The Charlatan of Choice
By SkyleafAlchemist19
Note: Read Weight of the World, The Shattered Soul, The Depths of Deception, and The Atrocities of Atlas first or you will be extremely confused.
Summary: The end is nigh. With three of four Relics in play, time runs short for America in more ways than one. Salem is on the move, and Ozpin insists they must retrieve the Relic of Choice before it's too late. But as Amber's past with Ozpin comes to light, America wonders if their trust might be misplaced... Sequel to The Atrocities of Atlas
Main/Prominent characters: America, Canada, Pyrrha, Ruby, Jaune, Nora, Ren, England, Japan, Germany, Russia, Prussia, Italy, France, Weiss, Yang, Australia, Romano, China, Ozpin, Oscar, Blake, Penny (2.0), Amber/Vale, Lithuania, Qrow, Austria, Finland, others.
There will be a few minor OCs for plot's sake.
Pairings: Pretty much none. Don't expect romance except for the plot-required norm (aka Pyrrha and Jaune, etc.). I can't write romance and I'm not going to try. Expect family relationships and friendships abound. (Seriously, whenever I try to intentionally write a pairing it's horrible. :P)
Genres: Adventure, angst, hurt/comfort, friendship, family, some humor, mystery, suspense.
Warnings: Some cursing. Violence and blood. Angst/hurt/comfort. Potential spoilers for RWBY. Major AU elements for RWBY in particular.
Special note: This story was planned before Volume 5 and mostly written before Volume 6 of RWBY was released. With that in mind, any shocking revelations made in Volume 6 of RWBY will not affect this story. As previously stated, this is AU for RWBY.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Hetalia: Axis Powers.
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Chapter One: The Flightless Bird
"Vale— my Kingdom— is dying. And you're dying with it."
Vale's words repeated in America's head, over and over and over again, yet they refused to click and become comprehensible. Instead he sat in a haze of blissful obliviousness and looked out the window of his hospital room, taking in the sprawling city landscape, lush green woods, and bright blue sky outside.
Before he comprehended what he was doing, he got out of bed and opened the door, looking down the hallway. Vale demanded what he was doing, but he did not answer, stepping out. A couple doctors, nurses, patients, and visitors bustled by, they they ignored him and he ignored them.
America's steps took him down some stairs and out the front door. No one tried to stop him. No one confronted him. He may as well be a ghost. Maybe he already was one. America wandered through the streets and although a couple people looked at him, none talked to him. They were lost in their own lives and had no time for the teen in a patient's garb that walked without knowing where he was headed.
Somehow he made it to the edge of town and stared at the wall separating him from the forest. He grasped a protruding brick and pulled himself upward, ignoring the stinging in his shoulders. He made it over and dropped to the other side. His knees buckled when he landed and he sat heavily in the dirt, looking at the forest.
America stood up and took a couple steps before collapsing against a tree trunk. The spot lay just within the treeline where no one should see him unless they looked carefully. He leaned his head against the tree and watched the branches sway in the wind. A couple leaves tore away from the branches and fluttered weakly to the ground. America picked one up and twirled it by the stem between his fingers. The green was vibrant, bright, and still full of life. But for how long?
How long? He finally asked.
He felt Vale's simmering rage jab at his mind. Unlike previous instances, he finally knew the reason for it. Helplessness and fear could easily turn into anger, especially when someone's few options included lashing out. And yet even with that anger— that terror—when Vale spoke, her voice was noticeably flat. "I can't say how long we have left. It could be decades, years, or weeks. All I know is Salem has successfully weakened us."
America's throat grew so dry he could hardly swallow. Then why did you say we're— We're—
"Dying?" Vale challenged. "Surely you are not so naive. Remnant nations aren't as durable as Earth ones. My capital was attacked. My Academy is filled with Grimm, with more spawning by the hour thanks to that damn Dragon. More and more of my villages fall every day. Did you think that could happen and we'd just be fine?"
America released the leaf and watched it flutter to the forest floor. I don't understand.
"Then let me spell it out for you." Vale said harshly. "You're weakening because of the turmoil in Vale. If we'll lucky, you'll keep getting headaches, nosebleeds, and other pains. If we're unlucky, an attack will kill us like the collapse of that mine killed Mantle."
But Salem needs us alive, America thought faintly.
"Yes. Alive. Alive doesn't mean healthy. We can be on the verge of death and she won't care as long as we have enough Aura to unlock the Relic of Choice." Vale gave a bitter laugh. "That's probably her intent. Why fight us when we can fight back?"
America barely heard her response. He pressed his palms to his forehead and clutched at his hair, yanking it with his fingers. What do I do?
"Nothing." Vale hissed. "We're already dead."
America shook his head violently. I don't believe that. There has to be something we can do—
"Denial doesn't suit you." Vale interrupted sourly.
It's not denial, America snapped, his numb confusion incinerated by anger. I'm just not giving up, unlike you.
"I haven't given up." Vale claimed. "I'm simply not delusional, unlike some people."
As long as we're alive, there's hope, America stated. We— We're not that badly off—
"Yet." Vale snarled.
—so we have time to figure this out. He inhaled shakily. Vale isn't Mantle. The foundation is still strong. If we beat Salem and the Grimm we should be okay.
"How are you so calm? Are you unrealistic or plain old stupid?" Vale exploded. "It's over. It won't be long before you start choking on your own blood and collapse. Why can't you accept that we're going to die?"
Well, giving up and waiting to die won't change anything, America said. He recalled long silences and an unapproachable, shivering form hidden under too many blankets on a bed. You saw what Mattie did. He felt the color drain from his face. I have to tell everyone.
"What is the point?" Vale demanded, but shaky resignation blanched the anger from her voice. "They can't help."
Maybe not, but we won't know until we try. America gritted his teeth. Besides, you know how we felt when Mattie did not tell us.
"...Fine." Vale said dully. "Do what you want."
America could not decide whether he wanted to comfort her or scream at her to stop being so pessimistic. He silently curled up under the tree, laying his cheek against the scratchy bark. A shudder went through him and he pressed a hand over his eyes, blocking out the world. He did not realize he fell asleep until he opened his eyes to darkness.
Distant shouts wormed their way through his cotton-filled ears and he recognized his name. Apparently they noticed he was gone. Oops.
America fought off the irrational desire to hide and stayed where he was, closing his eyes again. He knew he should move but even that was too much effort at the moment. For now he just wanted to sleep. He drifted off again just as he heard Nora gasp and call his name, but made no attempt to stay awake. Despite his claims to Vale, he was not ready to tell his family. He was not prepared to see the grief-stricken looks on their faces.
XXXXXXX
When Ruby arrived next to Nora, she could only breath a sigh of relief. Alfred lay curled up under a tree, snuggled up against the bark despite the discomfort the rough surface must cause him and blissfully unaware of the panic he had caused.
After days of avoiding Uncle Qro— the hospital, Yang had finally convinced Ruby to visit. The sisters had been on their way to see their uncle, accompanied by Nora— who had dragged Ren out to visit Blake with the intention of physically pulling her out of Suns room— when Arthur tore through the hospital, shouting that Alfred was gone.
Naturally, everyone had feared the worst. The sisters, Arthur, Matthew, and a few others had immediately dropped everything to look for him, eventually getting directed to the woods by a local. Why said local had not asked the young man in hospital attire and with visible bandages if he was okay was beyond Ruby, but they had only searched a few minutes outside the town before Nora found him.
Thank the Gods.
As the searchers gathered around the source of their worry, Arthur's furious glower melted into a softer, wearier look when he spotted his peacefully resting brother.
"Why is he out here?" Nora asked before Arthur could speak, more puzzled than upset.
Ruby shrugged uselessly.
"Bloody idiot." Arthur muttered.
Matthew put a hand on his arm as his violet eyes scanned their surroundings suspiciously. "We can ask what he was doing when he wakes up. Let's get him back."
Ruby subconsciously kept a hand on her weapon, eyeing the dark forest warily as Ivan scooped Alfred up without being asked. They hurried back to the closest entrance as the forest grew steadily darker, shadows devouring the light as they crept closer and closer to town. Two guards met them at the gate.
One man's eyes landed on Alfred and his posture loosened. "You found him. Is he okay?"
"Yes. Just asleep." Ruby explained as the other guard unlocked the gate.
The first guard nodded absently. "I'm glad you found him. The forest used to be great for camping but there are hordes of Grimm in there nowadays." His relieved smile faded. "A lot of people have gone in there lately."
Ruby's brow pinched but she did not ask him to elaborate. The guard held the gate open and waved them through. It clicked shut behind them and they returned to the hospital at the edge of town. None of the locals looked at them twice, though Ruby swore she heard a woman say "At least they found this one." Her steps slowed as she tried to find the source of the voice.
"Ruby! Come on." Yang called.
Ruby hurried after her sister and they entered the hospital. The entrance room was mostly empty, with only a few patients waiting for admittance. Although some clutched onto reddened cloths and others were drastically pale, none of them seemed to be too badly injured, and Ruby felt some of her nausea ease. She never liked hospitals. They smelled weird, and had this heavy aura hanging over them like the walls themselves drained the hope from people. That was why she did not want to come here. Not because of... other things.
The receptionist spotted Alfred and relaxed immensely. "Where did you find him?"
"The woods." Arthur said briefly.
Her expression clouded. "I see. I'll inform the doctor."
"I will accompany you." Arthur stated. "I would like to speak to him as well."
Ruby had a feeling the doctor was not going to enjoy that conversation. Arthur shot Ivan a warning glare and followed the receptionist away. Ivan, Matthew, Nora, and Ren went to return Alfred to his room, but Yang grabbed Ruby's arm before she could go with them.
"We still have time to visit Uncle Qrow." Yang reminded her.
Ruby's mouth went dry. She gulped roughly, feeling as if she was trying to swallow a rock. "Okay."
Yang's lips dipped and Ruby could practically see the Big Sister Instincts ringing alarms.
"Let's go." Ruby said before her sister could speak.
Yang frowned at her but led the way to their uncle's room. They had to press themselves against the wall as a gurney surrounded by hospital staff was rushed by, but it did little to delay them. Ruby resisted the urge to drag her feet, focusing on Yang's swinging hair as she walked briskly to the proper door. She knocked on the door once and shoved it open, sauntering through.
"Hey, Uncle Qrow! Your favorite niece has arrived."
"Really? I don't see her." Qrow said blandly, and Ruby froze outside the doorway.
Yang grabbed her arm and pulled her in, shutting the door and cutting off her path to escape. Ruby stared at her boots and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. She slowly forced her gaze upward, peeking at her uncle for the first time he was awake. Qrow's skin was noticeably pale and his hair was unkempt, but Ruby had seen him looking worse after a couple of his worst drinking binges. His red eyes still sparkled with mischievous wit and Ruby relaxed, lips twitching into a smile. He… He was okay.
Ruby threw herself across the room, hugging her uncle tightly.
Qrow caught her easily and chuckled, ruffling her hair. "There's my favorite niece."
"Rude." Yang complained, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You're looking better."
Ruby's cheeks flushed at the reminder that Yang had visited Qrow without her. But she was here now. She… she was fine. She was. She—
The spear was stabbed clean through his body, its bloody tip clearly protruded from his abdomen. Ruby stared at the weapon and dripping blood, and slowly raised her gaze, unable to comprehend what she was seeing—
Ruby blinked rapidly and shut her eye, forcing herself back into the present in time to hear Qrow's response. "I'm feeling better now that you're both here."
Ruby's cheeks reddened.
Yang punched Qrow's arm. "Softie." When Qrow chuckled, she jabbed him again.
Ruby smacked her hand away. "Yang."
"He started it." her older sister claimed. "And it is my solemn duty to tell him he's getting old, even when he's bedridden."
Ruby rolled her eye and caught Qrow staring at her, his smile slipping away. Her uncle gripped Yang's hand and cupped Ruby's cheek, fingers curling up next to her eye patch. He sighed, lowering his head, and before their eyes, some of the strength drained from his shoulders.
"Ruby, Yang…" he murmured. "You've grown so much since you were little brats clinging to my pant legs, begging for a piggy back ride."
Ruby spluttered.
Yang huffed. "Well, I'd hope we've grown since then." Her tone was lofty but she nibbled her lip in a way that betrayed her unease. "What's wrong, Uncle Qrow? Are you getting sentimental in your old age?"
"Maybe." Qrow said quietly. He gently ruffled Ruby's hair again. "You two were always an adorable little duo of demons. You always stuck together. You… You need to keep doing that, okay?"
A pit opened in Ruby's stomach. She and Yang exchanged an uncertain glance.
"Uncle Qrow?" Yang asked, all flippant teasing gone. "What's wrong?"
Qrow continued to pet Ruby's hair, and she noticed his hand was shaking. "You need to keep looking out for each other in the future… because I'm not going to be there to save you anymore."
A bucket of ice water fell over Ruby's head, chilling her to the bone.
Her uncle's gaze dropped and his hands fell to his lap. "The spear went through my spine. Messed a whole bunch of stuff up inside. I… I'm not walking again. Not until I get robotic replacements or something and even then it's… Well, the odds aren't with me. I… wanted to tell you both at the same time."
The girls stared at him uncomprehendingly. Ruby did not realize she was crying until Qrow brushed a tear away. Her eye snapped up to his. "I—"
Everything except Ruby's arms, face, and eye were still cold, still numb, still frozen. She could not move. She could not dodge. So as she struggled to raise her arms she shut her eye and prayed her Aura could take it—
"I—"
The spear was stabbed clean through Qrow's body, its bloody tip clearly protruded from his abdomen. Ruby stared at the weapon and dripping blood, and slowly raised her gaze, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.
"I-I—"
Red eyes closed, and his hand slipped from Ruby's head. He fell to his knees and Ruby lurched forward, catching him before he could slump completely to the ground. His weight fell heavily upon her but she did not let go, clutching at him. She felt something sticky and looked at her hand.
Her palm was covered in crimson.
"I'm sorry." She jumped to her feet but Uncle Qrow grabbed her hand, keeping her from leaving. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's my fault. You— You were hurt protecting me. I'm sorry." She halfheartedly tried to pull herself free, vision blurring with tears.
"No." Qrow said, refusing to let her go. "Don't say that. I'll never regret protecting you, Ruby. Never, you hear me?"
Ruby's face crumpled and he pulled her to his chest, holding her firmly. He held out an arm and Yang crawled into it like she sometimes did when she was younger and had a bad dream. Ruby waited for her sister to be embarrassed. Instead she was silent, and her eyes were puffy. Qrow petted their hair as they cried into his shoulders, looking past them.
"Hey, it's going to be okay." he said firmly.
"But you're not." Yang said, voice choked.
"I'll live." Qrow claimed. "I'm just… going to be stuck here for a while."
It hit Ruby then that her uncle's part in their fight was over. With Atlas and its superior tech out of the picture, the options to fix his spine were extremely limited. Not only that but surgery and recovery could take years, and by then a side will have won. Even then, her uncle would likely never be a Huntsman again. Ruby looked at the blanket hiding his legs. They looked normal and fine and like nothing was wrong and… and…
She buried her face in his thin hospital gown, breath hitching with sobs. Qrow kissed her forehead, stubble scratching her skin. He did the same to Yang, holding them both close.
"I'm so proud of both of you." he said. "You're going to do great things."
"Stop being mushy. It's weird." Yang protested thickly.
Qrow's chuckle rumbled through his chest. "Then I'm doing it right."
His usual teasing failed to comfort Ruby. Why was he comforting her when he was the one who would never walk again? Again, her eye unwillingly went to his covered legs, then to Yang's arm, before she slowly reached up and touched her eye patch. She should be grateful that her family and friends were still alive. She should be happy they did not leave like her mom. Instead, a bitter fear gripped her heart, and Ruby wondered what or who they would lose next.
XXXXXXX
Canada watched carefully as Russia lay America back in his bed, fingers tingling with frost. His every cell shivered with icy energy, and he knew if Russia made one odd move that energy would explode into an attack Canada did not intend to release. He could not help it. His nerves were frayed, leftover panic prickling over his skin, as it had been ever since he and England entered America's room to find him gone. The doctor left his foolish twin alone for two seconds and America managed to pull a disappearing act on them.
Canada had honestly jumped to conclusions and feared the worst. Could anyone blame him? America attracted trouble like he had his own gravitational pull. Canada did not know why he walked into Grimm-filled woods and fallen asleep, but once he woke up, he was getting an earful. What was he thinking?
Distant shouting reached his ears and Canada groaned internally, recognizing England's furious tones. Nora tipped her head and winced, while Russia shot him an amused look, lips twitching into a smile.
"I think you may want to go stop Arthur from causing a scene." he said pleasantly.
A stream of curses and threats came through the walls.
Canada sighed, rubbing the area between his eyebrows in a futile attempt to ward off a headache. "It's probably too late." He looked to Nora and Ren. "Could you stay with him?"
"Sure." Nora agreed easily. "We'll try to drag Blake out later."
Canada shot them a grateful smile before he exited the room, heading towards the source of the continuing string of curses. Some were quite colorful, and he hoped there were no children around to repeat them. He nearly ran into the doctor— Charon, if he was not mistaken, who looked noticeably more frazzled than he had a few hours ago— a nurse, and England. The nation's cheeks were red with anger, while his eyes burned like emerald flames. Thankfully, his staff was in its holster, otherwise Canada was certain that spells would be flying.
"Arthur, please calm down." Canada said, touching his brother's arm. "There's no need to shout."
"There bloody well is!" England snarled. He jabbed a finger at the nurse, who eyed him warily. "Tell this mad dog that she is not chaining Alfred to the bed."
Canada's spine stiffened and he turned to stare at the nurse. His fingers curled, but he did not reach for Maple Frost just yet. "Ma'am, could you please tell me why you wish to do that?" he requested in his most pleasant voice.
"It's protocol to restrain patients like him and keep them from wandering." the nurse said.
Canada shook his head, smile stiff on his face. "Ma'am, if you restrain my brother he'll panic when he wakes. Restraints aren't necessary. We can stay with him and keep him from leaving again."
The nurse's lips thinned. "We cannot risk leaving him to wander out again." She said in a tone of voice that suggested Canada was a small child who had trouble understanding the obvious. He tried not to let it rankle him. "Next time, it is unlikely he will be found, not to mention the risk of—"
"Nurse, I don't believe Alfred is a risk." Charon interrupted. "So how about we ask him why he left when he wakes, and then see if any measures need to be taken?"
If the nurse looked annoyed with Canada, she looked almost murderous when Charon spoke. Her gaze grew icy and her lip curled. "Very well, doctor." She turned on her heel and stormed off.
Canada watched her go, eyebrows raised. He looked to Charon. "Thank you for stopping her."
"You're welcome." the doctor said.
"What got her knickers in a twist?" England muttered.
"You did yell at her." Canada pointed out.
England's gaze darkened. "You are perfectly aware how Alfred would respond yet she thought she knew better." He sent a glare in the direction of the nurse.
"It wasn't just you she was upset with." Charon interjected blandly. The Atlesian doctor ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "The staff here do not like me or my fellow medical officers. As far as they are concerned, we are outsiders interfering with their patient-base, on their turf."
"That's..." Canada could not think of anything nice to say so he elected not to say anything at all.
"Petty, pretentious, and imbecilic." England finished for him. "Many of them saw Alfred and none of them decided to stop him from leaving. Incompetent bastards."
Charon shot him a startled look and shook his head. "I cannot disagree. Regardless, on behalf of the medical professionals here I apologize for our negligence."
"You don't have anything to apologize for. We know how busy you are." Canada said sympathetically.
America was far from the only person hurt in Atlas, and as one of the few medical officers who could handle the dozens of cases that came in with the freed prisoners of the Transformation Institute, it was obvious the Atlesian doctor was running himself ragged trying to help them all. Canada suspected that many of the prisoners had trouble trusting anyone even close to being a medical practitioner, and Charon had to rely on the fragile trust he managed to personally build in order to help them. Trust that the doctors in this town did not have. Canada did not envy the man.
Charon nodded absently. "May I inquire how your two friends are doing?"
"Jett is fully recovered." Canada supplied easily. "Francis is... okay, but mending."
Charon acknowledged his update with a small smile that quickly faded. "And Lovino?"
"He's still unconscious as far as we know. We were on our way there before Alfred decided to pull a disappearing act." England growled.
"We think Lovino's Semblance might be what is keeping him asleep." Canada explained.
He and England had indeed intended to go to Romano and Italy to see if a Semblance was the cause of the southern Italian's coma-like state, but some sixth sense had made England return to America's room to find him missing. Canada really had to remember to scold America until his ears burned for that one. What was he thinking?
Charon's face lit up. "A Semblance? I did not consider that possibility. I have another patient to check on, then I will go to him."
"Thank you." Canada said.
They went their separate ways and Canada had to force himself not to run to Romano's room. He opened the door without knocking and was unsurprising to see Italy in his usual chair. The Italian jumped and wiped at his eyes suspiciously.
"Arthur, Matthew. Is Alfred okay?" he asked.
"He woke up, ran off, and was found asleep again." England said, sitting heavily in a chair and dragging a hand down his face. "He ran into the bloody woods for some reason. I swear he did that intentionally to give me a heart attack. Brat is more trouble than he's worth."
"You don't mean that." Canada chided as he took another seat.
"Hmph." England grunted.
"Before he fell asleep, Alfred had an idea." Canada continued, looking to Italy. "He thinks Lovino might be unconscious due to his Semblance."
"His Semblance?" Italy questioned. He gripped Romano's hand tighter. "Big brother… was always a sleepyhead."
"Exactly." Canada encouraged. "So we just have to figure out how to wake him."
"If it's his Semblance." England muttered.
Canada kicked him in the shin, shooting him a warning look. Couldn't he see Italy looked close to tears? His brother had been captured, and when they found him he was in a coma. All things considered, it was surprising Italy was holding up so far. The Italian sniffled, rubbing his nose with his sleeve.
"But… But I've talked to big brother and he's still like this." Italy's voice cracked and Canada hid a cringe. Suddenly, he was not so certain that Romano's state was due to a Semblance anymore. After all, what kind of Semblance would leave him so deeply unconscious that not even his litthe brother's pleas could wake him.
Unless...
"...Have you spoken to him in Italian?" Canada whispered.
Italy stared at him, eyes wide open. He lurched forward, clinging to his brother's hand as he leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Fratello, per favore svegliati. Sono io, Feliciano. Sei al sicuro ora. Puoi svegliarti."
Nothing happened. Italy's breath hitched audibly and Canada's heart sank. England hesitantly put a hand on the Italian's trembling shoulder and opened his mouth, but no words came out. He glanced helplessly at Canada, who struggled to keep his sorrow and guilt off his face. That could not be it. They had been so sure that Romano was under the influence of his own Semblance. Now they had shared that with Italy and given him false hope—
Italy gasped, looking at his hand. Canada followed his gaze to see Romano's fingers twitch, squeezing his younger brother's digits until their tan skin was white. Green-tinged hazel eyes fluttered open, blinking in confusion until they settled on Italy.
"...Feli?" Romano mumbled.
Italy hugged his confused brother, blubbering in an undignified manner with large tears streaming down his face. Romano twitched but awkwardly flung an arm up and patted his little brother's shoulder. He looked over Italy's back at Canada, and his brow furrowed.
"Where am I? What happened?"
Canada's lips stretched into a smile. "That's a long story."
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Translations:
"Fratello, per favore svegliati. Sono io, Feliciano. Sei al sicuro ora. Puoi svegliarti.": "Brother, please wake up. It's me, Feliciano. You're safe now. You can wake up."
A/N: Welcome to the next (and final) installment of this series! It's exactly midnight where I am and I was awake so I thought I may as well upload now, haha.
Note that I have used the infamous Google Translate for the Italian. *wails in despair* Please, if you know Italian and the proper phrasing and words, please tell me and I will change it. I hate Google Translate but don't know a reliable source. *anguished shrieking*
We're back to weekly Friday updates again (for now). See you in a week!