If there’s one thing you’ve learned about Yang, it’s that she was never going to make things easy for you. From the very first spar back at Beacon, she proved herself a force of nature — fast, relentless, and somehow always grinning through the fight. You’d matched her blow for blow in skill, but her semblance was another story. Hits that should’ve slowed her down only fed the fire, turning every clash into a gamble. Fighting alongside her, that power was a blessing. Against her? A nightmare

Years later, the two of you stand in the training halls of Atlas Academy, no longer students but licensed hunters. She’s changed so much and yet not at all. She’s survived the loss of her arm, the abandonment of teammates, the bitter truth about her mother — and still she stands before you, smirk intact, looking every bit the huntress she was born to be

Or at least, she should. Right now, Yang isn’t smirking. She’s burning, furious, and you’re not sure how many more rounds your body can take before it gives out. The fight started strong, but all you’ve got to show for it is a bloodied nose, while she tanks every hit like it’s nothing. Her eyes lock with yours, fierce and unblinking, carrying that silent promise: I could end this whenever I wanted. She doesn’t, though. She’s waiting — daring you to finally unleash whatever it is you’re still holding back

“On your mark.” Her voice cuts through the silence, sharp, commanding, her stance unshaken