"While the Hunting Lodges manage any potential Grimm threats in the Kingdoms, there have been several long standing groups that operate outside of those structures. Seeing the registration and paperwork of Hunting in the kingdoms as a detriment, they cut themselves off and seek out the Outlier Regions to set up their own operations. Each kingdom generally tries to absorb or discreetly deal with these groups before they gather enough power to become a proper threat (Or worse, start thinking about increasing their numbers the easy way.) I'd encountered a few on my travels:
Hailing from the new island of Menagerie, the Midnight Claw seek to protect their new homeland and hunt whatever threats are needed. Some have suggested that they hold ties with the White Fang, the new pro-Faunus group that sprung up there, but most of Menagerie see them as completely separate. An interesting point to note is that, despite Menagerie not being a kingdom, the Midnight Claw is still considered an outsider group and not an official Hunting Lodge. That privilege, it would seem, is reserved for the kingdoms alone.
A long standing group that has somehow managed to survive for at least a century, the Iron Guard of Vale endure in at the edges of the kingdom. An exclusively defensive group, they guard against any Grimm attack that threatens a village under their control but never actively go Hunting in the forests or mountains of the kingdom. They build as well as protect, taking engineers into their fold to construct defenses and walls for the smaller villages. Quite possibly the largest of the outsider groups, it has played a key role in Vale's history despite not officially being a part of the official defensive or Hunting structures. By the time they were large enough, they'd proven themselves too invaluable to try and remove.
The Four Winds. If you've read the Vacuo book in the Marvels of Remnant series, you are probably aware that I grew up with stories of these mighty desert fighters. Crews of Hunters and Huntresses going on mighty treks to hunt the beasts filled my childhood nights with dreams of following in their footsteps. Alas, it was not to last. (Read 'Marvels of Remnant - Vacuo' for more information.) But they still hold a place in the Vacuoian mindset. Their free nature and casual approach to Hunting made them living legends in their prime. The group survived by replacing the leaders after one fell in battle from their crews, thus establishing a clear line of succession before things got out of control. Recently however, the group fell completely off the radar. Most, including myself, eagerly await their return.
The Atlesian Military has spent more man hours than it cares to admit on catching Frostbite. From what information I have been able to gather on this mysterious group, they barely number in the double digits. But their mercenary attitude to Hunting, along with certain additional activities that have managed to infuriate several military companies, has made them a surprising hit amongst the people of Atlas. There were ideas tossed around about comics or, most worringly of all for the now public image conscious Atlas, a movie with Frostbite in some leading role. No word has yet come out as to the status of these projects."
Tatar of the Wandering Tribes, "Marvels of Remnant - the Hunting Lodges."
Well, no-one can accuse me of "leading from the back".
Jaune batted away the awkward swing of an axe just before a hail of bullets clanged against his shield. An easy slash of his sword carved the blank masked man's chest to ribbons as Jaune battered his way closer to the steel gateway and the glass balcony that dominated the mountain above it.
Little further. Just gotta keep going.
A small scratch dug into his arm even as he whirled round, hacking wildly at the many opponents he now found himself surrounded by. The sea of white masks seemed to have no end as the many weapons glinted and jutted out of the crowd.
Step one complete! Now to survive step two.
"Hello! Outis!" He called above the din. "Come on, you coward! Let's see how 'Mother' likes you when I crack your face open!" The slight hint of nerves was easily concealed by the steel hammering against his armor and shield.
Nothing happened. The army continued to surge in and pressure Jaune as he ducked, dived and bashed his way through the blank faced horde.
Okay… That's bad.
Another light scratch across his arm brought a roar to the battlefield as Jaune pulled out his pistol. An elegant series of precise shots were joined with a frankly brutal barrage of kicks, punches and stomps with his heavy steel boots. Bones shattered and the screaming began to shift from "bloodlust" to "blood loss" in a matter of seconds.
Another cut managed to find it's way through the gaps in his armor. The resounding blows and echoing sounds surrounded Jaune much as the sea of bodies did.
Man, I hope this works…
He felt the same rush of emotions he had back at the base. That same feeling, deeper than his body, rushed through him and out into the world.
The world began to burn.
The stench of charred flesh forced itself into Jaune's nostrils as the screams intensified. The thumps of metal against his armor abruptly stopped. The heat took its place. The raw surging flames wrapped around him like a sheet of needles before he eventually cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.
A rumble from the ground forced Jaune to his feet clutching his arm. Holstering his pistol, he looked straight ahead and saw the looming form of an Ursa monstrosity. The frozen face of a terrified young woman stared back out from the chest even as the white bone mask covered her face like a funeral shroud.
Alright then. Just gotta burn myself again.
Another surge of that deep emotion and Jaune flung that same white fiery heat straight at the glass window, shattering it as glinting snowflakes tumbled to the ground. "Come on! I'm getting bored here! Can't fight your own battles?! Mother must be so ashamed!" A mad laugh, borne more out of pain than actual taunting, ripped through Jaune's mouth as he drew his sword. As he did so, he could see off in the distance more random minions rushing up to meet the white clad warrior.
The grotesquery in front of him roared. Jaune roared back.
A slash of claws began the fight anew as they ripped through the air. Jaune raised his shield only to find himself flung through the air.
Damn.
Righting himself Jaune stabbed his sword into the ground as he slammed his boots down, carving a trench of dirt as he launched himself back towards the grizzly menace.
Another mighty swing of claws forced Jaune down to the ground before Jaune stabbed straight into the chest of the beast. The sword sunk in deep but even as he pulled the sword out, the wound easily started to close. The black wires of muscles stitched across the opening as another roar echoed between them.
The beast body slammed straight down trying to crush Jaune into the dirt. His reflexes working exceptionally quickly, Jaune dropped his sword and grabbed the ebony fur and heaved.
A surge of strength ripped through him as the beast just wrestled around him arms. Lifting the beast above his heads, he threw it straight at the gate.
The blinding surge of orange light disintegrated the abomination. As the last sinews of muscle and bone dropped to the ground, a faint scream of pain whispered through the battlefield.
A ping of rifle fire hit Jaune in the hip before he grunted in pain. He dashed over to his sword and held his shield high as more bullets pinged off the shield.
Gotta step it up. Those morons in the masks are gonna get over here eventually.
At that moment, the metaphorical light bulb sprung to life over Jaune's head.
Pyrrha's gonna kill me.
Smashing the two parts of Crocea Mors together and shouting a challenge to the hordes of brutes coming towards him, Jaune charged the horde.
The effect was immediate. The gunfire now tore through the flimsy armor as holes began to appear in the once thick clumps of warriors. Leaping straight through, he slammed the chaotic masses of humans and slashed out at any piece of humanity he could.
Blood splattered around him. The once white armor he wore now dripped eagerly with red as Jaune felt his Aura pump through his muscles.
A faint whirring of metal in the distance caught Jaune's attention. A great rumble surged through the ground as Jaune continued his assault.
Come on, you madman. Take the bait. There's gotta be something…
"Your 'shiny!'" He shouted into the air. "You honestly think that she'll let you keep it after this?"
The same rumble again. As Jaune kept dodging, he turned his attention towards it.
It was massive. The steel frame was covered in weapons from a long blade to a ridiculous number of guns and artillery placements. The large fanned feet stomped into the ground as it marched directly towards him. If he focused his eyesight, Jaune could just about make out a pilot sitting in the middle.
Worse, there were two of them. A blast of rockets sent both suits of armor flying before they slammed down faster than Jaune could move. A single moment passed as Jaune frantically searched for any opening the two mechanical monoliths didn't have covered with some weapon or other.
Okay. I can do this. Just have to try and use that Aura blast aga-
He collapsed on the floor, his chest clenched in extreme pain. He let out a murderous scream. He could only look up at the gentle slowly floating form above him.
"How'd you like my toys?" A voice roared as a low thump landed next to Jaune's head. "Little design I managed to get from Atlas." The boot bashed in. "You've never been there, have you?" Outis sneered. "You've never even left this little kingdom. I might have to change that…" Dimly, Jaune could see him gesture to two minions and felt his body being lifted from the floor before he let the darkness fully take over.
A cage. The headlock his sister once put him in. The chamber he'd changed in. A-
Jaune gasped awake before having to flinch his eyes closed. The bright light shining right in his eyes merely added to the general discomfort at the scene in front of him.
The grand window gave a wide view of the surrounding view of the countryside. Small villages dotted around the horizon as the vast stretches of Valian forests covered the areas in between. As Jaune gasped another breath, the smell of wet iron and fresh paint swirled into his senses. The dripping noise came to his ears even as he heard the faint strokes of brush against canvas.
Uh, the hell? Who's painting?
A groan tumbled out, alerting Jaune to movement behind him. "Ah!" Went the now familiar voice. "You're awake." Outis stalked around into view. "Oh, where are my manners." A vague gesture to the window and blinds descended down blocking out the light. The dim lights flickered on and Outis walked around.
"I do love to paint when I can." Outis said, sitting down in a distinctly more comfortable chair than the one Jaune found himself in. "It is a rare pleasure for me to enjoy a landscape before burning it. I suppose I have that to thank you for."
Jaune clenched his fists, grasping for any Aura he had. "Ah ah ah!" Outis said. "None of that now. Honestly, you Hunters, so reliant on your Aura. I'd thought you better than that." He laughed gently. His eye twitched slightly before he lunged at the imprisoned Arc.
"Tell me." Outis snarled. "What did it feel like, hm? When they shoved you in that little box and pulled a better man out? Tell me." His hand grabbed a finger and pulled.
The resulting snap echoed around the room.
Jaune bit his tongue and simply glared at the man across from him.
"Oh? Not gonna cry out for someone? But you were so talkative earlier." Another snapping sound. "Tell me what it was like. Answer me!" The guttural shouting boomed.
"I felt powerful!" Jaune admitted. "I'd been beaten and broken and weak for so long and I just felt invincible." He stared, shaking in equal parts anger and pain, at Outis. "But at least I didn't have to steal it. I earned this." He spat out.
Another eye twitch. "Well, you're honest." The voice calmed down and took an elegant note. "I do miss actual conversation these days. Mother sent me here with only these… manufactured buffoons to help. Even with the Ursa…" He sighed. "Where are your friends? Like the girl with the hammer? I suspected she might know you..."
Jaune's eyes widened. "I'll never tell you."
"Oh, I suspect you will." Outis replied, touching his chest. A faint orange glow passed over his hand before he placed it straight onto Jaune's chest. "See, we're more alike than you'd care to admit. I'm just going to show you how similar we really are."
The orange glow flooded into Jaune and-
(FAMILIAR. ALIKE. KINDRED.) A barrage of imagery and stimuli flooded through Jaune as he shook violently in his seat.
As quickly as it had come on, the scenes faded away. "Yes, it's not pleasant is it?" The mocking tone of Outis spoke up. "Once it sets in though, it's a much more enjoyable experience."
"What-" Jaune heaved, feeling his stomach convulse. "What did you do?"
"I used my Shiny!" His eyes twitched in unison this time as he pulled out a glowing orange gem hung on a necklace. "It's so pretty!"
Oh this isn't good. Jaune thought as he stared at the madman.
"It does so many things too!" Another eye twitch and then a burst of laughter. "You actually got me monologuing!"
"What." Jaune replied.
"You know, like in those old comic books? The villain has the hero at their mercy and all that? I can't believe I actually started doing it." Outis shook his head. "Ah well, it won't matter soon. Let's continue."
His hand glowed again and-
(UNITY. COMMUNION. BELONGING.)
Jaune gasped heavily again. "W-why…"
"Why?" The madman asked. "Because I hate to throw away a good resource! You know how rare someone like you is? Who actually survived that old crazy man's experiment? I could count you all on one hand and have fingers left over!" He laughed again.
"Liar." Jaune bit out. "Not… true."
"Awwww, did you think you were special? That out of everyone on this entire planet, you were the only one he'd graced with his little 'concoction?'" Another eye twitch. "He had vision." Outis now snarled again. "A pity he had to die like the fool he was. He could have lived if only he'd joined me."
Jaune thought back, desperate to try and take his mind of the mental torture. "You… met him?"
"Oh no. I just sent a message." Outis grinned. "True, it was with his last remaining family's head. That might've been why he turned me down…" Another maniacal laugh ripped it's way through the room. "You won't though. This trick only works on people like you."
Before Jaune could shout back a response, he-
(SUBMIT. JOIN. BECOME.)
"Do you see it yet?" Outis cackled. "The beauty of what I am trying to show you?" His eye twitched again as his voice changed back to the polite tone. "I did my research on you. I know what you really want. You want to belong.
"How long did they torment you, your mother and father?" The words hung in the air. "How long did they say 'maybe' or deflect your fondest wish away when you begged? You were so desperate to feel close to them that you risked every part of you that mattered. And for what? To be a Hunter? To fight Grimm? Pssh." Outis scoffed. "You wanted to be like them and they dangled your hopes like a carrot on a stick before throwing them away."
Jaune closed his eyes as he held back the tears. "No…"
"Yes. The sooner you admit it, the sooner you can actually be something. Not a mere Hunter but something great. Your Aura is strong! Mother would be glad to have you join the family. All you need to do-" He held his hand against Jaune's chest.
"Is serve."
(A cage. A prison. Gold bars. A colourful bird.)
Jaune screamed out in defiance. "NO!"
Outis raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"Gonna take more than a tap on the chest to change me." Jaune wheezed. "You really think…" His head rocked to one side. "That I'm that easy to break?"
With a mighty roar, Jaune's muscles ripped off the metal shackles that held him to the chair as he kicked Outis hard in the chest. The white jacketed man slammed against the ground winded while Jaune dashed away from him. As he felt his Aura return, flooding through his muscles, he lashed out with a great blast of the stuff.
The window shattered for the second time that day, sending glass all over the floor as Jaune dashed over to the radio Nora had seen Outis use earlier.
"Come in!" Jaune twisted the dial to the frequency. "This is Emissary designation CAC031941! Requesting full activation of reserve forces! Professor, now's the time! Our location is two days due west of our last recorded co-"
Jaune raised and arm to protect his face as the machine in front of him burst into radiant flames. "So." The voice behind him growled. "Gotten stronger have we? And I thought you Hunters used Aura for everything."
Jaune said nothing in return. He simply let his anger rise up as he threw another blast of Aura straight out the window.
"Your aim needs work, little Jaune."
The thunder rumbled outside as black clouds appeared in the sky.
"You're mine, Outis!" Jaune roared. "You pathetic madman!"
Jaune lunged into combat with only one desperate thought on his mind.
Please, please let this work…
(rwbyfan5: A good beta reader looks through your work. A great beta reader looks through your work and makes it better.
Many thanks to Jet Long for favouriting this story!
See you on Saturday!)