Note: Damn, already twenty chapters in, huh? How the time flies. I figure this would be a good time to remind my readership that I am currently hosting a free, light competition on my discord for Vytal Festival predictions. We have 31 submissions now, and I promised everyone that if I got to 40, I'd write some spicy Sienna-Winter shipping action. So, uh, if you want to see that, head to my discord and submit a bracket, please! If you want, that is. And hey, maybe we will reach that considering how long it's actually taking me to get to the real fighting! Well, here's a bit more of it for ya. And ooooh, is it satisfying. Thank you and enjoy.
Discord Link: /3FdZCcZefc
"So, you think if I called her, she'd be down to hook up?" asked Mercury with a sly grin.
"Really?"
"It's a serious question. She'd be down for it, right?"
Neptune groaned, slouching on the stiff stands. It had been hours and the dude was still on sliding into Cinder Fall's DMs? He knew Mercury was an irredeemable horndog, but like, at least talk about something else! Then again, it was sort of impressive that Merc's attention span could stick to one topic for this long, so maybe Neptune should just let it go.
There weren't a lot of people in the stands. Just he, Scarlet, and Merc, waiting for Sage's Showcase to begin. Oh, and like a few random spectators from other teams. Some of the Team ABRN people were sitting around, chatting about Arslan's recent badass display of badassness. And a few camera people, too, he guessed. Oh, wait, and there was Headmaster Lionheart, like, way over there where no one could talk to her. Nice of her to show up. But yeah, in the surrounding area, there was no one. Just a couple bros chilling out, waiting for their other bro to kick some stone ass.
Someone who was not in the stands either? Cinder Fall. Didn't she say she would be watching the Showcases? Where was she? Probably some private viewing booth, extra fancy and glitzed up. Or maybe, just like, her hotel room. You could watch these on Scrolls. Either way, despite her complete lack of presence, she had thoroughly infiltrated Mercury's brain with her stupid boobs and perfect face.
"Can we just focus on being supportive of Sage?" Scarlet asked from a slightly lower seat. He crossed his arms and dismissed his teammates with the back of his hands. "If I have to hear another one of your adolescent fantasies, I swear I shall lose my mind."
"Thank you, Scarlet," Neptune sighed. Mercury was undeterred.
"First off: No one says the word shall, so stop that. Second: A real adolescent fantasy would be me talking about bending her over a table and eating her—"
"Nope! Don't need to hear this," Neptune said, putting his hands over his ears.
"Are you five?" Mercury grunted.
"Hey, let's hear it for Sage!" Neptune stood up and began loudly clapping. "Woohoo! Sage! Let's go!"
"He is literally not here yet."
"Sage! That's my man! Okay, then."
Neptune sat down, the embarrassment of being watched by everyone in the arena like a freak somehow hurting him less than the embarrassment of Mercury fantasizing about sexing someone not in their friend group. Not that it would make it better if it was someone in their friend group or anything. Just that… look…
"Oh, shit, look who it is."
Mercury's mild displeasure snapped Neptune out of his bumbling fantasies. No one actually paid attention to him shouting like a weirdo. Their gazes had turned elsewhere. Emerging from the locker room was Team RWBY, led by an amped-up Yang Xiao Long. The cameras captured their every move, and instantly the gossip began to spread through the stands. It was impossible not to. As Yang made her way to the edge of the gridded battlefield, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake climbed through the stands. They took their seats some twenty feet away from Team MNSS, far enough to keep their conversations private but close enough for Neptune to study their faces.
And damn, did they have faces to study. He hadn't really seen them outside of the newsroom, but they were all stunning in their own way. Ruby had this meek yet highly intense gaze like she was always examining and calculating the world around her. She could probably recite a million digits of pi but also be really cute while doing it. Blake had this quiet, cold confidence mixed with pervasive boredom. This world was beneath her. These people were beneath her. Neptune was beneath her—maybe literally, because she would step on him. But neither was as captivating as the heiress in white. Neptune's gaze lingered on her the longest. His breath became lodged in his throat. Everything about her entranced him, from the iciness of her eyes to her diminutive yet powerful stature, to the fact she would step on him even harder than Blake—
"Hey, you're drooling."
Mercury's sharp words drew Neptune out of his trance. He cleared his throat, turning away from the girls, hoping they hadn't realized what a pathetic simp he turned into. Luckily, they had better things to worry about, so none of them, even Miss Perfect White Hair, had noticed his gawking.
"Me? I wasn't—"
"Are you going to go talk to them?" Mercury asked bluntly.
"What? No," Neptune said too quickly. Mercury smirked, never missing an opportunity to drag his teammate to hell.
"Oh, because you're a pussy?"
"I'm not a pussy," Neptune said, trying to keep his voice down so that the word p-u-s-s-y wouldn't reach across the room and be picked up by Team RWBY.
"So go talk to them?"
"Dude, no way."
"Why not?"
"Because unlike you, I respect a woman's boundaries," Neptune declared.
Mercury nodded. "Yeah. Cuz you're a pussy."
Neptune held his tongue, ignoring the sweltering heat in his face. He huffed and turned away from Mercury. Mercury just shrugged and took that as acceptance of his pussification.
Scarlet rolled his eyes at the pathetic display. This was the reason he didn't date women.
Team RWB truly hadn't noticed Team MNSS sitting nearby. Why would they, when they had vastly more important things to worry about? Ruby clasped both her hands together, nervously kneading her knuckles, watching all of Yang's movements carefully. Were they a little sluggish doing those jumping jacks? Their reach seemed shorter than she remembered. Ember Celica better work considering all the time she put into repairing it…
"You good, Ruby?" Blake asked.
Ruby nodded.
"They've got this."
"You really think so?" Ruby asked worriedly.
Blake didn't answer. She was trying not to lie to her teammates anymore. Okay, she was fucking terrified. The golems were easy opponents for someone with Yang's strength, but those injuries from the Maiden were horrific. All it took was one small accident, and all those would be exacerbated. They should have been saving their strength for the actual tournament. If they were injured now…
"You two are such worriers," Weiss chastised them. "Seriously, I can read it on both of your faces."
"And you aren't?" Blake said snidely.
"I am, but we need to show Yang we believe in them," Weiss explained. "And we do believe in them. Right?"
Blake nodded. "Of course."
"Ruby?"
Ruby didn't respond. Please, Yang, be careful.
On the floor, Yang finished their final stretches. They could feel the gazes of their nervous teammates on their back, but they had to shut that out. Any nerves could trip them up, and they needed to be in peak condition. They gave a few more practice punches. Loose. Limber. It felt good. Would they be able to shatter apart those golems like Arslan did? God, they hoped so.
It wasn't long before they had company. They didn't know much about Sage Ayana, only that he was the big brother of the boyband. Strong. Silent. Caring. Warm enough to snuggle with but strong enough to chase off your demanding ex. He carried a gigantic sword on his back, but it didn't seem to weigh him down. Before he arrived, Yang was determined to greet him. They stepped into his path, holding out one of their gauntleted hands and flashing an eager smile. Might as well adhere to customs.
"Hey. We're Yang. Nice to meet you."
Sage nodded slightly, shaking their hand. "Sage. Hi."
"Ready to kick some ass?" Yang asked.
Sage shrugged. "Sure."
That was all Yang needed to hear. They returned to their own battlefield with bounding steps, ready to get the fight started. They saw the golems being corralled into position, lining up to form their battalion. They were bigger than them. But not stronger. Couldn't be. It was time everyone remembered that.
When the golems were finally lined up, the announcer returned over the loudspeaker.
"Attention combatants. The Showcase is about to begin. Please step onto the platform."
Yang and Sage took deep breaths and entered the arena. Yang couldn't stand still as the instructions were repeated for everyone at home.
"Please defeat as many golems as you can within the allotted time. You may use any weapons and abilities at your disposal. The Showcase will end under the following conditions:
All golems have been incapacitated.
The time expires.
Surrender.
Ring-out.
Medic stoppage.
You may not receive any outside assistance during the Showcase. Please do not interfere with your neighboring combatant. Any failure to follow the rules will risk disqualification from all future Vytal events. Thank you very much for your cooperation, and Happy Hunting!"
Yang shook out their nerves. Ruby's gaze intensified.
"Introducing: From Team MNSS of Haven Academy. The Noble Prince… Sage Ayana!"
Sage removed the hefty sword from his back and held it in front of him, staring down his enemies.
"And from Team RWBY of Beacon Academy. Introducing The Dragon…"
A golden fist shot into the air. Blonde mane lit aflame.
"…Yang Xiao Long."
All of the nerves vanished. The roar of an imaginary crowd filled them with energy. They remembered who they were, and it felt damn good. They belonged here. Triumphant, the Dragon slammed her fist into her open palm.
"Let's fucking go."
"Huntsmen, ready!"
Yang pumped their shotguns.
"And…"
Ruby's stomach dropped.
"Begin!"
Yang sprinted forward. The stone golems began their tortuous advance, and they wanted to greet them soon. They pumped their fists and launched a few bullets into the crowd of golems to stagger them, maintaining a steady pace. In the crowd, Ruby clasped her hands over her face as Yang ran closer to danger, watching the battle through the slits between her fingers. Yang showed no sign of letting up. The seconds would tick by quickly, and they needed to get as much done as quickly as possible. The golems braced themselves, quickly reforming their battalion as Yang approached. The first row raised their swords. With precision timing, they swung their massive blades at their face. Yang smirked.
They slid to a halt just outside of the golems' reach. The stone clattered harmlessly against the floor.
The old Yang would have just plowed through their defenses. The old Yang was stupid and reckless. They didn't need Ruby to have a heart attack watching them. They were going to play this smart.
With their momentum halted, Yang threw down their fists, and with a thunderous blast, they flew up and over the battalion, twirling through the air to reposition herself. Sailing over the golems' heads, they shot at their rocky domes, blasting apart three targets before landing gracefully on the opposite side.
"Yang Xiao Long: Three Eliminated."
Yang brought up their fists, bobbing on their feet.
Okay… then…
With the golems turned around, they rushed forward and threw a flurry of Dust-powered punches. A few kidney-adjacent punches and the golem's torsos crumbled. They quickly backed away before the golems could retaliate.
"Yang Xiao Long: Four Eliminated."
It was a brilliant opening salvo. Brutal. Strong. Yang could feel their passion for fighting flowing in their veins. But they couldn't let themselves get too excited. No slip-ups. Can't afford a slip-up…
So, they went on the defensive, waiting for their next opening.
And damn did she wait.
Ruby could feel her chest tightening as the battle unfolded. Yang took quick, retreating steps back as the golems recovered. They weren't taking any actions to break up the group. They moved like a cautious boxer, jabbing outward, testing their opponents' reach, and then retreating when the golems showed any signs of movement. Seconds passed, then a full minute, then two. No new golems broken. They danced to the battalion's side, trying to draw some of the golems off course. One took the bait, and Yang finally jumped inside its defenses to deliver a deadly uppercut.
"Yang Xiao Long: Six Eliminated."
They retreated again as the golems tried to surround them, using their gauntlets to propel themselves toward the center of the arena. Their smile only grew wider. Ruby's heartbeat only increased.
"That's… interesting," Weiss muttered under her breath. "They're really playing it safe, huh?"
"She threw like one punch in the last thirty seconds," Blake said. "She can pick it up a little."
"I'd rather her be cautious than careless," Weiss stated. "What do you think, Ruby?"
Ruby didn't bother to answer. She couldn't peel her eyes from the dance in front of her, waiting for her heart to break. But Weiss could sense something else from her girlfriend's silence.
Something was bothering her.
Somehow, Yang's low body count wasn't the lowest in the arena. Sage Ayana was sitting at a comfortable score of two, and he showed no signs of speeding up. His Semblance wasn't fit for these scenarios: a repelling forcefield that struggled against something larger than himself. He was at a stalemate with the golems, two the two sides met square in the center of the battlefield. A green energy field stood between them, the golems swinging languidly away at the barrier. Sage could maintain it at their slow pace, but pushing any further seemed like a fantasy. His teammates watched on, their frustrations slowly bubbling.
"Come on, Sage!" Neptune shouted. "You've got this! Put your back into it!"
"He needs to focus on scoring ring-outs," Scarlet said, shaking his head. "Go at them from an angle."
"He better change it up," Mercury sighed. "Because right now, he's not representing our team all that well."
"He can do this," Neptune said forcefully. Mercury just leaned back on the stands and rolled his eyes. Hell, maybe he should have done the Showcase in the first place.
Yang sidestepped, missing another golem's attack. The battalion advanced slowly across the field, though with plenty of room to maneuver, Yang hardly had to worry about getting cornered. The shotgun blasts were effective at keeping the creatures at bay, and if they stepped a little closer, they could land some additional killing blows. But ammo was scarce and they saw no need to get greedy with all of the time left on the board. Another side step. They weaved in for a follow-up but backed off when they saw a golem in the rear feint.
Keep their feet underneath them. Easier to dodge. Easier to manage.
Come on, where was an opening?
Yang lunged forward into the golems' range, testing their patience. Before the monsters could react, they blasted backward with their gauntlets. The skip forward was enough to throw at least one of the brainless things off their rhythm, and it went in for a slash at their midsection. Yang ducked beneath the blow and with two quick punches, took out the creature's knees. It flopped onto its stomach, alive but incapacitated. Yang backed off before they could go for the kill.
Ruby clasped her hands over her jaw, murmuring to herself.
"What are they doing?"
Yang dodged away as the golems advanced, trampling over their fallen comrade.
"Disrupt their form. Stop letting them cover for each other."
Yang looked behind them. Running out of room. They launched themselves up and over the battalion, landing on the other side. They hurried forward to deliver a surprise attack but slammed the brakes when they noticed the golems turning around sooner than they expected.
Ruby's brow furrowed.
No. Wrong.
She looked at the clock. Six minutes, ten seconds.
"Come on, Yang," Blake groaned behind Ruby's back. "What are you doing?"
Ruby wished she had an answer. She could see glimpses of Yang's face as they continually felt out their opponents. Sweat glistened on their brow and their lips curled up in a thrilled smile. This was their plan. They were enjoying this. Did they even realize what was happening? They had to. Ruby couldn't take her eyes off it.
Their stance was perfect.
Yang was never great at technique. Didn't have to be. When they were as strong as they were at a young age, they could focus on their speed and power to dominate their foes. Learning from street fights as much as their training school, Yang's style was messy and untamed, full of wild charges and flailing limbs and an animalistic fervor. Ruby had seen every one of Yang's professional fights and reviewed the footage of all of their training sessions. She knew how Yang broke the rules of fighting in their favor and knew better than to try to correct it. But now, their stance—feet too wide apart, just wider than their shoulders, back foot angled precisely for power, guard always up even when jabbing—it was everything a fighter could dream of. Textbook… and rudimentary.
It looked like Yang. Sounded like Yang. But Ruby didn't recognize that fighter at all.
"Yang, pick up the pace!" Blake shouted. "You're running out of time!"
The words reached their girlfriend, and for a split second, Yang's gaze was drawn elsewhere. What? No, they still had plenty of time. They were just getting into a groove. A golem swung and they lunged back. Another effortless dodge.
"Kill some of them already!"
Yang nearly turned back to their girlfriend and shouted. Yeah, we're getting to it. Seriously, give some grace. A quick glance at the other battlefield revealed that Sage wasn't doing much better. He had been at a stalemate with the golems about as long as they were dodging, only making mild progress in pushing them down the field. Yang smirked. At the very least, they could do better than the boys could.
Until the golems shifted strategy. At around the five-minute mark, their aggression increased exponentially. The golems began attacking in pairs of two, forcing Yang to tank more of their attacks head-on. They clashed their gauntlets against the rock, deflecting away the lighter blows while continuing to dodge the more deadly attacks. Another opening appeared, and Yang, more eager to prove their girlfriend wrong, lunged forward to plant their fist into its chest.
"Yang Xiao Long: Seven Eliminated."
Another golem came at them from the side. They hurriedly pulled their fist free and lunged away—only to be caught off-guard when another golem attacked from the rear.
"Whoa!"
They narrowly slipped the attack, searching to find space. The golems were more spread out now, sacrificing their defensive might for a chance to overwhelm the Huntress. The gaps between them were getting narrower by the second.
"Blast your way through!" Blake's advice rang from the benches. Yang gritted their teeth.
"Yeah, I know that," they groaned. Find a path, quickly. A dozen golems guarded the path in front of them, but there were only three to their left side, forming a thin barrier between them and the edge of the arena. A riskier path for ring-outs, but they would take it. They ran toward their target, coursing Aura into their legs to increase their speed.
The first golem swung high at their neck. They paused, letting the blade sail harmlessly past, before taking advantage of its slow recovery and knocking its head off its shoulders with a vicious uppercut.
"Yang Xiao Long: Eight Eliminated."
Two golems on either side of them. Right or left. Uh, left. Why not left? The left golem thrust its sword, and they awkwardly stumbled to the side. They could feel the wind from the sword against their chest.
Blake screamed again. "Watch your footing!"
No shit. They swerved at the last second, nearly tripping over themselves as they teetered near the edge of the arena.
Stupid, near-elimination. Be better. They took their anger out on the golem.
"Yang Xiao Long: Nine Eliminated."
Yang needed to hurry up. The other golems were slowly encroaching on their position. They just needed to take out one more, and then they'd be done with this cluster and have some room to work. They sprinted to their last target. They readied to follow the pattern again. Dodge, then attack. Dodge, then attack.
The golem pulled back its sword. Yang slid to a stop outside of its range, ready to lunge whatever way they needed. But the golem didn't attack at all. It held steady.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then, once Yang started to move toward it, it burst forward, swinging with all its might. The delayed swing completely threw off their balance. In desperation to avoid the hit, they aimed their gauntlets toward the ground and fired. Launching backward the might of Ember Celica, Yang successfully avoided the golem's blow—only to stumble directly into the largest swath of stone warriors, defenseless.
"Yang, watch out!"
They turned around. Not fast enough. A stone sword rammed into their back. A familiar pain shot up through their spine.
They felt their organs burst.
Yang sailed across the battlefield, tumbling freely.
"It's… tight…"
"Come on, just a little—"
Pain surged through their spine as they came to a bitter stop. The world broke into hazy fragments.
They felt its grip around its body. Crushing them. Squeezing every little drop of fluid from their worthless flesh.
"Y-Yang! Get up!"
Who was that? Blake? They could barely hear them. Only white noise.
They rose to their knees and stayed there. Their heart was going to explode.
That screech. That horrible screech.
The darkness and its creeping, cold death swarming over them.
They couldn't breathe. They couldn't—
Yang looked up and froze. They saw it. The towering monstrosity, its eyes staring down at them like prey. It was there for them. To finish the job.
Oh god…
Another sword slammed suddenly into their back, and they fell to the ground in a heap. Their eyes went wide with fear as they felt their body give up on them. The golems surrounded them. They didn't care. They couldn't stop.
"Ruby, what's happening?"
"I…"
Yang couldn't feel their legs. They were there, but wouldn't move. Their lungs refused to expand. B-Breathe. They… they had to…
They couldn't escape, could they? It would be with them forever. Watching over here with that horrible, blank face…
Their hands.
They were shaking. Shaking so badly.
They couldn't stop them.
No.
Not… not here.
Their teammates watched in horror as the golems encircled them, taking turns whacking at their back with their hefty, stone swords. Blake stood up and screamed at Yang to move, to fight back, to do something. But Yang wouldn't defend themselves. They couldn't. The only thing they could do was curl up in a ball, sheltering the back of their neck with their arms to mitigate the damage.
"What are they doing?" Blake said, voice shaky. "What's wrong with them?"
Ruby couldn't tell. She could only see brief flashes of her sister between the golem's thick limbs. Yang's entire body was trembling. Their eyes were wide but distant, completely detached from reality. Were they dissociating? Now?
Wait, no. It couldn't be.
Of all things.
Was Yang having a panic attack?
"Yang! Snap out of it!" Ruby cried. She stood up and screamed as loud as she could, but her words couldn't penetrate the stone wall. Some part of her expected Yang to fight back. She thought there would be an explosion of power, a true showcase of Yang's mighty Semblance in action. Yet there were no straggling gunshots or fiery punches. As the seconds ticked on, and every thrash of a sword that beat into Yang's flesh caused Ruby's heart to skip, she came to the realization that Yang wasn't breaking out of this.
She was trapped. Locked in her own mind.
"We need to stop this," Weiss said, turning to her teammates in fear.
"The fucking refs need to stop this!" Blake cried. "Why aren't they calling it? They clearly can't defend themselves!"
A chilling thought struck Ruby. Yang's shudders of pain were visible to the entire world. There was no way the referees couldn't tell they were in danger. They had a long history of leniency, letting opponents slug it out far past their breaking points, but it was obvious they should have stopped the match. With a simple blow of a whistle, the golems were trained to shut down. It would be over in a flash. So why do nothing? Unless someone told them to do nothing… and who was it that picked Yang to participate in the Showcase?
Goddammit. Was this all a giant set-up?
Screw it. She was stepping in.
Ruby didn't waste another moment. She tensed her legs, readying to transform. She would swoop down and steal Yang right out from the golems' noses, rules be damned. Only, in the brief moment as she prepared to fly, she didn't have to.
Yang couldn't see anything beneath the swarm of golems. They couldn't think. Each new impact sent paralyzing sensations down their limbs. They were lost in the memory of their joints popping like bubbles and shards of bone shredding through nerve endings. Whatever Aura was subconsciously protecting them was growing scarce, and one by one, the impact of each blow became visible on their skins. Bruises accumulated on their shoulders. Cuts opened on their face, one sliced just above their eye. Blood mixed with sweat and turned thin and seeped into their golden locks.
And they lay there, taking it all.
Taking the punishment.
Scared.
Trembling.
They couldn't do this.
Thwack.
They couldn't.
Thwack.
They couldn't.
Thwack.
They—they felt a rush of air. The impacts ceased. They opened their eyes.
That boy from Team MNSS was standing over her, holding the golems at bay with a green energy barrier.
It was hard for Sage to ignore what was happening in the field next to him. The horrified screams caught his attention, and he realized the situation had become truly dire when he could no longer see Yang beneath the bodies. For him, the decision was an easy one. He didn't really care about the Showcases. Never needed the attention. It was a favor given to him, one he was always prepared to give back. So, when he saw Yang in danger, he didn't hesitate. Despite Mercury loudly calling him a dumbass, he sprinted away from the golems in his Showcase, rushing over the boundary without a single moment to waste. And with one powerful burst of his Semblance, he was now here, keeping Yang safe inside an energy barrier as the golems hoarded around them.
A voice came over the loudspeakers.
"Sage Ayana and Yang Xiao Long have been disqualified for interference."
Yang didn't even process the words. They could barely make out Sage's face. They only recognized that he wasn't a monster when he reached out his hand toward her.
"Hey, come on!" he shouted. "Let's get out of here!"
They didn't realize how concerned he was, both from the blood dripping down her face and the fact his barrier wouldn't hold for long. They just knew they needed to leave this place. Leave it behind forever. Yang grabbed onto Sage's hand, and he pulled them up to their feet. They immediately stumbled into his arms.
"Whoa! Easy!" he cried. His attention faltered, and the energy barrier keeping out the golems flickered. Over twenty of Yang's golems remained—and unfortunately, the problem was getting worse. The golems from his own arena did not take kindly to his abandoning the fight, and they began their slow but steady lurch toward the opposite field. It was time to leave. "We need to go. Let's move."
Yang could barely nod. The feel of another's skin caused them to shudder. But somehow, leaning on Sage, they took their first steps.
Ruby couldn't bear to watch. It was the slowest chase scene of her entire life. Sage had to focus on supporting Yang and keeping away the golems. Each footstep took ages, one in front of the other, as the pair made their way to the closest out-of-bounds marker. That theoretically should have stopped the fight, but outside of the battlefield, absolute chaos had unfolded. Security and the golem handlers attempted to rush onto the field, but the stone soldiers refused to listen to them, carrying on marching. Their giant stone bodies formed a nearly impenetrable wall, and the powerless guards weren't able to get anywhere close to the students they were meant to protect. The media was having a field day, watching and only watching as the Showcases transformed into a dramatic dash for survival. Ruby heard the shouts from other spectators. Panic. Confusion. Exhilaration. One Huntsman abandoning his mission to help another competitor? Like something out of a storybook. It would have been stunning if her sister wasn't involved.
Ruby watched Yang's legs. They were so shaky she didn't know how they could keep moving. Their eyes looked foggy, and the pooling blood around her eye and lip, despite everything Ruby had been through, still made her squeamish. God, why couldn't they move any faster?
The energy barrier was enough to keep the golems several feet away, but it hardly did anything else. Seeing their target so close sent the stone monsters into a rage. They swung at the barrier, stone swords ricocheting off its surface, each attack causing Sage to stutter. They formed a barrier in front of his direct path, and he had to slow even further, focusing his efforts on clearing the way.
He wasn't cut out for this. Against this many opponents, his team was meant to support him. All he could do was hold out as long as possible, and with Yang folding by his side, he wasn't sure if that could last for another minute. The spectators certainly didn't think so. Yang didn't either.
"We… we can't…" Yang muttered.
"Just a few more meters," Sage promised, leaving out that his path was blocked by a dozen giant monsters. Even if he left, would they shut down like programmed? They seemed to be acting of their own free will. What if he wasn't good enough?
For Ruby, that judgment was already made. He wasn't. She refused to tolerate this mere delay of the inevitable. She required action. She didn't wait for her teammates' approval. She was going to do what she should have done sixty seconds ago. Her body melted into rose petals, and before Weiss and Blake could scream, she was flying, rushing toward the battlefield. She traveled like a bullet, ripping over the heads of the feckless media and useless security. She saw Sage and Yang collapse from the pressure, the energy barrier finally faltering enough for a golem to break through its defenses. She aimed straight for it.
Exploding into her human form over its head, she reached behind her back and pulled Crescent Rose—the one benefit of not knowing who would perform the Showcase. It unfurled, and she swung it down hard onto the golem's head as it prepared to strike.
Only for the golem to explode before she made contact.
Ruby landed with a thud. She slid to a stop and turned around, confused, as were the rest of the competitors. What remained was the smoking ruins of a golem, the stunned faces of Yang and Sage, and a new competitor, forced into the fight against his will. Someone had to clean up this mess, and who better to do it than him, after all? Steam rose from the heels of his shotgun-enhanced boots, and he raised his arms over his head, stretching himself out. Mercury Black, the baddest of all bad boys, was here to save Ruby's sister.
And he just stole her kill.
"Well, this isn't how I thought the day would go," he sighed. He looked at Ruby. "You gotta be faster on the draw than that. Man, I wasn't even trying. And you—" He turned to Sage. "You gotta stop being so noble. It's really upsetting."
The golems turned their attention to Mercury, swarming around the young Huntsmen. He had nowhere to run. Completely and utterly outmatched by two Showcases' worth of foot soldiers. He didn't bother planning his next move. Planning was for nerds. Instead, he looked Yang square in their two-toned eyes and smirked.
"And you," he grinned, "you just sit back and watch, babe."
Yang's focus finally returned, locked onto that boy's cocky smile. They felt something vile. The golems surrounded Mercury, their attention now fully diverted. Sage tried to guide Yang to leave, but they couldn't help but follow his instructions and watch. And since Mercury had a spectator, he knew he'd have to put on a show.
So, he started kicking. He kicked like fucking crazy.
Mercury planted his left foot into the ground and shot out his right, sending out a flurry of high kicks in every direction. The blasts from his feet tore through the golems like butter, blowing through one torso, two, three, four, five, another, another, another. Dust scattered across the battlefield with each impact and flew into Yang's face, nearly choking her. Mercury didn't care. His legs were pumping like pistons, each thrust accompanied by a spray of bullets into a golem's chest. Ruby had to duck out of the way of his attacks, though he would never hit her. He was thorough. And bored. Honestly, very bored.
The soldiers eventually grew tired of being target practice and moved in for an attack. Finally. A fight. Not a good one though. The golems swung their swords, but Mercury suddenly fell onto his back, letting the blades pass over his head. With the golems even closer, his job became that much simpler. He pushed up to his back, tensed his arms, and like any good boy band member, started breaking right there on the spot.
Yang couldn't keep track of his limbs as he spun like a whirlwind, bullets exploding from his feet. Despite the sheer speed he exhibited and the constant change in direction, every bullet seemed to hit its target perfectly. The golems dropped like flies around him, and even Ruby was taken aback by the sheer number of bodies hitting the floor so quickly. It was a spectacular dance of violence, one that she couldn't predict with its constant changing of cadence. Mercury kipped up back to his feet, and his smile only grew wider. Seventeen golems were dead and dusted. Over a third of the opposing force.
And he did it without breaking a sweat.
Of course, it was only a warm-up. Mercury jumped back into the fray, his swift kicks and seemingly infinite ammunition doing his handiwork. The golems had all grouped together in their effort to swarm Sage and Yang, and it left him with easy pickings. He would just kick in front of him, and there would always be a body in his path. He gradually pushed his way through the field. Like mowing grass, he thought. But deadlier. A golem tried approaching him from behind, but he spun around on his heel to blow its head off. Only he had to stop himself as the tip of his boot became pointed at Ruby's face. She had beaten him to the punch by half a second, slicing the golem in two.
Mercury laughed.
Ruby didn't reciprocate. She went right back to cleaning up the mess. She launched herself into the stone fray, swinging her scythe wildly, hacking through the crowd. Mercury turned back to Yang.
"Your sister is pretty feisty," he noted. "I guess it doesn't run in the family?"
Yang's senses fully returned to them. They were furious.
Yet, scowling was all they could do as Mercury leaped back into action. Together, he and Ruby would make quick work of the golem forces. The two worked side-by-side, but never in tandem, jumping in each other's path to score kills quickly. Ruby's quick, brutal slashes were motivated by fury. Mercury was just in it for the ride. They carved through the enemies, and soon, they had back-up. Weiss and Blake arrived on the battlefield, and with a flurry of chains and swords, the golems' numbers dropped even faster. Weiss took care of any stragglers far away from the group. Blake stayed close to Yang, mostly staying on the defensive as the rest took care of the broad swaths of stone creatures.
From the stands, Neptune was flipping his freaking lid. He jumped up and down, desperately cheering on the battle. Scarlet just rested his chin on his palm.
"Dude, they're going nuts!" Neptune shouted. "Should we get down there and do something?"
"Did you bring your weapon?" asked Scarlet.
"Uh, no."
"Then what would you be able to do?"
"Uhhhhhh…"
So no, they wouldn't do anything to help. But they could watch, and that was cool enough.
When the golems' numbers reached single digits, their commands finally seemed to take hold. They stopped resisting, and the security that had been so pathetic rushed onto the field to take control. Ruby lowered her scythe as the battle finally came to a stop. She lost track of how many things she had killed. The only thing she was certain of was that Mercury had scored more. That wasn't important though. What mattered was Yang.
Yang…
Her sister hadn't moved from their spot on the ground. They were kneeling, trying to take in all of the violent sensations around them and failing miserably. They wiped some of the blood out of their face, but when they looked at their own hand, they didn't recognize it. Blake and Sage helped them stand up, though they were still uneasy on their feet. Their eyes slowly shifted.
All of these people… needing to help them. Save them from their own uselessness.
Their heart started to race again. Their head felt fuzzy. Someone said something but they didn't know who or what. At some point, they made eye contact with Ruby. What was that look on her face? It was like…
No.
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Yang started to run. At least, the closest thing to a run they could muster.
"Y-Yang? Hey!" Blake called after them, but she was ignored. Yang discarded Sage without gratitude as they ran off the battlefield. The lights, the cameras, the attention—too much. They could still hear the Maiden screeching somewhere. They needed quiet. With nowhere else to turn, they headed straight toward the women's locker room, disappearing inside. Ruby watched them leave, and then something strange happened.
All of Ruby's concerns for her sister's well-being mutated. Her eyes grew wide with fury, and her knuckles turned white. As Blake and Yang disappeared from view, and she was left all alone on the battlefield, she realized how fucking pissed off she was.
"So, I guess a thank you is in order?" Mercury asked suddenly. Ruby shoved her way past him.
"Not now."
Weiss followed her team leader, trying to ask her questions that were ignored. Ruby had one goal in mind. She didn't care about how much of a scene she was about to cause. The biggest scene possible just played out on a terrible scale. Already, she could hear the media murmuring, sense the blowup happening on KnightsPage as she stood there. She could practically hear Ozpin's laughter. She needed answers. Now.
Mercury both congratulated Sage for being a hero and chastised him for being a dumbass. The rest of Team MNSS quickly joined them, losing their shit over what just happened. They, like everyone else, could only speculate what had just happened to the Heroes of Vale.
Ruby burst into the locker room. She was swarmed. May and Reese bombarded her with questions, having just watched the entire ordeal on their Scrolls. Team BRIR muttered to themselves in the corner, debating whether to provide advice. Ruby saw Jessica standing meekly by her locker, clutching her ring hand tightly, feeling helpless. But no Yang. It wasn't hard to locate them, though. Just follow the blood. The showers. A hiding spot. Ruby and Weiss marched forward, only for one last obstacle to appear before them: a lone warrior so focused on her own preparation she hadn't watched the chaos unfolding just outside the door. But seeing Yang sprint by her, she needed answers.
Too bad she wouldn't get any.
"What's going on?" asked Pyrrha. She reached out to Ruby, but the RWBY leader shrugged her off. Pyrrha opened her mouth to ask again, but Weiss interfered, pleading with her to forget everything.
"It's nothing. Just focus on your match," Weiss instructed. She desperately hurried after Ruby, and Pyrrha's gaze followed them for as long as she was able. A thin scowl crossed her lips.
Ruby entered the showers on a mission. Shoving past a set of flimsy curtains, she found Yang panting next to a drain. A thin trickle of water ran from the shower drain, pouring over her lightly bloodstained hair. They didn't even seem to notice she had entered. Blake was trying to comfort them, though upon seeing Ruby, she scowled. The tension was palpable.
"What the hell was that?" Ruby asked sternly. Yang didn't reply, still trying to catch their breath. Blake stood in front of them, shielding them from Ruby's wrath.
"Hey, give them a minute," Blake asked, but Ruby brushed past her, staring down her sister.
"No. I need answers. What just happened?" Ruby demanded.
"You can at least ask if they're okay first," Blake grunted.
"I don't need to ask! She's not okay! None of what just happened is okay!"
Blake shook her head. "Look, we're all upset, but—"
"We're… we're sorry," Yang sputtered, silencing their girlfriend. "We don't know what happened. We were fine one moment, and then when we got hit… it was just… like we were back there."
Ruby could see the fear in Yang's eyes. It shook her to the core. Chastising them felt wrong. It wasn't their fault. Yet, soothing words weren't going to fix the absolute shitshow they had all found themselves in, and with every drop of blood that fell from Yang's brow, Ruby flashbacked to the Vault, to their mom, to every nightmare she feared would never come true. Ruby sighed, exhausted and frustrated, running her fingers through her hair.
"This… this is bad, Yang," Ruby said bluntly. "You could have been permanently hurt out there, or worse. If Team MNSS hadn't stepped in, I don't know how badly it could have gone. Worse, everyone saw it happen live. There's no way we can hide it. All of Remnant knows you aren't recovered enough to fight. It's like sharks smelling blood."
"Look, we can fix this. It's not over," Yang said hurriedly. "We have time to get more training in."
Ruby shook her head. "Yang, the tournament is in a day and a half…"
"But that's plenty of time!"
"Look…"
"No, we can."
"Yang, listen…"
"Please…" Yang was still breathing heavily. Blake had gone completely silent; Weiss felt like she was watching a slow-motion car crash. They all knew what Ruby was thinking. It didn't make it any easier when she finally spit it out.
"Maybe," Ruby sighed, "maybe we should pull you from the tournament."
Yang felt their resolve crumble. Blake gasped with surprise, though she really wasn't. Despite casting Ruby an annoyed glare, she wasn't any more optimistic about Yang's chances.
"What? You can't."
"Actually, I can," Ruby said, crossing her arms. She couldn't bear the weight of Yang's pleas and glanced away from them. "I'm our team leader. These are my calls to make."
"Bullshit!" Yang shouted. They didn't care how many people in the locker room heard them. They weren't going to let this slip away. If they failed here…
"Look, Yang, we can't afford to make mistakes now," Ruby said matter-of-factly. No matter how much it hurt, she had to be the responsible one. Just like always. "You just hurt yourself out there. That's already a huge liability before the tournament begins. But it could get even worse if you try fighting again. Or what if you have another incident? And you just… curl up into a ball in the middle of the finals?"
"Come on! It was just an anxiety attack, and it's over now. We're already feeling better. We'll be more prepared for next time. We'll talk to Noetal, and she can clear this whole thing up, and like… why are you looking at us like that?"
Ruby was trying to stay strong. For all of Yang's bluster, she could see the fight was gone. It should have made it easier, to beat on a weak opponent. Instead, Ruby just felt like she was kicking a puppy.
"It's not just that," Ruby stated. "Even before the panic attack, you were messing up. This wasn't a normal performance. You were fighting scared from the moment that buzzer went off. You can't afford to do that in the actual tournament."
"We won't!" Yang said passionately. "This was just a stumble. Against students, it should be way easier, right?"
"Students with guns. With years of training," Ruby said. "And they aren't going to be some mindless blocks you can pull the same shallow tricks on over and over again. All it takes for one of them to find a weakness and exploit it, and then that's it. And now, they all know that you're vulnerable."
"We're not… vulnerable…" Yang said quietly.
"Really? What do you think would happen if you go against Vivian? Or Penny? Or hell, even Pyrrha? Do you think you could actually take on any of them in your current state? The three of us? We can go easy on you, but they won't. They would chew you up and spit you out and then everything we have worked for is in jeopardy."
"So, what? We just give up?" Yang asked, barely having the strength to fight back. "How does that help anyone?"
"We'll try to get a substitution."
"Who? Who would possibly agree to help us?" Yang raised their voice. Ruby matched it, decibel for decibel.
"I don't know… we'll think of something."
"There isn't anyone from Beacon who can replace us. You need us in that tournament."
"I need someone who isn't going to get in her own way."
Yang snarled, pushing off the bathroom wall into Ruby's face.
"And that's us?"
Ruby stood her ground.
"Is it not?"
"We are the strongest Huntress on this team!" Yang said, stomping their foot. "We could kick the ass of every one of you a dozen times over. We've saved your life, for fuck's sake! That's not good enough?"
"You! Are! Not! Well! Yang!" Ruby said, punctuating each word with a heavy clap. "If you were healthy, this would be different… I wish you were healthy."
"You don't get to deny us this. We trained our life for this—our dream was to do this together."
"This isn't about your ego. It's about doing the best for all of us!"
"Give us another chance."
"No…"
"Why?"
"You know why…"
"We can fight—"
"No, you can't!"
Ruby's scream rebounded off the shower walls, stunning Yang completely. They only just noticed the tears welling in Ruby's eyes. Her voice seemed like it would break apart at the seams. Everything became still, Weiss and Blake watching, horrified, as Ruby fought against a storm churning inside herself.
"I… I can't let you do this," Ruby choked. "When Noetal cleared you—months ago, when she cleared you—I said that whatever happened, it would be on me. You are my responsibility. Clearing you to fight, sending you into the Vault, everything… I did that. I did this." Ruby rammed her index finger into Yang's chest, and like a boulder, Yang remained still. Ruby's resolve crumbled, her hand collapsing into a fist. "And if anything happens to you now, because I made you fight my stupid fucking war, I could never forgive myself for that. You are too important to me. I'm not losing you to this tournament. I just… I won't. I won't…"
"Ruby…" Yang struggled to find anything that could break through to their sister. They reached for her hand, but Ruby slipped it away, too afraid of what might happen. It was enough to force their tears as well. "Ruby, please…"
"I'm sorry," Ruby sobbed.
"What are we supposed to do?" Yang asked pathetically.
"I don't know… I'm sorry."
"A-and what about all of you?" Yang turned to Blake, reaching out to her. Blake crossed her arms over her chest, a pained shudder running down her back. "If we can't fight, then—"
"I have Rosaline," Ruby stated. A sharp calmness overtook her. She wiped the tears away. "If I need her to wake up, I know she will. And together… we'd be more than enough to pick up the slack."
Yang's arms fell by their sides. Ruby's determination had shown through. The realization was fully in.
That was it.
That was all they were.
Dead weight.
They stumbled back into the shower wall, sliding down until they were resting against the smooth, slippery tile. They pulled their knees in close, water from the showerhead dripping steadily past them. Ruby looked down on Yang, torn between pulling them into the tightest hug imaginable and being a rock. She had to be strong. These decisions required it. She couldn't falter. Never again.
"R-Ruby," Weiss said tepidly. "Maybe, um, we shouldn't be so hasty about this."
The suggestion caught her off-guard. Weiss placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Ruby saw her concern, but she was holding together better than any of them. She knew Weiss's inner kindness. But, this wasn't the time for delays, right? They barely had any time before the fighting started. Still, Ruby wasn't able to say no so strictly to her girlfriend. She couldn't hurt anyone else.
"I… I have to see what the rules are for replacing a competitor this late," Ruby sighed. "Maybe, let's… I don't know. We have dinner tonight with Dad. And then after, we can talk our next steps." She turned around, casting Yang one last sympathetic gaze. "I think I need some fresh air. Again, I'm just… I'm so sorry, Yang."
Ruby walked out of the showers, her head low and Weiss hot on her heels. Emerging into the rest of the locker room, every set of eyes was upon them. They heard everything, of course. How confused and embarrassed must they have been? Ruby cast them all aside. She didn't need anyone's judgment aside from her own. She heard Pyrrha call her name. She ignored her as she left the room. Within the showers, Yang huddled alone on the floor, Blake standing beside her. The former assassin turned her head back and forth, wondering for a moment which way to follow.
Yang needed time alone. They really seemed like they wanted to be alone.
…
Fuck that.
Blake knelt by Yang's side, any reservations fading out as she placed her arms around her girlfriend.
"Hey. Hey," Blake shook them aggressively. "It's not over."
"Blake…" Yang tried to shoo her away, but Blake stayed firmly by their side.
"No, no, listen. It's not too late to turn things around," Blake promised. She didn't know why she was saying it. Ruby was right about everything. Yang competing was a giant risk, and if anything happened to them—no, of course, that was wrong. Yang was there to encourage her when she felt hopeless. She needed to do the same.
"We screwed up," Yang sighed.
"No. I mean, yeah, you did," Blake admitted "But we can fix this. I don't know how but we'll find a way to keep you going. It's just a setback, and we said we weren't going to let those stop us, right? Remember?"
Yang became quiet. Did they say that to Blake? Their mind was preoccupied with a different memory. They remembered being in their backyard, deep in the woods away from their dad's prying eyes. They and Ruby. Training. Sparring. Doing everything they could to become warriors. Ruby could barely swing her scythe, itself made out of scrap and a dream, trained in secret and struggling to keep up with a real opponent. Yang would give her everything they had, pushing her, striking her, leaving her with bruises she'd have to awkwardly explain away each night for months. All to become the greatest Huntresses they could be. It felt like a lifetime ago. For them, it really was… and that was when the truth finally hit them.
"She… she has everything, doesn't she?"
"Huh?"
An almost cruel smile formed on Yang's face as they laughed through the pain. "Ruby. This is really all about her. Let's face it. We're all fucking disasters. But Ruby… she's the only one who knows she belongs here. She has the strength to see this through. All of the power she could ever need… and hell, she doesn't even want it. We can try to keep up with her with our Semblance, but… how could we ever compare to something like her? She's brilliant. Powerful. Hell, she even has a better voice in their head than we did. Like, what the hell, right?"
Yang tried laughing it off, but the joke wasn't funny. Blake pursed her lips. Somewhere, outside, Ruby Rose was walking through Li Caccia, hunting down her headmaster to get answers, the weight of the entire world upon her shoulders. Managing their team, Winter and Sienna, Ozpin, Rosaline, Penny… how did she do it? How could that innocent, clueless girl who once threw her shoes at a fountain outside Beacon Academy grow up to be so much? To see her bloom… it was as inspiring as it was terrifying.
"Ruby will do what she was always meant to," Yang confessed. "She's going to fly through this tournament. Her versus the world. And all we can do is just try not to get in her way. That's what has to matter… not holding her back."
Yang hiccupped. They tried to be strong. All they had ever tried to do was be strong. When they turned toward Blake and saw her heartbreak, they realized it was pointless.
"We're so proud of her…" Yang's smile fell apart. "But like… this fucking sucks."
They collapsed into Blake's arms, breaking into horrible sobs. Blake held them tight as they let everything flow away.