RWBY: Team CRML

Chapter 19

The next day

With the doubles rounds finally over, the one-on-one rounds began. Everyone who was picked currently stood in the center of the stage. "Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for! The one-on-one finals!" Oobleck said.

Liam Branwen, Yang Xiao-Long, Penny Polendina, Pyrrha Nicos, Mercury Black, Sun Wukong and a few other students all stood in the center of the stage.

"Barty, why don't you explain the rules?" Port asked.

"Ah, it's quite simple, Peter. Instead of a bracket system, each round of the finals will be randomly determined immediately before the match takes place!"

"Much like any good hunt, there will be zero time to prepare!" Port said.

"Ah, yes, yes! Now, let's see who our first match will be!"

The randomizer began spinning, however, it wasn't random at all. Watching the livestream from one of the dorm rooms, Shadow and Cinder Fall had hacked the tech used for the tournament. From here, they have been controlling the fights. The entire time, the tournament had been decided by these two individuals.

"Liam Branwen and Mercury Black!"

"Would all other combatants please leave the stage?"

As the others left, Liam drew his sword while Mercury raised his fists.

Chrome watched from his dorm room while Nicci and Marek sat in the bleachers next to Ruby and her team. "You got this Liam!" Weiss cheered.

"Kick his butt!" Ruby shouted.

As the two combatants got closer to one another, Port began the countdown. "3... 2... 1... Begin!"

Mercury went to strike by kicking Liam but it was easily blocked by his sword. Quickly slashing at Mercury, Liam fired off a shot, boosting his speed and nearly hitting Mercury who leaned back to dodge it.

Letting himself fall on his back, Mercury kicked Liam's legs out from under him. Falling on his side, Mercury tried to strike with his heel but Liam rolled away.

Getting back on his feet, Liam slashed at Mercury, the tip of his sword slicing across his cheek. Not phased by it at all, Mercury kicked Liam's sword while firing off a shot from his boot, knocking his weapon from his grasp.

As his sword clattered to the ground, Liam turned to Mercury just as he threw a punch. Quickly ducking to avoid it, Liam placed a hand on the ground and kicked at Mercury's legs, knocking him onto the floor.

Getting back to his feet, Liam looked to where his sword lay. Running over to it, Liam slid across the floor, picking his weapon back up while Mercury began shooting off silvery orbs all around him.

Dodging two as they flew at him, Liam charged Mercury. Just as he neared him, Liam slashed his sword only for Mercury to side step the attack, launching Liam into the air by kicking his chin. Jumping above Liam, Mercury kicked him back onto the ground as all of the silver orbs came crashing down on top of him, creating a thick silver mist.

Thinking he won, Mercury began walking away. Unbeknownst to him, Liam had just enough aura left to get back up and create two decoys of himself. "Hey!" Having them rush Mercury from the mist, Liam quickly followed.

As the two attacked, they vanished, obscuring Mercury's vision just long enough for Liam to slash his blade across his torso. Slashing again and again, Liam fired off a shot with each swing of his blade, quickly draining Mercury's aura into the red.

To finish his aura off entirely, Liam slashed one more time in a circular motion, ending it by roundhouse kicking Mercury, knocking him away.

"What a way to kick off the finals!" Port said as the round was called, giving Liam the win.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Liam smirked at his opponent. "Better luck next time." turning around, he began walking away.

As he walked, Liam suddenly turned back around to face Mercury, aiming his weapon at him and firing off a shot into his shoulder. Mercury immediately clutched his shoulder as he fell to the ground, blood beginning to form under him.

Mercury screamed in pain as Liam just glared at him, the crowd immediately shouting and causing a massive uproar.

"My word!"

"Cut the cameras!"

"My arm! My arm!" Mercury couldn't stop yelling out in pain.

"That's what you get for trying to-" he was cut off as half a dozen AK-200s and two guards surrounded him, all pointing their guns at Liam.

"Liam Branwen, stand down!"

"What? Why?!" Liam asked.

"Mercury!" Emerald rushed to his side.

"Why'd he do that?!" Mercury shouted. "Why'd he attack me?!"

As Emerald glared at Liam, he looked up to the replay screen, watching as he walked by Mercury only to suddenly turn around and shoot him. "What?"

Looking to the crowd, he saw his teammates, along with Ruby and her team, staring at him in disbelief and shock.

As Mercury was being carried off, Liam watched. Turning to the guards surrounding him, Liam dropped his weapon. "You don't understand, he attacked me!"

The guards didn't reply as one of them walked up behind him and put him in cuffs.

End of chapter 19

(For those wondering why it seems like I'm rushing through this, I'm really not trying to. It's just that I know I won't be able to make the fights as good with words as they were in the show. With that out of the way, hope you all liked the change I made to it being from the point of view of the crowd instead of Liam.

I also have massive plans for the next few chapters. I've been thinking about what I could do for a while now and have come to a conclusion for each member of team CRML that I think all of you will enjoy.

So, until then, ciao!)