AND NOW A
WRTA CHANNEL 7
BREAKING NEWS ALERT
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"This is Lisa Lavender with the latest update on the current crisis.
"Less than an hour ago, a large force of armed soldiers entered and took control of Amity Stadium, currently docked in the city of Vale. Authorities believe these soldiers to be part of the White Fang – a group of faunus 'freedom fighters' that seek to remove the 'chains of subjugation' placed on them by all humans… … hold on, I've just been told we have a video message from the leader of the White Fang… …"
Adam Taurus: "People of Vale, and people of the world: We are the White Fang, and we will no longer be ignored. Consider this a formal declaration of war. We have taken your symbol of peace, your Amity Stadium, as our new base of operations. It is rather unfortunate that there were so many humans still inside, but that's the law of the jungle – the weak become food for the strong. If you wish for the safe return of the humans you see behind me, I suggest you carefully consider my demands…"
"Okay… … …According to our reporters, the video continues with a very long list of one-sided demands that basically make the police and military give full amnesty to all faunus for any and every action they wish. In short, he wants complete anarchy.
"General James Ironwood has gone on record to state that this attack can not and will not be allowed to go unpunished. He is taking immediate actions to quell the situation, but he refused to go into further detail.
"Our investigators are on the scene and working hard to bring us all the latest updates on this crisis. Stay tuned to Channel 7 News… … …"
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Chapter 16:
Crisis
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Previously on Paradigm of the Rose:
Two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye. The various alternate-universe Ruby Roses are ready for the trials that await them back in their own world. Or at least, as ready as they'll ever be. Team RWBY and friends manage to give them a send-off party in hopes that they'll never forget each other, no matter how far apart they are.
Before they have any time to rest, however, a situation arises that threatens everything they have ever fought for… but will their greater numbers be enough to overcome the threat?
Note: Brief strong language ahead.
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10:30 PM, Saturday
Several Miles South of the City of Vale
(Late Evening of Day 12)
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Yang yawned hard, her jaw popping from the effort. She should have been in bed by now. They all should have been.
Why couldn't the White Fang have attacked at 9 in the morning like sensible people?
The blonde glanced around the interior of the airship, taking in the general mood of the group as well as each of their expressions. Blake looked bored as usual, glancing at something on her scroll. Weiss appeared to be trying some kind of meditation exercises (likely due to Rain and Ku's conversation, which was getting on everyone's nerves). Ruby looked concerned, but whether it was due to their sudden call to a major mission or the issue with their strange future-predicting trading cards, Yang could not tell.
"Let's go over it again," Rain started up for the third time. "You will head into the warehouse and proceed into the middle of the main storage unit without being seen, okay?"
"Got it!" Ku chirped, smiling brightly. Why the adult-child was fully awake at this hour was beyond Yang, but at least she was cheerful as always. Yang was finding it hard to be anything but happy around Ku.
She reminded Yang of the days when Ruby was still little, always a bundle of energy and happiness. And cuteness. It was a bit disconcerting to see a full-grown woman acting like a little kid sometimes, but Yang was growing rather fond of her. She had to draw the line at letting Ku sit in her lap, though. Too heavy.
"Once inside, keep an eye on the device. When you see the green light come on, you hit this button here, got it?" Rain asked again.
"Aye-aye, captain!" Ku gave a theatrical salute, then giggled. Yang couldn't help but smile.
Of course, Ku had a few reasons to be happy tonight. Before they left, Rain gave her a new cloak, but this one was all black. She said it was to help hide her in the darkness to better complete her mission. Ku still got her old cloak back, but she had to keep it in her bag until she got home.
The other reason Rain brought Ku along: She had finally completed her mysterious transfer device and was ready to send the adult-child home. To her mother. To Summer Rose.
Rain had already explained much of their mission… at least, this part of it… and was simply going over Ku's instructions over and over until it was memorized. She had to. Ku was prone to distractions. The grown woman was supposed to head for the center of their target location in order to use the transport device Rain had rigged up, but the reasoning for that seemed a bit shaky to Yang. Why would Rain's device only work in that spot? It bothered her, but she chose not to say anything about it.
The rest of it was simple. After Ku successfully transfers herself out of their world, team RWBY would strike and take out the facility itself. In short, they'll disable the enemy's supply line and take Ku out of harm's way. Win-win.
If it all went well.
"And please don't forget about the hood, sport. It's really important you keep it off, okay?"
"Oh-kay, I remember. Geez…"
Blake looked up from her scroll, saying, "If it's that big a deal, why not just take the hood away? Leave her with just a cape?"
Ku's eyes grew large with fright, and Rain replied tiredly, "I tried that already, but she refused to even move with a hood-less cloak. I didn't have time to convince her, so I just said screw it." Rain regarded the adult-child with narrow eyes, then added, "I'm choosing to trust her instead."
Yang chuckled. Rain was starting to sound like an exhausted mother.
Ku actually looked pretty cool in a black cloak. It helped her stand out among the other Ruby look-alikes. Rain had given the others a quick talking-to regarding the creature called Thorn – mainly to let them know that it would not be coming back. Thorn had been dealt with. Looking at Ku sitting there with a black cloak, Yang realized that she hadn't actually thought about Thorn for quite a while. Strange, considering how much the thing had creeped Yang out at first.
The blonde sighed, leaning back in her seat as the transport made its way to their target location. She thought back on the other Rubys and how strange these last few weeks had been. Seven Rubys. Strange to think how normal they had become. Yang had come to realize that their life would never be the same after this was all over.
She would miss Red. There was no getting around that.
A new sound drew the blonde's attention – humming. It was coming from Weiss, sitting right next to her. "What's that one, Weiss? Doesn't sound familiar…"
Ice-blue eyes looked over at her, and Weiss replied, "Our singing tonight reminded me of a few songs I never finished writing. Just thought I'd give a few of them a try, see if anything new came of it."
"And…?"
"Nothing yet."
"We're almost ready to land," buzzed the pilot. "Please fasten your seat belts."
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10:32 PM
City of Vale, Downtown Area – Atlas Military Command Center
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Sapphire hadn't had much opportunity to see Atlas' mobile command units in action before. It was rather impressive. Since this one focused on communication, there was plenty of radar dishes and radio antennas to keep the other forces in constant contact. There were also plenty of ground troops to keep the General safe – no less than four Paladin mechs and a full squadron of robotic soldiers.
General Ironwood certainly ran his army differently than General Black did back home. General Black liked to go on the offensive more often than not, preferring to keep his operations short and to the point. Ironwood seemed to prefer defense, digging his forces in and coming out ahead, even if it meant a prolonged battle. It took more effort and resources, but she could see that his victory using such methods was far more secure in the long run.
"Sapphire, what's the status of the other outposts?" It had taken the man a bit of effort to consider Sapphire as just one of his soldiers. He had enough on his plate as it was without worrying about having two Schnee specialists.
"Outposts one and two report no problems. Three reported a minor technical failure, but nothing serious. No reports of enemy movement yet, but all three are keeping their eyes open." Sapphire had no trouble adjusting to her current role of assisting the General. That was where she belonged, in her opinion.
Ironwood nodded, "Good. Keep me informed of any update with Qrow's team as well. Sergeant…" he barked at a nearby soldier manning one of the screens, "Connect me to Penny."
Buttons were pressed and switches thrown, and moments later Penny's face was displayed on a holographic interface. "Sal-u-tations, General Ironwood, sir!" The hologram gave a salute.
"How are things in the system? Any disturbance?"
"Nothing yet, sir, but I'm ready for anything they throw at me! Nothing will harm this system as long as I'm here!"
"Good. Carry on."
"Sir!" The image winked out a moment later.
Sapphire glanced out the front of the tent where the equipment was set up, looking at Amity Stadium in the distance. She had visited the one back home, once, and while she assumed it was the same here, there was no way to be sure. It was a different world, after all. In both worlds, the Stadium represented the joint efforts of each of the four kingdoms to maintain the peace following the Great War. Seeing it in the hands of terrorists… it was hard to keep her composure when she thought of things like that.
A lot of things were going to happen before tonight was over. Hopefully with as little bloodshed as possible.
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10:35 PM
Beacon Academy, West Courtyard – Front Gate
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The night seemed deceptively quiet, considering the crisis happening out in town. Jaune adjusted his sword at his belt, settling it at his side as he continued his rounds. A yawn tried to come out, but he just managed to stifle it.
Team JNPR's shift at the front gate was almost over, and they would soon be relieved. Ozpin made it clear that they, along with several other teams, were responsible for making sure things stayed quiet and calm at Beacon tonight. There was no telling what would happen.
Just at the edge of his vision, Jaune spotted Pyrrha heading his way. She didn't bother trying to hide her yawn – she could have swallowed a basketball with the width. Damn.
Once again, as he had been doing all night thus far, Jaune ran through his most recent training routines in his head. Sapphire had been very …vigilant at drilling them into his head, even given the short time she had to do it. Pyrrha's training was effective for the time, but he knew he had to move on sooner or later… and thanks to Sapphire Schnee, it turned out to be sooner.
He only hoped she would be available for another lesson or two before she left. There was still so much he wanted to learn.
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10:36 PM
Amity Stadium, Main Control Room
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There were times Cinder wished Adam would just take that damn mask off. This was one of those times. The man could be so hard to read if he kept quiet.
"You and your flunkies may just be out to cause chaos, but my soldiers and I fight for a higher cause. We fight for freedom."
That's better. Cinder fought hard to keep from smiling. If he kept talking, then he was much easier to control.
The stadium's control room was a bit crowded at the moment. Each of the dozen or so control stations had a White Fang officer at the keyboard. The various security monitors showed empty hallways, empty arena seating, and empty storerooms. The operations room was full, though – full of hostages awaiting their promised execution. Adam Taurus had too much of a flair for the dramatic, if you asked her.
"The more your enemies are afflicted by our 'chaos,'" Cinder stated icily, "the easier you and your noble soldiers can claim your freedom. All I ask is that you keep them focused on their targets and away from my 'flunkies.'"
"Our alliance ended at the Breach, Fall. I don't take orders from you."
"Of course not. Merely a request. I'd hate to see how you fare fighting the forces of Atlas and Vale if they were, say… fully organized and ready for you?"
"Are you threatening me?"
"Wouldn't dream of it." Cinder strutted away, leaving Adam to ponder the implied meaning of her words. The door slid shut behind her.
After a short elevator ride and a few minutes of walking, Cinder came to the arena section of the stadium. The seats seemed to go on for miles, thousands of them, all surrounding the central ring. It was rather remarkable for a peacetime creation, what with its retractable floors and adjustable environments. All for giving the audience a show. Sad, really.
Cinder pulled out her scroll, a new one she stole a few days ago that still worked, and called Mercury. "How are things on your end?"
"Em's all plugged in and on her way. Lucky for her that capsule is enclosed… otherwise I'd be inclined to 'decorate' her face with a marker…"
"Save the screwing around for when it's over. And stay focused… there are too many Atlas soldiers crawling around for us to let our guard down."
"They actually put up a tent about a quarter mile away from here. Buncha robots with 'em, too."
"All the more reason to stay on your toes. You know what to do if they get too close."
"Of course. Now to write something naughty on the glass…"
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10:48 PM
Grassy Hill, One Mile Away From White Fang Supply Warehouse
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Ku was going home. They had already said their goodbyes, complete with long and sappy hugs. Yang missed her already.
Rain and team RWBY sat silently in the darkness, watching the distant warehouse and waiting for the flash of light to tell them that Ku had successfully opened the portal and gone home. That was what Rain said would happen, anyway. The ancient girl seemed quieter tonight, if that was possible.
It was very dark, too. Normally the facility would have been lit up with spotlights, but according to Rain, Carmine had already hacked the power grid and cut the electricity to the facility. They would never see Ku coming. Or team RWBY, after Ku was gone. All part of the plan.
"I'm kinda jealous," Ruby said quietly. They were all trying to stay as hidden as possible until the flash appeared – then they'd ride hard and smash the place up. "Ku gets to go home and see Mom… but we don't."
"Hey, don't worry about it Rubes." Yang rubbed her sister's back lightly. "Maybe we can ask Carmine to find some photos of Mom that we don't have and send them to us…"
"Or you could ask her to send you to one of those other worlds she mentioned… maybe one where your Mom survived?" Weiss asked, trying to offer something helpful. Ruby's eyes sparkled at the idea of seeing her Mom again, even if it was one from a different world.
Rain spoke up next, not looking over at any of them. "Out of the 4,000 or so worlds we've fully scanned, we've confirmed that in close to 95% of them, Summer Rose had already passed away. In the other 5%, her fate is considered 'unknown.'"
"So Ku's world is one of the 5% …right? Lucky thing." Yang asked.
Rain didn't reply right away, but when she did, Yang felt her stomach drop into her shoes.
"Nope."
There was a tense pause. All of team RWBY seemed to catch the implications of that single word. "But didn't you say that you were sending Ku back to her mother? Back home?" Ruby asked worriedly.
"I said I was sending her to her mother…"
Rain's head slowly turned away from the view of the warehouse, taking them all in with a steady sweep. Rain's eyes eventually came to rest on Yang and stared fully into hers. Yang felt herself growing cold.
"…I never said she was still alive."
At that precise moment, the warehouse exploded. There was no flash.
It wasn't a little bang, nor was it a series of larger booms. No, this was a ground-shattering, soul-crushing KA-BOOM that sent a gigantic ball of fire several miles into the atmosphere. The shockwave alone knocked all four teens flat on their butts. Rain stayed upright, naturally. Her gaze never left Yang, even while the blonde was tumbling backwards over the grass.
Nothing could have survived that.
In the first few seconds following the blast, Yang's mind raced with possibilities. They could have rigged the whole thing to blow – but no, they would not have wasted so much dust for a single building. Maybe there was another force attacking them – but why didn't anyone tell this team? Every half-formed theory was quickly shot down.
When she finally stopped sliding across the ground, Yang turned and saw Rain still standing amidst the flames. She looked as unimpressed as always.
In that moment, Yang knew.
The blonde's head was spinning. She spared no thoughts for the mission, nor for her friends around her. They were probably fine. Her full attention was on the girl in front of her, standing still amidst the hellfire she had caused. Standing like she hadn't just murdered one of their own in cold blood.
She had just…
Ku… Ku was…
Yang's vision faded to red as a scream tore from her throat. She had no memory of what followed.
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Sapphire felt the ground tremble before she noticed the fireball lighting up the southern horizon. Overdoing it a bit, aren't you guys? She knew full well what team RWBY's mission included, but she didn't expect that extreme of a display. General Black would have been proud. She then turned back into the command center to report to Ironwood. The real battle was soon to start.
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Cinder was too far away to feel the shockwave of the blast, but she could imagine it from the look of the fireball. Even from this distance, that was massive. Almost pretty, really. She chuckled to herself as she watched the flames rise into the upper reaches, imagining it as the signal of the dawn of a new era. Her era. Let the fun begin.
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Jaune couldn't tell what that light was, but it must have been huge for him to see it from so far off. Somewhere to the south was all he could tell. It almost looked like a lightning strike, but he'd never seen one last that long before. Hopefully it was not a bad sign. All he wanted was to finish his rounds and get to bed.
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Their airship had been knocked back about 50 feet, but survived the blast with minimal damage. They could still get back to the city. Fires surrounded their hill, but other than a few bruises, all of team RWBY was just fine.
The same could not be said of Rain. Or Yang's battered heart.
The blonde sat near Rain's unmoving body, hands bloodied and face twisted in grief. Tears streamed down her face with impunity. Ruby had just managed to pull the maniacal teen off of Rain in order to calm her down, but the damage had been done. Rain's face had been bashed in. Weiss stood near Blake as the pair just tried to comprehend what had happened.
Ku. The adult-child was gone. There was simply no way she could have gotten out of there. No flash, no nothing. Yang knew her well enough to know that Ku wanted to see her mother more than anything, and so would have gone through with all of her instructions, no matter how complex they seemed.
Looking back, Yang wondered how she didn't see the animosity between Ku and Rain. Sure Thorn was a problem, but that didn't excuse …this. Nothing could have justified such extreme measures. Good gods and holy hell…
At the same time, Yang's reaction seemed a bit extreme as well. She'd never just gone off on someone like that. True, she knew full well that if anyone did something to her Ruby they'd get much the same, but still… damn.
"Do you feel better now?" A dry voice said from next to Yang. The blonde jumped and nearly ran. How the bloody hell…?
Rain sat up, her bloodied face …rebuilding itself somehow. The mouth was fully restored, so she spoke normally. "Our mission here is done. Load up… we've still got a lot of work to do."
"You killed her," Yang whispered dangerously.
The eyes were still regenerating as Rain started walking by them, heading for the transport. "Once we're back at the command center, I want Ruby and Weiss to join up with Rose and Red in the city. Blake and Yang, I want-"
"No."
The low roar of the nearby flames was the only sound as Rain stopped walking and turned towards Yang. The blonde turned as well, facing her. The ancient redhead's face had fully re-formed by this point, and the force of their stares was almost as hot as the fire. Ruby backed away with a whimper.
"Yang…" Rain started.
"You killed her. You killed her. Give me one good reason why I should listen to anything else you have to say." Yang's eyes were a blazing crimson.
Rain said nothing.
Yang took a step closer. "If you want to treat this battle like a fucking game, then be my guest. If you want to play around with people's lives, go right ahead. But you'll do it without us!" Another step, and she was now in punching range. "I won't let you risk my friends! My family! No more!"
Rain remained silent, her face unchanged… but her hands had balled up into trembling fists.
"I thought I could trust you… but I won't make that mistake again."
"Yang…" Rain's voice almost trembled.
"I hate you!" The blonde punctuated her words with one last right cross to the face, complemented by a shot from Ember Celica to drive the point home. A single, bloody tooth fell to the ground from Rain's mouth, but otherwise she remained as she was.
Several tense minutes passed as the blonde brawler held the gaze of the ancient redhead, unknowable emotions flowing between them. Ruby, Weiss and Blake could only look on from the sidelines, powerless to do anything other than shiver. Yang rarely ever got that angry before.
"Fine," Rain murmured, wiping her mouth with one hand. "Do whatever you want." Her body was briefly engulfed by a burst of pale light, and then she was gone. Just vanished. One of her little time tricks, no doubt.
Yang suddenly collapsed to the ground, tears flowing freely as she let loose a barrage of wails. All of her emotions had broken free.
Ku was gone. Dead. Killed by one of her friends.
The sense of betrayal cut her like a hot knife to the gut.
Yang barely registered the feeling of arms wrapping around her as her friends embraced her, some of them crying too. She knew that Ku had become important to at least a few of them, so she said nothing. They simply shared the moment.
Pain. Loss. They sat there and cried it out.
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10:50 PM
Halfway Between the Grassy Hill and the City of Vale
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Rain reappeared some distance away from the hill where she'd left the others, safely out of sight. No longer concerned with anyone seeing her, she let her own tears flow, but not of sadness. These were frustration.
"Dammit, Yang! I was trying to protect you! I didn't… I didn't want to… hurt you…" She pounded the dirt with one fist, choking on her words. Tears began to squeeze from the corners of her eyes.
Yang's punches didn't hurt, not even that last one. But her words… Rain would rather have let a thousand Yangs punch her full strength for days on end than endure that rejection.
I hate you!
To be honest, she'd been planning this from the beginning. She never intended to let the dual-personality woman live through this. How could she have imagined that Yang, of all people, would have latched onto the childish side of her? Yang, the very target of the woman's darker, violent side. Yang, the only one Rain would have killed to protect.
I hate you!
Rain took a deep breath, calming her nerves with relative ease. She'd had plenty of practice at it. Face returned to normal, she gazed northward at the city and focused. Time was short, and now she couldn't rely on team RWBY for help. It was a shame, but there was nothing she could do to fix it. Not now, anyway.
The ancient girl vanished once again, heading for the command center to meet up with Ironwood.
The battle was soon to start.
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10:51 PM
City of Vale, Downtown Area
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A few minutes ago, there had been a large fireball a few miles to the south. Someone had died in that blast. Someone else had been responsible. Anyone watching from the rooftops here would never have known that detail, but it wouldn't have been their fault.
The lone figure stood atop a tall apartment building at the southern edge of the city, watching the still-glowing horizon. Watching the fire. Wondering if she could spot the four girls left behind. Or maybe the one who left them there.
Her deep black cloak blended into the darkness of the night like it was cut from the same cloth. Her hood was raised, shrouding the face beneath in deep shadows. Her teeth shone white as she grinned evilly.
"You'll have to try harder than that… ya cold bitch… heh heh heh… heh ha ha… hahahahahahaaaa…"
The figure turned, waving one hand at the air. A bright flash of blue-green light signaled the opening of a tear in space. She was still cackling as she walked through, vanishing from this world for good.
'Ku' was dead. And good riddance.
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Author's Note: The climax begins! This is the first of five parts that will take us through to the end of this battle… where we go from there depends on how they do, doesn't it? :3
=^w^=