Disclaimer: I don't own Fate or RWBY.
Author's Notes: Well this story has certainly been received a lot better than expected. I guess all that time spent staring off into space and scrambling to jot down notes on my phone has really paid off. I've always been slow when it comes to writing but with the amount of positive support directed toward this story, I hope to shorten that timeframe as much as possible. Obviously though, due to the unpredictable nature of my job, that won't always be the case but I'll try.
A special thanks to the Mystery Reviewer that took the time out of their day to write the "Hope this helps" review. It was very informative. I had no idea that certain aspects of Fate that I had previously took as fact such as Incarnations, The Worlds Dismantling of Traced Objects, and Shirou's Amnesia were all products of Head Canon that had proliferated throughout the community as fact. I'll be sure to adjust accordingly in regards to aspects of the Nasuneverse that are meant to remain concrete.
On an unrelated note, whilst checking on my story to browse reviews I skimmed past my summary enough times to realize that it's kind of portrays the story as a Lemon-centric Fanfiction. Not sure if it crosses the line enough to warrant a restructuring of the summary. What do you guys think?
Anyways that enough of my ramblings. On with the story!
XxXxX
Chapter 2: When You Assume
XxXxX
Glynda Goodwitch was on edge. To many, such a statement could be perceived as constant as the sky being blue but those with a much more personal connection with the woman would know that this was only the case most of the time.
Just because Glynda saw the value in professionalism did not mean she felt the need to maintain such a disposition one-hundred percent of the time. She treasured her free time just as much as the next person. With that in mind, one could imagine how she felt when Ozpin had decided to personally shackle her with the annual Emerald Forest inspection rather than the team of third years that was traditionally used in the past. He was lucky that she made a point to respect her superiors. She could only image what sort of emotions would have bubbled to the surface otherwise.
Though, while being a big part of it, her being kept from viewing the season finale of her favorite soap opera hadn't been the only reason for her current mental state.
It was Ozpin.
Specifically, the message sent to Ozpin courtesy of their scout: Qrow.
"Two-Sided Piece has entered the game."
She had known Ozpin the majority of her life at this point but never had she seen him genuinely surprised by something. Before this moment, any information passed to Ozpin would be met with the customary "Hmmm" and sip from his mug. Such a reaction was to be expected from him given his origin. One did not live countless life times without coming to see the pattern in things. So, when a wizened entity as Ozpin showed genuine interest in something one had a right to feel concerned.
Whether the response was good or bad didn't matter, it was bound to be troublesome in the end regardless.
Worse, was the fact that he wouldn't so much as divulge what was so intriguing about the message. Instead choosing to spew out the same cryptic jargon as always before flipping through the various video feeds he had strewn about the kingdom. You would think that as the second in command to their little brotherhood he would be more inclined to confide with her but apparently maintaining his sense of mystery was just something he could not part with to save his life.
The one solace in all this being the rationalization that her presence tonight served as some kind of higher purpose beyond just grunt work. Perhaps as a form of deterrent against potential sabotage attempts from the forces that had revealed themselves recently. With how uncertain times were becoming these days, a blow to the future of the kingdom was the last thing they needed.
It was with this thought in mind while screening the operability of one of the forest's many cameras that she heard it. Footsteps: too heavy to match any local wildlife in the area. This only being made more concerning when taking into consideration of the restricted nature of this land. With all other suspects out of the way, only one possibility remained in her eyes.
Purple light stirred her semblance to come alive, signaling for the forest to animate along with it. Shards of wood and stone fluttered about the sky like a murder of birds, sharpening in mid-air to a point. Then, with a casual flick of her riding crop, they flew; intent on shredding apart the source of the disturbance to bits.
It may have been overkill but she had witnessed far too many fully fledged Huntsmen made low by singular Grimm in supposedly "safe" locations to take the chance. That being said, this compulsion was only really a sound strategy when deep within the territory between kingdoms, where the chances of stumbling upon another human being were slim to none.
"Gah! What in the world!?"
Clearly, the Emerald Forest did not fall under the above mentioned regions.
Fearing the worst, Glynda timed her semblance with the apex of her leap to propel herself forward in the direction of the cry.
What she came upon was a man wielding a sword as long as he was tall in a defensive stance, the flat of the blade held downward and at an angle to redirect as much kinetic energy as possible away from his person. The side that was missing an arm was directed away from his-…
MISSING AN ARM!?
Sirens rang out within her skull. The first aid kit she kept on her person in case of emergencies ready and rearing to go. Toned legs propelling her in the man's direction in a vain attempt to stifle as much irreparable damage as possible.
It was only thanks to the man realizing what the scene must have looked like that they were spared from any potential confusion.
"Wait, wait, wait!" He repeated, lifting his hand off the weapon in a stopping motion.
Time appeared to freeze in place with how sudden she had halted her momentum, an outstretched length of bandages ceasing dangerously close to his eye.
"I'm okay, really." Fragments of wood and rock still clung to his body but a good self-induced palm strike to his torso did wonders in releasing the tension in his sweater, allowing the shards to come loose from his form. Stray nicks and tears in his clothing being the only sign he had been attacked at all.
Half rimmed spectacles reflected the glow of moonlight back at him critically. Seeing that she would need more tangible proof, he lifted his shirt to reveal only minor bruising decorating his well sculpted physique. "The arm injury had happened a long time ago. We're lucky I had already been under the effects of my Reinforcement or else I may have actually been hurt."
Satisfied, she gave a curt nod to signal that she had seen enough.
Glynda smoothed down the wrinkles in her dress as if to iron out the recent kinks in her behavior, straightening her glasses and clearing her throat before finding herself in the right state of mind to reply back. "A form of damage mitigation I presume."
"Close, but more along the lines of an improvement of all aspects of an object rather just the durability." He corrected.
"I see, so in the case of a weapon it wouldn't just make the metal harder to break but the edge sharper as well." She concluded intellectually, her curiosity winning out over her desires to persecute a potential trespasser.
"Exactly." He confirmed with a smile, pleasantly surprised by her deductive capabilities when provided with such sparse information.
"Though, from the phrasing of your words, this ability of yours would appear to only be temporary. For all intents and purposes, it would appear more beneficial to rely on your Aura for protection and only draw upon this "Reinforcement"," She said sounding the word upon her tongue, "when in times of need or to augment existing abilities further."
"A shield to deflect harm like that would be nice." He sighed longingly. "Reinforcement allows me to withstand much more damage than normal but it does nothing to bleed off the pain."
"Such a thing only proves my point." She punctuated with a correction of her glasses.
"I would if I could."
"You speak in the past tense. You've already attempted to unlock your Aura."
"I was really hoping that things would be different this time around but I suppose lady luck just can't give me a break."
"Preposterous, an Aura is a manifestation of one's soul. It is it impossible for a human being not to have one; let alone being able to fuel one's semblance without its activation." Glynda stated as if reciting the information from a textbook. It was shocking how quickly she had fallen toward her instructor persona despite having only met the man just moments before.
"And yet here I am." He said, appearing not at all concerned that he was lacking something that every other person had the capacity to possess. "My soul is just different I guess." He said while hefting the greatsword upon his shoulder before settling into a stance modified to be used with one hand rather than the intended two. The added weight of the weapon to a human form making it the prime suspect for the heavy footfall from earlier.
"What are you doing?" She asked, her brow still furrowed at the implications to his unique physiology.
"Emiya."
"Excuse me?"
"Emiya. Shirou Emiya, that's my name."
Realization dawned upon her. She couldn't believe that she been so uncouth as to have forgotten the first rule of etiquette. Though, to be fair, the impeding horror of dismembering an innocent man tends to take priority in these circumstances.
"Glynda Goodwitch: Professor and Deputy Headmaster of Beacon Academy." She announced with a hand over her heart.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Professor Goodwitch." Shirou replied, feeling somewhat lacking by comparison in regards to his own introduction.
"The pleasure is mine." Glynda said, a light smile gracing her that slowly eased into a displeased grimace once his attention had slipped away from her.
While she was glad that tonight's confusion had resolved itself peaceful the fact remained that she had just attacked a man in cold blood. Had he been anyone else she very well might have killed them.
A well-trained eye followed Shirou as he went about swinging the greatsword with the ease of a more conventional blade, no doubt using Reinforcement to compensate for the unwieldy nature of the weapon. Years of experience as Beacon's Head Combat Instructor approved of his form. His swings were strong and precise, speaking of countless hours of repetition; the fact that he doing all this with a single appendage as well only served to elevate her opinion of him.
A touch of shame welled within her chest.
She owed him.
A strained expression made its way to her face as she scanned the clearing, pondering a means to properly repay the man. He was obviously a warrior of some kind. The greatsword in his hand as well as the various other implements of war scattered about the clearing could attest to that.
A dagger, a spear, a longsword, a katana, a scimitar, a halberd…
"Do you plan on using all of these weapons?" Glynda finally voiced.
"Eventually." Shirou answered, finishing the final set of his form before setting the giant blade down into the soft earth to move on to another weapon.
Something clicked within her. A means of redemption had just offered itself. "Do you require any assistance? I could provide some guidance if you wish."
"If it's not too much trouble…"
"Not at all, I was the one who had interrupted you in the first place. Assisting in your training is the least I could do to make up for it." She explained, scrutinizing the new falchion along with the rest of the weaponry that had miraculously made their way into the forest. "First off, I would advise against branching out too drastically. While a backup weapon is always a good option to have, it is often far more efficient for a Huntsman to have a singular weapon in mind rather than splitting one's focus between several."
Shirou gave a sheepish grin at how seriously she was taking this training from the get go. Then again, what was he to expect from some who had introduced themselves as "Professor".
"I agree, the first person to teach me swordsmanship would utterly destroy me in a serious fight even if I had brought a hundred swords to face her."
"In reality, such a situation that would provide you with access to so many weapons is simply improbable." A smirk made its way to his lips as if he had been subject to a joke that she was not privy to. "Regardless, the fact she would be able to best someone like you in such a scenario speaks wonders of her talent. She must be quiet the Huntress."
From what little she had seen, his skills with a blade already rivaled most students at her school. Such a claim wasn't one to scoff at considering some of the more talented one's could already beat lesser Huntsmen in one-on-one combat.
"She was the greatest swordswoman that I had even met. Though you're wrong about one thing."
"And what's that?"
"She wasn't a Huntress."
Her brow reared back in surprise.
"And neither am I."
"My apologies. That was insensitive of me. Where have you served then if you don't mind me asking? As an Atlas Specialist by chance?" The lighter hair pigmentation was more common in the snowy reaches of Mantle, that coupled with his professional demeanor made him the perfect candidate for one of James' men…despite how much she wished to deny it.
"Uh, not exactly." A specialist he may be but not the kind that she was familiar with.
"A Mercenary then?" The Mercenary Guilds of Vacuo were known for grooming skilled warriors as much as they were for their scars. The like of which were treated more as badges of honor in those lands. It symbolized that you had what it takes to survive in such a hostile environment. She had never met one so well-mannered though.
"Not even close. Picture something more…domestic."
"Domestic?"
XxXxX
It was during this same night in a storage yard where the citizens of Vale send their items to die that a self-proclaimed Master Thief was subject to some unfortunate news.
Across from him stood a girl of short stature baring a color scheme with a taste for browns, pinks and whites. The girl in questioned seemed a touch worse for wear with dirt and grime marring her attire and a gash near her hairline that was just now beginning to ebb the flow of blood thanks to the effects of her Aura.
"What do you mean "You messed up"? I sent you with those useless sacks of flesh so that they wouldn't mess up." Roman hissed, his normally flamboyant tone laid low to ensure that this conversation didn't garner the attention of the warehouse's more unsavory inhabitants.
The ice-cream inspired girl leaned heavily on her parasol, typing up a response on her scroll. Labored breaths slowing down the process to a crawl.
"Someone was waiting for you? Were you able to get a look at them?" Anyone who could lay out someone like Neo needed to be kept in check or else this entire operation of theirs could go up in smoke faster than Fire Dust in a room full of wood shavings.
Neo held up a finger, perking up as if ready to jot down a reply but stopped before her fingers could reach the keypad of her scroll; a perplexed look crossing her face, as if the information was just within arm's reach but refused to stay in her grasp. Her finger sank down back to her side before shaking her head.
"That's just~ great." A complete unknown. At least with the kid in the hood and the Huntress from their first operation they had gotten a clear read on their appearances and abilities, they could prepare for those two. That wasn't the case this time around
And he'd thought stage one of their Boss' plan was going to be easy not five minutes ago.
"Do you at least have an idea of how they could have caught on to us?"
Her response was much smoother this time around.
"You don't say." A thoughtful look made its way to Roman's perfect (in his eyes) face. "I mean he didn't seem happy when we told him that we had started working with Adam Taurus but I wasn't expecting anything like this. Especially not this fast."
The next response came back even more swift, clearly Neo wasn't pleased about someone playing with her for once.
"You're right. He's the only one outside of this building that has even an inkling about our movements. That doesn't tell us why though?"
She flashed her screen in his direction with gritted teeth.
"Yes, it matters. Because if it is him and we can have an idea of what he'll do next then we'll have the best way to cut him out of the picture without anyone being the wiser,"
Neo motioned her thumb to cross over her neck, her reply promptly at the ready.
"Now that's just graphic even for you. Plus, it wouldn't be a good idea to smoke him out just yet."
She stomped her foot like a child who had just been denied her favorite treat.
"Look I know you're eager to get back at him for what happened to you but if we go at this blind, we could end up opening an even bigger can of worms than what we already have now. Best to wait it out then go for the kill once we have all the pieces in order."
She huffed, crossing her arms but seeing the logic in his reasoning. She didn't like it but Roman had never steered her wrong before. She would do what he said…for now.
"Running into some trouble Roman." He cursed under his breath, just who he didn't want showing up right now.
"Now that's just rude." Cinder drolled. He struggled to swallow the saliva in his throat; he could already feel the temperature in the room climbing.
"Oh no, that wasn't for you! It was for- "A single mascara wearing eye swiveled within the room, landing on his companion's disheveled appearance. "It was for poor Neo here."
Neo pointed to herself in confusion.
Roman mouthed for her to "just go with it". "Some of the help must have been short a few crayons in the box; mixed a load of Fire Dust and Lightning Dust together and blew their ride with her in it to kingdom come."
Cinder shot a look towards Neo who proceeded to nod her head perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
Not wanting to give her time to develop any suspicions Roman kept the words flowing. "The whole shipment was totaled. The other four jobs this week went down pretty smoothly though. One guy hadn't even known he was being robbed before the boys made it out of there."
"We'll have to cut off support from wherever that last group of men came from. Ignorance will not be tolerated."
"You're telling me." Good, it looked like she had taken the bait. He'd have to build up his relationship with Silver's gang again mind you for the rumored poor service but that was a small price to pay for not being immolated on the spot. "I can't wait for the animals to show up because I'll tell you: I am tired of getting all these guys up to speed. Everyone wants their own cut of the pie. Talking down some of the bigger names that have lent us their people hasn't been easy."
Sprinkling in nuggets of truth always did serve to make the lie more believable. Keeping track of all the different gang bosses' standards had been exhausting, not to mention all the petty rivalries that changed just as quickly as the weather. One day Group A and B would be as cool as a cucumber then the next thing he knew the only thing stopping them from shooting each other was to slap them with fists full of Lien.
He used to advocate against uniformity but after the recent weeks not so much.
"Interesting."
"Not really. The underground here is pretty defined, simple. Back in Mistral everything is so mottled together that you wouldn't know what's what. It's like a big mess of gray in there. In fact, there was this one time-"
"Not. That." The heat in room spiked sharply at each word only to descent just as quickly as it had come. Neo's finger hovered over the trigger sheathing the blade in her parasol.
"Okay, Mistral is a soft spot for the Boss. Good to know." Roman logged away for later.He gave a subtle nod to Neo to stand down. As she was, she would only hurt herself anymore if she got involved. He was confident. Cinder wouldn't off someone as valuable as him so soon.
"I was talking about the dust. What was the other type of dust in the shipment besides Fire?"
"Lighting?" He answered thoughtlessly.
"Strange…" Cinder stated, her words coming off as innocent but all those present knew that was far from the truth.
"Not really."
"…Is that so?" Her question bringing causing him to wonder himself despite knowing what he had said himself.
"Yes."
"Because I recall that targeted shipment only containing Fire Dust." She punctuated with a snap of her finger, flame igniting upon her finger tips to slither within her open palm.
Roman's skin paled. He had been so focused on the fabrication that he had forgotten to take into consideration of the hard facts.
"Oh really, was it that shipment? My mistake, I must have gotten the cargo mixed up in my brain. You know, these things can get kind of confusing with all the jobs we have going around and all." He spoke honestly, hoping his tone of voice would prevent her from digging any deeper. Once there was a tear in your logic it was only a matter of time before the rest of the lie would unravel at the seams.
She turns her back to the two, preventing them from seeing her face to garner any intrinsic meaning behind her following words. "See to it that this is the last mistake you make." Cinder says before gliding out of the room, not even bothering to question how the accident had happened despite there no longer being two opposing forces to cause such a reaction.
Neo's smirk tore a chunk from his ego, miming the crack of a whip and causing the proverbial house of cards he had been balancing to fall.
"Shut up, Neo."
A silent laughter being the thanks he had earned for saving their asses.
XxXxX
Ruby Rose was dying.
Well technically everyone was always dying but that was beside the point. Currently, she was dying even faster.
She couldn't breathe. Her chest hurt. Darkness encompassed her on all sides yet she could still feel the eyes following her every move. The distain of creatures beyond her control ready to sink their teeth into her; to rip and tear her to shreds until it was done.
She had always had big dreams, simple as they were. Less of an aspiration for the unattainable and more of an inevitability. To fight for those who couldn't help themselves. A Hero of Justice: a guardian to a world where everyone could be happy.
Oh, how tragic it was for her destiny to be brought to an end after only fifteen short, meaningless years.
This world of theirs truly was a cruel place.
"Oh~ I can't believe my baby sister is coming to Beacon with me! This is the Best! Day! Ever!"
She could already feel their mocking grins. Why even give us the power to struggle only for it all to eventually come to an end?
"Pleash stahp~."
Ruby Rose was dying: Socially Dying.
"But I'm so proud of you~" For what felt like the first time in a millennium she had seen light, finally released from the clutches of those…things…
Ruby Rose shot a glare at the pure evil hanging from her sister's chest. "Really Yang, it was nothing."
"Nothing? It was incredible! Everyone's at Beacon is going to think you're the Bee's knees."
She was exaggerating. Outside of knocking around a few nameless grunts that couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag Ruby hadn't really done all that much. If anything, she had only been a hinderance during that fight. Had she not been there she was certain that the Huntress would have brought the criminals to justice.
"I don't want to be the Bee's knees." Who even said that these days? Was this one of those trendy phases that her sister always kept from her from because it was funnier to see her fail via trail by fire as opposed to how sad it was watching her attempt to put those same phrases into practice? "I don't want to be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."
"What's with you? Aren't you excited?"
"Of course I'm excited! I just-…I got moved ahead two years…I don't want people to think I'm special or anything." It was already difficult for her to keep up with the flow of things normally, let alone as some kind of prodigy.
"But you are special." Yang reassured; she had always claimed so but it had never been something she had wanted.
"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities."
The world, on the other hand, apparently had something different in mind, as if to remind her that she was some kind of person to be held above others. Sadly, Fate did not care for one's feelings and the news feed continued to agonizingly recount the events that had taken place. In her eyes, the roles had always been reversed. A Hero served the people. She didn't need all this to make others think she was better than them.
The only exception to the rule in humility was her Uncle Qrow. Growing up in a home with one parent gone and another twice heart broken had not been an easy thing. Her Uncle had stepped in as something of a second father to her. Not the best one by any means but he had been there nonetheless, flaws and all. Apparently, he had been close to her mother as well. He must have been hurting just as much as Dad but he pushed through for her. It was part of the reason she had been so lenient with his alcoholism despite how much she hated it.
She wanted to make him proud.
But for how much her Uncle had tried to be there for her, he never was the soft type. Both him and her Dad had lacked something intrinsic to a growing child's health. A something that someone else had filled the void at their expense despite she herself being a child as well.
Her sister Yang looked on with glee as the people of Vale acknowledged the girl who, she herself would not.
A hard pill to swallow formed in her throat at she stared at those eyes, full of admiration.
"…Yang."
"What's up sis?" Yang turned away from the monitor to beam down at her little sister.
"Are you okay?" For a second, the touch of gold that had sworn to never be far behind flickered for just a moment.
"Why wouldn't I be?" She smiled back. But it wasn't the same. That spark that had kept her safe and warm all those dark nights after her mother's passing was absent.
"Well, it just that-…ever since Uncle Qrow brought you back home you've been a lot more…jumpy."
"Jumpy? What makes you say that?" She questioned as the news feed cut out to reveal a blank white background, the blond Huntress from the dust robbery rushing into place with dark circles around her eyes, appearing to have only woken up just minutes prior.
"That morning you woke up screaming." Yang's posture visibly stiffened, the only notable reaction that she had garnered from her as of late. "And whenever you see a-."
Just then a blond boy in a hoodie and white armor stumble across the monitor looking even more haggard than the woman briefing the would-be students themselves. However, what hadn't stood out to them wasn't the deathly motion sickness and the notable vomit that teetered on bursting from his fingertips but the simple longsword swinging from his hip.
Ruby's look of disgust quickly shifted to concern when she notes her sister's lack of reaction at the sight. There was no witty quip, no horrible pun to break the tension; only the sound of breath entering lungs at a frantic rate.
She turned to her sister's rigid form. Lavender had transitioned to an angry blood red that lacked the usual ferocity customary with the activation of her semblance. Ruby's previous attempts at maintaining normalcy were crumbling as the unshakeable figure that stepped in for their departed mother was ripped away to reveal the frightened girl underneath.
"…Yang?"
She received no answer.
There were only swords.
XxXxX
The interior of the Bullhead disintegrated into dust; unveiling a chaotic storm of ambers and purples blending together haphazardly and without thought. Gears, larger what was feasibly possible hung in space oxidized with disrepair.
Her body felt frozen to the touch yet at the same time scorched to an angry red.
Hot and Cold.
Sleet and Brimstone.
Fire and Ice.
Two forces battling cyclically without end.
Then there were the swords. All shapes and sizes, large and small, mundane and surreal buried into the frozen waste just as deeply as they were plunged into the depths of burning sands. A calming solidarity amongst the eye of the storm.
Swords.
They rose into the air just like the titanic monstrosities littering the sky.
A dozen swords.
They rotated as if locking on to target.
A hundred swords.
Steel reflected back at her with a somber resolve.
A thousand swords.
Then they flew, faster than their shape and weight should have rightfully been capable of.
A hundred-thousand swords.
Seeking the only thing in the world that wasn't themselves.
Unlimited Swords.
Their numbers so vast that they began to blot out the light from the writhing forces that called themselves sky.
Unlimited Blades.
Then she ceased to know anything.
XxXxX
"YANG!" Lavender blinked back into existence.
Ruby's cry roused Yang from of her stupor violently. Air filtered into her lips like water in a desert. The turbine in her chest overclocking past its limits to meet demands.
Where the thought of embracing her sister in public had horrified Ruby before, the girl clung to her as if her arms were the only thing anchoring her to reality. There were people staring now; really staring, not just the anxiety ridden illusions that plagued one's psyche. And for once in her life, Ruby couldn't care less.
Yang returned the embrace. Silver eyes met her lavender, fraught with worry. She rubbed her sister's back lovingly. This moment was a rare reminder that Ruby, no matter how awe inspiring she was, was still just a kid; a kid who had just been thrust into a world where she was very much in over her head.
"Shhhhh, It's okay. I'm okay."
"No, you're not."
The Bullhead finally came to a stop and the scene's spectators steadily trickled out of the aircraft.
"Looks like we're here."
"…Yang…" Ruby eked out, a million things she wished to say passing by but none ever making their way to her lips.
"Come on, let's go. Wouldn't want you being late for your big day." Yang reassured, holding her hand out to encourage her sister forward. A smile graced her like the smell of a rose on a summer's day. It was a small, fragile thing but it was still very much a real one and helped to take away some of the girl's fears.
This was the day Ruby had been waiting for her whole life: The first steps of her legend.
As the older sister of the two, it wouldn't do for her to ruin it.
XxXxX
"In other news, disaster befell early morning in Evergreen Parkway when a delivery truck on a routine trip found itself spontaneously up in flames. We have Mark Hues currently on the scene today. Mark what can you tell us about this tragedy?"
"Well Tom, from what I've been told there appears to have been a malfunction in the engine causing the hood of the vehicle to catch fire. If we follow the skid marks here, we can see where the driver lost control of the vehicle, swerving off the road and colliding into what used to be a local bakery. By then the flames had already reached the truck's shipment of Fire Dust, igniting the payload and spreading the flames into the building."
"That sure is something Mark, did anyone get hurt in the accident?"
"Yes, I'm getting reports that luckily the driver and his two associates were rescued by an unnamed passerby who dove into the flames and pulled the three men out before it was too late. The three are currently being seen at the Vale Hospital for smoke inhalation and minor burns but are otherwise completely unharmed."
"Thanks Mark. Next: Cuddly Friend or Criminal Master Mind? After this commercial break we go over all the signs that your cat may be plotting to kill you. My name is Tom White and we will be right back after this."
Cinder Fall surveyed the scene in person from the balcony of a nearby café. The News Reporter's artificial grin falling hard the second the camera's stopped rolling, dragging himself back into the van to move on to the next location.
She always found it such a fascinating thing, how the very establishment that had been developed in order to distribute the truth was so quick to regurgitate whatever was said by the ones with the deepest pockets.
Even from this distance, she could tell that the engine failure claim was completely fabricated. The metal of the hood of the trunk was punctured from the outside; the wound's size being much too large for a bullet. A spear or maybe even a sword perhaps? Honestly, the classification hardly mattered nowadays with how often it was for the current generation of Huntsmen to incorporate hybridized functions within their weaponry. Regardless, a blade of notable size would be a prime suspect for the gouge marks that littered the area. No doubt being a byproduct of a battle of some kind rather than the accident story that was officially redistributed to the public.
The signs were obvious to even the untrained eye, let alone a detective. So why bother censoring their findings in the first place?
To keep the public happy and ignorant of any danger?
Or to save face?
Her money was on the latter. Only a few probing steps in her plan and already the public was beginning to whisper of the Law Enforcement's ineptitude. Seeds of doubt were already being sown. She just needed to give them more time to take root before they would be ready to flower.
However, one question was still remained: Who had interfered with her plans?
"Mr. Opal are you in the kitchen?"
A local Huntsman was obviously at the top of her list of potential candidates. Their super human abilities and combat prowess alone would have been more than a match for the generally underwhelming specifications of her current work force. That, however, was the first reason why they had been ruled out. Outside of the few Huntsmen who strayed from the beaten path, the so called "Protectors of Humanity" were a just few and would no doubt have remained on scene in order to brief the responders.
"Oh no reason. I just thought I smelled something burning is all."
A quick activation of a program on her tablet courtesy of Arthur Watts (much to her displeasure) consolidated an archive of the most commonly discussed topic in the immediate area. After sifting through the usual pointless jargon that plagued social media Cinder was able to gather a general consensus of what had happened.
"It's just that you were the only one after me to have used it and I know I didn't burn anything."
Outside of the initial crash and the fire that had consumed the bakery not long after, there wasn't much to go on. Apparently, it had all ended too fast for anyone to have seen anything concrete.
"No, I am not implying that you are a bad cook. I was just concerned for the customers' safety."
That was…worrisome to say the least. She could see why Roman felt such a need to blatantly lie to her face.
The girl had proven to be quite capable in close quarters, for someone to have defeated her; saved the men that had been paid to highjacked the delivery truck; and then clear the area fast enough to not be seen by the general public was definitely something to be concerned about.
"Please understand-. What? No, you're not a danger to the customers."
She brought her steaming cup of truth to her lips, stopping for a moment to allow the bitterness of her situation to make its way down her throat. Her smooth features scrunching up into a wince for a split second before vanishing behind her usual placid air.
The soft click of porcelain touching down on the tables surface followed by a quick, "We apologize for all the noise."
Cinder contemplated reserving her full attention to herself but decided against it when she spied the slice of cake that had made its way to her table. "I didn't order this."
"No need to worry. It's on the house."
"I do hope this isn't a means to curb my opinion of this place." She hadn't even bothered to look up from her tablet to review the waiter's expression. "Leftover desserts can only go so far when the service is this bad." Her abrasive comment no doubt warding him away to allow her the freedom to continue on with her reconnaissance.
"Dearest customer, I insist that you withhold your judgment until you have tasted the dish." The waiter replied, a new edge to his tone in spite of the respectful manner of his speech.
The audacity of the man drew the attention of ember orbs from behind her sunglasses. The man's constant presence a challenge for her to dare step away from the premises without at least having a bite.
"…Very well. What it is exactly?" She said, palming the fork on the side of the tray.
"A Milk Cake smothered in caramelized milk and dolloped with a light meringue on top and coated in pomegranate seeds and pistachios for a balancing crunch. Please enjoy." He explained, still lingering by the table much to her chagrin.
Her grip on her fork went limp at the explanation. "That seems rather…extravagant for a place like this."
"I find experimenting with various ingredients to be relaxing."
"Experiment you say? Is that all I am to you? A test-subject? Is that how you handle a paying customer?"
The sound of molars grinding was now audible in the air; as if implying that he would serve her anything lacking was an affront to his very existence. "I had my fellow employees taste test it beforehand as a trial run. I can guarantee that this dish will be to your liking."
"A bold claim."
"Such things only hold true when they are claims to begin with." He said, his confidence earning a playful smirk from her.
Having grown tired of their verbal spar Cinder decided to humor the waiter and took a bite of the cake.
Her chews were slow and methodical, giving her mouth ample time to process the flavors and textures harmonizing together. She did not say another word nor did she move a muscle. If it wasn't for the minute rise and fall of her chest one could even mistake her for being dead.
Such a response did not muster even a smidgen of anxiety from the waiter. It was almost as if he had come to expect it.
Moments later, the fork within her hand moved against her stonelike expression, cutting off another piece of the dessert…and another…and another…and another…until, before long, the utensil was scraping against the bottom of the milk saucer where the cake had been.
Blinking out of her trance, Cinder shot up to look at the familiar likeness of the one-armed man from several nights ago grinning back at her with an obnoxious level of smugness.
"Would you like another plate Miss?"
She did not answer, for fear of her stomach betraying her will. Despite this, she could not help herself from picking at the remaining pieces of pomegranate and pistachio drifting about the dish; her actions speaking louder than words.
Wordlessly, he walked off to scrounge up another one of the delectable slices of heaven that she had just tasted. It was in this window of time that Cinder realized something startling: just what were the chances of her running into the same person more than once in a place a vast as Vale? One in a hundred? A thousand? Whatever it was, the odds were not likely, doubly so for her when taking into account her lack of public exposure after the botched preliminary heist.
She tipped the sunhat she had chosen to obscure her appearance downward subconsciously. Having gone so far as to have opted out of her usual reds and blacks for a white sleeveless blouse and a cream-colored skirt to dissuade any potential hooded children or blonde professors from recognizing her during today's outing.
Evidently, she was being paranoid. The windshield of the Bullhead they had used had been tinted, combined with the darkness of the night and the chances that he had had caught a glimpse of her were virtually nonexistent. The lack of recognition on his expression when she looking up at him only proved that. Nevertheless, she couldn't stop the thought from lingering inside her. It all seemed too much a coincidence to be just that.
When he returned within view, she made an effort to expel the nerves from her system to act as natural as possible. If he truly didn't recognize her then there was no point in treading the line as if he had; doing so would only serve to cement her image in the mind of someone that could be used against her later. She wasn't even supposed to be exist in Vale yet to begin with. The fewer people that could attribute her appearance to the student persona she was to use in the coming months the better.
"Your milk cake Miss."
She silently thanked him, eager to take another bite. "I find it hard to believe that something like this would be free."
"It isn't an official menu item just yet so it's not as if I could charge for it." He shrugged. "For this one, I had replaced the pomegranate and pistachios with a touch of cinnamon and hazelnut. It should blend together more smoothly with the coffee you had been nurse for so long."
The observation caused a poignant pause to break Cinder's movements, having found herself doing just as he had suggested in using the sweetness of the dessert to make the bitterness of her drink more palatable.
"No need to be embarrassed." He waved off, mistaking her shock at his level of observation for being caught red handed. "A friend of mine was the same way. She never had a taste for bitter drinks but was far too proud to admit that she needed some help getting it down."
"How childish." She said as if to discredit the fact that she had just been doing the exact same thing.
"Maybe but I wouldn't exactly call the sulking expression you had been making behind Mr. Xiong's club the peak of maturity." He dropped nonchalantly, not even bothering to take notice of the way the cake on Cinder's fork had slipped off the utensil and on to her dress. "Apologies but I have other guests to attend to. Enjoy your meal."
The metal of Cinder's fork smoldered into a sad, misshapen husk. She didn't know what she was more infuriated about the jab at her maturity, the cake that had stained her dress because of it, or the fact that he had been playing her as a fool all along with her being none the wiser.
"Excuse me," She called over to nearby waitress, "I appear to have misplaced my fork."
"Right away Miss." The waitress reappearing not long after with her request in hand. "Here you go!"
She took the utensil without thanks.
"Anything else?"
"Yes, a name. Specifically of that man over there; the handicapped one." Cinder demanded more than asked while whipping away the globs of milk and cream from her dress.
"Shirou? He's one of our new part timers. Just started her a few days ago. Right before the car crash that's been all over the news lately now that I think about it."
So, he had been in the general area where someone had interfered in her operations. A kind of informant then? It would definitely explain how someone had been tipped off to her latest operation so quickly "Does he have a last name?"
"Emiya I think. Why do you ask?"
"I was just hoping to file a complaint. He was rather rude while attending to me."
"Really? Him? But he seems so nice."
"Rarely are people as they appear to be."
Shirou Emiya: the man that had seen her with wanted criminal Roman Torchwick. Even if he was merely a humble part-timer that information alone was enough to jeopardize her whole operation.
He needed to be dealt with…swiftly.
XxXxX
Her pride as an instructor was in shambles.
Never before in all her years as an active duty Huntsman had Glynda Goodwitch ever felt more useless until the day she had agreed to tutor Shirou Emiya.
She had been wrong.
He wasn't a match for her students. He would utterly destroy them. If this was "practice" for him just were did his limits end? A Rookie Huntsman? A Professor? Her? She wasn't sure. And all this with a disability and without an Aura to lean on. It was inspiring to say the least.
She had tried to help at first. She honestly did, contributing whatever inputs she could to make his nightly training sessions more efficient. That slowly changed each time he laid his hand on a different weapon, her advice finding fewer and fewer opportunities to chime in. By the time he had reached the double digits it had become clear to her that first night that any words from her would be about as valuable as walking a surgeon through your own operation. Feasible but also woefully unnecessary.
Now, that wasn't to say he hadn't been listening. If anything, Shirou was a better student the one's she catered to at Beacon and had taken everything she had said to heart. Something that only served to add insult to injury.
No, Shirou wasn't the issue: she was. No matter how much she tried she just couldn't provide anything useful for him. Where other students would find value in a new perspective, he appeared to have already memorized every detail of it. Advice in the placement of the weapons in his hands lead to unfavorable result; addressing holes in his stance had been proven pointless as they had been intended to be there all along; oddities in his footing meticulous developed in order to overcompensate for his disability; the list went on and on.
By now their roles had reversed entirely; where he was the one educating her in the way of the blade instead. Shirou Emiya simply possessed an unmatched sympathy for weapons. While he was by no means a master in every style, he still remained a cut above the rest in most. Truly, the only limiting factor would be the sheer number of weapons he could carry on his person at a given time (the likes of which she still had no idea how he carried so many to the Emerald Forest each night).
Its just as the saying goes: "Quantity has a quality all its own."
Which made his supposed career path all the more unbelievable.
He had to be lying. There was no way that he could be anything other than a combatant of some kind.
"Mistral Assassin." Glynda threw out, hoping it would stick. An amused smile gently creased her companion's face.
"Wrong again." Shirou said with the shake of his head.
"Damn," She cursed, "I had reasoned that with the extensive house husbandry skills one would have a much easier time getting closer to their targets."
Shirou chuckled, finally coming to a stop near the professor for a much-needed break. It had become something of a game of theirs. Where she would bring up a certain profession that he might have developed his skillset at and he would confirm whether or not she was right.
Naturally, she had yet to get a single one.
"You wouldn't be the first person to think that."
"Are you certain you have never been paid for your skills?"
"Not the offensive ones at least." Bartender, Waiter, Repairman, Chef and Janitor to name a few, on the other hand, were all fair game.
"Inconceivable." Where would a man with such a dull work portfolio even learn how to handle a sword like that? And for what purpose did they feel the need to hone their craft to such a level? Self-defense and recreation could only go so far. Combat sense like that didn't just fall from trees.
"Leaving so soon?" He asked seeing her rise from her seat.
"A new batch of potential Huntsmen will be going through initiation tomorrow." She said dusting the dirt that had accumulated on her palms. "I'll need to put the finishing touches on my lesson plan for the semester. Though, I doubt I'll be missed much with how little I've been able to accomplish thus far." Her usual grimace deepening even further.
"Sorry about that." He said as if was his fault for her newfound feelings of inadequacy. Which it was but she refused to allow a person to feel ashamed of their own ability.
"No matter, we'll just have to cover a much broader number of subjects next time in order to see which areas you are deficient in. That way I'll be able to devise a much more fitting curriculum for you."
"Thanks for your hard work. I'm going to stay back for a little bit longer. You go on ahead." Shirou said, rolling his shoulders to relieve them any stiffness before moving once more to one of the many weapons dotting the clearing.
"Don't stay out too long." Glynda nodded, jotting down some ideas in her scroll whilst muttering to herself on her way out of the clearing.
"No promises." He said, melding with the weapon in his grasp; revitalizing the history of the blade and allowing it to take shape within him. The memories plaguing his mind drifting away, lost at sea within a spiraling ocean of warriors past.
XxXxX
It wasn't until several hours later that he had finished with his meditation.
The trudge down the mountains that encompassed The Emerald Forest was an uneventful one. Lush green and the terrors of the woods slowly bleeding into the safety of industry that humanity found comfort in.
Reaching the Kingdom's border wall, Shirou flashed the guard his ID; the man giving him a perplexed expression at the physical card before allowing him entry.
His nose wrinkled at the smell of soot in the air. An abundant commodity of the real-estate near the Kingdom's borders. Such a thing was to be expected as only those with the right income could afford the glitz of the inner city. Fortunately, Vale as a whole was one of the safer out of the four bastions of man; the slums had little to fear beyond the general disrepair that accompanied the region.
"Kiiiiitttyyyy! Kiiittty!" A young boy no older that ten called, his hand cupping above his mouth to carry his voice further.
His consciousness urged for him to simply let the matter be, that it wasn't his problem. However, his body seemed to disagree, obstinate limbs bringing him down to eye level with the boy despite his internal protests.
"What are you doing out here? It's dangerous this late at night." Stray Grimm breaching the Kingdom's walls were rare but enough negligence and bit of sleep deprivation could make anything possible.
"Kitty got lost. I've been looking all over trying to find her." The boy answered innocently.
"Do your parents know where you are?"
The mentioning of the "P" word caused the boy to freeze in his tracks. His head shacking in a no.
"They're probably worried about you. You should head along home."
"But what about Kitty?"
"Don't worry, I look for it in your place."
"Really?" His eyes glistened in wonder.
"Sure, do you need any help getting back." Shirou's question garnered a shake of the boy's head in return.
"Thanks a lot Mister. Kitty has white hair, red eyes and a little notch missing from her left ear. You can't miss her."
"Got it. I'll keep an eye out."
Shirou flashed a wave at the boy as he ran back home. It wasn't until the boy had cleared from view that frown he had been internalizing came forth. From the general cleanliness of the boy's cloths he didn't appear to be a resident of the area, meaning that he probably wondered into the slums aimlessly with the hopes of running into his cat. That left a lot of ground to cover.
"Well, not going to find it by staying around here." It's just a cat. How hard could it be to find it?
XxXxX
Shirou had desperately wished he had knocked on wood the moment the question had entered his mind.
"Very" had apparently been the correct answer. Vale's Animal Control must have been working over time because two hours come and gone and he had yet to see hide nor hair of anything even remotely furry.
His search had currently led him down one of Vale's many maze-like alley ways. Silently he prayed from it to make an appearance. He wasn't exactly looking forward to going vertical once he ran out of alleys.
"Please…I just work at the dust refinery. I've got no money!" Broke Shirou from his dread.
"We don't want your money. Just give us the key card and you can go on free."
"Why are you doing this? That dust hasn't even been processed yet. It's worthless."
"We're making the demands here old man." A much harsher voice demanded, punctuating his point with the cocking of a hammer on a firearm.
"Okay, okay! Just don't hurt me!"
"Faster! Hurry up!" Shuffling cloth peaked to manic levels.
"Here! Take it! It's yours!"
"Much obliged." Hard metal impacted bone with a solid thud.
"What's wrong with you?! He already gave us the card!"
"Yeah, but they also said that there weren't supposed to leave any witnesses."
"You guys are sick you know that."
"Oh, fuck you too pal. If you don't have the stomach for this shit then go back home to your mommy."
He had heard enough.
A tired sigh traveled through his form and out his fingertips. Blue light shimmered from his corner in the alley way. A white mantle and a short sword of utilitarian design appearing on his person where there had once been open air.
As he turned the corner three men came into view. One positioned at each entrance. The man in the center hovered over the body of the refinery worker with a gun pressed to the unconscious man's temple. The one tasked with guarding Shirou's current path still, too immersed with arguing with the center man over the morality of the situation to keep track of his surroundings.
Such a valuable opportunity would not be wasted.
By the time the three had noticed that they were not alone Shirou had already intercepted their formation. His grip reversed, the pommel of his blade digging solid metal deeply into the center man's gut. The breath in the man's lungs rushed out forcefully, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth from biting his own tongue.
Shirou's brow rose as he noted the lack of shimmering light customary with the activation of an Aura before following his opening strike with a swift front kick, sending the criminal clear through the air into the unsuspecting back of the third.
The second man's eyes widened in shock. From his perspective it must have looked like his partner had just been replaced with a stranger before his eyes.
He wrestled with his surprise to bring his pistol to the ready but he was far too slow. The dulled edge of the short sword already rising up in an arc to knock the muzzle of the weapon off target well ahead of his finger placing itself into the trigger guard, bullets discharging harmlessly into solid brick wall.
Using the upward momentum of his initial slash, Shirou brought the blade back downward in a seamless motion. The edge just barely grazing past the man's body to feel if it impacted anything else besides open air.
Contrary to popular belief, Aura is not intrinsically a solid force. In its unamplified state, it merely spares the user from harm as well as healing any damage that may manage to bypass one's Aura. The default composition of an Aura feels less like a force field and more like just more "Them" projected outwards. So, when Shirou felt his blade impact something despite having just struck open air he adjusted accordingly, reinforcing the edge of the once dulled short sword into that of a much more suitable blade.
The third slash came low, taking the ground straight from under the gangster like an axe to a tree. Whilst still exempt from Remnant's gravity, Shirou plucked him from the air; positioning the man's body toward the rain of gunfire courtesy of the alley's other occupants. As the telltale click of an expended magazine resounded the Aura of his makeshift shield finally fizzled out of existence. A quick toss into the adjacent wall being the straw that broke the camel's back that sent the man into blissful unconsciousness.
The remaining two's fumbling to scrounge up more ammunition cost them dearly, providing Shirou with plenty of time to spare in order to close the gap.
Steel cut in a wide, horizontal arc; slicing clear through the barrel of the unenhanced man's pistol. The short sword flipped in his grip, rearing back and returning in a straight motion; the fist holding the handle of the weapon impacting hard upon the man's windpipe. Hands relinquished the useless piece of metal in their grasp in favor of cradling the damaged throat. This reprieve was short lived, as the same hand that had caused him said pain hooked around to take hold of his skull; forcing his brow into a collision course with an awaiting knee. The force of the blow folding him upon the joint bonelessly.
Seeing that the last of his comrades had been dispatched the remaining man had decided to abandon his attempts at find more ammo in favor of reaching into his coat pocket to unfurl a switch blade. With a resounding battle cry he charged at the group's attacker.
Bonze passing over the pocket knife inquisitively before returning to disinterest.
Shirou returned his sword into a more traditional grip, using the blade's superior reach to keep the edge of the knife from harm's way.
Turning his body to the side, Shirou effortlessly dodged a straight thrust from the man's knife; following up the evasive maneuver with a straight thrust of his own. His did not miss, striking true at the man's bicep. A dull blue hue soaking the man's form in response.
The blade quickly returned to its wielder's center mass to block a wild slash that had been aimed at Shirou's torso. The flat of the blade held fast, not yielding a single inch within the struggle despite the thug's best efforts. Then, suddenly, the force behind the block disappeared all together forcing the man to stumble forward into open air. Shirou's sword coming around to cut at the finger holding the knife, the pain that had seeped through the Aura forcing his finger to lose their grip on his weapon.
In an act of pure tenacity, the man balled his remaining hand into a fist; launching a haymaker in Shirou direction. The swing comes high, Shirou barely needing to bend his waist in order to duck underneath the arm. Before the full motion was even accompanied, Shirou's sword lashed out at the man's roots. This pattern repeats itself three more times before his opponent finally loses his footing, falling on to his knees. The position being the perfect angle to launch a kick to the man's temple. Soul given form flaking away from the force of the blow.
Shirou cranes his head to look upward at Remnant's shattered moon longingly. He takes a deep breath; with his exhale the mantle and the sword in his grasp departing along with it. This moment, however, was short lived. A soft sobbing noise distancing him from his moment of reflection.
Calmly, he makes his way over to the back of the dumpster that the noise was coming from to find a tiny Faunus girl with messy white hair sniffling, no doubt not wanting to bring any attention to herself.
"Hey there." He said, putting a great amount of care into the volume of his voice to avoid frightening the girl.
"Are all the bad people gone?"
Pudgy fingers gave way to reveal bright red eyes laden with tears. For a moment, a lance of pain struck through his heart at her resemblance to another white-haired girl that he had known. The feeling passed, however, once he laid eyes on the fluffy cat ears peaking from her scalp…her left ear missing a notch by the…oh…
"Yeah, they're all asleep now." He said, craning his chin over to the trio of unconscious bodies.
Hearing that appeared to have calmed her a bit but she was still didn't seem to trust him just yet. Using her long, white hair as a curtain to hide behind.
"You wouldn't happen to be Kitty, would you?"
"Ngh," She nodded parting her bangs to look at him more clearly. "That's what my big brother calls me."
"Well, you're in luck because your big brother sent me to find you."
Her ears perked up inquisitively, wiggling at the mention of her brother. Her breath finally stabilizing to an even level. "Really?"
He nods, holding a hand out to her. "What's your name?"
She took it, allowing him to bring her to her feet. "Shiro."
"Ha, that's funny, my name is Shirou too." He smiles at her, her mouth forming into a cute little "o" in amazement.
The older Shirou moved to release his hand from her grasp but her tiny fingers held on tightly. Having been lost for so long must have scared her more than he had thought.
As they made their way out the alley way, they passed by the unconscious bodies of the three criminals. A bashful expression developing on his face. He couldn't in his right mind just leave them there.
"Did you do this?" Little Shiro asked with a tilt of her head.
"…Yeah…" He admitted, wishing he still had his other arm to scratch at the back of his scalp.
"Ooooooo, Big Bro Shirou is strong."
"Shiro?" Man, that sounded weird calling someone by a name near identical to his own. "You wouldn't happen to have a scroll by chance?"
She shook her head. "Papa said I can't have one until I'm older."
"Figures. Well I guess we'll just have to think of something along the way."
"Ngh." She agreed.
XxXxX
Off in a faraway tower a video screen displaying the man shepherding a young girl along in the direction of the nearest police station played.
"Well, he certainly seems better than anticipated." A man in a dark green suit and circular sunglasses voiced from behind his desk. "From tonight's performance alone, he appears like he would be a valuable ally."
Lifting his neck away from the screen, he turned his attention to the office's other inhabitant. The pause in his speech was intended to garner a response but apparently, they hadn't gotten (or more likely ignored) that memo.
Peering down the neck of his flask for any stragglers was obviously much more important.
"Qrow?" His tone coming off more firmly then it had before.
"You already know my answer Oz." He slurred, already making love to his backup flask.
"Be that as it may, you still have yet to explain just why you don't see eye to eye with this man. His actions thus far have been nothing if not noble."
"Nobility…honesty…those aren't the issues here when it comes to him." Qrow hiccupped, whipping away the liquor that had dribbled from the corner of his mouth. "It's trust."
"Many would consider honesty and trust to be one in the same."
"And I think those people need a reality check. You see, it's not that you can't trust him. The problem is that he can't trust you." Qrow's words caused Ozpin's grip on his can to tighten by a degree.
"Are you certain you aren't just projecting your own feeling on to this Emiya fellow?" Ozpin's tone came off as jovial, as if to shift the attention in the room away from something else.
"Dammit Oz, I don't need a psychiatrist!" The slur in Qrow's tone sobered up immediately. Whether his own feelings of self-worth were being placed upon the topic of discussion or not wasn't what mattered here.
The outburst thinned the smile from Ozpin's face. There were very few things in this world that could work up Qrow this way; none of them were good. "Very well, continue."
"My problem with Shirou Emiya, the reason I can't rest easy with him around is because of how little confidence he has in anyone. You could be a newborn baby or the General of the Atlesian Air Fleet and the idiot would still come knocking."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Ozpin questioned, altruism and one's love for their fellow man were feelings that were fostered within today's Huntsmen. One couldn't be a keeper of peace without the willingness for self-sacrifice.
"Normally yes, but the problem with him is that he just can't take a hint; hurling himself into fights that have nothing to do with him. Almost like he's attracted to conflict like some kind a…Humanoid Grimm."
"All the more reason to coerce him to our side before she attempts to do the same."
"I thought so too once upon a time…Then I got the bright idea to visit some of the places he'd "saved". Qrow once again retreated to the comfort of his flask, not returning until its content had been completely drained.
"Qrow…what did you find?"
"That's the thing Oz. I found nothing…" Without the burn of his addiction to distract him the slouch in his posture sagged even further than it normally did, his stare going on for a thousand yards. "…Not a single soul."
Ozpin felt an aching sensation beginning to manifest at the bridge of his eye sockets. Humanity's survival already teetered by a thread as it is, he didn't need any more to add to his stress.
"Do we know if his actions were deliberate? If the outcomes were ultimately what he had intended?"
"Couldn't say. Would you still be able to go through with this plan of yours knowing what his help has amounted to?"
Qrow's question remained unanswered. The weight of the room became heavy, the air palpable enough to be cut with a knife. Ozpin's expression displaying the storm of internal conflict within him as clear as day.
In this state, several things had gone unnoticed by the headmaster such as Qrow's departure from the office, the Vale Council's request for a summons, and lastly the feed tracing the two Shiro(u)s' path toward the nearest Police Station erupting into static.
XxXxX
A single glass arrow sunk deep into the camera's circuitry, rendering the machine into little more than scrap.
High heels clicked upon the hard pavement, steady and ominous. Slender fingers reached down to pluck the forgotten access card from the body of the unconscious thug.
Clues to a new mystery dangled deliciously above a ravenous maw. Desire burning within like a raging inferno. The odor of their next meal revealing to be much more tantalizing than they ever could have imagined.
XxXxX
Author's Note:
This chapter took much longer to write than I had anticipated. Hopefully the wait wasn't too long. If you guys have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to write a review or PM me.