CACE: A RWBY Story

Volume 0: Chapter 11

"And the next match will be ANVL vs CACE."

Team CACE steps onto the stage to face off against team ANVL. ANVL is comprised of three humans and a faunus. Animal, the human wearing a strange collection of colors and two sharp daggers, is their leader. Nate, the human knight, sports a medium size shield and short sword. Vex is a brown haired faunus with a shotgun and a pair of flop doglike ears on their head. Finally, Levi is their weapons expert, carrying a large cannon like weapon and a pair of pistols on his belt.

"You may begin." Professor Goodwitch breaks the silence.

Immediately Ze and Charley react to close the gap between the two teams. Members Nate and Vex rush to meet them, followed closely by Animal. Alex and Cat stay back, lining up precise shots on their moving targets. Levi notices the pair and trains his cannon on them. A deafening thunder shakes the two away from their safe spot.

Ze and Charley are meanwhile holding off three of the opposing team's members. Desperately fighting to leave this engagement and switch to a more offensive strategy, Ze roars and tackles Vex and Animal to the floor. Leaving one remaining opponent activity fighting Charley, these two engage in a high energy duel.

Across the stage, Cat and Alex attempt to work together to ward off Levi. While his cannon alone would be fine to deal with, he has drawn his pistols and fires them sequentially in time with the cannon. His semblance appears to allow him to control the cannon remotely in addition to the pistols in his hands. Alex uses her staff to block Levi's projectiles while Cat lines up a shot behind her. Suddenly, Cat notices Ze's wrestling match with Animal and Vex.

"Ze!" She shouts as Ze's Aura drops into the critical zone.

In a second the arena is filled with dark mist, coating the air and obscuring everyone's vision. At this point, Ze is effectively done with the match. Cat sprints across the room to Ze's body to protect him.

Charley steps back from his opponent, disappearing into the mist. Nate attempts to attack Charley as he disappears but isn't able to connect his sword. Only moments later the mist clears and all active fighters are able to see each other. Charley is behind Cat, sword out and defending her flank against the two who had been fighting with Ze.

While both Nate and Levi are distracted by Cat's sudden move, Alex seizes the moment to aim and fire a fire bolt at Nate. The opponent drops to the floor, clutching his side and groaning in pain. Charley and Cat are unable to remove themselves from their disadvantageous position with their two opponents.

"Thunder!" Animal suddenly shouts, diving away from Charley and Cat.

In a single move, both Charley and Cat are knocked to the floor. Levi's cannon still is smoking as all eyes turn toward Alex. She laughs nervously and changes her crossbow into the quarterstaff. She deflects an incoming shot from one of Levi's pistols. Animal and Vex charge at her with weapons drawn. In an instant, the match is over and the winner is declared as ANVL.

Animal and Vex take a moment to help members of team CACE back to their feet. Brief congratulations on a good fight are exchanged before both teams leave the stage to find their seats.

"My head feels like I was hit by a truck." Cat clutches her face where a bruise is already forming.

"I know." Ze pats her comfortingly on her back.

Charley and Alex slowly follow behind, usingtheir weapons as canes to help them walk. Eventually both stop, exchange a look and wrap and arm around each other for support.

"You went for Cat?" Alex asks.

"Yeah, I was the closest." He breaths back.

"You could have beaten Nate."

"We would have gained nothing by taking down Nate and losing Cat." He pauses. "A tactical decision."

"It sure was, Ladies Man." She jokes.

He laughs. "Yeah right, you would have done the same."

They share a few more words before crashing back into their seats in the arena. Alex and Charley sit close, while Ze and Cat sit together a bit apart from each other.

"I think we need a better plan next time." Charley calls down to Ze.

"Anything is better than losing again."

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