RWBY: MRRN
Volume 4, Chapter 10: Conflicted From Within
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.
Author's Notes: I haven't given a description for Ruo and Nasser's timeskip outfits since they haven't been recovering from injuries. Here they are:
Nasser: Green sleeveless shirt with black outlines, black bracers which he uses for the chains of Shafarnasr, green sash around his waist with his emblem on it, black pants and boots, belt with holsters for his weapons
Ruo-Jian: White robe similar to a Jedi, red vest, black sandals similar to Ren's, and the black shoulder guard with his emblem on it
When the time comes, I'll make sure to give Math and Robin's timeskip outfits as well.
Forest was now close on Ruby's trail, deducing that they were no more than two days away from catching up with them. As expected, she had stuck the road, most likely due to her unfamiliarity with Anima and had taken refuge in abandoned villages and cities to camp for the night.
He didn't see Qrow's trail however, nor did he care to look for it. The scythe user was more than capable of handling himself and was keeping his distance from his niece so she and her friends wouldn't be affected by his Semblance.
Unfortunately, Forest and his group had been slowed down by the addition of Oscar, who was now Ozpin's current incarnation, but clearly have little combat experience. This often caused Forest to have to scout ahead by himself so Oscar wouldn't be alone in case Grimm or Iron Knights showed up.
Oscar was distant from the three Huntsmen due to their distrust and hostility towards Ozpin. Their teamwork together wasn't based on trust, but on the basis that Haven was Salem's next target and Ruby was in mortal danger. But fortunately, when interacting with Oscar himself, the three Huntsmen were much more courteous and polite.
After half a day of searching, the group stopped and rested several meters away from the road. Ruadh started a campfire to cook some food they had bought earlier in their travels, including pork, rice and several vegetables that Sterling cut up using a long knife in his quiver.
"Are you hungry, Oscar?" Forest asked the farmhand. "You'll need your energy to keep up. The next time we stop is at nightfall to set up camp."
"I am," Oscar replied. "So, Mr. Kotka…"
"Just call me Forest," the eagle swordsman replied.
"Forest…why do you hate Ozpin so much? He told me that you and him don't get along, but…"
Forest had many reasons for hating Ozpin, from his lying to omitting important information which sometimes got people killed. Ozpin was somewhat of a control freak, wanting everything to be done HIS way and often rejected alternatives, claiming they'd start a panic.
He understood that they had to be careful of who they trusted this information to since it could indeed start a panic and attract Grimm on a mass scale. But he hated how Ozpin used it as an excuse to justify omitting important information or not telling the whole truth to people. It had become hard for Forest to know when Ozpin was telling the truth or lying.
"I don't trust Ozpin, not after what I've seen from him," Forest answered. "I don't know how he is around you, but I wouldn't trust every word he says until you know him better."
"But we're working together now, right?" Oscar brought up. "You're willing to work with him, right?"
"If it means protecting people, then yes," Forest answered as Ruadh started handing out the food in bowls. "But that doesn't mean I trust him or forgive him. I bear you no grudge of any kind, Oscar, just Ozpin."
It soothed Oscar's nerves a bit to hear Forest say that he had no issues with the farmhand himself, only with the soul of the man in his body. Forest was willing to work with Ozpin if it meant protecting people, but his distrust towards the Beacon Headmaster would remain.
Oscar then placed his food aside and closed his eyes, most likely allowing Ozpin to take temporary control. When the farmhand's eyes opened, they glowed with a green color.
"I didn't mean for Trenton to be killed," Ozpin stated.
"Then why didn't you tell us you suspected a large Grimm breeding ground was in that area?" Forest asked. "All you told us was that you believed the Summer Maiden was in the area."
"Come on," a younger Forest told his team as they searched the area for the Summer Maiden. "She has to be around here somewhere."
"Hopefully, Salem's minions haven't found her first," Trenton Brownwood, the fourth member of Team FRST, brought up. As the strongest member of the team, he was not as tall as Forest, but more broad and well-built with dark brown hair and brown eyes. His weapon was a shield on his back and a large sword on his belt.
"We'll find her," Forest replied. "We have to."
Several hours passed, but the team did not find any trace of the Summer Maiden. Either she was being very elusive or their information was wrong. Forest wouldn't be surprised if Ozpin had yet again lied about something or kept information from them.
Ozpin's habit of telling half-truths and omitting information wasn't only getting on Forest's nerves, but also greatly endangered those who served under him. Team FRST, Team STRQ…both had been the victims of Ozpin playing so much close to the chest.
Forest noticed that Trenton was being much more quiet than usual. It seemed as though he was distracted by something which was dividing his attention from the mission they were on. The leader of the team walked over to his teammate to see what was wrong.
"Are you okay, Trent?" Forest asked.
"I'll be fine," he assured his leader. "Though, there is something I'll need to tell you after the mission is done."
"Is it that important?" Forest asked his teammate. Before Trent could answer, a deafening roar was heard…and a Tyrannosaur Grimm crashed through the forest.
That was one of the worst days of Forest's life. Ozpin's lies had led to his team walking into the middle of a Grimm breeding ground. But that wasn't the worst part…no. The worst part was Trenton's death.
"Trenton!" Forest shouted in terror as he rushed to his dying teammate. During the battle, Trenton had been caught in the Tyrannosaur's jaws saving his leader's life, depleting the last of his Aura and breaking his body badly. All Trenton could do was lie in pain as his body lay broken.
"I'm sorry, Forest," Trenton apologized as he felt his body ache from his injuries. Forest grabbed Trenton's blood-soaked hand and held it tight, offering what comfort he could during his teammate's final moments.
"Trenton…" Sterling spoke softly, but his heart was overcome with grief at the sight of seeing one of his dearest friends dying. As for Ruadh, tears were forming in his eyes as he saw the bloodied body of his teammate lying against a tree. Death was inevitable for the Brownwood warrior from Atlas.
"Forest…look after him," Trenton spoke.
"Him?" Forest asked. "Who's him?" There was no response from his teammate. Trenton Brownwood, fourth member of Team FRST, partner of Forest Kotka, was dead.
Forest partially blamed himself for Trenton's death, believing it could've been prevented had he jumped out of the Grimm's way. He believed that the Tyrannosaur Grimm had been killed, but he was wrong and didn't see it coming. Had he made sure it was dead, Trenton would still be alive.
The rest of the blame went to Ozpin for not informing them for telling them that the coordinates of where they went to were near a Grimm breeding ground. They were prepared to fight Grimm, but they were taken by surprise by how many Grimm there were, which almost overwhelmed them.
"If you had told us that we were walking into a Grimm breeding ground, Trenton would still be alive," Forest brought up. "For a long time, I hated your lies and half-truths, Ozpin, but I was willing to tolerate for the sake of protecting Remnant. But the day Trenton died is the day I realized you care more about staying in charge than you do about our lives!"
"That is a lie, Forest!" Ozpin responded. "I do care about those who follow me. I'm sorry about what happened to Trenton and Summer, but that doesn't mean I viewed them as expendable."
"Well, from what I've seen, you staying in control is undoubtedly more important than our lives," the eagle swordsman responded. "Because it weren't true, you would've told Mathdon and Pyrrha the truth behind the Fall Maiden."
"I couldn't risk causing a panic," Ozpin shot back. "All this destruction is what I wanted to prevent. In the case that Ms. Nikos refused, if I had told her the whole truth, she could've accidentally told someone else about it, including Salem's servants. I couldn't afford to let the Maiden powers fall into Salem's hands."
"And your solution was to force an impossible decision on her?" Forest questioned. "Glaucus told me the truth. Do you seriously-?"
"Be quiet," Sterling spoke up, hearing several flocks of birds cawing in the distance. Everyone paused as they heard the birds flying away in a panic, scared of something that came from the west.
"I'll go check it out," Forest spoke, quickly devouring his meal and then changing into his eagle form. He flew off into the distance and out of sight from his teammates and Oscar, who was now in control of his body instead of Ozpin. Several minutes passed as they waited for Forest to return and inform them of what he saw.
"Is what he said true?" Oscar asked Ozpin. "About them…"
"Unfortunately," Ozpin replied. "He left after Trenton's death, for which he blames me." Forest quickly returned and changed back into his human form.
"We have to go now!" he insisted. "Valkoin's here and he's not alone!"
"Valkoin?" Ruadh gasped. "He must be after Ruby, he and whoever's with him."
"We have to move," Forest stated. "We have to find Ruby and Qrow before they do."
"How do you know?" Sterling asked his team leader.
"There were several corpses of Huntsmen a few miles from here," Forest answered. "They had been killed with weapons Valkoin often uses and others had different wounds from being slashed and poisoned."
"Poisoned?" Ruadh asked.
"One of the dead had blood mixed with some kind of purple toxin," Forest informed. "I don't know who Valkoin is travelling with, but we must hurry. We must finish our food and move on."
The group finished up their food, packed up the rest of it and hurried to catch up with Ruby's group before Salem's forces found them first.
-0-
After several days of Math and Pyrrha getting used to the braces they were given and designing their new weapons, they were prepared to make them. Since all the weaponsmiths in Vale were busy providing materials for the Huntsmen, military and law enforcement, they'd have to make their weapons somewhere else. Luckily, Gormen was willing to help by providing tools from the VSU with permission from Captain Kijivu.
The tools needed were placed in the Kendricks' garage where there was plenty of space and shade after Corcra pulled her car out. The two of them then started on building their new weapons while Safirlas had started training in the backyard with Himmelkanten again.
"I owe Uncle Gormen big time," Math spoke as he and Pyrrha were working on the metal they'd use for their weapons. "He's done so much for us and I don't know how I'll repay him for this." Pyrrha walked over and gently placed her hand on Math's shoulder.
"We repay him by proving what he's done will help us move forward," she replied with a smile. "When our weapons are finished, we start training again. Speaking of weapons, have you thought about what changes you'll make to your new sword?" Math led Pyrrha over to a worktable where he rolled open a large piece of construction paper to show the design for his new sword, Cosantoir.
"Luckily, we have the materials to add firearm modes to our new weapons," Math brought up. "Since I can, I plan on adding a tactical shotgun mode, semi-automatic."
"What's this for?" Pyrrha asked, noticing notes Math had written for the blade.
"Well, when I was designing Cosantoir, something struck me," Math replied. "Do you remember how I'd sometimes throw my sword in combat with my Aura Swords?"
"Yes."
"I could only throw Claiomh Solais like that due to my Semblance. But by making some adjustments, I think I could forge Cosantoir to throw just as efficiently without my Aura Swords…though I'd still need to use my Semblance to bring it back."
"What about Dionach?" Pyrrha brought up. "Do you plan on making any changes to it?"
"Only difference is that I'd add some of the materials to make more durable. What about you, Pyrrha? What do you plan on doing? Keeping the spear idea?"
"I am." Pyrrha then pulled out another large piece of construction paper, on it being her design for her new spear, Ekdikeo, and her retractable hoplon shield, Prostatevo.
"For Ekdikeo, the spear will have two spear heads instead of one," Pyrrha explained. "For combat, I'll be able to shorten or lengthen the shaft of the spear."
"How short?" Math asked Pyrrha. She then pointed to a picture of the spear's shaft length decreasing to being like a one-handed weapon with both spearheads able to be used as sword blades. The design of it looked pretty effective and awesome to Mathdon, who vocally expressed his amazement at Pyrrha's weapon.
"Did you get the retractable shield idea from me?" he asked his girlfriend. "It really does make traveling with it much easier. If you want some help with it, I'd be more than happy."
"That'd be great," Pyrrha replied, giving a kiss to her boyfriend. She was about to walk away, but Math smiled mischievously, grabbed Pyrrha by the waist and pulled her back in for another passionate kiss. Pyrrha quickly sank into it, putting her hands around Math's neck as the two closed the distance between each other.
"Am I interrupting?" Safirlas asked, causing Math and Pyrrha to break off from their passionate kissing and blush. The spear martial artist chuckled a bit before walking in.
"I'm not Mom, Math," she told him. "How are your weapons coming along?"
"We're making progress," Math answered. "We're hoping to be done with them soon."
"Provided you and Pyrrha spend more time forging and less time making out," Saf snarked, making Math groan.
"I'm allowed to kiss my girlfriend," he replied as he continued working on the steel he'd used for Cosantoir.
Several days went by and the two made great progress on their weapons. While Math was very happy about recent events, something had been festering in Pyrrha's head.
She had received another letter from her mother a while ago and it contained bittersweet news: she'd be able to go home within a month and possibly enroll in Haven Academy so she could finish her training. Under any normal circumstance, this would've brought Pyrrha great joy, but instead, she was deeply conflicted.
She still wanted to pursue her dreams of becoming a Huntress, something she had worked so long for. The years of training, the blood, sweat and tears she had put into her dream…it meant everything to her. She wanted to be a Huntress to defended those who couldn't defend themselves.
But what about her friends? Jaune, Nora and Ren were on their way to Haven with Ruby. How would they respond to her going to Haven and possibly replacing them if she was assigned to a new team? Perhaps she could persuade them to enroll in Haven as well and they could be on a team together again.
The biggest concern for her was how Math would react. Because of the circumstances of how he entered Beacon, it's most likely that Math wouldn't be able to get into Haven without proper transcripts, something he didn't have. Would Professor Lionheart allow Math to enter Haven?
If not, then the best she could afford with him was a long distance relationship. It would mean they wouldn't be able to see each other for three years and with the CCT down, she'd only be able to communicate with him through written letters that would probably take weeks to mail. She doubted Math would want a long distance relationship for so long and neither did she.
But she didn't want to sacrifice her dream that she had worked so long to accomplish. She wanted to become a Huntress, but that left her at a crossroads: one way leading to Haven at the possible cost of her friends and one allowing her to keep her friends and Math while possibly giving up her chance to finish her official training.
She'd want to talk to Math about she left to go home to Argus because she planned on going home to see her family, but going to Haven without Math was something that weighed down on her. He deserved to know the truth, to know that they may not see each other for three years.
When their weapons were finished, Mathdon and Pyrrha were proud of their work.
Mathdon's new sword, Cosantoir, was the same length and width as Claiomh Solais, but there were several differences. The blade had a sharktooth Damascus pattern, making it look deadly yet beautiful to the eye. Instead of half of the blade retracting to show shotgun barrels, the two sides of the blade would open so Math could hold the tactical shotgun with both hands.
The crossguard and pommel had also been replaced. Cosantoir had a simple disk pommel with a bear symbol on one side and a sword and shield on the other while the crossguard now appeared like a bear biting on the blade.
As for Dionach, Math had indeed strengthened it with the materials provided, though he had changed the emblem. Instead of simply a bear, his new emblem was a brown bear with a sword and round shield behind it. Thanks to Pyrrha's help, he also made modifications so that he could throw it like a projectile.
Pyrrha's new shield, Prostatevo, was a bit larger than her old hoplon, but a new emblem was adorned on it: a spear facing upward with a bird behind it with its wings expanded. Math was initially confused by this design until he recognized the bird as a phoenix.
"I like the phoenix," Math complimented. "Did you apply it to Ekdikeo as well?"
"I did," Pyrrha replied, showing him her finished weapon.
As she said, it was a doubled-headed spear with two long spearheads that would double as xiphos blades when the shaft was shortened to a one handed weapon. This would allow the weapon to give her an edge over her opponents as she'd able to switch between a spear and a double xiphos in a moment.
What Math noticed that where the blades connected to the shaft, there were phoenix wings and a bird head on the blade. It was a beautiful addition to the spear's design. Ekdikeo's rifle mode came out perfectly, almost the same model as her previous one.
"Why'd you change your emblem to a phoenix?" Math asked Pyrrha.
"As a child, my father's favorite creature was the phoenix," Pyrrha answered. "What he liked about it was that in Mistrali mythology, the phoenix was a symbol of hope, renewal and rebirth. It'd always rise from the ashes, never staying dead." She smiled as if her father predicted she'd adopt the phoenix as her emblem one day.
Despite her injuries, Pyrrha had risen from the ashes and was prepared to continue her training as a Huntress. She was ready to go back and fight to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
"I think the phoenix really suits you," Math complimented, wrapping his arm around Pyrrha and kissing her cheek, which made him notice something he hadn't seen before. His girlfriend was wearing a new circlet on her head, but the front looked like a phoenix with its head pointing to one side and its large wings expanded towards the back.
"You made a new circlet?" Math asked. "I hadn't noticed it. It looks great."
"Thank you," Pyrrha replied before reciprocating the kiss on Math's lips.
What would Math think of Pyrrha possibly considering going to Haven, which would likely mean the end of their relationship since he wouldn't be able to transfer due to his lack of proper transcripts? Sooner or later, she'd have to tell him…if she could find the courage to do so.
-0-
Nasser was on his way back to the shelter where he and his family had been staying. He had walked over to the nearest grocery store and had bought foods his family needed with the money he had earned from fighting Grimm from Beacon.
He needed a break from the shelter, from being reminded of the current state his family was in. Even though he had listened to his mother's advice about being motivated by faith instead of anger, he was still angry that he made almost no progress in allowing his family to move out into their own home.
Perhaps he could go visit Mathdon or Robin since they were still in Vale. He hadn't seen his teammates in a long while due to them recovering from their injuries and he himself being busy with earning what money he could for his family. He hoped they were doing well.
Having run into Math's mom, Corcra, several times, he had heard of their Uncle Gormen having secured materials for Math and Pyrrha to make new weapons as well as braces for their crippled limbs. Math and Pyrrha were currently in the process of making new weapons so they could continue their training.
As he approached the shelter, his thoughts of his teammates were immediately replaced by worry after seeing a Humanity First mob gathered outside the front doors. Several Vale officers were trying to contain the mob, but they were badly outnumbered, though Captain Kijivu kept them encouraged to stand their ground.
"What's going on here?" Nasser wondered as he noticed several people holding torches and shouting for the shelter to stop letting Faunus stay there.
"There he is!" one of the people in the mob pointed to Nasser. "He's the one who harassed us! Kill him!"
"Stop!" Kijivu ordered. "If you want to leave in one piece, you will refrain from violence!"
"WHY!?" one of the mobsters barked angrily. "You don't have the right to point your guns at us!"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Kijivu replied before being rudely interrupted by a 'No, you don't! You have no right to threaten to kill us!"
"But you have every right to butcher Faunus as you please?" Nasser called out. "You have every right to persecute the Faunus and victimize those who dare to show sympathy for them!? None of you were at the Fall of Beacon! You don't know the whole story!"
"Yes, we do know!" one of the mobsters shouted. "Pyrrha Nikos killed that girl-"
"She was set up!" Nasser barked. "That bitch, Emerald Sustrai, used her Semblance to trick her into killing Penny. It was an accident."
"No, it wasn't!" one of the mobsters barked. "Pyrrha murdered that girl because she wanted to!"
"Says who?" Kijivu questioned. "That criminal, Xander Smoke, you call your leader? Are you aware that he has a record? If it weren't for the Fall of Beacon, he'd still be in custody."
Unfortunately, the Humanity First mob wouldn't listen to reason. They had come to burn the shelter where Nasser's family was staying for giving board to Faunus and they were going to do it, even if it meant killing those who were against them. They were blinded by hatred and therefore only sought their 'justice' through violence and terrorism.
But Nasser wouldn't stand by and do nothing while his family was threatened. He grabbed Shafarnasr and drew them from the holsters.
"Anyone who tries to burn that shelter, I will kill you," he threatened. "There are good people in there and you have no right to take away their homes just because they won't do what you tell them."
"Nasser, stand down," Kijivu told him, hoping to defuse the situation. "Let me handle this."
Nasser didn't want to stand down, not when his family was at risk. The mob needed to know that if they threatened his family, he wasn't playing around. He would kill them if he thought they were going to kill the people inside the shelter.
But Kijivu had a point. If Nasser provoked them to violence, he'd be responsible for a fight breaking out while the VSU Captain was trying to keep the situation under control. With this in mind, Nasser lowered his knives, but kept them ready in case anyone started attacking.
"I will not say again," Kijivu announced to the mob. "Drop your weapons and leave. Refuse and I will have no choice but to arrest you all."
"Screw you!" one of the mobsters shouted. "We shouldn't be arrested at all! We're seeking justice for those who died at Beacon, people you and the Huntsmen failed to protect!"
"You seek that justice by burning down peoples' homes and businesses?" Kijivu questioned. "By lynching Faunus who had nothing to do with what happened? That is your justice? Justice sought through violence isn't justice at all, it's revenge."
"We don't care!" another mobster shouted. "Many of us lost people we loved the night Beacon was destroyed! These animals need to face justice for what they did! We won't let them claim another life!"
"If you want someone to blame, blame the Iron Knights and the White Fang," Nasser spoke up, earning everyone's attention.
"I was there when Beacon was destroyed. Grimm, White Fang and Iron Knights all ran rampant through the Academy, slaughtering anyone in their way. Two of my teammates were badly injured defending people like you, even though you didn't deserve it. The people here in this shelter suffered just as much as you have, maybe even more. How many of you still have homes? How many of you still have your families? How many of you can still provide for those you love? You come out and act like you're the only ones who can say who and who didn't suffer. Many people lost something or someone they loved the night Beacon was destroyed and yet they're not out there, threatening to kill and lynch people for not sharing their views. So why don't you all just go home and leave these people the hell alone!?"
Nasser was surprised by how many people started to lower their torches and weapons in response to what he just told them. Compared to the suffering of others, some of them had gotten only a slap on the wrist. Many of them still had their homes, their families, and a way of living to help their loved ones.
"He's a liar!" one of the people in the mob shouted. "Why should we listen to him!? What did he ever do for us? I say BURN IT!" The mobster was about to throw his torch at the shelter, prompting Kijivu to raise his pistol and shoot the torch out of the man's hand.
"Arrest that man," he ordered. The man then ran off as he was chased by two VSU officers.
"Anyone else?" Kijivu questioned, looking around to see if anyone else would attempt to start violence. Most of them started to lower their weapons and torches, though a few still wanted to burn the shelter down in blind hatred.
"It's on fire!" one of the people in the mob shouted. Everyone looked back at the shelter to see smoke coming from the back along with rising flames underneath it. Nasser's eyes widened in horror before he hurried to see what had caused the fire.
"YOU!" Nasser snarled as he saw Xander Smoke setting fire to the shelter with gasoline and lit matches. He had also used the dumpster to barricade the back door, preventing anyone from getting out once the fires started to roar.
"This is justice," Xander claimed before he felt something wrapped around his arm. Before he could see that it was Shafarnasr wrapped around his arm, Nasser pulled him away from the shelter and crashed him into a parked car. With Xander down, Nasser then used his Semblance again to launch himself at the dumpster and push it out of the way of the door. Everyone then started running out of the shelter as the flames grew bigger and hotter.
"Nasser!" Ritsika called out as she carried Ezther in her arms. "What happened?"
"Him!" Nasser shouted, pointing at the car where Xander Smoke previously was. To Nasser's shock, he was gone.
"Mr. Achdarr!" Kijivu called out as he hurried from the front to the back. "What happened here?"
"That son of a bitch, Xander Smoke, did this!" Nasser informed. "He put the dumpster in front of the door, which would've blocked anyone from getting out! That mob was distracting us!"
"Or he was using them," Kijivu replied. "Most of them stood down, but the rest we had to put in cuffs. Was anyone hurt?"
"No," Ritsika replied. "No one was hurt."
"Good," Kijivu sighed in relief. "When I get back to the HQ, I'm alerting all law enforcement: as of right now, Xander Smoke is public enemy number one, wanted on charges of terrorism, murder, arson and attempted murder. He will answer for this."
"What about everyone here?" Nasser brought up. "We'll need to find a new place to live."
"I'll have some of my officers escort you to a new shelter," Kijivu replied. "If any of you see Xander Smoke again, alert law enforcement or the Huntsmen immediately."
Xander Smoke. That monster had the gall to preach about justice, yet was willing to burn a shelter full of people, both human and Faunus, just because they wouldn't submit to Humanity First. He was already a criminal before, but now he was using Humanity First as a means to spread terrorism and chaos, which kept attracting Grimm from Beacon.
The sooner that criminal was brought to justice, the sooner Humanity First would start to lose momentum and hopefully stop their terrorist activities. But right now, Nasser was focused on keeping his family safe, especially since they needed a new place to call home for now.
"Xander Smoke," Nasser growled under his breath. "If I ever see that monster again, I'll kill him."