A/N: My health is reeeaally starting to affect the length of these chapters. Sorry about that.
Throat's gotten worse, coughing spasms and the like. Doctor gave me some medicine, hopefully it helps.
Here we go, March updates for RWBY, as promised!
But onto other matters.
As my fifteen year anniversary on this site draws near, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. The recent earthquake in Turkey/Syria serves as a terrible example. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
No questions this time. I've kept you waiting long enough.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes! They're tributes to legends far better than me.
Now, then. Are you ready? Yes? No? Maybe so? Because! Here. We. Go.
Some minor RWBY: Arrowfell references here as well.
"Penny...are you sure about this?"
"I am certain. Revealing myself will draw Cinder out. You said so yourself."
"Don't change the subject. I said a lot of things. This is risky, really risky, even for you."
"I am not afraid...well, maybe I am. Just a little. But you and Steel will protect me. I have faith in you."
...thanks. Alright then, miss Winter Maiden. Lets put on a show Mantle won't forget. Here's what we're going to do...
~Far From Home.
Fire and Ice
"Are you in position?"
Naruto touched two fingers to his headset. "We're with Robyn, James. Bringing her up to Atlas now."
"Good." he heard a weary sigh echo on the other end of the line. "Make sure she's secure. If anything happens to her under our watch...
"Affirmative, sir!" Penny saluted beside him, despite the fact that the General couldn't see it. "We are combat ready!
"Penny, no." Steel palmed her face. "We're not here to start a fight, remember? Guard duty. This is not that. Honestly, you can be so reckless sometimes...
Robyn hid a smile behind her palm. "Reckless is as reckless does."
His companion glowered at her. "Not helping, ma'am!"
Penny giggled.
"Oi!"
The half-maiden didn't wilt a bit, bless her pure little soul. She only smiled. Naruto smiled and nudged her with an elbow. She winked back his way. Everything was proceeding according to plan. Her boundless enthusiasm aside, they were here to set a trap, not walk into one. It would be soon now, he knew. Their enemies wouldn't ignore the opportunity before them.
At least Ciel -Steel!- seemed to understand that.
"The Ace Ops are standing buy up here." Ironwood's voice came through, distracting him once more. "Team BRIR will meet you at the hangar."
Naruto grimaced. "Right, right, the mercenaries." he'd met them briefly. Their semblances were certainly...memorable if nothing else. "Hope you're paying those girls well."
"Unabashedly so."
The ghost of a smile touched his whiskered cheeks. They'd prepared as best they could. All that remained was to set out.
"Can we go, now?" Robyn planted a fist on her hip. "We've been hiding in this damn shed forever. My leg's falling asleep. We gonna leave or what?"
"Hangar's only a five minute walk from here." Ciel opened the door a crack, peaked out and touched a hand to her forehead. Her eyes flashed beneath the visor she wore. "We'll keep a tight formation. Stay between the three of us at all times until they take the bait."
A crooked grin tugged at the corner of Naruto's mouth. "Is our package ready?"
Now it was Penny's turn to smile. She shifted the satchel on her back. "Yes! I prepared it to your specifications!"
Robyn sighed. "You three are seriously scary when you smile like that."
Penny and Ciel exchanged a glance and giggled.
"Exactly that!"
In short order they were out in the streets of Mantle once more. Robyn was officially part of the Altas Council now, with all the rights and privileges that came with such an esteemed seat. Despite such, she insisted upon living down here with her Happy Huntresses, leaving only for council meetings. Inconvenient perhaps but it factored into today's scheme quite nicely. As such they were entrusted with escorting her safely to and fro from Atlas. Him, Penny, and Ciel.
If any harm were to befall her in the eyes of the public, disaster would follow. Accusations would be bandied about. Fingers would be pointed.
Three guesses as to whom they would condemn. First two didn't count.
The streets of Mantle were peaceful for the time being, but that peace balanced on a razor's edge. So long as Atlas and Mantle worked together. So long as they cooperated. So long as Salem's agents didn't try to stir the pot again.
Which they would, of course. They were counting on the latter.
Someone would try to strike at Robyn he knew; it was merely a matter of when, not if. They had to. They had no choice. Killing her would be the quickest way to destabilize the kingdom. With Tyrian captive they'd lost one of their most powerful agents. Watts wasn't a front line fighter; he'd send others to do his dirty work, which meant...
...well. It went without saying.
Team ORNJ -sans Jaune, still under house arrest for dereliction of duty- were waiting in the wings, while RWBY...well, he didn't know where the'd been sent and he didn't rightly care to hear the details. Something about helping Pietro and Winter with the Amity project. That was all he knew. Things were tense between them after his last argument with Ruby. Penny had tried to mend bridges there and failed.
He prayed the little Rose would take his words to heart; because it didn't look like her team would.
Weiss still believed he had something to do with the death of Jacques.
Blake doubted every move they made.
Yang questioned everything.
And for what?!
Because they thought they knew better? Because they wanted to stand their ground? Because they were big godsdamn heroes? Honestly, their surliness was beginning to grind on his last nerve. He'd already warned them and still they didn't listen. Questions were all well and good; but this passive-aggressive crap needed to stop. If he didn't he'd have to sit the three of them down and teach them a lesson.
Doubtless that would come to a head sooner or later. ut for now there was work to be done.
"Don't be so twitchy." Robin muttered under her breath as they walked. "You're making me nervous.
"Good." he whispered back, not looking her way. His gaze strayed to the skyline. Dark clouds. A storm was coming. "Then you're not stupid. You know why we're here.
"I do." She flicked him a black look. "Cut the crap; I'm no wallflower, kid. I'm a full-fledged huntress. I can help you three-
"No, you can't." he shook his head. "Not against what we're about to face. Penny?"
She turned her gaze to the skies, one eye burning with green flame. The clouds rumbled overhead as the dark clouds swept in. Gasps went up in the streets and civilians sought shelter, fearing a blizzard or worse. Just as well. They'd need the alleys clear for what they had planned.
Roby ignored them. "I can defend myself."
He looked at her, unable to hide his smile. "I know. As our dear general would attest."
The huntress made a strangled noise, heat spearing through her tan face as she looked away. "No idea what you mean...
"Hmmhmm. he smiled in return, guiding her around a roadblock. "All those late night council sessions between you and him were purely for the sake of Atlas, I'm sure."
Her face was positively pink now. "That doesn't prove anything!
"You've also been walking crooked all day." Ciel remarked.
"Have I?" Robyn stilled. "Shit."
"That was a lie."
"Brat!"
"Robyn, I get it." Naruto took her elbow to the ribs without complain and shrugged one shoulder as he guided her down the street. "The two of you want what's best for the kingdom. That includes Mantle. You bonded over it these last few weeks. I'm happy for you. James deserves a little happiness. But know this." his gaze sought hers. "If you're using him or worse, if you break his heart, we'll be having words."
She shot him a lopsided grin. "And here I thought you'd threaten to kill me."
Was he really that terrifying. "I don't kill for petty reasons."
"No, you just make your enemies wish for death."
"You're learning."
His sixth sense shrieked a warning.
So did his headset.
"Contact!"
High above them the clouds funneled as something -someone!- wrenched control away from Penny. Only another Maiden could do such. He wasn't at all surprised when a jagged bolt of lightning shot forth from their mukry depths to spear down at them. He stepped in and slapped it aside with an open palm. Pain snarled up his arm as the skin there smoldered; he grit his teeth against it, conjured a Rasenshuriken to his palm and flung it up into the cloud formation. It cut right through the magic as he knew it would-
A shadow fell over them.
Robyn whirled. Her crossbow unfurled in an instant and her would-be-assassin took a bolt to the shoulder for their trouble. A masked woman with red hair tumbled to the ground and came up with a scowl, gripping her arm, the other bearing a wicked ebony black blade in hand. Ciel moved to face her, only to be intercepted her as a second combatant entered the fray.
He had time enough pink and brown hair, mismatching eyes, a challenging smile and a black top-hat laced with red. Then she was among them.
A razor thin blade kissed his cheek drawing blood as he dodged aside. Whoever she was, she was fast. Very fast indeed. But not nearly fast enough. His arm hooked out, catching the girl's throat in a lariat to fling her the while, his attacker didn't utter a word. Didn't so much as make a sound. It was almost eerie. And what about the woman wearing the white fang mask? Jaune had sworn he'd seen someone who looked just like her. Was she real? A disguise? An illusion?
.
..
...it didn't matter. She'd attacked them all the same. Her fate was sealed.
"Penny, back Ciel up."
She looked back to him instead. "She cut you."
"Its just a flesh wound." he waved her concerns aside. "I'll be fine."
"She still hurt you. "She scowled back at the mute girl. "May I kill her?"
He shrugged a shoulder her way. "If you can."
She stomped toward the silent girl. "Activating execution protocols. Exterminating with extreme prejudice."
Yeesh, she really was scary when she was angry.
Two down. He'd expected reinforcements, but where was-
Light danced in his peripherals.
Aw, hell. This was gonna sting. He flung himself in front of Robin.
Fire slammed into his back. He grit his teeth. Chakra flexed. Nanites rushed to the source of the wound, mitigating the worst of the injury. It did nothing for the pain. He heard Ciel yelp across their connection, whether in anger or outrage, he didn't know; but he knew precisely what he was feeling in this instant.
"I'm sorry," a familiar voice crooned, smugly sardonic in its mirth. "Does that hurt? It looks like it does."
"...time to go, Robyn."
For once, the hutnress listened. Moreso as he crossed his fingers and created a quarter of clones to shepherd her away.
"So you're the secret weapon Atlas seems so proud of." his unseen attacker prattled on. "Are you done already? And here I was hoping for a challenge-
His hand snapped up. A kunai erupted from his sleeve and launched itself over his shoulder. The pained hiss that followed was music to his ears.
"I've gotta hand it to ya," Naruto's grimace turned into a smile as he he pivoted to face them. "You're an even bigger idiot than I thought."
...excuse me?"
Sure enough, Cinder Fall glared back at him in all her black finery, her lone golden eye narrowed in a vicious slit. Fool of a girl. They'd baited the trap, let slip that Penny possessed the Winter Maiden's power -though only a portion- and like any starving animal, she'd come running.
"You heard me." he chortled softly, rising to his feet. "This must be my lucky day."
Uncertainty flickered across Fall's face. She looked left, then right, fearing an ambush. When none came, she sneered. "How so?"
"Simple." He cracked his knuckles and started towards her. "Today's the day I break you."
"You?" she scoffed. "Break me? I very much doubt that."
"Well, seeing is believing...
He closed his eyes for a moment and drew on the natural energy in the air. Down here in Mantle there was plenty to be had. Blue eyes napped open, gleaming gold as orange dusted his eyelids. The pain howling in his back became a distant memory as he stalked forward. If she had any thoughts on his sudden ocular change, Cinder didn't remark on it. Moor fool she. They'd prepared for this eventuality; he just didn't think Cinder was stupid enough to fall for it.
"You changed your eye color, so what...?"
Nevermind. She was even more of a fool than he thought.
Naruto tutted. "Always have to get the last word in, don't you?"
Let the act commence.
He stomped down and kicked forward, launching himself at her headlong. She flung out a hand to burn him alive. He crashed through it at speed, grinning as the fire bled off his hardened skin. Clenched knuckles barreled into Cinder's face. Aura saved her nose. It did not save her dignity. She hurtled down the alley like a flung stone, struck the ground once, bounced and tumbled up to a knee.
"You disappoint me, Fall Maiden." he feigned arrogance he didn't feel as she stumbled to her feet. "Rhodes spoke so highly of you. Surely you can do better."
She froze. "How do you know that name?"
"I know a great many things." he grinned her way. "Would you like to see him? I'm sure he'd love to see you."
A host of foreign emotions flashed across her face.
"He's alive?" Her voice warbled like the angry child she still was at heart. Then her good eye narrowed. "No! You're lying!"
"One way to find out.
She lunged at him, fire flaring from her feet.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" his fist shot out, catching her ankle, whipping her into a wall. "That I would put my friends in harms way without taking precautions?"
She snapped. There was no grace to her fighting style now; she fought like a wild animal, swinging and slashing, raining down blow after blow upon him, desperate to break his guard and bring him down. When that grew boring he gave up blocking completely and weaved backward, forcing her to follow. On and on she hounded him, like a raging bull barreling deeper into Mantle. All the while he kept one eye on her Grimm arm at all times, refusing to let it near him. Best not to let that thing touch him. He didn't know if could screw up his nanomachines, but he wasn't about to risk it.
"Where is he?! Tell me!"
"Not a chance!" he yawned and ducked a feral swipe. "You won't harm a hand on his heads!"
She scoffed. "So you'll kill me then? The power will never be yours-ack?!
"Who said anything about killing you? You think you're strong?" he chuckled and shook his head, blond bangs swaying side to side. "Girl, you're wearing all black." a seamless parry shattered her blade on his nanite-hardened forearm, to which he swept in and blasted the breath from her lungs. "You've got an eyepatch for crying out loud." a casual toss launched her away. "You're just a cheap knockoff of a real Maiden."
"No!" Her golden eye blazed with hateful fire as she climbed to her feet. "No, no, no...I'm the upgrade!"
"You want an upgrade? I'll show you one. Steel." he whistled. "Release restraint level."
Her heard her excited voice in his head. "Which level would that be?"
Naruto's smile was all teeth. "ZERO."
A shadow fell over Cinder.
She screamed.
A/N: Should the battle continue?
Or should we move on from here? What say you?
Could go either way. Need to hear from you guys and gals, here.
As ever, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story, welll...it won't be continued! That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with virtually no days off. That makes my free time terribly limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like.
Reviews are my fuel. I can't write without them~! Not a wit or a word!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews!
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
BEWARE~!
(Previews!)
"How are you doing this?!"
"Nanomachines, son!"
"Push, Winter! PUSH!"
James heaved a sigh. "Are you with me? Even now?
Naruto thumped a fist against his chest.
"To the end."
"We already have Tyrian in captivity, but not his accomplice.
"You believe it to be Arthur Watts?"
"I do. Who else could mess with the code in Mantle so easily? Then there's Hazel, and this masked girl...
The mask shattered.
"You won't take them. You won't hurt them. You won't touch a single hair on their heads."
"A bold statement. lets see you back it up."
...ya shouldn'ta said that."
"Take...the...girls!"
You can't reach her. Not through the many Grimm. You'll die!"
...never tell me the odds. I have a plan."
"And what, pray tell, is this plan?"
He told James.
EDIT: Hey, you made it!
As ever the Embers rule persists, reviews are my fuel, my fire, my life. Without them, I lose all inspiration, all hope, all ability to write. That's no joke. I have so little time to write these days with two jobs, and silence hurts. So by all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback, no matter how small or large, matters! Really, it helps a lot. Its a joy to talk with you all and bandy ideas back and forth; it really is. Sorry if this seems shorter than usual, working on a tight schedule here.
Looking forward to talking with you all after work!
R&R~!