What follows is competitive nature at its finest…Or its worst. Depending on what you would define as “competitive.”

-------------------------

To say that the Xiao Long-Rose family home was about to go abuzz with competition would be an understatement.

Ruby, Blake and Qrow had made their final selections before locking in. Followed by Taiyang, Jaune and Yang.

“You sure you don’t wanna join us, Weiss?” Nora asked as enthusiastically as ever. Holding back her bloodlust before joining in the match.

“No thank you. I’m not into video games, so I’ll just sit here with Zwei.” She responded.

The dog sat in Weiss’ lap and happily panted while looking towards his owners and then to the screen. He licked the ex-heiress’ face while she giggled.

“Hear that puppy? We’re gonna be spectating. Yes, we are! Yes, we are!” She said, baby talking the corgi and scratching behind his ears.

“So, who are you playing, Blake?” Sun asked standing behind his Faunus compatriot.

“Probably Genevieve. I know that she got a buff to her throwing daggers, I just haven’t heard too many details." She answered. "Something about having less of a drop off arc at longer distances.”

“Yeah, I heard something about Larkin getting a nerf to his Slammer Banana." Sun commented. "How is he even gonna hit something by then? The hit speed’s way too slow now.” The monkey expressed in slight annoyance.

“That’s why Ji is out of the Meta right now.” Said Yang as she looked away from her main bruiser fighter on the screen to Sun. “Larkin’s got a slower toss, but better knockback.” She added as she looked back to Ji’s splash model. “Her machine gauntlets really have to be considered for more than just a suppressing attack from mashing Down + Y.”

Blake and Sun couldn't argue and locked in with their respective fighters as the ready screen popped up. Ruby, hosting the game, pressed Start and Select to proceed with the battleground selection.

“Okay! Where are we fighting?”

The party the unruly group of heroes decided to throw at Ruby and Yang’s home was a massive sigh of relief after their battle with Salem.

Video games, food, and fun all came to this party, as the group rejoiced for the first time in as long as they could remember. But as is the case with all parties between good friends and battle partners, however, there will inevitably be some kind of trivial conflict. Sure enough, as if part of some sort of sick social formula, there was a problem.

Who would get the last slice of pizza?

The winner of this proverbial baked piece of cheese on triangular bread would be decided with a most epic battle. A game of Pinnacle Karate Knights 4 would decide the winner of this most prized of items.

“I think we should try Battlespace. Go with one of the classics.” Taiyang added with the cheesiest grin only a father could muster.

“What about Silent City?” Jaune asked. “Song always gets my blood pumping.”

“I’m more of a Mountain Altar kinda girl.” Nora said with a smile.

“Alright. Why don’t we tally up the votes for the maps we want?”

Ruby’s suggestion was met with nods while they put in their votes. In order it would be Silent City, Mountain Altar, and Battlespace. She put in the map order in her scroll as the match was loading.

===========================

“Excuse me, Ruby?”

“Yeah, Weiss?”

“Is the whole map selection thing really that important?” Her friend asked.

“We only play a few battlefields on the reg, so yes it’s very important.” Ruby answered.

“Ok.” Weiss said shrugging slightly.

“Oh Weiss, you choose.” Yang insisted.

“What? Why me?” She replied with a fair amount of shock, met with eager looks from everyone else.

“Cause we said so.” Blake snarked.

“Fine.” Weiss replied firm with just a hint of resentment. She looked over the maps that everyone wanted to choose and made her choice.

“How about that one. The one with the mountain.” She said, pointing to...

“Mountain Altar?” Jaune replied.

“Sure.”

“Ok, now pick the environment.” He added.

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” Ruby replied firmly.

“Ok, ok.” Weiss Tsun’ed. She looked and decided with, “How about the snow environment?”

“Of course, you would choose that, Ice Queen.” Yang snarked, much to everyone’s joy.

Weiss looked at her with a face that said, I am. And unimpressed by your childishness.

To which Taiyang, being a terrific Dad as usual, replied with a terrible English accent: “Listen to them not my lady, for you are the fairest of rulers in the land.”

Weiss smiled and laughed a little bit.

“Thank you, Mr. Xiao Long.”

Tai smiled back and looked at his ex brother-in-law with a stink eye.

“You’re not drinking, are you?” He asked.

“Uggh. No.” Qrow replied, annoyed.

“Just making sure.”

“Ok, everyone quiet down. We’re about to begin.” Ruby declared.

Ruby then started the match, with a 30 second timer.

“Just so you know, I am winning that pizza slice.” Jaune taunted.

“And how do you figure, Vomit Boy?”

“I've been practicing a lot. And I will destroy you, Red.”

“Bring it.” Ruby replied and looked at the screen with a face ready for battle.

Eight players enter. One will emerge victorious and will savor that last slice of delicious pizza sitting in the box. The time ticks down to the beat of the war drums in the minds of our heroes. And slowly, but surely, a battle for the ages will commence.

Seven. Six. Five. Four.

“Can I go to the bathro…”

“NO!”

Ren was interrupted by everyone except for Taiyang and Weiss.

Three. Two.

“Go ahead, son.” Replied Tai.

“Thank you, Mr. Xiao Long.”

Ren bowed and removed himself from the living room briefly.

One. Zero.

BEGIN.

-------------------------

The match opened up to the shot of a mid-air temple with a normally grassy area with moss hanging from the shrines now blanketed with snow. The peace wouldn't last long, for it was interrupted by the respective entrances of several of the eight challengers.

Sir Cyrus. Paladin of The Chantry.

Izanagi. Daybreak’s Reaper.

Larkin. Deadly Prankster.

Genevieve. Vigilant of The Eclipse.

Ji. Fights because no one tells her where to go.

The other three combatants entered the exterior or the altar as the announcer yelled “GO!”

And the battle began. First was Blake as Genevieve with a forward pounce of her twilight daggers followed by a riposte towards an attempted ground slam attack by Cyrus’ sword. Genevieve leaped just in the nick of time before barely getting grazed by Larkin’s banana bash.

Izanagi was next with a bunny hop to the nearest slat but with a wall-bound leap to the nearest pole in which Ruby mashed B + Left + Up.

Her fighter latched onto the pole with his scythe performing a spinning maneuver around said pole, while she input with an ascending cyclone attack but was greeted with an interruption of a grasp attack by Ji as her sister’s main bruiser combatant attempted to strangle Izanagi and Ji fell flat to the ground. Their damage meters both raising in the red upon point of impact.

“Yang, get off me!”

“Nope!” Yang said with a sadistic grin. Mashing Y + Down as she strangled the poor guy with the scythe as Ji’s grip tightened. “Nothing personal, Sis. That pizza is mine all mi- -WHOA! WHAT THE- -”

Yang’s choking attack was rudely interrupted by the sight of a thunderbolt crashing down on Ji and a beam that would break the Aura on a fighter to stun them. Ruby gawked at Nora with amazement as she saw Ren return to her side while Nora had cackled at her stun lock on her.

“Tordenhøg?” Ren inquired to Ruby.

“Tordenhøg.” She replied while Ji’s lock was broken by a coconut shot from both sides action movie-style by Larkin. The other hitting Nora’s fighter.

“Oh. It’s on!” The apricot haired hammer queen bellowed.

“Bring it on, gingie!” Sun barked back as Blake winced at the yell that the living room’s acoustics failed to bounce off properly. She leered at Sun as he sheepishly grinned in apology.

The girl rolled her eyes as she resumed tossing daggers like she would throw a football at Jaune’s homeboy knight, Sir Cyrus.

Qrow and Taiyang followed suit as they finally loaded up into the fracas with Talon and Crasher respectively. Qrow input the combo for Talon’s glide as he jumped in with a swipe at Cyrus’ back. Causing his damage meter to ebb forward with bleeding damage.

Tai had Crasher swap out his submachine gun for a mini missile launcher and dashed forward with a rocket jump. Successfully arcing over to his daughter’s scythe user and ready to fire, only to hit the wrong button and fired his rocket into the cliffside, plunging into the abyss below. His daredevil fighter screams echoing into the cloudy below as he was first to be eliminated with a visible boom in the corner of the screen.

“Dad!” Yang said in exasperation holding her arms up with the Scroll in her good arm.

“Sorry, honey. I haven’t been practicing with the rocket jump lately.” Tai said with a cringe.

“Get back here!” Ruby barked.

“Only if you’ll yield to my Holy Bolts!” Jaune snipped.

The heroine was about to retort back towards Jaune. Eyes not shifting away from the screen as her plate of cookies fell off her lap.

“Ah! My cookies!”

Weiss looked in terror as her grip on Zwei tightened, at his rear tuft of hair just above his collar.

“I got him, Ruby!”

“It’s okay he’s not a fan of cookies!” She quickly retorted before giving a battle cry in response to Jaune’s charge.

Zwei barked in protest of the snow-haired girl getting needlessly antsy at the sight of the sweets hitting the ground that wouldn't do his stomach any favors. He wriggled and barked and got out of Weiss’s wrap, and then looked at her with a look of disapproval.

Weiss grinned in embarrassment as she gently set the pooch down back in her lap. He then walked over to Tai and sat down. Leaving Weiss with a sad expression.

Sun resumed his fatal assault towards Nora’s shocking combatant as she sliced the weapons-grade coconuts with Tordenhøg’s axe. Her shield bouncing off the palmy shells that could have hit her across the head. Sun rapidly pressed any light combo he could think of with Larkin as the axeman stomped forward as he ran out of options.

Meanwhile, Qrow’s fighter gave a dive kick from his roost against Ji’s tiny head. Her hitbox taking the brunt of the foot to the dome.

Qrow chuckled as she caught his blonde niece on the ropes, but she boosted upward with a pneumatically powered thrust through her gauntlets. Qrow’s smirk dropped into a face of abstract terror.

“Think fast, Uncle.” Yang retorted with her trademark grin.

Jaune found his moment of opportunity as he swung his blade, impaling it through Yang’s back. Her damage meter getting into the maroon.

The blonde bomber barely dodged Cyrus and his next advance into Ji’s personal space as Jaune emoted with his knight pointing the sword at his foe saying, “Submit to my righteousness, heathen!” and hoisting it onto his back before giving the “come here” gesture and resuming his confident stance.

Yang glowered at this offer.

“Okay…”

She pulled both sets of triggers and bumpers on her Scroll’s controller interface, causing Ji to slam both of her armored fists together with a loud clang.

“You wanna play rough?! Okay!” Her bruiser roared with an echo as she did a push up with both of them and leaped 30 feet in the air nose first.

The game’s camera couldn't properly get her into the shot, instead highlighting her character portrait with an arrow above the frame.

The party paused. Looking up with shock as they realized they were about to flattened by Ji’s limit break ability: Iron Comet.

“Run!” Qrow shouted as he activated Talon’s boost jump.

“Oh my God. Higher ground! She’s gonna…!”

The words in Jaune’s exclamation couldn't reach the tip of his tongue in time while he called in Sir Cyrus’ Pegasus steed which neighed in defiance.

Genevieve leaped back and forth from pillar to pillar as Blake dug her twilight daggers as she squatted on top of the pillar.

Larkin got a scratch from Tordenhøg’s tomahawk attempting to hook him in the leg. Sun, realizing he was screwed grappled Nora’s lightning wielder in the ultimate act of desperation in order to take her with him.

The Nord attempted to kick the Chimpanzee off of him, but Sun retorted just in time in climbing behind then piggybacking the titan before the bomb whistle sound effect signaled immediate death for the poor two souls on the ground.

Yang laughed evilly as her eyes shifted from purple to red. Ren and Weiss winced down in front.

Ji followed suit with her Iron Comet move…

BOOM!

The sonic boom from her gauntlets emanated upon impact. The ground shook and the stone floor of the temple cracked upon the in-game sound barrier shattering. In the back, one of the pillars that Blake set Genevieve to safety on had crumbled over as she desperately leaped from the stone tower that was going down like a lumberjack’s latest victim of a tree.

Izanagi fell off the surface as Ruby panicked with digging his scythe into a nearby balcony of the Mountain Altar. But not even the deep cut of a natural scythe user could withstand the supersonic blast from the Machine Gauntlets as Izanagi was thrown into the wall where his balcony stood. The impact knocking her fighter out.

Tordenhøg and Larkin weren't so lucky. As Sun’s chimp fighter was blown off into the abyss with Nora’s lightning-powered barbarian.

Their Scrolls buzzed with a massive red X. Nora simply shrugged with her Scroll as she stuck her tongue out while Sun stared in defeat.

“Holy crap. I thought Iron Comet got nerfed…” Sun muttered. Dumbstruck.

“I guess not.” Said Ruby.

The smoke had cleared from the move. And Ji emerged from her crater as her gauntlets shattered into a million pieces. But she merely spat to her side as she got up for more.

Yang chuckled. Her eyes still signaling a digital taste for blood.

“No one’s stopping me from that pizza slice now. No- -“

SHINK!

Yang’s boast was interrupted by the sound and sight of a certain cat burglar shoving her daggers into her fighter’s back. He turned in surprise to see Blake smirking and not changing her gaze to the screen to address Yang that she had her now.

“Gotcha.”

Genevieve threw one of her daggers upwards, turning Ji around with the one in her shoulder blade and engaging in several strong kicks to the edge of the temple. Genevieve caught the dagger she threw up and shook her head with a mocking smile at her opponent.

The mocking body language ended with a back flipping kick up her jaw. Ji screamed in pain, but her yell was caught short when she blasted off again right into the top of the screen.

Yang’s sudden rush was dropped at the sight of getting the living daylights kicked out of her character and the sound and vibration of her Scroll getting marked and buzzing with the red X signaling her elimination.

“Grrrr! Dang it!” She snarled as she chucked her Scroll in frustration on the carpet floor.

Ren caught the device just in time before it could shatter against the lacquered wall. Weiss’ eyes widened in alarm at the sight of how Ren caught the phone perfectly, and how intense Yang could get at losing in a fighting game.

Despite how she adapted to that many study sessions being interrupted by her freaking out at the sound of her, Ruby and Blake trying to compete as to who would carry the binders to the library, it was still pretty startling for her.

“Are they always this competitive?” Ren inquired as he set the yellow Scroll that bore her emblem to his side.

Weiss nodded.

“Yeah. You wouldn't believe how much I had to study in the library during one of these matches.”

Blake on the other hand, didn’t so much as flinch at Yang’s tantrum. Shifting her attention towards Qrow.

The Drunkle accepted the cat’s challenge she offered from her body language. Giving a grizzly nod.

Sir Cyrus flew back in shortly from his heavenly mount after Ji’s blast while Izanagi finally got his second wind.

Ruby and Jaune briefly sparred with one another while Blake and Qrow scuffled in a game of chicken where Genevieve brought out her best throwing weapons, some used as grapples against the surviving pillars of Mountain Altar as if they were Gambol Shroud’s ribbon. Talon was hard to hit, but otherwise had a hard time being grazed by Genevieve’s twilight daggers.

Sun got his groove back from the sight of Blake kicking Qrow in the tail feather, even if he was still dodging like he was some blue-colored hedgehog. He got psyched and started encouraging Blake to get him good.

“Hit him.”

“I’m trying, Sun.”

“Hit him!”

“I’m trying, Sun!”

Blake scowled at her friend’s demands for clear and present danger against the corvid drunk when she was trying to time her strikes.

Meanwhile, Jaune broke off from Ruby after a holy branding palm attack from Cyrus.

While Ruby struggled once again to break free of the stun lock, Cyrus snuck up behind Talon when he was about to throw grenades down below at his cat burglar opponent. The avian assailant’s attempt at firing was cut short as the crusader had performed his signature execution on Skirmisher class combatants. A swift punch to the head and impaling the fool on his blade.

Talon stumbled before Cyrus jogged off as Qrow attempted to press the jump recovery. But to no avail. Talon lazily fell into the clouds below as his fighter’s Scroll buzzed next.

“Augh!”

But before Qrow could verbally retort, Ruby and Izanagi found themselves in a mêlée à trois battle with the paladin and the assassin respectfully.

The battle between the three parties raged on like a typhoon as Ruby whacked Jaune’s fighter in the crotch. Then caught Genevieve in a headlock with the scythe followed by three nasty headbutts followed by a spinning upwards slice which threw Genevieve into the sky below. The “RING OUT” notification buzzed next on Blake’s scroll with the red-colored X that was clear as day.

“Sorry, Blake. But that pizza is good as mine!”

“That’s fine. You just better win since I was denied one. Get him!”

Ruby and Jaune locked gazes of anticipation when their fighters were left standing. They looked back when the game announcer said, “Last Combatants Standing.” In the most bombastic way possible. Nora and Ren began to cheer on their knightly leader, while Yang, Blake and Weiss followed suit with Ruby.

Qrow was about to cheer on Jaune out of respect for how well he kicked his butt. But before he could finish the guy’s name, he started to feel a sense of unrest in his stomach. His gullet about to be awash with something that disagreed with him.

“Come on, kid- -Uh-oh…Mmgh!”

“Qrow?” His brother-in-law said out of concern.

“I was just gonna…It’s…’Scuse me!” He said with his lanky figure ejecting from the sofa.

“What the heck, man! I thought you weren't drinking!”

“I lied!” He said at a distance from the bathroom just in time before puking his guts out into the toilet. Which the teens cringed at while Taiyang rolled his eyes and facepalmed.

“Mr. Xiao Long, is he going to be alright?” Asked Ren.

“He’s a destructive alcoholic, it doesn’t matter right now.” Ruby quickly said.

Taiyang, after giving his daughter the stink eye looked back at Ren.

“Yeah, he’ll be fine.” He said with a quick nod.

“Okay…”

The battle resumed with Zwei returning to Weiss’ lap as he joyfully panted as a sign of “we’re cool, hooman” which she smiled at. Ruby’s teammates returned to cheering her on. Nora and Ren once again followed suit while Sun and Tai joined in rooting for the knight.

“Let’s go!” They both shouted as their fighters charged.

Knight and reaper met with curved and straightened blades locking.

Izanagi hooked the blade and gave Cyrus a swift punch upside the chin. Jaune attempted to retort with a riposte slash across the stomach. Ruby yelped as her damage meter reddened. The Sudden Death rules of this game mode had gone into overdrive. Either way, one of the two young Hunters would be getting that pizza slice.

“Kick her butt, Jaune!” Nora encouraged.

“Yeah – Hic! Get her, Jauoone. That pizza ish yourrrrr- -some timmmme.” Qrow called from the bathroom after another attempt to flush down his tossed cookies.

“We need to talk about your social drinking some time, Qrow.” Tai replied.

“It wash ony tha one.” He responded in between the teens chanting.

“One what?”

“One ahhhhhhhhm.”

“Hold on. I’m gonna go check on him. I’ll be right back, kids.”

“Sure, dad! RAAAAAGH!”

As Ruby’s shout echoed throughout the living room, Qrow moaned in pain.

“Keep it down, Rubes!”

“Sorry!”

“Ruby, watch out!” Yang called out, pointing out to her sister about Jaune closing in with Cyrus and his Excalibur blade.

The girl in red jabbed back with the blunt end of where her character’s scythe blade was forged in. Cyrus staggered back as Izanagi’s right taunt emote was uttered: “Pity. I was beginning to enjoy seeing you best me.”

“Well then allow me to show you up close.” Jaune quietly retorted.

He hit Up + Left + Holding B as he unleashed a backwards spinning attack that jabbed through the purple and maroon reaper. Ruby’s damage meter recolored from salmon pink to a more intense shade of auburn. As Izanagi was knocked flat on his butt, he tumbled again and Ruby quickly hit A + Y and dug the scythe into the hallowed ground.

As the reaper’s balance was regained, Ruby had to act fast. With her damage meter going as red as the tapestries in Haven Academy, it was almost time to unleash her limit break: Blood Moon. But with Jaune’s sheer tenacity and chutzpah with how he set his strength and endurance stats on his current ranking with Cyrus? It was looking less and less likely.

While they were in the proxy war, Ruby really had little time to practice on fighting games. But she was finally getting her groove back with the reward of a baked piece of piece of bread sprinkled with cheese and tomato sauce.

“How you doing in there, Qrow?” Yang inquired in between rooting for her little sister.

“Where are my tashte buddiesh? Why doesh everything tashte grilleyd? Shorry, hamburger.”

“Yeah he’s good!” Taiyang answered. “You got it out of your system. Right?”

“Mmmmmlllfiiiiiiiiiiiiine.”

Ren gave a puzzled look to Yang.

“How does he not have liver damage yet?”

Yang shrugged.

“I do- - “

“HAAAAAAAAAA!!”

Yang winced at being interrupted by Jaune and Ruby screaming combatively.

“I don’t know, man. Guess his liver has better fortune than him.”

Izanagi’s Blood Moon was about ready. But before he could be prompted by LB + RB and RT + LT to unleash his life draining somersaulting attack, Sir Cyrus responded in kind by attempting his Gallant Charge when the lighting in the map faded to a gunmetal blue hue as the two fighters of different ambitions drew their weapons into defensive positions.

The in-game music swelling into dramatic chords while Cyrus and Izanagi gave each other a daring boast. Recognizing what kind of trouble that they were both in, Ruby and Jaune rapidly input the button sequences on their Scroll screens that appeared for their wager regarding who could hit harder.

“You are a butcher and a heretic!” Cyrus boasted.

“And you need some acting lessons.” Izanagi snarked.

After their taunts, reaper and knight charged screaming at one another when the tips of their weapons reached.

This prompted another shockwave throughout the map, upping Ruby’s damage meter by 35% while Jaune recovered some health. The remaining pillars in the back crumbled. Leaving just a stone walking path in the map. Now was her chance…

“Say your prayers, Ruby!

“I don’t think so!”

Left and right bumpers. Left and right triggers. Ruby mashed all four of ‘em at once. Causing Izanagi to curl back his scythe with one hand accompanied by the tolling of an iron bell sounding as he glowed with power and the background around him going dark.

“Sleep tight, punk…” He said as the day turned to night in the map. The sky glowing red as the moon turned into just as his namesake suggested: Blood red. Cyrus attempted to block but was hoisted up to the dreadful night sky by his hand grabbing the collar of the shirt behind his breastplate and carrying him up to the desaturated light of the planet’s natural satellite.

The wine-colored reaper slashed his scythe in a rapid fashion. Ruby’s combo meter getting extra stacks by two hits each up until it reached 36. Blood Moon was finished off by Ruby’s fighter opening his mouth as a demonic-sounding scream emanated from the character which sucked out the stamina from the pious knight’s body. The combo meter now reached 58 as Izanagi casually dropped him like a sack of wet doorknobs on the stone path. He glided back down as he curled back his scythe.

“Say goodnight, Jaune!”

“No-no-no-no-no!”

His panicked disagreement was cut short as he was knocked back with a spinning kick. But before he could retaliate, Ruby charged her heavy attack as she sent Sir Cyrus flying backside-first into orbit.

“GAME OVER.” The announcer called out as the living room fell silent.

-------------------------

A triumphant alternative guitar riff sounded as the combatant twirled his scythe like a baton and holstered the weapon on his back as he folded his arms and nodded at the viewer with a smirk.

“This game’s winner is…Izanagi!”

The other seven fighters appeared side by side and applauded the victor as the players’ score came up. Ruby was 1st place while Jaune was in 2nd. And Blake in 3rd.

WBY cheered as Ruby stood up and whooped in celebration.

“Woo-hoo! That’s my little sister!”

“Astonishing!” Weiss exclaimed as Zwei hopped out of her arms and into Ruby’s. Licking her face in congratulations as the red girl laughed.

“Good job, Ruby.” Blake said with a nod.

Ren, Nora and Sun gave her a generous applause in return as Qrow stumbled back, now sober. Ish. And gave Ruby a fist bump when he managed to stand up straight.

Jaune’s jaw nearly hit his spot on the couch, as he sat silent as a rock.

Ren and Nora looked at him with concern, as he got up and went to the kitchen.

Applause was sounded as Jaune went to get the coveted last slice. He got Ruby’s plate and opened the box to hand over the golden treasure. As he opened the box, it seemed as if a holy choir sung forth the gilded triangle unto the mere mortals of the Xiao Long house. His heart had a slight flutter as he almost had the box opened. There was just one problem.

“Huh?”

The slice was already eaten.

“Hey guys.”

The celebration quieted, and Ruby chimed, “Where’s my pizza, Jaune?”

“In someone else’s stomach.”

“What?”

“Someone else already ate it.”

“What?!”

Ruby flashed over to the kitchen to look into the box, to find that what Jaune had said was true indeed. The last slice of pizza had vanished.

Ruby, understandably cheesed off, walked into the living room with a surprisingly firm and authoritative tone for her usual demeanor. She then asked, “Alright, who ate my pizza?”

Everyone shrugged. Then she looked intently, and closely at everyone around the room to find the dastardly cur, who would dare to eat her prized pizza. Her eyes eventually met with Nora’s and she walked over to her, knelt down and asked her a simple question.

“Nora.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know who ate my pizza?”

“N- UUUURRRRRPPPPP.- No.” It was in fact Nora who ate the pizza.

Ruby squinted at her most intensely, waiting for her excuse.

“What?! I was hungry.” At which she smiled, squinted, and shrugged like an anime girl.

The silence resumed, broken by snickers and everyone laughing as Ruby rolled her eyes and smiled.

Now that the contest was over, Jaune proposed another game. Much to everyone’s excitement. The characters were chosen, as was the map, and the game was about to start.

“I forgot to say good game last time. So good game.” Jaune said to Ruby, sitting next to her.

“Thanks.” Replied Ruby.

“But just so you know: I am so gonna kick you butt this time, little red.”

“Oh-ho-ho. Bring it on tall, blonde, and stupid.”

The game announcer counted down for the next match to begin.

Three. Two. One. Zero.

BEGIN.