Here we go again! I was going to put this part in the last chapter, but I changed my mind. Sometimes it's better to split stuff into two chapters then shove everything into one. I'm not doing the finale just yet anyhow. When the finale does come, that is where I will put the entire final arc into one mega chapter. See you there!

Beta: CrowSkull

Destiny Fated Black

Chapter 32

Tyrian dashed forward low and Marcus met in kind. Even as tired as he was, he still had his brains. He knew that he couldn't match Tyrian's strength in his current state so instead of recklessly clashing blades with him like they were before he ground his knife against his and deflected it perfectly. The sound it made was loud and screeching as the metal of their weapons sparked against each other. His back right foot kicked up dust on the roof and blew away a pluff of tiny rocks and gravel that made up the structure of the roof, designed to lessen the effects and absorb rainwater or snow so that it didn't damage the foundation of the top of the building. In this situation, it gave his movements a little more traction to stop suddenly and turn, however, that also worked in the favor of Tyrian, who is a much more aggressive and reckless fighter than he will ever be.

The stinger was used as a piercing weapon to try and stab into Marcus's weak aura and into his flesh, and he couldn't be bothered to have that. Tyrian had the advantage in the aura department and could manage using that part of his body as a weapon and a shield. Marcus spotted the telltale shine of corrupted purple aura from his hands and flipped away, allowing Tyrian to grab nothing but air and then forced to defend himself from the bullets that Marcus fired at him as soon as he landed on his feet some meters away. The building wasn't that big, and another two feet and he'd be plummeting down a scary distance likely to his death. Landing strategies relied on the person's aura and having a few puffs of it didn't do much other than making it slightly less painful when you broke every bone in your body and bled to death.

Marcus sneered over his shoulder but ultimately returned his focus back onto the deadly scorpion faunus. He couldn't be pushed back anymore and Neo was still knocked out so she wasn't going to be able to help him anytime soon. He was on his own in this one, which was more than okay. He couldn't wait to blow a hole in the center of Tyrians' skull and send his tail back to Cinder. If she thought his declaration of war was sending Emerald to prison for the rest of her life or betraying her at the organization's facility, then she had a very shocking surprise in store.

Marcus held his ground and let one of his mechanical feet press up against the ledge lip at the edge of the building for extra support as he guarded himself against Tyrian's reckless full strength charge. The impact created a shockwave that kicked away all of the gravel underneath them and cracked the foundation. Marcus groaned and twisted to the left. Tyrian managed to catch himself on the concrete rail before falling to his death, but couldn't protect himself as Marcus kicked him in the middle of his back, smashing him against the railing and cracking it further. Marcus raised his leg up high in the air to give Tyrian another one of his signatures smashes, but the faunus rolled out of the way right before it could connect. Destroying the rest of that railing and leaving a straight drop straight to the ground.

"What are those things made of?" Tyrian asked as he spun himself back up to his feet, wincing the entire time.

Marcus smirked and didn't answer. That was his own secret that he was going to bring to the grave. Instead, he took a page out of his late son's book and switched to a straight kicking oriented style and dashed forward in a blur of red and white. Tyrian's scorpion eyesight was just as poor as it always was and the faunus clearly struggled to keep up with him and his attacks. Instead of dodging or risking a parry, Tyrian simply backpedaled and held his arms across himself to protect his body and vital organs as effectively as he could.

That would have worked against regular flesh and bone legs and feet, but Marcus' was made of metal from the knee down. Every blow to his guard shook Tyrian's bones to his core and each one made him groan in pain. Marcus didn't let up, throwing kick after kick even as his limbs grew heavier and heavier with fatigue. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever, so in order to try and end the fight fast, he put all of his strength into the next few kicks.

If Tyrian wanted to guard himself and waste aura by simply guarding himself like he was doing now, then Marcus was all for it. At the very least, Marcus could even the playing field and at the very best Tyrian's guard would break and the fight would end with Marcus' heel caving in his face. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be the case no matter how much Marcus wanted to hope it would. Marcus growled and fought through the burning numbing feeling in his muscles as he raised his feet and smashed his heel directly into Tyrian's crossguard. The faunus groaned but held his ground, only skidding through the gravel, though his aura flared. Marcus growled as he threw another kick, this one of the spinning variety and increased his striking power with positive momentum and struck Tyrian in the side. He didn't stop there and jumped up and threw a flying axe kick down onto Tyrians wrist blades. He felt something snap, though he felt no pain. Tyrian cried out and fell down, one of his wrist blades damaged and one of the blades on that arm falling off. He was lucky that the arm didn't get broken entirely. Although his aura flared purple and threatened to shatter just like Marcus' did, all that happened was the evening of the playing field. Tyrian was just as strong as he was before, only now he was angry.

"You bitch!" Tyrian exclaimed as he threw off that destroyed wrist blade. "You have no idea what you've just done! Lefty, oh no… How could you!? I've spent the better half of my life with that piece of sharpened metal… the number of lives this arm has taken… ruined!"

"And now it won't cut any more people apart," Marcus heaved as he struggled to stay standing on his two feet. His metal legs, however unnoticeable, suffered some internal damage. The hydraulics and nuts and bolts that kept it all together loosened and he could smell the leak of some of the fluids already. They were made to be strong and durable, but there was a limit. He hasn't been able to put any maintenance into his legs in months. There was bound to be some weaker points in them and now his oversight came back to bite him in the ass. "I told you Tyrian, this only ends when one of us dies, and it isn't going to be me."

"We'll see about that, Black!" Tyrian scowled at him. His maniacal and psychotic giggling and cackling were over with, he suddenly realized the full extent of fighting Marcus completely one on one and knew that there was a chance that he wouldn't survive. That angered him. It shook him. Marcus knew that look in his eyes very well. It was the body's fight or flight response to any given undesirable situation. He remembered seeing it in the eyes of those he'd killed as contracts, people who didn't even have their auras unlocked or any experience in combat naturally had no chance of fighting him. But also had no chance of running away from him. The huntsmen and huntresses he fought in the past had that same look once he stole their semblances. Without their semblances, they were powerless, helpless. Most tried to run away, the foolish ones tried to keep fighting in order to keep up to their own vision of what a huntsman or huntress was supposed to be. A hero, a savior, someone who never gives up. That or glory.

Tyrian was different. His eyes promised death and he truly believed it. He would be very willing to kill himself if it meant landing a fatal hit on him. Out of all the opponents that Marcus had been up against, Tyrian was a breed of his own. Crazy, insane, with no concern for his own wellbeing. Perfect for someone like Salem to take under her wing and manipulate to fulfill whatever her desires demanded. Cinder was smart for calling him in to hunt him down. There was a very good chance that they would kill each other and cross off two of the biggest thorns in her side in one motion.

"C'mon body…" Marcus whispered under his breath as he put his better leg forward. At least he's right leg was still mostly in one piece and had less internal damage. "You've survived worse. Let's finish this…"

Tyrian dashed forward and his left hand flared purple as his aura negation semblance took hold. Marcus kept an eye on that and unholstered a second knife and held it in his offhand. With mutual roars, Marcus and Tyrian smashed their weapons against each other. Marcus and Tyrian both winced as they felt the bones in their wrists creak and go onto the verge of dislocating or breaking entirely. Another hit like that, and it would happen. Tyrian stepped back and went low, his brown jacket flapping in Marcus' face as his leg was encased by the same corrupted aura. Marcus couldn't afford any more damage to his legs and while blind, jumped up into the air and made to stomp down on Tyrian's jacket.

He stomped on nothing but leather and didn't realize that Tyrian slipped out of the apparel before he felt blades scrape against his abs. His eyes bulged and his white aura flickered. After pushing away the strike and flipping away, he mentally gauged his own aura. One more hit and he would be out of aura. Marcus sneered and kept moving. It just meant that he had to be faster.

Tyrian leaned back so far his back was practically touching the ground as Marcus' good leg swept right above his face and barely grazed the tip of his nose. He stood back up as the leg passed over him, but Marcus kept moving with his momentum. Going low as Tyrian struck high and dodged it, then Tyrian jumped over his own sweep and tried to stab down at him. Only for him to roll to the right and twirl back up to his knees. His gun was suddenly in his left hand and Tyrian caught the knife Marcus threw at him with his free hand before taking two bullets to the chest.

Tyrian snarled loudly in pain as two big welts of bruises formed in the middle of his chest and threw back the knife he'd caught with all his strength. Marcus caught it as well and threw it back, only for Tyrian to catch it and throw it back again. Back and forth they went and they increased in speed and constantly caught the knife and threw it back for a straight ten seconds. The intense focus was required and neither of them could risk missing or being forced to dodge it lest the other push forward while they were in the motion of twirling out of the way. Until at last Marcus caught it, spun his entire body, and threw it back.

Tyrian caught it again but threw it away quickly when he saw a blinking red light on the hilt of the throwing knife. He jumped away as the knife exploded in a small burst of orange, red, and black. But the intended damage from the explosion itself wasn't what Marcus was going for, it was the shrapnel instead.

The shards of the knife Marcus designed himself was pushed out throughout the surface of the roof of that building. A few of those pieces pushed into Tyrian's aura and cut his body as his aura finally went out. However, the tactic was always a risky one. Marcus protected his face and eyes as the shards of his own knife cut against his own aura and lacerated his forearms and slashed his clothes. Marcus went down to one knee once the initial explosion and collateral damage was over and done with and let out a deep breath as he felt his own aura shatter and fade away.

Tyrian stood back up slowly, taking deep breaths and bleeding from a dozen lacerations all across his body and hanging his arms in a lazy stance. Marcus forced himself onto his own feet but put all of his weight on his right leg instead of his damaged other. Lacerations and wounds and cuts all over his body that was a result of their battle that has lasted for over an hour now. It felt much longer as Marcus blinked his eyes to rid them of the stinging sensation of sweat and blood and polluted air.

The way Tyrian breathed and growled and snapped at him was like a Grimm would. While Marcus made himself much calmer than he actually felt. He'd pulled out almost every trick that was up his sleeve so far, all except for stealing Tyrian's semblance and aura. He never tried to use his semblance while his aura was down, but now was the time to test it. Tyrian's semblance would be useless now that they were both out of aura, but that just raised the stakes even higher. One good hit on either side and the battle would be won. One slash, one stab of Tyrian's tail in the right spot, and it was all over.

It's been a long time since Marcus lost his aura, and usually, he wouldn't have let himself be hit so many times. That Harriet bitch with the speed semblance did this to him, damn it, he could hear her taunting laughter echoing in his mind right now.

Marcus moved and so did Tyrian, they met in the middle and their battle became much more focused and skillful. Tyrian didn't let him touch him, and Marcus did the same in turn. Sparks flew from their weapons and Marcus ran out of ammo in his gun. As they fought Tyrian's other wrist blade was destroyed. But at the cost of Marcus' weakened grip slipping and dropping the knife to the ground. From there it became hand to hand and somehow Tyrian was able to fight and keep Marcus' hands away from him. They were practically equal. Two men around the same age who matched each other's strengths, speed, and weaknesses nearly perfectly. The battle turned into a contest of stamina. Whoever got slow first was the one who was going to die.

Tyrian stabbed his tail at him and Marcus caught it with his two hands. He tried activating his semblance but he was too slow. Tyrian's foot clashed against his stomach and he spat out blood and spit into Tyrian's face. While his eyes shut instinctively, Marcus let himself fall forward and smashed his forehead into Tyrian's nose.

Marcus fell forward onto his forearms and stomach while Tyrian fell backward and screamed in pain as his broken nose broke even further and blood was pouring out of his face.

Marcus tried to push himself back up to his feet but his arms were jelly and impossibly numb and sore to the point where he wasn't even able to feel it. His legs were in the same boat. The metal half of them was just too heavy and he didn't have the strength anymore to lift them. The best he could do was push himself onto his hands and knees and drag his hands across the gravel in a vain attempt to find the knife he dropped and use that to kill Tyrian. But even that move was as slow as a snail and he fell back down onto his face, exhausted.

He nearly passed out but forced his eyes open again and drew strength from deep within himself to force himself onto one knee. But only so that he could see his life flash before his eyes as he watched as Tyrian was already on his feet and lunging at him with his stinger. Everything went through his mind again, a repeat of the most recent events. Him going around with Emerald recruiting and taking care of rebellious gangs. Cinder finding him, him murdering his own son. Roman and Neo finding him. Qrow, Ozpin, that Blake girl and Summer's girls that he'd tormented. All the way back to his times as an assassin and his enrollment in Beacon Academy.

Everything seemed to go black as he shut his eyes, his arm too slow to catch Tyrian's tail and even if he did he wouldn't have the strength to stop it.

Blood splashed in his face and he gasped. Though he felt no pain.

Neo stood before him with a pained look on her face, and the stinger of Tyrian's tail powerfully stabbed into her shoulder. Tyrian's tail bulged as venom pumped itself into her body and all Marcus could do was watch as the veins in Neo's body started bulging with purple. Despite the suffering pain she had to be going through, Neo reached forward and traced a hand around his face before falling to the side.

Marcus roared. His willpower to fight increasing tenfold and his aura recharging suddenly in a bright flash of white and silver. Tyrian's tail was still stuck in Neo's back and he was helpless to do anything to stop Marcus as he grabbed his face and slammed the back of his head into the gravel, cracking his skull. Marcus didn't stop there, after stealing Tyrian's semblance and aura and empowering himself even further, Marcus reached and grabbed the knife that was still on the ground and stabbed it into Tyrian's chest, missing a vital organ on purpose. He didn't even give Tyrian time to try and speak his last words. Marcus tore his knife out and stabbed it down again. Twisted it, and ripped it out again. He stabbed Tyrian fifty times before he stopped counting and only when Tyrian's chest was rendered a bloody pulpy mess of flesh and blood did Marcus stop. There was no need to even check if Tyrian was dead, his ribcage was visible and there was enough blood spilled all around the rooftop to suggest a Grimm attack.

Marcus dropped his knife at the body's side and fell off it. Picking himself back up, he made his way back to Neo. Who was shaking and trembling as the venom in her body did its job.

"Neo…" Marcus whispered as he cradled Neo in his arms and sat back on the ground. His bloody wounds wiping off of Neo's clothing as he held her. "Neo, why the fuck would you do that!? Damn it… I promised… I promised him that-" He cut himself off with a whimper, unable to handle the mental strain of speaking and simply shutting his eyes as a familiar burn welled up from behind his eyes.

Neo blinked her eyes open and with a half-lidded stare, smiled at him. Her hand weakly raised up to touch his face, wiping away at tears that didn't yet fall. For all he knew, that might just be what she was seeing while under the effects of Tyrian's venom.

"I-I-" Marcus widened his eyes as for the first time, he heard words come from Neo's mouth. It was cracked and broken and sounded like someone speaking for the first time after taking a decade long vow of silence. It was strained and it looked like it pained Neo to even get those first two syllables out. "I promised him," She spoke in a voice barely loud enough for him to hear her. "Roman, you're his best friend. So that means you have to live." Neo's hand raised and she pressed it against his chest. "No matter what…"

Her eyes closed and she made sure the skin of her face touched Marcus' gloveless hand. Immediately, he felt the pull of his semblance grasping on to Neo's remaining aura and he remembered the familiar scene like it just happened earlier that day. He knew what this meant, Neo knew that she was going to die so why wouldn't she try to help him one last time?

The words she spoke were going to be her last as she returned to her mute self, simply resting against him with as peaceful a look she was ever going to have on her face while she waited for the venom in her system to finish the job. Marcus wailed and felt the burning sensation behind his eyes burst through with a hot-cold feeling as he felt the tears slide down his face. Wordlessly, he held Neo tighter and accepted her offer. The second person to ever offer their aura and semblance to him willingly, and for him to accept it. Two for two, as he knew Roman would Quip.

As he accepted Neo's semblance and aura, she finally expired in his arms a much more peaceful death than what would have been her fate if he allowed her to expire the natural way.

He sat there on that rooftop for hours, until the sunset high in the sky and went back down as the clock struck midnight. It was then when Marcus finally willed himself to gently lift Neo across his body and keep her there with one arm. No matter what her past may have been, she deserved a proper burial at the very least for saving his ass as many times as she did, and for becoming the only person he trusted and cared for ever since he got his shit back together. They've only known each other for a few months and really knew each other for even less than that, but he cared for her, and even if it was because of Roman's last wish, she cared for him as well. He was going to personally make sure that she got a proper send-off as thanks.

He stood up and walked toward Tyrian's dead body. His yellow eyes stared lifelessly to the sky. He looked too peaceful, even if there was a pool of blood in his own chest and around his body. Marcus calmly pulled out his pistol, loaded it with a normal metal bullet, and shot it directly into his forehead right between the eyes. Tyrian's dead eyes went cross and the muscles in his face spasmed to look more pained.

Satisfied, Marcus walked slowly to the edge of the building, looked down, and then jumped to the next. Neo's hair flowed with the wind as he made his way back down to the city, and he took her to the only place he knew of that would be worthy of holding her body for the rest of time.

"The Ace Ops were defeated," Ozpin said with a defeated sigh as he slumped his head against his desk.

"I am well aware," Ironwood replied, sitting across from him with a bottle of brandy held weakly in his hand. "Marrow's surgery was successful however, and Vine is still asleep but recovering. I'll have a bionic arm fitted to Elm's body structure and Harriet is fine, just depressed because of how easily Marcus was able to adapt to her and defeat her. Clover is the only one who didn't require medical attention, but as you can imagine, he is not doing so well mentally."

"He's lucky his survivor's guilt isn't because he is an actual survivor," Ozpin remarked. "I've already had Qrow take care of that. After today, we all need a good drink and something to cheer us up."

"The people are questioning whether or not either of us is really trustworthy enough to defend them now," Ironwood commented, ignoring Ozpin's final words. "The best huntsmen and huntresses of Atlas were defeated and hospitalized. Vale's police force, rushing all around the city desperately for any sign of Adam Taurus, Callows, or Marcus and his little accomplice."

"Taiyang isn't going to be happy about that…"

"I've already had my security force him back into his room," Ironwood said with a bitter laugh. "He calmed down after his daughters found him having an anxiety attack and a panic attack at the same time."

"Winter took it surprisingly well, how is she doing?" Ozpin asked next.

"As well as you can expect…" James sighed. "Her father contacted her recently, apparently he has found out about Marcus' relation to the Schnee's. Somehow." He sighed again. "Also apparently, he suddenly is worrying about the safety of his daughters. So far, unofficially, he and his wife whom I have not seen in years are calling for the safe return of their daughters back to Atlas and the Schnee manor because they, and I quote, "Cannot trust the safety of their children to kingdoms who can't capture a single man"." Again, the general of Atlas laughed and shook his head. "We've really fucked up this time, Oz. Haven't we?"

"For once, I must agree with you, James," Ozpin said. "It seems even I have bitten off more than I can chew. We've been focusing so much on capturing Marcus and thwarting whatever Cinder's plans may be that the Vytal Festival has suffered for it, the White Fang has been running around practically unchecked, and my students are depressed and rebellious. I mean, the first years are rooting for Team CRDL." Ozpin chuckled. "I was under the impression no one really liked them, and here we are."

"I haven't seen you act like this before, Oz. Are you suggesting that we give up?"

"No, certainly not." Ozpin quickly corrected. "We can't give up, all we can do now is learn from our mistakes. Marcus Black however dangerous is clearly not working for Cinder. Therefore he shouldn't be a priority any longer unless he makes himself one."

"Cinder then," Ironwood nodded his head in approval. "We are going to focus on her for a change?"

"Indeed. We've heard nothing of her since the raid on the organization Marcus took part in. We can suspect that she is an ally of Salem and that is confirmed since Tyrian has arrived in Vale as well."

"I am in full agreement." Ironwood toasted and raised his glass cup in the air. "To learn from our mistakes?" He prompted.

Reaching forward, Ozpin clinked his cup against the generals. "To learn from our mistakes."

A blaring, annoying sound rang from Ozpin's pager that startled the two men so much they nearly dropped their mugs entirely as they shook and sat up straight instinctively. The headmaster of Beacon quickly shot his hand toward the device and pushed down on a button.

"What is it?" Ozpin asked, sounding much more professional than before.

"Ozpin!" Doctor Oobleck's panicked voice put Ozpin on edge. "An unauthorized Bullhead has landed in Beacon's port and didn't answer any callsigns! Security guards went to go apprehend the intruder, but they were all knocked unconscious!"

Widening his eyes, Ozpin didn't know what to say.

"Professor Port and I have arrived on the scene and we will be hunting down this intruder, I thought it wise to let you-"

"NO!" Ozpin screamed into the pager. James was already preparing his gear and was on his feet. "Call Glynda and stay right where you are! James and I are on our way, do not approach the intruder without us, that is an order!"

"S-sir?"

"Do you understand!?"

"Yes, we shall wait here!"

Filled with newfound resolve, Ozpin grabbed his cane and stormed into the elevator along with Ironwood and shot down all the way to ground level. Whoever this was, they didn't want to take any chances. This intruder was about to have the full might of Beacon brought down on their head.

Marcus groaned and clapped his hands together to try and get most of the dirt off of his hands. Digging a six foot deep that was about five feet in length and three feet wide was harder than he thought it would be. But the job was done, Neo was buried and there she would rest for the rest of eternity. He could hear her squeal of approval in his head, and Summer's praise in the back of his mind. Thanking him for his deed.

It was the only place he could think of. Beacon's private graveyard for huntsmen and huntresses who didn't have any family who existed or cared enough to retrieve their remains. They were buried there with full honors. Besides, Neo definitely did more than most of the other bodies there, she just helped save all of Vale and Beacon entirely. The least that could be done for her as a decent place for her body to lay.

"About time," Marcus said as he took out his knife and pistol as he heard about a dozen people run around the corner. He stood there without moving as lights shined on his face and body. He was surrounded almost immediately. Winter Schnee, Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen, some professors of Beacon and even a few older students had him completely at their mercy. The circle opened up for Ozpin and James Ironwood to step through and face him. He greeted them with a smile, stretching his arms across his body and showing off the dirt on his face, clothes, and hands.

"Marcus," The general growled at him as he aimed his own gun at him. "You have some nerve coming here and causing trouble. What are your intentions? Who did you bring?"

"I came here for two reasons, to bury a body. The person that was that body is now six feet in the ground and you better leave her there if you don't want me to kill those pretty little students over there." Intimidated, those fourth-year teams of students stepped back.

"And the second reason?" Ozpin asked, stepping forward in the protection of those students. "It better be a good one, because I am showing a vast amount of restraint at the moment."

"Oh, that?" Marcus smiled as he dropped his gun and knife, then shrugged off the armour plates on his shoulder's and pants. Leaving him in a simple red workout shirt and brown combat pants that were so ripped they might as well not even be considered pants. His bionic legs were still visible, and one of them was clearly damaged. With no armour or weapons to defend himself with. Just to sell it even further, Marcus let out a deep breath and he withdrew his aura.

"What are you doing?" A confused Ozpin asked.

Marcus looked back up and held his hands forward in a way that would make it easy for someone to put cuffs on him. His smile was as cocky as ever.

"I surrender."

Bleh, I am so exhausted from work that I nearly gave up on writing this chapter today. I slept until noon and I have work again later tonight and this Coronavirus panic is really making things more difficult. Eh, whatever, the show must go on and this chapter is nearing its climax!

Oh, yeah, and Marcus surrendered. Has he finally had a change of heart?

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