Outcasts and Outlaws

Chapter 6

Brook Phobos

Sorry for the longer wait on this one. I had to run through it and add a bit more flesh to the fight because looking at three years later I could see it wasn't very long. It's still not super long now, but it would've taken me a lot longer to edit, plus this fight is just an introduction to the character anyway. Also, I should mention that the next four chapters need to be rewritten from scratch, so there might be a delay anywhere between two days and a week between chapters until chapter 11. I'll try to work as fast as I can without the quality dropping. Well, with that said, enjoy the chapter!

Music: RWBY OP 1

(Music starts, shows Connor in a red shirt kneeling behind a tall figure in a green cloak in front of him) (Connor raises his hand, a depressed look in his eye)

THEY SEE YOU AS SMALL AND HELPLESS!

(The figure's green cloak flaps in the wind)

THEY SEE YOU AS JUST A CHILD!

(Dark clouds start to form in Connor's eye, it being zoomed in on until he evaporated into dark clouds)

SURPRISE WHEN THEY FIND OUT THAT A WARRIOR WILL SOON RUN WILD!

[OUTCASTS AND OUTLAWS]

PREPARE FOR YOUR GREATEST MOMENT!

(Shows Ruby in a training room with her scythe)

PREPARE FOR YOUR FINEST HOUR!

(Shows Connor standing in a tree wearing a long black coat)

THE DREAM THAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DREAMED

(Shows Yang on her bike)

IS SUDDENLY ABOUT TO FLOWER!

(Shows a horde of Grimm advancing)

WE ARE LIGHTNING!

(Shows Damien with Brook standing on one side of him, a shadowy figure on the other)

STRAYING FROM THE THUNDER!

(Connor looks behind him as a Grimm drops down and charges, but slashes past it)

MIRACLES OF ANCIENT WONDER!

(Shows Connor, Yang and Ruby charge in)

THIS WILL BE THE DAY WE WAITED FOR!

(Shows Connor standing in front of Beacon looking apprehensive)

THIS WILL BE THE DAY WE OPEN UP THE DOOR.

(Connor starts to fall forward)

I DON'T WANNA HEAR YOUR ABSOLUTION!

(Ozpin catches him and pulls him back up, then Team JNPR come to stand with him)

HOPE YOUR'E READY FOR A REVOLUTION!

(Shows Ozpin walking away from Connor with his Kane over his shoulder)

WELCOME TO A WORLD OF NEW SOLUTIONS!

(Zooms in on Ozpin's eye as a gold gear spins around in it)

WELCOME TO A WORLD OF BLOODY EVOLUTION!

(Shows Ruby, then Yang, then Ozpin, then a shadowy figure)

IN TIME, YOUR HEART WILL OPEN MINDS!

(Connor steps through the shadowy figure and draws his arm blades)

A STORY WILL BE TOLD!

(He does an epic pose)

AND VICTORY IS IN A SIMPLE SOUL!

[END]

Connor stood in the centre of the vale plaza, awaiting the arrival of Ruby's team. Is shirt now had only one sleeve after the other was cut off to stitch his shoulder wound and he hadn't bothered to fix it. He wasn't any good at that kind of stuff.

He was looking forward to the day ahead. It was the first time anyone had invited him out and it had raised his spirits significantly. Kane however was being his usual grumpy self and wanted nothing to do with it.

Connor heard someone calling his name from somewhere and turned to see Ruby, Yang, Weiss and Blake walking across the plaza towards him. Ruby smiled cheerfully all the way whilst Yang looked cautious of Connor and Weiss and Blake looked bored, as if they really didn't want to be there.

"Hey, Connor!" Ruby greeted when they all reached him. "How are you feeling?"

Connor moved his shoulder around, testing it and then replied, "A lot better thanks."

Before the two could continue their conservation, Weiss hurried over and poked Connors torn sleeve, pouting furiously.

"What is this?!" She complained. "You cannot walk around town like that, I won't allow it! We are all going to go and look for something for you to wear!"

Weiss then stormed off in the direction of the nearest clothes shop, Blake reluctantly following. Connor didn't like Weiss' bossiness, but he didn't have any other choice, and he needed a new shirt anyway. He and Ruby soon followed, walking side by side whilst Yang watched from closely from behind.

Oblivious to Yang's stare, Ruby commented, "I liked that shirt, it's a shame."

"Yeah, it is." Connor responded, secretly glad Ruby liked his fashion style. "But I've been wearing the same shirt for years; I could use a new one."

Yang followed the two closely as they spoke, eavesdropping on their conversation. So far Connor seemed like a fairly normal person, so she supposed she could try to be nice and maybe learn a bit more about him, but she couldn't shake the feeling she'd heard his name somewhere before.

Much to their surprise, Yang then approached Ruby and Connor and put her arms around their shoulders, acting friendly. "So what are you guys talking about?" She grinned, pretending to be nice to learn more about Connor.

Connor instantly saw through her deceit however, and casually remarked, "Why are you so cheerful all of a sudden?"

Yang tightened her arm around Connor, slightly cramping him and whispered into his ear, "Ruby is off limits, understood?"

Connor didn't immediately understand what she meant but after a quick notification from Kane, got what she was saying. "Don't say that!" He replied. "We're just friends!"

Leaving Ruby confused by the whole exchange, Yang let go of the two of them and patted Connor on the head as if disciplining him and then ordered, "Keep it that way." Then sped off in front of them to rejoin Weiss and Blake.

Before Ruby could ask Connor what that was all about they had arrived at the front of the clothes shop, and in the front was an extravagant black trench coat on a mannequin. Weiss saw its glory and cried out, "This one is perfect! It'd look great on you!"

"I do think it would suit you." Ruby agreed, making Connor want to check it out. He walked up to the cloak and checked the price tag, then frowned.

"It's pretty expensive." He commented, disappointed by the high value price tag of the cloak. Both he and Kane both liked the look of it.

"That's all right, we'll pay for it." Ruby suggested cheerfully. "We can all pitch in!"

The three other girls looked annoyed by this, but didn't want to upset Ruby and since she was their team leader, they had to obey her. They all handed their money over to Ruby who handed it to Connor in turn. Connor couldn't believe it. Nobody had ever been so generous towards him before, he was happy but also questioning why they were being so nice.

Connor took the money anyway and brought the cloak, putting it on as soon as they left the shop. The cloak was very long, its tail extending down to his knees and its collar sticking up over his neck, but he liked it and so did Kane. Afterwards, Weiss announced that she was going to the dust shop and Yang and Blake left for the bookstore. Ruby said she wanted to go to the magazine shop and Connor went with her. Once there, Ruby immediately grabbed a weapons magazine and started flicking through the pages enthusiastically. Connor went over and saw a magazine cover with a picture of a wanted poster on the front and opened to the indicated page for a read.

Beware citizens! A murderer walks the streets! Brook Phobos! A member of the dying group of rebels known as the Outlaws, known for once almost causing civil war between the state and the Outcasts of society, has been spotted in Vale! If you catch sight of this villainous scum, stay away! He is armed and is known to have psychopathic tendencies! He will kill you simply for seeing him! If you spot this fiend call the Vale Police Department immediately!

Connor took one last look at the front cover of the magazine, making a note to remember the face, and then placed it back down. Ruby was already paying for her magazine and Connor began to walk over to her.

He stopped and stood still when he heard glass smashing. The skylight of the shop had been broken and a man in tattered clothing was jumping down through the hole. The intruder landed in between Ruby and the shop keeper and smashed the till with his weapon, intent on vandalism rather than robbery.

When the attacker looked at Connor, he instantly recognised his face. He was bald with many scars all over his face and his arms ended not in hands, but in rusty metal work hooks, sharpened to their peak. It was Brook Phobos, the madman murderer from the wanted poster.

"Ruby, run!" Connor yelled urgently, knowing she wouldn't be any help without her weapon. She heeded his warning and bolted out of the door looking for Yang. Brook lunged Connor, who flicked out his wrist blades just in time to block the sharp hooks. Brook pushed hard against Connors defence, his strength was unbelievable. Connor requested a boost from Kane and he got it, allowing him to push Brook off.

"The hell, man? You come all the way here to rob this place, or just to get at me?" Connor questioned, but before he got an answer, Brook charged in again with his hooks, forcing Connor to block with his arm blades like he had before.

"Just to get at you? You sure think highly of yourself!" Brook replied with an unnerving laugh. Connor couldn't but notice the criminal was looking right into his eyes, but not at them. He was looking beyond them, at the thing inside. Could he possibly have been looking at Kane.

Brook pushed Connor back after that, he banging into the counter and going flying over it. He got up as quickly as he could, changing his arm blade gauntlets into their shotgun form and aiming it at Brook, who leapt off the counter and flipped the shot. Holes opened up in his hooks as he was in midair above Connor, bullets spraying out at full auto. Connor was barely able to step back and avoid being shot, thanks to Kane's reaction time, but Brook landed on him as he fell, both of them ending up on the floor.

"Give me your damn eye!" Brook threateningly snarled as his hooks neared Connor's face, he holding his attacker's arms back with all his strength. When the tip of the blade neared his eyeball, he kneed Brook in the stomach, he backing off with a grunt. As he got back to his feet, Connor felt a sudden burst of rage from Kane that forced him forward, tackling Brook towards the window.

Both of them got a little cut up by the broken glass, but were mostly fine. Both of them got back to their feet quickly, Connor feeling a strange sensation in his gut and suffering from a mighty headache. He could feel Kane getting angrier, worried he'd lose control at any moment. He tried to stick by what Mars had told him to do in times like these: Don't use the semblance, not even a little bit.

Brook cried out intelligibly and scratched his hooks together as he ran in, two clones quickly appearing by either side of him. Connor was caught off guard, but managed to graze one of the clones with his arm blade, it being dispelled as soon as contact was made. He had to block the other ones attack, but it too faded away into nothingness. He wasn't sure if it meant that Brook's clones could only last for a few seconds or if he'd purposefully gotten rid of it, but made a note of it. The real Brook however, was right in the middle, crying out as he swung his hooks down towards Connor's face once again.

Connor felt a sudden burst of rage from Kane that forced him forward, tackling Brook towards the window.

Meanwhile Ruby stood on the plaza, Yang rushing towards her after receiving a message on her scroll. Ruby quickly explained what had happened and the two rushed back to the magazine shop, but before they reached it, Connor and Brook barrelled out of the window in each other's wrestling arms.

Brook cut Connors recently stitched shoulder open again they tumbled onto the concrete. Connor winced from the pain but gritted his teeth and quickly started to stand up. Before he could however, Brook was already upright and stuck a hook into Connors left eye.

Ruby screamed Connors name as he writhed in pain, blooding seeping from the wound. Brook looked Connor in the eye and maliciously whispered, "Pleasure to see you again, Kane." Followed by a mad laugh.

Connor flinched as his opponent said Kane's name. How did he know about Kane? Who the hell was this guy? Before his questions could be answered, Brook tore the hook out of Connors eye, spraying blood everywhere and leaving a nasty scar.

Ruby whimpered as she saw blood flowing freely from Connors eye and his consciousness wavering. Brook laughed maniacally again and declared, "Now, I'll take your other eye!" He swung his hook down towards his other eye, but it was deflected by an invisible barrier. Brook stepped away from Connor knowing what was happening, knowing he was too late claim his kill, as a black shadowy aura formed around Connor.

Ruby didn't know what has happening. She watched as the shadowy aura surrounded Connors entire body and lifted his head, snarling.

His eyes were pitch black.

Connor, or rather what was left of his mind, quickly rose and shot a dark ball of energy at Brook, who was hit by it and disappeared. The Brook Connor had hit had just been a clone that Brook had used, in order to get away.

Because he knew he was no match for Kane.

Connor turned to Ruby, the shadowy aura now fading and collapsed.

So there's the first villain of the series. In a later chapter, his boss'll turn up and things'll be explained. Also, about word count in these chapters: I've never really had a goal for word count in mind whilst writing these, but the chapters do get longer on average as the volumes go on. This volume all has pretty short ones, but they get longer eventually. Anyway, I'm almost done rewriting the next one, so it might be up today. Until then!