Hello everyone! I'm actually quite surprised at the number of people who like this! I honestly thought is was mediocre, with all the fics I've read, mine seemed pale in comparison. Well with all the support I'll gladly continue! So here we go with Ch 1 of Puppet's Plight.
CH 1
Remnant, a land of technological advances brought upon by the human mind and it's essence, it's machinations were sights to behold. Machines able to take flight and devices used to connect to one another. All this brought upon by the magical substance known as "Dust". The people of Remnant have known Dust came from a time long before, supposedly from the Gods. They used this substance to build a land that's constantly evolving and showed no sign of stopping.
Though these advances did not come without cost, when man was created so was a scourge come to be known as Grimm. Grimm were best described as beasts, created from man's darkness and negative emotion. They feed on who ever is in their clawed grasp, whether man, woman, or child. The people have known Grimm to have been created in tandem with themselves and for ages fought against the ranks of these beasts.
Those who fought against the Grimm became known as Hunters and Huntresses, they learn the art of weaponry and with their own forged armaments they protect the innocent from the Grimm. As time passed Hunters aged and were forced to pass the battle onto their prosperity. Teaching them the way of hunting Grimm, eventually the skills taught by mentor to apprentice evolved into teacher to students. Humanity built schools to teach the generations to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Many schools were built and named, one most known being Beacon. Aptly titled for it is the beacon for the future against the Grimm. Here Hunters and Huntresses are taught about their enemy before being thrown into combat. They are taught the Grimm's anatomy and behavior , as well as teamwork as one cannot fight Grimm alone easily. The teams were formed via chance, as the initiation was an event in which Hunter and Huntresses to be were thrown into the forest. Left to fight with both their crafted weapon and a natural ability only some have. They fought with their semblance, a natural ability that granted those who had it inhumane abilities. Speed, Strength, even the control over polarity, these powers are what allowed a true chance against the Grimm.
The teams that did emerge and showed true potential were Teams RWBY and JNPR, each with their own leaders. Ruby Rose leading RWBY and Jaune Arc leading team JNPR. Both are excellent leaders, guiding their teams towards a successful future of hunting. In fact the two were out and about right about now. Their plan was to visit a shop recommended to them by a stranger, which supposedly owned a lot of possible upgrades. The strangers exact instructions were "Just walk in and tell em Kevin sent ya".
"Eh Ruby, you sure that guys info was sound." Jaune said with worry, recalling how they had just stumbled across the man, whom was just sitting in an alley shadily. He scratched his short, messy hair blonde in worry. His vibrant blue eyes blinking and darting in suspicion.
"Oh relax Jaune I'm sure it's fine, now come on! I want to see those new weapons!" Ruby exclaimed, eager to see new armaments and possible upgrades to her beloved weapon, Crescent Rose. She looked down at the 'Business card' if one could call it that. She could still see the title of a cheap hotel located somewhere in Vale. With a shrug she read the sub par penmanship on the back, "'Kevin's Armory', never heard of this place before. Oh well a weapon shop is a weapon shop, step on it Jaune!," Ruby said to the paranoid blonde, using her semblance to quicken up her pace.
"Ah Ruby! Can you please not use your semblance? I can barely keep up as is." Jaune sputtered as he needed to break into a sprint in order to catch up. While Jaune's endurance wasn't terrible, he could still barely keep up with the hyperactive red head. He could barely make out her figure with the speed she was going. After a few minutes of chasing her, he finally found her, she had stopped in front of a alley and he gave the place a quick look. Piled up garbage, check, old boxes, check, incredibly dark corners where one could get mugged, checkaroo. "Um Ruby we REALLY shouldn't go down here, I got a really bad feeling, I mean come on that's just screaming shady." Jaune tried to persuade the huntress, but only received a pout. He sighed, "At least are weapons are still with us." Jaune relented, the airship's new rules were no weapons allowed,"You held onto Crescent Rose for dear life!"
"Don't remind me Jaune," She mumbled, still miffed about her weapon almost being confiscated, "but come on the sign's right there," she said pointing towards a crudely written sign, written with black marker. One could barely make out the words "Kevin's Armory". They walked in the door and were greeted by a large display case of attachments and behind were various weapons, to the left a doorway. The room itself was quite large oddly enough as well as bare only concrete support beams were seen, but no one seemed to be in sight. Jaune and Ruby looked around, they both shrugged and Jaune started browsing. Ruby, wanting some information decided to shout,"Hello! Anyone here?" She yelled into the store, after a moment of no response, she added "Kevin sent us!"
There was a startled yelp and the sound of objects hitting the ground. Ruby could hear a string of curse words in a very familiar voice. Out of the back stumbled a man with a black hoodie on with the hood up and obscuring his face. He looked like he had just been woken up. He rubbed the sleep out his eyes and blinked, he looked around and spotted Ruby. He shook the sleep out of his head and greeted her, "Oh it's you guys! You guys couldn't resist the chance to get some quality weapons huh?, well you've come to the right place!" The man said, revealing himself to be Kevin.
Jaune gave him a skeptical look,"Ok then Kevin, what weapons do you have?" His gut still told him something was off, he just couldn't shake the feeling.
"Well bud we've got quite a large selection, take a look here, all of em collected from other various locations, take a looky at this one" Kevin said pulling quite large broadsword out from under the counter. "Take a look at this one, I'm gonna go in the back and show ya'll the new shipment that just came in, be back in a bit." Kevin said as he slipped into the back.
The pair looked at he sword on the counter, it was quite large, roughly the the length of an average claymore, but the blade was much thicker,about as thick as a brick. They inspected the mechanisms and found the blade could turn into a double barreled shotgun, the blade could fold from the hilt and load in shells. "Wow Jaune look at this, it's a bit crude, obviously not as cool as my Crescent Rose, but cool none the less!". Ruby said gawking at the blade.
"I don't know Ruby, this is way to suspicious, I mean this place is underground and out of sight it's way to shifty." Jaune told Ruby, his eyes looked at the blade and a small detail caught he caught the initials J.P crudely etched into the blade. Those two letters sturred something in his brain, he remembered earlier during the week there was news alert on everyone's scrolls about a group of hunters. The teams were chatting at breakfast when the message popped up, and the message displayed news about a team being found mutilated in the forest. 4 names were listed, Samhain, Rei, Trish, and J.P. His eyes shot open at the realization.
"Ruby! Look this weapon has the name of one of the killed hunters that were reported, there's only one way these weapons ended up here, they were looted off of dead hunters and huntresses!" Jaune exclaimed and then clamped his mouth shut, his eyes darting around for the shop owner.
Ruby opened her mouth to ask how he came to that assumption, but was interrupted by the return of Kevin's voice and two more voices that sounded similar to his. Out of the side door emerged Kevin, who's hand were up, trying to guide two similarly dressed men. Between the two new arrivals was a large coffin, it's lid intricately designed. "Easy, easy you knuckle heads watch the merch." Kevin shouted at the two. The two seemed to struggle with the container and barely managed to get it through the door before dropping in in front of the counter.
Once the "Shipment" was settled onto the ground Kevin opened the lid, instead of a corpse like the pair expected, they were greeted by a copious amount of weaponry and supplies. "Welp here's the new shipment, there are some pretty old looking weapons in here, among some other stuff." Kevin said pointing towards the open coffin.
Ruby was quick to practically dive into the coffin, she rummaged around, squealing at all the weapons. There were bullets and potions, as vials of... Ruby paused, she inspected one of the vials closely, it was needle tipped glass jar with an old worn. Inside was a red opaque liquid, she stood up from the strange weapon locker, she held the vial in front of her face and shook it, she tried to figure out what was in it, digging into her memory for an answer. She then recalled having to help out in the infirmary once, she was asked to organize supplies and tools. Organizing everything wasn't so bad, but then she found a cooler, inside said cooler were blood packs. Ruby looked at the vial and realized what was contained inside the glass. With a yelp she quickly set back in the chest and backed away. "W-why is there blood in this thing?!" Ruby demanded. Jaune was surprised as well slowly backing away and moved his hand towards the hilt of Crocea Mors.
Kevin held his hands up in defense, "I said there were other things didn't I, but ya can't let something like that stop ya. I mean look at the weapons in here!" Kevin said pulling out a intricate looking blade, the blade seem to weave into itself and with a tug the blade split into two deadly looking daggers. "Or how about this," Kevin continued stashing the blades back into the chest and pulled out a spear, it seemed normal, then Kevin tugged and twisted the base and it seemed to shift into a rifle.
Ruby was amazed by the weapons, but was still wary due to the other contents of the chest. She threw a glance at Jaune and saw a small scowl, those were rare, he only had those when he was planning. Usually he's a goof, but when a battle is involved he seemed to be the one with a plan.
"So Kevin, where exactly did you get these weapons?" Jaune asked Kevin, whom in turn raised a brow, "Like I said earlier we trade them". Kevin reiterated. "Ok then what shop, Ruby knows almost every weapons shop in Vale, obviously besides yours." Jaune asked eyes squinting at the hooded shop owner.
That question seem to stump Kevin for a minute, "Um, uh, the RT weapons store..." Kevin said after a minute. Within a second Jaune had drawn his sword and moved in front of Ruby, "I'm calling you out there, even I know that's not a real shop!" Kevin lackeys moved to intercept, but Kevin lifted up his arm to stop them "Hehe, looks like ya caught me kid."
"Where did you really get those weapons?" Jaune demanded. Kevin chuckled at that, "Weapons aren't cheap you know, it's so much easier and profitable to loot them off the idiots who don't how to use em." Kevin through a smirk at both hunter and huntress. "It seems i'm gonna have some new merchandise soon, quick question what weapons do ya'll have? I gotta make up a price tag."
Both of them opted not to respond to that, and instead pulled their weapons out. Jaune equipped both Crocea Mors and his shield, both going to their respective hand, while Ruby pulled out and unfolded Crescent Rose. With a flourish, albeit a practiced one, Jaune had his blade poised over the right corner of his shield, allowing him the options of defense and offense. Ruby cocked back the slide of the combination scythe and high caliber rifle.
"ooo, let's see a classic relic and a high tech scythe, ah these'll fetch a high price," Kevin taunted with a smirk, he motioned his hand and his lackeys pulled out simple looking pistols and pulled out his own. The weapons were simple in design, albeit a bit thicker than a standard firearm. The hunters in training new better than to underestimate a weapon, given the differing kinds they've seen.
Both parties were ready to fight, muscles tensed up ready to react to any attack, fingers itched to pull the trigger, minds were being cleared to calculate their next attack. They stared each other down ready to leap into the fray of a fight. Kevin snapped his fingers and his lackeys raised their guns and fire at the duo. Using her semblance Ruby grabbed Jaune and moved them out of the way of the volley of bullets. Moving them both behind a pillar, Ruby returned fire, taking shots at the three. But they quickly dove behind any cover near them. Jaune counted them as they took cover, with a glance at Ruby, he held up 2 fingers and pointed towards the counter then put up his index finger and pointed at a column across from their own cover.
Jaune was quick to think up a plan, with his left hand he gestured for Ruby to keep the two at the counter pinned down. Ruby opened her mouth to ask what he was planning, but he put a finger up to shush her. His eyes told her to trust him, with a nod Ruby leaned around the pillar and began firing at the counter, the glass showcase cracking due to its bullet resistant properties. Using the opportunity Jaune began to move from cover to cover, trying to flank the one behind the pillar. He looked towards Ruby and saw she was reloading her weapon. The goons behind cover used the moment to return fire of their own.
Bullets began peppering the concrete column Ruby was behind, with a grunt of slight irritation Ruby finished loading her rifle, continuing her actions from before and continued giving covering fire for Jaune. Seeing the chance Jaune sprinted for the one behind the pillar. He put his back to the opposite side of the pillar and bashed his shield with his weapon, the lackey peaked out from his cover and received a bash to the skill, courtesy of Jaune. The hooded goon was stunned by the blow but recovered, angered he grabbed the barrel of his firearm. The hunters wariness was proven just, when the man seemed to fold his gun, the barrel lined up with the grip of his pistol and split down along the bottom of the barrel. Out emerged a short blade, barely half the size of Jaune's own. The goon grinned as he flicked a switch on the grip and sparks started to dance on the small blade. Jaune knew he had to be wary, his weapons were metal after all and highly conductive. The goon rushed Jaune,whom sidestepped the attack, Jaune swung his sword at the lackey, but the goon was quick to pivot and had blocked his strike with his electrified blade, the two locking blades. The sparks began to dance down Jaune's blade and he quickly disengaged himself from the stand still. The goon went to attack again and his blade clanged against Jaune's shield, Jaune could already feel his arm numb at the electricity conducting through the metal. With a shove Jaune pushed the blade off, this left the goon stunned enough for Jaune to attack, he slashed upwards at the goon. But the lackey wasn't cut nor did he bleed, instead he collapsed into dust.
Jaune stood slightly stunned and confused, his opponent seemed to be an illusion, but he looked down and saw the weapon he was attacked with and it remained. He tried to process what had happened when his thinking was interrupted by Kevin's taunting voice, "Oi blonde, better come out, we got your little huntress here and ya better surrender or we can decide if she gets slashed across the throat or a bullet through her skull."
Jaune gulped and peeked around the pillar, he saw a lackey holding Ruby's arms behind her back and Kevin holding his gun at her head. Jaune couldn't think a plan out of this situation, with a defeated sigh, he walked out from behind the pillar with his weapons held high.
Kevin had smirk on his face as he snapped his fingers. Before Jaune could blink the pile of ash behind him reformed with the dropped weapon, in gun form, pointed at his head.
"Haha looks like i've won, so let me ask ya'll this, what are your weapons called?" Kevin said, waving his unarmed hand in the air. "I do need a name for the price tag after all." Kevin goaded.
All the taunting remarks had irritated Ruby the entire time, displaying a characteristic of her sister, she began struggling and shouting. Yelling profanity that would make her sister proud.
"Woah ho ho, this one is feisty, you and your weapon could get me a pretty penny." Kevin said putting the gun under Ruby's chin lifting her up as if to inspect her. "Ah well, your weapon'll be easier to sell." Kevin said cocking back the hammer of his pistol. Ruby closed her eyes preparing her life to end. Jaune could do nothing but stare, as he was about to see one of his best friends die. As the hammer clicked and Kevin moved his finger to pull the trigger, he was stopped.
"Excuse me, if you're not terribly busy, may I ask for some assistance." A voice from the stairs asked. The entire room turned their head at the voice, standing in the doorway was a incredibly tall woman, perhaps an entire head above the average man or woman. She spoke with a soft melodic voice and her face matched. The woman had pale silver hair framing a round face with startling copper eyes. All of these were overlooked however by the murderous man whom was armed.
"Who the hell are you lady?!" Kevin demanded
The woman's response was a head tilt, "Me, I am but a being looking for lost property of my companion. You see the item I'm looking for, this may seem slightly odd, is a coffin. Inside are some essential items for my dear companion." The woman explained.
"I ain't got nothing like that here lady, so would you kindly get the hell outta my shop!" Kevin shouted impatient eager to finish up business with his two meal tickets.
"Oh my, that is quite odd, I remember asking some kindly gentlemen in an alley about the whereabouts of such an item. They were quite rude as you are now, but once my little ones appeared and played with them, they seemed quite eager to tell me of this shop here." The strange woman said, her index finger planted on her bottom lip in thought.
Jaune and Ruby were throwing glances at each other, having a almost telepathic conversation.
'what is going on?!' Jaune "said"
'I have absolutely no idea, let's just see where this goes.' Ruby "replied"
"Lady I don't give a crap, get the hell out of my store now, or I'll make you" Kevin threatened moving the aim of his gun towards the woman. HIs patience was waring thin with this peculiar woman.
"Oh dear, well then you seem awfully angry? Is that the right word? I do not know I've rarely seen that emotion I haven't got the smallest clue about it." The woman asked herself, ignoring the weapon pointed towards her. "Would you like to play with my little ones? They always give me a sense of serenity and comfort." The woman asked "Here little ones say hello to the gentleman," the woman said with a smile. Out of the ground emerged little gremlin like creatures. Their spindly and bony limbs emerging from an ethereal portal. One could mistake the scene from a horror movie, the skeletal creatures seemingly emerging from the ground up, moaning and groaning.
The beings faces varied in characteristics, some having open to closed mouths, to some having a top hat or a pot atop their head.
"W-What the hell!?" Kevin exclaimed, the sight scaring him immensely. He pointed towards his clones and screamed, "Get her you damn morons, now!" The two clones looked at each other and shrugged, the one holding Ruby released her, and the one holding Jaune at gunpoint lowering his firearm. They both transformed their weapon into its bladed form and rushed the woman. As they sprinted towards her, the woman said, "Oh my you're quite eager to play aren't you." She said with a smile.
Before the clones knew it, they had tripped and fallen, they tried to push themselves off the ground but to no avail. Their bodies being held down by the skeletal creatures, their limbs being held by the creatures. More of them began to climb atop them and began touching their face. Some found the weapons the clones were wielding and began to play with them. Two pairs of creatures began to fiddle with the blades. Yanking them out of each others grasp, much like children would. A pair atop one of the clones chests, began a tug of war with one of the weapons. The barrel was pointed at the clone's head, and one of the creatures hands found the trigger. With a bang the clone turned to a pile of ash. The creatures responding by playing with the remains of the clones. The other clone shared a similar fate, though the creatures opted to instead play a game of toss around with the gun in its blade form. One failed to catch the blade the clone was run through.
Kevin saw copies of himself be brutally ended with his own weapons, whilst the woman saw her little ones play like they always do so.
Kevin steeled his nerves and screamed,"You, you bitch! That's it I'm ending this right now!" He transformed his gun into its short sword form. He rushed the woman, intending of slashing right through her. Instead his blade made contact with a metal cane, the woman had somehow equipped it in the time it took to cross the room to get to her. "Oh my, it seems you don't like my little ones nor do you want to play with them, oh how that saddens me?" She pondered again, in deep thought while she was blocking a weapon. "Ah yes sadness, I was correct, it does sadden me, my little ones are the sweetest, oh well." She said, still holding the cane up and blocking Kevin's blade.
With a triumphant smirk Kevin pulled the trigger on his sword and watched the sparks dance across her cane. The volts connecting with her hand. However the woman seemed unfazed by the courses of electricity. Kevin was taken aback, the sword had enough voltage to power a car, "How the hell are you still standing?" Kevin demanded as he backed away, his sword dropping at his side.
"Oh, do you mean that tingling feeling? I do say it felt quite ticklish, not as much so as when my companion does it, but it was nice tingle." The woman said. She then giggled, "Oh my dear companion he was always the one to help me feel these things, Oh! that reminds me, do you have my companion's property?"
Kevin surrendered, "Yes! Yes! Behind the counter!" He shouted cowering on the ground from the woman. "Oh wonderful! My companion would be joyous about the return of his items, Thank you kindly sir!" The woman thanked. She turned towards the counter to retrieve the coffin, Kevin seeing his chance, picked up his weapon and fired towards the woman. The bullet passed over her head however, as she had bent down to inspect the coffin. Angered Kevin stood up to sneak up behind her. Meanwhile the woman was inspecting the coffin, as she was looking she began to tap her cane, out of habit. With a click the cane extended and segemented into many conjoined parts. Out of suprise the woman threw the weapon in the air, The cane now turned whip curling and sailing in the air. The whip wrapped itself around Kevin and the residual bolt zapping him into unconciousenss.
The woman turned and saw the incapacitated shop owner. She gasped and began to frantically look around. She spotted Jaune and Ruby, both had been watching the entire spectacle slack jawed. "Excuse me kind hunters, can you help this man?" The woman asked.
Jaune and Ruby threw glances at each other, but relented and went to help the woman. Though Ruby kicked Kevin in the ribs and Jaune used the whip to tie him up, wary of the bladed sections.
Meanwhile in Ozpin's office, which was at the top of Beacon Academy. The interior looked like that of a clock. Inside Ozpin sat with his mug of coffee talking to a man in a wheel chair. The chair looking weathered and worn. The person seated was heavily garbed, a thick leather coat,with a crisp red vest over a white longsleeve underneath. The coat itself brown in color. The man had a large scarf obscuring the lower half of his face. A old hat perched on his head, one could faintly see strands of jet black underneath. His trousers black with two leather strips connected to his hips.
"So it seems like the Grimm aren't the only scourge running amok right now is it?" The man in the wheelchair asked. His voice being that of a young mans.
"I'm afraid so, the reports have been too coincedental. Now will you accept my offer, my students need to learn how to fight those with the beast plague and the eldritch monsters. Aswell as improve their semblance." Ozpin said.
The man in the wheelchair harrumphed, "Fine, gather up your students and I shall introduce myself." The man began wheeling himself towards the exit.
"If I can ask, where is your arm and leg?" Ozpin questioned as the stranger began to leave.
"Haha, I've seem to misplaces them with my other belongings, don't worry my companion went in search of them. I tried to convince her otherwise but her mind was set on exploring the city." The man said wistfully, " Ah but that is why I love her, her curiosity always peeks."
"Haha I bet old friend, I shall inform the students, see you soon my friend" Ozpin said with a smile, sitting himself at his desk to relay the message.
"I shall see you soon Ozpin, and so will this generation," The man said wheeling himself towards the door again, "From now on, Kasper Marion attay shall teach the hunt!"
So that's a wrap, I'm sorry for the massive delay, I have huge bouts of laziness , coupled with my time in Martial Arts! Ugh anyway, I'm sorry for the delay, I only have time late at night to write, but I do try to write. I'll try to write more, I promise. BTW Thank you for all the favorites and followings I'm insanely humbled. Thank you all!
