Chapter 1: The Adventure Continues
The sun shone high in the sky, leaves fluttering in the fall winds. It had been one week since the message from Ryu had been found. Luz, Holokai, Sun, and Caesar were outside sparring with each other in weighted clothing. Iris, Mana, and Tala sat by each other watching them spar.
"They sure are determined to get stronger." Iris pointed out.
"What you expect with how strong our enemy is they have to." Mana explained. "Especially with Caesar and Luz those two are determined to protect everyone."
"There's more to it though." Tala observed. "This is not just about defeating our enemy but surpassing Ryu."
"What makes you say that?" Mana questioned.
"Just a feeling I had. Just think about it. They all have faced Ryu or in the case of Holokai seen him in action." Tala explained. "I personally believe Holokai is the one in our group who will defeat Ryu."
"No way It's gonna be Sun." Iris expressed.
"I personally think Luz. She came the closest to giving Ryu a run for his money." Mana stated.
"No, It's going to be Sun!" Iris exclaimed.
"Ah sorry girly but it's going to be Holokai." Tala replied.
"No, it's Sun who's gonna surpass Ryu!" Iris responded.
"Don't try me girl, not unless you want a good bet down!" Tala exclaimed.
"You wanna go? I'll kick your ass in three seconds flat!" Iris proclaimed.
"I'm surrounded by idiots." Mana sighed.
"Speaking of which, Iris I never pinned you to fall for Sun. Care to elaborate?" Mana pryed.
"Ahh... huh? Wha? No I don't ahh… I don't… like him." Iris stumbled.
Iris' face turned a bright red.
"Don't lie you've fallen head over heels for him. You just won't admit." Mana pointed out.
"I have not!" Iris exclaimed.
"Oh come on don't deny it anyone can see it." Mana remarked. "Hell I bet even Sun managed to notice."
"Oh shut up!" Iris shouted.
"Ahahahaha… man love is in the air, we got Caesar and Luz, Iris and Sun." Mana pointed out.
"I'm not in love with him!" Iris declared.
"Yeah… keep telling yourself that," Mana remarked. "Anyways we also have you and Holokai, Tala. And I bet even Ryu is in love with someone."
"What makes you say that?" Tala asked.
"Just a hunch I had." Mana answered.
"Whatever, I'm still not in love with Sun." Iris declared.
"Rrrrriiiiiiiight of course your not." Mana retorted.
"Oh shut up!" Iris replied.
Meanwhile Ryu was traveling through woods. The sun poked through trees as he hurried along a fast pace. He neared a small cottage in a clearing.
"There it is." Ryu exclaimed.
Ryu ran up to the door and knocked three times.
"Hey Blind it's me Ryu let me in." Ryu ordered.
The door opened an old man of sixty years old stepped out. He had a bald head and pure white beard. His eyes were shut.
"Ah Ryu good to see it's been awhile." Blind greeted.
"Four years I think," Ryu stated. "How you've been old man?"
"I've been quite well thank you." Blind replied. "How have you been? Anything new?"
"I've been good. And nothing new just the usual, fighting grimm, saving lives, and growing in fame." Ryu answered.
"Hahahaha… Good to hear somethings never change." Blind replied. "By the way did you get the hang of the echolocation technique I taught you?"
"For the most part ya. Even used it in a match at school." Ryu responded.
"Good to hear, anyways we best get down to business." Blind stated.
"Right, I take it Luna stopped by and told you everything?" Ryu inquired.
"She did, I knew some of it through my own digging but she did let me know something new and interesting." Blind answered. "Why don't you take a set I'll pour us some tea."
Blind brought out a teapot and two tea cups. He poured tea for Ryu and himself. He gave one cup to Ryu. He and Ryu sat down across from one another on a small wooden table. Ryu sipped his tea.
"So tell me what info you know." Ryu implored.
"Very well, first the Night Hunters base is in the mountain range a few miles outside of Vale. Specifically at these coordinates." Blind stated.
He handed Ryu a paper with the coordinates marked on them. Ryu logged it on his scroll.
"I also found out their performing experiments on the Faunus they've captured." Blind stated.
"What kind of experiments?" Ryu inquired.
Ryu readied to log them in his scroll.
"All kinds of experiments dissection, experimental poisons, toxins, overcharging a person's aura, hmmm… let's see ah… oh they tried experiments in turning the faunus into animals." Blind explained.
"Really?" Ryu questioned.
"Yeah, apparently it failed but they tried it nonetheless." Blind answered.
"Interesting, anything else?" Ryu asked.
"Yes, there's the further improvements to their exo suits they been making, and they have been performing experiments trying to cram someone's soul into a weapon." Blind explained.
Ryu looks at Blind.
"Cram someone's soul into a weapon?" How?" Ryu questioned.
"That I don't know. Apparently it's only been successful twice. However even in those cases they couldn't force the semblance of the soul to activate." Blind further explained.
"I see, interesting. Anyways did find anything else out. Any clues as to why Versailles and Night are doing this and who their boss is?" Ryu asked.
"Unfortunately nothing on that. I did find out that the Night hunters are having a meeting in Vale in two days. At the warehouse farthest from the docks." Blind answered.
"Good to know, thanks for the info Blind." Ryu replied.
Ryu sipped more of his tea.
"Glad I could help," Blind expressed.
"I'll let my friends back at Beacon know about this." Ryu stated.
"Sounds good," Blind replied.
Ryu typed away on his scroll.
"Hey Blind out of curiousity how did you find all this out?" Ryu questioned.
"A magician never reveals his secrets." Blind replied. "But every organization has few rats among them."
Ryu rolled his eyes.
"By the way Ryu what's your relationship with Luna? Last I checked you two were on opposite sides of the war and now you're working together." Blind inquired.
"You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Ryu responded.
"Oh come now there's more to it than that. A pretty young woman like her and a handsome young man like yourself." Blinded pryed.
"There's nothing going on between us Blind, at least not now." Ryu replied.
"Not now?" Blinded inquired.
Ryu put his scroll away.
"Not now but she's definitely into me." Ryu claimed.
"Oh really?" Blind questioned.
"I doubt she'll admit it but it's definitely there." Ryu stated.
Ryu finished his tea.
"Ahaha… welp best get going I'm a scout out this base of there's." Ryu stated.
"Best of luck." Blind stated.
"Thanks cya." Ryu replied.
"Goodbye," Blind responded.
Ryu made his way towards the door.
"Oh I forgot to mention. There was one section of the base I couldn't find anything out about." Blind suddenly brought up.
Ryu faced Blind.
"Any idea of what it could be?" He asked.
"Whatever it is I get nothing but chills from the thought of that place." Blind expressed.
Ryu smiled.
"Now I'm getting excited." Ryu stated.
"Good to see somethings never change." Blind replied.
"Hahaha… Thanks again Blind catch ya later." Ryu stated.
Ryu exited Blind's house and sprinted off in the forest.
Meanwhile in the Night Hunter's base. Night looks out thru a window with many scientists gathered around him. He stares intently upon a machine in the center of room in the vague shape of a human body with poles attaching it to the floor and ceiling.
"Transfer complete." Rang out over the intercom.
The machine opened up a steam spud out obscuring the view of the machine. The silhouette of a young man steps out.
"How do you feel sir?" Night inquired.
"Like I'm a young man again." the young man replied. "It will however take some getting used to this body."
"Yes well I'm happy the procedure went as well as it did." Night stated with a sigh of relief. "One slip up and we'd have lost you."
"I would have been dead without it. It seems fate smiles down on me today." the young man observed. "We'll show me to a training room I need to bust this body into shape."
"Right away sir." Night replied.
The young man made his way towards the exit with confidence in his step.
"Everything's going to according plan now for the test subjects." Night stated before leaving the room.
Right after everyone had finished their sparring matches Caesar received the message from Ryu.
"It's Ryu he sent a message!" Caesar exclaimed.
Everyone gathered around Caesar as he read the message to himself. Caesar's eye's widened in shock.
"What does it say?" Luz asked.
Caesar put his scroll away.
"We need to talk to Ozpin right away things are worse than we thought." Caesar stated.
The group rushed up to Ozpin office to discuss the new info Caesar had received. Once there Caesar explained to everyone the contents of the message.
"Well it would seem our enemy has more secrets than we previously thought." Ozpin observed.
"And plenty more, we still don't know who or what is calling the shots." Caesar pointed out. "Not to mention why?"
"In any case we need to go to this base and get our answers." Luz stated.
"Now hold up the seven of us, eight counting Ryu, are going to raid this organization's strong hold by ourselves." Iris pointed out.
"Well what are we supposed to do?" Luz questioned.
"Oh I don't know go to this meeting of there's which will have less people and probable someone we can dig some info out of." Iris explained.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Sun expressed.
"Since when did you start thinking with your head?" Iris questioned.
"Since you got a crush on me." Sun answered.
"What… ah… I don't have a crush on you!" Iris expressed.
"Surrrrrrrrrrrrrre you don't." Sun taunted.
"Oh Shut up!" Iris shouted.
"Anyways, Iris brings up a good point the eight of you wouldn't fair well taking on the enemy stronghold." Ozpin stated. "Perhaps this meeting could shed some light on our enemies activities."
"I think it's decided then we'll investigate their meeting in a week's time." Caesar stated. "Mana get in contact with Sage, Ryu won't make it back in time and we need all the help we can get."
"Consider it done," Mana affirmed.
"I wish you the best of luck in this." Ozpin stated.
"Hmph we don't need luck with our skills." Sun boosted.
"I would be careful young man. Pride cometh before the fall." Ozpin retorted.
Sun rolled his eyes.
"Anyways you all are dismissed." Ozpin stated.
Every nodded in affirmation and left the room.
A few days later Ryu lays asleep up in a tree. His calm face hide a deeper inner turmoil. Ryu's eyes twitch slightly. In his mind Ryu stands facing a large fierce crimson drake his sword nowhere in sight. The Dragon spews a torrent of flames at him. Ryu leaps into the flames. He travels thru to the dragons face in delivers a powerful right hook to it's jaw. Ryu springs off the dragon and lands back a little ways from it. The dragon sends its large tail at Ryu. Ryu tanks the blow but lets out a gasps. He holds his ground a grasps the dragon's tail. With all his might he let's out a warrior shout and spins the dragon around eventually throwing it into the air. The dragon screeches as it flies up into the air. Its wings eventually spring into action and it regains control. It roars before charging down at Ryu. Ryu leaps up to meet. He readies a punch. The dragon opens its mouth. Ryu enters it and eventually burst outs on the other side. The dragon lets out one last roar before turning into crimson lights which stream towards Ryu. Ryu's body glows with a bright crimson light.
Ryu awakes from his dream his eyes and emblem glowing with the same crimson light from his dream. They quickly return to their normal state. Ryu smiles.
"Finally I've done it." Ryu stated.
He hops out of the tree. He takes out his scroll and checks how long till he arrives at the Night Hunter's base.
"Almost there." Ryu observed.
Ryu sprinted along thru the forest for a few hours until he arrived at the forest's edge right as the sun was beginning to rise. He looked out a saw a large mountain range. At the foot of one of the mountains he saw a large cave entrance. Ryu takes out a set of binoculars and looks towards the cave. After several minutes he saw some men with exo suits exit into the forest along with Night. After several more minutes a airship rose up and made it's way towards Vale.
"So this is where you've been hiding." Ryu stated.
Ryu heard growls come from behind him.
"Perfect I needed a nice warm up." Ryu stated.
He drew his sword and made his way towards the sound.
A week after receiving the message from Ryu, the remaining members of team CRMS and LIHT along with Sage wait in the shadows outside of the warehouse. The meeting is taking place at around midnight. As the night went on people coming for the meeting arrived one by one. Caesar looked out over this from atop a nearby rooftop.
"Alright everyone you know what your roles are. The operation begins now." Caesar order.