Chapter ten: Blade vs Blade
Italics= character thoughts
Ironwood arrived back at his ship after the...successful meeting with team RWBY and sighed, walking in. As he began to head towards the bridge, he remembered something.
Morag's awaken! I should speak to her.
He changed direction and headed to the ships medical ward. He arrived within a minute and came to room Morag was in. He knocked.
"Come in." he heard Doctor Crimsa yell.
Ironwood entered the room to find Morag standing by a mirror, looking a bit off and the Doctor sorting through some medicine bottles.
"How is she?" he asked.
"Apart from standing rigid over there, fine...too fine. Her wound is mostly healed. It's, creepy to say the least. From what I heard, she shouldn't be able to think straight with pain or walk. From where that injury is, it should have severed her lower spinal cord. She should be paralysed from the hip down. But instead, she has a nasty but stable scar and is very surprised, as she should be." Doctor Crimsa explained.
"Huh…" Ironwood walked over to Morag "Hey, how do you feel?"
"Which one…" Morag whispered.
"Which what?"
"Which blade is it from?" she repeated.
"Oh, it's Perun's. Without it, you would have bled to death, and according to the doctor, be paralysed if you survived."
"I'd like to speak with her." Morag turned around.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. KOS-MOS has repeatedly turned me away saying that she's too unstable."
"Well General, she is my Blade, she cannot stop me from seeing her. Now doctor, I presume from what you stated earlier that I am fit enough to leave?" Morag asked.
"Yes, although you shouldn't be, you have healed mostly. I would advise taking these if your wound becomes unbearable, but only a max of three times a day though." she handed Morag a pill bottle "They're painkillers. Strong ones. Also don't go jumping around or fighting. I'm still a bit unsure about that wound."
Morag nodded, taking them.
"Alright, I'll go get you uniform. And I mean your uniform. It's clean." Ironwood walked out of the room.
Team RWBY plus Nero quickly ran into the classroom, with only two minutes to spare. Ruby sighed.
"Aw yeah, we made it!" she announced happily.
"I'm sorry I delayed everyone. I wasn't sure how to wear this." Nero apologised as she patted down her grey overdress, still feeling a bit uncomfortable with her core being covered and being compressed by the semi-tight dress.
The whole messy scene popped up in Weiss' mind as Nero mentioned it. First, her skirt was actually made of water, the cloudy white faded as it just fell off her hips, making a big puddle and exposing grey thigh shorts. Then she didn't want to take off her jacket, Weiss having to force it off, exposing more of her arms and showing that her markings were quite complex on her upper arms. And finally, having to choose between having her boots be her one allowed modification to the uniform or her jacket. She looked over as Nero refolded the jacket again, obviously wanting to wear it too.
"We made it on time, so it's water under the bridge." Yang shrugged.
As she said that, Professor Oobleck walked into the room, carrying a book under his arm.
"Well then children, due to many of the students from the other academies not choosing my class, you all won't have to suffer through the room being overfilled in order to fit everyone, like what will certainly happen with Peter and Peach, it's most certainly going to be dreadful. Anyway, everyone find a seat, we have a lot to get through like always." Oobleck explained.
RWBY all walked over to the middle rows, with Ruby and Yang sitting next to a blond boy and black haired boy next him and Weiss and Blake sat next to red haired girl and an orange haired girl behind their teammates. Not sure where to sit, Nero followed them and sat behind Weiss, on the top row, next to a boy with brunt orangy/brown hair. He glanced over and stopped at the sight of Nero, a clear expression of confusion on his face. Nero ignored him as Weiss looked back and nodded with a slight smile before turning back. After a few seconds, he leaned over to Nero, who jumped in surprise.
"Hey, what's the deal with you? I thought Atlas raises pompous pricks who're stiff as cardboard. Why do you have facial tattoos?...Or, are some weird primal faunus that has weird, floaty hair?" he asked with a tone of arrogance.
"Faunus?" Nero whispered looking back.
"You know, those beasts that pretend to be human." he pointed to a short boy who had just sat next to Nero.
Nero noticed he had a fluffy fox tail.
"I'm not a faunus. I...simply got dust tattoos that messed with my hair." Nero stated remembering Ironwood's story.
"Huh...hmm, cool." he looked away.
The green haired Professor started his lecture and within ten minutes, Nero was hopelessly lost. He sped around the front of the room, spouting an endless torrent of historic facts and stories.
I get the feeling I need the previous material to understand this... Nero thought to herself.
She glanced over to the side to see the brunt haired boy making a mix of triangles and balls with paper, before flicking them at Weiss and the red haired girl. Weiss turned around and the boy pointed at Nero. Weiss' face showed she wasn't impressed by his ploy. Nero frown.
He's annoying Miss Schnee and Miss red. Nero looked down and saw a bottle of water that the boy had been drinking from under the desk Hmm, that will do.
As the boy made more paper debris, Nero pointed to the bottle with her hand under the long desk. She flicked her wrist, the water in the bottle jumping up and moving the bottle. She made it hop under the boy's legs before giving a more violent flick, the manipulated water ripping free from the bottle and splashing the boy's pants.
"Augh!" he yelled jumping up, a watery mark on his crotch and left leg.
Everyone turned and upon seeing him, burst out laughing. His face went completely red.
"Mr Winchester, I would suggest going to changing your clothes and clean up your accident." Oobleck commented taking a slip of coffee.
"What?! No! It's not like that!" he yelled.
"Well, I suggest doing it anyway."
The boy ran out of the room, clearly embarrassed. As the lecture restarted, Nero felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned to the fox boy.
"Cool semblance." he whispered with a smile.
Nero simply smiled back. The Professor continued on from his last point before looking into the crowd of students.
"Now then, does anyone know what dust was used in the prototype grenades used in the Great War that left such devastating scars on the land. Mr Arc, you've been improving of later, do you know?" he asked appearing in front of a blond boy in the front row.
"Emm..." he glanced around "A lot of fire dust?" he suggested with an air of uncertainly.
"Not completely wrong, but far too vague Mr Arc." the boy slumped down in his seat.
Grenades are explosive from what he said earlier. Burn dust is most likely was used in great quantity, but what would cause scars on the land? Most likely craters are the scars, what would generate an explosion powerful enough. Burn wouldn't be strong enough in small quantities. Hmm, gravity would add more power behind it, it would even hold those caught in it in place. Maybe them together...do they make a new type together? I'm not sure...Nero thought in her head, a puzzled expression on her face.
"You, Atlas student!" Oobleck yelled pointing at Nero.
"Ahh! Y-Yes?"
"You appear to be lost in thought, do you know the answer?"
"Umm, possibly. Burn dust was most likely used due to it's decent explosive properties, but if these explosives were small, they most likely would leak the power to make 'scars'. If mixed with a more unstable, powerful dust like gravity, it would cause a localised field of increase gravity, which would pin victims in place, while also keeping the explosion from both dusts contained, increasing the damage to the land." Nero reasoned.
The Professor looked at her for a few seconds before smiling.
"Not quite unfortunately, although your reasoning is sound. In fact, I believe that would have been significantly more dangerous and deadly, so it would have been use. No, what they actually used..." Nero stopped listening as she heard muttering.
"What she said is crazy." "Why does she know stuff like that?" "I just noticed, what's up with her hair and face?"
Nero glanced around before her shoulders sagged, she felt another tap on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, they always stop after awhile, then they move onto the next thing." the fox boy said.
Morag stepped out of the medical ware's room and fixed her coat flaps, which were annoyingly ridge from whatever was used to clean it. Her hair was down too, as she lacked any hairpins for it. Ironwood walked over.
"I will admit, it suits you better than white."
"Yes, well, complexion and hair colour is the basis for what colours suit you." she answered back, fixing a glove "Now where's my hat?"
"Perun has it."
"Well then, on we go."
Ironwood lead Morag back to a more familiar side of the ship, a few soldiers looking on in confusion at the sight of Morag. The few that had seen her had told all that asked what happened in...detail. As they arrived at her room, Morag felt a twinge of pain that faded and Ironwood stepped away.
"Once again, KOS-MOS won't let me near her."
Morag knocked on the door and it was opened by Penny, who stepped back in shock.
"M-Morag?! You're up already?" Penny asked.
"Morag?!" she heard Perun yell.
"May I enter?"
Penny nodded and stepped aside, letting her in. KOS-MOS looked out and saw Ironwood, closing the door.
"Why is she so adamant on keeping the General out?" Morag asked offhandedly.
"KOS-MOS thinks he could push her too much and hurt her."
Morag nodded and walked over to Perun, who was quietly sitting on the bed, covering her core. She knelt down, ignoring the pain and lifted away her hand, exposing her flickering core.
"Perun…" she whispered.
"I...didn't know what to do. I didn't want you to die, loss my memories. Herald, Brighid, Aegaeon, Finch, Percevel...all your blades. We'd forget you, Rex, the whole team. I wouldn't be able to help anyone, never finish my bet with Godfrey. It worked with Zeke, so it was worth a shot. How else would you make it back to Alrest to be buried in Tantal with Zeke under that snowdrift?" Perun smiled at the end.
"Ha, yes, I wouldn't be able to have my perfect funeral under Theossir's rear gate." after a few seconds, Morag sighed "Perun, how are you, truly?"
"I...it hurts...constantly. This dust stuff in the air, I can't absorb it properly anymore. My weapon either doesn't form, or is so brittle it shatters from any force. I...had a nightmare too. I was falling into an abyss, I couldn't escape, breath. I just struggled and struggled until I woke up. My body won't listen to me, I buckle and fall if I stand and walking feels like I have to move in weird ways just to make my legs work. I'm just...broken...useless." Morag grabbed her shoulder.
"You are not useless, you saved my life! It's true that there are, side-effects, but together, we can fix this. As you said, it worked with Zeke. Maybe they went through this too, I don't know. All I know is that you are my Blade Perun. A blade of Ardainian Empire, like all my blades!...except Herald, but ignore that. I do not just throw aside those with problems, trust me, Finch would have been gone long ago if I practiced such a horrible act. It may be a long road, one that will have troubles, but you are not alone, after all, myself, Poppi and Herald will help you." as she finished, Perun only nodded, before smiling.
"Heh, to think I thought the Flamebringer would throw me aside because of this, I'm an idiot. But, what is going to happen?"
"I don't know Perun, but I'd like you to stay here for a day or two. Try and get control of your motor functions. If the pain lessens and you can move freely, then there is no worry. But if you fail to improve, then we'll come up with a course of action." Morag stood and turned to Penny and KOS-MOS.
"How about we give her a little peace."
She walked over to the table and grabbed her visored hat. She put it on Perun with a smile before walking out of the room, the two following. Perun lay down on the bed and sighed.
Abandon me...what was I thinking. Morag isn't like that, none of them are. She's right, either this fixes itself, or she'll help me fix it. I'm fine...fine. Perun thought.
Morag stepped out and turned to Ironwood.
"We'll see if she improves on her own, but I believe it is unlikely. I don't have a solution for this." she commented.
"Hmm, well, if she isn't in immediate danger, then I believe the next order of business is the...new Blade we have to deal with."
"What?" Morag turned to him with a deadpan expression.
"Okay, so yeah, you know Winter? Her sister, Weiss, goes to this academy. And supposedly after the fight with Herald, one of her friends found a crystal, showed it to her thinking it was dust, and know she has a Blade...which we are trying to hide."
As Ironwood said this, Morag felt around her belt before remembering that she was back in her old outfit.
"General, was there two satchels on my person when I was injured. Did you see them after I was undressed!"
"No, we were too busy making sure you were alive...wait two?"
"KOS-MOS, this new Blade, I had three core crystals on me when I arrive, then two. Where is the third Core Crystal?!" she yelled.
"What! No, damn it!" Ironwood took out his Scroll "Dispatch a team to the area the Paladin was fought in! Search for an octahedral, opaque gem, do not touch it directly! Use something to pick in up and bag it!" he ordered "I'm not having anymore of these things. Are you certain you had both of them?!"
"Yes, when I last checked, I had two satchels, one in each." Morag said with a nod.
"Great, now I have to turn Vale upside down to find that."
"Well, this new Blade, has the Driver attempted to fight with it?"
"I don't think so…"
"Well, after the school day is over, it is on today yes?" Ironwood nodded "I'd like to met with her and Penny to come along too." Morag said.
"Why?" Penny asked.
"Well, Drivers should practice and fight with their Blades. Get used to fighting together and build some trust between each other."
Ironwood sighed.
"Also, I wish to met this new Blade myself."
"I guess I see your point. I'll ask Ozpin if it's okay and if so, what her last class is." Ironwood began to type on his Scroll.
Team RWBY plus Nero finally escaped Professor Port's room, the majority of the students having cleared away from the door.
"That was crazy!" Ruby yelled.
"Indeed, the room had too many people in it Miss Rose, it was ridiculous." Nero commented as they all stopped suddenly.
Looking forward, there was an odd woman standing opposite the classroom door. She wore an odd military outfit that had metal clipped to her hips and to her left shoulder. She wore greeves as well. She messed with her free black, shoulder length hair that she clearly didn't like down judging by her constant fiddling. She looked up and her eyes fixed on Nero, before walking over.
"Miss Weiss Schnee?" she asked to the group.
"Yes?" Weiss answered stepping forward.
"I am Inq-, Morag Ladair. I am an acquaintance of General Ironwood. I would like you and your companion to come with me." Morag gestured to Nero.
"Hmm? Did something happened?" Ruby asked.
"No, it is just, the General wishes to speak to the two of them." he answered.
"Oh, okay. Well, see you later Ice queen." Yang waved her off, turning to leave.
"Hey!"
Morag gave a slight smile before turning away, walking off. Weiss and Nero ran after her.
"Hey, have met her before?" Ruby asked as they left.
"She showed up to fight Herald." Blake said.
"Oh yeah...her new outfit looks cooler."
Weiss, Nero and Morag walked deeper into Beacon, towards the training hall.
"Umm, Miss Ladair, where are we going?" Nero asked.
"To the training hall. I'm afraid to say I lied to you two. I know what your friend is, just from her hair and markings."
"Wait, you know about all of that?" Weiss asked.
"Yes, I know a fair deal about Core Crystals and Blades."
The three entered the training hall and Weiss was surprised to see Penny standing there too, along with a tall, blue haired woman in a metallic bodysuit. Penny waved at them all.
"Hello friend!"
Weiss then noticed the woman next to her had a gem in her chest too.
"Well then. Weiss, may I ask if you have used…" Morag looked over at Nero.
"My name is Nero." she said.
"Nero's weapon?" she finished.
"Umm, her whip? No, that's hers isn't it?" Weiss asked.
"Technically yes, but we can use them too. And we can do really cool Arts! KOS-MOS' weapon is an ether cannon." Penny announced as KOS-MOS summoned a large golden cannon-like weapon and handed it to Penny "You can use them like this."
Penny aimed the cannon away from everyone as KOS-MOS produced a rope of light to Penny from her gem.
"Blowback pulse!" she yelled as the barrel of the weapon wided, firing a large bullet of energy that exploded into an orb a few metres away, the shock wave hitting everyone slightly.
Nero noticed Morag wince as it did, gripping her stomach for a second.
"Huh." Weiss was speechless.
"I wish to have both of you train and practice here with each other as often as possible. If you cannot come, please contact Professor Ozpin so he can tell me."
"How do you know about Blades?" Weiss asked.
"I've had experience with them."
"But Mr Ironwood said our cores are from another dimension or something."
"Do you know when they appeared?" Morag asked.
"No…" Morag smiled at the response.
"Now then, today, I'd like to see what KOS-MOS and Nero are capable of alone. Blades and their weapons are stronger when together with their Drivers, but with both of you inexperienced, I'd like to see how strong they naturally are."
"Well, time to get out of this then." Nero said with a smile as she pulled off her dress and undershirt, exposing her grey top and core.
She undid her skirt and placed her hands on her hips, a small pulse of water coming from under her shorts, reforming her water skirt, the white cloudiness returning. She threw on her jacket.
"Much better." She beamed at her freedom from the uniform.
"Nero, you can't just throw your uniform aside like that, it will get dirty." Weiss scowled picking up the pieces.
"Sorry Miss Schnee."
"Now then, KOS-MOS?" Penny handed her the ether cannon "Nero?" Nero generated her whip, extending it out with a lash.
Everyone stepped to the side of the room.
"Hold nothing back, begin!"
KOS-MOS instantly aimed the her cannon at Nero, firing small, quick shots. Nero smiled and with fast sweeps of her arm, her whip's rope and head swatted the shots out of the air before they could reach her, before charging at KOS-MOS dodging two more. Nero swung rapidly, KOS-MOS dodging the whip's bladed spike and watery rope. As she aimed again, Nero placed her free hand on her skirt, ripping a chunk of water off it, flinging the water at KOS-MOS. Not expecting it, the water splashed her eyes, the cloudiness blinding her. Nero used the opportunity to wrap her whip around her leg with a single lash, using it to fling and throw her around and slam KOS-MOS into the ground. Her hardlight armour shattered from the impacts before Nero pulled back, the whip unraveling from her leg and pulling KOS-MOS to her. THe whip retracted into its handle and Nero stabbed forward, impaling KOS-MOS with the spike in the stomach, following up with smashing her into the ground. Penny and Weiss both looked on in horror. KOS-MOS looked unfazed.
"You have made an error." she stated.
Nero raised an eyebrow as KOS-MOS' cannon disappeared, her arm replaced by a gun. She pointed in Nero's face and fire, Nero screaming in agony holding her face.
"It is unwise to get too close to an unknown enemy." KOS-MOS stood up and ripped the whip out of her, throwing it to Nero, how caught it, exposing her burned face.
Both Blade's wounds quickly healed, the stab wound closing and the burn fading. Nero grimaced.
I need to be careful
KOS-MOS resummoned her ether cannon and began her barrage anew, not giving Nero a chance to dodge, only block with her whip. Nero jumped to the side and ran along the outside of the training room, the shots trailing just behind her. She lashed her whip, KOS-MOS dodging with easy. Nero switched to a reverse grip, doing a quick uppercut motion, her whip following with a crack in the air. The bladed spike slashed her side, Nero flipping it back to a normal grip and attacked with a figure of eight pattern, the whip slashing her repeatedly. KOS-MOS' visor flipped down over her eyes as she blocked the whip with her shield, the whip's head bouncing off. KOS-MOS summoned a second ether cannon.
"Energy output increased to 75%, launching heavy barrage."
Both cannons began firing, the sides venting energy to stop them overheating. Nero used her shield to block it, but the shots quickly weakened it before it shattered. The energy bullets shot through Nero, burning or blowing shallow holes in her. She fell to one knee.
"Sorry Miss KOS-MOS, I'm not done yet." Nero smiled as her wounds healed.
A blue aura surrounded her before pulled off all the water from her skirt, more spilling out from her hips. It completely engulfed both her arms, the water forming tentacle-like arms.
"Let us see you handle this?" she smirked before striking KOS-MOS blindingly fast with her right arm.
She attacked swiftly with both arms twice more, throwing her into the wall before jumping into the air, firing the tentacles as a torrent of water, embedding KOS-MOS deeper into the wall. Nero landed, smiling, before stumbling, exhausted. KOS-MOS pried herself free, aimed her ether cannon and shot out Nero's knees, who then collapsed. Weiss ran over.
"Nero?! Are you alright?" she asked, worried.
"Yes Miss Schnee...sorry." she jumped to her feet as her knees healed "I expended a bit too much energy…"
"You used 50% more energy than required for your blade art. I am guessing that it was your Lv three art. Be more conservative with your energy. There is no ether, only dust, and it is more inefficient." KOS-MOS advised.
"Really, this is dust I've been using? It feels no different from how my core remembers ether." Nero said.
"Impressive. Even without Drivers, that level of control and power was quite good. Tomorrow, if you are able, I would like you all to come here to actually practice with your weapons. I would suggest coming in more combat oriented attire." Morag stated as she walked over.
"How does that even work?" Weiss asked, confused.
"It's simple Miss Schnee. You use my ether whip to attack, I supply you with energy through affinity, and protect you as we fight." Nero handed Weiss her whip and formed a rope of energy from her core to Weiss.
She froze up as she did.
"H-Hey, s-stop that! It feels weird!" Weiss ordered.
The affinity broke, and Nero smiled.
"You'll get used to it.
"You really will." Penny added.
"Anyway, this was just for me to met you two, you may return to your team. I hope to see you tomorrow." Morag said with a slight bow and a wince.
"Okay, bye then." Weiss whispered uneasily, leaving with Nero.
"I think she's a bit overwhelmed."
"Well, this is all very sudden." Penny commented.
Poppi stepped into the elevator to Ozpin's office and pressed the top button, and after a few seconds, it closed and began to ascend. It opened to Ozpin and Ironwood talking. She stepped out and walked over. Ironwood turned to her.
"There you are, I've been wonder where you wandered off to." he said turning back.
"Poppi was in big library, Ironman, Poppi have important question."
"Yes."
"When Poppi and friends appeared, Ironman explain Grimm, but Poppi know that not whole story."
"What are you talking about?" Ironwood asked, concerned.
"Poppi noticed Ironman react stiffly when talking about meanies. Small, Poppi barely notice. But KOS-MOS see too. Meant to ask earlier, but got distracted."
"Poppi, I'm certain James explained everything to you all. You probably where on edge after your ordeal." Ozpin answered calmly.
"Mr Professor better at hiding, but Poppi know that lie. Tone too calm, controlled. Ozpin hiding something too. Ironman react weird when he say they have no leader. Poppi not idiot. Masterpon install best observation upgrade with qtπ form and also lie detector so he not be scammed as often. Poppi know something is hiding." she stated, a serious expression on her face "Big secret if friends try so hard to hide. Poppi not push it, Poppi not force people to tell secret. But Poppi know something is hidden. Hope you can tell later, bye-bye." Poppi stepped back into the lift and it closed.
"I hate, everything." Ironwood breath.
"Well, at least she won't push for answers." Ozpin chuckled.
Ironwood just shook his head.
AN: Hello, sorry for the wait. My job needed me to come in a week early due to some stuff. It delayed me.
As well as rewriting a few parts of this that increased it's length by like, a 1000 words.
So, yeah, this got delayed a bit, as well as being a bit longer then normal. What also didn't help was having to look up a bit of whip combat because I forgot how it worked due to not seeing it for like three years. Also it's so bloody hot here, I hate it. If the plot of Frostpunk happened I would not care, I love the cold.
Anyway, remember the thing in chapter 5 with the core and what Poppi noticed in chapter 3?
Also, the fight? I just really wanted KOS-MOS and Nero to fight, so why not against each other.
Review, PM, assorted random words I put after that.
Anyway, enjoy.