I am not gonna bore anyone with this section, the chapter is going to be packed. I hope I can do Penny well enough. Let us commence the chaos!
Currently, Weiss was behind Roman, Myrtenaster digging into his back. One push and the thief will end up stabbed, but that was not her intention. She was here to take him in. Luckily, she had met Penny on the way - a girl she and Ruby met when chasing for that blonde Faunus boy. She admitted she was from Atlas like her, and was...acceptable, in teens of companionship. A bit too bubbly and asked a lot of questions, but Weiss could live with that. She has been living with Ruby, had she not?
"Roman Torchwick, I hereby place you under arrest," Weiss said, maintaining her icy tone of voice all the way. She did not notice her team, which were hidden, but Penny did. The ginger found them, after all.
"Look, missy, put your weapon down," Roman said, whispering. The Fang members were already aiming their guns at them by now and Roman was more than certain they'd have no problem gunning him down as well if it meant killing a Schnee. "Damn it…" To avoid it going downhill more he knew he had to do something.
So he pressed the trigger on Melodic Cudgel, giving the signal. But this also distracted Weiss, allowing Roman to kick her back with a good kick to the stomach and leap towards the side. "NOW!"
"The signal!" Ash shouted, and then jumped out of hiding along with Yang and Blake, but Ruby stayed behind to talk with Penny while Ash and the others went in that chaps.
"Friend Ruby! What is it with you here?" Penny asked, sounding just as excited to see her friend as ever, but also somewhat confused. "Friend Weiss said it will be only us."
"Look, Penny now is not the time! We have to go in there and stop the heist and also make sure Roman Torchwick - as crazy as this sounds - escapes with us."
"Roman Torchwick?" Penny stopped for a moment, seemingly thinking. "An infamous thief wanted for multiple crimes all over Vale and even in Atlas. But why help him?"
"It's complicated…" Ruby muttered, then she heard the gunshots from Yang's Ember Celica. "I have to go! But Penny, please, if you can, please help us. Weiss is not herself right now, and we need to stop her before she does something she'll regret!"
Penny looked like she was thinking, yet again, but then answered with a smile. "Sure! Anything for a friend!"
"Thank you!"
"Get!" Ash ran through the members of the Fang like a wind through the forest, using Somnium Cavas to block and deflect bullets and cut down the weapons when he got in range, using non-lethal take-down methods to make sure the Fang stayed put. "Out!" However, they were relentless in the assault and their numbers did not help. "Of my way!" Ash shouted and took out a grey Dust crystal which he threw and shot, using it as a grenade to create an opening in their ranks.
"Take this!" Yang was on his left, taking care of her share of White Fang, her fist more than enough to clear them out. "Just how many are there-" her words were cut as a bullet touched her aura, making it flare.
"Yang!" Blake called out to her in concern, only to see her partner's eyes turn red and stare at the Fang, causing a few of them to look quite intimidated.
"Bad move," Yang said, clashing her fist together, her hair setting itself ablaze before she charged into the crowd. She was fine.
The chaos that has been unleashed was deserving of its name; chaos. However, everyone knew that the plan went down the drain. Currently, Weiss and Roman were engaged in combat, with Weiss trying to land a hit on the thief using her glyphs and speed, but Roman was able to nimbly avoid her attacks while staying on the defensive. She was not his enemy, even if she didn't realize that.
"Can you stop?" Roman asked as he dodged yet another one of her charges. This was getting old and irritating for the thief. He could just blast her away, but he had to uphold that deal with Ozpin at all costs. "I'm on your side!" He shouted, but Weiss scoffed.
"Yeah right," She snarkily replied before bringing up her glyphs, lining them up for yet another assault. However, Roman sighed.
"Sorry about this" He pointed Melodic Cudgel at Weiss and waited for her to charge at him before firing, making her change her trajectory and killing her momentum. But the thief didn't give her the chance to get up and ran to her, aiming to kick her away towards Ash or someone so they can put her up to speed.
However, Weiss saw him approach and decided to use her Dust, creating a trail of ice that stopped at his feet and froze Roman's feet, making the thief curse. Weiss slowly recovered and rolled the barrel of her weapon until it landed where she desired, pointing Myrtenaster at Roman as the tip crackled with electricity.
Roman saw it and knew it was not good, so he decided to blast the ice off his feet with his cane, causing his aura to flare due to the damage his weapon would've done to him, but he managed to duck just in time to avoid the round which hit a random White Fang member that collapsed as a result.
"Close" Roman sighed, then saw Weiss summon her glyphs again, however, he had a bad feeling about those and decided to shoot her, but found his blast blocked by a wall of ice. Versatile Schnee semblance, why did you have to be so good? The thief scoffed seeing his round stopped, but then he saw the loading crane on the side and smirked.
"As much as I liked our little exchange, I must go. Bye," He launched the hook of Melodic Cudgel, allowing his weapon to pull him away. Weiss tried to get him but was stopped by the ribbon of Gambol Shroud.
"What- Blake?" Weiss said seeing her teammate. "What are you doing here? Why are you here?" She asked, confused about her presence.
"Why am I here? Why is everyone here!" She shouted, making Weiss look around more. She saw Yang fight off multiple White Fang members, Ash running and jumping, using the environment to land solid non-lethal strikes on them, Ruby sniping from afar, and even Penny helping out using her weapon - which consisted of some blades tied with threads to her backpack.
"What…" Weiss muttered but shortly found herself under fire by the Fang. There were still many around.
"We got a Schnee, boys! Take her out!" One of them shouted as they unleashed hell upon Weiss, but her reflexes served her well and put up a wall of ice to defend against them. How could she be so clueless? Of course, the Fang would recognize her and try to maim her.
"And the traitor!" Another shouted, trying to shoot Blake, but she was too quick for them, especially as her semblance made her an even harder target. Just when you think you have her, she vanishes and appears again just fine. Annoying semblance.
Ash heard the commotion and looked at them just as he finished one more Fang member. They were in trouble, but he couldn't leave Yang behind. The numbers would overwhelm her. Granted, there were not many Fang members left, but still enough. Ruby was busy herself with her share of takedowns, but this was bad.
The plan was out. They had to improvise.
Ash got his scroll out and dialed Roman quickly, the thief answering from atop the crane. "What now?!" Ash asked panicked, however, the thief put the scroll against his shoulder and lit up a cigar.
"We go all out, Ash. There is no turning back. Now if you'd excuse me, Team JNPR is having some issue"
Roman hung up and looked towards the place Adam Taurus was supposed to be stationed. He had no doubt Team JNPR got the signal as well, but are all unaware that the plan just went south. This meant Roman had to step in.
While Team RWBY and Ash were dealing with the main forces, Team JNPR was dealing with the small contingency force that contained Adam Taurus in it. When the signal was given they all charged in. Each of them took a different position, with Jaune and Nora dealing with any Fang member around to allow Ren and Pyrrha to fight Adam. From what he got from Roman, Ash, and Blake, Pyrrha and Ren were the best choices to keep him busy, but it won't last.
Jaune Arc was painfully aware of that. So very aware. Currently, he was locked in battle with one of the Fang members which accompanied Adam. It looked like Roman did his job of not giving them the hard load when they also had Adam on their plate to deal with.
This member of the Fang was a close-range fighter, which might seem perfect for Jaune to fight until you realize that the Faunus was far stronger. From its traits, which consisted of some horse ears, Jaune has deduced they were a horse Faunus, which explained their current strength and endurance. They gave some kicks his way, which he blocked, thankfully, but he could tell him couldn't afford a direct strike from them. Or else the damage would be great, even with Aura.
He had to thank Ash and Pyrrha, however, for they helped train him.
"Come on! Is that all the ride you have in you?" Jaune taunted, feeling somewhat bad for saying such a racist thing to this Faunus. But Ash made sure to drill it into him that during the battle there is no such thing as taking things too far. Only doing what is necessary.
"Why you!" The Faunus jumped up, blade pulled back before swinging it forward and colliding it with Jaune's shield, the boy's feet going back a bit from the impact. Jaune gave it a small yell and pushed, knocking the Fang soldier back, then went for a horizontal swing.
It got deflected, throwing his arm back and allowing the Fang member to go for their swing, coming from above once more. Jaune side-stepped, narrowly dodging, then he remembered the training he did with Ash before and sheathed Crocea Mors into his shield. He then used both hands to grip his shield.
Jaune then quickly bashed his shield against the Fang member, making them defend not to get pushed. "Come on…" he wheezed out, then he looked at his opponent. They were not giving up. Good. "Come on…"
"Give...up!" The Fang members said, starting to push back. Jaune nearly went back, but he pressed on until the moment was just right.
"Now!" He shouted and pressed the button on his shield, turning it back to its initial sheath form, and grabbed it with one hand, ducking under the sword of the enemy and spinning around while drawing his sword, the edge making contact with his opponent's Achilles tendon. The White Fang member yelled out in pain and collapsed to one knee, but before he could get up he found himself being kicked in the head by the back of Jaune's foot.
The blonde took a few breaths, feeling the adrenaline pumping through him. "Hell yeah!" Jaune shouted, but then he felt his Aura flare as another White Fang crashed into him. Not attacking, but thrown by Nora via a heavy hammer strike.
"Oops! Sorry!" Nora said with a grin, watching as Jaune got up with a few groans from the ground.
"And there goes my moment of glory…" He sighed, then he heard a scream from the fight against Taurus. Looking in that direction he saw Pyrrha being hit back into a container while Ren struggled to avoid Adam's strikes. "Oh no...Nora, cover me!" Jaune ordered and charged into the fray, coming from behind Ren with his shield and sword out. "Ren, jump!" His teammate listened, and Ren jumped, allowing Jaune to use his shield to block Adam's strike.
"Another one?! No matter. You are all going to lie dead at my feet at the end of the night!" Adam declared before jumping back and sheathing his sword. Adam then charged at Jaune and aimed his sheath at him, pressing a button and launching his blade at him. Jaune heard of this one move, and when the blade hit his shield he only blocked, not dropping his defense. But Taurus, although slightly irked, continued phis charge and grabbed his sword again, jumping in the air and slashing down at Jaune's shield with a hint of fire Dust, leaving behind a burning trail as the boy was knocked back. "Pesty humans" he spat as he charged in again, delivering multiple fast and lethal slashes to Jaune who desperately blocked with his shield.
"Jaune!" Ren called out to him, ready to jump in to help. But.
"No! Go help Pyrrha and Nora!" Jaune shouted as he once again blocked a strike from Adam, only for his legs to be swiped in the next moment and have himself on the ground. Adam tried to stab him, but Jaune brought his shield to protect him once more. "Go!"
Ren was conflicted. On one hand, he knew Jaune stood no chance against Adam. If Pyrrha barely held on an offense when it was 2 on 1 in their favor, then how can he, someone who lied to get into Beacon, hope to last 5 minutes against the likes of Taurus. But looking at him, Ren saw it. Determination and courage. He didn't get it before but now he does. Why was Jaune still at Beacon? Because he deserved to be.
"On it!" Ren said and ran to take care of Pyrrha, who was slowly coming back to her senses. Jaune smiled seeing that his team will be alright, then he faced Adam again, his shield holding out strong against Adam's sword.
"Ugh! I must admit that your bravery to face me and the selfless act of denying help to have your comrade helped is praisable. But alas, that changes nothing." Adam pulled his blade back and jumped back, sheathing and allowing Jaune to get up. The 2 looked at the other, both in position. Jaune had his shield and sword drawn at him, but slowly, Adam's gaze moved to Jaune's partner. The Invincible Girl herself - Pyrrha Nikos.
Such a person to fall to the Fang would send a message. A message that no matter who you are, no matter how skilled, no matter how revered by your kin, that doesn't excuse you from the grand finale of life; death. Jaune saw him and caught on to his intention.
"No!" He rushed towards Pyrrha, but soon the world turned black and white, Adam standing alone as a crimson red stain along his blade as he sent out his Semblance. The slash traveling fast, and Jaune knew he couldn't reach Pyrrha in time, or have them dodge in time. So he got in its way, shield first, and took the hit.
"No!" Ren shouted as he saw Jaune get hid in full, his shield breaking in 2 as his aura shattered. Crimson stains flying from him as he collapsed on his back, a deep gash going from his right hip to his left shoulder. Adam clicked his tongue seeing that, but before he could even attack again he found himself blasted by a powerful shot.
"Damn it…" Roman swore as he arrived, cane stretched out, and barrel smoking. "I was too late." He jumped down before Team JNPR, looking back to see their situation. Ren and Nora were fine but tired, Pyrrha was slowly recovering her marbles, but Jaune...He was hurt. Badly.
"Jaune!" Nora cried out as she got next to her leader, lifting his head on her lap not to let him drown in his blood. "Stay with us! Please! Don't close your eyes!"
Jaune coughed out before looking up to his teammate, his eyes fighting to stay open and a body full of pain. "N-Nora…" he whispered her name, the ginger grabbing his hand and holding it tight. Ren followed shortly, trying to examine his wound. It was bad. His aura was gone and he was losing blood, fast.
"Don't close your eyes, Jaune, you hear me?!" Ren shouted, further trying to convince his leader to stay awake.
"Ren…" Jaune's eyes were beginning to shut themselves, slowly giving in.
In the distance, Pyrrha could hear the fighting, but faintly. She took quite the blow from Adam. She heard the clash of weapons and the firing of guns, but another sound slowly crept into her ears, making her twitch awake ever so slightly. She heard sobbing and shouting. She heard Ren shouting for Jaune and Nora sobbing, trying not to cry. She opened her eyes slightly and saw Ren's back and Nora's side, both surrounding a small puddle of...blood. Pyrrha's eyes shot open at what she saw.
A mop of blonde hair, a shield cleaved in 2, a crying Nora, and a frustrated Ren. And a hurt Jaune, slowly giving in to death. "Jaune?" She called out to him, leaning forth and crawling on all fours towards him, looking at him with tears streaking down her cheeks. That wound was...She knew a fatal wound when she saw one, and that was one of the worst she ever saw. "H-how?" Her voice was shaking, breaking even. She held onto his hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"He…" Ren began saying. "He sacrificed himself for us...Adam tried to use his semblance and he...he put himself in the line of fire."
Pyrrha's heart sunk into her stomach hearing those words. Did he sacrifice himself for them? For her? Why? He had all life ahead of him, a dream to chase. She had what? Fame? Strength? A title? But has she ever done something like this?
"Pyrr...ha" Jaune called out her name weakly, the redhead leaning over him and looking at him in the eyes. That brilliant ocean blue against her emerald green, yet now she saw it slowly fade. His grip was growing weaker.
"Jaune? No...No, no, no, NO! Don't die!" She shouted, but it was a fruitless attempt. Jaune couldn't hear anyone or anything anymore. Gone was the fight between Roman and Adam, gone were the shouts of his team, and gone was even the pain by mow.
"Is this...my time?" He asked himself as he felt his body grow cold. He was fading. "I got so far, met so many people, only to die here? I...I don't want to go...There is still so much I have to live for! I never got to discover my semblance, ask Weiss on a date, or even become the Hero I wanted to be! What would my family...My family...Mom, Dad...My sisters...All of them will be crying over my grave...What have I done?" His thoughts trailed off as his vision slowly became darker. "I've run away to chase a dream, forgetting all about their feelings...I never cared about what would happen if I fell...The tears it'd bring to their eyes. I am no Hero...I am just a selfish punk."
His vision cleared itself a little, allowing him to see a mane of crimson before him and the crying eyes of his partner, Pyrrha, looking at him. Her mouth moving, but he couldn't hear a word she was saying. Is this how death feels like? It is...cold. But warm at the same time. It made him sleepy, tired.
"She deserves better, I know it...Maybe Ozpin will move Ash to our team to fill in my spot. He sure knows how to fight dirty-"
"Are you giving up?" Jaune heard the voice of the one he thought about in his head, and his mind wandered back to one of their training sessions. One where he nearly threw the towel.
A few weeks ago, at Beacon.
"Come on!" Ash was training Jaune again, the 2 being engaged in some sword fighting. "Forget what Pyrrha tried to teach you about form and fighting style, Jaune, and find your own!"
"Easy for you too- oof!" A swift strike from underneath, putting Jaune on the ground once more. "Damn it…" he cursed.
"Get up!" Ash ordered, but Jaune just collapsed himself on the ground. "Arc, I said get up!" Ash repeated himself.
"What use? I will never master fighting at this pace. Guess I should resign to being Cardin's thrall for the rest of my time here-" He didn't get to finish as Ash punched him over the face, again. "Ow!"
"Look, are you going to give up or something?" Ash asked, holding Jaune's collar. "I showed you my eyes, I offer my help, all for you to give up?"
"No one asked you to!" Jaune responded. P
"Yet here I am, and am I giving up on you?" Ge asked back, silencing Jaune. But the Arc sighed.
"No...You are not. You are determined." Ash smiled a bit, then let go of him.
"There you go. But let me ask, would you give up on your partner? On your team?"
"N-no! Of course not!" Jaune replied, quickly getting up. "Look, I might be a cheat, but I would never give up on them!"
"You sure? It sounded like you were a couple of moments ago" Ash replied, making Jaune slowly realize his behavior.
"I just...I do not know." Jaune looked down, arms around himself, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Ash there, looking at him with his glasses tilted, letting Jaune see his black sclera and red iris.
"Trust in yourself and your team, Arc. You are their leader, they need you. Do NOT give up, you hear me?"
"I do…"
"Then say it aloud, Arc!" Ash shouted.
"I am not going to give up" Jaune clenched his fist, feeling his body heat up and a soft glow appeared around his hand, unnoticed by them.
"I can't hear you!" Ash shouted.
"I won't-"
"Give up...That's right. My team needs me. My partner needs me. They need me! I cannot fall here! I have to get up!" But try as he might, he couldn't. Each time he tried to talk, incomprehensible groans escaped his lips. Each time he tried to move he found himself grounded by the pain of his wound. "Damn it! If only my Aura was not broken maybe I could...Wait...Aura…" He opened his eyes, looking down to see Ren clenching his teeth and holding back tears, but Pyrrha and Nora were crying. Their tears flowed down his chest. But his eyes were set on Pyrrha. "She was the one to unlock my Aura...I only got so far thanks to her."
With a weak move, he weakly tightened his grip on her hand, making Pyrrha look at him again. He was smiling at her. "Thank...you." He weakly said, her eyes widening further.
"Please, Jaune, don't go...I...We…" she stuttered in her word, trying to come up with something to say. But only one thing came to her. "I love you"
Ren and Nora both looked at Pyrrha as she cried. Both stunned by her words. "We should have never come here…" She said softly. "But...I guess you knew better. It is our duty as Huntsman and Huntresses to lay down our lives for the common good of humanity and Faunus kind"
"She...what?" Even Jaune was stunned now, but when at death's door, one thinks fast. "She loves me? Why? I...I am nothing special! I am not strong, smart, or even rich! Why would she, Pyrrha Nikos, love me? We are of 2 different worlds…"
"You...You didn't know me when we first met. You didn't know me as Pyrrha Nikos, The Invincible Girl. Well, until Weiss brought up the cereals...But just as me, as Pyrrha* She cupped his cheeks in both of her hands, looking at him. " so please, don't leave us...Don't leave me"
"I...I won't." Only now has he noticed. "All this time I chased for the wrong heart…" his grip on her hand grew stronger as red aura shined against a brilliant white. "Pyrrha, I promise you, I won't go...I will train my ass off, I'll do anything to be the leader you all deserve. And...a partner you can love…"
Blinding light erupted from Jaune, stunning everyone near him. "What?!" Adam cried out seeing him, only to then dodge another projectile from Roman.
"Eyes on the prize, animal!" The thief shouted, then he looked at Jaune, a chuckle and a whistle escaping his lips. "That is one flashy semblance, my boy. Some use what it can do"
Slowly, everyone watched as Jaune's Aura did not only return to him but flared up brighter than before, his wound slowly closing itself. Everyone took a step back, letting him slowly get up, unsure of what is going on. Nora and Ren were both confused as well, but Pyrrha, who noticed how her Aura flared when she was holding his hand, realized.
"It's your semblance…" she muttered. " Jaune! It's your semblance!" She shouted out in joy, the glow slowly dying off as Jaune stood up, his wound closed completely.
"Woah. What did I just do?" He asked himself as he looked at his hands, feeling them as he clenched his fist. He felt great, not even a trace of pain left in his body. "It was like my Aura just exploded, then everything began shining."
"Not only yours, but when I held your hand mine was as well!" Pyrrha pointed out, but Ren was the one to catch on.
"Aura Amplification" he muttered. "Jaune, do you realize what that means?"
"Uhhhh. Should I?" Jaune asked, looking a bit anxious at the attention.
"It means you can amplify someone's aura to make it stronger, OR" Ren started.
"Amplify their semblance!" Pyrrha finished.
"Ok, I am lost"
"A little help here!" Roman shouted as the fight between him and Adam was not going too well. Roman might half a long-range advantage, but maintaining it proved to be more complicated than originally imagined. Adam was too fast and Roman could not dodge all day.
Pyrrha looked their way and saw Adam, remembering what he did to Jaune. The image of him being near death, and if not for this small miracle he would've been a death. That thought angered her. However, a warm hand placed on her shoulder made her look back at her partner and leader.
"Pyrrha, tell me, what is your semblance and how can it help?" Jaune asked, his eyes fixed on hers. Slowly, Pyrrha exhaled and answered.
"Polarity. My semblance is polarity" She answered, then Jaune nodded, then he smiled with glee. It didn't take long before Pyrrha felt her Aura flare again and a sense of power washed over her. This was...incredible. She felt like she could take on the world..with him. "This is...incredible" she muttered, then blackness began to cover her hands and appear around the surrounding metals. Containers, street lamps, even Adam's sword got covered.
And speaking of his sword, Adam found himself unable to move it. He was with his hands stuck in the air, gripping his sword. "What?!" He looked over at Pyrrha, her hands covered in the color black. He looked at Jaune, whose hand was shining on her shoulder. That black color was around his blade, controlling it. "What trick is this-" his words were cut as Roman put his cane to his face.
"Looks like this is checkmate, Bull-boy. I'd have loved to spend more time playing with you, but you see...I think you are about to receive some hard punishment." Roman jumped back, taking distance from Adam. "He's all yours!"
"With pleasure," Pyrrha said as she used her semblance, and with a wave of her hand she ripped out a light pole from the ground and the gate of a container, both colliding with Adam at the same time. His Aura flared, but he could still feel the pain from his body. Then his sword flew out of his hands, but he was kept in place by the other metal objects. Slowly, however, they bend around him, turning into a constraint of iron and steel. Adam screamed, trying to escape, but to no use. Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, and even Jaune were taken back by the power of the 2 combined semblances. She had been able to move such large things before, but never yank them from the ground or another place. Let alone bend them like this. But now? It felt so easy to her. Almost like shaping clay.
"Make sure to leave his head exposed!" Roman reminded them and Pyrrha nodded. By the time she was done and dropped Adam, the White Fang zealot was encased in a cocoon of steel, perfectly restraining him. He was on his side, looking at the feet of team JNPR, but then Roman walked in front of him and squatted down to his level. "Gotta admit those kids are something to fear nowadays, am I right?" And as if adding salt to the wound...he pulled Adam's blade. "A nice weapon, but it is not the trophy I want. Let's see…" Roman got up and pushed Adam's prison, placing the Faunus on his back.
"Whatever you try on me, you won't break me, traitor!" Adam declared, addressing Roman. But the thief just twirled his cane, the hook put next to Adam's horns. "What are you doing?"
"Getting my trophy, Bull-boy, and giving you a...neutering"
"You what-"
Adam never got to finish as Roman took a swing of his cane. The entire team JNPR winced seeing the horns fly off Adam's head, then get picked up by Roman and deposited into his jacket for later. Adam was knocked out cold by that one, so unfortunately he couldn't see Roman's handiwork until later. What a pity.
"I can't believe we just survived this…" Jaune said, then recalled his wound. "Barely…"
"And miraculously," Ren added.
"And cool!" Nora shouted. "You guys saw what Jauney did with Pyrrha's semblance?! I can't wait to have him try that on us too! Oh man, imagine him using his semblance on Yang!"
They winced at that. Seriously, the girl is already crazy even without a boost.
"But...Pyrrha?" Jaune called out to her, but the girl, realizing that her words were going to catch up to her now, looked away with a blush. "Did you say you- MY SHIELD!" Jaune suddenly changed the subject as he went and picked up his shield. The blade of Crocea Mors was fine, but the shield was completely cleaved in 2. "Oh man, what do I do now? Maybe Ruby can help fix it…"
Pyrrha felt relieved, but at the same time somewhat jealous now over that shield.
Then, everyone turned their heads as Roman cleared his throat. "As much as this awkward and sugary display disgusts me, we still have a lot of work to do. Namely the fact we need to return to the main party so we can make sure our friends don't get destroyed!"
"Wait, where is Neo?" Nora asked. "I was under the impression she will be fighting as well."
"Let's just say I took a small precaution in case of this. The suggestion given by your leader" Roman smirked as everyone looked at Jaune, the boy showing an awkward grin. "Neo is preparing some things on the sidelines. Now, let's return to the main party before it gets out of hand-" just then a large beam - Penny's stuff - was seen traveling through the sky, raking out some bullheads that contained Fang reinforcements. Still, Roman took out his cigar and dropped it on the ground, stepping on it. "Crazy kids"
Back at the main event, things were, as Roman would say, out of hand in a good way. Most Fang soldiers were down for the count, Ruby filled Weiss in on the details, telling her they'd need to talk after all of this is done, and Blake was handling it well as well. Ash was somewhat shocked to see Penny shoot a freaking beam, but he assumed it was her semblance. All in all, the battle was favorable.
"They are starting to retreat!" Ruby shouted, pointing out how the White Fang began pulling back from the fight. They established a front line that rained heavy fire to cover the retreating forces. Yang, being a close-range fighter, had to take cover along with Weiss, but Blake, Ruby, and Ash returned the fire.
"Almost done…" Ash muttered as he ejected the used up bullets from Asimenio Oneiro to load fresh ones. A flaw of his weapon, slow loading. Well, can't do anything now. Except for shooting. This fight had left him dry. He had used most of his Dust supply, having only a charge of ice left in him and one fire dust crystal in his pockets.
But from what it looks like, they were about to win. Despite the plan going haywire, all seemed to be turning out better than originally expected.
"Oh yeah! We got them!" Yang shouted.
"Keep them pinned!" Ruby shouted as well. "As long as Jaune and his team manage to slow down Adam, we can win this!"
Penny was taking care of some Fang troops on the ground, but then she stopped all of a sudden and seemed to mutter to herself. "I have to go!" She shouted at Ruby and her team. "Sorry, but I got a message from my, uh, father telling me to get home!" She hiccuped as she began to clear the area, not being chased by the Fang members.
"What is up with her? This is no moment to leave for dinner!" Ash said, then the sound of bullheads was heard. But something was wrong. The Fang members looked confused and Ash could feel strange emotions in the air.
2 Bullheads showed up, both bearing the mark of the Fang, but...it was changed. The colors were changed. The red was replaced with gold and the wolf no longer had a scratch mark, but its eyes were completely black.
"What is the Vacuo branch doing here?!" Blake shouted, making Ash turn to her. The Vacuo branch? The White Fang's presence from Vacuo? What was it with them here? Their kingdom was miles away in the middle of a desert.
The Bullheads lowered themselves, but not to pick up the troops. 2 gates opened in the front, revealing a total of 4 missiles per Bullhead. Everyone panicked seeing this. "Look out!" Ash shouted and the Bullheads fired at the Dust-loaded containers. Weiss, Blake, and Yang all took refuge as Weiss deployed a dome of thick ice to endure the blast, but Ash saw Ruby falling behind and rushed to help her. He got Somnium Cavas out and used the Ice Dust infusion to create a small cover. He got in front of Ruby, facing the imminent blast, and stabbed his blade in the ground, creating a cover.
When the missiles hit, the blast could be seen from the other side of Vale. The crane that was there tumbled over from the blast and a giant hole was now present in the middle of the docks. The ice cover created by Weiss got damaged, but it was held. But Ruby and Ash were not so lucky. His ice cover reduced the blast damage, but the 2 were still blown away by the blast, auras flaring to protect them. But then the sound of containers falling and crashing was geared and dust - the normal kind - covered the area. The attack was not one-sided either. All of the White Fang, who was still on the ground, were blasted away, and many laid burned on the ground, dead, or their corpses were in the water. The knocked-out ones were not spared either, having been caught in the blast.
When the dust settled, the Bullheads were gone, and Weiss allowed the done to break apart, then she stumbled, only for Blake to catch her. She looked at her Faunus teammate and saw a small smile on her lips. But Yang looked around, noticing the bloodshed and destruction, but she couldn't spot Ash or Ruby anywhere.
"Ash! Ruby!" She shouted, and after a bit, she got a reply.
"Here!" The squeaky voice of Ruby shouted out, then coughed from the dust. She and Ash took a big hit, but looking around she couldn't see him near her. "Ash? Where are you-" Her words died in her mouth as she found him. He was trapped, his arm trapped under a container, his aura being the only thing keeping it intact for now. "ASH!" She shouted and tried to rush to him, but found her ankle to hurt. She was hurt.
"I'm fine!" He replied, then tried to push the container off, but to no result. "It's...too...heavy" He looked above and saw how the rubble collapsed. Yeah, he is not moving that. "Damn it…"
"Hold on, I will get help-" Ruby tried to move, but her ankle acted up again. "No…" She muttered. "Ash?"
"Don't worry about me, Red, I'll be fine as long as I still got Aura" Slowly but surely he lied. His Aura would have been useful here, except it wasn't. It broke in the blast. He was completely tapped out, with no reserves left. He knew the risk well. For each minute under that debris, he risked losing an arm. At least he still had...Wait...Where is Somnium Cavas? Where's his father's sword? Ash looked at his trapped arm, now with an alarmed expression. It was under there. The last vestige from his father was underneath the Gods know how many tones of steel, concrete, and whatever the fuck is there.
"Ruby!" Yang shouted as she and the others arrived, her sister immediately helping her up, only to see her nurse her ankle by keeping her leg up. "You are hurt?"
"Forget about me! Ash needs more help!" She pointed to him, allowing Yang to see the situation. Her eyes widened seeing it, then a gasp was heard from behind. It was Weiss, the heiress being helped by Blake. She overused her semblance. "We need to get him out from under there!"
"Ruby, I cannot lift this much!" She added in a hurry. "We need to get help - specialized help, and then hope for the best!"
"There is no time!" Ash shouted, pulling out a fire dust crystal. "My father's sword is under all that!" He absorbed the elemental energy of the dust, turning the crystal grey, then he looked at what was pinning his arm down.
"Ash?" Blake called out his name, but he didn't reply. Ash placed his hand against the cold metal then he began to focus, and from focus, he began to give out painful groans as smoke raised from his palm.
"What is he doing?!" Ruby asked seeing him work, but then Blake picked up a scent. A scent that was coming from Ash...Burning flesh.
"Stop it!" Blake let go of Weiss and went to him, grabbing his arm and trying to pull it away. But she couldn't even touch it. It was just so hot, it was like trying to touch raw fire. She instead, like the rest, watched as the metal melted onto his other arm and he even began to scream.
"He is using his Semblance directly?!" Roman shouted as he and Team JNPR showed up late for the party, then the thief jumped down and kicked Ash's arm away with his boot.
"Roman!" Ash shouted at the thief, a slight black smoke coming from behind his glasses.
"No way! Why in tarnation would you do that? You know using your semblance directly like that harms you in multiple ways!" Roman scolded him, but Ash didn't listen. "Look at your hand and arm! They are burned up all over!"
"Somnium Cavas is under there!" Ash snapped back, trying to resume his work, but found Roman's boot keeping his hand down. "Roman!"
"I won't let you mess up your body for that sword! Hey, blondie! Redhead! Do your thing so we get him out!"
"On it!" Pyrrha said, then Jaune went to her, grabbing her. She blushed at the contact, but then the feeling of power washed over her, then she began using semblance, lifting the entire debris and allowing Ash to get his arm out. The boy winced as he got it out. His left palm was all burned to the 2nd and 3rd degree and he had bits of solidified metal on his other arm, most likely with burns underneath.
"Good. Now...NEO!" Roman shouted, to which the sound of a Bullhead was heard. "Let's get you all, including myself, to Beacon" The thief felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of going there, but he kept in mind that it was for the best...For now.
"Up you go," Yang said as she carefully helped Ash get up. They all boarded the Bullhead, Roman, and Neo at the front with Roman behind the wheel.
"Is everyone present?" The thief asked, receiving a collective groan from the group. "Good! In that case, next stop - Beacon Academy!" He said as the Bullhead took off, heading to Beacon.
But unaware to them, Penny had watched from afar, being inside a black limo with her hands on her lap and a sad figure on her lips. "Time to go, Miss Polentina." A man dressed in black said as he addressed her.
"Sure…"
Then, a crow flew away from the docks. The police soon gathered, investigating the disaster. But when they found the bodies of the White Fang, no recordings - Neo's doing - and no solid evidence, they gave up on trying to find the ones who did it for the night. They did leave them a bonus: Adam Tauris neatly folded in metal. They did find his lack of horns strange.
They were loading him up in a car when he woke up, but as he looked up at the metal ceiling of the car, he saw a blurry reflection of him...Of almost all of himself.
"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! RRRRROOOOOMMMMMAAAANNNNN!"
On the Bullhead, the thief got a feeling of joy suddenly surging within.
Over in Vacuo, a strange figure stood atop a chair twirling a glass of wine in their hand. They seemed male, with a tall and muscular body, but other features were hidden away by the darkness of the room. He was surrounded by 2 White Fang members who wore a modified version of the uniform which was colored in the shade of the sands for better camouflage. Their masks were also altered, giving them the same shade along with replacing the red with black.
This was the Vacuo branch of the White Fang, and the one sitting in that chair was most likely the leader of it. He seemed deep in thought, then he turned to the door, just in time for someone to walk in.
"Reporting, Sir!" The soldier said, showing a respectful salute towards his superior.
"Report," the nan said, allowing for his dry voice to ve hear. Deep and dry, but not displeasing to the ear.
"We successfully assaulted the docks per your orders in Vale, taking the lives of nearly every traitor there"
"Nearly?" The figure echoed, making the soldier tense up.
"Um. There were some...surprises. By the time we had arrived the traitors were already retreating, and it seemed they were undergoing an attack from multiple Huntsman and Huntresses. I can confirm that Adam Taurus was also captured"
The man slammed his fist down. "CAPTURED?!" He shouted in rage, making the soldier gulp. "This is no success, but an utter failure! The objective was to kill everyone there, including Adam Taurus!"
"We still attacked and killed many, sir, but-"
"BUT?" He interrupted, then he took a deep breath, calming himself. "Please tell me what exactly has gone according to plan? Or rather, what hasn't but still yielded good results."
"Well, sir, we were able to confirm that Adam was, as the rumors suggested, indeed working with humans. But that he also robbed Vale of a large amount of Dust he most likely stored somewhere"
"Your point?"
"Well, sir, you see, we-"
"They were smart enough to stop" Out of the shadows stepped a new figure. His body seemed lanky, almost like Jaune, but taller and with a messy mop of white hair atop his head. He was dressed in a fancy suit with a dark-blue tie and seemed to be somewhere in his mid-twenties with bright blue eyes. Unfortunately, he was also human.
"What is the meaning of this?" The guards assumed their guns at him, but the stranger put his hands up in surrender. "You dare bring a human here?"
"I was blindfolded all the way-"
"Silence, you filth!" The stranger's eyes twitched a bit as he was insulted, but he expected as much. "Answer me, now! Why did you bring a human here?"
"He has a proposal, Sir...One you might want to hear" The soldier said, only to doge the glass of wine.
"What could I want from a human?! Have you gone mad? I am not like that traitor, and I refuse to be!"
"What if I told you I will be working for you?" The stranger asked, making the Faunus leader eye him suspiciously. "You do not need to work for me, or with me, but I will be working for you."
"Hmm. What do you offer?" The stranger smirked
"Tell me, what do you know about a woman called...Salem?"
Done! With this, I officially finished the first volume of RWBY. The next chapter will have the formation of Team AMMP and the follow-ups of everything that went down at the docks.
But that aside, as you can see we had Adam both de-horned and captured, but more shadows are moving behind the closed curtain. And one of those is the ghost that has been plaguing me for the last IDK how many chapters. We saw that Ash is not willing to part or lose his father's sword and that he too can get quite reckless.
I also unlocked Jaune's semblance. You guys have to let me know about that part in reviews since I tried to make it good, but I want your opinion. I always knew Pyrrha and Jaune will be a deadly combo with their semblances (Now I see why RT killed Pyrrha. She OP with that Aura Amp. behind her)
But this, as you can see, leads to more development for our dorky knight and, officially, let the shippers go nuts, Arkos.
Other than that? Rie Azuri and Lana Nieves. Remember those names well, as well as Pluto Auburn. Some of you might be onto it already, and if you are, PM me.
But everything aside, please Review, Favorite, and Follow my story.
This was Bloodfiend123. Peace.