A/N: It's official. Volume 6 has been amazing. Just... wow. Rooster Teeth actually listened to feedback from Volume 5. Well, if you were nervous about Volume 6 being bad, I can safely say that it's probably one of the best in the series thus far. I'll do a full review of the Volume once all the episodes are out, so stay tuned for that!
Also, we now have over 500 reviews! Alright! Thank you guys so much! I love you all!
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the chapter, even if it is a bit shorter than normal. Sorry about that!
Also, who else is excited for Gen:Lock? Because it looks awesome! January 26th can't come soon enough! And the 29th too! KH3 is real and it's coming, baby!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or My Hero Academia. They belong to Monty Oum, Kohei Horikoshi, and their respective publishing companies. Please support the official releases.
I do not own the cover image
Chapter 45: Death and Diligence
The unnaturally white and almost barren halls of the Schnee Mansion felt unnatural to Momo in almost every way. Sure, she'd been here before, and there were many times she'd enjoyed her time here as well. But it was awfully eerie when Weiss wasn't around to talk to. Right now, the fact that she could hear a melancholic piano piece echoing through the halls made it all the more ominous, her footsteps the only other sound audible within the halls.
Of course, she wasn't entirely alone.
"My lady, are you alright? You seem troubled," Walter asked with concern in his tone.
"I'm fine. Just a little nervous, that's all," Momo admitted, knowing why Jacque had invited her to stay in the first place. It certainly wasn't for Weiss' sake. Urgh. How she loathed that man. Where was Shoto when she needed a really good hug to just forget everything for a few minutes?
"I know that Jacque is not the most pleasant of people. Were we anywhere else, I'd put him in his place without a second thought. But, we're on his turf, so we must play by his rules, as much as I loathe to obey them."
Said rules included dressing appropriately, to be as 'polite as possible,' as some with Jacque's hand in their pockets might say. Still, she didn't mind dressing up in something fancy every now and again, so she was unaffected by that particular rule. For the most part, at least. In keeping with said rule, she wore a deep crimson dress that covered her entire front while leaving her upper back exposed, the hem of said dress running just past her knees. She also wore a grey sash across her lower abdomen for noticeable, but not annoying, contrast with the dress itself. Her outfit was completed with a pair of black pumps.
"Well, let's find Weiss. I hope she'll be happy to see me."
"You'll not see her for the next few minutes. She'll be talking with father for a while."
That voice... Momo turned to where it had come from, revealing the youngest of the Schnee siblings, and the only male of Weiss' generation: Whitley. He had the trademark looks of a Schnee: nwhite hair and light blue eyes with a fair complexion. His hair was mostly pushed to left, although he did appear to have a bit of a cowlick now. He had grown since she last saw him, being fairly tall with a more filled out but still slender build. His attire consisted of a short-sleeved white dress shirt, the sleeves fastened just above his elbows by navy blue cuffs, each with twin gold buttons. Over his untucked shirt, he wore a light blue vest, with a black handkerchief in the right breast pocket. He also wore a black necktie, navy blue trousers and black dress shoes.
"Whitley," Momo greeted as she glanced briefly to the right, noting that he was standing just beside the family's music room, the white-haired boy leaning against the wall of the entrance while casually checking his fingernails. "I assume that was you playing?"
"'One should always seek perfection in what they pursue.' I wouldn't be a Schnee if I didn't at least try to live up to those words."
Of course he'd quote Jacque directly. The man was more of a strict teacher than he was a father in any fashion. But even so, she knew that Whitley would take praise anywhere he could get it, especially from Jacque. He was the 'defective one,' after all. The most loyal and devoted of all Jacque's children, and yet with his very birth he'd been the largest disappointment.
"Besides, I like the piece. It has a very... palpable sense of somberness."
"You always did like tragedies."
"Mm. Do be careful not to mention the Fall around either Weiss or father. It's still a very fresh wound for the both of them," Whitley said, looking Momo straight in the eye as he did. For just a moment, she thought she saw something beyond the child she used to know. A concern for family that wasn't there before, replacing the sense of wonder she used to see in its place.
Just what had happened in the year that she'd been away from the Schnee Mansion?
"I'll keep it in mind," Momo answered as she and Walter walked on the Jacque's office, where the two Schnees would likely be conversing.
Once they were out of earshot, Walter whispered, "I do not like that boy. He's far too reserved for someone his age. It's almost like he's planning something half the time."
"He's also barely fifteen. I'll be wary of him, but I don't think it would be fair of me to not at least give him a chance to prove himself different than his father. Weiss did so. I see no reason why he couldn't do the same."
And she meant it too. She could still remember the times when the boy had clung to Weiss and Winter's coattails, his eyes filled with light and awe every time. He was barely ten at the time. Such a fragile, hopeful thing. She dared to hope that some of that boy she'd seen so little of so long ago was in there somewhere.
But now... she had to see her friend.
(meanwhile, somewhere in Anima, Shoto's POV)
Shoto couldn't help but feel as though there was something a bit off about how they'd been traveling without delay. Not that it was a bad thing. Heck, it had actually sped up their travel time significantly. They'd probably be at Pyrrha's hometown within a week or so.
Even so, it was best to be attentive. It was unusual for there to be no Grimm on the road. Very few would simply be considered incredibly lucky. None was practically unheard of. Nora and Ruby decided to count on them being incredibly lucky, but he could tell that while they were happy to not be fighting every day, they were keeping their guards up constantly. Just in case.
But, other than that, everyone was in pretty high spirits. Yang seemed much better than she had been two days previously, and she was currently conversing with Izuku over how to improve their combo moves. That or they were simply admiring the scenery and discussing it. Either was likely, and neither would surprise him.
He hoped that they'd talk soon. They didn't have to bottle up their feelings for everyone else's sake.
"Lien for your thoughts?" Ren asked as Jaune and Ruby carried on to the head of the group while Nora cheerily skipped on with her hands behind her head.
"You got that on you?" Shoto asked.
"You know what I mean."
"... how're we doing on supplies?"
"We restocked back at Fonsett, so we'll probably be able to save a bit of Lien at the next town. Who knows? Maybe we'll find a Grimm to kill and make more money for a change."
"Mm."
The silence between the two was an awkward one. They hadn't really spoke to each other before. Heck, this was probably the longest string of sentences they'd had in a single conversation. And it was currently going nowhere fast. Crap.
"Hey, Ren? You're from Anima, right?"
"Yeah. Me and Nora both. I don't really know where Nora was born, but I'm from further east. We've basically had each other's backs since we were... well, fairly young."
"You do seem really close. Are we gonna be passing through where you're from?"
"... maybe."
And that was where the conversation seemed to end. Shit. He just had to go and bring up something that was probably super painful for him. Stupid, stupid-
"Guys! The village!"
And then he looked up.
Clouds had appeared from seemingly nowhere, blotting the sun out completely as a melancholic grey hung over the small village of Xione. It might've been in part because of the smoke that rose from various buildings, some with walls destroyed or caved in, while some unfortunate ones had been entirely demolished. They'd stumbled into a massacre.
Shoto drew Veofolnir and Niohoggr and dashed into the village with the others at his heels, the RNJR portion of their party breaking off to help a gravely injured huntsman as best they could. He likely wouldn't survive. Still, he, Izuku, and a briefly hesitant Yang made their way deeper into the village to search for anyone else who might've survived.
House to house. Street to street. No one. Not a soul.
And then, the sound of teeth tearing into flesh, ripping it from bone before the ripping returned to the forefront of their hearing. It wasn't hard to find where the sound came from, a simple rounding of a corner and they were there.
The hard part came from what they saw next.
It was a small Grimm, a Creep judging by the lack of arms and the reptilian head. The body it had dug into was that of a young woman, brown hair splayed around her body haphazardly while her eyes, likely once full of life, were glazed over, having long since lost it. Her entrails were splayed about much like her hair, blood pooled all around her as the Grimm continued to dig into her body, undisturbed by the three hunters behind it.
This, however, did not last for long, as a sudden blur of green shot across the space and the sound of howling wind filled his ears, briefly causing him and Yang to cover their eyes from any debris that had been kicked up, temporarily blinding the both of them.
When they could see properly once more, Izuku was standing at the other end of the room, putting Tempest over his shoulder, his cloak fluttering in the brief breeze as the Creep dissipated into ash. His hand fell limply to his side, forming a balled fist as he stared down at the ground. He began to shake ever so slightly, muttering under his breath, "Damnit. Too slow. Too slow again..."
The shaking briefly got worse before he took a deep breath and exhaled audibly, wiping his eyes as he did so. Shoto took a step towards his partner, taking a brief look at his face to see how he was holding up. As he'd predicted, Izuku's eyes were the slightest bit red from the tears he'd shed and continued to hold back, and his jaw was clenched tightly into place.
"I'll... I'll search for others."
No specification. Izuku knew he'd probably only be finding bodies. He just couldn't admit it. It would be like giving up.
And still, he gave a silent nod. "We'll have to burn them. You know that, right?"
A silent nod told him all he needed to know. And so, he moved onwards, the sound of his boots against cold stone echoing throughout the space as he went to find anyone else he could.
Shoto glanced over his shoulder, towards Yang, who stared at the green haired boy's back with concern in her eyes. She wanted to go after him, that much was obvious, but there was a certain hesitation there as well. As if she wasn't really sure how to help him.
"... go on. He'll need someone watching his back," Shoto said as he sheathed his blades, the blonde brawler briefly looking at him before nodding firmly and taking off after Izuku, her own boots clicking against the stone in a far more rapid tattoo than his partner's had. Hopefully, her being there would at least give him a shoulder to lean on, if worst came to worst.
He knelt down to the body of the slain woman, taking a brief moment to gently close her eyes as he said, "I'm sorry we didn't make it in time. We'd do more, but...
"... this is all we can do right now."
(meanwhile, the Schnee Mansion, Tenya's POV)
Tenya was simultaneously impressed by the scale of the manor and disappointed by how sparsely the halls had been decorated. It was almost unnatural. Someone with the amount of money that the Schnee's possessed would've had their own halls look a bit more colorful than this. It was fairly unnerving, to say the least.
And that was why he'd found himself in front of the door to the man's office, helped in by one of the passing servants and just as quickly left in the room with the same man he had to be very cautious around. Jacque Schnee.
The man had gray-white hair, unlike the nearly snow white that was a trademark of the family, with a similarly colored, bushy mustache and blue eyes far colder than anything he'd seen from the man's daughter. He wore a pure white, double-breasted jacket with a red handkerchief in the breast pocket, underneath which he wore a blue shirt and vest and a gray-white tie, printed with the same emblem on his shoes and above his study. He clear favored the symbol, though Tenya couldn't recall what it was meant to represent. He also wore a silver wedding band on his left ring finger, a symbol of everything he'd done to achieve his position. The man was ruthless in every way.
Which was why it surprised him that he seemed rather jovial at his arrival.
"Ah! Tenya Iida! So good of you to be here!"
"... yes. I was rather surprised to hear that you invited me," Tenya replied, the implication clear.
"Well, why wouldn't I? A veteran from the Fall? Why would I not invite you for what I'm planning?"
"... I'm confused. What exactly are you going to do?" the spectacled hunter said as he wheeled his way forward to Jacque's desk, the man sitting behind it in a show of 'courtesy.'
"We're going to be throwing a charity concert in the next three weeks. To show that we know how devastating the Fall was for everyone involved," Jacque said without missing a beat, as though he'd already anticipated explaining this and he rehearsed the entire thing. It was just artificial enough to be noticeable to anyone who knew what to look for.
"Well, other than the fact that I was there, why invite me at all? I'm sure that there are more suitable candidates."
There was a tense pause before the man responded. "Because you, the brother of Ingenium, the next in line the inherit the mantle, gave far more than any other candidate that I'd even considered."
So, it's a combination of the fact that I'm stuck in this chair and my family's influence. I'm not even surprised.
But he quickly cleared those thoughts. He had to stay focused, at least for the time being. "I see. Is there anything else you wished to discuss?"
"You'll be seated next to me and my son for the performance, as well as the daughter to the Yaoyorozu family. The matron of the Adel family will be there as well, though I honestly don't know her intentions as to coming all the way to Atlas. Endeavor was a surprise acceptance. I imagine he saw something that shook him up rather terribly. My daughter, Weiss, will be preforming the main piece at the concert. After the Fall, I think this would do her some good."
Some good for your image, you mean. Coco's mother is here as well? In addition to Shoto's lover and father? This is most certainly a plea for good faith.
"Speaking of which, is she alright? We weren't the closest at Beacon, but I am a bit worried after everything that's happened."
"She is... recovering. I do not know what she saw, but I imagine it must've been rather harrowing."
And you don't seem to care all that much, if the lack of a therapist is anything to go by.
"Well, I should go and see how she's holding up then."
"Very well," Jacque said as Tenya began making his way towards the door, only stopping his chair when the man said, "I also understand that you went through a particular procedure. How effective was it?"
…
"... we'll have to wait and see."
And that was all he would say on the matter. No need to give him any more ammunition than he already did.
(meanwhile, somewhere in Anima, Izuku's POV)
It felt hot. That was what Izuku thought as he opened his eyes to the flames. No, it wasn't hot. Tense. It felt like something was happening, and he wasn't seeing it.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" a voiced bellowed from within the flames, a voice he recognized almost instantly as that of Adam Taurus. As though commanded by this question, the flames parted like the curtain on a stage, showing the burning ruins of their battlefield as they faced off. His arm was not his own, being a new, strange coloration that reminded him of Tempest, with an armblade about the length of his forearm jutting outwards.
As suddenly as it had started, it was over, with Adam on the ground with his mask split in half, bleeding out as his form remained still. Izuku was never able to make out his face entirely, and this memory was no different in that regard. It was honestly rather disturbing, and kinda freaked him the hell out.
The next scene was another from the Fall. This time, he was staring down Cinder Fall, the woman who'd caused all of them so much pain, so much hardship, took one of their strongest fighters and greatest friends from them.
Her legs and left arm had been freshly bisected from her body, causing her to scream in absolute agony as he simply stared down at her with absolute rage. Izuku couldn't see his own face once again, not that he wished to see it. He knew what expression it likely held. He watched as the figure raised Tempest high, making to strike down at Cinder, run her through.
The movement began, the blade sweeping downwards as the howl of wind filled his ears. But he never saw the blow delivered.
And the next thing he knew, he was kneeling in a dark space. Not so dark that it was blinding, but it was dark nonetheless. He could see his limbs, and tried to move his head, to get a look around his new surroundings.
But then he looked up, and the figure that possessed the same body that he did looked straight at him; looked straight through him, like he wasn't even there. And the eyes that this person possessed...
… they were laced with power he could scarcely look upon. And it terrified him.
Izuku suddenly jolted awake from the nightmare, taking a few quickened breaths before slowly calming himself and deepening them, ensuring that he didn't wake anyone else. Damnit. How long had it been since he'd had a dream like that? He couldn't quite recall, but it was enough for this one to be rather jarring.
The comparison to them being broken people that he'd made those short two months ago wasn't so inaccurate after all, it would seem. But he couldn't let the others see him like... well, this. Not for his sake. For their sake. For Ruby's sake. For Shoto's sake. For...
… for Yang's sake.
Quit it, he told himself. And he did try to keep his mind away from those thoughts, but... well, he probably wasn't going back to sleep for a while anyway, so, might as well get some practice in. Make sure something good came of this discomfort. Besides, he had a few kinks in his style to work out anyway.
As silently as he could, not a leaf crushed or a twig snapped underfoot, he made his way to a clearing, away from where he knew Jaune would be practicing under the supervision, and occasional assistance, of Shoto. He was within relative earshot, so he'd know if they were in trouble and they'd know if he was in trouble.
So, he removed Tempest from his back and started practicing. What started as seconds of an endless fight against invisible opponents soon blended into minutes of a frenzied melee that wasn't even real. But this was one of the better ways for him to build up a bit of confidence in his skills. You see, the thing about imaginary opponents is that they can be anything. From a ferocious monster to a master swordsman, everyone and everything was up for the beatdown. But here was the thing about imaginary opponents: no matter the fight, no matter the challenge, there was one inevitability: you would always win, without fail.
There was a reason he tried to avoid training like this as much as possible. Even having a training dummy would prove better than fighting something you could manipulate.
He stopped as he thought of that. How long had it been since he'd last seen Qrow? About... five-ish months? Man, it had been a while. He missed training with the guy. Sure, he was absolutely nothing like Toshinori; well, the persona that he put on, at least; but the red eyed reaper was certainly an accomplished hunter and more than deserving of his spot. Plus, while he wasn't the traditional type to inspire hope in others the way All Might would, he'd certainly given his students something just as important as hope: reliability, both on him in times of need and on the skills he would impart to them.
Izuku then slung Tempest over his shoulder and let out a heavy sigh, slumping to the ground as his father's cloak fell around him, giving him some shelter from the chilly breeze that made its way through the clearing. He was running out of things to think about. He really wanted to practice with someone, preferably with either Ruby or Yang, since he did need to touch up on his scythe and hand to hand skills. Maybe it would-
No.
Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about it.
I'm in control, Oumdamnit. I. Am in. Control.
And yet, as his thoughts began to wander back to the nightmare he'd had that very same night: Adam's echoing question, Cinder's harrowing screams, and the figures intense silence and the unknown potential it had...
He honestly couldn't help but start doubting that phrase, no matter how many times he repeated it. Nor could he help but be afraid of his own potential.
A/N: And it's done! Hey! Sorry the chapter is shorter than usual. College is starting back up again, so that was part of it, but even so this was a particularly short part of the Volume, even though it was really good. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I'll see you next time, where we'll be reuniting with our good old pall: Katsuki Bakugo.
All hail Lord Explosion Murder! Even if he is kind of an ass. And now;
Review Responses:
Thunder Dragon: Yeah. I wanted to take a more realistic approach to their trauma. I honestly hate stories that 'fix' a character's trauma entirely through someone else's actions, because it's lazy writing and takes away from that character's agencyin their own story, which is something that any self-respecting storyteller of any kind should avoid at all cost. While I certainly don't think my attempt will be perfect, I'm going to try my damnedest to portray it as best I can.
Rune Dragon432: Yes, but, as was said in the previous chapter, they'll eventually have to face their pain on their own. Here's hoping they're strong enough to do it. Also... I have a feeling you're going to absolutely love the finale episodes of Volume 6...
Guest 1: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this one as well! As to the crossover idea, I have considered something like it in the past, but as to what comes after this story, I'm not entirely sure. I might do a request or I might do something of my own. Or I might step away for a while. But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. And nice quote! Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!
Odin's Eye: I'll certainly try to implement as much of the actual Berserker lore as I can, though I might not be able to include it all. I hope I'm able to show that Yang, while she is getting better, isn't done dealing with her trauma. And she probably won't be for a while.
Midgardsormr Jr: I hope I can follow through on the buildup! And I hope things get more exciting now that I'm back. Hopefully with less explosions.
Pheonix Wizard: Well, while I do think he'll certainly support her, she'll have to stand up on her own. I just hope I can make it satisfying. And yeah. At this point, especially after Enji's arc in the manga, Jacque is somehow even worse than Endeavor. Which is saying something, considering where the man started.
Black Fang: … you know Shoto's in Anima with the RNJR group, right? Tenya's the one up in Atlas. And... well, let's see if Bakugo's rubbed off on him at all, shall we?
Leviathan's Heir: Not too much longer.
Gorosaurus Fan: Here's hoping they'll be alright.
KongKing94: Too true.
MechaGhidora543: Yes. Yes indeed.
Dragon Fan: I would, but I'm the author, so...
Enku: I'll cover you!
God-King Ghihorda: Many more when I'm done.
Mecha Manda: Shoto's in Anima. He's got a girlfriend.
Gojifreak: Shoto's in Anima. I didn't include him enough in the last chapter, did I?
King Ceasar Jr: I suppose it is. Keep the light burning bright.
Huh. Didn't mean for that to rhyme, but there ya go!
DD Lore Nerd: Many more. This is Remnant after all!
Guest 2: Cool! Fly the rainbow flag! Seriously, considering Volume 6, it's basically almost canon. They're also kinda adorable together.
Welp, that's everyone! Hope you all enjoyed!
Next Chapter: Feb 15th (it should, hopefully, be a longer chapter)
Seeya in the next one!