Okay, so I had a magical fight scene epiphany today listening to RWBY music, and so the entire time I worked at my delivery job from 9am to 10pm I painted this with my mind brush. This would be one of the few chapters I made without actual extensive planning, this was totally spur of the moment! The hardest part I had was with pyron55's combo attacks, I just thought along the line of Ruby's and made similar names referencing pop culture stuff of weird ship names I came up with for them. Try to guess which is which, now read!
RWBY: The Darkness Within
Season 2- Chapter 9
Saints and Sinners
One must Always have Sympathy for The Devil
Ryzia watched as Blake drew Gambol Shroud and fired at the circuit breaker plunging the room into complete darkness, she however had night vision so this little trick didn't work on her. As the other cat Faunus and her simian companion burst through a window and took to the rooftops as Roman burst through the wall in the Atlesian Paladin. The White Fang members began to quickly pack up and move out ensuring the safety and protection of the new recruits, as Ryzia got ready to head back to Beacon before the strange other human intercepted her. She said nothing but lead Ryzia to another Atlesian Paladin in reserve and bowed as she walked towards a Bullhead that took off from the ground and flew off after Roman. Ryzia hopped in and fired up the controls as she exited the building to cover everyone's escape as they cleared the building, noticing the four people rapidly approaching the warehouse and she zoomed in on them, spotting that it was Pyron and his crew of misfits. "Dammit!" She exclaimed as she armed the weapons systems and prepared to engage them.
Every Saint has a Past, and every Sinner has a Future
Ragnar walked Odette back to the rest of their team as she sulked the entirety of the hike. "It was my fault."
"I thought we had already been over this?" He asked angrily blaming himself for their failure, he should have been able to catch Knives on his own, but that bastard was jumpy.
"No, ever since day one I've been nothing but a burden to you!" She cried stopping dead in her tracks as he turned to see her crying, "Just be honest with me, I'm nothing more than dead weight to you and the others."
"Yeah, you're the biggest pain in my ass." Ragnar said as her face sunk immediately, "But, I come from a big ass family where a holiday looked like an Old War battlefield, plus I have Sarais, who is a crazy survival nut with the tenacity of a full pack of Beowolves, while Ellone is a sugar addict with the problem of being far too trusting and naïve. Of all the problems I deal with, you are the greatest because you challenge me to be better, bring out the best in me, and force me to reflect on my weaknesses." She started to brighten as he smiled and continued, "I'm no good at range, or stealth, or even positivity and morale. But you all compensate for my weaknesses. We're a team and each of us has a role to fulfill that we must realize."
She smiled, but looked at the ground as it was time for her to be honest, "Ragnar, before I got here, I…" She looked up as he was holding up his hand for her to stop.
"I don't give a fuck what you did before you came to Beacon, all that matters is that you're my partner and that we will become Hunters together." He said extending his hand, "Now let's go meet Sarais and Ellone, I'm sure we all have much to discuss."
They left hand in hand, enjoying the company of the other.
Saints are Sinners, who kept Trying
Mary sat at the window looking out onto the city below as Teena and Sammy slept blissfully, cuddled up together like a pair of siblings. She smiled at the innocence as she looked out on the city once more thinking back to that day all those years ago when her parents were killed and their prized sonic sword, the sister to Edan's blade, was stolen from them. She lived with Edan's family so long, being angry and distant due to her pain, but Edan broke her from that cycle. He had been so kind and compassionate back then, now he was just a flame that was fueled by vengeance alone. Speaking of him, he approached her as she sat there, "What are you thinking about?" He asked joining her.
"That day we first met, it was snowy and I was so terribly sad. I had just lost my doll and my parents complained about how I could always get another one and instead of that you gave me your favorite story book. I guess that's when I first started reading. Who knew that a few months later I'd be back due to my entire family getting wiped out?" She said in a grim tone with a melancholy smile.
"Cain will pay for his crimes." He said through gritted teeth.
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?" He asked in shock.
"This whole vengeance angle," She said as she looked into his azure eyes with sadness, "I wish you'd just let it go and focus on school instead, we need a teammate with his priorities straight."
"You want me to give up hunting the man who ruined our lives!?" Edan hissed silently.
"No," She said fixing him with stern eyes, "I want you to get strong enough to kill him."
He stepped back and thought about what she said before nodding and extending his hand as she shook it, they would become stronger for one another, and bring down anyone on their way to the top.
Saints will Stem Back the Tide of Darkness
*Play Time to Say Goodbye*
Newt and Pyron were the first to arrive as the giant mecha began to charge it's weapons and lock on to them, "Swamp Fire!" Pyron yelled as Newt rushed the robot and slammed Marsh Masher into the ground using her semblance to cultivate the area around them ripping up the pavement and sucking the Paladin into a batch of cement quicksand as it broke free gas mains that leaked all over the area as Pyron lit them up and filled the area with flame and thick smoke. The Paladin started scanning the area as it tried to break free, "Wraithmarsh!" He called as Newt sank the Paladin deeper and David created multiple illusionary images of the team as Pyron planned their next move.
"What next?" Carlos asked as he watched it all go down.
"Flaming Thunder Dragon's Roar!" He said as he slammed a bunch of Dust crystals into the chamber of his sword and Carlos began charging the cannon, "Fire!" He screamed as the two blasts released in unison and spiraled through the Paladin as it spasmed and shook before ripping itself free from the ground and firing the cannon into Newt and Pyron.
"Snowstorm!" David called as he ran circles around the Paladin building up a thick tornado of crystalline snow, while Carlos charged the cannon for it's second shot that was more precise, ionizing the torrent into a funnel of ice and electricity.
Pyron rose from the ground as the torrent ripped into the Paladin and it fired external guns that David and Carlos dodged. David landed next to Pyron, "Fire and Ice?" He asked.
"Let it fly." Pyron said as David gripped his scythe tight while Pyron loaded in more Dust and jetted around the Paladin attacking and quickly increasing the temperature of the exosuit, where David saw his moment and chilled the suit rapidly with one clean strike. "Asgardian Combo!" Pyron yelled as Newt recovered and smashed Marsh Masher into the ground knocking Carlos and the Paladin high into the air. Carlos flew farther due to his light weight and charged his weapon firing and Newt's hammer. It sparked and sizzled, but her leather hand grip protected her hands as she wound back for the strike. Carlos turned the cannon into axe form and began to spin at high speeds into a wheel of solid lightning as he hit the Paladin and sped it towards Newt who was ready with the killing blow. The two powerhouses collided and the robot shattered and pieces rained around them.
"Crispy Chimichangas! That was fantastic!" Carlos cried, but David ignored his team's celebration as a strange shadow flew from the remains and slunk off into the shadows in the alley and faded into the night.
"Good work team!" Pyron said congratulating his comrades.
"I'd hardly call it that," A mysterious voice called, "The night is still young."
Sinners are Much More Fun
"Well that Simple Wok hit the spot!" Luxus boasted as the team walked towards the warehouse where all the commotion was earlier, "But I believe the old guy was surprised by the events of the night."
"Guys, something doesn't feel right." Caradin said as he drew Wolfwood in it's Claymore form from his coffin and they hurried to the warehouse. Littered about the area were parts of a repurposed Atlesian Paladin, and four familiar bodies.
"Pyron!" Knives said as he ran to his friend and his teammates attended to the others.
"Oh I can assure you, Envy they're still breathing." A bored voice called.
"No." Knives said as he looked up to see the four gruesome figures silhouetted in the moonlight. One wore black armor over a red leather jacket, her orange hair pulled back in a ponytail as her red eyes glowed in the night. She wore black jeans and had two X-21's at her waist, painted onto her armor was a red boar. The man next to her was pale white with grey sweatpants and a black scarf. He wore no shirt and his black hair stood out against his pale demeanor and golden eyes, with a set of red lens goggles affixed on his head. The girl next t him wore a bright yellow sundress and sandals with a wide brimmed hat. She had white blonde hair and blue eyes. The man who was obviously the leader had wild black hair and a blue eye and a green eye. He wore a black robe with gold trim and had a wicked grin on his face.
"It's been a while Alex." He sneered.
"What did you do to my friends Jet!?" He screamed as Luxus and the others looked around confused.
"Relax, Cain said not to kill them, he knew you'd come here, and we're going to bring you home." He chuckled as the others readied their weapons. The pale man lunging forward with a sansetsukon and attacked Caradin who was immediately driven back, the two traded blows as the boy drove Caradin back.
"Caradin, run! You can't fight Ash!" Knives screamed as the girl in the dress rushed Deverou and split into six copies as the danced around him and drove him back as well. Luxus drew his guns as Jet leveled a large black semi-auto pistol.
"The Lamperouge Crown Zero, Custom Heavy Assault Pistol, 'Black King' sporting a .62 caliber slug variable round." He said with a wicked grin.
Luxus put Esmeralda and Lilith away, "Roulette Custom, 'Red King' sporting the exact same."
They opened fire on one another as the last girl rushed Knives drawing the chain blades as the two squared off with a blade in each hand, however, Knives was the more experienced of the two and began driving her back, "You can't win Scarlet, I was always better than you."
"Shut up!" She roared as she increased her ferocity as her blows became more powerful.
Elsewhere, Caradin had already shifted into axe mode just to try and keep pace with the madman he was up against. He channeled his aura into the next blow with the thruster, but the man simply caught it with one hand, as the golden aura edge on Caradin's weapon flickered out as Caradin felt weaker. Black smoke consumed the man and centered on his fist and he punched Caradin in the face and sent him through a building, "Aura Funnel, that is my semblance."
Caradin rose weakly, stumbling as he tried to clear the ringing in his ears, he looked to Deverou who was doing slightly better as he whipped his chain-scythe around trying to catch the girl who danced around him like Weiss and the stopped, all six clones rearing back and lunged forward with the strange revolver rapier they wielded. Deverou tried to spot the real one, only for them to shuffle before attacking and then kick him rather than stab. He skidded back, before she slashed him in concession and kicked him into Caradin, "I thought the Tenebrous were better trained?" Caradin asked.
"Shut up." Deverou said as he went to remove his eye-patch before catching a segment of the sansetsukon in the face as the two approached them slowly. Luxus was doing worse as the other man had about three more bullets per magazine than Luxus so after Luxus fired his six, three rounds punched into his aura sending him back onto the ground as the man approached and a glyph opened up beneath Luxus' arm.
"Crush." Jet said, as he twitched his finger and broke Luxus' arm with a scream.
Knives tried to focus on his opponent and drive her back, but the agony of his team was too much, he increased the ferocity trying to beat Scarlet as quickly as possible to assist, forgetting her semblance completely. She just got angrier and angrier until she erupted into flames, her hair a corona of fire, as her eyes burned like magma. She roared like a beast and rushed him in the blink of an eye, battering him into the ground before tossing him into the warehouse wall where everyone around heard a resounding crack as Knives' gasped and slumped to the ground, his neck at an odd angle and his eyes lifeless.
"Knives?" Caradin tried to speak as the reality hit him in waves, "Knives!"
His world started to fade, as he heard a slow chuckle, "Showtime."
Feelings, Sensations that you Thought were Dead; no Squealing, remember, that It's All In Your Head
Caradin tried to run to his teammate, but instead saw him rise off the ground like it was nothing and crack his neck back into place. "That was a good one, let me show you mine." He saw Knives' dig his nails into his wrist as the blood flowed rapidly and formed a strange colored gauntlet on his right forearm before he vanished and appeared before the girl backhanding her through a building. The rubble fell on top of he as he sheathed his chain blade and stood with his kilij against the night, "Come on Scarlet, you're not done yet!"
Caradin looked at Jet who for the first time since they met showed an emotion other than arrogance; fear. "Greed…" He muttered.
*Play Die from RWBY Volume 2 Episode 4*
"Scythe mode!" Caradin cried shifting his weapon as Deverou and Luxus looked to him, "If Knives is fighting so are we!" He leapt at Ash planting his scythe blade in the ground and spinning to kick him in the face, Ash readied his Aura Funnel, but instead Caradin used his natural strength and kicked him in the face before using the scythe thruster to hit him over and over again. Ash recoiled under every blow until he went flying back towards Jet.
The girl turned to aid him, but Deverou ensnared her with his weapon, "Like Lady Weiss, if your movement is restricted you can't go anywhere." He spun her around and around before he bucked and slammed her headfirst into Ash's abdomen. She flopped over as Deverou smiled and bumped fists with Caradin.
Jet turned his attention to Luxus who rose, with his left arm limp at his side, as he aimed Red King right at him, Lilith and Esmeralda floating in the air with three extra magazines, while two speed reloaders floated next to Red King. As Jet realized what was happening, Luxus unleashed the hail of bullets, reloading almost as fast as he spent the shells, Jet raising glyphs rapidly trying to black rather than attack, and soon he drew his other hand from his pocket to actually direct the glyphs and protect his comrades. Luxus smiled as Jet looked to Knives in full bloody glory.
Knives was dancing around Scarlet, extending and retracting blood blades in a matter of seconds as he battered her from all sides driving her into a corner like a caged beast until he disarmed her and she tried feverishly to block his attacks as he switched to the sword only, he was a whirlwind of movement as he whipped the blade around from all sides battering her like paper in the wind. Finally when her aura was low enough she reverted to her normal state, Knives punched her clean across the yard into Jet. "I believe you might want to run."
Jet grimaced and took off with his comrades as Knives' team turned to him in awe, "Dude that was awesome!" Caradin cried as he ran up and Knives' buckled.
"Not now!" He roared gripping his head as he swayed back and forth as if taking blows from and unseen foe. Finally he straightened up and screamed at the moon until he collapsed, and they ran to his aid.
"Are you okay?" Deverou asked, "Your aura was completely helter-skelter."
He looked up at the assassin with a weak smile, "Just another typical school night." He said before passing out.
Luxus grinned as they helped their unconscious friends up as Newt and Pyron recovered with their team and they all walked back to the school, unsure of what misfortune these events would spell for them.
Holy shit! Sins, Johann, fucking robots! I'm out bros and sistas, see you Thursday with a new chap and tons of new fun to see! I can guarantee that the Sins will be this Season's antagonists. I'm outy!