(Oniyuri, Mistral)
Qrow Branwen whips himself around, he faces Tyrian, with his blade at the ready.
Tyrian: As I live in breathe, Qrow Branwen, A true Huntsmen has entered the scene!
Qrow looks back at Ruby who stands up.
Ruby: I don´t know, This guy´s weird! Kept talking about some goddess, and this Superman guy?
Qrow glares at Tyrian. He´d tell Ruby about the other guy later.
Qrow: Look Pal, I´m not sure who you are, you need to leave my niece alone.
He chuckles.
Tyrian: Why friend, my name is Tyrian, and I'm afraid that´s not possible. My assignment from her grace was to retrieve this young girl. So, that is what I must do. One does not accept the Queen.
Ruby: Queen?
Qrow: Salem.
Ruby: Who?
Tyrian: I think we´ve had enough talk don´t you?
Qrow: You took the word right outta my-
The two clash, scorpion tail against blade, and blade against blade. Tyrian´s moves are erratic. The two clash multiple times, with Qrow swinging his sword, and Tyrian dodging it. Qrow brings down his sword hard, and it cracks the wrist blades. Tyrian then uses their bullet mode to fire bullets towards Qrow, while he runs around him. Tyrian knocks away Ren and Nora, who were trying to help Qrow. Tyrian rushes towards Qrow, who blocks his strike with his blade. The shards of jagged metal grinding against the straightedge.
Qrow: Don´t come closer!
The two continue to clash.
Ruby: Fine!
Ruby runs off to get to higher ground. She gets on top of a building, and observes the battle. Even with his injuries, Tyrian is still fast enough to keep up with Qrow. They clash again, and Ruby takes a shot, the dust penetrates his shoulder, and the second one his tail.
Tyrian: FUCK!
The bullet hole is in the same place that Reuben grabbed not too long ago. The bullet lodges in his poison tract, blocking it once more. Qrow then cracks his knuckles, and punches Tyrian in his face. Qrow punches Tyrian a second time, then a third, before slamming his leg into Tyrian´s chest. The force sends Tyrian flying backwards, blood flowing outwards from the wound. Like before, Reuben had softened hi u for that attack. He drags his jagged blades across the ground and stops himself. Qrow walks past Tyrian, He goes to retrieve his blade that´s lodged in the wall. He picks it up, and Tyrian rushes in to resume the battle, the madman cares not that he´s in pain. The twin blades of Tyrian clashes with Qrows until they finally break!
Tyrian: Damn it all to hell!
Tyrian dives at Qrow, missing by a few feet, but he uses the part of his tail that isn´t damaged to drag Qrow downwards, the two clash inside the building before Ruby jumps off the building. She shoots a dust bullet to bounce herself up before landing on the ground. She watches as Qrow is flung from the building, his Aura sparking. He jumps and lands on the hilt of his blade. Ruby tries to intervene, but is knocked down by Jaune.
Ruby: Get off me, Jaune!
Jaune: No! You´ll just get hurt!
Qrow looks on, and Tyrian attempts to slice him with his tail. Qrow grabs it with all his might, the appendage wriggling in his grasp. He wastes no time in brutally serving it.
Tyrian: RAAAHHH! I´ll kill you, bastard!
Tyrian is then smashed in the chest by Nora´s hammer, knocking him down. With his aura drained, and losing blood rapidly, Tyrian runs off back where he came from.
Nora: Yahoo! We won!
Qrow collapses to his knees in exhaustion.
Ruby: Uncle Qrow!
Ruby walks over to Qrow.
Qrow: I´ll be fine, he couldn´t even graze me.
Jaune: Who was that? Why are you here? Why do they want Ruby?! And why was that guy talking about a Superman?!
Qrow: What´s your favorite fairytale?
Overhead, a mistralian airship begins its descent. It lands on the ground, and its doors open. Jaune looks up, and sees a man by himself.
Ducard: Qrow Branwen, Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Ruby Rose. The Headmaster of Haven Academy beseeches you.
Ren: Haven must know where we are. It´s awfuly kind of him to send a ship.
Qrow is dragged into the ship by Ruby and Nora. He is still unconscious from his aura drain.
Nora: Let´s go to Haven!
The team loads up, and set course for Haven Academy.
(Salem´s Castle)
Watts walks along the halls of the Castle, he enters the large boardroom.
Salem: So, you have returned from Haven, already?
Watts: Actually, I wanted to talk with you about that. It seems we have a…complication.
Salem: Complication.
Watts: Yes, the Atlas Superman, Reuben Clark is there.
Cinder: What?!
Watts: He´s gotten much stronger than our scouts have reported.
Watts brings up the security feed, detailing his latest battle against Lionheart. His feed not showing Raven, and Leo´s death, because the cameras became blown out when the power was cut.
Watts: He has completely conquered Haven Academy!
Mercury: Weren´t we supposed to go there?
Cinder glares at Mercury, urging him to shut up.
Hazel: He may be powerful, but with myself and Cinder, he´ll fall like all the others.
Salem raises her hand, silencing all of her followers.
Salem: The Atlas Superman is to be kept alive. That is an order. Leo Lionheart is expendable, the Relic, nor the Spring Maiden is not.
Salem rises from her chair, and her subordinates remain seated.
Cinder: Your grace, I ask for your permission. To Invade Haven, Take revenge on Ruby Rose, and capture the Relic of Knowledge.
Salem: Why would I authorize that? If you die at the hands of the Atlas Superman, I lose the Fall Maiden powers forever. Not to mention our ability to threaten Atlas itself would be lost.
Watts: The Atlas Superman has never killed. Though that does not mean much.
Salem: You will remain here, Cinder Rhodes.
Cinder bows her head, though, this would not stop Cinder´s desire to avenge her past defeats.
(Atlas Academy, Ironwood´s Quarters)
Ironwood lay covered from the waist up in a blanket. He is not alone, next to him, Winter Schnee, his Special Operative.
Winter: You were amazing, General.
Winter rubs Ironwood´s shoulders, as he sits up. He takes out his scroll.
Ironwood: You were too, Ms Schnee.
Ironwood continues to watch footage of Reuben´s battle at the 38th Vytal Tournament.
Winter: General, why are you watching those matches from 3 years ago?
Ironwood: I had a dream…or rather a nightmare.
Winter sits up, concern written all over her sweaty face.
Winter: The Fall of Beacon again?
Ironwood closes his eyes as he watches Harriett Bree being flung like a rag, her speed nothing to his raw power.
Ironwood: No, something worse. I watched Atlas Fall…. myself too weak before our enemies. Reuben, His eyes were pure red, and he wore a black suit. A tall woman, who looked like a Grimm held the Staff in her hands, stood over me. I was weak, I tried to shoot her with my pistol, but couldn't. Then, rushing water, and…. I drowned in the Vault. Too weak to finish him off, his voice was even different, more demonic.
Winter´s eyes widen. Reuben was once Atlas´s Superman, their true hope for the future.
Winter: Sir, do you actually think he could be controlled by this woman you speak of?
Ironwood: I don´t know. But, for now, it´s just my worst nightmare.
Ironwood looks at the end of the footage. Himself holding Reuben´s hand.
Ironwood (Video): There you have it, the Huntsman of Tomorrow, Reuben Clark, Atlas´s Superman!
The crowd in the video cheers their new champion. Ironwood sheds a tear, it seemed from a different lifetime. When the kingdoms stood tall, and feared nothing. After the tournament, Reuben would turn down his offer to replace Winter, and work for him full time.
Winter: Come back to bed, General.
( End of Chapter 8)