Vale – Junior's – Junior
Things were quiet at the Club. Normally this wouldn't be an issue. It was still late morning, early afternoon, a time when most people were at work. However, it was a weekend which meant that those same people would be looking to alleviate themselves of the stress they'd been building up all week long. However, with the increased activity of the White Fang, not to mention a certain incident involving a blond brawler that had shut his club down while repairs were being made, most people were hesitant to step anywhere near his place.
To make matters worse his man power was less than half of what it usually was. Following an unexpected visit by Torchwick to cash in a favor, a vast majority of the men he'd loaned to him for some "off the books" operations had gone south. What had him jumping at every little noise and shadow at night wasn't the fact that they'd been taken out by a single girl, a huntress in training, who just happened to appear on the news in regards to an incident that had taken place down at the docks. It wasn't even the fact that the hospital bills his men had racked up were earning him some angry calls from his insurance company demanding to know the exact details of the "unfortunate accidents" that had led to their hospitalization. No, in truth it was the fact that, following Torchwick's visit to his club, he was visited by an unexpected though equally dangerous individual; Archangel.
If Junior was going to be honest with himself, he considered Archangel to be on par with Torchwick, not only in terms of ability and skill but also in terms of intimidation. Where Torchwick was boisterous, Archangel was quiet and soft-spoken. While Torchwick liked to be in the lime light, Archangel preferred the shadows, leaving him with more questions than answers. More than anything, however, was the fact that Torchwick was a man who made threats to intimidate while Archangel preferred actions. It couldn't have been clearer to him of just how dangerous Archangel could be nor how much damage he might cause him if he so much as suspected he'd been betrayed by Junior, if not for the fact that he'd turned on the news one morning only to have a small heart attack when the top story included footage of both Torchwick and Archangel duking it out at the docks, the two men matching one another blow for blow.
In truth, if Junior was forced to choose sides he'd side with Archangel, hands down. The man intimidated, scarred him shitless with his unsettling eyes and that horrible voice that he spoke with, but he was at least up front with his intentions. Not to mention he paid well and ensured when he borrowed the twins that they returned to him unharmed. That fact alone had gained him some respect in Junior's books, a fact he would not soon forget. Today, however, Junior was more concerned with how empty his club was. If this was simply a precursor to how the rest of the week was going to turn out he may as well close up and count the earnings. There was really no need to waste electricity lighting up a dancefloor that didn't even have people on it. He was about to flag the DJ to shut things down when one of his men ran inside and slammed the large double doors shut behind him.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he barked, taking his irritation on the new target.
"Junior, it's her, she's back!" he yelled, his voice filled with panic.
"Her?" Junior asked, taking a moment to consider just who he was talking about when a sudden realization had his heart beating as fast as the music. "Lock the doors! Alert security! Don't let her-"
His words were drowned out by the explosion of a shotgun followed by the double doors flying off their hinges. Junior cursed under his breath. Those doors were no joke. After the last incident he'd replaced them with some reinforced ones that hadn't come cheap. He should have done the same for the hinges and frame. The doors flew through the air, the few men standing guard having been thrown out of harm's way, thank the gods, until they slammed with a loud thud onto the dance floor, smashing it to pieces. What few patrons he had fled for their lives as a familiar and frankly unwelcome buxom blonde came strolling in through the front.
"Hey Junior," she said cheerfully, "I believe you still owe me a drink."
Vale – CCT – Weiss
"Why did we get stuck with the boring assignment?" Ruby complained as she sauntered alongside her partner.
"It's not boring, it's a vital part of our mission," Weiss chided, rolling her eyes at her leader's childish complaint. "By looking into recent dust theft activity conducted on the SDC we can start to create a timeline that will tell us when exactly the White Fang started working with Torchwick and possibly tell us when they'll strike again."
"In English please," Ruby replied.
"Uge, we're using past thefts to figure when they're going to try and rob the SDC again," Weiss snapped.
"Well why didn't you say so?"
"I did say it you just weren't listening."
"Yes I was, you were just explaining it in a way that was so confusing," Ruby complained.
"You can be such a child sometimes," Weiss said.
"You're one to talk," Ruby mumbled under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"Uh, look we're here," Ruby said, quickly diverting her partner's attention from her. "Wow, it's so tall."
"Of course it is, it's a tower after all," Weiss pointed out.
"Yea, but you never really think about that until you're standing right next to it," Ruby mussed, looking up at the large white tower before stumbling back as she lost balance. The building was so immense it was difficult for her to take it in from close up. At best she would have to view it from a distance but that would somehow take away from the overall feel.
Drawing her attention back to the ground level Ruby noticed the large amount of people coming and going from the tower itself. While technology had advanced to the point where scrolls allowed them to stay in contact with family and friends all over the continent, the CCT provided a service for those who were unable to reach loved ones through their mobile devices or existed in some of the more rural areas of the world. Even their assignment required that they use the CCT as a means of communication. Not only was it a public service, and thus was less likely to be traced, but it also enabled Weiss to contact the SDC directly without going through some more unwanted channels.
As Ruby watched the people coming and going from the tower she thought she recognized someone for a moment. Short red hair, almost orange in appearance like Nora's, curled at the bottom went bobbing by in the crowd. The girl's gray with green accented skirt was enough to confirm to her that it was indeed Penny, her strange but nonetheless precious friend Ruby had made not too long ago. She'd been meaning to look for her and find out what happened to her after the events at the docks but she had never gotten the girl's scroll number not to mention she knew next to nothing about the girl herself.
"Ruby, stop stalling and let's go," her partner instructed.
"Uh, sorry Weiss, I just remembered there's something I need to take care of. I'll meet up with you later. Give me a call when you're done."
Weiss watched as her partner raced off into the crowd, saying nothing as she sped off but all the while maintaining a firm frown on her face. It was just as well. While they'd been partnered together out of necessity (and the fact that Ruby had claimed dibs on her before she could pair up with Neptune) she nonetheless preferred to handle this matter on her own. The SDC was her family's business, after all, and odds were she'd encounter resistance from some of her family, particularly her father. Better that she do this on her own without Ruby goofing off in the background.
Penny was troubled. Following the incident at the docks, and a lengthy lecture from General Ironwood as a result, she'd been wrestling with the decision to reveal something vitally important but something that could very well harm her new friend, Ruby.
Penny was by no means a normal girl. If she were completely honest, the only thing real about her was the soul that inhabited her robotic body, or so her father told her. She was the first of her kind, a technological marvel unlike any other. She was a robot who was capable of generating aura and, as a result, was considered to have a soul of her own which enabled her to create said aura. This, of course, had caused a great divide to form between her father and General Ironwood. Her father was a scientist employed by the Atlas military in the office of Robotics and Technology. His whole job revolved around taking the existing robots and making them better. Many of the advancements seen in their current models, including the Paladins, were a result of her father's research and hard work.
Penny, on the other hand, had been a "pet project" of his. He'd had a daughter once. He'd loved her with all his heart. Whenever she asked about her, though, her father would always look sad and quickly change the subject. She'd always oblige. She never liked seeing her father so sad, especially because of something she'd said. Her only other glimpse into her life had been a picture she'd found stowed away in his desk. It was strange, like looking into a mirror only the image that starred back did move or blink or smile like she did. It remained still, a perfect copy of her own features.
The moment she was "born" was the moment things between her father and Ironwood began to take a downward spiral. Late at night, when they thought she was powered down and recharging her batteries, she would instead be listening to them arguing the same thing they'd argued about in the past. She never quite understood what it was they were fighting about. Ironwood would always say something along the lines of her being a robot and Atlas property and her father would argue back that she had a soul and was his daughter, his child. She couldn't find a reason to fault either of them. Both men were right. All of her parts and circuitry had been provided by the Atlas military and, as an extension that did make her their property as well. On the other hand her father had been the one to give her life. He was her creator and that made Penny his daughter, his child.
Humans could be so confusing sometimes. She wondered if all humans argued like this. She'd never meet any other humans aside from her father, General Ironwood, and the scientists who worked alongside them. While she enjoyed their company, they weren't very good for conversation. At most they wanted to see what Penny could do, what she was capable of, and had very little time to interact with her and talk to her about the outside world. She wanted more than anything to go out into the world, to make friends and experience life just like other humans. She knew her father wanted the same for her but that General Ironwood was loath to let her out of his sight and the protection Atlas could offer. It was only after she had gone through some of her history lessons that a spark, an idea, formed in her mind. She assumed it was an idea and not some programing her father had implanted. She knew because it made her happy.
"I want to be a huntress," she'd announced proudly to the two men one night.
Her sudden announcement had left both men speechless, especially considering they were well into their usual argument and oblivious to the world around them. Neither of them spoke for a moment, exchanging looks with one another in an effort to ascertain that they had indeed heard her correctly. It was only after they asked her why that her plan began to take shape. She'd come across the word in her reading and had done as much research as she could on the subject. The thought of learning how to fight the Grimm at one of the schools and in teams of four had excited her. She wanted more than anything to know what it was like to be among other humans and this was the best way.
While Ironwood had shown some resistance to the idea at first, her father quickly came to her aid. He'd figured out her plan. He was smart like that. He presented some scenarios to Ironwood, ones that would enable Penny to be a part of a huntsman team while still being guarded by Atlas and its military. Slowly, Ironwood began to warm up to the idea. Before long both men had come to an agreement. Penny would be part of a huntsman team, one approved of by Ironwood himself, and would be enrolled into the Atlas Academy. She was to keep her identity as a robot secret and act as much like a real girl as possible. It was imperative that her secret not get out. Penny had eagerly agreed and soon after began her new life making new friends and cataloging new experiences.
One of her most recent friends was Ruby Rose. She liked Ruby. She'd spent the entire day with her and had so much fun, at least until Roman Torchwick attempted to hurt her. She didn't like that. She had also been intrigued when the vigilante Archangel showed up and began fighting Torchwick. While General Ironwood always spoke of the man with obvious hostility, citing him as a criminal, Penny thought differently. For one thing he'd saved the life of Blake Belladonna, the faunus girl and one of the members of Ruby's team. Add to that the fact that he'd specifically targeted and fought off Torchwick and Penny found herself thinking that Archangel could also be a potential friend. She already knew his identity. While the man kept his face hidden and used a voice modulator to distort his real voice (a strange human custom perhaps?) she'd found he'd left some blood on the ground and had used it to discover his identity. It was there were the problem arose.
She'd checked his identity, going through every possible outlet to ensure she was correct. Every attempt led to the same conclusion; Archangel was dead. At least the man, Jaune Arc, whom her sensors said the blood sample belonged to, was dead. She had considered the possibility that he'd been present at the fight and had been hurt, resulting in her having analyzed his blood instead of Archangel's. However, after going through every public record she could find, including some of Beacon's student files, she found that the boy had indeed died during a mission a year or so back.
Normally Penny would have brought this up with General Ironwood. Such an odd situation was something he was surely capable of explaining to her. However, her search had also revealed that Jaune had been the leader of team JNPR and that they had been close friends of her friend Ruby prior to the boy's death. At this point she had found herself conflicted. She had a responsibility to tell General Ironwood what she had found out yet at the same time she thought it would be best to tell Ruby instead. All morning long she'd debated with herself on what to do but even now she was unsure of how to handle the situation, much less break the news to her. Obviously it would be joyous for her to know that her old friend was actually alive but there was something else she was nervous about.
"Penny!"
Her audio receptors picked up the girl's voice immediately. Despite the noise of the crowd and how turbulent the day was she could still pick Ruby's voice out clear as a bell. What's more, her optics were so advance that she could pick her out of the crowd, the girl already closing the gap between them in an incredible fashion even without using her semblance. It was this point Penney felt a new emotion, one she was unfamiliar with but for some reason found taking over completely and demanding her obedience. Panic.
Without hesitating for a moment Penny turned and ran. She wasn't sure where to, only that she had to get away. She couldn't let Ruby catch up to her. There was too much to handle, too much that could go wrong. She was the first real friend she'd ever made and she didn't want her actions, let alone those of General Ironwood's, to destroy that. So she ran, hoping to somehow lose her pursuer. Ironic how that would be nearly impossible, especially when Ruby got serious.
Vale – Junior's
"I keep telling you, Blonde, I don't know anything about him," Junior argued, his calm expression betrayed by his shaking hands that tried and failed miserably to clean the glass in he was holding.
"And I keep telling you I don't buy that," Yang argued back. "Look, everyone knows that you're the best person to get information from. If there's anyone in Vale who knows anything about the crime families, notorious thieves, and vigilantes that prowl the night it's you."
Junior gave Yang a long, hard look. Internally he was debating with himself on how he should proceed. The last time this blond had come to his establishment looking for information it had gone poorly for him. Though his insurance had covered the damages, of which there was a list as long as this chick's hair, his rates had skyrocketed as a result. Thankfully she didn't seemed too interested in destroying his club again, something he considered a blessing for the moment. However, that could change at the drop of a hat. Yang Xio Long was an unpredictable powder keg, one he wanted to keep as docile as possible.
There was just one problem that could presently throw a wrench into that hope. She wanted information on Archangel, a man with whom he'd previously done business with, something he was hesitant to reveal to her. Granted his meeting with the vigilante had come about through a third party source but he wasn't eager to reveal that either. It would be just his luck to drop Phoenix's name only to find Archangel's metal hand crushing his windpipe by the time the sun went down. At present he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. To remain silent or reveal what he knew, both options could have dire consequences for him.
"Look, I'll make you a deal," Yang suggested, "You tell me what you know and I promise to not set foot in your club for the remainder of the school year. I'll be going home for summer break anyway so you'll have an extended vacation from me for quite some time."
"You're serious?" Junior asked, genuinely surprised. Having her avoid his club might help him to rebuild his reputation and possibly bring back the flow of customers. Heck, he might even be able to negotiate a better rate from his insurance company with her gone.
"Cross my heart. I'll avoid this place like the plague," she vowed.
Junior took a moment to consider his options. Yang's offer was good, ideal even. That said, she just wanted information on Archangel. She wanted to know what he "knew" meaning whatever he choose to reveal to her. He could water it down, let her know just enough to satisfy her while staying loyal to his patron. That said, it would probably be a wise idea to contact him after words. Better to be the one he hears it from rather than a third party.
"Alright, but you didn't hear any of this from me," he emphasized. Yang nodded in agreement, a curious smile on her face as she waited with baited breath. "A few weeks ago a man came in. Told me he had a friend who would be coming by later that night looking for information. I didn't think much of it until I meet his friend." He shivered, recalling the scene like it was straight out of a horror movie.
"It was Archangel?" Yang asked. Junior nodded in affirmation, the girl's playful expression turning serious.
"Yea, surprised the hell out of me. I thought he'd come to rough me up or shake me down for information. Turns out he wanted to make a deal and even hire my girls," he said, motioning to the twins. The two girls stood a distance away. Neptune having tried and failed to flirt with them. Their eyes were secured firmly on Yang, the memory of the beat down she'd given them still fresh in their minds. "He apparently wanted to know about some White Fang activity so I pointed him towards an off the books shipment of dust being made at the docks."
"Wasn't that one the news, the incident at the docks that Sun and your friend Blake got mixed up in?" Neptune asked.
"That's the one," Junior confirmed. "Nearly had a heart attack after I flipped on the news and saw that being played. The only good thing to come out of it was the possibility that both Torchwick and Archangel would have ended one another at the scene but sadly that didn't happen."
"So, you're the one he came to for information," Yang concluded, earning a shrug from Junior to say that he didn't care what she thought of that. "One last question, how did he find out about you? No offense, but you don't exactly advertise yourself very well."
"And with good reason," Junior commented. "He contacted me through a third party, a friend of his who came by earlier that morning."
"What was his friend's name?" she asked.
"Don't recall," Junior lied, hoping she wouldn't see through it, "and I don't care to see him again either. The less I have to deal with that vigilante the better."
"It was a guy, huh?" Yang mussed, her eyes lighting up with intrigue. "What did he look like?"
"Tall, short brown hair, blue eyes," Junior rattled off.
"That doesn't give me a whole lot to go off of. There's more than a handful of guys back at beacon who could match that description."
"Forgive me, I have an easier time remembering people who walk in and start trashing my club," Junior snarled.
"Did he have any defining features?" Neptune asked, causing both of them to glance his way. "You know, a scar or a tattoo?"
"Yea, anything that might stand out?" Yang added, a little grateful for Neptune's input aside from attempting to flirt with anything that had two legs.
"Well, he was missing an arm," Junior said nonchalantly.
Yang immediately perked up at this comment, her face dead serious as she quietly asked, "which one?"
"His right one, I believe."
Yang stood up slowly, her expression a myriad of emotions. Junior quietly cursed, realizing that, in his attempts to keep his identity vague, he had inadvertently given away too much information. It wasn't long before Yang's face settled on a serious, purposeful expression before she headed for the door, dragging Neptune along with her.
"Thanks for the help, Junior. Consider us even," she hollered back as she made a quick exit.
"Yea, but at what cost?" he mumbled to himself.
The moment she was gone me motioned to his men standing at the door. They nodded back, quickly shutting the doors and locking them while he left the bar and slipped into a back room. Out of sight and earshot of the loud dancefloor music, Junior pulled out his scroll and cycled through his numbers until he came across the one he was looking for. He dialed the number, listening as it rung twice before a man's voice answered the other end.
"Junior, this is an unexpected pleasure."
"For you perhaps but I'm calling for business purposes."
"Oh? Was there something you needed done that my friend might prove useful in accomplishing? Keep in mind he doesn't dirty his hands with the criminal underworld, not unless he's smashing skulls."
"It's nothing like that. Actually, I thought I should inform you of some recent activity here at the Club. Some people came round asking about your friend."
"Understandable. I honestly expected people to start asking question sooner and the fact that they came to you is far from surprising. Were they Torchwick's men?"
"No, actually, they were huntsmen in training."
"From Beacon?"
"One of them, a girl named Yang Xio Long. The bitch destroyed my Club a year back or so. The guy she came with, some blue haired punk named Neptune, I'm not sure he's from Beacon. He could be from one of the other academies. More and more of them have been showing up with the festival on the horizon."
"Indeed. So Yang Xio Long came to you. How very interesting. What did she ask you about?"
"She wanted to know if I knew anything about your friend, possibly if we'd done business together. I think she recognized my girls from the docks."
"And what did you tell her?"
"The truth, or at least as much as I was willing to divulge," he quickly added. "She also asked how I meet him. I said through a friend of his but that I'd forgotten the name."
"I take it she didn't settle for that excuse," he commented.
"No, she wanted a description. Thankfully you're appearance is fairly generic so I could give away some of your more obvious features without narrowing it down to you."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Yea, well, they didn't settle for it. They wanted more, something specific."
"Such as?"
"Such as a scar or tattoo or," Junior took a breath at this point, feeling his pulse rise in anticipation of what he was about to say, "Or a missing arm."
The line was silent. Junior felt a drop of sweat slid down his face, his heart beating like a drum against his chest. While he didn't know this man well enough to gauge how he would take the news he did know Torchwick and he was a man who didn't react too kindly to people giving away more than was necessary. By that he meant he had a pintsized terror with a parasol visit you and leave an impression you didn't soon forget.
"I see," the man finally said, breaking the silence, "things are moving much quicker than anticipated."
"You expected this?" Junior asked, flinching a little when he realized he'd spoken his mind.
"Indeed. My friend isn't an idiot. He expected those girls to start asking question after his intervention at the docks but for them to move so quickly." He was silent again though this time Junior wasn't so frightened by it. He sounded calm, pleased almost. That had to be a good sign, right? "Junior."
"Y-yes," he stammered, caught off guard by the man's sudden use of his name.
"Well done. My friend may have had some misgivings about you but this call has proved your worth. I'm very pleased that you would bring this information to our attention as will he."
"I, uh, t-thank you?"
"You are most welcome. However, I don't think a simple thank you will suffice. No, we will have to do better. Consider this our way of saying we owe you a favor. Should anyone one accost you in the future, say like Torchwick, send us a message or give us a call and we'll be sure to pay them back in full."
"That's very generous of you," Junior replied, his relief evident in his voice.
"Indeed. We feel it is best to reward those who show such loyalty. It promotes further actions in the future. I'll be sure to pass the news along to my friend so he knows what to expect."
"What about Yang Xio Long?"
"Don't worry about her. Even if she does suspect me of working with Archangel, she has little to go off of than the information given to her by a disreputable barkeep," he replied. "No offense."
"None taken."
"Very good. Well, if there's nothing else I think we'll end our call here."
Junior said nothing to make him think otherwise and simply nodded, not that the man could see him. Their entire conversation had been audio only, a precaution by both parties to keep their identities safe should the call be monitored. It ended a few seconds later, leaving Junior feeling more satisfied than he'd thought he would. Things were looking up for him. More than that, he'd gained himself a favor from Archangel. That had to count for something. Walking a little taller he returned to the bar, motioning for his men to open the doors before picking up a glass to clean. Perhaps today would be a good day after all.
Vale – Ruby
Today was most certainly not a good day. While things had seemed pleasant at first they'd quickly spiraled out of control. First she got stuck with her Partner Weiss performing a boring assignment. She liked her partner, even respected and admired her, but making a call to a company halfway across Remnant just to collect some information on dust shipments was not her idea of exciting. Add to that the fact that her new friend Penny, who disappeared not long after their fight with Torchwick and the White Fang at the docks, was running from her like she was a complete stranger. What was up with that? Had she offended her in some way and now she didn't want to speak with her? The least she could do was let her know what she'd done wrong so she could apologize and fix things but no she just kept on running. That was fine, Ruby thought to herself, she could run just as fast.
There was just one small problem. Ruby's skills in running came in the form of her semblance. Give her a straight shot and plenty of room and she could clear a distance, taking our enemies and Grimm along the way like it was nothing. Instead, she was chasing her friend through streets and back allies, both of which offered obstacles in the form of pedestrians and trash cans. Not only that but Penny was moving through the streets like she'd lived here all her life. She was pretty sure this was Penny's first time in Vale. Maybe she just had a good sense of direction? That didn't really matter. What mattered was catching up to her so she could figure out why she was running from her in the first place.
"Did you see her?" she heard a male voice ask.
"I think she went this way," she heard someone reply.
Ruby turned around, seeing two Atlesian guards walking in her direction. With their faces hidden behind their visors and they're guns at the ready, the pair made for an intimidating sight. Had she been a civilian she might have felt a bit uneasy but Ruby was a huntress in training and a couple of men with guns weren't enough to put her off. However, she suddenly had an idea. With these two walking around it was almost a certainty that one of them had spotted Penny. Perhaps they'd seen her and could point her in the right direction. Hopeful, Ruby started walking towards them when a strong hand pulled her into a nearby alleyway and covered her mouth, preventing her from crying out.
"Did you see something?" One of the guards asked as they passed by.
"Probably just the wind. This area gets so much traffic I wouldn't be surprised if it was just a piece of garbage floating by," his companion answered.
"Yea, I guess you're right."
Ruby's captor, whomever they were, finally released their grip on the young girl. She gasped for air, coughing loudly as her lungs hungrily gulped up fresh oxygen. Frustrated, she immediately whipped out Crescent Rose, ready to teach the perpetrator a lesson, only to feel her emotions dissipate the moment she saw who it was.
"Penny, what are you doing?" she asked, exasperated.
"I'm sorry, friend Ruby, but I couldn't risk being seen."
"Seen by who?"
"Those guards."
"The Atlas guards? Why?"
"It's complicated. I think it's best if I leave before more show up."
"Penny, wait!" Ruby said, quickly grabbing onto her friend.
The sudden action should have been enough to stop the girl in her tracks but somehow Ruby found Penny was much stronger than she first thought. Regardless, Penny reluctantly allowed her friend to stop her. The look on the young girl's face was enough to tell her that she was afraid but of what she wasn't quite certain.
"Penny, please, I'm your friend. I want to help you but you have to let me. Whatever's going on you can trust me to listen and hear you out."
"Do you promise?" Penny asked with a hopeful gaze.
"Cross my heart," Ruby said, miming the action over her chest, "now what's going on? What happened to you at the docks?"
"It's a bit of a long story," Penny admitted.
"I've got time."
Despite the young girl's warning, Penn's story wasn't so much long as it was heavy. She informed Ruby of her parentage, her father who created her but feared for her safety. With the incident at the docks her ability to roam as she pleased had been restricted by General Ironwood for fear of what might be revealed, especially where Ruby's team was involved. The girl then showed Ruby her hands, which had become damaged somewhere during their chase, and Ruby was shocked to see metal plating hidden beneath the skin or what counted as skin.
"I'm not a real girl, Ruby. I'm a robot. I'm an artificial life form capable of generating aura. I'm no different from the robots that General Ironwood employees in his military."
"You're wrong," Ruby said, taking hold of her friends hands, "your human, just like me."
"But," Penny began.
"Sure you may not have organs like me or have been born in the same way but you're far from being a mindless machine. You care about people. You cared about my team. A robot would have simply followed orders. You choose to help us save Blake. You put your life on the line for us and that makes you more than just a machine. As far as I'm concerned, you and I are not so different."
"Even though I'm made of metal and wires?"
"Nope. Lots of people have artificial limbs these days. Heck, even General Ironwood has more metal on his body than actual flesh. That doesn't make them any less human and the same applies to you. What matters is what you choose to do and who you choose to be."
"Thank you, Ruby Rose. I'm starting to find I'm really glad you were the first friend I made since coming to Vale."
"So am I," Ruby agreed, "now, was there anything else I should know about?"
"Now that you mention it, yes," she said, to Ruby's obvious surprise. "I actually found something out about Archangel."
"You did?" Ruby asked, surprised by the revelation.
"Yes, though, to be honest, what I found doesn't make sense."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, at the docks I managed to collect a DNA sample from him. When I ran it through my database I found that the man who calls himself Archangel should be dead."
"That is strange. How can a dead person be doing all this? Are you sure you collected his DNA?"
"Oh yes, I am quite certain. Had it been anyone else I would have known. Archangel's physical attributes match those of the person who is believed to be dead."
"Who is he then?" Ruby asked.
"There she is!"
Ruby's attention shifted from Penny to the two Atlesian guards she'd avoided bumping into just moments before. Why they were after her she couldn't say but her initial reaction was to turn and run with Penny in tow. Before she had a chance to react, however, Penny had already taken ahold of Ruby, lifting her above her head before moving towards a nearby dumpster. If Ruby had any doubts to Penny's claims of being a robot, they were quickly put to rest as the girl's inhuman strength enabled to her to carry Ruby with relative ease despite her protests and attempts to squirm from her grasp.
"Penny, what are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, Ruby. It's for your own good. I can't allow you to get involved."
Before she could ask what she meant, Penny dropped into the dumpster and slammed the lid shut. Ruby just barely managed to crack the lid open, gulping down heaps of fresh air while the stench from inside the container threatened to overpower her senses. Between gasps for air she was able to catch glimpses of the conversation happening between the guards and Penny. After everything Penny had told her it made sense that they were searching for her and, while they had noticed Ruby earlier, Penny's assurances that she had been alone seemed to be enough to convince them otherwise. Obviously the pair didn't care much about investigating a girl who may or may not exist.
It wasn't long before the pair began to escort Penny away. The young girl took a quick moment to wave goodbye to her before all of three of them disappeared around a corner. Finally, alone, Ruby sprang from the dumpster, breathing heavily as she attempted to expel the scent of rotting garbage and rusty metal from her nostrils. Alone those smells would have been enough to make her gage but the mixture she had been forced to endure was enough to cause her body to threaten her with expelling the entirety of her breakfast from that morning, adding to the horrid smell, the longer she refused to escape from her confines.
Able to focus on something else now, she considered the last bit of the conversation she and Penny had before they were interrupted. The fact that she had discovered something on Archangel was monumental news. What she found so perplexing was the fact that his true identity was that of a man now considered dead. Ruby wondered who it could be and what their reasons were for keeping their identity secret. Whoever they were no doubt they were trying to protect people close to them. The heroes in the comics she read always wore masks or disguises as a means of protecting their loved ones so it made sense that he would do the same. She didn't ponder on this for long, however, as her scroll buzzed in her skirt pocket, drawing her attention. She pulled it out, seeing that it was a group call being sent out to the entire team by Blake.
"Blake, what's up?" she asked.
"Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Torchwick has a Paladin! I don't know how he got it but he's currently chasing us through downtown Vale. I don't know how long we can outrun him but we could use some backup."
The entire conversation was a mixture of heavy breathing, Blake giving instructions, and the sound of explosions in the background. Ruby didn't need to be told twice what was happening and quickly checked to make sure she had Crescent Rose secured before using her semblance to speed off to her teammates aid. One thing was for sure, being part of team RWBY meant there was never a dull moment.
Downtown Vale – White Fang Recruitment Rally – Blake and Sun, moments earlier
"This is the place," Blake said.
Blake ran her fingers along the three slits made into the concrete wall. While to the untrained eye such a mark would simply be dismissed as corrosion or an accident caused by a worker's careless actions, Blake knew they were much subtler in their purpose. The White Fang flag, apart from having the roaring maw of a wild cat adorning it, sported three distinct slashes on the background. These marks were meant to represent their willingness and desire to take justice into their own hands, by force if necessary. As time progressed and the White Fang became increasingly violent it became necessary to leave subtle codes such as this one to mark as meeting places or safe houses. Running her fingers across the claw marks, Blake felt a cold shiver run through her. It was ironic that the organization she had desired to leave behind completely would inevitably find a way to worm its way back into her life.
"Blake, you alright?" Sun asked, the look of concern he gave her touching though unnecessary.
"Yea, I'm fine. Here, put this on," she said, handing him a mask.
"Interesting fashion choice," Sun commented as he placed the mask over his face.
"It was something one of our leaders started when the White Fang began its transition. He felt that, if humanity saw us as nothing more than monsters, we should adopt their appearance to further intimidate our victims."
"That's a Grimm outlook," Sun replied with a cheeky grin.
"Uge, Gods Sun, please don't do that. I have to tolerate Yang's puns and that's simply because she's my partner. I don't need you adding to the irritation."
"Right, sorry, game face," he said, wiping away his grin and adopting a more serious expression. "Well, it might be difficult to see with the mask, so just imagine I'm- "
Sun cut out when Blake shifted her posture. Though he couldn't see the annoyed look she was sending him beneath her mask, her posture and overall presence was enough to tell Sun that she was not amused.
"After you?" he said, quickly shifting attention back to the task at hand.
The two huntsmen walked into the warehouse that acted as a meeting place for the White Fang recruitment rally. The building itself was situated in downtown Vale, the area itself well known itself for the unabated crime and gang activity that plagued the area to the point that the police avoided coming down for fear of their own lives. While the building itself was fairly large Blake was unsurprised to find its interior filled to overflowing with faunus from all walks of life. It was easy to pick out the new recruits from the actual members as those who were currently part of the White Fang were dressed in their iconic white and black coats with their hoods pulled up over their heads and masks concealing their faces. The new recruits wore masks as well, something they were given as a welcome gift at the door, but remained dressed in their street cloths as they clambered towards the stage to wait for the groups representative to show.
With one eye on the stage, Blake began to scan the crowd for any sign of Archangel. Considering he was the one who had informed them of this meeting it made sense that he himself would be present. She knew he would be well hidden, his metal arm being a dead giveaway for any faunus who had faced him at the docks. Unfortunately, the crowd itself was too thick for her to make out any distinctions apart from the occasional faunus features that adorned the heads of her fellows. Instead, she shifted her gaze to the rafters were several White Fang members patrolled the walkways, armed and alert. Though she couldn't be certain, Blake was willing to dismiss the possibility that he might have taken one of their spots, using their own uniform to hide his own features. It made sense. The unfortunate thing about their distinct uniform was how easy it was for anyone, human or otherwise, to claim they were a faunus without actually being one. It made her wonder why the authorities never thought to do the same to some of the local cells.
Once or twice Blake thought she saw a glint of metal and quickly shifted her gaze towards its owner. She was always disappointed, however, when she noticed it was nothing more than the overhead lights bouncing off their guns, belts, or other concealed weapons. Try as she might she couldn't focus on anything else that might give him away. The only other defining feature he had were his eyes and those were easily concealed beneath the mask. She sighed, giving into the realization that she would be unable to pick him out until he chose to reveal himself. Archangel had been smart to include them in this mission. With so many people crowded together it would be a simple matter for the man to hide amongst them. Still, Blake wondered if she could truly trust him. Sure, he'd saved them at the docks but something about the man felt off. She would feel much better after she confronted him and found out where his loyalties truly lay.
Jaune couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Sure, his face and arm were fairly concealed beneath the mask and his hoodie but what was to stop one of the White Fang members from deciding he looked out of place and start demanding he prove himself to be faunus. His only conciliation came when he noticed Blake enter the warehouse with Sun. He'd been watching the door and, despite her mask, he noticed her almost immediately thanks to her ears. He didn't know why she kept them hidden all the time. Sure she had her reasons but still, for all her bluster and pride of being a faunus she sure put a great deal of effort into concealing her heritage. Perhaps one day he would have a chance to ask. For now, however, he would focus on the task at hand and ignore the fact that the rest of her team weren't present as requested, despite his instructions.
Jaune had come here with a purpose and a plan. The information Lazarus had given him pointed to the White Fang revealing their new toy tonight as a mechanical poster boy for their campaign. With that in mind it didn't take a genius to realize that the White Fang flag hanging over the stage was strangely large enough to conceal such a weapon. Knowing that, Jaune had positioned himself at a spot which would allow him easy access to the stairs, giving him time to take off the mask and slip on his mouth cover while ascending to a height that would enable him to leap onto the mechanical monstrosity and hijack it. With any luck he'd be smashing through the wall and well on his way to home base before the White Fang had any idea what happened. The thought of how they would react to such a fiasco would have brought a smile to his face but he repressed it. He needed to maintain his cover and a smile, no matter how small, might make one of the guards suspicious of him.
Coincidentally, the urge to smile quickly dissipated when the White Fang lieutenant on stage made the introduction of their "business partner." The reports had mentioned Torchwick's involvement, a fact he himself could confirm thanks in part to their duel at the docks. However, he hadn't expected the man to show up personally. Granted, the man was very charismatic and would have made a hell of a salesman but his chosen profession left something to be desired. Jaune instinctively crouched down, making himself a smaller target. He didn't know if Roman had recognized him but he figured better safe than sorry.
As the man's speech came to a close, along with some crack about exterminators and rodents that would have made even Yang cringe, the man snapped his fingers and on cue the flag fluttered to the bottom of the stage, revealing what it had been hiding. Jaune wasn't at all surprised but he emulated the sounds of awe coming from the crowd. Taking a quick look around her noticed that everyone's attention, including the guards, was on the stage and the Paladin. Seizing the opportunity, Jaune slipped around some crates and towards the stairs. Concealed inside the stair way he quickly slipped off the White Fang mask before pulling his face mask up. He tore the sleeves off the hoodie as well, giving himself greater freedom of movement, as he ascended to the top.
As soon as he reached the overhead walkway he took a quick look around. Thankfully everyone's attention was still on the Paladin but the new recruits were being ushered forward to begin their initiation. Jaune mumbled a curse when he noticed that neither Blake nor Sun had moved from their original spot, the pair standing out like a sore thumb to even Torchwick whose eyes were locked onto them. Seriously? Hadn't he instructed them to create a diversion and run? It didn't have to be anything major. Hell, if they took out the lights that would be enough to buy him some time to race down the walkway and leap onto the machine.
As if she had read his mind, Blake leveled her weapon and fired off a shot at the warehouse's breaker. Immediately the building was thrown into complete darkness and several cries went out from the gun shot as well as the temporary lose of sight. While Jaune knew the faunus were still able to see in the dark what they didn't know was that the special contacts he wore did very much the same. Apart from concealing his true eye color they allowed a modest amount of sight in low level light. It was especially easy for him to see where he was going thanks in part to the fact that the stage was situated in front of the warehouse windows.
Without a moment's hesitation Jaune launched himself down the walkway. The few White Fang operatives manning it too slow to react as he slipped by each and sent them to the ground below. Thankfully the drop wasn't enough to kill or even seriously injure the men and one of them actually smashed into a pile of crates instead, breaking his fall as well as the wooden boxes. The moment he was close to the stage Jaune leapt from the balcony and onto the Paladin. He slammed into the metal giant, his body making an audible clanging sound as he hit its steal hide. Thankfully everyone was too panicked to take notice and he took a moment to regain his footing before heading for the cockpit.
He didn't make it far, however, as the sound of smashing glass caught his attention, the forms of both Blake and Sun just barely visible from his position. Jaune felt his stomach plummet, his instincts telling him something terrible was about to happen. They were right, of course, as the metal giant began moving of its own accord. It was one of the few times he found himself grateful for having a metal arm as his fingers dug into the machine itself, allowing him to hang on while it swiveled around and smashing through the concrete wall. Obviously someone else had taken the ensuing chaos as an opportunity to hijack the machine and he needed only one guess to say who it was.
"I swear to the gods, Blake, you're more trouble than your worth," he grumbled as he bounced against the moving Paladin. "When this is over I'm going to take the favor you owe me from saving you a second time out of your hide."
"I must admit, as much as I hate those sleazy corporate big cats in Atlas, they sure do know how to make a quality machine," Roman remarked to himself.
Roman honestly hadn't expected the night to go in such a skewed direction. For the most part everything had gone as planned. The rally went off without a hitch, the new recruits were introduced to the latest in Atlas military technology, and from where he was standing he might actually have ended the evening with a call to Cinder that didn't include reports of huntsmen from Beacon or a certain vigilante crashing the party. It seemed he had spoken too soon as, once the new recruits began funneling to the front to get registered, he noticed something odd.
Roman didn't have much of an opinion when it came to faunus. He wasn't a racist by any means. As far as he was concerned, faunus were no different than humans. They could be lied to, used, abused, cheated, and manipulated in so many useful ways that made his life of crime that much easier to handle. In other words, just like the rest of humanity, he considered them useful tools when the situation called for it and cannon fodder when things started to go south. It was therefore a surprise to the master thief when he noticed two faunus in particular who quite literally stood out from the crowd.
He didn't know which one caught his eye first. Perhaps it was the young lady with distinct cat ears atop her head and a glare he could feel burning a hole into his skull even from beneath her mask. Or maybe it was her friend, the love-struck fool who preferred to leave his shirt unbuttoned as a way of showing off abs so well toned you could use them as a washboard in a river. Either way, it didn't take Roman very long to recall them from his botched robbery at the docks and, if he remembered correctly, trouble wouldn't be too far behind them in either the form of a girl in a red hood or a vigilante with a distinct metal arm. It was then that he made the wise decision to bolt for the Atlesian Paladin the moment he had a chance. He wasn't taking any risks this time around.
As the machine in question bounded down the road, demolishing cars and other vehicles that got in its way, Roman took in the myriad of toys the Atlas engineers had crammed into the cockpit. There was, of course, the plethora of weapons at his disposal. Everything from the classic machine guns to missiles and landmines right down to a distinct black button with a white skull and crossbones printed on top that he was just itching to press. Aside from that, though, they'd also seen fit to add in a few commodities. His seat was a plush leather with shock absorbers for maximum comfort. He had a microwave and coffee maker at his disposal with a fully stocked mini-fridge should he get a little hungry during the pursuit. Hell, he was pretty sure his chair even came with seat warmers and a massage feature.
"The only thing missing from this is- "he stopped, his attention drawn to a small compartment hidden in the back. Curious, he opened it up to see a large plastic bowl with a roll of toilet paper hanging off the side and a small leaver attached to the back. Roman gave it a quick push only to hear a distinct flushing sound emanate from the bowl.
"Nope, I was wrong, those bastards thought of everything," he said with a smirk.
Damn those Atlas engineers! Jaune had to be honest with himself, while he had considered the Paladin to be an incredible work of machinery that was no doubt more advanced than anything else on Remnant, he hadn't expected it to be this difficult to penetrate the outer hull of the bipedal monstrosity. Then again perhaps he should have come up with something more complex other than I'll just use my blade to cut through to the wiring and shut the thing down, no big deal. Times like these it would have been handy to have some sort of cutting tools on hand like a buzz saw or a blowtorch. Unfortunately, both of those things would have proven useless to him at the moment. With how much the Paladin was bouncing around as it chased Blake and Sun down the highway while being pelted with suppressive fire it was a wonder he hadn't been bucked off three blocks ago.
To add insult to injury he was having a difficult time focusing on finding a weakness on the machine while also suppressing his motion sickness. That was something he never quite got the handle of during his time training under Lazarus. Self defense, infiltration, computer hacking, politics and diplomacy, as well as a myriad of other subjects the man crammed into his head and yet somehow he hadn't found time to help him learn to fully suppress or overcome his motion sickness. With each new buck the machine gave him he felt his stomach flip flop and its contents threaten to evacuate in a rather swift fashion. Should the worst happen, though, and he find himself spewing chunks of his half-digested dinner all along the highway he may just get lucky and cover the Paladins cockpit, blinding Torchwick and thwarting his efforts to attack his friends.
"Come on Jaune, focus," he chided to himself. "This thing has to have a weakness. A control panel, a system override, an overlooked bend in the metal, something!"
Steadying himself as best he could, Jaune looked over the back of the Paladin, searching franticly for anything that might stand out. His eyes were eventually drawn to what appeared to be a panel on the back of the machine. Throwing caution to the wind he gripped tightly onto the Paladin with his metal arm while he attempted to force open the panel with his free hand. Focusing his aura around his fingers to help him leverage the panel, it brock lose after much effort and sailed off into the distance. Jaune almost cried out in triumph when he saw what lay underneath. An outer ejection handle, in all its glory, sat waiting for him to manipulate. Jaune had seen something like this in the file Lazarus had given him. Apart from the standard ejection seat installed in the machine, the technicians had seen fit to install one on the outside as well. This was to ensure that, should something prevent the pilot from activating their own switch, he could be ejected manually from outside.
Jaune's fingers clasped around the handle, twisting it as it primed, ready to throw Torchwick out and into the open. He was distracted, only for a moment, by an odd sound coming from overhead. That moment was enough to cause his heart to plummet into his stomach as he glanced up only to see Yang Xio Long riding her motorcycle Bumblebee come crashing down from an overpass and straight into the Paladin. The sudden change in momentum caused him to lose his grip as he, Torchwick, and the Paladin were all thrown off the highway and into an open plaza below.
Jaune's aura flared as he hit the ground hard, each bounce off the concrete jarring his vision as he struggled to regain control over his sense of balance. With his metal arm no longer attached to the Paladin he dug it into the ground, tearing up a line of concrete as he brought himself to a halt just in time to see all the members of team RWBY squaring up to face off against Torchwick and the Paladin.
"Why is the fact that I knew they wouldn't listen to me somehow still aggravating?" he mumbled to himself.
Team RWBY barely had time to catch their breath before Torchwick in his new toy began his assault. Sending out a flurry of missiles, the girls quickly dodged out of the way as a myriad of explosions erupted around them. They would have to be fast and efficient if they were to overcome their opponent.
"What's the plan, Ruby?" he friend Blake asked.
"Freezer burn," she replied, loud enough for Weiss and Yang to hear.
Without wasting a single moment, the heiress froze a large portion of the ground before Yang leapt into the air and came crashing down, firing off her gauntlets as she did. The effects were instantaneous as a thick fog billowed out, obscuring Torchwick's view of his small targets. The same could have been said for their team but, with how immense the Paladin was in size, it was easy to distinguish the large behemoth through the fog.
"What now?" Yang asked.
"Go for it's sensors. It's blind without them and many of his weapons rely on them," a voice replied.
"What? Archangel?" Yang yelped.
She didn't have much time to react as a lone figure dove past her, racing through the fog as he narrowed in on his target. Looking to her teammates she could see they had heard him as well and, despite finding his presence a bit unnerving, they nonetheless considered his contribution to their cause reason enough to ally themselves with him, if only for the time being. Sprinting after him the four girls zipped around the colossal machine. Despite the threat it posed, the Paladin was nonetheless slow to react and with carefully time precision each of the sensors were destroyed. This soon proved to be of little use to them, however, as a well timed explosion by the thief alleviated him of the fog, allowing Torchwick to attack them without hindrance.
"This is getting us nowhere," Weiss pointed out.
"I have a plan," Archangel said, taking a position alongside them.
"So do we," Yang shot back.
"Please tell me it's something a bit cleverer than hitting it as hard as we can until it stops working," he countered.
"Well, you you have anything better?" Yang asked with a growl.
"Yes and it involves the ejection switch on his back," he stated. "Keep him distracted. I'll make my way around to his back and clamber up to the exposed panel before pulling the switch and forcing him from the Paladin."
"So, what, we're just the bait?"
"No, you're the bait and the net. Once Torchwick has been ejected I'll need you four to apprehend him. We'll need to work as a team to handle this. Think you can trust me long enough to take down Torchwick?"
Ruby didn't say anything but instead nodded. While she wasn't as against working alongside Archangel as the rest of her team, Ruby wasn't naïve enough to trust him completely. Penny's words about his potential origins being linked to a man who was presumed dead were still fresh in her mind and that simple unknown made her question just how much faith she should have in the man before her. What were his origins? Was he someone who could be trusted or would he turn out to be something far more sinister?
Ruby didn't have much time to think as Archangel sprinted ahead. Calling out "ladybug," she and Blake tore off after him. While Archangel had advised that they would be acting as the bait in this scenario, Torchwick seemed more disposed to attacking the vigilante than them. A heavy metal arm came crashing down, spraying up large bits of concrete in its wake. The attack had been meant to squash Archangel like a bug but the man had been too quick, leaping onto the metal arm and running across it before bounding over his back. Ruby and Blake followed up, drawing his attention as they began simultaneously attacking its legs. Torn between focusing on the potential threat of the vigilante and the two girls, Torchwick wisely choose the latter as he attempted and failed to hit either of them.
"I've had just about enough of this!" the thief said over the machine's loud speakers.
"I couldn't agree more," Archangel responded.
From her position behind the mech, Ruby could see Archangel dangling from the machine's back, pulling out a long switch before twisting it counterclockwise and slamming it home. This was followed up by the loud metallic sound of locks and clamps releasing before steam erupted all around the cockpit area. A few seconds later the hatch opened and Torchwick, still buckled into his seat, was violently propelled outwards from the machine. Without it's pilot the behemoth slumped forward, dead to all the world.
"Lousy kids. You'd think they'd have more respect for their betters," Torchwick mumbled as he brushed himself off and relit his cigar. It was as far as he got before he found the tip of Weiss' rapier tickling his throat while she shot him an icy glare.
"These kids just kicked your butt," Yang chided in triumph.
"In a manner of speaking," Archangel said, coming up to apprehend Torchwick.
"Hold on, where do you think you're taking him?" Weiss questioned, turning her rapier on him.
"I have some friends who would like to speak to Roman in regards to his employers."
"You honestly think I'm going to talk?" the thief asked snidely.
"Honestly, when they're through with you, you'll be singing half as well as Miss Schnee," Archangel countered, twisting the man's arm into his back as he forced him to his feet. "You four should stay here with the mech. The authorities will be here soon and I need people I can trust to stay here with that thing."
"If you think we're just going to let you disappear with Torchwick, you've got another thing coming. We have some questions of our own not only for him but for you as well," Blake said, aiming her gun at the man's head.
"You kids obviously have a lot of trust issues to work out," Torchwick commented, shaking his head in disappointment. "Speaking of which, you're all awful trusting of me if you think the Paladin's down for the count."
"What do you mean? You're here in our custody. There's not much else that pile of scrap can do to us," Yang pointed out.
"You sure about that?" Roman asked.
A soft clicking sound was enough to tip Jaune off to what the man was talking about. "Shit, the autopilot!" was all he managed to say before the Paladin powered up and began its assault once more.
"I'd love to stay and chat but I've got places to go. Neo!"
It was instinct alone that enabled Jaune to leap out of the way before a high healed kick tore into the concrete. Deploying his wrist blade and shield, Jaune glared back into the smirking face of Roman's right hand girl, Neo. If his encounter with her at the docks was anything to go by then he was in for a rough fight.
"Team RWBY, stop the mech. Destroy it if you have to but make sure it can't be used by anyone else."
"What about you?" Ruby asked.
"I have my own opponents to deal with," he replied.
He didn't wait for a reply and soon after knew he didn't need one. The sound of battle rang out as missiles and gun shots mixed with the grunts of female fighters told him that they had already begun their assault on the mechanical beast. Neo smirked, hardly considering Jaune a threat as he lunged forward. In truth, she wasn't his real target. The man he was after lay beyond her but he knew he'd have to somehow fight his way through this petite assassin to get to him.
Right from the start he realized he'd greatly underestimated Neo's abilities. Where many of the fighters he'd faced thus far preferred aggressive combat tactics or were virtually untrained, Neo was something else entirely. Less aggressive and more defensive, her attacks were nonetheless devastating as every attempt he made to assault her ended with the girl either dodging or deflecting his attack before countering with one of her own. He thanked his immense aura reserves and metal shield for protecting him against the worst of it. No doubt by morning he'd wake up covered in bruises but for now he needed to focus on his target.
"Your good kid, I'll give you that, but you're nothing compared to my boss," Torchwick mocked.
"Perhaps not but I don't need to be on their level to beat you. I just need to be better than you to attain victory."
"A fair point but it won't mean anything unless you can defeat Neo. Regardless, our time here is up. Neo, if you would?"
Jaune didn't wait to see what tricks the girl had up her sleeve. He rushed forward, bringing his blade down on her head only for her and Torchwick to splinter into a thousand pieces along with the piercing sound of shattering glass. Off in the distance he could just make out a bullhead flying by with both thief and assassin waving to him as they passed. Jaune clenched his fists in rage. They had escaped. He had been so close and yet they had somehow escaped. Not long after a new sound, this one of a mixture of explosions and warped metal, told him that team RWBY had successfully destroyed the mech. Well, at least the mission was a success. Still, it didn't sit well with him that Torchwick had gotten away and with him any potential information that might have helped their cause.
"Way to go team RWBY," Ruby said triumphantly.
"Yea, we kick butt," Yang joined in.
"Lodi fricken da," he said sarcastically before moving to make his exit. He was stopped prematurely, however, by a wall of ice that had erupted in his path. He didn't need to guess to know who had created it and he turned around slowly to see three out of the four member of team RWBY glaring at him.
"Where do you think you're going?" Weiss sneered.
"Home, obviously."
"Not until you answer our questions, Archangel."
"Very well, I have a few questions of my own," he said, letting out a tired sigh before taking a decisive step towards them, "beginning with what the hell happened to following the plan?"
"What?"
"What do you mean what? I gave you four explicit instructions to act as decoys at the White Fang rally. Out of all of you I only saw you," he said, pointing an accusatory finger at Blake, "and that love sick monkey you almost got killed with your stunt at the pier!"
Archangel's words had the desired affect as Blake's ears fell flat on her head and her gaze fell to the ground. Down one member he soon turned on the others, determined to shift the blame just enough to distract them while he made his escape.
"Where were the rest of you?"
"We were, well- "Ruby began, trying and failing to come up with a decent excuse.
"We were performing reconnaissance work," Weiss answered.
"Reconnaissance?" he asked.
"Yes, you informed us that the Paladin had come from an SDC shipment. We were looking into similar occurrences to see if we could ascertain a pattern."
"My apologies, Miss Schnee. It seems you've seen fit to impress me," he said.
"Why thank you."
"With how naïve you are of our present situation," he concluded.
"Excuse me?"
"Do you honestly think that you have the means to look up classified information such as shipment raids?"
"I am the Schnee family heiress," she replied proudly.
"Which means nothing in the corporate world," he pointed out. "Your title is simply that, a title. It means little in terms of power or the ability to throw your weight around. Until you actually become an important figure in your family's company, you'll be denied access to any important information like that regardless of your family stature."
Weiss growled but nonetheless kept her mouth shut. Archangel had a point. The shipment manifestoes she'd retrieved had given her little information to work on. At best she could determine the amount of dust being transported to the neighboring kingdoms but nothing concrete or useful for that matter.
"And you," he said, turning on Yang.
The buck some blond said nothing but instead shot him a cocky grin that dared him to say something that might just insult her pride.
"You know what, on second thought I don't even want to know," he said. "The point is, tonight we got lucky. It was a miracle that none of you got seriously hurt fighting that machine or worse got someone killed. The Paladin's destroyed and out of Torchwick's hands. Mission accomplished. Now, go back to Beacon and stay clear of my business."
Without waiting for a reply Archangel vaulted up to a pillar, threw himself up towards the highway and disappeared from view. The girls watched him leave, each one a mixture of different emotions regarding the man in question.
"We'll, that went well," Yang said sarcastically.
"Well, that was a complete disaster," Weiss growled as she paced back and forth in their dorm room.
Shortly after their fight with Torchwick and Archangel's disappearance, the girls had retreated back to their dorm room as quickly as they could. While there was no doubt reports of what had happened would filter their way back to Beacon, they were confidant no one would know it had been them. They'd left well before the authorities or media could arrive on the scene and, unless someone had been recording the whole affair on their scroll, it was doubtful anyone would have been able to pin them to the scene.
"I don't know, I'd say things went pretty well," Ruby chanced.
"Oh, so the fact that both Archangel and Torchwick got away means little to you? Not to mention his assumption about the data I collected from the SDC being useless was correct."
In spite of his words, Weiss had seen fit to comb through every shred of the information she'd been sent. The state of her temper became more and more apparent as she read on, the information she'd collected being as useful to their cause as chocolate bullets. At best they could figure out when dust shipments might arrive next in Vale but aside from that they had little to go on in terms of figuring which ones' might would be targeted or what they might contain.
"Well, I at least managed to gather some useful information though I doubt you're going to like it," Yang said triumphantly.
"So long as it helps us get closer to Archangel I'll be content with whatever it is you managed to collect."
"You sure about that? Your temper has already been worn pretty thin as is."
"Yang, please, I'm a Schnee. Whatever it is you've collected, I promise I will stay composed."
"Alright," Yang said, crossing her arms beneath her chest as she took a relaxed pose before continuing. "I spoke with my contact downtown. Turns out Archangel paid him a visit, looking for information regarding Torchwick and the White Fang. My friend divulged all that he knew, mostly because he was too afraid of what might happen if he refused. What's more, Archangel relays information from him through a third party, someone we just might be familiar with."
"Who?" Blake asked.
"A tall man with blue eyes and short brown hair."
"That could be anyone," Weiss pointed out.
"He also mentioned that the man was missing his right arm."
The stunned looks on everyone's faces was enough to verify that they were on the same page. Weiss sank slowly into a nearby chair, her face switching between a myriad of emotions as she came to terms with what had been said. Blake was a bit more composed though it appeared she wasn't at all happy with the information. Ruby looked concerned, whether for her team or for the man in question was uncertain.
"Phoenix is working with Archangel," Blake finally said out loud.
"We don't know that for certain," Weiss interjected, quickly rising to the man's defense.
"It's all but confirmed. How many one armed men do you know in Vale personally?" Yang pointed out.
"We don't know that it's him. We don't have any proof aside from your friend's word, whom I doubt is someone we can trust."
Yang couldn't argue with that one. Junior was many things but trustworthy was not something she'd rank high on that list.
"He was the one who pointed me towards the docks when I was searching for the White Fang," Blake pointed out. "It's too much of a coincidence that he would suggest I go somewhere that almost certainly ensured I would find what I was looking for while coincidentally being saved by Archangel."
"I don't doubt your logic but I'd rather hear it from Phoenix himself, if only to confirm our suspicions."
"Fine then, lets go pay him a visit tomorrow after lessons," Blake suggested.
"Agreed," Weiss replied.
"So Rubes, you find anything out while we were gone?" Yang asked, shifting the conversation her way.
"I might have," she said nervously.
"What do you mean might have?" Weiss asked, giving her a suspicious look.
"Do you all remember Penny?"
"How could we forget?" Yang said in a sarcastic tone.
"I saw her in Vale today."
Ruby spent the next few minutes regaling them with the events that had transpired between the two girls. She omitted the parts about discovering her origins as a robot, choosing instead to keep it secret so she could reveal that herself, but otherwise sticking to the story as well as she could remember. The fact that no one interrupted her nor seemed at all surprised by the crazy antics that befell her cemented the fact that such things were almost expected of Ruby at this point. It was her revelation regarding Archangel, however, that truly caught their attention and had them divided in responses to it.
"That's impossible," Weiss stated. "He can't actually be dead."
"He could be presumed dead and living under an alias," Blake pointed out.
"I'm aware of that. What I don't understand is why he would go through so much trouble to keep is identity secret."
"He could be trying to protect people close to him or seeking to prevent anyone from figuring out who he is. When I was part of the White Fang, we attacked many people not associated with the SDC simply for discriminating against the faunus. It's possible he's one of the victims of these attacks and is using the guise of a vigilante to keep his family and friends safe."
"I can respect that," Yang said, "but I still want to know who he is. I don't like being kept in the dark, especially when he's managed to interject himself into our lives twice and somehow got our scroll numbers."
"Ruby, when you were talking with Penny did you managed to get her scroll number?" Weiss asked.
"I wish I had. With how frantic things were I wasn't focused on that. I just wanted to make sure she was alright," Ruby said, cringing in frustration. "Uge, I wish she was here so I could ask her."
Almost immediately a loud knock sounded at their door. Everyone exchanged glances, wondering if they'd invited some of their other friends to their dorm. One by one they all shook their heads, confirming that their meeting had been completely secret aside from themselves. It might have been Sun and Neptune but they hadn't seen either of them since their fight with Torchwick and they doubted Sun would actually use the door as he'd had little trouble simply using the window instead.
The knock sounded again, just as loud and heavy as before. Ruby looked to her teammates, the silent exchange between them evident as each of them readied their weapons. Ruby nodded before slowly moving towards the door. With sweat rolling down her forehead, she took a calming breath as her hand gripped the doorknob while the other held Crescent Rose at the ready. In a fluid motion she wrenched open the door, jumping back in expectation of an assault.
"Hello friend Ruby, I'm glad to see you're alright," Penny said cheerfully.
"Penny!" Ruby cried in disbelief. "Get in here, quickly," she said, taking a quick look down the hallway to make sure they were alone before dragging the girl inside.
"Penny, what are you doing? I thought you'd been taken back home by those Atlas guards."
"I did but I managed to sneak out soon after. I have to return soon, though, otherwise they might notice my absence."
"Well, your timing couldn't have been more perfect," Weiss said, regaining her composure as she waltzed up to the girl. "Penny, it's come to our understanding that you might know something regarding Archangel"
"Yes, friend Weiss, I do indeed, though, to be honest, it still confounds me."
"We know. Ruby filled us in. Apparently Archangel is supposed to be dead."
"You are correct. The Vale records show he died a little over a year ago."
"A year? That's not very long," Yang pointed out.
"Yea, I'd already left the White Fang by then and joined Beacon. If the White Fang were involved it would have had to occur after my desertion."
"Penny, we need you to tell us who it is. It's important that we know so we can possibly help them," Ruby pleaded.
"Or prevent them from getting any more of their friends or family involved," Weiss added.
"But you're already involved," Penny said.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, confused by the girl's comment.
"The records show that he was a former student here at Beacon. I simply assumed you knew him."
"He was a student?" Blake asked, exchanging a look with her partner Yang as her ears perked up.
"Penny, who is Archangel?' Ruby asked, the trepidation of knowing evident in her voice.
"His name is Jaune Arc. Do you know him?"
No one answered Penny's question. No one could even bring themselves to speak. Most of them looked to Weiss, expecting a negative reaction from the girl. To her credit she had kept her composure for the most part but it was slowly chipping away. Ruby quickly moved to her side, ready to act should she need it.
"It can't be," she whispered. "Jaune's dead, I watched him die."
"Penny, you're absolutely sure of this?" Ruby asked, taking on an uncharacteristically serious tone.
"Of course. I analyzed his blood sample in every way I could. There's no denying it to be true."
"Weiss, ae you alright?" she asked her partner.
"Yes, I'll be fine," she said, straightening herself. "Yang, you mentioned that Phoenix visited your friend downtown, correct."
"Yea, I did," she agreed, already catching on to what she was saying. "So, I guess we're paying him a visit tomorrow for sure."
"Yes, there are some questions he needs to answer and I won't leave until I get them."
And the big revelation has finally occurred. Honestly, I had always planned for a moment when their team would figure out that Jaune was Archangel, I just didn't know how soon or late into the story I wanted to reveal it. Obviously this is going to cause some tension to arise between them and Archangel, especially when its revealed to him that they're aware of his true identity. The only question now is will they be able to keep it hidden from the rest of his team and if not who will they react?
Things will start to heat up in the coming chapters. I plan on introducing Merlot into the plot as an actual character and have his Grimm start interacting with the characters. Jaune will also start his journey into hunting the man down while also learning more about his past and ultimately discovering more secrets than he bargained for.
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I apologize for how long it took to update but I've been dealing with some long, stressful days at work which have taken up much of my free time. I at least wanted to get this to you all before the Thanksgiving Holiday break. I'll be working on some of my other stories and hope to have one of them updated before I leave for Christmas. Until then stay tuned and hope you enjoy.