Original concept by Korra
Written by MechaG11
Part One: The World of Remnant Arc
-Chapter 3: Rest Easy
Ironwood busily barks orders to his men. Valian and Atlesian soldiers assemble in droves preparing to mobilize for a counterattack against the Grimm. He paces near a gathering of civilians and notices some teenagers huddled around to view a scroll. Ironwood squints, viewing some kind of playback recording the teens have taken of the battle with the Wyvern. The children looked amazed at the spectacle before them as they watched Superman and Wonder Woman in action.
Approaching the teens, he extends his hand asking "May I see that?"
The teens seem confused and hesitant, but they wouldn't think to disobey someone who looked to be an important man of the military. One of their group hands him the scroll. He glances over the footage before hearing something else. He scans his surroundings to realize that a few other civilians were watching similar recordings. It was at that moment that Ironwood had an idea. The CCT may have been down, but local broadcast signals were still functional. He calls over one of his officers.
When the officer arrived Ironwood pointed to the screen demanding "If you find anything more like this have it sent to local news broadcasters! All of them."
The officer takes the scroll and salutes "Right away sir!" before scrambling away to have the video prepared to be relayed digitally.
Ironwood looks to the teens saying "I promise we will return your scroll to you. You've helped us greatly."
An Atlesian combat outfitter approaches Ironwood stating "We have your equipment ready General. Please come this way."
Ironwood nods and follows her to a tent containing his weapons, armor, and the like. She fits his personal combat harness to his torso and then brings in additional personal equipment and ammunition. While Ironwood was preparing his gear he thought about Kal and his allies. The outfitter completes her final equipment check, assuring that the armor was secured on the General.
"All set General!" she exclaimed, but Ironwood was lost in thought. "General? Is something the matter?" she asked.
Ironwood snapped out of his thought process. "My apologies, I'm simply feeling a bit relieved after all of this."
The outfitter wore a puzzled expression. "Relieved? I suppose I'm surprised sir, especially after all that has happened tonight."
Ironwood replied "That may be true, but those heroes who helped us are among the strongest I've witnessed. When you look at the big picture it's not just their physical strength or abilities they bring to the table. They brought tenacity, their demonstration of courage and heroism. They brought hope. With that they may have just saved everyone here without even knowing just how they did it."
The General starts towards the entrance to the tent and opens it. He looks to Kal and the other heroes outside and states "If- When we make it through tonight, they might just change everything."
The outfitter curiously eyeballs the strangely colorful heroes, slightly thrown off by their odd appearances. General Ironwood leaves the tent and approaches the heroes. With Kal and his allies finally assembled here his final plan could now commence.
Ironwood stops and addresses the heroes. "Diana, Barry, and Hal I presume?"
"General." Hal gives a casual two-finger salute before putting his hands back on his hips "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."
"Kal explained everything. We came here as fast as we could." said the Flash.
Hal cut in "Really? Puns now of all times?"
Diana ignores them. "Apologies if I am forgoing formalities General, but given the urgency are we not to depart soon?" she asks.
Ironwood points towards a nearby airship, replying "If there are no objections, yes. Come. We'll have time to get acquainted on the battlefield."
Hal responds with a humorous "Careful General. You're speaking her language now."
Ironwood smirks "I hope you're all as good as Kal says you are."
"Relax." said Hal. "This isn't our first time saving the world."
Ironwood will have to ask about that later.
The General adds "One more thing: I hope you aren't camera shy."
He begins to relay important instructions to them, his voice drowned out by the sound of engines firing up all across the area. The group boards their airship as surrounding troops fill various gunships and personnel carriers nearby. The Atlesian ships ascend, and then depart for one more battle against the Grimm.
Ruby, Weiss, and Blake make their way through a street heading towards the Atlesian Command Center. Blake, hindered by her injury, is assisted by Weiss. Airships fly overhead while infantrymen jog past the girls assumedly towards the front line. As the girls continue through they finally make it to the main assembly area. They spot Qrow idling around by himself some ways away.
Weiss gestures towards the medical tents: "I've got this one, Ruby. You go on ahead."
Ruby nods and runs to Qrow while Weiss escorts Blake to the Atlesian medics for examination. Qrow spots Ruby as she rushes over and hugs him.
Qrow briefly chuckles followed by warm "Hey Ruby." He returns her hug with one arm.
Ruby smiles briefly before asking: "I'm glad you're alright. Is Yang okay?"
"They got her stowed away in a tent some ways over there. She's getting the help she needs." Qrow replies gesturing to the medical treatment area. "As much as I want to be there for her I'd rather not chance something going wrong with their procedures and equipment. For her sake…and anyone else who's already unlucky enough to be there."
Ruby frowns, uttering "Right…"
Qrow peers down at Ruby "Question is kiddo: Are you okay?"
She looks up to him, "I almost wasn't. Luckily this guy in blue with a red cape came to save me! It was like something right out of a comic book Uncle Qrow!"
"No kiddin'." he replied.
"Yeah!" Ruby said excitedly. "He zoomed in like 'swisssh' and slammed Cinder into the wall like 'booom' and then-" She stops herself abruptly.
"Ruby?" Qrow said, concerned for her.
She hesitated to speak of what was haunting her mind "P-Pyrrha's dead Uncle Qrow." Tearing up, she begins to bury her face and cling closely to him "I couldn't save her. I was right there and I couldn't save her." She clings to his shirt tightly.
Qrow was shocked by the news. In that moment he knew he needed to comfort his niece, however he couldn't help but feel guilty knowing his involvement with Oz' plan for Pyrrha.
"Aww Ruby" he said somberly. He embraces her, in an attempt to give her some comfort.
Ruby sobs "If only I was just a bit stronger…maybe-"
Qrow interrupts "Hey now, don't talk like that kiddo. Last thing you wanna do is beat yourself up over these things like I do."
Ruby nods in acknowledgement, still sobbing. "Can I tell you something Uncle Qrow?"
"Anything, Ruby." Qrow assured.
She confesses "B-before she left, she asked me to smile. That was her last wish. It was so hard…but I did it."
Qrow replies "Sometimes that kind of thing is hard even for us adults when put in your shoes. If anything that's just proof that you are strong, Ruby. I think she knew that."
"You think so?" Ruby asks.
Qrow replies "I'm sure of it." He gently pats her on the back.
She sniffles and softly says "Thank you Uncle Qrow."
He continues to hold Ruby warmly in his arms, consoling her as she quietly cries in grief.
Weiss assists Blake towards the medical tents, moving at a hindered but urgent pace. Weiss calls out to any medic who could take Blake in. "I've got a Beacon Student here! She needs help!"
"Weiss…" Blake weakly said.
Weiss looked to her teammate.
Blake utters "Thank you. Tell…Ruby too-" She slips out of consciousness, most likely from the bleeding. She is barely able to finish what she said.
Weiss feels Blake slipping off, but manages to catch her. "You can tell her when you see her again." assured Weiss.
Medics run to the pair and carefully take Blake.
"She's been stabbed." Weiss informs the medics
"Alright miss, we'll take it from here." one replies.
She watches them fold out a stretcher and carry Blake away. Weiss crosses her arms, bracing against the cold. Was it a breeze in the wind or just nervous anxiety encroaching on her body? She did not know. All she felt was relief knowing Blake was getting the help she needed. To think this morning that Weiss woke up expecting to watch the tournament, only to experience a series of unexpected horrors made reality. She dwelled on what befell Yang, the death of Ruby's odd but bubbly friend Penny, the Grimm invasion, and worse yet-
Her thoughts are interrupted as she spots a blonde exiting a tent. It was Jaune. She makes her way towards him and calls his name. Jaune wipes some tears away, and turns around surprised as he met her gaze.
"Weiss?" he responds.
She stops next to him, and asks "Are you alright? Where's the rest of your team?"
A redhead pokes out from within the nearby tent.
"Weiss?!" shouts Nora.
Nora rushes to Weiss and hugs her tightly, making it slightly hard for her to breathe. Just behind her emerged Ren from the same tent. He looked upon them with a relieved smile. Nora eventually let heiress go.
Weiss caught her breath, replying "It's good to see you too Nora."
For a moment Weiss was happy, but her eyes catch troubling figures in the distance. Her heart sank when she recognized their lot. Men in SDC uniforms marched through the area looking for something. If she had to guess, that something was most likely her.
"If you truly wish to help then see to it that your friends make it through the day. They require your aid the most right now." echoed the words of Diana in Weiss' head.
It did not matter if her father would be angry or worried for her. Not that he cared for her in the way she wanted. She may have feared him to some degree, but her obligation to be there for her friends took priority. There was no guarantee that anyone they knew would be found immediately after the battle, let alone if the battle would even finish tonight. Her father could wait.
Jaune, Ren, and Nora noticed Weiss' concerned expression.
"Is something the matter Weiss?" Ren asks.
"My father's men…" Weiss looked to the three members of JNPR. "I can't leave."
The three of them exchange glances. They all nod at Weiss and help her into the tent to stay hidden. Jaune stays outside to stand watch. Minutes pass, and the SDC men come by. They ask if anyone has seen Weiss Schnee, but most did not know or were too busy helping the injured. One of the men stops right next to the tent and asks Jaune the same question.
"Sorry. I haven't seen anyone like her." lied Jaune.
The two men consult with one another about their inability to find the heiress. They decide to move on, hoping she may be somewhere else. Jaune secretly eyes the guards for a couple minutes, and then finally reenters the tent.
"Alright, looks like we're clear." he says.
The men had left, allowing Weiss to breathe a sigh of relief. She turned around to look to the rest of the tent only to meet with an unexpected sight. She let out a brief gasp after realizing that Pyrrha's body was resting here. Weiss knew of Pyrrha's death since the battle in the courtyard. However in that moment she did not actually have the time to fully take it in. She approaches slowly and places her hand near where Pyrrha lay.
Jaune informs Weiss "They…wanted us to keep her hidden away. I guess they didn't want everyone knowing about what happened."
"Still…word will go around eventually." replied Ren.
In a situation like this it made sense. Pyrrha was a famous star student. Even the controversy at the tournament wouldn't be enough to make news of her death less saddening for the public. Weiss could justify it logically, but inside she couldn't help but feel anger. Hiding Pyrrha's body away like she was a burden was almost insulting. Weiss' expression grew intense, but Ren places his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes went up to meet his. With only a look Ren was able to suggest that she stay calm.
Nora joined Weiss to stand alongside Pyrrha. "I still can't believe it."
"It's not fair." replied Ren, shaking his head.
Weiss explains "Ruby told me that…she died trying to fight Cinder."
"What?" asked Jaune. He angrily balls his hands into fists.
Weiss continues "That man in blue managed to stop her but…not before Pyrrha died fighting her."
"A hero to the end." Ren says.
Jaune let up his fists and appeared somber.
Weiss explained "I've always looked up to Pyrrha. Though, I guess we all did. In a lot of ways I tried to follow her example, but I mostly did it to benefit myself."
Jaune added "That's just the kind of person Pyrrha was. She had that effect on people."
Weiss turns to Jaune "But…I'm not like her."
Tears began to run from her eyes. Nora sees this and then moves in to hold her.
Weiss looks to Pyrrha "I hope, somewhere out there, you can hear me Pyrrha. Things will be different now." She wipes tears away despite them still running. "I promise to watch over them. Ruby, Blake, and Yang. Someday I'll get as strong as you and protect all of them like you did us!"
Jaune stands next to Weiss and places his hand on her shoulder. He looks to Pyrrha saying "Me too." He looks to Weiss, Nora and Ren exclaiming "Together we can protect everyone. I promise you that Pyrrha."
Weiss, Nora, and Ren nod in agreement.
"Well said you two." complimented Ren.
The four of them join hands, side by side, in honor of Pyrrha.
Just outside of Vale a horde of Grimm charges towards the breach in the city's walls. Beowolves intermixed with Creeps, Deathstalkers, and Goliaths batter the ground with a thunderous approach. They make haste towards their target, drawn to the negative emotions of the fearful denizens within. The outer horde violently persists despite how heavily their numbers were culled from within the city.
The various cries of the Grimm were challenged by the roar of distant engines in the sky. Atlesian airships, rallied together in the midst of chaos, descend upon the horde. The gunships don't waste their time raining machine gun fire unto the masses of beasts. Meanwhile missiles launched into the battlefield coerce the Grimm to funnel into a planned firing zone. Winged Grimm attempt to swarm the airships, but are suddenly thwarted by Wonder Woman and Superman cutting through the sky. The two swirl around their allies in a protective flight pattern, pummeling and slicing their way through the malevolent beasts.
Yellow Lantern and Flash take to the breach to fend off any Grimm close enough to entering the city. The Flash spun his arms into a tornado to blow debris into the breach, creating an improvised wall. Just in front of it was Yellow Lantern projecting a shield wall construct to keep the Grimm out of the city. While his shield would not last forever against the oncoming beasts, he was able to keep it up long enough for the gunships to clear the Grimm closest to the border. Soon enough he had the freedom to undo the shield thanks to the safe space between him and the horde. The carrier airships use this opportunity to drop down into the vacant floor below and deploy Atlesian troops to engage on the ground.
Ironwood barked orders into his communications device as several cameramen in the airships recorded every action in the unified counter-attack. One by one Grimm fell to the oppressive might of the Atlesian ordnance and the power of the heroes. Every strike and demonstration of power immortalized as the heroes tear through each monster in their path. Missile salvos, repeating cannon bursts, and the battle cries of the brave Atlesian soldiers communicated one thing today: Vale may have been breached, but today the world will bear witness to the might of the Atlesian Military!
Rarely do agitated Grimm retreat from a battle, but their willingness to continue mysteriously wavered. The thing that was once so enticing as to draw them into Vale gradually faded as the military seized more and more victories in the skirmish. Soon enough the beasts began to turn back. What's left of the horde went into full retreat as ceaseless gunfire pierced their numbers. Any remaining stragglers within the city or above it were hunted down and picked off by the patrolling airships, infantrymen, and Huntsman.
An Atlesian officer confirms what the majority already witness: The Grimm are fleeing in utter defeat. The report sounds through the Atlesian ranks, prompting the soldiers to cheer victoriously. After a long night of intense fighting, they had won the day. Ironwood peers over his soldiers, some crowding around Kal and his fellow heroes. He grins at the sight. Ozpin spoke of guardians, and now they were finally here.
A Seer hovers silently as it overlooks the Valian wall. Below it resides the victorious Atlesian forces relieved or celebrating their victory. Grimm limp away in droves, no longer interested in attacking the humans and faunus within. Across the world, in a land of dark crags and a red sky, the same image is reflected off another Seer's dome. Above it stood a tall woman in a black cloak, the Grimm Witch Salem. She slowly curls her fingers into fists.
She speaks in a low but angrily stern voice. "Find. Cinder."
Hazel nods. "As you wish, milady."
He walks past a nervous Tyrian, whose tail curled tensely. The Seer reflects the image of several individuals. A caped man clad in blue, a man in glowing yellow, another man in streaking red, and a woman in bronze armor are celebrated by the soldiers around them. Salem holds her hand just over the Seer's head, almost clasping at the image within, and peers at these new guardians of man. Ozpin and Ironwood could not have known about them. Else they wouldn't have mustered such a large army so hastily, nor would they pin so much hope on Pyrrha Nikos as the Fall Maiden. No, this was an unforeseen element in their midst, in their war.
Salem calmed down, reminding herself that this was only a minor delay. In her eyes humanity's destruction was inevitable. She waved her hand, causing the image within the Seer to vanish into the darkness of its dome. Tyrian notices Salem's change in demeanor and eases knowing he no longer needed to fear an outburst from her.
Salem walks past him "Come Tyrian. There is still work to be done."
Humanity hosting heroes as great as this would be an inconvenience to her. They will proudly celebrate their new guardians, however with those guardians comes a new vulnerability she could exploit. The mere shock of losing their icons will bring a newer, darker, despair. It was only a matter of destroying the pillars that maintain that hope. If she was going to deal with these heroes she would need to know more about them, and such a task was befitting of the resourceful Watts. She will inform him of this mission next they converse.
For now, Salem could only wait. After all, she had all the time in the world.
End of Chapter Three