"The Catalyst" : A Yang Xiao Long AU! #RWBYWATTYS

Vol.2 / Chapter 24 : "Cinder"

Rei and Cinder glared at each other.

"You've already recovered your powers... Impressive. Very impressive indeed. However, can you manage to defeat a rank 107 Titled Huntsman?" Cinder said as she smiled maliciously.

"Rank 107?" Rei breathed.

"That's right. A mere rank 41 like yourself would never be able to even lay a finger on me. So, of course, you have two choices. Either you surrender your powers and touch the forcefield like last time or I break every bone in your body and then force you to." Cinder said, gesturing to the light-yellow barrier.

"Or, I break you instead of the shield." Rei said, giving himself a third option. He quickly dashed forward, his right fist charging itself up for a heavy blow. He quickly lunged the fist forward with all of his dragonic might, hoping that she was faxed by the strike.

She merely pointed her finger at the fist and stopped the strike as his knuckles made contact with her finger. He did this many more times, but each strike was countered easily by Cinder's finger.

She found the way he desperately attempted to fight her absolutely amusing. It was adorable, really. His rank was mediocre compared to her's. Did he actually believe he could harm her?

She suddenly saw that Rei was readying himself to deliver a quick lower kick, but she stopped his movements by sending him flying.

"It is pointless. Like I said, either you forfeit your powers or I break every bone in your body and do it for you. I'm helping you, really." Cinder stated as Rei slowly got off the scorched ground.

"He won't win." Yang thought to herself as she watched Rei struggle to his feet. "She's only hit him once and he's already about to knock-out. Doesn't he see that?"

"I'm not done yet." Rei said, spreading his wings and launching himself into the air. Cinder smiled again.

"You really are childish. I should have expected this, since you are rather young unlike your father." Cinder stated. Rei barely heard what she had said as he was high in the air, but it was enough to anger him. He quickly bolted downwards, using the gravity to increase his impact strength. Cinder didn't move, didn't even flinch as Rei's fist connected with her head.

"What!?" Rei exclaimed as Cinder continued smiling. His full-force strike had merely tickled her as she hadn't even been forced to take a step back from his strike. In fact, he was frozen in mid-air trying to force his fist to make some impact on her when she kicked him in the rib cage, sending him flying into the trunk of a tree.

"You can't harm me, no matter how hard you try. The power difference is far too great. If you were your father on the other hand...." Cinder's smile faded at the thought of Elliot Skyline.

"Stop.... Talking.... About.... Him...." Rei's voice seemed with anger as he spoke the words. Cinder turned to her left, rubbing the tips of her fingers against eachother.

"I'm sure Glynda has told you how he tragically died, correct?" Cinder glanced towards Rei, expecting for him to shoot back some remark. Instead, he merely stared at her with silent rage.

"No? Well, allow me to enlighten you." Cinder said, turning to the injured male.

---

"Glynda, calm down please." Ozpin asked, placing his hands in from of him as a defensive barrier.

"Ozpin. My son is in trouble and you won't allow me to interfere. You cannot tell anyone to calm down in this current situation." Glynda said, anger almost literally breathing from her body.

"I am telling you to calm down. I would have sent you had I not trusted Rei's strength and determination." Ozpin calmly replied.

"How is he supposed to defend himself, Ozpin!? He is fighting someone even Elliot would have had a hard time defeating!" Glynda shouted back. She placed her right pointer finger and thumb on her forehead, attempting to control herself. It didn't work well.

"I swear, sometimes Ozpin I question your judgement." Glynda said, storming out of the office and into the elevator. She clicked the button that read "Lobby", and before Ozpin knew it he was alone in his office. Again.

Ozpin sighed.

"I'm also doing this to protect you, Glynda."

---

"Your father was everything I hated. A righteous man, one whom was impossible to bribe or taint. One night, your father had his first child. So I did what any other person looking to control the world would do: I assaulted him, then gave him two options. Either sacrifice his powers or I kill his entire family." Cinder said, smiling. She was watching his every move, memorizing his reactions.

"So..." Rei continued for her.

"So naturally, being the pure man he was, he sacrificed his own powers in order to keep you and his miserable witch-of-wife alive. The fool actually thought I would keep my word. As soon as he was powerless, I slit his throat. Your mother, being the witch she was, managed to escape with you intact. However, things went down a different path from there, as you could imagine."

"So the reason my father died so many years ago...." Rei started.

"Is because he couldn't bear to watch his son and wife die."  Cinder said right after, expecting him to break down, to begin to blame himself and eventually give up his powers. She was expecting for his mind to break apart, to weaken and then she could do what she did best: manipulate desperate people into doing her will.

"Is because of you!" Rei angrily shouted, jumping forward and beginning his barrage. Cinder effortlessly dodged all of his strikes, but found him annoying and.... Surprising, to say the least. She wasn't expecting his mind to be so focused, to still be so active that he could determine whether or not a decision would end the right decision to make.

He was just like Elliot, only a younger version.

And God, did she hate Elliot.

"Little does this boy know, he will suffer the same fate as his father."