"Ghost," Clem said. "It was not the official name given to people like us but it was instead adopted. Fitting. Someone that people see at the corner of their vision and convince themselves that they didn't see anything."
"Who are you?" Haiiden asked.
"My name is Clementine Rousseau, and I know full well that your mother was Snyegh Shiro, and your father was Lucien Shiro," Clem said all while avoiding eye contact as Haiiden stared in disbelief.
"How do you know that?" Haiiden asked.
"Because I am well aware of what you father had done during the Faunus Wars," Clem replied, her tone shifted towards disdain but then it softened slightly. "I resided over his trial, as well as your mother's."
Haiiden stood in place, speechless.
"Your father caused a tremendous divide among the Huntsmen. One which threatened to ruin the citizens perceptions of them, and we realized that they had to be controlled for the good of the people," Clem continued. "Which meant that he had to disappear…"
"My father simply couldn't stand by when people, the Faunus, were persecuted," Haiiden replied as he stepped in front of Clem and made eye contact.
"The punishment of exiling is usually reserved for criminals. But in this case, it was also for those that would cause panic and political dissent," Clem continued. "Distrust and fear would bring the Grimm closer to us."
"I doubt though you had good intentions in mind?" Haiiden replied.
"The Council is responsible for deciding what was best for the people," Clem replied. "The Huntsmen's job is to simply protected."
"Perhaps that was exactly what he was doing," Haiiden retorted. "Protecting an oppressed people."
"Perhaps during another time," Clem said with a defeated sigh. "In those trying times, especially after the divide amongst the Huntsmen, we had to keep order. The people looked up to the Huntsmen and it was on us to fix that."
"By making them tools without a voice or a thought of their own. My mother wouldn't allow herself to be controlled," Haiiden said bitterly. "I heard about the choice the Council gave her: denounce my father or be exiled with him."
"And she chose exile," Clem said as she looked down.
"That wasn't much of a choice!" Haiiden exclaimed. "My mother had done nothing wrong!"
"At the time, we thought it was our only choice," Clem said defensively. "We had a false news-piece be presented that Lucien had been killed in battle, in the hopes that it would settle things with the populace. But then your mother became a problem."
Haiiden clenched his fists tightly but was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
"...It's strange," Clem said. "I don't know when exactly I began to question my choices. I was the deciding vote at her trial. At the time, I thought I was doing the right thing. That…it would benefit everyone."
"So, it was you," Haiiden said, face to face with the person who took away his and his mother's name, but at that moment, he felt numb. "It was you who exiled my mom and now her blood is on your hands."
Clem's head shot towards Haiiden and finally made eye contact. "Snyegh is dead?"
Haiiden opened his mouth to answer. He knew exactly what he wanted to say to express his disdain. Until he noticed something in her eyes: regret.
"Y-yes," Haiiden said, his voice soft. "When I was ten, she died defending our home against the Grimm that swarmed our home. Headmaster Ozpin had been keeping contact with my mother. But by the time he arrived it was too late. It was because of him that I was able to get into Vale and was given the opportunity to attend Beacon."
Clem looked down as she thought on this revelation and tried to process it.
"Heh," Clem chuckled finally as she continued to tear up. "Ozpin was always opposing the Council."
Haiiden kept quiet as he watched and waited.
"If there is such a thing as sin, then I have committed one," Clem said as she leaned her head to the side to dry her eyes with her shoulder. "Life is full of ironies and I am now presented with the sweetest one… The child of the woman I exiled has come to rescue me."
"Clem," Haiiden said. "May I ask: why you were exiled?"
Now it was Clem's turn to be quiet as she carefully chose her words.
"The Council isn't evil," Clem started. "Since we no longer have kings, we have a collective that vote for the good of the Kingdom. But everyone forgets, even those in the Council, that we are fallible."
"Of course," Haiiden replied.
"The Council, therefor, has had to make very difficult choices," Clem continued. "Censorship and omissions to news stories so as not to worry the people. The thing about lies is that it only creates bigger lies and eventually, you have to get rid of those who would expose you."
"So, you have exiled those who would have told the truth?" Haiiden asked.
"Indeed," Clem replied. "I recall more times where I have made someone a Ghost for simply doing the right thing, rather than anything wrong that they have done. Even if it wasn't their intention, the right thing, to them, would have caused unrest."
"The list does not stop there, however," Clem continued. "There were many times where the Council has denied aid to some of the outlying villages. The reason was: 'they knew the risks. If they couldn't handle them, then that was their problem.'"
"Were they really that callous? Haiiden asked. "If they really cared for the well-being of the kingdom, then surely they would at least try."
"Why? Clem asked instead. "Send help to try and help, and fail?"
"Better than doing nothing," Haiiden retorted.
"Hmm," Clem responded. "Despite all that has happened, you are still an idealist."
Haiiden went quiet once more.
"If we try to help with every call for help then our resources would be spread thin," Clem said. "That's why we reserve our aid for those who were at least some worth to the kingdom. Farmers and merchants who are close to the Kingdom's borders and are easy to protect. Those who would provide benefit."
"What about everyone else?" Haiiden asked.
"There is a reason why travelers are told that they go at their own risk," Clem said sadly.
"Did you not feel for them?" Haiiden asked.
"When you base your decisions on feelings and not reality, then mistakes are bound to happen," Clem replied initially but then shook her head. "Of course, I did feel for them. You would think you would get used to it. However, years of exiling individuals and denying help to those in need have begun to take its toll."
"The knowledge that you could have done something but chose to do nothing," Haiiden reiterated.
"Indeed," Clem said. "There was a saying: 'evil triumphs when good people choose to do nothing.' When I first became a Council member I was honored at the opportunity. I believed I would help do great things despite the fact that no one would know it was me."
"Because the identity of the Council members is kept secret," Haiiden stated.
"Yes," Clem replied. "However, the grim truth dawned on me that I would not be doing great things. No leading people to a golden age. Instead, we kept up the status quo as change was sure to upset at least some of the populace.
"I felt like I was doing nothing. Just bureaucratic politicking. Then came Mountain Glenn, a major incident which was something that we could not hide from the public. There were many displaced citizens from this project, however, not all were fortunate enough to make it out in time."
"What happened?" Haiiden asked. "What did you do?"
"We had collapsed the tunnels for Mountain Glenn's underground train system that led to Vale," Clem continued. "The entrances were sealed and covered in the weeks during this event but one day, we received a distress signal from within these tunnels."
"Let me guess," Haiiden said grimly.
"Yes, the Council chose not to help," Clem replied. "At this point, Mountain Glenn was considered a lost cause and no more resources would be put into evacuating the remaining citizens."
Clem stopped, her expression becoming blank, before she swallowed. as her expression became blank before she then swallowed nervously.
"I can still hear the recording in my head," Clem said. "Their frantic calls for help. I couldn't take it anymore. I defied the Council and ordered a team of Huntsmen be sent to evacuate the citizens."
"You did the right thing," Haiiden reassured.
"Did I?" Clem asked. "The civilians were saved but the Huntsmen died in the process. The Council took advantage of this and created a narrative, that the Huntsmen have returned and that they can be relied upon once more. However, the Council was not happy about my involvement."
"Why?" Haiiden asked. "With your intervention you have saved civilians. To look at it from the Council's perspective, that should have given you points just for morale alone."
"They viewed the loss of the Huntsmen as more of a net loss than the gain of these civilians," Clem replied.
"As Huntsmen, we know that death is a possibility if not an inevitability," Haiiden replied, as he tried to reassure. "Like someone told me: 'if you expected to be a Huntsmen without losing at least an arm, then you chose the wrong job.'"
"Perhaps," Clem said as she flashed a smile but then looked back at Haiiden with a grimace. "But they lost more than that, hadn't they?"
Haiiden did not have answer.
"I was faced with a hard choice," Clem continued. "I either leave people to their deaths or I send them to their deaths."
"You don't regret your choice, do you?" Haiiden asked.
"That is a difficult question to answer," Clem replied. "I spent my career as a Council member always looking for the net positive and, in this situation, I couldn't find one."
Haiiden nodded. He didn't want to consider the deaths of good people to be positive either.
"And so, here I am," Clem continued. "For my defiance, the Council made me a Ghost. All of my possessions: repossessed. My bank account: liquidated. Any evidence of my existence: erased."
"Why was their punishment so drastic?" Haiiden asked.
"They feared what I would say if I were to simply walk free," Clem replied and her expression turned to fear. "I didn't know what to do. I was sent out with only the clothes on my back and so, I made my way to Glendale. Apparently, Jet had known that I was once part of the Council but had not heard of my status as a Ghost. He offered me a home only if I could get him in with the Council and that was when I met Iole."
"Did they hear that you were a Ghost?" Haiiden asked.
"Indeed," Clem replied. "The Council heard that I was in Glendale and sent a representative to inform Jet that I was not to be trusted or offered any quarter. That I was a traitor and seditionist. I was shunned and ostracized but those who were more empathetic were only able to offer me the shed. At the time, I was with child."
"I'm sorry," Haiiden replied.
"Yo!"
The two heard call out for them in the distance and Haiiden turned to see Zed running towards them.
"Damn it, mate," Zed said, as he breathed a sigh of relief. "I lost sight of you for a moment, what in bloody hell are you doing?"
"Sorry, Zed," Haiiden replied as he looked over at Clem who looked back at him. "We just had to stop for a quick break."
"Well come on," Zed said. "We have to catch up to the convoy!"
"Yeah, we will be right there," Haiiden said and turned to Clem. "Come on. Let's go."
"No," Clem said and then sighed. "I feel that my fate here would be justice for the things I have done."
"Come on, don't talk like that," Haiiden said as he approached her and looked down at Oscar, who had calmed down momentarily and was sound asleep. "Think of your child. He has done nothing wrong. So, don't take yourself away from him."
"I know that you are not only thinking of my child," Clem said with a smile but then offered Oscar. "Please, take him."
"No," Haiiden replied immediately as he extended his hand out to her. "No, you are coming with me."
"You would still choose to help me?" Clem asked. "I have caused you nothing but pain and suffering."
Haiiden retracted his hand slightly as he thought on this. This was a lot to take in, especially in such a small amount of time. Yes, she is responsible for his status as a Ghost and by extension, his mother's death. However, she never abandoned her responsibility as a Huntress, and she died to save him. He felt a tinge of shame once he realized that he didn't have to think on this at all. The answer was always obvious. As clear as black and white.
"Yes," Haiiden replied as he offered his hand once more to a surprised Clem.
"So, you don't hate me?" Clem asked.
"I can't say for certain. All I know is that it would be strange to hate the person I am trying to save," Haiiden said with a slight chuckle, his hand still outstretched.
"Can you forgive me?" Clem asked, still hesitant.
"I don't know," Haiiden replied, his expression become stern. "I would rather not think about this, to tell you the truth. My main focus is to get you to safety.
"But-" Clem stammered but then began to cry tears of joy. "You are just like your mother. Thank you."
The air turned deafening as a shriek pierced the air as the distance Grimm made their presence known once more. The howls woke Oscar, who began to cry while Haiiden defensively went behind Clem and coaxed her along.
"Mate, come on!" Zed exclaimed as he beckoned for the two to follow.
0-RWBY-0
Cecilia sat on the hood of a truck which as they drove down the road. Things seemed quiet for the most part but it was deceitful. She kept her eyes on Vaughn who kept his eyes closed as he rode on another villager's carriage. She watched as Vaughn snapped his fingers and moved his head from side to side.
"What is he doing?" Alani asked but was interrupted as Cecilia simply raised her hand to stop her. Before long, Vaughn opened his eyes and signaled to her.
"Two Grimm. Your right. Getting brave."
She nodded and jumped off the truck and landed next to Alani and jogged towards the forest. She couldn't see the Grimm but she stayed on alert, knowing that Vaughn's intel was not wrong. She gripped the handle of her sword when two Creeps jumped at her, only to be cut down with a single strike.
She jogged back to her truck and to an amazed and perplexed Alani. At that moment, it began to rain again.
"Huh," she said as Cecilia jumped back onto the roof of the truck. "How did you know that they were there?"
"My brother can detect them," Cecilia replied as she then signaled to her brother who nodded in response.
"Detect them? How?" Alani asked.
"His Semblance is echolocation," Cecilia replied.
"That's amazing," Alani said as she noticed Vaughn began to snap his fingers again.
"It is," Cecilia responded. "I am proud of the Huntsmen he has become."
"Glad to see Beacon is still churning out some good Huntsmen," Alani commented.
"There have been some bumps along the way, but we got past that," Cecilia said.
"Aren't there always?" Alani asked and Cecilia replied with a shrug.
"Are there any other good prospects in Beacon?" Cole asked as he approached the two, having overheard the conversation.
"Well," Cecilia said and thought a moment. "Pyrrha Nikos is probably the best.
Cole whistled.
"The Invincible Girl is attending Beacon?" Cole asked. "Honestly, I am jealous.
"Got a secret crush, Cole?" Alani joked.
"I like a girl who can handle herself," Cole replied in jest.
"We got a few students who can really make it out there," Cecilia continued but then remembered Nora. "One of them in particular kind of scares me…"
Vaughn continued snap his fingers, keeping his eyes closed as images appeared over his eyelids like projections. The Grimm were surrounding them but did not move in to attack as they most likely learned that they were, likewise, being watched.
"How many of them are out there?" Roux asked, to Vaughn's surprise.
"No point in counting," Vaughn replied. "It's enough of them. For now, we are at a stalemate but they will soon have the advantage."
"Because of the horde," Roux said as he looked out into the forest with Vaughn.
For a moment, he swore that he could feel their gaze right on him.
"Exactly," Vaughn said.
"I did some math," Roux said as he opened up a map on his Scroll and presented it to Vaughn. "At this rate we can make it to Vale by tomorrow afternoon. Granted, if we don't make any stops."
"The question is: how much faster is the horde?" Vaughn asked as he looked over the calculations.
"Same speed, if not a little faster," Roux said. "But I don't think they have caught whiff of us just yet. So, we still have that on our side."
"It is best to not take any risks," Vaughn said as he then looked behind the convoy to check on Zed. In the distance, he saw Zed and Haiiden, with Clem following between them.
"We may have to keep our conversation about this to a minimum," Vaughn said. "With what is going on with the Grimm and Clem, people are on edge."
"Sure thing," Roux replied. "So, tell me about where you come from? Clearly not Vale, judging by your Atlas uniform."
"I think you just answered your own question, sir," Vaughn said.
"Hey now, I know you came from an uptight place such as Atlas, but don't call me sir," Roux said bitterly and spat. "Makes me feel old…"
"Of course," Vaughn said as he snapped once more and Roux watched intently.
"That's a pretty nice rifle," Roux then commented. "Not standard issue in Atlas."
"It was more of a prototype. It has not failed me so far," Vaughn replied.
"How does it work compared to conventional rifles?" Roux asked.
"It doesn't use the standard cartridge," Vaughn said as he turned his head and scanned the area. "It feeds from Dust that is kept in the magazine and instead, the Dust is used as the propellant and projectile at the same time."
"Sounds handy," Roux said, a bit impressed. "From an economic standpoint, it should save costs on the cartridges."
"Yes, but then comes the problem of actually mixing Dust into the right ammunition," Vaughn continued.
"Ah," Roux said. "I am not going to pretend I know how that works."
Vaughn chuckled a little.
"Fair enough."
He then turned back once more to see Zed with the rest of the convoy and just as Jet commanded, Clem was at the rear but was guarded by Haiiden.
"I just want to say that I don't disagree with what you did," Roux said.
"What do you mean?" Vaughn asked.
"What you did for Clem," Roux reiterated.
"There was no question about it," Vaughn replied. "It was the obvious and correct choice."
"Is it?" Roux said in a hushed voice. "I don't disagree but I cannot take your side on this. We could get into a lot of trouble for this."
"I understand," Vaughn replied. "However, what is done, is done. If anyone asks we took her despite everyone objections."
Roux then silently scratched his head.
"That wouldn't be true though, would it?" Roux said and looked away inconspicuously.
"Funny," Vaughn said with a smile. "I said the same exact thing."
"Wouldn't think you would be fine with this though," Roux said. "Coming from a place as anally retentive as Atlas."
"To be honest, I empathize with Clem," Vaughn replied and then thought on his captain. "I am sure my captain does too."
"Wait, you aren't a Ghost too, are you?" Roux said, a bit hesitant.
"No," Vaughn replied. "But me and my sister were raised in St. Albans."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what that is," Roux said.
"It was a state-funded foster home in Atlas," Vaughn replied. "Kids who are admitted there have until they come of age to be adopted, or they are conscripted into the military. As thanks to the state for taking care of them."
"Seriously?" Roux said.
"Yes," Vaughn said and he opened his eyes and glared into the distance. "They treated this institution like they would a normal boot camp. We had our names but they didn't care about who we were. Only our worth to the state. In my ways we were not people and that is why I empathize with Clem."
"Yeah," Roux said and paused a moment to think about it. "Yeah, I get you. How did you get out?"
"We were adopted by a Huntsmen who worked for the Atlas Military, Anatoliy Sceryei," Vaughn continued. "He then trained us to become Huntsmen. To prepare us for Atlas Academy and later, the military."
"So why aren't you in Atlas then?" Roux asked.
"Long story," Vaughn replied. "We got into a bit of trouble which barred us from entry into Atlas but then we were approached by Ozpin who said he knew our father and heard of his disappearance."
"So that's how you got into Beacon," Roux said as he then pieced everything together and nodded his head. "Okay."
Vaughn went quiet and turned back once more to watch Haiiden talking with Clem. For a moment, he admired the scene.
"Well, I am glad you are here helping us, instead of at Atlas," Roux said with a smile. "Not saying Atlas isn't a good academy but…"
"I understand," Vaughn said as he then blinked and turned back to Roux. "Me too."
"World's a pretty messed up place," Roux continued. "Just sorry you had to go through that."
"I am not, my experiences made me what I am" Vaughn replied but then paused for a moment. "However, I will admit that there is a part of me that wishes that things were different."
"Yeah, don't we all," Roux said and Vaughn simply nodded.
"What about you? How did you become a Huntsmen?" Vaughn asked.
"Well, I just applied to Beacon first of all," Roux said and then laughed. "Honestly, I have no idea how I got accepted."
"There seems to be a lot of that," Vaughn said with a smile but then, Vaughn heard a whistle and turned to see Cecilia winding her arm back right as she then threw something at him. He caught it and realized it was a poncho and he then remembered it was raining and it really started to pour.
Vaughn then waved to his sister as he then put it on and flipped the hood over his head.
0-RWBY-0
Zed watched from the bed of a truck as Haiiden walked alongside Clem. The rain was really coming down hard and he couldn't help but watch and do nothing as Clem showed visible signs of fatigue and her child cried in the cold.
"Does anyone have anything warm to give to Clem?" Zed asked to the others who sat with him but they didn't answer.
"Come on, show some empathy."
No one answered and most have stopped talking to him altogether. At that point, he gave up on receiving help from the other villagers and leaned forward and reached for his bag. It was mostly just a change of clothes but inside he knew he had packed light covers for the night. When he had found it, he pulled it out and jumped off the truck and ran back to his friend.
He stopped next to Haiiden and walked alongside him and offered the covers, who then proceeded to place it over Clem's head and draped it over her shoulders which covered the child.
"Mate," Zed whispered as he pulled Haiiden closer. "Go back and take a break. They are willing to give you a ride."
"Thanks for the offer," Haiiden likewise whispered. "But I will have to turn you down."
Zed looked back at Clem then back at Haiiden curiously.
"This is something I have to do," Haiiden continued.
"You don't have to do this alone," Zed replied.
"I know," Haiiden said. "I still got you to watch my back."
"Yeah," Zed said as he then patted him on the back before returning to the truck. However, he did glance back once more as he climbed back onto the truck.
"Does he know about you?" Clem asked as she eyed Zed.
"He is one of the few people that do," Haiiden said. "He was my first friend when I came to Vale."
"I am glad to see that you have good people to support you," Clem said. "It eases my soul."
At that moment, the convoy slowly came to a stop and while he was glad for the momentary respite for Clem, he knew that they had to keep going if they wanted to reach Vale.
"Wait here," Haiiden said as he stepped towards the convoy. "What's going on?"
"No idea," Zed replied as he jumped out the truck and followed Haiiden. They met with the rest of HAVC who were just as confused as they were and together, they met up at the front of the convoy to confront Jet.
"Hey," Haiiden said. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine," Jet said. "Just taking a moment to rest."
"The plan was to get to Vale as fast as possible," Haiiden said but then remembered Clem and turned to Vaughn.
"Do you think we have time to take a break?" Haiiden asked.
"Perhaps," Vaughn said as Iole and his team approached. "I would advise against it, however, as we would be cutting it close."
"We need to keep everyone's strength up," Iole chimed in. "A few hours of rest wouldn't hurt."
"I would have to agree," Haiiden said to Vaughn who then reluctantly nodded and they both turned to walk away.
"I expect that you will keep her away from the rest of us?" Jet said but Haiiden did not respond, instead, he continued to walk away; followed closely by Vaughn.
"We should set up some sentries to keep watch over the camp," Vaughn said. "Would be best for us to also get in some rest."
"I'll take the first watch," Haiiden said. "You should probably rest up too."
"I will be fine," Vaughn replied.
"I know you will," Haiiden replied. "But using your Semblance all day is tiring, I bet."
"Just one more stretch, sir," Vaughn replied. "I will rest once the next person takes watch."
"Fair enough," Haiiden said with a defeated sigh.
"I am going to go back to Clem," Haiiden said then thought a moment. "You mind giving me a vial of Dust?"
"Going to make a fire?" Vaughn asked.
"Exactly," Haiiden replied and without a word, Vaughn reached into a pocket in his bandolier and pulled out a vial before handing it over to him.
"Thank you, Vaughn; let the villagers know that we are stopping here for a while," Haiiden said and Vaughn saluted before he ran back to the convoy.
Haiiden made his way back to Clem, who was waiting for him all while Oscar continued to cry.
"You don't have to stand so far away, you know," Haiiden said.
"I don't want to bring you any more trouble," Clem said as she turned her attention to Oscar for a moment to calm him. "You are already taking a big risk in taking me with you, so I thought I would just stay out of everyone's way."
"You are not in the way," Haiiden assured.
"Thank you," Clem said then turned her attention towards the convoy and noticed that they have arranged the wagons and trucks in a circle.
"What are they doing?"
"We have decided to take a few hours to rest," Haiiden replied. "Would be good for you, and your son too."
"I will admit, I am exhausted," Clem said.
"Come on, then," Haiiden said. "I will go find some wood, but I want you near me so I can keep an eye on you."
The two set out quietly in search of wood, however, the rustling of bushes and ferns made Clem nervous. Haiiden kept a sharp eye out, only letting his guard down momentarily as he bent down and picked up a few twigs and sticks, here and there.
It didn't take long for him to find an adequate amount of wood and he set them down under a tree. The ground wasn't as wet as the surrounding are, due to the cover of the trees, and he pulled out the vial of Red Dust.
The Dust was potent enough to start a fire even if the wood was wet. He then poured the Dust into his palm as he remembered a little technique that Professor Port had taught him. If used correctly, Red Dust can be utilized the same way someone would with flint and tinder.
However, he also remembered that he was never that good at using Dust… He took a deep breath and focused as he then pulsed his Aura into his hand and once activated, he threw the Dust into the wood; which sparked in the air and he breathed a sigh of relief as the fire came to life.
"Come on," Haiiden said as he brought up a log for Clem to sit on.
"Thank you, once again," Clem said as she sat own and breathe a sigh of relief. Feeling the contrast of heat against her face whereas the rest of her was wet and cold.
"Ah," Haiiden said as he then pulled out his Scroll and pressed a button for Zed. "Zed, do you have anything for Clem to eat?"
"Yeah, I have something here," Zed replied.
0-RWBY-0
Cecilia closed her eyes as she rested next to the bonfire that the villagers had made; enjoying the comforting sensation in contrast to the cold dampness of the air. However, the distant crying of Clem's child kept her awake and judging from the expressions of the villagers around, they couldn't sleep either.
"Whew."
She heard and she turned to see Zed sitting right next to her, likewise enjoying the warmth that the fire offered.
"What a day," Zed continued and grinned over at Cecilia. "Thought it would be a bit harder."
"We should always be on our guard, Zed," Cecilia replied as she ran her fingers down the blade of her claymore.
"I know," Zed said. "I will get serious when I need to."
"Probably best you take things seriously now," Cecilia replied. "You always made me wonder why you chose to become a Huntsman when you have such a relaxed attitude."
"Well, like you, I became a Huntsman mostly because I saw no other choice," Zed replied. "I spent my whole life fighting, just like you."
Cecilia did not respond.
"I may not be uptight like you, but what is life if I am constantly worrying about every little detail?" Zed asked.
"You always take things seriously," Zed chuckled. "I think my relaxed attitude is a nice addition to the team; a nice contrast to your cold heart."
Cecilia narrowed her gaze at Zed but then took a moment to think before she simply smiled and shook her head.
"See?" Zed asked. "Not so hard now, is it?"
"You need to learn when to stop talking," Cecilia replied as her smile disappeared.
"True," Zed said, simply but then took a moment to observe Cecilia. "Huh, but 'seriously', you need to calm down, seems like the stress is getting to you."
"What do you mean?" Cecilia asked.
"You are… greying," Zed said, perplexed.
Cecilia dropped her sword and frantically went to cover her head.
"Damn it," Cecilia said as she looked around at the other villagers. "Think anyone else noticed? Now I can't wait to get back to Beacon so I can fix this."
"Fix what?" Zed asked.
"Me and my brother are twins, and yet, you haven't thought how we could have different hair colors?" Cecilia asked incredulously in a hushed voice.
"Never noticed," Zed said. "So just like Vaughn, your hair is naturally grey?"
"I never liked my natural hair color," Cecilia said disdainfully. "I will leave it at that."
"Looks good," Zed said as he tilted his head and imagined her with a head full of grey hair. "If you don't me saying."
"I will keep that in mind, Zed," Cecilia replied.
0-RWBY-0
Haiiden diligently kept watch over Clem, knowing that they would not have the cover of the rest of the convoy. Oscar's continuous cries continued and it began to get on his nerves and as he turned back to the convoy, he noticed he wasn't alone.
He jumped down from the tree that he had perched on and knelt down in from of a tired Clem.
"Clem, I am sorry to bring this up but you have to calm him down," Haiiden said in a hushed voice.
"I am trying," Clem replied as she then shook her head and cradled Oscar, cooing softly at him.
"Is he hungry?" Haiiden said. "What is wrong?"
"I don't know," Clem replied. "Everything is going by so fast. Perhaps he feels the severity of the situation."
Haiiden turned back to the convoy once more and noticed a group of villagers coming towards them.
"It's about to get a little bit more severe," Haiiden said as he stood up and faced the group of men coming towards him; his hand on the handle of his sword just in case.
"Is everything alright?" Haiiden said as he attempted to play off the fact that he knew exactly why they were there. "Need help with something?"
"Yeah, her and the kid," said one of the villagers angrily.
"I don't get it," Haiiden said, feigning confusion once more.
"We get that you are trying to help but we were told, by the Council, that she is a criminal and not allowed back. The villagers are worried that we will get punished for helping her," said another.
"Plus, the kids incessant crying is putting people on edge," replied the first one again.
"Look," Haiiden said as he let go of his sword and raised his hands to accentuate his desire for peaceful negotiations. "We are trying to calm him down, but it isn't so easy."
"We already have a solution," said the first villager as he then pointed at Clem, who held her child tighter. "Make her start walking and make sure she does not stop. If we are lucky, she and the kid will lead the Grimm away."
"I can't believe you would even suggest that," Haiiden said in astonishment. "She is just someone trying to survive, same as you."
"It's for the best. What is one person compared to a whole village?" Asked a third.
"She's not even a person anymore," said the first as he tried to step past Haiiden, only to for him to get in the way.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you touch her," Haiiden said as he shoved the man back.
"Kid, step aside, or we will have to make you," the first one said and Oscar began to cry louder.
"Look, I understand why you would be worried," Haiiden replied and once again, raised his hands. "But if anything, the Council will at best punish me for choosing to take her, so please, head back to the convoy. I promise we will make it through this in one piece."
"We can't take that chance," said the first once more and attempted to shove Haiiden out the way, but he caught the villager's arm and instead, pushed him away.
Haiiden put his arms up but he knew he had to be careful. Most villagers didn't know how to fight aside from just swinging wildly and don't know how to maintain their Aura. Haiiden knew that meant that he had to watch his own Aura and to not hit any of them too hard.
He shoved the second villager as he tried to rush him but the third got around behind him and wrapped his arms around him. However, no bodily contact was made as Haiiden's Aura protected him, to which his assailants hadn't notice.
The first man got up and began to punch Haiiden in the gut and every hit let out a glimmer of Aura around the point of contact. Haiiden crouched, then jumped and brought his knees in close before he kicked with both feet, knocking the man to the ground.
With both feet back on the ground, Haiiden crouched once more then quickly sprang up as he brought his head up into the man who was holding him. Haiiden could feel the impact and it was just enough for the third villager to loosen his grip and allow Haiiden to break free.
While his opponent was stunned, Haiiden grabbed the man's arm and threw him to the ground. He noticed the second villager had gotten back up and began to rush him but was quickly countered with a palm to the chest that; the strike launched the man back a couple feet and into some ferns. Haiiden was worried that he may have seriously injured the man, as he held his chest as he slowly got up.
From the corner of his eye, Haiiden saw a Creep suddenly leap out of the bushes and at the man he had just knocked down. Quickly, Haiiden lunged forward as well and kicked the Creep into a tree, splintering it upon impact.
Clem and the villagers froze upon seeing the Grimm and did not move as Haiiden quickly drew his sword and cut it down.
There was suddenly more rustling behind them as they could see more bushes and ferns shake and more Creeps emerged. Haiiden pulled the villagers away and stepped ahead of them, defensively. A second creep lunged but was quickly cut down and a third just about ran past Haiiden, until he grabbed it by the throat and threw it to the ground.
But then there was a flash of blue and the air went cold. Haiiden turned to see three more Creeps, but they were all encased in ice. Confused, Haiiden looked around before he turned to see Iole standing on the road; his arms outstretched, revealing two magazine-fed crossbows attached to gloves that extended down to his elbows.
"Thanks for the help," Haiiden said as he sheathed his sword, remarking how Oscar had calmed down some, but still cried.
"Don't mention it," Iole replied as he likewise put away his own weapons; lowering his arms and the crossbow folded and collapsed to be more portable. "I am sure you would have done well without me."
Haiiden grinned happily but then turned to the three villagers who had attacked him.
"Mind explaining what is going on?" Iole asked as he stepped towards them.
"Just a disagreement," Haiiden replied as he glared at the leader. "Tensions are high, it seems."
"I see," Iole said. "Morano, we don't have a problem, do we? Not important enough to interrupt a Huntsmen doing his job?"
The man named Morano then looked back at Haiiden, whose expression has now softened.
"No," Morano replied. "No, we no longer have a problem."
They three men turned to walk away, leaving Iole alone with Clem and Haiiden.
"The Grimm are beginning to sense that we are desperate," Iole said.
"Among other things," Haiiden replied.
"Is everyone alright?" Iole asked, as his gaze turned to Clem.
"We are fine, thanks to you," Clem said as she then flashed a smile.
Iole nodded then looked back at Haiiden expectedly and turned to leave as well.
"They did have a point, you know," Clem said.
"Don't start with me, Clem," Haiiden said as he sat in front of the fire, across from her.
"The Grimm feed on negativity," Clem continued. "The people are afraid of what might happen to them, because of me."
"Please, don't tell me you are considering what they are suggesting," Haiiden said, crestfallen.
Clem took a moment to think.
"I was scared when I heard of the horde heading towards Glendale; especially since I know what would happen to me," Clem replied. "Before you came to my shed, I had accepted my fate but then you gave me a sense of hope."
"I am glad, we need hope right now," Haiiden replied.
"But hope can be a double-edged sword," Clem replied. "What if we do manage to make it back to Vale? Can you guarantee my safety, and that I won't simply be cast back out, discreetly?"
"I will do my best to make sure that won't happen," Haiiden replied after he took a moment to think. "Even if it means I get cast out too."
Clem laughed to herself.
"You are young," Clem said. "Don't throw away your life, especially after Ozpin worked so hard to get you into Vale."
"I wouldn't view it as throwing it away," Haiiden said with a sigh. "In the end, I will abide by a principle and that will make it worth it."
"Hmmm," Clem answered as she stroked Oscar's cheek. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Go right ahead," Haiiden answered.
"Why did you choose to become a Huntsman?" Clem asked.
"I had a feeling you would ask that," Haiiden remarked.
"It's a valid question," Clem replied. "You could have chosen to become anything and yet, you chose to be a Huntsman. A profession where many die young."
Haiiden took a deep breath.
"Honestly, that has been a question I have been struggling with," Haiiden replied. "For a while, I thought I knew what I wanted but I have come to the realization that it's less simple than that."
"Does it have anything to do with your mother?" Clem asked, inquisitively.
"If anything, it has everything to do with her," Haiiden replied. "She told me stories of heroes and I looked up to her as one, as someone who gave her life to save others; she gave her life for mine in this case."
Clem nodded.
"Now she is dead," Haiiden said. "No one knows her fate or the fact that I had to bury her. Unlike the heroes whose lives ended happily, hers ended tragically."
Clem kept silent while Haiiden continued to think. This was a question that he had struggled with since coming back to Beacon and every time he wanted to answer it, the answer just didn't feel justified.
"I guess, when I first made the choice to become a Huntsman, I did so because I also didn't want her name to fall into obscurity," Haiiden said finally. "That her name won't just die out."
"But that isn't true is it?" Clem asked. "She lives through you. Through the memories of those who have met her."
"I know but-," Haiiden stammered but then went quiet.
"I am sorry, I don't mean to judge your decisions," Clem said.
"No, it's not that," Haiiden said. "It just isn't my only reason for becoming a Huntsman."
"I can see that," Clem replied, which threw Haiiden off guard. "People as young as you should not be so haunted."
Haiiden didn't reply but then Oscar's cries grew louder once more.
Clem hushed Oscar as she began to rock him once more, to no avail.
"Everything alright?"
They both turned to see Zed approaching them.
"Kind of," Haiiden replied. "Both of us are still alive."
"That is all I care about," Zed said with a grin. "Come on. It's my turn to be the lookout. Go and rest up with everyone else."
"Thanks, Zed, but I will stay here," Haiiden replied to which Zed looked over at Clem and he replied with a simple nod.
"You need to rest Clem," Haiiden said and he stood up and stepped beside her, before kneeling. "Let me take care of him for now."
"As do you," Clem replied. "You are the one protecting us, you need your strength."
"Don't worry about me," Haiiden insisted as he reached for Oscar and Clem reluctantly handed him over. Showing him how to hold a child properly. For a moment, Haiiden thought it would be easy to care for a child. He saw how some mothers and fathers took care of them when he was out in Vale. However, as he sat down, that was when he realized that he was truly at a loss with what to do with Oscar.
Haiiden tried to rock him but he continued to cry.
"Come on now," Haiiden said in a hushed voice. "You need to rest too. Can't cry all day and night."
The baby paused for a moment and blinked as if reacting to what he was saying but then went back to crying.
"Although, I do understand how you feel," Haiiden continued. "Life has given you a bad hand. You lost your home and you almost lost your mother."
Haiiden brought his legs up and hugged Oscar closer as he cradled him.
"But you have your whole life ahead of you. You will have the opportunity to make many good memories," Haiiden said but was then reminded of his own life. Memories of his own trials as he trained to become a Huntsman. His first year of school with his teammates and friends. Then, memories of his mother and there were plenty of those ones.
Haiiden swallowed nervously as he then had an idea but was reluctant to try it, as he pulled off his glove slowly.
He never understood the use of his Semblance. All he understood was that it allowed him to see a person's soul, a power he inherited from his mother. However, its second application is what confused him about the entire thing.
Haiiden sighed as he watched Oscar look up at him, his cries momentarily stopped but he could tell he was on the verge of bursting into tears once more.
"Do not deny your Semblance. Many people believe it to be a tool, but I believe it to be more personal than that. It defines our very being and even shapes who we will be. Yours especially."
Haiiden closed his eyes and then, he laid his bare hand on Oscar's cheek and began to caress him the same way his mother had. Exactly, as she had as he then poured his Aura into his hand, which in turn activated his Semblance, and opened his eyes when he heard silence.
Oscar froze just as Haiiden's hand touched his cheek and looked around curiously. The sight made Haiiden laugh as he too was curious as to why his Semblance acted like this. It allowed him to see another person's soul, so it also made him wonder: why did it also allow him to interact with people in this way?
"Does that I mean I have two Semblances?" Haiiden remembered asking his mentor, Ozpin, after having first met Zed and their Aura's interacted with one another for a brief moment, and how it allowed him to see one of his memories.
"From our understanding about Semblances, a person can only have one." He remembered Ozpin reply.
"So why can I see a person's soul as well as their memories?" Haiiden asked.
"That is a good question but it is one I cannot answer to the fullest. All I can offer is our current knowledge of Semblances as a whole. It has been recorded, in some instances, that if one continues to train their Semblance, and hone its abilities, they may discover a secondary application. It does not mean it's a second Semblance, but rather to put it in other words, two parts of a whole." Ozpin continued.
"I don't understand, Mister Ozpin. How is seeing a person's memory the same as seeing their soul?" Haiiden asked.
"One may argue that our experiences, our memories, are part of our very soul and being. The things that shape who we are and what we will become, ranging from acts of love and affection to tragedies filled with loss and destruction. We hold these memories close to us and in the end, become a part of us; whether we know it or not."
He remembered how his mom used to caress his cheek when he would lay his head on her lap. It was a warm and soft touch, and she often used her Aura and it tickled as it interacted with his own. This was one of his happier memories.
"See that?" Haiiden asked playfully. "It's my memory. Despite the fact that I lived in the middle of nowhere, and had only my mother, I can say that I was honestly and truly happy."
Oscar only responded by waving his arms and cooing as he stared up at Haiiden.
Curious to her reaction, Haiiden looked up at Clem to see that she had fallen fast asleep. He was glad that she was able to find momentary peace.
At that moment, his eyes felt heavy and he cradled the child a little closer before dozing off.
0-RWBY-0
It was a quiet morning as Haiiden alongside Clem and yet, Haiiden could feel a certain energy come from the convoy, one he could only describe as renewed hope. Perhaps the rest was what they needed or maybe it was the added fact that Oscar had stopped crying, which finally allowed the rest of the villagers to calm their nerves.
However, Haiiden looked on curiously as the convoy in front of them came to a stop.
"Wait here," Haiiden said to Clem, as he ran to the front of the convoy.
"I'll keep watch here," Zed said as he jumped out of the bed of a truck and approached Clem and watched over her, as well as the rear of the convoy.
Haiiden ran towards the front of the caravan, only to notice that Jet's truck has gotten stuck in the mud. The tires only dug deeper as they attempted to accelerate forward. Haiiden wanted to say: I told you so, but in this case, as they have already lost time with their break and they cannot afford any more setbacks.
Haiiden removed the shawl around his neck and handed it to a nearby villager as he then began to push the truck alongside Jet's bodyguards.
"Sir," Vaughn said in a hushed voice but then recoiled as the truck began to kick up mud. "Sir, we cannot linger here for long, we have to move."
"I realize that Vaughn," Haiiden said as he continued to push but paused as everyone heard the distant shrieks of the horde. They were much closer than the day before, which made Haiiden stop what he was doing and he turned to Vaughn. "What do you suggest we do?"
"I suggest we just leave the truck," Vaughn replied, only for Haiiden to start scratching the back of his head.
"He is not going to like that but I have to agree," Haiiden replied and turned before walking around to the front of the truck, only to see Jet sitting in the passenger seat.
"Jet, I am sure you are aware of our situation," Haiiden said.
"I am aware but once we start moving again, we will be fine," Jet replied, but this time, Haiiden could tell he was a bit worried.
"I promise that in the end, we will be fine but that means we have to leave your belongings," Haiiden replied, to which Jet shot a glance over at him.
"I will do no such thing," Jet exclaimed.
"We cannot afford to stay here any longer," Haiiden reasoned.
"Then hurry up and get us moving," Jet hissed and Haiiden grit his teeth in response but was startled once more as the horde collectively shrieked once more.
Haiiden then had an idea, but it frustrated him slightly which caused him to slam his palm into the truck's passenger door. He turned then stepped towards the rest of the convoy to address them.
"We cannot stay here any longer," Haiiden announced. "The horde is moving in now and may have already caught a whiff of us-"
His speech was interrupted as roars nearly deafened him, and he looked up to see the Grimm already coming down on them from the hills above.
"Defensive positions," Iole instructed to his team as he stood on the hood of another truck in the convoy and deployed his crossbows. The rest of his team, wielding a spear, a flail which burned with Red Dust and Alani strangely rushed in without a weapon; however, upon closer inspection, Haiiden noticed that her metal arm glowed with Yellow Dust.
"Vaughn, cover us," Haiiden yelled as he and Cecilia rushed in while Vaughn pulled out his rifle and began to fire on the Grimm that would emerge from over the hill.
"Do not let them past us," Haiiden said to Cecilia as they both next to one another, cutting down the Grimm that got past the carefully placed gunshots and bolt fire.
"Already ahead of you," Cecilia replied, her eyes fixated on the advancing Grimm as she then activated her Semblance and summoned a wall of ice as it encased some but provided extra cover for the Huntsmen.
Haiiden rushed in and caught the attention of a few Grimm who encircled him, but he began to perform a carefully choreographed dance, as he switched his attention from one Grimm to another.
With a shield in one hand, Roux parried an attack from a Beowolf which left it staggered and open, allowing him to swing his flail into its knee and bent backwards in an unnatural angle. The Beowolf looked up to see Roux winding up for another attack and before it could react, Roux swung the flail again, detaching the Beowolf's head from its body.
Cole was one for showmanship as he likewise performed a dance of death around him. He spun his spear and would punish the Grimm that would think to test his defenses. Sometimes, they got off lightly with a precise cut and others were not as lucky as one then took a spear into the back of the throat.
Alani was a powerhouse as she fought toe to toe with an Ursa using only her fists and her metal arm. Powered by her Aura, her left hooks did visible damage but her right hooks would then shock the Ursa, leaving it stunned and at its opponent's mercy; for which she showed none, as she another left hook caved in the Ursa's skull.
The number of Grimm subsided and before long they were victorious but Haiiden quickly remembered Clem and he quickly rushed over to find her. The first thing he saw was a Creep being flung into a tree as Zed stalked towards it and began to pummel it into the ground. Once it was dead, Haiiden took a look around but was unable to find Clem and worry began to set in and he approached Zed.
"Hey, Zed, where's Clem?" Haiiden asked but forgot an important detail when it came to interacting with Zed when he was like this. Something he quickly remembered as he then put a shoulder on Zed, who quickly turned and grabbed him.
"Woah, woah, Zed, it's me."
Zed blinked and the haze subsided as he then quickly let go and began to fix Haiiden's coat.
"Sorry mate, you know not to sneak up on me like that," Zed said.
"Sorry, I am so used to my friend Zed that I forget sometimes," Haiiden said with a smile to which Zed grinned slightly. "Where is Clem?"
"Give me a bit more credit than that, mate," Zed said as he then pointed towards a truck behind him and in the bed, was Clem, hiding with the other villagers.
Haiiden then stalked towards the truck, sword still in hand as he then surveyed the area around him, still wary after the fight.
"Is everyone okay?" Haiiden asked as he looked to each villager for confirmation before finally looking at Clem.
"We are well, thanks to you," Clem replied to which the villagers responded with a nod.
"And to you too," Haiiden said as he addressed the other villagers. "Thank you for hiding her."
"Just know that not all of us agree to how we should treat people like Clem," one villager replied. "However, this is probably the only time we can help."
"Thank you," Haiiden said as he then reached a hand to Clem as he then helped her from the truck. Surprisingly, Oscar seemed unphased from the fight and was seemingly happy to see him.
"Hey little guy," Haiiden said as he reached over to pet him.
"Is everything alright up front?" Clem asked.
"I am going to address that now," Haiiden said as Zed once more took over as Haiiden went to the front of the convoy.
"Listen, everyone, we don't have much time," Haiiden announced. "It is clear now that the horde has sensed us and are coming this way. The Grimm we saw now probably got too excited and rushed ahead. It can only get worse from here."
"So then help us move this truck," Jet interrupted, who Haiiden ignored.
"We can't afford to stay here any longer," Haiiden continued but was interrupted as Vaughn approached, followed by Cole, and he whispered into his ear.
"We are almost to Vale, but we have to leave now and we have to double-time it," Vaughn said.
Haiiden then shook his head. "We have to move now. We leave the truck and keep going."
"What?" Jet exclaimed.
"You heard him," Iole said atop the hood of another truck. "No more setbacks, just one final push onto Vale."
The engines roared to life and the first truck went around Jet's, followed by a couple horse-drawn carriages and another truck at the rear.
"You can't just leave me here," Jet pleaded.
"I am not leaving you here," Haiiden finally replied to Jet, however, he was left momentarily confused. "I am leaving your stuff here and now you have to ask yourself an important question: what do you value more? Your belongings, or your life?"
Jet was visibly angry now but sputtered as he tried to reply but then watched as Clem and Zed walked past him.
"It's your choice," Haiiden said and turned away, finally letting out the air that he had been holding. He hoped that Jet would finally get some common sense and follow as he then met up with Clem.
"You didn't really think to leave him behind, did you?" Clem asked, to which Haiiden turned his head back, to see the short, round man trying his best to catch up to the convoy after his guards decided the truck was a lost cause.
"No," Haiiden replied. "If he chose to stay I would go back and just drag him the rest of the way."
The convoy continued to move but tensions were high as the occasional shrieks of the horde can be heard getting closer and closer. They were not moving fast enough, as those not riding in a cart or truck had to go on foot and the trucks matched their speed in order to not leave them behind.
"I can see Vale!" A villager exclaimed and others can be heard chattering excitedly and thanking the gods. Those on foot began to run a bit faster now and the trucks sped up but once more, the now piercing shriek can be heard and even hurt Haiiden's ears.
One villager left the cover of the convoy as he began to run towards Vale's gates, waving his arms.
"Hey! Hey!"
"What is he doing?" Cecilia growled as she ran after him, pushing herself to get to him as fast as she could, her weapon in hand. Then suddenly, he was brought to the ground as a Beowolf pounced on top of him from the tree line. He screamed frantically as the Beowolf wound back to strike but as it came down, its arm fell to the ground. Curiously, the Beowolf looked up only to see a flash of steel as its body was cleaved in half.
"Thank you…!" The man said but was suddenly made to stand up as Cecilia grabbed him by the shirt.
"Idiot! Do not stray too far from the cover of the convoy!" She exclaimed as she shoved him back but then gunshots can be heard and she quickly rushed back to the convoy.
Behind the convoy, the Grimm were emerging from the forests and further down the road. Those with melee weapons made a perimeter behind the convoy while Vaughn and Iole stood back as overwatch, ready to provide cover with their range.
"Kid, how much ammo you got?" Iole asked, to which Vaughn then began to pat down the pockets of his bandolier.
"Not enough," Vaughn replied as he
"Pick your targets well," Iole said with the shake of his head, at which point Vaughn pressed a button, and his weapon came to life as it then transformed into its sniper form. The Red Dust flowing through tubes from the magazine and into the gun's chamber.
The fight started as Vaughn shot first, the bullet flew true as it hit an Ursa in the center of its head, and exploded as it exited from the back.
"Remember everyone," Roux said as he brought up his shield. "Cover one another."
"Do not stray from our defensive line," Cecilia continued as she aimed the tip of her sword towards the Grimm.
"And make sure none of them get past us," Haiiden finished while he stretched out his left arm, and rested the blade on his wrist, as the wall of Grimm came barreling towards them and the Huntsmen began to cut them down.
The battle pulsed as the Huntsmen repelled each wave, only leaving a few seconds respite as another wave came at them. The frequency of each wave became more apparent as the main horde drew closer, to which they began to feel the earth shake. Tactically, the Huntsmen began to fall back to stay near convoy and to get closer to the cover of Vale's walls.
After cutting down a Beowolf, Haiiden turned to see the convoy practically hugging the gates, not moving.
"What is going on?" Cecilia said, as she repelled two Creeps and killed them both with a single strike from her heavy claymore.
Quickly, Haiiden reached for his Scroll and called for Vaughn, taking a moment to defend himself against a Grimm that noticed his distraction.
"Vaughn!" Haiiden exclaimed and defended himself and once the threat was eliminated, he turned his attention back to his Scroll momentarily. "Vaughn, what is going on? Why aren't they opening the gates?"
"They can see the size of the horde and fear that by opening the gates, they would let them in," Vaughn replied and a second after, Haiiden heard a gunshot from Vaughn's rifle as he shot a Beowolf that snuck behind Haiiden.
"The cities militia will do its best to provide cover from the walls," Vaughn finished and at that point, Haiiden heard the air crackle as Vale's militia began to rain down fire on the Grimm with light machine gun fire and automated turrets.
The smaller Grimm was picked apart, while the larger Grimm simply shielded themselves and pressed forward but then, something parted the trees in the distance; what emerged was a Deathstalker and in the distance, the alarms in Vale began to wail.
Haiiden took a deep breath, fatigue had begun to set in but they had to just hold out a little more.
"Do you think you'd be able to hold the line without me for a moment?" Alani asked.
"We can try," Cecilia said. "Why? Are you seriously thinking about fighting it yourself? It's too dangerous without cover!"
"I won't be by myself, and if any the larger Grimm gets past us and get to the convoy, then it will be a bloodbath," Alani said as Cole backed her up. "We have to stop them here."
Haiiden nodded and as the two left, the remaining Huntsman closed ranks while still trying their best to hold the perimeter. The militia did their best to thin out the horde but the smaller Grimm were easy to deal with, it's the bigger ones that caused more trouble for the Huntsmen on the ground.
Haiiden wished that this was as simple as a search and destroy mission, then things would have been a bit easier. However, now they are protecting people and he knew could not just go out and cut down the Grimm, as a momentary lapse in his attention would mean some would get through.
He picked his targets carefully, cutting down those that were charging and ignoring those that would try to get around him; as they ended up being shot by Vaughn and Iole as soon as they got past the line.
Ahead of them, Cole and Alani were busy trying to take out the Deathstalker as Alani jumped up onto its head; she slammed her fist into its head and electrocuted it, however, the Deathstalker swung its tail and knocked her off.
Iole quickly noticed and realized that the Deathstalker was preparing to strike with its claws. He turned his attention from the line and began to fire ice bolts at the Deathstalker, freezing its claws in place to which the weight caused the claw to fall to the ground.
Alani managed to stand and regain her footing and once more jumped on top of the Deathstalker. Running up its body and to its tail, using her momentum as she quickly ran along its length and grabbed its stinger and using her weight, she brought it down on top of its head.
The Deathstalker did not die immediately, instead, writhing in pain as shrieking all while its mandibles clacked together. To finish it off, Cole jumped and aimed his spear down on top of the stinger, pinning it down until the Deathstalker stopped struggling.
The cities defenses proved true as even Nevermores flew over the battlefield but were quickly shot down by the automated defenses and the diligent militia.
"Damn it," Zed exclaimed, his hair became messy as he then turned his attention to Vaughn. "Vaughn! Tell them to open the bloody gates!"
"They say they will not open the gates, at least until the larger Grimm are taken care off," Vaughn said as he continued to methodically fire his rifle.
Zed growled as he then ran towards a King Taijitu that was quickly slithering its way to them but raised its twin heads as Zed ran at him. One head lunged but missed as Zed quickly rolled under its attack but was then quickly met with the second head.
However, the second head was struck down as Cecilia attacked from above and drove her blade into the top of its mouth and pinned it to the ground. It struggled to get up and when Cecilia freed it, she severed its head.
As the first head attempted to avenge its twin head by lunging at Cecilia, Zed grabbed its tough hide, managing to pinch some of it and pulled. It flung back onto the ground, being held down in place as Cecilia drove her sword into its top jaw, pinning it, while Zed grabbed its lower jaw; Semblance activated, and with bestial strength, Zed pulled on the lower jaw, splitting the mouth wide open and continued to pull until the body split down the neck.
"Nice job, you two." Zed heard and his ears perked up as he turned to see Haiiden still fighting against the Grimm. However, once they were cut down, he turned his attention back to Zed.
"Now get back, we need you here," Haiiden exclaimed and with a nod, both Zed and Cecilia returned to their defensive positions. At that moment, screams were heard as Alani was pinned to the ground and an Ursa managed to get a hold of her metal arm and tore it off.
Zed quickly rushed forward and hopped on its back, grabbing the Ursa in a choke-hold before it can bring its jaws on Alani. The Ursa reared back as Zed pulled on its neck, forcing it to stand on two legs and with a quick jerk, Zed broke its neck.
Once the Ursa was dead, Zed went for Alani who was trying to grasp at what was left of her arm.
"Damn it," Alani said through clenched teeth. "I liked that arm…"
"Roux," Cole said, as he wrapped an arm around his tired companion, who was now on one knee, and lifted him to his feet. "Fall back, you won't be any use to us dead."
"Open the gates already!" Iole yelled angrily as he shot a glare at one of the militiamen.
"Open the gates, just enough to let them through!" The guard said and with a groan, the metal gates began to open but just enough to let one truck or cart to funnel through.
"Fall back everyone," Iole said as he hopped off the truck and began to advance on the line and provide them cover. However, he began to notice how many bolts were left on his crossbows.
Slowly, Haiiden and his team began to retreat towards the gates and from the rear, Vaughn kept silent watch over them. One Beowolf there and an Ursa here but then in the distance was a peculiar sight. Everyone watched in horror as a Goliath, perhaps a young one that heard the fighting and strayed from the pack, began to carve a path down the road; pushing aside any trees that stood in its way and trampling any Grimm that was not smart enough to give way.
"Hurry," Iole said as he began to fire the last of his ice bolts over the Grimm and at the Goliath. They impacted and exploded into chunks of ice but did not slow it down. Cecilia likewise attempted to cast an ice wall to slow down the giant Grimm, but it only reared its head and smashed through the wall.
Without thinking, Vaughn ejected his current magazine and rifled through his pockets until he found one in particular simply labeled: SABOT.
A strange mix, Vaughn thought, as he remembered how day and night, he would try to craft this specialized ammo. He resolved only to use it during emergencies and he guessed this was a good time as any.
"Get the automated turrets on that Goliath," Vaughn shouted to the militia as he slammed the magazine into his rifle and it glowed with a silver and blue hue. "Slow it down as much as possible."
A truck and a couple carts made it through the gates but there were still more villagers outside, and the Grimm began to close in as the Huntsman began to retreat.
Vaughn remembered a lesson in Professor Ports classroom. How a Goliath, while sturdy and resilient, was learned to have a single weakness in its bone-white armor. Just between the eyes, was a metaphorical weak link in the chain.
Vaughn raised his rifle and took aim before he fired. This particular ammo flew at subsonic speeds and struck the Goliath which recoiled its head slightly but Vaughn noticed the shot had missed its target. He pulled back on the bolt and felt the heated gasses vent into the open air and he closed the bolt and fired again.
This shot went wide and ricocheted from the Goliath's mask. Once more, Vaughn loaded another shot and took aim and this shot hit a little closer to home but missed as the round simply splashed upon impact.
Cecilia created another wall to slow the Goliath but her strength waned and the wall that formed was weak, and the Goliath broke through with ease. It was now in the clearing right before the gates and Vaughn held his breath and pulled the trigger.
The shot penetrated between the eyes and made the Goliath's head jerk from side to side as the SABOT round began to bounce around in its head. It tripped up and fell head first as its tusks dug into the ground and flipped the body forward and landed on its back.
"Nice shot Vaughn!" Haiiden exclaimed happily.
The villagers were almost inside, as only a handful remained but they quickly funneled through as the carts and trucks were inside. Unable to hold the gates open any longer, the Militia began to close which only left moments for the Huntsman to make it. One by one they walked through as their window drew narrower when finally, Cecilia and Haiiden were left. Cecilia, however, tripped up but was quickly brought to her feet and thrown inside, leaving Haiiden just enough room to barely make it through.
The gates closed with a loud thud behind them and everyone heard the whirring as the magnetic locks shut. However, the Grimm barreled into the door and began to pound in it which caused the gates to visibly shake.
More militia began to run into towers that stood on both sides of the gate and then the eager shrieks of the Grimm turned silent as the militia began to open fire through slits outside of the gates.
Fatigued, and breathing heavily, Haiiden began to look around at not only at the militia, whose members who fought during the main engagement were tired and on their knees on the ground but also his team; likewise, they sat slumped on the ground with their backs to walls.
The fighting was over, and Haiiden took in a gulp of air as he then sheathed his sword and turned towards villagers. During the chaos of the fighting, he knew that he couldn't have always kept on eye on them and he began to worry; and so, went through the crowds to make sure everyone was okay.
"Everyone here?" Haiiden asked as he placed a hand on one person who looked back at him momentarily and then turned their attention back to their families as they happily embraced one another. Happy to have survived such an ordeal.
The rest of HAVC watched as one by one, Haiiden went to each villager and to check on them personally. Once he was finished, he stood in the center of the villagers but was still distraught.
"Hey mate," Zed said as he stood up and approached him with a tired limp. "Everything okay?"
"Everyone isn't here," Haiiden said, as he frantically looked around.
"Who?" Zed said, his eyes widened in shock.
"Clem," Haiiden sputtered as he then walked off in search of her. He closed his eyes for a moment and called upon his Semblance and opened them, but it did not seem to help. Instead, everyone looked the same in his eyes and he spun around as he carefully surveyed the area.
However, something caught his eye as two white lights huddled close together were slowly drawing further away, and he saw that it leads into an alleyway.
He quickly ran towards the alley's entrance and walking down, was Clem, wearing the covering that Zed had given her as a makeshift hood.
"Clem, wait," Haiiden said as he ran after her.
"You have done your part, child," Clem said in a hushed voice as Haiiden finally caught up with her. "Please, leave me."
"Where are you going?" Haiiden asked.
"The Council knows that I was once a resident of this village and they will send representatives to ask questions," Clem continued. "I cannot be here when that happens and must be as far away as I can. I don't want your sacrifice to be in vain if I am simply thrown out again."
"There must be something I can do to help," Haiiden stammered.
"You have given me more than I can ask for, child," Clem said as she turned a bit more towards him, peering at him from the corner of her eye. "Remember when I said, that before you came to our village, I had given up hope?"
Haiiden silently nodded.
"I honestly believed that my fate at the hands of the Grimm would be justice for dooming others to the same fate," Clem continued. "I have likewise hurt you, and yet, you chose to save me. You have given me a new outlook on life, a second chance."
Haiiden did not know how to respond, and instead, he stood silently.
"I will never forget your kindness," Clem said as she finally turned away. "Thank you."
Haiiden looked back at her as she continued to walk away, resigned, he likewise turned around and walked off.
But then, Clem stopped.
"I am sorry, child, but I don't believe I have asked for your name," Clem said as she turned around, only to see no one there.
Clem sighed then turned once more and as she made it to the end of the alleyway, she could feel a presence nearby.
"Clementine Rosseau."
Clem jumped and turned towards the voice, holding her child close but then a wave of calm wash over her as she saw the soft yet aged face, of Headmaster Ozpin, smiling at her.
0-RWBY-0
Haiiden emerged from the alleyway to see the villagers now surrounding the Huntsmen that saved them. A medical team came, as well as a mechanic, and took Alani and rode her off to the nearest hospital. Many thanked Iole and his team for their hard and diligent work, as well as the rest of HAVC, who were bashful at the sudden praise that they were receiving.
"I believe congratulations, are in order."
Haiiden heard as he turned to see the stone-faced Glynda Goodwitch and standing behind her were the battle-ready CFVY, SSSN, and DASL.
"I guess," Haiiden replied as his gaze then fell upon the girl he called Lady.
"I guess the name 'Hero' really does suit you," Lady said with a smile as she then looked back at the villagers.
Likewise, Haiiden turned back towards the villagers. Parents hugging their children, the elderly finally able to find rest after such travel and even Jet was happy, despite having lost much of his wealth.
It was at the tip of his tongue but, Haiiden felt, at least for a moment, that he may be getting closer to finding his own reasons for becoming a Huntsman.