A little note here: Raiden's real name is pronounced Mikey with a long e sound at the end, not Mickey as in Mickey Mouse. I just wanted to clear that up. Okay, back to the story. It's spelled like Mickey's name, but it's pronounced with the long e at the end.
Evolution
Chapter 34: How Does it Feel?
How long has it been since he passed out? No one knows. How long has it been since he fought him? Another answer no one knows. When was the last time he saw the sunlight, the moonlight, the sun, or the moon? It feels like an eternity has passed since anyone has seen the sun or moon, feeling their warmth and cool surround them. It's impossible to tell how long they've been fighting or how much longer they will need to keep going.
Chaos, the only word that one can think of without thinking, or they'll be disrupted by the evil creatures still coming in overwhelming numbers. The attacks were relentless and raging. Continuing to rage, the Grimm pushed the humans back a big margins; and only miracles that were true blessings could turn the tide again. Many people lost their lives and the body count continued to rise. It took everything and a whole lot more to fight back, but with all these new additions to the Grimm army, the unique Grimm many have called the Dark Soldiers, it's been nearly one-sided. Only the strongest hunters and huntresses could combat these Dark Soldiers, but even so, they were very difficult to destroy. Each wave of Grimm seemed to increase each time, getting bigger and bigger until teams were completely overwhelmed and annihilated.
When he first opened his eyes, he had no idea where he was. Everything was different from the forest he and his team were stationed in, mainly because there were no signs of vegetation anywhere. It felt hard and rocky, like some sort of mountain, but that's impossible. He was stationed in the forest, until he showed up. When he showed up, things fell apart quickly and horribly. Nothing could stop him, nothing. Many words could describe that opponent, and none of them would do it justice. A monster, beast, demon, none of them could capture the true terror that was this enemy.
"Ugh…where…am…I?" his words painfully escaped his lips. His entire body was in pain. Even twitching a finger was too painful to bear. His eyes scanned the area to the best of their abilities, but due to the aforementioned pain, they could only see so much. The only things he could see were stone pillars stationed around the place. He could see stone brick walls forming the floors he rested upon. "What…is this…place?"
His breathing was heavy and obscure.
"This is the place of my master's rebirth," a dark voice responded.
Mizu could hear footsteps approaching but couldn't move his head to see who.
"I see you're awake now."
Mizu recognized that voice and narrowed his eyes in anger. It was him who Mizu couldn't beat. The wolf faunas, a member of the white fang, and Mizu's mate fought their best to beat him, but they were easily beaten. And it seems he kidnapped Mizu.
"Why does your master want me?" Mizu tried to feign innocence. "You were separated from me so why does he need me anymore?"
"Tch, don't play dumb with me; I already know the problem. My master needs both of us together for the resurrection to work. Unfortunately, we can't immediately get started with the process, mainly because of your condition," Malevolent stood above Mizu. "I needed you back alive and still able to fight so be lucky I didn't use my full power."
"Gee, thanks," Mizu said sarcastically, which earned him a strong kick to the side. He rolled on the floor in even more pain.
"Don't forget whelp; I can kill you without breaking a sweat so I suggest you show some respect," Malevolent spat venom. He then smiled wickedly. "Or do you not care about what happens to your beloved girlfriend?"
Mizu gasped loudly at the statement and tried to sit up, but the pain was too great and forced him to stay on his back. He glared at Malevolent, growling menacingly as his fangs showed.
"What did you do to Blake!?" He screamed, that tiredness now replaced with angry adrenaline. "I swear if you touched her."
"Calm down brat," Malevolent placed his foot on Mizu's chest. "No harm has befallen her, nor will it, if you decided to help resurrect my master."
"I will never help you," Mizu declared adamantly, his fangs still showing. There was no way Mizu will help revive the world's destruction. He loves Blake with all his heart and would do anything to protect her, but he couldn't revive Dragonis. However, Blake will be hurt if he doesn't agree to help. But Blake would want him to do the right thing, even if it means sacrificing her life. Although, Blake IS the first girlfriend he had and could never do anything that would put her life in jeopardy. He's not like Raiden and would always tackle the challenges alone, but he actually knows when it's time to let someone help instead of shouldering it himself. Ever since he fell in love with Blake, his entire world changed. He now sees why so many couple like being with their significant other. It's a wonderful feeling, to be able to hold and kiss them, tease one another and laugh it out, or just spend time with each other. He loved it and Blake has been so good to him. Sometimes, the wolf faunas believe Blake is too good for him, but he makes sure not to say that in her presence. She may not have claws like Mizu, but her slaps hurt worse than anything Raiden can dish out with lightning. Her purrs and meows, yes he heard her meow before after a kiss, are the most adorable sounds he's ever heard. He doesn't want her getting hurt, but if he refuses, she might suffer worse.
"Really? So you'll let your mate die then? Don't forget; we're where my master will be revived. And as such, I can have any kind of Grimm I want rip her to pieces. However, I will stay my hand if you reconsider my offer and help revive my master."
Mizu was at a conflicting road. On one hand, he saves his girlfriend, but has to help revive Dragonis. On the other hand, he can refuse to resurrect Dragonis, but at the cost of his girlfriend. He ran through the pros and cons in his head but it only made it harder to choose. He really loves Blake and doesn't want anything horrible befalling her; however, he can't revive Dragonis at any costs, but he can't sacrifice Blake either. It's a hard decision for him. The right thing to do would be to refuse again and sacrifice Blake, as that would stop Dragonis from being revived and destroying the world even more than it already is. After all, what's one life compared to billions? Well, the fact that the life belongs to Blake is what Mizu can't let go. If Blake was here now, she would be screaming at him to forget about her and refuse flat out. Maybe, just maybe Mizu would abide by her demand too, but he can't just do that so flippantly. He would never forgive himself, nor would his friends for that matter.
"Let me see her," Mizu demanded.
"After you tell me your answer," Malevolent responded.
"Let me see her first, then I will tell you; but I want to see her first," Mizu demanded again. He was met with silence, as Malevolent simply stared at the wolf, his crimson eyes analyzing his form.
"I'll give you an hour to talk to her and that's it. Afterwards, I demand an answer from you; and for your sake, you had better hope it's a good one," he snapped his fingers loudly. A simple Ursa Grimm walked into the room and followed the Alpha with Mizu on its back. Mizu took the time to study the corridors and intricate layers of rocks and stones piled like a sophisticated maze. He noticed drawings on the walls but couldn't make out anything. His thoughts soon drifted to his feline girlfriend; he didn't want her getting involved in this mess, but now she's being used as an incentive for Mizu to join the Dark Soldiers.
"Please be safe Blake; I'll think of something."
Blake sat on the floor in one of the many dungeons around whatever this place she's stationed in. Her legs were drawn up to her chest as she sat with her back against the stone wall. Her long ebony hair covered her eyes, which peered at the dark floor. When she woke up, she found herself trapped in this room. Mizu was nowhere to be seen and she was guarded by high class Grimm. Speaking of Mizu, Blake prayed that he was okay. He already suffered enough damage by taking that strike from Adam, but then Malevolent came and really fucked their shit up. That was the worst beating Blake received in her life and found it astonishing to still be alive. Not only that, but she had the displeasure of talking to the Alpha not too long ago.
Her thoughts ceased when she heard the door open. Her head rose to see said Alpha standing at the door and her eyes narrowed in rage.
"What do you want?" She spat venomously. Malevolent simply stared at her with a smirk.
"I brought you company," he stepped to the side and let a limping Mizu enter the room. Blake gasped and quickly stood to her feet. She was thrilled to see her mate still alive and in somewhat one piece. Malevolent closed the door behind Mizu, locking the couple in. "Remember brat, you have one hour; and I expect good results when I return."
Mizu and Blake were left alone in the room. They didn't say anything as they continued to look at one another, checking out their beaten condition. Blake made the first move and ran to Mizu with all her speed, throwing her arms around him, and resting her head on his shoulder. Mizu held her tightly and dragged his fingers through her hair.
"Are you okay?" They asked at the same time. "I'm fine, but what about you?"
"I've been better," Mizu said. Blake leaned her head back to see Mizu's bruised body. Her fingers trembled as they landed on his cheeks.
"What were you thinking taking that blow for me?" she whispered.
"I did it to protect you," Mizu pecked Blake on the lips.
"That wasn't the best decision though," Blake pecked his lips back.
"Maybe," Mizu returned it. "But it was my choice to make."
They continued to peck each other on the lips, sometimes staying connected for a few minutes. As Mizu kissed his girlfriend, he once again pondered the pros and cons of his ultimatum. If he doesn't help revive Dragonis, this will be the last time he can kiss Blake. But if he does help, he'll help kill billions of people just to save one.
"But that one is Blake; I can't let them kill her."
"And yet you would be killing billions of other people." His human and faunas conscious were arguing it out. The human side voting for not killing Blake and the faunas side voting for sparing billions. As they argued, their host focused on his mate and their multitude of kisses. It hurt him inside, having to choose between Blake and the world. He knows what he must do, but there has to be a way to save Blake in the end as well.
"What did he tell you?" Blake pecked Mizu on the lips again and stared into his crimson eyes. They were her source of comfort and have been for the longest time. She could see Mizu's stare start to waver. "What happened?"
Mizu pulled her closer and rubbed her back.
"He gave me an ultimatum," he explained what Malevolent told him and the consequences of his choices.
"You know what must be done then right?" She asked expectantly. Mizu let out a sigh.
"Yes, I do, but…"
"No buts," Blake interrupted him. "You know that at all cost, Dragonis can't be revived. You understand what will happen if you do right?"
"Yes Blake, but I…"
"Don't worry about that," Blake interrupted again. "Worry more about all those you'll be saving. What's one life compared to billions?"
"I asked myself the same question," Mizu sighed, his aggravation clearly evident. Blake gave him another peck.
"You know what you have to do right?"
"Yes, but it's your life Blake that I can't sacrifice," Mizu stated. "Regardless of what you think, I can't just throw you away like that. Yes, the obvious choice is to save the billion, but how can I do that knowing you'll be killed in the process?"
"Mizu," Blake cupped both of the wolf's cheeks and pulled his face closer to hers, where they only stood just an inch away. "Don't worry about me, please. I understand how hard it must be for you, but I would rather give up my life than summon some all-powerful beast capable of destroying the world. Please, for my sake and everyone else's, you will not revive Dragonis."
"But why must I sacrifice your life in the progress?" Mizu questioned. "Tell me that."
Blake shook her head slowly.
"Because we were trained not to let things cloud our judgment. We are hunters and huntresses Mizu. We cannot let something like this hinder our capabilities. Plus think of all the lives we've already lost to the Grimm. What's one more when it can save the other billion?"
Mizu just looked at Blake as she gave him a solemn stare.
"You're not afraid?" Mizu asked. Blake shook her head again.
"I am terribly afraid, but I was trained to fight for my life. We must all die someday Mizu; and who is to say some don't come much sooner than others?"
"But I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you."
"What about Raiden? What about your friends? Your brother? Your father? Your mother? Your uncle? Or your auntie? Don't you care about what happens to them?"
"Of course I do, but…"
"Then stop being stubborn! What's my life Mizu compared to everyone else's? What's one faunae's life compared to the other billion humans and other faunae? Can't you see that you'll be wasting everyone else's life, which they're giving up right now to prevent Dragonis from being awakened, in exchange for one measly faunas?"
"Don't say that about yourself."
"Then don't make the wrong decision. The reason they brought me here in the first place is to twist your arm. Don't let them; you know what you have to do."
Silence. Neither said another word. Mizu had a million different things swirling in his head. He couldn't concentrate properly, let alone respond. Blake watched the look in his eye and calmed him with more kisses on the lips. She hated seeing him so lost and confused, but what she said is true. He can't risk billions of people's lives just to save one; it doesn't work that. As hunters and huntresses, they risk their lives to protect the people.
Blake leaned back from another kiss and touched Mizu's cheek.
"I hate it has to be this way; and if there was another way where both get what we want, I would suggest it, but there's no such choice here. You have to refuse and find a way to escape."
"No, that won't work," Mizu said, his hair covering his eyes. "It will be better if you kill me instead."
Blake's eyes opened up wider at his response. She was taken aback by the declaration, her mouth hanging agape at the same time.
"Mizu."
"They need me to help with the resurrection; however, if I were to perish, so does my half of the key. Malevolent can't revive his master and the world will never have to deal with him."
"But that's crazy; there's no way I can do that," Blake pointed out.
"Now who's being stubborn? It's as we said, what is one life compared to billions. I'm the one with the abilities to revive the demon; you don't have those powers. At least with me gone, the world will have something more significant to avoid."
"And do you just expect me to kill you so easily?"
"Do you expect me to do the same to you so easily?"
If the situation wasn't so dire, Mizu would find Blake's hiss adorable. Before they could continue discussing, the door opened once more. Malevolent appeared and immediately set his sights on Mizu, who stepped forward.
"What is your decision?"
Mizu clenched his fists tightly. It was time to choose.
"Mizu please; don't make the wrong decision," Blake whispered.
"I will never revive your master, like I've said the entire time," Mizu declared bared his fangs at Malevolent, whose face contorted to anger. Blake on the other hand, smiled wide at the declaration. However,
"But do I have your solemn oath that absolutely no harm will come to Blake?"
The faces nearly swapped between Blake and Malevolent. The former opened her mouth in shock while the latter studied the question.
"Mizu no," Blake stated aloud, but was silence by the wolf covering her mouth.
"Yes, I promise you that no harm will befall your mate. However, that's if you decided to help revive my master. Refuse," the Alpha flexed his claws. "And I will make sure she pays for your insolence. So, do we have a deal?"
Blake tried to pry Mizu's hand off but he wouldn't budge. He gave her a side stare mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' before looking back at Malevolent.
"Deal," he nodded and removed his hand from Blake's lips. "But no harm comes to her and she is to stay at my side at all times, no matter what."
"That's acceptable, but before we can get to business, we will have to do some things about you. For starters, I need you healed so I can begin training you."
"Training me?" Mizu asked back skeptically.
"That's right; when we do the resurrection process, it will take a lot of power to do; and the way you are now, it won't work, which I will not have. It's going to take a while to get you up to par, but make no mistake. I will not accept failure. It's bad enough I have to keep you alive, but now I'm forced to train you in order to revive my master."
"Was this ordered by your master?"
Malevolent growled at the sarcasm.
"As a matter of fact, it was. Now I suggest you get to healing, because you're going to hell when we start training."
"I can't go somewhere I'm already at," Mizu shook his head and growled back at Malevolent. The two locked eyes and ceased their conversation.
"Six months, that's how long you have to prove yourself," Malevolent let his words sink inside Mizu's head and leave the faunas couple alone. When Mizu saw the door close, he turned to face Blake.
SMACK!
A loud slap resonated off the walls as Blake struck Mizu across the face. She hit him so hard he stumbled back and fell to the floor.
"You idiot!" She screamed at him. "Why did you do that? Why did you choose that route? Do you have any idea what you agreed to?"
Mizu didn't say anything and stood back up. He winced at the touch of his slap mark that stained his left cheek. Before he could respond, Blake struck him again on the other cheek and forced him to the floor. She straddled his waist and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him forward until their faces were close.
"Do you realize the mayhem you have started? Why did you agree to his terms? Why Mizu?! TELL ME WHY?!"
Mizu only stared at the enraged face of his mate. She looked absolutely livid right now. If only she had a tail.
"I have my reasons," was all he said. But that didn't sit well with Blake, who slapped him once more.
"BULLSHIT! TELL ME WHY!"
If she slaps him any harder, she will definitely draw blood.
"I can't save everyone; however, I can save you."
"We've been over this," Blake responded tearfully. "You can forget about me. Why didn't you save the others? Why did you have to spare me?"
Mizu let out a heavy sigh.
"Isn't it obvious? Do you really have to ask?"
Blake's hands trembled.
"You idiot," she stated. "You should've set your love for me aside and focused on the true picture."
"Then can you look me in the eye and say that you wouldn't do the same thing if you were in my shoes?" Mizu asked back. He knew he had her when she didn't retort and looked away.
"But that's the thing; I'm not in your shoes. You should've refused."
"And let you die? No Kitty, I'm not going to do that."
"Then are you just going to let the entire world get destroyed?" Blake wanted to slap him again so much but felt her hand wavering. She noticed that Mizu never tried to defend himself or put up any defenses. He always let instincts guide him in a battle mostly and habitually tried to block any attack that came his way. But he didn't this time.
"Are you just going to let Dragonis destroy the world and everyone you hold dear? Your mom and dad are still fighting; Izumi is still fighting, Raiden is out there fighting, and you're just going to let some monster destroy it all?"
"What else could have done? If I refuse, Malevolent would've killed you and found someone way to bend me back, even possess me so I would comply, but the fact that you're straddling me is proof that I can still make things right."
Blake narrowed her eyes and pushed Mizu back. She got off him and walked to a corner, where she sat down and pulled her legs up to her chest.
"Don't speak to me," she demanded. "I don't want to look at you right now."
"Blake," Mizu sat up. "I told you I have my reasons and I promise that I will find a way to fix this."
The feline didn't respond. She didn't pay Mizu any mind.
"I know it looks like I screwed up," Mizu continued.
"You did more than screw up!" Blake shouted.
"But please believe me when I say that I know what I'm doing," the canine finished his sentence.
"Do you? Do you really? Because the way I say it, you doomed every single person on the planet with your feelings!"
"It's those same feelings that kept you alive and is going to keep you alive," Mizu crawled up in front of Blake and grasped her wrists. She already began pulling away from Mizu, who pinned her to the wall. He slipped through her legs and held her arms above her head as she kicked and demanded to be released.
"Blake; you're stuck here with me whether you like it or not so I suggest you stop being so difficult. You're only going to make the experience worse. I'm trying to comfort you at least."
"You've done enough, now go away," she hissed angrily. Amber eyes met Crimson ones.
"I'll leave you alone when I die," Mizu declared and forced a kiss on her lips. He was too close in for Blake to hit him with her legs and she wasn't going to bite his lips. She tried to move her head away, but Mizu held it by the cheek.
"Kissing me isn't going to get you in my good books," she stated after the kiss.
"Are you sure about that? You haven't tried squirming away again," the canine faunas pointed out.
"Why won't you leave me alone? I don't want this."
She felt Mizu's hand land on her cheeks and tilt her head up.
"I don't want this either, but if you will actually listen to me and allow me to explain, I will tell you my plan."
Mizu gave Blake another passionate kiss and wrapped his arms around her protectively. She melted in his touch and became imprisoned in his arms and kiss.
He didn't know when he climbed out of the crater, as he passed out inside it, but he was thankful for whoever did it. Before his eyes could even open, he heard people arguing and another trying to break them up. When his eyes finally did open, he saw the entire battlefield destroyed.
"There's no way he survived whatever fight he was in," one of the voices stated.
"And I keep telling you that he was alive when we dragged him out," said another. This one was masculine and the other feminine and very mature. Raiden blinked a couple of times and sat up, only wincing at the intense pain surging through him. How long has he been out?
"When you dragged him out; how do you know his condition didn't worsen during his so called recuperation period?" The feminine voice interrogated. Raiden definitely felt something cold about the voice. It kind of reminded him of Weiss's voice when she's scolding someone. It definitely had the coldness of Weiss's voice.
"The guy is made out of tough stuff if he wasn't already dead. He was passed out in the middle of the crater," the masculine voice retorted.
"Can't you two fight some other time? We have to retrieve the others," another masculine voice, one deeper than the last one, stated.
"I agree with that man right there," Raiden made his presence known. He couldn't stand so he leaned his back against a broken boulder with one of his legs drawn up to his chest and arm lying on the kneecap. His first observation was a man with dark spikey hair and red eyes. He donned a red cloak and wore a gray dress shirt along with a long tail black dress pants and shoes. Raiden checked for any weapons and saw a giant hand strapped to his side.
The next observation was a very beautiful woman who looked like an older version of Weiss. She had the same white hair and pale skin as Weiss along with medium light blue eyes. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head with a small lock reaching below her left ear. Unlike Weiss, she didn't wear a combat skirt; it was something more battle ready and maneuverable that really complimented her stunning figure.
The final person Raiden saw is a man who mostly resembled Jaune. His hair was just as scraggily but he had a fine beard. His eyes were the same sapphire color as the blonde knight but his were more of a veteran compared to Jaune's eyes. Strange part is, he wasn't wearing armor like Jaune. He just had a buttoned up collared shirt and black dress pants and shoes.
"Ah, you're awake," Jaune's father greeted Raiden, who nodded back. He studied the other two and saw the older woman stare back in shock.
"How is that possible?" She asked.
"Told you he was still kicking," the other man commented and took out a flask, taking a nice big swig of whatever contents he had in it.
"Can you stand?" Jaune's father offered his hand, which Raiden accepted. He stumbled back and used the boulder as support. "Whoa now, you're still badly injured from your last fight. You need to let your aura heal you."
Raiden released a few pants and nodded in agreement.
"I appreciate you pulling me out of that crater, but who are you all? You all resemble some people I know."
Jaune's father let out a hearty laugh.
"Well you're right about that resembling part. I guess we do look very much alike."
He held his hand out for Raiden again.
"My name is John, John Arc."
The lightning professor nodded back and shook John's hand.
"You and Jaune do look alike."
"We get that all the time," John laughed once more. He was definitely Jaune's father, especially with that smile Jaune can copy perfectly. The other two approached.
"I'm surprised to see you still alive after checking your aura levels," the woman spoke. She offered her hand, which Raiden gently grasped and planted a soft kiss on the back of. "I'm Winter Schnee, Weiss's older sister."
"The name's Qrow; I'm the badass uncle of Ruby and Yang," Qrow gestured to himself with his thumb. "You really did a number on this place; I'm impressed."
"I appreciate the praise. My name is Mickey Matsumura, but everyone calls me Raiden," the lightning manipulator greeted back. "About how long was I out?"
"We don't know, but when we found you, you were sleeping in the middle of this huge crater. I only know what happened because my son said your name during this huge ass explosion," John explained.
"Yeah that would definitely be me," Raiden sighed. He felt really weak but managed to keep things together. He didn't miss the analytical look Winter and Qrow shot his way. "I'm guessing you've heard of me from your respective family members."
"Weiss did mention you in her letters," Winter nodded. "She commented how you were a lot different than the other professors that taught her."
Raiden couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Well I have my own way of doing things. What about Yang?" He looked towards Qrow. "What did my Sunbeam say about me in her letters?"
"Well she said a lot of good things, but I'll decide if you can stay with her," Qrow stated and fired a glare at Raiden, who wasn't paying attention at the point and ignored Qrow entirely.
"My son mentioned that you are very strong, you and some wolf named Mizu," John stated. Raiden didn't respond, as he had his head lowered. "Raiden?"
They heard the faint sound of snoring coming from Raiden, telling them he fell asleep again.
"Guess he was still tired," Winter pointed out.
"Guess so. Let's go get the others before he wakes up," John turned and leave. Qrow and Winter glared at each other but Qrow ended up leaving.
"Sorry about that," Raiden said when Qrow and John left. "I'm a little exhausted after the fight I've been through."
"I can tell," Winter sat beside the lightning professor. "Can you explain what happened against this Dark Soldier?"
Raiden nodded back, but fixed Winter with a confused stare.
"That's what we're calling the Grimm that can communicate with humans and unleash unique powers."
Raiden mouthed an 'oh' and nodded his understanding. He then explained his fight with Zeke and Omicron, mainly Zeke, earning shocked stares from the more mature heiress. From the reports, it usually takes two veteran hunters and/or huntresses to take on a Dark Soldier, and yet the young man sitting next to her took on one singlehandedly.
"I must say I'm impressed," she replied. "The reports I receive say these type of Grimm are not one a single person can take on alone."
"I have some serious power at my disposal," was all Raiden said. He was too tired to really make conversation.
"I understand that you're quite exhausted, but do you think you can answer some questions for me?" Winter asked. Raiden clapped his cheeks.
"I'll do my best."
"It's about my sister Weiss; is she by any chance seeing someone?"
Raiden was taken by surprise. He never expected such a direct question, especially about Weiss's love life. Winter could see the surprise on his face and elaborated.
"In her letters, she seemed a lot more enthusiastic about something and I'm just wondering if she is seeing anyone."
Raiden tried not to laugh, but he failed at it.
"Okay, before I say anything, I want you to know that I was just as surprised as you might be. Weiss isn't seeing anyone; however, she does have her eyes set on someone. She even made sure to tell him before they parted ways to fight."
"Really?" Winter urged Raiden to continue.
"Really, but here's the part she was afraid of. The name of her target is Izumi. He's a very good guy from what I've seen of him. However, he's eight years older than she is."
"Oh really? I never knew Weiss had a thing for older men."
"Neither did we, but she admitted it. At first, she had eyes on this new student who arrived at Beacon, but that just turned out to be a simple crush. Her true target turned out to be Izumi and man is she smitten by him. She went as far as to kiss his cheek when they parted."
Winter became more and more intrigued during the story. Raiden even told her about how Jaune was just as enthralled with Weiss as she is with Izumi at one point. Although, he could only offer little info on Izumi, Winter still wanted to meet him.
"I appreciate you looking after my sister," she said next. Raiden couldn't keep his eyes closed anymore.
"You're welcome; I enjoyed teaching her. She has a lot of potential," he responded. His head started to fall now.
"You better get some sleep," Winter told him. "When we retrieve your friends, we'll wake you for more information."
But Raiden was already snoring again.
"You know I never thought I'd see the day my niece stays with a guy," Qrow commented as he slung Ruby and Weiss over his shoulders. "Usually, she has a falling out with one by now and moves on, but this guy seems to know what he's doing with her."
"Raiden seems like a nice guy; strong, courageous, and really smart by the way he talks and composes himself," John carried Nora and Pyrrha. The good thing about all this is that everyone is worn out and weak so it's easier to carry them. When they returned to where Raiden and Winter were, they saw Raiden fast asleep and Winter scouting the area with some kind of creature she summoned. They set the girls down and went to retrieve the others. Winter took a look at the new arrivals and smiled in relief when she saw her little sister's chest rising and falling. She kneeled down a tucked a strand of Weiss's hair behind her ear.
"Glad to see you alright little sister," she whispered.
"How are they?" Raiden's voice entered her ears. "Are they all right."
"They're just fine. They need some patching up and let their auras do their jobs," the older heiress relayed the status.
"That's good; I was worried about them," Raiden said sleepily.
"Well now you have nothing to worry about," John appeared with a still unconscious Jaune and Ren in tow. "They'll be fine, but need a lot of rest."
"Those Dark Soldiers really did a number on them," Qrow commented, setting Yang beside her sister. "And what the hell happened to you? You were quite the distance away from everyone else."
"I fought my own Dark Soldier. One that could command fire; and when mixed with my lightning," Raiden chuckled. "Well you can see the results. Unlike them though, I was on my own for the second half. The first half was me, Yang, and Ruby, but after the beast started transforming, I had to tackle the beast alone while the girls helped their friends. I'm not doing that again. But anyway, how much do you all know about the main situation?"
They all gave Raiden the same bewildered look, meaning they had no idea. What more did they need to know? Grimm are attacking, it's time to murder some demons.
"Well let me start with a little history lesson. How much do you know about a beast named Dragonis?"
Only John's face paled in shock at the mentioning of the black dragon.
"You don't mean," the blonde man already knew what was happening.
"Yeah, the big demon is about to be resurrected," Raiden explained all his findings with Mizu and how they figured out the actual creator of the Grimm through various clues and notes they had difficulties piecing together. Unfortunately, that also brought out Mizu's role in the entire war and what happened to him and Blake. Now Raiden has no idea where the two are or if they're really safe. He remembered what Zeke told him before their final clash. It would take a long time for the resurrection process to start, about four months he said for Mizu to get up to par, but it would take another two gather the power needed for the process to go smoothly. So in total it would take six months for the big dragon to come out, not a lot of time when one thinks about it.
"Do you know where this resurrection will take place?" Winter inquired, but Raiden shook his head no. "What about you Mr. Arc? You know a little about this dragon."
John adopted a thinking pose and contemplated her question.
"Unfortunately, I've only heard about the ones who vanquished the beast. I am unknowledgeable about any sealing that took place, sorry."
"So our lives are in Mizu's hand then," Raiden sighed heavily. "But we're still in trouble."
"What does that mean?" Qrow questioned.
"Dragonis has the ability to possess people and turn them into puppets. No matter how hard Mizu may refuse, they will either torture Blake to twist his arm, or they will simply possess both. With Blake and Dragonis's possession ability at his disposal, Mizu is in quite the dilemma. His will is strong, but he has his limits."
"How long do we have?" Winter questioned.
"Six months give or take," Raiden shrugged his shoulders. Hopefully, Zeke's words are true.
"And we have no idea where to find this place to blow it up," Qrow sighed. "Matsumura, any ideas?"
But his question fell on deaf ears, as Raiden fell asleep once more, earning another sigh from Qrow.
"He's out of it; might as well wait."
"You have to admit that he shows character," the Arc father chuckled. "Not too many people can do what he do and walk away like so."
"However, that leaves them vulnerable to attacks," the lone female pointed out.
"Ah, don't get your panties in a bunch," Qrow commented, causing Winter's brow to twitch. "We're three veteran warriors; we can take on some simple Grimm."
"Need I remind you that these so called simple Grimm are destroying towns and murdering people at the very moment?" the older heiress questioned.
"Hey now you two, not in front of the kids," John tried to quell the quarrel. "Even though they're sleeping, that doesn't mean you should be fighting."
"I know, some of us are trying to sleep," Raiden spat his words grumpily. "Geez, just make out already."
John burst out laughing while Qrow and Winter glared daggers at the lightning professor.
"Are you insinuating that I would lower myself to this drunken loaf?" She interrogated.
"When people fight it means they love each other," Raiden pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Please, why would I ever develop such feelings for a degenerate such as he?" Winter turned her head with a familiar hmph.
"She wishes she had feelings for me," Qrow took another swig from his flask. "Besides, I like them larger in the chest and sexier in the legs. What about you Arc? What's your preference?"
"Uhh, I'd rather not…give my wife any more reason to castrate me. She was very adamant about me coming here alone and I know she's going to kill me when I return," the blonde Arc father waved his hands defensively.
"Ah you're no fun," Qrow chuckled. "You and your wife are going to have a grand time when this is all over. Just make sure the kids aren't home when you."
"DON'T! Finish that sentence," Winter turned to face the men with a bright red blush on her cheeks. She tried to ignore their conversation, but when things escalated to such means, it was time to put a stop to it. "We're supposed to offer our assistance, not talk about indecent actions."
"The kids are asleep; there's no harm in it," Qrow dismissed her statement, making the older heiress frown at the man. The three, and Raiden sometimes, continued to stay on alert. Surprisingly, no Grimm came during the waiting period, but that didn't mean they could let their guard down.
Soon, the unconscious hunters and huntress began to awaken and stir in their sleeps.
"Ugh, I hurt everywhere," Yang spoke up first.
"Shh, talk softer," Weiss groaned. "Your voice is too loud."
"Ren, can I have pancakes?" Nora cried softly in pain.
"Sure, and all the syrup you can pour on them," the green clad huntsman nodded back, earning a weak 'Yay' from his girlfriend.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah?" He responded, the agony blatant in his tone.
"Don't scare me like that again, okay?" The redhead Spartan reached out to grab Jaune's hand and gave it a weak squeeze.
"You got it," Jaune just as weakly squeezed back.
"Mmm, does anyone have a giant icepack? I need one big enough to cover my entire body," Ruby whined.
"Well you all certainly took a beating," John stated first. He hovered above the sister teams, who all stared at John blankly.
"Jaune?" Ren called out.
"Yes?" Jaune and John responded at the same time, making them even more confused.
"Oh, hey dad," the younger Arc son greeted weakly; his father kneeled beside him and ruffled his scraggly head.
"Nice to see you still kicking son; you had me worried for a minute there. But you did an outstanding job Jaune; I'm proud."
Jaune laughed back, but regretted it instantly as a wave of pain drowned him.
"Hey squirts," Qrow greeted his nieces.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cried and gripped his arm tightly. "It's so great to see you. Did you miss us?"
"Hmmm, nope," the man chuckled and ruffled the little redhead's hair.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Yang spoke up. "What happened?"
"Ozpin said you were all getting your asses kicked so Arc and the Snow Queen over there decided to lend a hand," Qrow explained.
"Disregarding his first comment," Winter said. "We heard your group might be the most attacked so we rushed on over."
"Thank you sister," Wiess flashed her sibling a smile.
"Of course, you're my little sis after all. And besides, I have yet to meet this Izumi character."
All the energy seemed to returned to Weiss as she shot up like a speeding bullet and attempted to hide her cherry colored face.
"Wh-Who is that?"
Winter simply smirked and placed her hands on her hips.
"I already know the story. You can blame your teacher over there for telling me."
Weiss immediately fixed Raiden with a glare; however, he didn't respond. It didn't even seem like he was aware of it. If anything, it looked like he wasn't even moving. He sat on the broken boulder with his shoulders slumped and head hung low. His arms fell on his lap, but he himself didn't move an inch.
"Raiden?" The younger Schnee called out. Everyone else turned their heads to see the lightning user.
"Oh, there you are," Yang struggled to get up and limply approached her boyfriend, who unbeknownst to the teens is simply asleep.
"Big brother!" Ruby exclaimed and followed her sister's lead. The two hugged Raiden, but he didn't return it. He didn't even move, which didn't go unnoticed by the sisters.
"Raiden?" Yang said. Still no response; she shook him, but he still didn't respond. She didn't even hear the faint snoring leaving his lips. "Raiden, wake up."
"Is he?" Jaune spoke to his father, who shook his head no.
"He's just sleeping," he whispered back.
"Shouldn't we tell them that?" his son suggested.
"Raiden!" Yang was starting to panic. Ruby was too, as she shook her surrogate even more. He wouldn't respond to their callings. "Come on Raiden this is no time for jokes."
"Big brother it's time to wake up now," Ruby shook him once more. Yang's brow twitched. She stepped back and pounded a fist in her open palm.
"Stand back Rubes; I'll make sure to see if he's sleeping or not."
"Uhh, are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Too late!" Yang used the remaining of her starting energy to throw a punch at the sleeping professor, who just now opened his eyes a little. He could feel something rushing towards him and held his hand up to block. The object collided with his palm, sending a resonating slap sound echoing through the air.
Raiden raised his head and saw Sunbeam and Ruby looking at him in shock. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Yang's fist in his palm.
"So the first thing I receive when I wake up is an attempted punch to the face? No hug or kiss? Just a punch to the face?"
"Well you didn't respond to us when we called your name," Yang defended herself and pulled her boyfriend into a loving hug. Raiden wrapped an arm around her waist and let her plant a kiss on his cheek. Ruby joined the hug as well, but both girls was pulled away by their Uncle Qrow.
"You can save the hugs for another time," he said and glared at the smirking Raiden.
"But uncle, that's my boyfriend," Yang placed her hands on her hips, obviously peeved that her uncle interrupted their moment.
"Yeah! And he's my big brother," Ruby flailed her arms with her cheeks puffed out.
"Regardless, we have bigger things to focus on," their uncle crossed his arms.
"Oh yeah!" Yang's rage turned to realization. "Raiden; we know what happened to Mizu and Blake."
"They've been taken by Malevolent to their Master to start preparing for Dragonis's revival," Raiden gave a yawn and resisted the urge to fall asleep again. He ignored the looks on the teens' face and continued on with his explanation. He told them what Zeke said and what they could do during, which is mainly rest and recuperate. They can't do anything at the moment until they've recuperated from their last bout, but even the three veteran hunters and huntress will need assistance.
"Some of us will have to keep watch while the rest recuperate, then we'll switch after a while and give the rest a chance."
"Sounds like a plan," Jaune agreed, the rest nodding in agreement. "You start resting though."
"No, I'll start first watch," Raiden shook his head. Yang sat him back down when he tried to stand.
"You will not; you need to rest," she stated.
"But,"
"Nope," Jaune and Ruby said at the same time.
"But,"
"Nope," Nora and Pyrrha copied them.
"But,"
"We said no!" Ren and Weiss yelled at him. Raiden opened his mouth to backtalk, but a hard blow struck him in the back, rendering him unconscious. The perpetrator, John Arc smiled and dragged Raiden's body away from the giant mess.
"Don't you just hate difficult people?" he asked coolly. He then clapped his hands together. "Now then! We have a lot of work to do ladies and gents. Our safest option is abide by what Raiden just offered so we'll let the ladies rest first while us gents act as shields."
"He means the ladies rest first so they can save our asses when it's time," Jaune clarified. Before Ren could retort, he and Jaune was dragged away by John with Qrow in tow, leaving the befuddled huntresses behind.
"Have fun ladies!" John's voice disappeared in the distance. The girls stared at one another before shrugging. In just a few minutes, everyone could tell where Jaune gets his personality and looks from.
"So tell me more about this Izumi person," Winter touched her sister's shoulder. Weiss tensed up as Winter practically dragged her away for some sister talk. She didn't think she would have to do it, but she turned to her teammates for support with pleading eyes. However, she saw them waving goodbye joyously.
"Traitors," she muttered under her breath. While the sisters had their talk, the P and N of JNPR ended up falling asleep again, with Ruby and Yang doing the same around Raiden, whom Yang cuddled with. Whatever her uncle said, she would ignore it. Her heart is already taken and not even death will release it.
The prison cell containing the captives opened up, allowing the warden to enter. He saw the captives fast asleep, the feline resting her head on the canine's shoulder, and the canine using the former's head as a pillow. His wolf ears twitched when they heard the cell open and an audible growl escaped their host's lips as he opened an eye.
"It's time," the warden stated. Mizu looked down at his sleeping girlfriend and narrowed his eyes. He didn't want things to be this way, but the only choice he had to keep Blake alive he took. He laid Blake on the floor and covered her torso with his jacket.
"I'll see you when I get back," he kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry I had to drag you into this."
The canine faunas followed the Alpha out of the room. He took one last look at Blake. She looked quite peaceful despite where they were, but he noticed the discomforting look slowly growing on her face.
"Come on, time is of the essence," Malevolent snapped Mizu out of his thoughts. The Alpha led the key through the same corridors with the strange drawings. Mizu made absolutely sure to study them every chance he got; they were hard to analyze at the moment, but there's a possibility that he will be allowed to roam free at points. If that's true, he will be able to study them more thoroughly.
"So will your master grace me with his presence?" Mizu asked, making sure to keep Malevolent focused on something else.
"In due time; I won't tell you anything that isn't of relevance. I want you more focused on training."
Mizu let out a sigh.
"Fine," he hung his head low. Is this what it feels like to be a traitor? This dense pressure drowning him vehemently as his chest became heavier as well? So many things raced through his mind that he forgot about what he wanted to study. Was this really the best choice? Should Mizu have chosen the other option? What about his friends, family, and fellow fighters? How would they feel about his choice?
This is what it means to be a traitor. And Mizu knows that there's no going back.
A/N: Boom! Another chapter finished for everyone's viewing pleasure. Now I know what most of you might be thinking; is he really going down that route? That cliché route? Well let me be the first to say that I have something big planned and this is a good start for it. And as you can see, I didn't just do this without showing the repercussions; I thought this through at least, give me some credit. Anyway, let me know what you think of the chapter in a review or pm please. If you have any suggestions, let me know. Without anything else to say, this has been MalevolentDarkness16 and I will see you all in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and take care.