RWBY Sharingan Chapter 25: Progress (Patreon)

(A/N: 3 for 5. I'm going for broke guys!)

XOXO

“Come on, man! You’ll look like a bitch if you lose this!”

“I put all my drinking money on you, you hear?!”

Veins had spread across my opponent’s forehead and arm, their teeth gritted, the cheers and yells around us probably fly in one ear and out the other. He was putting everything he had into this little match, his hand tightly clasped with mine and on the verge of forcing the back of mine on the table. Not a surprise considering this was the same guy that typically guarded the bar’s entrance, his raw strength far exceeding mine.

But, even in something as simple as an arm wrestle, a contest of strength, power like that wasn’t everything.

He’d come closer than anyone else, countless other having lost lien to me already, but he couldn’t get the job done, my steady arm not getting any closer to the table no matter how much effort he put into. Eventually, said effort turned against him, my hand slowly raising our clasp back up to the center point.

By then his arm was shaky and a sudden burst of force at the right angle saw the match turned on its head, the back of his hand slammed against the table.

“Ah, dammit.” He cursed, rubbing the back of his hand. “You sure you aren’t using your semblance?”

“You’re strong but not that strong.” I said. He grunted, sore about the whole thing, but slid over a few lien cards, Miltia, who was to my left just behind me, catching the stack. Melanie, on my right, didn’t waste any time goading another to try and take a swing at beating me.

Not exactly sure how I ended up being used to make money, but it was a mildly entertaining way to pass the time on a slow night like this. Not to mention a certain someone would know exactly where to find me.

And speak of the devil.

As another match started, my newest opponent straining to get my arm just a quarter of the way down, Cinder entered the busy bar, keeping to the edges as she neared. She didn’t bother getting close to the small crowd around my table, propping herself against a wall to silently watch.

Was she really so adamant about avoiding others that she’d just stand there hoping I saw her at some point? Lucky for her I did, but she really took anti-social to the next level.

Easily taking control of the match with a shift, I slammed my opponents hand down with a dull smack.

“That’s it for me.” I said rising to a stand. There were some boos and complaints from a few either looking to try themselves, make more lien betting on me, or just hoping for more entertainment but they all returned to their prior business, scattering back to their spots around the bar.

“Your cut.” Melanie said, handing over a majority of the stack the two had been building up. How they managed to turn what started as an innocent request from someone curious about me into a drawn challenge like that was something, especially since people were willing to pay at all. Probably had to do with their mother and all the goading. Melanie’s haughty attitude had a way of undermining just about anyone’s pride if they let it and few in here were willing to go against anything she said.

“Don’t spend it all in one place.” Melanie called after me as I headed over to Cinder. She pushed off the wall, walking alongside me towards the exit.

We’ve done a good bit of work together, most revolving around those supply points beyond the city, but still didn’t do much talking. There was a change, however, a certain tension no longer there and my presence not treated with the same paranoid scrutiny everyone else got. I was still kept at arm’s length, figuratively and literally, even now, as we stepped out onto the stone streets, Cinder maintaining enough distance to give her time to react to any sudden moves.

Theoretically anyways.

We were more professional colleagues than friends.

“Need something?” I asked once we were a good distance from the bar.

Silence.

Cinder’s brow had furrowed, her lips shifting but never opening, as if she couldn’t find the right words.

“Need help with those books?” I deduced accurately if her slight tensing was anything to go off of. “How’d you learn to use aura?”

“…I taught myself.”

Of course she wouldn’t tell me the exact truth but that might not be completely inaccurate. Its not like the show went into depth with anything her former teacher may have taught here so it was possible that by the time things came to end with him, she was barely beyond the basics.

“I can pay you.” She added.

Rents out a room in a shitty hotel, buys the cheapest meals around, and barely spends anything she earns in general yet here she was, not hesitating in the least to throw lien at something like strength. All without ever flat out saying the word help.

Cinder had some deep rooted issues but at least she wasn’t so prideful she wasn’t willing to come to me. That would’ve made things more difficult.

“We’ll meet tomorrow.” I said.

Meeting up for something beyond the work that came from the Spiders.

The first real bit of progress since I gave her pointers on her semblance.

XOXO

I stood outside my room in the halls of the cheap apartment building, a few of the lights above flickering in and out.

Cinder stood just outside of hers, staring up at my face. Hard. And it wasn’t because we lived in the same building, a few not so coincidental sightings here and there over the past week cluing her in on that fact.

“I look stupid in these or something?” I questioned, adjusting my sunglasses as I came over to her, careful never to reveal my eyes. After a moment of silence, she dropped the stare and shrugged.

Most, her including, probably assumed the mask was meant to hide my identity. While it did offer that convenient little benefit, it wasn’t one I really cared about. Any government records on me were so old or presumably under lock and key by Ozpin that few if any would be able to figure out anything about me with only a name and face. Its not like I’d be telling anyone which kingdom to go looking for that information in the first place.

Connecting me to anyone in Vale would be damn near impossible. Looking for a needle that may have already been removed across several different haystacks really.

Walking past her, Cinder followed after me, one of the books I recommended in hand. A trek through the streets then one quick gondola ride up, and we were up in the same market area Cinder spent time window shopping her way through.

It was a good bit after noon, a few hours before the sun would begin to set and the time we’d usually be arriving at Miss Malachite’s bar. Not a lot of time for something like aura training but it'd have to do. With things like school out and many off work, the place as busy as ever, but I led us around the crowds until some free seats, an umbrellaed table just outside of some kind of casual restaurant, caught my eye.

All the noise might be distracting but it was out in the open which should help with Cinder’s constant paranoia, still present towards me to some degree, but the area was so crowded we wouldn’t particularly stand out.

We headed over, seats taken across from one another on the metal benches.

“So-“ I started after realizing she wasn’t going to say anything, just setting the book and opening to some random page as if I would understand whatever implication there was in that. “-what part of it do you need help with?” She flipped the book around sliding it over to me.

My brow jumped up immediately. “You realize I listed out those books for you in a specific order for a reason, right?”

“I already know the basics.”

“Oh? I thought you were self taught.”

“I’m not going to waste my time reading about things I can already do.” She insisted, flat out glaring at me now.

Guess I could only go so long before ending up on the receiving end of her attitude. Unfortunately for her that wasn’t going to fly here. She was talented, I knew that much firsthand, but the section of the book she brought was specifically talking about aura disks. Summer had showed me that early, but it'd taken an ungodly amount of time before I could use it effectively without the Sharingan, the technique far trickier than it sounded.

“Alright then.” I said closing the book. “Put up your shield.” Despite holding her glare, she did as I said, a deep yet vibrant fiery orange energy similar to her eyes flickering to life around her. It was second nature and stable. “Now drop it, starting with your right hand.”

“What?”

“Drop your shield, starting from your right hand.” I repeated. Cinder’s brow furrowed as her glare dropped to her own shielded hand, her confusion poorly hidden. “It doesn’t really have much practical use but anyone who’s studied all the basics should be able to control how their shield drops rather than letting it happen all at once.” I explained while placing my cheek against my fist. “You did know that right?”

To her credit her brow only furrowed further by a smidge, Cinder disregarding the condescending comment to blindly try what I instructed. Her fiery aura, always flaring with little rhyme or reason weakened around her hand before the rest of her body followed suit, the entirety of her shield pathetically crackling away.

I held back on another condescending comment. I understood wanting to jump to the advanced stuff the moment the opportunity came but that wasn’t the way to go. Not for what she wanted.

She tried a few more times without looking back up at me.

“He who climbs the ladder must begin from the bottom.” I said while sitting up straighter, Cinder finally looking up from all her failed attempts. “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard that but its an old saying.” More like one stolen from an anime but I’m sure someone in this world must’ve said some variation of it. “I’ve seen you fight enough times to know someone like you doesn’t need help. You’re talented enough to get on what you already know and whatever else you manage to figure out.” I admitted. One didn’t survive in her situation by being weak after all. “But if you decide to ignore the fundamentals now, that’s no different than crippling yourself and in the end, you’ll end up weaker than you otherwise would’ve been.”

At first her glare held but as I spoke it eased up somewhat, Cinder opting to glare down at the table instead by the time I was done.

“If you don’t have a problem with that keep trying to make your way through this thing.” I said, pushing the book back over to her. “But I’m not helping you unless we do things right and start from the beginning.”

“Why does it matter to you? You’ll get your money either way.”

“Our work pays a lot. Do you really think I agreed to this for lien?” I questioned. “I doubt anyone sat you down and told you, but you must’ve realized that you’ve been stuck with me because no one else wants to deal with you.” Cinder’s glare rose up to me, but I didn’t back down under the heated gaze. It’d might’ve been a bit blunter than necessary, but some half-assed lie or asinine excuse wouldn’t go far with her.

“Simply put, the better you are, the less I have to worry about while were working together.” I said. Not necessarily true considering she could be a far bigger threat than most Grimm could ever hope to become. “So?”

Cinder didn’t outright answer my question, but she didn’t just pick up the book and leave either.

I stood up, setting out from the bench.

“Where are you going?” She asked.

“Going to get us something to eat since we’re here.” I said, before leaving her behind and heading into the restaurant.

I was sure she’d take the offer, but I wasn’t so certain truly training her was the smart thing to do.

It was better than doing nothing at least.

XOXO

(A/N: Initially intended on them starting real training at the end of this chapter but Cinder proved herself remarkably stubborn and Talon still a little uncertain about really helping her get stronger, the former really extending the chapter longer than expected. That's difficult characters for you, always demanding extra attention and words.

Talon and Cinder will take front and center in this story for a long while honestly. I doubt it'll reach the quality of what I did with him and Raven, that honestly turned out way better than I ever expected, but their relationship will be important for obvious and not so obvious reasons.

Time for me to go put pen to paper. Or I guess fingers to keyboard?)