Hope you enjoy! Time to find out what happened after Jaune and the others escaped.
Thanks to my beta Readers TheMischieviousPuppyDog, UGX7, and Jauneforever as usual.
Jaune suddenly sat up straight, waking from his unexpected sleep and looked around to see they were at Akai Chirippu. He saw his team was safe, though they all looked tired with reddened eyes. He turned his head to see who else was here. He saw team SSSN bandaging themselves up and Bal Bloo carrying Oscar while talking with some of the villagers.
"How did we escape?" asked Jaune as everyone turned their attention to him, "Is everyone alright? Wait, where's Wong?"
"Jaune," said Pyrrha quietly, "What's the last thing you remember?"
"I remember getting ready to link up with all of my dragons. I was going to take a Dragon SeedAfter that... everything suddenly went dark."
"Jaune. Wong sprayed some potent sleeping gas on your face that bypassed the Aura's protection completely. The body didn't even recognize it as a threat," stated Aryz.
"What happened?" asked Jaune once more firmly. None of his team could look at him to answer it, nor could team SSSN.
"The old man. He managed to teleport out of there with some weird oozing portal," said Bal Bool, finished with his chat, "Said he wanted to deal with them all alone. Crazy fella, but I had to respect his decision."
Jaune punched the floor in fury upon learning this. Why had Wong sacrificed himself like that? With the Dragon seed and link, he could've easily handled the situation!
"Jaune. Whatever Wong did was his choice, and it is something you must respect. He did not want to cut your training short just so he could live. He obviously believes that you will lead a path to greatness. He sacrificed his life to make sure you could continue training," said Lung Wang softly.
Jaune clenched his fist, feeling powerless once more. He had all this power, but he still couldn't save everyone he cared.
"He also said one last thing," added Bal, "Protect your precious people."
Jaune snorted, that much was obvious, and even more now that he knew Salem had just gained the Fall Maiden powers.
"Neptune, is the SOS signal working?" asked Jaune.
"Yeah, it sent out the signal as soon as we got here, the Mistralian forces are on their way, though it might be a bit hard. You know, since being the world's widest-reaching territories," replied Neptune.
Jaune nodded, "Once we get reinforcements, we're heading back for Wong. There may be a chance he's still alive. If not... then we retrieve the body at least."
Nobody argued with that point and went to healing the injuries they suffered. An hour later, Mistralian forces arrived to help, as well as a surprise visitor.
"Professor Ozpin?"
"I am no longer a professor, merely an adviser. Just call me Ozpin, I don't mind," chuckled the former headmaster, "I was at Haven talking with Headmaster Lionheart when I heard the SOS signal from his office. Seeing how it was from team SSSN and knowing your team was also with them, I decided to help. After all, it's very rare that your teams would ever need help. So what happened?"
At that last sentence, Ozpin's gentle face became stern and business-like. This was no longer the gentle Ozpin who guided students as a professor. This was Ozpin the Huntsman, an experienced fighter, and leader.
Jaune nodded as his team quickly got into the airship. He sprouted his wings as he would fly there to lead the forces, while Pyrrha and the others would fill Ozpin in.
They flew for a bit before finally arriving at their destination. Bal Bloo and Oscar had decided to come with to pay their respects for Wong. As the ship descended, they saw craters everywhere and blood, but no bodies.
"They must've taken them with them," grunted Jaune as he looked for Wong.
"Over there!" shouted Ren.
Lying facedown on the floor was Wong, but his whole body had shriveled like an ancient prune. Not only that, his blades were still stabbed into his arms, and his hands were lost somewhere.
"Did they torture him?" asked Sun as he bent down, getting ready to gently lift his body. However, as soon as he touched the body, it began to break down and turn into dust.
"What the hell!?" shouted Sage as they all tried to keep Wong's body together. But it was fruitless as all of his body began to break down. A wind swept his remains away, leaving his swords behind.
"Renny, what's happening?" asked Nora, unable to comprehend the scene. "Human bodies don't do that!"
"I don't know," whispered Ren as he looked up, watching the remains of Wong fly away.
"Poison, maybe?" suggested Scarlet. "Maybe they did something to him."
"Perhaps," said Ozpin as he kneeled down, brushing his hand on the ground where Wong had been, "But it's hard to guess. The only thing I can conclude though is after you left, he took out many others before finally dying. Does he have any extended family still living?"
"Not that we know of. He visited a grave, but we're not sure if it was for his family. None of the locals know about him either," replied Jaune, "He was a private man."
"Speaking of extended family, I need your help with this kid," said Bal, pushing Oscar forward, "Found this kid being chased by Grimm. From what I know, his family was attacked and most likely gone. He was heading to the nearest settlement for help. I'd take him, but the next location I'm heading to... isn't very fond of humans."
Ozpin looked at Oscar directly and felt something pull at him. This boy... was creating a resonance with his own powers.
"What do you wish to do now, young man?"
Oscar looked up at Ozpin, hesitating for a bit, "I... don't know. I mean, I've always wanted to be more than a farmhand. But I wasn't sure what to do."
"Then what is your dream now? After everything you've seen in the past few days, what do you wish to do with your life?"
"... To become a Huntsman. To make sure no other families will suffer a Grimm attack like mine did. To ensure families don't get torn apart."
Seeing Oscar look up and declare such a statement with a burning fire inside his eyes, Ozpin grinned, "Then I will help you do so. Will you become my personal apprentice?"
"What!?" shouted almost everyone who heard this.
"This boy. I can feel it. His Aura, Semblance, his very soul is quite similar to mine. Who else better to help him than an old man with similar traits?" explained Ozpin.
"Are you serious?" asked Oscar. When Ozpin nodded, Oscar shouted "Y-yes! I accept Gladly!"
"Good. Now then, if there are any more reasons we should be here, I suggest we return to Haven. It is not safe to be here for too long."
Jaune glanced at Pyrrha, who nodded and used her Semblance to levitate the swords with them. They arrived back to Akai Chirippu, where Bal Bloo said his goodbyes.
"I gotta go. This event has to be reported immediately," said Bal as he left, "Oh. And don't be shocked if an envoy from the White Fang comes forward. It's a long time coming if you ask me."
Team SSSN and JNPR took the swords to the graveyard where they had seen Wong pray to earlier. They bowed their heads in respect for the man before placing the swords in a coffin. Jaune had purchased a piece of the land next to the grave to mark it as Wong's graveyard.
"I'm sorry we couldn't recover your body," whispered Jaune, "This is the next best thing we can do for you."
As the coffin was sealed and placed in the grave, Jaune linked up with Fafnir and had the dirt placed over the coffin, compressing it to allow a perfect burial. The teams left to take an airship back to Haven, saying their last goodbyes and thanks. As they left, the winds blew as a wisp of sand and dust still in the air made their way to the grave, circling around the tombstone before settling down in front of it.
Here lays Hong Wong. A beloved teacher of Team SSSN and JNPR. May his spirit find peace as his students proudly carry on his legacy.
"Mr. Ryu-Long? May I ask why you have that weapon with you?" Ozpin inquired.
Jaune blinked and looked down at his waist before remembering that he had apprehended one of the Drac cultist's weapon.
"Oh right. I need to examine this liquid on the blade. Somehow, it was able to not only cut through my Aura even when linked to the dragons but also almost kill my summon. It cut through its scales like paper, though the dragon in question wasn't high in rank." He elaborated.
"That is worrying," frowned Ozpin, "If it can pierce through that, then it may be able to cause untold problems to others. Will you be sending it to the labs for analysis? I can get James to help out."
"Maybe later. I'll try my sources first before turning it over to you."
They soon made it back to Haven, where Lionheart was waiting. He was about to launch a series of questions when Ozpin stopped him.
"I know you want answers, but let them rest first. They need time to recover, both physically and mentally. They have just lost a beloved ally and teacher."
"The sooner we get answers, the better prepared we can be!" argued Lionheart.
"Then I can give you some. They told me enough to satisfy our curiosity, so leave them alone. Team SSSN, if you wouldn't mind, could you take Oscar to your room and allow him to bunk with you for the night? I have business with your headmaster that could take some time."
Sun nodded and gently guided Oscar away to the dorms.
"Saijo, prepare the communication room immediately, full security. Contact everyone within the group," said Ozpin. Lionheart gulped and nodded as he saw Ozpin's face change from kind to serious.
Once communication was established, Ozpin told everyone about what happened to the Fall Maiden "The Fall Maiden's in Salem's clutches already?" gaped Ironwood.
"Unfortunately, Jaune and the others were too late to save her. She had been drained completely. However, we do know the new Fall Maiden's identity. Have each of your security force be ready to identify the woman named Laire Delma. From Team RWBY, we can guess the potential Winter Maiden was to be Daki Nerys. Luckily, they managed to successfully prevent the stealing of the Winter Maiden's powers," said Ozpin as he closed his eyes.
"This is bad," gulped Dory, "My forces are trying to find the Summer Maiden as we speak. I hope we're not too late."
"The Spring Maiden's whereabouts are also currently unknown," added Goodwitch, "Qrow and Raven are looking for her now."
"I can only hope for the best," said Ozpin, "Hopefully, the other two are merely in hiding. Spread out and find them. Listen for any information about them."
Everyone nodded and was about to turn off the communicator when Ozpin piped up once more, "Oh, and I've taken an apprentice."
Ironwood had been sipping a cup of coffee when he heard this and spat it onto the screen, as did Lionheart. Dory fell back in her chair while Glynda just blinked a few times before glaring at Ozpin. He had a small smirk on his lips, but Glynda knew that was his trolling face.
Meanwhile...
Jaune sat in his room looking at the liquid that had been splashed on the weapon. Though it had dried, Jaune was able to scrape some of it into multiple test tubes before heading to sleep with Pyrrha by his side. He soon opened his eyes to see he was in his mindscape with his dragons.
"Gigarock is fine," said Fafnir, "A few injuries that merely require rest."
"But the fact that he was injured so easily is cause for worry," commented Aryz.
"We know they put some sort of dark liquid on their weapon, but what could it be?" said Alaerth.
"It has to do with Drac," growled Othim, "I remember she was experimenting on something with her own eggs."
"Whatever she was doing, we can't find out now," sighed Lung Wang, "If we want to know more, we're going to have to capture one of them."
"There is another option," mused Andusk, "Though it may be risky."
"You're not thinking of him are you?" questioned Ryo-Wo.
"Who else? He may hate all the dragons, but his hatred for Drac eclipses his own hate for Jaune and us. He may have the information we need," shot back Andusk.
"The Ezekiel dude?" asked Jaune, "I'd prefer to avoid him as much as possible. He seems to be the one that'll try to bite my head off even if I knock all his teeth out. Not to mention, I'd prefer my mates to be far away from him."
"We're not asking you to actively find him," assured Lung Wang, "Just if you encounter him once again, see if you strike a small alliance. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, though do be careful that he doesn't stab you in the back while you're not paying attention."
"Of course. I'm going to have Junior try to analyze this with his contacts, though if all else fails, I'll have to send it to Ozpin," nodded Jaune.
Salem sipped on her favorite wine as she played the events through her mind. The Winter Maiden had escaped, which was disappointing. However, the Fall Maiden had been successfully stripped of her power and placed into Laire's, though she had to use the Grimm parasite to absorb it. She would have to be careful in dealing with Ruby Rose, as her silver eyes could easily destroy her, thanks to the method. With Grimm blood circulating within Laire by using the parasite, she was easy prey for Ruby.
The capture of the Summer Maiden was a brilliant strike against Ozpin, though. With Jazz and Emerald torturing her, Salem was sure that the current Summer Maiden would crumble and call Jazz her mistress. Then, they would kill her, and the maiden would think of Jazz and transfer the Summer Maiden's power naturally, thus eliminating the weakness of forcefully absorbing by Grimm Parasite. The only reason they used it was because it was quick and it ensured the previous Maiden didn't think of somebody else, as it had happened before from past experience.
However, they were supposed to grab the Fall Maiden without anyone knowing. The fact that there were survivors who coincidentally saw everything when Watts made Lionheart agree to not post missions near the place was concerning. Watts would be heading back to … discipline him.
But not only that, they apparently missed their chance on the Spring Maiden. It was confirmed that they had captured her, but something or someone intervened, and thus she had disappeared.
But she was a bit uneasy about her alliance with the so-called Dragon Slayers. From what she knew from Watt's network and Hazel's description of them from his report, they were actually a cult that worshiped a specific dragon called Drac. Who that dragon was, she wasn't sure. But the fact that they could damage a dragon was both a blessing and a curse. If they could do this, who was to say that they wouldn't betray her? And they might prove to have the power to do so.
"I'll have to keep a closer eye on them," mused Salem before summoning her seer orb, "Merlot, are you there?"
"Ah Mistress Salem," replied Merlot from the orb, "How can I help you?"
"Are your spybots ready?" asked Salem.
"Just managed to finish them now! Who do you want to spy on? Ozpin? Ruby Rose? Jaune Ryu-Long?"
"All in due time. But first, I need you to put those spybots on the Cult of Drac."
"Why spy on our allies?"
"Because, my dear Merlot, who's to say they won't betray us? We are not close to each other, just sharing the common enemy. Once Jaune Ryu-Long is gone, they may decide we are the bigger threat. Are you doubting my orders?"
"Of course not! I was merely surprised you would prioritize them over our enemies. But as my Lady wants, I will have them set up to spy on them."
"Excellent. And your other projects?"
"Going exceedingly well! The Grimm truly is the ultimate specimen. If only you would allow me to try out the elder Grimms and maybe the ancient Grimms."
"In due time, doctor, I may let you attempt one. But for now, focus on those and your robots. And try to analyze that liquid they used against the dragons. It may prove useful."
"Of course, my lady."
Adam was busy slicing through some practice dummies for practice. But every time he sliced, that man's face and words just wouldn't leave him.
Who was he? Why did he give him that look? How was he in any way even related to him?
Adam wracked his brain for any memories, but he never recalled ever interacting with any humans. Why would he? He hated all humans! He had been a damn slave back in Haven's rich district! He had been one of the slum kids who had been caught, only to be freed later by the White Fang. It was why he dedicated his life to the old White Fang, but their peaceful ways weren't enough. When Ghira had retired, he had been ecstatic. Living in Menagerie to recover and train had made him restless, and so when he left, he had been euphoric when Blake agreed to leave with him.
When he was going through his memory, he had a sudden flash of an old man with floppy dog ears but shook it off. That man was someone he deeply respected, as he had been the one to not only raise him but treated all his wounds and even taught him how to fight. Before Adam could convince him to come with him, though, the man disappeared.
"Forget it," mumbled Adam, "It doesn't matter. What matters is the future. Where Anima will belong to the Faunus. Where we will show those arrogant humans they can't shove us all into a small island and try to forget about us. An all those who opposed us will die."
Just then, Ilia had rushed into the training area. She had been busy spying and managing some new Blood Fang bases throughout Remnant when she heard Adam's mission hadn't gone smoothly.
"Adam! I heard you were injured! Are you alright? Do you need anything? Do you want me to get food? Or maybe... help you relieve yourself?" asked Ilia with a lustful gaze and seductive pose.
"Not now," replied Adam without a second thought, "I need to meditate on what happened on the mission. Nobody is to interrupt me unless if it's serious."
"But..."
"LEAVE!"
With a roar, Adam left the arena to head to a makeshift waterfall area, sitting at the edge of the water to concentrate. Ilia pouted but left the room to leave him in solitude.
"How are you feeling, Cobra?" asked Chernobog as he watched Cobra rise out from the healing tanks, courtesy of Merlot's invention.
Cobra glared at Chernobog, knowing fully well that he knew how he was feeling while he leaned against the tank, one head on his head from a splitting heading while using the other to help keep him standing.
"Yes, yes," chuckled Chernobog, "Be glad your weapon is still functional. That man grabbed it and almost crushed the transforming sequences inside while he pulled you towards him."
"I won't underestimate my enemies again," hissed Cobra, though two of his fangs were missing. Luckily, they found the old ones and would surgically plant them back in before using Aura to heal it.
"See that you don't. Word is that Ezekiel is on the loose," said Chernobog, "He would love nothing more than to find us and kill us. Now, go get dressed."
Cobra simply nodded and went to go do what he was told, after all, he was completely naked after all due to being in the healing chamber, multiple scars littered his body, but the one that stood out the most was a word that was cut and left to scar on him which was the word "SLAVE" right above his heart. It looked to be the oldest scar he had if one were to guess it would be roughly 17 years old, back when Cobra himself was but a child.
After Cobra got dressed, the two walked towards their base and opened the door, hundreds of worshipers were kneeling before a giant statue of a dragon.
"Been awhile since we flown together, sis," commented Qrow as he landed on a cliff. Raven appeared next to him, looking into the distance.
"The tribe should be around here," said Raven, looking around.
"So when were you planning to tell Ozpin you've had the Spring Maiden all this time?" asked Qrow as he took out his flask to drink.
"You knew?" asked Raven in surprise, "And didn't you promise to reduce your drinking habits?"
"It's Wike's harder lemonade," grunted Qrow, "Weak as shit compared to the whiskey I usually drink. Can't expect me to just give it up so easily. It's a gradual process. And I do keep tabs on the old tribe. Surprised you didn't use her to try to capture Jaune."
"Of course. You're the wizard's eyes. And it was too risky to use her right in the middle of Vacuo. Dory and several others would've found out," grumbled Raven before producing a whistle from the depths of her cleavage. She was about to whistle when Qrow stopped her.
"I don't think it'll be hard to find," said Qrow, pointing towards a specific patch of land.
Raven squinted her eyes before widening them in shock. She slashed into the air to create a portal for both of them to jump through and land right in the midst of the clearing. Laying on the ground were members of the Branawen tribe, all pretty much dead.
"What happened!? Who did this!?"
"Boss...,"
Both siblings whirled around to see Duncan, Raven's right-hand man, leaning on some trees, blood slowly spilling out of his stomach.
"Duncan! Hold on, I have a first aid kit," said Raven, digging out the equipment, but Duncan held out his hand.
"It's too late for me," coughed Duncan as he spat out blood, "Luckily, I can... still give you this. I stole it from the attackers."
He lifted his hand to show a badge of a green dragon.
"A new group? Did they take you out alone?" mused Raven, but Duncan shook his head.
"They had Blood Fang members and Grimm and... Cohorts of Salem."
"Is Natia alright!?"
"Natia was in trouble, but… someone came in and… saved her. Killed all of the others ruthlessly. A fine addition to our... tribe if we can convince him... Sorry boss, this is as far as I go."
As his life faded, he gave one last look at Qrow and flicked his middle finger at him. Duncan then slumped down the tree, lifeless and his eyes gazing into the distance.
"I'll miss you too," sighed Qrow as he took the badge, "I think Jaune might know what this is. He mentioned about some sort of evil dragon cult. C'mon sis, we should head over to Junior's to get some more info."
"You do that," said Raven as she drew her sword, "I have my tribe to avenge."
"Raven! Not now!" shouted Qrow as he grabbed her wrist, "We have more important things to do!"
"Like what? Like it or not, the tribe was my responsibility and still is! I may have agreed to spend time with you, Yang, Taiyang, and Ruby, but in the end, I am still the leader of the tribe. It is my duty to look over them, even if you don't feel like they are family."
"Use your head, sis!" hissed Qrow, "I'm talking about finding the Spring Maiden first. If Salem captures the Spring Maiden, then she has the chance to get a relic and gain even more power. Plus, if she is part of your tribe, wouldn't it be smarter to gather your forces first?"
Raven took a deep breath before sheathing her sword and agreeing to Qrow's plan. "Fine. But once we make sure Natia is safe and we have her put with Ozpin, I'm going hunting."
"You're not going to try to convince me or drag her with you, are you?" asked Qrow, taking note of the Spring Maiden's name.
"If they could overpower her, then I'm not taking the risk of losing her to Salem. Plus, I can escape easily."
"I don't know, with this new group, they got some pretty weird tech now. Let's find the maiden first before we do anything else."
"Qrow. You know that once we've secured her, I'm going to get revenge for the tribe. Even if it means never seeing Yang or any of the others again."
"I know, sis. I know. I can only hope to convince you before then."
The two of them nodded and transformed once more, flying away to track down the missing maiden.
Bal Bloo was whistling as he arrived at his destination. A hidden cave, where trees and other natural landscapes blocked the entrance. He entered in it, navigating through the cave easily before arriving at a clearing with quite a few buildings and a rather large castle. On each building, there was a flag bearing the insignia of the White Fang. To be more specific, Sienna's White Fang mark. Bal himself carried the White Fang mark of Ghira's White Fang. He never agreed with Sienna's policy of using violence to demand respect and left when she became the leader. However, it didn't stop him from visiting now, especially when he had some important messages.
"Halt!" shouted one of the guards, "How and what are you doing here, you filthy human?"
Bal had to roll his eyes at this accusation. Many, including quite a few Faunus, thought he was human until they saw his hands. It made life easy for him to walk through crowds, so he didn't really mind it. But for a Faunus guard who was supposed to be trained to protect high leader Khan to not recognize a fellow Faunus was quite disappointing. He assumed that this guard was quite new to guard duty and kept walking forward. Both guards lowered their spear at this.
"I said stop!" shouted the guard, not even giving Bal a warning before both guards tried to stab him.
Bal easily grabbed the spears by the shafts and lifted two guards in the air as they clung on to their spears.
"I need to speak with Sienna," announced Bal as he stared at the struggling guards.
"How dare you speak her name without respect, human!" snarled one of the guards.
"First, I'll call her as I want, since we're old friends," sighed Bal, "Second-"
"Liar! High Leader Khan has no human friends! She hates them!" shouted the second guard.
At this delay, there was already a gathering of guards surrounding him, their weapons pointed at Bal.
"Ok, this is just embarrassing," grumbled Bal, "I know you boys are new, but you really can't tell that I'm also a Faunus? Guess I'll just show you proof in a... beary painful way."
The guards blinked at the declaration before Bal tossed them into the air simultaneously. As they were falling towards the ground, Bal had set up so one was right behind the other and slammed a palm strike into the guard's face. As the approaching palm came close, the guard's last thought was that those pads on his hands looked cute and soft to be on a man like him before pain erupted in his face and blacked out.
Sienna Khan was a female Faunus with tiger ears, brown skin, and black stripes all over her arms with a Bindi on her forehead. She wore black clothes and a red cape and was sitting on her glorious chair, contemplating and designing more raids when the doors to the grand hall burst open. Two guards were sent flying through the door and hit the ground roughly four times while spinning before coming to a halt to her feet. She looked down at the guard and saw a familiar paw print indent on the guard's face and sighed while her four guards around her stood ready for action.
"Yo, Sienna! Guess who's back to visit?"
The four guards snarled as Bal walked in nonchalantly while being followed by multiple other guards to surround him, though they didn't know what to do. They all saw Bal was a Faunus, and when he had slammed his attack, the wind blew up his shirt to reveal the original White Fang symbol on his back. They weren't sure if this man was the enemy or not, as the guards in the entrance did deny him entrance and accused him of being a human.
Before the personal guards of Sienna attack, she raised her hand to stop them.
"Bal Bloo," said Sienna imperiously, "How long has it been since I've last seen you?"
"About the time you took leadership," shrugged Bal, "Did you already forget? That's not a good thing."
"No you idiot, that was just... urg," sighed Sienna, "Guards, pick up those two and send them to the infirmary and clear out."
The guards quickly obeyed, and soon, it was only Bal, Sienna, and her four guards.
"So, what do you want?" asked Sienna with a hint of sarcasm, "Another plead to stop the violence? Ghira would be so proud that his second in command followed his ways."
Bal merely glanced at her four guards for a second before clearing his throat, "I'd like a chance to speak to you in private, Sienna."
"How dare you speak to her without respect!" growled a guard, but Sienna raised her hand.
"Forget it. Bal has never been one to call anybody by their rightful title, and he won't change now. More importantly, why do you need to speak to me in private?"
Bal didn't answer, but Sienna wasn't looking at his face, but rather his fingers and feet. Bal's right toes curled twice and his left pinky and ring finger curled up for a second before lowering it down. Sienna blinked as she understood what Bal meant to say without actually voicing it.
"Fine. We'll use my personal room. Nobody is to disturb us while we talk."
"But, High Leader Khan! It's-"
"Don't worry. I can handle the big lug myself. Bal, no matter how are views digressed, is still an old friend of mine who would never think of using dirty tactics or treachery."
"As you wish, High Leader Khan," said all the guards before retreating away.
Sienna lead Bal to her personal private room, where she had the place meticulously swept for any bugs.
"Ok, Bal. Explain why you think there are traitors in my White Fang," growled Sienna as she whirled around to him, her eyes gleaming.
"I see you still remember our secret signals," grinned Bal, not even worried that Sienna was threatening him.
"How could I? It was drilled into my head, your thick head, Ghira's head, and developed by..."
Sienna stopped for the last part, bowing her head in remembrance as did Bal. Long before the creation of the White Fang, there were four people who were best friends. They weren't Huntsmen or Huntresses, but they were powerful enough to fight them. Their last friend was an Ape Faunus who always liked to nickname himself as King, and called the team Jungle even though the anagram was nowhere close to it. The four of them created the White Fang, and for the while, it went decently. Then Ghira got married and started to invest more time with his wife. Still, nobody blamed him as they went through peaceful protesting. However, everything changed on one fateful day.
Flashback
"This will never work," grumbled a much younger Sienna Khan, lifting up a sign at a protest at Vale.
"Don't be like that," replied the young Bal. "Look, Ghira even brought his little daughter and wife to the rally!"
"Yes, but the humans will never respect us if we don't do something drastic!"
The two began to argue when orange hairy hands wrapped around both of them.
"Now what's got you both in such a tizzle?" asked King
"Sienna thinks this won't work," answered Bal.
"You have to admit, King, it won't! All this effort and humans still look down at us. Look at the SDC! Abusing Faunus rights and not even looking remotely sorry. We fight in the Great War, and all we get is a lousy island where they try to deport us. It's barely inhabitable! If we don't do something, then in the future years, our kind will be looked down and laughed while we struggle to survive! I want a future where us Faunus are looked as equals!"
"And we will! True, Ghira's way is going slow, but it's making some difference. I admit, it's frustrating, but I've been meaning to talk to Ghira about doing something a bit more. Mind you, it's not drastic like-"
King didn't get to finish as gunshots suddenly rang in the air. The Faunus screamed in terror as they ran from the gunshots. King, Sienna, and Bal rushed towards the source. Ghira ran towards it as well, but King shouted Ghira to get back and protect his family. Ghira looked frustrated between duty and family, but both Bal and Sienna assured him they would be alright. As they approached the source, they saw several drunk human males with guns firing at the fleeing Faunus with wild abandon. Sienna growled as she noticed some of them had badges and rather rich suits, signifying they were the wealthy class of Mistral and Atlas. Most likely drunk heirs who thought it would be funny to kill some Faunus without repercussions, as they could use their money and 'diplomatic' immunity to save themselves. Well, that immunity didn't stop fists from flying into their faces. The three of them quickly disabled the attackers before kicking them out of the place.
However, it was there the ugly nature of reality kicked in.The three of them were deemed dangerous and unstable, and the White Fang was under fire from many of the wealthy elite. Nobody seemed to pay attention to the fact it was the human that started it. The rich manipulated the story to earn sympathy from others, painting them as the vile perpetrators.
It was then that King made a deal. He, as one of the head leaders, would come clean and allow himself to be arrested while Bal and Sienna would be allowed to go free. The two argued, but King apologized before knocking them out.
By the time the two woke up, it was too late. King had been arrested, and with some money greasing and corruption of the systems, was executed. This was what caused Sienna to pursue violence as the key. Peace spread complacency of their position as second or third class citizens. Raising her voice, she vowed for violence. Many Faunus in the White Fang agreed with her, and soon she became the High Leader to replace Ghira, who had decided to retire to rule Kuo Kuana when the previous mayor died. Bal had departed from the White Fang, feeling lost and decided to see what he could do, traveling the wilds.
Flashback Ends
"Enough," said Sienna as she shook her head to clear her thoughts, "The past is the past. Why are you here?"
Bal took out his Scroll, placing it on the holo-table before pulling out some files.
"Ghira was in contact with me recently. With Adam free, the Blood Fang is gathering power."
"So? This doesn't concern the White Fang. I have announced to all that I do not approve of his ways. I may resort to violence against humans to demand respect, but trying to destroy a Huntsmen Academy and murder innocent people goes too far. Not only that but because of the destruction of the CCT, communications have slowed. We are lucky that repairs are going well because of that Ryu-Long man. To which, I am not even sure if he is a Faunus or not. I don't recall any of the race having wings."
"He's not," answered Bal, "I just met him a few days ago. He's human."
"A pity. He would've served well as another pillar of strength for the White Fang if he was one and joined us."
"That's not the problem I want to discuss. What I want to say is that Ghira sent me some files saying there are traitors loyal to Adam within the White Fang."
Sienna remained silent on this for a bit to contemplate the information. "And why is this a concern of mine?"
Bal didn't answer, but rather tapped a few buttons to call someone. A screen popped up to reveal Ghira Belladonna sitting in front of his desk.
"Sienna," said Ghira roughly.
"Ghira," replied Sienna coldly, "Where's Kali?"
"She's busy," replied Ghira, "Let's get down to business first. Bal has shown you the files?"
"Some of it," admitted Sienna, "They do worry me a little, but rest assured, I am not one to go down easily."
"I know you aren't, but that was before I decided to use Jaune's little underground network," replied Ghira.
"You know Jaune personally?"
"Hard not to. He not only donated 15,000 Lien for the village, but he's a rather close friend of my daughter."
"Ah, young Blake. It's good to hear that she's close to him... wait did you say 15,000 Lien!?"
"Yes, but forget about that. I want to focus on what I want to address now. From what I know, the Albain brothers are spies for them."
"Then I'll dispose of them immediately."
"Forget that. My problem is that Adam was viewed as an inspiration for many in the White Fang during your rule. He helped cripple Beacon and would have destroyed it had Jaune and the others not intervened. But even with that loss, he is still admired by many under your rule. And it doesn't help the Albain brothers keep spreading the word about the Blood Fang being able to truly bring the Faunus race to what he thinks is the proper position: above the humans. You know damn well I created the White Fang with you all for equality, not to be the abusers and get revenge. Such a path would only bring a cycle of violence for both humans and Faunus. And the Grimm will prey on such weakness, and wipe us all out if we are not careful. And even with your violent views, many think it's not enough and that Adam's way is more effective. Hasn't recruitment for the White Fang dropped?"
Sienna quickly looked at her own scroll to check and saw that Ghira's statement was true. Recruitment had dropped, but she thought it was because of Adam's vicious ways that caused such a thing.
"Sienna. As an old friend of yours, trust me when I say be careful. Adam may come marching in and demand you to bow before him. He may even kill you and blame it on a human or a Huntsman spy to make you a martyr for a cause. And your guards will not protect you because there is a chance they want to follow Adam. Make plans in case of such treachery."
"Agreed. Curiously, how did you find about all this?"
"Ilia, a previous member, dropped her Scroll that contained plans. One of them gave a rough outline of bringing the White Fang under Adam. From there, Jaune's information network helped out."
"Hmm, is it possible that I can have access to that network?"
"That might be hard since the leader of it is a human. And knowing your hatred for them...Yeah. But if you want it, for once in your life, swallow your pride. Pride is not worth risking your life."
Sienna remained silent at this as Bal also gave a plea. She remembered King swallowing his own pride to save her, though she was now one of the most wanted women in the world.
"...Fine. For once, I will... accept help from a human."
"Thank you, old friend," said Ghira, "If something does go wrong, head over to Menagerie immediately. You are always welcomed here. Bal, stick with Sienna for a bit if you can. The same goes for you, if you need help, come here. Both of you are my valued friends, even if we don't see eye to eye. Sienna, I'm sending the Scroll number over now of the people that might help you."
"Speaking of people, I actually met Jaune a few days ago," cut in Bal.
"Oh? And how is he doing?"
"... Not too sure. They were on a mission that went sour. Adam and several others were trying to kill them."
"What!? Bal, tell me everything now."
And so Bal told his tale about the battle, ending with Wong sacrificing his life to ensure their safety.
Ghira remained silent at this while Sienna looked a bit worried. If what Bal said was true, then Adam had some serious firepower, even if he was working with humans. But to work with the Grimm... that was beyond even her.
"... Did this Wong person have a broadsword with black on one edge and white on the other?" asked Ghira after a moment of silence.
"Yeah! How'd you know?"
"If it's who I think it is... then this irony at its cruelest. It doesn't matter, at least for now. I should hang up soon, Kali will be back soon."
Sienna nodded and as Ghira was about to hang up, she added, "It was... nice to see some old faces again."
Ghira paused for a second before nodding and hung up.
"So... are you going to call them now?" asked Bal.
"Might as well," grumbled Sienna as she tapped the number in.
The dial tone went on for about 30 seconds before a face revealed itself.
"Why hello there! Didn't think I'd be working with the White Fang again."
On the screen was a man with orange hair and a fancy hat. It was Roman Torchwick.
A few days after the meeting, Saijou 'Leo' Lionheart was nervously walking into a secret room that nobody but Arthur Watts knew, and he was walking with him. Soon, they arrived at a secure location where the walls were plated stone and steel. Amongst the wall were high emitters that would cancel any noises made within the room so nobody could hear what Leo and Watts were about to say. In the middle of the room was the Grimm Seer Orb floating with its tentacles barely touching the ground. As soon as the door closed, the orb glowed.
"My mistress," stuttered Leo, "Are you there?"
The orb grew cloudy before a clear picture of Salem appeared before his eyes.
"Leo. How nice to see you."
Before Leo could reply, Salem's finger twitched, and one of the orb's tentacles suddenly wrapped around Leo's throat, choking him.
"Tell me, Leo. What exactly were two teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses doing near Akai Chirippu when I had Arthur clearly tell you not to have any over there? And how an old man managed to deal a crippling blow to some of my forces? We're lucky that Lara was able to recover."
Leo tried to answer, but the tentacle constricting his throat was making it difficult talk or breath. Arthur watched in amusement before deciding to intervene.
"Lionheart did take all missions at Akai Chirippu off the missions board and even other villages nearby. However, from what the records show, the old man had taken them, claiming it to be a training trip while doubling as a bodyguard job. He failed to place the location, therefore bypassing the red markers. As you know, bodyguard jobs do not have to specify exactly where they need to go."
"I see," nodded Salem, "But the fact remains that you've disappointed me, Leo. Tell me, exactly what use are you to me now that I have the Fall Maiden? Especially since the relic is inside Haven Academy, and you are in the way. Don't think I didn't notice you leaking information to Ozpin's side. I merely overlooked it as it played out well within my plans."
"Better answer her, Leo," sneered Arthur, "It's very easy to make your death seem like a terrible accident. And since I already know this academy quite well, it will be a cinch to find the room where the relic is, with the Fall Maiden in hand."
The relics were also something created by the two brothers, the god of light and god of darkness. Before they left Remnant, they created this in secret. Not even the dragons knew of this. These relics were choice, knowledge, creation, and destruction. In the great war, it was said that the King of Vale used these relics to end the war when it became too much. After witnessing its power, the relics were separated and given to each kingdom, where the Huntsman Academy was built right over the vault to protect it from being abused. But there was another defense to the vault beside being guarded by trained Huntsmen 24/7.
The relics were not only in a secure vault that the Headmasters knew, but the security was based on the Aura signatures of the four Maidens. It was decided that the Headmasters and Headmistress would only know the location, as if they were allowed in the vault, the temptation would be too much. What better way than to have the Maidens as the keyholders, who would travel through Remnant in secret?
As the tentacle slackened for Leo to breathe and talk for a second, Leo shouted, "Ozpin has taken an apprentice!"
That caused both Salem and Arthur to blink in surprise.
"The wizard has taken one? You're sure it's not offering a place in Beacon?" asked Arthur with unbridled curiosity.
"No. He told all of us during the Inner Group's meeting that he was taking one. He didn't specify, but I think I might know who he is. An additional young boy came back from the said mission. I don't know who, some orphaned farm boy."
"So Ozpin has decided to expand," murmured Salem, "This is very important news. Arthur, try to find out more about this new apprentice. Leo... you'll live to see another day. But make no mistakes. We will get the relic we want. Then we will leave Mistral alone, as promised."
Leo could only massage his throat as his mind went into overdrive. All the information he had carefully leaked had been monitored without him noticing!? Then who was to say that Ozpin also knew of his job spying for Salem? Putting on a mask, Leo thanked Salem for her mercy.
"Good. Leo, leave us for a moment while I talk with Arthur for a bit."
Leo obeyed and quickly left, trying to formulate a plan. If he could just get Jaune to stay, then his presence alone would be enough to deter Salem from acting. He was no fool. He knew with the alliance of the Blood Fang, Adam wanted Mistral to fall so he could rule it for the Faunus. He, Saijou Lionheart, would not allow Haven and Mistral to fall like Beacon and Vale had almost did! Mistral was under his watch!
Arthur watched Lionheart leave before turning back to Salem. "Are you really going to keep that promise? I thought you promised Taurus the destruction of Mistral for his kingdom and full kingdom alliance to you when he pledged his allegiance to you."
"I intend to carry out my part of the bargain. As you know, the Blood Fang is part of our alliance, and thus cannot touch Mistral. However… the White Fang is not. Adam has promised to have the White Fang see our way, and they will be the one to attack Haven. If the Blood Fang decides to join the White Fang, along with any weapons they might mysteriously receive, then so be it. With so much fear during such time, the Grimm will be attracted to such an event. I myself will not command the Grimm, but nor will I hold them back, as I am to keep my hand clean. Holding them back would break our bargain. Therefore, I have fulfilled my promise to Leo."
"Ingenious, if I do say so myself, my lady. But did you need me for something else?"
"My dear doctor, how perceptive you are. I need you to make sure Jaune Ryu-Long will not be here when we get the relic. The Academy semester should be ending soon, giving the students a two-week break. Convince him to return to Beacon instead of continuing his education here. Make Leo seem unreliable and suspicious. While you're at it, find more information about Ozpin's apprentice. We will take the relic within the two week break period. Adam intends to convince Sienna Khan within that time frame."
"It will be done, my lady," bowed Arthur, "But might I ask a question?"
"You may," said Salem, raising her hand to let him proceed.
"Why are you so worried about the boy? Sure the dragons may be a threat, but surely not enough to deal with the Maiden and the relic at the same time."
Salem closed her eyes for a bit before explaining, "The brothers created the relics of unimaginable power for one of their creations to use, whether humanity or Grimm. Whoever holds them, can change the world. The dragons, however, are not affected by this. Only with all four relics would the dragons even begin to worry. But still, the black dragon we saw back at Vale would merely sneer at this power before destroying it."
"Then how will we handle them?"
"We let our dear dragon slayers do the job. Once both sides are weakened, then we swoop in and take care of them in one strike. But we must get the relics before we do so. And Jaune Ryu-Long has proven that he can handle a single Maiden alone. If they get wind of this, then Ozpin may intervene, and it becomes infinitely harder."
"I see. Then I will do my best, my lady."
"See that you do. You have yet to disappoint me. I expect great things from you," said Salem as the orb's light diminished.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Felt like Sienna and the others needed some sort of backstory to why she turned for violence. Anyways, say goodbye to Wong. He dead.
Oscar Pine becomes Ozpin's apprentice! Woot, who saw that coming muhaha. Also, alliances! Salem is allied with them, but she doesn't trust them. Very like her, in my opinion.
So... been busy playing ff15, borrowed it from my friend. It's pretty decent. No spoilers though. Also released my newest story, History Strongest Disciple Again? Check it out on my profile. I even got Third Fang to take a look over the chapter and give advice. And not only that, he's also given a shout out to it! So it's only fair that I say this.
Praise the Log!
And finally, woot hit pass 2k fav! I'm so happy! Also, my other story Mending the Knots almost hit 1k follows, so yay! Thanks for reading, and review if you can to see what I can improve on, or even just compliment me! Every one counts!