Chapter 11: Kickstarted

"The key to being an effective hand to hand fighter is to not only have the strength behind your punches and kicks to actually make an impact." Hansel Kobalt explained as he avoided a punch from Yang Xiao Long. "But to also know when to attack, when to block, when to dodge, and when to endure a hit to take advantage of an opening on your enemy."

Yang gritted her teeth in frustration. It was day two, and they were now focusing on training their weaknesses. For example, Ren, Blake and Fox were now running laps around the campsite. How long? Until they could not run anymore. It was Hansel's way of improving their durability. Yang, meanwhile, was in the midst of a sparring match with her professor, sans Ember Celica.

And she just could not land a hit on this guy, no matter how hard she tried? What was he made of that made him so quick and nimble? "You're getting frustrated, Xiao Long, I can see it in your eyes." Hansel told her. "You'll never land a hit on me if you're just throwing punches for the sake of it. And you're certainly not going to land a hit on me if you're not even focused"

Yang ignored Hansel and focused on attacking until she landed a hit on him. But Hansel was fast. She could now see why Ruby had so much trouble against him, and he was not even taking her seriously here. Here, he was actually attempting to teach her something.

"Dodge!" Hansel, yelled, delivering a palm strike to Yang's stomach that sent her stumbling back.

Yang recovered and tried to attack Hansel again. Hansel rolled his eyes and avoided each of her attacks with ease. That single attack increased her strength. The problem is, all that power means nothing if she can't even hit her opponents.

"Dodge!" Hansel yelled again, throwing a punch at Yang's arm that made the Xiao Long wince in pain.

Her eyes turned red at this. Hansel narrowed his eyes. "Xiao Long, I know your ears are working properly." He said. "When I tell you to dodge, that means you try to dodge my attacks, do you understand me?"

Yang glared at Hansel. "Now, dodge!" Hansel yelled yet again, punching Yang in the stomach.

Yang grunted and returned her ferocious glare and Hansel. "Do you actually expect me to dodge these?" She asked. "You're kind of fast you know."

"I do, because I'm telegraphing these attacks like you wouldn't believe." Hansel reminded her. "I am giving you every opportunity to dodge my attacks. You're just choosing not to dodge. Whatever blows you take in this is all on you."

Yang ignored Hansel and threw one last punch at him, hoping to at least get one decent shot in. Hansel sighed, deciding to end the match. He spun 180 degrees, avoided Yang's punch, grabbed her wrist and then threw her over his shoulders.

Yang yelled in surprise as she hit her back on the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Hansel turned away from her. "Okay, that's enough." He said in a tone that left no room for arguments. "Xiao Long, I know your method of fighting as worked for you before, but I can promise you, it won't forever. At least consider taking my advice."

Yang groaned. "You really know how to talk to girls, don't you." She said in a biting, sarcastic tone. "And you certainly know how to treat 'em, too."

Hansel rolled his eyes. "If you've got the energy to make comments like that, then you can listen to what I have to say. When I tell you that you need to learn to dodge your opponents attacks instead of just soaking up the damage like a sponge, I tell you that because you dying wouldn't exactly do anyone any good."

"It's not like you're bad at hand-to-hand combat. At least you didn't try to kick me in my…other sword." Hansel noted, glaring at Coco, who simply stood there and whistled with a sheepish look on her face. "Of course, in a fight for survival, that's definitely a valid strategy. There aren't too many rules in a fight for survival…just try to keep in mind that if a male opponent doesn't flinch too much from a kick to the crotch, he's not going to be very appreciative of that gesture."

"Alright, get up," Hansel said, "I've got one other person to go hand to hand with."

Hansel then turned his attention to Ruby. "Okay, Rose, you and me, right now."

Ruby let out an eep, a bit intimidated at the thought of facing off against her professor again after that disastrous first day of theirs. Hansel, to his credit, knew that Ruby would be a bit uncomfortable facing him in a spar again. He took a deep breath and tried to speak to her as gently as he could manage to ease her concerns.

"It's gonna be alright, Rose." He promised her. "We'll take this nice and slow. You don't normally fight hand to hand, so we'll go at a pace your comfortable with. We'll speed things up and slow things down whenever you feel overwhelmed."

No fair, where was that offer when I was getting the crap beaten out of me? Yang complained.

Ruby seemed reassured by Hansel's statement and stepped into the makeshift ring they had formed at the campsite. She looked around, noting that Team CRDL, Yatsuhashi, Jaune, and Nora were all practicing with their weapons, focusing particularly on their stances and balance, as that had been Hansel's biggest criticism of each of them. Between that and Blake, Ren and Fox running laps, that left Weiss, Velvet, Coco, Jaune, Yang, and Pyrrha to watch this sparring match.

Hansel stood patiently in the dead center, waiting for Ruby to make her move. "So, Rose, how much do you know about hand-to-hand combat?" He asked curiously.

Ruby immediately geeked out without thinking as her knowledge of video games came to the forefront of her mind. "Well, I mean I've definitely picked up quite a few moves over the years!"

"Oh?" Hansel raised an eyebrow at Ruby's statement.

Ruby grinned happily. "Yeah, I'm mostly fond of the Berserker Barrage, the Forward Smash, the Spinning Pile Driver, and the Tiger Knee!"

Hansel blinked in surprise in silent disbelief before heaving a sigh. "Rose, those are video game moves. I need you to focus and return to reality here. Now, what's the extent of your real-life knowledge about hand-to-hand combat."

Ruby giggled sheepishly. "Er…well, I mean, I've watched Yang fight plenty of times." Ruby pointed out. "Er…does that not mean much, considering how you just…well…"

"Don't worry about it," Hansel said, "like I said, it's not like your sister is a bad fighter to take an example from. She's just got things she can improve on, like you."

"So, can you show me what you know?" Hansel asked.

Ruby hesitated for a brief moment before giving a confident smile and put up her fists like an old-time boxer. "Alright…umm, put 'em up?" Ruby asked with tremendous uncertainty.

Hansel's face fell into a look of disbelief. "Okay…" he said. "I…guess that works."

"Alright then, Rose," Hansel got back on track, "we'll begin when you're ready."

"When I'm ready?" Ruby repeated in confusion.

Hansel nodded. "This whole thing is about helping you improve." He reminded his student. "Now don't be nervous, throw a punch and we can get started."

"Right, throw a punch. I can do that." Ruby took a deep breath. "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this!"

Ruby let out a mixture between a war cry and an adorable yell as she threw her first punch at Hansel. Only for Hansel to easily catch the punch. He gave Ruby a deadpan expression. "Rose, do you want me to be honest with you?" He asked.

"Umm…yes?"

"I think you can do much better than that." Hansel told her. "Come on, put a little more power behind your punches. If you're going to use your fists in a fight, you need to punch with everything you've got."

"Just remember, you're going for a classic boxing stance." Hansel told her, putting up a perfect boxing stance to demonstrate. "Keep your guard up whenever you're punching. Whichever fist you're not using, you keep it held up and protect your face. Watch your form, you don't want to hyperextend your arm, or you're going to hurt yourself."

Ruby nodded. "Now, hit me again, and keep doing it." Hansel ordered.

Ruby nodded and started throwing punch after punch at Hansel, who caught each punch in his hands like they were boxing pad mitts. Hansel nodded, happy to at least see Ruby keeping her guard up with every punch. "Good, Rose," he said, "keep punching. Up the pace when you're ready."

Ruby nodded and kept throwing punches at Hansel like she was a boxer in training. This actually isn't so bad. I can't believe I thought this was useless. She thought, her confidence rising. It's kind of a rush to fight like this. It's so up close and personal, no wonder Yang likes it this way.

Hansel noticed that Ruby was starting to up the pace. Her punches were becoming faster. Hansel gazed at her arms in particular and could not help but feel impressed at the sight. Her form's almost spot on. I guess all those years of watching her sister fight did rub off on her.

Hansel instinctively sped up his blocks. "Not bad, Rose," he said, "you catch on quick."

"Thanks a lot, Professor." Ruby smiled. "This boxer's stance does give me a bit of confidence. One fist up and a jab with the other! Float like a butterfly, sting like a tougher butterfly!"

"That's…not the saying, but that'll work." Hansel said before smirking. "Now, why don't I up the pace?"

"Wait what?" Ruby paled.

"Dodge!" Hansel threw a roundhouse kick at Ruby.

"Eek!" Ruby instinctively ducked underneath the attack.

"Counter! I'm open!" Hansel ordered her.

Ruby let out an adorable eep and threw a punch at the 'open' Hansel, only for him to jump back. "Now dodge again!" Hansel threw a straight at Ruby that made her duck again.

"Counter!" Hansel ordered.

Ruby tried to punch Hansel in the stomach, only for Hansel to lead to the side and avoid the attack. Hansel grabbed Ruby's arm, pulled her close and threw a karate chop at her neck, stopping short.

"Bam, you're out cold. Next time, go for an uppercut. A straight punch can be easily avoided by moving side to side, but when I'm trapped in the middle of throwing a punch and you've ducked underneath it. You can get inside my defenses and go for one of my most vital spots, my head." Hansel told her.

"Got it." Ruby said breathlessly.

"You ready to go again?" Hansel asked.

"Yeah," Ruby nodded in determination, "I…I want to get good at punching."

Hansel nodded and let her go. "Okay," he said, "come at me again when you're ready. Watch your form, you don't want to step off balance while throwing a punch, that's a recipe for disaster."

Ruby nodded, took a few careful steps forward and began throwing straights at Hansel, making sure to keep her guard up. This time, Hansel was in a boxing pose of his own to try to better simulate a fight and because it seemed like Ruby was getting the hang of it, faster than he expected in fact.

"Good, Rose," he said, avoiding each of Ruby's jabs with ease, "remember, your scythe will be a substitute for your other fist when you're jabbing. We're just trying to get used to you defending and attacking at the same time."

Ruby nodded. "Now," Hansel continued, "dodge each of my punches. I'm not going to tell you how they're coming, just know they're coming. I want you to watch me punch, and decide for yourself how best to dodge them. Remember, you're not going to know how many there are and where they're coming from. So you need to remember to dodge in a way that keeps your balance. Try to remain stationary while dodging. That typically helps with your balance."

Ruby nodded again. With that, Hansel began throwing a flurry of punches that Ruby weaved in and out of to avoid. Yang could not help but let out cheers for her baby sister as Ruby continued to avoid Hansel's attacks. Then, Hansel threw an uppercut aimed at Ruby's chin.

Hansel narrowed his eyes, wondering if he would have to stop short, as she did not seem like she was going to avoid this one. Then, much to his surprise, Ruby instinctively backflipped and avoided the uppercut.

Ruby landed and gasped. "Oh no, I didn't stay in place!" She immediately freaked out.

Hansel shook his head. "It's fine, Rose."

"But you said to remain stationary." Ruby pointed out.

"I know what I said, but remember, the rules in a real fight are much different from training, or a sanctioned boxing match." Hansel reminded her. "You have to be willing to bend conventional wisdom if you want to stay alive. But only do that if you're confident in your ability to pull it off one hundred percent of the time. You were confident you could stick the landing, and you did."

"Well, actually, that was just instinct." Ruby sheepishly admitted.

Hansel shrugged. "Whatever," he said, "look at it this way. Now you know you can pull that off."

"Okay, Rose," Hansel said to her, "now, I want to introduce you to something different."

"Something different?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"You're learning boxing right now because if you somehow lost your scythe, you'd need some way to defend yourself. However, what I'm about to teach you can be applied while you have a scythe and while you do not." Hansel explained.

"I'm going to introduce you to the concept of kicking, and help turn you into a kick boxer." Hansel explained.

"A…kick boxer?" Ruby looked at Hansel in confusion.

Hansel nodded. "In theory, kicks are arguably stronger because the human leg is much heavier than an arm, and it derives from being close to the body's center of gravity." He explained. "Granted, you won't get many headshots in, which is why punches are useful. Typically, when you're starting out in learning kicks, you need to employ them at or near their plane of origin: the hips."

"Now, who can tell me what the biggest disadvantage of employing kicks is?" Hansel asked. "Xiao Long, can you tell me?"

"Well, kicking can leave you off balance even worse than a punch if it's done improperly." Yang replied. "Form is arguably even more important in kicking than in punching. And there's the fact you've gotta be way more flexible to pull it off."

"And that is why Rose is perfect for it." Hansel revealed.

"I am?" Ruby looked at Hansel in confusion.

Hansel nodded. "Your fighting style is speedy and almost acrobatic, like Belladonna's." Hansel explained. "And because you have that acrobatic style, you're much more flexible than Schnee, or even your sister for that matter. At this point, only Belladonna's got you beat in that regard."

"And because your hands will be occupied with your scythe most of the time, it would be beneficial to learn to use those legs for something other than speeding around."

Yang gave Hansel a deadpan expression as a thought came to her mind. "Hey, Teach," she said, "this better not be some elaborate scheme to peek up my little sister's skirt."

Hansel glared at Yang. "Xiao Long, if you imply I'm some sort of sick, perverted deviant one more time, I will make sparring with your classmates seem like a game of patty cake." He threatened. "And believe me, Professor Ozpin will take my side when he hears you've been provoking me like this for your own damn amusement."

"I've only done it once." Yang pointed out. "Twice if you count that joke I made about you being surrounded by cute girls."

"And once is too many." Hansel claimed.

"Still, if you're that worried, maybe you should take your little sister on a shopping trip when we get back." Hansel added. "I mean honestly, who fights in a skirt?"

"Well, it is a combat skirt, sir." Ruby pointed out.

"I don't care what it is," Hansel said, "do you want to give it a try, Rose?"

"The kickboxing…or the flashing?" Ruby asked in confusion, blushing slightly.

"Yes, the flashing," Hansel said sarcastically, "of course not, the kick boxing."

"Well, if you think it would help me get stronger, I'm definitely game to give it a shot." Ruby said eagerly.

"Good," Hansel nodded, "remember what I told you, fire your kicks from the hips. That means don't aim too high, otherwise the kick will lose its power. You'll be able to aim higher as you get stronger and more flexible. And remember to keep your non-kicking foot planted firmly into the ground or you will lose your balance."

"You got it." Ruby nodded.

"Good, then come at me again." Hansel ordered. "This time, remember to employ kicks in your attack."

Ruby nodded and ran towards Hansel, keeping her guard up. Hansel avoided and blocked all of Ruby's punches and kicks, but this time did not bother countering. He wanted Ruby to get a feel for kickboxing first before he actually fought back. "Watch your form, Rose. Watch your balance." Hansel reminded her.

Ruby nodded and pressed her assault. Yang could not help but smile. Ruby was picking up hand to hand combat quickly. Her lips then curled into a frown instead, realizing that she was part of the reason why Ruby never picked up punching and kicking until now. Yang was so good at it, and it made Ruby question if it was really worth her doing the same, because she would most likely never reach her big sister's level.

But now, here was a teacher who was taking the time to help Ruby develop a style of her own that she would not have to compare to Yang's. Yang heaved a sigh, realizing who she had to thank for this. Thanks, Teach, I guess I owe ya one. She concluded.

After Ruby attacked the defending Hansel for a bit longer, Hansel finally put a stop to the spar. "Enough," Hansel said, "that's enough, Rose."

Ruby stopped her assault and relaxed out of her fighting stance. "Not bad for the first time," Hansel told her, "keep at it. Eventually, we're going to employ this new kickboxing style with your Semblance."

"Really?" Ruby looked at Hansel, confused by how she could do that.

"Think about it," Hansel said to her, "if you learned to use your Semblance on only parts of your body, you could theoretically increase the speed, momentum and impact of your punches and kicks. Like I told you, if you learned to mix your Semblance with your punches and kicks, you could become quite the speedy bruiser."

Ruby got a visual of her speedily punching Cinder Fall. Her eyes widened at the visual in her mind. Cinder was surrounded by rose petals, courtesy of Ruby's Semblance. And Ruby would just appear near her and either punch her, or kick her.

"That sounds awesome." She said lowly.

Hansel nodded. He at least appreciated her love for learning and improving. Hansel then looked around and noticed that only Fox was still standing after all the laps. The people working on their form were also starting to slow down.

Nodding, Hansel clapped his hands together. "Okay, lunch break," he said, "rest up, catch your breath, get some energy back in you."

And so, the class ate a quick lunch. Shortly afterwards, Hansel got to his feet. His class was about to do the same, only for Hansel to shake his head. "None of that for now," he said, "you guys rest up for a bit longer. I'm going to go hunting for a bit."

"Umm…shouldn't we go with you if that's the case, Sir?" Blake asked curiously.

"No," Hansel shook his head, "I want you all to sit down, relax, and think about how you want to proceed with your training from where we left off. Adel, you're in charge until I get back."

Hansel vanished into the forest before anyone could say anything. Velvet then turned to Coco. "Was trying to kick the professor…there, really necessary?" She asked.

"Yes," Coco nodded without hesitation, "it was the only way for me to get a decent shot in."

"And?" Velvet gave Coco a deadpan expression.

"And what?" Coco asked.

"I know you, Coco, there was another reason you pulled that stunt." Velvet pointed out.

Coco chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I guess with all that anger and machismo, I wanted to see if the professor was compensating for something."

Ruby and all of the more sensible students in their class blushed a bright red at what Coco had been planning. "Coco, that is just gross." Velvet said, also blushing.

"Oh come on," Coco rolled her eyes dramatically, "you can't tell me some of you aren't curious. I mean, we have a teacher who's pretty darn close to our age, and is frankly, not bad to look at. Can you all seriously look at me and say none of you are curious?"

"Of course not, because such indecency will get him fired and you expelled." Weiss pointed out, visibly annoyed with Coco's behavior.

"And Adel, that whole compensating for something thing is a load of crap." Cardin pointed out. "It's just something us guys like to say to bring each other down if we're getting a bit too uppity around each other. Like, if a guy owned a fancy car, we'd say: 'oh, he's clearly compensating for something.' It's a jealousy thing, Adel."

"Ugh, you underclassmen are no fun. Same with you, Velvet, just because you like our teacher so much, doesn't mean he's immune to being teased."

Velvet turned even redder at that statement. "C-C-C-C-C-Coco!" Velvet stuttered in embarrassment. "I don't like the professor."

"Oh don't give me that," Coco smirked, "Professor Kobalt's the first teacher to show so much confidence in you, he's our age, and beneath that permanent scowl of his, is a guy who's seriously easy on the eyes. Give me an hour with him, and I could doll him up so well, I'd probably want to take a shot with him."

"For crying out loud, Coco, he may be close to our age but he's still our teacher." Blake pointed out, a look of visible exasperation on her face. "So stop perving on him."

Coco rolled her eyes. "No fun at all," she muttered.

Ruby seemed lost in thoughts about something. She then got to her feet, grabbing Crescent Rose. "I need to go talk to the professor about something he said."

"Ruby, can it wait?" Weiss seemed perplexed by this. "Professor Kobalt told us all to stay here."

"I'm not going to go too far." Ruby promised. "I just want to talk to him about some stuff regarding our training."

"You know, Ruby, as the person left in charge, I could tell you that you're not allowed to do anything." Coco pointed out. "But, since I know you're an adorable little bundle of energy who can't sit still for too long, I'm going to allow it."

"Thanks, Coco," Ruby smiled gratefully.

With that, Ruby walked into the forest after Hansel. Weiss could not help but comment on her best friend's actions. "Ruby seems to have become even more dedicated to her training since Professor Kobalt came to Beacon. I wonder what changed."

"Maybe she's got a thing for Professor Kobalt too, and wants to impress him." Coco teased.

"Now you're just being annoying on purpose, Coco." Yang glared at the leader of Team CFVY. "Teach snuffed any chance with her after that first day of class."

Coco laughed. "Okay, okay, still, Weiss is right. Ruby's always been dedicated to becoming a Huntress, but something changed after the stuff at the Vytal Festival went down."

"Hey," Coco turned her attention to the rest of Team RWBY, "you guys practically do everything together, right? That means you were all together during the Vytal Festival. Did something happen that might've change Ruby's attitude?"

Yang sighed and shook her head. "The only thing I can think of is the fight with that Cinder. The problem is, I can't figure out any specifics because that bitch knocked Weiss and me out cold. And Blake was resting up at the evacuation zone from her injuries against that Adam."

"But I will say this," Yang admitted, "Ruby does not like to talk about that fight. I think she's really got it out for that Cinder. Not that I blame her. That woman is rotten to the core. It's weird, she's still the same Ruby I always knew, but she seems more focused now."

"She hasn't opened up to you about any of what's going through her head?" Coco was surprised.

Yang shrugged. "Ruby needs her space too," she said, "and it's not like it's having a negative impact on her yet."

"Sorry if I'm being blunt, but that seems a bit hands off for a big sister." Coco noted.

Yang shrugged. "I'm not always going to be around to protect Ruby. She needs to be able to stand on her own too."

Meanwhile, Ruby managed to catch up to Hansel with surprising ease. However, when she found him, he was not hunting Grimm. He was actually training. Ruby froze in shock and awe, watching as Hansel swung Wolf Fang with amazing speed, grace, and precision. She watched as each swing generated razor winds that tore across the ground. He was holding back just enough to avoid cutting down any trees.

Then, Ruby remembered why she was here and made her presence known. "Umm…Professor Kobalt?"

Hansel froze in place before giving Ruby a stern gaze. "Rose," he said, turning to her, "do you make it a habit of not listening to your teachers?"

"No, sir," she said, "I just…really wanted to talk about some things. Umm…weren't you supposed to be hunting Grimm?"

"I never told you how far and how long I'd be hunting." He pointed out. "And since there are none nearby, I figured I'd get some training of my own in. It's been awhile since I've gotten to practice."

"So, what do you want to talk about, Rose?" He asked curiously. "You don't have to worry, you had a good first showing in hand to hand combat. You just need to stick with the program. Maybe also watch some videos about kickboxing on the Dust Net. I can send you some if you need a good point of reference."

"Oh, it's not that, thank you though." Ruby said. "I…want to talk to you about something else."

Hansel raised an eyebrow. "Okay," he shrugged, deciding to give her a little bit of his time. "what about?"

Ruby took a deep breath as the memories from last night came rushing back. Hansel suddenly vanishing from the campsite. She stood up as late as she could, waiting for her to come back, only to fall asleep all of a sudden.

Then, her memories of talking with Ozpin came back. Her memories of the mystery woman named Salem, Cinder, their forces and her silver eyes.

"Umm, how much has Professor Ozpin told you?" Ruby asked.

Hansel looked at Ruby. Of all the questions he had been expecting to get from her, that had honestly not been one of them. He frowned, remembering how she had worded the question. "Gonna have to be a bit more specific than that, Rose." Hansel told her.

Ruby nodded. "Right, sorry," she said, "I mean…how much has Professor Ozpin told you…about Salem?"

Hansel's body tensed up at the mention of the Queen, the master of the Grimm. Ruby noticed this and her eyes widened at the implication of this. Hansel knew about Salem, and he was just as nervous about her as Ozpin was.

Hansel took a deep breath and regained his composure. He then responded to Ruby's question with a question of his own. "How much has Professor Ozpin told you about Salem?" He asked curiously.

Ruby was taken aback by Hansel's response due to how unexpected it was. However, she knew who she was talking to, and decided to respond honestly. "She's the master of the Grimm, she commands them like an army. The attack during the Vytal Festival was all her, Cinder was just a puppet. Apparently she's been around for years, and she wants to destroy all life in Remnant."

Ruby shrugged. "That's…all Professor Ozpin told me." She admitted.

Hansel nodded. "Then you know the exact amount I do." He replied. "That was exactly what Professor Ozpin told me two years ago."

"Aren't you his apprentice though?" Ruby asked. "I feel like Professor Ozpin would've told you more."

Hansel shook his head. "What difference does it make? The only thing I need to know is that she's my enemy, she wants to kill everyone, and she needs to be stopped."

"Is it really that simple to you?" Ruby asked.

"What about you?" Hansel asked. "Does it really matter to you what Salem's reasons are? Who she really is? Why she's trying to kill everyone?"

"I don't know…it's just…" Ruby trailed off before sitting down at the base of a tree.

Hansel noticed Ruby's exhausted features. The girl looked like something was weighing heavily on her. "What is it, Rose?" He asked, shocking himself with his own candor and gentleness.

"I'm scared, Professor." She admitted. "I'm supposed to fight this woman, and she's some sort of eldritch abomination that commands our worst nightmares come to life. A monster so powerful that even Professor Ozpin is afraid of her."

Hansel nodded in understanding. "He told you about your eyes too, didn't he?" He knew the answer.

Ruby nodded. "And what do you intend to do, in spite of your fear?" Hansel asked curiously.

"I want to fight." Ruby said without hesitation. "If I have the power to do it. I want to fight, and I want to help people. It's why I joined Beacon in the first place."

Hansel frowned. "Even though you're scared, huh? You're not going to run from the call."

Ruby nodded. "So, if you had the opportunity to run from your fate, you wouldn't take it?" Hansel asked curiously.

"Of course not," Ruby shook her head, "if I ran away and people died because I wasn't there to help them, I'd be devastated."

"And what can one person do?" Hansel asked.

"I don't know," Ruby admitted, "but…I don't think that's a reason not to try."

Hansel looked at Ruby in disbelief before nodding in understanding. "I have to admit, Rose, you are as stubborn as they come. And right now, I can't tell whether that's a good thing or a bad thing."

Ruby looked at Hansel in confusion. "Professor Ozpin used to tell me about people like you. Often compared your type to a fairy tale hero." Hansel admitted. "A paragon who can inspire hope in others with their refusal to give up in the face of grief, depression and adversity."

"A life like that has one or two things that are always on the path, Rose." Hansel warned her. "The first is less often. The paragon attracts loyal friends. They inspire hope and give their friends the courage to continue onward."

"And what's the second thing?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Pain," Hansel revealed grimly, "the path you want to take…has a lot of pain. The world is cruel. People you care about will get hurt, or worse. You'll be constantly heartbroken when others disappoint you with their own evil and selfishness. And there's always the possibility you'll die without ever having made a difference. And dying like that, when you're on a path like the one you want to walk…it's one of the most painful deaths you can experience, Rose."

"…You seem to speak from experience." Ruby noted.

Hansel tensed at that. "I'm sorry," Ruby said immediately, "that was out of line."

Hansel calmed himself down. "I've spent plenty of time in the company of death." He admitted. "And unfortunately, that won't be ending any time soon."

"But listen, Rose, the path you want to take is as hard as I claim it is. As great as the path of light sounds…it can burn people with its intensity just as easily as the path of darkness can consume those who walk that path." Hansel told her.

"I know," Ruby nodded.

"If you know, then why do you want to walk it?" Hansel asked her.

"…Because I have to do something." Ruby said. "And even if the world is cruel…even if I might fail…isn't that why the Huntsmen are here? To make that world a bit less cruel? To make it a bit better for people?"

Hansel did not answer. Ruby sighed. "But I also know…that I can't just let Salem continue to do what she wants. Too many innocent people died during the Vytal Festival. They died because of her plans. I can't just walk away knowing all of that."

"I lost a friend during the Vytal Festival, Professor." Ruby told him, sadly remembering Penny. "She was just a robot to other people…but to me, she was just as human as all my other friends were. And most importantly…she was my friend…"

Hansel heard the sound of sniffling. He turned to see that Ruby had started crying at the memories of her friend. He found himself wanting to comfort her, only to realize, much to his own sadness and disgust, that he honestly did not know how to properly comfort someone when they were like this.

"That's why I can't walk away." Ruby sobbed. "I don't want good people to keep dying like Penny. So, even if Salem scares me…I'm going to fight."

Hansel nodded in understanding. "For what it's worth, Rose, I hope you can endure it." He admitted.

"I was wrong about you," Hansel continued, "and I'm sorry about that. You're tougher than I gave you credit for. Even if I honestly don't believe this world can be saved…I do believe in giving it everything you've got until the very end. Because no matter how much of a difference we believe we can make, our job is to make sure good folks are safe and able to live another day."

"Honestly, that's how I'm able to justify my own path in life." Hansel admitted. "I don't care if its Salem, Cinder, the White Fang, or any other asshole. If I've got to fight them—or even kill them if I have to—for the sake of others…I'm gonna give it everything I've got."

Ruby looked at Hansel. While all of that had been genuine, she had also hoped to find out what Hansel had been doing by finding out if he had been investigating Salem's activities. Whatever he was up to, it clearly had nothing to do with Salem.

"So, is that all you wanted to talk about, Rose?" Hansel asked. "Did you just need to vent?"

"Oh, no, I had plenty more to talk about." Ruby admitted. "Well, actually, I had plenty more I wanted to do."

"Oh yeah, and what else did you want?" Hansel asked curiously.

"Umm…well, we talked about incorporating kickboxing with Crescent Rose." Ruby held out her compacted scythe. "I was just wondering, could we spar with our weapons just for a bit so I could get a feel for that?"

Hansel was actually surprised by that. "You want to spar with weapons?"

Ruby nodded. "Are you're sure you've got the energy for it?" He asked. "We did just spar you know."

Ruby nodded. "And do you feel like you can handle it?" Hansel asked.

Ruby nodded again. Hansel nodded as well. "You wanted this, so you can't take it back." Hansel told her as he drew his Wolf Fang. "We were eventually going to get you acclimated with one on one fights, so I guess now's as good a time as any."

"We were?" Ruby was confused.

Hansel nodded. "It's like I told you in that report I gave you, Rose." He reminded her. "Your combat skills, as of now, are more suited for fighting large groups. Now, granted, that is just fine when you're fighting the Grimm, but you're no longer just dealing with Grimm, you're dealing with Salem and her top goons. People like Cinder. And trust me, Rose, she's not the only one. And they're all dangerous."

Ruby nodded in understanding. "Now, we're going to start by going back to the basics." Hansel told her.

"The basics?" Ruby whined.

"Don't complain, Rose, this is what you wanted." Hansel reminded her.

"First, fighting with weapons is a lot like fighting with fists." Hansel explained. "Even when you attack, you have to leave yourself as well defended as you can manage."

"Now, this is where things get a bit tough for you." Hansel explained. "Scythes and other kinds of weapons along those lines are very difficult to both attack and defend at the same time."

"However," Hansel continued, "I think, you have a unique opportunity here, Rose. In order for you to become an effective fighter in a one-on-one duel, you need to learn to replicate my style and make it your own."

"Oh, you mean your super aggressive one?" Ruby asked.

Hansel nodded. "However," he said, "this is where our styles need to differentiate. The katana is sharp and fast. However, its defense is only as good as how quickly I can move my arms. This is where your scythe actually has the advantage. The blade is much larger, and thanks to the staff of your scythe, you have an advantage in length as well. That means you have more to work with on defense."

"And that means, you need to obtain a sense of balance in offense and defense in your aggression." Hansel explained. "You need to learn to attack while keeping your guard up, just like when you box."

"How do I do that?" Ruby asked curiously.

"There are two ways to do it." Hansel held up two fingers. "And you're going to learn both ways."

"The first way," Hansel told her, "is to use a sort of hit and run technique. It's aggressive, but it also takes into account that your speed can actually be a great defense."

"Now, the hit and run tactic can have two great applications." Hansel explained. "First, it is a safe but effective form of attacking, as I explained. The second is that it can be a great form of deception as well."

"Deception?" Ruby asked curiously.

"You can downplay your speed, only increasing it when you want to avoid your opponent's attack." Hansel told her. "You can deceive them, lull them into fighting at your pace, and when they leave an opening. You go back on the offensive."

"The only disadvantages of the hit and run tactic is that you can either be outpaced by a faster opponent, or they hit you with a large scale attack that you'll only have a few seconds to avoid."

Ruby nodded in understanding. "The second way," Hansel continued, "is that we turn you into a kick boxer, even when you have that scythe of yours. This is why I want you to learn to employ kicks."

"You stay on the defensive, and catch your opponents off guard with kicks." Hansel explained. "But it'll be up to you to decide when to employ hit and run attacks, and when to be a kick boxer."

"Of course, you'll also employ long-ranged attacks with your gun as needed." Hansel added. "Just try to get used to firing without having to plant your scythe into the ground to aim. If you want to commit to this, you need to improve on all accounts. No enemy in a one-on-one fight is going to let you pull that kind of shit."

"So, what do you say, Rose, you want to give it a shot?" Hansel asked.

Ruby nodded. "I'll direct you as much as I can. But I'll also try to give you as much freedom as I can to let you figure things out on your own."

"Thanks, Professor."

"Okay," Hansel nodded, "I want you to attack me, first. Test out the hit and run tactic. Attack me. Decide how much you want to hit me, then retreat."

Ruby nodded. "Begin!" Hansel yelled.

Ruby immediately went on the offensive. She was in front of Hansel in an instant, swinging Crescent Rose at him. Hansel raised Wolf Fang and blocked each of Ruby's swings. Ruby then retreated back a few feet. Hansel narrowed his eyes, knowing that she wanted to lure him in. Deciding to play along, Hansel charged Ruby and swung Wolf Fang at her. Ruby then sped up, avoiding each of his attacks.

"Pick up on how I'm attacking, Rose." Hansel told her. "Find an opening and resume your assault."

Ruby noticed that Hansel was swinging from the sides a lot. So, she leapt into the air, sped up into rose petals, reappeared behind Hansel, and resumed her assault. Hansel smirked slightly. Ruby had done exactly what he wanted. "Good!" Hansel yelled. "Now stop."

Ruby froze in mid swing. "Okay," Hansel told her, "time for you to go on defense, Rose."

"Remember what I told you, you're a kick boxer now, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Ruby smiled as she raised Crescent Rose in defense.

Hansel nodded. "Watch my movements, Rose," he told her, "figure out how I'm attacking, and then decide how you want to counter."

Ruby nodded. "Okay," Hansel said, "begin!"

Hansel started swinging Wolf Fang at Ruby with his usual aggression. Ruby kept on the defensive, trying to figure out Hansel's patterns and waiting for an opening. Then, she noticed that Hansel was trying to "cleave" her in half with downward swings.

Now knowing what he was doing, Ruby countered. She stepped into his next swing, using the staff of Crescent Rose to block his next attack. Hansel's eyes widened slightly. If he did pull away, he would need an extra second to fully disengage and attack again.

And that extra second was all Ruby needed. Acting on instinct, Ruby leapt into the air, carrying herself forward with her Semblance. Then, not even a second later, Ruby transformed back into her corporeal form and kicked Hansel square in the jaw. Hansel grunted in pain. The kick was actually pretty painful because of the added momentum from Ruby's Semblance.

The professor of combat was knocked into the air by Ruby's kick as the girl back-flipped and landed on her feet. Hansel grunted in pain again as he landed on his back. Ruby's eyes widened, worried that she might have gone too far. These worries were only magnified when she noticed that his lower lip was actually bleeding.

"Oh my gosh I am so sorry!" Ruby yelled frantically.

Hansel looked at Ruby in disbelief. "What the hell are you apologizing for?" He asked before adding, "That was exactly what you should've done."

Ruby rubbed her head in embarrassment. "You really think so?" She asked.

"I know so," Hansel then added in curiosity, "where did you learn to do that?"

"Your recommendations, sir," Ruby told him, "you said to try and incorporate my Semblance with hand to hand combat so I did."

"And that little stunt?" Hansel asked curiously.

Ruby had a sheepish look on her face. "It was instinct," she admitted, "but I remembered you using your Semblance to increase your momentum, so I've been looking at ways I can do the same."

Hansel could not believe what he was hearing from her. If she really had developed that move from watching him, than… "You saw me do that once." He pointed out.

That's unreal, Hansel thought in disbelief, she saw me use my Semblance do something similar one time, and she was able to develop her own version of it. One time…one fucking time…

Hansel shook his head, wiping his mouth and feeling the blood on it. Shit, I underestimated this girl big time. He realized. She's a kinetic learner, just like I am. She watches and then does. And boy does she.

Hansel then gave Ruby a small smirk. He got to his feet and held his sword out. "Again," he ordered.

Ruby nodded and smiled. "Yes, sir," she said obediently, preparing to defend herself.

Hansel went on the offensive again, while Ruby defended. Then, when Ruby saw her opening, she tried that same trick again. However, Hansel was ready this time. He caught her leg, and threw Ruby straight into the ground.

"Ow…" Ruby groaned.

Hansel sighed, stopping himself from getting angry at her messing up. "Do you know why you failed this time?" He asked.

"Because you knew it was coming?" Ruby offered.

"Exactly," Hansel nodded, "never expect the same trick to work twice in a fight. Only use your finishing moves if you're confident you can end the fight. Because if you fail to finish the fight, that move won't work a second time. Keep that in mind for the future."

Ruby got to her feet. "Yes, sir," she said with a smile, "thank you for the lesson, sir."

"And Rose," Hansel said before adding with all the sincerity he could muster, "that really was a good move…you caught me off guard and that actually pisses me off."

"It does?" Ruby was confused.

Hansel nodded. "I hate it when people get the drop on me, and I certainly hate it when it's just a student who has much less experience than I do. You get that, right?"

"Umm…I guess so." Ruby nodded.

Hansel clapped her on the shoulder. "So you better be ready, because if and when we spar again, I'm going to up the difficulty. No way am I going to let you catch me off guard that easily a second time."

"Now come on, we're heading back to camp."

Ruby smiled, knowing in his own strange way, Hansel was recognizing her efforts. "Yes, sir," she said eagerly.

After the two returned to camp, Ruby was given the rest of the day off to rest and recharge, seeing she had gotten her afternoon training done early. Then, night fell, and Hansel sent his students to bed.

"Bright and early tomorrow, just like today." He told them. "Straight to bed, all of you."

The students did as asked, and drifted off to sleep, one by one. When the last student fell asleep, Hansel waited for a while, to make sure no one just woke up from his actions. When enough time passed, Hansel made his move. He got to his feet and left the campsite once more.

Then, when Hansel was out of sight, Ruby Rose opened her eyes, revealing she had been faking her sleep. Ruby silently moved over to her teammates. "Weiss, Blake, Yang, wake up." She whispered.

"Mmm…I love you most of all cake butler…ugh…what? Ruby, why are you waking me up? Professor Kobalt will be furious if we're still awake." Weiss told her.

"Professor Kobalt isn't even here." Ruby told her bluntly.

"What are you talking about, Ruby?" Yang groggily woke up.

"He left, he went into the forest." Ruby whispered.

"What? Why would Professor Kobalt go into the forest?" Blake asked curiously.

"That's what I want to find out." Ruby replied. "You guys coming?"

Yang was immediately on her feet. "Hell yeah, I'm coming. Let's go find out what Teach is up to."

"This could get us in a lot of trouble, Ruby." Blake was a bit more hesitant, but she was getting to her feet as well, knowing there was no way she could dissuade Ruby and Yang from going.

"The best thing to do is trust whatever Professor Kobalt is doing and just wait for him to come back." Weiss said tiredly.

"Maybe, but…what if he's on some important mission, something goes wrong and then he needs backup. He's done this twice now, guys. I think there's something important that he's keeping from us. Nothing malicious, but if it's something important, secret mission, wouldn't you guys want to be involved with it?"

"Not if the Professor gets mad at us for disobeying him." Weiss pointed out.

"Maybe, but he might also be proud of us for helping him with his mission." Ruby tried to see the positive in this.

Yang smiled. "Well, I'm going. Where Teach goes, something tells me plenty of crazy stuff will follow. I want to see it all."

Blake sighed. "You two are going, even if we say it's a bad idea, so I'll go too."

"Yeah, someone's gotta keep you two out of trouble." Weiss added. "Well, less trouble than we'll get in for disobeying the professor."

"Alright," Ruby whispered excitedly, "Team RWBY, move out!"

Hansel quickly made his way through the forest towards the Neverland Gorge. Unbeknownst to him, he was being tracked now by Team RWBY, courtesy of Blake Belladonna. Soon, Hansel was in the large clearing between the forest and the Neverland Gorge. He narrowed his eyes at the sight, knowing what was to come. This night's about to become the worst of your life, Don Corleone. Hansel vowed inwardly.

You won't run from me anymore.