Chapter 8
The Truth Hurts
=ASH=
Ash swung his weapon and readied himself for the match. It was hefty and it lacked any and all finesse. Which went opposite to all of his training. He was trained in fencing. Yet he picked a mace for his new weapon. Some people called him an idiot. Lyra and Morgan mostly. Actually pretty much everyone short of Billy called him an idiot for it. But that's besides the point. True mastery is earned when one can use anything as a weapon. Something Rasmastas told him before the match. He was stepping into the arena. He glanced up to see his opponents. It was Calico and Rojo.
"I was just as surprised." Calico said.
"I'll try not to hurt you guys too much." Ash said.
"Good luck trying." Rojo said. "You'll be flat on your back in three minutes."
"Try it." Billy said.
"Come on, we're all friends here." Ash said.
"For the next five minutes." Calico said. "Pretend we're mortal enemies."
"Can't we all just get along?" Ash asked.
"Sure, after you get your ass handed to you." Calico said.
The arena set up, geyser fields, firefield, mountain, high grass.
"Fight!" Port boomed.
Ash fired a shot, Rojo raised his shield and the shot collided with it. Either the flamejet that emerged from Ash's weapon or the bullet itself sent the man flying into the high grass. Calico lunged, Billy swung down with his blade, he clicked the button and the blade shot out towards Calico, he flipped out of the way and stumbled. The blade slid across the platform.
"Billy, go after Rojo, I got Calico." Ash said. Calico smiled.
Billy charged into the high grass, he spun around with his blade chopping the grass in half. Rojo charged with his shield and swung his chainsaw macuahuitl low. Billy's armour reacted and protected the leg. The blade began to saw through his armour. Billy swung his fist and Rojo went flying.
"So, have you been drinking Ash?" Calico asked.
"Maybe a little." Ash said. "You?"
"Yep." Calico said. "Not drunk enough though."
"Alcoholic against alcoholic." Ash said. "Let's do this."
Ash sent two illusions to Calico, who flipped out of the way of both of their attacks. He shot a harpoon which barely deflected off of Ash's aura. Ash lunged and swung his mace, was intercepted by Calico's hook who flicked his wrist and suddenly the mace flew from Ash's hands. Ash grabbed Calico's weapon and spun, tossing it. He spun around just in time for a fist to collide with his face.
"Hand to hand! I like it!" Port boomed.
Calico flipped Ash over onto the ground. He swung down. Ash rolled out of the way. Calico punched the metal ground. He didn't seem to feel it. Ash hopped to his feet and delivered a few punches of his own. He staggered Calico and swung down, hammer fist to the chest. Calico dropped to the ground. He sweeped for Ash's legs, knocking him onto the ground. Bullets missed them by inches. Rojo was firing the submachineguns strapped to his shield in their direction. Billy was charging straight for him. Rojo stepped back and Billy charged right past him. Bullets tore into Billy's armour, his aura was depleting fast. Billy spun around and lunged with his sword.
Ash rolled over and climbed to his feet, Calico swung his foot and it collided with the side of Ash's face. He dropped to the ground again. He rolled out of the way as another leg swung his way. He climbed to his feet and Calico did the same. The ran at each other and punched at the same time. They hit each other in the jaw and both dropped to the ground.
"Is that a double knock out?" Port boomed.
"No wait." Oobleck said. "Mister Grey's aura is in the red, but Mister Prince is still in the match."
Ash stared up at the sky. He glanced around the arena. Billy was lifting Rojo who swung down with the macuahuitl right into Billy's helmet. Calico fired a harpoon at Billy's armour which bounced off. He then picked something off the ground. It was Ash's weapon. He fired it at Billy and it exploded a hole in his armour. Billy flipped and landed on the ground. His aura depleted.
"And with that the match is over!" Port boomed.
"What an interesting match." Oobleck said. "It's been some time since we saw someone use another students weapon against them."
Billy climbed to his feet and kicked the pieces of the armour on the ground. He looked furious. They left the arena. Ash got his weapon back. Billy was silent the whole way to the airships.
"We could have won." Billy said. "You blew it."
"Come on Billy we knew we weren't finals material. It's a miracle we made it past round one." Ash said.
"We had a shot, you couldn't keep your hands on your own weapon." Billy said. "The others were right, you are an idiot."
That hurt. Ash stopped in his tracks. Morgan calls him an idiot daily but Billy never. Billy was the only person he knew that didn't call him one.
"Come on Billy, it's not my fault, we got outmaneuvered." Ash said. "It happens."
"On a battlefield that would mean we're both dead." Billy said. "I might not be the smartest person in the world, but I know that at least."
"Billy let's not fight, remember. We don't fight. I'm your squire, you're the knight." Ash said.
"Some squire you are." He said. He stomped off.
"Where are you going?" Ash asked.
"To ask Arthur if he can get my armour fixed." Billy said.
"Ash!" Calico called out. "I need your help."
"Wit h what!" Ash shouted. He stopped himself. "Sorry, not your fault. What is it?"
"I screwed up." Calico said. "I'm on a leash."
"Who's pulling it?" Ash asked.
"Victor Onyx." Calico said. "And the White Fang clean up crew."
"How did that happen." Ash asked.
"I wasn't going to tell you all this, but I changed my mind. Someone changed my mind." He said.
"Who could change your stubborn mind?" Ash asked. "Pearl?"
"She doesn't know." He said. "But she makes me want to be a better person."
"Alright, tell me everything." Ash said.
=BRUNO=
Bruno stepped into room. It was a seafood restaraunt. It was at least. The whole room was a bloodbath. A dozen dead white fang members, one of which looked older than dirt. He and his men cleared the place, guns in hand. Victor was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. He was soaked with blood.
"What happened boss?" Bruno asked.
"A change of plans." Victor said. "I decided I'm done with fanatics."
"You did this?" Bruno asked.
"Exactly." Victor said. "I no longer care about the faunus, I care about establishing power. Real power. The rest of the white fang and Adam Taurus's revolutionary force are merely pawns now. Pawns in a game of chess that I don't wish to be a part of any more."
"So whats the plan?" Bruno asked.
"We stop playing chess, at least not the two player variety. We're going to add a new player to the board." He said. "Myself."
"Who are our enemies?" Bruno asked.
"A young woman named Cinder." Victor said. "I know painfully little about her but she can do things that makes the white fang bend he knee to her. Some say she has magic at her disposal."
"Fairytails for fanatics to believe." Bruno said.
"Exactly." Victor said. "The other player are hunstmen, led by Ironwood."
"The General?" Bruno asked. "How do we deal with his army? We just have a handful of thugs at this point."
"That'll be taken care of. We let them attack each other and then we take Vale in the aftermath." Victor said.
"Then what?" Bruno asked.
"What a foolish question. We expand. To Mystral, to Atlas, to Vacuo." Victor said. "We get working men to set up businesses and operations in every major city across the kingdoms."
"We have another player." Bruno said. "Jasper Gold."
"Take care of him." Victor said. "That is your objective."
"It is done." Bruno said.
"Excellent." Victor said. "I will get us our agents, our worthy additions. They are scattered but I will find them and unite them. We will be a force that not even this Cinder could stop."
"Any orders for now?" Bruno asked.
"Just wait the next few days out." Victor said.
He stood up and carried his blood shotgun mace with him, leaving a trail behind him. He stepped to the exit. He turned and glanced over his shoulder. A sly smile grew across his face. "We are gods among men Bruno. Remember that."
Gods among men. He smiled. He watched Victor leave the restaraunt. He turned to Trevor who just entered through a side door. He looked at the room in stunned silence.
"Trevor, we need to schedule a meeting with Junior." Bruno said. "There is going to be some changes from now on."
"We're moving forward with the plan?" Trevor asked.
"Yes." Bruno said. "It seems our hand is being forced."
"The White Fang are making their move?" Trevor asked.
"It seems so, in the next few days. Things are going to fall apart." Bruno said. "Are we ready?"
"As ready as we'll ever be."
That night Bruno watched the news, a young huntress broke the leg of another schools student. Someone from Haven. The news spread like a wildfire. Soon the whole kingdoms were up in arms over it. Bruno smiled. Things were moving along. The White Fang would make their move soon.