Dia Guit, conas a Ta tu? Or, as it's said in English from Irish, hi, you are you?
Hope everyone's having a great day. It's St. Patrick's Day today, and let me tell you the town is BUZZING! It's hard to get around, but everyone's in a great mood and the parade was actually pretty good.
Before we get into it, just want to thank reno11206 for proof-reading this chapter. Cheers mate.
Right, without further a do, let's get into it.
"Hey, Summer! Where are you?"
Today was definitely one of the strangest ones this man was having so far. A little while ago, someone had given him a call to let him know that there was some work available. One of the main reasons he was called was because that he was one of the most skilled Huntsmen around, and could take on nearly anything that came his way.
The reason why he accepted this, however, was mainly just to alleviate the boredom. Granted, he was working at Signal Academy, one of the best combat schools for those wanting to become Huntsmen and Huntresses. Normally, students would train there for a set number of years before training in one of the four main schools in Remnant.
Working at Signal was great. He got to teach the kids how to defend themselves, the pay was good, and he got free food while he worked there. But… sometimes he would miss the thrill of actually going out into the open, fighting off Grimm and all. And so, when he got the call asking to investigate an area that was reported to have large levels of Grimm activity, he was on board.
As he was about to leave, however, he had an unexpected addition made on the trip, which mortified him to the point that he nearly had a heart attack.
As Taiyang walked through the forest, he ran a hand through his short, blond hair, his blue eyes scanning the area in search of his wife. He was wearing his usual gear, a button-shirt, brown sleeveless jacket, a silver pauldron on his right shoulder with a glove on the arm. He also wore a pair of cargo shorts and sandals.
"C'mon, Summer. Where the heck are you?" Taiyang asked out loud.
"Right behind you, honey."
"AAAAGH!"
Taiyang jumped high into the air, nearly reaching up to one of the branches of the trees. He landed back down, turning to see a woman with long, black hair, silver eyes and currently covered black long-sleeved shirt that faded to red at the bottom, black denim jeans and combat boots. She normally would've worn her black skirt and leggings, but she heard that this area was full of thorny plants that carried poison in the thorns, and she didn't want to take any risks.
"SUMMER! C'mon, don't scare me like that." Taiyang yelled. "You know how jumpy I am!"
Summer Rose simply smiled at her husband. "Of course I know. It's pretty funny." She said. Resting a hand on his head and pulled him in for a brief kiss on the lips. She leaned back and gave him a smile. "Better?"
"Much better." Taiyang said, now much more positive.
With that, the two continued on their way. As the two walked on, Taiyang continuously looked at his wife with worry. He was scared because Summer was, in reality, the kind of person that throws herself head first into danger without giving it much though beforehand. Granted, she was a great leader, but he could remember the days that she dragged her teammates into situations that were, for a lack of a better phrase, unpleasant.
Taiyang had considered trying to convince her not to come, but there was one VERY important rule that he had learned when he was younger about the woman.
Never. Make. Her. Angry.
Shaking the thoughts out of his head for the time being, they both continued to walk through the forest. As they walked along, they saw something… strange, to say the least.
(Flashback end)
"What did you think was strange?"
Pausing from her story, Summer looked up. Currently, she was standing in a large, open spaced office, one with a great view of the land and a glass floor showing several gears turning underneath. She and Taiyang were sitting in seats provided by the two people they were speaking to.
One was a woman with blond hair that was tied into a bun, green eyes that had a pair of glasses over them, a white blouse, a purple cape that was tattered at the end, black pants and boots. She held a riding crop in her right hand, seeming to keep a tight grip on it, which Taiyang found quite intimidating.
The other was a middle-aged man with messy hair, brown eyes a pair of spectacles resting on his face, dressed in a black suit with a green shirt and button vest. He was standing up while resting on a cane as he regarded the two hunters before him.
Currently, Summer and Taiyang were debriefing Ozpin about a certain… incident that occurred on their most recent mission together.
Summer spoke up. "Well, what was weird was that the area we came a cross looked war-torn. Not a piece of it looked left alone."
"We thought that a group of Huntsmen were fighting some Grimm at first." Taiyang added, seeming keen to add his part. "But, turns out that it wasn't the case."
The purple-caped woman. Otherwise known as Glynda Goodwitch, narrowed her eyes at Taiyang. "What do you mean, Tai?"
The middle-aged man tilted his head to one side, looking more curious than serious. "Is it to do with the oddity you and Summer came across?"
At that, Summer let out an involuntary laugh, gaining their attention.
"Oh, you have no idea."
(Flashback)
A lot of the flora and foliage here in the forest wasn't in the best shape. In fact, it looked like that it had all been either crushed, torn or burnt. Every last part of this area gave the impression that there was a battle here. A tough one as well.
Summer looked at the carnage in worry. "Do you think that there were other Huntsmen here?" she asked.
"If there were, hope they managed to make it out safely." Taiyang answered. "Don't think I'd have liked to fight what they were fighting."
They decided to examine the area. If they could find anything like claw marks, footprints, even black feathers, it could give them an indication of what kind of Grimm could be present. Provided, of course, they haven't been scared off already.
"I'm seeing prints." Summer said, finding large paw prints that resembled that of an Ursa (bear Grimm).
"Got some over here too." Taiyang said, lightly tracing around the prints of a Beowolf (Wolf Grimm). "And… something else as well."
Hearing this, Summer walked over to Taiyang to see what it was he was seeing. Upon arrival, she saw what he was talking about. It was a long, narrow opening in the ground. It looked like someone had slashed a sword through the ground.
She looked back at Tai with a look of worry. "There were Huntsmen here, weren't there?"
"Let's… not assume the worst." Taiyang pointed out. "Maybe they're okay, and that there resting someplace nearby."
Hearing this, Summer wasn't completely sure. In situations like this, Murphy's law was an all-too common truth behind these types of situations. But, nonetheless, it was good to see her husband still trying to look on the Brightside.
"… Yeah. There might be hope." She said.
"There you go!" Taiyang said with a thumbs up. He then placed his hands around his hip and looked around. Upon further view, he saw several more slashes in the ground similar to this one. "Well, win or lose, this guy definitely put up a fight."
"Huh?" Summer sounded, looking surprised. "How do you know it was one guy?"
"The rest of the carnage looks too much like it was done by a Grimm, the way the greens are torn, the wider claw marks and animal prints, the works. Plus, I don't see anything that would indicate another weapon. It looks like only a sword was used against these guys." He looked at some of the scorch marks. "Maybe some fire dust, but, other than that…"
Summer formed a smile on her face. "Just as well you paid attention in Professor Port's classes."
"Well yeah, it wasn't that difficult." Taiyang said. A couple of seconds later, he couldn't help but burst out laughing from what he said. After quickly recovering he looked back at Summer.
Summer laughed to, knowing how the man had the ability to lull his students to sleep with his lectures. Being able to stay awake in his class was one of the greatest achievements one can hold during their time at Beacon.
After the two calmed down, they continued the search, hoping to find any indication as to if whether or not the Huntsman made their escape.
"Well, any idea as to where they could've gone to?" Taiyang asked.
Summer was about to say something, but was interrupted when a sudden burst of howls rang through the air. They both looked around, wondering where the howling was coming from. After a couple of seconds, Summer snapped her head towards the south, pointing directly towards that direction.
"Over there!" Summer yelled before sprinting off.
"Wha- WHAT!? Sumer, wait!" Taiyng cried as he tried to catch up to her. "Aw man, this is gonna be a tough one."
The two ran as fast as they could. Summer had her right hand close to her side, preparing herself mentally for any fight that was to come. Eventually, the two came close to the source of the disturbance.
They came to a skidding stop.
"… Okay… maybe not so tough after all."
Upon arriving to the source of the sound, both Summer and Taiyang were surprised to see an old, abandoned church, surrounded by severed fading pieces of Grimm scattered across the ground, showing that it was quite recent. The Veteran Huntress and Huntsman were curious as to who could've managed to take out so many so quickly.
"Dang." Tai said as he ran his hand through his hair. "Looks like we're missing all the action."
"Oh, I'm sure there's something for us somewhere." Summer said.
With that, they decided to check to inside the church. With any hope, they could find what was causing the high levels of 'supposed' Grimm (as they all seemed to be slaughtered before the married couple even arrived), or at least find out who had been taking out the Grimm. With any luck, they could be hiding within the church.
As they walked closer, Summer had a sudden feeling of bewilderment. "Who the heck builds a church out in the middle of nowhere?" she asked out loud.
Taiyang shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe someone was planning to set up a settlement." He suggested.
The conversation didn't progress any further, as the two found themselves inside the church. Summer had her weapon drawn just in case. A silver blade that was broad enough to make it seem like a small Zweihander, but still had a one-handed grip. Taiyang didn't have a weapon on him, but he didn't need one. He was more than confident in his ability in hand to hand, which was something not too many people can boast about.
There were three things they noticed upon entering the church. One, it was pitch black, with many of the windows having been boarded up, presumably to keep out any Grimm. Second, the inside was destroyed. Many of the pews were broken in half, the walls also sporting their share of damage, while several areas were covered in dried blood, putting Taiyang on edge.
The third, and perhaps the TRUE number one thing, however, was the sound of a child crying.
Both Summer and Taiyang were instantly worried. Not for themselves, but for the safety of the child. They had two children of their own, their oldest was three, while their youngest was just a year old. The idea of them getting upset of hurt…
"Hey! Is anyone here?"
The crying stopped, soon followed by the sound of panicked gasps. Summer and Tai heard something else. They saw a chalice rolling away from the alter at the top of the church. Dead giveaway. They walked over to the alter.
Upon arrival, they looked behind and saw who was the source of the crying.
Curled up in a ball was a young boy with short, silver hair, partially stained with blood. His clothes were also stained with blood, as well as torn. By his side was a Katana sheathed in a black Lacquered wood sheath that had a gold sash tied to it, the handle having a gold tsuba and white wrapping.
Taiyang reached a hand out to the boy. "Hey, you okay ki-WHOA!"
Taiyang managed to narrowly avoid the now unsheathed Katana's blade, which almost took his hand. The boy jumped back some distance, aiming the point of the weapon directly at the two. His crystal blue eyes were swollen from the crying and filled with fear.
"Don't… come near me!" he tried to shout, but only came out in a strained whisper.
"…" Summer felt part of her ache upon seeing the child. He was covered in blood, like he had narrowly avoid being killed, and was pointing a blade at them, thinking they were here to hurt him. Her fingers instinctively curled into her palms as she thought about what this boy might have gone through before coming here.
Then a thought occurred to her. She looked at the entrance before looking back at the boy. She squatted down as she tried to look at the boy at eye-level. "Are you the one that killed the Grimm?" she asked seriously.
"… You mean… the demons?" the boy asked. After receiving a nod from Summer the boy answered "Y… Yes, I did."
This piece of information surprised Taiyang. "Seriously!?" he asked excitedly. He took a step forward, which caused the boy to aim his Katana at the man. "Whoa, uh, okay. I won't come any closer."
Summer decided to speak from there. "My name is Summer Rose." She pointed to her husband. "This goofball is my husband, Taiyang Xiao Long."
"Hey!" Tai yelled.
"…" The boy didn't move for a few seconds. When he did, he just lowered the Katana slightly. "You're… not with them?"
"Who are 'them'?" Taiyang asked.
The boy tightened his grip on the weapon, his hands shaking lightly as more tears formed around his eyes. "The… monsters that… that killed mom."
Hearing this, both Tai and Summer felt their hearts ache from what they heard. It would explain why the boy was on his own, fending for himself. Summer tried to move forward, hoping that he wouldn't try to cut her down. Something in the back of her head told her that he was a lot stronger than he looked.
"How did you end up here?" she asked.
After a few seconds of silence, the boy slowly lowered the tip of the blade to the ground. "I… I don't know. The monsters took me… tried to throw me into something… but I hurt him and… I woke up in the forest."
Summer moved closer to the boy, soon standing directly in front of him and kneeling down, making sure to avoid the blade. As she got closer, she saw something that surprised her very much. The boy was wearing a gold amulet that had a large, scarlet jewel on the center.
"That's a pretty necklace." She said to him.
"… It was… from mom." The boy said.
Taiyang crossed his arms before speaking. "What's your name, kid?"
The boy didn't answer immediately. He back and forth between the tow adults. He couldn't sense any malice from them. In fact, they both seemed and, somehow, felt like really good people. Maybe he could trust them.
"… Vergil."
(Flashback end)
"So, that's how you found the boy." Ozpin said.
He looked towards the far corner of the room. There, he saw the boy that Summer spoke of in her recount. He was currently wrapped in a blanket, clutching onto his Katana tightly. He wouldn't dare let it go, saying that it was too important to him. He hadn't looked up once since he arrived.
Ozpin looked back at Summer and Taiyang. He could tell that the boy would feel uncomfortable if he saw so many people pitying him. "So, you found Vergil in the church, outside where it looked like there was a mini-war." Ozpin stated.
"Yep, sound's about right." Taiyang said.
Glynda adjusted her glasses before speaking. "Might I ask, do you really believe that the boy actually took on a hoard of Grimm, do you?"
"… Uh…"
Summer and Taiyang looked at each other nervously for a moment before looking back at the Beacon staff, much to the latter two's confusion.
"Is something wrong?" Ozpin asked.
Summer decided to speak. "Well, we didn't believe it either, but…"
"But what?" Glynda asked, now looking confused.
Summer scratched the back of her head before continuing. "Well…"
(Flashback)
Soon, the three people exited the church. The young Vergil held onto the sheathed Katana. Taiyang would've been keen to keep a blade like that away from such a young child, but seeing how well the boy seemed able to wield the blade, he decided to let it slide for now.
"You seemed to know how to use that sword, kid." Taiyang said to the boy. "Were you told how to use it?"
Vergil shook his head. "Only… used it… not too long ago."
Summer quickly opened her cloak, revealing that she had a small satchel attached to her hip. She delved in and quickly pulled out a bottle of water. She inwardly sighed on there not being much left. However, she could tell that Vergil needed it. She turned and held out the bottle for Vergil.
The silver-haired boy looked at the bottle for a moment before looking at Summer with a blank expression.
"I… figured you might like it." She said to him. "You sound like your throat's drying up."
Vergil looked back at the bottle. Summer saw the look on his face, looking like he had never been shown any kindness in a long time. After a moment, Vergil nodded and drank the remaining amount of water. When he was finished, he handed the bottle back to her.
"Thank you." Vergil said, his voice now less strained than before.
With that, The three continued on their way. Eventually after reaching their destination. Vergil looked upward in slight awe upon coming across a particular sight.
"What's that?"
Taiyang and Summer looked back at the bullhead, the airship that they borrowed to come here. They then looked back at Vergil, clearly surprised by Vergil's question.
"Seriously, kid?" Tai asked. "You never saw a Bullhead before?" he asked.
Vergil shook his head.
Summer leaned forward and pointed an index finger up. "To sum it up, it's an airship that helps us get around easier." She then pointed towards the ship. "That one's got some awesome thrusters, helped us get here in no time."
Vergil nodded in understanding. "It's… impressive."
Taiyang motioned towards the ship. "Well, we'll use it to head back to Vale. Hopefully we can find a way to help you."
"… What's… 'Vale'?"
"…"
Summer and Taiyang just seemed to freeze. Vergil looked back and forth between the two adults, wondering if there was something wrong. He was about to say something, when Taiyang jumped in front of him, not too close, but he was still close enough for Vergil to jumped at the sight of his bewildered expression.
"SERIOUSLY! I mean, a Bullhead, I can understand, BUT HOW DO YOU NOW KNOW ABOUT VA-"
Taiyang didn't get any farther, as Summer swung her hand out and struck him in the stomach, clearly causing intense pain in her husband's stomach. After a few seconds, the Huntsman in question tilted to one side before collapsing to the ground, groaning in pain as he clutched onto his stomach.
Summer turned back to Vergil before laughing nervously. "Uh, sorry about that, Vergil. Taiyang can be… uh… 'eccentric' sometimes."
"It's fine." Vergil replied plainly. "But what had him surprised?"
Summer simply shook her head. "Well, let's just say that you're in a different part of the world now." She said, deciding not to push the subject of where it came from, in case it only brought up more bad memories for him.
Vergil nodded. "I know." He said. "The monsters that took me. I thought they were going to take me to their lair. Instead I… ended up here… with different… weaker monsters."
"!" this surprised Summer. "Weaker?" she asked him, knowing full well how tough the Grimm can be.
Vergil nodded. "The ones that killed Mom… I fought them off when they tried to kidnap me… I hit one of them with the sword… I made him dizzy and… now I'm here."
"Owww…"
Vergil and Summer turned to see Taiyang managing to sit up. He looked back at Vergil, now much calmer than before, but still stunned.
"Kid… are you saying you're not from Vale, and from a place that makes the Grimm look like wimpy puppies?" he asked.
It was Vergil's turn to look surprised. What shocked him was that the man was conscious again even after receiving what looked like a strong hit that would've severely hurt another human. Before he could get a word in, Taiyang held a hand up to stop him.
Seeing Vergil's surprise, Taiyang gave a grin, knowing full well what he was thinking. "Summer's tough, but that hit wasn't NEARLY enough to knock me out." He explained. "Heard the conversation you both had."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Summer asked.
Taiyang looked at her while pointing towards his stomach. "Because it STILL HURT! I was recovering." he exclaimed. "Speaking of which, what WAS it for?"
"For acting like you've lost your mind in front of Vergil." Summer answered with her hands on her hips.
"Uh, we're 'Hunters'. I'm pretty sure we threw away are sanity when we signed up for the job."
As the tow continued to banter, Vergil couldn't help but observe it. He wondered if this was what a married man and woman would normally act… would this have been what it was like for mon and dad. The memory of his recently late mother caused more tears to build up in his eyes, but his face was still blank.
He was brought out of his thoughts, however, when his ears picked up a sound some distance away. "Something's coming!" he exclaimed, unsheathing the katana.
Summer and Taiyang were unsure of what Vergil meant. That is, until both adults heard the sound of a low growl coming from the distance. They looked back at Vergil briefly, surprised that he was able to sense the Grimm.
"How did you do that?" Taiyang asked.
"You didn't hear that?" Vergil asked in return.
Before anyone could say anything else, an ear-piercing roar rang through the air, causing the three to tense. Summer readied her bow while Taiyang readied his battle stance.
The source of the roar soon made itself present. Before then was a large Beowolf Grimm. It was a little larger than a normal Beowolf, but it was certainly not an Alpha. Behind the Beowolf was a pack of smaller beowolves, all of them looking as ravenous as the on in front of them.
Summer stepped in front of Vergil. "Get inside the Bullhead, Vergil."
Hearing this, Vergil felt a little offended. Did she not think he was able to fight these things himself? Deciding that he needed to prove her wrong, he tried to step out in front of her.
"No. I can fight too." He exclaimed, pointing the tip of his Katana at the Grimm.
"Oh believe me, we know, kid."
Taiyang soon stepped up beside Summer, a confident smile forming on his face as he gave the Grimm what could be best described as a stare-down. After seeing the carnage outside the church, and presuming the site from earlier was his doing, then the child was well able to fight. But, Summer and Tai both felt that he had endured enough.
"But you've done enough fighting for one day. Let us take it from here. Rest up." He said, his voice becoming slightly softer, showing that he had concern for the silver haired youth's safety.
"…" Vergil was surprised. This was the second time that these humans tried to act so kind to him. That was the most kindness he had received from any human during his life so far, excluding his…
Vergil tightened his grips on the katana blade and its sheathe. The memory of his mother brought a pain in his chest. After a few seconds, he raised his head, looking at the Grimm before him. This caused him to remember the demons that killed his mother. The ones that brought him to the demon world and tried to kill him. Looking at them, he wasn't sad anymore.
He was angry. A rage that he needed to let out.
"I'm staying to fight."
Vergil pushed past the adults, followed by running towards the Grimm, his blue eyes gradually reflecting the fury he felt.
Summer panicked when she saw Vergil dashing towards the Beowolves. "VERGIL!"
One of the Beowolves leaped from the pack and charged towards Vergil, ready to swipe at the boy. Before it could even get the chance, Vergil reacted, slicing the air and the arm of the Beowolf off with equal ease. Before the Beowolf could react, Vergil had spun around and diagonally slashed at the creature, separating its lower and upper half. The two halves hit the ground as Vergil came to a skidding stop.
"… You're… weak." He said, his eyes not showing even a hint of fear towards the Grimm.
Summer and Taiyang saw what Vergil did, both shocked at how he handled it with such ease. The former managed to shake off her shock, readying her bow as she took aim.
"H-Hold on, Vergil." She said, still surprised, but not willing to let that distract her. She spotted two more Beowolves attempting to attack Vergil; she lifted her sword, flicking it to one side, causing the blade to sperate into two, soon taking the shape of a bow. She fired two arrows simultaneously at them, each arrow embedding themselves through the skull masks of the Grimm.
"Aright!" a recovered Taiyang said. "Let's smash some heads!" he yelled before charging after the Grimm himself.
He quickly passed Vergil and went for the apparent head of the pack. The larger Beowolf saw the brawler coming as curled its paw into a fist, using it to throw a punch at the Huntsman. However, Taiyang threw his own punch; the two fists collided, creating a shockwave that startled some of the other Beowolves.
Taiyang followed by ducking and moving quickly to its stomach, landing a quick barrage of punches before rolling to the right, kicking it in the knee and making it lose balance. As the beast roared in pain, it widely swung its other arm. Taiyang wasn't fast enough, soon receiving a powerful blow that sent him flying back.
"TAI!" Summer cried, leaping up into the air and catching her husband mid-air. They landed on the ground, followed by Taiyang looking at his wife with comically watery eyes.
"Thank you so much, dear." He said with an equally comic tone before pulling into a hug, which she happily returned.
Vergil, meanwhile, prepared himself for a round against the larger Beowolf. Gently resting the tip of his katana on the ground, he gripped the handle with both hands, readying himself for the fight.
"… Grant me strength… Yamato."
Summer got ready to fight again, only to pale when she saw Vergil in front of the large Beowolf. "Vegil! Don't-"
Her words were lost on him.
Vergil dashed forward and sliced at the Beowolf. As he did, the monster ended up catching the blade, surprising Vergil. However, the young boy pushed on, continuing to try and move the blade. From this, the blade sliced through the Grimm's hand, causing the beast to roar out in pain.
Vergil landed on the ground and tried to step away, but he wasn't quick enough. In its rage, the larger Beowolf bared its claws and swiped at Vergil. The beast tore through the flesh on his stomach, causing Vergil to yell in pain briefly.
"GAAHH!" he cried.
"VERGIL!" Summer cried in horror.
Vergil was sent flying back, tumbling on the ground before recovering and skidding backwards in a crouched position. He had a hand on his stomach as stared at the beast, now looking angrier than before.
Summer ran up to Vergil and knelt beside him, looking more panicked than before. "Vergil, are you okay? Let me look at-"
"I'm fine." Vergil said, the glare in his eyes morphing into a stare of steel and ice.
"Vergil, you got hurt by that thing! Let me-"
"Look!"
Vergil lifted his shirt, revealing that the wound that was inflicted on him was no longer there. In fact, it looked like there was nothing there to begin with, the only evidence being the further damage inflicted on Vergil's shirt.
Summer was at a loss for words. "But… I saw blood… I-"
"Move!"
Vergil shoved Summer to one side as he rolled to the other, avoiding the charging Beowolf that came their way.
Summer quickly recovered, aiming her bow at the Beowolf and firing several arrows at its feet, pinning it to the ground. The creature howled in pain, trying to break off the arrows that held it down. However, nothing gave way. What was most surprising was how stone began to quickly build up around the Grimm's legs.
Summer grinned at the effect. "Sometimes, you can't beat the Earth Dust."
Her bow then formed into a sword. She held the weapon with two hands before charging towards the Beowolf. With as much strength as she could muster, the Huntress leaped into the air and swung the bow at the Beowolf's neck, the sharp edges instantly severing its head from its shoulders.
Summer landed with a skid, turning back to see the body of the larger Beowolf collapsing, soon beginning to fade away. As Summer admired her work, she brushed some of her hair back, as some of it was sticking to her face.
Her thoughts then instantly returned to Vergil.
"Vergil!?" she cried.
She looked around frantically, afraid that the boy was still in danger. It was then that she saw Vergil some distance away, running towards the rest of the Beowolves. Her heart momentarily stopped in fear before she ran towards the child.
"NO! Vergil, stay back!" she exclaimed.
If the child heard her, he didn't show it. Instead, his thoughts were too focused on the remaining monsters before him.
His eyes narrowed at the beasts, forming a glare that would scare the devil itself.
"Let's go."
Vergil came up directly to one of the pack members, slicing upwards and slicing the creature in two easily. When another came up behind him, Vergil shoved the pommel of his weapon into the creature's gut, distracting it long enough to allow Vergil to drive the blade through the Grimm's stomach, followed by pushing the blade up and slicing through part of the torso and directly up the middle of the Grimm's head.
Another Grimm tried to get the jump on Vergil, bearing its claws at the young boy and ready to strike.
"Oh, no you don't!"
The Beowolf in question was instead met with a kick the head that sent it flying back. Standing where it once was the blond brawler Huntsman, seeming to have more vigour and holding a familiar scabbard in his hand.
"Thought you'd like this back." Taiyang said, tossing the sheathe to the silver-haired boy.
Vergil caught it with ease, followed by smacking the bottom of it into another Beowolf, before finishing it off with a clean slice to its head. As Vergil moved, he briefly lost balance, causing him to stumble slightly. This encouraged another Beowolf to try and lunge at the boy, only to meet a fist that broke through its mask, killing it in an instant.
Taiyang checked to see how many Beowolves were left. Fortunately, there were only three left. He looked back at Vergil with a grin.
"Wanna help finish them?" he asked.
Vergil answered by pointing the tip of his blade at the remaining Grimm.
This caused Taiyang to raise his brow in surprise, seeing how non-hesitant he was. Then again, given the situation, it's not necessarily a bad thing… he hoped.
"Uh… that's the… spirit?" he said, unable to hold back his surprise. He then looked back at the Grimm, taking his battle stance. "So, uh, let's see-"
Taiyang didn't finish as he saw the boy dash forward. Vergil quickly closed the distance between him and the one in the centre. Vergil sheathed the blade, Yamato, and whacked the Grimm in the head once, followed by twice in the gut, before spinning around and unsheathing the sword to slice other Grimm in two.
Vergil ducked under an incoming swipe from another Beowolf, only to have its arm severed. Before it got the chance to roar in pain, the beast was impaled in between the eyes, followed by a swift removal of the sword and a clean slice through the head.
Taiyang moved in to take on the final Grimm. He was surprised by the kid's severity and ability. There weren't many people his age that could take on the Grimm like he had just done.
Before Taiyang could get close, something flew right past his eye, flying right into the final Beowolf's head, killing it instantly. The Huntsman was surprised by this, until he turned to see where the shot came from, only to see his favourite Huntress holding up her bow.
"And that's that." She said with a smirk, seemingly happy with her aim.
With a flick of her wrist, the bow morphed back into a sword with the broad blade, to which Summer sheathed by her side. The sudden transformation surprised Vergil slightly, causing him to widen his eyes slightly.
Summer walked up to the two of them. However, it soon became apparent that she was focusing her attention on her husband.
"… Tai…?"
"Erm… yes?" Taiyang asked innocently, while taking a step back from his wife, having the distinct theory that he broke the most important rule.
Despite her being shorter than her husband, she somehow managed to tower and look down at him, looking a lot angrier than the time she caught him and Yang working in the shed with a blowtorch.
"YOU LET VERGIL FIGHT THOSE THINGS BY HIMSELF!? WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"
Taiyang practically shrunk in fear when his wife yelled at him. To be fair, while Summer tried to stop Vergil herself, she didn't do so well in terms of stopping her. However, he was too afraid to say that, as no Grimm alive could match the angry glare that she always gave him when she was pushed over the edge.
"He knew I could handle it."
Taiyang and Summer turned around to see Vergil looking at them both. His expression was calm but stern.
"I'm more capable than you think. So stop being angry at him because you think I'm helpless." He said to her.
Summer looked at the boy with brief surprise, before looking to the side and pouting. "That's… not what I meant." She said, feeling guilty for upsetting the boy.
Vergil stayed silent for a moment, looking at the woman briefly before slowly forming an upset frown on his face. A part of him felt bad for being mean to one of the few people who was actually kind to him, but he wasn't keen on people underestimating him either.
"I know." Vergil stated. "Plus, your husband knew I could handle myself. He looked ready to jump in should I have needed it." He explained.
"Yeah!" Taiyang joined, only to instantly shirk away when Summer glared in his direction again.
Vergil looked at the two adults for a moment before speaking. "So… what happens now?"
Summer and Taiyang turned their attention to the young boy after hearing that. They themselves weren't sure about what to do.
"… Um…" Taiyang started, stroking his chin stubble as he thought of the best course of action.
Summer was about to say something, when she suddenly felt her scroll vibrating. She took it out and saw the number showing up. It was then that the Huntress came up with an idea. She walked right up to Vergil and knelt down, a broad smile on her face and a look in her eyes that showed a glimmer of hope.
"I think I know just the guy who can help." She said proudly.
(Flashback end)
"And thus, why you brought him here."
Ozpin sat back in his chair as he mulled over what Summer and Taiyang had told him. Finding an eight-year-old boy, who had apparently survived a horrific attack and had to, not just fight, but destroy hordes of Grimm only to find haven in an abandoned church. While not the most unusual story he had ever heard, it wasn't too far away from the top spot.
However, when he first saw the boy made their tale all the more believable.
Vergil's eyes showed fear, yes. Given the situation he was in it was understandable. But, there was also… a darkness. One that often acted as a sign of those who knew how to fight… and weren't afraid to kill… to see that in the eyes of a child…
Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose and lowered his head as he tried to process this information. After a moment, he lowered his hand and looked back at the two that sat before him.
"Well… I must say that's quite an adventure you two had today." Ozpin said with a grin.
"Meh. Beats an average day at Signal." Taiyang said while shrugging his shoulders.
Ozpin's expression then became slightly more serious. "But, more importantly, now is the time to find the best solution for Vergil." He stated.
"Any luck finding out where he came from?" Summer asked.
At this, both Ozpin and Glynda shook their heads.
"We checked as many databases as we could, we also had James check some other records in case there was any mention of his name." Glynda explained. "Much to our surprise, there was no record of him in any of them It was as if the boy didn't exist until you found him."
"Then again..." Ozpin added. "It's not uncommon for people to set up settlements outside the kingdom. As dangerous as it could be, there are those who don't wish to be confined within the boundaries of any of the four kingdoms."
Taiyang slumped forward, feeling a slight amount of defeat. He and Summer hoped that they might be able to find some other relatives of his that could look after him. But, by the looks of things, the poor boy was all alone.
"Aw man. What do we do now?"
Summer was also disappointed by this outcome. She looked over her shoulder, seeing that Vergil still hadn't moved an inch. Every time she looked at him, she felt the pain any parent would feel if their child was in such turmoil. Part of her… no, her whole being felt the need to take all that pain away from him so he wouldn't have to suffer anymore.
But what could she…
"Wait."
All the adults in the room turned to look at Summer, who's expression seemed to light up all of a sudden. She slapped her hands against her thighs before saying "What if Tai and I look after him for now?"
"WHA!?" Tai asked in surprise. "I mean-don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind it, but… are you sure?" he asked, worried she might be making another blind decision. "I mean, we already have Yang and Ruby. If we take on another then-"
"Then we'll reimburse you for the expenses." Ozpin interjected, taking a sip from his mug of Cocoa before continuing. "If you do plan to look after the child, at least for a temporary basis, it wouldn't be fair to leave two of my best students without the necessities to help."
"Yes… of course." Glynda said, trying her best to hold in her irritation. Granted, it wasn't that she didn't want to help, but was worried about how much it might take out of the overall budget for Beacon.
Taiyang folded his arms and tilted his head to one side as he thought about Ozpin's offer. "Well… it that's the case, then I guess it would help out a lot. Thanks Oz."
"Happy to help." Ozpin replied. "So then, it's agreed?"
Tai and Summer both nodded their heads, confirming the decision. Summer then stood up from her seat and walked over to Vergil. She kneeled down so that she would be at eye-level with the boy.
"Hey Vergil." She said.
The boy looked up at the woman. He seemed to have calmed down now, but he still seemed a bit nervous. Summer gave him a warm smile before speaking.
"How would you like to stay with us for a while?" she asked him.
…
A couple of hours had passed since the meeting at Ozpin's office, already reaching evening time.
Where they had discussed the issue was 'Beacon Academy', one of four schools designed to train young warriors to become Huntsmen and Huntresses. Ozpin was the Headmaster, and was a man who always had the best interests for his students.
No sooner had they finished had the man organised a Bullhead for the three of them. Vergil once again marvelled at the airship, wondering how it was that such a thing could exist.
When they boarded the airship, Ozpin gave his farewells to the three. Remembering the manners his mother thought him, Vergil gave the man a courteous bow and thanked him for his help. While less formal, Taiyang and Summer thanked their old headmaster as well, both grateful for the help.
The three were then flying through the air, on their way back to Summer and Tai's home, Vergil sat in his chair, as still and silent as he was back at Beacon.
Seeing this, Taiyang went up to him. "Hey, you okay, Verg?"
"…" Vergil looked up at Tai, clearly confused. "Verg?"
"Yeah, you know, short for Vergil. I just though… you know… ah, never mind." Tai slumped back down on his seat in defeat. He then looked back at Vergil. "Seriously, though, you okay? You seem a little more serious after we left Beacon."
"…"
Vergil didn't answer immediately, as he was afraid that his answer would make Taiyang and Summer upset. Given that they saved him and offered him a place to stay, he didn't want to cause or do anything that would upset them.
But, seeing as How Taiyang looked at him with concern, he relented and answered the man's query.
"Is Ozpin… really that trustworthy?" Vergil asked him.
This surprised Vergil slightly. "Huh? Why makes you think he isn't?"
"… When I saw him… he looked like a man with a lot of secrets. He spoke like… there was more to him than he was letting on." Vergil answered. "I just don't think… it's safe to trust a man who seems to be hiding so much."
After hearing what Vergil had to say, Taiyang gave a slow nod. In actuality, Vergil hit the nail on the head. Ozpin was the kind of man who knew so much to the point that he felt that if anyone else knew, it would cause more harm than good. Admittedly, it was a part of Ozpin that laws drove him up the wall. But, he had proven time and again that he would help anyone who needed it, even if it meant putting himself on the line. That he could respect.
Though Taiyang was far more impressed that Vergil was able to pick up on that so quickly. Looks like he's as sharp as that sword he has.
Summer looked up from a magazine she was reading called 'Weapons' to look at Vergil. "Ozpin's a pretty vague guy, we'll admit, but we can rely on him. You too." She said to him.
Vergil saw how confident she was as she spoke of her old Headmaster. For most, it would be a clear sign that Ozpin was as trustworthy as they claimed. But for Vergil, having seen far too much darkness than any child showed see, he was not as trusting in Summer's ideals.
For now, he would give Ozpin the benefit of the doubt. But showed he prove otherwise-
"Hey, we're here!"
Vergi was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Summer exclaiming. He looked up at her, before turning to look out the window. He saw that they were lowering onto an island, not as big as the city of Vale, which they passed over on their way over here, but it was certainly quite a sight all the same.
Summer saw Vergil's look of surprise. She was happy to see that he wasn't wearing that dark look.
"That's right, Vergil." Summer stated, looking out at her home. "Welcome to Patch."
…..
"Hey! We're home!"
Landing on Patch hadn't taken long. There was a landing area for Bullheads to help speed up the process, as there was a history of Bullheads sinking into the sand on the beach.
After Summer, Tai and Vergil were on the ground, the three made their way to the house. It looked like a large cottage, along with a small garden in front. It gave the impression of something that had long alluded Vergil, Dante and their mother.
A real home.
After they went inside, Summer dashed a meter ahead and looked side to side enthusiastically.
After Summer announced their arrival, a head peaked out from behind the couch. It was a small girl with pale skin, blond hair that was tied into pig-tails and lilac eyes. Her face lit up with joy when she saw the adults.
"Mommy! Daddy!" she exclaimed before running up to summer and pulling her into a hug.
"Oh, Yang, it's always great to see you." Summer said as she returned Yang's hug. "How's my little dragon been?"
"See's as energetic as ever, let me tell ya."
Summer looked to the side to see who had spoken. The person in question was a man around her and Tai's age with short, spiky black hair, red eyes and pale skin. He wore a white shirt, a red tattered cape, black jeans and black dress shoes. In his arms he held a one-year old girl with short, black hair that was red at the tips, silver eyes and dressed in a black onesie.
Tai gave the man a wave. "Hey Qrow. Has Ruby been behaving herself while we were gone?"
The man, now known as Qrow, gave a small chuckle before speaking. "You kidding? She's a livewire, like her sister." He said. "But, nothing I couldn't handle."
When the girl saw Summer and Tai, her face seemed to light up as well. However, the girl then began to look curious as her eyes came upon Vergil.
Yang also saw the silver-haired boy. As she did, she tilted her head to one side. "Huh? Who's this?"
Tai lightly patted Vergil on the head, much to the boy's annoyance, as he spoke. "Girls, let me introduce you to Vergil. He's going to be staying with us for a while." He stated.
Yang looked up at her father in surprise. "Really? Why?"
"…" Tai suddenly froze as he tried to think of something to say. Needless to say, if he told them what happened it could be quite traumatizing for them. "It's, uh… cause we… Summer help me out here."
Summer gave a slight worried frown, trying to think of something on the spot. Ironic, how she was a pretty good tactician on the battlefield, but was just as slow as her husband when it came to quick-thinking outside of a warzone.
"My parents are away."
Tai and Summer perked up when they heard the boy speaking.
"They said that they were going to be gone for a while. They told me that Mr. Xiao Long and Mrs. Rose were going to mind me." He explained.
"Oh." Yang said in understanding. "So, how long are you going to stay here?"
The moment Yang asked that, Vergil's expression became one of hurt. "… They… didn't say." He said.
"In that case…" Yang took Vergil's right hand and shook it vigorously. "We'll get a lot more time to play. I'm Yang, nice to meet you."
Vergil was stunned by the sudden reaction from Yang. Yet another person was showing him kindness… no one where he was raised had ever treated him nicely before. In fact, many of the adults seemed to try and avoid him, and the other kids would call him a freak. To now have people treating him like a person…
It was weird, but… nice.
Tai grinned, happy to see that Yang didn't mind. "Well, that's one vote." He said.
Qrow walked over to the boy and knelt down, allowing the younger girl to look at Vergil more easily. When she did, she outstretched her hand towards Vergil. Vergil looked at the girl in confusion for a moment, not expecting something like this. Soon after, he lightly held onto the girl's hand, making sure not to grip too hard in case he hurt her.
Ruby looked at the boy in the eyes before smiling and laughing.
"Two for two." Summer said with two thumbs up. "Guess there's no problem with Vergil staying, huh?"
"Nope." Yang answered, while Ruby gave another laugh.
Summer looked at Vergil again and held out a hand to him. "Come on, I'll show you your room." She said to him.
"… Okay…" he said, still processing all that was happening.
As Vergil followed Summer up the stairs, Yang went up to Tai and grabbed onto his hand.
"Hey, Dad. Can you play with us now?" she asked, looking at him with pleading eyes.
"Aw, sorry sweetie, I can't. Need to rest up after the busy day." He said. "We can play tomorrow, though… maybe sneak in some of your mom's cookies." He finished, giving the girl a cheeky grin.
"I heard that!"
Taiyang paled after hearing his wife yelling after him. His look of fear caused Yang to laugh at her father. Slightly annoyed, Tai told Yang to go to bed. With that, she went to her room, while Tai picked up Ruby and went to lay her in her crib. Afterwards, Tai flopped down onto the couch and let his head hang back. He then looked up, seeing Qrow seated in the chair on his left.
"So…" Qrow started. "What's the deal with the kid?" he asked as he took out a flask.
Tai rubbed his forehead briefly before answering. "Summer and I found him while we were out on the mission. He took on a mad load of Grimm before hiding in an old church."
Qrow choked on some of his drink before looking at Tai in bewilderment. "Wait. Say WHAT?" he asked.
"I didn't think it was possible either." Tai said. "But, then a hoard of Grimm came up before we left. The kid was able to take 'em all on and tore them to shreds."
"… Whoa." Qrow said, his expression on of surprise. He knew that Tai wouldn't mess around about a situation like this, which made the idea of an eight-year-old single-handedly tearing up a hoard of Grimm all the more shocking. "That kid can't be normal."
"I agree." Tai said. "Gotta say, though, it was… it was…" Tai lifted his head and frowned as he tried to think of a way to describe Vergil's ability. "… I don't know what it was."
"Give it a try." Qrow said, now quite curious to know what the boy was like in a fight.
"… Well… he's pretty strong and fast." Tai started. "He used that sword pretty well… a little clumsy, maybe, but that's besides the point. He also looked pretty scary when he was staring them down."
"Damn." Qrow said before taking another drink from his flask. "So… think he could become a Huntsman?"
"I don't know." Tai said, looking up at the staircase. "I think Vergil had too much hardship sent his way to get involved in fighting again…"
"But?" Qrow asked, knowing that Taiyang had another thought on his mind.
"…But… something tells me there's gonna be a lot of hardship heading his way."
...
"Here's your room."
Sumer opened the door to the guest bedroom. In it was a single bed, a desk and a basket for laundry. Not much to it, but then again, there weren't many people who would rest here, so there wasn't any point.
Vergil walked in, quietly observing the room. Small, uncluttered, etc. The kind of room he always found best suited for himself, while Dante would clutter his room with items of interest he would find.
Summer leaned against the doorframe. "Hope you like it. It's not much, but… well…"
Vergil looked back at Summer, giving her the smallest of smiles. "It's great. Th… Thank you, Mrs. Rose." He said, causing the woman to grin back at im, seemingly happy that Vergil seemed a bit more at ease.
"Okay, awesome." She said. "If there's anything you need, just say the word."
"… Summer?"
"Yeah?"
Vergil's expression became slightly more serious before speaking. "Why are you being so kind to me?"
This surprised Summer. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"… The only person I ever knew who was as kind as you and everyone else I met… was my mom." He answered, seeming to struggle to bring up his mother. "Everyone who ever saw me saw me as a freak… something that shouldn't exist. They even said it to my face. Mom was the only person to see me as… a person."
"…" Summer's eyes instinctively widened when she heard this. She couldn't believe her ears. This information shocked Summer to a new degree. Was he really treated so badly before coming here? If so, then having lost his family… it made her so angry that her hands curled up into fists, tightened to the point that the skin on her hands threatened to tear. After taking a few calming breaths, she walked up to Vergil and knelt down so that he was at they were at eye-level. She placed a hand on his shoulder as she spoke.
"Vergil… I don't know what you had to go through… and I'm not sure I will. But I promise you this. I won't let anything like that happen to you." She said to him.
"Can you really promise that?" Vergil asked her, not convinced in the slightest.
Summer instantly pulled Vergil into a hug, much to the boy's surprise. Before he tried to pull himself out of the hug, he felt some warm moisture on his shoulder. He slowly pulled back to see Summer, a couple of tear stains on the sides of her face.
"I swear it Vergil. I won't let you get hurt like that." She stated.
Vergil looked at her in the eyes. In them, he saw the same look of care that Mom gave him and Dante when they were upset. It was then that Vergil knew that she would fight to keep her word.
"… Thank you, Summer." He managed to say.
With that, Summer helped Vergil get into the bed, leaving the sword, Yamato, right beside Vergil's bed. His amulet was placed on the beside table, so that Vergil wouldn't be too far away from it either. When he was settled, Summer lightly rubbed his head.
"Good night, Vergil." She said. With that, she left the room and closed the door behind her.
Vergil laid on the bed in silence, thinking about the events that happened from the church onwards. The people he had met, to the monsters he fought were so different. It was like… he got a second chance. An opportunity to live peacefully…
But there would be no point.
Vergil rolled over so that he was overlooking the Yamato. He reached out and grabbed the sheathed blade, his eyes forming into another glare.
The monsters that killed his mom. They were still out there, somewhere. Whatever the reason they attacked, they stole the only people he ever cared for, and that cared for him. He would… no, he will find the ones responsible. He would become stronger, to the point that he could outmatch any demon.
Even if it meant truly becoming one himself.
"Mom… Dante… one day… I will make this right."
And that's that. Hope that everyone liked this chapter. Right now, i don't really have much to say, other than i hope that everyone has/had a great St. Paddy's Day and to remember to leave a review to say what you thought. Questions and feedback are always welcome.
Well, that's it from me. See you all later and Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona (Happy St. Patrick's Day)