"The world is a dark place and you need to be its light."
"Way to lay on the pressure…" Haiiden thought as he sat quietly in the Bullhead. The ride was relatively calm but Cecilia was pacing in the cabin which soured his mood.
"What's got you so worked up?" Zed asked, as he sat calmly with his hands cradled behind his head.
"Nothing," Cecilia replied as she continued to pace but then finally stopped and faced Zed. "It's just that I have been taught to fight and well… I have never been placed in a situation where I have to escort people."
"Some would say that it can be the same thing," Zed said with a cheeky smile.
"Shut up," Cecilia replied. "You are not helping."
"You will be fine," Zed chuckled and turned to Haiiden and noticed his passive expression. "And what about you?"
"Hmm? What?" Haiiden asked.
"What's got you down?" Zed said, and Haiiden noticed a smile on his face. Almost as if what happened at the warehouse never happened and it calmed Haiiden a little.
"Its nothing," Haiiden replied.
"Now, I don't believe that," Zed said as he slid closer to Haiiden. "I saw that pretty bird talking to you, what did she say?"
"Nothing bad but-"
"Oh yeah," Cecilia interjected and turned to Haiiden as she sat down next to Vaughn, who was sitting across from Haiiden. "You were also talking to Ironwood. Seems like it got heated."
"I will admit, I didn't conduct myself as well as I should have," Haiiden replied as he glared at Cecilia who took that as her cue to not delve too deep into it.
"You mind at least explaining a bit more about your animosity towards him?" Cecilia asked and this time her tone softened but Haiiden didn't know how to reply.
"Do you… remember what happened after our mission in Mistral?" Haiiden asked hesitantly.
"With that urchin?" Cecilia asked. "Agent Lipesce said that there are people who were kicked out if they did something particularly egregious. Did you know him?"
"No," Haiiden said and he went quiet again before he lowered his gaze, all while Cecilia continued to stare.
"Hey, Haiiden," the pilot in the cabin interrupted the silence and pulled Haiiden out of his introspection as he stood up and walked a few steps to the cockpit door.
"What's up?" He asked as he opened the door.
"Just wanted to let you know that we are almost there." The pilot replied.
"How much farther?" Haiiden asked as he peeked further into the cockpit.
"Few more minutes," the pilot responded. "I will have to drop you off outside of the village. I am already taking a risk flying this far outside of safe airspace."
"I understand. We appreciate you staying with us this far," Haiiden replied and nodded.
"Its no problem. Especially since I know you will have it a lot harder from here," the pilot commented. "Recent weather has made the roads soft. You will have a hard time traveling on foot."
"I never thought it was going to be easy anyway," Haiiden said as he turned back to his team. "Just a few more minutes, everyone."
"Understood, sir," Vaughn said.
"And what about you, Vaughn?" Zed asked. "Nervous?"
"Why do you ask?" Vaughn asked instead.
"You seem pretty chill about this," Zed quipped.
"Would that not be a good thing?" Vaughn asked as he quirked his brow.
"Just saying," Zed replied.
"I would be lying if I said I was not nervous but freaking out about it would not benefit anyone," Vaughn replied.
"Good answer," Zed replied.
"So, what's the plan?" Cecilia asked.
"What do you mean?" Zed chuckled. "We escort them back to Vale."
"But how?" Cecilia replied. "Killing Grimm is one thing but handling potential refugees is another. There is a lot of factors to this mission, Zed!"
"She is right," Haiiden replied calmly but his heart was racing. "But first things first: we will touch down and reach the village. Once we have a handle on the situation we will formulate a plan."
"Get ready." They heard on the overhead. "This is where I am dropping you off; I can't take you any further."
"Thanks," Haiiden replied and he turned to the rest of his team who nodded silently and stood as the Bullhead descended.
The Bullhead hovered over the air a couple feet before the pilot signaled the okay, and the doors slid open to allow HAVC to jump down to the ground.
"Okay, Glendale would be that way," Vaughn said while he looked down at his Scroll and pointed a bit further down the road.
"Let's go, everyone," Haiiden said as he took point and began to run down the muddy road, his team following closely behind.
0-RWBY-0
After some time, they saw a wooden archway further down the road which read: Glendale, as they drew closer. They remarked at the village and Haiiden thought it resembled more like a small town. Cobblestone roads and shops as well as their livelihood. All of that to be taken away by the Grimm.
The team made their way towards the village center and along the way, they saw the inhabitants frantically pile their belongings on carts that would be towed by trucks and horses. The weight of which made some of the cart's wheels that weren't on the roads sink into the mud.
"Already seeing some problems here," Vaughn commented.
"Me too," Haiiden replied as they made their way to the village center, where more villagers were congregating around a podium which a short and round man stood upon.
"So, you are saying the Council isn't sending help?" One villager exclaimed.
"Initially, the Council has replied to our requests and said that there were no Huntsmen in the Kingdom were available to help," the man replied and the crowd erupted into a rabble. Each person expressing their complaints and worries.
"Are they just going to abandon us?"
"But the Grimm are on their way! Oh, gods!"
"Settle down everyone, we will get through this," the man replied but to no avail while HAVC approached from behind the crowd to which the man noticed.
"Who are you?" He asked and the crowd went quiet.
"We have been sent by Beacon to help you back to Vale," Haiiden replied, only to be answered by murmurs from the crowd.
"The best that the Council and the Headmaster Ozpin can send are children?" He asked as he stepped off his podium and an entourage of large men followed behind him.
"We are Team HAVC," Haiiden said, ignoring the man's comment. "We have volunteered to help."
The small man stopped in front of Haiiden and he could feel that he was sizing him up, which he found ironic.
"My name is Jet Black," the man replied. "You can say I lead the people in this village."
"Jet Black?" Zed asked, incredulously. "Are you serious?"
Jet only glared at Zed but then Cecilia rolled her eyes as she wound her arm back and punched Zed in the back of the head.
"Shut up, Zed," Cecilia said in a low voice. "Don't make the rest of us look bad."
"Forgive my friend," Haiiden said as he turned and hid a smirk that only Zed could see as he was rubbing his head. "He doesn't think before he speaks."
"No matter," Jet said with a grunt. "I guess we have no choice in the matter and some help is better than none at all."
"I agree," Haiiden said, to which the rest of the team nodded. "Is everyone ready to go?"
"Not yet, everyone is packing the rest of their belongings," Jet replied. "Mine especially."
"Yeah about that," Haiiden said as he scratched the back of his head. "Don't you think that you are packing a little heavy?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Jet asked.
"I mean, you are practically moving the entire town," Haiiden replied. "Is all of this necessary?"
"My manor holds many prized possessions," Jet replied. "Many of which I am not willing to part with."
"Manor?" Haiiden asked but then noticed a little further down the east road was a building a bit larger than those surrounding it.
"Ah, one of those people," an annoyed Zed murmured before he got punched once more by Cecilia.
"Fitting for someone like me who lead a small group this far outside of Vale," Jet said. "We did well for ourselves in the decades we have been here. No thanks to the Grimm."
"That does not matter," Vaughn said as he stepped up next to Haiiden. "Due to the rain, it has made the ground soft and the carts and trucks will just sink into the mud. With these current conditions, if we want to start soon and stay ahead of the Grimm and without setbacks, then we have to pack light."
"Exactly," Haiiden said as he then lightly patted Vaughn on the arm and went to step onto the podium.
"Everyone! May I have your attention?" Haiiden announced, much to Jet's surprise.
"What is he doing?" Jet sputtered.
"Making an announcement," Vaughn stated.
"Due to recent weather conditions, if we want to make it to Vale in one piece, then we have to pack light," Haiiden announced. "Too heavy, and the carts and trucks will sink into the mud. Take only the essentials."
"This is our home!"
"Do you expect us to just drop it and start again?"
"Believe me, if I and my team could defend your village, we would. But if the reports are right, the mass of Grimm coming this way would make it impossible," Haiiden replied, his heart heavy. "If you want to make it out of this alive we have to move now and we cannot be weighed down by anything that is not needed. I am sorry."
The crowd in front of him dispersed and Haiiden jumped down from the podium. His greaves sank into the mud as came down.
"Then I expect you to retrieve any of my lost possessions?" Jet asked to Haiiden's surprise.
"No… I don't think it would be worth it," Haiiden replied.
"Hmph, while that was a nice little speech, but I hope you can forgive me if I don't want to part with my belongings," Jet said with a huff as walked back to his manor, one of his guards pushed past Haiiden as he followed behind Jet.
"I can already feel that he is going to be trouble," Cecilia said once he was out of earshot.
"What makes you think that?" Haiiden said sarcastically.
"The fact that apparently, he has friends in high places," Vaughn said as he looked down at his Scroll. "Seems as though he has a friend in the Council."
"Now the mission makes a little bit more sense," Haiiden said as he rolled his eyes before he looked around the town. "Doesn't explain how they can't get Huntsman to help in this case."
"I can not explain that," Vaughn replied as he stuffed his Scroll back into his pocket. "If its alright with you, I am going to go scout."
"Go ahead," Haiiden said with a nod and with his rifle holstered over his shoulder, he set out to run before Cecilia caught him by the shoulder.
"Be careful, Vaughn," Cecilia whispered.
"I always am, sis," Vaughn said before Cecilia loosened her grip and he ran off.
"So, this is our help." A gruff voice said and the rest of HAVC turned to see a group of four standing behind them: a woman and three men.
"I guess," Haiiden replied.
"Hey, I am not complaining," the man said with a smile. "Relieves the pressure that is already on the rest of us. Sorry, where are my manners? We are the resident Huntsman for this village."
One of the Huntsman, who was well-dressed in black, placed a hand over his chest and bowed.
"My name is Cole."
Another just waved his hand.
"Call me Roux."
Then the woman stepped up, her back straight and shoulders squared.
"Alani."
The gruff man smiled as he turned his attention back towards HAVC.
"And I am Iole."
"Good to meet you," Haiiden said as he reached his hand out to Iole, who gladly shook it. "My name is Haiiden, and this is Zed and Cecilia. Our fourth, Vaughn, is currently scouting so I am sorry I can't introduce him."
"Don't be, we like the initiative," Roux replied.
"So, you go to Beacon?" Iole asked.
"That's right," Zed replied.
"How is Beacon these days? Is Ozpin doing well for himself?" Iole asked.
"He's great," Haiiden replied as he smiled.
"Beacon has always done well since he took over," Cecilia chimed in.
"Hey, I agree," Iole said as he turned back to his team. "We used to go to school together."
"So, you were a team?" Haiiden asked.
"Well, not us," Iole said and Haiiden noticed his smile waver. "My team is no longer in action. Same with theirs but we just happened to come across each other again and just made a new one."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Haiiden replied.
"Don't be," Roux said.
"Part in parcel of being a Huntsman," Cole replied.
"If you become a Huntsman and expect to not get a leg torn off at the least, then you chose the wrong line of work," Alani said as she raised an arm, showing that it was a prosthetic.
"Eh," Haiiden said as whatever was left of his left arm itched slightly. "I can agree to that."
"May I ask what the situation is here?" Cecilia asked.
"We have been scouting to keep an eye on the horde," Iole replied as he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Been doing some search and destroy as well but doesn't seem to put a dent in the horde."
"It was massive," Cole replied with a slight shudder.
"But hey, enough about such a dark and somber topic," Iole said. "We have a mission and we gotta look alive for the people here. Keep their hopes up."
"Definitely," Haiiden said. "I intend to bring them all back alive."
"Haha!" Iole laughed as he began to back away, his team following behind him. "That's the spirit! And I expect you to make it out of this alive!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Haiiden replied.
Zed watched from the sidelines, his arms crossed as he listened in on the conversation; he was slightly bored and let out a long and drawn out yawn when something then tugged on his pants.
He turned to see a small girl standing behind him as she stared at him expectedly.
"Well hey there, little lady," Zed said, this time without his usual grin but instead, a smile.
The little girl didn't respond but instead brought up a Teddy Ursa and hugged it close. Zed could see that she wanted to speak but couldn't.
"Can I help you? Don't worry, I am a Huntsman so if you are in trouble, you can tell me," Zed said as he knelt down and he could feel the cold mud seep into pants which made him wince slightly. However, he continued to smile at her and before long, she lowered the Ursa.
"Are you going to save us?" She asked. "Some people are saying that you can't. That there isn't enough of you."
"Well, don't listen to them, okay?" Zed said with a chuckle. "They haven't seen us fight before. Don't worry, I will make sure that everyone will get to Vale, safe and sound."
"Everyone?" She asked, a little more cheerful.
"Everyone," he replied.
"Even Clem?" She asked.
"Sure, even Clem. Who is that? Is Clem a friend of yours?" Zed asked and the girl pointed towards the woods that left Zed a little confused, but then he heard sloshing as someone ran over to them and turned the little girl away. Zed stood up immediately and saw the stern, yet, fearful expression of who he guessed was the girl's mother.
"Leave the Huntsmen to their work, honey," The mother said and briefly flashed a smile towards Zed but then bent down to speak to the girl, face to face. "I thought I told you never to mention that name."
"But mom-"
"No buts!" The mother interrupted and flashed a glance over at Zed before she turned away and pulled the little girl's arm as she walked away.
"Wait, who is Clem?" Zed asked but the woman simply ignored him. Perplexed, Zed looked around and noticed people staring at him but the moment he made eye contact with them, they turned away and went back to their work as if nothing had happened.
"Huh," Zed said to himself as he turned towards the manor, where Haiiden had made his way to and was now speaking to Jet.
"Look, I just want you to understand that we have to think of the safety of the people first," Haiiden said as he rubbed his eyes in frustration.
"I fail to see how that is my problem," Jet replied dismissively, as he watched his two bodyguards load more and more goods onto his truck.
"Ok, first: you said that you were the leader of sorts to this village. It is your job to care about these people," Haiiden replied, this time a little bit more sternly. "Second: It will become your problem when the Grimm catch up to us because your truck had slowed us down."
"Then I expect you to do your job as Huntsman," Jet replied and Haiiden threw up his hands as he gave up. He turned to see Zed making his way to them and he went to meet him.
"This guy just won't listen to me," Haiiden complained. "He insists on taking all of his trade goods and trinkets with him."
"They are not mere trinkets but priceless artifacts," Jet replied, having eavesdropped.
"Nothing we can do at this point it seems," Zed said with a huff as he glared at Jet from the corner of his eyes but then turned his attention to Haiiden. "I think we have a potential problem."
"Bigger than this?" Haiiden said as he began to walk down the path leading from Jet's manor to the square. Most of the people had finished packing what they needed and most complained audibly about leaving behind most of their possessions behind. "I can't believe that a lot of these people are worried more about their belongings rather than their lives."
"Well, this was going to be a trading hub," Cecilia said suddenly as she appeared from behind Zed and Haiiden. "We are essentially asking them to drop all of their investments into this venture. To some extent this is their life, however, I would argue that their actual life is more important."
"Agreed," Haiiden replied. "How is everyone?"
"Just about ready," Cecilia answered. "Once Jet is done, we will be good to go."
Some of the villagers ignited their vehicles which turned into a low him as the Dust began to burn in their engines. A lot of them were on the exterior of the vehicles to keep them cool in the air. Most drove down the road slowly and lined up right outside of the gate as they then waited for the horse-drawn carriages to pull up next to them.
Just as he had feared, Haiiden watched with a groan as a heavy truck came from Jet's manor and approached the gates. The tires sunk into the mud but were still able to move, albeit a bit hindered.
"Okay, here is the plan everyone," Haiiden announced as he stepped up to the villages entrance and everyone looked at him expectedly. "Mr. Jet's truck will be leading the caravan as its currently the slowest. If you have any business left, finish them now because we will not be stopping once we set out. We need to put as much distance between us and the Grimm as possible."
Haiiden looked onto the masses for a reaction but only saw their crestfallen faces as they now were about to set out to abandon their home. He averted his eyes for a moment but remembered that it was for the best. Rather they continue to live and start anew then live with the knowledge that they have died when he could have done something about it.
A buzz from his pocket interrupted his thoughts and he raised his hand to excuse himself. He pulled it out and saw on the screen that Vaughn was attempting to call him. Iole and his group had just returned from their own scouting as Haiiden then pressed a button which connected him with Vaughn.
"Vaughn, where are you? What is going on? We are ready to leave," Haiiden said.
"I was on my way when I got a bit sidetracked," Vaughn replied. "Ran into some Grimm but I am alright."
"The Grimm is already here?" Jet asked.
"Impossible, we are still at least a day ahead of the horde," Roux assured.
"The Grimm is always watching," Cecilia replied. "They just saw Vaughn as an easy target when he was alone. Turns out, he was not so easy after all."
"Good to hear you are okay Vaughn, but we have to move now," Haiiden said.
"I will be there soon but I want to make certain that we have everyone accounted for," Vaughn stated, which threw Haiiden off guard.
"What do you mean?" Haiiden asked as he looked around at Jet and Iole. "I think everyone is here…"
"Everyone is indeed here," Jet replied and Haiiden detected a bit of ice in his voice.
"Oh yeah," Zed muttered and he turned towards the village people. "I am sorry to call you out specifically but is there a Clem here?"
Haiiden turned towards Zed, perplexed, then turned towards the village people and noticed that some of them seemed hesitant to respond.
"Who is Clem?" Haiiden asked but then felt a sudden hand on his shoulder.
"Kid," Iole said quietly. "Best you drop this."
Haiiden then turned to Iole who looked at him and noticed his intense gaze.
"There is no Clem," Iole reiterated.
Haiiden stared at him for a moment, his mouth agape as he lifted the Scroll up towards his mouth.
"Vaughn, what are you getting at?" Haiiden asked as he and Iole continued to stare at one another.
"On my way back, I noticed a small cottage," Vaughn replied which made Haiiden break away from his stare-down with Iole. "Well, calling it a cottage would be an overstatement. It is more like a shed and it is boarded up pretty well."
Haiiden looked up at Iole who only shook his head at him.
"I gave it a few knocks but there was no response," Vaughn continued.
Haiiden thought for a moment before he then hung up and put the Scroll back into his pocket.
"Zed, Cecilia, come with me," Haiiden said as he walked back into the village.
The two looked back at one another before they quickly caught up with their captain and followed close behind.
0-RWBY-0
Vaughn had texted very vague directions on how to get to him but it was not his fault. It was far outside of the village and the forest was thick with trees but before long, they managed to locate Vaughn as he stood in front of the shed he had mentioned.
"I tried to use my Semblance sir, but I can't tell what is inside," Vaughn reported as Haiiden stepped in front of the boarded-up door.
Haiiden then heard multiple footsteps behind him and saw Zed and Cecilia emerge from the forest, but also Iole and his team, and strangely, Jet.
"What is this?" Haiiden asked.
"Just an old toolshed," Iole said, a tired look on his face.
"Why board up an 'old toolshed' like this?" Vaughn asked.
"Like I said," Iole replied as he spoke to Haiiden. "Its best you drop this."
"I spoke to a little girl who mentioned the name: Clem. Who is that?" Zed asked as he stepped next to Haiiden, his hands cradled behind his head.
"I have never heard anyone by that name," Jet immediately responded.
"Then why would the girl bring it up?" Zed asked.
"I don't know!" Jet exclaimed. "Do you take every little girl's imaginary friends to heart?"
"I am just doing my job to get everyone to safety, and if there something we should know that can help us do that, then tell us," Zed exclaimed.
"You have no right to demand anything from me!" Jet replied angrily and Iole sighed as the groups began to argue while Haiiden stood silent. He looked towards the shed and a familiar feeling began to sink in. His own life with his mother outside of Vale and the man they buried back in Mistral.
None of this felt right and he didn't know what to do or think.
Don't think, Haiiden. Feel.
The voice rang in his mind and brought a sense of calm in him and instead, he let the words ring in his mind. He closed his eyes and focused on the words as they slowly began to fade. In this calm, he called on something inside of him and then saw a familiar light. Then, he opened his eyes with a sudden gasp.
Without a word, Haiiden opened his eyes and approached the door and everyone went silent as they watched; he placed his foot against the shed as a brace and began to pull off the boards, one by one.
"You don't know what you are doing kid," Iole said quietly as he stood back and watched all while Jet turned red and was fuming.
"That is enough," he sputtered and motioned towards his bodyguards. "Stop him!"
One bodyguard stepped forward, only for Zed to step in front of him.
"Come on, mate," Zed said with a grin. "Humor my friend a little and let him take a peek inside."
"Get out of the way, freak." The bodyguard replied to which Zed could longer hide his fox ears and they twitched in the air. The bodyguard reached at Zed but his hand was knocked away and his body was launched back into a tree with a punch to the chest.
"You want some of this too?" Zed said to the other bodyguard who reeled back at what happened to his co-worker and froze in place.
Cecilia stepped next to Haiiden as he was about to rip off the last board and watched as it finally came off. He then reached for the handle on the door and slowly opened it.
"What the-" Cecilia said as she peeked into the shed and inside, was a woman cradling a baby. "What is this?"
"This?" Jet said as he grits his teeth and stepped next to the shed. "This is nothing."
Haiiden stared wide-eyed at the woman but then shook off the shock before he stepped inside and offered her his hand. At first, she was hesitant as she looked up at Haiiden, almost as if she was asking for permission. Haiiden nodded and she slowly reached for his hand and was helped to her feet.
"Clearly doesn't look like nothing," Zed said with a growl.
"We can explain," Iole said, a hint of shame in his voice.
"You can explain why you were keeping this a secret?" Vaughn asked. "Nevermind that, actually. You can explain why you were going to abandon someone here?"
"We have nothing to explain," Jet interjected. "She is a Ghost, plain and simple."
"What are you talking about?" Cecilia asked with a quirked brow. "What do you mean, 'Ghost'?"
"'Ghost' is a term used for people who have been exiled from the kingdoms," Vaughn replied. "Any records of their existence have been destroyed. Almost as if they never existed at all."
"How do you know about this?" Cecilia asked.
"After what happened in Mistral, I went and researched what Agent Lipesce said about the man we buried," Vaughn said. "I haven't been able to find anything about it other than references to people referred to as 'Ghosts'. These people are not allowed to come back and are ostracized by most communities."
"Which means she can't come with us and she stays here," Jet said as he approached the woman and reached out to grab her, only to be stopped by Haiiden as he grabbed him with his gauntlet.
"She is coming with us," Haiiden said sternly as he gripped harder while he glared at a shocked Jet.
"How dare you," Jet hissed then noticed at how HAVC were looking down on him. "You are Huntsmen! You are practically the property of the Council! Which means you follow the laws of the kingdom!"
"But we are Huntsmen first," Haiiden said simply to which Iole blinked before he looked down at the ground.
"She is coming with us, whether you like it or not," Haiiden said as he then let go of Jet, who began to hold his wrist close to himself.
"The council will hear of this," Jet exclaimed as he turned to leave and his bodyguards following closely behind him.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you kid but it was nice knowing…" Iole said. " Because I don't think the Council will like this."
"I know, Iole," Haiiden said as he turned to the woman and her child. He knew there was no backing out now, but once everything was said and done, he knew he had done the right thing.
"Hmm," Iole said as he nodded to his teammates and they turned to leave.
"I have to agree with Iole to some extent, sir," Vaughn said.
"Are you saying we leave them?" Zed asked, defensively.
"No," Vaughn replied. "Just that we can get into a lot of trouble for this."
"I don't want to bring you down with me," Clem said and then offered her child. "At least take Oscar with you."
"Don't worry, we don't have a problem taking you with us; we won't leave you here," Cecilia said as she placed a hand on her shoulder and began to walk with her towards the caravan.
"Wait," Clem said but then sighed. "Thank you!"
Haiiden watched alongside Zed and Vaughn as the two left.
"If anyone asks," Haiiden said. "I brought her despite everyone's objections and that I even pulled rank on you guys."
"Sir, I would do that but…" Vaughn said with a sigh as he turned to Haiiden and he saw a sight that he rarely ever saw from Vaughn: a grin. "We both know that is not true."
Haiiden was taken aback for a moment but then smiled while Zed ruffled Vaughn's neatly kept hair.
"Thanks, Vaughn," Haiiden replied and looked over to Zed as he winked at him but was interrupted by the distant howls of the Grimm.
"Thank me once we get out of this alive," Vaughn replied as he looked towards the direction of the howling and the three made their way back to the convoy.
0-RWBY-0
HAVC had cleared through the brush and into the village to see the convoy still waiting for them. However, as they noticed they had brought back an additional two people with them, some of the refugees began to talk amongst themselves.
"Alright, everyone," Haiiden announced. "The Grimm are on their way so now is the time to move!"
"Remember the plan," Vaughn reiterated. "Single file and follow behind Jet's truck!"
"She follows behind the rest of us," Jet said as he looked down upon HAVC. Haiiden looked over to Clem, who simply nodded at him.
At that moment, however, the shrieks and howls of the Grimm drew closer.
"Start moving, everyone!" Haiiden announced as he and his team drew their weapons and stepped behind the caravan as they began to move.
A click can be heard echoing across the field and into the trees as Vaughn snapped his fingers.
"Small group," Vaughn said with his eyes closed as he then raised his rifle. "They must have gotten impatient and broken from the horde. They are coming fast."
"You think you got this, kid?" Iole asked as he and his team were likewise ready for combat.
"We got this," Haiiden assured. "Protect the caravan. Kill any of them that get past us."
"You got it," Alani said as she slung her ax over her shoulder and rushed to catch up with the convoy.
Haiiden looked back to check and see if there were any problems and most of them had just left the village; they were already going down the road but he noticed that Clem was just standing in place under the wooden arch.
"Clem?" Haiiden asked; her expression was blank as she stared at something but Haiiden couldn't tell what. "Clem, you have to go now!"
Nervously, Iole came up from behind her and softly took her by the arm and pulled her away, all while she continued to stare.
Haiiden turned back to the village. It was empty and he felt an eeriness about it but then suddenly it exploded to life a Boarbatusk burst through of the houses and towards them.
Vaughn opened fire and landed a few solid hits but it didn't take it down immediately, instead, it lowered its head and began to run faster; its tusks aimed for them.
HAVC rushed forward but ran past it as Zed jumped and grabbed it by the tusk as he then dug in his heels as he landed; using its own momentum against it, he pulled back and forced it onto its back with a loud thud. It squealed as it kicked its legs in the air while struggling to get up while Zed raised his karambit and with a quick slash, he gutted the Boarbatusk.
A group of Creeps swarmed Cecilia and surrounded her. She thought to use her Semblance but decided against it as she held her claymore by its blade; while in half-sword, she wound up for a counter as the Creeps lunged at her and like that, she swung. Using its weight, and the slickness of the ground, she propelled herself forward and the 3 Creeps that were in front of her had their bone-white masks caved into their heads as the cross-guard swung into them.
She turned to see the remaining Creeps miss their mark and this time wasn't so eager to attack as they sized her up. Their pause allowed her to grab onto her swords handle once more and she brought her sword up and aimed its tip at the Grimm before she lunged.
Knowing that he would need to conserve his ammo for an emergency, Vaughn, kept his primary weapon holstered but instead used the blades hidden in his sleeves. They shot out of the top of his forearm and he held them up, one to guard and one to attack and he would alternate between them. A Beowolf was his first target as it lunged from the trees but missed his mark as he ducked away.
Vaughn then felt the ground shake slightly and realized that he was flanked by two more Beowolves but these ones were smaller. They crouched down but Vaughn noticed their impatience as one quickly lunged at him without waiting for the others and was quickly struck down.
The other two ran on all fours as they rushed him but he rolled behind the smaller one and slashed behind its knees, severing its leg. It yelped in pain while the alpha rose up and slashed furiously at Vaughn with its claws. He dodged the attacks and when he noticed an opening, he blocked one of the attacks, using his blade as a shield. He slashed at the arm with his free blade and prepared a follow-up as he spun to his right and severed the Beowolf's other arm as it countered.
In a last-ditch effort to try and kill, it lunged itself at Vaughn, its maw wide open only to be stopped as he rammed its blade into its neck; the blade protruded out of its skull and for a moment the lifeless body felt heavy but lessened as it began to disappear into black smoke.
Turning his attention towards the remaining Beowolf, Vaughn casually made his way to it as it struggled to get up; it noticed Vaughn approaching and turned its body to meet him and tried to reach out to bite but was decapitated with a quick backhand.
Monsters…
Haiiden alternated between targets as he danced between them. A slash there, a parry and then a pirouette here. They couldn't land a hit on him and he continued to wear them down until they were weak enough for him to cut down quickly. He readied himself and sprung forward and thrusted his blade into a Creep skull; he pulled away and with a spin, he severed the upper jaw of a Beowolf from its head and lastly, he was left alone with an Ursa.
The thing breathed heavily as he stared down at Haiiden who only looked back it, expressionless, and reeled back as it began to sense a killing intent. It stood on its hind legs and roared which prompted Haiiden to charge at it and swatted away its attempt to strike with its large. He jumped and did a pirouette in the air as he swung his sword and landed on the ground without kicking up any mud.
Haiiden began to walk forward, he did not look back at his opponent knowing full well that his strike was a lethal one, as its arm and head fell to the ground and disappeared.
"Not bad for a quick skirmish," Zed said while he played with his karambit as he spun it around his finger. However, everyone looked behind them as the distant roars and howls of the horde only grew louder.
Even though he looked forward to the chance to kill more Grimm, Haiiden shuddered at the shrieks in the distance. If they were really a day away, then the volume of the distant Grimm only showed how massive they were in number.
"Move out," Haiiden ordered as he then sheathed his sword and ran to meet up with the convoy alongside his team.
0-RWBY-0
Iole walked quietly alongside Clem who continued to cradle and console her child. The recent panic had caused him to wake up and he had begun to cry which can be heard among the convoy ahead of her.
As he thought on what to say, Iole scratched the back of his head and finally, he looked down on Oscar.
"He's beautiful," Iole said as he looked down on the brown-skinned child.
"He takes after his father," Clem replied but did not look up at him. The comment made Iole recoil slightly and his heart quickened.
"May I hold him?" Iole asked.
"If anyone notices you communicating with me," Clem said grimly. "They will most likely report you to the Council, and their punishment will be swift."
"I don't care," Iole replied as he reached to stroke little Oscar's cheek.
"Why the sudden courage, Iole?" Clem asked and Iole stopped and pulled his arm back.
Iole went silent and Clem responded to his silence with a sigh.
"Forgive me," Clem said. "I know you were only acting pragmatically."
"No," Iole replied. "After we were informed that you are a 'Ghost', exiled for your defiance against the Council, I had to distance myself out of fear of what might happen to me."
"That was the right thing to do," Clem replied and Iole grit his teeth in response.
"No, it wasn't," Iole said. "As a Huntsmen, I should protect people and by abandoning you, I betrayed that principle. I have lived with that shame ever since."
"Don't," Clem replied. "You did the right thing."
"I didn't," Iole said as he looked towards Oscar once more. "Not for my son. I should have stayed by your side."
"Then you would have been stripped of your Huntsmen certification and exiled along with me," Clem said. "What would we have done then?"
"We would have figured it out together," Iole replied as he reached to try and pet Oscar once more, this time, Clem was a bit more accepting but the baby continued to cry.
"Our time together was lovely, Iole, but it is too late for me," Clem said sadly. "You should forget about me."
Iole tried to speak but something was caught in his throat and his eyes began to burn.
"Can you forgive me, Clementine?" Iole asked as he looked over at her.
"There is nothing to forgive," Clem said as she smiled at him which made him calm down, but the words left a bitter taste in his mouth. However, it was interrupted when he heard footsteps and he quickly turned to meet whatever was coming their way. His posture relaxed once he noticed HAVC approaching and no Grimm in sight.
"Not bad," Iole said. "Just what I expected from Beacon's students."
"Only the best," Zed replied as he began to walk casually past him, and once again, his hands cradled behind his head.
"Damn straight," Iole laughed as he watched the members of HAVC walk past him, except for Haiiden who stopped next to Clem.
"Are you alright?" Haiiden asked.
"You shouldn't be concerned for me," Clem replied, as she averted her gaze to which Haiiden noticed.
"I wouldn't be much of a Huntsmen if I didn't care for the well being of the people I am protecting," Haiiden replied, smiling but it faded when he noticed Clem grimace in what he thought was pain.
"Are you hurt?" Haiiden asked.
"No," Clem replied. "Just not feeling well."
"We can ask for one of the villagers to let you rest on one of their carts," Iole said.
"No, don't bother them," Clem replied as she then looked up at Iole once more, this time expectedly. Iole was speechless as he looked back at Clem and Haiiden before he walked away without saying a word.
"Everything alright with him?" Haiiden asked.
"He was a former lover," Clem admitted, which left Haiiden a bit surprised at her openness.
"Did you have a major falling out or something?" Haiiden asked. "Can't believe someone you considered a lover would try to leave you to die."
"He is a good man at heart," Clem said as she smiled. "I have had the privilege of meeting many good Huntsmen in my life and enjoyed my time with him, but he is only following the law regarding people like me…"
"Well, I don't agree with such laws," Haiiden spat.
Clem bit her lip.
"You should go with the others, don't worry about me," Clem said.
"I can't do that," Haiiden replied. "I know my team can handle the convoy without me but for now, you are my responsibility."
"Why do you feel that way?" Clem asked and for a moment, Haiiden was silent as he took a moment to think.
"Because I want to become a Huntsmen," Haiiden replied. "As a Huntsmen, I protect those who can't protect themselves."
"Even those who have done bad things? Especially to you?" Clem asked, which threw Haiiden off guard.
"I can't say for certain but I would like to say yes," Haiiden replied and Clem closed herself off even more.
"To protect... Is that your only reason?" Clem said sternly, to which Haiiden fell silent once more.
"To be honest, in many ways, I am just like you," Haiiden said, hesitantly. "I know about the law that you are talking about. More than you probably know."
"No," Clem said as she mustered the courage to look Haiiden in the eyes. "I know a lot more than you think, Shiro."
Haiiden stopped on the road as he looked over at Clem, perplexed.
"How do you know my families name?" Haiiden asked.
"I know all about you," Clem said as tears began to swell up in her eyes. "I know who you are just by the sword you carry."
For a moment, Haiiden looked down at his sword and then back at her and wondered if she knew his mother.
"At first, I couldn't believe it," Clem said as she turned away momentarily. "Like a specter come to haunt me."
"I'm sorry," Haiiden said. "I don't-"
"I know all about who you are. Where you came from and your lineage," Clem continued. "You should hate me. You should leave me to die."
Haiiden stood silently as he continued to stare at Clem.
"I know who are you are because I am responsible for your mother and father becoming Ghosts and you being born into exile."