57

Chapter 57 –

"Blake get your head in the game!" Yang's words snapped Blake out of her funk, just in time to duck below the strange board her opponent was using to fly about the arena. Even though she ducked the metal itself the propulsion system caught her, dust forcing her back into an ice pillar. It was so cold she could feel her skin burn.

"Blake focus!" Jaune yelled from within her arm. She stared at the limb, not saying a word as her mind whirred. "Live for you. Not for me." How was she supposed to do that when he was right there, how was she supposed to just ignore tha- "Duck!"

"Ooh and what a close shave that was."

"Right you are, Peter. It looks like Team ABRN are pulling out all the stops to take this match."

"Blake what's wrong?" Ruby sped up to kneel beside her, helping the faunus to her feet. For a moment it looked like the girl in the hoodie might strike again but a shotgun blast from Yang clipped the bottom of her board, sending the girl cartwheeling to the side as she tried to regain control. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. I've got this."

"You need to live your life like I don't exist."

"Blake!" Ruby leapt across her form, dragging Blake by the shoulder and forcing the both of them into a clumsy roll. Not a moment too soon since there was an explosion behind them, one which scorched the back of Blake's hair and also sent them tumbling even further. If Ruby hadn't grabbed her… "What's wrong – why are you so distracted!?"

"I'm not distracted," Blake shook her head.

"You are!"

"Blake…"

"Shut up!" Blake snapped, only to pause as Ruby recoiled in shock. "Not you, I… crap!" It was her turn this time, her turn to pull Ruby down so that a shot from one of the men whistled over their forms. Gambol Shroud leapt to her hand, the trigger squeezing down as she fired off three shots to force him back behind cover. Ruby pushed off a second later, twisting in the air as she brought her weapon into its rifle form. Blake scuttled for cover before the more mobile member of their team could catch her.

The first match of the tournament, the full team stage before even the doubles that Blake had fought so hard for…

And they were losing.

It was mostly because of her; she could freely admit that. Because Team RWBY was falling apart, not working as the cohesive unit it was supposed to be. Was that because she hadn't spent enough time with them, too focused on herself and Jaune? She refused to believe that.

"She's coming around the ice pillar to your left!"

"Shut up!" Blake ducked to the right, turning in time to see Reese appearing from where he'd warned. The girl pushed her back leg down, lifting the floating board up so that the engine would burn against Blake's arms. Taking a leaf from Yang's book she fired wildly into the bottom of it, making the girl cry and wobble a little and giving her a chance to slip past. There was little opportunity for a counter-attack, however. Her opponent was travelling so fast that by the time she had done her attack, she was long gone.

"Blake why are y-"

"I said shut up. I don't need you!"

"I don't unde-"

"You said to treat you like you don't exist, right?" Blake snarled, slamming her left hand to the side just to prove it was under her control and not his. She could feel him in her mind, a small dagger of hurt that only served to feed her anger. What right did he have to feel distress? After what he had said.

"I did."

"Then if you don't exist, be silent." She felt his shock. That made her angrier too… it felt like anything he might do at that moment would only have fed her rage. "If that's what you want then don't even talk to me. If you don't want to exist, then just fade away!"

He didn't respond, though she did feel him retreating a little inside her mind. That made her angry too, despite it being what she wanted… or was it? Had she wanted him to get angry too? To argue and prove that he was important?

She wasn't sure.

"Damn coward." Whether she meant herself or him she wasn't sure, but it didn't matter anyway. Reese was coming around for another strafing run and just as fast as she had every time before. There went any hopes of the damn thing running out of fuel, since apparently the entire arena was made out of dust. Weiss really should have an advantage here or can she only control her own ice? Hardly mattered right now as Blake unwound the ribbon on Gambol Shroud and started to spin it. She would have to deal with this one on her own.

The girl lunged forward once more, aiming to hit Blake with the bottom of her board – and yet this time instead of dodging Blake held her arms up and allowed the girl to hit. "Ha ha!" The green-haired student laughed. "Let's see- whoah!"

"Who's laughing now?" Blake grinned as she kept hold of Gambol Shroud from her position face down on the icy floor. The board flew up into the sky, the girl having lost control when the ribbon Blake had loosely wound around her ankle snapped taut. The girl growled and unwound it, staggering to her feet while rubbing her rear. But not before Blake was already upon her.

Reese ducked the first blow, not that Blake had expected any different. Such a tone trick pony would never have survived in a school for Hunters, and this girl proved that, ducking and weaving gracefully, even without her weapon. A foot came up to nearly hit the side of her head, Blake taking it on one arm before hammering the handle of her weapon into the shin. Her opponent grunted in pain but didn't relent, leaping up and drop-kicking Blake in the chest. She blocked it with crossed arms, staggering back a little as the hooded girl pushed off her. Shots rang out as Blake realised the girl was rushing back to her board.

She might have hit her too, were it not for a male figure slamming into her from behind. Cursing, she pushed him off, back-flipping out of the way before levelling her weapon at him. He groaned but didn't move. "Sorry!" Yang called.

"Damn it Yang. I was about to take her out," Blake shouted back, getting nothing more than another guilty apology in return. The green-haired girl was already kicking off the ground once more, slipping behind a miniature volcano of sorts and out of sight.

"You almost had her." Jaune whispered. Quietly, subtly… like a small child afraid to make too much noise. Blake wanted to ask him whether he existed once more, but that would have only angered her even more. She huffed instead, not giving him any kind of answer.

The battle was beginning to go their way, though not enough to call it a victory quite yet. With the one that Yang had defeated out of the fight that left them four to three, but Blake's opponent was proving hard to pin down. It was only luck so far that had the skater focusing on her and not teaming up to attack Weiss or Ruby from behind.

Best keep it that way, Blake thought as she burst into a quick sprint, looping around the fiery crenulations to where she knew the girl would reappear from. I have to prove I can actually do this. To me, the team and to him. I can do this on my own!

"Go help Weiss," Blake called out to Yang, getting a nod in return as the blonde rushed off to help against the stronger member of Team ABRN. Ruby engaged the last guy, a fast-paced battle Blake trusted she would come out on top of. Even if she didn't, she just had to hold the line. Ruby's speed would allow that. "That just leaves you…" Blake whispered as the green-haired girl looped around once more, pausing to hover and look over the battlefield.

I'll never be able to catch up with her speed. She'll always have the advantage of height too, and after the last time she isn't likely to ignore my ribbon again. That meant the only true option was to try and set up a trap instead, something to rob the girl of her speed. Moving around like that all the time couldn't be easy, especially since she had to keep an eye on not only where she was going but what her opponents were up to.

Blake felt Jaune's curiosity through their link, but quickly pushed it down. If he wanted to know then all he had to do was ask. But he wouldn't… the coward.

"She's coming your way!" Ruby's voice called out over the clash of battle. Blake grinned as she unwound the ribbon of Gambol Shroud once more, creating a clone that would act as bait.

Perfect…

/-/

"That was amazing!" Ruby cheered happily, bouncing on the spot once they'd gotten off the arena after their victory had been called. Even Weiss, normally so proud and stoic, seemed to vibrate with pent-up energy. Yang and Blake shared a look over their heads, like two parents lamenting their excitable children. "Team RWBY is going to win this!"

"It's a little early to be calling that sis," Yang rubbed Ruby's head. "We've only won the first round. There's still plenty more to go."

"Like beating Team Lavender," Weiss sighed. Blake could only sigh in agreement. Yeah, like beating Pyrrha's team. Contrary to how others worked, that team only got stronger the further into the tournament they went, since their three-size team would only be disadvantaged in the first round.

"Well we can talk strategy while we get some food right?" Ruby asked hopefully. "Will… do you want to come too, Blake?"

It was asked with such hope, but also such doubt, that Blake couldn't help but pause for a moment and look at the girl. Her leader, the girl she considered a close friend, looked like she fully expected her to refuse. Was this what Yang had meant? Was this what Jaune had meant?

"Of course I will."

"You will? Yes! Let's go – I saw this amazing stand. I swear the guy running it looks familiar…" Ruby rushed off, Weiss in tow while Yang and Blake were left to follow from behind. The blonde gave her a quick smile, one full of thanks for agreeing – even if Blake hadn't thought it any big thing. Maybe they were right… maybe she had spent too much time apart from the team.

But that didn't necessitate his decision.

Jaune floated behind, outside of her now in his ghostly form. He still didn't speak, nor did he meet her eyes. But as he watched her take a seat at the bar and Ruby chat into her ear, Blake saw him smile. A lonely smile perhaps, but a contented one… as though he was okay with it all so long as she was happy.

She hated it.