章 109: 11
Chapter 11 – Night of the Living Bread
"Cute bear Belladonna," the voice caused her to sigh as she paused in the doorway to the cafeteria, her team conspicuously slowing down so they could stay close by. She nodded them towards the tables, trying to let them know she could handle the guy alone, but they didn't move.
"Winchester," she greeted cordially enough, trying to keep the boredom out of her voice – and not really succeeding. Really, did he think he was impressing anyone with his little shows?
"Didn't anyone tell you it's time to leave dolls behind?" The armoured teen reached towards her, and for a moment she had to fight the instinctive desire to bat his arm away. That would just cause a scene though, and she didn't exactly need that.
"Don't let him touch me, don't let him touch me," Jaune repeated as he hung from the chain on her bookbag, "Oh Gods he's touching me, bad touch!" Cardin rotated the bear around in one meaty fist, a cruel smirk on his face even as he kept his eyes fixed on hers, looking for some reaction.
"Are you finished?" If he was looking for tears or distress he was going to be sorely disappointed. It was just a teddy bear… "I'm hungry and you're in the way."
"Am I? From where I'm standing, you're in my way."
"Then if you'll let go of my property I'll move for you," seriously, could he get any more juvenile? They were both heading into the cafeteria, and he was the one who stopped her in the doorway… and now they were causing a blockage for everyone else, and worse – they were causing a scene. She hated when people stared at her, she wasn't meant to be the centre of attention.
"No need," the burly teen smirked as he released Jaune and pushed past her, making sure to slam his shoulder into her chest as he passed. If there were in a normal school it might have bothered her, but her aura absorbed the blow as effectively as it did the claws of any Grimm – though she was still pushed out of the way from the force. He grinned as he walked by her, his team laughing dutifully as they followed.
"That ass," Yang growled as she made to move after him, only for Blake to catch her shoulder and shake her head. Really it wasn't worth it, and no doubt it was what he wanted anyway. Start a fight in the middle of the busiest place in Beacon? She couldn't think of a quicker way to get in detention.
"I feel dirty," Jaune moaned as he vacated the bear, floating beside her, his hands patting himself down, "seriously, I feel like I need a hot shower and a lot of soap."
"He's nothing but a brute," Weiss snapped as they made their way to the tables, securing one for themselves, "ignore him and he'll go away."
"I'd rather make him go away," Yang moaned, before sighing as Blake shook her head. "You two are no fun, hey!" The blonde girl seemed to perk up as she waved her arm, "over here guys, come sit with us!"
The faunus blinked as she looked over her shoulder, trying to figure out who her partner was talking to – only to see a group of three wander over, trays in hand.
"Hey Yang!" The orange-haired girl among them cheered as she settled in next to the blonde, shoulders bumping. It honestly took Blake a moment to recognise them as they settled down, there'd been so much going on lately that she'd almost forgotten about Forever Fall and the team that had helped her there.
"How are your arms?" The lone male asked as he settled his tray down beside the loud girl, their final member sitting by Ruby.
"I've recovered," she answered succinctly, before picking up a piece of tuna. She almost had the fork to her mouth before she noticed Jaune, staring at her with a cocked eyebrow. Oh come on… "Thank you for your concern though, and your help."
"Good girl," the ghost praised, even as she rolled her eyes and bit down onto the succulent treat.
"Not a problem, we were happy to be of assistance. Did you ever find out who set the wasps on you?"
"Cardin."
"Cardin," Ruby, Weiss and Yang echoed immediately.
"No," Blake said, before sighing as everyone turned to look at her with sarcastic expressions. "We don't exactly have proof of that.
"We need proof?" Nora recoiled as though in horror, hands held before her mouth.
"I like this girl."
"We should just break his legs."
"I really like this girl."
"Nora," the boy beside her sighed, "we can't just go-"
"Oh my God what a cute bear!" The girl suddenly cried, completely ignoring her partner as she leant across the table to touch the bear. "Can I hold it?" She asked with watery eyes. Blake glanced at the spirit beside her, who was busy looking round the cafeteria before nodding.
Since he wasn't actually in the bear she didn't see anything wrong with it.
"Thanks Blake, you're a bestie now!" The girl crowed as she unhooked the small chain from the bear's paw and cradled it against her breasts, rocking back and forth.
"Making new friends eh? I'm so proud I could cry." Jaune teased, even as she huffed and went back to her food. Nora continued squealing happily as she cuddled the lifeless bear, and it actually took a second for Blake to realise what was unusual about it.
Why wasn't he taking advantage of the attention? She was literally suffocating the toy in her sizeable assets… that seemed like something he'd be into.
A quick glance confirmed he was still floating half-way through the dinner table, and she'd already gotten used to keeping her knees locked together in case he went under and tried to take a peek – but he instead looked distracted by something else.
"Anyway, I got a letter from dad that said he has to go on some kind of super Hunter mission early," Ruby commented to Weiss, while the heiress pretended to be listening, "but he wouldn't tell me anything about it – said he'd send a care package though – eeeeh, I'm so excited."
"Hmm," Weiss responded automatically, clearly only paying minimal attention and keying in where expected.
"I'm just saying that broken legs might help him learn to interact better with others," Nora said to Ren, while Yang was nodding along – even as the boy sighed. The redheaded Pyrrha Nikos chipped in with her own opinion, all of which Blake tuned out.
She had bigger fish to fry… just why had the White Fang been working alongside Roman at the docks? It didn't make sense… he was a human, and worse than that – he was complete scum, and yet they'd not only worked alongside him, but followed his orders. Even to the point of attacking another faunus.
"Heads up by the way," Jaune warned, just in time for her to lift her face into the trajectory of a puff pastry, cream dribbling down her face as she froze. "You know what? I probably should have gone with dodge."
"She did it!" Nora shouted, as Blake wiped the sticky goop away, one baleful eye revealed as she glared at the girl she knew was responsible. Before she could even hope to chew the girl out however, something solid connected with the back of her head, knocking the girl forward as an apple bounced on the table.
"Cardin." Jaune reported, despite that she knew full well the bully wasn't in that direction.
"Who threw that!?" Weiss demanded as she stood up, hands slamming down onto the table, accidentally causing a bowl of soup to fall in Ren's lap – who jumped back with a startled yelp. Blake watched it happen in slow motion, as he tried to back up, with his legs still under the table, his arms flailing as he tripped and landed on a young man sat behind them – whose food went flying as a result.
"Cardin?" Jaune tried valiantly.
"FOOD FIGHT!" Someone screamed, even as Blake let out the longest sigh of her life. Somehow this was Jaune's fault, she knew it…
"Duck!" Blake followed the command, dropping to her knees as some meat flew overhead. She was vaguely thankful Yang wasn't there to make a pun as the fowl flew off into the distance, luckily the blonde was busy beating some unfortunate soul with a cucumber.
How had this happened again? Really, where was the logic?
"Keep an eye out for anything coming behind me," she ordered as she looked about, the melee was raging madly, with much of the student body involved. "We're looking for a way out."
"After we rescue my body, right?" A great sigh tore itself from her as she considered him, imagining just how insufferable he would be if she abandoned him in the middle of the battlefield.
"Fine… where is it?" She supposed she could pick him up, since he was probably laying discarded somew-
"Nora has it still."
… Well damn… her amber gaze flickered towards the girl, a simple task considering she was stood upon a mountain of tables, declaring herself Queen over the war raging below. Her two teammates stood nearby, looking for all the world like a pair of bouncers.
And considering one was a famous championship fighter? It was perhaps unsurprising that no one challenged that claim.
"Rice grenade coming from behind," he warned, as she dived over a table for cover, the ceramic bowl of rice shattering behind her and sending shrapnel in her general direction. She flinched as the blast struck, only to feel incredibly silly as the harmless kernels bounced off her. I will not play into their madness…
"Please don't use the word grenade and rice together," she sighed as she scouted for her own weapon – her eyes lighting on a small bowl of croutons and some baguettes.
"Blake the Bakery Ninja?" The smug bastard taunted as she armed herself. She wasn't playing into the madness, she just didn't want to prompt others to use their weapons if she did first… that was her excuse and she was sticking to it. Someone landed on the table nearby, as she flipped away from a chain of linked sausages, tossing croutons like shurikens as she drove the boy back. "Ah, your crouton-ryu is strong."
The boy fell back, using the sausages to block the croutons aimed at his face, but it was enough of a distraction for someone to approach him from behind, cutting him down with a vicious overhead rhubarb strike.
"Shit! Nine o'clock, throw the baguette!" Jaune screamed, and she instinctively followed his warning, hurling it like one might a javelin. The crusted breadstick flew through the air, before striking Cardin Winchester in the face, right as he had been peacefully trying to leave the Cafeteria. The stunned boy slumped against the door.
"Jaune!" She hissed, as the ghost looked away and began whistling. Ugh… that was going to come back to bite her, she just knew it. With one baguette remaining she made her way towards the fortress Nora had constructed, nodding to Ren and Pyrrha as they allowed her to approach.
"Bestie Blake," the Queen called out, "I grant thee audience, speak and I shalt consider thine request."
"I'm leaving, can I have Tiddles back?"
"My name isn't Tiddles!"
The orange-haired girl considered the request, as she looked down at the golden bear which was still held in one of her hands. She turned away slightly, holding it close to her mouth as she apparently conferred with it.
"Prince Tiddles says he will only go with you if you can best me in a duel."
"No he didn't!" Blake shot back as she held her arms wide. Seriously, what was up with these people!?
"I'll only go with you if you beat her in a duel."
"Shut up Tiddles," she hissed, before turning back to the girl, "I don't want to fight you, hell, I just want to get back to my room and have a shower – I have pastry in my hair."
"You can't tempt me with your delicious hair fiend," Nora cried, making approximately no sense, "have at thee!"
"Straight ahead of you," Jaune warned needlessly as the girl leapt from her wooden tower, her own baguette in hand. Thank you Jaune, I had noticed! She sighed, even as she flipped back from the strike – blocking a speedy riposte from the girl. She wished she still had the second baguette since Gambol Shroud was more of a dual wield style, but with the grinning girl already upon her it was too late to look for any other weapons.
Food, damn it… she wasn't going to be drawn into this.
If she'd thought her opponent would be at a disadvantage considering she didn't use a sword in real life, then she was quickly disabused of that notion – as the girl lunged and parried. Her technique lacked the elegance of Weiss, or the speed of Blake's own style, but Nora more than made up for it with sheer aggression, pushing her onto the defensive from the start.
What was worse was that she could hear the bread cracking with each strike.
"I've got this," Jaune whispered as he vanished, but before she could wonder where he'd gone Nora was upon her once more. Bread slammed into bread, crumbs flying as they locked blades, yellow eyes meeting teal as she tried to push the girl back.
Damn but she was strong…
Something brushed against her skirt during their next bread lock, Blake flinching as she looked down to see the yellow bear gripping onto the fabric, pulling himself up to her waist. She looked back up to her opponent, idly berating herself for actually imagining Jaune might do something to help when he said he had this.
"You cannot defeat me," Nora grinned as she pushed with all her strength, literally flinging Blake back. She landed in a crouch, quickly reaching down to scoop Jaune into her bag so she wouldn't drop him. "You can't hope to defeat me!"
"I don't have to," Blake grinned as she deflected the next strike – leaping back as she turned to run. Discretion was the better part of valour after all, and now with bread crumbs sticking to the pastry on her face? That shower sounded really good.
"Nice try!" Nora laughed as something tangled itself in Blake's legs, tripping the girl as she stumbled and tried to roll to safety, only to feel the baguette trapped between her shins. For the love of… she could also throw that accurately?
How was Pyrrha the championship fighter!?
Nora strode forwards, leaning down briefly to pick up Blake's discarded weapon as she came to finish the job, a cruel smile in place.
"You fought well bestie," the Queen taunted, "but in the end you fall – just like the rest."
The blade rose, and Blake's breath hitched as she watched it descend, one arm thrown before her in a useless attempt to stave off certain death. She swore if she came back as a Ghost, she was going to stab Jaune in the face.
Something hit her arm, a cracking sounded as the bread snapped in two over her arm, the top half falling painlessly onto her chest. Yellow eyes blinked before slowly closing as a frustrated blush made its way across her face. God damn it…
"What is the meaning of this!?" A deadly voice hissed, as the entire war ground to a halt. Nora quickly hid the bottom end of the baguette behind her back as Glynda Goodwitch strode forward, looking like an avatar of death, destruction and discipline.
"Cardin did it," Jaune's muffled voice came from the book bag.
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