Chapter 1: I am Kabuto
Within the span of a day,
When the four kingdoms met their darkest moment,
From the darkness,
A Crimson warrior fought back against thousands of foes,
A Golden knight cleaved through the un-killable and fought fate itself,
A Scarlet Musician brought out a sound of hope against the season's demons,
An Onyx soldier defeated monsters that stopped the progress of time itself,
The kingdoms were saved
But the Saviors were forgotten by all but four.
A day shall come when "Strength" shall not give Humanity Victory.
When that day comes,
The Saviors shall return to fulfill their duties.
Within the city known as Vale, people walked about their day without worry or thought. On its streets, a surveillance van followed by several armored cars drove through to a location. The destination was a warehouse that appeared to be any typical abandoned warehouse to the naked eye. But to the members inside the vehicles, it housed an extremely dangerous threat. Upon arriving, the men prepared for battle by equipping their ant-like helmets and assaults rifles with bayonets. The soldiers filed out of the vehicles and entered the warehouse.
Inside of the surveillance van, a man with a black hair cut in a crew cut, a taller man with glasses and combed back hair, and a young lady with brown hair and blue highlights were observing on several monitors that seemed to be connected to the cameras of the soldiers' helmets.
"Are you all in position?" asked the man over a headset.
"Yes we are, sir!" shouted a young leader who readied his weapon alongside his men.
From another location, a male on a dirt bike was driving to the scene. During his drive, he kept muttering that he was late.
"Oh man, why did I oversleep? Today's the day of the operation!" shouted the male as he drove.
On the same road, a car was driving through the streets of the city.
"So this is what a city in Vale looks like. It's kind of cool." A male with purple-tinted hair observed the buildings with interest. Then he noticed an ad for a pizza place on an electronic billboard. "Hey bro, how about we stop by for some pizza?"
The driver looked incredulously at the passenger with an annoyed look. "I'll say it once and I'll say it again… NO! We're already behind schedule for the meeting. The last thing I need is to eat some cheese disc with you of all people!"
"All right. All right. There's no need to be so grouchy, Garu."
"*Sigh* Sorry about that Lisera, but today is an important one. We're meeting with the headmaster of Beacon, so the last thing I need is your antics. Understand?"
"Crystal clear, bro." Then Lisera noticed a speeding motorcycle speed by them. "Huh, that's a nice looking bike. What do they call those things, bro?"
"A motorcycle." The driver answered with an even tone while never taking his eyes off the road.
In the warehouse, the men were cautiously ducking behind cover and pointing their guns at different locations. Every time there wasn't a thing to worry about, one of the soldiers would shout, "Clear!" The armored soldiers continued these actions until one of them found the remains of a body covered in webbing.
"Sir, we found a body. Or at least what's left of it."
In the van, the commander rubbed the temples of his head in frustration that another victim was claimed by the monsters that the team were hunting down. "Well, this is the hard part of the day. Any identification? We need a face if the Worm has already copied his or her appearance."
"Got the victim's wallet!" shouted a soldier who managed to scavenge the victim's wallet.
"Good… Now all we need to do is find him or her…" The point man turned to see a dumbfounded teen who had a cigarette loosely in his mouth which fell to the floor. "CONTACT!" shouted the man as he aimed his gun and fired at the teen who did the smart thing: jump to cover. The rest of the men also fired at the cover in order to destroy it and kill the supposed hostile.
"HOLD IT! HOLD IT! PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN! THAT IS NOT A WORM!" shouted the soldier who still had the wallet with the ID in hand. "THAT KID IS NOT A WORM!"
The soldiers heard the field commander and stopped fired at the teen. "Wait, seriously?" asked a masked soldier in a muffled voice.
"What is going on there? Did you idiots shoot at an unarmed civilian again? If you did, you are all receiving demerits!" shouted their commanding officer over the radio.
"Oh come on, Skipper!"
"No back-talking, Private! Or do you prefer… DOUBLE DEMERITS?" shouted the man identified as Skipper who was miffed that his team once again shot at a civilian. "Sometimes, I wonder why we were assigned this team of rookies…"
A motorcycle was heard outside and the van opened to reveal a blond teen with blue eyes who looked a bit of a goof.
"You're late Jaune…" The female stated with a bored tone as she continued to monitor the soldiers' statuses.
"Sorry I'm late, sir!" apologized the blond male only to be smacked in the head by Skipper.
"Less excuses, more action! Now get out there and take some surveillance, Rookie! We're burning Dust out there!" ordered the commander who did not take his eyes off the video feed.
"Y-Yes sir!" responded the teen who got the surveillance equipment and a gun for the situation. Then he left to join the squad who were exterminating these worms.
"Skipper!" announced the field commander known as Private.
"What is it?" asked Skipper who placed his hand on the side of his communicator to respond.
"We found the Worms! Are you sure we're going to be all right when we engage?" asked the field commander who was hiding behind a stone pillar along with several of the soldiers.
Then the blond teen arrived and hid behind an overturned, decrepit table.
Private noticed the teen and waved. "Oh, nice of you to join us, Jaune." The commander greeted the rookie politely. The teen heard the greeting he received, and he responded by waving to Private.
"This isn't time for meet and greets, soldier!" shouted Skipper causing the field commander to wince.
"Sorry sir!" responded Private.
"As long as you don't think and start shooting at the right targets you'll be fine, Private. Rico there will have your back. Understand?"
"Yes sir!" responded the young man who cut off the communication.
"…What's the chances of our men coming out of this in one piece, Kowalski?" asked the man known as Skipper.
"100 percent, Skip- No wait, I forgot to add a decimal." The taller man used his pen on the tablet to make the correction. "10.0 percent, sir."
"And survival?"
"Survival is a possible 99.99999% percent with a few broken bones."
"I like those odds! Prepare to engage and fire, men!" ordered the commander with vigor.
"Yes sir! All men, take position and prepare to fire on the targets!" ordered the young field commander as he aimed his gun which was a rifle. What came after was the sound of gunfire, screaming, and explosions.
Moments Later...
"Good Gravy! Nobody said there would be an entire squadron of the bugs! Rookie! You may a good call of using that smokescreen to get our guys out!" commended Skipper.
The rookie known as Jaune looked a bit proud and was prepared to speak. "U-Um thanks, sir! I just want to say-"
But the commanding officer did not wait for the teen's response and checked on his men. "Okay, we need a head count! Who's gotten a couple of broken bones and lacerations? Raise your hand!" Skipper received a couple of hands up, much to his frustration of the obvious laziness of his injured squadron. "C'mon people! This isn't some book club! And if you don't start raising hands, I'll have Rico here make you!"
Behind the leader, the scarred man gave a crooked smile while taking out a large sledgehammer calmly preparing to do unspeakable things to the injured soldiers. The blond haired young man paled in fear of his combat superior along with the injured men and women who rather not deal with his tendencies.
"Oh? So now you all decided to raise your hands? Good! You all will get a paid off-duty recovery in the base's hospital. But you all are not to ask for better food!" shouted the commander known as Skipper. "In the meantime… Private, you are going back to base for a weapons check and an inventory stock with Rico!"
"Yes sir!" Private saluted with Rico agreeing through a positive grunt in response.
"Kowalski, Fatale, I need data and clues on the possible location of the escaped Worm!"
"You got it, sir!"
"Understood!" responded the female as she returned to the van.
"And Rookie!"
"Y-Yes!"
"You are dismissed for today until further notice!"
"Oh… all right, sir." Jaune walked to his motorbike with a sigh.
Kowalski gave a look of pity and decided to reason with his superior officer. "You should give the kid a chance in the field, Skipper. I mean he just joined and looks eager for the action."
"I'm not putting another rookie in the line of fire, Kowalski! Remember what happened to Jenkins?"
"Um, what happened to Jenkins?" asked Private who was clearly out of the loop.
"Got torn apart by a group of Worms. Never even got a shot off, Oum rest his soul." Kowalski responded while taking off his hat and placing it over the left side of his chest.
"Enough mourning, now if you will excuse me, I've got to report to the Big Man."
"Oh my, is Skipper going to be all right?" asked Private with worry evident on his face.
"Once again, I am not sure. Reporting to the Big Man usually means cuts as punishment." Kowalski responded with a shake of his head.
"Budget, right?" asked Private with worry.
"Probably." Fatale responded with a serious expression.
"Uh-huh." Rico agreed with the group.
"*Sigh* In the end, our situation gets worse and worse. Vale must really be the epicenter of the Worms." The blond haired teen said with a downed look on his face while pushing his motorcycle. A man with a mask walked closer and closer to the young man until he was within reach of the pockets. With a quick movement, the thief took a wallet out of the teen's jacket pocket. "Eh?" The young man checked his pocket before running after the pickpocket. "Hey! Come back here with my wallet!"
Realizing he's been caught, the thief attempted to make a getaway by running away. But the masked man clumsily tripped on his own two feet, thus landing face first and dropping the stolen wallet. The young man closed in on the man to detain the thief, but masked man got back up and took out a switch blade.
"Come any closer and you're a dead man!" threatened the lousy thief.
Walking on the same street, a red-haired young teen with a bowl of water on his head, his right hand in his pants pocket, and his left hand carrying a bag of groceries appeared to be going about his business. His face was noticeably scarred with a scar across his nose, mouth, cheek, and left eye. Then the thief turned around and ran from the young man with the knife still waving wildly in his hand.
"Hey, watch out!" shouted the teen.
As the blade got close to the teen's neck, he caught the blade with his right hand. Then he twisted his hand to make the thief flip forward into the air. As he fell forward, the criminal took a punch to his stomach by landing towards the teen's fist. This caused him to let go of the knife and it was caught by the teen's left hand.
"W-Whoa!" exclaimed Jaune as he saw the teen take down the thief with one arm.
"What a pathetic use of a knife." The teen said with a disapproving tone before putting the blade of the switchblade away. "As my grandmother once said, 'a knife can only bring happiness in cooking.' You have disgraced the existence of this knife, so I'll be taking it off your hands." The young man dropped the man on the ground and noticed the wallet on the ground. "That yours?" he asked to Jaune.
"Um… Yea-" Then the thief ran for the hills apparently realizing he couldn't take on the redhead. "Hey! Come back here!"
Deciding he had enough of the thief, the redhead picked up the wallet with his shoe launching it into the air.
"My wallet!"
Then the teen prepared to kick the wallet with an aura of energy slowly covering the tip of his foot. With a heavy smack, he kicked the wallet which flew at an incredible speed. Then it smashed into the pickpocket's head sending him sprawling onto the gravel floor unconscious. The wallet bounced off the man's head upon impact and flew towards the redhead's free hand with ease. Then he threw the leather wallet into the air behind him and the blond teen clumsily caught his nearly stolen wallet.
"The deed is done. Go contact any nearby officer about this pathetic crook."
"O-Okay. By the way, who are you?" asked the blond.
The redhead stopped as the clouds above blocked the sun shadowing him. "The man who walks the path of heaven, the one who will rule over all…" He pointed towards the sky as the clouds clear to allow the sun to shine upon him. The redhead turned around and pointed his finger to sun. "Rowan… Dynast…"
"…" The blond stared at the teen with a dumbfounded expression.
"That is all you need to know. Now I must be getting back to my grandfather's Dust shop." Then the teen turned around and walked away to his destination. He muttered under his breath about the shop his Grandfather owned had come under a robbery recently. "Honestly, why would he just let those robbers steal the Dust? I knew I should have not left to get groceries while-"
"H-Hey wait!" The blond reached out before sighing that the muttering teen was already too far to listen to him. "Great, now I meet a weirdo who can knock out people with just a wallet." Jaune looked at his wallet before placing it back in his pocket. "Though he did help me, so he can't be all that bad." The teen turned around and noticed a silver sports car with a brand representing a police department. "Whoa… That is a nice car… Oh right! The pickpocket!"
In the same police car, a girl with snow-white hair, mechanical arms, and wore a police uniform was driving through Vale while looking for her destination. Her face has noticeable burn scarring that didn't mar her entire face's beauty.
"Where is it? The Vale Police Department should be around here…" muttered the girl as she looked over the holographic display on the headboard of the car. "*Sigh* Lady Schnee, lend strength and guidance to this humble servant of yours…" The girl muttered an odd prayer as she continued her drive. She unnoticeably passed by a certain store with the name "Dust Till Dawn." The store appeared simple enough if it weren't for one of its windows being boarded up.
Walking in the sidewalk was a girl who held her stomach and walked at a slow pace. "So hungry… Can't take another step…" muttered the girl with navy-blue hair before she fell face-first into the concrete. She groaned as her stomach growled loudly due to a lack of food in it.
Around the corner, Rowan was walking by before noticing the girl on the ground. "Hm?" He kneeled forward and checked on her. "Hey, are you all right?"
The response was a large growl from the girl's stomach. "Oooooohhhhhh… So… Hungry…"
"Hungry?" wondered Rowan with a look of calm curiosity.
"Rowan, what's the matter?" asked an elderly man who opened the door upon noticing the redhead outside.
"Oh, Grandfather! I just found a girl collapsed here, possibly from hunger."
"Yes… I'm… Hungry…" muttered the girl in response.
"Oh my, I think it's a good thing you found her with the number of dangerous folks that have been going about here. I'll take the groceries inside. You help her into the shop and serve her one of our dishes." The older man said as he took the bag and the bowl off the redhead.
"Are you sure, Grandfather?"
"You know that your grandmother wouldn't forgive us if we leave someone on the road starving. Now help her inside, or I will carry her in myself."
"*Chuckle* You're not a young man anymore, Grandfather. But I'll help her. Grandmother once said, 'A chef's duty is to feed the hungry, no matter the price of the dish.'"
"*Chuckle* You are always fond of her sayings. While you carry her in, I'll get the kitchen ready."
After cooking up a meal and placing it in front of the girl whose face was on a table that the grandfather and grandson could spare, Rowan sat in a nearby chair and waited for the girl to smell the delicious food. Then she smelled the scent and put her head up and opened her eyes to the sight of the food that was a bowl of rice, cooked fish on a plate, and a bowl of boiled vegetables. The girl quickly sat up, grabbed the fork and bowl of rice, and ate the food at a quickened pace.
"*Gulp* This *Slurp* is… so good! *Chomp* Finally… some food! *Gulp*" The girl said in between her progress of attacking and tearing into the meal she was given.
"My, quite the energetic girl you found, Rowan. And quite an appetite. *Chuckle*" Rowan's grandfather smiled and laughed at the sight of the girl eating away.
Rowan also nodded but kept his calm look. "Nothing pleases a chef more than the smile of the patron. Speaking of cooking, why on Remnant did you decide to close your noodle shop, Grandfather? You were making good business compared to this store."
"Rowan, I understand your confusion. In honesty, I rather be cooking noodles again than keeping this old Dust shop open. But… I will enjoy the feeling of making noodles and boiling broth when my brother comes back to Vale!"
"That's good to know, Grandfather. Granduncle was a former manager of an SDC Dust distributer. But the last time I checked, he was very successful at his job. What changed?"
"*Sigh* Same old story, he got too old! However, you shouldn't worry about it. Your granduncle has already chosen someone capable to take over and I am sure he'll be happy to take over this shop. While broth runs in my veins, Dust is the air he breathes."
"True enough, Grandfather. But who is going to tell him about the recent robbery and broken window?" Rowan wondered as he turned his head to the boarded up window that was recently smashed open.
"You shouldn't really blame that young girl who stopped those robbers. After all, if it was you, you would have broken more than just a window."
"Touché, grand-père." Rowan said with a small smile.
The elder man smiled in response to his grandson's rare smile, even if it was for a moment.
"Um, excuse me," The two turned to the site of the girl who had already eaten the meal before her with the plates and dishes licked clean. There wasn't even a sign of the bones of the fish. "is it all right if I have seconds?"
Rowan turned to his grandfather with a questioning look, and the old man understood what that meant.
"I'll cook this time Rowan. Might as well get these old bones working again if I want to reopen my noodle shop."
"All right, Grandfather. I'll go out for a walk, maybe this time I'll find it."
"Just don't cause too much trouble! I don't want to have to bail you out for your last attempt!"
"I will try not to." The redhead responded as he walked out of the store.
"*Chuckle* That young man has a bright future ahead of him."
"Yeah, he's a pretty good cook." The girl said with a nod. Then she turned to the man with an expecting look. "So can I have seconds?"
In the headquarters of the group that was hunting down whatever was in the warehouse, the man known as Skipper stood in front of a screen which showed another man who had a muscular build, a Mohawk haircut, and a couple of scars on his face.
"And so, the mission was a failure, General Rotgut." Skipper said with a regretful tone.
"I see. It is a shame. Even your men, considered the best, couldn't handle the Worm threat in Vale. Since most of your men are considerably injured, we'll be sending in the specialist chosen by ZECT."
"A ZECT specialist? But-"
"Is that backtalk I hear, Skipper? Remember that those copying bugs are killing people as we talk! The specialist will come whether you and I like it or not. Let me be honest with you, son, I'm not happy about it. We'll be sending the Package first before the specialist, so the bugs won't grab it while he comes to you guys."
"…I understand sir. We won't fail you!" saluted the man known as Skipper with a tough exterior. "A ZECT specialist… Seriously? We've already had enough to worry about without some uptight yahoo coming here! *Sigh* Hope Private whipped up one of those 'love' smoothies… I need some relaxation."
Author's interruption: Yes, there was a type of smoothie called that in a show and it wasn't anything related to the dirty mind of humanity. Got that?! You friggin' perverts…
Now back to the story to one certain girl driving an impressive looking sports car, in which she was lost in the streets of Vale. She couldn't find the headquarters of the Valean Police Department, and somehow ended up near the harbor and some warehouses. Today was not a good day for her. She slumped against the wheel while muttering something under her breath.
"Oh… How did it come to this? My pride as a former servant to you, Lady Weiss, has been shattered… I thought I had marked the area down correctly." The white haired girl before she looked at the warehouses. Then she noticed a tall redhead walking about with a nonchalant look on his face. She waved him off as another civilian due to the fact he didn't seem suspicious, though there was something off when he decided to take a turn to the warehouses.
With Jaune, he laid on a bed in the apartment he rented ever since he came to Vale. He thought he could become a student at the Hunter's Academy here, but his forged records were rejected. Though it was to be expected due to his lack of Hunter training in younger groups of Hunters-in-training, and he knew there was something off when the transcripts he was given were written in crayon. Then he was picked up by the group of ZECT members after walking in on one of their meetings by accident. They gave him a job of support specialist and analytics due to his young age and willingness to help. He wasn't even sure if Skipper's claims of a dead reckless rookie was true, but the blond could only trust the man due to his actions of looking out for those who work under him.
"But man… I really want to learn how to fight so I can help the guys out." Jaune said with a sigh as he laid on his bed with his crossed arms acting as a makeshift pillow. Then a ring was heard before he took a clear screen device from a bedstand near him. He saw that the ID was the picture of Kowalski. "Mister Kowalski? What does he want? Maybe it's my chance to fight with the guys!" Then he answered the call. "Mister Kowalski, sir? Has Skipper changed his mind on training me? If so, then I'm ready! So-"
"Um no, Jaune. I believe it has nothing to do with your training, but it is something of utmost importance. The higher-ups have sent a very important package, you are to meet the agent at the rendezvous point, here." The map created a mark that revealed the location of the delivery agent. "But make sure you aren't followed, as I said before: this package is of utmost importance! Kowalski out."
"Hey wait!" shouted Jaune but the call had cut.
"Are you sure we should entrust this to Jaune?" asked Private with an unsure tone.
"Of course, this is a simple package drop and the kid wants in on the action. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Kowalski,"
"*Yelp*" The glasses wearing man gave a short jump before quickly turning to his commander. "Skipper! Okay um… I can explain! While you may disapprove that I sent Jaune to retrieve a very delicate piece of equipment. You have been way to protective of the boy."
"So let me get this straight, you handed the drop assignment to the Rookie?" asked Skipper as he crossed his arms.
"If you say it like that then… Yes." Kowalski stated knowing his superior always wanted a blunt answer.
"Fine, but make sure to send Private to tail the kid! I don't want another dead rookie on our hands!"
"Yes sir!"
"Um… You do realize I am standing right here?" asked the young man in question.
Back at Jaune's side, he was standing at the package drop point which was near the warehouses and waited for whoever was bringing it to come. He began tapping his foot after a while of waiting.
"Where is this guy? It's been…" Then the blond haired teen took out his glass phone known as a Scroll to check the time. "Ten minutes."
Suddenly, the phone began to ring and Jaune quickly juggled it before getting a good grip and answering the call.
"H-Hello?"
"The package has been delivered. Look behind you."
"Look behind? What do you-" Then to Jaune's surprise, there stood behind him was a suitcase that he was sure wasn't there before. "Whoa!"
"Bring that package to your superiors and make sure no one is following you." Then the call cut out.
"Seriously? Then again this is where the work begins…" Jaune pulled out the handlebar of the case and began dragging it to the headquarters of their ZECT division. But unnoticed by the blond teen, a man with a lifeless stare followed him.
"Kowalski, if I may ask. What is so special about the package?" asked Fatale.
"That's right, you weren't at the briefing about the package, Fatale. The package contains a special anti-Worm equipment that ZECT developed to counter the Clock-Up capabilities of the molted Worms."
"Really? How?"
"By entering the same dimension of speed as them."
"I don't understand."
"*Sigh* Try to explain one cool thing with science… Basically, this equipment can allow the user to enter Clock-Up like the Worms."
"I see, fighting fire with fire."
"Exactly. But this will be a one vs. many brawl when such a battle takes place, so the user must be very experienced in combat. That is why ZECT is also sending over one of their 'trained' specialists."
"You mean those glorified idiots who think they are better than the Huntsmen?" stated the young woman with a surprised face.
"Yep, those guys."
"I hate the idea of letting those guys have that powerful equipment!"
"I know… I know… Let's just hope Jaune is all right." Kowalski said with a shake of his head. Then he gave a nervous glance at the young lady and decided to work up the nerve to ask. "So um… are you fre-"
"Kowalski! Fatale! We've got a situation! Private just lost track of Rookie!" announced Skipper after slamming open the door. "Get everyone who still has working legs and move on the double!"
"Understood!"
Meanwhile for the poor blond hair teen, he was running away from a couple of worms that revealed themselves and cornered him near the abandoned warehouses.
Jaune cursed himself for wanting some action and now he was caught in a situation without his weapons and only the package. "I wanted in on the action but this is way too fast!"
While he ran, he didn't noticed that a shadowed figure was running on the roof nearby. With a few quick movements he jumped off and raised a large blade that slammed into the Worm that was in the back, spilling dark green blood and the Worm turned into green flames and then ashes. Some Worms turned around to look at the assailant that killed their brother while one still chased after Jaune.
Deciding that the better place to hide was in one of the abandoned warehouses, Jaune ducked in there and peeked through an opening as the Worm skittered by. Letting out a breath in relief, the blond teen let his feet slide until his rear hit the floor while still holding the suitcase.
"Whew… That was a close one. This package must be really important if the Worms are chasing me." Jaune laid down the suitcase with a curious expression. "I wonder what is inside."
Then he opened the case to reveal a cushion with indents that contained a silver metal belt along with a red mechanical beetle with a lever horn.
"A metal belt and a red metal bug? Weird. I wonder what is so special about these things…"
"Did you just call me a bug?"
"H-Huh?! Who said that?" shouted Jaune as he looked around before turning to check his back, only to find no one. "Oh great… I'm so paranoid that I must be hearing things…" Then he turned around before coming face-to-face with a flying metal beetle. "Whoa!"
"So you dare call me a bug? I'll have you know that this Zecter is the mighty rhinocerous beetle Zecter known as Kabuto! So you better remember that!" shouted the metal beetle with an angered tone.
"I-I'm sorry for calling you a bug! I just never expected that the package would be you and the belt!"
"Hmph, as long as you understand. So what's your name?"
"Huh?"
"Don't 'Huh' me! I already introduce myself! So you should do so as well!"
"S-Sorry! The name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it!"
"Do they?" Kabuto Zecter asked with a doubtful tone.
"Well… no, not really." Jaune said.
"*Sigh* It's fine, Jaune. But let's get out of here. I can sense a Worm-" Suddenly a wall was smashed in to reveal a green insectoid that chittered loudly upon sighting the blond teen. "-incoming."
"Oh crud!"
"Oh crud, indeed, Jaune." Kabuto Zecter said with a calm tone. "I'll distract it! You get out of here!"
"What?! But-"
"Look, it's obvious the dumb thing wants me, Jaune. So get out of here and get some help from your ZECT division!"
Jaune gave a hesitant look before he grabbed a discarded pipe and held it in front himself. "No! I'm going to fight, because you're my responsibility, Kabuto! It's my job to protect you until we reach my division!"
"Jaune…" Kabuto Zecter muttered before quickly noticing that a second Worm arrived. "Fine, since you have some backbone, let's get out of this together. Quick, put on that-"
Then a large gunshot was heard before a Worm body was sent crashing through a thin steel wall. The body quickly disintegrated into green ashes as the one responsible entered through the hole he made. Then the shadowed figure quickly rushed forward and landed a kick on one of the Worms in the room before jumping off it and quickly striking the second one behind it with his ax.
"Wait... That's my partner!" shouted the Kabuto Zecter with glee upon sighting the fighter who attacked the other two Worms.
"Really?" asked Jaunes.
"Yeah! I can feel it, he's a perfect fit!" Kabuto Zecter said before turning to the fighter who continued the two-on-one fight between him and the Worms. "Hey! Ready to kick some Worm butt?"
Then the figure stepped into the light and revealed himself to be the redhead Rowan as he lightly chopped one worm before kicking the second. Noticeably, he was wearing a belt similar to the one that Jaune found in the case.
"You! You're that guy from this morning!" shouted Jaune in surprise at Rowan's appearance.
The redhead quickly continued his assault on the Worms with ease by hacking his axe into its torso. "I am the one who rules over the storm," Then he dodged an attack from a Worm that stood behind him and spun his body towards the monster. With incredible strength, he embedded the ax blade deep into the monster's body, blood spurting from his attack. "Walking the path of Heaven itself." He kicked the insectoid off of his weapon, causing it to fall over and disintegrate into green ashes before turning to the other monster. "I…am…Kabuto." Rowan said as he raised his open hand. The Kabuto Zecter reacted and flew to his hand. "My destiny has finally come… Henshin!" Then he slotted the beetle onto his belt buckle, causing a reaction.
"HENSHIN!" announced the robot insect with a whirring sound of working machinery.
Several hexagons emerged as components for the armor that slowly formed over Rowan's body. The armor had a bulky silver chestplate, shoulder plates, gauntlets, and greaves. The body was covered in a suit composed of several thick fibers with a hexagonal pattern.
"Okay partner, let's take this slowly, one step at a-time?!"
After armoring up, Kabuto charged into the fight with his gun ax at the ready, much to the Zecter's surprise at his new partner's sudden rush to fight.
"No way… He transformed! Is this what Kabuto can do?"
Kabuto seemed to have the edge of the battle as he smashed his ax into the molted Worm which caused heavy damage to its natural armor. The monster was sent staggering before it received several heavier hits from the warrior shooting it with his axe's gun mode. Then he punched it in the face and tripped its feet, causing it to fall on its back.
The monster quickly rolled back onto its feet and chittered with an aggressive tone. Kabuto stood still as if waiting for the monster to make its move.
"Um partner, I don't think that's a good idea…" Kabuto Zecter warned as he sensed a large amount of heat coming off of the Worm.
"Oh no, it's molting!" shouted Jaune as the Worm turned red before the outer shell slipped off to reveal a sleeker and spikier form with the mouth being close to an spider mouth. Then the monster blurred as if disappearing to the naked eye.
"Clock Up!" Jaune realized that the monster still had the advantage.
"Partner! You need to Cast Off and catch up to him!" shouted Kabuto Zecter.
"No."
"No?! Partner! That thing is moving faster than you! You can't just hit it normally!"
But the red masked Rider did not appeared worried, instead he appeared to be ready. "I only need one move to finish it." Kabuto stated as he pulled on the gun handle to unsheathe a short blade with a golden edge. When a gust of wind appeared to attack the warrior's back, he immediately ducked and stabbed right into the chest of the Worm. The Worm's Clock Up stopped and it groaned in pain before going limp and exploding into a green fireball. The shockwave sent the blond young man back into a wall which he painfully collided with.
"Jaune!"
"He'll be fine."
"Yeah… So what should we do now, Partner?" asked Kabuto Zecter though the two did not noticed that they had an eavesdropper who witnessed the entire battle.
"A Kamen Rider here?" wondered the female voice which belonged to the white haired girl as she was staring at them through a broken window. "So even Vale has one..."
"Rookie!" shouted Skipper as he ran in with a squad of armored soldiers along with his men armed with guns. Then they stopped to the sight of Kabuto standing still. "Gosh darn it! You actually did it! I'll have to reconsider you being on the front-"
"Skipper!" shouted Private.
"What? Can't you see I'm giving a eulogy to our brave friend here?" asked Skipper with an annoyed tone.
"But, that isn't Jaune, Skipper! Look!" shouted Private who pointed at the unconscious body of the blond.
"Who on Uncle Toby's hairy chest are you?" asked Skipper who did not look pleased at the armored masked Rider being an unknown person.
The warrior raised his hand with the index finger still pointed out as the clouds of dust cleared away. "The Savior… who has returned!" boasted the victorious Kabuto as the sun shined on him.
Kamen Rider…
A title…
An existence…
A belief…
Wearing masks and fighting evil…
Saving the seeds of hope and making sacrifices…
And those seeds will take on the mantles of their predecessors.
Ever-evolving to bring about the virtues we all yearn for…
Fight on young ones!
Fight on for the future you wish for!
(Warriors- Imagine Dragons)
/As a child you would wait/
The camera views Rowan as his child self who faced the Savior in red armor who helped him in the devastated colony of Mt. Glenn. Then a child Gladus is seen facing a knight in golden armor with a Spade beetle symbol on his chest in a town on fire.
/And watch from far away./
Next, a child Lisera hugs a tree as he watches a demon musician offers his hand out with a disintegrating monster behind him. A little Arianrhod is held in a bridal grip in the arms of a soldier in black armor. Behind the two there is a city on a rainy day with the rain stuck in that air in a still form.
/But you always knew that you'd be the one that work while they all play/
Rowan picks up the silver belt that the Savior gave him. Then Gladus picks up a buckle with a card of a beetle and an ace of Spade.
/In youth, you'd lay awake at night and scheme/
Lisera holds a tuning fork with a demon face on the hilt. Ariann grips tight on a miniature silver sports car while holding a bulky belt buckle in her left hand.
/Of all the things that you would change, but it was just a dream!/
They all open their eyes, now teenagers, and they are all seen watching a sunrise while standing on a cliff.
/Here we are, don't turn away now (don't turn away)/
Rowan walks forward with the other members of Team RGLA joining his stride as the wind picks up.
/We are the warriors that built this town./
When a rock passes between the camera and the team, they are replaced with Kabuto, Blade, Hibiki, and Drive walking side-by-side through an empty field that was slowly building a number of structures in their trail.
/Here we are, don't turn away now (don't turn away)/
The Riders walk as the buildings and structures form to represent their location: Beacon Academy.
/We are the warriors that built this town./
From the Tower, Ozpin observes the group as four silhouettes appear behind them. Then they transform back in Rowan, Gladus, Lisera, and Ariann. The group passes a group of four familiar girls who were going about their day. Later a familiar group led by a blond haired young knight who stands in front of a statue depicting a Hunter fighting a Grimm.
/From Dust
Will come, when you'll have to rise/
In the middle of ruins or remnants of past building, Rowan is seen sitting down from fighting a long term battle then wiping his lip of the blood that bled from its cut. Standing in front of him are the insectoid monsters who group together to try and kill him.
/Above the best, improve yourself/
Gladus is thrown through a wall and lands on the ground while the night was bright. Standing near her is a humanoid monster with wings of an eagle.
/Your spirit never dies/
Lisera crashes onto the ground of the forest floor, causing leaves to fly up from his landing. Behind him is a monster who had smashed the tree he was jumping from, which had caused the young man to crash land.
/Farewell, I've gone, to take my throne
Above, don't weep for me/
Arian drives her car quickly while dodging several missiles fired at her. An explosion sends her vehicle tumbling before it crashes into a wall. The car falls on its wheels and Ariann looks unconscious from the hit and a bruise on her forehead.
/Cause this will be the labor of my love (my love)/
The four slowly stand back up slowly with each wielding their weapons and equipping their respective Drivers.
/Here we are, don't turn away now (don't turn away)/
Rowan catches the Kabuto Zecter and slides it into the buckle of his belt. The armor forms over his body before he pulls the lever to transform into the slimmer form of Kabuto. He slams the button on his right side and charged into battle at high speed.
/We are the warriors that built this town/
Gladus summons forth lightning and swings her blade to create a flash to blind her opponent. Standing back, she pulls the lever on her buckle, changing it to a gold spade that produced a blue rectangular wall with a spade beetle. She runs through the wall to equip the armor of Blade and attacks the monster.
/Here we are, don't turn away now (don't turn away)/
Lisera flicks out his demon tuning fork and hits it on a wall to create vibrations. Then he places it over his forehead before flames engulf his body.
/We are the warriors that built this town/
Ariann kicks the door open and fires on her attackers. Then she takes out her miniature car and shifts it forward to activate it. Her armor quickly assembles and she charges in with her gun as the ready.
/From Dust./
Kabuto chops apart the enemy he was fighting and smashes a group of Worms into a wall before dusting his hands.
Blade strikes like a lightning bolt and annihilates her opponent into ashes before throwing a card into the fire.
Hibiki smashes the monster he fought to ashes before twirling the maces and holding them in a relaxed position.
Drive walks away and reloads her gun as the android she fought explodes.
/Here we are, don't turn away now (don't turn away)/
A girl with a red hood and a girl with blond long hair walk past Rowan as he turns into Kabuto.
/We are the warriors that built this town/
A black haired girl with a black bow walks past Gladus as she turns into Blade.
/Here we are, don't turn away now (don't turn away)/
A young man in a green robe along with an orange-redhead girl walk past Lisera as he transforms into Hibiki.
/We are the warriors that built this town/
A white haired girl in a white dress walks past Ariann as she turns into Drive.
/From Dust/
The groups turn around and the four are no longer there, leaving behind only particles that are mainly red, blue, purple, and silver.
Instrumental
Rowan, Ariann, Gladus, and Lisera stand side-by-side with their alter-egos standing behind them. They all stare at a massive Grimm that gave a roar of intimidation and shook the world around them. Everyone present prepares their weapons to fight the beast as a flash of light consumes the world around them.
Status Update:
Rowan
Current Status: Active, Obtained the Savior's Legacy
Body Condition: Henshined
Location: Vale abandoned Warehouse
Gladus
Current Status: Active
Body Condition: Currently refilling stomach
Location: Dust Till Dawn
Lisera
Current Status: Active
Body Condition: Sleeping
Location: Vale inn
Arianrhod
Current Status: Active
Body Condition: Weapons Armed and Searching for threats
Location: Near the Vale Abandoned warehouses
Author's Note:
Sorry for the wait on the chapter, everyone. There is still a lot that has to go into this story, but I intend to enter a novel's worth of chapters in a single day so please wait a bit more.