Back in the action. Enjoy,
Visitors, Part 1
"Good morning!" The dorm room slammed open, adding to the consistent pounding in his skull. Jaune cracked a bleary eye open, only to see Yang standing in their doorway. She was the embodiment of sunshine and rainbows, standing there with a cheerful flourish. Ignoring the occupants, their sister team leader strolled across the floor to throw open the window curtains. Burning sunshine and bright rays of light bathed their dorm. "Daylight in the swamp! The transfers are here today!" Blake voiced his opinion by groaning in grief, covering her face with more blankets.
Weiss, on the hand, shared Yang's sentiment. "Drat, I knew I was forgetting something." The heiress clambered out of her sheets to clock at her clock. When did she get back? "Seven O' six, that gives us an hour before we need to be at the auditorium. We must hurry!" Ignoring everyone else in the room, she bolted to the bathroom. Jaune, with one eye, tracked her, getting a peak underneath the conserved night gown as she ran. The smooth athletic legs that trailed to her body was an appreciative sight. Huh. She goes commando.
Never would have thought.
Granted, it was probably bad practice to look at his roommates that way, but Jaune thought he was doing a great job so far. Being the only guy in a dorm with three women was like navigating a landmine with a truck. So far, no major detonations. As if to counter his point, his eye tracked back to Yang who was giving him a knowing smirk. To add insult to injury, she crossed her arms underneath her already ample cleavage.
"Isn't great to wake up with a Yang, ladykiller?" She taunted, sauntering up to him with a playful lilac gaze. Jaune narrowed his eyes in irritation at her pun and her distraction for Jaune's wandering eye. With a hangover from drinking with Qrow and such a rude awakening, he didn't even try to hide looking at her tits. He had enough reduced brainpower as is.
"You're a bitch." Jaune said, not taking his eye off her. His other eye was still closed, hiding from the bright light of outside. Yang flicked his nose in response. Ow.
"Only to those who deserve it." Dropping the facade, Yang scanned the room. "Where's Ruby?" Now that she mentioned it, he hadn't heard or seen her. Craning his neck, Jaune looked at her bed, only to find it empty.
"She said she was building something." Blake said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. A hum of understanding came from Yang, as if that said everything she needed to know.
"Gotchya. I'll go grab her then. See ya later!" She waived and left, not bothering to close the door. It wasn't even a moment later when Nora peaked her head in, seeing the two obviously displeased students.
"WHO WANTS WAFFLES!?" She asked/yelled, reaching decibels only Nora can. Blake visibly covered her feline ears and winced while he just rolled over to try and block out the energetic madhouse. The ground met him, having run out of mattress, by roughly thumping his face and body with hardwood floors. Another pained groan came from him, adding more suffering to his already sore being. "I'll take that as a yes!"
It was going to be a long day.
Sparks from the welder bounced off Ruby's visor, the metal finally being connected by precise tungsten waves. After completing the joining, she lifted off her helmet to survey her work. The rod fused the instrument with the barrel, finally completing the receiver. All that was left now as to install it and the chambering mechanism into Jaune's arm. She would have to tweak it, probably shave or add a few millimeters, but shouldn't be a problem. Taking extra care, Ruby depowered the welding cart.
The weapon could only load a single ten-gauge round or slug, but given Jaune's fighting style, it shouldn't be a problem. The design was for him to load underneath his forearm, like a break action rifle, ejecting the previous round as he did so. By contrast, the barrel would extent to the center of his palm, creating a straight shot for the round. Now that she thought about it, she needed an exit port to fit in his palm, something that could open and close at will.
Slag covered the new seem, something she would have to fix. Slag was fell of the metal as she chipped it with a chisel, revealing the beautiful symmetrical ripples beneath. Picking up the freshly welded metal with tongs, she gently placed the item on the cooling shelf. It would be faster to simply run water over the weld, but then the bond wouldn't be as strong. Satisfied with her work, Ruby undid her leather apron and gloves.
It was a good thing she had access to Beacon's forge. A marvel by any right, fully stocked with materials, tools, and everything in between. An open concrete ground had workstations and shelves full of tools lining the wall, manufacturing machines and forges spread throughout the floor. Red fireproof curtains isolated workspaces from one another, protecting people outside from harmful light or sparks while giving the craftsman privacy. To an untrained eyed, the placement might seem random, but Ruby saw the method to the madness.
She really should thank Mr. Mulberry for letting her use the shop after hours. Walking through the door to the other room, dominated by standing tables and bar stools, Ruby found her locker among the many rows that lined the wall. It felt good to work on something again, to tinker and forge. Granted, her black tank-top and worn jeans a few more burn marks. The leather protections she wore did wonders to protect her, but something always gets through.
Content fatigue, the kind after you put in a good day's work, suffused her body. Finally putting her protective gear away, she stretched in satisfaction. It was probably midnight, plenty of time to get some sleep for tomorrow. Her family always said she was a bit of a night owl. Ruby was in the middle of putting her tools away when the shop door opened. "Oooooh, Ruby~." Yang's melodic voice carried well in the concreate rooms. "Where are you?"
"Yang, why are you up?" She asked, shoving the rest of her tools into her locker. "It's, like midnight." Yang just had that amused expression on her face.
"Hate to break it to ya sis, but it's about, hmmm…" She whipped out her scroll. "7:23 A.M. almost time to welcome the other academy's students." That didn't sound right, that didn't sound right at all. She had to do a double take when she looked at her own scroll.
"Aw, cookies."
Stepping off the bullhead, Cinder stretched thankful to be off the flying metal container. Emerald and Mercury stepped in behind her with 'Mint' trailing behind. Clad in their Haven uniforms, they followed the sea of students towards the buildings of Beacon. In the distance, next to the Academy's tower, a building stood in its shadow. The CCTV, Atlas's most recent breakthrough in communication.
She smiled to herself, pleased with the progress they were making. Roman was functioning within expectations of station, being the uncommon thief he is. But he had been lacking in certain areas, like tying up loose ends. Thankfully, Mercery and Emerald were adequate for the job. Not that she blamed the man, no, there was only so much he could do, and Cinder always had contingences in place. Like their fourth teammate, Mint.
But she had to move those thoughts aside and to act like the third year Haven team they were. Infiltrate, sabotage, and retrieve the maiden's powers. All for her, of course, no one else could be trusted with such power. Cinder already acquired half of the mythical magic, and she could feel the remained locked deep below the academy. She could even feel the previous user dying a little more, day by day.
It was only a matter of time.
After a very informative assembly in Beacon's auditorium, the students were sent to participate in a competitive bonding exercise to create bonds the only way younger hunters know how.
By fighting.
Which is why Weiss and her team were watching Pyrrha absolutely dismantle Team CRDL, by herself, if she might add. Next to her was Jaune, holding a cup of coffee in his hands. She could see his sleep deprived eyes tracking the fight, like he was watching a documentary. At least he's awake. Next to him and drooling on his shoulder, was Ruby. She was leaning on him, asleep and oblivious to the world. As if to cement the fact, Weiss saw Yang above her take a picture with her scroll.
"This is definitely my new wallpaper. Oh, they grow up so fast." Yang gushed over the photo.
"It's so cute." Nora agreed, smushing her face against her leader to look at the picture. Ren was beside them, looking at the scroll with mild interest before nodding in approval. They were a stark difference between her own team, the way they behave, interact. All of them just… Get along. It was infuriating to Weiss how it looked like their team was the only one having conflict. Then again, no other team had their problems.
Pyrrha's sound beating of Team CRDL helped take her mind off those thoughts, the champion dismantling her opponents. This had to be a political ploy, showing Beacon's best to all of the other academies. Was it an intimidation tactic? Something to establish dominance? The buzzer of the arena sounded through the stands, signaling the end of the fight and interrupting her thoughts.
"Victor, Pyrrha Nikos!" Ms. Goodwitch announced. Applause followed, serenading the champion. CRDL picked themselves off the ground, Cardin helping Dove while Russel helped Sky limp towards the exit. Pyrrha, Polite as ever, nodded to the crowd. "Excellent work, Ms. Nikos. While I would not normally advise fight teams by yourself, it is a wonderful opportunity to see how much teamwork can actually affect the battle. Team CRDL, I hope you take this lesson to heart. You can be a bigger threat to yourselves instead of the adversary if you have poor communication."
"Yes, Ms. Goodwitch." Cardin grumbled, leading Dove towards the exit. Goodwitch merely raised an eyebrow before moving on.
"You are dismissed, Pyrrha. Good work." Pyrrha left the arena, leaving the professor alone in the center. "And for the next match, we have…" Up above the ring, there was a giant screen that displayed Aura levels of the combatants. Most of the time, anyways. Right now, the monitor had scrolling names n it, with a giant VS in the middle. Professor Port's influence, no doubt.
The names started to slow, the blurry letters becoming more defined before settling on their chosen enemies. She had to blink, rub her eyes, and focus on the board again, to see if she was seeing things clearly. It wasn't until Ms. Goodwitch announced the results did Weiss come back to reality.
"Weiss Schnee VS. Blake Belladonna!"
Blakes palms itched as she walked into the ring. There was tension in the air, a conflict long time coming. Looking towards her team in the stands, she saw Jaune awake and focused. He was watching attentively, not that she could blame him. Even Ruby was awake, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Behind them, Yang and Nora looked worried, even as they took bets from the surrounding students. Leave it to those two to create and underground gambling ring for Beacon.
But these were trivial thoughts. They were something to distract her mind from what was about to happen. She brought her eyes back to the arena and stared down her opponent. Weiss, prideful as ever, stared back. Her supposed partner, and embodiment of everything she fought while in the White Fang. Blake wanted to make amends from her mistakes, to make up with her team. A chance to start again, with a clean slate like she always wanted too.
Old habits die hard, though.
Right now, all she felt was rage. The injustice of everything. Blake's heritage, her people, suffering at the hands of her family. Guilt still plagued her mind from what she'd done and there wasn't an outlet. She was grateful at the chance to vent her frustrations, readying Gambol Shroud. And by the way Weiss was preparing her own weapon, she felt the same.
"Combatants, ready?" Goodwitch asked, looking between them. Simple nods were exchanged, neither taking their eyes off the other. "Understood. Begin!" The professor didn't clear the entire arena before the first attack struck. Weiss surged forward with a precise thrust; her speed faster than what Blake remembered. She back bent backwards to dodge, parrying the weapon with her sheathe. Instincts kicking in, she brought her submachinegun to the fore, sacrificing aim for volume at such a close range.
The rounds went wide, only clipping Weiss before she darted away on a glyph. Her from blurred toward the edge of the ring. Blake knew she had little time to react, Weiss's enhanced speed alone outclassed hers. She activated her semblance the moment Weiss moved, launching her upwards. The tip of her weapon pierced her clone, turning it into black smoke. Following the flip, Blake brought down Gambol Shroud onto her exposed back.
It was too late when Blake realized she was fighting Weiss, her partner. Someone who saw all her tricks. The heiress was waiting for the sneak attack, practically offering up an easy target. She didn't even see the glyph below her. It was black and slowed her descent to a near crawl. Weiss reversed the grip on her rapier at the same time, driving the sword into Blake's gut. Aura flared to protect her, but that didn't dull the pain.
The glyph broke with the contact, driving the point deeper. If Weiss thought that would be enough to deter her, she would be mistaken. Shifting her torso, Blake moved the point of the weapon past her as she brought her own blades down. Weiss sidestepped one blade as she turned around, but the other could her shoulder, white Aura protecting the body. A white high-heeled shoe found Blake's stomach, Weiss kicking against her to gain distance.
They separated, both breathing heavily. Neither of them were marathon fighters. Weiss liked to control the environment and use it to her advantage, while Blake preferred hit and run tactics. Blake moved first, dashing to the side and letting a volley of bullets trace her target. The heiress wasn't idle either, stabbing her rapier down into the ground. A wall of ice sprung up to protect her, Blake cursing at the development.
She knew her only chance to beat her was at close range. Weiss could control the environment on a whim, something she hated. A blast of fire from above interrupted her thoughts, Blake throwing her body into a roll to get out of the way. Gotta keep moving. Standing around wasn't going to help much, especially against her. Close quarters was the only option, and she fucked up her first chance. It was time to make an opening.
Sprinting to the far side of the ice wall, Blake threw Gambol Shroud at the edge. She gripped the ribbon as the blade sunk into the ice, giving enough purchase for her to swing around. Another fireball came from the top of the wall, directly in her path. Blake grit her teeth through the flames, determined not to lose here. Suffocating heat enveloped her, fire licking against her Aura and burning her skin. Her eyes closed on reflex until the fire abruptly dissipated.
Her momentum was shot from the blast, but not enough for it to be in vain. She disengaged her blade from the ice as she hit the wall, jamming her sheath into the frost. The wall was easy to climb, jagged ice created plenty of holds to grab onto. Leaping up over the edge, she found Weiss waiting for her, rapier at the ready. A barrage of piercing strikes assaulted her before Blake could get her footing, dodging and parrying the rapier. The wall itself was maybe a foot wide, clearly favoring the heiress's fighting style.
Weiss wasn't pulling any punches, something she could respect. She saw her as a real threat, and that brought a smile to her face. Blake backpedaled enough from the sustained attack to get her balance back. Parrying the next thrust with her sheathe, she pulled the ribbon. The katana part of weapon whipped back at the force, flying towards the back of Weiss's head. Pale eyes tracked the movement, the heiress jumping back to avoid it.
Blake's sheathe clipped her stomach as she fled. Sensing a shift in pace, Blake pressed the advantage. Catching the weapon in her open hand, she dashed forward. The rapier met her first slash to parry but not Blake's offhand. It caught her ribs, eliciting a sharp gasp form the heiress and nothing more. Weiss's defense became desperate to defend against the onslaught of two weapons, backtracking along the narrow ice bridge to gain distance.
Aura flared to protect Weiss from the Faunus's fury. Blake relished in evening the score; their fight symbolic of what was happening in the real world. She had to win in her mind, had to succeed. Too focused on the attack, Blake didn't notice the small glyph appearing underneath her. Her movements became sluggish for just a second, which was all Weiss needed. The rapier lashed out, stabbing Blake's chest. Black Aura protected Blake, the pain fueling her rage.
Trading finesse for savagery, Blake pounced on the heiress, toppling both over the edge. She grabbed Weiss mid-fall as they crashed towards the ground. A pale fist impacted the side of Blake's face as they fell, surprising her. That didn't stop gravity. Weiss hit the ground first, exhaling a pained gasp from the landing. Blake followed suit with the momentum throwing her forward, off her partner. She tumbled on the hard arena ground, stopping just short of the out of bounds.
Facedown in the dirt, Blake rolled herself onto her back. Groaning past the pain, she propped herself up to see where Weiss was. The heiress was on unsteady legs, no better than her. Blake saw Weiss looking at her with those damned taunting eyes, just irritating her. Aura took the brunt of the fall, but she was still sore from everything. Her adrenaline died down, letting her feel the pain from the fight. Legs hurting with every movement, Blake was able to get her feet underneath her.
Why this fight was so exhausting for her, she didn't know. Stumbling forward with her sheath in hand, Blake struck first. Her muscles aching, she slashed downwards. It was a slow swing, Weiss sidestepping it and countering it by throwing a punch at her side. The fist hit her ribs, missing he soft spot below. She still felt the pain, nonetheless. Blake tackled her in response, bringing the heiress to the floor.
They wrestled on the ground, trading punches, kicks, elbows, and everything in between. Blake swore she heard someone yell 'Catfight!'. Weiss lost all sense of elegance in the melee, not even slightly ashamed for how down and dirty the fight had become. The brawl ended with them rolling over towards Blake discarded weapon. Weiss's hand darted first, but was just out of reach, while Blake's hand grasped the hilt.
The heiress grabbed her arm, determined to stop it from aiming towards her. Unfortunately for her, Blake grew up an insurgent and knew how to fight dirty. Kneeing her in the ribs, Weiss was forced to let go as Blake scrambled to her feet, leveling the gun at her head. Weiss looked up at her from the ground, utterly at Blake's mercy. The spirit hadn't left her eyes though, as if daring Blake to pull the trigger.
Blake felt like Adam right there. Felt what it was like to have power over their victims. Something the SDC relished in. Maybe that was Adam's goal, to get even. But as Blake looked down at Weiss who was starting to look a lot like a helpless Faunus, she understood it wasn't hers. She needed to put down the gun and vengeance and try to get past it. Knowing that she had to change her ways to become a better person and start cooperating.
That, and she was in an arena full of students watching the whole thing like one of her drama novels.
Seriously, she needed to get a grip.
"Winner, Blake Belladonna." Glynda announced as she lowered her weapon. Scattered applause erupted from around the arena. She looked at the professor, who had the faintest smirk on her face. She couldn't help but think this was on purpose. Blake strode over to Weiss and offered a hand. She looked up to Blake, clearly tired.
"Had to make it dramatic, huh?" She asked, taking the hand. Blake lifted her up and put her arm over her shoulders.
"I thought you'd like the attention." Blake said as Goodwitch walked towards them.
"Good job, the both of you." The professor started, looking over the results on her tablet. Weiss's Aura was at 10% while Blake's was at 13%. "All I can say is to work on your weakness and overcome them. A close battle, all in all. You're dismissed." Both girls nodded in sync while they walked away. It wasn't until they crossed the threshold of the arena did Blake speak up again.
"Are… Are we good?" She asked, looking at her partner slumped over her shoulder.
"Yeah… I think we're good." Weiss said, looking back with a small smile. "But if you do any of that again, I will bury your body where no one will find it." Blake could only chuckle as they limped towards the locker rooms.
"I'd like to see you try."
Cinder watched the two leave the arena with mild curiosity. If she knew beforehand there was a schism involving Weiss Schnee's team, she could have used it to her advantage. Not much effort would be used to frame her death as an assassination from her own teammate, who was a Faunus. It would really send all of Remnant into chaos with the fallout, mass genocide would follow with the right nudge with certain powers.
Alas, from the looks of it, the schism has closed. Although it is a nice contingency plan in case all else fails. It was a favorite past time of hers, playing out scenarios and how to cause the most destruction. As she watched what could be a fairly fruitful idea, Mercury passed Emerald ten lien from the lost bet, grumbling about lost advantages. 'Mint' or Neo seemed content watching students fight the pseudo cage matches. Truth be told, Cinder was enjoying them as well.
Professor Goodwitch began picking the next combatants. The whirl of names blurred on the screen above. Cinder wondered how detailed Lionheart's records were for them. Was it just names and current class? Semblance and Aura levels? She really should stop delegating meager tasks, though her master did tell her micromanagement was the death of any kingdom. Something she learned the hard way after ruling over humanity for a spell during Ozma's strange disappearance.
Granted, that era of time was lost to the eons. No records remained of her empire; however prosperous it was. Just the way of the world.
"Cinder Fall Vs. Jaune Arc! Report to the Arena!" She raised an eyebrow at the announcement. It seems anyone in Beacon could be selected. If anything, this solidified her cover as a student. Time to make an impression, she thought. There was value in being noticed in the right light, in order to stay hidden. As she passed by other students, cinder could hear wagers being made. Excepts it wasn't on who would win, strange enough.
"Thirty-five."
"Nah, Twenty. It might be closer than you think."
"Doubt, I can see it in her legs. Fifty."
"Nah, see the arms? A swordsman. Sixty-five." Odd. Why were they not betting on a victor? Was it because he was powerful? The man was completely off her radar. He seemed insignificant when she went over the team's file that interrupted Roman's operation. Perhaps she'll just have to see for herself. She entered the locker room and changed into her combat outfit. Her torso was wrapped in bandages, offering modesty while she slipped into her sleeveless leather jacket. Snug combat jeans covered her legs, the utility belt keeping them up.
After putting on her black combat boots, Cinder grabbed her dual curved swords. They were more of a memento than anything, hardly seen use after gaining the maiden's power. Gold eyes reflected in the blade as she examined them, the familiar weight assuring her of her actions. Wasting enough time on reflection, she headed out to the faux coliseum.
Jaune Arc was already at the center, yawning. He was slightly taller than her, sporting messy blonde hair and weary blue eyes. The boy's outfit was unremarkable, just a grey jacket, black undershirt, and jeans. What she did notice was the faint stench of alcohol and body odor coming from him. His left hand was resting on the pommel of his sword at his side, the weapon still housed in its sheath. She noted the odd grey gauntlet he wore while his right hand only had fingerless gloves on.
"Combatants ready?" The professor asked. Cinder watched as her opponent shrugged and drew his sword. It was a simple thing, no outward sign of the weapon being a mecha-shift. The scabbard unfolded into a shield though, obscuring a fair portion of his body. She drew only one of her swords, still trying to measure her opponent. His stance was amateur at best, but the shield between her and him and keeping his sword arm low. "Begin!"
Neither of them moved. Cinder cocked her head to the side and watched. The training she was put through left her confident in her abilities and wanted to see how competent on this so-called leader was. "Well?" She taunted. "Don't keep a lady waiting." Would he fall for the bait? His shield grew in size as he dashed forward. She sidestepped the shield bash easily and even parried the following swing of his sword.
Her eyes slightly widened when he used his shield like another weapon, the edge narrowly missing her face by an inch when she leaned back to dodge. Instead of standard swordsmanship, Cinder felt like she was fighting a brawler that used a sword and shield. He was full of openings as well, his foot work subpar. Swaying back from another attack, she batted away the sword with her hand and brought down the blade onto his shoulder.
The only response was a grunt of pain as he stepped in closer, his Aura keeping the edge at bay. She used her free hand to stop the shield coming for her head. Thing is, Cinder didn't expect the strength behind the blow. Her arm gave up the struggle to stop the impact and instead ducked beneath it. Her blade followed, carving a swathe of Aura with before she disengaged. He didn't let her get away. Fighting through the pain, Jaune continued to attack her, headless of his recent injury.
His attacks were easily telegraphed, if a bit unusual. One thing she noticed was the lack of hesitation that plagued Hunters his age. The fear of committing to the attack was absent from his strikes. Dodging a downward slash, she slammed the pommel of her sword into his face. Instead of stunning him, he bashed her ribs with his shield. Aura and the Maiden's own power protected her, but she still felt the sharp pain in her side.
Teeth grit in response to the blow. She swayed back, his sword gazing her Aura as it came back up. Her sword lashed out; the edge blocked by his shield before it reached his jugular. Becoming frustrated from the student, she spun on her heel and delivered a fierce roundhouse to his side. The kick knocked the wind out of him, but he was still standing and clutching his side with his sword arm. Seeing an opportunity, she grabbed his shield and attempted to wrench it out of his hands.
Subtly channeling the power of the Maiden, she was able to outmatch the death grip on it and throw it outside the arena. His left side exposed, she brought her blade down. It was parried by his arm with and audible clang, surprising her. It didn't distract her from his blade thrusting forward towards her chest. She leapt from the man and brought out her second curved sword, taking a dancer's stance. He was breathing heavily but his own posture was becoming more compact, as if adapting to the fight.
Jaune Arc was more interesting than she originally thought.
Fuck, that hurt. Jaune thought while trying to get his breathing under control. She hits like Yang and moves like Pyrrha, not a good combination for him. Both of those women can soundly beat his ass, no matter the time of day. Adjusting his approach, he took a deep breath in, readying himself for the oncoming onslaught. Left arm extended down and forward, sword angled behind him, feet bladed and shoulder width apart, crouched.
This felt more comfortable. He was grateful for the shield, but it offset his balance too much. Didn't really feel right. He flexed his bionic arm; grateful it was sturdier than him. Cinder opposite of him, took a stance that screamed 'danger' in his head. Now or never. Thinking the same thing, both fighters rushed forwards. Cinder swept downwards with both swords, the speed of the swing near instant in his eyes.
Instinct screamed at him to bring his arm up to block. The metal prosthesis met the blades, cutting through his coat and showering him with sparks. He brought his weapon down on Cinder, who stepped past his swing. The blade missed her but caught the edge of her swords while she moved. Cobalt eyes barely tracked the movement of weapons dragging along his sword and carving the Aura from his side as she stepped past him.
The pain was sharp, severe, and nothing new. If she thought it would him, the woman was in for a surprise. Crocea Mors lashed out in response, missing Cinder again. She cut his exposed back, dancing around his blade. He twisted around, swinging his metal fist with a backhand. Black fair flowed when she ducked beneath his hand. Jaune created a brutal arc with his sword, resolved on doing some damage. Her weapons caught his ancestors' blade, locking the armaments in the clash.
What he didn't have in agility, he made up for in strength. Using his metal arm, he was able to push her away. Cinder let it happen, using his force to gracefully dance away. Instead of what for him to attack again, she pounced. Jaune's guard was barely brought up in time to block the first attack with his arm. The second attacked was barely parried by his blade. The third, narrowly missed his eye as he swayed back. After that, he couldn't keep up.
The woman was a whirl of blades, blindly fast with deadly precision. Jaune backpedaled from the vicious assault, losing Aura and ground with every second. His defense was useless. If he blocked one blade, another was waiting. Parry her attack, it would be redirected. Dodging would only compromise his defense even more. She was skilled, trained, strong, and incredibly talented from his perspective. Worst of all, he could tell she was holding back.
Being the worst fighter at Beacon taught him a few things. How to take a beating for one. Also, how much punishment you could take before passing out. There was another thing he learned as well from sparring with Yang, Pyrrha, and even Nora. You could say he developed a sense when someone was going all out. The intensity in the eyes, whether or not they were sweating from exertion. Even the sounds of effort they made could indicate if they were using everything.
Cinder showed no signs of these and continued to play with him, like a cat pawing at a new toy. Jaune knew it wasn't wrong for her to do so, he was just beneath her abilities. It was an infuriating fact. For every little bit of progress he made, he found new heights that he couldn't possibly scale to. Being surrounded by the most talented students in Beacon really put things in perspective. Then again, it fueled him. Spite, responsibility, and being fed up with losing every single fight were great motivators.
Motivation to be better, to catch up to his teammates. Not to let them down again. Anger at his own weakness spurned inside him. He had to focus, find an opening. The only saving grace he had was his Aura reserves, so he had to learn to leverage it. He needed to stop running. Forgoing all sense of defense, Jaune began to attack. His eyes zeroed in on her own, focusing his whole being on her, trying to decipher every movement.
Her blades worked in tandem as they cut his guard. Jaune's prostheses was now on full display from blocking so many attacks. It would take a lot more than Huntsman blades to damage his arm. Disregarding the two blades headed for his torso, he stepped into the blow and threw a metal haymaker. Cinder easily crouched beneath it while scoring his Aura with her swords, but that's what he wanted. His metal hand joined his own flesh at the hilt of his family blade. Twisting back from the movement, Jaune swung down with all his strength.
The position she was in made blocking her only option. Crocea Mors clashed against her blades, the force driving her feet into the ground. Still, suing everything he had, she held. Knocking his blade aside, a devastating knee lodged itself into his stomach. Air was forced out of his lungs with the blow, leaving him gasping for breath. Must. Not. Fall. The blow was staggering, his visions seeing spots, but he had to press on.
Gnashing his teeth together, Jaune summoned whatever strength was left, slashing the air in front of him. Nothing connected, his blade hitting nothing. Something hit the side of his head before he could regain his senses, throwing him to the ground and making him see stars. "Winner, Cinder Fall!" Glynda Announced from somewhere near him. Damn. Thought I had a chance there.
Still got a ways to go, bud. Getting back to his feet, Jaune dusted himself off.
Tell me something I don't know.
That took more effort than she was comfortable with. Cinder watched as the student she was sure she knocked out with a roundhouse kick to the temple get up. He dusted himself off then put the metal hand to his neck. A series of loud cracks followed as he worked his neck from back and forth, unfazed from the thrashing he went through. She defeated trained Huntsman who could take less punishment before dying.
He just wouldn't stop fighting. Looking up at the screen, she saw her levels resting at a comfortable 82% while he was at 15%. Casting her eyes down at her feet, she saw the minor crater in the ground. His blow was stronger than it had any right to be. Whether it was from his prosthetic or his own strength, she didn't know. "Ms. Fall, well done. I see Haven has improved their standards since Lionheart took over." The professor commented, drawing her attention.
"He is an inspiration." She lied, knowing full well how much a coward the Headmaster at Haven was. "The faculty there follow his example."
"I'm sure they do." Goodwitch said with a slight smile. "Mr. Arc," She focused her attention on her opponent. "Well done, your improving leaps and bounds. Keep up the training and you'll be fighting with the best of them." Jaune stretched and rolled his shoulder.
"Alright feels like it." He grunted.
"I bet it does. Dismissed." Cinder left the arena towards the female locker rooms, intent on taking a well-deserved shower. Changing in the confines of the bathroom, she undressed her combat garb and sauntered into the showers. Walking past the sinks toward the showering stalls, something caught her eye. Sinks lined the wall, complete with mirrors for applying beauty products or whatever a young Huntress needs to look their best.
Cinder's form was envious, she knew. A quiet self-assured beauty that could have any man or woman wrapped around her finger. Flowing black hair, tempting golden eyes, and fair skin with perfect proportions. Which is why the ugly bruise on her side was easily noticeable. The mark covered her ribs and par of her stomach. It was trivial though, with her maiden powers, it would heal by tomorrow. Even her training produced worse injuries than this.
So why did it sting so much whenever she touched it?
Warm sea air and the bright sun greeted her as she stepped off the boat and onto the wooden docks. The traveling pack heavy on her shoulder, carrying everything she needed. The vessel was a humble thing, barely bigger than the fishing trawlers from Menagerie. Still, the crew and captain were accommodating and kind, making for a pleasant journey. "Thanks for the ride boys!" She blew a kiss at the crew as they said their own goodbyes.
Stretching her arms above her head, her nose twitched at the new smells of civilization. The air was fresher from her home, the people more sociable, and perhaps even kinder. But Vale held something dear to heart. It pained her to leave her husband back home to keep the peace, but they held a certain diplomatic status that required a delicate touch.
That and she was liable to kill the Albain brothers at the drop of a hat at this point. Her husband held much more patience for fanatical idiots seeing how he used to be one of them.
But that was in the past, time to focus on the now. It was time for Kali to find her lovely daughter.
And promptly beat some sense into her.
Yeah, we're in season two now. Hopefully I'm done with the whole Weiss/Blake arc I never have to touch the damn thing ever again. Until next time.