The Fall Project
From Ashes
Skyfall
The Vytal Festival. A celebration of peace between the four Kingdoms, and a grand tournament in the name of friendly competition between the huntsmen academies. A time to make new friends, form bonds, and remember that we stand together.
To Nova, it was all a massive waste of time. What was the intent of a mockery of battle when time and resources could instead be spent on learning more about the Grimm, or preparing for the nearly-inevitable war in the future? Either way, it wasn't his place to complain about the activities of the Vytal Festival, so he prepared for the tournament all the same.
But how would someone like Nova fight individuals that lacked his experience? The answer was simple; wait. Use his laser to pick away at the enemy team's auras, boring work for the time being, but well worth it once a worthy opponent is found.
It took time, but in the third round of fights, one of the more talkative opponents asked why he had swords if he never uses them. He simply said that he only fights people good enough, and the gun-toting young boy tipped his hat, then drew his revolver at lightening speed, cracking off six shots almost too quickly for Nova to dodge them. Nova didn't have to use his semblance, but it did take time to defeat the cowboy.
Pyrrha was better. Far better if she was focused and angry.
Speaking of Pyrrha, the Mistrali had barely given Nova so much as a glance ever since he returned from his mission to bring back CFVY, months ago. Perhaps Ren was getting to her. He saw the hatred in the quiet boy's eyes often, a rare look from someone who was regularly so kind, though a look Nova received more often than he'd like.
But not everyone was that way, many enjoyed his company, especially now that he was more open with them. After a long day of tournaments, everyone was eager to have a well-deserved feast and tell of their battles.
Thinking of strategies that his team might use in the future, Cade nodded in Nova's direction, "If you think about it, we could have you light up a fire, then teleport you right next to the enemy team and just blow up. They'd never see it coming and the blast would probably end the game right there."
Nova's scroll chirped as a message was sent to him, so he set it to silent to speak with his friends without interruption. "We could do that, but I wouldn't want to accidentally hurt someone," he explained, "Not to mention that it's not very sporting."
"What those guys did you your team today wasn't very sporting," Yang argued from the seat to his right, "If they can do it then why not you? It would pretty much guarantee your spot in the finals."
"Maybe, but I don't really care about winning this thing." Nova took a second to think, staring at his plate-full of delicious looking food, then reached back and removed his mask. Yang smiled, pleased to know that he was comfortable with them enough to relax for a change. She gave him a friendly nudge of acknowledgment, which he returned with a playful kick to her shin.
One person asked if he was truly blind in his left eye, and when he responded with yes, they forced him to explain how he was still so good at blocking attacks from his left side. "It's all about awareness, guys. You don't have to see the weapon to know where the attack will be, you can look at their eyes, the rotation of the shoulder, movement of the hips and legs, the list goes on and on. Follow the movement of someone's body and you can read them like an open book."
Cade and Jaune took special attention from this bit of information, knowing that they need all the help they can get. A flurry of new fighting questions came, but he just laughed and raised his hands in surrender, "Another time guys, geesh."
Deciding to check his scroll for the message he received earlier, he opened the new messages tab, but there were none. Perplexed, he inspected the people who previously sent him messages. At the top of the list was Yang, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but the last message she sent him was just before CMSN's match, around midday.
His scroll was showing that she had sent him a message only a few minutes ago, but it was already opened. Nova immediately excused himself from the table and moved to a private area so he could figure out exactly what was going on.
With one-hundred percent certainty, he did not open this last message. Also, not a single person in the room could possibly remove his Scroll from his front pocket without him noticing. Which leaves only one possible option; Nova's Scroll was being hacked and his messages were being read.
He decided that the best course of action would be to confront this hacker, and try to make them back off. Later, he would have his number changed and his Scroll replaced, and notify Professor Ozpin. Tapping away at the screen he sent a message to his own number, 'Whoever you are, I know you're there. You won't find anything on my scroll, so now is the time to stop.'
It didn't take ten seconds for him to receive a reply. 'I am impressed, Nova. You are correct. Both your scroll and Beacon file have been hacked... and they raise questions to the powers that be.'
Nova's brow furrowed in concern. Why would someone spy on him? What is on his file that would raise questions? Was his military refugee status in his file? If that were true, this hacker could try to blackmail him or turn him in. It was a very dangerous situation he was caught in. 'Enough games.'
Before he could type more, another message came, 'You are completely right, perhaps we should move this from a game into the realm of serious effect? It is clear that you were not meant for Beacon. If you wish to know more, meet me in private, and we may discuss your files in detail.'
Now Nova was getting frustrated. He needed to find this person and make them stay away from both him and his friends, but he also needed to find out more about his past. If this person knew something, then this was a chance for him to learn who he was. Still, meeting in private was out of the question. 'I don't meet with people in dark alleys for obvious reasons.'
'Oh come now, at least give a girl a chance to prove herself. Meet me at Junior's tonight. I'll be the pretty one sitting alone in a booth.'
'If you truly read my file, you'd know that I'm underage for Junior's club.'
'You're a celebrity now- Just show up.'
Still unsure if he would go, he replied, 'Then if I decide to go, I'll see you tonight.' Nova chuckled to himself as he blocked the number and turned off his scroll, knowing that this person would be waiting anxiously, not knowing whether or not he would show.
Nova waited until late that night before sneaking off. He made sure to bring his full arsenal of weaponry, should an ambush occur. Some might think that going to see this mysterious person is a terribly unwise decision, but the fact of the matter is that there was a chance for Nova to find out where he came from.
The possibility was simply too tempting to pass up.
When he walked up to the club's doors, he could hear the rhythmic pounding of the music within. The two guards posted outside gave each other a glance, then moved aside to let him pass. The second he walked through the doors, a beer was shoved into his hands by a severely drunk middle-aged man with a tribal tattoo on his left arm. "A tough one on the house! Have some fun, kid," he laughed heartily.
Nova accepted the opened bottle of amber liquid, but otherwise ignored the stranger and pushed his way through the busy crowd, searching the darkened room for someone that might be his new informant. To his astonishment, he caught a pair of golden eyes staring at him from a booth in the corner, someone he easily recognized as Cinder Fall. She swirled a small bit of wine in her glass, a knowing grin spreading on her lips.
She wore an intricate red and orange dress that glittered in the low light, accenting her bright eyes and dark hair. He could feel the look she gave him, a glare that studied him in ways more than physical. She was judging him by the way he stood, the way he carried himself and how he responded to others.
He tentatively sat at the booth, extending his senses to search for any approaching patrons, but no one came. "I never took you for a drinker," she questioned with a raised eyebrow as he placed the bottle on the table.
"Well, you guessed right," Nova said bluntly. With a snap of his fingers, he lit a small candle-like flame at the top of the bottle, fueled by the alcohol, and controlled by his semblance. He would never drink it, especially since it could be laced with poison and kill him. Or worse… render him unconscious and back in someone's prison. "Now, what do you want?" he asked, anxiously getting to the point.
Cinder rolled her eyes. "Always so quick to get things moving." She pulled several sheets of paper from below and set them on the table for Nova to see.
His heart started to pound as he reached for the papers, and he found his hands starting to sweat. This was it, the key to remembering who he was and where he came from. He quickly started reading through the file, but his heart plummeted as he continued to read.
Name; Nova Chrysus, Address; N/A, Parents/Guardians; None, the list went on and on with information that was completely useless. "I already know all of this. Why would you bother contacting me if you don't really know anything?"
"Much of this information is blank," she ignored him, "Do you know why?"
Nova looked at her with an angry glare, "I am a ghost. I don't have a home, I have no affiliations, no background, no face, and no parents."
"An orphan." she noted with a hint of remorse in her voice, "I know what that's like."
"Don't pretend to know me," he snapped. The candle-lit bottle flared for a moment as Nova's anger rose.
She grinned again, "Oh I don't pretend to know everything, but I do know some things. I know that you are exceptionally talented, that you are wasting your skills under the teachings of those 'Professors,' who will undoubtedly hold you back from your true potential, from your true power." She took a sip from her wine before continuing, "What is there to prove? You already know you are the best fighter in the school, so why not use your skills to fight for something more worthwhile?"
"This is a recruitment," Nova growled. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I just got out of Ironwood's boy-band, and I have no intention of joining another."
Cinder did her best to ignore his sarcasm to focus on putting the boy on her side, "So you are acquainted with the renowned General?"
"Better than most," he responded with obvious distaste.
She smiled, catching a subject that would gain he attention, "If your goal is to see his empire burn, then there is no better ally than me." Cinder's eyes burned with angry fire, showing clear hatred for the General.
He hated Ironwood. Facts are facts and one of them is that Nova Chrysus hates General James Ironwood. And here was an offer to get his payback for all the experiments, to uncover the truth behind his past and show the world who their leader really was.
The words hung at the tip of his tongue, he desperately wanted closure, but this wasn't right. Revenge? Toppling entire kingdoms just to bring to light one man? The numbers just didn't add up, yet he couldn't just say no.
"…. I'll have to think about it," he said and stood to leave the woman behind.
With his back turned, she raised her glass in farewell, "Don't think too long Nova, our plans are in motion."
As the swordsman pushed his way through the exit, the bottle's flame snuffed out, leaving a trail of smoke to rise up to the ceiling. She chuckled and downed the last sip of wine, pleased with her work. Whether or not Nova joined her before the attack on Vale was irrelevant, the seed had been planted.
Cade fiddled with the straps on the right side of his belt, putting the finishing touches of a new holster for his revolver. He had decided that the best way to contribute to the heirloom would be to make it better, and a holster would be the perfect addition. He put the request in for the equipment, giving the measurements to the smith on Beacon's academy grounds. It took a few weeks, but the wait was well worth it. After clipping the contraption to his belt, he knelt to the ground and pulled the box from under his bed, using the key around his neck to open it.
Beholding the weapon was like gazing at a long lost treasure, an awe-inspiring piece of art too delicate to touch, yet at the same time a deadly weapon that could bring down any enemy with a single pull of the trigger. He lifted the revolver from its container, careful to make sure the hammer stayed down and the safety on.
Cade knew it was a bad idea but after The Breach in vale, he loaded his gun and kept it that way, in case he would ever need to use it at a moment's notice. So far he didn't need it, but the circumstances demanded for him to be prepared for the worst. He slid the weapon into it's holster and smiled because of the perfect fit, then practiced quickly drawing the weapon a few times for good measure.
He aimed down the red glowing sights for a few moments, then moved to put the weapon back in its case when the air to his right began to fracture and crack like a mirror. Neo seemed to step through the cracks, staggering for a moment as the air was sealed back together again. He had seen her illusion semblance before, but still hadn't exactly figured out how it worked, and settled for the conclusion that she can teleport and change her appearance.
Cade had long since gotten used to her spontaneous meetings when and wherever she pleased, so he simply holstered revolver with a grin and turned his hip in her direction, "Hey Neo, what do you think?"
The small girl moved past him and sat down at the edge of his bed, then looked up at him with her eyes glossy and reddened, as though she had been crying for some time. Concerned, Cade knelt in front of her, giving her a gentle hug and a kiss on the forehead, "What's wrong?"
She recoiled from him, fitfully stamping the tip of her collapsed parasol on the ground as she walked to the other side of the room. With her back turned, she took a breath and tucked a few loose strands of pink and white hair behind her ear.
When she turned to face him, she pulled her thin blade from the shaft of the parasol.
His eyes widened, and a hand fell to the hilt of his sword. "Neo?" As she blinked, her eyes flickered in a foray of colors, and she lunged forward with a grimace. Far too quick for him to draw his blade, he managed to sweep the stab aside with his left arm, when wrapped it around her waist and lifted her off the ground with one arm, pressing her tightly against his armored chest.
She squirmed against his embrace as he drew his loaded revolver and pulled back the hammer, pressing the muzzle firmly against her heart. He felt the pinch of cold metal just under his left arm, and both of them froze.
Cade could see the fear in her eyes. Not fear of him, not fear of dying, but of someone else. "Neo please, don't make me do this." Her eyes began to water, and she opened her mouth, letting out a choked hiss of air as her voice failed her.
He frowned and sighed, then slowly stowed his weapon and set her down. She kept her blade raised in his direction, but made no move to strike, so he tried to calm the situation. "I don't know what's going on, Neo. Did I do something wrong?" She immediately shook her head, "Then what's going on? Who is making you do this?"
Neo sheathed her sword and walked over to the holo-display, quickly accessing the Vale police department's most wanted. She pulled up pictures of Roman Torchwick and Adam Taurus, pointing at each of them.
Cade frowned as the realization came to him, "You work for them, don't you?" She seemed to shrink from him, confused of what is the right thing to do, and afraid of the consequences. He sadly sighed and turned away from Neo, "Do what you believe is right."
He expected to hear Neo draw her sword again, but instead she picked up his shield with a grunt and shoved it into his chest. He held on to the shield with his left hand, while she lifted his revolver and fitted it into his holster. "Neo slow down, what's going on?"
The short girl stomped her foot and rapidly tapped the top of her wrist with a finger, making the message clear; There is no time. She grabbed his scroll and typed as quickly as she could, then thrust the device into his hands.
Vale is under attack. You need to get everyone out of the Coliseum immediately or they'll all die. Be safe.
Cade believed her. He pulled her into a hug, kissing her briefly as the air cracked like broken glass.
-Unit AK-348- [Sentry mode active]
[Primary Directive: Protect citizens]
-Grimm proximity alarm armed; inactive-
-Potential terrorist threat raised to level 2-
-Maintain current….
[PRIORITY ALERT!]
-Subject [Penny-001] destroyed-
-Secure area and investigate cause-
…
[GRIMM PROXIMITY ALERT]
-Level 9-
-Evacuation of citizens required-
-Searching for referral program-
…
…
-Program [CHECKMATE] identified-
-SECURITY BREACH! PROGRAM [CHECKMATE] NOT RECOGNIZED!-
-ABORT! SHUTDOWN! STOP!STOP!STOP!-
…
…
…
…
-Reboot failed-
[CHECKMATE]
-IF; Grimm incursion lvl. 9-
-IF; Subject: Penny-001 (inactive)-
-IF; White Fang extremists present-
-IF; Vale Kingdom civilization kill in progress-
-Then; Re-evaluate prime directive-
-Defend [Class A-33876 (NOVA) superweapon]-
-Terminate all Huntsmen and civilian entities-
[CHECKMATE]
Nova was the first to act as the Atlas Knights turned their weapons to the crowd. In a single motion, he unsheathed one of his swords and threw it at the nearest robot, destroying the machine in an instant. He drew his next sword and charged, cutting apart as many as he could before they fired into the helpless audience.
But he couldn't stop them all.
The terrified screams echoed through the Coliseum as the Atlesian Knights unloaded their weapons into the unsuspecting audience. Nova reclaimed both of his weapons and switched them to ranged, picking off as many of the droids as he could while he still had the high ground, but the masses started to panic, running to the exits and obstructing his view.
He fired upward, breaking open a panel just above him that spilled out several hoses and wires, then leaped up and grabbed a handful of hoses and pulled himself up, coiling them around his leg. With a steadying breath he let himself relax and hang upside-down, taking careful aim and felling a droid with every pull of the trigger.
"Huntsmen and Huntresses!" Nova looked down at the front row of the audience, and saw Jaune arc with his sword raised high in the air. "Destroy the robots! Protect the citizens! MOVE NOW!"
The stunned Huntsmen in training that littered the arena snapped from their confusion and lunged into action, diving in front of citizens to protect them, and cutting apart the machines that had just gunned down hundreds of innocents.
Before long, the crowd had cleared and escaped the Coliseum, and only the robots and Huntsmen remained. Nova cut the wires that held him aloft, and fell into the vicious battle that ensued between man and machine. Amid the chaos, Cadence Claret phased through thin air, and found himself neck-deep in the middle of a battle. He joined his friends immediately, all the while searching for Neo.
"Where have you been?!" Mike exclaimed after a flash of blue as he teleported to his team leader.
Cade kept his shield up, in case a stray bullet came his way, "I was…" The picture of Neo lunging toward him flickered in his mind, "I was busy. Have you seen Neo?"
"Who the hell is Neo?" The teleporter asked with a wave of his hands.
"Neo is my girlfriend. We kind of had a fight," Cade explained.
"With all due respect, I think that can wait until this crazy crap is over with," Gabe added, joining the group. They returned to the fight, but the robots seemed to be thinning out and grouping themselves near a hallway that lead to the underbelly of the Coliseum.
They noticed Nova, who had taken the fight to the droids in a fierce melee, tearing them apart with vicious strikes that crushed them with every swing. Oil dripped from his blades, and coolant fluid coated his armor.
"It's a good thing those are just robots," Mike noted. "It would be gruesome if they were living."
Gabe nodded, "Yeah, I'm glad he's on our side."
"Blake!" Nova suddenly yelled from across the fighting grounds, "Blake it's here! We need to find it!" The black-haired faunus frantically made her way to the swordsman, who fought through the thinning army of droids to reach the group.
She was terrified, shocked that her ignorance has already lead to the death of hundreds, and could easily lead to many more if they don't stop this weapon. "Where? Can you tell where it is?" She asked.
He pointed a blade at the hallway that the droids crowded around, "In the underbelly of the Coliseum. Looks like the robots are defending it. We don't have much time, so let's get moving."
Jaune had joined the conversation moments before, and took immediate action, despite not knowing the gravity of the situation. "Cade and I, push forward with shields to defend against their bullets, the rest, use ranged attacks to wipe them out. Nora, use your grenades to destroy groups. Go!"
RWBY, CMSN, and JNPR battled their way though the halls, pressing their advance as quickly as they could while Nova explained the situation to the group. "The Nova-bomb uses a huge amount of fire dust to operate, consuming and condensing the energy before finally gaining enough to create a fireball that could wipe out the entire stadium, maybe more depending on how much dust they use. The best way to deactivate it is to open the containment hatch and slow-burn the dust until it's all used up."
Weiss slashed the air with her dust blade, sending ice that burst into shards and pierced through a group of machines, "But if it's close to exploding, won't that just release all the energy it's already gained?"
"Not if you do it right," he quipped.
They fought their way down the hall, when suddenly Nova went frantic, "No, no, no!" He charged through the army of droids, cleaving his way though them as he went. The others followed suit, disengaging from Jaune's plan to rapidly chase after the swordsman, who disappeared to the left.
Around the corner was a dead end. Nova slayed the last few remaining droids, and immediately stabbed both blades deep into the wall. His aura glowed fiercely and the swords heated to immense temperatures, turning the metal wall a hot red as he melted his way through.
"Too long… Nora, hit it!" He yelled back at them. With a war cry, the hammer wielder swung her weapon hard, and the wall smashed in with explosive force. Nova dove inside before the smoke cleared, and the others followed into the next room.
The room was mostly empty, a simple observation area with a window that currently overlooked the Beacon Academy grounds, a few miles away. It was just before dusk, the decaying orange light filling the sky as the sun fell over the horizon. A beautiful sight, when not marred by a six-foot sphere at the center of the room, with red wires snaking in and out of the surface of the weapon.
Nova threw off his mask, and yanked off a square panel on the front of the explosive with a harsh tug, throwing it aside. He reached inside to carefully open the next panel when the bomb let out a loud, rapid beeping that made him flinch. He turned to the rest of the group, and they saw the terror in his eyes.
It was too late.
"Sorry," he managed to say, then whipped around and raised his hands to the bomb, and his golden aura shined bright.
A bone-crushing shockwave threw everyone back, and blew out the window overlooking the sea. The white-hot fire billowed toward the group in the blink of an eye, but was halted as if stopped by an invisible barrier between them and the deadly heat. The cloud of flames pulled inward on itself, and a light shined bright enough to pierce straight through Yang's closed eyes, forcing her to turn away. The fire continued to condense until only a small ball remained and the light began to fade.
The ball released, throwing the small remaining tongues of harmless flame around them all. Nova's scorched body immediately collapsed, landing on heat-warped metal with a hard thud. He convulsed, thrown into a fit of muscle spasms because of the immense and overwhelming use of his semblance.
Yang watched in terror as Nova suffered his seizure. She pressed forward into the scorching heat that made her eyes water, and tore off one of her gloves as she neared him. "Nova, it's Yang," she said with a shaking voice. She forced her glove between his teeth to prevent damage, and cradled his body to help calm him down. "I don't know what you did, but we're all fine," She continued to whisper reassurances into his ear, doing anything she could to help the young man she had just begun to love.
The spasms slowed to a stop and the swordsman relaxed, panting from the exhaustion, but his eyes stayed tightly shut from the pain. Yang felt something strange on her fingers, something rubbing off of Nova's skin. She lifted her hand to see what was wrong, and found gray dust between her fingers. His eyes finally opened, and he looked sadly up at Yang. Her breath hitched as she saw the look in his eyes.
He was saying goodbye.
His hand raised to cup her cheek, but the fire in his one golden eye darkened, and his head fell back. "No, no, no, Nova don't..." Tears filled her eyes, and she bit down hard on her lip in a mix of rage and pain, gripping clumps of her long hair and threatening to rip them from her head. A pair of hands stopped her, and Ruby's gentle voice tried to calm her older sister, but fell on deaf ears. Yang lifted his body closer and wept, the stream of tears burning down her cheeks as she clung to what remained of the heat on his body.
She heard a crackling, fizzling sound emanating from Nova, and looked down to see cracks crawl across his skin, quickly discoloring and dissolving his body. The gray ashes fell through her fingers and piled onto the floor as Nova disintegrated, until only his armor remained.
Yang couldn't move, couldn't breathe. She looked out of the window and onto the Beacon grounds, watching as a second Nova-bomb exploded within the academy. The flames bloomed over the buildings at the center, utterly destroying most of the empty school.
As the cliffside crumbled away, releasing the courtyard into the sea, and the hundreds of thousands of Grimm darkened the sky, only one thought echoed in Yang's mind over and over again.
He's gone.
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
-John 5:28-29