Replaceable Parts: Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Hairy Situations

Not even Sandy Claws could keep the press of the world at bay.

The next morning after I celebrated “Generic Winter Holiday” with Penny’s new friends, I found Yang leaning against the wall of our borrowed dorm in Beacon academy. The dorms themselves filled an entire wing of Beacon’s sweeping campus, with windows looking over the sculpted grounds on one side, and the Emerald Forest on the other.

Yang Xiao-Long, blonde, bright, and beautiful was the last person from team RWBY I expected to see. Her excuse was a younger sister, vibrating with barely contained excitement at the chance to give Penny a tour of Beacon Academy. Naturally, Penny wanted to go on that tour very badly, and I couldn’t be the cool older sister if I insisted on coming along.

And that was how Yang cornered me alone in the corridors one Beacon morning.

I folded my arms and waited. Yang grinned at me, purple eyes crinkling around the corners. “We can play the quiet game, if you want. I’ve got a lot of practice.”

“I have all day.” I shrugged. “But if you want to chat, you should have just said so. I’m more open when I haven’t been ambushed.”

“Hey, hey.” Yang raised her hands. “That wasn’t my idea. Rubes couldn’t sit still this morning.”

I sighed. “At least she waited until we opened the door.”

Yang cleared her throat, pointing nonchalantly at herself.

“Yeah, sure.” I flapped my prosthetic fingers. They were excellent for that. “We can talk, one ‘big-sister’ to another.” Yang grinned, and I added, “I assume you’re a gym girl, instead of a coffee shop one.”

“Aw, hell yeah. You’re speaking my language.” Yang bounced on her feet. “You wanna pump some iron, or…” She punched her palm. “Get some iron pumping.”

“I see why you feel the need to ambush your partner,” I said dryly. “No, let’s spar. I need to get my practice in now that I’m off base.”

“Sweet.” Yang brushed right past my little verbal jab. Blake probably would have bristled immediately, and I wondered if Ozpin paired opposite personalities together on purpose, or if Team RWBY was just blessed to live in interesting times. “You go ‘round a lot with those Atlas specialists? I heard about them from Uncle Qrow.”

“I’m not on that level.” I fell in step beside her. “Specialist Schnee, Weiss’s sister, could mop the floor with me. I hope I’ll give you a better fight.”

“S’what we’re here for isn’t it?” Yang folded her hands behind her head. “This way for the sparring rooms. So, who do you train with.”

“I do get lessons from specialists on base, when they can spare.” Yang turned towards me, eyes sparkling. “Yes, I get specialist lessons.”

Yang laughed. “Nice.”

“Once a week, tops. The rest of the time I’m working on fundamentals with the infantry.”

“Kicking around tin cans?” Yang asked.

“Don’t let Atlas infantry hear you call them that,” I said.

“What.” Yang’s grin widened. “Will their widdle feelings get hurt?”

“No,” I replied. “They might adopt you. And then you’ll never get rid of them.”

That startled another laugh out of her. Yang was much easier to talk to than her partner. I couldn’t say I minded the change of pace.

“This is our stop!” Yang tapped her scroll against a wall reader, and a smooth white door popped open. “Usually I take a bigger one, but teams have them booked out for weeks this time of year.”

“Welcome to the Vytal Festival,” I said. Yang stepped inside, and I followed her.

Small described the space well: nothing along the walls except padding, mats on the floor and ceiling as well. You could probably fit three of me lying down, feet to head, in each direction. It was a space good for working on close quarters and maybe grappling, but less useful for the explosive and acrobatic fights Hunters usually engaged in.

I mentioned as much to Yang.

“Yeah, but that’s why it’s free.” She shrugged. “Usually, we just jaunt down to the Emerald Forest if I wanna work up a sweat, but since you’re a little baby specialist, I figured it’d be perfect here!”

I took back what I thought earlier. Yang knew how to bide her time and needle someone like only a big sister could. “No wonder Ruby wanted to trade for the day.”

“Hey, hey.” Yang skipped backwards a few steps, shaking out her arms. “I’m pretty easy going, but even I might get upset eventually.”

“Sorry.” I shook out my normal arm. “I’ll stay away from that topic in the future.”

“Eventually! Eventually!” Yang waved her hands. “Brothers, I’m just messing with you.”

“Mmm.” I settled into a stance. “It’s good to know someone on your team has a sense of humor.”

“Ruby has a great sense of humor.” Yang smiled. “She’s a real gem.”

I mimed a rope around my neck. “I’m gonna Yang myself.”

She laughed. “Nope.”

“Nope?”

She raised her hands, bracelets unfolding into golden gauntlets. “Yang’s gonna Yang you out to dry.”

“Buy me dinner first,” I said.

Her eyes flickered in surprise. “I mean, that’s—”

I stepped and spun. “HAA!”

My heel hit her crossed arms hard enough to make Yang grunt. “That’s cheating!” Her hand flipped.

I pulled my leg back, rechambering. “If you’re not cheating, you’re not—”

This time Yang stepped.

I kicked once, deflecting a jab. Her left hook snaked around my ankle. I hit the floor with a fan kick, but she jumped.

“Careful!” In the air above my head, Yang winked at me, one fist pulled back to her waist.

I rolled a beat before she hit the ground. Metal dented the padding. She could have capitalized; I saw her legs tense the moment her toes touched down. Instead, Yang let me roll up to my feet.

She straightened and tossed her hair. “Not bad. Thought you’d go for more punches.”

I circled slowly, but Yang remained rooted. She only pivoted when I threatened to slip out of her line of sight.

“I used to get in fights without aura,” I admitted. Every fight on Earth Bet had been without aura. “Kicks are stronger. Built my base off of that.”

“And for weapons, you’re just an out-and-out brawler like me?”

I huffed. “Close enough.” Knives were…less useful here. Grim usually didn’t care about pinpricks unless you knew how to dissect them in a live combat scenario. When it came to fighting other humans with aura, a knife was the worst of every world. Less reach than any other weapon, and less flexibility and control than turning your own body into the weapon like Yang did.

“Cool. Cool.” Yang traced a pattern across the floor, dipping towards my range and then back again. “I can give you some pointers…”

“I’d appreciate it,” I said. “Why don’t we get serious?”

She barred her teeth. It looked like her earlier smiles, but viceraly different. “You know what to say to get a girl going.”

“I told you to—”

We both closed as one. I went high, Yang, shorter, dipped low. Our fists crossed at the same time. I gasped as she slammed a hard straight deep into my sternum, before my own punch sent her spinning away by her cheek.

“Nice!” Yang turned the spin into a backhand. I ducked, hammering my prosthetic into her side.

She blocked. I kicked. She hooked my other ankle, and I cursed once, a waste of breath as the world tilted sideways. My arms crossed just in time to catch a flying knee that sent me tumbling through the air. Fortunately, the back wall stopped me from hitting the ground.

I landed on my feet with a stagger.

“Usually, people don’t trade hits with me,” Yang said.

“Got a lot of aura,” I replied. “Might as well use it.”

“Let’s test that out!” Yang dashed forward. She came at me like a tornado, unrelenting aggression hammering at my guard as I tried to sidestep. I framed off her punches when I could, slipping and rolling the rest, and still taking dozens of hits. There was no chance for a counter.

“C’mon!” Yang yelled. “Stop letting me hit you!”

I grunted, ducking a hard straight that whistled right over my hair. Her fists popped in through the air, hitting my arms, my sides, metal striking metal in a ringing chorus. I backed up, then I switched my legs. Yang’s next punch came looping wide, around my guard to put me on back.

I leaned back and kicked.

This time, only one of us connected.

My boot dug deep into her gut, sending her sliding backwards, aura flickering once as her hair turned a glowing yellow. I kicked twice more, low high. Yang’s eyes flickered purple to red as she blocked. I grimaced.

Then Yang stepped in again and I was on the defensive. This time, she was slower, more guarded. She gave me openings, but I didn’t take them. Instead, I tried to take less hits on my own aura. I slapped punches wide, catching joints and pulling back before she could grapple me.

“Tricksy, ain’t ya?” I heard a hint of frustration in her voice.

“Atlas specialists don’t train to take hits.” It fit my old style too, as a squishy human who got into fights with flying bricks. “Also, your hair didn’t start glowing until I kicked you.”

“It’s my semblance.” Her grin took on an edge. “Don’t worry, I won’t use it on you.”

“I’m so thankful.”

I still let her come to me. I could see she was annoyed when I didn’t hit back, it made her sloppy, punching coming heavier, wilder, trying to provoke a response. I took hits by the dozens, slowly chipping my aura down below half. I could feel it, the clawing emptiness in my chest, while Yang was still near full.

“Can’t win a fight by doing nothing, special girl!” Yang growled.

I grabbed her next punch and threw her over my shoulder. My leg came over, wrapping her arm between my thighs. Yang cursed, but she rolled with the joint lock. We both hit the floor, head over heels. She grabbed at my ankle, but without leverage. I got a calf across her collar bone, grunting and heaving as we shifted back and forth.

Yang yelled and picked me up off the floor. My eyes widened as her hair burned gold as she spun and punched my whole body off of her arm.

Luckily, the wall was still there to break my fall.

I hit the ground with a groan, holding up a hand. “Sec.” I sucked in a heaving breath, even through aura, I felt that one. I fumbled with my scroll for a second, grimacing when it showed that my aura was firmly in the red. “I think that’s it for me. That last hit…” I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Ahaha, yeah.” Yang gave a sheepish grin. “No, I think you had me there. And I used my semblance when I said I wouldn’t.”

“I wasn’t expecting hulk mode,” I replied.

Yang laughed again, holding out a hand. I let her haul me to my feet. “Yeah, that’s what I got going on. I kinda freaked out a bit when you got that grapple. Sorry!”

I shrugged. “We didn’t agree to any rules.” My semblance was useful in hand to hand, but I’d left it out because I didn’t need any help there. “Maybe if I’d stopped hitting you sooner, I could have held on.”

“Ah, caught that, did yah?” Yang’s smile turned a bit pained.

I tilted my head at her. “You took damage and got stronger. It’s not rocket—it’s not dust science.”

“Man, you Atlas types are pretty scary in your own way, huh?”

“I’ve had some experience…identifying semblances,” I said.

“Please don’t spread it around?” Yang asked. “Trying to keep a lid on my secret weapon for the tournament.”

“I’m not involved. But Penny will probably figure it out before you fight her.”

“Hey, if I make it all the way to the Penny Pulsar, then I’m doing something right!” Yang laughed. She shed her earlier embarrassment like a duck stepping out of the rain. “Still, that was a good fight! Been a while since someone made me sweat in hand to hand.”

“It’s every day for me.” I plucked at my damp hair.

“Oh, brothers, yeah sweaty hair is the worst.” Yang brushed through her own tresses, pulling a face. “I always need a shower after combat class.”

“Speaking of class…you mentioned some pointers.”

“Right, right!” Yang waved her arms. “You’ve got some good foundations, Dad’d love you.”

“Your dad?” I asked.

“Combat instructor back at Signal, always got on my case for cutting corners,” Yang said. “And you’ve got pretty good defenses, but you rely on it too much. I got kinda sloppy there, but you can’t just wait for a real huntress to swing herself out. She’ll shred you.”

I pulled a face. “I’m aware.”

“Dad actually has a pretty defensive style, so I’ll ask if he has anything more specific,” Yang continued. “But I think you should lean into your aura levels more. You have good footwork and a pretty solid guard, so you know when you can open up a little and trade hits. Do it right, and you’ll outlast most people, y’know?”

“My teachers always told me to stop trading hits,” I smiled. “They said I was too reckless.”

“There’s a balance.” Yang nodded. “You gotta find a balance. Cause you’re pretty solid for someone who started fighting recently, but you have a lot of ground to make up.”

“Mmm.” I’d done decently well here, but in these close confines, Yang couldn’t use distance against me, or even soften me up at range before closing in for a knockout punch. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

Yang slapped the door control. “Wanna make this a normal thing? I’ve been fighting swords and maces all year, feel like my hand to hand’s gotten sloppy.”

“If you think you’ll learn anything,” I said. “That was very useful to me.” With specialists, I felt like I was fighting a wall, nevermind how outclassed Winter Schnee made me feel the one time we sparred. With a second-year trainee like Yang, I felt like I was almost in striking distance. If I just worked a little bit harder... “If we set up our redheads with a playdate, we could make this a daily thing.”

“Now you’re really speaking my language.” Yang popped me lightly on the shoulder. “Gotta make time for the dance, though. Weissicle and I are setting it up.”

“Let me know if you need any help.” I smiled. “Apparently I’m here for cross-kingdom solidarity exercises.”

“Sweet. I’ll see if we need another volunteer.” Yang looked at me dead on. “You better come to the dance, though!”

I raised an eyebrow. “Technically, I’m not a student.”

“Yeah but you’re still like, the same age.” Yang brushed off my argument. “You gotta come, it’s gonna be fire! Plus, if you don’t show up, there’s no way your sis is gonna make it either.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Playing wing woman for Ruby?”

“Someone’s gotta get my sis out of her shell.” Yang shrugged. “This is the first time she’s been interested in something that didn’t shoot bullets or cut monsters in half!”

“You’d be surprised…” I murmured.

“Where‘re we going, anyway?” Yang asked. We’d been walking for the last bit. “I was just following you, but if you were following me…”

I hummed, tapping open the door to the nearest classroom. This one was a two-level affair, and Yang followed me into the upper rotunda. She looked at me with confusion for a second, before the sound of voices drifted up from the first floor.

Yang grinned. “Found them with your semblance?” she asked quietly.

I spun a bit of my soul into a butterfly, letting it rest on the tip of my finger, slowly flapping its wings. “Figured that out, did ya?” I echoed her earlier question.

She giggled softly, lightly nudging my arm yet again. “Thanks for sharing.”

“Just like you,” I said. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t spread it around.”

Yang made a zipping motion with her lips. Then she drifted over to the balcony. The two of us looked over the edge, catching Penny and Ruby down by the lectern. Ruby chattered, waving her arms through the air, as Penny watched with a wide smile. She also clapped when appropriate.

Yang huffed. “She really got distracted at the first stop of the tour.”

I took a step back. “Can you blame her?”

Yang followed, letting Ruby and Penny have their moment mostly unobserved. “Okay, but now you have to come to the dance. Do you see them together? You can’t get in the way of destiny!”

“Most older sisters are a bit more protective.”

“Yeah but I’ve talked to Penny once or twice.” Yang shrugged. “And you’ve talked to Ruby.”

“…Fair.”

“Soooo…?” She bumped my shoulder. “It’ll be perfect. We could even go dress shopping.”

“How do you not have a dress?” I asked.

“I’ve been fighting for the sanctity of the dance!” Yang pressed a fist against her chest. “Weiss wanted to have a string quartet for music. I just haven’t had the time.”

“A string quartet doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Okay, never mind. You can’t come.”

“Oh, woe is me,” I said. “Whatever shall I do.”

“Kidding, kidding.” Yang smirked. “We totally gotta go dress shopping, though.”

“Aren’t you still stuck on campus for breaking school rules?” I asked.

“Not if it’s an official dance committee activity.” Yang’s smile widened.

“I see. More nefarious plots,” I said.

“Perfect for an Atlas spy like you!” Yang replied.

I sighed. “If Penny wants to go to the dance, I’ll go.”

“Sweet. So...got your eye on anyone?” Yang waggled her eyebrows.

“I’ve gone to every dance of my school career alone.” All two of them. “What’s one more?”

“Aw, no way.” Yang turned to face me. “Don’t you worry, I’ll have the guys drooling over you, just give Mama Yang a chance to work her magic.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Yang laughed again. “What do you do with your hair though? I’ve been dying to ask.”

“Are you kidding?” My other eyebrow rose too. “I’ve been dying to ask you.”