Here we are at Chapter 105. Let's see how Velvet and her friends are doing, especially when Velvet meets a certain someone along the way. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 105. Enjoy.
Chapter 105: Crow meets Robin
Velvet is in the training room, training with Jaune and Ren while Nora and Oscar watch on. Ren fires the wire blades on his pistols at Velvet, who lets them fly by her. Ren pulls on them, bringing him closer to her. However, Velvet activates her demon claw and grabs him by the head before slamming him on the ground. Before she can finish the job, Jaune comes in and pushes Velvet back with the hard-light shield function of his shield. Velvet fires off a fire arte, but Jaune blocks it. Ren comes around and fires off his pistols, but Velvet uses her semblance to conjure a claw shield to block the shots. She jumps into the air, using her claw to absorb an ice Dust crystal. She slams her claw on the ground, coating the area in ice. This causes Jaune to lose his balance, while Ren remains on standing, barely. Velvet then changes it up by absorbing a fire Dust crystal and hits the ice floor with a super-heated punch to the ground, instantly turning the ice into steam to mask her presence. Jaune and Ren stand back to back, watching all angles. Ren suddenly looks up, only to see Velvet kick him in the face, followed by smacking Jaune away with her demon claw.
They both hit the inner walls around them. Velvet fires off a few fire blasts at them. One of them takes down Ren, but Jaune manages to block the other with his shield. Velvet runs at Jaune, who makes a downward swing with his sword when she gets close. Velvet flips over the swing and throws a double kick to Jaune's face, smashing his skull into the wall behind him. Velvet pushes off, firing her gauntlet gun a few times to take out the rest of his aura. Velvet lands a few feet away.
"Ouch," Oscar notes.
"You two are getting better," Velvet notes, deactivating her demon claw. Jaune's aura replenishes quickly enough. "You really do have a ton of aura, huh," Velvet notes as she checks her scroll.
Ren joins them, "We still have much to do," he notes bitterly.
"There's no use crying about it. You are getting stronger Ren. Don't beat yourself up about it," Velvet says.
"Yeah, just think of how far we've come since Beacon," Nora says.
"And don't forget, you've got your friends here too," Oscar adds.
"So, what are we doing now?" Nora asks.
"I've got a mission later today. I'll be guarding the broken Mantle walls where that large hole is. Ruby is coming along. Don't know what Yang and Weiss are doing, and Blake is training with one of the Ace Ops members. What about you guys?" Velvet asks.
"I've got some training with the General today. Nora told me that their team will be at the launch site," Oscar says.
"Well then, I guess I'll see you later," Velvet says and takes her leave.
As she exits the training room, Ruby is there waiting for her.
"I was wondering when you'd get done," Ruby notes as she greets her girlfriend.
"You didn't have to wait outside for me. Were you waiting long?" Velvet asks.
Ruby shakes her head, "Nope. Not that long. So, you ready to head to Mantle?" she asks.
"Yeah, just let me restock on ammo and Dust crystals and I'll be good," Velvet says, taking Ruby's hand in her own as they walk back to their dorm.
Velvet restocks on supplies, but as they leave their room to head out on their mission, they are met by Melinda.
"I hear you guys are heading down to Mantle on a mission. Mind if I tag along?" Melinda asks.
"Yes, actually we do," Velvet says while Ruby just holds her hand a little tighter. They walk off past Melinda, but she follows them anyway. "I just said for you to beat it, didn't I," Velvet says without looking back.
"You kids are good, but you're still green as huntresses. It doesn't hurt to have some experienced backup nearby should things get messy," Melinda says.
"Trust me, we can take care of ourselves," Velvet retorts.
Just then, Melinda gets a call on her scroll, "Hold that thought... Sir. Yes sir... Uh-huh. Yes sir... *sigh* Understood," Melinda says and hangs up. "Well, that sucks. Looks like I got to head out and provide security for one of the trucks making its way to the launch site. Oh well, guess I'll just have to hang out with you girls next time. Duty calls," Melinda says and leaves them with a wave and a smile.
"I don't like her," Ruby flatly notes.
"No argument there," Velvet adds and they continue on their way.
…
It doesn't take long for Ruby and Velvet to make it down to Mantle. They have to walk a short way before they reach the wall, so they do just that. This gives them a chance to get another good look at the city and the sorry state it's in.
"How long do you think people have been living like this down here?' Ruby wonders.
"Probably for a long time. There was this one village back home that was in the far north where it's always cold. The Abbey had people protect villages and towns that are loyal to them, but this town was where they sent dissenters and non-believers to. And the Abbey never sent anyone to offer protection. They wanted these people to die because they refused to follow Artorius. It was also where I first met Eleanor. Back then, she was a bit of a crybaby, heh-heh," Velvet chuckles.
"But it's different here. It's not that people don't like Atlas, they were just never given the chance to go there where it was safer," Ruby says.
"Yeah, and that's what I don't like about the place. It's like they believe they can play God and decide who gets to stay and who gets left out in the cold. It makes me sick just thinking about it. No wonder the divide between Atlas and Mantle is so bad, not to mention the rest of Remnant. Ironwood will have a hard time getting the rest of the world to fight with him when they all hate him and his kingdom," Velvet says.
"Well, that's why we're here. To help him out. It's all gotta start somewhere," Ruby says.
Velvet sighs, "Sometimes I wish I had your seemingly endless amount of optimism," she notes, making Ruby giggle.
Eventually, they reach the Mantle wall. It's hard not to notice the large hole in the wall when they arrive.
"It's huge. A Deathstalker like the one we fought against back at Beacon could easily fit through," Ruby notes.
"Or a whole pack of Beowolves or worse. Clover said that Ironwood was diverting resources from Mantle to the Amity project, but I didn't think it be this bad. This explains all the recent attacks from the Grimm and how their getting in. Of course, the walls wouldn't do a damn thing to stop the Grimm coming in from the sky. Come on, let's keep an eye on the place like we're supposed to," Velvet says and Ruby nods.
Of course, not everything goes as planned.
"Well look what we have here," they hear and look back to see a few women approaching them, with a young woman with blonde hair up in a short ponytail at the head of the group. "Looks like two kids out on a date, though I don't think this would be the best place for a romantic outing, wouldn't you agree?" the blonde says.
Velvet glances around at them, seeing the staffs with crossbows on the backs of the three women in the rear. She glances to the side, seeing a poster of the same blonde with the name "Robyn" on it.
"We're licensed huntresses here on a security mission to guard the opening in the Mantle wall. We're here to keep the Grimm from getting in," Velvet says.
"That's good to here. I'm Robyn Hill. You know, if Mantle got the supplies it needed to repair the wall, you wouldn't really be here. Tell me, you wouldn't happen to know why Ironwood has been hogging all the supplies, would you," Robyn asks.
"Can't say that I do. I'm not big on politics. I prefer to actually do something instead of sitting around, waiting for others to do it for me," Velvet says.
"Well, that's something we can agree on. Look, my people have seen the Amity coliseum at the old Dust mine site and seeing truck after truck drive in with supplies that Mantle desperately needs. What's more, the people in Mantle are being kept in the dark about the matter. Don't you think they have a right to know what's going on?" Robyn asks.
"Look, I know it's bad, but we're trying to help. So is General Ironwood. He's not trying to-," Ruby begins before Velvet raises a hand to stop her.
"Look, if you want to help us do our job here, you're more than welcome to. The more help we have, the better our chances of keeping the Grimm outside of the city. Isn't that why you're here?" Velvet retorts.
"Robyn, why can't we just beat the info out of them? I'm sure we can take them," the Faunus girl with the white hair asks.
"Don't be stupid. If we fight here, that will just attract the Grimm to the city. We can't let that happen... By the way, I don't think I've ever caught your name," Robyn notes.
"...Velvet Crowe," Velvet replies.
"Crowe, huh. Haven't you ever head that saying 'birds of a feather flock together'. We're not enemies. Please, just... tell me what's going on here," Robyn asks, extending her right hand to Velvet.
Velvet stares at it for a long while before speaking, "I have heard of it, but I also know that some birds prefer to fly either solo or just in pairs. And I'm one of them. Now let me ask you a question," Velvet says.
"What is it?" Robyn asks.
"Why do you think birds fly?" Velvet asks.
"Huh?" Robyn mutters, confused.
"Think about that for a while. Maybe after you've figure it out, you'll have your answer," Velvet replies.
Robyn drops her hand, "I see," she replies.
"Mam?" the tallest of the three women asks.
"It's alright, Joana. Come on we're done here. But don't forget, I'm not done with you, Velvet Crowe. See you around. You too, pipsqueak," Robyn says and takes her leave with the rest of her group following close behind.
"Well, that was... different," Ruby notes.
"Yeah, at least she's smart enough to know not to get in a fight here," Velvet says.
"You worried they'd beat us?" Ruby asks.
"Not in a million years. But, the fighting would have no doubt brought in some Grimm. At least she does seem to care enough about the people here to put their safety before her pride and ego. And she definitely has quite a bit of those," Velvet notes.
"So, what do we do now?" Ruby asks.
"We do what we came here to do. Guard the wall. Then when we head back, I'll let Clover know about this. She knew about the arena being at the Dust mine, which means that she and her people have been scoping out the place. If they pick up what's going on and spread the word, we'll have some more problems on our hands. The goal is to tell everyone about Salem, but if we play our hand too soon, we'll end up losing the game," Velvet explains.
Ruby sighs, "I hope one day we'll be able to tell Ironwood about what we learned too. All this secrecy can be really exhausting sometimes," Ruby notes.
Velvet intertwines her fingers with Ruby's," Luckily, I'm here to help you out. Let's just focus on one thing at a time for right now," Velvet says.
…
Meanwhile, Weiss and Yang are with Winter as the two sisters duke it out with their summons, with Winter using a Beowolf, and Weiss using her Armas Gigas. The two summons push against each other, trying to force the other back. At one point, they separate and the Beowolf charges at the armor while the Armas Gigas draws its massive sword. The Beowolf slices through the Armas Gigas with its claws, but the Armas Gigas manages to land a killing blow with its sword through its opponent's chest. Both summons fade away, leaving the battle in a draw.
Yang smirks, "That's my girl."
"Your technique still has those sloppy touches you added to them... But, you've made them your own. You've grown a lot since Beacon. I can tell. You're no longer falling back on your family name either," Winter notes.
"I really didn't have a choice. Since Beacon, I've realized so much. Father's view of the world no long matches mine," Weiss replies.
"Leaving him behind and joining the military was the best decision I ever made in my life. To be able to carve my own way. And I see you've carved your own way as well," Winter notes.
"Well... I didn't do it alone all the time," Weiss says as Yang comes to stand with her.
"Yes... I'll admit, I'm sorry I didn't get to see the look on Father's face when he found out about you too. I'm sure it was picture worthy," Winter smirks.
"Even more so when Velvet punched him in the face. That was priceless," Yang snickers.
"Well, enough about that. You've all come a long way since Beacon. I am glad that you're here in Atlas. We can move forward without him. I know Ironwood would have a place for you here," Winter says.
However, rather than being optimistic about it, Weiss only frowns and walks around her sister.
"I'd be grateful if he did, but I'm not sure I could accept his offer," she says as she sits down.
"Why not?" Winter asks.
"It's just... this isn't how our kingdom should be. We should be opening our borders to the world, not closing them off. Atlas was supposed to be a shining example to all, but lately, I just... haven't felt that it has," Weiss says.
"Not to mention how things are going down in Mantle. Everyone is scared," Yang adds as she sits next to Weiss.
"I know that things aren't... ideal, right now. But, the General is just trying to do the right thing for everyone," Winter says.
"Everyone thinks they're doing the right thing for everyone when in reality, they're only doing the right thing for themselves. And their secrets," Weiss notes.
"She must be still thinking about how we haven't told the truth about Salem to Ironwood yet," Yang mentally notes while laying a supportive hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.
"Ironwood isn't keeping secrets. Not from me," Winter replies.
"What about the Winter Maiden, Fria? How long did he groom your military career for that role before he finally told you the truth?" Weiss asks.
Winter raises an eyebrow, "How... do you know that?" she asks.
"Velvet told us. She asked Ironwood to see the Winter Maiden to learn more about her powers. She figured out that Ironwood plans for you to become the next Winter Maiden when she dies. Velvet spoke to her, against the General's orders. It was only that one time though," Yang explains.
Winter sighs and moves to stand in front of them, "So, now you know. Believe me, it did bother me at first. But, as I thought more on it, I began to see it as a privilege. A chance to do some real good, not just for Atlas, but for all of Remnant," Winter says.
"But, he decided that for you, without giving you a chance to speak your mind on the matter. Isn't that like with your father?" Yang asks,
"Perhaps, but I'm making it my own now. I've decided to take this road. That choice belongs to me and to no one else. I take pride in that. This is my choice, not Father's or the General's," Winter says resolutely.
Weiss and Yang stand up, "I guess... we've both done some of that. Carving our own way," she says, deciding to respect her sister's decision.
"I guess so," Winter smiles. "Now then, enough about that. I'd like to know how much further the two of you have gone in your relationship?" she asks.
At hearing this, the pair think back to that 'special time' they had back in Mistral and both of their faces turn red.
"Oh, um, well, we've... been on a few dates, maybe... kissed a time or two," Weiss stutters, playing with her braid a bit while Yang rubs her head.
Winter gets suspicious, "Oh? Is that all? And here you were earlier talking about keeping secrets. Come now, Weiss, it's me. You can tell me. Besides, I know you well enough to know when you're lying to me," Winter says.
"Um, well, I wouldn't say that I was l-l-l-lying to you. It's just... some things are more private when it involves couples," Weiss tries to deflect the question. However, Winter's gaze bores through Weiss and it doesn't take long for her walls to come crumbling down. "We um... spent an evening together... c-c-consummating our relationship," Weiss confesses, her face a deep red now.
"WEISS!" Yang yells.
Winter slowly looks from Weiss to Yang, "Oh, really. Don't you think you're a little young for that? Or that it may have been too early for that sort of thing? I must say, Miss Xiao Long, that I'd never expected you to try that with my little sister so soon," Winter says as she slowly walks towards Yang, who takes a step back for each step Winter takes.
"Winter!" Weiss yells and gets in between the two before something bad happens. "Look, I'm glad you care so much about me, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I love Yang, and Yang loves me. After being away from her for so long after Beacon fell, can you really say that something wasn't going to happen. It wasn't a 'in the heat of the moment' kind of thing either. I was ready. It was my decision," Weiss says.
Winter gets ready to say something, but then she gets a message on her scroll, "We'll talk more about this later," she says and pulls up a video sent to her from Ironwood, showing her father about to give a speech at his manor. "It's father. Now what's he up to?" she wonders.
…
Back down in Mantle, Ruby and Velvet are still keeping watch at the wall when they see the news broadcast of Jacques Schnee.
"...If I'm elected councilman, I've made it no secret that I will be opposing General Ironwood and his senseless embargo that is crippling all of Atlas. It is my belief that these measures are not only reckless, but criminal. With no shipments allowed to enter or leave the kingdom, I know many are suffering. And my family has been weathering the same storm as many of you. Effective immediately, I am forced to shut down all non-essential SDC operations. If elected into office, I will make the changes necessary to fix what Ironwood has broken. I hope you ask yourselves before the vote: can you trust anyone else to stop Ironwood? Will Robyn Hill be able to get your jobs back?... Thank you," Jacques speaks before he leaves the podium.
"What... what does this mean?" Ruby asks.
Velvet looks back, seeing the people of Mantle yelling with fists in the air. It doesn't take long before they start rioting and destroying everything in sight.
"Nothing good, Ruby. Nothing good at all," Velvet mutters as the chaos begins to spread throughout Mantle.
And that's the chapter. Velvet meets Robyn Hill, and it goes about as well as you can expect. Meanwhile, Weiss and Yang speak with Winter about the General and the Winter Maiden, only for Jacques Schnee to spark some trouble for them down in Mantle. Will things get worse before they get better for our heroes? Until then, please Read and Review.