You already know whose chapter this is. Because he's the only one without a trailer.
Darkness.
That's all Squall Leonhart, commander of the SeeDs is seeing right now. He was in a dark abyss of pitch black, nothing in his sight except complete and total darkness. He was suspended in the air, as if someone was lifting him up telepathically.
Where... am I? The standoffish commander thought, craning his neck left and right to try to see what's surrounding him.
The last thing he remembered was fighting Ultimecia, a crazy witch or rather sorceress who intended to compress time. Squall was able to kick her ass, only for her to send him in the middle of nowhere before she passed away. He was lost in the Void, wandering aimlessly.
He felt his memories getting ripped from him, stripping him of his identity. He was in there for so long that he was barely able to stand up, the pain of getting his memeories forcefully ripped from him taking a toll on both his mental and physical health. Yet... he remembered before passing out that there was a flash of light. It overtook him, enveloping him, taking him to Hyne knows where.
That was all the remembered. Just then, he stopped being suspended in the air and fell on his back. Groaning, he slowly got up, the effects of the Void still lingering within him. Just then, he saw a winged lion. Its amber yellow eyes stared at Squall's light blue ones. Its wings were folded on its body. It's purple skin slightly glowed, as if illuminating the pitch black darkness that surrounded him.
Is that... Griever? Squall thought, looking at the purple winged lion, clutching the lion necklace in his hands. The purple lion then started running away from him, after getting a fair distance between them, it looked back at him.
Now knowing that the lion wanted him to follow, Squall ran after the winged creature.
Griever ran fairly fast, outrunning him. Squall had a bit of trouble catching up to the purple winged lion. Despite exhaustion catching up to him, he ignored it and ran after the lion. He didn't know why he was running after it, but his instincts told him to do so. As he ran, random memories started to pop up. His duel with Seifer. Getting Ifrit as hid Guardian Force. The battle with Galbadia. His meeting with Rinoa Heartlily. And finally, the battle with Ultimecia. The flood of memories overwhelmed the SeeD commander, but he was able to keep on going, not losing sight of his target.
Suddenly, Squall saw a small light in the far end of the corridor. Griever ran towards the light, with Squall following suit. The winged predator didn't stop running, sprinting towards the small Beacon of light. When Squall got close to the light, it enveloped him, blinding him so much that he was unable to see what was surrounding him. The last thing he saw before completely losing sight was a small purple Guardian Stone closing in on him, making contact with his head before being completely blinded.
Squall woke up, panting heavily. He remembered every vivid detail of that dream.
But... I remember Ultimecia pulling Griever out of my mind... so why did I see him again. And that Guardian Stone... was that his? The commander got a headache from thinking about it. He didn't have time to think about it right now as he found himself in a He sighed, rubbing his head. He still had his attire on, bomber jacket and all. At least he wasn't robbed of his equipment.
Looking around, he saw nothing except dunes and sand. No signs of civilizations were showing anywhere. He saw a few cacti and small critters running around, but those aren't really helpful.
Where am I? Squall thought. The desert wind blew on his clothes, the sash on his right leg flapping wildly in the air. His icy blue eyes were alert and determined. He clenched his gloved fists in anguish.
Noticing Lionheart, his favored gunblade on the ground, he picked it up, feeling the familiar grip of the weapon. He rested it on his shoulder and just started walking, hoping for any signs of life.
As he walked, he's aware that this isn't any familiar place at all, as he doesn't remember being on a desert before. There were a few oasis on the area, filled with fresh water to drink, but they were mostly scarce. He started to try to think how he got here. Ok, he remembered facing Ultimecia three or four times at most and before she met her demise, he casted a spell that sent him to the Void. As he was walking, he felt his memories getting ripped into cinders. Exhaustion ran through his body. A part of him just wanted it to stop, as it was exteremely unbearable being in there for just a few seconds. Eventually, he remembered a piece of land lifting him up... then he saw a flash of light.
No... she couldn't have... Squall paled at the thought. But he couldn't deny it. He is aware of the Void and its unpredictable nature. But he didn't think it would make him end up somewhere else entirely.
I'm not... in my own world anymore... realization hit him like a ton of bricks. While it's highly unlikely for him to be shocked, being in a different world entirely can surprise anyone. But Squall can't deny the evidence. He hasn't been to a desert before and when Squall saw some of the monsters, they were pitch black, some of them being adorned with skeleton armor. The monsters were dissolving, which doesn't happen in Squall's world. Not to mention, he hasn't seen this type of creature before.
Great. What to do now? He thought. He's stranded out in a desert, with scarce supplies unless you want to drink potions constantly. While he is more than capable of defending himself, he doesn't know the creatures that lurk beneath the sand and thus exercised extreme caution.
Squall then heard a low growl from behind him. His body tensed for a minute, not turning around. He knows that any type of movement can put his life at danger and despite having GFs equipped, they can reduce the pain you get, not eliminate it completely. He still felt the time when Seifer pierced his shoulder with an ice spear.
He closed his eyes and gripped Lionheart tightly. The air was tense for a few seconds. A tumbleweed rolled across the desert dunes of Vacuo. Then the creature attacked. The waited...waited...waited...
Now! He turned around and shoved it up the creature's ass, making it roar in pain. Before it could act, he pulled the trigger, decapitating its head off. It was a scorpion about the size of a full grown adult lion, with bone like armor and black skin/fur.
Another reason why I'm not in my own world anymore. He thought dejectedly. Seeing the threat gone, he kept walking, the desert wind blowing through his dark brown hair and his black bomber jacket. Despite wearing black and the sweltering heat, he wasn't the least bit bothered with the heat.
Eventually, the sweltering heat got to him, but he remained strong. He was used to solitude, so why was he feeling disappointed that his friends aren't with him? Well, he can thank his friends for making him open up, if slightly. Hours of walking later, night fell on the desert, turning the dunes from hot to cold. He didn't shiver. He needed to remain strong. He's not dying in this world tonight. His body was used to fighting in different types of conditions, so he was able to brave the coldness of the desert, but his body temperature can only keep him warm for so much and his bomber jacket did offer some protection, but not enough.
He needed to find some information about this new world, and fast too. It seems that whatever these creatures seem to be , they're a whole of of them, as he encountered at least one every five minutes. Granted, he can take them out with ease, but he cannot help but feel uncomfortable when they dissolve... it is as if they really are not dead.
After resting for a few minutes, he decided to start another trek. As he was walking, he saw five people fighting from what it looks like a rather large gorilla nearly the size of a house mansion. It's arms were hugs and bulging with muscles. It was covered in think fur like armor. It's one eyes looked at the five hunters, who were trying their best to kill it, although they couldn't do a lot of damage to it. He can see some blood from its wounds, albeit small. They can wait and let it bleed out, but it would take a while and assuming the five hunters might even survive waiting that long.
While Squall is an introvert and doesn't like being around people, he isn't a heartless person and is not against saving others when needed. He is aware how lethal these creature can be despite just arriving in Remnant recently. Earlier, as he walked, he saw a multitude of human skeletons sprayed out on the ground.
Hoisting up Lionheart, he charged into the fray, his gunblade glowing slightly. The Beringel saw its new target and roared ina an attempt to intimidate it. The roar created winds and the smell of its breath made Squall nearly gag, but he ignored it and kept pushing forward. The Beringel swiung its mighty arms at the newcomer, but he merely jumped on it and charged forward, running towards its face. Seeing him, it tried to swing again, missing. Squall jumped from the arm and divebimbed towards its face. When he got close enough, he slashed with Lionheart, making a big wound appear on its face. The large gorilla screeched in pain. He backflipped to the hunters, who gave him an astonished look.
"Thanks, for the save kid." One of the hunters told him. He merely nodded his head in acknowledgement but said nothing, The gorilla came charging at him. The hunters and Squall rolled out of its way. The gorilla overcommitted itself to the attack, making him fall to the ground, creating a huge dust cloud, forcing him to cover his eyes. It looked back at him and roared, making Squall cringe at how bad his breath was.
"So, stranger, any ideas?" He asked him. Squall merely said nothing and charged into the fray, ignoring the cries of the Huntsmen and Huntresses.
His heart pumping with adrenaline, Squall dragged Lionheart unto the ground, creating sparks as he ran. As he neared the rather large gorilla Grimm, it tried to hit him, but thanks to battle hardened instincts and training since he was just six years old, he dodged the muscular fist with ease. Jumping on the dust, he slashed, making an explosion, causing the Grimm to feel back in pain.
Heading towards its face, he jumped and slashed its face, once again making an explosion. He slashed on his other arm, then jumped on its face to slash, use its head as a way to boost himself higher, slashed down, making three large gashes on its face.
Squall charged energy into Lionheart, the gunblade glowing brightly. Oddly enough, despite pouring only little power, it seemed to be glowing brightly. Shaking it off, he dragged his favored gunblade ina reverse grip and slashed diagonally, pulling the trigger. What followed was an explosion so bright that it forced the veteran Huntsmen to cover their eyes. Even Squall was amazed at how much damage Rough Divide caused, as that was his weakest Limit Breaker.
Since when have I been able to make at attack that strong? He wondered. Then it hit him.
No... it couldn't be... The brown haired commander was shaken out of his thoughts when he saw the group of Huntsmen. Shaking the theory out of his head, he started to walk towards them. For the first few seconds, nobody moved, the air tense. Then, the leader began to clap, albeit slowly. His clapping raised in volume, with the other four following suit. Cries and cheers could be heard.
"Impressive, young lad. What's your name?" An aubaurn haired guy in his early twenties asked him. He had a slight stubble and swept back hair. He wore a brown leather jacket and adorned black hunting gloves. On his right hand was a blunderbuss. He had a muscular and imposing build.
"Squall Leonhart." He introduced. He figured it wouldn't hurt to introduce himself.
"A worthy name considering you eliminated the Beringel with the might of a storm and the courage of a lion, laddie." He complimented. He nodded his head in thanks.
"What's a kid like you doing out in these parts?" A woman with long brown hair asked him.
"I was just exploring." He half lied. It wasn't exactly a lie, as he wanted to find out more about this world.
"Well, it's nighttime kid. It's not safe to travel around alone. Since you saved us, why not come with us back to Vacuo?" The auburn haired man offered to him.
Never heard of that from where I came from. One one hand, he wanted to go alone. He is well trained in the verse of fighting and it's not Squall's first rodeo fighting creatures that big. On the other hand, though, he doesn't know where he is, other than knowing that he isn't in his own world anymore. If he were to find information, he figured it wouldn't hurt to tolerate their company for now.
Sighing in defeat, Squall nodded his head. Plus, he wanted to check out this Vacuo.
"Great!" The same man smiled.
"We set out at dawn. Come on, our tents are this way." Squall followed the leader, with the others following behind.
"My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself! The name's Saber, nice to meet you!"
Hours later...
"Boy, I cannot wait for the others to hear this!" One of the Hunstmen, whose name he learned was Gene replied excitedly. Gene reminded Squall of Selphie to some extent. Both had hyperactive minds and can talk for a mile a minute. Thanks to him putting up with her, he has some tolerance in having to talk to hyperactive people. Though, it was a bit of a nuisance when he tried to talk to him.
"Indeed. The people at Vacuo have been worrying about us for so long." Carla, the brown haired woman replied, checking on her map.
"What happened?" Squall couldn't help but get curious. Hey, he may be a loner, but he isn't emotionless.
"Ah, well you see lad, weeks ago we had to investigate a Grimm that was near the borders of Vacuo. That was the one we found. We tried shooing it away, but it kept pounding on the wall. The fear and negativity of the people would surely attract its brethren so we decided to put a stop to the gorilla and kill it once and for all. We were able to find it, but it was tough. We thought we would surely die, until you came along at least." Saber said, smiling.
"Yeah. We'd be dead we're it not for you." David, another Huntsmen replied. He was somewhat of a thrill seeker, always enjoying a good fight, or drinking some booze. He was more muscular than Saber, but slightly shorter than him. He wore a gray checkered long sleeve shirt and he used a halberd as his weapon.
"So, how far are we to Vacuo?" Gene asked Carla. The sweltering heat did not contribute to the exploration.
"According to the map we should be there right... now." Squall saw a tall, gray steel wall covering the whole kingdom, barring anyone or entering from gaining access. Squall couldn't help but feel surprised over as to why the walls have to be at least one hundred feet tall and fifty meters thick.
Then again, if those Grimm come back, it could spell trouble. When he travelled alongside Saber, he noticed that the Grimm were a variety of animal from scorpions, bears and even birds. It does make sense to build thick and long walls to keep them out.
"There's the entrance!" Gene said, pumping his fist, making Squall roll his icy blue eyes.
Yep. Both him and Selphie can get along just fine.
When the six of them entered Vacuo, they attracted quite the crowd.
"Hey! It's Saber and the others! And it looks like they found someone else as well!" A spectator noticed them. Myriad of people started coming towards them. Squall can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with the attention. While he is tolerant in talking within a small group, not so much within a crowd.
"So, you were able to defeat the Beringel that pounded our walls?" A fan asked them.
"Well, it was mostly our friend here." Saber replied, patting Squall on the back, pushing him forward. He slightly grimaced, but managed to hide it well.
"Yeah. He singlehandedly took it down!" Carla told the crowd, shocking them.
"Really? He doesn't look that strong though." One skeptical fan aid, scrutinizing them gunblade user, invading his personal space.
"Don't judge a person based on appearance alone." He harshly told the person, walking away. He needed some space from all this crowd. Sasly, fate was not so kind as few women, both human and faunus alike were looking at Squall.
"Ooh, he's not a bad looker." A dog faunus said, panting excitedly.
"Damn, mama likey." Another one said, licking her lips, which made Squall feel a shiver go up his spine.
"Hey, Squall!" David came up to him, tapping his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow in response. David then threw a small pouch of Lien, which the black lion caught reflexively.
"This is for helping us out. It's not much but it will do." Squall merely nodded his head in thanks and took his leave.
It's daytime. May as well explore.
The SeeD commander decided to walk around Vacuo in an attempt to get used to his new environment. This place is a desert, with sand dunes and the wind blowing on his face. His dark brown hair blew on the wind. As he looked around, he saw that the place... it looked like it could be a perfect hiding spot for thieves. Some tried to rob him blind, but they met the sharp end of Lionheart as a result. He put his gloved hands in his jean pockets, giving off a cool, rebellious aura. Just then, he felt his stomach calling for something to eat. Shaking his head, he looked at the map of Vacuo Saber gave him and looked for a nearby restaurant.
As he was eating his Tiramisu, he saw something on the news that caught his eye.
Breaking news, Lisa Lavender here. Just a few days ago in Atlas, a blond boy with spiky hair was able to singlehandedly save a village from waves of Grimm. Lisa's video feed was then watched out to Cloud fighting off the horde of Grimm, slashing and effectively hacking his way through the Grimm, without a single one passing him by.
And look at what he did to that Alpha! Squall saw Cloud dive bomb and take out the Alpha Creep within one slash of his ridiculously oversized weapon.
Indeed. James Ironwood took an interest to the boy and wishes to speak with him.
That guy... he's not from around here. He knows because he knows how Huntsmen fight because of last night. But this guy on the news... it seemed he was more skilled than your average Huntsman no to mention his speed is unnatural. Plus, his clothes don't look like it could fit Atlas, considering they mostly wear white. And the fact that he looked like his age. No person that is seventeen years old would harbor such skill and tenacity. Even the Huntsmen and Huntresses he fought to take down the Beringel paled in comparison to this swordsman's skills.
Just then, Lisa Lavender also saw a picture of someone with black spiky hair and cerulean blue eyes controlling weapons... with their minds. Squall narrowed his eyes, not taking his eyes off the screen as he finished his Tiramisu.
Just a few days ago, another boy the same age was busy stopping a Dust robbery led by Roman Torchwick.
Footage showed of Noctis teleporting from one place to another and welding a variety of weaponry. Squall saw a crossbow, a lance and... is that a shuriken?
Another person who seems to be out of place. Squall thought. He was just as skilled as the blond swordsman, possibly even more. And from information they Saber gave him, a person can only have one Semblance. Either the weapon summoning or the warping could be the guy's Semblance, but it doesn't add up.
Both of them seem to be out of place. They're too skilled for my age, not to mention from the looks of it, they both know solitude like me.
"So, you saw the news, eh lad?" Squall craned to see Saber taking a seat next to him.
"I've met that kid with spiky hair. He doesn't seem like the type to talk, but he's got skill. He's probably even strong enough to best one of us, and he's younger too about your age."
"When did you meet him?"
"Days ago. We met him while he was riding his bike. Needless to say, the Grimm he killed was enough to fill up a living room mansion."
Squall was not impressed with that. He may be sugarcoating his abilities, but the way he beat those Alpha level Grimm made him think a bit about that theory.
"So. You wanna come to Shade Academy with me? I teach a class there." Saber asked him.
Gene told him about the four kingdoms and the Huntsman Academies. He figures it wouldn't hurt to find out the capabilities of this world's fighters. He shrugged his shoulders, accepting the offer. He already tolerated them this far.
"Great! Let me finish this steak and I'll show you the way." Squall said nothing, staring off into space, a look of contemplation on his face.
After the auburn haired Huntsmen finished his country fried steak, Squall was shown directions to the place. He had to admit that the place was impressive. Paintings of people who graduated were on the walls. Awards were on the cabinet. They also had lockers for the students to use. Seeing Shade gave the commander a feeling of nostalgia. He still remembered the time he spent there, both alone and with his friends. Yes, he did push people who tried to get close to him, but he got better since before the defeat of a certain crazed time witch.
"You ok, lad? You were staring off into space for a minute." Squall shook his head, eliminating the feeling of nostalgia and nodded his head wordlessly.
"Good. Let me give you a tour of the area." Saber motioned Squall to follow.
The muscular Huntsman led the commander to a huge room full of students about his age. Many people were getting in line for food and were talking amongst themselves. Nostalgia seeped into his mind again. Guess he really misses his friends, even if he doesn't want to admit it.
"This is the cafeteria. Students here get lunch for free as it is paid by the school. Faculty members get their own food." Squall nodded his head. He was about to follow Saber when he heard a boy's cry for help.
"Please stop that!" He cried out. It was a boy about his age with black hair and green eyes. He had a combover and wore a brown jacket and blue jeans. Oddly enough, the boy had a wolf tail.
Saber, curious as to why Squall didn't follow him came to him and saw the scene, which he grimaced at.
"Aye. This is the third time this week." Squall shook his head in pity. He is not oblivious as to how faunus were treated. Squall saw a few people with animal body parts get picked on, mostly by humans. Squall can't help but feel a twinge of anger. While he is a taciturn person, that doesn't necessarily mean he is an uncaring person. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, but did nothing. A small amount of killing intent was leaking from Squall, unbeknownst to him. People nearby were sweating and felt the atmosphere go heavy. His eyes turned into slits, like those of a predators. Not wanting to see him suffer any longer, Squall reached out and grabbed his hand and looked at the bully dead in the eye, showing he means business.
"Oh. What are you gonna do? You think you're hot stuff huh? I'm taller and stronger than you, meaning you will lose to me." The bully said confidently. The brown haired commander wanted to punch this bastard on his face, but he kept his composure and said nothing.
"So you're the strong and silent type. Let's see how long you can keep that attitude up." He tried to pull away, but Squall's grip on his hand stood firm. Again, the bully tried to yank his hand back but to no avail. Squall gripped tighter, making the bully clench in pain. His confident expression turned to one of fear.
"Whoa, dude. Let go." The bully said, his voice laced with angst. Squall merely narrowed his eyes and looked at him dead in the eye. For a moment, the bully saw the image of a winged lion pouncing on him, as if ready to feast. The longer he looked into the commander's eyes, the more he felt like his life is flashing before him. Eventually, the killer intent he was unintentionally leaking was so much that he jolted back out of fear.
Who... who is this guy? The bully thought fearfully. Not wanting to deal with him, he ran like a coward, crying to his mommy. The commander's face remained blank, but on the inside he felt relieved. The Shade Academy students looked at him in awe. For days no one tried to help the faunus from getting bullied. Yet, someone had the gall to defend a faunus, a human no less. While humans do hate faunus, there are some who pity them.
One student started to clap, albeit slowly. Then, others followed. The sound of clapping was increasing in volume. Eventually it got so loud that Squall thought he could go deaf. People were cheering for him. A few women felt a blush creep up to their faces. Despite all the attention he got, his face remained stolid. It's hard to believe that humans would pick on faunus because of their animal parts. Not even someone as apathetic as Squall would just sit by and do nothing. Plus, if it's one thing he learned after putting up with with Irvine, Rinoa and Selphie is that it's good to help people out, even by small actions of kindness.
"Thanks you..." the bullied faunus said, looking at him in awe.
"Don't mention it." Were his only words. He left the cafeteria, drawing a few stares, particularly women.
Saber walked up to him and gave him a pat on the back.
"You did the right thing, laddie. No one even bothered to help them out. Poor boy." He shook his head in sympathy.
Why are people so... arrogant? Squall mentally thought. He would never know. With all said and done, Saber continued the tour of the school. Saber showed him the dorms, the bathroom, the headmaster's office and whatever one can find in a Huntsman academy. Eventually the PA came on.
Squall Leonhart, please report to the Headmaster's office. He could not help but raise an eyebrow.
"Someone must have told him about you. Well, tour's over. Go see what the headmaster wants." He went up to the stairs and took a right, putting his hands in his pockets. He saw the place he was looking for and went inside.
"Ah, Mr. Leonhart. I've been expecting you for quite some time now." It was a woman in her late twenties with brown hair tied to a ponytail and onyx brown eyes. Squall wanted this to be done, but did not want to act rude, so he sat down, deciding to humor her for a bit.
"So... it has come to my attention that you rescued a fellow Huntsmen who were out on the field. Is that true?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. I noticed them fighting a gorilla about the size of a large house. It seemed they were in trouble so I decided to help."
"And why did you intervene, Mr. Leonhart? From what I can pick up, you don't seem like the type to talk to people." The Headmaster, or rather mistress wasn't wrong. He normally tries to let people handle things themselves... but he felt like his friends in his own world rubbed on him a little bit.
"Those Huntsman still had families of their own. They still have someone to come back to. If their relatives were to hear of their passing, it would cause grief among them." Squall had no parents, or rather didn't even remember who his parents were. The only person that cared for him was Ellone, but she was forced to abandon him due to her ability to send people's mind via time. Thanks to the GFs, he can only remember the bitterness of being abandoned, not the real reason why she was forced to leave him. He guessed a part of him doesn't want others to suffer like he suffered.
"I see." She smiled warmly, enough to bring up a person's spirit.
"Now, I'm sure that you have somewhere to be so, I'll just get straight to the point. David told me that you have exceptional skills, perhaps even strong enough to match one of the faculty members of this academy. I would like to be the judge of that. If it's possible, could you come here at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow? I would like to pit you against some of the teams here in Shade Academy and if you're deemed good enough, possibly even join."
A look of contemplation crossed Squall's face for a minute. Now that he has enough evidence that he is in a whole another world and thanks to the basic information that Saber and Gene gave him, he can't help but get curious. He wants to see how different this Shade Academy is to Balamb Garden. It's obvious that a Huntsman and a SeeD differ in terms of training. He just wants to see how so.
"Sure. I'll give it a shot." She smiled at his answer.
"Excellent. I'll see you then tomorrow, Mr. Leonhart." Squall stood up and left.
"Oh, and Squall?" Slightly surprised that he was called by his first name, but nevertheless turned around.
"Thank you for saving that faunus from being harassed. No one had the guts to stand up to the bully because he was one of the best. He is deemed unbeatable by many. That's why people decided not to stand up to him." Squall nodded his head. He dealt with bullies before. Seifer, for example. While he does have a tendency to act like a douchebag, there are occasions where Seifer shows his more caring side, such as when he found out that him, Selphie and Zell were heading to Timber, he immediately was worried for their safety, which was surprising considering he harasses the other students.
The cadet turned commander of SeeD walked out, his hands in his pockets. He has to admit, Vacuo... is an interesting place at best. It's kind of a place with little order, a place perfect for thieves. Yet, he can tell that there is a certain kinship between each and everyone. And according to David, while there is the occasional faunus hazing, in which Squall tries to stop if they get too far, Vacuo has the least amount of faunus being harassed compared to the other countries. Atlas has the most amount of faunus being harassed, considering the Schnee Dust Company and their manual labor.
Jacques Schnee... Squall cannot help but shove Lionheart into his portrait and pull the trigger. He reminded Squall of NORG in Balamb Garden. Both of them don't really care about anything except lining their own pockets. He can tell that while Jacques appears to be a kind, benevolent man, underneath that facade is a man who would do anything to be at the top.
Now that Squall thinks about it, he is kind of like that to some extent, but for a different reason. Squall doesn't show people off. The reason he trains alone and shirks himself away from the company of others is not because he wants to show off but rather, he wants to go through life without dependencies.
But still, Squall isn't as heartless as him. He isn't the type of person who would put people, especially innocents in harm's way. Saber told him about how faunus have to work twice the labor to get the same pay as a person. Despite his apathetic nature, he isn't without a heart.
Remnant... is filled with problems that need to be fixed. Between the White Fang, Grimm and people like Jacques, someone has to find a way to fix all of this. Squall thought. He already had the whole world riding on him once. If he has to do so again, he wouldn't hesitate to take that burden because Squall Leonhart does not shirk away from what he considers his duty.
As Squall walked down the stairs, he was greeted by four people, or rather four girls about his age.
"Hey. Squall right?" A girl asked him. She had dark blonde hair swept to the side and violet eyes. She wore a sleveless green dress with a shoulder pauldron attached to her right shoulder. She also wore over the top knee scale leggings.
"Who's asking?" Replied the brown commander coolly, sighing mentally.
"The name's Dew Gayl of Team NDGO (Indigo). This is my leader Nebula." A girl with short violet hair gave him a wave. "My tee mate Gwen." A girl with olive skin and black hair winked at him. "And Octavia." A girl with olive green eyes and brick red hair gave him a once over.
"Hello." He replied, giving them a small wave.
"We just want to say thank you." The one named Nebula told him.
"About what?"
"For bringing back Professor Saber and the others. They've been chasing down that Grimm for weeks and we thought they would have died." Squall merely waved it off.
"It's no trouble." He replied. Jeez, since when have people been drawn to him more often. He just wants to flop into a hotel bed and just crash.
"Also, it was brave of you to take down Miles a peg, he a real pain in the ass." Octavia admitted.
"Why didn't you guys try to help that faunus?" Squall asked the four girls.
"Because many people feared him. He's basically the bully of Shade. People are mostly okay with faunus being around, with Miles being the exception. He always tried to harass any he sees. Almost any faunus fear him."
Huh... targeted by racial profiling... great. Squall thought, his face turned into a small frown.
"Can't you do something about him?"
"Miles is also extremely skilled with his weapon. He can take down almost anyone."
Hmm, maybe I can find a challenge in this world. Squall thought to himself.
He was removed out of his thoughts when Gene popped up.
"Guys, a robbery is going on at a nearby bank!" He warned, putting everyone on full alert.
"Who's in charge?" Asked Squall.
"Roman Torchwick." Squall knew of his exploits and his robberies. While he is a dangerous man in his own right, he is not by no means undefeated.
"What's the big deal?" Asked the black lion.
"He has over 500 thousand Lien. If we don't get that money back, then the people who deposited their money to the back will end up bankrupt!"
"I'll handle this. Make sure all the people inside are evacuated." Squall ordered the older Huntsman. His legs pumping with adrenaline, he dashed towards the door. Thanks to exploring before Saber asked him to come to Shade, he knew his way around Vacuo. It wasn't a small city by any means. He just learned and remembered all the buildings inside. Also, the burning smoke and the police coming towards the direction of said smoke practically gave it away.
Grabbing a bike, he ignited the engine and took off, bypassing other people and some of the police cars. Many people were dashing towards him, which made it tricky to avoid them, since he didn't want to turn them into roadkill. Parking the bike by a few police cruisers, Squall took out Lionheart and instead of going through the front door, decided to try to find a back way.
While the police is busy trying to coax out Torchwick, the commander of SeeD decided to take action. Remembering his training, he crouched low. Risking a glance, he noticed no one was there. Like a predator stalking its prey, Squall moved swiftly, but silently. Oddly enough, he barely made any noise when stepping. He wasn't unable to hear his boots crushing the loose sand beneath him.
He then heard faint noises. They were muffled at first, but they rose in clarity and pitch. Risking another glance, Squall saw two people fifteen feet ahead of him conversing.
"Jeez, how long are we gonna work for that Torchwick bastard? He's been pushing us too hard lately."
"In all fairness, he has been supplying us with Dust. With the amount of Dust we have, we can crush those filthy humans!" The faunus guard said, grinning cockily.
That has to be the White Fang. Why would they be working with Torchwick? Especially since they hate humans. Even if he is supplying them with dust. It's indeed a bit weird to see them working with a human, especially since they are basically trying to wipe them off or torture them or use them as slaves. Irony is strong in this.
Filing that away for later, he quietly snuck up on the guard. Despite his faunus senses, he could not hear the faint sound of footsteps coming towards him. Like a predator, Squall crouched low, ready to strike. Summoning Lionheart, he jabbed the blade into his midsection, causing blood to spurt from the wound. He covered his mounts to prevent noises from escaping. Quietly, he put the guard down, carried him into a nearby dumpster and dropped the cadaver there, closing the dumpster door silently to avoid detection.
The other faunus guard heard some gurgling noises, but they disappeared. Suspicious, he decided to check out the spot where his fellow White Fang member was last located. Big mistake as by the time he noticed Squall there, a blade was found within his head. Pulling the trigger, it made a small explosion muffled by the face he shoved into. Nothing was left of his head. Needless to say, he joined his other comrade in the dumpster. Finding a key, he picked it up from the corpse and used it on the door. Conveniently, it was the right one, allowing him access undetected. Inside, he noticed that this was a bank, if the safe on the wall gave it away. It was a huge safe made of metal fifteen meters thick made of titanium, enough durability to endure bullets. Snipers were on the balcony, just in case one was stupid enough to walk by.
Last but not least, he saw a man slightly older than him wearing a bowler hat and a suit. On his right hand was a cane. His hair covered one of his eyes.
"Come on, people let's open this up!" He yelled towards some White Fang grunts.
Gotta take down those snipers. Then I can assassinate Torchwick if I get lucky. Fortunately, they were numb enough to leave the stairs without guards, making it an easy entry. Creeping up silently, he went behind the first sniper and shoved Lionheart into its stomach, clutching its mouth to silence its screams. Picking up a combat knife from the body, he threw it to the other sniper, who was too busy keeping watch to even notice his comrade die. It met its mark, ending his life.
Now to deal with the others. He thought. His icy blue eyes checked for any threats. Dashing to the corridor, he snapped the neck of one Fang guard and shoved Lionheart up another, ending their lives. He dumped their cadavers inside the lockers. With the snipers gone, he could move without detection on the balconies. Yet, there's still more guards left, not to mention Torchwick himself. Two guards were guarding the con artist and charging in there can get himself killed or captured. He was in the main hall, along with five other rooms. Despite being from a distance, Squall can hear their footsteps. To a normal person, they were nigh silent, but to his ears, the clacking of footsteps were loud and clear.
I need to take down the ones in the other rooms first. That way, if I were to be spotted, I wouldn't have to deal with as much guards.
Dashing into one of the rooms, without noise miraculously, he his behind a cubicle. He closed his eyes and used his warrior sense ps to try to locate the threat. Oddly enough, his senses were sharper and stronger. While yes, he has trained himself to superhuman limits, and his reaction time to attacks were indeed faster than an average human, he felt lighter in his feet. His dash to the cubicle should have at least made some noise, but to their surprise, despite having faunus senses, they couldn't hear him, much less see him. He is aware of how faunus can hear things, smell things and see at a longer distance than a person, but despite those advantages, they haven't even heard of him.
Risking another glance, he took note of the White Fang Lieutenant. He was muscular and taller than Squall and wore the typical White Fang outfit, though tailored to his muscular physique. On his shoulder was... is that a chainsaw?
Need to be careful around him. He can shred me with that chainsaw. I could try to knock him out, but that would take a lot of strength. I could just stab Lionheart onto its face before he kills me. After all, he may be bigger, but he still has the weak spots of a human.
Deciding to take the risk, he crept up behind him. His heart was pounding out of fear of making a noise. His face was brimmed in sweat. Nevertheless, Leonhart decided to keep on trucking and finish the job. Taking out Lionheart, he stabbed it through the mask, making a huge gash on its bloodied face. He fell down without a word, dead.
"Sir, we have word that-" his words were interrupted when he saw the body of the Lieutentant. Rushing immidiately to his commanding officer, he frantically tried to wake him up until he saw the gash on his face. Grieving over his fallen comrade, he went into another room and pressed a button.
Alarms started to ring throughout the bank. Many White Fang troops mobilized.
"Attention! An intruder has entered the building! Find him now, and bring him to me!" Ordered an officer.
Damn it. Squall cursed. He can do either two things. Go out and fight or stay in the shadows. Trying too get them singlehandedly may be reckless, but it's nothing he hasn't pulled off before. It would be harder trying to stay in the shadows because people would be more alert now that they are aware of an intruder.
Gotta stand and fight. Can't back out now. Squall calmly walked towards the exit, where he was greeted by three guards.
"There's the human that killed our brethren! Kill him!" The others released a war cry.
Tch. He scoffed. Sidestepping a grunt, he made him trip. Another tried to turn him into a shish kebab but Squall cut his lance in half and shoved Lionheart into his chest. He pulled the trigger, killing him instantly. The one he tripped tried to get back to kill him only to get a punch to the face, breaking his mask and throwing him across the room. Noticing one of their fallen comrades, they saw Squall, his expression stolid.
"So, you were the one giving me the trouble, huh?" Roman Torchwick asked the SeeD commander, narrowing his emerald green eyes.
Squall said nothing, just narrowing his eyes at him.
"Oh, so, you're not one for words huh? Get him!" He ordered the White Fang. They all made rally cries, wanting to kill Squall for his "treachery." A grunt haphazardly swung at him, earning him a punch to the jaw. Two tried to attack him simultaneously, one from the left and one from the right, but the SeeD commander grabbed their necks and head tuned their together, breaking their heads and throwing them towards the others. Taking advantage of the distraction, he swung at a nearby grunt's foot and stabbed his face, blood leaking out his foot and face. Tripping another, he kicked another grunt launching him to the door safe vault.
Taking the offensive, he decapitated another grunt and shoved his gunblade into another one, pulling the trigger, leaving him with no chest. He severed a man's arm, causing him to cry out in pain before drop kicking him to one of the windows, breaking the glass. He swung at another man's legs and pulled the trigger after shoving Lionheart into his face. Another White Fang Lieutentant tried to get him, only for Squall to elbow him, shove his gunblade onto his chest and pulled the trigger, doing so repeatedly. Each trigger made his body spasm until he fell limp, life leaving his body.
The rest of the White Fang looked at him in shock. They just saw one man easily take out their best men with little effort. Not to mention his facial expression was blank, as if he didn't care at all. In all honesty, this wasn't the first time he took someone's life. He has done so before in his own world. He gave them a look that was a combination of calm, yet furious. Unbeknownst to him, the White Fang grunts looked at him in apprehension and fear. It didn't help that they saw an image of a winged lion, roaring and pouncing at them. The rest of the White Fang ran away in fear, not wanting to mess with him.
Roman Torchwick saw the winged lion as well. He was shaking in his boots. Nevertheless, he pointed his cane at him and fired. Squall cleaved the rocket in half, creating a lot of smoke. By the time it cleared, he saw Roman being piloted away by an aircraft. Seeing as his work was finished, he head out the way he came. Only to be greeted by Saber.
"Are you alright, lad?" He asked the teenager.
"I'm fine. Though Roman Torchwick got away." Squall replied, gritting his teeth about the last part.
"We'll deal with him in another time. It was reckless of you to try to take them on alone. Next time, try to wait for one of us."
I work alone. I'm not so good at being with others. He thought.
"I saw what you did on the footage. I know it was hard for you to take their lives, but you did the right thing. You repelled the White Fang. People would want to hear more about this." Saber said with a grin.
Great. More unwanted attention. Thought Squall.
I'm really sorry about the late update. I was busy messing around and procrastinating a bit. And I know many people do not like OCs, but remember, we don't know much about Mistral. The only thing we know is Shade Academy, team BRNZ and NDGO, nothing else. I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't live up to your expectations, not to mention having too many OCs.
Please review, but if you're just gonna be an ass about my story, then don't bother being here.
On a side note: I'm revising Chapter 1.
P.P.S: When I get enough chapters, I'm gonna start putting in omakes for laughs. I might include other franchises into my omakes, but don't worry, they won't be a part of my story. Well, maybe, it depends.
