Unarmed combat, while not Weiss' forte, did not mean that she was totally unprepared. Yang was Team RWBY's unarmed expert, it complimented her style of fighting with Ember Celica, while Ruby, Blake, and Weiss focused on using their own weapons. In Weiss and Ruby's case, it made sense, they were the smallest members of the team, and well, any fist fights they got into might not end well for them. The busty blonde had forced them into taking a few hand-to-hand lessons, just in case something ever happened. They ended up being more useful than Weiss had expected, even if she was rarely disarmed.
She barely dodged a kick to her head, doing a backflip to get out of range of Dinah's strikes. The woman was fast and hard hitting, with a predilection for aiming for her weak spots. Weiss tried to retalliate with a kick of her own, aimed at Dinah's chin, but the blond was fast and blocked it with her wrist. The impact jarred her for a second, allowing Dinah to grab Weiss' ankle while she was at it. This was not going to end well for her.
"Not bad, but what are you going to do now?" Dinah's usual smile was replaced by a thin line, her face serious. Normally, Weiss would have easily been able to overpower the blonde with her superior strength, but that would be against the whole point of this sparring session. She was trying not to use her aura, and defeat Dinah with skill alone. A task easier said then done, between her relatively slender build, and Dinah's experience, it was starting to look like it wasn't happening.
Weiss was easily able to balance herself on one leg while Dinah held the other in her iron grip, it was child's play, thanks to her ballet training. She silently thanked Madame Lacroix for her lessons in dancing for enhancing her natural flexibility. She tilted her head to the side, meeting Dinah's smiling eyes with a blank stare. Yang would've easily been able to come up with an snarky retortwhile freeing herself from Dinah's grip in one move. Failing that, she would've just overpowered her with her innate brute strength.
"Use my aura and kick you into the wall?" Weiss asked, with a sarcastic smile on her face. Dinah gave her a disapproving frown when Weiss suddenly allowed herself to fall backwards and swung her captured leg at the same time, pulling Dinah forward and over her. Weiss rolled onto her back and not even a second later she was on her feet, completing the move flawlessly.
Dinah recovered quickly, and skidded near the edge of the ring, almost losing the match. She placed a hand on her hip as she regained her balance. "Nice move, but that won't work a second time."
Weiss relaxed her stance, holding her arms in a pale imitation of Yang's. She'd only been able to keep up because of her combat training and her own instincts. If she had been able to use her aura, glyphs, or Myrtenaster, then this match would've been long over. But then again, if this was a real fight, she'd be facing a foe who also had Aura, which would be a issue for her. "I don't need to use it a second time."
She was better at kick-boxing than hand-to-hand combat, her ballet and ice skating training helped to strengthen her legs. They were one of her greatest features in Weiss' opinion, even if she was rather slender. Some people may call that arrogance, but Weiss knew it to be the truth. Dinah moved first, attempting to sweep Weiss off of her feet, but the white haired girl hardened her stance and countered with a kick of her own. Her blow forced Dinah to have to block with her arm, and she could feel the jarring impact up her leg. Dinah's grimace told Weiss that it stung, even if it was just a little. Pulled or not, she had some muscle in those legs, and it would show.
"You're not half-bad, even if you like swords more." Dinah chirped. "Ollie would've given up by now." Weiss was unsure if that was a compliment or an insult.
"Honestly, I'm not surprised." Weiss huffed, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyeline. She darted forward, feinting with a left jab before spinning into a low kick aimed at Dinah's legs. A bit of a gamble, but if she could get Dinah on the ground, she had far better odds than an all out brawl.
Dinah hopped back effortlessly, dodging the blow, while her eyes glinted with amusement. "He's got other talents, believe me. Not everyone needs to punch their way through a fight."
That was true. Each and every member of Team RWBY had different specialties. Blake was the stealthiest of the four, while Ruby had been excellent againsthordes of Grimm and was amazing at tactics. Yang was a blondzerker, and was an excellent melee fighter, along with a startlingly good insight into human behavior. Pushing those thoughts out of her head, Weiss turned her attention back to the fight. This time, she unleashed a flurry of precise strikes: a high kick to force Dinah on the defensive, a spinning backfist aimed for her shoulder, and finally a sharp thrust of her palm targeting her chest.
Dinah blocked or redirected each move with ease, her movements fluid and controlled. This was a problem, Dinah had too much experience in this, whereas Weiss did not. "You've got good form, Weiss," she said, catching Weiss's wrist mid-strike. "But you're telegraphing your blows."
Weiss gritted her teeth and twisted her arm, breaking free from Dinah's grip. She quickly pivoted her twist into a sweeping kick, her ice-blue eyes narrowed with focus. "Maybe," she admitted, both to herself and to Dinah, "but I'm learning."
The kick caught Dinah off-guard, grazing her side and forcing her to stumble slightly, mostly out of surprise, Weiss suspected. She recovered almost instantly, smirking as she backed up a step, but Weiss could see her eyes harden a little in observation. "I can see that."
Weiss didn't waste any more time or breath on banter, and pressed her advantage. Weiss darted in low and attempting a grappling move Yang had taught her once before. She hooked one of Dinah's arms and pivoted her hips, trying to throw her opponent off balance.
Dinah anticipated the move and shifted her weight, flipping Weiss over instead. The heiress hit the mat with a thud, but she didn't let it faze her. She rolled backward and sprang to her feet in one move, landing in a ready stance once more.
"You're stubborn, I'll give you that," Dinah said, brushing imaginary dust off her sleeve. "But that's not going to be enough against someone like me."
Someone who was used to hand-to-hand combat and had years of experience with it, no less. Weiss already knew that, especially with her Aura not enhancing her body and strength. She would have to play to her strengths if Weiss wanted to gain a chance at winning this friendly spar. The Huntress wasn't used to fighting without a sword, no, but she was used to kicking, dancing and sliding. Hopefully, that would give her the advantage she would need, as a plan formed in her head. Thankful for the baby blue leggings that she wore, Weiss held her hands out defensively as she advanced once more, sweat dripping down her pale face.
They had been at this for over an hour now, but it seemed like mere minutes in her mind. Dinah seemed to notice Weiss's shift in strategy. Her stance adjusted subtly, preparing for the heiress's next move. The former heiress darted forward, feinting a high kick before twisting into a low slide. Dinah barely managed to sidestep, but Weiss used the momentum to spring up and deliver a spinning back kick that caught Dinah's forearm.
The impact wasn't as strong as Weiss would've liked, but it earned a grunt from Dinah, who smirked despite the sting. "Not bad. You're quick on your feet. What kind of dance did you study?"
"Ballet," Weiss said, her breathing heavier now but her resolve unshaken. She wasn't going to lose, at least, not without giving Dinah a few bruises. "And ice skating."
"You did a good job implementing them into your style." Dinah smiled, her white teeth seeming to glint in the light. The blonde lunged forward, her strikes coming faster and more aggressive, apparently she was done underestimating Weiss. Weiss ducked, weaved, and parried, her movements a mix of elegant dodges and precise counters. Her muscles were already starting to ache, as did her side, which was now fully healed thanks to the League's medicine and her own Aura speeding up her body's process. Yet, it was a good pain, that of a hard workout, and she relished the burning sensation.
Weiss saw an opening as Dinah overextended on a jab. The heiress stepped in close to Dinah, planting a firm palm against Dinah's shoulder and using the leverage to spin behind her with a flourish. Following up with a swift kick to her back, she sent Dinah stumbling forward a few steps.
Dinah turned, her smile wide now. "You're learning." Now that was annoying, considering the blonde was obviously holding back. Admittedly, not nearly as much as she had been at the start of the match, but still holding back.
Weiss raised her hands into a guard position once more, taking one step forward. Without warning, Dinah closed the distance, her speed causing her to form into a blonde blur. Weiss barely managed to block the first strike, a feint, before Dinah's real attack—a sweeping leg kick—knocked her off balance. Weiss flew back but twisted midair, landing on her hands and knees.
Dinah was on her instantly, aiming to pin her in place, where her superior size and mass would give her the advantage. Weiss used her smaller frame to her advantage, slipping out of Dinah's grasp and flipping onto her feet in one fluid motion.
"You're relentless," Weiss muttered, her chest heaving as she sucked in air. Her endurance wasn't infinite, and she was recovering from an injury. She needed to win this, and fast.
"You're keeping up," Dinah replied, a glint of respect in her eyes. She stood there, not a hair out of place, or even appearing to breathe too hard. Yet, Weiss could see a bead of sweat on her forehead, and took some solace in knowing Dinah was just as winded as she was. "That's saying something."
Weiss didn't respond, too busy calculating her next, and most likely final move. She had one last gambit to try, one she'd avoided simply because it was too risky. She darted forward, faking a low sweep, then used her momentum to leap into a high, spinning kick aimed squarely at Dinah's head.
The blonde caught Weiss's ankle mid-spin, her grip firm as she pulled Weiss out of the air and onto the mat. Dinah pinned her before Weiss could recover, locking her arms in place. Weiss tried to squirm free, but Dinah's grip was tight as steel. She couldn't slip out, not again.
"Match," Dinah declared, her tone firm but not unkind.
Weiss struggled for a moment before sighing and going still. She knew she had lost, and could accept it. She did take a little pride in how long she'd lasted, at least. "Fine. You win."
Dinah released her hold with a small smile as Weiss stayed on the floor, stretching her arms and legs. She had been stuck on the Watchtower for a week now, as Batman made sure Weiss was injected with every vaccine possible, and did tests to make sure she didn't carry some disease from Remnant that would run rampant on their Earth. They had come back negative, so Weiss was left to wander the Watchtower, until the brooding manbat finished creating a new identity for her on Earth.
Dinah did the same before extending a hand down to Weiss. Weiss took it with a small smile and was soon back on her feet.
"Thanks." Weiss commented as she looked down at herself. Dressed in the baby blue leggings and a white training bra, she was covered in sweat. If she had been using her Aura, Weiss wouldn't even have broken a sweat. Still, it was good to be active once more and not having to fight for her life, just an ordinary sparring match.
Yet, her Aura breaking is what had allowed Cinder to pierce her with that javelin made out of glass. Weiss wasn't going to let that happen again, no, she needed to train harder, pushing her body past its limits.
"I need a shower." Weiss sighed as she looked down once more at her leggings, which had darkened somewhat from their baby blue they had started as. Dinah had also provided a small wardrobe, even if most of it wasn't Weiss's usual style. She still looked fabulous of course, her body was amazing even by Remnant standards, and Aura ensured anyone who had it active looked great, with a few minor occurrences. Add in her Huntress lifestyle, and she had a body most women would kill for, but maintaining it was a pain at times.
"Same." Dinah released a light laugh in response to the statement. "You did great. Better than most, at the very least."
Weiss gave a polite nod at the compliment, though she didn't take much solace in it. "Better than most isn't good enough." She did have an ego to maintain, after all. Schnees didn't accept defeat.
Dinah smirked, walking over to the edge of the training mat, where a set of towels and water bottles waited for them. "That's a good attitude. But don't let it frustrate you. Progress takes time. Trust me, even I didn't get this good overnight." She tossed Weiss a towel, emblazoned with the logo of Wonder Woman, which the former heiress caught with ease.
Weiss dabbed at her forehead, her ice-blue eyes thoughtful. Dinah's words made sense, though patience wasn't exactly her strongest trait. While she wasn't as bad as Yang, she still had issues waiting at times. "I'll keep that in mind."
Time for a nice hot shower.
A/N
Young Huntress is going to get more frequent updates.
Done by my friend as I struggle to figure out how to word the next chapter