I do not own RWBY or AdventureQuest Worlds.
The girl dreamed.
She saw a village twisted beyond recognition. A tower standing inverted down in the lake, guarded by a ferocious three-headed creature. It was serpentine in appearance with a draconic head. The creature roared at the warrior facing it, a young man in black clothes with a longsword in his hands.
The scene changed. The tower lay at its side, water was leaking in. The young man was now facing a figure with a hood and robes, wearing steel armor over the violet cloth. A staff pulsed behind him ominously.
The girl watched this as she was bathed in soothing light.
]|[
"Latest news: Roman Torchwick, the criminal that has evaded the Vale Police Department, and the mastermind behind the Dust Robberies in the city has now been arrested! Reports tell that the criminal was found unconscious in a bar near the industrial district, near where the recent tragedy had happened. The Police Chief says that…"
In a room in Beacon Academy, three criminals listened to the news.
Mercury and Emerald, already in hot water with their boss, was sweating buckets looking at Cinder's expression, which gained more and more stress lines as the news report went on. The scroll in her hands was already starting to melt from the heat generated with her powers.
Cinder couldn't take it anymore. "We're going to clean up after this mess." She hissed, crushing the scroll in her hands. She turned to her lackeys. "Contact Adam and the White Fang in Mountain Glenn, tell them to move on up to Vale now. The plan has changed."
Both of them nodded. "What about you, ma'am?" Emerald asked.
"Going to visit Roman in prison." Cinder snarled and stood up, preparing to infiltrate the VPD.
]|[
"I shall repeat the question again Torchwick. What are you planning to do with the dust?"
"And I'm going to ask again sweetheart: where's Neo?"
Winter narrowed her eyes. "You are not under any condition to make demands. You are a prisoner being asked questions. Cooperate, then we might be receptive to your requests."
"Uh huh. Receptive. No. That's not how this goes. I'm not talking. And where is my lawyer?!" Torchwick shot back.
"No lawyers wanted to take your case. And the courts are busy at this time, swamped with the arrested White Fang from the bombing that you did. So no, you don't have an appointed counsel yet."
"Then I ain't talking, darling." Torchwick leaned back in his chair. "I'm just going to sit pretty in this chair or in my cell, and you're not going to get any out of me."
"Fine." Winter stood. "We can talk about this later. Maybe you can ruminate more of what you're going to tell us how much dust you still have and what you and your lot are planning and," Winter paused to look at him. "Who it is that put you up to this. Good day, Roman." Winter knocked at the door a few times. "I'm done here. Take him back to his cell."
Roman was left in the room, thinking about his choices and his partner.
]|[
Neo was awake in the hospital bed. She felt like she was dying. She looked around. White walls, tubes hooked up to her, beeping of machines. She struggled to get up slowly, her arm still shaking.
She remembered the pain of that attack. That fog. She saw souls, trapped forever, lying awake, rotting, rotting, rotting…!
Neo heaved a breath. It was dizzying. She hissed. She anchored a hand to her bed, and swung her legs to the floor. A wave of nausea hit her but she held it down. She grabbed the IV stand to steady herself. She grabbed the tubes still connected to her arms and pulled them off, needle included.
Neo looked down at herself. She was still wearing a hospital gown. The assassin walked slowly to the toilet in her room. Turning on the lights, she stared at herself in the mirror.
Neo was pale, with bloodshot and sunken eyes. Her lips was chapped and dry. Her hair was a mess. It was like she aged ten years after that man attacked her. She snarled, and with a strength that surprised even her, she smashed the mirror with her fist, and let out a silent scream.
Neo looked up the broken mirror with eyes burning with rage. She looked around the bathroom. Some soap, toiletries, and a plastic toothbrush in a plastic wrap. She quickly took the toothbrush and used one of the shards of glass to sharpen the end of the toothbrush, fashioning it into a sharp shiv.
She stalked out of the toilet with renewed vigor. A mousy-looking, glasses wearing nurse stared back at her, just entering her hospital room. She had on her hair covers and personal protective equipment, like she was about to enter a hazard room.
"You're awa-hrrkk!" The nurse was quickly cut off with Neo shoving her pick at the woman's throat and closing her mouth. The assassin jerked the shiv and freed it from the throat. She quickly and silently as she could, tore of the scrubs and PPE of the nurse and wore it as her own. She tied her hair in a bun and took the hairnet and covered her very attention-getting hair. She took the glasses from the nurse's face and wore it herself. She covered her face with the nurse's face mask. With a heave, she carried the body of her victim and placed it on the bed, and covered it with the linens.
She sighed. Neo looked at her still bleeding hand after she smashed the mirror in the toilet. She grabbed an edge of the linen and ripped a piece, wrapping it around her hand as tightly as she could.
With a breath, Neo forced herself to smile. She walked to the door and exited her room. She greeted the guards on the way out with a nod, who nodded back, and disappeared in to the hustle of the hospital with the practiced grace of an assassin.
She had to find Roman, and fast. Raiding the VPD won't be that hard, right?
]|[
"So!" Johnny started as the group exited the elevator. "What's your conditions for this maiden candidate of yours? What are you looking for in a candidate?"
"Loyal." Ironwood said first. "A loyalty to the cause. That she won't turn against us because or for more power. The maiden's power entails responsibility that she has to serve."
"That she would be strong too would be good." Qrow said, with a small hint of bitterness and sorrow. "So she'd be strong enough to protect other people, and herself. Without needing me."
"Discipline." Glynda said, tapping her riding crop to her thigh idly. "So she would use her powers with restraint and in the proper manner, time, and place, and that she would never abuse her powers."
"I want for her to be kind, most of all." Ozpin walked to one of the windows of his office, looking upon the Vale with an ancient look in his eyes. "That the maidens would spread their kindness to the world."
"Oh well," Johnny slouched on one of the chairs. "Piece of cake. We just have to find a loyal, strong, disciplined, and kind young woman out there willing to save the world. Easy peezy." He snarked.
Ozpin chuckled. "It may seem hard to you, Johnny, but all of us in the room right now are teachers. We have been trained to judge student's natures and strengths in our profession."
"Okay, so does that mean you're giving a student the powers?" The adventurer asked, hanging the unsaid question over them. "You are, aren't you? Giving a hormonal and emotional teenager powers that can bend nature to their will?"
"That's why we are here. To guide them in the proper way." Glynda said. "We are still their teachers." She idly tapped her riding crop in her hands, and Johnny felt a tiny bit intimidated by the 'teacher scowl' on the blonde professor's face. "We can and will set them straight if they stray."
"We're teachers in a combat school too." Qrow added. "If the brat needs a few knocks on the head to grow strong, I'll gladly dish one out."
"This mean you guys already have candidates draw out, too?" Johnny said. They nodded.
"In the interest of security, we can't tell you who our candidates are." Ironwood said, and to his, and the others in the room's relief, Johnny actually nodded in agreement. "But we have our candidates, yes."
"That Winter right?" Ironwood said nothing. "Okay, okay. I won't pry further." The serial meddler smiled cheekily. He shook his head and turned serious. "So when exactly are you choosing. I suggest very soon, for Amber's sake."
"We know." Ozpin conceded, and sank to his chair with a sigh. "After this, I'll call up one of our top candidates. Let's proceed to our other topic: our enemy."
Ironwood's eyes sharpened. "You said you know who Torchwick is working for." He said to Johnny. "Who are they? What are they working towards?"
"I have absolutely no idea what their plan is." Johnny said, and the general's face fell a bit in disappointment. "I know the names of the people working with Torchwick, though!"
Ozpin urged him to go on. "Alright. First is Neo, someone Torchwick keeps around him personally. Only Torchwick talked to her. Maybe she was his personal lackey?" Johnny speculated, but continued on anyways. "Anyway, she has a pink and brown hair, also with pink and brown eyes, and uses an…umbrella to fight. She's kinda short, like only 5 feet tall. She also has this power she uses."
"You mean semblance, right?" Qrow cut him off.
"Is that what they're called?" Johnny asked. "Semblance then. She has this semblance that she uses to turn into little pieces of glasses when is hit, and she turns invisible. Annoying to fight against."
"Not to you, apparently." Glynda looked at him in suspicion. "I recognize your description. And what you did to her with your…magic."
"Yeah." Qrow snorted. "The kids were creeped out."
"Hah!" Johnny barked a laugh at that. "Well, can't say I don't agree. Wonder how she's handling it now?"
]|[
Said girl was currently scouting the insides of the Valean Police Department. Now with her aura back, she had disguised herself as one of the janitors, mopping the floors. Said disguise also gave her the advantage of being able to snoop around rooms, and listen to conversations.
"I got overtime again today…"
"…Them Atlas boys are totally overstepping their…!"
"…You seen that hot Atlas chick that arrived recently? I want her to…"
"…fuckin' Torchwick. I don't want to be the guard in his cell anymore! Can't anyone take over for me?!"
Bingo. Neo knocked on the room and opened it. The officers inside welcomed her in, letting her mop, ignoring her and continuing their conversation.
"No dice my dude. I'm stuck processing most of the White Fang scum we arrested. Plus, I ain't going to be going near that Atlas chick. Stick up her ass so large, why the hell is the chief letting her run the building? Why are we letting Atlas take charge in the first place?"
"You wanna complain? You take that up with the chief. You really wanna be saddled with more paperwork? Just be thankful the Atlas people are taking up the slack with half of the processing, else we'd be swamped with paperwork all day."
"You don't even do paperwork! You just stand around the cells all day!"
"It's a hard work, excuse you? You're not the one that has gotta deal with the mutts whining all day about their rights and wanting a lawyer. Whatever man, I'm gonna go back to the cells. That Winter bitch would bite my head off if she caught me slacking here with you."
"Hope she bites MY head."
"Oh fuck off, Linny."
She watched as one of the officers left the room. Quickly finishing up her 'mopping', Neo quickly followed. Closing the door behind her, she left her bucket and used her semblance to tail the officer.
]|[
Somewhere else in the building, a black clad figure moved silently through the halls. Cinder moved quickly, moving from empty room to empty room.
If the intel is correct, cells are located in the underground levels. She thought. I'm going to need access to the elevator to be quick.
She stalked to the steel doors of the elevator. She noted the door, and tried to pry it open with her hands. No dice. Looking around more, she found a small hole in the upper corner. Using her semblance, she stuck a small glass dagger to it, and forcefully twisted it. It clicked, and the elevator doors opened, leading to a massive shaft leading below and above.
The door was stuck open, and couldn't be closed from her side, so it was only a matter of time before someone got suspicious. Cinder would need to move quickly. She clambered down one of the steel cables and slid down. Cinder ignored the friction from the slide, her aura protecting her. Plus, with the heat she generated from her semblance, this heat wasn't even close to what she was used to.
Stopping to one floor, she leapt from the cable to the elevator door, opening it with her semblance, melting the door. Cinder stepped through the hole she created and walked on, stepping into the floor.
]|[
"There were also the ones that I had fought first, Mercury and Emerald." Johnny told the others in the office of what he knew about the people around Torchwick. "That kid Mercury had white hair, or was it grey? Whatever, but he kicks hard and uses this shotgun boots to fight. His partner is another pain in the ass to fight, like Neo. She turns invisible?"
Glynda's eyes widened. "I know who those are." She brought out her scroll, finding her list of students. "Mercury and Emerald, from the teams sent from Mistral. They came together with one Cinder Fall. All of them visiting from Haven Academy."
"Yep. That's the one. That's who Roman was taking orders from. Cinder." Johnny snapped his fingers and pointed at Glynda. "She uses some kind of magic too." He said.
"What?!" The room shouted in surprise. Qrow immediately took a swig of his flask after.
Ozpin stood up from his chair. "From Haven Academy. Does this mean Lionheart is compromised? No. No, there must be something wrong here."
"This is a security risk, Ozpin!" Ironwood growled. "Regard everything from Lionheart with suspicion from now on!"
Ozpin's heart is heavy. One of the people he trusts, betraying him. Johnny cut in before anyone can speak. "So, uh. She a student here? Are you going to get her now?"
"We have to." Said the blonde professor. "We have to somehow separate them from the other students to prevent unnecessary accidents. I doubt they would just be willing to just surrender."
"I'll have some units surround the school right now discreetly." Ironwood walked off, bringing up his scroll to call someone.
"What room are they staying at?" Qrow asked Glynda. She showed him with her scroll, and Qrow nodded. He opened a nearby window, and to Johnny's surprise, turned into a bird and flew off.
"Whoa!" Johnny yelled. "That's some magic."
"Come Johnny. Let's follow the others." Ozpin said. "Help us apprehend the students."
]|[
Oblivious to the arrest they were going to face. Emerald and Mercury had contacted their allies regarding the change in plans and the compromised position they were in. The White Fang had eagerly agreed, moving out immediately, eager to take action. Adam Taurus himself grinned, as he marched his troops out of the caves and back to the road leading to Vale. Finally, time to carve out our suffering from their hides! He thought.
The two also had contacted Arthur Watts, who had laughed at the position Cinder had found herself in. He had agreed to send a new pair of legs to Mercury in their usual dead drop location.
This had an unintended side effect. Salem had heard of the situation going out of control in Vale. With an unknown magic user or phenomenon on the loose, no less! Salem shook her head. She might be known to her underlings as a cruel and fearsome witch, but she was more understanding than people thought. Some plans go awry, and with an unknown wiping out all her silly little pawn's plans in a single night, she had to go and send back-up wouldn't she?
"Arise, oh Black Dragon! Arise from your slumber. Heed the words of your mistress!" She shouted to the winds.
Somewhere in Mountain Glenn, a red eye shone menacingly. A low growl echoed within the lonely caves of the mountain, now empty of the White Fang that had once used it as a base.
If even the wyvern failed, then she had more pawns to send. Around her castle, pools of Grimm howled as one, echoing their mistress' will.
]|[
Torchwick had heard the cries of the guards, and steps approaching his cell. He grinned. His partner had arrived to bail him out.
"Finally! Only took you a few hours to get me out—?!" He turned to look, and his heart sank to the pits of his stomach. It was most certainly not his favorite murderous maniac midget that had arrived. It was in fact, the other murderous maniac he knows, Cinder, who was glaring at him behind a black mask.
"Oh shit." He said just before Cinder tossed a glass dagger from somewhere. Torchwick barely had the time to drop his body to the ground to avoid the dagger. "Hey! What was that for?!" He yelled at his collaborator.
Cinder didn't answer. She held one of the bars to his cell, and used her semblance to melt the steel bars. The superheated metals bent away from Cinder's hand, forming a small hole, where the black haired woman stepped out of, and dragged the thief laying on his side in the cell floor out by his foot.
Torchwick grimaced as he was tossed to the nearby wall like trash. Cinder's hand flashed, and a black sword appeared. "I told you not to fail me, Roman." She hissed.
"I'm not under you Cinder. We're just collabing on this gig until you and I get what we both want. I'm not your pawn, and you shouldn't have been depending on ME too much on YOUR own plans." Torchwick spat back defiantly. "Now everything is crumbling out of your hands, and all you can do is take your anger out on me."
"You're a loose end Roman. Didn't you tell that to Mercury and Emerald?" Cinder smiled chillingly. "You're the one that got himself foolishly caught, despite being a so-called 'master thief'."
"A huntsman got us! The one that interfered with your kids!"
"And you haven't escaped from huntsmen before? All I'm hearing are excuses. And I'm getting tired of it!" Cinder yelled, and swung her black sword to decapitate Torchwick. The thief never closed his eyes, and stared at the woman in defiance.
His defiance was rewarded, and a mop stopped the black sword from cutting his neck. He smiled at his partner, who smiled back. "Just in time, Neo." He said between chuckles.
Neo pushed Cinder back, who snarled at her. "Another damn insect!" She screamed. Her other hand slashed at Neo with the partner sword of her weapon, and Neo blocked it, swinging the mop around to catch the other blade with the shaft.
The women would have started to kill one another, but they had to dodge the flock of small Nevermores flying towards them.
Standing at the end of the hallway, kneeling upon a white glyph and rapier stabbed on it, was Winter Schnee.
"You are all under arrest, under the authority of Vale and Atlas, for charges of terrorism." She said. "And many other charges I suppose. I'll read you all your rights later after I chain you all up!" She charged, accelerated by her glyphs, rapiers clashing with two curved swords and a mop.
The three women stood locked with each other. Torchwick had to chuckle. "Well isn't this every man's dream: having three women fight over him." Said three women glared at him, and the thief had to bow his head. "Okay, okay. Shutting up now."
Next chapter might be late because school is busy kicking my ass. Sorry about that.