Early morning at Beacon academy Byzan growls deeply as he twists some water out of his jet bck hair. His ears are drooping. He's walking through the courtyard, passing several students.

  "Stupid fucking bitch." Byzan grumbles. "Damn, Ami wanting me to take a bath and damn that Thorny for giving it to me!"

  "Byzz?" A quiet voice calls out.

  Byzan's ears shoot up as he smile growls on his face. "Bunny!"

  Byzan looks to the side and sees Velvet Scartina looking at him with curious eyes.

  Byzan zooms over to Velvet and swiftly brings her into a hug. "OOOHHH, you did make it to Beacon!"

  Velvet's face turns red as she stutters. "Byzz, can you please put me down?"

  Byzan smiles. "Nope!"

  "Oh, what have we here~" A female voice calls out.

  BYzan looks to the sidey and sees a young woman with fair skin, short dark-brown hair, and dark-brown eyes. She has wavy locks on one side of her face, dyed with a gradient that starts as dark brown and transitions to caramel.

  Her clothes consist of a long, cocoa-colored shirt with an upturned yered frill colr with a bck single strapped waist cincher. She wears bck trousers that have golden lining around the pocket and ribbons attached to the back of a golden zipper seam around her knees. A bck golden studded belt is normally hidden by a rge cocoa-colored belt with gun cartridges on the left side and a rge golden crosshair buckle. A rge piece of bck fabric is attached to her belt hanging down on her right side. She wears a pair of dark bck, high-heeled leather calf-high boots with golden buckles.

  She also dons a number of accessories, such as a bracelet with bck roses as decoration these are accompanied by bck gloves and three beaded neckces alongside a bck scarf tied around her colr. She wears a bck beret with a cocoa brown trim and a pair of bck, wire-rimmed aviator sungsses.

  The young woman is known as Coco Adel.

  She lowers her sungsses and looks over Byzan as he sets Velvet down.

  "Oh, Velvet, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend?" Coco smirks.

  Velvet blushes more. "Um, Byzan's a boy."

  Coco smirk grows. "So he's your boyfriend then."

  Velvet grabs her ears and covers her face. "N-No!"

  Byzan puts a hand over his heart and another on his forehead, as he feigns being hurt. "Oh, Bunny, after everything we've been through!"

  Steam pours from Velvet's ears and Byzan ughs. Coco walks over as she pushes her gsses back up.

  "So, who are you?" Coco asks.

  Byzan smiles and leans over to Coco. "I'm Byzan, but you can call me Byzz~"

  Coco smirks. "Oh really~"

  Velvet shakes her head and gains her bearings. "Byzz, what are you doing at Beacon. I thought you we're still in Ats?"

  Byzan clears his throat and straightens up, before giving a bow. "I've come to become a Huntsmen. And now I'm a member of team AMBR."

  Velvet smiles brightly. "Oh, that's amazing!" She bounces and cps.

  "What's got you all excited, Velvet?" A new voice speaks up.

  The three look over to see the two girls other teammates.

  One is a a teenage boy with dark skin and dark, messy copper hair that has a long fringe and a cowlick. He wears a sleeveless, muted orange zipper vest with bck lining and a high colr, a pair of bck jeans, and brown, ced shoes. His eyes are pure white, showing that he is physically blind. His name is Fox.

  The other is a tall and athletic-looking young man with shaved-short bck hair and tanned skin, who wears mostly pale-green and brown attire. He has a long short-sleeved robe, which he wears on one shoulder over a bck muscle shirt. The robe is fastened at the waist by a leather armored belt with two pouches on it. His name is Yatsuhashi.

  Byzan licks his lips as he sees Yatsuhashi thick arms and he zooms over to him.

  "Hey, handsome~" Byzan smiles as he squeezes Yatsuhashi's bicep. "Oh, you are really strong!"

  "Uh..." Yatsuhashi is just confused and Fox is ever more confused.

  "Why don't you say we get out of here and have some fun~" Byzan's eyebrows rapidly go up and down.

  Velvet hops over and drags Byzan off of Yatsuhashi as she pouts. "Byzz, please don't flirt with everyone."

  Byzan sighs as he looks up to the sky. "I would, but nearly everyone here is so hot!"

  "Is he a friend, Velvet?" Fox calls out.

  "Yup." Velvet lets go of Byzan. "I met him a couple years ago in Ats when I was visiting my father. He helped me out several times there."

  Byzan nods in agreement. "Little Bunny was nearly hurt by some mean people." He speaks in a baby tone as he pulls on Velvet's cheek.

  "Bwzz, swoooop!" Velvet whines.

  Coco ughs and pats Byzan on the back. "I like him Velvet. I might have to cim his as my own."

  "Don't you have csses to get to, Byzz?" Velvet asks as she gets away from Byzan.

  Byzan slowly nods. "I guess." He sighs and starts to walk off. "See you all ter, and stay beautiful~" He runs off.

  Yatsuhashi blinks a few times. "That was a very strange encounter."

  "He's very eccentric." Fox states.

  Coco smirks. "Oh, I really do like him."

  Velvet pouts and lightly hits Coco. "Don't go flirting with him!"

  Coco gnces at Velvet. "Oh, is Bunny jealous?"

  Velvet whines and covers her face again as she blushes.

  .

  .

  Byzan ducks under Cardin's mace as it flies above him. Then he slightly steps to the side as the mace sms into the ground next to him.

  "Wow, such sloppy form." Byzan teases.

  Cardin growls as Byzan and swings his mace at the cat. But Byzan just slightly steps back and avoids the weapon.

  "You know, if you keep scowling like that, your face will get stuck like that~" Byzan kicks the incoming mace to the side and the attack misses.

  "Shut up!" Cardin yells as he swings his weapon wildly at Byzan.

  Byzan snickers as he uses his sheathed weapon to block the attack. Then he brings up his foot and kicks the human in the chest, sending him staggering back.

  Cardin huffs as he tries to get ready to attack, but Byzan spin kicks him in the chest, sending him to the ground. Cardin tries to get up but Byzan sms his sheathed weapon into his chest.

  "I recommend you stay down." Byzan gives a Cheshire smile.

  Cardin gres up at Byzan. "Fuck off."

  Byzan shrugs. "Oh, well."

  Byzan brings his weapon up and sms onto Cardin's forehead, knocking him out. The lights in the room turn on and Glynda walks onto the stage.

  "That st blow wasn't necessary, Mr. Beldonna." Glynda states.

  Byzan shrugs as he puts his weapon on his back. "Ehh, I say it was."

  Glynda sighs as shakes her head. Above her are two screens, one with Byzan and a fully green bar under him, and another with Cardin, a mostly empty red bar under him.

  "Students." Glynda starts. "Mr. Winchester's aura has now dropped into the red, in a tournament style duel, this would indicate that Cardin is no longer fit for battle; and that the official may call the match."

  Byzan stretches as he gnces out to the crowd. Ambré has a hand on her chin as she seems to study everything that happened. Rose has stars in her eyes as she looks at Byzan in awe. Maize has a calcuting look in her eyes as she looks at the cat Faunus.

  "Mr. Beldonna, you are among the top in our css." Glynda looks at her student. "I do hope you don't start scking off."

  "Pfft, like anyone here could take me on if I really tried." Byzan puts his hands behind his head.

  "Don't get cocky now, it may lead to your demise."

  Byzan scoffs as he walks off stage with Cardin finally coming too.

  Glynda looks out to her students. "Remember everyone! The Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing!"

  Team Ambr all grow excited at the mention of the Vytal Festival.

  "Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale."

  The bell rings and everyone begins to leave and head for lunch.

  .

  .

  Teams Ambr, JNPR, and RWBY are all gathered at a lunch table.

  "So..." Nora starts. "There we were... In the middle of the night..."

  "It was day..." Ren informs.

  "We were surrounded by Ursai."

  "They were Beowolves." Ren corrects.

  Yang and Ambré are arm wrestling, Byzan eats a small tuna sad with a fruit bowl on the side. Rose is happily munching on some banana bread, and Maize doesn't have a tray in front of her.

  "DOZENS OF THEM!" Nora shouts as she stands up.

  "Two of 'em." Ren corrects again.

  "But they were no match."

  Byzan takes his fsk out and takes a sip from it, but he notices Jaune off in his own little world. Byzan raises an eyebrow as his cat ears flicker. But then he notices Weiss lightly gring at him, making the cat rolls his eyes.

  Nora continues. "And in the end... Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" She crosses her arms with a rge smile.

  Ren sighs. "She's been having this reoccurring dream for nearly a month now..."

  "That's... seems like a scary dream." Rose shivers.

  Both Yang and Ambré loudly grunt as they both are at a stalemate in their arm wrestling match. Byzan gnces at his sister, they make eye contact and she gres at him before looking back at her book. Byzan's ears droop slightly.

  "Jaune..." Pyrrha calls out to her aloof team leader. "Are you okay?"

  Jaune snaps back to reality. "Uh? Oh, yeah! Why?"

  Ruby speaks up. "It's just that you seem a little... not okay..."

  Everyone attention turns to Jaune, even Yang and Ambré stop their little match.

  "Eh, guys, I'm fine... Seriously, look!" Jaune gives a thumbs up and a smile as he nervously ughs.

  They all then hear some ughter and they look back to see Cardin and his team mocking Velvet.

  Byzan's eye twitches as he frown forms on his face. He picks up a butter knife and lightly slides it down his right sleeve.

  Pyrrha turns to Jaune. "Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school."

  "Who? Cardin Winchester?" Jaune asks. "Nah... He just likes to mess around, you know?"

  "Mess around?" Byzan questions very seriously.

  "He is a bully." Ruby frowns.

  "Oh please... Name one time he's 'bullied' me..." Jaune asks.

  ...

  Jaune is seen on the way to css as Cardin is going the other way down the hall. When the two pass, Cardin knocks his arm into Jaune and makes him drop his book, then continuing on his way with his hands out as if daring anyone to challenge him.

  "Ah, come on!" Jaune compins.

  ...

  Jaune and Cardin are about to pass through a doorway, but Cardin clicks on Jaune's sheath and extends it into its shield form as he's going out, causing him to run into his own defense and have it block the exit.

  Jaune grunts in frustration as he tries to lift his shield back out. "Come on...!"

  ...

  Glynda is in the locker room with several students, gesturing at the devices." Each of you will be assigned one rocket-propelled locker to store your weapons and extra armor. Additionally, your locker can be sent to a custom location based on a six-digit code."

  Hearing this, Cardin looks at Jaune - standing between him and the only open locker in the room - and the cliché pys itself out as Cardin quickly pushes a shocked Jaune into the small dark space and closes the door on him, pressing random buttons on the pad right after that.

  "What?!" Jaune yells. "No, wait, wait! You've gotta get me out of here! Please! Don't! Don't! Don't do it!"

  It's too te to protest when the locker scrunches down and unches up with a burst of blue fire coming from its base. Cardin watches as the locker slowly soars across the sky.

  "Ahhh, coooome oooooooon...!" Jaune yells as he bsts off.

  ---

  Everyone is totally focused on him now.

  "I didn't nd far from the school..." Jaune cims.

  "Jaune, you know if you ever need help you can just ask..." Pyrrha informs.

  "OOH!" Nora stands up. "We'll break his legs!"

  "I'd rather not have any of us expelled." Ambré calls out.

  "Booo!" Nora crosses her arms and falls onto her seat.

  Jaune stands up as he grabs his tray. "Guys, really, it's fine! Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone."

  They all look over as the ughing grows louder, mixed in with cries of pain from Velvet when one of her ears are tugged on by Cardin.

  "Ow! That hurts!" Velvet stops struggling and grimaces. "Please, stop."

  Cardin continues ughing as he turns to his cronies. "I told you it was real!"

  "What a freak!" Russel guffaws with his teammates.

  Byzan grits his teeth as he quietly growls. He swiftly grabs fork and throws it behind him, seemingly without anyone noticing.

  Cardin then yells in pain and everyone looks to see him pull the fork out of his hand, letting Velvet get away. Blood falls from Cardin's hand as he stands up and walks out of the room with his team.

  Byzan smirks, but stops as he notices Ambré frowning at him.

  "Atrocious." Pyrrha says with venom in her voice. "I can't stand people like him."

  Rose looks sad. "Why does he have to be so mean?"

  Maize blinks a few times. "This is unacceptable behavior of a student of Beacon."

  Bke gres over at Cardin. "He's not the only one."

  Yang rests her chin on the palm of her hand. "It must be hard to be a Faunus."

  "Oh, you have no idea." Byzan looks down at the fsk in his hand.

  Lunch soon ends and everyone begins to leave but Ambré pulls her Faunus teammate to the side.

  "What is it, Ami?" Byzan asks as his innocently tilts his head.

  Ambré crosses her arms. "You can't go around attacking our fellow students like that."

  Byzan gives an innocent smile. "What ever do you mean~"

  Ambré pushes Byzan up against a wall. "I saw what you did with the fork, Byzantine. You can't fool me."

  Byzan face goes stone cold. "You mean to tell me, you'd just let a Faunus get openly bullied?"

  Ambré shakes her head. "No, but there are rules to things Byzan, you can't attack people when not in a duel."

  "What's wrong with protecting someone? It's not like I killed him."

  "But you hurt him, causing him to bleed."

  Byzan gres heavily at his team leader. "He was hurting my friend."

  "And you could settle it calmly, I don't want you expelled!"

  "I'd rather be expelled then see him bully Velvet again."

  Ambré snarls. "You can't be expelled, it'll look bad for you and us! Think about your team Byzan. Cardin will get what's coming for him."

  Byzan pushes Ambré away. "It's almost like you care for rules more then your friends, Ambré."

  Ambré straightens out her dress. "Rules are there to bring order, Byzan. Something you need to learn."

  Byzan growls at Ambré, before heading off.

  .

  .

  Byzan and Rose sigh in relief as they leave a css room with a group of students.

  "Don't forget to have that essay done by the end of the week, kids." Professor Ann Greene calls out.

  "Why did I take this css again, I don't even want to go into Security and I don't fight Stealthily." Rose whines.

  Byzan smirks as he leans to Rose as they walk down the hall. "Well, at least you have me with you~"

  Rose nods in agreement. "Yeah, I guess there's that."

  "Well, well, well." Cardin's voice calls out, making the two stop. "What have we here?"

  Byzan's eye twitches and he gnces at Rose. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."

  Rose shivers as she looks at Cardin. "Sorry." She swiftly walks off.

  Byzan turns to Cardin with a neutral look. "What do you want Cardin?"

  Cardin smirks as he walks over. "I just wanted to check on our resident cat."

  "Well, you have, now go."

  "Now, now, don't be so hasty." Cardin puts a hand around Byzan's shoulder. the cat gnces at it in disgust. "You know, when I first saw you, I kinda thought you were a girl?"

  "What are you getting at?" Byzan asks in annoyance.

  "Well, all I'm saying is now that I know what you are. You're nothing more than a disgusting F*got."

  Byzan's face goes stone cold as he gres at Cardin. "...What did you say."

  "You heard me I called you a-" Cardin gets cut off as Byzan sms him against a wall and puts a butter knife to his throat. "Whoa! Whoa!"

  Byzan gives Cardin a death gre as his grits his teeth and growls. "I fucking hate that word." He presses the cold metal of the butter knife onto Cardin's throat. "You may think of me as small and weak, Cardin. But don't fucking forget that I have easily kicked your ass before!"

  Cardin sweats. "H-Hey, now, I didn't-" Byzan sms his head against the wall, shutting him up.

  "Shut up! I've had enough of you Cardin, I'm a very nice person. But people like you just piss me off! And I'll let you know one thing." Byzan leans up to Cardin's ear. "I've killed people like you before. Do you want to know how I got the nickname 'Nightshade'?"

  Cardin slightly shakes. "O-O-Okay, I get your point!"

  Byzan throws Cardin on the ground. He tries to get up but the butter knife gets lodged into the ground next to his head, making him yelp.

  Byzan leans down towards the bully. "You need to stay away from me, my team and Velvet." He grabs Cardin's tie and lifts him up. "Alright."

  Cardin just nods and Byzan lets go of his tie, making him fall back onto the ground. He watches the cat faunus stomp down the hall with an angry look.

  "What the fuck was that?" Cardin questions.

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  04-14-2024

  3053 words