Hyunwoo vs Mercury

The crowd was louder than usual for a spar. With Mercury's smirk and Hyunwoo's calm presence on the stage, students leaned forward, sensing this wasn't going to be just another friendly bout.

"Go Hyunwoo!" Ruby's voice rang from Team RWBY's bench, Weiss rolling her eyes but still watching intently. Yang gave a sharp whistle, and Blake's amber eyes didn't stray from the arena.

From the other side, Jaune cupped his hands around his mouth. "You got this, man!"Nora was bouncing in her seat, chanting his name like it was a festival. Ren, as always, sat quiet, but his gaze was steady, approving.

Team NOVA's cheers were more subtle but carried weight. Jisoo's smile was wry but encouraging, Jiwon's nod firm, and Jaemin gave a quiet, "Don't let him read you."

Hyunwoo exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he raised Spear. "So this is how he plays. Probe, push, then resign before showing too much. You want to test me without consequences."

His grip tightened.

Not happening.

Mercury kicked the floor lightly, settling into stance with both legs forward. "Don't worry," he called casually, "I'll go easy. Just enough to—"

Hyunwoo blurred forward before he could finish. A sharp thrust of his spear forced Mercury to pivot hard, the strike whistling past his ribs.

The crowd gasped.

Mercury's smirk faltered, and his gray eyes sharpened. "Oh? That's how it's gonna be."

His small grin twitched. He lifted his greaves, deflecting sparks off metal, but each block dragged him an inch backward.

Too fast... too tight, Mercury thought, his chest tightening as the spear carved arcs through the air. Every time he set his weight to counter, another strike came from a different angle.

From the stands, Yang whistled low. "He's not even giving him a second."

"Mercury's fast," Ren said evenly, "but Hyunwoo isn't letting him use it."

On the floor, Mercury tried to bait him—fall back, feint, let Hyunwoo overextend. But the boy's footwork was disciplined, cutting off angles before they could form. Each step was measured, each strike pressing deeper into Mercury's space.

The spear shaft cracked hard against his guard, rattling his arm. He opened his mouth for a quip—only to duck another thrust aimed at his throat. The words died unspoken.

Hyunwoo's face betrayed nothing. No taunt. No smugness. Just focus, as though Mercury wasn't a rival, but an obstacle to push past.

The crowd murmured louder as Mercury staggered back, Aura sparking under a well-placed strike to his side.

For once, the ever-cocky Mercury Black had nothing to say.

The match dragged past the first minute, and the air was buzzing with tension.

Mercury was sweating. Not from exertion—he was used to moving fast, used to pushing opponents into mistakes. But Hyunwoo wasn't giving him anything. No gaps, no reckless swings, no wasted motion.

Every spear thrust hammered him backward. Every sweep caught his ankles a half-second too late for comfort. Every block rattled his bones through his metal greaves.

Mercury's teeth clenched as Hyunwoo's spear locked against his shin, grinding sparks off steel. "Tch—" he tried to shove forward, to flip momentum—

—but Hyunwoo twisted the shaft, pivoting smoothly, and drove the butt of the spear against Mercury's ribs. Aura flared as he stumbled back.

Gasps erupted from the benches.

"Holy crap," Nora whispered, wide-eyed. "He's wrecking him!"

Ruby leaned forward so far Yang had to catch her collar. "Hyunwoo's amazing!"

Weiss folded her arms, but her eyes didn't leave the match. Even she looked impressed.

Mercury grit his teeth and kicked. His greaves roared, launching him forward with blistering speed—an overhead strike meant to crush through Hyunwoo's defense.

Hyunwoo's eyes narrowed. He didn't retreat.

The spear rose to meet the kick with a sharp clang, deflecting the strike at the last second. The momentum carried Mercury just enough off-balance that Hyunwoo stepped inside his guard, spear shaft sliding along his leg like a lever.

The point of the spear stopped an inch from Mercury's throat.

Silence slammed the arena.

Mercury froze, his smirk gone, chest heaving. He could feel the pressure—not the weapon, but the intent. Hyunwoo's green eyes stared straight through him.

For the first time, Mercury Black had nothing to say.

Only when Glynda's voice cut through did the world start moving again."That's enough." Her tone was clipped, but there was something sharper beneath it. She flicked her riding crop, and the barrier shimmered down.

Hyunwoo lowered his spear without a word and stepped back, calm as if he'd merely finished a routine drill.

Mercury straightened slowly, hiding his ragged breath behind a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.

From the stands, cheers broke out. Team RWBY and JNPR were practically on their feet, while NOVA simply exchanged knowing looks.

But Mercury... stayed quiet.

_____

The hallway outside the arena was buzzing with chatter, students spilling out after the sparring matches.

Sun Wukong jogged up beside Blake, grin lopsided and casual."Hey, so—there's a dance coming up. Thought maybe you'd like to go with me? Just for fun?"

Blake stopped mid-step, her amber eyes narrowing. "I don't have time for that."

Sun blinked, caught off guard by her sharp tone. "It doesn't have to be—"

"I said no." Her voice cut like a blade. Before he could respond, Blake turned on her heel and walked off, her bow swaying with each clipped stride.

Sun stood frozen in the hallway, his grin faltering into something almost fragile. Neptune clapped him on the shoulder with an awkward sigh. "Ouch, man. That... could've gone better."

⸻

Later, in Team RWBY's dorm.

Blake sat on her bed, arms crossed, gaze hard on the floorboards. She hadn't said a word since storming back.

Yang leaned against the wall, arms folded. "Blake, you can't keep doing this to yourself."

Ruby perched on the edge of her bed, worry etched on her face. "You're not sleeping. You're barely eating. We're worried about you. What if you fainted during the dance?"

Blake's ears twitched beneath the bow. "I don't care about a dance. I care about stopping the White Fang before more people get hurt."

Weiss set her book down with a sharp snap. "And we are. We already know they're operating out of Southeast Vale. We know Vale's been their main target for Dust robberies. That's progress."

But Blake shook her head, frustration burning in her voice. "It's not enough. There's still too much we don't know."

Yang pushed off the wall, her tone firmer now. "You can't run yourself into the ground chasing shadows. One night. That's all we're asking. One night to recharge. After that, we'll get back to tracking them down."

Ruby chimed in softly, almost pleading. "We just want you with us, Blake. Just for one night."

But Blake's arms only tightened around herself. "The dance is a waste of time."

The room went heavy with silence as she stood and walked to the door. Without looking back, she muttered, "Do what you want. I'm not going."

The door shut behind her, leaving the others in the thick silence she left behind.

A few seconds later..There was a sudden knock at the door.

Weiss sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Honestly..." She marched across the room and pulled it open.

Standing there was Jaune Arc, awkward grin plastered across his face and a guitar slung in his hands.

"Weiss!" he crooned dramatically, strumming the opening chord.

Weiss slammed the door shut with a sharp bang.

From outside, his muffled voice came through. "Oh, come on! Open the door! I promise not to sing!"

Weiss exhaled sharply through her nose and tugged the door open again.

"I lied!" Jaune declared proudly, strumming louder. "Weiss Schu-nee, will you accompany me, to the dance on... Sunday!?"

Weiss stood there in dead silence, staring at him like he was a bad commercial jingle. "Are you done?"

Jaune tilted his head, shrugged sheepishly. "...Yes?"

"No." The door shut again with a thunk.

When Weiss turned back around, Ruby and Yang were watching her, expressions caught somewhere between pity and amusement.

"What?" Weiss snapped, smoothing her skirt with unnecessary force.

Yang smirked, arms crossed. "And that is why they call you the Ice Queen."

Ruby tried not to laugh but finally toppled sideways onto her bed, giggling uncontrollably.

Weiss sniffed, chin raised. "I'll have you know, all my life boys have only cared about the perks of my last name. Besides—" she paused, just long enough to sound suspicious, "—I already have a date in mind."

Ruby sat up, blinking. "Wait... you do?"

Weiss waved the thought away. "That's hardly important."

Ruby's smile faded as she hugged her knees. "Date or no date... none of this will matter if we can't get Blake to go."

The air in the dorm quieted. Weiss and Yang both glanced at her, and for once, neither had a clever reply

Yang, sitting cross-legged on her bed, glanced between her younger sister's worried expression and Weiss's stiff posture. The tension pressed in, thick and heavy, and for once Yang decided the best way to handle it wasn't another serious talk—it was a well-placed jab.

She leaned forward, smirk tugging at her lips. "Well, Ruby... if you're that worried about the dance, maybe you should stop stressing over Blake for a second and start worrying about yourself."

Ruby blinked. "What do you mean?"

Yang raised an eyebrow, her grin turning sly. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're not thinking about who you're going with." She tapped her chin, pretending to consider. "Hmm... let me guess. That one guy who keeps catching your eye during sparring. Y'know—the tall one with the spear, green eyes, broody as heck but somehow still nice to you?"

Ruby's cheeks flared bright red. "Y-Yang!" She flailed her arms, nearly knocking her pillow to the floor. "I—I don't—! It's not like that!"

Weiss raised an unimpressed brow but allowed herself the faintest smirk, arms crossed. "Really, Ruby. You're practically sputtering. That hardly counts as a convincing denial."

Ruby buried her face in her hands. "Why are you two like this!?"

Yang laughed, leaning back against the wall with her hands behind her head. "Relax, sis. I'm just saying, if you're so worried about the dance being a waste of time, maybe you should think about how fun it could actually be. Imagine it—lights, music, and you finally getting the chance to dance with Hyunwoo."

Ruby's muffled groan came through her palms. "You're the worst."

Yang chuckled but her tone softened. "I'm just teasing, Rubes. But seriously—don't knock the idea of having a little fun. We've all been wound tight lately, and you more than anyone. Blake's got her fight, sure, but you need to breathe too. And hey, who knows? Maybe the dance isn't just a distraction. It could be... a memory worth keeping."

Ruby peeked between her fingers, her blush still stubbornly bright. She didn't answer, but the way her shoulders loosened just a little gave her away.

Weiss sniffed and turned toward her desk, pretending she wasn't interested. But the tiniest hint of a smile ghosted across her face as she muttered, "At least someone in this team has a sense of optimism."

Yang grinned wider, satisfied. The mood in the dorm had lightened—if only a little.

____

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