Chapter 9

POV: Rocket

We were back on the road, and there wasn't going to be another town for quite a while. Meaning more camping in the rain, which had been pretty constant since we had left Higanbana. We trudged on, familiarly with our heads down and silent. Ruby was the first one to notice the town in front of us.

Ruby: Hey, I thought we weren't supposed to come across another town for a while?

Rocket: We're… not. This one isn't on the map.

Nora ran ahead, and climbed a rock to look over the walls.

Nora: Are those buildings… destroyed?

Jaune: Not again!

We all ran into the city. All except for Ren, who walked casually behind us, starting to recognize things.

Ruby: Any survivors?

Jaune: None over here!

Nora: I don't see anyone…

Ren: You won't find anyone.

Ruby: What do you mean?

Ren: This place… Oniyuri… It was started by wealthy businessmen who were sick of the Mistral government. They decided to start their own city with their own rules. Imagine it as a Mountain Glenn if it was never finished. Many people believed it would be the future. I know my parents did.

Jaune: Then… what happened?

Ren: What always happens...

He brushed aside some leaves, revealing a scratch mark on the walls of a nearby building.

Ren: The grimm.

Jaune: Come on. Let's get out of here.

We started walking, when Ren stopped us.

Ruby: Wha-

I silenced her with a look. I was starting to hear it too. Rapid footsteps. Me and Ren got out our weapons, with the rest of the groups following suite, confused. We heard maniacal giggling echo from every direction, before a man jumped over walls in a single jump. While he was still in the air, he targeted Ruby, and began firing. I moved in front, and blocked the bullets. He landed, and immediately kicked at Nora and Ren, who ducked underneath. Jaune and I ran forward and both sliced at the man. I sliced underhand and he sliced overhand. The man blocked both, I quickly disengaged and reversed the blade to try an overhand cut. I got a punch to the gut, followed by an uppercut. The impact lifted me up into the air, and then he kicked, launching me through a nearby wall.

Ruby: Rocket!

She charged at the man, who simply backflipped through the building behind him. When the dust cleared he was lightly perched on a support beam.

Jaune: Who… who are you?

?: Who I am matters not to you…

He pointed to Ren.

?: Nor to you…

He pointed at Nora.

?: Nor to- actually, you do interest me.

He had pointed at Jaune when he said this.

?: But no. Who I am only matters… to you.

He pointed at Ruby.

Ruby: What?

?: Oh, you actually have no idea! How exciting this must be for you!

Ruby: What is this about?! Torchwick? The White Fang?

?: Only pieces and pawns. My heart belong solely to our Queen!

Ruby: Cinder?

?: Only in her wildest DREAMS!

Ruby: Well… what do you want?

Rocket: Let's just keep him talking.

?: Oh, my dear Rose, I've come to whisk you away!

Nora and Ren stepped defensively in front of Ruby.

Nora: You're going to have to get through all of us to get her.

That maniacal laugh rang out once more.

?: HAHA… Good.

And with that, he jumped down, crashing into Jaune's shield, sending him flying. The man had propelled himself back into the air with how he had hit Jaune's shield, and now landed in front of Nora. Ren tried to cut at him while he was distracted, but was easily blocked. Ruby took the second the man was distracted, by quickly reloading. Within a second after, she aimed, and quickly fired. Nora was sent flying by the impact.

?: Today is just not your day…

He looked up, and saw that no one was frustrated, or even worried for Nora. He turned around, and, too fast for the average human eye, Nora ran behind him, just out of his vision, and prepared to hit him. The impact created a cloud of dust. When it cleared, it revealed the man, still standing. Nora's hammer had been stopped by what appeared to be a stinger. He pushed off, landing on a building. The brown travelling coat he had had on floated away, revealing white cloth underneath.

Ren: He… he's a faunas?

The man simply sneered, and jumped back to ground, back and fighting. He started by charging at Ruby, when suddenly, a black katana came out of nowhere, spinning right on front of his face. I quickly followed. Before now, I had just been standing back and recovering from getting kicked through a wall. Now, I grabbed the sword, which had just bounced off an adjacent wall, and sliced at him. He easily blocked, but then my semblance slightly kicked in, letting me move quickly. To the people recounting the story, they would say that we were both moving like a blur. Sparks flew. In the last second of strength I had left, he landed a blow. I was sent flying into that same building. My last sight was the man pulling back his tail for a strike at Ruby. It began moving forward. I blacked out.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

POV: Omniscient

There was an explosion of rubble, coming from the building Ruby was standing next to. There was a clang of metal. Ruby opened her eyes, to see a new arrival, with dusty black hair and a giant sword, which he had just placed in between the stinger and Ruby.