Chapter 13
[Yang Xiao Long]
She walked through the streets of Vale with a purpose.
Ruby was off checking out weapon shops as usual, being the perfect excuse for a trip there. She had already entered that rebellious phase where she hated needing to be accompanied to places, so it'd been easy to make her sister ditch her. Thus, she freed Yang to go do what she'd actually wanted to go to Vale to do.
It was early, so her destination was mostly empty and it showed even from the outside. All the better, really. She'd rather not have to deal with having a crowd around. Especially because she expected things to get… ugly. One could even say she'd prefer it that way. Fighting came much better to her than being reasonable.
Hence her Semblance, she supposed.
Either way, Yang Xiao Long walked through the automatic glass doors and towards the bar counter of the club. Only employees were around, all dressed in black suits with red details. Idly, she mushed that Ruby would have liked the place, if only because of the color scheme. Alas, she wasn't there to appreciate the sights.
So, pulling on what information she'd put together through much, much effort, she walked towards her target.
Putting on her best innocent and playful smile, she made an order at the counter. She kept that going as the man she was there for questioned her presence there. And then, some words here, some questions there…
"Yes, Junior. I've got several," she answered when the man asked for her name. "But instead of calling me sweetheart, you can just call me-" The start of her interrogation was interrupted rather abruptly when, as she reached towards the man, he grabbed her arm.
Wasn't he supposed to be some common gang leader? She'd even checked and he even had a reputation of being pushed around. The firm hand that had stopped her arm was not only faster but also much stronger than she'd expected, that was for sure. Not too strong, fortunately.
"Picked the wrong place, blondie," the man huffed. "Now, please leave. I already have to deal with enough shit without an entitled brat."
Oh, he had not just said that.
"I'll have you know," she replied, eye twitched and she was pretty sure they were flashing red already. "That I'm in precisely the right place. Now, I heard you know everything. I'm here to test that."
"And I'll tell you right now, you don't have enough to pay me for anything," he said, rolling his eyes dismissively. He was starting to really get on her nerves, as it turned out. "Now, shoo shoo."
"Well, I wanted to do this the nice way, but if you insist," Yang commented jokingly before her bracelets clicked and shifted into her gauntlet-shotguns. "We can do this the messy way."
Junior, the owner of the club and her target, gave her an unimpressed look before extending the arm he had resting on the counter a little and pulling… his weapon. A club – ironically enough – that had signs of mechashifting in it was placed over the man's shoulder. Around her, Yang saw several of the employees prepare themselves for a fight. Furthermore, two girls to the side approached, unconcerned, but Yang could see their weapons ready, one with blades on her heels and the other with claws coming out of bracelets like hers, if red and black instead of yellow.
"Man, today was a great day to drop by, it seems," a third voice joined the conversation then, and Yang looked over Junior's shoulder to see a man with a black coat and black long hair sitting right beside where the club owner had been, a drink in his hand. "Did you prepare entertainment for lil' old me, Hei? You shouldn't have."
"Whatever you say, Blackwood. Now, if you'd give me a second," the gruff man huffed before turning his eyes to Yang. She was feeling a little ticked by how little these people seemed to care about her. They really didn't know who they were messing with.
And people said this idiot knew everything?
What a joke.
She was going to make sure she punched the idiot that had told her that.
"Don't you know it's rude to ignore a lady?" Yang asked, not quite managing to keep the playful act through her annoyance. "I take it you want the messy way," she added, sending a punch towards Junior – 'Hei?' – only for it to be dodged, making her eyes widen.
They widened even further when the man swung his club at her, smacking her away since she couldn't dodge considering he was still holding one of her arms before he let go.
Well, it seemed that the gang had some fangs, contrary to what she'd been told. That was fine. That'd been a tap as far as she was concerned. The weakest of her classmates could hit harder than that. Things were fine. Hell, they might even be entertaining.
Which was the reason she grinned at Junior.
"Please tell me that wasn't your best hit," she asked, back to fully playful now that there were no annoying interruptions and it seemed like she'd get a nice fight out of things. "It'd be kind of… boring if it was."
"Don't you worry, Blondie," Junior said, gripping his club while her men started surrounding her, some of them moving towards the entrance. Well, at least they were "good" enough to keep people out. "Melanie, Miltia," the man said then and Yang quickly caught sight of a pair of twins, one in a white dress and the other in a red one.
"Inviting friends to the party? Aw, you should have told me, I'd have brought mine," she commented with a wide grin.
"I think I like her," the other man – 'Black-something?' – commented, having turned on his stool and leaning back on the bar counter, a drink in his hand, as if he were preparing to watch a show. And what a show it would be, Yang mused, because she'd be enjoying herself too.
It wasn't often that she got to let loose.
"So, I guess I can ask you my questions after beating you up. No problem," Yang said, and when she saw Junior go to say something, she charged. Trash-talking was all well and good, but she'd learned that catching someone mid-speech was always a great way to start. Granted, that was because someone used that trick on her, which was annoying…
But oh well, she'd put that knowledge to good use ever since.
Annoyingly, Junior blocked her punch with his club, and Yang saw the twins run at her from both sides. Well, it seemed that they were actually going to go three on one against her. That was kind of flattering… but still not enough. Blocking the white twin's bladed heel, she moved closer to her to avoid the red twin's slash. Once there, she punched the white one in the stomach and sent her away.
If she let them get away with staying that close, then she might be in a bit of trouble, she supposed.
Like at that moment, when she had to dodge Junior's club and the red one's claw cut through her aura. Granted, that worked in Yang's favor, but that didn't mean she had to tank everything. Some didn't believe she could do anything other than charge ahead and rely on her Semblance… and they might be a little right but that didn't mean she was stupid.
With that in mind, she punched Junior away and blocked a second slash from the red one.
'White One's probably coming back already,' Yang noted to herself.
Sure enough, that was exactly what was happening.
She grinned.
'Fun.'
[}-o-{]
[Miltiades Malachite]
They were getting their asses kicked.
It was something that was getting literally pounded into their heads as the fight went on and on. Blondie didn't look old enough to be a huntress, but she looked old enough to be graduating combat school, which was concerning. They weren't on that level, not even close. Ren and Nora were already out of their league, even if Miltia and Melanie worked together against only one. This blonde bimbo?
She was taking on all three of them at once and barely looking like she had to try.
Hell, she seemed to be getting worse to fight against instead of easier. It wasn't because they were getting tired faster than her or taking more damage than her, that was for sure. However, for whatever reason, she was hitting harder and moving faster as the fight went on.
'Semblance bullshit?' Miltia wondered to herself.
It would be just their luck. At least Blackwood and Astra's brats didn't have much on that front… When Nora wasn't zapping herself, that is, which she rarely did, at least against them. Blondie was definitely getting stronger as the fight went on, with her hair flaring and lifting up and her eyes changing to red. Miltia wasn't too sure what the effect actually was, but she didn't need to.
"We have to finish this quick!" she called, probably unnecessarily, but just in case… Better to make sure they all were on the same page. If nothing else, she'd learned that during Blackwood's insane teamwork training.
"You are right!" someone answered, but it wasn't Junior or Melanie. It wasn't even Blackwood, who was looking on from the side as if he were a spectator in a sports match. No, it was Blondie and Miltia barely had enough time to see the girl jumping towards her, arm pulled back for a punch.
'Fuck,' she cursed in her mind as the bright yellow gauntlet connected to her cheek.
Yeah, they'd started on somewhat even footing, but things were spiraling out of control and fast. Blondie was hitting harder, faster, and seemingly unaffected by the damage they'd dealt so far. Junior, Melanie, and her though? They were still the same. Hell, if the others were feeling like her, then they were all getting more and more tired by the second.
Things weren't looking so good at the moment, evidently.
With a groan, Miltia pulled herself to a standing position, to go and join back into the fight. Surely Blondie didn't have an infinite pool of aura, right? She had to run out at some point and on a three versus one, they were the ones winning that fight. At least, according to how things had been going so far.
"Did I say you could get up?" she heard Blondie ask out loud before she turned her gauntlet towards Miltia. Immediately after, two things happened. The sound of a gunshot reached her ears and she felt the impact of the bullet against her chest, knocking the air out of her lungs.
'Of course, those are also guns.'
Apparently, they'd forced another aspect of the huntress-in-training out in the open. That was a victory of sorts, Miltia supposed, but that was far from a good thing. They were already struggling before. Now that the girl was going even harder on them? They didn't stand a chance.
As if to prove her point, the fight went downhill at breakneck speeds from that moment onwards.
No matter what they tried, how strong they hit the blonde, how much they worked together or dodged or blocked. Things just kept getting worse and worse and Blondie's punches were getting stronger and stronger. She just kept going, breaking through their guards and combos like a barrelling bull. The girl seemed unstoppable and, to them, she might as well have been.
Everything took one last turn when Melanie found herself in a bad spot and neither Junior nor Miltia were able to help her. She got a gauntleted punch to the jaw that smacked her to the ground, cracking the floor and lifting the tiles by her. She groaned and twitched, but she didn't seem to move much aside from that.
"Mel-" she started calling, but a punch came flying her way entirely too fast. 'She can go even faster?!' she wondered, eyes widening before she felt the metal dig into her stomach and send her straight into one of the club's pillars. Then Miltia proceeded to fall on her but, feeling like a puppet with its strings cut.
She could only watch as Blondie caught Junior's weapon and then took it away before hitting him with it, sending him to the ground next to Melanie.
"Well, how about I get those answers now?"
"Fuck you," she heard Junior spit out and Miltia barked out a laugh, even though it made her chest hurt.
"Sorry, you are a little old for me," Blondie said, still sounding like she was just playing a fun game instead of fighting them. It was the thing that angered Miltia the most. Through the whole fight, she'd kept throwing jabs like that, or worse. It was all just… like they were nothing, like they were toddlers trying to fight an adult. "I guess you are just useless then."
"Hei!" Miltia started to call, seeing the blonde raise her foot over Junior's head. However, as she watched, wide-eyed, how the limb descended on him, she also caught it stopping before hitting. Another foot was right there, under Blondie's, stopping it from continuing on its path and then kicking it aside..
"Sorry to interrupt, but I think that's quite enough," a new voice said, and Miltia had almost forgotten he was there. "I happen to like these particular idiots and while I enjoy seeing someone getting their ass kicked as much as the next guy, I'll have to ask you to leave things here," Blackwood commented, sounding calm and amused as if their club hadn't been half-trashed, their bodies beaten and their pride thoroughly ruined was just a nice show on TV.
Then again, he was Blackwood.
"And if I don't?" Blondie asked.
"Then it's your ass that'll get kicked."
"As simple as that, huh?" the girl asked, hair flaring like golden flames and Miltia really hoped she took his offer on that. Because damn all the hits she'd taken would be worth it if she got to see Blondie get a taste of her own medicine.
"Yep," Blackwood replied casually. His answer to that was a punch to the chest, however, one wouldn't think it happened at all. Blondie might as well have just moved her arm to touch her gauntlet against the man's shirt, for all she did. Blackwood didn't so much as twitch at the attack. Looking at him, the only change was that his grin widened. "Well, that was… sad," the man commented, staring straight into the girl's eyes.
He didn't move, but there was a very noticeable shift in their surroundings. Suddenly, the lights in the club started turning darker. The shadows on the floor lengthened and seeing anything became harder. Miltia grinned to herself. 'Serves you right, you berserker bitch.'
"So, are you gonna stand down?"Blackwood asked, stepping forward so that he was right in Blondie's face. Miltia would have given anything to be closer, to be able to see the girl's face or whatever scary bullshit the man was pulling on her. She knew, after all, that Blackwood could be a veritable nightmare when he wanted to be.
Neo was still twitchy when she happened to come by with Roman, especially if there was any mention of Blackwood or even darkness or shadows.
"... Nah, I-I don't think I will," the girl said, still as self assured as she'd been before. However, there was a stumble there, there was some shakiness to her voice. Miltia noticed that and it made her smile.
Maybe getting their asses kicked would be worth something, at least. However, she wanted Blondie to suffer like they'd suffered. Miltia couldn't hope to control or predict Blackwood, but she was really hoping that he'd make her wishes come true
Gods, she'd put extra effort into Blackwood's and Astra's training sessions if only to beat whoever that girl was.
That fight had been humiliating.
[}-o-{]
[Yang Xiao Long]
Who the fuck was this guy?
Nobody had ever just… taken a punch from her and not so much as reacted. Maybe he had a Semblance for that? But then, what was up with the lights? Was that some intimidation tactic they were trying to apply on her now that they were beaten?
Because it wasn't working.
"I have more than enough for you, Mr. Edge," Yang commented, punching towards the man once more. Her lips pulled into a wide grin when he dodged. 'Aha! So it was a one time thing!' she thought to herself, following that with another fist… only for it to be dodged again.
"So, we are doing this, huh?" the man asked casually, continuing to move around, just out of reach of her attacks. Yang would punch the calm and mocking grin right off of him any second though, she knew that. Her Semblance was all powered up from the fight with Junior and the twins, after all. So, she just had to get one hit in and that'd be that.
Except… It wasn't that easy.
No matter what she did, Yang got nowhere. Jabs, crosses, hooks, uppercuts and even bullets were dodged, every single time. She tried and tried and tried some more, but nothing. All her attempts were avoided just as easily and despite how close every single one of them was, she was starting to realize that either he was doing that on purpose, or he was the luckiest man alive.
'Come on, just one punch-' Yang thought to herself, before feeling something sweep her foot from under her and making her fall face first on the ground. 'What the fuck?' she wondered, sputtering.
"You ok, there? That looked… embarrassing," the man commented and she turned to glare at him with bright red eyes. The man just responded with an amused smile and a tilt of his head.
"I'm gonna wipe that smile off of your face," Yang growled.
"You sure about that?" he asked her, like it was a genuine question despite the mocking expression on his face. "You sure you aren't trying to wipe the floor with your face?"
"You…" she hissed, jumping up and towards him. She moved faster, punched faster. She was pretty sure her punches were weaker like that, but she didn't care anymore. She just wanted to land a hit. "Stop fucking dodging!" she screamed, both incredulous and enraged by the fact that she was still not hitting him.
"No, I don't think I will," was the casual answer she got.
Yang just screamed.
"Wow, anger issues much?"
She decided to ignore him from then on because fuck that guy. She'd hit him. She had to. She refused to just not. She was top of her class. A talent in her own right and she'd been trained by the best in her school and by her own father and uncle, great huntsmen themselves. She wouldn't be made a clown by some random criminal in a backwater club under the command of some weak ass gang leader.
She was Yang fucking Xiao Long, after all.
So, elation coursed through her when her fist finally flew true, hitting him square in the chest once more.
"Yes!" she exclaimed instantly.
Her victory was short lived, however, because her attack had done nothing, just like before. Ember Celica hit the man and stopped right there, achieving nothing. There was something odd going on though. 'What…?' she wondered, confused. There was something different this time from her previous "hit" if it could be called that, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"My turn?" the man asked, grinning widely.
Before she could even react, the man's own fist was colliding with her abdomen and Yang was sent flying into a wall.
That… that had hurt. 'How?' she wondered incredulously. 'My aura should have… covered… that…' she thought then, trailing off as she realized what had happened, eyes wide in horror. She'd been using her Semblance all throughout that fight, again and again trying to hit the man with her strongest punch.
And she'd been burning her aura all the while.
'I… ran out of aura?' she wondered, unable to wrap her mind around that fact. Surely not, right? She'd… She'd never run out of aura before her opponent laid on the floor defeated. Either that or they'd break through it with their attacks. That… That couldn't be, right?
"What's the matter?" the man asked, walking towards her and grinning widely. "What was it you said? Something about wiping this smile off my face?" he added, pointing at himself. "I'm waiting."
What…?
Who the fuck was this guy?
"Who are you?" she asked. At any other time, she'd have cursed herself for sounding like such a wimp, all nervous and scared. At that very moment, she couldn't bring herself to do that.
"Vincent Blackwood, pleasure to meet you," he answered casually. "But I'm not here to chat. I thought you were here for a fight, so I'm giving you one. Are you gonna stay there?" he asked, continuing to approach her, getting closer and closer at a sedate pace.
"I… I don't have aura…" she said, and Yang wondered if she was telling the man that or still processing the fact herself.
"Didn't stop you when you were going to kick Hei over there, did it?" the man asked, and suddenly the lights were flickering once more, the place turning darker and darker around them. "Why should that stop me then?" he added and, in a literal blink, his eyes turned into something… completely different.
Suddenly, there were only hollow pits of darkness, like she was staring at the darkest night sky without any stars in it, infinitely vast but contained within his eyelids. The man's grin seemed to widen unnaturally, almost like the smile was threatening to actually split his whole head in two. Furthermore, around her, from the corner of her eyes, Yang could see the shadows on the ground, from pillars and other things, seemingly coming alive, twisting and turning like ribbons in the wind, but moving towards her as if trying to reach her.
"I'm waiting, girl," the man said. His tone was the same as before, but there was something decidedly different all the same that Yang couldn't quite figure out.
Not that her brain could do much thinking when everything around her was just so…
Terrifying.
There she was, without aura, in front of a man who had toyed with her and that was, apparently, without even using his horrifying Semblance. She'd faced people stronger than her before, like higher years at combat school, or her father, or her uncle. However, none of those could be compared to what was going on then and there, because she knew them. She knew the battle would end when their aura was low or broken.
This was a stranger, in a shady club, apparently friends with someone that she'd beaten down.
Her hand trembled as she tried to push herself up.
"Is that all you have?" the man asked her. "Because this was a truly sad display, I have to say. All that cocky attitude and… this is all?" he commented, standing before her and sticking his hands into the pockets of his coat. His grin disappeared then, replaced with a bored expression.
Yang pushed herself up then, slowly, stumbling…
Because fuck, that punch had fucking hurt, especially without aura.
"Have some fight in you still? That's… mildly impressive, I guess," the man mused out loud, and Yang wondered if he was talking to her or to himself. That didn't matter.
She brought her hands up into a guard because even if she had no aura, she refused to just lay there and take whatever this guy had in store for her lying down.
"Cute."
"I'll show you cute," she said, punching the man once more and achieving precisely nothing once more. She expected that, but she'd admit, in the privacy and safety of her own mind, that it still stung to see that.
Immediately after, she felt a hand grip her head and then smash it into the wall.
"I think that's quite enough," the man said, staring at her with those darkness filled eyes of his. "You will behave yourself now. Is that clear? Because I've grown tired and bored with this already."
"You-" she started, only to be interrupted by the painful grip on her skull.
"I said, is that clear?"
"... Yes."
[} Chapter End {]
Adrian: Not much to say other than… first canon event we see… not that there's many of those left, what with the butterflies and shit. There's also the fact that Arc's not around right now. So, it's just me here… which isn't helping. Hope you guys liked the chapter though.
Random Adrian Question: You see this one coming? You think the other Trailers may happen similarly? How? And if not, why?
Discord Link: discord .gg/UTDransjJZ
