A/N: Hello to all and welcome back to what I hope to be another successful RWBY-crossover series.
As stated at the end of the last arc, and in the summary of this one, macjack662 and I will be working in collaboration from this point onward. I may do the writing, but the kid's got some damn good ideas and I couldn't help but bring him in on the project. So be sure to give him just as many props as you give me.
As for the continuation of the series, I am going to say that given that this is an AU, there will be huge plot changes for RWBY canon, but they will be well worth it in bringing all of this together. So for now, let us get on with Volume 2!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Inside their cell room, a young Paxton Fettle and Adrian Wade were lazing about watching the small television set up for them.
"Again and again he tortured us."
The door of the room opened and Harlan Wade stepped in, grabbing Paxton by the arm and dragging him out as he fought to get free. Adrian could only watch as the other boy was taken away and the door sealed behind them.
"Looking for his perfect prototype. His psychic commander."
Some time later, while little Adrian was watching tv and shooting his toy gun at it, the door opened again. The boy rolling out of the way and hiding infront of one of the beds while Harlan led a zombie-like Paxton inside, leaving him standing beside his bed.
When the man left, Adrian ran up to the other boy and tried to play with him...but Paxton remained motionless, staring at the ground.
"He drove me...screaming to the fringes of my mind."
The youngest boy suddenly snapped, screaming loudly and flailing his arms. All around the room, objects started to shutter and move on their own.
Later on, at night, the boys slept in their own beds. Paxton tossing and turning, causing the bed beneath him to vibrate.
"But I was simply growing stronger. Closer to mother."
Alma's child form appeared beside her youngest son's bed, only able to watch him in pain unable to do anything about it.
"I could feel mother's anger."
The two boys were awake the next day. Paxton standing in the middle of the room motionless, Adrian fired his toy gun at him, but couldn't get him to play along.
"She HATED him...What he had done to our family."
Later, when Adrian was coloring in a book, Paxton had taken all of the black and red crayons and markers and was drawing on the wall beside his bed.
"Her time was coming."
Overtime, a strange doorway with long black vines took up the wall around the strange archway. Stretching along both walls and along the floor while Paxton continued drawing. Adrian sitting back and watching the other boy work.
"She would have her revenge. Her time too would come."
The door opened and Harlan stepped inside, turning with a look of surprise when he saw what the youngest of the two prototypes was doing before leading the boy out of the room yet again.
"To erase the memories of his tortures."
X
Adrian awoke with a start, sitting up in bed breathing heavily with sweat dripping down his face.
"Adrian? Are you okay?" Ruby asked concerned, having been awoken at the same time and was now sitting up beside him. The two of them sharing the same bed in their dorm room and had been ever since they discovered how deep their relationship went
No one else in their team minded, Weiss was especially thankful since Ruby's bed was set up where Adrian's cot had been instead of dangling precariously above her own by ropes.
Rubbing a hand over his face, Adrian looked at his girlfriend and began signing to her. [More memories. Back when Paxton and I were kids.] Ruby nodded in understanding, leaning her head on his shoulder and hugging him close.
It had been a while since he had gone through a memory flashback, but she knew that each time took a toll on him mentally.
Feeling the comfort she was offering, the former FEAR operative put his arm around her as well. Thankful that she had been there. The new dynamic of their relationship had taken some getting used to at first, but now he was glad that he didn't wake up alone after reliving part of his past.
Thankfully, the other three members of their team hadn't woken up. Leaving the young couple a moment to themselves as they sat in comfortable silence together
X
In Vale later that same day, a young woman with light-green hair and red eyes waved at a shop owner after getting the directions she had asked him about. Passing by a corner where a pale, well-built male roughly the same age as her with silver-grey eyes and light-grey hair was leaning against a wall.
"I knew you were lost." Mercury said shaking his head in amusement.
Emerald rolled her eyes, "Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up." she stated while waving a wallet she had pilfered in his face.
"That's not your money." he pointed out.
"But it could be yours for five minutes of silence..." she pressed.
The male thought it over briefly, "Mmmmmm...no deal." he said shaking his head.
Emerald growled, "Fine." she took the Lien from the wallet and tossed it aside before walking away. Her partner following behind with his hands behind his head.
"Whatever. You want me." he said as they walked down the street side by side. "So, how much farther?"
"A few blocks." Emerald replied.
Mercury groaned, "This place is so dull." he complained while his partner just shrugged.
"Eh, I kinda like it. Tall buildings, diverse culture..."
"And nice dopey people who are easy to pickpocket." her companion threw in causing her to stop for a moment.
"That's every city." Emerald stated.
Mercury put his hands together in a pleading manner, "Ooh, Emerald! Master thief! Please don't take my money! I barely have enough to get by!" he mocked while acting like a victim. The green-haired girl glared hatefully at him before stomping away. "Ugh, you're no fun today." Mercury muttered as they kept moving.
A while later, the duo found themselves outside the shop they had been looking for. Entering the shop that was filled with books, both of them looking around before Emerald headed toward the front desk while Mercury hung back by the door looking through one of the shelves.
Reaching the desk, the girl rang the bell and waited. "Be right there!" someone called from the back. A moment later, the door behind the counter opened and a man with gruff, rugged features came out with two stacks of books in hand. "Welcome to 'Tukson's Book Trade', home to every book under the sun." he greeted setting the stacks on the floor. "How may I..." he gasped and hesitated a moment when he saw who was in his shop.
"How may I help you?" he asked remaining calm and professional.
"Just browsing." Mercury said before snapping the book in his hand shut.
"Actually, I was wondering," Emerald said getting the man's attention. "Do you have copies of 'The Thief and the Butcher'?"
"Yes we do." said the owner.
"That's great." said the girl, allowing a long pause to stretch afterword.
"Would you...like a copy?" asked Tukson slowly.
Emerald shook her head, "No, just wondering." she answered while Mercury snapped another book closed. "Oh, oh! What about 'Violet's Garden', in paperback?"
"He's got it!" her partner called up holding said book in the air, "Hardcover too."
"Ooh, options are nice." Emerald said in thought.
Mercury shrugged closing another book, "Eh, no pictures. Hey! Do you have any comics?"
Tukson motioned with his chin, "Near the front."
"Oh, no, wait!" Emerald exclaimed catching his attention. "What...about...'Third Crusade'?"
"Um...I..." Tukson hesiated, visibly unnerved by the two in his shop as he watched them watching him with careful eyes. "...don't believe we carry that one." he finally answered.
"...oh." Mercury said snapping another book closed.
"What was this place called again?" asked Emerald.
"Tukson's Book Trade." said the owner.
"And you're Tukson?" questioned the green-haired girl.
"That's right."
"So I take it that you're the one that came up with the catchphrase?"
"Yes."
"And, what was it again?" asked Mercury.
Tukson sighed, "Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun..." he quoted.
"Except the 'Third Crusade'." pointed out the silver haired teen from the front.
"It's just a catchphrase." the owner countered.
"It's false advertising!" Mercury exclaimed in return.
Emerald narrowed her eyes, "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Tukson." she stated while her partner activated a switch by the door, causing one of the front windows to darken. "I hear you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo." Mercury activated another dimmer switch and the light vanished from the door. "Your brothers in the White Fang won't be happy to hear that." Emerald said as Mercury hit the last switch, canceling out all light from the outside. "And neither are we..."
There was an intense stand off for a moment before she spoke again, "You know who we are, don't you?" she asked.
Tukson nodded seriously, "Yes."
"And you know why we're here?"
"Yes."
"So..." Emerald leaned back and crossed her arms, "Are you going to fight back?"
"YES!" Tukson roared, leaping up on to the counter with claws extending from his fingers and pouncing at the duo. Emerald surprised him by ducking out of the way and leading him in the path of Mercury who cocked his leg back and kicked high.
Outside the shop, a gunshot went off followed swiftly by the sound of a body hitting the floor. But no one had been nearby to hear it.
X
It was lunch time at Beacon, and while most of the student body ate, hung out with friends or looked over notes for the coming semester, one individual was busy deep in throught.
Blake sat at her team's usual table, her amber eyes going through a notebook that was open before her filled with a bunch of sketches and a few notes on the sides. One of said sketches was the White Fang insignia while another was of a young man in a jacket with a flower embroiled on the back.
Her musings were interrupted when Yang bumped her shoulder from the seat next to her, "Whatcha doin'?" she asked trying to look at what her partner was going over.
"Nothing. Just going over notes from last semester." Blake said, closing the book quickly so no one could see.
Yang snapped her head to the side and caught a grape in her mouth that was flung her way by Nora from another table. "Lame." she said before catching another and giving the red-headed bomber a thumbs up.
Ruby made her appearence to the group by slamming a large white binder on the table making them jump. Clearing her throat, she addressed all of them. "Sisters...Friends...Weiss."
"Hey!" her partner exclaimed indignately.
"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream." their leader continued unhindered.
"This oughta be good." said Yang catching another piece of fruit.
"A dream that one day, all of us would come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had...ever!" Ruby exclaimed.
Weiss looked at the huge binder with a hint of realization, "Did you steal my binder?"
The red cloaked girl held up a peace-sign with each hand, "I am not a crook."
"What are you talking about?" asked Blake.
Ruby grinned, "I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!"
Yang pointed her thumb at herself, "I always start off my semester with a Yang!" Crickets chirped around them as they all looked at the blonde unimpressed, "Eh? Guys? Am I right?" Her answer was an apple being thrown at her followed by a low 'Boooooo!' from somewhere else in the cafeteria.
Ruby shook her head, "Look guys, it's been two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great! But, classes start tomorrow. Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today."
"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have planned." said Weiss conflicted while Yang glared at the one that threw the apple before hurling it right back.
"I don't know. I think I might sit this out." said Blake hesitantly.
"Sit out or not, I think that however we spend this last week, we should do it as a team." said the heiress before she glanced around, "By the way, where's Adrian? None of us have seen him all day."
Ruby bit her lip, "He's...taking a little time for himself. He didn't sleep too well last night." she admitted, making everyone look at her confused.
"Is he alright?" asked Yang.
"Yeah, he's fine. There's just a lot on his mind and I gave him some space to think it out." replied the red cloaked girl.
Weiss nodded, "Well, I for one think that-" she was cut off as a pie came flying across the room and hit her in the face. The rest of RWBY looked over to the table JNPR was seated at and saw Nora standing with her arm outstretched.
She quickly sat down and pointed at Ren on her left who had his head in his hand, Pyrrha covering her mouth and Jaune wide eyed at what had just happened.
X
On the rooftop of the dorms, his usual thinking spot, Adrian sat looking out over the campus below.
It had been a while since he relived any part of his past, and this more recent one hit him unexpectedly
He was still trying to make sense of these visions. Why were they coming to him now? Did it mean something? It still didn't make sense, and he could tell it was worrying Ruby.
The trip he had taken with her and her sister to Patch had been a real experience. Taiyang, although a protective father, was a very laid back man who's kindness was only matched by his skill in hand to hand combat.
Adrian had been accepted by the man into his family, despite earlier worries about him dating Ruby. And the weekend spent at the Xiao Long household had been enjoyable. Seeing where his soulmate had grown up to become the young huntress she was now .
He had even been taken to see her mother, or, to be more precise, her mother's memorial site. The ex-FEAR operative had felt honored as Ruby introduced him to her mother's gravestone, talking about all the adventures she had been on along with how the two of them met and how happy she was.
Ever silent, Adrian had watched on. Seeing just how deep of a bond Ruby had with her mother that transcended even beyond the boundaries of life and death. It made him truly see how strained his bond with his own mother was.
Even though Alma was a vengeful spirit, enfused with more negative emotions than any Grimm in existence, she was still his mother. But he couldn't forget the literal hell she had put him through when they encountered one another in Fairport, or the deaths of his team she had caused.
But at the same time, he couldn't blame her for the way she was. What Armacham had done to her, what her own father had done to her, anyone would have snapped. His mind was a jumbled mess about the whole thing.
"Another rough night, brother?" Adrian turned his head to see his little brother walk up beside him. His blood-colored aura flowing around him like smoke. "I did warn you that our shared past was coming back, now you are truly remembering things the way they were. The tortures we endured under HIS rule."
Adrian turned his attention back to the sight of Beacon's campus. Paxton shifted his gaze to his older brother, "Our family needs to stand together. The time of our vengeance on those that wronged us draws closer, and we need to be ready to take what is ours."
The soldier turned fully and gave the psionic a sharp look before making his way to the stairwell.
Paxton vanished in a burst of aura and reappeared in Adrian's path, "Armacham is drawing closer, brother. The more you try to deny what is expected of us as mother's sons, the more danger you place yourself and your friends in...along with your little rose."
Sending another sharp look, Adrian made it clear how the mention of Ruby being in any sort of danger, either by the ATC or by his family, wouldn't be taken well.
"If you wish so much to keep her safe, then you know that something must be done." Paxton said seriously. "Armacham will make their move, I'm sure of it. For all we know they already have. We cannot be unprepared for it should anything come to pass."
Taking a moment to mull over the psionic's words, Adrian simply nodded at him before walking through his ghostly form and entering the stairwell.
Watching his brother leave, Paxton smirked to himself. No matter how hard Adrian put up a strong front, he had inadvertenly created a major weakness on his part. One that could be exploited if one were to know how to pull the right strings.
X
Doing his best to put the nearly one sided discussion with his brother to the back of his mind, Adrian made his way down to the cafeteria where his team would most likely be. And after having skipped breakfest earlier, he was actually quite hungry now.
Reaching the double doors, he reached out to push them open...
Only jump move out of the way as a large crowd burst through from the other side fled from the room, some of them shouting 'FOOD FIGHT!' as they vacated the immediate area.
Curious about the strange behavior, the ex-FEAR operative poked his head inside the cafeteria, and found Nora and the rest of team JNPR standing on a bunch of tables and vending machines hazardously stacked on top of each other at the far end.
"Ahahahaha! I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" the bomber sang loudly as she stood on the very top of the pile.
On the other end of the cafeteria, Ruby stomped her foot on to a table and pointed at the opposing team, "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" she crushed a carton of milk that was in her other hand. "It will be DELICIOUS!" Her team exclaimed 'YEAH!' behind at the same time.
"Off with their heads!" Nora shouted as she jumped down to the floor. Ren flipped and launched a trio of watermelons that he kicked in RWBY's direction. Jaune ducked and rolled as he tossed one of his own with Pyrrah hurling two more through the air. Nora grabbed a table and heaved roughly a dozen more making the salvo that much bigger.
"Yang! Turkey!" Ruby ordered. Her sister rolled over to a couple of turkeys laying nearby, jamming her fists into them and began to punch and block the incoming melons. Blake grabbing a couple of baguettes and aided her partner as the blonde hurled her 'weapons' across the room and taking down Jaune.
Pyrrah grabbed up her own loaf of bread and began sparring with Blake, the two meeting each other hit to hit before the spartan managed to knock the cat-faunus back. Following up by hurling her bread at the opposing team.
Yang snapped her foot up and shattered the projectile, allowing Ruby to leap past her riding a food tray along one of the tables like a skateboard. Flipping through the air and deflecting anything thrown her way before slamming into Pyrrah and knocking her back.
Ren charged the red cloaked girl, but Weiss had her back, shooting ketchup along the floor and making a trap that sent the raven-pink haired teen slip forward and crash into several tables.
Shaking his head and smiling at the antics of his friends, Adrian casually walked into the melee. Snapping his hand out at various intervals and catching pieces of food that shot past him, using his reflex semblance to dodge various projectiles.
Within moments, he had assembled a decent sized sub. Finding a corner out of the way of the massive food fight, he sat down at a small table that hadn't been used or overturned and sat down to enjoy his lunch while watching the action before him.
Nora jumped into the air, yanking a poll from the wall and impaling a watermelon on the end making a makeshift hammer. Swinging it at the duo aiming for Weiss and instead hitting Ruby. The heiress quickly grabbed up a swordfish, blocking several strikes from the bomber.
The red head managing to score a lucky hit and sending the white-haired girl hurling back through a few tables and slamming into a pillar at the other end of the cafeteria knocking her out.
"Weiss!" Ruby screamed catching her as she fell. "Weiss! Don't leave me! Noooo!"
Yang ran forward, equiping herself with two more turkeys and began fighting Ren who was using leek stalks. The blond landing a hard uppercut that sent him in the air, using the momentum to flip around and hurl his weapons at the brawler who leapt away before they could land. Going higher than her opponent and slamming her fist into his back sending him crashing to the ground.
Nora slammed her hammer down sending Yang skidding back, the two running at one another and swinging their respected 'weapons'. The bomber smashing the melon as she sent the blonde flying up and through the ceiling out of sight.
Blake backflipped away from the debris made when her partner was sent through the roof, snatching up sausage links and whiping Nora hard enough to throw her into a vending machine causing soda cans scattering everywhere. The bomber gritted her teeth, grabbing a few of the cans and hurling them at the raven-haired girl like grenades making her backpeddle to a safe distance.
Pyrrah got back to her feet, using her ability over polarity to bring all the soda cans into the air. Waving her arms and bringing them together and sending them at Blake in a tidal wave and taking her down.
Ruby stood up as Weiss slowly began to wake up, glaring at JNPR she knelt down in a runner's stance before taking off like a bullet. Rose petals scattering in her wake as her own semblance kicked in and the force catching all food, drinks and all other forms of debris as she rushed the other team. JNPR could only gap as the younger girl jumped, spinning in the air and flying past them and catching them in the following tornado.
She stopped just before meeting the wall, causing the surface to crack from the concussion blast that followed her, JNPR slamming into it before she jumped into the air allowing the wave of food and soda to repeatedly crash into them. Painting the team and the wall itself in an array of colors . When Ruby dropped back down, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrah and Ren slid off the wall and fell to the floor leaving outlines of themselves on the wall.
When everything quieted down, the winning team heard clapping and looked over to see Adrian applauding them from his space. Holding up a lunch tray with ketchup sprayed on it to make the number '10'.
"You missed all the fun, Adrian!" Ruby called just as the doors to the room burst open.
Glynda Goodwitch stomped inside, her riding crop clenched tightly in her hand as she growled deeply from the disturbance. She held up he wand stopping a cluster of plates from hitting her before giving it a powerful wave.
All of the tables, snapped into the air, flowing back into place while the leftover food was disposed of properly. When everything was settled, she addressed the group, "Children, please." she adjusted her glasses. "Do not play with your food."
Nora gave a resounding belch, surprising the two teams before Yang came crashing back through the roof and through a table close to her team causing them all to start laughing. Even Adrian couldn't help but laugh silently along with them. All of the troubles going through his mind from earlier.
Ruby came up beside him, covered in filth and hugged him tightly. The soldier not minding in the least as he embraced her back, flicking a few peas from her red-tipped hair while doing so.
Glynda continued to leer at the teens crossly, but paused as Professor Ozpin came up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Let it go." he said calmly.
The huntress sighed, "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world." she stated.
"And they will be, but right now they're still children." said the headmaster. "So why not let them play the part." he turned and began to head out of the room. "After all, it isn't a roll they'll get to play forever."
X
The food fight had ended, and the group of teens were all laughing and having a good time. However. they were completely unaware of the little girl in a red dress that was watching them from outside a nearby window.
Alma looked at her oldest son, and as she watched she couldn't help but see how happy he was.
She had never seen her son so happy, it was a feeling that gave her some comfort. Alma wanted to see her son be happy, and from what she was able to understand, with happiness comes love.
Alma knew that the girl with the red hood, Ruby Rose, had feelings for him, as he had feelings for her. A strong connection that went beyond normal affection...could it have been love?
The very word brought her heartache to the center of her being. It was something that had been robbed from both her and her children all their lives, which had led to her rage and fury to be unleashed upon the world...but it was only now she realized how far her actions had been taken.
She turned away from her place and walked away, her form hidden from the mortal children around her as she thought to herself. Had she been so blind by her anger and hatred, that she had failed to see she was actually hurting her son?
Alma would never want to harm her son, unlike her father who tortured him and her youngest son since their birth. It had taken her some time, but eventually she discovered that all she was doing to try to get her oldest son to come to her was actually hurting him, all she wanted was for their family to be whole again.
For her sons to love her.
But her eldest both feared and hated her for what she had done, and her youngest...had been twisted into something monsterous due to their bonding during his torture at the hands of Harlan.
With her mind and her heart weighing heavily on the disarray of her family, Alma started to think on how to fix the damage that had been caused...and the answer came to her quickly.
She wanted her family together again, she wanted to be a mother again, and she would do so no matter what it took.
But in order to do this she needed a body, and she wouldn't have to look far, for she already knew whose body she wanted.
Gathering her powers, she vanished in a burst of ashes. Alma having found the location of the one she saw as her new body. Intending to observe her actions before it was time to strike.
A/N: This is only just the beginning, and there is just enough questions left to leave you all guessing about what will be happening next.
It will take a bit more time between updates compared to last time, but as long as the content is to the best that it can be, it'll be worth the effort.
Leave your reviews and PMs in the usual spots, and I'll get back to you all as best as I can.