Dawn heralded the promise of a new day at Beacon Academy. As sunlight touched the pale face of Weiss Schnee, she yawned and turned over. Her tired brain desired a few more minutes of sleep before starting her morning routines.
This day had other ideas.
She jolted as something cannonballed beside her on the bed. Before Weiss could lash out, two arms wrapped around her torso. She was then pulled backward into the soft front of another woman. Her head tilted to glare angrily at a certain orange-haired invader.
"Wake up, Weissy! It's morning!" Nora declared boldly.
Weiss sputtered for a moment. Her body was still chasing away the lethargic feelings in her limbs. At last, she was able to articulate her feelings.
"Why are you in my bed!?"
"I told you. It's morning!"
The heiress groaned as her head hit the pillow. Technically, Nora did the right thing. Weiss did not want to be late on her first day of classes. She just wished her partner had gone about rousing her in a different way.
After holding her breath, she gritted out. "Thank you. In the future, though, a gentle shake of the shoulder will suffice. I am a light sleeper."
"You got it!" Nora said not so quietly.
Another groan escaped from Weiss. They would also need to work on Nora's etiquette. Specifically on the difference between 'inside' voice and 'outside' voice.
Nora, as Weiss had to remind herself constantly, was not malicious. She was just not as learned in social conventions. Her background had not afforded her the opportunity to learn how to operate in polite society. The girl would need to be instructed in such matters.
By the end of their time in Beacon, Weiss swore that Nora would be a prim and proper young lady. It would be a challenge, to be sure. But it was one the Schnee was more than willing to take on.
Before that, though, she needed to get ready. And thus the first challenge was presented. Weiss turned again to Nora.
"Why are you still holding me?"
"This is actually pretty comfortable. You are surprisingly warm for an Ice Queen. Maybe we could nap for a bit longer?"
It appeared that their first lesson would begin now. The subject matter would be in respecting personal space. To enforce this behavior, Weiss would utilize positive punishment.
She reached over to the nightstand, searching for the corrective implement. Her hand found the hilt of Myrtenaster. Rotating to the blue chamber of the revolver, she activated her Semblance and focused.
/ / /
Pyrrha Nikos exited the team bathroom after a quick rinse in the shower. She had woken up early for the usual morning jog. Dressed in a dark blazer and plaid skirt, she felt prepared for anything the day would throw at her.
Almost anything.
"Hi Pyrrha!"
The girl blinked. She had heard Nora. But she did not see her.
Team JWNN's room was a spartan space. The quarters were, to be polite, cramped. There was barely enough room for the four beds in each corner and a long desk for schoolwork in the middle.
"Pyyyyrrhaaaaa."
Checking the room again, nothing was out of the ordinary. Weiss, in a light blue nightie, was performing stretches with an exercise band. She was unfazed by the disembodied voice.
"Behind you."
The Mistralian Champion closed the bathroom door. She found her pajama-clad teammate hanging upside down on the wall. Ice had encased her arms, legs, and midsection to stick her to the surface.
"How did-?"
"Oh good. You are done." Weiss said, having completed her calisthenics. "I shall be next to bathe. Excuse me."
She then walked by them, not even bothering to look at Nora. The door closed behind her. They could hear her hum as the water started to run once more.
The frozen girl smiled. "I'm getting through to her, I think."
Pyrrha did not know if that was true. Then again, she was unsure of what Nora was after. Constantly needling Weiss seemed counter intuitive to getting on her good side. Right now, the only person she seemed to have decent relations with was Pyrrha.
Accepting that mutual understanding was out of reach, she helped Nora down. It only took a few seconds to break the ice using her fist. The other girl let out an 'oof' as she fell face first. Pyrrha winced.
"Sorry!"
"It's fine! I've been dropped on my head plenty of times." She quickly picked herself up and brushed off the remaining frost. "Brrrrr. Now, I'm cold!"
"You can always warm up in the shower."
"That's exactly what I'll do!"
With a bright smile, she shed her pink pants and white top. Pyrrha was confused by these actions until Nora opened the bathroom up. The red head's eyes widened significantly as the other girl skipped inside and closed the door.
"Wait! I meant later!"
This correction came too late. There was a feminine screech from within as the shower curtain was drawn back. This was countered by a simple rejoinder.
"Pipe down and scootch over, princess."
"No! Leave!"
"You're hogging all the hot water."
There was more arguing. Not wanting to be pulled in, Pyrrha decided to make herself scarce. It was not like she was waiting for anyone.
Green eyes lingered on the bed beside her own. Its sheets and pillows were pristine. This was not because the mattress had been carefully made up. It was because the bed had not been slept on at all.
Her partner had yet to spend a night in their shared room. Not that Pyrrha was obsessed with that fact. She had actually been relieved the first few nights, having never shared a living space with a boy before. But now she felt like she was missing something important.
As her teammates continued squabbling, she let herself out. In the hallway, opposite her dorm, there was another door. It belonged to Team RRBY.
She approached and knocked three times. After not receiving a reply, she knocked twice more. Eventually, someone slumped over to answer.
"Buh?" Asked a sleepy Ruby Rose.
"Hello! Would your team like to accompany me for breakfast?"
The brunette swayed in place. One of the straps of her tank top slipped off her shoulder. She slowly brought it back into place before yawning. Then, she squinted at Pyrrha before asking the same question.
"Buh?"
"I can see you are not ready. That's fine. See you at our first class in a half-hour."
"M'kay." Ruby closed the door.
As Pyrrha was about to leave, she heard a gasp. The one-sided conversation had finally clicked into place for Ruby. There were the tell-tale sounds of the girl running about the room in a panic. Eventually, the shrill whine of a whistle filled the air.
Angry murmurs were directed at the disturbance. Ruby's teammates were unhappy at being awakened in such a manner. One of them hissed like a cat. She was undeterred.
"Get up, lazy butts! We're going to be late!"
More noises of disdain followed. Eventually, though, they began to understand. There were creaks as they rolled out of their beds.
Shrugging, Pyrrha left them behind.
On the way to the dining hall, she admired the scenery. The outside path from the dorm halls around Beacon Tower was beautiful. The academy was similar in layout to her preparatory school, Sanctum, but more so.
More buildings. More space. More people.
The last of those weighed on her more than the others. Pyrrha got plenty of stares as she navigated the quad. Even the older students were following her every move.
This had happened during her morning run, but she was able to ignore them then. She had been preoccupied at the time with keeping a steady pace. Isolated now, she could not as easily ignore them. Thankfully, she was not alone for long.
"Hey! Pyrrha!"
Instinctively turning to the familiar voice, she could not keep from smiling brightly. It was Jaune, running towards her. Dressed in his academy-issued blazer, pants, and tie, he was quite fetching.
"Am I late?" He asked once he was at her side. "The Bullhead was running behind."
"You're right on time." She meant that in every sense.
Part of her wanted to start interrogating to find out where he had been. But she had difficulties staying mad at him for extended periods. He was dangerous like that. With school finally starting up after a delay, she hoped to see more of him.
"Great! Shall we go? Breakfast and then…" He pulled out a piece of paper with some scribblings on it. "Grimm Studies? With Professor Port?"
She nodded. "After you."
XVII. Over the Edge
It was not Professor Port who was waiting for them in the classroom.
In his place was a person in a pointed hat standing at the lectern. The white boards behind him displayed notes on various Grimm. In a chair beside him sat a large staff.
"Hello students. No need to double check your schedules. This is Grimm Studies." They reassured the class. "My name is Shion Zaiden, and I shall be your instructor."
There was an exchange of looks amongst the student body that filled the lecture hall. Weiss, who was on Pyrrha's left, looked at her with a large amount of concern. Jaune and Nora, to her right, just seemed confused.
A few rows down, Team RRBY was equally bewildered. They had walked in late and grabbed the first available spots. Their instructor spoke to regain their attention.
"Professor Port has been called away on an important matter. For this semester, I shall be taking over his teaching responsibilities."
There was more chatter. Talk ran rampant. The substitute allowed them to get it out of their system before continuing.
"While my knowledge of this subject is not as deep as Peter's own, I am more than qualified to teach the basics. There are also Grimm related matters I am an expert in, should you be interested. My domain as a huntsman is quite unique."
One brave soul raised their hand. "What do you do that's different?"
Huntsman students were always willing to hear more about the potential job market. The most common domain, or work specialization, was to be stationed at a Huntsman Lodge for the common defense of Remnant. But there were other occupations.
Joining the Atlas military as a soldier was a popular option. For the more profit oriented, there was bounty hunting and mercenary work. And of course, there was always teaching.
"In due time. Let us go through the syllabus first." They cleared their throat before looking at a set of papers. "In this course, you will discover the major types of Grimm that inhabit Remnant. You will learn their habits and weaknesses."
Zaiden continued on for several minutes. They went over class expectations. It was quite dry and technical, but informative.
Each session, the class would focus on a different species of Grimm. Students were to perform independent research about that day's topic before arriving. Beacon's librarians stood ready to assist those looking for help.
During class, everyone was required to participate if called upon to discuss and share their knowledge. At the end of the week, the students were to compile their notes into short essays on each subject. These essays were then to be submitted for grading.
At the end of the course, the students would edit their essays to fit into a personal digital compendium. This would create their very own Grimmoire; A reference book of the Grimm.
After hearing this explanation, Pyrrha was captivated. She liked the idea of combing through materials like a real researcher. And they would have something tangible to show for all their hard work. This was shaping up to be her favorite class.
"Of course, today's lecture will break from this formula." Zaiden said as they finished the course synopsis. "It would be unfair to expect you to have already conducted research on a topic with no warning."
There were a few nervous chuckles. Some might have thought that. Beacon was regarded as the academy that produced the greatest huntsmen. It would make sense for the school to have steep standards in terms of coursework.
"Ordinarily we would start with a more common type of Grimm, such as the Ursa and its variants. I'd instead like us to discuss a creature you all have experienced recently."
The new professor moved to the whiteboard and pushed the edge of the middle panel. It turned out there were vertical layers to the board. The slate moved to the side.
Underneath was another surface. Drawn there was a detailed sketch of a large hornet-shaped Grimm. A shudder went through the class.
Beside her, Pyrrha could feel her teammates tremble. She placed a hand on Jaune's knee to steady him. He whispered his thanks.
It should have been the other way around.
"Lancers present a unique threat to both huntsmen and settlements. From a single drone, this species will multiply into a mighty force. Once the population attains a certain size, a queen will emerge from amongst their ranks to subjugate their fellow Grimm."
/ / /
"I missed this." Fredrika Blassie sobbed as soft hands caressed her torso. "So much!"
"Oh, I know, honey. I know."
"I knew you would."
The VPD Sergeant arched her back while seeking more of that intoxicating touch. She lay with her head in the lap of Madam Amour, luxuriating in her specialness. Not everyone was invited backstage at La Maison Ta-Ta.
This special relationship began nearly a year ago. It was the result of a bachelor party for one of Blassie's direct reports. The boys brought them all to a house of burlesque as a joke.
Their hosts had welcomed the off-duty cops in and placed them in the front row. They had even invited the lucky bachelor on stage to perform a can-can with the dancers. The eight-minute routine had left him breathless and the crowd in stitches.
It was all done in good fun.
What was less so was the maître d' slipping a card to Blassie on their way out. It was a request to meet the owner. The Sergeant was wary of the invitation. Still, she was curious and made an excuse to re-enter the establishment while everyone else left.
After being ushered to the back by a guard, she was met by what must have been the most beautiful woman in all of Remnant. Amour beckoned Blassie to sit beside her. And she did.
One thing led to another, and the police administrator found herself returning time and time again. Amour was like a drug. Blassie craved her every hour. Every minute. It had affected her job performance. Work piled up as she fantasized about her next hit.
Recognizing the problem, she had cut back. At her worst, Blassie visited the madam every day. She now had it down to once every other week. Her body still protested this decision.
"Work is a mess." The Sergeant nearly squealed as a finger brushed her navel. "A-and the missus doesn't appreciate how stressed I am."
"Tell me more." The Courtesan pressed.
A bit of displeasure trickled in. "Can we not talk about her?"
Blassie loved her wife. It was the reason she took off her wedding ring when she visited Amour. Having the reminder made her feel rotten.
Not enough to stop, of course.
Amour tweaked a sensitive portion of Blassie. She yelped. The madam giggled.
"I meant about your work."
That was another aspect Blassie appreciated. Amour was always willing to listen, even to her most dull stories. It made the sergeant feel special. Wanted.
"I've had meetings. So many meetings." She could not stop mewling. "Confidential meetings!"
"Now that won't do, Freddy. How can I help if you don't open up?"
Blassie thought she was open plenty. "They were strategy meetings. We lost a whole lot of men. Need to replace them."
"I heard about that. The White Fang ambush?"
"Hmmm." It was hardly a secret. "The big dog is riding us hard. Wants me to make some units available for his personal use."
His favorite lap dogs, Piper and Fiddle, had bitten the dust. One in the ambush and the other under mysterious circumstances. If she had not been instructed to focus her resources elsewhere, she would have investigated further.
As it was, only cursory examinations were allowed. The Commissioner wanted these cases cleared. He was breathing down everyone's neck to speed the wheels of justice up.
That pressure was bringing its own issues. Their head of forensics was raising all sorts of objections. Peregrine was checking and double checking every piece of evidence to slow walk the official closure.
Nadder, not having any power over the forensics laboratory, was blaming Blassie. As if she had any sway over them either. They were independent for a reason. He knew it too.
"He's such a dill-hole." Blassie snickered. "And a hypocrite! Criticizing my choices."
"Like what?"
"Knows about us. Holds it over my head."
Nadder had somehow found out about her secret rendezvous with Amour. Blassie knew she had not been all that discreet when they first started seeing each other. Still, she had never expected to be extorted by a superior.
"How, specifically, is he being hypocritical?"
"Tee-hee. That's a funny word! Hippo! Hippo!"
"Focus now, love." She leaned down and rubbed their noses together. "What is the Commissioner doing that is similar to what we have?"
Blassie teared up. "No one has what we have."
"Of course. But the Commissioner…?"
"He has a mistress!" She blurted out as Amour rubbed harder. "I saw his calendar! A standing appointment with a call girl!"
It was an insult. If she had known about his dalliances, the Sergeant would have laughed in his face. Much like she was doing to her own mistress.
"Do you remember their name?"
"Oh… Oh, yes…" A pressure built up inside.
It was so silly. The name. That was how Blassie knew. Sensual, though. Smoldering.
"Tell me." Blassie teetered on the edge. "Be a good girl and tell me the name."
She was a good girl and thus cried out. "Cinder Fall!"
/ / /
Hei Xiong sweated bullets as his finger rapidly tapped the panic button under his desk. Having just installed the emergency transmitter, he prayed that the message was getting out to his people. He was in deep trouble.
A new threat had unexpectedly appeared in his office. They sauntered up to his seat. Crimson eyes held nothing but mockery for the gang leader.
"Hey there, Junior." He asked with a wide grin. "How's business?"
"Branwen."
"The one and only. Mind if I wet my beak?" Qrow Branwen pointed to the curio cabinet. "Y'know? Before your backup arrives?"
Junior cursed. "Do I have a choice?"
"Metaphysically speaking?" He stepped over to the display. "My boss would say 'no.' Though he's a bit of a pessimist."
The monster pulled a full bottle of tequila from the top shelf. Then he brought it back to the desk with two small crystal glasses pinched between his fingers. Filling both of them with amber liquid, he took the first shot quickly.
Junior eyed the second glass. Deciding he had no reason not to partake in his own liquor, he reached for it. Before he could take possession, Branwen drowned that one as well.
The absolute ass.
As he swallowed, the office doors swung open. Melanie and Militia were there, weapons drawn and ready to rumble. They both took a step back as they recognized the invader. He knew them as well.
"I wondered who you were calling." Branwen said to Junior before addressing the twins. "If it isn't Millie and Mellie. All grown up. Wow. Last time I saw you two, you barely came up to my waist. You were what? Nine?"
Melanie gave him a flat look. "Thirteen."
"Really?" Branwen was surprised by the revelation. "Guess y'all were late bloomers."
"What do you want?" Junior demanded.
"Ain't that a nice howdy-doo for an old… What is it you kids call it these days? Frenemy?"
"N-nobody uses that word anymore." Militia glanced away. "Sir."
"Too bad. It's the perfect description of our relationship. You Red Axers are crooks. I'm a huntsman. I should bust up your little pissant protection racket." He poured more tequila. "But I don't. You know why?"
"Because we are pissants?" Melanie spat with disdain.
Not that Branwen cared. "Exactly! As long as you stick to crimes that do nothing to draw the Grimm to the city, I could care less about you."
"Don't you mean you couldn't care less?"
"If I didn't care at all, Junior here would be dead."
As he took another shot, the Malachites looked at the Xiong patriarch. They wanted orders. Melanie indicated that she could activate their secret weapon to take the huntsman out.
Junior signaled them to stand down. He did not think it would work. Branwen had the Brother's own luck on his side.
Even if they did succeed, his previously mentioned boss would not let them go peacefully. Beacon Academy's staff would come down on their heads like a ton of bricks. Junior did not like his chances against a clean-up team led by Glynda Goodwitch.
So Junior asked again. "What do you want?"
"Got it. Not in the mood for a social call." Branwen set the empty glass upside down on the desk. "While you and yours are not causing any Judgment Day-level issues, there is a certain freedom fighting organization that is."
"You want the White Fang?"
"Got it in one."
Back in his wheelhouse, Junior leaned forward in his chair. "And what would we receive for providing such information?"
Beacon had many resources at their disposal. Them owing the Xiong family would be a boon to their operations. Branwen dashed that idea immediately.
"You get me out of your hair. I think we would both prefer that I was far away from the city, yeah? Give me the Fang and I'll go back to pretending you don't exist."
It was an unorthodox payment proposal. Yet Junior could see the upside. Plus, he did not have to do any additional leg work. The information was already in hand.
"Deal." He opened a drawer to retrieve and toss over a white origami wolf. "This should get you where you need to go."
Branwen unfolded the paper. On it was a date and time set a few weeks in the future. Also present was the address of a warehouse. There were no other identifying marks.
"This is for?"
"A rally. Those animals hold them to drive up their numbers. That is your best chance to corner some of them."
"And you just happened to have a secret recruitment message?"
"Some of my employees are faunus. They sometimes find these little love letters in their mailboxes trying to woo them. Luckily, I keep mine well paid. Most others are not so fortunate."
"So their only choices for a better life are either working for a mobster or becoming an extremist?" He read over the flier again. "Yeash, no wonder they feel so hopeless."
"Metaphysics in action." It was their lot in life.
"Thanks for the tip." Branwen folded the paper back into shape before shaking the tequila bottle. "How much was this thing when full?"
"A lot." Junior growled, hating having his stash raided.
"Give me the number." The huntsman blanched at the fair market value. "Ugh. Didn't even taste that good. There was no burn to it at all."
"That is a sign of high quality."
"Whatever." Branwen reached deep into his pocket.
Everyone was tense. Although his blade was strapped to his back, that did not mean he was not packing a gun. They relaxed when he pulled out a wallet.
He dumped a pair of lien cards on the desk. It was a little more than the full cost of the bottle. Purchase in hand, he made for the exit. The Malachites dared not impede him.
Before going, he stopped and turned to Militia. "Believe it or not, our choices are our own. It's never too late to make a change."
Melanie was shooting daggers at the man's back. She was ready to bury her razor-sharp heels in his spleen. It was only her surety in her sister that kept those weapons in check.
Militia's eyes were on her own shoes. "I'm comfortable with mine, sir."
He looked at her a bit longer. The white Malachite shrunk further. Finally he laughed and mussed up her hair.
"That's all we can ask for, I guess. If you change your mind, know that there is always a way out for you." He looked over at Melanie, too. "And for your sister as well, I guess."
"Will you piss off and die already?" The red Malachite snarled.
With another laugh, he left the room. The twins only let down their guards when they heard Branwen's feet on the staircase leading down. Junior grabbed his whiskey and drank directly from the demijohn.
"As if Neopolitan wasn't bad enough, now we got the ScareQrow showing up unannounced?" Melanie ranted to no one in particular. "What is going on? Can just anyone come and go as they please from our Club?"
"There isn't a security system in all of Remnant that can keep them out." Junior self-medicated his burgeoning headache. "At least Branwen tends to keep his word. Assuming our info pans out, we won't see him around here again."
Although good at playing the rogue, the huntsman had a code of honor. Junior could reason with him. Even respect him. In another life, they could have been blood brothers.
Maybe in the next.
"Hey, didn't you give that flier to Torchwick's crew as well?" Militia asked.
"I did."
They had compiled a whole disk drive filled with information on the White Fang. Roman's errand boy had been the one to pick it up. There had been plenty of declassified Atlassian reports and old VNN articles to turn over.
Also buried in there was a scan of the same invite he had just given the huntsman. Since that rally was one of the few hard leads they had on the Fang, Junior had been extra sure to mention it. Jay seemed very interested in that tidbit.
"Should we-?" Militia asked meekly.
"Warn them?" She nodded and he shook his head. "Best we stay out of this one."
The Xiong Clan had a strict confidentiality agreement. They were not in the business of ratting out their clientele. Not even to other clients.
Junior was also a bit hopeful that the issue would resolve itself. He held no love for Branwen, Torchwick, or the White Fang. With any luck, they would take each other out and he would be free of the mess entirely.
/ / /
"So tired…" Ruby yawned.
Seeing this, Yang snuck up behind her unsuspecting sibling. Using two fingers, she poked Ruby in the ribs. The smaller girl squeaked, before briefly vanishing in a flurry of rose petals.
"That help?" The blonde boxer asked cheekily.
"Don't do that!" The brunette reaper pouted.
"You looked like you needed a pick-me-up."
Yang certainly did. They had experienced nothing but back-to-back classes all day with only a short break for lunch. Grimm Studies, History, Plant Science, and Weapon Crafting. Each of them was interesting, but it was still a lot.
Finally they were going to see some action. Their next class? Pure combat.
Everyone had been instructed to change into their street clothes. Yang felt liberated. No longer trapped in a skirt, she could stretch her legs.
While going through her warm-up routine, she took in the auditorium that would be their battlefield. It was a domed enclosure dominated by a large, square ring. Empty bleachers surrounded each side.
Today, there would be no crowds. The only ones watching would be the other students and of course their professor. Glynda Goodwitch stood alone, reading over her Scroll.
Goodwitch looked up briefly. Catching her student staring, she arched an eyebrow. Yang shuddered. Her partner unknowingly saved her with his arrival.
"Everyone limber?" Ren asked.
"You know it!" Yang grinned before popping to attention. "Although we are one short of the full four-pack. Where's Blake?"
"Present."
The abruptness of the reply caused Yang to whip around suddenly. She found the dark-haired girl standing there with crossed arms. Her expression was cool and neutral.
"Gee-whiz. We need to put a bell on you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" There was an edge of danger to Blake's voice.
"Eh?"
"Blake! You're here!" Ruby rushed up to the other girl dramatically, grabbing her hand. "I thought I lost you forever!"
"I was just getting changed…"
"That's everyone." Ren said happily.
Just in time, too. Professor Goodwitch called for them all. Everyone moved over to where she stood, now on top of the ring. This increased her intimidating nature by adding a few more inches to her height.
Not that she needed it.
"Good afternoon, class. I trust that your first day has been productive so far?"
They were unsure if she wanted a response. When she let the silence linger, they got the hint. There were shouts of approval and even a loud 'eee-yup' from the crowd."
"Good to hear. Welcome to Combat and Tactics. While other courses shall sharpen your minds, this class shall strengthen your body. Part of that process is evaluation."
She tapped her Scroll. A jumbo-sized video display lowered from the ceiling to float above the arena. She continued speaking.
"I shall place you in a variety of combat situations to test your skills. Afterwards, you will be provided with feedback to implement during your off-hours training."
This was nothing Yang had not heard before. Her attention drifted. She wondered what she had done to upset Blake.
Yang was used to sticking her foot in her mouth. But the reaction to her off-hand comment seemed overboard. She wondered what it was about bells that could have set Blake off.
"To sum up, I do not expect perfection. I expect improvement." Goodwitch declared loud enough to shake Yang from her thoughts. "Whether combat is your strongest or your weakest subject area, I require a commitment to growth. Are we clear?"
No one was caught flat-footed by her question this time. They all responded with a 'yes ma'am.' She pressed again on her Scroll.
"Very well. This week, I shall be pitting you against each other so I may get a feel for your solo fighting styles. The first match is as follows."
On the screen appeared a picture of Yang's face. It had been taken from her application form. She recognized the grimace as the one she gave a jerkass official after he told her to stop smiling.
Next to that portrait was another that depicted a red head with piercing green eyes. Her smile was just as plastic. The girl pulled it off, though. Her bronze circlet under the bangs gave the image a regal air.
"Would Ms. Xiao Long and Ms. Nikos present themselves?"
Yang grinned at her teammates. "Looks like we are starting the semester off with a Yang!"
This garnered a mixed reception. Ren nodded politely. Blake did not react at all. Ruby just groaned.
"Really? Nothing?"
"It was very humorous." Ren said, as if indulging a small child.
"You'll want to save your breath for Pyrrha." Blake chimed in.
"I'm reconsidering Nora's offer to be my big sister." Ruby stated in all seriousness.
"Yikes. Tough crowd." Yang scampered off before they could bring her down any further.
With a hop on to the stage, she jogged to the center. Goodwitch and Pyrrha were already there waiting. She was directed to stand opposite the other girl.
"Ladies, I have selected you to serve as a model for the rest of the class. Ms. Nikos is a four-time, undefeated, Mistral regional champion and Sanctum valedictorian. Ms. Xiao Long, meanwhile, has some of the most glowing recommendation letters I have ever seen."
"Not to toot my own horn, but I also got an undefeated streak going." Yang added.
At Signal, she had not lost a spar since her second year. Her school had actually asked her to enter the Vale and Vacuo regional tournament. Unfortunately, she did not feel comfortable leaving her family alone for long stretches of time to travel.
The competitive part of her had always wanted to participate. This was a fresh chance to show she could hang with the best. Yang was not one to let these types of opportunities slip away.
"Very impressive." Pyrrha said with that same fake smile.
This immediately rubbed Yang the wrong way. The disrespect was fine, though. It would fuel her in her pursuit of victory.
"This is a standard match. You will fight until surrender, ring out, low Aura, or if I decide the bout is over. Failure to abide will result in a disqualification and the initiation of disciplinary procedures. Are we clear?"
Both girls nodded. They understood. All that was needed was for Goodwitch to ring the bell.
"Activating the arena now."
A translucent wall surrounded the ring. This Dust barrier would block anything dangerous, like a stray bullet, from injuring an observer. It was a good safety feature. Yang planned on expending plenty of ammo.
She activated Ember Celica. Her opponent drew out a simple short sword and a round shield. Above them, their Aura was visually displayed beneath their pictures.
At the moment, both of their Aura bars were full. Green. Below 50 percent was yellow. Below 25 percent was red. Her goal was to drop Pyrrha to red or get her to tap out. Either result would prove Yang was the better fighter.
"Begin!"
Wasting no time, Yang charged. She had a theory. Pyrrha seemed willing to let her test it out by standing in place and presenting her shield.
Yang was vaguely aware of Pyrrha Nikos. Her fame had even reached a backwater island settlement like Patch. So had tales of her weapon configuration.
The Champion used a sword that turned into a long rifle. Ruby had gushed about them enough. Yang would bet anything that Pyrrha was a highly technical fighter that relied on long range attacks, defensive stalling, and counter attacks to eke out victories.
But would she know what to do when faced with overwhelming force?
Upon her enemy, Yang unloaded. She delivered a flurry of punches backed by shotgun blasts. Sure enough, each punch only got a glancing blow on the shield.
Pyrrha was willing to let Yang tire herself out. It would not work.
One particularly nasty punch landed dead on. Pyrrha, who had been going through the motions up to that point, suddenly tensed up. The blow rattled her enough to make her jump back and bleed away the force.
She shook her shield-bearing arm. There was only so much someone could stand getting wailed on, even behind a shield. Yang, confident she had cracked the code, felt a bit cocky.
"Four-time champ, huh? Starting to think you were fed a bunch of tomato cans."
This statement got a reaction from Pyrrha Nikos. The placid expression morphed to be more challenging. It was a much better look on her.
Bouncing off the balls of her feet, Yang reengaged with more jabs and crosses. These were again met with the shield. She was slightly disappointed but took the offered metal and delivered more punishment.
Something was different this time. She felt sluggish. Heavier. Her strikes were back to being mere glancing blows.
No. It was worse than that. She was completely whiffing on each punch. Because of this, her opponent was not even feeling the blow back.
Suddenly, Yang was on the back foot. Pyrrha was pushing back. The brawler had to keep giving ground. Further and further, she retreated. Eventually, she knew she would run out of space.
Changing tactics, Yang became more mobile to flank her opponent. Pyrrha did not allow that unopposed. Her xiphos came into play. The blonde struggled to dodge each slice. She used her gauntlets to block when necessary but that was not their primary purpose.
All the while, Yang grew frustrated. That feeling nearly exploded when Pyrrha scored the first body blow. The edge of her blade carved away a huge chunk of Aura.
This got a cheer from the students. They were enjoying Yang's humiliation. That was fine by her. It was all fuel for Burn.
Her Semblance wanted out. Wanted to crush their enemy. But Yang held off for the perfect opportunity to deploy her trump card.
That opportunity would not happen by chance. Yang could admit that Pyrrha was good. Very good. There was no guarantee that she would ever make a mistake.
Yang would have to force one.
The next time Yang missed a punch, she tried something different. Squeezing her fist set off another blast. The buckshot went into the shielding, of course. But that had not been the purpose of the move.
The recoil allowed her to suddenly reverse direction. The point of her elbow collided with an unguarded Pyrrha's face. There was not much power in it. The maneuver did accomplish one thing.
It made the Champion flinch.
Yang moved swiftly. Her body was back in sync. Her confidence was restored. All of her weight swiveled with her hip as she delivered an explosive punch right into Pyrrha's solar plexus. The Pride of Mistral cried out as she tumbled towards the ring boundary.
Victory was at hand for Yang. All that was needed was a push. A little nudge to force her opponent out of bounds. All thought of proving herself the better fighter was banished. She wanted to win.
Needed to win.
Roaring, she propelled herself with her fully activated Semblance. She could feel the heat radiating from her body. In a flash, she was upon Pyrrha.
Just as quickly, though, everything shifted. Somehow, Yang's trajectory was off. She overshot her target. Not by much, but enough for Pyrrha to take advantage. The other girl dropped down to let the blazing meteor pass over herself.
As this happened, Pyrrha delivered six quick slashes to the exposed underbelly. Yang grunted as her Aura flared protectively. She tried to recover by landing on her hands and redirecting the momentum.
For her troubles, a pair of heeled feet collided with her chest. A howl of pain left her body as she careened over the edge. She hit the outside with a thud.
"The winner by ring out is Pyrrha Nikos."
Even after hearing Goodwitch's announcement, Yang stared at the ceiling lights. She could not believe it. Gingerly sitting up, she was forced to reckon with reality. The results of the match were displayed for everyone to see.
To add insult to injury, Pyrrha's Aura bar was still three-fourths full and green as could be. She had barely broken a sweat. Meanwhile, Yang's bar was deep red. Even if she had landed in bounds, the match was over.
Returning to the stage, she only half-listened as the professor gave her assessment. It was a list of items she had heard before. Things her father and uncle had warned her about.
Watch her temper. Do not get overconfident. Stay aware of her surroundings.
She usually brushed off the feedback. It had never mattered before. That was because she had always won.
Next, Goodwitch moved on to her opponent. "Ms. Nikos. Your form and technique were impeccable. However, despite your proficiency, you seemed taken off guard when the fight became close quarters. It was not until the very end that you adapted."
Pyrrha took the criticism on the chin. "Yes, ma'am. I'm unaccustomed to fighting pure melee fighters, especially those who are more skilled at the art than me."
"Then I suggest working on your hand-to-hand combat."
After a few more words, Goodwitch dismissed them. With slumped shoulders, Yang returned to her team. Her performance had been middling. She was afraid they would be disappointed.
She need not have been.
Ruby impacted her with a missile-like, flying hug. "You were amazing!"
Neither Blake nor Ren joined in, but she did get a small smile from both. With how stoic they were, it was the equivalent of them setting off celebratory sparklers. The boy echoed her sister's sentiment.
"That was an impressive outing against Pyrrha Nikos."
"Yeah, you almost dropped her to half health!"
It was Nora who said this. The rest of Team JWNN walked behind her. Yang gave a side-eye for that remark.
"Faint praise there, short stack."
"No, really! Nobody has ever gotten her down that far!"
Weiss decided to chip in. "Valkyrie has a point. There's a reason they call Pyrrha the 'Invincible Girl.' In her four-year reign as champion, I could count on one hand the number of people who managed a single decent hit on her. You accomplished two."
"Oh…" Yang glanced at the red head.
She was a bit bashful, partially hiding behind her team leader. This was a complete one-eighty from the Ring General she had just fought moments ago. Noticing the attention, she forced herself to step out.
"I would be honored for a rematch."
This caused Yang to crack a smile. "Oh, it's on. You may have broken my winning streak today, but I swear I'll return the favor. Sooner than you think, too."
For a brief moment, the serious expression returned to Pyrrha's pretty face. It seemed a challenge brought out her inner fire. She was not the only one.
"Wooo! I'm pumped!" Nora waved her fists in the air. "Can't wait to get in there and show what I can do. What about you, Jauney? Ready to go?"
The Shining Knight looked hesitant. "Uh, maybe? I'm a bit nervous."
"Better get over that quickly, then. Look!"
They turned to the display board. On it was the blond boy next to the headshot of a burly looking classmate. Professor Goodwitch confirmed the next match-up.
"Would Mr. Arc and Mr. Winchester please step on to the stage?"
