GOMU GOMU NO!~ Yikes, sorry about the late delivery everyone but the site had to malfunction when I finished this chapter. Anyhow, the Menagerie arc is up next then one final sub-arc.
Then after all those words are typed, who boi am I excited to get into the Beacon school arcs bb!
Now in regards to the main girl for the Menagerie arc, it's gonna be Fiona Thyme. I researched her semblance on the wiki and I was flabbergasted by how potentially op it could be. Though with the heights of the RWBY cast, there isn't anything official on the wiki unlike the one for One-Piece so I gotta make up some things from time to time so forgive me on that subject.
With that cheers everyone and happy reading.
"Damn it, everyone is already in the theater. Who am I gonna pickpocket?" Roman strolled near the entrance hoping to 'accidentally' bump into some naive dunce and loot a couple of lien for himself and Neo's movie rations.
"Come on Trifa, I don't want to keep the others waiting and miss the film before it starts!" A blonde boy, a few years younger than Roman was being followed by an older girl with cobalt colored hair. By her bluish-gray hands and veins, it was clear she was a Faunus.
"Hehe, bingo." Roman slapped on a mischievous smile as his bright green eyes locked onto his unfortunate targets.
'Bump!'
Roman and the blonde kid fell to the floor, but the young thief did so with grace while the blonde landed flat on his back.
"Ouch, sorry there pal, that was my bad." Roman chuckled and extended a hand for the dizzy boy to take. However, his advance was cut off by the Faunus girl who leaped at the chance to help her best friend.
"It's alright, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings." The boy chuckled nervously. He politely excused himself, then headed toward the popcorn vendors.
It was a simple task, buy another bag of popcorn then head back to the theater room. That was Jaune's plan from the very beginning, but a certain spider Faunus was proving to be difficult.
"Are you sure you're alright Jaune? You're staggering when you walk." Trifa nudged her friend in the shoulder which earned her an annoyed grunt in response.
"You don't have to follow me everywhere I go Trifa, I can buy a few bags of popcorn and drinks on my own." Jaune sighed.
Ever since Trifa was introduced to Emerald, she developed a more possessive personality and would cling to Jaune whenever he was around. Sure, Jaune appreciated having his best friend around, but every time Jaune and his sister would try to do an activity with Trifa, she would treat Emerald poorly and her mood quickly soured to a sassy one.
"I'm just here to lend you a hand and get a few things for myself. What's so wrong about that?" Trifa snapped as the two approached the food counter.
Piles of cardboard and plastic stacked around it, the staff who were in charge of the counter seemed lifeless with the expression of terror on their faces.
"Um, excuse me, could I have one large bag of popcorn and two large coca-colas please?" Jaune tapped the counter with a kind smile.
"You heard him, guys..." The weary cashier drawled.
The employees lazily dragged their feet and prepared the boy's order, but had to redo it as one of the workers leaned against the hot butter dispenser and drenched the bag.
"That'll be four lien kid." The cashier said.
Jaune reached into his pocket for his coins but came out empty-handed. He pulled each of his pockets and checked his pouch, but he only found lint balls and dust. The cashier narrowed his eyes at the panicking boy. The staff of the theater was usually a happy bunch, but after they served over one hundred customers in the span of half an hour, they couldn't help but feel irritated for their wasted effort if the boy couldn't pay up.
"Don't worry there pal, I've got you covered." A cheerful voice spoke up.
Jaune turned to meets its source and looked up to the carefree individual. A battered bowler hat with a red stripe atop his curly orange hair, he flashed Jaune a smile and pulled out a few coins from his pocket.
"This should be enough, four lien on the dot." The same boy who bumped into Jaune just a few minutes ago dropped the needed lien on the counter.
"Wow, thanks bud, you really saved me there!" Jaune beamed his trademark grin and took his bag of popcorn while Trifa handled the drink tray.
"So, what's your name?"
The orange-haired boy blinked. Then a look of confusion washed over his features.
"Um, you do have a name right?" Jaune tilted his head.
"It's Roman pal, you don't need to remember it though, I doubt that we'll meet again." He chuckled.
"Huh? Why's that?" Jaune pushed on.
"I live back in Mantle, and I'll be going back once the movie is done showing. I really hate short goodbyes, but seeing that we're both short on time I'd suggest you hurry back to your seats." Roman waved to a sign over the theater room entrance that read '5 minutes till start.'
"Ah, Minty and the others are going to kill me if we're late, come on Trifa we need to pick up the pace!" Jaune ran down the hallway and back to the dim room of the theater. Trifa scrambled to keep up, and almost tripped through the doorway.
Now alone, Roman turned to the menu on the counter with a meticulous eye and slight smirk.
"Alright, I got sixteen lien leftover from that Jaune fellow, so let's see what I can get for Neo and myself."
"Is something wrong Ms. Thyme?" Hawkins moved over and allowed the Faunus her space.
"Can't you read the mood Hawkins?" Fiona pouted and punched the magician in the shoulder.
Hawkins grunted, but refrained from physically returning his cohort's assault.
"If you mean how you're being unreasonably jealous of Madame Shyarly then should I understand?" Hawkins deadpanned.
"W-What makes you think I'm jealous of her?!" Fiona fumed.
"There's a 64% chance of it," Hawkins replied.
This caused Fiona to bite her lower lip. Damn those cards of Hawkins, if it weren't for those he wouldn't be nearly as perceptive. However, Fiona managed to spot an oddity among the tarot cards that Hawkins displayed.
"Hey, Hawkins, what happened to that card?" The huntress pointed to a damaged card that was ripped in two and sewn back together with thin lines of straw.
"This card was torn in two by that revenge hungry Custard your aunt told you about. I was able to mend it with my straw powers, but it hasn't been the same since." Hawkins shuffled his cards and stacked them.
A slight bulge disfigured Hawkins' deck which made it hard to move them around in unison. A peculiar idea popped into Fiona's head, but she decided it could wait until after the movie was over. As the lights around the theater dimmed, the cheers and roars from the audience beckoned across the room with many adults holding their kids in place as the random advertisements finally came to an end.
If Shyarly were fully awake, she would have noticed the thin smile and glimmer of pleasure that spread onto Hawkins' visage, but Fiona was fully aware and she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw that genuine sparkle in the fiery pupils of the magician. Was Hawkins actually a fan of Sora the warrior? Carla and Sam said that he was, and Hawkins, while he never mentioned it he never denied it either. Jaune was definitely a fan and his sister on a lesser note. Perhaps their love for the amazing hero stemmed from their father?
As the screening for Sora, the warrior elevated all heart rates of its spectators, not even the vilest at heart was spared. Within a hidden and abandoned warehouse, a group of the Remnant's most unknown and notorious villains gathered. Now, what was it these incompatible and rambunctious individuals were up to? Well, they would be enjoying a movie, if Watts could put the finishing touches on his hacking attempt.
"Hurry up Watts, I want to know what all the excitement is about." A man with red sunglasses chuckled and plopped a handful of buttered popcorn down his gullet.
"I don't care about this stupid movie, we need to get our meeting over with and establish who's going where. I won't risk heading to Atlas when that man is present. The old woman is nothing to fret over, but as long as she's telling him what to do that flying city is out of our reach." A slim but muscular man frowned. He adjusted his tall top hat and sat himself on a dusty crate.
"I'm not wasting my energy on some stupid mission. If the pale witch wants us to take over Atlas, then she can her other pawns can go ahead." A man with a golden hook took a drag from his cigar. His eyes narrowed on Watts who fiddled with numerous keys on his laptop.
"I don't understand how you three haven't shot each other yet. What is it you want in this world that our mistress can't already provide?" A giddy scorpion Faunus piped up.
"That's enough everyone, especially you Tyrion. If you'll look to the wall where my projection will display itself, you'll see the movie that has all of Remnant in celebration." Watts wiped his brow and clicked the enter key of his laptop.
The device buzzed and showed a variety of numbers and letters, then whirred to life as Watts' scroll blinked in confirmation. In an instant, the speakers of the doctor's laptop sung a familiar tune, and the smile on Tyrion's face was one of a child whose heart was about to burst from joy.
"Is this really why Mr.1 wanted a day off?" Crocodile pondered as he took a cup of soda from the snack pile on the crate before him.
Speaking of the former baroque works agent, Daz Bonez dressed in a black suit and tie, sported a short grin in a Mantle theater as he saw Sora the warrior take to the sky in hot pursuit of Winch Green.
'Your time is over Winch Green! With your forces destroyed and allies away in the north blue you have nowhere to run!' Sora shouted as he clenched his gloved fist.
"Awww Yeah!" Screamed the fans. Daz followed suit with a silent fist pump.
"Sora! Sora! Sora!" The volume in the theater alone was enough to rattle the floors up to the ceiling.
With the heroic superstar landing the finishing blow against the face of his green-clad enemy, the audience could only go silent as the slow-motion impact of Winch Green's face was flattened.
"YEEEEEAAAAAH!" Popcorn flew and sodas exploded in a firework fashion. However, the atmosphere would soon step down as the running time of the movie came to a close.
With Winch Green in a smoky crater and marine soldiers surrounding him with chains and cuffs, Sora made his trademark pose and winked toward the audience.
'There's still the dastardly Judge and his other lackeys. I won't rest until Justice has been delivered. You can count on it, my fellow followers!' Sora cried.
The words 'To Be Continued In The Next Movie' appeared in a dazzling yellow, which caused even more screams of anticipation.
"Wow, I didn't expect there to be so much suspense and drama in a two-hour movie." Fiona cupped her chin in contemplative thought.
"The film did Sora justice, that's all that matters." Hawkins chuckled softly.
Fiona's eyes widened. Did Hawkins just laugh? Sure it was quiet and short, but it definitely happened.
"Wow, I didn't think a stoic man like you could actually crack a smile without being forced."
"A smile can be created through a plethora of means though they often hold different emotions. Come on, with the movie over the spectators are going to cram at the entrance, and I don't want to be caught in it." Hawkins huffed.
Fiona giggled at the magician's antics and reached for the tin of fortune cookies on the table. Only to find it empty, not even a crumb around the edges.
"Hawkins, did you eat all of these?" Fiona balked.
"Perhaps," Hawkins said and stood himself up.
"Wait, what are we going to do about Shyarly? We can't just leave her there. Speaking of which, what did you do to her? She looks like a giddy mess." The sheep Faunus pointed with a curled brow at the other woman.
Shyarly's short hair was disheveled, her breaths finally calmed as she muttered in her sleep.
Hawkins shrugged. "All I did was give her a foot massage. It was one of the most irritating endeavors I've ever had to do."
Fiona's eyes widened, then a petty pout blossomed on her visage. "You actually allowed yourself to stoop down and comply with such a ridiculous demand? In all the six years I've known you, you haven't offered the same treatment for me!"
Hawkins tilted his head at the accusation. Why would he deliberately offer a foot massage to Ms. Thyme? Or anyone for that matter?
"W-When we get to Menagerie you're going to give m-me a foot massage just like Shyarly, and I won't take no for an answer!" Fiona said with a heavy blush and stammer.
The magician's face deadpanned at what was to come, but something in the Faunus' declaration made him stall.
"Menagerie?" Hawkins asked.
"Huh? Carla and Sam didn't tell you? They're going to visit Carla's niece in a week or so, I thought you and your family would naturally join them." Fiona said.
"I don't trail Sam and Carla's movements like some dog," Hawkins grunted.
"But you do care about them don't you?" Fiona teased and nudged the magician with her elbow.
"Enough of this, I'm leaving." The blonde man rolled his eyes and exited through the booth's curtains.
"You didn't deny anything Hawkins~" Fiona sang from behind.
"Hm... Hawkins?" Shyarly said groggily and shook herself awake.
"Welcome back, you missed the movie by the way," Fiona said with a tad less enthusiasm.
"I managed to catch all the important bits." Shyarly sighed. A trickle of thunder and lightning dancing between the two Faunus as they trailed their esteemed magician.
"Where did Hawkins go?" Fiona and Shyarly spun around in every direction, but the golden locks of the magician were nowhere to be seen.
"Unf!" Hawkins grunted as his back thudded against the booth's walls. His vision coming to, Hawkins veered his gaze on a familiar pair of blood-colored pupils and wild long locks of hair that rivaled the night sky.
"Ms. Branwen?" Hawkins said in a bewildered tone. He'd turned a corner and then felt a grip wrap itself around his forearm and before he knew it he was pinned to the wall of an empty booth.
"What, are you not happy to see me, Hawkins?" The tribe leader growled and pushed harder on the magician's chest. Though the intimidating effect Raven desired was lackluster due to the extreme height difference between her and the blonde man. Her eyes were ferocious along with her scowl at least.
"Why aren't you in Vacuo?" Hawkins grumbled. If Raven was going to propose yet another offer to come back to the tribe, things could get difficult.
"I saw you getting all chummy with that shark Faunus earlier. To think you'd go as far as to give another woman a foot massage. I didn't take you as the submissive type Hawkins." The tribe leader huffed.
"Don't tell me you were watching me the entire time." The magician's eyes narrowed and Raven's scowl dipped slightly.
"I was paying more attention to the movie, but I happened to catch an inappropriate act in one of the other booths. It just so happened to be yours."
"That sounds like a blatant lie." Hawkins frowned.
He pulled out his cards, but a dangerous gaze from the shorter woman ceased his attempt. Hawkins didn't want things to escalate into a brawl, which he would win hands down, so he tried the same tactic he'd used against Ms. Thyme.
"Ms. Branwen, are you jealous?" Hawkins asked in a perplexed tone. Though his stoic face showed no emotion.
"I'm not the jealous type." She hissed back a little too quickly.
"Is that so? If I were to perform a tarot reading on the matter would the percentage be in your favor?" Hawkins hummed. His words solid, the tribe leader loosened her grip on his chest and stepped back.
A light hue of pink filtered on her porcelain skin, and she looked away with a forced cough. "You don't need to use those damn cards of yours for everything Hawkins, you should learn to live a little instead."
"This coming from one of the most prepared individuals I know? In every raid I partook in, you would have me weigh the odds of every possible outcome you could think of. The term 'living a little' doesn't fit your character." Hawkins internally smirked at the flustered expression of the arrogant woman.
"By the way," Hawkins' tone shifted to a stern one which made Raven flinch and turn back to meet his gaze.
"Did everything go well with your husband?" Hawkins posed his question in genuine curiosity.
Raven's eyes went wide. Of all things Hawkins could ask, it had to be the most personal question of them all.
"I'm not allowed to see my daughter, but my husband and teammates don't want to kill me anymore. At least that's what they said." She muttered weakly.
"I see. Congratulations." Hawkins sighed.
Raven tilted her head at his blunt delivery.
"There was a 45% chance of a battle ensuing if you confronted them. How did that scenario play out?"
"My younger twin sibling took the little ones out of the house and decided to take an aimless stroll with them in the nearby forest. With them out of the picture, my former husband and his wife could speak what was on their minds with nothing to hold them back." Raven grumbled.
"And?" Hawkins prodded.
A melancholic gaze of stress wormed its way onto Raven's visage. Time stilled as she told her story, and Hawkins was oddly intrigued and remained silent throughout her stressful speech.
"I met them when I found that straw doll you tied around my waist before I left four years ago..."
"Honey, I finished packing our lunches for the picnic. Did you get the tins for the cookies?" Tai grabbed the basket of rations and set them aside by the front door.
Qrow was supposed to join them today, but the spiky-haired hunter seemed a little too eager to grab Yang and Ruby for a head start on their hike. Summer and Tai were suspicious, but they assumed Qrow just wanted some alone time with his nieces. What he didn't expect, was the formation of a crackling red ripple of aura to appear before him. Tai's heart skipped a beat and jumped into overdrive. Why would she come here? Why now?
"Tai, did you see my white cloak? I thought I left i-" Summer stepped down the stairs and her lip clamped shut at the sight of a raven-haired huntress. Said huntress, had moist eyes and a pleading look plastered on her face.
"R-Raven?" Tai managed to sputter.
"..." The tribe leader said nothing. Her grip crushing the handle of her blade, she veered her gaze to the slack-jawed woman behind her ex-husband.
"What are you doing here?" Summer's kind and cheerful demeanor dropped like an anvil.
"I..." Raven gulped down the clump in her throat.
"I came here to talk."
Summer's fists clenched and she stomped towards her former love rival, but Tai interjected and put himself between the two. Summer's gaze screamed treason, but Tai shot her a surprisingly harsh glare.
"She wants to talk Summer, surely you can manage a conversation?" Tai's shoulders slumped, if this plan didn't work he'd have to sleep on the couch for the coming weeks.
"... Alright, but if she tries anything I'm not holding anything back." Summer motioned to the living room and plunked herself down with a pout.
The tribe leader sat across from Summer, and Tai tried to sit on a side chair, but Summer aggressively took his wrist and dragged him to site beside her. Raven's brow twitched slightly, but she knew deep down that Summer had every right to be angry. The ticking of a clock filled the tensing atmosphere. With neither parties willing to make the first move, Raven was forced to break the thick foot of ice she created.
"I-I'm sorry," Raven said glumly and veered her sights to the floor.
Seconds passed and nothing was said.
"Is that it?" Summer seethed.
Raven's eyes remained glued to the fur carpet of the living room, she tucked her arms and prayed for anything to get her out of this predicament.
"You deserted us and left Tai's bleeding body out to die on our last mission together and that's all you can say?!" Summer sprung from her seat, her silver eyes radiating anguish and mortification.
"I didn't know that Tai would follow me after you called us back to the tower!" Raven shouted.
"Of course he would follow you! He loved you for Oum's sake!" Tears spilled from Summer's eyes. Tai stood himself up to comfort his wife, but a harsh slap on the wrist forced him back to his seat.
"You don't know how long I had to hold back my jealousy for the sake of the team! Since the day team STRQ was formed, I was infatuated with Tai..." Summer sulked.
"But, he never looked at me the way he did you. It was plain as day Tai had a major crush, and it just had to be on the same woman who I was responsible for as a team leader." Her body shook and her emotions rattled inside her with the force of a hurricane.
"I gave Tai so many hints, I gave him cookies, I cooked him other delicious meals and even took him out on what I perceived as dates. But no matter how hard I tried, the light above me never shined like yours. Then, after our most successful Grimm elimination to date, Tai proposed to you."
Nothing could describe the face of defeated anguish on Summer's face, but still, she pressed on.
"I... I couldn't do anything to stop him. I couldn't bear the thought of getting in between two of my best friends who'd I spent four years, laughing, training, and leading." Summer's breath hitched, and the features on her face twisted to one of absolute disgust. Her silver irises blazing brighter than ever, she felt her aura seep through her limbs in a wild manner.
"Yet despite all of Tai's love and loyalty..." Summer's semblance flourished and rose petals danced around her like a tornado.
"YOU ABANDONED HIM! LEFT HIM TO DIE AN UNWORTHY DEATH SO THAT YOU COULD FLEE LIKE A DESPICABLE COWARD!" She screeched.
"S-Summer..." Tai stood himself up once more, tears soaking his cheeks and shirt.
The blonde man's advances were denied by a loud slap on the cheek. With the imprint of Summer's right hand marking his face with a red stain, Tai kept quiet and allowed the situation to move on. However, he chose to stand for the rest of the conversation. Meanwhile, Raven couldn't do anything as she trembled on her chair, her knuckles gone white, she dare not lift her head to meet Summer's scrutinizing glare.
"I LOST TO YOU RAVEN! BUT I COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I CRIED ALONE IN FRUSTRATION?! IF QROW WASN'T AROUND I WOULDN'T BE WHO I AM TODAY!"
"I-I'm sorry." Raven tried again.
"SORRY DOESN'T EXCUSE YOU FROM YOUR PITIFUL BEHAVIOR RAVEN! YOU EVEN HAD A CHILD WITH TAI, THAT SAME CHILD ALMOST KILLED HERSELF ON THE SMALLEST CHANCE TO MEET YOU!"
"I-I..." Raven was now bawling in her hands with her head down. The uneven chokes and gasps for air were the only things that left her lips.
Rose petals battered the shelves and tipped over the tv. The loud crash of glass and sparking wires sent a brief pause across the room.
"Summer. Can I say something?" Tai whispered.
Summer tilted her head toward her husband and noticed the subtle tears in his navy blue eyes. Though he was smiling, it was obvious it was fake and forced.
"I was an idiot when it came to love. I'll admit that much." He chuckled bitterly.
"But... I chose Raven because I genuinely cared about her and there's nothing I can do about my past actions at this point. The only thing I can do is try to amend my mistakes and move forward. Do I regret all that happened between me and Raven? The answer is no, but that doesn't mean I can use it as an excuse to justify all of my actions. If anything, I deserved this slap wholeheartedly."
"So, my question for you Raven, are you seeking forgiveness out of guilt? Or do you truly want to make amends for what you did and perform the effort that comes along with it?"
Raven said nothing and stiffly nodded, Summer threatened to raise her voice as a result, but a firm hold on her shoulder from Tai sealed her lips.
"Then Summer will be the one to decide your punishment. I do forgive you... But I will not forget the grief you left me and the others of STRQ." Tai removed his hold on his wife and let out a long sigh.
The shattered tv gave a few more sparks before the screen went completely black. The tension in the room widdled down, but the atmosphere was far from pleasant. Tai glanced at his wife and nodded to allow her the spotlight and dish out any other emotions she had bottled away.
"First, Yang is my daughter, am I clear?" Summer scowled.
Raven nodded.
"Second, you won't make any appearances without notifying me first. If you have to arrange a meeting through Qrow, then so be it, but don't use him as a shield or softener when things get rough."
Raven nodded.
"Lastly, you will tell me who convinced you to show your face here after six long years. You didn't have a problem hiding in Vacuo after all this time. So I can't fathom as to why you'd try to apologize now." Summer quipped.
Her fingers trembling, Raven rustled through the feathered extension on her hip and presented a small doll made of straw. She placed it on the coffee table and said nothing. Tai took the hint that this was as far as Raven could go, so he stretched out a hand and picked up the doll.
Summer quirked a brow, as did Tai, but all made sense when the blonde found a piece of crumpled paper in the straw doll's stomach.
"There's an 81% chance your ex-husband and his wife will forgive you. Good luck."
After that, Raven returned to her tribe, much to team STQ's dismay, but she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders after the interaction. Her heart still hurt from what transpired, but a sense of closure eased her mind about the whole ordeal.
"There you have it," Raven grumbled.
"I... Need to get going now Hawkins, but if you ever visit Vacuo again, you can find us with those tarot cards of yours right?"
"Of course," Hawkins replied.
As if on cue, Brick pulled open the curtain of the booth with his leader's weapon in hand. Vernal beside him, the three left through the portal created by the proud tribe leader. Before Raven left, she waved to Hawkins with a flirtatious wink and cute smile, though her face soured when all she got was a deadpanned stare.
The portal fizzled to a close, and Hawkins found himself alone in the booth. The theater had been emptied for cleaning and preparation for the next showing, and Hawkins had to find Fiona and Shyrarly before they hassled him with questions.
*Sora Movie Sub-arc End.*
