RWBY: Origins of a Dragon

Chapter 17: Competition

   Sean activated his Semblance again, powerful jets of flame bursting from his hands and feet as he righted himself in midair, glaring at his combat partner. Storm smirked as she hovered almost effortlessly across from him, a look that greatly annoyed him. Since their sparring session had started he hadn't been able to land a single hit on her, which only infuriated him due to the knowledge that she was toying with him.
       "What's the matter, Torch? For someone who can out-speed Jet, you sure are having trouble landing a hit on me." she teased, which only made him growl deep in his throat as he flew in for another attack.
"Oh just you wait, I'm just getting warmed up!" he replied as he he blasted forward, cutting the jets on his Semblance as he flameported behind Storm and spun midair, delivering a powerful kick towards her back, or so he thought. He heard Storm laugh as she caught his leg and swung him around, sending him crashing into the ground. He groaned as Storm landed on top of him, elbow against his throat.
"Give up yet, Torch?" she asked with a smile, but Sean glared at her with venom in his eyes.
"Not on your life." he snarled as he grabbed her arm and quickly rolled over so he was the one pinning her, with his elbow against the Faunus' throat and his knee against her dominant arm.
"You always this stubborn, Torch?" she asked, and it only fueled his anger towards her.
"Stop calling me that. I have a name, use it!" he shouted.
"Ooh, temper temper. You like this with everyone?" she asked with a confident smirk as she kicked him off of her and quickly got back to her feet, racing over to capitalize on the opening.
"No...only with Atlesians!" he roared as he went on the offensive again, trying every single move he had in his arsenal to land a hit on the Owl Faunus. Storm was however, as much as Sean didn't want to admit it, a better fighter than he was, and had more experience, being a 4th year. She grabbed his arm as he tried to throw a punch, twisted it, then flipped him over her shoulder onto the ground again.
"You know...as one sided as this was, I actually, had fun. You're a good fighter, Torch. Only thing I would suggest, let go of all that anger inside you...then you'd be much better off. And who knows? Maybe you'll actually land a hit next time, or better yet. Maybe you'll actually beat me." Storm encouraged with a confident smile as she began walking away. She suddenly stopped in her tracks, and turned back to face him.
"Although...I gotta ask. What you said earlier, about only directing your rage at Atlesians. What did we ever do to you?" she asked sincerely. Sean got back to his feet, his vision tunneling as he remembered all of it, watching those soldiers take away his little brother's body, the nights his family sobbed and cried while he had to be strong for everyone else, the shared grief the entire village had felt for everyone that had been lost. He remembered the nights he couldn't sleep because all he could see was his brother's specter, and the massive breakdown he had before coming to Atlas. He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white as he faced Storm.
"You. Did. EVERYTHING!!!!" he shouted as he blasted forward. He led with a powerful kick, but mid swing he flameported past Storm, who turned to block, but he flameported again, driving his fist into the center of her back. She went flying forward, only to get sent flying back a few feet as Sean ran in front of her and drove his heel into her stomach. Storm staggered back, coughing from the hit as Sean continued the attack with no mercy. She swung at him with a kick, but Sean deflected and knocked her into the wall with one of his own. Storm coughed for air as Sean was suddenly in her face, glaring into her eyes with a look so vengeful, so angry she thought she was looking at a Grimm. Sean drove his flame covered fist into the wall directly next to Storm's head, causing her to flinch as she felt the flames warm her body.
"Where did this come from...?  It's like I'm trying to fight someone completely different than before! Why is...why is he so angry???" she thought to herself as Sean glared at her. He visibly seethed for a moment, his hatred for the soon to be Atlesian Huntress standing in front of him, until one person's voice echoed in his mind.
"Don't become what you hate, Sean..."
Just that one sentence was enough to anchor him, and his vision cleared as he realized what he had almost done. He stepped away from Storm, deactivating his Semblance, breathing rapidly. Storm stared at him, a mix of fear, confusion and curiosity racing through her mind. At first glance, Sean had not seemed like a bad guy to her, just someone with an attitude problem. Now, it was painfully clear he was hiding something underneath the surface, the look in his eyes held no hate or rage, only terror and horror. However, before she could even utter a word, he was gone, only the faint smell of smoke from where he had been standing, due to the friction from him running so fast. Storm took a shaky breath, but stepped away from the wall.
"What...what did Atlas do to you...?" she thought to herself before going to find the rest of her team.