Chapter 37 – A Shocking Return
Qrow
It was her… there was no doubt in Ruby's mind…
It was Penny.
She was alive, but not herself. Ruby could see the weld marks where they put her back together, like they were scars after Pyrrha ripped her apart – by accident. But her eyes were the first thing that Ruby noticed was wrong, they were not green. But it was not like they physically changed her eyes, because she could see a flicker of green still in there. But as she stood there, it was like her head twitched in pain, struggling to maintain her focus. And then… she fell silent again, not saying a word as Jackdaw stood next to the Android.
"Penny? W-What are you… how is…" Ruby had so many questions, but she could not even complete a sentence from how shocked she felt. That was the best that Ruby could come up with really, for how she felt deep down. She almost felt sick from how shocked she felt, she was both scared and heartbroken, angry and happy… but mainly confused and shocked. But before she could complete one of her questions, Jackdaw crouched down as he looked at Ruby Rose, lifting her head up so her silver eyes would look up at his red ones.
"Questions, questions… tis a funny story, though." He said with a smile on his voice, scratching his chin. Ruby glared at him, but then she pulled her head away from where his sharp feather held her. "You see, I have made a few friends around the world ever since… well… you know." He said with a smirk on his face, rising back up. "Ever since my little massacre from Beacon Academy, and your mother… to now. I have met countless interesting folk, but this one? Well… he got me some very interesting information." Jackdaw said, crossing his arms behind his back.
"W-Who?" Ruby questioned, and Jackdaw smiled at her.
"In time." He assured. "But he directed me to the man who retrieved Penny's body – paid me a great deal of money to get her from Amity Arena. With all those corpses and Grimm lurking in that giant floating Tomb?" Jackdaw described as he walked around Ruby, looking at Penny, who was completely back under his control. Yang groaned, and stared at Penny as well, noticing how unnaturally silent Penny was. No emotion whatsoever, more like a machine than any of them had ever seen.
But as Ruby stared at Penny… her eyes widened.
Because her Pupils were gone – replaced by a Black Queen.
The same one she saw appear on the television screens when Cinder hacked into the system, the very same virus that took over the Atlesian Knights the very same night. It was the Black Queen Virus, which meant one thing.
This was linked to Salem… somehow… it had something to do with this mysterious Dark Queen.
"It made for sense for him to hire me… few would have the skill or the courage to go on a suicide mission like that. Me? I have the skill… and the madness… to go there." Jackdaw explained to Ruby as he circled her, before he approached Yang who started to get back up, slamming her fist against the ground. "I don't overly know what my friend did when I brought him the body… what was left of it… but she has been very useful ever since." Jackdaw explained as he walked back to her.
"Not perfect – but very useful indeed." Jackdaw explained.
"I thought you did things by yourself?" Nora questioned.
"I do, most of the time. But she has more little tricks up her sleeves than you realise." Jackdaw explained as he walked around Penny, forming more Fatal Feathers, forged from hardened Grave Dust. "And besides… I have a little mission of my own, covering my end of the bargain we struck." Jackdaw said.
"Getting Penny off the Amity Arena wasn't enough?" Eryka winced, turning to see Dulcis slowly getting back up, his aura keeping him from any real harm. Jackdaw smirked, and Penny's Floating Array of swords opened up from her back, spinning round and round.
"Not yet." Jackdaw answered, putting his Top Hat back on his head, smiling sadistically.
Their aura surrounded their bodies, and they all grabbed their weapons, some of which were buried under the rubble from the crash of the Argus Limited.
Jackdaw and Penny both stood at the ready… and it hurt Ruby deeply…
… because she was going to have to fight Penny Polendina.
Jackdaw shot forward, a smirk gritted with teeth, until Qrow and Raven both stopped his bladed feathers with Omen and Harbinger. Both of them stared into the eyes of their brother, and he growled with a sinister laugh, grinding the blades of his Fatal Feathers against their swords. "Let's carry on what we started earlier, shall we?" He asked them, before he twisted his feathers against their swords, and he jumped up in the air, kicking them both in the head extremely hard. Qrow crashed to the ground and Raven staggered back, Jackdaw swung his arm round and launched three of his Fatal Feathers towards her, they shattered against her aura protected chest, and the impact threw her backwards, only for her to transform into her Raven form in mid-air. Jackdaw grabbed onto the back of Qrow's neck, and he swung the man round and threw him with all his might, roaring with rage as he did it. Qrow yelled, crashing into the side of a parked bus. The impact itself tipped the large vehicle over, and Jackdaw blasted himself towards his brother, smashing his knee against his throat, pinning him there.
Qrow grunted and groaned as Jackdaw held him there, and he pointed the long barrel of his 3-D Printed gun against the Branwen Brother's forehead. "Always fighting for the losing side, lying to the ones you hold dearest. You will never change, will you?" Jackdaw growled with fury, about to pull the trigger until the Corvid Form of Raven Branwen banked around one of the buildings and dove towards him. She erupted from a cloud of black smoke, returning back to her human form with Omen in her grasp, the long blade of Electricity Dust crackling from the hilt.
She slashed through the Bus and hit Jackdaw, only for him to stop the long deadly blade with his cybernetic arm. A loud metallic bang erupted from the two of them, then Jackdaw grabbed her by the throat and twisted round, pummelling her down into the tarmac with all his might. Raven grunted, glaring up at him as he forced her down. "How long do you think you will keep the favour you have with you daughter? Do you really think a Mother's Late Love with stop the pain you will suffer from her learning the truth? After what you did?" Jackdaw snarled with rage in his voice, and Raven glared at him.
"Shut up!" Raven yelled, kicking Jackdaw in the chest with both feet. The Older Brother staggered back but he immediately launched his blades towards her. Raven jumped up and she deflected the incoming Fatal Feathers, stopping them from harming her aura. They fractured against Omen as she slashed it back and forth, then she clicked a button on her large complex scabbard, firing the sword hilt first towards Jackdaw, which cracked against his head. Jackdaw staggered back, knocking his Top Hat off his head.
He sighed, kicking it up in the air and putting it back on his head, with style. Qrow groaned with disgust, transforming Harbinger into its Scythe Form. "You and that fricking hat." Qrow groaned, and Jackdaw shrugged his shoulders.
"What can I say? I'm a man with style." Jackdaw said, winking at his arch enemies, then the two Branwens rushed towards him. Jackdaw launched more of his Fatal Feathers from his right arm, before forming a large shield where they once were. Qrow ducked down whilst Raven cut the feathers clean in half with Omen, and Qrow launched himself at Jackdaw. He spun through the air like a blur with Harbinger, slashing across Jackdaw's aura protected body. Jackdaw hopped back, lifting his right arm with his shield formed, blocking the slices from the Scythe, cutting across the shield. Jackdaw swung the shield against Qrow, knocking him up in the air, only for Qrow to rest Harbinger over his shoulders, and spinning through the air, slamming the huge curved blade down onto the shield. It hit so hard that the shield shattered, and the Grave Dust returned back into his arms.
Qrow swung Harbinger upwards, narrowly missing Jackdaw's chin and taking his hat off his head again, frustrating Jackdaw in the process. "Argh! Stop hitting my hat! It's an antique!" Jackdaw yelled, catching the handle of Harbinger, and booting Qrow in the chest. He staggered backwards, staring back at Jackdaw before he launched towards him again, only for Jackdaw to grab him by the throat and punch him in the face. He formed the Grave Dust Fatal Feathers and he pinned him against the wall by them as they pressed against his forearm. Qrow grunted as Jackdaw forced him there, and he took his fist and punched him through the wall.
Qrow grunted as the whole wall exploded around them, plaster and cinderblocks blown to pieces around him as he tumbled inside of… the school. Children screamed with horror and fear as the Huntsman fell inside of the classroom where the kids were hiding underneath their tables after hearing the accident. "Everyone! Leave the room!" The teacher yelled, and Qrow groaned as he got up.
"Yeah… good idea." He groaned, rubbing the side of his head.
Jackdaw jumped inside with a smirk on his face, looking at the kids as they left, then at Qrow again. "This brings back memories." Jackdaw sadistically smirked as he stared at his brother, noticing the shadow on the wall behind his brother. Raven was coming for him too, blasting through the open wall behind him, slashing the long red blade of Omen towards him. He spun round and pinched his Fatal Feathers together like Scissors, catching the blade of Omen there.
Jackdaw dropped to the ground and he yanked the sword from her hand, launching it towards the children being guided out the room. It just missed one of them, impaled into the wall as they screamed. "Whoops, it slipped." Jackdaw chuckled monstrously as he rose back up to his feet.
"You're a monster! They're kids!" Qrow yelled, and Jackdaw glared at his brother with hatred in his eyes.
"So were the ones you killed." Jackdaw reminded, and it seemed to horrify both Raven and Qrow. Jackdaw was not lying, the two of them had indeed done something in their past… something terrible. "Judge me for what you have made me become all you want – but at least I own up to my crimes… unlike you." Jackdaw growled as he slashed his fatal feathers against one another, over and over again in order to sharpen the blades more with every single strike made.
Sparks shot off from the contact of the metallic hardened dust blades, hitting the floor as Jackdaw stood tall, in between his two younger siblings. "Why the hell are you doing this? We know you're helping her, as soon as I saw Penny's eyes! What could she have possibly promised you to gain your favour?" Raven questioned as she held her fists up, she could still fight without Omen.
"So I may get to the centre of it all." Jackdaw cryptically answered.
"Centre of what?" Raven questioned.
"The Truth, in the end the truth is all that matters. And I will never stop until I show it to them, the truth – uncoloured, and clear." Jackdaw explained as he stood there.
"The Truth? How can the truth of what happened be so damn important? How could that possibly be worth all this death and destruction?" Qrow yelled with fury in his voice, seeing the faces of all the people that Jackdaw had killed. And it enraged Qrow to the point of attacking him. Qrow blasted towards Jackdaw and Raven sprinted forward, and Jackdaw swung at them as well.
Ruby
Ruby on the other hand, was still outside, Crescent Rose in hand as her red cape blew in the wind, the rest of the team stood with her – Yang slammed her fists together as she stared at Penny. She was pushing her friendship aside, because the eyes alone were enough reason to fight her. But for Ruby? It was not so simple – she still saw her Android Friend in Penny, even despite how messed up she was.
"Penny? It's me… Ruby… I… please don't make me do this. I don't want to fight you, and I know it is still you in there." Ruby begged, still struggling to believe the fact that Penny was somehow back. Ruby stared at Penny, and it shocked her… because Penny glared at her with… no emotion whatsoever. She just formed her swords from her back… the Floating Array was different. It was Grave Dust, just like Jackdaw's blades, just like the stuff that was killing Killian, and made by the very same man – Arthur Watts. They may not know these factors yet, but this was a plain fact.
Penny was linked to Arthur Watts.
Eryka drew Constantine Damascus, keeping her eye on Penny Polendina as she stood there, the chess piece in her eye stared right back. Nora called Stormur Skeggox back to her palm, erupting from the pile of rubble and debris on the ground. Ren drew Stormflower as well, aiming them at Penny who stood still. "Penny! Please… just say something!" Ruby begged her, but Yang stood close to her sister.
"Ruby… I don't think she's in there… whatever that thing is? It isn't her… not anymore. Look at her eyes." Yang said as she pointed at Penny, cocking Ember Celica. Tears welled up in Ruby's eyes, it hurt, she did not want to have to fight her friend, but she had no other choice. The Floating Array of Grave Dust swords stopped and suddenly pointed towards them, and Penny gritted her teeth.
"Uh-Oh." Eryka grumbled.
Penny launched towards them with her eight swords, slashing them towards Ruby and Yang first, Ruby blocked the swords with Crescent Rose, until Penny spun round and slashed the rest of them across Ruby's aura protected body. Ruby grunted, knocked to the ground by Penny, and the Android reached out for Ruby with great speed, until Nora suddenly launched towards her. She slammed Stormur Skeggox into her chest, but she still had her Glowing Green Aura, which meant that part of Penny was still in there. Lifeless machines could never have an aura… but Penny still had one. So that meant one thing – that Penny was being controlled by the Black Queen, they did not replace her with some kind of new version of her.
Nora held Penny down, but she blasted a pulse of green energy against Nora, throwing her up in the air, and the Android caught Nora by the heel, and swung her down against the ground with all her might. The ground shattered as the strong, yet short Huntress hit the ground. Penny stabbed her swords down at Nora, but the Valkyrie rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the Floating Array from skewering her to the ground. Nora jumped back up to her feet and launched Stormur Skeggox at Penny, hitting her in the chest. The Robotic Girl grunted, launched across the street and crashing through one of the buildings as the rocket powered Axe carried her off.
Until Penny crashed against one of the buildings, pinned by the long handle, Ruby shot up to her in a flurry of petals, grabbing Penny by her shoulders. "Penny! It's me! Please, can you hear me! You can fight whatever is happening to you!" Ruby begged as she held her by her shoulders.
"It's me! Your friend…" Ruby begged her over and over, but Penny, glared at her… and for a moment… she saw the green eyes flicker in and out from the Black Queen that was controlling her.
"R-Ruby? H-Help… stop me!" Penny begged, she sounded like she was in agony from the Black Queen, but then she fell silent again as the Black Queen took control again. Penny grabbed Ruby by the throat, so tight and hard that Ruby could not breathe. Powerful thrusters folded out from her heels and from her palms. Only one of them was in action but she managed to slam her shoulder against Stormur Skeggox so hard it prized the axe free from the building. It dropped down to the ground with a metallic clang, and Penny lifted Ruby over her head, and she threw her down towards the ground. Ruby fell and she gritted her teeth, knowing that she had to fight her close friend – to try and save her from the Black Queen that was possessing her.
Ruby fired Crescent Rose downwards and rose the recoil so then she would fly back up towards Penny. She tackled Penny out of the sky, and both of them flew through the air. Penny swung and punched at Ruby, over and over again. The glowing green thrusters built into this new body of Penny's shrieked like a Nevermore, and they both crashed through a Church Tower, knocking the bell from the steeple. It gonged loudly as it crashed down to the ground, and both of them slammed down to the ground. Ruby dug Crescent Rose into the road, glaring at Penny with fiery silver eyes.
She stood back up, with her swords floating around her back, and Ruby spun Crescent Rose through her fingers. "Forgive me, Penny. But I need you back, and if I have to fight you to try and stop the Black Queen? Then I will." Ruby said to the Android, blasting towards her friend, slashing Crescent Rose across her aura. She twirled to perform a second strike until Penny caught Crescent Rose in her hand. She held the weapon tight and proceeded to punch Ruby in the gut extremely hard. Ruby gasped in pain, hunching forward from the hit, then Penny brought her elbow down into Ruby's back, knocking her to the ground.
"OW! Penny come on! That's not fair!" Ruby yelled at her, Penny stood over her, but then the Black Queen flickered in and out again. She grabbed her head from the pain she felt, falling to one knee.
"I'm… I'm sorry… I ca-can't stop!" Penny strained as she tried to fight the Black Queen as hard as she could. Ruby stared at Penny and her eyes widened, noticing that on the side of her head there was a strange welding mark.
Wait a minute… when Penny died, it was her body that got chopped up, not her head.
Why would someone have repaired a part of her head… unless… that was how they managed to plant this weird virus in her head?
That's it – that must be where the Black Queen Virus was implanted.
"Penny… under different circumstances I would be jumping with joy… and probably crying right now. But I will make it right, I won't be too late again… you will not die a second time. I promise, so why don't you just let me win?" Ruby suggested, until Penny held her hands forward, and the many Grave Dust formed swords began to spin around, forming the green energy beam that was about to fire on her. Ruby sighed and her eyes sunk as she stared at her old friend. "Guess not!"
Ruby dashed out of the way as the powerful beam of green energy carved through some of the buildings, spreading destructing and annihilation like a disease. Ruby blasted herself towards Penny and slammed her shoulder into the Android. Penny staggered back with a grunt, and immediately slashed all her swords towards her, but Ruby deflected the incoming blows with Crescent Rose. But even then, she was still no match for Penny Polendina and her advanced fighting style. Just as Ruby deflected the swords from dealing any real damage, Penny instantly returned the blow towards Ruby, blasting her across the ground, but Ruby stopped suddenly, caught in her big sister's arms.
Ruby gasped a smile as she looked at her big sister, then she turned and saw Nora and Ren jump down together, and Dulcis shrieked as he flew in the air. All of them stood together against Penny. "Ruby? Are you alright?" Yang asked her, since Ruby literally got carried off by Penny in that fight.
"Yeah… but listen, I think I know how we can help her. There's something very wrong with her, every now and then she has been able to snap back into who she usually was. But then the Black Queen takes control!" Ruby explained as she spun Crescent Rose through her fingers. Penny paced back and forth, burning red eyes staring straight into their eyes.
"So she's been hacked, or something?" Nora asked.
"It looks like it, and there's a mark on the side of her head. A panel that was welded back on." Ruby explained.
"Uh… okay? Wasn't she blown to pieces though? During the Vytal Festival?" Eryka inquired.
"Yes, but her head was completely intact. I remember very well, she was cut to pieces by Pyrrha, but it was only her arm, body and legs that were severed. Her head was completely untouched." Ruby explained, Yang looked at her sister and Ren looked at Nora.
"So… somebody managed to put something in there? Maybe the same somebody that Jackdaw mentioned." Yang suggested and Ruby nodded her head in agreement.
"Exactly what I was thinking. If we can get into her head and find something out of the ordinary, then maybe we can stop the Virus from controlling her. Whatever it was, it must have been put in there quickly, since Penny keeps coming back every few seconds." Ruby explained, and Ren nodded his head in agreement.
"Like some kind of an override." Ren said as they all got ready to fight her.
"Yeah! From how much she keeps snapping back and forth though? It must have been roughly added, which should make it stand out." Ruby said as they all stood there, staring at Penny. Nora scoffed as she listened to Penny – since she was dead silent.
"Huh… this is pretty spooky; I'm not used to Penny being so quiet." Nora stated.
"Yeah, can we get adorable bubbly Penny back, please?" Yang asked as she cocked Ember Celica, raising her fists to be ready. Penny's Floating Array swirled behind her back, then the Android swiftly moved her arm forward, launching the swords towards Ruby and Yang. Yang pushed Ruby out of the way and crossed her arms over, blocking the incoming sword. It exploded against her arms, the impact threw the Huntress backwards, she flipped through the air and pressed her feet against the face of a wall, blasting Ember Celica as she shot towards Penny. Yang yelled, her fist pulled back as she went to knock Penny to the ground, until Penny caught Yang by her fist. She glared straight into Yang's eyes, emotionless and cold all the way through, tightening her grip. Yang strained as she grabbed Penny's wrist, then she wrapped her legs around Penny's neck, and she dropped down to the ground, slamming Penny to the floor.
Penny crashed into the ground with great force. Penny jumped up into the air and she launched her swords towards Yang, who rolled out of the way of her blades. They stabbed into the tarmac, and Penny landed on top of the Monorail Bridge that was still standing. Her swords floated around her back whilst the Hunters all stood together. "We need to be careful; Penny can still beat all of us with ease. She was designed to be a powerhouse by Ironwood, remember?" Ruby said as she aimed Crescent Rose at her.
"So remember… do not underestimate her."
Penny launched herself towards the Rogues beneath her, eyes blood red and dead inside, and the brave Hunters launched themselves back up at her, ready to continue their bout.
Qrow
Both Qrow and Raven were a force to be reckoned with, some of the best trained Warriors in the world – and yet even they had their work cut out for them against Jackdaw. Their older brother was extremely skilled, but he had something that they did not.
Madness.
Just like Tyrian, as soon as they dealt one blow, he would return the favour three more times, and three times as hard. Jackdaw blocked the curved Scythe of Harbinger with his arms, long bladed feathers stopped the blade, he then kicked Qrow in the chest so hard that he was thrown into the Black Board on the Class Room wall. The black board snapped in half, and the chalk sticks shattered into powder. Jackdaw ducked down and caught Raven's fist, slamming her down to the ground with all his might, but as Qrow got back up, he saw Omen still impaled into the wall.
Jackdaw grabbed Raven by the back of her head and lifted her off the floor, and punched her up into her stomach, which slammed her against the ceiling. The lights shattered and sparks fell from the destroyed bulbs, hitting the tables on the ground beneath her. She winced as she rolled off the broken table, her eyes widened, and she rolled out of the way just in time to avoid his boot. He stamped down and crushed the piece of wood beneath her. Jackdaw gritted his teeth as he stared at where she was.
"Raven!" Qrow called out, launching Omen blade first towards Jackdaw. The Ripper's eyes widened, and he rolled out of the way, and the sword passed by Raven just enough so then she could catch the hilt of her Odachi. She sheathed the red blade and selected the Fire Dust Sword instead, swinging the sword towards Jackdaw with all her might, launching an arc of fire towards him and cutting one of the tables clean in half. The metal legs melted from the high temperatures of the fire sword. Jackdaw grunted, crashing against the wall from the fiery blast from the sword. Raven immediately thrusted towards Jackdaw and ran the blade forward, nearly puncturing him to the wall like a pin.
Jackdaw stepped aside and smashed his cybernetic fist into the side of Raven's, making her grunt from the pain. She staggered backwards but immediately swung round and slashed the sword downwards at him. Jackdaw blocked the incoming strike with his Grave Dust Feathers, they broke off and shattered, but crumbled back into their Dust Form, returning back into his arms. As Jackdaw staggered back, he gritted his teeth with rage and printed more bullets into his guns and fired them both towards his sister. Raven gasped and she slashed her sword so fast that she moved like a blur, blocking every single bullet fired towards her.
Jackdaw glanced over his shoulder as Qrow sprinted towards him, Harbinger in his grasp. Jackdaw swiftly printed the blades from his arm, and he grinned maniacally as his two siblings jumped towards him. He caught and pinched the blades onto the long blade of Omen, holding Raven in place. Jackdaw brought his boot down onto Raven's knee with great force, knocking her down, giving him a chance to slash his arm of blades downwards against the Scythe of Harbinger. Sparks shot off from the impact of all those blades, before he rolled towards his brother, Raven still holding onto her stuck sword, and Jackdaw launched her towards Qrow. Both of them collided and fell to the floor, but Qrow dug Harbinger down to the ground, and sprinted towards his brother.
Jackdaw aimed both his guns at him as he ran round the room, and Qrow spun the Scythe with great speed, blocking and deflecting the bullets from hitting him and his aura. Qrow yelled with fury, tackling Jackdaw through the wall, and both of them suddenly fell from the room, and entered the Gymnasium. The children were all taken there to hide from the potential danger, that was now inside. Jackdaw crashed to the ground but rolled back to his feet, whilst Raven flew inside in her Corvid Bird Form. She exited and landed underneath one of the Basketball Courts.
Jackdaw looked around and stared at the children. "Is it fate? Or it is just bad timing? I guess we will see." Jackdaw hissed as he stared at them with gritted teeth, smirking sadistically at the kids.
"Leave them be!" Qrow yelled as he got back up to his feet.
Jackdaw spun around with a bewildered look. "What do you take me for? A lunatic?"
Everyone stared at him in silence, and even Jackdaw shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, fair enough." Jackdaw admitted.
"Teachers, get the children out of here!" Raven commanded, whilst Jackdaw walked around the large room, looking to the weights in the corner for the older students. He picked up the long pole with dumbbells still slit onto them.
"Hoo, boy… this is gonna get fun. Remember the old days? You kids could never match me in sets." Jackdaw reminded, and they both stared at him.
"Only because you cheated." Raven commented.
"Hey, I never claimed I played fair. Of course I used the lighter weights." Jackdaw chuckled, but he lifted the pole of dumbbells up with ease, and Qrow launched towards him with a furious yell, but Jackdaw swung the weights round and smashed them into his younger brother's chest with shocking force. They rung out at an extremely loud boom, throwing Qrow across the room and crashing into the wall. Qrow bounced off the wall and he ground, looking up to see Jackdaw throwing it towards him with perfect accuracy. Qrow rolled out of the way and picked up Harbinger, transforming Harbinger back into its sword form, and firing the Shotgun towards him.
The Shrapnel flew towards his brother, but Jackdaw slashed the blades that grew from his arms towards the ammunition that burned so hot. Sparks rebounded from the Grave Dust blades. Raven and Qrow both sprinted towards Jackdaw and Raven fired Omen towards him, bouncing off the side of his head and returning back into her hand. She jumped and swung the sword towards him with great force, leaving a long trail of red behind her ever movement. Jackdaw ducked under her sword and slid out of Qrow's path as he swung Harbinger downwards at him, the curved blade of his Scythe sliced through the slippery wooden floor with no trouble whatsoever. Jackdaw roundhouse kicked Raven across the side of her head, staggering her, but she sheathed Omen and drew her Ice Blade, stabbing it down into the ground, blasting spikes of ice up from the ground, shattering the wooden floor with great ease.
The ice spikes impacted Jackdaw's chest, throwing him backwards, and straight into Qrow's Scythe. He slashed across his body, knocking him out of the air, but Jackdaw rolled across the ground and fired his Machine Guns at them. The powerful bullets flew through the air and shot through the walls, and then he fired Fatal Feathers towards his brother. Qrow jumped in the air, flipping round and cutting them out of the air. He brought his Scythe down with great force, slashing it down Jackdaw's chest, dealing some damage to his aura.
Jackdaw slid back with gritted teeth, staring at the two Branwens as they continued to rush towards him, he smirked and jumped up, pushing his feet off the wall, and grabbing Qrow by his throat. Jack the Ripper threw him up in the air and his blades extended from his cybernetic arms, and as he fell from the air, he slashed across his body over and over again before he even hit the ground, moving at the speed of light. He was like a blur as he attacked him, nearly breaking his aura with that one extremely dangerous attack. He then kicked Qrow in the stomach as he plummeted, sending him crashing into one of the Basketball Hoops.
"Ha! Score." Jackdaw fist pumped with a smirk on his face.
Raven groaned with disgust. "I'm gonna kill you just for the crap that comes out of your mouth, in a minute." Raven said with a sigh, Jackdaw turned and tipped his top hat to her.
"Do give it your best." Jackdaw challenged as he extended those feathers from his arms again. Raven sheathed her sword and narrowed her red eyes with anger, before she blasted towards her brother. She slashed Omen with great speed, over and over again she cut the air and across his aura. Jackdaw slid backwards across the wooden floor, before he fired forward and slashed his blades downwards, then he formed a shield on his other arm. The shield smashed up against Raven, pushing her backwards, and he immediately fired more Fatal Feathers towards her. But Raven moved faster than they did, cutting them all down, before she selected her Wind Sword, slashing it towards him and blasting an unstoppable gust of wind that pushed Jackdaw back, even as he fired both machine guns at her.
The cyclone of wind held the bullets in the air, and Raven smirked, rolling out of the way of the incoming bullets, immediately choosing her Fire Sword afterwards. She jumped up in the air and brought the sword down with great force, launching an arc of fire towards him, one of which that he dodged by rolling out of the way of. Jackdaw sprinted towards her, transforming into his Jackdaw Form, cawing as he flew towards her. Raven did the same, the two birds shot forward, and then they exited their Corvid Bodies, and Jackdaw grabbed Raven by the throat, smashing her up against the high wall, pushing her head towards the spinning fan blades behind her.
"Ooh… would you look at this? You're about to get a neat little haircut, lil sis!" Jackdaw laughed as he pushed her head closer and closer towards the fan blades.
"Don't you remember what I did to Tai when he snuck up on me and did that?" Raven questioned, and Jackdaw raised a brow. "I kicked his ASS!" Raven suddenly drew her Electricity Dust Sword and slashed it cross Jackdaw's chest. He roared with pain as the electricity coursed through his body, Raven grabbed him and threw him down towards the ground with great force. The wood splintered and broke apart around his body, but Jackdaw rolled away just as Raven dove down and stabbed Omen down at where his head was. As Jackdaw got back up, he turned and his eyes widened as Qrow fired Harbinger at his brother, blasting the powerful shotgun shells into his chest.
Jackdaw grunted, bouncing across the room from the impact. Qrow groaned as he got back up, his aura was not yet broken – but he was in worse condition than his sister was.
Jackdaw stared at the two of them with rage, and the twins sighed. "Oh no… not again… don't you dare send us through the wall again." Qrow groaned, but Jackdaw roared with undying fury, blasting towards them.
"HERE WE GO!" Raven yelled, as Jackdaw grabbed both of them by the throat.
And all three went straight through the wall.
Again.
Ruby
Outside of the school, the battle against Penny Polendina continued…
Ruby and Nora both blasted up towards her, but she blasted down at them as well, grabbing Ruby by her throat and pummelling her into the ground with great force. Penny pinned the Silver Eyed Girl down to the ground with great force with her foot, holding her there so then she could not try and fight back. But as Penny held her down, Nora launched herself towards the Android and swung Stormur Skeggox towards her, slamming it against her neck, her green aura prevented any real damage from being made and she hooked the blade of the axe onto her neck, throwing her off her friend. Penny flipped through the air, activating her thrusters, and then her hands opened, and the palms formed small openings that glowed bright green.
She blasted powerful beams of green energy down towards them, creating fiery explosions that shattered the tarmac beneath them. Nora rolled out of the way whilst Ren jumped over the exploding road. He aimed both Stormflowers and fired them up at Penny, the glowing green bullets shot up towards Penny as she floated above him, she used her swords to block and deflect the bullets. They ricocheted off the sharp blades as she hovered above them, then she turned and gasped as Dulcis suddenly flew towards the Android, slashing his talons across Penny's face, flapping his wings in her face to try and disorientate her.
Penny growled as she slashed her swords at the Altum Eagle, but he dodged the many blades, diving down and flying around the sky. Penny turned as she heard the whistling sound of an arrow fired towards her, she turned and saw the Dust Charged arrow from Eryka Vasillias. Electricity coursed across the arrow and she caught it, but it electrocuted her, stunning her and causing some of her systems to malfunction. For a few brief moments her eyes glowed green, and she screamed in the voice that they could recognise. Penny spiralled out of control and crashed down to the ground with great force. But not very long afterwards, the Black Queen Virus managed to take control of her once again.
The Chess Piece and red irises fought against the green eyes of the Penny Polendina that they knew her for. She stared at them with anger in her eyes, and she blasted towards them all, slashing her swords towards Eryka. She rolled backwards and drew her Bow and fired three arrows at once at the Android, but she slashed them out of the air with her Floating Array of Grave Dust Swords. They came apart, then she launched the swords forward, hitting Eryka in the chest so hard that it broke her aura, but luckily did not impale her. The sword broke apart from the impact, but the Grave Dust quickly hardened back into the form of the blade.
Penny glared at Eryka but turned when she heard the explosive roar of both Nora and Yang launching themselves towards her. She stared at them and growled, blasting her beam of green power towards the two of them. Yang gasped and she blasted out of the path of the beam, but Nora couldn't. She gasped and the entire beam collided into her, knocking her out of the sky and breaking her aura in the process. She crashed to the ground, groaning in pain from the feeling of that hot beam carving her aura to pieces. Ren gasped; eyes wide as he sprinted to her side.
"Nora!" He screamed.
Yang landed beside Ruby, staring at Penny. But as the Android stood there, they saw the wall of the school explode and the Branwens crashed down into the road. Jackdaw dragged Raven across the road and twisted round, throwing her into the oncoming traffic, and she hit an Atlesian Truck that roared round the bend. It broke her aura instantly, even knocking her unconscious. The Atlesian Soldiers jumped out from the truck, rifles in hand as they ran and aimed their guns at the Rogues, Penny and Jackdaw.
"Rogue Huntsmen and Huntresses! Stand down!" The Atlesians commanded, Jackdaw had his blades at Qrow's throat, he could end him right now… but he then lifted his head and his eyes widened when he saw how many Atlesian Airships surrounded them. He stared back at Qrow… and he nearly slit his throat there and then, but he stood tall once more, towering above his younger brother.
Jackdaw looked at Penny and saw the Black Queen Chess Piece disappear from her eyes and the red turned green. She gasped with horror, looking around and at Ruby. "Ruby? Wh-What's going on? Where am I?" She whimpered with fear, wrapping her arms around her body, looking at the welding scars that held her body together after she was repaired.
"Stand down!" The voice of a familiar voice commanded, Winter stood there, weak with her hand on her side but she had enough strength to stand, with the help of Sienna holding her. Eryka gasped with concern for her girlfriend, but also out of fear… because she turned on her.
Ruby stood back up and felt the cold blade of Crocea Mors touch the side of her neck, she turned and saw Jaune staring at her.
"It's over." Jaune told her, and Ruby squeezed her eyes shut with grief. "Congrats, Ruby. You're a criminal now."
There was so much hurt in his voice, and it cut deep for her.
Jackdaw stood in the centre of the town as the Atlesians surrounded him, and he glanced at them all. He could still take them on, Ruby knew it – and Qrow did as well. He was a force to be reckoned with, he could take down an entire army if it forced him to.
But he didn't.
He ejected the blades from his arms and the Grave Dust returned to him, but he never used them, and the barrels of his guns folded back into the arms. He held his cybernetic arms behind his head, a smirk on his face as he stood there, kneeling as the Atlesians surrounded him.
Ruby knew…
This was not over…
… Jackdaw is up to something.
Author Note - I don't know if I have already said it... but I love writing Jackdaw in every single way, his combat style is so unique and fun to do, and it was great being able to focus on Jackdaw Vs Qrow and Raven, and he has said some rather worrying things about them - you have to wonder, who is telling the truth about what happened that day?
We have heard Raven's Truth, and now we have Qrow's Truth...
... what is THE TRUTH?
Writing Penny this way was... so weird... but in a good way, because of how the Black Queen virus turned her into what you would expect from a machine. But now they have all been caught by the Atlesians of Argus, which means that Killian and the Black Gallows will not be far behind
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
- Matt
