Here it comes.
A bit of lore expanding, my own version. Oh, and maybe I should note that I despise writing what characters wear. So any clothes/wear, emblems, weapons, any visual cues, that sort of things aren't gonna apply here. Even canon stuff, except explicitly, and by that I mean explicitly mentioned. Also applies to allusions.
And for the second character here, do I know of her true backstory? To a degree, yes.
Do I care? No.
Enjoy!
When his parents first gave birth to him, they named him Ozpin. In a language he forgot, it meant 'wise old man'.
Life was normal, up to a point. Mundane, even.
And then his life changed.
He did his best. He gave what he could, the magic he held, to people he deemed worthy. At the time, Qrow and Raven wanted to break free. And as such he gave them the power to turn their bodies into birds. Freedom. He genuinely liked seeing them breaking out of their shell, no strings attached from him. Truly.
But Haven, Salem, and Tai…
Summer…
In the current sense, he didn't feel wise at all.
Cinder stood alone in an empty and disposable warehouse, patiently waiting for her call to come through. After all this time, and with the recent conditions they were dealt with, it's best to give her own status report and await advice.
Besides, she didn't mind talking to her again.
Not even a single ring and the call was picked up by the other end. A hologram popped up right in front of Cinder, revealing a woman with porcelain skin and, most importantly, dual Silver Eyes with fading scars around them. Cinder knew she had blonde hair, but it all was covered by the green coat she was wearing. Beneath the coat was a combat outfit she's seen many times.
"Ma'am."
"Ah, Cinder. I've been waiting to hear from you." Her superior smiled at her. "How long has it been-?"
"It's been three months, ten days, and fourteen hours! …Ma'am."
Her superior chuckled. "Of course you'd remember. Are things going well?"
"It's…" Cinder took a deep breath. No, with her, things will be fine. She can be honest, for once. "…We've hit a snag, Ma'am."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Ozpin has decided to drag out the festival."
"Hm…"
"He's doing this to increase the positivity around the kingdom. I… I'm having thoughts if this will affect the negativity we've built up so far."
"Oh, so that's how it is…" Her superior stayed calm. "Well, we'll just have to adjust our plans to the situation. Nothing we can't fix. Have you gotten back in contact with Adam?"
"I have."
"Then you can use him to stir up something within those resting days. It doesn't have to be big, just enough to keep pressure on the back of everyone's minds. Just in case, I'll get things ready on my end too. It's nothing Salem won't understand, I'm sure. Her name means peace, and nothing more. That's what she truly wishes."
"Ma'am, thank you." Cinder tried to keep her tone neutral and respectful. Instead, it came out just slightly longing. "…When are you going to come back?"
"We've just finished taking care of the situation in Vacuo." Her superior reassured her. "I'll be reaching Vale within a few hours. How are Emerald and Mercury?"
Ah yes, her underlings. Both named for the shades of their hair.
"They're following orders, Ma'am… but, well… you know I'd prefer if you were by our side."
"Cinder..."
"…I'll manage, Ma'am."
"You can do much better than that." Her superior smiled at her. "I've lived for a long time, and was fortunate enough to live through multiple wars… sometimes, I wondered why, and why I'm still fighting…." She chuckled. "I never did came to a conclusion, but I still learned a lot. I'm still here, so that's what I need to focus on. So I thought you everything I know. Techniques, strategy, I've even told you what I believe in… but why you fight, you have your own. I can help you along the way, but I can't be with you forever. Trust yourself, and trust your abilities. You're a wonderful woman, Cinder. I'm sure you'll go far."
"…Thank you, Ma'am."
"Remember what I said." Her superior said, her skin briefly going chalk-white, the scars around her eyes turning Grimm-black. "We'll talk more once I get back."
Cinder nodded, and her eyes shone like a daughter to a mother. For once, a genuine quirk of her lips shone through. "Of course. It's nice to hear from you again, Boss."
Glynda was busy shifting through some papers in her private office. They held lots of information, giving out details about activities that had been now already been completed for a long time. Amongst all of these, she was confident that there had to be a clue on Salem and her agents, on what her next plans were. She was a fair woman, that's what her name meant. She had to be, to her students, to everyone around her.
"I don't think you're going to get very far, Glyn."
Glynda resisted the urge to massage her temples. On the other end of her office was Indigo Arc, arms crossed while burning her gaze on her. She continued shifting through as she answered Indigo. "Regardless, I need to ensure that not a single detail goes missing. Not a single text unchecked. The students are my responsibility."
"Then let us in, why don't you?" Indigo challenged. "I can help, you know that."
A sigh. Looks like this one was a dead end too. Glynda took another piece of paper and scanned its contents. "That's not my call to make. You know that. "
"…I never expected someone so headstrong in class to bow down and take orders."
Glynda looked up from her papers and met Indigo's "This is trust, Indigo. Not blind loyalty."
"I've heard better excuses than that."
Glynda narrowed her eyes. "This is simply bigger than me. As such, I find it proper not to bust heads and listen to reason."
Indigo raised an eyebrow. "You know it's only a matter of time before this whole thing blows, right? We have to take measures. No secrets, and do what's necessary. If you won't tell me what's going on, then we'll find out ourselves."
Glynda sighed. "I can't stop you. But I can tell you that it won't be easy. Listen to reason, Indigo. We can get through if we all work together."
"I believe that too." Indigo's lips quirked upwards. Her hands sparked with electricity, their grips vibrating slighty and shining with blue light. "But your definition of working together's different than mine."
The room, while one she's only been in once before, was one she'd recognize at any time of the year. The backstage rooms of a tournament facility, in this case the Vytal Tournaments'.
Her teammates were out, getting ready for the big day. She opted to come in thirty minutes earlier than the deadline, to get some alone time and straighten her thoughts.
She's their friend, and above that, their leader. She had to excel. Had to beat out the competition. Psyche herself up, even though this is nothing she hasn't done before.
Here, in the quietness of the room, she reached the same conclusion she always did. Because out of all the things she's learned in her short yet very explosive life, Pyrrha knew one thing very well.
It was lonely at the top.
Fighting came easy to her, like metals to a magnet. Train your muscles. Practice your aim. Hone your sword swings. Take hits with your shield. Everything she saw, she replicated in a matter of days. She climbed the ranks of Mistral's regional tournament, becoming a champion at the then-unheard-of age of fourteen.
It became routine. Lonely.
But then, like she just said, everything came to an explosion of liveliness. In Beacon, she felt life like a normal girl. Not a champion, not a warrior. It didn't hurt that the skills she had as a champion helped her excel in combat class, and she could relish the normality she then had.
She had friends, did hobbies, felt pressure with coming exams, and ate street food on late nights with her team. It was everything she had ever dreamed of.
But then reality came crashing down on that dream.
Jaune died.
Nothing was ever the same after that. How could they be? Everything set in on her. They were training to be Hunters and Huntresses. They could die at any moment, targeted by those who saw them as a threat. They did have time to goof around, yes, but every day was a day where she had to wonder if this was the right choice. If spending the rest of her life fighting was something she truly wanted, and there were days when she felt eyes staring at her back.
More than she ever did when she was the champion of Mistral.
And when a team loses one of their members, you realise that it'll never be whole again. Innocence lost.
A whole world opened up to her, at that point. Criminals, the White Fang, Ozpin and this plot, the Arcs, the top of the Hunters and Huntresses...
When she saw the ones at the top of them all, she saw how they were the most secure and those who stood the longest. Relatively, at least. When you're at the top, you can be damn well sure that people think twice about crossing you. You have the power to make people back down, and if you didn't, show them your true power.
The place she thought was the loneliest turned out to be the only place she can ensure her loved ones stayed safe.
And so that's what Pyrrha set out to do.
Becoming JNPR's leader.
Training under Indigo, one of the best of the Huntresses on Remnant. The strongest of the Arc daughters.
Participating in the White Fang raids.
Sending who-knows-how-many criminals to the judge.
She dreamed of a time when she'd find someone like him again…
But for now, she'll fight like she's always done.
Win the Vytal Tournament.
Capture Adam Taurus.
Stop the plot to take down Beacon.
And if it comes down to it… become the Fall Maiden.
A knock on the door, and Nora's face peeked through. "Hey, Pyrrha!"
Pyrrha smiled, broken from her thoughts. "Nora. What is it?"
"They're about to call us up. Ren and I are all set. Are you ready for the big day?"
Pyrrha lifted herself off her chair. "Yes... I suppose I am." She exited the door and walked along the hallway, Ren and Nora behind her. They walked together, approaching the entrance to the stage.
As she got closer, she could hear the cheer of the crowd and drastic change of light from the backstage hallway to the tournament stage.
Ren and Nora followed behind her, their steps synced.
She held her head high, leading her team into the light.
The tournament's single announcer spoke loud with their entrance. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! TEAAAAMMMM JNPRRRR!"
The crowd cheered as they entered the stage, thousands of eyes looking at them both from the stadium and also from a screen.
She won't stop.
Not now.
Not until she reaches the top of every fighter here.
Raiden watched in interest from his seat as that aforementioned team came forth, sat on the highest seats in the stadium. The one leading the pack was a girl wearing silver metal armor, with gold highlights around her hands and feet. The other was a boy with long, jet-black hair wearing a martial arts uniform with a green-coloured top section. The last was a muscular girl who clearly loved pink, using a theme of light.
"Oh, excuse me. Excuse me!"
Raiden turned his head to the right. Jaune came in, wading through the crowd carrying a bucket of popcorn and two cans of energy drink.
"Ahhhh." Jaune sat on the seat next to Raiden. He offered the popcorn to his partner. "Want some?"
"No thanks. I'm good."
"Well, how about one of these?" Jaune offered a can to Raiden. "Seriously, they give you a little sting."
"Hm?"
"Yeah!" Jaune shook the can to Raiden. "Turns out the little electrolytes in here give you a tiny feel like the usual Fuel Cells. Come on!"
"… I guess I could try." Raiden took the can and cracked it open. He took a sip from it, and he felt his vision glow ever so slightly for just a moment. Just like refueling from dropped enemy cyborgs. He pulled the can back and stared at it. "Huh. What do you know?"
"Told you. Even I can feel it." Jaune took another sip. "So. Who's up?"
"JNPR, and some other team, don't really remember the name." Raiden said. "JNPR… that's your team, right?"
"Yeah…" Jaune sighed. There came that longing again… but he's still got the mission to do. He pointed to each members of his team. "Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora. Team JNPR."
"They look so young." Raiden said. "You know, I always forget that you're barely twenty."
"Hm, the little facial hair helps, doesn't it?" Jaune smiled.
"So, you think they're gonna win?"
"…I do." Jaune said. "Pyrrha, well, she's Pyr, and Ren and Nora are as good a sync as any."
"Right… and who's their leader?"
Jaune's smile faltered. "I was."
Nora lifted her hammer high, showcasing her strength to the people.
Raiden whistled. "Reminds me of those HF Hammers the Juggernauts used. What's it called?"
"Well, since she wanted to be strong… she named it Magnhild. There's nothing deeper than that."
Ren twirled Stormflower.
"Looks like the bow you found back then." Raiden said.
"Yeah… I was planning on giving it back." Jaune rubbed his chin. "You think he'd like the mods, though?"
"I'd use it. really. No idea about him, though."
And lastly, Pyrrha unfurled her weapons. The first one was familiar to Jaune. Miló. It transformed into three forms, no engravings; a standard bronze double-edged sword, a standard bronze javelin, and a rifle. The other, though…
Jaune's eyes widened. "That's not Akuó."
A white, plain shield, one he was familiar with.
The crowd oohed.
Raiden turned to Jaune, motioning to HF Crocea. "You didn't tell me this thing came with a shield."
"Yeah, cause it was destroyed!" Jaune spoke. He looked at Pyrrha again, his old partner using something he left behind long ago. "That's a pretty good replica…"
A hologram appeared on each end of the arena. They scrolled through the various symbols of biomes, and then stopped at two chosen at random.
Woods and Mountains.
The stage shifted, the floors changing to suit the proper selection.
Team JNPR waited patiently, their footing firm and their weapons.
The floors finished changing.
The screen lit up to show JNPR's Aura meters.
Pyrrha – 100%
Nora – 100%
Ren – 100%
The announcer screamed the proper words, the words to start it all. "BEGIN!"
The crowd cheered, and the battle began. Pyrrha lead the charge with her shield in front, while Nora and Ren covered her sides.
"Well." Raiden leaned back in his seat. "Time to enjoy the show."
Jaune nodded, leaning forward with interest. 'Come on, guys. Don't disappoint… show me what you really believe in.'
Pyrrha charged the opponent. He attacked her with a chest-level swing. Pyrrha bent her knees and skid below the attack, the enemies' weapon brushing her chin. Pyrrha stopped behind him. She effortlessly blocked a strike from behind, stopping her opponent's partner.
"Nora!" Pyrrha yelled. She pushed back the opponent's attack with her shield and swung behind her, forcing the earlier opponent back. "Cloud!"
"You got it!" Nora broke off her opponent and turned her weapon into a grenade launcher. Aiming it high, she fired shots at her teammate's vicinity. Pyrrha continued to engage her opponents, blocking, dodging, striking weak points. The grenades landed at her opponent's feet.
"GREANDE!" The opponents jumped back and regrouped, all four facing the grenade smoke. With the enemies retreating, Nora and Ren converged on Pyrrha, who was still in the grenade's landing zone.
"What are they doing-?!"
PSSTTTTT!
The grenades exploded into smoke bombs.
The smoke covered Team JNPR, masking their position to a wider radius. The enemy team grit their teeth. What where they playing at?
SMG fire burst from the smoke, and Ren charged at the enemy team alone. He charged at their leader, who lifted his spear to stab Ren as he came.
Ren came closer, a leg drawn back. The opposing leader moved to stab Ren as he charged.
Ren kept himself calm. Everything was going according to plan.
The opponent's attack missed.
"Ack!" Their leader received a kick to the back of his head. His teammate yelled and charged at Ren, her scimitar ready to slice him down. Ren, again, moved as minimally as he could. The slice missed, and Ren unloaded a full clip into her stomach. She doubled over, and Ren kicked her away. She flew to a tree, her back hitting its trunk and shaking leaves until they fell. She struggled to get up.
Ren let out a breath. One down, three to go.
The other three, with the leader recovered, charged him together. In response, Ren kept calm and waited until they were at a single point.
Wait… wait…
They were finally upon him.
'Now.'
Ren jumped high, behind him the smoke from before.
SLAM!
Cracks on the concrete formed from the smoke, growing and growing to where Ren just was. With the enemy concentrated on one spot, they truly felt the ground as cracks formed.
They stumbled in their footing, stance unstable and ground crumbling beneath them. They looked forwards. The smoke had dissipated, and Nora and Pyrrha were ready to charge at them with all they've got.
Pyrrha yelled out the words. "Attack! Now!"
Ren fired as he descended, forcing the enemy to guard their heads. With the enemies' attention split, Pyrrha and Nora charged with their weapons drawn back.
The opposing team was caught unaware. With synced attacks, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren, struck the three and cast them away the centre of the ring. They tumbled around along in the ground and came to a stop against a tree.
Their Auras flashed, all in the yellow.
Pyrrha lifted her shield. It's not over yet.
On the closest stands to the stage, a team consisting of girls wearing a leather-and-yellow biker getup, one wearing a red jacket and black hoodie, a gray-and-white princess, and a martial arts black-and-white ninja watched their teammates beat the opposition effortlessly.
"Wohoo! Go team JNPR!" Yang cheered from the stands.
"Represent Beacon!" Ruby shouted with vigour.
"Go team." Blake said.
"You can do it Pyrrha!" Weiss supported.
They saw JNPR's opponents regain their senses and coordinate a plan. They retreated deeper into the forest zone, all of them scattering across.
"Oof. They're using their numbers." Yang grimaced. "Gonna be a lot harder from now on."
"Yeah, but Nora can just blow them up, remember?" Ruby pointed out. "She's got a lot of grenades."
"It's hardly efficient to level an entire forest down." Weiss said. "They need to work fast. There is a timer, after all."
"So maybe Ren can act as a bait?"
Ruby groaned. "Sis, come on! That's way too risky-!"
"Um… guys?" Blake nervously said.
"So what do you want me to say? I'm just throwing out options here-."
"Guys."
"Maybe you could use your head, Xiao-Long, instead of barging through everything without thinking-!"
"Guys!"
"WHAT?!"
Blake wordlessly pointed to a seat across from them, at the top of the stadium. The entirety of Team RWBY turned to where Blake pointed.
They all stiffened.
There, at the top of the stadium seats, was that cyborg, 'Raiden' and, next to him, eating popcorn and taking a sip of energy drink…
Was Jaune.
The two of them seemed to eagerly enjoy the show, pointing to the stadium and chatting away details that can't be heard.
"So it wasn't a dream…" Weiss whispered out.
They saw Jaune and the cyborg talk. However, mid-sentence, the cyborg paused, seeming to have noticed something. Then, he elbowed Jaune hard in the ribs.
"Ow! What was that for, you prick?!"
"Jaune. Look."
They watched with amazement as the cyborg motioned his head towards them. In response, Jaune turned his head to them. They could see it, his blond hair, his blue eyes….
Everything was the same, and yet so different.
With a teasing grin and mischievous eyes, Jaune gave them a small wave.
Ruby weakly waved back.
Jaune's smile grew. He pointed upwards, and Team RWBY looked up to the open sky. A Bullhead was flying past, with the words 'Haven' printed on its hull.
"So Haven's finally here…" Weiss trailed off.
"Um, guys..." Blake pointed back to where Jaune and Raiden was.
Jaune was gone. The cyborg himself was there, however, he got off his seat and turned his back towards them, just as the crowd started to come. He disappeared within the ocean of people, blending easily like nothing was ever there in the first place.
Yang punched her seat. "Damn it! They got away again?!"
Ruby sighed. At this point, she was wondering if she should see a doctor for hallucinations. That said, she doubted a group hallucination could occur twice.
Never mind the unconscious bodies of the White Fang yesterday, and the reports of dead members last night.
"So… how are we going to break it to them?" Blake asked. As soon as Blake said that, they all huddled around one another and spoke in whispers, making sure no one else heard.
"We don't have any solid proof." Weiss said. "I'm afraid if we're to tell them now, things might… splinter. You know how Pyrrha is about Jaune."
"You think she'll snap?" Ruby asked warily.
"That's the best we can hope for." Weiss said.
"If we keep secrets then it's not going to do anyone any good." Blake said firmly.
"Yeah, I getcha Blakey, but still… the entire reason JNPR's around is because Pyrrha's taken up the leader role. I don't- I'm not sure she'll want to keep that if she knew Jaune was here, and we need all the power we can get." Yang said.
"It did take her some time to get used to it…" Blake trailed off.
"Don't forget, that cyborg was there too." Ruby said. "So Crocea wasn't stolen… did Jaune give it to him?"
"He must've." Weiss nodded to herself. "I simply can't imagine a time where he'd leave it to rot."
"Did you see his arm, though?" Yang said. "Prosthetic."
"Oh yeah... poor guy…" Blake closed her eyes.
"Well I think it's pretty cool."
"That's not the point, you dolt."
"Focus, girls." Yang reminded. "So… I think it's safe to assume Jaune was involved in Rav- in Haven." Yang corrected last minute. At their nods, Yang continued. "….I think we can say that he knows about Ozpin and the Plot too."
The mood grew solemn. 'The Plot', right. They needed to save Beacon, deal with the Fall Maiden situation, find out Ozpin's truth, and figure out what to do next.
All together with Team JNPR and the Arc family.
And now Jaune Arc was in the thick of it, fighting for his own faction. Keeping secrets now could spell disaster, and disaster meant Beacon being destroyed and Vale coming down. Not to mention losing the Fall Maiden and worrying about a then-stronger enemy.
They can't keep secrets. Not when Jaune freaking Arc was back with them all.
"So… who's gonna tell them?"
With a last swing, Pyrrha knocked her opponent away. Her team did the same with her lead, finishing their match in one fell swoop.
"TEAM JNPR WINS!"
The crowd cheered, and just a little, Pyrrha felt he chest swell with pride. Team JNPR stood straight and tall, smiles on their face from their proven strength. Pyrrha looked to Team RWBY. How were they doing?
Pyrrha's smile faltered as she saw them conversing with themselves, in whispers and panic. They eyed Team JNPR in their discussion.
'Why? Was something wrong? ...Did the Fang attack again?'
Ruby broke her team off slightly and looked at Pyrrha. Then, she tapped at a point around her ear, then to the cuffs of her clothes.
At once, Pyrrha understood. She gave a short nod in response. Looks like they needed to talk again, about something important. Probably a matter regarding Ozpin's plot had just come up.
It seems that her team recognized her distress as well. "Stay calm, Pyrrha." Ren spoke from beside her.
Right, calm.
Winter stood with her hands behind her back, watching the ground fly by as they sailed in the skies above Vale. An Atlesian Specialist, she was called to assist him in defending Vale from the enemy threat. As such, she prepared the best she could and went with her assigned fleet as soon as she got the chance.
She replayed a part of history in her head.
When each Kingdom was established, the last Remnants of humanity, they created a symbol that represented the lands they lived in. Each was different from the other, identic with the places they originated and how its people survived. However, their colours were the same white, in the hopes of unity. Of course, that hope was dashed when they went to war.
For Vale, named after the veil of forests that protected its citizens from the Grimm, it was an axe tied with a grain. It referenced the history of Vale's agriculture sector, as well as its plentiful forests.
For Vacuo, named after its harsh winds, its logo was a fan with specks of dust around it, referencing the mobility of those who dared to live in the desert.
For Mistral, it was a scimitar paired with a large castle, referencing its deep cultural history.
For Atlas, named because it was the one place snow prevented a clear atlas of its surroundings, it was a shield with a snowflake. Snow almost always covered the Kingdom, and the settlers tried desperately to keep what they had.
So when Winter saw another ship approaching bearing Mistral's logo along with Haven's, she knew that something was off.
What could it mean?
"Ma'am, we're approaching Beacon."
Ah yes, the 'Beacon' of inspiration for all Hunters.
"Prepare for landing. General Ironwood should be waiting for us." Winter ordered.
"Yes ma'am."
That ship was still following them…
Winter scoffed. No matter. She doubted it had any hostile intent, and if it did, it'd stand no chance against Atlas' proven defenses.
"Sir. The ship's prepared to be used as an Aerial Command Center."
"Good. Only land after the Atlas ship. We're not here for a fight, but Haven wishes to be an independent party. Any word from Jaune and Raiden?"
"Unless you count the intel from last night, no, sir."
"…That's fine. Tell them to head to Beacon. I want an escape route, just in case things go south."
"Of course, V-Boss."
Teams RWBY and JNPR were walking through the fairgrounds, heading back towards Beacon. Pyrrha waited patiently for Ruby to break the news, about what they wanted to talk about.
"So…" Ruby began. "Um… Good job on the match, guys! You did wonderful!"
"Aw, shucks, of course we did!" Nora yelled. "Come on! That groundslam was nice, right?! Knocked them right off their feet!"
"It sure was. They barely stood a chance!" Yang cheered. "Maybe you could teach me sometime, Nora-!"
Ren coughed into his fist. Everyone quieted down. "I'm sure we can talk about the tournament all day, but we need to get back on track." All heads turned to him. "What did you want to talk about, Ruby?"
At this, Ruby seemed to shrink. "I- I don't know how to say this…"
"I'm sure it's nothing bad, Ruby." Pyrrha smiled reassuringly. "After all, leaders have to stick together, right?"
"Pyrrha, Ren, Nora…" Weiss began. "This is- well, this is a sensitive matter. Can we trust you to be stable?"
"Be stable?" Ren echoed. "What… what is it?"
Blake took a deep breath and forced the words out of her mouth."It's about Jaune."
Pyrrha's smile froze, wobbling just a bit. "J-Jaune?" She took a deep breath. "What's the matter?"
"We think he's alive, Pyrrha." Yang spoke solemnly. "We've given it some thought, and-."
"No!" It was Nora who yelled out. "You're lying!"
Team RWBY fell silent.
"I-if leader's out there, then he would've come back!" Nora continued. "We're his team! And teams, teams stick together!"
Ruby decided to explain more. "I know it's hard to believe, Nora, but-."
"And what would you know?" Pyrrha said.
"P-Pyrrha-!"
"You're not the one who's had to play two roles at once. You're not the one who's had to bust her ass off to earn Indigo's approval, tried day and night to be the best around." Pyrrha chuckled hollowly. "Oh no, you're a prodigy. Leading's easy when it's natural and you've got a full team, isn't it, Ruby?"
"Hey, Pyrrha." Yang stepped up, trying to defend her sister. "We've lost people too, y'know. Jaune's our friend too, and-."
"YOU DIDN'T FAIL HIM LIKE I DID!"
Silence.
"If I'd just train him better- been a better partner, then, then-!" Her eyes were brimming with tears. The 'leader' composure within her was breaking. "If he's alive, then maybe I failed him even more! Didn't save him, got caught up with myself! It means all these years were for nothing! NOTHING!"
"…So how can you say that, Ruby?" Pyrrha whispered, her body deflating. Ren patted her shoulder, and she sniffled. "All this time, I've tried my best to be like he was… if he didn't bother to come back, then maybe I shouldn't even try anymore… How can I be the best when I'm not even worthy?"
"Pyrrha… that's not what I meant." Ruby shook her head and looked down to the ground. "I'm sorry… but it's the truth. I don't know what Jaune's planning, but-."
"So you're still sticking to that?" Ren asked.
"Ren…"
"Save it." Ren said. "I think…" He tried to calm himself. "I think you're going to need some proof, Ruby. Otherwise… these two-and-a-half years have been hard on us. I'd like to believe Jaune is alive, but even so, he'd come back to us if he did."
"Guys…" Weiss tried to reason.
Pyrrha shook, and Nora took her hand. "Come on, Pyrrha. Let's get you back to Beacon." She winced when Pyrrha only sighed and sniffled. Ren gave Team RWBY a short nod, while Nora shot a glare to them all. The two started to lead Pyrrha back to Beacon…
That was, until Pyrrha's head shot up and looked both their and Team RWBY's sides.
Nora, Ren, and Team RWBY followed Pyrrha's vision.
There, far from them and amongst the crowd, was that Raiden cyborg. Eyepatch, metal chin, and black suit. His head was turned towards them, his body facing his right. On his back, visible only in its hilt, was HF Crocea.
Pyrrha growled and shook Nora off.
Nora stumbled bacl. "Pyrrha, wait-!"
Pyrrha ran from them all, chasing that mysterious cyborg. In response, Raiden turned away from her and began to calmly walk away with his back towards her.
Pyrrha grit her teeth, knowing that the rest of JNPR and Team RWBY were following her through the crowd. Bumping through the crowd, forcing herself through all the people, she followed in his footsteps as fast she can and drew her weapons, ignoring the citizens' shock.
That thief! She won't let him get away!
Winter felt her ship land just outside of Beacon' courtyard. The Bullhead's hatch opened and she stepped out, followed by her subordinates in a tight Atlesian march.
The crowd parted around them as she walked out along Beacon's courtyard, back straight and gaze firm. The crowd watched in silence and amazement, making sure to that no emotions leaked. She had to be the best example of Atlesian defense, especially if their enemy was watching. One small slip, and then...
Winter almost flinched when she heard several of her subordinates scream out. Winter turned around, slowly, to find most of them passed out on the floor. And of course, the perpetrator was…
"Qrow." Winter bit out.
"Princess." Qrow slurred back. "Didn't know you were comin' by. What, Ironwood panicked and called in his best goon?"
"You do realise you just attacked Atlas Military Personnel."
"These buffoons can barely take a hit." Qrow motioned to around him. "You're telling me this is the best defence Atlas' got?"
Winter narrowed her eyes. "Watch your mouth, Qrow."
"And now softy's telling me she can't hear the truth!" Qrow laughed out loud. "The world's gone to shit, and you just stand there with your military and protocols, trusting that no one's gonna stab your back."
Winter's tone dripped with venom. "What exactly are you implying?"
"Heh, I'm saying… what's it gonna take for ol' Ironwood to shut Atlas down like Mistral?"
"Enough!" Winter drew her sword, Frostbite, in its single form. A crowd had formed a circle around them, ready to watch the anticipated fight. "If you won't watch your tounge… then I'll gladly remove it for you!"
"Heh." Qrow spun around with a flourish, and when he faced Winter again, he had already drawn his own weapon. It was a large plain broadsword with an especially long hilt and a red tip at the end. He tapped the red tip, and a scythe transformed on the other end.
Jaded Bird.
He spun it around him with his right hand and beckoned Winter forth with his left. "Come and get it."
"RAH!" Winter lunged forwards with all her speed. As soon as she reached Qrow, she thrust Frostbite forwards at Qrow's head.
Qrow smirked and tilted his head to the side, the blade missing his cheek just barely. Winter thrust Frostbite again at his head. Qrow tilted his head again, and the attack missed once more.
Winter shifted tactics and moved to swing at Qrow's body. Qrow planted Jaded Bird's scythe end at the ground and used it lean up, his body right above Winter's sword. Winter grit her teeth and swung upwards. Qrow lifted his scythe from the ground and leapt forwards, avoiding the blow. He landed right behind Winter and swung at him with his scythe end. Winter leaned forwards low, letting the weapon go right past her back. As soon as she was clear, Winter spun on her heel, letting out one foot to her back. Qrow jumped back, avoiding the attack but giving Winter room. Finishing her spin, Winter faced Qrow once more with Frostbite at the ready.
Qrow hefted his own sword. With a smirk, he dashed at Winter, sword high above his head and prepared to be swung down. Winter braced herself and put a foot back, sword ready for aparry.
Qrow chuckled and swung his sword even more upwards, bringing the scythe end flying up to Winter's face. Winter's eyes widened and she barely managed to lean back, the sword missing her eye by a centimeter.
Winter went into a cartwheel as Qrow swung at him again and again and again. Each time, he shifted from sword to scythe to sword to scythe, maintaining a long combo that didn't let up. Winter just barely managed to avoid every single one, but she knew it had to end. Qrow was about to use his sword. He swung another attack, and Winter ended her cartwheel and kicked Qrow's weapon away mid-attack, sending Qrow's arm back. Winter landed a good distance away, hefting her weapon again. This time, she was the one who charged first.
Qrow barely had time to recover. Winter pushed on the offensive. Stab, swing, slash, every attack in proper form. Qrow smirked as he blocked each attack, on the surface his footing sloppy. Good, good! He was actually starting to have fun! "Come on, Princess, do better than that!"
"HAAAHHHH!" Winter lifted her sword high and swung it down as hard as she could. Qrow jumped back, and Winter's attack hit the ground, shattering the floor. Winter followed Qrow's movements and saw him land on one of the arches of Beacon Academy. Growling, she quickly followed suit.
Qrow smirked as he saw Winter land in front of him. 'Always so easy to rile up…' Then again, he needed to let out some steam himself. With a flourish of his sword, the two rushed forwards and engaged the other at the same time.
Winter thrust Frostbite forwards and Qrow blocked it with the back of his blade. He shifted his grip and swung Jaded Bird's scythe at Winter's feet. Winter jumped and spun, swinging down at Qrow. Qrow met the attack with a swing from his own sword.
Clang!
The impact created a shockwave that destroyed the arch. Qrow and Winter were thrown back down towards the courtyard. They tumbled along, separating and rolling until they came to stop separated from each other.
Winter groaned and lifted herself to her feet, using Frostbite as a crutch. She shook her head. Come on, you can do better-!
"That all you got, Princess?"
Winter growled and looked forwards. There Qrow was, taunting him with his arms open and Jaded Bird planted on his side. Winter flicked a switch on her sword and a dagger separated. Icepick.
"Come on, show me why you're even here!"
Winter gripped Icepick in her left, and Frostbite in her right. Lowering her stance, she focused all her Aura on her feet. She burned Qrow's teasing gaze into her mind. She won't let him get away with this- this disrespect!
"HAAAAHHH!" Winter lunged forwards. The crowd blurred from her speed, Qrow growing closer and closer. She moved Frostbite forwards, piercing Qrow into cheese-!
Something appeared mid-lunge faster than she could react. A hand grabbed her right and twisted her arm, placing it behind her. In fraction of a second, Winter felt herself being held by the back and thrown at Qrow full force.
"Gah!"
"Shit!"
Winter and Qrow collided, both not expecting this- this newcomer. They rolled in the ground and came to a stop right in front of the crowd, both reasonably seperated.
Qow stood up quicker than Winter, gaze slightly hazy. He stood omn wobbly feet, looking at his sword planted right in front of him. He tried to grab it, get Jaded Bird back-!
Qrow's arm was grabbed. Again, his arm was twisted to behind him and he was pushed face first into the ground. He felt his nose hit the concrete hard. "Ugh…"
Winter shook her head. The first thing she registered was Qrow down on the ground. Icepick still in her left hand, she took a knee and was about to jump at him-!
Grab!
She felt her hand encased in another. Then, she saw the assailant from before standing right before her, blocking her vision of Qrow. An eyepatch and a piece of shrapnel was his most prominent feature.
Winter tried to break free, and felt her eyes widen. What, she couldn't-?!
"We don't draw weapons on comrades." The man spoke. Winter struggled against the man's grip, couldn't break free. His voice as laced with authority, like a teacher lecturing a student. "Look around you… is this what you want?"
Before Winter could react, the man stared into her eyes and pushed Icepick into his own chest.
No Aura protected it. It went straight in.
Winter gaped. 'No Aura-?! AH!' She felt a knee hit her stomach. Doubling over, she felt another push and she fell to the ground.
Venom stood up, Icepick still in his chest. The crowd whispered as they saw the man, the man with no Aura, take down a Hunter and a Huntress with unseen ease. And a weapon in his chest didn't even phase him!
"Is everyone here truly alright with watching a man get stabbed?"
The crowd stilled, and Glynda walked through the crowd. She looked around at everyone there, civilians and students alike.
"If that is so, then I believe it is time for you to rethink your position here." The crowd stayed still. With a raise of her eyebrow, Glynda spoke again. "Well? Get lost!"
The crowd quickly shuffled along, leaving Glynda alone with Winter, Qrow, and the mysterious man. Not long after, Indigo jogged towards the four, standing beside Glynda.
"I'm truly sorry about that." Glynda did her best to sound as sincere as she could. "Please, Beacon extends its truest apologies. How could we make it up to you?"
The man wanted to speak up. He was interrupted when Ironwood came marching down, eyes filled with anger. "Winter! What's gotten into you?!"
Winter shrunk from where she was, taking a knee from her previous injuries. She looked down at the ground, face full of shame.
"Hey…" The man looked to Indigo. "Have I seen you before?"
Indigo chuckled. "Maybe~! Have you ever heard of the White Fang?"
"Ah." A look of recognition came onto the man's face. "Of course, the Arc Unit."
Ironwood continued to berate Winter. "To attack Qrow, I could understand, but injuring someone without Aura?!" Ironwood yelled. "Do you have any idea what would happen to Atlas' reputation now?! With the enemy knocking at our doorstep?!"
"Sir… I'm sorry."
"…Sorry isn't going to cut it, Winter." Ironwood sighed, exasperated. "We'll have to think of a proper punishment for you. For now, you can expect that you won't be invited to the current meeting."
"B-but sir-!"
"This decision is final." Ironwood stressed. "Consider yourself fortunate that you aren't dismissed. Return to your ship at once-."
The stabbed man held out a hand, his gloved hand. "No, wait."
Winter's head shot up. The man she had stabbed… what was his plan with her?
To everyone's amazement, he easily pulled Icepick from his chest with no grimace at all. No Aura healed the wound, but he kept standing just fine.
He ignored Ironwood and Glynda's gapes and turned to Winter. "…Too hard on protocol, easily agitated, good form but no fluidity. But still, there's potential."
The man played with Icepick on his hands. "You've got some blood to pay me back first… Your hand-to-hand is sloppy." He smirked, and handed Icepick back to Winter. "Come see me later for a lesson you won't forget. CQC style."
There it was again. The air of a leader, of a commander talking to one of his men… Winter couldn't deny its presence, and neither could Glynda and Ironwood. With hesitation, Winter took her dagger back and gave the man a salute.
"Good." The man turned to Ironwood. "See? Morale taken care of."
"Who… who are you?" Ironwood asked.
"Me?" The man chuckled. "Well, I'm-"
"The Man Who Sold The World."
Everyone turned to the newcomer. It was that cyborg from the video, 'Raiden', followed by…. Teams RWBY and JNPR.
Glynda massaged her temples. Oh, this was going somewhere, alright.
The man chuckled. "Well, that's what Big Boss went with…"
"But he did tell you to share his name." Raiden chuckled. "I got the Snake codename too, y'know? The Patriots."
"Ah."
"You-" Pyrrha huffed. "Stop…"
Venom noted that everyone seemed to focus on Raiden. In that case… "We should properly introduce ourselves, don't you think?" Venom asked Raiden.
Raiden hummed. "Hm… that seems like a good idea."
"There's no need for introduction." Glynda narrowed her eyes. "We've seen who you are, Jack."
"Don't call me that." Raiden tensed.
"Calm down." Venom reasoned. "Professor Glynda, this is Jack, codename Raiden. My name is, well there's a lot… but you can call me Venom Snake, or Big Boss, whichever you prefer. Deputy Headmaster of Haven Academy." He offered his hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to step into Beacon."
Everyone was hesitant, knowing what happened and the video of Haven. Ironwood stepped up. With hesitance, he went to shake Venom's hand.
He shook Venom's hand with his own. However, something seemed strange. Beneath the glove, his hand seemed… bony, inhuman-!
Click!
Ironwood pulled back and drew his plain revolver straight at Venom. He snarled. "Salem!"
In response, Qrow and Winter immediately regained themselves and readied their weapons, the former with anticipation of battle and the latter with doubt. Glynda contacted Ozpin to hurry on down, eyes burning at Venom.
Raiden growled and drew HF Crocea. He stood beside Venom, who drew a knife and an M1911.
"Looks like we've caught you in the act, agents of Salem." Ironwood aimed his weapon at Venom. "Maybe this'll be easier than we thought."
"Give the sword back, thief." Pyrrha snarled. "I won't let you use that to harm anyone else!"
Everyone else drew their weapons. RWBY and their plain-coloured weapons; Yang and Ember Impact, Ruby and Crescent Rose, Weiss and Myrtenaster, and Blake with Gambol Shroud.
"What she said." Indigo growled. She held her Zweihander tight in her grip, aimed straight at Raiden. "That's not your sword!"
Raiden chuckled, his visor dropping to cover his eyes. He stood with his back pressed towards Venom, facing RWBY and JNPR with a cruel smirk. "Girls… you've got no idea how much blood my sword's spilled."
Pyrrha saw red. Damn him, damn him! She grit her teeth and prepared to lunge. She won't let anyone else get hurt! Not when she's still here! TAKE THIS-!
Someone else spoke up. "Well, he's not exactly wrong."
Pyrrha felt herself come to a halt.
No...!
She heard her weapons fall to the ground, Team RWBY's and JNPR's too. Not to mention Indigo faltering in her stance, and the rest not believing their eyes.
"That's right. It's about time I came back here again."
That voice…
"It's been a long time, Pyrrha."
He's… He's-!
Pyrrha's breaths grew laboured, sweat going down her brow. With swimming vision and shaking steps, she turned around and her vision tunneled in on the speaker.
Pyrrha looked straight into the eyes of a dead man.
"…Jaune?"
I hate cliffhangers as much as anybody, but I think this is the best way to end it.
Originally Jaune's entrance was going to be much more easy-going, borderline sarcastic and bantering with Raiden. But I opted against that, and well, here it is.
Thanks for reading, and leave your thoughts in the reviews.
See you next time!
Review Responses:
To CriticaofRandomness, Tai's part should (?) be coming in the next chapter after I'm done with this. Or at least a little tease. There's a reason I picked Vacuo, after all.
To Super saiai, yeah this took way too long.
To Guest (1), I'm thinking the important part in this story's MG is something that's an actual threat. Wipe-out-an-entire-Kingdom-wise, not just a big giant robot that can destroy a city block. Be it anti-Hunter or not, well, that can be flexible.
To Renashi-RE012, I was originally planning on giving Jaune Crocea back. However, it didn't flow well back in For Your Sake, so I decided to just let Raiden keep it. There's also the angle of reversing Raiden's character development by him giving it back, finding another sword that's also VT7 grade, commissioning it from Jade, etc… It just became too complicated in the small time frame that's closing down. Thanks for reading!
To Gwynx, yeah, I'm planning to make that the main theme of the arc actually! Basically dealing with the past. Thanks for the compliments, and for reading too!
To Shashenka, I'm glad you like how I wrote these people, and that you enjoy the story. Thanks for the compliments, honestly, and for reading!
To Afrikinreader, I'll keep doing my best!
To Mernom, it's here! …Well, more on the next chapter, but still!
To Nanonano15243, thanks!
To Kabuto S. Inferno, Y'know, I was never really a fan of the whole RWBY thing going to gods and artifacts and everything like that, part of the reason I'm thankful I never jumped into the show (another reason of walking around eggshells in the first arcs, the disclaimer, and where I know Metal Gear and what to avoid, as well as the fusion stuff). Your explanation about M-particle kind of thing really sounds the best for me, though. I was actually planning around the whole lore about Ozpin and Salem, without changing what I deemed were the core aspects. And as for Tai's locked Semblance, well, another reason for his grudge *albeit slight*. Originally that part was going to be about Summer. But I decided to cut it, because I think that can be revealed later. Just not yet. As usual, you know how to contact me, and I look forwards if you've got any new ideas, especially about the Salem and Ozpin part. Hope you understand.
And, well, you know how to contact me
To Anon, thanks! V's gonna radio in Tai as support from the ACC, and probably getting backups and bailouts ready for Tai.
To Dhestyra, thanks!
To SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, remember, Adam, while sending his own people, actually cares for them a bit. He's gonna be dealing with Jaune pretty soon. Like, opening-boss-fight soon.
To SolSparda369, they're striking out on their own with JNPR and the Arc unit. Still, chaos is gonna happen.
To ThatYGuy, Glad you are! ...And sorry for the stealth edits.
To Zakuzilla, thanks!
To Just a reader now a writer, Solid meeting with Venom should be coming, but when, not even I know that. And, hm… another enemy after Salem? I don't really know what to make, considering, well, a lot of things… I'm kinda outta ideas. Thanks for reading!
To Mattysteel, glad I could brighten your week, and hope you enjoyed!
To Daimon Tinsley, yeah!
To Kerrisive, Thanks for still stickin' with me! RWBY and JNPR did deteriorate, but not as much since Jaune can't help himself.
To NeroAlmia, to the second part, no more stealth for Raiden!