Okay…I wish I can say something important caused such a delay for this chap…but I can't. Some games came out (Devil May Cry 5), life sheninagins, and just general laziness. I can't apologize enough for this chapter taking so long, especially considering the cliffhanger I left it on.
But, since I can't apologize enough I'll just shut up and wallow in shame while you guys enjoy the first part of the Volume 1 finale!
…
Pitchforks and torches on sale at your local mart to your left.
}Episode 22: Warehouses Are Bad Luck (Volume 1 Finale Part 1){
Remember how I mentioned I had some regret for stupidly mouthing off to Grunt?
*CRACK*
"AGH!" I cried out as the crazy jerk backhanded me to the ground, and damn did he hit hard! Just thinking of that hit is making my jaw sting.
Anyway, after I hit the ground I didn't bother trying to get back up, so I opted to just stay sprawled out, groaning in pain.
Note to self, dumbass has a mean pimp hand.
While I was off making very important notes, Weiss apparently was not taught Hostage 101.
"You Brute! Let us go this instant, or so help me I will make your life a living hell! Do you have any idea who I am!?I am-"
Weiss was, thankfully, cut off before she could dig herself a deeper hole than we were already in. Sadly the thing that cut her off was Grunt putting his gun right against her head, causing the poor girl to go paler than usual.
"Now, now girlie, I wouldn't be making any more noise. My pals and I don't take too kindly to little brats like you, so keep your little trap shut," he threatened, his rancid breath washing over her. "Or don't, then I gets to blows your brains in and that would be so much more fun."
Shit! Aura or not, point blank range trumps everything! He may not be Neo, but this dude is clearly a bloodthirsty nutjob! Needless to say, I started to freak-out over the possibility of Weiss catching a bullet between the eyes. And while she smartly decided to heed his warning, I saw my chance to get the heat off of her, so I did what I do best-
"Oh come on Grunt, buddy, pal! We finally meet up and you're focusing on some teenager more then on me? That's rude. Have you no sense of decency in that empty skull of yours to actually talk to me face to face?"
-Which is to say annoying the crap out of people. What can I say, it's a gift. Definitely not the smartest option since too many buttons pressed would end with me rotting in some alley in the redlight district, but it was all I could do to get that gun from her face.
And it worked. My insult caused him to growl and lower the gun…and then he stomped over and kicked me right in the gut. Multiple times.
"Argh!" I cried out as it felt like he had lead in his shoes.
Oh god that hurts! I mentally shrieked just before he grabbed me by the hair and painfully jerked me to my knees till I was face to face with his ugly mug.
God do you ever brush man?! I gagged as his breath washed over me. What rows of teeth that weren't just missing were stained yellow.
"Nows listen here shopkeep, I don'ts takes too kindly to your little insults rights now. Ifs you want to keep that tongue of yours, I'd highly suggests yous keeps quiet."
Well…that explains his incomprehensible accent at least. Look into dentures or a damn toothbrush. He then turned his head back to Weiss, and before I thought better, I ran my gums again.
"Me quiet? Ha! What about you? I was there when you screwed up that dust score. I figured Roman would have thrown you in the trash where you be-HRNK!" I was cut off as he gripped my throat hard.
"Yous should justs consider yourselfs lucky that Is didn't blows you ups with that lameass shop. Is got enough flak from the boss from thats as it is, and don'ts need yours input either!" he growled as he gripped harder and my eyes started to bulge, causing him to smile. "And the boss can'ts afford to off me, I'ms the best in the business."
Clearly…I thought in dread as oxygen deprivation started to get the better of me.
"Stop It!" Weiss shrieked as my vision started to spin. He looked back at her, not releasing my throat.
"I tolds ya to shut it missy!"
Shit…this is what I get…for trying to be noble…I thought in a haze.
"You're not allowed to kill him!" said a White Fang member behind Grunt. "We were promised him alive!"
Grunt looked back in annoyance at the White Fang grunt before looking back to my blue face. Before unconsciousness or worse could claim me, he let go of my throat and shoved my face to the ground. It didn't break my nose, but it sure felt like it did, but thankfully my forehead took most of the blow. I choked and coughed as air returned to my lungs.
You piece of shit! I'm gonna castrate you with a fork and dig your eyes out with a rusty spoon! I thought maliciously as I tried to get my breathing under control, spitting up a little blood in the process. Ah Hell, that ain't good. While I gathered myself, Grunt spoke to the White Fang.
"He'll be alive enoughs ya damn mutts," he said not too kindly, earning some snarls from the Faunus. "The boss gets him first. E's been looking for payback since that job, but he'll honors the deal."
Crap! Torchwick is holding a grudge. Now that he's got me, he might sick Neo on me!
"The Creeper needs to be somewhat fresh you stupid humie," one of the Fang grunted. "The higher ups want the pleasure of spoiling him themselves."
The higher ups?! Who the hell is that?! Adam?! I haven't even met the bastard! I internally panicked. Why can't these stupid animal people terrorists realize I'm not-
"HGCK!" I grunted as Grunt suddenly kicked me in the gut again, knocking what little air I'd regained out of my lungs.
Piece of Shit! I thought as the pain rolled over me and I curled on the floor.
"Hey!" the White Fang guard called out.
"Whoops. My foots slipped," Grunt said in mock innocence. My guts felt like they were bruised, and to make matters worse, I coughed up a bit more blood, whether from the earlier choking or the kick, I didn't know.
"See? Hes still breathin," he said with a malicious smile as he brought my head up by my hair again.
God…damn it…are all of Roman's minions sadistic fruit loops?!
"Enough of this you brute! Leave him alone!" Weiss shouted and he turned his attention back to her.
Oh for-Shut up Weiss! I went through all of this so he'd forget about you! I groaned in helplessness.
"A brute ams I?" Grunt asked in a snarky tone.
"Yes! You may not be White Fang, but you're just as much a beast as they are!" she shouted with venom. And just like that, the White Fang guards not so subtly pointed their guns squarely at her, and even the ones moving crates paused to glare at the girl.
Oh My God! Has no one ever taught you not to insult your kidnappers?! Especially if they already hate you?! I thought hypocritically since I had just done the same thing. Though in my case I was genre savvy and trying to save her life.
"I'ds watch your tone missy. These 'ear dogs don't just wants the Creeper after all," he threatened with a malicious grin.
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked taken aback.
"Why, yous is gonna be a gift, just likes him, but unlikes him, the Boss don't cares about yous none. Ain't nones of our business, wes getting paid after all, but theys probably gonna do to yous what theys gonna do to creepy shopkeep here…"
Weiss's eyes widened in horror at this, and I didn't fare much better.
Holy Hell do I hate this guy. I thought as he stepped back from me and chuckled.
"Its funny hows it all came to this. When some of me boys heard you and the girlie having a spat, they weres just gonna scares ya off. But when those guys realized yous was that Creeper fellow these Fang nutjobs were hunting for, and how the girlie was the Scheen heriness, well they just couldn't help themselves!" He laughed a bit more as Weiss and I glared at him. Well, she did, I did a pretty good imitation of one as my eyes were still squinted in pain.
Of course this just made Grunt chuckle even more before he left our makeshift cell with the two Fang grunts following him.
"The bossman doesn't wants ya too broken till he gets ya. Sos looks like yous gots lots to look forward too," he smirked as he locked the door.
"Nows you twos just sit nice and quiet like till that dust transport gets here. Once we've stripped that clean, the bossman will come to collect ya shopkeep, and once he's done the Fang'll get yous and the girlie. Course if either of yous tries to escape…well let's just say Is be having a good time bashing both yous skulls in! Hahahahaha!"
I would have made a snide comment on how Grunt was so stupid that he accidently let it slip that the Fang and him were here to steal the dust cargo, but I wasn't that suicidal. Besides, the two Fang grunts who stayed behind to guard the cell both facepalmed so they had it covered. That, and I was still in very much pain from Grunt's beatdown, so I was more focused on trying to not pass out or cause any more damage.
God I miss Earth, I thought forlornly as I sat up, wincing the whole way. Staying home, doing nothing all day, not getting the shit kicked out of me on a regular basis…I freaking hate Remnant.
So yeah, there we were. Both me and the resident Ice Queen tied up in a makeshift wooden cell surrounded by Fang grunts. I was bruised all over, probably had a concussion, and was panicking over the plot being almost completely destroyed. While Weiss was…well I don't remember what she was doing but that's mostly because she didn't try to talk to me for a good while.
We just sat there in silence, which was really all we could do with all the ropes and such. Besides restricting movement, they didn't really bother me that much though. Getting tied up for me had become a rather frequent occurrence to the point that it was like wearing a hat or necklace. After a while, you just forget it's there if you don't actively feel for it so it's not so bad.
And no, I'm not into bondage or anything like that! Just because you get used to something doesn't mean it's automatically your fetish.
…
…
…
ENOUGH WITH THE JUDGING LOOKS AREADLY!
Ahem, anyway after a few minutes passed I finally got to the point where the pain subdued enough for me to actually focus on my surroundings, through my head was still pounding so I had to try and ignore it.
Focus on finding some way out of this mess and worry about probable concussion later.
Since I didn't want to move too much to avoid causing any pain spikes, I had to deal with just looking around from where I was at the back of the cell. Thankfully it was made with plenty of gaps between the bars, so I still had a decent vantage point of the whole warehouse.
The inside of the warehouse looked almost identical to the warehouse I had accidently blown up a month before. There were crates of dust all over the place, probably from past shipments from the Scheen company.
Though if it is owned by them, the lack of security guards and the nutjobs running all over the place probably means…
I mentally shook my head from those thoughts lest I start hyperventilating. There was also the sound of seagulls in the distance, so any doubt I had about this not being the warehouse near the docks form the Volume I finale (or at least close to it), went out the window with that confirmation.
As they say, where there's smoke, there's seagulls…or something like that, I thought as my mind still felt hazy.
Anyway, the only difference from the last warehouse was that this one had tables and chairs scattered all around it, probably set up by the Fang and Torchwick when they took it over as resting areas. Given that there was some dust crystals and powder containers on some of the tables they probably also used them to see how pure all the dust was. And at some of those tables were more goons. Human goons.
Wait what? The Volume I finale only showed Fang grunts loading up the dust crates, I observed. Sure enough, there were other human grunts hauling boxes just like their Faunus counterparts.
And yet another thing different, I pouted. At this rate my road map of future events is going to be shredded beyond readability.
Though at least one thing was consistent from canon, the humans and the Fang didn't like each other. They stayed on opposite tables, gave wide berths to each other when loading crates, and all of them glared at each other every few seconds. The tension between them was so high, it felt like a bomb waiting to go off.
Whose bright idea was it to hire two racist groups to work together? Cinder? I know she's a murderous psychopath, but these seems too dumb even for her.
After that observation I noticed that on the other side of the warehouse, right across from our cell was a table. To my utter amusement the things on that table were my axe, experimental gun, as well as Weiss's Myrtenaster.
Okay, so Grunt may be a sadist, but he's an even bigger idiot than I thought. I know we're not exactly in tip top shape, but you don't just leave your enemies weapons lying right out in the open like that, especially where we can see them.
Filing that info away, I looked above us and saw an open skylight, which showed that it was dark and cloudy outside.
So we haven't been here that long. If things are still running smoothly then Blake and Sun should show up soon…Please let them show up soon, I pleaded to anyone that might be listening. I know these goons are hiding out in this warehouse waiting for the pickup crew, but surely that cane wielding jackass is out in the open where anyone could s- My thoughts were interrupted as my vision swam and my guts churned.
*cough cough hack splat*
And I threw up a little onto the ground, and to my horror, there was some blood in it.
What the hell did he break inside me!? I thought in panic as I tried to focus my vision again. Anime characters hacking up blood and giving long winded speeches are Bullshit!
It would take a few minutes before I was able to collect myself and for the pain in my gut to settle down.
Okay…let's try getting into The Zone before anything else happens. It will help dull the pain and hopefully the extra focus can help me think up of a good plan. Ugh…really should have come up with something for this beforehand!
As you all know by this point with my paranoia, I had plenty of plans for a variety of situations. I'd had plenty with dealing with the Volume 1 Finale, but not like this. Any plan I had went out the window hours ago when I saw Ruby, Weiss and Yang eating lunch instead of searching for their friend.
And since there was nothing I could do about that, I squashed my self-scolding and started using the breathing technique I'd stolen from Wolfenstein to reach the safe haven of The Zone.
"This is all yourfault Mr. Sullivan, I hope you know that!"
My concentration was interrupted by the harsh whispering of my fellow captee.
Oh For God's Sake! I thought in outrage as my Zone state slipped from me and I opened my eyes. I turned to her and saw a look of pure disdain upon her face. Why must you always be so bitchy!? Can't you for once be a team player!? I know this is my fault but you're not helping with…with…
Thankfully before I had a chance to voice my annoyance, I realized something. She was absolutely correct.
"You're right Weiss, I'm so so sorry about this. If I wasn't such an idiot, we would never have been in this mess…" I sighed in defeat.
"Don't you dare try and push the blame onto me. You know this is you-huh?" Weiss paused mid rant as my words fully sunk in for her, which caused her eyes to blink owlishly in surprise.
"This is my fault…If I had just fled Vale, or continued living on the streets, none of this would have happened," I said in sorrow as the weight of everything crashed down around me.
She seemed more confused by that statement than anything. "Why would your living conditions ma-"
"I should have just told Yang and Ruby where Blake was. If I had, you never would have been dragged-"
"YOU KNEW!?" she suddenly screamed in frustration.
"Quiet heri-bitch!" one of the Fang shouted. "Don't give me a reason to shoot you. The higher ups wouldn't mind a missing knee or two. Same goes for you Creeper!"
This only served to make me hang my head even more, but Weiss continued at a lower volume.
"You knew where she was the whole time!?"
"N-No…not today at least," I partially lied.
"Then what did you mean about telling Ruby and Yang where she was? What was today even about? Why'd you run off like a lunatic, screaming in the streets?" she demanded and I winced.
"They're connected," I admitted. "Yesterday, after you guys had your blow up, she came to talk to me in the Maintenance Room, and she told me all about her past and how it affected her."
"She did?" Weiss asked in surprise. "Why? Why would she go to you?"
"Because I've got a big target on my back from all these extremist Faunus, and she felt like she could help me…and redeem them somehow."
"Redeem them?" Weiss scoffed at and I shook my head.
"She was all jumbled up. She'd felt abandoned, betrayed, and guilty after your little spat, and she was grasping at straws. I told her so myself…and then Ruby and Yang came along and instead of trying to clear things up, I hid her because I felt I had to."
"Why did you feel that?" she asked.
Because I thought I could still keep things in line.
"Because I didn't want to get involved," I told her. "So I lied to them…and because of that, Blake ran off looking for the White Fang herself, and none of you were out looking for her."
Weiss didn't say anything for a few heartbeats as that info sank in.
"How could you have known that's what she was trying to do?"
Because I've seen it. None of you are really real.
"I couldn't chance it. I couldn't risk her running off by herself without her team to back her up…and none of you would have believed me anyway," I shook my head in distress. "So I decided to do something stupid and reckless to get everyone moving. I thought I could still stay out of it and you'd all figure out the rest…But you've seen how that went. Your team is spread all over the city, we still don't know where Blake is, and you and I are about to be handed over to a fate worse than death"
I took a deep breath at that before I chuckled sadly and said,
"Gotta admit, this is probably one of the worst screw ups I've ever made...and I dragged you into it too…I'm sorry."
There was nothing but silence from Weiss, and I couldn't even bring myself to look at her the whole time. Eventually the silence became too much for me as I started to ramble on.
"I-I should have told Ruby and Yang where Blake was instead of hiding her. I just…I just figured it wasn't any of my business meddling in your team's affairs. I figured it was between you all and that I would just make things worse. I…I didn't want to damage your team any more than it already was…"
My eyes stared listlessly at the ground as I continued, my tone becoming more somber as I went on.
"When…When I saw you guys in the cafeteria this morning I freaked out. I never really believed in that whole 'let people have some space' B.S. that everyone always goes on about. You leave people alone when they're in a bad place and they end of doing something stupid. I…I may not know Blake very much, but I didn't want her doing something so stupid! So I..I…"
It was around here that reality decided to slap me in the face for all the stupidity I had caused. It was around here that the situation fully dawned on me, and I don't mean about being held captive by some crazy terrorists. It was around here that I realized…I had effectively ruined any chances of the team reconciling.
The whole point of this finale was for the team's bounds to be strengthened, to show how they cared for each other despite all their differences. That no matter who they were in the past, that they were a team now. They would learn to watch out for each other from here on out and learn to care about each other more than just teammates.
This whole finale would set in motion Ruby's growth as a leader, Yang's determination to help her team, Weiss's thawing heart and eye opening to the real world, and Blake's determination (if a bit obsessive) to bring the Fang to justice and to discover that she wasn't alone. That she had a whole team behind her, willing to help her no matter. That cared for her…
This finale would be the steppingstone for Team RWBY to become the family they were in Volume III…and I had just ruined it all with my blundering.
The chances of Weiss and Blake making up now were slim, Yang wasn't around to give her pep talk, Ruby didn't befriend Penny and wouldn't be able to save Blake and Sun, and hell who knew if he had even met her!?
And for all I knew, I had effectively killed Blake, Weiss, and myself…but at that moment my life meant jack shit compared to what I'd done to them, and the guilt ate me through to my core.
Because I can never do anything right. I'm just…useless. Like always…
The silence stretched between Weiss and I for what seemed like an eternity as the ugly feelings ate away at me, and somehow, that was worse than my throbbing head and burning insides.
"Weiss…I'm sorr-"
"Why…Why do you care so much?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. I was so taken aback by the tone that I forced myself to look at her, and what I saw both shocked me and nearly broke my heart. There before me, the proud heiress to the SDC, the badass glyph huntress, the Ice Queen of Beacon, Weiss Scheen, was looking at the ground with tears dripping from her eyes.
If I wasn't there to see it, I would never have believed it.
"You say you hate the students, yet you go out of your way to stop bullies and tutor them with dust," she said, her voice shaky and soft, yet still somewhat firm. "You go on and on about how Ruby shouldn't be friends with you, yet you always treat her like one. You constantly say how you hate getting involved with teams' affairs, yet you've helped JNPR countless times!"
To be fair, two of those times were against my will…
"You treat everyone like you don't want to get close to them, yet you always end up helping them or acting like some mentor…Everyone but me," she paused, and a different pain spiked through my chest. "You're always rude and insufferable and treat me like I'm the one with the problem. Even this whole Blake thing, you say it's your fault, but all your arguments make it sound like it's mostly my fault! Because I'm the one who yelled at her, because I had the gall to feel betrayed, because I am a terrible teammate and friend…"
I…I wasn't treating her that badly was I? Sure I've been rude, but I didn't think I was taking it that far…was I?
"And yet…" she continued with a sniffle. "And yet you kept putting the attention of these brutes on you instead of me. You're coughing up blood now over someone that you hate."
I don't hate you…I-
"You make no sense!" she 'yelled.' "You interfere when you say you want to be neutral, you belt out wisdom and in the same instance do dangerous, insane schemes, you despise me but you take a beating for me! It's just so frustrating and confusing! And…and…"
Her head snapped up as she stared directly into my eyes with tears falling down her cheeks.
"And I just don't understand! And I have no idea what to do! So why…why?!"
The eyes staring back at me weren't those of some proud huntress, ready to fight the creatures of darkness and a terrorist cell bent on destroying the world.
"Why do you care so much!?"
They were the eyes of a scared girl, who was trapped and surrounded by people who hated her and wanted her dead…including, in her eyes, the other person trapped with her.
I had been treating Weiss harshly, even if indirectly, due to my misinterpretation of her. I kept focusing on how future Weiss would act, and not the present one in front of me. I was so blinded by what I thought was character digression, when in reality she just hadn't gotten a chance to become the Weiss I loved from the show. I'd obsessed so much over the future, and forgotten what matters in the present, and that hit me harder than any of the physical injuries I'd received.
I'm such an asshole, I thought with regret as I pondered her question. But how can I possibly answer that?
I could've made up a million different lies to distract her from the truth, I could have just said I was crazy since everyone else already thought I was, I could have just pretended to snap and tell her off so that she would hate me forever and never wonder about my motives again. I could've…but I didn't. I'd already made a mess of things for one day, and guilt was already eating me from the inside.
I chose instead to say something that was counterintuitive to my paranoia, yet was the only way to even have the slimmest chance of her reconciling with Blake in the future if we got out alive. I said something that would take her tears away. I told her the truth…kind of.
"I care…because the world sucks and someone has to." She just stared at me, her watery eyes still not grasping my meaning. "Look Weiss, the world isn't a shiny ball of happiness and good people, it is filled with assholes, nutjobs, and monsters, and I don't just mean the Grimm. Not all monsters are so cut and dry, humans and faunas can be just as dangerous and scary as any toothy beast. In fact, there is something out there far worse than any of them."
"M-Mr. Sullivan what are you…" she hesitated, but I continued.
"And I don't hate you kid. I'm just tough on you because I think you could be better. I know you can," I admitted and she looked taken aback. "That's why I care, because everyone needs someone to watch their backs in this shitty world, even if it's not supposed to be my burden," I shook my head at that. "Trying to isolate yourself from others is just going to get you killed. The ones watching your backs are supposed to be your friends, family, and your teammates, but when that falls through, when others lose sight of that, I feel like I gotta nudge it back into place, no matter how misguided they were."
She looked back down at that with a hiccup.
"B-Blake was one of them. She'd lied to us. Of course I was angry she-"
"Had family who are huge pieces of shit," I finished for her and she looked back up at me. "Everyone's got that baggage kid, Blake's just happens to be the White Fang, just as yours is your Dad." She stiffened at that accusation, but I continued. "For me, it's my older sister, and I bet even Ruby and Yang have people in their family they'd rather not talk about."
Or they will after obsessively searching for that black haired bitch, I thought bitterly of Raven before continuing.
"Look, I told Blake the same thing, the past isn't what matters right now, what matters is how you handle the present, especially in regards to your teammates. They'll always have your back, no matter what it takes." I then looked at her pointedly as I finished. "I know that Ruby, Yang, and even Blake would do anything to help you out. The question is are you willing to look past Blake's history and move forward to make new stories with her?"
There was a few moments of silence after I asked that before she sniffled and said, "That has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard Mr. Sullivan."
Yeah…I figured that was a bit too after school special feeling, I sighed in dejection. I just wanted to lift your spirits after all the shit I've put you th-
"But you aren't wrong either…I suppose," she finished as she wiped her eyes clear.
I looked back up at her, and despite myself, I smiled a little.
Well, it's not much after all I've done, but it got you to stop crying so that's something…
She then looked over me and scooted closer.
"How are you faring?" she inquired, inspecting my face and the blood and puke on the floor.
"To be honest, my head won't stop throbbing, and my stomach feels like I ate glass," I admitted and she frowned.
"You definitely need medical attention, but shouldn't your aura have kicked in by now?" she asked with actual concern.
"Yeah mine's…not really all that strong," I lied before a revelation hit me.
Wait a second…aura…semblance…that's it!
"Okay Ice Tsundere, I've got a plan to get us out of this mess," I said, a bit of pep returning to my voice. "I just need to know if you can use your glyphs without your weapon?"
Weiss just gave me another confused look as she asked,
"Wait, how did you know I used glyphs? And what is a Tsundere?"
"Later icy, can you or can you not use them?" I insisted and she just an annoyed huff.
"I can, but without my weapon it would not be as focused as it usually is, and I won't be able to do some of them without any dust. Why?"
At her response I just smiled evilly.
"First, get back to back with me, we need to get our hands untied." Seeing how serious I was she nodded and scooted her back to mine. Once our bound hands touch, she immediately got to work loosening my bonds.
"This might take me a bit," she whispered. "But what comes next?"
"Step two is…well do you need dust to force objects away? Because if not, how do you feel about improvised wooden projectiles?"
She stopped her knot work and I looked back at her. For the first time since meeting me, Weiss's mouth twitched into a smile as she caught onto my idea.
"I'll take that as a good sign," I smiled back.
And what a wonderful idea it was…that got out of hand so very, very fast.
}Line Break{
The idea was simple enough really, force the wooden bars out so that we could sneak our way towards our weapons. They weren't very well maintained as our cell was improvised, and they were just bits of wood mashed together, so with just a bit of pressure they would break easily. Course neither me nor Weiss could apply the right amount of force on our own since I was beaten and a string bean, and Weiss was more of an agile attacker than a brute force one. But thankfully the not-magic of her Semblance came into play. And it worked too! She managed to knock one of the planks out…and that's where things spiraled out of control.
The force at which her Semblance pushed the thing made the board fly out across the room and smack a White Fang guard in the back of the head, causing him to fall down.
Shit! I thought as both she and I tensed up, prepared to be found out and summarily punished, but thankfully racism saved the day.
…
And yes, I know that doesn't sound too good, but it's what happened.
After the Fang had been knocked down, a few human goons started to laugh at his misfortune. Instead of looking towards us, he looked at them, and jumped to conclusions. He picked up the plank himself and threw it at the humans, hitting two of them in the face with it.
The laughs stopped and the tension from before boiled over and all hell broke loose.
Some humans in the group ran towards the Fang and began kicking him, causing another Fang to jump into the fray and attack them, which led to more humans going after that guy, and it spiraled out of control from there.
What started out as thrown punches and kicks quickly spread into the use of melee weapons, and then to the ultimate extreme when they started shooting each other. A few went down in sprays of blood, till both sides took cover from one another and a full-fledged shoot out began. I wasn't even on the planet when it happened, but it looked like a second Faunus Civil war had just erupted in the warehouse.
"Oh My God, we started a mini race war!" I exclaimed as the idiots discharged their arms while mountains upon mountains of crates full of unstable dust surrounded them.
"This…this doesn't make any sense!" Weiss shouted as she stayed low to the ground. "No one should be this stupid!"
"No they shouldn't, but they are. It's a fact of life you're just going to have to accept," I said as I crawled over to her. "But get the other board loose, we gotta get our gear and get the hell out of here before this place explodes!"
She nodded and popped out another board, allowing us to crawl through
"You god damn mutt, go back to your pound where you belong!"
"Just try to take me there you lily livered human trash!"
"And racist, all grunts are racist apparently," I mumbled as we snuck over to our gear, which had fallen to the floor after the table had been tipped.
"How on Remnant did we get captured by these buffoons?" Weiss muttered as she grabbed her sword and I got my gun and axe back. I just shrugged in response as I holstered my pistol, still not fully ready to try it out and risk losing my hand. We hadn't been noticed as the two sides were more focused on each other, but we still had to get out of there fast before we were blown to kingdom come.
Weiss and I crawled to the opposite side of the gun fire, towards what we hoped was an exit, and along the way, I pocketed a few scattered gravity crystals that came from a shattered box. We crawled and crawled, debris flying around us from the battle, coming across the occasional body here and again, but we were staying clear of the fight. I eventually fell behind though as my head swam and I felt like upchucking again.
Weiss noticed the sweat of effort forming on my brow and came back.
"No no, just go on, I'll catch up," I implored but she ignored me and sat me up straight with my back against a crate.
"I'm not just going to leave you behind, not in your condition," she scolded.
"It's the smarter thing to do. All it takes is one bullet to hit the wrong crate and we're dead. Believe me, I have experience with this exact situation!" I said as I grit my teeth and forced myself to choke the bile down. Sure enough, a fiery explosion occurred somewhere on the Fang's side of the divide, and several screams were heard.
"Oh god it's happening!" I shrieked. Thankfully, a chain reaction did not occur, but we were cutting it close.
"Screw it! We don't got time to find a door, so we'll just make our own!" I declared as I shoved the gravity crystals into my axe, the spinner rotating to purple as I did so.
"What are you thinking?" Weiss asked hectically and I pointed at the warehouse wall.
"Freeze up a patch of that, and I'll shatter it with a gravity attack," I ordered her. "The minute we do, someone's gonna notice, so we gotta move quick."
She nodded at the urgency of my words as she pointed Myrtenaster at the wall and did what she did best.
As the blue steaming ice spider-webbed itself along the wall, I clicked the switch on my axe, and the head began to vibrate.
"Please work," I begged out loud, before I took a deep breath, held it, and swung as hard as I could at the wall. Once the head connected, there was a millisecond of metal hitting metal and ice, followed by a thrum as a wave of energy blasted outward and through the wall. Frozen pieces of masonry, metal and wood shattered, while other debris shot forth in a single direction, outward, creating a hole. And despite that, there was no recoil on my end, only the effort one usually gives when striking a wall with an axe.
"It worked!" Weiss stated the obvious, but I couldn't blame here, I was just as elated.
"Just like a Brute's Gravity Hammer, Hell Yeah!" I cheered as she put my arm around her shoulder and moved me quickly out of the powder keg of death. Half jogging, half limping, we made our escape, but even still we were caught in the backdraft as the warehouse went off like one of Michael Bay's wet dreams.
Weiss put up an ice shield, but we were still thrown by the force. I'm pretty sure I blacked out for a bit, because one minute Weiss and I were flying through the air, and the next I was lying on my back on the edge of a dock feeling like I'd been put in a dryer with a cement block.
Groaning I turned to my side and saw the massive conflagration that was formerly the warehouse. I was close enough to feel the heat, but not close enough to be cooked, and there was debris everywhere.
You trigger happy stupid bastards, I thought in disbelief as I coughed a bit. How braindead can you get?! At least this one wasn't my fault…well, I mean, my escape plan triggered it, but still, how was I supposed to know those guys were that suicidally stupid?
"Mr. Sullivan? Chris, are you okay?" Weiss's voice reached my ringing ears and I turned my eyes to her. She looked relatively unharmed aside from a few scorch marks on her dress.
"Hey princess, how's the weather up there?" I replied tiredly and she sighed in relief.
"Oh thank goodness, you're still alive."
"Not for lack of trying," I groaned as she sat me up against the tire of a forklift. I thought I had felt like shit before, but now I felt like my body was going to become one big bruise.
"For all the trouble they've caused my family, I can't believe the White Fang are this idiotic," she muttered as she made sure I wouldn't fall over.
"Yeah, well, welcome to reality kiddo," I grunted. She then looked back at the former warehouse and shook her head.
"So much senseless death," she murmured.
"Yeah, but at least it wasn't us," I reassured and she nodded.
"True…Well, thanks to that, surely the authorities will take notice. Just hang on a bit longer and we'll be able to get you to a hospital and…and…" she trailed off as she caught sight of something. "Blake?"
"Huh?" I sputtered as I tracked her vision and sure enough three warehouses down, near a bunch of shipping containers, was everyone's favorite cat ninja, battling Torchwick along with a certain monkey boy.
"Oh thank god!" I exclaimed happily. Sure I was feeling like a crash test dummy, but I hadn't completely screwed canon up. Blake was still alive and she had support with Sun.
Now if Penny and Ruby come flying in, it'll all have been worth it, I thought giddily, but I forgot to take into account one thing.
"I have to help her," Weiss announced as she stood up and brandished her weapon.
"What?!" I yelped in shock.
"She is my teammate, and despite our differences, we have to look out for one another," she declared, echoing what I'd told her earlier.
"I mean, yeah, but I'm sure she's got it han-"
"Stay put Mr. Sullivan. I'll come back for you," she said with resolve, before she broke into a sprint towards the battle.
"Wait!" I called out after her, but she ignored me and continued forward into the fray.
"Damn It!" I snarled as I grit my teeth.
Joining too early might get her killed…but if Penny and Ruby don't show up, then Blake could use all the help she could get. Ugh! What is the right answer here?! I thought in anguish.
"Ugh, well there's nothing I can do about it now. I'm too beat up for this," I sighed as I leaned against the weathered machinery and tried to control my breathing. "It's not like I could have done anything at 100% anyway. I just gotta hope everything works out n-"
I stopped as a figure neared the flames and caught my attention. They came from an adjacent warehouse and seemed absolutely stunned at the inferno. Even at my distance, I knew who it was.
"Grunt!" I seethed in hatred as I saw the stupid Neanderthal taking in the destruction. I was beyond pissed that he hadn't blown up with all his buddies, but my rage burned hotter than the warehouse when I saw what he had in his grubby little hands. I looked around my immediate area, confirming something I hadn't realized until that moment. I had dropped my Fire Axe in the explosion, and now that son of a bitch had it!
That was my axe. Mine! I had spent a month tweaking and fixing the thing as best as I could, and it had already saved my ass twice. In this world where almost everyone but me had superpowers, it was a small comfort, and I sure as hell wasn't going to allow the bastard that had nearly beat me to death have it!
Confirming that indeed the fiery warehouse was on fire, the asshole started jogging in the direction of the big brawl that Weiss was soon to join.
"Oh no you fucking don't!" I growled as I forced my battered body to stand up. My vision swam, but the adrenaline helped balance it out. I reached into my pocket and my fingers brushed against my Dust Gun. I'd never tested it, but at that moment, I saw the perfect guinea pig. The only problem was, he was way too far away for me to catch up in my state to test my creation out. As luck would have it though, I was standing next to a deadly piece of machinery, and the keys were still inside.
"Thank god for lazy workers," I grunted as pulled myself into the seat and turned the key. The engine sputtered to life, and I floored the gas.
Now, people say operating a forklift is hard, and they're right, it is. Most of the time you have to worry about not dropping the loads, or picking them up correctly, or not hurting the other workers around you. But you'll find, like I did, that when you're recklessly operating it with the sole purpose of murdering the bastard that kicked the crap out of you and stole your axe, that it's easier to steer than a bike.
"I'm about to cause an accident in the workplace!" I smiled madly as I lowered the forks into spearing position and took out my gun.
Killing Grunt seemed like the best course of action to my rage filled, concussed mind, even if I was beat to hell. It had nothing to do with setting the timeline correct, making the world a better place, or even helping out Weiss and Blake. It was just plain, simple vengeance with no rationality to speak of.
And so I barreled forth on my stabby chariot on my way to commit murder.
…
…
…
An admission of guilt? Please. I'd like to see the DA dumb enough to charge me for crimes inside a fictional world.
But yeah, it seems that even my poorly thought out bouts of murderous vengeance have consequences I'd never imagined.
}Episode End{
Looks like Chris is a little off the deep end folks, and its time for this volumes finale to come to the end, for next episode marks the end of Volume 1!
Quick heads up to clear up any confusion, this is not the end of the fic. This is just the end of the in-universe Volume 1. This fic will continue to get updated as we go into Volume 2 stuff and so on.
Also, I would like to apologize once again for how long this took to come out. I know it was a real crappy mood of me to take so long after a cliff-hanger like last episodes, and I have no real excuses for it. I would drone on a list of what caused this episodes delay, but honestly I don't want to bore you all with my life. For those of you who pm'd me, those irl stuff is the same reason I never responded, so sorry there as well. I hope that you can all accept my apology, and it comes with great pleasure that the once a month or sooner schedule is back in action.
And considering how this is a two parter, I'll get to writing the next part of this as soon as possible!
But enough of all that, its time for that segment of this fic that you all know I love! Let's get to calling you guys out!
Remzal Von Enili: Ya know, if all Faunus were like cats that could work. Though I think he would conquer it with a arming of cat Faunus, all destroying everything in their path to get that one blasted red dot!
Le MAO XXV: Ya know I'm tempted to have Chris try that, and it actually works and freaks him out more then gets him excited of fulfilling every nerds dream. Also, glad you enjoyed the Omake, and who knows a part 3 might be in the future! And of course, Thanos quote is Thanos quote.
Godzilla: Thanks for the praise, through I don't think my fic is the funniest story in the site since there are plenty of other amazingly funny stuff on this site. As for your idea, seems pretty interesting! No guarantees it will be used, but it does give me some ideas of my own!
Prestige Productions: …I feel like your going to be the most pissed about the chapter delay, sorry bout that. On the bright side, canon isn't completely screwed…kinda. And some deaths did happen, and they are 'canon' to this fic so your not too far off!
TM Calypso: Ah, I do the same with the whole 'second guessing' thing. A nightmare during exam time let me tell ya. And I kinda meant in general someone might write one, through me personally writing one is a bit off. I write plenty of dark scenarios with my fics (this chapter a good example), but writing a full blown one? Yeah, not my cup of tea…through a parody of the Yandere trope fic might not be too far off. And I'd love to hear your idea as well!
Koopzilla: I swear that's a Blazeblue reference, but I can't tell completely 100% if it is or not. And that is far more applicable now considering this chaps end huh?
Stryker: Trust me when I say you don't ever have to worry about that, as not only do I have no chance of ever losing interest in this fic even if I wanted to, but I never delete my work. Better to have someone inspired by it to write their own, or just make someone laugh even if its incomplete, then to have it waste away in a deleted bin after all.
Gojira: All in due time young padawan.
Dragonxy: V
Indoraptor: Thanks, and no you're indomitably awesome!
PvtTwitc: Now that is a man who knows how to handle life! I'm sure he and Chris would make great friends…if they didn't get paranoid about each other to the point of mutual destruction at least.
GuestA: Another Warhammer 40k reference? And a badass quote at that too, and yet I still haven't directly referenced in the story yet. Weird.
GuestB: Oh man what a good comback…sadly if Chris did that his caused of death would be listed as 'Pissed off Goodwitch.'
GuestC: Thanks for the praise!
point: You know your dialouge gives the point across, Chris should terrorize the terrorist more often! Also, freaking love that line 'terrorize the terrorist,' I have got to figure out how to use that…
GuestD: Eh? Eh? The chapter is here…finally! Eh? Eh?
Kong: Thanks!
DarkFox17: Hopefully you got this notification, and sorry for the accidental addiction to Chris's craziness! I heard that can be treated with a binge reading of this fic, or a all day reading fest of RWBY comedies! As for all that other stuff, guess you'll just have to see next episode eh?
Thank you to all those who reviewed as usual! Seeing what you guys liked about these episodes, or just general questions or jokes is always something to look forward to!
As usual, don't be afraid to leave any ideas for the fic or Omakes, I always appreciate the extra inspiration and jokes! Plus feedback is always welcomed to help me male the story the best it can possibly be!
All logic used in this fic is completely head-canon, especially in relation to dust physics. If you don't agree that's okay, it's just how I see things
In the five months (ugh…those two words cause me physical pain) since this fic was last updated, our fallow count has jumped all the way up to 604! I'm so glad the fic has got so much attention, through a part of me can't help but feel a good chunk of these people don't read the fic no more due to my scheduling issues. And our favorite count has broken the 400 mark by arriving at 440, ten away from the halfway point! Thank you all so much for the continued support, this is just all so awesome!
This has been LightDusk16, signing off!