My shoulder is still in absolute pain but I countered it by writing through Friday (in more pain) so that I'd have half of this chapter done then and could do the other half today, so you still get a proper chapter. Yay? Feels like that was a bad idea on my part but hey ho.

I just don't like the idea of having this impact multiple chapters – and maybe working my shoulder and arm more will help work the pain out. Doctor said I should just rest, but I hate that advice. I think that after writing five chapters a week for what must be a few years now, on top of my job, that I've gotten used to working hard and can't do nothing anymore.

It's odd since I was a super lazy child and teenager. The kind who would put no effort into anything, cruise by or, to my eternal shame, who would put zero effort into talking with girls and act like I was mistreated because none liked me. Man, I'd like to go back and slap some sense into my younger self. Effort in means results out. It genuinely annoys me that I only realised that after twenty or so, because it makes me wonder how much I could have achieved earlier.


Cover Art: Curbizzle

Chapter 24


Knight stood in the office of the esteemed headmaster with Team RWBY behind him and Ruby at his side, nervously wringing her hands together as Ironwood, Ozpin and Glynda loudly argued before them. Each of the team's members looked uncomfortable, unused to seeing such displays of temper, or at least of being target to them. Knight would have felt worse about it, but in truth they were not the subject of today's debate and needn't have feared for their safety.

The teachers were arguing still about the validity of sending him out alone, and he could hear the exhaustion in their voices that suggested it wasn't anything they hadn't covered ten times before. He might have felt bad about it if not for how stir-crazy he'd been getting. They wanted him and the other iterations to stay in Beacon, stay safe, while Cinder's forces risked their lives being in the city. It was a fair plan all things considered, but it forgot one thing; that by abandoning the city to them, they would abandon all the people in the city as well. He may not have been the king of this Vale, but he was still king. More than that, he was still a hero. Not a member of the Hero Caste, for that could be achieved through little more than birth and passing a single test, but a hero. Ruby – his Ruby - often spoke of the difference.

"A true hero doesn't sit back and let people suffer."

"I agree wholeheartedly."

"What was that?" Ironwood demanded.

Knight smiled serenely. "Simply talking to myself."

"I don't think you understand the severity of the situation, Knight. The school has just been bombed and Fate is in the infirmary. This is after a similar attack killed Barista. Now Warchief tells me you're laying an ultimatum at my feet that you will go out there against orders in search of Cinder and her forces? Do you have any idea what you're asking?"

"I do, General."

It was annoying to be under someone else's control after so long being in charge or at least equally in charge with others. Ironwood and Ozpin acted like he was an immature child, which chafed after everything he'd been through, and if it weren't for Ruby and the rest of Team RWBY he would have stormed out as Hunter had long ago. It wasn't his Ruby, nor his Blake – though the curious looks she sent him did remind him of her – but they were similar enough that he could imagine them growing into such. A different world, different upbringing and different circumstances meant they had fundamental differences to his friends, but their core personalities were similar enough.

This Vale was not. The tall buildings, prevalence of glass fronted shops and the crowds bustling on sidewalks while armoured vehicles called `cars` whizzed by were alien and unusual. Horses had been reduced to hobby animals or so he'd read, and he wondered how they hadn't gone extinct entirely. People wore tight-fitting clothes manufactured by machine instead of hand, and the weave felt so rough and uneven on his skin. He wished he still had his armour, but that would have drawn its fair share of attention in this strange, metallic version of his home world.

"-reckless at best and downright foolish at worst. We'd be risking our best iteration out in the city for no other reason than because he demands it!"

"He is listening." Knight said firmly, interrupting them with a calmness he was beginning to not feel inside. "And he does not appreciate being locked away while our enemies run rampant in the city."

"Patience is a virtue."

"Inaction is never virtuous, General. I will not ascribe to the notion that sacrificing innocent people for victory is, either."

"Perhaps things are done different in your world, but this is ours and its future lies in the balance. You're not the one at risk of losing everything."

"I have been. My own world near fell due to the actions of those would doom us all. Salem fell in the end." Not by his hand, but by a blade of his forging. "I'm aware you see me as some reckless youth, but the reality is that I have stood over the body of my foe and you have not. My record should speak for itself."

"Knight." Ozpin interrupted, as like to keep the peace as have his own say. "This and that are different. We've agreed to entertain your impatience-" Knight sighed. If even Ozpin saw it as such then he feared for this world. "-but that does not give you the right to speak to General Ironwood like that."

"Ozpin." Knight said in a calm and serious voice. "My allegiance to you is to honour a man I respected greatly, and to protect those that look like my close friends."

Ozpin looked almost proud of the fact. "I understand-"

"No." Knight interrupted him. "You do not. I hold no allegiance to Brother Gods, none to this Jinn, and have no desire or interest in the wish offered up as a prize of this contest. Quite frankly, I would rather return to my world and to my loved ones. My kingdom will not protect itself and Mistral ever casts its covetous eyes upon our land." He let the implication sink in before continuing in an even tone. "I offered my service because the Ozpin of my world fell in defence of us all, as did Archmage Ironwood, but the more time I spend here, the more I start to realise that you are not that Ozpin, and that Ironwood is not that Archmage. Neither is Ruby my Ruby, or Blake, Weiss or Yang."

He both heard and felt Ruby's shock and dismay. The young woman, so much like a girl compared to his Ruby who was nineteen years old now, was so expressive that he couldn't have missed it. He laid a hand on her shoulder before she could shrink away from him.

"I do not hold that against her or any. It is to be expected that they, having grown up in entirely different worlds, are unique and special in their own ways. Yourselves as well. I do not ask any of you to be that which you are not."

"Knight-" Ruby said weakly. "M-Maybe we should listen to Ozpin and Mr Ironwood."

Alike and yet different. His Ruby would have done what was right, and he expected this Ruby wanted to as well, but authority wouldn't have stopped Ruby going off in his world to save the day, and Blake certainly wouldn't have stood silently by.

"But just as I shall not expect you to be what which you cannot, you should not expect me to be that which I will not." he said. "I accepted the name Knight because it is what I am used to. It is not what I am. I am Jaune Arc, a Blacksmith and, to my embarrassment at times, a King. I am not a pawn on your board, nor a soldier in Ironwood's employ, nor am I truly a toy for the Gods to cast as they wish and spectate for their amusement. I – we," he amended, for his Ruby deserved the credit, "-have killed a God. I am not above tyring my hand at killing two more."

There was a threat there, though he would admit it was hard to find. Ruby looked like a child whose parents were going through a messy separation, and he kept a hand on her as a parent might to assure her everything would be okay. Things might not be the same, but they would be okay in the end.

"Speak clearly." Ironwood snapped.

"Sir." Knight said it slowly and with no small amount of smuggery. "Was it not yourself who said that patience is a virtue?"

"Knight, please…" Ozpin pleaded.

"My point, in as clear a manner as I may manage, is that I am not yours to command. Nor am I Ruby's to command, or the Brother Gods. None of us are. Some of us that were summoned fight because we want the wish, in which case we are at best mercenaries, and some of us care not for it at all. I am of the latter."

Silence. Absolute silence. Until Ruby slowly broke it. "You're leaving me…?"

Her, not us, not Beacon. Knight squeezed her shoulder again.

"That hasn't been decided yet," he said softly. "It is an ultimatum."

"What do you want?" Ozpin asked quickly. Of course he did. Knight was under no illusions as to his strength, nor his bargaining power. They needed him. It wasn't fun to lean on that as he was, but then neither was cooling his heels in Beacon while the world turned by. "What is it you want from us? Freedom to do as you wish?"

"Ozpin, I remained in Beacon thus far out of respect, not fear. I could choose to leave at any time. You can't offer me that which I already have."

"Our world is in peril!" Goodwitch said.

"My world was almost destroyed." Knight replied calmly. "Through it, we didn't seek aid from outside and demand they follow our every whim and command. I'm not saying I will abandon you; I'm only pointing out that following your orders isn't the only way to fight."

"The issue is with us, then?" Ironwood asked. He was angry, but he was smart enough to set that aside and try to talk things out. Knight respected it. "Is it with me? My orders? What is the issue?"

"My issue is with being hid away."

"We don't know where Cinder is."

"Cinder won't reveal herself for no reason." Knight said. "Give her one, give her me, and she may poke her head out to take the bait. Give her none as you seem so content to and she will do something to draw us out." He turned to face Ruby and asked, "What would it take, Ruby? A hundred innocents slaughtered in the streets?"

Ruby jumped. "W-What?"

"A thousand? Would it make a difference if it were children?"

"I-I don't…" Ruby shook her head helplessly and pulled away from him. He regretted it, especially when she sought her team's comfort instead, but he let her go. "What are you talking about…?"

"I'm referring to the lengths Cinder will go to in order to force us out. You don't think she's going to throw the war away by attacking Beacon, do you? Take us on where we're strongest, where Ironwood can have an entire army waiting to gun them down? I think not. They have the city, we've all but surrendered it to them, and they will make a bloodbath of it if that's what it takes to drag us out our stronghold."

"If she does that, she'll expose herself." General Ironwood said.

"Yes. And that is your chance to strike." Knight admitted. "But what happens if, like the last, you're unable to take them down? Grimm elected not to kill any of your soldiers or unleash a plague of Grimm upon the city." He let his voice drop. "But he could choose otherwise next time. Or Cinder could force him to. Or Null might be the one to make the decision. It might be worth it in your mind, General, to wager the lives of the innocent against the bigger picture."

"If you understand what that bigger picture is then you must know why I have to." Ironwood fired back. "I don't take pleasure in this. If Salem wins, however, it'll be more than just Vale that suffers. Humanity will be snuffed out in an instant."

"If we sit here, we'll all slowly be snuffed out. Barista is dead. Fate nearly suffered the same fate, no pun intended. The enemy has shown they can strike at Beacon. How long will it take for someone to catch Ruby unawares?"

He pointed, and Ruby stiffened, while Yang placed a protective arm around her. He didn't wish to frighten her but he had little choice. They had to understand that this was not some game where they could let Ozpin and Ironwood plan things out. War was different to anything they'd experienced before. He had seen the true horrors of it, and war in their world was far more ordered than this.

"A bomb in her room, an explosive device on her scythe or in her locker, poison in her food, or an assassin in the communal showers when she least expects it. I can walk out into Vale and weather whatever is thrown at me, striking back as needs be. Ruby could die in an instant, and every day we spend doing nothing is another day you roll the dice on her fate. None of us are under any illusions here – I am the most powerful of my kind. It's not arrogant to say that."

"It's not." Ozpin acknowledged. "That is why we can't afford to lose you, Knight. King?"

"Call me whatever you want, Ozpin, it's not your worship I'm after. But let me remind you of one thing. Thanks to your backdoors, Cinder knows who I am, who my anchor is and how strong I can be. It's actually a downright mistake for her to have targeted Glynda or Fate. Such doesn't even make sense. If any is to be the target of an assassin here, it is Ruby."

They all looked to her, and he knew they believed him.

"I demand that I be allowed to fight not because I am bored or impatient, but because if you wait any longer, you won't have the chance to commit me. Ruby will be dead, I will be gone, and Salem will dictate the pace of this war." Knight slammed his hands on the desk hard enough to make not only the desk crack, but completely buckle under him. It toppled toward him, startling the teachers behind. A reminder of his strength. "In simple terms. Use me or lose me."

Ironwood swallowed. "And if we don't…?"

"I go out and fight on my own terms."

Knight dusted his hands off and crossed them over his chest. He could feel Team RWBY's shock, and he imagined part of that came from how cooperative he'd been before. Had they, like Ozpin, mistaken that for obedience? It was a shame to disabuse the notion, but at twenty-one years and with a kingdom under his hand, he was not one to be ordered around so easily. Gone were those childish days.

"Consider this your chance to utilise me within your plans. I could just as easily have pulled what Hunter did and vanished. Believe me, not a one of you would have been able to stop me."

/-/

Of all the people to come and visit him in the infirmary – which Fate would have happily guessed as none – it had to be Jaune. Fate groaned on seeing him, knocking his head back and wishing the pillow was hard enough to knock himself out. "Not you. Anyone but you. Turn around, walk out that door and don't come back."

"I'm checking up on you!" Jaune sounded equal parts annoyed and hurt, which pissed Fate off even more.

"Don't. The fact I went out with you to meet Headmaster does not make us friends."

"I know that."

Instead of leaving, the brat pulled up a chair and sat at his bedside. He was locked onto the bed by leather straps, which were wholly unnecessary, but Tsune had used them when he made a lewd comment about the nurse rubbing burn cream into his skin. He must have forgotten something because she was usually up for a little fun. Maybe it was because this wasn't his world and Tsune saw him as a carbon copy of this fucking moron here.

"If you know that then why are you here? Pyrrha could have checked up on me if the team were worried."

"They're not. Worried, I mean."

Fate snorted. No big surprises there. He refused to let the fact bother him when he didn't want to care about them either. Why should he? They weren't his. He couldn't keep them. He'd spent thousands of years' worth of repeats trying to keep his friends alive, and he'd be damned if he bled and died for someone else's. "Then why are you here?"

"They're not worried for you. I am."

Fate gagged. "Oh please, kill me. Kill me now."

"I'm serious. You may not like me-"

"Just figured that one out?"

"-and I can understand that looking at me probably pisses you off. I'm not as good as you. I'm weaker, less experienced and I haven't been through the things you have."

"You forgot that you're stupider."

"That's not fair, is it? You're a hundred times my age. Of course you know more things than I do." Tch. Fate was surprised the brat dared fire back at him. "Point is, you don't have to like me to work with me. That's what we showed the other day."

"If this is a `teamwork makes the dreamwork` speech, I swear to the Brother Gods I will kill you."

"This is a `let's bury the hatchet` speech."

"No."

Jaune looked shocked. "Why?"

"Because I hate you."

"No, I get that, but why does that stop us doing this? You want to win the wish-"

"I've no interest in it. Didn't you hear me say I'm staying out this war?"

"Bullshit." Jaune shook his head. "Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. You came out and put yourself at risk to get that Intel. You agreed to fight rather than have Ironwood kill you. If you've died as many times as you have then dying once more wouldn't bother you, so why haven't you just killed yourself and gone back to your world like the other one did?"

"You telling me to off myself? Rude."

"I'm telling you I'm not stupid." Jaune said. Fate scoffed to show how little he believed that, but the brat pushed on. "I'm you, or you're what I could become if I went through the same situation you have. Maybe I will after this is over, I don't know. Point is, even if you say we're nothing alike, we're the same person where it matters. And imagining myself going through what you have-"

"You can't imagine it!" Fate snarled. The leather bands snapped taut as he made to strike the absolute twat who thought he could claim that. He snarled and spat at him instead. "Whatever shit you're dreaming of is nothing compared to the reality of it! I have to watch everyone die! Over and over, again and again, unable to do a fucking thing to stop it. Don't you dare pretend you understand what that's like!"

"I won't. I won't." Jaune had backed up off the chair. "But if it's that bad, if it feels that awful, then I refuse to believe you'd sit back and give up a chance like this to change it all. Even if you hate the Gods, and I don't blame you for that, I'd still fight with every ounce I have to win this thing. If it meant I could change that horrible world you have to go through, I'd do anything to win."

"Get out."

"Fate-"

"Get the fuck out!" he roared so loud his voice cracked.

Finally, finally, the brat got the message and made for the door, though not before stopping to say, "I'll come see you again tomorrow if you're here."

"Fucking don't!"

"Get well soon."

Fate wished he could throw something at the door. He growled through his teeth and slammed back down. Absolute, stupid bastard. He couldn't believe he'd ever been that stupid, though he could damn well see the similarities between the brat and Headmaster now. As if you would ever end up like me. You won't have to go through the torture I have, you lucky bastard. You get to live with your teammates, have adventures and die like a normal person. You get to rest.

"So…" A voice called from the door. "Is this a bad time?"

Fate rolled his head over to see someone far more tolerable. Yang was leaning against the doorframe with a shit-eating grin. "Heard that, did you?"

"Me and half the school. Nice set of lungs. Can I come in or will I be yelled out too?"

"Hmm. You're blonde so I'm predisposed to hate you at this moment. On the other hand, you have a fantastic par of tits, so come on in!"

"Charming." Yang's grin didn't drop as she sauntered over, reversed Jaune's chair around and collapsed down onto it. "You heard about Knight?"

Fate blinked. "From the infirmary? No. Why, what's he done?"

"Went and confronted Ozpin and Ironwood about being kept in reserve all the time. Basically threatened to abandon Beacon and us and go it alone if we didn't take steps to actually fight Cinder."

"Huh. I didn't see that coming…"

"You didn't?" Surprised Yang was adorable Yang despite his efforts to think otherwise. "But you always know-"

"Yang, I come across all-knowing because I've had most of you as my partners in Beacon for a hundred years at least. It's easy to predict you when I know you inside-out. Literally in your case, as I tried to save you with open air surgery once. Same as how I know who is and isn't up for a quick tumble because I've received over a million rejections. Knight does not exist in my world. I know jack about the guy."

"Open air surgery? Did it… uh… work?"

"No."

"Ah." Yang rubbed her arm, as uncomfortable with the news of her death as anyone ought to be. It was a new experience for him being able to tell people about it too. "At least you tried. I appreciate that. Even if I didn't live long enough to say it. Thanks for giving it a go and… uh… sorry for dying on you. Must have sucked."

It had sucked, actually, and he'd screamed, ranted and railed against the world for it. That had been the last time he ever allowed himself to fall in love with Yang Xiao-Long. Romantically, at least. "You don't have to apologise for the hell these asshole gods put me through. What're you here for? To ask me about Knight?"

"Also to check up on you."

"Ahhh. Such a caring daughter. I'm blessed."

"Do I really call you dad in your world?"

"It's mostly to tease the hell out of Weiss."

"Ah, now that I believe." Yang's grin was back. "I bet I, the me there I mean, also calls you it because you have that old man feeling to you. You actually come across as someone who could be a dad. You ever-"

"I've never had children," he said. "Never wanted to put myself through that kind of emotional agony. What if I name the child? What if I love it? I'd forever ask if it would be the same kid even if I got with the same person in another lifetime. What if a different sperm gets to the egg?"

"I'm not sure personality and existence is determined that way, but I get your point. Escape your hell first, have kids after." Yang crossed her arms over the back of the chair. "So, level with me, who's going to be the lucky girl?"

Fate grinned back. "Every woman in Remnant other than who I choose."

"Hey, you're not that bad."

"I am that bad. The sleeping around isn't an issue." That'd stop if he ever did escape. It was a coping mechanism and not something he even really enjoyed on an emotional level anymore. It was physical and nothing more. "The issue is that even assuming I ever can escape, I'm going to be a mess emotionally and physically. I'm going to be literal PTSD personified. I pity whoever ends up with that. It might just end up being Pyrrha since she's the only one desperate enough to put up with me."

"Not even going to consider me? Ruuude!"

"You're too smart to settle for someone like me. I figure you'll be the annoying one who keeps showing up to kick me out of whatever funk I fall into."

"Heh. You're welcome."

Fate grinned back at her. It was dangerous to form a connection with her when he'd have to leave this world and lose her like everyone else, but there was no helping it. If she wouldn't be scared off by his words and actions, he didn't have the energy or willpower to go further.

He could. The perks of knowing Yang so intimately was that he could bring up her worst fears, her worst secrets and hold them against her. He could play on the guilt she felt for nearly having killed Ruby as a child and reduce her to a sobbing wreck who fled at the sight of him. He just didn't have the energy for it.

"Why are you here, Yang?" he asked patiently. "What's eating you?"

"I already said-"

He fixed her with his best fatherly look. "Yang…"

"Tch. Cheater." Her eyes flicked away and then back, her chin settling down atop her crossed arms. "I'm worried about Ruby's reaction to this Knight business. She's taken it hard. I'm worried that if he gets himself killed, she'll go through what I did with Leviathan. Or worse, that she'll try and go out with him to stay near him and get killed herself. Like he said, she's more a target than he is. I don't know what to do."

"Keep Ruby in Beacon." Fate said flatly. "Knight is right – she is the primary target. Ain't no one going to focus on him if she's nearby."

"You don't think we can make him change his mind?"

Ah, so that was what she was here for – hoping he would have the secret formula to making Knight back into an obedient little drone again. Had it been anyone else, he would have laughed at them and told them this was what they got for trying to take control.

"You need to understand who we are," he said in a softer voice than anyone else would have received. "You see us as other versions of Jaune, but the truth is that we're our own people. We can make our own decisions and we have our own loyalties and ambitions. Knight doesn't want the wish." Fate believed him when he said it. "He's also strong enough to make it on his own and old enough to be beyond taking orders from Ozpin. The fact he's a ruler in his world probably makes it worse. He's used to being the one to act and make decisions, and now Ironwood and Ozpin are treating him like a weapon they can hold back or use when they choose to." Fate chuckled. "He was bound to get pissed off at that even if he acts like the calmest bastard in the room."

"Then this was inevitable?"

"Pretty much. Look at him, Yang, he's a fighter. He's strong, skilled and near enough impervious. You don't get that way if you're the kind of person who likes sitting back and doing nothing. He's like you in a way." She appeared surprised by the comparison. "All brawn and no brain."

"Hey!" Yang very, very gently punched his arm. It was more a rub of her knuckles. "But I think I get it. He wants to fight while Ironwood wants to hang back and wait. And we… I guess we're just following Ozpin's orders because he's our teacher."

"To be fair, this is your world, and you have to live with the consequences. You're also not near enough invincible like he is. Let him go out – alone. He'll be fine. Or if he isn't, he'll take down a whole bunch of people with him."

"That won't satisfy Ruby."

"Ruby needs to understand we don't die when we die here. Half the reason Knight isn't afraid is because he knows that. Hell, he probably wants to go back to his world. I bet he feels like an alien here."

"We've tried to be good to him!"

"I know. I know. I'm sure he does too." He rolled his eyes. Yang was always quick to take blame where none was meant. "I'm just saying that he's from a world that's so different it might as well be a video game. It's not like me or Hunter. This world makes sense to us. It doesn't to him. He probably has to hold himself back so he doesn't kill you all by accident. Not to mention he has, what, two wives waiting for him back home? Man has a charmed life. He doesn't need a wish and he doesn't need to sit here longer than he has to."

"Then… you think he's trying to die? One way or the other?"

"No. If he wanted to die, he wouldn't waste time talking to Ozpin and Ironwood – he'd kill himself. What Knight wants is to push the envelope. Get this war going. He wants to strike or be struck at, not to sit around playing games. What Ironwood wants is to keep all us iterations safe while he exhausts his army against Cinder and her lot, because the win is decided by which iteration is alive at the end. If he had his way, none of us would ever see them in combat. He'd rather spend ten thousand lives to kill one of theirs than waste one of us. Which makes sense in a bigger picture kind of way."

"But it's not something Knight will accept." Yang realised. "Because he's a hero and that means more than just a word in his world. Oh hell, I don't want Ruby to get it in her head she should be the same!"

"Then don't let her. Flex those big sister muscles for once and just stop her if she tries. Yeah, she'll rant and scream and call you names, but better you be the `literal worst sister` ever then an only child. Right?"

"Right!" Yang nodded quickly. "You're right. If she won't listen to reason, I'll just have to hold her back – even if she hates me for it. Thanks da-" Yang's face flushed bright red. "Fuck! You didn't hear that!"

"Oh, I totally did."

Yang groaned sadly and placed her forehead on her arms.

"Indeed I am. Any more futuristic or prophecy wisdom you want from me? My reserves are low, but you can shake my magic eight balls and hope for a message. Fair warning, they usually say `fondle later and ask again` but you can try."

Yang giggled. "You're such an ass." Without thinking, she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Get well soon. I'll bring you some food later, kay?"

"Y-Yeah. Sure." Fate answered slowly, surprised by the soft touch on his cheek and the complicated feelings it set in his stomach. "I'll see you later, Yang." He watched her go, then leaned back on the cushion. The spot she'd kissed was still wet, and he couldn't wipe it off with his hands tied down. "Don't get attached," he told himself. "Don't get attached to any of them. It's not my Yang, it's not my team."

It would only make his job harder if he let himself love them.


My damn shoulder is still a nightmare of non-movement. I feel so stiff I want to crack my neck, but I know from experience that isn't even possible like this. I move my head even slightly to the side and the pain stops me going far enough. I'm doing a bunch of exercises I was prescribed – simple moving the head around ones. Doctor said even if I can only do it one way, it'll still help.

At least I was able to do a full chapter this time. I really ought to try voice to text. It was god awful the last time I tried it, but technology has advanced, right? Worth a shot.


Next Chapter: 7th May

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