A Cosmic Journey
A/N: Happy Tuesday all! Here's to the first of a series of Tuesday updates for the time being, while I slog through the condensed speed hell that's summer classes. At least I don't have to head onto campus due the continued quarantine measures.
Chapter 37: The Best Defense
Chapter Date: 06/15/20
"Alright, is everyone clear on their roles?"
"Blake and I are en route to the recruitment rally. Barring any extreme circumstances, there won't be any issues getting in." Ilia showed up on the scroll call with their infiltration talents showcased admirably. Her hair was lightened to a sunny shade of blonde, her eyes shifted to green, and her skin paled. In addition, her hair had been curled slightly as to make my partner nearly unrecognizable to all but those who knew her closely.
Meanwhile, Blake…
"I still don't see why my hair and ears needed to be dyed." Blake, now temporarily a brunette, huffed into the scroll beside Ilia. "My change of clothes would've been enough."
"Adam Taurus is supposed to be at the rally, a man who knows every facet of your appearance, and you think a wardrobe change is enough to throw him off?" I scoffed. It had been enough to get Blake into the rally in the show but Adam of all people hadn't been there, and in all honesty, that still shouldn't have been sufficient for someone formerly of the Vale branch of the White Fang, let alone the daughter of the White Fang's founder. It worked for the plot, but this was the real deal. "The options were to either dye your hair, give you color contacts, or conceal your Faunus trait and fake your having a different one. Only one of those won't inhibit you in the event of combat."
"Is he always this bossy?" Blake's voice came from offscreen, and Ilia giggled as she saw my unimpressed face looking up from her scroll.
"At least he made sure that you were given Faunus-friendly dye." Ilia shrugged. "Also, we're getting close to the rally point, so we'll have to sign off for now."
"Understood. Good luck." I sighed as the two Faunus disappeared from the scroll call, rolling my neck before clearing my throat. "Okay, now that that's out of the way, is everyone else ready?"
"Tch, not for babysitting duty I'm not." Vernal seemed to have gotten over her shock of my being a criminal and was back to the default state of annoyance.
"Unfortunately, the likelihood that either Adam sees Blake and everything goes to hell, or Blake can't stop herself from getting involved and everything goes to hell are both relatively high." I sighed. "I've already told Ilia to threaten Blake with using Lightning Lash on her, but if things go south, there'll be a lot of White Fang grunts between them and escape that'll need punching."
"That, I'm ready for…don't get beaten now." Vernal ended her call as well, and I focused on the remaining participants.
"Junior, Miltia, Melanie, how're things looking on your end?"
"We're doing fine, kid. I've got the boys checking in every ten minutes, and the twins are down on the floor making sure to double-check on things. The club and we are all handled for now. You should focus on what you're about to do."
"This is my way of focusing. Making sure the other positions are handled leaves me to do mine. And getting confirmation on who's where will help to tell me where people are not." I hefted the replacement blades in my hands, testing their weight and range. "You're sure these swords will hold up in a fight?"
"Neither Lil' Miss nor I skimp on looking after our own. The blades aren't exactly bleeding edge, but they're fine quality and will last. Same goes for the Tyro's you've got. Any reason you needed so many?"
"Call it an extra precaution. Something that Torchwick mentioned when I met with him and Neo. On that note, he better have things set up on his end, or I'll have to get much more up close and personal than I'm comfortable with."
"And exactly how close are you comfortable being to Adam Taurus?"
"It ranges between five and ten miles away, depending on the weather, location, and if Blake is in a hundred-mile radius of either one of us." I reached the rooftop of the warehouse where the rally was being held. "I'll need to be on another line for this. Contact us if something happens."
"Don't hold back, Kouzai. Taurus is out for blood, and anyone'll do."
"Don't I know it?" I whispered after ending the call. "Okay…time to be the mask…"
… … …
"I hate him. Have I ever mentioned that I hate him?"
"I lost count after about the first hundred." Ilia rolled her eyes at her recently reunited friend ranting again about her partner and other friend. "I'll humor you for the sake of you staying silent during the rally though. What about him is so unforgivable that your team leader, your partner and I myself have no issues with him, but you do?"
"He's so invasive when it comes to other's problems and lives, that it makes having your own plans and secrets impossible." Blake hissed, ears twitching freely without the bow. "And once he knows some aspect of your life, some secret, it's like he has an inside joke about it that you yourself aren't privy to! It's happened with Yang and her mother, Weiss with Winter and Qrow, and me."
"So, your issue with him is that he knows more about others than you, and possibly more about you than you yourself know?" Illia summed up succinctly, making Blake wring a hand agitatedly as they progressed further into the warehouse. "I have to say, with all respect to you and to our friendship, it sounds like you're miffed because he appears more worldly and mysterious than you, which is kind of your shtick."
"Which I might be okay with, if he weren't such a bumbling idiot half the time we see him." Blake raised a hand up to her face before realizing that the White Fang recruit mask was already on her face. "Not to mention, I actually tell my teammates and friends about the secrets that might affect them, instead of keeping things all to myself like a certain someone."
"Okay, that I'll grant you. My partner's secrets have secrets, and at times feels like an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. The thing is though, does that really matter?"
"Huh?"
"Unless you're the smartest person on Remnant, you'll always be meeting people who know things that you don't. Even knowing more than they do won't stop you from having questions. A person having more information than another happens everywhere. Sometimes information is shared, and sometimes it isn't. What I've come to recognize after having him as a partner though, is that what he does with that information is always with the best intentions and outcome in mind. Take when we first met him, or when he showed up in that field in Vale, or right now. Gods knows how he's able to be where he needs to be, but I'd sooner eat Lightning Lash than think that he means to lead us astray."
Blake looked conflicted. "I…"
"Attention, all new recruits." The voice cut straight through the chatter in the echoing warehouse, and right through the thoughts swirling in Blake's mind, if her rigid posture was anything to go by. Her reaction was understandable though, despite knowing ahead of time. "Thank you for appearing here tonight. I am glad that our cause finds such strong support among our brothers and sisters."
Adam Taurus walked out onto the stage, giving a face to the voice coming through the speakers that had been set up throughout the warehouse. Thunderous cheers rang out as the White Fang commander basked in the applause, and Ilia placed a hand on Blake's shoulder as her friend was looking towards the ground. After a minute of this, Adam raised his hands, and silence swept throughout the room again.
"I'm sure you have heard about the recent battle at the Vale docks, where members of the White Fang did battle alongside…humans in order to work towards crippling Jacques Schnee and his ilk. I am here tonight to confirm to you the truth of those rumors." Adam motioned to the side of the stage, and Ilia fought to keep her appearance from shifting involuntarily in reaction to the anger at the newcomer.
"Thank you, thank you! Please, hold your applause." Torchwick swaggered out while twirling his cane, seemingly oblivious to the hushed whispers making their way around the-
BANG
The crowd fell silent once more as glass rained down from above onto the stage. Adam slowly lowered Blush and looked out towards the crowd. "Make no mistake, brothers and sisters. Our alliance with these humans is not trading one human master for another. Everything that we do, everything that I do, is for the Faunus. To that end, this man is here to aid our cause."
"Thank you for that, Commander Taurus." It would've taken a very gullible person not to notice the insincerity dripping off Torchwick's lips while addressing Adam. "Now, I can clearly see among a good number of you that humans aren't exactly at the top of your list, unless it has the word 'kill' put in front of it. Lucky for the Faunus, humans aren't the best at getting along with one another anyways, and have no scruples about stealing from or trying to kill one another. Case in point."
"My role in your cause is to empower those who've been taken advantage of to rise up and give those humans in power the thrashing that they so greatly deserve. And if you doubt my ability to deliver on my own lofty expectation? Well…" Roman gestured behind him, and the banner of the White Fang behind Adam and Torchwick was removed.
"Take a look for yourself."
Hundreds of rifles and submachine guns were stacked row-by-row in the shipping containers laid behind the two. Even at the distance Ilia was, she could tell these firearms weren't the substandard tin that the White Fang had had to make do with in the past. No, this was an arsenal meant for an army, to put down an army.
"Yes, brothers and sisters! This is what our cause offers you. The chance to seize your future with your own two hands! The chance to protect fellow Faunus from further bloodshed in fighting for our cause! The chance to show those like the Schnees what OUR PAIN is like! We are everywhere, in Vale, in Vacuo, in Mistral, in ATLAS! A war will soon come to Vale, and our time will come at last! Vale will be the first to fall, and you all will be the first to bring in a new age!"
Raucous and bloodthirsty cheers rang out in the warehouse, and not a small portion of them came from the section of new recruits. The tension was growing thicker in the atmosphere, and someone seemed to be soaking it all in.
"But first, we must free our oppressed brothers and sisters from their shackles! Tonight, we have the ability to save at least one such Faunus. Isn't that right…Blake?"
Ilia flinched as Adam looked directly over to where Blake and her were. A scan of the room showed that the various soldiers posted on the overlook above were facing them as well, with some speaking into scrolls that were likely being fed back to Adam. Worse still, Blake had gone stock-still at the first direct address by Adam since leaving him.
"I don't know why you're here tonight, but I do know that we can be reunited once again. And that is an opportunity that I am not willing to miss." Adam raised a hand, and the soldiers on the perimeter of the warehouse floor began making their way over to the two of them.
"C'mon, anytime now…" Ilia's hand reached for Lightning Lash, ready to-
"A war, hmm? How…prophetic of you, Adam Taurus…"
The voice came through the speakers, and the induced frenzy died down as Adam looked around, testing the mic he wore that no longer responded.
"I had thought my warning shot to you and yours would've been enough to send you running…clearly, you must want another round, another pound of flesh taken from you…"
Ilia shivered. She knew exactly who was speaking, but the methodical tone was ominous to her ears. She didn't know the context of the situation, but one thing was evident…
"If carnage is the only language that you understand now, then far be it for me not to reach out…and deliver a message unto your precious White Fang…"
Despite the distance of three years, the knowledge of her own partner…
CRASH
The warehouse as one looked up at the dark figure that plummeted through the glass roof above, aiming the tip of a blade as he hurtled towards Adam. As Adam raised Wilt to intercept a pistol came out in the other hand and fired towards Adam's legs, forcing the White Fang commander to block with Wilt before rolling away from the stab that cracked and shook the stage. With a great wrenching of wood, the figure rose up to face the warehouse at large.
…The Specter was a terror all its own.
The warehouse erupted into panic, as new recruits and fresh soldiers alike pushed and shoved towards the exits. The hardier soldiers shook off their surprise and continued towards Ilia and Blake, being buffeted by the waves of Faunus.
"Blake, time to go now!" Ilia unceremoniously grabbed Blake and pushed along, though her friend's sight remained glued towards the stage.
"But Adam, those weapons, we have to stop them!" Blake came to and actually tried to push back towards the stage, but the sheer numbers of the crowd forced her towards the exit.
"We need to make sure you won't be caught first, and that those weapons are taken care of! Then we focus on Adam," Ilia replied through clenched teeth, hearing the distinct clanging of swords clashing behind her.
"But Adam and Roman are-"
"Don't tell me you're concerned for him now," Ilia said flatly. "Besides, he's not alone, and the quicker we get out, the quicker we get back in."
Blake shakily nodded, before Ilia faced forward to find the fastest way to the exit through the crowd.
She'd be damned if she left him to the likes of Adam and Roman.
… … …
'Well, that worked a little too well.' I shook the errant bits of wood stuck on the sword, which seemed fine after the stab into the stage. A look over behind Adam had Torchwick with Melodic Cudgel at the ready, though the thief gave a miniscule nod towards me. 'If the White Fang wants to play me up as the Bogeyman of Faunus, might as well lean into the skid if it scares them off.'
"Torchwick! Go after Blake and her friend! Bring them both to me." Adam kept his eyes focused on me, which meant that he couldn't see Torchwick give me a quizzical look, one that I reciprocated behind my mask.
After my talk with Torchwick and Neo, I thought long and hard about the plan going into the rally, and who would be there backing up Adam. Cinder herself was out, as she considered herself too important to be forced to supervise such a small event, leaving Neo, Emerald and Torchwick. After recalling Torchwick's message, I recognized that Cinder would never allow Roman and Neo to be in the same spot as her without having at least one more capable fighter around, which meant either Roman or Neo. In order to maximize her benefit while keeping risk to herself at a minimum, she would have to send Roman for the speech, and keep Neo behind in order to threaten each of them with the death of the other.
'That part of the prediction came true. So, when all hell would break loose, I'd distract Adam, Vernal would "hold off" Roman from attacking me, and Blake and Ilia could fight their way out themselves if it came to it.' Torchwick shrugged, and started making for the door at the floor above, leaving the group of remaining soldiers in the warehouse still very much conscious and very angry. 'I guess Adam's still has more of a head on his shoulders than I thought. That doesn't bode well for me though, and neither does the number of soldiers left.'
"Look's like you'll get your chance after all, V." I addressed the comms built into the mask.
"Finally!" Shots rang out from the side as Vernal bulldozed her way through one of the doors on the floor above, before carving her way through those left. "You sure everything's still peachy?"
'Vernal against mooks, Torchwick playacting against Ilia and Blake, and I get Adam.' I sighed. "I think we'll manage."
"Hells yeah!" Alarmed shouts of pain continued, though Adam and I tuned out the background noise as I faced the furious Faunus.
"You…You intend to dog my efforts to save the Faunus at every turn then?" Adam growled, and I could feel the hatred of his glare past both our masks. "And you've even taken Blake hostage as a pawn in your schemes!"
"…Excuse me?"
"To save Blake from being trapped in a fate of indoctrination at Beacon, I will cut you down to free her from your clutches." Wilt was sheathed again as Adam took a stance.
'Huh, look at that. Another change again. Now crazy vengeful stalker ex is now just crazy stalker-'
BANG
Wilt flew forward as Adam rocketed towards his sword. With Chronometry on, I lunged forward, knocking Wilt sideways with my pistol as I slashed out with my sword. Blush came up to block my blade, and Adam wasted no time in launching at my side, forcing me to hurriedly block with my elbow. As I stumbled, Adam dived off the stage and retrieved Wilt, holding it and Blush in both his hands in some mirror of me.
'Okay, maybe he saved the vengeance for me instead.' I looked behind him at Vernal making her way through the White Fang soldiers. 'Not long now. Eyes on the prize then; survival.'
"What's wrong, Taurus? I'm not even a Huntsmen, and you're already balking. What happened to all those boasts about defeating Beacon and Vale?" True to form, my jeers were riling Adam up again, but making him no less dangerous. 'Here we go again.'
"RRRAAAAAHHH!" Adam rushed in, slashing and twirling around with Wilt and Blush. The form was all too similar to my own escrima style, and I holstered my still and drew a second sword, dashing back in to slash outwards with my own of steel.
"DIE ALREADY!" Adam roared, matching my slashes with his own, the reverberations rocking up both our arms. Dozens and dozens of strikes we exchanged, and my arms ached under the assault. Far from tiring though, Adam seemed to be powering through on sheer rage alone.
'So this is what it's like facing someone with two weapons.' I gritted my teeth as the tempo and force sped up again. 'Gods, I must be a nightmare to fight at times. I have to switch the pace up!'
I kicked outward as Adam was forced to block with Blush, sliding back slightly as he sheathed Wilt again. As he chuckled and began lighting red, I paled. 'Grimmshit! He's got enough for Moonslice!'
"DIE!" A red crescent streaked forth, and I reacted.
BOOOOM
'COME ON, MORTEM!' I gritted my teeth and pumped more Aura into the gauntlet's Hard-Light Dust shield, watching certain dismemberment forcing its way past the-
"BARRIER!" A wall of silver Aura joined Mortem, and I roared as the Moonslice dissipated against both walls.
"How did you…" Adam trailed off after seeing the gauntlet. "The technology from the Schnee facility. You appropriated it-"
"Among other things," I groaned, feeling the drain on my Aura reserves after using both protective sources. "So, it seems like your ace in the hole can't break past my defense. I wonder what that leaves you with."
"My ability to overpower you with strength alone." Adam declared, pushing past the ineffectiveness of his semblance. Closing my eyes for a moment, I gauged the strength of Adam's Aura.
"He's got more than I feel like I've got at the moment. More prolonged exchanges will continue dragging things out in his favor.' I spared another look towards the warehouse floor, where Vernal was still occupied. I could only hope Blake and Ilia had made their way outside by now. 'Dragging things out a little longer should be the goal here…then again…'
Adam didn't give me anymore time to myself, closing in as Wilt sought out my head. I fell into Adam's pace again, running through the information in my head.
'Don't have more than two limbs, and I can't only block. I don't have any area-of-effect options either.' I ate a kick as I ducked under Blush, but gave as good as I got by hooking Adam in the jaw. We both stumbled a step away, eyeing each other warily. 'Guess there's no other choice. I need Wilt occupied though…'
"Your Aura's bound to be running low," Adam growled, not at all an inaccurate statement. I only had a few exchanges left in me. "This is where you end, Specter."
"If you think so…come and try," I replied, pushing to keep my voice even. Adam took that as in invitation and rocketed in with Wilt at the ready. I chucked my left sword at him, and he instinctively pulled Wilt out of the way, whirling around as he expected the blade to fly back towards him. When gravity took hold instead, he turned back to see me holding a familiar pistol in my grasp.
"Here's my ace," I whispered, tightly gripping Corona with Luna attached, channeling Aura to the gun. "VERNAL!"
"SHIT!" Adam cursed, lighting red.
"TAKE COVER!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
… … …
… … …
"No fair, Uncle Qrow!"
"Haha, sorry pipsqueak. Guess I'm still head and shoulders above you. Literally."
"Uncle Qrooowwww!"
Qrow laughed as Ruby ineffectually whaled on his arm and shoulder, doing less damage to him than Zwei on a bad day. Off to the side, Yang and Winter were by the outdoor table chatting about something or other, while Weiss was off to the side by the grill splitting her attention between whatever on Remnant the two older sisters could've been talking about and her own conversation with Tai. Raven, as per usual, was off doing her own thing, but said she'd be back shortly.
"Damn, I so needed the break." He sighed, bringing the iced tea in his other hand up to his lips as he took in the tranquil sky.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Iced tea dribbled out of his mouth as he blankly stared up at where the flash of light had come from, tracking the beam back towards the ground, towards…
"Qrow! Was that…" Tai trailed off as he realized who else was around, though everyone else had also gone silent for a moment. Qrow just nodded his head, before grimacing as his scroll rang.
"Yeah Oz, I heard it. Saw it too."
"Then you understand that this means that the Specter has resurfaced. How soon can you be in Vale?"
"Depending on where it came from, around fifteen minutes."
"Good. Hurry if you can, and I'll send you the location. You shouldn't need it though, as I'm told the building is quite obviously in ruins and on fire." Oz ended the call at that, and Qrow turned away from the sight of summer burgers and towards a smoking Vale.
"Fuck my semblance…"
A/N: Well, that was definitely something. One way or another, the clock is ticking.
Deathreapsonce: I don't know if it's a metaphysical so much as a default response. Be it benefit or flaw, many people have the tendency to deflect to others, whether that's compliments or accusations. I suppose it depends on the context and subjective view.
Gizmo Gear: Well, it's an inevitability that any secret with more than one person in the know is bound to be revealed eventually. When that happens though is dependent on outside circumstances. In terms of Roman and Neo cottoning onto the Specter's identity, they definitely have more to gain by revealing that secret than Kouzai does by revealing their allegiances, but we'll see how long that tenuous détente will last.
AlexFalTon: Haha, if I was the type to set up zinger questions leading into the next chapter these would be pretty good. And Kouzai had best hope that he's pretty good at keeping secrets.
Jessans: I didn't have that image in mind when I wrote that scene, but there are definitely some similarities between the two, but only a few. Those include the brooding, brutal pragmatism and inclination to distance themselves from those they care for out of a sense of protection.
Blueassassin996: Yup, the more the Specter involves himself in the game between the two immortals, the harder it becomes to remain unaffiliated and with all secrets intact. And, you know, the threat of extreme pain and death, of course.
HappyHulk: As I mentioned, after some consideration, Tuesdays would be more convenient for the time being in regards to updates. We'll see if it sticks come the fall, but thanks for the suggestion.
-SE
Next Chapter Date: 06/23/20