Atonement IV
The embodiment of strength comes not from being to harm those who cannot fight back, but to stand up to those who would.
Deep in the forests of Anima, a campsite could be seen behind walls made of trees that were cut down and their tops sharpened at the end for both practical and theatrical use. In part of this continent, one is expected to know how to defend themselves, especially when traveling outside of the kingdom of Mistral. For out here, you will find no shortage of not just Grimm but bandits.
Specifically bandits belonging to the Branwen Tribe, one of the fiercest tribes in all of Remnant.
And their leader is hailed as the most dangerous one to exist: Raven Branwen.
Formerly a member of Team STRQ along with her younger twin brother, Raven had been trained from the moment she could walk to be a ruthless warrior which was to be expected in the Branwen Tribe. The only threats to the tribe were the Grimm, humanity's oldest and greatest enemy and the Huntsmen, who were trained to hunt and kill Grimm. Raven and her brother had been selected to learn how to become Huntsmen due to their age being perfect and because their skills were already the best of all the youngest members of the tribe.
Huntsmen were humanity's greatest warriors and while the Branwen Tribe was fierce, not even they could stand up to the might of these elite warriors.
Not unless they had one of their own.
The twins' skills and abilities garnered the attention of Professor Ozpin, and they were enrolled to Beacon Academy and placed on Team STRQ along with Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long. From then on, Raven would continue training to become the best so she could become the warrior her tribe would be proud…and fearful of. So skilled, that she had been recruited along with the rest of her team by Ozpin into learning of the secret war against the Queen of the Grimm herself, Salem. Ozpin revealed the secrets of his abilities, his longevity and Salem's existence to Team STRQ, and gave Raven and Qrow the ability to shape-shift into the birds of their namesakes.
Deciding on investigating on her own, Raven's findings gradually made her become more horrified and disillusioned with the world, and she developed negative conceptions towards Ozpin. Raven was once in a relationship with Taiyang and bore him a daughter - Yang Xiao Long. But having deemed the fight against Salem as hopeless, and deciding to stay true to why she became a Huntress, she left for the tribe, not long after Yang's birth, and eventually rose to become its leader, while possibly wanting to distance herself from Ozpin. Qrow, however, never returned to the tribe, seeing them as 'killers and thieves' and believed in Ozpin. Raven saw Qrow's desertion as betrayal and his trust in Ozpin foolhardy, and the twins have been feuding with each other ever since.
Now she led the Branwen Tribe and she had no intention of being used by anyone, including Ozpin.
However she would soon learn that it was neither Ozpin nor Salem she had to worry about.
"Raven!" The curtains leading into the leader's tent were opened and in came a rather dirty looking man with horrible teeth that could be seen when he opened his mouth.
His name was Shay D. Mann.
Raven opened her eyes and glared at the man for interrupting her meditation. "What is it?"
"We have a problem. Someone's here in the campsite, wanting to speak to you." Shay quickly answered.
"Who?" Raven reached and grasped her weapon, Omen while keeping it in its sheath.
"Some kind of freak covered in red bandages and I think he's got red skin." Shay answered.
Raven stood up and walked out, brushing past Shay in the process. Raven quickly slipped on her mask, a mask resembling a Grimm of sorts and she narrowed her eyes as she looked upon the intruder.
"DiZ."
There standing before her was a man hailed as one of the most elusive and mysterious men in all of Remnant.
Even more mysterious and secretive than Ozpin.
Raven had seen this man only a handful of times but heard plenty of him from Ozpin during her time as a member of his secret cabal. This man, DiZ which was an anagram for the name 'Darkness In Zero' was an information broker, able to know almost anything. He even apparently knew about Salem and Ozpin somehow, even though Ozpin had never recruited the man himself.
"Good afternoon, Raven Branwen." DiZ said cordially, taking a few steps forward while ignoring the other bandits members circling around him. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything important."
Raven stared down the man who looked back at her with an unflinching yellow eye. "It takes a great deal of nerve to walk uninvited into my camp and demand to speak with me. You're more daring than I thought."
"So kind of you to say." DiZ calmly replied.
"I didn't mean it as a compliment." Raven placed a hand on the hilt of her sword. "What do you want?"
"I come with a simple task." DiZ answered. "I come to tell you to cease your raids."
The rest of the camp was silent as the bandits glanced at each other and then began snicker, whispering and pointing at the strange man.
Raven for her part, remained composed but raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You come all this way here to request us to stop our raids?"
"It's not a request, Raven." DiZ said back, glaring at the bandit leader. "Unlike Ozpin, who would try to give you a chance to make the 'right' choice, I am telling you to stop your foolish raids."
Raven was glaring now. "And you think you'll have a better shot than Ozpin? Even he would know better than to expect me to stand down just like that."
"Ozpin does not have the time, patience or the resolve to discipline his wayward subordinates. Frankly I would rather not be here as well, but I am forced to clean up his mess since neither he nor the rest of his associates have bothered to even request you to stop." DiZ stated. "A tedious task but well within my abilities to handle."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Raven turned away. "I am not one of Ozpin's tools anymore and I will not yield to some man who dares to walk in here and has the audacity to believe he can order me or anyone here. You can see how we treat people like that here."
The bandits began advancing on DiZ who remained still. "Interesting word you use, Raven. A tool."
Raven stopped. "Yes, a tool. That was what I was to Ozpin and I won't be one to someone like you either. Just who do you think you are?"
"I am a servant of the world. I look down and see what must be done to keep it safe and what people are needed." DiZ answered.
"Just like Ozpin, huh?" Raven scoffed. "And you thought you could bully me into complying with your ridiculous wish? You are more foolish than I thought. I am not Oz's tool and I will not be yours either, since you will dead in just a few seconds."
There was the sound of hitting the ground, followed by screams.
"AAAH!"
"AH!"
"AAH!"
Raven spun around to see six lances embedded into the ground around DiZ, releasing a blast of wind that knocked the surrounding bandits back, some of them crashing into tents and knocking them down.
"And you, Raven are not nearly as smart as you think you are." DiZ said as two men in dark coats landed next to him. "Did you really think I would not be prepared?"
Raven narrowed her eyes under her mask, surveying the two dark coated man flanking DiZ.
"I did not come to recruit you for I know better. If I am a servant of the world, you are not fit to be called a tool." DiZ's lips curled into a small smile. "I consider you more of a failed tool. Actually, a flawed device is perhaps more accurate. And I have no need for that."
Raven's eyes widened and then she glared again. "Is that so?"
"Yes. Ozpin's experiment with you and your brother yielded only partially positive results and when you fled with the gift he gave you, rather than tracking you down and making sure you didn't become a problem he let you run amok here in Anima, attacking defenseless villages. I have no wishes to salvage the failed experiment that is you, Raven Branwen. As I said before, I am cleaning up Ozpin's mess and making Anima a safer place." DiZ was now the one glaring. "So now Raven, I order you to cease your raids."
Raven clenched her free hand into a fist. "You…order me?"
The sheer…audacity of this man!
Who does he think he is?!
Does he know who he talking to?!
"Yes, I order you and for the safety of your fellow tribesmen you will comply." DiZ stated. "Or do you wish to see what my alternative is?"
"Or…You can see my alternative!" Raven shot forward, taking her sword out and swinging it at Diz's neck, intending to behead him instantly.
ZAP!
Only when she was within striking distance, a bright light engulfed the camp and forced her to cover her eyes.
A hand then caught her sword.
Raven had no time to react as a fist slammed into her mask, sending her flying back while her mask slipped off her face. She hit the ground just as the bright light faded and she could see.
Her eyes widened when she saw who had punched her. "Tai?"
It was indeed her former teammate and former husband, Tai Xiao-Long. He cast an indifferent look at her as she stood up and looked around, seeing the rest of the tribe rubbing their eyes as they recovered from the flash.
"So, you cast yourself in with him now?" Raven questioned but then paused to see DiZ was no longer present.
In fact, Tai was standing where DiZ had been.
"What's wrong, Raven?" Tai asked, holding his fists. "You seem unsettled."
Raven narrowed her eyes, feeling something was off with Tai. "That's not how Tai speaks…"
"And how would you know? You haven't seen me in years. Perhaps I have changed." Tai suggested, smiling coldly.
Raven grit her teeth. "Kill them!"
The bandits shouted and charged at the trio. One of the dark coated men pulled out and giant axe-sword and slammed it into the ground, creating a massive shockwave that knocked the majority of the bandit tribe back. The other held out his hand and there was a gust of wind that lifted the six lances out of the ground. He caught one in one hand and two in the other as the rest circled around him.
'He has a wind Semblance!' Raven's eyes widened.
Tai shot at her and she barely blocked a punch aimed at her face. Raven snarled and shoved the man back, bring her sword up and swing it down. Only Tai easily sidestepped the slash and slugged Raven in the side, causing her to scream out.
"Still your opening attack, I see. You always did swing from the right." Tai commented as he stepped back.
"Shut up!" Raven spun and slashed at Tai who jumped and somersaulted backwards.
Tai landed and charged at Raven as she sheathed her sword and the Dust rotary chamber spun. She swung horizantily, releasing a crescent shaped blast of fire at Tai ducked and slid under the blast. His foot collided with Raven's sword and he kicked it away. Tai then jumped to his feet, launching punches and kicks at Raven who blocked and then retaliated by slashing at the image of her former husband who immediately blocked. Raven sheathed her sword and then performed a 'Iado' slash at Tai several times, pushing him back.
For a moment, Raven found herself lost in the duel as the memories came.
Her frequent duels and spars with her teammates before and after they graduated from Beacon…
Raven grit her teeth as she pushed Tai back. "Stop using his face!"
Tai slid back and stood up, smiling at her.
That smile…
That stupid smile.
Raven's eyes widened as he brought his fists together, the sound of his knuckles colliding that caused her to falter…
He then shot at her.
"RAGH!" Raven shouted as she swung her blade horizontally just as Tai came within striking distance.
But Tai jumped over her strike, spun through the air and fell down, bringing his fist down on a wide-eyed Raven.
POW!
Raven barely felt herself hit the ground from the force of the punch.
That fist…
That strength…
She knew it well.
That's because it was Tai Xio-Long's strength.
But…why?
She glanced up at him. "So…you hate me that much, Tai? You sold me out to that bastard? I am sure Yang will be so proud of you."
Tai smiled…and then his form fizzled…becoming DiZ!
Raven's eyes widened in pure shock. "You…"
DiZ pulled out a small card and dropped it in front of Raven's face. "You are the last person to complain about betrayal, Raven."
Raven looked at the card and saw a picture of Tai on it. "Is this…your Semblance?"
"In a manner of speaking. I can mimic the form of anyone I choose but I can take it much further than that." DiZ said as he then suddenly morphed into Qrow. "I can even replicate their fighting style and memories if I can gain the necessary information."
Raven's eyes widened. "Mimic…"
"That's right." DiZ in the form of Qrow knelt down and picked up the card with the picture of Tai and even pulled out another one with a picture of Qrow. "I grafted this card by looking up the basic of your teammate. Team STRQ was the quite the celebrated team in their time so it was rather easy to find all the necessary information to the point I can mimic their fighting skills, weapons and even their Semblances."
Raven looked around and saw the entire camp had been devastated, all of her tribesmen lying on the ground at the feet of the dark coated men.
"Don't worry." DiZ said as he changed back into his normal form. "No one is dead but they will no doubt be very sore for a good long while which is the point I was trying to make."
Raven grunted as she stood up. "I can still fight."
DiZ said his Semblance can only mimic someone as long as he had all the right information. Even if he had information of her from her time on Team STRQ he couldn't account for what has changed since she had left.
"I have no doubt you can. The data stated you were renowned for your cunning." DiZ admitted. "Which is why I have taken that into account."
Raven's eyes flashed with red fire and she swing her blade, releasing a wave of fire bigger than any of her previous attacks that engulfed DiZ and the dark coated men. When the fire cleared, they were gone.
Complete incinerated.
This was her trump card.
The power she had taken to ensure her tribe's safety.
The power of the Spring Maiden.
"So this was your trump card."
Raven's eyes widened in shock and she hastily looked around, trying to find the origin of the voice. "Where are you?"
Then to Raven's shock, the entire camp dissolved into nothing but ones and zeros while the sky along with the sun and clouds vanished, leaving Raven and the rest of the Branwen Tribe floating in some kind of white void.
"Welcome Raven, to the Datascape." An image of DiZ appeared in front of her. "A little invention of mine."
"What is this?!" Raven shouted frantically as the power of the Spring Maiden exploded from her.
"So you are a Maiden and if I am not mistaken, the long lost Spring Maiden." DiZ narrowed his eye. "To think, you chose to walk out on the conflict with Salem, only to become a Maiden. I heard the Spring Maiden fled from Haven and disappeared into the wilderness some time ago. I should have realized you had found her and I guess you killed her for her power."
"Where am I?!" Raven shouted as she fired a bolt of lightning at DiZ but the attack passed through him like a ghost.
"Like I said, it's called the Datascape. An entire world made of nothing but digital coding, designed to mimic the world based on what I program it to mimic." DiZ answered.
"You're lying." Raven accused, her eyes still flaring. "No one, not even Atlas is that advanced."
"I am not affiliated with Atlas." DiZ calmly rebuked. "I suppose you should be thankful for that since I have no doubt General Ironwood would have you imprisoned immediately. Not only for your raids but for also taking the Spring Maiden's power as your own and keeping it secret. You had to know Ozpin spent a great deal of time looking for the Spring Maiden but said nothing. Perhaps I should hand you over to him since you are now an even bigger problem."
Raven snarled, gritting her teeth. She floated around, trying to get a feel of this strange place. She could see images of places on Remnant that she was familiar with:
Patch
Vale
Beacon
Atlas
Mantle
Mistral
Haven
Vacuo
"You won't find a way out, Raven." DiZ spoke. "I digitized you and your tribe and the only way out is to reverse the process. Not even your Semblance will get you out."
Raven turned around, glaring at DiZ. "What…Do…You…Want?"
"Did I not make myself clear?" DiZ questioned, rolling his eye. "I told you. I want you to stop your raids. There is nothing else I want and if you agree, I'll actually set you free."
"And I'm just supposed to believe that?" Raven scoffed.
"What you believe is irrelevant. However, I stand by my statement…Provided you cooperate." DiZ turned away.
Raven 'walked' up to DiZ. "And if I refuse?"
DiZ was silent before he slowly turned to face her. "Then I vow to keep you and your tribe locked in this digital prison until the end of days."
Raven's eyes widened and the flames around her eyes ceased. "…You're bluffing. You have to know Ozpin has been looking for the Spring Maiden. What will he think if he finds out you have locked me up in here?"
"And what do you think he will do when he finds out you have harbored the Spring Maiden all this time, taken the power for yourself and said nothing to him or your brother?" DiZ calmly retorted, noting the frustrated look on Raven's face. "Or do you plan to play the family card and hope that your brother and your former husband will come to your rescue? I suppose everyone has to play the role of damsel in distress at least once in their lives."
Raven growled under her breath at being called a damsel in distress.
"Then again, I would also be doing the majority of Anima a favor as you and I both know a great many people would be very happy if the Branwen Tribe disappeared." DiZ continued, now 'pacing' around Raven. "Who would care if you were gone, Raven? Your brother? You former husband? Your birth daughter who you abandoned right after she was born?"
Raven's eyes widened at the mention of her daughter.
"You really have no one turn to unless you are desperate enough to try crawling back to Ozpin for protection if I actually do let you out. And of course, keeping you here will keep the Spring Maiden out of Salem's reach so I am actually doing you a favor." DiZ stopped in front of Raven and looked into her eyes. "So Raven, what's your brilliant plan for getting out of this?"
Raven clenched her fists as she glared hatefully at DiZ.
She tried to think of a way out…
But could think of nothing.
She had always worked to be one step ahead of everyone, including Ozpin and Salem.
But this man…
She knew of DiZ and Ozpin had warned her to be wary of him.
As it turned out, he hadn't been accurate enough in that statement and for once she was furious with herself for not heeding his advice.
She had…
Nothing.
Who would come to her aid?
Her old team who she abandoned and didn't even know where she was?
Even if Qrow could track down her campsite, he wouldn't find anyone there and she doubted that DiZ left behind any evidence. DiZ himself said that the people in Anima and Mistral would be glad if the Branwen Tribe disappeared and likely wouldn't care enough to find out what happened to them.
The only people who would care enough to want to know what happened would be…
Ozpin, if he knew about her powers or if he at least found out that the Branwen Tribe had sheltered the Spring Maiden.
"Your silence is enough for me to know your answer." DiZ turned around, his back facing her again. "Now you have a choice and I will hold you to it, whatever you decide. Agree to my terms and cease your raids. As a former Huntress, you can no doubt supply your tribe with rewards from any missions you choose to take."
"You expect me to just go out and play Huntress again?" Raven muttered bitterly.
"I expect you to do whatever it takes to keep yourself and your tribe from starving, even taking up a more honest path no matter how much you detest it. All that matters to me is stopping these raids. Now, do we have a deal or do I leave you all here?" DiZ asked before he started to 'walk' away. "You have until I reach the door."
A literal door appeared nearby and DiZ walked up to it, reaching to the turn the nob. He opened and there was a bright light shining from the other side.
Just as he entered it…
"I agree!" Raven shouted, her voice filled with anger and humiliation. "Let us out and we'll stop our raids!"
DiZ was still for a moment before he turned and faced her with a smile. "Excellent."
He snapped his fingers and there was a flash of bright light.
Xxx
Raven blinked, finding herself back in the campsite with her fellow tribesmen while DiZ stood before her again.
"That light…" Raven's eyes widened in horror and realization. "You trapped us…right from the start!"
"I did." DiZ nodded in affirmation. "I wanted to make sure you understood how different I am from Ozpin. I believe in choice like he does but I also believe if anyone I am associated with chooses to go down a dark path, I will be there to remind of them consequences of their mistakes. So now we are agreed that the Branwen Tribe will cease their raids, my work here is done."
Raven glared hatefully at the man as he turned, reaching for her blade.
"If you try to attack me, Raven. It will end the same way as before." DiZ said, not even bothering to stop his stride.
The bandits moved out of the way, now fearful of the man who locked them all up in that…whatever it was.
"Remember, Raven. I will be watching carefully and I will hold you to your word." DiZ called out, walking through the open gates.
Then he was gone.
Raven turned around and headed into her tent with murderous look on her face.
It was only when she was inside, did she let out an angered scream. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Everyone in the camp wisely back away from their leader's tent.