Original concept by Korra
Written by MechaG11
Part Two: Remnant Divided Arc
-Chapter 11: Retreat, Rest, Return
Glynda runs alongside many others trying to escape Beacon, guiding the group as best she can through the outskirts. Ilia, Oscar, Nora, Ren, and more than a few White Fang survivors make haste to the edge of the plateau. Blake and a handful of others are carried due to their injuries. Glynda stops at the end and looks over the edge. The drop was roughly 150-200 meters down, and lead to some stone and water below. The others catch up and come to a stop as well. She scans the area below and spots a cave. The harbor below Beacon was not an option, it was too obvious for a point of retreat, and the Regime would be all over them if they made any escape attempt there. This group was desperate, and needed to improvise. She sighs, and turns to the others. "I need all of you to trust me right now. When I tell you to, everyone needs to jump at the same time." she says.
"Jump?! Are you crazy?!" one of the White Fang members exclaims.
"We have wounded!" another protests to Glynda.
"I will secure your landing on the way down." Glynda asserts. "We won't be able to escape the Regime's reach if we're trapped up here." she explains. The White Fang survivors exchange glances. Nora and Ren nod at Glynda in acknowledgment.
Nora turns to the others who are in doubt. "Trust the professor on this one guys. Glynda's got this." she assures them.
Oscar approaches her. "Are you sure you have enough energy for that?" he asks quietly so the others don't hear. Glynda nods. She used up some of her Aura battling against the Regime, but she was confident that she had just enough in reserve to catch everyone's fall from this height.
"We taught our students landing strategies for a reason. This situation is precisely why. When I give the signal, everyone jump." she instructs. Some of the White Fang exchange glances again. They're afraid, but they have no choice. The wounded are held by the stronger individuals and will be carried on the way down. Glynda waits, and then gives the signal as she leaps down first. "Now!" she exclaims just after leaping down. The others follow suit.
Glynda, Nora, Ren, and Ilia fall with some degree of prowess. Meanwhile, Oscar and the others are a bit less composed, some even panicking or briefly screaming in freight. The fall lasts for almost 30 seconds, maybe more, the entire way. Glynda estimates the timing she would need to act before reaching the floor. She focuses, flipping before using her telekinesis to assist with her landing. Her feet smack the ground with a slight crash, her semblance significantly softening the impact upon hitting the floor so that she remains unharmed. The huntress quickly spins around and commits all of her energy to catching those who followed her down. She grits her teeth, a bead of sweat trails down her face as she hyper-focuses on each individual descending all at once. Nearly over a dozen people were relying on her to save their lives. She had to make good on their faith in her. She shoots her arms up, surging with power. "Ngh- AAAAGH!" she strenuously yells as she arrests the fall of everyone above her. The group almost lay still in the air, slowly floating to the ground before landing safely. Glynda pants, her aura flickering.
Nora and Oscar rushes over to her. "Glynda! Are you okay?!" Nora asks worriedly.
"I- I'm fine." Glynda replies, in between her panting. "We should keep moving. Everyone towards that cave entrance there." she says while pointing to it.
Once inside, the group locates a space underground large enough to accommodate their numbers. The group sets up, trying to recuperate themselves and tend to the wounded. Blake regains consciousness, wincing in pain and grasping at the burns on her face where her eye was. Nora and Ilia attempt to help her, but with little to nothing in way of supplies it was difficult to even give her basic aid. Blake tries to hold back her cries of pain, still grunting as she felt the continuous burn of her injury.
"Stand back." a voice spoke from the darkness. A caped figure in black armor with ear-like horns on his mask emerges from the shadows. "This should help her." he said as he produces a small object from his belt. He carefully moves Blake's hand away from her face. "This will sting a bit." he informs her before spraying her burn areas with the small bottle-like object in his hand. Blake winces and whimpers as her nerves react to the chemical making contact with her skin. Soon the stinging begins to subside, and the chemical's cooling sensation takes effect by numbing the pain. Nora and Ilia watch as this strange man continues to aid Blake, producing small medical wrappings to temporarily cover her eye and tie around her head. He lays Blake down. "Rest now." he says. He stands and turns towards the others.
Nora speaks up. "I don't know who you are, but-"
"Thank you." Ilia says, finishing Nora's sentence.
Ren steps towards them. "Okay but…who exactly are you?" he asks the stranger.
The caped man turns his head, looking to meet each of their glances. "I'm not from around here, like Superman and the other heroes. It will take time to explain…" he says. "I'm Batman." he states before all of them. He continues: "I'm here because Superman poses a greater threat to your world than you realize, and you'll need my help to stop him."
"Sir, the Ace Ops have arrived. Clover is here to see you." says a female voice over Ironwood's communicator. The general brings his wrist device up to his head. "Send him in." Ironwood responds. The communication ends. He stands before a glass pane that overlooked the autopsy of Qrow Branwen, staring in deep contemplation. The Atlesian outpost in Vale was a good enough place to conduct something like this with enough secrecy and privacy.
A door opens to his left. Clover, leader of the Atlas' Ace Ops team, walks into the room. "Sorry we're late, General." he says. His team had just returned from an assignment in Mantle. Clover approaches Ironwood, turning his gaze towards the the grizzly sight of Qrow's corpse through the window. "My god…what happened to him?" he asked, disturbed by the sight.
"That's what I'm trying to find out." Ironwood replies. He briefs Clover: "Superman engaged Qrow. Some criminal ambushed the two of them, and impaled Qrow with his own weapon."
"Criminal?" Clover asks, puzzled by the wording.
"It's what Kal-El referred to him as. Supposedly he is called 'The Batman.'" Ironwood replies. "Seems to pick up his strange naming conventions just like the others from their world."
"World, sir?" Clover asks with his brow raised, even more intrigued and confused.
"Apologies…I suppose I haven't brought you up to speed on that. I'll make sure to brief you and your team on it soon enough." Ironwood explains.
"What's the situation in Mistral?" Clover inquires.
Ironwood begins to inform Clover. "Winter's taken command there with some assistance from Wonder Woman. We'll be setting up an FOB in Haven to help secure the region, given the state of their Huntsmen defenses. Yellow Lantern is currently investigating the Flash's death."
"And the Relic?" Clover asked.
"Gone." Ironwood answered. "Winter is pursuing possible leads on a culprit, but we don't have anything solid quite yet."
"One of Salem's agents would be a pretty safe bet, not that you weren't already thinking that." Clover adds.
"I'm more concerned about something else." Ironwood says. "This criminal that killed Qrow…he's the only thing I'm aware of that has ever harmed Superman. The only thing to ever make him bleed."
"If what you're saying is true, then…" Clover utters.
"He may be one of the most dangerous threats we'll face." Ironwood says. "Still, some things don't add up…why now? Why attack only to retreat from us?" he queries. Did he kill Qrow because he got in the way? If this foe was strong enough to harm Superman, what reason would he have to flee from the Regime? What would he have to fear if he didn't fear Superman? The General was certain there had to be more to it.
"Maybe he just got lucky." Clover said with a slight hint of cheeky irony.
Ironwood smirks a bit. "Not everyone has the privilege of being you." he tells Clover.
Clover crosses his arms. "So what's our next move?" he asks.
"I'll get your team briefed soon on what we know. There's a few missing parties after the incident at Beacon. I'm trusting you and your team to handle their capture." Ironwood informs him.
"Just give us a lead and we'll track 'em down." Clover says confidently.
"That's what I like to hear." Ironwood replies. "Round up your team and we can get started." he says. The General turns and starts to walk out of the room.
"You got it, sir!" Clover says, before leaving the opposite direction to fetch his team.
Glynda Goodwitch, Oscar Pine, Blake Belladonna, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, and a portion of White Fang members were still unaccounted for. Some White Fang members, and a handful of Beacon Professors were arrested at the Academy. With both Haven and Beacon in a precarious state, the Fall Maiden powers missing, and the Relic of Knowledge stolen, the General had too much on his plate to deal with at once. He would have to focus on the present for the time being. It was time to wrap up this loose end, and the Ace Ops were the ideal group to help him do it.
Batman guides Oscar and Ren inside a darkened building. The trips took at least a day while taking a more subtle route from Beacon's outskirts to infiltrating the borders of Vale. Batman activates some sort of makeshift light fixture that illuminates the interior. He had presumably been hiding out here for some time, given how some of the surrounding tables and such were occupied by various tools and supplies. It was a bit dusty and run down, but spacious. "This building will serve as a temporary hideout: Large enough to accommodate for our numbers, but small enough to be inconspicuous." Batman says.
"It might not be pretty, but it's good enough for what we need." Ren states.
"Go to the others. Escort them through the route I showed you." Batman tells Ren. "Oscar and I will prepare what we can here." he adds. Ren nods and then exits the building. Batman turns to Oscar once they are both alone. "I'm sure you have questions, Professor Ozpin." he says.
"Oh…I guess you know about that, huh?" Oscar says, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I don't know enough of the specifics, but yes." Batman replied.
"I'll just…have to show you." Oscar says. He closes his eyes and lowers his head slightly. A barely noticeable flicker of light emanates from his face. Oscar opens his eyes, his posture and movements differing from they were moments ago.
"Batman, was it? I am Professor Ozpin." Ozpin says, greeting the Caped Crusader.
Batman produces an envelope from a nearby cabinet. Batman queries Ozpin: "If you really are Ozpin, you should be able to tell me what's inside. This was the first most envelope tucked away in your left-hand drawer."
Ozpin chuckles. "Perusing through the contents of my office desk were we? Very well, I'll humor you." Ozpin takes a breath and begins to explain: "That right there would appear to be the formally written acceptance letter for my position as Beacon's Headmaster. What most don't know, however, is that stashed inside is actually a personal letter from a late friend of mine." Ozpin looks up at Batman. "Does that suffice?"
"Hmm." Batman utters. He hands the letter over for Ozpin to take back, an acknowledgement that the Ozpin was who he says he was. "If I were to guess, you must have at least two personalities imbedded within your consciousness. I assume you are able to switch at will." he asserts.
"You say that like you've experienced such a thing before." Ozpin says, smirking. "You are mostly on the mark, barring some of my limitations at the moment. Tell me, why go through the effort to investigate me?" Ozpin asks.
"I needed to know if there was anyone at Beacon I could trust. I discovered Oscar during my investigation of Headmaster Goodwitch, and by extension: you." Batman says. "The Regime is growing in power here faster than I anticipated."
Ignoring the fact that Batman was clearly spying and intruding on their privacy, Ozpin decides to pry further about Batman. "The Regime…you talk about them as if you know them. You said you were trying to stop Superman. Stop him from doing what, I might ask?"
"Conquering Remnant." Batman answers bluntly. This came as a shock to Ozpin, but on some level he found it believable. If there was anyone who had the raw power to storm the world and conquer it, it was Superman. Ozpin knew better than anyone what sort of power it took to be bold enough to attempt that. Batman continued: "In our home world, Superman and his Regime nearly dominated our planet. We stopped him, but he escaped. That's when I pursued him here."
"Your world, you say?" Ozpin questioned.
Batman nods. "Yes. Your world and my own are merely a few among a vast interconnected Multiverse. I'm sure you might find this hard to believe at first."
Ozpin chuckles. "I've lived among walking myths and legends, and have seen things most among us would write off as mere fantasy. You will find I won't dismiss such a thing so easily, my friend." Ozpin replies. "Please understand however that I must take the side of caution. You claim to be seeking trust, but I only have your word to go off on as far as your own trustworthiness is concerned. As I remember, Superman even claims you killed Qrow Branwen."
Batman shakes his head. "I have no way to prove my innocence, or my claims…no yet. I didn't kill that man. All I can give you is my word and actions as proof of my intentions."
"That much is certain." Ozpin replies. "You did assist Miss Belladonna in her time of need. It's not enough to clear your name, but it does offset some doubts I may have had about your intent. At the moment though, my people and I have little else we can turn to. I will choose to put my trust in you, Batman. I hope you will not give me reason to regret it." Ozpin says, reaching his hand out. Batman extends his arm in kind and they shake hands.
"Cooperation is crucial if we're going to stop Superman. I promise you that I will aid Remnant in any way I can." Batman says.
Nora sits on her knees, watching over an unconscious Blake. Curled up in a corner against the wall some ways away, watching them, was Ilia. Nora looks at the freckled girl. Ilia had a strange air about her. Nora's gut feeling tells her that just being here physically might be the reason for Ilia's distance. "It's okay to sit over here if you want." Nora says to Ilia, gesturing to a spot near Blake.
"No thanks. I'm fine right here." Ilia says bluntly, not budging from her position.
"Suit yourself I guess." Nora replies, feeling a bit deflated by Ilia's insistence on maintaining a significant amount of space from her. She looks down at Blake's face, gazing at the girl's patched up eye. "Blake…I can't believe Yang would do this…" she says.
Blake utters something indiscernible, beginning to wake up. She winces and brings her hand to her eye patched up in bandages. She tries to get up suddenly, but Nora quickly halts her. Ilia changes her sitting position upon seeing Blake move, appearing more alert now.
"H-hey! You need to rest." Nora tells Blake. "I don't think the medicine on your eye will numb the pain for too long, so you need to take it easy until we can get you to someone that can actually help." Blake grits her teeth, then lays back and releases an exhausted breath through her uneasy breathing. The pain of her eye still stung on the surface but was nowhere near as painful as it was earlier. "I'm sorry, Blake…" Nora tells her.
Blake stares at the ceiling. She doesn't know where she is, and a cruel reality is settling in for her. The lack of feeling she had wasn't just the numbing effect of some drug applied to her injury. No, Blake was almost certain she couldn't feel her actual eye at all. It was gone. She couldn't help but quietly begin to cry as this realization dawned on her. "Yang…" she said, shaking her head shortly after uttering the name. Blake was a bit disoriented, but she remembered how she lost her eye. That much she could recall in sufficient detail, though the scene was so hectic at the time that it almost felt like a haze at some points in between. Yang violently struck out, that much was clear and undeniable. Her friend's fist broke straight through her Aura of protection, and the blast from Yang's gauntlets scorched her face.
Most would imagine Blake would be upset, angry, or even hating Yang. Yes, she did feel angry. Yang just inflicted permanent damage to her body. Blake would never get this eye back. Beyond her pain though, she somehow still found it in herself to feel sorry for Yang. The girl just lost her Uncle in some kind of freak event, something beyond any means of control they had. They have both lost something today. As much as Blake didn't want to blame Yang, knowing the grief that she knows Yang is feeling right now, one thing was certain: Whatever friendship, partnership…bond they had? Blake didn't' want to continue it. No amount of apologies would undo the physical damage Yang did to her. No amount of medical treatment would undo the mental image of Yang's fist jetting directly towards her.
There was some level of irony here. Yang was the one who lost control thanks to her emotions and hurt Blake, the very same Yang that scolded Blake nearly a year ago not to let emotions get the better of her. That fact couldn't be denied, but Blake would never be cruel enough to ever throw that back into Yang's face. Blake was hurting, yes, but she couldn't let pain stop her from being better than that.
"I can't believe she- "Nora begins to say. "I just…I can't imagine how you're probably feeling right now. I don't know what I would do if I were in your place."
"I think it's simple." Ilia says. "Why wouldn't anyone hate someone who betrays them like that?" she says bluntly. Nora looks up at Ilia, not entirely sure what to say. She wants to protest Ilia, but part of what the girl said is not entirely unreasonable.
"I…don't hate Yang." Blake utters. Nora turns her head to look back down to Blake. "I don't hate her, but…I don't want to forgive her." Another tear streams down from her remaining eye. "I can't forgive her for what she did." Ilia diverts her gaze upon hearing this, seemingly reflecting on what Blake just said. It was the middle-ground that Nora and Ilia could both understand: Acknowledging the bond you had with someone, but also recognizing the wrong they have done by you.
"That…makes sense." Nora replies. Ilia says nothing, but in her mind she somewhat agrees. Footsteps are heard as Ren returns to the group. Nora's head spins around to face towards him. "Ren!" she exclaims with relief in her voice.
"We need to get everyone prepared to leave. I can take us to a safer location along a discrete route, but we'll need to do so during the night." He explains.
"Then that gives us about a little under an hour to prep." Ilia states. She points to several White Fang members. "You guys get what little supplies we have packed up." She points to another. "You and me, we're going to get these wounded ready to move."
Nora looks to Blake. "Do you need me to-"
"No, I- I can walk." Blake assures her. She strains a bit before sitting herself up.
"I'm going to give you my shoulder anyway, okay?" Nora tells her. Blake accepts this and nods. It was time for everyone to head to the hideout.
Mistral, hours after the Battle of Haven…
Neo comes to. She opens her eyes, her vision slowly adjusting to what is before her. She was greeted by the smell of dirt, and small pieces of it dotted her face as she lifted her head from off the floor. She shakes her head slightly to loosen the topsoil off of her face. She groans as she tries to shift her body, but then violently twinges. The nerves in her right thigh and left shin were screaming at her. She looks down to her legs. Her right thigh looked fine, but was plainly hurting like hell. Her left shin however….wasn't right at all. Her eyes widened as she realized that it snapped internally, and partially pointing the wrong way. She figured since the pain was so similar, that she must have cracked the bone of her thigh as well after…
Suddenly she remembered how she got here. She was fighting Red and the heiress. Some kind of huge Grimm slammed into her and sent her falling. She looked again to her legs. The Grimm was nowhere to be seen. It was easy to guess that it dissolved upon its death. She must've fallen unconscious and broke her legs upon impact with the ground after they both landed. She's lucky she wasn't dead, but she was definitely not going to walk with her legs in this condition. Crawling using her arms was her only option. She wasn't sure how far away she was from any sort of help, or civilization. She could get taken in, maybe given some medical assistance. They'd probably identify her though, leading to an arrest by any local authorities while she was in no condition to fight back. They'd probably turn her over the Regime for her crimes against Beacon and Atlas. She'd be questioned for her involvement with Cinder and company during the Battle of Beacon. It was a risk she had to take, cause it was better than being dead. Maybe she could eventually break out and get her revenge on Red another day?
Neo picks a direction and starts her painstaking crawl across the ground. For minutes on end she is pulling herself across the floor. She finds and reaches her parasol. Taking it in hand, she attempts to somewhat stand while using it as a crutch, but the pain in her thigh flares up and she collapses. It was no use, her thigh was definitely broken. She improvises, and instead sits up slightly and begins to use the parasol almost like a pick to drag herself forward after repeatedly jabbing the sharp end into the ground. Suddenly, she hears a high pitched call. Her eyes widen as she sees a bird-like shadow below her getting larger, causing her to panic as she realizes what is approaching.
The girl spins around but is too late to react as a Griffon's talons seize her body and carry her away. She braces against the creature, her legs hanging limply as she is carried through the air. Neo shoves uselessly at the creature upon instinct. She then readies her parasol and deploys the blade within the tip of It. Drawing upon all of the strength that she can muster, Neo drives the blade straight into the Griffon and twists it. The Griffon lets out a wail. Neo pulls the blade out and then repeatedly stabs the monster, desperately grunting with every strike. The monster finally dies mid-flight, and releases her as it dissolves away. Neo was now freefalling towards the trees and cliffs below. She breaks through a large branch, and then tumbles into a ravine. She smacks against a wall of stone before bouncing off of its surface and falling further down. There was a splash, and her fall was broken. It felt like she was…sinking? Everything was dark. She figured she fell into a river or lake somewhere in the depths of a ravine. If only she had been so lucky…
This wasn't water. It was thick and dragged like molasses as she moved her arms. It wasn't just dark...it was black. Then, Neo felt it. Her body began to burn and twinge. She was assaulted by cuts and blunt impacts, and a burning sensation as if the liquid were trying to forcibly seep into her skin to invade and cause her harm. She screamed as she frantically flailed her arms, trying to find anything to grab onto in order to pull herself out. Her hand grasps something rock-like. A wall, probably part of the ravine she fell into. She grips it, trying not to let the pain assaulting her from forcing her to release her grip. Her legs were even worse off now, receiving more impacts and burning deep in the liquid. She manages to pull her head out of the liquid's surface, gasping for breath but also crying out in pain.
Neo tried her best to pull herself out, but the combination of her broken legs and the thick sludge-like nature of the black liquid kept her from climbing out with any haste. She musters as much strength as she can afford to use as she slowly slid out of the black pool. The malicious presence of this black vein in the ground wasn't quick to give up though, as she found that much of it stuck to her like an adhesive. It stretched as she drew herself away from its source. Neo felt like it was trying to pull her back in. Suddenly, her grip on a rocky surface gives as the rock crumbles beneath her hand. Her progress is partially undone, as she slides back into the pool up to her stomach.
The pain continued to burn into Neo. She pulled and pulled against the nearby rocky surface. She was almost there, and refused to die here. She began to curse this situation. Curse this damn black pool! Curse Cinder! Curse Salem! Curse Red! How could she possibly die before avenging the only person she ever felt any love for?! Roman had to be avenged. Her grip loosened and she fell completely into the vein again. The black slime violently injected itself into her very flesh. It can't end like this. She desired with all of her heart to reap vengeance. It's all she needed to do. It was the only thing left for her to do! She wasn't going to let herself die here like this before she got the chance again. She reaches her arm out upwards, her hand breaching the surface of the liquid.
Then…her desires were answered. Miraculously, something was listening. In the blackness, everything within the void Neo found herself in was illuminated by a single scarlet light. It met with her hand, and repelled the black liquid instantly with a shockwave of energy. A new burning sensation entered her, like a flow of lava surging through her veins. It wasn't like it was being injected, no. It was becoming the very blood flowing through her. The black sludge and the burning blood fought for control within her very veins. With the pool now dispersed, Neo was able to lay upon solid ground. The burning blood burned within her, refusing to allow her flame of life to be snuffed out. The black sludge stung back, refusing to allow the blood to take total control. Amidst all of the pain, Neo's broken bones all snapped into place as the burning blood began to repair her.
Neo remained like this for days: twisting and convulsing, grunting and screaming, unable to control her own body as two foreign forces waged war within her. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep, she was alive, and it was hell. Then, the pain settled. Neo slowly came to realize her bodily control had returned. The burning blood saved her life, but the blackness preserved her mind from being fully assimilated by the burning blood's will. She slowly wiggled her fingers, and then balled her hand into a fist. She allows herself to rise. Her usual attire was now remade in red and black. She was healed, she was back. She was given the second chance she sought, the one she pleaded for. The new blood in her body was not in control, but it influenced her enough to urge her to do as it willed. What the newly adorned red ring on her finger willed. She didn't protest against it. What she sought was the only urge burning hot within her now. She was given life again to exact her personal vengeance. It was time to kill everyone that had wronged her lost loved one.
For Roman.
End of Chapter 11