I realized in the last chapter I made a mistake in the time progression. The first year missions happened AFTER the dance in canon. The Breach Event should not have happened this early. I think in the long run it won't affect things too much. In fact, it will actually make some other parts of the story easier to link, along with adding new events. I'm mentioning this because someone brought it to my attention.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
From the red portal, a familiar woman stepped out. Her outfit and figure were familiar at least. A red and white mask covered her entire face, unlike those of the White Fang that only covered part of theirs. There were multiple slits in it to allow for sight and air. Quietly, Raven walked onto the room floor and looked between the sleeping children.
And raised her sword sheath.
CLANG!
A scythe blade collided with her sword as Ruby jumped to her feet. The young girl's face was full of determination before she realized who it was. She didn't get a chance to say anything before Jaune jabbed his sword forward as the boy also attacked, though he was slightly slower in his reaction time. The strike was also less powerful, as he was groggy from medication. Raven simply stepped back and let his strike pass harmlessly through the air.
"It seems you two understand the importance of being a light sleeper." Raven mused.
"Something Qrow taught us." Jaune growled, raising his shield.
"At least he wasn't completely negligent in his training."
"Why are you here?!" Ruby demanded, not lowering her scythe blade. Their room wasn't large by any means, but there was enough room she could swing it, even if it would limit her movements.
"I've come to offer you a chance for some real training." Raven turned toward Jaune, ignoring Ruby. "Without Qrow influencing you with his soft hearted crap."
"Might as well turn around right now then," Jaune replied instantly. "I told you already, I'm not interested. Now if you don't mind, I want to get some sleep. It has been a long day."
"Foolish," Raven shook her head. "Vernal did mention that about you. I'm not asking. It's best to show you what you are missing. You are coming with me."
"Over my dead body!" Jaune and Ruby shouted.
"That can be arranged."
Jaune and Ruby swung their weapons at her. They weren't trying to kill her, but they couldn't take it easy on Qrow's sister and leader of a bandit tribe. Raven's expression was unreadable through her mask as she knocked both of their strikes away with a flurry of her own blade. It was drawn so quickly, Jaune didn't even see it leave the sheath. Not only that, the moment their blades touched, he realized something that sent fear through his body.
They were not a match for her.
Sparring with Qrow had given Jaune an inkling about the strength of someone when they crossed blades. He was used to fighting people much stronger than him. When Raven's sword didn't budge even an inch as Jaune struck it, the boy could tell instantly she was in a league above them. It was like fighting Qrow, if Qrow actually didn't hold back.
"Ruby!" Jaune yelled. "Run and get Qrow! We can't beat her!"
"Oh?" Raven sounded curious, though they couldn't see her expression. "Not a bad decision."
"I can't leave you with her!" Ruby shouted back.
"Shame the girl is too much like her mother to listen."
Raven then pushed forward with her blade and sent both kids flying. Ruby hit a wall and Jaune crashed into a bed, flipping it over. This was probably a saving grace for him. The collision still hurt, but the mattress absorbed the brunt of the damage. Ruby wasn't as lucky, but she also wasn't currently injured, so her Aura absorbed it all. Shaking her head, Raven put her blade, that was still sheathed, back on her hip and walked forward.
"Vernal said you would be useful, so I'm going to verify that." Raven commented. Her hand reached out to grab Jaune's shirt.
BANG!
The door to their room was blown off its hinges. Qrow emerged with his sword drawn after kicking with his heavy boot that smashed the wooden barricade. Blades collided and sent sparks flying. Raven had actually drawn her sword from her sheath to block the attack. The weapon was long, thin, and blood red, a strong contrast to Qrow's larger gray blade.
"Why must you intrude on a private conversation?" Raven asked calmly.
"Why must you be such a bitch all of the time?" Qrow answered, his eyes narrowed. They both pushed against each other and separated for a moment. The two locked eyes through the mask and then blades began to dance through the air. The two were trading blades faster than Jaune could follow. Even in the small room, the two pros weren't deterred. "Seriously though? Sneaking into a boy's room? Didn't picture you as a cradle robber!"
"I'm just giving him an opportunity you can't." Raven answered, unperturbed by Qrow's comments. "I'll return him if he's useless." Her blade nearly cut into Qrow's arm as the man sidestepped the blow.
"Bullshit!" Qrow growled. "You'll either kill him or leave him for dead!" He glanced at Ruby and Jaune who were backed up against the walls. "Get out and notify the base's security! They probably already heard the commotion, but make sure!"
"R-Right!" Ruby nodded and helped Jaune up as the boy was still groggy from the strong medication he had been given. Being jerked and tossed around was not helping him. "Come on!"
"Watch out!" Jaune yelled, looking up.
Qrow's gaze had darted toward them for a moment to make sure they were going. That flicker wasted a fraction of a second. Between two elite fighters like him and his sister, that proved to be a critical mistake. The man saw the tip of the sword aiming at his chest, but his reaction was slowed. While he just managed to block the attack, Raven delivered a kick right into his stomach, sending him flying back and out the door to the room.
"Enough games." Raven stated, reaching over and grabbing Jaune while smacking Ruby away in the side of the shoulder with the hilt of her sword. Jaune tried to stab his own sword into her, but she brought the metal hilt down on the back of his head, knocking him out. A red portal appeared in front of her and she kicked his blade and shield through it.
"S-stop!" Ruby held out a hand.
"Vernal better be right about his usefulness." Raven said, stepping through the portal with the boy.
"RAVEN!" Qrow roared, as he burst back inside the room. "Get back here."
"Goodbye, Qrow." Raven stepped through the portal.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ruby screamed, disappearing in a blur.
The portal was closing behind the bandit leader, but a flurry of rose petals managed to slip into the small red circle. An opening much smaller than even Ruby's body. The red light vanished and Qrow's fist pounded the stone wall where it had been so hard, it cracked.
"FUCK!" Qrow yelled, as the heavy sound of footsteps approached him. He turned his head to see several Atlas security guards run up.
"Huntsman Qrow, what happened?" One asked.
"Raven Branwen attacked us while the kids slept." Qrow spat out. "Both of them were captured. I need you to give me the location of every attack the Branwen tribe has made in Mistral the past 2 months. I might be able to figure out where their base is."
"Yes, sir!" The men rushed out to put the base on high alert and tell Ash about the situation.
"Raven… you bitch!" Qrow kicked the broken bed, sending it crashing into the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Pressing his hand on the cold stone to relieve the pain, he took a few deep breaths. Panicking wasn't going to bring Jaune and Ruby back. He needed to think this through while the base soldiers got him the information he needed. Based on his time as a member of the Branwen Tribe, he could narrow down their location based on where they were attacking Mistral forces for supplies. If a Bullhead could drop him anywhere closeby, he could find them in at most a day or two.
Jaune and Ruby weren't stupid, but they were young. Being impulsive could put their lives in jeopardy. If they watched each other's backs, they should be able to survive. Raven wasn't the type of person to kidnap people for no reason. Slaves weren't something the tribe used. Each member was supposed to be completely loyal to the others. If they weren't or they were weak, they were removed. Since Raven was after Jaune, he had something she wanted.
It had to be the boy's Semblance.
"Healing abilities are rare and since they would have limited medical supplies, she would see that as a boon. Vernal had to have told her about it. For her to act, it means she has to have a plan to get Jaune to work with them. Otherwise, she wouldn't have attempted this. Her Semblance is annoying as well."
Raven's Semblance could create a portal between herself and a target that she had bonded to. As far as Qrow knew, she bonded with him, Tai, Summer, and that Vernal girl, based on the fact she could port to the middle of the Wilderness.
'How did she get to their room?'
There was no way she could have formed a bond with Jaune after two meetings. No matter how much of a lady killer the boy was, and he was not, it took time for that. The only other option was Ruby. That also didn't make sense. Raven wasn't attached to kids and Ruby wasn't her biological child. So why would she have made a bond with her? Qrow didn't even know if Raven ever met Ruby face to face before yesterday. Maybe when she was a baby?
"Could it be…?" Qrow rubbed his chin. "Seriously, Raven… you're that sentimental to Summer? You bonded with Ruby in memory of her?"
That couldn't be true. Raven having feelings besides anger? Hell would have frozen over and the Grimm would have formed a rock band to go platinum first.
Pyrrha stretched as she walked down the hallway of Beacon toward class.
After the excitement of their first mission, which from her understanding was a lot more adventurous than other teams, she had been glad to return and rest. Fighting side by side with Nora and Ren seemed to have brought back the old feeling of comradery they originally had. The tension of the last few weeks was gone for the rest of the mission. Even after returning to Beacon, Nora at least said good morning to her. A simple greeting, but one that was a huge improvement from her previous attitude. While they were hardly close friends anymore, it was a sign things could change.
Nora still sat on the other side of Ren though when they took their seats.
Baby steps.
"Good morning, class." Glynda greeted them like normal. "Please pass your homework to the person at the end of your row. Once I collect them, we'll start the matches." A few people groaned. "I'm sure most of you are tired from your first mission, but this is the life of Huntsmen and Huntresses. We don't always get breaks. Many of you encountered challenges you didn't expect and I'm pleased to see everyone rose to the occasion."
Pyrrha saw Yang fist bump Nora while grinning.
"I see everyone finish their reports," Glynda seemed content, though she didn't smile. It was rare of her to do so. She began to click on her tablet. "First match today… will be Pyrrha Nikos vs Yang Xiao-Long."
Yang's smile slipped off. Pyrrha noticed this and froze as she was about to stand. This was weird as Yang usually looked forward to fighting. One thing Pyrrha enjoyed about fighting the blonde was that Yang wasn't the kind of person to just give up. If anything, the continued losses to her only fueled her drive to win. Pyrrha respected that greatly. Her skill was also the real deal and the champion had to work hard to win.
So why was she looking worried?
"Can I take a rain check on fighting her today?" Yang asked.
"For what reason?" Glynda's eyes narrowed. There were certain reasons why she would allow a student to avoid fighting in class. Injuries, weapon malfunctions, illness, and other similar excusable things.
"Er… I'm upgrading my weapon and need some time to use it against her?" Yang replied, obviously hiding something. No one in the class was fooled as the hot tempered blonde would have faced most of the class barehanded.
"So it's unusable?" The professor clarified.
"Not exactly…" Yang fumbled her words, trying to figure out how to say this. "It's just that my current weapon isn't usable against her."
"Explain yourself, Miss Xiao-Long." Glynda crossed her arms. Her tone was growing sharp.
"She can't use her weapons because of Pyrrha's Semblance!" Another voice provided.
Pyrrha's head spun so fast to zoom on the target her neck cracked. Team RWBY, Ren, and Nora knew about her Semblance because she explained it on the mission after stopping the underground train. She hadn't told anyone else though. When they returned and reported what happened to Ozpin, all they said was they managed to stop the train. Professor Oobleck didn't even ask how they did it and he was there. So how did he find out?
Cardin was the one who spoke up.
"I wasn't talking to you, Mr. Winchester." Glynda eyed him coolly. "I was speaking to Miss Xiao-Long."
"But Yang there doesn't want to tell you the truth." Cardin grinned. The rest of the class looked confused except for his team, who were all nodding.
That was when Pyrrha realized what Cardin was talking about. Since that creep somehow knew about her Semblance, he could put together why Yang was hesitant to fight. It was the reason Pyrrha kept her Semblance a secret. Polarity was an incredibly powerful ability against other people. Nearly all Huntsman weapons were made of certain metals that could be magnetized. That wasn't even counting people's armor. A simple thought could allow her to control their weapons like a toy and make it impossible for them to attack her.
There were a couple reasons Pyrrha didn't do that and chose to hide her power.
First, it was important for her to learn how to fight without relying on her Semblance. As a Huntress, Grimm were her primary opponents. They were monsters that did not use metal weapons, so her Semblance was useless against them. The most she could use it against them would be controlling her own weapon and shield after she threw it.
Second, and probably more personal, was that she already dealt with others calling her the Invincible Girl. Many people put her on a pedestal where they believed they could never reach her. Others would be upset they lost, but still tried to beat her. If they knew she had this amazing Semblance that could make all their hard work useless, it would separate her even further away from kids her own age. She did use it occasionally to slightly dodge close attacks, but not outright controlling everything of her opponent.
"Shut up, Cardin!" Yang snapped.
"Just tell her you can't use your weapons because Pyrrha's Semblance is magnetism!" Cardin called over to her. The only reason he knew this was because he overheard Yang and Weiss talking about how to counter it in class. "As long as you have a metal weapon, you don't stand a chance."
The silence that fell over the class was suffocating, then hell broke loose.
"Her Semblance is magnetism?"
"Can she control our weapons then?"
"I thought some of my blows moved weirdly when she dodged!"
Pyrrha wanted to sink down into her chair and vanish.
"Enough!" Glynda silenced the class. "Miss Nikos' Semblance is not the issue here. As students, your job is to learn how to fight in my class. Part of that learning involves fighting opponents with unknown abilities and working them out yourself."
"You knew her Semblance!" Someone shouted.
"And you graded us when we fought her?!" Russel, Cardin's partner, added. "Knowing we couldn't win because of her Semblance."
Pyrrha didn't even use her Semblance when she was facing Cardin's team, even during the two on one matches. The girl kept quiet though. There was no point in adding fuel to the fire. It wasn't like she could prove she didn't use it. The only people she used it on recently was Mercury, Yang, and one time Blake.
"And here I thought no matter how much I trained I wasn't closing the gap, but it was due to her Semblance controlling my weapon." A girl muttered.
"A Semblance is a tool you can use, much like a weapon." Glynda was not amused at this conversation and her tone was sharp. "Saying someone is not allowed to use theirs would be the same as forbidding the use of any mechashift weapons on the premise that not everyone could make one."
"Ruby would not be happy to hear that." Blake muttered softly to herself.
"Yes," Cardin pointed out. "BUT… counterpoint… we can always get help designing a weapon and then learn to use it. We can't just change our Semblance. Some people don't have Semblances that are combat oriented. Should their grades suffer because of that?"
There was some murmuring of agreement among the students and Pyrrha's eyes were darting around. Her arm shook a little bit as more than just a few people were glaring at her.
"Not to say some people don't work hard on theirs, like Weiss there." Cardin pointed.
"Don't you use me to try to justify your inferiority complex!" Weiss snapped, earning a few snickers.
"Hmm… it's true we can't beat her with a metal weapon." A girl with red hair from Vacuo Pyrrha knew as Octavia said. "Was this a test to see if we could figure it out?"
"You won't always know what abilities your opponents have," Glynda adjusted her glasses. It was obvious she was trying not to add fuel to the fire, but there was no way she would concede her point. "If your fellow students disclose their Semblances or weapons to you ahead of time, you can use that to your advantage. If they don't, it's up to you to discern and identify."
"Well, guess our grades were affected by how well she could hide it." Russel commented, leaning back in his chair. "Damn, that sucks."
Pyrrha looked at the ground. Part of her felt guilty that others were being graded on that.
"I wish I was born with such a powerful Semblance, I could be a champion fighter too." Someone in the back row said loudly.
"Oh yeah. No wonder she wins so easily."
"Some people are just born with all the luck."
Dizziness and nausea was forming within Pyrrha. Flashbacks of her time growing up in Mistral where other students said the exact same thing about her. How they gave up before even trying, how others quit because they couldn't compete, while some injured themselves as they overworked their bodies trying to keep up.
"She was always born differently."
"We can't win, so why try?"
"She should just graduate and move on so the rest of us can grow."
"I'm sick of being in her shadow."
"She's perfect. I wish I was like her."
"Think she'll teach me if I ask?"
How many people got close to her over time just to learn her secrets or get dirt on her. They weren't her friends and only wanted something. Moving to Beacon was supposed to be different. A fresh start with new people. Friends who didn't care about her fame. Weiss was the closest thing she had to a real friend, and even then their first meeting had been marred by the girl recognizing her. Ren was kind of her friend too, but they really hadn't connected like they used to. He had been slightly distant, or maybe she had been. It was hard to tell.
"At least we know." Cardin smirked. "Beacon pits us against each other."
"Why don't you shut your mouth, Cardin!" Nora snapped. "Or I'll come over there and break your legs!"
Cardin was wise enough to shut up at that and Pyrrha looked over at her teammate. Nora may not have fully forgiven her for the incident with Jaune, but the hyperactive ginger wasn't someone who tolerated bullies. Her beef with Pyrrha wasn't related to combat class. Nora was also the type of person to not care if someone had a strong Semblance. She would tell them it's cool and then try to hit them harder with her hammer. Seriously, Pyrrha enjoyed how straight forward and kind that girl was to her friends.
That didn't include her right now, but after their mission? Maybe there was hope.
"That's enough, Miss Valkerie!" Glynda warned. "Next outburst like that will be a detention." Her gaze swept the stands and her voice turned to ice. "As for all of you, the purpose of this class is to improve your skills. Every one of you has talent, but are still at different stages. My job is to improve your combat abilities from where you are currently. Many of you are at a point where you don't need to worry about other students' Semblances. Don't get me started on the improvements you need, Mr. Winchester."
Several students openly laughed and the smugness deflated from the boy instantly.
"Miss Xiao-Long," Glynda turned to the blonde. "I can't deny that preparing for a challenge is something we try to teach. I will let you sit out today, but next class, you will be required to participate, regardless of who you are up against. I suggest having a temporary solution."
"Yes, ma'am." Yang nodded. "I'll have something set up until my favorite weapon engineer gets free."
Glynda raised an eyebrow and almost looked amused for a moment.
"I'll spar against Pyrrha!" An eager voice called out. Pyrrha looked up from her internal turmoil to see Mercury waving his hand in the air and grinning stupidly. His partner, Emerald, was facepalming at his eagerness.
"Very well, Mr. Black." Glynda nodded and made a change on her tablet. "Miss Nikos, go grab your weapon."
"Yes, professor.' Pyrrha walked quickly to the locker room. She heard people whispering as she passed. The champion tried to ignore them, but every hushed voice weighed down on her shoulders. She was becoming an outcast even more. Only Mercury really treated her like a friend. Taking a deep breath, she retrieved her weapon. "Just focus on the fight and keep practicing. You work hard. Don't let other people's words affect you."
Her resolution steeled, she left and stepped into the ring. Once again, she dominated her opponent, though she did feel bad afterwards. With all the training she had done the last few weeks to take her mind off her team situation, she really had improved. Mercury put up a good fight, much like Yang usually did. Though the boy used his legs a lot more and there were several very close calls.
The first major kick Pyrrha had been about to use her Semblance but her mind delayed as she remembered what the rest of her class was saying about her. That let Mercury get a clean hit against her side. She quickly recovered and fought like normal, but that memory of being distracted stayed. Not only that, several of her classmates began to whisper loudly about how she didn't use her Semblance there and got hit. To them, that was proof she had to use a power they didn't have to rise above them.
She might have imagined that last part but the lonely girl was sure that's what they were saying.
"Ugh…"
Jaune's head was throbbing, like his brain was beating against the inside of his skull, and there was a bad taste in his mouth as he slowly opened his eyes. Things were blurry and he couldn't make anything out except vague shapes. A shadow obscured his vision as someone moved in front of him.
"Jaune! Jaune!" Ruby's voice penetrated his mind as he was shaken awake. "I'm so glad you're okay. You have to get up. We're in trouble!"
The urgency in her voice caused Jaune to sit up, ignoring the piercing pain in his head. He blinked rapidly, causing the world around him to finally focus. Ruby was sitting on the bed next to him, still in her pajamas, but the boy quickly noticed it wasn't the bed they had started on. They weren't in the Atlas Lumber Yard barracks anymore, but a small hut held up by multiple poles.
It was then the previous night's events returned.
"What happened?" Jaune asked, rubbing the back of his head and flinching. "Raven attacked us… and then what?"
"We were kidnapped." Ruby gulped. "You've been out for a while. It's around midday, but I don't know the exact time. We don't have anything but our weapons here. And they took them."
"He was kidnapped," A curt voice corrected her as Vernal stepped into the tent. "You chose to follow and were captured when you came out of Raven's portal. Not sure what you were thinking coming here alone."
"Raven took my best friend, of course I wasn't going to just leave!" Ruby yelled at her.
"The question I want to know is… why?" Jaune admitted, noticing a tray in Vernal's hands. "That for us?"
"Be grateful I'm bringing you this." The woman set the tray down on a makeshift table that was really just a wood box being used as such. "Here, you normally don't eat if you don't work. You two are in a special situation for now. Finish this and then you'll get to meet Raven to discuss your predicament in detail. I advise not slacking. Raven is not a patient woman." She turned and left, leaving the kids to their own devices.
Jaune looked at the flap to the tent, down to the food, and then reached out toward the pitcher.
"Jaune!" Ruby grabbed his wrist. "What if it's poison?"
"If they wanted to kill us, they would have done it already." Jaune assured her. His mouth was dry and he needed water. "Plus, how are we going to have the energy to escape if we're starving?"
"I guess you have a point." Ruby's eyes fell on the hard bread and watery soup along with the pitcher of water and two small clay cups. "Probably tastes better than the Atlas rations." She bit into the hard bread. "Yep, a lot better."
Jaune chuckled, glad Ruby remembered Manny's advice. They had to stay positive, regardless of what situation they were in. The two ate about half the meal in silence before Jaune broke it.
"Can you tell me the full situation?"
"Raven overwhelmed both of us," Ruby muttered. "She knocked you out and I only just managed to jump through the portal after you. I'm not sure where we are, but we are way out in the wilderness. Dad mentioned once to Yang that Raven made portals that could lead across Remnant, so we could be anywhere."
"Not good." Jaune gulped, growing pale.
"All I saw was we were in some large camp and there are a lot of her group here." Ruby continued after swallowing some of the soup and wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her pajama pants. "I didn't stand a chance. They all had guns along with Raven and Vernal being there. You were a prisoner… I had to surrender…"
"Don't beat yourself up." Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Remember, we can't start fights we can't win. If you had fought, you would have just gotten injured or worse. We're both alive, so we have a chance to get out of this."
"They took Crescent Rose and Raven took your weapons with her too." Ruby muttered. "We're defenseless right now."
"She did?"
Jaune was surprised at this. Taking Ruby's scythe after she followed through the portal was one thing. That was only natural to disarm an opponent you wanted to capture. Why would she take Jaune's weapon though? Raven had knocked him out back in the barracks. If she just wanted him, there would be no reason to take the time to make sure he had his specific sword and shield. Those weapons were easy enough to replace.
"Raven wants us at our best for some reason…" Jaune muttered, the gears in his brain turning. "I can't understand why though? She and Vernal are way stronger than we are. Wouldn't her tribe be able to handle things better than us?"
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that," Ruby admitted. "Only things I can think of is she's doing this as revenge against Uncle Qrow for leaving the tribe… or she needs your Semblance?"
"My Semblance?" Jaune choked on the last bit of his food. "I know it's useful, but all this?"
"Healing Semblances are super rare, we told you that." Ruby huffed. "She's a bandit, so it's not like they can just walk into hospitals. They have to do first aid out here. You'll be able to help them with that."
"Oh… that does make sense." Jaune was still a little groggy and it made him slow on the uptake. "And she couldn't just ask me because I'm not part of her tribe and we keep traveling, rather than being here to help."
"From what Uncle Qrow told us, Raven will never ask for help." Ruby tried to joke, but her voice was dry. She pulled her legs up close to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her hand reached for her cloak, only to remember she didn't have it and was stuck in her sleep wear.
Instantly, Jaune felt sorry for her.
That cloak was like a safety blanket for Ruby. When she was scared, embarrassed, or just wanted to think, she would wrap herself up in it to calm down. This was the first time Jaune could remember her being in a position like this without it. His younger sisters had security items too, blankets, stuffed dolls, etc. They were important items for their mental well being. Not sure what to do, Jaune instinctively wrapped his arm over her shoulders to comfort her. Ruby glanced up at him in confusion, before leaning up against him.
The moment didn't last long.
"You done yet?" Vernal asked aggressively, as she pushed open the hut flaps and glaring at them. Ruby and Jaune jumped apart. The woman eyed them suspiciously. "Hurry up. Raven wants to see you now. I don't recommend keeping her waiting. She's not the patient type."
"Okay." Ruby muttered and shook her head before gaining her confidence back. "She's got some explaining to do!"
"Good luck with that." Vernal scoffed, turning around and leading them out.
"Stay calm and act confident." Jaune whispered. "Remember what Qrow taught us. Don't antagonize like he does."
"You need to watch that more than me," Ruby replied softly. "You talk like him a lot."
The sun bore down on them after they stepped outside. Dozens of huts were set up within a wooden wall made of tree trunks, sharpened into spikes at the top. An open area with makeshift practice dummies were set up next to part of the wall. Multiple stoves were hanging from tripods over fireplaces in an area that could be loosely described as the kitchen. Multiple men and women were dressed in a variety of red and black clothes. Many of them were snickering at the two of them, some outright mocking, but a couple only whispered in the background.
Vernal ignored all of them as she led them to the largest hut set up in the center of the camp. Jaune and Ruby refused to look at the other bandits, choosing to keep their heads held high and focus on Vernal in front of them.
"I brought them." Vernal announced, before opening the flap and pushing the two kids inside. "Make sure you two show her respect."
"Hmmm, finally decided to wake up?" Raven mused, sitting on a chair with her mask set on a box near her. Her lodging wasn't much fancier than anyone else's. The leader of the bandits seemed to value practicality over aesthetic. Everything could be moved quickly and had multiple uses. Even the huts were random recycled cloth and fur bound together.
"Weren't you the one who knocked me out?" Jaune reminded her.
"Your neck wasn't broken, so either I held back or you were strong enough to survive that." Raven smirked at him. "Which do you think it was?"
Jaune didn't rise to the bait and remained silent.
"No smart ass comments?" Raven raised an eyebrow while still smirking. "Lost your nerve without Qrow here to protect you?"
"Why did you bring us here!?" Ruby demanded to know.
"I did not bring you," Raven reminded her. "You followed and it was only because of my generosity that you were allowed to stay alive."
Jaune and Ruby both doubted that. The woman didn't seem very generous.
"Then what do you want with me?" Jaune asked, deciding to get to the point. "It can't be just to annoy your bro-... Qrow." Raven's eyes flashed when he started to call Qrow that. While she might use it sarcastically, it seemed she didn't want other people to associate them together.
"Do you think I'm that petty?" Raven responded, her words icy. "No, that achieves nothing. I brought you here for one reason. An invitation to join the tribe."
Mouths fell open at this statement while Vernal looked rather pleased with herself.
"W-W-What?!" Jaune babbled. "Y-You can't… T-that's not…" He shook his head. "I seem to have a concussion and hearing things."
"Vernal." Raven only had to say that one word.
SMACK!
Vernal slapped him in the back of the head.
"What was that for?!" The boy demanded.
"For being a dumbass, Dumbass." Vernal scolded. "You know how rare it is to be offered a place in the Branwen Tribe? You should be honored. Don't you dare take it as a joke!"
"W-Why would you offer me that?" Jaune stammered.
"While Qrow may have abandoned the tribe, he didn't fully disregard our teaching." Raven explained simply, tapping the armrest on her chair. "He gave you the Trial By Blood and you succeeded. Not only that, you survived in the middle of the Arachne Nest, even if Vernal did most of the work. You were resourceful. Your skills are lacking, but I can beat those into you."
"I thought I said I wanted to keep training with Qrow?" Jaune didn't like the sound of this and she had offered to let her train him.
"Yeah!" Ruby chimed in angrily. "We're training under him. Just because you force him to come with you, doesn't mean he's going to join you!"
"Silence!" Raven cut her off. "Your opinion means nothing. Only he is invited. You were merely a tag along."
"Want me to get rid of her?" Vernal asked, the signs of a sadistic grin forming on her lips.
Instantly, Jaune stepped between them as Ruby spun on the spot. As much as Ruby was a prodigy, Qrow had pointed out her hand to hand combat skills were nearly nonexistent. Without Crescent Rose, she couldn't fight very well. Jaune wasn't in a much better position either, but he could at least take a hit. Against these two women? They didn't stand a chance regardless.
"Hold that for now," Raven raised a hand. "Don't scare our guests." The smile she gave them did not settle their nerves. If anything, it put the two kids on edge. "Since they are already here, might as well let them see what life here is like… a trial period if you will."
"A trial period?" Jaune asked cautiously.
"You'll live here for a few days, train and work like the others, and if you don't think you'll get stronger as part of the tribe, then you're free to go." Raven explained. "From what I understand, that's why you're training with Qrow anyways."
"That's not the point!" Ruby protested. "You don't just kidnap apprentices! There's supposed to be a level of trust between you two!"
"I don't doubt you could probably train us to be strong," Jaune replied a little more diplomatically. "If Vernal trained under you, there's proof right there how well your training works." Vernal smirked and crossed her arms. "But my answer hasn't changed."
"I see." Raven frowned. "You're missing out on a chance to truly gain strength." A sigh escaped her. "You two are just like them. Showing weakness."
"It's not a weakness to stick to your principles." Ruby glared at her.
"Your mother said the exact same thing to me too. See what happened to her."
Ruby looked as if she had been slapped.
"The strong live and the weak die," Raven stated. "That is the one truth to this world. You can spout all the fancy platitudes you want, but that doesn't change. The ones who can spout such nonsense are either the weak trying to fool themselves or the strong who can back up their words. Which are you?"
"We'll find that out, won't we." Jaune interjected, as Ruby wasn't in the right frame of mind to continue arguing after that low blow.
"You sound just like him…" A sneer formed slightly on Raven's lips. "Taking after him?"
"He's strong, so hopefully." Jaune countered.
"Heh, he's gotten soft and lost a lot of his edge." Raven scoffed. "Very well then. If you two are so blind you can't see the golden opportunity before you, I won't continue wasting words. You're free to go."
"Free?" Both kids asked.
"You'll hardly fetch a ransom if we locked you up." Raven yawned. "Then we would have to feed you and set up guards. Slaves and non valuable prisoners are just not practical. Vernal will give you your weapons and then leave."
"You aren't sending us back?" Jaune blurted out.
"Why should I?" Raven stared at him sternly. "You decided you didn't want to be part of the tribe, so I am under no obligation to help you. You're lucky I'm even giving you your weapons back."
"But we don't have food, supplies, any idea where… we… are…" Ruby's words began to trail off and thanks to her, Jaune also realized what Raven was doing.
This was all part of her plan.
"If Qrow's training works, I'm sure you two will be fine." Raven brushed off Ruby's worries as Vernal started snickering again.
"Seriously, are you in that much of a competition with him?" Jaune gaped at the absurdity of the situation.
"Careful, boy." Raven's tone turned from amused to ice cold in an instant. "Qrow's not here to protect you." The boy went silent. "Good, you're capable of learning at least. Get out of my sight. I wasted enough time on two brats who don't want to reach their full potential."
"Come on." Vernal huffed, stepping up. "You had a chance."
Jaune and Ruby shared a look. This wasn't good for them. Even if they had their weapons, they could hardly survive very long outside in the wilds. A bandit camp was sure to be far away from any civilization. No food, no supplies, no Scroll, no map, no ammo? They wouldn't last very long. Even boiling water would be impossible without a container. Lost out in the wilderness just trying to survive? That had to be avoided.
"Wait!" The gears in Jaune's brain already began to spin. Raven raised a hand, causing Vernal to freeze in place. Ruby glanced over at him, trying to figure out what his game was.
"Yes?" Raven asked casually. She held all the cards and knew it.
"We'll take… the trial period." Jaune answered, his hand clenched into a fist behind his back. This decision would buy them some time.
Ruby bit her lip, but she knew why he agreed. As much as it pained the girl to admit it, this was the right decision for their predicament. They would have to play along for now. Her Uncle Qrow would surely do something to find them. He was just that good. Survival was priority number one. The two of them would be good 'tribe members' for now. Maybe learn a few tricks they could take back with them to make this trip worthwhile.
Possibly learn more about Yang's mom.
"I thought you would see it my way." Raven leaned back in the chair. "Vernal, I leave them to you. Get them equipped and then the normal tests."
"As you command." Vernal nodded and then turned to Jaune and Ruby. "You heard her, Dumbass, Midget. Get moving."
Biting their tongue, Ruby turned and walked out of the tent with Jaune. Vernal led the way, not even concerned a little bit about them trying anything. Either that or she was confident she could take them both. If her skills were around what Jaune told Ruby, she probably could. A warmth touched her hand and she looked down automatically. Jaune's hand was the culprit.
"We'll get through this." Her friend whispered.
"Yeah, we will." Ruby agreed softly, already feeling secure. "Together." Her hand tightened on his for a moment before they separated to avoid anyone noticing.
They were both aware of the eyes of all the other bandits watching them. Some were sitting on barrels or crates, others were walking by, even the ones that were sparring stopped to look at them. The kids knew they looked ridiculous in their pajamas being marched through the base. It was also entertainment for the bandits, as many of them were laughing. Ruby wanted to shrink and hide, but she kept her head held high. She was a Huntress and she wouldn't let them intimidate her.
Jaune meanwhile, focused on the back of Vernal's head to avoid looking at anyone else. He wasn't fairing much better, but at least he was a tall male. He towered over a good number of the tribe members. Even if he wasn't strong enough to beat them, his presence would hopefully act as a deterrent. There wasn't much he could do if they decided to play the school yard bully.
"You'll get a set of clothes here." Vernal told them, stopping in front of a hut with a couple racks out front, a few jackets and pants hanging from them. Ruby covered her nose with her hands as they smelled rancid. There was a reason they were outside.
"Vernal… Raven's got you bringing the recruits huh?" A man stepped out and grinned. He was shirtless with a large red tattoo over his right shoulder. "Wait… who's the midget?"
"Dumbass' pet." Vernal grinned, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder. "Get them a set of clothes. Boss' orders."
"HEY!" Ruby cried out. "I have a name!"
"And it's Midget." Vernal and the man said in unison before laughing.
"Your name is probably too complicated for those two to remember, Ruby." Jaune assured her. "They don't look that bright-...OOMPH!"
Vernal had punched him in the stomach, but the man continued to roar with laughter.
"At least the boy there knows how to dish it out… but you should know, Vernal doesn't take shit from anyone but Raven."
"Duly… noted…" Jaune gasped, as Ruby helped support him. His mouth was going to get him killed. Qrow didn't have a filter so all their traveling together sort of ruined Jaune's. It was a good thing his ribs seemed to be healed, or he would be laying on the ground crying.
Ruby's eyes narrowed at the woman who just punched her best friend. For once, her pouting face wasn't adorable. There was anger in her gaze. Those silver eyes of hers were focused on the enemy. Vernal raised an eyebrow at this and then turned away, no longer caring. The man checked inside the shack and grabbed some stuff, tossing it to Jaune and Ruby.
"Try these on."
"Is there a changing room?" Ruby asked, blushing as she looked around. They were out in the open.
"Of course, your majesty," The man oozed sarcasm. "Right next to the pony stables." Vernal snorted and Ruby pursed her lips together. "Change whereever the fuck you want, Midget. This isn't a place for prudes."
Jaune was a boy and could change out in the open. He's done that enough times. Ruby was a young girl who at most changed with Jaune looking the other way. With all the adult men and women walking around, she would easily be seen. Looking around, she grabbed the clothes and slipped between two huts. Jaune moved to stand in front of the alley entrance to change himself, blocking anyone from seeing her. Vernal scoffed at their actions as the man snorted loudly in amusement.
"Kids, both of them."
"The Dumbass just worries too much about the Midget , when he should be worrying about himself." Vernal muttered.
"Aww, you care about him. What did that boy do to thaw your heart-... FUCKING HELL!"
Vernal had reached over and grabbed his finger before jerking it.
"Don't be such a baby. I only dislocated it."
"It still hurts, you crazy bitch!"
Jaune and Ruby heard those two fighting and waited, even after changing. They took the opportunity to look at each other's outfit. Jaune was wearing brown leather boots, black pants held up by a belt, a white t-shirt with short sleeves, and a black jacket with buttons. Ruby was wearing a pair of brown pants and a dark brown, long-sleeved shirt, with some raggedy brown shoes.
"You look… good." Ruby eyed Jaune up and down.
"Think so?" Jaune tried to examine himself.
"Better than mine." Ruby sighed. "I think they just tossed me the junk clothes. Maybe that guy was right and Vernal is favoring you."
"Hey, Midget!" Vernal shouted, hearing this. "You got those clothes because that's all we have in your size. Don't go spreading out stupid rumors or I'll break a couple of your bones."
"Eep!" Ruby slammed her mouth shut.
"What's next?" Jaune asked, trying to distract Vernal's wrath.
"You're going to do some sparring." Vernal grunted. "I saw some of your skills with the Arachnes, but we need to know how strong you are. If you're too weak, you'll just be a liability to anyone who goes with you."
"That makes sense…" Jaune admitted, thinking of bandits surviving out in the wilds with nowhere to fall back on. "Who are we fighting against? Each other?"
"Me."
That one word was enough to send chills down their spines.
Jaune and Ruby were led to the arena, or what constituted an arena for the bandits. It was literally a bare patch of ground in a circle, with some logs around the outer edge to outline the circle. At least the walk there was a lot less embarrassing. The two of them were dressed for the part. Vernal went into a hutt behind the ring and pulled out their weapons. Ruby's eyes widened as she tossed them over. Instantly, the girl grabbed her scythe and cradled it like a child.
Jaune, of course, missed catching his and the shield landed on his foot.
"I'm never letting you go again," Ruby whispered to her baby.
"Disgusting." Vernal rolled her eyes before glancing at Jaune picking up his weapons while shaking his injured foot.
"Hey!" Ruby realized. "You took all my ammo!"
"Well, duh?" Vernal rolled her eyes at the girl. "There's no way you're getting live ammunition in camp, especially since you aren't full tribe members yet. You're lucky you even got your weapon."
Ruby stuck her tongue out.
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this." Vernal grinned, pulling out her own weapons. "Here's the deal. I'm going to beat the crap out of both of you. Try not to die."
"Couldn't we do something… less violent?" Jaune asked nervously, already opening his shield..
Instead of answering, or maybe this WAS her nonverbal answer, Vernal charged, delivering a knee kick toward Jaune's gut. It met the boy's shield, as Jaune was able to move it in the way at the last second. The force of the blow pushed him back a couple feet. The amount of power that woman had in her body was insane. If he didn't fight with everything he had, he was definitely going to die. He lifted his sword to strike back, but Vernal was already moving.
She backhanded Jaune in the side of the head right before pushing off his shield. With his head spinning, the boy lost his balance. Vernal pushing off his shield made him land on his ass as she propelled herself to Ruby. Ruby was currently in the middle of changing her weapon from the gun mode to its full scythe mode. Vernal's instantaneous direction change didn't give her time to respond. A foot was planted squarely in her stomach as Vernal twisted in mid air to deliver the kick.
Ruby was sent flying and crashing into the ground.
This did not go unnoticed. When the other bandits saw the actions, they all rushed over to take a look. Soon, a couple dozen people were hanging around the edge of the arena, placing bets and just enjoying the entertainment. There probably wasn't much other entertainment when they weren't robbing towns or fighting in the arena.
"Vernal's delivering an execution."
"Hell yeah!"
"Five on her."
"Of course she's going to win."
"10 to 1 odds?"
"You son of a bitch… I'm in."
"Seriously?" Vernal asked, twirling her weapons. "You're not even putting up a fight. Are you even trying?"
The two kids shared a look as they pushed themselves up off the ground. They had to treat this like a serious fight with Qrow. The man would not hold himself back from hurting them if they dropped their guard. This was going to be just as bad, if not worse. Raven wanted them alive so Vernal was going to stop before they died… probably.
Shield raised, Jaune charged forward, sword held high. Vernal shifted her gaze to him just as planned. If this was a game, Jaune was the tank. Sometimes he wished he actually had a taunt button. Right when Vernal was distracted, Ruby flickered behind her using her Semblance in a flurry of rose petals. Swinging her scythe horizontally, it should have been a clean hit.
Not this time.
Vernal ducked under Ruby's scythe and flipped into a handstand at the same time. Right as the weapon passed over her, the woman's legs went up, delivering a kick into Ruby's chin. Ruby's vision blacked out for a moment before she found herself on the ground, sore and jaw aching. Not stopping there, Vernal pushed off the ground with her arms, above Jaune's attack, to land right behind him. Jaune tried to spin around and strike, but Vernal reached forward and grabbed his arm.
Then she delivered a beautiful over the shoulder throw, slamming him down into the earth.
The onlookers cheered and whistled.
"Cheap shot." Ruby growled, spitting out a little blood from her mouth.
"Even if it was, so?" Vernal sneered, twirling her weapons. "The only rule here is that the strong are the last ones standing. The weak fall. Annndddd…. From what I'm seeing, you're on the ground." With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the spinning blade at the girl. There was no mercy just because she was down.
Ruby disappeared and the blade bounced off the ground, hit a barrel, and came flying back to Vernal, just in time for her to block Ruby's attack. The speed of Ruby's Semblance was too fast to follow, so even Vernal had to work at figuring out how to counter. Ruby's scythe spun around in a centripetal motion, constantly striking at her foe and moving seamlessly into a follow up attack. The crowd was cheering, but Ruby couldn't pay them a single thought. She was barely keeping Vernal on the defensive.
Jaune then realized something.
The boy was still on the ground, his ribs throbbing again from being slammed on the ground. His vision was a little blurry still, but he could think. Barely. Training with Qrow taught him to focus on the fight, regardless how he was feeling. Because of that, the big mistake Vernal made was obvious. She was purely focused on Ruby's high speed attacks.
With her back turned to him.
Jaune wasn't fast. He wasn't sneaky either. If he stood up and charged, Vernal would notice him and counter. However, would she expect an attack from a different angle? No better idea came to mind and Ruby needed help. Willing his body to move, Jaune pushed forward, and reached out…
'I'm going to regret this.'
…grabbing Vernal's ankle and pulling.
"Huh?!"
Not only did Jaune throw her off balance, the sudden touch made her look down automatically. Against someone like Ruby? You were begging to get hit. Which she did. Hard. Ruby's scythe blade slashed downwards in a direct hit. Aura absorbed most of the blow, but the strike did some serious damage. Then, just as Jaune predicted, he regretted it.
Vernal kicked him in the side of the head..
"Jaune!" Ruby darted around their enemy and grabbed Jaune, zipping over to the far side of the arena. "Are you okay?"
"The world's spinning…?" Jaune mumbled, coughing up blood.
"Why would you do something like that?" Ruby demanded. "You were defenseless!"
"To help you." Jaune grinned, his eyes unfocused.
"At least you know how to take advantage of openings." Vernal growled, putting a hand on her shoulder where she was hit. A couple of bandits were laughing at her and she turned to toss her blades at their balls. Fortunately, she was distracted enough to give the two kids a short breather.
"We're in trouble." Ruby muttered. "She looks pissed."
"I have an idea." Jaune whispered.
"Better make it fast."
"Cheat Code 3."
Ruby's eyes widened as Jaune grabbed her wrist and began to force every fiber of his being on his Semblance. Warmth was flooding into her body. Jaune wasn't regenerating anything of his and was pumping every bit of Aura he could into her. Words were caught in her throat as she felt her Aura regenerate to max, and then go even further beyond.
Red electricity cracked around her body.
"Hmm?" Vernal noticed it. "Wait… did you recharge her Aura? Dumbass! You trying to die?"
"Awww, you do care." Jaune grinned weakly. "Sorry about this then."
Ruby vanished in a blast of wind as the red blur moved so fast, Vernal couldn't react at all.
A blow hit her in the side of the head, then in her stomach, then in her back. She tried to swing her weapon to the side, but the blade passed through nothing but air. She roared in anger and swiped randomly, only to have metal smash against her Aura over and over again. The last hit landed on the back of her head, causing Vernal to collapse forward, hitting the ground with a thud.
A scythe blade moved next to her neck as she laid there.
"What was that about the strong and the weak?" Ruby asked, her expression stern. "Something about the weak falling?"
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
Sadly, there was something I wanted to do dealing with Maidens, but after the previous mistake, I actually did research. I couldn't have the maiden Raven killed still alive at this point. It would have made for a great story, but Raven couldn't have the powers then. She would be too old as the cut off was around 30 according to Rooster Teeth. I could have ignored that I supposed, but I realized I wanted Raven to have maiden powers eventually.