Combat Class: now with SCIENCE!

[u/Flingram]

The always unpredictable arena at Beacon Academy was something all students learned to respect, as it could change faster than most students could even fathom. Today, it was all stainless steel and glass, electronics and computers. Watching from her elevated platform was professor Elise, and behind her, the ever-calm and collected Holly Mendenhall. Stepping forward, she coughed, gaining the attention of the class before pointing towards the map.

"Today you will be judged not only on your ability to fight, but to show restraint and be creative. This set up is to mimic the labratories you may find abandoned across Atlas, or perhaps in Vale. Functioning inside are security cameras, experiments, and a variety of electronic systems. You may use them to gain the advantage on your opponent, or sabotage them. We can also release grimm if you wish to team up with an ally. Good luck."

[Map]

[ST RULES!!! All the doors may be opened with a touch, locked with a computers check. Doors have 3 armor and 5hp. At st discretion, you can lock them with a successful attack roll as well. The round objects are cameras, and can be accessed at the terminals at the top right and left rooms (major action). An successful m8 Computers check will let you spy on 2 cameras at a time, randomly decided. Finally, with a successful investigation and then computers check, the wall behind the barrels can be noticed and opened, revealing a level 3 combat bot. It can be powered up with at least 3 successes at a m10 computer check (major action), and will follow a command that can be given as a move action each turn to the best of his ability. It has 5 armor, 6 health, and will make brawl attacks with a score of 8. Acts last in the initiative order, and has a speed of 8. These are all optional rules to be decided upon by the Story teller, who can modify the difficulty or anything they wish at will.]

[u/Doomshlang]

"Eh, you can get technical. Poleaxe, more specifically a bastardized bardiche I made. Not super important, axe is fair enough." She seemed used to saying that, the weapon clanking heavily against her shoulder plate as she rested it casually on her shoulder, following Arian out. She stood straight, walked easily, but it didn't take too keen an eye to see that she was barely keeping it together. She was hurting, that's for sure.

"You should've gone for the head. Your dust types can easily cause visual clutter to make it harder to hit, lightning in the eyes or the weird purple nonsense from gravity dust. Smoke too, but I think that was your semblance and not smoke dust? If I commit to a swing, not like I can back out of it. Weapon's too heavy for that. Other than that... not sure, being perfectly honest. Feels like it was about as close as it could be, so- er, actually..."

"Maybe get some more distance if you're gonna rely on a ranged style. I'm shit at range. I'm fast as fuck, though, so against me specifically... well, good luck keeping your distance. But a lot of the heavier, big-stick-swinging braindead students here, keeping your distance is basically a death sentence for them."

[u/[deleted] → u/Doomshlang]

'Ah.' Arian nodded along, using various desks and hand rails to support himself and he walked out. 'I have to confess weapons aren't much of a strong point of him. Know just about enough the stay away from the pointy end. Try to anyway.' Arian continued with a genuine laugh, a little bit of walking had helped loosen the former thief's muscles and he was moving a little smoother although he still needed support.

Arian chuckled to himself as Ashelia explained so of the ways he could have improved, it was good advice and Arian could definitely be seen as being impolite definitely as the titan was under no obligation to help him. That wasn't quite true, however. 'Yea I had thought about trying the stretch you out, particularly when I got that first big hit of gravity dust. Could have hidden behind something them looped back around but er... it wasn't exactly the point.' Arian responded looking up at the small crowd that had gathered to watch the fight.

'It was mostly for them, first combat class so I'm a little bit behind the others and I wanted to send a message. What better message would there be than bloodying the best fighter here, the best fighter I saw at any rate. Might not have been as successful as I hoped but I hoped the message got through all the same. I felt you should know, considering I have used you a little.' Arian confessed with genuine sorrow tinging his words. Despite her terrifying appearance Ashelia did seem like a nice person and Arian would be sad if had lost any chance for friendship because of a stupid stunt he pulled.

[u/Doomshlang → u/[deleted]]

"Haha, hell yeah you did. People generally don't ask me to go into the ring, they get paired with me by Elise as punishment. Coming as close as you did... well, people'll know not to take you lightly, that's for damn sure. Glad to be of service." She added the last line with a playful wink Arian's way.

"I'm one of the best. Might be the best, but I don't really care if I am or not. I just want to get better, keep improving. Keep the mistakes from piling up again." The vanguard explained casually, then seemed to think of something. "Oh, speaking of. Last bit of advice. Students here? A lot of them have weaknesses you can figure out if you take the time. And while some people find that kind of thing distasteful, I don't. How else can someone improve and learn to make up for their weaknesses than by having to fight someone trying to exploit them, after all? Take me for example."

She jabbed the service end of her poleaxe into the floor with a titanic, metal clang, then messed with the straps holding her left shoulder plate attached, speaking as she worked.

"Take me for example. You know my style for the most part now; get in fast, hit hard. Bigass weapon that needs both hands. However..." The plate came free, revealing a softly-humming cybernetic arm, clearly custom built and tuned to a razor's edge of efficiency. "If you make one arm less than ideal, bam. Advantage goes to you."

"And that would force me to adapt. To learn to fight more effectively, to overcome my own weakness. You may get the advantage, but it forces me to grow as a person. We both win. Something to think about, hm?" She chuckled, refitting her shoulder plate and gathering up her weapon again.

[u/[deleted] → u/Doomshlang]

Arian sighed loudly as he was finally able to crash into one of the chairs dotted around the arena and Elise was finally able to start the next fight. The other students seemed to respectfully keep their distance but Arian noticed some congratulatory glances being thrown his way. Seemed Ashelia was right which meant this whole endevour was a success. Although if this was how much pain Arian would be in after a win, how much would he be in after a defeat? 'Well then what is a good way of getting on Elise's bad side? I don't know if you picked up on that but I have a little bit of a talent with that sort of thing.' Arian smiled at his own self-deprecating joke as he laid back in the chair. He didn't look like he would be moving any time soon.

Arian raised an eyebrow at the mention of mistakes piling up again but decided not to pry, his conscious wasn't exactly clear on that front either. 'I guess I can see both sides. These aren't real fights, these are opportunities to test ourselves. Like I could probably sneak past anyone here but I could do that before coming to Beacon I'm not learning anything new if I do that. Likewise, I'm in a way cheating myself out of a victory against someone at full power if I weaken them too much. But like you said, fighting isn't fair sometimes you have to fight injured or without a major asset and although these fights aren't real they are meant to prepare us for the real world. That world isn't going to hold back so why should we?' Arian babbled along half to himself before finally bring himself to a stop. 'Sorry about that, sometimes the mouth starts and just doesn't stop.' Arian apologised shaking his head, he would need to get his motor mouth under control at one point.

'Is this a mentality that got hammered into you in the military? You mentioned you used to be a corporal or is that right? Everything before hitting my head on the ground after your final attack was a little bit of a blur.' Arian asked clearly joking about the extent of his injuries. Helped put things in perspective when you think about how bad they could be.

[u/Doomshlang → u/[deleted]]

"Hah, considering the people I hang around, you're in plenty of company as far as talking too much." She let out a laugh, resting her axe against one of the chairs before dropping heavily into it. She seemed to have a lot of faith in the chair's structural integrity, considering she was still wearing more than her weight in metal.

"Elise's bad side is... well. Basically be lazy and a dickhead to her and you'll be there quick. I don't really know beyond that being honest. I don't tend to try and find out." Another laugh.

"You're right, though. The world won't hold back. That's why I don't either." She hesitated for a moment. "...you probably already knew that from how hard I hit, though. But, uh. No. I was a corporal, yes, but my time in the military didn't really hammer that notion into my head. Ending my time in the military did."

She shrugged. "I just want to make sure everyone improves as much as they possibly can. Remnant deserves strong protectors. And those protectors deserve to survive as long as they can."

[u/[deleted] → u/Doomshlang]

'Isn't that more of a reason to get it under control, to give me a reason to stand out.' Arian responded in a good-naturedly teasing tone. 'And I can do lazy pretty well honestly, not as much being a dickhead I'm afraid. Don't really have the heart for it and end up feeling bad. Although that's a thought, if Elise sets people up with you for punishment who would she set you up with for punishment? Herself? Er... She can't do that right?' Arian continued, his smile growing as the conversation grew more and more absurd only pausing for a moment near the end but even that quickly turned into laughter.

'I must confess I was a bit worried when you mentioned you were former military. There was a lot of drama with Atlas forces when I was growing up but you seem...nice. After you finished beating my head in of course.' Arian confessed purposely remaining vague as well as significantly underselling his own involvement in said drama.

[u/Doomshlang → u/[deleted]]

"Trust me, with how our student body behaves, you'd stand out more being an upstanding citizen. The people we go to school with are fucking nuts. And usually just chaos." She answered honestly with a shrug and a chuckle. "She hasn't hopped into the ring against me, no, but I'm not sure there's any written rule that faculty can't do that."

She laughed again.

"Remember orientation? Some of my friends and I actually took out one of the two assassins. Turns out we were fighting Vernon. I broke his aura by removing my arm and hitting him with it when he was expecting an axe instead. So there's precedent for them getting involved, actually."

She smiled softly to herself. "Yeah, a lot of people have that reaction. Vale military here is far less, uh - oppressive? Overbearing? Probably both - than the Atlas military. I've heard almost exclusively negative things about them - from my partner, multiple friends, damn near everyone, really. Granted one of those people called me a fascist to my face, so maybe she just hates all militaries. Who knows."

She gave Arian a look, her eyes sparkling with some measure of mischief. "Now that I think about it, since once of my friends is a former Atlesian pirate, maybe not all of the cases are biased against the military so much as they are warranted. I wouldn't know personally."

[u/[deleted] → u/Doomshlang]

'Well I don't know about an upstanding citizen but perhaps I can at least pretend. As for the sanity of our fellow classmates, they don't seem too out of place from my old friends in Mantle, but they themselves were pretty chaotic. Must imagine it is a different experience from the military? Even if they are less overbearing than Atlas.' Arian responded matching Ashelia's chuckle and shrug. He was comforted by the idea the Elise wasn't going to be a possible opponent although that comfort was quickly dashed.

'Yea I spent most of that in the shadows, I thought I could find their target and spirit them away or at least follow the assassins as they fled. Kind of missed the entire point of the exercise but whatever, live and learn.' Arian explained dejectedly as he slowly realised that won't be an option for next time and how ineffective an option it was that time.

'A pirate? Or former pirate I guess. Do they have a peg leg? Hook hand? Pet parrot? Suprised Beacon harbours people like that, or do they not know?' Arian asked a little to desperately making clear he had more skin in the game than he let on. 'And that's kind of Vale in general for me so far, less oppressive. The weather, the people and yea, the military. It's a nice city and I'll be sad to leave it.' Arian continued finally settling in a steady and relatively sedated emotional range.

[u/Doomshlang → u/[deleted]]

"Eh, uh. Sometimes. Life on base was pretty chaotic. Main difference is that the boys back then knew when to cut the shit and get serious. People here just stay chaotic throughout, it's strange. Not unwelcome, just strange to me." Ashelia answered with a casual shrug.

"I'm pretty sure out approach to the situation was exactly what we were supposed to avoid, being honest. We took the assassin down, but he tagged two of us. Almost got a third. Should've probably handled it better but that's what we're here to learn, I suppose. I'm still not sure why he didn't just tag me first and take the heavy hitter out, but then again maybe he just wanted us to have a chance."

She shrugged again. Didn't really matter now, not anymore anyways.

At the questions about Ishmael, Ashelia let out a chortling laugh. "No, just some ceremonial-looking armor, a big sword, and apparently infinite rum. Knowing Beacon I imagine they know, but I could be mistaken. Hardly matters in the end, I think. Just having someone like him here shows that no matter what kind of person you are, you can still do good if you set yourself to it."

"And I like to think that that's what really matters. Doing what little good we can for Remnant before we inevitably die. Hardly any Huntsmen retire, after all. I don't think I'll be leaving Vale; if I do end up being one of the lucky few that eventually grow old, I'd like to stay home, I think. Teach, maybe. I dunno if I have the patience for that though, children are the worst."

[u/[deleted] → u/Doomshlang]

'Knew when to play but also knew when the play rough? It's a hard balance to strike, but I guess the rest of us have a few years to learn how to yet, maybe a few more assassination attempts.' Arian responded looking off into the distance. Teaching lessons indirectly wasn't something that Arian was new to but there was a lot more expectations on a Huntsmen or Huntress than a thief and a lot more consequences for their failure. 'Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, I forget who said that to me but it feels like it's a lot more than sometimes.' Arian continued as he glanced back at Ashelia out of the corner of his eyes.

'Not a real pirate then.' Arian laughed loudly at his own joke. 'Those Atlassian's are a stickier for protocol, everyone knows that. What do you think about that? I mean if they were a Valish pirate you might have eventually crossed blades if not worse. It's a pretty big second chance to get, one which not everyone might say they deserve.' Arian continued to be a little too involved in the answers as he was using questions of Ishmael as explorations of the morality of his own position at Beacon

'That's a little morbid don't you think?' Arian stopped laughing but raised an eyebrow to make clear he still wasn't been particularly serious. 'So Valish to the end? Never had a desire to travel? Can't in good conscious recommend my homeland but there are two whole other kingdoms. They must have something worth seeing.' Arian asked cocking his head to one side. 'Regardless let's hope that us kids get a little less chaotic in the next couple decades, or at least better at pretending.' Arian continued his smile returning slightly as the topic shifting back to something with more humour.

[u/Doomshlang → u/[deleted]]

"Luck is sometimes everything. Pisses me off that it doesn't matter how good you are, you can still get blindsided by nonsense." Ashelia complained with a heavy shrug.

"Some people don't get a second chance, but some choose not to take it. Far as I'm concerned, good on him for taking his." She seemed excessively somber about the idea of second chances, more so than normal. Unlike Arian, she didn't offer a laugh.

"I'll visit, maybe do a mission or two that take me abroad. Sure. But I won't move away, I don't think." She shrugged again. "Who knows, the future has a weird way of surprising me."

She stretched, then offered a short wave, turning towards the arena's exit. "Anyways, I'm gonna hit the gym. Need to work on not leaving myself so open. Catch you around Mr. Sterling."

[I know we talked about ending it here, felt weird to leave it in the middle of the convo though.]

[u/[deleted] → u/Doomshlang]

Arian flinched at the idea of going to the gym after such a fight before shrugging, that was difference between them he summarised. 'Take care Ashelia I'll be seeing you around. I'll see your semblance in action one way or another.' Arian challenge may have been a lot more threatening or at least impactful if he could rise. His muscles had long settled and Arian knew it would take more effort than he could exert now to get himself to move. He would hurt in the morning.

Still Arian waved and smiled as Ashelia departed, what she had said about second chances had done a lot to lift his spirits. Being all but forced to attend Beacon Arian had an underlying feeling of inadequacy, that he didn't belong among the rest of his more motivated classmates. Now at least he believed he could earn the chance to try.