RWBY is property of Roosterteeth! I only own my characters.
CHAPTER 15
Peleus Nikos gasped for air as he continued to push himself to move as fast as his legs would allow. He threw a wary look over his shoulder, keeping an eye out for Carnage's men. He had taken a route through an overgrown forest to try and lose the Order forces. They had been close on his heels ever since he had escaped because of-
He shook his head to try to clear his mind as images of Thetis' crumpled form came flashing back. Fatigue and anguish began to slow Peleus' pace. He fell to his hands and knees as his foot caught on a tree root. Peleus coughed, feeling like he was about to vomit. A handful of tears rolled down his cheeks as the Senator collapsed onto his side.
Thetis... Why is this happening? Peleus thought to himself. Perhaps it was all just a bad dream. He'd wake up, and Thetis would be lying beside him. No... The pain was too real to be a dream. His wife was gone, killed in an instant. Peleus' thoughts drifted to Pyrrha. Was she safe? What in the world would he tell her? The Senate. He had to warn the Senate about these monsters.
"Spread out! Find him, or Lord Carnage will have your head!" the voice of an Order Knight drifted through the trees from a distance. Peleus took as many shaky breaths as he could manage and pushed himself to his feet, then began to run again.
"It certainly sounds like you've had more than your fair share of adventure." Winter said to Alyia, patting Anise's head while the small girl sat in her lap. Their group had returned to the Schnee manor, where they now sat in a small circle in a private room.
"From what you've told me, it looks like you've gotten a decent amount of experience underneath your belts fighting those 'Grimm' creatures." the Guardian replied kindly.
"So, you said that you were made into a Bloodline by this "Reaper" person?" Weiss asked. "Which one are you?"
"I'm the first member of the Valiance, Bloodline of Courage." Alyia answered readily. "So, Dad's been chipping in around here?"
"Where I can," Charles said, "Mostly I've been helping Anise learn to control her powers."
"Don't sell yourself so short, Charles," Winter smiled.
"Looks like you've found a good bunch of people, Dad." Alyia commented, "You and Jerloh both, it seems. Making friends wherever you seem to go."
"Uncle Charles is the best!" Anise said happily. Smiles spread to the other occupants of the room. They couldn't disagree with the young girl.
Pyrrha and Emerald watched somewhat awkwardly as Arthur and Anika both spoke to the newcomers. Whoever the man and woman were, they clearly knew the Guardian and the sniper well, and were happy to see them. The two girls were pulled from their thoughts as a pair of small hands tugged on their clothing. They looked down to see a short, smiling girl with long messy brown hair and stormy-gray eyes.
"Hi! I'm Lex!" the child greeted.
"Oh!" Pyrrha knelt down so she was eye level with the young girl. "It's very nice to meet you, Lex. I'm Pyrrha."
"And I'm Emerald," the mint-haired girl added. "Do you know how your- uh-" Emerald paused for a moment, unclear who the two other people were, in relation to Lex.
"Daddy and Auntie Marcia?" Lex guessed.
"Yeah, do you know how they know Arthur and Anika?"
"I think they're friends," the girl cocked her head confusedly.
"Not quite what I meant..." Emerald muttered as kindly as possible. "Ah, whatever, I'm sure they'll explain once they're done talking." As she spoke, Arthur, Anika, and the two newcomers walked over. "So, gonna introduce your buddies, Lightbulb?"
"Right. Sorry for keeping you and Pyrrha waiting, Em." Arthur scratched the back of his head.
"These are Jerloh and Marcia," Anika introduced the pair of unfamiliar people. "They were our friends back on Earth."
"How come they're so much older than you two?"
"Couldn't say," the sniper shrugged, "When we last saw them, we were around the same age."
"You both seem to be taking this very well," Pyrrha noted.
"From what it sounds like this world has thrown at them," the woman, Marcia, cut in, "I'd say it would take a lot to surprise them now. General Marcia Evans, EDC."
"No reason to be so uptight, Marcie," the man smiled, holding out a hand to each Emerald and Pyrrha. "Any friends of Arthur's are friends of ours. Jerloh, member of Guardian Team Gamma." The pair of students hesitated a moment before taking the man's hand in greeting.
"I assume this means we're headed back to Vale?" Pyrrha asked Arthur. "It would be rude to drag your friends along on our trip, after all."
"That's probably the best course of action," the young Guardian nodded.
"Well, we'd offer you a ride, but... well, y'know..." Jerloh jerked his thumb towards the toppled EDC vehicle they had arrived in. The machine smoked and sparked angrily.
"Uh huh," Emerald nodded, smirking a bit at the man's cheerful demeanor. "We'd better get going before more Grimm show up."
"Sounds like a plan," Arthur affirmed. "Let's head back."
"You're out here again?" Cherri asked Ignis, finding him standing outside her home. He stared out over her expansive oasis and out into the desert in the distance, while the sun set rapidly on the horizon.
"Just... thinking," the ex-Lord explained.
"About anything in particular?" the Maiden of Spring inquired.
"Been processing what you told me about the 'Maidens' and the people of Remnant." He answered after a moment of hesitation. Cherri raised an eyebrow at him.
"I don't think anything I said could make someone look so... pensive," she said. "You sure that's it? Are your injuries bothering you?"
"No, they're healing well thanks to your aid."
"Then... what's got you looking so worried?"
"My thoughts keep drifting... to home... to my family..." the Lord shifted uneasily.
"You're worried about them. That's normal," Cherri assured him. "Don't worry, once you're fully healed, we'll see about getting you home."
"Do you have some way to do that?" Ignis asked, still staring off into the desert.
"I have an emergency transport, but that's supposed to stay where it is unless I need it. But I'm sure that Mr. Ozpin could help you."
"Ozpin? Who is he? Could you call him?"
"Mr. Ozpin is the leader of the people that set me up out here. He has a group that is dedicated to protecting the Maidens from harm... as well as the public eye. As for calling him, that won't be a problem, but only when you're healed and I'm sure you're not going to wander back out into the desert."
"Returning to that sandy wasteland is the last thing I want to do. I would prefer that you were more honest with your reasoning."
"What do you mean?" Cherri asked defensively.
"I can see it in your eyes... you don't really want to left alone here, do you?" Ignis turned to face the Maiden, an unreadable expression on his face. Cherri looked at her feet.
"I... understand... what Mr. Ozpin's intentions are. He wants to keep me safe from anyone who might want to misuse or steal my power."
"That's not an answer."
"Geez," the young woman laughed unconvincingly. "Do all you 'Guardian' types press people this hard for information?" Cherri immediately felt a pang of regret as she saw a dark look cross the Bloodline's face. He turned away from her and returned to silently staring out at the desert. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"
"As much as I'd like to be, I'm not a Guardian," Ignis spoke after a few moments.
"But when you were telling me about your world, you said that Guardians were heroes that used their abilities to help others. How can you fight alongside them, but not be one of them? You said you weren't part of that 'Earth Defense Coalition'... Oh..." Cherri came to a terrible realization. "You were..."
"I was once 'Lord Ignis' to the world. A monster responsible for killing hundreds and burning cities to the ground. Even after I had left the Order, there were still plenty of people rightfully calling for my head. However, thanks to the Reaper... I was given another chance," the Bloodline explained. "But, I'm not foolish enough to count myself as a part of his organization."
"Ryan-" Cherri started, trying to use the ex-Lord's real name.
"I'm sorry," he cut her off. "I need some time alone to focus myself."
"I- Okay. Just don't stay out here too long." The Maiden took a few steps back towards her home before stopping and turning back. "You were right, by the way... I was tired of being alone.. So... for what it's worth... thank you, Ryan. You're a better person than you give yourself credit for." Then, without another word, she left the Bloodline to his thoughts.
"O-oh! Lord Agony!" an Order Knight stammered. "What brings you here?"
"What brings me to the holding cells aboard my own ship, Knight? I wish to speak to the prisoners." Agony narrowed his eyes, coming to a stop a few steps from his subordinate.
"Er... about that, my Lord..." the Knight shifted nervously. Agony leaned in, his voice warning, eyes filled with a dangerous light. He spoke slowly, enunciating every word.
"What. Happened. Knight."
"CARNAGE!" Agony roared. The other Lord silently cursed as his superior stormed towards him. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"
"I- AGH!" Carnage yelped as pain lanced across his entire being. He knew it wasn't really there, as he lacked the necessary... parts.. to actually experience it, but it didn't really matter to him at the moment.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE YOU HAVE CAUSED!?" Agony raged at his fellow Lord. Despite being mostly machine, Carnage groaned and winced at the constant stream of pain. With a wave of his hand, Agony stopped the other Lord's suffering. "We will have to accelerate our plans. Nikos will, without a doubt, attempt to contact the Senate. If he informs them of what has transpired, they will not hesitate to call for assistance. We must prevent them from alerting their neighboring Kingdoms to our presence."
"What... would you... have me do?" Carnage wheezed as the pain slowly faded from his body.
"Ready the ships."
"Freeze, Senator," an Order soldier commanded, leveling his rifle at Peleus. "You're coming with us. How many broken bones you've got at the end of our trip back to the ship is up to you." Peleus quickly scanned back and forth. He had taken a wrong turn and gotten cornered underneath a cliff.
"Over my dead body," Peleus spat.
"Unfortunately, that won't do. Lord Carnage wants you alive." The soldier waved his four fellow members of the Order towards the Senator. "I recommend you surrender."
"Cooperate and no one gets hurt," another Order soldier stated, grabbing Peleus' arm.
"Good, we got him. Let's get moving before-" the soldiers' heads snapped up and looked around as several small stones fell from the cliff above them. "Sir, I think we're being watched."
"Acolytes Pyre and Obsidian, stay with the prisoner. The rest of us will check it out," the lead soldier instructed. His commands were met with sounds of acknowledgment. Three of the Order troops began to pick their way around the cliff, searching for a way up. Their path took them further and further away from Peleus and his two armored captors. A twig snapped nearby, causing the two Acolytes to raise their rifles at the dark trees. The one called "Pyre" stepped nearer to the thick shadows.
"I guess it was noth-" the soldier began before four long slashes appeared in across his armor's chest. He fell to the ground with a thud. Peleus only had a moment to register another form in black armor darting from the trees and subduing the other Acolyte before they could raise the alarm.
Peleus' rescuer had long blood-red hair and vibrant green eyes- just like- No. He shook his head. Agony was a man, and clearly older, while his savior was both female and appeared to be in her early thirtires.
"Come with me, before the others ones get back," the woman instructed the Senator, carefully taking him by the forearm. Her hands were covered by a pair of black gauntlets, the fingertips ending in blade-like spikes. Aside from that, her only other armor was a pair of metal boots and a simple chestplate.
"Thank you for the rescue," Peleus breathed as she pulled him through the trees at a run, "but who are you?" Her head whipped back and forth as she kept an eye out for the other three Order soldiers. She took a moment to make eye contact with Peleus.
"My name is Eve."
A/N: Not sure why, but I feel like this chapter is off somehow. I can't really put my finger on it. In other news, I'm finally back! Sorry that it took a while longer than expected. I will keep trying to stay on top of my "one chapter a day" rule, but updates may become more erratic.
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Thanks to everyone for their support and understanding!