Chapter 13: Interlude: Friends?

Interlude: Friends?

Working At It

Yang

Knees bent, arms back, weapons ready; anticipation coiled under my grin. Sweat and dirt covered my body from multiple fights in a row with little rest.

Rubes and Blakey leaned against the wall under the scoreboard that showed my and Weiss's names and Aura percentages. We were both running low, but I had my little sis cheering me on, and I had no trouble making her proud.

I winked at them and launched forward, Ember Celica blasting fire behind me.

A barrier of ice erupted to greet me, but I had been storing the energy from every hit so far.

My Semblance blazed, looking and feeling like fire.

It was always such a rush.

My vision lined with the red tinge, and I smashed into the small glacier like a fiery meteor, ice fragments sailing through the air.

Weiss tried to dodge, but the barrage of frozen rubble battered her, breaking the glyph she had been preparing.

She plopped onto the floor, and the scoreboard announced her Aura had gone into the red.

I stood up, letting the flames of my Aura reflect off the shattered ice.

Damn, I look cool.

"Knock knock!"

"You're supposed to say that before you hit it," Weiss groaned from her spot on the ground.

"But that would've ruined the surprise."

I offered her a hand, which she took after a classic Weiss eye-roll.

"I would have had you if those chunks of ice hadn't interfered."

"One; that was your ice. Two; I'm the one helping you up, you know."

"I'm just thankful you didn't make any ice puns at the end there."

"Ice puns? Must have slipped my mind."

"Booooooo!" Ruby droned as we sauntered over to them.

"Oh, come on Rubes, don't give me the cold shoulder." I am on fire today! Ha! My Semblance is spot-on.

Weiss shook her head and Ruby groaned.

Blake had what I counted as a smile for her, I think. She was hard to read.

Her leg tapped with nervous energy. She was always in a hurry to leave and do... whatever it was she did; I didn't know. I was her partner, and I'd barely seen her at all!

Whatever it was, Blake really needed to chill out (Ha! Another one) and have some fun.

I wanted to talk with her about it, but the amount of time she took with whatever it was… it seemed almost obsessive. Not quite at the level I'd had when I'd looked for Mom, but it was getting there—late nights, missing classes, a constant vanishing act.

For now, I'd just try to encourage her to take things easy. We'd only just started school, why not enjoy it a little?

If things got bad, then I'd talk with her. My own experiences were a little too personal to share with someone I barely knew.

Then, I caught the usual blank slate that was Taylor, the fifth wheel for our team. The girl never reacted to things. She was more like a lizard on the wall than a person. Dirty jokes? No bluster, blush, or even a blink. Puns? Ignored. I'd tried to surprise her once; hid around a corner and jumped out. She walked past like I wasn't even there.

Taylor was… a person, probably. The vote wasn't in on if she was secretly a robot or not. All-mission, nothing else.

She was either training, or working on stuff with the other team leaders, or reading… That was it. A dull statue made of schoolwork and books.

I stroked my fingers through my hair, just in case I'd ruffled it too much in all the fun.

Everyone was just as tired and dirty as I was after all our bouts, though less so than Weiss and me since they'd had our match to rest.

"Woo! That concludes the Team RWBY round-robin training extravaganza!" Ruby shouted triumphantly. "What did you guys think?"

"It was good to see how we match up to one another," Weiss stated approvingly. It seemed she realized what kind of leader Ruby could be. Or, she at least approved of how we were performing in combat, and I couldn't blame her.

"I think we're ready to kick some butt," I said confidently while slamming my gauntlets together.

We were.

I had watched some of my other friends and their older siblings fight while we'd been hanging out, and I was sure we could beat up most of the second and third-year teams.

That was what happened when your Huntsmen parents started teaching you at a young age, and whatever the others did to get as good as they were.

"Yeah! Team RWBY is number one! I can't wait till we get some team moves down so we'll be like swish swish, pew pew, 'Ah! I'm a Grimm, and now I'm dead, ahhhh'!" Ruby's excitement continued as she began to act out her sound effects.

Oh, Ruby. You're adorable.

"I thought it went well." Blake's eyes darted to the arena's exit.

"We could always be better, but I am willing to admit that we are rather formidable," Weiss stated, a small blush on her cheeks. Man, the girl had some trouble giving compliments.

"So, how'd we do?" Ruby asked smugly, nose pointed to the sky and arms crossed in front of Taylor.

"It was fine." Ruby sank. She'd invited Taylor to our practice in hopes of getting to know the girl better, but the stick-in-the-mud had ignored all of my sis's attempts at friendship. I thought Taylor was a lost cause, but Ruby kept trying, which pissed me off every time Taylor didn't at least try to reciprocate—which was every time. "I haven't seen most of the other teams yet, so I don't really know what level you're at comparatively. And I haven't noticed much that needed improving just from a couple matches."

"Well, my friend Pyrrha Nikos is the four-time regional champion of the Mistral tournaments. She's probably one of the strongest in the school," Weiss bragged.

"I see, thank you," Taylor said flatly.

"You're welcome. That said, you failed to mention what things 'needed improving'," Weiss stated.

"Well, to start; Yang was too aggressive and maybe a little too hot-headed sometimes."

I furrowed my brow. What was the deal? I was the only one who'd won all her matches, what I was doing obviously worked—wait.

"Hotheaded," I giggled. Maybe there was a funny bone somewhere in her body.

"That was an accident." Or maybe not. "Most of your attacks were heavy hits instead of feints or jabs, so they were somewhat predictable. Also, you went for a straight path for your opponent almost every time and used your Semblance in every match." Her Scroll was up; she'd actually had made a list.

"Why shouldn't I be using my Semblance?" I asked with a bit of a growl.

"You can, but you always use it, for most of the latter halves of each match. Your Semblance drains your Aura, lets your opponents have time to figure out what it actually is, and you let little hits accumulate to charge it when you didn't need to get hit at all."

Okay, but I won, so why does it matter?

"On the other hand"—is she slipping puns in to mess with me?—"Blake wasn't aggressive enough. There were times when she could have pressed in for a finishing blow but moved out of the way or backed off. Are you used to fighting with a partner?" Blake looked shocked, some internal struggle waging before she nodded. "Well, it's a good habit most of the time, since you will be fighting with team members, but keep it in mind for when you're fighting alone."

We were strong for our grade and had four years to get better; why couldn't she just enjoy that?

"Weiss has the most versatility in her attacks of the group, but they also take some time to pull off. This wouldn't be a problem if you can cover her, but when alone, she's susceptible to getting interrupted before she could pull off a substantial attack."

Weiss huffed and walked over to Taylor, looking ready to tell her off, but paused as Taylor's Scroll caught her eye. "You were taking notes on us during the matches?" She hummed, a quick shift from frustration to acknowledgment. "These are quite extensive for only having seen three fights." I heard a hint of approval in her words. "And these are…" She pointed to a section.

"Brainstorming tactics or combinations."

Weiss nodded in thought before backing off. Her indignation had vanished.

"Ruby, your Semblance gives you the most maneuverability, but you don't use it very creatively." Ruby deflated a bit, and her frown gave me a spike of rage that I wanted to jab Taylor with. "Mostly for rushing towards and away from your opponents. Your timing could use some work as well. You should be trying to get behind or around your opponent more often. When you're fighting together with your team, you should be using it to rush in after someone else creates an opening for you. Maybe practicing with Blake to see when will help?"

I—you—Ruby is doing fine!

My sis and my partner nodded to each other. Their relationship was a distant one, but still, Rubes was probably closer to Blake than I was.

"Sounds good… Are you going to be there to help us?" Ruby asked, another try at hanging out with Taylor.

She wasn't usually this persistent. Maybe it was because she'd saved Taylor's life, or because she'd invited Taylor to room with us, or she was just a good person and wanted to get to know the girl. Either way, she kept trying.

"Possibly"—Ruby lit up—"but I'll probably be busy with the other teams for a while." And the light went out. My anger spike was sharpening. "Anyways"—just gonna change the subject like it was nothing then—"you didn't throw a single punch or kick." A statement that felt like a question.

"I'm…uh, really bad at hand-to-hand." Ruby had always been embarrassed by that; nothing changed no matter what Dad or I tried, and boy, had we tried.

"I see. Also, everyone but Weiss should try incorporating more Dust into their arsenal. See how it works with your Semblances." Small nods all around. "Right, if there's nothing else—"

"Taylor, if I may ask, how do you think you compare to everyone so far?" Weiss asked, almost assessing. I hadn't seen her like that before.

"I would lose in a straight fight to almost everyone at Beacon," Taylor stated indifferently.

Even if I wanna kick her in them, it takes balls to admit it.

"I have the least experience fighting against Aura users as well as with using it. I'm also still adjusting to fighting with just one arm. My Semblance hasn't manifested. Everyone is familiar with a complex weapon while I barely have an idea for one." Wow, girl needed to lighten up. She could probably beat Jaune, at least.

Weiss's eyes narrowed slightly, arms crossed and head tilted. "Yet you were named as a liaison for all the teams despite that."

"My position was based on having some experience in team tactics and approaching certain situations. I passed the fourth year military tactics exam, if that helps." Now that got Weiss going from mild scrutinizing to rapt attention. "As a team leader, there wouldn't be much for me to learn, and I have too much experience to… let it go to waste, I guess." Taylor shook her head. "Ozpin's words. I am well aware of my own failings in combat though. Without the tactics class, I have more time to catch up."

"Uh, er, weapon!" Ruby stood, fists bunched in front of her, an embarrassed blush blossoming on her cheeks. She fidgeted frantically under our stares. "Sorry, I mean, well, I'm sorry for interrupting, but that wasn't what I—"

"Breathe, Rubes," I said.

"Yeah, sorry." She cleared her throat. "I meant that I could help you, Taylor, with the weapon part that is!" She fumbled a few times but still got to the landing… though it was more of a crash landing.

"You can?"

"I designed Crescent Rose myself!" Ruby stated proudly.

Taylor paused. Without visible reactions, I couldn't tell if she was considering the offer or not. "If you're willing, I wouldn't say no. Weapon engineering isn't something I—"

"I got you covered. Taylor"—sparkles flashed like fireworks in Ruby's eyes as she took Taylor's hand into hers—"our baby will be beautiful and deadly. With all the guns."

Coming on a little strong there, sis. It isn't a marriage proposal—I hope—but you're too focused on the weapons and the chance to be friends with Taylor.

"I have a more simple design in mind, but… sure," Taylor drew out, not knowing what monster she had just unleashed. "Thank you."

I leaned in, examining Taylor's face closely. There might have been a less upfront way of doing this, but this was easier and faster.

Taylor raised a brow at me. "Yes?"

"Sorry, just watching to see if you'll actually smile or not," I said. Someone had to bring it up eventually. "You don't really react to anything, so I decided to watch and see if this time would be the rare exception."

"I smile," she denied.

"Err…" Ruby groaned out, obviously debating whether or not to pitch in. It was great that she didn't want to hurt people's feelings, but it made her scared to say some things that needed to be thrown out in the open.

Taylor's slight raise of an eyebrow was enough of a prompt to get Ruby to talk. "I actually haven't seen you smile yet… It's actually been kinda creepy…" She muttered the last bit with a wince.

Taylor closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had looked almost frustrated for a moment sooo… progress?

"Sorry, that's a habit of mine. I'll try to… emote more," Taylor said.

Not smiling is her default? Yeeesh.

I shrugged, keeping my smile to myself. Hopefully, that would help her lighten up a bit.

"Are we done?" Blake asked somewhat curtly.

"Yup! Great work, Team RWBY!" Ruby raised a fist into the sky for victory.

Good, I need a shower. My hair is not having it right now.

"Ruby, can you stay behind?" Taylor asked.

I stopped and turned back, just catching Blake's departure through another exit. Off to who knows where doing who knows what.

"Sure! You wanna start on your weapon now?" Ruby bounced around with anticipation.

"No. We're going to go over a bit of hand-to-hand." Ruby's mood died faster than the time she'd cracked open a piñata that Dad had filled with veggies as a joke.

"Good luck with that. I've been trying to teach Ruby that for years," I said. So many years…

"I appreciate it, Taylor, but I wasn't kidding. I'm like, super terrible." I wouldn't say super terrible, but… "And it doesn't matter, as long as I have Crescent Rose I'll be fine." Ruby cradled her weapon lovingly.

"It won't hurt to try. But first." Taylor extended her hand for Crescent Rose.

Ruby looked between Taylor and her weapon, fighting herself before surrendering it. A puppy forced to give up its favorite toy.

"I only know the basics, but Savate or Taekwondo might be better for you to learn than Yang's style," Taylor said.

"What was that?" The fire roared to life under my skin, waiting to burst out.

She thinks that I can't help my sister? With the very thing that I've been learning since I was six?

Taylor was good at tactics or whatever, but I knew hand-to-hand and I knew Ruby. If I couldn't do it then I doubted she could. It wasn't a slight on Ruby, it was just how she was. I was her sister, I would know. Teaching Ruby to fight without her scythe was as likely as me handing over the keys to Bumblebee to some stranger… or Ruby, cause one of us inherited the inability to drive from Dad, and it wasn't me.

"Nevermind." I huffed out a long breath. "Do you need any help?" I asked, maybe a little hopeful for something to do since getting to know Blake was obviously off the table.

"We should be fine." Taylor turned to Ruby. "We'll go over some basics, then try them with a staff in hand."

There was no harm in letting Taylor try.

"Alrighty, see you guys back at the dorm."

Blake was long gone. A glance back at Ruby and Taylor didn't give much confidence that it would go like Ruby hoped—at least in terms of making friends.

I grabbed my stuff, used the communal shower since Weiss was in the one in our room, and headed back afterward.

Weiss walked out just as I returned.

Well, maybe I could hang out with Weiss at least.

"Hey, Weiss. Any plans?"

"A full evening of studying." And she was off to the library or wherever she went to study. Weiss hadn't smiled, but there was a hint of something. I guessed studying was her idea of a fun night…

The silence of the dorm was there to greet me.

Weiss always liked to study alone, and I couldn't think of any way to help on that front. Taylor was trying to teach Ruby. Blake… I shook my head.

No one really needed me.

I sagged into bed and brought out my Scroll to play some games. Alone.

"Welcome to Beacon; here is your team." I waved a hand to the empty room.

Grasping at Shadows

Blake

I needed to know why, because it didn't make sense.

Nothing we had—they had done matched up with this.

Classes were only two weeks in and things were going well. I had a team of… interesting individuals.

Most importantly, I was finally taking the first steps to make up for what I'd done, and becoming someone who could help the Faunus properly. At least, that was what I'd thought.

Until I'd read an article published by the Vale News Network. Another Dust shop had been robbed.

The difference between this and the previous thefts was that the White Fang had been proven to be accomplices to the string of Dust heists throughout Vale, thanks to an incident at the Vale docks a couple weeks back.

Someone had busted the White Fang while they were attempting to smuggle Dust that Roman Torchwick had stolen. The serial numbers of the crates, the weights, the incandescence of the Dust—everything matched.

The White Fang were working with a human. A scumbag thief with a laundry list of crimes.

How did that help the Faunus?

So, I'd investigated Roman and the shops that were robbed.

I had been relieved when the first shops I'd looked into were known for either raising the prices for Faunus or simply not selling to us despite the non-discriminatory laws, but the next shops were a different story. None of them had any history of discrimination against Faunus—one of them had even been owned by one!

The White Fang had stolen from and possibly ruined a Faunus-run business!

It didn't make sense. Working with a criminal and targeting Faunus? I'd thought they were misguided, their methods extreme, but at the heart of it all, they fought for equality.

Now, I wasn't sure of anything.

I had turned a blind eye to the radical behavior for so long, but our actions had been working. Faunus were people instead of animals, for once!

At least, I thought we had been...

Had I missed that the White Fang had become just a criminal organization, just like I'd ignored the suffering we had caused for humans?

If that was the case… it meant that I hadn't been fighting for Faunus rights, I had just been a criminal. No better than Torchwick.

So consumed with my beliefs that I lost sight of what I had become.

Just like he had with his spite.

I just… I needed to make sure, go over every operation I remembered. Find a reason for what the White Fang were doing.

Sienna allowing something like this went against everything I knew about her.

Then again, working with a human went against everything I knew about the White Fang.

They weren't evil. No one was truly evil.

But they may have been far more misguided than I had ever imagined.

It just… it just didn't make sense.

The Savior and the Champion

Pyrrha

Deep breath. Big smile—not too big, don't want to come across as weird.

Okay, let's do this.

I turned the corner and casually walked into the training room.

Three students clashed, sword against spear, already practicing despite the sun having barely risen.

It was nice to see others putting in so much effort so early.

My first destination was the rows of training weapons and equipment that lined the far wall. I didn't need them, but if I approached the group directly they might react… in a way I wouldn't like if they noticed who I was.

I took my time, eyeing the practice dummies around the circle that marked the sparring ring.

The sounds of practice stopped, and I held back a flinch.

They were now staring at me, eyes filled with awe and reverence.

I guess it was too much to ask not to be immediately recognized.

"Hello!" I said with a wave, putting in as much cheer as I could to hopefully put them at ease or stop them from gawking. Good introductions were the first step to making friends.

They murmured greetings in response, not meeting my eyes and only looking when they thought I wasn't paying attention.

I took a step closer to use the sparring ring, and they all rushed to gather their things.

"Oh no, you don't have to leave on account of me!" Please don't.

"It's fine. Really. We were just finishing up anyway and well, we don't want to get in your way." The female student gave a small bow before following the other students as they fled.

I sighed loudly, my shoulders slumping with the weight of another failed conversation.

Everyone at Beacon was there for the same reason, and I had hoped that I would have been just another student.

No matter how hard I tried, things never changed.

Whenever the 'invincible' champion was near, they stopped for an autograph, picture, or they ran, like they weren't worthy of me.

That girl had actually bowed.

My team was better than most but… Nora was incessant about knowing what it was like to have met Pumpkin Pete, and no matter how many times I told her that it was just a brand and not a person, she still insisted on calling me the 'champion of cereals.'

Amusing as the title was, I would rather not have another one.

Ren was quiet and respectful, even deferential. A different kind of admiration.

Jaune had been the only one who had, by some miracle, not known who I was at all. Except, he was busy all the time. He was obviously rather… new to Huntsmen training, and it sometimes took him longer to do some of the assignments. Especially the ones that Taylor had cooked up for the team leaders.

I wanted to offer to help him but… he was the only one who saw me as me and not just as an idol. I… I didn't want to come across as overbearing and push Jaune away. If things got too tough for him, then I'd help out.

There was also Team RWBY, but I hadn't had the opportunity to spend time with any of them individually; it was always with both our teams.

Ruby was excitable about things she was passionate about, like being a Huntress or weapons. Especially weapons. She had cooed over Miló and Akoúo̱, asking about them in great detail, which I was happy to provide. Then she had asked about what video games I liked. I hadn't played any; there was never any time between training, traveling, and publicity trend of her asking about things I had either never heard of or never experienced had continued, and the conversation slowly died from there. I wanted to kick myself for not asking her to show me some of the things she talked about.

Yang seemed fun, if a little wild. She had friends amongst the first and second years. Popular and social. It made it hard to approach her; usually, her friends clammed up when they saw me.

I hadn't spoken to or seen much of Blake. She had all but disappeared.

Weiss… was well-meaning in wanting to improve, but it felt like she was trying to use my skills and status to better her own. I had hoped that someone who was also a celebrity would be able to empathize with me, but she didn't seem to want to escape her fame like I did.

Taylor was like the other students, watching but never coming up to talk. She had done some sessions with a lot of the other first years, tests or asking questions about how they fought. Not with me, though.

Why was it so hard to find someone to talk to?

I decided I might as well practice since I was in the training room. Maybe work through some of my disappointment.

I started through some basic maneuvers, each breath and slice amplified by the silence around me.

"Is that something that happens often?" I heard from the entrance to the room.

Taylor stood at the entrance in training gear, her posture still and gaze focused as always.

"More than you'd think. I thought you and Ren were doing Aura mediation during the mornings?" I asked. I was already disheartened and wasn't looking forward to another person holding me up on a pedestal this morning.

"Nora snatched him as I was brewing the tea. Her expression… well, I hope he's doing alright." I giggled at that. "You train alone every morning like this." It was a statement rather than a question. "Why don't you try and train with Jaune in the mornings?"

"He… usually he's doing some last-minute touch-ups to his assignments."

And trying to finish the extra assignments you gave him.

I flinched. That wasn't nice at all, or fair to Taylor.

"I see. Would you like to train with me for a bit?" she asked, hopefully having not noticed my grimace.

I paused and blinked at Taylor. "Of course, I would love to!" My guilt over my bitterness tripled, even though I was happy for the interaction.

"You aren't going to ask why I'm only now asking you after training with most of the other first-years already?" Her expression was still a blank mask as she put her glasses into a small case and set it by the wall. In their place, she slipped on a pair of thin goggles that some people wore so they didn't have to worry about their glasses falling off during combat. Probably reinforced as well.

"I was wondering, but I'm happy for the chance to do so now, so the reason doesn't really matter."

"It was for three reasons." She picked a shortsword from the rack of training weapons. "The first was that I wanted to get a handle on everyone's skills to see how I could… help them. I didn't need to do that for you." I see. It was because of my fame again, as always. "The second was that I didn't think I could actually keep up with you in any kind of training. Not until I do team exercises anyway. There was nothing I could think of that you hadn't already done on your own." That confirms it then.

"Lastly… was something I wanted to talk with you about." The only sign of hesitation was the small pause.

"Of course, you can ask me anything." I tried to sound as friendly as possible. I knew I had to keep trying to make friends, to have people see me for who I am, people like Jaune.

"Talk while we practice?" She gave her weapon a few practice swings.

"Of course, if it won't distract you."

"No, I think it would help, if anything."

"Light sparring?" I asked.

I was nervous before, but now tension crept into the air, leaving it thick with anticipation.

Taylor nodded, and we slowly circled one another.

Her right side was open thanks to her maimed limb, but I was adamant that I wouldn't take advantage of that. It wouldn't be fair, and I didn't want her to think I was underhanded.

Miló shifted from its sword form and sprang forward as a javelin in a sudden lunge aimed at Taylor's chest, but she had already started moving the second I began.

The thrust went over her right shoulder as she dipped and retaliated with a slash at my feet.

I leapt back but Taylor pursued, forcing me to revert Miló to its sword form for the short-range.

Taylor followed up with a rising slash aimed again at my legs. She was forcing me to dodge by attacking places that would take too long for me to properly block with my shield.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked.

I slowed my speed to not overwhelm her. Taylor had improved at a stunning pace since the initiation, but while the speed of her blows had matched and exceeded some of the other students, there was still a brief moment of hesitation between each attack.

Our weapons clashed, pushing to break each other's stance.

Then, I pulled back, using her momentum from pushing forward to slap her weapon to the side, then flung Akoúo̱ around to hammer its edge into her stomach.

Taylor used the motion of her blade to twirl it around into a reverse grip to lock Akoúo̱ in place with one of its crescent indents.

"There was something I wanted to make sure of—" I leapt off the ground and did a cartwheel in the air, changing Miló once again to its sword form. With Akoúo̱ still locked with her weapon, Taylor was forced to somersault with me to prevent it from being ripped from her grip. "—and that something is partly the reason why I haven't talked with you sooner."

As soon as we landed, I spun Miló around my neck.

Taylor ducked to avoid the spinning blade, but that had been my plan.

I marveled at how she reacted as she let go of her weapon and jumped back, but I had already raised my hand to let Miló meet it on its second spin.

As soon as it reached my hand, I let the bladed end follow my elbow as I brought the other end down on her shoulder with a resounding thwack.

Taylor let out a small grunt, and we disengaged. Not a hint of frustration or disappointment on her face.

Her lack of reactions made her difficult to read, both in conversation and battle.

"I'm impressed that you read my attack, but why let go of your weapon?"

"Couldn't dislodge it from your shield and avoid the blow, though I should have moved faster to dodge anyway. You could have hit my head instead, so losing the weapon was the safer choice. Even if I did dodge it, I wouldn't have been able to avoid your kick."

"That's very thorough. I'm surprised you saw the kick as well."

"I noticed your knee shifting, my body just wouldn't react fast enough."

I had heard from Ren and Ruby that Taylor had only had Aura for a couple of weeks before the initiation, to help with her head-wounds. They had said Taylor didn't mind them telling people as long as they didn't badger her with questions.

In so little time, she had gotten to a level that almost matched Beacon students.

It was frightening; either she was an even greater prodigy than I had been praised as, or she had been a fighter before losing her memories. She was too proficient for any other explanation.

"Honestly, I think you are doing fantastic. It's been amazing to see you improve by leaps and bounds in only a few weeks." I meant every word; she deserved it for her efforts, even more so after receiving an injury that left her with amnesia. "Again?"

Taylor grabbed her weapon, and we readied ourselves again.

She came forward cautiously this time, feinting a stab at my shoulder then whirling around for a slice at my hip.

I dipped away while Miló swatted the attack with a downwards sweep.

"I wanted to make sure that I hadn't been treating you… harshly in any way."

Our blades touched while I was struck still with confusion.

I was brought back to reality when Taylor used the push of my block to reverse the grip on her sword once again while stepping closer and kicking at my feet.

"Why would you think you've treated me badly?" Besides being somewhat stand-offish, I wouldn't have said she had been mean to me in any sense.

I used my Semblance to help pull Akoúo̱ down to block the kick in time while bringing Miló up and around for a downwards chop at her sword-arm.

Instead of trying to block, Taylor stabbed her sword lightly into the ground and let go of her weapon once again.

My swing divided the air between her and her blade.

As soon as my slash passed the handle of her sword, she grabbed it and arced the blade towards my neck.

I fired a round from Miló, so that after I dodged, I would be in a position to counterattack.

"Honestly, I thought you were a bully the first time I saw you," Taylor stated just as I leaned back to avoid her swing.

"What?!" I jolted in shock and fell backward.

Taylor's attack flew over me as the back of my head met the floor of the sparring ring. My legs flew up with the force of the motion then smashed down on the floor.

The sting was minor, especially compared to how Taylor's words rang in my ears.

I lay there, looking at the ceiling, arms wide at my sides.

"Ummm, Pyrrha, are you okay?"

"I—you-you thought I was a bully!?" I sat up. Taylor seemed even taller than she normally was, passing my height even with my heels.

She stepped back slightly, almost embarrassed? "The first time I saw you was when you pinned Jaune to a column. Then you left with Weiss, who had been… her usual self the night before. It wasn't the greatest impression to start off with," Taylor stated.

"Oh, I see." My cheeks burned. Of course someone who had seen all that without context would have gotten the wrong idea! "I'm sorry I gave you that impression at all! I haven't really dealt with…" Peers? Friends? People who weren't admiring me for my titles or avoiding me due to them? "Well, I had just thought that it was the quickest way to get Jaune out of Weiss's personal space." It had been rather much, I hoped he hadn't interpreted it the same way Taylor had. "It was rather excessive now that I think about it." Am I babbling?

"No, I understand. Jaune was being pushy in some sad attempt to get Weiss's affection." Which was something I didn't really understand, but to each their own.

I looked down shyly. "So, all this time you were wondering if I was a bully?"

"Somewhat. You reminded me of one I knew from a long time ago. I kept catching myself comparing the two of you for a short time after the initiation. I'm pretty sure it was some attempt to help me cope with everything by associating people I met with ones I remembered. To find a sense of normalcy… That isn't important. Regardless, I wanted to make sure I hadn't accidentally made you feel like I had… treated you badly because of it."

She stared at me blankly, the worry for her actions only reflected in her eyes.

I started to chuckle. My giggles built until I shook with bellowing laughter.

This had been the complete opposite of what I thought was happening.

"Pyrrha?" Taylor questioned, her tone sounding like she was wondering if I had gone mad.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just that… all my life, people have been treating me like some unapproachable idol just because I've won a few tournaments. The 'invincible girl' they call me. Like what you saw this morning, people don't think they're good enough for me, so they stay away. I thought you were avoiding me because you were like them. Hearing that it was because you thought I was a bully was… entertaining, definitely." I smiled at her, my mood like the sun breaking through rain clouds. "It's just refreshing. Really. Thank you, Taylor. And don't worry, you haven't mistreated me at all. In fact, you may have just treated me more like a regular person than almost everyone I've met in years."

"Well, then, I'm glad. To be honest, I wasn't aware of your awards or accomplishments beyond what the others have said till a couple of weeks into the school year. Also, there was something about a cereal that Ruby likes…" Taylor said. After a moment, she reacted like she forgot something before letting a small grin form.

I stood up and patted dust off my clothes.

"Wait." I took a moment to process what she had said. "Does this mean you remember something from your past?"

"I—" She stopped as soon as she started, and her head lazily turned toward the blank training room wall. She looked exasperated for a moment, and I think her eyes rolled. It was in the direction of the school's center I think, or was it because of what I said? "I do remember some things, but no names or places. I can recall some events but not why they happened and such. Nothing that could help me figure things out at all."

"Oh, well. I'm happy that you were able to remember something, at least." I truly was; no one should have to deal with forgetting everyone in their life. "I hope more memories become clear for you."

"Thank you." There was a small furrow of her brow, which quickly disappeared.

"So, want to go again?" I wanted to continue. I hadn't talked with someone this long and honestly in years.

"Thank you but no; I thought I would be able to do better, but I'm not moving well enough to be able to train with you in any way that would actually be training for you. I thought I was getting the hang of using Aura to enhance my moves, but I just can't think fast enough to—oh, god damn it!" Her voice rose but none of her body language was angry, an odd dichotomy.

"Uh, is everything okay?"

"Yes, sorry. I just realized something obvious." She sighed with exasperation. "Is that offer to go another round still on the table?"

"Of course."

For the third time, I locked onto fierce hazel eyes, this time with a genuine smile instead of the one I had learned to wear for TV and photos.

I switched Miló into its rifle form, resting the barrel on Akoúo̱ to steady my aim, and fired a series of rounds, one at each of Taylor's limbs.

Taylor had already been moving the moment I aimed.

She weaved around the shots like she knew where my barrel had been for each shot, casually lifting one leg slightly higher to step over the one bullet that was the closest to hitting her.

The hesitation between her movements was gone, and a confident certainty had taken its place. She jabbed at my leg, and I extended Miló into a javelin that blocked the approaching blade.

Taylor followed up with a right kick that I stopped by pivoting Miló, which also sent her sword upward. She anticipated the move and hopped with her other leg to deliver a wide kick.

I used my semblance to push Miló in my grip, forcing my elbow into a position to take the blow, then pushed her back with Akoúo̱ to put her in the perfect range to strike.

Instead of dodging, blocking, or being pushed back, Taylor jumped onto the shield so that she was sitting on it.

Miló danced out to slap at her sword before it could come from around the shield for a strike.

Then, just as my legs bent to spring up and shove Taylor off Akoúo̱, she leaned down around the shield, and I turned my head in time to see her stubbed arm hit me square across my jaw.

Instinct kicked in, and I tilted Akoúo̱. Taylor half slid, half was pushed off my shield.

I brought both legs into Taylor's stomach before she landed and kicked off, sending her through the air.

Flipping backward, I landed on Akoúo̱'s smooth surface, swinging my legs to spin into a kneel facing Taylor.

Miló had already switched back into its rifle mode and aimed at her before she landed with a dull thud.

"Huh, so your Semblance is sight-based. I was sure you were going to redirect that," Taylor stated as she sluggishly rose from the ground.

"I—wait, what?" My stance eased, and I dropped my aim.

"It's either some kind of telekinesis or magnetism. I'm leaning towards the latter since you've only used it on metal so far, unless that's just what you're trying to portray," she continued nonchalantly.

"How did you figure it out?" I could name the people who had figured out my Semblance after one fight on one hand.

"Your weapons sometimes moved without your arm moving first."

"You were reading my movements that precisely? No wonder you kept stopping me from setting up any combos or critical hits. And how you were keeping up at that speed?"

I had still been taking it easy except for my last attack, but noticing my motions that finely? Incredible. I could see why she was placed as a liaison for all the teams.

"I'm not nearly as fast as you or most of the other students yet, so I have to make up for it somehow. Letting you set the pace in a fight would be incredibly dumb. From what I've seen, once you've made your opponent do what you want them to, you've won."

"You certainly didn't let me predict what you were going to do. Even if it was only a light spar, I'm glad we fought. You adapted and were unconventional, specifically at the end there."

"That was the plan. You weren't attacking my right side, after all."

"You noticed I was doing that… Sorry, I didn't want to—"

"Don't worry, I get it, Pyrrha."

"Also, you focused on my head with your sword to make me complacent, and you always started by attacking my legs, so that I'd think you were focusing on my footing to set up your attack at my head."

"That's right. I knew I wouldn't be able to hit you through skill. Though, I wasn't sure if you could sense the metal end of my arm to move it or not. So, I had actually thought I wouldn't be able to hit you until the fifth or sixth round of sparring if you could."

"That's really impressive. Was the increase of fluidity in your movements also part of your plan?"

"No. Before, I was focusing my Aura on my muscles while not doing so for my brain and nerves. I was literally not thinking fast enough for my movements."

"Oh, that's interesting. I would never have thought that would be a problem."

"Probably because it's something super intuitive, and I'm approaching all this from a… different mindset."

"What? No! I didn't mean it like—"

"No, sorry. I wasn't saying that you were condescending to me; I was the one patronizing myself."

I wanted to say that she shouldn't be so hard on herself, but maybe this was just her way of improving.

"Considering how this morning started, I was not prepared for what happened." I was smiling for a bunch of reasons now. I was happy, astonished, and impressed.

"I'm glad things worked out." She returned her training sword. "That's all I had to say, so I'll see you around then."

"W-wait!" I called out, and she turned back around. "I, um, would you like to do this again sometime?" I blurted out.

Her stare punctuated how awkward I felt.

Had I said that right? Was that presumptuous of me to ask? It was rather spur-of-the-moment…

"I'm not anywhere in your league. I wouldn't be a good training partner."

"That's not true!" That was fine, it didn't matter.

She gave me a flat look. "I know where I'm at, Pyrrha." I slumped, another opportunity lost. "I would be happy for some help though. Or… just some conversation, if you'd like." The offer was hesitant, unsure, and it was one of the greatest things I had ever heard.

"Yes!" Too much. "I mean, I'm looking forward to it." More than I think you'll ever understand.

"There is one thing though, Pyrrha." I stiffened. "I... appreciate your tact, but I am missing an arm. Next time, attack from that side. I would rather practice defending from that angle of attack while sparring than in an actual battle," Taylor said, no resentment or scolding in her voice, just a simple request.

"You are very right on that, I'm sorry." I saw the hypocrisy, wanting to be treated normally while treating her differently. "I am still surprised you did that though." I hadn't been properly hit in a fight for years and was happy that it had finally happened.

"Might as well get some use out of the rest of this arm until I get a prosthetic. And I think we've both done enough apologizing to each other today."

"Of course, sor—I mean, okay… There is one thing, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to that bully you mentioned? The one you thought I was like—if you remember that is." I seized up as the words left my mouth. I had been so caught up in how open this was all making me feel that I did the exact thing I was scared I would do to Jaune. Mess things up and possibly scare someone away.

"Not sure. Didn't care enough to remember where she ended up after we worked together that last time," Taylor said, oblivious to how utterly terrified I had just been at ruining what was happening. "Did I see her at the end…?" she asked herself quietly.

"You worked with her?" I wanted to continue the conversation and, in panic, did it in the worst way I could imagine. Taylor didn't remember her past, I had to stop asking about it!

"Yes. There was something that had to be done," Taylor stated, either not realizing or ignoring my slip up.

"So, you worked with her even though she was a bully?" I decided that after that question, I would shut up and stop doing the exact opposite of what I just told myself I would do.

"I trusted she would act like she usually did, so I knew she would do her part without much incident. I worked with someone worse during that mission. I… regret having got to the point that we had to work together. It was almost like saying that I accepted or tolerated what he did by putting him in that position. Her too, I guess, but what she did was so minor in comparison to everything. Though the situation may have justified it, it shouldn't have happened like it did in the first place." Taylor paused, almost like she caught herself doing something bad. "Sorry, it was just nice to talk to someone about some of my recent thoughts. I might be oversharing. And I just apologized again."

"It's fine really. I'm… I'm really happy that you were willing to share at all." Oh thank god.

Relief ran down my back like cool water, easing the fire on my cheeks and knot in my stomach.

This is the most genuine, real conversation I've had since I was thirteen.

I glanced over at the clock. "We have time for another round, if you'd like," I said hopefully.

She answered by grabbing a practice sword.

Once again, I found myself circling the girl who had been nothing like I'd thought she was.

Instead, I was training with someone who could be a friend.

The Only Warning

Cardin

"Cardin," Goodbitch stated with almost hidden disdain. The way she said my name felt like she'd found the answer to a question.

I had turned the corner to where the rest of the class was listening to her boring speech. She hadn't even let me take a moment to enjoy a joke gone right before she was lecturing me.

"Yes, Professor," I droned.

"I was just alerted that one of the lockers was launched. Why am I not surprised to find that you are the only one around to have fired it? Specifically, since I had made it clear, more than once, to not launch any until I went over what justifies an acceptable reason for doing so." I was in too good a mood to bother with her flak.

God, Jauney-boy's face; priceless.

"I must have missed that part. Thought I would try it out for practice, you know?" Hamming up my innocence was one of my specialties.

She glared at me. I always hated that look. The one like the bitch was looking down on me or accusing me of something.

"Fine. But I expect you to retrieve the locker and place it in the area for repair and refueling by the end of the day." She crossed her arms, like she was intimidating or something. Now that was a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Can do." Once you take that stick out of your ass, that is.

She pivoted and stalked back to yammer on more about the lockers to the others. They were lockers, you put stuff in them, not much more you needed to know. Even Jauney or that red midget could have figured out how they worked.

Man, I should have recorded his takeoff! Damn, I bet I would have caught a bit of his girly scream over the locker blasting off. Oh well, lessons learned and all that.

I wished the rest of the guys had been here. Getting split up into separate touring groups than your teams? Stupid. 'Meet other people, build relations, blah blah blah.' We were gonna be seeing them in all our classes, so what was the point?

After another twenty minutes of pointless lecturing, we were finally heading to the weapon maintenance rooms. I'd been meaning to sharpen up the edges on the Executioner anyway.

Everyone began filing out of the room after Goodbitch. I hadn't bothered moving from the wall I had been nodding off against. I yawned and started to follow behind the stragglers out the door.

The second my foot reached the room's threshold, someone yanked me by my jacket and tossed me into a row of lockers.

My ears rang as my head painfully bounced off the metal frame, and I slumped into a seated position.

"What the fu—" I began before my blurry vision caught a knee aimed for my nose. This time, my head dented the locker behind me, sending a hollow chime humming throughout its frame.

"Who da uck!" I brought my arms up to block any more strikes to my face, only to be kicked in the stomach. A cry of pain tried to escape, but I only coughed out brutal wheezes.

Tears from the injuries involuntarily crept in my eyes and distorted my vision, though not enough that I couldn't make out fucking Herbert or whatever her name was standing over me.

I staggered back onto my feet, slightly hunched from the hit to my stomach, meaning that I matched heights with the ugly bitch.

"Wat da uck do you fink yer oing?" I soothed my nose with one hand and readied a fist with the other.

I didn't waste time waiting for her to respond as I whipped a quick haymaker at her, only for her to step around the outside of my blow and knee me right in the goods.

Icy pain lanced up my spine from my groin, a queasy ache of vomit threatening to spew.

Every sensation dimmed as migraine-like throbs ebbed from where my hands now cupped. I didn't even realize I had dropped to my knees until I had to raise my head to look at her.

Fucking fuck! I'm going to kill this fucking bitch!

"Cardin. This conversation was going to be a lot less painful, but you were the one that made it have to happen like this." She articulated each word, expressing a confident menace that I wouldn't have expected from a beanpole.

"So, listen up, because I'm only going to say this to you once. This time, and this time only"—she paused, almost fighting with herself—"I'm going to let Beacon take care of your punishment," she ground out almost begrudgingly. "This will be their chance too," she murmured under her breath. "I was always going to put an end to your pathetic little jabs at the other students, but today you really pissed me off." Fuck you bitch, you're all hissy because of a little prank? Fucking spazzing cunt. "So, I'm giving you this warning. Tell the rest of your team too. No more bullshit. No more harassing the other students. I don't give a fuck about your reasoning. No more."

She stood up, dismissing me—like I was fucking nothing.

Then, she stopped in the doorframe and looked back, a tired look on her face.

"I'm… sorry I went straight to hitting you." The hell? "I should have talked with you about it first, though I doubt you would have listened"—Cunt—"I should have tried anyway. You just really"—there was a bite to the word that made my breath hitch—"pissed me off with that." Then she was gone.

I used the locker for support, fighting past the clenching pain, and stood.

The fucking bitch comes and ambushes me, gets a few sucker punch hits in before I can get my Aura up, fucking threatens me just because she doesn't have a funny bone in her skinny ass, then, to top it all off, apologizes and just fucking leaves!

Fuck that and fuck her. I'm gonna fuck that bitch up. Fucking looking down on me. Fucking attacking me and getting a few lucky hits.

My Aura nursed my aches, but the nauseous afterglow of being kneed in the crotch lingered.

Tell my team that she spazzed out and hit me? Fuck that. Cut down on my fun? I wasn't gonna ruin my time here at Beacon for that bitch.

I gathered myself and sauntered out of the locker room, my mood ruined. I fumed as I made my way back to whatever dumb shit Goodbitch would be nagging about now.

Not like I was gonna let some cunt who thought she was special just because she found some stupid, different colored relic tell me what to do.

A Deal Just Right

Hei Xiong

I straightened my tie and cracked my neck, trying to let my frustration drain slightly.

"Okay, one more time. And without something catching on fire, thank you." My men scrambled to comply while some were ready with fire extinguishers this time. "And you bunch, careful with the glass, I don't want another pillar crashing down. Just got the damn things," I muttered the last part to myself.

Turi nodded to me before flipping the switch. White flashes popped to life and then faded into crimson, the glass features all around bathed in red before illuminating white as the lights changed back. Perfect.

"Looks good, good work finding that stray wire, Orson! Be ready to shut her down if there's another spark, Turi!" I said.

I checked my Scroll—twenty minutes had gone by, enough to let her stew a bit.

The informant sat idly at the bar, sipping some water. She'd asked for tea, but I wasn't going to fish out a teapot just for her. Seriously, who wanted tea at a nightclub?

"So, you're 'Stella'?" An obvious pseudonym, but it showed that she was competent enough to use one.

"That's me." Her right arm was gone from around the elbow down. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out who she is. "You're Junior?"

"That's right." I stood a little straighter. I had an image to keep after all—Miltia and Melanie snickered at me from the corner, which I ignored. "Your info panned out." She nodded. "You looking for a reward?"

"No, first time was a gift." And to show that she could get info.

"So, now you're looking to sell?" I leaned against the bar beside her, standing so I was taller than her.

"That's right."

"And how do I know you're 'trustworthy'?" AKA, 'not a narc for the VPD'.

"I doubt the authorities would waste the resources on your on-the-side business with Torchwick around. Small fish either aren't fished for or are thrown back. No offense."

I waved her concerns away. "That's what I aim for. All I am is a simple go-between for organizations that need information or men. Speaking of info, if you want to sell any, then we gotta set some terms."

"That's why I'm here." She took another sip of water.

"What are you after?"

"Fees based on the value of information and some contacts for some off-the-market equipment." Rather typical.

"If you're looking for Dust, you're out of luck. Roman and the Fang have taken most of everything. Even the smuggling routes."

"Not Dust." Good. All the robberies were making people antsy, meaning more Grimm outside the walls, which in turn made smuggling harder.

"Drugs?"

Her lip twitched down. The only reaction she'd given so far. "No. I'd like to get in contact with someone who can get me a custom prosthetic." She lifted her maimed limb a fraction at her side.

"I know a guy, but he's pretty serious, only takes big money, wants to be left alone. I don't really give his number out." I did, frequently, but this was how deals went.

"What do you want for it?"

"Exclusivity. You only sell your info to me."

"I don't know. That's a pretty hefty commitment. I'd like some kind of monthly retainer, even a small one."

"Fine"—Ha, I was going to offer one anyway—"but you gotta stay on the down-low. I don't want an informant that everyone knows about. Too easy to target." And if you don't build a rep, that means you'll be stuck with me.

"Deal," she said, a little too quickly… Had I been tricked here? No, I was the one playing the deal. I must have gotten her to think it was a good deal. "Also, I'll only come by when I have info or if I need to talk."

"That's fine, your schedule's yours, but if you don't come in after a while, then I'm cutting the retainer fee. You gotta make it worth it to keep you." I didn't want another employee anyway. Better to have her on tap when and if she struck gold.

"Make it a three month grace period."

"Done. Now, I'll pay premium for anything you have on Torchwick or the Fang's operations. They're shaking things up too much.

"That's what I'm focusing on."

"You're focusing on them?"

She paused, took another sip. "There'll always be crime, that's not something you can ever change. Most criminals understand that keeping the populace ignorant and unaffected by it keeps things hidden and keeps the Grimm away." Then, a fierceness edged her words as she spoke, "Roman and the White Fang are going too far, hurting too many people; that's why I'm focusing on them."

So, she had a bit of a hero complex going then? Good. I didn't like how Torchwick had used my guys, or what he was doing in the city.

"Besides, Roman's actions are certainly drawing attention. VPD has been talking about Atlas personnel showing up."

"What?"

"Just a rumor, but I expect payment if it pans out." A money-grubbing informationist with a smidge of gold in her heart. That was someone easy to work with.

"Fine, fine. Do you have anything for me now? Otherwise, I have some construction to look over."

"...There's a Faunus named Timber Heorulf, runs the 'Alpha Meal' restaurant." She shook her head as she said the restaurant's name. "His food supplier got a new manager that doesn't like his ears and won't let him out of their contract. He's been talking to some people about smuggling some food. Don't know if you know anyone who'd be interested in being a seller."

That was some easy work that Tanner's group might like. "Yeah, I think I know a guy. How do you hear about this stuff?"

"Just heard it while I was taking a jog about the city. It's amazing what some people say out loud." A small smile tugged at her lips but never formed.

"Well, as long as the info's good, I don't care."

We went over some logistics, exchanged contacts, and procedures for when and how to come into the club.

"I'll contact you as soon as I pick up another burner Scroll." She left, not bothering to even glance around the club, the lights reflecting on her black, wavy hair.

I turned to find Miltia and Melanie with looks of disapproval beside me.

"Miltia?"

"Yeah, Melanie?"

"I think our boss is going to get suckered by another pretty face."

"I think so too, Miltia."

They both smirked, turned their noses, and walked away.

"It was one time!" I shouted after them, but my objection was lost as the speakers flared to life for a test run, blasting right in my ears, because of course they did.

Friends? End

Author Notes:

PRAISE BE TO Juff, Breakingamber, Sigravig, Majigah, and Chris C! For being awesome.

Working At It

Changed this one up a bit, nothing too substantial though. Some of the titles for these have changed, because I didn't like them… that's about it.

I def's got Yang wrong the first time around. I'll be attempting to fix that in the edit, among other issues.

Grasping at Shadows

So, while Blake does figure out that Roman is working with the White Fang, she doesn't know that he's giving them orders/getting ready for something big. So, we basically get obsessive Blake right off the bat. Only good things can result from this.

Also, the Roman/White Fang connection already being out in the open is basically the first domino that kills canon, though it won't become apparent until… around Chapter 27ish.

The Savior and the Champion

Didn't really like the action of this one, mostly because it wasn't as cool as I wanted it to be.

Taylor reacts to Ozpin beginning to watch them fight on the security feeds, if that wasn't hinted enough.

I changed Taylor's eyes from green to hazel. Originally, I wanted her to have a physical connection to her Dad so I had her eyes be green. But now I realize that I don't think I'm going to do much with that connection so why not just have it be the canon version. So yeah.

The Only Warning

Cardin is actually kinda fun to write. Mostly because he's soooo stereotypical of a bully character that trying to write the dumb reasoning behind what he does is interesting.

Final Pyre was what I had called Cardin's mace. Joan of Arc reference etc etc. (Cause he's a reference to the Cardinal of Winchester who supposedly interrogated Joan of Arc before her trial, wink wink nudge nudge). In the manga, they named it the Executioner. Pretty heavy-handed, but I changed it to match canon. Though, I think mine was better.

Cardin is referring to Ruby when he says 'red midget.' In the manga (the anthology version, cause there's like three RWBY mangas) he bullies her too for being young and stuff. Dumb bully things. He doesn't really see her as being a real Huntress in-training cause of her age.

Huh, there was very little I changed in this one, even on a prose level.

A Deal Just Right

How did I not choose this title for the first time?

Hei Xiong is Junior's actual name.

Stella is just a pseudonym Taylor is using. No real purpose or meaning behind her choice of name. It became a happy coincidence with her emblem.

This one got a big tonal change. I didn't want Taylor to seem like a crime lord or somehow instantly became a big player in the Vale underground, but it kinda came across that way. So, I stepped things back.

Junior thinks he got her, but Taylor doesn't really care about a rep, and Junior was the only crime dude she had found, so there weren't any other options for her to turn to anyway.