Continent of Sanus: Amity Colosseum
Continuing the same day team RWBY defeats team ABRN with relative ease, it is now team JNPR's turn to fight and their opponents, team BRNZ from Shade Academy, appear to be trickier and better coordinated. The initial exchanges reveal that one of BRNZ's members, May Zedong, fights from a distance with a sniper, in the forest biome on one side of the battlefield. This forces JNPR to retreat towards the other side, a mountain terrain in order to come up with a way to counter the sniper while dealing with the remainder of the team. Despite having no concrete plan, Jaune commands Ren to sprint forward and distract the sniper, whilst Nora is tasked to climb to the top of the mountain when a dark cloud forms and lightning begins to strike, aiding with her 'High Voltage' semblance. The remaining three members of BRNZ sprint at the three JNPR members. First is Brawnz Ni, the team's brash leader who fights with sturdy metallic claws on his hands and bronze kneecaps for leg combat, leads the way. Behind him are Nolan Porfirio, a tall boy with a cattle prod and Roy Stallion, a confident student with bronze colored saws on his forearms for launching and held by a rubber glove. Team JNPR run forward as Nora hops up the mountain majestically, having relatively no issue scaling the artificial structure. Roy slows down to spin, builds up power, and launches the saws from his gloves directly at Jaune, who blocks them to his best effort. However, the saws generate enough power to collide into the shield, send the defensive weapon ricocheting into the face of the clueless team JNPR, while the saws successfully return to their owner. Pyrrha closes the distance between herself and Roy for swift justice, but the member of BRNZ is faster as he delivers a series of spinning swings, colliding the saws on his forearms into the red haired girl's shield 'Akoúo̱' and does a much better job at blocking without suffering any damage. Meanwhile, Jaune, still in a stunned and disoriented state, shakes his head and blindly charges into battle yet again
"Yeah! Go get em' Jaune!" Ruby pumps her fist in the air while she watches, alongside her team and their good friend LInk
"Well he's still inept, but has definitely improved." Weiss mumbles
"Yeah! But he's got nothing on Pyrrha! Nobody does!" Yang cheers
"Wooooo! GO TEAM JNPR! Aren't they so good Li-!" Ruby nudges the blonde teenager sitting to her right, but notices he is dozing off instead of watching. "Grrr! WAKE UP!"
WHACK!
A loud smack follows as Ruby slaps Link across the back of the head whilst shouting at him to leave his slumbering state
"Ow!" Link jumps and angrily glares at Ruby. "Why did you just hit me? That hurt."
"You're missing the match!"
Ruby points at the arena, where at this exact moment Pyrrha is taking on both Brawnz and Roy by herself and without much struggle. She delivers a spinning side kick to the leader of team BRNW, then proceeds to block, dodge, block and dodge the incoming saws that return to their owner after their failure at landing a single time. Pyrrha throws her javelin to distract Roy while she somersaults backward and uses both feet to land a double footed kick on Brawnz
"Pyrrha is incredible, what else is new?" Link grins. "She's leagues above everyone in this tournament, first years and upperclassmen included."
"Okay okay. I'm sorry I sabotaged your coffee on purpose earlier… And hitting you." Ruby groans. "But at least watch the fight, you need to know how a team of four coordinates their attacks and well... Fights as a team."
"Wait a second… You messed with my coffee on purpose?" Link sighs, then a smirk forms on his face when he notices a flaw in Ruby's comment, "I guess sparring with you guys meant nothing, interesting that you say that." He looks straight ahead, doing his best to hide his smile
"Excuse me?!" Weiss frowns. "I would be so insulted if our sparring was all for nothing. We, as a team, learned so much from you."
"I'm just bringing up what your leader said." Link chuckles
"Ruby." Weiss crosses her arms
"He's just kidding!" Ruby looks at the ground
"Well, what did you mean then?" Link raises an eyebrow
"What?! Stop it Link! You-!" Ruby next turns to look at her teammates, who are now all promptly glaring at her
"Alright I'll spare you the verbal assault. Blake, Weiss, Yang, I am just kidding." Link's smirk is very visible now as he shakes his head. "Fair enough, Ruby. You're right, I should watch this fight and I will, but after this one I'm taking off."
"What? But what if you're called on next?" Weiss asks. "You'll be disqualified if you don't show up."
"Let me know then." Link reaches for his scroll. "Please?"
"Hmm, I'll consider it." Weiss shrugs
"I will send you a message." Blake speaks up. "Don't worry, Link."
"Thank you." Link smiles. "You guys do raise a good point though, we are progressing through the first round quickly and yet, I haven't been picked. There's only so many more teams to get picked before we move on to the doubles round too."
"Yeah, these matches are going to come and go, then before we know it, we'll move on to the next round in no time. I would assume after this match, there's only going to be about two or three more matches after this one. Link?" Yang asks. "Are you sure you're even in the tournament?"
"Why else would I be pushing myself so much recently?" Link giggles. "Lucky me, maybe I will be one of the last matches of the first round."
"Pushing yourself?" Blake leans forward, meeting him eye to eye. "Do you mean..."
"It... is still a work in progress." Link nods. "No worries either, I'm not using it against anybody, private sessions only."
"That's good." Blake grins
"What's good?" Ruby slaps the one person team on the arm. "Did you come up with another cool move? Are you going to show it off during your match?"
"Maybe. But it's nothing new." Link shakes his head. "It is nowhere near perfected, but when it's done… You will either see it in action against someone or I will show you in a light spar."
"Awesome, now I hope I get the exclusive premiere." Ruby nods and looks back at the action
May jumps down from the tree she set herself up in to snipe from a distance. Her teammates look towards her in confusion. Their hands suddenly whip around as Nora comes down like a powerful meteor picking up a countless amount of momentum. With the orange haired girl's blazing speed, she slams her hammer into the ground, completely shattering the neutral stage where the two teams began the fight. The ground shakes, rubble flies, and the aftershock sends Brawn, Roy, and Nolan back to the feet of May, their shaken up teammate
"Here it comes, one more attack should finish the job and-!" Weiss frowns. "What are they doing? They were one or two more attacks away from defeating their opponents."
"It looks like they are…" Link narrows his eyes, turning his head in confusion. "I think they are discussing strategy?"
"Why? Just have Nora hit them with her hammer." Yang smirks
"That is more effective and faster." Blake giggles
"Oh Jaune..." Ruby sighs and develops second hand embarrassment
The tron rapidly changes from the display of team JNPR and BRNZ's names and aura level, to Jaune shouting at Ren and Nora while Pyrrha has a confused look on her face
"Looks like he wants Ren and Nora to attack." Blake scowls as from a distance
Despite their back and forth, Jaune, Ren, and Nora get nowhere, which forces Pyrrha to jump into the mix, mumble a few words to Jaune, then repeat her words for the rest of her team. Seconds later, all of team JNPR look up and the sounds of a booing crowd finally snaps them back into reality
"Finally!" Weiss scoffs
"Agreed." Link nods. "The time to plan strategies is before or after a fight."
Jaune sighs, disappointedly shakes his head and points his shield at team BRNZ, which prompts Nora to leap over her team, land right in front of their opponents. With a big smile on her face, she spins herself and her hammer so fast that it collides with all Brawnz, May, Noral, and Roy in one fell swoop before they can even react, dodge, deflect, or block. Team BRNZ gasps, their eyes widen, and soon enough, all four of them are sent flying in the air as they soar mid air and land straight into the forcefield, with each member landing in an awkward position.
"And with that massive blow! Team JNPR wins by knockout, literally!" Professor Oobleck shouts. "Can someone go make sure they're okay?"
"Ouch, look at that May girl's arm-!" Link gets cut short as they all flop to the ground. "Never mind. Look at all of them, they're going to need a few days of rest after that."
"Oooh!" Ruby winces momentarily but then smiles when
"Welp, that's your cue." Yang snaps her fingers and directs a thumbs up in the blonde swordsman's direction. "You said you were going to go after this, right?"
"O-Oh, I did, right. Thanks." Link nods, sighs, and then rises up from his seat
"Perfect! An open seat." Emerald's conniving voice enters the fray as she approaches team RWBY and Link. "The next should be any time soon."
"Hi Emerald!" Ruby waves her over
"H-Hey!" Emerald plasters a big smile on her face
"Actually now that you mention it..." Link frowns and stands in front of the seat he previously occupied. (I suppose I can stick around.)
"Link?" Weiss mumbles. "Are you okay?"
"I feel great." Link turns his head to glare at the dark skinned girl with mint green hair
"Don't be rude." Yang shouts. "Give the lady your seat. You already said you wanted to go, remember?"
"Right, I'm 'rude'... I will see you guys later." Link sighs and quickly walks away without saying goodbye to anybody
"What's up with him?" Emerald sits next to the silver eyed girl. "Was he rooting for the other team or something?"
"That's ridiculous." Weiss scoffs. "Of course he wanted team JNPR to win."
"She's right." Blake mumbles. "Link admires Pyrrha, gets along so well with Jaune-!"
"And!" Weiss interjects. "The amount of pancakes he's consumed with Ren and Nora in under a year alone is inhuman!"
"Truth is, we have no clue." Ruby's smile drops as she turns her head to watch Link walk away, his pace increasing when students rush to the concession stands. "He was just chipper a minute ago."
"I can go find out what's wrong if you want." Emerald says with an innocent smile on her face
"No no, that's okay." Yang shakes her head. "I'm sure he's fine. He's a call away too if we're reeeeealllly worried."
"Are you going to call him?" Weiss rolls her eyes
"Noooo but Blake said she would." Yang snickers
"Yeahhhh! Now let's cheer the dorks on!" Ruby pumps her fist in the air as she, the rest of her team, and a smiling Emerald wait for the next match in the tournament to begin
Twenty Minutes Later: Beacon Academy
After a fast ship ride back to beacon and a brief walk through the fairgrounds, the lone hero finds himself back on campus, but not going anywhere specifically as he walks all around the school and back to the front just because he can
(I need to do it soon.) Link sighs while he walks around the courtyard. (The longer I wait, the more Emerald butters them up and gets close enough to where they'll call her... ugh, a friend.)
Link enters Beacon and is met with a loud chorus of cheers, not directed at him or anybody for that matter, but by students inside watching the tournament on a hologram monitor, projected by a scroll
"Who is up?" Link walks around a group of ten people watching Sun's team, SSSN go up against team NDGO, an all girl team from Shade Academy. (Hmm, I've always wanted to see Sun in a full length fight. The rest of his team are unknown, regarding their fighting style at least.)
"What?" The voice of a student catches Link by surprise
"Huh? Oh sorry." Link covers his mouth with one hand. "I didn't realize how loud I was speaking and-!"
"Oh snap! You're Link!"
With those four words alone, the ten students in their school uniforms turn to face the one person team, who awkwardly smiles
"Yes, that's me." Link scratches his head whilst nodding. "What can I do for you?"
"Kick butt in the tournament." Another one of the ten students shouts as she flashes a big and bright smile for him. "Win it for Beacon!"
"I will do my very best!" Link confidently nods as he begins to walk away. "It was nice meeting you guys, have fun watching the tournament!"
"We will! Thank you!"
(Time to keep my thoughts to myself, since I cannot talk quiet at all.) Link chuckles. (Sun and Neptune are goofballs, but I think their team is gonna pull off the win, which gives me time to-!)
Just as he is about to turn a corner after he departs from the small group of students and heading for the dorms, team JNPR steps foot inside the school. Within seconds all four members receive a standing ovation from every student inside
(Back so soon? I swear I just got here, but then again I lose track of time pretty quickly. Plus, I did take my with getting here and walking around the entire school.) Link does a one eighty and makes his way towards team JNPR
"Woooo!" Nora pumps both fists in the air as Ren quietly bows in appreciation
"Thank you! Thank you all!" Jaune smiles, waves, and dramatically takes a bow
"We will do just as well in the doubles round." Pyrrha nods at all the cheering students
"Hell yeah we will!" Nora shouts. "We're gonna bring it home for Beacon, I promise!"
"..." Ren says nothing to her promise, but simply follows along with Pyrrha and nods
"Yeah, good win guys!" Link chimes in just as the crowd disperses
"Link? What are you doing here?" Nora asks. "Did you even watch our match? Have you been sleeping all day?"
"W-What?! No." Link shakes his head. "I decided to make my way back to Beacon after your match ended, good job with that last attack. To hit all four opponents and wipe them out with a mallet that doesn't have the most range, excellent job."
"Awww, thanks!" Nora giggles. "Jaune gets some credit, he made the call."
"Oh please." Jaune rolls his eyes. "That was all you."
"Team efforts." Ren smiles and nods
"What brings you back to campus?" Pyrrha asks. "You didn't find our match… Boring? I hope."
"Of course not. Your match was great!" Link chuckles
"Okay, good." Pyrrha sighs
"I don't know why I wanted to come back to campus, but it was simply a decision I made and stuck with." He nods. "I did tell team RWBY that I was on my way back but assuming you guys wrapped up your match and returned straight to Beacon, they couldn't have told you."
"What if you're called on next?" Pyrrha asks
"Well, I did ask anybody on team RWBY to let me know if I am called for a match, but I've just seen Sun's team is up against team NDGO from Shade, which means I'm safe for now."
"What if you get called on while you are sleeping? Rushing to get to the colosseum is not good for your mentality, Link." Pyrrha sighs. "On top of preparing yourself to fight an entire team by yourself."
"Thank you for the concern Pyrrha, but…" Link smiles. "I am more than mentally prepared to fight a team of four. Sparring with team RWBY, individually with You, Jaune and Ren, alongside constantly being outnumbered in fights all my life has helped out immensely. It might not be traditional by any means, but any experience is going to help me out. Besides, you're right."
"About what exactly?"
"Come on, during lunch." Link leans forward, plants a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder and lightly shakes her. "About looking forward to fighting in proper matches with rules and guidelines. It's going to be a blast to fight and not worry about potentially dying because win or lose, it'll be against other students."
"Oh, yes I remember that." Pyrrha smiles. "Of course."
"Exactly, I feel ready to fight against a team of four, then a pair of two, and lastly one on one matches. Is there pressure? Of course, but it does not feel like overwhelming pressure." Link and the red haired girl exchange nods, then the boy in green turns and looks at Jaune. "Question. Can you explain to me what you were saying to your team?"
"Uh..." Jaune nervously giggles. "We'll get the team attacks down soon. Team JNPR needs to keep training!"
"You're retiring the names, right?" Ren asks
"Nope!" Jaune shouts
"Oof. That's a day ruiner" Nora shrugs before happily skipping away
"H-HEY!" Jaune's jaw drops
"She's just messing with you." Pyrrha elbows him on the arm
"Nora, wait up." Ren follows his best friend, but turns back to wave at Link before continuing his chase
"What are you guys going to do now?" Link turns to look at the remaining JNPR members in front of him
"We're not entirely set, but Ren and Nora really want to go to the fair." Pyrrha says with minimum enthusiasm. "Although, I am not too sure about it."
"I'm trying to convince Pyrrha too but it's not working." Jaune laughs whilst looking at Link with pleading eyes. "Help me."
"There's no need for that." Pyrrha shakes her head. "I am not opposed to the fair. I simply feel like, after a long and hard fought match, we really should relax first, there is always time to visit the fair another day when we know we aren't fighting and our friends are not in intense battles themselves."
"But the fair is relaxing!" Jaune groans. "We get to walk around, relax, play some games, eat snacks, it'll be great!"
"Hm..." Link retracts his arm as his head drops, rubbing his chin, the boy thinks carefully before looking up and jumps when he notices both of his friends staring at him, "O-Oh, am I the decision maker? Sorry for not realizing." He smiles. "Sorry Jaune, I have to agree with Pyrrha on this one. I know when I finish my fight, whether I win or lose, the last thing I will want to do is strain my mind with other activities."
"Don't let me stop you from having fun, Jaune. I can go with you, Ren and Nora another day." Pyrrha nods and gives Jaune a warm smile. "Please enjoy yourself and tell me how it goes."
"Sure thing." Jaune grumbles. "What will you do then?"
"Right now? Hm, good question, I think I will just go for a walk around Beacon." She nods again before turning to the shorter blonde teenager. "What about you, Link?"
"Me? Hm… Well, I was headed to my dorm but now that I think about it." Link chuckles. "I don't want to just sit inside my dorm all day and do nothing. Now that I've come over and said to you guys, I might take a walk myself. Call it copying or taking inspiration, whichever you'd prefer."
"Copying sounds harsh, taking inspiration it is." Pyrrha grins
"Do you want to go for a walk with me then?" Link motions for the exit. "Company is always nice."
"Of course, that sounds wonderful." Pyrrha nods, then turns to her team leader. "What do you think, Jaune?"
"If going for a walk is what you want then by all means, feel free." Jaune smiles
"Come along then." Link nods his head towards the entrance of Beacon. "See you later, Jaune."
"See you, Link." Jaune mumbles
"Goodbye Jaune, good job today." Pyrrha puts a hand on her leader's shoulder. "We will continue to train and improve as we progress through the tournament. I am confident team JNPR can win it for Beacon. Your guidance and leadership will play the most vital role."
"Oh Pyrrha, you're too generous." Jaune chuckles. "If team JNPR wins the entire tournament, it'll be because of your tenacity, will, and talent."
"I respectfully disagree." Link interrupts. "You both raise good points, but if your team wins it all for Beacon, it'll be a collective effort from all of you. Not just you Jaune or Pyrrha, but Nora and Ren too, the four of you will do it together."
"Right!" Jaune nods. "I should've thought about it that way."
"What a beautiful way to word it. I couldn't agree any more."
"Don't think it'll come too easy. You still have plenty of amazing teams in the tournament." Link turns back to look at them. "And me as well."
"Come on, you think anybody is going to count you out?" Jaune grins
"He's right. Nobody will overlook you, Link." Pyrrha removes her hand from Jaune's shoulder and walks to catch up with him
"W-Wait! Pyrrha!" Jaune shouts. "Before you go. Do you want anything from the fair? How about some cotton candy?"
"Hm, I'm not fond of sugary treats…" Pyrrha turns back and gleefully responds. "But sure! Anything you bring me, I will like it!"
"Link?" Jaune glances at him
"I'm okay, thank you." Link turns and nods
Soon enough, both of the top ranked rookies in Beacon are out of the front entrance and Jaune watches them leave, then lets out a big sigh when the doors shut and he is out of earshot
"SO!" Link claps his hands together to grab all of his companion's attention. "I know you want to relax, but I have a demand. It's more a question buuuut! I need to know, who is going to next round out of your team?"
"Everyone unanimously chose me." Pyrrha chuckles. "Despite me bringing up a team vote. Then they said I could choose my partner."
"Annnnnd you chose..." Link turns his head to look into her eyes. "Nora or Jaune?"
"Close but you're practically there." She nods. "I chose Jaune, yes."
"Well I got it right but…" Link raises an eyebrow. "There's a good dynamic there, right?"
"Of course. Jaune has improved a lot since he started, and I think he's doing amazing as our leader..." Pyrrha nods
"But...?" Link asks. "There's something else you're not saying."
"He's trying too hard to impress us." Pyrrha sighs. "The other day, Ruby told Jaune in detail about the night her team successfully defeated Roman Torchwick inside a stolen Atlesian Paladin with perfect team attacks. And let's just say Flower Power and Arkos did not exactly catch on with the rest of us."
"What? Why would he come up with such redun-!" Link stops himself as he receives a nasty glare, "I mean... redundantly good team names?"
"You tried." Pyrrha laughs
"Yes, I did indeed try." He sighs. "Was this something he's brought up to you guys before?"
"Sort of. We worked on the team attacks but did not settle on the names." She giggles. "I suppose, Jaune was caught up in the moment and it did not register that the team names were not official yet."
"Those must be the growing pains of being a leader, something I do not relate to." Link covers his mouth and quietly laughs. "You know, I personally wanted to be the last one fighting this round, but now I kind of regret wishing for that, my name has yet to be called, now I am dreading being last."
"Why did your mind change?" Pyrrha turns to meet his eyes
"The spotlight is bigger, more attention, more pressure, which normally does not faze me, but I feel a little off about it now. The silver lining is, at least I might draw Team SLVR, since they haven't been picked for a match either." Link suddenly starts to get ahead, but his pace never changes, it was Pyrrha's when she slows down
"Team SLVR?" She says with confusion in her voice. "Who are they?"
(Crap, I just gave it away.) Link sighs and stops to turn and face the confused girl. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but Weiss had a slash going across her arm because her clothes were torn. That slash was-!"
"It was from an attacker, I understand." Pyrrha nods."I saw that she was attacked, but I knew it couldn't have been you, otherwise you would not have come back with her. I did want to get you alone tonight or tomorrow and ask you about it as well."
"Understandable. You had a match to focus on and the question was going to occur later." Link smiles. "I'm speeding up the process for you, is that okay?"
"More than okay." Pyrrha nods. "Who was it that attacked Weiss?"
"Their names are... Well, I'm not going to pretend as if I got their names, Weiss had to tell me since they introduced themselves to her. Their leader is a girl named Skylar, followed by a boy with a sniper called Leo, a chipper girl named Violet, and lastly a big tall guy called Ryker who appears to be their strongest."
"Did you announce them in that order because it matches up with their name SLVR?" Pyrrha giggles
"Maybe." Link smiles
"Clever." Pyrrha nods, "But Weiss only had a small slash on her arm that Yang, Ruby, Jaune, Nora, and Ren didn't notice. If she was attacked, there would be more damage. Did you stop the assault before it got worse?" She moves again, soon walking side by side with Link
"Yes but not exactly at the same time. They could have really hurt her way before I even got there, but it's like they were toying with her and playing mind games. I must add this in as well, they were all faunus and clearly very anti-Schnee, considering who they chose to target. It was like they thought nobody else would show up, I just so happened to be around... Clearing my head of anger."
"Were you planning on keeping this a secret?" Pyrrha asks whilst simultaneously stopping, which prompts her friend to stop and stand in front of her
"I won't lie to you, so yes. Not because I want to keep anything from you, in fact, the decision was not because of you." Link shrugs his shoulders, but with a smile. "I simply had no idea what Ruby or Yang would have done if they found out within minutes after it happened... You could throw Nora on that list as well. Now that it's just you and I, in a one on one conversation, I trust you and I know you won't do anything crazy."
"Well, thank you. For trusting me with even more sensitive information." Pyrrha returns the smile and the two promptly continue walking. "How do you think you will do in the tournament? You must be excited."
"Excited? Yes, but more motivated. Before we were assigned missions, I had no interest in the tournament and even during school I was coasting for the most part."
"Give yourself more credit, if anyone needed anything, you put your effort into helping them." Pyrrha leans over and bumps shoulders with Link
"Fair enough. I meant personally. Attending an academy was more of Ray's dream and a desire of mine, she wanted this more than me." Link mumbles. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, along the way my motivation dropped and I only kept going for Ray. But now-!"
"Now you're rejuvenated and doing it for more than just that poor girl." Pyrrha nods
"Correct." Link smiles and glances up at the sky. "After everything that happened to Ruby, I kept reminding myself that it was my fault and I needed to get stronger to protect her and all of you. I mean why does anyone join a tournament like this?"
"Representing and honoring their academy is a huge honor." Pyrrha mumbles. "Yes, some want to test their abilities for when they eventually graduate and go out on their own, but a majority just want the privilege to represent where they came from, their home."
"That's a nice sentiment." Link nods, "It's more than this tournament for me as well. I want to take all of this time I have in Beacon and every opportunity I get to learn from smart professors in class or when sparring amazing warriors like you, Pyrrha, to get stronger for selfish and selfless reasons."
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asks
"First, I want to get revenge on the people who have hurt or killed anyone I love, that's my selfish reason. And to protect the people in my life who I love now is my selfless reason." He looks down and suddenly his tone is much colder. "Representing your academy or kingdom must be an amazing feeling. But Vale isn't my home and neither is Beacon. I don't know what home is."
"Or is it?" Pyrrha keeps her smile present despite the darkness of her friend's words. "You met all your current friends here, you are improving at a faster rate than I am as well. Together with team RWBY or my team, you're stopping crimes from being committed. Did you know the people of Vale called us heroes for what we did, doesn't that mean something to you?"
"A hero?" Link smiles. "That's really nice, I've always wanted to be known as a hero. Even if it is cliché."
"I personally would not label it cliché at all, but I understand what you mean." Pyrrha nods. "Something I must address is your desire for revenge. Please, revenge is not healthy at all, Link. I view it as a dark path that has no good end result, you'll die trying or achieve revenge and feel just as empty as when you started."
"Pyrrha…" Link closes his eyes and sighs. "You're right, it is a dark path but that village, Ray, her family… T-they did not deserve to d-die that way. All of the innocent people, soldiers, huntsmen, and huntresses who were killed for the sole purpose of framing me and my group, did not deserve to die. I'm sure my entire mercenary group is dead too and-!"
Pyrrha takes action when she sees and listens to Link slowly fall apart, only a few more words away from breaking down into tears or bursting out with anger. She rushes forward and hugs her friend, wraps her arms around him tightly, and leans into the hug, in hope of helping him feel warmth
"O-Oh… This is nice." Link eyes widen in shock. "Thanks Pyrrha, yet again you're here for me. I owe you-!"
"Shhh!" Pyrrha shakes her head, "You don't owe me anything, it's obvious that you've been hurt a lot and it is very sad because you don't have a lot of memories to recall, all you have is what you've been through recently." She sighs. "Link, you're a good person and you mean well, that is all that matters."
"If only it were that simple." The one person team chuckles. "Unfortunately-!"
"I wasn't done." Pyrrha squeezes on the hug more. "You were forced to become a warrior, to fight for your survival, unlike those who willingly choose to do this. But you are definitely a perfect candidate for becoming a huntsman, you are a hero. You made and still make mistakes, but who hasn't?"
"You're far too nice." Link picks up his arms and hugs her back. "Some mistakes are probably unforgivable, like being a mercenary? That-!"
"Stop. I'm being truthful." She rolls her eyes playfully. "The way you described yourself as a mercenary is too harsh. You were not a heartless monster doing it for just money. That money was needed to help find your missing mother and brother. Remember that, Link."
"What's your point?" Link chuckles
"You protect, love, and care about people who can and cannot protect themselves. Those are the traits every huntsman and huntress should have. All of your qualities and your mentality to never go down or give up, that is what a hero and a huntsman truly is." Pyrrha loosens her grip on the hug to lean back and look at Link in the eyes. "You have what many don't. There are a lot of people our age, who become a huntsman or a huntress simply for the glory, fame, and money. And while I won't tell them what they should be doing, I-!"
"I will do it for you then." Link chuckles. "Those people are better off getting a desk job at a company if that's their reason. You're right Pyrrha, I do this to help those who can't help themselves, it may not be how I started, but my mentality changed a lot through growing up and tragic events. Losing my family, my mercenary friends, Ray, Liam, Morgan, Hirko, the entire village..." He stops speaking and completely releases his grip. "Pyrrha?"
"Yes?" She looks at him with a worried expression
"This is unrelated but, after I lost Ray and her village, it's been tough letting new people in, I didn't speak or befriend anyone until I arrived at Beacon." Link weakly smiles. "But you guys managed to sneak your way into my heart, and I feel so grateful to have you all. I promise to not let anything happen to any of you."
"Link… I admire how much you put others before yourself." Pyrrha pulls away from the hug but reaches forward and squeezes his forearm. "You have such a strong and resilient mind, it is not fair how much you have gone through, and yet, you are still an amazing person with a caring heart. Some very bad people are the reason those things happened to you, but you haven't quit and won't stop until they are stopped for good."
"That's right." Link slowly nods
"As of now, your journey may be at a standstill in your mind, but you are making more progress than you think. You are improving your skills, learning new techniques, honing what you know... You are so strong despite not even knowing what your semblance is."
"What?" Link shakes his head, but then smirks as he remembers that Pyrrha was the main and only person attempting to figure him out that day, "So you picked up on it after all. You knew I was bluffing about having multiple semblances and now you are aware that… Despite my ability and skill, I do not know what my semblance is. Maybe it's-!" He stops himself and brings his right hand up to his chest. "No, it can't be that. It must be something else."
"Can't be what? You may be onto something." She gasps. "Does he mean… The demon?"
Pyrrha follows Link's action and raises her left hand, but instead of placing it on her chest, she promptly places it on top of his hand that is resting on his chest
"I know what you're referring to, Link. Have you told anyone about this theory?"
"No, I haven't. I mention it to Blake occasionally, since she seems the most... Not informed, but certainly the most knowledgeable. It doesn't make sense to me…" Link's hands shake in fear. "If that thing is my semblance then why can't I control it?"
"Semblances are not mastered immediately once discovered. Ruby cannot control her movement in her semblance, Weiss is still working on hers, Ren has not revealed his, and Jaune still does not know what his semblance is either. With him, I could only help him unlock his aura." Pyrrha mumbles and then proceeds to squeeze Link's left hand whilst closing her eyes. "Close your eyes, please."
"What are you doing?" Link asks but listens and closes his eyes
"Hm..." Pyrrha frowns and lets go within seconds. "Your aura is completely fine, you have plenty of it, and you haven't shown any other signs that could provide a different explanation about lacking a semblance. Your body is calm, nothing seems to be locked up or tense and-!"
"Sorry to interrupt you again Pyrrha, but..." Link nervously scratches his head. "I asked you to walk with me so we could clear our minds, and all we've done is talk about the tournament and my semblance. Which is my fault, I apologize."
"I do not accept your apology." Pyrrha turns her head and warmly smiles. "For I am more relaxed than I was before, maybe this is just our way of clearing our minds. Seeing as keeping still does not seem to benefit us."
"Yeah, I can agree with you there." Link nods as the two of them resume their walk. "Okay! Topic change! Less business and more... Personal."
"Oh no." Pyrrha nervously smiles. "Do we have to?"
"Yes we do!" Link claps his hands again, "Has any progress been made?" He tilts his head and smiles at her
"Progress with what exactly?" Pyrrha replies with a hint of sarcasm and false confusion
"The other blonde swordsman. You know, the one that is not me." Link rolls his eyes
"Oh, well..." Pyrrha shakes his head. "I suppose you can be the judge of that, Jaune is my really good friend, that is all I will say."
"In that case, I will let it slide this time because I'm not as nosy as other people." Link chuckles. "How is Jaune by the way?"
"You know, you could ask him yourself." Pyrrha glares at him. "You two just spoke moments ago."
"I know. Despite speaking with everyone again, I have remained distant in some ways." He looks around, definitely ashamed. "I'm working on getting together with everyone like before, but I haven't really spoken to him or Nora in a while. How are they both?"
"Jaune and Nora are doing great. I was going to bring that up soon enough, they have all missed you so much. Ren wishes to train with you very soon and so do I." She giggles. "At the beginning, we may have spoken very little, but we've come a long way since those early days. I've missed our talks and group hangouts."
"You have?" Link asks. "As in you really missed them?"
"Of course." Pyrrha confidently nods, "You never realize how special some things or people are until you lose them momentarily or permanently. Losing you for that short period of time was really difficult on all of us. I will also say, it was especially hard on me." She looks away. "I'm glad you have been feeling better in between the time you told us your story."
"It's good to be back." Link smirks. "Sorry for isolating myself for so long, that cannot happen again. If these internalized problems of mine come up or dark thoughts cloud my head, I need to talk to you or anybody, really."
"That's very good. I hope it doesn't have to come to that, but if it does, I am glad that you won't keep these emotions bottled in anymore." Pyrrha nods. "However, please don't be sorry anymore. I'm grateful that you're back, seeing you happy, smiling, and in a good mood… It makes me happy."
"Are you trying to make me shed a tear? Because that was so nice." Link smacks his lips, but the last sentence pulls at his heartstrings. "What you said earlier is kind of burned in my head. In a good way. Because it's true, if trouble ever strikes us, I will do my best to protect anyone and everyone if possible. If anything were to happen to you, Nora, Ren or Jaune and you need help, tell me. Whether it's dealing with Cardin for the nine-hundred time, some personal issues, you name it. It's not like I have anything going for me at the moment. So why not help others who deserve-!"
"Nothing going for you?" Pyrrha's smile slowly forms as she remembers the question that embarrassed her earlier. "Aren't you after the hearts of two girls? I did not expect you to be a… Player."
"I am nowhere near a player." Link shrugs, "They're really close friends, that's all. Besides, I've been distant from both of them as well, this morning I was able to catch up with team CFVY for RWBY's match against team ABRN, but that was really it in terms of me and Velvet talking." He mumbles. "As for Ruby, same thing. I sat with her to watch your team, then Emerald came in and I just wanted to go."
"Now here you are, walking with me and not watching Sun and his team's match." Pyrrha nods
"Is that a bad thing? Talking with you has been great." Link glances up at the sky again, the light orange color from the slowly setting sun catches his eye
"I cannot disagree with that." Pyrrha mutters, "Talking has been good, Link. If I ever need someone to talk to, I will be sure to take you up on your offer. Talking to Nora usually just involves her doing all the talking. Ren is quiet to the point where I have to start the conversation…"
"And Jaune is Jaune." Link nods, "I wouldn't even dare crack into the iceberg that is team RWBY if I were you." He smiles, but then his attention is pulled away from the beautiful sky by an Atlas ship stationed at the landing docks, with an identical design to the ship that invaded Garanda. "Hey, by any chance do you know how long we have been out here? Our conversation was so good, I lost track of time."
"About fifteen or twenty minutes?" Pyrrha looks at her scroll for the time, but then keeps her eyes on the multi-use device. "It appears that Sun's team was victorious in their match."
"That's great! They weren't the favorites but they got the job done, good for them."
The one person team keeps his eyes on the ship, showing more intrigue despite it being just another Atlas military vehicle as he and Pyrrha circle back around to the entrance of Beacon, where other students run past them
"Huh? What's going on?" Link raises both eyebrows, turning to Pyrrha with confusion
"If I had to guess, a fight." She looks around, spotting broken concrete scattered around the courtyard as well as a broken lamp post that is knocked over completely
"Qrow!" Professor Ozpin's voice shouts at one of the people responsible
(Qrow? As in-!) Link leans over to his left and right, trying to see who was fighting, and when confirming his suspicions, the boy vividly remembers the drunken huntsman that almost killed him
Qrow in the distance is seen giving Ruby a fist bump along with a few mumbled words, nearby is Glynda who fixes the damage done to the courtyard with her semblance, 'Telekinesis'. Soon, the tension slowly dies down, students nearby quickly disperse after Professor Ozpin and Glynda promote the Vytal Festival and heading to the colosseum to watch fights instead of unsanctioned brawls on campus. Then the 'culprits' head inside, one being Qrow and the other is a woman that has significant resemblance to Weiss, but taller. In front of them are Ozpin, Glynda, Ironwood, and Penny, while behind Qrow and this woman are Ruby and Weiss, watching in shock
"Link?" Pyrrha looks at him nervously
"Yeah?" Link asks, narrowing his eyes as he receives glares from Ironwood and Qrow, with the latter even stopping to get a good look at him
"Qrow!" Ironwood shouts
"Right… On my way." Qrow rolls his eyes and stuffs both hands in his pockets, promptly walking away
(Hm…) Link shakes his head as he keeps his eye on the woman resembling Weiss, (She is not as tall, and that person's voice was very... Well, manly. I can definitely cross this woman off the list.) He balls up his hands in frustration
"HEY!"
A loud and powerful voice rings into Link's ears as Ruby slows down before she practically lunges into him
"R-Ruby!" Link plants his feet firmly into the ground and catches her with slight struggle
"Sorry." Ruby chuckles. "So did you see it, uncle Qrow whooped Weiss' sister!"
"He did not!" Weiss angrily stomps towards them. "It was a draw at best or Winter was the victor. Tell her Link."
"That was your sister? I would have never imagined she'd be a part of Atlas' military." Link blinks
"Is that so?!" Weiss crosses her arms. "Then what do you think she would be doing?"
"Working as an independent huntress." Link smiles. "That's what I think you're going to do once we graduate, Weiss. So I figured your sister was on the same path."
"R-Right, that makes sense." Weiss narrows her eyes. "I was so ready for him to say he expected Winter to be working a cushy job in Atlas, taking orders from father."
"As for your question." Link shakes his head. "There's nothing to tell from my end, I didn't see the fight, sorry."
"Drat! Ummm… Pyrrha?!" Weiss turns to her. "Did you see it?"
"I was with Link the whole time, we got here just as it finished. My apologies." Pyrrha nods
"Ahhh! I can only imagine what would've happened if Uncle Qrow was serious." Ruby jumps with joy. "All that military training and fancy equipment can't defeat my cool uncle!"
"Shut it." Weiss shakes her head
"Hm…" Link turns to look at the group of five entering Beacon. "So that was your sister, right?"
"Yes." She nods, but then her eyes shoot wide open. "You already asked me that."
"What do you have planned?" Pyrrha narrows her eyes. "Do we need to take you down again?"
"Definitely not." Link chuckles. "You know I wouldn't resist anyway because I'm not fighting my friends. What do I have planned? Nothing... As of now."
"Link, don't try anything." Weiss shakes her head again. "My sister will rip you apart. She takes everything seriously and I do not imagine she is too happy because of the fight that took place."
"You mean because she got schooled?" Ruby cackles
"Why you-!" Weiss turns away
"I do not want to come off as overconfident by any means." Link mumbles. "But I could fend off Qrow a year ago and he apparently handled your sister, then I think I can take her."
"How about none of that happens?" Pyrrha nervously looks around. "Would any of you like to go to the fair?"
"No thanks Jaune." Link rolls his eyes and in the process, gets a nasty look from the girl he mocked
"I wanna talk to uncle Qrow. But that depends on how long Professor Ozpin chews him out. Ugh!" Ruby sighs and walks away. "I'll wait at the elevator, see you guys later!"
"Goodbye, Ruby." Pyrrha waves
"See you later, Ruby." Link smiles
"I..." Weiss thinks carefully. "Will wait out here for my sister."
"I'm going to my dorm like I originally intended." Link's smile turns into a frown, seeing the Atlas ships only brings back the dark memories from the village's slaughter, but more specifically, Ray's death
"Link..." Pyrrha starts. "Are you going to be okay? I can keep walking with you if-!"
"I won't lash out on anyone." Link's frown disappears, he laughs, walks away, and waves at both of the remaining girls. "I just have to clear my head. Bye Pyrrha, bye Weiss."
"Goodbye, Link." Weiss waves politely
"Talk to me soon." Pyrrha calls out whilst waving
"What happened to him?" The Schnee heiress asks
"He did not tell me the reason, but I can guess accurately. Ever since he laid eyes on that ship, his mood dropped." Pyrrha looks at the ground and rubs her left nervously
"O-Oh..." Weiss sighs. "Right, that makes a lot of sense."
"He knows I'm here for him, but he needs to know everyone else is too." Pyrrha nods to Weiss, "Link is already overwhelmed as it is, it seems as if his old memories constantly come back to him, and from our talk I can tell you this." She sighs. "What I took away from it is that he wants to deal with our problems or concerns before his... Which would be good-!"
"If it was anybody but Link saying that, considering what he has gone through." Weiss nods. "I understand. Knowing him, he adds on excess pressure to himself too."
"Precisely." Pyrrha closes her eyes and sighs again. "My fears are that he will force himself to do too much, bottle his emotions, and eventually snap."
"I'm not going to say it's his fault…" Weiss watches the one person team walk away with a look of concern. "...But how are we supposed to help him if he does not reach out?"
"That's a very good question. Unfortunately, it's a tough situation. One that we have to figure out as we go." Pyrrha opens her eyes and looks up. "Sorry if this feels abrupt but I should get going. My team wanted to go to the fair and I hope they are still there. Goodbye Weiss."
"Okay, no problem." Weiss weakly smiles. "Goodbye Pyrrha."
The two of them exchange nods and waves, before Pyrrha takes off sprinting, hoping she is not too late. Weiss exhales and stands alone in the courtyard, she listens to the lingering students discuss the fight between her older sister and Ruby's uncle
Beacon Academy: The Dormitories, Link's Dorm
"What am I doing?"
Link chuckles nervously as he fumbles out of his usual attire and switches into a 'new' change of clothes, which is merely the exact same tunic, but in a pitch black color instead of green. This was the outfit of his choice when he operated as a mercenary, to blend in with the night and shadows as his former group, the Black Hawks, did their mission primarily during the night
"Professor Ozpin will not be able to bail me out if I'm willingly attacking Atlas military, so I won't do that, but I need answers."
Link quickly makes the necessary changes, from his clothes with brown boots and white sleeves and pants to darker colors. Such as metal boots, along with black sleeves and pants, which makes him stand out and successfully portray himself in his old mercenary attire
"For all I know, they could be done in professor Ozpin's office already, I need to hurry." He speaks quietly whilst strapping his sword and shield to his back, ties his pouch of various items on his side, but chooses to leave his bow behind
Link locks his dorm and opens a window, but then looks back at his room and spots the top of his desk, where his steel mask rests. The mask has sustained no dents or holes during the entire time it was used and now especially due to it being 'retired' for a long time
"Okay, I may as well conceal my face..."
He runs back and quickly puts it on, then glances at himself in a mirror one last time. He sports an all black attire, except for his gauntlets, pouch, weapons and mask, then as fast as he enters his dorm to change, he leaves by leaping out of the window. However, rather than dropping straight down and potentially damaging his legs, Link uses his hook shot to fire and grip onto a tree branch, making his landing much easier. The blonde scheming boy releases the hook shot, it detaches from the branch, and he lands on the ground with ease. Next, he runs back to the courtyard, but takes into consideration what may come and pulls out his scroll to send a message
Moments Later: Beacon Academy, The Courtyard
Weiss follows closely behind her older sister, Winter Schnee as the two sisters exit Beacon Academy, the latter angrily heads straight to her ship, on orders given by her superior, James Ironwood
"B-But-! Winter!" Weiss exclaims. "You said you wanted to inspect my dorm."
"Not now, Weiss. I'm already angry and I do not wish to take it out on my sister." Winter storms down the concrete stairs and steps onto the courtyard, where she and Weiss are met with dead silence... Because there are absolutely no students in sight anymore
"W-Whoa." Weiss stutters, "That's weird. There's no way that everyone went to the Colosseum or back inside the school… Something's diff-!" She stops when her scroll buzzes. "Whoever this is can wait."
"You're right." Winter cautiously walks towards the ship, and slows down even more when she sees a figure in all black standing about fifteen feet away. Coincidentally, in the same spot that she and Qrow faced off
(Here goes nothing.) Link roughly pulls on his mask, but it barely budges, (Good.)
"Wait a minute, is that?" Weiss squints her eyes. "N-No, it can't be him, he's always in green."
Weiss recognizes the clothing pattern and weapons, but does not immediately recognize the person standing in front of them. However, with Winter taking charge, the younger of the two Schnee's feels safe and decides to check her scroll as it could be Ruby, Yang, Blake, or any of her other friends.
"What?" She whispers in confusion when she reads a text message from Link that says the following message: 'Hey, just so you are not taken by surprise, I am attempting to get answers from your sister. I'm not looking for a fight, but just in case she attacks me, I won't be using my full strength. Nothing personal towards you, Weiss. I figured I would tell you rather than keep you guessing as to what my motives are.'
"Do you know this person?" Winter looks back
"No." Weiss narrows her eyes and reacher for her rapier 'Myrtenaster' to expertly pretend like she is ready for a battle
"Stop." The older sister shakes her head. "You stay back, allow me."
"..." Link remains silent as the girl and woman gets closer and closer to him
Then, in dramatic fashion, he slowly turns around, revealing his mask to Winter, who quickly recognizes him based on Atlas military files and known descriptions
"Y-You! I cannot believe you're here of all places!" Winter pulls out her sword, transitioning into an attack stance immediately follows
"Who? Who is here? Who is this person?" Weiss draws her rapier hesitantly, but she slyly winks at Link
(Good, she saw my message, now I might only have to fight Winter.) Link sighs in relief
"I said stay back Weiss!" Winter looks over her shoulder and snaps. "This person is too dangerous for you. Go get General Ironwood now! Having him bring that bumbling idiot Qrow here as well!"
"But why? Who is this?!" Weiss shouts over her sister
"He is the twilight demon!" Winter narrows her eyes. "It is what we have him listed as, though the young man does have a name. I will not say it because that is classified."
"Twilight demon?" Weiss mumbles to herself. "They really gave Link that horrible name! How dare they?!"
"How nice of you to give me such a generous name." Link coldly mumbles. "It totally does not make me look like a monster by any means."
"We label what we see, child." Winter holds her position
"Since you know so much… Why don't you fill your little sister in on what I have supposedly done?" Link says with a firm tone, his hands remain by his sides and go nowhere near his weapons. "She deserves to know the real truth."
"The real truth?" Winter scoffs. "Don't make me laugh. We know of all your mercenary jobs, involving taking out multiple Atlas personnel, raiding villages, and the most horrific offense. The slaughter of a small village who had no chance against a monster like you. That alone is enough to put you away for the rest of your life." She abandons her stands and marches towards the boy in black
"What?" Weiss takes a step back and shakes her head, "I can't believe it. They're really saying Link did all of those crimes that his group was framed fo-!" She hesitates. "Perhaps, Link actually did commit those-! No! How could I doubt Link? He would not lie to us. Only the worst kind of person would lie about everything he told us that day. Link is not that person."
"You're going to take information that is fictional and has been manipulated for dramatic effect from a young, up and coming writer and portray it as fact." He scoffs. "How pathetic can you people be?"
Link's eyes change color in a flash, going from blue to gold and flashing bright through the holes in his mask, the wind around the courtyard starts to intensify within seconds
"Hundreds of murders caused by Atlas military, and here you are saying that I did it!" He growls. "How dare you-!"
"Not another word!" Winter comes to a complete stand still, raises her sword in the air, and then brings it down, pointing it at the twilight demon. "Capturing you is one of our highest priorities! Not only for me, but any Atlas military figure who has your whereabouts."
"We don't have to fight." Link reaches for his sword and shield. "I just have some questions-!"
"And I am done talking!"
Winter springs into action with a straightforward charge, within seconds she is face to face with Link, she fully extends her arm and intends on driving her sword right through his chest…
CLANG!
But unfortunately for the more experience Huntress, her opponent manages to whip his shield in front of him and block her attack completely
"What the-!" Winter's eyes widen as she realizes her attack does no damage and does not even connect
"But how?" Weiss gasps. "I didn't even see his shield come around, it all happened so fast."
"Next time..." Link draws his sword whilst struggling to lower his shield, due to the sharp metal pressing against it. "Strike with the intent to kill!"
It is the turn of the one person team to strike next, and he does so with a wild horizontal slash, forcing Winter to back away with a quick jump, avoid contact with the sword without any struggle
"What do I do?" Weiss mumbles and backs away from the action. "Winter told me to go get General ironwood and Ruby's uncle but… I can't just leave. If Link does not plan on using his full strength to defend himself, he could get hurt!"
Link retracts his arm and gets in a defensive stance as Winter charges him again, this time with usage of both hands. The huntress reveals her second sword, a thinner sword tucked away within her main weapon
"AHHH!" Winter shouts and drives her arms forward with full power
Both of her swords collide into Link's shield, but before he gets the opportunity to counter, it was Winter who continued to apply pressure with more lightning quick strikes. Her sequence begins with primarily jabs, but when the defensive weapon proves to be stronger, the older Schnee knows she must change her attack pattern
"Grrr!"
Winter strikes with a high jab from her smaller sword, a low horizontal slash with her main weapon, changes her position for better angles to get around the shield. Ultimately, Winter does not manage to land a single hit on Link, who manages to dodge the horizontal and looping swings, whilst blocking all of the sword jabs
"..." Link remains calm and does his best to analyze Winter's fighting style, but cannot seem to find a flaw aside from a potential lucky hit. (There is no getting around her unless I just want to continue blocking. I'm going to have to-!)
Link plants his feet and barges forward with his shield raised, slamming it right into Winter just as she swings her swords for a powerful spinning double sword slash. The collision momentarily stuns Winter and gives the student enough time to finally strike. He takes advantage of the short amount of time by tactically kicking away the secondary sword out of Winter's left hand, followed by a fast jumping side kick to the gut which knocks the wind out of Winter when it lands perfectly. This turn of events instills confidence in Link, who decides to take a risk. He brings up his left hand, the triforce on his hand glows bright and soon enough, a small beam of light fires towards Winter.
(I can probably keep her trapped for a short period of time before she figures out there is enough space to free herself.)
The signature triforces slowly appear, with the bright and vibrant one forming behind Winter out of thin air, while the light and faded once starts to form in front of her. However, she confidently grins and slams her sword into the ground! A glyph appears underneath her feet and then something shocking occurs right in front Link's eyes… The impact of the glyph forming, combined with the sword collision into the ground, is powerful enough to shatter both triforces and send them scattering in the air like wind blowing away dust
(Whoa…) Link stops himself from advancing, having been seconds away from charging forward
"No more games!" Winter frowns as she stands up, with the summoned glyph still present
(It is time for me to get out of here. I only got a few questions answered and I can confirm Winter was not the person who led the Garanda murders, there's no point in fighting her anymore.)
Coinciding with Winter's lingering glyph, Link's golden eyes remain and they only glow brighter, but deep down, there are no signs of the demon emerging and the boy is simply attempting to intimidate the woman
(Wait... is that?)
Link suddenly backs down from the fight by putting away his sword, shield and within seconds, his golden eyes fade away when the Beacon student sees James Ironwood AND Qrow Branwen coming towards them
"As fun as this is." He reaches into his pouch and reaches for the perfect getaway item
"YOU WON'T GET AWAY!" Winter takes off with twice the speed she displayed previously
(What the hell?!) Link acts quick by pulling out the smoke bomb and squeezing it with all the strength in his body
BOOM!
Smoke engulfs Winter and Link as the latter takes this chance to make his escape, while the former swings wildly inside the smoke. She has no success, having not been close enough to follow and accurately strike before the smoke bomb exploded
"What is going on?!" Ironwood runs past Weiss and quickly pulls Winter out of the smoke, then draws out his revolver and aimlessly points it around. "Schnee! Report to me what just happened and now!"
"He got away." Winter stomps on the pavement in frustration. "Damn it!"
"Who did?" Qrow walks forward nonchalantly and reaches for his flask, he calmly chugs his alcoholic beverage while the smoke disappears and reveals absolutely nobody
"None of your concern!" Winter frowns at Qrow, unleashing a hissing tone with the calm man
"Whatever." He rolls his eyes
"Winter! Who got away?" Ironwood asks with a firm tone
"That boy! The twilight demon!" Winter shouts. "He's that monster responsible for countless murders on innocent civilians, our soldiers, Huntsmen, Huntresses, the one behind the cold blooded gang of mercenaries, and the one who wiped out an entire village-!"
"I understand." Ironwood's frown instantly goes away and a look of confusion consumes him, "I need to update that mission immediately. He's no longer a top priority anymore."
"Sir?" Winter tilts her head. "What do you mean by that?"
"Hm..." Qrow squints as a 'shadow' carefully sneaks away from the scene
"I told you to head back, Schnee." Ironwood frowns again. "Not to cause another scene."
"But sir!" Winter glances at Weiss, who's presence helps calm her down. "He was here and my sister was right beside me, I had to protect her-!"
"Winter." Ironwood shuts his eyes. "We can discuss these incidents in private, let's go." He walks past her and does not turn back to face her, Weiss or Qrow
"Yes sir." Winter nods and follows her boss
"Pfft, it'll take them six weeks to do something I can do in six minutes." Qrow keeps his eye on the sneaky 'shadow', "So long... Other ice queen." He takes off to his left, going immediately after the shadow
"H-Hey!" Weiss looks around and realizes she is all alone yet again, "Can there ever be a day without explosions and chaos?!" She sighs and glances at the ground, spotting Winter's secondary sword that was kicked out of her hands by Link. "Oh no! I can't believe she forgot this!"
Weiss quickly runs a couple of feet to pick up her sister's weapon, turn to her and Ironwood, then make her way to the general's ship
Minutes Later: Beacon Academy, Outside the Dormitories
"Of course someone is onto me, stealth hasn't always been my specialty."
Link reaches for another smoke bomb, but before he can even apply pressure to it, the bomb is slashed out of his hand by Qrow, whose long sword helps cut distance between the two
"Not bad for a kid." Qrow slightly stumbles. "Make it easier on me and just take off the damn mask. I already know who you are, now it's time to see who I'm against."
Link grunts, looks above, and grins when he notices they are below the same tree that was used to ease his drop after he changed into his mercenary attire and exited his dorm
"So you're going to be complicated after all?" Qrow shrugs, puts his flask away, then wields his sword with both hands
"No." Link mumbles
He reaches behind his head, and carefully shimmies the mask off his face, but rather than let it drop to the ground, he catches it while the older huntsman takes in the identity of a previous opponent
"I knew your clothes and mask looked familiar but I had to be sure!" Qrow pulls one hand away from his sword and uses it to grab Link by the collar and slam him against the tree. "What the hell are you here?"
"I am a student here." Link pushes Qrow's hand off him. "I've been enrolled in Beacon and am in the tournament."
"Oz allowed you to enroll? I didn't want to believe he's lost a step but…" Qrow frowns. "Letting Amber's assailant come to his school, how stupid-!"
"Shut up!" Link lunges forward and shoves him. "I had no choice!"
"What do you mean 'no choice', huh kid?" Qrow swings his sword and slightly grazes Link's shoulder to push and keep him against the three
"Dangerous people, stronger than the White Fang, were threatening me and my group if I didn't comply and kill Amber." Link shrugs. "Before you ask, yes they threatened to kill us all."
"Alright then, I will ask something else then." Qrow narrows his eyes but suddenly burps in Link's face, and all of the tension in their faceoff vanishes. "So why didn't you finish the job?"
"Ugh! Do you only drink alcohol twenty-four seven?" Link turns to the side and coughs from the stench
"Answer the damn question or I'll do worse than prick your shoulder." The older man shakes his head in disapproval
"I felt immediate regret when I realized who my target was." Link shakes his head. "The truth is, I had already met Amber before, and let's just say that she saved my life and I won't take that for granted… Killing her would have been like spitting in her face and ripping out her heart at the same time."
"Or so you think… It's gotten worse." He shrugs
"What?" Link faces Qrow once again. "Do you know where she is? If so-!"
"Hey, if you don't want to spill information, neither will I." Qrow frowns and angrily shakes his head. "I can't tru-!"
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouts with a tone of excitement while she sprints over and and launches herself into her uncle
"Can't you see I'm busy here, kiddo?" Qrow stumbles but catches her without any issues
"Still?" Ruby exhales in exhaustion, "I've been looking for you everywhere. I was waiting for you to come down from Professor Ozpin's office, but you guys took so long that I got distracted by watching the next match on my scroll. How did you even walk past me and why didn't you say anything?!"
"You were in the zone watching your match, I couldn't interrupt you." Qrow chuckles
"What are you doing here with-!" She turns her head and is taken aback by Link's clothes. "W-Whoa! Link? You look way cooler now."
"Thanks?" Link looks at his black clothes and smirks
"You know this chump?" Qrow staggers around before putting Ruby down
"Yeah, he's my good friend." Ruby giggles. "Annnnnnd he is his own team, that's right uncle Qrow, a one man team."
"That's never going to die, is it?" Link sighs but with a big smile on his face
"I'd brag about it if I were you!" Ruby runs over and punches Link's arm, "So, who wants to explain that?" She points at her uncle's sword, that is carved into the tree
"Yes, please do so." Link glares at Qrow
"Shut up." Qrow rolls his eyes and promptly takes his weapon back. "So, you're good friends. Be honest with me, Ruby. Do you trust him?"
"Who? Link? Of course!" Ruby happily nods
"Hm, alright then... I'll let this slide and keep an eye on you." Qrow's weapon retracts to his half sword state, then he slides it behind his back
"You didn't tell him?" Ruby looks at Link
"It took months and a bunch of peer pressure to tell you, my friends I trust immensely." Link shakes his head. "I explained something, but definitely not everything."
"Well, if it means anything, kid… Those Atlas 'specialists' seem to not like you, so clearly that means you're doing something right." Qrow smirks
"Thanks." Link chuckles as he looks over at Ruby, then shakes his head while his smile disappears. "Hey… So it's really true, Atlas really is pinning all of those crimes on me."
"You mean... The village? How?!" Ruby growls and angrily balls up her hands
"I didn't get exact answers out of Winter, after she mouthed certain words, my emotions took over, and when she charged at me all I could do was dodge, block, and fight back."
"You fought Weiss' sister?!" Ruby gasps
"Oops." Link chuckles. "Yes I did, and unfortunately I didn't get anything out of it."
"What did you expect?" Qrow chimes in with a sarcastic wagging of his finger. "If anyone from Atlas is going to share information, it's always to be among themselves."
"I expected too much, clearly." Link sighs. "They took rumors and managed to twist them in order to fit their agenda."
"Atlas, manipulation, and lying. What else is new?" Qrow rolls his eyes
"Isn't there any way to clear your name?" Ruby turns to face Link again
"My only option is to find the man who got away on that fateful day."
"What would that do?" She asks
"Well…" Link mutters. "I'm not really sure, even if they 'confess' Atlas' mission was still to capture me. I suppose there is no real way to clear my name at the moment. For now, Atlas will continue to be misinformed and believe whatever they want to believe."
"Hmmm, so until we clear your name, you'll never set foot in Atlas." Ruby nods. "Easy."
"I can get behind that." Link smiles. "Traveling to Atlas is at the bottom of my list of things to do."
"Perfect solution, heh." Qrow laughs as he grabs his flask, but then realizes it is empty. "Great..."
"Very great." Ruby walks over and grabs onto Qrow's arm. "Let's go surprise Yang! She still doesn't know you're here!"
"Right now?" Qrow tries to yank his arm free
"Yeah! Duh!" Ruby smiles and glances at Link. "As for you, mister. Don't you dare go around and pick any more fights."
"Very funny." Link rolls his eyes
"Bye Link!" Ruby brightly smiles at her friend. "Now come on Uncle Qrow!" She pulls on her uncle's arm and slowly drags him towards the main entrance of Beacon
The one person team simply waves and watches them leave in complete amusement
"Today was an eventful day. Watching team RWBY win their match, saving Weiss from a rogue team of faunus, watching team JNPR win their match, a nice talk with Pyrrha and then a confrontation with Weiss' sister of all people." Link sighs as he begins to climb the tree to get back into his locked dorm. "The moment I get back inside my dorm, I am going straight to bed. After today, I definitely need it."
Nighttime: Beacon Academy, Exchange Student Dormitories
Hours later, with a majority of the students asleep or preparing for bed, others have scheming to do. Mercury Black sits on a chair, reading a comic book, Emerald Sustrai sits on a bed, gazing out into the night sky. Their leader, Cinder Fall, has a tablet in hand and is actively going through every participant remaining in the tournament
"How is our old friend doing?" Cinder's mumbles, her gaze remaining on the tablet
"Breaking up and starting fights." Emerald snickers. "First, Link defends the heiress from a team of violent faunus, then he fights the heiress' sister later in the day... He's such a weird guy."
"I see... That is very interesting." Cinder smiles. "Go to your rooms. I will have everything prepared for tomorrow very shortly." Cinder quietly taps away at the tablet whilst waving for her proteges to leave her be
"Yes, ma'am." Emerald nods as she exits the dorm
"You got it." Mercury nods as well, he drops his comic book and follows Emerald
When the door is fully shut, Cinder smirks as she brings up that she can control and create all of the matches for the tournament. She selects Link and matches him up with team SLVR, a team he just had an encounter with earlier today, based on what the evil woman heard from Emerald
"What a treat the audience will get right before the doubles round begins. Let's see how much you've improved... Link."
Cinder's smile grows bigger and wider as she moves forward to setting up the doubles round first match-up before the first round has even concluded. She decides on another good matchup for the crowd by setting up the match of Mercury and Emerald against Coco Adel and Yatsuhashi Daichi