The Crimson Reaper
AN: This is my first ever fanfiction and I'm not much of a writer so don't expect much. The idea for this story came to me one day after I was rewatcing the volume 3 finale. My question which became the idea that just kept growing, eventually becoming this fanfiction, was simple. What would happen if the white fang, with Salem's help started taking over Remnant and a group of rebels, similar to the French resistance of WW2, started fighting back? This became much more complicated so I decided to turn it into a story. Now for the most part I will try to keep with cannon as of the volume 3 finale. However that's where it ends as this will include some OC teams and while I may try to include the canonical lore and character development (as I was witting this I actually saw the volume 4 trailer, which will play part in this chapter, and the concept art and for the most part it works great with the story for now except for a certain character). I'll try to get at least 2 more chapters out later, so if this first one doesn't grab your attention don't worry that's all part of the story plan. Leave your reviews below and if you have any tips for me because I'm a first time writer, or would be willing to act as a proof-reader, let me know. Thanks
All Ruby could think about as they walked out of the forest was how surprisingly little Grimm activity they saw. "Hey Ren, Nora didn't you guys say that this area was supposed to be full of Grimm?"
Ren sighed "It should be. The inn keeper was very insistent on that, I mean I'm not complaining but it does feel weird."
"Remind me again why we decided to go through this forest?" Jaune moaned. "I mean really the path is overgrown, it seems like no one has been through here since before dust was discovered."
"It's because it's a short cut you dummy!" Nora yelled back at him. "This is like the 10th time you've asked, and it always happens when you feel nervous!"
"Well I'm sorry that I don't want to go on the path that should've been full of Grimm!"
"No you're not."
"True."
Ruby sighed. She knew Jaune didn't really mean it and that he was just doing it to keep his and everyone else's mind off of why they were doing this. To find the ones that killed Pyrrha. It had been almost half a year since they left and even more since her death but the ache was still there. After all Pyrrha was the one who always stayed positive and tried to help others even if they didn't want it.
She was dwelling so much on the thought she didn't even realize it at first when Ren called her name.
"Ruby. Hey Ruby! Hold up."
"What is it?" She was confused and scared because for one of the first times Ren sounded scared.
"This doesn't feel right."
"That's what we already said. The whole low Grimm activity thing and how that was weird."
"No not that. There's something else that feels off about this trip."
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't that guy also say it would take about 5-6 hours or so?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well I don't know if you've noticed but it's only been about 3 hours."
"Maybe we found the shortcut's shortcut!" Nora shouted.
Ren shook his head "No, that's not it. We traveled along the path the whole time"
Jaune sighed "Look does it really matter? If you're that worried about it talk to someone in the…" He was about to say town but when he gestured out he saw no town but only a large path full of knocked down trees. "Wait, What? I'm confused didn't the guy tell us this was a shortcut to the next little village? It should be just a little further."
It was this moment that Ruby saw the smoke. "Guys I think I see it buts it's a lot further away and we needs to hurry!"
"Wait why? It's not like we're being chased by a large death stalker or something." Jaune asked looking puzzled.
"Do you not see that large smoke plume?!" She practically yelled.
"No, I don't think so."
Ruby face palmed. She knew Jaune could be oblivious but this was just insane. "Come on just follow me."
A Few Minutes Later…
As soon as they went over the top of the biggest hill they could see the smoke became so obvious that a blind Ursa could see it.
"Well I guess I need glasses because there is indeed a fire in the village."
"You don't say Jaune." Ruby said, rolling her eyes while doing so. "What are we going to do?"
"Well it looks safe, except for the fire, Why don't we go down there?" Nora suggested.
"No, it's still kinda far away and if there are Grimm there it might take too long for all of us to get there. Why don't you guys follow me while I go ahead and see how everything is going and if there are Grimm take some down. Because no offense but I'm the fastest here and it only makes sense to get there right away."
"None taken" Ren replied "It's like you said, you're the fastest and you could get there in a few minutes while we might take about half an hour or so. You could get there and start to help and take care of some of the Grimm and hold them off until we get there to help."
Ruby was happy. Even though they never voted on an official leader soon after Team RNJR (that's what they called themselves) it was quickly decided someone needed to take charge and Ren was more than willing to step in. It also made sense because for a while Jaune was so affected by Pyrrha's death that he almost completely shut down and if it weren't for Ren's pancakes and Nora's determination he would've starved. So Ren took over as leader while Jaune was recovering since Ruby didn't want to and even Nora agreed that she wasn't the leader type.
It wasn't long before everyone agreed that Ren was an amazing leader because he thought of what the best option was and what was best for the team. His ability to stay calm even in moments where it was complete chaos helped everyone stay calm and even helped Jaune somewhat get over Pyrrha's passing. He wasn't always the most talkative (although when Nora's on the team it's hard not to seem quiet), but he was always thinking ahead and trying to do the best to save as many people as possible.
"Alright wish me luck!" With that she cocked back the bolt to crescent rose and rocketed off towards the village.
When she got to the edges of the town she realized how bad the fires actually were and how destroyed the town had become. She remembered that when they were looking at it before that it seemed almost deserted except for a few beowolves. With that she jumped down into the town square which was surrounded by Grimm and started laying waste to any, and every, Grimm in her sights. It wasn't long before she finished all the Grimm that she saw from outside the town. However right as she was catching her breath a Grimm that she had never seen before jumped out of nowhere, and if it weren't for her lighting quick speeds she would've been crushed. At first she thought it was just a large alpha beowolf, but she soon realized that this was a type of Grimm never seen before.
Before she could think much more it charged at her grunting and snarling, at which point she changed into her combat stance and put Crescent Rose into the fully extended mode. She jumped out of the way and tried to shoot it in the face and gut but realized quickly that this Grimm was smarter and older than many as it turned itself from its exposed side to its armored chest which deflected the bullet like it was a toy. She tried poking it a little more to try and figure out week spots but realized that there wasn't much he bullets could do to a beast that huge. She was considering giving up hope and trying to stall it till the rest of her friends came to help her take it down, Nora would love the challenge, she noticed that on the chest there was a small chink right over the center of its chest where all but Deathstalkers have their hearts.
She devised a plan to get it on its back where she could come at it from above and use Crescent Rose's blade to open the chink enough that a good shot or two would finish him off. She first charged him feinting up low so she could pull him down on his back. Then she used the stopped momentum to point the gun part of Crescent Rose right at his face. While it wouldn't do much damage it would certainly make sure he stays down and provide some upward propulsion so she could get some more force with her blade. As soon as she went up in the air she changed the blade so that instead of the Scythe it was before it became more like a spear. She hit the Grimm as it was getting up with so much force it knocked him back down and made a crater in the concrete. With that she made sure to aim just a little below the neck of the Grimm and shot it point blank. And like that the Grimm was dead with no need for a follow up shot like she originally planned.
Once she had made sure the area around her was safe she went looking around the town for anyone who may have survived or hidden. What seemed strange to her was that there seemed to be quite a few Atlas soldiers and androids dead in the streets. As she was trying to figure out what was going on she heard her scroll going off and decided to answer.
"Hello? Ren how far out are you guys?"
"Ru *static* are you *explosion* k?!"
"You're going to have to speak up Ren I can't hear you!"
"Are. You. Ok?" Ren asked this time slower realizing that there was some interference.
"Yeah I'm fine I took out this new Grimm was actually pretty difficult."
"You too? Did it look almost like a gorilla?"
"Yeah did you run into one too?"
"About 6 of them, and a deathstalker. That's what the explosions were. But listen we have an issue."
"What did anyone get hurt?"
"No but we found out why the Grimm were in this area."
"What do you mean? It seems pretty simple to me. A pack of beowolves and some of these Grimm found the village and attacked."
"No. I hate to say it but they didn't come here because of the village. That was just in the way of what they came for."
"Which is what exactly? There aren't any trains in the area and there certainly aren't any other big things in the area."
"Well not any you would see on a map. But you're going to want to get to us to understand. We're about a mile from the village to the east."
"On my way!" With that she was off flying towards Where Ren said they were. When she was a couple hundred feet away she noticed that more smoke and debris were around here. As soon as she got over the mound of dirt she understood why. Lying there all wrecked and covered in bodies was an Atlas Airship with a couple holes in it and plenty of nevermore feathers in it.
"I'm here!" Ruby shouted trying to figure out where the others had gone. "Hello? Where are you guys?"
"We're in the ship" she heard Jaune yell.
When she found them she was confused because they all had sad faces on. "Guys I know that this is extremely sad that this ship crashed but you look even glummer, what's going on?"
"Ruby I don't know how to explain this but you're going to have to see this" Jaune said sounding almost as glum as when they started out.
"Ok? What's going on like I said it's not that big of a dea…." And stopped mid-sentence as she saw why everyone was in a bad mood. Lying in the snow next to the dead bodies of some atlas soldiers was Myrtenaster, broken and shattered along with what was no doubt Weiss's dress. "No… no… this can't be!" Ruby shouted. "There's no way she's dead! If we dealt with these Grimm she should've had no issue!"
"That's the thing Ruby." Ren said. "What we fought was only a small taste of the Grimm they fought. I looked at the tracks and it seems that there were more than just some beowolves and stuff. It was complete with Goliaths, Ursai, Nevermores, deathstalkers, and hundreds of beowolves. And what's worse is it seems like they were waiting for the ship to crash. Either that or they got really unlucky."
"How so?"
"Well I followed the tracks and it all leads to areas that I could tell were areas where the Grimm were just waiting. And I don't think it was just Grimm."
"Why do you say that?"
"You did notice the giant holes in the ship right? It looks like the white fang either shot the sip down with a giant AA cannon. Or they somehow got on the ship and detonated explosives on board. Either way the ship came down here on top of all these Grimm." Ren grimaced. "I hate to say it but no one could've survived that. I'm sorry but it's true. With as many Grimm tracks as I counted, which was a rough estimate that I'm not even done with, this was easily hundreds of Grimm maybe even thousands. It would take an army 10 times as strong as this ship could carry to even consider survivors. There's just no way anyone survived. I'm sorry."