Once again, sorry for the wait, everyone. Like before, took me some time to write the new chapter for my original novel. Oh, and I've also been seriously into Death Stranding too, heh. Seriously, that game just has a way of keeping me distracted for way too many hours at a time. I understand that it's not exactly a game for everyone, but for me, it's definitely been a fun time so far. Hell, I'm barely 5 episodes in out of the story, but I've must have logged over 30+ hours just roaming and doing side stuff. A pity my delivery stat is so low though, but then again it's not as if many timed missions come up that often… plus, I tend to use the trike if possible, no idea if using that somehow affects how big a porter grade bonus I get.
Anyways, that aside, yeah, not too much going on. Been working still, always looking for a new job – even had a job interview recently, felt good about it – and in general just living life one day at a time. Also started my Christmas shopping too a little… not much to get on that front – my immediate family don't exactly have much in terms of wants. Did get my brother a game for the Switch though since my mom decided to get him the console itself, so there is that.
Ah, but now I'm just rambling! Enough of that! Time to get what really matters for you guys – the chapter! And on that front, I guess you can say the new arc finally begins for real. Not going to say much else on that front, but I do hope it'll be one that you guys enjoy!
P.S. Hadn't exactly been too keen on Jaune's volume 7 hairstyle at first, but it's started to grow on me recently. How about you guys?
Chapter 27
"Damndamndamndamn!" A guy mumbled this one minor curse out over and over again rapidly, a result of panic.
Despite having been on the run for barely a minute or so, he was already breathing hard and sweating, a sign of how out of shape he was. Nonetheless, he kept on going with surprising tenacity.
This wasn't how he wanted things to end today.
In the wake of the Breach, he'd felt now would've been as good a time as any to take advantage of the aftermath and get himself some new stuff. He'd called up some of his buddies to see if they wanted to join his little raid and they'd readily agreed. They figured that even though it's already been a week since the Breach, people would still be too rattled and all that to really be focusing on other stuff. And yeah sure, the Atlas military may be around now too, but they'd clearly been more focused on dealing with clean up than anything else. Plus, those disgustingly clean and proper uniforms of their really stood out.
Anyways, this guy and several of his buddies had entered several stores that had all but been officially declared abandoned – the owners and workers must have become really paranoid about the Grimm suddenly popping out of nowhere, he'd figured – and so had taken to scrounging around some damn good shit that had just been left.
Things had been good at first, his little search having gone uninterrupted and with him and his gang cracking some hilarious fucking jokes. He'd even found a new TV that he'd been eyeing for a longtime…
…And that had been when things had gone to shit.
Out of nowhere, these four teens – Beacon students – had practically come out of nowhere and took down his pals like it was nothing. He'd only avoided being subdued because he'd lucked out by being closest to a side exit. And thanks to having been crouching down behind a nearby shelf in order to tie his shoe, he'd been able to seemingly avoid being seen and made a real hasty retreat, but at the expense of leaving behind all the shit he'd gotten.
Hence his current predicament.
"Goddamnit!" he muttered as he huffed and puffed. "What kind of shitty luck do I have today?!"
He fancied himself a tough guy, but going up against four trainees from Beacon? Screw that!
"…Huh?" He'd taken a back alley and cut through some other small side streets in order to throw them off, having figured they must have realized someone else had been there. If only for a split second, he'd entertained the thought that he might actually get away.
Except now, at the end of the alleyway he was currently running through, there was someone there. A tall and well-built blond teen. The teen's blue eyes stared at him intensely and the guy immediately shuddered.
In that instant, he felt like just giving up right then and there. But as far he could tell, it was only the one guy.
Trying to do anything against four trainees would've been the stupidest thing he could ever do… but getting around just one of them? Maybe it was possible.
"Come on, come on!" he now yelled, no longer seeing a point in just staying quiet. He was trying to psyche himself up as he kept on running.
And the teen just stood there, perfectly still.
The guy closed the gap between them quickly enough and tried to tackle him, if only to knock him aside. "Dumbass!" he yelled as he attempted to do just that.
And that was when the teen moved.
The next thing the guy knew, he was swept off his feet with such force that he went spinning back several times before he was suddenly snatched out of the air and slammed into the ground, arms then maneuvered behind his back.
The man was in complete shock, but even now he tried to futilely resist. "D-Damn it, get off me, you-!"
The teen spoke for the first time, interrupting him. "You've a right to remain silent," he said with an intensity that allowed no backtalk. The man actually fell silent as a result, the shudder from just now returning and with even greater intensity than before.
"Now… be still," the teen continued and the man went still, feeling a level of fear that he hadn't felt before in his life.
And so, this was how this thug came to be so suddenly taken in by one Jaune Arc.
"Thanks a lot for the help, you four," spoke a man that looked to be in his forties. He was a police officer and a haggard looking one right now. "Ever since the Breach, a lot of punks out there have been feeling a hell of a lot bolder, no doubt to try and take advantage of the chaos still present."
"You're welcome," responded Jaune with a small smile as another officer has preoccupied with escorting the man he'd caught into the police cruiser nearby. "We're just happy to do what we can."
After another minute or so of small talk and clearing up some other details, Jaune and his team took their leave.
"Sheesh, you'd really think guys like that would know not to mess around when we're around!" boasted Nora, though said girl was looking just a bit tired.
"It can't be helped," spoke Ren. "It's just the nature of things."
"Still, it's rather frightening to see just how common this has become now." That was Pyrrha who'd spoken and she did indeed sound a little off-put.
Jaune could only nod.
It was far from uncommon for those belonging to the criminal element to take advantage of any chaos that brewed. And even though Vale as a whole was already doing much better in the span of just a single week, it wasn't as if things had fully gotten back to how they were before just yet. That meant opportunity was in abundance for thugs like the ones they'd just brought to justice. And even with the Atlas military around, it wasn't as if they were literally everywhere. Plus, they stood out too much. Even when in plain clothes, members of the Atlas military were far too well-dressed and moved too much like soldiers to really blend in.
And so, because of this, missions to patrol the streets of Vale were swiftly becoming common in Beacon. Of course, being first years, they still had classes to attend and so they could really only patrol either in the very early morning or during the afternoons and nights, but second years and up had much more free time on their hands and so could better take on these missions should they choose to.
In this case, it was already getting close to night, with the thugs they'd apprehended having tried to use the last bit of daylight to do their searching within the empty stores.
Because it was so late, JNPR decided as a whole to simply find somewhere to eat as opposed to making a meal of their own back in Beacon, especially since they were to keep patrolling for at least another two or so hours.
Whether it was by luck or some form of fate, they ended up at the same place they'd gone to when they'd first officially become a team. They even ended up ordering the same food from that time too.
Dinner was a quiet affair for the most part, with Nora once again providing most of the noise. This was something Jaune was really quite thankful for. Dare he even say it, it almost seemed to heal him as he ate and enjoyed his friends' company.
…
…It was hard for him to believe even now how he'd acted during his private talk with the headmaster. Hell, just about everything he'd even said to the headmaster at that time had shocked even himself, really.
…He'd known that his own semblance had been having an effect on his very psyche, but to think it'd been suppressing so many doubts and worries like that… it was truly a surreal feeling, to know now intellectually that a power that by all rights should be under his control was instead the one controlling him. That such a thought didn't scare him really should be a concerning thing now more than ever, but it wasn't.
In fact, weird as this would sound aloud, he was almost grateful to discover now just how much of an effect his semblance was having on him. It'd long since been something of a concern for him that parts of his original personality were just completely gone, but to know now that instead they were merely being suppressed… it was oddly relieving. Even if said suppressed parts were his greater concerns and fears, that they still existed was a sign that the person he'd once been still technically existed too.
That he'd been able to even voice some of these suppressed doubts and fears to the headmaster too had also been an amazing thing to do. He felt different now, lighter and in a way that was different from how he'd told Pyrrha and Blake of part of his past.
Was this what it meant to open up to someone? It was by no means a bad feeling at all.
…That said…
Jaune let out a long sigh and it drew attention.
"Are you alright?" Pyrrha immediately asked him, her voice full of concern. Across from her and him sat Nora and Ren, both of whom stopped what they were doing to eye him too.
"I'm okay," he replied with a small smile (that's a lie, some part of him whispered) and raised his hands a little in a placating manner. "I've just been thinking still about what happened in Sol."
And indeed, the events of Sol had been playing out in his mind far more often than what could be deemed healthy.
The actions of that man as well his words were weighing heavily on him, so much so that it'd been precisely because of this that he'd even acted the way he had at all during his talk with the headmaster. It showed him that it impacted him so heavily precisely because it just resonated with something within him. And certainly, after his talk with the headmaster, he was feeling much better, but that had hardly been far from enough to make these memories leave the forefront of his thoughts.
This meant that there was a reason why this was still the case.
And judging by the now hard looks in each of his friends' eyes, it seems like it was bothering them a lot too, though they weren't privy to what the man had said to him.
"…We," Pyrrha began. "We really hadn't been able to do much against him, right?"
Jaune could only close his eyes and nod solemnly in acknowledgement of her words.
Although Dean and the others from Sol had all but shrugged their apologies off for failing them, that didn't mean they were just going to be okay with the results of their mission.
"To think someone out there could have some measure of control over the Grimm…" Ren muttered quietly in disbelief and horror. "The possibilities that could come about from this…"
Beside the R of JNPR, Nora could only grunt and chug her soda, her gaze tightening up at nothing in particular in the process. "We're gonna have to get a lot stronger," she stated simply.
"Far, far stronger," Pyrrha said as she made a fist and clenched it tightly. "…It'd been one thing to merely know how much others could depend on us as huntsmen and huntresses… but to now know firsthand what the fallout could be like and how much worse it could've been… it's not a feeling I ever want to experience again."
"Heh, damn right!" Nora nearly bellowed in agreement, the volume of her voice a sign of how much she agreed.
Ren smiled a bit and then looked to Jaune. "…How about you, Jaune? How do you feel about this? After all… you'd fought the hardest out of us, but also…" He trailed off.
It went without saying how he'd wanted to finish that sentence. Indeed, Jaune had done the very best he could against that man. He'd fought as hard as his body could endure. He did his best to adapt to the man's moves and tried to exploit whatever gaps said movements had left… only for it to all be for nothing. The man had been stronger and tougher and had merely changed up the flow of his own attacks to constantly throw off Jaune's own movements and in turn had adapted to Jaune's movements instead. That man was by and far the most powerful person Jaune had ever gone up against and he'd suffered dearly for it.
Though he hadn't said it aloud or even really noted it himself until now, but that had bene the closest he's ever been to dying. If not for how quickly he could recover…
Alas, the thought of death is not what scared him. What did scare him was the fact that he'd failed.
It'd be one thing to simply die… but to die and potentially doom others to similar fates as a direct result of his own failure… that was the most terrifying thing to him.
…No… perhaps that was no longer the most terrifying thing after all, he thought with a silent hum, recalling what he'd said to the headmaster about his suppressed thoughts.
Well, that was food for later thought.
"We do need to be better," he simply said in response to Ren's question. He held up his right hand and stared at it, making a fist and then proceeding to clench and unclench it.
He could already tell that he was significantly stronger than before, a result of that battle and his subsequent recovery from it… but even though he was already stronger than before, he still couldn't help but feel that he was still far from a level that allow him to actually defeat that man should they come to blows again.
And there was no telling just when – not 'if' – the next time would be where they have to fight that man again.
But what to do? Training went without saying, but it would only get them so far.
"…Looks like the only way we'll really be able to improve," he began. "Would be to just keep going on missions."
Ultimately, his answer to this dilemma was the same exact one he'd come to when he first started out on his journey. Certainly, he'd trained as hard as he could in order to get the level he'd been at when he first arrived in Vale, but it'd also been thanks to the myriad number of people and Grimm he'd gone up against out in the frontier that had really helped him hone all of his skills.
All the training in the world meant nothing if what they learned never got put to use out in the field.
"We need to keep challenging ourselves," he continued as he put his hand down. "We need to take on more and more difficult missions… challenge every single limit we have… only then will we actually grow to a level where we'll never fail others ever again."
That was right, he realized. For all his concerns, both suppressed and unsuppressed, this was all simply just another challenge to be overcome, had to be overcome for the sake of the greater good and… and…!
"…for myself…" he whispered as he then lowered his head, once again thinking back to what that man had said.
That man had accused him of his kindness being a weakness, due to not having wanted to push his body past its literal breaking point for the sake of the people of Sol. He'd also called him a faker who was far too selfless for his own good essentially.
But just how could he be called a faker for being selfless? True, he may be more of a slave to his semblance rather than actual hero… but just what exactly did the man mean when he'd said a true hero wouldn't be so selfless…?
Jaune couldn't even begin to answer that question, but he knew one thing. This desire to grow stronger alongside his friends… he really did want to do so if only partly for himself.
And somehow, that silent affirmation was enough to make him feel much better than before.
Having been looking down for the past moment, the blond leader looked back up and into the eyes of his friends, all of whom wore expressions of steel-like resolve. His words just now have resonated with them and had awakened within them a fire that hadn't fully been there before.
They were in full agreement with his words and the sense of comradery he felt in this moment was enough to lift his spirit even more.
It was with a slight sense of awkwardness that the four of them then resumed eating their dinner and quickly made their way back to their assigned sector to patrol, but even so, it was with all of them being in far better spirits than when they'd first started.
And as they now animatedly discussed future plans, Jaune allowed himself for the first time since returning from their failed mission to loosen up a little.
There was a change on the horizon now. He could sense it… and welcomed it with open arms.
Ruby stared.
Weiss stared.
Yang stared.
But Blake especially stared.
"Ah, come on, you're making me feel weird here."
Blake winced slightly from embarrassment before finally blinking. "Sorry, it's just that… you look quite different now, Tukson."
The man, who'd just spoken, hummed. "I'd imagine so – probably just got too used to my previous look."
With everything that had been going on recently, Blake hadn't really been able to meet up with Tukson. However, today had proven to be just enough of a slow day for her and her friends to finally contact the man and meet up with him at a little restaurant that was a bit out of the ways for most people, thus there weren't many customers right now, leaving them all free to talk without hassle.
Anyways, the reason why the four of them had stared was due to the changes in Tukson's appearance; the man had shaved off his sideburns, dyed his hair a rather light brown and slicked it back, wore glasses and a dress shirt and jeans. He'd even filed his nails a bit so that they were no longer claw-like but more akin to a precise manicure.
Any one of these changes would've been noticeable, but when combined, it had taken Blake and her friends a long moment to even recognize him.
Which was the point, she'd realized.
"Trying to stay unnoticed, still?" Ruby ended up asking.
Tukson nodded. "That's right. Though things may seem like they're calming down a bit-,"
"Say that to all the looters," Yang grumbled.
"-It's better to be safe than sorry. Sure, it's doubtful there's any White Fang in Vale, but only for the moment. Just because the Breach didn't really have the effect they were going for doesn't mean they'll just throw in the towel. Especially not with Adam leading the efforts," Tukson explained. "Plus, since they've apparently started to work with those humans that came for me, there's no telling who else they might be having looking for people like me. Hence, the disguise."
"But there's been no attempt on your life since then, yes?" Weiss spoke. "So doesn't this seem a bit much?"
Tukson shrugged. "I've noticed, but better to be safe than sorry. While Adam and Sienna likely have too much going on to really focus on hunting down deserters, if their people do find any, they will go out of their way to deal with them. And the very fact anyone had been sent after me in the first place may mean this 'policy' of the White Fang's might have changed."
"But what about your store? Wouldn't your regulars be pretty thrown off by these changes?" Blake decided to bring up.
"Ah, yeah that… I decided to close down the store indefinitely," the man responded before taking a bit out of the enormous hamburger he'd ordered. He must have been hungry recently. After putting it back down and wiping his mouth, he continued. "Now before you four look at me like I'm a paranoiac, let me explain – and this explanation is why I'd wanted to meet with you tonight anyways."
Team RWBY tensed up. And here they'd thought they were the ones who'd wanted to check in on Tukson. Looks like he'd wanted to meet with them too for an actual reason. Though certainly convenient, it was worrisome – no way that whatever he wanted to say would be something mundane.
"I've still been monitoring the White Fang's channels, still been keeping in contact with my sources," he began. "And needless to say, the Breach is pretty much all that everyone's even talking about… and from the sounds of it, it seems like not many were in the know about what Adam and his cell had been up to. In fact, it seemed like outside of those he seemed to be getting his supplies from, no one saw this coming at all."
"Wait, so he was keeping this plan of his a secret from the rest of the bunch? Why would he do that?" Yang asked.
As for Blake, she'd barely been able to even focus on what her partner had said. Instead, at the mere mention of Adam's name, she'd sort of started to drift away mentally, to memories from long ago.
Adam had been one of the first friends she'd ever made growing up and together the two of them along with others their age had thrown their lot in for equality between humans and Faunus. And when it'd started to become necessary to arm and train themselves to ward off violent attacks, Adam had been the first to do so, even going as far as to train others in order to ensure their own survival. She'd been one of the ones he'd trained and it'd been around this time that the White Fang's leadership was ceded to Sienna, who began its radicalization.
And from there, the two of them had been all but inseparable, friends who were now mentor and student of a sort, working together in bringing about equality for all Faunus… through violence. Through theft and threats and sabotage. But when she'd begun to see the error of her ways and started to doubt the White Fang's goals and effectiveness, she'd been unable to voice these concerns to Adam… and when she finally couldn't stand it anymore, she'd just opted to leave him behind rather than even try to talk things out.
Seeing him during the events of the Breach had thrown her off guard – and that was putting things far too lightly – and if not for the quick actions of Yang and Winter Schnee's forces, she probably would've been struck down by her former brothers and sisters in arms. She hadn't exactly been able to say anything to him, but he'd certainly noticed her trying to stop the train alongside her friends.
Just what had he thought in that moment he'd seen her, she wondered? She honestly couldn't begin to guess.
"The only answer coming to mind," Tukson began, grabbing Blake's attention as he answered Yang's question. "Is that it seems like Adam has started to diverge from Sienna's own goals and methods. And that's a bad thing – predicting what the White Fang would do before was easy since it was usually the same old thing over and over again. But if Adam is starting to break away and do his own thing, it becomes much harder to figure out what he may do next. He's always been a stubborn guy, so it wouldn't surprise me if he'll try again and again to bring Vale down to make some kind of statement… but now the question is how he'll do that."
Blake closed her eyes and sighed. Tukson was right. Adam was a truly stubborn man. In fact, it'd been his stubbornness that she'd initially mistook for firm resolve so long ago that had charmed her and others so much, had made it so hard to realize back then the monster he'd already slowly been becoming.
…She understood that to achieve certain goals could sometimes mean wielding violence, but Adam's growing lack of care towards collateral damage and casualties had started to bother her more and more…. In hindsight, perhaps this is why she hadn't bothered trying to talk things out with him – he'd already become too different a person to be successfully reasoned with.
"He's right," she whispered towards her team. "Adam had always been far too bullheaded. No way he'd just leave Vale be now after one failed attempt. And the fact that his methods are already significantly different from usual means he may now start using different methods to achieve whatever new goal he has in mind."
"…Seriously?" Yang asked her, concerned.
Blake nodded. "Before, he mainly stuck to straightforward tactics, launching strike teams at certain targets or even conducting large-scale raids, both of which could be planned quickly and executed so long as they have building plans to work with. He's never been one for more subtle things. The prepping of that train alone, to say nothing of all the Dust that would've had to be gathered to make bombs out of, would've taken months, a length of time he would've found completely intolerable back then. He's changing… and not for the better."
There was a long moment of tense silence.
"So…" Ruby began a little nervously, but with genuine resolve in her silver eyes. No matter what would come their way, the young leader looked ready to take it on. "Any idea what he might try to do next? Any idea at all?"
Blake eyed her leader before sharing a look with Tukson. Then the two Faunus looked back at Ruby. "Honestly, I can't say. For sure, whatever new target he has in mind will have a big impact in some way."
"Well, he can't get a bigger one than Vale itself," Yang said as she folded her arms over her chest. "Well, I mean I guess he could try and target another kingdom too, but I'm pretty sure that's a bit beyond his weight class… right?"
"Way beyond," Tukson immediately answered. "But it's not like he needs to outright destroy Vale to make a statement. So long as he's able to get the message 'don't underestimate me and the White Fang' across to everyone, then it doesn't matter if he tries causing another Breach or do something else – it just has to be something that'd grab everyone's attention."
"Uhm, but you said too that the rest of the White Fang didn't even know what he was up to," Ruby pointed out. "So, can't they just.. boot him out of the group or something?"
"It's… not quite that easy, Ruby," Blake responded a little weakly. "Technically, yes, they can and should do so… but another one of the reasons why I left them is because too many of them were starting to be a lot like how Adam now is. If they were able to, they'd waste no time subjugating all of humanity. And while the majority of the White Fang are still technical pacifists – those who view violence as a mere means to an end – they can probably be persuaded to follow the likes of Adam if given substantial reason."
"B-But then, what about that other person you mentioned?"
"Sienna Khan," Weiss suddenly spoke up. "…You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but after reflecting on things, I can almost respect her. She's done my family and the SDC in general much harm thanks to her leadership… but her leadership in and of itself is almost admirable if viewed from a business perspective. If she wasn't a Faunus, I could actually imagine my father liking her way of doing things. But yes, Ruby does make a point, Blake – is there anything she can do about Adam Taurus? I imagine she wouldn't take kindly to him doing things his own way like this."
"She wouldn't, not one bit," Blake immediately replied, remembering the tiger Faunus all too well. Again, she wasn't someone whose methods she agreed with anymore, but the woman had always been one of honor and integrity. While describing her as ruthless wouldn't be entirely wrong, even she had lines she wouldn't even entertain the idea of crossing. Though easily angered at times, she knew how to rein in her temper and see the bigger picture.
Unfortunately…
"But, she's expanded the White Fang greatly since assuming leadership. Calling it an actual organization wouldn't be wrong nor an understatement… and with that comes all the same problems that bog down organizations," Blake continued almost tiredly.
"Supplies and logistics," Tukson immediately chipped in, looking rather tired himself now, even as he kept on eating his monster burger. "And with that comes documentation and a hell of a lot of delegation… and I think you can imagine what kind of problems can happen with those two things."
"Seriously?" Yang was legitimately shocked. "You're telling me even they screw up things like that?"
"Yang, did you seriously think we relied on memorizing everything?" Blake rhetorically asked in a flat tone. "Did you think we play some extended version of the telephone game?"
"…Right, my bad." The blonde had the decency to look embarrassed.
Ruby laughed a little at her sister while Weiss visible fought back a smirk. Wasn't too often the Y of their team said something dumb but amusing like that.
"Well, that aside," Weiss said, referring to said comment. "You mean to say that it will be a while before Sienna even hears of what happened and respond accordingly?"
Tukson nodded. "Exactly. And if Adam really is going off the rails like we think he is, then I doubt there's much she could do to rein him in, outside of sending others to forcibly bring him in… and there's no way Adam would go down quietly."
"In-fighting is the last thing the White Fang needs right now after the Breach. With word spreading so quickly about their involvement in it, a lot of people are now in an uproar. If they wish to keep whatever power they do have, then dividing up their own forces for anything is the absolute last thing they should be doing," Blake added. "There's no doubt Sienna will take issue with what Adam's done, but until she can figure out a way to somehow deal with him quickly and quietly, she's likely not going to do anything."
"So, we're pretty much in the same position we were in to start with, huh?" Yang asked.
"Seems that way," Tukson said. "Of course, like before I'll keep monitoring things, see what else I can find out. But try not to get your hopes up; after the Breach, it seems like Adam's cell is catching on to things, so they've gotten harder to track and monitor. I'll do what I can to stay on top of things, but it's already looking less and less promising."
Blake narrowed her eyes and her hands balled into fists. She would like to think she's come a long way from how she was before, when she was left so disillusioned by the White Fang and humanity alike. She had friends now, good friends that happened to human and she's learned to not hide her cat ears and she's never felt so liberated before… but at the same time, she'd merely run from the White Fang, having not really bothered to do anything about it.
It'd been her father who'd formed the White Fang to begin with. And while she wouldn't dare claim it was her birthright or anything stupid like that, she still felt like she had a responsibility towards it still. To now see firsthand how her former friend was tarnishing it… now that she was really coming to terms with Adam and his forces having played a large role in causing the Breach, the B of team RWBY was feeling angry.
She didn't why Adam had changed like this or if there were others he'd been working with to set up this Breach – given the scale of things, this was extremely likely – but as his former friend and comrade, she could no longer sit back and just wait for him to launch his next move.
She needed to be much more proactive.
Now was as good a time as any to start.
"Any idea on what we could be doing?" she asked Tukson just as he finished his hamburger. Beside her, her friends were looking just as eager to find out what they could do about this new development. It filled her with joy and pride.
"Hard to say, really," he responded. "Again, not like I have much to work with just yet. But if I do find any leads, think I can entrust you four with looking into them? I'm only one guy after all."
"Of course!" Ruby cheerfully and eagerly exclaimed. "We'll do whatever we can to stop this!"
Her enthusiasm got a smile out of Tukson. "Glad to hear. Other than that, all I can think of is just to stay ready. Whatever attack he's cooking up now won't be coming anytime soon, but it never hurts to be on the lookout for anything odd. But if you do find anything on your own, just get back in contact with me and I'll trying digging into things, see if it's legit. Sound good?"
"Heh, can't say playing Sherlock and Holmes doesn't sound cool," Yang commented.
That got a laugh or two out of them all – it certainly beat her lame puns by a mile in terms of comedic value.
But truly, Blake was thankful to have found friends in her team who were just so ready to jump into things like this; they hadn't even hesitated to respond to Tukson's requests.
Having now hashed out what should generally be done, team RWBY finally got around to ordering some food to eat and together with Tukson, who'd ordered a dessert for himself, the five of them sat there and ate a late dinner amid now pleasant conversation.
Blake prayed that times such as this would last a long time once this was all over.
Tyrian Callows was many, many things. So many things that not even the man himself knew the half of it all.
But one thing he did know about himself was that he was, if nothing else, competent at what he did – that is, tracking and fighting.
And of course, killing.
Oh, he knew that Hazel had him outdone in those last two things, but still, he was a decent second. But tracking? He was second to none.
Alas, his current prey was a flighty little thing and Mistral truly was a vast land to roam. However, over the past week or so, he's made significant progress in searching for one Raven Branwen and her tribe. It'd been a simple enough matter of looking for villages and towns that have either been raided or will be raided soon enough. It'd really only been the sheer size of the continent combined with how spread out the villages and towns were that had made his mission so very dull.
He didn't dare to even complain aloud, however, for he was doing this in the name of his goddess. She'd given him the all too important task of locating the Spring Maiden and the mere idea of failing the goddess was a thought he couldn't even bring himself to entertain in the slightest.
"Hmm, I suppose I should hurry then," he murmured to himself with a malicious smirk, instead finding some delight in pleasing his goddess… after, of course, making Raven and her tribe thoroughly suffer for the undue trouble they've caused him.
Picking up his pace a bit, he eventually reached a small settlement out in a more open region and immediately made his way for the bar. Bars, as seedy and pathetic as they can be, were often great sources of information. And seeing as all he really needed was just confirmation as to what's been going on with the surrounding settlements, obtaining what he desired should be a simple and quick affair.
The very thought that this settlement would perhaps be the bandit tribe's next target or was somehow in the tribe's way never once entered Tyrian's mind. It was just too small a place to offer much in the ways of supplies and sustenance to the tribe and the scorpion Faunus highly doubted the bandit tribe were petty and sadistic enough to raze such small places like this for fun.
Now, as for himself, well…
Ah, but he was digressing. Time to get back to the topic on hand.
The bar was really more of a tavern due to the design of both its exterior and interior, but he was able to spot a fair number of rabble acting just like others always do at such establishments – getting plastered and acting out. It was almost enough to make him sneer; compared to the goddess, everything and everyone else were just so hideous and pathetic, but drunkards and other such scum were particularly low in his eyes.
Nonetheless, Tyrian kept himself from losing his smirk by dwelling on happier thoughts – oh, how wonderful it'd be to stab his stinger right in between someone's ribs – and merely made his way towards the counter-.
-Only to pause ever so slightly in his tracks upon looking upwards.
This tavern had a second floor that overlooked his current spot and he could see what appeared to be the tavern's sole waitress carry her tray up to one of the very few customers he could spot up there.
There was no mistaking it – that man now briefly flirting with the waitress was Qrow Branwen.
"Oho?" Tyrian moved several feet to the right and then forward a bit more, making it seem like he was going to take a seat at an empty table.
And sit, he did, but he didn't intend to do so for long. Indeed, he was merely taking a minute or two to figure things out.
He and his colleagues were well aware of their goddess' mortal enemy, the dreadful Ozpin. They were well aware as to who served as that man's pawns… and the twin brother of Raven Branwen was perhaps Ozpin's most favored pawn.
Could it be…? Was Qrow Branwen also searching for his sister? This was quite a surprise; the last time they'd ever tried tracking the movements of Ozpin's pawns, Qrow had been sent somewhere into the Grimmlands, though his exact location had been unknown. There was no way he'd be here in Mistral now unless there was a good reason for it. And seeking out his former tribe and subsequently the Spring Maiden was as good a reason as any could suspect.
In which case, this meant that the man was, for all intents and purposes, Tyrian's rival. Not that the man himself would even know that, but the idea of him having a rival… it rather pleased Tyrian, for it meant that it was perhaps a sign that his mission may finally give him that spark of excitement he'd been craving for a while.
Additionally, just what were the odds of both him and Qrow Branwen being in the same place at relatively the same time and looking for the same person too? Surely, this was a gift of sorts from the heavens, where his goddess reined from.
And if that man was here, then did it mean both were close to their goal? Given that both of them had had different starting points and times, that their search would coincide here and now of all places must surely mean they were closing in on the bandit tribe.
If this was indeed the case, then what luck indeed!
In one fell swoop, he could very well rid his goddess' faction of a potential irritant and obtain the Spring Maiden in just the potential span of a single day now!
But he was no fool – Qrow Branwen was one of the more notable huntsmen walking Remnant right now. He didn't doubt his chances, but even he knew better than to just assume victory from the start. He was strong, but he was hardly on Hazel's level, after all.
In which case… he should capitalize on this moment.
Qrow knew not his name nor his face. He had the element of surprise on his side. Not to mention the locale around him was the perfect spot to do this in – surely, the man wouldn't risk hurting any of these poor civilians, heh heh.
It would seem the poor town of Higanbana would be serving as the backdrop to his inevitable carnage, Tyrian noted with growing glee.
His tail slowly uncoiling itself from around his waist, he stood tall and almost seemed to stretch.
Then, he attacked.
So, as you can see, things are already going to be picking up a bit – JNPR will be pushing themselves to the limits via new missions, RWBY will be focusing on the White Fang even as Adam's cell prepares their next operation. And off in Mistral, Tyrian and Qrow are already about to fight!
And don't you worry, there's still plenty more surprises coming up very soon within the story. God, I'd love to drop a few hints, but to even hint would be to risk spoiling, so I'm afraid that's a no go.
But really, what's coming up will surely be plenty fun for you guys to read!
Until next time, everyone. Take care!