"So you were waiting for me, were you?" Naruto commented as he made his way through the familiar path through the airship docks, finding the main Atlas Airship docked as it usually was when it was in use.
And considering there was no need to put in the air and cause a panic without due need, Ironwood wisely kept the ship grounded.
"Considering we were heading to the same place regardless, I figured it would save time. There are some things I need answers from him personally after yesterday and given what your plans are now turning into." Qrow simply answered as he walked with Naruto, having recently joined him after he had been keeping his distance for quite some time. "I hope you realize just what you are getting into…"
"Like I have a choice." Naruto scoffed before growling at his own choice of words. The more I think about it, the more I begin to question what little choice I ever had. Even back home, was I just some puppet to Fate? That very concept smolders in the back of my mind, and I can't help but seethe as I feel it has some truth to it. To know that my life was never my own to live and was chosen by someone else…"
"It makes me want to fucking riot and revolt! Find just something I can do to fight back and make her life hell! And if that means teaming up with the wicked witch, I guess I'm going for broke here as I'm not punishing a little girl being dragged into this. I'll figure something out about that, too, while I'm at it!" Naruto growled as he clenched his fists, adding another chore to the growing list of things to accomplish.
It was becoming a massive list, and he knew it. He wished he had Kurama so he could use his clones more effectively…
At the very least, he could mitigate the kickback and regenerate the damaged nerve receptors he received when they eventually returned. And he wouldn't collapse into a coma for a few days after a stimulus overload and not retain the information he was trying to obtain. That was an annoying setback he learned early when first getting accustomed to life on Remnant.
Qrow remained quiet but contemplative. Having had time to think through everything as they came over her left him with more concerned but different reasons than before. Given the situation, his predicament, and the state of the world as it was, he didn't feel it was necessarily the wrong decision but how fast he was reacting. And considering it seemed like Fate was guiding the path he walked on, he had to wonder why he wasn't questioning his decision.
Or was it because he knew that Salem was absolutely doing everything she could to fight against Fate that he decided to band with her in this hour of desperation? And then he hoped he could find some way to save the girl and either separate her from the witch or do something about her at the very least. It was a complicated situation, especially considering that the damn witch most likely was telling the truth.
And he hated that. He loathed her with every fiber in his body, and he had been working against her for years. Still, something in her voice he first heard her speak came off as someone that held an air of authority about her, much like Ozpin, yet she was direct and to the point, uncaring if anything offended anyone. She didn't shield anything and reveled in and would likely use it to her advantage…
That made him frown. Ozpin kept everyone in the dark and was more deceitful, yet Salem was open and manipulative in her approach. No wonder why Naruto said he was making his own side. When those were the options…
Only for the witch to want to join it. What were the odds of that?! Had his luck cursed everyone and everything in his life?!
"What the fuck?!" Naruto jumped to the side as a dock light randomly shattered overhead, even though it was in the middle of the day and it was off. "Qrow, goddamn you luck! That startled me!"
"Yeah, I know! At least it didn't fall…" Qrow started in annoyance before the light detached and made them both jump away as it smashed into the ground, making his eyebrow twitch. "I swear to the Brothers I will find a new God to swear upon! Maybe I will start my own religion and worship the all-powerful Oum. Then maybe I won't have this blasted semblance that ruins everyone's lives!"
"Let's not get carried away. What God would be called Oum?" Naruto raised his eyebrow before shaking his head. "Sounds like a regular person's name to me. A God's name needs gravitas! Oum sounds like a cool dude I would want to hang out with."
Qrow tilted his head at the fox for his response before shaking his head. "You've thought about this before, and that frightens me. Last thing we need you to do is start a religion…"
"Oh, you think I might get my own cult following?" Naruto grinned, and the Branwen stared at him with his right eye twitching. "And then I can get my own holiday exemptions and…"
"Yeah, you've put way too much thought into this before." Qrow rolled his eyes, turned, and started to walk away. "You're starting to remind me of Yang, which terrifies me."
Naruto shrugged and resumed walking alongside the Branwen; the tension eased somewhat. He would rather not ostracize him, considering he was Ruby and Yang's family and important to them. He also felt that something was not being told about his history, for his hatred for Salem seemed deeper than whatever he could have harbored for working with Ozpin. There was something there, but he knew better than to press. The fact that Raven also seemed to be involved, but she was willing to work with the witch was telling…
His eyes narrowed as he felt a very particular presence aboard the airship. Naruto and Qrow were stopped at the docking bay entrance. Naruto's eyes narrowed, and Qrow simply raised an eyebrow as they had always been allowed through, given that Ironwood had his guards well trained on who had permission to enter.
And there was no way this soldier didn't know who Naruto and Qrow were.
"Sorry, entrance is not permitted at this time." The soldier stated despite knowing who they were. "General Ironwood is in an ongoing discussion and requests no interruptions."
"Is that so?" Qrow grunted as he noted another man standing near the entrance, glancing at him and recognizing the style of the outfit before turning his attention back to the Atlas soldier. "Well, tell Buckethead we're here, and this is important. Unless he doesn't want information about protecting Remnant."
Also, having taken note of the other person, Naruto was seething silently as he had an idea of who it was. He wasn't familiar with the additional presence, but he knew exactly who the other was. And given everything he had been going through, it was taking quite a lot to keep his blood from boiling and his semblance from kicking in. If he was here, only a few people could be with him, and one of them was on a very particular list he possessed.
So with his ear twitching as the guard called it in, Naruto took a breath. He needed to relax and calm…
"Sorry, he asked if you would come back later. This meeting just started…"
"Enough." A heavy wind swept through the docks, rattling and shaking everything, and even the airship began to rock from the blowing winds as they picked up force.
"Naruto, what are you doing?" Qrow tensed as he could feel the situation slowly getting out of hand and could see the agitation in his eyes and his veins slowly popping on his skin, a clear sign his semblance was active. "We can always come back later…"
"I do not have the time. I'm on a tight schedule and will not deal with this when I know something is happening." The soldier's head snapped to Naruto, and his entire body began to tremble as his eyes pierced into his. "I'm going inside. This brief meeting does not matter to me as he has some things to explain."
"Now stand aside!" Naruto barked as the gale began to rock the airship back and forth violently, the soldier barely able to keep his footing as the fox casually began to walk toward the door, brushing past him as if he was daring the soldier to try and stop him.
It wasn't him that tried.
"Mangy animal! You don't run this…" The young man transformed a stave into a gun and pointed it straight at Naruto but as soon as those words left his mouth, his eyes met cerulean up close and personal.
As Naruto stood in front of him, his left hand was on the barrel of his rifle. And then he winced in pain as his wrist was wrenched hard, and he heard the snap as his weapon was snatched out of his hands, the gun clattering against the ground as the barrel remained in Naruto's hand.
Before the young man had time to register what had happened, only his eyes widening as he tried to take a step back, Naruto grabbed him by the collar of his eastern, turtleneck tailcoat with his right. He then pulled the young man into his face. "Answer my question, and I may let you off with only a warning."
"What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"
Qrow would have been ashamed if the moment wasn't what it was, and he could see the unyielding rage burning in the blonde's eyes. How in such a tense moment did he have time for this? What was this kid?!
Did he expect the other kid to have an answer, as he sure as hell didn't?!
"What the hell are you talking about, you filthy tree barker?!" The younger man with jade black hair spat at Naruto, the fox tilting his head to avoid the spittle that almost made contact with him, attempting to wrench himself free by throwing his left shoulder.
Only for all the wind in his lungs to rush from his being as Naruto gut-punched him in the solar plexus with his left, letting the barrel clang against the ground as he had no use for it any longer.
"Wrong! The average airspeed of a swallow is around eleven meters a second!" Naruto grinned as Qrow had a look of utter disbelief that he just happened to know exactly how fast a swallow was. "And here's your penalty!"
"A ticket through the front door!" Naruto roared as he turned and took the young huntsman off his feet with ease and tossed him at the door.
He hurled him with such velocity that the moment he collided with it, the door burst off its hinges and collapsed inwards as the young huntsman groaned in pain. Naruto only grinned and cracked his knuckles, popped his neck, and started to walk towards the now wide-open airship but stopped as he grabbed the intercom the guard was using. "Attention, Ironwood! I am fucking pissed, and I do not have the time to play games! Prepare to be boarded and raided, and there is not a damn thing you can do about it!"
"So you best get ready to explain yourself! You're caught in this maelstrom and have nowhere to go!"
Nervous was an understatement. Terrified, her nerves were shattered, leaving her a jittering mess. She didn't know how to approach this.
Or even how to approach this? What was she going to say? There was no good way of bringing up this subject. That she and her mate had run into a problem where their best friend's livelihood was at stake, and for her sake, her mate had to marry her to protect her? And by doing so, she would be relegated to obscurity and had to live on the fringes to see her love.
And then there was the fact she wasn't feeling too hot and hoped it was just nerves getting to her. But considering they had been there the last few days before this really started to go downhill…
"Blake?" Kali's voice caught the daughter off guard as she sat peacefully with Ghira at their table, making Blake jump and hiss in surprise, startling Weiss, Velvet, and Tealle nearly fell over in the process as they came with her for support today, given everything that had happened. "Seeing everyone leave, I figured you would have left with them. I'm surprised you're still here."
"I, uh, yeah…" Blake meekly stammered uncharacteristically as her shoulders dropped, unsure how to broach the subject with her mother and father, seeing they were still here.
It became more challenging for her to realize that they had been lured here in some way to bring about their daughter's demise accidentally. However, she didn't feel they needed to know that. They had come because they hadn't seen her in forever and loved her. That was what she knew was true, and it was taken advantage of by a gentle push from the Goddess…
And it left her irate, wanting to be out there and helping. Damn her injuries…
And this floating fairy!
"Don't you swat at me!" Puck yelled as he hit back at her hand with a spiky flower, defending himself. "I'm on guard duty to keep you two out of trouble and make sure you are all properly healed. So stop it!"
"I'm starting to think it's instinctual…" Weiss muttered, seeing Blake's eyes narrow and focus on the floating pixie, Puck, hovering above them. "Given how Naruto and Yang mess with her using a laser pointer, I'm not surprised. Don't you give me that look! It's almost like they trained you for this moment!"
Glaring at Weiss nastily for mentioning the red light of doom, Blake took a moment to recompose herself. It didn't help with what she needed at that moment. It only took her attention away from the flying elf. She still had no clue on how to approach…
Tealle, being a stranger in her home, slowly strode forward ahead of everyone ever so boldly. Having stayed behind at her father's request as everyone went their separate ways to get ready for the upcoming tasks, she looked around at the humble abode curiously. It wasn't often they stayed in places for long, so she liked to examine decor and marvel at small details. They truly fascinated her.
And she was immediately drawn to the aquarium as a small crab tapped on the glass, wanting attention. "Oh, mud crabs! They're so cool looking, and this one is so big! They normally don't get this big!"
"Then there is Crab Rock, who is five times that size…" Weiss muttered and shook her head as they slowly joined Tealle in the small living room with Blake's parents. "What does Naruto feed them to make them that big? They shouldn't get that large. This one is close to what a normal one should be."
"There's bigger crabs?!" Tealle looked wide-eyed and shocked at hearing that as the crab happily scuttled into the aquarium seeing Blake grab a small treat and hand it to the girl before she happily reached over, opened the lid, and gave the pellets to the crab, and it quickly snapped them and started to devour them greedily. "That's awesome!"
"I vote to stay far away from those crabs." Puck nervously floated away from the aquarium as he watched the invertebrate chomp down on its food, but he swore he could see it was looking straight at him as it did. "I don't think I want to end up on the menu. Pretty sure he's eyeing me up for a meal…"
"Is it coming out of the aquarium for me!" Puck screamed and flew away, seeing the crab pop open the lid and scuttle out of the aquarium.
Only to drop by Tealle's leg, happily pinch both of its pincers, and blow bubbles at her. She immediately responded by picking up the crab and petting it; everyone looked at the scene strangely. "It's so cute. It wanted affection."
The crab only blew bubbles contently. And then its eyes shifted to Puck, and its pincers snapped multiple times threateningly. It would play the long game.
Puck narrowed his eyes. This was going to be an issue. He had to deal with being hunted before, but now the animal in question was displaying intelligence. What was this? How was he even going to deal with this when Tealle wasn't paying attention and harboring his enemy?!
Seeing that her friend was still struggling with figuring out how to approach her issues, Velvet sighed. She wanted to find some way to push her to ask for the help she knew she needed. But it wasn't her place to. At the same time, something was bothering her, and she needed to address it with her.
"Blake, can we talk?" Velvet asked as she drew her friend's attention to her. "I understand if you don't want to talk in front of everyone else, and we can go elsewhere, but we need to talk. I have to understand…"
"No," Blake shook her head, her body shivering as she still hadn't recovered and was utterly exhausted. "I don't want to…"
"Blake," Ghira's voice froze her solid as she heard her father, and fear began to well within once more as her golden eyes slowly turned and gazed toward her father.
And was met with stern eyes, and his voice was commanding. "I think we need to talk as well, considering everything that has happened over the past few days."
His eyes then soften, along with his voice full of care. "I am worried as something is wrong, and I hate seeing you like this. If there is something we can do, please allow us to while we are here. I know there has been an issue with the wedding gnawing at you, and with that man involved, I only fear the worse. He always was able to get the one up on me, and I fear he could do the same to the both of you."
Let her ears drop as she broke her gaze and looked down sullenly; Blake only feebly nodded in response. It was the only response she could give. She had lost her voice…
"He has." Weiss bit her lip and answered for Blake, gently rubbing her right elbow as she skittishly answered herself. "He either anticipated Naruto was going to try some sort of trick and was gathering confidence in the councilors of Vale and was going to try to do the same for Vacuo so he could gain enough favor to pull some strings and pull a stunt here at the end of the festival at the start of August…"
"And marry Blake at the last second instead as switcheroo as she was disguised as me," Weiss smiled a bit before shaking her head. "There were many holes in that plan but considering where it started; it evolved so much…"
"Now it's going to happen in less than four days!" Blake hissed, clenching her fists and her body trembling, tears threatening to spill once more. "That's why Naruto was upset and left because I didn't understand the ramifications of telling him to get it over and done with, as we didn't have the time to deal with this! I didn't understand that if this went through…"
"There would be no turning back…" Blake whispered, yet her words roared like a Bullhead's engine.
"Blake," Her mother spoke, standing up before swiftly moving to her daughter's side and embracing her, being careful due to her wounds. "Honey, you could have told us that was what was going on. You didn't have to panic and run off. You scared us by how rashly you were acting."
She was joined a moment after as her mate and husband wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, giving them his support. He knew just how tough of a situation it had to be on her, and he frowned. He understood the boy's motives to defend his friends, but…
Ghira sighed. No, there was no blame laid here as he was doing what he believed to be just. All of it was squarely upon that man once more. Things would possibly be better if he could be a decent human being for once in his life.
"Why does it have to be this way?! Why is it that our traditions are marginalized, and it will be me that looks like the interloper when it is that bastard that has forced his way into our lives?! Why can't there be a world where everyone is equal and treated fairly?!" Blake shook and trembled in her parent's grasp, letting her emotions free once more. "It's not fair…"
"Why can't Weiss and I share at the very least?! What's wrong with that?! Why does the world's opinion have to matter?! We were together first! Why can't I share with the friend I trust the most, and she does so in return?! Just because one set of laws dismisses our traditions and rights?! That's bullshit!" Blake growled fiercely, her golden eyes brimming in anger through her tears.
Feeling the weight of her friend's words, Weiss diverted her eyes from the scene. She was entirely right. What her father was doing was atrocious, and there wasn't much they could do anymore. Maybe if she had given in early and gone home, but there was no way any of them could have predicted this series of events. And…
Weiss choked on her spit, and her eyes went wide. Did she say what she thought she said out loud to her parents?!
Velvet was caught off guard, too. Her ears that had been dropping now stood straight up in utter surprise at where Blake had gone. She had expected the solemn depression of her plight but where she ended caught her by surprise.
"Oh, that's…" Kali started before being taken aback by where her daughter led as she combed her right hand through her long hair before pulling back and gazing into her eyes. ``That's something else entirely, dear. That's…"
"Not where I was expecting that to go," Ghira answered for his mate as he gingerly released the two most important women in his life and tilted his head as he looked down at his daughter. "And this is a unique situation as ordinarily, when a couple mates, they go in and get their marriage license if they plan on living in Kingdom society and not only on Menagerie. But this marriage has been in the works for some time, and the group of you have been working to foil it."
"It has," Weiss admitted and sighed deeply. "Since the last days of March when my father arrived and caught us all off guard by showing interest in Naruto and invited him to a dinner function with me as his date. That's when he first entrapped us, and this all started. Shortly after, we came into a plan and slowly started to build upon it since Naruto has been building ties with all the Vale council while specifically making sure to keep my name clean…"
"We failed there recently due to that blunder at Rainbow…"
A scowl adorned Blake's face, but she kept her face lowered. That night was another piece of motion she was sure Fate had set up to start squeezing them and making this more difficult. And while it opened the avenue of possibly finding a connection to bringing down Weiss' father once and for all, it seemed too late.
"Nevertheless, you and Naruto's timing of this was…" Kali started before she sighed and looked into her daughter's eyes as she gazed up at her mother. "Quite ill-conceived."
Blake hissed at her mother's words, but Kali held firm and gave her daughter a loving look. "I have seen the love and care you have for one another. That is genuine. You two do everything for one another and make a wonderful couple. But, and I hate saying this, it should have been you to pull yourself from this situation, and his knowledge of culture is ever expanding through your eyes. He's still learning and adjusting well, but that may be because of the life he's lived before."
"This could have been prevented by patience, as you both should have known something like this could have happened. And I know you love him dearly, and I think he's wonderful, but…" Kali took a deep breath and locked her eyes firmly with her daughter. "By mating so early yet again, you have caused yourself so much pain, honey. This time due to something far beyond anything we can control. You've fallen into this trap twice now, Blake."
Velvet's ears twitched at this, and her eyes widened as she watched her friend's shoulders sink. Had she mated once before? That was something she never knew. To lose a mated partner, something serious had to happen, given that she now knew Blake was part of the White Fang when it was radicalized…
She knew it was possible as she knew immediately who she was hearing that last name when they were first introduced. But now…
It bothered her more, and she couldn't help but want to know what had happened. What occurred in her friend's life that led her on this path?
Feeling the disapproval of her mother deflated her. She averted her gaze and fell crestfallen, sullenly gazing at the floor when her attention was snapped upwards at the sound of a voice.
It belonged to Weiss. And she was upset.
"So she screwed up? It happens! She's young, madly in love with someone I cannot blame her for falling for, and a hopeless romantic! I watched her heal and open up into the person she has become today, and while she may be flawed, she is still my friend, and it was all because of him! He brought this out of her as she was just a recluse that only accepted everyone else's presence." Weiss stood beside Blake, her eyes burning with passion. "I can't help but think this was what she was like before life in the Fang after the last regime took over and eroded and started to corrupt her views. I am so thankful she left when she did…"
Kali was a little startled, but the Schnee heiress's fierceness in defending her daughter caught her by surprise, and she took a step back, placing a hand on her chest. She had dealt with her fair share of aggression and verbal disputes over the years. But those icy blue eyes piercing into hers with a cold, determined glare reminded her of one person, and she shivered as it was similar to the one person she could not deal with.
She did inherit something from her father, it seemed.
"Weiss, was it?" Ghira saw his wife take a step back and knew why; having spoken with her enough, he had a slight idea why. "You have to take it from our point of view. This has happened before, and we are concerned for her well-being. We know everyone here is well-meaning, but…"
"But what?!" Weiss hounded back at the leader of the White Fang, her eyes a glow with fury before softening as she felt Blake beside her tense, and she shrunk back and whispered. "We're already aware of all the dumb mistakes we've made and the pain they're causing. If I had known everything that was to happen, I would have left three months ago and gone home to spare everyone this pain. So I wouldn't have to watch my friend suffer like this…"
"Because this is too much. She deserves better than everything she has been through. She's stressed enough as it is, making her sick every morning…" Weiss blandly commented at the end, covering for her friend while also broaching a subject she needed to discuss as it was something they had to talk about.
It was a quick talk as they got dressed and changed together, like back in the days in the dorm, but it was enough to confirm her suspicions, and she felt Blake had overlooked many things. And now she was more worried than ever as she didn't notice the common effects of the end of heat, but she attributed it to her final day of heat being mild as her estrus made her ovulation period seem tame in comparison. She would have wanted to go further into that, as that was seemingly important information, and her knowledge of faunus anatomy was lacking, but with everyone waiting on them, they were in a hurry and seemed only to arrive when it mattered outside.
Taking a moment to let the room breathe and observe, Ghira watched his daughter as she slowly drifted closer to the Schnee heiress with her body tense and nervous. He sighed. This was not helping, and he knew it. She had made her decision well before, and whether they accepted it or not, it wasn't theirs to make.
She needed them now.
"Blake, dear, know we are here for you." Ghira took a breath and swallowed his pride as he wanted nothing more than to remove her from the situation, but he knew his daughter too well, and that would only push her away. "I see all the good here and why you made your choice. Sometimes I would rather you would use your head than your heart, especially because of what happened. So know regardless when we criticize your decisions…"
"We're here for you and will always be as we will support you. We love you from the bottom of our hearts and want the best for you."
Lifting her head with her eyes glistening with tears, Blake cried as she embraced her father tightly and began to weep in his hold. "I love you, dad…"
Kali once more crossed over and joined the embrace, joining her husband and daughter with a purr, which seemed to relax and calm Blake. Velvet smiled softly at the scene while Weiss slightly flinched and forced a sad smile. If only her family could be anywhere like this. Her mother was when she wasn't lost in her world and drunk, but that was few and far between since she and Whitley were old enough to handle themselves. Even before then, she had lost it on her tenth birthday…
Finally released from their embrace, Blake seemed mildly miffed as her mother was still fretting with her hair. "Mom…"
"Now, dear, what's this about morning sickness?" Kali tilted her head, Blake's ears stiffened, and her eyes widened. "Nerves can play on a lot of things, but seeing as you did just mate over a week ago, your body might be showing signs already…"
"No! That cannot be! I-I…" Blake shook her head away from her mother, her golden eyes dilating and looking positively feral. "I already went over this with Naruto and then Weiss! I'm fine! I really am!"
Frowning at Blake's reaction, Kali couldn't help but purse her lips. She had tried to lighten the tension, which had always gotten a good rise out of her daughter and lifted her mood out of the dumps, whether she knew it or not. However, this time…
Her eyes narrowed as a thought crossed her mind dealing with many young women adjusting to life outside the militant White Fang. There were many commonalities shared between them and…
"Blake Belladonna." Kali's voice was strict and firm, forcing her daughter's eyes to gaze directly into hers. "While mating is a sacred tradition, I know how much the idea of having children right scares you, and that is perfectly fine, honey. You're young, and it should. So I want to be clear on this. Did you take every step and make sure you have emergency contraception afterward? It is perfectly acceptable to use after the fact and not a break from tradition…"
"Don't you hiss at me, young lady!" Kali yowled back as Blake started to hiss at taking medication before being startled by her mother's commanding tone. "Oh, for the love of the Brothers, you too! Did Sienna really shove her politics and ethics so far into her forces that it even affected and brainwashed their own officers!"
"Blake, you didn't?" Velvet looked horrified at the thought of her friend not taking every precaution possible, and seeing her ears beginning to drop only irritated and angered her. "How could you be so stupid?! Why would you ever be against such precautions?! I don't understand! I thought you were on the pill back in December after we talked!"
"You and me both…" Weiss muttered as this mirrored the discussion from earlier about her hatred for condoms. "Something about others in the White Fang other girls were adamantly opposed to using them?"
"Propaganda and exploitation!" Kali growled as her eyes narrowed, and she hissed. "Sienna wanted more children born into her Fang and born with her values. So what better way to start than by exploiting the feared beliefs around our traditions? Many faunus education isn't nearly as adequate as it should be, and they fear the unknown. Medication made by humans to regulate your body? That isn't good for you! I want to be all-natural! Condoms, none of that! It needs to be pure!"
"Kali?" Ghira questioned gently but knew something was off, seeing Blake's reaction before frowning. "I know this subject is very personal for you and me. But remember, she's gone now…"
"And the scars of what she has done will last for ages!" Kali hissed as she took several breaths to try and calm herself. "She is fortunate Adam got a hold of her because if I knew what she did to my own daughter, let alone thousands of other faunus women. They each should have had a choice to choose what they believed in and not had to conform…"
Letting herself breathe, Kali looked pitifully over at her daughter and sighed with a sad smile. She gingerly reached out and combed her hand through her hair, gazing into Blake's eyes. "I know I said I wanted kittens playfully all this time, but I didn't mean it. So I guess we'll have to wait for the start of your next cycle."
"Wait, wouldn't she…" Velvet started when both Kali and Blake shook their heads. "Wait, why not? All women do at the end! At the end of our estrus, we menstruate just like every other woman so…"
"I bleed after sex regardless." Blake looked down and away, faintly blushing and hiding a mild grin. "I like rough, and that was my final day, so I couldn't tell…"
Kali nodded, knowing her daughter well enough, especially after seeing her for the first time when they met in Vale and caught her line with Naruto then. She had inherited more from her than she had thought…
"That was more than I needed to know. Thanks, Velvet. Really appreciate it. As if I didn't already know that from her roaring through sound mufflers…" Weiss muttered as she didn't need or want to hear any of that, and as long as everything was being taken care of for her friend, she felt much better.
So she took her own breath and sighed in relief. There was still plenty to worry about, but she would bring that up later because everything was settling down for now. And she didn't want to upset or bring up any more bad feelings at the moment after that rollercoaster. And…
Weiss wanted to ponder the thought of hearing Blake say she was willing to share her mate with her. It was not what she expected, yet again, she willingly told her parents she wanted to do it. She needed to discuss it with her because they needed to figure something out at the very least…
Naruto deserved happiness, and he loved her. She wanted to give him that. Even if that meant she was only playing the bride when she was only the maid.
Hearing a knock at the door, Ghira groaned and refrained from growling. "I forgot. I can't push this another day back. I was to meet with June Fawn yesterday, but with everything that happened, we rescheduled for today."
"Well, I better get going," Ghira stated and gave his wife and mate a tight hug and deep kiss before accepting an embrace from his daughter. "You are my family, and it means everything to me…"
"Even the boy has grown on me somewhat…" Ghira gave Blake a slight grin as he patted her head, making her scowl momentarily before purring happily. "Although…"
"If something like this happens again, I'm going to break..."
"Um… Guys." Puck's voice broke everyone's attention, and they turned to the elf, who looked very worried as he floated and pointed to a vacant spot. "I kind of was lost with everything that was going on, but…"
"Where did Tealle go?"
Blake and Weiss' eyes narrowed, and they quickly glanced at each other. They noticed a very dark stain on the ground. It was the ooze of a black pool slowly shrinking out of existence.
Salem had taken control.
"How are we here?" Pyrrha asked, her eyes narrowed as she found herself in a very familiar place very near and dear to her.
They were in Mistral. More importantly, they were in Argus. She was standing in her hometown!
"My semblance used to allow me to only create portals to people whom I have forged a bond with. Due to a traumatic trigger, my semblance evolved, and now I create portals as long as I can visualize the person in my mind or if I remember the area very well." Raven spoke as her red eyes gazed around the city, not having been to Argus in some time with Ruby standing beside her and behind the behemoth of a man known as Guts. "You said you needed to come to Mistral as well?"
"Close enough." Guts stated as he recalled the port town well enough and thought of where he needed to go. "It's only a few days' travel from here to where I need to get to."
"Then we aren't. I can take you there faster." Raven narrowed her eyes at the man. "Every second matters, and if you need whatever this is, we need to hurry. We don't have time to waste."
"Also, your sword looks like it could use love and repair," Pyrrha mentioned as she turned and looked at the dulled edge Dragonslayer. "I've never seen a sword in such shape yet still be so sturdy. If we are going to use any time, it should be for that."
"Probably because it's…raw iron…" Ruby stumbled as she tried to mutter and cursed as she couldn't even mumble properly any longer. "Fuck me!"
"Little Ruby, we need to work on that," Raven commented as she looked over at her and frowned. "It's frustrating, I understand, but there are better ways of channeling it. Swearing like a sailor is only so funny, and my daughter does that enough as it is. You don't need to join her."
Sighing as she knew that was true, Ruby nodded. She then raised her eyebrow and looked at her sister's mother. "How do you… Yang swears… All the time?"
At this, Raven grinned, and her red eyes beamed into Ruby's silvers. "Oh, little Ruby, I've kept my eyes on my family for some time. Did you really think all that cawing that annoyed her was just your uncle? Especially when she was doing something she shouldn't have been?"
Ruby's eyes widened, her mouth was open, and she was left slack for several moments. For as long as Yang had been looking for her mother, it was a sudden shock to realize that she had been there watching them for some of that time. That was difficult enough to process and then add that she had been annoying her daughter alongside her brother. She wasn't sure how she should tell her sister…
Or lord it over her. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet.
Ignoring the odd mother-daughter dynamic, Guts turned his attention to the redhead. While he hadn't forgotten she had tried to move against his daughter, he also understood she had fair reasoning behind it, as the witch was controlling her. Truthfully if she had fully consumed his daughter, he would have ended her himself, but that time was not anytime soon, thankfully. Besides, he was sure the message had been given loud and clear.
She was not to be harmed, and he would cleave her in half next time, regardless of her weird magic. Powers of this world be damned.
"The offer is not necessary." Gut shook his head and turned away as he trusted no one to work on Dragonslayer. "I'll take my chances. There isn't anyone I trust to work on my sword."
"Can I?!" Ruby suddenly appeared in front of Guts, hearts in her eyes as she gazed at the massive sword sheathed behind him before taking out Crescent Rose, transforming and displaying it before him. "I made this! It's my baby!"
Guts' first instinct was to refuse the offer immediately. However, he remembered how despite holding back when clashing with her, her weapon withstood clashing with Dragonslayer, and not many weapons in this world could say that. And seeing all the small cracks and dents in the scythe despite the care she was taking from the wear and tear she was putting the weapon through.
A grin graced his face, but he quickly covered it with his usual impassive scowl. The girl was a warrior at heart despite her gentle and quirky nature. And she seemed to be an excellent smith as well. As good as Rickert?
There was only one way to find out.
"Where is this smith of yours supposedly?" Guts responded, uninterested after gazing at Pyrrha and motioning her to lead the way. "If we're going to reclaim this stash of mine, I need to be prepared for combat."
"The negativity it draws will have Grimm crawling all over where I laid it to rest."
"What?" Raven narrowed her eyes as she had never heard of an item drawing Grimm to it before; outside of what she gathered about the relics and summarized, it was partially why Ozpin had sealed them away. "Just what is this that you are looking to retrieve? When you said you needed to come here first to grab something you of your past buried, I thought it was some memento, but…"
"Danger lurks at every corner, and my body doesn't respond like it used to." Guts responded with a grunt before moving his right arm and grimacing. "My body shouldn't have held up to this point, and it doesn't have much longer."
"This isn't my first time dealing with Gods and Goddess trying to control the world." He snarled as people came by, seeing Pyrrha and frightening them away with his terrifying visage. "To stand a chance, we will need every last tool available, even if the last time I used it…"
"I nearly lost myself and almost lost her." Guts spoke melancholy in his voice, remembering that day well, and his face darkened.
Of all the days he had faced, that became his darkest day. With everything he had dealt with to that point, he had almost lost it all. And now…
It was time to reclaim and dawn a piece of that legacy. And maybe, to reclaim his daughter's soul so she could live the rest of her life as an average child. Something he nor Casca could ever have achieved.
That was a dream worth fighting for.
Raven kept her eyes focused on the scarred warrior, but now she had a better understanding. What he stated resonated with her, and she couldn't help but feel like she was in the same position. And while she felt stronger than ever before, she knew nothing of his life, and looking at him; she could tell time had ravaged him from his visage to his movements. She absently wondered what he would have been like at his peak because he was a beast now from what little she had seen of him fighting.
What was he like then?
"My home isn't too far from here." Pyrrha's voice brought her out of her thoughts and pointed off into the distance before noticing people looking in their direction and winced as people started to notice her. "We probably should start heading there now. The smithy is on the way, but at least that will give us somewhere to stay while our weapons are being repaired. I don't think he'll mind you using the forge, Ruby. There's plenty of room in there."
"Awesome!" Ruby grinned and looked positively giddy at the prospect of working on another weapon and touching up and showing some love to Crescent Rose while she was at it. "Let's go, go… g-go-FUCK!"
"Ruby!" Raven admonished her for her language and only narrowed her eyes at the nervous chuckle and rubbing of the back of the girl's neck.
She feared this would be a lot of work she wasn't prepared for.
"Sneaking, sneaking…" Nora whispered to herself as she slunk around the corner of the building, making Ren twitch at his partner as he stood in the open, as there was no apparent reason to hide. "I am the night."
"Nora, what are you doing?" Yang asked as she couldn't help but question the actions of the other members of the group with them.
"Sneaking so no one spots me, silly! Isn't it possible there could be enemies here? Why is no one else sneaking?" Nora beamed as both Ren and Yang gave a deadpan expression in response.
Ren shook his head as he looked at the collapsed building before him and several loaders, an excavator, and dump trucks helping clear the lot and, most likely, the debris on the street from the incident several months ago. "No. I seriously doubt any Black Fang members would try and take a known base of the old White Fang back over while it is still being cleared out from the damage done. Which leaves me wondering why Naruto wanted us to come back here…"
"This is where he stated he first became aware of Fate." Yang frowned as she looked at several of the sectioned-off portions of the area that still had not been repaired and saw the petrified concrete where Ruby first awoke the power of her silver eyes before moving away from that spot as it brought up many memories. "While it is doubtful to lead us anywhere, he wanted to make sure that nothing was left to chance and have us return in case something was here. Something that was a clue."
"Anything that seems out of place or doesn't seem right. I've got it." Ren nodded as he had a better idea of what was expected before seeing a cratered area where the damage was done felt somewhat off and walked over to investigate it. "What happened here? The damage done seems so…"
"Was it Naruto that did this?" Nora blinked as she walked over in awe at the devastating crater and looked in amazement. "I know his cool blue orbs are awesome, but whatever did this is on another level of carnage! No wonder they haven't repaired it yet! Look at the cracks in the concrete! This place looks unstable! No wonder they have it zoned off if there was an underground base under it!."
"Yeah, he has an evolution of those that did that. The funny thing was he apparently wasn't in good enough condition to use it then, and that's how he came to know of Fate's presence as she had to intervene and keep him from obliterating himself as he tried to kill the leader and the woman that you ended up crossing paths with later." Yang scratched the back of her head, and Ren snapped his head toward her before looking back at the crater with narrowed eyes. "It was horrifying to look back upon now that I think upon it as we were way over there and now knowing what happened…"
"Did the ground just move for you guys?" Yang commented as she swore she felt the earth rumble beneath her but shook her head.
"Yeah, it felt like it did." Ren frowned as he took a step back and examined the concrete they were standing on, noticing the structural integrity wasn't the greatest. "Did his attack along with that mech do this much damage, or were the streets here just in this much disrepair…"
"Whoa!" Nora screamed as the ground collapsed underneath her as she continued to gawk at the sight, Yang latching onto her wrist and catching her to keep her from plummeting below.
However, Nora's aqua eyes widened as she looked down below. "Guys… We might need to sneak after all."
"Yeah, well, let's get you out of…" Yang started to pull Nora out of the concrete sinkhole she fell in before her lilac eyes widened in terror at looking down and seeing what Nora was seeing and hissed. "What the hell?! Naruto blew all the mechs down there to oblivion! Why the fuck are there more down there with all the Dust?!"
"What?" Ren narrowed his eyes and helped pull Nora up to the street, and started to look down, noticing there seemed to be an alert going off below, and quickly scanned the area for any clues he could find.
"Mistral Trading Company? Why do they have Atlas Prototype weaponry?" Ren narrowed his eyes before his senses started to scream at him, drew StormFlower, and stood up. "Nora, Yang to my right! We've got people incoming, and they're most likely not going to be friendly!"
"Let's kick some ass, figure out what's going on, and report back!" Nora manically grinned as she pulled Magnehild off her back and had electricity begin to pulse through her muscles.
Yang nodded as Ember Celica engaged on her wrist, prepared for a fight, and took a deep breath, remembering a lesson of patience. "Let them make the first move. We're in the clear if they do that. As hunters, collateral is acceptable as long as we defend ourselves and keep it to a minimum…"
"Directions or self-reflection?" Ren commented, the corner of his lip giving a slight smirk as he heard it; although he felt with how quietly Yang had spoken, it could have been for herself, it was also something Nora needed to hear.
She did fly off the handle at times.
"Little of both," Yang smirked as she from another building from their right that practically untouched what seemed to be several soldiers rushed out. "Things I've learned since attending Beacon and becoming a Huntress, along with learning from the best."
Giving her a brief grin, Ren scowled as he recognized the uniform and narrowed his eyes as the few held them at gunpoint. "This is private property! Drop your weapons!"
"That's not going to happen, bub, and the last I checked, a Huntress and Huntsman, even those in training, are immune to misdemeanors, especially when there are no signs put up, idiots." Yang narrowed her eyes and cracked her knuckles, and her eyes temporarily flashed red. "Now, here's a counteroffer that I suggest you take. Drop your weapons that you have no right brandishing and explain what's going on down there, as that looks illegal as fuck. I have every reason to pursue it, so you better start talking, or I'm going to report this on the wire after beating the hell out of all of you and get my information regardless."
Ren was mildly impressed. It seemed Yang had indeed taken note and was taking her job seriously. He would have been more impressed if they had dropped their weapons; instead, they kept them trained. It seemed there would be no compromise as the soldiers nervously glanced at one another. And considering their uniforms, he doubted they were here legally…
"Move!" Ren caught the sense of another aura and pushed Yang to the side, a bullet grazing his shoulder and his aura barely keeping it from penetrating his skin. "There's a sniper on the roof!"
"Shit! It's Rainbow all over again, and I wasn't even there!" Yang screamed as she quickly rolled as gunfire began to shred where she and Ren were, and they took off running and dove through a door of one of the buildings in the alley, rolling for cover in the side, with Ren and Nora quickly joining. "Thank the Brothers, everything here is abandoned! Where the hell did that shot come from?!"
"Same building!" Ren narrowed his eyes as he peeked out the door and took a few shots at the soldiers, crippling one with a knee shot. "Can't do anything from here. I need covering fire!"
"On it!" Nora broke a window from nearby as Magnehild transformed, and she grinned happily as she jumped up, took careful aim, and fired a purple round. "Say hello to my little friend!"
The round ruptured and exploded behind the soldiers with concussive force, detonating and slinging them forward and driving them hard into the concrete. Several more soldiers began to fire upon her position but were dropped as bursts from StormFlower caught them, capping them in the arms and elbows.
Each shot was aimed to wound, not to kill. They couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Unlike Yang, they were still in training and could lose their license at a moment's notice, even if this was self-defense.
"I know that movie!" Yang chirped, and Ren scowled at her and his partner, giving a thumbs up.
"Not the time!" Ren barked at the two of them, a round piercing through the wall and nearly catching him, hitting his left-handed StormFlower by the blade, causing him to wince as it was knocked out of his hand.
Then his eyes narrowed as he saw the round go through his weapon, and he cursed. "Shit! You're kidding me! The sniper has an anti-material rifle?! Why do they one of those in the city?!"
"Well, that blows our cover!" Yang screamed in annoyance as she was virtually useless in this scenario as she went over to the window and threw a few punches, letting off rounds of Ember aimed at the soldiers to knock them back. "Get the hell back, you assholes!"
"Nora, think you can make that shot?" Ren asked as he rolled past the door and picked up his other StormFlower to resume cover as more soldiers came out of the building. "Why are so many soldiers from Mistral here?!"
"Mistral, you're kidding me, right?!" Yang roared as she ducked under a shot punched through her aura and deflected off Celica, her eyes narrowing. "Fucking snipers! I know where you are! Come get your dessert, you asshole!"
Looking quizzically at where the round came from, Nora shook her head. "Not without possibly hitting him and killing him! I can't be sure of his aura capacity to take a safe shot!"
"Then you can't take the shot, shit!" Ren cursed as he took a survey of the situation. "We need to get out of here! This isn't like fighting criminals, and we can't get away with any casualties. We don't know what they're doing here, but they don't want to be discovered, whatever it is. We need to… Move!"
Before Nora and Yang could jump out of the way something moving faster than they could see slammed into the wall, collapsing the window they were at and smashing through. Ren trained his StormFlower to the new threat and was prepared to fire, but his eyes narrowed as he instantly recognized the uniform, and he couldn't figure out what was happening. "What?! This makes no sense!"
"Atlas is supposed to secure and protect Vale for the festival!"
Coughing as he tried to regain the air in his lungs, the man wasn't sure how everything got to where it was and why he was just thrown through a hatch door to an Atlesian airship. He had come with his friends and teammates and was ordered to keep guard at the entrance of the ship while the man that had bailed his bud and leader out of jail had them escort him here and demanded a meeting with the general of Mantle. Odd, but considering it was Vester Gold of the Mistral and World council, he wasn't surprised he had that sway…
So when this animal came saying he would come in regardless, and the Atlas guard didn't seem like he was going to stop him, despite having orders to, he was.
Now he understood why he didn't.
"What is this freak? No creature should have…" He tried to mutter before he saw two orange boots standing right before his vision.
And all of the air left his lungs as a boot firmly lodged into his chest. He felt a few cracks with the shot as the blow lifted him off his feet, and then he felt an intense pain in his right temple as he collided with something hard and metallic. The pain was immeasurable as he bounced from it, but the feeling of something grabbing the back of his head and driving him back into that hard surface was the worst thing he had ever felt.
Then there was nothing but blackness.
Releasing the huntsman's skull from his right hand's grasp, he watched him slump to the floor and momentarily made sure he saw a breath from his chest before moving on. He still wasn't looking to kill. The prick didn't deserve that. At least from what he was aware of. He also wasn't looking to escalate the incident too far. He wanted to rattle a few cages, not shatter them.
"Well, can't say he didn't deserve that given that he started it and the slurs, but…" Qrow followed after Naruto, his eyes darting through the hallways of the airship as the crew now seemed on high alert from their breach. "But the hell are you thinking?! If I take a wager, he's most likely in there with another council member, and the last thing you need is to butcher your goodwill that you…"
"It's Vester Gold. He already has my head on his wish list." Naruto growled, and Qrow's eyes narrowed in response to hearing that name. "I sense fucking Vi Vender is here of all people, who I know was in jail as Glynda wasn't going to release him due to the incident, and there are Mistral guards here as well. And after the call I got this morning, I'm going to gamble a guess that your dear friend isn't so loyal or so much of a friend as I have a bad feeling about where this is going after everything that happened this morning."
Qrow immediately caught onto where Naruto's line of thought went, and he gritted his teeth. While, as a Huntsman, he was sworn to have no single allegiance to a Kingdom…
Vale had become his home over the years. Whether his relationship had soured or not with Ozpin, everyone who was important to him lived here. Tai. Ruby. Yang. Glynda. All of his girls' friends. Fuck, now even Raven was here. When it came to the Kingdom's concerns and matters, a hunter was supposed to be neutral; however, it was also a hunter's duty to protect the people. And if something was brewing…
"How confident are you about this?" Qrow spoke quietly as they moved in the hallways. "Because after yesterday, I think I can safely admit something was up when he refused to give any details on Gold to me. The man loves keeping tabs on people, and when I brought up the possibility yesterday that he might be involved in VR-7, he only told me he'd go over the files personally. I found his demeanor odd and off-putting as I know Buckethead…"
"He detests narcotics and wants them off the streets, but," Qrow narrowed his eyes as he kept his eyes on the Atlesian personnel they passed by. "If it meant accomplishing his goals, he would put aside his distaste for them."
"Growing more confident by the moment," Naruto growled as they neared the bridge, and with a simple flick of his wrist, he drew Dreams from his pouch, deflecting a metal object, and sliced through a wire before a hook embedded itself into the wall next nearby. "Clover, is it? Vine?"
"Would you kindly move out of my way?" Naruto asked with an edge to his voice as Qrow slowly reached for Harbinger if they decided to draw him into this. "I have business to discuss, and I don't really have time to deal with those on the mid-card. I have enough to deal with, and I rather not make the growing list of paperwork of our dear friend longer when he has to write the report on why two of his soldiers are in the infirmary, whether several torn muscles and ligaments, a lot of broken bones and each sporting a concussion when they should have simply let me walk by when I already severely agitated!"
At the end of his sentence, Naruto's intent was unleashed and pressed upon the two Altesian soldiers standing in his path as he continued undeterred on his path, weapon drawn and his eyes aglow as he gazed upon them. He was almost daring them to try to stand in his wake. To give him a reason.
They weren't given that luxury as Ironwood's voice came from the bridge itself. "Let him through."
"See, the big boss knows better." Naruto gave a sharp grin as he swept past and between the two, but his eyes held a dangerous glint as he walked on the bridge with Qrow trailing behind him.
And on that bridge was who he expected. Standing near the navigation helm with Ironwood was none other than Vester Gold himself like he had expected. And he had to suppress a growl and keep himself calm so his blood would boil as no more than a few feet from him was the taunting figure that had shot him in the back. Vi Vender.
This was a lovely day indeed!
The young Huntsman narrowed his eyes, seeing him as well, and seemingly wanted to react, but with a look from his superior, he held his tongue. He was very annoyed and held his hand by his weapon. Naruto noted this as he sheathed Dream's and was ready for a fight to break out, considering the girl was there along with another Huntsman he did not recognize.
It seemed Ironwood was less than pleased with the ordeal as he glowered at Naruto's presence but winced upon seeing Qrow's. That was an interesting detail, but he would store that away for later as he figured there was history between the two men. The ironman's gaze refocused and sternly gazed upon the faunus as he marched toward them. "I have you know this was an important meeting you barged in on and was why I requested you wait…"
"And as you know, I have no time left, given I have a contract on my head and a wedding pushed up ahead of schedule against my will." Naruto's eyes dangerously glanced at the council members in the room when he spoke of the contract, letting him know he knew who he was before returning his focus to Ironwood. "So I care not who you are meeting with or why. In fact, seeing these two with you…"
"Makes me question quite a lot, and let's begin with why the fuck did this man have Atlesian-level technology in his secret base?!" In a swift motion, Naruto pulled a scroll from his pouch and slammed a specific doctor's bleeding head onto the navigation desk, his eyes glaring into Ironwood's as the doctor's eye rolled out of his head and plopped onto the desk.
Several audible gasps from Atlesian's staff were heard as Ironwood's eyes narrowed seeing the severed head. Vester stumbled back, shocked at seeing such a thing be pulled forth before him so unexpectedly. Vi growled out and had drawn his blade, and attempted to strike at Naruto, only for Qrow to reflect his swing with his own and knock him back. "Fucking animal! The hell did you do!"
"Normal procedure, kid," Qrow answered honestly as he held Harbinger before him, ready to move again if the kid did anything stupid. "Merlot was a wanted felon for what he did at Mount Glenn and was thought to be dead, but in fact, he was hiding there for the bounty to be reactivated and issued fully. Bounties are to be executed, and if the means to capture the felon are not possible, termination can be authorized. And you bring back what identification you're able to. In this case, he brought back the man's head."
As Vi growled in annoyance at both being deflected so easily by the older Huntsman and being told off, Naruto kept his focus on Ironwood. "I did my research before coming here. Merlot industries were never known to have tech at that level of mobility and functionality. Having gone into seclusion, maybe they hired some people that could work on that tech, but where did it come from, Ironwood? They were using Knight frames even if they were more heavily armored. Seems like someone supplied them with that tech, and there is the only person that can do that…"
"Isn't that right, General?" Naruto spoke as he kept eye contact with Ironwood while asserting pressure on the head of Merlot's skull, giving a sickening crack for everyone to hear and making many people flinch while Qrow bit back a snarl as he put Harbinger back on his back. "Or did someone sneak your technology out of Atlas without your knowledge? Either way, it's a bad look for you. Would that be as bad of a look as Ozpin when he had students kidnapped at his school? Wouldn't you stay?"
"I would say that is," Qrow threw shade at his ally with venom in his voice as he remembered that moment and scowled at the memory. "Especially when that lunatic took my niece and her friends hostage and had all those Grimm under his control. Not good for someone trying to fend off all the real Grimm threat, am I right, old friend?"
Ironwood kept his gaze steady with Naruto's before he turned and looked at the head regrettably. "Merlot used to work with us before the Mountain Glenn incident. His work was unique, but it had promise if it did work. I cannot say I was aware he survived, for if I had been aware, I would have loved to put the bullet into his head myself for what he did. And the entire city was destroyed because of his actions."
"I am quite unsure where some of the tech upgrades he has gained come from, but I will immediately investigate it. You have my word. I am troubled by another instance of my technology finding its way into outside hands and it being tampered with is worse." Ironwood narrowed his eyes and looked at the cybernetic eye of the man.
"Then why did they have current military-grade rotary machine guns that happened to be of our make and model, sir." Winter's voice broke Ironwood's gaze while Naruto grinned as they turned to see the specialist strut onto the bridge, her hands held behind her back as she took note of everyone in the room. "Forgive my intrusion, sir, but I am not here as an Atlas soldier. I was summoned here on his behalf."
"Traffic was a nightmare," Winter muttered, and Naruto's grin only widened as he saw the ironman's calm facade finally crack as she walked over. "But I can attest to anything he has said about the androids' nature or their weapons. They were of Altesian and…"
"Enough!" Ironwood snapped and startled Winter, causing her to stumble a step backward.
"S-sir?" Winter blinked, unsure of herself as she was taken aback by her superior officer as she had come in hoping he'd explain a line had been stolen.
So why was he acting like this? He had approved of her taking them before, and she took a Bullhead that ironically was reserved for Naruto use. It was as if he expected the fox to need one occasionally…
Taking a moment to calm himself, Ironwood's face returned to a simple scowl. "You are out of line. Taking military equipment without requesting permission, you disobeyed orders to stay outside the ship. Take her to the brig. I will deal with her later."
"Sir, no one was outside when I arrived, and the ship was registered for his…" Winter tried to reason as her eyes widened, realizing something was wrong with the situation as the two operatives and soldiers started to walk towards her.
"Touch my witness, and I will break every bone in your body," Naruto warned Clover and Vine, along with several Atlesian soldiers, as they moved to apprehend Winter, who now looked confused and disturbed by what was going on. "Ironwood, I want you to carefully think of your options here, my friend. I don't want this to go this way as I still believe you mean well and want the best for Remnant, but…"
"Too many coincidences are piling up right now, and I am in no mood to play ball." Naruto narrowed his eyes and took a breath, and with a quick motion, he sealed Merlot's head back in the scroll. "Because if we go down this road, I am charging you for collusion with a known criminal, and I have damning evidence already. Give me a chance to dig, and let me find out what's there. Maybe it will prove your innocence. Or maybe…"
"It will show just what you are so afraid of." Qrow finished for Naruto, making the general turn to look him in the eyes. "We may have been friends at one point, General, but I will put that aside when you put my home and family at risk, whether on purpose or negligence. So I hope it's the latter for your sake, as I will find out one way or another."
Remaining silent at their words, a sense of remorse passed over James' face as he looked at his Qrow. "Trust me. This is for the best. If there were another way, I would do it, but I promise my friend that this will end for the best for everyone. It's what's best for Remnant and will allow us to focus fully against that threat once this is out of the way. But there's not, and this will be done and over without violence…"
"James, what have you done?" Qrow's voice was ice cold, and his eyes blazed with fury as an understanding crossed his face on what the man had done.
But he needed to hear him say it.
"I'm sorry. Kill them." Ironwood closed his eyes and drew his pistol, knowing this would not be quick or easy; he knew his friend and the faunus.
And then his eyes narrowed, seeing a small device flick into the blonde's hand. "I had a backup plan just in case this went south."
"When did you…" Qrow started as he quickly went to draw Harbinger, hearing James' command, and was ready to fight out of there. "Never mind. I'm glad there was a contingency plan!"
"You have to be bluffing! You came straight here!" Vi growled as he jumped straight for the fox faunus, grinning that he would get his chance at him before the event before his blade was shot as Ironwood drew his pistol at him.
"He is not! This is standard MO from him! Stand down! We are all at risk here!" Before pressing a button on the command deck and initiating a light that scanned everything in the bridge and every connecting room.
Then the light in every room turned red, and the alarm began to rupture nearly everyone's eardrums and make Naruto's ears twitch in pain.
"Warning. Code red. Bombs detected in each section. Warning-" The automation began, and Ironwood's eyes narrowed at the grinning fox in front of him.
"I was told not to trust you, and after everything I found yesterday, I was not going to be caught off guard," Naruto spoke calmly, knowing he had the upper hand. "So, here is what's going to happen. You're going to let Qrow and I walk out of here with my key witness and my future wife's sister unharmed. Otherwise, everything goes up in flames, and then Qrow, Winter, and myself walk out of here unharmed, and all of you perish in a burning ship."
"And also, try to remember to remain cordial in public. I'm afraid we have several dinner dates and key events here in the future due to this wedding business where we're trying to unite humans and faunus through publicity and wealth." Naruto scoffed at motioned before his gaze turned to Vester. "As for you, good sir, I'm coming. It will not be pretty and will be done as legally as possible, but if you force my hand…"
"I have no problem wiping scum like you off the face of the earth, and they'll never know where to find you or any evidence to pin against me."
"Have fun, gentleman!" Naruto waved as he slowly and carefully walked from the bridge, motioning for Qrow to take Winter and move ahead of him as she was still too stunned to operate on her own power. "I look forward to our future meetings!"
Naruto turned, and his eyes glinted at everyone in the room, venom drenching in words as his thumb slowly flicked over the trigger making everyone nervous. "They'll be such a blast!"
And with that note, he left the bridge, ensuring he asserted who was in control.
Rubbing his temple as he exited his elevator, the day had been long and grueling. He had regretted so many of his decision. If only there had been some way not to let himself be influenced by the powers that be, he could have made better decisions. Then again, as Qrow put it as he tried to reason with him in the hospital earlier, he had unnecessarily put his family in danger. There was never a reason to bring Ruby in as early as he did.
Not with Pyrrha there. Not with Blake. If only he hadn't recommended Naruto to upgrade to Huntsman immediately and left Ruby at Signal. Then again, he had no idea that the champion of Fate would have been such a catalyst for the faunus girl to improve herself and break her tendencies. To surpass even Pyrrha herself in being the prime candidate for the Fall maiden.
So many variables he didn't see, and a lot were surrounding him and Fate. All because of the damned shifts and rewrites of the past and future. Events he knew no longer happened and slowly faded out of his memory, replaced by others. It was disturbing for him. He absently wondered if Salem had the same…
Feeling a slight slip under his foot as he walked to his desk, Oz narrowed his eyes and looked down to see a black tar-like substance on the ground. "What in the world? How did the ooze get in…"
"My dear Ozma, it is so good to see you." The chair or his desk turned around, and a twelve-year-old girl turned to face the headmaster of Beacon, sporting pale skin and black veins as she was fully possessed. "We need to talk as I hate to admit this…"
"I need you, and you need him if you want Vale, nay, the people of Remnant, to survive this cataclysm."
So this update is coming a little earlier than anticipated for many reasons.
First and most obvious, I want to get one more chapter in before the Volume I Holiday Special Event.
Next, I have an announcement.
I have been relatively clear up to this point that this had been my last story because of my health and due to work when I went back.
Well, that doesn't seem to be the case any longer, as even back on the job, I feel just as inspired to keep going, and my workflow isn't too bad.
So once FoR is wrapped up, which won't be for some time, I have two story ideas I'm ruminating about and working on the side.
Torn To Oblivion, a Genshin/Naruto Cross with Aether as the leader and Naruto as the Mentor and as an Ancient God.
And From the Shadows of Your Heart which is a RWBY/Persona 5 Cross that would take place after Volume 8.
I may work on the first chapter of those stories to preview what the stories could be like before finishing out Fox of Remnant.
Which comes to my final spot and where I need everyone to kind of voice their opinions.
Is there a need for a Gaiden Arc or a Prequel to explain this version of Naruto better?
I was very hesitant to do it, so it is why I started straight at the point of the story where he was transported to the world of RWBY.
For a lot of it, the story is canon compliant with adjustments made where he was resisting the will of Fate along the way, but the outcome stayed the same.
So I'm curious if I should do a small recap Gaiden Arc and focus on the key points or try to make it a full-fledged prequel despite it being so similar to canon.
Don't want to make this a poll, as I do need your voices on this, and to be frank, the polls I barely get any interaction with.
Now to Q and A.
Guest Reviewer #1,
Puck was there floating above Weiss and Blake; he wasn't speaking.
Small chapters mean fewer lines for the amount of characters involved.
Guest Reviewer #2
No, there is not a second anomaly. Blake is the anomaly, and possibly being with child...
Well, let the story unfold and see where it goes.
Also, you are a little off on that second question.
In the ballpark, as the character does have a lot of history with Kushina and Uzumaki...
And Uchiha.
