4
Oaths/The Search/Movements
I noted that the animation in Vol. 3 is a lot smoother than it used to be. Pretty nice.
Anyway let's get this show on the road.
Destiny= Bungie
RWBY=RoosterTeeth
Beacon Academy Dorm
Second Semester was starting in a few weeks. It was hard to believe that he had spent a total of two years on this planet. Kevin Holden knew what it meant to be Missing in Action. He just wished that he could find a way for someone to know that he was still here.
He sat in his dorm room looking at his Scroll. Nothing on Warp Drives. Most of the stuff he'd read were merely articles of speculation. Great. Remnant was basically a fucking backwater. Sparky had found nothing either but at least they had a bunch of reports to make if the Vanguard sent a rescue team after him.
Kevin left the dorms with Sparky in tow, the Ghost invisible to the naked eye.
"Nothing but theoretical papers and other things." Sparky commented. "Although I visited one forum." The Ghost made a disgusted sound. "That place had so many neckbeards on it I just decided not to bother. I may need to shut down some subroutines after entering that site."
Kevin quirked a brow as he kept going. "Should I ask?"
"For fuck's sake, please don't." Sparky said.
"Alright then." Kevin nodded solemnly. He decided not to ask.
Kevin then looked at the time. It was just about lunch time and he was supposed to meet RWBY there. Supposed to, but he had fallen asleep after a while. So he decided that he'd own up to the mistake and apologize.
/
Beacon Academy Dining Hall
Kevin watched in silent contemplation as JNPR and RWBY exchanged fire. Not bullets of course, but food. Soda cans detonated like grenades, peas sped by him like machine gun rounds. Kevin even saw a pie plant itself on Weiss's face before the Schnee heiress wiped her face off and retaliated by summoning glyphs up in order to send several bowls of fruit flying at Nora. He saw Jaune get slammed with what looked like Yang using fully cooked turkeys as boxing gloves before being sent flying out of one of the windows. The Warlock waited exactly two seconds and calmly stated one thing.
"Fuck this shit. I'm out."
He then promptly headed back out to the grounds with a confused Sparky asking what was going on. Again, Kevin did not answer, instead merely walked to a nearby bench.
Kevin decided to sit on a bench and wait. He could eat later, hopefully after that disastrous food fight in the dining hall was settled.
He watched Glynda Goodwitch march inside, riding crop raised and said nothing. The Warlock simply took out his scroll and searched for any news of the White Fang. Nothing so far had happened, which was worrying. That meant something bad was going to happen soon. Kevin calmly asked his Ghost to go over his inventory again.
Just to be sure.
Sparky didn't say anything but wondered why Kevin was being involved in the struggle against the White Fang. His duty was to the Last City, not to these people. Earth needed him more than Remnant. Was it personal?
"Kevin?"
The Warlock blinked. "You gonna ask me why I'm going against the White Fang?"
Sparky said nothing for a moment. "Yes." He said finally. "Our duty is to the people of Earth."
"I know, Sparky, I know." The Warlock agreed. "But...Our oaths are to humanity as well. These people need help. Who will give it to them?"
Sparky had nothing to say about that because the Warlock was right. The protection of humanity was paramount in the oaths of a Guardian. Even if it meant protecting them from themselves. Still it irked the Ghost somewhat, it felt like Kevin was shirking his duty to the Tower. Was this what the Traveler wanted of them? To bring aid to the people of this planet. Sometimes he wished he had foresight. The Ghost decided to follow Kevin's decision.
Kevin sighed as he saw Professor Goodwitch and Headmaster Ozpin exit the dining hall. "Thank Christ," He said to himself. "I can finally eat." The Warlock moving finally jolted Sparky out of his thoughts and the Ghost followed after his companion.
/
"You're studying again!?" Yang asked. "Come on Kev, aren't you gonna do something fun!?"
Kevin looked up from his book. "It's not a textbook Yang." He said holding up the old, ratty book he had picked up from a bookstore in Vale a year ago.
Tukson's Book Trade...Oh yeah, Mister Tukson was the one who had helped him out with his literary selections. He still had that ten percent discount card on his person. The man had been unfailingly polite, Kevin hoped that his bookstore was still doing good what with the White Fang stuff and all.
"Oh, well what's it about?" Ruby asked.
"It's about a man who has a disease." Kevin said as he looked at the title, Borne of Blood. "And he has to travel to a city to get it cured." He then placed his bookmark inside. "And the city itself is trying to kill him, it's great to read at night."
None of the girls believed him. Blake looked at the cover. "Seems...creepy."
"Oh it is," Kevin said blithely. "Everyone he meets so far is either insane or about to go insane."
"Bah," Yang waved her hands. "I bet there's way too many words."
"What's wrong with reading?" Blake asked her partner.
"I don't know, it's too...static?" Yang said. "I can't enjoy books if they have no pictures."
"I've never seen you read." Weiss pointed out.
"Hey!" Yang frowned.
"What do you like to do anyway Yang?" Kevin asked. "For a hobby?"
"Well, I am an adrenaline junky so I guess anything with a lot of action!" Yang said proudly.
"Ah..." Kevin nodded solemnly. She would definitely become a Titan if the Traveler chose her to become a Guardian. Half the Titans and Hunters he had met were adrenaline loving lunatics. Although a few Warlocks admitted that they too liked the rush of Crucible fighting.
"And I know the Vytal Tournament's gonna be awesome!" Yang said pumping her fist in the air. "It sucks that you're not participating Kevin!"
"I know!" Ruby agreed with her sister.
"Like I said before," Kevin answered. "I really don't like showing off. That and the tournament has these things called rules."
"When I fight someone," Kevin continued. "I'd like for them to not know what I'm going to do." He smiled a hollow smile.
Yang was a bit uncomfortable. But she smirked. "Well, if you decide to actually go participate Kevin I bet that you're going to be pretty good."
Kevin hummed. The prospect of fighting Yang was...interesting to say the least. To prove oneself in combat was a desire he understood. Still, he had no reason to be participating in the Vytal Tournament. He had no team.
Jackknife was his Fireteam and while he forged a bond with RWBY and JNPR there was no replacing Jackknife. His oaths belonged to them.
/
City of Vale
John and Hestia had finally made it to the City of Vale. After their rescue of the Faunus Girl in the Vale wilderness, Bolton Brown had welcomed the pair of Guardians with open arms into the community of Horizon.
Once there, John had simply continued with the story that the both of them were "Hunters" on a "secret mission" to find a lost comrade, John decided to leave out the fact that he was searching for his brother for now. Bolton Brown was friendly yes but he was also discreet which John appreciated. When they were finally out of earshot Hestia had questioned the duplicity, only for John to ask her "Who would believe the truth? That we're supposed to be dead, only that we were raised up by a benevolent entity to fight against an eldritch force only known as the Darkness?"
Hestia didn't argue, but still the duplicity rankled her. John calmed her down by simply saying that it was necessary and that they weren't in the Sol System anymore. They spent a few weeks in Horizon before setting out to Vale with the help of Bolton Brown. They had some Lien in their pockets from doing some work and a community of new friends, which was always good in John's opinion. The Sunsinger hoped that one day they could establish relations between Remnant and Earth.
Truly, the Traveler worked in mysterious ways...
"It's nothing like the Last City." John marveled. "Sure, it's less...advanced but at least it's not miserable. Look at the architecture!" Both of them were disguised in civilian clothing, John wearing a long sleeved red shirt, blue jeans and casual shoes. Hestia preferred a baggy pair of pants, a white blouse and a jacket. She wore a pair of boots. Even on Remnant she managed to get some attention, but the way she was close to John shattered a lot of people's hopes.
"I know John," Hestia said. "It feels...far too peaceful for my liking. Are there any Crucible Arenas here I wonder?"
"Probably not." John said. "Remember the articles the Ghosts gave us? Times of peace?"
"They still have the Grimm to worry about." Hestia pointed out.
"And the White Fang." John said shaking his head. "So very...inattentive of them, they could wipe out the Grimm if they chose to unite." The Warlock's tone was disappointed. Hestia could agree.
This conflict with the White Fang was a waste of time. For the citizens and for the extremist group. Hestia shook her head as they passed by a clothing store. "Say John, that red dress..." She said looking at it.
John looked over and scratched his nose. Hestia smirked, that was a sign that she was getting to him. "You know we can't buy that much with the Lien we currently have r-right?" He told her, with a bit of a stammer.
"It's just a dress..." Hestia pouted.
"I know, Hes." John said, smiling sadly. "But we gotta stick to the mission remember?"
The pair of Guardians kept walking through the streets of Vale until John found something interesting.
"Tukson's Book Trade." John read. "Home to every book under the sun. Quaint."
"We should check it out at least." Jingles suggested. "You'll never know what you'll find in a bookstore."
John nodded. "Alright, let's go in." He said to Hestia.
The Titan nodded. "I wonder if they have any magazines..." She said. "Hmm, they do say they have every book under the sun..."
The pair entered the shop.
/
Inside the Book Trade the owner did a double take as he could have sworn that the young man entering his shop was the same one from last year. Sweating Tukson cleared his throat the best he could.
"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, where we house every book under the sun!" He announced. "How may I help you sir, miss?"
"We're just browsing your incredible selection sir." The young man said cheerfully with a smile, "although my significant other is wondering if you have any magazines."
"Ah, it's on that rack to the left."
Tukson watched the tall blonde before settling on the young man, realizing that it was not the same person. What was his name? Kevin was his first name, the guy bought a ten percent discount card after all.
The Faunus gulped as he waited for the two to finish browsing. The blonde young woman was intimidating, sporting an Amazonian physique that was still quite feminine. She flipped through a magazine with a thoughtful expression. The young man was lucky, he mused.
It was the young man that Tukson was worried about. He was lean and fit, a bit shorter than the blonde woman but that didn't matter. Whereas the female was intimidating, the young man was frightening. Tukson couldn't explain it. He looked so...innocently cheerful but Tukson could sense that there was some bloodlust in him.
He could put a knife in you and smile while he did it. That was how scary Tukson thought he was.
/
John browsed idly even as he heard the sound of a door bell ringing. Someone else was inside.
"Hey there, just browsing."
The Sunsinger heard a girl's voice and disregarded it for now.
"I'm not liking this John." Jingles was on surveillance. "These two are threatening mister Tukson."
"I want their positions and armaments." John ordered through the mental link.
"The male hostile has some kind of...boots with guns attached to them. I'll assume he can use those properly. He's patrolling the area and dimming the lights." Jingles said. "The female has two pistols of some sort attached to her belt. She's the one talking to Tukson. I can try to get a better scan."
"No need," John said. "Just give me the Ironwreath."
As the sidearm materialized into his left hand, John grinned slightly.
/
"Well, Tukson. I can guess from your expression that you know what we're both doing here." Emerald Sustrai gave a slight grin as her partner, Mercury Black, approached from the side closing the comic book he was reading.
"You see, your brothers in the White Fang aren't exactly happy about you leaving them to dry." Emerald said, cheerfully. "Which sucks because that means...neither are-"
Click.
Mercury and Emerald turned around to see a young man with an easy smile on his face pointing a gun at them. "Sorry to interrupt but I don't think it's closing time yet." He said in a chipper tone. "Would you mind opening the blinds, it's kinda dark in here."
"Who are you?" Mercury asked.
"Oh, not someone important." The young man said, still as chipper as ever but he calmly cocked back the hammer on his pistol. The threatening motion was not ignored by the two.
"You really gonna point a gun at us? You do realize that there are two of us right?" Mercury asked. "We can kick your ass from here to Vacuo in a second."
To his and Emerald's surprise, the young man laughed. "That's cute, oh I forgot to mention that I had a friend."
At the left side, a tall blonde woman stepped out from behind a shelf of books, holding an ornate lever action shotgun in both hands. The weapon was clearly leveled at the both of them. Emerald heard Mercury gulp. She was really not expecting this to happen. These two were dangerous, she could feel it. The young man in particular with his unnaturally happy grin.
His homicidal, unnaturally happy grin.
"Mercury, let's go. Right now." Emerald said.
"What but what about-"
"You know, I really don't like being ignored." The young man spoke up casually. "You guys are a bit too young to be playing the terrorist game."
"Who the hell are you?" Mercury snarled.
"Me? I'm obviously not from here, neither is my wonderful and tall girlfriend." The young man stated cheerily. To the side, the tall young woman rolled her eyes. "But unlike your four kingdoms, us Hunters of the Tower do not negotiate with terrorists."
He aimed his pistol. "I'll let you leave for now, but if the White Fang decides to retaliate there will be consequences."
"What makes you think you can do anything?" Mercury sneered.
"Unlike you pieces of scum, my oath is the protection of those who cannot protect themselves." The young man told him. "If you want to throw down, go ahead but you will not leave this city alive. I can guarantee it."
Emerald frowned at that threat because he was more than capable of hurting people on his own time. But she nudged Mercury with her elbow and the pair left.
"We won't forget this." She told the young man with the scary grin.
His reply was simple. "Neither will we."
/
Hestia lowered her shotgun and looked at John with a raised brow. "Hunters of the Tower?" She asked looking at him as though he had grown two heads.
"Yep." John said with a smile, holstering the Ironwreath-D. "Are you okay Mister Tukson?"
"Y-Yeah." Tukson answered. "You guys...You guys just saved my life."
"We did." Hestia said as she decided to purchase a magazine. "So naturally that means you owe us."
Tukson's cheer faded slightly. "I see..."
"Oh, we're not into eternal servitude things." John waved his hand, confusing Tukson a bit. "What I need is information. My twin brother went missing a few months ago, have you seen him?"
Tukson swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yes." He said. "He...he has a ten percent discount card here."
/
John felt a lot of emotions run through his body but his smile grew wider. "He's alive, John." Jingles said. "And we will find him here, you can count on that."
The Sunsinger felt the grin on his face grow. "Ah, that's-that's good." He said quietly. Hestia put a hand on his shoulder. "Okay, mister Tukson. You can tell me everything you know."
Tukson did. And when the two Guardians left the bookstore and its owner, they now had their purpose.
Kevin was alive, John had that confirmation. Now all he needed to know was his location. The two terrorist kids could wait their turn, things still needed to cook. The Sunsinger had a feeling that he would see them again.
/
The Tower, Last City, Earth, Sol System
"I do not understand why you have sent one of the greatest warriors of the City out on a foolhardy mission in order to rescue a lost Guardian."
Zavala bristled slightly at the accusation of one of the City's leaders but calmed down after Ikora gave a slow shake of their head.
"John Holden, as you remember, does not answer to any authority other than the Vanguard." Zavala's answer was concise and his tone was as hard as steel. "The City's politicians should also remember that it is through his efforts that we still stand despite the threats to our great city's walls."
"Regardless, we cannot spare anymore Guardians to waste time by attempting to head outside of the Sol System!" The politician was fat, a perfect facsimile of pre-Golden Age sloth and laziness. Had he the chance, Zavala would have relished throwing him over the wall.
"It is with respect, honored Council member, to remind you that the Guardians are our responsibility." Ikora spoke serenely. Her gaze was piercing. "The Vanguard has good reason for allowing Warlock Holden, the Ifrit, out to rescue his brother."
The members of the Consensus looked at each other awkwardly but some nodded in assent to Ikora's wisdom. She was the voice of the Warlock Orders after all.
"Yep, Holden's hard to keep on a leash. Especially if it involves his brother." Cayde-6 the representative of the Hunters, piped up. "And you both know how stubborn the guy can be." The EXO let both of his photoreceptors rest on Zavala. "Almost as hard headed as you big guy." He added cheekily.
Zavala scowled, even as Ikora Rey let one corner of her lip curl in amusement.
"When are they expected to be back, Commander?" Lakshmi-12 of the Future War Cult asked, her synthetic voice affecting the parody of a low, almost seductive tone. "The Darkness will not wait for us to prepare for battle."
To her left Arach Jalal of Dead Orbit gave a grunt. "You think we should send some support after him?"
"Assuming you even come back to the City, that's probably not a good idea." Executor Hideo stated, forcing the Awoken to glare at him.
"Enough of this posturing!" The fat councilman from before banged a fist on the table. "We are here to discuss why the Vanguard chose to let a Guardian we can hardly spare go on a foolish rescue mission when he is clearly needed here!"
"Because his mission is very important to the Traveler."
All of the Consensus turned to the Speaker, the old masked priest walked with a bit of a limp but he remained unbowed even during these dark times. He walked slowly until he finally reached the Vanguard, Ikora Rey being the first to offer him a seat. The Chamber was silent as every person there waited for the priest to speak, hanging on every word.
The Speaker declined her offer but muttered a quiet thanks. "I must apologize for not attending the Consensus, I have been...busy as of late."
The Speaker put both hands on the table. "When Kevin Holden went missing, the Traveler spoke to me. Just once. It spoke of a most curious thing. That there were others it had once sought to help but was too late to do so. And thus it has beseeched me to come to this Consensus to ask for aid."
"You are speaking of other forms of life out there, beyond our system?" One councilman asked.
"Perhaps," The Speaker nodded. "The Traveler does truly work in mysterious ways. It spoke to me again just before I walked down to this very room. There is something out there for us to find."
"Then we're going to need to make contact." Zavala said and turned to address the Consensus as each and every member turned to regard him. "I motion for Dead Orbit to prepare a task force to be sent in support of Fireteam Jackknife." There was some argument in the Consensus. The ones in favor clamored for support of the mission. The ones who disagreed said that there was no reason to send out an exploratory force when there were so many threats in the Sol System.
"I second the motion." Ikora agreed. "I believe that the Traveler has need of us to head out of our home system. The chance to make first contact, of course, is also the reason I second the motion."
"Well, shucks, I third." Cayde-6 spoke up. "I'm always up for some excitement."
"The motion has been tabled. We will vote for the Commander Zavala's Motion after the break. If there is nothing else..." The Adjutant of the Consensus spoke up but was interrupted by the Speaker's voice.
"I have only one suggestion, Commander Zavala." The Speaker said. "Go to Rasputin, he might know something in regards as to where to send out this task force." He then turned to all of the Consensus. "There will be trying times ahead, and our Guardians may find struggles out in those stars. Hope for the best, and may the Traveler's Light shine upon our endeavor."
/
Beacon Academy, Start of the Second Semester, Remnant
Headmaster Ozpin sipped from his cup of coffee as he watched the air show in his office. Each and every ship that flew bore the crest of the Kingdom of Atlas. One of the bigger airships bore the personal heraldry of General James Ironwood, a very old friend.
"Ironwood certainly likes to bring his work with him." Glynda Goodwitch scowled as she looked at the trio of fighters in formation as they flew past the tower.
"He is both a General and the Headmaster of an Academy, Miss Goodwitch." Ozpin said. He did look disapprovingly at the wings of fighters. "Although I do wish that his pilots would not fly so close to my office."
A pinging noise alerted the Headmaster to the arrival of his guest. "Come in."
The doors to his office opened and General James Ironwood stepped into the office. His hair was cut short, military style and he certainly had presence. The general smiled as he saw Ozpin walk forward before stopping, his hands behind his back.
"Ozpin!" James exclaimed stepping forward to shake hands with his old friend.
"It is good to see you again General." Ozpin spoke politely.
"Please, Oz, drop the formalities." James gave a friendly grin as he turned to focus on Glynda. "And Glynda, you are as lovely as ever."
To her credit, Glynda didn't smack him in the mouth. "Oh James!" She said in a false and cheery tone. "It is such a delight to see you!" She then scowled and walked out of the office.
Ozpin held his amusement in check as Ironwood sighed dejectedly.
/
Kevin Holden was not really excited about all of the transfer students coming to Beacon as he usually kept to himself. The Vytal Festival was coming up soon, so it made sense for all of those participating to be herded into one location.
Kevin had a rather pessimistic image of cattle being herded into a slaughterhouse. The Warlock closed his book in quiet irritation as he heard the cacophony of noise in the Hall. Someone knocked on the door.
"Oh, oops." He heard the person state. "Wrong...Wrong room..."
"Yeah, that's Kevin's." He heard Ruby say. "He's kinda...quiet. But he's nice if you really got to know him!"
Kevin blinked and sighed as he walked over to open the door, surprising Ruby and an Atlas student who was heading away with his team.
"Oh!" Ruby turned to see Kevin looking down at her. "Hi Kevin! I was just helping someone out before heading to the library!"
"What for?"
/
Kevin watched idly as Ruby set up the board game. Apparently based on the militaries of each of the four kingdoms of Remnant, the objective was to conquer Remnant. It looked simple, but Kevin wasn't interested. Instead he looked at Blake who seemed extremely tired. The Warlock shrugged his shoulders and continued to look for anything the White Fang may be up to, which was...nothing.
The Warlock closed the browser window on his Scroll and watched Yang absolutely destroy Weiss on the field, making the heiress snarl angrily.
Kevin sighed and leaned back in his chair, reflecting on what had happened after the battle at the docks.
/
A few weeks ago...
Kevin watched as Ozpin set down the cup of coffee on the table. "Regardless of what happened out there on the docks I must thank you for helping Miss Belladonna out on her...unorthodox mission."
"She asked for help." Kevin said simply. "And my discretion."
"I see." Ozpin nodded. "And again, I understand that she wishes to hide her heritage." Beside Kevin, Blake scowled slightly. The Warlock shrugged his shoulders.
"Most humans are stupid." Kevin stated, surprising both Blake and Ozpin with his cynical remark. "And often, it is the few good people that suffer because of it."
"You are quite cynical, Mister Holden." Ozpin observed.
"I'm a realist Professor Ozpin." Kevin said. "Times of peace aren't all sunshine and roses."
"Yes, you are, but your deeds say otherwise." Ozpin smiled slightly. "You helped thwart an attempted robbery, although you did employ some violent methods."
"They were trying to kill me and Blake." Kevin stated coolly. "So I put a stop to it. Permanently."
Ozpin remained silent. "You've killed before." He said.
"Many times." Kevin answered. "All in the name of survival."
"You didn't have to." Blake told him. "You could have stunned them-"
"If the situation was reversed, do you think they would have spared you?" Kevin asked Blake. "You asked me for help, I gave it. I'm sorry that you're upset with my decision to end the lives of several people, Blake but I don't do half measures." You don't want to end up like me. He left that thought unspoken.
Blake wanted to say something else but she couldn't. Kevin would firmly defend his decision to end the lives of ten White Fang insurgents.
"In any case." Ozpin cleared his throat. "You both did help to stop a robbery and you acted in self defense. But what worries me Blake is that you won't ask for help."
"I did." Blake looked at Kevin. "Because he shows himself to be far more trustworthy than any other of your species."
Ozpin shook his head. "Perhaps." He said. "This incident at the docks was not isolated. I am not only the Headmaster of Beacon, but I am also a Huntsman. I have a responsibility to protect the people. Blake, is there anything else you'd like to tell me about the White Fang?"
"No." Blake said. "There isn't anything at all."
/
Presently...
"Still nothing?" Blake asked Kevin who shook his head. They decided to meet up in a secluded area on Academy grounds.
"Not even a peep." Kevin said and watched Blake from the corner of his eye. "You know, you look like you haven't been sleeping for days."
Blake scowled at him. "That's funny coming from you, you insomniac."
Kevin shrugged. "I learned how to sleep." He told her. "Something you need to do before everyone else gets worried."
Blake frowned. "They don't need to worry about me."
"They will worry anyway." Kevin countered. "I can pick up the slack. You have my silence, and I believe that you owe me that much at least."
Blake looked down at her hands. He had a point. Kevin helped her, so she did owe him a favor. Him and Sun, in fact. She winced slightly, she could have been a bit more polite with Sun and Neptune back at the library.
"...You really have killed someone, haven't you?" Blake asked suddenly.
Kevin didn't face her. "Yeah." He stated calmly. "I did. Was it hard? Yeah, it's always hard. Did I regret it? No. Because it was either me or the other guy." His hollow eyes said it all. "You're not supposed to enjoy it, and if you do you start losing your humanity real quick."
Blake again wished for the strength Kevin had.
/
Of all the damn things that he could get caught up in, a school dance was not something he really wished to participate in. Kevin felt eyes on the back of his head and picked up his pace, ignoring the call of his name.
Christ, he needed some peace and quiet.
When that announcement came up Beacon ended up becoming crazier than it should be. Girls would group up with a pack like mentality, and the boys started spouting awkward lines before asking for dates. The moment Jaune started serenading Weiss every day of the week was Kevin's breaking point and the Warlock made the decision to isolate himself even further. He was getting pestered with people asking him to the dance. John would have laughed at him, Sparky already was.
Kevin let out a low curse as he saw the notes laid in front of his room's door.
"For fuck's sake..."
"Someone sounds angry."
Kevin turned to Yang who had a hand on her hip. She grinned at him. Kevin stooped to pick up the love letters. Or whatever the hell they were, at least he didn't have to deal with this shit in the Tower. The Warlock merely flipped through them before heading towards a trashcan and throwing the paper in there.
"I'm not really the type to dance." Kevin said. "That and I swear someone tried to give me their nudes..."
"Ha-ha...Wait, what!?" Yang gaped at the Warlock who shrugged.
"Weird shit happens to me all the time." Kevin said looking as though nothing serious had happened. "But don't worry, I said no."
"Yeah, sure...okay." Yang trailed off looking suspicious. "You really not going to the dance?"
"I'm not really enthused." Kevin answered blithely. "I got things to do."
"Research right?" Yang rolled her eyes sarcastically. "You really need to learn how to live a little."
"Research is my life." Kevin said blithely.
"Okay, fine." Yang looked Kevin in the eye seriously. "You know what, let's make a bet."
"I don't like gambling." Kevin told her before being interrupted by Yang poking his shoulder with her finger.
"You're gonna start." Yang said forcefully looking at Kevin with her lilac eyes. Kevin looked at her a bit confused. Usually he'd have brushed someone off but he just...couldn't do it to Yang. Not because she was capable of punching him in the face but...
He really didn't know why.
Kevin sighed. "Alright, fine." He muttered dejectedly. "What's the bet going to be about?"
"I bet that if you go to the dance, you'll actually have more fun than sitting there in the library with your dusty old books." Yang declared. "And if you do have fun, you owe me a favor."
He wanted to argue but again, something stopped him. He didn't know what it was.
"I suppose you will owe me a favor if I do win this bet then do I?" Kevin asked as he wiped his face, which felt warm for some reason.
Yang looked unsure but her confident expression returned almost instantly. "Yeah, okay. Sure. Let's go with that."
Kevin sighed. He could feel Sparky's eye on him. The Ghost was totally not going to let him live this down.
/
"You are so whipped." Was all Sparky said over their private link as Kevin readied up for Professor Goodwitch's class.
"No. I'm not." Kevin answered, even as he realized that denying the Ghost's claim was a bit futile.
"Still, I suppose you could do worse." Sparky commented. "You could still end up single if you mess up."
"It's hard to deal with Yang." Kevin answered. "But she's a good person."
Kevin sighed as he headed out of the locker room in full gear. His Halliaetus II helmet was in the crook of his left arm. Mag-locked on his back was his sword, Raze Lighter. Well, technically it wasn't his. He had swapped his own weapon with John before leaving for his fateful patrol assignment. He had said something about needing it to kill a certain Taken leader, but Kevin knew that John liked to experiment with his load outs for combat.
In comparison, Kevin did whatever he had to in order to survive.
He walked into the amphitheater where Goodwitch was holding class. Once he was there all he had to do was wait for everyone else. With students from other academies coming in Goodwitch was pushing everyone to start practicing for the Vytal Tournament. At least, those who were willing to participate. She had yet to persuade a certain recalcitrant Warlock to put his name in the roster.
The Warlock sensed someone sit next to him before realizing it was Yang. "Hey." She greeted him.
Kevin gave a low hum, acknowledging her. "I wonder what this is going to be about."
"More sparring I guess." Yang shrugged as the rest of team RWBY took their seats. "Hey Rubes."
Ruby smiled at Yang. "Hi, Yang."
"Do you think Kevin should go to the dance?"
At that question Ruby looked at Kevin expectantly. The Warlock rolled his eyes. No, that wasn't fair at all.
"Pretty sure that makes the bet null and void Yang." He told her blithely.
"No it doesn't!" Yang argued, "I'm just...stacking the odds in my favor!"
Kevin had this look on his face that made Yang retract her statement and Ruby laugh. The dull chatter permeating the amphitheater stopped when Professor Goodwitch stepped through the doors.
"Alright class, we'll be continuing our sparring from yesterday. Remember, this is all important for those who are participating in the Vytal Festival." She announced.
Kevin could have sworn she had briefly given him a rather nasty look before continuing on with her lesson for today. The Warlock leaned forward, elbows on knees as he watched Pyrrha volunteer to step into the arena first.
"Pyrrha, is there anyone in particular that you wish to spar with?"
Behind Ruby, Jaune tried to become smaller. Actually there was a lot of reluctance in the class and with good reason. Pyrrha was a four time winner of Mistral's combat tourneys. Kevin had seen her in action during field exercises against the Grimm. She was real good, Zavala would be impressed with her martial skill. She handled her weapon Milo and her shield Akouo with a mastery bordering unnatural.
She'd make a good Titan, he would have said.
"Yes, Kevin?"
The Warlock blinked as Pyrrha looked at him expectantly. "Would you mind if I challenged you to a spar?"
Kevin sighed.
/
"Well this is gonna be interesting." Mercury Black said to his partner. "Shoot, so that guy in the bookstore has a twin brother?"
"Seems so." Emerald Sustrai stated. "Cinder seems a bit too interested now though, it's too bad neither of them are easy to rope in. They would have been great assets."
Mercury smirked. "Kid looks really unhappy." He quipped as he watched the young man with the hollow eyes walk to the arena, sword leaning against his shoulder.
/
Pyrrha smiled at Kevin who looked rather glumly at Professor Goodwitch.
"Now I am sure that the both of you know how the tourney rules work."
"Yes ma'am." Pyrrha answered dutifully. Kevin just nodded and gave a reserved grunt which made Goodwitch scowl. The professor stepped back and pressed a few icons on her scroll. The huge screen overlooking the arena flickered to life and showed Pyrrha's picture and Aura reading on one side and Kevin's own picture and Aura on the other.
Pyrrha held up her shield as Kevin blithely pulled his helmet over his head, concealing his face completely behind a silver plate. Once he was done he gripped his sword in both hands and took one step forward, segueing into a ready stance with his sword pointing at her throat.
Pyrrha exhaled. She had faced many foes in battle before, but not someone like Kevin who exuded intimidation. The sword was another thing, a single edged two handed curved sword she did not know what was capable of.
Which was why she was a bit surprised when it burst into flames and when Kevin suddenly charged her, bringing it up for a vertical smashing strike she was forced to step away from. Pyrrha shook off her immediate surprise and went in low, swinging Akuo at Kevin's legs. The Warlock stepped back forcing Akuo away from his body with the blade of his sword one handed. His second hand sparked with electricity as he brought it forward at her head, his hand curling into an electrified fist that forced Pyrrha to disengage.
She'd seen what happened to Russel Thrush when he got hit with that technique. Pyrrha was not exactly enthusiastic to get the same treatment.
/
Yang blinked. Kevin and Pyrrha were moving so fast, even for her. Ruby was also astonished as well that Kevin was actually keeping pace with Pyrrha. He was focused on a more defensive fighting style compared to the sudden offensive strike when the match began.
He was guiding the blade in his hands as he parried Pyrrha's attack, only countering when he wanted to. Pyrrha was good though and there were many times that the both of them had nearly ended their duel, only to be foiled by a last second reflex from Kevin or a well timed block from Pyrrha's shield.
Swords flashed and crashed against each other. Pyrrha brought up her shield, Kevin stopped his sword strike then kicked at the shield trying to get it out of the way only for the shield's owner to shove him back. The Warlock stumbled back and regained his footing.
Kevin let a breath out and tightened the grip on his sword. Even from far away, Yang could tell he was going to be a bit more serious this time.
The Warlock moved suddenly to the left flinging his arm at Pyrrha who dodged the projectile that flew from the Warlock's hand.
The Storm Grenade detonated, summoning a thunderstorm. Lightning rained down, forcing Pyrrha to duck and roll away from the bolts of Arc energy slamming into the arena floor. The crowd in the meantime was murmuring something fierce.
"Whoa..." Nora sounded impressed. "Is that his Semblance?"
"Can't tell." Ren told her.
"So he can throw down lightning bolts whenever he pleases?" Weiss asked.
"Probably not, it looked like he was throwing something." Blake replied.
Yang grinned. "Bringing the thunder, I like it!"
Kevin blocked a kick from Pyrrha but the force of it was enough to send him tumbling. The Warlock rolled, avoiding several shots from Milo's rifle form. In response, Kevin drew his JabberHakke side arm and aimed the handgun one handed at Pyrrha. The pistol roared in defiance, the shots smashing into Akouo making Pyrrha take steps back.
Kevin holstered his sidearm, brought up Raze Lighter and charged the flaming sword trailing behind him. He pushed it forward with a daring thrust at Pyrrha who brought Milo up to counter...
/
Kevin woke up to find Pyrrha looking down at him with a hand to her mouth. Professor Goodwitch was hunched over him as well, looking a bit concerned. His head felt like a grenade went off next to it.
"What happened?" The Warlock asked as he tried to sit up. Professor Goodwitch gently pushed him back down on his back.
"You took a rather serious hit to the head Mister Holden." Goodwitch said.
"I'm sorry, Kevin, I...erm misjudged my strength." Pyrrha looked embarrassed. "I hit you in the head with Akouo."
Kevin realized his helmet was off and looked around for it. She saw Yang waving at him, holding the Halliaetus II helmet in her hands.
"Did I win?" Kevin asked looking spaced.
"Er...well, sure." Pyrrha answered uncertainly.
"Good." The Warlock passed out again.
/
The following day...
The City of Vale, White Fang controlled warehouse.
"Twenty in total." Martellus whispered over the Fireteam comms. "Armed with an assortment of assault rifles, submachine guns and bladed weaponry. Significant resources to be sure. These White Fang guys are no joke."
"Heh, we aren't either." John said as he loaded a fresh cylinder of ammunition into his Hawkmoon. His secondary was an Arc Party Crasher shotgun, a powerful close quarters implement.
Hestia in turn was wielding her Suros Regime, the sleek black rifle was already shouldered. On her back was her personal weapon Immobius. She was also sporting a machine gun, Bretomart's Stand, a weapon forged for the Iron Banner tournament.
The Titan was observing the area.
Both Guardians had made their first contact with the White Fang a few hours ago. Their opponents had been disgruntled Faunus in the shady part of town who were used to roughing up more defenseless folks. They numbered around six.
By the time John and Hestia were done with them one had suffered a broken pair of arms, another had a debilitating concussion. Three were unconscious and the rest had fled the scene. But not before John had interrogated one ruffian for information. Hestia wanted to call an ambulance but decided not to. John's blood was up. Despite his happy go lucky nature and cheerful outlook on life, John's temper was a sight to behold. There was a reason he was called the Ifrit in the Guardian's Tower.
She watched as the Warlock looked around before nodding at her. "We go in at five, sweep the area. I want some questions answered." He then went back to the comms. "Jingles, anyone in the back?"
"Negative." His Ghost answered. "I will keep you informed in case someone tries to run."
"Good." John started walking across the street towards the Warehouse like he was taking a stroll instead of assaulting it. The tails of the Heart of Praxic Fire billowed ominously behind him. Hestia followed, chambering a round into her Suros Regime.
/
The Guardians' launched their assault at exactly 1545 hours in the afternoon. Martellus, invisible to the naked eye, floated above the ground in a good position to watch the action. Jingles was covering the rear.
Martellus saw twenty White Fang members, some relaxing but still others prepping weapons. They were going to raid a quarry that belonged to the Schnee Dust Company in the coming hours. The Ghost had already done his research with Jingles knowing that the SDC was the Remnant-wide Dust exporter. But John wasn't looking for them to owe him a favor, the Warlock was betting that Kevin had encountered these guys as well. The White Fang hated humanity as a whole, which meant that they were a threat alongside the Grimm.
The door on the right side of the warehouse opened explosively as Hestia barged her way through. The Titan put a burst of rifle fire into the first insurgent she saw, the rounds perforating his cheap looking vest. The White Fang returned fire, their rounds failing to penetrate the Titan's Armor. She kept firing, pushing the White Fang back.
John was the next in, raising his Hawkmoon he took aim and fired, the bullet punched through one White Fang's head, splattering his brains all over the floor. The next shot sent a man to the floor, screaming as he clutched at his mangled legs.
The attack was sudden, and brutal. The Guardians have honed their craft for years fighting against inhuman alien adversaries and unspeakable horrors across the Sol System. To bear such power and skill on mere human beings and Faunus was...overkill. But Martellus knew the duty of each and every Guardian was the protection of the human race, even if it meant protecting it from themselves.
/
Hestia turned and let loose a brute uppercut that sent a man flying into the air before collapsing into a dead heap ten meters away. The Titan kept moving, her rifle hunting for targets, as she swept her side of the warehouse.
She heard the bark of Hand Cannon fire and knew John was making his own sweep. Ten men and women were dead or dying. There were ten more who needed to be taken care of before this day could be considered over.
She vaulted over the stack of crates she had hid behind, firing her rifle at a pair of gunmen trying to pin her down. She felt a bullet crash against her shoulder and another against her arm. Her shields flickered briefly. Irritated, Hestia threw a suppression grenade behind cover and watched with extreme satisfaction as both gunmen were eliminated by the ensuing Void blast.
Sure it could briefly stop an enemy from using their abilities but it was just as destructive as any grenade in her arsenal. Her Suros barking out death, Hestia continued on until she was left with one man who had dropped his weapon and was on his knees. He was a dog Faunus judging from the extra ears.
"I give! I give!" He was a young man, judging from his squeaking. Hestia lowered her weapon, finger not quite off the trigger. From the right side John emerged, dragging a small female Cat Faunus by the leg. She was whimpering as the Warlock dragged her by her left foot. He was holding his Hawkmoon one handed and was whistling a part from Ballroom Blitz.
John pulled the Cat Faunus by the foot next to their other prisoner. He holstered his Hand Cannon and removed his helmet and looked down at the prisoners.
"Alright, lady and gent." He said. "We're going to have a long chat about what you and your buddies are planning."
"You think you're gonna get away with this?" The Dog Faunus snarled. "We-"
"You're not fooling anyone with your squeaking," Hestia thumped him over the head, keeping her strength in check since she was more than capable of ripping his head off. "So shut it." She glared down at the Dog Faunus who shrunk even further.
John smiled. "I'd listen to her if I were you." He told the Faunus.
"W-What are you going to do to us if we refuse?" The Cat Faunus asked still on the floor. When she saw John's lip curl slightly she started to shiver.
"Aww," John patted her head. It would have looked so normal if he hadn't just killed several people a few moments ago. "Don't be scared, we're just gonna ask questions. It really depends on you."
The smile on the Sunsinger's face would have put sugar to shame in its sweetness.
/
"Son of a..." Roman Torchwick muttered as he and fie of his subordinates observed the VPD and emergency personnel examine the warehouse. When he received news of the warehouse being attacked, he was livid. Now realizing that the raid teams he had assigned to this particular SDC quarry were taken out he was nervous.
But then again the White Fang were expendable. It was his boss he was worried about.
"The attackers weren't police, that was for sure." The contact Torchwick had with the VPD told him over the Scroll. "A lot of people aren't gonna make it. Whoever did this was serious about taking out the White Fang. There might be Atlas Special Forces lurking about or something..."
"Great." Roman shook his head irritably. "Anything else you can tell me?"
"Not much else Torchwick, I'll try to keep you in on the loop."
Roman clicked off and swore angrily. Wonderful, not only did he lose a bunch of useful troops in the span of a night and a day the operation was now complicated by the appearance of what could be a group of Huntsmen running around.
He already got lambasted by Cinder for the events at the docks. Now he had to worry about this crap. First weird kids, now a huntsman or two with a grudge against the White Fang.
"Today's just not my day." Roman muttered. "Barnes! We're heading back to the Secondary HQ."
He winced as his Scroll began to ring. How was he going to spin this positively to Cinder?
/
Ozpin watched the live reports of the recent gunfight in the docks not far from where Ruby Rose's team had fought against the White Fang. Although, this time the body count was a bit excessive. Fifteen insurgents were dead, with another three more expected to die in the hospital. Two were outstanding but the search was going to be a bit long. But he had confidence that the Police would find their missing terrorists.
The Headmaster set down his cup of tea and leaned back in his seat. Now he had to focus on what was happening on Academy Grounds. General Ironwood was pressing for full access, including student records. One in particular was disturbing the General which put Ozpin on guard.
Especially since he kept pressing Ozpin for some records of his students. He was loathe to let him gain full access since he kept asking about a certain young man who was currently in the clinic being treated for a possible concussion. Why the general was interested, Ozpin didn't know. Perhaps the General had an idle chat with Kevin Holden or maybe he had seen what the young man could do on the battlefield. Glynda had told Ozpin that Kevin's combat skills were incredibly sharp for one so young. The young man was head and shoulders above many of his peers in the first year.
"He may be eighteen but he fights like no Huntsman I've seen." She had said to him one day.
The Headmaster sighed. If their speculation about Kevin Holden being a traveler from beyond the world of Remnant was true, the general would obviously want to be in on it. There was no telling however what the young man's reaction could be, but Ozpin considered that it would be purely negative. Possibly enough for him to promptly resign from the Academy as a result. Ozpin would let him of course, but that would mean that he had failed utterly to foster trust in the boy.
The Headmaster sighed and continued watching the news broadcast.
Whoever the attackers were, they had no qualms about dealing with the White Fang. A new faction has just revealed itself. Somehow, he had a feeling it involved Kevin Holden.
Would it be for good or ill?
That was a question he wanted an answer to.