(AU: For personal reasons, I have decided to change my name on this website. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
It had been a day since CFVY had come back from their mission to Mt. Glenn and once they finally made it to their dorm, all four of them went straight for their beds. To which HAVC then agreed it was best to let them rest before they were to recount their experiences.
The next day, they finally got up and with permission from Professor Goodwitch, Haiiden and Cecilia carried trays filled with plates of food from the Academy's dining hall and towards CFVY's dormitory. Their tried to get back as quickly as they can to not miss any details, and much to their dismay, they had already started.
"How many do you think there were?" Vaughn asked as he listened attentively.
"More than we can count," Fox replied said with a yawn as he then noticed Haiiden and Cecilia and stood up to take his breakfast.
"Sorry, what did we miss? How was the mission?" Haiiden asked as he handed Fox his meal.
"Not what you would expect," Coco replied as she rolled her shoulder forward, still sore from the day before.
"There were just so many of them," Velvet replied with a shiver.
"Awww, too bad I wasn't there, I would have protected you," Zed joked to which Velvet initially glared at him before she then smiled and motioned towards Yatsuhashi.
"I had him the whole time, I was alright," Velvet replied.
Haiiden and Cecilia began to pass around plates to each team member and ending with Yatsuhashi, who didn't notice the plate as he sat, cross-legged, and meditating.
In front of him, was a long piece of rolled-up cloth, tied together with two bits of rope at each end. Haiiden concluded that whatever this object was, it helped him center himself.
"What do have there, Yatsuhashi?" Haiiden asked as he sat next to Fox, across from Yatsuhashi, who opened his eyes and did a double-take between the cloth and Haiiden before he shook his head.
Haiiden nodded as he knew that would be all that he would get out of Yatsuhashi, as he then returned to his meditation.
"Leave him alone," Coco said. "He fought really hard when we were down there. He deserves to relax."
"But honestly, I hadn't seen him like that before… he just kept charging into large groups of Grimm; he was unstoppable," Coco then whispered.
"Literally," Fox added. "We could hardly keep up and even Doctor Oobleck had a hard time trying to reign him in."
"A big guy like him? I bet," Zed joked to which Cecilia slapped him up-side the head.
"Oobleck wanted to keep looking around, curious as to why there were so many Grimm in the area all of a sudden but when he finally agreed that things were getting too hot, even our ride felt uncomfortable landing. So, when we weren't fighting, we did our best to lie low," Coco continued.
"It's been a while since anyone really inhabited Mt. Glenn, that even giant Grimm had begun to move in," Coco added.
"Oobleck believed that the Grimm were riled up by something but we couldn't figure out what. There was nothing there," Velvet commented. "I couldn't ask what though, as we had to constantly deal with the Grimm."
"Well, I managed to ask Oobleck," Fox admitted as he stopped mid-meal. "And he an idea that the Grimm are attracted to Mt. Glenn but I couldn't quite understand what he was talking about… Something about some kind of 'residual energy'."
"What does he mean?" Cecilia asked.
"He explained that it means that when there is a high concentration of negative emotions, that it actually lingers there after a while," Fox continued. "That the fall of Mt. Glenn was so catastrophic, that the Grimm are attracted to the fear and dismay that took place there."
"I have heard something along those lines from Oobleck too," Haiiden said. "However, he admitted he didn't have much evidence for this."
"As much as I would like to believe that," Coco said, her expression sullen as her ears flopped to the side. "I can't help but feel that there was more to it than that."
"Yeah," Fox said as he narrowed his eyes. "I couldn't shake this feeling that it wasn't just the Grimm that was watching us."
Zed's ears then perked up which Haiiden noticed.
"So, you think that someone was there in Mt. Glenn with you?" Zed asked, which made Haiiden even more curious.
"No one in their right mind would just come to Mt. Glenn, Zed," Velvet replied.
"Right, right," Zed replied and turned away to think.
"In any case," Haiiden said. "We are glad you made it back in once piece."
"Thanks, however, as tough as it was, it was nice taking the fight to the Grimm for once," Coco replied, to which Fox then pumped his fist into the air as continued his meal.
"Just a shame that we missed the dance," Coco then added. "We worked so hard on it."
"How was the dance, by the way?" Velvet asked.
"You better have worn that outfit we got you, Haiiden," Coco said as she glared at him.
"I did, and it was great," Haiiden said, as he remembered his dance with Lumina, which made him smile.
"Yeah, he met a pretty bird from Haven," Zed said as he nudged Haiiden's shoulder and flashed his usual grin.
"A lot of your ideas were incorporated but after we heard that you were not going to make it on time, Headmaster Ozpin handed the responsibility of planning the dance to a member of Team RWBY," Cecilia said.
"Yeah, she was helping us plan it along the way," Coco said. "I told Ozpin that she was helping me when I was updating him on our progress and I guess he felt it appropriate to allow her to take over."
"Well, you two did great," Vaughn said.
"Well, if you liked it, then I know it was good, thanks Vaughn," Coco said with a smile.
"Now! We need to take you out some time during the breaks," Zed said as he stood up, pumped at his own idea as he hopped on the balls of his feet. "Just a small party with only us, to make up for the missed dance."
"That's not a bad idea, you guys deserve to have some fun after the mission," Haiiden agreed.
"Yeah, but for right now, I'm beat," Coco said with a yawn as she lay back on the bed. "That mission took a lot out of us."
"Sure thing," Haiiden replied as he stood up with his team. "We will see you later and we can plan it then."
CFVY nodded as they handed their empty plates over to Vaughn, who then stacked them neatly on top of a tray.
However, just as they set out to leave, Zed suddenly stopped.
"Where is Doctor Oobleck anyway?" Zed asked, turning back to face CFVY as he stood in the doorway.
"He went back to Mt. Glenn with another team," Coco said with a cocked brow as she got up to address Zed.
"Do you know who he went with?" Zed asked inquisitively which only made Haiiden more curious.
"Yeah, he went with Team RWBY. In fact, before we met up with you, we saw them off," Velvet replied.
"Last I checked, wasn't the mission restricted to second years and above?" Haiiden asked, now a little concerned.
"Yeah, but they said that Headmaster Ozpin had given them special permission to go on the mission because of a lack of interest," Velvet continued.
"Huh," Haiiden said, surprised but then nodded his head. "Ozpin must have a high opinion of them then to break the rules in that way."
"He broke a lot of rules with you too," Coco said, her sunglasses lowered as she peeked over the rim at Haiiden. "Don't forget."
"Yeah, yeah," Haiiden replied with a smirk before he waved dismissively.
As they closed the door behind them, Haiiden turned to Zed and stared at him as they began to walk down the hallway.
"Everything alright, mate?" Zed asked as he tilted his head.
"You tell me," Haiiden said, which drew the attention of the twins, to which Zed simply shrugged.
"Just something that they said that had me a bit curious," Zed replied.
"Is that all?" Haiiden said. "It didn't seem too far out of the ordinary."
"You sure?" Zed asked as he stopped in the middle of the corridor. "Grimm just come out of nowhere in massive droves and that is not something to be worried about?"
"I mean, yeah," Haiiden said with a shrug, as he then looked over at the twins who only responded with a shrug. "I'll admit that I am a bit worried considering that they are first years but if Ozpin trusts them, then I do too. Besides, they have Oobleck with them and it's not like they are protecting a village or something."
"That's not what I meant," Zed said as he stopped in front Haiiden and glared at him intently.
Haiiden noticed his eyes flash orange.
"Okay, Ill bite, whats up?" Haiiden asked, and looked over Cecilia and Vaughn and invited them in to huddle in front of Zed.
Zed paused a moment to look around to which Haiiden realized that Zed was scouting to make sure no one was within earshot.
"Listen, I have been talking to Blake," Zed whispered.
"Oh boy," Cecilia said with a hushed growl and rolled her eyes. "I know where this is going…"
"Your friend from the White Fang?" Vaughn asked.
"What did she say?" Haiiden asked as he crossed his arms.
"Well, last time we met, she believed that the White Fang might be based somewhere in Eastern Vale," Zed said.
"Guess what else is east?"
Haiiden simply stared at Zed, knowing that he would give him the answer.
"Mt. Glenn."
Haiiden did not expect that and was taken aback.
"You think the White Fang are in Mt. Glenn?" Haiiden asked.
"After hearing what CFVY told us about Mt. Glenn, I am sure," Zed replied with a grin.
"I am curious as to how you got to that conclusion," Vaughn replied.
"Me too," Haiiden added.
"I was reminded of Professor Port's class, and how there are studies that show that the Grimm seem to be mostly congregating in areas with a significant population of people," Zed explained.
"Wow, you really do pay attention in class," Cecilia said, dumb-founded, with a surprised Vaughn and Haiiden standing by, speechless.
"Hey, I respect the sciences," Zed said with a cheeky grin.
"Keep going, Zed," Haiiden said as he became increasingly curious as well as worried.
"So, if there were enough people, let's say: the population of a village. Then said village has been known to use guerilla tactics which means hiding themselves well…" Zed continued.
Haiiden and the twins listened intently as Zed gauged their reactions.
"I don't know how, but maybe the White Fang have hidden themselves in Mt. Glenn, and in such numbers that its beginning to attract the Grimm," Zed concluded.
"And you think Blake and her team are aware that they are there?" Haiiden asked.
"Knowing her, I am sure she may have concluded that too," Zed answered, his expression now softened as he stared at Haiiden who thought on this new information.
There was a moment of silence as Cecilia and Vaughn exchanged glances with one another then everyone looked over at their team captain. Haiiden was silent all while Zed looked at him expectedly.
"As much as I don't want to get into this again, I believe we should help them," Haiiden finally said and upon hearing this, Zed's fox ears shot straight up.
"I knew you would say that," Zed said excitedly. "I was worried I would have to go by myself."
"We wouldn't let you do that, Zed."
Zed turned to face Cecilia who was now standing with her arms crossed.
"One way or another, we wouldn't have let you go off alone," Cecilia said with a sigh as she then glanced over at Haiiden, looking at him from top to bottom. "Are you sure you want to get into this again?"
"This isn't just about Zed anymore," Haiiden replied assuredly, his back straight and shoulder broadened as he addressed his team.
"I am sure RWBY would be fine on their own, under normal circumstances, but if CFVY had a hard time dealing with this many Grimm and now they have the White Fang to worry about, then we are obligated as not only Huntsmen but as fellow students to help."
Cecilia nodded and turned to her brother for his response and without hesitation, he also nodded.
"Now here comes the million-lien question: how do we get to Mt. Glenn?" Vaughn asked. "All entrances have been collapsed and the railway has been discontinued and is heavily guarded."
"I think I know a way," Zed said with a sly grin.
"Meet up in the foyer in ten minutes," Haiiden said and just as quickly as ordered, the four teammates split up and Haiiden began to run back to his dorm to retrieve his sword.
He didn't even take the time to attach the scabbard to his belt and instead began to run down the halls, sword in hand; and as he turned the corner, he skidded to a halt…
In front of him, was Professor Goodwitch.
"Now, Haiiden, where are you off to in such a hurry?" Professor Goodwitch asked as she looked down at Haiiden sternly. "Remember what I said about running in the halls?"
"Yes, Professor Goodwitch," Haiiden said as he began to sidestep around Glynda who had her eyes glued to him the entire time. Once he realized he was still carrying his sword, he made no attempt to hide it and instead smiled sheepishly.
"Uhh," Haiiden muttered. "Me and the team… are going to go and practice a little."
"Practice," Professor Goodwitch repeated as she likewise began to side step around Haiiden. "Practice what exactly?"
"You know, to fight," Haiiden said. "Cecilia would like a rematch after our last duel but this time, it's just gonna be for fun."
"I thought by now that you would be with Team CFVY," Professor Goodwitch commented.
"Yeah, we were but they fought hard and then we left them alone to rest up a bit more," Haiiden said. "We always have time to hang out."
Professor Goodwitch narrowed her eyes at Haiiden before she simply turned around and began to walk off.
"Just no running in the halls, Haiiden," Professor Goodwitch concluded.
"Yes, Professor, I'm sorry," Haiiden said with a bow of his head and began to power-walk down the halls and when he was no longer in sight of Goodwitch, he began to sprint.
0-RWBY-0
Already there waiting for him, Zed was pacing in the foyer and once he noticed Haiiden, he met with him.
"Finally," Zed said.
"What? I came as quickly as I could," Haiiden said and at that moment, Cecilia and Vaughn appeared with weapons in hand.
"Okay, so what is your plan to get to Mt. Glenn?" Vaughn asked curiously.
"Come on," Zed said as he beckoned for everyone to follow as he led them down to the school's landing area. There were Bullhead's parked on various pads, some with their engines off and with others idle and ready to take off.
The others already realized that Zed had planned to fly there but were curious as to how they would convince one of the pilots to fly them there. Especially since they would need clearance from the school's ATC.
Zed picked one in particular and jogged his way up before he then jumped into the Bullhead's cabin.
"Hey, Leaven," Zed said only for the pilot, an Owl-Faunus with back-swept hair, to quickly look back at him.
"Zed?" The surprised Faunus asked as he stared at him with yellow eyes. "What are you doing in here?"
"Oh, no reason in particular," Zed said as he then sat in the co-pilot seat and looked over at Leaven. "How is that pretty bird, Prim, by the way?"
Leaven then chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
"She is quite the lady Zed I actually proposed and she even said yes!" Leaven replied with sheepish excitement, only to be surprised once more by the rocking of his VTOL as the rest of HAVC entered the cabin and stared at him expectedly.
Leaven looked back at them, his eyes darting to each team member before looking back at Zed, who grinned back at him.
"Listen, you are one of the best pilots I know and I really didn't want to do this," Zed said as he leaned in towards Leaven. "But I am calling in that favor when I was your wingman and set you up with Prim."
"Uh," Leaven replied, now even more confused as he then leaned in to whisper to Zed. "Yeah, uh, sure. What can I do for you?"
"We need a ride," Zed simply stated. "It's a bit of an emergency."
"Did you make any plans with the Headmaster or the flight-master?" Leaven asked. "If it's an emergency I don't see why you needed to come to me directly."
"This is a more of a… off the record emergency," Zed replied as he held his grin. "We need to be kinda discreet."
"You do realize this thing is anything but discreet?" Leaven asked incredulously as he placed a palm on the console of the Bullhead, slowly petting it.
"Yeah, I know," Zed said as he feigned an ignorant smile.
Leaven then shook his head and stared at the metal floor of the cabin.
"I don't know Zed, I can lose my job," Leaven said.
"Don't worry, you can just tell the flight-master or Ozpin that we coerced you to," Zed said as he pointed to his team who simply sat passively.
"Wouldn't be the first time we used that excuse," Haiiden admitted.
"And you?" Leaven asked towards the twins. "You okay with this?"
"I follow my captain; if he says we threatened you, then we threatened you," Cecilia said as she glared at the Faunus, her words filled with ice all while Vaughn nodded in agreement.
Leaven swallowed before he then let out a reluctant sigh.
"Okay, where to?" Leaven asked.
"I will only tell you if you agree to help us," Zed replied.
"I think I just did," Leaven replied coyly.
"No, you asked where are we going," Zed countered, to which Leaven shook his head and activated the engines on the Bullhead and as he took off, the radio came to life.
"OW12-5, this is an unauthorized departure, may I ask what you are doing? Over," The ATC asked over the comms.
"Just going out for a bit of practice. You know, a leisurely flight. Over," Leaven said over the comms and he looked nervously at Zed who tilted his head and urged him to keep going.
"OW12-5, are you out of your mind? Over," The ATC responded.
"I am sorry, I am breaking up," Leaven said as he then began to stutter and finally, imitate white noise which Vaughn cocked a brow at. Leaven then turned off the radio and looked back at Zed once more.
"I swear, if anything happens, don't be afraid to blame me," Zed assured.
"This better be important Zed," Leaven said as he then took a deep breath. "Okay, where to?"
"Mt. Glenn," Haiiden said to which Leaven turned back to him, and then back to Zed.
"Mt. Glenn?" Leaven exclaimed. "Zed, are you insane?"
"I think even someone who is classified as insane would not dare enter Mt. Glenn," Vaughn replied instead.
"Huh," Leaven said with a nervous nod as he then turned his head forward and flew the Bullhead. "Can I at least ask what's so important at Mt. Glenn?"
"We have friends there and a faculty member who are in danger and may need some assistance," Zed replied.
"Okay, that sounds like the kind of emergency that shouldn't be discreet," Leaven said with a shake of his head.
"See that's the thing, we think the White Fang is operating in Mt. Glenn and if we were to bring this up the faculty, they wouldn't believe us," Haiiden said as he peeked into the cockpit.
"Even I don't believe you," Leaven said.
"Yet, you are still flying," Cecilia said with the roll of her eyes.
"Only because they will think I am out of my mind if I go back now," Leaven said, worryingly but then narrowed his brows.
"I will only tell you if you agree." He mocked before he then spat on the cabin floor.
0-RWBY-0
After crossing the mountains that acted as a natural barrier between Mt. Glenn and Vale, the Bullhead began to descend onto a ruined building and once it was low enough, HAVC began to jump out.
"Leaven, standby please," Haiiden said, trying to be as polite as possible after tricking him. "If things turn south, we will need a quick ride out of here."
"Make it quick," Leaven said as he scanned the area. "I don't want to be in this gods-forsaken place any longer than I have to."
Haiiden nodded and jumped out after his teammates and as his feet touched the ground, the Bullhead took off high into the sky.
HAVC crouched low to the ground and peeked over the edge of the building only to see the streets of Mt. Glenn teeming with Grimm.
"Let's find Team RWBY and Doctor Oobleck," Haiiden whispered as he backed away. As much as he would like to deal with the Grimm, seeing if RWBY and Oobleck were okay was the first priority.
As quietly as they could, HAVC jumped from roof to roof, careful to not make too much noise to attract the Grimm. However, that proved to be difficult as their vast numbers made it hard to sneak past all of them, and HAVC was forced to dispatch them as quietly as possible.
Even Vaughn refrained from using his rifle, and instead used the blade that he kept hidden in his sleeve. Something was indeed riling the Grimm as CFVY had described, which only forced HAVC to hasten their search.
They caught a whiff of burnt wood, which was subtle but lingered in the air and they went off to find the source. Hidden in the corner of an old apartment complex, was a campfire that had been recently put out.
"Could be their campsite," Vaughn said softly as he examined the campsite. Cans of eaten food were strewn about which made him think that it had been at least a couple hours since RWBY was last here.
"Seems like we just missed them," Haiiden said through his teeth but then the familiar shrieks of the Grimm pierced the air and HAVC instinctively took cover.
They peeked around the broken walls to see what was going on, only to see droves of Grimm storming in one direction. As if something had grabbed their attention…
"Come on, we got to follow them," Haiiden ordered, his hand on his sword as his team followed right behind him and likewise prepared for the worst.
Trying their best to get a birds-eye view of the situation, HAVC kept to the rooftops, helping one another scale each building as they followed the Grimm.
The Grimm, however, were outpacing them and turned a corner but once HAVC likewise turned the same corner, the Grimm were gone and Mt. Glenn went silent.
"What?" Cecilia said, perplexed at the sight.
"Where did they go?" Zed growled in frustration all while Vaughn prepared his rifle.
Haiiden jumped down onto the streets but then stomped his foot and shook his head and frantically scanned the area around him, looking for any avenue where the Grimm might have crawled into.
"Well now, Mt. Glenn seems to be popular recently."
The rest of HAVC quickly followed their leader down onto the streets, weapons at the ready; they stood back to back as they scanned the area around them, looking for the origins of this voice.
"Is this how you greet a fellow person in such a hostile land?"
Vaughn looked up.
"12 o'clock, high," Vaughn said to which the rest of HAVC quickly pivoted on their heels towards Vaughn's direction and noticed a man kneeling on the roof above them.
This man wore a grey suit with a grey tie, and even from this distance, Haiiden noticed a foul stench coming from this man. Like ash, burnt wood, burnt clothes and some unfamiliar scent…
"Maybe you can help us," Haiiden said hesitantly to which Vaughn shuffled towards him, his rifle raised and finger on the trigger.
"Careful, captain," Vaughn said, which worried Haiiden. "Nobody just comes to Mt. Glenn."
"How can I help you?" Said the man as he chuckled manically which was unnerving to HAVC.
"We are looking for someone," Haiiden said, deciding to choose his words carefully.
"Well, you have found someone," the man replied as he then jumped down with ease and began to slowly walk towards HAVC, and as he got closer, they noticed a sword in each hand.
"You better back up," Zed replied, his eyes orange now.
"Come now, it's been a while since I met the company of Huntsmen," the man grinned.
"All I could do was watch the others that passed by here."
The members of HAVC looked to one another and began to back away from the strange man.
"Others?" Haiiden reiterated.
"Oh yes," he replied. "First there was the first that came with Bartholomew-"
"You know Doctor Oobleck?" Cecilia asked.
"Yes, me and him go way back," The man replied as he glared at Cecilia, a bit annoyed that she had interrupted him. "Though, last I saw him, he didn't call himself a 'Doctor'."
HAVC kept quiet.
"Then," he continued. "There was another group that came with him just a couple days later but one of them got caught by my allies here."
"Allies?" Haiiden said but then turned to his teammates. "You think they got RWBY?"
"Ah, so that's what the team was called," the man replied with a wide grin, his eyes widened in excitement. "Yes, my allies. I wouldn't be here on my own if I didn't have a purpose and I do have a purpose here."
"I knew it," Zed said with a hiss. "The White Fang are here."
"Ah," the man replied, his expression turned passive as he stared down Zed. "So, you are here to stop our operations…"
"We are here to help RWBY," Haiiden replied as he stared down this grey man.
"And they are now dealing with my allies in the White Fang," the man replied as he took a step forward. "Which means that if you are here to help your friends, then you are against us."
"Who are you?" Zed growled. "I don't remember you in the White Fang."
"Remember me?" The grey man asked as he squinted his eyes at Zed. "Ah yes, I know you now. You were that deserter that Bane and Adam were talking about."
"Who are you?" Zed exclaimed.
The grey man ignored the question and instead glared at Team HAVC. The jovial attitude he once had was replaced by seething hatred.
"I chalked up the first two teams as a mere coincidence, but now with you here, I know now that you are here to stop our operations," he replied.
HAVC realized that this fight was inevitable and they began to side-step around the man, surrounding him.
"So, Ozpin has been aware of our operations here the whole time," he continued. "He is still as resourceful as ever…"
"Ozpin?" Haiiden asked.
The grey man ignored him and instead, he crouched down, ready to pounce at any moment.
"Sir, please, we are not here to fight you," Haiiden said but was cautious as he likewise lowered his posture, ready to spring into action if need be.
"Oh, trust me," the man grinned. "This will not be a fight…"
Just as he finished the sentence, he kicked forward and swung his swords in a cross-cut formation, aimed at Haiiden's neck.
This man's movements were quick that it almost shocked Haiiden but instinctively kicked forward as well. He saw where the strike was going to which Haiiden leaned back and with his forward momentum, he fell to his knees and slid underneath the swing.
Once he dodged out of the way, Haiiden hopped back up onto his feet and flipped through the air, and drew his sword; he landed on both feet, his weapon at the ready and pointed at his opponent.
"You okay?" Zed asked.
"I am fine," Haiiden said, slightly shaken but then narrowed his eyes at the grey man.
He turned slowly, a grin played across his face but once he was fully facing HAVC, his smile wavered, and he tilted his head.
"What's this now?" The gray man said to himself as he raised his khopesh at Haiiden.
Haiiden felt slightly uncomfortable as he could feel his gaze but then realized it wasn't directed at him, but at his sword.
"Tell me, where did you steal that?" The grey man asked through barred his teeth which he was visibly gritting.
"I didn't steal it," Haiiden replied as he narrowed his eyes, offended at the remark.
The grey man was taken aback and blinked, his eyes darted from side to side as if he was reading his own thoughts.
And then, he smiled.
"Ah," the grey man said with a sigh. "Life is filled with many ironies."
There was a calm as every watched to see who would be the first to act and this time, it was Zed, as he charged forward. However, just as quickly, the man swung with a backhand which made Zed pull out of his attack and instead dodged out of the way. With their opponents back turned, Cecilia and Haiiden went in to assist their team mate; the fight turned into a dance as each party attacked with a flurry of swings as Cecilia went in with strength and ferocity while Haiiden went in gracefully and calculative.
Vaughn kept a close eye on the fight with his rifle, taking shots at the man in between his teammate's swings however, just as the man blocked their attacks, he likewise blocked Vaughn's shots. Every swing and slash from Cecilia, Haiiden and Zed was easily blocked and pushed away before the man began to juggle between each of them.
And as he focused on one opponent, each of them could feel that he was intent on killing them.
Cecilia was forced on the defensive as she blocked his relentless strikes, alternating between his dual khopeshes. She knew she had to buy herself some breathing room and so she called upon her Semblance and with each block, there was an explosion of ice.
In an attempt to counter her, the man's blades burst into flames but each time their blades clashed, the mist that Cecilia's claymore emitted doused the fire. Then, there was an opening, and Cecilia managed to land a hit with the hilt of her claymore, staggering the man.
However, he noticed he could not fall back and when he looked down, he realized his feet were encased in ice. He felt himself be forced onto the defensive and began to block and parry the flurry of attacks that came his way. His body began to be peppered with gunfire from Vaughn in the distance.
"We got him!" Cecilia exclaimed.
Vaughn kept firing, landing hit after hit but then paused a moment as he began to wonder why he was not blocking his shots. Then he realized that as the compound ammunition splashed of the man's Aura, the fire element seemed to disappear and be absorbed into the man. That was also when he noticed a grin played across the man's face as he glared back at Vaughn.
The man erupted into flames, the fire further singed his clothing and the sudden explosion pushed away his attackers. He then connected the hilt of his swords with an electric arc and pulled back on an imaginary string. Cecilia saw that as he pulled back on his bow, a flaming arrow formed between in fingers, aimed at Vaughn.
With a quick swing of her sword, she created a barrier in front of her brother just as he released the arrow; the arrow exploded on impact but the wall stayed tall.
The resulting explosion blew away any residual ice and vapor and were melted away, leaving Cecilia and her opponent dripping from head to toe.
"You still don't get that fire won't work?" Cecilia mocked as she then went in to attack again.
But as she charged in, she felt a crackle in the air…
This time, the man buzzed with electricity and swung with both swords down onto Cecilia, who instinctively blocked; but when they came into contact, the water from her clothes and body conducted the electricity.
Cecilia summoned her Aura to defend her but screamed as the charge was too much for her to handle, leaving her weakened and vulnerable to attack.
Which her opponent took advantage of and once again swung with both swords, launching her towards her ice barrier and depleting her Aura.
The man then looked over at Zed and Haiiden, who watched in horror as he defeated their ally and as she struggled to get back up, but realized that he was going to go for them next.
However, the fight was momentarily interrupted as the Grimm were attracted to the sounds of battle.
"Mate, handle them for me," Zed said, wild-eyed and barring his teeth at the grey man, who simply beckoned him forward as he pointed his sword at him.
Hesitant to leave him alone, Haiiden looked behind him as he went to deal with the Grimm, before turning away.
"She has already shown me what she had under her sleeve," the man said. "Let's see what you got, pup."
Zed could feel his mind racing as he called on his Semblance and just as it kicked in, his mind went blank, save for one thought: to beat this man to a bloody pulp.
Zed went in with a flurry of kicks and punches and unlike before, he went all in and put no thought into his attacks. Even the man had a hard time keeping up, as he was accustomed to Zed trying to take advantage of his momentum and his attacks left him open. However, even with all these openings the man took advantage of, Zed paid no mind to the damage on his Aura.
The man kept prodding at Zed's defenses, slashing and cutting at his arms and legs, the blade's scrapping by and causing his Aura to shimmer. But then, the man was surprised to see Zed grasp him by the wrists and went in for a headbutt with such strength, that he could feel it through his own Aura.
While dazed, Zed grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and began to push him back into Cecilia's barrier, embedding him into the wall. While defenseless, Zed unleashed an onslaught of jabs and punches as each punch only further pushed him into the wall, cracks shaped like spiderwebs only grew larger with each punch.
A jab into the stomach here, a kick there and he even grabbed the man by the hair and further rammed his head into the ice.
Zed knew he had to keep going but he could then feel the fatigue set in, and the haze began to lift, and it was at that point, the man caught one of Zed's punches in his hand.
Shocked, Zed quickly tried to throw another punch with his free hand but that was stopped as the man caught that one too.
"Hehe," The man chuckled manically to himself as he looked Zed dead in the eye. "Oooh, I like that fire but just like your Aura, it can only burn for so long."
The man then swung at Zed's head with his fist and the blows were heavy, as each strike left Zed momentarily disorientated. His Aura cracked and visibly broke as he staggered backwards, but was caught by the man as he grabbed Zed by his tie.
The man pulled Zed back up before grabbing him with his free hand and throwing him into the ice barrier where Zed once had him pinned. Weakened by not only Zed, but also by the fact that Cecilia was no longer able to keep the barrier up, Zed simply smashed through it with no problem.
Haiiden had finished dispatching the Grimm and when he turned around, Zed was nowhere in sight, only the gray man. He stared at Haiiden but unlike the others, he looked at Haiiden with childlike glee.
"This isn't something that you get to experience in a hundred lifetimes," the man chuckled as he twirled his weapon and broke it apart into two swords once more.
Haiiden likewise glared silently at the man as they began to pace around one another, before the man stopped.
"Like mother, like son," the man said.
Haiiden blinked, confused as to what he meant, and the man took this opportunity and charged at him. Haiiden quickly twirled his sword, building up momentum as he began to block and parry incoming attacks; it felt easier than before as now he didn't have to account for his allies but now, he could feel the full strength of this man as he came at him.
Every parry that the two managed to land was met with an attempted riposte that hit nothing. They both did their best to match each other's movements as the man moved with frightening speed but imbalance, while Haiiden took his time and was coordinated.
Mt. Glenn echoed with the clashing of steel as the man alternated between his left and right arm, only for Haiiden to block the incoming attacks using the momentum of his swings while also using his gauntlet as a shield to push the attacks away. However, he could feel his Aura getting weaker, as he still had to defend himself from his enemy also using his own Aura to amplify his strength.
Fatigue began to set in and his breathing heavy, caused a momentary lapse in judgement that allowed the man to finally land a hit on Haiiden which caused him to grimace.
The man felt the impact and continued forward, faster and harder while laughing devilishly, landing one hit after another in rapid succession. Then finally, Haiiden was met with a heavy blow as he tried to defend against another attack which left him open.
The man raised both arms, ready to swing them down, only for Haiiden to step forward and blocked the attack while holding his sword with both hands; one on the handle, and one at the tip of his sword.
Sparks flew from the clashed blades as they locked together, both of whom tried to push against one another in the stalemate. It was then that Haiiden realized that the man's giddy expression softened and as crazy as the man seemed, Haiiden swore that for just a moment, the man seemed lucid.
"I know you are not like the others," the man hissed as he motioned towards his teammates, to which Haiiden looked behind him from the corner of his eye; unbeknownst to the man, Vaughn was helping Cecilia up and quickly pulled her through the hole in her ice barrier, which was beginning to melt.
"They have already played their best hands but that was not enough; they don't understand the potential of their gifts and so they take it for granted," the man continued, to which Haiiden reverted his attention back to him but kept silent.
Once again, they both tried to push at one another but remained in the stalemate.
"But you… you understand the importance of the Soul, the Fire," the man hissed once more and Haiiden could feel his heart racing. How did he know? Who is he?
"It is the one thing that separates us from mere beasts and most importantly: the Grimm. The clash between light and dark. Good and evil. However, things are never that simple and in actuality, turn out to be much greyer."
They both pushed against one another again, this time the both staggered back momentarily but managed to catch their footing and came at one another again.
Just as before, this ended in a stalemate as they pushed against one another.
"It is why your Semblance doesn't have a physical manifestation like the rest of them," the man continued. "You see much more than mortal man; you see what makes us who and what we are. It transcends race, creed and faith."
"And so, I ask you: what will stop me from simply killing off your friends now?"
Haiiden grit his teeth as he tried harder and used the last of his strength to push against his opponent, but he wouldn't budge, to which the man took advantage and knocked Haiiden to the ground.
At that moment, there was a clicking in the air that drew the man's attention but then there were bursts of calculated gunfire aimed at him. The man was momentarily surprised as the shots were coming from the other side of the wall. He had no trouble blocking the shots but he had a hard time pinpointing where the shots were coming from until he stopped blocking.
The man let the shots come at him, the rounds splashing off his Aura, as he readied his bow once more. Haiiden saw him pull back on another flaming arrow and released at the barrier, resulting in an explosion and the gunfire stopped.
"What stops me from smothering out their flame, and sending them into the void?" The man said as he turned back and began to step over to Haiiden, who had lost grip of his sword and was reaching out for it; until the man stepped on his hand and pinned it to the ground.
"You have nothing to save you now," the man said calmly. "Or perhaps you will summon new strength to defend your friends?"
The man laughed as Haiiden glared up at him.
"However, I doubt it," the man concluded and raised his sword, ready to deal the final blow all while Haiiden could only watch defiantly.
Then, the ground shook and the sky echoed with the sound of explosions, which even made the grey man stop mid-swing. His eyes darted once again as he read his own thoughts and he growled before looking down at Haiiden once more.
"Lucky for you, that is my cue to leave," the man said as he stepped off of Haiiden's hand and walked off. Now freed, Haiiden reached for his sword and stood up and faced the man once more.
"Or perhaps unlucky, as the Grimm will most likely finish you off now," the man continued. "Such a terrible fate…"
"Who are you?" Haiiden demanded but the man only waved.
"Send my regards to your mother for me," the man said as he began to scale a nearby building and for a moment, Haiiden tried to give chase but froze upon hearing the shrieks of nearby Grimm.
Haiiden stomped on the ground and turned to return to his teammates and saw that the barrier was melting even faster now.
"Cecilia? Vaughn? Zed?" Haiiden called out frantically.
"We are… ugh, fine," Vaughn replied as he picked up Cecilia, all while Zed was leaning against a piece of rubble and holding his side.
Suddenly, Haiiden could feel bloodlust and he quickly turned around and swung. The swing connected and decapitated a Beowolf but that was the least of their problems as a horde of Grimm was right behind it.
"We have to go!" Haiiden said as he ran towards Vaughn to help Cecilia but she shoved them both away and began to run, with Vaughn right behind her.
"Zed, come on," Haiiden said as he then ran to Zed who simply dismissed him with a wave.
"Yeah, yeah," Zed grunted as they both began to run back to where they originally landed.
"Leaven!" Haiiden called on his Scroll.
"Yeah, I heard the explosions! What's going on?" Leaven asked through the comms.
"That doesn't matter now, we need to get out of here," Haiiden replied.
"Uh yeah, I can see that," Leaven said and Haiiden assumed that he could also see the incoming horde as he flew over them. "It's going to be a hot landing, so get here quick!"
The team summoned whatever was left of their strength to burst into a sprint, with Haiiden and Cecilia in front. They began to scale the tallest building in the area and embedded their swords into the walls as they hung off them and stretched their hands to their teammates.
Vaughn allowed Zed to go first, instead opting to provide covering fire behind them, to which Haiiden and Cecilia caught Zed by the hands and launched him up onto the roof.
Vaughn was next and when he was up top, Haiiden and Cecilia followed after him but were met with Grimm that had managed to scale the building with them.
Zed quickly jumped over one and landed on its shoulders, and with a quick motion, he reached down and snapped its neck.
Cecilia and Haiiden likewise dispatched the other Grimm with quick decapitations before Leaven finally began to lower the Bullhead.
"You better hurry! They are already climbing the building!"
Haiiden helped Zed onto the VTOL while Vaughn likewise helped his sister and hopped onto the cabin with her. His legs dangled from the side as he took quick shots at the Grimm that exposed their heads from the edge of the building.
Haiiden likewise jumped on and was ready to cut down any Grimm that got too close as Leaven began to take off. The smaller Grimm stopped once they were out of reach but the larger Grimm were determined and jumped for the Bullhead.
Some had managed to claw into the metal and get a grip on it, which caused the VTOL's weight to shift downward which allowed more to get on.
Without prompting, Haiiden and Cecilia began to swing at the Grimm, with Haiiden even severing the arm of a Beowolf, and watched it fall while the arm simply disappeared.
With the Grimm off the Bullhead, Leaven managed to fly higher and higher, with the teammates holding on until the cabin doors closed.
"Zed! This was too close!" Leaven shouted into the cabin. "What kind of favor was this? If anything, you owe me!"
Zed laid on the cabin floor and waved at Leaven, too tired to speak.
Haiiden and Vaughn went to check on his teammates, one by one, to make sure all of their faculties were in order; once he had confirmed that they were alright, he likewise sat down.
"Its gonna get a bit bumpy, whatever is happening down there, it's attracting a lot of the big Grimm," Leaven mentioned to which Vaughn looked outside and noticed a flock of Nevermore appear as they began to dive into massive holes in Mt. Glenn. Some even began to fly over the mountain barriers and into Vale and while most were shot down by the automated guns, some had managed to make it through.
"Uh, guys," Leaven said which drew the attention of the rest of the team. "You should take a look at this."
Haiiden and his team limped towards the cockpit to get a better look outside, only to be shocked by the sight of Grimm running rampant in the streets. As well as a massive hole in the wall that was built against the mountains bordering Mt. Glenn.
0-RWBY-0
RWBY stood back to back in the middle of a courtyard in Vale, as they got a handle of their situation while were surrounded by various Grimm, led by a King Taiju. Two days of non-stop fighting had left them fatigued and Ruby couldn't help but feel that this was her fault, but with the Grimm now on the doorsteps of Vale, Ruby knew that now was not the time to dwell on how she got here. She looked back at her teammate, Weiss Schnee, as she simply nodded to her.
Then, as if issuing a command, the King Taiju hissed loudly which pierced the air but Ruby grinned as she saw this as her cue to act. She jumped down to meet the Grimm head-on and struck the head of her scythe down onto the ground; with the Grimm quick to surround her, she used her weapon as an anchor as she built up speed and began to kick at the Grimm. As she swung her body faster, the force of her kicks increased until she could feel the cracking and breaking of the bone-white masks of the Grimm beneath her feet.
Yang likewise jumped down onto the head of a Creep, its skull breaking under her weight and strength and if that didn't kill it, her twin shotgun-cesti definitely finished it off. However, her shotguns were powerful, which launched her back into the air but this was what she planned; she continued to fire off shotgun slugs at the Grimm below her which exploded on impact and only continued to propel her backward.
However, she didn't account for the Nevermores that came in from behind and she braced herself by bringing up her hands to cover her face. The impact was swift, but it didn't stop the Nevermores from attempting to claw at her as she fell, and she dropped with such force, that it made a crater in the ground.
Blake was quick to dodge the attacks of an Ursa and countered with a swift slash across the neck; while it didn't kill the Ursa, the attacked left it staggered just long enough for Blake to deal the fatal blow by plunging her blade up into its jaw and through its head.
Blake ignored the smoke the Ursa emitted as it disintegrated, and knelt down as she began to fire her gun which was built into her swords sheath. One by own, the incoming horde of Creeps were shot down.
Weiss simply danced on the battlefield, careful to dispatch her enemies with a singular strike; she slashed at one creep, only to turn in quick succession and thrust her rapier into another. While the rapier on its own was meant for one on one engagements, she utilized her weapon's second property: the revolver-canister of Dust built into its hilt.
As if the rapier doubled as a wand, Weiss slashed across the air and a stream of ice trailed behind the tip of the blade as she killed multiple Grimm.
Yang angrily got up and immediately began to lay out punches against the Grimm that attempted to swarm her, mistaking her for an easy target. The shotguns would blow holes into the Grimm as she punched them and swift kicks were enough to kill most smaller Grimm. She continued to fight through swathes of Grimm making her way up some stairs, out of the courtyard, and onto the streets.
Realizing that she will run out of ammo soon, she looked for anything that she could use as a makeshift weapon. She then spotted a car and ran towards it, summoning up her Aura to stomp down on the hood and flipping into the air before punching the bottom of the vehicle.
The care flipped through the air and struck multiple Grimm along the way before hitting the side of a far-off building.
Ruby knelt down and brought up her Scythe to slash at a Grimm coming down on her, before spinning and slashing in the air to finish another.
Once they were dead, Ruby was face to face with the King Taiju once again. The sheer size of the Grimm worried Ruby, especially since she was left alone to deal with it and she couldn't help but take a few steps back.
However, a far-off explosion echoed through Vale as Ruby and the giant Grimm couldn't help but look towards the sound.
However, Ruby was the only one smiling.
Flying across the air on top of her warhammer, was Nora Valkyrie, member of team JNPR and like a witch flying on a broomstick, her presence only brought trouble…
At least, for the Grimm it did…
As she soared through the air, she grabbed her hammer and brought it down on the head of the King Taiju; on impact the second component of her hammer, a grenade launcher, triggered and the combined force of both the hammer impact and grenade caused the head of the King Taiju to explode.
She landed with her teammates, Ren and Jaune, and soon after, Pyrrha and the sight of them made Ruby glad that they had received her call for aid.
"Let's move!" Pyrrha said and her teammates and team leader, Jaune, charged into battle.
Ren quickly kicked and slashed his way through swathes of Grimm with his dual pistols that doubled as blades.
"Okay, who's first?" Jaune taunted only for an Ursa to land right behind him.
"Oh, uh, okay. Hehe," Jaune said nervously. "So, you are first, huh?"
Not too far away, Pyrrha slashed with her spear and was quick to kill the Grimm with a singular strike and finished by ramming her spear into the mouth of a Creep. When she had dealt with her group, she turned to check on the status of her teammates and her eyes fell straight onto Jaune and the Ursa in front of him.
Aside from his run-in with another Ursa back in his class with Professor Peach, this would be his second fight against the Grimm in his entire life. The only formal training he had received was from Pyrrha so she began to worry and poised herself on the balls of her feet, ready to spring into action if need be.
Instead, she was pleasantly surprised to see Jaune being able to handle himself against the Ursa well, taking it down after multiple swings of his sword. She smiled as she couldn't help but feel proud and happy for Jaune.
But then, just in front of Jaune, were two members of Team SSSN from Mistral: Sun and Neptune.
"Nobody move," Sun said as he raised his arm and in his hand was a badge. "Junior Detectives!"
"We have the badges," Neptune likewise showed off his badge. "So, you know its official!"
They both concluded with a fist bump, leaving Jaune staring at the two in confusion. The sight even left Pyrrha scratching her head.
However, the moment was interrupted and the air began to reverberate as the Atlesian Fleet began to fly over Vale. Smaller strike ships appeared first but then peeking over the buildings, was the Atlesian Navy's Flagship: The Olympus.
The sight even made Sun and Neptune stare in awe at the sky and even Ruby took a moment from slaying Grimm to be glad at the sight of further aid. So much so, that she hardly noticed an Ursa sneak behind her but it was quickly shot down by the fighters Gatling guns. Following behind the fighters, were dropships, whose rear doors opened and Atlesian Knights dropped down onto the courtyard.
The Knights quickly began to mow down Grimm with automatic fire and while effective, machines could only do so much against the Grimm. It was an even fight, as the Grimm were falling left and right but the larger Grimm were still able to take out a few of the Knights before being brought down by multiple Knights.
In the distance, however, Ruby could see three more people coming in to help fight off the Grimm that kept pouring in from the breach. One wore a bright red dress that seemed to glow, another had emerald-green hair and the other wore dark silver clothing. She knew these students came in from Mistral but she was not able to introduce herself to them yet. Perhaps after the battle, would be able to.
Then, punching through the ground, was the stolen Paladin that the White Fang had acquired that was now commandeered by Professor Oobleck; riding on top of the Paladin, was Ruby's dog: Zwei.
One after another, more students from the various Academies came as reinforcements to assist in pushing back the Grimm; Ruby even recognized Lumina and her team but the team that stood out the most to Ruby, was Team CFVY. They swooped in on one of the school's VTOL's along with Professor Port and once the VTOL stopped above the battlefield, they jumped into the fray.
Yatsuhashi stayed behind as the others charged forward, choosing to deal with the Grimm that decided to attack him as he landed as he slowly reached for his sword. With a quick draw, and pulling back to ready for a strike, his sword rang in the air as he struck downward with such force, the ground broke apart and blasted the Grimm away.
Fox and Velvet had each other's back as they both took down the Grimm in quick succession with kicks and slashes. Velvet even reached for her reserves of Dust and began to fire off spears of ice towards the airborne Grimm, and waves of fire at the Grimm around her.
While she was occupied, Fox took a moment to observe the Grimm in front him, calculating the best course of action to take out as many as he can. His first target was chosen for him, as an Ursa charged at him but he simply kicked it in the gut and launched it in the air with a backflip.
Calling upon his Semblance, he punched it and launched it into a group of Grimm, turning the Ursa into a living bomb as it exploded and launched its bone-white spines into the nearby Grimm. Killing multiple in a single attack.
However, he did not account for the spines that came his team's way, but it was no trouble as Yatsuhashi shielded Velvet, while Coco simply knocked the spines away with her handbag.
She stalked forward, looking to challenge the biggest Grimm she could find but as she passed by Fox, she patted him across his bottom.
"Nice hustle," she said with a grin, which made Fox jump slightly but then realized what she was about to do and gave her a wide birth.
She walked right up to an Alpha Beowolf and looked at it quizzically as she lowered her glasses.
Looking for an easy kill, the Beowolf swung but was quickly parried by Coco as she swung her handbag. Now was her chance, as the Beowolf was left unbalanced and she simply kicked it in the shins which forced it onto all four paws.
Surprised, the Beowolf looked up for a moment before Coco slammed her handbag onto the Beowolf's head, embedding it into the concrete.
Upon seeing the Alpha be defeated, three more Beowolfs charged at Coco angrily while reinforced by a Deathstalker.
She dispatched the Beowolfs just as easily as she used her heavy handbag to collapse their heads until she was alone with the Deathstalker.
It struck at her with its stinger but she simply jumped out of the way. Sensing danger, Velvet came to back up Coco and reached for her camera.
"No!" Coco said as she stopped her teammate. "Save it for later."
Velvet nodded and backed away, letting her team leader take on the Deathstalker on her own, as her handbag revealed why it was so heavy as it turned into a mini-gun.
She began to rain fire onto the Deathstalker that tried its best to endure the incoming barrage but was eventually overwhelmed.
More and more Grimm started to converge onto Coco but was quickly shot down until she then raised her gun and began to fire on Nevermores that were flying over-head. The gun fired so fast, that the bullets managed to cut one in half and the remains disintegrated as it fell to the ground.
0-RWBY-0
HAVC watched overhead, having just arrived at the battle's conclusion as Professor Goodwitch arrived and managed to fix the breach that allowed the Grimm to swarm in. While they were ready to jump down and help, they breathed a sigh of relief that in the end, everything turned out fine.
"Hooo," Zed sighed as he laid flat in the cabin. "That was a real doozy."
"You are telling me," Leaven said. "I just hope I don't get fired over this."
"After we tell them what happened down in Mt. Glenn, I am sure they will be lenient, Leaven," Haiiden said as he peeked into the cockpit.
"What exactly happened, anyway?" Leaven asked.
"That…" Haiiden said hesitantly as he recalled what the grey man had told him. "We really don't know. We just saw this guy there who claimed he was with the White Fang."
"That's crap," Zed groaned as he pulled himself up. "I have never seen him before."
"He was human," Vaughn commented.
"Is it normal for the White Fang to accept humans?" Cecilia asked.
"Aside from Torchwick, there was nobody else," Zed answered. "The whole mantra behind the White Fang is that humanity is their oppressor. Unless he had something to offer, I doubt Adam would have let them in."
"This is strange," Vaughn said softly as he began to think. "Sir, what do you think?"
Haiiden didn't answer. His thoughts were of the grey man's parting words. Did he know his Semblance? If so, how did he know? Did he know his mother? Did he recognize him through his mother's sword?
Then his mind reverted to the day his mother died, and the day that Ms. Rose died at the hands of the Grimm.
Haiiden then raised his prosthetic left arm which was visibly shaking.
The day when he…
"Sir, you okay?"
Haiiden thoughts were interrupted, and he turned to face his team.
"Yeah, I am fine," Haiiden replied as he turned to face his team, who were looking at him, expectedly. "But none of this seems okay."
His team sat silently in the cabin. Despite the fact that in the end, they have achieved victory, it still felt hollow.
"We are coming up on Beacon now," Leaven said.
After a few minutes, the cabin doors swung open but HAVC was surprised to see that they were met with guns pointed at them.
"Hey now," Zed said but then realized the Atlesian insignia and began to raise his hands. "Whats this about?"
Haiiden glared, as the man who had come to meet them, was General Ironwood.
"We heard that you have commandeered a ship just before the breach in Vale," General Ironwood said as his men surrounded HAVC as they got off the VTOL. Soldiers then came and apprehended HAVC, to which Haiiden noticed that they were escorting Leaven away as he looked back at them.
"Hey," Haiiden said as tried to step forward but was pulled back by an officer. However, Haiiden shoved him aside and raised his arm to gesture at Leaven.
"He didn't do anything, we forced him to take us to Mt. Glenn."
"We will be the judge of that," General Ironwood replied coldly. "Until we get a handle of what happened, you are all under arrest and to be questioned."
"Do you think we are responsible for what happened?" Haiiden as he resisted the officer who attempted to accost him.
"That is what we are here to find out," Ironwood replied as he then looked over the students and his expression softened slightly.
"I ask that you make this easy on yourselves and relinquish your weapons," General Ironwood said as he then stretched his hand in front of Haiiden.
Vaughn and Cecilia handed their weapons over to the officers accompanying them before they then reached for a pair of handcuffs.
"That won't be necessary," General Ironwood said, and the officers nodded and simply took the twins by the arm and escorted them away.
"I am not going anywhere without him," Zed said, as he resisted an officer's attempts to take him away.
"You do not get a say in this," General Ironwood replied as he looked at Haiiden expectedly.
Haiiden turned around and saw that Zed was now barring his teeth, his eyes orange, but he simply nodded and that was enough to calm down his friend; still somewhat defiant, Zed wrestled his arm away, and followed the officer.
Haiiden turned back to see Ironwood still glaring at him.
"I thought better of you," Ironwood said, a hint of ice in his voice.
"Trust me," Haiiden said. "I did what I thought was the right thing."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," Ironwood simply replied, his hand still outstretched. "And you may have cost a gifted pilot as well as your teammates their career. Or worse, their freedoms."
Haiiden was taken aback by this and looked down. He relented, and unstrapped his sword from his belt and went to hand it to Ironwood.
When the General reached out for it, Haiiden pulled it back, which prompted Ironwood's guards to raise their weapons. However, Haiiden was surprised to see Ironwood wave for his guards to lower their weapons and now it was just him and Haiiden.
"This sword is my legacy," Haiiden hissed as he held it close. "I will get it back and when I do, it better be in as good condition as when I gave it to you."
For a moment, Ironwood was silent.
"You have my word," Ironwood replied, and after a moment's hesitation, Haiiden reluctantly handed him the sword.
0-RWBY-0
After initial questioning from not only Professor Goodwitch, the VPD and investigators with the Valian and Atlesian Military, RWBY was cleared of any wrongdoing during the Breach and allowed to leave for Beacon.
However, they were surprised to hear that another team had attempted to go after them right before the Breach and were now in Atlesian custody.
"Haiiden," Professor Goodwitch hissed as she stormed off and joined Professor Port and Team CFVY as they took off in a VTOL.
"Who?" Ruby asked quizzically as she looked back at her team.
"Why would someone come to help us?" Yang said as she clasped her hands behind her head and strolled over to the Bullhead that would take them back to Beacon. "We had it under control."
"I wouldn't say that we had it under control," Weiss interjected.
"I agree with Weiss," Blake replied as she jumped onto the Bullhead. "We did not expect what the White Fang were planning and we were caught off guard. Help was welcome at this point, and we were lucky to get it before things got worse."
As Ruby was about to join her team on the Bullhead, she turned around and saw the carnage that was left behind. Whatever Professor Goodwitch couldn't fix would have to be rebuilt and paramedics were spread around to help any civilians that got hurt.
"So many people were hurt," Ruby commented sadly, and looked down at Zwei who looked up at her with his usual dog-like ignorance. She smiled slightly and picked up Zwei as she boarded the VTOL, her smile fading. "And now we have more questions than answers: Who did this? Why did they do it?"
Yang sighed as she rested her head against the back-rest of her seat in the cabin.
"Not all stories have a happy ending, Ruby," Weiss said, empathetically.
The cabin doors shut behind them and Ruby almost lost her balance as the Bullhead took off.
"I think I know the team that tried to help that the police and Professor Goodwitch was referring to," Blake said in realization.
"Hmmm?" Yang hummed. "Who?"
"It's the team of a friend of mine, Zed, who used to be in the White Fang with me," Blake said, albeit hesitantly.
"In fact, they have been helping us track down Torchwick and the White Fang."
"Why didn't you tell us this?" Weiss asked as she sat straight to address Blake.
"I didn't think it was important," Blake replied with a shrug. "I thought that as long as we got Torchwick, that was all that mattered."
"And they just helped?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah," Blake replied with a nod. "I mean, me and him had our differences in the White Fang but we shared the same goal and belief."
"His team had no problem with this?" Yang asked.
"Not at all," Blake said. "His team leader had been his friend since childhood. He helped him track down Torchwick just for him."
"That's nice of him," Ruby commented.
"Yeah," Yang said but then had a sudden realization. "Now they are in trouble for trying to help us."
"Can't believe we haven't gotten to meet them yet," Ruby said as she thought on the prospect of meeting new people, however, she was a bit nervous.
"I hope they are going to be okay," Weiss said as she then crossed her legs and looked out the window as they flew over Vale. The sky was getting dark and Ruby can hear yawning throughout the cabin, which was infectious as eventually, she yawned as well.
"Boy, I am beat," Yang said. "Once we land, I am gonna go straight to bed."
"Same," Blake replied. "The past few days have been rough."
Weiss nodded in silent agreement, and after a few minutes, the VTOL had arrived at Beacon and the doors slid open.
One by one, they stepped off the Bullhead as the engines came to stop with a high-pitch hiss. The last one to get off was Ruby, as she picked up Zwei and set him down onto the ground and together with her team, they set off for Beacon.
However, something caught Yang's attention…
"Uh, you three go one without me," Yang said, to which her team turned to her and looked on in confusion.
"Everything okay?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, everything is fine, I just remembered that I had to make a call," Yang smiled as she brought up her Scroll.
The teammates looked to one another and decided to leave Yang to her privacy as they headed to their dorms. Yang pressed the Scroll to her ear but once the rest of RWBY were out of sight, Yang lowered her arm and looked over at the fountain in Beacon's courtyard.
Sitting on the lip of the pool, hidden off to the side of the fountain, was a red and black figure with raven hair.
One that Yang had a suspicious feeling of.
She made her way to the person cautiously and as she got closer, she then recognized who it was. Back in Mt. Glenn, as she tried to stop the White Fang from creating the breach in Vale using Mt. Glenn's old railway, she was stopped by Torchwick's partner.
A woman they have come to know as Neopolitan.
Neo had managed to beat Yang and just as she was about to deal the final blow, someone appeared. Someone that even Neo was frightened of and ran off.
The person that saved her was the person sitting at the fountain, and this person seemed to have sensed Yang coming because she stood up and turned to face her.
Still cautious, Yang sidestepped in front of this person until the fountain and Beacon was directly behind them.
There was a momentary silence between the two, until the person raised her hand and removed their mask.
Yang was taken aback by the sight. As she recognized the person that she was looking at. A woman.
"Yang," the raven-haired woman said. "We need to talk."
****End of Volume 2****
(AU: Wow. It had been... what, 2 or 3 years since finishing the first volume that I am now done with this one? Thank you to those who have followed me and put up with my constant setbacks.)