Sun shuffled from side to side as he zipped up his cargo shorts, and then threw on a deep purple Atlas Academy uniform top, neglecting to button the front. Next came his fingerless, elbow-length black gloves and his remaining right-handed red gauntlet, before he secured Ghira's pauldron into its usual spot upon the other shoulder. With a quick flick of his fingers through the front of his hair to muss it a bit more, Sun stood at the ready and leaned into the side of the doorframe, his arms crossed and tail swishing softly.
Across the room, Jaune had opted to pull on a pair of simple jeans and a black sweater. He was in the middle of securing Pyrrha's sash around his waist as he finally noticed that Sun was looking at him with a smirk.
"What's up?"
"Not much," Sun said with a shrug as he kept his eyes firmly locked upon the jagged, uneven field of broken salsa chips that the other boy was still trying to pass off as a hairstyle. "Just… in a good mood, I guess. Today's the day, and you pulled off a miracle for us with Corsac. Feels like there's a lot to be happy about."
Jaune returned the smile as he finally managed to get the sash in place through his belt loops and tied off a knot, before sliding an actual belt through them as well.
"Yeah. It's… definitely exciting, but also a little intense. I mean, these upgrades might be 'free', but they come with the price of getting big, serious, covert jobs from Ironwood from now on," Jaune reminded. "We're not even legal huntsmen. The amount of pressure is crazy…"
"Eh, we'll make it work," Sun reassured. "We didn't come this far to lame out now, right?"
"No, we didn't," Jaune agreed as he approached the door. "And I will admit… it's also a little exciting to see what the girls did to their weaponry and chose as combat gear. Do you think it'll be as cool as ours?"
"Probably. I'd bet Yang just added some kind of explosives to her gauntlets," Sun half-joked as he made his way out the door and down the hall with Jaune in tow. "No idea what Weiss is doing. She said it was a surprise, and something totally different."
"And Ilia… whatever she's doing, I'm sure it's sadistic, and she finds it hilarious," Jaune replied. "Maybe she'll just abandon the shock-whip entirely and start carrying a rocket launcher."
"Yeah, maybe," Sun guessed as they made their way through the halls and toward the lobby. "I dunno. I think the whip is here to stay. It's a personal thing, for her."
"Like a family heirloom?" Jaune asked. "Mine is…"
"Like… she used to ribbon dance," Sun corrected. "But don't tell her I told you. She'd kick my ass."
"…I can't imagine Ilia dancing," Jaune said with a soft laugh. "Well. Not sober Ilia…"
"That's pretty much what I said, too," Sun admitted. "Still… Ilia's cool. She's been through a lot. I'm still worried about her being here in Atlas…"
"Hey. We'll get through it," Jaune reassured as the boys made it through the lobby and stepped into the elevator. "We've dealt with more awkward things at this point, and we're her friends. Even if she wants to smack us half the time."
"Isn't that what being a friend is?" Sun asked.
"…yeah, kinda," Jaune agreed. "While we're on the subject, though, before we get to R&D… do you think she and Yang are a thing? I think they're a thing, even if they deny it."
Sun paused to consider, his tail idly swishing from side to side as the elevator descended.
"…nah. I think… Ilia's legitimately just having fun with it. She needs something else in a relationship, as far as I can tell. Someone that could balance her intensity, rather than amplifying it. I hope she does find someone, though."
"Yeah. Me too," Jaune agreed. "I hope we all do…"
"Speaking of- are you still into Weiss?" Sun asked, only for Jaune to immediately stiffen up.
"I… I don't know," Jaune said slowly. "To be honest, I haven't really felt a strong attraction to anyone since Pyrrha. Losing her kinda killed my interest until very recently."
"Hey," Sun began, his voice low. "Don't force yourself t-"
"No," Jaune interrupted. "I'm done with that. I'm not treating her name like something that can't be said anymore, and I largely have you to thank for that. I do need to move on, while keeping her in my thoughts. I don't really have an answer for you about Weiss, or anyone else, right now. That's really all there is to it."
"…huh," Sun offered as the elevator arrived at its destination and the door slid open. "If you're sure. Just… think about it. Having someone there in that capacity changes things. Everything, really."
"I can imagine," Jaune replied as the boys began to walk once again. The halls before them were a metallic, gunmetal grey with red lines running parallel to the ceiling about a foot off the ground. "What about… not having her here? You seem to be handling it pretty well."
"That's because thoughts of her keep me going," Sun explained as they rounded a corner together. "Our connection is that strong. Knowing I'll see her again is enough."
"Well, if it ever feels like it isn't… I'm here to talk," Jaune offered. "I know I don't really have the experience, but you know… just, bro stuff. If you need it."
"…I'll keep that in mind," Sun replied as he finally made it to a massive, horizontally divided steel door.
"R&D" was emblazoned upon the front of the portal in big, red, italicized letters, and a small scanner was mounted upon the wall next to the frame. Sun took out his new scroll and touched it to the scanner, before a robotic voice boomed out "Welcome, Sun Wukong" from a speaker within the device. The large doors separated vertically, revealing a wall with various departments and related arrows painted upon it in coordinated colors.
"Do you think the girls are already here?" Jaune asked as he followed Sun in the direction of "Weapons Lab", a bright green trail of arrows painted upon the floor guiding them forward.
"I know they are. Weiss texted me while we were getting dressed," Sun explained. "Apparently, they put too many belts on her new battle gear, and she had to show up early to make some adjustments."
"…too many belts…?" Jaune asked, his confusion clear in his tone.
"Yeah, I dunno," Sun said with a shrug. "You'd think the top Atlesian scientists working in this field would've figured that out before she tried it on, but then again… you guys did design your stuff yourselves…"
"Ilia's going to be covered in spikes, isn't she?" Jaune deadpanned.
"Yeah, probably."
Sun led the way into the weapons lab entrance, where several lockers were mounted upon the side walls. The faunus strode up to a locker with the number "73" upon painted upon it with confidence and touched his scroll to the scanner upon the door. The obstructing metal swung aside immediately, and Sun reached inside to find a modified version of Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang, which he pulled out with a wicked grin.
"Your guns… have cords instead of chains, now?" Jaune asked as he raised a brow. "Is that really all you wanted…?"
"Not quite," Sun answered, stuffing the collapsed weapons into his belt loops before Jaune could get a good look at them. "You'll see once we find the training room. How about yours?"
"Mine has… two small, but significant upgrades," Jaune began as he approached the locker labeled "32" and held his scroll to the scanner. "One based more in supportive defense for all of us, and one for offense."
"Lookin' out for the team, huh?" Sun asked as he watched Jaune pull the sheathed Crocea Mors from its holding chamber, along with a white gauntlet that had a purple gem inlaid within the palm. "What's that?"
"This," Jaune said as he slipped on the gauntlet and then tapped a similar gemstone upon the sheath of his weapon, "is some gravity dust. I asked Marrow how he keeps calling back his boomerang and took inspiration from that. So now, I've got my biggest weakness covered- I've got a projectile."
Sun raised a brow as he watched his friend's sheath extend outward into its familiar shield form.
"…a heavy metal shield is one hell of a projectile. The glove calls it back?"
"That's right," Jaune said with a nod before two glowing green extensions popped out from either side of the shield itself. "And it's now got better coverage. Or energy blades, when thrown."
"…wow," Sun complimented as he moved in closer to look over the shield. "You really went all-out. That's some cool stuff!"
"Cool, and useful," Jaune said proudly as he collapsed the entire unit back into its smaller, more portable sheath form. "I guess we should meet the girls in the armory, and then get some sparring in with our new weaponry?"
"Yeah, we should," Sun agreed as he looked to the nearby sign. "Follow the orange arrows. Man, I'm excited, now! New weaponry is always fun."
"You're starting to sound like Ruby," Jaune pointed out as the boys walked back out into the hall. "Are you sure she's not your soulmate?"
"Maybe in another world," Sun joked with a shrug. "I'm perfectly happy with Blake, thanks."
Jaune merely chuckled and followed Sun into the nearby armory, where rows upon rows of racks held bagged battle outfits, uniforms, and customized armor.
"Whoa… it's like the whole Atlesian military comes through here…"
"They probably do," Sun guessed. "Your upgraded armor's gotta be here somewhere, right?"
"Yeah," Jaune replied as he took out his scroll once again. "I'll find the right row, somehow…"
"Sun! Jaune!"
Sun looked toward the source of the voice, only to find a familiar friend approaching in a very unfamiliar outfit. Weiss Schnee was dressed in a rather ornate, frilly combat dress of sheer material with red accents, a deep blue clasped mantle around her shoulders and arms, and darker blue gloves. Around her waist was what appeared to be the entire belt section of a department store, alongside various utility pouches.
"I… thought you were having some belts removed…?" Sun asked warily.
"…I did," Weiss replied flatly. "What, is it still too many?"
"No," Sun quickly denied. "No, that's… it looks good!"
"Are the belts really the only thing you noticed that's interesting?" Weiss asked as she folded her arms across her chest, clearly unimpressed.
"Is your… hair thicker?" Jaune asked hesitantly.
Weiss replied by flipping her long, braided ponytail with a hand and smirking.
"I did start using a new shampoo, but that's not what I meant."
With the subtlety of a gunshot, Weiss tapped the ball of her foot to the tile floor with a resounding clack and lifted her heel while tilting it off to one side. Her shoes seemed to be a hybrid of something formal and mechanical, appearing as an ankle strap platform shoe with a thick, cylindrical heel that looked to be made of a polished red metal. A sort of flexible hose extended up her calf and ended in a small, metallic dome strapped just below and behind her knee.
"Uh… what am I looking at, exactly?" Sun asked as Weiss rotated her leg to offer the boys a better view.
"A surprise," Weiss said lightly as she offered the faunus a grin.
"Oh, come on!" Jaune whined. "First Sun, and now you're doing it, too? I showed off my upgrades!"
"Well," came a sultry voice from behind Jaune as a mechanical yellow hand tapped him on the shoulder. "Show me yours, and I'll show you mine."
Jaune turned to find Yang standing just behind him with a devious smile. Though her outfit wasn't a far cry from the one she had arrived with in Atlas, it certainly offered more coverage. The woman was clad in a brown leather getup that covered her entire body, with a fur collar around the neckline. The only other major change was a pair of dark orange sunglasses that hid her eyes, which she promptly tilted up to rest upon her forehead.
"I… what?" Jaune asked, taken aback.
"You heard me. We could do it with weapons, too, if you want," she added with a playful wink.
"Cool shades," Sun offered. "Are they tactical, or something? Built-in scanners? Night vision? Heat vision?"
"Nah," Yang replied as she waved her mechanical hand dismissively. "I just wanted to waste the money of the elite on a new pair of sunglasses in a dope color. That's all."
"…seriously?" Weiss seethed.
"Well yeah. Everyone looks better in sunglasses," Yang said as she dropped them back in front of her eyes. "Are we doing weapon show-and-tell, or not? Sounds like you two are leaving surprises for the sparring ring, even after Jaune blew his load already?"
"Ugh. You really don't have to say it like that," Weiss scolded with a frown.
"I really do," Yang protested as she propped up her elbow upon Jaune's shoulder. "You should know better by now, and besides- I'm in a good mood."
"I think we all are," Jaune added. "Hey- where's Ilia?"
"Getting changed," Weiss answered. "Her outfit is a bit more… extreme than her previous attire. I will say, though, it suits her."
"I'm excited," Sun replied. "It's about time she got what she wanted, even if it's just a small victory like this. Besides, if any of us should be excited to blow a bunch of Atlesian money, it would be her."
"I'd say that goes for all of us," Yang said as she tilted her sunglasses down to look over the rims. "You're really not doing anything with your outfit other than swapping out the top, Sun?"
"Do I need to?" the faunus asked as he tilted his head. "What can I say, I like to keep it simple."
"And breezy," Jaune replied. "Seriously- we're in Solitas. You should get a jacket…"
"Yeah, yeah," Sun said dismissively. "When we go outside, I'll just wear an Academy uniform with the jacket. It's no big deal."
"I remember the days when buttoning a shirt was a big deal for you," Weiss reminded. "Blake had to struggle to get you to wear a tie to the dance."
"And now, she's probably tying him to the bed, instead," Yang teased. "How time flies…"
"I don't… we haven't…" Sun sputtered, beginning to turn red.
"Oh, Blake's absolutely into that sort of thing," Ilia called out as her footfalls echoed across the tile floor. "I've seen some of the books she reads. Get ready for it when you two see each other again."
All heads in the room turned to face Ilia as she made her way to the edge of the circle of friends, and Sun's jaw dropped at the sight of her. Ilia Amitola was wearing a black crop top with a zig-zagging, lightning bolt shaped golden zipper down the center. Resting atop the shirt was a black mantle that extended outward to cover her shoulders, from which a long, silver, chainmail veil hung down to cover her left arm. She wore a pair of black bracers, and the left one extended into a fully-covered glove with tiny, multicolored dust crystals sewn into the fingertips. Her midriff was entirely bare, showing off her olive skin and the freckles upon it, and the look was topped off by pleather pants and calf-high boots with goldens zippers in the back and matching accents near the toes. Large gold chains hung atop the veil and at her waist, providing gaudy accents to the otherwise predominantly black outfit. Finally, upon her left hip was an imprint of her emblem- a broken heart with a chameleon's tail wrapped around it, done up in bright gold.
"…I think I speak for the group when I say holy shit, Ilia," Yang said as she took of her sunglasses entirely. "You look…"
"…incredible," Sun finished for her as the girl paused. "Combat ready. Deadly."
"Like you're happy with yourself," Weiss added as she gave the girl an encouraging smile.
"I am, for the first time in a long time," Ilia replied as she quickly ran a hand through her short, feathered hair. "It might sound dumb, but… I think a major shake-up like this is just what I needed, right now. Things feel like they're looking up, just a little."
"It doesn't sound dumb," Jaune reassured. "We've all got our little things that help as along, and if yours is a new set of clothes… then more power to you."
"…are you seriously planning to fight in jeans and a sweater?" Ilia asked flatly as she looked the boy over.
"…my armor's on one of the racks!" Jaune said with exasperation. "I try to be nice, and this is what I get…"
Sun rolled her eyes and laughed, before shaking his head.
"Alright. Jaune, let's get your armor… and then let's go play with our new toys."
"It's just over here," Weiss informed as she led the group toward a large door quite like the one to the weapons lab. "I think you're all going to be pretty impressed with what's on offer."
"Can't believe you trained here," Yang replied with a shake of her head. "If this is all as high-tech as you're implying, then you came to Beacon way ahead of all of us."
"I've only been down here a few times," Weiss corrected as she touched her scroll to the doorside scanner. "Winter brought me to the Academy to train privately, away from the prying eyes of my father. Once he found out I was intending to go to Beacon… he cut off my access to the Academy grounds entirely. Hopefully our permissions have been updated, or else…"
"Welcome, Weiss Schnee," the speaker stated in monotone as if on cue.
"Perfect," Weiss said with a grin as the doors slid open to reveal a room nearly half the size of Amity Coliseum's floor space. "Here we are."
"…I hate you, and I also want to kiss you," Ilia said as she followed Weiss into the massive chamber. "Holy shit look at this money…"
The cavernous training room was indeed made up of the best technology available, to the point of the entranceway turning yellow as another robotic voice crackled to life throughout the hidden speakers around the room.
"Please remain still while we scan your biometric data."
"…biometric data…?" Jaune asked, taking a hard swallow.
Yang smirked and pocketed her sunglasses.
"Yeah, they're gonna scan to see who's got tighter muscles between you and Sun, who has the best rack between the girls, and which of you boys has a bigger d-"
"Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc, and Sun Wukong identified. Fifth biometric signature detected. Please state your name to manually create a database entry or say 'recalibrate' to try again. Do not step off the entranceway square before registering successfully."
"…huh?" Sun asked, immediately looking at Ilia. "It can't see you…?'
"She is part chameleon," Yang replied with finger guns and a wink.
"It's not that," Ilia stated coldly. "I bet I know what the problem is."
The group watched as Ilia slowly withdrew her gifted scroll from her pocket and pressed a button to turn the device on. The screen blinked to life, and Ilia narrowed her eyes.
"…recalibrate."
A tense moment passed in which no one moved, and the room was silent. Quite suddenly, the lighted panel of flooring switched from yellow to green, and a gentle ding echoed through the facility.
"Ilia Amitola, identified. All present are authorized to use the facilities with Level One clearance. Enjoy your stay."
"Level One clearance, huh?" Yang asked. "Guess we're not VIPs yet. Any idea what that means, Weiss?"
"It means we have basic access," the former heiress replied as she walked out onto the floor of the training room proper. The floor, walls, and ceiling were comprised of white squares with blue light seams around each. "This place is… or can be amorphous. A scroll-controlled, malleable battleground designed to emulate any condition you can think of in the field. Terrain changes, holographic opponents… you name it, this room can do it."
"…for Level Two clearance, I'm guessing?" Jaune asked in an annoyed tone.
"…Level Three," Weiss answered as she turned to face him. "Level Two simply grants access to tutorials that allow you to learn how to control the various aspects of the facility."
"Does Level Four get us access to the vending machines?" Ilia snarked. "And let's not gloss over what just happened- they are watching us. I told you. I'm sure there are hidden cameras all over the place in here."
"Yeah, but… I think it's kinda justified, in this case," Jaune said hesitantly. "If I was Ironwood, I wouldn't want just anyone in here, either."
Ilia threw up her hands and shook her head in response.
"Just keep on making excuses. I bet if I turn my scroll off again, an alarm will sound."
"Please don't," Weiss requested as she drew Myrtenaster from the side of her orgy of belts. "I'd like to get some training in without being harassed."
"Speaking of, what are we doing, people?" Yang asked as she pulled her organic arm across her body and pressed it against the other in a classic resistance stretch. "Anyone up to rumble for a bit? I could use a little stress relief, and sparring is the best way to get used to new tech."
"Hell yeah, sparring sounds great right about now," Sun agreed as he sank into a low stretch, bending one leg while straightening the other out to the side. "Who's up first?"
"…hey, so remember that time you blew me through a window with a shotgun blast?" Ilia asked sweetly. "Payback's a bitch. Let's go, big bro."
"Ooh, Ilia with the callout," Yang encouraged as she stepped off to the side. "Kick his ass!"
"Hey!" Sun griped as he drew his weaponry from his belt loops. "Why are you on her side!?"
"Because we share a bed, and if I back you up, I'll have to sleep alone," Yang answered with a shrug. "Solitas is cold at night, man."
"…that's actually incredibly fair," Sun said with a nod, before turning his attention to Ilia. "But if I remember correctly, you're responsible for the electrical burn on my palm, little sis."
"Ooh, Sun spitting hot fire!" Jaune encouraged, only for the other boy to give him an uncertain look.
"…no," Weiss admonished before grabbing the boy's shoulder and yanking him off to the side and out of the way. "Stop that."
"Hey!" Jaune whined as he was pulled away. "Sun needs a cornerman! Go for the ankles! She has to get used to those boots! That's probably her weak point!"
Ilia merely rolled her eyes and adopted a combat stance, cracking her electrified whip against the floor as she blew an errant lock of short chocolate hair from her eyes.
"Ready when you are, monkey boy."
"Are you?" Sun asked with a teasing grin.
Ilia let out an intimidating yell for a girl her size and ran forward, cracking her weapon against the ground again as she charged. The moment her whip reformed into its swordlike state, Sun flailed one of his guns forward in a looping motion. Instead of the typical, nunchaku-like spin that Ilia had grown so used to, the weapon zipped forward at high speed, the golden cord that had replaced the chain between the paired shotguns extending rapidly. The bright red firearm wrapped around her dominant hand just before the cord retracted, pulling her forward and out of balance as Sun leapt into a spinning sidekick. The blow impacted Ilia's stomach with enough force to send her tumbling backward across the floor in a heap as the boy landed and reeled his gun back in with the touch of a button.
"Bullets are cool and all, but I felt like I was lacking ranged options," Sun explained as he casually whirled the weapon off to one side. "I've got another trick up my sleeve for later, too."
Ilia snorted as she got to her feet and narrowed her eyes.
"Yeah? So do I."
Again, the girl charged forward, and Sun let one of his guns fly outward before pulling it back and wrapping the high-tension cable around himself several times. He stood ready as Ilia approached, only for the girl to touch the light green gemstone upon her gloved hand's middle finger to her palm. Quite suddenly, her entire body became a swirling tempest of wind in the vague shape of a young woman, and the slug that Sun fired to stop her advance passed straight through her. Ilia took the opportunity to throw a hard punch into Sun's chest, the buffeting wind intensifying as it impacted the boy. Sun was sent flying backward, only for a harsh, screeching noise of metal-on-metal to echo through the training room as he skidded backward along the ground. Ilia winced and covered her ears at the noise, before looking up to see the second of Sun's upgrades.
From beneath the barrel of Ruyi Bang, a six inch, hooked blade had sprung out of the weapon and dug into the ground. The deadly point tore easily through the tiled floor and had effectively slowed Sun's momentum, allowing him to stay upright in a crouch after the blow. With a flick of the wrist, the blade retracted back under the weapon, and Sun rose to stand straight.
"…so, you figured out a way to use your semblance however you want, whenever you want," Sun observed. "Clever. Effective."
"That's the only reason I lost in Kuo Kuana," Ilia boasted as she removed her middle finger from her palm and reverted to flesh. "Turning into dirt or kitchen tile isn't exactly useful."
"One to one," Sun acknowledged as he cracked his neck. "First to break aura?"
"Bring it on," Ilia challenged as she spun her weapon and held it with both hands.
At his friend's words, two golden clones burst forth from Sun and began to sprint to either side of Ilia. The faunus gripped his guns while hurling their attached twins to either of the clones, and the pair began to pull the cords in either direction while beginning to circle Ilia. Before they got a chance to trap her, Ilia ran forward and stabbed for Sun's chest while out of range, only to extend the tip of her weapon while the boy was attached to his clones by the lengthening cords of his weaponry. Without hesitation, Sun let his weapons go and fell back to the ground and under the weapon, before kicking back up into a standing position as his projections opened fire on the girl with their dual guns.
With a touch of her thumb to her palm, Ilia became a watery specter. Several bullets passed through her body and caused sprays of clear liquid to fly about, masking her movements as she closed the distance once again. Sun backed off to observe her and tensed as he watched Ilia's watery, vaguely defined weapon lash out for him from within the viscous veil. Her arm and the weapon itself returned to their solid, physical forms as they struck out, and Sun threw out a carefully aimed axe kick for the exposed limb in the spare second that he had before she recovered. As his heel crashed into what he expecting to be flesh, he instead met with smooth, grey stone which rapidly spread across Ilia's entire body. Sun let out a grunt of effort as his kick bounced harmlessly off the girl's arm, and he soon found himself upon his back as she bowled him over with a haymaker from her free hand.
"Are you done?" Ilia asked before pressing her shin down into his chest. Flecks of stone flew from her back as Sun's doppelgangers continued to pepper her with gunfire.
"Nope. But I get the feeling you're close," Sun pointed out as the stone covering Ilia's face began to recede. "You've never switched elements this fast before, have you?"
As if to answer, the remaining stone blinked out of existence all at once, and Ilia's aura fizzled as a net of dull, pulsating orange strands before disappearing entirely.
"Oh, come on!" the girl lamented from her position atop Sun's chest.
"Well. You played yourself," Yang pointed out with a shrug. "A high-impact semblance like that isn't gonna come cheap in terms of aura, and besides- that's why we're doing this training, right? Test out our new gear, figure out its limitations."
"Yeah, yeah," Ilia grumbled as she stood from Sun's chest and offered the boy a hand. "You win. Again."
"Hey, third time's the charm," Sun reassured as he rose to stand. "That's a cool glove, though. Who's up next?"
"Probably not who you'd think," Weiss replied in a dreary tone as she looked down at her scroll. "The Aces are on their way here."
"Seriously?" Ilia huffed. "They're not even trying to hide that they're stalking us, now."
"Actually… I think this one might be coincidence," Weiss countered as she met Ilia's eyes. "I've been talking to Marrow throughout most of this."
"Oo-"
Yang's noise stopped immediately as a tiny, rotating black glyph manifested around her pursed lips, robbing her of the ability to speak as Weiss held up her free hand.
"No. Apparently, the Aces train here daily, around this time. That much, I can absolutely believe."
"Seems legit," Sun agreed. "Also seems like a good opportunity. Jaune, my man! Time for you to fight Clover! Good luck!"
"What!?" Jaune balked, seemingly offended. "Not just no- hell no! Of all of the Aces, I'm definitely not trying to fight their leader. To be honest, I don't think I'm ready to fight any of them. I wouldn't be surprised if none of us are."
"Pfft," Yang replied, splattering spit all about. "Cn oo rereese my tong?"
Weiss lowered her hand, and the glyph disappeared. Yang rubbed at her mouth before shaking out her hand and giving her friend a playful glare.
"Blah. I'll take 'em on. Any of 'em. I want Elm, actually. She's a beefy girl."
"Not before I get my chance," Weiss denied as she snapped her scroll shut and put it into her pocket. "I'd like to see what Marrow can do."
Yang opened her mouth to speak, only to close it immediately as Weiss raised her hand threateningly. Weiss lowered her hand only for the blonde to try again, at which point Weiss raised her hand even higher and narrowed her eyes.
"Come on, Yang," Ilia scolded. "Don't pick on Weiss. It's her first crush."
"Hey!"
Weiss whirled toward the sliding door as the Ace Ops stepped into the arena. Marrow was at the head of the pack, all smiles and tail wagging enthusiastically as he jogged over to approach the group.
"Hey guys!" the man said happily, his entire body shifting subtly with the movements of his tail as he stood before the assembled teens. "Get any good fights in? It's pretty cool in here, isn't it?"
"The coolest," Sun agreed as he looked over the rest of the Aces, who approached with far less speed and energy. Harriet had an uneasy, tight-lipped expression upon her face, while Elm at least had the courtesy to smile and wave. Clover seemed decidedly neutral in his mood, while the towering man behind him had an unreadable, intimidating expression as he kept his hands folded behind himself.
"General… Ironwood…?" Weiss questioned as the man approached. "You train with the Aces?"
James Ironwood let out a small, warm chuckle from his place at the back of the crowd.
"I have, a time or two, but no," the man clarified. "That being said, when the opportunity arises, I like to watch them train. I have my reasons for keeping a critical eye on their progress."
"I'd say any good leader would," Yang replied. "So, you like to watch, eh?"
Again, General Ironwood smirked, and simply shook his head.
"How are you finding the facilities? I'll have Level Two clearance to you by the end of the week, with an option to move up to Level Three, if you're interested."
"They're very impressive, sir," Jaune admitted. "Can we train here whenever we'd like?"
"Of course," Clover answered. "In fact, you'll be given mandatory training hours, and the ability to access this room at all other hours. We were just discussing how to divide up helping you all out, and who will be working with each of you."
"Wouldn't it be best to determine such a thing after you see what we can do?" Weiss asked sweetly.
"Ha! That almost sounds like a polite way of offering a challenge," Elm observed with a wide smile. "If you want a fight, Schnee, just ask!"
"In that case… Marrow, would you do me the honor?" Weiss inquired as she turned to face the faunus.
Marrow pointed a finger to his chest, his expression full of surprise.
"Me? You're sure about this?"
"What better way to learn than to train against your betters?" Weiss asked as she turned and began to walk a respectable distance away.
"I like her spirit," Elm said as she leaned down to Harriet's ear.
"…I'll like her if she proves she's worth anything," the shorter woman replied with a snort. "Right now, they're all blank slates to me."
"Lighten up, Harriet," Clover said casually as he withdrew his scroll from his pocket and began to tap away at a few buttons. "They're just kids, trying to find themselves. We were their age, not that long ago."
"You still are," Harriet snapped as Clover finished his tapping.
Suddenly, several of the blocks within the floor by the wall began to rise up, forming stadium seating. The Aces moved in tandem to occupy the benches, and the rest of the teens and General Ironwood were soon to follow. Marrow, in contrast, took a deep breath and unslung his rifle from the strap around his back before moving to stand across from Weiss, who had her rapier at the ready.
"What sort of battleground would you like?" the man asked. "We can replicate just about anything."
Weiss weighed her options and then looked up into the stands to Clover, who had his scroll at the ready.
"Give us a forest, please?"
Clover nodded and began to fiddle with his device once again.
"I'm not going to hold back, Weiss… except for one thing," Marrow said, his playful and enthusiastic tone absent in favor of a far more serious one as a field of digitized, blocky trees sprouted up around them to form a clearing. The usual glint in his eyes was replaced by a hardened, calculating steel blue, and for a moment, Weiss was taken aback. "I think it's better for you to experience what an Ace can really do… but I'm not going to use my semblance. It wouldn't be fair."
Weiss drew in a heavy breath through her nose before spinning her rapier and readjusting her stance. Blades of oddly tangible, holographic grass sprouted up and around her shoes, and white bushes with pulsating blue outlines around their leaves began to fill the area.
"…very well. I don't expect to win… but I do expect to learn."
Marrow's poker face slipped for all of a second, and he offered Weiss a lopsided smirk.
"…you're gonna go far, Weiss. I'm sorry for this. First aura break wins. On your mark."
Again, Weiss inhaled before blowing out a tense breath. With a quick motion, she leveled Myrtenaster in front of herself and placed two fingers along the flat of the blade. A black glyph appeared before her just as a hail of bullets flew in her direction, and the sigil slowed them enough for Weiss to spin out of the way while keeping her hand and blade in place. The girl slipped behind a large tree as a contrasting white glyph appeared beneath her.
Just as Weiss' Arma Gigas got an arm through the portal that appeared before her, a whizzing weapon sliced through a nearby branch and knocked directly into her unoccupied hand. Weiss was knocked off balance and the summoning gate closed as she stumbled sideways, only for the boomerang blade to pulse with a purple glow and reverse direction. The girl barely managed to duck beneath the weapon before she heard a series of clicks just behind her, and she turned to find Marrow with the weapon raised, back in its assault rifle form.
Several bullets left the weapon in a controlled burst, and two pegged Weiss in the arm before she could get behind the tree for cover. Bright white bark scattered in all directions as she ducked to minimize her profile. Weiss began a sprint into the denser section of the forest before drawing a hidden high-caliber pistol from within the folds of her dress and returning fire with a powerful, echoing shot.
"Wait, Weiss has a gun?" Sun asked as he fidgeted in his seat. "It must be her! That sounded like a magnum, not an assault rifle!"
"I dunno, I can't see anything!" Jaune answered from his spot next to the faunus. "She just had to choose 'a forest', didn't she?"
"I can take care of that," Clover offered as he adjusted some settings upon his scroll. Within moments, the upper foliage of the trees became transparent, revealing Weiss to be ducking behind a bush and waiting while Marrow maneuvered through the trees, totally silent and tactical in his approach.
"Whoa," Sun offered. "This place is sweet."
"And it's a privilege to be able to use it," Clover reminded. "Don't forget that."
Sun merely nodded as he turned his attention back to the fight, where Weiss popped up from behind her cover to take a potshot at Marrow. The faunus easily dived out of the way and rolled to one knee before returning another controlled burst, shredding the bush and sending several white and neon blue leaves up into the air as Weiss retreated yet again.
"You're new to firearms!" Marrow accused. "We'll have to work on that!"
"…I can manage!" Weiss called back, only for Marrow to hurl his weapon in a seemingly random direction. The device converted into boomerang form in mid-flight, and Marrow began a swift and silent approach through the trees. "Marrow…?"
A sudden palm strike to the face was her answer, and Weiss was sent reeling as she gasped and dropped her sidearm to the ground.
"Why would you answer?" Marrow admonished as he crashed an elbow into Weiss' stomach. "I'd actually lost sight of you for a moment!"
Weiss sputtered in reply as she made a retreating swipe with Myrtenaster. Marrow ducked backward just shy of the blade before darting back in and weaving to one side to avoid a follow-up slash while staying low. A harsh hook to Weiss' side sent her crashing into a nearby tree, and then Marrow threw out a hand to redirect his boomerang to embed within the bark just behind Weiss' head. With practiced grace, he managed to put the girl into an armbar, before taking her to the ground and settling into a position with his leg wrapped around her throat.
"Tap out," Marrow instructed, absolutely no pleasure in his voice.
Weiss merely hissed in reply, her face turning red as she squirmed and worked to plant a heel firmly against the ground. Marrow tilted his head as he watched the seemingly futile effort.
"Wei-"
Without warning, a forceful explosion came from Weiss' barreled heel, sending a gout of flame directly down into the ground and both combatants up into the air. Marrow lost his grip as he was thrown into a tree, and Weiss landed messily and nearly rolled her ankle while windmilling her arms. She barely managed to keep a grip on Myrtenaster as she went down to one knee, her right heel still smoking. Shakily, she stood and brushed her bangs out of her eyes while trying to catch her breath.
"…gun-shoes?" Yang asked, her mouth agape. "I want fucking gun-shoes!"
"Can you even walk in heels?" Ilia deadpanned as she leaned closer to the edge of her seat.
"…shut up!"
"Well that was a risk," Marrow acknowledged before coughing heavily into his hand. "New toy?"
"New toy," Weiss confirmed before taking a hard swallow. "The force… likely needs a bit of tinkering."
"Yeah," Marrow agreed as he stood. "You blew your aura, you know," the man pointed out as he returned his weapon to his back. "You've got a cut on your cheek."
Weiss blinked in surprise and brought a gloved hand to the side of her face, only to pull it back with her fingertips coated in fresh blood.
"…damn," the girl hissed. "I was so ready to try to make a comeback…"
"Hey," Marrow said as he fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. "You did great. Really! A couple small tactical errors, but we can work on it together."
Weiss returned the man's beaming, cheerful smile with a muted one of her own as she accepted the cloth and pressed it to her cheek.
"And you're… terrifying," Weiss admitted as the constructed trees and bushes retracted down into the arena. "I had no idea you had an edge like that."
"Yeah," Marrow admitted as he shifted uncomfortably. "We all do. We're Aces. We've… seen things. Done things. It's not always fun."
A round of applause echoed from the stands, and Weiss turned to look at her friends, Elm, and Clover, who were the source of the noise.
"Not bad!" Yang called with her hands cupped around her mouth. "I got next!"
"Would you settle down?" Harriet asked from her position next to the blonde.
"Would you not be such a killjoy?" Yang asked in response. "Seriously. Do you smile?"
"For people who deserve it," Harriet replied as she turned her attention to Weiss and Marrow, who were climbing up into the stands. The woman offered Weiss a genuine smile and offered a hand, which the girl took with a confused look. "Hey, nice job. Not bad at all for your first fight against an Ace."
"Really?" Weiss asked with a soft blush. "Thank you, Miss Bree."
Yang's eye twitched as she stood up within the stand and thumped her mechanical fist against her chest.
"Alright, alright. I need a good fight," the blonde said boisterously. "And I know just who I want," she added as she surveyed her options. "You. Let's dance."
Suddenly, all side conversations died as each of the teens and Aces turned to follow Yang's pointing finger. Nearly everyone looked on in disbelief at the challenge, and Sun's mouth was wide open in horror and confusion.
"…me?" General Ironwood asked, clearly taken aback. "Miss Xiao Long, with all due respect, I don't think that would be a good idea..."
"I've made a career of bad ones," Yang answered with a shrug. "C'mon, General. I want to see what you can really do. What better way to cap off that last fight than with an even more explosive one?"
"…Yang," Harriet said quietly, her face pale. "I would highly suggest you back down. That's advice I would give to anyone in this situation."
"Yeah, whatever," Yang deflected as she crashed her fists together. "Weiss said it best- what better way to learn, am I right?"
Slowly, General Ironwood rose from his seated position and took a deep inhale through his nose. His voice remained in complete calm as he began to walk down the steps, much to Yang's enthusiasm.
"Hell yeah!" the girl cheered as she walked ahead of the man. "Thanks, General. This is gonna be fun, even if I get my ass kicked!"
"I will agree to this, on one condition," the general said evenly. "Choose another to fight alongside you."
Yang hesitated for all of a second, before making a beckoning motion.
"Alright, Jaune, time to shine."
"What!?" the boy called. "I… I can't... absolutely not!"
"You're the only one who hasn't fought, yet," Yang pointed out with a shrug as General Ironwood moved to stand out in the open with his hands behind his back. "C'mon. I'll owe you big time. Pretty please?"
Jaune merely stared across the arena at the legend before him, who returned his gaze with a gentle curiosity. Jaune swallowed hard before standing and beginning to walk down the steps to cheers from his friends.
"You've got this, for at least thirty seconds!" Sun encouraged. "Not that I could do better! You're brave, man!"
"He's going to fucking die," Ilia said flatly. "And so is Yang. Weiss, will you start sleeping with me?"
"What?" the girl questioned. "I'm not… oh. Err… I suppose?"
"Cool," Ilia said with a grin. "You don't drool, do you?"
"Of course not," Weiss scoffed.
"Good. 'cause I do."
Weiss rolled her eyes and shook her head, before raising her voice.
"Come on, Jaune! Last as long as you can!"
"What am I doing?" Jaune muttered to himself as he moved to stand before Yang, who put a heavy hand upon his shoulder. "You definitely owe me. Big."
"Oh, I know," Yang agreed. "But let's be real- you have gotten better. Just do the best you can. I'm fully expecting to get knocked the hell out."
"Oh. That's encouraging," Jaune said as he tensed. "Thanks."
"Just doing my job," Yang lilted as she hurled her sunglasses into the stands to Ilia. The chameleon faunus promptly put them on, before blowing Yang a playful kiss.
"I, unlike Mr. Amin, will be holding back," General Ironwood said softly as Yang and Jaune took up combat stances across from him. "That being said- come at me as if you're out for blood. This is a mistake, but it could prove to be a very educational one, for all involved. I wish you both luck."
Yang raised her fists and tapped the toes of her boots to the floor, one at a time, while grinning. In contrast, Jaune raised his shield and extended the energy wings on either side, practically cowering behind the metal.
"Thanks, General. First move's on you."
"Hm," the general mused. For the briefest moment, his deep blue eyes flashed green, and Yang thought she saw the irises rotate in an unnatural, almost mechanical-looking movement. For a tense, silent two minutes, no one in the room moved, until Yang slightly lowered her guard.
"…uh… General Ironwood?" the blonde questioned. "You're not going to attack?"
"I already did," the man said simply. "The move is now yours."
"…oh shit," Marrow whimpered as he squirmed in his seat. "He's taking them seriously."
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked as she checked her silken cloth for blood. "He hasn't moved."
"His semblance," Marrow said, sounding almost fearful.
"…what is his semblance?" Weiss asked.
In the time it took for Marrow to turn to look at her, Yang had closed the distance and thrown out a quick jab, only for General Ironwood to simply lean slightly out of the way. Jaune rushed in with an impassioned battle cry and swung Crocea Mors in a vertical slash as a follow-up. General Ironwood stood still as he reached up his steel hand and simply caught the blade, holding Jaune's terrified gaze with a neutral one of his own.
"I-I-I'm sorry…?" Jaune offered with a sheepish grin.
The general merely cast the blade off to the side, sending Jaune stumbling along with it as Yang let out a cry of her own and began a flurry of speedy, shotgun-powered blows. Powerful bangs echoed throughout the room with each attack, and General Ironwood deflected or dodged them all with speed unnatural for a man his size. As Yang rocketed a knee upward toward his crotch, General Ironwood met the attack with a downward elbow strike that sent Yang reeling and off balance. Immediately, the man followed up the attack with a vicious skull bash to Yang's forehead, and the teen went down hard onto her back.
A metallic whistling cut through the air behind General Ironwood as he stood over Yang, and he reached out his metallic hand behind himself without looking. Upon catching Jaune's flying shield in his grasp, he spun and whipped it across the boy's face with a forceful backhand, sending the boy spinning through the air as his aura shattered in a single blow. Jaune was unconscious by the time he hit the ground. Yang struggled to her feet and smiled through haggard breaths as she cracked her knuckles, eyeing up General Ironwood with a look of both fear and respect.
"Gods… damn..." the girl said as she raised her fists and adopted a typical boxing stance.
"What you both lack in form, you make up for in heart," General Ironwood admitted before dropping Jaune's shield to the floor with an unceremonious clatter. "Unfortunately, it is unwise to fight with hearts. They tend to get broken."
Yang drew in a tense breath before firing another set of shotgun shells backward and rocketing toward her opponent. Just as General Ironwood reached out to seize her throat, she fired another shell in reverse from the saffron gauntlet upon her natural hand and skidded backward along the ground. In the momentary confusion, Yang crouched into a low stance and took a knee as she braced her natural arm against the mechanical one, which had opened near the wrist and begun converting into a wide, circular ring with inlaid mirrors.
"Suck on this!" Yang yelled as the limb began to spin at high speed, and small orange beams of light coalesced where her hand would have been. In an instant, a massive, torso-sized yellow laser fired in a continuous stream from her arm, engulfing General Ironwood entirely in a blazing shower of energy. The effort lasted for a full five seconds before the metal of her arm began to glow a dangerous red, and the assault stopped as Yang tried to catch her breath.
As the smoke cleared, General Ironwood came back into view, still standing. He had the mechanical half of his body facing Yang, and his arm, too, had opened. A large metal rectangular shield extended from the limb to cover the majority of his body, and the center of the implement was a bright orange and sizzling. The bottom six inches of his pants and his boot had been burned away by the attack, revealing a glimmering steel shin and smooth, toeless foot. Without moving, the general collapsed the shield and let it withdraw back into his mechanical arm, which was also devoid of clothing after the energy blast.
"…I yield," Yang said immediately as she put her hands up. "I absolutely yield. Holy shit."
General Ironwood smirked and nodded, before approaching and offering a hand, which Yang took, her own trembling.
"…now, Miss Xiao Long, when I tell you that something is a mistake… from here on out, you will listen."
"Yes, Sir!" Yang agreed immediately. She looked past the man to see Jaune rising with the help of Marrow, who had rushed down from the stands to tend to the fallen combatant. "You're… incredible."
"I'm a weapon," the general corrected. "And under my wing, you'll become one, too. I think that's enough sparring for one day. Take the night off, and discuss what you've learned as a team," the man added as Sun, Ilia, and Weiss moved to stand behind Yang. "My Aces still have more to do today."
Sun merely nodded as the man passed, before turning to look at his friends and Marrow, who still had Jaune's arm wrapped around his shoulder.
"What… happened?" Jaune asked through an obvious daze. "Last thing I remember was coming down from the stands…"
"We have… a lot to learn," Sun answered as he tried to get his jittering tail under control. "And we're going to put in the effort to get there, starting now."
Author's Note:
I honestly cannot even believe we're here, at Chapter 100 of this absolute madness. It's been an incredibly tough two weeks with things going on outside of writing, but I wanted to push through this so badly that I made myself do it, and I'm happy with the way it came out. When I set out to write this milestone chapter, I did so with one major goal- I wanted it to be fun. A huge celebration of everything that makes this story what it is- references, flirtatious dialogue, big fights, rampant stupidity, and Sun in a major role. It's a shame that this BlackSun story couldn't be focused on… you know, BlackSun for Chapter 100, but I wasn't about to try to force a cheesy flashback or anything just for the sake of the chapter number, especially when things are heating up as they are.
I'm well aware that things have deviated from the focus on their relationship in Volume 7, but that's by design. I don't want to reveal my hand right now, but if things play out as I intend them to and I actually hit the target I'm aiming for with the writing, I think BlackSun fans will be very pleased with how things go. I'll put a full explanation in the final chapter of this volume. It's a huge narrative risk, but one that I'm confident will pay off.
All that being said- to anyone reading this, thank you for getting this far and sticking with this story. I probably would have pushed through and written all of this even if the reception hadn't been good, because that's just how I roll, but all of the reviews, comments, and people I've met through writing this just make it so much sweeter. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone reading this story for putting in the time and trusting me to make something of all this, and I hope you'll stick around for the rest of the journey. There is some wild shit coming up, and things are now kicking into high gear for Volume 7. I might take next week off of writing on account of recent events, but I'm not sure yet. I'll leave a note in my profile if so.
Thanks again for reading!
-resoundingdeluge