Chapter 57
"I understand things are tough for you all now." Jason slowly says, with an earnest look in his eyes. "Things in this wonderful world have slowly collapsed. Grimm are everywhere. New species of monsters are attacking. People are divided. Vale wiped off the map. So-called Goddesses on the rise. Now a mad man attacking us. You have every right to start panicking."
Jason then let out a breath of air.
"But by no means should you give up!" He yelled out. "While Vale has fallen, many people survived. And what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." The Saber Servant then raised a hand in the air. "So don't give up, don't surrender."
He then turned his hand into a fist, and then slammed it against his own chest. "In these dark times, a leader is deeded. And now, that leader is me." Jason stood taller, brighter. Making a hand motion, Medea (Lily) casted a quick spell and a beautiful light came from behind Jason, making him look fantastic. "I know you have doubts, worries, and fears. Terrified if I even have what it takes, to lead you all. But do not fear!"
From behind, Jason's allies came out. Hercules. Pollux. Castor. Asclepius. Caenis. Medea (Lily). Atalanta. All wearing black suits and dark glasses, looking rather intimidating. Standing behind their leader with loyalty.
"For I, your new king, swear I will give it all I got to defend you all. With Beacon working for me, and the Huntsmen remaining swearing their oaths, I can guide this pathetic kingdom back on its feet." Jason then spread his arms out, like an eagle. "Let's make Vale great again!"
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
The old man who worked at multiple stores clapped his hands, but ended up dropping his broom which clattered on the floor. He then grabbed it and began sweeping the dirty back part of Beacon to get things right.
"You know, why couldn't we do this when there are people?" Castor says as he takes off his glasses and adjusts his tie. Doing his best not to smell the dirty trash cans and dumpsters behind the school.
"This smells." Caenis kicks away a dirty garbage bag.
Hercules holds his nose tight, and scowls.
"Well excuse me!" Jason puts his hands on his hips, unamused by all the whining. "But I need to practice this speech for the crowds to love me." Jason then holds his index cards. "And I had to do it in a place where nobody would see me."
"Couldn't we have done it in a place more...clean." Asclepius says, feeling uncomfortable being around so much garbage and the rat that fled.
"Not to mention these suits are a little tight." Pollux grabs the under shirt. "Especially in the chest."
"Well, they are technically for young boys." Jason shrugs as Pollux gasps.
"You gave me a suit meant for kids!" Pollux says with Castor now realizing they'd been had. No wonder their suits were smaller than the others.
"Well you guys aren't exactly the tallest around." Jason says. "Besides, it wasn't just you. I got Medea (Lily) the same and you don't see her complaining." The Caster just giggled in response.
"Regardless," Atalanta then takes off her tie, feeling the pressure this suit had on her chest. Caenis being worse since she had bigger assets with the shirt looking like it would pop off. "While your speech was okay, I think there's one problem with it."
"What's that?" Jason asked.
"The fact it took you thirty minutes just to get to that last part." the rest being about Jason and his dumb adventurers, of his victories, and what he will promise the people. Like a campaign manager who only made promises just to get the people's votes. His speech taking forever and felt very dull and boring.
"Ha! As if!" Jason huffs. "I'm sure the crowds will love it. Especially me! Their new king." Jason grinned as he did a little dance. "To think after all this time, I got that legendary second chance and am now king." Sure Vale was a ruined wreck, but if Jason's lucky, and very, very optimistic, he's certain he can turn this garbage of a kingdom back into a kingdom that he deserves.
"Yes, yes. Congratulations on your dream coming true." Asclepius says while rolling his eyes. "But are you certain the people will just accept you like so."
"Yeah." Caenis says, while loosening her undershirt and begins revealing her breasts quite a bit. Though then again, this was tame compared to her usual outfit. "I mean, for all you know, they'll start a revolt and switch you with another person. Like Ozpin."
"That hack!" Jason growls. "Like hell they will. The people will love me. I mean, I do have something called charisma." That...isn't exactly a lie. I mean, he did have the charisma needed to leave, and even convince them to join his band of heroes back in Greece. Heck, if he hadn't been so obsessed with being king, Jason undoubtedly could have been an excellent merchant. "Plus." Jason then added with a grin. "I have Medea (Lily) to start brainwashing them."
"I have the spell ready to turn them into loyal subjects." Medea (Lily) raises her two staffs which glows with brainwashing power.
Atalanta instantly punched Jason in the jaw while Asclepius began explaining to Medea (Lily) why it was bad to brainwash the lowly people. In any case, the speech was about to happen and as the saying goes, the show must go on. So everybody gathered in the auditorium and Jason began his speech to have them accept his new rule.
One hour later.
"Quick! Hold the door down Hercules!" Jason yells as he and the rest of the Argonauts enter one of Beacon's classrooms, with Hercules holding the door back from the crowd of angry people who began banging on the door. Desperately trying to get in to give Jason the beatdown of his life.
"Why!?" Jason yelled out as he heard the roars of the angry people. "What did I do wrong?"
"Maybe it was having Medea (Lily) force everyone to stay in their seats for an entire hour." Castor yells at Jason while helping Hercules hold back the door. Not even divine might can hold back enraged anger.
"While countless needed to use the restroom!" Pollux also added while helping her brother and Hercules out. "I mean, really? Do you know how smelly the auditorium became because many couldn't hold it in?"
"Talk about poor timing." Caenis says as she then hears a gunshot where a bullet nearly hits her. "Hey! Damn bastard!" They didn't even hesitate to shoot.
"How dirty." Asclepius says, still remembering that horrible smell. "That's not even mentioning how you also had Medea (Lily) cast a silent spell over them. As such, they couldn't tell you they needed to go." What a nightmare. Though he felt more bad for the janitor, who gave them a nasty look as they ran off when the speech was over.
"Can't they just forgive and forget." Jason says when suddenly, a hand burst through the wall he was near and grabs his throat and begins strangling him while trying to pull him in. "Ka-gu-h-h-el-guo-pp!" His eyes darted to see who could help him. Sadly, Hercules was too busy holding back the door alongside Castor, Pollux, and Caenis.
Medea (Lily) was too busy watching a recording of his speech she took, and Asclepius didn't seem to even care. Which left only one person.
"..." Atalanta looked at Jason and gave a frown. Then sighed as she decided to just go and help him, and gave a nasty chop to the hand that held him with Jason falling down next to her legs. "Consider this me being-" Though before Atalanta could finish, Jason instantly left her to hide behind a chair, not even thanking her. Damn bastard!
"Okay then." Jason looks at Asclepius. "When do you think this will blow over so we can get the war on Merlot started?"
"Who knows." Asclepius tells his leader as they watch more hands bursting through the walls along with the enraged roars of those still trying to open the door down. "But all I can say is, your rule isn't going very well."
"...yeah." Jason finally admits, as it seems trying to rule this kingdom was going to be way harder than it looks.
"Well then, now that the angry mob is over with, maybe we can actually get this war meeting started." After half-a-day of holding back the angry crowd amazingly, Ozpin had come and instantly defused the situation. Now, the Argonauts along with Glynda and Ozpin were back inside his office. Though Glynda seemed rather mad at Jason, which made sense seeing as he started a revolt so soon. Not to mention made the auditorium, which was the place where they usually give out food, so smelly.
"Yeah, yeah." Jason says as he sits down with everybody but Hercules doing the same. "So we just need to get started on our plans to deal with Merlot, right. In that case, what do we know about him? You know, other than a mad man."
"Yes. Merlot." Ozpin sips his mug. "As you so aptly put it, he's a mad man." Jason clapped his hands together. He knew it.
"Does this have anything to do with the Grimm?" Asclepius, ignoring Jason, then gets to the point of the matter. Memories of the battle that had happened just a bit ago are still fresh in his mind. "He did seem to be...fascinated with them."
"Because he is." Glynda says sternly. "That man has wished to study the Grimm for a long time now. Learn their secrets, discover what makes them tick and the like. But that wish to study them slowly became an obsession."
"He became mad soon after." Ozpin then said, replacing Glynda now. "Instead of wishing to study them, it became more of a way to control them, enhance them, and so on. Merlot, seeing them as a superior species to humans."
"Pathetic." Atalanta scoffs at Merlot's belief. "The Grimm are undoubtedly strong, but humans can surpass them while they need decades just to learn even the basic facts. They are threats, true, but not by much against a fully trained human."
"Safe to say Merlot didn't care though." Asclepius states, with Ozpin nodding.
"If anything, Merlot has come to the belief that evolution has failed the Grimm, and that he would do so himself." Ozpin then sighed, as he looked out his windows-which Glynda had thankfully fixed. "And it appears he has succeeded. Having developed some way to not just enhance the Grimm, but even control them."
"That isn't even mentioning the resources he has." Glynda looks a bit worried. "While most he brought weren't particularly powerful, it's clear Merlot has countless Grimm and those strange machines along with his own working alongside him."
"So he plans to beat us with quantity, eh." Jason can see the problem there all right. While Beacon had him along with many other Servants, the fact is they weren't at full power. While they can deal with that problem with absorbing Dust, they couldn't just recklessly take it as the citizens and Huntsmen needed it for their weapons and fuel. Plus, they had no idea where Melot even was, and only had a limited amount of time before he attacked unless they surrendered.
"Tch." Jason clicks his tongue. "So he has the advantage, and we only have less than ten hours to deal with this problem.. Why didn't we do this sooner?"
"Because just two hours after the message, you left to make a speech of your right to rule." Ozpin points out that so much time was wasted when Jason decided to just now reveal his kingship thus delaying them from strategizing. More so when the angry mob attacked. It was already night time for crying out loud!
"Oh." Jason says while his teammates stared angrily at him.
"Thankfully," Glynda then speaks up, "We sent EMIYA to do some reconnaissance. He believes he found a trail leading toward somewhere. Perhaps Merlot."
"Then we should strike first and ask questions later!" Caenis howls. "Catch that asshole off-guard and beat him up before he attacks."
"But then that'd leave the people here undefended." Atalanta tells her. "I'm assuming one group will be the strike force, and the second will be staying here to defend."
"Correct." Ozpin says. "I'll be staying here naturally, but will provided aid when I can."
"Yeah. Cause of all that magic you have." Jason grins. "You know, you still haven't told us those secrets of yours. And I'd be interested to know why you have so much damn mana in you." The other Argonauts couldn't disagree on that. All of them wondered just what secrets Ozpin had in him.
"Once this situation is dealt with, I'll be happy to explain the true enemy we face, and not a mad man with delusions of grandeur." Ozpin tells them eye to eye. "For now however, we must deal with Merlot before he causes true tragedy. As of now, we are in a state of emergency. Which is why we need to figure out who goes where."
"In which case," Jason says, "I'll help lead the charge with Hercules here naturally going with me. I'm sure he wouldn't mind playing with the doctors toys." The Berserker grinned, and both Ozpin and Glynda knew that to not send him would be a sin itself. Berserker certainly would know where to put the pain in pain against Merlot.
"I'll be staying here." Atalanta then demands, not suggests. "The children will need protection, and I have a good eye to detect if Merlot sends his forces early."
"Then I'll take EMIYA to go with me, and…." Jason really would rather not take this person, but…"Hah." Jason sighed. "Medea (Lily)."
"Yay!" The younger version of his ex-wife then hugged him. Jason long just gave up on pushing her away, and accepting the misery. "My magic will be of certain use to you." It's the only reason he was taking her. Jason didn't like it, but Medea (Lily)'s magecraft will be of perfect use on this mission.
"Then I suppose the rest of your allies will stay here?" Ozpin asks about the rest of the Argonauts.
"Sure." Jason says. "Herc, EMIYA, Medea (Lily) and I will be enough to give the doctor a good wack. Besides, you'll need the numbers against Merlot's focus." Who knew how many Grimm and automatons that mad geek had in his base of operations, wherever it was.
"I suppose it also helps that we now have an Atlas ship to deal a few blows to potential sky enemies." Glynda then says, remembering the ship they now have.
"Uh, yeah...about that…'' Jason then goes on to explain that while the new Argo can fly, it can't shoot unless someone can actually fix the weapon systems. Which unfortunately the Argonauts couldn't, including Beacon now, as they have no engineers capable of fixing another Kingdoms war vessel. Thankfully, Atalanta could just snipe from up there along with others, so it was still useful.
After a bit more of explaining and talking, eventually everything was settled down and the Argonauts left to get a bit of rest before leaving.
"I have to say, this went better than I thought." Ozpin smiles. "While this won't be an easy fight, it's good to know that we have capable allies to help defend this school and the civilians when Merlot strikes."
"Even if our so-called king started a minor riot?" Glynda sarcastically says.
"True. That certainly was a massive waste of time. But still, I believe our new king can get the job done." Ozpin then took a look at papers that needed to be done. "For what he lacks in manners and common sense, he makes up for in defeating the enemy. He'll do perfect against Merlot." That, Ozpin believed in.
"Uh, sir." Suddenly, Doctor Oobleck came in. "We have an-er-slight problem." Next to Oobleck, Port came in next.
"It seems someone has started a campaign against having that young man Jason being King, and wants blood spilled." The Huntsman says as he twirls his mustache. "A mutiny they say."
Guess it was perfect that Jason was already leaving. Last thing he needed was a civil war happening in such dark times. Still, things were going fine for now. Jason and his team will be leaving to find Merlot's base, and then attempt to potentially bring it all down and defeat this mad man. This way, they can focus on Salem once he tells them of who she is, and her dark goals for Remnant.
She was already a massive step in her goal to divide Remnant. With Vale gone, the other Kingdoms have locked themselves up, and while there are some attempts to bridge the remaining Kingdoms back together, people were too scared to give it their all, especially with these new monsters all around. Meanwhile, no doubt Salem was making her next move and getting ready to create the next big blow.
Funny. If things were different, Ozpin may have sent Team RWBY against Merlot, another time.
Now, the stakes were too great. Instead of sending a bunch of teenagers, who while talented, Ozpin realized that he needed to send fully trained Huntsmen instead to face the horrors Merlot has undoubtedly cooked up. He could only hope that Jason and those who went with him can defeat Merlot while everybody else dealt with the enemies he'll no doubt send at them.
Merlot wants a war, then he better get ready. Because as of this moment, war is what he'll get.
At long last I can finally enter the action scenes. Sorry for not updating last week, got busy with another story that just made my mind pumping. Moving on though, it's time for Jason and his lot to start the attack against Merlot and beat him up. With EMIYA going with them, who will no doubt be a great help as he joins Jason, Berserker, and Medea (Lily) as they travel outside of Beacon to face this madman.
Not that Merlot will make it easy once he spots them and starts his attack. Until next Time.
Things in Mistral were looking bad.
Huntsmen and Huntresses were dying left and right. The Headmaster of Haven was acting far to suspicious than usual. Not to mention sightings of some weird monster of a monkey, tiger, and snake. Overall, things sucked here in Mistral, which was such a shame since it was originally one of the least affected places in Remnant before the chaos that happened. Alas, things changed though, and not all changes were good.
Which is why, someone had to help.
"So, are you the person I talk to?" Brown hair, brown boots, and a red bow with rather elegant clothing. Befitting of this woman, who is known to hunt down Grimm with a dark passion. Especially the powerful Alphas, even though they have done no personal wrongdoing to her. Regardless, that was who she was, a woman that was one of Haven's best teachers, and actually compared to Beacon's famed Glynda Goodwitch, even though the woman herself didn't think they were anything alike aside from their weapon and occupation of teaching students. At least, that's what Barthomeloi Lorelei thinks.
"Hehe." A young woman in her late twenties smiles, despite the cigar in her mouth. Looking more like a educated mom with spectacles and a cigarette. But Barthomeloi knew better than to think this woman ordinary. "You came to the right place. The Garan no Dou agency is always ready to lend a hand. Isn't that right Shiki."
"Hm." A beautiful woman with a knife glances at the exchange of a contract happening. Having already put her daughter to sleep and had her sweet moments with her husband. "Yeah, I suppose."
"So cold." Touko Aozaki smirks. "But yes, we will do our best to help you out with whatever problem you have, so long as you can pay."
Money was placed on the counter. A good amount to.
"Good." Touko took out a contract, and then held her hand which began glowing. Barthomeloi narrowed her eyes, recognizing that semblance. It seems the rumors were true. This woman could somehow 'use' the power of other semblances, since only Robyn Hill should have this power. "Now then, let us talk honestly here. What was it you wanted us to do again."
Barthomeloi grabbed Touko's hand, unafraid. "To talk about what Lionheart is hiding, and what is truly happening around here."
"Someone might die?"
"People already are." Barthomeloi countered. "Besides, I heard the woman working with you knows how to kill people very easily."
While not as famed as the Grimm Reaper, the woman known as Shiki had a rather infamous reputation in Mistral's underworld. Supposedly able to see death itself.
Touko grinned. "In that case, let's get started."
EDIT
Forgot to add this. And yeah, at this rate, the heroes won't even need to help Mistral out. Seems others are already on the case.