9 Months To Live
Chapter 22: Thunderstruck
Disclaimer: *pulls out the BFG 9001* I will use this to obtain the rights to RWBY from Rooster Teeth!
*Fires but the recoil from the gun causes Lone to go sailing out the window* GOD DAMNIT PHYSICS!
Don't own RWBY.
AN: Guess who's back? Back again? Loney's back. Tell a friend!
Hello readers! Tis I, your favorite asshole...I think. Sorry for the wait, I just been busy taking my now somewhat free time to update a little of the older chapters, you know, the ones that are a trash or not bad but not quite the best I've done so far (Personal fav is Piano Man for me. Love that bit with Qrow and Jaune) Past me was a fucking idiot. Which I'm sure I'm gonna be using that phrase somewhere again. Feedback on the last chapter was mostly focused on Qrow calling Sun Harambe. I swear to God, mention that gorilla once on the internet, everyone loses their minds! Now onto questions.
"Will you update or is this discontinued?" Oh, for the love of- I WILL TELL YOU IF I EVER DID THAT! I just procrastinate really badly and work on other projects on and off. I would never just drop off the face of the earth and stop writing this story without telling you readers.
"More attention on the pregnancy" I'm open to suggestions on how, people. I'm juggling comedy, plot, and pregnancy. If you want more of something in there, propose how.
Now, chapter away! *360 noscopes out the window like a baller, taking out Jerry's kneecap*
Qrow knew something was off. He'd been walking in the woods for hours now, and nothing happened. But that was just the thing. Nothing happened, no grimm, no bandits, no nothing. It was calm...and it wasn't natural. Call it years of being fighting causing him to be paranoid, but paranoia kept him alive now. Slowly, Qrow brought out his blade, extending it into it's longsword setting.
"You can come out now. I know you're there." He said slowly.
A sliver of steel caught his eyes, just in time too. Raising his blade, sparks flew as metal hit metal, showing the wrist mounted axe heads of a crazed man with a grin that screamed I just joined a cult, and it's going great!
Qrow glared at the stranger through the crossmeet of the steel "You have 5 seconds to say who the hell you are before I put you and your ponytailed ass 6 feet in the ground" He gritted out. This stranger was trained to say the least, being able to keep Qrow's blade at bay.
The man jumped away from the clash, backflipping down and giving the drunk a bow "My name is Tryian, humble servant to my Lady Salem, and you have caused quite the ruckus for my lady, killing that MISCREANT Cinder like that all those years ago…"
Qrow's eyes widened in shock. This man was in with Salem's crowd, making this fight a whole lot more deadly than he thought. Cracking his neck back, the huntsmen stretched his willowy frame, his entire body tensed, ready to snap at the slightest moment. "So, what, you plan to kill me and drag my corpse back to the witch bitch like some sort of dog trying to please his master?"
"HOW DARE YOU CALL THE QUEEN SUCH VILE THINGS! I SHALL HAVE YOUR TONGUE REMOVED!" Tryian howled in rage
"Pal, you are not the first person to threaten me with that, nor will you be the last, and certainly not the most intimidating." Qrow deadpanned.
Tryian, however, did not wait any longer. Faster than most could process, the lunatic went for Qrow's throat, only to be blocked by Qrow's blade. The damn beast of steel would be a hurdle to pass, but one that who be passed by him nonetheless. All Tryian needed to do was disarm the Branwen, then he would be completely helpless! Besides, he still had his tail hidden away for a sneak attack!
The two exchanged blows, Tyrian's being the more agile of the two, his small wrist axes allowing him to give quick and rapid strikes, but Qrow was not one to let him get an opening, and swung his blade around on pace with the insane man. With a massive strike of his sword, the hunter sent the would be assassin flying into a tree.
Tyrian however reacted fast, landing catlike on top of the tree, clicking his weapon into it's firearm state, blasting at his target with malicious glee, giggling away.
"Oh come on, shooting me from a goddamn tree?" Qrow muttered to himself. Raising the flat of his sword for cover, Qrow let a slight groan at the recoil of it. The rabid onslaught of bullets was not letting up, and the damn loon was jumping from treetop to treetop like a monkey wielding a machine gun and Qrow just took it's last banana. However, mercy came for a brief moment, Qrow finally hearing a blank click of an empty chamber. Perfect.
Rushing forth with as much speed as he could, Qrow cut down the tree with one smooth motion, shifting his blade into its scythe mode mid swing. Tyrian ran down the falling branch, using gravity to help aid his attack, putting his blades forth for an dive assault directly at the Branwen. Qrow quickly raised his scythe and shifted it mid motion back to it's sword and whacked Tryian aside, the hitman falling to side, landing into a crouching position.
"You done playing around, Punk? Cause I got things to do than play with some henchman for some bitch who would care less for you." Qrow spat out.
Tyrian's eye twitched. The...pest… the TRASH...THE SCUM...dare to belittle his queen, his goddess further, as if this was some kind of game? He would not stand for this! HE WILL ANNIHILATE THE BRANWEN FROM THE GROUND HE STOOD! Tryian threw off his coat, raising his tail, primed at ready to pierce his prey.
Qrow blinked "Gonna be honest. I did not account for the giant fucking the hell did you hid that thing in your coat, shove it up your ass?"
Tyrian let out a rage filled roar moved at Qrow with inhuman like speed, knocking Qrow with his tail. The hunter let out an audible oof, the blow knocking the breath out of him, causing him to lose his stance and drop his weapon, his sword embedding itself deep inside a large oak, Qrow's back slamming heavily against a tree with a painful thud.
Tyrian begin to slowly saunter over to his prey "Well, little bird, look at you. No weapon, low aura, and no back up. You can try to beg, but it won't work. Your transgressions are too many"
Qrow let out a light chuckle as he picked himself up, cracking his fists. "Look, I don't give a damn about your bullshit right now Scorpy, but you forgot to do your homework. I was on the greatest team to come out of Beacon, and on that team was Taiyang Xiao Long, the man with the dragon's fist."
"So what, you expect your friend to come here and save you"
Qrow smirked. "Nope." And with that, he punched him right in face, an audible crack could be heard as the assassin's nose broke. Qrow continued on with a left hook to his face, then finally a heavy kick to the groin.
Tyrian only saw red. This...this...MAN WAS MOCKING HIM, HIS LADY!
Tryian shot up like a rocket, his tail primed directly at Qrow's throat.
But he never got the chance.
Qrow blinked as he saw a familiar katana slice through the tail like a red hot knife through butter.
Raven.
"Lovely to see that even as an adult I have to save your hide, dear brother." She said, poison in her words as she sheathed her katana.
"Fuck off Raven." Qrow hissed. Honestly, with his aura teetering near zero right now, he couldn't afford to play stupid, especially since he wouldn't put it beyond Raven to stab him in the god damn back.
Tryian on the other hand, seemed to be done.
"She won't be pleased...no she will not. She will hate us for this...but she will hate me more if I die. A dead servant is a useless servant…" he mumbled to himself, beginning to scatter off.
Raven begin to start pursuing him, but Qrow's hand held her back.
"We got bigger fish to fry first sis." He said. "Besides, we need to catch up first. But not here."
Raven looked her brother in the eye "Let me guess where, the nearest bar?"
"Why, that sounds like a wonderful idea!"
"Why are you here Qrow? I know you've been looking for me. I told you before about Yang, I'm not-"
"Tai's daughter has lost her interest in finding you for a long time because of the deadbeat mom you are."
Raven would never let it show, but that cut deeper than she ever thought. So many people had lost hope on her. Her brother, Tai, Summer had been the only one left on the team STRQ who thought she had good left in her, and she's dead. Had Yang really given up on her? Her own daughter? "Then why are you here, and why was that nutcase trying to kill you?"
"Like I said, it's a long story, and I'm definitely gonna need something stronger than the stuff in my flask to get through it. So, let's catch up some Sis."
Pyrrha was having...a time.
Well, the boy she still harbored feelings (that she repressed deeply in order to not make things awkward), and his baby momma who was a friend of her's that the two...did things after a drunken party, said baby momma was kidnaped by a former high ranking military officer because her eyes had magic properties that he planned to use to fight an evil supernatural witch that was somehow connected to the grimm, and now she was looking for the Maidens, business she thought she would never have to get involved with again after the Vytal festival their freshman year.
And now Nora had built a pillow fort in the inn they were staying with that night, and if the noises she heard last night were any indication, she was pretty sure Ren and Nora had taken their relationship to a much more...physical level. A much louder, vocal, physical level if that moaning was what she thought it was.
Not that she would ever complain or anything! She was happy for both of them to be in the relationship they were in, but still questioned when it happened and slightly regretted not packing headphones. She decided it would be best to head outside for a bit to get some fresh air and clear her head...and maintain whatever innocence she still had left after hearing those two go at it.
But now, sitting outside by herself, she felt something she had never felt before. Useless. She wasn't meant to be leader, despite what the people of her home would let you believe. But Jaune had put her in charge, trusted her with this duty to find the fall maiden while he finds Ruby. Was this what he felt like when he first arrived at Beacon? Standing on the sidelines being unable to do anything as the bigger players do their job?
"What appears to be bothering you Ms. Nikos?"
Pyrrha turned around to see Professor-Doctor, sorry-Oobleck standing behind her, with his thermos in his hand, taking a casual sip.
"Oh, nothing, Doctor Oobleck." She dismissed.
However, her former teacher was not one to fall for such excuses. "Ms. Nikos, tell me, when you went to Beacon, what goal did you have? An exceptional student like yourself surely must have had plans."
Pyrrha paused for a moment. She knew long before her days at Beacon that she was exceptionally skilled at fighting her days in the arena had made almost any school want her. But she choose Beacon as a chance to be a normal girl and not treated like she was so special, like she was just a normal huntress in training. However, she never really had an end goal in mind. She knew the hunter's life was the one for her, what did she want to do after it?
"I honestly have no idea Professor." Pyrrha said, slightly embarrassed. "I guess I plan to see what the future has in store for me."
"Doctor." He corrected "I didn't earn the degree for nothing! And I've heard many students give that response before Ms Nikos enough to know that is way of saying I have no idea for any plan on my future beyond my huntsmen career."
Pyrrha looked sheepishly. The Doctor had hit it right on the head.
"Tell me Ms Nikos, What do you wish for your future?"
"I don't know Doctor Oobleck. I really don't know." She said, looking into the night sky.
Ruby was deep in thought. After all, that was what it seemed she could do. Between her ankles hurting, feeling miserable, and mood swings, she had time to think, actually think about the future.
She was gonna be a mother.
And she was afraid. Afraid for her future, afraid for her children.
She knew that Jaune was looking for her, but their last argument hung in her head. She wanted to help, to do good for the world, but what so did her mom. When she died, it hurt Ruby. She would never get another hug from her, never bake cookies with her, never get her cuts and scraps cared for by her. But she didn't want to sacrifice her dream of helping people. Ruby had the training, the skills, the power to save those who can't, and when she didn't, and people got hurt, that was on her.
But at the same time, she needed to face some brutal truths. Jaune was not perfect, neither was she. But maybe...maybe she could understand where he was coming from when he hid the work from her. It hurt her deeply that he thought it was necessary for it, but he was trying to look out for her and their unborn children, in his own dorky, stupid way. When her children are born, and if they do manage to be born normally and not in this hell she was trapped in, she needed to look at things realistically. She could never give up the hunter life, it was her dream. But she could not take the missions too dangerous.
She had to make a choice.
Her future family, or the greater good...
and it tore her something fierce to have that innocent naive belief that she could save everyone destroyed in her small, sterile cell.
Ironwood knew what was coming. Ozpin had sure enough had sent his little pawns to move towards him and the maidens, and Salem was sure enough sending her end to kill him.
But he was not alive because of luck.
Luck lost him his right arm and cursed him to metal imitation.
No. Ironwood made his own path. He refused to follow Ozpin's petty way, he refused to let the grimm consume the world by any means necessary.
He needed to break out the big guns.
Heading down to the lab, Ironwood tightened his fists. It was a risky move, one that if he had the likes of Ozpin or the others, they'd tell him it was too dangerous, too inhumane.
But what the enemy had no morals to limit themselves, and he could not let them gain that edge. If he needed to become a monster to defeat the grimm once and for all, so be it.
You see, the interesting thing of the technology used to keep the previous fall maiden alive was meant to transfer her power to one of the students Ozpin had selected. The process was meant to transfer her entire essences into one body, the power of the Maiden's paired with that of it's host.
However, the machine never got the chance to be used. After Qrow killed Cinder, Amber was finally allowed the eternal sleep she deserved.
It wasn't until years later that the idea hit Ironwood when he was beginning to form his army. Why limit it to just the Maidens? If the machine could transfer a power such as the likes of a Seasonal Maiden, surely it could do the same for a normal huntsmen with their semblances and aura?
Ironwood walked into the chamber, a modified version of the Transfer pods lying in the center, a stream of scientists looking up and saluting him.
"Captain, Sir!" The head scientist, a man by the name of Kohlefaser "The Project has been going well so far, up to 7 semblances running in the subject, with him performing remarkably well in the field, using all of them to full use."
"Excellent…" Ironwood nodded. "Project Meta will give our friends quite the surprise…"
Omake: The Qrow's and the Schnee's
Ozpin was at the end of his line. This was it. This was how it ended.
"After the actions of Ms. Xiao Long at Signal during the practice, parents are in an uproar Ozpin. You need to do something" Glynda Goodwitch yelled to him.
The headmaster let out a deep sigh. Ever since he let the senior students act as teacher for a day over at Singal to help them get a grasp on their approaching futures. However, one massive class of...debauchery by a certain Yang Xiao Long left an angry herd of concerned parents over their horny teenage kids.
"Look Ozpin, it is our duty to teach them of the birds and the bees, so you have to do something" Glynda continued to lecture him, most of it droning out as usual.
However, one bit caught his attention. "That's it the Glynda. We send our bird to teach them."
Glynda paled "Sir, that is quite possibly one of the worst decisions you have ever made. And you sent someone two whole years ahead into here along with another student with no previous combat skills, made them both leaders, and let several questionable staff and budgeting choices."
"There is nothing wrong with our coffee experience. And he'll be a great teacher. Better than Mr. Xaio Long, with his track record. Once again.
Entire.
Tea-"
Lone checked his window, shotgun at the ready to defend himself from any dark avian creatures that might want his flesh.
"The hell are you looking at?" Meep questioned the man
Lone shrugged. "Kinda expected something. Guess the joke kinda wore out."
"Like our reader's patience?"
"EXACTLY!"
So no
Max was salty to say the least. He was fed up of his teacher David being so goddamn happy and BORING! Nothing ever fucking happened around here and it drove him nuts!
"Alright class, today we have a special guest, brought to us by the headmaster of Beacon himself! Who here's exciting, cause I sure as golly know I am!' David said, his optimism seeming to burn holes into the minds of many teens who personally would rather be back in their bed sleeping.
"Alright kids, due to Prof. Ozzy withholding my booze till I actually do this, I gotta teach you about one of the greatest things in the world because my eldest niece was pulled a Tai."
Neal's eyes lit up "Wait, are we gonna be studying theoretical physics such as string theory? I've been looking so forward to getting to that!"
"Nah, that's dumb Neal. Obviously we're learning how to kill a grimm with our teeth!" Nikki grinned.
"You're both wrong kiddos, though I might try that last one after a night on the town. Today, I'm gonna teach you about...the horizontal tango, the hokey pokey, the Yang Bang, dirty dancing, the no pants dance, plowing the field, to use your sword and sheath."
Max blinked. Everyone else in the class was lost, but Max caught onto every single one of Branwen's phrasing. "Are you fucking serious?!"
"Well, more like serious fucking, but you get the point."
Neal raised a hand "Um, I'm still lost. What are you teaching use about again?"
Qrow took a reach into his coat pocket and brought out his backup flask "I'm teaching you brats to fuck responsibly cause of my blonde niece."
To this, all the kids did what any teen would do when adults talk about the sex, exploding in a mixture of immature laughter and awkward nopes."
Now, first step. Avoid marriage at all cost. Trust me, condoms are your friend. You don't want to end up like Mr. Tai over here. Don't be a lame parent, be the cool irresponsible uncle or aunt."
Nikki walked out of the class, pumping her fist. "Best. Class. Ever."
"I am never touching people again. Screw all of that, or in this case, screw none of that! I'm gonna hide in my basement with my precious machines and become a hermit." Neal shuddered.
Max was still lost at words, only able to get out one, simple, crude sentence that could sum up his life.
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!"