GKC: What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of Remnant's Climax Heroes!

Fen: Yep! And this time we're taking the OOO route!

SR: Heck yeah!

GKC: Yes, because something terrible is going to happen in this chapter… and I had something for this, but now it's gone.

Fen: Eh? You had something, but now it's gone?

GKC: Moving on! This chapter is introducing a certain bandit that we all know, love, and hate.

Fen: Really? Seriously? Why them? It could have been anyone else, but it had to be them?

GKC: Yes, it's them… Anywho, let's get on with the disclaimer. Fen and I do not own, except our OCs, Kamen Rider or RWBY. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Both: Now let's get this party started… HENSHIN!


Chapter 7: A Staged Assault! The Stolen Core Medals!


[Branwen Camp]


A young woman sat at her table in her tent as she was pondering her next move. This young woman is the leader of a group of bandits that followed a sort of… Social Darwinism mindset. Though she was a bandit leader, she was dressed in a way that would make you think she was a samurai.

Her outfit consisted of a shallow cut black and red dress with black shorts underneath, with a series of beaded necklaces and a belt that wraps around her waist and carries her weapon's sheath. Attached also is a long black object that is either fur or feathers, with a red and white bandana material like hanging from behind her. Her forearms bear red armored gauntlets that protrude outwards and solid black gloves. She wore black mid-thigh high leggings with red splatter patterns and black heels. Lastly, she had long black hair, pale skin, and bright red eyes.

This woman's name… is Raven Branwen.

Once she was a member of one of Beacon Academy's best teams, Team STRQ. However, due to some… unfortunate circumstances, she left her team as well as her former lover and even her daughter. Since then, she has been leading the Branwen Tribe on the basis that the strong prevail and the weak perish in order to survive. But as of now, their supply stash is running low. They need to raid soon or else the tribe is done for. But what could they do? What could she do?

"Having a little trouble there, Raven?" An unfamiliar voice to her spoke, forcing the bandit leader to draw her odachi at the intruder until the blade was directed at the throat of a hooded man. "Whoa, scary."

"Who are you? How did you get in?" Raven demanded.

"Easy there. I don't wanna cause trouble."

"Well, you're causing it now. You have ten seconds to tell me why you're here or I'll cut you where you stand." Raven threatened.

The humorous chuckle she received from the man was irritating but then she took note of the glowing yellow eyes beneath his hood, "Oh, I would love to see you try that. Unfortunately, I didn't come here for a fight. In fact, I came here with an offer."

"What are you talking about?" Raven gripped her weapon tightly.

"Your tribe is running low on food, yes? Well, what if I were to tell you that I can offer you a tremendous bounty for your people if you were to acquire three little coins for me?" He offered.

"Coins? Do you think three mere coins would feed an entire tribe? You're delusional!"

"You didn't let me finish, Raven. I suggest you wait to speak…" The hooded man warned as a cold aura revolved around him, which made Raven step back. "…when someone is finished making their point." He went silent for a few moments before he spoke again, "In any case, as I was saying, the coins I speak of are not just ordinary coins. In fact, these coins are the basis of human greed given physical form."

"Now you're giving me a fairy tale? I've heard one too many." Raven scoffed.

Unamused, the hooded man snapped his fingers… and two monstrous creatures emerged behind him. One looked like a humanoid insect while the other looked like a feline-based humanoid. "I assure you, Raven… This is a fairy tale that has a measure of truth."

"Tch…"

"Now where was I? Oh yes." The hooded man continued. "The creatures you see standing before you are known as Greeed. They are born from Cell Medals, which are coin-like objects that are formed from, as you can guess, human greed. Each Greeed possesses special coins called Core Medals. They have three sets of three, which gives them nine in total. The three Core Medals I wish to possess contain the images of a cobra, a turtle, and a crocodile. Your job is to acquire these coins for me. In return, I'll reward you, a substantial amount of supplies that will last you for nearly a decade."

"And what guarantee do I have that you'll hold your end of the bargain?" Raven glared.

"Well, these two will be helping you get them," He answered, gesturing to the Greeed. "I want you to stage a raid at a village near Vale. Before you start to argue, Ozpin will be sending a particular team of young huntsmen-in-training that will have no choice but to go when they see these two. You'll know who they are once they arrive."

"Ozpin…" Raven seethed. To think she'd hear that name again. He was the reason she left everything behind.

"I knew that name would strike your fancy. You'll find that these children are quite powerful in their own right but I want your bandits to keep them separated. The leader of this team is your target because he holds the Core Medals that I'm after." The hooded man stated.

Raven was silent for a while before she gave her answer. "What's their name?"


LINE BREAK


A whole week had passed since the fight at the nightclub. After Team JOKR served their punishment by cleaning the entirety of Beacon (which was an utter nightmare), they continued their normal school routine while also going over some notes they had about the monster hybrids that had been popping up.

Right now, the Riders were in the cafeteria with their friends, eating lunch and chatting. Or in Nora's case, making up another weird dream story.

"So there I was… surrounded by tiny, cute versions of us. We were all made into toys and merchandise but we escaped! Jaune and Ruby were explaining to me that our savior was Pyrrha as a giant! Jaune was being all secretive and pretty cool for once! Then there were these shirts they wanted me to pick! And-" Nora trailed on about the dream she had.

"Oh god, that RWBY chibi episode…" Orion muttered softly.

Aaron chuckled, "Ah, that's hilarious…" He said to himself.

Ren immediately cut into his childhood friend's tale, "Nora… it was just a dream. It's not real."

Nora pouted before she brightened up when she realized something, "I can prove it if I get some coffee!"

"NO!" The normally patient ninja of JNPR exclaimed with a horrified expression.

"Please don't…" Ruby pleaded.

"Well anyway, I don't know about you, but I'm going for some R&R." Kurogasa stretched out to loosen up.

"You're just using that as an excuse to see Velvet." Orpheus chuckled.

"Dude… no, just… no." Kurogasa shook his head.

"Bro, we all know you like her. Just admit it." Orion said with a smirk.

"Denying it is only gonna make it worse," Aaron added with a grin.

"You all are idiots." Kurogasa deadpanned with a sweatdrop before leaving… until he bumps into said bunny girl, who released a cute yelp.

"U-um, hi, Kurogasa," Velvet waved shyly with a tinge of red on her cheeks.

"O-Oh, senpai. Sorry, I didn't see you there." Kurogasa apologized. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes! U-uh, I mean, um…" Velvet stuttered as she fidgets with the hem of her skirt. "W-would you… like to eat lunch with me?" She asked timidly.

Kurogasa could hear the 'oooooh' from his teammates and friends, save Weiss. The samurai glared at them briefly before turning back to Velvet. "Sure," He smiled a bit.

Velvet's mood seemed to brighten up to the point that her ears stood up straight and if she had a cotton ball tail it would be wiggling with joy. "Great!" She took his hand with her own. He noted how soft it felt as his senior then led him over to a seat right next to her. All the while, his friends all chuckled or giggled at his expense.

"Loverboy made his move," Yang teased.

"Nah, more like the shy bunny has made her move." Aaron corrected as he and his fellow brawler fist bump.

For some reason, Weiss looked a bit miffed at Kurogasa and Velvet holding hands.

"Weiss, you okay?" Ruby asked.

"I'm fine." The heiress huffed as she furiously sipped from her water, making uncharacteristically non-lady like slurps.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Orion asked.

*PFFFFFFT!*

Weiss had the gall to spit out her drink. She coughed a few times and glared at the older Arc twin. "I *cough* am not *cough* *cough* jealous!"

"That's what they all say…" Yang whispered to Blake.

"Wow, she has a thing for her brother? Quite the scandal." Blake said amazed.

"It's not like that!" Weiss blushed heavily.

"Then why are you blushing?" Aaron teased. "Are you upset that you're gonna lose your little brother to another girl?"

"I don't get it," Ruby said confused. Ah~ the sweet innocence of youth at its finest.

Yang patted her little sister's head, "You'll understand when you're older."

"I'm 15!" Ruby pouted.

"Who still eats cookies and drinks milk," Orpheus snickered. "Totally a kid."

Everyone laughed, including Ruby after she got done pouting, as they all enjoyed each other's company and continued their lunch.


LINE BREAK


Ozpin sat in his office going over documents that the Vale Council had sent him about the upcoming Vytal Festival that was scheduled to happen in a few months around the Fall. He sipped from his favorite mug of coffee and looked over at images that displayed the teams that were making progress in his school.

Team RWBY.

Team JNPR.

And the four boys that knew his secret… Team JOKR.

There's no doubt in his immortal life that these children could be the key to finally ending the long conflict he had with his former lover, Salem. However, they were still children and needed to grow. It was better for them all to hone their craft and gain new skills for the coming battle.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard cawing. He looked to his window and saw a raven suddenly coming through the window and the next thing that happened? The bird suddenly transformed into a human female that Ozpin knew unfortunately well.

"It's not good to see you, old man."

Ozpin sighed but allowed himself a small grin, "Raven… how nice to see you again."

"I'm not here for pleasantries." Raven spat. "I hear that you have students that have… otherworldly powers."

The headmaster narrowed his eyes, "I'd ask where and from whom that told you this but I know you won't tell me. So… what do you want?"

"Simple. I want you to bring me, Aaron Jaeger, to your office. He has something that I want."

Ozpin calmly stood up from his seat and produced his cane. "I do not know what you want with him but if you think I would just put one of my students in danger-" He warned his former student before Raven interjected.

"Don't… make this harder than it is." Raven threatened. "Call him… to your office. Now."

"And if I don't?" Ozpin calmly countered.

Raven's answer came in the form of using her weapon to open two portals and the Greeed hybrids came out. "They'll find him for me."

Ozpin's instincts went into overdrive when he caught sight of these new creatures. Never had he seen these monsters before but he could tell that they were dangerous. And if Raven was anything in the time he's known her was that she made good on her threats. "You would set these creatures loose on Beacon… for one boy?" He asked.

"Yes… so call him. Now."

The headmaster glared at the bandit leader… and sat in his chair in defeat. "Very well…" He answered as he made the call to his secretary. "Glynda, send Aaron to my office. I need to speak to him. It's urgent."

"Yes, Professor," Glynda replied.

Ozpin ended the call and glared at the bandit, "There… Happy?"

"Very," Raven said with a smirk.


LINE BREAK


"Wonder what Oz wants. It sounds pretty serious." Aaron said as he rode the elevator to the top of the Academy. When he heard the ding, the elevator opened and Aaron walked straight into the office. "Hi, Oz, is something-" He froze when he saw Ozpin and another familiar face. "Raven Branwen!?"

The woman smirked, "Oh? You know my name?" Raven glanced at Ozpin. "Already telling them your secrets, huh? How kind of you."

"What the hell are you doing here, coward?" Aaron demanded as he prepared to fight.

"Simple. I'm here for you."

"Why?"

"I need those Core Medals you have," Raven said.

The crimson-eyed teen froze when he heard this. "How do-" He tried to ask but Raven cut him off.

"That's a need to know basis. Now hand over the Cobra, Turtle, and Crocodile Core Medals, and I'll be on my way."

Aaron looked at the woman silently for a few seconds and slowly reached behind his back as if he were actually going to do as she asked… before he revealed his hand and flipped Raven the 'bird'. "How about you suck it!" He spat before activating his Blood Moon weapons in gauntlet form. "Here's my counter offer. Get the hell out of Beacon or I'll break every bone in your body!"

Raven glared hard at Aaron before sighing angrily. "You will regret this, Aaron Jaeger. You have no idea what you're up against."

She slashed open a portal, and the two hybrids plus Raven walked in before she turned around to them.

"And many people will suffer for it."

Aaron glared at the bandit leader, "I'll stop you. I'm not afraid of a coward and her band of murderers." He spat.

"There are worse monsters than me." Raven spat back as she glared at Ozpin before leaving.

"Get back here!" Aaron shouted but it was no use as the Greeed hybrids blocked his path. "Move!" He demanded but the hybrids refused to budge. One punched him away as they disappeared into the portal that closed.

Aaron glared at where Raven's portal once was and slammed his fist into the floor.


LINE BREAK


Raven was back in her camp, sitting down and glaring at Azrael who was sipping a cup of tea.

"So he denied our request?" Azrael said after finishing his drink.

Raven nodded, and Azrael simply chuckled as he put his empty cup down, "Seems drastic measures must be taken."

"What kind of drastic measures?" Raven asked.

Azrael smirked evilly. "I believe it is time… for Plan B."

"Plan B?"

"Yep. Plan B always works."


LINE BREAK


Teams RWBY, JOKR, and JNPR were in Ozpin's office. After Raven had left, Aaron had suggested that he call up his teammates. Unfortunately, he also called up the other teams, seeing that this might require three teams.

Luckily, it seemed that Ozpin was smart enough to omit the fact that the one who was causing trouble was Yang's birth mother. Though he was giving them a mission that was related to bandits.

"So Headmaster Ozpin, where did you say we're going for this mission?" Ruby asked, curious about the mission.

"Yeah, we haven't really dealt with bandits before," Jaune said, "Grimm yes, but bandits are still people like us."

"Believe me, I understand what you mean. However, a nearby village called Oakwood has sent the Council of Vale a message that bandits were sighted outside of their borders." Ozpin explained. "We've reason to believe that these bandits are planning to raid the place… with help from these creatures." He brought up an image that showcased the hybrid forms of the Insect Greeed and the Feline Greeed. This shocked both teams plus Aaron's teammates.

"How did mere bandits tame these monsters?!" Weiss said, both angry and worried.

"The details on that are currently unknown. But more importantly, we need to stop them or else the people of Oakwood will suffer." Ozpin stated.

"Why not get Huntsmen or Huntresses to take care of this?" Pyrrha inquired.

The headmaster sighed, "Unfortunately, any Huntsmen we have here in Vale are all off doing their own missions at the moment. At present, only the students of Beacon Academy remain along with the staff. All of you are the best in the freshmen department, which is why this shall be your first sanctioned mission together and will be counted as credit for your grades. Your mission is to go to this village, stop those bandits, and destroy those creatures."

"You can count on us, Headmaster," Ruby said with determination in her eyes, "We will stop these bad guys and those monsters!"

Orion smiled at Ruby's determination and optimism, which his friends noticed.

"Heh, Orion has his eyes on Lil' red riding hood," Kurogasa mused. Orion glared at Kurogasa, while Ruby was oblivious to their conversation.


LINE BREAK


"Alright teams RWBY and JNPR, prepare to be amazed," Aaron said, leading them to their secret base. Inside, the eight huntsmen and huntresses were in awe at the base.

"How'd you even have time to build this?" Blake asked.

"Several cups of coffee, fifteen boxes of candy, and the quirk of being a super-genius tends to leave you a lot of time," Aaron answered. "Remind me, why are we showing them our secret base?"

"Why not?" Orion shrugged. "They might as well."

"Y'know, the purpose of a secret base is because it's supposed to be… Oh, I don't know, secret?" The crimson-eyed leader deadpanned.

"Well, how else are we supposed to get to Oakwood fast anyway?" Orpheus questioned. "Our bikes are here. We're certainly not leaving them behind. So, we might as well."

"Oh, oh, thank you for reminding me about our bikes. I almost forgot about the fact that I didn't make any freaking SIDECARS!" Aaron exclaimed.

"They can ride behind us…" Kurogasa pointed out. "And the fact that Yang also has a bike."

"Five motorcycles, twelve of us. Do the math, genius." The crimson brawler deadpanned.

Kurogasa began to do the math, while Ruby used her fingers to count just in case.

"Here's the answer: Two people per bike, means two more stays behind," Aaron stated.

The group looked at each other, wondering who the two staying behind were.

Sighing, Aaron popped his fingers, "But I think I can work on a sidecar or two. Shouldn't take me long, I did build these babies with my own two hands." With that, he sped off into the garages and closed the door that had his symbol. A few construction noises could be heard from behind as everyone waited patiently. Ruby looked over at Orion, pondering what to say as a conversation starter.

"Something on your mind, little rose?" Orion asked, breaking the ice. Ruby lightly blushed in surprise.

"O-Oh, no, n-not really…" Ruby said twiddling her fingers.

"You sure?" Orion tilted his head.

"…Actually, do you think we're doing the right thing?" Ruby asked.

The cap-wearing tank of JOKR raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

"We're supposed to protect people from Grimm, monsters of darkness," Ruby said, "But we're about to fight not just monsters, but bandits. Other people! I don't know, it's just that I feel this is wrong somehow."

"Ruby, I know this probably isn't how you envisioned the life of a huntsman or huntress maybe but you have to understand that the Grimm aren't the only monsters out there," Orion stated. "Humans are just as capable of doing terrible things and sometimes it isn't for any sort of reason. That's why we have to do this. Those bandits made their choice when they decided to terrorize innocent people. It's up to us to stop them."

Ruby nodded, but she looked down lost in thought. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like something bad was going to happen.

"Done!" Aaron announced as he opened the garage door with a proud smirk on his face. "I finished the sidecars for Orion and Orpheus's bikes." He stepped aside to reveal two different sidecars that bore the color schemes of his teammates along with their symbols. Ruby quickly jumped into Orion's sidecar before he could ask Ruby if she was ok.

"Let's go! We got a village to save!" Ruby said, trying to sound optimistic.

"Uh, Rubes, he didn't set the car onto the bike yet." Yang pointed out.

"…Fudge…" Ruby said, drooping her head.


LINE BREAK


In the village of Oakwood, several bandits of the Branwen tribe were making preparations for the coming Huntsmen while their leader and the hooded man watched.

"I must say, I'm impressed with how swift you've turned this whole town into a giant booby trap," Azrael remarked.

"And you'll keep your end of this bargain?" Raven said, looking at Azrael skeptically, "The last thing I want is to get involved in Ozpin's chess game again."

"You have my word. You'll get your supplies but only if you can deliver. I'd hate to ruin my suit with the blood of your tribesman." He warned her.

A tribe member ran up to Raven and whispered into her ear. She nodded and placed her trademark mask on.

"They're on their way. And they brought company."

Azrael shrugged, "Oh, it doesn't matter if they brought help or not. The Core Medals are your objective. Get them by any means necessary just so long as you acquire them. Failure is not an option for you, Branwen." He said before vanishing into the shadows.

The Grimm hybrids of Uva and Kazari stood before the bandit leader, awaiting their orders. Raven turned towards them.

"Prepare for their arrival. Your main target is Aaron Jaeger and his Core Medals."

A black raven, flew past the hybrids as they got into position. Our heroes were seen, driving along a path on the village outskirts.

Ruby saw the village in the distance, but she couldn't shake the uneasiness that she was feeling at the moment.

"I see the village up ahead but…" Ruby said as she tried to quell the uneasiness, "Something about this feels… off."

"Ah it's just in your head, sis," Yang said, as the group arrived in the center of the town.

"Let's see if we can find any of the villagers. Split up but remain on guard." Aaron ordered after he and Blake disembarked from the Machine Kurenai. Ruby, Jaune, and Orion got off their bike and decided to take a look around.

Kurogasa disembarked with Weiss on his bike and went on foot. Orpheus and Pyrrha got off the musician's bike while Ren left the sidecar. Yang and Nora disembarked from Bumblebee then joined the others.

Ruby looked around, she slowly moved her hand to her weapon. She couldn't shake this ominous feeling, and it was bothering her to the point where she was paranoid. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she flinched only to see it was Orion. She sighed, feeling like she almost had a heart attack.

"Whoa, calm down, little rose," Orion said to the younger girl. "Getting jumpy like that is going to give you early wrinkles."

"Sorry, it's just…"

"Relax. We're all here." Orion said. "There's no need to worry."

Ruby gave him a small smile of relief.

"This is odd…" Blake said looking around, "There's no one around. It's like the town is deserted."

"If the town is deserted then…" Pyrrha pondered, until she gasped in realization, "No, it couldn't be!"

Orpheus glanced at his cousin, "What is it, Pyrrha?"

Suddenly, the Hybrids leaped out, alongside bandits to surround them.

Pyrrha sighed, "It's a trap."

"Figures…"

Aaron glanced around to take note of the numbers, "We're outnumbered here but…" He activates the blades of his gauntlets. "They're outmatched."

"So what's the plan?" Orion asked.

"Knock out the bandits. Kill the Hybrids." Aaron said.

"Plain and simple. I like that." Orpheus said, readying his weapon.

"How about a contest?" Yang suggested with Ember Celica activated and ready for a brawl.

"I'm not keeping kill scores," Kurogasa said, brandishing Kage Ryuujin. "Let's go!"

"Get them!" A bandit ordered before the rest of the bandits and the Greeed Hybrids attacked the three teams. The teams spread out to fight the enemy.

The Insectoid hybrid swung at Kurogasa, whilst Weiss was using her glyphs to push back a few bandits.

Blake used her Shadow Semblance to avoid a few close calls while retaliating with Gambol Shroud. Yang provided cover for her partner while also bashing away a few unlucky bandits that got too close to her.

Ruby and the feline Hybrid were clashing at high speeds, as Ruby used her Semblance to try and find an opening. Unfortunately, the two were evenly matched in the battle of speed for they were blurs across the town. Aaron was clashing against a Bandit, who looked like a humongous individual with a club. The bandit swung his club at Aaron with such force that it would break the ground and leave dents in the buildings. Aaron had to duck and weave out of the way as he looked for an opening to strike back.

"Hold still you little bugger!" The bandit yelled in frustration.

"How about you actually hit me then," Aaron taunted as he weaved through the bandit's attacks then uppercuts the man in his dirty jaw. The bandit reeled back in pain as a tooth was sent flying out of his mouth.

"Bastard!" The Bandit muffled as he held his mouth in pain. He roared as he ran towards Aaron and smacked him in the gut with his fist before swinging his club.

Aaron blocked with his left hand then reared back his right fist as he activated the Dust Chamber within, channeling the energy from the crystal inside to his fist as flames encompassed its entirety. With a wicked smirk, the crimson-eyed fighter struck the bandit in the face with an explosive punch that sent him flying and crashing into a wall. After getting the chance to catch his breath he turned to see Ruby having difficulties with the Greeed hybrid.

He saw the hybrid smack Ruby's weapon away and began slashing her repeatedly. Ruby tried to counter with a few punches but they had no effect due both to her lack of hand to hand combat as well as the hybrid's tough hide. The hybrid grabbed Ruby by the neck and proceeded to lift her off the ground, his claws aimed right at her heart. She struggled to get out of the monster's grip, but she was losing oxygen.

"Ruby!" She heard Aaron shout but it was getting muffled. Orion heard Aaron and turned to see Ruby getting choked, and quickly decided to take action. He used his blade to slash the hybrid's back, causing it to drop Ruby in pain as cell medals bleed from its back. Ruby coughed as she rubbed her neck painfully, before looking at the medals curiously.

"Coins? These things are walking bags of money?" Ruby said as she picked up her scythe from the ground.

"Try not to touch them," Orion warned Ruby, "those medals could make a monster from your desires if you're not careful."

"Eh?! Really?!" Ruby said surprised as she moved away from the coins as if they were the plague. The two then proceeded to go after the hybrid as Aaron took on two bandits at the same time.

What the students didn't know was that the bandits were following their leader's plan to the letter. Said leader watched the children retaliate against her men from within the shadows. Her scarlet gaze narrowed when she spouted the blonde mane of Yang Xiao Long, who was effortlessly beating the hell out of a few bandits. Regardless, she focused her attention on the black-haired leader of Team JOKR, watching as the young man punched and kicked his two opponents with hardly any trouble.

"Time to begin the next phase…" Raven said to herself before she brought two fingers to her lips and released a loud whistle. The bandits heard the sound and nodded to each other as the Hybrids then began focusing on Team JOKR, ignoring the others. The two bandits pulled away from Aaron as he quickly blocked the Insect Greeed hybrids claws.

"Damn, got no choice but to transform," Aaron muttered as he summoned the OOO Driver. Raven smirked as she waited for the moment when Aaron would pull out the Core Medals Azrael needed. When Aaron held the Core Medal Case, Raven took action in bird form.

The Hybrid smacked Aaron's hands, causing the case to fly into the air. Aaron saw the raven snatch up the case and flew off, causing the bandits and the hybrids to follow. The huntsmen and huntresses tried to follow, but some of the bandits dropped smoke bombs to cover their escape.

"Hey! Give those back, you damn bird!" Aaron yelled in comical anger.

"They're getting away!" Weiss shouted.

"I can't see them!" Kurogasa yelled as he tried to see through the smoke.

"Hold on! I have just the thing!" Orpheus said as he brought up Lyrical Relevance then strung a string, releasing a tornado of wind that cleared the smoke away and revealing that their foes were gone… along with Aaron's Core Medal Case.

"Damn it all!" Orpheus cursed, "They got away!"

Ruby looked down, finally realizing what the uneasiness was in her gut. It was summed up into a few words.

"What did they want with those medals?"


LINE BREAK


Azrael smirked as he held the Reptile Combo in his hand, admiring their power and untapped potential. Aaron's other Core Medals remained in the case that sat on a coffee table.

"I held up my end of the bargain," Raven said, "Now how about your end?"

"Yes, yes," The hooded man said with a wave of his hand. "You'll find your supplies at your tribe's camp. And don't worry about asking for me because I'll find you if I have a need for your services."

"I hope it won't be for a long time…" Raven said, before whistling to her tribesmen. The bandits began to leave as Azrael's attention returned to the Core Medals. He smirked as he pulled out his book and held it upside down.

Then, the book suddenly glowed as Cell Medals began pouring out of the book. The medals clinked as they made a small pile. The book stopped glowing as Azrael closed it and held out the hand that held the Core Medals.

"Time to give my newest creation some life." He dropped the Cores into the pile which began to glow orange. He smirked as the medals rose up and began to slowly create a humanoid shape.


LINE BREAK


Back at Beacon, everyone was dealing with this failed mission in their own way. Ruby was sitting on a bench looking down, Weiss was pacing around the room, Blake was leaning against a wall, and Yang punched another wall in frustration.

"Sorry about your case, Aaron." Ruby said dejectedly, "We screwed up big time…"

"Don't blame yourselves," Aaron stated. "I'm the one who lost the case. Now all of my Core Medals are gone."

"Which means you won't be able to transform into OOO then." Orpheus pointed out.

"But wait, aren't the Medals part of your Semblance?" Orion wondered.

"They stay materialized only until after I cancel my transformation. But since I didn't transform…" Aaron trailed on.

"They'd still remain in the hands of whoever has them," Blake finished, "How dangerous are these Core Medals anyway?"

"In the wrong hands, they could be used to recreate some of the most dangerous monsters that ever walked the planet," Aaron explained. "Those two monsters that we fought back in the village? Those were Grimm hybrid versions of two of those creatures."

"Wait," Ruby said realizing something, "If those two were supposed to be created from those medals you use, then how could they exist right now?"

"That's the million lien question…" The crimson-eyed fighter replied. "Well, no matter. We'll deal with the problem when it rears its ugly head in the future. For now, I'm tired as all hell."

"I agree," Pyrrha adds, "We all should get some rest, it's been a long day for all of us."

The groups nodded and began heading back to their dorms. Ruby, however, stayed where she was before turning to her friends.

"You guys go on without me," Ruby said, "I uh… need to get some fresh air" She turned and headed for the nearest balcony. Once there, she looked out at the starry night sky sighing solemnly.

"Feeling troubled, little rose?" A voice inquired, drawing the young girl's attention to the speaker, who revealed themselves to be Orion Arc.

"Y-yeah…" Ruby replied holding her arm, "Sometimes it feels like I'm useless in situations like today. It reminds me too much about…" she trailed off before biting her lip.

"About what?" Orion asked, wondering what the girl meant. Ruby bit her lip, hesitant to tell Orion since she rarely talks about her. She widened her eyes with a blush when Orion held her hand. "Ruby, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything you want but if it's too personal-"

"No," Ruby said, breathing a heavy sigh, "Have I or Yang ever tell you about… our mom?"

"In all the time we spent together? No, not really." The blonde-haired tank shook his head.

"I… never truly knew her you see." Ruby confessed, "I was very young when she left for a mission and when she… didn't come back. I could only hear about her through my sister's stories and what my Uncle Qrow told me of what weapon she used."

Ruby gestured to her Crescent Rose with a weak chuckle. Orion noticed that Ruby's cheerful expression with the look of sadness and longing.

"I'll be honest, Orion. I don't know if I'm keeping my mom's memory alive by following her footsteps or if… I even belong here." Ruby wiped a few tears in her eyes. Orion was taken aback by the reaper's words, seeing the insecure side to the person he cared about.

Witnessing the girl open her heart out in such a vulnerable state tore up Orion's soul. Even in his past life when he watched the RWBY series, he never wanted to see Ruby cry or have a sad expression. She was always meant to be this sparkling light that attracted the hearts of all those around her. Whether it was from her innocence or from when she grew as a young woman. Regardless, the baseball cap-wearing boy resolved to change his friend's attitude.

"That's a load of crap, Ruby!" He stated.

"Eh?" Ruby said in surprise

Orion placed his hands on the reaper's dainty shoulders, "Don't talk like that! You deserve to be here! More than anybody else!" He said, "I'm not sure how to tell you what your feeling right now or how you should handle it. But I do know this… your mother would be proud of the person you've become today! It's wonderful that you love your mom so much and aspired to become a huntress because of her but her story ended… This is yours! Your tale to walk and experience! You are not your mother! You… are Ruby Rose, leader of Team Ruby!"

Ruby stared at Orion as he gave his speech, feeling her own pulse rising. She blushed as she hugged Orion tightly as more tears fell.

"Thank you…" Ruby managed to say.

The older Arc twin smiled, placing a hand on the girl's head. "Anytime…" He said quietly. the two looked up at each other, the moon illuminating them both. Ruby and Orion blushed as they gazed at each other.

"Um…" Ruby said awkwardly. The two were unaware that they were moving closer together.

"Uh…" Orion spoke with a tinge of red on his own cheeks. The two were really close now, their lips slowly moving towards each other.

The two were unaware of the audience that came in a minute ago. Yang was smiling as she was recording the two on her scroll. Weiss merely rolled her eyes while Blake blushed remembered a scene similar to this from her smut-(Blake: ITS ART NOT SMUT!)- ok geez art. Team JOKR was merely snickering as they all realized that they now had teasing material for their stalwart friend. Team JNPR was also there as well, giving their support to the two.

"They seem so good together," Pyrrha whispered dreamily.

"You said it," Yang added in a hushed tone.

"I still don't get how he did better than me," Jaune whispered dejectedly.

"Shh!" Weiss whispered, "I think they're about to do it!"

The two were moving closer, both being the adorable awkward dorks they are. And in a quick instant, the two lips met, before they looked away in embarrassment.

However, unaware of our heroes, another person bore witness to this moment. Using a pair of binoculars was Azrael, next to a kneeling figure that looked feminine and monstrous.

"Well, that's certainly interesting," Azrael remarked with a grin. "I could certainly use this." He turned his attention to the figure beside him. "And you'll be instrumental in my next phase of entertainment in dealing with these Riders."

The figure didn't respond but nodded as a neon green visor was the only thing visible on her. Azrael frowned in disappointment, expecting his creation to have more life to it but instead got an emotionless doll.

"Hmph, such a boring little doll…" He said to himself quietly before Azrael turned away from his little spy game, nudging his creation with his foot. "Come along, it's time to return home."

The figure rose up without hesitation and followed its master into the shadows, sparing a glance towards Beacon.

"You'll get your chance, don't you fret now." Azrael chastised the creature like a parent. "It will make it all the more interesting once you've revealed yourself to these children."

The figure turned back to her master and followed without question. The only sound it made… was a cobra's hiss.


A/N: That's the end of the chapter, short as it may seem.

SR: Let it be said that cliffhangers are amazing.

Yang: Aww~ my little sis has a boyfriend~

Ruby:*rapidly punching Yang in the back, red-faced*

SR:*sees GKC* Oh uh… *chuckles nervously* sorry.

GKC: *Stares at SR* Get them out of my studio… before I get my hammer.

SR nodded rapidly, picking up the cartoon fight cloud of red and yellow before skedaddling. GKC kept staring as they left before turning to his audience.

GKC: *Coughs lightly* Pardon the interruption, ladies and gentlemen. But I hope that this chapter entertains you for a while. It seems an annoying Guest keeps asking me when I'll update The Dead's Reaper and as much as I would like to say that it is about done, I would be lying. It is nowhere close to being done, either from a lack of interest or from my own busy schedule. Believe me, I am taking whatever measures I can to update any of my previous stories but life doesn't always give us that chance. So there is great prudence and value in the word of patience.

SR: True that. I technically still have multiple stories to write and rewrite as well around my hectic schedule. I wanna say that we're two sides of the same coin, but that is both cliche and a bad pun.

GKC: And you know what happens when I hear a bad pun…

SR: Ah crud…

GKC: *Brings out giant mallet* While I'm chasing this fool, allow me to roll the clip. Enjoy the preview. COME HERE YOU!

SR:*starts running* MAMMA MIA~~~~~~!


Announcer: Jikai… Remnant's Climax Heroes!

Azrael: Now is the time for you to shine, my pretty.

Coco: Vale's under attack by Grimm!

Aaron: I won't let monsters like you do as you please!

Next Time: The New Greeed! Crimson Awakening!

?: I WANT TO LIVE!


GKC: And with that, I say to you all… Peace out, everybody!

SR:*with a humongous bump* Where's the leak, sir?

GKC: Quiet, you!