An: Here we go! Another day another chapter. This one;'s more mellow as this thing finally going to end! Not right away mind you but soon, and I'm just glad I somehow am keeping this tale alive by all means fair and foul. Anyways as always thanks for reading and as always enjoy...
"She's a maiden!" Vi shouted into its master's mind as the atmospheric disturbance grew to truly incomprehensible levels causing nimbus cloud formations and strikes of lighting to flash all around him, as Roman did the one thing that made sense.
"I give up!"
Roman yelled tossing his cane to his side as he fell to his knees tossing his hands in the air as the dragoness cocked her head at him.
"You surrender? I expected you to make a fight out of this."
Raven said as the fire in her eyes began to dim a bit as Roman sweated under his collar.
A maiden?! A maiden!? A moon damned maiden in Vale?! What the hell!? Roman thought as Raven put away her sword causing the sky to slightly become less violent as she began to stalk over to him.
"I'm brave, not foolish. I have no intention of getting turned to dust."
Roman said as Raven sighed taking her fires back into her eyes as she let out a deep breath as the atmospheric disturbance over Vale dissipated as suddenly as it came causing the sun to shine down onto the city again as a bright light came over the city as the impossible thunder storm disappeared as quickly as it happened.
"You have made a wise decision. I'm impressed." Raven said as a bright red reticule appeared on her face.
"Roman! Take the shot! We have to kill her!"
Vi yelled fiercely into his hear as Roman began to sweat. His knees were trembling like jackhammers, his tongue was tied in knots and his enter body was wracked in a cold sweat. This was a crucial moment for Roman. He had faux surrender as the beginning tossing Melodic Cudgel to his side in a seemingly haphazard motion only for it aligns perfectly with Raven's head allowing him a clean shot to the back of her skull as he openly sweated.
Roman needed to make a decision and make one now. Either take a shot and kill the maiden potentially or let her walk away with her brother.
"Roman! Kill her! What are you waiting for! We need to take the shot!"
If Roman fired, he needed to kill her. No, he had to kill her. Raven was a maiden. It was every Arcadian's duty to kill any maiden on sight. Even if he wasn't a typical Arcadian, he was still a member of clan Torchiwck. And as any self-respecting clan member, he needed to make a choice.
If he killed her, he would easily be brought back into his clan no questions asked. He would be given a heroes welcome in all fo Arcadia. As clan Torchwick welcomed home their prodigal son. If he didn't? He would be dead, and everything would be for not.
"Roman!"
Vi yelled as he sighed once and made his decision.
"Your brother is inside."
Roman said as his Ai went dead silent as Raven nodded to him.
"Thank you, Roman. I will take him and begone."
The dragons said as Roman took a deep sigh and prepared to do something stupid.
"Roman, if you do this you will never be able to go home you know that right? Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Yes," Roman said as the dragon faunus walked past him as he coughed once.
"Raven. Before you go, I have to ask; you are going to take your brother home correct?"
Roman asked as the maiden turned a scaly face of him as she cocked her head.
"Yes. Why?"
"Becuase I need to ask you something first."
"Speak."
The dragon said speaking in a short curt voice as Roman sighed.
"You are his sister. I know that. He likes you, maybe even loves you but what if your brother does not want to go home?" Roman asked as the dragon stopped in her tracks.
"Why would he not want to go home? I am his family he should be with his blood."
The faunus said as Roman finally sighed as he already knew his choice.
"In case you didn't know. Back in Arcadia Qrow and me fought together."
"I am aware of his galavanting. Why?'
"Why? Because he and I fought together, he was, is my subordinate and as acting commander of the three hundred and first, I can not let you do something against his own will...
"Are you saying that while you wouldn't fight me in the start, you are willing to risk your life to protect him from his family?"
Raven asked reaching for her sword as Roman coughed.
"When I was with your brother he rarely spoke about you. He only ever talked when he was beyond blitzed."
"That sounds like him. Why are you telling me this Roman? You know that you can't beat me. If I wanted to, I could end your life a dozen different ways so why the resistance to me saving my brother?"
"Simple. I was entrusted with his life once for the entirety of his posting in my core, and since we were never officially discharged, I am responsible still."
"Semantics at best. Either way, surely you know that I pose no threat to my own brother? I thank you for taking care of him for the years, and I will repay you. Of that you can rest assured, Branwen's always remember those who help them.'
"Thanks. But like I was saying. Qrow rarely talked about you. And when he did he seemed sad. Like he was avoiding you for some reason. When I pressed him, he simply said when it came down to his home he no longer had a place."
"Ridiculous! He is my brother and has always had a place with me! Why would he say something like that?" Ravne asked as Roman saw his opportunity.
Play it cool, you need to do this just right. He thought she spoke up.
"If you ask me, and I am reaching here, but I guess that there was something off about your home relationship," Roman asked as the dragon went silent as he went forward.
"I'm guessing that you and he had your differences. Maybe you wanted something that he didn't? Maybe you two never got along, but I don't think so."
"I think that he's running from something. Something that's been with him his whole life. And I think that out of all the things that he wants leaving with you is not one of them.'
"He is my brother. I will go inside and ask him to come with me."
"And if he says no?"
"Then I will convince him to say yes."
Raven added as Roman sighed.
"Raven. I'm not going to fight you. You would kill me in a heartbeat-
"Half of one."
"Half of a heartbeat. Qrow said you had a sharp tongue. Sharp enough to match the edge you try so hard for."
"I can still kill you."
"Testy. He told me that you would be tasty with me if I brought it up around you. Anyways. If you go in and your brother refused to go will you force him to leave against his will?'
"If he refuses to go for me he will go for his family. I suggest you think about yours. After all, I doubt that your mate will allow you to walk without a collar for long.
"I don't have-
"I can smell her on you. With or without her collar you are marked. You will have one on your neck in due time. Until then I must see my fool of a brother."
Ravne said as walked past a stunned human and int the warehouse.
Qrow was not having a good time. He had been sleeping in his damned cot for the better part of two days, with this girl as a bodyguard slash nurse. Who as he had just learned that had no need for sleep and had spent the entire night and most of the morning watching him in an unblinking stare.
"Roman? That you? This girl is starting to freak me out."
"I am not a girl! I am a fully functioning combat unit! Former servitor now fully fledged combat automaton!"
"Whatever you say, kid."
"I am not a child! Even if I am only a few months old."
"Right... Roman where are-
Qrow asked turning his head expecting to see a smug thief enter the warehouse only instead to see a pair of seething red eyes glaring at him.
"Raven!?"
"Hello, Qrow."
"The hell are you doing here?!"
"I am here to take-
"To ask you to come home with me. Your family wants to see you. I want my brother, and the girls want their uncle. Come home with me."
"No.'
Qrow replied as Raven seethed once before shaking her head.
"Why are you always so stubborn!? I am asking you to come home! To your family! Why are you so obstinate about everything!?"
"Becuase I don't want to go home! I don't want to...
" Qrow I am your family. I want the best for you. I want nothing but the best for any member of my family. I want my brother in my life. Please come home. Your own family needs you."
"Winter is fine without me."
"What about your children? Are you going to abandon them?"
Qrow clicked his teeth at his sister's bluntness.
"Cheap shot."
"You're the one who can't keep his dick in his pants."
"It wasn't like that!"
"Then what was it like?"
"It's not that simple!"
"Did you have sex with Winter?"
"Yes but-
"Was it consensual?"
"Yes?"
"Yes?"
"I didn't complain but-
"Then they are your responsibility. I know you won't leave them."
Raven said as Qrow sighed.
"Rae-
"You never use that name when its good. What's wrong?"
"I'm no good for those kids. It would be much better if they didn't get to know me."
"Bull shit! There is no reason as for why they should not know their father!"
"A father that's only going to know them for two years!"
"Two years? Why would-
"Qrow has a fatal illness! He has advanced stage wasting sickness he will be dead in two years time!"
The strange famous girl sad as Qrow sighed.d
"Qrow? Is that true?"
"Yeah, it's true. In two year's I'm dead. It would be better for all involved with me to go away. I don't know what you know about wasting sickness, but it's not pretty...
"Thanks for that."
Jaune said as Pyrrha took the water cup from his lips. His mate? Had come in as he called for as out of all the people arranged outside the meeting room Jaune had no idea who would not freak out, so he took a risk and invited Pyrrha inside.
The tiger faunus was now sitting next to him gripping his body like he would disappear the moment she let go of it as he sat in the recovery bed of Vale general. To be honest Jaune was simply amazed that he was even still breathing with his limbs attached. He had been half expecting to wake up in the afterlife where a pair of searing red eyes would be waiting for him with what he hoped would be a benevolent smile on her face. And not a frown.
By some miracle, his limbs had been reattached the cauterization by Penny along with luck and surgery combined together making him more or less whole. Although he would have to wait weeks before he could fight in any form of realistic capacity and days before he could walk unassisted.
He missed his semblance already and-
"Jaune... there is something I must tell you."
"Yeah, Pyrrha? What's up?" Jaune asked not pushing his luck with the girl. who was already showing remarkable self-control not trying to rip his head off or berating him for being an idiot. Instead, settling for hugging him and crying instead.
Although to be fair he did gave her a good excuse. He had been held hostage by a dangerous terrorist and forced to fight to save the lives of not only Beacon but Vale as a whole. What could he do as a hunter in training but act?
"Jaune... I love you...
"You've told me...
Jaune said in far to sever of a tone as Pyrrha grimaced.
"And as someone who cares for you, I need to be honest with you. I want us to be together. I want us to be a couple but! If I am to be serious, I must make this abundantly clear."
Pyrrha said as she reached back into a slim duffel bag that Jaune knew as her personal work out bag and pulled out a slim bronze collar form it.
"Jaune I am a pure breed faunus. As a pure breed, I want my mate to wear this collar. Wearing it does not make you less of a person. It is the ultimate expression of love I can show you in a physical form. Will you please wear it for me?"
Pyrrha asked as Jaune froze staring at the thing like it was death incarnate as Pyrrha smelled the fear and resentment radiation from his body before he took a deep breath.
"No."
Jaune said as Pyrrha breathed in once as she sighed heavily. Keeping her eyes held firmly onto her lap as she took a deep breath.
"Then there is only one thing for me to do," Pyrrhus said with a grim finality as she put the collar in her palms where it began to shake.
The collar glowed black as it began to shake and glow before it bent and crumpled collapsing in on itself into a small ball where Pyrrha proceeded to toss it over her shoulder in an easy-going manner.
"Pyrrha?"
Jaune asked entirely taken aback by her casual destruction of the collar as Pyrrha flashed him a brilliant smile.
"To hell with it! I asked, and you said no. I don't need a collar to prove my love for you. As long you stay true to me and me alone, I don't need it."
"That's not like you. What happened to you?'
"I talked with a friend. She told me that the most important thing in any relationship is."
"And that is?"
Jaune asked still stunned by her actions as the faunus girl ran a comforting hand across his face.
"Compromise," Pyrrha said as her green slitted eyes shone as Jaune smiled.
Alice wanted to be mad. She wanted to be downright furious. She wanted to yell scream and rebuke her mate for her actions so thoroughly and completely he would never even raise his head to her for the rest of his life! Unfortunately, for the enraged faunus that task proved impossible as much as she wanted to get mad, mainly because she could find no good a legit reason too.
Venke had been cornered backed into a wall with no option and had acted it the most tactical way manner. Ensuring that his own life was being preserved along with the lives fo Beacon and Vale as a whole. Even if he was hurt and injured beyond belief as far as his actions with the warehouse incident, and as far as sound tactical decision making went he did nothing wrong and as such, she had no reason to be mad.
That being said! He had withheld critical information from his allies and that was going to get his ears ripped from his head once she got her claws into them.
After he was out of the hospital, and after he made sure he was in the best condition possible. And after he was well-rested and had paid her back tenfold for making her wait. Maybe if he was very good, she could resist taking his ears from his body making him beg for her to show mercy to him. What? It's not like they don't grow back...
"Venke...
"Yes? How's the most beautiful girl in all of Remnant doing today? Still, gorgeous I see."
Venke said relishing the blush that appeared over the pale Faunus's girl face as she . fierce blush before balling her hands into fists.
"Venke I need to ask you a question...
"Sure thing love! Just ask, and I will give you my honest answer!"
"Will you?" Alice asked as a frown came to Venke's face.
"What's wrong? Alice?" Venk asked as Alice took a deep sigh as she looked at her fist as her close struck out and saw took a deep breath.
"I love you. You are the most important thing in the world to me. As such I don't want secrets between us."
"Same here. But what's wrong?" Venke asked as Alice took a deep breath.
"Venke is something wrong? Is there something anything wrong with you that you are not telling me?"
Alice asked as Venke already saw it in her eyes. They knew. His team knew it was surprising that it took them so long to find out. It took them long enough. Venke thought as he sighed.
"I'm dying. I-
"And you didn't tell us!?"
Alice yelled throwing all hints of subtlety to the side as he sighed. Here we go...
"What is wrong with you!? Why didn't you tell me you were dying! Tell me what the hell goes on in your head!? Why would you-
"Becuase I needed to," Venke said as he felt the room's temperature dip a considerable amount as the girl began to seethe.
"Why? Tell me why my mate needed to keep his own illness from me?"
"Becuase I'm going to die."
He said as her blood eyes froze as they began to shimmer.
"You don't know-
"Yes. I do. I'm not walking out of this Alice. Sorry, you won't get your kids form m-
"Nonsense! You have a disease! Any idea can be cured treated and brought under control! As long as you have recourses and, I do you ca-
"Alice. This is more than that. My aura is killing me."
"Why!? Why is it-
"I don't know. The human aura is strange. We still don't know why it is but its bad."
"How bad?'
"Three years. More so if I get injured-
"Then why are you going out getting yourself hurt!?'
"Because I'm a hunter! Protecting people is what I do!'
"Not at the cost of your self! Venke you are dying! I won't-
"No, I can't lose you. Please tell me you can fix it."
"As long as my aura is unlocked it will kill me. I'm sorry."
Venke said as his mate began to weep.
"You deserve better," Venke said as the girl sobbed.
"Daddy!" Tai's younger daughter yelled crashing into his side making him grimace in pain.
"Hey there Rosebud! Did you miss me?'
Tai asked as the shaking form of his youngest child latched onto his chest.
"Are you ok?! What happened?! I was so worried! Please tell me you are ok!"
Ruby yelled leaping onto his chest as her arm? Opened up and several tubes, cups, and questing tendrils all with an observing fell came out and began running over Tai's bandaged body.
"I'm fine Rosebud. Just a bit banged up." Tia said as the various sensory appendages flashed a bright green color before retreating into her arm.
"What happened!? Why didn't you call for us?! Are you going to be-
"I'm going to live and make a full recovery," Tai said as Ruby gave a large sigh of relief before breaking into hysteria.
Tai had been hoping that Ruby was not going to cry too hard. But she was Summer's daughter, and that was not an option.
She wept openly for well over half an hour hugging his chest with the grip of a king taiju as she credits opened.
He did what he always did when Ruby cried. He simply patted her head. Rubbing her Vulf ears delicately before telling her it was ok. That he would be ok and that everything was going to be alright.
This worked like it always did when she was a small child, and she had been bullied or harassed in school or around Patch.
But unlike Patch Ruby was equal parts worried an angry and it wasn't long after she was assured of his well being that she launched into a tirade of questions.
"What is wrong with you!? Why did you go without help!? What would we do if something happened to you!?"
Ruby asked as once again Tia was reminded the despite her being a Vulf she was still an alpha, and as such she was not happy when she felt slighted.
He tried to explain to her that he had had no choice, but it was like talking to a wall, as Ruby had easily inherited her mother's personality when she thought she was right or had a point to make as tia was forced just to sit back and listen.
This rant lasted or another twenty minutes before the doctors gave them an all clear as the rest of the visitors entered the room.
"Tai!" His wife yelled as she slammed into him with the force and weight of a small train kissing him on the lips and gripping him in the shoulders making him wince in pain.
"You're ok!" Summer yelled before covering him in kissed lick and every other type of affection. As she did Ruby growled at her mother gripping Tati's side as she saw her father being threatened. Making a potentially problematic situation in the hospital as two faunus threatened one another.
This caused a growl back form Summer as she eyed a potential challenger for her mate. Luckily before any true conflict could emerge Raven came into the ward and sighed.
"I knew you where ok. Summer you worry too much. Tai is strong. This would not kill him."
"Raven!? What are you-
"I found Qrow. He's in Beacon." Raven said as Summer gasped and looked at Tai.
"I-
"Go." Tai said as Summer nodded her head as Raven took her sword and opened a portal that Summer sprinted through leaving Ruby and Raven in the room wit Tai alone.
"Auntie Raven! I-
"It is good to see you again Ruby. I thought you dead you know?" Raven asked with a small smile as Ruby nodded getting up from her father and walking to the woman a giving her an honest hug that Raven returned openly. As Ruby found the other member of her family that was like a real parent with her.
The relationship between Ruby and Raven was interesting and despite their vast difference could only be described as good.
Raven never treated Ruby as less for being a Vulf. She always interacted with her as an equal and making her feel as if she was her own daughter even if they were not directly related. To her, it didn't matter Raven saw Ruby as a daughter, and any daughter of her's was by definition also strong. It was as simple as that.
Ruby liked that, Raven treated her like a person like her father unlike her mother the relationship between them unlike most of her family was both warm and cordial. With no animosity between them.
"Autine! I didn't know you where here! When did you get to Vale?"
Ruby asked hugging the woman as she smiled and ran a clawed hand over her head rubbing her Faunus ears gently.
"I came as soon as I saw your fool of an uncle in town."
"AH! Uncle Qrow is here! He-
"I know he is Ruby. He's in Beacon right now."
"He's ok!?"
"More than that did you know that you are going to have cousins soon?"
"Cousins? Why how?"
"He is going to have children soon."
Raven said Ruby gasped before squealing.
"I'm going have cousins!? That's great! When are-
"Ruby! Stop yelling! There are people sleeping you know?"
Yang asked stalking over to the room before gasping.
"Dad!?"
"Hey, firecracker. How's it going?"
"Dumbass! What were you thinking!?"
Yang growled stomping over to her father's bed making Tai sigh.
He knew what his daughter was like Her emotions ran hot and fierce and as long as she thought her family was in danger she would not rest. Luckily for Tai Yang's temper went as quick as it came.
And he knew he had to only weather the storm.
Jaune was scared. It was not often that he would admit that, but now Jaune was terrified. After seeing his team back, it was a warm hectic greeting before a certain member of his team expressed her extreme displeasure at Jaune's decisions.
"I am not happy Jaune."
Nora said glaring down at Jaune in the most intimidating way possible as her mechanical leg was placed on his bed vibrating angrily. As her eyes glared at him furiously. Nora was angry. And her current target was not going to get out of this lightly.
Nora was never angry. At least not at Jaune and if she was it was rarely at anything but him trying to take her sugar form her. But yet here she was. Teal eyes glaring pure venom towards Jaune as she seethed at him.
"Jaune I am not happy with you!" Nora growled her dog ears sticking up in agitation as Jaune gulped.
"Nora? Are you o-
"No, I am not ok!"
Nora shouted making Jaune try to scooch back in his bed only for a steel grip to appear on his arm as Blake appeared out of thin arm forcing his body or remain in place as amber eyes glared at him.
"Nora I ca-
"First of all! We leave you for one! ONE DAY! And not only do you go off and almost get yourself killed! You go off and blow up a warehouse battle a terrorist and fight GIANT ROBOTS!" Nora shouted as Jaune suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of concern for his legs as he gulped.
"Nora I can explain! I Didn't mean to! There were just the terrorists then we were in the place, and there were dozens of robots and-
"Dozens!? You fight dozens of robots!?"
"Yes!?"
"And you never called me!? Jaune!? I thought we where friends and then you go off and battle giants robots without me?! I am stuck! Betrayed! Crossed! I never have-
"Nora let him rest." Ren said sighing heavily behind the girl as she stopped her self mid-rant.
"Ok, Renny! But only because you said so! And not because Jaune is a bid mummy head!" The girl said smiling broadly before skipping over to the bed and whispering to his ear.
"If you ever go off on your own again I'll break your legs and chain you to our room K?" Nora said in a sickly sweet tone as Jaune gulped.
"Got it?"
"Got it...
Jaune said as Nora smiled happily.
"OK! Now we can all be friends again!"
Nora said bouncing on the balls of her feet as Ren sighed.
"Nora there are other patients here. You could try being quiet you know?"
Ren asked still having a surprising amount of control over the bubbly girl, even if they had been separated on teams they were still friends. They had been together but not together-together? For so long that they still had a strong bond with one another.
"Where is the fun with that?" Nora asked suddenly leaping into the swan Faunus's arms as he leg popped off her body and stood ramrod straight.
"Nora!?"
Ren and Jaune suddenly shouted as her now one legless body fell into Ren's arms who caught her deftly stuttering openly as she laughed raucously.
"Sir kicks a lot! Guard Jaune!"
Nora shouted as her leg seemed to salute?!
As it went, bolt up as several radar dishes and scanning devices shot out of the appendage and showered Jaune in a red light.
"If he takes one step out of that bed by himself break his legs!"
Nora shouted as the leg beeped in an understanding tone as Nora laughed as Ren sighed.
"Is she-
"Jaune it's Nora. Don't question that."
Blake said as Jaune sighed before a comet smashed into his face as his partner slammed into his cheek
"Jaune!" Ruby yelled as her Vulf nose poked into his her as her arms wrapped around his neck.
"Hey, Ruby how are you?" Jaune asked before a pair of silver eyes locked onto him, making Pyrrha growl and Blake sigh as the girl began to rant...
Neo was not a good person. Not even close to a good person. Now while that was true Neo was also not a bad person, well that was arguable. Actually when you laid the fact down clear Neo was definitely a bad person. She was a murderer a killer and an overall terrible faunus.
She stole when she didn't want to but, and she killed whenever she got the itch. She was selfish to the extreme in every sense of the word, whether she was eating only the finest of foods, or drinking the best wines. Insisting on living in the literal lap of luxury and not caring who or what had to get hurt to do it.
That was before he came into her life. Neo thought as she watched the panting form of Roman sit on a large wooden box as the dragoness took the other human Qrow? Away from the warehouse as the maiden departed Noe let out a breath leaping off from the rafter she had been hiding on, gliding without making a decibel of sound as she fell from the ceiling landed without making a sound in front of the thief.
His face was currently encased in his hands as Penny looked up at her. Neo growled at the robot, who cocked her head in a confused manner, she did not like her. Penny liked Roman not romantically but as a friend... That meant that she wanted to spend time with Roman, that meant that Neo had to share. Neo hated sharing. As the robotic girl detected her using whatever arcane sensory device she had installed in her the ginger-haired robot nodded once as she smartly left Neo and Roman alone.
Neo and Roman had a fairly complicated relationship because it's simplicity. Roman was a human; Neo liked humans. That means Neo would like him Neo liked people who liked her and couldn't care less if you did not, but it was more them simply fondness that kept the two together. Roman didn't judge Neo for her proclivities allowing her free reign to indulge herself. And for her part, Neo could protect Roman against faunus.
Even if he did not need protection Neo still took his safety as a number one priority. She valued his life far above her own and would do anything to protect it.
Neo needed Roman. That was a fact. Ever since she ran into him in that dingy downtown bar over eight years ago her life had changed dramatically. Before Roman entered her life, Neo was a wanderer. She went wherever she felt like going wherever her feet would take her without a care in the world.
Going to town to town enjoying her self, indulging her habits then moving on when it became boring or uncomfortable. She only stopped when on one snowy night in downtown Vale she ran into a human slaughtering bar of faunus with his bare hands.
Neo liked that. And after their first introduction, despite his blunt disregard of her, blatant racism along with his unique combat style made Neo interested in the human. And when she saw something that she was interested in she took it.
Usually, humans never traveled alone form Arcadia, and when they came south, they were either specialist that Neo strayed far away from. Or they were under lock and key collared by faunus usually snow leopards and where no fun.
Roman was different. Unlike most human he killed faunus. Now Arcadians killed all the time, but they usually kept their deaths to one another. Thier religion practically forbidding them to kill a faunus with anything less than self-defense. Roman, on the other hand, said to hell with that. He killed, he drank and smoked like a madman and fought like a bastard. Another point for him. Most Arcadian fought with a strict code fo honor Roman fought like a street urchin.
Using every dirty trick and cheap shot to win the fight using every dirty trick and brutal pragmatism to win every fight that came his way. After that, the two had formed an uneasy partnership, and their journey began.
Neo at first thought of it as a passing fancy a brief intermission to her journeys Roman was a funny human that treated her like the devil and blatantly refused to trust her. He hated the faunus with a burning passion, and Neo was curious as to why. Though his hate had somewhat dimmed over the years, Roman still despised them as a whole yet despite that she never felt like Roman dislike her as the two wandered through the world as a pair.
Neo always had thought of herself as a loner. She lived alone. She traveled alone. She fought alone. And when the time came she would die was fine with that even happy with it. She accepted the fact that she would live her entire life alone and she would die alone as well.
She was perfectly aware and accepting of this fact and honestly thought was for the best until she met Roman and her life didn't know what to expect traveling alone with the human. But she didn't expect what ended up transpiring between the two.
She assumed she would do so until she got bored or Roman's blatant racism would drive the two apart. But surprisingly the polar opposite had happened.
Neo had thought the first time her hobbies came up Roman would show disgust and demand her exodus from their paring. He, however, was surprisingly indifferent. He didn't care that Neo had hobbies. Or that she was doing terrible, awful things to other faunus. Roman only cared that she did none of those things to him and she didn't interfere with his objectives. Which were shockingly similar to her own.
Roman was a terrorist. And ever rare an Arcadian terrorist. Neo had never heard of an Arcadian terrorist before. She knew the human's isolationist nature, and stoic nature usually meant any internal dispute and incursions stayed well withing Arcadia proper.
Roman was an enigma. He was a human that left his country in the breeding program that ended disastrously for him. And had decided to take his grievance out on the faunus as a whole.
He was a bomb maker. He made attacked government buildings, hospitals schools. Any place where there was a large gathering of Faunus he laid waste to. He killed men woman children indiscriminately. As far as Roman was concerned all faunus were guilty and they all had to die.
Now Neo did not generally approve of these actions she could not deny their usefulness. Usually, when Neo went into a town to have some fun, she was rather limited in options. Sure she could take maybe four or nine people before the citizens started realizing that there was a vanishing epidemic in their midst, and angry mobs and government officials came in, and as always Neo was forced to leave.
But with Roman blowing up half the town? Neo could feast. She had free reign to do whatever she felt like. She could go in steal as much as she wanted with the general chaos and confusion of the bombs no one noticed or could tell when an extra few people went missings.
Besides who was to notice if thirty extra faunus where missing, was already a mound of dead? Besides what was thirty more dead to the pile of thousands? And the two combined had made a perfect team of despoilers. Killing and robbing as they saw fit.
Neo was having the time of her life. She had for the first time friend! A true companion to travel with! A friend that she could laugh with, cry with, drink with and just enjoy life with her!Roman was perfect; he respected her for who and what she was! He didn't mind her hobbies. He didn't judge her for what she was, and the tow made a perfect pair!
But even Neo knew that this was not going to last forever. Roman was human and more than that he was an Arcadian, a disgraced Arcadian. And that meant that Roman had one goal in his life. Roman wanted to die. As the small faunus crossed into the human's personal space, he stopped his self-imposed isolation as he turned his head up emerald eyes looking inquisitively at her.
"Neo? What's up?" Roman asked as she put her hands on his.
Neo knew Roman wanted to die. She both understood and accepted that fact. He was his own human and if he wanted to die that was his choice.
She would enjoy the time she had with him. She was prepared for that; she needed to sit down make him as comfortable with her and have the time of her life!Or that's what she thought. She didn't know when it happened, but something had changed in her relationship with Roman. Well not changed so much as Neo had realized that she had not known she could even have.
"Neo? What's wrong?" Roman asked looked up at Neo as she took his hands and sat down on his lap making his breathing hitch.
Neo couldn't let it happen. Not now. Not after she had seen a better time. Neo had never really had a friend. She was as said before drifter, she lived, fought, and would die now? Neo was coming to the uncomfortable realization that she might lose her first and most likely last true friend. She would lose a partner, companion, ally, and lover.
Well, lover was a bit of a stretch. Neo did love Roman. How could she not love the man that had accepted her for what she was, treated her like a person and not a monster and had done his best to treat her like a friend, and was the first and perhaps the last person to treat her like one. And the fact that he wanted to die was not comforting to her.
That thought did not sit well with her, not at all. As for the first time in a long time something Neo loved was being taken away from her and she did not like that. At first, Neo had been putting it aside. Thinking that Roman would wither die much, much later in her life. Preferably after her own mortal coil team straight. And she would be deep in the earth before that happened.
But now? Now Roman was getting worse... He was not sleeping well, not eating well and was refusing to take care himself. He was dying slowly. Not physically not yet but mentally. Roman was always in a foul mood. His life was bad, and he had precious few prospects that didn't involve mass murder or crime. He was a terrorist kicked out of his home and country forced to wander the kingdoms until Neo found him.
Normally Neo would pushed these thoughts to the back of her head before she says it happens. Roman and Cinder had plans in the motion. Mainly the attack on Beacon. She knew that this plan was Roman's last play.
He had every intention to die during the fall. And knowing him if he failed to get himself killed he would kill himself. Neo couldn't let that happen.
"Neo? What's wrong?"
Roman asked the faunus woman who put her head to his chest and settled down into his lap.
Thump! Thump!
Neo took a moment to appreciate a heartbeat that she might not hear again as she dug her claws into his skin.
Don't die. She wanted to tell him, but the words never left her hands. Roman wanted to die. And one of the reasons Roman let Neo get so close was that she let him be free.
She never forced him to do anything never tried to collar him and was overall as much of a friend to the thief as he was to her. And now that friend might die, and Neo was not ok with that. Not at all.
Neo was selfish. Unreasonably so. She did not care that Roman wanted to die, he was hers. He was her friend, her companion her partner! He didn't get to die until she told him too!
She wanted to throttle him to tell him to live, but that would be counterproductive. She needed him to want to live, and that's where the trouble came in.
How did she convince a suicidal human with a martyr complex to live? One who was rich, well dressed and had very little int he way of vices to stick around on this earth?
Neo had a plan. It was not a good plan. And was not a plan that she like but it was the only one that she could think of with a margin of success. She needed to have a kid. Specifically his kid.
Neo knew Roman took family very seriously. He would never abandon his family no matter what. Even if he had to leave his ones in Arcadia behind he would still do anything for them.
So if he had a child with her? She knew he would stick around to help raise it. And to be honest? As far as people to start a family with she couldn't find a better one to have a family with.
Truth be told Neo never really thought of having a family. She didn't have any people in her life that she would even consider getting that close to.
Well except Roman but he was a friend. Nothing more. Even now, while she would share a bed with him, this was only to keep him alive. Roman did not want a kid. He did not want to stick around.
He wanted to die where his sins would be absolved, and he would go to the great feat with very other Arcadian. Neo couldn't allow that. She would never let him die. As long as Neo drew brath Roman would too. So-
"Neo, Roman. Cinder's calling. It's time for us to go."
Penny said as Neo stopped her thoughts as the grew a steely gaze as he nodded to Neo as Penny hopped over to them making Neo reluctantly grab her with Roman before the three of the time were compressed infinitely into space-time as the three popped out of existence...
"Well, I got to be honest as far as life or death experiences go, this was easily one of the better ones."
Qrow admitted as a furious Winter glared at him. As the woman glared daggers at him hand barely kept away from her swords as she growled at him.
Luckily she was just doing that. Glaring. As Qrow was more or less healed was lacking any severe injuries and could even walk! Well, walk was a strong word as he was still fairly drunk. Raven might have tossed his sorry ass into a Beacon medical ward but she couldn't take his flask away! That and Qrow needed a drink while Winter did her best to pick apart his excuses to find a way to dig into him and failed miserably.
Even if his excuse of being kidnapped and forced to fight a specialist at gunpoint or risk the entire city of Vale she still tried to find fault in him. Well for once Qrow had the high moral ground with Winter, and the Schnee was reduced to muted mumbles and worried glares. To be fair, Winter really should not be worried.
"Raven?" Qrow asked as a glowing red portal opened int he rooms as he sighed.
"Listen, Rae; I've been telling you I'm fi-
"Qrow?" A soft voice said as Qrow felt his heart freeze in his chest s a small woman stepped out of the portal
His words froze and grown to a halt as a familiar pair of silver eyes glared at him as a pair of flickering wolf ears greeted him.
"Summer?"
Qrow asked his partner stepped out of the portal.
"Summer? What are are you doing here?"
"Seeing my partner. It's been a while since I last saw him."
The woman said as she took several quick steps to Qrow making him grimace.
"Summer why-
Qrow began before summer Rose the first love of his life walked over to him. Like a gosht from his past making his tongue go into knots and heart beat erratically.
" I thought my partner was dead. He ran away one day and never came home I was a bit worried about him."
Summer said in a voice so soft it was also like a whisper a Qrow took a shaky step towards her.
"Summer I-
"I'm so glad to see you back."
Summer said reaching out a soft hand gripping his arm in a profoundly soft grip before pulling back her other hand and punching him the face and decking him across his chin.
Now, normally Summer Rose is the mother of Ruby Rose shared many things in common with her daughter. Chief among these where here kindness, sense of righteousness and lack of physical strength.
That's why it was to Qrows great surprise that Summer Rose first love of his shot life reached back her fist and punched him in the face so hard that he was lifted off of his feet. As the five foot eight woman brought his six foot three statured down to the ground in less then an instant as the man smacked into the infirmary floor with a meaty thump.
WHACK!
"Qrow!?" Winter asked standing up and looking worriedly to her mate as he was slammed to the floor.
"What is wrong with you!? Do you have any idea what I went through because of you!?"
"Summer!? The hell?!"
"The hell!? The hell is wrong with you!? Why where you thinking!? You just run away one day leaving me you befriend your sister your nieces! Without so much as a word!? No letters, no messages no nothing!? What is your problem?!"
"Summer that hurt! Monty dammit what's wrong with you!?"
"What is wrong with you?! You dumb, selfish, idiot! What is going on in your thick head!?"
Summer yelled to her partner before tears began falling from her face
"I was worried about you. I missed you. We all missed you...
Summer said as tears fell from her face as Qrow began to sigh.
Why do I always make them cry? Qrow thought as he once again succeeded in making a woman cry.
"Thank you for coming. I know that this was short notice, but I am glad we could all be here for this."
The calm melodic voice of Cinder Fall said as she flashed her associate a beatific smile. As she walked through the magnificently well laid out warehouse that Rona had allocated for their meeting. The assorted group had gained a new member in the form of the reprogramed servitor Penny. Cinder had found the robot some time ago or well Emerald did some time ago while she doing some disturbing even to Cinder's standard things to the human citizens of Vele before she was brought in and had been reprogramed by Emerald for their side.
As such Cinder had tipped Penny off to where a certain free human as Penny called then was rewired and had preceded to give Roman a checkup.
Cinder was pleased to see the surgical scars on Roman's forehead and was telling openly as the sign of Roman's first surgery had taken place, at this rate Roman would become little more than a submissive toy for the woman to use and abuse as she saw fit. Overall things were going well for the power-obsessed faunus and she simply needed to let things play out.
She would be pleased to see the usually arrogant man brought low. Far too long had Roman talked to her like he owned her. Like he was somehow better than her? The very notion of a human being her superior was nauseating to Cinder, and she had long since been wanting to put the human in his place. The only reason that she did not put the man in his place the first item they met was one.
She needed him. His skill at infiltration and skill at mass bomb manufacturing were invaluable to the woman as Cinder required an individual who was more than capable of stealing as much dust as she needed and doubled as her bomb manufacturer.
What she did not need was a smart-mouthed professionally trained and equipped soldier that had anything less than complete subservience to her. Roman was a necessary wild card, but he was still a wild card and one she fully intended to either bring under her firm control or kill.
Luckily Roman had been brought into line or was at least in the process of being brought into line. As the scars on his face were a good indication of that.
But like all things Cinder needed a test. And who else to test him but his favorite punching bag Mercury?
"Mercury. Please tell Roman how our last plans went."
Cinder cooed as from wolf faunus sighed as he walked over to Roman.
"The plan's simple. Like the boss said before. We hit them as soon as the Penny here goes for her little dying act."
Mercury said as the robot saluted him sharply.
"Aye! Aye! Captain! They will think that I have ceased to function, but in reality, it is all a clever ploy designed by our great leader!"
Penny said beaming to Cinder who giggled softly as emerald growled.
"Show off...
The beta faunus said animal ears flickering in irritation as Cinder sighed.
"Penny while I do love flattery please allow Mercury to continue without interruption ok?"
Penny nodded as Roman went on.
"The plan is to hit before Atlas makes their Utopia announcement which they are now planning to do after Vytal. It turns out our little stunt in the breach went down more or less exactly as planned."
Mercury said before grimacing as he was soon about to lose some more teeth.
"Your little friend got messed up pretty badly there Roman. I'm surprised such a sad excuse for a soldier could even consider himself to be a human. I mean I know you lot are already weak enough as is but he's exceptionally sad."
Mercury chided as he grit his teeth and prepared for a beating.
"Ch! Don't remind me of him. The fool made his choice. If he sleeps with dogs, he's bound to get fleas. To hell with him."
Roman spat as the wolf nodded.
"Fine. Either way, we needed to move fast. Most of the fang is in disarray after the breach, and we are lucky to have their continued loyalty."
"Why the hell are those animals still following us anyways? I mean they lost what? A bare minimum of half of their boys down there in the tunnels so why follow the guys that keep killing them?"
Roman asked an honest question as Cinder spoke. "Because he says so."
Cinder said pointing to the back of the warehouse where a door was tossed on violent slamming into the wall with a heave wack!
As a faunus man walked inside snarling openly.
"Sorry, I'm late. I was held up."
Adam said as he strode into the room followed by a monster of faunus man with a rake robotic leg and a massive chainsaw as he followed Adam inside.
"We were held up in some minor matters," Adam admitted as Cinder nodded.
"Thank you, Adam. It's fine. We were just getting to your part in the plan. Would you care to enlighten us to your forces if you would call them that's role in the operation to come?"
Cinder asked as the masked faunus nodded his head as he and his subordinate took their place in their circle of associates.
"Yes. The fang will be responsible for the transportation and dispersion of Grimm throughout Vale. After the tournament goes dark, we will distribute Grimm throughout the city, while attacking the more fortified locations."
Adam said without a hint of emotional Cinder nodded.
"Excellent. Roman are the bombs ready?" Cinder asked the thief who was busy light up another of his famed and precious cigars as Roman nodded.
"Sure are. I have thirty mass fusion bombs ready and waiting. You tell me where you want them and I'll plant them."
Roman said as Adam cocked a head at him.
"Roman do you have no qualms about this? Are you going to be attacking your own people you know? Arcadian's will have their own students at the tournament."
"To hell with them! They can die and rot for all I care." Roman spat as Adam gave an unusual frown as Cinder continued.
"This is an important step in out planning my friends. If we disrupt this tournament enough it will be the only a matter of time before Arcadia itself intervenes putting the kingdoms under their control."
"And ending the cate system!" Emerald said happily before Roman spat on the ground.
" That's one helluva an if kid. Even if it works out perfectly which it won't. No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy. Remember that. Even if we do this exactly as planned and Arcadia does intervene it will still be difficult to pull off."
"What do you mean?" Emerald asked as Roman sighed.
"Kid if we do this remember that the Arcadian milliary will be the ones intervening, not the clans. That means that there will be a limited number of resources that they have at their disposal."
"I don't understand. Arcadia has the most powerful military on the planet! Why would they have any issue subduing the kingdoms?"
"They won't. Subduing the kingdoms is the easy part. The hard part isn't taking place but holding it." Roman said as Emerald gained a confused look.
"I don't get it...
"Ah, I was wondering when you would bring up that point." Cinder said as she moved in front of Roman her strange form-fitting dress that managed to cling jealousy to her luscious figure.
Hugging every curve of her perfect hourglass figure but somehow was infuriatingly obfuscating at the same time. Walked in front of Roman making him swear softly.
"Roman, would you care to explain the limitations of the Arcadian army?'
"Fine... The Arcadian military's true strength is their air force. The army will have no issue beating the crap from the kingdoms but! After they surrender and they will surrender. They have to hold them."
"What's so hard about that? If they can break them so easy what's the problem with them holding the kingdoms? I mean they did so during the great war right? With all the advancement, they must have made it should be a cakewalk for them!"
"Kid it's not that simple. Let me put it like this. There are four faunus kingdoms. There is one Arcadian military. There are around one hundred million faunus in the there is around only thirty thousand humans. Most in Arcadia. If the military attacks and break the kingdom's defenses they still have to hold the places they took."
"And that would be difficult?"
"Very. You see the military has the airforce but not the manpower. In the great war the clans were backing up the military, but in this case, I highly doubt any of the clans besides Eshen might get involved. And if Eshen gets's involved... You might want to just stick to your caste systems."
"Either way. The military has there own infantry units. The Arcadian Marine corps. They are the best of the best. The only ground units the military has under their control, they are well equipped, well-trained armed and armored with the best weapons on the plant! But there is only about two thousand of the total, evenly split throughout the kingdoms makes it
"That's five hundred per kingdom...
Emrl said as Roman nodded.
"Exactly! Five hundred soldiers even in power armor to monitor four kingdoms of millions of faunus? That's not a good situation even under the best of odds. Best case scenario we take the capitals and can end the caste system there but about the rest of the world? It's just not a realistic expectation to ask them to cover the entire world. Let alone hold it against a coordinated faunus counter-attack."
"Then it's pointless?" Emerald asked as her searing red eyes began to tear up as Mercury put a reassuring hand on her shoulder before Adam spoke up.
"No, it is not hopeless. This is where the fang comes in. After Arcadia destroys the military, the marines will be charged with governing the main cites, but the fang will be responsible for holding and governing the greater parts of the kingdoms."
Adam said strutting to the center of the room dark cape flowing as he did.
"I have rallied my forces across the four kingdoms and I you can expect the full support of the majority of the beta and some alpha classes for the plan. This plan will succeed. Of that I assure you." Adam said as Emerald gained a hopeful look in her rich sanguine eyes.
"But what about the rest of Arcadia? What are we going to do if they decided to become a problem? They don't exactly like the kingdoms what if they try to intervene?"
"Don't worry kid. Arcadia is going to have a clan war in a few months. They will be too busy to intervene." Roman said smugly as Cinder nodded.
"Well said Roman our plan will begin soon and you all know your roles. Mercury, Emerald, Neo. You will infiltrate the school with me as our own team. Roman with the help fo some Fang will plant bombs once the arena is brought in over the city."
"Adam will work out the logistics of the Fang while we work out the broader strokes. We have less than three weeks to success so let's make this work alright? I don't like to speak out of turn, but my benefactor does not take failure lightly."
"Just who the hell is our benefactor anyways? You never did tell us." Roman said as Cinder nodded.
"No, I did not. And I will not. Although you do know them quite well Roman. In fact, I do believe if you say them you would be hard-pressed not to drop to your knees and worship her."
"I doubt it." Roman snarled as Cinder called the end to the meeting as the assorted member of the small cabal wnt about their own ways.
As Cinder went to her private quarters in her own room of the warehouse to finally let her hair down. As the sliding door closed with a silent whooshing noise she found herself alone in a rather cozy immaculately furnished room as she sauntered in.
She was looking forward to relaxing after a tense meeting and she was looking forward to letting her hair down so to speak and enjoy a nice relaxing evening by herself. That was why it was with great surprise that the sound of shattering glass filled the air as Roman's plaything or was it now the opposite? Appeared in front of her with a snarl on her face and a genuinely conflicted expression on her face.
"Here's the plan! Neo. We are going to keep up an act. Cinder thinks' Penny's got to me. And we are going to let them keep thinking just that!"
Roman had said as Neo nodded to her friend as the man smiled at her. As he strutted back and forth along the warehouse floor as her multi-colored eyes followed him closely.
"She thinks she has the upper hand, so we need to let her keep thinking just that! I'm going to play the submissive toy until the right moment comes. Then we kill her, and her associate and steal everything that we can! This is gon to be perfect!"
Roman had said as Neo nodded.
She hated lying to Roman, so she didn't Neo never explicitly told him that she agreed to his plan or that she was even going to help him Neo just blinked her eyes in her usual enigmatic way that Roman took for consent.
That was why it was with a monumental effort that Neo stood in front of Cinder glaring her venom at the alpha faunus.
It took all of Neo's considerable willpower not to retch as she stood so close to the alpha. It was already bad enough that Neo did not like her, but the fact that she was an alpha made it all the worse. Most faunus already smelled horrid to Neo and alphas were an exceptional type of rancid. Beta's smelled alright, in small quantities and alphas while bad enough were still tolerable and pure brees almost made her vomit but that was neither here nor there.
Cinder had something that Neo wanted, and she was going to give it to her.
"My Neo? Is that you? I must say that I expected you to make you move at a much later date than this. Might I ask what exactly forced your hand? I did not expect to have to kill you so-
Cinder's words died in her throat just like the fire in her palm bleed out of existence as Neo held up her scroll.
"I need to talk to you. I am not here to fight. "
Neo said as Cinder cocked her head to the strange woman who's multicolored eyes glared fiercely at her, with naked contempt and hate as the off breed seethed.
"About what my dear? And do try to make this worthwhile. Just because I need you for my plans, for now, does not mean I need you after and-
"It's about Roman."
"What about him? If you hadn't noticed, he's been wonderful for the moment and-
"It's all an act. He's about to kill you. I don't want that."
Neo said as Cinder paused as a million thought broke into her mind as it began to go into overdrive.
"What do you mean an act? What are you talking about?"
Cinder's mind was racing in overdrive at the seeming betrayal by Neo? Such a thing was a concept Cinder never even began to entertain. Neo loved Roman whether it was romantic or platonic the two had a close bond and Cinder knew she would never betray him. Especially to someone like Cinder, a person she hated and an alpha at that.
"Your plan failed. Penny didn't get to Roman. She failed and was reprogrammed with an Arcadian Ai personality core. She's completely loyal to him, and you plan failed." Neo said as Cinder's mouth nearly fell from her mouth.
Why?! Why!? Why!? Why is she telling me this? What does she have to gain? What is in this for her? How will betray her close ally help her?! This is ridiculous there are too many unknowns I need to ask more questions. Cinder reasoned as she fixed the girl with a burning stare.
"What happened? Why are you telling me this? What's in it for you?"
Cinder asked as the girl grimaced.
"Roman's planning on killing you. He has a good plan, and you will not see it coming. When it works, you will be dead before you know what hit you and your plan while successful will have to go on without you."
"Explain. Tell me everything you know." Cinder said as Neo glared.
"On one condition."
Finally! Negotiations! Cinder's forte was in the diplomatic sense of conflict. Even if Wat's was technically better at it, the foppish fool Cinder bemused as she nodded.
"Name it."
Now, what would make you go, traitor? I knew everybody had a price now what's yours? Money? No Roman's wealthy enough as is. Power? To be honest you never seemed the type. But then no one ever dose really. Maybe knowledge? That could work an-
"I want out."
Neo said as Cinder sighed.
"Ah, freedom. Indeed there was never a more Nobel goal. So you want to fly free of this operation nd-
"Not just me. Me and Roman. Probably Penny too. I keep you alive you let us go and don't let any more of your contact or associates come after us. We disappear, and you let us stay vanished."
Neo said as Cinder smiled beatifically.
"Really? Now, why would I let a potential threat escape? Him an Arcadian terrorist armed with the most advanced and deadly technology he could find. You and off bread who exists to kill things like me. And a killer robot!"
" Of all things that are fanatically loyal to people who have at one point or another either planned or actively tried to kill me? Tell me Neo why don't I just kill you all right now instead and be done?"
"Because you can't. You need us for your plans. If we die, you would e hindered."
"Hindered yes. But not irrevocably so. My plans can persist without your assistance. It might be hard, but it is certainly possible. So tell me why do you get to live?"
"Because you do not want to die. You let me and him go. And I'll make sure we never bother you again."
"And how will you make Roman Torchwick, master thief and terrorist at bay?"
Cinder asked as Neo brought out a small object from her pocket showing it to Cinder making her blush.
"Oh, my. And they say that I'm evil...
"Ruby my arm is not going to magically fall off you do realize that right?" Jaune asked as his partner was still busy inspecting his arm like it would rip off at the slightest agitation as Ruby checked him over for injuries.
Jaune had been let out of the hospital along with the rest of the others. There had been a small funeral for team SSSN. The evident lack of bodies made the disposal of them a trivial thing. The four student died, and that was that. They were gone, and Jaune was here. And in the end, Jaune found himself thinking that that was all that mattered.
He was alive his friends were alive. His team was alive and-
"I'm still watching you, mister! If you run off like that again, there will be big consequences!" Ruby declared puffing out her chest a Nora agreed.
"Yeah! Just because Blakey gets's to go all ghosty and eldritch abomination at night doesn't mean you get to go off and almost die!"
Nora said as Blake sighed.
"You do realize that I only do that if I take my necklace off right?"
Blake asked her teammates not bother to take her hands off her book as she didn't even bother turning a page before her scroll rang.
"Hello?" Blake asked as a familiar voice replied.
"Blake? That' you?'
"Venke? What do you want?" Blake asked as Ruby's Vulf ear's perked up at the sound of her friend.
"Is that Venke? Can I talk to him?" Ruby asked as Blake shushed her with hand.
"What's the wrong Venke? Why are you calling me?"
"Well I'm outside your dorm, and I want to come in and-
"Then just come in. You are welcome in our dorms you know? I think Ruby's is about to burst a blood vessel waiting for you."
"Hey! That's not true!" Ruby pouted as Blake sighed.
"Well here's the thing. Ther's somebody out here with me...
"And?"
"Well, they say they know you."
Venke said as Blake's ears perked up.
"That's not that odd. We are heroes after all." Blake said sarcastically before Venk sighed.
"No, she says she knows you specifically, and she really wants to talk to you. Like really badly."
Venke said as Blake's ears perked up.
"Who is she?"
"Well this is into sound strange like really strange but-
"Venke I don't have times for games. Who is she?"
"Well, she says that she is your mom."
"What? No way. My mom is in Menagerie. she can't be here."
"She's pretty insistent on that she is your mom...
"Ask her her name. If she answers right then maybe."
No way my mon-
"She say's her name is Kali Belladonna and she really wants to see you," Venke said as Blake balked.
"Mom?" Blake asked as she dropped her scroll fumbling around as her necklace slipped causing her skin to become ghostly white and began to panic...
AN: Ther we go! Another chapter is done and done! This stories going to reach a conclusion soon and with the last mom on her way there? What could possibly go wrong? Find out on the next Endangered species! Well Bastion's next it's the next big arc so there's that! But until then Lore...
ACCESSING ARCADIAN DATAB BASE, SPECIALIST SEAL APPROVED. WELCOME SPECIALIST TRANSFERRING DATA CLASS BIOLOGY. DATA TRANSFER COMMENCING...
CODE NAME WHAT WE ARE...
HUMANITY. IT'S THE NAME WE AS A SPECIES HAVE GIVEN OURSELVES OVER THE MILLENIA. HUMANS ARE A SPECIES OF BIPEDAL WARM BLOODED MAMMALS THAT LIVE PRIMARILY IN THE FURTHEST MOST PARTS OF REMNANT. WE ARE AN OMNIVORE SPECIES THOUGH WE DO PREFER MEAT. WE TEND TO LIKE WARMER ENVIRONMENTS BUT CURRENT GEO POLITICAL INSTANCES PREVENT THE MAJORITY OF US FROM LIVING THERE.
HUMANS ARE A GENDER DYMPORHIC SPECIES SPLIT INTO TWO DISTINCT AND SEPARATE GENDERS MALE AND FEMALE. THE USUAL BIRT RATE FOR HUAM PAIRS IS ONE CHILD PER UNION. HUMANS TEND TO HAVE DRASTICALLY VARYING LIFE SPANS, WITH THE USUAL BEING THIRTY YEARS BUT THERE IS CURRENTLY NO STANDARD HUMAN LIFE LENGTH.
AS THE ANTI AGAIN CAPABILITIES OF THE HUMAN AURA MEANS HUMANS WITH A URA UNLOCKED CAN LIVE WELL INTO THE CENTURIES RIVALING DRAGON IN NATURAL LIFESPAN. USUALLY, HUMAN COMBAT MAKES THIS HIGHLY UNLIKELY AS MOST HUMANS RARELY LIVE PAST THIRTY.
APPEARANCE. HUMANS AS NOTED BEFORE ARE A BIPEDAL MAMMALIAN SPECIES. THEY LOOK MOST THE SAME WITH THE ONLY TRUE VARIANTS BEING IN SKN COLOR DEPENDING ON ENVIRONMENT, SOME REGINAL HEIGHT DIFFERENCES THE STANARD HIGH FOR MALES BEING AROUND SIX FEET AND FEMALES BEING FIVE FEET TEN INCHES. FOR THE MOST PART, HUMAN DIFFERENCE ARE ALLEGEDLY AESTHETIC AND HUMANS ARE MORE OR LESS SIMILAR.
CUSTOMS. HUMANS LIVE IN GROUPS BEING SOCIAL CREATURES FIND GREAT COMFORT IN GROUP LIVING NAD ARE K NWO TO HAVE SEVER METALL AND PHYSICAL REACTIONS WHEN REMOVED FROM THEIR GROUPS AND FORCED TO LIVE IN ISOLATION.
FAUNUS.
BESIDES HUMANITY THER IS ANOTHER BIPEDAL SPECIES THAT IS IN DIRECT COMPETITION FOR DOMINANCE OVER THE PLANTE REMNANT. THESE ARE THE FAUNUS.
THE FAUNUS BEING A SEPARATE SPECIES IS ACTUALLY A HOTLY DEBTED TOPIC AMONG TOP ARCADIAN BIOLOGIST AS THE FACT THAT HUMANS AND FAUNUS CAN SUCCESSFULLY INTERBREED WITH REPRODUCTIVE OFFSPRING MEANS THAT THEY ARE MOST LIKELY A OFFSPRING MUTANT VARIETY OF HUMANITY OR US OF THEM.
APPEARANCE. FAUNUS LOOK ALMOST IDENTICAL TO HUMANS ON THE PHYSICAL LEVEL, WITH THE SOLE EXCEPTION BEING THE ADDITION OF ANIMAL TRAITS ADDED TO WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE A BASELINE HUMAN FORM. FAUNUS ARE NATURALLY STRONGER THEN HUMANS WITH THEIR ANIMAL TRAITS ADDING TO THEIR PHYSIOLOGY. FAUNUS, UNLIKE HUMANS, CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THE DISTINCT CLASSIFICATIONS, OF BETA'S, ALPHA'S, AND PURE BREEDS.
NOTE A CAVEAT SHOULD BE MADE HERE REGARDING THE SUBCLASSIFICATION DESIGNATED THE VULF BUT THAT IS FOR LATER.
BETA'S. ALMOST IDENTICAL TO HUMANS EXCEPT WITH A EXAGERATED ANIMALISTIC TRAIT. IE CAT EARS, TAILS, SCALES FINS, FANGS ETC.
ALPHA'S STRONGER THEN BETA'S AND A HIGHER RANKED FAUNUS OVERALL. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM AND BETA'S BESIDES STRENGTH IS THAT ALPHAS HAVE TWO ANIMAL FEATURES WHILE BETA'S HAVE ONE. FOR EXAMPLE, AN ALPHA MAY HAVE A PAIR OF CAT EARS AND A CATTAIL. OR FINS AND WINGS. OR ANY OTHER COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
PURE BREEDS. THE TIP OF THE FAUNUS HIERARCHY. PURE BREEDS ARE THE STRONGEST TYPE OF FAUNUS SANS MAIDEN, CLEARANCE LEVEL REQUIRED. PURE BREEDS ARE FAUNUS THAT ARE LIMITED TO THREE CLASSES. DRAGONS, TIGERS, AND SNOW LEOPARDS.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM AND OTHERS BESIDES THE TITANIC STRENGTH DISPARITY IS THAT PURE BREED BESIDE HAVING TWO ANIMAL FEATURES ALSO HAVE HEAVILY EXAGGERATED ANIMAL QUALITIES.
THEY FOR INST WILL HAVE TIERS WITH TAILS, ANIMAL EARS CLAWS AND SLITTED EYES JUST LIKE A CAT. SNOW LEPS ARE MUCH THE SAME. DRAGONS FOR INST WHILE LOOKIN LIKE HUMANS ON THE OUTSIDE WILL HAVE A FUNCTIONS SET OF WINGS THOUGH THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF FLIGHT. HEAVILY CLAWED NAILS, LONG FORKED TONGUE LIZARD LIEK EYS AND CALE LIKE SKIN. THOUGH THEY MAY LOOK ANIMALS THEY ARE STILL VAUGELY HUMAN LIKE ARE ARE CLEARY RECOGNIZABLE AS A MEMBER OS THE SAME SPECIES.
NOTE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS THE CONCEPTION RATE OF PURE BREEDS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TIGERS ARE ABYSMALLY LOW. AND THE FACT THAT ANY HUMAN PURE BREED CHILD IF A FAUNUS WILL BE A PURE BREED HAS LEAD CREDENCE TO THE SIMILAR SPECIES AND GIVES CREDENCE TO THE PREDATOR THEORY.
HUMAN AND F AUNUS SHARE REMNANT UNDER AN UNEASY TRUCE ALLA TREATY OF THE GREAT WAR WITH HUMAN POPULATION NUMBERS SOMEWHERE AROUND THIRTY THOUSAND AND FAUNUS IN THE ROUGHLY ONE HUNDRED MILLION. THE ONLY REASON THE FAUNUS DO NOT COMPLETELY DOMINATE HUMANITY IS THE SHEER TECHNOLOGICAL DISCREPANCY BETWEEN US.
DATALOG END BIOLOGY TRANSFER FILCOMPLETETE. FOR THE GLORY OF ARCADIA.