Infected Rose

by Fred Bobson

War brings many things. Death. Tragedy. Toil. Grief. But a second chance at life? John Diamond is given just that when he is thrown into a strange war on an even stranger world, 20 years younger. Will he crumble under the pressure of the ever-growing darkness? Or will John find his victory in the simplest of souls? ADOPTED from TheLongVersion2. Paralogue I is up.

7. Chapter VII: Combat Festival - Part 1

Uploaded 10/04/2022

Fred_/ This has taken a bit longer than expected...

Ike_/ Yes, unfortunately, we had to take an unexpected and unannounced hiatus due to technical and personal issues. But the important thing is, we never forgot about this story!

Ryan_/ At least it's out now.

Ike_/ And only a year after it was supposed to...

Fred_/ Well, not much else to say except VIVA LA CHAPTER!

Chapter VII: Combat Festival - Part 1

'thought'

Flashback

"speech"

*sound/action*

---

March 12th, 76 AGW

Third Person POV

South Side Of Patch...

Salem was displeased. That much was clear to him, but Lucien found himself unable to predict what she might do as he continued speaking. Lucien's report on the situation had been detailed thus far, only leaving out his own daughter, and Salem had listened whilst watching him with her usual serene but disdainful glare. Now as Lucien finished his report, Salem looked thoughtful. A far cry from the anger she had displayed after his previous report. In any case, Lucien was in no rush. There was no immediate threat to Frost, and the area was significantly more secure this time. Lucien and the Seer were situated in the back room of a dilapidated cabin, a legion of Beowolves diligently standing guard around them as he finished giving his report.

"...So, our allies truly thought this boy was such a risk that exposing ourselves to Ozpin was worth disposing of him?" Salem mused. She silently pondered for a moment more, then gave Lucien his orders.

"Stay in Patch. Do not reveal yourself, do not interfere. Simply keep an eye on this child, and should the opportunity arise, eliminate Entity 303. Report back to me in one month, Lucien," Salem commanded. The image of her grace dissipated from the Seer, and a Beowolf standing guard behind Lucien grumbled. Even her own monsters, it seemed, were capable of being uncomfortable in her presence. Then it sniffed the air and let out a low growl. Lucien went on guard, now sensing that something else was amiss. Was there really someone all the way out on this side of Patch? In the single Grimm-infested area on the entire island? Was it Branw-

"Eep!"

Lucien deadpanned as the surprised cry of a small girl echoed through the empty room. What was it with the children on this island?

---

"Eep!" Ruby cried, tripping and falling forward into Yang.

"Shush! I think I heard someone inside," Yang whispered at Ruby, creeping toward a broken window.

All Yang had come here to do was follow up on a clue about her mother. An old abandoned cabin that Team STRQ used to use as a secret hang-out during their Beacon days. It had taken most of the morning and part of the afternoon to get there, but when she and Ruby got there… there was someone already inside. Yang had faintly heard voices coming from the cabin, a man and a woman. Instead of rushing into what she originally thought would be her mom and someone else, she thought back on John's advice to be careful. Telling Ruby to stay put, Yang crept up to the old and decrepit window that was jammed halfway open and peered inside... and came face to face with a snarling Beowolf. Yang flinched back with a horrified gasp, barely escaping the snapping jaws of the monster. Yang turned and ran, dragging Ruby along behind her without explanation, and into the forest. Vines and branches dragged lines across their skin and tugged at their clothes, and roots tripped at their feet, but they kept going. They ran for what felt like hours, heavy breaths and sore legs severely slowing them, but just when it seemed like they might have gotten away the howls began. The Beowolves were on their trail. The fatigue that had slowed them suddenly disappeared, replaced with a rush of adrenaline and terror. Though Beowolves were among the weakest of the Grimm, they made up for it with their brutality and relentlessness, not to mention a large pack could overwhelm any unprepared Huntsman with relative ease. Ruby and Yang knew this well, having heard so many awe-inspiring stories from their dad and uncle. And thus, they knew how futile their attempt to escape was. But they ran anyway, in the hopes that a Huntsman might come to their rescue. But it was in vain. The sisters suddenly came upon a steep drop, stopping just in time before they reached the edge, and the Beowolves let out an excited howl. Yang spun around, instinctively getting between the Grimm and her little sister. She could see them, spreading out and surrounding them from every side. They were bigger than Yang thought they would be. With a low growl, the biggest of the Grimm slowly began to approach. Every crunch of leaves underfoot sent a deep feeling of dread through Yang. Her vision blurred, and Yang realized that she had been crying. But she refused to back down. Her stupid mistake was going to cost her, but there was no way she would let Ruby die too.

"...R-ruby, climb down the ravine and run! I'll catch up," Yang said shakily, trying to sound brave. It didn't convince either of them. Ruby shook her head vigorously.

"I'm not gonna leave you!" Ruby cried. Just when Yang was about to retort, a sound echoed through the trees, gathering the attention of both girls and every Beowolf. The distinct whirring and clanking of mecha-shift.

Qrow came crashing through the treeline, turning the Alpha Beowolf into mincemeat in a blur of blood and steel. The rest of the pack, still young and inexperienced, turned to face the seasoned Huntsman as he came to a standstill. They had a new enemy. The girls watched with a mix of awe, horror, and relief as Qrow flourished his bloodied scythe, leaning forward with his scythe behind him, blade pointed forward and poised to strike. The Beowolves moved first, all rushing him at once. Qrow spun his scythe around his midsection, slicing three Grimm in two with a single motion and then transitioned into a swing that batted a pouncing Beowolf aside. Qrow let the momentum carry his scythe back around and swung it diagonally, splitting another Grimm from hip to shoulder, and then behind him to impale a Beowolf through the chest. Qrow sidestepped a clawed swipe and swung his scythe around, flinging the Beowolf corpse off of his blade and into a pair of charging Beowolves. Qrow pivoted while twirling his scythe in his hand, deflecting a claw strike with the first rotation and lopping off his attacker's head with the second. Three more Beowolves came from different directions and Qrow waited until they pounced before twirling around, his scythe spinning around his body in a whirlwind of deadly strikes. Already in the air and unable to move away, the creatures of Grimm helplessly dove into the sea of lethal strikes and their body parts were scattered across the forest floor. The remaining Beowolves were more cautious in their approach, circling around the Huntsmen. Qrow, rather impatient at the moment, shifted his scythe's form and eliminated all four Beowolves with well-placed shotgun blasts. A large black bird swooped through the clearing, drawing Qrow's attention to a Beowolf that had started to run away. It was well out of the range of his shotgun now, so with a big step forward and a great heave, Qrow hurled his sword through the air. It spun through the air until it hit the Grimm with the force of a truck, sinking down to the hilt and pinning the dead monster to a tree.

"...so cool," Ruby breathed. Yang found that she had to agree. But as Qrow turned to face them, looking equal parts exasperated and angry, Yang cringed as she realized she was about to receive the worst scolding of her life.

"Ah, crap..."

---

March 13th, 76 AGW

"Crap..." Frost muttered, erasing a mistake she had made on the sketch she was drawing. It was supposed to be a design for a spear she could make for herself, but Frost had progressively realized how little she knew about designing weapons. At this rate she would have to ask John for help again...

"Milk duds?" John offered suddenly, holding out the bag of candies towards Frost. Frost sighed and flipped her notebook shut. Without a second thought, she grabbed the bag and took a piece of candy out.

"Your bribes won't work on me, you know," Frost mumbled, before popping another candy into her mouth. John pouted dramatically.

"Please? Come on, Frosty, help me out here! I just know some good banter will snap Yang out of her funk!" John pleaded. Frost gave him a bemused look.

"I am not going to help you entertain your sister. Yang is grounded, and I'm not as socially adept as you," Frost countered before reaching into the bag for another milk dud.

"You seem to socialize just fine with me," John argued.

"I know you. I... don't really know your sisters very well," Frost defended herself awkwardly, taking another dud from the bag. John sighed, and then he smirked.

"Well, can't blame me for trying. But just remember, you forced me to do this," John declared. Frost looked up from her scroll.

"...what's that supposed to mea-?" Frost had barely finished her sentence when Yang poked her head through the door.

"Hey, have you guys seen my... milk... duds...?" Yang trailed off. Frost, looking like a deer caught in headlights with one hand currently in the milk dud bag, clearly wasn't going to defend herself. So John took it upon himself.

"First of all, we do not appreciate your baseless accusations. Secondly, as her lawyer, I would like to speak only with your lawyer," John stated. Yang gave him a look that clearly conveyed how much she wasn't having it.

"I didn't even accuse you of anything yet."

"...That's beside the point. If you're going to press charges, I'd like for it to be done through the proper channels," John deflected. Yang rested her hands on her hips and smirked deviously.

"Oh yeah? HEY DAD!" Yang cried out.

"...well, she's got us there Frost," John conceded.

"W-wait just a min-" Frost tried to intercede, but John didn't allow it.

"As your legal representative, I'd advise you not to speak. They can use anything you say against you in court," John interrupted. Tai came in a moment later, looking ragged.

"Dad, John and Frost stole my milk duds!" Yang immediately accused.

"Allegedly stole her milk duds. My client could have gotten these chocolates anywhere and you can't possibly prove that they're yours," John reasoned. Yang and Tai simultaneously raised a brow at him.

"Oh really?" Yang asked. John nodded, and then Yang pointed at the milk dud bag.

"Then why is my name on the bag?" Yang asked. Everyone present eyed the bag, seeing that 'property of Yang' was indeed scrawled lazily on the front. John leaned over towards Frost.

"This isn't looking very good for you," John said quietly, but loudly enough for Yang and Tai to hear him.

"Well... what's your side of the story, young lady?" Tai asked Frost tiredly.

"...John did it," Frost finally said.

"Yeah, that follows. John, you owe Yang a bag of milk duds. You also owe me help with my garage project for causing trouble," Tai said before leaving the room briskly. Yang followed behind, giving John a smug grin.

"...Told you banter would cheer her up," John declared. Frost scoffed.

"Just shut up and help me draw my spear."

---

March 14th, 76 AGW

John Rose POV

Xiao Long Family Home...

"Pass me the 9/16," Tai asked. I grabbed the worn crescent wrench off the workbench and placed it in Dad's outstretched hand. After grasping the tool, his arm disappeared under the car once more, leaving only his oil and rust-stained trousers visible. There was a loud clanking noise followed by the sound of a ratchet turning from underneath the gutted muscle car, and Tai grunted in frustration. I raised a brow in amusement.

"Having troubles there, Dad?" I asked sarcastically.

"You just quiet down over there, this car has been sitting in a scrap heap for years. I just need to oil the bolts so they'll come easier is all," Tai retorted. I chuckled and grabbed the WD-40, handing it to him as he reached out for it.

"Why are you restoring this tetanus trap anyway? I thought you were more of a motorcycle guy," I asked curiously. Tai had found the remains of this classic muscle car sitting in the Patch Metal Workings yard at his second job and immediately bought it for the dirt-cheap price it was listed at. Tai scoffed.

"Tetanus trap? This is hardly a piece of trash, John, it's a diamond in the rough! This old girl could go zero to sixty in ten seconds in her prime, and with modern technology and some tinkering, it could do it in seven. Besides, do you have any clue how much I could sell a restored Nevermore GT with a six-litre dust infuser for?" Tai asked.

"Nope," I answered briskly.

"Enough to pay for all three of you kiddos to go to Signal four times," Tai exclaimed. I had to admit, that was a tad surprising. No wonder dad wants to restore this thing so badly. Tai suddenly cursed, and I preemptively grabbed the rag for him to clean himself off. He muttered a thanks, then went back to work trying to remove the rusted-out exhaust system.

"Speaking of which, I needed to talk to you," Tai began. I remained silent, waiting to listen and after a moment Tai continued.

"Yang and Ruby want to start training for Signal. I was wondering if you would be willing to help me teach them a thing or two," Tai said seriously.

"You want me to help them train? Don't you think you're a little more qualified than I am?" I asked incredulously. Tai slid out from under the car, his blue eyes contrasting starkly with his dirtied face and hair. He looked around for a moment to ensure we were alone, then continued.

"Don't think you can fool your old man, I know you have more skill and experience than you let on. Qrow and I will be personally tutoring them, but I want you to include them in your training too," Tai told me.

"You really have that much faith in me?" I asked, taken aback. Tai scoffed.

"I've seen what that girl you've taught can do. I've seen you sneaking off and practicing in the woods. I've... well, I've heard you speaking in your sleep. I know," Tai said. The mood became sombre, and Tai seemed as careful to step on an eggshell as I was not to focus on any of my recurring dreams he might have been privy to.

"How long have you known?" I asked quietly. Tai sighed and stood up.

"It didn't take long after I met you to realize you weren't some boy out of the woods. I figured you would open up when you were ready, so I never said anything. Then Qrow had a chat with me after Halloween, and everything fell into place. I have tried to respect boundaries, but things are escalating John, and even if you still aren't ready to talk about it the girls need to be ready,"

I hung my head and ran a hand through my hair, fighting back a resurgence of old memories. After some deliberation, I refocused on the topic at hand. I sat down and crossed my arms, considering it. I honestly should've seen this coming, but I guess I was so focused on my training regiment with Frost that I forgot Yang and Ruby wanted to go to Signal as well. And Oum knows Ruby hadn't shut up about how cool scythes are since the incident in the forest the other day. If she hadn't seen Qrow as a superhero before, which she had, she certainly did now. Yang on the other hand had taken it upon herself to start exercising and looking up martial art instructions online since then. She had become relentless in her pursuit to get strong, something I was more than familiar with seeing in people after one of their mistakes led to a near-death experience. Failure is the greatest teacher, I suppose. I sighed. I guess it was inevitable, but It's best if I work with them. Before I could give Tai my answer, he spoke again.

"Here's the deal; I'm going to teach them how to work out and train their aura, as well as hand-to-hand combat. Qrow is going to teach them how to fight with weapons, how to forge weapons, and about the Grimm. I want you to spar with them, help them study, share any expertise you might have, and make sure they don't slack off in their exercises. With everything that's happened recently, I want them to be ready to defend themselves if it comes down to it. Even before Signal," Tai said. I nodded.

"You're right. I'll be more than happy to help, and I'll teach them some leadership and strategy skills too if that's alright. But why the sudden rush, Dad? Whoever my would-be assassin is, they're in jail," I asked. Tai sighed.

"I...I've been temporarily called back to active duty. A swarm of Grimm is heading for the Emerald Forest and Ozpin needs more hands on deck to keep the Grimm levels down for the students. I leave in three days, and Qrow is staying to watch you kids until I'm back," Tai said. I opened my mouth slightly as if to say 'ah'. That would explain it.

"You're worried another attempt might be made on me since you aren't around, and they could be caught in the crossfire," I said with no small amount of guilt. Tai frowned slightly.

"Yeah...but this isn't your fault, John. I've known for a while that something like this might happen, but I was just hoping so dearly that the day my kids would have to grow up would never come. But I would rather they be alive and happy than naïve and hurt," Tai said. I found myself nodding in agreement. It was the hard and ugly truth, but regardless of the reasons, they would need to grow up sooner than later.

"Anyways, let's get back to work! Your education isn't gonna pay itself, kiddo," Tai exclaimed, sliding back under the car. I smirked.

"Not with that attitude it sure won't,"

---

March 15th, 76 AGW

Xiao Long Family Home...

"So uh... what are we doing outside? I thought you said we were gonna fight?" Ruby asked. I moved to the centre of the dirt circle, and Frost stepped inside the boundary in front of me.

"We are Rubes, but not on Street Dueler. Dad and Qrow are going to start teaching you guys in preparation for Signal-" I began, seeing Yang and Ruby light up like candles, "-SO, I'm going to demonstrate why CQC is important."

Ruby tilted her head in slight confusion, and Yang grinned. From what I'd heard and seen, Yang was going to follow in Dad's footsteps with a brawler-type fighting style and weapon. Ruby was almost definitely going to emulate her idolized uncle if her colour palette and clothing style had anything to say about it. And besides that, ever since Qrow had saved her and Yang, Ruby went on and on about how cool battle scythes were. But regardless of what weapons or fighting styles they chose, it was imperative that they learned to fight without a weapon. Frost was also here for the same reason, although she already had a decent enough idea of how to handle herself.

"I know we all have pretty good ideas of what our weapons are going to be, but there will be times when you find yourself disarmed or without a weapon entirely in combat," I explained. Yang nodded in understanding and Ruby opened her mouth slightly as if to say 'ah'.

"Sooo, you and Frost are going to demonstrate it for us? Or teach us?" Yang asked. I smirked.

"Not exactly. All three of you will be taking part, and Dad will be the one teaching you. I'm doing this primarily to teach you why it's important so you don't complain when you aren't learning to use your weapons. The three of you will be on a team. If you can pin me to the ground or push me out of the circle, you win," I explained. Yang grinned confidently and pounded her fists together, while Ruby looked a bit worried.

"U-um...won't three on one be unfair, John?" Ruby asked. I chuckled and crossed my arms, but Frost beat me to the witty response.

"Of course it's an unfair fight, we need at least three more people to stand a chance!" Frost exclaimed dryly. Yang laughed, obviously thinking it was a joke, and Ruby still seemed to be worried. Regardless, they both stepped into the circle. I motioned for them to start, and surprisingly Ruby made the first move.

Ruby charged forward, aiming to tackle me out of the boundary, and I just leaned out of the way while leaving one of my feet sticking out. Ruby tripped over my foot and went flying out of the boundary with a squeal, and Yang jumped onto my back. I kneeled forward, grabbing her arms before they could lock around my neck, and tossed her over my head and out of the circle. I spun around to see Frost's fist inches from my face. My hand shot out and gripped her wrist, and I used her momentum to manipulate her arm behind her back and force her to her knees with a gentle kick to the back of the leg. With Frost immobilized, all it took to send her out of the ring was a gentle shove between the shoulder blades.

"...Well, you almost lasted a full second! Care to try again?" I asked smugly. A groan from all three girls was all the response I got, and I laughed.

"Come on, we've got a lot of work to do," I said cheekily.

"I'm gonna beat that smirk off of your face, bro..." Yang warned. I laughed.

"From so far away? You'll have to come closer first," I taunted. Yang grinned at the challenge, while Ruby and Frost scrambled to join her.

"Just giving you a chance to pray," Yang countered, entering the circle again.

"An excellent response! Now come, work as a team this time and maybe I'll break a sweat!" I exclaimed, falling into a boxer stance. Yang and Frost mirrored the stance to the best of their ability, while Ruby did some form of karate imitation that made me laugh.

Yang came first, approaching more cautiously than before while Frost moved to the left to flank me. While their guards weren't terrible, Yang's footwork was absurdly bad and Frost was being far too cautious of me to put up a decent offence. Ruby was still making her ridiculous (but adorable) pose, so Yang would be the first to attack. As expected Yang threw the first punch, putting her weight behind it and aiming for my face. It would have been a good punch if it had hit. Unfortunately, she obviously hadn't expected me to quickly lean back out of her range and use a light kick to knock her off balance. I purposely took my time to press the advantage, smiling when Frost moved in to cut me off from Yang.

'A quick study as always...'

Frost was quick, throwing fast jabs to keep me at a distance while preventing me from grappling her. Ruby had moved to help Yang to her feet, so this would be an ample opportunity to teach the three of them to avoid letting someone get separated from their allies in a fight. I leaned past Frost's next punch, grappling her waist and tossing her over my shoulder with a heave that would've left me open to an attack if Yang or Ruby had been there. Frost's shocked yelp followed by a thud was more than enough to tell me she was out. Yang was up and on me again, arm already in motion. Ruby was coming from the right, probably aiming to grapple my leg or tackle me out. A decent plan, but it relied on me staying still to defend against Yang. I pivoted, taking the hit to my jaw in return. Ruby had overcommitted on her lunge, sending her flying out of the ring with a squeal, and Yang was still too surprised to defend against my leg sweep. She hit the ground flat on her back, and I casually moved away so she could recover. Once she had caught her breath, I started speaking.

"If it's this easy for me to beat you now, imagine if I had disarmed you and I still had my weapon? Or what if you had your weapon, but I grappled you? This is why CQC is so integral for every warrior to know. Now, let's see if you can manage a win. No matter how many times you try, none of you can ever beat me individually. You need to work as a team, play each other's strengths and cover each other's weaknesses, and avoid overcommitting to any one plan or strike. Don't let any one person get separated either, anyone who gets separated is as good as dead," I coached. All three girls groaned, and I smirked.

'This will be fun'

---

March 18th, 76 AGW

Patch

Qrow sighed and took another sip from his glass of Mistralian Scotch. The bartender was idly cleaning and polishing glasses and bottles behind the counter, taking advantage of their early closing. With a call from Ozpin and a generous donation, the owner had eagerly agreed to close the bar early for one night. It may not have been the most inconspicuous way to meet with someone, but when the enemy knew you were meeting with someone anyway, it helped prevent eavesdroppers. And hence, Qrow was sitting at the bar with a drink while he waited for his contact to show up, impatiently swirling the golden brown liquid around in the glass. The bartender spared a glance at the door when it opened, letting the bottle of vodka he was holding slip through his grasp and crash to the floor. He cursed quietly and left to get a mop, while a man dressed in a slim-fit black suit sauntered up to the bar beside Qrow. He undid the buttons on his jacket and adjusted his tie with a practiced motion, then sat on the barstool next to Qrow and leaned his Diamond-topped cane against the bar.

"Bad luck, dropping an expensive bottle like that," He mused, his mature voice almost seeming to echo through the empty bar. Qrow smiled bitterly at his comment, emptying his glass with one last swig and placing it gently back on the bar.

"Damien," Qrow regarded with a nod, "Glad you could make it,"

"Anything for my favourite edge lord, Qrow, anything at all. So what was so important that I needed to rush down to Patch?" Damien asked, brushing a strand of raven hair out of his face. If Qrow took offence to being called an edge lord, he didn't show it.

"You got the information I asked for?" Qrow asked, pointedly ignoring the younger man's question. Damien gave Qrow a brief look of curiosity, then pulled his scroll out of his suit jacket and extended it to the size of a tablet.

"His name is Lucien Gemini. Your hunch that he isn't a run-of-the-mill huntsman was spot on, he graduated from Alsius two years early and went straight into the Specialists. For the next five years, he did all of Atlas' dirty work. Wet-work, subterfuge, heavy Grimm extermination, he wasn't screwing around. He also worked on some big projects with the science division, but they were all off-the-books and Lucien is the only involved member still alive," Damien detailed, pulling up Lucien's public access Huntsman file alongside his confidential Specialist files. Qrow nodded absently, digesting the information as it came.

"Then out of the blue, he decides he's had enough and requests a transfer. General Ironwood himself granted the transfer request and sent him to some garrison village in the middle of the Mistralian desert. Three years later, the entire garrison of Huntsman and Atlesian soldiers were slaughtered in a back-to-back attack from Grimm and bandits."

"Except for him, right?" Qrow guessed, cutting in as Damien pulled up the attack reports. Damien looked at Qrow with mild surprise in his steely grey eyes, and Qrow grunted.

"Lucky guess," Qrow mumbled out dismissively. It was a common strategy for bandit tribes to weaken garrisons with Grimm, and it wasn't uncommon for Salem to use similar strategies to weed out skilled Huntsman for her inner circle. Qrow was unfortunately very familiar with the effectiveness of it. Damien seemed unconvinced but continued.

"...He disappeared four days later. Took his service weapon, and an unspecified high-tech Atlesian weapon. Officially, Lucien is considered missing in action. Unofficially, he's considered a high-level security threat and Atlas wants him back dead or alive," Damien finished. Qrow rose a brow.

"You don't even know what weapon he stole?" Qrow asked incredulously. Damien scoffed.

"Everyone has their limits, Branwen, but I'd like to think I'm the best," Damien defended with a hint of annoyance. Qrow gave him a wry smile as Damien transferred the documents to him and put his scroll away.

"You are the best. That's why I use you instead of Junior."

The two men quieted as the bartender returned, setting about mopping up the spilled liquor and sweeping up the broken glass. They waited a moment until he left to dispose of it, then began speaking once more in hushed tones.

"You never answered me before. Why did you need me here in person?" Damien asked in a neutral tone. Qrow gave him a knowing look.

"You already know," Qrow countered.

"Of course I do. I want to hear you say it," Damien pressed.

"...Ozpin and I know you're aware of our secret. We want to make sure-" Qrow began cautiously.

"-You want me to join your side so you can keep me in check." Damien interrupted calmly. Qrow didn't respond.

The bartender returned, immediately realizing he had walked into something. The tension in the room was powerful, almost palpable. Neither of the men spared the bartender any attention, keeping their calculating glares fixed on each other. The bartender went over his options and quickly decided that two hundred Lien an hour was not worth whatever was happening here. He slowly backed out of the room.

"...I'm a simple man, Branwen. I don't ask much. But I do expect that as I respect my clients' boundaries, they respect mine," Damien said slowly.

"Excuse me for looking for allies then. We are at war Damien! You of all people should get that!" Qrow exclaimed. Damien smiled at Qrow, but it wasn't friendly. His intelligent grey eyes were cold and calculating, staring calmly ahead at Qrow. The room around them seemed to darken, and a light flickered behind them.

"Look for them elsewhere. Don't insult my intelligence by assuming I would choose a side before the outcome is clear. That would be problematic for me and mine," Damien retorted. He stood, grabbing his cane and re-buttoning his jacket as he turned for the door. Qrow remained silent.

"Have a good night, Qrow. And try to keep that bad luck of yours in check," Damien said casually, pulling the bar door open and closing it gently behind himself as he left. The moment it clicked shut, the room brightened again and the heavy tension in the room dissipated. Thoroughly unfazed, Qrow poured himself another drink.

"That went well."

---

April 1st, 76 AGW

Patch...

A light breeze rustled the leaves around John and Frost, and beams of sunlight broke through different gaps in the tree cover. Frost was draped comfortably over a large tree branch eight feet above the ground while John sat on a branch higher up on the opposite side of the tree, leaning against the trunk with one leg dangling over the side. Both were fixated on their scrolls, mashing buttons violently in an attempt to defeat each other in an intense online match of Brawl Hall. Grins were plastered on their faces, despite the concentrated furrow of their brows, and the distracting sound of birds singing their songs. One bird, in particular, a large black crow, went completely unnoticed by the two as it sat and watched them from higher in the tree. An impressive, if not accidental, combo from Frost put John up against an obstacle and Frost was upon him immediately with another combo. Unable to defend himself if his character couldn't get up, the round was ended shortly thereafter. John grunted in frustration, and Frost showed her amusement at his frustration with a smug half-grin.

"That's cheating!" John exclaimed. Frost shrugged.

"I seem to recall someone telling me that nothing is fair. Now, who was it..." Frost said coyly, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, I wonder..." John shot, returning Frost's sarcasm in full. She smiled again, and the two started another round of the game.

"So, have you decided on a school?" John asked, making idle conversation as he unleashed an only slightly unfair combo on Frost's character.

"...Have I decided on what now?" Frost asked absently, countering John's attack and sending him blasting off the edge of the screen.

"A combat school, Frosty, a school where you will be taught to kick butt and take names. Have you chosen one?" John asked again with amusement. Frost frowned ever so slightly.

"Erm...I'm still deciding between Alsius and Signal, but...um...I was kind of thinking I would stay home for a while," Frost said awkwardly, giving John pause.

"Oh?"

"W-well, I mean, my mother is going to be all on her own once I leave... so I thought I would stick around until you graduate," Frost explained unsurely. Understanding washed over John and he made an 'Ah' noise. When he didn't say anything else, Frost grew anxious.

"...you're not... upset, are you?" Frost asked. John chuckled and shook his head.

"No, why would I be?"

"Well, I thought you might encourage me to go on ahead. Ya know, not waste any time. And like... cause I might be teased for being older if I go later," Frost said anxiously. John sighed.

"You may be dedicating your life to something, but there's no need to rush to that point. There was a time I may have advised you to go on without me, but..." John trailed off, drifting into another place in his mind.

...

MOTHER!

Stay with me, Shay! I can't... I can't do this alone!

I'm sorry Darien... I'm so sorry...

...

"...I've learned that it's better to take things slow, and savour your time with people while you have it," John finished somberly. Frost hummed in agreement, grateful for the advice and unaware that she had touched upon a sensitive subject for John. They played in silence for several minutes more until John muttered a curse under his breath as his character was torn in half by Frost.

"How many times are you going to humiliate me like this?" John asked playfully, back to his usual self.

"Once for every bruise you've given me!" Frost replied with a smirk.

"Fair enough," John conceded. He had been a little tough on her lately...

"...Jeb's blind eye, this is getting ridiculous," John muttered frustratedly as he was incinerated by a blast of fire. Frost tilted her head at John's strange curse.

"Who is Jeb? Or Notch for that matter? You always use their names when you curse," Frost asked curiously. John hummed.

"They're the Gods in my people's religion, rather similar to the legend of the Two Brothers. Notch and Jeb, the Gods of light and darkness respectively, once ruled over us. But after a great disaster, the details of which were always a subject of debate, they left," John explained casually.

"Oh. Do you believe in them?" Frost prodded further.

"I've never been particularly religious, to be honest. I believe that the universe was created by a higher power, but I'm not sure I believe in Notch and Jeb per se. I prefer to simply accept what is, and live my life. Why do you ask?" John said.

"I dunno. It just seems like not many people believe in anything, so I was curious what your perspective is," Frost replied with a shrug.

"I see. What do you believe, if you don't mind my asking?" John inquired. Frost blinked in surprise, not having expected the question to be flipped around on her.

"...Um, nothing really. Nothing is proven and there aren't many good theories so I just try not to think about it," Frost admitted awkwardly. Sensing that Frost was becoming uncomfortable with the topic, John diverted her attention by using a cheatsy combo on her in the game while she was distracted.

"H-hey, no fair!" Frost suddenly cried, rushing to recover before John could press down on her. His advantage didn't last long. As Frost looked up at him with a cheeky smile, John cursed again.

"If this character is so great, why can't he counter simple attacks..." John mumbled bemusedly.

"You can counter my simple attacks, you just have to time it right. You keep trying to counter strong attacks," Frost explained as she happily sliced John's character in half. John swore, and Frost laughed.

"Okay, okay, let's do something else," Frost conceded. John perked up.

"What do you propose?" John asked, eager to do anything but get killed in a video game again.

"Well...

---

Xiao Long Home...

"This is a terrible idea," Frost hissed as she strained to keep her head low. John grinned slyly, but never tore his eyes away from their target.

"All ideas are terrible, some just happen to work out. Besides, this was your idea," John retorted, staring forward through the underbrush to look at Qrow, silently sipping at his flask on the back porch. Frost scoffed.

"My idea was to prank someone for April fools. It was your idea to prank your uncle. He's a Huntsman for Oum's sake, this is suicidal!" Frost replied in a harsh whisper, trying her best to reason with her apparently suicidal best friend. John's grin widened, if that was even possible, and he waved a hand dismissively.

"Tosh, if we stick to the plan we'll be fine. Now, hand me the slime!" John exclaimed quietly, holding out his hand. Frost shoved her hand into her pocket and pulled out a ziplock bag with a green ooze inside, and as soon as she placed it in John's hand she turned back towards the porch. Although the two of them had made a bit of commotion, Qrow was too busy emptying the final drops of liquor from his flask to notice.

"How do you know he's gonna leave anyway?" Frost asked unsurely. John shrugged.

"Well, Qrow's been babysitting us since yesterday, so that means he'll be needing to refill his flask any minute now..." John whispered. Sure enough, no sooner had John finished speaking Qrow got up from his chair to refill his flask, and check on Ruby and Yang while he was at it. This was their chance.

"Dust, that man's liver must look like camouflage," Frost joked as the two of them dashed out of the bushes and hopped over the porch railing. Despite doing his best not to blow their cover, John couldn't help but laugh. John set to slathering the wicker seat with translucent green slime, while Frost inconspicuously crouched by the door and watched for Qrow. After a moment, John finished with a satisfied smirk, then he and Frost sprinted back to the bushes and took cover. They huffed breathlessly, crouched on all fours.

"You really think it'll work?" Frost asked with a hint of excitement. John nodded vigorously.

"It's going to be glorious," was all John said in response. Frost rolled her eyes, despite the smile that was spreading across her face.

"Slime balls and delusions of grandeur, truly your plan is flawless," Frost said sarcastically. John shrugged.

"What can I say, I'm a brilliant tactician!" John replied with a false smugness. The two were snapped out of their banter when the sound of a sliding door reached their ears, and they turned to see Qrow coming back out. John and Frost watched him closely, eagerly anticipating the outcome. Just as planned, Qrow didn't pay the chair any mind before sitting down, and a squelch announced his doom as he sat. Qrow stiffened and went completely still. He knew what had happened. John snickered, and Frost whacked him on the shoulder.

"Shut up, he's gonna hear us!" Frost hissed.

"No, there's no way he can...no, wait, he's looking right at us. JEB'S SWEET HONEYSUCKLE BEARD, HE SEES US!" John cried, as he and Frost took off running in the opposite direction. Qrow had already managed his way onto his feet and started hobbling after the offending children as fast as he could, chair sticking to his butt cartoonishly.

"GET BACK HERE!"

---

April 3rd, 76AGW

Xiao Long Backyard...

Frost had never been particularly coordinated, but after her training had started she had been surprising herself again and again with how much she could do. Her skill with the spear was constantly improving, boosted by her study of old martial arts tomes and John's tutelage. She gained strength with every passing day, and her dexterity was increasing so quickly that John actually worked up a sweat keeping up with her. Or at least, he seemed to be at the moment as he ducked under her spear and swung a fist in her direction. Frost had never lasted so long in a fight with John before, but it could probably be attested to the fact that he had started off without a weapon. Whatever the case, Frost felt her chest swell with pride at the thought of making John work for his victories now and drove herself to put up a good fight. She ducked under his fist and swung her spear down hoping to catch him in the shin, yelping when John hopped over her spear and gave her a forceful shove back. Frost kept her footing, falling back into her stance and sidestepping a kick that would have thrown her out of the circle. Frost lunged forward with vigor, eliciting a sharp cry when John evaded her attack with ease and delivered a shin kick to her gut. She staggered back, reflexively bringing up her guard to block John's follow-up roundhouse. He didn't let up, reloading and unleashing another kick that Frost narrowly avoided. Frost rolled away to give herself a moment to catch her breath, twirling her spear and using the momentum to knock a jab off course. Pressing her momentary advantage, Frost used the Rainstorm technique which John had been helping her refine. Unfortunately, John knew the combo well enough to predict it based on how Frost telegraphed her movements through the waist and shoulder. Adjusting the angle of his head minimally to dodge the first strike and sidestepping the second strike almost casually, John created an opening for himself to grapple her arm on the third strike. Despite seeing what John was up to Frost already had her arm in motion, and couldn't change her momentum in time to avoid the grapple. The practice spear flew out of the circle a moment later, and Frost frantically threw up her arms in a basic guard to protect herself from a barrage of jabs and crosses. Frost saw John falter for a moment and threw a wild hook, realizing too late that it had been a feint, and found herself getting flipped around as John grappled her arm once more. With her arm stretched out by John's left hand, he positioned his hip at her waist and threw his right arm into her chin. As a result, Frost flew back and slammed into the ground flat on her back. She gasped for breath and threw her guard back up as John straddled her waist and continued throwing light punches. Frost panicked for a moment, but a lesson from John's dad came to her and she calmed herself. Arching her back as best she could, Frost hooked her leg around John's and flipped them over so she was on top. She struggled with John for a moment trying to get a good position, but he overpowered her and threw her back. The two rose to their feet and circled each other with their arms raised in a boxer's guard, Frost breathing heavily and John seeming more relaxed than anything. Frost grumbled under her breath and surged forward, pivoting and spinning around in a 360 shin kick that John blocked with his forearm. He jolted forward and caught Frost by surprise, tackling her to the ground and receiving an instinctive knee to the gut for his trouble.

"You...dirty...cheater!" Frost managed between labored breaths as she struggled to resist a hold John was trying to leverage her into. John grinned cheekily. Even though he was still holding back in their bouts, Frost had come a long way in Tai's lessons in just a few short days. Dirt kicked up as the two scuffled on the ground, and the sun finally dipped below the treeline behind them. Ruby and Yang had long since called it quits, far too exhausted to spar after joining John and Frost in their workout, but was it really that late already?

"There would have to be rules...for me to be cheating...wouldn't there?" John rebuked between bated breaths. John was right, but that didn't mean Frost had to like it.

"In that case..." Frost grunted out, before going for a dirty hit.

Frost kicked out suddenly, nailing John between the legs and savoring the mixture of shock and pain on his face. A subsequent elbow to his nose was enough to dissuade him from pursuing the hold, and a hard shove was enough to separate him from Frost. In her adrenaline high, Frost didn't even realize that John's nose was bleeding. She charged at him with a left cross already in motion, and John snapped forward driving his shoulder into her gut. Before Frost could even register the pain and the breath being taken from her lungs again, she felt herself being lifted and tossed over John's shoulder and braced for impact. The cold dirt met her back with a resounding thud, stunning her and forcing her body to relax for a moment. At that moment John spun, crouched, and delivered a punch that he stopped just an inch short of Frost's forehead. A clean strike that surely would have knocked her unconscious in her current state. When the room stopped spinning above Frost and she had sucked in a desperate gulp of air, she realized that she had been defeated. Again. She huffed and closed her eyes in disappointment, not ready to get up just yet. John stood, wiping a stream of blood from his upper lip with a strained chuckle. He walked to one of the worn wooden chairs and collapsed back in it lazily. He grabbed a bottle of water from the ground beside it, taking a long sip and considering the girl still splayed out on the floor before him.

"That was a good hit, but... did you really have to go for a low blow like that?" John asked incredulously. His best friend sure must have been desperate for a win today. That, or he had just pushed a tad too far with his comments and remarks. Either was plausible, really. Frost cracked an eye open, looking over at him as she responded.

"How else was I supposed to avoid getting stuck in another hold?" Frost asked sarcastically, only realizing a few moments later that there was a steady red stream coming from John's nostrils. Now that she looked, his nose was bent at an odd angle too.

"The technique I know Dad taught you, maybe? Or is that way too boring for you?" John teased. Frost shot up and scrambled to her feet as he responded, a look of guilt now adorning her features.

"Oh, Oum, you're really bleeding! Is it broken? I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I should've-!" Frost babbled, rushing over to John to inspect the damage she had done. John waved her off apathetically.

"Don't worry about it, you aren't in much better shape yourself, even though I did my best not to hit very hard. Besides, this is your first real hit on me, even if you had to use dirty tactics to get it, so you should be proud," John explained away, popping his nose back into place. Frost frowned and shook her head, but resigned herself to sitting in the other wooden chair beside him.

"I can't be happy about hurting you, though..." Frost mumbled apologetically. John scoffed.

"We're full-contact sparring without gloves or protection, it can't be helped. We've been lucky to go this long without any notable injuries besides bruises, to be honest," John said, trying to reassure his friend so she wouldn't feel bad (despite his aversion to being kicked in the crown jewels).

Frost finally seemed to brush it out of her mind, taking a sip from her own water bottle. She nearly did a spit take when she saw John pull up his white sweater sleeves to turn off gravity bracelets. Suddenly, she didn't feel bad for drawing blood anymore. In fact, she almost felt like doing it again when she saw John roll up his blue pant legs to turn off the gravity bracelets on his ankles which were set to X2. No wonder he had been working up such a sweat! Did the man even feel muscle burn? And more than that, was he trying to get better at a faster rate than her to stay ahead? He had explicitly told her to leave her bracelets at X1.02.

"So, what did we learn?" John asked, going back into teacher mode. Frost gave him a deadpan look as she started unbuckling her own gravity bracelets.

"That I should kick harder next time?" Frost retorted sarcastically. John blinked in surprise.

"Hey now, what happened to all the guilt and empathy?" John remarked defensively.

"Depends, where did all the gravity dust come from?" Frost retorted. John blinked owlishly.

"Huh?"

"I mean, it's no wonder I can never beat you if you've been taking your own training more seriously than mine," Frost accused. A look of realization passed over John and he sighed.

'If I want to protect everyone I love, I need to reach the strength of my old self. But, it's not like I can tell Frost that directly...' John thought.

"I admit I am trying to train my body more intensely, but I have good reason for limiting yours. Your body just isn't used to this kind of work yet," John explained. Frost huffed.

"How am I supposed to get used to it if I don't do it? I don't want to be your student forever, John, I want to be your equal someday!" Frost cried indignantly.

"I understand. But you have to have patience. Progress doesn't come overnight, even for you. Now, what did you learn from our spar?" John asked, attempting to change the subject. Frost narrowed her eyes at him.

"Even for me? What is that supposed to mean?" Frost asked quietly.

"It means; what you lack in strength and skill, you make up for with talent and tenacity. Your observation skills and eagerness to learn allows you to pick things up quickly. Your stubbornness, as much as it is an annoyance at the moment, has given you perseverance in your training even through defeat. Your potential for growth, Frost, is staggering. But you can't push yourself too much at once, blast it, or you'll injure yourself and set your training back by months!" John snapped. Frost fell dead silent, and John continued before she could respond.

"I push myself as hard as I do because I've experienced similar training in the past. I have the constitution for it. I train this hard because I can't afford not to. My enemies will likely never let up. Notch as my witness, I'll be damned if I let any of my past repeat itself," John said resolutely. Frost stared at him quietly, the gravity of his situation finally dawning on her.

"...what happened to you?" Frost asked, almost whispering. John became distant, his eyes seeing a memory that drowned out the world around him. John didn't say anything, he just leaned forward and ran a hand through his hair. Frost regretted asking almost immediately. She remembered the night John had first brought her here. She knew that, at the least, John had seen his entire village razed to the ground. Frost suddenly stepped forward, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry. I just... Sometimes I forget how much you've been through, even though I'm older..." Frost mumbled. John snapped out of his trance and returned the hug.

"It's alright. Just trust me, alright? You'll catch up to me in time."

John and Frost silently embraced for several moments more, before John pulled back and gave her an evil smirk.

"Since our spar didn't teach you anything, and you're so eager, how about we work on your core strength? How does a five-minute plank with twelve percent on the gravity bracelet sound?" John said innocently. Frost paled.

"Dust..."

---

April 7th, 76 AGW

Xiao Long Home...

An epic battle was taking place. A war, the scale and ferocity of which had never hence been seen, shook the farthest corners of Remnant. Four kingdoms and a territory known as Menagerie fought for dominance, led by their respective commanders. The Atlesian General Yang, the Valeian Admiral Frost, the Vacuoian Commander Ruby, the Mistralian chieftain Qrow, and the Menagerian leader John. The five sat crowded around a table, with cards in one hand and dice in the other. A map of Remnant sat in the centre, with small figurines of soldiers and machines of war scattered across it. It was John's turn to move for Menagerie, and as the hardest nation to play as, the pressure was on. He looked at his cards with a blank stare while the others looked on expectantly, several possibilities playing out in his mind. Finally, he looked up at Yang and silently moved his army towards her borders. Yang smiled confidently and leaned back in her chair, hands clasped in front of her.

"Oh, you're approaching my borders? Instead of strengthening your defences or destroying my colonies, you're coming right to me? Even though you have a major disadvantage, you think you can best me in direct combat?" Yang asked cheekily. John smirked.

"I can't conquer your kingdom without getting closer," John replied without missing a beat. Frost tilted her head in curiosity, and Ruby let out a 'wut' with visible confusion written across her features. Yang was confident in her victory for good reason, as Atlas was the easiest (and most powerful) nation to play as in the beginning stages of the game, being able to fend off almost any attack from other players. Qrow furrowed his brow and glanced at John with a pointed look. John was experienced with war tactics, so such a blatantly suicidal move drew suspicion. Clearly, the commander of Menagerie had something dangerous up his sleeve.

"Fufufu, then come as close as you like! But you'll never defeat my Atlesian fleet!" Yang taunted, moving her fleet forward smugly. As soon as her hand left the pieces, John exploded from his chair with a grin and threw down a card. A colourful drawing of a lightning storm elicited a gasp from both Ruby and Yang.

"You fool! Lightning dust storm attack! This card destroys any air units you send into battle! Now, prepare your infantry for battle, dear sister!" Yang was aghast, looking back and forth between the card and John's armies.

"Wha...! But how did...? But how can you-?" Yang sputtered. John grinned devilishly.

"-Move such a large ground force across the difficult terrain surrounding Atlas? Have you forgotten that my Fauness troops have an advantage against darkness and difficult terrain?" John rebuked smugly. With an anguished sigh, Yang took up the defenders' dice and rolled. John rolled the attacker's dice simultaneously, and each spectator watched with anticipation as the plastic cubes skid across the board. John's grin never faded as he looked up victoriously while varying degrees of shock appeared on the faces of his opponents.

"And so the mighty Atlas falls. What a shame, I was hoping you would put up more of a fight!" John exclaimed smugly, propping his head upon his hand as if the entire ordeal had been boring. Yang deflated but kept her fighting spirit alive. After all, she wasn't down for the count yet!

"W-well, I still have colonies! Don't think I'm down and out just yet!" Yang exclaimed, eliciting a hum of interest from John.

"So, you still have spirit huh? Let me ask, dear sister Yang, did I ever finish my turn?" John asked. Yang deflated again ever so slightly, saying nothing as John collected the attacker's dice and spread out his armies. She watched with subdued horror as her colonies were destroyed, one by one, despite her valiant attempts to fend off John's invasion. But it was all for naught, for the dice gods seemed to frown upon her.

'When I commanded The Order Of The Rose, I had to worry about keeping every individual soldier alive and uninjured. Here, I have the luxury of focusing on the bigger picture!' John thought to himself, ending his turn.

The next player in line was Frost, reaching out and picking up the attacker's dice timidly. After distributing her reinforcements and picking up a card, she looked at the board. Yang had a measly two colonies remaining, Ruby had one capital and four colonies, and Qrow had sacrificed his colonies to establish a second capital. And John, now the biggest threat on the board, had two capitals and eight colonies. It took very little time for Frost to capture Yang's last remaining colonies, officially removing her from the game. Then it was time for bigger things. Frost narrowed her eyes at John, who narrowed his eyes playfully in return. Frost moved her gaze to meet Ruby's so a silent exchange between the two of them could confirm her next action. Or at least, it would have if Ruby hadn't been busy cuddling Zwei, who let out a happy bark. Frost moved her gaze to Qrow, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. Frost had no clue what that nod meant, but she hoped it was something good. Slowly and deliberately, Frost placed a card on the withdrawal pile.

"Uneasy alliance," Frost said quietly, waiting a moment before continuing, "with John."

The smug and playful expression on John's face slowly morphed to that of mild confusion, and he blinked owlishly as Frost picked up her Nevermores and placed them behind his defensive line. After that was done, she moved her modest-sized fleet to flank Menagerie. The Uneasy Alliance card allowed a player to secure a temporary truce with another kingdom, willing or not, for an entire round. During this time, neither faction could attack each other. There were only two Uneasy Alliance cards in the deck, one of which Frost had just picked up, so she was confident that John hadn't prepared any kind of countermeasures for it. Frost smirked.

"You may have outwitted us, John, but I have outwitted your outwitting! Now, you will have no choice but to move your main force to defend against Qrow, while I lay in wait to attack your capital! I'll have to thank you though, your victory over Atlas has made my endgame that much easier to achieve," Frost explained excitedly, revelling in her cliche villain monologuing moment. John's face went expressionless, and Frost took it as a sign of victory. After finishing her turn, and watching Ruby strengthen her borders, Frost watched with barely contained excitement as Qrow moved his armies against John from the North, mirroring the Valeian fleet that Frost had surrounded the South and West sides of the island with, and activated his Fortification card to prevent John from advancing on Mantle if the offensive failed. If John split his forces in half to defend on each side like Frost thought he would, this would be an easy victory. Yang was looking over John's shoulder now, scanning the cards in his hand and watching him move them about. She snickered. That was Frost's first sign that something was off, but she was confident in her plan. How could John possibly work his way out of this one? But suddenly, as it moved to John's turn, John smirked deviously. As he began wringing his hands together with a predatory look in his eyes, Frost realized that something had gone horribly wrong.

"You foolish girl, I'm already five parallel universes ahead of you! Have you forgotten that since I conquered Atlas, all of Yang's cards moved to my hand?" Frost's brows shot to her hairline, and Qrow's brow furrowed. They had forgotten about that particular rule. John placed down a card and Qrow sighed in resignation. Typhoon. Fleets in the affected area would be destroyed and armies along the coast or on an island would be weakened, and it could be played during an Uneasy Alliance since it wasn't technically an attack. A double-edged sword to be sure, but while his defences on Menagerie would be weakened significantly, the majority of the enemy armies would be destroyed in a single turn.

"This is horse crap," Qrow groaned with frustration, while Frost simply gawked as the combined might of their fleet was taken off the board. John chuckled.

"In all fairness, it was a really good plan, Frosty. But even without Yang's cards, I already had contingencies in place for just such an occasion. This way is just a lot easier," John explained. Frost resisted the urge to curse. Now what was she to do? All of her resources had been poured into that fleet to ensure that John wouldn't be able to fend her and Qrow off. It would take at least three turns to prepare her borders for John's inevitable invasion, and much longer to recover her military from this crushing defeat. And that was assuming she could even get the necessary resources to do so! All she could hope for was that John might bide his time and strengthen his defences. Fat chance there.

"...I'll never financially recover from this..." Frost muttered under her breath. The front door suddenly creaked open, and Tai shuffled in with a duffle bag in each hand and dark circles under his eyes. After two weeks in the field, he was finally back from his mission. Yang and Ruby exploded out of their seats, crashing into their dad with crushing hugs. Tai chuckled and dropped his bags unceremoniously on the ground, responding in kind with an all-encompassing bear hug. John got up as well, joining the group hug with gusto. Even Zwei left the table to circle the group excitedly, barking loudly. Frost and Qrow shared another look. Surely, no one would notice if their resource counters went up just a little, right?

"Hey, easy on your old man kiddos!" Tai cried happily, lifting all three of his children off the ground in an impressive display of Dad strength. With a laugh mirrored by his daughters, Tai set them back on solid ground gently and closed the door behind him.

"Good to have you back, Dad! These guys just aren't any challenge for me," John said warmly, receiving a punch in the shoulder from a slightly disgruntled Yang.

"We're playing Conquerors of Remnant! Come join!" Ruby cried. Tai grinned.

"Game night, huh? I take it Yang is winning, as per the usual?" Tai asked absently, grabbing his bags and tossing them into the hallways at the top of the stairs. Yang groaned and Ruby shook her head excitedly.

"John is kicking our butts tonight," Yang explained, returning to the table. Tai rose a brow.

'Yang losing? At her favourite board game? They must have given her Menagerie,' Tai thought with some amusement. He considered catching up on sleep for a moment, but the prospect of spending time with the family he had been missing so dearly was too much to pass up. Grabbing an extra chair from the kitchen, he positioned himself between Ruby and Qrow. And immediately did a double-take at the board. John was playing as Menagerie, and despite Yang's prowess as an Atlesian General, Atlas was under his control. Besides the telling lack of military forces across most of the board, Tai could tell that everyone was playing defensively by their border defences and lack of outer colonies. John had them all cowering behind their walls, and judging by his expression, he knew it very well. Tai smiled.

'Finally...A worthy opponent!' Tai thought excitedly. Normally he was forbidden from playing as any faction other than Menagerie unless of course someone expressly challenged him. But perhaps, since John was beating them so bad, they would allow him to play as Mantle!

"Say, Qrow, would you mind-" Tai began smoothly before Qrow interrupted him.

"Knock yourself out, Tai. Come on, firecracker, I'll fight ya in Street Dueler," Qrow offered, waving his Scroll in the air for emphasis. With nothing better to do at this point, Yang graciously accepted his offer. The two disappeared into the living room, and Frost's incredulous gaze trailed after them.

"...I can't believe him..." Frost muttered. How could he blatantly disregard their alliance like that? Sure, they had experienced a setback but they could still have defeated John if they had pulled together! Tai chuckled as he settled himself in Qrow's vacant seat.

"Judging by the look on your face, you and Qrow were in cahoots from the beginning huh?" Tai asked. Frost's face flushed a light pink and she shrunk back ever so slightly.

"Was it that obvious?" Frost asked abashedly.

Yes," Both Tai and John said at the same time. Frost sighed and buried her face in her hands. She was doomed, wasn't she?

---

~ Soaring Ninja Wins! ~

"Ugh! How do you do it!?" Yang cried in frustration, glaring at the offending message on her Scroll. Qrow chuckled.

Pure skill, kiddo," Qrow replied casually, draping his arm across the back of the couch. Yang groaned with frustration and Qrow's grin widened for a moment before he turned serious.

"So... it's about time we talk about the forest," Qrow spoke slowly, eliciting a gulp from Yang.

"I-I thought we already-"

"I chewed you out for going out there alone with Ruby. Now I want to know why you went out there... and what you saw," Qrow said firmly but gently. Yang began fiddling nervously with her Scroll. Qrow didn't press her, waiting patiently for his niece to collect her thoughts. Yang briefly considered telling Qrow about the people she had heard talking, but she had convinced herself it had been her imagination. Why would anyone be speaking out in the woods with Grimm?

"...I was looking for my mom. I thought maybe I could find clues to where she went out there," Yang mumbled, uncharacteristically reserved. Qrow frowned almost imperceptibly.

"You found out about your mom, huh...? I guess it was only a matter of time," Qrow said. Before Yang could respond, Qrow spoke again.

"You won't find her," Qrow said. Yang looked aghast, forgetting about the video game and dropping her Scroll.

"Y-you don't know that! I could-"

"She doesn't want to be found, kiddo. I know it's hard to hear, but you need to hear it," Qrow interrupted harshly. Yang went completely quiet, becoming downcast and ignoring the videogame. A moment of silence passed before anyone spoke again.

"...Look, I'm not saying you should give up hope of ever meeting her. I'm just saying you shouldn't take unnecessary risks to find her," Qrow spoke softly. He didn't want to give Yang any false hopes, but he couldn't bear to crush her spirit either. Yang seemed to perk up a little bit, looking up at Qrow hopefully.

"Does mom love me?" Yang asked. Qrow smiled bittersweetly. Yang was probably the only one Raven truly still loved.

"You bet she does, kiddo. More than you know. Just... stay safe, yeah? Don't put yourself out there before your mom is ready to meet you," Qrow said. Yang sniffled and smiled, picking up her Scroll again.

"Okay."

---

April 8th, 76 AGW

Patch Island Penitentiary

Entity was alone. He liked it that way. The criminals here had no care for him, and the guards utterly loathed him. With good reason, in fact. Entity's fellow inmates had learned very quickly to distance themselves from him in the yard, and the guards had learned not-so-quickly that throwing him in solitary was more a kindness than a punishment. And so here he was, kneeling in the dirt and grass wearing a gaudy orange jumpsuit, feeding the crows. They always seemed to follow his wretched form, so Entity occupied himself with feeding the creatures while he waited on his master's orders. He flicked his hand out, throwing a handful of table scraps from lunch to the ground. Their beaks clacked together loudly, their feathers rustling as they squawked and squabbled over the small pieces of dried meat and bread. The birds had become reliant on him; they never left the yard even at night, because they knew he would return to feed them. Or perhaps it was the dark and necrotic aura that his magic reserves exuded that kept the scavenger birds here. They were well known as scavengers of the battlefield after all, as associated with death as they were familiar with it.

Another black bird swooped down, landing in the center of the group and startling them, sending crows jumping back with a squawk and a flap of wings. This bird was not like the rest. It was larger and had a rounded tail rather than the squared tail the crows had. Its eyes were different as well, a contrasting red to the typical black. It was a raven of some sort, Entity realized, and it stared back up at him with beady red eyes as he analyzed it. Entity held out his hand with a scrap of food in his palm, and after a moment the raven hopped up onto his fingers with a stroke of its wings. But it didn't eat. It continued to look at him, silent and still.

"Well...you're a curious one, aren't you? You don't act like the others," Entity mused out loud. The raven tilted its head at him. On a sneaking suspicion, Entity released a pulse of magical energy, and to his delight, he sensed a soul far greater than that of a bird. He grinned devilishly.

"We are not so different, you and I. I sense strange magic within you... perhaps you were cursed, as I was?" Entity drawled. The raven's beak dropped open slightly, and Entity knew he had its attention.

"I could purge that magic from your soul. Make you human again... in exchange for a small favour," Entity offered. There was a catch, of course, but he was hoping this person was foolish enough to overlook that. Her soul would belong to his master if only she accepted.

Suddenly, Entity felt a surge of magic begin to coalesce and he turned his back to the cameras and guard towers. A scroll appeared in his hands in a burst of green sparks and he unrolled his master's message excitedly, forgetting completely about the raven.

'The time has come. I am lifting your magic restrictions, just this once. Search and destroy, kill any who protect Diamond.'

Before Entity could do so much as smile, his instincts flared and he jerked to the side. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough and a red blade protruded from his shoulder. Entity craned his neck back to see his attacker, a fierce red gaze meeting his through an intimidating white mask. So, the raven could change form on her own? This still did not explain why she had attacked him, but it hardly mattered anymore. Without breaking eye contact, Entity stood to his full height and manifested his spear in his hand. The woman was quick to withdraw, but it made little difference as a wave of blue flames exploded out from around Entity and expanded outwards. The woman jumped back frantically, disappearing into a red portal that dissipated shortly after, barely avoiding the wall of fire. Entity frowned. Her escape was a complication, to be sure, but he could deal with that later. Entity's flames had set fire to a large portion of the yard, incinerating the unlucky ones who had been caught close by and unaware. Alarms were blaring around him, and Entity could hear the shouts of guards and inmates alike, mingling together amidst the abrupt chaos. Gunshots rang out, but the bullets ricocheted off Entity's newly cast spectral shield harmlessly. Entity rolled his wounded shoulder uncomfortably and began walking in the direction of the prison. It was time to retrieve his things.

---

Patch, 2 hours previous...

John trudged down the street merrily, humming a tune he couldn't remember the words to. Today marked the beginning of the Combat Festival, a celebration of humanity's metaphorical 'rise from the ashes' when they discovered dust and became warriors. There would be events, games and competitions, booths and carts set up to sell all sorts of trinkets and souvenirs, the Schnee Dust company would be giving a demonstration, and there would be recruiters from all four of the major combat schools. But most importantly, he was going with Frost. Originally they had planned a particularly strenuous training day, but Frost had expressed interest in the festival and John figured it was high time that they both took a day off from their rigorous regiment. And so it came to be, that John asked Frost if she would like to go to the festival with him. She had enthusiastically accepted, shortly before informing him that this was in no way, shape, or form...a date. It had confused John at first since he had only meant for them to go as friends, but Frost had explained that it was customary to bring a date or significant other to a festival. Even combat festivals, apparently. Honestly, the thought had never occurred to John that his invitation could be taken as a proposal of courtship. Just showed how much he knew about that stuff. Besides, he was mentally four times Frost's age...John shuddered at the thought as it passed and pushed it to the deepest corner of his mind. The reason he was so excited in the first place was the festival. Back when Shay was still around, they would go to all kinds of festivals together. Though drastically different from the festivals of his world, the thought of experiencing one here on Remnant with a good friend brought a warm feeling of nostalgia to John. John stopped to let a car pass, then jogged across the street to approach the minty house. He knocked three times on the door, waiting patiently until it swung open to reveal Frost with an excited air about her.

"Hey John, good timing! I was just getting ready to come meet you halfway," Frost exclaimed. John's lip curled with amusement.

"Was I not quick enough for you? I could've hitched a ride with Qrow, you know," John quipped. Frost shook her head and stepped outside, closing the door behind herself.

"And listen to the two of you bicker like a married couple all day? No thanks," Frost retorted. The two laughed.

"I'm surprised to see your mother didn't insist on chaperoning," John mentioned idly.

"Me too. I dunno, mom's just been weird lately. I really thought she was gonna freak when she found out about my training but she's being supportive. And with her letting me go out alone today, It's almost like... she's respecting my boundaries," Frost vented. John rose a brow.

"She did give me the protective but loving vibe when we met. Are you sure she hasn't been replaced by an imposter? Or maybe I'm a spy working for her, reporting your every move!" John joked. Frost giggled at the ludicrous ideas.

"Yeah, whatever. As long as mom is in a good mood and I'm free to hang out with you, I don't care," Frost admitted.

"Well I'll be certain to tell her you said that. She pays good money, you know," John joked again, eliciting a smack on the shoulder from Frost. They laughed and started on their way towards the center of town where the festivities were, not noticing as a man dressed in a largely oversized coat and hat peeked over his newspaper at them. Tai waited several moments more before folding his newspaper and bolting down the street after the teenagers, ducking into an alleyway when he saw John turn around. He crouched low to the ground and peeked around the corner, tipping his sunglasses down to see better.

"What in the world are you doing?" A voice asked sternly. Tai jumped and let out a shrill cry of surprise. No one had managed to sneak up on him since Qrow had pulled that stunt back in Beacon...

The offending woman was wearing a similar coat to his own, although it was black and fit her properly, and her dark hair was tied back in a bun. Two piercing orange eyes bore into Tai like drills, digging through his shoddy disguise and picking him apart. It only took Tai a moment to recognize her as Frost's mother, despite the impressively applied make-up that effectively distorted her appearance into that of a much older woman, and realize he was in no danger. Yet. Tai took a moment to collect himself and face her properly, improvising an answer for her question that wasn't the embarrassing truth.

"Um...would you believe I'm here to collect newspapers for a charity event?" Tai tried. Jewel did not look convinced. Tai let out a defeated sigh.

"I'm following the kids to make sure nothing goes wrong for them today," Tai admitted flatly, "But judging by your get-up... aren't you here to do the same?"

Jewel's lips thinned ever so slightly and Tai knew his shot in the dark had hit the nail on the head. After a staring contest that accomplished nothing and lasted a solid minute, Jewel deflated and uncrossed her arms to reveal that she too had been carrying an inconspicuous roll of newspaper.

"Okay, so I'm following my daughter. I'm not overprotective, I just want to make sure she's happy!" Jewel exclaimed, somewhat abashedly.

"I didn't say you were overprotective..." Tai mumbled, taken aback. Was that what he was? An overprotective parent? No, no he had perfectly valid reasons to be here...right?

"Hmph. Anyway, we may as well stick together while we keep an eye on them. Now, where did they go..." Jewel trailed off, peeking around the corner conspicuously. Tai mentally facepalmed, realizing what he must have looked like when he did the same thing.

The two parents (who were definitely acting as normal parents would) continued to trail the teenagers on their way to the town square, unbeknownst to John and Frost. The two friends continued conversing as they walked, splitting the air with bouts of laughter periodically. Then, Frost asked a question and John turned more serious. It was subtle, the way his eyes dilated ever-so-slightly and his brow creased just a bit, but Tai had learned how to read his adopted son like a book. They spoke casually, Frost completely relaxed while John remained tense and trying to hide his discomfort with the subject. Tai risked walking faster and within earshot of the young girl and (not-so-young) boy, hoping to eavesdrop.

"-ust don't think you're ready to advance your training in that kind of way, Frosty. Master dust manipulation, then unlock your semblance, and then we can talk about magic. Just because I use magic here and there to teach you evasive maneuvers doesn't mean it isn't dangerous," John said with a shrug. Frost pouted and crossed her arms. Tai couldn't help but let his jaw hang open a small bit. John? Using magic? Qrow seemed to have neglected to mention that little tidbit. It was so outlandish to Jewel that she immediately dismissed the talk as related to some sort of video game, but Tai knew better by now.

"Rude. Come on, at least tell me how it works? It's not like I'm gonna snitch to anybody," Frost reasoned. John sighed and nodded his head.

"Alright, I'll tell you a bit about it. But only because I don't want you to blow yourself up because you tried it on your own," John agreed reluctantly. Frost smiled brightly and fist-pumped.

"You're the best!" Frost exclaimed. John shook his head with a grin and waved her off.

"Yeah yeah, don't lie to my face. So, to begin I'll explain the classes. To my knowledge, there are three primary classes of magic; enchanting, necromancy, and martial arts. Enchantment is an infusion of Soulka into an object to imbue it with magical effects, necromancy is a transferal of Soulka into a cadaver to reanimate it, and martial Arts are a transaction of Soulka in return for a powerful magic effect. You can use two different classes of magic in conjunction with each other, but as far as I know, anyone who's ever tried using all three at once blew up in a literal sense," John began. Frost's brow furrowed. Tai tensed, remembering the walking corpses on Ruby's birthday.

"Soulka? Is that, like, Aura or something?" Frost inquired. John's lips pursed.

"Not exactly. Soulka is a term referring to the power of the soul, not just yours but that of anything that has a soul. It can be gathered and manifested to cast spells, but it's incredibly dangerous, if not lethal, to use up your own soul since you would be effectively destroying it. Unlike Aura, Soulka that is used for magic does not regenerate and does not disperse. Think of it like burning coal. The coal is destroyed and reduced to atoms, which in turn generates power. Your aura is more like a rechargeable battery, which has a set amount of power it can generate before it depletes," John illustrated. Frost tilted her head curiously.

"So how do you use magic then?" Frost asked.

"You have to learn to draw Soulka from the environment around you. You see, when a creature with a soul dies the power of the soul disperses. It rests in the plant life, floats through the air around us, and can be gathered through more... direct means. For most, this means it takes a very long time to gather any amount of Soulka. For others..." John trailed off, images of magic practitioners slaughtering villages for power flashing through his mind. He quickly shook his head, pushing the bad memories back. Frost opened her lips slightly as if to say 'ah' and her face turned thoughtful.

"...So I couldn't use Aura instead of Soulka to cast magic?" Frost asked. John blinked.

"I hadn't thought of that... I suppose you probably could, but I wouldn't try since the risks are so high. Considering the similarities, anyone born with a semblance might not even be able to use Soulka magic. I honestly have no idea how Aura works in conjunction with Soulka," John mused. Frost seemed content with that answer, turning her attention back to the street. They continued to walk, the conversations turning to homework and the festival while Tai became lost in his thoughts.

'It's hard to believe most of the time that John is my age, but moments like these are sobering. Another world, magic unlike anything we know, and a blade made of crystal... Just what kind of world did you come from, John?'

When Tai looked up again, John and Frost were gone.

---

John laughed boisterously. Frost chuckled. She was showing him a photo with a humourous caption, which she called a meme, that depicted a child with a pair of shades throwing a gang sign while a house burned behind her. The child was captioned 'John and Frost' and the house was captioned 'Qrow's otherwise enjoyable day'. While it may have been a little pretentious for Frost to make a meme about herself, she had accomplished her mission of introducing John to memes by using a joke he would definitely understand. Now it was time to pull out the big guns. She swiped left, and a meme depicting a wounded soldier with a knife facing off against an Ursa Major appeared. John's brow furrowed as he looked at the caption, at first in concentration and then in confusion, and he spoke a moment later.

"What is no nut November?" John asked. His confusion doubled as Frost snorted and doubled over in laughter.

It was hilarious to Frost that someone as mature as John wouldn't understand a joke like that, but she understood it was likely due to the terminology and his childhood outside the Kingdoms. After she regained control of her breathing, she leaned over John's shoulder to whisper the explanation in his ear. John's confusion quickly morphed into wide eyes and a deep blush.

"T-this world sure does have the strangest customs..." John mumbled, while Frost's laughter began anew. He desperately searched for a change in subject, spotting a stall filled with Huntsman-themed posters and merchandise. Directing himself and Frost quickly around a corner and beelining for the stand, John inadvertently lost their followers in the crowd. As they got closer, the racks of weapons (both real and replica) and stylized vendibles caught Frost's attention as well. Frost's eyes locked on a stainless steel spear with engravings and leather wrappings, and John thanked whatever Gods were watching that he had successfully distracted her. It was painted black and emerald green, and despite being in the authentic weapon section, it looked like a practice weapon at best to John.

"Oh my gosh, John, look at this! It's just the right length for me! And it looks so cool!" Frost gushed, drawing the attention of the middle-aged man at the register. John's lips thinned as he inspected the so-called weapon. The edges were uneven and rough, the pole wasn't aligned properly, and the leather was of low quality. Not to mention the stainless would be quick to dull and prone to chipping and snapping, especially with the intricate carvings that were admittedly cool but likely compromised the entire piece. But he didn't want to ruin the fun for Frost, so he forced a smile.

"It sure is... better than a wooden spear," John offered meekly.

"It's much more than that! Not only is it a fully functional weapon, but it's an exact replica of the spear that the legendary Huntsman Viper used!" The salesman cut in, sounding more practiced than he did genuine. John cringed at 'fully functional', but this 'Viper' character immediately grabbed his attention.

"Can you tell us more about Viper?" John asked. The man smiled and stroked at the salt and pepper stubble that lined his jaw. Clearly, he had mistaken John's curiosity about Viper for interest in his merchandise.

"Well, he started off as a mercenary, but eventually he attended Beacon. If you listen to the rumours, they say he could slay a Drake Grimm with a single blow before he even graduated! We have a wide selection of posters and fact booklets for low prices if you want to know more, and several more replicas-" The man began ranting, and John tuned him out. Frost was checking the price tag on the spear, her smile quickly turning to a frown. John nudged her with his elbow and nodded his head toward a stand across the courtyard with more authentic-looking weapons, then patted his jean pocket where his wallet was. Frost cheered up significantly, and after assuring the salesman they would return (they wouldn't) they headed back into the crowd.

"It was such a cool spear though..." Frost lamented. John shrugged.

"It was overpriced anyway, Frosty, don't be too sad about it. It is about time we upgrade to something more heavy-duty though," John said. Frost tilted her head at him.

"You want to practice with real weapons already?" Frost asked with an equal mix of hesitation and excitement. John chuckled and shook his head.

"Well yes, but actually no. I want you to get used to the weight and handling of a real spear, but I'm going to dull and round the edges of whatever you pick at this stand so it isn't lethal," John explained.

"Why don't we forge our own? I spent all that time designing a spear..." Frost tried to reason. John shrugged.

"I suppose we could, but since we aren't overly experienced in forging we could make weapons prone to breaking. It's just not something I'd want to get into until Signal," John said. Frost hummed in silent agreement. She hadn't considered what might happen if a weapon broke while they sparred...

Before Frost could think on it more, there was a loud clang from the center of the town square that stole their attention. There was a clearing set up, where two young Alsius combat students were having a duel. John hummed in interest and took a moment to watch. The student on the left was a girl with hair like flowing snow tied in a bun and icy eyes, her sabre flashing in parries and slashes gracefully. Her footwork and posture spoke of regality and incredible discipline, most likely she had a military instructor or came from a prestigious background. Her opponent was less graceful, his footwork incredibly erratic and aggressive and his broadsword wielded like a glorified baseball bat. His posture was adequate, and his strength and speed were commendable, but his technique was extremely lacking. Under his messy green lock, his face was scrunched up in frustration. His opponent could've made first contact three times by now, but she was purposefully drawing out the fight so the crowd could watch longer. He knew he couldn't win. John smiled, enjoying the demonstration for what it was before he realized this could be a learning opportunity for Frost.

"What do you notice about the combatants?" John asked, going into instructor mode. Frost narrowed her eyes as she watched, staying silent for a long moment.

"That guy with the sword isn't very skilled," Frost murmured. John nodded.

"He relies far too heavily on his physical abilities. If he had the proper technique and a bit more discipline, he could be a terrifying opponent. What else?" John encouraged.

"...The woman is holding back, like you do with me," Frost realized. John chuckled.

"Yes, she is. They're probably here to promote Atlas' combat schools, so it's better for them if the fight lasts longer. Unfortunately, Greenie is getting desperate and tired. It will reflect poorly on Atlas if he gets much worse, so he'll lose any time now," John explained. Sure enough, no sooner than John finished, the fight ended. The snowy-haired woman feigned to the left, surging forward with a pommel strike to the kidney when the green-haired man fell for her trick. His aura flared and he staggered back from the strike, and the ref called the match. The winner reacted professionally, sheathing her weapon and bowing to her opponent with practiced motions, and John was vaguely reminded of some of the royalty he'd had dealings with during the war. Greenie, on the other hand, stuck his blade into the ground with a huff and bowed at a strange angle. He would straighten out soon if Alsius was as militarized as John had heard.

"If he sprung forward with his hip and thigh, his swings would be much faster and have more power to boot. If he followed through properly on his swings, he wouldn't unbalance himself and he could use his momentum to carry through into the next attack. And of course, if he knew martial forms that work well with his weapon, it would be much more effective than swinging his sword around like a brute with a stick," John criticized. Frost listened intently, surprised by how much room for improvement John could find in a fighter that moved so much faster than they did.

"It's crazy how much there is to all this. I've learned so much, but it still seems like there's more left to learn than I'll ever know," Frost said, feeling somewhat disheartened. John hummed thoughtfully.

"I know the feeling well. Especially now that I've... transitioned from my old life, there is so much I still have to learn. But trust me, it will come in time. Be patient, Frost, and I have confidence you'll be a force to be reckoned one day," John reassured. Frost blushed and quickly turned her face away.

"Y-you think so?" Frost sputtered. John chuckled, finally looking away from the duelists.

"I know so."

John and Frost turned back towards the weapon stand and made for the polearms and spears. Frost tilted her head as she perused the variety of spears on the rack, not exactly sure what to look for. John seemed to sense her indecisiveness and pointed to a steel spear at the far end of the rack. Frost gripped the shaft and pulled out the spear to inspect it, giving it an experimental twirl. It had a wooden pole and a steel spearhead, with a steel pommel-shaped mass at the end that had protruding fins.

"You have a good eye, kid," A gruff voice said. John and Frost turned to face the man who ran the stand, arms crossed and shoulders squared. He had a large frame, calloused hands, and a scruffy beard with a few hints of singeing. His eyes had a spark of excitement as he addressed the children at his stand.

"That spearhead is 1050 steel, the stuff most Huntsman used way back before Remnium was widely available. The pole is carved from acacia, so it's more flexible and more easily replaceable if it's damaged. The counterweight has those wing pieces so it'll fly straighter if ya throw it, and they make for a decent blunt weapon too. It's a little old-fashioned, so I'm surprised to see kids your age here," The man mused, lifting a hand to stroke his beard as he eyed them. John smirked and met his gaze.

"Old fashioned doesn't mean obsolete. You make these yourself?" John asked. The man seemed surprised by his response and sat down so he was closer to their level, smiling more brightly now. As he regarded John more closely, he seemed to notice the crystalline pommel of the sword at his hip for the first time.

"That I did. Name's Oakmund, what's your names kiddo's?" He asked.

"John Rose, this is my good friend Frost. We're looking for some good practice weapon upgrades," John replied, while Frost waved politely. Oakmund grunted at the strange name 'John', but didn't say anything about it.

"I had you's figured around combat age, but don't they let you forge weapons yerselves at Signal?" Oakmund asked. He was obviously fishing for something, and John had a good idea what it was.

"We haven't forged weapons yet, so we need something to practice with in the meantime," John replied, resting a hand on Custos Vitae.

"You tellin me that glass stick on your waist is adequate for trainin?" Oakmund asked incredulous, trying to subtly provoke John into showing off the sword. Even though John knew what he was up to, he had far too much dignity and pride in his weapon to let 'glass stick' pass. He unsheathed Custos Vitae with a flourish, subtly muttering the words to ignite the blade in blue flames. The smirk was immediately wiped off of Oakmund's face as he regarded the weapon, and John gave him a smirk of his own.

"Custos Vitae is a bit more than a 'glass stick', and it's a little too adequate to use in training," John said defensively, catching sight of Frost rolling her eyes and mumbling 'show-off'. The spectacle was attracting more attention, so John extinguished the flames and held it out a little more subtly.

"I've never seen craftsmanship like this... where did you get this, kid?" Oakmund asked, never taking his gaze away from the diamond sword. John couldn't blame him. Even on his homeworld, Custos Vitae stood out from other enchanted weapons.

"Family heirloom," John said simply, re-sheathing the blade, "So do you have anything a similar weight and shape?"

Oakmund stroked his beard again, regarding John far more seriously now. He muttered something quietly to himself then went behind the stall and started digging through a chest of weapons. While Oakmund looked, John became extremely aware that there were people in the crowd eyeing up his sword now. Not in the mood to be mugged or pocket-pulled today, John huffed and used a leather strap on the scabbard to secure the sword by the hilt with a peace knot. Frost was still looking over every detail of the spear unsurely. She looked up at John as if looking for his opinion on the weapon, but he simply shrugged and gave her a pointed look. She sighed and moved beside John with the spear clutched at her side.

"It's heavier than I thought it'd be," Frost mumbled.

"Is that a problem?" John teased.

"Of course not! It's just... It will take some getting used to, is all," Frost complained. John chuckled. Then he caught a flash of white in the crowd.

"Aha, found it! I knew I had a shortsword with a leaf profile sitting around somewhere..." Oakmund cried triumphantly from behind the counter, drawing their attention. He held the sword up proudly, completely unaware of the black spear poised to strike him down. John's hand shot to his sword.

The knot didn't come loose.

John and Frost watched helplessly as the white-cloaked man opened a gash in Oakmund's back from shoulder to hip, and he fell to the street with a gurgled cry. Screams of panic erupted in the town square, and a rush of people created a wall between John, Frost, and Entity 303. A golden medallion slipped through Entity's fingers, falling into Oakmund's coat. Frost stood frozen, still processing what had happened. Entity was advancing on them quickly. John worked the knot on his crossguard frantically. The black spear flicked toward Frost with deadly intent and John's blade flashed, intercepting the spear just before it impaled her. The ring of the weapons colliding snapped her out of her stupor and she lunged with her spear. The subpar lunge was little more than an annoyance for Entity as he leaned out of range while simultaneously using his spear to parry a strike from John. His free hand erupted with flames and John tackled Frost out of the way just before she was incinerated. Entity moved to finish them, but a broadsword wreathed in flames stopped him short. A white blur rushed out from behind the green-haired Alsius student, surprising the white-cloaked man with a sabre thrust that sunk into his forearm. Entity twisted his arm to trap the blade in place, but was surprised again when a dagger popped out of the hilt for the woman to lunge at him with. His spear moved to parry but was occupied by the boy with the broadsword. The dagger flew unperturbed, coming within an inch of his throat before the magic words had left his lips.

"Keravnos."

A shockwave surged forth, throwing the Alsius students across the town square like ragdolls. More ancient words spilled from Entity's mouth and a green mist began to rise from the cracks and crevices in the street where they landed, followed shortly by the breaking of earth as undead heeded their master's call. Now that the annoying white fighters would be occupied, Entity turned to face his targets and... Entity scowled at the rude gesture John was giving him. The two had managed to retreat a fair distance by now, so Entity uttered the words for a long-range spell.

"TASTE MY MASTER'S DEATH MAGIC, WORM!" Entity roared, a sphere of green energy blasting forth from his outstretched hand. John gripped his blade calmly, slashing Custos Vitae through the air and channeling some of his Soulka into the blade to disperse the lethal magic. Entity seemed to hesitate after seeing John cut his magic out of the air and John took the chance to taunt him.

"Amazing. I stood right in the way of your death magic, and I'm not dead. Are you sure your master isn't a phony?" John asked as if he was actually amazed. Entity growled and a bolt of lightning narrowly missed its target as John and Frost scattered. Before they could recover, Entity snapped his fingers and a much thicker green mist seemed to flow into the town square from nowhere. It filled the entire clearing quickly, disturbed only as corpses dressed in varieties of armour began to rise from below. At first glance, it wasn't worrying. But the undead warriors didn't stop rising, growing so numerous that neither John nor Frost could keep track of them, and Frost's expression twisted in shock and horror. John was no longer amused, his face becoming completely serious. Entity 303, on the other hand, cackled. The smell of rotting flesh became pungent and inescapable, and Frost threw a hand to her mouth to stop the vomit that reflexively crept up her throat, letting out a strangled moan as she fought to keep it down. The realization that this was a real fight, a fight that was very likely to kill her, pierced Frost like an icy needle. It chilled her to the bone and made her heart skip a beat as her anxiety multiplied. A hand firmly grasped hers, grounding Frost before she started to hyperventilate.

"You will not be so quick to jest when I've spilled your guts! Now come!" Entity challenged. Frost looked at John frantically, obviously panicking, but John's calm demeanor kept her from losing what cool she had left. John gave her a reassuring smile as the undead began to approach, and released her hand to grip his sword better.

"This is it, Frosty. Ready to prove your mettle?" John said simply. His casual use of her nickname and his reminder of what she had been training for gave Frost a foothold over her anxiety, if only slightly. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm herself like John had taught her, and gripped the steel spear tighter in her hands.

"Let's do this," Frost agreed, though her voice was still shaky. Something flashed through his gaze, but Frost didn't comment on it. Instead, she waited for him to tell her what to do. She didn't have to wait long.

"Undead behave predictably. While they retain their knowledge of combat from their previous lives', they have no self-preservation. Only killing their target matters, so they will constantly leave themselves open to counter. They also will not attack what they cannot see, so take any chance you can to get in their blind spot," John belted out quickly. Frost nodded, quickly processing the information before he continued.

"Stay close and cover my blindspots. You aren't ready for this level of combat, so I'll take the brunt of the opponents and I only want you to pick off any stragglers when the opportunity is presented. We'll fight our way back to the alley where we can count on the chokepoint to slow them down, then we'll retreat. Ready?" John commanded, leaving no room for argument. Frost nodded, and then it began.

John snapped forward, Custos Vitae flashing out of its sheath with a crystalline ring and carving into the zombie unfortunate enough to reach them first. John turned to the next undead before the first hit the ground, weaving his blade around an axe strike and cleaving its head from its shoulders. Pivoting on the ball of his toe, John ducked under a crosswise cut meant to slash open his throat and thrust his blade into the chest of a zombified soldier, the leather armour providing no resistance for the blade as it continued to sever the spinal cord of his foe with a loud 'squelch' and 'pop'.

The first body hit the ground.

Frost caught up and lunged from behind John to deflect an axe before it could hurt him. Steel rang out and adrenaline pumped through Frost's heart. The world seemed to fade around her as she found her next move and didn't hesitate, snapping forward and ending the threat to her friend with a gaping puncture wound between its clouded eyes. Frost didn't have the time or the consideration to think about her first kill, as a spear nearly impaled her and she had to make an awkward parry. The bones of the skeleton that now faced her rattled as it thrust again, and spear met spear with a ferocity that Frost hadn't expected of herself. Frost saw an opening just then, but didn't pursue it for fear it was a feint, giving the skeleton time to recover and attack again. Frost instinctively reacted with her Rainstorm technique, effectively reducing her opponent to a pile of carved bones. Frost winced as she assessed herself, realizing she hadn't needed to waste so much energy with an opponent that would have fallen to a lesser technique. She turned to join John once more and gasped. His movements were beyond what she had ever seen before, far more precise and many times faster. He kept pace with three opponents at once with practiced ease, felling enemies as quickly as they came. But he was still slowly getting overwhelmed. Frost dashed in from behind, her spear passing over his shoulder and slicing cleanly through the partially rotted throat of a zombie. It turned its head to look at her even as dark red ichor spilled from the wound, and Frost shuddered as she thrust again and killed it for good.

'That was disgusting...' Frost thought uncomfortably.

A pair of foul-smelling undead clad in iron plate armour charged forward, the stretching of their rotted sinew and muscle making a gut-wrenching addition to the symphony of battle. Two wicked hand axes flew down towards John, easily countered with a sweeping motion of Custos Vitae. A subsequent combination of slashing attacks found the gaps in their armour with unnatural precision before they could even bring their guards up. They staggered for a moment, allowing John an opening to pierce one through the heart and lop off the other's head in a fluid motion. His instinct flared, and John sidestepped a halberd that seemed to come out of nowhere. He spun around and deflected a follow-up attack,briefly noting that Frost was holding her own against a zombie with a sword, before pressing in on the offending skeleton with an attack that nicked its femur. An overhead stab from the opponent missed John by a sliver as he dipped underneath it and thrust his sword upwards, the diamond blade piercing through the bottom jaw and protruding out from the top of its skull.

Gunfire rang out.

The Huntsman had arrived with their weapons already moving, giving John and Frost a much-needed reprieve from the brunt of the enemies. They tore into the carefully constructed formations of undead soldiers like men possessed, making quick work of whatever got in their way. John took only a moment to admire the skill they displayed, before turning back to his own opponents. A crosswise cut meant to open John's stomach ended up backfiring as John leapt deftly over the blade and kicked the zombie in the head. Frost's spear pierced its heart as John's feet returned to the ground. The two were almost to the alleyway now, moving slowly backwards parallel to the road.

Another bout of gunfire erupted as the police arrived and joined the battle. John's nostrils burned from the smell of sulphur and his ears rang, but he didn't allow it to distract him. He freed his blade from the skull in time to see a group of five zombies approaching them with a shield wall, jagged stone spears jutting out from the top edge and pointing towards them. John clicked his tongue in annoyance, channeling Soulka into his blade and unleashing a Sweeping Wave. The crescent of magical cutting force travelled the distance quickly and slammed into the shield wall, bending metal and splintering wood. The attack succeeded in separating his opponents enough for John to swoop past their defences and engage them directly. The first fell as quickly and easily as a flick of John's wrist, and a skillful pirouette impaled a second through the heart. A zombie thrust its spear violently, aiming to strike John from his blind spot, but John had predicted as much and spun around to deliver a shin kick to the gut that sent the zombie staggering back. John pivoted and caught an overhead strike with his crossguard, wrenching it to the side and slicing through the pole of the spear to render it useless. The leather-clad zombie tried to shield bash him, but John simply leaned back and allowed his opponent to unbalance itself, and Frost finished it off as she joined the fray. John's next movement dismembered an oncoming zombie, before transitioning fluidly into a powerful two-handed slash that rended flesh and bone, cutting the zombie in half from hip to shoulder. The zombie he had kicked away earlier approached from behind, but several well-placed strikes from Frost took it out of the fight. John would have given her a grateful nod, but she was already turning to meet a new opponent.

With a moment's reprieve, John's head went on a swivel, surveying the town-turned-battlefield. Zombies and skeletons surged forth from somewhere below the fog, relentlessly attacking whoever was closest. Huntsman cut them down with frightening efficiency, and while their dust-infused weapons proved very effective against the sub-par armour of their enemies, they would soon be overwhelmed by the sheer number of undead. Luckily, he and Frost were nearly to their escape passage and then he could get her somewhere safe. And then John groaned as his least favourite undead joined the fray. Its entrance was signalled by a deafening war cry, shrill and inhuman, before it came barreling through a grouping of shrubbery with a greataxe raised high. Rippling muscle, though partially rotting, peeked through the gaps in the scale mail it wore, an unnecessary testament to its sheer strength.

'Oh, peachy. It's going to be one of those days, is it?' John thought bemusedly.

---

Lucien dashed as quickly as he could, hopping from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way towards all the commotion downtown, where Entity was sure to be. A jailbreak wasn't the opportunity Lucien had been expecting, but he wouldn't complain. As Lucien arrived on the scene, he was shocked to see how things had already descended into complete chaos, and more so to see his daughter fighting alongside the boy. He grit his teeth angrily and fell to this stomach with his rifle at the ready. His semblance activated, and Lucien began his surveillance. It took minutes to pick the white cloak out of the mess in the town square, and Lucien pulled the trigger, but just his luck, a zombie moved quickly past Lucien's line of sight as he did and its head exploded instead of Entity's. Entity disappeared into the chaos below once more and Lucien felt someone land on the rooftop behind him. He activated his semblance and rolled to his feet just in time to evade detection as two Atlesian soldiers appeared.

"Good, looks like they can't follow us here. Let's send an SOS to all local Huntsman, alert the General of the situation, then directly confront the fiend that started this mess," a woman's voice belted out. Lucien glanced to his right to see two young adults dressed in Alsius garb. Lucien first considered subtly moving locations, but he noticed the boy was staring directly at him and reaching for his sword. That was problematic...

'He must have a semblance that allows him to see through illusions! No time to waste thinking diplomatically, Frost is in danger!' Lucien thought frantically.

Lucien turned visible and dashed forward, targeting the green-haired student first. He was oblivious at first, not seeing Lucien's scythe until the last moment. He cried out, and the scythe sliced through his neck. Or at least, it should have. A black glyph caught the scythe's tip and halted it completely, and Lucien instinctively took evasive action. A silver sabre split the air where he had been moments ago, and platinum hair flashed through Lucien's vision. He faltered for just a moment, imagining Frost in his mind's eye, and it cost him as the sabre's wielder kicked him back. The girl, who couldn't be much more than a second year, stood before him in a very distinctive stance. It looked similar to a standard soldier's uniform, but Lucien could recognize the subtle differences that signified she was a Specialist-in-training. He grimaced and twirled his scythe. Judging by her sharp, attractive features and icy blue eyes, she must have been a Schnee as well. The eldest child's name was Winter if he recalled...

"By the authority of the Atlesian military, you are under arrest. Please come peacefully," Winter spoke robotically.

'Amatuer,' Lucien thought with exasperation. No matter, if he had to kill a Schnee to get at Entity faster, he would.

Lucien dashed forward without warning and the Schnee responded in kind, jumping back dexterously, leaving behind a white glyph. Lucien evaded the obvious trap and pursued his target with lethal efficiency. Winter fell back with her sabre poised, and Lucien twirled his scythe. It separated the male student at the shoulders, and he fell silently with a gushing spurt of blood. Winter paled and watched in shock as the blood pool grew and Lucien flicked the blood off of his scythe. She had obviously expected to fall into formation with her like they were trained to. Lucien mentally berated her for relying on someone who clearly hadn't seen real combat before to follow combat scenario training without fault. His scythe continued its momentum and swung out to impale Winter's leg, who snapped her out of her trance just in time to execute a half-decent parry. There was a barely suppressed rage below her calm demeanour, and it was causing her to leave herself undefended while she recklessly attacked. She countered with a thrust that almost got past Lucien's guard, but it left her open to a kick in the gut that sent her skidding back. The young Schnee was talented to be sure, but she simply had no experience fighting someone who was really out to kill her. A shame she would never get the chance to learn from this experience.

Winter recovered quickly, but Lucien was already on top of her with his scythe in motion. A golden glyph portraying clockwork appeared and Winter moved more quickly than Lucien expected, forcing him to go on the defensive and deflect a series of lightning-fast strikes. Several glyphs appeared around him and Winter zipped back and forth between them, striking at him as she moved. Lucien expertly parried and dodged whatever he could, allowing his Aura to absorb the rest. Winter stumbled in her haste to end the fight and the pole of Lucien's scythe swept her knee, sending her to the ground. Lucien unholstered his pistol, mag dumping and letting out an impressed grunt when the Schnee's reflexes were quick enough to put up a defensive barrier with her glyphs. She rolled back to her feet and pulled a hidden dagger from the hilt of her sabre, striking with each simultaneously. Lucien feigned to the left, gripping her wrist when she fell for it and meaning to manipulate her into a hold where he could disarm her and then impale her. If only the old crow hadn't interrupted them. The familiar sound of mecha-shift and turning gears made Lucien toss the Schnee aside and roll out of the way of a scythe strike that would have split him down the middle. Qrow Branwen pivoted and rushed Lucien, the two trading several blows between scythes before separating. Qrow and Lucien glared at each other intensely, with Qrow annoyingly placing himself between the former Atlesian assassin and the future Atlesian Specialist. Lucien's jaw set. He couldn't afford to die until after he had killed Entity, so this fight had to end in his favour.

"Gemini... How's your hip?" Qrow taunted. Lucien raised a brow at the use of his family name but still gave Qrow a mocking smirk.

"Branwen... How's your face?" Lucien countered, eliciting a matching smirk from Qrow.

"Devilishly handsome," Qrow retorted. Winter grunted with effort as she brought herself to her feet and fell into her stance beside Qrow.

"You're a Huntsman, aren't you? I'm from-" Winter began, before Qrow interrupted, never moving his eyes away from Lucien.

"Yeah, we get it, sweetheart, you're real special. Let's skip the formalities and fight the bad guy, yea?" Qrow insisted. The Schnee turned her head to narrow her eyes at the man but said nothing, in favour of working together to capture the fugitive. Lucien relaxed his stance and twirled his scythe playfully. He could certainly take advantage of the clashing personalities here.

"Really? A nobody Huntsman giving out orders to a future Specialist? And in such a mocking tone! How amusing," Lucien teased. Winter opened her mouth to retort, but Qrow beat her to it.

"Please, you expect me to believe this child is going to be a Specialist? Your tricks won't work, Lucien," Qrow retorted. The tone he used seemed to strike a chord in the Schnee and she turned to him.

"I am going to be a Specialist! And you're hardly that much older than me," Winter defended. Qrow blinked, then looked away from Lucien and gave her a pointed look.

"I'm not as youthful as I look, girly-" Lucien struck in the blink of an eye, hardly giving Qrow a chance to evade his strike. Simultaneously, he fired his freshly reloaded pistol at the Schnee to put her on the defensive. His scythe came around for another strike, meeting Qrow's scythe halfway with a metallic clang. Lucien wrenched the scythe blades aside and launched a Brazilian kick, which Qrow blocked with his forearm. Winter dashed in to take advantage of the opening and Lucien jumped away at the last second, making her nearly strike Qrow instead.

"Watch it-!" Qrow exclaimed, moving her aside to charge at Lucien. By the scowl on the Schnee's face, Lucien could tell his plan was working.

'Salem's favoured strategy is division, after all,' Lucien mused as he twirled his scythe gracefully around his torso to deflect a wide range of attacks from the other two combatants.

The two were becoming more synchronized now, naturally covering each other's weaknesses, despite Winter having caught a whiff of alcohol on Qrow's breath. Lucien decided it was time to poke and prod just a little more, making an obvious feint that Qrow didn't fall for but Winter did. She made to press what she thought was an opportunity, but Qrow grabbed hold of her lapel and yanked her back.

"Thank me later," Qrow said, before re-engaging Lucien. Winter huffed with frustration and stayed where she was, gracefully taking a kneel with her sabre held outright. A large glyph began to turn in front of her, and with the activation of a dust cylinder, she expertly launched an array of ice dust spikes. Which Qrow had to dodge. Lucien twirled his scythe, slicing the projectiles out of the air and putting himself on the defensive so he could enjoy the ensuing chaos. Qrow, to his credit, only grunted out a brief comment before attacking Lucien again.

"I told you to watch it!" Qrow grunted. Winter glared, boring holes in the back of his head.

"You watch it! A Huntsmen ought to have more respect!" Winter called while going back on the offensive with him. Qrow faltered ever so slightly at the angry comment, nearly getting his head lopped off in return. He parried Lucien's next swing, then retorted.

"Bloody hell, woman, save it! We're in the middle of a fight," Qrow chastised.

"You insufferable drunk! I'll have you know-" Winter never finished, because an Aura-infused punch to her solar plexus sent her sprawling to the ground. Qrow rushed to her defence, but he left himself open in his panic to defend the vulnerable Schnee, and an Aura-infused kick to the diaphragm sent Qrow flying back gasping for breath. Qrow managed to catch his footing, slamming his scythe into the ground to slow his momentum. Lucien gave Qrow a sly look, then poised his scythe blade to disembowel the Schnee. Then he found himself flying through the air after a glyph enhanced with gravity dust exploded in his face. Winter crouched on the ground huffing, her sabre pointed outward in one hand while the other clutched her throbbing midsection. Qrow rushed to her side, giving her a once-over for anything life-threatening. When he found none, he offered her his hand. Winter stared at it for a moment, before begrudgingly accepting it. They both looked to the cluster of bushes where Lucien had landed, and silently open fired. Qrow unloaded his shotgun with gusto, while Winter used her dust and glyphs to send a barrage of lightning and ice and fire into the bushes. They only let up after thirty seconds had passed, relaxing when there was no movement. And then Qrow remembered what Lucien's semblance was. An almost imperceptible swish caught Qrow's ear and he shoved Winter away roughly, his Aura flaring along his arm as he was grazed by an invisible scythe blade.

Qrow pointed his shotgun directly at the ground, firing two shells and kicking up dust with the blasts. A silhouette appeared in the dust and Qrow heard Lucien click his tongue with annoyance. Winter thrust her sabre into the earth and from a series of gigantic ice spikes sprouted from the ground, travelling quickly towards Lucien. He dexterously dove over the weaponized dust, parrying a strike from Qrow and launching an attack on Winter with the same movement. She dodged and countered, keeping Lucien busy long enough for Qrow to hit him with a devastating blow from his greatsword. Lucien's Aura flickered and he became fully visible again, and simultaneously attacks from Winter and Qrow forced him to retreat several steps. Something changed in Lucien's demeanour, accompanied by a subtle adjustment to his stance. Qrow immediately disciplined himself from attacking, and Winter had been caught off-guard enough times to stay back if even Qrow didn't pursue him.

"Be careful, snow princess, he has a high-tech weapon on him," Qrow alerted, thinking back to the information he bought from Damien. Winter narrowed her eyes at the nickname but didn't say anything.

If Lucien was surprised that Qrow knew about the Atlesian weapon tech, he didn't show it. Instead, he smirked. Then his sleeves began to smoke. The clothing articles burst into flames, eliciting no reaction from Lucien as they burnt off of his person to reveal his arms. Steam rose from the appendages as the fake skin peeled off to reveal black plates of metal with pulsing veins of magma dust between them. There was a mechanical whirring as Lucien's offhand mechashifted into some type of projectile weapon and Winter and Qrow made haste to evade. A bolt of plasma shot from the barrel, impacting a tree and obliterating the trunk in a fiery explosion. More bolts produced by dust and whatever else the Atlesian Science Division had crammed in Lucien's arm came flying out, forcing Winter to use her glyphs to stay ahead of them and Qrow to duck and weave like he never had before.

"Cowardice? I'd have expected it from a Schnee, but never from Atlas' finest! Everything really is in the name, huh?" Lucien taunted. filled with anger, frustration, and thoughts of vengeance for her partner, Winter fell for the bait hook, line, and sinker. She altered course mid-dodge and charged at Lucien with a battle cry. His smirk widened imperceptibly and he dropped his scythe, reaching out and catching Winter's sabre with his hand. Lightning dust activated and coursed through his fingers to the blade, electrocuting Winter and keeping her still for him to aim his dust cannon.

Qrow wouldn't make it in time.

---

John rolled, narrowly dodging a battleaxe, and ham-stringed the huge undead. It fell to a knee, giving Frost an opening to pierce its skull with her spear. As the undead fell limp, two more fell to John's blade beside it. There was no time for Frost to catch her breath, however, because despite her exhaustion the undead kept coming. Frost fell into her stance, but the approaching enemies were dispatched by bullets from somewhere Frost didn't see. She did see the white-cloaked man ahead though, with his back turned and his spear lowered. His vicious fight that almost killed John in the forest and his murder of Oakmund flashed in Frost's mind.

'I can end this!'

Frost didn't hesitate any further. Frost weaved around an undead, not hearing John's panicked cry of warning over the heat of battle, and lunged at Entity. She never considered it might be a trap.

The last thing she saw clearly was the burning reds of his eyes.

Frost's world became a dizzy blur of colours as something plucked her from the ground and sent her skidding across the street. She ended up in a tangled heap, disorientated and ears ringing. Frost winced as she tried to move and her body screamed out in pain, only managing to look up and see what had happened. She had been thrown so far that she wasn't in the middle of the fighting anymore but on a side street. Across the street from her, Entity 303 scoffed as he lowered his faintly glowing spear. Wherever John was, he obviously wouldn't be joining her again anytime soon.

"Stercorre, I had been hoping you might at least impress me by dodging such a low-level spell. How disappointi-" Entity was interrupted as a blindingly bright glowing javelin flew from somewhere overhead, only missing Entity by a hair thanks to an evasive maneuver. Frost twisted her body to look for the source, eyes widening when she saw her mother and John's father dressed in dark long coats. They looked dead serious, and each held some variation of a fighting stance.

"You dare interrupt my daughter's first date!?" Jewel growled. Her glare was absolutely murderous, to the point that even Frost felt scared. Tai didn't dare correct her and say it wasn't a date, and neither did Frost. Entity chuckled darkly.

"How precious," Entity spat sardonically, in his strange accent. His spear began to glow once more, humming with energy as he prepared a spell. He never got the chance to use it.

Jewel activated her semblance, and with a flick of her hand a dazzling array of flashing, multicoloured beams of light shot forth from around her. They shot at Entity like bullets, striking the pavement as he dodged and leaving smouldering impressions. Entity weaved around them skillfully, keeping his footwork tight until he was comfortable with the speed and pattern of the weaponized beams of light. He suddenly charged as an interval appeared between the bursts. And then two sparkling iridescent javelins, like refractions in the mist, materialized and launched at breakneck speed. Without time to dodge or unleash a defensive spell, Entity plucked an ender pearl from his sleeve and tossed it, appearing beside Jewel with his spear poised. Then he was rudely reminded of Tai via an elbow breaking his nose. A right jab flew forward and Entity lunged with his spear, but Tai snatched the spear and held it at bay while another javelin of light stuck Entity in the gut. An utterance of ancient syllables brought forth blazing flames from Entity's palm and created distance between him and his opponents. Entity paid no mind to the ichor leaking from his abdomen and casually summoned forth one of his most powerful undead.

A Deathknight.

A flash of green energy heralded the arrival of the terrifying creature, a lean figure of ashen skin covered in spiked ebony armour, with erratic green sparks where one would expect eyes. Its skin cracked sickeningly as its maw parted, revealing blackened fangs as it smiled. Twin hook blades hung loosely in the Deathknight's grip, the Netherite so dark that it seemed to suck in light. Entity grinned toothily. Tai and Jewel looked thoroughly unimpressed.

"I'm not strong or fast enough to handle the Summoner or his new pet for long. I'll keep the small fry occupied while you take him head on," Jewel said, eliciting a nod from Tai. The unspoken plan was the same. Cut off the head, and the body would die. Or the minions, in this case.

Jewel wasted no time in engaging the new arrival, summoning ten iridescent javelins. The Deathscourge deflected each javelin with inhuman speed, even managing to bring up its guard in time to block a devastating cross from Tai when he charged in. An array of dazzling beams pierced the air, capturing the attention of the undead once more, and Tai dashed past to engage Entity. Entity huffed and lunged forward to meet the blonde, muttering the words for a martial art under his breath. The Netherite spear was enveloped with red and met Tai halfway, exploding violently and sending the brawler flying through the window of a store. Entity turned his attention back to Jewel. It was a mistake. An explosion of Aura preceded the golden flaming fist that struck Entity in the jaw, shattering his jaw and teeth and shaking his brain. The warcaster was thrown across the street from the force of the strike, momentarily blacking out before he had a chance to break his fall. Tai stood tall in the street enveloped in a cloak of golden flames, whipping around him as if caught in a strong wind. His eyes glowed a fierce neon blue and his hair seemed to levitate ever so slightly.

"Wrong move, messing with my children, jackass. Pick yourself up and come find out why they call me Golden Dragon!" Tai exclaimed, lowering his body in a martial stance. His semblance increased in intensity, flames growing taller and wider until they resembled golden wings.

Entity stumbled to his feet, casting a haphazard spell to buy himself time while he reached into his cloak. A lightning bolt delayed Tai just enough to allow Entity to slam back a speed potion, and with his increased speed he gulped down a potion of healing to boot. Entity dashed forward at inhuman speeds, thrusting his spear forward for a killing blow. Tai wasn't impressed. His forearm knocked the spear off course, and unable to slow down in time, Entity was cracked in the nose by Tai's elbow. A roundhouse forced Entity to go on the defensive, twirling his spear to keep Tai at a distance. Tai let out a roar as he lunged forward regardless, letting his Aura stop the spear from tearing his flesh as he unleashed a push kick that sent Entity skidding back. The Golden Dragon charged with a fury unexpected of the usually easy-going Tai Xiao Long, and Entity had no time to be surprised by his speed as he dodged the incoming overcut. Tai's fist demolished the mailbox that it hit in Entity's stead, then Tai reloaded and threw a left jab followed by a right hook.

"Kyropagima!" Entity cried out, tapping the oncoming fist with his spear and watching with satisfaction as Tai's arm froze to the elbow. He took advantage of Tai's surprise by throwing his armoured knee into Tai's gut. Tai gasped as he pushed his opponent away, recovering in time to catch the black spear before it could pierce his heart. Tai unleashed a kick that Entity dodged, then another kick that struck Entity in the chest. Tai twirled gracefully to build momentum, bringing his shin down for a destructive kick that broke Entity's collarbone. Entity threw his spear out in a three-hit combo, which Tai weaved around, then cast a pillar of flame that enveloped the brawler. Without waiting to see if the flames had killed his opponent, Entity spoke.

"Astrapii!"

The lightning did not miss.

---

Winter had never fought another person with the intent to kill her before. Similarly, Winter had never feared for her life before. She had been afraid, certainly. Worried for risk of injury, definitely. But she had never thought that her life might be in danger until this very second. Electricity coursed through her body, but she had a vague idea of where Lucien's arm cannon was placed. In a last desperate attempt to survive, she created a small but dense glyph where she thought the cannon was. And then her ears were ringing, and her body was on fire. Winter felt herself roughly collide with the ground moments later, catching a glimpse of Qrow attacking Lucien like a man possessed. Twenty feet away.

'So far? Wasn't I just over there...?'

Winter gathered her bearings as quickly as she could manage, only pausing to cough blood once, and surveyed the road to find her Sabr- no, there wasn't time. Seeing as Winter could hardly stand straight, nevermind command her legs to walk, there was only one option left. But she had never pulled it off before. Winter sank to her knees, placing her hands on the ground and clearing her mind. Then she thought back to her fallen foes. Not the small and weak, no. The opponents that had indefinitely changed her. A glyph began to form beneath her, but Winter's focus was threatening to drift back to her wounds.

Qrow, meanwhile, was very much under the impression that Winter was dead and berating himself for it. How could he let another person die? How many would follow thanks to him? Hatred for himself swelled, but luckily he had an outlet. And coincidentally, he hated Lucien too. The two of them traded blows at a much faster pace than Qrow was used to, but he forced himself to push harder. Blasts of dust and plasma complicated the matter, forcing Qrow to not only dodge the blasts but the debris throw from the impacts points. Lucien, however, was impatient. He dropped his scythe unexpectedly, and Qrow maneuvered away expecting another hand cannon. The mechanism that activated however, was a scythe blade that extended from his elbow to his knee, and glowed red hot. Qrow realized he had left himself open to an attack from the scythe blade at the same moment Lucien saw a strange sight.

An Alpha Beowolf, the size of a truck and white as snow.

A blast from his hand cannon removed its head from its shoulders, and his scythe blade continued after Qrow. Then Lucien felt his feet leave the ground as a claw-filled paw roughly his size sent him sprawling into a storefront window. Qrow spun around expecting a fight but felt a sudden rush of relief when he saw Winter hobbling towards him using her Sabre as a cane. Behind her was an Ursa Major and a small entourage of Beowolf's, all pure white.

"Gave me a helluva scare. Glad you're alive," Qrow managed after a second. Winter only nodded.

A blast of plasma interrupted the moment, missing Qrow by inches, and the spectral Grimm surged forward. For Lucien, his entire world became a rush of claws and teeth. He exterminated the Grimm with terrifying efficiency, but for every two he killed, two more seemed to take their place. For every blow he avoided, two more battered his aura. Lucien changed tactics, the red and orange glows of magma and fire dust in his arms changing to the pulsating purple of gravity dust. The arm cannon mecha-shifted into a second scythe, and both scythe blades segmented and separated into small fragments. Each connected by a wire too small to see, Lucien used the gravity dust to propel the small blades forward and tear the spectral Grimm to shreds. They flashed in every direction, the only sign of their presence being purple trails and a symphony of piercing whistles. The masses fell easily enough, but the Ursa Major stubbornly resisted the small blades with its armour and thick fur. Lucien gripped the wires tightly and flicked his wrists, wrapping the wires around every section of the Ursa so tightly they dug into its skin, and activated his lightning dust. Arcs of yellow and white raced through the wires and coursed through the Grimm. No sooner had the Grimm dissipated, Lucien's wires flashed back to his left flank and forced Qrow to evade. In an impressive feat of dexterity, Qrow simultaneously dodged the deadly monofilaments and planted his shotgun barrel right in Lucien's hip. With Winter launching a wave of spectral birds from his right, Lucien couldn't do anything about it.

The dust-infused buckshot shattered Lucien's remaining aura and pierced his combat suit, splattering Qrow with specks of blood. Lucien fell to a knee with a guttural cry of pain, but he wasn't done yet. Lucien's bladed monofilaments flashed and whistled, spinning around his body and creating a deadly wall that tore through whatever was left of the store. It would've done a good job at keeping the two combatants at bay, if Winter hadn't used a glyph to lob a small tree at Lucien. The wires and blades dug into the trunk and branches, tangling together and creating a large opening. Qrow dashed past piles of rubble to eviscerate Lucien with his scythe, but Lucien met his blade with a blast of dust-induced plasma. The scythe went spiralling out of Qrow's hands from the impact, leaving the man defenceless against the wires that wrapped around him and threw him straight through a wall. After throwing him through the wall, the wires pulled him back and threw him through the front of the store and straight into Winter. The two tumbled to the ground roughly and Lucien began moving towards them, intent on finishing the job. Then he noticed a small flashing light in the rubble below him.

*BOOM*

The ground shook with the force of the Condensed Dust Explosive Qrow had planted in the store, collapsing the building and throwing rubble and debris everywhere. Qrow acted quickly, positioning his body over Winter's to shield her, wincing as more than a few projectiles pelted him. A cloud of dust enveloped the two, their bodies being wracked with coughs as their lungs sucked in whatever the explosion had sent airborne. Minutes passed before the dust settled, allowing Qrow and Winter to calm their breathing. Qrow rolled away, coming to rest on his back beside Winter. There was no urgency to get up; in Qrow's expert opinion, Lucien couldn't have survived a blast like that in his condition.

"W-what happened?" Winter asked breathlessly.

"Huntsman's weapons and supply store... must've set off an explosive by accident," Qrow explained between breaths.

"...lucky break for us, I suppose," Winter mumbled.

"Yeah... lucky."

---

...

"Dad, is it true that there are bad people trying to hurt you?" Tai asked with tears in his eyes.

Tailung Xiao Long looked down at his six-year-old son with surprise.

"Where did you hear that?" Tailung asked cautiously. Maybe his exploits were as much a curse as a blessing these days...

"I saw it on CCTV... a-are they gonna come here?" A young Tai asked anxiously. Tailung smiled and crouched to look his son in the eyes.

"They wouldn't dare, kiddo. They know I'd do anything to protect you,"

...

As the fire and lightning coursed through Tai's body, burning his skin and locking up his muscles even through his Aura, Tai remembered. He remembered who he was fighting for.

'Yang. Ruby. John.' Tai chanted in his mind.

The golden flames around Tai intensified tenfold, stretching out and then wrapping back around him, overlapping until they appeared like scales. Tai pushed his semblance harder than he had in twenty years, letting out a roar in equal pain and determination.

'Yang. Ruby. John.'

The fire no longer burned. The lightning no longer stung and crippled. Tai's muscles flexed and rippled, tearing the seams of his charred clothing as he augmented his speed and dashed forward. The widening of Entity's baleful crimson eyes only drove Tai further as his fists rained down on him. The ridiculous speeds Entity had gained were beginning to wear off, and it showed by the number of broken bones and bruises he received from Tai as he emerged from the flames. The spear maneuvered to and fro, striking Tai in all manner of ways, but it never pierced his scales. A kick narrowly missed Entity's head and he countered with a spear that trailed a red glow. Tai was ready for it this time, blocking with both arms and keeping his footing despite the sheer force. Cracks webbed out in his scales from the impact point, but it hardly mattered to Tai. There was a green flash and suddenly dozens of enemies stood before Tai with assorted weapons brandished. His jaw set and he rushed to meet them.

'Yang. Ruby. John.'

They fell one by one to Tai's Dragonforce, their armour and flesh tearing like paper under his fists. Entity assaulted him with bolts of lightning and spikes of ice, but they couldn't keep up with his speed. The final minion fell and Tai's body quaked as he shot towards Entity with purpose. The white-cloaked warcaster fingered a small navy pearl between his fingers and flicked it away. He flickered out of sight seconds before Tai turned the pavement below him to rubble. A shower of dust and dirt prevented Tai from seeing where the man went, and he moved out of the obstructing cloud. Tai's head swivelled violently, searching the street for the man. He was gone. A minute passed and Dragonforce faltered as Tai's Aura reached its limit. The golden scales and flames faded, and Tai's shoulders heaved with each ragged breath. Panic struck Tai like a brick when he realized that Frost was no longer in sight and flashes of light from around the corner of the street told him Jewel was still engaged with her opponent. The situation was bad. Really bad. Tai steeled himself and hurried to help her.

---

Jewel grunted with effort as she pushed her semblance harder, barely keeping pace with the undead knight. Its twin hookblades had only defended and deflected at first, but her opponent had taken a substantial turn in strategy once she was alone. His blades now sliced and tore through her weaponized light, seeming to trail shadows as they cut towards her. Its speed was comparable to a fully-fledged Huntsman, darting expertly past Jewel's attacks and into her circle to strike at her. Jewel sidestepped a series of strikes and summoned a refraction of light shaped like a shield to bash the knight and push it away. Iridescent lances shot forward to impale the living dead man, but he seemed to predict their trajectory perfectly and move between them. An array of bright lasers assaulted him next, following him when he dodged and forcing him to focus on evasion while Jewel prepared her next attack. The dual-wielder surprised her by pivoting and charging straight towards her, hookblades flying to decapitate her. Jewel cursed and jumped out of the way, using her semblance to haphazardly launch an array of lances. The knight expected this and slid deftly under the deadly wave, his hook blades striking in a rising double slash as he got to his feet.

Jewel had never been the best at fighting anything other than the Grimm.

The blades hooked over her shoulders and roughly jerked down, digging through Jewel's Aura and forcing her to her knees. The Deathknight raised one blade to chop into her skull but stopped when he saw something in his peripherals. A prismatic sword. The blade of light pierced the dual wielder's arm, pinning it to the ground, and Jewel thrust her palm out. A small iridescent lance formed in her palm and shot out, sinking into the knights chest. Jewel jumped back and silently thanked Lucien for teaching her how to fool an enemy all those years ago. Her victory was short-lived, however, because the Deathknight seemed only minorly inconvenienced by the injuries. The prismatic weapons produced by Jewel's semblance faded, and her opponent shrugged off what should have been a punctured lung and a severed tricep. Jewel threw her hands up, urging another volley of lances and swords to appear and fired them at the knight with a flick of her wrists. The massive volley only achieved a few grazes on her opponent, and once again Jewel was forced to defend herself with a prismatic shield. She growled in frustration and increased the volume of projectiles she sent to eliminate the threat, but the creature's speed was more than she could keep up with. Jewel defended with her shield once more, but the blades hooked around the sides and wrenched it away, making her completely vulnerable.

Jewel closed her eyes as the blades approached her neck.

Jewel imagined Frost and Lucien by her side. She imagined that she was the only thing standing in the way of their deaths. And then she opened her eyes. The hookblade stopped inches before her skin, brought to an abrupt halt by two prismatic swords. Two more appeared to sever the limbs, failing to do so only thanks to the Deathknight abandoning its weapons. It created distance and two shadowy wisps fell from the cracks in its gauntlets, stretching out and forming new blades. Jewel didn't bother herself with that. Jewel's semblance flared, and the sky lit up with an array of dazzling colours, flowing across the skyline like waves. Twelves prismatic swords, each one a different colour, appeared and hovered behind Jewel. In its one-mindedness, the Deathknight foolishly dashed forward. The sky moved first, descending to wrap around the approaching enemy in an instant. Smoke rose from its form as the blanket of light restrained and singed, and the twelve swords poised themselves, shooting forward all at once. By the time Tai turned the corner, it was a pincushion. The swords and the blanket began to glow blindingly bright, and by the time Tai reach Jewel the Deathknight was a pile of ash. Jewel grew faint, faltering and stumbling back before Tai steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright, Jewel?" Tai asked worriedly. She nodded weakly.

"I just- I can't stand controlling that much light at once for very long..." Jewel muttered. Tai gave her a look of understanding. Then her world came to a halt as Tai spoke.

"I didn't see Frost back there, I don't suppose you saw where she went?"

Jewel shuddered, on the verge of a panic attack. Her daughter was still out there.

"L-let's go... find our kids," Jewel managed. Tai and Jewel intertwined arms to support each other and made their way back towards the town square.

---

John's let out a roar as he lopped off a heavily armoured zombie, Custos Vitae cutting the plating around the neck as if it were leather, and removed its head from its shoulders. John turned to find his next opponent, bringing his guard up just in time to parry a mace. John dispatched the offending skeleton with a riposte and cursed loudly when he heard another cry of pain, turning only in time to see an overwhelmed security guard lose his hand to a skeleton. John cried out as he charged forward and relieved the skeleton of its head with a less-than-graceful motion before it could even bring up its spear, allowing a Huntsman to jump in and drag the injured man to safety. An arrow whizzed by John's head, and he ducked away from the follow-up shot, mentally kicking himself for giving the enemy such an exploitable opening. Custos Vitae sang as it cut through the air and split an arrow before it could pierce John's flesh, then once more as John advanced on the archer that had its sights set on him. Unfortunately, John had to pull his attention away from the sniper to parry an axe that seemed to come out of nowhere. Another berserker had entered the fray, and John cursed as he deflected its next strike.

"I cut them down and cut them down, and still they come! Just how powerful is that blasted warcaster!?" John growled, trying not to let his focus drift to the white-cloaked necromancer behind this attack. His focus had to stay on surviving long enough to reunite with Frost. John could only hope that a Huntsman had picked her up, because otherwise... John tried not to think about it.

The undead could easily overwhelm with numbers, but most undead were remarkably slow and unskilled in Minecraftica, and these minions seemed to follow the same standard. Besides the berserker's, that is. The sounds of battle started to fade around him, and John quickly realized why. The necrotic mists were beginning to glow brightly, a sure sign that the necromancer was preparing another large-scale summoning spell. This meant that there would be a lull in the waves of undead soon, and John wouldn't be able to take advantage of it if he was stuck fighting this berserker. Powerful axe strikes fell in tandem as the hulking mass of reanimated flesh tried to kill John, but his defence was unyielding. The skeletal archer picked up the slack, taking shots at John whenever it could with little care for whether the berserker would be hit too. John took full advantage of that carelessness, allowing the axe-wielder to take the arrows for him whenever possible, though he received more than a few superficial wounds in the process. John waited patiently, parrying and deflecting strikes while simultaneously dodging arrows, watching carefully for an opening he could exploit. After a particularly powerful axe strike, it came. The axe went wide, pulling the undead warrior off balance with its extra momentum. John lunged forward, plunging his blade to the hilt in the berserker's chest and then pulling out to swiftly chop off its head. One opponent was felled, but John couldn't relax. Using the smoke of the disintegrating corpse as cover, John dashed forward. Unable to finish reloading in time, the skeletal sniper raised an arrow to be used as a dagger, but a Sweeping Edge obliterated it before it could even step forward. A quick glance told John that the gap he was waiting for had arrived, and he took the opportunity to move away from the center of the square. The authorities took advantage of the lull as well, pulling back to set up a perimeter with their squad cars and festival stands. John considered saying something to whoever was in charge, but he noticed Huntsman and officers taking elevated positions with rifles and heavy weaponry, and he reconsidered. Obviously, they were well aware that this wasn't over yet.

'I think I'll leave the strategizing to them' John thought, jogging back towards their perimeter to look for Frost. On the way his gaze caught a glimpse of Oakmund, being dragged back towards the perimeter by a policeman. What really grabbed John's attention, however, was a familiar golden medallion hanging halfway out of his coat pocket.

'A Medallion of Undying...!' John realized with alarm. The pieces suddenly fell in place. The white-cloaked assassins weren't different men being sent individually. They were a single man, immortal as long as his medallion had a host to transfer his soul to once it was dispersed.

*POOF*

In a cloud of dark green miasma, just like before, armoured soldiers in varying states of decay appeared in the town square, outfitted with a wide range of Minecraftian weaponry. Gunfire immediately filled the air again, well-placed shots exploiting weaknesses in the undeads' armour and the more powerful automatic weaponry either tearing apart targets or laying down suppressing fire. The sound of turbine engines slowly got louder, and a white Bullhead hovered into view through a billowing pillar of smoke, parting the black wisps like waves and then displacing it completely with the turbine exhaust. The airship was sleeker than the bullhead John had seen before and appeared to be outfitted with thick plates of armour and various forms of weaponry John didn't recognize. Four wings protruded from the sides, the two at the front being much longer, and each wing had twin turbines that could swivel for optimal maneuverability. This was a military airship, no doubt about it. Two mechanical pieces mounted on the underside of the cab began to spin, making a whirring noise that was audible even over the hum of the turbines. John may not have been as familiar with the weapons of Remnant as Ruby, but a fool could see that this was a powerful weapon preparing to fire. John quickly covered his ears with his hands, just in time before the pilot opened fire. An ear-piercing noise like a thousand hammers falling in a second split the air, while fireballs the size of small vehicles came from the barrels of the weapon so fast that they appeared to be a single sustained flash. Bullets that left trails of white smoke in the air hailed down upon the unsuspecting undead, piercing all manner of armour and shield that they used and tearing them apart like mince-meat. The town square became blanketed with the smog of so many undead disintegrating at once, along with the smoke from the barrels of so many guns, dropping visibility completely. But even so, the onslaught continued. It came to an abrupt stop after almost a minute had passed, reaching a crescendo with two bone-rattling explosions that likely came from missile strikes. Dirt and debris rained down, forcing John to find cover under a roof sill lest he be pelted. The smoke and dust began to clear, and small bursts of gunfire rang out to eliminate whatever was still moving.

"Maybe I ought to stay out of their way entirely," John murmured, in awe of the display of destructive power. He had read about such weapons, sure, but seeing it was something else. John pulled his attention away, and ran to where the dead and injured were being laid out, taking advantage of the ongoing carnage to grad the medallion from Oakmund's body without anyone noticing. Luckily, Frost wasn't among the dead and injured. Unfortunately, this also meant she was still unaccounted for. John muttered an old Minecraftian prayer for the fallen, took a final glance back at the utterly destroyed town square, and ran off to find Frost then join his family.

---

Frost had sat frozen, watching in awe as her mom and John's dad opened a can of whoop-butt on the white-cloaked man. As they fought, it became increasingly clear that the warcaster was more powerful than he let on. But even after he summoned another zombie with what Frost could only assume was the necromancy John told her about, and the parents were separated, he seemed to be fighting a losing battle. Frost's jaw dropped as Tai's semblance pushed to its thunderous limit and he obliterated a wave of monsters. But Entity escaped before he could finish him, leaving Tai in a shower of dust and rubble of his own creation. Frost spotted him, however, slinking down an alley in a hurry. She scrambled to her feet before she knew what she was doing, following the escaping spearman. She followed from a distance, trying to stay quiet. Entity moved swiftly down conjoining alleys until he came out onto a residential street. He turned a corner and Frost moved to follow him, but found herself ducking under his spear as she rounded the corner. His boot came forward at the same time, striking Frost in the clavicle.

"Persistent little worm," Entity mumbled, as the girl crumpled.

Frost gasped for air and desperately urged her aching arms to work, finally pushing herself back up with a grunt of effort after what felt like an eternity. Entity stood lazily above her, his head cocked to one side in morbid curiosity and his spear poised to run her through at any moment. The warcaster slowly pulled out a bottle with a viscous pink liquid inside and drank it, never taking his gaze away from the girl. His wounds knit themselves together, and his headache disappeared. Frost took the moment to try and get a hit in with her spear, but the black spear flashed and the steel spear was split down the center. The black spear flashed again, now resting against her neck.

"How curious. Most children are remarkably self-preservative. Could it be that you want to die?" Entity mused in English with a heavy accent. The gravity of her situation suddenly hit Frost, seeming to crush her with fear as she realized she was going to die. There was no escaping this time. But she couldn't bring herself to cry or beg. Rather, Frost wanted to at least keep her dignity intact. She sucked in a breath through trembling lips and levelled a glare at Entity that she hoped was as intimidating as she was scared. It wasn't.

"I don't want to die," Frost proclaimed desperately, trying and failing not to sound terrified, "but I can't- no, I won't... let you hurt-"

Frost was abruptly cut short as Entity planted his boot in her gut, sending her tumbling across the lawn and into the street. A dull pain spread through her gut and crept up into her chest, and it became difficult to focus on anything beyond the searing pain of her road burns. Frost was suddenly overcome with a fit of wracking coughs, drops of blood and spit flying onto the ground in alarming amounts. The adrenaline began seeping away as Frost lay there in pain, bringing with it a pounding headache and a constricting tightness in her chest. Despite the nagging thought that it was futile, Frost made one last attempt at getting back up to escape. Her arms and shoulders burned with exertion and then gave out as she pushed them, and Frost quickly realized that she wasn't going anywhere.

"Spare me the pathetic whimpers and noble speeches, puer. Do not take my curiosity for empathy," Entity growled, twirling his spear and gathering Soulka in his offhand. Frost craned her neck and looked at Entity as he prepared a spell that would probably kill her.

"Your tenacity is admirable, however. Beg for your life, then! Swear loyalty to my master and you might live!" Entity hissed. Frost only managed a mumble.

"...You'll k-kill me... either way..." A sense of hopelessness that Frost had never experienced before washed over her as the words left her mouth. But strangely, her thoughts fell not on her inevitable death, but on John.

'I should've stuck to the plan... I can't believe I left him there... I'm sorry,' Frost thought sadly, as Entity raised his hand to release the spell.

'Thanks for the best year of my life, John'

The spell came to a crescendo, crackling wildly like electricity in the warcaster's palm, interrupted only by the arc of white energy that cut through the air and slammed into Entity explosively. The white-cloaked man disappeared in a cloud of smoke dirt and debris and suddenly John was beside Frost, cradling her beaten body in his arms. His eyes were hard and his jaw clenched almost painfully tight. He made a quick observation of her injuries and frowned more deeply.

"I thought I told you to stay behind me," John said quietly. He didn't sound mad like Frost had expected. The flood gates suddenly opened and despite her fatigue, Frost's shoulders began to shake and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I-I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, John, I thought I could end it! I...I didn't want you to die...! I didn't want anyone else to... die..." Frost wept quietly, not even noticing that John had picked her up and moved her to the porch of a house. He lay her trembling form down as gently as possible, slumped against the wall of the house.

"You blasted idiot...That was foolish, and reckless, and I couldn't be more proud. But don't you dare ever scare me like that again, you hear me?" John spoke, snapping Frost out of her tear-stricken stupor. She blinked the tears away and looked at John. A storm of emotions swirled within his eyes, threatening to break out at any moment.

"You...aren't mad?" Frost managed. John shook his head almost imperceptibly. Little did she know, he had been terrified beyond words that he would lose someone precious to him again. He would turn his anger only towards the man who had made him fear again, and certainly not his dear friend.

"Not with you," John replied deadpan. Frost looked into his eyes again and almost recoiled. The storm within had turned violent; An unyielding rage, calm and quiet, and the intent to kill lay behind the brown and violet of his eyes. Before either of them could comment further, there was a shout of anger as Entity emerged from the smoke. John turned to face the warcaster, and Frost's hand shot out to grip his arm tightly.

"...please...don't die?" Frost pleaded. In spite of himself, John laughed.

"You won't be rid of me that easily."

John turned away with Custos Vitae drawn, meeting Entity 303's baleful gaze with equal intensity. He looked calm and relaxed, but the squaring of his shoulders and bend at his knees as he approached Entity told Frost otherwise. He was getting ready to fight a difficult battle. Entity's demeanour had completely changed, facing John like nothing but him existed at that moment. 'They're both getting serious', Frost realized, as if they were facing a threat that neither her nor their parents could possibly pose. Neither John nor Entity spared her a glance, staring each other down with weapons at the ready. John stopped walking several yards away from Entity, and the two began to slowly circle each other with their weapons poised to strike. Each step was slow and deliberate, every movement minimal and efficient as they studied their opponent with calculating eyes. Then, as if having figured something out, John stopped abruptly and faced his opponent with Custos Vitae held out in a guard that Entity did not recognize. Entity stopped in turn, his spear poised in one hand and electricity crackling in the palm of the other. Entity was running low on Soulka (he had vastly underestimated the competence of the local Huntsmen), but he still had more than enough to slaughter the boy.

"I am John Diamond Rose, son of Arturis Diamond. I fight under the banner of the Order Of Rose," John declared from across the street. Entity smiled bitterly underneath his cowl. It was customary in duels between honoured warriors to state their name and their faction before a fight. But it was also the boy's attempt at discovering who Entity's true master was. Entity pondered on the question for a moment before he answered. What was the harm in revealing this much if the boy would be dead soon anyway?

"I am the three hundred and third entity of The Nameless King, retainer to his Lordship Hiro Blakviir," Entity responded pridefully.

And then it began.

Entity took the initiative, casting a bolt of lightning and dashing forwards simultaneously. John flicked his sword, catching the bolt in midair and redirecting it into a house where it blew a hole through the wall, and countering with a sweeping edge that forced Entity to sidestep. John dashed into his blind spot, ducking under a spear strike and slashing at Entity's midsection. There was a clumsy shouting of words and an abrupt flash of light as an ethereal armour appeared over Entity's form, with wicked spikes jutting out at the elbows and shoulders, and largely exaggerated green flames licking out around the edges. John's sword glanced across the newly donned armour, and he rolled to avoid a blast of hot blue flames that would have incinerated him instantly. John recovered quickly, delivering a four strike combo that put Entity on the defensive, and pressed his advantage with a close-range sweeping edge. Entity leaned away from the arc of cutting energy while simultaneously thrusting his spear forward, and John defended with his crossguard. John pushed the spear away, feinting to the left and striking at Entity's shoulder when he fell for it. Entity muttered something under his breath, and Custos Vitae recoiled with a bright green flash seconds before it made contact.

"Do you really think to defeat me so easily? I shan't be holding back as I did before!" Entity mocked In Galactic Dialect as he performed a powerful striking technique, only for John to easily deflect it.

"Worry yourself not, I'm simply warming up!" John responded in kind, his syllables under exaggerated from lack of practice in his native tongue.

John ducked under another powerful thrust and countered with a crosswise cut that broke through Entity's guard and lacerated his thigh between two ethereal armour plates. Entity ignored the injury, casting a chain lightning spell that forced John to get some distance, then cast three large spikes of ice at him. John wove between the projectiles with such minimal movements that it was as if he never moved at all and set his blade alight with blue flames with a quick muttering of its incantation. As John pressed down on Entity with a flurry of precise flaming attacks he noticed that, just as it had been in the forest, his footwork was sloppy. Through a series of carefully planned strikes, John began moving the melee towards a small grouping of cracks and craters in the asphalt, hoping to trip up the warcaster. The strategy proved sound when Entity stepped forward in a slash and caught his boot on a piece of rubble. Though the stumble was ever so slight, it was enough for John to slip between Entity's defences and deliver a pommel strike to his solar plexus. He faltered, reaching into his robes in a panic and throwing something behind John. He disappeared with a 'pop', and John pivoted just in time to parry a strike from behind where Entity had ender pearled to and riposte with a thrust that would have run Entity through if not for his mage armour. Entity grit his teeth; the difference in skill between now and their last bout was unprecedented. This had to be ended quickly, or Entity risked being seriously injured.

"Keravnos!" Entity cried out, a thunderous wave of force sweeping out from around him and sending John skidding back across the asphalt. Discombobulated and road burned, but alive, John found his feet and regained his bearings in time to see Entity dashing towards him with his spear enveloped in a red glow.

"Ignesco!" John cried, igniting his blade and releasing a powerful sweeping edge at the same time. The two spells combined, sending a flaming arc of slashing energy cutting through air and asphalt alike. Unable to dodge in time, Entity took the attack head-on. Though it took away his momentum and inflicted him with burns across his body, the mage armour took the brunt of the magic and kept him alive. Entity didn't miss a beat, continuing forward and releasing his attack.

"Svino!"

John barely managed to bring his guard up in time, knocking the spear just off-course and sending the explosion of destructive force barreling into the road. It cratered violently, throwing chunks of rubble and debris flying in every direction, even striking Entity and John in the legs. Despite the bruising and ringing ears, however, neither of them was deterred. Entity lunged forward with another thrust, and John thrust his own blade in turn, catching the spear with his crossguard, winding over the shaft of the spear, and continuing to carve a deep gash below Entity's shoulder plate. Entity tried to gain some distance by spinning his spear around his midsection, but John used a powerful two-handed strike to send the spear clattering to the street. Hoping to make the most of the advantage, John opted to attempt something he hadn't done in years. Soulka surged through his body and Custos Vitae lit up an iridescent blue. Entity back-pedalled, but there was no time to get out of range or cast a defensive spell.

"pénte spathiá!" John muttered, and his form distorted as four spectral versions of himself seemed to unfold and attack at once. The strikes were lightning-fast and precise, catching the gaps in Entity's mage armour and staining his white robes black with blood. John didn't let up, pressing his advantage with a pommel strike that slammed into Entity's gut like a ton of bricks, throwing him back and putting a series of large webbing cracks in the abdominal plate of his ethereal armour.

"Astrapii!" Entity cried out breathlessly, outstretching both arms. A crackling ball of electricity took form between his palms, growing larger and then suddenly exploding outwards as several large bolts of lightning.

John dexterously wove between the deadly bolts as he dashed towards Entity, who continued backing up while casting more lightning bolts as quickly as he could. John finally came within striking distance, ducking under a wild haymaker and bringing his sword up in a cut that severed Entity's arm at the elbow. John gave the man no time to even cry out in pain, delivering a swift chop to the throat with his free hand and then pulling Entity's head down to meet a flying knee strike that broke his nose with an audible crack. Entity fell back and John caught him by the collar before he hit the ground, pulling him in for another knee strike to the gut that took the breath from his lungs. John let him go and backed away, letting the man crumple to the ground gasping for breath and prepared to run him through. Before he could, however, the overwhelming feeling of dread that often accompanied powerful dark magic washed over John and he jumped back just in time to avoid a black spike that penetrated up from the ground, one which would have impaled him. There was a green flash and a gauntlet-clad hand burst through the asphalt in front of John, grasping and clawing at anything it could to pull itself further out of the ground.

'Should've finished him when I had the chance!' John berated himself, realizing he could have killed Entity instead of indulging in senseless beatings.

John fell into an advanced defensive form as he watched the undead knight in plated black armour rise from the earth with a sinking feeling in his gut. The Deathknight was over seven feet tall, towering over John even from a distance, and held a tower shield in one hand and a jagged rusty blade in the other. Hundreds of other hands began bursting through the ground around them, some in the street and others in people's lawns, zombies in varying states of decay pulling themselves to the surface and shambling towards John. John sent a silent prayer to Notch, thanking him that Entity seemed to have forgotten about Frost. Entity rose slowly, chuckling malevolently and reacquiring his spear with a telepathy spell. John rolled his eyes at the dramatic display and steeled himself for an uphill battle.

"I suppose you probably think yourself on the verge of victory, hmmm? Allow me to show you your folly!" Entity cried in Galactic Dialect triumphantly, flicking his wrist and launching an array of large ice spikes at John.

John dashed forward, weaving around the frozen projectiles and cutting a few out of the air. Charging forward into the fray, Custos Vitae flashing blue in the sunlight as it tore through the first wave of undead. Burning corpses littered the street within minutes, evaporating and permeating the air with the smell of burning flesh. Their sheer numbers gave them an advantage, allowing them to score shallow cuts against John as he fought them, but nothing seemed to slow him as he cut them down two or three at a time with silent fury. John grunted with effort as he had to disengage his current opponent to duck under another torrent of blue lightning, courtesy of Entity. A light mist rose through the air from the undead John had slain, distorting his view just long enough for the Deathknight to suddenly join the fray and take him by surprise. The large serrated blade came cutting through the mist in a downward arc, and John barely reacted in time to bring his blade up and redirect the momentum of the attack into a zombie that had been attacking him. A jolt of pain ran up John's arm from his wrist but he ignored the pain and riposted, only for his attack to glance off of the nightmarishly jagged plate armour that his opponent wore. The Deathknight's blade came sweeping across the asphalt in a shower of sparks, and John leapt over the attack with a simultaneous strike to the chin guard of the Deathknight's helmet. The Deathknight staggered back just a bit, giving John enough time to dispatch the final straggler of the low-level undead. It fell to the ground in a cloak of mist as it evaporated, and John pivoted in time to deflect another strike from the Deathknight. A billowing pillar of red fire appeared in John's peripherals, forcing him to roll out of the way and preventing him from pressing his advantage on the Deathknight. John grit his teeth as he rose to his feet, feeling a burn on his leg seer with pain, and dashed into the Deathknights blindspot. The hulking mass of rotting flesh and steel armour thrust out its tower shield, surprising John. He brought Custos Vitae up just in time to take the brunt of the attack, feeling something crack in his chest as the strike impacted his chest and sent him skidding back across the street. John staggered to his feet, feeling several new friction burns from the asphalt flare up, and tightened his grip on Custos Vitae as he watched the Deathknight approach. The faceplate of the helmet had come loose after John's earlier pommel strike, revealing a decaying mouth filled with rotten teeth, spilling forth a sickening green miasma. The distant gunfire and sounds of battle seemed to fade as John took a slow breath and sharpened his gaze.

'Of course, it doesn't need to see me to attack me... why would it?' John thought with bemusement. Normally, undead had to see their target to attack it, a rule that John had come to often rely on while fighting them. This discrepancy implied that the Deathknight had a shred of intelligence, unlike the mindless cannon fodder Entity usually summoned. This made it much more of a threat than John had initially assessed.

'Its armour has almost no gaps, but despite how much its armour must weigh, the fiend moves with speed matching my own. In my current state I'm no match for it, so then... perhaps magic is its weakness?'

John fell into a stance that he hadn't taken in years, silently cringing at how rusty he was. The Deathknight was in range now, unleashing another shield bash that would have cracked John's skull open if he didn't sidestep it. Obviously expecting its superior defence to protect it, the follow-up attack from the Deathknight was a powerful thrust that left it completely open. With a quick muttering of the right word, enchanted runes flared with Soulka and Custos Vitae burst into brilliant blue flames. The flames grew brighter and the heat grew much more intense as John poured more and more of his Soulka into the attack, and with a flick of his wrist, a flaming Sweeping Edge impacted the Deathknight at point-blank and exploded violently. The ground shook and nearby windows shattered, momentarily pausing many of the other ensuing battles around Patch with the sound. Entity gaped, raising an arm to shield himself from the intensity of the heat. Had the boy just sacrificed himself to destroy the Deathknight? The blaze died down leaving behind a thick black smoke that revealed only the bottom half of the Deathknight's chestplate, cut cleanly in half and still glowing white with the heat at the edge. The corpse of the high-level undead began to evaporate, further concealing the street where the White General had once stood. Entity snarled and unleashed several bolts of lightning into the smoke, each exploding on the other side harmlessly. Entity relaxed a bit. Had he done it? A minute went by, and Entity smiled widely. A deep chuckle escaped his lips, turning quickly into a mad cackle that seemed to echo across the street. And then the smoke parted, ripped apart by a Sweeping Wave that travelled so quickly it reached Entity in seconds. He hastily cast a magical ward to block the martial art, but it shattered his ethereal shield and slammed into his chest. Entity staggered back, his ears ringing and his head spinning as a result of taking the attack directly. He tasted copper and fell to a knee, forced to lean on his spear to stay up at all. Entity levelled an absolutely murderous gaze at the form emerging from the smoke.

John stepped out of the smoke coolly, his form littered in singes and burns that were still lightly smoking. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth and from his leg where a piece of shrapnel stuck out at a weird angle. His shoulders heaved with effort, but he stood perfectly still with Custos Vitae held loosely in his right hand. For a moment the boy before Entity disappeared, replaced by a grown man in shining silver armour adorned with a magnificent cape. A terrifying blue aura seemed to envelop him, the presence of a warrior well beyond Entity's level. This was the White General of Terra'Tehn. This was the leader of the Order Of Rose, whom even the Ender Queen couldn't defeat. Entity ground his teeth loudly and forced himself to his feet despite having lost his confidence in his ability to win. Retreat was not an option. Entity readjusted his cowl and pulled his hood back over his head, casting a healing spell to regenerate his wounds. Soulka began gathering around Entity's spear as he prepared a martial art alongside a destructive spell in his offhand. John responded by igniting his blade once more, his right eye glowing an eerie purple and the flames around his blade shifting from blue to violet. The two of them dashed forward at the same time, Entity casting an ice spike that John sliced out of the air easily. John transitioned into a parry for Entity's first strike fluidly, countering with a slash that found purchase in Entity's midriff. Entity growled animalistically and performed a technique called the 'Dragon's Tooth' that was known for being nearly impossible to counter. As if to mock him, John countered the strike with flawless technique, and after his blade flashed in a two-strike combo that Entity didn't recognize, he felt a sting in his leg. Despite the pain, Entity grinned and unleashed a blast of electricity that John was too close to dodge. John took the blast without so much as a stagger, surging forward and taking Entity off guard with a grapple. Entity scrambled to get some distance but John got a grip on his wrist, disarming him and using his leg to hook Entity behind the knee and flip him onto the ground. Before Entity could regain his bearings, John had plunged his blade through Entity's right shoulder, straddled his stomach, and started unleashing a flurry of crosses and hooks that rocked Entity's head back into the asphalt over and over again.

Desperate to escape the physical assault he was under, Entity used the last of his Soulka to unleash a concussive blast that threw John off at the cost of impacting Entity just as much. He coughed up black ichor and wrenched Custos Vitae from his shoulder, climbing back to his feet to fight but being interrupted by a flying knee kick from John that momentarily robbed Entity of his vision. Entity threw a wild haymaker to try and get John to back away, but John saw it coming and ducked underneath to deliver a strike to the kidney that sent the warcaster back to the ground. Entity threw another punch on his way down, this time hitting his mark and hearing a satisfying cry of pain as his fist impacted a broken rib in John's chest. The two glared at each other for a moment before making a run to recover their weapons, turning back to face each other at the same time. Neither combatant gave themselves any time to breathe, rushing forward and attacking with advanced maneuvers that clashed in midair and showered the ground with sparks. They continued trading blows, but the outcome became more obvious with every strike. Despite how badly injured he was, John still had the strength and stamina to keep up a steady defence and offence at the same time. Entity had never been particularly skilled at melee combat, and he could barely hold his spear anymore let alone attack. But still, he refused to yield. The world blurred around them as their strikes came faster and faster, time fading from existence as they focused completely on killing each other.

'I cannot be killed permanently and yet… this mere boy strikes fear in my heart?! I shall savour his despair when I return from the grave!' Entity thought with finality, letting out a cry of fury as he thrust his spear in one last attempt to cause some lasting damage to John.

Despite being caught off-guard by the desperate (almost suicidal) attack, John managed to change the direction of his thrust at the last moment to batt away the spear and cleaved Entity's head from his shoulders with a flick of his wrist. The corpse crumpled to the ground, and his spear clattered against the asphalt. John looked down at the dead servant indifferently, feeling little remorse but rather a nagging sense of pity. What had driven this man to serve so faithfully despite being under such a cruel and painful curse? Had he even felt fear in the face of death, or had he been grateful? Whatever the case, this man posed no threat to John's family and friends anymore. His master on the other hand...

"...Hiro Blakviir...sounds familiar," John mused quietly. And then the adrenaline wore off, and John collapsed. His vision darkened, and John didn't fight the numb feeling of sleep as it took over. Teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, John faintly heard the howl of a Beowolf. His eyes shot back open.

"...No...how did they get into the city...?" John mumbled desperately. His body screamed as he fought to stay conscious, but there was no choice. The threat wasn't over yet.

'I have to keep Frost safe...' John thought.

John didn't hesitate, slamming his palms into the asphalt and grunting with effort as he forced his burning arms to work. John made it to an upright position after what felt like hours, grabbing Custos Vitae as he did. He shakily got his feet underneath himself and pushed himself to a standing position, barely catching himself when a wave of dizziness hit him and his knees buckled. John grit his teeth and tried again, making it to his feet steadily this time. The howls sounded out again, and the distant sound of battle began once more. John blinked. When had they stopped?

'Ah...I suppose killing Entity would have taken care of the undead...' John thought absently as he began to stumble forward.

Several large black forms took shape in John's vision at the end of the street. He narrowed his eyes and focused on them, seeing bony white plates of armour as sharp and jagged as the saliva covered fangs that protruded menacingly from their open jaws. Thick black fur that hid the rippling muscles of the apex predators covered their forms, matted down in some areas with something that John could only hope wasn't a person's blood. They howled again, breaking into a sprint towards John. He inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly (but shakily) and fell into his stance. The first Beowolf reached him and foolishly jumped and lunged with its jaws, exposing its neck for John to lop off its head and duck under the corpse as it flew overhead. The next two reached him at the same time, swiping at him with seven-inch claws that could probably slice through armour as easily as flesh. John weaved between the deadly strikes, his blade surging outwards and leaving the Beowolves with gashes in their sides as they passed him. They howled in pain as John pivoted and rushed them, catching a swipe by the paw with his infected hand and plunging Custos Vitae into the Grimm's chest with his other. The creature went limp and John stepped out of the way as it crashed to the ground, stopping a clawed swipe from caving his skull in by cutting the arm off at the elbow before it could hit him. John looked into the burning red eyes of the Grimm as he dragged his sword across its chest, seeing nothing but hatred in them. The next strike from the creature was wild and clumsy, giving John an opening to duck past and sever its hind leg. Not wasting a moment, John mounted the creature with a burst of dexterous movement and drove his blade into the center of its back, severing its spine before it could cry out again. Unfortunately, in his dulled state John didn't notice as another Grimm approached from behind and lunged at him. A roar of fury was the only warning John got, allowing him to flinch back just far enough that the claws only gashed his arm instead of removing it completely. John hissed in pain and recoiled as the small Ursa lunged forward with its gaping maw, sending out a desperate strike with Custos Vitae that sliced through the Grimm's left eye. John took several unsteady steps back, struggling to keep his eyes open. Blood loss was numbing his mind, and his body was following quickly behind. The Ursa came closer and John felt himself falter as he moved to defend himself, only able to watch as a clawed paw the size of his chest swept down to maul him.

A wicked black spear thrust into the Ursa's side, once, twice, then once more. Black ichor spilled and sputtered out from the wounds, and John surged forward with a crosswise cut that cut a tendon in the Grimm's arm. Suddenly unable to support its weight as it turned to face the spear wielder, it crashed face-first into the street with an agonized roar. The spear struck out again, sinking into the creature's neck down to the shaft, and Custos Vitae joined it a moment later, nearly tearing the head from the creature's shoulders. John glanced to his left with mild shock, seeing Frost barely standing and brandishing Entity's spear. Seeing John almost killed by the Ursa had given her a rush of adrenaline, a second wind that she hadn't known she had in her. The two of them stumbled closer to each other without taking their eyes off of the Ursa, standing side-by-side to face it. It struggled on the ground for several more moments, gurgling unpleasantly, until it finally went still and began dissolving into a fine black mist. Before the two could relax, there were more howls and the two of them craned their necks around to see at least a dozen Beowolves slowly approaching. Frost gulped audibly, and John's jaw set. Neither of them was in any condition to fight, or even run away for that matter. They were out of options, and out of energy. Frost tried approaching John, looking like she wanted to say something, but stumbled on a chunk of debris and pitched forward bonelessly. Evidently, Frost had used the absolute last of her energy to save him. John dove forward to catch her, almost falling to the ground himself in the process, feeling his muscles burn and his wounds sear with the sudden movement. Nausea hit him in waves, and he had to struggle not to wretch while Frost was in his arms. Frost had passed out entirely, and John wasn't far behind. They were out of time, out of options. Yet still he struggled.

"Damn...it..." John mumbled, feeling his legs buckle once more as he tried to stand.

John sent a silent prayer to the Brothers, and as the Grimm closed in, everything faded to black.

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Ike_/ C'est fini!

Ryan_/ Did you remember to include the jojo references?

Ike_/ Of course I did, what do you take me for?

Ryan_/ Fred, can you confirm?

Ike_/ Actually... Fred has entered radio silence. Not sure if he'll be back or not, but in the meantime, Gizmo Beta'd this chapter!

Gizmo_/ I cannot tell you how much it grated my nerves to see all the Canadian English spellings x]

Ryan_/ 'ou' makes the same noise as 'o', but only sometimes. 're' and 'er' are different at the end of words, but the same when inside. Why? Because Canada.

Gizmo_/ Aaaaa XD

Ike_/ In any case, Gizmo did awesome!

Gizmo_/ No problem. Anyways, lemme know when we start the A/N, that way I don't go saying stupid things...

Ike_/ ...

Ryan_/ ...

Gizmo_/ Wait! Don't include that .

Ryan_/ We will not include this.

*Ryan lied as naturally as he breathed*

Ike_/ Anywho, don't forget to leave a favourite if you've enjoyed the story so far, and follow if you wanna see where it goes! If you'd be so inclined, drop a review to tell us what you thought or give some criticisms to help us improve! This writing machine runs on feedback!

discord dot com / se8dBMU

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