So, the arena will be coming to the disaster point soon. I hope you won't be disappointed with what I'll do then.
Please enjoy anyways!
"You are the worst!" was the first thing Diego heard as he headed for team Rwby's room. Looking inside, he saw Qrow, Ruby, and Yang all sitting in front of a video game. Apparently, Yang had just lost, hence her anger. Ruby and Qrow were laughing a bit.
"Best two out of three?" Qrow asked.
"I'd say that the fact that you're the better gamer gives you an unfair advantage," Diego stated as he walked into the room. He was greeted immediately by a red blur that crushed him with as big a hug as she could give him.
"Diego!" Ruby shouted, "Where have you been?"
"Sightseeing," Diego said with a chuckle as he returned the hug. He then looked up at Yang and Qrow as he managed to deattach himself from Ruby.
"Diego," Qrow said, "I was wondering where you had gone."
"Wait, you two know each other?" Yang asked.
Diego nodded. "Believe it or not, your uncle and I go back quite a ways. Even helped him in several missions."
"So Uncle Qrow, did you get into trouble with Ozpin?" Ruby asked, taking a seat on the bed nearby.
"Nah, me and Oz go way back," Qrow answered, "We're cool."
Yang chuckled. "Cool for an old guy."
Qrow gave her a look. "Not funny."
"Cut the girl some slack, Qrow," Diego stated, "After all, I did the same thing to you once. Still do from time to time."
Qrow ignored him and brought his attention back to the game.
"So what are you doing here anyway?" Ruby asked. "I thought Dad said that you'd be away on a mission for like...ever."
Qrow started another match against Yang.
"Well, a professional huntsman like myself is expected to get results as soon as possible."
"Yeah, I get that," Ruby replied, "We're pretty much pros too."
"Oh really?" Qrow asked.
"Pfft! Yeah," Yang stated, "Read the news sometime. We totally saved Vale while you were gone."
"Funny, because I hear that Vale suffered a Grimm attack after you almost managed to stop a train," Qrow said bluntly.
Just then, the game announced Qrow's character as the winner...again.
"But they don't give out medals for almost," Qrow replied.
"They do, and they're called silver!" Ruby replied.
"To be fair, Qrow, there wasn't much we could do to stop the train or the attack," Diego replied, "Besides, they managed to take down Roman Torchwick in the process. Makes my job a whole lot easier concerning crime and it gives Ironwood an excuse to not hunt me down while interrogating him."
"Sure, they may be acting like huntresses," Qrow stated, "but they're not thinking like one." He turned to his nieces. "You really think four girls and their friends could end all crime in the kingdom?"
"It is possible with even just one person Qrow," Diego intervened, "but admittedly, it's not recommended. I know from personal experience."
"Well violence hasn't dropped since Roman got 'napped. It's stopped. Completely," Qrow noted, "No White Fang activity anywhere around the city. You cut off the head of a King Tijitu, but now the second head is calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick metal head of his."
"I agree," Diego nodded. He then sat down and looked to Yang. "May I have a go at him? I've been dying to humiliate him on the digital battlefield."
"Wait, you know the general?" Yang asked Qrow. Diego looked up and laughed as she handed him the controller. Diego started a new match against Qrow as he spoke again.
"Qrow and I know just about everybody to some extent. Remember, your uncle was once part of the coolest team ever to graduate from Beacon."
Qrow pulled out the picture of his team when Diego said that. Yang got a look as if she recognized one of the figures, sparking Diego's curiosity even as he played the game.
She knows who she is, he thought to himself, Since when have you had time off, Raven?
"Ah, Team STRQ (Stark). That's when I met your parents," Qrow said, "We were pretty well known back in the day."
"Well known for crummy fashion sense," Ruby joked.
"Hey, we looked good!" Qrow objected, "and I have a number of inappropriate stories that'll back that up."
"Please don't," Diego suggested, "I already have to put up with your drinking habits."
Right when he said that, Qrow got a look of alarm as his digital character in the game fell to the ground, signaling that Diego had beaten him.
"Boo ya!" Diego shouted in triumph, "How's it feel to lose this game, Qrow?"
Qrow managed to compose himself and rise to his feet.
"I've faced more humiliating defeats. Anyway, I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style." Qrow started out the door, but then sighed and finished.
"Look, just remember that you've still got a long way to go," he said turning back to them, "And don't think for a second that graduating means you're done. Every day out there is worth a week in this place. You two, you're gonna go far. But only if you keep learning. If you never stop moving forward. Oh, and Diego! You treat my nieces well, or you will answer to me."
"Like you'd ever be able to take me on," Diego chuckled, "But if it'll make you feel better... Yes sir!"
Qrow smiled and walked out of the room and Diego looked back to the girls.
"So, how's the tournament so far?"
"It's great!" Ruby shouted, "Yang and Weiss are moving on to the semi-finals!"
"Really?" Diego looked over at Yang, "Guess there's more to my Goldilocks than meets the eye."
"The same could be said for you, Dancy Pants," Yang joked back, slugging his shoulder.
Diego laughed a bit, then said with playfulness, "So, who wants to try and take me on? I'll even let you be the Soaring Ninja."
Yang smirked and picked up a controller.
"Oh, it's SO on!"
With that, Diego started up another round and prepared for digital combat.
"Yikes! Those two are tough!" Diego said aloud as he watched Yang and Weiss in the arena against Flynt and Neon. As much as he didn't want his friends to lose, Diego couldn't help but admire the Atlas team's fighting strategies. They were definitely what he'd call unorthodox, and they managed to keep one on their toes quite a bit. Already, Diego had seen Neon alone making a fool out of Yang, which he could tell was making his girlfriend pissed.
"Rollerblading," he said to himself, "Allows Neon a bit of a speed advantage without as much effort and she makes good use of the environment from the looks of things. Flynt on the other hand seems to rely off of keeping his opponents at a distance with that trumpet of his. But that Killer Quartet Semblance... interesting."
Diego closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated as he activated his own Semblance, one which he had yet to show off in combat around his friends. He managed to do it in a subtle manner and soon deactivated it after a short moment. But unfortunately when he opened his eyes, he noticed that Weiss had sacrificed herself to drain Flynt's aura and now his girlfriend was in a state that he both admired and somewhat feared.
Yang was angry, and as if that wasn't enough proof, Oobleck and Port confirmed this over the speakers.
"Oh, the tides have turned," Diego said with a chuckle, then yelled, "Kick their butts, baby!"
If Yang heard him, she didn't really show it, but nevertheless she did wreck house on her opponents and won the match. However, there was still one issue to be addressed. Yang rushed over to the blackened body of Weiss and Diego jumped down from his seat to check on her too. Apparently, the rest of friends had the same idea, because he soon found himself down there with the entire team.
"Good job, you two!" Blake congratulated.
"Yeah!" Ruby joined.
Diego smirked. "Next time, don't go playing in the lava pools, Weiss."
"Oh shut up," she said with a cough, but she was smiling when she said that.
"Guess we ought to get that looked at for you," Diego said with some concern. He then stood up and yelled, "Is there a doctor around here?"
"I think she'll need more than just a doctor, Diego," Yang joked, "She needs a more militant form as well."
"Weiss's form in combat is fine, actually," Diego replied, "Although she probably could use some teaching in fighting against unorthodox forms of combat."
They all laughed a bit, then slowly made their way out of the arena to freshen up and get Weiss some medical attention.
Diego stood beside the chamber that contained the wounded Fall Maiden, Amber, a saddened expression on his face. He had arrived here in secret, but he knew that eventually Ozpin and the others would be arriving soon and they'd expect his presence. Until then, he would remain by the girl's side. He placed a hand against the glass and sighed.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, "You may not know me, but I'm sorry. I am the reason this happened to you. The reason why your power was stolen and you are in this condition. I taught them to use that power... I caused this." A tear ran down his cheek as he continued. "I am sorry, Amber. But I promise, I will make this up for you. For all of Remnant. Even if I end up killing myself in the process."
Just then, he heard footsteps approaching and Ozpin's voice said, "Do not blame yourself for her condition, Diego."
"But you know that what I said is true!" Diego protested as he turned around. However, when he saw who was gathered there, he was stunned with silence. Oz had brought Qrow, Ironwood, and Goodwitch with him, but that's not what surprised Diego. It was the figure with them.
"Pyrrha?"
"Diego?" She was just as surprised, "What are you doing here?"
"I work with them, in a sense," Diego stated. He then sighed and looked back at Amber.
"Is that..?" Pyrrha asked.
Diego nodded. "The current Fall Maiden, Amber. I assume that Ozpin has told you all about it. Though I honestly wish he hadn't."
"She's... still alive," Pyrrha noted.
"For now," Ironwood replied, for once not caring that Diego was present, "We're using state-of-the-art Atlas technology to keep her stable. But there is a lot about this situation which is... unprecedented."
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.
"We're not sure what will happen to her if or when she passes," Diego stated bluntly.
"Won't her power just transfer to the next host?" Pyrrha asked.
"Look who's been listening," Qrow said, earning a glare from Diego, "She is smart."
"Under normal circumstances, yes," Ironwood explained, "But this is a delicate situation. It's not uncommon for the last thoughts of the slain to be that of their attacker. And to make matters worst, no one's ever seen the power split like this before."
"I have," Diego said gravely, "but that was long ago, and I wish that I never allowed it to come to pass."
Ironwood looked to him, then sighed as he continued.
"For all we know, it will seek out its other half."
"Her assailant," Pyrrha realized.
"And that would not bode well for any of us," Ozpin said.
Pyrrha was silent, then walked over to the chamber where Amber was contained. She placed a hand on the glass for a moment, then she spilled.
"If all this is true, why keep it a secret?" she demanded, turning back to them, "If this girl is so important, if- if we're truly on the brink of war, why not tell everyone?"
Goodwitch stepped forward and said, "From what we understand, it used to be common knowledge."
"Excuse me?" Pyrrha asked.
"Exactly how I feel," Diego stated.
"How do you think legends and fairytales get started?" Qrow remarked, "Even the craziest ones come from somewhere."
He took a swig from his bottle after finishing, much to Diego's annoyance.
"Can you go for at least five minutes without being drunk all the time?" Diego muttered. Only Pyrrha heard him, but she didn't say anything.
"Our group was founded in order to protect both mankind and the Maidens," Goodwitch explained, "Those hungry for power hunted them with the hopes of inheriting their strength."
"And as you can imagine, the ones that succeeded weren't exactly the kind of people you'd want to have unimaginable power," Qrow replied.
"And so this brotherhood chose to remove the Maidens from the public eye," Ironwood continued, "allowing their existence to fade away into legend."
"The things that we're telling you go against hundreds of years of human history, religion," Goodwitch said.
"No one would want to believe us. It'd cause an uproar," Ironwood stated.
"It would cause panic, and we all know what that would bring clawing to our kingdom's walls," Ozpin added, "Which is why we would like to-"
"I'll do it," Pyrrha interrupted, "If you believe this will help humanity, then I will become your Fall Maiden."
Everyone exchanged looks with each other.
"That's what you wanted, isn't it?" she asked.
"Them maybe," Diego stated, "but not me. Besides, it's not that simple. Because of Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally."
"However, I believe I have a solution," Ironwood said, "For the past few years, Atlas has been studying aura from a more scientific standpoint. How it works; what it's made of; how it can be used. We've made significant strides, and we believe we've found a way to capture it."
"Capture it and cram it into something else," Qrow added, "Or, in your case..."
Pyrrha suddenly looked scared. "That's-"
"Classified," Ironwood interrupted.
"-wrong," Pyrrha finished.
"At least someone agrees with me on that," Diego snorted.
"But desperate times call for desperate measures," Goodwitch replied.
"And these are indeed desperate times," Ironwood stated, "We can't transfer Amber's powers to you, but we can give you what those powers are bound to."
"Her aura," Pyrrha said.
"Her life would become intertwined with yours," Oz explained, "The question is..."
"What's that gonna do to you?" Qrow finished. This didn't help out Pyrrha's condition any more, but only seemed to worsen it. Diego noticed this and frowned, though who he was frowning at was unclear.
"You have an important decision before you, Miss Nikos," Oz said bluntly, "There's no guarantee this transfer will work, and there's no telling if you'll be the same person if it does. I advise you to take time to think on this matter. But understand that before the Vytal Festival is over-"
"We get it," Diego cut Oz off, "Do you really think that you have to say it aloud? It was pretty much implied the minute you explained it."
Oz gave Diego a short frown, then continued. "The assailant that attacked the Fall Maiden has made their first move, and there's no telling when their next move will be."
"Well, that was fun!" Diego said in mock happiness, sarcasm dripping from his tone, "Who's up for a bite before the next match? I believe that the 1v4 match is up soon, so I'd best be off anyways."
Everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"What?" he defended, "I'm trying to lighten the mood. But fine, be that way. Pyrrha, want to come with me? I wasn't joking about leaving."
Pyrrha just nodded and followed him out of the room, along with the rest of the group. After they were outside again, the group split up until Pyrrha and Diego were alone. Only then did Diego speak again.
"You don't have to accept it," he said to her.
"What?" Pyrrha asked, "What do you mean?"
"Just what I said," Diego replied, "It may be a way to stop our enemy, but that doesn't make it right. And personally, I'd prefer that you didn't end up taking that offer Ozpin gave you."
"Why not?" Pyrrha demanded, "If it's for the greater good of humanity-"
"To h*ll with what he said about it being for the greater good!" Diego suddenly shouted in anger. "It's not right! To you, to Jaune, to any of the students here at Beacon! You don't deserve to have this thrown upon you!"
Diego closed his eyes and Pyrrha noticed some tears escape and run down his cheeks. She wanted to say something to comfort him or at least find out what was wrong, but she didn't know how to respond. Diego sniffed and said gravely, "Sometimes, I wonder if Ozpin is the true enemy. Because none of this should happen to you. Any of you. You deserve to know what you're getting into before it's dropped into your lap."
"Diego..." Pyrrha started, but he stopped her with an uplifted hand.
"This is all my fault," he said sadly, "I caused much of this personally, and now it's come back to haunt me. I'm sorry... sorry I brought you into this. All of you."
Diego sighed and straightened himself.
"I need to go. My match will be starting soon, and I'd hate to leave the crowd hanging."
Diego walked away without another word, his thoughts raging inside his head.
If our enemy is here, which I know they are, then I'll show them just who they are messing with, he thought to himself.
And they will all regret coming to Vale...
Yikes! Diego apparently has a bad history with this fight against Salem. Wonder how that's gonna play out for him later on.
Sadly, I will not be describing in detail Diego's solo round in the arena, for I wish to get to the attack on Beacon as soon as possible. Plus, there's not much I'd be able to say concerning his match.
I hope y'all enjoyed! Cya next time!