Kapitel 146: 48
Chapter 48 – The Devil's Jauneval
Pyrrha was on her. Not literally, as much as Jaune would have no doubt liked that, but the semantics mattered little when Blake was being pushed back with such ease. A strike from her blade nearly took her head off, but even as Blake ducked an armoured shin caught her in the stomach, knocking her back.
"Man, looks like you're having real trouble."
The faunus managed to catch the next strike on the edge of Gambol Shroud. She tried to wrap the ribbon around the champion's arm but the redheaded girl was able to overpower her with ease, grabbing her by the collar and throwing her backwards. Blake skimmed across the training area like a stone atop a pond, frantically looking for her teammates the entire time.
"Yeah, the others are still busy dealing with Nora and Ren. Damn shame…"
Jaune was being as helpful as usual. Damn it. It wasn't that their teamwork was bad or anything, but Team Lavender had clearly gone into this spar with a plan. Along with something to prove. Nora had launched grenades from the start to drive them apart, and as smoke filled the arena and cut them off from one another, Blake had quickly found herself with a face full of championship prodigy.
"Behind you by the way."
She's always behind me! Blake rolled forwards, wincing as she heard the ground give way behind her. Agile reflexes, along with the early warning, gave her time to dodge – if barely.
It wouldn't be enough of course. Not when the moment she managed to get back onto her knees Pyrrha was firing her rifle. Bullets pinged off the ground on either side of her, cutting off Blake's escape as she tried to go right, before bouncing painfully off her chest.
"A little help would be nice!" Blake called out, though who she was expecting to help she wasn't sure.
"Yeah…" Jaune mumbled, clearly watching the other fight instead of this one. "Ooh Yang's not doing bad against Nora."
They're three vs two! They should be doing better than `not bad` for crying out loud! The blade of Gambol Shroud lanced out, barely brushing past red locks as Pyrrha weaved her way into Blake's guard. The flat of the girl's shield caught Blake in the face, staggering her for a second before the flat of a sword slapped painfully across her face.
The fact that Pyrrha was technically being kind by using the flat didn't do much for Blake's bruised body, nor her ego. A bitch slap with pure steel still stung.
"Hm? You okay?" Jaune looked back over his shoulder towards the downed girl. Blake desperately wished he was corporeal, if only so she could strangle him.
"Yield." A blade tickled her chin.
"Oh, you lost. That was quick."
"I yield," if the girl could hear the grating of Blake's teeth then she politely ignored it. Easy for Jaune to act so blasé. Pyrrha was an absolute monster, there was no other way to describe it. Not to mention Blake hated being the first out. The first to lose. She slumped over by the edge of the area, sighing as she watched Pyrrha re-enter the smoke.
They had a plan to split us up from the start. No doubt this is how they plan to get around their numbers in the first stage. Team RWBY would need to come up with a plan as well… this spar had made it clear that coasting along or winging it just wasn't going to be good enough.
Two paws slapped against her back as something wet and nasty licked the side of her cheek. Blake hissed at the animal, who yelped and his behind a pair of nearby legs.
"She's really something, eh?"
And then there was that. The boy who had spoken had silvery hair and a cocky expression, which seemed to be mirrored on the green-haired girl. Blake had never been a people person. But these two… there was something about them that just raised her hackles. The way they spoke, the way they acted… it was like they considered everything to be one colossal joke.
"Pyrrha's always been strong," Blake said. Maybe she was overreacting. Her team had mention how these people had helped protect them when Blake had been unconscious. That had to count for something.
"You're pulling your `no trust` face." Jaune warned. Blake quickly forced her expression into something more natural.
"I heard you helped protect my team while I was out." Blake said. "Thank you for that."
"No problem," the green haired girl shrugged. "Grimm are the enemy for us all, right? Besides, Nikos' team was already there, along with a few others. We brought up the rear more than anything." The girl's expression turned vicious for a moment, "Did manage to make sure Torchwick got arrested. That was fun."
Blake hummed in agreement. When she'd first woken up she had half expected to hear that the crook had gotten away. It seemed like a fairly stereotypical thing to happen to her, all things considered. Maybe lady luck had smiled on her for once.
"What was up with you anyway?" the man asked. "Heard you were sick or something."
"It was nothing."
"Something about being apart from that bear, right?"
Blake's eye twitched. So much for keeping her condition quiet. She wondered just which one of her team had blabbed first. Way to tell rival teams my weakness guys. Except that it really wasn't… it was just the excuse for her weakness. If they thought to aim for the bear in the fights, then they'd be sorely disappointed.
"Do leave the girl alone," the final member of their team sauntered towards Blake, a small smile on her face. "I'm sure she doesn't wish to recall such a difficult time."
Cinder Fall… Yang had introduced them, though the woman had stayed silent at the time. If the way the other two treat things like a game put Blake on edge, then the sheer maturity of this woman did. She didn't act like someone who was between seventeen and twenty-one. She acted like someone much older.
It was enough to put Blake on edge.
"And here comes the angry suspicion face. You know you're actually more expressive than you realise."
And you're more annoying than you realise. She wanted to reply, but instead once more tried to school her expression into something less incriminating. Looking back to the fight helped, if only because she got to see Pyrrha separate Yang from the herd and start tearing her to pieces too.
And this is why next you help your partner instead of your sister!
The fight didn't last much longer from there. Ruby and Weiss managed to clear the smoke and fight well enough against Nora and Ren. They even managed to wear Ren out to the point where he was clearly a hit away from being knocked out of the fight. The problem, as always, was Pyrrha – who had taken her fight with Yang in the same direction Miss Goodwitch's class always went. Which was to say Pyrrha had dealt with Yang after a few minutes and struck Ruby and Weiss from behind like a meteorite.
The fact that by that point they had managed to take Ren out was nothing more than a consolation prize. Team RWBY was going to need some serious strategy talks. Which would eat into her reading time something fierce.
"You got knocked out pretty fast," Yang said as everyone sat back down after the fight.
"That's what I said." Jaune helpfully added.
"You can shut up," Blake sighed, meaning it to the both of them. "I didn't see you doing much better."
"And now you know how I feel when I complain about having to fight her every class. What was it you said last time? Oh yes; don't whine so much, Yang."
Blake coughed and looked away. Zwei came to the rescue, for perhaps the first time ever. The little corgi leapt into his master's lap and accepted the after-battle belly rub that Yang offered. What they saw in the little creature she had no idea. The way he kicked his leg and drooled all over Yang's lap was disgusting.
"Anyway, what's up with you kit-kat? I thought you'd be happy now that Torchwick is behind bars and the White Fang stopped."
"I am happy," Blake said.
"You don't look it. The way you were glaring at Emerald's team, you looked like you were about to accuse them of being Torchwick in disguise."
Jaune floated behind Yang, grinning at Blake over the girl's shoulder. Darn it, was she really that easy to read? Or was it just some ability unique to irritating blondes that needed their heads checked.
But the question wasn't a bad one. Why was she still acting so driven? Objective complete, Torchwick and the Fang stopped… she should have been thrilled.
"I think you haven't had time to relax," Jaune phased through Yang and whispered into Blake's feline ear. "You've gone from fighting for your life to nearly dying, straight into sparring. Maybe you just haven't had time to calm down yet." He pushed away from her and grinned. "I hear masturbation is good for stress."
"I guess I just haven't had the time to process it all," Blake answered Yang's expectant look. "Give it a day or two for my mind to catch up with what's happened. I'll be right as rain then."
The less said about her undead partner's suggestion, the better. It was a good job she didn't actually have a boyfriend, because getting some time alone would be an awkward affair.
"Well we need to do something about that then," Yang grinned and slapped a hand on her knee. That had Zwei leaping up and barking, as though he thought someone had hurt Yang. "We should go on a date."
"A date?" Blake asked, "Is there something you've been waiting to tell me?"
"Oh I hope so!"
Yang grinned, "Keep your fantasies for your dirty books girl. I'm talking about a team date, go out into Vale as a squad, do something fun. It could be celebration for our great victory over Torchwick."
"I don't know, Ya-"
"Ooh, ooh!" Ruby had apparently overheard and crawled over to them. "I heard there's a carnival in town before the big festival, it's meant to have so many rides!"
"I don't-"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Weiss interrupted Blake yet again. "Such an event will be a great chance to see the preparation that goes into the Vytal Festival. Maybe we could even invite Neptune."
"And Sun, you mean?" Yang hinted. Weiss' cheeks darkened a little at having forgotten him.
"Guys, please no…" Sun still hadn't gotten the hint when it came to Blake, and she really didn't want to have to keep putting him down like that.
"It could be fun," Jaune said. He shrugged an apology as she glared at him. "Come on Blake… they're right, you do need to relax. Plus, I can actually enjoy some of the things too. I can't feel physical things but I can still find enjoyment in seeing new sights."
Ugh, the guilt… bad enough to remember how deprived he was in sensation. And now she was going to deny him even further – and her team?
She was doomed from the start.
"Fine," she sighed. The three girls and one ghost cheered, while Blake rolled her eyes. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad… and as long as her team were happy. Maybe I do need to relax a little.
"The fair?" Nora's head appeared between them, sending Ruby rolling back with a startled scream. Zwei growled protectively but failed all guard dog duties when Nora scratched his head and he rolled over. "We were going to check out the fair too! I hear they have the best snacks!"
"You should come along," Yang grinned.
Well… if it was just their team and LVN, that wouldn't be so bad.
"I'll message Neptune," Weiss stroked her hair before dialling into the scroll. Okay… a little awkward with those two as well…
"Ooh, we should invite Penny too!" Ruby gasped. "I bet she'd love to see something like this."
"Ruby," Blake sighed, "I don't think that's a goo-"
"The Carnival, eh?" Mercury Black grinned. "Mind if Em and I tag along?"
"We-"
"The more the merrier," Yang said – even as Ruby started excitedly talking into her scroll, no doubt to Penny. Blake sighed and let her face fall down into cupped hands. What was next, where they going to invite Miss Goodwitch as well - maybe spring Roman Torchwick out of jail and ask if he wanted to ride on the Ferris Wheel?
"This is your fault. Somehow." Blake whispered. Jaune grinned and rubbed his ghostly hair.
"Heh, whoops?"
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein