AN. This is it! The climax approaches! In this chapter, Roman makes a stand! And we get to see one helluva fight! Let's hope it's a good one.
Fire. The sound of crackling fire and the low droning sounds of warning sirens filled the air as Roman stood in the flaming air of the Beacon courtyard as the fall began."Neo. Go to the arena. Look for people on the ground and help them get the hell away from this cluster fuck."
Roman said with an icy tone as his daughter nodded to him. Her multi-colored eyes nodded as she flashed her scroll."What about you?""Don't worry about me princess. Daddy's got to go check on the generator." Roman said as Neo frowned. It was a simple thing, a typical Neo pout. A pout Roman had seen on his daughters face a million times before, and he smiled at his daughter's adorable cute seemed to be a perfect cross between an angry puppy and a pissed off mongoose.
"Don't get hurt! I'll be mad if you get another injury!" Neo pouted stamping on her high heeled foot on the ground as Roman smiled."Don't worry baby; daddy's going to be fine. Just get out there and do some good ok?"Roman asked rubbing his hand on Neo's head. Savoring every second he could rub his hand on his child's head.
Making her coo as Neo nodded before turning around and sprinting away. As she ran away Romans eyes never left his daughter form, his sharp green eyes taking in every last detail of her small bobbing head covered in her thin luscious multi-color hair. Her pale skin that reminded Roman of fresh cream and those beautiful heterochromatic eyes left him as Roman help her from until she shattered!
In a shower of glass vanishing from his sight.
Neo did not have to look far for trouble as soon as she popped! Back into reality as her high hells tip taped! Onto the Beacon cobblestone floor that she had begrudgingly grown accustomed to trouble was right there. A group of civilians where being attacked by a small group Grimm. Three Ursa normal, not majoris. And four nonalpha beowulf's. As Neo went to pass them she paused as she noticed most of them where faunus. Neo frowned, content to let the Grimm eat some kibble before-
"You are my friend! Thank you, Neo! You mean a lot to me."
"Monty dammit."
Neo thought as images of the golden faunus entered her minds as her stupid! Rival for her brother's affections spoke as Neo sighed as she came to a realization that was a long time coming. She didn't hate the faunus. Not really she hated the fang and the fang where faunus and-
"Not all faunus are fang."
Neo thought as she sighed taking out her sword as she popped into the fight. The first Grimm died not knowing who killed it. Neo straddled its thick neck before her sword popped! Out of its eye as she drove it clean through its brain from the back of its skull. It died without making a sound. As its body went stiff Neo was already moving.
The next to Grimm did a similar fashion as Neo took out the jugular and spine respectively of the other Ursa's. Killing them before the could even so much as swipe at her. Before moving on to the Beowulf, that at least got in some attacks. Before Neo sliced and dices them into little bite-sized chunks. Grimm where no match for Neo. They hadn't been in some years really. Neo could kill a damn Nevermore by herself and that was on an off day. But now?
The Grimm was so easy to predict it took all the fun out of the fight as even Jaune! Had more randomness to his attacks than the Grimm. And yes Jaune was very predictable if you knew how to read him. And you knew him like Neo did then-
"Lady! Behind you!"
A faunus child with brown skin and wolf ears said as she pointed behind Neo while she hugged her twin? Brother as Neo looked to her left and frowned as six pairs of beady yellow eyes looked at her as a deathstalker appeared.
Neo was irritated. She fought like a surgeon. She used her sword to poke and prod an enemy before finding their weaknesses and cruelly slicing them apart. She needed to rely on precision and dexterity and a deathstalker? Well, it was one giant slab of armor. It had no real weakness so to speak. And none Neo could easily exploit. As she sighed, as she began to sprint at it. Hoping to close the distance get close enough to its eyes to blind it and them-
BANG!
Neo hit the ground as years of training kicked in as the monster exploded. As it's carapace blowing it apart into a million tiny pieces as Neo's jaw dropped as the sound of grinding gears? Filled her head as-
"Democracy is nonnegotiable!"
A booming voice said to form behind her as Neo whirled around to see-
"Our tank!?"
Neo thoguht as thier families tank rolled into Beacon as her jaw dropped as the tanks hatch popped open as-
"Militades!?"
"Hey Neo! We fixed your tank!"
Neo vanished as Roman took a deep breath as he turned away from Neo ignoring the sound of falling metal and burning air as he began to move forward. His feet beginning to move in a dread-filled funeral march Roman gulped loudly, once again time seemed to slip from his mind as he begna to move.
Each step of his feet was like moving led as Roman walked forward. He did not, want to go ahead. He did not want to go to the generator. He wanted to go with Neo find wherever the hell Jaueneand Cinder where, go to whatever safe house she had set up and get the fuck! Out of this nightmare of a school. But that didn't happen. Instead Roman sped up, his feet began to move with a renewed vigor, as he chest eaved and his heart pumped! As his legs were filled with a new raw energy as they were forced to move forward, by some unseen hand that pulled him to his destiny as Roman began to sprint for the generator.
His legs where moving as fast as humanly able as he sprinted forward to the dark conch like building that loomed out ominously in the dark Beacon night, as the sound of the falling arena filled the air as Roman could hear, the generators strained hum as it fought to keep the arena reached the entry in less than half a minute as he had a dark feeling that he would never see his daughter again. As he forced the image os Neo out of his mand as he crashed into the staircase leading up to the room, Roman sprinted up the stairs, taking them one, two, three!
Steps at a time, blazing up the steps of the generator as he stormed up the stairs running as fast legs pumping as quickly as possible as Roman made his way into the generator room as fast as he could. Sprinting inside the sharp narrow corridors, and running past the dimly lit narrow hallways before crashing into the generator was unsurprisingly empty as the room was filled with the dozens upon dozens of whirring computer terminals as the massive tetrahedral dust crystals floated in the center staring at the lone human with a glowing blue hue as they fought to keep the generator up in the sky.
As Roman felt a pulse of energy flood his body as his teeth were put on edge, as he ran inside the area and-
Ding! His scroll rang as someone called him?
"Who the fuck is calling me?"
Roman asked as he looked down to see an incoming call form Ozpin. On the screen as Roman scowled.
"Oz," Roman said as the energy that had pulled him into the are bleed out of his body, as his legs were once again put back under his own control as a snarl formed on his lips.
"Roman. I see you have made the right choice. I am pleased.' The man said in an unbearably! Smug voice as Roman glowered."I made the dumb choice." Roman spat at Ozpin as the man sighed over the scroll.
"You made the only choice that you could make," Ozpin replied calmly over the scroll as Roman growled."I didn't have a choice! I was dragged here! It was like-"Like you where being pulled by some invisible hand?" Ozpin asked as Roma's mouth dropped."You-"Roman. I'm sorry but you needed to make the right choice, and since you were going to make a smart choice and that unfortunate. I needed you to ice the right choice, so I had to nudge you along and-
"You used me!?" Roman snarled as Ozpin sighed heavily over the scroll.
"Roman. When you came to my school poor, tired, afraid. After trying to steal from me and were little more than a gutter rat, instead of kicking you out I asked what you wanted to become in life. And you told me that you wanted to become a hero. And I told you, that you would. I promised you that you would become a hero, Roman. No matter what. You are going to be a hero, Roman Torchwick. Whether you want to or not."
Ozpin said as Roman heard a fire in his voice and-
"Ozpin! You some of a bi-
"I made your choice Roman. Now prove me right." Ozpin said before hanging up!? On him, as Roman swore.
"Fuck!"
Roman thought as he stamped his foot onto the ground as-
Ding!
Roman's scroll rang again as he picked it up quickly.
"Roman dear? Where are you?" The smooth, calm voice of his wife asked as Ciner spoke in his scroll. A million things wanted to come out of his mouth as he wanted to scream to his wife to tell her something was wrong! Before he felt that same strange energy flow into him as his mouth was wired shut as it began to move on its own.
"I'm in the generator room honey... Roman said in a low voice as he saw the smile on Cinders face.
"Good. I'm with Blake and Jaune. We are accompanied by some of his friends at the moment, and we are going to be taking a detour. When will the generator be down?" Cinder asked as Roman felt his heart pop! As he knew what he was going to say might be the last thing he ever would. As he fought! To break past the angry gripping his jaw as-
"It won't be coming down Cinder."
"Roman? What are you talking about? What's wrong with the generator?" Cinder asked as Roman spoke.
"Cinder-
"Don't be a fool!"
Cinder said her voice so sharp it coudl cut steel as Roman knew what he had to do as his mouth moved.
"Cinder. I can't you do this."
"Yes! YES, YOU CAN!" Roman yelled in his head as-
"Roman! Think about what you are doing! You are going to go against me! You know what I work for. Roman, you can't-
"She doesn't scare me Cinder. I've faced her before, and I'll face her down again. I'm goign to save this arena."
Roman said as Cinder pause as her line went still before-
"Ozpin."
Cinder said in a voice that was so hot it was frigid making Roman's breath catch in he throat as felt the heat in her voice as he knew his wife's eyes where flamming.
"Cinder. I can't let you-
"What have you done?! What did you do to him!? Roman! Roman listen to me! You have to fight back! You-
"Cinder. Roman has made his choice-
"You mean you stole it from him! You're forcing him to do this with your damn magic! I-
"I did what I needed to do-
"Roman. I'm sending men to take the facility. I'll tell them to take you alive. So fight! Fight back, Roman!" Cinder shouted as Roman felt the heat in her voice as he knew that she was crying. As a rage boiled in the theifs chest as-
"I love you." Roman. Said as he hung up his scroll as he reasserted himself. Roman knew what he needed to do. He knew that he did NOT! Want to be here. He wanted to be as far as he could away from here but now? Roman said it once to Ozpin, and even if the man forced him to be here, he knew what he had to do. As he felt a wave of regret fill him as he knew that he was probably the worst person. To be here, he did not want! To be here, he did not want to save those people, hell he could not! Save them!
The very idea of saving somebody was ludicrous! Even if Roman saved every one of the arena dwellers they would all die, everyone died. It was the inevitable conclusion of life. Death would find every person in the arena. Maybe not today maybe into tomorrow, but they would eventually all was no saving of lives; there was only the postponement of death! He should-
"There are kids on that thing. I'm not letting them die.'
Roman said in his real voice as he sighed. Knowing that even if he hadn't been forced to come he would have still been here. As the thief pondered this a laugh that was hollow and brittle left his throat, like the clanging of empty windchimes. Hell Ozpin did him a favor! He forced Roman here, and by doing that it meant that Cinder wouldn't feel betrayed Which was key. The entity that Cinder worked for was not a fan of betrayal. And Roman knew if he betrayed Cinder and even if he lived!
His children would be in mortal peril from something that Cinder could not save them from, but now? If Roman died, as a pawn? And not as a free man? If he could act like a tool of Ozpin's, acting not of his own free will that could ear them some clemency and that maybe! She would spare thier lives. And Cinder would still care for his children after he was gone and-
Ding! His scroll went off as Roman picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Torchwick! Where the hell are you!?" The irritated voice of Ironwood came over the scroll as Roman sighed.
"I'm in the generator room," Roman said as the man paused as if he was not expecting his reply as Ironwood sighed.
"I see. So you did not run away after all? Color me impressed Roman; I thought you would have cut and run long before now. I guess old dogs can learn new tricks." Ironwood said dryly over the scroll as Roman scowled."Spare me the tough guy routine metal root. What's the situation on the arena?" Roman snarled as the man was quick to respond.
"It's looking bad, but everything is prodding as planned."
"And that means?"
"It means that I can have this who are evacuated in five minutes."
"That's two minutes too longe metal root."
"It's Ironwood."
"I don't care! I have incoming hostiles right now-
"I can tell. My own ships in the area report a mass of fang infantry closing in on your position, even as we speak you are being surrounded." Ironwood said grimly as Roman sighed.
"Great! And the day just keeps on getting shitier! How many are we talking?"
"Conservative estimates put the enemy numbers at over three hundred."
"Three hundred!?"
"That's what my ships say, and I do stress that they are being conservative in thier count. The actual number is most likely much more."
"Great! Well, now I get to fucking die. How many ships do you have ferrying people out of that hell hole?"
"All non-essential military craft are currently busy assisting with the evacuation."
"Ok. What are the odds of me getting any air support?"
"None."
"None?! This is the literal definition of a target rich environment here for crying out loud!" The man cried as Ironwood sighed heavily over the scroll.
"Roman in case you have gone blink the sky is full of Grimm! We are hard-pressed to defend ourselves, and all of our aerial assets are currently diverted to keeping the arena safe and secure while all ground forces establish a ground perimeter securing a landing zone for the civilians. We can't spare anyone to go assist you. I'm sorry."
"Damn it! Fuck me! I guess it looks like I really have to hold a line."
"Yes, you do."
"Do you have to sound so happy about me going to die?"
"I am not happy about death Roman. I take no pleasure in it."
"Great. That' s a big help. Just do your job. Get those people out of that damn arena will you?"
"I'll be done in five minutes. You have my word."
"You have four."
Roman said hanging up the phone with a final click! As he dialed a number.
"Come on! Come on! Pick up you-
"Hey! You reached Jaune Torchwick! Since your calling this number you must know who I am! If not forget you ever dialed this number or else! Leave me a message after the tone! Unless you are Neo in case text me you damn imp! And whatever I did I'm sorry!" Beep!
His son failed to answer his scroll as Roman left a message.
"Jaune... I... I don't know how to say this so let me jsut say it. I'm sorry. I know I was not the best dad. No, I was a shit father to you growing up. I left you and Neo alone for weeks if not months at a time. I was always working while you were left to watch me. I was a shit role model at best who let my kids, my own children! Pick a life that I never wanted. A life I never wanted to live and I let them get caught up in it and now? Well, now it's finally come to bite me in the ass."
Roman admitted with a dry laugh as a lump formed in his throat as he gulped.
" I... I'm sorry son. I want you to know that the day I found you... I bombed your family. I stole the bomb for the fang; I'm the reason you where raised by me. And I don't regret it! Not for a moment. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life Jaune. But raising you was never one. You were the reason I changed, you and your sister reminded me of who I was. Who I wanted to be and I'm sorry you might not get to see me again! But I want you to know I am proud to call you my son. And I just wanted you to be a part of my life. I'm sorry."
Roman said hanging up his scroll as he heard a loud, dull whump! As the doors to the generator where blown open as the first Fang members breached the entrance to the building.
"Need to move fast.'
Roman thought as he dialed again.
"Roman."
"Ozpin."
"How-"
I hate you."
"Fair."
"I... please don't kill my kids or my wife. Don't lock them up in jail. Please protect-
"Roman. I make no promises to your wife's life or safety, but your children were never. In any danger from me nor from anyone else, they will not be charged for any crimes. And I will protect them to the best of my ability from her. Know that."
"Thank you. For doing this for me. I-
"Don't say it, Roman. I'm sorry it had to come to this."
"You and me both."
"Before you go, allow me to give you one last gift." The mand no monster said as Roman froze.
"Gift? The hell are you-
"Roman. You are a hero. You question if your life, and are asking yourself was it one worth living? Let me show you that it was."
Ozpin said in a low voice as Roman froze as tiny hands gripped his shoulder as that energy flooded into him as tears fell from his eyes. The same sickly green energy that pulses with life as he became still and his life gained focus.
"Thank you," Roman said as he hung up his scroll as energy filled his boy and-
Ding!
"Roman. I know you are in there. Please! Fight him. I... I love you! But I can't back down form this operation it too important!" Cinder said in a rare begging tone through her scroll as Roman grimaced. Cinder never begged she was too proud. And if she was doing that now? Well, he fucked up. He fucked up bad.
"Please! I've sent over five hundred men to take you alive if possible! But if you resist-
"You should have sent more men," Roman said in a steely tone before hanging up the scroll as he sighed. "Well. If I'm going to die, I might as well die to a song right?" Roman asked to no one in particular as he slowly made his way to the record player hooked up to the rooms PA systems scanning it for the perfect! Record to end a life on as he found it at once as he gasped!
As he brushed it off lacing in on the spinning table, as he reached beneath the play to his liquor cabinet, taking out a bottle of Atlesian scotch that was older than him. Deciding that now was not the time to be a miser about drinking as he poured himself a double shot of the light brown liquid that shimmered in the room's light. Before downing it on one hard gulp.
"AH! That the stuff will take the paint right off a bullhead!" Roman said with Grimm satisfaction as the firey drink burned his side as he flipped the needle onto the record as the music began to was a low, somber tune that filled his bones with a deep sense of melancholy of a life lived to its fullest as the sound of feet stomping metal riled the room as the walls began to shake as the music started to play.
~And now, the end is near,~ The musical talent of Sinatra sang as the room began to shake like a million tin cans were rattling around it as the sound of stomping feet running towards him filled the air.
"~And so I face, the final curtain.~"
Death. There was something magical about the end of life that filled Roman with a beautiful sense of macabre curiosity. As he took a deep breath. Roman knew what was coming next, as his mind began to clear to near inhuman degrees of clarity as he began to enter that special time that came when you accepted your end, there was something about death that did an excellent job of focusing life to its finer points.
When you were going to die and you accepted that fact life just seem so easy! Problems that were the bane of your very existence just bleed away and seemed so simple to figure out that you wondered just how they where your problems at all?
As the end approached and if you accepted it your whole life just seemed right! As Roman sighed as he coudl see it now. His life, his earliest memory of staring off as literal trash a filthy Lien-less street urchin. A gutter rat with no money to his name left to die to from his family. Betrayed by his mother and left to rot. A time when he was nothing a nobody with no name no cause and family. He did not like to think about those times, not anymore. As the song droned on.
"~My friend, I'll say it clear.~"
Friends? No that didn't sound right. Roman didn't have any friends. Well, that was not true, Hei was his best friend, but that was because he was the only man Roman could be around without a strict business relationship and not either have to brutally murder or no, Roman did not have very many friends. His life did not allow for him to build up the nicer things like friendships. His career tended to put a dull hammer to ideas like that. Not that it mattered really, Roman thought as the sounds of stampeding feet filled the are shaking the room to its foundations the song played.
"~I'l state my case of which I'm certain.~"
"My case? What is my case? I was born into a wealthy family, one of the wealthiest now that I think about it. I was the eldest of five children and the only boy in it the whole clan! My mother being the generous woman that she was, kicked me out when I was eight. Boy that was one helluva birthday gift. No presents but a boot out the door, and an angry look.
I lived on the streets for few years, lying killing and stealing until finally finagling my way into Beacon. Where the damn headmaster gave me access to the school, I found a team, I led said team for four glorious! In my opinion years, then left Beacon. Became a criminal, became a father! Meat my wife and now I'm here."Roman thought summing up his life in its entirety as-
"~I've lived a life that's full. I've traveled each and every highway.~"
"Yeah, my life was full." Roman thought as warm memories flooded his feeding Jaune as a baby when the boy could fit into the palm of his hand, carrying the often quiet infant around his warehouse feeding film from a baby bottle that once house expensive rum while he slept peacefully in his arms as he rocked him to bed.
To dressing both of his children up in thier matching pants for a sleepover with the twins as Jaune refused to wear his good ones. The pair with the yellow sunflower while Neo giggled and stuffed packs of Splenda in her pockets. To meeting his wife, in that damn office of along dead business monger. To-
The sound of rushing feet became too much to bear as the first line of Fang soldiers burst into the room. Over four dozen heavily armed men and women stormed itno the room surrounding Roman in less than ten seconds as he sighed.
"~And more, much more than this. I did it my way.~"
"Roman Torchwick! We have been ordered to take you alive if possible but resit and we will shoot!" A man yelled as Roman held out his arms. It was a bit late to back down now, and if Roman had to sell a performance. He was going to sell it well.
"~Regret's, I've had a few;-
"I'm not the perfect man. Never have been never will be." Roman though as the worse memories came to his front. Memories of him coming home shambling inside his warehouse bleeding, battered, with more holes in his body than when he left.
His son running up to him his cerulean blue eyes wide in concern as Neo latched onto his leg. Treating it like a life preserver. The small had girl already lost one family, and she was petrified of losing another. Memories of him and his children when he was out of money and when they had to starve together, hungry, alone, cold as he cursed himself for not being able to provide for his own family-
"~But then again. Too few to mention.~"
The painful memories left almost as soon as they came as luckily they were few and far between. As his family rarely starved as Romans' job paid well, and once Cinder came into the picture? Memories of happy, healthy well-fed children. Smiling and playing with crayons filled his mind. As his heart felt warmer than any amount of Lien and ever made him fell and-
"Children, they change your lives don't' they?"
Raven asked in his mind as memories of the woman holding him up in Vale in what seemed like a lifetime ago entered his mind and-
"Roman! Step away from the generator! NOW!" A fang lieutenant ordered as Roman walked calmly towards the assembled faunus terrorist that now numbered in the six dozen as they all head a tight gun line of him as he calmly walked forward to face them.
"~I did what I had to do. And saw it through without exception.~"
Roman had no regrets. Not now not after everything. He lived his life the way he wanted to live it. And no one would tell him otherwise.
"Roman! Put your hands in the air! Now! Drop your weapon!" The same man yelled as Roman raised a curious eyebrow to him.
"~I planned, each charted course; each careful step along the byway.~"
Roman was not one to leave things to chance. Roman was in control of Romans destiny. He never let fate take its role in his life more than what was necessary so giving up to this man was not an option for the thief and-
"~And more. Much more than this-
"Come on Roman! We can do this one of two ways! The easy way or the hard way!" The man yelled as Fang began to advance on him Roman for the first time since the terrorist walked into the room.
"Really? We only have two ways easy and hard huh? Well! You see we could do that! We could! Do things the easy or hard way, or! Or we can do things... My way."
Roman said as he held up his cane and flicked a button an-
HEAT.
The first thing Roman felt was the pure unadulterated heat that crashed into his body like a tsunami as the room as filled with the fury of a freshly born star. FISHHHTT! The tidal wave of fire that sprung up around him was like a volcano had gone off in the room. As the entire upper balcony where the Fang members were standing on suddenly vanished into a rolling cascading tidal wave of liquid fire as the first of Romans' countermeasures kicked in.
"~Yes, there were times! I'm sure you knew! When I bit off; more than I could chew!~"
The smooth sound of Sinatra played over the speakers as boiling waves of liquid fire poured over the fang. Immolating and searing them. Filling the air with the harsh, terrible cries of the damned as the members of the fang where burned alive. Their weapons ammo exploding in their barrels eviscerating their insides and blowing apart their limbs shredding them to bloody pieces as harsh chemical fire liquified their skin making it slough off their bones as the awful screams filled the air a grin came onto Romans face at the poetic justice as the Daisy cutters went off.
As the very same objects that caused his daughter so much misery, on that fateful night. The bombs that took her family and stole her voice detonated, as a grin came over his face as he was finally able to pay back the white Fang tenfold. As the daisycutter bombs went off. Roman had through some careful and not legal channels, mainly due to Ozpin giving him far too many zeroes on his defense budget and with no real supervision filled the entirety of the domes outer and inner hallways with loose thick lines of Daisycutters the old world new world hybrid bombs went off.
Filling the corridors with their baleful white phosphorous fire dust combinations he Fang was trapped in too tight of an area. With nowhere to go as a strong wave of fire. As the six dozen of them in the first was burned to a crisp in the first blast. The dozens of more faunus waiting in the tunnels of the building that trapped them in ther thin always two by two.
Where cooked alive as the rolling liquid fire spilled down the tunnel like a flood of fire. As thier own bombs went off in pre-planned detonations for maximum efficiency filling the tight, compacted corridors of the generator room with rolling flames that looked like burning waves of an angry sea washed over the tunnels.
"~But through it all! When there was doubt, I ate it up! And spit it out~!" Roman sang with the song as the final Daisycutters went off as the first wave of his trap went off killing at least two hundred Fang members in under forty seconds as a smile crept across his face.
'~ I faced it all! And I stood tall, and I did it! My way~!" The first half of the song ended on a high note as Roman laughed manically as the first was of the fang assault force was defeated without him have to move an inch! As they were all burned to rough crips as rolling waves of fire spilled from the building filling the room with the raw heat of the flames that singed his face as the horrible smell of burning flesh and plastic filled the air making Roman gag.
"~I've loved. I've laughed and cried." Images of smiling faces filled Roman's head with blue and heterochromatic eyes, filled Romans eyes. As images, of birthday parties filled with cake and laughter and the taring of presents and the squeals of childlike joy, filled his mind. As later pictures of burning amber eyes that coudl melt the led off a fun barrel entered his head as-
BANG! WHAP!
Roman cursed out loud as his terminal exploded. Filling his face with rolling sparks and burning shrapnel, as Roman ducked out of the way of the blast rolling out of his ruined terminals cover popping up with his cane and returning two shots back into the advancing thought that a minor like of rolling chemical fire and the agonizing death of over a couple hundred of their comrades would slow the Fang down, but it didn't.
After the first wave died it was not long before specialized fang units came into the corridors hosing down the roaring chemical fire with unique chemical retardants. Hosing it down inch by inch before signaling to the rest of the men as they advanced into the doorway, as the real battle began.
Roman had held them at the door for some time. The nature of the door making it impossible for a group of men to advance more than two at a time. And forcing any attacked to run over five hundred feet with no cover, allowing Roman to snipe them from afar. Taking potshots at anyone who came by the door, scoring head shot after head shot from Melodic Cudgel. As he had managed to hold them off like this for a because this place was built with defense in mind. As the tunnels provided absolutely no cover, forcing you into a tight bottleneck where a good defender could rain down shots with impunity on any attacking intruder making them flee or advance in the face of heavy casualties.
But many things could be said about the fang, from murderers to terrorist or madmen. You could call the fang a lot of names but you could never say that ther were not stubborn. As even in the face of atrocious casualties the Fang pushed on doggedly with the determination born out of either pure fanaticism or sheer terror as they advanced with near complete disregard to thier losses and with far to fewer losses in Roman's opinion. As after the first wave of the mongrels were cut down by well-placed shot's from Melodic Cudgel soon, big brutes armed with massive riot shields bullied their way into the room. Clearing a patch for the other scrambling faunus as Roman cursed as a rain of bullets fell on him.
Forcing him out from his cover, shoving him out into the open as he was forced to run and slide between broken flaming terminals sliding across the metal floor his still immaculate white suit was still without a trace! Of a scratch on it, as a thick layer of sweat covered his face as slid into the cover of a fresh terminal he swore. Ting! Ting!
Lound tinging sounds filled the air as Roman looked to his left as all the color left his skin as twin grenades landed right next to him as he swore.
"Oh shit!" Roman cried busting out of cover ignoring the hail of bullets that sought after him as-
BANG!
The grenades went off as one picking up Roman like he was a rag doll slamming him into the side of a terminal making his aura flare and his spine pop! As Roman gagged and cried out in pain as tears fell from his face as he coughed up bright blood on the floor. As a wave of shrapnel crashed into him. Making him cry out in pain as he rolled onto the ground.
His ears ringing with a sharp wine as his vision became blurry as clouds of white filled the ends of his eyes. As Roman's body became drenched in sweat as the flaming room cooked the man in his suit. As the smell of cooking flesh and the harsh acrid smell of gunpowder filled his nose. As Roman pulled himself into the alcove of a still standing terminal reloading his cane as he grunted in pain.
"~I've had my fill; my share of losing. And now as tears subside. I find it all so amusing.~"
Roman groaned up as he rolled looking at his scroll that flashed yellow as it read evacuation fifty percent complete as he cursed under his breath.
"Come on metal root! Get your shiny ass in gear!" Roman hissed getting up form the ruined smoking terminal as even more Fang rushed his exposed position. Eager to get around him to get to the generator and bring down the damned arena. Killing every man, woman, and child on it, not that they got very far as Roman was on them in less than a second. Four terrorists stood in front of him, two men two women tired to rush past him none made it.
He dragged Melodic along the ground gather a charge before clotheslining one woman in her mouse faunus gaged! As her, throat was crushed in, making her give off a decisively unhealthy wet gargling noise from her mouth as Roman collapsed her windpipe in one smooth motion. Sending her flying back as he spun on his heels.
Firing a close-range shot at a terrified faunus man. The round blowing into his insides burrowing into his gut before popping! As his intestines blew out of his guts like macabre streamers as he fell back dead. The next man actually managed to raise his gun at him, but Roman was a flare right into his chest before he could so much as breathe.
As Roman hissed in anger as the man's aura flashed up to save his life as the last woman tried to club him? Of all things only for her to las out with his own weapon, kneecapped with a sickening pop! Making the cougar lady or girl? As she was no more than twenty at most fall to her knees before he snaked his cane around her neck snapping! It in one quick motion killing her in an instant before-
"~To think. I did all that; and may I say not in a shy way.~"
FISHT!
Roman ducked narrowly avoiding having his head ripped off as a rocket!? Flew over his head, impacting into the dust crystal with a worrying clang! As the diamond reinforced structure held off one of the attacks as Roman looked to the entrance of the room where two two man rocket teams began reloading.
"Oh hell no!" Roman said running forward jumping over more flaming busted terminals, eating several rounds of hard led with his aura flashing an angry red. As his eyes watered from the smoke that was still thick in the air as he leveled his cane shotting a shot at one and members right as he was about to fire a rocket catching him in the head cracking it open like a grape with a messy pop!
As he fell back, his rocket went into the middle of an advancing mob of faunus turning them into red ribbons. As Roman laughed, it was a short harsh and ugly another four gang attacked armed with swords and all well trained, it made no difference.
Roman killed the first man instantly. Three shots right to his chest. Killing him in a moment overloading his aura and blowing his chest next man Roman shot out a cable catching his foot pulling him over where Roman focused his aura into his foot deliver a to the man as he crushed his face under his the man's face and cover his pants now stained with blood and brain. As he glowed.
"That was a custom order! Who's going to pay for this!?"Roman demanded as the Fang charged was bad. Very, very bad. Roman was going to lose this fight. Soon. The Fang was too many. As the first three of the twenty-four faunus to charge him reached him Roman had to think.
The first man swung a sword only for a rock to fly out form the still living gunner as Roman hooked the man's foot into his cane making the man yelp! As Roman picked him up with all his might before he tossed him into the air. Throwing the man in front of the rocket as it burst! In a shower of blood and gore.
Showering the air with blood stunning the charging faunus as Roman leveled his cane and arced a perfect! Shot into the barrel of the one reloaded missile launchers. Causing the missile to detonate mid launch in a shower of wonder fired as it shredded the missile crews with a wave of shrapnel. Eliminating the threat from their devasting ranged attacks as the raming Fang got their wits back and charged him once more as Roman smiled.
"~Oh no, oh no not me. I did it my way.~"
The ten or so surviving Fang that was not killed by the missile began to make a mad sprint at the sole human that had killed so many of their number as Roman smirked as the men charged him as even more poured out of the tunnel as the final dance began.
Life was all about balance. You needed to be balanced in all things, from work, to sleep, to play to everything you did balance was key. It was espically crucial in dancing. As if you didn't move in perfect! Step with your partner you could throw off the whole dance since combat was just one long, complicated dance, it was imperative that Roman maintained a perfect balance.
"~For what is a man? What has he got? If not himself? Then he has not!~"
Roman was not balanced right now; he could not afford to be. Usually, he took combat like a ballet, a dance of death, a tango of violence of death, that relies on two opponents flourishing in perfect union before the grand finale! Of blood, pain and a slow yet graceful death. But that could not happen here, all hunters used thier aura to fight, so did criminals. Aura was typically used to shield and heal your body. But! If you knew how and after some training you could use it to empower your own weapon to devastating effects.
As Roman was doing now, the problem with infusing your weapon with aura was that every bit of aura you put into your weapon was an aura that was not being used to shield. You were making yourself every more vulnerable to attack, and the likelihood of some lucky bastards pot shot putting you down for the long dirt nap went up exponentially with each passing second.
And right now Roman was putting all of his aura into his weapon. Today was not the day for precision no today he needed to be the hammer; he needed to be the blunt tool stopping the Fang charge, and so he was. Roman fell into them like a mad animal, swinging his cane at them in great swings resemblant of a logger or an ax man from old. His cane coming up and down in long brutal arcs, every time it struck aura popped, bones snapped! And skin tore. As Roman hit the Fang like a cane glowing so bright it was almost blinged as he forced all off his should inot the object as he felt his one life force dim as his cane closed brighter than the sun.
"~To say the things! He truly feels! And not the words! Of one who kneels!~"
Roman was unstoppable. Every time he moved something died. A head popped! A neck snapped! A spine broke! Or a chest was caved in. He moved like lightning and was to the fang a bloody avatar of death so terrified the Fang in her midst they began to panic. Men at the frost ran into men at the back. Causing confusion to spread through thier ranks as thier once mad charge became a crumpled messy pile of miles and bodies as Roman slaughtered cane had maxed out on aura, so he pumped it int his fist. Staking and punching with reckless abandon, popping skulls, tearing flesh snapping necks Roman was unstoppable!
"I'm doing it! I'm really doing it!"Roman thought as the Fang begna to retreat. He was pushing them back! One man was winning against five hundred men!? Roman didn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it but he was winning.
' I can do this! I can fight them! I can win!"
Roman thought as the Fang broke. The once mad rush shattered as their morale was broken and they ran like the scared, broken faunus hey were made of pieces of paper. Roman did not believe in miracles. Only a fool would do so but that was what was happening. The fang came to close they didn't expect Roman to be this secured and after the loss of so many of their numbers before? Well, pure fanaticism only gets you so far in life.
The men in front of him were proof as that as Roman attacked. As he fired his can into retreating Fang blowing out their back in glorious puffs of red and white. Or watching as blue flashed as aura temporarily saved some of them. Most of the fang that had puppy rushed him where in full route. As only one elite with a chainsaw and two flanking subordinates remained in his rather limited line of sight.
The elite roared in a bestial manner swinging at him like some kind of half-mad lumberjack as Ruby smirked. He danced into the mans blows. Swinging his can down and cracking! His right kneecap, making the man howl! In pain as his aura tired to heal him only for Roman to slam his cane to his face. Breaking half of it open sending the man falling to the floor in a bloody stuttering mess.
As the man fell the two women fang froze with fear and-
" Ladies!"
Roman said leap forward using the down elite as a spring boar jumping and crashing down on one woman. Bring his can to her neck as it crumpled into itself as he broke her windpipe and in one fell blow. The other woman raised her gun to him only for his cane to knock her gun out of her hands. Causing her to sward before he spun into her reach punching her in the face. Making her cry out before Melodic shot out its hook reaching around her neck. As Roman yanked her to the floor snapping her neck and-
"~The record shows!~"
In one second Roman went from the floor to mid-air, as a terrible whirring sound of grinding teeth filled the air as a chainsaw was in his chest. Roman screamed in a voice of pure anguish that was so loud and profound he didn't think he was even capable of producing it. As he looked to his left where the white fang elite still missing half of his damn face! Had slammed into him as a chainsaw slammed him in the chest coming from nowhere! As the fang elite grunted in pain, his mask spilled open to reveal dark almond black eyes and messy short black hair an pale skin as he lifted Roman off of the floor.
His massive chainsaw hitting home tearing Roman's suit open! Ripping apart his tuxedo and lifting him into the air in a shower of whirring teeth, pulped organs, crushed bones, and fresh blood. Making Roman scream as he was yanked up.
"~Therecord shows! I took the blows!~" Roman screamed like he never yelled before blood spurting out of his mouth as the whirring metal blades ate his flesh tearing open his rib cage and pulping his internal organs as he saw red as a pulped lung flew out from his gritted his teeth raising his cane as he forced his arms to obey him. Gritting his teeth as he pressed it against the man's head. Bang!
Roman shot the mans head off in a puff of red as he fell backward with a loud thud! Roman hit the ground panting his exhausted aura unable to affect body repairs at all as-
BRAKA! BRAKKA! BRAKKAKA!
Roman shook, seized and shuddered as a line of six Fang elites appeared out of almost thin air and emptied their rifles into him. The six men unloaded their full magazine of assault rifle ammunition into Roman's chest. Shattering what remained of his pristine white suit. Making him drop Melodic Cudgel with a loud clang! As Roman was pumped full of led by the Fang.
As Roman raised an arm that to was riddled with led as the man was pumped full of holes. A final sick gurgle of blood left this mouth as he fell back and the music swelled."~ And I did it! My way!~" The song reached its climax as Roman hit the ground with a dull thud and went still.
His body slamming into the metal of the floor as his vision blurred and dimmed. Colors and shapes of all sizes filled his eyes as they begna to glaze over. The sounds of scram dying fauns and the horrible stink of charred flesh left his senses as his vision finally begna to go black as Roman's grip on his mortal coil faded and failed. As his mouth gave out one last tired sigh as a smile broke his face as he turned his eyes to see his scroll as it flashed green saying evacuation complete!
"Metal root GAH! You did it...Roman said as a thin smile filled his lips.
"With thirty seconds to spare? Show off...
Roman said as his body went slack as the song ended. As the man's life left him the fang rushed to disable the generator as the second. Part of Roman's countermeasures kicked in. As Roman's had one last thought before slipping into the either, was it a perfect life? No. Did I make mistakes? Yes. Could I have been better? Easily. Did he regret it? Not for one second. It was not the perfect life but it was his. And Roman did it his way.
My way...The thief thoguht before finally going slack as a loud click! Was hear as the floor of the building creaked and burst! As the second like of Daisycutters the ones that filled the entire building and where set to go off when Roman's heartbeat reached zero. Detonated taking Roman's corpse and ever single Fang member with him in one massive ball of fire.
As the backup generator erupted into a massive plume of smoke twin pairs of eyes fell upon it one burning gold the other a mix-matched pair of pink and brown. As both eyes widened in shock as tears began to fall from both pairs. As the rubble of generator began to rain down as one long charred bowler hat fell to the top of the pile resting quietly on top of the shattered remains as the evacuation was completed as a thief died...
AN...
Guardians of Remnant part seventeen. Boarding party.
"Is this a credible source of information?" A pair of tired yet sharp green eyes asked as Yatsuhashi nodded.
"Yes, mam. I know the sender personally and I believe this threat to be real and tangible." The rookie cop said as Glynda Goodwitch the head of Vale nodded solemnly.
"I see... Very well his exact words where Ironwood is coming here, and a Ravager fleet is attempting to stop them?"
Glynda asked more than a fair bit confused as to mercenaries would fight terrorist on her behalf without an obvious payment her tired green eyes already exhausted as she tried to smooth our her blue uniform as Yatsuhasi nodded.
"Yes, Mam. We already have hostile contacts already on our radar, they are less than twenty miles from our airspace and closing. Awaiting your orders."
"Fine. Tell the fleet to move out. We will fight these bastards with everything we have." The woman said as the defender nodded
"Ok everyone! Rember the plan! Stick together and keep it tight!"
Jaune said as he felt the familiar lurch of weightlessness as the Vesperia fell from the hole of Adam's ship the Claw of justice. As the Ravagers deployed thier fleet high above the skies of Vale.
"Contact in three! Two! One! Engaged!"
Adam yelled over his scroll as the ship fired into Ironwood's massive airship. The cannons of the Claw both firing procuring an energy pulse that could flatten a skyscraper, but did not do so much as hinder the massive ship as Jaune grinned as he yanked his scroll.
"Everyone! Beneath the clouds!"
Jaune said tilting the throttle of the Vesperia downward, he and dozens of other fighter craft speared down into the clouds of Vale.
"Jaune. Are you sure this is going to work?"
Pyrrha asked as Jaune nodded his head.
"Sure am! We just got to get onboard the ship! And then-
"Then I am goign to kick my sister's blonde ass!"
Ruby shouted having finished her semi healing as the young Reaper as back on her feet. The woman pissed off as all hell and brandishing Crescent Rose ready to take her siblings head from her shoulders and put it on a wall.
"I see! Now everyone hold on! We got one helluva flight ahead of us!"
Jaune said as he angled his ship into the bright orange cloud of Vale. As the miniature attack fleet went low under the clouds before appearing below Tai's ship like a swarm of locust ready to devour a field fo grain.
"Fire!"
Jaune yelled as the fighters begna to shoot the enemy flagship. The cannons of the Vesperia and her sister craft along with a plethora of other fighter bases weaponry form air to air missiles to photon cannons opened up in a brilliant! Cacophony of noise as their munitions streaked up into the enemy like a barrage of multi-colored angry hornets.
Dettonging all over the bottom of the hole blowing it apart as while alone most of thier weapons where for far to small to really damage the ship but together?If they amassed all of thier firepower they could.
"Jaune! We got enemy fighters inbound!"
Blake said form her bullhead where she was flying, while Penny and Ren were in the passenger seats.
"Got it! Break and engage!"
Jaune yelled as the battle began. Instantly Jaune wanted to back to bed as his screen exploded. All around him where the frantic hellish sights of aerial combat. Close range and brutal. As he angled, the Vesperia through the maelstrom of friendly craft and enemy fighters, launched as countermeasures to thier own ships.
Jaune floored the bullhead, putting as much power into the engines as possible. As he pumped the triggers of the craft allowing the rotary Gatling cannons to spool. Firing onto enemy fighters blowing them apart mid-air and-
"Jaune! There's too many of them up here! We can't hold off!"
"We don't have to Blake! We just need to breach the rear of the ship! After that, we board it! Kill Ironwood and we can all go home happy!"
"I'm not happy till I have my bitch sisters head on my scythe."
"And Ruby want's to commit sororicide."
"Hey! She deserves it!"
"Not saying that she does not Ruby but hold on!"
Jaune said yanking the throttle of the craft. Sending it into a violent tailspin. As he narrowly avoided getting blown out of the air by twin enemy phase blasts. As he pulled the ship into a sharp climb cannons firing all the way-
"Arc! Just so you know when we get on board that ship."
"Yeah! Yeah! I got you, Adam! The dust stone is all yours!"
"Just so you know Arclord. If you try to cross me I will kill you."
"Dully noted now let's get-
Jaune gaked! As his radar nearly broke as he saw a wave of friendly? Craft came in as-
"Arclord is that you?" A voice said over his ships PA as Jaune grinned.
"Neppy! Is that you!? How's my favorite cop doing!"
"Don't call me that."
Neptune said over the scroll as Jaune grinned.
"You know you love it!"
"I really don't. I'm here to escort you and your lot on board that ship there. Just so you know, Yatsuhasi convinced Glynda not me. I would have let you die."
Neptune said in a bored tone as the VAF cleared a road for the Ravagers infiltration ships to-
"Jaune! I'm hit! I'm going down!"
"Adam!"
Jaune yelled as Adam's ship was hit as he crashed to the ground of Vale and-
"Arclord! If you were going to make a move do it now!"
Neptune said as the ships of the VDF blew open a hole in the side of Ironwood's ship and-
"Follow me!"
Jaune said as he crashed his ship into the burning hole in thier enemies as he and Blake's bullhead blurred into the enemy craft guns blazing on shrieking metal. As they gunned down the enemy flight crew before popping out of their craft tas Jaune smiled.
"Ok guys! We got a job to do! A city to save, a sister to kill and a madman to stop! Now let's get to it!"