath me?"

She shrugged. "I don't think that was you talking. I also don't think – no I know that you wouldn't do that. Not willingly… Call me crazy, but I think that there may be something else in play. Something that has sparked a fire within you…"

There was another period of silence between us, as we both considered the idea.

"I'm sorry… That's just weird," she said apologetically, "I guess my imagination got ahead of me…"

"Don't worry, it's more than I had a minute ago," I reassured, "I'll definitely consider the idea."

She gave me that 'I'm a granddad' look again.

"What?"

"I was right about the great guy part," she explained, "and I can see why everyone liked you so much."

I chuckled softly, the thought alone cheering me up. "Thanks Pyrrha."

She held the expression and returned to drinking her tea.

Not having much left to talk about, we soon left and made our way back to Beacon in near enough silence, taking in the sights and soaking in the nice weather. We were plodding along at a manageable pace, when a thought sprung into my head.

"What time is your next lesson?" I asked glancing at my scroll.

"Oh, not until another half hour, so we've got some time left."

"What class is it anyway?"

"Sparing practice, it always is a fun one."

As silence fell between us once more, we took a shortcut through the park. There was a large lake in the centre, a large wooden bridge spanning its banks. A flotilla of ducks circled the lake, patrolling for anything out of the ordinary, while their young kept away from the land. They were such funny things... Just as I thought that, one seemed to glare at me, staring into my soul. Feeling its gaze's affect me, I quickly turned my attention elsewhere.

I found myself focused on a man and his child. They were happy playing hide and seek, the boy counting behind a tree and the dad hiding in a tantalisingly easy spot. I had never considered it before, but the sight made me envious. I had never gotten to do that with my father, not that I know of at least. Despite this, it inspired me; should I ever become a father, I would never let my child live the life of neglect that I had.

Leaving the park and entering the campus again, we reached the fork in the path; the left path led to the dorms and the right to the assembly hall.

I stopped midway. "This has been nice Pyrrha, but I'd better get back to my room…"

"I understand," she said running her fingers through her hair, "I'll keep in touch."

"That'd be great. Thanks again, by the way."

"No problem, I guess I'll see you later then."

"Yeah…"

With that she turned away, still looking over her shoulder and smiling at me for a few seconds before focusing on where she was going.

I sighed. "Back to the way things were…" I thought glumly, as I turned on my heels and made for the dorms. Something stopped me though. I saw a flash of light, and a series of images flicked across my retinas. I could see myself, and Pyrrha. We were fighting together, back to back, taking out other competitors in some sort of tournament. My vision darkened and a voice echoed in my head.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

After that, my sight had been restored and I was dropped back into reality. The vision had a simple message, but a clear one. I made my way down to the assembly hall.

The hall was empty when I got there. It was a strange sight to see, as the last time I was here, the entire academy was present. The large stage at the front also served as a dueling area for teaching students combat. Being the only one here, with exception to myself, Pyrrha was up there swinging her weapons at the air around her, honing her already masterful manoeuvres with expert precision.

I managed to make it onto the stage before she noticed me, freezing mid swing.

"Nice moves," I praised stopping a few metres from her.

"Oh, I thought you went back to your dorm," she said in surprise, "What made you change your mind?"

"Let's say that a little birdie told me otherwise," I replied, deciding to cover up the vision; it was best not to complicate things.

She lowered her stance, amused by my comment. "Then it seems that this 'little birdie' has made a good decision. You've brought your weapons, so I can guess what you came here for."

I had indeed picked up my weapons on my way there. A friendly spar while we waited for the lesson to start couldn't hurt.

"I've never fought a champion duelist before," I said moving to one side of the stage, "It could be fun."

She did the same, backing up to the opposite end of the stage. "How do you want to do this?" she asked, "We can do it tournament rules or freestyle."

"I'm not used to rules in combat," I replied.

"Freestyle it is then. We'll start on the buzzer." At that, she pulled out her scroll and seemed to set an alarm for a random amount of time. As she put the scroll away, I started counting in my head.

"One, two…"

I pulled Doom and Fall from their sheaths steadily, letting my arms fall to my sides.

"Four, five…"

I slowed my breathing, studying Pyrrha's stance. She had her shield raised loosely, her arm at a ninety degree angle, sword at the ready.

"Seven, eight…"

Before we knew it, we were circling each other perfectly. Our focus was a solid wall, as hard as diamonds.

"Eleven, twelve…"

The buzzer sounded, a series of short beeps piercing the air. I Void-Jumped, and by the time the first burst of beeps had ended, I was already on her. My swords sparked against her shield, her defence recoiling back at the speed and ferocity of my blows. Nevertheless, she held strong, so I Jumped to her right and ran in once more. She had enough room to turn her weapon into its spear form, using it in an attempt to keep me at a distance. I was forced on the defensive as I dodged and parried her attacks. One thrust scraped past the side of my helmet, disorienting me for the tiny moment she needed to inflict a good blow. She lashed out with her leg, and I was thrown backwards as her boot collided with my chest.

Landing a good distance away, I curled my back and rolled back to my feet. Pyrrha was waiting for me, her weapon now in its rifle form and its barrel staring back at me. I grunted back at it and slammed Fall's hand guard into the side of my helmet. As the familiar armour plate clunked into position, I darted around her, letting my swords spit metallic death at her. She returned fire with cartridges of her own, whilst using her shield to deflect my stream of bullets. The merciless suppressive force of Doom and Fall combined eventually caused her to stop firing her rifle and focusing on defensive strategies.

As my swords clicked empty, I Jumped straight at her. The shock on Pyrrha's face over the next few seconds were justified; one moment I was firing on her, the next I had forced her shield from her grasp and hurled out of reach. I continued by taking her legs out from under her and knocking her to the floor. She raised her sword in a desperate attempt to defend herself, but I kicked it to one side.

"OK, I've won now…" I thought, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. I raised Doom in an underhand grip and was about to plunge it deep into her neck. My mind was screaming for me to stop, but my body wouldn't listen. My sword blade swung downwards. As Doom was falling however, Pyrrha moved her hand towards the side of the blade. She didn't actually touch it, but the blade swung wide and sank into the floor next to her head.

"What the…?" Then Pyrrha two-footed me in the face and I ended up on my back again. It gave me a few moments to collect my thoughts. "Polarity, eh?" I thought. It wasn't too long before she was looking over me.

"I'm sorry!" she said apologetically, "I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

I didn't answer. I was still trying to make out what just happened. Why did I do that? It was only then that I realised just how worked up I had gotten. A worrying sign.

"You did well throughout, especially at the end," she continued, "I'd say you even won…"

"Call it a draw," I said suddenly biting down the rage just below the surface, wanting to move on.

Pyrrha smiled and offered to help me up. I clasped my hand in hers and in a joint effort, I was pulled to my feet.

"Well done," a familiar voice said from behind me. We both turned to see that it was Miss Good-Witch. "I'm sure the rest of my students enjoyed the last of your unauthorised duel."

We both span round to the seating area in front of the stage and there was indeed a class-full of students there. Team RWBY was in the front, and them seeing me nearly take Pyrrha's head off probably didn't do me any favours.

"We're very sorry Miss Good-Witch," Pyrrha said for me, "I will take my seat now if you don't mind."

"Of course Miss Nikos." With that Pyrrha gave me a short wave and stepped down from the stage. Then Miss Good-Witch turned to me: "Now Spectre. It seems that you have recovered from your incident three weeks ago. Would you like to join us?"

I noticed that her steely gaze had turned to treacle, just like on the first day. I looked past her and at Team RWBY. Weiss was giving me the no-go, Blake stared at me uneasily, Yang scowled at me and ran her finger across her neck, and Ruby couldn't even look at me. That was the worst part. I didn't need their input for my answer though.

"Uh, no thanks Miss. I'll just uh… head back to my dorm…"

She examined me for a few seconds before being satisfied. "Very well Spectre, if that is what you feel is best." And with that, I nodded my thanks and exited the hall, wrenching Doom from the newly cracked floor as I went.