Here we are again. Surprised? Yeah, I am sticking to that plan of mine and I am continuing this story with great interest! Last chapter received some really positive feedback and I thank you all for your interest in this story. Could you believe that I nearly shut this project down around the first couple of chapters? Yeah, me neither. I like this darker story too much, it's a welcome change compared to the more dramatic and comedic stories that I have going on at the moment.

Beta: CrowSkull

Destiny Fated Black

Chapter 23

When you're on your last legs… you view the world in it's most pure form. Reality…

Qrow fought restlessly, his left arm was bleeding and he didn't have the strength on that side to use it, so he was fighting one-handedly with his weapon thankfully stuck in its sword form. Beside him, Winter was in a much similar state, though it was her right leg that was injured and bleeding. Unlike him, she actually had the strength to still use that limb, but she was draining fast. Her face was pale and her aura has been long broken because of the explosion, but she was still fighting with everything she had despite that, just like him.

The only one from Team JNPR that was able to stand with them was Pyrrha, with the others all being knocked out and injured from the explosion from the moment their train car derailed and crashed into the wall of the tunnel. None of them actually had the chance to go make sure that the other three weren't dead, the Grimm saw to that themselves and threw themselves at them like an unending tide of black death. There was no break to the action, Pyrrha was on the same last legs as they were, only she was poked full of holes as well.

He wasn't able to see her for himself, but he knew that the girl who worked with Marcus fought her whole team and probably won or was about to by the time the train blew up. In fact, they were all poked full of holes. Jaune was face down with his shield still strapped to his arm, but even unconscious he had his long arm around Ren and Nora. If it weren't for his armour and shield, they may have been injured even further by the falling rubble and debris that fell through the openings of the train. For that, he earned Qrow's respect, the kid deserved it for saving his teammate's lives like that.

Not like that would do anything for them now. The Grimm were coming in droves, and they opted to stay in the train car with the only entrance being the part that was blown off by the explosion that Marcus had set off. With Qrow, Winter, and Pyrrha being the only ones able to stand and fight, they were the first and only line of defense that prevented them all from being torn to shreds by the Grimm.

His vision began to darken even further, he was fighting purely off instinct, swinging his weapon at anything that didn't look human. He was sure that the other two were going through the same thing. This was their last stand against the Grimm, and their only hope was at the end of this tunnel hopefully coming after them. Their only shred of hope came in the form of a bright green light that nearly blinded them for a moment before it passed in just a few seconds. He didn't know how, but he knew that help was coming. They all did. It was the only reason they were able to steel their determination and will to live in the hopeless situation they were in right now at that moment.

Qrow screamed ferally as he cleaved another three Creeps in half. His weapon hand was slick with evaporating black blood, but his grip held true. Hefting it back up, he stabbed it into a charging Ursa minor, killing it before it could force all three of them back into the train for them to get slaughtered by its cousins. Seeing through his one open eye, the other being sealed shut by the fire that broke his aura and from dried blood, he saw that Winter was down on one knee. Her leg finally giving out. In one last-ditch effort to tell the entire Grimm race to fuck off, she stabbed the alpha Beowolf that tried to pounce on her right through its snout and up into its skull and brain, killing it instantly. What she didn't take into consideration was that its dead weight would continue to fall forward, and with no aura and a weak and injured body, it would kill her before it had enough time to evaporate.

Pyrrha Nikos saved her life before that could happen, throwing her shield and only means of defense into the dead alpha's side to force it off of her. But in doing so Winter also fell to the side with it, unable to wrench her sword out of its skull in time. Down and not getting back up, Winter failed to keep her consciousness and passed out.

Without her shield, Pyrrha was quickly pushed back, panicking and switching her spear into its sword form she used the flat side of it to hold back a furious Ursa. It's teeth and jaw crushed down on the blade, cutting its mouth on its edge but still doing its job in holding her locked down..

"Agh!" Pyrrha cried out as she slipped and fell down to one knee as well.

The Ursa, still alive, kept pushing down on her, and the Grimm made it no easier for her to fight back as they piled and piled onto the Ursa's back in an effort to overpower the champion. And since the Ursa was so big and blocked off most of the entrance, Qrow was in no position to help, especially when one of his arms was too injured for him to even move at the moment. Instead, all he could do was stab his thick sword into the floor after shifting it in a way that it's wide flat part helped block out the rest of the hole. To reinforce it further, it held his good forearm against it and pushed with everything he had left. More than sweat and blood slipped down his face and body as he continued to push back against the strength of the Grimm, and he quickly realized that if he didn't give out first, Pyrrha would.

This was it, it was either hold out long enough for help to arrive or die a painful and suffering death.

At least the other four are unconscious so they won't feel what's about to happen… Qrow thought in dark humor as he felt himself waver and shake. Any second now and he would be the next member of Team STRQ to bite the dust.

I'm sorry Tai… Summer… even you Big Sis… looks like I won't be able to drag on my life any longer. He thought sadly as his life flashed before his eyes. Suddenly he remembered everything, his childhood in the tribe with Raven, meeting and becoming partners with Summer and his best friend Taiyang, all the fun times he had with them and the missions that lied after. Of course, he had to be part of them, because no matter what he was now he couldn't deny that in the beginning, Marcus was his friend.

The weight against his body suddenly felt a thousand pounds lighter, it surprised him so much so that he fell forward with his sword because of the amount of strength he was drawing from his body. With grit teeth, he hurried himself back up and threw one last defying punch to the creature of darkness.

A human-sized hand caught it, and to his immense shock and surprise, the headmaster of Beacon was the wielder of the offending limb. "Qrow, it's me!" Ozpin yelled into his face.

"O-Oz?" As much as he was happy to see him, he was also confused.

"Yes, it's me, friend," Ozpin confirmed with a relieved smile. After looking to his left Qrow saw that the Ursa on top of Pyrrha was dead and she was being helped up by a team of students, a blonde monkey faunus and his blue-haired teammate. Behind them, the two members of their team were treating the other four downed huntsman with Atlesian students specialized in Medicinal and first aid practice.

He almost burst out crying, he didn't, but he came pretty damn close to it when he realized that they lasted long enough for help to indeed arrive. Ozpin helped him back up to his feet and helped him walk to one of the Atlesian medics, who was quick to put his injured and probably broke arm into a sling. He was then lowered back down to the ground gently, the last of his stamina and exhaustion finally getting to him.

He looked around and saw the last thing that he expected to see. Students from Beacon, Haven, Shade, and Atlas all fighting together and beating back the Grimm. There were plenty of pros as well like Glynda, Oobleck, and the other professors of Beacon. But outshining them all was the Ace Ops, a well known and renowned squad of Specialist huntsmen directly under Ironwoods command. The Grimm were quickly pushed back once they joined the battle, and soon he even saw Ironwood in the distance along with the android girl that he was told about as well. Even though some Grimm made it through the holes in the ceiling, they were killed off almost immediately. What he thought was going to be a disaster ending mission ended up becoming a very unexpected but not unwelcome success.

"H-How did you know?" Qrow asked, his confusion coming back to him. As far as he knew, this mission was supposed to be secret, it only got serious just a little over an hour ago when they found out about the train and it's purpose. Now, in the middle of the night, Ironwood and Ozpin formed an entire repel force battalion to not only stop the train, but go further into the dark tunnels in order to slaughter Grimm before they could get into the city and wreak havoc.

They knew that this was going to happen before it happened somehow, he didn't know how, but that was the only logical explanation that made sense.

"The pilot you contacted earlier contacted us in turn," Ozpin said, frowning slightly. "As well as a… anonymous tip-off."

"And… that is?"

"I did say anonymous, did I not?," Ozpin shook his head. "That doesn't matter right now, we have you, the students, and Miss Winter Schnee. You're alive and we are bringing you to the best hospital in Vale. Beacon."

Ozpin was usually depressingly bad at humor, but that got the slowly dying man to laugh.

"Heh… that was funny…" Qrow muttered as he began to fade into unconsciousness.

"He's not dead, but he's dying." The medic informed the headmaster before he could fear the worst. "Though if you have any questions regarding his mission I suggest you ask it now."

Ozpin wasted no time. "Marcus, do you believe him to be dead?"

Qrow was already unconscious and couldn't answer. Ozpin let out a very rare curse and stood up from his injured friend. After nodding to the medic to take him and the rest of Qrow's party to Beacon for treatment, he took his cane and held it in a much different matter, almost like he was preparing for a fight.

"Where are you going?" Glynda asked as he walked in the opposite direction of the Grimm and toward the second burning part of the train. She was with the other students and professors currently holding off the Grimm while performing a slow covered retreat.

"To make sure Marcus Black and Roman Torchwick are dead," Ozpin replied, never stopping as he made his way down the tunnel.

He had to make sure for himself, just as Salem would for him he wasn't dead unless she saw or absolutely knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was dead. Well, not truly dead, but his plans would be put off and it would be a real pain for him to reincarnate in a random body potentially all the way across the world from his allies. It was only ever a painful and torturous death when Salem actually managed to capture him. That was one mistake he'd sworn to never repeat. Taking a strategy from her book, he wouldn't believe that Marcus was dead unless he saw the body with his own eyes.

And he had good reason for it. It was himself that had a great hand in training the man after all.

He hated what he found when he finally got there. A body, but just a single one.

Everything hurt, every part of his body and even his robotic legs hurt. But somehow, he was still alive, and despite the broken bones and blood loss, through sheer will and determination, he was able to dig himself out of a pile of rocks from back within a train car that was now on its side. Every stone weighed like it was a car, and his arms were weaker than he ever felt them before. But he pushed through the pain and blood, and with a sheer cry of defiance, he forced himself into a sitting position.

Marcus looked around the inside of the capsized train car. Breathing deeply and painfully as he took in his surroundings. At first, he was confused because he could swear that he threw both himself and Roman out of train just before Penny's energy blast could hit it. So how were they in a different car now? It wasn't the frontal car, he knew that because of the lack of a control panel, so that meant this one had to be the car that was linked behind them. He didn't know the physics of it or how exactly it all happened, but somehow as the explosions were going off and in the collapsing of the tunnel the train must have flipped over on its side in such a way that his entire body was able to fit through the window of the train.

"Hah… I must have the best or worst luck ever." He said with a pained chuckle as he let his body fall forward so that he could get into a better position to stand. It was a painful process. He was only able to stand because of his bionic legs that were now exposed due to his torn and burned pants. Though he could definitely feel a cracked femur. Not to mention the broken bones in his upper body that had to be disturbing his internal organs in some way.

It was a miracle he was even able to stand. Much more so that he was actually able to survive a crashing train. Casting aside such notions of luck and fate, he started looking around for Roman. He remembered landing on top of the criminal before the blast hit the train so that meant that Roman had to be somewhere. He looked around for him, Roman had full aura and if he was able to survive this than he had to as well.

"L-Looking for me?" His voice called out to him.

Marcus turned to the man slowly, he was in a similar position that he was in, though he was on his front. His hat was missing and his white coat was torn every which way so much so that it couldn't even be considered clothing anymore, just scraps of white. His nose was bleeding and it looked like he was having trouble breathing. But that wasn't what Marcus was worried about.

His eyes slowly widened and he felt his heart drop in his chest as he saw what was really wrong with Roman. His legs, both of them, were missing. Bleeding stumps leaked blood and as he looked around more he could see the trail of blood from a different section of windows that was close to where Marcus managed to squeeze through. The criminal must have woke up before him, and after realizing that his legs were gone he crawled out of that hole and must have lost all of his stamina in the middle of the capsized train car.

"R-Roman…" Marcus choked out and gulped nervously, shaking as he began to make his way toward the criminal who was once his partner a long time ago.

"What's with… that look in your eyes?" Roman somehow managed to laugh in spite of all the pain he must have been feeling, and the loss of blood. His face was deathly pale and as Marcus got closer, he could see that the remains of Roman's aura was the only thing keeping him alive right now. "Lookin' like… you… actually feel something… Heh."

Marcus made it to his old friend and dropped to his robotic knees. He winced and grimaced as he flipped Roman over so that he could lie on his back and make it a little easier for him to breathe. The criminal cried out in pain, but stopped and breathed once his body was no longer being moved.

"Roman…" Marcus said, feeling a burning acid-like feeling behind his eyes. "You…"

"Yeah, I've noticed," Roman said with a cocky blood smirky. "Lost my legs, I can feel it. Or, well, what I can't feel. Is this what you felt? Holy shit…" He coughed up blood and gripped Marcus' shirt with his left hand, it was the only amount of support Marcus was able to subconsciously provide his old friend. "I can't even imagine the procedure to get those metal legs of yours… though I don't think I'll be as fortunate as you were back then."

"I can get you help," Marcus hurried. "I have some favors with the organization that I might still be able to call in, they could come in and get you the treatment you need."

"Yeah?" Roman smiled sadly at him. "Would they allow that… even though you were supposed to kill me?"

Marcus flinched as if he'd been slapped. "H-How-"

"C'mon man," Roman began to cry. "It isn't like I-I'm the smartest g-goddamn cr-criminal out there!" He cried out again as his wounds shifted. "Also… you kept looking at me with those sad eyes… like you felt guilty about something you didn't even do yet… I saw those same eyes when we were in our last year of Beacon before you lost your brother… Pretty sure Summer did too."

"I… I don't…" Marcus grit his teeth as he gripped Roman's shirt tightly. "I wasn't going to kill you… I never was." He finally admitted to himself, and to Roman. He was never going to hurt him, after everything they've been through, and already owing him so much for saving his life and taking care of him time and time again, and on top of that being the last other living member of Team Mobster from his past. It only helped Roman's case that everything he has been thinking about recently was directly related to that past. He just wasn't able to do it, not even now when all it would take was leaving him here to die. It was how he knew that they both knew that he cared. He wouldn't still be here by Roman's side if he didn't.

Through his tears, Roman looked shocked, and then he began to laugh again. "I knew it!" He bellowed painfully. "I knew you still cared. Man… if only this happened before I lost my legs."

"How did they know we were coming?!" Marcus cursed as he asked the question. His anger overpowering him for a moment as he punched the ground beside him. "This doesn't make sense… Cinder, she wouldn't just let this happen!"

"That… I'm afraid I don't have the answer for." Roman heaved, his aura was draining quickly, and the blood began to be lost at a much quicker rate. His green aura was already flickering around the bloody remains of his legs, and his skin got even more pale and even more so as the seconds ticked by. As the clock ticked, Marcus knew, and so did Roman.

He was going to die, and there was nothing either of them could do about it.

To make things worse, in a flash and out of the broken glass, Neo appeared out of thin air from within the train car. Lit by orange flames, her injuries were minor if any. She took one look at the situation and her usual calm and cocky persona was wiped away as she made the most noise Marcus thought he'd ever hear from her. She fell at Roman's side and balled her eyes, her voice coming out naturally as her mind fell further and further into a state of depression. The tears flowed out like a dam bursting, and Marcus felt his heart drop even further. He never thought he'd see her like this, much less actually feel bad about it.

His eyes widened with shock as Neo looked to him and drew her weapon. He was almost unable to dodge the point of her blade as she attempted to stab him in the heart and kill him. He fell back and when Neo tried to jump up and stab down at him, he caught the sword with his bare hands, holding it back with every ounce of strength that he had left, all the while Neo was snarling and screaming like a rabid animal.

"Neo stop!" Roman managed to catch her attention with his weak shout. "It's not his fault… Ack… it was never his fault…"

Again, he saved his life. Neo's strength weakened as she fell away from him, dropping her weapon as she did so. Marcus winced as his hands stung from the slash that cut into his flesh, and watched as it bled. His gloves that were so damaged that they were useless fell off as his hands shook. In a weird turn of events, Neo listened to some command that Roman gave her and she actually helped him back up and to Roman's side, sitting beside him like she didn't just try to kill him just now.

As much as he wanted to be angry about it, he couldn't. He understood why she reacted the way she did. She must have known that he was supposed to kill Roman.

"Sorry about her…" Roman held Neo's hand as he spoke, his voice was suddenly much weaker than before, and Marcus knew why, In a flash of green, Roman's aura just broke. "She doesn't get attached to much… I happened to be part of that…" A sad smile stretched across his lips as he looked to Neo, who was still crying by his side, her makeup flowing off her face with her tears. "Listen, you work with him from now on, okay?"

Neo nodded her head without question. Marcus didn't know what to say to that, Neo suddenly working under him was something he didn't expect to happen. But he wasn't in any position to deny her service.

"And you," Roman gripped his shirt again and pulled him closer. "Goddammit, get your head out of your ass already."

"W-What do you mean?"

"The hell do you think I mean?" Roman coughed out. His next words would be his last, Marcus was able to tell. He had one more good monologue to get through before the bastard would finally expire. Typical, Roman was always one for his dramatics and flash, it makes sense that in his dying moments he would make sure he gets one more speech out there. "You aren't what Cinder thinks you are… and I don't give a shit if you deny it, but I am damn well sure that Maddox was right about you." Marcus went tense at the mention of his lost brother. "And as your partner, I think I had a good grasp on you too. Don't bother arguing against it, you don't want to be the assassin feared all around the world, a monster worse than the Grimm, do you?" Marcus remained silent, giving Roman his answer.

"Beacon was my home… our home… and I don't want to let Cinder destroy it." His grip on his shirt grew weaker, the tears in his eyes were drying as there was simply nothing left in him to let out. "Summer thought that there was still good in you, too," He rasped. "Honestly, I never shared that thought. You're not a good person, can't be after everything you did, but a good person isn't what is needed to stop Cinder, a true monster. So, partner, bring out that huntsman within you, bring out all that rage you've been bottling up inside that fucked up head of yours and kill her. Kill that bitch for everything she's done to us and put a stop to her shitty plans."

Roman's hand fell from his shirt. "Then… do whatever you…" He wanted to say more, but he couldn't. It was a miracle he was even able to last that long with all the blood loss and wounds done to his body. But at last, he passed away before his old partner and most trusted friend, the last remaining member of Team Mobster other than Marcus, dead.

Marcus didn't know what to think, Roman always had a way of speaking, but in that moment of vulnerability he pulled out every insecurity that deep down he already knew that he had. He didn't want this… He just wanted to be free! He never wanted any of this. If he had it his way, his teammates would have never died. He would have never given himself to the organization, and his son and wife would still be alive.

Why… why did this always happen to him? Marcus let a single tear trickle down his face before wiping it away almost instantly. Beside him, Neo gripped his hand. Showing him her support as he gave her his in the form of a gentle squeeze. The mute then reached out her hand and shut Roman's blank eyes for him, granting him that small mercy.

There was nothing that could be done for him now, the message was clear. Even Neo saw that. Marcus let out a frustrated scream that lasted just a few moments and slammed his knuckles into the ground. He punched it three times before Neo stopped him, her wide eyes looking to him with concern as the skin of his knuckles were ripped off and left behind because of the force of his punches and lack of aura. With tear-stained eyes, Neo grabbed him and used her semblance. Instantly, the air around him no longer felt stuffy and hot and humid, but instead, it was cold and smelled and tasted salty. It was dark as well, and soon enough Marcus realized that they returned to the spot where he climbed on to after jumping out of the CCT from Beacon. Far away from the Vale breach.

He could still hear the sirens ringing out throughout all of Vale. Grimm was still getting into the city, probably a lot less now since they never got to the desired spot to actually blow up the train. But it was still a state of national emergency.

He and Neo lied next to each other for the next hour, him out of exhaustion and pain in nearly all factors. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. While Neo was purely out of sadness. She had just lost Roman, he never knew what kind of relationship that they had together, but no matter what they shared it must have been a very deep bond if it was able to break her down like that because of her loss.

Marcus… his mind was still racing. He had no idea what to do, he was so sure before but now that Roman has died and after what he just said to him… He felt angry. Pissed off. He thought about everything, Beacon, the assassins, his brother and father, his wife Olivia and his son Mercury. Everything that was ever good to him was yanked out of his grasp, though not entirely the fault of the world. He made choices, choices that he regretted and still did even now. Especially now more than ever.

One cut hand raised up and slapped against his face as he groaned. The voices returning, not proclaiming their own victory and rubbing it in his face. They knew it, they said. They were right, it pushed.

What took you so long? She asked.

"Neo," Marcus called out to the mute, who perked up at him calling her name. "Take me away to a place called the Wearhouse, I know a pair of twins who owe me a favor that they can't refuse. They'll help us."

Neo nodded her head but kept staring at him. She was waiting for him to tell her what they were going to do next, he could just tell with the look in her eyes that she was giving him.

Marcus sat up against the pain and nodded his head in confirmation.

"It's time I finally take the advice of an old friend…"

Now, this was a chapter and a half, yet it was not as lengthy as the others. Though writing this definitely had as much or more impact than other chapters did. This marks the end of Volume 2, and next chapter we move on to Volume 3. If you think this last Volume was decent, just wait for everything that I am going to pull this chapter. It's going to be emotional, introspective, and impactful. Every scene is going to have these kinds of hints, but rest assured, they will be subtle. Now excuse me as I go through this chapter with anxiety to make double sure that I did everything right…

Please review and let me know what you think!

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