I do not own RWBY or AdventureQuest Worlds.
The girl dreamed.
She dreamed of a tall mountain, with tall forests of pine, covered in a strange violet corruption. She saw grand halls of stone. Peoples enslaved. A great forge with a spirit tending to it.
She saw a great bird of rock, with the same warrior from before fighting it. The scene changed.
In the heart of the mountain, the warrior faced a great dragon, and the king of the mountain, holding a sword that glinted with the eyes of the dragon.
]|[
Winter slashes over the two in a cross, and both Neo and Cinder parry. Neo twirls and spins the mop over her shoulder, using the momentum from the block, and sweeps it over the two women. Winter and Cinder jump backwards. They size each other up for a moment.
"How about we deal with the Schnee before we kill each other, Neo." Cinder said to the assassin. Winter narrowed her eyes, seeing Neo consider it a bit. "Honor among thieves?" Cinder offered?
Neo didn't get a chance to answer. Something unexpected slid Cinder off her feet. Torchwick swung his body with as much force as he can with his legs and hips, whilst still hand cuffed and with leg irons, crawling on the floor with his elbows. Neo and Winter capitalized immediately. Neo slammed the mop downwards, attempting to crush Cinder's head, and Winter slashed at them both with her rapiers. Neo immediately broke into glass with the hit and disappeared, and the downed Cinder caught the rapier with her own sword.
Cinder smashed a fist into the concrete, superheating it and causing a massive explosion of dust. Winter and Torchwick broke into coughs.
Neo dove for her partner, and dragged him away, clouded by the dust.
Cinder flipped back onto her feet. She sent a superheated fist to Winter's face, who dodged with a surprised gasp. The black haired woman didn't let up and followed with a wide slash. Winter parried, but Cinder twisted her torso and kicked Winter hard in the stomach, launching her back and hitting a wall.
Cinder smirked. Her victory was small lived, as Neo smashed her mop to Cinder's face. Using the mop like a spear, Neo poked at Cinder's defenses with quick thrusts, leaving Cinder to step back as she parried the assault with her two swords.
Suddenly, a beowolf! A large clawed hand smashed both Neo and Cinder into the wall. Attempting to slash through the summoned beast, they both raised their weapons to retaliate, but a black glyph appeared behind them, gravity dust infused, and slammed both their arms back to the wall.
"I'm done playing." Winter hissed. She placed both her rapiers into their necks. "Surrender."
Neither had planned to. Cinder's eyes glowed. Winter's eyes widened in surprise.
"Graaaaaaah!" Cinder yelled, detonating the floor beneath Winter with a plume of fire. The specialist jumped back immediately. The Beowolf disappeared. Winter grit her teeth and used both her weapons to slice the glass shards heading her way out of the air.
"What the fuck is happening!" Torchwick wailed in the background. Neo decided it was time to cut her losses. She was here for her partner anyways. She dashed to Torchwick, and they both crashed into glass pieces, disappearing, unnoticed by the two still fighting.
A symbol beneath Winter appeared; a clock faced glyph. Her already lightning fast speed increased. Cinder's eyes widened as the specialist appeared before her in a blink. Winter struck. Her sword sliced, and Cinder barely had the time to dodge the rapier, cutting through her mask.
Cinder yelped, and flipped backwards. Winter stared at her, studying her features. In a panic, the black haired woman, stamped at the floor with her feet, detonating the concrete around her and kicking up a massive storm of dust. Winter covered herself with her arm. Cinder used the time to escape.
The black hair woman seethed in anger as she fled the basement. Another failure.
Winter quickly took out her scroll. "All units! Surround the VPD building immediately! Your target is a black haired woman with gold eyes! Do not let her escape!"
]|[
Johnny had followed the teachers down the halls of their school. Him, Glynda, and Ozpin walked through halls not unlike the one Alina went to during her school days, he remembered. Ironwood was left behind, answering a call from his right hand woman, Winter.
He had to actively keep himself from wandering. The school was large and expansive, and he'd probably spend hours just exploring the place.
They had went room to room when they reached the dorms. Glynda was emptying students from their rooms, asking them to exit and wait somewhere else. The children were getting spooked. Two teams in particular.
"Is something happening professor?" A young black-haired girl with silver eyes asked Glynda. Her teammates and friends crowded behind her as they had shepherded them to the hallway. The blonde from the bar was staring at Johnny, too. He gave a little wave, and she gave a half-hearted wave back.
"We just need you to move away from the dorm areas for a little while, Miss Rose." Glynda answered. "Organize your teams at the auditorium and wait for further instructions."
The teens nodded and moved out. Johnny reached out for the shoulder of Miss Rose. The girl and her friends faced him.
"Excuse me," he said. "You wouldn't happen to have a grandma or a great grandma or a family member named 'Scarletta', have you?"
"Um no?" She answered back. The blond haired teen at her back was narrowing her eyes.
"Oh okay. Just checking. You kids run along now." Johnny said, turning back to Ozpin and Glynda. The teens moved out, their footsteps fading down the hallway.
"What was that?" Ozpin asked. Johnny shrugged. "Silver eyes and dark hair." He said. The adventurer was reminded of the woman involved in the Throne of Darkness. "I remember a certain blood sorceress back home that had silver eyes. She imprisoned people in mirrors if I remember correctly."
So they have silver-haired warriors as well. Magic users, too. Ozpin thought in silence. Doesn't sound like all of them are good, however.
"They aren't going to stay in the auditorium, you know that right?" Johnny asked both Ozpin and Glynda, snapping the silver haired man from his thoughts.
Ozpin laughed and Glynda sighed at that. Ozpin shook his head. "You are right. Team RWBY always had a talent in getting into trouble. They've crossed Roman Torchwick more times than anyone else in Beacon." The silver haired professor said, fiddling with his cane a bit.
"They should stay in the auditorium if they know what's good for them." Glynda snapped. "I swear, those students…"
"At least they're doing good, Glynda." Ozpin said. "We are at least here to limit them if they go too far. We can focus that energy to doing good things."
"Unlike these students…" He said as the trio reached the door. Ozpin raised his cane, and promptly smashed the door in. Shrieks were heard from inside, as the trio headed on in.
"Hello guys!" Johnny waved cheerfully at Mercury and Emerald cowering near the window. "Remember me?"
"Oh shit. Shitshitshit." Mercury cursed. He waddled on his arms and stumps backward. Emerald gulped when the Ozpin, Glynda, and the man that had caused all their plans to be ruined enter their room.
"Where's Cinder, Miss Sustrai?" Glynda asked, her riding crop at the ready. The teens stayed silent. "There's no point in hiding anymore. We know you're here. And we know who you're working for."
"Em. Get us out of here. Now." Mercury hissed a whisper to his frozen partner. She didn't move. "Emerald!" He shouted, shocking the green haired thief back to her senses.
Immediately, both turned invisible, and the window crashed open. The two had jumped!
"Oh no you don't!" Qrow yelled from the outside. He transformed back into human form, and used his scythe to hook the two trying to make their escaped by falling with his scythe. He caught the two by the blade edge and launched them back up in the air. Glynda quickly took action and caught the two with her semblance, leaving them suspended in the air with a violet glow.
"Really? Miss Goodwitch already warned you that there was no escape. Did you really think you can escape just by jumping off the window?" Ozpin said.
Mercury shrugged even as he was floating mid-air. "Hey, can't blame a guy for trying, eh?"
"You're not going to get anything out of us!" Emerald screamed, squirming at the telepathic hold they were put in.
"We haven't even asked you anything yet." Johnny said.
Qrow entered through the window. "We already know your boss. And maybe probably most of your plan?" He said, leaning to the wall.
"So…Cinder?" Johnny started, sitting on one of the beds in the room. "Gal with black hair, flaming hands that's also not just her semblance. That your culprit in attacking your girl, Qrow?"
"I actually can't say." He said. Mercury and Emerald were already sweating buckets. "Face of the gal that attacked her was distorted."
"Distorted by what? An illusion, perhaps?" Ozpin said, staring at the two. "According to our friend here," He gestured to Johnny, who tipped his cap at the two. "Miss Emerald can turn herself invisible, much like a semblance that can produce illusions."
"No sense in just asking. Maybe they have some clues on them." Johnny stood up and walked towards the two, searching their pockets. Both tried to resist, but neither can fight off Glynda's hold. Johnny took out their scrolls. "Can these tell you anything?" He presented them to Ozpin.
"We'll see…" Ozpin pulled out the call and messaging history, seeing some familiar names. "Doctor Watts?" He asked, but the two crooks kept mum. "Well, that means the doctor had faked his death a long time ago and is now with our enemies. Some contacts don't have names…"
"Even if you found anything it'll be too late for you, either way." Emerald hissed. "Soon, everyone in Vale will know just how much of a farce this peace is!"
"How are you going to do that then?" Johnny asked. "Does it involve stealing almost all the dust in the kingdom to try and blow it to kingdom come? Doesn't prove that much, eh?"
"There is no point in trying to decipher their intentions for now. What's clear is that they plan to hurt citizens and disrupt the peace." Ozpin said with finality. "Let's deliver them to the VPD for now so we have a place to contain them."
Ozpin's own scroll rang, and he answered. "We have a problem!" The general yelled through the scroll. "Torchwick escaped! A black haired woman was seen as the suspect!"
Emerald laughed at the background, and Mercury continued to sweat buckets. Things were totally now out of hand if their boss is now being hunted by both Atlas and Valean forces. Ozpin grit his teeth. "We cannot let her escape! Qrow," The black haired veteran huntsman nodded. "Back to the field. Capture her!"
"I'm coming with." Johnny said. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Of course, as Johnny had predicted. Team RWBY had been near the door the entire time, listening in at the commotion. They looked on as Qrow and that guy they just met at the club dashed out the room to exit.
"We're totally following them, aren't we?" Yang asked her team.
"No-" "Yes!" Weiss and Ruby shouted at the same time. Blake nodded.
"We can't let Torchwick just waltz out of prison again." The cat faunus said. "Let's follow."
Team RWBY scrambled down the hallway, heading out to trouble.
]|[
Cinder ran through the halls of the VPD with her weapon in bow form. She had been shooting down every person that had stood in her way, leaving behind a trail of dead officers and civilians.
"Stop, you're—argh!" Another officer found himself pinned to the wall with an arrow through his chest. His partner shot at Cinder with his pistol, but the woman was too fast. With a flash, her weapon turned back into swords, and the other officer found himself decapitated.
She dashed up the stairs, finding a blockade of a squad of police. She used her bow again, shooting a trio of dust arrows at the group, incinerating them. Horrified and pained screams echoed down the halls. Cinder dashed through the burning corpses.
Reaching the first floor, Cinder heard people screaming and sirens blaring from the outside. She walked through the corridor, dispatching each person that dared stood in her way. One person caught a fireball to their face, burning where they stood. Another that tried to ambush her from a doorway got smashed across the face with a burning fist and was stabbed through the chest with a black sword.
Cinder was still steaming. She was taking her anger out on the people unlucky enough to cross her at the halls while she looked for the exit. This can't possibly get worse. She thought while dispatching another officer with her sword, cramming the blade down their throat.
She took out her scroll and dialed a number. "The VPD building. Now." She hissed.
]|[
Neo and Torchwick surveyed the VPD building from the rooftop of another. Atlas soldiers were crawling through the streets, preparing for a siege.
"Neo." Torchwick said. The thief was still in his orange prison clothes but was free from his chains now. "I think we should get out of the city and cut our losses." He said. Neo looked at him. "We're not going to make our money here. This situation has now gone totally FUBAR. Cinder isn't in control anymore. Soldiers are patrolling the streets. The gangs hate us. We can't do our business here now, not without things cooling down a bit." He reasoned.
And how exactly do we plan on getting out of Vale? Neo signed at her partner. Atlas and Vale are both locking down the city. Soldiers are crawling at the airstrips. We have inspection stops everywhere at the city border.
Torchwick grimaced and scratched his orange hair. "Isn't that the question of the day?" He said. "Let's get out of here first. We gotta plan our exit."
Both vanished with another use of Neo's semblance, shattering into pieces of glass.
]|[
Johnny and Qrow sat across each other in the bullhead. Johnny looked around the vista of the world he had found himself in. It was a stunning view. A city nestled upon a valley in a mountain range, with forests of red to the north, and the sea in the west.
The view however, was marred by a tiny blip of black in the horizon. Johnny narrowed his eyes to look closer. "Um Qrow," He called to the other passenger. "What are those?" He pointed at the steadily growing black dots flying towards Vale.
Qrow took a look and his heart sank to his stomach. "Oh fuck." He cursed. Silently cursing his semblance as well, Qrow took out his scroll. "Oz! Massive Grimm wave on the horizon, going to Vale! Sound the alarms now!" He shouted. He turned to the pilot. "Call for reinforcements, now! And land us to the city when you see a clear space!" HE barked his commands.
Johnny continued to look. A wave of black birds, black griffons and manticores were flying in a massive group. Heading them however was the most terrifying of the horde. A huge black wyvern that outsized all the others in the horde lead the Grimm currently headed to the city.
"You have dragon Grimm?!" Johnny shouted. Qrow paled.
Vale was about to enter another crisis, just a day and a half shy of the Dust disaster.
]|[
Without the Adam Taurus or his lieutenant leading the Valean cell of the White Fang, it fell to Beatrice Astraluna to lead the remaining White Fang left in the city. Their numbers had decreased after the dust explosion. Traitors had fled the ranks after the crackdown of arrests, and those left are the most loyal, most committed, and the toughest of the White Fang who were able to resist the combined might of the Valean and Atlas forces in the city. Experts in combat, and more importantly, killers.
Adam Taurus had attracted the worst of the White Fang. The worst, Beatrice thought, were often the best in the field for missions.
One of them was herself of course. The men under her feared her as much as they were willing to commit themselves to the task. These were warriors willing to spill blood, theirs and the enemy's, if it meant a bloody revolution for Faunus supremacy.
"It is time to take to battle!" She shouted to the ranks of bloodthirsty White Fang before her. "We strike at the hand that has held our chains! The wolves they send to kill our own!" The crowd of killers cheered in agreement. "The vaunted Valean Police Department. The tool of our oppressors. The scourge they send to push our Faunus brethren to the dirt! Well I say no more!" Louder cheering. The White Fang before her smiled bloodthirsty grins, their excitement palpable. "Today we bite back. Today we stomp on the throats of our oppressors! Today, it is the humans who will feel our jackboots against their heads as they look upon US in fear!" The crowd roared, weapons held up in the air.
Adam was right. That Cinder woman certainly had big ideas for Vale, for a filthy human. She was using them, this Beatrice knew, but it was a small price to pay for change. Not every human was bad, after all, her twisted reasoning said. For the revolution to happen, sacrifices had to made, and the indignity of working with one human was nothing compared to slaughtering the police force that had actively persecuted her people.
"Now, my brothers and sisters. Let's march." Beatrice said with a crazed grin.
]|[
Alert. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner.
Every radio and television and speaker in Vale had announced. People ran for their homes, shepherded by the soldiers in the streets.
The screams of fear echoed through the streets. Panic was inevitable. People were stepping over each other to reach whatever safe place they thought would shelter them from the incoming horde.
Guns from anti-air defenses around the city thundered, joining the cacophony of fear that the city was drowning itself in. The flak cannons were shooting down the Grimm by the dozen. It did not thin down the tide of darkness about to crash upon the city.
Black shadows covered the streets. All of them was dwarfed by the deepest one that darkened the sky with its presence alone.
]|[
Jaune Arc and his team watched their scrolls in horror as the announcement blared. Every student and professor currently gathered in the auditorium had a grim look on their faces.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Emerald laughed. "What did I tell you? They're here! Faster than I thought!" Mercury looked at his partner in concern. Emerald was losing it.
And it seems she was not the only one however. Glynda grit her teeth, resisting the urge to twist the neck of the green haired teen who was one of the people responsible for the mess they were in with her semblance.
"Port." Glynda addressed her colleague. "Lead the students in. Go protect the city. Oobleck, go with him." Both men nodded. "I'll follow after." She turned to the Mercury and Emerald who was chained together. "I'll deal with these two first." The deputy headmistress held her riding crop threateningly. Emerald was unfazed, but Mercury looked very much concerned for his health.
"Leave them to me, Glynda." Ozpin said. "Go help them protect the city and our students. I'll secure them." And Amber and the Vault. He left the obvious unsaid. The blonde professor nodded and began organizing the students with the other professors.
"You two, then." Ozpin said. "My patience is long." He said as he dragged the chain holding Cinder's underlings together. "Benefits of a long life I suppose. But I am nearing the end of that very long fuse, and I am afraid that I will have to do what I must." The silver haired man said, his fingers tightening around his cane, The Long Memory.
The two were dragged along the floor and into one of the elevators. Emerald had to laugh at Ozpin's threat. "Hah! You don't have the balls fucker!" Emerald taunted. "The Headmaster of Beacon? Torturing his students? See how wrong that sounds?"
"Emerald!" Mercury hissed, eyes never leaving the silver haired man staring at them impassively. "Shut the fuck up before you get us killed!"
The doors of the elevator closed. "You think that I can't? I have lived for a long, long, long time, child." Ozpin whispered to the two. The air around them felt heavier. "I have committed great acts of kindness. I have also committed every sin there is to be known in Remnant. There are none walking this world of ours that has more sin in his hands than mine, bar one." He said.
His eyes narrowed at the Emerald and Mercury, who stared in quiet terror at the monster before them. "You think I can't?" Ozpin barked a horrible, lifeless laugh, and smiled a truly empty smile. "Let this old man prove you two wrong."
]|[
The students prepared to enter the bullheads, armed and ready. They saw the darkening sky above the city and steeled themselves.
One of them, the weakest of the bunch, Jaune Arc swallowed in horror of what he and his team was about to get dragged into.
Nora smiled a little. She felt the gravity of the situation, but can't help but smile in excitement at being able to bash some Grimm in the head. Ren placed a supporting hand in Jaune's shoulder, nodding at him. Jaune met his eyes and nodded back, forcing his fears back.
"We're with you Jaune." His red headed partner said beside him. He looked into her green eyes, smoldering with a flame barely held back. Guess Pyrrha's excited too. Jaune thought. "You're friends are with you. Take heart." The champion said. Jaune closed his eyes and steeled himself as well.
Speaking of friends however… "Where's Team TWBY?" The blonde leader of Team JNPR asked. They looked at each other.
]|[
Team RWBY had in fact, went ahead of everyone else. With a Bullhead, the four girls looked on below in horror as they saw entire platoons of White Fang march along the streets, and the wave of Grimm about to cover the city.
"Well. Glad we came to the city, right guys?" Yang said sarcastically. The rest of the team groaned, and prepped their weapons for the inevitable fight that was coming to all of them.