The New Rose

Chapter 30 - Loss

The sound of grenades igniting and and gunshots fired exploded through the air as the training arena in Beacon Academy was occupied by four maiden's carrying deadly weapons on them. Team RWBY was in the middle of another training session, sparring with each other and clearly not holding anything back in terms of power. There were no spectators, considering it was 8 in the morning on a Saturday, to Ruby's relief. Not only did she hate attention, she wouldn't want anyone to see the sloppy performance her cousin and partner were giving her.

The latter was already low in dust and exhausted from wasteful exertion covering for her cousin, who was just charging headfirst as always and needed cover fire to avoid Ruby and Blake's gunshots from afar, the brawlers natural weakness. Ruby had requested a switch in partners for this training session to cover up weaknesses in team dynamics as well, weaknesses she saw her team was riddled with like a roach infestation.

"COME ON! That can't be all you two have got, did you not practice while I was away!?" Ruby angrily yelled her question as she slashed some ice summoned by Weiss into shards, the swing of her scythe sending a gust of wind that sent the them flying towards Yang.

She squinted her eyes as her cousin's turned red and she encased her hair in flames and melted the ice with it, inadvertently burning a piece of cloth off Weiss's arm from her combat skirt as well. She shook her head disappointingly for hitting her partner, only fueling the Xiao Long's frustrations more than that comment. She wasn't the only one bitter right now.

"HEY YOU DOLT!" Yang and Ruby, the latter by pure habit, both glanced at Weiss who picked herself off the ground after patting the fire off her charred sleeve. She was glaring at Yang though, and her expression said it all just like her tone, Yang screwed up.

"You are so paying for a new outfit you know that!?" Weiss bitterly asked Yang, who groaned as she folded her arms annoyed.

"Oh Boo Hoo! Your Daddy can just buy you a new dress like everything else rich girl." Yang sarcastically said as she rolled her eyes. Weiss grunted as she put down her saber and pouted at Ruby's cousin. Both motions Ruby didn't fail to notice as she herself groaned silently for a different reason.

"This is a combat skirt! Your cousin at least agreed." Weiss argued, feeling ever so indignant, but Yang rolled her eyes and waived her off.

"Yeah? Then why did you agree to fight her with me instead?" Yang asked before she felt a chill down her spine as she felt a gust of wind and saw a rose petal fly by her eyes.

"Because you BOTH suck right now." Ruby coldly said as she drove the blunt end of Crescent Rose into Yang's stomach and sent her flying out the training room's roof. Her cousin losing her breath as she hadn't kept her aura up, a costly mistake Ruby would chide her for later. Weiss frantically went for her saber, only for it to be shot out the ring as Ruby transitioned Crescent into its rifle mode and blasted it away.

"Oh! No fair Ruby that was a cheap shot!" Weiss argued before Blake, the cat Faunus having snuck up behind her, encased her in the black wire of Gambrol Shroud.

"It's your own damn fault for dropping your saber. She didn't call time out." Blake casually pointed out. Weiss turning red from frustration and embarrassment as she saw that small smirk at the corner of her mouth. She wouldn't feel that way for long as she heard the sound of Ruby's scythe rifle making a clanging sound. She would soon pale as fear replaced her anger at the sight of two red and black pistols being held by her leader turned torturer Ruby, who gave a nasty smirk of her own as she slowly walked closer to the heiress, who vainly struggled to break free from the wire.

"Yup! Never drop your weapon or your guard in battle. Oh! Speaking of guard, you might want to flair up your aura one too." Ruby eerily sang as she aimed her pistols at Weiss's exposed stomach, the heiress fidgeting as she did as she was told despite her panic.