RWBY: Against All Odds
Past...
Tracy was there, mixing many chemical objects and compounds.
The girl's eyes were calm and analytical, until a doorbell interrupted her.
"Ugh... who could be at this hour?"
The girl walked down the stairs and went to stand in front of the door:
"Whoever it is, now we are closed, come back later" she said.
Just as she was about to turn around...
"I know" a boy's voice responded. "However, I have business with Miss Khufu. Is she available?"
'With mother?' That was quite curious.
"I'm sorry, but she isn't here right now".
"I understand. Well, may I Ieave something for her?"
"... very well".
Tracy opened her door and...
"Waaaahhh!" Quickly closed it in surprise.
'This cannot be! Why is he-'
"I-Is there a problem?" Asked the boy outside.
"No! None at all!" She quickly opened the door again. "My apologies, Prince Vladimir".
Yes. On the other side of the door, there he stood. The bespectacled boy of red eyes and bat wings.
- Hey, Vlad... did you know?
"May I come in?"
"Y-Yes! Please do!"
- I really, really admired you since long ago.
Arc 2 - Fallen Hero
The girl remembered when she was walking to buy the componente she needed and, on another stall, he stood.
A man handed the price some materials and the prince handed him the money.
"If I may ask" said the man. "Why would the prince personally come here?"
Vladimir looked at the merchandise once more and answered:
"Because I dislike bothering others with trivial quests".
- It really wasn't love at that time, just admiration.
Tracy walked away and Vladimir went on the opposite direction.
- The nobles and the commons were really close in Chimaera, if you were to put an outsider to look, they would never believe there was a distinction.
- Except for you.
The girl smiled upon looking at his back that was further and further away.
- You really seemed out of place, as if in a class of your own.
- Because you always made sure to get what you wanted personally. To always earn what you needed.
Chapter: Chaos Theory
"I see" Tracy was very surprised at the material the prince gave her.
He had barely entered and seemed to change her world little by little.
'This is extremely rare' she thought upon analyzing the substance. 'And certainly hard to find'.
Vladimir spoke on his own:
"I verified the research the Khufu house was doing and deduced that this material would help to make advancements".
"Well, it sure would" answered Tracy. "It could potentially make a medicine that can be used to restore lost limbs or organs and really accelerate my research, but why would you help me?"
"... wait. What did you say?"
Tracy sighed.
"Why would you help my research out of nowhere?"
"The research is yours?!" The prince was surprised. But... "Ahem! Regardless, with such medical advancements, I believe we could solve many problems for future battles. And since I could help it myself, I did not see a reason for not doing it".
- You weren't as eccentric as the rumours said. You were more.
- Now I know how much you just wanted to be useful.
"Well, thank you, my prince. It will still take some time, since I will need more samples".
"I see" the prince nodded. "Either way, I plan to verify the area tomorrow, so I believe-"
"Wait. What?"
She was surprised. Vladimir spoke:
"I believe more samples can be acquired at an specific point, so I shall go there tomorrow".
"You are going alone? At an unexplored portion of the swamp? It's very dangerous!"
"Indeed" he nodded. "But I merely plan to make sure the abundance of this resource in that area. For such a task, only one scout is needed".
"And why should it be you?"
"Well, I do not see a need to bother someone else with it".
- You seemed... really helpless and stubborn at that time.
- Only later I came to realize... how you disliked to order people around.
"Then I shall be going too, my prince".
"No-"
- And how you liked to get in action.
"Yes. It is my research and regardless of what you want, the danger is still in there. One scout may be minimum need, but the safest way is to always send pair of light and darkness together. You are the faunus and I shall be the human".
"... You make a fair point" he conceded it. "However, may I ask for one thing?"
- I was really surprised by you attitude. You butted in out of nowhere, understood my research, discovered one of the needed components and also what I could acquire and even so...
"Anything you want, my prince".
"While we are alone, please call me by my name".
"What?"
- Seemed really helpless until the very end.
"Call me Vladimir".
"... very well. Let us go tomorrow, Vladimir".
- Just now I can see... how much you wanted to be useful. And how much you disliked the titles you received without earning. How much 'Impaler Vampire' meant more to you than 'Prince Vladimir'.
- So...
In another point in the past...
Tracy talked to Vlad, trying to cheer him up.
"I believe in you, my prince".
"You? Ha!" Vlad looked down upon the girl. "What do you know about me? What does any of you know about me? You do not believe in me, not a single of you believes in me!"
"I do!"
- At that time, I didn't understand anything.
"No... you do not" his red eyes were a reflect of the reality he saw. "You are merely one of the many ready to take a risk for me, without believing I could deal with it. I saw that look on your eyes back there, Khufu! Do I really look that weak to you? Do I?!"
- You weren't completely right... but you weren't wrong either. I really didn't believe in you... none of us believed in you. You helped us all no matter what we did or how we insulted you with our actions.
Vlad continued to speak in anger:
"I do not need another bodyguard, I do not need another hero! I'm tired to live around people ready to die for me!"
- You had a really sharp tongue, but very gentle actions. You wanted to get away from us, but knew that helping would cause us to try to get near you. You knew you wouldn't like it, but you still did it.
"Is it so hard... to believe in me just once?"
- You earned the title "Faith" even though most of the kingdom only believed in your guidance, and never in your strength.
- So... so...
- So!
Tracy looked at that carved spear on the ground, the arm and... finally... 'I can't say that... I can't admit such an end!'
That humanoid pile of charcoal, that dismembered arm. That dried blood!
'Just when I finally understood you, just when I finally saw you smile, just when my admiration truly evolved into love and such love was answered back, how can I admit such and end?!'
- You had faith in me and in all of us...
- ... even though we didn't have any in you.
- So...
"I..." The tears couldn't be surpressed. "Will believe in you..."
Jaune heard those words as he was being pulled.
People and more people were gathering slowly. Ruby was following them and Ren was pulling him.
But the girl of the purple hair was still on the ground crying there.
"Ren... wait... Khufu is still there..."
"We have no time, Jaune!"
"Ren!"
Jaune wanted to fight back, but Ren's eyes were so serious that he couldn't.
At a near place...
Two girls observed the commotion in the park.
One girl, with bear ears playfully asked:
"So, Chimaera's Prince really died?"
"Affirmative" nodded the other girl.
She was the girl of the red hair.
The girl of bear ears asked again:
"You sure he died? I read comic books, you know? Later it's all revealed that it was a misunderstanding and the guy returns lacking an arm or something?"
"No" answered the girl of red hair. "Chad personally took that Paladin to kill the prince and witnessed the scene. That pile of charcoal over there was what was left of him after the flames cremated him alive".
"Wow... then..."
"That's right, Mary" the girl of red hair nodded. "The prince of Chimaera is dead".
"I-I see" Mary, the girl of bear ears, took out a scroll. "I will call Chad then".
Ren, Jaune and Ruby stood there and Ren spoke:
"We have to get out of here. Currently, all we know is that Vladimir Tepes died".
"Th-then-"
Before Jaune could speak, Ren spoke again:
"Considering the situation, it will take a while, but surely an uproar will be caused. That's why we have to get out of here soon enough".
"What?! Why?" Jaune was surprised.
Ruby looked back at the people gathered and opened her eyes wide. She then looked at Ren:
"You don't mean..."
"Yes" Ren nodded. "Regardless of how they don't know who he is, there is a ripped arm and a giant bat wing in there, Jaune. Do you know where I'm getting at here?"
"Faunus!" Jaune finally understood. "When other faunus get here and see the scene..."
'The scene of a brutal death...'
"That's why we have to get out of here fast" Ren accelerated his feet.
The trio started to walk away. And, without them noticing, a pair of green eyes had observed them.
From Mary's scroll, a person responded:
"I have make a few last movements on a few pieces".
The girl of red hair asked:
"Anything we have to do?"
"You have to come with me. Metal, you have to go to the hospital. Wait for a blonde boy with blue eyes or a black haired boy with magenta ones".
Met opened her eyes wide, but then smiled upon looking at the girl of red hair:
"Seems like you are gonna send someone to the hospital~. Alright, Chad. I'm going!"
Ren, Jaune and Ruby were running through the streets.
Ren said:
"The uproar will be only the first of many problems. If Tepes really was the prince of Chimaera..."
Jaune opened his eyes wide and remembered what Ruby had said before.
About Cardin's theory that provoking Tepes could lead to a war.
"It can't be!"
Ruby clenched her teeth.
"It doesn't stop there. Ren, Jaune! You two have to return to Beacon. I can't explain right now, but you two are in most danger right now. I have to return to the hospital as soon as possible!"
Ruby ran away.
Ren asked:
"What did she mean?"
Jaune's mind was at an impossible speed.
DEATH. PRINCE. WAR. ASSASSIN. CAUSE. EFFECT. MOTIVES. etc...
But what he could gather was:
"We are them..."
"What?" Asked Ren while running.
"We will be the first suspects of the murder, Ren!" Answered Jaune.
"Indeed" was the word of that person named Chad. "And it is for that very reason that they have to be moved according to the 'board'."
"I don't understand the exact need for this, Chad".
"They are threats" he pointed at Jaune and Ren. "The blonde defeated Tepes. As such, he shall be investigated. I believe in a near future, he would pose a problem if he gets some sort of allegiance to the mixed-bloods. So, he needs to be eliminated".
"Then, I have to..."
"Cause an incident. A death is detrimental, but grave wounds are welcome. One of them will try to protect another, but either way they will be out of the game for a while".
Issuing the command to her...
The girl of red hair did the next move.
"I see..." Said Ren. "Teams RWBY and JNPR have been with a struggle with team VLNT recently. Not only that..."
"We are the last ones that interacted with Vladimir with exception of his team!" Said Jaune. "Not only that... after my fight... after my fight..."
Jaune remembered. He stood on the top, Vladimir was lying on the bottom.
First with eyes of hatred. Next were eyes lacking any will whatsoever.
The result was the prince that couldn't even walk alone; a perfect target for killing.
"What have I done..."
"JAUNE!" Ren shouted.
Jaune turned around, but it was too late.
Somehow, he was already in the middle of the streets and a truck was coming their way without stopping. The driver was... gone.
Jaune opened his eyes wide.
Then he felt...
His body being pushed and his friend getting on the way of the truck due to that.
"REEEENNN!"
Those green eyes of Chad were at them.
"I see... that pawn shall be the one eliminated..."
Seconds were like minutes.
Jaune fell on the ground. The impact of the truck sent Ren away.
Blood.
A wound on Jaune's hand that didn't close...
And blood from Ren's flying body...
"The White Knight will move directly to the hospital..." muttered Chad. "Where Metal will be waiting".
The girl of red hair observed that tragic 'accident'. The ghost driver that ran over them. The friend that saved the White Knight. The other friend, in fear of what could have happened, shouting and crying.
'To think it would work even here' she thought upon looking at her leader.
Chad's green eyes looked at her:
"Is there a problem?"
And she shook her head.
"I am just surprised that you can negate their auras even in such condition".
Chad was expressionless, but answered:
"I was well prepared. They weren't. They are predictable. Their movements are merely straightforward. So, I may finally declare now a Check. What a pity".
"Indeed it is. In the end, they are just victims".
"Let us go" Chad moved and the girl followed. "We need to crack down Jammer's security and spread to the world the identity of the corpse. Then we will have a bit of time before acting again".
"Still, Chad... they must be feeling really down with the loss of a friend... can't we-"
"If we fail now..." Chad looked at her in the eyes. "Everything will have been in vain. They must be cornered to the point Chimaera moves and poses a danger to Vale. And this must be done now, when they are at their most vulnerable moment".
"At their most vulnerable moment?"
Chad nodded.
"Chimaera's citizens use weapons based in ancient technology. There are so many mysteries that I couldn't analyze the prince's spear, but I have heard the rumors. The weapons are not simple conduits; they can actually boost aura. Their warriors don't just swing their weapon as extension of their bodies; sometimes, they become the extension themselves. Rip their muscles and they still fight. Exaust them of aura and they can still endure the battle... but it has a price".
The girl of red hair thought about it.
"A strain".
"Yes. Their prince while wielding that spear could take on Pyrrha Nikos. By his third battle without proper recovery, he was barely standing. And Arc finished the job, by defeating him, something even the weakest warrior could have done at that time. And we all know the result. But there is more".
"What do you mean?"
"This is just theory, but I think there is also some sort of mental strain involved. Think about it, the prince lost more and more self-control as the battles passed. Tracy Khufu, The Mummy of Impossible Defeat, got more and more desperate after her battles and so on".
"I see!" The girl finally realized. "Team VLNT had all members engage in battles. Their minds are exhausted just like their bodies. If news spread of their prince's death fast to an entire city..."
"They will be cornered. Unable to think straight due to overuse of their weapons, unable to focus on anything except the death of their leader, but... Prince Tepes was still capable of making calm strategical choices. So will they. They will move, searching to the ends of the earth what caused the prince's death and will realize in the end that the biggest suspects are a bunch of teenagers that kept breaking rules and minding other peoples' business".
"And while they do that, Vale is thrown in confusion".
Chad nodded.
"The wings of a butterfly may cause a tornadodepending on the circunstances. A confusion by the death of a faunus, top student of Jammer. The revelation that he was not only a mixed blood, but a prince of a metropolis outside the kingdoms. The reality of his death. On the other side, we have three powerful mixed-bloods backed by a powerful metropolis that has a small, yet very dangerous, army. It's a field filled with butterflies and chaos will flow as they are stepped on" Chad looked at the girl in the eyes. "The prince wasn't an end, but a mean".
"However..."
Tracy walked off the scene after taking a few pictures. It was hard, but a need.
She could hear the faunus appearing there. She could feel the pure bloods starting to argue with each other. Faunus and Humans, both ignorants.
F
I
L
T
H
That was the world she could use to describe them. Primitive beings that discriminated each other like that just because of race.
'And they even dare say this type of stuff doesn't matter. To them, everything is a source of racism' she thought.
And that was what angered her more. To think those ignorants would start to argue due to Vlad.
"You primitive beings..." she muttered while walking away. "You are tainting his pride... to think his... his..."
'He isn't dead' she shook her head. 'He can't be! I refuse to accept... it's all the fault of those ignorants... with them starting a ruckus, I can't concentrate'.
She looked back. There were already people starting to fight. The mere sight made her crave to knock them all unconscious.
But she didn't.
She held back and walked away.
The girl of red hair continued to speak:
"It's still pretty big".
"Yes" Chad nodded. "That was the only thing the prince was wrong at".
Tracy answered her scroll.
"What is it, Luna?"
"Tracy" Luna's voice came from thr device. "My armor reacted and..."
"I get it, you saw it too. Why are you calling me?"
"Because you must be the one near Vlad's spear" she said. "Dracungnir was out of his grasp at the end of the vision, but should still be near the body if-"
"HE DIDN'T DIE!" Shouted the girl.
"Tracy..."
"There is his ripped arm, his spear, his wing, a pile of coal about his size in there... but I can't accept this outcome. He is still alive. He is somewhere".
"Tracy... even if he didn't die in the fire, with that blood loss..."
"He. Is. Alive".
Tracy could hear Luna's sigh from the other side. She always hated that side of Luna.
She was too carefree, even now. It was as if the girl couldn't take anything seriously. Even now, that must have been nothing to shake her.
"Fine" she said. "Either way, you are still there. Did you pick Dracungnir?"
"No... the pure-bloods would suspect about us if I interfered in the scene. I had to leave it there..."
"I get it..."
"But this is not over yet. Luna, you are still at Beacon and we are finishing this mission".
"Wait... what?"
"I know Newton taught you hacking. Invade their computers and gather any info you can. We are finding Vlad and whoever responsible for this".
"His only mistake was thinking his people would stay out of this..."
At Beacon...
Luna looked around. Weiss and Oobleck were trying to deal with the electricity Newton's body released.
The girl of the blue hood used her powers to make sure none of them would hear the conversation.
"Tracy, are you sure?"
"We don't have time. Each second that passes is raising the chances of Vlad dying. In case he is missing, I am to assume the leadership and as leader I order you, as a teammate I ask you, and as a friend I beg you: help me discover who is behind this".
"He was loved by his people to the point they broke their words to protect him. They would be the first to act. In this situation, Chimaera will enter the board".
Tracy heard the reply:
"Got it. Newton is in a bad shape, I think the vision he had was stronger since his sword and Vlad's spear are technically sister weapons... he is currently blind and screaming about the pain , but I will do it. Newton is alive, Vlad may be dying. Where do I start?"
"The girl of red hair, the incident of the scattered roses and Atlesian Paladin and lastly, Jaune Arc".
"Jaune Arc?"
Tracy looked at her hand covered in bandages:
"Arc was the last person to fight Vlad and defeated him. By the end of it, Vlad couldn't even walk. Vlad also discovered that Arc faked his way to Beacon".
"As expected of a pure blood" muttered Luna.
"I think this... isn't this all too weird? Arc fights Vlad, Vlad is broken physically and mentally. Next we know we are attacked by an Atlesian Paladin that suposedly kills Vlad. There is something... that boy..."
"So you are saying he may be part of a bigger organization or something similar? Well..."
"I know it's weird, Luna, but!"
"No... it's just that... the incident of scattered roses..."
Tracy felt something.
"What?"
"Well... Newton managed to acquire a bit of info about it before fighting the Schnee when I checked his scroll. Team RWBY is the cause. They are the ones that the Paladin followed into the city. They are the ones that destroyed it while Torchwick fled the scene. If someone were to gather the pieces to rebuild it... And, well, didn't teams RWBY and JNPR work together against us?"
Tracy opened her eyes wide.
'Think about it... isn't this too weird? Nikos fought with Vlad right when he was alone. Team RWBY attacked them when we were scattered. Jaune Arc defeated Vlad. The modified Paladin kille-'
"He isn't dead..." she muttered.
'But... this all fits perfectly... if I follow the theory that Vlad's murder was planned, teams RWBY and JNPR...'
"All the evidence points to them... the wonder team that could get their hands on an Atlesian Paladin... the team that follows a leader that faked his background... all of the precise encounters as if fated... however, if not fated... but planned..."
"Tracy?"
"They really fooled us..." muttered the girl. In regret, she punched a nearby building and cracks appeared on the wall. "How could things go..."
Jaune saw, to his horror, as Ren's bloodied body was being carried by the paramedics.
"When did things get..."
""So wrong?""
Chad walked through the streets with a grim expression.
"Now, about one thing he was right: the only prize of a war is chaos. The chaos that lead heroes to distrust and fight each other, so..."
Chad looked at the skies. A few shadows flew through it. Normally, one would think they were birds. But actually, Chad could see that they were actually bats.
"Check".
A white knight with a few friends in the hospital...
A team of mixed-bloods lacking a leader...
An uproar slowly raising on the streets as time passed due to the gruesome traits of a death of a faunus...
"It's your turn and you are cornered. What will you do now?"
Heretic notes:
Arc 2 receives a dark start.
The worst enemies aren't the most powerful, but the most intelligent. Capable of turning their own targets against one another, setting up the board with plans before plans with backup plans.
This is what makes a game of chess hard. It isn't about making your own move; it's about predicting what move your opponent will make. It's harder at the start, but mid-game this gets more pronounced. If I move this pawn, exposing my queen, my opponent will either move his bishop or his knight. In these occasions...
See? A game with 36 possible first moves isn't that easy to play. (2 moves for each pawn and knight).
When someone has the capacity to look ahead and make the correct adjustments, things get harder and harder. A few chapters ago, since "A Chess of Fates Upon Vale", they were there. Readying themselves, manipulating from the shadows and in plain sight.
Now it's mid-game. Now the results are more pronounced. Pieces in specific points, others taken from the board.
Vladimir, in the end, was just a very important pawn, near the end of the board. With his fall, a great danger has been released upon Vale: the danger of distrust and fear.
Later!
Heretic...
out!