RWBY: The Unknown Sibling
HP/VS
RR/NL
XXVIII
(Vale)
Down in Vale, STRQ were managing to hold the line. Behind them was a barricaded set of apartments, in which were close to two hundred survivors. There were other pockets over the City; but where they were no-one knew, the Huntsmen were thinly stretched the Vale Army had mobilised but they were taking casualties from the Robotic Atlesian Security Force.
"I never thought I'd say this but Hadrian was right." Summer stated as her eyes glowed and five Grimm were destroyed.
"Hadrian's right about lots of things, including the things that no-one should be right about…Talented student almost gifted, but by Oum is he stubborn and adamant in his principles." Glynda commented as she casually dispatched five Grimm.
Qrow's sword was buried within an approaching Atlesian Knight. The man himself was punching out another. "That's my inheritance in him…I bring misfortune, however if it wasn't for the fact that he throws out more elemental dust and manipulates his aura to augment that; I'd have sworn that Harry's was 'always correct', whether it be about right or wrong things, if Harry had issued statements, comments or even hypothetical situations and they had all eventually turned out true."
Summer nodded "I just hope they're okay."
"Harry, probably knee deep in Grimm and violence and resisting the urge to go primal due to everyone around him…or…doing something completely stupid. Ruby…about to do something marvellous." Qrow said with a grin, before all but throwing himself onto Summer as a squad of Atlesian Knights headed towards them with their weapons armed.
Taiyang had been saved by Goodwitch as she summoned some broken pavement to absorb the bullet fire. "There's got to be…" He began but the barricade just about held, he began to concentrate and his gauntlets and greaves began to glow as did his hair. Yang inherited her Father's quirk.
However, before the Atlesian Knights could reload there was the unmistakable sound of a miniature handcannon reverberated in the street. The barrier dropped and Qrow and Summer got up from behind the skip that dropped on them when Qrow had protected her.
It was Ironwood! His coat was a mess, in fact the majority of his uniform was in tatters. What concerned Glynda the most was the amount of prosthetic that made up his frame. The entirety of his right side was metallic. "This area is secure! Is everyone alright?"
"We will be. James…James, what the fuck and what the hell happened?"
"Some Vagabond hacked…" Qrow waved him off.
"Not that; you listen to my son rant and rave about the increase in technophilia and AI research and development and you get robots. He totally gets why you poor bastards in Solitas have developed such tech but as it seems he was right to be nervous. Anyway, Tin Man…what the fuck happened?"
James sighed "An Ancient Wrath, for my arm and a Sabyr. My Semblance is useful in times like that…"
"Powered by stupidity or something wasn't it?"
"Willpower, Qrow. Indomitable Will, in essence durability dependent on my will." James explained softly. He looked at Glynda who wiped a discreet tear.
"How much of you…is…robotic? Including plates and pins." She whispered; which carried in the deserted streets,
"Five plates in my skull due to IED, two in Lumbar spine, three pins in left arm and a pin in right knee. My right leg has a mechanical patch near the femoral artery caused by the same Sabyr attack that ravaged my chest." James reported.
The four huntsmen gulped "All this time, James…All this damn time, I've taken the piss out of you; insulted you to your face and you're dealing with all of this!" Qrow rasped.
"Qrow, I've been planning and doing so many things; I'll be remembered a villain." Ironwood murmured.
"Now, we need to get to my ship." Ask the ship then began to explode in a spectacular fashion.
"Well not much of a walk." Summer murmured dryly to snorts all around.
(Ruby)
"I have an idea…I'll catch you up." She instructed the Huntsmen, she darted back into the stadium and after attaching herself to the weapon-locker, she ignited it and she flew through the air, amongst the Gryffon's and the Nevermore's before activating her semblance to end up sliding and skidding across the top of Ironwood's ship.
However, there was someone waiting for her. Two people, one happened to be a paramedic but the disguise rippled away revealing the woman that hung around with Roman Torchwick.
The other well, he was a goliath of a man. Where her brother and father towered over her; this guy probably would tower over them with little to no difficulty. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to stop the Atlesian Knights from killing innocents and start destroying the Grimm…Or shutting them down."
"Neo, deal with her. I will not kill a child; I respect her determination." The man growled.
Neo blinked at him and after a moment the man sighed "What do you know, Girl?"
"I'm a Huntress…I know that I want to help people." Ruby gabbled, she was slightly…not slightly, definitely scared. One of the things Harry had taught her was how to Aura Sense. It gave a vague outlier of power; not skill but power. The giant…he was on par with her brother! She couldn't fight her brother on even footing.
"See…She knows nothing. Not even about her eyes. She's harmless, let her do what she thinks is right. Her brother; will do the rest." With that the man, turned and walked away there was the sound of a bulkhead pulling away and Ruby noticed an impeccably dressed man with an impressive moustache. The man tipped an imaginary hat to them and flew off.
Ruby darted backwards as a parasol nearly hit her beneath the ribs. Her eyes widened; as Neo's umbrella extended into a rapier. Ruby, was kept off balance as the elegant, precise and dangerous stabs and barrages of feints. Ruby was grateful for her reflexes and hand-eye co-ordination.
She was separated from her scythe. Her hand to hand skills were not the best, she activated her semblance and as she reappeared, a grappling handle hook had attached to her leg. Neo smirked, and from her other hand was the Melodic Cudgel; Torchwick's weapon!
Neo yanked and Ruby was off balance, and was slowly being yanked towards the mute. Ruby found herself passing by her scythe; she smirked, vanished running at Neo causing the cable to go limp. Neo stopped, Ruby appeared and donkey-kicked her in the chest. She vanished to her scythe and was in Neo's face once more, with her weapon in hand causing the tide of battle to shift.
Neo was more than exceptionally dangerous with her two weapons. She was also very quick on her feet. Ruby would later hypothesize that her own strikes, were too linear which was why her opponents were able to best her.
Ruby went for a swipe that would have bisected Neo in half, only to find Neo had used an illusion and Ruby received a flare to the face, disorientating her, and caused her to drag her scythe into the ship to prevent her from falling to her death. She fired a round at Neo, swung herself up to find Neo jumping over her and bringing the cudgel towards her. Ruby, got a glancing hit but she was okay.
After a rather brutal looking, but definitely one-sided duel Ruby was hanging one handed off the ship. Ruby had to fight the panic, desperation and tears building up. She knew, she could get out of it; but to do so would mean killing someone!
"You or them, Ruby…It's really simple." She remembered Harry telling her. "I'd rather you killing than you being killed. It's good that you don't want to; but in our line of work…It might happen." Ruby let out a breath, she listened and the sound of metal on metal along with a methodical thud echoed in her mind. A gryffon flew at her but she booted it away, as Neo with a dangerous smile on her face pointed her sword at her.
"It's you or me…You or me. I pick, me!" Ruby called as she activated the parasol. Neo's smirk became one of fright and surprise as she was yanked of the ship by the winds.
Ruby swung herself on to the ship, only to find a pair of Gryffons eyeing her up for a snack. One surged forwards, Ruby jumped and as Harry said 'Right up the arris!' as she punted the Gryffon up the arris and into the engines. "Uh-oh…Ruby, time to go." She told herself as she jumped off the ship with Crescent Rose.
(HAND and Wizards)
Team HAND and NIKL along with the Wizards were setting up defences in around the Pentagram based fountain with the four dispersion paths being blocked off. "We don't need them impentratable, we just need them to be defendable." Lupin instructed.
"Harry, Neville…you can't be serious about holding this position! We should fall back to the school." Mrs. Weasley protested.
Harry reigned in his temper "We need an extraction and evacuations zone Mrs. Weasley, that is why we are here. The students in the school are still trying to rally together to purge the school of Grimm and Terrorists. Furthermore, Mrs. Weasley you're with Teams HAND and NIKL; you need Neville and I, but this School and City need us more. So if I'm telling you we're to hold this position we are holding this position."
"Potter, you're sure this is a good idea?" Growled Moody as he looked around his barrier.
"Mad-Eye; unless you can see a miraculous perfect defendable post then I'm all senses. Because this one is the best out of a fucking shit heap." Harry growled.
"If it's a shit heap defended by HAND then it's a shit heap worth defending." Came a voice that Harry wanted to hear. He looked as Velvet, leading the defenders, hustled around and almost took Harry by surprise as she wrapped her legs around him.
"We couldn't find Yang, Weiss or Blake…We had Ruby but she had to deal with something. Then Ironwood told us we could run or fight. I know you, your bloods up so you're sticking around to fight. We're fighting to." Velvet babbled.
"Less battle love, this isn't a fight, it's a siege." Harry said as he addressed the Huntspersonel and Wizards and Witches. "I've not done this before thus I'll be brief and to the point. Where we are is our extraction zone, the Bulkheads will come but they've got to get through the swarms of Grimm, our only objective, sole objective people is to hold this area. There's no way we're all getting through this, if even one Grimm gets through we're all dead. There will be blood on the floor. We know the Grimm and everyone on there are side are coming this way,so we'll give them heavy fire, this is what we signed up for…The people of Vale, the other Kingdoms, the innocents they haven't. Our priority is to hold here and thus the school and try and get them out. They want to live in peace but that's not happening, not today or for the foreseeable future. We can only do our best to protect them. Keep the fight between us and whoever's idiotic enough to get involved. This will be messy, if you get hurt, hurt 'em back and if you get killed, walk it off."
"How are we to walk of getting killed? We're not gods." It was one of Team COLD.
"This lot…" Harry indicated to the Wizards "…Will be doing their utmost to keep us alive…Keep to your training, don't be stupid, don't follow me and for Oum's sake look out for each other."
"What about RWBY?" This came from Jaune.
Harry took a deep breath "With any luck…Weiss, Yang and Blake will be in the school. Ruby will turn up, as it's Ruby we're talking about…Professor Snape; as bad as you think I am, Ruby's worse…Damania, Neville the pair of you are in charge."
Neville nodded and activated his armour. As the students began to man the barricades; Pyrrah and Harry noticed Ozpin standing off to one side. "Nev, Oz's here…I need…"
Neville nodded "I got you…I should go with you."
Harry nodded "I NEED you up here. In case everything goes from worse to hell…Pyrrah let's go." With that Harry and Pyrrah took off towards the Headmaster, with Jaune following as well. "I want to help."
Pyrrah, Jaune and Harry rushed after Ozpin, heading up into his office and then into the elevator and down. "Where are we going?"
"Into the past, and to make Pyrrha a champion. Do you know what you're fully getting into Pyrrha?" Harry asked.
"That's not funny, Harry. Be serious." Snapped Jaune.
"It's fucking hilarious, Jaune, to me. For Pyrrha, probably a killing joke, most likely. I'm sorry Pyrrha, and Jaune the last comment was my Godfather, Sirius. Anyway Jaune, Pyrrha; you're stepping into a much larger more covert warfare. This is the moment of Truth, Pyrrha Nikos…Are you prepared to potentially die and suffer fates potentially worse than death? Jaune Arc…Are you prepared to potentially die and suffer fates potentially worse than death? Are, the pair of you prepared to potentially die and suffer fates potentially worse than death? Furthermore, this might happen to the pair of you, in front of one another?"
Pyrrah and Jaune looked at each other before nodding to each other, Pyrrah grabbed Jaune's hand. Harry and Ozpin looked at one another, before the silver haired man nodded, Harry nodded. Ozpin had chosen well "Welcome, Pyrrha Nikos, Champion of Spring and Jaune, Warden of Spring…Welcome to the Sanctum of Janus."
"Sanctum of Janus?"
"Place of Choices; a place that is instrumental in things to come. This way please." Ozpin instructed as he strode towards a machine in the chamber, Pyrrah and Jaune went to follow.
"Jaune, you and I must hold the door. Say that 'Hold the Door' three times quickly." Jaune blanched; he had read those books "No thanks…You sick ass."
"That's…a new one. Anyways, warped humour to keep me from going psycho aside. In all seriousness we're going to have resist and bite and bite hard."
Jaune nodded "What are we resisting?"
"Humanity…Jaune; when you make it out of here, talk to my father. Tell him the name Salem and you want in. He'll not be happy, but he'll oblige."
"You don't think you're getting out of this…"
"No, this is our, this is my divergence from the fight. Prior obligations have removed me from play." Just then Pyrrha let out a terrifying scream.
Jaune spun "JAUNE!" Harry yelled as an arrow shot by him. The arrow shot not into Pyrrha but into the machine, which whirred and exploded in a firework display of aura and semblance, before the power shot passed them.
"So, this where you've been hiding the remains of her power? And you thought you'd give it to her? A pity, she'd have made a wonderful Maiden, if it hadn't been for the fact that the power is mine." Stated Cinder, as she descended to the floor garbed in an orange glow.
"Cinder; someone's a bit late for the ball…No carriage of pumpkin and blind mice at this ball. Only a coffin…Oh and it's disgusting to see you again."
Cinder locked eyes with Harry "Harry Branwen; so much better looking than your father, but just as arrogant. In fact, my Lady wants you dead."
Harry grinned with teeth bared "Salem? Wants me dead? I don't think so. You see, Death looks at me and swipes left." Harry lifted his sword and his green eyes began to shift colours. Cinder's eyes widened as the green emeralds melted away and in their place were two heterochromatic eyes one of silver and red and the other red and silver.
"My eyes are twitching, I'm the sorcerer's apprentice, you can be my bitch." With that Absolution, shifted into a scythe and a manic grin on his face Harry rushed the new maiden.
Pyrrha erupted from the machine, just in time to see Cinder and Harry dissolve from being human beings into blurs of colour and cracks of sound. The only evidence of their fight was the sweltering heat and the cracks of the marble caused as explosions, and bolts of energy slammed into the marble, the sconces causing the flames to splutter and either die or erupt into much brighter flames.
"Miss Nikos, Mr. Arc…For your safety, I need you to leave this place and assist in the defence above us. I'll send Mr. Branwen to you as soon as possible. But get out of here, find Qrow, Glynda, Ironwood and send them here right away. The tower cannot fall!" Ozpin stated, his tone from being the laidback, seemingly unconcerned headmaster gone. In his place was the huntsman he was known to be.
"But Harry…" Began Jaune.
"Is the only young man, who will be able to not get in the way…I don't want him here, but the fact he is fighting the Spring Maiden and holding his own…It's a testament to his skill." Ozpin took slight step backwards as the heat intensified.
"Less skill, more singlemindedness. His skills are good but…when everything's gone to hell, he only ever seems to rise to the occasion."
"Something that's going to be more of a double-bladed sword and more evident in the future. Now go! You have your orders! Whatever you do, don't look back."
Ozpin shifted his cane and watched as his students managed to avoid the literal hotbed of marble that Harry and Cinder were creating in their fight. With his goal in mind, Ozpin shimmered and vanished.
Harry was cackling; Cinder was good! Talented villain, definitely. Good with her semblance, yup. Skill with the Spring Maiden Mantle…not so much. Spring was nurturing, caring and was meant to be less of a head-to-head fighter and more support. Cinder was burning too much power; the excessive power was turning into dust. Harry was manipulating the released dust and turning it on its Mistress. Furthermore, her right hand…it didn't seem to be fully protected by her aura.
He vaguely noticed Pyrrha and Jaune run by and Ozpin enter the fray. "This…this was going to be fun." Harry murmured to himself and Cinder gulped at the glazed expression on his face.