AN: Alright guys, I'm back and writing back on my Rider roots. Amd despite the very late timing, I wanna make this chapter dedicated to the late Monty Oum, He was a very talented young guy who was taken away from us so early in his successful career. RIP Monty and hopefully RWBY can go on like you always wanted it to. Alright, Showtime!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider or RWBY.
Chapter 7: Enter Delta
It was nighttime and Team MYTE were sleeping or at least, most of them were. Tiber was at the desk, adjusting Bianca. He didn't get much sleep nor could he. He looked at the bullet cartridges nearby and examined them before loading one of them into Bianca.
"Alright, time for a good sharpening." Tiber said as he took a grindstone nearby and sharpened the lance part.
As he was sharpening Bianca, his mind backtracked to the real Bianca, the one who helped him save his twin sister, the one who taught him how to handle a rifle, and the one who taught him that not all Orphnochs are all bad.
(Two years ago)
Tiber helped loaded the vegetative Echo onto the back of a pickup truck with Bianca looking around. They just hitch hiked a nearby driver to help them get to Vale. Tiber soon got on along with Bianca.
"Okay, we're loaded, old man!" Bianca told the driver.
"Got it!" The driver responded before the truck started moving through the forest, Bianca looked at her sniper rifle before noticing Tiber checking up on Echo.
"How is she?" Bianca asked.
"She's doing better." Tiber answered as he placed his hand on her forehead."Saw her hand moved a little. She should be able to move and talk soon."
"Good." Bianca said before looking at Echo's eyes. They were still void of life but luckily it won't be long until she's up and about. Bianca wonders if Echo is at least partially aware of their surroundings. "Only family, right?" She asked Tiber.
"Yeah, don't even remember our parents' faces. All my life it was just us two." Tiber explained as he had a sad smile at Echo.
Echo was still unresponsive before Bianca smiled and looked at the sky.
"So what are you two going to do when we get to Vale?" Bianca asked.
Tiber was caught off guard at the question. He didn't think about what'll happen when they reach the safe city. Tiber was mostly concerned about Echo's health and safety.
"I'm going to go be a Huntress." Bianca said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, feels good helping you and your twin sister. Maybe I should continue for the others." Bianca said with confidence, surprising Tiber.
"What about us?" Tiber asked, he was hoping they would stick together at least for a little while.
"Maybe….Nah, I'm just kidding, You know I wouldn't do that to you two, right?" Bianca asked, earning a smile and nod from Tiber while Echo was still unresponsive. "We're friends, right?"
Unknown to them, a squad of Riotroopers were on top of a hill before one of them got a sniper out and aimed at the truck, specifically Echo's head. He soon pulled the trigger.
(Present)
"Tiber?"
Tiber was snapped from memory lane and sees Echo groggily sitting up from bed.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" She asked as she rubbed her eye.
Tiber smiled.
"Yeah sorry, I had to get something off my mind." Tiber said as he finished sharpening Bianca. He turned off the lamp and went to bed with Echo.
(Play This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams)
The song begins as Makoto looks over a cliff and in the bottom was a ruined facility with the Smart Brain logo.
[They see you as small and helpless. They see you as just a child. Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild.] As Makoto looks at the facility, in his shadow was the Wolf Orphnoch. He tightly grips the Faiz Gear in his hands as he remembered his mother's dying words.
As the wind blows past him, the title appears.
[Prepare for your greatest moments. Prepare for your finest hour. The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower.] Kiba kneels before Dark Decade but there is obviously a troubled look on his face. Echo hides in the woods while gripping on to her weapons. Tiber looks at the city with his sniper before leaving his spot.
[We are lightning. Straying from the thunder. Miracles of ancient wonder.] We see an army of Grimm but they are replaced with an army of Orphnochs. We soon see Leo and Roman in front of a legion of goons. Then we see the members of Lucky Clover and in front of them is the mysterious CEO of Smart Brain. We soon see the members of Team MYTE in a circle, Makoto notices something before the four of them charged.
[This will be the day we've waited for. This will be the day we open up the door. ] While fighting, we soon see the four in their Rider forms fighting the Orphnochs.
[I don't wanna hear your absolution. Hope you're ready for a revolution.] Then we see the members of Team JNPR looking at a statue in front of the school. We soon see Team RWBY practicing their weapons.
[Welcome to a world of new solutions. Welcome to a world of bloody evolution.] We see Ozpin, drinking his coffee, with Goodwitch next to him on an airship.
[In time, your hearts will open minds. A story will be told…] We see each member behind their respective symbols. Then we move in front of Beacon and see every character one by one with the last one being Makoto.
[Because victory is in a simple soul!] We soon see Faiz practicing his sword before stopping when the title appears.
(Later in the morning)
Team MYTE was eating breakfast in the cafeteria before classes began. They were also looking at their group homework for Professor Port.
"How's it going so far?" Makoto asked Kiba, who was writing the report.
"Looks good so far and almost done, just need to finish this paragraph." Kiba answered as he was typing on his laptop.
The twins were enjoying their breakfast while Echo was watching internet videos on her phone. She soon noticed a video link that became a center of attention for her. She was about to show it to the others but soon Teams JNPR showed at the table.
"Morning, guys." Jaune said.
"Morning." Makoto greeted back.
"Whatcha doing?" Nora asked, looking at Kiba's monitor.
"We're just finishing Professor Port's homework." Kiba said before the team joined them at the table.
"So what's been going on with you guys?" Pyrrha asked as she and her team began eating their breakfast.
"We're doing well enough, I suppose. Recently, I started working with Ruby on a new project." Makoto said.
"Really, what's it on?" Jaune asked.
"Just something for my bike." Makoto answered as he brought up his phone and tried to text Ruby.
"You've been spending a lot of time with her lately." Kiba remarked as he continued typing.
"She's a smart girl especially when it comes to weapons or tech of any kind. I respect her for it." Makoto said, slightly blushing.
"Sounds like a lot more than respect, Boss." Echo teased, making Makoto blush even a little more.
"J-Just shut it!" Makoto said as he ate a spoonful of his soup but he winced a bit after swallowing.
"Too hot?" Echo teased once again, much to Makoto's dismay.
Kiba was about to say something until he received a phone call. He looked at the Caller ID and it was Leo.
"I'll be right back." Kiba said before going to the hall and answering it. "What is it, Leo?"
"Have you checked what's on the internet?" Leo asked.
"No, why?"
"It's a lead on the third Rider Gear, Delta." Leo said, getting Kiba's full attention.
"Try to look more into it, if you can but if you do then let me and my team handle it." Kiba instructed. If the Delta Gear can be obtained then all three of this world's Riders would unknowingly work with him and Leo.
(In Roman's hideout)
"I'll see what I can do. You just be a good student and fill me in on any unforeseen developments." Leo reminded before hanging up. He was watching the video again, trying to get a clue on where this mysterious Rider could be.
On the screen was an armored figure with a black suit and white lines that decorated it in an intricate pattern. The shoulders were broad and wing-like. The helmet had a pair of orange eyes with antennae that's similar to Faiz's suit. This was Kamen Rider Delta.
From the looks of the footage, this came from a Scroll and a bystander saw all of this. It looked like Delta was fighting a bunch of Riotroopers and the background indicates that this video took place in Vale so the Rider should be close by which makes the search much easier.
Leo rubbed his chin as he kept watching the fight. From the video, Delta withdrew his gun and kept shooting at one Riotrooper before doing a spin kick on another one that was nearby. Delta soon noticed a bunch of Riotroopers with their guns out and pointed at him.
"Damn!" Delta cursed before grabbing a nearby injured Riotrooper and using him as a meat shield.
The others that were aiming were hesitating because that was their fellow man being taken hostage. Delta was backing up a little with his hostage before a big motorcycle appeared behind him.
Delta pushed him back before running to the bike and using it to escape the scene. The video soon ended and Leo was pondering on the identity of this Rider.
"If he's in Vale then he shouldn't be that far or tricky to track." Leo said before noticing some of Roman's henchmen chatting with each other.
Leo smiled before he got up from his seat and approached the group.
"How would you boys like to do a very small job for yours truly?" Leo asked, earning some looks.
(With Kiba)
Kiba hung up and went back to the area where Echo was showing Tiber and Makoto the video that Leo just described.
"What's going on? What video is that?" Kiba asked as he retook his seat next to them.
"Take a look." Makoto said as he let his teammate view the video as well. Kiba just pretended to be surprised as he saw Delta fight the Riotroopers and eventually escaping them.
"Another Rider?" Kiba asked, pretending to look surprised and awestruck.
Makoto nodded.
"We think so and if he's another enemy of Smart Brain, we can help each other." Makoto said with a smirk on his face, wanting to work with another Rider.
"And how are we so sure he'll help us?" Echo asked. This Rider could be an agent of Smart Brain and this video could be a trap.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend besides even if it is a trap then we could try getting the Gear that he has, safer with us then with a stranger." Makoto said, raising a couple good points. On one side, they have the potential for a new comrade against the Orphnoch threat and Smart Brain's attacks but on the other, they also have a new Gear on hand which can be used for good.
"Well, you guys have to go to class first." Pyrrha reminded. Before they go on some wild Rider search, they need to pass their now finished homework and listening to another one of Professor Port's "daring" stories.
(With Cole)
Cole was also watching the video and is eager to redeem himself for losing the Kaixa Gear to Echo. He wants to do this before the Lucky Clover member gets here.
"Damn, he has to be close by. I recognize the buildings." Cole said before a Riotrooper approached him.
"Sir, the CEO wants a word with you." He reported, earning a nod from Cole.
Cole went to the makeshift holopad where a hologram of the CEO appeared before his eyes.
"I take it you saw the video posted earlier today?" Cole asked.
The CEO nodded.
"Yes, finally we may be able to recover one of the three lost. And this is the Delta Gear as well, one of the two Rider Gears that we've been missing for years like Faiz." The CEO said with slight joy in his tone but that can easily change depending on who can come into contact with Delta himself.
"I'll proceed with some of my remaining men to go after."
"No, you will not." The CEO said, surprising Cole.
"But why?"
"So far, you've been incompetent when retrieving the Faiz Gear." The CEO explained expressing his dislike for Cole."You even lost the Kaixa Gear to a child. That is sad and I'm starting to regret sending you as the lieutenant for our main operation regarding the Riders. It's why I'm sending the Lucky Clover to assist in these matters. When he arrives, you are to take orders from him as your new superior officer."
"Who are you sending?"
"Ash." The CEO said, surprising Cole.
"Ash!? But he is unstable, unpredictable, and violent!" Cole said, expressing his dislike for Ash. Out of all the members of Lucky Clover, Ash was the most bloodthirsty and takes pride and joy when it comes to fighting and killing. At times, he was an unstable loose cannon that can turn psycho easily within the blink of an eye. Cole worked with him on a few missions and to say he was looking forward to continue working with Ash would be a huge lie.
"And he knows Inui well. He knows enough on how to hit him and how to do it real hard. Am I clear?" The CEO asked, making Cole growl. He really doesn't want to work with Ash again and he really doesn't want to work with him again."Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir…" Cole responded before the holographic figure of the CEO vanished from sight. Cole clenched his fist before looking at a Riotrooper. "Prep your squad, we're striking when Delta or any other Rider appears again."
"What about the CEO's orders, sir?"
"As long as we get a Gear, he won't care."
(In a nearby alley)
"Dammit, I'm being reckless." A male said as he saw the video while sitting against the wall. He had a dark messy silver ponytail, dark eyes, and wore a dark jean jacket with a gray hoodie underneath. His name was Naoya. "I should've known someone would've been watching me when I was fighting against those Riotroopers."
Next to him was the case that held the Delta Gear. Naoya came to Vale in hopes of escaping his past but it looks like it caught just as well.
"I need to stay low for a while." Naoya said to himself before taking the case and going out of the alley and seeing some of Roman's goons entered. They see Naoya with the case and remembered Leo's orders.
"Hey man, where are you going?" One of the goons asked.
"Uh…"
"We just want a word, isn't that okay?" Another goon asked before Naoya made a break for it with the goons chasing him as well.
(At Beacon)
Team MYTE just finished Professor Port's class and they seemed physically exhausted from Port's usual story of the day which took up the whole class. On the bright side, due to an emergency staff meeting, classes today were cancelled. The four were about to go out but Ruby stopped them and approached Makoto.
"Hey, Makoto! Are you ready to work on our project?" She asked with a happy and enthusiastic face.
Makoto made a tiny sweatdrop run down his forehead. As much as he wants to find Delta, he can't say no to such a cute and innocent looking face like Ruby's.
"I, uh…." Makoto started, unsure of how to respond. On one side, he gets some alone time with Ruby but it would also mean that he can't look for Delta. On the other, he breaks Ruby's feelings, bring forth Yang's wrath and pain, but it would bring more help on tracking Delta.
Makoto looked at his team, who just shrugged. This was his situation to deal with.
"Well?" Ruby asked, she seemed to be anticipating a response very real soon.
"I guess I can spare time for you." Makoto answered. In the end, he can't escape Ruby's cute charm.
"Great!" Ruby smiled before grabbing Makoto by the wrist and dragging him to their usual spot when making these types of projects.
"Just go without me, I'll try to catch up with you guys when I'm gone. Kiba, you're in charge in the meantime." Makoto said, earning a nod of acknowledgement from Kiba before Makoto himself was gone from sight.
"Come on, the sooner we get on the airship, the sooner we can find that mysterious Rider." Kiba said, earning the nods from the twins.
The three left the area and got on the airship. As the airship started moving, Tiber took out Bianca and made a sad sigh as he looked at the lance-sniper hybrid.
"It's almost time for an anniversary." Tiber stated, catching the attention of both Kiba and Echo.
"You okay, Tiber?" Echo asked, knowing what the nearby anniversary is about.
"Okay with what?" A new voice asked, catching YTE's attention. They turned to see Weiss approaching them. "Hey, guys." She greeted, catching Tiber's attention and making him put Bianca away.
"Weiss, you're heading into Vale too?" Tiber asked, making her nod.
"Yeah, I have to resupply on some Dust crystals." Weiss answered. "Why are you guys going to Vale?"
"We're looking for someone." Kiba partially lied.
"Who?"
"We're looking for someone that could help us in the fight against Smart Brain." Tiber answered.
(With Naoya)
Naoya continued to run for his life as he still didn't lose sight of Roman's goons. He didn't know why they were doing this either. They just saw him with the case and proceeded to chase him with no warning. He soon managed to get through a group of bystanders as it managed to get the goons lose track of where he was. After a while, at long last, Naoya was in the clear or so he thought.
As Naoya stopped to catch his breath, some new goons were standing in front of him. Naoya was frozen in shock before trying to go back the other way but the goons that he thought he lost reappeared again. Naoya was surrounded with no way out except through the hard way.
"Listen…." One of the goons said as he approached Naoya. "We heard that you have a very special item."
"An item that someone important to us wants…" Another goon started.
"And it's in that case." The third goon finished as he pointed at the case.
Naoya stepped back as he tightened his grip on the case.
"Like hell I am." He answered. He came too far just to lose this case to a bunch of street hoodlums. No, Naoya had a job to do and that was securing the contents of this case.
Naoya soon had a smirk on his face before charging. He smacked the first goon in the face with the case before kicking the second goon into a trashcan. Naoya soon pushed the third goon into a wall before smacking him with the case where the sun doesn't shine. Naoya smiled before he continued running for his life as the goons helped their fellow comrades.
"Why that no good-After him!" The leader ordered, causing the remaining the goons to continue the chase for Naoya.
The chase continued up into the park where Naoya was using the best of quick-like reflexes to escape the goons as he used the obstacles in the park to get past everyone, giving a lot of distance in-between him and the goons. The goons tried getting through the obstacles but had much less luck than Naoya did.
'Damn, I have to lose them and fast!' Naoya thought as he continued running away from the goons.
He soon saw an ice cream cart and gained an idea, causing him to smirk.
"Hey, you don't mind if I borrow this, do you?" Naoya asked the ice cream man. But before the ice cream man can respond, Naoya took off with the cart before looking back at the ice cream man. "Thanks, I appreciate it!"
The ice cream man looked shocked.
"Hey, that's my cart! Get back here!" The ice cream man called but it didn't look like that Naoya was stopping any time soon. "Great, can this day get worse?"
"Hey, I think he went this way!"
"Huh?" The ice cream man turned before he got trampled on by the goons as their chase for Naoya and the case continues. "Ow…"
Naoya kept running with the cart before he stopped at an alley. He ran in before using the cart and some trashcans to barricade the entrance.
Later, the goons found the makeshift barricade and tore it down but when they did, they lost sight of Naoya.
"Damn it!" A goon cursed, frustrated that their search was all for naught.
"Leo's not going to be happy when he hears about this." Another goon said, reminding the others and himself that failure is not an option because Leo can be scarier than Roman if need be.
Meanwhile Naoya, who was home free, continued on as he did his best to blend in with the civilians. At the same time, Naoya looked at the case and remembered why he was in Vale.
"Okay, let's get you somewhere safe." Naoya said before proceeding on with his job.
(With the others)
Tiber and Weiss were in a Dust Shop, trying to find the perfect Dust Crystals to augment their weapons with while Echo and Kiba were looking into Delta. After some time, they got nothing on Delta or the person who uploaded the video. Not even a rumor.
"This is getting up nowhere." Echo said as she and Kiba met up. He too understood the frustration that they were facing. "I mean, how hard is it to just find one guy?"
"You'd be surprised." Kiba responded. "This is another Rider that we're talking here. The footage speaks for itself. The guy has all of Smart Brain coming after him like us. Staying hidden is this guy's job or else Smart Brain, or someone worse, will find him."
Soon a light bulb went off in Echo's head, what Kiba said just gave Echo an idea. She looked at Kiba.
"Smart Brain activity means that there's a Rider nearby, right?"
Kiba nodded. Based on past experience, anything that Smart Brain's troops did here links directly back to a Rider.
"So any signs of a Riotrooper, transformed or not, means that a Rider has to be nearby." Echo concluded, making Kiba's eyes widened.
"You're right! But…so far there isn't any sign of them."
"Well, we might as well search the city and look for them. It's a whole lot better than just standing here." Echo said. Unlike her brother, she was really impatient and hot-headed but she does have a point though. Delta is not going to be running straight at them.
"…Alright. So how is this going to work?" Kiba asked, agreeing with Echo.
Echo then took out her Kaixa Phone.
"You're gonna go to one side of Vale while I go the other. If any of us see any involvement with Delta or the Riotroopers, we immediately contact each other." Echo explained, earning some nods from Kiba. This was a classic Divide and Conquer tactic.
"Sounds like a plan." Kiba responded as he was all for it. He soon looked at the window where Tiber and Weiss were. "What about your brother?"
Echo looked back at them with a sad look. She knows why Tiber has been a little depressed lately and understands that he needs some distance but maybe Weiss can help him along the way.
"He seems busy enough." Echo said, wanting to sound like usual self so she won't worry Kiba.
"Alright, just remember to call when you find the Rider." Kiba said before taking off in the north. Echo lazily saluted.
"Aye, aye, General." She sarcastically said before taking off to the south, unaware that Tiber was watching the two the whole time.
Tiber sighed, he wanted to help but he wasn't a Rider therefore he wasn't equipped to properly handle the situation with Smart Brain especially when it comes to Orphnochs. He can't take them on, he could but it would guarantee a lot of damage to himself. Weiss, who was about to pay at the register, noticed Tiber's uneasy expression.
"Tiber, is everything alright?" Weiss asked. To her, Tiber was the most caring and gentle person that she knows and to see him out of his character made her worry a little. Tiber was snapped out of his thoughts and he looked at Weiss before nodding.
"Yeah, everything is cool." Tiber lied, he was feeling a bit uneasy due to the anniversary but he didn't want Weiss to worry about him. "So you're done with everything here."
Weiss nodded back as she looked at the Dust Crystals in her hand."Just need to pay for this and we're done for today."
"Good." Tiber said before looking at his weapon with a sad look, which caught Weiss's attention yet again.
"Are you sure that you're alright?" Weiss asked, sensing that Tiber is in a bad mood for a very particular reason.
Tiber looked at Weiss before smiling.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Just do what you need to do." Tiber waved off before patting Weiss on the back. Weiss didn't seem convinced but she nodded before going to the register to pay.
As Weiss was paying, Tiber looked out and hoped that Echo and Kiba made some progress on searching for the Rider.
"Have a good day!" The cashier said as he gave Weiss the change. Weiss soon approached Tiber with her bag of Dust Crystals.
"I'm done. You?"
"Oh yeah, I gotta buy these." Tiber said, showing a bunch of Dust Crystals he selected.
He soon walked to the register and paid.
(With Echo)
Echo was looking around on her end and saw no sign until she spotted Roman's goons and they seemed frustrated. She immediately went to hide behind a nearby mailbox as she overheard their conversation.
"Unbelievable! How on Remnant could we lose him like that!?" The first goon yelled, frustrated with the loss of Naoya.
"He's a fast and slippery one. I'll give him that." Another goon commented.
"Doesn't change the fact that we got outsmarted by the kid and losing the Smart Brain case!" The other goon yelled, immediately catching Echo's attention.
"What's so important about some stupid case anyways?" A goon asked, curious about why Leo wants it so much.
"Were you not paying attention to what we were saying back there!?"
"I was. I just wanna know why that case is so important?"
"Yeah, just what exactly is this 'very special item'?" Another goon asked as the same question popped up in everybody's heads. They obviously weren't told about the case's contents and that's probably for the best to Echo. These men are obviously selfish but they're asking for dangerous attention if they find out and use it for themselves.
"Look, we're only paid to the crap, not question it." The leading goon said, reminding everyone of their place.
"He does have a point. As long as I get paid, I don't give a shit." Another goon said, earning nods from everyone. It's always about the money. They soon looked around.
"You think he went to city square? That's past the public park where we chased him." A goon recalled getting a trail on Naoya again.
"Good idea. Come on, let's go!"
As the goons left, Echo emerged from her hiding spot.
"Bingo." Was all Echo could say as she might have gotten a lead on Delta. She took out her Kaixa phone and dialed Kiba.
(With Leo)
Leo was on the roof and watching the city for any signs of Delta before feeling a presence behind him.
"I was wondering when you'd show up." Leo said as he turned to see Kiba.
Kiba approached him and he had a blank serious expression on his face.
"I'm surprised that you didn't find out where Delta is hiding yet."
Leo then chuckled at Kiba's comment, seeing that Kiba himself didn't make any progress himself when it comes to Delta.
"Funny, I was just about to say the same to you."
Kiba then just stood there with a blank look on his face, Even if he wasn't expressing any emotions on his face, it was clear that he was annoyed.
"Tough crowd." Leo remarked.
"Just tell me about your progress." Kiba said, not in the mood for any of Leo's games.
"I sent some of my men to search the city and find Delta but personally, I think they're too stupid to even tie their shoe laces." Leo admitted. Despite their looks, based on previous performance, these goons were not really reliable. Plus a few of them didn't look like the sharpest tools in the shed.
"Don't worry about your men. We both know Smart Brain is thorough and stubborn enough to scour the whole city for months for just one Rider." Smart Brain has been keeping up the search for the Faiz and Delta Gears for years. They can keep up the waiting streak but only if it would lead them to the Rider Gears.
"True, but let's be honest, how exactly did this person find and keep the Delta Gear in the first place?"
Kiba shrugged, he was in the darkness like Leo when it comes to this.
"I honestly don't know. I guess we will we have to save that question for when do find him." Kiba said.
That was when Kiba's phones rang. Kiba answered it while Leo just kept quiet to avoid suspicion.
"Hello?"
"Kiba, I think I have a lead on our Rider." Echo reported, immediately catching both Kiba and Leo's attention.
"Really? What did you find?" Kiba asked as Leo paid close attention to the conversation.
"Well I got information when I overheard some of Roman's goons that were wandering across the city." Echo answered as it caught even more attention from Leo. "Apparently, they ran into the Rider and from the sounds of it, they weren't very successful."
As Kiba and Leo heard this, Leo was absolutely furious and Kiba couldn't help but smirk at Leo's disbelief. Leo soon did a face palm before looking at Kiba.
"Like I said before, they're a bunch of idiots." Leo quietly remarked.
"So what did you find out from them?" Kiba asked, wanting to know more.
"Apparently the guy outsmarted these guys when he was being chased by them. He ran through the park where he lost the goons but town square is past that. They believe that he made a break for it there." Echo said, making Kiba nod.
"I got it. I'll go and meet up with you there. Not like I was making much progress here to begin with." Kiba said, looking at Leo who was just whistling.
"Got it, just be here quick." Echo said before the two hung up.
"Well, I should be going." Kiba said and was leaving for the stairwell before Leo looked back at Kiba.
"How are you and your team getting along?" Leo asked.
"Well enough."
"Not 'too well', right?"
"…" Kiba was silent, preferring not to answer that question.
"You best be careful, Kiba. Don't be too attached, remember your mission." Leo reminded. The two were Dark Riders and they were in this world for a particular reason. Once they're done here, they'll leave.
"I can say the same to you, Leo." Kiba said before leaving.
(At town square)
Echo had her back against a brick wall and was waiting for Kiba to show up. Soon she saw him walking up to her.
"Took your time." Echo commented.
"Sorry, got sidetracked with something." Kiba apologized before looking around the area. "So Delta is supposed to be here, right?"
"From what I can gather but we have to hurry if we're going to be Roman's goons and Smart Brain." Echo said, reminding Kiba that they aren't the only ones participating in this scavenger hunt.
"Right." Kiba nodded and the two looked for a while until Kiba noticed Naoya sitting down in a café and right across from him is the case. Kiba got Echo to look at him. "There's our guy." He pointed out.
"Not going to lie, I expected someone…older." Echo commented before the two walked up to Naoya, who just finished his coffee.
"Can I help you two?" Naoya asked, looking at Echo and Kiba.
"My name is Kiba and this is my associate, Echo."
"What's up?" Echo greeted as she took an extra seat across from Naoya. Naoya examined the two.
"Naoya." Naoya simply introduced himself as.
"We were hoping to find you. Listen, you're in big trouble-."
"That's new." Naoya sarcastically remarked before pulling in his case.
"Listen, we're on your side here." Kiba tried to reason. "Smart Brain and Roman's thugs are out for you."
"And how do you know that?" Naoya asked. "And why should I trust you?"
"Cause we're the same, buddy." Echo explained, before showing Naoya her Smart Brain tattoo which made his eyes widened.
"You were an experiment." Naoya recognized.
"Not that I asked to be one." Echo replied, putting her hair down to hide her tattoo. "Let's just say that what they did to me as a kid…I wouldn't recommend it to any other."
"And what's your stake in all this?" Naoya asked Kiba.
"That's for another time. Right now, we should-."
"Found them!" A Smart Brain thug said as Cole approached them.
"Good, saved us some trouble." Cole commented before firing a gun off in the air, scaring everyone away except for the three. Unknown to them, Tiber and Weiss were watching from the corner.
"It's that guy again." Tiber recognized as the initial Kaixa before Makoto got the belt off of him and gave it to Echo instead.
"Should we do something?" Weiss asked.
"Let's see what happens first and decide from there." Tiber said. He and Weiss could probably talk on the Riotroopers but will have more trouble against Cole.
"Now then, hand over the Gears and no one will get hurt." Cole said.
"Right, because you just scream 'peace loving hospitality'." Echo said before giving Cole the middle finger.
"Not how I would answer but yeah, we're not giving up our Gears." Kiba said, earning a satisfied look from Cole.
"Good, so we get to do things the fun way here." Cole smiled before he transformed into the Tiger Orphnoch.
Echo and Kiba took their Gears out and placed them on their waists, forming their belts. Naoya opened the case and took out the Delta Gear before quickly assembling it. He took out the phone and placed it against his mouth while the other two dialed their numbers and pressed Enter.
"Henshin!" Naoya said into the phone.
"STANDING BY!"
"Henshin!"
They inserted the phones into the belts.
"COMPLETE!"
Echo and Kiba soon transformed into Kaixa and Orga and go their weapons out.
"READY!"
For Naoya, blue neon lines surrounded him until he was replaced with Delta in bright blue light. Delta turned his phone into a gun and the three Riders charged.
"Men!"
The Smart Brain thugs got their belts on.
"Henshin!"
"COMPLETE!"
They turned into Riotroopers before getting their weapons out and charging with the Tiger Orphnoch. They soon fought with each other. Orga and Kaixa took care of the Riotroopers while Delta was fighting the Tiger Orphnoch.
Tiber got Bianca out in sniper mode and got down before aiming at a Riotrooper that was charging for Kaixa. Tiber pulled the trigger and a hole instantly replaced that Riotrooper's visor. Kaixa turned and saw Tiber, who waved at her before he continued firing Bianca. Kaixa soon focused on the rest of the Riotroopers while Weiss joined the fray with her rapier. She was doing her best to freeze the Riotroopers.
Meanwhile the Tiger Orphnoch dodged Delta's shots and smacked him aside, making him drop his gun.
"Give me that belt!"
"How about I give you a few punches!" Delta said before punching the Tiger Orphnoch a few times but he didn't seem affected.
"My turn…" The Tiger Orphnoch viciously scratched his claws against Delta and Tiber noticed As much as he knows his limits, he had to help Delta and stop Cole from getting the Delta Gear. Tiber got closer and fired Bianca once again. The Tiger Orphnoch stumbled back from the shot before being punched and kicked back by Delta.
"How's that-?"
He was soon blasted away the Tiger Orphnoch's fireballs. The Tiger Orphnoch dodged Tiber's shots before clawing away at Delta multiple times before he was knocked aside with the belt flying away and landing on the floor. Delta reverted back to Naoya and he sees the Tiger Orphnoch go for the belt.
"No!" Naoya got up and transformed into the Snake Orphnoch, much to the others' surprise.
"No way…" Weiss remarked.
"He's an Orphnoch like you and Boss." Kaixa remarked to Orga.
"I knew his name sounded familiar." Orga quietly remarked before slashing an oncoming Riotrooper.
The two Orphnochs were going at it while Tiber went and grabbed the belt.
"No!" The Tiger Orphnoch made another fireball and blasted Tiber away. When he landed, his hand was still attached to the Delta Gear and noticed the Delta Phone nearby. He grabbed it before standing up. Orga noticed.
"Hey, Tiber! If you want to help, the Delta gear doesn't require Orphnoch DNA!" Orga said before he and Kaixa started being swarmed by Riotroopers.
"We could really use the help, Tiber!" Kaixa exclaimed, really needing some help here. There's only so much Riotroopers that Kaixa and Orga can take on.
Tiber's eyes widened as he recognized the familiar scene.
"I can't…I can't let it happen again!" Tiber said with determination as he placed the belt on. He transformed the gun back into the phone and placed it against his ear.
"Henshin!"
"STANDING BY!"
He inserted it into the side of the belt.
"COMPLETE!"
Blue neon lines surrounded Tiber's body before he was replaced with a bright light and then Delta. Delta looked at the swarm of Riotroopers before the Tiger Orphnoch got free and charged for Delta.
"Hand over that belt!" The Tiger Orphnoch said before charging.
Delta remained silent and transformed his phone back into a gun and inserting the Delta Mission Memory into it.
"READY!"
The Tiger Orphnoch charged before being shot multiple times by Delta, causing him to stumble back. He was soon clawed in the back by the Snake Orphnoch.
"Payback's a bitch!" The Snake Orphnoch said to the Tiger Orphnoch before holding him. "Shoot!"
Delta shot the Tiger Orphnoch multiple times before the Orphnoch managed to get freed. He stumbled a little bit before laying on the ground with his body smoking a bit. A Riotrooper noticed this and ran to him.
"Sir!" The Riotrooper got down to examine his superior's weakened state. "Are you okay, sir!?"
"Got off of me!" The Tiger Orphnoch said, pushing the Riotrooper off his injured body before getting up. He looked to see that not many Riotrooper were left uninjured or unfrozen. He noticed the two Riders and Weiss joining the Snake Orphnoch and Delta. The Tiger Orphnoch gritted his teeth, the odds weren't with him in this fight and it was clear that getting a Rider Gear will have to wait for another day. "Retreat!" The Tiger Orphnoch ordered.
The other Riotroopers nodded before they dropped smoke bombs, creating a fog around the Riders and Weiss. They looked around while Delta just stood there before the fog cleared up, revealing that they all left.
"They're gone." The Snake Orphnoch said before looking at Delta. "Now give me the belt back."
"…" Delta didn't respond.
"Hello?"
Delta just stood there before punching the Snake Orphnoch in the face, surprising everyone.
"Bro, what's wrong with you!?" Kaixa asked before Delta smacked her and kicked her away. Delta pulled out his gun and tried shooting at Kaixa, who rolled away from the shots.
"What's wrong with him!?" Weiss asked. Tiber wouldn't attack anybody without a good reason and would do so as a last resort.
"It must be the Gear." Orga assumed before piecing two and two together. Tiber is natural caring and fun-loving guy but today he was a bit depressed and aggressive. The Delta Gear must be taking advantage of it and in turn, it caused Delta to go berserk. "He's not acting like this on his own! We have to get the belt off of him!"
Weiss nodded before pulling out Myrtenaster and spun the cylinder in it a few times before finding the color that she needed. She did and Myrtenaster started glowing before Weiss stabbed the ground, causing ice to form and it traveled to and trapped Delta's legs. Delta looked back and tried firing his gun at Weiss before Orga got in front of her and blocked the shots with his sword.
Kaixa got up and kicked Delta's gun away from the hand before tackling him onto the ground.
"Tiber, snap out of it!" Kaixa said but Delta was ignoring her and was just trying to get free. "Tiber, come to your senses! If you don't, how would Bianca react!?" Kaixa asked, making Delta pause.
Kaixa then took the advantage by using the time to snatch the Delta Gear off. This in turn caused Delta to revert back to Tiber. Tiber was sweating and breathing heavily before passing out. Kaixa got off of her brother before taking her belt off, reverting back to Echo. She placed her belt away before looking at the Delta Gear.
"Is he okay?" Weiss asked as she and others approached Echo. Orga and the Snake Orphnoch reverted back to Kiba and Naoya.
"What the hell was that all about?" Naoya asked.
Echo just ignored him and looked at the Delta Gear before Kiba helped Tiber and placed his arm around his neck.
"Come on, let's get this to Boss."
(At Beacon)
"This will be the day we're waiting for…" Makoto silently sung and Ruby giggled at his singing. The two were in their workshop in Beacon, working on their designed prototypes.
"And…there!" Ruby said as she held a small microchip before showing it to Makoto. "What do you think? Will this work on Auto Vajin?" Ruby asked with anticipation.
"Yes, it should work but we need to test them out. It can be hazardous to the user." Makoto said as he held a similar looking microchip and saw the opened Faiz Phone next to him. Makoto delicately place the chip into a section of the phone and it seemed to fit in. Makoto and Ruby soon put the phone back together before closing it. Makoto then turned it on before checking its features to see the new on listed.
"It's there! Yes! We did it!" Ruby said before sticking her arm out. "High five!"
Makoto smiled before complying.
"Nice!" Makoto said as he nodded before looking at the chip in Ruby's hand. "We still have to place that in my bike."
Ruby nodded before the door opened, revealing Echo, who was holding Delta's case, and Naoya. Echo walked up to Makoto and dropped the case in front of him.
"One Rider belt as requested." Echo said as Makoto and Ruby looked at the contents of the case.
"Wow…" Ruby remarked, she was happy that there was another belt and hopefully another Rider at their side. Makoto looked at the Delta Gear before looking at Naoya.
"It's been a while, Makoto." Naoya remarked.
"I can say the same to you, Naoya." Makoto remarked, surprising the two girls.
"You two know each other?" Echo asked, surprised that her team leader knows the Snake Orphnoch and the first Delta.
"We met a while back when we were very young." Makoto started.
"Back when the two of us were in Smart Brain's 'care' and custody." Naoya explained.
Makoto and Ruby looked around and noticed that the others aren't there.
"Where are the others?"
Echo and Naoya seemed a little anxious to tell the story of what happened regarding Tiber going berserk as Delta.
"Well…"
(At the MYTE dorm)
Tiber stirred on his bed before sitting up.
"I was wondering when you would wake up."
Tiber looked over to see Weiss and Kiba.
"You okay?" Kiba asked and Tiber nodded.
"Do you remember what happened?" Weiss asked, making Tiber think.
He adopted a sad look which tells that he remembered everything.
"I'm sorry…" He said, he didn't mean for the chaos and pain he caused. He even fought his twin sister, for Pete's sake.
"It is okay, Tiber. You weren't even in proper control." Weiss said, trying to cheer the male Setimus twin up.
"She's right, you're not the one at fault here. The Delta Gear is." Kiba assured, making the two look at him for an explanation. "The Delta Gear does not have to necessarily require an Orphnoch user, it can be a human entirely but whatever component provides that feature has…side effects."
"And I'm guessing berserk state is one of them?" Tiber asked, making Kiba nod.
"Truthfully, I don't know the full extent of what impact the Delta Gear has but a calm and resolute mind that isn't at all in favor of violence." Kiba explained before he adopted a thinking look. "What's so strange about this to me is that you already have a mind like that, Tiber. You should've been able to control Delta easily."
He has a point when it comes to Tiber's mindset. Out of everybody on MYTE, Tiber was the calmest one on the team and doesn't really go headfirst into battle like his sister. Tiber then had a downcast expression on his face.
"You're right, usually I am but…" Tiber started twiddling with his thumbs as memories came to him.
"Today is really a special day." Echo said as she came into the room. "Boss and Ruby are modifying the Delta belt to be more portable like our Gears plus Boss and Naoya seemed to know each other from the past. They're catching up on things."
"I see, but anyways, what reason is there for Tiber to be depressed?" Kiba asked, wondering what's gotten Tiber so down.
Tiber turned to the side and looked at Bianca with a sad look. The others stared at the weapon before finally placing two and two together. The named weapon was a dead giveaway.
"There was…an original Bianca?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah…she was an Orphnoch who helped me rescue Echo when she was in Smart Brain's custody. In fact, this weapon used to belong to Bianca before it became the new Bianca." Tiber explained as he took his hat from the nearby stand and played around with it in his hands. "She stayed with us even when Echo was in her vegetative state."
"I take it that she's not around anymore." Kiba quietly asked, seeing the sad look and the sad tone in Tiber's voice.
Tiber nodded before getting up and grabbing Bianca.
"That's right and it's all my fault."
(Two years ago)
Bianca and Tiber were resting the back of the pickup truck while Echo was still in her vegetative state. Bianca stepped up and took a deep breath of fresh air. She sighed in content but then her eyes widened when she heard a sniper shot.
"Echo!" Bainca moved her head down, narrowly avoiding the sniper shot.
"Bianca, is it them!?" Tiber asked, looking around.
Bianca nodded before looking at the driver.
"Pops, park us over by the rocks!" Bianca instructed before looking at Echo. "Ride's over, kid!"
The truck driver nodded before driving his truck to where Bianca wanted them to be. Bianca and Tiber got out with while Bianca carried sat Echo against the rocky wall of a cliff. Vale was in plain sight and Tiber looked at Echo's face, no changes or improvements to her state.
Tiber shook his head to Bianca to show that Echo's condition still remains the same. Bianca just sighed as she thought of what to do, those Riotrooper snipers were probably regrouping and coordinating where to strike next. Bianca then predicted where they would go and where they would catch up.
She then started thinking on what to do before she adopted a sad smile. Bianca knelt down in front of the twins and looked at Tiber.
"Tiber, can you stay here and watch your sister?"
Tiber nodded. Bianca then looked at Echo and shook Echo's head playfully a bit before letting it go back down.
"Take care of each other while I'm gone, okay?"Bianca asked before looking at Tiber. "I need to clear the way. Watch your sister."
"Are you going to leave?" Tiber asked.
Bianca smiled.
"No, like I said, I'm just going to clear the way. Wish me luck." Bianca said before she stood up and walked away.
To Tiber's surprise, Echo moved her head to see Bianca moving and tried to reach out for her.
"Echo!"
Tiber hugged Echo before she slowly hugged back.
"Ti…ber…" Echo let out, barely able to move and from the looks of it, talking isn't easier as well.
The twins looked at the direction that Bianca was off to and they heard several explosions, gunfire, and shouting amongst men.
"What…is…happ…ening?" Echo asked, being concerned since Bianca is over there.
"Bianca…" Tiber let out. She was his first and best friend, his mentor, his protector, and the one who showed him that unity between Orphnochs and humanity can live together.
"Will…she...be…okay?" Echo asked.
Tiber stared at his twin sister, he can't answer that. Bianca was a hell of a fighter, that's not the real question. The real question is how long Bianca can be that hell of a fighter. It took a long time but the noises stopped. Tiber got up and was hoping for Bianca to walk back here with that cheeky smile that she always had but no, it didn't look like she was coming back.
"Stay here, I'll be right back." Tiber said, earning a weak nod from Echo. Tiber went up to where Bianca left and saw a Smart Brain airship leaving the area. Tiber immediately became worried and ran to the sight and saw a battlefield. There were craters everywhere, discarded degraded Riotrooper armor and weapons that were bloodied, and there was blood everywhere.
Tiber continued looking for Bianca until he found her lying near the edge of a cliff. She was dirtied with cuts, bruises, and blood all over. She was in a pool of her own blood and her sniper was in her right hand. Tiber examined her and saw that she was breathing, barely.
"B-Bianca…" Tiber was shocked to see her in such a state.
Bianca had struggle moving her head but she succeeded to.
"Tiber…" She said and her voice was raspy and barely audible.
"T-Those are just flesh rounds, right? You can survive that." Tiber said as he knelt by her side.
Bianca had a sad smile.
"Only in a pot." She chuckled as blue flames start showing a little on her body.
"No! No! Please live!" Tiber begged as he started crying."You have to…after everything!"
The two have been to hell and back with Echo while dodging Smart Brain's elite troops. It wasn't fair that one of them has to die when they were so close to Vale. It just wasn't fair.
"For the sake of both us….you have to…" Bianca started, taking deep breaths in-between.
"I have to what?" Tiber asked, leaning in closer to hear his mentor's last wish.
Bianca used her left armed to pull in Tiber from the back of the head. She soon pulled him to her chest.
"Live…for both us…" Bianca got out. "You'll fight…for everything we lived for." She lost the strength of her left arm and it fell back into place. Tiber lifted his head back up with some of Bianca's blood on his face.
Bianca turned to her right to see the sniper rifle in her hand.
"This weapon…represents my honor, my dreams, and my love…." Bianca dragged the weapon and lifted it towards Tiber. "It's yours now."
Tiber was surprised by Bianca's action. He remembered Bianca telling him that she made this rifle and not once has she ever missed a target. She valued the rifle more than her own life even. Tiber placed both of his hands on the rifle and Bianca used the last of her strength to push it towards him, signaling that the rifle is now his to do as he wishes.
"Come here…" Bianca said before Tiber lowered his face again. This time Bianca kissed him and Tiber seemed shocked before closing his eyes and returning it. They soon separated. "Goodbye Tiber…" She said before closing her eyes permanently but with a smile on her face.
"Bianca…" Tiber said before her entire being was on blue fire. His crying intensified, mixing in with the rain before letting out a huge scream into the sky. As the rain fell on his face, all the good memories of being with Bianca came back to Tiber like a slap to the face. Soon the rain cleared up and Tiber looked at Bianca's ashes. He soon felt arms around his neck.
"Tiber…" A certain twin sister said.
"Echo…" Tiber turned and shoved his face into her embrace with tears still running.
"It's okay…we can…go home now…like she…wanted." Echo got out as she continued to console her twin brother while recovering.
(Present)
"That's deep." A new voice remarked.
Everyone looked over to see Makoto and Ruby.
"Boss…where's Naoya?" Echo asked, noticing that their new friend wasn't nearby.
"He said that his only purpose was to deliver the Delta Gear to me. Plus with Beacon's ground rules, he couldn't stay for long." Makoto explained as he walked up to Tiber's lamp stand and placed the modified Delta Gear on it. "Were you and Bianca very close?"
"Yeah, you could say that." Tiber answered. "The anniversary was of Bianca's death. I was planning on visiting the spot later."
"So that's why you were so depressed today." Weiss figured out. It was close to the day that the original Bianca died and she was Tiber's first and original best friend.
Makoto looked at Tiber.
"I'm really not good when talking about this sort of stuff but I can tell that you and she shared a dream together."
Tiber looked at his team leader with a surprised look.
"You can say that." Tiber said.
"Would you she like it if you weren't able to fight for it?" Makoto asked, sharing the same feeling when his mother died and entrusted him with the Faiz Gear.
"Will Team MYTE report to the Headmaster's office?" The intercom asked.
"Come on, guys." Makoto said, leaving the room with Echo and Kiba. Weiss and Ruby looked at Tiber and wondered about his well-being.
"Are you going to be okay?" Weiss asked.
"Y-Yeah, I think so." Tiber said before leaving the room and following his team while pondering on Makoto's words.
(In the Headmaster's office)
Team MYTE soon arrived and saw Professor Ozpin sipping his daily coffee while looking out the window.
"You called for us, Professor?" Makoto asked.
Ozpin turned and faced the team.
"Yes, I require some help." Ozpin said as he placed his coffee on his desk.
"What kind of help?" Kiba asked, wondering what Ozpin wants with him.
"I require your…Rider services." Ozpin said, surprising YTE but not Makoto since he already figured his secret when they first met.
"You know what I'm capable of but the others?" Makoto asked. How did Ozpin know of Kiba and Echo being Riders as well? And for how long?
Ozpin showed footage of Kiba and Echo sparring in the VR room as Orga and Kaixa. Makoto looked back at the two. He didn't think they would be this reckless.
"Well, anything?" Makoto asked, wondering if any of the two has an excuse.
"Uh, no." Echo said, she couldn't think of anything to say and neither did Kiba.
Makoto sighed and just looked at Ozpin.
"So what do you need?"
"I have surveillance footage of Grimm Orphnochs trying to break into the Academy from the Emerald Forest." Ozpin said, surprising the team. The normal Grimm in the Emerald forest weren't considered much of a threat so why was Ozpin concerned about the Grimm Orphnochs?
"With all due respect, the Grimm weren't considered much of a danger as long as they stayed in their place so what makes the Grimm Orphnochs such a threat?" Kiba asked.
Ozpin changed the footage to show Grimm Orphnochs decimating the Beacon security forces that were guarding the border between the Emerald Forest and Beacon.
"Unlike the Grimm that we have fought for centuries, these Grimm Orphnochs have developed a sense of…how do I put this? A sense of exploration, as if the boundaries of Emerald Forest weren't enough to keep them satisfied with their domain."
Basically these Grimm Orphnochs don't really focus on animal instincts like the other Grimm besides hunting and consuming. They have enough intelligence to wonder about the outside world and to hunt prey for their consumption.
"So you want us to deal with it?" Makoto asked.
"Think of it as a practice mission only with real risks on the line here. So will you handle it?"
Makoto looked at his team.
"What do you guys think?" Makoto asked.
"Sounds like fun, Boss." Echo answered with a determined smile.
"This could be good practice." Kiba said, while Tiber only looked down.
"You guys could go on without me. I'm not a Rider." Tiber said.
"But Tiber-." Echo started.
"You saw what happened. I'm not suited for Delta." Tiber said before leaving. "Good luck." He said before he was gone from sight.
(At Emerald Forest)
MYE was at the entrance with their belts on and patrolled the area. Kiba soon looked at Echo.
"Do you think your twin brother will be alright?" Kiba asked.
"This is the one day that he'll act like this but I don't know if he can take the Delta Gear." Echo said, unsure if her brother will even be willing to accept Delta after today. To Kiba, it's important for Tiber to accept Delta because if he does then Kiba will have the Riders underneath his thumb.
"I just hope he'll be alright. I understand what it's like to lose someone." Makoto said, looking at his Faiz phone and clenched it when remembering his mother. "But describing Tiber, he always finds a way to be back to his happy mellow self."
Echo smiled at that. It has been two years since Bianca's death and Tiber has managed to be happy for this long. "Right." She nodded.
They soon heard noises in the bushes.
"You guys heard that?" Makoto asked as he and the others took defensive positions.
"Yeah, I don't like this." Echo said as she kept her hand on the buttons of her Kaixa Phone.
"Be careful, I think we found our intruders." Kiba advised before they all saw Grimm Beowolves and Grimm Ursas emerging from the forest and it looks like that there are a lot of them. "This is far more than what we were told."
"Regardless, we have to clear them out." Makoto said. "Come on, let's go!"
They all dialed their numbers and pressed Enter.
"STANDING BY!"
They all did their poses.
"Henshin!"
They placed the phones into the belts' slots and pushed them into the buckles.
"COMPLETE!"
Neon lines surrounded their bodies before, in a flash of light, they replaced by their Rider forms. Faiz flickered his wrist before the three got their weapons out.
"READY!"
The Riders soon charged.
(At Beacon)
Tiber looked at and played with the Delta Gear before he saw Weiss come in.
"Weiss?"
"Where are the others?" Weiss asked, noticing the absence of Tiber's team.
"They have to clear some enemies out in Emerald Forest." Tiber explained before Weiss sat next to him and looked at the Delta Gear.
"And you're not coming with them?" Weiss asked, confused why Tiber is here. He has the skills and the Delta Gear so why couldn't he go?
"It's because of what happened earlier ago. You saw what happened. I lost control when I wanted to defeat the Riotroopers. I just don't want them to take away my friends." Tiber sadly said.
To Weiss, it tore her that the most loving and caring person that she knows was in an aura of depression. Weiss did something that Tiber wouldn't expect, she gave him a hug.
"Weiss?"
"Tiber, you're more than qualified to use the belt."
"But-."
"You thought about it all wrong. Instead of attacking those who took Bianca away, think about defending what's left."
"What's left?" Tiber asked.
"I, your sister, your friends, and your team are what are left." Weiss consoled.
Tiber made a small tear before returning the hug. They stayed like this for what seemed to be a long time before the intercom started speaking.
"Will Tiber Setimus please report to the Headmaster's office?" The intercom requested, prompting the two to break up the hug.
"Weiss…"
"Go and good luck." Tiber nodded before he left the dorm and reported to Ozpin. "Yes, sir?"
"Take a look, Mr. Setimus." Ozpin showed footage of Faiz, Kaixa, and Orga being overwhelmed by Grimm Orphnochs.
"The others…" Tiber remarked with wide eyes.
"Mr. Setimus, I know you said something about not being suited for Delta but-."
"I'll do it." Tiber said, resolute.
"Very well, use any means necessary to save your team."
Tiber nodded before leaving the room. As he left, he looked at the Delta Gear.
"Instead of attacking those who took Bianca away, think about defending what's left." Weiss's words echoed in Tiber's head. Upon reaching outside, Tiber placed the gear on his waist, letting the belt form. He was about to get the phone out until he saw Naoya coming in. Tiber's eyes widened when saw what Naoya was coming in with.
"Hey Naoya, can I ask for a favor?" Tiber asked as he walked up to Naoya.
(With the Riders)
"I'm starting to think that this is too much for us." Kaixa said as she stabbed a Grimm Ursa in the face.
"Yeah, we may have to withdraw." Orga suggested as he transformed his sword into a rifle and shot a few Beowolves in the head.
"Come on, we can hold this!" Faiz said as he sliced the head of a Grimm Beowolf clean off. "We just need to-!"
BOOM!
The Grimm Orphnoch in front of him just exploded before several missiles were launched and destroyed all of the Grimm Orphnochs approaching him. The Riders and the remaining Grimm Orphnochs looked up and saw Delta on a hover bike.
"Tiber!?"
"Say hello to my little friend!" Delta said as he fired multiple rockets from Jet Slinger, making the Grimm Orphnochs explode or having the forest fell on them while the rest of his team took cover and watched.
"Where do I get one of those?" Kaixa remarked as Delta was still firing.
Soon there were no more left and Delta landed Jet Slinger and got off.
"Nice ride." Kaixa remarked, earning a nod from Delta.
"Thanks, a gift from Naoya."
"I knew the guy was holding out on me." Faiz remarked before looking at Delta. "So Tiber…you cool?"
"Yeah man, don't worry I have my head in the game. Not in the gutter like before." Delta answered.
Faiz patted him on the back.
"Good for you, man." Faiz said.
"Thanks, buddy." Delta responded before looking at Jet Slinger. Faiz looked at it as well and approached it before examining it.
"Wow, Smart Brain did not waste any resources for this. A Photon Cannon, a missile rack on either of the cannon. This is a war machine here." Faiz continued tinkering around it.
The other three just chuckled at their leader's fascination with machinery.
"Come on, go back to Ozpin. I gotta make a stop." Delta said, getting back on Jet Slinger. Faiz backed away from it before Delta turned the bike on and it hovered in the air again, taking off into the air.
"Is he going where I think he's going?" Orga asked.
"Yeah, an old friend."
(With Tiber)
Delta landed Jet Slinger on the edge of a cliff that was facing Vale. Delta got out before taking out his phone and approached a spot where flowers were growing. He took out his phone and pressed End Call, reverting back to Tiber. He looked down at the flowers.
"Hey Bianca, sorry if you didn't notice me right away. I guess I've changed around today." Tiber mused as he sat down next to the small patch of flowers.
He looked out at the city with a smile before looking at the flowers.
"I know I usually wear a frown on this type of day but…I remember what you meant..on the day you died." Tiber said to Bianca.
"This weapon…represents my honor, my dreams, and my love…."
Tiber took out the weapon Bianca and looked at it.
"What you said…I remember what you said about this rifle when I first asked you about it." Tiber smiled.
(Two years ago)
Tiber laid the vegetative Echo on the bed in the hotel room that they rented. Tiber examined her and saw that her dull eyes weren't going to be lively again anytime soon.
"Why the hell is she like this?" Tiber wondered.
"The experiment's side effects." Bianca entered as she laid her sniper rifle against the wall. "We have the room to ourselves for a couple of days but then we gotta get a move on."
"Right." Tiber said before seeing Bianca clean her sniper rifle. "That thing got pretty banged up in the facility." Tiber noted but Bianca just smirked.
"It gives character."
"Character? But it's just a sniper rifle." Tiber said, earning a smirk from Bianca.
"Silly little boy." Bianca teased, earning a look from Tiber. "I had this weapon all my life even before I became an Orphnoch. It's a part of me now. It's what's left of my old life and it'll preserve what I have now. It could preserve anything that one's life has as well. It's why it's a part of me."
Tiber just stared at her, speechless at what she said and was unsure of how to respond.
(Present)
"Now I know why you gave me your weapon…No, your soul." Tiber then took off the Delta Gear and looked at it. "I'll do the same with this belt…I'm not going to be tool of destruction like its creators intended. It's going to preserve what's left in life, regardless of human and Orphnochs."
Tiber soon got up, placed the weapon Bianca and the Delta Gear away, and started walking back to Jet Slinger. Tiber soon felt the wind blowing on his back and looked at the flower. He saw one starting to bloom, making him smile. Tiber then smirked, he didn't believe in ghosts but he was certain that Bianca made the flower bloom like that.
"Thank you, for everything…Bianca."
Tiber got on and started the machine before taking off to Beacon.
(With Cole)
Cole was at the docks with what's left of the Riotroopers. They looked at the sky before seeing an airship appear. A Riotrooper looked at Cole.
"Will we be getting reinforcements besides the Lucky Clover member?"
"Probably, they know how dire the situation is." Cole added. While the Riotrooper reinforcements would be nice, Cole was not happy to be working with Ash.
Soon the airship landed and it dropped off a few dozen Riotroopers. One of them approached Cole and saluted.
"Diamond, Havoc, and Crimson Squads here and reporting for duty, sir!"
Cole saluted back.
"It's a pleasure to-."
"Now what kind of greeting is this?" A new voice asked.
Cole cringed as Ash emerged with a vicious smile.
"No formal greeting for me or any real progress done?" Ash asked as he stepped out of the airship. "No matter…things are about to get wild here!"
Ash had a vicious smile.
(Omake: Late Tribute to Monty Oum)
The spotlight shined down on the stage, showing Makoto and Nora. Nora was playing on the piano with a microphone nearby and was wearing a nice formal dress. Makoto wore dark jeans, dark sneakers with high highlights, and a dark leather jacket with a dark hoodie underneath. He was also holding a microphone.
Nora started playing the piano.
(Play See You Again by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth)
Nora: It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again (Makoto: Hey)
Makoto soon started singing his own part after the lights turned up, revealing the rest of his team playing the appropriate instruments while Team RWBY and JP were backup singers.
Makoto: Damn, who knew?
All the planes we flew
Good things we've been through
That I'll standing right here talking to you
'Bout another path
I know we loved to hit the road and laugh
But something told me that it wouldn't last
Had to switch up
Look at things different, see the bigger picture
Those were the days
Hard work forever pays.
Now I see you in the better place (See you in a better place)
Uh
Makoto (RWBY, and JP): How can we not talk about family when family's all we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gon' be with my for the last ride
Nora: It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about when I see you again (Makoto: I see you again)
We've come a long way (Makoto: Yeah, we came a long way) from where we began (Makoto: You know we started)
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I'll see you again (Makoto: Let me tell you)
When I'll see you again
Everyone: Aah oh, aah oh, Wooooh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Makoto: Yeah
First you both go out your way
And the vibe is feeling strong
And what's small turn to a friendship
A friendship turn to a bond
And that bond will never be broken
The love will never get lost (and the love will never get lost)
And when brotherhood come first
Then the line will never be crossed
Established it on our own
When the line had to be drawn
And that line is what we reach
So remember me when I'm gone (remember when I'm gone)
Makoto (RWBY, and JP): How can we not talk about family when family's all we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gon' be with me for the last ride
Nora: So let the guide your way, yeah
Hold every memory as you go
And every road you take…will always lead you home
Home
Soon the screen behind them turned on, featuring Monty Oum and Ren, the character they voiced. The footage ranged from Monty's time and fun at the Rooster Teeth offices, Ren interacting with the teams, Monty's previous work, etc.
Nora: It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again
When I see you again
When I see you again!
Everyone was finishing the song while Ren was outside with a smile on his face. Ren took one last look at Beacon before walking towards the sunset. When the song was over, everyone was clapping with those on stage bowing or waving. Nora was doing neither of those. For she had looked up and wished her friend-no, brother good luck on his voyage.
(End Song)
AN: I know Monty has been dead for a long time but I still wanted to make a tribute for him. Better late than never. Anyways, regarding my updating schedule…it's true that I'm on summer vacation but other things came up which will slow my updating schedule. I'll do my best to give updates so don't worry, I still have a few things to give you. Anyways, you guys know the drill. Be sure to review or message me with questions or comments regarding the story. And don't be afraid to check out my other stories as well. Alright, I'm done, goodnight