Chapter 2
When Nikos left, I took a moment to recollect myself before returning back to my household with the newfound knowledge that he was back into the wild again. That the man who tried so desperately to ruin everything I fought for, that I was sure was to never see the daylight again. Was now back and more than likely, making good on his promise. That he would finally have his revenge. Opening the door to my young daughter and wife sitting at the dinner table eating breakfast. My showed an expression that I had just seen a ghost. They turned to see me with smiles on their faces as I attempted to return the favor. However, after what I heard, I had no appetite to join them. It was that Flyresa noticed.
"I'll join you both in a minute, I have to get something from upstairs." I said half-heartedly heading up the stairs to the bedroom with footsteps following me, she probably understood something was wrong, yet didn't know. I entered the room, closing it behind me. She stopped the door and closed it behind her to confront me.
"What's wrong?" She asked bluntly.
"I just received some dark news, something I didn't think I would ever hear." I said with my hands slightly shaking. She leaned down to me, gripping my hands tightly.
"What is is? You know you can tell me anything Kyran." She reassured me as I swallowed hard, knowing after I told her. Our life would not be the same after the fact.
"He's back Flyresa, Victor is back." I said simply as she knew what that meant. She collapsed on the floor as well with the shock overflowing in her.
"How is this possible?" She questioned.
"That woman who Karina probably mentioned. It was Pyrrha Nikos, the Fall Maiden. She wanted to recruit me for a job and told them that Victor is more than likely behind it. They just found out he escaped." I explained.
"The Gods...that means we are in danger. That Karina is in danger. What are we going to do Kyran?" She asked slightly panicked.
"Relax, we will figure this out together. Yet, we need to make sure that Karina is safe before we do anything." I said.
"Wherever she goes, I am too. I won't leave her alone." Flyresa pleaded.
"Damn it Flyresa, I need your help on this, I can't do this alone."
"And you won't. I want to see him brought to justice as much as you do. But I can't do that unless I know personally my daughter is safe. So when I make sure of that and when she is in good hands. Then I'll rejoin you, do you understand?" She asked.
"Yes, I do." I said softly as she went under her shirt, unclipping something from her neck before placing it in my hand. I opened it to see a small silver angel connected via a silver chain. "I can't take this sweetheart, you know that." I pleaded.
"You can and will. Its my good luck charm to you. I won't see you for some time after today, so I want you to always to have a piece of me regardless of where you are." She said.
"Alright, I'll join you both for breakfast, and then. I'll contact the Maidens. I will get this done as fast as I can. Just make sure you two get somewhere safe got it?" I said as she placed a kiss on my lips before giving a faint smile.
"Don't worry sweetheart, me and Karina will stay safe. Just promise me, promise me you'll get to the bottom of whatever the Maidens need and then, you'll come back to us Kyran." She asked me to do so as I hugged her tightly leaning into her ear.
"I promise, I would never leave you behind." I said softly.
"I sincerely hope not." She said with a glimpse of a smile on her face.
2 hours later
"Why are we going to Aunt Karen's house?" Karina asked Flyresa with a confused tone. "Why is Father not coming with us?" She continued asking as I patted her head and crouched down to her level.
"Hey kiddo, listen to me. Something has happened, and we all need to leave as soon as possible. You're going with your mother to Aunt Karen's because I know it is safe there. That you will be safe there. Once this is all over, then, I'll explain everything to you sweetheart okay?" I explained as she nodded her head.
"I understand father, just, not now." She said.
"In time, you will. Now get going, I'll talk to you and your mother as soon as I can." I said my goodbye as they both gave me a happy look on their faces with bags in hands leaving the home as the door closed...to silence. To nothing, as the only the sure sound was my own breathing. Outside, I heard a car door close and the engine turn over. It soon went back to the silence while I reached into my pocket and got my scroll out and pressing a pre-programmed number into it. A soft ringing continued until a feminine voice answered.
"Hello?" She asked.
"What do you need me to do?" I asked.
"Come meet us at the entrance to Forever Fall, walk one mile inwards till the split in the road. You'll see us then." Pyrrha explained.
"Us? So I'm meeting all of the Maidens then?" I questioned.
"Yes, we all are here because of this. So please, do make haste." Pyrrha said.
"Alright, I'll be there soon." I finished hanging up the call and putting it back in it's pocket. I slammed my left fist into the nearby wall out of anger, breathing and hissing heavily through my teeth. I regained my composure seeing my hand had gone right through.
"You are dead to me to Victor. I won't be generous in keeping you alive this time. This I promise." I said to myself removing my hand from the wall and heading upstairs to the small study I had for myself to which I kept a majority of my equipment. Opening the door, I saw the small mannequin that had the reforged Gunblade racked above, a bulletproof vest on the dummy, as well as a variety of bombs, knives, and ammo clips with my two handguns. Grabbing all of the minor gear including the vest, I reached above for the blade, feeling once more the heavy weight that it was. I tied both the Gunblade and Demon Blade to my back atop the coat before exiting the room and locking it. Running back downstairs to the outside where I felt the afternoon air flow among my hair and face.
"I promised myself, I would never go back to this life. I only asked that if there was ever a chance it would continue. It is funny, how life works in mysterious ways." I mentioned softly while the birds chirped in the background. "In any case, its time to finally meet the rest of the Maidens." I said aloud with a soft tone.
Forever Fall Forest
I walked along the beaten path of red leaves constant among the path deep into the forest. It was a tranquil place I would not deny such a luxury. However, it was teeming with constant Grimm assaults that a majority was blocked off by Atlas Military Forces. My little stunt 12 years ago placed this area under the term "high risk.". Not too further ahead I approached the fork in the road where a woman clad in a snow white outfit, hair tied in a ponytail to the side, back turned to me. I snuck up quietly to the unknown figure with little to no noise. A small branch quickly changed that situation as my boot snapped it. The figure drew their blade in a near instant, swinging it at me with left hand towards my off side. I raised my left arm to block the blow with the rapier slamming against my wrist and gloved hand with my eyes now locking eyes with the young woman. Her icy blue eyes and snow white hair with a scar over her left was an unforgettable sight that I could never lose sight of. It was beauty essentially incarnate.
"Weiss?" I asked with a confused tone as she took a second to realize it before recognizing me.
"Kyran?" She said in return before sheathing her rapier. Weiss took a long look at me, seeing how the years had worn me down from a young boy to a weathered man. "What are you doing here?" She inquired.
"I could ask you the same thing. Then again, I haven't see you in quite some time. I'm here to meet with the Maidens." I answered.
"Are you serious?" She questioned.
"Absolutely."
"Then you should be happy, I am the Winter Maiden." She announced.
"What? How?" My initial response was.
"It is a long story in itself, but the others should be here soon. Who contacted you?"
"Pyrrha Nikos, the Fall Maiden. I guess that leaves Spring and Summer." I connected the dots rather quickly.
"Right here if you must ask." Pyrrha said behind as I turned around to confront the familiar Pyrrha Nikos and the stranger next to her. A young woman with red and black hair similar to my own daughter that was tied in a ponytail. She wore a black shirt with red outlines and a black and red combat skirt. She had a red compact sniper rifle connected to a holster on her back as she bowed towards my direction.
"Mr. Rhodes, meet Ruby Rose, the Spring Maiden." Pyrrha introduced the young woman.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I hear you are quite the legend here in Vale." She mentioned my time as the Black Lightning.
"As a killer who's rampage killed 23 people in his personal quest for revenge and justice. I am not particularly proud of it. I only did so because I was framed for a crime I had never done." I explained.
"I understand, its just in the short time, you had done some remarkable feats for someone only two years prior could barely fight only to take on some of the Kingdom's strongest warriors." She admired me.
"Where is the Summer Maiden?" I redirected before loud music could be heard in the distance with the revving of a bike as my answer soon appeared before me with a bike sliding and stopping just before the 4 of us. A very attractive blonde in revealing clothes appeared before me as she took off her helmet with her lilac eyes making contact with mine.
"Well if I'd be damned to see you again. It's Kyran." Yang said jumping off the bike and embracing me in a strong bear hug, crushing me.
"Y-Yang!" I struggled to say as she let me go. Taking a deep breath to recollect myself.
"Oh quiet you big baby." She commented.
"So, why am I here Maidens?" I asked the important question finally.
"As I explained to you before, we believe it was Victor Schnee behind the plot. Not only do we know, we have evidence to prove it." Pyrrha said.
"What plot? What evidence?"
"My father plans unleash a virus upon the 4 kingdoms that is capable of creating Human Grimm. If he manages to do this, he could not only create mass chaos but bring about the extinction of both Humanity and Faunus alike on the planet of Remnant." Weiss said plainly as I felt my heart skip a beat.
"And the evidence?"
"Go there for yourself to see it. You should be familiar with it, Itsaku village in Vale." Pyrrha said.
"The death of Sil Jaeger's wife." I said.
"Exactly. Please do take Weiss with you on this trip. Once you have seen the proof for yourself, make your way to Beacon Academy. We will await your arrival there. Good luck Black Lightning." Pyrrha said happily as the rest of the Maidens quickly evacuated spare Weiss. The silence overtaking the both of us.
"Are you ready to go Kyran?" Weiss asked me.
"Yea, I need to see this to believe it." I said as I started to walk off.
"Kyran, I wanted to ask you something. Earlier, when I attacked you, I hit your arm and you reacted as if nothing hurt you. Why?" She asked. I stopped taking off my left glove and showed her my metal hand.
"This is the price I paid for being a Vigilante. For fighting a nearly unstoppable force, this was the result of failure. I have to live with it for the rest of my life. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Then let's get going Winter Maiden."