Patriot-112: Well, here we are with another chapter my friends. Also, I had some advice from people of about combining the tech advantage armor of the gear, to the more Hunter oriented armor of Dore's new attire. And thus, it makes it more Hunter-esque and thus make it a symbol of the combination of the two practices. What it is, I'll reveal after you read this chapter. Now then, let's begin.

P.S. After this, if you guys have any grievances. I wholly understand, and I will GLADLY rewrite this.


Chapter 2:

Autumn


"Hmm, interesting...," said Cinder, as she smirked as she watched a video of the Maiden Knight fight, while watching one of Pyrrha Nikos' past tournament matches.

"Found something, Cinder?" Emerald asked as the said woman nodded.

"They fight alike." she said, "But they aren't the same."

"Alike?" the dark skinned girl said, and the Fallen Maiden nodded.

"They use the shield as an offensive weapon as well as defense," she explained, "but the blonde's style is more brutal, using tactics from the Gears Boomshield users."

"Like crushing people's skulls?" Mercury asked, and Cinder nodded, though not impassively.

Some things were just WRONG.

"Yes. Though, from what I'm seeing she does some measure of control when fighting," she said, and smirked, "I think it will be quite interesting if we ever fought, once I have the rest of the Maiden powers"

"If she doesn't get killed first and if WE keep away from those assholes with the aura-penning guns!" Mercury ranted.

"Yes, Mercury I know," Cinder said exasperatedly, "Which is why we use the Gears arrogance against them,"

"How do we do that?" Emerald asked.

"I'm already trying to find that," the maiden said, "But once I find it, I will exploit it."

"You know, boss lady, they're arrogant for a damn good reason." Mercury countered, "In those suits, they're invincible!"

"Not as invincible as you think." Cinder said as she smirked, "They can take water pressure, but they can't take heat. You can dump a Gear in the ocean and he'll walk his way back to shore. Put him in a fire he can't run his way out of, he cooks and dies."

"Really?" Emerald said.

"It's how I escaped Sapiens." Cinder replied, but then sighed in irritation, "But he jumped into the water soon after, and I had to flee."

"You nearly killed him," the grey haired assassin said, "but didn't finish the job?"

Cinder cast Mercury a glare, as her amber eyes glowed a burning yellow. "He had put five rounds into me from a Mk 1 Lancer. Do you know how powerful a Mk 1 Lancer IS?"

Mercury raised his hands in surrender at that, "Okay, Okay, I get the point," he quickly placated, not wanting to be roasted alive. Emerald decided to take over, lest her partner get killed.

"But that was then, before you met the two us," Emerald clarified, "And since you know how he fights, you can find a way to put him down for good. Right?"

"You two would be dead before he entered the room. He doesn't travel alone anymore. I faced him one on one. Now he's escorted by the elites, his Onyx Guard."

They didn't know about the Onyx Guard, prompting her to continue. "They're elite specops Gears. Best of everything: training, equipment, armor. There's rumors they even have anti-semblance equipment."

The two were shocked at that.

"Like I said, it's just a rumor," Cinder assured, but that didn't make them comfortable.

"Well, I think we'll go for a walk around town," said Emerald, as she got up from her spot, along with Mercury, "need to know the city before the big day,"

"Just keep your hands clean," Cinder warned, "I don't want murder reports popping up on the news."

"Yes, ma'am."


Beacon Academy


Dore adjusted her new battle outfit. It was based on the light female Gear armor, to a point. After all, it WAS Gear armor until Blaze took it and began modifying the fuck out of it. It was more streamlined, and it still had the feel of the old knight armor, like her Maiden knight armor, but this allowed for a little more... flexibility. Not to mention it looked a little feminine.

She placed the last of her leg armor on, before she set her hair into a ponytail much like her mother's, but had the red ribbon securing it. After looking in the mirror she gave a sigh before walking toward the battle arena. She was facing all of Team CRDL who actually challenged her, thinking she was a glass cannon.

Time to prove them wrong. She exited the locker room, unsheathing her sword and giving it a few experimental twirls before sheathing it.

Waiting for her was Glynda Goodwitch and team CRDL, whose leader considered her little more than a blonde bimbo.

He was going to suffer for that.

"The match between Team CRDL vs. Dore Arkos, is about to start," began Glynda as the timer began to count down from ten. Dore got into her battle stance as she gripped her sword in both hands. As the timer reached zero, and before Glynda could say start, she rushed forward in a blur.

Cardin's mace was smacked aside as the blade dug into his armor, much to his surprise before Thrush counterattacked using his daggers, but she easily evaded the telegraphed strikes before withdrawing her shield and cocking the SMG.

The sound of the distinctive Gorgon was enough to make him figuratively shit his pants. The gun opened fired at the mohawk dagger wielder, the dust rounds knocking him back. If those had been Aura penetrators, he would've been dead. Sky then charged intending to take advantage of the distraction.

However, Dore saw this coming as she raised her shield and deflected Sky's halberd thrust, before using her sword to hit the side of his head with the flat of the blade.

This was ridiculous. If she was trying to kill them, like her training demanded, this would have been over in seconds. No wonder the Gears considered Hunters pathetic.

She caught Cardin's mace with her hand before kicking him in the face, taking the weapon from his hands before slamming it on Dove's leg, actually breaking it before punching him away and dropping the mace.

"And here I thought your team wasn't pathetic enough, Winchester." Dore said with contempt, "The only thing your family will ever be good at is picking on people, whether they be Faunus or not,"

Cardin growled as he got up and retrieved his mace, he looked at the board and couldn't believe that this little bitch knocked him in the yellow already, along with the rest of his teammates.

She twirled her blade around in her hands. "Come on, Winchester. You can do better than this."

He swung, and she dodged with ease before kicking him in the ass. "Seriously, are you even TRYING?" she snapped, causing him to growl.

He fired back with the tip of his mace, which she blocked with her reinforced shield before popping her head up.

"You suck." with that she charged forward causing Cardin to swing his mace at her, but she just jumped into the air before dropping down and stomped her armored boot onto his face, causing him to grunt in pain. She then flipped forward, and before landing, gave a mule kick which sent Cardin flying and out of the ring, ending the match.

"Well done." She froze at that voice. "Well done! Maybe there's hope for you after all."

She faced the crowd, finding Sapiens, flanked by two black armored men of the Onyx Guard.

Dore immediately went on guard, as she prepped her semblance. Team JNPR and RWBY immediately go to her side. Glynda, sensing the trouble, immediately stepped in front of her students, her riding crop out.

"May I ask the nature of your visit, Allfather Kylos?" she said, her tone neutral.

"I heard you had a new student. A skilled warrior. And the rumors were true, it seems. Tell me, girl, who trained you? You fight like we do."

"None of your business, General." Dore growled as she leveled a glare at him, but Sapiens just scoffed before pulling out his Mk 2 Lancer.

"Perhaps I should put you through your paces."

Glynda prepared to use her semblance when the Onyx Guard pointed their lancers at her. With a firing rate of 600 rounds per minute and a 60 round magazine, they would kill her.

The Allfather Prime jumped into the ring, helmet enveloping his head. "Let's see how well you do against a real warrior." he challenged, and the two teams looked like they were about to interfere.

"No!" Dore shouted and everyone looked at her in shock. "Don't get in his way, if you do, he'll kill you all. I've heard enough stories to know what kind of a person he is,"

Truth is, she knew him a lot more than that. He wasn't a person, he was an insane monster in human skin.

"Listen to the girl. You would be dead in seconds." The teeth of the chainsaw deployed. "I have a rendezvous with death." Dore groaned. More bad poetry.

"At some disputed barricade. Maybe he should take my hand and lead me through this dark land." The motor started up, running one full revolution for the chainsaw. "I have a rendezvous with death, and I to my pledged word am true...I shall not fail that rendezvous." He opened fire.

Dore raised her shield blocking the incoming fire, but she was caught off guard by the force of the bullets which nearly sent her tumbling.

'Shit! He's using Grade A ammo!' she cursed, 'Those rounds could maim anyone!'

The Gear ceased fire, ejecting the magazine before she charged, forcing him to use the chainsaw.

The sword met the instrument of death before Sapiens kicked her away, making her lose her grip on Aurea Mors, and allowing him to finish reloading the rifle before she reached for the Onyx Guard's lancer with her semblance. The guard didn't even flinch as it flew from his hands and she caught the chain rifle and met Sapiens' own weapon with it.

"Oh ho! So you do know how to wield a Lancer," said Sapiens, a smirk forming which Dore REALLY hated, "I got to admit, whoever trained you, didn't slack off," Sparks flew from the two chainsaws as the pair pushed against one another. She kneed the General, forcing him to back off before swinging at him with the bayonet, but the Allfather dodged, swinging his own Lancer like an ax. It was a bastardized swordfight with chainsaw-equipped rifles.

"I have to say...I'm enjoying myself!" he roared, before he kicked her in the chest, sending her to the ground, the blow made her cough out blood, much to the shock and worry of Team RWBY and JNPR, more especially, Pyrrha and Jaune.

"Dore...," was the worried whisper from the said Champion as she watched her future daughter fight with the Allfather.

"And yet still as pathetic as the rest of the Hunters. You would have made a better gear." She swept her Lancer at the Allfather's leg, chainsaw roaring.

Note that the armor of a Gear is made of high-grade titanium with a liquid-crystal inner layer. The Lancer's chainsaw bayonet was made of the same material with a diamond coating.

Sapiens didn't notice it cut through until he felt the sting of pain, so foreign, in his leg.

The Allfather roared in pain before the weapon cut clean through, removing his leg from the mid-shin down before Dore swung again, cutting off the leg at mid-calf.

But as he fell, he took out a combat knife and slashed at her, aiming for her neck. The result was a graze which nearly got the artery, albeit she was still bleeding a good amount.

"Ugh!" she yelped as she backed away from the Allfather, her hand on her neck, as she felt the sting.

"FUCKING CUNT!"

The Onyx Guard pointed their weapons, a Lancer and a Snubnose, at Dore, but Sapiens screams forced them to stand down before they tended to the Allfather Prime. He went into shock, falling unconscious, but still alive, being kept on life support by his armor.

"Dore!" Both RWBY and JNPR, rushed over, as Dore used whatever was left of her aura to heal her wound, and bruised limbs.

"Are you alright?" Ruby said in worry, and the fiery haired woman nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just a graze," she said as she carefully removed her hand from the wound on her neck. It was still leaking blood, but not a whole lot.

The Onyx guard finished tending to their leader before pointing their weapons at Dore, however a voice got their attention.

"That's enough, gentlemen." The Gears looked to a new arrival, Ozpin himself, escorted by Port. "The Allfather Prime may hate me, but I know him well enough not to hold a grudge. He was beaten fairly. Let her go and leave the grounds. Tend to your man."

The Black Guards looked like they wanted to disagree, but they knew the Headmaster was right. It was a fair duel, and the damn girl won, so they swallowed their pride, before grabbing the Allfather's leg, and carried the old man out.

Ozpin then looked to the said girl in question as he saw the angered look on her face. He proceeded to walk over to her as Glynda checked her now almost fully head wound.

"Dore...?" he said, and the girl winced.

"I'm sorry...I let my anger get the better of me," she said somberly, as she looked at the other students in the stands, some who looked at her fearfully, while others were a little disgusted. She blinked when she felt two hands on her shoulders. Looking side to side she saw the smiles of the two people she cared about most.

"You may have gotten angry, but you regret it don't you?" said Pyrrha.

"W...Yes, I do, but...-" she was cut off by Jaune.

"No buts, what's done is done." the white knight told her, "Now, let's you to the nurse's office,"

Dore reluctantly nodded as the three left the battle arena. As they did, Dore couldn't help but smile slightly. The Allfather had been defeated. At least that was a good step forward.


"Did you SEE how she kicked that Gear's ass?" Yang shouted as she and Team RWBY went back to their Dorm.

"Yes, Yang, we have." Weiss said, as she shivered at the duel, "We were there."

Yang was impressed. Sure, it was a little GORY, but that bastard needed to have his ass humbled. And it was!

He lost his LEG!

"Still, that was a little ruthless, even for a gear," Ruby said, a little squeamish after seeing the man's leg sliced off.

"Gears don't play nice, Ruby. They don't use their aura and their semblances are never used because of it."

"Still, that shouldn't mean they should be so...bad."

"War is hell, and hell is brutal." Ruby looked at Blake, slightly shocked. "Brutality and death are part and parcel, and should never be excluded. Such is life, and that can't be denied." the faunus put her book down. "General Sapiens Kylos, Allfather Prime. He said that 22 years ago, when the Gears' methods were questioned. As you've guessed, they're not the most pleasant force."

"Which is the reason everybody fears them." said Weiss, "My father even planned to have a contract with them to protect the company's assets."

Blake's eyes narrowed at that, "Why would he want to hire a Private Military Organization, that accepts anyone in their ranks, including Faunus?" she asked.

"Their effectiveness outweighed my father's dislike of the Faunus in their ranks." the heiress explained, "Their list of enemies is long, as you're well aware."

Yang began counting on her fingers.

"The White Fang, the Atlas military, the hunter's Guild and, like everyone else, the Grimm." she listed off, "They killed a number of White Fang cell groups before I left them, and...they made the deaths in the Schnee work camps look gentle."

Blake's glare was even more intense.

"And now, Dore" she reminded, "Because apparently, she knows everything they know, and will do everything in their power to get her."

Yang wasn't so sure.

"They could've done that during the time she first came to Beacon," she said.

"Not according to their contract with the Vale council." Weiss withdrew her scroll. "Unless she poses a direct threat to the security of both the Gears of War and the Kingdom of Vale, they can't do anything as long as she's inside the city walls. Outside, unless escorted, she's free game."

"That doesn't excuse him nearly putting a bullet into my head." Blake growled out.

Yang stared at Blake, eyes turning red. "What."

"He shot at me, once as a warning." the cat faunus explained, "The second round would have entered my head if Dore hadn't jumped in."

Yang's aura began to manifest as her anger began to skyrocket. Forget Dore for stealing her bike, Sapiens was now on her shitlist.

"If I ever get the chance, he's dead meat," she snarled.

"If anyone outside the Gears could kill him, he would be long since dead, Yang. Don't."


GNS Sovereign


"She took off my LEG." Sapiens growled, "If I wasn't so impressed with her, I would be trying to kill her."

The medics installed the new artificial leg, Sapiens pain receptors turned off by drugs so he wouldn't scream.

"Sir, we should kill her." said one of the two Onyx Guard who helped carry him back to the Sovereign.

"And why should I order such a thing?" the Allfather asked, much to the two men's shock.

"But...sir," the man managed to breath out, "She...,"

He was cut off by a raised hand from the General.

"She was trained to be a pure warrior, and whoever did that, succeeded," he said, and smiled, "And I will not waste such talent."

The new plate armor was affixed to the leg, the end cap forming an airtight seal.

"There. No harm done. This girl...is a binary clone. A well trained and skilled fighter." Sapiens pointed at his guards. "Continue operations. I want Beacon watched like a hawk. What about the AI intrusion?"

"Technicians say they're almost done with the overall scans," said one of the guards, "It's only a matter of time,"

"Tell them to double their efforts," Sapiens said, "I want that information on my scroll as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir." The guards acknowledged and left the medical bay, as Sapiens, experimented with his new leg.

"Still...that could've gone better,"


"You gave her THOSE powers didn't you!?"

"She'll need anything in her arsenal in order to achieve her mission. That, and I was also interested how interesting how your little Gears will fair against her once she decides she has no choice but to use them. Plus it will make it easier for you to kill me,"

"I could've killed you before!"

"I nearly killed you the first time. You only survived because of your Lancer. And you're only getting slower at your old age."

"Damn you. Your mistress will die by our hand, not hers. All you're doing is making it easier."

"You forget, she has their blood in her veins. She will never say no to a challenge, and she never goes back on her word. Especially when it comes to her vengeance."

"And what if that fool Ozpin finds out? Or worse your past self!?"

"She'll do what she has to. She IS a Gear by training, General."

"Her only real redeeming attribute."

"And that is why you fail, Kylos. You never looked into others hearts. Sure you have charisma and led soldiers in battle, but you never opened your heart to them."


Dore was in the Emerald Forest, dispatching any Grimm she laid her eyes on.

She needed to vent: the presence of the Gears was making her mad, and when she got mad...the Gear training came out. And she became so much worse. CDRL was barely spared her wrath, and the Grimm were introduced to her rage.

A young Beowolf tried to attack her from behind but she just sidestepped and cleaved it's head off, with Aurea Mors. That was not the last however as more of it's pack came to kill the one that slew it's member. Using her polarity and shield, she sent the object like a frisbee and it decapitated about a dozen of the pack in one go. After the shield came back to her she then gathered aura into her hand and slammed it into the ground sending a shock that fried the rest of the pack.

"The fuck was that?"

"Picking up movement. It's not Grimm."

Dore cursed. The Gears were in Vale. This didn't happen last time, but she probably worried the Vale Council enough to request the highly regarded, if morally questionable, mercenary group.

Wasting no time she began to make a run for it.

"Hey! It's that clone!"

"And she's outside the nest...after her! The general wants her alive!"

Dore fled, not ready to fight all the Gears. But she had no choice but to, losing options.

She barely ducked out of the way as a Lancer 2 chainsaw bayonet nearly took her head off, and slammed into the tree.

"What happened to wanting me alive!?" she cursed, as she used her shield block a hail of bullets.

"You nearly killed the General." the attacking Lancer said, her voice being that of a woman, "We're taking no chances."

The Gear swung her Lancer, which Dore removed from her hands, butting her with the weapon before activating the chainsaw. Killing them was not something she needed to do, but the Gears needed to leave her alone.

And if they didn't report in, Sapiens would get the excuse to get her.

Thus, it was best to knock them out then killing them. But first...

"Tell your boss, and your friends to leave me alone." she said warningly, "Don't make regret me this,"

"We've got our orders."

"Then I don't have a choice."

The Gears attacked the girl, one swinging the chainsaw bayonet, the other firing his Snubnose.

The melee began.


A duo of Gears were standing guard outside one of the hunting camps, as the rest searched for stray Grimm.

"You think the new girl's dangerous?" asked one Gear as he checked his Lancer 2.

"She took off Kylo's LEG." said the other guard, "how can she not be?"

Their talk was cut off by a body falling in front of them.

"What the hell!?"

Their attention then turned to the figure coming from the trees, blood in some areas, her Gear Huntress outfit partially damaged, as she held Aurea Mors. But that's not what got their attention, it was her eyes. They looked to surrounded in flames.

"Fucking hell, bitch is a Maiden?!" The bullets they used would kill her, but she was Gear trained.

Aura plus Gear training equalled them dying.

And they would, even as they opened fire.


Ruby held a weapon in her hands.

It was the Gear Assault Rifle Model 14, Specialized for Melee/Anti-Grimm Combat, popularly known as the Lancer Mk 2. Few people had a chance to hold the well-made weapon.

"Exactly WHY are we in her room, looking through all her equipment?," Weiss asked no in particular, as her eye twitched in irritation.

"Hey! I'm just curious!" said Ruby as she looked as placed it down, "Besides, I would probably never get another chance like this again!"

She pulled out a Long Range Rifle, Scoped Model 5, called the Longshot. She pouted as she noticed the weapon's superior caliber and power to Crescent Rose before putting it down, looking through more cases, opening one of them by accident. Inside was a set of armor.

She froze as she looked at it.

"Uhh, Weiss..." the Reaper said hesitantly, and the said Schnee turned in her direction, and saw the case open, but didn't see what was inside it, and thus marched up as she began scolding Ruby.

"You dolt! I swear if you break anything that is that case Dore will...be..." she stopped herself as she looked inside.

The armor was a near copy of Jaune's. Except it looked to be designed for a young woman about Dore's size. There were small noticeable lights where it showed it's Gear influence. But they also found a bronze circlet with emerald inlays.

They knew it well: Pyrrha always wore it.

"W-Weiss...isn't that Pyrrha's?" Ruby asked as she attempted to reach for it, only for Weiss grabbed her hand.

"Don't! We should get out of here before Dore comes back!" the Schnee said as she closed the case and a few clicks were heard as it locked itself. However before they can leave, they heard footsteps outside, causing their eyes to widen, "Let's go!"

Ruby wanted to know what the hell this was about, so she stopped Weiss by making her go out the window before the door opened. Through it came Dore, whose outfit was...

Covered in blood?

"Wha...Weiss, look at this!" The white-haired girl looked inside, finding Dore, covered in blood, trying to clean it off.

"Damned Gears." the fiery blonde growled out, "They never get the goddamned message!"

They hear a knock at the door, and Dore actually stiffened.

"W-Who is it?" she said cautiously,

"It's Professor Goodwitch, Miss Arkos." Came the voice of the Deputy Headmistress, "Professor Ozpin would like to see you."

Dore gulped slightly, before nodding "I-I understand!" She informed, "I-I'll be there in a minute!"

She stripped out of her armor, and headed to the bathroom washing her face and making sure she looked somewhat normal.

Ruby looked at Weiss in horror. "She...That's HUMAN blood." she whispered lowly so she wouldn't hear, "She KILLED those Gears?!"

"She was TRAINED by Gears!" Weiss reminded, "What did you expect; her to be nice? They kill their targets unless ordered!"

"I know, but still...," she tried to say.

"Look Ruby, I know you don't like the idea of killing someone, but to Gears, it's second nature to them," Weiss said, as they saw Dore come out of the bathroom, now dressed in regular clothes, which was a pair of jeans, a pair of low heeled lace up boots, and a brown leather jacket over a white tank top.

"I thought she could control that." Ruby said worriedly. Weiss shook her head sadly at that.

"In combat...a Gear does what they do best."


Dore entered the elevator, shivering. She killed and maimed so many...

She thought she could CONTROL that urge that the Gear training put into her. But when she entered combat, she just...went crazy. She didn't realize what she was doing until she was done. Next to her, was Goodwitch who looked at the girl with worry in her eyes, while her face remained expressionless.

The lift stopped at the top, and the doors opened, allowing them to exit. Dore saw Ozpin sitting at his desk, his hands folded in front of him, as he was looking at Dore as she entered. Her nerves now on full alert.

"Ah, Miss Arkos." Ozpin greeted firmly, "Welcome back. I'm sorry for calling you up."

"It's...not a problem, sir." Dore said, a little hesitantly which the Headmaster noticed.

"I believe otherwise." he said, making the girl more nervous, "I hoped I wouldn't have to call you up here again."

Dore was now fidgeting with her hand as she tried to calm down.

"...Is there a reason I'm here professor?" she asked, and Ozpin sighed as he brought up his scroll.

"As you know, I have cameras in the Emerald Forest." She paled.

"Yes, Miss Arkos, I watched your...little engagement with the Gears." He said as he read off the list on his scroll, "Five dead, 17 mortally wounded. As expected from someone trained by general Kylos himself."

Dore glared at the man for that.

"Do NOT bring him up." she growled out.

"I have no choice." Ozpin said bluntly, "You WERE trained by him, personally I might add. But that's not why I called you up here: a squad of dead Gears is not my problem...yet."

Dore winced at that.

"However...," she heard him say as she saw the troubled expression. "...the one thing I'm curious about...is this."

He then placed the scroll on his desk and pressed a tab.

The footage showed her slaughtering the Gears...familiarly, though. Bullets were being stopped from hitting her, as she levitated in the air, and used a storm of frozen leaves to knock the

"You are a Maiden. The Fall Maiden." Dore didn't bother to rebuke. "I presume you gained your power from the huntress who trained you. Don't bother denying it."

"...No, I won't. She gave me the power to do my mission." She said honestly, "Lady Blaze told me to use it in the most dire of situations. I doubt what the Gears who tried to catch me was a dire situation."

"From my point of view, it is," Ozpin said, as he stood and walked around and placed them on the now trembling girl. "However, this could be more problematic for you, once He finds out."

"The Gears won't bother. Anyone that has the ability to kill a Gear is listed and ordered not to engage unless ordered. And when ordered, they go for the kill. He wants me alive."

Ozpin sighed. "The Gears used to be less...forceful. It only got worse 25 years ago. They openly attacked hunters starting then. Before that, they were vocal, but they realized that the Grimm were the threat. I want to know...do you know why that happened?"

Dore shook her head, "No, I don't. All information regarding the Gears' past was destroyed during the Salem War." she said, "And He wouldn't tell me anything anyway, since all he was focused on was training me in fighting."

Ozpin nodded at that, "Let me tell you then," he said.

She sat down.

"25 years ago, the Allfathers undertook their last combat mission in the Grimm lands." He said, much to Dore's surprise and horror, having learned from her mentor that the Grimm Lands were no place for a human to go, Hunter or not, "Their goal was to destroy 'the source'. I told them to not go, but they didn't listen. They came in contact with-"

The sentence was finished by Dore.

"Salem. They were touched by her. Corrupted." Her eyes widened as she figured it out, "Oh, God."

Ozpin nodded. "They resisted. They fought it. And they won. But not without cost. At first, they were content with simply taking assignments from hunters. Now...they attack hunters on sight outside the cities."

Dore now immediately understood the Gears' near murderous animosity toward Hunters in general... they were corrupted and used, unknowingly, as pawns by Salem in order to sow discord and animosity between the two groups.

"Why weren't they detained then!?" she said in shock.

"You know how they are. They can't be held. Anyone that has tried dies. And the corruption can't be detected: it isn't killing them. How is it do you think Sapiens, a 70 year old man, can fight on par with a man in his 20s? It's keeping them alive. And fit."

"And destroying their minds!" And with the blind obedience, the Gears never question. No wonder Salem won and lost: she had partial control of the most powerful military on Remnant until she lost it.

"Yes, unfortunately," Ozpin stated, "But now, we need to keep an ever closer eye on you, which is why I am sending for my best agent Qrow. Normally, I would have him in the field gathering information, but now with this new revelation, we can't take any unnecessary risks. Also, I plan to inform the other Maidens of this development."

"Headmaster-"

"I told you this because you NEEDED to be informed." Ozpin stated, as his grip on Dore's shoulders tightened slightly, "I have to protect you from Salem until you can do what you were sent back to do, and I don't need you assassinating the Gears. They are victims as well."

And he was right. The Gears were victims of indoctrination training that left them obedient, but independent of thought, allowing them to be the ultimate warriors, but loyal to the Allfathers.

"We need to kill them." Dore stated, "For the Gears to be freed and fight against the Grimm...the Allfathers who founded them must die."

Ozpin sighed at that, knowing it was true. The Allfathers were the only ones of the gears that needed to perish, and allow fresh blood to take their place.

"Yes, unfortunately," he said mournfully, "However, not even you can hope to take on a dozen Allfathers by yourself. Maiden powers or not."

"I can if I can catch them off balance." The binary clone said confidently, "Alone, I can kill them."

"Maybe." Ozpin said, "But Sapiens will be the most difficult to kill. He is Allfather Prime, with the strongest will. Salem will strengthen him more."

"I beat him before." Dore said with steel in her voice, "I can kill him."

"Not yet, Miss Arkos." Ozpin said, shaking his head slightly, "Perhaps that is for someone else."


"She killed the Gears?" Blake said, as she and Yang just heard from Ruby and Weiss about what they saw and heard in Dore's room.

"Maybe!" Ruby said, the worry and shock in her tone, "Her armor was covered in blood."

Blake KNEW that shaking it was impossible. She fought like a Gear, indoctrination aside.

So it was no surprise that she would kill.

"She might've done it in self-defense, Rubes," Yang said, "After all, that Sapiens creep is still after her."

"But KILLING them?" Ruby said, clearly her innocent nature making her naive.

"Ruby, I'm going to tell you something." Blake stood up. "I've been on the other end of their Lancers. Allfather Goldsmith herself nearly killed me during one of the missions they went on. They do not show mercy. They do not show pity. Faunus and human, they don't care: all we are are targets to be protected or killed to them. While I'm not proud of my history with the White Fang, 542 people in the cell I was a part of DIED, torn to pieces by their chainsaws, impaled on bayonets or worse, captured. They. Do not. Care. Dore was trained by those mass murderers. Not to the extent of absolute obedience, but enough that she will kill if given the chance."

"...What happened to the people they captured?" Yang asked hesitantly.

Blake closed her eyes. "Put through the same indoctrination courses and brainwashed into becoming Gears. Why kill your enemy when you can convert them?"

The three girls were horrified at that.

"And Dore suffered under that?" Weiss said, "Why haven't the councils done anything?"

Blake looked at the Heiress and spoke, "Because, no matter the PR nightmare they'd have, no matter the people they kill, if they get the job done, then it doesn't matter. They're a Private Military, they're not tied to any of the kingdoms, they don't care for the publicity."

Weiss winced, the same excuses for the Faunus labor at the SDC coming forth. "And then there's the fact that no one knows. The White Fang have seen them, but honestly, their credibility went down the drain the moment they turned into a terrorist organization. Who would you believe? A bunch of terrorists, or a PMC that always gets the job done?"

"We get the point. The Gears don't lose. They gain no matter what." Yang glared at the sight of GNS Sovereign, floating in the harbor. "They're torturing people on that ship."

"Most likely. But no one knows. And no one will even believe."


Sapiens entered the room, watching as their special patient was treated. "Report."

"She's resisting, as usual." Said one of the medical staff, "We had to pump over 400 ccs of Yukon-A into her bloodstream this time."

Sapiens sighed, walking up to the prisoner.

"You know that your resistance will only make your family more of a target, yes? We spared them for a reason, you know. We can kill them any time."

"You... you stay away from them!" the said woman growled, their eyes glaring at him with murder in mind, "You already killed my best friend! I won't let you kill them too!"

Sapiens sighed as he approached the restrained HVT.

"Sorry my dear, but as long as you cooperate, they will be safe, including your daughter and her sister," he said, "And let's not forget about your dear brother, and his little pet,"

She glared at him, growling, but bowing her head. "Good girl. Doctor, pump her full of 3000 ccs of Yukon-B and Toron-F."

"Sir, that will kill her."

"It would kill a Gear." Sapiens countered, "But she is no Gear. Are you...Huntress?"

She snarled as the drugs entered her body, knocking her out. "I want her compliant. Nothing else. The moment she ceases to be of use, kill her."


Patriot-112: And another chapter done for this fic! Man, this was a crazy chapter. Oh, and we have a new guest.

117Jorn: Heyo everyone! Glad to finally be here!

RonthetrueFan: Oh boy, here we go…

Patriot-112: That's right. Jorn is back. And... things might get crazier in this fic.

117Jorn: *Grins like a mad man* Oh… there will be a reckoning when I'm done here… A Storm's a coming… and their name… heh, I ain't telling you… yet

Patriot-112: Yeah, though hopefully it won't get too much out of control, and my plans for Dore, especially when we get to the area of Volume 3.

117Jorn: But until then…

Everyone: Ja Ne!