Team Nightwatch

Saving an Upperclassman

     "Come on!"  I taunted Isabel, bouncing on the balls of my feet.  "Just hit me!"  She was breathing heavily and I could see the anger in her eyes.  I jumped over her leg sweep and aimed a kick at her stomach.  Personally I expected her to fly off from my hit.  What I didn't expect was for her to grab my leg.  "Well...uh...."
     "Is this good enough?"  She gasped, a smile breaking across her face.  She twisted my leg and I had to lift my leg to prevent her from breaking it, but that was actually my mistake.  She used my momentum to spin me in the air and slam me into the floor.  A loud crack told me that my body had cracked the floor with the amount of force she'd used.
     I stared up at the ceiling and saw that the rest of my team had crowded around me and looked down. 
     "You alright?"  Destiny asked, resting her hands on her knees to bend over.  I smiled, it felt more like a grimace cause I was still in a lot of pain. 
     "Yeah," I muttered.  "I'm fine.  Nothing broken...hopefully."  I let out a long sigh and closed my eyes for a bit.  "Well...I think that's enough hand-to-hand for today...enough training period."  I opened my eyes to see Leah kneel down beside me and help me up.  "Thanks, Leah.  Let's get back to the dorm.  I've got that reading from Oobleck to get done."
     I started to limp away before I heard something.
     "See guys, I told you they were real."  Cardin was outside with his lackeys and...Velvet?  Cardin was tugging on her ears while his buddies laughed, and Velvet tried to struggle free.
     "Let go of me," Velvet pleaded.  "Somebody help!"  I used a gust of wind to bring Shadow Strike to me, and watched it become the scythe.  The noise caught the attention of Team CRDL, and they all looked at me.
     "Why don't you just do the smart thing and let her go?"  I threatened.  "You really don't want to see what my team and I can do...."  The girls pulled out their weapons and Cardin's face broke into a smile.
     "You really think you can take us?"  He asked, letting go of Velvet and pulling out his mace.  His team drew their weapons and there was no sound except the flapping of my coat in the wind. 
     "Anything's possible," I countered.  "Now just let her go and we won't have to wipe the floor with you...your choice."  We stood in silence for a while.  I could see the tension as I looked at all of them, searching for weak spots.  Cardin lowered his mace and I smiled.  "Just throw it here, that's a good boy."  He lobbed the weapon towards me and seemed like he was going to leave before he ran at me, grabbed the weapon, and swatted me into a near-by support pillar.  "Oh, shouldn't have done that...."
     "Why not?"  Cardin sneered.  Leah answered him but placing the tip of one of her guns on the back of his head.  I picked myself up and looked at his team who were staring at Leah.
     "My teammates might not take so kindly to you doing that,"  I grinned.  "Let him go Leah.  Actually...Destiny, Leah, pin him down."  They did and I put the tip of Shadow Strike on his cheek.  "Let's see if I can avoid making too much of a mess...."  I prepared to draw the scar down him face before I heard a shout.
     "Mr. Jennings!"  Glynda was walking over toward us, her cold stare aimed at me.  "What, exactly do you think you're doing?"  I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out.
     "It's not his fault, Professor," Velvet interjected.  "Cardin was tugging on my ears, and Andrew came in save me."  Glynda looked from me to Cardin, scrutinizing us both for different reasons I'm sure.
     "Noble though your intentions were, Mr. Jennings," she said, "your actions are not tolerable.  You both will receive detentions.  With Dr. Oobleck...."  I heard Cardin groan but I was fine.  I've got no problem with Oobleck and I think he actually likes me. 
     I put Shadow Strike and motioned for the girls to follow me back to the dorm.
     "Thank you, Andrew!"  Velvet called.  "Sorry you got detention because of me!"  I waved back to her and smiled.
     "I have a feeling you know her," Isabel said.  "Lived in the same town?"  I shook my head.
     "Never seen that faunus girl before in my life,"  I admitted.  "I just don't like bullies....  Stupidity is my problem, not evil.  Evil keeps the world spinning and the universe in balance.  Just how it goes."  I could feel their gazes on my back as I quickened my pace.  "Evil is eternal, but as long as there are people like us, it will never take control."
     "That's really deep, Andrew," Destiny said.  "Ever considered becoming a philosopher?"
     "Get on the app and read my books.  Then you'll see how deep I can be...."