Don't really have much to say in this opener.
I've been enjoying volume 5 thus far and it has given me a lot to work with.
It's really fun revisiting two franchises I love so dearly and making something that could become something great one day with the both of them.
Been re-watching all of RWBY and every MCU movie and show, making sure I get every detail right because right now, what you're all reading is small scale that will only grow into the obvious eventuality.
Let me tell you, this chapter actually took a while because it went through several re-writes and I also had sprained and bruised my right hand really badly so it was very painful in writing the fucker. Hate the pain but love the writing.
My hand hurts SO MUCH RIGHT NOW
Regardless, thanks for reading
Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day
Avenging Remnant Chapter 10: The threats you don't see
The forever fall was relatively silent and the life was still. The rustling of the leaves being blown by the wind was all that was heard in the area.
Inside the forest, beneath the forest canopy, silence permeated the area.
That was until a pack of a half dozen Beowolves tromped through the area, snarling and sniffing around.
The alpha of the pack stopped and held its snout up, taking in a large whiff of the air.
This made the rest of the pack on edge and they began letting out growls of challenge and warning.
TWANG
THIMP
The alpha abruptly got an arrow to the neck which definitely harmed it as the Grimm began crying out in pain and anger, pawing at the arrow.
No sooner than the leader got embedded with an arrow, the rest of the pack was soon hit with arrows as well, each either in the neck, head or eye.
The one that got an arrow to the eye promptly died.
The Beowolves that didn't get an arrow in the eye were beginning to get more aggressive and violent. They're growling drowned out the beeping that came from the tips of the arrows.
Then they all exploded, heads missing and bodies beginning to disintegrate upon their deaths.
"Hmmm" Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye hummed in appreciation at the results "Not bad. These Dust explosives are really effective"
"I think you'll find them to be much more than just simple explosives, Mister Barton" Doctor Oobleck said rapidly, garbed in his safari outfit "Dust can be utilized for a variety of capabilities and since you use a bow and arrow set, the arrows can have a multitude of dust tips that can be only limited by your imagination with the Dust"
"Duly noted" Clint said pumping his bow arm which in turn caused his bow to collapse in on itself. He placed it on his back with his arrow set which had a magnetic piece to it that allowed his bow to stick to it.
"I believe it is suffice to say that this was a successful day of experimentation" Doctor Oobleck said cheerfully
"I believe you're right about that Bart" Clint remarked
"I honestly am surprised at how you are able to keep up with my fast lingo, Mister Barton" Oobleck spoke at the speed of light "Many seem to believe I am unaware of my speech pattern"
"One of my closest friends is somebody who can run a marathon before you could even blink" Clint stated "Believe me, after spending time with him, you learn to pick up on every word he says"
"A truly important skill" Oobleck nodded "One of great use as it is invaluable in multiple cases whether they be in everyday life or on the battlefield or in the middle of a strained relationship that requires counseling of the greatest"
"BART" Clint cried out, effectively silencing the professor/Doctor of Beacon "Take a breather. You don't want to cause an aneurysm"
"I was unaware of such phenomenon being able to take place due to rapid speech" Oobleck said thoughtfully
"It's just a saying, Doc" Clint said patting the man on the back "So aside from Beacon supplying its faculty and students with dust, where else can I get this stuff?"
"In practically every store across Vale" Oobleck said knowledgably "Every store has some kind of variant of Dust to sell. However judging on the underlying implication, you seek the dust shops suited for combat and weaponry"
Clint nodded
"Then here are ideal shops were they sell what you are looking for"
Clint blinked and saw a piece of paper in his hands with shop names and their addresses.
"Uh, thanks Bart"
"Not a problem Mister Barton"
"You know you could just call me Clint"
"Clint it is"
"That took three tries"
"Apologies, formalities usually come with my line of work"
"Right"
"Speaking of which, I had heard that Ozpin offered you and your comrades positions as teachers themselves in our fine institution"
"He did"
"Have you considered it? Why I think you would make fine teachers for the future generations of Huntsmen and Huntresses. You can regale them with your grand tales of honor and valor. Why to be a teacher is one of the highest honors that…."
"Clint"
Oobleck stopped in his mid-rant and both men looked up to see Falcon flying down to them.
"What's up Sam?"
"Cap's called a meeting, something's up"
"Then we must return post haste" Oobleck declared, grabbing both men and zipping off like a bat out of hell, leaving an after image of where they once stood
The two Avengers then found themselves back in Beacon, blinking at their sudden return to the school.
"I shall leave you two here now" Oobleck announced "If you'll excuse me, I have shrubbery to study with professor Peach"
And like that, Oobleck was gone leaving the two Avengers in a daze as they tried processing what just transpired.
Clint finally came to, blinking at their surroundings.
"Ok" Clint said slowly, feeling a weird sense of vertigo "I think Bart just tied with Pietro's record of speed"
"Urgh" Sam crouched down, one hand on his stomach whilst the other was on the ground for support "It's starting to hit me now. I think I'm gonna cancel lunch for today…maybe even dinner"
"Come on man" Clint helped Sam back up to his feet "Let's get this meeting over with"
Clint and Sam entered Beacon and having memorized the place made their way to Ozpin's office as they had received messages on their scrolls informing them of the location of the meeting.
"And that makes the entire team" Ozpin said upon the arrival of the last two Avengers
"What's going on Ozpin? Another mission for us?" Clint said straight away
"Indeed" Ozpin nodded "Something that has alarmed an old friend of ours. You recall Aurora town, yes?"
"Where we first appeared here" Sam said in remembrance
"Yes" Oz said to Sam "Our old friend Gin recently called upon me regarding a concern for the Grimm that have been spotted stalking around the village"
"Grimm don't usually act this way, do they?" Clint said deductively getting a nod of approval from Glynda and Oz
"That is correct" Glynda said "The Grimm have been comprised of Ursa's, beowolves, King Taijitu's and several Deathstalkers"
"A force such as that would normally prove to be a true danger to any settlement" Ozpin stated "And yet, they have not made a move. Only that their presence is known and that there is now a growing sense of unrest within the town and that will undoubtedly attract more Grimm. After that, it wouldn't take long for them to reach a fever pitch"
"Someone is doing this intentionally" Steve stated as it was fact than fiction
Ozpin only held Steve's gaze in confirmation.
"For what though?" Scott asked "What are they trying to accomplish here?"
"That's what we intend to find out" Glynda said
"Tomorrow" Ozpin said, the display changing over to a bullhead "Aurora Town is receiving a shipment of Dust, courtesy of Beacon. It would make sense considering their current situation"
"And you want us to go with this shipment" Sam stated
"Exactly" Ozpin said "You had already saved the town twice in one day upon your arrival here. Along with your other actions over the past few weeks, the people of Aurora Town would welcome you back with open arms"
"The main objective is clear though" Glynda spoke up "Find out why the Grimm are on the outskirts of Aurora Town
"But shouldn't we eliminate the Grimm right away?" Pietro asked "You said yourselves that these Grimm come after negative emotions and the people of that town would be scared enough"
"Normally Pietro, you would be undoubtedly correct" Ozpin nodded at the speedster "But this is a different situation requiring a more deft touch. Grimm are not known to exhibit such restraint"
"There are only two possibilities" Glynda said "Either these collective of Grimm are very old, thus accumulating a sense of knowledge that is unknown to its lesser brethren or…"
"Someone is controlling them" Wanda surmised in realization
"Only Salem can control the Grimm" Steve said warily
"Believe me Steve, if it were Salem there I would be going with you immediately" Ozpin said in total seriousness "But there is a possibility that it is one of Salem's agents"
"And we can capture him and bring him in" Sam concluded
"Precisely" Ozpin said approvingly
"Well then we have our mission Avengers" Steve said to the team "Prep yourselves. We'll move out tomorrow"
With nothing else to discuss, Earth's mightiest heroes departed from Ozpins office and then dispersed to go about their own routines of preparation.
The next day
Aurora Town
The arrival of the Avengers was kept on the down low. Gin didn't want to attract to much attention so when the shipment of dust had arrived, he had personally greeted them and quickly guided them to the main hall where his office was.
What truly surprised Gin was who came with the Avengers.
"The Fall Maiden" Gin murmured quietly, looking to Steve "What is this Captain?"
"Her first test" Steve said simply
"Are you sure?" Gin asked
Steve glanced over to Amber who was wearing a simple brown shirt with a black skirt, stockings and shoes. She was conversing with the Maximoffs and she was giving them a nervous smile but her eyes showed determination.
"Ozpin wouldn't be if I wasn't sure" Steve said with finality
Gin gave the Avenger one last hard look before nodding.
"Come on, I'll explain at Main Hall" Gin gestured for the Avengers to follow.
Thankfully it was early in the morning so there were little to no one up and about at this time. An easy walk to the Main Hall.
Soon enough, they were all situated within Gin's office.
The mayor of Aurora Town sat at his desk with a screen of Aurora Town in front of him to show the Avengers.
"Here is where we stand right now" Gin said, getting right to the point
With his hand, he highlighted the north, south and east side of the forest surrounding the settlement. It turned red to indicate the area of Grimm activity.
"We've been having sightings of the Grimm all over here" Gin said "The west side is our most heavily reinforced area as that is where we receive all of our shipments from vale and any other areas that we are trading with. They have not even come close to that area"
"That's rather smart of them" Clint said, eyes taking in the highlighted map "Last I checked, only really old and ancient Grimm have that type of intelligence"
"That" Wanda said "Or something else"
"Yes" Gin nodded "Ozpin did mention the possibility of another party being involved. One who may be able to control the Grimm"
"Ozpin said that if it were Salem directly…" Steve said
"We would know immediately" Gin finished for him
"Ozpin mentioned something of an inner circle" Sam pointed out
"One that not even Ozpin knows of" Clint said
"Then what are we fighting then?" Scott asked tentatively
"The usual for now" Steve said with his arms crossed, looking to Gin "Is there anything else you saw? Anything that we could use?"
Gin rubbed his chin in thought, contemplating on the past few days of unrest due to the presence of the Grimm.
"There may be…one thing that could be of use" Gin said somewhat dramatically
"And that would be?" Steve asked
"There has been this nevermore that continuously circles the main areas of where the Grimm have been converging" Gin said "It flies to specific locations every now and then and every time that happens, we see movement of the Grimm drawing near the town"
"Then we'll mark that as a priority target" Steve said to the team "Rest up while you guys can. Clint, Scott, you two are at the northern end of the area, Sam and Pietro on the south and Wanda, you and Amber will be on the East. I'll stay here in town in case of any Grimm trying to get through into town"
Several hours later
Clint Barton was comfortably nestled into a thick tree top.
He was laying up against the trunk while fiddling with an arrowhead.
Now most would assume that Clint was simply lazing around in the tree but we was an Avenger. He was always on guard.
Clint felt his hearing perk up momentarily at the sound of buzzing that went by his ear.
"Anything of note Scott?" Clint asked casually, moving on to another Arrow
"Some of the little guys mentioned some kind of movement in the upper north side of the town. A Beowolf was prowling around the area" Scott said through the comms, flying right over Clint
"How close was he?"
"Couple yards give or take. Seemed to be on edge"
"Anything else? What about the others?"
"Steve's back at the main hall with Gin" Scott said "Amber and Wanda are on the east side while Pietro and Sam are at the south"
"How many Grimm we dealing with again? Two dozen? More?" Clint asked as he was now in a kneeling position on the branch.
Narrowing his eyes, Hawkeye whipped out his arm and out came his bow.
"At least 30" Scott said, now himself tensing up after seeing Clint's actions "Give or Take"
"Right" Clint murmured, nocking an arrow
There was a moment of silence within the area which ended when bushes down below rustled and out came an Ursa Minor, claws and teeth bared right at the archer.
Clint released his arrow into the mouth of the arrow who got the stick stuck in its mouth. It didn't have much time to choke as it blew up a second later.
"That wasn't disturbing at all" Scott commented
Then came in the pandemonium.
"Showtime" Clint said, placing on sunglasses with red shades in place and readying five explosive arrows.
Hawkeye jumped down from the tree branch and flipped upside down to fire the explosive arrows behind him, killing several Beowolves that tried to get the jump on him.
Clint then swung down to the ground thanks to a rope he had tied around his waist to the branch he sat on. With rapid succession, Hawkeye fired six arrows in a hexagonal circle around him. He reached up to the side of his head and pressed down on his sunglasses.
The red optics then displayed the area around him and showed a dozen Grimm converging on him right now. Beowolves and a Taijitu pair
Grinning, Hawkeye's thumb circled over one of the five buttons on his bow.
The Grimm burst through the foliage and Clint pressed down on the button, unleashing an electrical discharge that halted their movement. They all began howl and hiss in pain as the electricity was well over a few thousand volts seeing that it at one point held back Vision.
Shaking his head in amusement, Clint casually stood up and dusted himself off from the green on his clothes.
Glancing around to see that they were still incapacitated, Clint held up his wrist which had a tac pad installed.
Pressing down a few commands on the pad, Clint pressed down on a circle and moved it over closer to his hand.
The voltage of his arrows increased until it quite literally cooked the Grimm alive until they all slumped over dead, disintegrating into nothingness.
Ant-man then grew to full size beside Clint and stared at the crispy Grimm.
"I stand corrected. That was disturbing" Scott said with a slight shudder
Hawkeye instead of responding had his eyes in the sky, spotting the Nevermore that Gin had mentioned flying overhead. And on said Nevermore was without a doubt a person.
"Cap" Clint contacted the good Captain through the comms "I have eyes on target. There is definitely someone here controlling the Grimm"
"Are you sure? ' Cap asked from his end
"Unless there's somebody who managed to hitch a ride on an unknowing Nevermore" Clint let the rest of his unsaid statement hang
"Then return to town now" Steve instructed "Get atop the bell tower for a vantage point. Scott, are you there?"
"Here Cap" Scott responded
"Get up into the air" Steve instructed "I'll have Sam join you shortly after. Wanda just called in. There's Grimm movement all around the town. Whatever is happening and whoever is here, they're making their move"
"Well things just got a whole lot more interesting" Hawkeye quipped, running back in the direction of Aurora Town.
"Doesn't fill me with a lot of excitement" Ant-man said, running, jumping and shrinking onto his steed Antonio
On the southern end of the town, a bluish silver blur was knocking back Grimm left and right while Sam Wilson continuously dive bombed Deathstalkers that attempted to enter the town.
"This got way to intense" Sam commented, firing his machine guns at the scorpion Grimm
"Hey, I'm having fun" Pietro said, tripping up a Beowolf. He proceeded to pummel the Beowolf at rapid speed, hitting the Grimm several hundred times in the span of 5 seconds.
The beat down did the trick, killing the Grimm from the overwhelming quantity of hits.
Pietro then ducked to avoid a swipe from an Ursa Minor, dashing off to trip up several more Grimm.
Sam followed through, using his Vibranium laced wings to decapitate every Grimm that was tripped over by Pietro.
"Why are they attacking now?" Pietro asked the speedster "Gin told us that they were just prowling around the borders for days"
"That's what we're here to find out" Sam said, expertly dodging a near impalement by a Deathstalker stinger
"Sam, Come in" Steve's voice was heard through their comms
"I'm here Steve, what's the situation?"
"Grimm are on the move all around the town" Steve said
"Pretty obvious right now, Captain" Pietro said, running past several Ursa's
"Head back to town now" Steve said "Sam take to the skies. Clint spotted a target of interest riding atop a Nevermore"
"Riding on a Nevermore?" Sam repeated for clarification
"Yeah, confirms one of theories then"
"Wonder who the bastard is" Sam said, taking off into the skies
"Think you can find out for us?"
"Let me work my magic"
Sam deployed Redwing alongside him and spotted the Nevermore up above.
Narrowing his eyes, Sam increased his speed and flew right at the giant Grimm.
"Engaging the Nevermore" Sam said through the Comms
"Sam Wait" Steve called out but Falcon ignored him
He fired several small missiles at the large beast, gaining its attention.
The Nevermore let out a screech at the hero, flapping its wings in his direction to fire razor sharp feathers
Sam easily evaded the feathers, pulling out his SMG's and opening fire upon the Grimm who shrieked in defiance. The bullets were indeed causing some harm upon the creature but it was a mild nuisance at best.
Up on the Nevermores head, the figure clad in all black was grinning like a mad man underneath his mask.
With a crazed cackle, the figure jumped from the head of the Grimm and dive bombed right at the Falcon.
Falcon's goggles warned him of the oncoming projectile but he didn't react fast enough and was tackled down.
Sam let out a cry of pain before he performed a rapid spin to throw his attacker off of him.
They were right above the tree line, so the figure in black managed to catch himself upon a branch and display quite a feat of athleticism as he swung round on the branch and threw himself upward to land on the top of the tree.
Holding up his hands, the figure had gauntlets that began firing at Falcon who was flying at a faster speed with the bullets trailing right after him.
The man had his head twitch abruptly when Ant-man appeared in full size to drop kick him off of the tree.
"Hey Cap" Scott said "Sam and I are fighting some dude dressed in black. He was on top of the Nevermore"
"Get him into the city or capture him" Steve instructed "I'll be out there in a moment"
"Copy that" Scott said, shrinking out of sight
The man who was commanding the Grimm here was now getting up of the forest ground floor and looking to the town. Pulling out a whistle, he moved his mask down revealing it to be Tyrian Callows.
Tyrian blew into the whistle which didn't make a sound to the common human ear. It did however cause the Grimm to twitch violently before they all let out deranged growls and ran at full speed towards Aurora Town.
Tyrian grinned madly, placing his mask back on and jumped up with perfect coordination in order to land on an Alpha Beowolf.
Up in the sky, Sam picked up on the movement.
"Cap, it's better you stay in town" Sam warned "The Actions coming to you"
In town, Steve was running at full speed to the east when he skidded to a halt to see the Grimm coming out from the trees.
"I see them" Steve grasped his shield tightly in preparation all the while looking to see civilians were staring in terror at the Grimm.
"GO" Steve ran up to a few pedestrians, pointing to the other direction "Run now, they won't follow you. I'll make sure of it"
Many recognized the brightly colored Avenger and when they heard his words of instruction, they listened without question.
Steve turned to face the Grimm and put on 'grim' determination.
Bouncing on his feet for a few moments, he sprinted right at the Grimm who roared in defiance at him.
Gaining the proper momentum in running, Steve jumped into a corkscrew and flung his shield with all his might at the Grimm, targeting a Deathstalker first.
The shield bounced off the plated back of the Deathstalker with the desired effect.
The Scorpion cried out in pain as the shield dented and cracked its armor, whilst said disk began cleaving through unfortunate Grimm in its trajectory.
Steve in the meantime ran and kneed a Beowolf right to its jaw before grabbing its nose to bring the head down, crashing into the ground. With an emphatic stomp, Steve ended the Grimm's existence, raising his hand to catch his shield.
It was timed at the right moment as he swatted aside a an Ursa Major paw that was directed at him.
The Grimm were now converging on him, with some running past to attack the town.
Gritting his teeth, Steve punched, kicked and bashed his way out of the cluster of Grimm that were attacking him specifically to run after those that made it past him.
He threw his shield at a large Beringel who stumbled from the attack.
The shield returned into Caps arms as he jumped on top of the gorilla like Grimm and brought his shield down upon the Grimm's skull, killing it.
A Grimm was about to get the jump on Steve when it was entrapped in a red field of energy then blasted into smithereens by a spiraling inferno.
"Amber, Wanda" Steve nodded to the two who flew down to him
"Steve" Wanda greeted "We've clear our end but the Grimm are gonna swarm the town"
"Not if we can stop them" Steve said, contacting the others "Avengers, I need a sitrep on your positions"
"Holding the North end" Clint said, running alongside civilians, occasionally turning back to fire an arrow to kill any Grimm that drew near.
Ant-man was jumping from flying Ant to Grimm in his way of holding back the attack.
Down on the south end, Sam was dropping Dust grenades and military missiles on the Grimm that got knocked over by Pietro.
"This is way more Grimm then Ozpin or Gin said there was" Sam said with a disgruntled expression "Where in the hell did they all come from?"
"Doesn't matter" Pietro shouted, sliding between the legs of Beringel, catching its feet.
The Beringel fell to the ground and was decapitated by Sam's wings as he brought them down.
Pietro skidded to a halt beside Sam, exhaling a bit.
"Hoo" Pietro stretched and felt his back crack "Man, we gotta do this more often"
"What, hunting monsters and bad guys?" Sam inquired with a joking huff "That's all we ever do. Especially now"
"But why this place?" Pietro suddenly said "Why are we back here so soon?"
"Those questions are gonna have to take a backseat" Sam quickly said, taking to the skies once more with his SMG's in hand
Pietro whirled round to see more Grimm charging at them and the town.
Grinning, Pietro cracked his neck and ran.
All the while, Tyrian lurked in the shadows biding his time.
He could not believe just how easily the plan fell into place.
All he had to do was just rustle a few tree branches and scare some idiots and the Avengers came running in.
He snorted at their gallantry. Tyrian respected their gung-ho attitude at the very least.
Still, his annoying objective was clear. He eyed the Nevermore that was far off in the distance. Bringing up the whistle once more, Tyrian blew into it, sending out instructions to the Flying Grimm.
The Avengers were valiantly and successfully holding back the wave of Grimm that had attacked Aurora Town, slowly whittling down the numbers.
"I'm surprised there's so many" Amber noted, twirling her staff and jabbing it into the eye of a Beowolf who was then blasted away by Wanda's hex ball.
"Indeed" Wanda agreed, throwing up a force field on several Grimm that attempted to strike them down.
She grunted, enclosing her hands together which in turn captured the Grimm that smashed themselves up against her wall.
They were now encased in a sphere which she hurled into the air and was destroyed by Amber smacking her staff into the ground which sent a bolt of fire infused lightning.
"Ozpin and Gin said there wouldn't be this many" Wanda said
"Clearly they were wrong"
The girls turned to see Hawkeye had joined them, with a scratch here and there but overall standing, still ready to fight.
"I spotted a man who was riding atop the Nevermore Gin mentioned" Clint said to the girls, quickly firing a melting arrow in the blink of an eye at a Deathstalkers eye.
The Grimm cried out in agony, slumping over dead a few moments later.
"Scott and Sam said they fought the guy before losing sight of him" Clint informed the girls
"So do you think he's still here?" Amber asked
"Maybe he's the reason why there was the set amount of Grimm that Gin had told us about" Wanda surmised
"More than likely" Clint said, now grabbing a rod attached to his thigh which he held up. The rod then turned into several dozen arrows at once
"But we still got a job to do" Clint stated to the girls who nodded at him.
He ran forward with both by his side, running right at more oncoming Grimm.
Steve had reunited with Sam and Pietro and were joined with Scott as they fended off their portion of Grimm.
"These guys are relentless" Scott said, shrinking and growing at a rapid pace "What the hell is so important that they would need to attack this town?"
"We'll answer that question when this is all over" Steve said, smacking his shield into a Beowolf's face, decking it in the neck then removing its head from the body with a perfect slice.
Sam was focusing primarily on the Grimm that he could kill with the Machine guns, only moving to take apart Grimm that were rattle by any of his other comrades.
Pietro and Scott shared similar tactics in where they delivered rapid punches and kicks to one Grimm at a time.
"Looks like they're lightening up" Sam noted, seeing as how the Grimm were now fewer
"Then let's wrap this…"
CRAW
Suddenly from above, the giant nevermore that had been seen in the skies for the past few days swooped in and captured Steve in its claws.
"STEVE" Sam cried out in alarm, flying up to pursue the Nevermore, only to get tackled down by a snarling Beowolf that attempted to bite his head off.
Luckily, it thoroughly beaten down by Pietro who then helped Sam back up.
They glanced up in time to see Steve free fall from the clutches of the Nevermore.
Not even hesitating, Pietro ran at full speed in hopes of somehow catching Steve or at the very least slowing down his fall so the landing wouldn't be that rough.
Pietro managed to keep his eyes on Steve falling and the direction he was going in as to not crash into any tree or trip over anything.
Seeing that he was getting close to Steve, Pietro pumped all of his strength and speed into his legs and jumped with as much power as he could.
Pietro collided into Steve and the two soon crashed through some leaves before landing in bushes that softened their impact.
The two rolled out from the bushes and were both sprawled out on their backs.
They both groaned in slight pain, feeling a lot of their adrenaline wearing down now of all times.
"Pietro" Steve whimpered slightly "Thanks for the assist, but I think I could have found a way down anyway"
"Yeah" Pietro said sheepishly, slowly getting to his feet "I kinda just now remembered you could probably do that. Wasn't really thinking. Reacting is more like it"
Pietro winced and relaxed at the feeling of his bones and joints popping as he stood straight and stretched off the pain, same as Steve.
"Regardless" Steve rotated his shoulder, feeling a slight ache on his upper back.
He craned his neck back to the left to see a pretty deep gash that was bleeding.
Wincing, Steve turned back to Pietro.
"Come on, let's get back to the town and finish up"
"No need Steve"
The two Avengers looked up to see Falcon descending down to them.
"Glad to know you're alright Cap" Sam said, relieved at the sight of his friend "Clint and the Girls called in. The towns been cleared out. Whatever Grimm remained ran off"
Steve let out a tired but pleased sigh.
"Good" Steve said to his friend "Let's head back and make sure everyone is fine"
Scene Cut
The Nevermore had flown off far from the town with its objective accomplished.
Seeing its clearing, the flying Grimm flew down, cautiously landing onto one of its legs.
It raised the other leg that remained up, holding forward a bloody talon.
Before the Grimm stood Tyrian who had a very pleased smirk on his face as he carefully squeezed the blood of Steve Rogers down from the claw into a vial given to him by Watts.
"Hail the Goddess" Tyrian said reverently, truly proud of his accomplishment
Scene cut
The next day
The Avengers were gathered in Gin's office, some wearing bandages after an exhaustive day of helping account for the townspeople and any stray Grimm that remained.
Currently, they were all speaking with Ozpin on the matter of why the Grimm were here.
"Someone was definitely controlling them" Clint stated "There was a man on that one Nevermore and you told us that Salem could control and create Grimm. Who's to say that her own subordinates aren't capable of the same thing"
"Indeed" Ozpin nodded in agreement "Though for what purpose? This truly perplexes me as I do not know what Salem's ulterior motive for this would be"
"There's nothing you can think of, Ozzy?" Sam asked, slightly disconcerted
Ozpin scrunched his face up in deep thought.
"At this moment, I am uncertain" Ozpin said apologetically "But I will be looking into the past. Perhaps there is something I can find there to explain all this"
"Any idea on who that guy was that was on top of that Nevermore?" Steve asked Gin and Ozpin
"None come to mind at this moment" Gin said "We only know of one definite member of Salem's inner circle and perhaps two others. The rest is up in the air"
"Guess we'll have to work with what we get" Pietro said dejectedly
"Sadly, you are right" Ozpin said "Regardless, Aurora Town is thankfully safe and that is the immediate matter"
"Couldn't agree more" Steve nodded at Oz
"A bullhead will be along within the hour to retrieve you all on your return" Ozpin said "I shall see you all soon"
Ozpin blinked out.
The Avengers departed from Gins office.
Steve was checking over the team and saw Amber was wringing her wrists nervously.
Curious, Steve approached her.
"Amber" Steve said softly, gaining her attention
"Steve" Amber said a bit strained
"Are you alright?" Steve asked sincerely "You look a little worn out"
"It's nothing" Amber said quickly, wincing a second later at her response which clearly did not fool the veteran soldier and hero
He gave her an expectant look that tore down her resolve.
"I'm sorry" Amber said a bit ashamedly "I just felt like a burden during the mission"
This befuddled Steve greatly as he heard otherwise.
"Wanda and Clint didn't seem to think so" Steve countered "They said you performed very well under combat"
"That's just them being nice" Amber said exasperatedly "They didn't mention the parts where they had to save my skin several times for not keeping myself aware of my surroundings"
Steve shook his head, slightly amused at Amber's self-criticism.
"Amber" Steve placed a firm hand on her shoulder "How many times have you fought Grimm?"
Amber blinked at the question "What?"
"How many times have you fought against Grimm?" Steve repeated
Amber blinked again, face blank as she recalled her past travels over the course of the year since she discovered that she was the Fall Maiden.
"I don't know" Amber said, feeling a bit lame at the answer "A dozen or so times"
"So you have fought them before" Steve said "And you came out on top"
"Not always" Amber admitted
"That's ok" Steve waved off "Because it's only natural to feel like this"
Steve now had both hands on her shoulders, staring right into her eyes.
"Amber" Steve said gently with underlying steel "You're just beginning to get a grasp on your abilities and on what you can truly do. To have self-doubt and criticism of yourself is perfectly natural and very responsible in admitting. But what matters Amber, is that you're trying. Not just in practicing but actually going out there, right here at this very moment, to help people and fight for those who cannot"
Amber stared up at Steve and not for the first time, in wonder.
"I'm not gonna lie to you Amber and say that this will be easy" Steve said in complete seriousness "But you're here now and trying to do the right thing in protecting people to help them allow to live a safe life. That's all some can ask for. And know this. We're all very proud of you right now. For taking your training seriously but also for who you are and what you want to become"
Steve's gaze softened slightly
"I understand that you're afraid and even overwhelmed knowing you have so much power" Steve said "And the responsibility with that power can be even more so. But the fact that you are willing to stand tall and actually do something about your situation shows me the kind of person you really are Amber. Someone with a kind heart"
That one made Amber tear up slightly and sniffle, rubbing away the tears from her eyes. Giggling a bit, Amber moved to hug Steve who reciprocated the gesture.
Laughing once more, Amber looked up to Steve
"Wanda was right, you really do know what to say when someone needs it"
It was Steve's turn to laugh "Wanda said that about me?"
"Yeah" Amber nodded "Clint and Pietro always call you a boy scout"
Steve only rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance "Of course they do"
Amber giggled once more, separating from Steve.
She gave him a bright smile
"Thanks for that Steve" She said happily
Steve only smiled back "No problem, Amber"
Elsewhere
Qrow Branwen downed his twelfth shot of scotch of the night after a long day at Signal.
Exhaling, Qrow leaned on the bar, hanging his head.
The bar was mostly empty, allowing Qrow more privacy and alone time.
Not like he needed it considering he spent most of his days alone save for his days at Signal.
He honestly amazes himself sometimes at the level of patience he possesses when dealing with those up and coming Huntsmen and Huntresses.
But seeing his two Nieces makes it all worth it.
The dusty old crow couldn't help but chortle to himself at how much of a big softy he had become.
Well…when it came to his family of course.
Speaking of which…
Qrow sighed, fiddling with his drink.
"What can I do for you Raven?" Qrow asked in slight annoyance
"What?" Raven Branwen, twin of Qrow Branwen feigned being hurt as she sat down beside her brother "Can't family just see each other for the sake of just seeing them?"
"Had you been someone else Raven, I would have actually believed that" Qrow snipped "But you're you Raven"
Raven only rolled her eyes at Qrow's attitude.
"What do you want Raven?" Qrow asked "Can't you see I'm trying to wallow in my own self pity…again"
"I need to talk to you" Raven said seriously
"Oh" Qrow said, being faux dramatic "The untouchable Raven Branwen needs to talk to her pathetic, outcast traitor brother. This must be really important"
"This is serious, brother" Raven said irritably "It involves the Avengers"
Qrow finally glanced over at his sister, seeing her hair was still as bushy and as wild as the last time he had seen her.
"What about them?" Qrow said casually, taking another shot
"What do you know about them?" Raven said with interrogation
"What makes you think I know anything about them?" Qrow said, inspecting his nails
Raven slightly banged her fist on the bar
"Cause you're you and I know they have met and aligned themselves with Ozpin"
"And this a problem to you?"
"It's a problem for all of Remnant"
Qrow guffawed at that statement
"They're a problem for Remnant?" Qrow chortled "Has your time with the tribe disillusioned you view of the world that much that The freaking Avengers are a problem"
"They upset the natural order of the world" Raven said sternly
"Oh, and pray tell sister" Qrow mocked "How exactly have they done that?"
"They shall make the world complacent" Raven argued vehemently "They'll make everyone in this world weak and lazy and they'll think that they never have to truly fight and strive to become stronger than others"
"Oh here we go again with that survival of the fittest bullshit" Qrow interrupted angrily "In case you haven't noticed Raven, Remnant has moved on well beyond that point. Your tribe is the only who adheres to that philosophy by being Rapists, murderers and thieves"
"Our tribe" Raven said venomously with narrowed eyes
"No, your tribe" Qrow refuted "Don't forget I walked away from that dingy old setup long ago"
"When you joined Ozpin's inner circle"
"Gotta problem with that? Don't answer, cause I know you do"
Raven clenched her teeth with her fist tightening at Qrows attitude towards her.
"Why do I even bother coming to talk to you" Raven threw her hands up, getting up out of the chair.
"Cause I'm the only man outside the tribe who tolerates your presence for the bare minimum of five seconds" Qrow said knowingly
"And people tolerate your presence?" Raven said with a sneer
"Ruby and your daughter seem to like me" Qrow shot back with a victorious grin "And the Avengers ain't half bad either"
Raven scoffed, pulling out her sword.
"I hope you know Raven" Qrow spoke up, halting Raven in her tracks "That Yang is looking for you"
Raven looked back to Qrow "Then she better not let me down"
"Also" Qrow made her stop once more "I would advise against testing the strength of the Avengers if that idea crossed your mind. You wouldn't like the results"
Raven only sliced her sword, opening up a portal back to her tribe.
"Don't put too much stock or hope in these 'heroes' brother" Raven said "It won't turn out as well as you would like to believe"
Qrow only 'hmphed' in amusement at Raven's condescending nature towards him and the Avengers. If only she knew just who it was that these Avengers were.
Chuckling to himself, Qrow drank down the rest of his scotch while slamming a nice tip for the bartender, departing shortly thereafter.
Elsewhere
Tes was observing the tech he had received from Watts with great intensity, trying to uncover the secrets that it may possess.
He was concentrating on a specific purple glowing stone that was brought in with what looked like a rifle of some kind. When he tested its energy output, it was unlike anything he had ever seen. The stone put dust to shame in several regards.
Tes carefully picked up the stone, weighing it in his hands before inspecting it from all sides and angles.
Scratching his scalp, Tes looked around his lab, eyeing multiple tools that hopefully would give him some kind of inspiration on what to do with this technology.
Tes approached a rifle in particular that had a revolver like cylinder for loading in Dust bullets.
He picked up the rifle, analyzing it as he held both items side by side.
"Hmmm" Tes felt a spark "This just might work"
Vale
Clint Barton was currently browsing one of the Dust stores Oobleck had mentioned.
He was impressed with the variety, recalling everything he learned on Dust in their short time here.
"Hmmm" Clint held up a yellowish red dust vial "Lightning fire? Or just lightning? Meh, I'll figure it out later"
Clint continued to pick out one to three of each dust vial he came across, adding them to his bag.
He approached the counter and placed his bag of Dust up on the desk.
The old man came up from the room in the back.
"Have everything we nee…" The clerk blinked, staring at the archer "Ah, you're one of those Avenging folks that's been all over the news lately"
"Yeah" Clint waved off "That's me"
"Hmmm" The clerk rubbed his chin "You're that…Hawk Guy"
Clint snorted "Hawk eye(Points to his eye). Best sharpshooter in Remnant"
"I'll take your word for it" The old man said kindly "Nice to know heroes still exist"
"There's heroes out there" Clint argued
"Really, Name one?" the Clerk challenged "And none of those headmasters from the schools"
"Well" Clint was put on the spot "There's Qrow Branwen"
"Branwen eh?" The Clerk nodded "Yeah I've heard of that whippersnapper. But no one else made the kind of noise you and yer Avenger fellas did these past few months"
Clint only shrugged, choosing to pay for his dust then respond to the Clerks statement.
"Take care" Clint waved goodbye, exiting the store to the sound of a cheerful bark.
Stopping, Clint glanced down to see a Corgi looking up at him with its tongue hanging out.
"Hey there little guy" Clint greeted, kneeling down.
The Corgi happily bounded up to the archer, allowing him to scratch him on his ears.
"And who are you little guy" Clint said pleasantly, scratching the dogs chin, spotting the collar with his name tag
"Zwei?" Clint read aloud, getting a happy bark out of the Corgi "Where are your owners?"
Zwei tilted his head, taking a sniff of the air before looking back. He then stood up and began walking down the block.
The little dog stopped and looked back at the archer. It barked at him in a manner that almost felt like he was saying 'follow me'.
Startled at this, Clint asked
"You want me to come with you?"
A bark for affirmation
Bewildered, Clint trailed after the Corgi who happily strutted around the Avenger while leading him towards his destination.
The destination being two young teens who were looking for their dog.
"Zwei" Ruby Rose called out aloud "Where are ya buddy?"
"Ruby, you know we're worrying about Zwei of all dogs" Yang Xiao-long pointed out
"I know" Ruby said "But he's been gone for an hour now in the city. Who knows where he is"
"He's been gone for a lot longer than that back home" Yang said
"Yeah, but that's home" Ruby countered "Zwei knows that place inside and out. But he's never been to Vale before"
"Well, he's still Zwei" Yang said confidently "If any dog could take care of themselves its him"
They soon heard a bark that made Yang grin
"See" Yang said knowingly at her little sister "Nothing to worry about"
The two girls turned see their beloved little dog bounding up to them.
But what caught their attentions was the man who was right behind the Corgi.
One Ruby almost instantly recognizing as her eyes widened to the size of saucers and she gasped like it was the last breath she was ever going to have.
"OH MY OUM" Ruby squealed "YANG(begins to shake her sister rapidly) IT'S ONE THE AVENGERS. IT'S HAWKEYE. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! IT'S HAWKEYE! HAWKEYE IS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. ONE OF THE AVENGERS IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!"
Clint Barton couldn't help but chuckle at the reaction.
'Sure as hell never had that one before' Clint mused internally
It was then that Clint narrowed his eyes, observing the two girls before him.
There was something vaguely familiar about them.
"Blond hair, lilac eyes, brown coat with a girl who has silver eyes, reddish black hair with a red cloak" Clint murmured to himself
"Ah" Clint said aloud upon realization "You two are Qrow's nieces, Ruby and Yang correct"
This only served to further make Ruby gasp, making her shake Yang even harder.
"HE KNOWS WHO WE ARE YANG!" Ruby exclaimed "CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! HE KNOWS WHO WE ARE!"
"Easy there little red" Clint amusingly chided "You're about to shake your sisters head off"
Ruby stopped and looked to see Yang's hair was all over the place with her eyes swirling and a bit of drool was leaking out of her mouth.
"Oops" Ruby said simply, carefully loosening her grip on her sister.
Yang keeled over and fell flat on the ground, letting out a slight moan of relief from being free. Zwei came up to Yang and licked her face in hopes of resuscitating her.
"Heh heh" Ruby rubbed the back of head sheepishly and embarrassedly, only now realizing her reaction
"Ruby Rose right?" Clint said, breaking the ice with his hand out "Clint Barton, Hawkeye as you know me. Your uncle Qrow told me a lot about you"
Ruby stared at the hand, wide eyed in awe. She was still having a hard time believing that not only had she met one of the Avengers, he actually knows about her in turn.
Cautiously, as if she was handling glass, Ruby grasped Clint's hand.
Which she then began to shake at the same pace as she did to poor old Yang.
'Holy shit!' Clint yelled internally at the way his arm was being flailed about
"IT'S SO AWESOME TO MEET YOU" Ruby exclaimed with literal stars for eyes
"E-E-Eas-sy Th-There L-litt-ttle r-r-ed" Clint managed to stutter out "Th-That's M-My B-Bow Arm"
Ruby gasped, throwing up her hands to her mouth in complete shock and shame.
"I'm so SORRY" Ruby yelled "I didn't mean to do that, it'sjustthatyouranavengerandi'mahugefanofyoursandi'veseenyouguyskickingsomuchbut"
While she rambled, Clint shook his hand to regain his feeling.
"OI" Clint said aloud, halting Ruby in mid-ramble "Take a breath"
Ruby inhaled deeply
"Not that much" Clint said, feeling a bit of a sweat drop
Ruby began to hold her breath to the point where her face turned blue.
"And breath out" Clint said
Ruby coughed out her breath, her face turning red from the strain and embarrassment.
"There, now, rather than me knowing you through your uncle, you are?" Clint gestured
"Ruby Rose" Ruby said with a salute that would make Cap proud "Future Huntress in training"
"With that grip, I can tell" Clint joked making Ruby gush "Clint Barton or Hawkeye as you know me. Marksman of the Avengers"
"You guys are so cool" Ruby said with unadulterated glee "I've been seeing you guys all over the news and you guys just go around saving people all the time"
"Well someone's gotta do it" Clint said with a shrug "And that'll be you one day"
"You really think so?!" Ruby swooned at the thought of it making Clint laugh
"With your enthusiasm, I know so"
"YAY" Ruby leapt into the air in triumph
The moment was interrupted when the two heard Yang groan, sitting up after recovering from her literal shakedown by Ruby.
"Hey sis" Ruby said sheepishly "You alright there? Sorry about shaking you"
"Yeesh, you really do drink your milk" Yang commented, hand on her head
She then felt something in front of her and saw that it was Clint Barton's helping hand.
Yang couldn't help but gape in slight awe at now legitimately meeting one of the famed Avengers that had gained so much attention in such a short amount of time.
She grasped his hand and he hefted her back up to her feet.
"Wow" Yang murmured "I'm actually kinda speechless here"
"That's a first" Ruby teased
"Sorry" Yang said abashedly "It's just I've seen you and your team over the past few weeks and man you guys kick butt"
"We do our best" Clint said plainly
"It's pretty awesome" Yang said getting a 'yeah' of agreement from Ruby
"Can I have your autograph" Ruby abruptly asked, surprising the archer
"Uh" Clint was definitely surprised by the question seeing that he had never actually done anything like that before
"Sure I guess" Clint said, clearly unsure
"Great" Ruby suddenly held up a pen and a notepad making Yang and Clint wonder just where was she keeping that
Tentatively, Clint took the pen out Ruby's hand, pausing at the notepad.
Clint mentally contemplated momentarily. This was his first ever, real life autograph as an Avenger to someone who was clearly an avid fan and supporter of his team and comrades.
This one needed to be special.
So Clint reach around his back and then pulled out a small rod.
With a quick whip of his hand, the rod became an arrow which dazzled young Ruby.
Quickly signing it, Clint handed the arrow over to the young girl and gave the two sisters and warm smile before departing.
Ruby held the arrow with reverence before reading what Clint had written.
'To the young Ruby Rose, up and coming Huntress and future Avenger-never miss a mark, Hawkeye'
Ruby squealed with glee, jumping around with the arrow, proudly displaying it to Yang.
"THANK YOU" Ruby yelled out to Clint who merely smiled, waving back to her.
Salem's lair
The Queen of the Grimm stood alone in her meeting room, standing nearby a window to look down at the pools of black substance of which Grimm emerged from.
"Your grace" Said a fanatical follower
"Ah Tyrian" Salem greeted smoothly "I take it you have completed your assignment"
"With great haste, my goddess" Tyrian said in pure worship, getting onto his knees to present the vial of blood that came from Steve Rogers
"Good" Salem purred, taking the vial out of his hands
The Grimm queens eyes began to glow a more intense red and the black veins on her arms and face began to glow red as well.
"Let us see what secrets we can find with this" Salem said with a sinister undertone
And done, hope you guys enjoy while I go to bed cause the Ambien is kicking in hard
Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day
MY HAND IS FUCKING MURDERING ME RIGHT NOW
Wonder Woman's theme is a great motivator