Chapter 7: Alone No Longer/ Dousing the Torch
I… actually don't have much to say right now. I'm glad people are liking this? Yeah, let's just go with that. Here's chapter 7. It's a bit more serious than I try to go for usually.
Ahh, the Vytal Festival. It was… it was…
Actually, I don't know a damn thing about the Festival whatsoever.
Which really sucks. This reality was just starting to take shape. All the major history was still rather unknown to me. I'll only learn stuff ahead of time as the original world is shaped.
I hated that. But there wasn't much I could do. (A/N Monty really needs to start Volume 2 soon. I and other fans are really getting anxious.)
Team RWBY and I were walking through the streets of vale. I had finished all the extra homework according to my punishment, so life felt good. Weiss was smiling and admiring the work the people were putting into preparations.
"The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!" Said Weiss, and it was really creepy to see her smile in person.
"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much Weiss… It's kinda weirding me out." Ruby noted. And we all agreed.
The heiress then went on about how the festival was incredible. How it showcased all the cultures of their world. And that a lot of planning went into it. The explanation was taking quite a bit of the fun out of the whole event for Yang and Ruby.
"You really know how to take a good thing and make it boring." Yang said.
"Quiet you." Retorted Weiss. We made our way to the dock, soon after.
"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang asked everyone.
"Ah, they smell like fish." Ruby said, holding her nose.
I honestly had no problem. I grew accustomed to blocking out the smell of fish during my time in Venice alongside Ezio Auditore da Firenze. And boy did it stink there during that age. Beautiful city, but air fresheners would have made it all the better.
"I've heard students from Vacchia will be arriving by ship today. And, as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom." Weiss answered.
"I think that's her way of saying spy on them." I said to the others.
"Ugh, you can't prove that." She said, turning to me.
We then noticed the police were looking through a crime scene. A dust shop. I think it was the same one Ruby saved a couple months back.
"What happened here?" Ruby asked one of the officers on the scene as we reached the store.
"Robbery. Second Dust Shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." Was all he said. Then he walked over to his partner.
"Ugh. That's terrible." Yang said.
The officers were discussing possible suspects. The only ones they had were The White Fang. In retrospect, it really didn't make sense. So I assumed they were a little biased to Faunus, which pissed me off.
However, they were right. And I could do nothing to put a stop to the whole operation, not yet at least.
"Hmph. The White Fang." Weiss started. "What an awful bunch of degenerates."
Blake took some offence to that. "What's your problem?" She asked.
Weiss and Blake argued about the subject for a little while. Weiss didn't necessarily sounded like she hated Faunus, but it could be interpreted that she did. And The White Fang was a touchy subject for Blake.
She was once one of them.
She thought the original cause was right; Equality between Mankind and the Faunus. She did not, however, agree with what it had been twisted into now; which was harming Mankind to get their way. It was why she left. And why I helped.
I liked people who stood up for what they believed in. And know when what they are doing, does not align with those beliefs.
"So they're very misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they'd rob a dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale." I heard Blake tell Weiss once I started listening again.
"Hm. Blake's got a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago… Maybe it was him?" Ruby pointed out. And she was right. He was involved rather heavily.
But not for much longer. I'd see to that.
"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal." Weiss said. It was really starting to get to the only Faunus here.
"That's not necessarily true." Yang said.
"Hey! Stop that Faunus!" We heard from the docks.
'Perfect timing, Sun.'
Said Monkey-Faunus was currently evading the security of the ship he was a stowaway of. I could tell he was purposely staying in sight just to mess with them. I do it too.
Of course, I have always tried to uphold the- Pfft! Who am I kidding? I'd broken a lot of laws across multiple realities. And never got caught.
"You no good stowaway!" One of the guard yelled.
"Hey! A no good stowaway would've been caught! I'm a great stowaway!" He called back.
The cops from earlier tried to get him to give himself up. He threw a banana peel at one's face.
Using his rather impressive agility, he made to our level pretty fast. While running from the cops, he gave a quick wink to Blake.
I didn't like that wink. In fact, I kinda hated that wink.
"Well Weiss… you wanted to see the competition. And there it goes." Yang told the heiress.
"Quick." Weiss ushered us. "We have to observe him." Then we chased after him.
I was much faster than them. I could easily catch him. Besides, I wanted to… talk to him.
Now I was still sorting out my feelings for Blake along with the ones for Yang… But if there was one I could still be in our situation, as much as I hated that part of me, it was definitely territorial.
In my pursuit, I passed a bright orange-haired girl. 'That would be Penny.' I thought I felt something fall out of my pocket and Weiss crashed into the girl at this point. 'Can't worry about that now. Male instincts are in control.'
He avoided the cops by climbing up to the roofs, but he didn't avoid me.
"Oh God, won't you just give it up?" He said looking back at me.
When he turned back to look ahead, his face made impact with my chest and he fell down.
"What the-? How did you do that?"
"Magic." I said while crossing my arms. "Now, I'd like to talk to you."
"Well since you asked so nicely."
"First off, that girl you winked at a few moments ago? No. Just, no. She and I are still in the process of sorting things out. So right now? No."
"Okay, I get the message." He said holding his hands up. "You're obviously the jealous type."
"Yeah I am." I instantly confirmed. "Second? Nice job back there." And held my hand out to help him up.
"Thanks. It's always fun to mess with those kinda guys."
"Never gets old, does it? The banana peel was a nice touch, if a bit too childish I think. Still funny."
"Call it a calling card. I do it all the time."
"Well, that's… all I wanted to say, I guess. See you around?"
"…Yeah, you know what, I think you will. Sun Wukong, by the way." He said, holding out his hand.
"Duncan Verser." Then he left.
I caught up with the others. Weiss and Blake were already well into their argument. I tried to intervene, but Ruby and Yang thought it'd be best if I didn't go in the room while the fight was so hot. I stayed outside their door though. I could listen in.
I didn't like feeling so useless right now. I might've been able to quickly patch things between the two. They were friends.
And the tactical side of me didn't see a need to use Blake and Sun to find Torchwick. I knew where he'd be and when in two days. It was the part of me that still cared for other sentient beings that kept me there. I liked having a connection with them.
The two were loudly going back and forth. The subject of pure evil, discrimination, and terrorism constantly came up. Eventually Blake told Weiss the only reason the White Fang do what they do is because of people like Weiss.
"People like me?" She asked Blake.
"You're discriminatory!"
"I'm a victim!"
She then laid out her past childhood bare before the others. The White Fang had long since made the Schnee family and their associates primary targets. And it made for a very rough childhood on her end.
"You want to know why I despise The White Fang!?" She asked Blake. "It's because they're a bunch of liars! Thieves! And murderers!"
"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"
I winced. That shut Weiss up. It was silent for a few moments.
Then the door slammed open, and Blake rushed off.
I looked inside and gave a hard, but not angry, look at Weiss, then ran after Blake.
By the time I got to her, she was already at the statue in front of the school. Her hand was up at her bow, and revealed a small pair of cat ears.
"Blake?"
She turned around, tears in her eyes. I said nothing else as I walked up and hugged her.
"Not like this." She softly cried into my chest. "I didn't want them to find out like this."
"It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. Things were said, but that doesn't mean either of you meant to hurt one another."
"I should've listened to you. I should've let them know I was a Faunus at the very least. Then Weiss would have instantly got the hint to stop insulting my heritage." She continued to quietly say.
"It doesn't matter now. You need some time away from them. Let things cool down a bit."
She nodded, there was logic in that.
"But…" She looked back up at me. "Don't ever put that bow back on. You look way better without it."
She stared at me for a few seconds, then she started to lean into me. 'Wait… Was she gonna-?'
"I agree. You do look better without it."
She stopped once she heard we had company. We turned to our right to see Sun, sitting atop one of the pillars.
She and I quickly separated. "Great timing, Sun. Truly."
"Well, I aim to please."
"We should go." Blake said. "I… I don't feel like staying in the school right now."
"Then let's go." I said, and led the two off the premises.
"They've been gone all weekend." Ruby told Weiss. The rest of the team, minus Duncan and Blake, were still gone after two whole days. There was no sign of either of them.
"Blake and Duncan both know how to take care of themselves."
"C'mon Weiss. They're our team mates. We need them." Yang said. She wasn't handling the whole situation well at all. She had been figuring out her feelings for Duncan for a while now. Well, she knew what she felt.
And she really liked him.
But so did Blake. And they both knew he thought rather fondly of them both. And now he was alone with Blake.
They both promised that no matter what happened, they'd remain friends. Yang was never going to break that promise to Blake. But, she wanted to be there when the final verdict was made. She hated being left out of the loop like this.
It was easier for her before she met Duncan. She was a heartbreaker. She could always walk up to a guy one day, date him for a week, then break up and start the whole process all over again. She couldn't do that with Duncan.
With him, he made it difficult. He still showed signs that flirting still affected him. But other than that she couldn't faze him. And all the extraordinary and bizarre things he could do. Yang thought of him as a kindred spirit of a sort. Nothing could keep him down. He walked around like nothing in existence could hurt him. And she admired that. A lot.
She just wanted a chance to talk to him too. To let him know she felt for him, like Blake did.
"Is she, though?" Weiss said. "We all heard what she said. And now she's brought Duncan along with her. And we've never been able to figure out anything of real significance about him. For all we know, he some sort of spy, or traitor, or-or something! We've all met him before we came to Beacon. We know he has secrets."
"That doesn't mean we shouldn't look for him. Or for Blake. They might both explain things to us if we ask them." Yang said, a little angry.
"I just hope they're okay." Ruby said.
We sat there for a few moments, just drinking at a small coffee shop. Blake was the one to break the silence.
"So, you want to know more about me." It wasn't a question. It was a fact. I already knew her backstory, but Sun didn't.
"Finally! She speaks!" He says. "I've got nothing but small talk, some lovey dovey moments between you and him, and weird looks for nearly two days! Yeah, like the one you're both giving me right now."
She dropped her look and asked Sun.
"Are you familiar with the White Fang?"
He was. And he thought very little of them, he made that known. But Blake explained how she was once one of them. Basically raised by the organization her whole life, then grew tired of the violence.
"Okay," He said. "You're not with them anymore. But where's he come in?"
"He helped me escape. He still hasn't told me why."
"You helped her leave?" He asked me.
"Call me something of an admirer. Blake was someone who stood up for what she believed in her whole life. She was passionate about equality. She just didn't agree with using violence to get it. When she couldn't handle it anymore, neither could I. So I helped her run away from it all and we saw each other again a few months later."
"But why?" She asked.
"Soon, Blake." I sighed. "Soon. I won't keep secrets from you for much longer. I promise."
The rest of Team RWBY were still looking for their lost members. They kept calling out their names, hoping they'd turn up soon.
"Weiss, you're not helping." Ruby said.
"You know who might be able to help?" Weiss asked. "The police."
They didn't find that any bit amusing. And started to keep searching.
"I think they should tell us their side of the story before we jump to any conclusions." Yang said.
"And I think when we hear it, you'll both see that I was right." Weiss responded.
"And I think Weiss' hair looks wonderful today." Penny interjected, following the trio.
"AH! Penny! Where did you come from?!" Ruby asked, all of them turning around.
"Hey guys! What are you up to?" Penny asked, ignoring the question.
Yang was the one who answered. "We're looking for our friends Blake and Duncan."
"Oh! You mean the Faunus girl and the Multiverser," She realized.
"Wait. How did you know she was a Faunus?" Ruby asked after a couple seconds.
"Uh, the cat ears."
"What cat ears? Blake wears… a… bow…." Yang slowly said.
"She does like tuna a lot." Ruby remembered after a few seconds.
"Wait a second." Weiss said. "What did you call Duncan?"
"Multiverser. He dropped his phone a couple days ago and there were a few open files. He apparently is writing an on-going book. He called himself that. Here." She said, handing the device over to them.
"Fall from Humanity: Autobiography of 'The Hero That Shouldn't Have Been' by Duncan 'The Multiverser' Williams?" Yang read.
"Yes!" Penny said. "There were over a few thousand locked pages, but a few were open. It was interesting to read how he's actually from a different reality. And that he accidentally discovered the secret to ultimate power and was ripped from his home reality and now exists throughout the multiverse. It seems he no longer sees himself as Human anymore, because he lost his humanity centuries ago. I think it's quite a read."
The girls… were beyond shocked. 'Duncan was… from another reality? And he isn't human anymore?' They all thought.
"You didn't know?" The bright orange haired girl asked.
"N-no, Penny. We didn't. Did we guys?" Ruby asked, and turned to see Weiss and Yang gone.
"Don't worry, my friend. I won't rest until we find your team mates."
"Yeah. Thanks, Penny." Ruby said, still disbelieving at what Duncan was.
"So, what's the plan now?" Sun asked us both.
"We find out who's been stealing dust. I'm with our friend Ruby, Torchwick's definitely involved." I answered. "We'll have to look for where he'll most likely strike next."
"Once we do that, we prove the White Fang aren't involved." Blake added.
"I might have an idea." Sun told us. "I overheard some guys on the ship talking about offloading a huge shipment of dust coming from Atlas."
"How huge?" Blake asked.
"HUGE. Big Schnee Company freighter."
"Then that's our destination." I said. "Let's go."
"Thanks anyway." Yang tiredly said to the owner of the shop she and Weiss just looked through. She still couldn't believe what she now knew about Duncan. And it hurt a little that he hadn't told them yet. But, she remembered what Blake said. 'I think he's hiding something, but not because he doesn't trust us.'
"You really don't care if we find them or not, do you?" She asked Weiss.
"Oh, trust me, I care! They were both keeping huge secrets from all of us! Blake was in the White Fang and Duncan? Oh, don't get me started on him! Right now, I'm furious at all the secrets!"
"But Weiss"- Yang tried to say.
"Innocent people don't hide things like that!" Then she walked away, Yang following shortly afterwards.
"So Blake and Duncan are your friends, right?" Penny asked.
"Yes, ugh, I mean, um, it's just, I don't know." Ruby said. "Neither of them exactly told us much about themselves. They were really quiet about that."
"I don't have a lot of friends. But if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things."
"Me too. But, Duncan… I don't know what's up with him and his huge secret."
"I think he was scared."
"Duncan? Scared?"
"Yeah. He was likely trying to figure out how to explain what he was, but held back because he feared how you'd all take it. He's likely had to do it before in his other lives. I think he just wanted you guys to not hate him."
Ruby contemplated this as they kept searching.
We were there, waiting. All the cargo was there, waiting to be stolen. We wouldn't let that happen.
I wouldn't let that happen.
Sun was gone, stealing food. I and Blake were here, staking out the place for the time being.
I was thinking how to explain to her who I really was. What I really was. I'd have to explain to Yang as well. They both deserved to be the first to know. I just hope they didn't hate me afterwards. It always hurt when people never trusted me after I explained everything about me.
The look of utter betrayal… The felling that they were being used… That they didn't matter in the grand scheme of things… That I was just playing with them… None of that was true, and yet…
It broke me a little more inside each time I saw that happen. I don't think I'll be able to handle if I see it on the faces of the ones I reveal it to in my current lives.
It would destroy what sanity I had left.
"Did I miss anything?" Came Sun's voice as he returned, apples in his arms.
"Not really. They offloaded the crates a while ago, now they're just sitting there." Blake told him.
"Cool." He handed us some of the fruit. "I stole you guys some food."
"Do you always break the law without a second thought?" Blake asked him.
"Hey, weren't you in a cult, or something?" He retorted. She didn't like that. "Okay, too soon."
The wind rushed above us as carriers flew in the sky, preparing to load off men to steal the dust.
Once people started coming out, our suspicions were confirmed.
"Oh, no."
"Is that them?" Sun asked Blake.
"Yes."
"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?"
"No." She sighed. "Deep down I knew, I just didn't want to be right." I put my hand on her shoulder.
"And there's Roman." I pointed out.
He was there, like I knew he'd be. He was ordering around the Fang, insulting them the whole time. Blake, was not taking it well.
"This isn't right." She said, standing up. "The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that." She pulled out Gambol Shroud. I put my hand on her shoulder.
"Blake, no."
"Duncan, you can't expect me to"-
"I, will deal with this. I've been tracking him for a while now. Don't worry, I won't kill any of the Fang. But I'm taking him down tonight, and I won't let you get in the crossfire." She still hesitated, so I took a hold of her arms and kissed her. "Please."
"…Okay." She quietly said.
I teleported away, preparing to take down this despot. I was gonna have fun while I was at it.
"I guess you guys have sorted out your feelings now?" Sun asked her with a smirk.
She was still a little bit shocked. "I, I don't know. There's someone else that he and I need to talk with. She likes him too. And, heh, I guess the share option is still possible."
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Sun asked, a little outraged. "Lucky bastard. Wait, why do I hear music?"
Queue "Shoot To Thrill" by AC/DC
"It means he's in his zone." Blake said, a little lovingly.
"Ruby, do you hear the music coming from the docks?" Penny asked the hooded girl.
"Yeah." Weird music suddenly playing when no band was in town? Looks like they found Duncan. "We should get there, quick."
"Weiss, I think I know where they are."
"Follow the music?"
"Follow the music." Yang confirmed. She hoped she could still speak to Duncan, she wanted that at least.
As the kickass song started to play, I slowly started to walk toward Roman and his goons. They hadn't seen me yet.
"What is with the music?" The crime lord asked. Then they saw me, doing a small dance in front of them. Within range.
"I'm gonna take you down-
Down, down, down.
So don't you fool around.
I'm gonna pull it, pull it…"
I pulled out Samantha in my right hand, Machina in my left. And took aim.
"…Pull the trigger!"
And opened fire.
I didn't fire to kill. I promised Blake I wouldn't. I only shot to disable and anyone that got close enough, I knocked out.
Torchwick was firing at me too, from a distance. Every Dust ball he fired got shot in mid-air. It was starting to make him real nervous.
More carriers arrived, offloading more of the Fang. They were still no match for me, but their arsenal was getting better. Explosive weapons were being used more often. Eventually, a flurry of rockets came my way.
And hit me.
Torchwick was laughing. He wouldn't be when he noticed me. Which he just did.
"Cause I,
Shoot to Thrill.
Play it again.
Yeah."
Fire was all around me, making me a look like I was the Devil himself. It petrified the criminal.
All the others had found us. I could hear them approaching.
"So, Hot-shot?" I turned to see Yang ask. "Need a hand?"
I could see more of the White Fang, slowly getting back up.
"The more the merrier."
And so Team RWBY was back together. Sun and Penny were welcome additions. None of the men were capable of fighting once we all were finished with them. Torchwick was on the ground, backing up as fast as he could away from me as the music ended.
"Look, there's no real reason we can't work this out. I'm a business man. That's all this was. Just business. And you look like a reasonable fellow. I'm sure we could figure something out to benefit us all. So what do you say?" He pleaded.
I stopped. 'What do I say?'
This man was a hardened criminal. The kind I've always despised. The kind of person that emulated everything I hated about mankind. He'd have killed us all, and laughed the entire time.
He was willing to kill Ruby.
He would've killed Weiss, given the chance.
And he'd have murdered Blake and Yang without a second thought.
All in the name of business. Of greed.
I give him my answer. At least, Bright Shadow did.
As his head rolled to the ground, I walked to pick it up. No one said anything.
I raised Torchwick's head up to the Fang as they got up. They stared, horrified.
"I, am, The Multiverser!" I told them. "I, AM, POWER!"
I pointed my sword at them.
"CINDER! IS! NEXT!" I foretold. And they ran.
The others moved to stop them.
"No." I said. "Let them go. A few will quit, and others will make sure my message reaches who it's supposed to."
They silently acknowledged my request. Some of them would be caught anyway. No preventing that. And we waited for the cops to show up.
Blake and Weiss made up. Penny was missing. And everyone was back together. But, I didn't know what to do now. So I stayed a distance away from them.
I let my anger get ahold of me and executed Torchwick in front of them all. Then used his head as a means to send a message.
If they wouldn't be scared of me for what I was, they'd be scared of me for what I just did. What kind of person was I, to just do that? They shouldn't have seen me that way. I never wanted people to see the rage I held inside myself for so long, even back home. The knowledge of all the bad things happening at all times, in the past, present, and future.
I hated that it was just allowed to go on. That people just ignored it.
I was no Hero. I shouldn't have been.
My team slowly approached, slightly cautious. I could understand. I was in a volatile state right now.
"Duncan," Yang started to say. "We know."
'What?'
"We, we know who you are… What you are." Blake said.
'No. No no no no no…. This isn't happening.'
"Penny found your phone a couple days ago. Your, story was open." Ruby told me.
'No… Please. Please, don't hate me…'
"And we just told Blake." Weiss said.
'Just, make it quick please… I can't handle this.'
"And we don't care." They all said.
'…What?'
"You've been with us from the beginning, pushing us all to be the best we could be and beyond." Ruby told me.
"It was hard to hear at first, but we've had time to think it over. And you've been doing everything you could to make us the best team possible." Weiss said.
"You've been there for us, but you haven't let us be there for you. And you've been trying to teach us to help each other. That means you should accept some too. And we want to give that to you." Blake said, kneeling at my side while Yang was at the other.
"You're a cool guy, Duncan. We care about you. So just let us show you that we appreciate all you've done for us. You're better when you're not depressed anyway." She told me.
I… didn't know what to say. I never anticipated this… I should have. This was an understanding team. I just expected them to be like normal people. They weren't normal.
They were Team RWBY.
That's better than normal.
"We'd still like you to tell us the story. What made you the way you are? What made you, not human anymore?"
"… Everyone, take a seat. This could take a little while." They all sat around me and I took a deep breath.
"My name was Duncan Williams once…" (A/N I'll be updating The Curse of Absolute Power soon, to give the dark story of how I've lost my humanity. I'll be referring to it whenever I reveal that story to whoever my companions are in any reality. As soon as the site fixes this stupid 'Manage Stories' problem that is!)
Ozpin sat in a limousine, next to where it all happened. He was still trying to sort out everything that happened in his head. His scroll beeps. A message from Qrow appears.
'Queen has pawns.' He stares at it for a few seconds. Then he responds.
'Knight has killed the King.'
After I laid out my past to the girls it was time to sleep.
When I entered my room, I wasn't alone for long.
"Duncan, can we come in?" I heard Blake ask. We?
"Sure, it's open." Blake then walked in, with Yang.
"Uh, this is a trap. Isn't it?"
"No, Duncan. It's not." Yang told me.
"But we are putting an end to some confusion." Blake said.
'That, sounded final. I don't know if I'm gonna like this or not.'
"Duncan," Blake started. "For the past few months, you've… had a rather large effect on us both."
"And we didn't know how to deal with it."
"Until now."
'Ohhh, that sounds really weird.'
"We've been sorting out our feelings over the last two weeks, and we've been talking." Blake told me.
"We like you. But, we don't want to fight over you." Yang said. That's good and all, but why are they- "So, we're gonna share you."
Oh.
OH.
OH, SAY WHAT NOW!?
"But, you two, that… it's not, wha…?" I stuttered out.
"I told you he'd react like this." Blake said, smirking a little.
"He's fine. Besides, he's not like other guys. He's way different. I think he can handle us both." Yang told her, getting up and locking the door. I, don't know if I actually can right now. Given my current mental state.
"But…" I tried to say as they closed in on me.
"No buts tonight, Mr. Multiverse. Just ours. Now shut up and enjoy this already." Yang ordered me.
"Amen to that." Blake purred.
No one interrupted us for the rest of the night. Or morning, for that matter.
"He-he cut off Roman's head ma'am. Then he called himself, the Multiverser. He knows about you… and he says you're next." Said a traumatized member of the White Fang to Cinder Falls and her associates.
"Disappointing." She said. "We had big plans for Roman. With him gone, we'll need to look around for a replacement. But, this Multiverser? He's a threat. We're going to have to deal with it. And fast." She turned to her partners. "Find out everything you can on Duncan Verser."
Well, that's it for now. Until volume 2 comes out, this fic won't be receiving many updates. Sorry to say. That frees up my time for the other fics however. I'd like to thank you all for your support. It was not easy figuring out how to post this. Review, comment, and tell me how I'm doing. Until volume 2, I'm VindictiveDunc and Thank you, Thank you very much.