OPENING

A skinny Steve Rogers was kneeling on the streets of Brooklyn from the 40's, as he was surrounded by bullies.

They see you as small and helpless

The bullies then disappeared, as he saw a shadowed silhouette of his muscular self in front of him.

They see you as just a child

The skinny Steve Rogers then stood up, as his surroundings transitioned to the modern Brooklyn. He then transitioned himself from skinny to the present Steve Rogers, before he ran towards an enemy while wielding his iconic vibranium shield.

Surprised when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild

THE AVENGERS:

ASSEMBLE ON REMNANT

Prepare for your greatest moments

A young Natasha Romanoff was surrounded by numerous shadowed Black Widows, as she stared at Dreykov who was standing in front of the Widows.

Prepare for your finest hour

Sam Wilson stared back at his partner's grave before flying away while Clint Barton wore his purple shades and calmly sighed, before firing an arrow at his target's head from a tall building.

The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower

A horde of Grimm and Ultron Sentries were shown, as Ultron fired a laser blast before transitioning to Roman Torchwick, Crossbones, and Aldrich Killian were then shown while their goons were behind them.

We are lightning

Cinder was then shown in front while Mercury, Emerald, Mysterio, and Taskmaster were behind her.

Straying from the thunder

The Avengers – Captain America, Black Widow, Falcon, and Hawkeye – and Team RWBY were surrounded by a horde of Grimm, Ultron Sentries, and EXTREMIS Soldiers.

Miracles of ancient wonder

The two teams then dodged from Ultron's deadly laser beam, before rushing towards him and the horde.

This will be the day we've waited for

Jaune was staring at the statues of the original six Avengers.

This will be the day we open up the door

Pyrrha then placed her hand at Jaune's shoulder, as Team JNPR and other heroes – Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Shang-Chi, Harley Keener, Loki, Kate Bishop / Hawkeye, and Scott Lang / Ant-Man – were all shown. All of them had an Avenger logo implanted on their combat gears.

I don't wanna hear your absolution

Hope you're ready for a revolution

Ozpin, Glynda, Wong, and Black Panther were in the balcony of an airship.

Welcome to a world of new solutions

Welcome to a world of bloody evolution

Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Clint were then shown with their hero symbols along with Team RWBY's.

In time, your heart will open minds

A story will be told

All of the main and side heroes from both franchises were then shown, before ending with Ruby spinning her scythe and Steve throwing his shield.

And victory is in a simple soul


CHAPTER 6: LEGEND OF SHANG-CHI

After defeating the White Fang that was threatening the Shion Village, the Avengers departed on the Beacon Airship. They waited a few minutes for Sam Wilson, who was slightly exhausted from the endless flight, to search for Scott Lang and continue the fight against the Creatures of Grimm. Natasha and Clint were aiding the unconscious Scott who was slightly injured from the fight. Natasha was treading his wounds while Clint was massaging his arms and to check whether or not he had broken bones. Sam comforted himself on the co-pilot seat while Steve was driving the airship.

"You alright, Sam?" Steve hopes that his friend isn't too injured from the Grimm attack because he needs him for the potential fight.

Sam yawned loudly, "I'm fine, just exhausted."

"That's good. I'm glad you're not too injured." Steve expressed his relief that his friend is alright. He couldn't say the same thing to Scott though because he is currently unconscious. He wondered if turned himself big like the time in the airport, hence why he was so exhausted. He was then curious about the aftermath in Kuchinashi. "Did something happen in Kuchinashi, Sam?"

Sam sighed, "It seems that the sheriff accused both me and tic tac for bringing the Grimm into the city. Both of us are going to be wanted men, Steve."

"Don't worry about that. Professor Ozpin will clear your names. It's just a misunderstanding after all." Steve reassured him, but he wondered why the sheriff accused his friend immediately without any backing evidence. He guessed that the sheriff is a corrupt lawman since he is abusing his authority to arrest two innocent men without any proof.

"I don't know, Steve. I don't think he is the type of guy to be swayed by money." Sam doubts that the sheriff would accept the money in order to prove that they are innocent. He couldn't believe that he became a criminal again when he only arrived in Remnant easily. He just hopes that the sheriff does accept the money from the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, otherwise, he'll definitely become a criminal in Kuchinashi. "Anyway, I'm glad we found one of our own. Let's hope we can do the same with the others."

"Yeah, I hope they're still alive considering they probably are ordinary civilians." Steve was worried about the people who were transported in Remnant. They are probably confused and lost, so it would be logical that some of them may get in trouble due to their lack of knowledge from this world.

Natasha stared at her best friend's arms closely, "Are your arms okay, Clint? You did pull a 250 pound bowstring repeatedly during our mission. That isn't an easy feat."

"It's fine. I'm already used to the pain when I first joined S.H.I.E.L.D., but it doesn't mean it was easy." Clint admitted that it was difficult pulling a 250 pound bowstring, but it is necessary to prevent anyone from using his new weapon that he and the tomboy from Vale crafted. He stretched his arms by spinning them slowly in order to avoid muscle cramps before being concerned with his best friend's state as well. "What about you? You were fighting against guys who had soul armor. It wasn't easy."

Natasha chuckled, "No, it was not. If I wasn't trained in the Red Room, I may not have stood a chance against them. They may not have been the most skillful like me and Cap, but their Aura really made it balanced between us. The only difference between me and Cap, however, is that I don't have enhanced strength like him."

"But you do have the stealth skills. You took out several members with a silent takedown. Their Aura couldn't protect them from that." Clint reminded her about the beautiful silent takedown she executed in Shion Village. He was slightly surprised at that time since their Aura wasn't able to defend them against Black Widow's takedowns, speculating that it only protects them from physical attacks or trajectories from any objects. "Their Aura isn't invincible. It has weaknesses."

Natasha smiled because her friend attempted to cheer her up, "I know. Thank you for trying to cheer me up."

Clint chuckled, "Anything for a friend of mine."

Scott regained his consciousness and gasped unexpectedly which surprised both of them, "Where am I? What happened?"

Sam chuckled before turning his head around while Steve resisted the urge to laugh, "Nice to see you're awake, tic tac. How are you feeling?"

Scott then laid back down forcefully by his exhausted body, "I'm still feeling tired. I'm so happy you guys are here! I thought I was the only one, so what is going on!? How did we get here!?"

"Take it easy, Scott. You might end up passing out again." Steve ordered the insect hero who immediately stayed silent because the captain said. "We'll tell you everything that we know about our current situation once we return to Beacon, but for now, just rest."

"Yes, Captain America sir!" Scott agreed with the orders in a very militaristic tone while Natasha, Clint, and Sam were resisting the urge to laugh at his attempts to act like a soldier. All of them knew how much of a Captain America fan he is, which they didn't tease him about because the hero is a legendary icon in their world after all. There are millions of people who idolize patriotic heroes like Spider-Man, so he wasn't the only one.

"What are we going to do about Qrow though? Are we not going to retrieve him?" Clint asked worriedly because they haven't heard the drunkard Huntsman in a while now. He thought that he would've been finished following the unknown individual by now, but he clearly hasn't yet.

"Ozpin didn't order us to pick him up, so I assume he is still on a mission. It's best to leave him alone until we are required to retrieve him, so we're going to head back to Beacon immediately." Steve hopes that nothing bad has happened to the Huntsman. He doesn't know the person he is following, but they must be a very important person judging by how Ozpin spoke about them. He wanted to intervene because he had a bad feeling about it, but he decided to head back to Beacon as their first mission in Remnant was accomplished. "He'll be alright. He is a trained Huntsman after all. He has years of experience in fighting accompanied with whatever Semblance he has. The threats will be… what's the impression?… a 'piece of cake' for him."

"Let's hope so." Black Widow took the captain's words for it, but she and her friends shared the same feeling that Steve was feeling, except for Scott who was resting peacefully.


Meanwhile, Shang-Chi has been traveling miles away from Kuchinashi on foot for the past minute now. He couldn't afford to waste any Lien for a trip that might disappoint him. Many would've been exhausted from walking endlessly without resting, but he was trained to become the best assassin by his mentor, Death Dealer. He has more stamina and training than the rest of the Ten Rings because he is the son of Wenwu, hence why he was able to endure such agonizing pain. He wanted to meet the Avengers to explain the situation, but for now, his current plan is just to reach the next village or town as he only has a limited amount of food and water, hence why he doesn't waste any of his Lien.

"All that intense training in my childhood hasn't prepared me for this." Shang-Chi has been saying the same line for the past few days because of how true it was. He never expected to become part of a grander scheme. He only thought that his destiny was to run away from his father forever after assassinating his mother's killer, who he enjoyed doing so. He has read about the Avengers stopping an alien invasion back in 2012, but he had never been interested in being a superhero because it would've made him stand out so much.

After a few minutes, Shang-Chi arrived at another village called "Nigiyakana". It was livelier than Kuchinashi, but the civilians were suspicious of him due to being outside from the village. He wondered if all the people in the continent of Anima, or at least that's what everyone said back in Kuchinashi, are suspicious of outsiders. He doesn't understand why, but that isn't important for him right now. He needed to find food stands for his trip to Vale. He's still trying to figure out how to get to Vale with limited money.

"How much for the meat, sir?" Shang-Chi asked the seller about the price of a delicious steak. It'll probably be too expensive, but street foods back on Earth are rather cheap. He hopes it's the same with this one.

"About 15 Lien. It was 10 before, but those thieves kept stealing the money." The seller expressed his disdain for criminals who kept stealing his money, which he needed for survival.

"It must be a tough job. I'll take two please." Shang-Chi took out the Lien in his pocket before giving fifteen of them to the seller. He had 50 Lien, but he currently has 35 now. He shouldn't have wasted it on steak, but he hadn't had a proper meal for the past few days. He was only eating porridge because that was the only meal he could afford.

After buying a couple of food and water, Shang-Chi has limited money now. There is no way he could afford a ship ticket for Vale. It was practically impossible. He'll have to find a way to earn more Lien, meaning that meeting with the Avengers will have to wait, which will probably take forever. Suddenly, there were three thieves running towards him with a bag of money in their hands while a Huntsman was trying to stop them. He stood still for a while, essentially blocking their path. He waits for them to get closer in order to deliver a takedown.

"Out of the way!"

When the first thief ordered Shang-Chi to move, he then used his Semblance which was Wind Flow. He has the ability to manipulate the air currents in one direction only. Shang-Chi swiftly dodged to the side to avoid the attack before delivering a simple chokeslam on the ground, knocking the thief unconscious, causing the other two thieves to stop on their tracks. Both of them were confused on how Shang-Chi managed to knock their friend out when he still had his Aura. The simple explanation is that Shang-Chi used a chi-blocking move that the Death Dealer taught him in order to paralyze his opponent like Tai Lee in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The difference in this world, however, is that his opponents wouldn't be paralyzed but their Aura would instead be destroyed considering it's part of their soul. [1]

"Please drop those bags. I don't want any trouble." Shang-Chi knew that the thieves wouldn't comply, but he had to try anyway. He sincerely didn't want any trouble. He only stopped their friend because he had committed a crime. He doesn't have any intentions to act like a hero.

"You already did when you stopped our friend!"

"Get out of our way, hero!"

When the two thieves were running towards him, Shang-Chi sighed frustratingly because he had to use his martial arts to fight them in public. When the second thief activated his Semblance, Weapon Conjuration, he blocked and parried the thief's materialized dagger before delivering a roundhouse kick to the face, as the thief fell on the ground unconscious.

The third thief then activated his Semblance, Golden Aura, which added another layer of soul armor, which is colored in gold, over his regular one. Shang-Chi was unfazed by the ability since he destroyed the strengthened Aura with chi-blocking before destroying the ordinary one. He then repeatedly punched the thief in the chest at quick pace before knocking him out with his arm after increasing its muscle strength.

"I warned you." Shang-Chi told the unconscious criminals before looking around him where the civilians were silent due to his skills before bursting into cheers. He wasn't bothered by the cheers, but the thought of everyone following him and asking questions on where he learned those skills which is something he would likely avoid regardless if he is in another world. It's a sensitive topic for him, hence why he hasn't told Katy yet despite her being his best friend. He was then confronted by the Huntsman who was chasing the thieves earlier.

"That was some fine skills you got there, kid. Where did you learn that?" The Huntsman was interested in the martial skills Shang-Chi used. After all, he managed to knock the thieves unconscious immediately despite having an Aura. He also noticed that the 'hero' didn't use his Semblance, meaning that he doesn't need to stop them which slightly impressed him. He is unaware that Shang-Chi doesn't have a Semblance nor an Aura.

Shang-Chi to make an excuse to avoid talking about his past, "From my teacher who recently passed away."

"Is that so? I am sorry for your loss." The Huntsman expressed his condolences towards the young man before a bunch of law enforcers showed up and took the unconscious thieves back to jail. "Well, I must depart now. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"…There is something, but… it's a bit big." Shang-Chi wanted to accept the offer, but what he is requesting is big. It isn't worth it for stopping a bunch of low level thugs, but he's going to try to convince him anyway. He is confident that the Huntsman would refuse it. "I need to get to Vale. My family is there and I don't have any money. I was robbed yesterday. I was lucky enough that they left a small amount, but that's about it."

"Is that so…? Very well then. I'll get you a ship. Reunion between families is important." The Huntsman agreed to help him get back to Vale, which surprised Shang-Chi yet was happy that he agreed to it. He could tell that Shang-Chi was robbed judging by the ripped clothing he was wearing, but he was too naïve to think the man was robbed as he was capable of defending himself against the thieves. There was no way he was robbed easily, but the excuse worked somehow. "Meet me outside of the village by 4:30. We're going to the docking station to get you a ship, but first, I have something to do here. Is that alright with you?"

Shang-Chi nodded, "It's alright. I'll just wait."

When the Huntsman departed with the law enforcers, Shang-Chi decided to roam around the village until 4:30 PM. He will only have to wait for one hour and a half anyway. There were a bunch of children running around laughing together while adults were conversing with one another before bursting into laughter. It was like he was in a lucid dream, but he confirmed that this is definitely a reality by pinching his cheeks. He was smiling at such a peaceful village, one he wished he had with his family before it was broken apart when his mother died by the hands of the Iron Gang. He then accidentally bumped into someone after he was distracted by a pile of Grimm corpses in the middle. Both of them fell on the ground roughly.

"Oh, I am so sorry." Shang-Chi stood back up before helping the person get back up on their feet. "I didn't see you there. I was distracted. I am so sorry again."

"It's fine." The woman wiped off the dust and dirt from her clothes before looking at the man face to face. "I was also distracted. It's been stressful for a couple of days now."

Shang-Chi noticed that the woman was in trouble judging by her expression. He was harshly trained by his father in how to analyze a person's body language in order to detect a lie or unease. He looked around to see if somebody was following her, but he couldn't see anyone suspicious. "Miss, are you in trouble perhaps?"

The woman widened her eyes from the sudden unexpected question, "In trouble? Of course not. I am fine."

Shang-Chi doesn't understand why the woman wouldn't simply admit that he is being followed right now. He speculated that there must be a reason as to why she hasn't told him yet. He can't force her to spit the truth out aggressively like his father, so all he has to do is to drop the sensitive subject in hand. "My apologies then. You looked… agitated."

The woman laughed nervously, "Like I said, it has been stressful for a couple of days… I better be going now."

When the woman left Shang-Chi immediately while her white horse was following her, he slightly looked back to see three unknown individuals that were hiding behind one of the houses. He might've despised the intense training his father placed upon him since childhood, but he would be lying if he admits that it isn't useful during situations like this. He pretended that he didn't see them by walking away without rousing their suspicions towards him. He doesn't know why those three individuals are following the woman, but he'll keep an eye on them. He isn't foolish enough to attack them because he could tell that they are much more skilled than the thieves earlier, meaning their Semblance must be powerful.

"Who was the man that the Fall Maiden talked with?" Emerald asked curiously, as the man could be a Huntsman meaning that their plans to capture the Fall Maiden would be a failure unless the Huntsman was a newbie with a weak Semblance. "Could he be an accomplice?"

"It doesn't look like it. He is walking away. He probably just accidentally bumped into her or something." Mercury doesn't know why Emerald had to make everything so serious. He clearly saw that both of them accidentally bumped into each other before separating their ways. He also could see that the man doesn't know that the Fall Maiden is being followed by them.

"I agree with Mercury. That man isn't important right now." Cinder agreed with her mercenary ally while staring at the man before switching her attention to the Fall Maiden. She was smirking wickedly because the Fall Maiden is slightly panicking despite having one of the most powerful gifts in Remnant, but she mustn't underestimate her. "We can't capture her right here. There are too many people. Emerald, I want you to get ahead of her and cast an illusion of… a crying child or something. That should draw her attention."

"And then we'll ambush her! That's a great plan." Mercury agreed with the plan. He may be eager to see how powerful the Fall Maiden is compared to him, but it is more important for Cinder to obtain her power by killing her, which is much better in his opinion for he was trained as a mercenary by his abusive father after all.

"I shall do what you say, ma'am." Emerald accepted the order that Cinder gave her before leaving both of them to get ahead of the Fall Maiden. She hopes her illusion would work against her, otherwise, she would've failed to impress her milady. She bought a horse, which was fortunately not expensive, and left the village on the other side without being spotted by the Fall Maiden.

A few minutes later, Cinder and Mercury followed them from behind when the Fall Maiden left with her horse. They also bought horses before departing the village that will be overrun by a Grimm soon to distract the Huntsman who has been following the Fall Maiden for a couple of hours now. She did cause some of the villagers to have negative emotions to attract the Grimm after all. With this, the Huntsman wouldn't intervene when she'll absorb the Fall Maiden's power.

When Shang-Chi came out of hiding, he didn't have a positive feeling that the woman would survive from them. He had to use his remaining Lien to buy a horse. He doesn't have time to inform the Huntsman, who offered him a ride earlier, as someone's life could be in danger. He isn't about to stand still when he could save someone, not like the time when he watched his mother die and he couldn't do anything about it because he was a child. Well, he is a child no more.

As soon as Shang-Chi left the village, however, he was unaware about the chaos that was ensuing in the village while the skies became cloudy. There were Creatures of Grimm running rampant everywhere. The Huntsman, Qrow Branwen, arrived in time to save the people and stop the Grimm from killing anyone else with the aid of the few Huntsman that dropped by the village to rest. He is seemingly frustrated because he knew that the Grimm attack was intentional in order for him to prevent him from protecting the Fall Maiden. It was bad.

"I've got to end this fast." Qrow then glared at the Creatures of Grimm, who all of them slipped after running towards him. He proceeded to ran towards them with incredible speed before slicing them off with his weapon, Harbinger, in one go.


After running away from whoever was chasing her for a couple of miles now, Amber ordered her horse to slow down his speed. She is confident that her unknown stalkers were far behind, but it doesn't she couldn't be too careful as Professor Ozpin would say. She is aware that her stalkers might've wanted the power of the Fall Maiden all by themselves. It would certainly explain why she was being followed without any particular reason for she hasn't done anything to upset anyone. She has tried her best to follow the headmaster's advice which is to hide her special powers in order to prevent anyone from discovering it, but it was still pointless because someone knew about it. She wanted to ask for help from the Vanishing Bandit a few days ago, but she is afraid that he'll be caught up in her troubles. She doesn't want anyone to be killed because of her, hence why she left Beacon immediately without any trace of her.

Suddenly, Amber came across a crying child in the middle of the path alone with a broken pink bicycle beside her. She looked everywhere for her parents, but there was no one in her perspective. She wondered who in the right mind would leave an innocent child alone, causing her to have suspicions about the whole scenario. But she got off her horse to comfort the child despite the awareness that it could be a trap or an ambush. She couldn't resist seeing a crying child, which is one of her weaknesses. She was still naïve and compassionate, believing that there was a reason she was chosen as the Fall Maiden which is to save anyone even if it means endangering herself to others. When she kneeled in front of the child, she offered her an apple for which the 'child' stared at her with a joyful smile.

In reality, Emerald was using her Semblance, Hallucinations, to modify the sensory information in a person's head while their brain is processing it. The child was nothing more than an illusion. She took out her weapons, Thief's Respite, before running towards her which alerted Amber because of the dust from the ground. Amber jumped back as soon as the illusion of a child vanished before pulling out her staff where she saw Emerald's visible form. When Emerald fired bullets from her weapon, Amber simply blocked them with her hand due to the power of the Fall Maiden. She then spun her staff causing a strong current of winds surrounding her before unleashing them towards Emerald, pushing her away tremendously.

After arriving at location, Mercury ran towards Amber to aid Emerald considering the Fall Maiden is that powerful. He leapt off the fence, attempting to stomp her face with his legs. Amber blocked his attack with his staff after seeing him before pushing with her wind ability. She then pushed Emerald away once again with another windy move. She couldn't believe that her two assailants were that skilled, meaning their member is probably skilled as well. She doesn't see the third assailant yet, meaning that they're waiting for an opportunity to show themselves. She needed to end the fight fast, hoping to escape from them alive after that.

Unexpectedly, Mercury launched himself forward in incredible speed due to a jump boost that was implanted on his legs. Amber turned her attention back to Mercury before releasing a wave of flames from the red Dust on her staff. Unfortunately, Mercury wasn't effective by the flames due to his now revealed cybernetic legs as he kicked Amber successfully causing her to drop her weapon and flung around on the ground in pain. Before she could recover, Emerald landed on her body roughly which made a thick crack on the ground and a small shockwave from it.

Amber realized that she couldn't afford to hold back after receiving painful attacks from her assailants. She has to use her Maiden powers to the full potential, but not so much that she might accidentally kill anyone innocent that might come across in the conflict. When she got back up, her attackers were in their fighting stance waiting for her to strike… and so she shall. There was a fiery yellow-orange glow around her eyes causing a huge tornado that was surrounding her and her attackers. The tornado then died down when she began to fly in the air to have an aerial advantage against them.

Meanwhile, Shang-Chi witnessed the entire fight. He was bewildered by such power the woman he thought was in trouble possessed. The way Amber displayed her power by attempting to strike Emerald and Mercury down with lightning reminded him of Thor during the incidents in New York and Sokovia. He was then baffled when bullets didn't have an effect on Amber, who then turned the leaves into icicle spikes before unleashing them upon Mercury and Emerald effectively. He speculated that she can manipulate all elements like Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was astoundingly awesome. He was about to turn back because he was worried for nothing until he saw the third assailant, who he almost forgot about, which was Cinder Fall. He then rushed towards Amber to help her after Cinder cancelled her 'overpowered mode' by using her Semblance, Scorching Caress.

When Amber was on the ground, her assailants were disappearing and reappearing from existence meaning they're trying to trick her mind with illusions. She got up immediately when Cinder and Mercury were running towards her while Emerald stayed behind to maintain the illusion to give themselves an advantage. She defended herself against her two assailants with her hand-to-hand combat. She may be inexperienced in terms of overall prowess, but it doesn't mean she isn't a slouch in fighting against more experienced enemies. She took out Cinder before taking out Mercury and Emerald. Their bones can be heard cracking loudly from each impact they received from Amber, but they'll be fine because of their Aura.

While Amber was distracted, Cinder was aiming her bow Midnight at the Fall Maiden. When she released the arrows, Amber saw three arrows landing in front of her. There was a loud, whirring sound from the arrows while the ground was being superheated. Suddenly, Shang-Chi ran towards Amber and tackled her to save her from the huge explosion on the ground. He was unscathed due to the dragon-scaled armor he was wearing. He then stared at Amber with a worried expression.

"Are you okay?" Shang-Chi asked worriedly. He could see that Amber only suffered minor injuries from the explosion. It was probably because of the Aura she has, whom he was aware of thanks to fighting some bandits and criminals for the past few days, meaning that her Aura wasn't completely broken and she'll be healed in no time.

"Y-You. You're the one-" Amber remembered the man. She accidentally bumped into him back in Nigiyakana. She was about to assume that Shang-Chi is allied with her assailants considering he was following her, but then it wouldn't make sense for him to save him. She wondered if he followed her because he knew she was in danger. It must be the case because he indeed asked if she was in trouble earlier, but refuted it. She then coughed while trying to get back up. "I-I am fine. Just a little… dizzy."

"Isn't he the man who encountered the Fall Maiden in that village?" Mercury recognized the man from the village. He was in disbelief that Shang-Chi has been following them since they left. He underestimated him for thinking he wasn't important right earlier.

"I told you we should worry about him. There are probably a lot of Huntsmen coming this way." Emerald couldn't believe that neither Cinder nor Mercury thought about the possibility of the man. She isn't intimidated by him because he looks weak, but the mere fact they were definitely being followed means there could be an army of Huntsmen hunting them.

"Leave this to me." Cinder walked a foot away from her comrades to have a conversation with the unknown man. She could tell that he isn't meant to be underestimated because he followed them when something was wrong with the Fall Maiden. She plans to let the man while he still can, otherwise, she'll kill him. She'll plan to do so either way because she isn't intending to leave any witnesses. "Young man, this isn't your fight. I advise you to leave now while you still can't. You won't like it if you don't."

"Can I borrow the staff for a minute?" Shang-Chi asked for permission which Amber allowed him to. As soon as he picked the staff off, he then confronted Cinder while spinning the staff rapidly before stomping it on the ground with a high stand. He isn't about to leave an innocent, injured woman alone with these monsters. "You made it my fight when you ambushed her. I'll be your enemy."

"What? No, sir. I can hand-" Amber was silenced when Shang-Chi stared at her. She could see that his expression is telling her he'll be fine. She doesn't know why the man was confident and willing to risk his own life to save her. She could particularly end her assailants after knowing their Semblances now, but she'll decide to respect his wishes. She'll just save him when he is in deep trouble. She then sighed. "Very well."

Cinder scoffed with amusement, "Are you sure you can take all of us, young man? You won't win."

Shang-Chi placed the staff over his shoulder as his fighting stance, "Don't assume your victory when you have yet to achieve it. Has nobody ever told you to never underestimate your opponent through their appearance alone?"

"This guy is cocky. I love it." Mercury was amused by the man's arrogance and confidence while her partner, Emerald, wasn't sharing his same compliment. He was curious how he'll go against him, who has been harshly trained for years by his late abusive father. He is also curious to witness his fighting styles after demonstrating it on the thieves back in Nigiyakana.

"Fine. I suppose you have chosen your death." Cinder wanted to wipe the smile and confidence off Shang-Chi's face. It was clear for her that he doesn't know who he is facing. She wasn't particularly worried by the man, considering she and her puppets managed to hold against the powerful yet inexperienced Fall Maiden. It would be like crushing him like an ant. "Mercury, silence this fool."

"With pleasure."

*Playing 'Xu Shang-Chi' by Joel P West*

As soon as Mercury confronted Shang-Chi, he ran towards his opponent before activating the jump boost on his cybernetic leg in order to increase his speed. When he was beginning to deliver a flying kick, Shang-Chi was still standing instead of dodging away. He swiftly causes Mercury to miss his attack, but then he delivers a roundhouse kick immediately upon contact with the ground which successfully hits his opponent… or so he thought. Shang-Chi blocked the roundhouse kick with his arm, not feeling any pain from the cybernetic legs. It was nothing compared to the brutal training he was inflicted with ever since his childhood.

"How in-" Mercury was about to ask how Shang-Chi was ineffective by the legs until he was struck in the face by the staff. He was then kicking the staff attacks, but it wasn't because he was attacking him. He was blocking and parrying them, but it was honestly difficult for him because the movements were too fast. It was a bit ridiculous when he could dodge magic lightning. He was then kicked in the stomach, breaking his concentration, before his opponent used the chi-blocking technique which destroyed his Aura instantly. Finally, he was hit in the face three times by the staff causing him to nauseate while feeling all sorts of pain before falling on the ground. "Damn you, bastard."

When Shang-Chi stared at the other assailants with pure silence, Cinder and Emerald knew that they severely underestimated the man. They've never seen Mercury defeated so easily, yet they witnessed it right now. His skills meant nothing compared to the brutal speed of the man's skills. Mercury was trained to the death by his abusive father in order to become a perfect mercenary, yet he was knocked unconscious with a few strikes. They could tell that the man doesn't have an Aura because his entire body wasn't glowing upon contact with the roundhouse kick, so they were tremendously confused on how in the world he managed to endure their ally's cybernetic legs when it is capable of breaking concrete.

"He's much more dangerous than I initially thought." Cinder was frustrated that she lost one of her puppets to an unknown man who is willing to risk his life for a girl he never met before. She isn't about to escape when her prize money is nearby. "Emerald, I'm going in. Cast a hallucination."

"On it." Emerald was still in disbelief that Shang-Chi managed to beat Mercury without breaking a sweat, but she doesn't have time to dwell on the impossibility. She has to aid Cinder to take down the man for he is a dangerous individual that could ruin her leader's plans to have every single one of the Maidens' powers.

When Cinder ran towards Shang-Chi with two metallic blades on her hands, Shang-Chi spun his staff rapidly while noticing that both of them were executing the same move earlier when Cinder was disappearing and reappearing from existence. It would've been really effective against someone who lacks the knowledge of instincts, but it wasn't for him. He didn't dodge when Cinder 'stabbed' him through the chest, but it was an illusion of her. He then ducked his head when the real Cinder appeared who was aiming for his head. Both of them engaged in combat, but Cinder was much weaker in terms of combat compared to Mercury, so she was sent flying across the path with a one inch punch. He then blocked an invisible force with the staff before the said invisible force revealed to be Emerald, who was shocked that her Semblance doesn't have an effect on Shang-Chi. He then pushed her off with the staff before swinging the staff to increase the momentum of the staff before striking her on the head, but it didn't knock her instantly because her Aura protected her, which was now destroyed.

'My Aura… is destroyed. I can't use… my Semblance... for now…' Emerald was grunting in pain due to the devastating blow. She could understand why Mercury easily lost to this man. His punches felt like being hit by Atlesian weaponry. She would've been unconscious right now if it weren't for her Aura, but she had to do something which was to distract him. "Y-!"

Amber kicked Emerald to the ground and stomped her on the ground for revenge, potentially breaking her assailant's back, which caused Emerald to shout in pain. "Stay down!"

Shang-Chi turned his attention back to Cinder who was aiming three arrows at him. He doesn't know whether they are regular arrows or explosive arrows from earlier, but one thing for sure is he isn't going to stand around to take the shot. His dragon-scaled armor may protect him, but he doesn't know how many hits it would take to destroy the armor. He can't risk it right now. As Cinder released the arrows in pure anger, Shang-Chi dodged the first arrow while running towards her before dodging the second arrow. He then stopped on his tracks and caught the third arrow effortlessly, which surprised Cinder once again. He threw the arrow back at her, but she rolled to the side to dodge the attack.

"Please stand down. You already lost." Shang-Chi suggested his opponent surrender for he doesn't want to hurt her anymore, otherwise, he might end up killing her like he did to his mother's killers. He is probably going to enjoy it very much, which is something he is disgusted upon. He doesn't want to revert as a murderous weapon that his father raised him to be. He simply wants to live a happy, normal life without the craziness in it, even though he is aware that it's impossible for him.

"I will never surrender until I have her power!" Cinder was extremely upset that she is currently losing before glaring at Shang-Chi and Amber, who was still pinning Emerald down. She can't afford to back down when her destiny is to become the strongest person in the world with all of the powers from the Four Maidens. She'll become a god, ruling over the weak and pathetic.

"Her power? What is she talking about?" Shang-Chi asked Amber because he is unaware of the secrets of this world. He could tell that Amber was struggling whether to tell him or not, but he understands if she'll keep the answers in the dark for he too has secrets of his own.

Amber sighed before glaring at Cinder, "I'll tell you later, but we'll have to deal with her first."

"Very well." Shang-Chi approved of her choice to tell him later after the fight. He turned back his attention to Cinder whose expression was fuming with anger, frustration, and disappointment of herself and others. He could tell by her eyes that there was a reason for wanting more power instead of trying to become a god because she wanted to. He speculated that she might've suffered in the past, hence why she developed a tendency to have hunger for power so that she could no longer suffer. "You're just like me…"

"Huh!? You know nothing of me!" Cinder doesn't know why Shang-Chi spat out those words, but it doesn't matter right now. She has to end him without the aid of her useless puppets by aiming her bow at him once again. She has to somehow eliminate the threat. Before she could fire another set of arrows however, Qrow Branwen was running towards her out of nowhere. She dodged away from his weapon immediately, as three arrows were on the ground, "Damn it."

Considering that Amber was distracted by the sudden arrival of a Huntsman, Emerald managed to break away from her grasp. Her Aura was barely recovered, so she can use her Semblance for about a few seconds. She grabbed Mercury immediately before making herself and her allies invisible through hallucination to escape. Cinder had no choice, but to flee as well. Her anger for the man who took away her chance of becoming a Fall Maiden was enormously increased. She swore revenge on him.

Shang-Chi turned his attention to Amber before giving the staff, "Here. Thanks for letting me use it."

"It's fine. You s-s-saved me after all." Amber doesn't know how to contain her awkwardness, which was unusual for her because she is confident when it comes to meeting with new people. She doesn't understand why her feelings were different when conversing with the man who saved her. "Anyway, where did you learn to fight like that?"

Shang-Chi smiled, "Where did you learn to fight like an Avatar?"

"A-what?" Amber couldn't ask him any more questions when Qrow Branwen was walking towards her. She knew the Huntsman. She always saw him conversing with Professor Ozpin back in Beacon Academy where she was a student before running away because her status as a Fall Maiden will bring harm to her innocent classmates.

"Amber, are you alright?" Qrow was worried that Amber was injured from fighting her assailants, completely unbeknownst to him about the man that was standing near him. He was glad that he accidentally found the missing Fall Maiden and followed her out of worry due to trusting his guts instead of following Ant-Man to Kuchinashi.

"I'm fine, Mr. Branwen. My apologies for worrying you. This man saved my life." Amber expressed her thanks towards Shang-Chi for saving her life. She might've been able to handle all three of them alone, but there is a slight possibility that she might've ended up being killed by them in an unexpected way. She doesn't want to die early on when she hasn't fulfilled the role as one of the Four Maidens yet, which is to protect Remnant and the Relics from Salem.

"Is that so? Allow me to express my t-" Qrow was about to offer his handshake as thanks for saving Amber, but he stopped when he saw the individual's face. The man was very familiar. He observed his appearance closely which confuses Shang-Chi as to why the man is curious about him. He then pulled out his scroll to scan through his photos where there was a picture of one of the victims that were transported to Remnant. The man in front of him perfectly matched the appearance of Shaun. "Are you Shaun perhaps?"

Shang-Chi widened his eyes in surprise after hearing his disguised name, "H-How do you know my name…?"

"The Avengers." Qrow answered before putting away his scroll, which deeply surprised Shang-Chi that they were looking for him and others who were transported as well. He took a closer look at Shang-Chi once again, concluding that he isn't an ordinary civilian that the Avengers believed him to be. The reason was mostly because he managed to fight three experienced combatants and defeated them easily while Amber was having a difficult time in doing so. "They have been looking for 'ordinary civilians' who were accidentally transported in this world, but you certainly don't look like an ordinary civilian, do you? So who are you?"

"Mr. Branwen, why are you interrogating him? Isn't the… whoever the Avengers are… looking for him? It's clear that you know about them." Amber doesn't know why Qrow was having suspicions towards Shang-Chi, especially when she is unaware that he was from another world. She doesn't see the man, who was her savior, would be a dangerous threat… except when he developed a brutal tendency when he fought her three assailants. It was a slightly terrifying sight to see.

"It's because I was told he was an ordinary citizen, but it's clear he isn't one. I'm sure the Avengers don't know either. He could be a dangerous man, so I ask you again." Qrow aimed his broadsword at Shang-Chi, who remained unfazed by the weapon. He can't risk that Shang-Chi is probably a criminal in his world, so he has to take drastic measures if I have to. He is thankful that Shang-Chi aided Amber, but it isn't the fact that he was incredibly suspicious. If Shang-Chi attacks him, it proves that he is indeed dangerous, hence the reason he is pointing Harbinger at him.

Shang-Chi doesn't know whether or not he should reveal his true identity to him. He is quite skeptical towards the Huntsman, but the fact that Amber recognized and trusted him means he isn't a terrible person despite his appearance. If he attacks Qrow, then he'll be marked as an enemy which he doesn't intend to do when the Avengers are looking for stragglers that were caught in the crossfire. He has no choice, but to reveal his identity… but not now. There could be more enemies that are on their way. He sighed before staring at Qrow. "I'll tell you who I am, but you must take me to the Avengers first. I need to know my current situation."

"…fine." Qrow then unsheathed his weapon as a sign of temporary truce. He was surprised that Shang-Chi was willing to provide information about his life when he could tell that the man was struggling with the choice. He can't afford to fight him anyway because he might be an innocent man after all. He is suspicious towards new people like when he first met the Avengers back in Beacon Academy. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you. No funny business."

"I wasn't planning to anyway." Shang-Chi was glad the 'arguments' with the drunkard Huntsman were sorted. He couldn't afford to miss his chance to meet with the Avengers when they have the answer to his current situation. Besides, he has nowhere to go if he would've ended up fighting the Huntsman. He would've been seen as a dangerous man by the Avengers, which he isn't intending to do.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm glad it was… sorted out…" Amber doesn't understand the conversation, but she was glad it was over. She needed a rest after all the craziness that has happened today.

"Let's go. If we're lucky, we can reach the next ship back to Beacon Academy within minutes. I need a drink after dealing with the Grimm attack in Nigiyakana." Qrow was frustrated that there had been a Grimm attack during his mission to protect the Fall Maiden, which surprised and shocked both Amber and Shang-Chi. He saw in their eyes that they couldn't believe they ran away from a fight that they were unaware about. "Hey, it isn't your fault. The Grimm attack was unexpected. There hasn't been that type of attack for a couple of weeks until today, but that's the story for another time. Let's go."

"Okay." Amber and Shang-Chi said in unison.


In the aftermath of the one-sided battle, Cinder and Emerald were resting while Mercury remained unconscious in the middle of a forest. They aren't too worried about the Grimm because Salem has ordered her 'beloved' creatures to not attack them three unless provoked. Cinder was enormously frustrated by the failed plan to absorb the Fall Maiden's abilities, throwing a tantrum and heating the trees to cause an explosive, while Emerald stayed silent as it was not wise in attempting to calm the mistress down when she was in a bad mood. Cinder held a tremendous amount of hate for the unknown man who bested her and her puppets.

"Who the hell was that guy!?" Cinder was tempted to go back and kill that arrogant 'Huntsman' for ruining her plans, but she isn't going to risk it when the playing field is even with the arrival of Qrow Branwen. She then turned her attempt to Emerald who slightly let out a silent whimper. "Emerald! Once we reach the next location, I want you and Mercury to find anything about that guy! If he has a family somewhere, then he can be damn sure he'll never see them again! And find if he has weaknesses as well!"

"Yes, ma'am." Emerald agreed with the orders willingly. She also wants to enact her revenge towards the man for ruining her mistress' plans. If she ever met up with him again, she'll learn from mistakes by avoiding close quarters combat with him as she stands no chance against him, especially when he has the ability to destroy an Aura instantly.

Mercury woke up unexpectedly while gasping, "What happened!?"

"We've lost, dumbass. That man defeated all of us." Emerald answered her partner, who had a shock expression. She shared his expression as well because the man was built differently. She couldn't land a single hit on either part of his body. It was like her moves were predicted beforehand.

"Lost…? He defeated me…?" Mercury was slightly frustrated by the sudden defeat. He was trained to the death by his abusive father to become a perfect mercenary, yet he lost to a guy who was much faster and stronger than he was. He still couldn't wrap his head around how in the world did that man block his cybernetic leg. It wasn't possible as the more experienced Huntsmen and Huntresses he killed until now felt pain from his legs, yet the man didn't feel anything at all. He wondered what kind of intensive training the man received for him to be much more skillful than he was. He wasn't really disappointed by the loss, it only motivated him to become better. He couldn't say the same thing to Cinder though.

Cinder roared angrily as the ground around them glowed while a loud, whirring sound before an explosion occurred resulted in her Semblance, "Damn that guy! I could've been a Fall Maiden by now!"

"We'll get her next time, Cinder." Emerald decided to take a risk by attempting to calm her mistress down while Mercury was covering his eyes in order to avoid witnessing his partner being attacked by Cinder for trying to calm her down. "We can make another plan. Your destiny to become all Four Maidens after all."

Cinder attempted to calm herself down after hearing the reason, "You're right. There's a next time. I should've expected that having the Fall Maiden's powers wouldn't be easy. She is after a valuable asset. There's a possibility that someone was watching her in secret and sent that guy to save her."

"So… have you calmed down now?" Mercury doesn't know why he asked those questions, as Emerald gave him a stare. It was a habit of him trying to joke around a tense situation considering all the abuse he received since childhood.

"For now. Let's go." Cinder answered, as Emerald and Mercury began to follow her out of the forest while numerous Grimm were watching them, unable to strike them due to the orders from the Mother of Grimm.

Unbeknownst to them, there was a silent unknown individual watching them from afar on a tree branch. They have slain numerous Creatures of Grimm that were now lying on the ground lifeless. They haven't been given a mission objective from the man since their sudden arrival to Remnant, so they'll have to find someone to work with temporarily. They were curious about the group of three criminals after spying on their conversations. They found someone to work with, but they'll have to follow them for now in case there is something interesting that might lead them back to their home. They jumped from thick tree branch to tree branch quietly to avoid the Grimm. [2]

CHAPTER 6 ENDED


Author's Notes:

Whoo! The sixth chapter is finished. I've been working on this for four days while busy in school. I don't know if I can upload the next chapter within the span of four days. I don't want to make any promises. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the fight scenes. I tried to make it look good, but I prefer if you guys imagine the fight scenes in your mind instead as it'll probably much more detailed than mine lol.

[1] I wanted to incorporate Ty Lee's chi-blocking move as well as Bruce Lee's one inch punch considering Shang-Chi is based on the legendary martial artist. The chi-blocking move is effective in paralyzing enemies on Earth, but it simply breaks one's Aura in Remnant because they are literally covered with souls to protect themselves from harm, and souls are often connected with chi. They will of course be paralyzed once the Aura is down.

[2] I assume most of you, readers, already know who the character is. I won't give any hints.