I keep this story going. This time, it's gonna be a more episode-based chapter (or chapters) as the tournament comes closer and some troubles are being investigated beyond the city.
Please enjoy!
Two teenage kids, a boy and a girl, walked out of a shop that was labeled "Tukson's Book Trade." The boy was reading a book he had in his hands, the girl wasn't. It seemed normal, except that there was one detail that nobody else saw. The shop's interiors had been darkened to hide the deed that they had just committed. Tukson, the manager, had just been assaulted by the two and they were trying to leave before anyone noticed. Their names were Emerald and Mercury, and they were in town on business with one of their own. Emerald stretched, then looked to the boy.
"What's with that?" she asked concerning the book.
"Eh, I like the pictures," the boy said.
They started to walk away, but stopped when a voice said from behind, "Now what did that Faunus ever do to you?"
The two turned around to see a boy leaning against the shop itself, looking slightly down at the ground. He was wearing all black and a mask covered his face. However, a symbol stood out on a cape he wore: a disco ball surrounded on all sides by Faunus and humans. The two may not have known much about him, let alone his real name, but they could recognize that symbol anywhere.
The symbol of the Dancing Rogue.
Diego smiled as if the two were old friends and said, "You need to work on your subtlety kids. I knew that there was trouble brewing a mile away when the lights dimmed. It's not even closing time yet."
Emerald gave him a smile, while Mercury simply smirked and put his book away.
"If you know what's best for you," Emerald stated, "you will leave and pretend this never happened. Otherwise, we'll make you leave."
"Listen to the lady," Mercury added, much to Emerald's annoyance. However, Diego wasn't the least bit intimidated.
"You can try," he said with a confident smile, "but I doubt that you have what it takes to beat me."
Mercury's response was to charge the rogue with Emerald close behind him. Mercury attempted to land a kick on Diego, but Diego sidestepped out of harm's way and then deflected Emerald's attack a second later. He then tried landing his own blow, only to have Emerald step out of the way and Mercury getting ready to land a blow on the hopefully confused rogue. Unfortunately for Mercury, Diego had expected this, and grabbed the boy's leg in midair, twisted around in a way that allowed him to pass out of the danger zone and took the boy's leg off in the process. Mercury let out a cry, not out of pain, for his legs were fake, but out of surprise. Emerald, deciding that the shenanigans were over, pulled out her weapons and struck at the Dancing Rogue. However, Diego easily parried his blows and disarmed her in a matter of seconds. He then hit her with a punch hard enough to knock her to the ground and think twice about rising. Diego looked them in the eye and said, "Next time you attack a citizen's shop, be he human or Faunus, check the area more carefully. You may realize that he's under my protection."
As he finished speaking, Diego pointed to a symbol identical to the one on his cape, which was almost unseen from the front of the shop. But if one looked hard enough, the disco ball and the figures surrounding it could be seen clearly. Emerald and Mercury were silent, for they were still surprised that he had beaten them. Diego sighed sadly and walked into the shop, coming out with the body of Tukson a moment later. A sympathetic look was on Diego's face as he looked to the dead figure in his arms. He then leaped impossibly high onto the rooftops and in the direction of the wilderness outside Vale.
Where he would be buried with all the others Diego had collected...
"Why do you have this address?" Roman asked the two kids in front of him. They were in a secret location where the White Fang were setting up their base of operations. Roman obviously had been looking for them all day, and he had discovered at least where the two had gone. Emerald pointed a finger at him and leaned forward a bit.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she scoffed.
"Yeah, I would. Now, where have you been all day?"
"Cleaning up your problems," Mercury stated. "One of them at least."
"I had that under control," Roman growled.
"Two packed bags and a ticket out of Vale said otherwise."
"Listen you little punk! If it were up to me, I would take you and your little street rat friend here, and I would-"
"Do what, Roman?" a female voice asked. Looking up where the voice had come from, Roman saw a woman standing over him on a platform above their heads. She was dressed in red with gold edging on the arms and neck collar. She had black hair, auburn eyes, and currently was looking at him with a stern expression.
Her name was Cinder, and she was the same woman who had attacked Ruby Rose when she had first run into Roman and Diego.
Roman laughed nervously as Cinder's platform lowers and allowed her to come to his level.
"I'd...not kill them?" he said, as if a bit afraid of her.
"Cinder!" Emerald called as she walked towards them. Cinder walked past her to Roman.
"I thought that I made it clear that you were to eliminate the would-be runaway," she said to Roman.
"I was going to," Roman started.
"He was going to escape to Vaculo," Emerald finished. "Mercury and I took it upon ourselves to kill the rat."
"I think he was some sort of cat, actually," Mercury stated.
"What? Like a puma?" Emerald asked.
"Yeah, there you go."
"Quiet," Cinder ordered. She did not look pleased. "Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?"
Roman started to laugh at them.
"I just...thought-" Emerald said sheepishly.
"Don't think. Obey."
Behind Cinder, Roman made a throat slicing motion. Emerald lowered her head and said, "Yes mam. It won't happen again."
"And you," Cinder turned to Roman, who chuckled nervously, "Why wasn't this job done sooner?"
Roman gestured to the crates behind him, putting emphasis on showing them off.
"Sorry if I've been a little busy stealing every speck of Dust in the kingdom!" Roman stated. "And the fact that the Dancing Rogue was interfering with my operations didn't exactly help!"
"Wait...who?" Cinder asked, suddenly interested, but there was also a hint of surprise in her voice.
"We got attacked by him after dealing with Tukson," Mercury piped up.
"He's here?" Cinder asked no one in particular, a tone of fear in her voice.
"Cinder? What's wrong? Do you know him" Emerald asked. Cinder looked back to the kids and sighed.
"We were once partners," she said, "until he betrayed us. His involvement...this is a cause for concern, but nothing to panic over."
"Oh sure!" Roman complained, "How am I supposed to do another smooth Dust robbery with him around?"
"We don't, because we won't need to. We're done with Dust," Cinder said bluntly. "We're moving. Have the White Fang clear out this building. I'll send you details and coordinates tonight."
"Coordinates?" Roman asked.
"We're proceeding to phase two," Cinder stated, then she started to walk out of the warehouse. She was followed by Emerald and Mercury. Once they were a significant distance away from the warehouse, Cinder walked into an alley behind the place and came across a familiar sight: a Grimm known as a Seer, the same thing that Salem had used to communicate with Diego. Salem's face was seen in the crystal ball that made up part of the creature's form and she seemed amused.
"Everything is going according to plan," Cinder said to Salem. Salem looked more closely at Cinder, then her amused smile increased.
"Why the fear in your eyes, Cinder?" Salem asked. Cinder was surprised at the question, but still managed to answer.
"He's here! In Vale," Cinder started, "We need to-"
"I am aware of this, Cinder," Salem replied, much to Cinder's surprise, "And it changes nothing. Proceed as planned. Even he can't stop what has begun."
Cinder bowed and said, "I will not fail you. Even if I have to kill him myself, I will-"
Suddenly, one of the Seer's tentacles grabbed Cinder forcefully and pulled her closer to look Salem in the eyes. Her expression had changed from amused to anger. Mercury and Emerald were startled, but made no effort to help Cinder escape.
"Diego Kapila is not to be harmed," Salem said slowly and clearly, "IF you combat him, bring him to me ALIVE and preferably in good health. Anyone who disobeys me will suffer greatly for their ignorance. Understand?"
Cinder nodded, though she seemed to regret having to agree with Salem. The Grimm released her, then disappeared through a sickly portal that appeared behind it. Cinder sighed, then looked to Emerald and Mercury.
"You're not seriously going to listen to her on this, are you?" they asked.
"Of course not," Cinder replied, "We'll have to make it look like an accident though. He will not be spared."
They started walking away as Cinder finished her thoughts.
"Not after he betrayed us..."
Salem sighed as the image of Cinder disappeared before her. She knew that Cinder would most likely not comply with her order, but it was all she could do at the moment. She sighed again and looked to something next to her kept secret from the others: a faded picture which showed her and Diego side-by-side, almost like best friends.
"I can't allow you to interfere," she said softly, putting the picture away.
"But I won't let you perish as well..."
"Ironwood certainly loves a grand entrance, like myself," Diego said with a sigh as he watched the fleet landing with the general's ship. It annoyed him to see the army of Vale practically at his doorstep.
"That complicates things a bit, doesn't it?" he said aloud, "Did he bring the entire army with him or is he that desperate to get rid of me?" A smile crossed his face at the thought. "Not that it would matter. I could take the whole army on singlehandedly if I tried. Unfortunately, that would ruin my reputation among the citizens...and Ozpin."
Diego sighed as he waited for nightfall. The only way he could get past this force undetected was to stay low and try to keep his involvement secret from Ironwood. The last thing he wanted was a fight with the general...again.
That night...
Can't he give me a moment's peace? he thought to himself that night. He crept quietly along the campus grounds of Beacon, slipping in and out of the shadows, until he had finally reached where he wanted to be: underneath Team RWBY's window. Quietly, he pulled out a radio of some kind and activated the bug in the room, hoping to get something good.
"...Our enemies aren't just gonna sit around and wait for graduation day! They are out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's coming! Whether we're ready or not."
"Okay! All in favor of becoming the youngest huntresses to single-handely bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the kingdom of Vale... say 'aye.'"
"Yes!" Yang's voice shouted. "I love it when you're fiesty!"
"Well," Weiss stated, "I suppose it could be fun."
"None of you said 'aye.'"
Diego chuckled, but he was also very interested.
So, Team RWBY is looking into things that are bothering Remnant even if it's not at their skill level, He thought to himself. How convenient! Well, better make sure that becomes a reality for them.
Diego walked towards the doors of Beacon and slowly opened them. As expected, there was no one to greet him this late at night, but he knew that at least one person would be around to see him. Sneaking along quietly through the halls, he eventually came to the top where Ozpin's office was located and requested entrance.
"Enter," Ozpin said on an intercom outside the door. Diego obliged and saw the Hunter sitting at his desk with an amused smile in his face.
"Coming onto school grounds as a vigilante is usually begging for your arrest Diego," Ozpin stated, "but I'm willing to let it slide this time around."
"Like you ever would have me arrested Oz," Diego replied. He then dropped the bomb. "I've been investigating the movement patterns of the White Fang, and I think I know where they will be next time. They're planning something big and your Huntresses from Team RWBY are interested in looking into the matter."
Oz nodded and took a sip from his mug. "I know what you're suggesting Diego, but wouldn't that be breaking a few rules?"
"For you perhaps, but I am not asking you to break any rules. After all, that's my job. However, even if you do nothing, they'll still go investigate when it shows if I know anything about them. What I'm suggesting is this: don't break the rules, bend them a bit."
Ozpin still held a neutral expression. "And if they can't handle it themselves?"
"I'll be heading out of town for awhile, due to work. Not sure when, but I know that they'll be involved when I do. I may not support your methods of recruitment, but I also said to you once that I feel obligated to protect your Hunters and Huntresses, just as they're obligated to defend all the people of Remnant. They'll be in very capable hands Oz should it ever come to what I'm thinking."
Diego stood in silence as he waited for Ozpin's answer. He didn't say it aloud, but the main reason why he was going to help Team RWBY out was because of Yang. Sure his operations may conveniently have led him to the same area, but even if they didn't he would still attempt to find any excuse to keep an eye on Yang and her team. After what seemed an eternity, Ozpin gave him a smile.
"Alright Diego, we'll bend a few rules this time. It will definitely be interesting to say the least. Thank you for voicing your concerns."
Diego nodded and started to walk away. But as he did, Ozpin called out to him.
"You say that you're obligated to protect the Hunters and Huntresses Diego, but if your skills aren't enough, then who will protect you?"
Diego hesitated for a moment, then continued out of the room. Once outside, he sighed and leaned his head against the wall. Ozpin was right about one thing; he could only do so much to protect them. Who would save them if he wasn't around? And if he ended up in need of a savior himself? Who could or would save him?
Diego sighed again and walked back down the halls to the doors. Leaving through them, he took one look back at Team RWBY's window. Through the window, he could just see the golden hair of his precious Goldilocks. Diego managed a small smile before continuing on into the night.
"I don't know how to answer your question Oz," he said aloud to himself, "but I do know this much: I WILL protect Yang Xiao Long, as well as her friends and family."
Diego disappeared into the shadows of the night, back towards the city.
"Even at the cost of my life..."
Watching Yang bust through the doors of Junior's club made Diego laugh a lot at the thought of seeing Junior's face upon seeing her return. It was the best thing he had seen all night. However, it was also enough to bring some form of concern back to him. Yang and her team were good, but didn't know these guys like he did. He knew who they most likely were supported by and how dangerous he could be.
"Even I have had a hard time trying to catch him," he muttered to himself, "What chance do they stand?" He slapped himself. "Snap out of it, Diego! They've got a fair chance at it, so why not see what they can do?"
Just then, a large robot of some kind rushed through the streets chasing down two figures who were running for their life. Diego only needed to take a quick glance to know who they were: Blake and Sun. A motor engine revved up and Diego heard the sound of a motorcycle driving about at top speeds. A smile came across his face.
"Finally, some action!"
Diego leaped from rooftop to rooftop at inhuman speeds, using his Aura to enhance his speeds to the same speeds of the robot, if not faster. Up ahead, he saw the robot reach the highway and get into a short confrontation with Team RWBY and their friends. The robot fell off the bridge as Weiss caused it to slip on an icy section she created. Diego took one more leap and landed next to the girls, who had just dropped down ready for combat.
"Diego!" the girls all shouted as one.
"Hi girls! Hope I'm not late to the party!" Diego greeted. He then turned to Roman.
"Roman, my friend! Long time no see! Did you miss me?"
The only response was the robot moving forward towards them.
"Freezerburn!" Ruby shouted, as she and Blake back off. Diego at first was wondering what they were doing, but as soon as Yang leaped into the air to deliver the needed blow, he understood. Acting quickly, he let the fog that appeared cover the area, then used it to get closer to the robot. Roman's sensors clearly didn't register his presence, because the robot didn't react as he got up to its legs and waited. The robot fired a few rounds into the fog cover in an attempt to hit Ruby's teamates, but without much success. Diego chose then to strike. looking carefully at the legs, his gauntlets activated and he delivered several well-aimed punches to the robot. The robot staggered, but still stood strong. It turned it's attention to Diego, who was forced to dodge the attacks made by the robot. Diego observed this fighting style the robot was forced to make. The attacks were slow enough to dodge if you were quick enough, but one blow from it could ruin your night. He decided not to have his night ruined yet. As he stepped back, several rockets fired from the robot as Weiss placed a rune thingy on the ground beneath Blake, granting her the speed needed to slice them out of the air with wind currents. A few came towards Diego, who simply smirked and allowed them to hit him. When the dust cleared, he was completely unharmed. The group was surprised, but managed to keep themselves composed.
"Ladybug!" Ruby called, as she and Blake rushed back and forth beneath the robot, landing strikes at the robot. Diego watched as they attacked.
"Strike one... Strike two... Ball... Ball..." Blake and Ruby struck off an arm on the robot. "Strike three! He's out!"
Yang jumped onto the back of the robot and started landing several punches to its hull, but the robot suddenly backed into several concrete pillars and knocked her off. Then, before she could hit the ground, the robot struck her with a giant fist that sent her flying through yet another concrete pillar. Diego winced when he saw that, even though he knew that she'd be fine. Yang stood back up to her feet, her hair glowing and her eyes red in color. The robot threw another punch, but Yang blocked it, using her Semblance to absorb the power from the previous blow. She then threw a punch at the arm, causing it to shatter and leaving it armless.
"Yeah! You go, girl!" Diego cheered.
The cheer was short lived, however, as Roman kicked her away. Ruby was quick to react though.
"Bumblebee!" she shouted, and Blake threw her weapon to Yang while holing onto the ribbon-like cord at the end. Yang grabbed it, then extended it to it's limit as she swung back around and delivered a quick blow to the robot.
"We have to slow it down!" Ruby shouted, looking to Diego.
"Thought you'd never ask," he replied with a smile. Drawing out two pistols, he set a dial on each to a setting labeled "cold", then fired off several rounds into the robot, encasing it in ice. As soon as he did, Yang came back around and delivered a final blow to the robot, shattering it completely. Roman stood up out of the wreckage and growled.
"Just got this thing cleaned!" he complained, before facing down Yang and Diego, who happened to be standing side-by-side now. Yang fired a shot at Roman, but a figure jumped into the way and blocked the attack with, of all things, a parasol. Diego was not one to let his prey escape so easily, so he fired several more shots from his revolver pistols at them, all which the girl with the parasol blocked or deflected. Roman smirked.
"Ladies. Ice Queen-"
"Hey!"
"-and Dancy Pants. Always a pleasure. Neo, if you would."
"Neo" made a bow as she smiled in their directions. Diego, knowing what they were planning, leaped quickly at them, not realizing that Yang was doing the same. Their fists both collided with Neo, but when they did her image and that of Roman's shattered like glass, signifying that they were gone. Looking up in frustration, Diego just saw them leaving in an airship in the opposite direction they had come from. He fired a few shots at the ship, but none of them did much to alter its course. Diego sighed as he heard the girls talking. As much as he wanted to stay and listen or at least talk to Yang for a moment, he could hear police sirens approaching. Which meant he had to leave. Without a word, Diego slipped into the shadows and was gone.
"Well that was rude of you to leave without a goodbye," Yang stated later on as they sat on a bench in the shadow of an alley.
"Sorry, but when cops get involved, I'm usually gone," Diego said, "The less I have to deal with the authorities, the better."
"I wish you didn't have to live on the run from the law, ya know?" Yang said to him, looking into his eyes. "It would make things a lot easier for us both."
"True," Diego replied, "but Ironwood isn't giving out favors yet, so that will have to wait for now. Until then, I'm just glad that you're still here."
Yang smiled, then gave Diego a kiss, which he returned without hesitation. He pulled her closer to him as the kiss deepened and felt her sigh against him. After a minute or two, they pulled away and Diego grinned.
"You should probably go now. Otherwise, Oz is gonna have my hide."
Yang chuckled, then started towards Bumble Bee parked nearby. Before leaving, she gave Diego a final smiling glance, then sped towards Beacon. Diego watched her go, then heaved a sigh, but not an unhappy one.
"This journey is getting better by the minute," he said to himself. His smile soon faded away as he finished his thoughts.
"But there's always a calm before the storm..."
Yep! We're just gonna keep moving on.
Hope you enjoyed!